tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-95072952024-03-19T03:13:20.149-07:00The Two Pat Memorial Fantasy Baseball LeagueWe are a fantasy baseball league whose draft is scheduled for May 1. Ten men enter (or nine or eight), and one man leaves.....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-26149838157055593882021-04-20T11:50:00.000-07:002021-04-20T11:50:45.985-07:00Hard at Work - For You<p>Being league (Beloved) Commissioner for Life is much like being the progressive and public-spirited governor of a state with a conservative and mean-spirited legislature, and I mean that in the most loving way possible. I have made, and will continue to make, determinations about questions of position eligibility with only the welfare and smooth functioning of the league as my governing principle.</p><p>But remember that poor Democratic governor. Zie (gender neutral - very progressive) can only do zir best while accepting the fact the mad cow posse (if I may playfully and respectfully so describe) that is zir state's legislature may overturn and nullify zir decisions. Here are the latest and hottest: Giancarlo Stanton is a left fielder, Shohei Ohtani is a right fielder and Alex Verdugo is a center fielder.</p><p>Unless you (already gender neutral - good job!) by majority say otherwise. Now is the time to raise those questions.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lullabypit.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/french-revolution-guillotine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="654" src="https://lullabypit.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/french-revolution-guillotine.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-75445632550470479462021-04-19T14:22:00.000-07:002021-04-19T14:22:29.952-07:00Winter is Coming<p> That is to say, looms the fantasy baseball draft and its attendant pain and suffering in that if you haven't started preparing, if you don't have at least three dozen Excel spreadsheets crammed line to line with the most trivial of statistics, not to mention a stack of unredacted NSA surveillance and also a reputable source of safe and reliable - though technically illegal - mood sharpening substances, it's too late for you if you entertain any notion of avoiding relegation to <a href="https://bassmasterfantasy.com/">some damn bass fishing fantasy league.</a></p><p>So there's no shame in just giving it up without even getting started. Flip a coin, choose based on high school mascot or from which of the Dominican Republic's 31 provincias the player comes - one is as good as the other <a href="https://youtu.be/VkKxmnrRVHo">because it's too late, baby, it's too late. </a></p><p>One of my favorite baseball cliches is, "Stick a fork in him, he's done." I just counted 'em up. I have nine forks, poised and ready to go.</p>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-17746705892739614032021-04-11T22:27:00.001-07:002021-04-11T22:27:19.737-07:00Putting on My Best Sweats for Draft Day<p> These <a href="https://www.bergdorfgoodman.com/p/brunello-cucinelli-mens-cashmere-blend-spa-jogger-pants-prod149280164?ecid=BGCS__GooglePLA&utm_source=google_shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwvMqDBhB8EiwA2iSmPNUkfq6MTnpKMBAemJhdeQ0A_T-yH_ND4n2GyTuDGYXAPYc7ks2Y4RoC7O0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">accentuate my buttocks.</a></p>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-78667678449392791162021-04-11T11:56:00.000-07:002021-04-11T11:56:07.304-07:00Will the Draft Descend into a Sewer of Rage and Sadness?I suppose <a href="https://www.salon.com/2021/04/11/socializing-difficulties-post-pandemic/">this means</a> we'll have to drink a lot. <div><br /></div><div><blockquote><i> Those who haven't been socializing during the pandemic aren't used to seeing people in person. For example, the experience of managing a group conversation bigger than what a person has experienced over the last year could cause someone to think harder in the moment, and thus take more energy.</i></blockquote></div><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/mZee6XQy0Ws" style="background-image: url(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mZee6XQy0Ws/hqdefault.jpg);" width="480"></iframe></div>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-19626358962470906222021-04-10T16:57:00.003-07:002021-04-10T17:02:13.408-07:00Draft Prep Off to a SlooooowStartVery excited about the draft but, sitting down this afternoon to jot some notes about projected starting lineups (as opposed to who actually started games the first week of the season), I discovered I am NOT excited about my usual draft prep, of my usual practice of extensive list making. (Which has always made me think I was a chartered accountant in a previous life, in Great Britain, of course, no such thing as a CPA across the pond as we learned from more than one Monty Python sketch.)
Maybe the Covid lockdown, i.e., slowdown, has created an inertia so deep it will take months to overcome. The past year, for so many things why do it today instead of tomorrow. (Mañana, mañana, mañana is soon enough for me.) <div><br /></div><div><br /><div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://youtube.com/embed/GbKSEz_39is" width="480"></iframe></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Yet the remorseless clock at the bottom of this page....</div>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-64843233811734489702021-04-09T21:52:00.001-07:002021-04-09T21:52:41.907-07:00We Know Nothing. Nothing.<p>I mean speaking for myself.</p><div><br /></div>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-43202190656741215102018-03-23T11:20:00.001-07:002018-03-23T11:20:57.357-07:00Fearless Predictions for this Draft<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_the_Fearless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="John the Fearless" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="300" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/John_the_Fearless.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="204" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 204px;">John the Fearless (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_the_Fearless.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
* Everything I read suggests King Felix is his old self and then some. I'm guessing he'll go for at least $8.<br />
<br />
* Does David Price really have a fifth pitch or is that just Beantown hype? He's still worth $9.50, slurve or not.<br />
<br />
* Justin Verlander's beautiful wife is giving him some beautiful trouble according to Buzzfeed. Court action is fine in tennis but baseball not so much. Stop the bidding at $4 and cross your fingers.<br />
<br />
<br />....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-48647897051469649892018-03-17T12:32:00.000-07:002018-03-18T13:02:55.419-07:00Let's Talk Positions<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img">
<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_O%27Brien_%28MLB-OF%29.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Jack O'Brien – Played in Major League..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="135" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Jack_O%27Brien_%28MLB-OF%29.gif" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="90" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 90px;">English: Jack O'Brien – Played in Major League Baseball between the 1899 and 1903 seasons (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_O%27Brien_%28MLB-OF%29.gif" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Time to fire up the old league blog again to deal with that most vexing of recurrent problems: Who is eligible at what position? I'm guessing 95 percent of the time the answers are obvious. He played there last year. He's playing there this year.<br />
<br />
Next case.<br />
<br />
Manny Machado has spent his career playing 3B, but this year - his final under contract to Baltimore - he wants to play SS and thus (did I mention it's his final year under contract) he's playing SS. We are not one of those leagues that places guys at multiple positions! Deal with it.<br />
<br />
But some situations are more opaque. Some DHs only DH, but MLB depth charts solve those problems - most of them. Mariners DH Nelson Cruz is number three RF on the Seattle depth chart. He also played <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2017-appearances-fielding.shtml">five whole games </a></span>there last year. Thanks to my link you can look it up!<br />
<br />
And, of course, there's Marwin Gonzalez, who was all over the place last year. He played 47 games in LF and 38 at SS. This year the CBS depth chart has him as backup not in LF but in *all four infield positions.* I say tally the first two weeks of the season and go with that. But do not forget the bottom line, this league's Iron Rule which the BCL has adamantly applied. Majority vote rules! Anything a majority of the league says must be so *is* so. We have occasionally tweaked reality to shore up a weak position.<br />
<br />
There you go. The floor is open for discussion. Comments?<br />
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</div>
....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-28489485973108140062017-04-17T09:47:00.002-07:002017-04-17T09:47:30.366-07:00Draft Countdown is UnderwayPose your questions, lads. Since we are going to draft with ten this year, placement of marginal players at thin positions is important. Since I am old school and take a "paper" paper, I am here perusing the box scores, looking for anomalies and portents. You may recall I said Mr. Carlos Santana (the baller) will be drafted as a ....<br />
<br />
I've forgotten if I said RF or 1B. As of this morning, he's played at 1B five times and RF three times. A strict constructionist - is that you, Clarence Thomas? - would place him at 1B, but I say let's put him at the weaker position, which looks to be RF.<br />
<br />
But back to this DL madness. Guys dropping like flies, and the net effect of this 10-day DL is to make you think they will probably be back sooner rather than later. I'm just saying wait on the dreaded MRI.....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-2260748968924373092015-05-14T19:51:00.003-07:002015-05-14T19:52:47.233-07:00Caption That Kevin!ad a<img alt="berger" class=" size-full wp-image-167 alignleft" src="http://www.cjrarchive.org/experiment/images/berger.jpg" height="300" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 13px 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12px; height: auto; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; max-width: 278px; padding: 0px; width: 274px;" width="278" /><br />
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25px; margin: auto auto 15px; padding: 0px; width: 219.1875px;">
</div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
That's Right. It's Time for *Caption that Kevin* the only contest where you don't win only if you don't play. Are you Ready? It's time to *Caption that Kevin* And the first caption is:</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
</h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
</h3>
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</h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
</h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
che was right.</h3>
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<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">you can't lead a revolution</span></h3>
<h3 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Montserrat, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 3px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">
<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">with split ends.</span></h3>
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<br /></div>
....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-73812020681437724432015-04-05T13:37:00.000-07:002015-04-05T13:37:03.792-07:00Who's on First. What's on Second...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cats_singing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Cats" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="139" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0e/Cats_singing.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="172" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 172px;">Cats (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cats_singing.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Josefa_ortiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Josefa ortiz" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="150" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Josefa_ortiz.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 150px;">Josefa ortiz (Photo credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Josefa_ortiz.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
... and Ortiz is also on first.<br />
<br />
That is to say, it's time for our annual arguments about who qualifies where. As BCL, it is my job to establish perspective, set parameters and in general herd the cats in the only way cats can be herded, by guessing in which direction they are headed and racing ahead to be there when they arrive.<br />
<br />
Which can be a long wait.<br />
<br />
Thus, I understand that these preliminary discussions are often reversed 'at table.' But what the hell. Better to light one little candle than curse the darkness or Marko, whichever comes first.<br />
<br />
By team:<br />
<br />
Boston: Ortiz is a first sacker. No problem there. Rusney Castillo will start the year in the minors, but Victorino in RF is the guy he'll most likely replace when he comes up.<br />
<br />
Baltimore: DH Steve Pearce is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
Chicago: DH Adam LaRoche is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
Cleveland: DH Carlos Santana is listed as backup at 1B. Didn't catch or play 3B this spring.<br />
<br />
Detroit: DH Victor Martinez is listed as backup at 1B. Didn't catch this spring.<br />
<br />
Houston: DH Chris Carter is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
Kansas City: DH Kendrys Morales isn't listed as backup anywhere. So: 1B.<br />
<br />
LA: DH Matt Joyce is listed as backup in LF.<br />
<br />
Minnesota: DH Kennys Vargas (whom I've never heard of till this moment) is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
NYC: Aha. Room for argument here. DH Garrett Jones is listed as backup at 1B. DH Alex Rodriguez is listed as backup at 3B. Who actually plays where the first ten days will be suggestive.<br />
<br />
Oakland: DH Billy Butler is listed as backup at 1B. Gentry and Fuld will platoon in CF once Cocoa Crisp returns to retake LF. But Gentry will start the season in left, so I'd say draft him there along with fragile Cocoa.<br />
<br />
Seattle: DH Nelson Cruz is listed as backup in LF.<br />
<br />
Tampa: DH John Jaso is not listed as backup at C *but* he's a catcher. So Jaso: catcher.<br />
<br />
Texas: DH Mitch Moreland is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
Toronto: DH Edwin Encarnacio is listed as backup at 1B.<br />
<br />
Any other position puzzles we need to chew on???....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-74582657460024817882015-04-04T23:55:00.000-07:002015-04-04T23:55:39.472-07:00Billy Butler, Canary in the Green and Gold Mine<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Strike_zone_Fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: French explanation of the baseball st..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="264" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8c/Strike_zone_Fr.jpg/350px-Strike_zone_Fr.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">English: French explanation of the baseball strike zone (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Strike_zone_Fr.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
from 538<div>
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<br /><h2 style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 1.43478260869565rem; letter-spacing: -0.04em; line-height: 1.65rem; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; margin-top: 3rem; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
The strike zone is (or was?) dropping</h2>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; color: #333332; font-family: 'Slab Serif', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26.25px; margin-bottom: 1.5rem; margin-top: 1.5rem;">
Offensive numbers are falling for a number of reasons, but none contributes more than a strike zone whose bottom edge is sinking lower and lower. Since at least the introduction of a PitchF/X grading system in 2009, umpires have been calling a<a href="http://www.hardballtimes.com/the-strike-zone-expansion-is-out-of-control/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> larger and lower strike zone</a>. Pitchers noticed, and have thrown an ever-greater proportion of their pitches at knee height. Meanwhile, the league’s hitters have been reduced to feebly hacking at low balls and producing an <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/story/the-impact-of-the-evolving-strike-zone-090914" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">endless string</a> of ignominious groundouts.</div>
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But a curious thing happened in the second half of last season: After years of sustained decline, the average pitch height bottomed out at about 2.25 feet. Soon after, during the playoffs, average pitch height suddenly rose to a place it hadn’t been since 2011. It was too drastic an increase to be the <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=24901" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">result of chance alone</a>, and an <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBPlayerAnalys/status/524976296242061312" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">analysis of ball/strike decisions</a>confirmed that umpires were calling pitches in an unusually old-fashioned manner.</div>
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<span class="pinContainer" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"><span class="pin" data-page-action-input="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/arthur-feature-mlbseasonpreview-2.png?w=610&h=475" data-page-action="pinImage" style="-webkit-background-size: 56px 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out, transform 0.2s ease-in-out; background-image: url(http://s3.feedly.com/production/head/images/ab-pinit.v3.png); background-size: 56px 28px; cursor: pointer; height: 28px; margin-left: 5px; margin-top: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transform: translateY(-5px); transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out, transform 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 56px; z-index: 5;"></span><span class="epin" data-page-action-input="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/arthur-feature-mlbseasonpreview-2.png?w=610&h=475" data-page-action="epinImage" style="-webkit-background-size: 28px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out, transform 0.2s ease-in-out; background-image: url(http://s3.feedly.com/production/head/images/ab-epin@2x.png); background-size: 28px 28px; cursor: pointer; height: 28px; margin-left: 65px; margin-top: 5px; opacity: 0; position: absolute; transform: translateY(-5px); transition: opacity 0.2s ease-in-out, transform 0.2s ease-in-out; width: 28px; z-index: 5;"></span><img alt="arthur-feature-mlbseasonpreview-2" class="pinable" src="https://espnfivethirtyeight.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/arthur-feature-mlbseasonpreview-2.png?w=610&h=475" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-radius: 3px; border: 1px solid rgb(239, 239, 239); display: block; margin-bottom: 3rem; margin-top: 3rem; max-width: 647px;" /></span></div>
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Was this a playoff aberration, or the beginning of a correction? Keep an eye on Billy Butler to find out. Despite his <a href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/10/06/video-billy-butler-stole-a-base-last-night-it-was-his-first-since-2012/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">entertaining</a> playoff run last year, Butler struggled in the regular season, notching a -0.6 WAR, about equal to what some triple-A replacements might do. Part of his woeful hitting was due to his performance in the bottom third of the strike zone, where he hit .278/.307/.394 and grounded into 12 double plays. Butler is uniquely harmed by the low strike zone because of his <a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=23969" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">poor plate discipline</a> and sluggish speed, which turns most grounders into outs.</div>
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If the low strike evaporates, Butler may see his fortunes turn (this is a scenario Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane, who signed Butler to a contract in the offseason, may be banking on). Balls higher in the strike zone can be more easily turned into flies, and that is where Butler does his damage (he slugged .472 on fly balls). If you don’t want to dive into a trove of Pitch F/X data, Butler’s early season production can serve as a barometer of the strike zone instead: If he’s launching balls high into the outfield, the strike zone may be rising. If he’s attempting to leg out infield singles to poor effect, the zone may still be at its low point.</div>
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So far this year, spring training has seen an average pitch height of 2.29 feet,<a data-expandable="entry-footnotes" data-footnote-id="2" href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/three-trends-to-watch-in-baseball-this-year/#fn-2" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><sup style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);">2</sup></a> lower than the playoff spike but higher than it was at any time in 2014.</div>
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....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-75209625088256085492015-04-01T15:00:00.002-07:002015-04-01T15:00:34.994-07:00Entirely Useless to Us But Interesting<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 9.14285755157471px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 10px;">
<strong>Run Expectancy By <span class="statdef" style="background-color: #f0f0ff;"><a href="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/glossary/index.php?search=Base-Out+State" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: black; text-decoration: none;">Base-Out State</a></span>, 1999-2002</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica; font-size: 13.3333330154419px; line-height: 9.14285755157471px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 10px;">
<img alt="" height="284" src="http://www.baseballprospectus.com/u/images2/trueblood0401a.png" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: 284px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 452px;" width="452" /></div>
<br />....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-87609396760583430672015-03-23T18:01:00.001-07:002015-03-23T18:01:44.573-07:00By Popular Request, Beardsley's Official Pablo Portrait<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXpPba_NHR_ZOD1nnit1n6fFBwQYZrweF95-zmnCWQcMeubhmgeM0byfs3MPZHLz_GQDCvayymvW5hwdHBrE9WlC3IIXq8ejg8XFSNfPFm3tXYclBLgELXWHCan3l7tS32daTZQ/s1600/cover-design-for-ali-baba-1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXpPba_NHR_ZOD1nnit1n6fFBwQYZrweF95-zmnCWQcMeubhmgeM0byfs3MPZHLz_GQDCvayymvW5hwdHBrE9WlC3IIXq8ejg8XFSNfPFm3tXYclBLgELXWHCan3l7tS32daTZQ/s1600/cover-design-for-ali-baba-1897.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a></div>
<br />....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-69643112373227902402015-03-23T14:37:00.003-07:002015-03-23T14:39:59.204-07:00Draft Day: Pablo, or The Elephant in the Room<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img">
<div class="zemanta-img">
<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%A9union-Tampon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Le Tampon" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="302" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/R%C3%A9union-Tampon.png/350px-R%C3%A9union-Tampon.png" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">Le Tampon (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:R%C3%A9union-Tampon.png" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A baby elephant. Pablo already weighs 50 pounds more than a baby elephant, and it's early days. So how much a pound are you willing to pay for him, Giants bitches?<br />
<br />
Until his rant about the Giants tampon (as in <a class="zem_slink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toxic_shock_syndrome" rel="wikipedia" target="_blank" title="Toxic shock syndrome">toxic shock</a>) clubhouse a few weeks ago, I thought drafting at 3B would be quite straightforward. The G4Gs - goofy for Giants - guys would bid him up pretty high, and then Marky Marko would buy another vowel for 9 bucks or so.<br />
<br />
But now that Pablo's slandered the Men of Orange, I am really not sure the degree to which bruised feelings will counterbalance the possibility of bruised baseballs bouncing off the Green Monster - and I don't mean Peter's crunchy kale salad.<br />
<br />
I had thought I'd bring Pablo out at once at a stiff dollar figure, just high enough to tempt the rest of you into leaving me hanging so that you could chuckle at my apparently misreading the room. That is a bidding strategy, based on the premise that most of us seem content to start low and boost the bid in quarter increments, hoping that enough of those at the table will be drunk, dumb or unfocused enough to let a player slip through at a bargain price. But what if you are immediately challenged and bumped offstride with an initial offer of, say, 5 dollars, which breaks the rhythm, the drumbeat of quarter-up, quarter-up until someone blinks?<br />
<br />
(And someone is always blinking.)<br />
<br />
Maybe I will make that preemptive strike, if only to see Mark snap to attention. I really do like Pablo after all. We both have clearly had a bellyful of Frisco.<br />
<div class="zemanta-related" style="clear: both; margin-top: 20px; overflow: hidden;">
<h4 class="zemanta-related-title">
Related articles</h4>
<ul class="zemanta-article-ul zemanta-article-ul-image" style="margin: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0;">
<li class="zemanta-article-ul-li-image zemanta-article-ul-li" style="background: none; display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px; list-style: none; margin: 2px 10px 10px 2px; padding: 0; text-align: left; vertical-align: top; width: 84px;"><a href="http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24166/1/why-are-tampons-still-being-taxed" style="border-radius: 2px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 4px #999; display: block; padding: 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img src="//i.zemanta.com/332614672_80_80.jpg" style="border: 0; display: block; margin: 0; max-width: 100%; padding: 0; width: 80px;" /></a><a href="http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24166/1/why-are-tampons-still-being-taxed" style="background-image: none; display: block; height: 83px; line-height: 12pt; overflow: hidden; padding: 5px 2px 0 2px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Why are tampons still being taxed?</a></li>
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</div>
....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-59522657318413392372015-03-19T14:05:00.000-07:002015-03-19T14:05:01.200-07:00No First-Time Champion Since Fife in 2010<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Town_crier_Peter_Moore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Peter Moore, Town Crier to the Mayor of London..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="770" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/Town_crier_Peter_Moore.JPG/350px-Town_crier_Peter_Moore.JPG" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">Peter Moore, Town Crier to the Mayor of London and The Greater London Authority. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Town_crier_Peter_Moore.JPG" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h1 style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: normal;">The
Roll of Champions<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Patrick
Finley Memorial Baseball League</span><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<h1 style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">1984
Patrick Finley<o:p></o:p></span></i></span></h1>
<h2 style="margin-left: 0in;">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>1985 Jeffrey
Pressman</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<h1 style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: right;">
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<!--StartFragment-->
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1986 Jon
Carroll<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1987 Jon
Carroll**<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1988
Michael Robertson<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1989
Jeffrey Pressman<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1990
Michael Koppy<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1991
Michael Tola<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1992 Jeff
Barton & Jeffrey Pressman<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1993 Peter
Moore<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1994
Michael Robertson<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1995
Michael Koppy<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1996 Jeff
Barton<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1997 Kevin
Berger & Michael Koppy***<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1998
Michael Robertson<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">1999
Michael Robertson<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2000
Jeff Barton***<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2001
Michael Tola<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2002 Peter
Moore<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2003
Jeffrey Pressman<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2004 Robert
Wieder<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2005 Kevin
Berger<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2006
Michael Robertson<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2007 Michael Tola<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2008 Jeffrey Pressman *****<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2009 Kevin Berger<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2010 Paul Fife<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2011 Michael Robertson ******<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2012 Peter Moore***<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2013 Michael Tola ****<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">2014 Kevin Berger ****<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">****** Six-Time Champion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">***** Five-Time Champion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">**** Four-Time Champion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">*** Three-Time Champion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">**Two-Time Champion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--></h1>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqznjnLP7uDIx5mg3pkx1RJEUbk3VSOdUEubfREgOygvqXlsQhGIEFnT27tQlfOGreGUMz1BlVAV7tTRuD1M0bUUoUHks0SyC3McY2hT_JXsftmJE6D9OuSk322sgK5nOd8nayg/s1600/image001+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqznjnLP7uDIx5mg3pkx1RJEUbk3VSOdUEubfREgOygvqXlsQhGIEFnT27tQlfOGreGUMz1BlVAV7tTRuD1M0bUUoUHks0SyC3McY2hT_JXsftmJE6D9OuSk322sgK5nOd8nayg/s1600/image001+(2).jpg" height="320" width="228" /></a></div>
<br />....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-64195336679290128212015-03-15T11:58:00.002-07:002015-03-15T12:02:53.389-07:00MLB Games by Position 2014<script type="text/javascript" src="http://widgets.sports-reference.com/wg.fcgi?css=1&site=br&url=%2Fleagues%2FMLB%2F2014-appearances-fielding.shtml&div=div_players_appearances"></script>....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-52813438744614644512015-03-11T12:06:00.001-07:002015-03-11T12:06:27.251-07:00Pitching? I don't need no stinkin' pitching.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:He%27s_In_there_Pitching_For_Us%5E_-_NARA_-_534109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="He's In there Pitching For Us^ - NARA - 534109" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="495" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/He%27s_In_there_Pitching_For_Us%5E_-_NARA_-_534109.jpg/350px-He%27s_In_there_Pitching_For_Us%5E_-_NARA_-_534109.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">He's In there Pitching For Us^ - NARA - 534109 (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:He%27s_In_there_Pitching_For_Us%5E_-_NARA_-_534109.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bro Corwin makes the point that Tier One pitching is down in the AL this year. Question is will that drive up the value of Tier Two pitching?? Tier 1.5??<br />
<br />
I believe the late great Jeffrey Pressman most loudly celebrated the tier notion - here's a collection of players all about the same value. I will not bid early on those in this pool of talent, hoping to get a bargain when the bin is almost empty. But then one may end up in a bidding war with someone playing the same strategy, when only one player in a particular tier is left and the tier below is garbage.<br />
<br />
Deep thoughts, right?....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-54537221728444686902015-03-07T11:57:00.000-08:002015-03-07T11:59:18.719-08:00One Shred Remains of the Greatness of the League<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img">
<div class="zemanta-img">
<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_LF.svg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Left fielder position on a baseball diamond" border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="292" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Baseball_LF.svg/350px-Baseball_LF.svg.png" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></div>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">Left fielder position on a baseball diamond (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Baseball_LF.svg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes an old man warms himself with memory, holding metaphoric hands over a metaphoric fire, and so I recall the days of this league when it was not yet a memorial to Patrick Finley because Patrick Finley still walked - and sometimes staggered - the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was truly a handmade league - draft prep done from a few magazines, standings put together once a month, sometimes by the league as a group and sometimes by various crazed fellows (usually me). Now, of course, so many websites (most run by 12-year-old boys) rank players by position that the power base has shifted and prep means nothing. Now it's all about draft day, a day ruled by those of cold and distant, even reptilian, intelligence, men like Berger and Moore, chilly men in whose gaze when it falls upon lesser mortals is always found the old Biblical judgment:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Thou art weighed in the balances, and thou are found wanting.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Yet there is one area left for vigorous debate. And that is placing players at positions. Though in some ways we are as sloppy as an old man in slippers easing down the porch stairs in mid-morning to bring in the morning newspaper - what is that old fool doing, the young neighbors think? what is that thing apparently discarded in his driveway? - in one aspect the league has rigor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do not qualify players at multiple positions. There is no last minute, "But he played second for two innings last September!" You have your list for left field and you have your list for catcher, and that's that. I am about to start working through the various depth charts in prep for the start of the actual season, though that's a waste of time, isn't it? Once the season starts we can rely on the USA Today "games at position" to guide, and, in the case of DH's like Big Papi who burned their gloves year ago, just rely on common sense.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Big Papi: first base. No, fuck <i>you</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And if you don't want to worry your pretty heads? Let the BCL decide. And if you sometimes think,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"> O BCL, thou hast not humbled thine heart, b</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">ut hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and thy servants have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath </span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">is</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">, and whose </span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;">are</span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"> all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">O put a sock in it</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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</div>
....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-81775633336891726022015-02-27T09:18:00.000-08:002015-02-27T09:18:31.129-08:00Time to Start Writing Down All Those Sports Metaphors Applied to Politics. (Pat. It's a Column!)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palmeiro_swing2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="Rafael Palmeiro in mid swing, Spring Training ..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="278" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/Palmeiro_swing2.png/350px-Palmeiro_swing2.png" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">Rafael Palmeiro in mid swing, Spring Training 2005. Photo by Googie Man 19:33, 18 June 2005 . . Googie man . . 774×615 (822 KB) (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Palmeiro_swing2.png" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
From Charlie Cook<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px;">Gov. Walker now has an opportunity that long-shot presidential hopefuls can only dream of: He is on the verge of breaking through to front-runner status. He is going to be asked thousands of questions—some fair, some not, some awkwardly or vaguely worded, others that could contain a trap. Like a baseball batter, he can take pitches that are high and inside, or he can swing at them. It's what separates the major-leaguers from the wannabes.</span><br />
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....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-1006820993346837092015-02-25T15:10:00.003-08:002015-02-25T15:10:38.786-08:00lovin that skiing...adjust your draft accordingly.<br />
<div class="trb_socialize" data-panelmod-type="comments" data-role="socialshare_information socialshare_container panelmod_container" data-socialshare-content-id="82909014" data-socialshare-content="story" data-socialshare-context="page" data-socialshare-default-image="" data-socialshare-description="Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton is meeting with Major League Baseball officials Wednesday about a disciplinary issue, and the team is bracing for possible penalties." data-socialshare-newspapername="Los Angeles Times" data-socialshare-slug="la-sp-sn-josh-hamilton-20150224" data-socialshare-thumbnail="http://www.trbimg.com/img-54ee3265/turbine/la-sp-sn-josh-hamilton-20150224" data-socialshare-title="Josh Hamilton meets with MLB officials about a disciplinary issue" data-socialshare-url="/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-josh-hamilton-20150224-story.html">
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</span> <span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_email " data-socialshare-type="email"></span> <span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="socialshare_print " data-socialshare-type="print"></span> <span class="trb_socialize_item" data-role="panelmod_opener" data-socialshare-type="comments"></span></div>
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<h1 class="trb_article_title_text" itemprop="name">
Josh Hamilton meets with MLB officials about a disciplinary issue</h1>
</div>
http://www.latimes.com/sports/sportsnow/la-sp-sn-josh-hamilton-20150224-story.html<br />
<br />
<br />corwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08119764972778650078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-90420273049117938932015-02-25T12:23:00.000-08:002015-02-25T12:24:20.008-08:00I Used This Online Service to Determine What Song Topped the Charts the Day I Clinched My First League Championship<div dir="ltr">
Don't Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://shar.es/1WJjwk">http://shar.es/1WJjwk</a><br />
<br />
What was the #1 song the day you were born? Or what about the day you graduated? Find out the #1 song for any day since early 1940 all the way until 2015!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9507295.post-29008387326757196642015-02-25T09:13:00.000-08:002015-02-25T09:14:15.644-08:00I Hate the Lying<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container zemanta-img" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="zemanta-img">
<a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BillOReillySept2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: clear:right;"><img alt="English: Bill O'Reilly at a Hudson Union Socie..." border="0" class="zemanta-img-inserted zemanta-img-configured" height="374" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/BillOReillySept2010.jpg/350px-BillOReillySept2010.jpg" style="border: none; font-size: 0.8em;" width="350" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption zemanta-img-attribution" style="text-align: center; width: 350px;">English: Bill O'Reilly at a Hudson Union Society event in September 2010. (Photo credit: <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BillOReillySept2010.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So many things about which we evade or deceive:<br />
<br />
* our ratio of having had sex with a woman - or human; no foregrounding heterosex here - vs. having had sex with our hand<br />
* our having run run away or turned and faced the mob as Bill O'Reilly did<br />
* our having had sex with Bill O'Reilly, who may be a pod person and thus doesn't count<br />
<br />
But I think no deception runs deeper than exactly how much draft preparation we do. This morning I googled fantasy league dollar values and was happy to have confirmed that there is no league like our league in terms of categories and eligibility and amount we have to invest at auction. Dollar values I found don't correlate to our practice.<br />
<br />
But that does not mean I won't print out a cheat sheet or two and then tweak them to my own uses. Indeed, knowing our little league is unique gives me a certain pride. We were an early one, starting - I recall in 1984 - at the instigation of the late Patrick Finley who saw it (as he did all things prefaced with a dollar sign) as his cash cow. First year the buy in was $30. Second year he increased it to $40. Third year he raised it to $50 and would have continued, but we put our foot down. It is interesting to note that if we adjust the 1986 buy in for inflation it would cost $106 this year.<br />
<br />
But (third "but" in a row - that can't be good) it's not about the money but the fame. Though I do remember the year Jon Carroll refused to pay off the winners, which may have been the beginning of the end for our friendship. I think a couple of friendships have been dented during the life of the league, but I'm not sure any others have actually ended.<br />
<br />
Hey, wait: Koppy, Pressman, Russ and Peter's evil boss. And, of course, there was the man-wife accountant team whose names I can't remember, though I don't think they rose to the level of acquaintance. I guess the league has had its share of minor drama, though probably not enough for a sitcom.<br />
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....J.Michael Robertsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15748774253168313345noreply@blogger.com6