105 thoughts on “January 28, 2013: Another Quick Break”

      1. I've never understood why everyone was so upset about the fake-to-third-look-to-first thing anyway. It never worked a lot, but it did every once in a while. It didn't hurt anybody. What's the big deal?

        1. I think the issue is that the balk rule has always read along the lines of "prohibiting movements intended to deceive the runners," which this move is clearly designed to do (though accomplishes poorly, unless the Twins are on base).

          1. Well, but there are all kinds of things pitchers do which are "intended to deceive the runners". What I don't understand is why this one, in particular, seems to bother so many people.

            1. Yeah, it's sort of a vague rule. Of course, other things designed to deceive aren't quite as blatant.

              The one that bothers me more is when an intentional walk is going to be issued, why not just bean the guy? (Or declare intentional walk, and not through the 4 pitches?)

    2. Major League Baseball is imposing a rule that pitchers who fake a throw to third base and then throw to another base will be charged with a balk, according to the New York Times.

      1. So if he fakes to third and the guy on first takes off he would have to first throw to third who could then throw to second?

          1. Hey shouldn't you be worried about other things and not commenting on dorky webpages about goofy MLB balk rules? Good Luck, btw.

          2. Fake to second won't inspire batter on first to run, because that means there's a runner there being kept on.

    3. Upside: I can ignorantly call "That's a balk!" more often.
      Or, I can call "That's a balk!" just as often, but with more accuracy.

    1. Saints quarterback Drew Brees said the game is validation of everything the city's gone through to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

      Gagme. If I never have to read another sentence in which Drew Brees and rebuild are mentioned again, I will die a happier man.

      1. Talk like that makes me crazy. The public education system in NOLA is a joke, a freaking joke, but the Super Bowl is evidence that everything is better. [redacted][forbidden zone], and [redacted[forbidden zone].

        Don't get me wrong, I love living here, but a city with tens of thousands of vacant and dilapidated homes from a hurricane 7 years ago is not 'all better' because the Super Bowl comes to town.

        1. For the record, there were tens of thousands of vacant and dilapidated homes in NOLA when the Super Bowl was there in 2002. Sheenie snortled during the opening credits of Treme when they showed a specific building as an example of the destruction of Katrina, then said, "I know exactly where that building is. It's on the corner of Calliope and ____. It's looked that way since I was in sixth grade."

          1. Sure, I'll concede to the point that there were plenty of blighted lots pre-katrina, but maintain that the sustained loss in population, still down 21% according to the 2010 census, contributes heavily to an increased number of vacant and dilapidated buildings. Our esteemed, and as of yet un-indicted, mayor has been pushing to clear 10,000 blighted lots by 2014, but the work is slow to materialize especially in the poorest / hardest hit neighborhoods.

            1. I'm willing to stop arguing if we can all agree that WHO DAT THINK THEY GONNA LOSE NINE TIMES?!

              1. I'm going to guess that we agree in principle that the WHO DAT NATION is bad for society as a whole.

  5. The one where Boston Magazine unloads on the Boston sports media

    The Boston sports media, once considered one of the country’s best and most influential press corps, is stumbling toward irrelevance. The national media not only seems to break more big Boston sports stories than the local press, but also often features more sophisticated analysis, especially when it comes to using advanced statistics. To put it bluntly, “The Lodge”—as Fred Toucher, cohost of the 98.5 The Sports Hub morning radio show, mockingly refers to the city’s clubby, self-important media establishment—is clogged with stale reporters, crotchety columnists, and shameless blowhards. Their canned “hot sports takes” have found a home on local television and talk radio, but do little but suck the fun out of a topic that’s supposed to be just that. And we haven’t even gotten to Dan Shaughnessy yet.

    1. The national media not only seems to break more big Boston sports stories than the local press

      Imagine, Boston Mag-reading Bostonians, how the rest of us feel about having your local news forced upon us every damn day.

      To put it bluntly, “The Lodge”—as Fred Toucher, cohost of the 98.5 The Sports Hub morning radio show, mockingly refers to the city’s clubby, self-important media establishment—is clogged with stale reporters, crotchety columnists, and shameless blowhards.

      It couldn't be that this characterization aptly describes much of the national sports media for any reason, could it?

    1. I have no clue what the heck the Phillies are trying to do with their offseason, but when trading away a good pitching prospect and a decent starter for a poor-hitting, low-cost center fielder is your best move, yikes.

      I can't wait to see how terrible their defense (and offense- who am I kidding?) is with Yuni and _elmon out there.

    2. Fixed the link.

      I can't fathom how the Twins could be interested in him. However, the Twins were interested in Marcum as well; so much so they didn't make an offer.

        2. I caught TR's radio interview during my time at TwinsFest yesterday (which sucks, btw - we won free tickets and it still wasn't "worth" it), and he was bragging about how Correia turned down more money elsewhere, and saying he was pleased that the rotation had been rebuilt.

          1. during my time at TwinsFest yesterday (which sucks, btw - we won free tickets and it still wasn't "worth" it)

            Bite your tongue :o)

            Actually I agree with you. Went to Twins Fest a 5-6 years ago and have no desire to go back.

            1. The most fun I have is the bargain "bins". (cough. JulioDePaula. cough.)
              Last year, my man-date had to bail on me at the last minute, but I went by myself anyways and the bargains were very lame and I had a very lame time. (Maybe when the team stinks, none of the scrubs are much behind the regulars, so there isn't much a discount?)

      2. Twins waiting to hear back from Joe Saunders' agent, according to Wolfson. They are willing to go two years. Not sure if they have made an actual offer yet or not.
        I really hope TR isn't as ignorant as this quote would suggest:

        "I don't know why somebody wouldn't want to come here who's a legitimate starter."

        1. Gleeman and Geek say it's a low ball offer. I don't know if that's the case, but if the money was right I think he'd sign.

    1. I am optimistic long-term. Not for 2013, though. But, by 2014 or 2015 this club should be in position to contend. I'm thinking 90 losses and any fewer than that would be gravy in my book.

      1. I feel the same way about the 2013 Twins that I did about the 2012 Vikings - if they have a Win% in the .450 range and have a number of watchable games, I'll be okay.

        2. As long as it's not as miserable as the last two seasons, I'll be happy. Having some youth coming up on the team will help. Also, getting to watch Joe Mauer play baseball is worth tuning in for most nights.

          Now I just need to get one of those sweet new BP caps and I'm all ready for the season.

    2. I've been playing the 2012 season over on 9Innings2013 (available in the App Store). I'm not quite to the All-Star break and the Twins are 10 games over .500, just a few games back of Detroit, so I'm convinced that they seriously underperformed last year. Either that, or I have the difficulty level on the game set too low.

    1. Don't know how you do it shoveling, but about twenty years ago, Dad A nearly died from a ruptured spleen. In fact, he was dead briefly and was revived. It's certainly something to take seriously.

    3. We share a driveway with the neighbors (a 'gangway' out here in N.E., or as NBBW says, the Shire).

      He has a snow-blower, I don't. (See cheap Swede comment below).

      Two weeks ago, I went to Cambridge for a work-trip, then came back after a Nor'Easter and found that he had blown out the driveway with his machine. Told his wife to thank him for his efforts (me in shame as I was not here to contribute).

      Tonite we got 3 inches of icy snow. This boyo finished work calls, donned my RCMP muskrat fur cap, and proceeded to shovel and salt said gangway, before he could get out the machine. My work is done here.

      1. I have the exact opposite relationship. We share a driveway with a neighbor who owns a snowblower and pays for a driveway service for her half (they do the common entrance and then the area where it splits and also broke our gate one year). For 90% of the snowstorms over the past four years, Sheenie and I have been out early and done all the shoveling. The neighbor will wait until we are probably 85% finished to then come out with the snowblower offering to help. Stupid share driveway...

      1. Will do. Did you get tix from band website presale? Doesn't look like they are for sale from First Ave yet.

    2. Agreed. I listened to it last night, I probably will again tonight. Big sound, big sounds - definite keeper.

      Thanks for the heads up on the album sale, Brooks.

  14. Man, I've never seen fog like we're having in Omaha hold on for this long before. It started out pretty thick this morning, cleared a bit, then got real bad again. From the 8th floor, I can see only about a block away.

    Hope you get home okay, Rows. I'm going to have to feel my way along the buildings back to the hotel.

  15. I knew I could count on insider to provide some awful trade offers for Boston today. Never did I think I would see one this bad.

    Minnesota Timberwolves
    Celtics receive: Kevin Love, Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Luke Ridnour and Greg Stiemsma

    Timberwolves receive: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and Jared Sullinger

    Trade Machine: View the deal

    The only thing that might top a Lakers deal? If KG goes back to Minnesota to finish out his career right where it started. Again, Garnett holds a no-trade clause and could nix this deal on the spot. But the only place that might be more sentimental than Boston for Garnett's swan song is Minnesota, the team that selected him fifth overall in the 1995 draft.

    For Boston, you do this deal under the buy-low, sell-high rule in Business 101. It's hard to imagine a worse season for Kevin Love, who is shooting a paltry 21.7 percent from downtown this season and currently sitting on the sidelines with a re-fractured shooting hand. But he's one of the best handful of young players in the league (currently No. 8 on Insider's top 25 under 25 rankings and an unprecedented rebounder/sharpshooter talent). If healthy, a Rondo-Love connection is easily one of the most tantalizing tandems in the East. And Ridnour and Kirilenko give them help right away.

    Now, would Minnesota do the deal? Depends on how much it wants to win now. Since 2008, no team has won fewer games than the Timberwolves (121). Believe it or not, this would be the eighth straight losing season in Minnesota if it keeps up. It's not hard to imagine why GM David Kahn may be ready to exchange Love, who has had an icy relationship with the front office, for a package that could give them star power on both ends of the floor. It's a long shot, but mixed emotions aside, this monster deal makes some sense.

    2. this article is not from The Onion?

      there is a better chance of me suiting up and playing for the Wolves than KG every returning.

      For Boston, you do this deal under the buy-low, sell-high rule in Business 101

      oh. so Love paired with Rubio is damaged goods, but him with Rondo an he is a Hall of Famer. gotcha.

  16. I love it.

    I just received the paper ID cards from the **** auto insurance company (i.e. they are too cheap to send them out, you have to request them (don't misconstrue, I'm a Swede, we worship cheap).

    There's a section on the printout that says What to do at the time of an accident.

    First two lines:
    Do not admit fault.
    Do not reveal the limits of your liability coverage to anyone.

    That's what I'm talking about!!111!!Geico!!!001!

    4. Our insurance company requested an appraisal of my truck after we switched to them. They weren't going to send an actual appraiser, mind, they just wanted me to take all kinds of pictures of the truck and send them in. My reaction to that was, "Eh, when I get around to it, maybe I'll entertain that request." I mean, it's a basic 45 year old truck - a three-speed manual, the smaller six cylinder, and two wheel drive. I don't even have it insured for the full price I paid for it, so it's not like I'm trying to rip anyone off.

      Seven months on and I still haven't sent in the photos, and haven't been hassled about it one bit.

      1. When Dad was the head of the hospital pharmacy back in Indiana, he had a system where he would only fill out reports for board meetings and stuff if someone asked for them a second time. He said it cut down on a lot of useless busywork.

        1. That's a good system. My family has a cherished story about my grandfather's reaction to busywork. Papa didn't learn English - his third language - until he went to elementary school. Later in his career he started to get fed up with things dreamed up by administrators that kept him from teaching orchestra and private students. Apparently one night he came home grumbling more than usual about some extensive report being demanded of him. Amma said that after supper he brought his typewriter out to the kitchen table to work on the report, still bent out of shape about the report. She cleared out to let him work. After a while she thought she heard chuckles coming from the kitchen. She went in to check on Papa, and looking over his shoulder, saw that he was diligently writing his lengthy report for the administration, entirely in German. (Heaven only knows what they would have made of Hungarian.)

          Apparently nobody ever asked him to write reports again.

        2. My PhD advisor always said about his research ideas, "If I ask you once, ignore it unless you have nothing better to do. If I ask you twice, start doing the background research. If I ask you a third time, that's the next thing you do."

  17. Im not a big Coldplay fan, but they seem to have songs to worm into my head and stick there for a couple of days. Right now, its 'Paradise'

    1. If you would have told teenaged AMR that in his mid-30s, that the only Viking he would care about would be the punter...
      ... teenaged AMR would have believed it and started looking forward to the awesome punter.

  20. Dear meat,

    Leftovers from your Southwestern tator hot dish are sublime.

    Love,
    The Dread Pirate

        1. Please share my thanks the link.* It was sounds ridiculously good.
          FTFM

          *too lazy/incompetent to search when it isn't a "Nation's Appetite" post.
          sean/spooky: would you be willing to create a "The Nation Has an Appetite" Category in the Archives?

            1. Thanks for the help...I either need to brush up on my search techniques or learn how to phrase my comments better (perhaps both). My remark was 2 parts: learn how to search for specific threads (i.e., tater tots!), and a request to the brain trust for a handy Category for recipes. I've used the tag, I just thought a centralized location for all the awesome meat/NBB/bS posts about food would be nice too. I suppose the "Our Features" spot works fine...know-it-all.

              1. I prefer tags because anyone can create them. On the other hand, it's easy to get it wrong. SBG opined previously that categories should be used for placement and tags for everything else. I tend to agree, though there are a lot of categories and the boundary is fuzzy.

                1. Yea, I was following SBG's lead by NOT creating a "The Nation Has An Appetite" category, but instead using it as a tag on posts.

                  Consider this thread a plea to meat to write another Appetite post. Dude, we loves you, even when you are not writing about pork!

                2. I was just thinking that Appetite posts are pretty specific, unique, awesome, (and underrepresented*) - therefore deserving of their own Category...and I wasn't aware of the previous opinions regarding their use.

                  *meat, more posts about meat and bS, more posts about beerS.

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