I went into my daughters' room last night and thought they were hiding rotting fish or something. It turned out to be Sour Cream's feet. The kid is six!
87 thoughts on “March 27, 2014: Like Death”
Had one ready for today...
ID the AU -- which Twins player (current or soon-to-be former) uses this signature?
There are a lot of screens at MLB's network operations center. I like the team logos at the bottom, just in case someone forgets one.
I just got a call from a vendor inviting me to the Twins home opener, so I got that going for me, which is nice.
If it's nice out, I may play hooky...might even go to the game.
I just happened into a ticket for the opener today as well. Today was a good day.
I'm debating whether or not I want to hit up any of the opening series at the Cell. Road trip (for you), CT?
Might have to wait a little later in the season since I'm finishing up the last week of curling this week in which I've played every day since Sunday. (semi-finals tonight. Be great to make the finals tomorrow.)
I would like to try to get down there this year, though. Its just a tougher sell with two kids now.
Shoot, did I miss game log assignments? Am I still doing Mondays this year?
Haven't been distributed yet...but I doubt you'll have much competition for Monday's any day.
I'm down for recap or game logs, whatever day is needed.
New Guy - I'm hoping you're still game this year, methinks we'll need your witticisms.
I'd take the All-Star Game again this year, but beings it's a home game, maybe someone else wants that?
I'd take a game log/recap if necessary, but I'd rather be a substitute.
I'd be happy to preview all of Mike Pelfrey's starts again. I'm better suited to previews than recaps considering the difficulty I have watching games.
Psssst . . . Twayn, free, maybe sean, maybe SBG, and anyone else downtown-ish I may be forgetting. Mini-caucus info over here!
Already added to the calendar! It will be the first time I'm going to take a three-hour tour lunch.
It may be GOSO for the timberpuppies, but just when I think I couldn't like Rubio any more, there's this:
Both teams started slowly in the first quarter, which included Scott running into Rubio, who was called for a block. Rubio kicked over a chair as he left the court to get stitches, not returning until late in the half.
“I was upset about the call,” he said. “But it was so much pain, I had to kick something before I punched somebody.”
Love's take:
“Hopefully that heals up quick for him,” Love said. “He won’t have to wear a mask or anything. But he’s not going to be as pretty as he usually is, I guess.”
As long as his eyelashes were unharmed, he'll still be pretty.
I haven't worked there since October, but I can tell you that a facility will not break ground in December.
I will not believe anything about a football or basketball facility until there is a hole in the ground.
NCAA Hockey tourney starts tomorrow. Bracket here.
Anyone want to lose to freealonzo in a brackef competition? I'd tabulate picks and scores (probably in a new post somewhere).
I'll take a stab at a hockey bracket.
I'm surprised ESPN didnt put the North Dakota/Wisconsin game on ESPN2
Horrible guesses sent.
Went against my typical method which is setting up an ND vs ND finals. Fightin Ethnics vs Fightin Ethnics.
Disappointed that Alabama Huntsville didn't make it.
Everyone is getting crushed by the Ferris wheel.
That's "Fightin' Ethnics vs Frightened Ethnics"
But which is ND?
If you have any friends from Purdue, you KNOW which is which.
Jerry Crasnick @jcrasnick
#Astros announce they've claimed OF Alex Presley off waivers from #twins. Designated P Raul Valdes for assignment.
I think Jason Bartlett is going north with the team as an extra outfielder.
So much for presly as the starting CF.
Parmalee was waived too. I think Gardy is just trolling us now with the Bartlett move.
I don't think Chicky Chicky Parm Parm or Pressley are huge losses, but I'd rather have one of them on the roster than the washed up version of Bartlett. Sigh.
And yet Willingham's SSS Spring Training BA is lower than Bartlett's SSS Spring Training BA
My God, how many 3-1 and 4-0 losses are we going to suffer through this year?
Actually, this is more offense than I was expecting. Assuming Bartlett is relatively healthy, shouldn't he be better than either Florimon or Escobar given their track record? Plus, I didn't expect both Pinto and Colabello to make the team. No reason for both Arcia and Kubel to play against lefty starters now. In fact, if Bartlett can start swinging decently, he could start in RF with Colabello DHing and neither Arcia or Kubel starting against a lefty. Of course, I predict both will be in there against the toughest lefty they will face this year, Chris Sale, just because it's Opening Day. Why should we put our best lineup out there for the first game when we've got 161 games left. It's more important we don't hurt someone's feelings.
Ha!
Here is my thinking, that is now 3 more off the 40 man. 1 roster spot will be for Bartlett (or Mastrioanni's return?) and then the Twins will pluck a bat off the waiver wire before the season begins and 1 spot will be left open for trade/waiver claim during the season.
Bartlett makes the team as the backup CFer. He must overflow with leadership now.
Jason Bartlett is backup CF now. Chris Colabello is backup 1B. Eduardo Escobar, Josmil Pinto, Jason Kubel is rest of bench.
Maybe they're just trying to take any pressure of losing his job off of Hicks.
It worked so well last year.
Actually, just paving the way for Buxton until he has wrist surgery.
This. Not that there's a precedent for Hicks having a good spring and then sucking all season or anything, but he's had a pretty decent spring; .318/.348/.455/.802 in 44 AB.
He leads the current players in camp in OPS and hits this spring.
I think Hicks will do just fine for us, but I'm still more enthused about Buxton.
Nolasco and Hughes both need to eventually have an OF with both Hicks and Buxton.
Actually, Colabello leads in OPS, but Hicks is second and is still first in hits.
Haha, what?
Parmelee cleared waivers. He's being sent to Rochester. So not a loss.
Parm makes it through
Dustin Morse @Twins_morsecode
The @Twins have outrighted Scott Diamond & Chris Parmelee. Alex Presley was claimed by HOU. 26 left in camp - 3 NR (Bartlett/Kubel/Rohlfing)
“Ultimately, I want to stay here. I love these guys, I love playing with this organization, but if they don’t see it that way, I want to pitch in the major leagues. I’m a major league pitcher, I’m not a minor league pitcher.”
Guess what Scott...you're a minor league pitcher.
This means that the Twins' first two options for Opening Day starter last year both failed to make the team this year. That says a lot about how bad it was last year, how far both pitchers have fallen, and hopefully how much the Twins have upgraded their rotation.
Hope is not a strategy. Nolasco's the definition of average, Correia and Pelfrey are a little below that, Gibson has ten major league starts under his belt, and Deduno's best pitch is as unpredictable as a Gaylord Perry wet one.
All true. And yet, that still seems like a significant upgrade from last year's rotation.
Also true.
"Hope is not a solution " is one of two management mantras my new boss has. The other is, "tend to your own garden."
Clearly the kind of man to leverage the synergies of integrated best practices and optimized core competencies.
Definitely a class act, though.
The Twins’ decision to cut him was the right one, Diamond said Thursday, bitter though that realization is. He posted a 5.39 ERA in 17 innings this spring, and though he seemed to be improving in his past couple of starts, he knew it wasn’t enough to earn a spot in the rotation.
Kyle Gibson “had an unbelievable spring, and [Samuel] Deduno threw really well. They definitely threw better than I did,” Diamond said. “Gibson definitely deserves that fifth spot.”
Back to The Current bracket from yesterday... today Johnny Cash walloped Elvis Presly. I like Cash just fine, but... that ain't right.
Yeah. I get that. I voted for Cash too. But I think too many people just think of Elvis as the 50's star who was fat and in a bunch of cheap, cheesy movies. His early death robbed him of the ability to have an "American Recordings" style rebirth later in life like Johnny. People forget how far Johnny Cash had fallen in the 70's and 80s and if Cash had died in say 1984, a lot of the end of life reverence would have never happened.
Elvis the 50's star wasn't the Elvis who was fat. He split the vote.
People forget how far Johnny Cash had fallen in the 70's
mid-'70s, I suppose. Because in 1969-71 he had The Johnny Cash Show, which was pretty ground-breaking. In the mid-1980s, The Highwaymen.
I know Johnny Cash's history believe me. I would say except for a nice run in the late 1980's with the Highwaymen, the years 1973 to 1993 were pretty inconsequential for Johnny Cash career wise. Also I would argue (and you could disagree) that The Highwaymen helped Cash's career with country fans, but not with music fans overall. And at that time Country was definitely seen as a niche, old white guy genre,
Not much disagreement from me on these points, except to say that Cash's whole career prior to the 1990s and the American Recordings stuff was pretty solidly in the Country genre (I'm counting rockabilly as authentically country; he wasn't doing ironic rockabilly in the 1950s). His TV show was much more diverse, of course.
I suppose you could counter with "Johnny Cash wasn't singing 'country.' He was singing Johnny Cash". I'd accept that.
A quick glance at all the 2 star ratings (out of 5) given at AllMusic for his considerable output between '71 and '83 would suggest that free is onto something. FWIW, there were turkeys in the 60's and 90's as well.
I think you're exactly right about that end of life reverence. I've listened to quite a bit of Elvis lately. The guy was amazing. It's too bad he never had a shot at the rebirth.
I think a lot of Current listeners see Elvis as "pop culture" and Cash as "counter-culture."
Right. Only one of them wore black, had a deep voice, and sang songs about murder at prisons.
I got a list of players that had at least 20 WAR over their 28-30 seasons and also didn't play a premium defensive position. Then using that list to see how they did 31-37 (should have been through 38 but I thought it was a seven-year deal). Crudely estimating Utley and Pujols at 22 and 21 wins respectively, that puts the median at 31 wins and the mean at 33 wins (thanks Barry). Over seven years, that's four to five wins a season. At $6 million per free agent win, AAV should be $24-30 million now, not counting inflation. Giving him $30 million wouldn't be horrible.
Mr. Illitch is going to need to sell a butt load of Little Caesars pizza to pay for this.
How many year before Cabrera moves to DH full time?
$292 million over ten years guaranteed, and up to $352 million if both options vest. Wow.
I'm watching Family Feud and here's the first two questions in Fast Money and the guy's answers
Had one ready for today...
ID the AU -- which Twins player (current or soon-to-be former) uses this signature?
Woo, got it!
Guess I should have emboldened "soon-to-be former"?
There are a lot of screens at MLB's network operations center. I like the team logos at the bottom, just in case someone forgets one.
I just got a call from a vendor inviting me to the Twins home opener, so I got that going for me, which is nice.
If it's nice out, I may play hooky...might even go to the game.
I just happened into a ticket for the opener today as well. Today was a good day.
I'm debating whether or not I want to hit up any of the opening series at the Cell. Road trip (for you), CT?
Might have to wait a little later in the season since I'm finishing up the last week of curling this week in which I've played every day since Sunday. (semi-finals tonight. Be great to make the finals tomorrow.)
I would like to try to get down there this year, though. Its just a tougher sell with two kids now.
Shoot, did I miss game log assignments? Am I still doing Mondays this year?
Haven't been distributed yet...but I doubt you'll have much competition for
Monday'sany day.I'm down for recap or game logs, whatever day is needed.
New Guy - I'm hoping you're still game this year, methinks we'll need your witticisms.
I'd take the All-Star Game again this year, but beings it's a home game, maybe someone else wants that?
I'd take a game log/recap if necessary, but I'd rather be a substitute.
I'd be happy to preview all of Mike Pelfrey's starts again. I'm better suited to previews than recaps considering the difficulty I have watching games.
Added a post for it.
Psssst . . . Twayn, free, maybe sean, maybe SBG, and anyone else downtown-ish I may be forgetting. Mini-caucus info over here!
Already added to the calendar! It will be the first time I'm going to take a three-hour
tourlunch.It may be GOSO for the timberpuppies, but just when I think I couldn't like Rubio any more, there's this:
Love's take:
As long as his eyelashes were unharmed, he'll still be pretty.
Sid Hartman said that the Gophers are going to build a $70 mil football facility. Lou Nanne, who is the head of the fundraising committee, says Sid is full of it
I haven't worked there since October, but I can tell you that a facility will not break ground in December.
I will not believe anything about a football or basketball facility until there is a hole in the ground.
NCAA Hockey tourney starts tomorrow. Bracket here.
Anyone want to lose to freealonzo in a brackef competition? I'd tabulate picks and scores (probably in a new post somewhere).
I'll take a stab at a hockey bracket.
I'm surprised ESPN didnt put the North Dakota/Wisconsin game on ESPN2
Horrible guesses sent.
Went against my typical method which is setting up an ND vs ND finals. Fightin Ethnics vs Fightin Ethnics.
Disappointed that Alabama Huntsville didn't make it.
Everyone is getting crushed by the Ferris wheel.
That's "Fightin' Ethnics vs Frightened Ethnics"
But which is ND?
If you have any friends from Purdue, you KNOW which is which.
I think Jason Bartlett is going north with the team as an extra outfielder.
So much for presly as the starting CF.
Parmalee was waived too. I think Gardy is just trolling us now with the Bartlett move.
I don't think Chicky Chicky Parm Parm or Pressley are huge losses, but I'd rather have one of them on the roster than the washed up version of Bartlett. Sigh.
And yet Willingham's SSS Spring Training BA is lower than Bartlett's SSS Spring Training BA
My God, how many 3-1 and 4-0 losses are we going to suffer through this year?
Actually, this is more offense than I was expecting. Assuming Bartlett is relatively healthy, shouldn't he be better than either Florimon or Escobar given their track record? Plus, I didn't expect both Pinto and Colabello to make the team. No reason for both Arcia and Kubel to play against lefty starters now. In fact, if Bartlett can start swinging decently, he could start in RF with Colabello DHing and neither Arcia or Kubel starting against a lefty. Of course, I predict both will be in there against the toughest lefty they will face this year, Chris Sale, just because it's Opening Day. Why should we put our best lineup out there for the first game when we've got 161 games left. It's more important we don't hurt someone's feelings.
Ha!
Here is my thinking, that is now 3 more off the 40 man. 1 roster spot will be for Bartlett (or Mastrioanni's return?) and then the Twins will pluck a bat off the waiver wire before the season begins and 1 spot will be left open for trade/waiver claim during the season.
Bartlett makes the team as the backup CFer. He must overflow with leadership now.
Five on the bench, so 12 pitchers for now.
Maybe they're just trying to take any pressure of losing his job off of Hicks.
It worked so well last year.
Actually, just paving the way for Buxton until he has wrist surgery.
This. Not that there's a precedent for Hicks having a good spring and then sucking all season or anything, but he's had a pretty decent spring; .318/.348/.455/.802 in 44 AB.
He leads the current players in camp in OPS and hits this spring.
I think Hicks will do just fine for us, but I'm still more enthused about Buxton.
Nolasco and Hughes both need to eventually have an OF with both Hicks and Buxton.
Actually, Colabello leads in OPS, but Hicks is second and is still first in hits.
Haha, what?
Parmelee cleared waivers. He's being sent to Rochester. So not a loss.
Parm makes it through
Heh
Guess what Scott...you're a minor league pitcher.
This means that the Twins' first two options for Opening Day starter last year both failed to make the team this year. That says a lot about how bad it was last year, how far both pitchers have fallen, and hopefully how much the Twins have upgraded their rotation.
Hope is not a strategy. Nolasco's the definition of average, Correia and Pelfrey are a little below that, Gibson has ten major league starts under his belt, and Deduno's best pitch is as unpredictable as a Gaylord Perry wet one.
All true. And yet, that still seems like a significant upgrade from last year's rotation.
Also true.
"Hope is not a solution " is one of two management mantras my new boss has. The other is, "tend to your own garden."
Clearly the kind of man to leverage the synergies of integrated best practices and optimized core competencies.
Definitely a class act, though.
Back to The Current bracket from yesterday... today Johnny Cash walloped Elvis Presly. I like Cash just fine, but... that ain't right.
Yeah. I get that. I voted for Cash too. But I think too many people just think of Elvis as the 50's star who was fat and in a bunch of cheap, cheesy movies. His early death robbed him of the ability to have an "American Recordings" style rebirth later in life like Johnny. People forget how far Johnny Cash had fallen in the 70's and 80s and if Cash had died in say 1984, a lot of the end of life reverence would have never happened.
Elvis the 50's star wasn't the Elvis who was fat. He split the vote.
mid-'70s, I suppose. Because in 1969-71 he had The Johnny Cash Show, which was pretty ground-breaking. In the mid-1980s, The Highwaymen.
I know Johnny Cash's history believe me. I would say except for a nice run in the late 1980's with the Highwaymen, the years 1973 to 1993 were pretty inconsequential for Johnny Cash career wise. Also I would argue (and you could disagree) that The Highwaymen helped Cash's career with country fans, but not with music fans overall. And at that time Country was definitely seen as a niche, old white guy genre,
Not much disagreement from me on these points, except to say that Cash's whole career prior to the 1990s and the American Recordings stuff was pretty solidly in the Country genre (I'm counting rockabilly as authentically country; he wasn't doing ironic rockabilly in the 1950s). His TV show was much more diverse, of course.
I suppose you could counter with "Johnny Cash wasn't singing 'country.' He was singing Johnny Cash". I'd accept that.
A quick glance at all the 2 star ratings (out of 5) given at AllMusic for his considerable output between '71 and '83 would suggest that free is onto something. FWIW, there were turkeys in the 60's and 90's as well.
I think you're exactly right about that end of life reverence. I've listened to quite a bit of Elvis lately. The guy was amazing. It's too bad he never had a shot at the rebirth.
I think a lot of Current listeners see Elvis as "pop culture" and Cash as "counter-culture."
Right. Only one of them wore black, had a deep voice, and sang songs about murder at prisons.
Spoiler---> nope.
So apparently the Tigers are about to extend the already 31 year old Miguel Cabrera for several more years at around $30 million per year. I, for one, love this extension. Why not $40 million?
I got a list of players that had at least 20 WAR over their 28-30 seasons and also didn't play a premium defensive position. Then using that list to see how they did 31-37 (should have been through 38 but I thought it was a seven-year deal). Crudely estimating Utley and Pujols at 22 and 21 wins respectively, that puts the median at 31 wins and the mean at 33 wins (thanks Barry). Over seven years, that's four to five wins a season. At $6 million per free agent win, AAV should be $24-30 million now, not counting inflation. Giving him $30 million wouldn't be horrible.
Mr. Illitch is going to need to sell a butt load of Little Caesars pizza to pay for this.
How many year before Cabrera moves to DH full time?
$292 million over ten years guaranteed, and up to $352 million if both options vest. Wow.
I'm watching Family Feud and here's the first two questions in Fast Money and the guy's answers
Name something that you run over with a lawnmower
Name something the cops do after arresting a suspect
C'est magnifique. Man, I love this show.
Steve Harvey has energized that show. I dont watch it, but my parents do so if Im over there I catch it.
LOVE that clip
Hilarious! haha
8 points is more than I would have guessed.
To be honest, it was the first thing that came to my mind as well.
pg. 252 in TPGR…deep breath, goes back under.
Just a head's up on my intent to incorporate Gravity's Rainbow lingua franca in game logs this summer, e.g. Brennschluss.
reference #2? Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet