Cup of Coffee

May 2, 2016: Moving In

29 Comments

Okay, the family is here and I'm moving in. I would have done so yesterday, but the moving company we hired never booked the job. They have it confirmed, they have our money and they see when it was supposed to happen, but no actual movers were asked to actually move our stuff.

I'm sure it's a bit of an oversimplification, because computer systems can be a pain in the ass, but...YOU HAD ONE JOB

29 thoughts on “May 2, 2016: Moving In”

    1. Well, they're here...and they showed up an hour and forty minutes late. The lead guy was quick to point out that we were already getting the max discount because of Groupon, as if that excuses the company's total incompetence on every end of this job.

      1. I guess if gratuity is out the window, he might as well not try for it.

  2. On our big move from LA -> StL (the day after Christmas), the fax sat on the moving company's fax machine for ½ day before someone finally saw it. I was helping the movers wrap up at 2AM the next morning.

  3. In regard to Joe Mauer, Provus has remarked several times about the number of two-strike hits he's had this year. If memory serves, when Mauer was going good, getting two-strike hits was one of the things he was best at. That may be one of the best signs that Mauer is actually back, as opposed to just having a good month.

    1. His career split when having two strikes is a .660 OPS. This year he's at .951. His best was .735 in 2006 and .725 in 2013. AL average last year was .531. Mauer had a .532 in 2011. Last two years he had .587 and .597.

    2. I think the best sign that Mauer is back is that he currently has the only BB/K ratio over 2.0 in the majors, leading 2nd place Denard Span by 20%.

      2. Remember when Span AND Mauer were at the top of the same line-up? Those were good times.

    3. He also leads the AL in fWAR by a first baseman by a pretty wide margin. He has 1.0 fWAR compared to 0.6 for Chris Davis and Eric Hosmer, who are tied for second. He has the best offensive WAR and is second (among qualifiers) in UZR to Miguel Cabrera.

      1. If Miguel Cabrera is leading a fielding metric, then we've got some SSS issues to consider.

        1. It is April.

          Unrelated, this year is the first year of his new contract. His fWAR has gone down two consecutive years too.

        2. No doubt, although the metrics agree Cabrera is basically average to slightly below at first in his career. My main point is Joe is doing well on both sides but is actually doing better offensively relative to AL first basemen.

          1. I don't think he'll lead the league there either because that would require him to "touch"* balls that I keep seeing elude him.

            *I know the official wording allows errors to be committed without contacting the ball, but official scorers apparently can't read (see, Ninth Inning on Friday).

    4. Over the weekend I got into it on an acquaintence's FB page with a Twins fan who was recycling the same tired lines about Mauer lacking on-field leadership (especially compared to i-i, naturally). It got me riled up enough to push back on "on-field leadership," which presumably means appearing on the lineup card every day.

      Well, a comparison of Mauer & Hunter's on-field time from age 21-30 isn't flattering to Hunter. Mauer caught 92% of the total innings Hunter compiled in center over that span and has sizable leads in both plate appearances and games played. Hunter had three seasons in that span with fewer than 100 games played; Mauer had two (including the knee-injury that marred his rookie season).

      Comparing them to their peer groups during their first eight seasons as regulars: Mauer led all players who played at least 75% of their games at catcher in plate appearances and was fifth in games played. Among players with at least 75% of their playing time in center field, Hunter was 9th in plate appearances and 6th in games. Of course, Hunter played some games in left during that time, too, but then again I didn't take a look at Mauer's games as a DH. Mauer was responsible for calling games for an entire pitching staff every year; Hunter handled...outfield positioning? (Maybe? During some of those seasons?)

      1. I've made that argument to people, too, but it usually gets me nowhere. People know what they know and aren't about to let facts change their minds.

  4. It is time. We are doing the right thing.

    That's what I keep saying to myself and to my wife about our 12-year old Akita. A month or so ago, a tumor started forming near his eye and it has grown pretty aggressively. He still eats and is as sweet as ever, but it is obvious that he isn't feeling well.

    I say he's our dog, but he's really my wife's dog - he tolerates me but chooses her 100 times out of 100, even if I'm the one with food. She got him as a rescue in California, years before we met, and they went on many adventures together before I entered the picture and dragged them to Minnesota a few years ago. But he absolutely loved the winter, it was a lot of fun watching him romp with our other (younger) Akita and beat the crap out of him when they played - he might have given up 20+ pounds but used his athleticism and intellect to his advantage.

    It is time. We are doing the right thing. But it doesn't make it any easier. And it is hard knowing the sadness I feel is but a fraction of what my wife is going through. We're going to miss you, old man.

    2. You are doing the right thing, but you're spot on - it doesn't make the thing any easier.
      Having been where you and your family are twice in less than a year, you have my heartfelt condolences.

    3. One of the few times I've ever seen my Dad cry is when he had to have our old dog put down. You are in our prayers.

    4. My Siberian Husky loved tearing around in the snow more than she loved anything else, including scraps off the grill. No matter if he choses your wife 100 times in 100 choices, by dragging them to Minnesota you gave him a seasonal experience he'd never have gotten in California (outside of the Sierra Nevadas, anyway). Helping an animal connect with the environment they were bred for is always a special gift.

      Reminding yourself you're doing the right thing never seems to make it easier. But remembering the joy you helped him find (and the safety your wife gave him) should make you feel better about the life he was able to live.

  5. Heading to New Busch to see the Phils & Cards tonight w/neighbor and a retired co-worker. Looks to be in the low/mid-50s, but should be fine because free*!

    *I invited the neighbor to tag along, but then he did a little research and one of his tire shop suppliers came through with the box seat tix. #winning

  8. There were thousands and thousands of times, though, that Henderson took a walk with the bases empty, and the crowd went wild. They were watching a simple baseball game, and now everyone knew they were watching a half-baseball, half-Japanese game show.

    I was at this game and remember the buzz when Rickey got on base - granted this buzz was mostly about Ivan Rodriguez potential to throw him out.

Comments are closed.