73 thoughts on “October 21, 2019: Loonacy”

  1. Salt River scored in the tenth to defeat Surprise 2-1. The Rafters are 15-10 and lead Mesa and Surprise by three games. Their magic number over Mesa is two. The regular season ends Friday, with the championship game Saturday.

    Royce Lewis was 0-for-3 with a walk. He is batting .356/.422/.589 in 73 at-bats.
    Luke Raley was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run. He is batting ,236/.296/.417 in 72 at-bats.

    Aguilas lost to Licey 3-0. Wilin Rosario was 0-for-3. He is batting .192/.276/.269 in 26 at-bats.
    Escogido lost to the Toros 7-6 in 10 innings. Jonathan Cheshire pitched two-thirds of an inning, giving up an unearned run on one hit and striking out one. He has an ERA of zero and a WHIP of 0.75 with 3 strikeouts and 0 walks in 1.1 innings (2 games).

  2. Going to extend the Half-Baked Hall poll on Richie Ashburn another day since we only had 11 voters and the usual is 14-16 and the vote is close, so want to make sure the electorate is represented.

    It seems however, I was unable to reopen the poll back up. So, if you're a regular voter but didn't vote (i.e. higgs, Can of Corn, Brian, Mags, rowsdower), send me an e-mail.

  3. In a rural Wisconsin village, the doctor makes house calls — and sees some of the rarest diseases on Earth:

    As a young doctor, DeLine never imagined he would find himself someday with one foot planted solidly in medicine’s past, the other in its future.

    The doctor who makes house calls also collaborates with English and American geneticists studying some of the rarest diseases on Earth. Some occur at much higher levels among the Amish, Mennonites and other closed communities that don’t allow marriage to outsiders. This prohibition increases the likelihood that when a rare, disease-causing mutation appears in the community, it will take root and pass from generation to generation.

    Scientists use a special term, “the founder effect,” to explain how some variations in the human genetic sequence appear more often in groups that are geographically or culturally isolated.

    It has taken DeLine and his staff years to gain the trust of Plain People, some of whom are wary of medicine and technology. Often, they fear that going to a hospital or clinic will mean surrendering the decision-making to doctors who neither respect their beliefs nor understand their financial limitations.

    DeLine, not a religious man himself, accommodates the beliefs of patients and parents; he has always viewed them as the ultimate decision-makers. As a result, the clinic has become a magnet for Plain People. Some travel eight hours from Missouri or Iowa just to see him.

    Country doctors, rural social workers, small-town teachers, and village clerics are pretty special folk.

  4. Old news, I guess, but I hadn't heard it, and I don't remember it being mentioned here. The Twins have not renewed the contracts of Rochester manager Joel Skinner, pitching coach Stu Cliburn, and batting coach Javier Valentin.

    1. Tony Leo was fired, too. He was the only trainer retained after 2017, when he was promoted to head trainer, but ultimately didn’t even complete two years in that gig. He’d been with the Twins for 23 seasons. Stu Cliburn had 29 seasons with the Twins.

      Meanwhile, the Red Sox hired Peter Fatse, a Twins minor league hitting coordinator, to be their new assistant hitting coach. Fatse is originally from Massachusetts.

  5. Fun facts:
    Only the second World Series between two expansion teams. Quiz: When was the first?
    First time since the introduction of the Wild Card Game in 2012 that a Wild Card Team has made it to the World Series. (Nationals)

    1. The Royals won the AL Wild Card Game in 2014 before losing to Bumgarner in the World Series, who also won the NL Wild Card Game.

  6. I'm getting a better understanding of the problem in the newspaper industry. We haven't been getting out Sunday paper. Every time we call, they tell us to read it online.

    I've given up on supporting them. When a business makes it easier to just go incognito than to pay for their services, there's no reason to pay.

      2. Yeah ... but still sleeping vs. the tortured phlegm rasp and nasal blockage that I’ve had for a damn week. I skipped Morello and am crashing - dreams be damned

        Spoiler SelectShow

        1. I had horrible sleep last night due to nasal blockage and my claustrophobia. My wife said I must have had some crazy dreams last night as I was babbling the weirdest comments during my few bouts of sleep. Apparently 2 oreo cookies with milk an hour before bed does not help.

          1. I have a bidness meeting today. Basically I get to come here to get yelled at with pretty much nothing to offer to appease them. That anxiety coupled with a different time zone and strange bed, and I was tossing for hours.

  8. Also, a reminder why I totes adore Altuve going big off Chapman and terminating the Yankees, but will be rooting for the Nats tomorrow evening.

          1. This means I get to root for the team with Sean Doolittle, and Fernando Rodney, and Kurt Suzuki, and Brian Dozier...

            I was kind of leaning in that direction, anyway.

        2. From SI:

          Editor's note: The Astros initially declined to comment for this story. After this piece was published, the team released a statement in which they did not deny Brandon Taubman’s comments, and insisted he was ‘supporting the player during a difficult time.’ Multiple journalists have corroborated Sports Illustrated’s reporting.

          Also note that, in addition to not denying his comments, the premise of the article was not disputed either - in essence, teams giving up the moral high ground by taking advantage of depressed market value due to domestic violence.
          SMH

          1. Taubman has “apologized” (emphasis mine):

            This past Saturday, during our clubhouse celebration, I used inappropriate language for which I am deeply sorry and embarrassed. In retrospect, I realize that my comments were unprofessional and inappropriate. My overexuberance in support of a player has been misinterpreted as a demonstration of a regressive attitude about an important social issue. Those that know me know that I am a progressive and charitable member of the community, and a loving and committed husband and father. I hope that those who do not know me understand that the Sports Illustrated article does not reflect who I am or my values. I am sorry if anyone was offended by my actions.

            In other words: what I did has been misinterpreted, and sorry (not sorry) if “anyone” was offended.

              2. The gall of targeting three people — who were credentialed & present in their professional capacities — with that behavior and then depersonalizing them as “anyone” says volumes about Taubman, the Astros’ front office, and Jim Crane.

                2. I just remembered the Astros also barred a reporter from entering the locker room because Verlander was upset. This is a team with little regard for anyone in the media.

        3. It's okay guys. Taubman says he's actually a "progressive and charitable charitable member of the community plus a loving husband and father". Also, it's your fault for being mad.

            2. After he loses his Astros job he can play Donald Trump Jr in the inevitable Netflix movie on the Trump Administration.

  9. Speaking of weird dreams, anyone else watch Sturgill Simpson’s Netflix anime? I had some really bizarre dreams, but that might also have been the edibles.

    1. I've had it on in the background a couple times. I'm living the album. Not sure about the anime.

  10. Somehow I got my hands on a 1/6 Barrel of Boulevard's 30th Anniversary Ale. It is a blend of 7 barrel aged beers. Mostly stouts. Weighing in at a hefty 12% ABV, it is a treat. My cost was over $200 which is way hefty, but boy is it good. Had a glass at cribbage league last night, and will sit down for another glass in about 17 minutes.

        2. You around tomorrow afternoon/evening? I might stop by and catch up, whether or not you have the good stuff on hand (you always have good stuff on hand).

          1. Yes, I will be working til 8 due to cribbage. Shoot me a text when u think u will stop by.

    2. Just as an aside, if a dude who is home for the holidays says he was sent into your place by a dude who works for a museum in new orleans that was me and he is him.

  11. A guy is in the bar tonight and he is a big baseball fan who is very smart about baseball history. (He knew who Miguel Dilone was!) Anyway, he asks me a fun trivia question. Prior to the steroids era (Bonds), there were 9 MLB players who won back to back MVP awards. A pitcher, a catcher, a first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman and 3 outfielders. He told me no one had ever guessed them all. I got 7 which amazed him. He did not know I was a WGOMer. I had no chance at the pitcher. I missed the first baseman. I got one outfielder with a vague hint, but nailed the rest. Feel free to spoiler your guesses below. The one hint I will give you is that the MVP award as we know it began in 1931. Bonds won it in 1992 and 1993. So the eligible years are between 1931 and 1992.

    1. Spoiler SelectShow

        1. I looked up the pitcher, and while it rang a bell, I never would've gotten there.

          I was surprised by one of the outfielders, as I didn't remember that he had won two. I should've remembered the second, older outfielder.

          1. The more recent outfielder I got and the guy said no one had ever guessed that one. Helped that he was one of my favorite players of that era.

    2. I'll take a shot.

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      2. You missed on catcher, 1b, and one outfielder (see Nibbish correct responses). Nice job! I would guess the average WGOMer scores better than the public at large.

        I think it is a neat coincidence that the first 9 players basically played 9 different positions. Well, other than possibly the same outfield slot.

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