54 thoughts on “December 12, 2019: Sellers Market”

      1. Presumably, this rule creates better options for marginal lefty starters like Pérez, who now should see more multi-inning lefty reliever demand. A team looking to gain some matchups against a lefty-heavy lineup could use one multi-inning lefty as an opener, bridge with either the regular starter (getting game innings, but managing workload) or a funky long man, then a high-velocity or big-movement reliever as a bridge back to an elite lefty fireman in the late innings. Something like: Pérez/Smeltzer (innings 1 &2), Odo (3–6), May/Stashak/Harper (7), Rogers (8 & 9).

        If it seems unlikely the Twins do better than adding Ryu to the rotation, I think some aggressive alternative rotation construction should be explored.

          1. While I’d hope so, I’m not sure what will actually happen given the move to 26-man active rosters. I’d like to see MLB cap the number of pure pitchers on a roster at either 11 (ideally) or 12. One, because it’s gotten out of hand already, and two, because that creates the possibility of more two-way players while facilitating platooning & performance/rest management for pure position players.

            1. It's now capped at 13. Going down to 12 would be nice but unsurprising that it will be 13 as teams were already using that many.

            2. I found back in the day when playing Strat-O-Matic that players like Kirby would actually handicap me slightly, since he was good enough to have to play everyday, while a quality platoon could outperform a superstar (esp. given a larger pool to "draft" from).

              1. Yeah, I play Diamond Mind and I tend to do better with teams that have platoons as well, since I don't have to take into consideration player's health and feelings.

                1. Rocco seemed to have buy-in from his players when he gave them plenty of rest time this past season; I wonder if he would excel at building a good platoon mentality with his players?

                  1. I suspect he would. I think he speaks from considerable personal experience on the fatigue-health-performance connections, and I bet guys recognize it.

          1. I wonder how it will work for the Angels if Ohtani injures his arm again and becomes a full-time hitter. I'm sure they'll make it work, but if there ends up being more two-way players it will be interesting.

            1. Position players will be prohibited from pitching through the ninth inning unless the player's team is winning or losing by six or more runs when he takes the mound. Two-way players are exempt if they have pitched 20 innings and made 20 starts with at least three plate appearances in the current or previous year.

              Sounds like Ohtani’s a “position player” under this rule to start the season, which I’d imagine the Angels would want to appeal based on his TJ surgery preventing him from pitching last season.

              1. Alternatively, they make him a pitcher and let him bat, on pitching days or not. Once he reaches 20 games, then he immediately becomes a two-way player. That's according to David Adler at the beginning of 2019.

  2. Exposure to hardship can change the way our stress hormones react and push our bodies into being in fight-or-flight mode all the time.

    When those experiences affect us constantly from childhood, we’re later incapable of regulating our reactions to everyday life. It’s similar to post-traumatic stress disorder that soldiers get when they return home from war.

    Katherine Ehrlich, assistant professor in psychology at the University of Georgia, says: “The body seems to keep score. Adverse experiences are linked to changes in physiological systems, including neuroendocrine and immune systems, and these changes may have implications for long-term physical health.”

    Aces don’t just have biological effects. They can actually be transmitted from one generation to another. It is an up-and-coming branch of neuroscience called epigenetics.

    ___
    from “Trauma can be inherited. We need to understand what we’re passing on” | The Correspondent

    I think about this a lot.

    1. NOVA had a very thought provoking episode on epigenetics a couple years ago, and it's still got me thinking. For instance, a girl born during famine times passes along genetic responses to her children. While DNA might contain our physical blueprint, epigenetics passes down a whole lot more (instincts, domesticity, etc).

    3. Yeah, there's a lot of evidence that shows that slavery is still genetically impacting black people in America today, not to mention the still constant daily racism that elevates cortisol. Evidence also shows that black people with equal access to education and income still die earlier than white people.

      1. There are also more recent experiences — mismanaged public housing programs, for example — that have stoked the epigenetics embers within descendants of those who experienced chattel slavery, Jim Crow, and the other institutionalized forms of racism that typically come to mind.

        I do think the article is right to point out that this is a hereditary trap that is not simply a “poor-person problem.” Children in affluent (or financially stable) but abusive families can also pass the damage on to their descendants. It’s a pansocial problem.

    4. I think about things like that when thinking about WW1, the Great Depression, and WWII happening within 30 years.

    5. The writers of Watchmen are also mining this field, as genetically passed on trauma is a subtext of all that's going on in that show.

  4. Tomorrow I have my first interview since rebooting my job search several weeks ago. Because it's on a day notorious for bad luck, I'm soliciting all the thoughts, prayers and positive waves as I can get. The more I research the company the more I like the opportunity, and getting a new job would be a great Christmas present for my wife.

    2. Best of luck, my man.

      I'm about due for a job change, myself (so far haven't stayed anywhere longer than four years), but I hate interviewing and I no longer have a suit that fits, so I'm putting it off.

      1. My wife used to make fun of me because I switched jobs every 2-3 years while she stayed at the same place for 15+ years. Now, I have connections all over the Twin Cities and she's worked with 20 people her entire career.

            1. A fair distinction for most situations. Most of my situations make me want to stick with "better" though.

      2. I was within about 3 weeks of making it to 2 years back at the bike rack place. Easily the longest I've been at any job ever.

        I don't think I can say I've been anywhere else a year.

      3. Just celebrated 8 years at my current place, though I've been promoted three separate times. Four years at my current position and I'm getting restless, but right now such a solid company and benefits that everything that comes across Indeed for me just doesn't look good in comparison.

        2. Right now, I'm no longer tied down by insurance because my wife is a public employee and her insurance is fabulous (and hopefully soon none of us will have to worry about insurance being tied to jobs...), but my commute right now is very reasonable and I am able to work 1/2 days from home on Fridays (which is downright vital because I curl on Thursdays), which is very nice. So that's why I've been less motivated to look elsewhere.

        3. I'm at 26½ years with the RR, the last 4½ as an employee, but a job that pays good and I like to do (and telecommuting since 2003) -- yeah, I'm in it for the long haul.

          1. 4 1/2 with the Army, 4 1/2 with a job that shall not be named, 7 in the current gig - but restless.

            1. 7?!? I would not have guessed. Felt like the gig that shall not be named was longer, even to those of us on the outside.

        7. I'm closing in on six years full-time with the institution, but have held positions in three separate colleges. Beyond that, I get retirement credit for teaching back in grad school. I started my current position eleven months ago; I still haven't figured out how to explain to non-academic family what I do.

          Advancement at this stage likely involves me committing to finishing a terminal degree. I have the funding necessary, but time is precious right now. The Poissonnière has one more year before kindergarten, so I'm considering that as the opening of a window to begin that work.

        8. I'm at 16.5 years with my current employer. My role has evolved somewhat; I'm doing a job that essentially didn't exist when I started there. I really like what I do and there's not much opportunity to do something similar with another employer in town, so it's not likely I'll be going elsewhere anytime soon.

          In 2018, I needed to include a resume for an application for an award, and it was TERRIBLE because I hadn't touched it since 2003.

        9. 3.5 of self employment, and still enjoying it. Mostly the same challenges as when I started, but I'm happy to take those for now, based on previous employment experiences. I love not having to go to meetings.

            1. Seriously. I just participated in our town's Winterfest for the 4th year. Everyone came in looking for the meatballs I serve every year. I've become an institution... it's weird.

        10. Once I finish grading final exams, I’ll be at 10.5 years at my current job. I started there right out of grad school (actually while still working on my dissertation) and at this point generally expect to never leave. I feel like quite an outlier, quite possibly having only one “real” job my entire life.

    6. Best of luck Twayn, along with well wishes, prayers and positive vibes! Hope you find something that pays the bills and makes you happy.

      I am almost 5 years in my current job. I have about 2,000 bosses every week. Most of them are pretty cool. 12 years in the prior job. Time flies.

Comments are closed.