77 thoughts on “April 6, 2021: Mauling”

  1. When I saw the headline, I was really hoping it would be something about bears....

        1. There was that! Since you bring it up...there was a bit of a mauling in Spooky’s Pick’em group, too.

  2. I'm late to this - watched the play that got Nick Castellanos a two-game suspension.

    INCREDIBLY weak move by MLB, he gets plunked, shows emotion, the Cardinals get a case of the red *ass (shocking), benches clear and nothing really happened.

      1. I admittedly only watched a YouTube video with no sound on and don't like the Cardinals, so definitely missed any added context.

    1. Where I'm most frustrated is not in the punishment for Castellanos, but the lack of punishment for Molina. The message being sent by the league - and this seems to happen consistently - is that it isn't okay to show emotion, but they'll make an exception for anger at others showing emotion.

      1. I played some form of competitive ball for 20 years. Neither in baseball, nor men's fastpitch softball, have I seen a "bench clearing" incident. Which tells me that it's more about posturing and feelings being hurt than about anything substantive. I am so weary of these incidents, and all the unwritten rules of baseball bullsh$t. It's a freakin' game in which you are paid an obscene amount of money to play. If you don't like what the other team is doing, beat them on the scoreboard. Both gentlemen involved are idiots. You are going to stand and flex over the pitcher because you scored on a wild pitch? Whoop de doo. You are going to have your pitchers back by starting a brawl because some idiot flexed over him? Oh please sit down.

        I am all for showing emotion when you do something great and you want to celebrate. There was no greatness in this situation to celebrate. There was no "slight" to warrant a bench clearing of any kind. Show is over, move on.

        1. I'm all for showing emotion, but when it gets to skipping around the bases or flexing over someone, might as well allow choreography in the endzone after a touchdown...it just gets silly. If you don't want to respect the opponents, fine, but at least respect the game. Having fun playing baseball? Great, flip your bat! Acting like a d!ck? No thanks.

          1. Like I said, I'm less concerned about the punishment for Castellanos than I am in the lack of punishment for Molina.

      2. This is my favorite example of this. One player watched a home run and was suspended. Another actually broke the rules by impending the trip around the bases and was not suspended.

    1. How insignificant was Dobnak's "save?" I guess he saved the rest of the bullpen but it certainly didn't preserve the win, and he definitely wasn't effective while doing it, which I believe is in the language in the three-inning save rule.

      1. That's the win when a starter doesn't complete five innings. Here are the conditions to earn a save:

        He satisfies one of the following conditions:
        (1) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runsand pitches for at least one inning;
        (2) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with thepotential tying run either on base, or at bat or on deck(that is, the potential tying run is either already on base oris one of the first two batters he faces); or
        (3) He pitches for at least three innings.

  3. I have some unexpected news to share: I was recently diagnosed with stage I breast cancer. I will be starting chemotherapy this Thursday and will have treatments once a week for 12 weeks. From what I understand, I should expect to feel more tired than usual but will be able to continue working and otherwise going about my usual activities. I’ll need surgery as well, which will take place 4-6 weeks after chemotherapy. My prognosis is very good, and the doctors taking care of me say their goal is to cure the cancer.

    It’s pretty shocking, but my doctors seem excellent, and I’m glad to have family in town to help out. I was able to get my first Moderna shot just over a week ago (though I don’t exactly recommend a cancer diagnosis as a means to jump the line!), and I’ll be able to get my second shot late this month even while in the midst of chemo. I’m supposed to take daily walks, drink lots of water, and eat lots of protein, so hit me up with any good high-protein vegetarian recipes.

    I’ve had several weeks to absorb the initial diagnosis, and there has been a whole series of doctor appointments--luckily my mom (who was diagnosed with colon cancer at age 44, almost 30 years ago) has been able to come to the appointments and take notes since it's just A LOT of information. I feel fine physically and am generally doing all right—I find that keeping busy is key. Humor is also a big help! So get your bald jokes ready…

    1. Oh my, Pepper. I'll be thinking of you. Hopefully everything was caught as early as it seems.

      Sheenie's sister is an oncologist specializing in breast cancer treatment. If ever want to chat with someone outside of your treatment team, I can get you her contact info.

      1. Thanks so much for the offer, Pirate. I will be in touch if that seems like it would be helpful!

    2. Wow. Well...stage I, that's good. It's always best to catch it early, so good for you. Still, scary -- you'll certainly be in our prayers for a smooth and successful treatment.

    3. I'm sorry, Pepper. All the hopeful thoughts. And hopefully your head won't be as bright as your future.

    4. I'm so sorry to hear this. You'll be in our thoughts and prayers. And ZG should be able to help with those bald jokes...

      1. Every time my girls point it out I put on the shocked/sad face. For a while M would make sure to tell me that she loved me anyway, so I have that going for me.
        Also, a lot of "must be nice"s.

    5. Wishing you well on this quest. I know a lot of breast cancer survivors, my mother included.

    6. I'm sorry to hear this. Hopefully we're discussing your full recovery in a few months.

      My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a couple years ago. A little different diagnosis since she only did radiation, no chemo.

      Good luck!

      1. Thank you--it's been interesting to learn just how many different approaches to treatment there are depending on the specifics. It's a lot of information to digest, but it's great that doctors know enough that they can recommend which treatment will be most effective in different circumstances.

    7. I’m so sorry to hear this, but glad to hear that the prognosis is so positive. If I was closer, I’d offer to bring food. How Minnesotan....

      Speaking of food and recipes, I made this baked tofu a month or so ago. The tofu itself was fine (it could probably use some more flavor), but the key to making it great was turning it into a banh mi sandwich. A good roll, jalapeños, cilantro, quick pickled onions (or kimchi was pretty good, too), and this tofu made some excellent lunches.

    8. Sending you the very best wishes for effective treatment and a thorough remission, Pepper. I’m heartened to hear you have a strong local support system already in place. I’ll be thinking of you and your family.

      I’m coming up on a decade of a low-drag hairstyle, so if you’re in the market for a merino toque recommendation or scalp care tips, I’m happy to share.

      Vegetarian — lacto-ovo? I’ve been leaning on eggs for protein pretty heavily and have added a few egg-dominant mains to my regular rotation.

      Lastly SelectShow
      1. Thank you so much, CH. No one has seen the entirety of my scalp since I was a very bald baby so I may well hit you up for some scalp care tips!

        Yes, I'm lacto-ovo vegetarian, and conveniently my neighbors are getting more eggs from their chickens right now than they can keep up with. Today's lunch was a toasted whole wheat bagel with a, fried egg, salsa, and a sprinkling of cheddar. But was it a sandwich? 🤔

    9. Adding to the chorus of well wishes, Pepper. I'm glad they found it so early.

      My mother-in-law, considerably older than you, is another survivor.

      I'll be thinking good thoughts. And working on my repertoire of bald jokes.

    10. Oh, Pepper. You sure seem to have a great mindset dealing with this, along with a good supporting cast. Our family will have you in our prayers!

    11. That's just the shits, pepper. As Twayn says above I know a number of breast cancer survivors, my mom as well. Sending all the good vibes we've got. We'll work on the high protein without the meats recipes.

    12. Glad they caught it early, Pepper. Your great attitude will also be great medicine as you go thru your treatments.

    13. The only bald joke I've got is my own receeding hairline.

      I will be 23 again some day, dangit, my hair just doesn't realize it.

      (Glad this was caught early and your prognosis is good)

  4. My wife has been struggling with the cancer topic in her family. Her father had prostate cancer 20 years ago and they were able to treat it successfully. Her Mother died a year and a half ago. Her father is in a memory care unit in St. Joseph as his alzheimer's is advancing fairly aggressively. He seems happy there and is getting great care from that staff. A few weeks ago it was discovered that his prostate cancer is back. My wife makes the medical decisions for him as she is the only sibling in the medical field. So, she is juggling some tough decisions (with feedback from other siblings). The oncologist wants to try some aggressive "new" treatments as the traditional ones will not cut it. However, this will severely impact his health and happiness in the short term. The general physician is letting the family know that he is not sure that course of treatment is the right direction to go, especially with his advanced loss of memory. So far, all the siblings are lobbying for avoiding the aggressive treatments and let him enjoy quite a few happy days. My role is to just support whatever decision my wife and her siblings make.

    In my head... I ... just... don't ... know. I can't imagine being in that position. We never had to make any decision like this when my parents died. We just said goodbye when it was time. My father in-law is an amazing man, who has lived an amazing life. He is like a second father to me and is my kids' only remaining grandparent. I, and my wife, have already been struggling with seeing him with such a reduced memory. My wife had a grandmother in a similar situation when we first got married and some of those visits to see her were just so heartbreaking. There was yelling, screaming, accusations, etc that were so tough on the family at that time. I am praying that my father in-law does not get to that point. Not really looking for guidance on this site, I guess I just need to put it out there somewhere.

    1. I've tried to write a response to this a couple of times, but don't have much to offer other than this place offers a pretty outstanding ear and shoulder. You and yours are in a tough situation, but I hope there is some space for joy in the time you have left with your FIL.

    2. Man, that's tough as there are some pretty thorny issues to consider no matter what decision you choose.

  5. For Philosofette's birthday tomorrow I managed to snag her a vaccine appointment! And one for myself on Thursday too! No idea which shot - no choice in the matter, they'll tell us when we get there.

    1. My wife, daughter, and I all get Moderna tomorrow. My wife found is all shots by focusing on counties that, um, voted a certain way. There seem to be less people willing to get the shots in these counties.

      I'm going to Buffalo and they are going to Elk River.

      1. I have some concern that my county may take a while before reaching herd immunity.

            1. That got me curious about my county. It's more than 7:1.

              2019 Population: 2315.
              2017 Cattle: 17,706

              1. Ok, I will play.

                2019 Population: 38,151
                2019 Cattle: 19,800

                So, not quite 2:1

                And... I am surprised by many of the local residents who have told me they are vaccinated. I would say for every 10 people who I assumed they would not get vaccinated, based upon their political and/or pandemic views, 7 of them are (or are getting) vaccinated.

                1. Population: 402,022
                  Cattle: 6,600

                  Mrs Runner is setting off again this morning to spend the day volunteering at another mass vaccination event.

                  1. There are so few cattle in Ramsey County, that Census doesn't list the number so as not to basically give market information about the one or two businesses that do have cattle.

                    1. Population: 200,500
                      Head of cattle: 14,370

                      We have more sheep and lambs (23,150) than cattle and calves

                2. I would say that, in my very conservative county, a large majority have been or will be getting vaccinated.

                  1. I have been pleasantly surprised by some, and horribly disappointed by many others. It's bad enough that our priest asked people to stop asking others whether or not they were getting vaccinated. It seems for some people it's become more of a political statement by proxy than a health decision.

                  2. I noticed that SD and ND, which had some of the worst COVID per capita outbreaks anywhere (not just the U.S.) now have a great percentage of their population getting vaccinated.

                    I also think as more people get vaxxed, you will see more of the reluctant people join in. One, no one likes being left behind; and two, more and more evidence that it works and no weird side effects.

                  3. Same here.

                    I think that Free is correct. As more people get it, more people who are on the fence will get it, and more people who previously would've been disinterested in getting it will change their mind to some degree.

        1. I had a boss who once used the phrase "Mongolian Herd Mentality". Priceless.

      2. I think it's more complex than that.

        We are outstate and my wife is giving shots with a local pharmacy. They are planning a 1,000-person mass vaccination event for Saturday. They very much wanted to vaccinate people in our county rather than people from elsewhere in the state. (My wife says a majority of those she has vaccinated so far are from outside of our county.) Initially this event included online sign up. Eventually that sign up was leaked to the vaccine-seeker Facebook account and, of course, 1/5th of the slots were gobbled up in minutes by the metro. At that point the online sign up was disabled and folks were asked to come into the store to sign up for the event.

        Down here it isn't so straightforward as to how you go about finding the vaccine. It's word-of-mouth, basically. And the population is naturally not as tech savvy. Yes, there is probably less uptake by the population, or I might say less urgency to get the vaccine. I think the urgency of others to find the vaccine anywhere they can also comes into play, as there is an entire state outside of the county that is watching these online sign ups like hawks and swooping in to take whatever availability appears.

        I feel a little off that the online sign up was disabled. If the goal is to get vaccines into arms as quickly as possible, then the most important point is to make sure those 1,000 slots are filled. On the other hand I can understand that the intention in this regional distribution is to vaccinate the local region. On top of that, when someone signs up for a vaccine in our county they have a much higher rate of not showing up. They probably signed up at five different places and often do not bother cancelling when they get a shot in their arm somewhere else. In the end I think it is probably more efficient at this time to do what was done, which is try to focus this event on more local folks who will be very likely show up.

  6. Trevor May has been quite wobbly as a Met. I remember him as pretty homer-prone, but I don't remember him having many control issues.

    1. Not that wild pitches really tell the whole story (or ANY of the story, really), but he did make the leaderboard for wild pitches in 2016 as a reliever.

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