Cup of Coffee

November 6, 2013: Production

76 Comments

Contracts are signed and work on my card game is underway. It's nice to have a creative venture that doesn't involve auditions and spending every night away from home.

76 thoughts on “November 6, 2013: Production”

  1. Harding reduces his GAA to just 1.09 per game, .69 better than the second best goalie. He also leads the league in save percentage, but credit the defense a lot. With four power plays, the Flames got just two shots off. And the Wild are now in the top half of the league in scoring. When was the last time they could say that?

    1. Even better*, last night the 4th line produced some sweet chances and probably the least likely offense from Zenon Konopka with his first goal in like 2 years!

      *I don't really think it's better than what Harding's doing.

      1. I made a note of this on twitter last night. Ok, so Konopka scores a goal (!!!) and Calgary is so offended about this (and being down 3 goals) their 'enforcer' starts a fight the next minute. Its something in hockey I'll never understand, and frankly I think is stupid.

        also of not from this game, rookie Justin Fontaine scored his 5th goal.

    2. The Wild lead the league in shots against per game at 23.7. Their fancy stats are impressive too.

  2. Today is the first day of 2013 that both my wife and I have full time employment. It's been a trying year in that department. Hopefully this means we're turning it around.

  3. As noted earlier this week, the Twins have been quiet on the transaction front. New BBWAA president notes the minor leaguers the Twins did and did not sign.

    Thanks to Baseball America, here's the list of minor league players the Twins did not sign and now can sign with any organization:

    RHP: Nick Blackburn (AAA), Kyle Davies (AA), Cole DeVries (AAA), Deolis Guerra (AAA), Miguel Munoz (Hi A), Dan Sattler (AA), Manuel Soliman (Hi A), Tom Stuifbergen (AA), Dan Turpen (AA)
    LHP: Nelvin Fuentes (Hi A), Pedro Hernandez (AAA)
    1B: Jeff Clement (AAA)
    2B: Eric Farris (AAA)
    SS: Ray Olmedo (AAA)
    OF: Brian Dinkelman (AAA), Jhonathan Goncalves (Hi A), Angel Morales (AA), Jordan Parraz (AA), Antoan Richardson (AAA)

    The Santana trade tree appears to have reached its end with Guerra leaving the org.

    3. Many of these guys may be assumed to re-sign with the Twins, right?
      Antoan should have had his cup of coffee last fall.

      1. I don't know. My interpretation of what Neal wrote is that the Twins were uninterested in signing them.

    4. Nelvin Fuentes did well in Class A for three straight years, but never really got a chance above that. Obviously there's something about him that makes them think he can't succeed at a higher level, but I wish he'd gotten the chance.

  4. To the bikers in the nation: I'm looking for into a brooks saddle. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

    2. NBBW has one on her townie bike. If you get a leather brooks, bring along a plastic bag in your pannier in case it rains.

  5. Replay arrived in the AFL last night.

    Gardy may have something to throw (or kick) on the field before his hat next year:

    Tuesday's challenges were issued verbally, simple enough in front of a few hundred fans. When there are tens of thousands screaming, objects such as waved flags or tossed beanbags will be employed.

    1. They should have the sign be throwing one's hat. Like an NFL ref when noting a second penalty on a play.

    2. I don't understand why they are following the NFL's lead and involving the managers in the officiating process. If they are going to have specific replay umps anyway (which is a good idea), just let them notify the crew on the field when a play needs to be reviewed.

      1. I think you're going in the wrong direction with this. If the MLB is really interested in not properly using technology, they should go to a system where the players involved do the replay live on the field.

      3. Agree. I hate the way MLB has grafted on this idiocy from the NFL. Close plays should be automatically reviewed by either an on-site replay ump or a team of reviewers at MLB HQ. Not sure the umpires' union would like it, but hey, it would create more umpiring jobs!

        1. Why wouldn't they like it? Do you think the umpires will be happy about the managers having more power to challenge their authority?

            1. I can't tell if you guys are speaking in jest or not. While a couple of umpires seem to love their showtimes, I think a large majority don't fighting with managers and would assume the calls get right and not get a ton of fan hatred directed their way.

              1. I wasn't so much thinking of being the center of attention as I was umpires' clannishness and reluctance to make one of their own look bad by identifying a mistake.

  7. I think what disturbs me most about this Incognito fiasco is that no one in the Dolphins seems to be sticking up for Martin, at least publicly, but we have heard players come to Incognito's defense. This despite Incognito's history of being kicked off teams and his reputation as one of the dirtiest players in the league. Ellerbe wins the dim bulb of the day award for suggesting that Martin should have taken his issue with Incognito to the so-called leadership council, of which Incognito was a member. Really?

    1. Agreed. That's another reason I don't believe the Martin case is an isolated incident, and I also don't believe no one on the Dolphins knew about it. One of the reasons bullies can be bullies is that those who could do something about it either are on the bully's side or are intimidated themselves.

      1. So what I got out of that is that all of the Doplphins players are racist, anti-intellectual pricks.

          1. I don't think those attitudes are particular to the Dolphins.

            Martin is a Stanford product, and his parents are Harvard graduates with advanced degrees (Ph.D. for him, JD for her). My guess is that Martin's "blackness" would be questioned by a lot of black NFL players because he's well-educated.

            In case you are wondering, yes, I mean that as an indictment of the NFL's culture.

            1. Martin is a Stanford product, and his parents are Harvard graduates with advanced degrees (Ph.D. for him, JD for her). My guess is that Martin's "blackness" would be questioned by a lot of black NFL players because he's well-educated.

              Good thing he's not also a Dominican baseball player, then.

            2. I don't know. I mean, I'm sure the Dolphins reflect NFL culture to some degree, but it's like night and day the things you hear from the Dolphins and what you hear elsewhere around the NFL. I mean, would you expect this out of a Tony Dungy team? (Apparently the Colts had Incognito on a "do not draft due to character issues" list back in 2005.) There must be some team-to-team variation in culture.

              1. Oh, I agree that there is team-to-team variation in culture. I just meant that the particular attitudes highlighted in the referenced piece are probably fairly widespread, reflection an underlying anti-intellectual cultural dysfunction in the broader society.

                Your point about Tony Dungy is very well taken. But he's almost the exception that proves the rule, I think.

    1. To be creative AND to have time on one's hands...that'll always be the dream.

      Thanks for the link, socal. That's not the kind of video I would have ended up seeing on my own, I suspect.

  9. Mauer won his fifth Silver Slugger. Only Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez and Lance Parrish have won more as catchers. (How did Parrish not get more love for the HOF?)

    1. career OPS of 753, OPS+ of 106. In 1984, he "earned" his 4th SS by batting 237/287/443 (100 OPS+).

      He also had the misfortune of succeeding Bill Freehan in Detroit and having his career overlap with those of Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk in the AL.

      1. He still was tied for the lead in runs created for catchers in 1984 and that year he started the All-Star game and got a handful of MVP votes. That Tigers team as a whole has been shunned by HoF voters. Trammell probably should have won the MVP that year. Lou Whitaker, Kirk Gibson, and to a lesser extent Jack Morris. I still can't believe Willie Hernandez was the MVP of that team let alone the whole AL.

        For his career, the voters generally liked Parrish. Along with the six SS, he had three GG and made eight All-Star Games. I don't know about him actually making it into the HoF, but I think he deserved more than one year on the ballot.

    2. RandBall's Stu ‏@RandBallsStu
      Somewhere someone is FURIOUS that Joe Mauer got a Silver Slugger award despite being soft and a singles hitter.

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