With all the focus on our impending vacation, it's only now occurring to me that the Milkmaid's birthday is two weeks from today. Hmm.
104 thoughts on “June 16, 2015: Two Weeks”
Ah crap, that reminds me... our youngest turns 1 on Thursday.
But we'll have time to deal with that later... I'm going to the Twins / Cardinals game today!!!! Woo!!!!!
Please don't rain...
already started raining, although it's been spotty
We're potentially going to get 5"-7" by the end of the week
Apparently the 3100 block of Girard Ave S, where New Guy & I have each received citations for parking in a residential permit area, is something of a trap for the City of Minneapolis. Minneapolis PD wrote 8,100 parking tickets on that block in 20 months between January 2013 and October 2014. But no, the City's deputy director of parking and traffic can't remember getting any complaints about inadequate signage (the changing of posted signs warning non-residents is, alas alas, out of her control in any case).
A few parking tickets might indicate that people are rolling the dice and flaunting the signs. But 8100 citations suggests that there's a bit more to the story than that.
Whoa, that's a lotta tickets and some damn fine intentional obtuseness. As angry as people get about parking tickets, not having any complaints would be an amazing feat.
Minneapolis may be a fairly chill city in a rather passive-aggressive state, but I still put the odds of zero complaints over tickets at slightly worse than Columbus landing the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María on the Moon in 1492, only to discover Leif Erikson's abandoned black metal nightclub.
That sounds like the most awesome nightclub imagineable.
I don't have an appreciation for metal on your level cheaps, but I concur.
Naturally, it's located on the dark side of the Moon.
To be fair, there's a difference between "can't remember getting any complaints" and "zero complaints". We already know how tragically common brain injuries are.
So we still get to see it half of the month. Assuming the telescopes have enough resolving power (or are infrared).
CH - please lodge a complaint. It likely won't help with your ticket, but, as Rhu pointed out, "can't remember getting complaints" sounds like double-speak for, "informal b!tching from ticketed parties doesn't count." However, one of Ms. Clara Schmit-Gonzalez's duties is: -Provide constituent services by responding to queries, requests and complaints from the public, Elected Officials, and other City staff in a timely manner.
I may just write a letter. I'll be sure to include a copy of this story so she can be certain she has received a complaint regarding this enforcement zone.
USA-Nigeria and NBA Game Six are on at the same time tonight. Boooooo
I almost engaged in a Mauer argument after softball again last night. Multiple exclamations of "Why does he suck?! He's the worst." As if money was being drawn out of their very own pockets by Joe Mauer. I said, "He's basically sucked since having a brain injury." Crickets for 5 seconds. Then continued bitching. The regular fan really seems to have no memory of Mauer's concussion. Likely because the regular fan assumed he was making it up.
I quit trying as I claimed I wouldn't engage these things anymore.
I think you did the right thing, providing information without judgment.
not to pile on, but it's really quite sad when you look at the Twins Baseball Reference page and don't see Joe in the string of mugs under the "2015 Top 12 by WAR" banner.
The other thing I'd say is that it took Morneau years to recover. Years. So much so that the Twins gave up on him.
I was thinking this last night when the television broadcast team was doing the trivia about the Twins player with the most inter-league rbi and Jason Morneau was the answer.
They forget so quickly…
That's part of the brain injury.
I would far and away prefer this money to go to a crappy baseball player than an already-wealthy-by-other-means owner. I have never understood all the complaining about how much players make (well, ok, I know some reasons why a certain segment of the general population complains about it).
The Twins could have the entire Yankees infield for what they're paying Joe!!
The Cardinals are baseball's best hackers.
That's going to ruin their squeaky clean image.
Apparently I was beaten to the punch. By quite a while.
I'm guessing it will be swept under the rug rather quickly, because Cardinals, but we'll see.
I'm guessing it will be swept under the rug rather quickly
I have heard from multiple sources that he is an ass. I haven't heard anyone disputing that.
It will be interesting to see how much sway the deadenders ultimately have in this process. No doubt the North Dakota option is way to keep on using Fighting Sioux. They lost a big supporter when Hakstol went to the NHL. St. Peter may be the last of that group who has any suction.
makes me think of Black-Eyed Susans. then it makes me think of domestic abuse. 🙁
I was thinking along the legal angle.
I like the UND Erwhelming.
On the topic of attending games, sean and I have been talking about taking the young'uns to the July 11 game, which starts at 3:05. I heard a rumor that CoC might be interested as well. If anyone else wants to join the chaos fun, please do!
Argh...I'm going to the game the night before with my siblings. I miiiiight be able to pull off seeing that one as well, I guess.
Wait, what am I talking about? July 11th is the date of the wedding that's my whole impetus for going to Minnesota in the first place. Carry on, gang.
C'mon dude, where are your priorities!
Also, there's the "family section" that is cheap and I am pretty sure will be in the shade at that time.
I'll probably be in DSM for rugby that day.
The July 11th game is against the Tigers.
Family Section tickets (Sec. 310-311 - third deck above home dugout) are $40 each and include ticket, hot dog & soda.
There are other fairly reasonable tickets available at $22 (third deck/right field), $26, $27 (third deck/left field), $37 (lower deck/left field), $38 and $40 (third deck above home plate).
Thanks for researching ticket prices! I like options that cost less than $40/ticket, but I am with sean on wanting a spot that is shaded. Otherwise I fear I might turn into a . . . roasted red Pepper.
That time of day, probably anything on the first base / right field line is best for shade.
I'm thinking anywhere between Sec. 301-305 ($22) and Sec. 308-316 ($40 includes the "Family Section") should have shade.
So ... Tonight's broadcast suggested Family Section tickets start at $10. Not sure if the online quote or the in game ad is correct.
My guess is the crappy games start at $10 or if you get a large enough package of them.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9 not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.
Nicholas If-Jesus-Christ-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned Barebone?
Poor hungryjoe.
Even if Mpls/StP were on the list (not Top-25 most populous individually, 18th on the list when combined), pretty confident there are no limitations on HH here.
Losing HH socializing in DC has probably been the biggest cultural shift for us coming to MN. Besides the lefthand drivers on interstate that is.
yeah, IL has a law against folks camping out in the fast lane, and I wish MO would do the same
heh, i didn't realize this until relatively recently, actually. bar time has significantly fallen since college.
anyone not currently living in the big easy (or vegas...) are really at a disadvantage for bar culture. I can walk 5.5 blocks to a bar that's open 24 hours a day (chirstmas, new years, ester, and hurricanes included) with three distinct happy hour pricing specials. I'm not recommending the joint, but it's there.
Any citizens have any experience/opinions on Home Fusion internet through Verizon? Rumors I'm hearing are that it's cheaper (since we already have Verizon) and will provide better bandwidth than we'd get through cable options in an end-point community.
Lebron tonight looks like he's just ready for the god damned season to be over already.
It wouldn't be the first time he looked like he was tanking it at the end of a playoff series.
Ouch.
He had a bad night. Comes from carrying a team and city on your back all series.
Stiil, perhaps the best series performance for a player on a losing team since Jerry West in 1969.
Iguodala was a deserving MVP, but I would not have faulted giving it to LeBron.
Yeah, that's what I was getting at. It was painfully obvious he was feeling the load by the time I turned this game on.
He had 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists. For most players, that's a pretty good night.
No question, but I missed the first half and only really saw the last 1/3 or so. By that time, he looked completely gassed, and understandably so. It was mostly on his jump shots, which just didn't look right.
He was 13-33 from the field (2-10 on threes) and 4-8 from the line. I assert that that is not a good night. He had to shoot a lot, of course. But way too many threes. He only made two shots (the threes) outside of 6 feet all night.
Iggy deserved it in that he was the best player over the course of the series on the team that won. The idea that he was the most valuable player in this series is pretty laughable.
I've enjoyed most of the finals, but this announcing crew is awful.
I think the worst thing about this is all the Cleveland fans sticking around just to boo the team that won during their victory ceremony. I mean...1964. I get it, Cleveland. But come on.
They didn't really do that, did they? Yeesh. I had the sound pretty low and turned it off fairly early into the ceremony because I was tired, so I spared myself such pettiness?
I think they were primarily booing the MVP choice. Not so much the team.
Well, ok, that's not quite as bad. Still stupid, you ask me, but yeah. The idea that it even really matters who gets the finals MVP to get outraged over it confuses me some.
It doesn't really matter in the end except for this: if you are going to give out an award, give it to the right player. How bad does that Cy Young award to Bartolo Colon look when it should have been given to Johan (he'd have deservedly won three straight, but no)? Ted Williams won the Triple Crown twice and in neither year did he win the MVP. That was a travishamockery, too and it kind of goes along with the idea that a lot of sportswriters are into narratives because too many of them are lazy and thickheaded. Unfortunately, they are public opinion drivers. So, if it bristles you that Joe Six-Pack thinks Mauer is and always has been a bum, thank guys like Souhan for drilling that fallacy home. Same thing here. LeBron is a loser and a choker, they say. The facts be damned.
True enough, true enough.
I read somewhere only two players in history are 2-4 in the Finals: James & Chamberlain. Not sure if true, but ...
In Chamberlain's 6th Finals appearance (1973), the Lakers lost to the Knicks and Willis Reed was the Finals MVP.
Chamberlain averaged 47 minutes and 10.4 PPG on .552 FG%
Reed averaged 29 minutes and 12.5 PPG on .466 FG%
rebound stats aren't readily available
note: Jerry West, the inaugural Finals MVP recipient ('69), is the only player to win the award while being on the losing team, but he averaged 46 minutes and 30.9 PPG on .469 FG%
In the 1973 Finals, Willis averaged 16.6/6.8/5.0 in 46 min/g. Wilt averaged 11.6/18.6/3.8 in 48 min/g. At age 36.
By that point, Wilt was the Lakers' 4th option on offense. West and Goodrich both averaged 21+ in that series and Jim McMillan averaged 19.6. Wilt only took 42 FGA for the series (making 22).
In the 1969 Finals, the Logo averaged 37.9/4.7/7.4 on 49 pct shooting in 43.9 min/g. I think you must have been looking at his playoff stats, not his Finals stats, Corny.
I believe you're correct - good catch. I'm even more astounded.
as for the status of Chamberlain on that '73 squad, I was just thinking in terms of players who'd lost in the Finals four times and making a vaguely related connection to the MVP discussion thread.
Jerry West went 1-8 in Finals. Funny that Wilt got the "choker" label, but Jerry became The Logo.
if you are going to give out an award, give it to the right player.
True, true.
the problem with "MVP", if you want to call it that, is that it's not a sabermetric award. By any reasonable statistical measure, LeBron was the runaway MVP.
I like the Iguodala choice because he had a huge impact on this series. Lebron only shot 42.2 pct on two-point attempts for the series, which is pretty bad given (a) how often he shot and (b) how many of his shots were at the rim (but his volume was understandable given that he really had to carry the offensive load by himself). A big reason was Iguodala's defense. I don't think GSW wins this series without him. Remember, GSW won game 1 in OT. In Game 4, when GSW started its small lineup for the first time, Lebron went 7-22 from the floor and took only 2 shots in the 4th (entering that quarter, the Cavs were only down 5).
But like I said last night, I would not have been bothered by a Lebron choice as MVP. He obviously was the most important player on the floor. 35.8/13.3/8.8 in 45.7 min/g? Wow. Yes, his true shooting percentage was a pedestrian 47.7 (thanks to the afore-mentioned lousy 2-pt rate and shooting only 68.7 pct from the line).
In comparison, GSW only had two players with lower TS%, Bogut (46.5) and Speights (32.4), but neither played or shot much. Curry and Iguodala were both over 58 pct, Barbosa, Lee and Ezeli all over 55 pct, Livingston, Green and Thompson 50+ pct, and Harrison Barnes 48 pct. Wow. That tells you that, despite what our eyeballs were trying to tell us (due to Cleveland's admirable efforts to control pace), their defense really wasn't very good.
Let me get this straight: you've gone on record as saying that the GSW would have maybe won even if Love and Irving were there, but a high ankle sprain to Iguodala in the WCF would have allowed CLE to win?
My wife tells me that she doesn't have any brothers. But, I'm not convinced of that.
I'm saying given who was actually playing in this series (after Irving went down in Game 1) that Iguodala was a critical difference maker. Are you really going to argue that point?
Look, the series would have been played very differently with Love and Irving. Without them, as we know, Cleveland was all about Lebron and controlling pace. Lebron was abusing Harrison Barnes. Iguodala made a critical difference by forcing lebron to take tougher shots and, frankly, by taking advantage of him on run-outs and by hitting shots at the other end.
LeBron wasn't valuable at all. They could've lost without him 🙂
I'm not arguing that he wasn't a critical player for GSW. I said he was their best, most consistent player in the series.
I'm also saying that due to the fact that they had contributions from a lot of guys, given who actually played in the series I don't think that any one player was the difference between winning and losing for GSW (although, I think if you take Curry off the floor, it might have been a different story). LBJ was the difference between GSW winning in a hard fought six game series and winning in four with Curry sitting out the fourth quarter of every game.
Mike Breen is good. Van Gundy is a curmudgeon, but gives pretty good analysis. Jackson...is not good ir interesting. Doris is good on color, but sideline reporting is a miserable, useless job.
It's really sad when Oswaldo Arcia and Eric Fryer are in the same lineup and it's Fryer that is batting third. Even worse when it's against a right-handed pitcher. At least Arcia responded with a HR.
Well, Arcia was hitting fifth, so it's still the middle of the lineup. And Fryer is hitting .339 while Arcia is hitting .164. I don't expect either of those numbers to hold up long-term, of course.
I thought this was an interesting article on Arcia written from outside of the usual suspects:
(sorry, phone keeps crashing when I try to do a hyperlink)
Unfortunately, it’s also not hard to imagine [Arcia] getting traded for a veteran security blanket as the Twins try to gear up for a playoff run.
Good Lord I hope TR has more sense than that.
What would he really be worth though? He's young, challenged in the field, and has issues against lefties. He's a better hitting (barely) but left-handed version of Delmon Young.
Well, that would mean he'd be worth a front line starter and a starting shortstop. The Twins could throw in Eduardo Nunez and... git r dun, Billy Smith.
If only!
He's only 24!!!!1111one1111!!!
No One Doubts His Talent!
I guess I just don't believe this team is constructed to win now, and I'd rather have a cheap young guy with that kind of power on the bench for the next few years than a "veteran security blanket" in a playoff push this season. He turned 24 on May 9 and is a .309/.369/.533 batter in parts of 8 minor league seasons. Even if his defense is suspect and he never hits major league caliber lefties, I'd rather roll the dice with him for a few more years.
...
Unless you could package him with someone (Plouffe & Pelfrey seem to be the consensus "most tradable assets") for a really nice young player. That could be interesting.
I'm not particularly interested in a veteran security blanket, but whether it's a good idea to trade Arcia depends on a) what you can get for him (obviously); b) whether you think he'll improve or if what we've seen so far is as good as gets; and c) what you think of some of their other players. Rosario has probably already passed him, and probably so has Buxton. They don't have much for outfielders in Rochester (although Danny Ortiz could do something), but Chattanooga has Max Kepler and Adam Brett Walker II, plus if they decide Sano can't handle third he may move to the outfield, too. Arcia may have a pretty short window of opportunity on the Twins.
Ah crap, that reminds me... our youngest turns 1 on Thursday.
But we'll have time to deal with that later... I'm going to the Twins / Cardinals game today!!!! Woo!!!!!
Please don't rain...
already started raining, although it's been spotty
We're potentially going to get 5"-7" by the end of the week
Apparently the 3100 block of Girard Ave S, where New Guy & I have each received citations for parking in a residential permit area, is something of a trap for the City of Minneapolis. Minneapolis PD wrote 8,100 parking tickets on that block in 20 months between January 2013 and October 2014. But no, the City's deputy director of parking and traffic can't remember getting any complaints about inadequate signage (the changing of posted signs warning non-residents is, alas alas, out of her control in any case).
A few parking tickets might indicate that people are rolling the dice and flaunting the signs. But 8100 citations suggests that there's a bit more to the story than that.
Whoa, that's a lotta tickets and some damn fine intentional obtuseness. As angry as people get about parking tickets, not having any complaints would be an amazing feat.
Minneapolis may be a fairly chill city in a rather passive-aggressive state, but I still put the odds of zero complaints over tickets at slightly worse than Columbus landing the Niña, Pinta, and Santa María on the Moon in 1492, only to discover Leif Erikson's abandoned black metal nightclub.
That sounds like the most awesome nightclub imagineable.
I don't have an appreciation for metal on your level cheaps, but I concur.
Naturally, it's located on the dark side of the Moon.
To be fair, there's a difference between "can't remember getting any complaints" and "zero complaints". We already know how tragically common brain injuries are.
So we still get to see it half of the month. Assuming the telescopes have enough resolving power (or are infrared).
CH - please lodge a complaint. It likely won't help with your ticket, but, as Rhu pointed out, "can't remember getting complaints" sounds like double-speak for, "informal b!tching from ticketed parties doesn't count." However, one of Ms. Clara Schmit-Gonzalez's duties is:
-Provide constituent services by responding to queries, requests and complaints from the public, Elected Officials, and other City staff in a timely manner.
Also, I don't know if it'd help, but if you have the time, perhaps shoot an e-mail to the 10th Ward City Council member Lisa Bender's office requesting help getting additional signage.
I may just write a letter. I'll be sure to include a copy of this story so she can be certain she has received a complaint regarding this enforcement zone.
USA-Nigeria and NBA Game Six are on at the same time tonight. Boooooo
I almost engaged in a Mauer argument after softball again last night. Multiple exclamations of "Why does he suck?! He's the worst." As if money was being drawn out of their very own pockets by Joe Mauer. I said, "He's basically sucked since having a brain injury." Crickets for 5 seconds. Then continued bitching. The regular fan really seems to have no memory of Mauer's concussion. Likely because the regular fan assumed he was making it up.
I quit trying as I claimed I wouldn't engage these things anymore.
I think you did the right thing, providing information without judgment.
not to pile on, but it's really quite sad when you look at the Twins Baseball Reference page and don't see Joe in the string of mugs under the "2015 Top 12 by WAR" banner.
The other thing I'd say is that it took Morneau years to recover. Years. So much so that the Twins gave up on him.
I was thinking this last night when the television broadcast team was doing the trivia about the Twins player with the most inter-league rbi and Jason Morneau was the answer.
They forget so quickly…
That's part of the brain injury.
I would far and away prefer this money to go to a crappy baseball player than an already-wealthy-by-other-means owner. I have never understood all the complaining about how much players make (well, ok, I know some reasons why a certain segment of the general population complains about it).
The Twins could have the entire Yankees infield for what they're paying Joe!!
The Cardinals are baseball's best hackers.
That's going to ruin their squeaky clean image.
Apparently I was beaten to the punch. By quite a while.
I'm guessing it will be swept under the rug rather quickly, because Cardinals, but we'll see.
I'm guessing it will be swept under the rug rather quickly
But he isn't a Cardinal!
This is a winning response. Well played.
His last words before the hammer came down?
Said Pope Benedict XVI.
Dave St. Peter has been "throwing his support" behind the "North Dakota" option for UND's new nickname. The "North Dakota" option is a way to keep using the "Fighting Sioux" name into perpetuity.
I have heard from multiple sources that he is an ass. I haven't heard anyone disputing that.
It will be interesting to see how much sway the deadenders ultimately have in this process. No doubt the North Dakota option is way to keep on using Fighting Sioux. They lost a big supporter when Hakstol went to the NHL. St. Peter may be the last of that group who has any suction.
I don't like any of the finalists.
Upon reflection, I nominate (or re-nominate) Longspurs.
Sounds cowboyish, but actually an endemic bird species of the northern prairie states and provinces.
I still think "Fighting Sue."
makes me think of Black-Eyed Susans. then it makes me think of domestic abuse. 🙁
I was thinking along the legal angle.
I like the UND Erwhelming.
On the topic of attending games, sean and I have been talking about taking the young'uns to the July 11 game, which starts at 3:05. I heard a rumor that CoC might be interested as well. If anyone else wants to join the
chaosfun, please do!Argh...I'm going to the game the night before with my siblings. I miiiiight be able to pull off seeing that one as well, I guess.
Wait, what am I talking about? July 11th is the date of the wedding that's my whole impetus for going to Minnesota in the first place. Carry on, gang.
C'mon dude, where are your priorities!
Also, there's the "family section" that is cheap and I am pretty sure will be in the shade at that time.
I'll probably be in DSM for rugby that day.
The July 11th game is against the Tigers.
Family Section tickets (Sec. 310-311 - third deck above home dugout) are $40 each and include ticket, hot dog & soda.
There are other fairly reasonable tickets available at $22 (third deck/right field), $26, $27 (third deck/left field), $37 (lower deck/left field), $38 and $40 (third deck above home plate).
Thanks for researching ticket prices! I like options that cost less than $40/ticket, but I am with sean on wanting a spot that is shaded. Otherwise I fear I might turn into a . . . roasted red Pepper.
That time of day, probably anything on the first base / right field line is best for shade.
I'm thinking anywhere between Sec. 301-305 ($22) and Sec. 308-316 ($40 includes the "Family Section") should have shade.
So ... Tonight's broadcast suggested Family Section tickets start at $10. Not sure if the online quote or the in game ad is correct.
My guess is the crappy games start at $10 or if you get a large enough package of them.
Wilco playing Basilica Block Party on July 11
Bah. My son has a baseball game on July 11.
So... the Cardinals are evil?
I've had my suspicions.
Do you want to know the terrifying truth, or do you want to see me sock a few dingers?
Dingers!!!
ID the AU
When he's not busy destroying the Cardinals, this Twins player (former/current/future) signs his name like this:
Poor hungryjoe.
Even if Mpls/StP were on the list (not Top-25 most populous individually, 18th on the list when combined), pretty confident there are no limitations on HH here.
Losing HH socializing in DC has probably been the biggest cultural shift for us coming to MN. Besides the lefthand drivers on interstate that is.
yeah, IL has a law against folks camping out in the fast lane, and I wish MO would do the same
heh, i didn't realize this until relatively recently, actually. bar time has significantly fallen since college.
anyone not currently living in the big easy (or vegas...) are really at a disadvantage for bar culture. I can walk 5.5 blocks to a bar that's open 24 hours a day (chirstmas, new years, ester, and hurricanes included) with three distinct happy hour pricing specials. I'm not recommending the joint, but it's there.
Any citizens have any experience/opinions on Home Fusion internet through Verizon? Rumors I'm hearing are that it's cheaper (since we already have Verizon) and will provide better bandwidth than we'd get through cable options in an end-point community.
Lebron tonight looks like he's just ready for the god damned season to be over already.
It wouldn't be the first time he looked like he was tanking it at the end of a playoff series.
Ouch.
He had a bad night. Comes from carrying a team and city on your back all series.
Stiil, perhaps the best series performance for a player on a losing team since Jerry West in 1969.
Iguodala was a deserving MVP, but I would not have faulted giving it to LeBron.
Yeah, that's what I was getting at. It was painfully obvious he was feeling the load by the time I turned this game on.
He had 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 9 assists. For most players, that's a pretty good night.
No question, but I missed the first half and only really saw the last 1/3 or so. By that time, he looked completely gassed, and understandably so. It was mostly on his jump shots, which just didn't look right.
He was 13-33 from the field (2-10 on threes) and 4-8 from the line. I assert that that is not a good night. He had to shoot a lot, of course. But way too many threes. He only made two shots (the threes) outside of 6 feet all night.
Iggy deserved it in that he was the best player over the course of the series on the team that won. The idea that he was the most valuable player in this series is pretty laughable.
I've enjoyed most of the finals, but this announcing crew is awful.
I think the worst thing about this is all the Cleveland fans sticking around just to boo the team that won during their victory ceremony. I mean...1964. I get it, Cleveland. But come on.
They didn't really do that, did they? Yeesh. I had the sound pretty low and turned it off fairly early into the ceremony because I was tired, so I spared myself such pettiness?
I think they were primarily booing the MVP choice. Not so much the team.
Well, ok, that's not quite as bad. Still stupid, you ask me, but yeah. The idea that it even really matters who gets the finals MVP to get outraged over it confuses me some.
It doesn't really matter in the end except for this: if you are going to give out an award, give it to the right player. How bad does that Cy Young award to Bartolo Colon look when it should have been given to Johan (he'd have deservedly won three straight, but no)? Ted Williams won the Triple Crown twice and in neither year did he win the MVP. That was a travishamockery, too and it kind of goes along with the idea that a lot of sportswriters are into narratives because too many of them are lazy and thickheaded. Unfortunately, they are public opinion drivers. So, if it bristles you that Joe Six-Pack thinks Mauer is and always has been a bum, thank guys like Souhan for drilling that fallacy home. Same thing here. LeBron is a loser and a choker, they say. The facts be damned.
True enough, true enough.
I read somewhere only two players in history are 2-4 in the Finals: James & Chamberlain. Not sure if true, but ...
In Chamberlain's 6th Finals appearance (1973), the Lakers lost to the Knicks and Willis Reed was the Finals MVP.
Chamberlain averaged 47 minutes and 10.4 PPG on .552 FG%
Reed averaged 29 minutes and 12.5 PPG on .466 FG%
rebound stats aren't readily available
note: Jerry West, the inaugural Finals MVP recipient ('69), is the only player to win the award while being on the losing team, but he averaged 46 minutes and 30.9 PPG on .469 FG%
In the 1973 Finals, Willis averaged 16.6/6.8/5.0 in 46 min/g. Wilt averaged 11.6/18.6/3.8 in 48 min/g. At age 36.
By that point, Wilt was the Lakers' 4th option on offense. West and Goodrich both averaged 21+ in that series and Jim McMillan averaged 19.6. Wilt only took 42 FGA for the series (making 22).
In the 1969 Finals, the Logo averaged 37.9/4.7/7.4 on 49 pct shooting in 43.9 min/g. I think you must have been looking at his playoff stats, not his Finals stats, Corny.
He scored 53 (2-pt win), 41 (6-pt win), 24 (6-pt loss), 40 (1-pt loss), 39 (13-pt win), 26 (9-pt loss) and 42 (2-pt loss).
I believe you're correct - good catch. I'm even more astounded.
as for the status of Chamberlain on that '73 squad, I was just thinking in terms of players who'd lost in the Finals four times and making a vaguely related connection to the MVP discussion thread.
Jerry West went 1-8 in Finals. Funny that Wilt got the "choker" label, but Jerry became The Logo.
True, true.
the problem with "MVP", if you want to call it that, is that it's not a sabermetric award. By any reasonable statistical measure, LeBron was the runaway MVP.
I like the Iguodala choice because he had a huge impact on this series. Lebron only shot 42.2 pct on two-point attempts for the series, which is pretty bad given (a) how often he shot and (b) how many of his shots were at the rim (but his volume was understandable given that he really had to carry the offensive load by himself). A big reason was Iguodala's defense. I don't think GSW wins this series without him. Remember, GSW won game 1 in OT. In Game 4, when GSW started its small lineup for the first time, Lebron went 7-22 from the floor and took only 2 shots in the 4th (entering that quarter, the Cavs were only down 5).
But like I said last night, I would not have been bothered by a Lebron choice as MVP. He obviously was the most important player on the floor. 35.8/13.3/8.8 in 45.7 min/g? Wow. Yes, his true shooting percentage was a pedestrian 47.7 (thanks to the afore-mentioned lousy 2-pt rate and shooting only 68.7 pct from the line).
In comparison, GSW only had two players with lower TS%, Bogut (46.5) and Speights (32.4), but neither played or shot much. Curry and Iguodala were both over 58 pct, Barbosa, Lee and Ezeli all over 55 pct, Livingston, Green and Thompson 50+ pct, and Harrison Barnes 48 pct. Wow. That tells you that, despite what our eyeballs were trying to tell us (due to Cleveland's admirable efforts to control pace), their defense really wasn't very good.
Let me get this straight: you've gone on record as saying that the GSW would have maybe won even if Love and Irving were there, but a high ankle sprain to Iguodala in the WCF would have allowed CLE to win?
My wife tells me that she doesn't have any brothers. But, I'm not convinced of that.
I'm saying given who was actually playing in this series (after Irving went down in Game 1) that Iguodala was a critical difference maker. Are you really going to argue that point?
Look, the series would have been played very differently with Love and Irving. Without them, as we know, Cleveland was all about Lebron and controlling pace. Lebron was abusing Harrison Barnes. Iguodala made a critical difference by forcing lebron to take tougher shots and, frankly, by taking advantage of him on run-outs and by hitting shots at the other end.
LeBron wasn't valuable at all. They could've lost without him 🙂
I'm not arguing that he wasn't a critical player for GSW. I said he was their best, most consistent player in the series.
I'm also saying that due to the fact that they had contributions from a lot of guys, given who actually played in the series I don't think that any one player was the difference between winning and losing for GSW (although, I think if you take Curry off the floor, it might have been a different story). LBJ was the difference between GSW winning in a hard fought six game series and winning in four with Curry sitting out the fourth quarter of every game.
Mike Breen is good. Van Gundy is a curmudgeon, but gives pretty good analysis. Jackson...is not good ir interesting. Doris is good on color, but sideline reporting is a miserable, useless job.
It's really sad when Oswaldo Arcia and Eric Fryer are in the same lineup and it's Fryer that is batting third. Even worse when it's against a right-handed pitcher. At least Arcia responded with a HR.
Well, Arcia was hitting fifth, so it's still the middle of the lineup. And Fryer is hitting .339 while Arcia is hitting .164. I don't expect either of those numbers to hold up long-term, of course.
I thought this was an interesting article on Arcia written from outside of the usual suspects:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/06/16/the-marginalization-of-oswaldo-arcia/
(sorry, phone keeps crashing when I try to do a hyperlink)
Good Lord I hope TR has more sense than that.
What would he really be worth though? He's young, challenged in the field, and has issues against lefties. He's a better hitting (barely) but left-handed version of Delmon Young.
Well, that would mean he'd be worth a front line starter and a starting shortstop. The Twins could throw in Eduardo Nunez and... git r dun, Billy Smith.
If only!
He's only 24!!!!1111one1111!!!
No One Doubts His Talent!
I guess I just don't believe this team is constructed to win now, and I'd rather have a cheap young guy with that kind of power on the bench for the next few years than a "veteran security blanket" in a playoff push this season. He turned 24 on May 9 and is a .309/.369/.533 batter in parts of 8 minor league seasons. Even if his defense is suspect and he never hits major league caliber lefties, I'd rather roll the dice with him for a few more years.
...
Unless you could package him with someone (Plouffe & Pelfrey seem to be the consensus "most tradable assets") for a really nice young player. That could be interesting.
I'm not particularly interested in a veteran security blanket, but whether it's a good idea to trade Arcia depends on a) what you can get for him (obviously); b) whether you think he'll improve or if what we've seen so far is as good as gets; and c) what you think of some of their other players. Rosario has probably already passed him, and probably so has Buxton. They don't have much for outfielders in Rochester (although Danny Ortiz could do something), but Chattanooga has Max Kepler and Adam Brett Walker II, plus if they decide Sano can't handle third he may move to the outfield, too. Arcia may have a pretty short window of opportunity on the Twins.