Whale

I Wanna Put On My Boogie Shoes

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I/O:  Spec posts his 2012 prospects board.  Archaeologists demand to see the documentation proving that it was not written after-the-fact.

CRUNCH:  Everybody used to ax Chuck Knox, "So.  How do you like the fact that everybody has you finishing third?"  Chuck would look into the camera like Dirty Harry watching somebody eat a hot dog with triple ketchup.  ... "Nobody ever goes and checks those predictions later."

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The Gorgeous Language of Baseball

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Bill James has given SSI loose permission to turn his ideas around into Mariner articles.  One thing that Dr. D is not clear about, is whether James would prefer for us to:

  • Exec Sum his ideas in our own words (no copyright issues even possible), vs.
  • Excerpt three or four paragraphs as "teasers"

I know which one the average author would rather, but James isn't the average author.  He isn't jealous about controlling the dissemination of his own thoughts.  So which of the above approaches to use?  We suspect that, when in doubt, he'd rather we be accurate.  I've got an idea about another thing:  many readers love to see a Jamesian insight spliced with Mariner braids.

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Right now he's got a long series going up, "The Fielding Jones."  This ain't the Free-Last-15-Posts Hey Bill; these are articles behind the paywall.  If you ain't giving him a piddling $3 a month, you oughter be ashamed.  :- )  Here's the link to fix that.

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The Seahawk World According to Dr. Garp

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Coupla Seahawk posts first.  And then I was thinking about using this site to start a baseball blog.  What are your thoughts, Hobson?  :: take your hat off, please ::   Huh?   :: please ::

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I'm so sick of this narrative and it's only been 18 hours

That was the biggest choke job in NFL history and you could use this game as example 1 A why playing not to lose always backfires. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t deserve the mvp after not being able to get a td twice at the goaline. The guy is an overrated choker who won a super bowl in a down year. I kinda of think Green Bay figured Russell Wilson out yesterday can’t wait to see what the hoodie does to him in 2 weeks.

Good luck Hawks against a team with a competent coach, good QB and bruising ground game last time you faced a team with those 3 things you lost at home to the Cowboys. I hope Gronkowski throws Sherman "out of the club"

Ok Hawks fans get your stupid passive aggressive snide Durpa durpa durpa go Hawks comments ready. I mean nobody on sb nation can avoid you guys these days…… ANYWHERE

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Dr. D's analysis, thusly:

1.  My first thought is ALWAYS to ask:  What was the biggest thing you ever won, dude?  :- )

2.  ... and why did you lose, get cut, give up, or quit when you left organized sports.  (Not rhetorical.  I mean:  WHY did you leave)

3.  Aaron Rodgers visually looked as calm as if he were playing Pinochle with his maiden aunt.  Compare Jay Cutler's body language, eyeblink rate, etc

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Konspiracy Korner: The Great Silence

For part I, click here.

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MisterJonez has studied this shtick wayyyy more than I have.  His expertise on the subject dwarfs mine.

Though he's on the other side of it, he's also got a wonderfully objective, and friendly, and nuanced tone.  So we'll cheerfully transfer ownership of this discussion to him.  If he's so inclined, naturally.

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Jonez remarked that the Great Silence doesn't bother him much because radio silence is to be expected.  Dr. D replied that radio waves wouldn't be the end of the discussion.  Mr. Jonez, setting the hook firmly in the corner of Dr. D's maw, sat up brightly, cracked his knuckles, and started typing ...

My own initial 30-second summary of the Great Silence issue was:

Konspiracy Korner

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Time unwound itself as a few "127-Hours" type hikers wandered into the Echo Box to try their luck:

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DaddyO: [with respect to the premium section at new D-O-V] Need to add some diversionary material as well. Like Conspiracy Corner. You know, "Did the US simulate the moon landing?" "How FDR secretly knew about Pearl Harbor in advance." "Who REALLY shot JR?" Stuff like that. jk, of course.1 day 17 hours ago
diderotAdded coverage and analysis are always appreciated. And something the MSM doesn't seem willing to deliver. But I'd add an entirely different wish. I have a feeling if the community here were gathered together for a few beers (or whatever beverages are considered appropriate) there would be some world class baseball stories exchanged. Is it possible to set up some sidebar where such things could be posted? Some days I don't want more analysis...but I can always use more baseball stories. Just a thought...1 day 7 hours ago
zumbroIs time standing still or has absolutely nothing occurred since DaddyO shout from two days ago?4 hours 3 min ago

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Dr. D does not know whether rigged San Siro soccer games are considered "conspiracies" and "tinfoil hat society" fodder.  But if that's all that is needed to hit the bar and be declared a tinfoil hat wacko, then Dr. D is definitely well-stocked on the Reynolds Wrap.

Dr. D is probably more booked-up on "woo" and "tinfoil hat" shtick than he is on baseball.  If there is a taste within this community for Rupert Sheldrake territory, then we're assuming this group of amigos would be front-loaded into that group of denizens who want to enter the Premium Think Tank.  

Either here or there, we could definitely deliver the shtick on that shtuff.  If you're so inclined, it would probably become the internet's premier site for fair-minded investigation of such themes.  

Mojo in the Morning, Dept.

The Counselor elevates our usual shtick to higher courts.  Thusly:

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A platoon player is a benchie by a different name.  Every team has a four man bench, except the one that McClendon manages; it has a three man bench.  If there is going to be a platoon, the player should be part of double coverage of up the middle defense, since that is necessary anyway.

Catcher platoons are ideal.  This is because catcher is too physically demanding to play every day.  So if a team can set up two catchers with a platoon advantage, this is all gravy.

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Fo' sho'.  Wasn't it the Red Sox who, about a decade ago, had a lefty-hitting catcher they could use in a platoon?  

;- )

Problem is, if you get a lefty catcher who can actually rake and catch and throw, he's A.J. Pierzynski. Even supposing his teammates can tolerate standing within 50 feet of him, more likely that you come up with a B.J. Surhoff.  Who you play at "catcher" even if his rep is roughly that of Jesus Montero behind the plate.

Here's a list of the best lefty-hitting catchers ever.  Darren Daulton is in the top 10.   Rich Gedman's in the top 25.  :- )

The middle infield isn't a lot different of a problem - Gordon is the only one who ever talks about Brad Miller's lefthandedness as being part of why he's such a treasure.  But there you go again:  if Miller jells, nobody's going to give 25% of his AB's to a right hand shortstop ...

Point is, Brad Miller is one whale of an organizational asset.

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Consider the 2014 Orcs,

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