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Thanks for the comments in the Thanksgiving thread!
The #1 line in Gordon's paragraph #6, we all liked hearin' that.
DaddyO, thanks for saying. Times three, amigo.
That's not to single anybody out of that thread ...
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It was a difference-maker to me, that responsible adults such as yourselves acknowledged this e-community as important in your lives. On a superficial level, it seems like surfing the internet is the opposite of important, and I don't really want to do anything with my time that isn't important. In some way or other.
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But on a less-superficial level, I'm surprised to find that the SSI community doesn't really count as part of general "internet addiction." I doubt that it's problematic in the way that a Call of Duty addiction is, or even in the way that celebrity-news surfing is addicting. (61% of American adults feel that they are addicted to the internet. I would agree that the clinical term "addiction" often applies.)
SSI time, in and of itself, doesn't make me feel uncomfortable about the way I've spent that part of my day. For what that's worth.
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(1) I've found, to my surprise, that SSI is social. At least, much more so than (say) chess or video games. And therefore important.
(2) SSI, and BJOL, "sharpen the axe" in verbal logic; it's like being in college continually. Some folks quit school at 22, and then drive a taxi and watch TV from then on. ;- )
(3) And, recreation is important. Most especially, constructive recreation is important. You gotta decompress. SSI commenters are bright and cheerful; it rubs off on you.
(4) And, at SSI / BJOL, there is life / political / philosophical material that could (in theory) influence us to make positive changes in our lives.
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Did we miss anything?
Token baseball info-tainment for the thread: Shannon Drayer's last blog said, in an overly-hedged way, that --- > what she hears from baseball people about Danny Hultzen --- > leads her to recommend --- > Do. Not. Trade. This. One.
And it's interesting she'd bring that up with this timing. I would be like Bill James saying, this morning, "You know what's complicated? Trades of star DH's are hard to analyze." Where's that coming from?
We've comp'ed Hultzen to Cole Hamels: there are very few legit fastball-change lefties out there. And they do great. We're talking about lefties with Ebola changeups, now.
Another thing about Hultzen: You ain't looking at 2-3 years of development on him. You could be looking at 2-3 games; he is what he is, a sidearm Jamie Moyer with a longer fastball. We haven't talked much Danny Hultzen, but I'm so high on him I could, like, take him as the #2 overall in an entire baseball draft.
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Thanks again ;- ) guys -
I remember watching Hultzen pitch in CWS and he had about 13Ks. His change up was masterful. If surgery was successful, he could be a wonderful addition in years ahead. He is not just a chip to throw in but could have serious upside.
I hope your Thanksgiving was great!!! You are appreciated!!!
... on all counts :- )
he's going to create a traffic jam in the rotation. Obviously injuries frequently require just such a jam in order to compete, but a rotation which includes Felix, Paxton, Taijuan and Hultzen is turn-of-the-century A's good - except Billy only had a Big Three.
Seriously cannot understand why nobody is talking about his return date as a pivotal moment for the M's rotation. Even if *all* he did was provide league average numbers across the board, he becomes a cornerstone for the franchise. He absolutely detonated AAA in 6 2013 starts, and nobody argued about his top-of-the-draft selection,
That the M's shut him down in late September suggests to me that he looked good and they're confident he'll be coming to camp ready to contribute. If they weren't, it's more likely they would have had him work out over the winter.
If all these young SP's break the right way, even modestly, this team is set for a long, long time.