Archive for the ‘baseball’ Category

Under the Fedora: Mysterious Ways, Mea Culpa (but not maximum), Cost Benefit, Rotate, Rotate Rotate, Too Little Too Late (at least for me)

Posted: November 4, 2023 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, nba, nfl, nhl, online gaming, Sports, under the fedora
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I apologize, I had previously stated that I’d give you the lyrics of my parody song “Don’t Mess With God” (sung to the tune of “Don’t Bring Me Down”) if the Catholic Hating Dodgers got bounced from the playoffs quickly but I think the time has passed.

I will however note that the Texas Rangers who won their first ever world series against a gritty Arizona Diamondbacks team four games to one were not just the only MLB team not to have a “Pride Night” (meaning gay pride) in their stadium, but did not lose a game in the playoffs in any MLB park that hosted one.

The only sad thing, the great Frank Howard didn’t live to see them win.

You might recall I hit the Celtics hard for their trade of Marcus Smart noting that on a team devoid of balls he had the most.

Well the Celtics who got rid of Smart and both Williams and Brogdon and replaced them with Kristaps Porzingas and Jrue Holiday have yet to lose a game in four tries while the teams involved in these trades are a combined 4-13 with the Memphis Grizzlies who got Smart yet to win one in six tries.

So I guess a mea culpa is in order but I’ll hold off the mea maxima culpa for now because Porzingas has a long history of injuries and we’re just under 5% into the season.

If he plays in 95% of the games then we’ll go to the max.

The Patriots made no moves at the trade deadline and while that doesn’t sit well with a lot of the Boston media I’m fine with it for a few reasons:

  1. There was not going to be a lot of interest in middling players beyond a 7th rounder at best
  2. There is no point in trading people who are good enough to build around for draft picks that may or may not produce an NFL player. The cost benefit just isn’t there.
  3. While everyone is drooling over the chance to get the top pick in the draft in the end since a full 20% of super bowls were won by QB’s taken in the first round it’s also true that a full 20% of Superbowls have been won by players picked at 199 (Tom Brady) or later (Bart Starr pick 200) (Brad Johnson 227)

The bottom line is that while a stud is a grand thing to have you still have to develop a QB. I think it’s better to get a team to win some games, even against bad competition than to tank for a first round pick. After all most teams who play the tank game are still losing big.

Instead of insisting on the return of the Brady era which isn’t happening lets remember and celebrate that we had that abnormal time to win and let Bill develop players as best he can.

The Boston Bruins have yet to lose in their first 10 games this season and seem even better than last year (19 out of a possible 20 points so far) despite the two major retirements in the off season. The difference seems to be the defense that has allowed only a single power play goal against them and of course the excellent goaltending of their pair of Ullmark and Swayman.

Many have suggested they should have traded one I disagree. Having both of them is the best insurance policy that a team can have against a single injury derailing a season as both are #1 goalies on any team in the league.

I would however suggest that whatever rotation you are using in the regular season be applied to the playoffs. The failure to do so last year after a record breaking regular season in my opinion contributed to their 1st round playoff defeat.

Finally in my two primary Dynasty Leagues the disappointment continues. While I was able to play spoiler to the White Sox playoff hopes in the final series of the year I tanked against Florida finishing 2 games out in a league that has no wild cards.

Meanwhile in the 1971 league my team that has traded off most of it’s stars for draft picks and prospects have won 5 of their last 6 but with only 35 games to go 9 games is just too much to make up in the race for the final wild card, even if I didn’t have two teams ahead of me to pass.

However there is movement in the NL as the Phillies who had a ten game lead for the final wildcard spot have gone 1-9 in their last ten letting the Cards pick up 4 games while playing .500 ball at the same time.

St. Louis is now only 6 games out with nobody to pass and still has three games against the Phillies coming up before the end.

On the down side the Cardinals next 12 games are against teams with winning percentages of .654, ,604 .535 and .708.

If they are going to come back they’ll have to earn it.

I Know There Are Are Many More Important Things In the World…

Posted: October 20, 2023 by datechguy in baseball

….but I’m sorry if you have a two run lead in the ninth inning of game five in the final game of a playoff series at your home park and your closer has started the inning with a hit then a walk to lead off the 9th there is absolutely NO way I am leaving him in to face a Hall of Fame caliber player who is 2nd all time in home runs in the playoffs.

In fact the moment the bench clearing incident that put runners on 1st and 2nd with nobody out in the top of the 9th takes places I’m getting a 2nd pitcher warming just in case because of the delay.

And if I didn’t do it then on the theory that with runners on 1st & 2nd and no out and with runners on 1st and 3rd with one out I’m likely to score to put the game out of reach I damn well will get someone up as soon as my guys fail to score.

I know Leclerc is the best they had in the barn but once you saw him put on the person in the 8 & 9th spot to start the inning you have to get him the hell out of there.

I’m sorry that’s just really bad managing.

Five Completely Non Israel Things Under the Fedora: How Cool is that? House Keeping, Slightly Premature, The (Now) Under the Radar Synod and a Mathematical Patriots Update

Posted: October 10, 2023 by datechguy in baseball, catholic, fun, nfl, politics, Sports
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I know there is a lot of serious stuff on Israel to write about but for one day we’re going to almost completely ignore it:

As a python fan and a bit of a geek I don’t think it gets any cooler than this:

It’s easy to make him laugh; he’s that sort of fellow. But I have to tell you that when I made him laugh, when he actually laughed, complete with head tossed back, it was one of those moments in life you just encase in Lucite and put on the shelf. Put that on my tombstone: “Made Michael Palin Laugh, and Did Not Otherwise Embarrass Himself. Much. Well, a Bit. Alright, Somewhat. Honestly, Loads” or something.

With all the horror I’ve been reading about the last few days to be able to read that and imagine the joy of that moment, that was special.

Today there should be a vote on a new speaker for the house. Jim Jordan is considered a favorite although there is at least one report that Speaker McCarthy might be nominated by some allies and of course Steve Scalise who was Majority Leader is in the running.

Whoever wins will have a lot on their plate to deal with but that it’s been reduced to a second or third string story gives the GOP some flexibility in how they deal with it.

When I heard on my way home that the highly favored Dodgers had lost their 2nd straight against the Arizona Diamondbacks in their best of five series to go to the National League Pennant Series against either Philly or Atlanta all I could think of was their welcoming the anti Catholic Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to their Stadium and found myself spontaneously making up and singing a parody song titled: “Don’t Piss off God” (sung to the tune of “Don’t bring me Down”).

Baseball being baseball it might be premature for such a song but if the Diamondbacks complete the sweep or even win the series I just might write out the lyrics and post them.

Never thought I’d be cheering against a Dave Roberts team but hey the Dodgers made their bed.

Speaking of both God and the practical news blackout on stories not involving Israel and Hamas the Synod is still going on in the Catholic church and one of my big worries is that the folks hoping to push though their whole “Mortal Sin is OK” platform.

It’s moments like this when I’m not surprised that there were at one time up to three popes each claiming to be the legit one and the church highly divided.

Of course the last time this type of thing came up Saint Pope Paul VI surprised everyone by his issuance of Humanae Vite which, to the shock of the left, not only affirmed the church’s position on life and contraception but urged governments to do the same.

I would be both shocked and not shocked if Francis ended up doing the same. I would be shocked because that would be completely out of Character of for this pope but I would also not be shocked because over history that’s how God rolls.

Faith is not just believing in God, but believing he knows what he’s doing. That’s how I’m handling it.

A week or so ago I noted that the 2023 New England Patriots after four week2 had averaged 13 1/4 points offensive per games with Bill (the savior) O’Brian as the offensive coordinator as opposed to Matt (The Evil One) Patricia’s 16 3/4 offensive points per game.

We’ve now finished week five.

In week five last year Patricia’s offense scored 22 of the patriots 29 points in a win vs the Lions bringing their record to 2-3 and their avg points on offense per game to 17.8

Meanwhile Bill O’Brian’s team was shut out in a 34-0 rout vs the Saints putting their record at 1-4 and putting their avg points per game at an even 11.

That is better than a touchdown per game worse that an offense that was constantly under attack by local media

Maybe if they ask really nice Patricia might come back.

A great MLB Baseball finish (except for the Red Sox and Yanks)

Posted: September 26, 2023 by datechguy in baseball
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I write a lot about my fantasy leagues but today let’s talk the real thing.

While this has been a disappointing year for the Boston Red Sox who need to win five of their final six to avoid a sub .500 season we have some excellent races all around the league. Let’s start with the AL

In the East The Orioles still haven’t clinched with six to go but the odds are favoring them.

In the West with seven to play Texas has again reversed their fortunes being 3 up in the loss column with the two teams chasing them going head to head for three to make things easier for them.

In the Central there is no Drama. Minnesota has it won with a record that would not secure a wild card spot.

And as for the wild card Tampa Bay has clinched the top spot if they don’t catch up to the O’s and the up and down Blue Jays need only of out of their final six to guarantee a bearth.

Meanwhile Houston and Seattle go head to head for 3 here at the end to decide who gets a spot and who goes home. Unless we see a sweep it will not likely be decided till the final series of the year.

In the National League all the divisions are decided. The Braves took the east and the Dodgers the west long ago and the Brewers are one win or one Cubs loss away from taking the central and while it’s possible (remember 1964) I wouldn’t stake money on it.

The wild card race however is as exciting as the east, perhaps more so because five teams have a legit shot at the three positions. Even the Phillies at +5 have not clinched. The other four teams Arizona, Chicago, Miami and Cincinnati are all within 2 1/2 with the Diamondbacks and Cubs tied and Miami just one game behind.

So at least ten cities will be looking forward to meaningful and perhaps exciting games for their teams this week. This will mean smiles for if you’re a Baseball fan, at least if you don’t live in Boston or New York.

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