Archive for the ‘baseball’ Category

I take a day off from the net and Stacy Gets attacked again…Update: What’s with the Diner, where did the post go?

Posted: September 5, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, business, local stuff, short films/interviews
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I planned on taking a day or two off with scheduled posts and what happens, the left goes nuts over Todd Palin talking to Stacy McCain.

I’ve already spent plenty of time defending Stacy from Johnson & Co. I’ve known Stacy via e-mail now for a year and in person for 9 months. He has stayed in my house, I have seen him up close and personal. I have shared a front room in a hotel with him and my hat still sits on his head on a daily basis.

On occasion he drives me crazy, he is an interesting passenger to share a car with, he is on perpetual hyper-drive, smokes like a chimney and is a coffee vampire. He has Watching him cuss out his pc when it is running slow is an experience.

But as a reporter who is better, who came up to Massachusetts crashing on a couch to cover Scott Brown on his own? Who while Andrew Sullivan et/al were pinning the Bill Sparkman suicide as “right wing violence” actually went to the scene of the crime to talk to people, who covered Mattie Fein in Ca36 when the paper there would not? And who flew to Alaska on his own dime (and the dime of those who hit his tip jar) to cover the Joe Miller victory first hand?

I haven’t done it as I don’t have the money or backing but Why didn’t the MSM do these things? Why hasn’t Andrew Sullivan done this he has the Atlantic to back him? Why hasn’t Charles Johnson, the new darling of the left? Who would do these things if Stacy did not?

This is why the left can’t stand him. He does this without caring what they say. All he does is get the story and fight for conservative values and victory. They can’t stop him so they have to attack. As a blogger and as a reporter he is worth any 6 of them.

On a personal level he is my friend, I would trust him with my own life and with my family’s. I have not seen him carry himself in any way that would make me think otherwise.

Finally I’ll say this to the Palin family in general and Todd Palin in particular. You have more to worry about by associating with my fedora than you do associating with Robert Stacy McCain.

Memeorandum thread here. And let me say it is disgraceful that there needs to be such a thread.

Update: Somehow this post got replaced by a post I’m scheduling for tomorrow on a local diner. I’ve managed to put it right and you can read about Moran Square in the morning

Barack Obama the most expensive free agent in history

Posted: August 30, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, opinion/news, politics, Sports
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Saw a tweet today from Reesdansie that said: America Held hostage day 588. I think that is unfair.

Held hostage implies that it was against our will, we did this to ourselves.

However with Manny on the brain it led me to this SI article from a few years ago of really bad free agent signings:

1. Hampton, $121 million, Rockies (and Braves). The deals for him and Denny Neagle ($55 million, five years) set the Rockies back five years. On the other hand, the complicated trade to send him away and get the Rockies on the path to the World Series was a stroke of genius. The Braves, who got him from the Marlins in November 2002, two days after Colorado dumped him, are known for wise pitching decisions, but this has to be their worst.

2. Carl Pavano, $40 million, four (long) years, Yankees. Never really looked interested. Changed agents more times than he actually pitched.

3. Albert Belle, $65 million, five years, Orioles. Brought surly mood, diminished power and bad hip to Peter Angelos’ brand of bad baseball

His list has 13 names on it with contracts worth a combined $925 million.

That is really the way we have to look at it. Barack Obama is a free agent who came with a lot of hype and the country got carried away with it, we thought we were getting the next Jackie Robinson, instead we got Pumpsie Green.

Bottom line Barack Obama is the most expensive free agent signing in history and he still has two years left on his contract!

Manny being Manny

Posted: August 30, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, Sports
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Knowing the Red Sox have been having issue with offense and with so many players hurt I had a thought that they should consider trying to claim Manny Ramirez off of wavers, figuring hey how much damage in the clubhouse can he do in a month?

Ramirez, who lost his starting left-field job to Scott Podsednik, was out of the lineup for the fourth consecutive day when he came to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning with the bases loaded. The first pitch was called a strike by home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom. Ramirez argued that it was outside, and was ejected. Torre was furious. He got even more mad when Reed Johnson finished the at-bat by grounding into a double play.

Just so you understand the bases were loaded and the Dodgers were down 8-2, there was one out, a Manny Shot would have cut that lead to 8-6, even a walk would have put the tying run on deck, you’ve been on the bench for four days. You would think that this is the perfect stage to show everybody who belongs at the plate. Guess not.

David Pinto’s accurate stats not withstanding this is Manny being Manny, it has always been Manny being Manny and always will be Manny being Manny.

Of course it is a moot point since the White Sox had first crack at him. He will likely be a very valuable person down the stretch, might even be enough to make a difference during that month. Maybe even Ozzie Guillen can control him.

Manny is a great player when he is happy, if he is not happy then he becomes a great but selfish player.

There is no question that Manny is one of the best hitters there have ever been, his swing is sweet and has a great eye for the plate (he was right about the call btw) Watching him bat was always a pleasure. As a Red Sox fan I will never forget him in 2004 and on the parade and will always remember him fondly for it. There is no question he is a HOF player and deserves it. We owe him here, but after this weekend reminded me of the other side of the coin, I’m glad his Sox will be White rather than red in September.

Nellie King, born too early

Posted: August 11, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, oddities
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Baseball Musings announced the death of Pirates Announcer Nellie King. I wasn’t familiar with the man but something in the post on his death struck me.

He pitched two outstanding seasons in 1955 and 1956, and then was out of baseball after the 1957 season.

I looked at his stars from baseball reference.com and his stats looked ok.

What struck me was the 4 seasons and out. If he came up today he might have made enough to live pretty comfortably and with current sports medicine the injury (of which I have no details about) might have only shelved him for a season or less.

Then again the pirates would have been deprived of a fine announcer.

Pretty soon we will run out of players who played under the old reserve clause and there will be nobody with actual baseball experience to remind young ballplayers just how lucky they are to have been born after 1970.

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