Archive for the ‘baseball’ Category

A little perspective people

Posted: February 15, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, internet/free speech, opinion/news
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There has been a bit of a fuss about Eric Erickson and his decision to keep out birthers and truthers from Red State.

I have already given my opinion on both subjects, but in terms of Red State here are my thoughts:

1. Everybody has a right to their opinion

2. Everybody has the right to try to propagate that opinion as best they can.

3. That doesn’t include a right to post at RedState.

Just over 16 months ago I signed up for a free blog at wordpress and began blogging here. How successful that blogging has been was dramatically illustrated recently. There is nothing to stop anyone with internet access from starting their own blog and making their case to a world wide audience. If your arguments are skillful then others who agree will link and eventually notice will be given outside your circle.

But to expect Erickson to give you a platform against his will? Sounds a lot like an entitlement to me, not very conservative.

If your argument is good it can stand up under fire, otherwise you are like the kid in the old Ty Cobb story.

You don’t know the story? It’s from the 1985 edition of the Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (p.113) and goes like this:

A small town pitcher 6′ 4″ says he can strike out Cobb on three pitches anytime and writes Cobb’s manager saying it only will cost him $1.80 train fare to find out. Jennings sends the cash and after warming up then send out Cobb. As James tells the story:

Cobb hit his first pitch against the right field wall. His second pitch went over the right field wall. The third pitch went over the center field wall. Cobb was thinking they ought to keep this guy around to help him get in a grove.

“Well,” said Jennings. “What have you got to say?”

The pitcher stared in hard at the batter’s box. “You know,” he said, “I don’t believe that’s Ty Cobb in there.”

For suggesting reading I would name Eject Eject Eject’s famous post on conspiracy theories: Seeing the unseen. Give it a read, think about it and then make your choice as you will and remember this, there is no shame in being wrong, everyone is wrong about some things.

Now I can die in Peace: Amazon review

Posted: February 13, 2010 by datechguy in amazon reviews, baseball
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My review of Bill Simmons book Now I Can Die in Peace: How The Sports Guy Found Salvation Thanks to the World Champion (Twice!) Red Sox is available at Amazon.com here.

You can’t imagine what it was like to be a Red Sox Fan until you’ve been there.

When you are afraid to talk to school kids on the record…

Posted: January 25, 2010 by datechguy in baseball, opinion/news
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…then you have no business being president.

If you think his political foes are sensing weakness, imagine what America’s foes are thinking?

Let’s say it out loud, the voters and the media who supported President Obama in the primary election without question or challenge, did so because they were enamored with the idea of electing the first Black president. They didn’t care about his record. They defined him based on their own hopes concerning race. (In the general election that made a lot of difference too, but Bush fatigue and McCain’s mistakes concerning the bailout provided the final edge.)

Now he is in office and people are getting buyers remorse. What did they expect?

The problem with Barack Obama is the reality of what he is: an inexperienced Chicago machine poll who governs and reacts as such! Of COURSE he is failing as president.

Those who rushed to support him should have considered this: There is a reason why Jackie Robinson integrated baseball and Choo Choo Coleman didn’t.

President Obama with all due respect, you’re no Jackie Robinson.

I’ll still pray for him and hope he improves in office, but I don’t have high hopes.

Update: The White House counters

Update 2: Carville today:

Democrats would not be playing the blame game with one another for the loss or for the healthcare debacle if they had only pointed fingers at those (or in this case, the one) who put Americans (and most of the world) in the predicament we’re in: George W. Bush.

Blame Bush. Good Plan!

Oh and one more thing about Babe Ruth…

Posted: December 31, 2009 by datechguy in baseball
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…to give you an idea of how good he was look at these pitching stats.

First lets start with the World Series, in 31 innings of World Series play he gave up 3 earned runs. That is an ERA of 0.87 against the National League Champion!

In the regular season he started 148 games and completed 107. That in itself is not so odd given his era, but consider this out of those 107 completed games 17 were shutouts.

Run that through your head, One out of every 8 starts he made was a shutout. That’s a slightly worse rate than Koufax, about the same rate as Bob Gibson but much worse than Walter Johnson, but if you can be mentioned in the same breath as these guys without looking bad, then you are really something.

No offense to Aaron, Bonds, Killebrew, Mays, Dimaggio, Mantle, Williams, Snyder, Ripken, Greenberg, Stan the Man, Yaz, Berra, Manny, Griffy, McGwire, Henderson, Pujols, Banks, Robinson, Josh Gibson and Ichrio et/al. When any of those guys put up pitching numbers half as good as Ruth to go along with their great offensive numbers then we’ll talk about who was greater than the babe and not before.

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