Posts Tagged ‘sports’

The Stark Truth: Amazon Review

Posted: February 24, 2009 by datechguy in amazon reviews, baseball
Tags: ,

My Review of Jason Stark’s Book: The Stark Truth. is available at Amazon.com here.

It is definitely worth the $1 I paid for it but I wouldn’t have paid more for it. I must admit I am a fan of anyone who trumpets the virtues of Yogi Berra as the greatest catcher of all time.

His Overrated list
RHP Nolan Ryan
LHP Sandy Koufax
Relief P Lee Smith

DH Ron Blomberg
C Benito Santiago
1B Steve Garvey
2B Steve Sax
3B Greg Nettles
SS Phil Rizzuto
LF Lou Brock
CF Andruw Jones
RF Dave Winfield

His Underrated List

RHP Bob Feller
LHP Babe Ruth
Relief P Goose Gossage
DH Edger Martinez

C Yogi Berra
1B Hank Greenberg
2B Craig Biggio
3B Ron Santo
SS Barry Larkin
LF Stan Musial
CF Duke Snyder
RF Frank Robinson

How Berra, Snyder, Robinson and the Duke can be as ignored as they are is criminal. I should point out that he gives a 2-5 list on each position. I like including Dwight Evans as the 2nd most underrated Right Fielder but I question the absence of Harold Baines in the top 5 underrated DH’s.

He also gives a top 3 over/under for each team. Yaz tops the overrated Redsox list.

Sunday Random thoughts

Posted: February 22, 2009 by datechguy in baseball, employment, fun, gaming, personal
Tags: , , , ,

I have a job interview tomorrow. The big grey beard is now gone so perhaps the extra 10 years it seems to add to me being shed will help.

Also got a letter from somewhere that I interviewed back in December. Was expecting a straight rejection but instead was informed the position was placed on hold. With endowments drying up I expect a lot more of this.

Today is Washington’s Birthday. Powerline reminds us of a person who actually deserved the amazing praise a nation gave him looks like.

Was at the dollar store day before yesterday picked up The Stark Truth a book on the most over and underrated players in Baseball history. It appears to be the best buck I’ve ever spent on a hardcover book.

Today’s sermon at Mass was one of the most solid I’ve heard in a while. It was on how Christianity is the religion of positive affirmation not waffling. You are obliged not to waffle on belief and morality. Christians and Catholics sometimes forget this.

Romano’s Market has finally entered the 21st century as their web site has gone up written by the young lady at the register who is majoring at Com Si at a local college.

Speaking of Romano’s they are getting ready for the annual St. Patrick’s day Corned Beef rush. That little place will go though thousands of pounds of corned beef and they work like dogs to get it all ready.

Next door to Romano’s is the Ole Time Luncheonette. I mentioned this place before, it actually opened it the middle of the power outages and the ice storms. The last three days they have been packed. The two ladies and their husband that run the place are there seven days. Drive 25 miles to get there and work hard. I sure hope this keeps up. They deserve it.

And their Fish and chips is the best in town. Just in time for Lent.

Speaking of Restaurants, one of my favorites the Boarder Bar and Grille in Leominster. I was informed by a friend that their appetizers (with minor exceptions) are half price weekdays between 3-6 p.m. and after 9 p.m. as well. As they are rather filling I think this will be the way we manage to hit the place every now and then with money tight.

Do you know the sound the plastic container of Hershey Syrup makes when my son is trying to squeeze the last bit out is exactly the same as the sound of my cat coughing up a hairball? We never had that problem with the old cans.

This story at Gateway Pundit about Witchcraft being the fastest growing religion in the country reminded me of this quote from the Screwtape letters:

I have high hopes that we shall learn in due time how to emotionalise and mythologise their science to such an extent that what is, in effect, belief in us, (though not under that name) will creep in while the human mind remains closed to the Enemy [God]. The “Life Force,” the worship of sex, and some aspects of Psychoanalysis may here prove useful. If once we can produce our perfect work–the Materialist Magician, the man, not using, but veritably worshipping, what he vaguely calls “Forces” while denying the existence of “spirits”–then the end of the war will be in sight.

My witch friends (and I mean that literally) might dispute this; but a lot of people are making large mistakes that they will regret for the rest of their deaths.

And if you like Screwtape and John Cleese you just have to find his reading of the Screwtape letters on tape. He is perfect in the role. We sampled it on this post. Four of them on youtube here.

Speaking of error not two days after my son decided on Fitchburg State College we were surprised to get a letter from the Bishop of Worcester recommending Anna Maria. In view of my visit I was astounded and have typed a response. I’ll post it in full after it is mailed and received. I will give you a taste:

We were very excited when Sam was accepted at Anna Maria and even more excited when they offered the largest (in dollars) scholarship of any of the nine colleges that have accepted and attempted to recruit him. We looked forward to the visit to the college and felt pleased that it would expand both his faith and his educational horizons.

Then we actually visited the college.

The rest they say is history.

We are coming closer and closer to the opening of the baseball season. We are also two weeks away from the World baseball classic. I think I must be the only guy who thinks the latter is worthwhile.

The Red Sox open against the Devil Rays. Two years ago that wouldn’t be much of a deal. Now this has a chance to grow to a mini-Sox Yankees as these teams just plain don’t like each other.

And wasn’t that series in the playoffs just first rate?

Played a game called In a Pickle. It was cute but I wouldn’t recommend it with 8 as it is rated for 6. It’s not a bad party game but I don’t think I’d buy it.

And I have a bigotry against games that de-emphasize winning in the rules.

I don’t think I will ever get sick of watching Ken Burns series “The Civil War.”

I don’t think I will ever not be sick of reality TV. If I wanted reality I get plenty of it every day.

And finally we’ve had days of the media nonsense attacking the New York Post on a cartoon that has absolutely nothing to do with race. Now the NAACP has gotten involved and are talking real nonsense. There was a time when the NAACP was the one of the most respected organizations in the US. Their hyperbole shows that those days are long gone.

Yogi for no reason

Posted: February 16, 2009 by datechguy in baseball
Tags: ,

I’ve been thinking of Yogi Berra today for no particular reason. It is my opinion that he is one of the best if not the best catcher who ever played the game. 3 MVP an ungodly number of rings and just smart baseball all around. Just check out the stats here.

Of course today people forget how good a player he was because of the Yogi-isms. That way of speaking that has made him known to a new generation that never saw him play.

This Aflac commercial is one of my favorites.

Yeah I know he’s a Yankee but how can one not like Yogi?

5 Years ago in Red Sox history…A-Rod

Posted: February 16, 2009 by datechguy in baseball
Tags: , ,

Again looking back at that 2004 season the news this week was A-Rod going to the Yankees. Baseball Musings said the following:

Soriano for Rodriguez is a great deal, especially since money doesn’t matter to the Yankees. It’s the wrong move in terms of defense; Jeter is the one who should move. And of course, who’s going to play 2nd?

Actually, they are going to score so many runs they can probably get by without a second baseman. A murder’s row of A-Rod, Giambi and Sheffield (in any order you choose), surrounded by Jeter, Posada, Williams and Matsui. All Lofton and the new second baseman have to do is play defense.

You think Boston fans are a little upset?

He linked to Bambino’s Curse which had this to say…

The word according to Theo,

“We talk about a player’s makeup, but what we want to know is, `Is he a good teammate?'” — Theo Epstein (Holley, Globe).

As it shall be spoken, so it will be done.

With the advantage of hindsight we note that the Red Sox have won two world series since the A-Rod trade. That is two more than the Yankees have made it to.