Okay, random is never the right word - rather, these are thoughts that I had that I don't want to have their own post.
1) Failures of the Democratic Party
When I look at what has gone wrong over the past four years of Democratic control of Congress, and the past two years of controlling all of government, I am struck by how ill-prepared the Democratic Party was to rule. And here's what I mean - whereas the GOP has a governing philosophy, the Democrats define themselves by not being the GOP. Sure, there is a laundry list of things to do, but Democrats can't agree on their own political philosophy, while Republicans do their best to comport to "conservativism," consequences be damned.
So, when the Democrats took power, their only goal was to dismantle everything Bush did, and then they got caught up in the storm of economic crises, wars, etc. But there was and is no clear economic vision. To this day, I don't know what Obama's vision for America is, and that's largely because he's been trying to keep the economy afloat.
This failure of leadership and vision is probably what's killing us now. The economy is stable, businesses have the cash to invest and move forward, but no one knows what the future will hold, so these companies are holding back. Had Obama set forth his vision, a vision in line with a Democratic Party philosophy of economics, we would be in a different spot then we're in now.
2) Padres Trading Away Adrian Gonzalez
As a Padres fan, this trade was painful. I knew it was bound to happen, but this trade lays bare all the problems in baseball. Here, the Padres traded away their best player, a team leader, a local boy done good (he credits his power to carne asada burritos), and an all around good guy, for prospects because they couldn't afford to resign him in a year. This may be a broken record, but when a mid-market team like the Padres can't afford to pay its best player, then there are serious problems in baseball.
3) The Yankees are Douchebags
There are two reasons why the Yankees didn't sign Cliff Lee: 1) their fans spit on and heckled Cliff Lee's wife during the playoffs; and 2) the organization went out of its way to embarrass Derek Jeter. Now sure, Jeter is overrated as a baseball player, but Jeter is Mr. Yankee - a guy who willingly took up the Ruth/Gerhig/DiMaggio mantle and wore it proudly. There are maybe 5 guys in baseball who could do the same. . .no fuck that, there's only Derek Jeter. So, if I was not a Yankee, but offered money to be one, I would have to think long and hard. If the Yankees are willing to throw Jeter under the bus, they'd throw anyone under the bus. There was no way in hell Lee was joining the Yankees after that spectacle.
4) I'm having a hard time getting excited for football this season
Maybe its a reaction to how up and down the Chargers are this year, maybe its because my dog reacts whenever I yell at the TV (he thinks I'm barking at a squirrel or something and goes nuts), but I'm just not into football this season. Sure, I'm enjoying it, but I'm not as into football as I have been in the past.
Showing posts with label San Diego Padres. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Diego Padres. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
And Now For Something Completely Different. . .
With the political realm getting more and more depressing day by day, I figured I'd turn to a happier subject - the Padres! Not only are the Padres in first place, but they just swept the Dodgers to right the ship after a painful 10 game losing streak (though, to be fair, the Dodgers have given up).
Now, I have a theory about why the Padres have done so well this year - the weather. Okay, so last year, the Padres did very well down the stretch, having one of the best records in baseball for the second half of the year. Unfortunately, their first half of the season was so awful that it didn't mean all that much. Regardless, it looked like going into this year, the Padres would do about the same, or better, if they got good production from their young players.
Here's the thing - they didn't. Everth Cabrera, Will Venable, Tony Gywnn, Jr., and Kyle Blanks have all underperformed this year. But the Padres have been in first place since May for one big, big reason - totally and completely ridiculous pitching. If you look at the stats, you'll see that the Padres lead the league in almost every pitching category, and their bullpen has an ERA of around 2.* So, to win, the Padres' offense doesn't need to be good, just not terrible. And the offense this year falls between mediocre and reasonably good.
A lot of people point to Petco Park as the key reason for the Padres' success, others point to the Padres' talent in the bullpen. Both of those are factors, but the key difference, the one that is getting the Padres to the playoffs (hopefully), in my humble opinion, is the weather.
The weather in San Diego this summer has been completely bizarre - the low cloud formation that plagues us every spring (aka, "May Gray," "June Gloom" or "El Velo") lasted until mid-August. With the low clouds comes relatively cool weather, and higher humidity, both of which make the baseball break more when its pitched, and move less when its hit. So as the pitcher throws the baseball to a hitter at Petco, his curveball curves more in the cool, humid air at Petco, making the ball harder to hit. And then when the ball is hit, because its traveling through thicker air, the ball travels less than it normally would. All of this makes for a superior pitching. The Padres' hitters, meanwhile, are used to the conditions and have already adjusted for it.
Part of what makes me think that the weather has a role here is that when the low cloud thingy stopped in mid-August, the Padres went on a ten game losing streak, with the bullpen giving up leads almost every night. Then, the low clouds and cool weather returned, and suddenly the Padres are back to playing as they have all season.
*For you stat geeks, I know that ERA is a bad indication of a pitcher's abilities, but I don't understand all the sabermetrics stuff. I'm sure that there are a few statistics to describe how awesome the bullpen has been, and please share them if you want.
Now, I have a theory about why the Padres have done so well this year - the weather. Okay, so last year, the Padres did very well down the stretch, having one of the best records in baseball for the second half of the year. Unfortunately, their first half of the season was so awful that it didn't mean all that much. Regardless, it looked like going into this year, the Padres would do about the same, or better, if they got good production from their young players.
Here's the thing - they didn't. Everth Cabrera, Will Venable, Tony Gywnn, Jr., and Kyle Blanks have all underperformed this year. But the Padres have been in first place since May for one big, big reason - totally and completely ridiculous pitching. If you look at the stats, you'll see that the Padres lead the league in almost every pitching category, and their bullpen has an ERA of around 2.* So, to win, the Padres' offense doesn't need to be good, just not terrible. And the offense this year falls between mediocre and reasonably good.
A lot of people point to Petco Park as the key reason for the Padres' success, others point to the Padres' talent in the bullpen. Both of those are factors, but the key difference, the one that is getting the Padres to the playoffs (hopefully), in my humble opinion, is the weather.
The weather in San Diego this summer has been completely bizarre - the low cloud formation that plagues us every spring (aka, "May Gray," "June Gloom" or "El Velo") lasted until mid-August. With the low clouds comes relatively cool weather, and higher humidity, both of which make the baseball break more when its pitched, and move less when its hit. So as the pitcher throws the baseball to a hitter at Petco, his curveball curves more in the cool, humid air at Petco, making the ball harder to hit. And then when the ball is hit, because its traveling through thicker air, the ball travels less than it normally would. All of this makes for a superior pitching. The Padres' hitters, meanwhile, are used to the conditions and have already adjusted for it.
Part of what makes me think that the weather has a role here is that when the low cloud thingy stopped in mid-August, the Padres went on a ten game losing streak, with the bullpen giving up leads almost every night. Then, the low clouds and cool weather returned, and suddenly the Padres are back to playing as they have all season.
*For you stat geeks, I know that ERA is a bad indication of a pitcher's abilities, but I don't understand all the sabermetrics stuff. I'm sure that there are a few statistics to describe how awesome the bullpen has been, and please share them if you want.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Holy Crap, Have I Really Not Posted Anything in a Month?
"[The law] is a jealous mistress, and requires a long and constant courtship. It is not to be won by trifling favors, but by lavish homage." Justice Joseph Story, 1829.
If Justice Story heard about my month, he'd say something to the effect of, "Damn, dude, slow down." In the past month, I sent out an average of two substantive briefs (written reports to the Court where I actually had to think about the legal issues involved) ever week, for three weeks. As a result, I have neglected friends, family, and most importantly, my blog. ;)
Anyway, I am still alive, and still thinking about all things politics, food and baseball. So, rather than write a full-fledged post, here are a few quick thoughts:
1) GO PADRES - Homerism aside, my favorite baseball team is in first place at the All-Star Break, and is doing it all with epic pitching - giving up a mere 314 runs in 91 games (the fewest, by far, of any team in the majors). Sure, the offense is nothing special, but it doesn't have to be. Most baseball writers are expecting to Padres to fall apart in the second half, but if you look at the total run differential, the Padres are winning as many games as they should win. In other words, they are as good as they're playing. Hopefully, everyone will stay healthy.
2) OBAMA - Ugh. When I was in college, I remember one of my professors stressing to us that most decisions of significance are made by people below the President. And here, I think the biggest problem with Obama is that the people surrounding him are less aggressive than Obama. There has to be a good cop/bad cop element to every negotiation, and Obama is a piss-poor bad cop. I thought that Rahm Emmanuel would be the bad cop, but he's too moderate in his politics. So as a result, Obama keeps caving to the Right.
3) THE ECONOMY - I am a Keyesian, so let me state the following to all potential federal decision makers - SPEND MORE FUCKING MONEY. Oh, and spend it within the U.S., not abroad. Yes, it'll hurt us in the long term, debt-wise, but not spending the cash and ending up in a long-term deflationary cycle is worse.
4) RANDOM QUESTION - Why hasn't anyone on the Left thought about organizing the long-term unemployed to march on Washington for more benefits, etc. Its not like they have anything to do right now.
If Justice Story heard about my month, he'd say something to the effect of, "Damn, dude, slow down." In the past month, I sent out an average of two substantive briefs (written reports to the Court where I actually had to think about the legal issues involved) ever week, for three weeks. As a result, I have neglected friends, family, and most importantly, my blog. ;)
Anyway, I am still alive, and still thinking about all things politics, food and baseball. So, rather than write a full-fledged post, here are a few quick thoughts:
1) GO PADRES - Homerism aside, my favorite baseball team is in first place at the All-Star Break, and is doing it all with epic pitching - giving up a mere 314 runs in 91 games (the fewest, by far, of any team in the majors). Sure, the offense is nothing special, but it doesn't have to be. Most baseball writers are expecting to Padres to fall apart in the second half, but if you look at the total run differential, the Padres are winning as many games as they should win. In other words, they are as good as they're playing. Hopefully, everyone will stay healthy.
2) OBAMA - Ugh. When I was in college, I remember one of my professors stressing to us that most decisions of significance are made by people below the President. And here, I think the biggest problem with Obama is that the people surrounding him are less aggressive than Obama. There has to be a good cop/bad cop element to every negotiation, and Obama is a piss-poor bad cop. I thought that Rahm Emmanuel would be the bad cop, but he's too moderate in his politics. So as a result, Obama keeps caving to the Right.
3) THE ECONOMY - I am a Keyesian, so let me state the following to all potential federal decision makers - SPEND MORE FUCKING MONEY. Oh, and spend it within the U.S., not abroad. Yes, it'll hurt us in the long term, debt-wise, but not spending the cash and ending up in a long-term deflationary cycle is worse.
4) RANDOM QUESTION - Why hasn't anyone on the Left thought about organizing the long-term unemployed to march on Washington for more benefits, etc. Its not like they have anything to do right now.
Friday, May 14, 2010
How About Them Padres. . .
In case you haven't heard, my favorite team, Los Padres de San Diego (heh), are in first place by 3 and a half games and owners of the best record in the National League. Woot! As a Padres fan and season ticket owner, I feel its necessary to gloat at this moment before the whole thing comes crashing down.
Going into this season, most of us diehards were cautiously optimistic about this season. Unlike last season, where the Padres were beset with trade rumors and over-the-hill veterans (which lead to total disarray in the infield, outfield and pitching staff), the Padres entered the year with a solid core of young players at all positions. It was this group that did exceptionally well toward the end of last season, and gave me some hope.
However, this team has exceeded my expectations in surprising ways. For instance, every year for the past four years, I heard the same story - the Padres are going to steal more bases this year - and every year the Padres were one of the worst baserunning teams in baseball. Suddenly this year, the team leads the majors in stolen bases. The pitching is phenomenal - teams that are behind after seven innings have no chance. Right now, the Padres have kept opposing teams to two runs or less in 17 games out of the 34 games played. 17 games!
Now granted, some of this has to do with playing in Petco Park ("where fly balls go to die"), but here's the thing - for the first time since Petco opened, the Padres are built to play in Petco. No more station to station players. No more guys dependent on hitting opposite field home runs. No more slow pokes. And the front office has figured out that "hey, pitchers free agents will play at Petco for a discount because they get to pitch at Petco."
So, I'm glad to be able to go to the games, and if you live in San Diego, so should you. Sure the food continues to suck, but the beer is cold (and at $8 a beer, it better be), and the team is hot. Woohoo!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Padres Blogging
I have to admit, I missed most of yesterday's games. The Chargers' loss was simply too painful. If I watch the Superbowl (let's face it, no one is watching the Pro Bowl next week), it'll probably be for the commercials. I am done with football for now. After living through horrendous seasons, I can definitely say that losing to the Jets is probably the most painful loss in recent Chargers history. Ugh.
Okay, onto baseball (normally, I'd say basketball, but since the Kobe rape trial, I've "divorced" the Lakers, and have no attachments to any team), to carry my interest and hopes. Now, while the Padres didn't do well last year, they were the hottest team in the Majors at the end of the season. Recently, Gaslampball, a blog covering the Padres, offered their descriptions of the Padres starting players.
I beg to differ. . .somewhat. Here are my views of the Padres starting position players:
Catcher - Nick Hundley - A good defensive catcher, iffy offensively, but has shown promise. All in all, a solid starting catcher.
First Base - Adrian Gonzalez - Good to great player with great defense and pretty good offense (which would probably be better outside of Petco). Perenial all-star.
Second Base - David Eckstein - he's not the all-star he used to be, but is still pesky, still works hard, and is a good influence on the kids. Jerry Hairston will see time at this position too.
Third Base - Chase Headley - Getting out of left field is a major plus, as he was a horrible outfielder. He can probably spend more time in batting cage. But he's an upgrade over Kouzmanoff. Headley had a higher OBP, SLG, and batting average, if I'm not mistaken. While Kouz hit more home runs, Headley had more doubles. Plus, Kouz led the league in hitting into double plays.
Shortstop - Everth Cabrera - the kid flies on the basepaths, plays good defense, and has shown surprising hitting ability. If he progresses, we're set at shortstop until he gets too expensive.
Left Field - Kyle Blanks - For a guy the size of a tight end - scratch that, Blanks is actually BIGGER THAN ANTONIO GATES - he moves amazingly well, and unlike Headley, can actually play the outfield. I just hope his injury wasn't caused by all the running. Anyway, we don't know how good the kid is, but he hits for enormous power. A true wait and see.
Center Field - Tony Gywnn, Jr. - he didn't hit too badly last year, and is the kind of slap hitter that the Padres need. We'll see if he can maintain it. On the plus side, he could platoon with Scott Hairston, who's a bit more proven. Wait and see.
Right Field - Will Venable - Venable plays good defense, and hit surprisingly well last year. I say surprisingly because he hit better than he did in the minors. Hairston can provide insurance at this position too.
Overall, the Padres are a "don't know" kind of a team. They could surprise everyone and have a 2008 Tampa Bay Devil Rays kind of season, or a look like the Padres last year. Likely, we're looking at a 70-75 win season. I love the Kouzmanoff for Hairston trade, as I see Headley being an upgrade at third. My gut says that Cabrera, Headley and Blanks play better than they did last year, and that Venable and Gywnn play worse.
Okay, onto baseball (normally, I'd say basketball, but since the Kobe rape trial, I've "divorced" the Lakers, and have no attachments to any team), to carry my interest and hopes. Now, while the Padres didn't do well last year, they were the hottest team in the Majors at the end of the season. Recently, Gaslampball, a blog covering the Padres, offered their descriptions of the Padres starting players.
I beg to differ. . .somewhat. Here are my views of the Padres starting position players:
Catcher - Nick Hundley - A good defensive catcher, iffy offensively, but has shown promise. All in all, a solid starting catcher.
First Base - Adrian Gonzalez - Good to great player with great defense and pretty good offense (which would probably be better outside of Petco). Perenial all-star.
Second Base - David Eckstein - he's not the all-star he used to be, but is still pesky, still works hard, and is a good influence on the kids. Jerry Hairston will see time at this position too.
Third Base - Chase Headley - Getting out of left field is a major plus, as he was a horrible outfielder. He can probably spend more time in batting cage. But he's an upgrade over Kouzmanoff. Headley had a higher OBP, SLG, and batting average, if I'm not mistaken. While Kouz hit more home runs, Headley had more doubles. Plus, Kouz led the league in hitting into double plays.
Shortstop - Everth Cabrera - the kid flies on the basepaths, plays good defense, and has shown surprising hitting ability. If he progresses, we're set at shortstop until he gets too expensive.
Left Field - Kyle Blanks - For a guy the size of a tight end - scratch that, Blanks is actually BIGGER THAN ANTONIO GATES - he moves amazingly well, and unlike Headley, can actually play the outfield. I just hope his injury wasn't caused by all the running. Anyway, we don't know how good the kid is, but he hits for enormous power. A true wait and see.
Center Field - Tony Gywnn, Jr. - he didn't hit too badly last year, and is the kind of slap hitter that the Padres need. We'll see if he can maintain it. On the plus side, he could platoon with Scott Hairston, who's a bit more proven. Wait and see.
Right Field - Will Venable - Venable plays good defense, and hit surprisingly well last year. I say surprisingly because he hit better than he did in the minors. Hairston can provide insurance at this position too.
Overall, the Padres are a "don't know" kind of a team. They could surprise everyone and have a 2008 Tampa Bay Devil Rays kind of season, or a look like the Padres last year. Likely, we're looking at a 70-75 win season. I love the Kouzmanoff for Hairston trade, as I see Headley being an upgrade at third. My gut says that Cabrera, Headley and Blanks play better than they did last year, and that Venable and Gywnn play worse.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
What? No Way. . .
Apparently, Roger Goodell doesn't like the idea of Rush Limbaugh owning an NFL franchise either:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/13/goodell-limbaug/
The story links to a NY Times article, but regardless, this should come as no surprise. Nor was it surprising when Rush got canned from ESPN. Here's a brief factoid for you - a lot of NFL players are African American. Now, is Rush a racist? To be honest, I don't know. I do know that he has said a fair number of things that lead me to believe he is. And he is comfortable with racist humor. But you never really know about these things one way or another.
But, and I think this is important, Rush is perceived by players in the NFL (and other sports) as racist. That's why ESPN canned him - it depends on the cooperation and participation of African American athletes. Having Rush was too big of a risk. So too is having Rush as an owner. I could very well see a rookie refusing to go to the Rams because of Rush's ownership. Forget about free agent signings. No, having Rush as an owner would have been a disaster.
On a slightly different note, here is what I think the Pads should do in preparation for next year:
1) Trade Kouzmanoff - His defense is okay (what balls he gets to, he catches), but his batting average is low - .250ish - his OBP is only around 300, and he leads the league in double plays. He does have some power, which should improve outside of Petco. Meanwhile, Headley is about the same defensively, has a little bit less power (he hits doubles, not home runs), and hits for a higher average and OBP. Plus, Headley hits better when he plays third and doesn't have to worry about playing the outfield (where he's not good).
2) Trade Heath Bell - Okay, I like Bell, and I think he's a top closer. At the same time, he's older (around 30), and makes a decent amount of money. I think Gregerson could be an effective closer, at a tenth the price. Plus, Bell's value is probably as high as its going to get right now. Considering that the Cardinals, Rockies, and Red Sox all had their closers blow saves in the playoffs, I think we could get a lot for him.
3) Keep Gonzo - Adrian is the face of the franchise, a local boy, and a hell of a player. Yes, his value is high, but keeping him for at least another year (Adrian's contract runs through 2011) is a good call. At the same time, if someone offers the moon. . .
With these manuevers, the Pads have an infield of Gonzo, Eckstein, Cabrera, and Headley, an outfield of Veneble, Gywnn, Blanks, with Hundley behind the plate. That's a pretty good lineup, and its cheap.
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/13/goodell-limbaug/
The story links to a NY Times article, but regardless, this should come as no surprise. Nor was it surprising when Rush got canned from ESPN. Here's a brief factoid for you - a lot of NFL players are African American. Now, is Rush a racist? To be honest, I don't know. I do know that he has said a fair number of things that lead me to believe he is. And he is comfortable with racist humor. But you never really know about these things one way or another.
But, and I think this is important, Rush is perceived by players in the NFL (and other sports) as racist. That's why ESPN canned him - it depends on the cooperation and participation of African American athletes. Having Rush was too big of a risk. So too is having Rush as an owner. I could very well see a rookie refusing to go to the Rams because of Rush's ownership. Forget about free agent signings. No, having Rush as an owner would have been a disaster.
On a slightly different note, here is what I think the Pads should do in preparation for next year:
1) Trade Kouzmanoff - His defense is okay (what balls he gets to, he catches), but his batting average is low - .250ish - his OBP is only around 300, and he leads the league in double plays. He does have some power, which should improve outside of Petco. Meanwhile, Headley is about the same defensively, has a little bit less power (he hits doubles, not home runs), and hits for a higher average and OBP. Plus, Headley hits better when he plays third and doesn't have to worry about playing the outfield (where he's not good).
2) Trade Heath Bell - Okay, I like Bell, and I think he's a top closer. At the same time, he's older (around 30), and makes a decent amount of money. I think Gregerson could be an effective closer, at a tenth the price. Plus, Bell's value is probably as high as its going to get right now. Considering that the Cardinals, Rockies, and Red Sox all had their closers blow saves in the playoffs, I think we could get a lot for him.
3) Keep Gonzo - Adrian is the face of the franchise, a local boy, and a hell of a player. Yes, his value is high, but keeping him for at least another year (Adrian's contract runs through 2011) is a good call. At the same time, if someone offers the moon. . .
With these manuevers, the Pads have an infield of Gonzo, Eckstein, Cabrera, and Headley, an outfield of Veneble, Gywnn, Blanks, with Hundley behind the plate. That's a pretty good lineup, and its cheap.
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