Archive for January 2009

Twenty-eight voters left Rickey off, so we have both his election percentage and a nice read on the insanity level of the BBWAA. I’ve said all I really care to say about it. Feel free to comment until your heart’s content in the comments.

In my past life (read: the job I had until a little over a week ago) I occasionally represented clients who were subject to federal criminal investigations. All of these guys were under the microscope for a year or more, having their records subpoenaed, having their phones tapped, and having their friends and neighbors interviewed […]

I don’t know that much about Cuban baseball, but given the decline Cuba’s economy and quality of life since the collapse of the Soviet Union — not to mention the defections — it would certainly not surprise me if the quality and vibrancy of the game had declined as well. Strong social forces are at […]

One of the best things about blogging is that I’ve met a lot of smart and interesting people. Well, sort of met them in that way you meet people on the Internet. Commenters and emailers and folks like that. Even better, is that since I’ve started this blog, a handful of these folks have started […]

They’re going to announce the inductees shortly. For what it’s worth, I will be happy to see Rickey make it, I’d be happy to see Blyleven make it — even if I can’t bring myself to characterize his exclusion thus far as a grave injustice like so many have — and I’m realistic enough to […]

Jack Curry notes that, before Manny was Manny, Rickey was Rickey: Before Manny was Manny, Rickey was Rickey. If ever there were two players who were kindred spirits, they are Manny Ramirez and Rickey Henderson. Henderson was talented and distinctive, a walking, talking baseball entertainer. Ramirez does not talk as much, but he entertains in […]

I missed this when it ran last week — probably because I don’t get the MLB Network and thus ignored much of the discussion of it out of spite — but King Kaufman had some really interesting observations about the Don Larsen game and hitting in the 1950s: The biggest difference I noticed was the […]

Jeff Moorad purchasing the Padres is a weird looking deal. For one thing it came together so fast. The Tribune Company couldn’t even change the toner on the printer that spits out the Cubs’ offer sheets in the time it took this whole deal to materialize. A second odd thing is that despite this being […]

The Rangers asked Michael Young to move to third to make room for prospect Elvis Andrus. Since Young is a team leader, a team player, and a gamer, he gladly obliged, and vowed to move his locker next to Andrus’ so that he could mentor the lad as he makes his way through his first […]

As I enter my second week of unemployment, I am starting to disconnect from reality. My beard is bushy and mighty. I’ve created fanciful fictitious lives for the people I see walking dogs in my neighborhood, and I’m thinking about creating lives for the dogs as well. One note of practical concern is that I’m […]