Today at THT

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 beginning to lose track of the days, so if it’s Sunday and I’ve just forgot, consider all of today’s posts as a nice little bonus as opposed to a monument to my growing cabin fever and insanity, deal?

  • On the day Rickey Henderson’s election to the Hall of Fame will be announced, Chris Jaffe provides several illustrations as to just how special, spectacular, and downright unusual a ballplayer Rickey truly was. One thing I like about is is how Chris focuses mostly on steals. This may sound strange, but when you’re in the sabermetric cocoon I and many of you have been in for the past decade or so, it’s easy to forget how amazing a base stealer the guy was. I say this because the majority of stathead Rickey-talk focuses on his walk rate and runs scored because, objectively speaking, those are the most valuable skills Rickey brought to the table. But Rickey got famous for stealing bases and Rickey is going into the Hall for stealing bases, and the fact that I and so many others think of his walk rate before anything else about him explains a lot about why the general baseball public has a dim view of statheads. It’s kind of like appreciating Ann Margaret for winning an Emmy for her outstanding portrayal as Blanche DuBois in the 1984 TV production of”A Streetcar Named Desire” rather than being ga-ga over the way she shook it in “Viva Las Vegas.
  • Evan Brunell runs down last week’s transactions. You all know about the big ones, so let me focus on the Astros’ signing of rightfielder John Gall. Look, I used to work for that guy, he’s a great lawyer, and a really cool dude, but seeing as he’s 63 years-old, I can’t feature him having much range out in right.
  • Finally, over at Fantasy Focus, Victor Wang gives us a list of rules to remember when making a fantasy trade. The chief rule is surprise . . . surprise and fear . . . fear and surprise . . . and ruthless efficiency . . . OK, the three rules are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope. Wait, the four . . . amongst the rules are such elements as fear, surprise . . . wait, I’ll come in again.
  • OK, in the time it took you to read all of that, I’ve realized that (1) yes, it is Monday; and (2) now that Bob Barker is retired there is absolutely nothing to look forward to about being at home on a weekday.


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    Chris Simonds
    15 years ago

    The Ann Margaret thing was a beautiful and exact analogy. Kinda puts us close to the geezer category though doesn’t it? Kids today certainly know Elvis, but do you think they bother with his movies, let alone the work of Tennessee Williams? Ah well, I enjoyed the comparison.

    YankeesfanLen
    15 years ago

    I’d ike to see Paris Hilton portray Blanche DuBois…….oh wait, it’s already on the internet somewhere….

    Sara K
    15 years ago

    I’m trying to picture the nice red uniform you wear to your fantasy draft…

    ken dynamo
    15 years ago

    well, hey, down time can be a good thing too.  you can catch up on some reading.  might i suggest Top 10, by Alan Moore?