Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If the Democrats succeed in making Washington DC a State then that means the Democrats think elected officials should have the right to ban dancing in an entire State by proclamation (even at weddings). But they'd be doing it for your own good!... Heh Heh (Flaming Barbells would also be a good name for a band)... "If you disagree with me that means you want to kill grandma."- Governor Andrew Cuomo. See how that works?.... Still blows my mind that Wade Boggs has his number retired by the Red Sox while Nomar Garciaparra does not. I also think the Red Sox ownership thought they could trade Mookie Betts with little PR fallout because they were "successful" in trading Nomar... The story of Basecamp deciding on a no-politics at work policy continues to fascinate me. First it's a 57-person company (or at least it was until a third of the company took severance to leave).How many 57-person companies get this amount of press? Could it be they've touched a nerve? This "inside look" at the company's all-hands meeting is amusing. One of the "sources" complains that the owners didn't listen to them just as the story describes how one of the founders spent two and a half hours answering any and all questions. The lack of self-awareness is classic. My guess is the company is much better off today with those who think their world view is all that matters out the door...  

Top 5 - Miscellaneous Nuggets from the Baseball Hall of Fame

Went to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown last week and there were a few things I want to make note of. Here's the Top 5 of those things:

1. The Hall has these little circular emblems under the plaques of Hall of Famers who served in the military. I feel strongly that Ted Williams should have had two emblems under his plaque not just the one noting that he served in both WWII and Korea. There should have been one for WWII and one for Korea.

2. Carlton Fisk has his numbers, deservedly so, retired by both the Red Sox and the White Sox. Wade Boggs also has his number retired by two teams, the Devil Rays and Red Sox. I don't think either team should have retired Boggs' number.

3. The Yankees have retired the number 8 twice - once for Yogi Berra and also for Bill Dickey.

4. Buck O'Neil never made it to the Hall as a player but I was pleased to see the Hall recognized his special place in history with a statue.

5. Steve Garvey had his number retired but by the San Diego Padres not the Los Angeles Dodgers. I thought that interesting because when I think of Garvey it is always as a Dodger. Garvey has not been elected to the Hall but if he was I'm pretty sure it would be a as a Dodger.

This might only amuse me but I chuckled when I saw a bobblehead of Jerry Garcia in the SF Giants exhibit. What does not amuse me is the fact that the Washington Nationals do not recognize the retired numbers of the Montreal Expos. Gary Carter, Andre Dawson, Rusty Staub and Tim Raines deserve better that that.

Player Comparison

Here's a player comparison I've been thinking about.

Player A - 1988 G/ 1355 R/ 383 HR/ 1311 RBI/ .313 BA/ .400 OBP/ .965 OPS
Player B - 2439 G/ 1513 R/ 118 HR/ 1013 RBI/ .328 BA/ .415 OBP/ .858 OPS

Both players have impressive numbers - though Player B had 451 more games in which to compile stats. But here's the numbers I was really curious about:

Player A - .278 BA/  .370 OBP/ .495 SLG/ .865 OPS
Player B - .302  BA/ .387 .OBP/ .395 SLG/ .781 OPS

Those are the career road numbers for the two players. You can see a big drop off for both players but Player B basically becomes a slap singles player on the road.

Player A - .348 BA/ .431 OBP/ .637 SLG/ 1.068 OPS
Player B - .354 BA/ .443 OBP/ .491 SLG/ .934 OPS

Those are the home numbers for both players. It should be noted that Player A won an MVP and was a 7 time Gold Glove winner. At home his numbers were almost Ruthian but ironically it was largely his home numbers which played against him when it came time for Hall of Fame voting. Player A was Larry Walker who played the bulk of his career home games at Coors Field. Player B was Wade Boggs who I still say would not be a Hall of Fame player if A - he didn't stick around just to get his 3,000 hits (3,010) or B - didn't play the bulk of his career home games at Fenway Park.

And yes I have a serious dislike for Wade Boggs.

Wade Boggs vs Dwight Evans

Dwight Evans finished with more triples, home runs, RBI, stolen bases and total bases than Wade Boggs. Evans career OPS+ is 127 but if you take way his last two seasons (which were regrettable) then Dewey’s OPS+ is equal to Boggs career OPS+ of 130. Did I mention the fact that Evans had 8 Gold Gloves and is widely regarded as the best defensive right fielder of his generation? Dwight Evans was a much better all-around player than Wade Boggs and yet it is Boggs who has his bust in Cooperstown.

Dwight Evans was flat out a  better player than Wade Boggs and that is why I still say having ingrate Boggs' #26 retired by the Red Sox is a slap in the face of Dwight Evans.

Just my opinion.

Fred McGriff and the Hall of Fame

I congratulate Tim "Rock" Raines, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez and Jeff Bagwell on their election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. A well deserved honor in each case. My issue is how Fred McGriff has been snubbed by the same voters. No "clean" player has been hurt more by comparison to PED contemporaries than McGriff. This isn't a new issue for me.

In 2004 I compared McGriff to now Hall of Famer Wade Boggs with the Crime Dog coming off very favorable in comparison.

In 2006 I compared McGriff to Bagwell. Are you aware that McGriff has more career HR, RBI and total bases than Bagwell? Yet McGriff is on the outside of the HoF looking in.

In 2011 I made a case of how steroids using players were hurting the HoF chances of clean players. Probably the only time I can recall really disagreeing with Joe Posnanski.

Fred McGriff deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Hangover ice cream is a genius idea!... Just saying but the Red Sox magic number to win the AL East is now just 115... Heh heh... Sorry but Red Nose Day makes me think that men should have a Hold Your Balls Day where men go around all day holding their balls to raise awareness about testicular cancer. Both days would be equally silly in their marketing... Oh crap... I detest Wade Boggs. The only reason his number got retired by the Red Sox last night is because Peter Gammons has been lobbying ownership to do it for the past decade... Too soon?... According to the Bible - Noah's ark would have been about half the size of the Titanic. Thank God Noah didn't run into any ice bergs... My hat's off to the parents of this young man. Fantastic!... Too bad Charles Bukowski's Beer Shits is too long for a fantasy baseball team name... Heh heh... Is there a bar called the Vodka A Go Go? If not I call dibs... Scientists think they've finally figured out what the appendix actually does...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

What a horrible Final Four aesthetically. Blowout games plus a court and camera angles that literally hurt the eyes... The science of why you should spend your money on experiences not things... North Carolina opened as a 1.5 point favorite over Villanova. I like the points... JayWrightsSuits - what a great Twitter handle... How about this for a trade - Red Sox send Pablo Sandoval and Steven Wright to the Padres for James Shields. Let's get it done!...  Excellent video breakdown of the Celtics win Friday night over the Warriors... Just for the heck of it I'm going to start calling people "Sugar Biscuits". "Hey Sugar Biscuits - how's it going?" It's the little things that amuse me... Disappointed that nobody has compared the D'Angelo Russell situation with the Lakers to the Wade Boggs' "Delta Force" situation back in the day with the Red Sox... Rob Gronkowski is the best!... So one of the athletes named in that Al Jazeera report just got suspended 80 games for PED's. The HGH allegations against Peyton Manning are going to stick in people's minds... Win a $650,000 bet but almost kill yourself? No thank you...

Top 5 - Red Sox Thoughts

With the baseball season more than 10% done - here's my Top 5 thoughts on the Boston Red Sox so far.

1. Boston is in a three-way tie for first despite the fact that their team ERA is 24th in all of baseball (4.37). If the pitching staff had just an American League average ERA then they'd be in first place all by themselves (they currently have an ERA+ of 95).

2. Boston is in a three-way tie for first despite the fact that the team is hitting a dismal .234 (20th in all baseball). The team has an OPS+ of just 92 (100 is league average). Does anyone not believe this team's offense will heat up as the temperatures rise?

3. If the Red Sox are to retire the number 26 - I predict that it will be for Brock Holt and not Wade Boggs. The super utility man is leading the team in batting (.424), OBP (.441), OPS (1.017) and OPS+ (184) while having played 5 positions so far (SS, 2B, 3B, LF, and CF). Big fan favorite is Brock Holt.

4. Not only do I predict that the Boston offense will heat up - I predict the Red Sox will lead the AL in HR by the time the season is over.

5. The Red Sox Magic Number is now 145. Today is the running of the London Marathon. There is also the Grand Union Canal Race held in May which is a 145 mile ultra-marathon that also finishes in London. Here's a useful piece of advice when running either a marathon or ultra-marathon.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Ebola Explained - a very good primer on the virus and what you should and should not worry about

- Your drinking habits compared to the rest of the country. This is one list where I'm happy not to be in the top 10 percent.

- I wrote this about Wade Boggs almost 10-years ago. I still stand behind every word. There's a reason the Red Sox never retired his number.

- One dog year does not equal seven human ones

- The Nat Geo photo contest always has amazing shots

Player Comparison

Here's a player comparison I've been thinking about.

Player A - 1988 G/ 1355 R/ 383 HR/ 1311 RBI/ .313 BA/ .400 OBP/ .965 OPS
Player B - 2439 G/ 1513 R/ 118 HR/ 1013 RBI/ .328 BA/ .415 OBP/ .858 OPS

Both players have impressive numbers - though Player B had 451 more games in which to compile stats. But here's the numbers I was really curious about:

Player A - .278 BA/  .370 OBP/ .495 SLG/ .865 OPS
Player B - .302  BA/ .387 .OBP/ .395 SLG/ .781 OPS

Those are the career road numbers for the two players. You can see a big drop off for both players but Player B basically becomes a slap singles player on the road.

Player A - .348 BA/ .431 OBP/ .637 SLG/ 1.068 OPS
Player B - .354 BA/ .443 OBP/ .491 SLG/ .934 OPS

Those are the home numbers for both players. It should be noted that Player A won an MVP and was a 7 time Gold Glove winner. At home his numbers were almost Ruthian but ironically it was largely his home numbers which played against him when it came time for Hall of Fame voting. Player A was Larry Walker who played the bulk of his career home games at Coors Field. Player B was Wade Boggs who I still say would not be a Hall of Fame player if A - he didn't stick around just to get his 3,000 hits (3,010) or B - didn't play the bulk of his career home games at Fenway Park.

And yes I have a serious dislike for Wade Boggs.

Top 5 Living Red Sox Players

Here's who I consider the Top 5 living Red Sox players.

1. Carl Yastrzemski

2. Pedro Martinez

3. Jim Rice

4. David Ortiz

5. Tie: Dustin Pedroia, Dwight Evans, and Freddy Lynn

Missing the list - Roger Clemens and Wade Boggs. Clemens misses the list because of steroids and playing for the Yankees. Boggs misses the list because he's a douche (why do you think you never see him around Fenway Park - the team doesn't want him around).

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

OK I'll say it! The verbose Charlie Pierce is not a good fit with the MTV raised target audience of Grantland. And this is coming from a Charlie Pierce fan. Just too wordy - makes ESPN readers feel like they are taking SAT verbal tests... Joshua Chamberlain was a hero of Gettysburg and other Civil War battles but his body paid an awful price... The Red Sox gave call up Brock Holt number 26. This is another nail in the coffin for anyone who thinks the team has plans ever to retire that number for pariah Wade Boggs... I cannot remember a year I cared less about the All-Star Game. Or who may have been snubbed in the selection process... Small Town Dumps would be a good name for a band... Spes Mea Veritas (Hope is My Truth) could be a good motto for the Obama Administration (since truth obviously is not their truth)... The Emei mustache toad grows spikes on its lips for a few weeks so it can fight over girls. In the future I can see certain humans altering their DNA to do the same. And I can see SPIKE broadcasting Mustache Fights (and God help me - I can see myself watching it)... Israel should claim responsibility for the coup in Egypt just to mess with all the haters like Mel Gibson who claim they are responsible for all the wars in the world... They call it Online Dating but if you don't meet in person it is not really dating at all...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I'm not impressed by the Red Sox so-called 794 game "sell-out" streak which ended last night. What is impressive is Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon being on Billboard's top album list for 741 consecutive weeks... Beaver bites man to death. Thank God this wasn't - you know - a euphemism...  I disagree with the underlying sentiments but I have to admit I have new respect for Russell Brand's writing ability. His article on the death of Margaret Thatcher was strangely mesmerizing...  Dwight Evans has 331 more career hits and almost 300 more HR for the Red Sox than Wade Boggs but you never hear Dewey whining about him getting his number retired... I can't bypass the movie Goon without stopping to watch. Goon, Slapshot and Casablanca... Happy 41st birthday to former Red Sox captain Jason Varitek. My guess is even the most die-hard Yankee fans smile at this photo given the past couple of years...

Wade Boggs

Wade Boggs wants the Red Sox to retire his number. The Red Sox won't do that for a very simple reason. It's not because Boggs went on to play for the Yankees. It's not because Boggs already had his number retired by Tampa Bay. It's because Wade Boggs is a douchebag.

Major league douchebag.

There's a good reason why his contemporary Don Mattingly is still actively involved in MLB while Boggs is lucky to be working with high school teams. There's a reason why Boston never has him back as a favorite prodigal son like Freddy Lynn. There's a reason why Roger Clemens invited tons of his old teammate to his 300th win game but did not invite Boggs.

The man compares himself to Ted Williams as a hitter and wants to be the next Johnny Pesky to the organization. The latter comparison is perhaps more insulting given the saint that was Johnny Pesky. The man wants his number retired while the Red Sox want to give it to scrubs.

The man is a douchebag.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Not sure about you but I'll never be able to eat Honey Nut Cheerios again without thinking dirty thoughts because of Kevin Garnett's comments to Carmelo Anthony... Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha - hero... The power of over the top video - more people have watched Mad Men on Netflix than on AMC. Think about that for a minute... I will buy Donald Rumsfeld's new book. Absolutely!... To be fair - most men can't do anything without thinking dirty thoughts. As Larry Miller said, "if women knew what men were really thinking - they would never stop slapping us"... Ha ha - this is great (though to be fair not original)... Brock Holt (I know - who the heck is Brock Holt) will wear number 26 for the Red Sox. Last year Scott Podsenik wore Wade Boggs old number for the Sox. Anyone who thinks Boston will retire that number hasn't been paying attention... Has anyone looked into how zombies affect Estate Planning? Would you be able to avoid Death Taxes if you just declared the passed loved one to be a zombie? ...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

There should be outrage at the Pacquiao decision but should there be any surprise? It is also funny listening to people on sports talk radio talk about the situation who did not even watch the fight (and no I did not watch the fight either).... Interesting common sense approach to business problems - The 5 Whys. I'm going to try to incorporate this approach into my every day life... The movie Heat would have been much more interesting if Al Pacino hunted Robert DeNiro with just a bow and arrow... My favorite moment of the Belmont was seeing Bob Costas interview jockey Johnny Velazquez. They were eye-to-eye. Man is Bob Costas short... Johnny Damon may not get to 3,000 hits but he already has more total bases than Wade Boggs - 4174 to 4064...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think a Romney / Petreaus ticket would really be a big winner... Seeing a confused middle aged guy in the tampon section of a CVS is one of the most bemusing moments of my week... Scott Podsednik wearing 26 for the Red Sox is the final nail in any argument people may have about Boston retiring Wade Boggs' number (even though Peter Gammons guaranteed that the owners were going to do it about 5 years ago)... Where did the phrase "steal my thunder" come from? I love stories about phrase and word origins... God's teaspoon of seawater contains billions of bacteria and around 5 million walruses - according the Bible I was reading in my dreams... Manny Ramirez is forgotten but not gone in Boston. The Red Sox still owe him 14 more yearly payments of $1.9 million. They will be paying Manny until he's 54-years old. Don't tell me that steroids don't pay...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Aaron Rogers are all still on pace to break Dan Marino's single season passing mark of 5,084 yards. Brady is on pace for just over 5,400 yards... Here's some hope for Baltimore Orioles fans - in Dan Duquette's first draft with the Red Sox he took Nomar Garciaparra and Carl Pavano who he used to trade for Pedro Martinez... Emmitt Smith is the all-time rushing leader and Brett Favre is the all-time passing leader but does anyone think they were best RB or QB in NFL history?... If I was to write a Wade Boggs biography I would title it Strangled on the Toilet - just because I don't like Boggs... I'm going to use the word "feisty" to describe random objects this week. This potato chip is feisty! What a feisty gas pump! What a feisty idea!... Teddy Roosevelt thought Thomas Jefferson didn't deserve credit for the Louisiana Purchase. Roosevelt argued that US settlers moving into the territory would have forced the matter anyway. It was far cheaper for France to sell us the "rights" to the land than defend it militarily. Besides fighting the French would have forced the US into an alliance with England which France also could not afford... People forget that in addition to drafting Nomar, Kevin Youkilis, Freddy Sanchez and others for the Red Sox - Dan Duquette also saw fit to draft people like Mark Teixeira, Pat Burrell and Aaron Harang but was unable to sign them. Can you imagine if the Red Sox had Mark Teixeira all those years?... I like the Mitt Romney idea of asking "Is this program so critical that it is worth borrowing money to pay for it?" before spending any federal funds on a program. That's the right mindset...

Red Sox Magic Number - 27

If you played word association with a Red Sox fan and said the word "Twenty-seven" the most likely reply would be "Carlton Fisk". Back in 2000 the new Red Sox ownership group retired Fisk's 27 (Fisk wore 72 when he went to the White Sox as a free agent in 1981). It was a very good PR move as Fisk remains very popular among New Englanders. It also helped heal an old wound. Fisk never should have been allowed to leave in the first place. The old ownership screwed the pooch on that one and the relationship turned contentious. The old ownership waited a whole year before handing out Fisk's 27 to the immortal Mike Brown. Including Brown - 9 other players wore 27 after Fisk left.

I don't have a problem with the Red Sox retiring Fisk's number. He was a local icon. He won the Rookie of the Year and was a 7-time all-star in his 9 full seasons with Boston. I would have issues if the Red Sox wanted to retire the number 26 though.

That number once belonged to Wade Boggs. However, since Boggs left to play for the Yankees 11 players have donned a 26 jersey. The circumstances between Fisk leaving and Boggs leaving were completely different (especially in the mind of fans - no way Fisk ever even thinks of playing for the Yankees). To understand why this is significant consider that when Jim Rice retired - the Red Sox never gave out his number 14 ever again.

Back in June of 2005, Peter Gammons wrote in his ESPN column:

This summer, the number 26 will be retired in Fenway Park and put up on the roof with 1, 4, 8, 9 and 27.

Well it's been more than 6-years and that hasn't happened. And it won't happen. Nobody is out there complaining that Boggs hasn't had his number retired. In fact I think if you asked the average fan they would have a hard time remembering what number Boggs wore. When Boggs played it all about him. His stats, his talking about himself in the third person, his Barbara Walters appearances. Is it any surprise that the only one to care about Boggs at this point is probably Boggs? Personally - I hope to see someone wearing the number 26 next spring training.

As an aside - many people think Carlton Fisk is from New Hampshire and that's understandable since he's lived much of his life in the Live Free or Die state but he was actually born in Bellows Falls, VT. I mention this as a way to bring up the recent damage in the state from Hurricane Irene. If I were President I would redirect all the money that the Department of Transportation is going to waste on "high speed rail" projects and immediately send it to repair the destroyed roads in Vermont. I think if you looked at the pictures I linked to - you'd probably agree.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Paul Pierce's World Series of Poker run ends. He made it to day 2 of the tourney but going all-in with a pair of deuces makes me wonder how he got that far in the first place... Confession - I can't see the movie Lawrence of Arabia without thinking of the porn equivalent Lawrence of a Labia... Just a reminder of how lucky - yes lucky - Wade Boggs was to get to 3,000 hits (he finished with 3,010). If Boggs didn't play at Fenway Park he would have just been an average player. Doubt me? Here's Boggs career home / road OPS splits .934/.782. So at home he was Vlad Guerrero and on the road he became Shane Victorino without the speed. Plus if it wasn't for expansion he wouldn't have even been in the league long enough to get 3,000 - Tampa Bay used the local Boggs as a marketing promotion and then dropped him after he got his hit because by that time in his career he was pretty much useless... I wonder what was the last movie to feature an overture. If Slap Shot had an overture it would have been the perfect movie... All of the Planet of the Apes movies (and TV shows) are based upon the novel by Pierre Boulle but yet he never seems to get any credit. Can you think of any other book that launched as many movies and spin-offs?... Awesome marriage proposal... Just wanted to share this but in the new Brita commercial where the lady gives bottled tap water from the mall to an Eskimo - I always imagine the woman being from New Jersey... Speaking of commercials - if you close your eyes and picture Flo from Progressive Insurance as a talking turkey carcass - then commercials become much less annoying... Some Funny or Die type site should do an Anthony Bourdain spoof. Just call it Reservations. Even better do Anthony Bourdain spoof called Really No Reservations where a Bourdain-type guy eats fish heads, bone marrow and pigs feet from dumpsters... Succulent Pork would either be a good name for a band or a good euphemism for a sex act. Black Forest isn't a euphemism but Nappy Dugout is. Rusty Jones isn't a euphemism but Filthy Sanchez is. Who decides these things?