Bronson Arroyo

Just a reminder for all those folks really high on Bronson Arroyo and how he has performed for the Reds so far this year (5-1 with a 2.36 ERA). Last year Arroyo started off 4-0 with a 3.17 ERA for the Red Sox but his final mark was a 14-10 record with a 4.51 ERA (the league average ERA last year was 4.40).

With the Red Sox and Yankees Playing Tonight

Time to dust off this old gem.

“All the fans call me a homo or ‘Gay-Rod’ the whole game anyway, so I doubt it can really get much worse,” he said. “Plus, Derek Jeter told me he’s finally going to come out of the closet later this season, so we’ll be able to go through it all together.”

Historical Perspective from VDH

Victor Davis Hanson gives historical perspective to our current situation.

But why did a poorer, less educated, and more illiberal United States in far bloodier and more error-ridden wars of the past still have greater confidence in itself? Was it that our ancestors, who died younger and far more tragically, did not expect their homeland to be without flaws, only to be considerably better than the enemy's?

Perhaps we have forgotten such modesty because we have ignored the study of history that alone offers us guidance from our forbearers. It now competes as an orphan discipline with social science, -ologies and -isms that entice us into thinking that the more money and education of the present can at last perfect the human condition and thus consign our flawed past to irrelevance.

The result is that while sensitive young Americans seem to know what correct words and ideas they must embrace, they derive neither direction nor solace from past events. After all, very few could identify Vicksburg or Verdun, much less have any idea where or what Iwo Jima was. In such a lonely prison of the present what are historically ignorant Americans to make of a Fallujah or an Iranian madman's threat of annihilation other than such things can't or shouldn't or must not happen to us?

VDH is a very wise man. Read the whole thing.

Nuclear Energy and You

Eric McErlain dispells some of the myths surrounding nuclear energy. My favorite nuggett was this one regarding nuclear power's impact on the enviornment:

Worldwide, 443 nuclear power plants in 30 nations produce 16 percent of the world's electricity. By replacing fossil fuels in electricity generation, nuclear plants in 2004 reduced carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2 billion metric tons.

That's the case in California, too. According to an NEI analysis, replacing the San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear power plants with fossil electricity sources would mean an additional 16.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of emissions from one-sixth of all the cars in the state.

Yet still some "Greens" are against nuclear power.

You can get more information and insight into the world of nuclear power at NEI Nuclear Notes.

If the name Eric McErlain rings a bell - its probably because you are familiar with his super hero alter ego - Hockey Guy.

VE Day

Today is VE Day - Victory in Europe Day. It's a shame that nobody celebrates it. I guess it isn't politically correct anymore.

On May 7, 1945 - Germany surrendered to the Allied Forces led by General Dwight D. Eisenhower and on May 8th of 1945 - that surrender was celebrated as the first VE Day. The Allied Forces defeated one of the most heinous military foes in history and today we don't celebrate our victory out of fear of offending someone. I'm afraid that today many people would be caught up in asking why the Nazi hate us instead of helping to defeat them.

As Dennis Miller once noted - these days everyone is compared to Hitler and the Nazis except Hitler and the Nazis.

The Allied victory over Japan is known as V-J Day and is commemorated on August 15th. I think Rhode Island is the only state left that celebrates V-J Day. It seems to me that every year on the nightly news we see something about the Tet Offensive in Vietnam on that anniversary. It will be interested to see if one of the great accomplishments in history even gets mentioned in passing.

And we wonder why our kids don't know anything about our history.

Happy VE Day everyone!

The West Wing

Tonight's episode was pretty entertaining but in some ways annoying. The triangle of CJ having to decide between spending $10 billion doing good, spending two years working with the new Santos adminsitration or spending her time with Danny made for some interesting TV.

What bothered me was how the $.50 gas tax that just got thrown in. The show made it seem like CJ has the power to just throw new taxes into the budget when she feels the urge. Sure later on she explains that Bartlett was just trying to do something so outrageous that it would make it easier for Santos to pass his budget. However, when pressed by Santos - CJ admitted that the gas tax was her idea and that she spent less than 20 minutes convincing the President to go for it.

Talk about capricious. It took 20 minutes to decide on something that could wreck the economy faster than you can say "Jimmy Carter". I've said it before - the show was at its peak when it focused on dialog and character interaction. This episode tried to get back to its roots but then throwing in issues like a gas tax (torn from today's headlines is Law & Order's thing) just drags the show down.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix



I thought this was a pretty cool countdown clock. I am pretty bummed though by the realization that it will be over a year until the next Harry Potter movie.

You can get your Harry Potter fixes at The Leaky Cauldron.

Top 5 - Gary Cooper Movies

Today would have been Cooper's 105th birthday. Here are what I consider his 5 best movies.

1. High Noon
2. Sergeant York
3. Beau Geste
4. Pride of the Yankees
5. (tie) The Fountainhead (tie) Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Baird Bums - The Lot of Ya!

I've always been partial to the Kansas City Royals probably because I've been to Kaufman Stadium more than any other park outside of Fenway. To see the depths that the Royals have sunk is depressing and the person to blame is Allard Baird. The team is completely out of order (so to speak) - so much so that it reminds me of a famous movie quote from Scent of a Woman:

Out of order, I show you out of order. You don't know what out of order is, Mr. Trask. I'd show you, but I'm too old, I'm too tired, I'm too fuckin' blind. If I were the man I was five years ago, I'd take a FLAMETHROWER to this place! Out of order? Who the hell do you think you're talkin' to? I've been around, you know? There was a time I could see. And I have seen. Boys like these, younger than these, their arms torn out, their legs ripped off. But there isn't nothin' like the sight of an amputated spirit. There is no prosthetic for that. You think you're merely sending this splendid foot soldier back home to Oregon with his tail between his legs, but I say you are... executin' his soul! And why? Because he's not a Bairdman. Bairdmen. You hurt this boy, you're gonna be Baird bums, the lot of ya.

Baird bums - the lot of ya. Man does that describe the current Royals roster to a tee or what?

The Royals stand at 7-21 right now - which is THE WORST record in baseball. Talk about amputated spirit. The man to blame is Allard Baird and he should pay with his job.

Nothing exhibits the failure of Baird better than the current state of 3rd baseman Mark Teahen and catcher John Buck. These were the "stud" prospects Baird traded Carlos Beltran for. Combined they are hitting just .198 this season (as in 2 points below .200).

As Joe Posnanski recently put it - Baird is a decent man, but he must be fired.

Heh Heh

Kids say the funniest things.

Have a great Sunday morning.

Mint Juleps

The Cold Hard Footbll Facts has a piece on mint juleps that really made me thirsty for some bourbon goodness (even though its only 9:00 am).

Hmmmm.... mint juleps....

Happy Derby Day everyone!

Kentucky Derby Picks

Here are my picks for the Kentucky Derby.

I'm taking Lawyer Ron, Brother Derek and Sinister Minister in a $20 trifecta box. I'm not too confident in this play because of the post positions for Lawyer Ron and Brother Derek, however, it also happens to be the exact same picks as Eric's Dad and that gives me cause for hope.

I am also taking both Sinister Minister (12-1) and Sharp Humor (20-1) to show. I'm hoping that either one of those horses finishes in the money and allows me to double the money I invested in my bets.

A horse that I think could cause some noise and finish third is Showing Up out of the sixth gate. He's ridden by Velasquez and with a name like showing up - he's almost destined to run third.

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

So Jason Kendall has been suspended four games for charging the mound. It occurs to me that Kendall's chances of hitting a home run during those four games is probably as great as if he played. It has been more than 878 at bats for Kendall since his last home run. Kendall is the anti-slugger. For the past three years his OBP has been greater than his slugging percentage. You have to be a real punch and Judy hitter to accomplish that... It is still too early but technically Detroit leads either the Red Sox or Yankees by 2.5 games for the AL Wildcard.... Many people predicted great things this season for the Rangers' Brad Wilkerson (and I was one of them). It was very disappointing to see Wilkerson get off to such a slow start but now he's heating it up. Over the last seven days - Wilkerson has gone 11 for 24 (.458) with 2 HR... Mike Lowell of the Red Sox continues to be a doubles machine. So far this season he has 16 which leads the major leagues. Lowell's best mark for doubles in a season is 44 (which he did twice) and I think the top mark for a Red Sox third baseman for doubles in a season is the 51 posted by Wade Boggs. Lowell is on pace for an 80+ doubles season... Speaking of doubles - Vlade Guerrero got his first double of the season last night. Prior to last night Guerrero had 37 hits of which 29 were singles, 8 were home runs and 0 were doubles. Just sort of strange... Its kinda amazing that we are this deep into the season (about 18% of the season) and still both the Cleveland Indians (with a .311 mark) and the Toronto Blue Jays (with a .308 mark) are still both hitting over .300 as a team. Just as amazing is the fact that the Blue Jays are slugging over .500 as a team (.507)... You would expect this from a Pittsburgh or Kansas City but the Minnesota Twins are just 3-12 on the road... Break up the Royals! They've now won two games in a row. It is now a race between the Royals (7 wins), Pissburgh (8 wins) and Florida (8 wins) to see who will be the last MLB team to reach double digit wins for the season... Combined the Mets and Braves used 16 pitchers last night... Byung-Hyun Kim seems to have found a home in Colorado. He's had two starts this season and is sporting a 3.29 ERA. BK - I (one finger) salute you...

Top 5 - TV Theme Songs/Music

1. Hawaii Five-O
2. Barney Miller
3. Rockford Files
4. Cheers
5. (tie) Bonanza (tie) Raw Hide

Tom Cruise's Got the Jimmy Legs

White guys can't dance.

Porter Goss Resigns - Who's Next?

Earlier today I was looking at the odds of who would be the next to leave the Bush Administration. When I heard the news about Port Goss resigning - I checked to see what his odds were. I was surprised that he was not even listed. I think that points to either the fact that Goss' resignation was not something which was expected or maybe because the head of the CIA not a cabinet level job. It sure took me by surprise.

Here are the odds for the rest of the major players:

Treasury Secretary John W. Snow - 1/1
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff - 12/5
Health Secretary Michael O. Leavitt - 7/2
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns - 9/2
Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett - 11/2
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld - 6/1
Labor Secretary Elaine Chao - 9/1
Energy Secretary Samuel W. Bodman - 9/1
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez - 10/1
Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson - 10/1
Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta - 12/1
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales - 15/1
Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson - 20/1
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings - 25/1
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice - 35/1

I think John Snow has to be next while Rice and Rumsfeld aren't going anywhere.

EDIT: With the announcement coming on a Friday afternoon (when things are released that people really don't want to get into too many news cycles) - you have to wonder if there is more to this story.

Tom Glavine - Strikeout Machine

Tom Glavine needs just 5 strikeouts in his next start to tie Sandy Koufax for 37th place on the all-time strikeout list. With 6 strikeouts - he'll tie Kevin Brown for 36th place.

Glavine would need 152 strikeouts in the season to catch Christy Mathewson for 27th place all-time.

While Glavine keeps climbing the all-time list - he's not the leading strikeout machine still playing. Mike Mussina, John Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson all have more career strikeouts and are still active (Roger Clemens is not yet active).

Player Comparison

Possibly the biggest concern among Red Sox fans going into the season was whether Mike Lowell was all done and a waste of a line-up spot at third base. Lowell has dispelled those concerns - in a big way. Just to show how well Lowell is doing - let's compare his start to that of reigning AL MVP Alex Rodriguez.

Lowell - .333 BA / .385 OBP / .525 SLG / 2 HR / 16 RBI
A-Rod - .250 BA / .387 OBP / .438 SLG / 5 HR / 18 RBI

He may trail in HR but Lowell is doing a much better job of getting the bat on the ball. Lowell has 10 strikeouts compared to 22 for A-Rod. And what would a post speaking about A-Rod's numbers be without discussing hitting with runners in scoring position? So far this season Lowell is hitting .323 with RISP while A-Rod is hitting just .242 with RISP.

Bobby Sands and Cinco de Mayo

EDIT: I first posted this last year but I thought it was worth another look today

Have you ever seen that commercial that shows a guy walking in Ireland and he goes into a pub where the place erupts in a Cinco de Mayo celebration? It's a clever commercial but the truth is May 5th is better remembered in Ireland as the day Bobby Sands died than for a market created Mexican holiday.

25 years ago Bobby Sands died in prison. He died as the result of a hunger strike. He died protesting the fact that he was being held as a common criminal instead of as a political prisoner. Back in 1981 that was pretty powerful stuff in the Lynch household.

My brother went to see Bobby Sands' brother speak out at UMass. He came back with a poster of the event that immediately went up on the wall of our shared bedroom. I think my brother still has that poster.

You have to understand that my parents were Irish and as a first generation Irish-American I was very proud of my roots. I listened to Irish music and read Leon Uris' Trinity on a yearly basis. Bobby Sands was a hero in the Lynch household.

Today I'm not so sure how I view Bobby Sands.

The IRA was and is a terrorist organization and after 9/11 - a bombing where innocents are killed is no longer something most people who previously supported the IRA can stomach. Bobby Sands' protest hurt no-one but himself. His belief was so strong that not even a plea from the Pope could make him give up his hunger strike. I guess I still admire the passion of Bobby Sands but not his cause.

And not the IRA.

Leigh Ann Hester - Silver Star Winner

Haven't seen this in the MSM:

WASHINGTON—For the first time since World War II, a woman Soldier was awarded the Silver Star medal June 16 in Iraq. Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester of the 617th Military Police Company, a National Guard unit out of Richmond, Ky., received the Silver Star.

Good for you Leigh Ann. I hope the folks from your hometown do something nice to recognize your heroics.