Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

My initial reaction to the Red Sox obtaining Wade Miley was "Meh". But I am willing to give Ben Cherington the benefit of the doubt... Geek joke - two chemists walk into a bar, first says "I'll have H2O." Second says "I'll have H2O too". Second chemist dies... Wade Miley does look like a pretty far out dude though... If you replace the word "ham" with the word "condoms" then Green Eggs and Ham becomes a very strange gay cruising book...  Very classy move by the Canadiens... There should be a Cracker Barrel Prevention Hotline that gives people options of much better restaurants in the area... "You're branded as a liar and you'll remain a liar for the rest of your life"... Speaking of lying - funny how some people who think it is wrong to lie to children about Santa Claus still cling to the idea that Obamacare is a workable solution... Heh heh... I think Craigs List should rename "Casual Encounters" to "Hob-Knobbing" - just because... Bonnet de douche means "shower cap" in French but doesn't it sound more like a more snarky version of the insult "ass hat"?... Santa painted into great works of art...

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (35) Sinnerman by Nina Simone.

It Wasn't Personal - It Was Business

So Jon Lester has signed with the Chicago Cubs for $155 million over 6-years. I agree with Rob Bradford that the reason this happened was simply because Boston didn't want him as much privately as they publicly claimed. An extra $20 million and a vesting seventh year was the difference. That difference would mean NOTHING to ownership if they really wanted Lester back.

Simply put - the team didn't want to sign a 31-year old pitcher to a long-term deal. But publicly they had to make it look like they did.

I like Jon Lester and will continue to root for him but what is becoming increasingly clear to me is what I really root for is laundry. Whoever is wearing the Red Sox uniform is the guy I cheer for (unless that guy is dickhead AJ Pierzynski).

Many people will place the blame for losing Jon Lester on Larry Lucchino and to a certain degree they would be right. I would guess that the low-ball $70 million over 4-years offer the team made to Lester in the Spring had Larry's fingerprints all over it. Larry is also the guy to blame for ownership thinking Bobby Valentine was a competent manager. Balancing the negatives, however, are the undeniable positives of three World Series Championships in the last decade and the fact that Lucchino was the man mainly responsible for turning Fenway Park from what was becoming a urine soaked rathole into a great (albeit expensive) place to experience an MLB game.

The real blame for losing Lester rests with principal owner John Henry. Simply put - he didn't want to sign a 31-year old pitcher to a long term deal. If he really wanted Lester back - then the extra $3 million a year (the cost for a below average veteran back-up outfielder) would have been no obstacle.

So now the Red Sox have a pretty potent line-up, some spare parts to deal and some starting (and bullpen) holes to fill. It should be interesting to see what laundry Ben Cherrington can come up with for me to root for.

Meanwhile - Godspeed Jon Lester.

Top 5 - Otters in US History

Here are what I consider to be the Top 5 Otters in US history. List in reverse order of significance:

5. Obadiah Otter - he was a curious otter who happened upon the Donner Party in 1846. These were the first humans Obadiah ever encountered and as it worked out also the last. He is historically significant because he kept the Donner Party from resorting to cannibalism (for an additional 36 hours).

4. Jeremiah Otter - his wife and adopted son were killed by a Crow Indian raiding party. He spent the rest of his life tracking down Crow Indians and ripping out their necks while they slept. He became a Rockie Mountain legend and some say a myth. Some even say he's up in those mountains still.

3.  Sergeant York Otter - while it was widely reported that the Navy experimented with strapping bombs to dolphins it is lesser known that the Army had a similar project utilizing otters. Sergeant York Otter was named after the WWI hero and died during a training accident.

2. Sacagawea Otter - the only female otter on the list. She was the mascot of the Lewis and Clark expedition party until she was killed by Meriwether Lewis and her pelt was exchanged for some corn meal.

1. Bedford Otter - this otter is significant because as a youth he used to live in a pond in Bedford Falls and one winter when he was young he was poking around under the ice to the point where he caused a few cracks.  These cracks broke when a young Harry Bailey was sledding onto the ice. In one timeline Harry's older brother George was able to save Harry but in another timeline George wasn't around to save Harry. In a third less publicized timeline - Bedford Otter didn't nose around under the ice and Harry never fell into the icy waters. In that timeline George Bailey was a whole lot less necessary to the happiness of Bedford Falls.

Just missing the list - Otter from Animal House.

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (34) Merry Go Round by Kacey Musgraves.

Linky Links

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

- I could never get away with this look

- Cool - Bill Belichick gives the Patriots two days off after win in San Diego. I think he even smiled when he did it!

- Poignant - Guy Lafleur kneels before the departed Jean Beliveau

- Yesterday was the 34th anniversary of Berke Breathed's awesome Bloom County first appearing in print. Here was the first strip.

- Is it me or is pretty much every picture of Joe Biden just a caption contest waiting to happen?

- (Still) Awesome - Eddie Vedder and Jeanne Tripplehorn (as Julie Andrews) sing Rolling Stones Shattered

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (33) Woke Up This Morning by Alabama 3.

It's a Wonderful Cure for Bad Eyesight

It's a Wonderful Life is a staple of Christmas and a tradition for many on Christmas Eve but just thinking of it make me need to nitpick on this one little thing that has always bothered/amused me. 

When Jimmy Stewart is alive and him and Donna Reed are busy making kids - her eyesight is perfect. No eyeglasses for Donna Reed. But when Jimmy never existed - all of a sudden the librarian / spinster Reed needs eyeglasses. What happened? 

Now you can argue that she needs glasses because as a librarian she reads more books but I'm not buying that. I think Frank Capra was trying to send out a pro-sex message. Sex is so good it makes your eyesight better! Jimmy Stewart's cure for nearsightedness (that would be a good name for a band - well maybe not). 

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (32) In a Big Country by Big Country,

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Today is Pearl harbor Day. On this day I'm always reminded that in 1941 Bob Feller became the first big leaguer to volunteer for military service shortly after the day that will live in infamy. More than anything he did on a baseball diamond - it was this act that Ted Williams always associated with Feller (and maybe the thing he was most jealous of)... Heh heh - Protestant chess... Knock knock. Who's there? Control freak. Now's the part where you say, "control freak who?"... Yesterday Steven Wright turned 59... I still say that Two and a Half Men should not have added Aston Kutcher. They should have added Ellen DeGeneres to take over Charlie Sheen's role and not said a word. Like when they switched Darren's on Bewitched... Heh heh... Just curious - was Ben Roethlisberger asked to be in those NFL "No More" commercials?... Wow - now I want to know more about James Oliver Curwood...

State of the Red Sox

Everyone knows that the Red Sox top three priorities are starting pitching, starting pitching and starting pitching. Everyone also knows that Plan A to address starting pitching is Jon Lester. However, I agree with Tony Massarotti that pitching not Lester is the priority for Boston. I also agree with Brian MacPherson that the Red Sox need to cash in their trade chips for a starter or two no matter what happens with Lester.

It would be best for Boston to trade Yoenis Cespedes, Jackie Bradley Jr.. Allen Craig, Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino. These guys really have no place in the 2015 line-up right now (although Middlebrooks and Bradley could be stashed in Pawtucket and I'm curious if Craig can bounce back after his awful 2014 season - I wouldn't mind keeping him as the 13th position player instead of selling low on a potential All-Star). I have Daniel Nava and Brock Holt as my super-utility guys so they are not on my trade list.

Use the above guys plus some pieces from the well stocked farm system to trade for two of the following (maybe just one if Boston signs Lester); Jeff Samardzija, Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister, Matt Latos, Rick Porcello, and of course Cole Hamels. If the Red Sox add two veteran starters they would be in good shape and well positioned to make a move at the 2015 trading deadline.

I have faith in Ben Cherington that he'll make the right moves. I am worried, however, that on Friday Boston principal owner John Henry goes to visit Jon Lester and then on Saturday we see the pieces from Massarotti and MacPherson saying "this isn't all about Lester you know." The conspiracy theorist in me questions the timing of the articles.

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (31) Milky Chance by Stolen Dance.

Linky Links

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

- Sometimes I have the sense of humor of a 10-year old - NFL logos redesigned as dicks

- Be on the look-out for a "one-eyed fat man" in Kentucky

- Amen

- Holy crap! I had no idea eagle talons were so huge

- The brothers who built AC/DC

- Tom Brady is most awesome telemarketer ever

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (30) Johnny Appleseed by Joe Strummer.

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (29) Four Green Fields by Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers.

Player Comparison

Here's a Player Comparison between two pitchers

Player A: Age 30 / Height 6'4" / Weight 240 / GS 252 / IP 1596
Player B: Age 31 / Height 6'5" / Weight 205 / GS 191 / IP 1510

I use different ages for two reasons - Player A was born in January while Player B was born in November also Player B basically lost a season to the 1995 Player's Strike. I consider the players to be fairly similar in body types and pitching styles (though Player A is a lefty and Player B a righty).

The reason I think this is a pertinent Player Comparison is because Player A is Jon Lester and the Red Sox may be considering signing him to a six-year deal. Player B is Curt Schilling who averaged 217 innings pitched in the next six years after his age 31 season. I happen to think six years is a good risk on Lester.

I don't buy that Schilling was just 205 pounds though.

John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry

Many people look at the firing upon Fort Sumter as the spark that lit the Civil War but I think the real spark came back in 1859 when John Brown and his "army" of 21 attacked and occupied the armory at Harpers Ferry, VA.

The next day, US Marines under the command of US Army Colonel Robert E. Lee (how's that for irony) attacked Brown and his men. When the gun smoke cleared, 10 of Brown's men were dead (including 2 of his sons) and Brown was taken prisoner and shortly thereafter he was hanged. In fact on this very day 155 years ago.

I find it slightly amusing that most history books and mentions of Brown on the Internet either gloss over or omit completely the fact that Brown was almost certainly insane.

I'm not making any moral judgments on Brown's actions. I'm just saying that he was crazy. Seriously. When I first saw a picture of John Brown - I thought I was looking at Charlie Manson circa 1850.

The John Brown / Charles Manson analogy isn't that bad. Brown raided the armory because he wanted to arm slaves to start a full-fledged slave revolt. Charles Manson has said that he killed those folks in the Hollywood Hills because he hoped that blacks would be blamed and that would spark a race war in the US. This may be one of those things that I only find interesting. 

Linky Links

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

- This is what cows look like when you blow dry them. I have to wonder if this was some sort of experiment by the NFL looking into suede footballs.

- If you had any doubts that Vladimir Putin was nothing but a leader of thugs.

- And speaking of Russia - this is what man-made climate change looks like.

- 21 phrases you use without knowing you're quoting Shakespeare.

- Interesting interview about what it's like to be a scientist at CERN

- Mmmmm - low carb and gluten free salad

100 of My Favorite Songs

Today's offering (28) Ain't No Sunshine by Bill Withers.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I thought the Patriots played "OK" on Sunday against the Packers. I think the cold affected Tom Brady's grip on the ball more than it did for Aaron Rodgers and was a bit surprised at that. What was disappointing was Stephen Gostkowski missing the field goal attempt at the end. Those 3 point would have meant a Patriots cover and I wouldn't have lost my bet on New England... Bill Cosby resigns from the Temple University Board of Trustees... Just a thought but I wouldn't put it past Billy Beane if he signed Billy Butler so quickly because he plans to trade him at the July trading deadline next season... He does look like an angry lobster boat captain... I wonder if Bill Cosby is on the UMass Board of Trustees?... Who knew? Great Britain was once great at hockey. They won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics... In his 2012 special Fully Functional Jim Jefferies tells a story about the Montreal Just for Laughs festival in which he describes opening for a comedian Hollywood movie star who was very "rapey". Given the stories that have come out about Bill Cosby - I wonder if anyone has gone back to Jefferies to ask him who the "rapey" comedian was?