Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Devastating ad from Mitt Romney regarding Obama and the economy in PA. The ad reminded me of this quote: “I never give them hell. I just tell the truth and they think it's hell.” Harry S Truman
- Llewellyn M. Chilson - bad ass! Saw that and wanted to verify it was true. Found out it was. How did this man not rate a Medal of Honor?
- My Little Serenity - awesome!
- Louis CK on The Daily Show explaining why farts are funny. There no argument here.
- John Lennon - fan of Ronald Reagan
- Heh heh - James Brown: Godfather of Miso Ramen Cup Noodles
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Hemingway, Hemingway, Hemingway
I've done a little bit of reading about and by Ernest Hemingway today.
First - Byliner.com has a number of Hemingway's newspaper articles written when he was a little known reporter. Makes for fascinating reading both for an early look at the style that was to become distinctly Hemingway's and the articles also give a glimpse back in time when society and accepted behavior were very different than today. There are too many little details to mention but it does make for great juxtaposition.
Second - an interesting article on Hemingway that looks at why he committed suicide.
Hemingway remains a fascinating subject. I doubt we will ever see his equal and I say that mostly because today's media would not allow for some of the self-promotion and fiction that built the myth and the name-brand of Hemingway in the first place.
I've done a little bit of reading about and by Ernest Hemingway today.
First - Byliner.com has a number of Hemingway's newspaper articles written when he was a little known reporter. Makes for fascinating reading both for an early look at the style that was to become distinctly Hemingway's and the articles also give a glimpse back in time when society and accepted behavior were very different than today. There are too many little details to mention but it does make for great juxtaposition.
Second - an interesting article on Hemingway that looks at why he committed suicide.
Hemingway remains a fascinating subject. I doubt we will ever see his equal and I say that mostly because today's media would not allow for some of the self-promotion and fiction that built the myth and the name-brand of Hemingway in the first place.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The majestic beauty of thousands of paper lanterns. Very beautiful but I had to wonder if this was somewhat of a fire hazard.
- Carl Yastrzemski holds up Thurman Munson so Carlton Fisk can pummel him during a 1973 Red Sox-Yankees melee. I'd love to have a framed copy of this photo.
- Dodgers are 11th franchise of the 4 North American sports leagues to file for bankruptcy, 4th in the past 3 years
- Absolutely loved this short video - Last Words
- Awesome - The hilarious Improv Everywhere turns NYC carousel into real-live horse race
- What Determines the Price of Gas: A Visual Guide
- The Killer Elite trailer. Hollywood is re-making all of the decent movies from my childhood. What's next - remakes of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name classics?
- Katey Sagal's first job in 1985 working with Mary Tyler Moore
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- The majestic beauty of thousands of paper lanterns. Very beautiful but I had to wonder if this was somewhat of a fire hazard.
- Carl Yastrzemski holds up Thurman Munson so Carlton Fisk can pummel him during a 1973 Red Sox-Yankees melee. I'd love to have a framed copy of this photo.
- Dodgers are 11th franchise of the 4 North American sports leagues to file for bankruptcy, 4th in the past 3 years
- Absolutely loved this short video - Last Words
- Awesome - The hilarious Improv Everywhere turns NYC carousel into real-live horse race
- What Determines the Price of Gas: A Visual Guide
- The Killer Elite trailer. Hollywood is re-making all of the decent movies from my childhood. What's next - remakes of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name classics?
- Katey Sagal's first job in 1985 working with Mary Tyler Moore
Monday, June 27, 2011
Top 5 - Famous People who Started as Accountants
One of the more surprising facts about Peter Falk that I learned upon his passing was the fact that before Falk became an actor - he was an accountant. He was an actual CPA. That got me wondering what other famous people were closet accountants? Here is my Top 5 list.
1. Bob Newhart - started out in accounting. This isn't really surprising. Bob is a favorite of mine.
2. Peter Falk - who knew?
3. John Grisham - I think most people knew that the famous novelist was a lawyer but did you know he received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University?
4. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell - he graduated from Cal Poly University-San Luis Opispo with a degree in business and accounting. It would be kinda cool to bring a UFC champ to an IRS audit.
5. (Tie) Kevin Kennedy - the former MLB Manager was a CPA. Supposedly in the minor leagues he did his players’ tax returns to make extra money. He's the only guy on the list who was probably better as an accountant than in the profession he's best known for. (Tie) Gibby Haynes - lead singer of The Butthole Surfers. He went to Trinity University and earned his degree in accounting. After graduating, he worked for over a year at an accounting firm before starting the band. Pepper is one of my favorite songs.
One of the more surprising facts about Peter Falk that I learned upon his passing was the fact that before Falk became an actor - he was an accountant. He was an actual CPA. That got me wondering what other famous people were closet accountants? Here is my Top 5 list.
1. Bob Newhart - started out in accounting. This isn't really surprising. Bob is a favorite of mine.
2. Peter Falk - who knew?
3. John Grisham - I think most people knew that the famous novelist was a lawyer but did you know he received his undergraduate degree in accounting from Mississippi State University?
4. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell - he graduated from Cal Poly University-San Luis Opispo with a degree in business and accounting. It would be kinda cool to bring a UFC champ to an IRS audit.
5. (Tie) Kevin Kennedy - the former MLB Manager was a CPA. Supposedly in the minor leagues he did his players’ tax returns to make extra money. He's the only guy on the list who was probably better as an accountant than in the profession he's best known for. (Tie) Gibby Haynes - lead singer of The Butthole Surfers. He went to Trinity University and earned his degree in accounting. After graduating, he worked for over a year at an accounting firm before starting the band. Pepper is one of my favorite songs.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Nick Charles, the original anchor of CNN's Sports Tonight, has passed away. Back in the day Sports Tonight and ESPN's SportsCenter were neck and neck. Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were much better than whatever anchors ESPN put out there. What killed Sports Tonight in the end was SportsCenter going to an hour-long format. CNN just couldn't or wouldn't compete with that. I always liked Nick Charles because I think he took his name from The Thin Man... I admit it - I'm a complete sucker for the movie You've Got Mail. Really can't explain it... Very cool. 1964 letter from Campbell Soup Product Manager to Andy Warhol... "Are you afraid the DJ will play some Blue Grass?" I don't know what it means but I kept hearing that phrase in my sleep last night... Do you think the release of the movie Zookeeper was timed to line up with annual Furry Convention? I think so... Another painting I'd like to own... Charlie Sheen was caught with briefcase of cocaine and nothing happens but if an inner city kid is caught with a single rock of crack he goes to jail. That in a nutshell is the problem with our drug laws in this country... Cthulhu doesn't play dice with the universe. (Is that how the quote goes?)... OK the FBI got Whitey Bulger but remember - the Hamburgler is still at large! Robble robble!... Pat Tillman Foundation names a new president... Sad to hear about the passing of an American original - Peter Falk. I don't think you've ever heard anyone say anything about gentleman and funny guy Peter Falk.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Nick Charles, the original anchor of CNN's Sports Tonight, has passed away. Back in the day Sports Tonight and ESPN's SportsCenter were neck and neck. Nick Charles and Fred Hickman were much better than whatever anchors ESPN put out there. What killed Sports Tonight in the end was SportsCenter going to an hour-long format. CNN just couldn't or wouldn't compete with that. I always liked Nick Charles because I think he took his name from The Thin Man... I admit it - I'm a complete sucker for the movie You've Got Mail. Really can't explain it... Very cool. 1964 letter from Campbell Soup Product Manager to Andy Warhol... "Are you afraid the DJ will play some Blue Grass?" I don't know what it means but I kept hearing that phrase in my sleep last night... Do you think the release of the movie Zookeeper was timed to line up with annual Furry Convention? I think so... Another painting I'd like to own... Charlie Sheen was caught with briefcase of cocaine and nothing happens but if an inner city kid is caught with a single rock of crack he goes to jail. That in a nutshell is the problem with our drug laws in this country... Cthulhu doesn't play dice with the universe. (Is that how the quote goes?)... OK the FBI got Whitey Bulger but remember - the Hamburgler is still at large! Robble robble!... Pat Tillman Foundation names a new president... Sad to hear about the passing of an American original - Peter Falk. I don't think you've ever heard anyone say anything about gentleman and funny guy Peter Falk.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
I was disappointed by the lack of players from the Patriot League being represented in the NBA Draft last night. That disappointment is tempered by the fact that Holy Cross had same number of players chosen as Michigan State... I really want to own this painting... If you are bitten by Abe Vigoda - do you become a zombie?... A double rainbow! What does it mean? Obama's war on Libya! What does it mean?... One thing the real draft proves is that those mock NBA drafts are ALWAYS a waste of time (just like those mock NFL Drafts)... More art that I'd like to own... Interesting tidbit - giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae... Prohibited means "not allowed" but you never hear anyone say "hibited" for things that are allowed. I'm not sure if hibited is even a word. I'll be very gruntled if it is... "Britney Spears" is an anagram for “Presbyterians”... The FBI gets Whitey Bulger and the military gets Osama bin Laden meanwhile Iran still hasn't gotten Salman Rushdie. USA! USA! USA!... Why is it OK to say "I bring you tidings of comfort and joy" around Christmas but rest of the year people will look at you funny if you say it... The tea dumped in the historic Boston Tea Party had a modern value of about $847,000. That's a little less than what Milwaukee Brewers paid 40-yr old Jim Edmonds last year... This is why I love Penn and Teller so much
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
I was disappointed by the lack of players from the Patriot League being represented in the NBA Draft last night. That disappointment is tempered by the fact that Holy Cross had same number of players chosen as Michigan State... I really want to own this painting... If you are bitten by Abe Vigoda - do you become a zombie?... A double rainbow! What does it mean? Obama's war on Libya! What does it mean?... One thing the real draft proves is that those mock NBA drafts are ALWAYS a waste of time (just like those mock NFL Drafts)... More art that I'd like to own... Interesting tidbit - giraffes and humans have the same number of vertebrae... Prohibited means "not allowed" but you never hear anyone say "hibited" for things that are allowed. I'm not sure if hibited is even a word. I'll be very gruntled if it is... "Britney Spears" is an anagram for “Presbyterians”... The FBI gets Whitey Bulger and the military gets Osama bin Laden meanwhile Iran still hasn't gotten Salman Rushdie. USA! USA! USA!... Why is it OK to say "I bring you tidings of comfort and joy" around Christmas but rest of the year people will look at you funny if you say it... The tea dumped in the historic Boston Tea Party had a modern value of about $847,000. That's a little less than what Milwaukee Brewers paid 40-yr old Jim Edmonds last year... This is why I love Penn and Teller so much
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Red Sox Magic Number - 89
The Yankees split a double header with the Reds to lower the Red Sox magic number from 90 to 89. I am very happy about that because 90 is the number of feet from home to first base and the past two starts it seems like the Red Sox starters thought they were obligated to just give away that 90 feet - even with the bases loaded! Yesterday John Lackey gave up three runs on a wild pitch, hit batter and walk with the bases loaded. The day before Alfredo Aceves walked the world and gave up two runs on walks with the bases loaded in losing to the Padres. Like I said - the Red Sox starters seemed determined to give up those 90 feet as often as possible. With the number now at 89 and with the John Lackey experience at least another week away - hopefully Boston won't be giving up such soft runs.
John Lackey has really become a lightning rod in Boston. Nobody wants him in the rotation at this point. Everyone wants him to come up with a phantom injury so that Andrew Miller or Tim Wakefield can take his starts. Both of those guys give the team a better chance to win and that's the bottom line.
Almost as big a lightning rod in Boston is JD Drew who has never been fully accepted in Boston. It looks like he may be cooked. It should be recalled that Drew was a big upgrade over fan favorite Trot Nixon who was done in Boston at age 32 but who tried to hold on for two very forgettable years in Cleveland before calling it a day. The problem is at $14 million per year Drew was expected not only to be a big upgrade over Trot Nixon but also be the next Dwight Evans. What I found strange is that at age 35 Drew is showing signs of being all done while back in 1987 at age 35 Dwight Evans posted career highs in HR (34) and RBI (123). I will just leave it at 1987 was the year of the "juiced" baseballs and I think expecting players to perform at the highest levels in their mid and late 30's is a thing of the past.
OK - so why the picture of Dino Radja? Well tonight being the NBA Draft and it being touted as one of the worst drafts talent-wise in years made me think of the 1989 NBA Draft which is recognized as one of the worst of all-time. The best thing that came from that draft as far as I'm concerned was the Celtics taking Dino Radja in the 2nd round. At the local YMCA's I later was given the nickname of "Dino" because my Radja-like offensive repertoire including an almost unstoppable jump hook.
The Yankees split a double header with the Reds to lower the Red Sox magic number from 90 to 89. I am very happy about that because 90 is the number of feet from home to first base and the past two starts it seems like the Red Sox starters thought they were obligated to just give away that 90 feet - even with the bases loaded! Yesterday John Lackey gave up three runs on a wild pitch, hit batter and walk with the bases loaded. The day before Alfredo Aceves walked the world and gave up two runs on walks with the bases loaded in losing to the Padres. Like I said - the Red Sox starters seemed determined to give up those 90 feet as often as possible. With the number now at 89 and with the John Lackey experience at least another week away - hopefully Boston won't be giving up such soft runs.John Lackey has really become a lightning rod in Boston. Nobody wants him in the rotation at this point. Everyone wants him to come up with a phantom injury so that Andrew Miller or Tim Wakefield can take his starts. Both of those guys give the team a better chance to win and that's the bottom line.
Almost as big a lightning rod in Boston is JD Drew who has never been fully accepted in Boston. It looks like he may be cooked. It should be recalled that Drew was a big upgrade over fan favorite Trot Nixon who was done in Boston at age 32 but who tried to hold on for two very forgettable years in Cleveland before calling it a day. The problem is at $14 million per year Drew was expected not only to be a big upgrade over Trot Nixon but also be the next Dwight Evans. What I found strange is that at age 35 Drew is showing signs of being all done while back in 1987 at age 35 Dwight Evans posted career highs in HR (34) and RBI (123). I will just leave it at 1987 was the year of the "juiced" baseballs and I think expecting players to perform at the highest levels in their mid and late 30's is a thing of the past.
OK - so why the picture of Dino Radja? Well tonight being the NBA Draft and it being touted as one of the worst drafts talent-wise in years made me think of the 1989 NBA Draft which is recognized as one of the worst of all-time. The best thing that came from that draft as far as I'm concerned was the Celtics taking Dino Radja in the 2nd round. At the local YMCA's I later was given the nickname of "Dino" because my Radja-like offensive repertoire including an almost unstoppable jump hook.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Here's a political prediction. President Obama's speech won't be about Afghanistan so much as it will be about the number of wars "saved" or "created"... A joke that never gets old: JaMarcus Russell was number 2 for the Oakland Raiders... Quote of the Day: "Sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern" - Samuel Johnson... Do you remember when stories of suicide bombers in Israel used to be an every day thing? It would be very interesting to see if the decline in this specific sort of terrorism was directly related to US taking out Saddam and the ending of his program of paying bounties to the families of the bombers... Adrian Gonzalez leads all of baseball in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases. He is starting to give off a Ted Williams sort feel (not that I was old enough to have experienced Teddy Ballgame)... Not looking at them! Not looking at them!... I think if Mike Shanahan was given a do-over he'd pick the University of Colorado job over the Redskins job... Derek Jeter may be the Yankees all-time hit leader and just 6 hits away from 3,000 but he's still 425 behind Carl Yastrzemski... I've said it before - I like Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hate Mike Torrez).
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Here's a political prediction. President Obama's speech won't be about Afghanistan so much as it will be about the number of wars "saved" or "created"... A joke that never gets old: JaMarcus Russell was number 2 for the Oakland Raiders... Quote of the Day: "Sir, there is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern" - Samuel Johnson... Do you remember when stories of suicide bombers in Israel used to be an every day thing? It would be very interesting to see if the decline in this specific sort of terrorism was directly related to US taking out Saddam and the ending of his program of paying bounties to the families of the bombers... Adrian Gonzalez leads all of baseball in hits, doubles, RBI and total bases. He is starting to give off a Ted Williams sort feel (not that I was old enough to have experienced Teddy Ballgame)... Not looking at them! Not looking at them!... I think if Mike Shanahan was given a do-over he'd pick the University of Colorado job over the Redskins job... Derek Jeter may be the Yankees all-time hit leader and just 6 hits away from 3,000 but he's still 425 behind Carl Yastrzemski... I've said it before - I like Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hate Mike Torrez).
Linky Links
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Operation Barbarossa at 70: The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest military adventure in history
- The decline of J.D. Drew? I feel bad for Drew. He was worth the money for the Red Sox but he won't be remembered fondly by many.
- Drunkest Guy Ever: Silent Film (Larry goes to the market). I've posted this in the past but it's too funny not to post again.
- I would seriously buy a bike like this
- Very interesting Hollywood poker story. The legal depositions should make for a great screenplay
- Mark Cuban Files The Ultimate "FU" Legal Brief
Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.
- Operation Barbarossa at 70: The Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union was the biggest military adventure in history
- The decline of J.D. Drew? I feel bad for Drew. He was worth the money for the Red Sox but he won't be remembered fondly by many.
- Drunkest Guy Ever: Silent Film (Larry goes to the market). I've posted this in the past but it's too funny not to post again.
- I would seriously buy a bike like this
- Very interesting Hollywood poker story. The legal depositions should make for a great screenplay
- Mark Cuban Files The Ultimate "FU" Legal Brief
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Very funny - Perfectly Timed Photos... The Republican National Committee should try to label President Obama as "the Onceler." The Dr Seuss estate may have a problem with that but the name does fit... I think a one-man stage show of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea starring Erik Estrada would be so bad it's good in a Springtime for Hitler type way... This site looks very intriguing - Byliner.com. I could spend a day just reading the content that is posted on the front page... Trivia Question: Who held the home run record before Babe Ruth came along? Answer- Roger Connor and his old record for home runs was just 138... Next season on Game of Thrones a great wizard and conjurer is introduced. Some call him Tim... 25 Unintentionally Inappropriate Statues... The phrase "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance because Communists couldn't obey both State and God at the same time whereas US citizens could (at least we used to be able to). The phrase was added to emphasize the difference. I may be over-reacting but the people who seem to get the most worked up about "Under God" are the same people who want a powerful central government running all aspects of a person's life... Very cool archaeology. Giant Roman palace unearthed in Upper Egypt... Did you know that Great Britain was once the world champion at ice hockey? They actually won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics. I bet there's a story there... How people view me... Roy Halladay's real name is Harry Leroy Halladay. Harry Halladay? Surprised that fans don't chant that like they chant "Larry" at Chipper Jones.
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Very funny - Perfectly Timed Photos... The Republican National Committee should try to label President Obama as "the Onceler." The Dr Seuss estate may have a problem with that but the name does fit... I think a one-man stage show of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea starring Erik Estrada would be so bad it's good in a Springtime for Hitler type way... This site looks very intriguing - Byliner.com. I could spend a day just reading the content that is posted on the front page... Trivia Question: Who held the home run record before Babe Ruth came along? Answer- Roger Connor and his old record for home runs was just 138... Next season on Game of Thrones a great wizard and conjurer is introduced. Some call him Tim... 25 Unintentionally Inappropriate Statues... The phrase "Under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance because Communists couldn't obey both State and God at the same time whereas US citizens could (at least we used to be able to). The phrase was added to emphasize the difference. I may be over-reacting but the people who seem to get the most worked up about "Under God" are the same people who want a powerful central government running all aspects of a person's life... Very cool archaeology. Giant Roman palace unearthed in Upper Egypt... Did you know that Great Britain was once the world champion at ice hockey? They actually won the Gold Medal at the 1936 Winter Olympics. I bet there's a story there... How people view me... Roy Halladay's real name is Harry Leroy Halladay. Harry Halladay? Surprised that fans don't chant that like they chant "Larry" at Chipper Jones.
Monday, June 20, 2011
True Then - True Now
File this under the more things change the more they stay the same:
"All middle-class citizens of education have a common belief that the tendencies towards centralization and paternalism must be halted and reversed." Dwight Eisenhower July 1949Although I think today it would be more true of middle-class citizens with common sense. Education is no true indicator of intelligence or common sense any more (if it ever was).
Red Sox Magic Number - 91
The Red Sox Magic Number going into tonight's game with the Padres is 91. I can't help but associate the number 91 and the Red Sox with Terry Francona wearing the injured Marc Savard's 91 jersey the other day. Marc Savard deserves to get his name on the Stanley Cup even though he did not play the required 41 games.
The Red Sox Magic Number going into tonight's game with the Padres is 91. I can't help but associate the number 91 and the Red Sox with Terry Francona wearing the injured Marc Savard's 91 jersey the other day. Marc Savard deserves to get his name on the Stanley Cup even though he did not play the required 41 games.
Flotsam and Jetsam
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Ha ha - I haven't watched a single episode of The Killing. That puts me just as close to knowing who killed Rosie as someone who spent every Sunday watching every episode of the show. WINNING!!... Very cool story. UK Marine leaves £100k to buddies for Vegas holiday. David Hart seems like he was one hell of a guy. The world is a poorer place for losing him... In 1892 Benjamin Harrison became the 1st President of the United States to attend a baseball game. Jack McKeon managed one of the teams... The Six Million Dollar Man was on air for 101 episodes and I watched it all the time - yet today I can't recall the plot to even one show... The Go-Go's had a hit with 1981's Our Lips are Sealed. For the longest time I thought they were singing "Honored to see you". When I hear the song today I cannot for the life of me understand how I made that mistake... Davis Love III has a commercial for Dove Soap where he mentions he once had a lemonade stand but drank the profits. John Daly had similar commercial but for Hooters... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... This will always be my favorite painting of Obama... I think that every non-appointed lawyer in the Justice Dept should have to pass the bar exam every 6-years or lose their jobs. Lawyers who can't pass a bar exam have no business in Justice Dept determining what is and is not important law. This change would also help weed out those trying to become permanent un-elected policy makers... Some sabermatrician should figure out a new adjusted OPS+ by removing players found to have used steroids or admitted to steroids use. Just take them out of the numbers altogether. Better to have them gone then to have them distorting the numbers of players who didn't cheat... I feel dirty for even writing this but Johnny Damon is just 9 hits away from passing Ted Williams on the all-time list... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of nicknames for Lou Gehrig was "biscuit pants". There has to be a pretty good story behind that...
Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.
Ha ha - I haven't watched a single episode of The Killing. That puts me just as close to knowing who killed Rosie as someone who spent every Sunday watching every episode of the show. WINNING!!... Very cool story. UK Marine leaves £100k to buddies for Vegas holiday. David Hart seems like he was one hell of a guy. The world is a poorer place for losing him... In 1892 Benjamin Harrison became the 1st President of the United States to attend a baseball game. Jack McKeon managed one of the teams... The Six Million Dollar Man was on air for 101 episodes and I watched it all the time - yet today I can't recall the plot to even one show... The Go-Go's had a hit with 1981's Our Lips are Sealed. For the longest time I thought they were singing "Honored to see you". When I hear the song today I cannot for the life of me understand how I made that mistake... Davis Love III has a commercial for Dove Soap where he mentions he once had a lemonade stand but drank the profits. John Daly had similar commercial but for Hooters... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... This will always be my favorite painting of Obama... I think that every non-appointed lawyer in the Justice Dept should have to pass the bar exam every 6-years or lose their jobs. Lawyers who can't pass a bar exam have no business in Justice Dept determining what is and is not important law. This change would also help weed out those trying to become permanent un-elected policy makers... Some sabermatrician should figure out a new adjusted OPS+ by removing players found to have used steroids or admitted to steroids use. Just take them out of the numbers altogether. Better to have them gone then to have them distorting the numbers of players who didn't cheat... I feel dirty for even writing this but Johnny Damon is just 9 hits away from passing Ted Williams on the all-time list... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of nicknames for Lou Gehrig was "biscuit pants". There has to be a pretty good story behind that...
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Johnny Damon - Hall of Fame Player?
Maybe this can be chalked up to either a statistical anomaly or an an example of lies, damn lies and statistics but Johnny Damon just became the 11th player in MLB history with at least 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 homers, and 2500 hits. All of the other players to rack up those numbers are in the Hall of Fame. You may have heard of some of the names on that list - Paul Molitor, George Brett, Robin Yount, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Al Simmons, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, and Babe Ruth. That's quite a list. That's some pretty heady company for Johnny Damon. But does he really belong being mentioned in the same breath as those guys?
Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Stan Musial would be insulted if you even asked. Damon is also not close in numbers to Paul Molitor's accomplishments. Surprisingly Damon has more runs scored than the great Rogers Hornsby as well as George Brett and Al Simmons. This can pretty much be explained away by the fact that Damon has normally been a lead-off or two hole hitter while the others were hitting 3rd or clean-up in the order. Put another way - Damon was the guy getting on base and they were the guys whose jobs was to drive them in.
Damon also has more runs scored than Goose Goslin who finished his career with exactly 500 doubles - so Damon will also finish with more two-baggers than Goslin. But Goose was a guy who had a career .316 batting average and an OPS+ of 128. Compare that to Damon's .287 batting average and 105 OPS+. Lou Gehrig finished his career with 2721 hits. That's a number that Damon probably will eclipse (currently Damon has 2646 hits). Does that mean a comparison between Damon and Gehrig is warranted? If you said yes - please put down the crack pipe.
The only player statistically close to Johnny Damon on that list is Robin Yount. When comparing the numbers though you have to remember that Robin Yount currently has more than 500 more games played and more than 2000 more plate appearances than Damon. If Damon plays 3 more seasons then these numbers could end up pretty damn close.
Damon - 1597 R/ 2646 H/ 500 2B/ 102 3B/ 223 HR/ 1080 RBI
Yount - 1632 R/ 3142 H/ 583 2B/ 126 3B/ 251 HR/ 1350 RBI
Damon - 392 SB/ .287 BA/ .790 OPS/ 105 OPS+
Yount - 271 SB/ .285 BA/ .772 OPS/ 115 OPS+
Those numbers are pretty damn close. I also discount the OPS+ difference to a point because Damon is damaged by playing his career among the steroid fueled OPS+ monsters who negatively affected players who did not use the needle.
The bottom line is that Johnny Damon really needs to get to 3,000 hits in order to get proper consideration for the Hall of Fame. He has been over-looked and under-valued his whole career and I doubt that will change much when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.
Maybe this can be chalked up to either a statistical anomaly or an an example of lies, damn lies and statistics but Johnny Damon just became the 11th player in MLB history with at least 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 homers, and 2500 hits. All of the other players to rack up those numbers are in the Hall of Fame. You may have heard of some of the names on that list - Paul Molitor, George Brett, Robin Yount, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Al Simmons, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, and Babe Ruth. That's quite a list. That's some pretty heady company for Johnny Damon. But does he really belong being mentioned in the same breath as those guys?
Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Stan Musial would be insulted if you even asked. Damon is also not close in numbers to Paul Molitor's accomplishments. Surprisingly Damon has more runs scored than the great Rogers Hornsby as well as George Brett and Al Simmons. This can pretty much be explained away by the fact that Damon has normally been a lead-off or two hole hitter while the others were hitting 3rd or clean-up in the order. Put another way - Damon was the guy getting on base and they were the guys whose jobs was to drive them in.
Damon also has more runs scored than Goose Goslin who finished his career with exactly 500 doubles - so Damon will also finish with more two-baggers than Goslin. But Goose was a guy who had a career .316 batting average and an OPS+ of 128. Compare that to Damon's .287 batting average and 105 OPS+. Lou Gehrig finished his career with 2721 hits. That's a number that Damon probably will eclipse (currently Damon has 2646 hits). Does that mean a comparison between Damon and Gehrig is warranted? If you said yes - please put down the crack pipe.
The only player statistically close to Johnny Damon on that list is Robin Yount. When comparing the numbers though you have to remember that Robin Yount currently has more than 500 more games played and more than 2000 more plate appearances than Damon. If Damon plays 3 more seasons then these numbers could end up pretty damn close.
Damon - 1597 R/ 2646 H/ 500 2B/ 102 3B/ 223 HR/ 1080 RBI
Yount - 1632 R/ 3142 H/ 583 2B/ 126 3B/ 251 HR/ 1350 RBI
Damon - 392 SB/ .287 BA/ .790 OPS/ 105 OPS+
Yount - 271 SB/ .285 BA/ .772 OPS/ 115 OPS+
Those numbers are pretty damn close. I also discount the OPS+ difference to a point because Damon is damaged by playing his career among the steroid fueled OPS+ monsters who negatively affected players who did not use the needle.
The bottom line is that Johnny Damon really needs to get to 3,000 hits in order to get proper consideration for the Hall of Fame. He has been over-looked and under-valued his whole career and I doubt that will change much when it comes to Hall of Fame consideration.
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