Odd Thoughts

Odd Thoughts on the Holiday Season

I really dig this time of year. It does seem to get better and better, just like Duane said (you'd have heard it at AAPC Sunday School).

I like that it is the "Holiday Season." From Thanksgiving to New Years is like one big party. In the Old Testament we read about celebrations that take weeks and months or even more. I think we have a hard time conceiving of that because we live in a time when we think a party has to be one night when a bunch of people get together. But this time of year, at least to me, seems like a solid five week party. We have lots of get togethers with family and friends, and lots of good food.

I like how the whole thing is set up. The season has three major holidays, in which we celebrate three different but also connected things: first we give thanks for God's blessings and feast on the fat of such blessings, then we celebrate the victory of God's kingdom by sharing gifts with our loved ones as representation of the ultimate gift that was given for us, and then we face a new year - I time to reflect on the past and plan for an even better future.

For my house, I'd like to extend the season six more days to include Epiphany. The problem is, I don't quite know how to do it. Any suggestions?

MLB Year End Review

A few top tens:

Top Ten Noteworthy Players

10. Javy Lopez, Atlanta: Lopez outdid himself completely, and in the process set a ML record with 42 home runs by a catcher. He also set career highs in every offensive category except triples and stolen bases. Braves fans can rest assured they got Javy's best year.
9. Dontrelle Willis, Florida: Willis cooled off toward the end of the year, but for two months, he pitched with the electricity of other star rookie pitchers like Fernando Valenzuela and Mark Fydrich. He ended it with a Rookie of the Year trophy and a World Series ring.
8. Esteban Loaiza, Chicago (AL): After eight below average seasons (Loaiza has only one winning record before 2003: 9 and 5 with a 4.56 ERA for Texas in 1999), he busted out with a stellar 21 and 9 to go with a 2.90 ERA and a league leading 207 strikeouts. All that as a non-roster invitee. I think he'll get a raise.
7. Gary Sheffield, Atlanta: Sheffield, in a 16 year career with 3 other great seasons and several very good ones, set career highs in runs (126), hits (190), doubles (37), RBI (132), and batting average (.330).
6. Jamie Moyer, Seattle: The best of the 40+ crowd (see below), Moyer set career highs in Wins (21) and ERA (3.27), and shows no sign of slowing down.
5. Alex Rodriguez, Texas: A-Rod scored 124 runs, with 181 hits, led the AL with 47 home runs, and drove in 118. That's a great year, but all those figures are lows for the last three years. His team still finished last, but he did finally win the AL MVP.
4. Roy Halladay, Toronto: Halladay was lights out from May to the end of the season on a team with poor defense, in a hitters park. Nevertheless, he managed to led the majors in wins (22) and innings (266). He even managed a feat that has become quite rare in this day: a 10-inning shutout.
3. Barry Bonds, San Fransisco: Despite playing only 130 games, Bonds still finished amoung the NL leaders in almost every offensive category, including the best in on base percentage (.529) slugging (.749) and walks (148). He also hit .341, which is his second best total in his 18 year career. He is three home runs away from passing Willie Mays for third on the all-time list. He's also about a season away (120) from passing Rickey Henderson on the walks list.
2. Albert Pujols, St. Louis: Pujols set career highs in every category except RBI (130 in 2001 to 124 in 2003). He won his first batting title (.359), and evn made us believe he could become the first Triple Crown guy in a long time. He'll only be 24 when the 2004 season starts, and he'll probably get better.
1. Eric Gagne, Los Angelas: I know people will dispute my selection of Gagne as #1, but he really and truly had the best season by a relief pitcher ever. If you need further proof, I've got the research to back it up. Of course we could debate the value of closers vs. position players vs. starters. Anyway, Gagne's 2003 accomplishments as a closer were just staggering. Closers have a tendency to flame out (see Bobby Thigpen), but for the last two years, Gagne's been the best, and he's a fun guy to watch. I, for one, hope he keep's it up.

Top Ten Milestones

10. Kerry Wood reached 1,000 strikeouts faster than any other pitcher (134 games).
9. Alex Rodriguez beomes the youngest player to reach 300 home runs.
8. Jeff Bagwell and Frank Thomas reached home run #400.
7. Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa hit home run #500.
6. Rafael Palmeiro joins Jimmie Foxx as only player with nine straight years with 35 homers and 100 RBI.
5. Greg Maddux becomes only pitcher to win 15 or more games for 16 consecutive years.
4. Roger Clemens joins Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan as only pitchers with over 4,000 strikeouts.
3. Barry Bonds becomes only player to hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases.
2. Six Astros no-hit the Yankees.
1. Roger Clemens becomes the 21st pitcher to win 300

Top Ten Stories

10. Ken Griffey spent the year on the DL (surprised?).
9. Kevin Millwood's no-hitter.
8. Moyer, Edgar Martinez, Roger Clemens, and David Wells all quite successfull after 40 (not to mention Jesse Orosco).
7. Astros no hit Yankees (just too good to leave of this list).
6. Roger Celmens final year (maybe).
5. The Seattle Mariners become the greatest defensive team of all time (fewest errors).
4. A-Rod for Manny trade talks.
3. Sammy Sosa's corked bat.
2. Cubs and Red Sox make the playoffs and both fall apart with the World Series in sight.
1. The Marlins shock the Yankees and win it all.

One Mississippi, Two Mississippi

As kids, we always counted this way during neighborhood football games. We'd play a game of "5-Mississippi Rush." That is, after a count of 5-Mississippi, you could rush the quarterback. But the whole 1-Mississippi thing is really a national method for making sure your count is spaced out and not rushed. I realized that it was a national thing when I saw Ross use it in an episode of Friends. But what I want to know is, why Mississippi? There are other states in the union that have four syllables. Couldn't it have just as eaily been 1-Alabama, or 1-Massachussetts?

While you're at it, if you can tell me what "the lime light" is, I'd sure like to know.

MLB Business - A-Rod Included

This post is inspired by the MLB Players Union's recent rejection of a plan to restructure Alex Rodriguez's contract. The Red Sox and Rangers had a deal in place, provided A-Rod's contract could be restructured. For some reason, such a move requires approval from the MLBPA. The basic reason for their denial is that the MLBPA receives a percentage of each union member's (that is every player's) salary. So, a reduction in A-Rod's salary, which would be for the good of A-Rod, Texas, Boston, and all of baseball would hurt the coffers of the MLBPA, which would be bad for them, so no deal. The MLBPA is the worst thing to ever happen to baseball.

I hate the Player's Association. Their greatest achievement, the free agency 1973-1976, is at best a debatable plus for the game. Everything else they've done contributes to the collapsing economic structure of MLB. I don't want to sound like I love the Owners and the commissioner's office, but I do generally feel that they are the ones who want to fix problems and make things better for MLB for the long run.

The MLBPA is the reason we now have a system in which the Yankees win every year and the Brewers never will again. George Steinbrenner and John Henry (Red Sox) are not the cause of baseball's diverse economics. They are simply the big dogs opporating in the system they've been given. They are committed to winning at all cost, and as a result they spend big money. The other end of the spectrum has teams that are owned by corparations who only care about the bottom line - profits. I see only two ways to fix the economic discrepancy - 1) Go back to the reserve clause as things were from the beginning until the mid 70's. This would allow teams to keep the good players they develop. If this was the case, Montreal would probably have a few championships by now. 2) Institute a salary cap - just like the other sports. A salary cap would of course need a salary floor too. For instance, the Yankees would be limited to spending 110 million on payroll, but the Brewers would be required to spend at least 80. I really believe something like this would be the best option.

The MLBPA is the reason steroid testing is a sham. They do not care about the long-term future of the game, they only care about making themselves wealthier now. The owners did manage to score a small victory in the most recent bargaining session (2002), and we can only hope they'll continue to make strides in the future. The other hope is that the steroid issue will break the union, but as long as the union is as strong as it is, the business side of the game will continue to decline.

Sorry for the rant.

Help Save the Reese's Company

It seems the Reese's company, of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and Reese's Pieces fame, has fallen on hard times. How, you ask, have I come to this conclusion? Well, every time I turn around at the convenience store, they have a new version of the peanut butter cups. Sheesh, they've got the big cup, the bite size, the honey roasted, the dark chocolate, the white chocolate, and the inside out. Was the original just not selling anymore?

Maybe they need to revive those comercials from the mid 80's in which two single, young people "accidently" end up with their peanut butter and chocolate mixed together, allowing them to make a simultaneous discovery that peanut butter and chocolate actually taste good together. For some reason, this happened at a movie a theater, and what I want to know is, how many of you have actually brought a jar of peanut butter to the movies? Anybody? And, if you did, would you insist on sharing the half-eaten candy bar that a stranger mistakenly shoved into your jar of Skippy?

With candy in mind, I do want to give props to Reese's for the Fast Break candy bar. Jon Amos turned me on to them about a year ago, and I've been very pleased. It's no Snickers, but I'd say it's a strong second. Here's my top five:

Snickers
Fast Break
Almond Joy
Twix
Payday

A Christmas/Baseball Pun

This is a true story. In the mid 70's, when free agency came along in baseball, Cubs third baseman Ron Santo became the first player to exercise his new rights as a 10/5 guy (10 years in the majors with the last 5 on the same team). The rule is refered to these days as the 10 and 5 rule, but in the 70's, it was known as the "Santo Claus."

BCS Thoughts

I guess everybody is entitled to make some complaints, so here's some of mine. I'm tired of hearing USC is the #1 team. Wake up, Jimmy, they are not the undisputed #1. The BCS, like it or not, is considered to be the official ranking system of college football, and they say USC is #3. The NCAA has tied themselves to the BCS, and regardless of what the AP or ESPN says, it's what the BCS says that counts. On January 4th, the national champion will be crowned and it will be LSU or Oklahoma, even if USC beats Michigan 100 to 0. I do believe the BCS is flawed, but the whole reason it's here is because the NCAA realized that they had to do something about the terrible decisions made by the AP and ESPN polls.

Two other small points: 1) I'm obviously rooting for LSU, but I must be clear about the fact that I am a Washington State fan (it's another Northwest hangover). 2) I favor a playoff system that takes the top 8 teams, as determined by the BCS or some other subjective poll.

Finally, A Bible Teens Can Relate To

In Saturday's News Star I was informed of a great new version of the Bible (New Testament) created by Thomas Nelson. It's Revolve! It's the New Testament, from beginning to end, in teen-girl magazine form. It has beauty tips, Top 10 lists, quizzes and all the features we've come to expect from publications like Seventeen. Here's what folks have to say:

Revolve, the new Bible for girls between the ages of 12 and 17, offers the complete New Testament in a fashion magazine format, replete with images of stylish, smiling young women, quizzes and celebrity birthdays (sorry, no horoscopes). - Alexandra Altar, Regional News Service

My friends, they don't like to read the Bible, but once they saw it they were like, `I'm going to have to get me one of those.' - Brooke Nichols, 15, Nashville, TN

They're great because they don't make things look churchy or Christiany. They have a real fresh perspective on Christian products. - Kate Etue, Managing Editor of Revolve on the quizzes and lists.

I just can't believe it's taken so long for us to get a version of the Bible that the media-savvy kids of today can relate to. It's been a long time comin'. So if there's a teen girl on your Christmas list, that just can't relate to all that Christian mumbo-jumbo, order Revolve for her right now.

Mariner Update

Fortunately, we managed to resign Shigetoshi Hasagawa, and we appear to be interested in some prime-time free agents (Miguel Tejada, Eddie Guardado). With the first arbitration deadline gone (Yesterday was the dealine for offering arbitration to players with over six years of MLB experience), the Mariner's needs have become clear. We did offer arbitration to third-string catcher Pat Borders, and I don't know why. Wouldn't we be better off bringing up a young player instead of a forty-year-old that has 26 total at bats for us over the last three years? We did not offer arbitration to six players - three hired guns that really never figured in to our long-term plans (Armando Benitez, John Mabry, and Rey Sanchez) and three players that have been a big part of the successful Mariner teams of the past four years(Mike Cameron, Mark McLemore, and Arthur Rhodes). You can read a tribute to Cameron, McLemore, and Rhodes in the extension.

One quick question: with Little Matsui signed on the Mets, and Tejada being pursued by the Giants and Orioles (besides us), could we, all of the sudden, end up in the Nomar Garciaparra race, should A-Rod end up in Boston?

Mark McLemore is a type of player that doesn't really get noticed unless he's on the team you follow, but M's fans had to take note especially in 2001 when he played six different positions, with a regular starting role, and scored 78 runs, drove in 57 and stole 39 bases. He declined a bit in 2003, but still managed to get some clutch hits. He's never been a super-star, and he's rarely been a regular starter (started in only 4 out of 18 seasons), but he's been a valuable major leaguer for a long time and should find a spot on somebody's bench for 2004. When you play six positions, steal bases, and switch hit, there's always a need somewhere.

Arthur Rhodes lost some of his edge in 2003, but he's been perhaps the very best left-handed setup man over the last few years. He was especially effective in 2001 and 2002 goin a combine 18 and 4, in 137 appearances, 164 strikeouts in 137.2 innings, and a 2.03 ERA. As a left handed reliever at age 34, he probably has about 15 more years on a major league roster. Unfortunately for us, some of those years will be with the A's and Yankees.

I've been hoping the M's brass would choose Randy Winn over Mike Cameron since the season ended, but Cameron will definitely be missed. Cameron is the best center fielder in the game - better than Andruw Jones; better than Torii Hunter (Cameron led all MLB outfielders with 8 win shares, no other outfielder in either league did better than 6.5). However, Cameron's bat has really been a problem over the last two years. He strikes out more than Jay Buhner, with the Jay's offensive perks. He's our last remaining player directly involved in the Griffey trade (unless you count Ben Davis who came via a trade for Brett Tomko). Cameron had tough shoes to fill, and while he never hit like Griffey (and really Griffey didn't do that after he left either), he was better on defense, and he was a fantastic personality in the clubhouse. He will definitely find decent money on the free agent market (maybe even Oakland), and his smiling face and love for the game will be missed. Good Luck, Mike Cameron.

Christmas Shopping

It seems like the whole Weekend after Thanksgiving shopping spree just gets more and more out of hand each year. Do people not realize that these same items can be purchased the day before Thanksgiving? I know there's "good sales" out there, but are they really worth the hassle? Besides that, these sales are just ploys to get a whole bunch of spend-happy people out in the stores so that they'll buy all the other non-sale items (not that there's anything wrong with that). A co-worker was telling me that he went to the mall on Friday just to watch the pandemonium. He said he actually saw two ladies choking each other over a toy. Do people not realize that we have computers were all these things can be ordered at any time? Merry Christmas.

Odds and Ends

Sophie just keeps doing more and more stuff. She's practically uncontrolable on the changing table (I might need some hospital restraints). She crawls, and she seems to be on the verge of saying a few words. She at least makes verbal responses. She passed her sixth month on November 21st; she's zero and a half.

We had the tremendous pleasure of spending our Thanksgiving holiday with the Deacon Blues family. They took their vacation and flew down to Monroe from Moscow for ten days and I'd say we had a pretty good time. It's nice when friends from far away make good on their promises to "come visit some time." They've got a pretty good looking baby too.

Pat and Shannon keep giving us the slip. Without any coordination, we always seem to be going out of town when they come. It's really nobody's fault, but for the last year it seems like it always goes that way. Shannon, we will be at the Trisler's on Christmas day, just so you know.

For you baseball fans out there dying for some kind of news, check out MLB.coms's Hot Stove Report (I've added a permenat link at the bottom of the list). They have new info everyday on both actual transactions and rumors. The MLB winter meetings start in one week, so there will surely be a lot of things going on. Pitchers and catchers report in about 10 weeks.

Odd Thoughts on the Liberal Agenda

I recently heard an anti-racism radio ad that went something like this: A man is introduced to an audience as the CEO of the company (applause). The new CEO begins to speak, and we're taken to a private conversation between two employees in the back of the room. One employee says to the other something like, "I'm really proud of Andrew (the CEO). He's really come a long way, for a black man. Know what I mean?" The other employee pauses and says, "No, Jimmy, I don't know what you mean." Then the announcer comes on and says something about hate stops when we take a stand. Now, I would be totally fine with this ad, if we weren't getting a completely different message every where we turn. I think it's great that "Andrew" became the CEO, and it is completely unnecessary to point out his color. However, if this is really the goal, then why must we continually hear about great things that are now being done by blacks? For instance, Mississippi State just hired a black football coach, and instead of hearing about how qualified he is and how he was the best man for the job, all we hear is that he's the first black football coach in the SEC. I just don't see how these two agendas mix.

Another recent article from our very own News Star told us all about the Bayou Classic (The rivalry game between Grambling and Southern - two predominantly black universities). The paper said (I'm not making this up), "It was like a black Mecca [as opposed to the white mecca]; a great black event." There is no way white people could get away with saying that. Am I missing something here?

By the way, I ran these thoughts past a co-worker of mine, who happens to be a middle-aged black woman. She agreed with me whole-heartedly.

Odd Thoughts on Curt Schilling

I was quite pleased that Schilling accepted a trade to the Red Sox rather than holding out for a deal with the devil (the Yankees). Mind you, I have no particular loyalty to the Red Sox, other than their rivalry with New York, but I do feel that there are some serious heart-of-a-champion issues involved in Schilling's choice between the two (a test that Karl Malone failed earlier this year).

Schilling could have taken the attitude that going to NY would practically assure him of another World Series ring. That would be great, and what player wouldn't want to have two? But winning a World Series for the Yankees would be nothing more than riding the coat tails of an already great team (just like Karl Malone felt he needed to ride the coat tails of Shaq and Kobe to get a ring). But by choosing the Red Sox (he could have chosen other teams and still qualified as a champion), Schilling has shown that he wants to be the difference maker on a decent team and take that team to the next level. How much sweeter will a second title be for Schilling if he does it in Boston? A championship in Boston would be a huge accomplishment, whereas another title in NY is just that, another title (ho-hum).

The other benefit for Boston is that now they have a true ace-pitcher. A pitcher that wants to go the extra innings. A guy that always wants to throw in the big game. Sorry, Pete, but I don't think Schilling would take the day off because of a sore throat.