Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
... Once I began my life as a novelist, my wife and I decided that we'd go to bed soon after it got dark and wake up with the sun. To our minds, this was a more natural, respectable way to live. We also decided that from then on we'd try to see only the people we wanted to see, and, as much as possible, get by without seeing those we didn't. We felt that, for a time at least, we could allow ourselves this modest indulgence. ...
Thanks to this pattern, I've been able to work efficiently now for twenty-seven years. It's a pattern, though that doesn't allow for much of a night life, and that sometimes makes relationships with other people problematic. People are offended when you repeatedly turn down their invitations. But, at that point, I felt that the indispensable relationship I should build in my life was not with a specific person but with an unspecified number of readers. My readers would welcome whatever life style I chose, as long as I made sure that each new work was an improvement over the last. And shouldn't that be my duty - and my top priority - as a novelist? I don't see my readers' faces, so in a sense my relationship with them is a conceptual one, but I've consistently considered it the most important thing in my life.
In other words, you can't please everybody.
Even when I ran the club, I understood this. A lot of customers came to the club. If one out of ten enjoyed the place and decided to come again, that was enough. If one out of ten was a repeat customer, then the business would survive. To put it another way, it didn't matter if nine out of ten people didn't like the club. Realizing this lifted a weight off my shoulders. Still, I had to make sure that the one person who did like the place really liked it. In order to do that, I had to make my philosophy absolutely clear, and patiently maintain that philosophy no matter what. This is what I learned from running a business. ...
- Haruki Murakami
The only outfielders that got run on more often than Pierre last year were Gonzalez and Ethier, with Ethier being way below everyone in baseball.
I wonder why that was?
2007 in CF: opponents took the extra base 99 of 146 opportunities (67.8%), 30th among MLB CF
2008 in LF: extra bases 27 out of 65 opportunities (41.5%), 19th among LF.
I read the English translation, I have no idea how it would read in its original Japanese.
It was a good read but I'm not sure everyone would enjoy it.
This probably stopped once Ethier started collecting a ton of assists.
You must find it amusing when you have to defend Juan Pierre's noodle arm. This is one aspect where I don't accept the statistical evidence that a weak arm results in only a few extra runs a season. If you tell me it is black and white I will say the noodle variable is missing from your calculation and put my hands over my ears.
http://tinyurl.com/6eca62
Loney: third worst first baseman (buried by defense)
Kent: sixth worst second baseman
DeWitt: middle of the pack thanks to defense
Martin: fouth best catcher
Pierre: fourth worst left fielder
Kemp: middle of the back centerfielder
Jones: second worst centerfielder (soundly crushing Michael Bourn)
Ethier: fifth best right fielder (right ahead of Werth)
The defensive metric used is based on UZR which is considered one of the best out there. Small sample size still applies on defensive numbers, which should be good news for Loney.
http://tinyurl.com/6llztj
Martin (16 runs above average), Ethier (9.2), Kemp (6.2), DeWitt(-2.1), Pierre(-3.1), Kent (-3.6), Loney (-10.1), Jones(-13.7)
*Murakami wrote his first fiction when he was 29.
He said he was suddenly inspired to write his first novel while watching a baseball game ... in the instant that Hilton hit a double, Murakami suddenly realized he could write a novel ...*
There must be some uncompleted connection here regarding Andruw Jones, Juan Pierre and each of them appearing in the Dodgers line-up in the future.
Then again, I've never seen any particular reason to use or trust UZR.
Maybe means he is the heir to Jeff Kent's thrown, which is not a great sign for LaRoche.
"Brian Giles makes 10 million dollars and has 30 rbi! Think about that for a minute. Giles ranks 64th in mlb outfielders in rbi. That is deplorable and should be unacceptable. The very idea that you should hold onto Giles because he is Mr. Wacky in the clubhouse and he draws 2 walks a game is just plain stupid and last place thinking. By the way, I bet fans just flock to Petco to watch Giles draw 2 walks a game and strikeout looking in his 3rd at bat."
(Of course, a player who drew walks in two of every three PA's, and struck out in the third, would be by far the most valuable player in baseball.)
Oh, and I've loved Murakami but agree his novels are not for all tastes. I also liked A Wild Sheep Chase.
I appreciate the ability to draw a walk, but ultimately, if you ain't hitting, you're sitting.
Absolutely he would, if his OBP was .667. And it wouldn't be close. You can't tell me with a straight face you'd sit such a player on the bench.
Walk, Walk, Strikeout (1 out), Walk, Walk (run scores), Strikeout (2 outs), Walk (run scores), Walk (run scores), Strikeout (third out). Three runs, no hits, no errors. Rinse and repeat nine times.
Hey, this is fun!
Here's an experiment for you. Over a full game, this comes out to 27 strikeouts and 54 walks. Distribute that any way you like -- find whatever is most favorable to the pitcher -- and I guarantee you that no matter how you distribute them, this team is still going to be scoring a couple dozen runs a game.
That dude is the best player in baseball, I'm telling you. He'd pound* the crap out of a team with nine Babe Ruths.
(*Figuratively pound, I guess. But pound.)
what is the value of a guy who does not hit the ball (as our hypothetical player does not do by definition) when you've got a tie game and a runner on second or third? in theory, it sounds great, in practice, he's worthless because the one thing he can do to advance the offense is entirely related to the actions of the pitcher.
Also, I would point out, that in practice, this hypothetical hitter would not be able to maintain his .667 obp because eventually, pitchers would realize he can't hit the ball and would throw more strikes.
So Babe Ruth was even better that a theoretical guy we created to be the best player?
Bob-baiting! Rule 2!
51 The theoretical guy was created by DePo's nemesis as an example of the worst type of player. I merely noted that such a player would not be bad, but actually incredibly good.
I guess so because I don't know what he's talking about either?
Did I make that up?
That running joke had very little traction and was quickly abandoned for a line of Cody Ross-related jokes.
Hey, so since we're all bored and have this break from the Dodgers, and on the subject of writing as posed here by the post above, here's a question:
For my baseball script, do you think it's better to have the story's fictional baseball team be an expansion team (in their first year) or have them be an established (but still fictional) team? I think the former lends itself to more possibility but if they're just a really bad one-time expansion team it could work, too.
And do you like the name the Portland Pioneers?
(I'm picturing a terrible mascot that comes in on a covered wagon.)
Since Beavers was already taken, I believe.
http://tinyurl.com/portlandpioneers
I've been listening to music all night. There's nothing on TV. There's nothing to blog about. And my internet connection is spotty.
http://tinyurl.com/andruw
68 Yah... I could see that. It could be the Cleveland Indians after they end up moving after the Major League movies are over, everything falls apart after all and they have to move. (Can't see that happening, though.) I want it to not set up too many questions that can't be answered without distracting, though. Which is why I thought simply an expansion team... but I'll think about it. Hmm... could be the Marlins. I could see them moving. But I want it to be a team without much talent.
Daniel knows of my problems. He heard the swearing from 600 miles away.
and explaining the move can be done in the opening credits, a news report on the local tv, a shot of a head line, a stadium being built - a couple of shots will tell the viewer what happened.
if it's a team that moves, i'd suggest the pirates, they have quite a history so it would explain having to leave the name.
here's the set up: pro poker player on a monsterably terrible run, he takes his last 30k to vegas for a final stand. he has a girl there but he doesn't really feel a connection with her beyond the obvious physical stuff. he's met another girl that he wants desperately, i can't figure out if she should be anything more than a phantom in his life.
thoughts?
What is the overall message to the film? That should help you formulate characters and what they should do and represent.
I think expansion works, especially if you want to represent change. Using a franchise that is having a rough go of it has been done (Major League, Angels in the Outfield, Little Big League, Rookie of the Year, yes I know I am young). If the expansion team is supposed to represent changing of the guard or something, the name Portland Pioneers works perfectly.
Yeah, sorry I read underdog's post and was thinking script.
I think you could produce something really good with that main theme. Does he eventually realize that he can't control things? Because if so, you could make this woman a completely unassuming character that really means nothing to him, but progressively grows on him and he realizes you can't control who you love.
the problem is this new woman. i wasn't really expecting to have her in the story, but then a scene kind of developed on its own and i want to explore the subplot. especially since girl #1 is starting to get on my nerves.
"Unlike the song, I have never known when to walk away from a poker game but I have always known when to run from it."
Well if you want him to not learn his lesson soon enough, he pretty much has to lose the girl at the end.
Kind of like every gal in every poker movie (okay the two more famous ones).
Though, Piper Laurie's character is pivotal to The Hustler.
Is the old gal just a constant reminder of his losing?
girl #1 - a would be model/actress, day time gig as a real estate agent. they are casual bed partners, but she's also a bit clingy. our hero gets annoyed by her, but mainly because everything else in his life is going bad.
girl #2 - a "dancer" who is looking to get out of the business. pretty much the exact opposite of everything our hero has known. while he does not believe in luck, and believes he can exert his will over the universe; she believes in luck and astrology and things like numerology.
Hmm, maybe I can work on KG's novel for awhile and he can take on my script for a bit.
The natural progression for me is that through the second girl he realizes his need for the first girl, but because of his desire to control things he ruins with her and figures out his lesson to late. She leaves Vegas never sees him again. The "dancer" just represents his catalyst for change.
That is awesome!!! When I got to work on a TV program I just got to meet Goldberg from the Mighty Ducks and he was definitely on something.
KG did you see that poker movie with Eric Bana and Drew Barrymore? It wasn't that great (though a little better than the reviews) but had some interesting stuff in it. A poker novel is a different kettle of fish of course, more room for depth.
You could do something where he is just playing a throw away game and she just completely dominates the action and really irritates him. He starts to question his ability to control things and that makes him interested in this woman. He becomes involved with her and through her he learns all these lessons and then she just leaves him out of nowhere when he thinks everything is going great. Adds to the idea that he cannot control things.
So it would seem that he would have an internal conflict with girl no. 2.
I think that would be extremely fascinating, but I guess it depends on if you want to do something that is about baseball or just uses baseball to say something.
FX had a show a couple years back about a poker player/obsessive gambler, can't remember the name of it any more.
There was a show on ESPN called Tilt. Maybe that is it.
I vaguely remember that show now.
well, I'm going to go finish watching "Generation Kill" now, which is a great thing to watch just before bed.
Thanks, good night and good luck.
Yeah, that is definitely true. Poker definitely represents arrogance.
I just felt like bringing that up.
It's basically the Dodgers' 2008 season as seen through IMDB keywords.
lowest-scoring teams
semblance of consistency
players in their early- to mid-20s
veterans
under-performed
disabled list
back-breaking loss
$36.2-million contract
Juan Pierre
hasn't looked like himself
shoulder problems
veteran positions players
disabled list
stiff back
earning the trust
highly touted nucleus of young players
youngsters
'Don't play with matches'
gentle demeanor
more receptive to the message
no substitute for experience
make adjustments
unpredictability of their lineup
consistently
game plan
execute
consistency
work ethic
guys who succeed
low home run total
baffled
Bowa said
improved approaches
signs of promise
disappointment
overweight
couldn't hit
got hurt
mental vacation
strikeouts
Martin's heavy workload
finding a rhythm
domino effect
concerned
no guarantee
next major injury
could end his career
closing role before he is ready
bulging disk in his back
rush his return
pressing needs
little leverage
Trading for a big bat
weak division
inconsistent
inconsistent
raw talent
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