Catastrophe

Jesus, that was a painful Tribe game today.  I was listening on the radio when the Royals tied at 5, and Tom Hamilton was having an apoplectic fit about Ubaldo, which is fine... but if you think about it, Francona didn't exactly manage the hell out of this game.  For one thing, Ubaldo does tend to lose it quickly, so...someone should have been up sooner.  He had Hill up in the 6th and didn't use him to face Kottaras -- defensible but why warm him up if NOT to use him -- and then in the 8th he was used to face one batter...and lose him.  The lack of a good lefty is killing this team; either find one you can use, or cut him and go without....especially as they have EIGHT relievers right now, which is ridiculous.  I mean, Joe Smith should NOT pitch to good lefties with men on base.  As for Allen, he HAS been the most dependable reliever out there, so I suspect he is tired.  Shaw would be next up, but he has been excerable lately, so I would move up Albers -- I know, 'pen spots based on ability, not role -- and see what he can do, as at the least he would suck the same like the others.

Reading The Taste of War, which deals with the issue of feeding nations during WWII; right now I am in the Axis section, which as you can guess is both depressing and scientifically cruel.  I guess, when I read things like this, I just don't feel any sympathy or remorse in regards to the dropping of the A-bombs.  And sympathy has never really been my strong suit to begin with.