Attendance

Another playoff game, another blown call....everyone seems to think replay will solve this, and maybe it will...but I don't think totally, because, as with the NFL, there will be something about irrevocable or clear evidence and it will serve to enmesh the original call...no matter what.  I guess I am ok with this, but..not that much.

http://www.coolcleveland.com/blog/2013/09/how-sprawl-has-hurt-indians-attendance/

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

I always get a kick out of these things, because they misrepresent the symptons of the disease of the cause; the commentor on the bottom is correct; sprawl wasn't caused by highways or roads or some evil legislators; the city -- urban core -- simply became unlivable for a lot of people, like families with children, and they left.  I mean, yes, it is convenient to live five minutes from work, but...if you have to spend X on private schools, your insurance is higher because of crime, you're afraid to let the kids out of the house because of the neighborhood pusher, and some sketchy Section 8 types are next door...well, it's not very convenient to live in the urban core.

The fact that the highways were used to accelerate this...well, they did, but if they had NOT been there, would people have moved?  Of course.  I always think of "Oregon Trail;" I mean, people went 3,000 miles in covered wagon through Indian country, pestilence, famine, desert, mountains...to try and make a better life for their families.  IN A WAGON.  Do you really think Americans mind a 40-minute drive in a climate-controlled car with (now) unlimited entertainment options?  And, with the flexibility revolution in work...I mean, I can avoid a LOT of the mess if I desired to work at odd times.  Anyways, people have moved from the core...

But it doesn't mean that they don't want to come to games.  Tickets are expensive; I know ALL of the teams use dynamic pricing, but when you are 28th in attendance...well, maybe you need a new tack.  All the casino parking has jacked up prices downtown.  I used to pay $4 to park, now it is $10.  Tickets are $24 or so...God forbid you want to eat or drink something, or if you have kids, because they need seats and they eat and drink like nothing (or nothing, worst of all).  And there are many other entertainment options, including staying home and watching the game on the plasma screen.  To say nothing of the fact that amid all of this Hope and Change...well, cash is tight for a lot of people.

Achievement

Well, well, the Tribe did it and are now in the playoffs...I guess I am surprised that they won out -- even among crappy teams -- and to top it off, are starting Salazar in the playoff game; reminds me of the Rays a couple of years ago, when they started Matt Moore and ran him out there for as long as they could to get Ks and put the other team in the hole for the first game of a Division Series.  I sort of like the move, especially because you can't start Ubaldo and Kazmir on short rest and Masterson isn't ready yet.  The rest of the rotation...eh. 

Yesterday was OC duty...I spend very little time with the clients; actually, we had a LOT of volunteers, so I spend most of the first half of the shift doing makework tasks, like finding plastic bags (we are dangerously low) and taking trash to the dumpsters...then, some of the volunteers left, and I ended up in the food room, bagging away with reckless abandon.  We opened early, and there was a good size line, and people sort of trucked in all day...so I was surprised that when we ran the final tally, it ended up with 159, which is pretty high, all things considered.  The shelves are fairly bare, we have a large order coming in...the orderer is concerned with price.  I am too, but of course, no one seems to consider that we can just order less and be done.

I finished up Miller this weekend -- thank God -- and also read Hayhurst's Out of My League, which was pretty awesome; to be sure, it's about baseball, and a tale of a fringe major leaguer trying to stay on in the Show, so I had no doubt I wouldn't enjoy it, but you just kept pulling for him, and I was glad when he finally made it.  I note the next fiction book on the list is something from D.H. Lawrence, so I expect something as smutty as Tropic of Cancer.

implosions

So, the Tribe continued its quest for postseason glory yesterday...it's funny; Chris Perez implodes, and the shit hits the fan, while Rich Hill pitches like he always does, and nothing.  Ok, he's had his moments, but Hill has been excerable all year, and yesterday was no different (also like Perez); couldn't locate his pitches, fell behind hitters, let all three inherited runners score, only earning an out.  I mean, you'd take a run for an out there, but...

Masterson pitched well, again...it does seem that the Tribe will use him in that manner the rest of the way; he seems not to mind, which is useful (I am sure he is aware he is not stretched out for a start) and it does solve the closer problem, sort of...

I suspect Coburn is correct when it comes to the CR; whether or not this is a good thing, that is the question.  I think no one wants a shutdown, but no one wants Obamacare, either...to be sure, when you run Mitt Romney -- of Romneycare -- you should expect that sort of thing, which is why the quixotic campaign of Ted Cruz is what it is...welcomed by a LOT of conservatives.  Whether you like it or not, he is running on some actual, serious, intelligent, principles, and he is showing conviction while doing so...which also seems to be rare among Republicans these days.

bashing

Like everyone else, I thought the Tribe was dead last nite, and unlike everyone else, I expected Giambi to crap out.  I am glad he did not...  but still, Giambi isn't really worth a roster spot, though I guess his hittng has an aspect of "clutch" this season; I actually think the shot off Homer Bailey in Cincy was his most impressive, as that was a good pitch he hit...Plus, given the Tribe's offensive lean, the only really place you'd use him is as a PH for Drew Stubbs.

I thought Jordan Bastian made an interesting point to Francona yesterday -- Perez hasn't pitched that well - and yes, Francona was correct, he hung some pitches, you shouldn't overreact.  On the other hand, his location to De Aza was terrible; you really can't do that in a game, especially after you got lit up before.  To be sure, the Tribe doesn't really have a closer-in-waiting; Smith is useful but lefties can eat him up.  Allen is too young and we all know we need experience in a closer.  Hill is excerable, Rzep is good but you won't send him in there, so...you see the issue.  Last year, Pestano would have been the guy, but now he is 12th on the depth chart (Allen is in the game now; quite the workload, is there no one else to pitch?).  Alas.

Due to the radio gods, I had to listen to "Wrecking Ball" three times on the way to work.  You know, the song isn't awful; it is just awful that Miley Cyrus sings it in the worst way possible.  I can see it as a drawn-out slow ballad, or as a power rock anthem, but not in this crappy pop style.  Even if we didn't think of the train wreck of Miley Cyrus.

Education

Brantley did his Sherrod Brown impression on the baseball, and bailed out Francona of his...odd decision.  I don't know; yes, Allen is his "best reliever," but De Aza is a lefty, and Rzep has been quite solid all year.  To be sure, he's not Terry's guy -- Rich Hill is -- but that just goes to show you why God invented waivers, even if no one in the organization seems to understand this concept.  To me, you have to go to the lefty there, even if you dare Ventura to bring in the pinch-hitter. 

I am now reading Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, next on the fiction list.  It concerns a writer milling about Paris, having lots of sex, not writing, not eating, and cadging cash and meals from his friends.  Typical liberal.  It was banned way back when for being scandalous, and I can see it; you couldn't write "prick" or "cunt" or "erection" in the 20s.  Now, it's not very dirty, but very boring, and the story itself is fairly aimless, like the author/narrator.  So we plod along, and not in the sense of Cramer's book, where you went a long way but learned something.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/do-american-public-schools-really-stink-maybe-not-97142.html

I think this is probably true...for a few reasons.  First, Americans love to complain and not spend money, and this is a way to do so.  More seriously, I wonder how much of this is because of competition from private and charter schools.  I think rich public schools are good, but the voucher and charter movement has pushed competition into places where normally -- because of union dominance -- it would not have happened before.  I also think the push for testing and standards -- and I am not a fan of them -- did encourage teaching; I mean, you get rid of some of the dead wood, you cause changes to teaching, and lo and behold, things improve.  I think we all know most charters and private schools aren't as good, but the money disappears, so public education professionals had to adjust to maintain market share (to look at it from an economic perspective).  Some of the testing, for its faults, did show teachers HOW they had to improve and reach more students, which isn't a bad thing.

Tribe time

I went to a Tribe game Saturday nite...stood on the porch, my favorite spot, even if the legs were a little sore.  Kazmir was dealing; he was helped out by the strike zone -- the righties used by Houston did not get the border calls, and it was a tight zone -- but he seemed to have good command and the fastball had a bit extra zip.  The 6 pm game was sweet, mainly as I wanted to get home and try to sleep.  The college kids standing near me getting tanked (at $9 a beer, good grief) didn't realize this until they looked up, saw it was 8 pm, and saw they had a looooong nite ahead of them.

In the meantime, playoff tickets are still available.  I am not surprised.  One, they're not a good deal; if I recall from the LAST time, you plunk down the cash -- so it is on your credit card for three months at 15% while it sits in the Dolan account earning 2% -- for tickets that could be for anything.  And, let's face it, the Tribe will have a hard time getting by the Rays, with their stable of good pitching.  I mean, let's face it, unless the manta escapes and eats the bullpen, you're not going to see Fauxto Carmona; you'll get Moore or Price (yes, we beat him before) or Archer or someone good.  If we are lucky, we run Ubaldo out there.  This gets you to the ALDS, where we face Oakland or Boston.  I think we matchup better with Oakland -- they seem to score less (ballpark-adjusted to be sure) which is a plus for our offense-challenged team.  It is exciting, but not that exciting.

http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/315148/45/Urban-shepherds-keep-Cleveland-on-the-cutting-edge

I like this idea....it is cheaper than hiring someone and using all that gas, the sheep can become wool or mutton (not directly on the former), plus you don't have to feed them...on the other hand, any union worth its salt is NOT going to let this happen for said reasons.  Yes, I would enjoy seeing greenies and labor duke it out, but...I suspect that this sort of thing is why the program wouldn't see much expansion.

Tomorrow is the work cookout to celebrate football season, and we are to wear the jerseys of the teams we support...so I am torn between my Duke LAX shirt and my Milton Bradley Dodgers jersey.  Of course, I can always wear both.  :)

Rain

It's funny; through a schedule quirk and some efficiency on my part, I have nothing to do today...and I feel a little lost.  I mean, I should be running about -- I caught up on some reading, mainly -- I do feel a sense of unease for not doing anything.  Odd.

I felt a little down for my Mom yesterday; one of her oldest friends has cancer, and it has since spread to her bones...and I think we all know what that means.  I mean, my Mom may not -- she has always been an optimist, and I have always been a gloomy Gus -- but I know it will depress her terribly if and when her friend passes.  Lest everyone think I am a hardass, but I do care, even if no one here actually reads this.

Thursday was the Jug, and I can safely say that I lost my ass...ok, it was like $50, and it sucked, but it's not like I am running to the payday loan place.  To be sure, it was fun, and I ate my annual deep-fried Twinkie, but...well, Mattie does not like losing, and he does not like losing money.

So, the Tribe moved in to the Wild Card spot.  I have to admit, I was sort of glad it rained for ten hours last nite, since I'd have been pissed as fuck if I were an Astro and they called it after an hour (I woke up at midnite and heard heavy showers, which I guess made it better)...

Strategery

Lots of hemming and hawing about the Tribe and their attendance problem...which I don't see as a problem.  For one, people don't trust ownership, and I really do not blame them.  Two, tickets are expensive, especially amidst all of this Hope and Change.  Three, it's not really a playoff bid; the Tribe is playing to try and be one of the two teams that play ONE game to see who gets to make the playoffs.  It is nice, but it is not exactly exciting, is it now?  Let's not discuss that if they do win that game, they will prolly get slaughtered in the next round by Boston. 

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/09/18/social_security_early_retirement_don_t_do_it_if_you_can_avoid_it.html

Hmmm...maybe if we let people plan for and provide for their own retirement, they wouldn't screw themselves...not would they contribute to a government plan that does it for them.  Brilliant!

The Obamacare defunding is interesting, but if I was the GOP, I would be concentrating on other things, like nailing -- and defunding -- the IRS for their scandals, nailing the Justice Department for Fast and Furious/LA desegregation, the EPA for their efforts, etc...  I mean, I bet you could carve out of those budgets what would be spent on Obamacare, and then let the Dems and Obama make the case that it is perfectly acceptable to spend all of that money on crappy programs.  It is not like the press will let it happen, but some of it will get through, and it is a lot smarter than the alternative.

The obvious

I guess I am glad Francona has a lot of faith in Scott Kazmir, because I really do not; I mean, I guess I would simply five-and-fly him the rest of the way and use one of your fifteen relievers, because -- as evinced tonite -- even when he pitches well for a while, he hits a point, and that is that.  Maybe it is fatigue, maybe at this stage of his career -- and yes, he's young, but not really, when you think of his arm -- he really can't be counted on for that much...especially in a playoff chase.


http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2013/09/16/behind-the-scenes-of-obamas-effort-to-prevent-the-afl-cio-from-resolving-to-repeal-obamacare/

I get a kick out of articles like this, because, I mean, really...you lay with whores, you end up pissing fire and a dick that burns.  What did they expect to happen?  It is a little surprising that the administration would hang them out to dry, but they aren't running for re-election, so what do they care? 

I have to admit, the prospect of a 40-degree morning is a little jarring; not for any reason, of course, just to mark the change of seasons and such.  It is September, summer is over, but the weather has been quite good lately, so it is hardly so...but winter is not that far away, to say nothing of leaves and all those other crappy chores that I hate.  Of course, one could define any housework as a crappy chore I hate, and you'd be right.

What it takes

That Akron game...had they pulled it out, Terry Bowden would have been coach of the decade.  Now, it's just another game. 

For a day when I had nothing to do -- I even pawned off OC duty -- I have been all over; I mean, I even slept in til 9, and then I ended up taking Mom to lunch and shopping, and then some other places, and then home to clean and...it's like the day is done.  Odd how that works.

I am still going through Cramer; I mean, it IS 1,000 pages, and the text is in tiny font, and there is a lot of stuff there you have to read, not just know and absorb, but interactions and dialogue where you have to get all the angles, but...it is going.  I do like, it does fascinate me, and...well, I don't know.  I realize Lee Atwater is completely hated, but honestly...do really want someone like that NOT running your campaign?  This is bloodsport, for Christ's sake.  It is odd, because no one wants to go negative, or be negative, but sure enough, someone has to do, and it is interesting to see how these people dance around the concept.  I guess, being me, I would go for the kill first and finish the job at once, but...

Length

I am fascinated by the news...first, politics.  I think the recall votes in Colorado were the things that are going to be over-emphasized and under-emphasized.  The overs:  it was only two seats, they didn't flip the state house, it was a special election in an off-year, you only got the pissed voters, and who really gives a shit about two state senate seats.  All true.

On the other hand...the anti-gunners were outspent by a hefty margin, had a paper advantage in registration, all of the establishment for them...and lost.  You really can't wash that away.  I noted that the CO GOP is already gunning for a laundry list of changes for the next election, which bodes poorly, given that 1) They have to win; 2) They've put up shitty candidates lately, which negatively affects 1; and 3) All those promises might piss people off.  Especially because if you think about it, last nite's wins were exactly how the GOP can put together winning, cross-ethnic appeals...stress personal freedom, personal responsibility, but man, that government is really getting into your personal life, aren't they?  Looking at some of the data, it did seem the GOP outperformed where it has lagged lately.

Next, the Oklahoma State Scandal -- and now the yahoo sports/SEC scandal -- are going everywhere.  I would argue that if things are as bad and as pervasive as they seem, this is a death penalty case, though they would never do it.  To be sure, this shit prolly happens everywhere, but they don't get caught at it, either because they hide it better or more likely, people are paid enough to shut the hell up about it.  For good; obviously, this has NOT happened here, so here come the long knives, and I for one am shocked, shocked, to discover that Les Miles is engaged in...shenanigans.  As an aside, I am not sure about paying players, but...for all the talk of them being poor and exploited, one seldom reads of how they use the money to pay for food and rent and sending home to Mom (and seldom Dad); it's always for tattoos and girlfriends and video games and other...well, not exactly necessities.  I know most 19-year-olds are extremely spendthrifty, particularly those who were raised in that culture of entitlement, but....paying said 19-year-olds seems to NOT solve the issue.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2013/09/10/the-united-states-of-football-documentary-brings-pain-to-the-sport-it-loves/

Interesting...I am not sure about Gladwell's conclusion however, given that 1) People have to do a lot of things that are bad for them and they are around, and 2) I think that when people understand the risks and do them anyways...well, it becomes a pass for everyone else involved NOT to give a shit, either.

Pitching

Say what you want about tonite's ball game; at least you don't have to watch Perez.  Ok, I realize he throws 95, and his stuff is usually effective, but when it goes...well, it goes for him.  It was actually painful to watch, which is not what the Tribe needs.  Down the pen... I am more concerned with Cody Allen; his stuff just looks flat.  I suspect the issue is fatigue, and he needs to be worked slightly less hard now, which should NOT be a problem, given that there are 900 relievers out there, and while Terry may not want to use some of them....well, maybe you can find someone special.  I would like to see Josh Tomlin get some work; not that he is that special or throws that hard, but he throws strikes, which is something the team has had issues with in the past. 

I was also a little surprised at how long they stuck with McAllister tonite, given his incessantly discussed rising opponents' BA every time you go threw the lineup.   I mean, I know you can't really work with him now, but...if he cannot be taught a new pitch, or something to arrest that trend, it is off to the bullpen.

I am at the halfway point of Cramer's What it Takes and...I rather like it.  It's very detailed and long, and it is really politics porn, but...for one thing, a lot of the names are the same; Biden, Trippi, for instnace.  I just digested the Gary Hart chapter, and you almost felt sorry for the guy.  Joe Biden had a $1.1 million house in '86, being the friend of the working man he is...  and mainly, that politics, especially the big races, are just a constant dash for money and speeches, with a million chances for collapse and failure.

Vision

My cold has evolved, or survived, if you will; I survived the sore throat and the fatigue, and now I have the cough and the sniffles and the general feeling of crap.  I was able to get some sleep last nite, may take a nap today, but...mainly you endure, or at least try and get better, and then endure.  As with everything else, sleep would help, but...

http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/bad-bet-why-republicans-can-t-win-with-whites-alone-20130905

I think this article is correct, but...I think the GOP can have it both ways.  For one thing, a candidate like Romney isn't the one to get the GOP base; get rid of those guys and run a real conservative.  Of course, getting rid of some guy who is Daddy Warbucks also helps with the working class vote, which involves non-whites.  You may not get the African-American vote, but I don't think the Latino vote is lost, either...the people are naturally conservative, fairly Christian, and from my experience in the Village, they don't like certain types of people who are their neighbors, if you get my drift...  That would take some Atwater-style finesse, but that's not impossible, and hell, it would be easier to run that kind of campaign than something uplifting...and fun.

Recovery

First things first:  Team XI won last nite...by six.  I didn't do all that well; I blew a couple of Presidents questions I should have known, but did know some pop songs and other goodness.  Small crowd, not a large payout.  We survived. 

The Tribe also won.  I don't know, but watching Zach pitch right now is pretty painful.  It's obvious he can only throw his fastball right now for strikes, and everything else could go anywhere.  Ok, it's been obvious for a couple of starts...I know the Tribe needs every arm on deck with Masterson out, and the rotation not exactly a powerhouse, but...honestly, with 15 relievers -- including Tomlin and Carrasco -- why not just use all three?  I mean, they all throw two or three innings.  I know LaRussa did it a decade or so ago, or no one liked it, but that was with crafty vets; here we have one guy who is hurt, who guy off TJ surgery...hell, so is Carrasco, and he has struggled as a starter.  I realize it's not artful, but it would give you a better chance to win games, let some guys pitch, and maintain some semblance of a rotation.

http://www.edexcellence.net/cities-are-for-strivers

I made a post on fb about public schools...now this, which I think is interestng and 110% percent.  I've always thought it was completely douchey for the new wave of urban residents -- mainly Hope and Changers -- to brag about the diversity of school options for their children, when it was the GOP idea of vouchers that has created this....not that they figure it out. One would think this is the first step to attract them back....

blah

Well, I think it is official:  I have a cold.  At least, I hope it is a cold and not something more sinister (AIDS always come to mind, for no real reason).  I suspect it was the sleepless weekend -- awaking at 6:30 Monday was a nice touch -- and the general running around and mucking about like a teenager (well, not quite).  Hopefully the Tribe will oblige me and win early so I can get to bed a little sooner and try to get some extra shuteye.

I finished up Apulius today -- ok -- and started Cramer's What It Takes, his famed account of the 1988 Presidential campaign.  It is quite long, and the text is in 3-pt. font, so I think it is like 1,500 pages, and not the 1,000 or so it is printed upon, so...we have a slog.  But an interesting one; that it is, a LOT of backstory.  Character is everything, I guess, and it certainly is in this book.

The Syria situation amuses me, because for all of the hem-hawing from Obama about the conduct of W in the Middle East....well, it seems that Barack has done exactly what W would have done, except, of course, when he has been worse.  Call me surprised, of course.