Relief

Well, it finally happened...I joined a gym and next week will meet with the trainer to start...well, something.  On the one hand, I am concerned, because I am out of shape, and if not exactly a fat fuck (anymore), there is much work to be done.  On the other hand, of course, at this pace it will never be done and after a point you simply have to do it.  I realize I am not the most rah-rah of types, but God-willing...we should be able to make some improvements to my physique and health.

I am almost done with Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.  It is interesting, albeit only sort of systemic; sort of a greatest hits of science regarding the formation of the solar system, life on Earth, the fossil record, etc..  Indeed, much of it concerns what we do not know or only vaguely understand...oddly enough, he devotes nearly an entire chapter to how the Earth is in the middle of a cooling period, and that broadly speaking, we are justly slightly warmer now than for most of Earth history...  As you can imagine, I found this most amusing, given the constant drum-beat of concern about global warming.  More seriously, he suggests several interesting texts throughout, which I need like a hole in my head...but will add to the list all the same.

Two observations about the Scherzer signing:  First, it is good for the Tribe -- and the other teams of the AL Central -- in that they have one less ace (if it frees up cash for Price).  Second...I am a little puzzled that the Nationals would want to part with any of their "extra" starters -- be they Roark or, God forbid, Strasburg -- given the proclivity of pitchers to get hurt.  Hell, I mean, if someone had a dead arm or a strain or something, it would be a ready solution; just plug in Roark (the worst of the six, if you will) and carry on.  The other thing they could do is to use Roark as the long man -- running him out when needed (and I think he would be needed more than people suspect) to save the pen or stretch his arm out.  I would imagine such a pitcher would be even more useful nowadays, when people like Francona make 500 trips to the bullpen in a season, and we really do not know what effects it has on the arm.  I would think a guy who can get 100 IPs in 40 or so appearances would be quite the asset to the modern pitching staff...