Pain and suffering

For all the Tribe has had to deal with, injury-wise...well, the Naquin bit is tough, especially given that he was actually having a productive year... Oi.  There are times, the way they are playing now, that I don't think we will even make the playoffs...   It does seem, at least, that they are committed to playing Chang at 3B quite a bit, which is good, as you don't want to Yandy Diaz a guy...

One other thing...this is the last year that you will be able to have 40 guys on the roster for September; next year, of course, it will be 28.  I guess I don't like this for any number of reasons, key among them 1) It is a cherished baseball tradititon 2) It's a long season, so it is often nice to have extra bodies 3) Playoffs races are enriched by strategery 4) It is a way to reward guys with good seasons in the minors to put them on the ML roster and 5) So What?  Just saying, not really sure that of all the changes they made....this is it.

https://niskanencenter.org/blog/why-american-dislike-government-even-when-it-works/

Maybe? I am not sure that the problem isn't that people know -- instinctively -- that it works better for some people than for others... I think we all know of plenty of people in government jobs who could...work harder, if you get my drift.

Interest

Well...that was kind of almost sort of exciting, coming from 4 runs down...and then not winning. Honestly, they've dropped two games like that this week -- one against the Mets, and this one -- and that is a problem; I mean, it's going to be hard enough to catch the Twins as it is (I don't think they can) but blowing games like those simply isn't going to cut it.

In the meantime, my blogging inactvity has been caused by the usual things, and...well, I will try to do better, as always.  Shit just gets to you sometimes, and I will admit the impending end of summer doesn't help...time does fly even faster nowadays...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-allies-target-journalists-over-coverage-deemed-hostile-to-white-house/ar-AAGjq3C?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
I find this to be...awesome?  Humorous?  I mean, I think they are correct in pointing out that if the left can do it, so can the right... but it won't be seen egregiously by them, as they will protect their own, like it or not.

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/evangelicals-trump-shield-2020/
Two things I tend to notice:  One, people always question why evangelicals support Donald Trump, and two, articles explaining why...  I guess this is me, but I don't really see quite the issue; evangelicals are a voting bloc like any other, and they will support those candidates who promote and enact their issues, even minimally so.  I've seen a bunch of things noting that African-Americans really don't profit all that much from their lockstep support of Democratic candidates, and they still vote against GOP candidates, so I guess I am puzzled to see this industry of queries about a candidate who actually delivers to a voting bloc and is rewarded by their support...

Linx

That was...impressive yesterday?  Putting 19 on the Yankee bullpen?  It was amusing...my college roomie is a BoSox fan, and he came away from the Tribe series with them that the Tribe was the better team due to their starting pitching; you can't rely in Sale and the bullpen is...less so?  Of course, I felt the opposite; the Tribe can only beat shitty pitching and lefties flummox them.  Perspective, I guess...

https://www.mlb.com/news/critics-reevaluate-mets-indians-deadline-deals

Ok, the Mets I get, but... the Tribe deal? I am not sure all that many people -- especially those of the I am sick of Trevor Bauer school -- did.  I think around here was that talent-wise, we got back an OF now and one for the future (well, a DH); the prospect haul might pan out, but... it was  a risk to take, given all the intangibles.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-college-student-who-decoded-the-data-hidden-in-inca-knots

This is prett neat, of course!

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/newsstand/discussion/the_players_who_crossed_the_picket_line_in_1995

I think one thing the author misses out on is that...well, not that I am begrudging the players anything, but I seem to recall a sense that it was... stretching it, if you will, to put the players on the same level as say, the Teamster or the UFCW.  Let's face it, ballplayers live much more comfortably, to put it mildly

Woken

I am feeling sleepy...I would say not sure why, but... well, that's not true, given my sleep habits and a lack of caffeine.  Alas.  I also had an intense leg day workout, which didn't help, and the BoSox slow play theory nof baseball does not exactly make it fun again, to paraphrase Bryce Harper.

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/08/11/meet-the-conspiracy-theorizing-twin-dj-duo-that-loves-trump-227497

 I don't know, between the story on politico about people being pissed by the President's language and now this... The idea that there are literally, well, more than one, Trump and EDM enthusiasts out there... well, maybe they can play for Trevor Bauer.  :)  No, I am not a huge fan of Eurotrash music, but I have come around to it, so....

Summer has flown by.  I mean, we say it every year, but...it doesn't get any less true, does it?  

There was an article on SB nation a couple of days ago that questioned whether or not Plesac could keep up his pitching.  Now, the Boston offense isn't the best subject, but I think it is exactly right.  Not saying he cannot develop into something more -- I think that is the case -- but right now, at least, he is the 5th starter.  He sort of reminds me of Paul Byrd; nothing really special, but threw a lot of pitches, and could sort of get guys by semi-fooling them.  There are worse careers.

I thought it was an interesting choice in the 7th; bunting Perez is the right choice, sort of, since he is hitting like crap, especially lately. On the other hand, Kipnis has been better but not good, and he is facing a lefty.  The other thing is, of course, is that one run might not be enough against the Red Sox..   In the meantime, Tyler Naquin's defensive awesomeness continues, which is funny; I never tended to think of him as such, as he was clearly stretched in CF, to put it mildly...  but in the corner he is more than adequate, and while I think his arm is a little weak, it is good enough.  For now.

Roller Coaster

Well, that Tribe game was...interesting?  I mean, watching them blow the lead, then oput the game into extras, and then... well, I was surprised, to put it mildly.  I thought the bullpen machinations were a little much, especially as you could have used those relievers again, some of them (Cimber, for instance) but... I will take the tie now.

In other news...I don't really care that Epstein hung himself; I mean, on the one hand, I wanted a trial; on the other...well, it is cost-effective, and he deserved it, so....  Also, this could be me, but...I never really liked Toni Morrison's works.  I read Beloved, I read Sula, and I can't recall the last one I sat through, but...  oi.  For a while, I didn't read any more, and it was all due to her, or her crappy books.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/01/movies/tracy-flick-reese-witherspoon.html

 I don't know...maybe?  I think we all know the type of person that Tracy Flick represented, of course, and that is part of the problem... I call this person Lilith nowadays, on a way, but I think most men (or people) have come across her and go...oi.

Stuff

So, it's late, but I am off tomorrow, and I am sort of restless, so...here we blog.  Funny, as I was sort of productive; in addition to the usual crap of life, I did all the dishes, and then went and made semi-healthy turkey meatballs, which roughly negated the effect of the doing the dishes.  Caught up on some reading and social justice...

Interesting Tribe strategery today...funny, I had joked at work about them manipulating the rotation to get Clevinger to start against the Twins, and lo and behold... ok, this could be me, but... no one in Columbus could start and be put on the 40-man?  Really?  Oi.  I mean, the 'pen was used long, if not hard today, and unless someone has a Houston-style to stifle the bats....  at least they didn't blow this four-run lead, though Yasiel cost them a run...

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/08/trump-supporters-called-racists/595333/
My own sense is that this is largely correct; true, lots of racists are Trump supporters, but the reverse is not true, and it pisses people off... I always get a kick out of virtue-shaming the libtards at work (there are a lot of them, so it's not like it grows old), but my approach isn't for everyone.  Hence, the bitter clinging.

https://harpers.org/archive/2016/04/legalize-it-all/
This actually made a lot of sense to me, in that it talked about both the opportunities and the opportunity costs, if you will, of legalizing drugs, or at least pot...

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-07-30/u-s-economy-personal-bad-behavior-isn-t-what-causes-poverty?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=190802&utm_campaign=sharetheview
Yes, no?  I mean, to some extent... I agree, but I also think the problem is that 1) People can take agency for their actions and 2) A lot of the basic costs of life, if you will, are just so high... taxes, health care...

Recovery

Yet another long hiatus, but...well, I have been busy -- work, hit two Tribe games -- Wednesday and Friday -- and the usual affairs of life.  Thankfully, things, should be a little less busy going forward...  so I can write more.

And, of course, I have been in mourning over the departure of my soul mate.  :)  Ok, I am a little sad about the move, but... well, as I told my coworkers, Trevor Bauer was the pitching equivalent of Bryce Harper -- one good year and the rest was meh.  Now, I think Bauer is pretty good -- good stuff, goes deep into games, etc. -- but I can also see why the moved him.  And, the return was...pretty good!  I mean, Puig is a rental,  but Reyes can hit (and will be here a while), and the prospects.. well, you know never know,  but at least they can be useful, which is.. ok enough?

That said... this could be me, but Puig is...well, for all the talk of Bauer, he only gets into twitter fights, while Puig takes on whole teams.  I don't doubt that Trevor is a head case, but Puig...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2019/07/31/in-one-state-the-public-private-high-school-sports-schism-grows-a-little-deeper/#6e8cadb06bf4
I think this is the way to go, honestly, simply because it puts schools on an equal footing, like it or not...

https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-scorned-women-and-a-casanova-cop-caught-las-dine-and-dash-dater?ref=scroll

I got a kick out of this; I mean, yes, this is reprehensible, but... like mentioned earlier in the article, lots of guys have had that happen to them, and... let's just say that as a feminist, I believe that women want to be treated equally, so....