Coach, do you remember my name?

The Twins went out and acquired a decent left-handed pitcher after the rest of their lanzadoras siniestras went down with injury. Brian Fuentes who came over from the Angels is a decent pitcher, but it was this quote from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire regarding how he was going to use Fuentes that made me smile.

Manager Ron Gardenhire said before Friday's series opener at Seattle that he will use the now-former Angels closer as a set up man for closer Matt Capps, and "probably as an occasional closer if I use the other guy too much."

The other guy? I mean, I guess 25 people is a lot of names to remember.

Songs J Loves

Sometimes when little J is tired and fussy, he needs a song to cheer him up. A fussy complaining baby mañoso becomes bien tranquilo sentado in your lap.

The past couple of days it's been this one. The animation is kind of cute as well.

The Psychology of Penalty Kicks

You could write a lot, and I’m sure a lot will be written, about the Uruguay-Ghana quarterfinal match this afternoon.  I will remember Suarez’s not one, but two stops at the goal line in the waning seconds of extra time, the second being a handball, and Gyan’s subsequent miss of the penalty kick.  Interestingly, what struck me as intriguing at the time and stuck wandering around in my mind was the last penalty kick of the shootout.  Over time it will probably lost amid the celebration of Uruguay, the disappointment of Ghana, and the focus of the ire of ethics teachers on Luis Suarez.  However, my first reaction upon seeing Sebastian Abreu’s penalty kick that clinched Uruguay’s quarterfinal win against Ghana was that it was one of the gutsiest penalty kick I’ve seen. 

But as I think about it more, I’m not so sure.  Instead of admiring his stalwart confidence, I instead admire his logical thought process of the situation.  Let me try to explain.

Now, granted, I don’t watch nearly as much soccer as I do baseball, but watch below, and maybe I can explain what I was thinking.

Notice how he chips the ball as if he were passing it to a 4 year old who is standing at the back of the net.  If the keeper doesn’t move it would be the easiest of saves, but, as keeper’s are apt to do in a penalty kick situation, he dives to one side guessing that Abreu will attempt to smash a shot into the corner of the net and the ball floats gently over the keeper and lands in the back of the net.  Gutsy, I thought.

The more I think about it, however, I believe what is to be admired is not his nerves, but perhaps instead his thought process that led him to take the PK the way he did.  At the time of Abreu’s PK, the last of the set of 5, Uruguay had a 3-2 lead in Penalty kicks.  If he misses, Ghana still has to make their next penalty just to tie the shootout and send it to another round of 5.  He’s in a situation where he has nothing to lose if his shot is blocked, and can clinch it if he makes it. 

In addition he has just seen his teammate Pereira sky a PK into the 25th row.  Perhaps I am giving him more mental credit than he deserves, but by forcing the keeper to make the stop you’re allowing for a larger margin of error into the equation.

And lastly, he’s apparently been practicing this.

I really love this guy!

How can you not love that smile!

Godward

"And all true prayer is Godward. I have heard preachers who pray, so that one really wonders whether God is even allowed to overhear the prayer. It seems to be rather a roundabout way to instruct the congregation, especially when the prayer is introduced by the formula, ''Teach us, Oh Lord"—followed by a sermon in prayer format. But all true prayer is Godward, and it will never be anything else than Godward, especially when prayer moves toward meditation. As I leave for Sweden, I shall speak again that language, where the word for meditation is ''the act of looking at" (betraktelse). That is what meditation is. To look at an image of Jesus...when I look at Jesus, I see God."
-Krister Stendahl, Harvard Divinity School Convocation 1984

As I stumbled upon this, it made me pause to reconsider my own prayers. With a life full of academic pursuits, family responsibilities, and the pursuit of leisure, I find my own prayers short and very egocentric at times. They are focused on my own needs and wants and I forget the nature of my relationship with my Father in Heaven. While Stendahl warns about imposing our own teachings upon God, we can just as easily impose our own wants and needs on God. And yet in spite of our short comings our Father is willing to talk to us in any form. It is days like today where prayers have been answered and I have seen miracles in spite of my failure to follow the best patten of prayer, that I am reminded of the great power of prayer, and reminded again of my own need to better shape those prayers in a way that will bring me face to face with my Father.

Spring Training

First day with shoes (March, 2010)

The Title's Wrong

The title of this article really should be "A's impose contracts on 29 players." "Agree with" is really a terrible word for a part of the collective bargaining agreement by which the team can renew a player's previous year's contract in his first 3 years of being in the major-leagues without any sort of negotiation.

Then again, I'd readily "agree to" a $400,000+ contract just to play baseball for 6 months.

Nicknames

The Little Elf (La Jolla, CA)

It seems as if we're constantly being asked what we're going to call J, as if he's never going to survive his full name. The full name is too much of a mouthful for some it seems, but we like it. But in case you can't manage the entire Scandinavian verbiage, here are some of the names he has that are officially approved by one or both of his parents:

1. The Viking or El Vikingo (for his hairyness at birth) (h/t to Kahl for the link)
2. The Brave, usually used as a title (J the Brave)
3. George (used when he's being funny)
4. Jimmy (in case you don't like George)
5. The Monkey (because he crawls all over you when you try and burp him)
6. The lineman (for his manly grunts)

Just as long as he isn't your average Joe.

Grades Must Be Out

This would make grading much more fun if you knew you would get one of these mad-libs. But who knows, maybe it's already out there.

Dear (noun),

I just (verb) to what my grade was and I was (adjective) that my grade was a (letter grade). (Question word) did I (verb) (infinitive verb) such a grade? Can you please tell me how I (verb) such a grade?

Can I please have an A+?

Sincerely,

(noun)

We think he's cute

That's all that matters right?

Already flexing his non-existent muscles! (San Diego, CA)

What we should expect from public officials

If you haven't heard, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's recent veto message of a bill sponsored by a legislative detractor contained a four letter epitaph apparently aimed at that specific legislator. Here's NPR's report:



What drives my commentary on this, however, is the response written by Prof. Jack Pitney at Claremont McKenna College in the National Review. His conclusion is that,

Nobody should expect elected officials to be perfect in their private lives. But we can expect them to behave like adults in their public lives. By pulling a stunt that would land a junior-high-school kid in detention, the governor has flunked this standard.

I agree that this is a bad reflection on the Governor's character, and his ability to govern, but want to disagree with Pitney's argument that we should not expect elected officials to be exemplary in their private lives. While perhaps perfection is a high standard which none of us are able to attain, we should expect a standard from public officials that is higher than the average individual on the street. Because of their position of influence on governmental decisions and their role as examples for the rest of the citizenry, we should expect a higher standard of excellence from those we choose to represent us.

A person's private life may not be public business, but it is often a reflection of that individual's relationships with other leaders and officials, their honesty and integrity in holding public office and their dealings with others, as well as their ability to handle situations that may arise in the act of governance. Voters who have little information about the actions and decisions that a candidate for office would take can often use the behavior and character of that individual in their private affairs as relatively good indicators of the candidate's ability to govern. A candidate who lacks civility when dealing with his or her own family, friends, or even campaign staff will likely lack the civility and character necessary to interact with other public officials. In Minnesota in 2006 it was Democrat Mike Hatch's character and aggressive behavior in calling a reporter a "Republican Whore" that indicated to voters that he was not suited for the governor's office. Private character is still character and many of the same attributes displayed in private carry over into the public life and the public official's ability to accomplish legislative and executive roles.

A public official, however, is more than just a legislator, an executive, or a council member. He or she is also a representative and an example for the rest of the community. Edmund Burke described his qualifications for public office not in terms of his policy positions, but rather explained in his speech to the electors of Bristol that his election was a result of the voters' "good opinion [which] has carried me to this happy point of success." Even when representation is about representing views and opinions it is also about the type of example these leaders are setting for our families, our children, and our community.

A public official's private behavior is more than his or her own. It is both an indicator to the public of his or her ability to accomplish legislative or executive tasks in an efficient and positive manner and an example to the rest of the community. As a result, we should expect exemplary behavior from our public officials in their public and private lives.

Hey Hey You Say....

Check out around 2:12.

Update: Check out this link, the video above is out of sync, but the band won't let you embed the official video

Maybe you can't tell, but we were rehearsing just such choreographed moves as are seen in above music video. Little did we know back then that we were setting a trend in music video production. (Geneva, NY)

Interesting how music comes and goes, but this simple, I want to be noticed and slightly weird, but not over the top never seems to go away. Take this 1997's version (and forgive the slightly awkward video)

It's been a while and not a whole lot is new. Even in music it seems.

What endures...

"The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it."  -William James

(Eureka, UT July 2009)

My family is buried here, in a town which grows still smaller in the mountains of southern Utah.  The mines have dried up, and people have moved on with a few exceptions and even the town was officially disincorporated.  There's nothing left of the physical home they created except a few now wild roses which my great-grandmother planted. 

Yet as I look at this picture again, remembering the miserable heat, and the pestering flies that day, it is not the disappearance of the family home or the community, but rather the figures that walk around the places where their ancestors tread that stand out.  While the saloon my great-grandfather ran is gone, along with his house and farm, that family is what remains. 

My great-grandparents shaped both the town they lived in and the children they had but it is the latter that carries the stronger evidence of that influence.  While our professions and communal responsibilities are important, it is our families that will continue to bear our influence beyond our own time.

We promise not to sit on our kids

On our balcony this spring we had a mother morning dove with two little ones.  From this experience we have learned two things:  1.  We will not sit on our own kids.  Besides the obvious discomfort it would cause our own children and the resultant civil action, such tactics leaves many observers quite unhappy because they cannot see the little ones.  Little ones, A and I have decided, should be shared with others who can be excited about their cuteness as well.  2.  If there are giants threatening behind a closed glass door, we probably would not just sit there on our kids and let them take pictures, we'd try and get the little one out of harms way.  (La Jolla, CA) 

We get our own go at it in December, raising little ones that is.  Hopefully without having to protect them from threatening giants.

Nominations

Kahl says my blog is all about baseball.
So, here's a link to McSweeney, one of his favorites, on the Sotomayor confirmation hearings.

And if you think the first question is irrelevant, check here

Enjoy.

Class

Getting early to the ballpark, you get to see things you wouldn't otherwise notice. Baseball, and most sports, aren't just about stepping out onto the field and playing, but involve lots of preparation, warming up, and repetition. TV doesn't give you that, nor does radio, but by being at the ballpark an hour or so before the game you see ballplayers for who they really are, and the effort they put into what they do.

Arriving an hour or so before the Padres-Mariners game on Wednesday, however, I was struck by an image of respect that I had not seen before. As soon as the national anthem is over players and fans return their focus to the game, yet this time, while the color guard marched off, the players from the Mariners stood at attention, just as I had been taught to do as a little one, until the color guard had exited the field.



In some small way I gained an added measure of respect for them who, in their own individual way, are trying to keep sacred things they view as sacred.

Looking for Dolphins

Winter comes in May in San Diego (La Jolla, CA)

Cross Culture Experiences

This winter, A's sister N gave us a dance performance. I'd like to see her do it again to this version!

The places we treasure

"If I've learned anything, it's that our lives aren't about the big stories that shape history; they're about the little ones that play themselves out in the places we treasure--homes, schools, and ballparks--and with the people we hold dear."

-Tom Stanton, The Final Season, pg.196.

I think this is why, while items such as Specter's switch and theories of democratization dominate my life so much, it is not what is written here.  Instead, it is littler things.  Here are a few of those little things

Baseball #2, this one from Ian Snell as he warmed up in the Pittsburgh bullpen prior to the Padres-Pirates game.  My Christmas gifts from my in-laws apparently make me look like a real Pirates fan.  (San Diego, CA)

A mixed relay champion (Camp Pendleton, CA), not bad for one who is finding post-collegiate training harder than expected.

Sunset in motion (Wheaton, IL)

The Twins need Bloomquists

A couple of weeks ago, Joe Posnanski put out an article about key differences in the philosophies of baseball. His argument was that while some teams are built around

"what you can see, what is measurable, what is cold and hard and real,"

others are built around

"passion, what is intangible, this sense that if you can get a bunch of guys who KNOW HOW to play the game, who LOVE the game, who HAVE BASEBALLS BEATING IN THEIR CHESTS, then you can do wonderful things."

His examples included two baseball players who are polar opposites and who both signed free-agent contracts this past off-season, Adam Dunn, a power-hitting outfielder who strikes out a lot, and Willie Bloomquist, a scrappy, always has his uniform dirty, multi-positional, solid defensive player. In the article, Posnanski argues that some teams are built one way, and others another, without really giving a rational and strategic explanation for such choices. What Posnanski doesn't realize is that some team's pitching staffs need Bloomquists, while others have the luxury of pursuing Dunns. Some of the key differences between these baseball philosophies comes from differences in their pitching styles.

Consider the Minnesota Twins. As Posnanski explains

"The Minnesota Twins, for instance, lean Bloomquist.. The Twins run and catch the ball and they have not worried too much about power or on-base percentage. This, no doubt, frustrates the heck out of a lot of Dunn-leaning Twins fans."

Posnanski attributes the choice of baseball style to the baseball fans "core" or an internal intrinsic preference whose foundations are unattributable. However, as you look at the pitching staff of the Minnesota Twins, you begin to understand why. This is a team that needs defense behind it. The choice of the Minnesota Twins to play a Bloomquist style baseball is not based upon some internal preference, but on the objective of maximizing their winning potential. The Twins pitching staff of Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Nick Blackburn, and Glenn Perkins are pitchers who pitch around the strike zone and they are not known to strike a lot people out. Last year Baker's K/9 innings were 7.2 while his BB/9 were 2.2. Slowey and the rest of the staff have even lower numbers, at 6.9 K/9 and 1.4 BB/9, 2.5 and 1.8, 1.9 and 2.3 respectively. The one Twins starting pitcher who differs from this mode is youngster Francisco Liriano who has posted a 10.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 rates over his three-year career. In general Twins starting pitching is not going to miss bats. Opposing batters are going to be given every opportunity to hit the ball, but hopefully with-in the range of a Twins defensive player.

Another perfect example of this is Carlos Silva, a former Twin who became a free agent and signed with the Seattle Mariners before the 2008 season. Silva is another strike-throwing pitcher. During his best year in 2005 for the Twins he had a 3.44 ERA and a grand total of 9 walks in 188.3 innings pitched for a BB/9 of 0.4. In the World Baseball Classic, Silva was pegged by Venezuelan manager Luis Sojo to start the Semi-Final game. The results were less than satisfactory. As David Pinto of Baseball Musings put it,

"Every ball the Koreans put into play in the first inning seemed find a hole or bounce off a glove, and the two seed bats around and picks up five runs in the inning. The Korean hitters look very patient and aim to put the ball in play, so they matched up well against Silva. Weak defense helped as well..."(emphasis added)

The Venezuelan team was a team built around Adam Dunn type players. Miguel Cabrera at first, Maglio Ordonez in left field and Bobby Abreu in right. This is a team that can slug the ball, but perhaps has a little more trouble chasing after it, and the results were less than desirable. Silva did about what you could expect from Carlos Silva, and put himself in a place to succeed. Unfortunately, his defense wasn't able to back him up. Is it any wonder his numbers declined in Seattle, where the right side of the diamond had slow moving Richie Sexon, Jose Vidrio, and Wladimir Balentien or Raul Ibanez, all who are known as sub-par defenders?

The Twins play a Bloomquist philosophy baseball, not necessarily because it's their philosophy, but because it's what they need to do because of the pitching staff they've come to rely upon. And even before the current staff, there were others like Brad Radke and Eric Miton who were very much the same type of pitchers. The Twins have a pitching style built on strike throwing pitchers that need that good defense behind it. Their Bloomquist philosophy of baseball, then, is not a mere preference of style, but is a strategic choice that maximizes their opportunity to win. When the Twins can get a power hitter like a Jason Morneau, they take him, but not on the sacrifice of what is crucial to their pitching staff. That is why the Minnesota Twins won't sign an Adam Dunn.