A lot of games, a Big Mood, not dating conservatives, the legacy and future of a New Deal project, and one weird trick to shield billionaire team owners from taxes.
Back when I had a beard, someone at work helpfully pointed out a newspaper article, which claimed that only 31% of women would be willing to date a man with a beard. I pointed out that 31% would be a big improvement for me.
My wife would protest if I shaved mine. To the degree that the idea of shaving it off to make myself look younger for job search purposes is off the table. (As if it anyone with a brain can't figure out my age from my resume).
Towards the beginning of the pandemic I went from full beard to goatee and mustache-which I have done many times. But then I decided "I'm at home..let's go clean shaven". First time I had done that in probably a decade or more.
Yeah-the full beard was grown back very quickly and I really need to start counting calories.
She has suggested that I continue to shave. I accept her suggestion because I prefer to stay married to her, for reasons that are obvious to anyone who has met both of us.
This entire comment stream is gold. As someone who is kind of on the side that says all men should have beards, I am enjoying the wide variety of perspectives - and on a side note, I've never even seen my husband's face, because he's been bearded the entire time I've known him.
Lol. I've never broken up with someone for shaving off a beard. Didn't have to. Apparently the (completely spontaneous) look of shock and horror was enough :)
Craig, I'm not buying a mug. But I will give a gift subscription. I need a recipient, though. I know people who are baseball fans, but they're not going to read your drivel.
If someone can give me a recipient -- someone who will read Craig's rants -- I'll promptly pay for the gift subscription.
I’m here for FWP 2.0 even if it means (as it almost certainly will) another round of whines from Tucker Carlson and his ilk about the “woke-ification” of America.
PS Gotta love the Nats’ latest 30-something reclamation project in Alcides Escobar; it’s likely not sustainable, but he has helped fill the massive leadoff void left by Kyle Schwarber‘s hamstring.
PPS Anybody know anything about this Ohtani fella that my guy Juan Soto drew in the first round of the Derby? Is he any good?
Reminds me of those NCAA tournaments when someone like UNC or UK would have a down year (for them) and end up as a #8 seed. Not a welcome sight for whichever team was the #1 seed in that region.
I thought so too until I checked Soto's totals. 11 HR. Tied for 81st in the league. And it's not like an opportunity thing. He has 7 fewer HR than Mike Zunino in 3 more AB. He also has 16 fewer HR than Fernando Tatis in the same 3 more AB but being 64% behind a backup catcher is just a lot funnier.
Soto is also hitting .401 so it's not like he's been awful, just not crushing dongs. He's absolutely going to screw up his swing trying to beat the Natural in round 1 and blow his chance at .400. Sorry DMCj, I don't make these rules, I just report them to gleefully decimate the dreams of others.
That's exactly my point - it's certainly a down year for Soto, but in a knockout competition he's still not someone you want to face. (I agree the Zunino stat is definitely amusing)
Given all you cite, I was as surprised as you are that he was asked to participate ... lots of debate on Nats Twitter about whether he'll hurt himself (more - he's got a cranky shoulder) or if he'll rediscover his power stroke post-Derby in the second half a la Bryce Harper 2018. He has hit HRs in back-to-back in San Diego so there is some hope that he's finding his longball swing in time for a stretch run.
Of course, it's always the hope that kills you. We'll see.
This field gives off a real strong "Trying promote a new crop of players" vibe to it, which I fully support and I suspect that was a big reason why Soto was given the invite
What, you don’t worship a man baby who whines 24/7 about how everyone is so unfair to him and injects bleach and shoves light bulbs up his ass to cure viruses? You are such a dumb beta soy boy socialist libtard cuck!
- The Mets now start a weird stretch where the next seven games are against the Pirates (four at Citi Field before the break and three at PNC after). I don't think anyone else is doing this. If the Mets do what they should and take most of these games from the dreary Bucs, I don't mind the schedule much, but it's weird.
- We have a dear friend who is basically what my wife would be like if she were 30 instead of 46. Charming, smart, and utterly progressive, and also a fellow Orthodox Jew. She has not had a lot of success with dating, which is not helped in our right wing communities by her strict insistence on not dating anyone who voted for Trump. She recently found someone who fits that category (among others, since he's also smart and a big nerd). She had to find him in LA. I hope it works out, but that is a long way to go to find someone else who is not a right winger.
We took advantage of the depreciation of assets thingy in the 90s after my wife's parents died and we had to sell their house in Glendale. Actually never knew about any such provision in the law, our accountant at the time mentioned it. Otherwise, we'd have taken a bath on the taxes from that sale.
That homer by Jesus Aguilar was his first one at home all season. He previously had 13 on the road, zero at home. I only know this because I keep waffling about whether to pick him up for my fantasy team. But in any case, it got me to do some digging:
The record for homers on the road without any at home is 17, set by Goose Goslin in 1926.
Ken Keltner also had 13 road homers without a single home dinger in 1939. Nobody else had more than 12.
The record for the converse of that, i.e. most home HR without any on the road, belongs to Gavvy Cravath in 1914, who hit 19 homers at the Baker Bowl but none on the road. (In fact, more than 3/4 of his 119 career homers came at the Baker Bowl, though he never hit more than 5 on the road in any season.)
Mel Ott hit 18 at home in 1943 but none on the road.
The Phillies' Cliff Lee (no, not that one, this one: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leecl01.shtml) hit 17 at the Baker Bowl in 1922 without a single round tripper away. Nobody else has more than 13. And nobody had had more than 10 home HR without a road HR since 1970, probably owing to the trend toward more uniformity in the newer baseball stadia.
Cleveland has now lost 9 times (NINE TIMES?) in a row, their longest losing streak under Terry Francona, and while the 7-inning nature of yesterday's hitless affair means it doesn't officially count, for all practical purposes Cleveland has now become the first team ever to be no-hit three times in a season, even though the season is barely halfway through. It's almost like when you trot out a $50M payroll, your offense is going to suck. Fortunately, owner Paul Dolan's stock portfolio is almost certainly doing well, which is what I got into baseball fandom for in the first place.
I had a weird fever dream the night I got my second vaccination. In said dream, my wife got a promotion that raised her salary to $500,000. My initial reaction when I woke up at 4 am was to see how many of my beloved Clevelands would be earning less than my wife.
A missed opportunity -- Instead of Bauer Bobblehead night, have a Prep H giveaway. When you have a flaming asshole in the rotation, Prep H will take him out quicker than the Dodgers.
I've been covering the Tigers since 1990, so Fielder Gen 1 and Gen 2, late-career Victor Martinez, Sean (7-3) Casey, Matt Stairs ... but Miggy has taken slow to a whole new level. It is a little sad to watch him finish his career like this - you can see teams pitching around Jonathan Schoop to get to him.
#evergreen
That Trump-dating story...
Back when I had a beard, someone at work helpfully pointed out a newspaper article, which claimed that only 31% of women would be willing to date a man with a beard. I pointed out that 31% would be a big improvement for me.
The secret is to get married beardless and then grow one (with her ascent, of course).
My wife would protest if I shaved mine. To the degree that the idea of shaving it off to make myself look younger for job search purposes is off the table. (As if it anyone with a brain can't figure out my age from my resume).
Towards the beginning of the pandemic I went from full beard to goatee and mustache-which I have done many times. But then I decided "I'm at home..let's go clean shaven". First time I had done that in probably a decade or more.
Yeah-the full beard was grown back very quickly and I really need to start counting calories.
She has suggested that I continue to shave. I accept her suggestion because I prefer to stay married to her, for reasons that are obvious to anyone who has met both of us.
Not gonna look it up now, but the data from that article doesn't match the text. 3% said yes unconditionally, and up to 70% said essentially "maybe."
This entire comment stream is gold. As someone who is kind of on the side that says all men should have beards, I am enjoying the wide variety of perspectives - and on a side note, I've never even seen my husband's face, because he's been bearded the entire time I've known him.
Lol. I've never broken up with someone for shaving off a beard. Didn't have to. Apparently the (completely spontaneous) look of shock and horror was enough :)
Not shaving for a day or two is OK, more than that is no fun for my face. Much much much prefer clean shaven
Here here. I never asked my wife. I ask her many things, but facial hair is just not me.
The kids tease me to try it here and again, but once you pass retirement age, it’s only to see who wins the beard-color pool. Unh-uh.
Likewise. I look like a refugee after a couple of days. I think HST described something like "your standard three-day wino trim"
-Oddly, my wife has expressed no preference. I suppose this means as long as the oral machinery is in working order the rest doesn't matter so much
Craig, I'm not buying a mug. But I will give a gift subscription. I need a recipient, though. I know people who are baseball fans, but they're not going to read your drivel.
If someone can give me a recipient -- someone who will read Craig's rants -- I'll promptly pay for the gift subscription.
RIP Tom Reich. The quintessential Pittsburgh guy.
I’m here for FWP 2.0 even if it means (as it almost certainly will) another round of whines from Tucker Carlson and his ilk about the “woke-ification” of America.
PS Gotta love the Nats’ latest 30-something reclamation project in Alcides Escobar; it’s likely not sustainable, but he has helped fill the massive leadoff void left by Kyle Schwarber‘s hamstring.
PPS Anybody know anything about this Ohtani fella that my guy Juan Soto drew in the first round of the Derby? Is he any good?
Yeah, that's a tough first-round draw for Ohtani!
Reminds me of those NCAA tournaments when someone like UNC or UK would have a down year (for them) and end up as a #8 seed. Not a welcome sight for whichever team was the #1 seed in that region.
I thought so too until I checked Soto's totals. 11 HR. Tied for 81st in the league. And it's not like an opportunity thing. He has 7 fewer HR than Mike Zunino in 3 more AB. He also has 16 fewer HR than Fernando Tatis in the same 3 more AB but being 64% behind a backup catcher is just a lot funnier.
Soto is also hitting .401 so it's not like he's been awful, just not crushing dongs. He's absolutely going to screw up his swing trying to beat the Natural in round 1 and blow his chance at .400. Sorry DMCj, I don't make these rules, I just report them to gleefully decimate the dreams of others.
That's exactly my point - it's certainly a down year for Soto, but in a knockout competition he's still not someone you want to face. (I agree the Zunino stat is definitely amusing)
Given all you cite, I was as surprised as you are that he was asked to participate ... lots of debate on Nats Twitter about whether he'll hurt himself (more - he's got a cranky shoulder) or if he'll rediscover his power stroke post-Derby in the second half a la Bryce Harper 2018. He has hit HRs in back-to-back in San Diego so there is some hope that he's finding his longball swing in time for a stretch run.
Of course, it's always the hope that kills you. We'll see.
PS It's his OBP that's hovering around .400 so Ted Williams is safe for now.
This field gives off a real strong "Trying promote a new crop of players" vibe to it, which I fully support and I suspect that was a big reason why Soto was given the invite
What, you don’t worship a man baby who whines 24/7 about how everyone is so unfair to him and injects bleach and shoves light bulbs up his ass to cure viruses? You are such a dumb beta soy boy socialist libtard cuck!
...Wanna date me?
— Umm, no.
Not fair! Discrimination! Just as bad as slavery!
I saw tenets of masochism open for Industrial Shithouse at Wembley.
You know what else was good? Dirt ... I think it's on Netflix.
And by good, I mean terrible but fun.
- The Mets now start a weird stretch where the next seven games are against the Pirates (four at Citi Field before the break and three at PNC after). I don't think anyone else is doing this. If the Mets do what they should and take most of these games from the dreary Bucs, I don't mind the schedule much, but it's weird.
- We have a dear friend who is basically what my wife would be like if she were 30 instead of 46. Charming, smart, and utterly progressive, and also a fellow Orthodox Jew. She has not had a lot of success with dating, which is not helped in our right wing communities by her strict insistence on not dating anyone who voted for Trump. She recently found someone who fits that category (among others, since he's also smart and a big nerd). She had to find him in LA. I hope it works out, but that is a long way to go to find someone else who is not a right winger.
Good luck to your friend - I can't imagine trying to date in this environment where political sorting is increasingly geographic as well.
But what I really came here to say was "Let's go Bucs" ;)
I'll actually be at two of those Mets games at PNC. Really looking forward to that park. And Lindor finally turning it on.
And Ruth, I read it tuesday but had to work and couldn't comment, good work, thank you,
We took advantage of the depreciation of assets thingy in the 90s after my wife's parents died and we had to sell their house in Glendale. Actually never knew about any such provision in the law, our accountant at the time mentioned it. Otherwise, we'd have taken a bath on the taxes from that sale.
And we're still not billionaires.
Borchert is a friend of mine from college. Love that this is here.
That homer by Jesus Aguilar was his first one at home all season. He previously had 13 on the road, zero at home. I only know this because I keep waffling about whether to pick him up for my fantasy team. But in any case, it got me to do some digging:
The record for homers on the road without any at home is 17, set by Goose Goslin in 1926.
Ken Keltner also had 13 road homers without a single home dinger in 1939. Nobody else had more than 12.
The record for the converse of that, i.e. most home HR without any on the road, belongs to Gavvy Cravath in 1914, who hit 19 homers at the Baker Bowl but none on the road. (In fact, more than 3/4 of his 119 career homers came at the Baker Bowl, though he never hit more than 5 on the road in any season.)
Mel Ott hit 18 at home in 1943 but none on the road.
The Phillies' Cliff Lee (no, not that one, this one: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leecl01.shtml) hit 17 at the Baker Bowl in 1922 without a single round tripper away. Nobody else has more than 13. And nobody had had more than 10 home HR without a road HR since 1970, probably owing to the trend toward more uniformity in the newer baseball stadia.
Cleveland has now lost 9 times (NINE TIMES?) in a row, their longest losing streak under Terry Francona, and while the 7-inning nature of yesterday's hitless affair means it doesn't officially count, for all practical purposes Cleveland has now become the first team ever to be no-hit three times in a season, even though the season is barely halfway through. It's almost like when you trot out a $50M payroll, your offense is going to suck. Fortunately, owner Paul Dolan's stock portfolio is almost certainly doing well, which is what I got into baseball fandom for in the first place.
I had a weird fever dream the night I got my second vaccination. In said dream, my wife got a promotion that raised her salary to $500,000. My initial reaction when I woke up at 4 am was to see how many of my beloved Clevelands would be earning less than my wife.
Not as many of them as Dolan would like.
Minimum wage this year is 570,500 for Our Lads, which is possibly the only reason some of them “out-earn” her.
A missed opportunity -- Instead of Bauer Bobblehead night, have a Prep H giveaway. When you have a flaming asshole in the rotation, Prep H will take him out quicker than the Dodgers.
I've been covering the Tigers since 1990, so Fielder Gen 1 and Gen 2, late-career Victor Martinez, Sean (7-3) Casey, Matt Stairs ... but Miggy has taken slow to a whole new level. It is a little sad to watch him finish his career like this - you can see teams pitching around Jonathan Schoop to get to him.
His career was built on running out infield hits. A base hit is a base hit almost every time, and a home run kills 99.99% of running.
*wasn't
Craig, I appreciated the "Dragonlance" Flint Fireforge reference. I was looking for the accompanying Tasslehoff Burrfoot or kinder reference.