Yawn, stretch, early Akron gamethread (Therapy)

The Cleveland Indians are the worst team in baseball, over the last 5 games anyway.

At times like this, I occasionally pretend baseball doesn't exist. Other times I look for anything positive from the minors. And other times I write bizarre, spectacular, violent, delicious clip art poetry. (Actually, I don't do that.)

Anyway, I will be trying to follow the Akron game, and putting meaningless observations here. It is Lofgren after all, and we really need our system to produce some freakin' starting pitching. And hey, Hodges is there. But probably no Borowski.

Also! If Lofgren is too old and damaged for you, Chris Archer is also pitching early today.

Audio available for both games.

And by early, I mean very very early. Why don't these games start at 1:05?

6 months ago dgcambridge Comment 115 comments 0 recs |

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GAME TIME. I wish it was Kinston.

Anybody watching Real World this year? Where they are manipulating the roommates by like putting stuff in their beds? And then acting like they don’t have footage of it?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:31 AM EDT 0 recs

Yes, Kinston is the most fun this year.

What kind of stuff? Should I ask?

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:32 AM EDT up 0 recs

Like, they put rocks in someone’s bed. And a bloody napkin in someone else’s. And money in someone else’s. And then somebody’s underwear got moved into someone’s bed.

It has to be linked to a trip their going on or something.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:34 AM EDT up 0 recs

No Josh Rodriguez today.

Josh (not calling him that other nickname) is interesting because he walks and K’s a lot, in near equal amounts, but doesn’t have good overall numbers. The other guys we have that do that are doing pretty well: Weglarz, Gimenez, Andy Old Man Gonzalez, MIlls.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:37 AM EDT 0 recs

I’m still spooked about Mills. I feel like he’s behind the curve.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:38 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah, but when you look at his numbers, the bad one that sticks out is his batting average. That makes me worry a lot less.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:42 AM EDT up 0 recs

Really? That .405 SLG makes me pretty uncomfortable. My other big, hidden, hulking worry about Mills is that he already hit with wooden bats in college. So, where’s it at?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:44 AM EDT up 0 recs

He used wooden bats in college?

The point about the batting average is that is drags down the other numbers across the board. That’s why ISO slugging is useful. When the singles start falling in, his slugging percentage will look fine. (not great yet)

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:47 AM EDT up 0 recs

I mean, his ISO is what .160? I’m not going pop eyed over that.

Yeah, cuz he played in NAIA. It was one of his minor selling points coming out.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:49 AM EDT up 0 recs

I know, just all right.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:54 AM EDT up 0 recs

NAIA uses wood bats? I did not know that.

I knew he’d used wood bats in the Alaska and Cape Cod Leagues.

by Jay on May 22, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

I went to an NAIA D2 school and they used metal bats.

by NickFantana on May 22, 2008 2:50 PM EDT up 0 recs

I could certainly be wrong. Maybe I’m just remembering that Alaska and Cape Cod Leagues.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 2:56 PM EDT up 0 recs

It turns out that only Wes Hodges used wood bats in the NAIA, because he felt more comfortable with them and was so dominant anyway.

(Please please let this become an internet rumor)

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hmm, maybe I should use the right name if I want to start a rumor.

It was Beau MIlls who was too much of a man to use metal bats.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 3:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

Seriously though, why do they play these games so early?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:42 AM EDT 0 recs

I was just thinking, does it have to do with bus trips? Do these guys still use buses? Maybe that’s why they need the early games.

I’ve also heard that these games have a lot of field trips from schools, but that seems like an unlikely reason.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:48 AM EDT up 0 recs

I remember hearing that last year or something, about the field trips.

But, I’m a teacher, and I can say we would be trying to get the game at noon or something so that it would likely be over at the same time as school or else we could give the kids their release at 3:15. The worst thing is an event that starts at like 10:30 because the kids won’t do anything in the morning and, if there’s time in the afternoon, that’s useless time too.

I think they still ride buses.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:50 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yes, they still use buses in AA, I believe. They definitely do in A-ball.

Disclaimer: this post doesn't mean what you think it means.

by AngG on May 22, 2008 11:25 AM EDT up 0 recs

And we’re live!

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:47 AM EDT 0 recs

Aeroes in order.

I know the minors are about development and all but, uhh, shouldn’t Crowe be moved down?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:51 AM EDT 0 recs

Nah, challenge the guy. Despite the average, he’s not getting overwhelmed yet.

I also think , like Aubrey, you can tell what the scouts and organization think of a guy when you look at his usage compared to his numbers. And by parsing through the comments they make about him. (I don’t want to lump Aubrey and Crowe together though.)

I think that they think the guy can be a major league player. That’s why he gets ST at-bats, and AFL at-bats. Still trusting the scouts.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 10:58 AM EDT up 0 recs

Hmm. I have to say I’m diametrically opposed to the scout’s view. I see nothing redeemable about Crowe. His absolute ceiling in my estimation is Jason Tyner.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 11:00 AM EDT up 0 recs

I didn’t realize this was Crowe’s 6th game. He was hurt, I assume?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 11:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yep, 4th game back.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up 0 recs

I’m watching Hotel Rwanda in class. I need a nouning drink.

by Gradyforpresident on May 22, 2008 10:55 AM EDT 0 recs

Don Cheadles arrival to inane discussions of “Who’s the best actor in the world?”!

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

I like Cheadle, but is he really in that discussion?

by Jay on May 22, 2008 2:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

I said it was inane. A bunch of college dudes sitting around and arguing Cheadle, Denzel Washington, Sean Penn, Kevin Spacey, all those “Who’s who” of Hollywood actors who are “real actors.”

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Spacey doesn’t belong in there either. Penn does, Denzel I won’t argue.

by Jay on May 22, 2008 3:00 PM EDT up 0 recs

The point, Jay, is that it’s not a real or legitimate argument.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 5:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

And, to expand, the reason is because of a lack of information and standard for what makes “good acting.”

I think you’d be hard pressed to find one person out of a hundred who mentions a name like Gary Sinese or John Mahoney in some “great actors” argument but they’re considered exactly that by the theatre community.

It’s just a super nuanced and weird issue. I guess ultimately, to me, a good acting performance is one you enjoy.

I don’t know who I think the best actor in Hollywood is. It’s a good question if taken seriously, I guess.
I guess Malkovich and Penn are good places to start? Daniel Day-Lewis? Denzel is great sometimes?

I have trouble taking myself seriously while doing this. I don’t feel qualified.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 5:45 PM EDT up 1 recs

Aw, don’t let Jay make you feel that way. And did you see there’s a huge article on Speilberg in today’s AVClub?

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2008 12:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

I would never make him feel that way. I would in fact advise him to go ahead and develop a point of view and be confident that it’s probably about as good as anybody else’s.

by Jay on May 23, 2008 1:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

But my point is that being as good as anybody else’s still doesn’t mean much. The vast majority of people are woefully underqualified to do such a thing. Doesn’t mean some people can’t enjoy it, it just sort of stymies me.

by afh4 on May 23, 2008 2:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

I meant that as more playful than it might have actually read.

But really, the Spielberg run down is interesting in light of that epic winter thread.

by dgcambridge on May 23, 2008 2:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Lofgren is giving up a lot of hard hit flyballs?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:56 AM EDT 0 recs

Curve color guy: The team that hits the most homeruns usually wins.

Hmm. Is this true?

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 10:57 AM EDT 0 recs

Paul DePodesta just wrote about this on his blog. Over the course of the year, there’s a pretty good correlation between out-homering your opponent and being in the playoffs. Reason 819 we’re in trouble.

by NickFantana on May 22, 2008 2:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that more homeruns in a given game correlates to winning, right? That’s what the commentator was saying.

Maybe it does.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 2:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Of course it does. How could it not?

by Jay on May 22, 2008 3:01 PM EDT up 0 recs

Two words: Rally. Killers.

"A good body with a dull brain is as cheap as life itself."

by Fiddlesticks on May 22, 2008 4:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

Also, walks clog up the basepaths.

Disclaimer: this post doesn't mean what you think it means.

by AngG on May 22, 2008 4:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

That reminds me, I’ve been thinking, should Aubrey’s nickname be Rally Killer? Because he only hits home runs.

by Jay on May 22, 2008 11:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

I guess so. I mean it “could” not. There’s certainly a possibility that a team wins all of it’s games when it homers over 4 times and more than the opponent but loses a larger number of games when it outhomers it’s opponents 1-0, resulting in a high total homerun count but a losing record in games where they outhomer opponents. I mean, that’s possible. It’s absurdist probably.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 5:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

Lofgren with the balk!

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 11:00 AM EDT 0 recs

I’m unable to listen currently. Feel free to share anything interesting that happens.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up 0 recs

Apparently Lofgren has a good move. The Curve guys knew about it.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up 0 recs

2nd scoreless inning for Lofgren. Doing it Paul Byrd style.

by afh4 on May 22, 2008 11:02 AM EDT 0 recs

The most interesting guy to me on the Aeros is Randy Newsom. A soft tossing, sidearmer that has a 3:1 GO/FO, and very few HR’s in 100 innings of work. i don’t think he will be a closer one day .. but he could be a very important part of the bullpen one day.

by Toxicadam on May 22, 2008 11:04 AM EDT 0 recs

Yeah, but what’s with all the walks right now. Can’t happen.

by dgcambridge on May 22, 2008 11:06 AM EDT up 0 recs