#this was about Billy and his baseball swinging skills | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dantakeyoman · 8 months

Text

𝐉𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄𝐘 | 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐧𝐞

♡ 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦! 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

♡ * 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒆𝒙𝒚, 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝒛𝒐𝒎𝒃𝒊𝒆-𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑱𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏. 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔. *

♡ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐳𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 (𝐳𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬), 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 (𝐨𝐟 𝐳𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬), 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐬, 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐱, 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬, 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.

♡ * 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒚: 𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒍 *

𝐓𝐖𝐎

"What are you prospecting?" Columbus grimaced as Tal opened his trunk to reveal the multitude of weapons he had in stock, "Jesus Christ."

"I think you've just renewed my respect for you, Tex," you commended, resting an elbow on his shoulder as he beamed proudly at his metal treasures.

"You are dangerous people," Columbus shook his head, "You're gonna risk our lives for a Twinkie?"

"And a Coke," you added, grabbing the barbed wire baseball bat.

After a long car ride, the three of you came across a local stop and shop joint.

And where there was shop, there was snack.

A Hostess snack specifically, according to Tallahassee's logic.

"There is a box of Twinkies in that grocery store," Tal started, picking up some garden shears, "Not just any box of Twinkies. The last box of Twinkies anyone will enjoy in the whole universe."

He tucked the shears in his pants, making you shiver.

'One wrong move and he's toast.'

"Believe it or not, Twinkies have an expiration date. And someday, very soon, life's little Twinkie gauge is gonna go empty."

"Let's hurry up, then. Keep wastin' time an' all the sodas are gonna be flat," you smiled, standing ready at the front door.

"Time to nut up or shut up," Tally smirked, slinging his banjo over his shoulder as he walked in.

You rolled your eyes, trailing after him with Columbus, "Fuckin' hill-billy."

"I heard that," he sighed, glancing back at you as he stood at the entrance to an aisle.

"Good," you smirked.

He rolled his eyes, grabbing the banjo off his back and starting to play.

And despite your constant criticism, you could feel the man's unorthodox, country charm growing on you by the day.

His blood lust and unsurprising, surprising fighting skills were things to be admired, sure.

But when it was just you and him, driving on the open road, sharing funny anecdotes about your time in Armageddon, it felt like he turned into a completely different person.

In a good way.

In a really good way.

It made part of your heart thaw, one that you hadn't let out the freezer since day one of the end of the world.

You were so lost in thought, you hadn't even realized that Tally was beating the shit out a zombie with his banjo.

You shook your head, trying to get yourself back to normal.

'Cool it. You cannot let yourself get fuckin' distracted. You didn't even notice what was goin' on outside.'

"Jersey! Don't swing! Don't swing!" Columbus exclaimed, running from another fat zombie and towards you.

Catching the memo, you nodded, winding up your bat as he slid past you.

"Swing!"

"Batta batta..." you swung with full force, knocking the head of the zombie clean off its shoulders with a smirk, "swing batta!"

The body fell to the ground, still twitching, so you plunged the knob into its chest, just to be sure.

"Good shit," Tally nodded, doing his best to not show how fucking impressed, and slightly turned on, he was.

He couldn't lie, that was fucking hot.

"Thanks," Columbus turned to you, looking down at it with disgust.

"You owe me," you smirked, dusting off your hands as you started off down the aisle, "Now, where's the fridge in this bitch."

A loud growl came from the end of aisle, and out stepped an incredibly fat zombie, which was at least a foot taller and wider than you.

"Whoa, Big Hoss," Tally whistled.

"You got this one, boss man?" You cocked a brow, getting ready to hand over your shotgun.

"You bet," he smirked pulling out the garden shears, "Watch and learn, sweetheart."

You scoffed, rolling your eyes as he went running at the zombie, snapping the shears.

"C'mere, big fella. Just gonna take a little off the top."

Columbus watched in awe, you in boredom, as the man decapitated the zombie with ease.

'Been there, seen that.'

"Wow, these fellas really let themselves go," Tally quipped, looking at the string of dead bodies the three of you left.

"And they're so fat," Columbus sighed sorrily.

"Hey, Tex," you waved off, walking over to stand directly in front of Tallahassee, "You call me sweetheart again and I'll kick your teeth in."

He smirked, "Whatever you say, Princess."

That familiar vein popped out your temple, and Columbus decided now would be a good time to jump in before you had an aneurysm.

But you also felt a fluttering in your stomach, one of butterflies and all things warm and fuzzy.

It was horrible.

"I think we should probably keep going," he nervously chimed, stepping in between you two.

Just then, some random woman came walking over from the back room.

"Who the hell are you?" You cocked a brow.

"Come quick," she asked, voice sad and cracked.

The three of you turned to each other, before nodding in agreement and deciding to follow, you hanging back to secure an exit.

You quickly wedged a box between the emergency exit door and the wall, then beelined to the back, where Tally and Columbus had solemn faces.

Looking past them, you could see a little girl, who looked no older than twelve, sitting on the table, hugging the woman from before with a sad expression

The three of you convened, and Tally tipped his hat.

"They're sisters. The little one's been bitten," he started in a low voice.

The flashbacks started rolling in, making you rest a hand on your chest like a granny with a weak heart.

"Shit," you cursed under your breath.

"Act normal. Try not to freak her out," he clarified, already seeing your reaction.

"Yeah," Columbus nodded.

An image of your brother's bloody, gnashing face flashed in your mind, making it hard to catch your breath.

It was odd, as if there was no air left in the air.

It hurt your chest, and made you feel like you were reliving the moment right then and there.

What was it those shrinks used to call it? A panic attack?

"Hey, you alright?" Tally asked, confused at your state.

You looked...scared.

He had never seen that look on your face before.

Hell, you'd just taken out a zombie twice your height and weight single-handedly.

He didn't even know why he cared so much at the moment.

"I'm fine," you stated curtly, stepping forward to get back to the task at hand.

'Distract yourself.'

He caved, reluctantly, and got back to business.

"Jersey, Columbus," Tal introduced, turning to the girls, "Wichita, Little Rock."

Columbus awkwardly waved, and all you could muster was a two-finger salute.

"So, you did all of this over a Twinkie and some Coke?" Little Rock asked.

"Oh, no, no, no, they did. I'm just kind of like a Sancho Panza character," Columbus denied.

Wichita rolled her eyes, grabbing Tally and huddling the four of you, you doing your best to try and catch some air before getting pulled in.

'Why is it so goddamn hard for me to get my shit together right now?!'

"Look, I don't think she has long," Columbus started.

"Yeah, I know. I know, and she knows. We're just looking for a way out," she sighed, staring straight at his gun.

"No, no, no, no. She's just a little girl," he denied.

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Little Rock snapped.

"Right, sorry," Columbus apologized, "Look, I know that you're really sick. But your sister wants me to-." "It's not her decision, okay? It's mine. I made her promise," Little Rock corrected, tearfully.

"We already said goodbye, but we didn't have a gun."

"We don't know that there's no cure-." "You're just gutless!" She snapped, turning to Tally, "Give him the gun."

Columbus sighed, somberly handing it over, and you stood off to the side, nervously biting down on your fingertips.

Why the fuck was this situation bothering you so much?

This stupid zombie virus made no damn sense.

(b/n) was fine when he went to lunch, so why did he come back with his skin hanging off the bone?

And why did he try to kill you? His baby sister? His little grease-monkey? His best friend?

'It makes no damn sense!'

"Wait, wait, wait," Wichita stopped Tally before he could shoot, "I'll do it."

The two nodded to each other, and he handed over the gun, Columbus already checking himself out and standing off in the corner, covering his ears.

She gave Little Rock a final kiss on the forehead before checking to see if the gun was loaded.

Taking aim, Little Rock hung her head, and Wichita hesitated.

Just as Tally was about to offer some help, she turned the gun on him.

"We'll take your weapons, car keys, your ammunition," she stated.

"And if you got it, sugarless gum," Little Rock added, jumping off the table good as new, taking the keys out Tally's pocket.

Your eye twitched.

The whole time. The whole goddamn time.

They were conning you.

They created this whole show to scam people out their shit, to pull at peoples emotions in order to get some fucking haul.

You quickly drew your glock, placing it at Little Rock's temple.

Wichita's eyes went wide, and she quickly turned her gun on you.

"One more fucking move and your sisters brains go all over the floor," you stated with absolute seriousness, your eyes cold, dead, and tear filled.

The girl's grip tightened, but she complied, staying completely still.

"You think this is a fuckin' joke? You think you can use people's fuckin' humanity to score a fuckin' car? Give Tally the gun back. Now," you ordered, a couple stray tears falling down your cheeks.

It was the first time you cried in the apocalypse

You didn't even cry during (b/n)'s death.

But the long delayed feelings were hitting you like a truck now.

Wichita quickly handed the gun over to Tallahassee, who was nearly as dumbfounded as her.

He had never seen you act so passionate about anything like this before.

You pulled the gun away from Little Rock, and pushed her towards her sister, training it on the both of them now.

"I'm giving you a minute to run. I don't wanna see either of you ever again."

The two nodded, and you put the safety on your gun, tucking it away.

And they quickly ran out the back way and towards the outside, leaving the three of you to stand in this thick atmosphere.

...

"What the fuck just happened?" Columbus asked, completely shocked.

"I just saved our asses is what," you stated, walking towards the exit, "Now let's blow this joint. I don't even want the Coke anymore and there's no Twinkies here."

"You're forgettin' one, tiny detail, Princess," Tally stated, crossing his arms.

"What?" You raised an eyebrow, seething and fluttering at the use of the nickname.

"The con-artists still have the car keys."

Your eyes shot wide.

"SHIT!" You exclaimed, booking towards the door and kicking it open, only to see that they were driving off with the car, the bags containing non-weapon items left on the ground.

"I fuckin' hate them," you steamed, slinging one of the stray duffels on your shoulder as the boys came out behind you.

"Nice goin', genius," Tally sighed, giving you a reassuring pat on the back.

"You're the one who gave her the gun," Columbus defended.

"Can't believe this," you huffed, "My dad's grenades are still in there."

"You had grenades in there?!" Columbus panicked.

"You didn't?"

𝒛 𝒐 𝒎 𝒃 𝒊 𝒆 𝒍 𝒂 𝒏 𝒅

"So, he's on one of these serious, Tour de France bikes. Y'know, the ones with, like, the toeholds, right? And he's pedaling, and zombie's head is, like, caught in the gear. With the hair in the chain just, like, going around," Columbus explained, stepping over a patch of shattered glass.

"Very cool," you nodded approvingly.

"But zombie kill of the week? No, sir," Tally waved off, "I saw this construction worker, I shit you not, he's on a steamroller, and a zombie goes down in front of him."

You scrunched your nose in funny disgust, knowing exactly where this was going

"You ever roll a tube of toothpaste up from the bottom?"

"Yeah, I always roll it up from the bottom," Columbus nodded.

"Well, the zombie's head is the cap," Tally smirked.

"Gnarly," you chuckled.

The three of you managed to make it on foot to this abandoned town, sharing delightful anecdotes of hilarious zombie kills.

You had already told your story of seeing a neighborhood guy throwing bricks from on top of a building and taking out an entire gaggle of zombies.

And a couple civilians, too, but hey.

Sometimes you gotta break a couple eggs to make an omelette.

"Are you one of those guys that tries to one-up everybody else's story?" Columbus asked, turning to Tal.

"No. I knew a guy way worse at that than me," he scoffed.

You rolled your eyes, "All right, let's find a car. My feet are startin' to hurt."

"That reminds me," Tal started, "I never had headaches like this till your assess came onboard. I mean, do what you want with a man, but do not fuck with his Cadillac."

"Hey, that's a nice minivan," Columbus chimed, turning to the car parked next to you.

"Oh, you know somethin'? That is nice," Tal agreed in a dangerously soft voice, approaching the car, "That's a beautiful van."

'Aw, shit.'

He picked up a stone and tossed it into the window, shattering it completely.

"Here we go," you sighed, sitting down on the curb to rest.

"Is he-?" "Just let 'im go. He needs this," you shook your head, assuring Columbus as the man picked up a crowbar, going to town on the poor vehicle.

He smashed for three minutes straight, going as far as climbing on top of it, smashing in the windshield.

"I want my Caddy back!" He angrily shouted, wailing on the roof, "Stupid little bitches!"

You figured this blowout would come sooner or later.

He was way too calm when the sisters stole the car.

Once he was done, he tossed the crowbar, panting as he climbed off the van.

"Feel better, buddy?" You asked, tauntingly as you stood up and patted his shoulder like a child.

"Fuck off," he scoffed, limping over to walk with Columbus, "Oh, I think I pulled somethin'."

"Old ass," you snickered.

"Keep tryin' me, missy. There's no law protectin' you no more," he threatened.

"All the more fun," you smirked, kicking up the crowbar and catching it, resting it on your shoulder.

He shot you a sharp glare, locking his jaw.

You were a real piece of work.

Even for a woman in the apocalypse, you were brash and vulgar and trigger-happy

Always ready for a fight.

Always ready to do whatever necessary.

You found humor in the everyday, which most people found repulsive and depressing.

It came so natural to you that he could probably talk to you about popping zombie heads pre-Z day and you'd still laugh.

You were a fuckin' oddball.

...

A gorgeous oddball.

"Think the three of us are smart enough to come up with a con like that?" He asked, quickly trying to distract from the very betraying thought.

You and Columbus stayed quiet, your silence speaking volumes as you tried to find an answer.

He shook his head in disappointment, "You hesitated."

"We don't need to come up with stuff like that. We're strong. Only people who can't fight for themselves do that shit," you shrugged.

The two nodded at you fair point, until Tally eyes landed on something that made him break out in a smirk.

"Either way," he smiled, grabbing your chin and turning your face to look at what he was looking at, "S'it better to be smart or lucky?"

Not too far away sat a bright yellow Hummer in perfect condition, parked nice and pretty in a driveway.

"I call shotgun!" You smirked, perking up and jogging over, Tally and Columbus not too far behind.

You slowed your jog to a walk so they could catch up, and approached the car, marveling at the paint job.

But Tallahassee, right behind you, noticed a pair of hands gripping onto the steering wheel.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," he quickly stepped in front of you, warily approaching the driver's side.

You were surprised, and slightly taken aback by the chivalry, but decided to save it for later and draw your crowbar.

He quickly opened the door, taking a big step back, only to see that it was just a pair of severed hands.

Tally let out a chuckle, and you shook your head in disgust, "S'fuckin' gross."

He pulled a hand off with a repulsive crack, moving it around to hold up the middle finger at Columbus.

"That's nice," Columbus sighed.

"Smell the finger?"

You rolled your eyes, opening up the backseat and smiling at the duffel bag that laid nice and open.

"Tex, Doofus, take a look," you smirked, unzipping it.

Tally quickly peered over your shoulder, smiling like a kid in a candy store at the sight of various automatic weapons.

"Thank God for rednecks!" He beamed, looking up at the sky.

"I call dibs on the uzi-HEY!" You exclaimed as he yolked it up from under you, moving over to shoot up at nothing.

You huffed, settling with the AK and taking your spot in the front seat, Columbus sitting in the back.

The two of you waited patiently as Tallahassee continued his celebration in true redneck fashion, shooting things and painting a truck.

"Staying with this dickhead's gonna get me killed," you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose.

"Quick question," Columbus chimed, "How did my name go from Columbus to Doofus?"

"Your name's too long. And Doofus fits you, anyway," you answered, bluntly.

"Fair enough," he mumbled.

"Hoo!" Tally smiled, opening up the door and plopping himself in the front seat, "That felt good."

He turned on the car and peeled off out the neighborhood, a devious glint in his eye.

"Y'know, they say, he who seeks revenge should dig two graves," Columbus chimed from the backseat, already knowing what the man was thinking.

"Right. Two graves. One for the big chick and one for the little chick," Tally smirked.

"You are scary happy," you chuckled, turning to him

He turned to you with a laugh, and a knowing look.

Oh, he was gonna tear those girl to shreds.

"C'mon, why don't we just forget about them and head home?" Columbus sighed.

"Oh, you wanna talk about home?" Tally cocked a brow, "For me, home was a puppy named Buck. Cutest dog ever."

He took a deep sigh, the happy memories nearly visible in his eyes.

"All those fuckin' zombies. I lost 'im. And there ain't no getting him back, so I'm looking for a new home. Tomorrow, I may be skinny-dippin' in the Yellowstone River, or swingin' from the chandelier in the Playboy Mansion. But today, a Vortec six-fuckin' liter V8, a box full of hollow points, and, Lord willin', a GD Twinkie."

He turned to you with a rare, genuine smile.

"Gotta enjoy the little things."

You laughed, looking down at your lap with your own smile.

Tally's take on life was...enlightening.

He lived every day like it was his last, and enjoyed every moment like his first.

It was a good philosophy to have, especially in a world where life could easily become filled with an all-encompassing sense of dread.

Keeping things fresh and exciting was good distraction from the man-eating hordes of monsters scattered across the country.

And thinking about how philosophical his non-philosophy was, turned out a great distraction from thinking about how he sexy he probably looked skinny-dipping.

'Shit.'

You blushed, discreetly shifting in your seat, trying desperately to shove the thoughts out your head.

'The universe needs to give me somethin' to do quick before I fuckin' burst.'

𝒛 𝒐 𝒎 𝒃 𝒊 𝒆 𝒍 𝒂 𝒏 𝒅

#tallahassee x reader #tallahassee #zombieland #zombieland x reader

32 notes · View notes

usabsportdevelopment-blog · 6 years

Photo

The Value of Reliability

FUNdamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / July 13, 2018

From the moment a player signs his first professional contract, a process begins to develop that player into a Major Leaguer. Countless hours will be spent honing one’s craft. From swings in a cage, to ground balls on the field, to pitches in the bullpen, each and every day is an opportunity for players to get a little better. The process of player development in professional baseball takes a number of years, and even for the majority of those who have the privilege of getting paid to play our game, full development never comes to fruition.

As a coach, we all love players who have tools. Professional scouts and recruiters alike all drool over players who can run like Billy Hamilton, barrel the baseball like Miguel Cabrera, display the power of Giancarlo Stanton, throw with velocity like Aroldis Chapman, or show off a breaking ball like Chris Sale’s slider. The Mike Trouts of the world don’t grow on trees, so when we see a rare athlete who might have star potential, we cannot help but get excited about that player becoming a vital part of our club and its future success.

In an era of baseball that, on the surface, seems incredibly analytically-based and data-driven, there is a very simple answer to the question of when a player is truly ready to become a Big Leaguer. It has nothing to do with the numbers. It’s when they become reliable; when those tools turn into viable, usable skills; when we know we can pencil that player into the lineup and they will do what they are supposed to do in order to play their part in helping our club win games. Nothing more, nothing less.

When a rookie first gets called up to the Major Leagues, no one is expecting them to be a star from day one. There is a definite learning curve that takes place at the game’s highest level, but often times all a Major League staff needs to know is whether or not a player is going to be in a position to successfully execute on the field. Call-ups are never expected to be a club’s savior, but rather are expected to be a reliable piece to the team’s big-picture puzzle.

The same premise holds true for players at the collegiate and high school level.

There is a huge value to having a good idea of what to expect out of your players when you pencil them in your lineup. Reliability isn’t a light-tower power at 5:00 that mysteriously disappears at 7:00 when the lights go on. Nor is it a 95-MPH fastball that can never find its way near the strike zone or a 6.5 runner who can never find his way on base. Standout tools are worthless if they never show up in games, and while they offer massive potential for future success, they don’t breed the trust a coach is looking for.

So, what does reliability actually look like?

For hitters, reliability takes on the image of a consistent quality at-bat, where strike zone discipline is a staple of their every day in the batter’s box. Reliable hitters can handle the bat relative to the game, able to move runners over and drive runners in. They can cater their approach according to the game’s ever-changing variables like pitcher, count, situation, and score.

For pitchers, reliability looks like quality strikes, one after another – not just filling the zone with pitches over the heart of the plate, but rather consistently hitting spots that are tough to hit. Reliable pitchers challenge contact and work fast, always keeping their defense engaged to the game, knowing that the ball is likely coming their way. They can control the running game and field their position like the fifth infielder they are supposed to be. Above all else, a reliable pitcher finds a way to keep his team in the game whether that means keeping the opposing team off the board or holding them to eight runs.

On the defensive side of the ball, reliability is making the routine play, routinely. Infielders and outfielders alike regularly throw the ball to the correct base and are always backing up some play, somewhere. Reliable defenders anticipate the game and make their decisions accordingly, whether that may be controlling damage when just a single out is needed or aggressively getting the lead runner out when a small window is open to do so. They have the innate ability to listen to the ball, without having to rely on anyone else to tell them what to do with it.

Reliability is truly one of the game’s most valuable skills; it is a combination of game skills with game sense. Reliable players aren’t always stars, but they always do what they are supposed to do on the field and are just as valuable as those stars who they help shine brighter by making them better.

For more resources, check out these links:

Online Education Center USA Baseball Mobile Coach Long Term Athlete Development Plan

Darren Fenster is a contributor to the USA Baseball Sport Development Blog, and is currently the Manager of the Boston Red Sox Double-A affiliate Portland Sea Dogs. A former player in the Kansas City Royals minor league system, Fenster joined the Red Sox organization in 2012 after filling various roles on the Rutgers University Baseball staff, where he was a two-time All-American for the Scarlet Knights. Fenster is also Founder and CEO of Coaching Your Kids, LLC, and can be found on Twitter @CoachYourKids.

#FUNdamentalSkills #DarrenFenster #Coaches

1 note · View note

cardboard-moon · 6 years

Text

40 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me

You probably already know me decently well or else you wouldn’t be reading this, so instead of rehashing the basic (boring) “getting to know me” questions I dug a little deeper and asked myself about what’s really important. Here is the result: 40 Things You Never Wanted To Know About Me. Enjoy!

1. What Parks and Rec character am I?

While I could argue for almost everyone on the show I’m probably most like Ben Wyatt: a white, brunette, and sad man who eats soup alone on a park bench (minus his love of math and rollerskate kink)

2: Top 5 books?

To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret History, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Help, 11/22/63

3: Top 5 movies?

Chinatown, Star Wars, Rear Window, National Treasure (nick cage can be good in small doses ok) and Nancy Drew (2007)

4: Top 5 shows?

Parks and Rec, B99, That 70′s Show, Mad Men, Arrested Development

5: Top 10 most iconic vines?

1) Chris is that a weed/Mary is that a police

2) Hi My Name is Trey I have A Basketball Game Tomorrow

3) Rebecca It’s Not What You Think

4) The one where the girl is just hitting elmo with a baseball bat

5) Anything Kermit but esp. the one where he falls off the building

6) You Know This Boy Got His Free Taco

7) 2 Bros Chillin in the Hot Tub

8) Waelcom to my Keeetchen we have bananis and avocadis

9) Whoever Threw That Paper Your Mom’s A Hoe

10) i spilled lipstick in your valentino bag (yOU SPILLED WHAHULAUG LIPSTICK IN MY VALENTINE WHITE BAG)

6: Where do I see myself in 21 years?

One of my dreams in life is to marry the heir to a prestigious winery out in wine country. I have a vision of myself at 39, waking up at 10 AM on a tuesday and standing on my private balcony in my state-of-the-art spanish stucco villa. i am drinking a chardonnay despite the early hour whilst i observe my grape empire in my silk negligee. the only event planned for the day is a portrait sitting for my rottweilers (4 of them), for which i have arranged spaces in the family’s private art gallery. i am aging well despite the harsh california sun and my partner and i have a trip to tuscany planned for the fall. it’s a charmed life and i never tire of eating grapes

7: Top 5 favorite cryptids

1) Nessie (Nessie is a true lady I believe in her)

2) Mothman (not real)/ el chupacabra (possibly real)

3) the kraken (definitely real)

4) Bigfoot (not real but a legend anyways)

5) the yeti (real only in russia)

8: Do I Believe in Ghosts

It’s a complicated topic and of course we will likely never know for sure but the short answer is yes. in my opinion though, what ghosts are is the important question: are they really the dead coming back to haunt the earth? are they just manifestations of energy that the mind interprets into recognizable shapes? hallucinations? or is it wish fulfillment and the reduction of tensions on a heavy conscience? our brains are capable of powerful things, but it begs the question as to whether if a human desperately wants something to be true does the human mind have the power to make it true? c. s. lewis mentioned once that he never understood the ghost debate since, given that ghosts are real, they have no real power over us or anything interesting to say. but i believe that just goes to show how the mystery is far often more important than the solution.

9: Best/Worst Month of the Year

Best: May/November (spring/fall in full swing, holidays, time off school, great atmosphere) Worst: August (too dang hot & start of school)

10: What is one of my embarrassing secrets

I didn’t learn how to tie my shoes until I was nine (velcro ftw)

11: What is my Dream Date

We go cryptid hunting in the woods and have a picnic in the dark; you supply dogs for entertainment and guardianship purposes, i supply drinks and the cryptozoological myths we are chasing. Afterwards we get gelato

12: Top 3 Presidents

(this is based solely on arbitrary opinion not policies) 1) Barry Obama 2) Lincoln 3) Millard Fillmore (his name is funny)

Honorable mention: jimmy carter (he was the only noncorrupt man in office for like 30 years before barry)

13: Top 3 Vice Presidents

1) John Adams, if nothing else but for the drama this man caused 2) Walter Mondale 3) the big boy JB

Honorable Mention: Nichard Rixon

14: Top 3 Secretaries of State

1) Madeline Albright 2) Henry Clay 3) Elihu P. Washburn

(note: secretaries of state have the funniest names, like Hamilton Fish (1869-1877) rest easy Mr. Fish)

15: Worst Activity they make you do in middle school PE

Middle school P.E. is the worst in general but I’m going to say either grading you on your shotput skills (?) or BMI (??) or just the tuesday run in general (luther kids know)

16: Top 4 Worst Scents

1) Washing a knife covered in peanut butter 2) Really cheap perfume that they sell in checkout lines at convenience stores 3) Olives 4) organic deodorant

17: Top 7 Conspiracy Theories

1) The Denver Airport is an underground military fallout shelter designed to protect the 1% from nuclear warfare

2) A Roman pope adjusted the Gregorian calendar so that his reign would fall on 1000 AD so we’re actually living in the year 1783

3) Paul McCartney is dead and was replaced prior to the Seargant Pepper album by a lookalike named Billy Shears

4) The state of Wyoming is a myth

5) Avril Lavigne died and was replaced back in the early 00’s

6) The Titanic sank because too many people went back in time to prevent it from sinking

7) Not to be cliche George Bush and the military-industrial complex orchestrated the 9/11 attacks (jet fuel can’t melt steel beams and all that)

18: Inside jokes with myself

I’m not usually a “gamer” but every year without fail someone introduces me to a game exactly at finals time and I get hooked and it ruins my gpa and study habits. This year it’s Stardew Valley, last year it was Dream Daddy and the year before that it was undertale and I blame Jojo for absolutely all of it bc they are usually the instigator. Anyway, every year I joke with myself about what game will derail my grades this year

19: Top 5 Worst Tactile Sensations

1) Putting tights or leggings on wet, hairy legs post-shower

2) Running fingernails along cardboard

3) Sweating in a turtleneck

4) Having wet, salty hair after swimming that drips down onto your back and makes the top of your shirt damp

5) Reaching into a bag of grapes and only finding really soft, slimy ones

20: Best Cat I’ve ever encountered

One time my friend and I were leaving Romancing the Bean and walking back to her car and the fattest, fluffiest, softest ginger cat I’ve ever seen came trotting up to us and flopped over at our feet. He was such a good boy!!! And so friendly with strangers!! He was very well groomed and just wanted some love, and whenever we stopped petting him he would jump up onto our legs and leave little wet paw prints everywhere, I wanted to kidnap him

21: Best dog I’ve ever encountered

All of them

22: Best squirrel I’ve ever encountered

My dad has befriended a squirrel named Nutty that likes to sneak into his office when the door’s open and steals peanuts. if the door is closed he’ll bang on it and scream until we acknowledge him

23: If I were a furry what would my fursona be

I do not know because I am not a furry. HOWEVER someone who is well-versed in furry matters told me once that I would be one of those long, nervous dogs like a greyhound maybe and tbh I could see it

24: Favorite/Least Favorite Disneyland Rides

My favorite has always been haunted mansion, except for the halloween season when it’s nightmare before christmas and then it’s thunder mountain. I just love the outside atmosphere of the house bc I’m a slut for that southern gothic architecture style. Worst is splash mountain because there’s no seatbelt and LOGICALLY i know I don’t need one but it doesn’t stop me from having a panic attack every time I get on and we go up the big hill as I worry about being flung from the toboggan across the park

25: Least favorite restaurant within 10 mile radius of my house

I live over by Porto’s so I am #blessed to be surrounded by some really dope food. However there is a hipster place a couple of blocks over in Toluca Lake that only serves bizarre food like fried chicken in maple syrup with waffle fries and it’s surprisingly bland, so the lack of taste combines with how expensive it is probably makes it the worst (it’s also forgettable bc I can’t even remember its name)

26: Rank of JBHS history department according to how good of a parent they would be

9.Mr. Bixler - I have never had this man so I can’t say shit. NA/10

8. Ms. Snowden - I’ve never had her either but I’ve heard enough about her between Burroughs and Luther to know that this woman is kind of scary, intimidating and uptight, all things I personally do not desire in a parent. 2/10

7. Mr. Hatch - I love Scott Hatch but he is a tremendous mess of a man. Judging by his wife’s instagram photos his idea of parenting is taking naps while cuddling his children and letting his wife do the rest of the hard work. Plus he seems like the type to be too wrapped up in his own melodrama and too busy hangin out with his best friend Edward Frankenbush playing Xbox to pay much attention to his kids. However, he did skip the first day of school to take his daughter to kindergarten so he gets points for that. 4/10

6. Mr. Lee - Mr. Lee is a very respectable guy who seems like he does a very good job providing for his family. He’s ranked as middle of the road because he’s a naturally private person so I can’t speak to his parenting tactics or personality much, however the few stories he shared about his daughter were very cute and he does the typical teacher/parent things like making her his screensaver on his computer. Overall, a very quality dad and man, 6.5/10

5. Mr. Fitz - Kyle Fitzgerald is similarly a mess of a man, but the difference between him and Scott Hatch is that he seems to make an investment in his kid. He always talks about current events in terms of what idiocy his poor daughter will have to put up with which shows his devotion to her well-being and survival in a confusing world. Also he brought her in to go swimming once while I was working at Verdugo and I got to see them having a great time on the splash pad and it warmed my heart. Great dad 7/10

4. Mr. Piper - Richard Piper is such a good father but in a detached way. He loves talking about his son and wife just as much as he loves talking about planes. The real kicker? When he talks about taking his son ON planes and geeking out over history together. He also asked all of his classes for people looking for tutoring work when his son was struggling in math which is so cute. Good guy Rick gets an 8/10.

2. (tie) Mr. Frankenbush and Ms. Hacker - Ed and Jan are both beautiful people. I know Ms. Hacker is #divisive but I personally am a big fan and would die to have her guidance in my daily life. She’s always interested in what’s going on in people’s lives and sure she’s definitely chaotic but it’s a loving chaos that’s only looking to help other people. I’ve not had the pleasure of having Mr. Frankenbush but he always is hanging out with his son Joey and they love coming to the Burroughs pool and playing water polo together; they spend a lot of time together since his wife works so much and they have such a buddy friendship. Both of these lovely people are super devoted and invested in the youth and would make great parents. 9/10

1. Mr. Clark - A god. We don’t deserve this man and I can’t sing his praises enough. Were were all lucky enough to be Greg’s children I don’t think evil would exist in the world. 11/10

27: Worst book I read for school

Hands down Tale of Two Cities since it’s the only one I’ve never finished. Dickens just doesn’t do it for me I guess plus I get really tired of the one dimensional characters and how much he romanticizes Lucy

28: Favorite little-known tidbit of history

When Richard Nixon went to Soviet Russia as Eisenhower’s VP during the cold war his secret service agents detected higher than usual amounts of radiation coming from Nixon’s hotel room, so they started talking loudly about it bc they knew the Soviets had planted buds and were listening. Within like an hour the radiation had vanished and they never heard anything about it again so man Soviet’s ain’t sly

29: 5 Places in Burbank That Are Definitely Haunted

1. Coral Cafe for obvious reasons, look up the ghost on youtube

2. The View seems like it would have some kind of el chupacabra-esque creature prowling around, maybe a mountain lion hybrid

3. Fry’s Electronics

4. The abandoned train station under the bridge

5. The LA river by the equestrian center

30: Rank of all the AP classes i took in order of entertainment value

9) AP Bio: I liked bio but the class wasn’t very entertaining. There’s not a lot of humor in bacteria and cells, and Mr. Van Loo is much more of a calming than a humorous and chaotic presence, so overall it takes the hit as the least entertaining class.

8) AP Stats: Math is similarly not very entertaining, but Mrs. Hollingshed’s erratic personality gives it the edge over Bio. Definitely more humorous than expected of a math class.

7) AP Econ: I bombed econ and business/money isn’t very entertaining but Jan Hacker made it so thanks to her chaos (love her though).

6) AP Euro: European history is incredibly iconic because, spoiler alert, Europeans are idiots and historically speaking everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I just wish I remember it since I think idiot sophomore Lily slept through most of the class so needless to say I didn’t soak up much of the entertainment value. If it were up to me I’d take it over again and maybe stay awake this time.

5) AP Lit: Lit was just as much challenging and intimidating as it was entertaining, so it balances out. Mrs. Caluya is notably iconic and the books we read were all pretty interesting so it gets a high vote from me.

3) (tie) Gov/APUSH: History is always entertaining in my eyes since people do stupid things out of pettiness. These two tie for different reasons: Mr. Piper is a great teacher and that mock trial we did for the industrial age was great, but the subject was also extremely entertaining overall. I loved reading about how John Adams made making fun of him illegal. Gov was mostly just entertaining because of Mr. Hatch and how salty his is about the government. His sarcastic comments about how corrupt everything is gave life to an otherwise pretty lifeless subject.

2) AP Lang: aka the class with no curriculum, or the Kuglen Hour. I love Mr. Kuglen so much and he is responsible for 99% of the amusement in the class. I somehow learned how to be a better writer by listening to him complain about Trump and everything else under the sun for an hour every day so it was well worth it. Also who doesn’t like a class where you read Dave Sedaris for homework?

1) AP Psych: Without question, this is the epitome of entertainment. Psychology is just a mishmash of people trying to figure out why humans are as stupid as we are and why we do dumb things. Add in all the iconic psychologists and history and a class led by salty Mr. Hatch and you have a recipe for an entertaining year.

31: Top 5 Iconic JBHS teachers that I NEVER had (no particular order)

Mr. Peebles: A quirky man who I would have loved were I any good at math whatsoever

Mr. Arakelian: Band kids hate him but the stories I hear are so frickin iconic that I wish I could be an honorary band kid for a day and see the horror firsthand. If you have Arakelian stories please send them my way I’d love to hear about your pain

Mr. Frankenbush: A sad boi who everyone should get to experience and I regret never having.

Dr. Madooglu: He was so kind to me after the failed anti-trump lunchtime protest last year and he didn’t even know me. I wish I could’ve experienced him as a teacher.

Mr. Clark: The man, the myth, the legend

32: List of some iconic swim horror stories

Charlie breaking his hand after he lost a race and punched the gutter as hard as he could

Some idiot JV boys smearing poop all over the Burbank High locker room

The entire JV team getting Burroughs swim banned from Islands

Me almost passing out at the Los Amigos meet last year after I didn’t eat or sleep all day

Everyone always feigning illness or injury to get out of swimming the 4x100 relay

Getting in trouble for watching boys volleyball practice instead of doing the weight room sets

Every. Single. 5AM morning practice before school.

When coach martin finally figured out how periods work and suddenly we couldn’t use that as an excuse for not swimming anymore

33: What Office Character Would I Be

A mix between Angela, Oscar, and Kelly (we love our dramatic icons)

34: #1 Thing I’d Bring With Me to a Desert Island

Castaway for instructional purposes

35: What Would I call my memoir

Schadenfreude

36: 7 Best Buzzfeed Unsolved Episodes (no particular order)

This is one of my favorite shows so these are my recommendations:

1. 3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons - one of the very first and best episodes; a 45-minute special where the Boys investigate the Winchester house in San Francisco, the Island of the Dolls in Mexico, and the Sallie House in Kansas

2. The Strange Disappearance of D. B. Cooper - A man going by the name of Dan Cooper hijacked a plane, demanded money and passage to Mexico, and then at some point jumped out of the plane and was never seen again. To this day no one knows his identity or his fate despite some of the ransom money turning up in a river somewhere.

3. The Haunted Halls of Waverly Hills Hospital - Ryan and Shane explore an abandoned asylum in Pennsylvania and some creepy stuff ensues. One of the best supernatural episodes

4. The Thrilling Gardner Museum Heist - An almost hilarious story (with reenactments!) about a seriously inept security guard and the loss of some of the world’s most beloved paintings. This was one of the first episodes after they started making money and the production quality is off the charts

5. The Scandalous Murder of William Desmond Taylor - Another excellent reenactment story about one of Hollywood’s first and biggest scandals, the suspicious murder of a leading film producer.

6. The Enigmatic Death of the Isdal Woman - A woman’s body was found suspiciously burned in the European wilderness and no one knows who she is or how exactly she was killed. Watch if you like espionage!

7. The Strange Killing of Ken Rex McElroy - An entire town seemingly rose up to murder a douchey, violent pedophile. One of the only episodes that’s actually happy?

37: 6 Things I would Have Changed About High School

1. Definitely would have joined yearbook as soon as I could

2. Wouldn’t have forced myself to swim for all 4 years; if the passion’s gone then you shouldn’t force it. It’s just a sign that you need to move on to better things

3. I would’ve taken more AP’s and maybe tried another stem ap class. I’ve always been self-conscious about how bad I am at math, but I’ve gotten a little better over the years and instead of being too afraid to challenge myself I would’ve liked to see how I could do and prove myself.

4. Worrying less about grades!! I killed myself over my grades for like three years and then I just kind of let myself go. I would have let myself have who knows how many more hours of sleep and taken the L on a couple of assignments; I’m still learning that my health is more important than perfection.

5. Meeting the right people! I wouldn’t have restricted myself to a few friends and would have branched out more by joinng stuff like JSA. It sucks meeting the right people your senior year and realizing that I was hanging out with the wrong people this whole time.

6. Spanish instead of French.

38: What Would I Name My Farm Animals if I had A Farm

I’d definitely name them all after female Shakespearian characters. My cows would be Hippolyta and Titania from Midsummer, my horse would be Desdemona from Othello, my chickens would be Gonereil, Regan, and Cordelia from King Lear and my goat would be named Gertrude from Hamlet

39: Most Useless Talent I Have

I have a really strong internal clock so when I don’t think about it too hard and guess intuitively I can usually predict how much time has passed/what time it is without looking at a clock. It’s really only useful for estimating how much time I wasted standing in the shower staring at the wall

40: Top Regret After Writing This:

Writing this instead of studying for my econ test in seven hours.

Thanks for reading!

#writer's project #thanks jen for assigning this i had fun

2 notes · View notes

geneshaven · 7 years

Text

Ever Evolving

Every once in a while, a show like Arrow comes along (and there are not many like it) that just settles in on me. It has sailed along now for 5 ½ seasons, and I’ve become familiar with the characters and the story narrative. It takes me on a journey. Yes, occasionally it will throw me some curves, but over time, I see the rhythms and the speed of the pitch, and I learn how to recognize the dips and swerves of the ball and can swing at it and make a connection (sorry for the baseball analogy.) Tonight, at times, those curves left me frozen at the plate. What was familiar and comfortable became unknown and unexpected. And I loved every minute of it.

There is a certain symmetry to storytelling. When it evolves, the characters and their motivations evolve with it. If everything just stayed the same in every episode, those characters become predictable and stagnant and uninteresting. The story feels flat and one-dimensional. The excitement is gone, and not having to think or speculate or invest myself in the tale---I am just left wanting to get up and change the channel. I am sure that I will probably not do justice adding my two cents to this episode, and I will more than likely omit some of the other elements that made it good. But these thoughts are first impressions and they are bursting to come out. So I apologize in advance.

Talia. Her training Yao Fei was out of the blue (and now I want to watch Season 1 again and try to recognize that training.) Her giving Oliver his first bow; it felt like she was passing on some kind of family heirloom. Her telling Oliver that when the monster inside of him becomes someone else, something else, then he will be free to become Oliver Queen. Felicity said essentially the same thing to him at the end of Season 3, just before they rode off into the sunset. I guess it didn’t take hold then. That somebody/something else turned out to be just another part of their fantasy together. The monster in him (fear and uncertainty) awoke when he lied to Felicity and started all of us down the road that led to where we are now---Oliver and Felicity devoured by said monster, (well, mostly Felicity was, but she has her own monster inside of her now.) I’m sure I am leaving out more about Talia, but this is what jumped out at me about her.

Tina was another breath of fresh air. I agree with everyone who is saying she is going to be a fantastic Black Canary. Her attitude and toughness and skills definitely remind me of Sara. Even it Laurel hadn’t died, it would have taken her a few more years to come close to this version of BC. Tina just doesn’t hold back; case in point, killing that dude in cold blood. It was brutal and savage and really good stuff. She also is not going to take any shit from Oliver and the rest of the team. She is like Felicity in that way. Felicity is badass in her computer skills, (and last week she showed everybody that she is also badass throwing a straight right hand); it really isn’t her forte. Tina is skilled, temperamental at times, brash and tough as nails. She is also beautiful. I am curious if she and Wild Dog do have a background. If they do, maybe Tina can be the person (like Felicity is to Oliver) who can temper him and teach him how not to be so abrasive and grating and annoying. We’ll see. Anyway, I am looking forward to watching her evolve into this new version of BC.

I want to step out of my main narrative for a second here and just say that James Bamford and the whole stunt crew really made it happen in the action scenes. Just phenomenal.

OTA. I felt, finally for maybe the first time this season, the writers brought them together in a way not seen since it was just the three of them. Their dynamic, their love and trust and need to protect one another---their sense of family. Felicity putting herself out there to save John was a refreshing change of pace. Usually, it is John who is the protector and the strong shoulder to lean on. I know that this story arc is just beginning and Felicity is going to sink down into the darkness through grief (for Billy) revenge (Prometheus) anger, pain and deep lose (Oliver). I’m not sure what Helix is (it was a good show on SyFy Channel) but I think it is going to be the vehicle that carries her forward, and will give her character a new direction and motivation. The look in her eyes when she was looking at the information she got from her hacker disciple was haunting. It reminded me of the glare that Oliver displayed in Hong Kong after he tortured and killed that General. It was a seed, and it is going to sprout into those ‘morally questionable’ things she is supposed to involve herself in. But because Felicity is strong, made so by all that she has gone through all these years, that part of her is going to keep afloat, because she is subconsciously doing it out of love and the need to protect those she loves the most---namely Oliver and DIggle. I think it is going to be a treat to watch her, (and EBR as well.) Already, this is having payoffs. John is free. He found his own ‘another way’ by choosing to fight back, legally and morally. He was not going to give up this time. When he found out (and Oliver too) that he was going home, that moment was worth me having to wait for half a season.

And Oliver. He is just cruising towards the complete and flawed man and hero he is destined to become. And Felicity, I think, has acknowledged this, if not to him, to herself. Their banter with each other tonight was pretty special, even though the scenes were brief. I think they are becoming more familiar with each other’s rhythms again---one shoe size fits both of them. They still have a bit to go, but I can sense at the end of that journey, they will arrive together at their ultimate destination---happiness and endgame and a nursery full of babies.

Like I said at the beginning of this, I might have skipped over some things. But my ultimate point is---the show is evolving. And I am evolving with it, as fan and as someone who just appreciates a good story.

I can’t wait for the next chapter.

27 notes · View notes

redsoxfantasycamp · 4 years

Text

With a heavy heart and lots of ice packs, it’s sad to say that our 2020 Fantasy Camps have come to an end! Our second Fantasy Camp finished off with all-night celebrations for The Bombers who hoisted up the Championship Trophy. Dave Smith cried his eyes out as Geddy piggy-backed him all the way to Shoeless Joes. It was a beautiful sight to see.

Fighting off hangovers and caffeine headaches Saturday morning, the campers made their way back to the park for one final face off, but this time - against the Pros.

Swing, a miss. Swing, miss again. Swing, and that’s three. That was the story all afternoon. To the campers credit, there were definitely some dingers into the outfield, a few foul balls, and the occasional grounder to short. The Pros did not disappoint and played, well, like pros. It was like they’ve played the game before or something.

The All-Star game followed, with the Yaz Division facing off against the Williams Division. Check out your 2020 Fantasy Camp All-Stars below:

Williams Division:

• Evan Anderson

• Jon Davis

• Mike DiPalma

• Mike Dixon

• Jim Forbush

• Joe Gill

• Mike Grandmaison

• Eric Grandmaison

• Brian Habig

• Kevin Hyatt

• Marino Jimenez

• Eric Roukey

• Brian Stoltz

• Danny Tangen

• Jeff Vachon

Yaz Division

• Mike Burns

• Stephen Camp

• Connor Drigotas

• Mark Elgart

• David Hall

• Bob Henault

• Ryan Kelly

• James Kelly Jr.

• Sean Lee

• James Machado

• Jeff Perry

• Justin Steinbach

• Curt Swift Sr.

• John Tointigh

• Scott Vibert

And just like that -The campers cleaned out their lockers, packed up their bags, and headed to Crowne Plaza for Closing Banquet.

Tom Kennedy kicked off the evening by celebrating funny camp moments, in particular, congratulating the winners of the Toilet Bowl Championship. Hobson’s Heroes fought like it was their last game of camp (because it was) and were able to come away with the win. I would exaggerate and say the stands were filled, cheers were heard all over town, but even I can’t sell that big of a story.

Congratulations to our 2020 Fantasy Camp Toilet Bowl Champions! Managed by Butch Hobson and coached by Rich Garces & Luis Tiant

FRANK CASTIGLIONE

CHRISTOPHER DECATUR

ROY KAPLAN

JAMES KELLY JR.

JIM KELLY

RYAN KELLY

JAMES MACHADO

DANIEL MCKENZIE

JEFF MILLAR

ROBERT MILLER

JOHN PITTMAN

STEVE PITTMAN

RICHARD STRAUSS

STEPHEN WOLFE

Heroes, hold your Toilet Bowls proudly, put them on the mantle in your living rooms, show them off to your family and friends. What an accomplishment.

Another highly anticipated round of awards are the team MVPs. Let’s not forget to mention that the best player by stats does not always get the team award. The recipient can be a camper who showed great team spirit, love for his fellow teammates, or someone that gave it 110%, regardless of talent. That’s what Fantasy Camp is all about!! Being a team player and not ticking off Corsi.

A huge congratulations to the winners below:

Lenny’s Legends: PAUL PEREIRA

Billy’s Ballgamers: BRIAN STOLTZ

Nixon’s DirtDogs: VINCENT WELCH

Sabe’s Babes: JON BEAN

Stanley’s Steamers: TODD KOPCYNZKI

Corsi’s Fireballers: JUSTIN STEINBACH

Wins & Saves: AL HERNANDEZ

Hobson’s Heroes: JAMES KELLY

Embree’s Outlaws: TOM SULLIVAN

Gedman’s Bombers: JOE GILL

What a group!!

That brings us to our individual award winners. These awards are given to campers that have skills across the board, from batting excellence (it’s all relative) to pitching domination, to professional water boys. Your 2020 winners below:

Home Run King: JOHN TOINTIGH

Trainer’s Award: DANNY TANGEN

Mr. Personality: SCOTT SNOW

Hustle: MARK ELGART

Rookie of the Year: RYAN KELLY

Most Improved Over 50: BRIAN STACK

Gold Glove Over 50: JEFF PERRY

Cy Young Over 50: BOB HENAULT

Batting Champ Over 50: STEVEN CAMP

Silver Slugger Over 50: JUSTIN STEINBACH

MVP Over 50: MIKE GRANDMAISON

Most Improved Under 50: JUSTIN JAGHER

Gold Glove Under 50: BRIAN HABIG

Cy Young Under 50: SEAN LEE

Batting Champ Under 50: EVAN ANDERSON

Silver Slugger Under 50: BRIAN STOLTZ

MVP Under 50 (and let’s be honest, this guy can do it all): JOHN TOINTIGH

And finally, it’s time to recognize your 2020 Fantasy Camp Champions: THE BOMBERS!

JOE GILL

ERIC GRANDMAISON

MIKE GRANDMAISON

JIM HUTCHISON

MARK KENTON

MATTHEW MARSHALL

TONY MATEUS

JOHN MONAHAN

LUI REDIGONDA

MONIKA SELMONT

RICHARD SHINKLE

GARY STEVENS

CHARLES WU

What a squad, led by the fearless Rich Gedman, Dave Smith, and Rick Wise!

After an afternoon of awards, celebrations, and comradery, the campers joined together in a special moment to celebrate Red Sox Hall of Fame Inductee, Rich Gedman. It was only fitting that his team came away with the Championship Title. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as Butch Hobson spoke about Geddy’s impact on the Red Sox and baseball community. Geddy, thank you for everything!

It was an unbelievable week, filled with memories and laughs that will surely be brought up WAY too much at family gatherings. We can’t thank you all enough for coming this year and can’t wait to see you all at Fenway in May for the Reunion Game! We also want to thank everyone for your donations to RSF, even if it was forced by Corsi during Kangaroo Court. We fundraised over $45,000!!! This is an amazing feat and wouldn’t have been possible without each and every one of you!

Rest up, train hard, and we look forward to seeing you all again soon!

0 notes

networkingdefinition · 4 years

Text

Golf Quotes

Official Website: Golf Quotes

• A kid grows up a lot faster on the golf course. Golf teaches you how to behave. – Jack Nicklaus • Achievements on the golf course are not what matters, decency and honesty are what matter. – Tiger Woods • All I do is play music and golf – which one do you want me to give up? – Willie Nelson • All I’ve got against golf is it takes you so far from the clubhouse. – Eric Linklater • Anybody who plays golf will tell you that you play against yourself. – Martin Sheen • At first a golfer excuses a dismal performance by claiming bad lies. With experience, he covers up with better ones. – Lee P. Brown

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'Golf', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '68', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_golf').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_golf img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

• Baseball players quit playing and they take up golf. Basketball players quit, take up golf. Football players quit, take up golf. What are we supposed to take up when we quit? – George Archer • But in the end it’s still a game of golf, and if at the end of the day you can’t shake hands with your opponents and still be friends, then you’ve missed the point. – Payne Stewart • Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course… the space between your ears. – Bobby Jones • Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air. – Jack Benny • Golf and sex are about the only things you can enjoy without being good at it. – Jimmy Demaret • Golf appeals to the idiot in us and the child. Just how childlike golf players become is proven by their frequent inability to count past five. – John Updike • Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: taking long walks and hitting things with a stick. – P. J. O’Rourke • Golf gives you an insight into human nature, your own as well as your opponent’s. – Grantland Rice • Golf is 20 percent mechanics and technique. The other 80 pecent is philosophy, humor, tragedy, romance, melodrama, companionship, camaraderie, cussedness and conversation. – Grantland Rice • Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent management. – Ben Hogan • Golf is a day spent in a round of strenuous idleness. – William Wordsworth • Golf is a difficult game, but it’s a little easier if you trust your instincts. It’s too hard a game to try to play like someone else. – Nancy Lopez • Golf is a game in which one endeavors to control a ball with implements ill adapted for the purpose. – Woodrow Wilson • Golf is a game that is played on a five-inch course – Bobby Jones • Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an ever smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose – Winston Churchill • Golf is a game you can never get too good at. You can improve, but you can never get to where you master the game. – Gay Brewer • Golf is a good walk spoiled. – Mark Twain • Golf is a hard game to figure. One day you will go out and slice it and shank it, hit into all the traps and miss every green. The next day you go out and, for no reason at all, you really stink. – Bob Hope • Golf is a puzzle without an answer. – Gary Player • Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I’ve played the game for 40 years and I still haven’t the slightest idea how to play. – Gary Player • Golf is an indispensable adjunct to high civilisation. – Andrew Carnegie • Golf is an open exhibition of overweening ambition, courage deflated by stupidity, skill soured by a whiff of arrogance. – Alistair Cooke • Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated. – Arnold Palmer • Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented. – Arnold Palmer • Golf is good for the soul. You get so mad at yourself you forget to hate your enemies. – Will Rogers • Golf is like a chain. You always have to work on the weakest links. – George Archer • Golf is like love. One day you think you are too old and the next day you want to do it again. – Roberto De Vicenzo • Golf is not a fair game, so why build a course fair? – Pete Dye • Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game. – Jack Nicklaus • Golf is not, on the whole, a game for realists. By its exactitudes of measurements it invites the attention of perfectionists. – Heywood Hale Broun • Golf is played by twenty million mature American men whose wives think they are out having fun. – Jim Bishop • Golf is said to be an humbling game, but it is surprising how many people are either not aware of their weaknesses of else reckless of consequences. – Bobby Jones • Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad. – A. A. Milne • Golf is the cruelest game, because eventually it will drag you out in front of the whole school, take your lunch money and slap you around. – Rick Reilly • Golf is the most fun you can have with out taking your clothes off. – Chi Chi Rodriguez • Golf is the most useless outdoor game ever devised to waste the time and try the spirit of man. – Westbrook Pegler • Golf is the only sport I know of where a player pays for every mistake. A man can muff a serve in tennis, miss a strike in baseball, or throw an incomplete pass in football and still have another chance to square himself. In golf, every swing counts against you. – Lloyd Mangrum • Golf is the only-est sport. You’re completely alone with every conceivable opportunity to defeat yourself. Golf brings out your assets and liabilities as a person. The longer you play, the more certain you are that a man’s performance is the outward manifestation of who, in his heart, he really thinks he is. – Hale Irwin • Golf is very much like a love affair. If you don’t take it seriously, it’s no fun, if you do, it breaks your heart. Don’t break your heart, but flirt with the possibility. – Louise Suggs • Golf isn’t a game, it’s a choice that one makes with one’s life. – Charles Rosin • Golf puts a man’s character on the anvil and his richest qualities – patience, poise, restraint – to the flame. – Billy Casper • Golf seems to me an arduous way to go for a walk. I prefer to take the dogs out. – Anne, Princess Royal • Golf tips are like aspirin. One may do you good, but if you swallow the whole bottle you will be lucky to survive. – Harvey Penick • Golf, like measles, should be caught young. – P. G. Wodehouse • Half of golf is fun; the other half is putting. – Peter Dobereiner • Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps. – Tiger Woods • How has retirement affected my golf game? A lot more people beat me now. – Dwight D. Eisenhower • I always like to see a person stand up to a golf ball as though he were perfectly at home in its presence. – Bobby Jones • I always said that if they have a golf course like this in heaven, I want to be the head pro. – Gary Player • I don’t want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it. – Rogers Hornsby • I get to play golf for a living. What more can you ask for – getting paid for doing what you love. – Tiger Woods • I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you get so sore at yourself you forget to hate your enemies. – Will Rogers • I had a wonderful experience on the golf course today. I had a hole in nothing. Missed the ball and sank the divot. – Don Adams • I have a tip that can take 5 strokes off anyone’s golf game. It’s called an eraser. – Arnold Palmer • I know I am getting better at golf because I am hitting fewer spectators. – Gerald R. Ford • I like to play golf. I like to shoot hoops. – Justin Timberlake • I like trying to win. That’s what golf is all about. – Jack Nicklaus • I never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers everywhere except on the course. – Billy Graham • I regard golf as an expensive way of playing marbles. – Gilbert K. Chesterton • I think that (Alister) MacKenzie and I managed to work as a completely sympathetic team. Of course there was never any question that he was the architect and I was the advisor and consultant. No man learns to design a golf course simply by playing golf, no matter how well. But it happened that both of us were extravagant admirers of the Old Course at St Andrews and we both desired as much as possible to simulate seaside conditions insofar as the differences in turf and terrain would allow. – Bobby Jones • I went to play golf and tried to shoot my age, but I shot my weight instead. – Bob Hope • I would like to deny all allegations by Bob Hope that during my last game of golf, I hit an eagle, a birdie, an elk and a moose. – Gerald R. Ford • If a lot of people gripped a knife and fork the way they do a golf club, they’d starve to death. – Sam Snead • If there is any larceny in a man, golf will bring it out. – Paul Gallico • If there’s a golf course in heaven, I hope it’s like Augusta National. I just don’t want an early tee time. – Gary Player • If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can hit a 1-iron. – Lee Trevino • If you really want to get better at golf, go back and take it up at a much earlier age. – Tom Mulligan • If you think golf is relaxing, you’re not playing it right. – Bob Hope • If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball. – Jack Lemmon • If you watch a game, it’s fun. If you play it, it’s recreation. If you work at it, it’s golf. – Bob Hope • I’m a golfaholic, no question about that. Counseling wouldn’t help me. They’d have to put me in prison, and then I’d talk the warden into building a hole or two and teach him how to play. – Lee Trevino • I’m addicted. I’m addicted to golf. – Tiger Woods • I’m not feeling very well – I need a doctor immediately. Ring the nearest golf course. – Groucho Marx • In golf as in life, it’s the follow through that makes the difference. – Ben Wicks • In order to win, you must play your best golf when you need it most, and play your sloppy stuff when you can afford it. I shall not attempt to explain how you achieve this happy timing. – Bobby Jones • It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place the world is when one is playing golf. – Robert Wilson Lynd • It is nothing new or original to say that golf is played one stroke at a time. But it took me many years to realize it. – Bobby Jones • It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course. – Hank Aaron • It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling. – Mark Twain • I’ve always tried to play golf with a golf club. I have a hard time driving with my rifle. I mean, 18 is really narrow … I have no problem with the course, except for the tee shot on 18. – Jack Nicklaus • Keeping the head still is golf’s one universal, unarguable fundamental. – Jack Nicklaus • Like most professional golfers, I have a tendency to remember my poor shots a shade more vividly than the good ones. – Ben Hogan • Men who would face torture without a word become blasphemous at the short fourteenth. It is clear that the game of golf may well be included in that category of intolerable provocations which may legally excuse or mitigate behaviour not otherwise excusable. – A. P. Herbert • Middle age occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush up to the net. – Franklin P. Adams • No-one will ever have golf under his thumb. No round ever will be so good it could not have been better. Perhaps this is why golf is the greatest of games. You are not playing a human adversary; you a playing a game. You are playing old man par. – Bobby Jones • Nothing dissects a man in public quite like golf. – Brent Musburger • Nothing goes down slower than a golf handicap. – Bobby Nichols • One of the most fascinating things about golf is how it reflects the cycle of life. No matter what you shoot – the next day you have to go back to the first tee and begin all over again and make yourself into something. – Peter Jacobsen • One reason golf is such an exasperating game is that a thing we learned is so easily forgotten, and we find ourselves struggling year after year with faults we had discovered and corrected time and again. – Bobby Jones • One thing about golf is you don’t know why you play bad and why you play good. – George Archer • One thing I’ve learned over time is, if you hit a golf ball into water, it won’t float. – Arnold Palmer • Play it as it lies is one of the fundamental dictates of golf – Henry Beard • Playing golf is like chasing a quinine pill around a cow pasture. – Winston Churchill • Regardless of what the tour pros think, golf is a rich and varied game, and what all of us awkward fools do on weekends is what golf is truly all about. – Dan Jenkins • Relax? How can anybody relax and play golf? You have to grip the club, don’t you? – Ben Hogan • Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing. – Ben Hogan • Sex and golf are the two things you can enjoy even if you’re not good at them. – Kevin Costner • Someone once told me that there is more to life than golf. I think it was my ex-wife. – Bruce Lansky • Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character. – Arnold Palmer • Sudden success in golf is like the sudden acquisition of wealth. It is apt to unsettle and deteriorate the character. – P. G. Wodehouse • Talking to a golf ball won’t do you any good, unless you do it while your opponent is teeing off. – Bruce Lansky • That’s the difference between golf and many other sports. You go to some other sporting events, they just leave you or give you the cold shoulder and move on. – Bernhard Langer • The best exercise for golfers is golfing. – Bobby Jones • The devoted golfer is an anguished soul who has learned a lot about putting, just as an avalanche victim has learned a lot about snow. – Dan Jenkins • The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can’t improve your lie. – George Deukmejian • The fun you get from golf is in direct ratio to the effort you don’t put into it. – Bob Allen • The game of golf would lose a great deal if croquet mallets and billiard cues were allowed on the putting green. – Ernest Hemingway • The golf swing is like a suitcase into which we are trying to pack one too many things. – John Updike • The main idea in golf as in life, I suppose is to learn to accept what cannot be altered and to keep on doing one’s own reasoned and resolute best whether the prospect be bleak or rosy. – Bobby Jones • The moment the average golfer attempts to play from long grass or a bunker or from a difficult lie of any kind, he becomes a digger instead of a swinger. – Bobby Jones • The most important shot in golf is the next one. – Ben Hogan • The only shots you can be sure of are those you’ve had already. – Byron Nelson • The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight. – Ben Hogan • The only time I talk on the golf course is to my caddie. And then only to complain when he gives me the wrong club. – Seve Ballesteros • The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. – Billy Graham • The rewards of golf, and of life too I expect, are worth very little if you don’t play the game by the etiquette as well as by the rules. – Bobby Jones • The secret of golf is to turn three shots into two. – Bobby Jones • The terrible beauty is that in the brotherhood of golf we are all the same – certifiable. – Sean Connery • The uglier a man’s legs are, the better he plays golf – it’s almost a law. – H. G. Wells • There are three ways of learning golf: by study, which is the most wearisome; by imitation, which is the most fallacious; and by experience, which is the most bitter. – Robert Browning • There are two things you can do with your head down – play golf and pray. – Lee Trevino • There is no such thing as natural touch. Touch is something you create by hitting millions of golf balls. – Lee Trevino • There is one thing in this world that is dumber than playing golf. That is watching someone else playing golf. What do you actually get to see? Thirty-seven guys in polyester slacks squinting at the sun. Doesn’t that set your blood racing? – Peter Andrews • They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken. – Ray Floyd • They have been playing golf for 800 years and nobody has satisfactorily said why. – Alistair Cooke • They say golf came easy to me because I was a good athlete, but there’s not any girl on the LPGA Tour who worked near as hard as I did in golf. It’s the toughest game I ever tackled. – Babe Didrikson Zaharias • Watching Phil Mickelson play golf is like watching a drunk chasing a balloon near the edge of a cliff. – David Feherty • We have 51 golf courses in Palm Springs. He [President Ford] never decides which course he will play until after the first tee shot. – Bob Hope • We learn so many things from golf: how to suffer, for instance. – Bruce Lansky • While playing golf today, I hit two good balls. I stepped on a rake. – Henny Youngman • You must work very hard to become a natural golfer. – Gary Player

[clickbank-storefront-bestselling]

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'a', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_a').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_a img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'e', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_e').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_e img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'i', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_i').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_i img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'o', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_o').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_o img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'u', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_u').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_u img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

jQuery(document).ready(function($) var data = action: 'polyxgo_products_search', type: 'Product', keywords: 'y', orderby: 'rand', order: 'DESC', template: '1', limit: '4', columns: '4', viewall:'Shop All', ; jQuery.post(spyr_params.ajaxurl,data, function(response) var obj = jQuery.parseJSON(response); jQuery('#thelovesof_y').html(obj); jQuery('#thelovesof_y img.swiper-lazy:not(.swiper-lazy-loaded)' ).each(function () var img = jQuery(this); img.attr("src",img.data('src')); img.addClass( 'swiper-lazy-loaded' ); img.removeAttr('data-src'); ); ); );

1 note · View note

equitiesstocks · 4 years

Text

Golf Quotes

Official Website: Golf Quotes

[clickbank-storefront-bestselling]

0 notes

placetobenation · 5 years

Link

Hello and WELCOME BACK to Major League Baseball coverage here at Place to Be Nation! Yes, after taking 2018 “off” to essentially turn myself into Fat Mac, it’s time to get back into the swing of things (hehe) and start writing about The Greatest Game once again.

Apologies for the lateness of this season preview, but a new job in the big city will sap time like nobody’s business. Regardless of that, with the 2019 season already underway, let’s a a peek at what this year has in store, shall we?*

*I hope to publish monthly Power Rankings again, as well as occasional separate, special pieces throughout the year, as time/work/etc. permits.

We’ll begin with the American League East, the home of the 2018 World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox and work our way through the Junior Circuit before previewing the National League, then close out with a handful of award picks.

Superstar Aaron Judge is the unquestioned leader of the New York Yankees.

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST PREVIEW

Best Team: It’s a two-team race here, as it has been nearly every year of the past 20. Sure, Baltimore, Toronto, and Tampa Bay have their fun runs, but the AL East is nearly always a sustained race to the top spot for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox.

With that in mind, my best team for the East is the Yankees. A healthy year from Aaron Judge, a more comfortable Giancarlo Stanton, the emergence of Gleyber Torres, and the can’t-get-any-worseness of Gary Sanchez make this a deep, dangerous lineup. Add in the other young bats filling out the starting nine and the Yanks top out Boston here.

Looking at the starting rotations, it’s probably better to lean toward Beantown, but I’ll just leave it here that the Chris Sale extension is going to look awful within two years. A gust of strong wind should knock him down pretty soon. As for the bullpens, it’s the Yankees in a walk, even with early injury concerns for Aroldis Chapman and Dellin Betances.

Worst Team: Baltimore. After a dismal 55-win year in 2018, they could be EVEN WORSE this year. Not Cleveland Spiders bad, but they could give the 2003 Tigers a good challenge.

ONE QUESTION

Can Mookie repeat (or come close to) his 2018 MVP form? Will the rest of his team follow suit?

New York Yankees: Can all of their bats and starting arms stay healthy? So much of the team’s success is tied up in health, the least predictable skill of them all.

Boston Red Sox: Can the bullpen succeed without a firm closer? Dave Dombrowski builds lineups and rotations well. He burns farm systems to the ground and rarely gets burned on trades, but the man has never put together a good bullpen. Will it hurt the champs in their quest to become the first team to win back-to-back rings since the 1998-2000 Yankees?

Tampa Bay Rays: How much will the “opener” strategy help the team this year? Relief pitching is the toughest asset to manage on a roster, as performance can vary wildly from year-to-year. As the Rays attempt to change modern bullpen usage, will they be able to get the same results that helped them to a surprising 90-win campaign last year?

Toronto Blue Jays: Can the youngsters (namely, Vlad Guerrero, Jr. and Bo Bichette) help the team this year? Will the youth infusion north of the border keep the team at a “reloading” stage, or will the team need to go full-blown rebuild?

Baltimore Orioles: Can this team win 60 games? And, because it has to be asked, how awful will Chris Davis be before the team just eats his contract and cuts him?

Bold Prediction: The Yankees’ 2018 record of 267 home runs does not even last a year, as this year’s edition of the Bronx Bombers club more than 270 bombs to shatter the mark.

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) Yankees, 2) Red Sox (Wild Card), 3) Rays, 4) Jays, 5) Orioles

The Indians should steamroll their division, but can they get any further? Corey Kluber hopes so…

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL PREVIEW

Best Team: Cleveland, essentially by default. Although if injuries to megastars Francisco Lindor Jose Ramirez persist and/or become a theme, a retooled, healthy Twins squad could take the division.

Worst Team: Kansas City. I mean, Detroit will also be awful, but there are at least a few quality pieces there at the moment (Miguel Cabrera, Nicholas Castellanos, Matthew Boyd, Jordan Zimmerman, former Pirates Jordy Mercer and Josh Harrison). Granted, several of those guys will get traded if they have strong first-halves, but we’re judging based on what’s currently on these rosters, not what will be.

Byron Buxton is an amazing center field presence, but he just can’t seem to put things together at the plate … or get out of the trainer’s room.

ONE QUESTION

Cleveland Indians: Can they get ANY decent production out of that lineup beyond a healthy Lindor/Ramirez combo? The starters are strong, but it’s looking more and more like the Indians’ window is rapidly slamming shut on them. And cheap-ass owners don’t care.

Detroit Tigers: The rebuild is off to a rough start, so the big question here is really a two-parter: Can the current big-leaguers produce enough to get traded and bring more talent into the system; and can the extant farm prospects produce enough to boost Motown’s future outlook?

Minnesota Twins: Can Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano get and stay healthy? These two are game-changing talents. We’ve seen enough potential to know that for both. But they just cannot put things together. With erstwhile franchise Joe Mauer headed off to the Land of Chocolate (aka retirement), Minnesota fans need new faces to root for and provide hope.

Chicago White Sox: The team tried to GO BIG with PR-bluster over both Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, but in the end, it was all for naught. But the team did lock up potential stud and possible Rookie of the Year Eloy Jimenez, so I can’t be too harsh on them. Of all the true rebuilds in the AL, the Pale Hose are furthest along and best positioned to be a sleeper team this year. So, the big question here is: How good will Eloy be, and will it be enough to elevate the Sox’ rebuild to the next level?

Kansas City Royals: This team sucks. It barely resembles the 2014-2015 “Glory Years” teams that Dayton Moore so proudly, so carefully, so delicately put together. Screw this. Moore got lucky for about 1-½ seasons because of three good relievers, a couple decent bats getting hot, and the awesomeness that is Lorenzo Cain. The big question for KC is not if the Royals can do anything this year; the big question is whether or not I decide to visit for more Gates’ & Arthur Bryant’s BBQ.

Bold Prediction: Minnesota wins the division title because Lindor and Ramirez get hurt too much.

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) Cleveland Indians*, 2) Minnesota Twins, 3) Chicago White Sox, 4) Detroit Tigers, 5) Kansas City Royals

*Remember a “bold prediction” means if it comes true, I’m a genius. However, I really have a hard time getting behind this one, so I’m still picking the Tribe to win. Mostly because you cannot predict health, and that’s the impetus behind Minnesota winning anything.

Alex Bregman turned into a star last year and is a huge part of the Astros’ success.

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST PREVIEW

Best Team: Houston Astros. Verlander. Cole. Bregman. Altuve. Springer. This team is loaded.

Worst Team: Texas Rangers. Not only do they have an absolutely awful starting rotation, but they have also deprived everyone of Adrian Beltre!

ONE QUESTION

Even Mike Trout wants to know … what big questions face his team?

Houston Astros: Can wunderkind Carlos Correa please get back on the field? The Astros, and baseball in general, are better with players like him.

Seattle Mariners: The “relaunch” got underway with trades of James Paxton and Robinson Cano. So, it’s gonna be a little longer on that first-ever Seattle Mariners World Series appearance. But, really, the question here is what to do with King Felix?

Texas Rangers: Hunter. Pence. Made. This. Team. The Rangers are going to be bad; the question is simply this: How bad?

Oakland Athletics: Can Billy Beane continue his regular season voodoo? The A’s look pretty solid on paper, and should challenge for a wild card berth, but will that @#$% ever work in the playoffs?

Los Angeles Angels: Speaking of things that never work in the playoffs … Seriously, though, the real questions here are: Do the Halos have enough pitching without two-way wonder Shohei Ohtani? Do they have enough offense without Ohtani and Justin Upton? Will Mike Trout ever win any rings? Will Albert Pujols just take the hint already? Has Brad Ausmus learned from his many (many) mistakes and become a better manager?

Bold Prediction: Freshly-extended, new dad Verlander wins another Cy Young, after coming whisper-close in 2016 and 2018. If that’s not bold enough for you, go eat a ghost pepper. Or, go with the prediction that Texas finishes with a worse record than either KC or Detroit.

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) Houston Astros, 2) Oakland A’s (WC), 3) Los Angeles Angels, 4) Seattle Mariners, 5) Texas Rangers

Bryce took forever to decide to stay forever with the Phils. How will Harper’s first season with the Phillies turn out?

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST PREVIEW

Best Team: Toughest call yet. Outside of Miami, and of the four teams in the East could win a playoff spot. Washington still looks pretty fine. Philadelphia addressed (most) of their defensive concerns and added a star (plucked from Washington no less), and New York added a lot of offense to supplement some good pitching. Atlanta has a lot of talent, and adding Josh Donaldson was a good get, but that pitching is /meh/. Hmm…I’ll go with Philly here, but it’s close and should make for a fun, four-way run for the division title all year.

Worst Team: The Marlins. Fuck. You. Derek. Jeter. You run a team like you field grounders. No, worse than that, which I wouldn’t think possible. Yet here we are.

Max Scherzer turns 34 this year, but shows no signs of backsliding off his Hall-of-Fame trajectory.

ONE QUESTION

Washington Nationals: Rather than the inevitable “Life without Bryce” commentary, will the Nationals have enough pitching? Max Scherzer is fantastic, but he’s 34. Stephen Strasburg seems to get hurt each year, and has never really lived up to the hype. As for the rest of DC rotation and bullpen … Is it enough? Also, whose seat is hotter: Dave Martinez or Gabe Kapler?

Atlanta Braves: Will Atlanta regret not (as of this writing) adding starter Dallas Keuchel to their staff? With all of the early injuries (all arm- or shoulder-related, too. Yikes) to their rotation, he just makes so much sense for a team whose window is just opening.

Philadelphia Phillies: Can Gabe Kapler get out of his own way and let the talent produce? Also, will the revamped defense be good enough to support the pitching staff?

New York Mets: Will deGrom, Syndergaard, Wheeler, and Matz collectively get 115 starts? If they do, it could be good times in Queens. If not, well, then agent-turned-GM Brodie (HAHA! How 80’s Villain can you get?) VanWagonenonenonen gets a big ol’ slice of humble pie. Also, screw the Wilpons. They suck.

Miami Marlins: Laughable. Shambolic. A disgrace. I cannot even call this team, and the way it has been run, a disgrace to its fans, because anyone with an ounce of love for good baseball would abandon this team and tell dickface commissioner Rob Manfred* to relocate the franchise to Montreal, Portland, or ANYWHERE else. The big question is how many minor league teams will outdraw them this year?

*Worst Commissioner Ever?

Bold Prediction: Bryce Harper hits 50 home runs with the Phillies.

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) Philadelphia Phillies, 2) Washington Nationals (WC), 3) Atlanta Braves, 4) New York Mets, 5) Miami Marlins

Paul Edward Goldschmidt has the face of an accountant named “Paul Edward Goldschmidt”. Good thing he went into baseball instead.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL PREVIEW

Best Team: St. Louis. The Cards adding Paul Goldschmidt is just such a perfect fit for the Redbirds. They also have a better offense overall than the Cubbies; better pitching than the Brewers, and better talent pool than either the Pirates or Reds. It’ll be a fascinating division to watch all year — every team has potential and fun players — but the Cards are just /that much/ better than everyone else.

Worst Team: Probably Pittsburgh. The Reds still have pitching issues, and their defense is nothing to write home about, but the Pirates have zero stars and until ownership decides to spend money (that’s funny), the Pirates will never get over the hump to be elite. They may be exciting to watch and interesting on an individual level, but the Bucs are just not contenders in the way the rest of this division could be.

Can 2018 MVP Christian Yelich continue his breakout? Can he help the Brew Crew reach the playoffs again?

ONE QUESTION

Milwaukee Brewers: Can the Brewers get enough out of that rotation (Jhoulys Chacin, Freedy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, Zach Davies all sound like made up suspect/lawyer names on “Law & Order: SVU”) to repeat 2018?

St. Louis Cardinals: Now that catcher-of-the-future Carson Kelly is off to Arizona in the Goldy trade, can Yadier Molina keep giving the finger to Father Time?

Pittsburgh Pirates: How good can Jameson Taillon be? He has all the makings of an ace-caliber, Cy Young contender.

Chicago Cubs: Despite this still being a really, really good, 90-win team, it still feels like a disappointment, right? The 2016 season was so perfect, so flawless, and these poor bastards are stuck trying to follow it up. This is a very good team, and all the parts are there for a deep October run, but will it all come together again in just the right way?

Cincinnati Reds: I know the whole world wants Mike Trout to get in the playoffs, be on a national stage, and win a World Series. I get that, but dammit, Joey Votto deserves some love too! So from this day forward, I’ll be rooting for a Cincinnati/Anaheim World Series so we can all be happy. While the Reds took a few steps in the right direction this year, the big question is did they do enough? (I’m going to say no, so they should sign both Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel and really throw their chips in!)

Bold Prediction: Taillon is a top-three Cy Young finalist AND (bonus!) Kris Bryant gets really close to a second MVP. But, only one of those guys plays in the postseason. Guess who?

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) St. Louis Cardinals, 2) Chicago Cubs (WC), 3) Milwaukee Brewers, 4) Cincinnati Reds, 5) Pittsburgh Pirates.

Cody Bellinger embodies the youth and versatility of the Dodgers.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST PREVIEW

Best Team: The Los Angeles Dodgers are still loaded as they look for a third consecutive NL pennant. The biggest difference between this team and the 2017 and 2018 editions is that the division title has a much clearer path, as only the Rockies pose a legit threat to LA’s supremacy in the division.

Worst Team: Probably the Giants, with the oldest average age (30.63) in the bigs. The crew that brought three early-decade titles to the Bay has been beaten by Father Time. It would be good if new head honcho Farhan Zaidi initiated a summertime fire sale ahead of MLB’s (new) lone trade deadline of July 31.

Fresh off a massive extension, star Nolan Arenado hopes to help usher in the most successful Rockies era over the next few years.

ONE QUESTION

Colorado Rockies: With its best-ever rotation, the Rockies’ biggest query is the health and production of outfielder Charlie Blackmon, who dropped off considerably from 2017 to 2018. To truly contend, the Rox need more of the 2017 version, and less of last year’s. The question is, which one will show up?

San Diego Padres: While Manny Machado was a splashy move, no man is an island, and no one player makes a contender. So, what does San Diego’s celebrated farm system bring to the table this year?

Los Angeles Dodgers: Can ace Clayton Kershaw get healthy? If he can, he’s the best lefty on the planet and a HUGE edge for the six-time division-winning Dodgers. If he can’t, it could be curtains for LA’s streak and postseason dreams.

San Francisco Giants: As said before, this team is older and not very good. So, who gets traded and when?

Arizona Diamondbacks: The Goldschmidt trade was more than saying goodbye to a franchise favorite. It was the close of Arizona’s window. There’s not much winning baseball to be had with this group, and no real impact prospects coming. So, as with SanFran, who gets moved, and when?

Bold Prediction: Colorado pitcher Kyle Freeland winds up a Top-5 Cy Young finalist.

Predicted Order of Finish: 1) Los Angeles Dodgers, 2) Colorado Rockies, 3) San Diego Padres, 4) Arizona Diamondbacks, 5) San Francisco Giants

POSTSEASON, AWARDS, AND 2018 ACCOUNTABILITY:

2019 AL Postseason: Yankees, Indians, Astros, Red Sox, Athletics; Astros win ALCS.

2019 NL Postseason: Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, Nationals, Cubs; Cardinals win NLCS

2019 World Series: Astros top Cardinals in six games.

2019 AL Rookie of the Year: Eloy Jimenez, Chicago White Sox

2019 NL Rookie of the Year: Peter Alonso, New York Mets

2019 AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

2019 NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

2019 AL MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

2019 Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals

My 2018 Picks, A Look Back (or, Really? That was Stupid…)

AL Postseason:

My 2018 Picks: Yankees, Indians, Astros, Red Sox, Twins

What Really Happened: Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Yankees, Athletics

Commentary: The East was a coin toss, the Central and West were cakewalks. Only missing on the second Wild Card was not too shabby.

NL Postseason:

My 2018 Picks: Nationals, Cubs, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies

What Really Happened: Braves, Brewers, Dodgers, Cubs, Rockies

Commentary: A much more competitive National League made my picks look poorly. Most of my missed picks underachieved, while the actual playoff teams all had breakout stars push them to the forefront.

World Series: Yankees over Cubs. Oops. I guess the 1932 rematch will have to wait…

AL Manager of the Year:

My 2018 Pick: Aaron Boone, Yankees

What Really Happened: Bob Melvin, Athletics

Commentary: No one gives “underdog” awards to the Yankees or Red Sox. I forgot this key tenet of baseball law. Melvin was excellent at the helm of Oakland and deserved this.

NL Manager of the Year:

My 2018 Pick: Gabe Kapler, Phillies

What Really Happened: Brian Snitker, Atlanta

Commentary: I bought into Philly’s talent on paper over actual experience in a role that kinda demands it. Kapler made me look ridiculous with the Phils’ performance.

AL Rookie of the Year:

My 2018 Pick: Michael Kopech, White Sox

What Really Happened: Shohei Ohtani, Angels

Commentary: Had I gone with my gut, I would have picked Ohtani. But I didn’t, so I picked Kopech. He got hurt and won nothing.

NL Rookie of the Year:

My 2018 Pick: Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves

What Really Happened: Acuna won it; I felt smart.

Commentary: No one really saw Washington’s Juan Soto coming, but he gave it a great run, coming in second in the voting. Those two horses should be great fun to watch over the next couple decades.

AL Cy Young:

My 2018 Pick: Justin Verlander, Astros

What Really Happened: Blake Snell came seemingly out of nowhere to win 20 games with a 1.89 ERA.

Commentary: Those are the only two meaningful categories Snell bested JV in, although this result is nowhere near as awful as when 20-game winner Rick Porcello stole the Cy from his former Tigers’ mate.

NL Cy Young:

My 2018 Pick: Max Scherzer, Nationals

What Really Happened: Jacob deGrom, Mets

Commentary: Mad Max finished a distant second because deGrom had an insane season for the ages. I cannot feel too sorry about picking No. 2, since Scherzer’s 2018 would win most of the time.

AL MVP:

My 2018 Pick: Francisco Lindor, Indians

What Really Happened: Mookie Betts, Red Sox

Commentary: Lindor had a fantastic year and finished sixth in the voting, so I do not feel too bad about this one. Essentially, Betts had a HUGE slash line advantage over Lindor (.346/.438/.640 to .277/.352/.519) while playing for a better team in a bigger market in a closer division race. But Lindor was still a strong pick; I don’t feel too bad about this choice.

NL MVP:

My 2018 Pick: Bryce Harper

What Really Happened: Christian Yelich, free from the toxic hell of the Marlins, carried Milwaukee to the postseason and waltzed easily to his first MVP award.

Commentary: Bought into the “contract year” boom concept and a weak field. But, yeah…Yelich really earned this one.

#IFTTT #Place to Be Nation

0 notes

hsews · 6 years

Link

A hot topic across baseball land the past few days: Would you trade Gleyber Torres for Jacob deGrom?

It’s fun to speculate about. The Mets are looking like a mess again and in theory should at least consider shopping deGrom to kick-start a rebuild of sorts and create more depth in the organization. The Yankees could certainly use some help in the rotation and they could trade Torres and plug in Neil Walker or Brandon Drury at second base.

As a practical matter: Are you kidding?

(A) The Mets are not going to trade deGrom.

(B) The Mets are definitely not going to trade him to the Yankees.

(C) There is absolutely zero chance the Yankees will trade Torres, even if their rotation was Tim Leary, Dave LaPoint, Andy Hawkins, Chuck Cary and Jimmy Jones.

Torres belted his 13th home run on Thursday in the Yankees’ 4-3 win over the Rays, a three-run blast off tough lefty Blake Snell:

This kid is something special.pic.twitter.com/rRr3cXRAXU

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 15, 2018

Torres was called up on April 22. He hit his first home run 13 games later, on May 4. Since that date, only J.D. Martinez, with 16, has more home runs. This is a 21-year-old rookie second baseman in the first 45 games of his career going toe-to-toe with one of the game’s best sluggers. Let’s talk about that instead of worrying so much about pace of play.

He would be the best pitcher available at the trade deadline, and the Mets must see where the best offer will come from — even if it’s the Bronx.

This season’s top 10 first-year players aren’t just earning their keep. We break down what’s unique about their breakthrough performances.

Which talented rookie will be the biggest star? With respect to Shohei Ohtani, Gleyber Torres and Ronald Acuna Jr., we’ll take the Nats’ Juan Soto.

2 Related

This may sound like a silly thing to type, but I’m going to type it anyway: Gleyber Torres has a chance to become the best player in the game, non-Mike Trout division. Astute readers may recall that in the previous edition of Real or Not, I raved about Juan Soto and said he may be better than Torres or Ronald Acuna Jr. What can I say? These are exciting times. Plus, my ESPN colleague Eduardo Perez also just raved about Soto, saying he reminded him of a young Albert Pujols.

As for Torres, here’s what we’ve seen so far:

• He has hit for power and average at a young age, hitting .295/.351/.577 so far.

• He plays a premium defensive position.

• He has played his position well, with plus-2 defensive runs saved, a figure that should go up as he cuts down on the errors (he has made eight already). Keep in mind that he’s a natural shortstop with the obvious arm strength to play there if the Yankees move on from Didi Gregorius in a couple of years.

Look, I’m not saying Torres will become an MVP-caliber player, just that the qualities are there that it could happen if everything breaks right. Yes, this could be overreacting to a small sample size, and critics easily could point to the red-hot debuts last year from Rhys Hoskins and Matt Olson, and then point out their 2018 numbers. That’s fair, although Torres is also much younger than those two.

Torres will certainly have to make some adjustments. He’s crushing sinkers — .450/.500/1.150 — while struggling comparatively with four-seam fastballs at .235/.297/.441. Like many young hitters, he’ll chase sliders off the plate, although his overall chase rate on pitches outside the zone is 23.0 percent, which is less than the MLB average. So while he hasn’t walked much yet, he’s not a wild swinger either.

He plays with confidence, he plays with flair, and he has been a top prospect for several years now, so this performance isn’t coming out of the blue. He’s a building block, not trade bait. He’s not going anywhere.

We’re going to look back at Aroldis Chapman for Gleyber Torres (AND Adam Warren AND Billy McKinney AND Rashad Crawford) as one of the all-time greatest heists, aren’t we?

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) June 15, 2018

The Astros may never lose again: Remember when the Astros split that two-game series with the Mariners last week and we then pointed out their next 36 games were against teams .500 or below? Well, they swept the Rangers on the road and now they’ve swept the A’s on the road and have won eight in a row.

Justin Verlander got the win in Thursday’s 7-3 victory over the A’s, although he did allow three runs for the second straight start. That’s how good he’s been: Three runs is a bad start.

A key player of late has been 5-foot-6 spark plug Tony Kemp, who has a received a chance to play with the struggles of Jake Marisnick and Derek Fisher. Kemp has hit .301 with a .381 OBP. Kemp has always hit in the minors, draws a few walks while not striking out much, but has been blocked the past couple of seasons. Nice to see him getting some time in the outfield.

Painful win for Giants: The Giants finally beat the Marlins, an exciting 6-3 victory that took 16 innings with Ty Blach pitching 6 2/3 innings in relief to get the win. But Evan Longoria broke his finger — the same injury Madison Bumgarner suffered in spring training — when hit by a pitch, and the club will determine over the next couple of days whether surgery is required.

Longoria’s first season with the Giants has come with mixed results. He has 10 home runs and 16 doubles, so there’s been some extra-base power, but he’s also hitting .246/.278/.434 as he’s drawn just 10 walks versus 57 strikeouts.

When Longoria first came up with the Rays, he was one of the league’s premier all-around players because he had power, got on base and played great defense. The on-base skills have deteriorated in recent seasons, however, with a career-low .313 last season and sinking even further this year. He still averaged 3.5 WAR the past four seasons, but he’s at just 0.5 in 2018. In other words, it’s possible they won’t miss him all that much while he’s out, especially if Alen Hanson really has discovered something at the plate.

Longoria has four more seasons after this one on his current deal. The Giants could be a paying a significant salary to a player who is basically a current version of Pedro Feliz.

Miguel Sano’s career needs a do-over: The Twins sent 2017 All-Star Miguel Sano down to Class A as his slump has taken him to a .203/.270/.405 line. It’s hard to argue against the demotion, although I don’t quite get the purpose of sending him to Class A instead of Triple-A. I guess the rationale is working on his swing in a lower-pressure environment, although I’m not sure what he’ll learn beating up on Class A pitchers. Seems like it’s an attempt to send a stern message that sending him down to Triple-A may not have done.

If I were the Twins, the first thing I’d do is hire Sano a personal chef or personal trainer or whatever it takes to get him in better shape. You invest all this money and organizational resources in a player, but what happens off the field is too easily left to chance. Some players need help and direction in this area and my feeling is Sano is one of those guys.

Source link

The post New York Yankees’ Gleyber Torres too good to give up appeared first on HS NEWS.

#Breaking News

0 notes

usabsportdevelopment-blog · 6 years

Photo

Controlling the Controllables in Game: Competitiveness and Calm

FUNdamental Skills

By Darren Fenster / May 18, 2018

It’s the bottom of the ninth inning, and the tying run is on third, with the winning run on second and one out. The batter steps into the box, hoping to be the hero of the day. The pitcher delivers his pitch, clearly low and surely outside, but the umpire calls it a strike. Immediately, the hitter’s body is part agitated, part deflated, as he turns to the umpire with some choice words to voice his displeasure with the call. Shaking his head, he gets back into the box with the count 0-1, and swings at a fastball over his head. He steps back out only to continue his argument with the umpire about the first strike. Now, with the pitcher ahead 0-2, the batter chases a slider in the dirt that even Australia’s worst cricket player wouldn’t offer at. Strike three. Mighty Casey has struck out and walks back to the dugout with a few final words for the umpire before complaining in the dugout to anyone who will listen about how bad that first called strike was.

Now with the club down to its final out, the next hitter steps in, fully expecting to deliver the game-winning hit. The pitcher sets and fires a pitch that looks high to even Shaquille O’Neal if he were batting; the umpire inexplicably calls it a strike as the entire dugout erupts, the verbal assault led by the previous hitter. The current batter, however, seems completely unfazed, carrying a presence of calm confidence as he steps out and takes a deep breath before getting ready for the next pitch, without even as much as a glare at the umpire. With the count 0-1, the next pitch is the perfect pitcher’s pitch, a breaking ball at the knees on the black of the plate that any hitter would be foolish to swing at. He takes the unhittable pitch for a strike and finds himself down 0-2, the game now potentially one pitch away from being over.

To everyone else, the situation of the game might put an inordinate amount of pressure on them, but for this hitter, not so much. He’s clearly the same as he was before the previous two pitches, and surprisingly, the same that he was in his previous four at bats. After another deep breath, he gets back in still fully prepared to be the man. The pitcher again delivers an identical breaking ball on the outside corner at the knees, and the hitter takes his cut, a defensive swing by all means, and barely gets a piece to foul it off and keep his AB and the game going. The next pitch is a purpose pitch, off the plate and inside for a ball that sends the hitter to the ground as the count runs to 1-2. By moving the hitter’s feet with one pitch, the pitcher is setting up his next offering, another perfectly off-speed pitch away, but another battle swing and foul ball from the hitter.

Not everyone can see just from the way that the hitter is carrying himself in this at bat how calm and competitive he is. Clearly, in his mind, he will not let the pitcher beat him, nor will he let anything he can’t control distract him from being exactly where he needs to be, mentally and physically. The batter steps back in, in battle-mode as the pitcher comes set, ready to go back to his bread and butter, that unhittable breaking ball away. As the pitch comes in, it’s left out over the plate just a bit, and the hitter is right on it, smoking a line drive to the gap as the tying and winning runs score in a walk-off win. Chaos ensues as the well-deserved celebration begins. What an at bat under pressure…

Two different hitters, both coming to the plate with the game on the line, both forced to deal with an uncontrollable. The bad call took the first hitter out of his at bat, and he couldn’t find his way back into it. He was worried about strike one when he gave the pitcher strikes two and three. He lost focus and stopped competing because he was so fired up. The second hitter did just the opposite; he controlled what he could control: himself. His focus never wavered and his ability to compete through adversity gave himself a chance to be the hero, which he took full advantage of.

In the movie, “For Love of the Game,” fictional pitcher Billy Chapel uses some self-talk at the start of every inning in his would-be perfect game, saying “clear the mechanism” before delivering his first pitch of the frame. Hollywood or not, Chapel offers every player out there a simple reminder to eliminate the outside noise. It was his conscious way to focus on the job at hand.

Just like in pre-game work, attitude and effort should never slump. They are both a product of a conscious decision to control what you can control. In games, that decision turns to competitiveness and calm; both simple decisions by players and coaches alike. Much easier said than done, but with an emphasis from coaches, we can help our players overcome bad calls from umpires, tough weather conditions, or challenging environments with ruthless opposing fans. For some, like Billy Chapel, it might mean coming up with some saying to lock in mentally. For others, it might be staring at some constant spot on the field (like the pitching rubber, the foul pole, home plate) where no matter what is happening in the game, those visions bring our players’ focus back to where it needs to be: on the present pitch, controlling what they can control, and finding a way to stay calm so they can compete at the highest of levels.

For more resources, check out these links:

Online Education Center USA Baseball Mobile Coach The Mental Game Focus

#fundamentalskills #darrenfenster #coaches #players

0 notes

zeroviraluniverse-blog · 6 years

Text

The Oakland A's aren't nearly as boring as you think

Visit Now - http://zeroviral.com/the-oakland-as-arent-nearly-as-boring-as-you-think/

The Oakland A's aren't nearly as boring as you think

MESA, Ariz. — The Houston Astros are baseball’s reigning World Series champions. Shohei Ohtani is sucking up so much attention at Los Angeles Angels‘ camp, Mike Trout can barely get a mention. The Seattle Mariners have three potential Hall of Famers on the roster in Robinson Cano, Felix Hernandez and Ichiro Suzuki. And the Texas Rangers have the makings of a terrific buddy movie if Bartolo Colon and Tim Lincecum — Big Sexy and the Freak — are both on the Opening Day roster.

The Oakland Athletics, the other team in the American League West pecking order, keep plugging away under the same tired narrative. When they’re not part of a grievance filed by the Players Association alleging four teams with hoarding revenue-sharing money, the A’s are on a seemingly endless quest for a new ballpark with modern amenities and adequate plumbing.

From the Cubs’ ace not enough people notice to the AL’s answer to Nolan Arenado, these under-the-radar guys help teams win.

Everyone talks about Tampa and Pittsburgh not spending, but the bigger issue is that neither of them has been good recently at developing players.

1 Related

The A’s have finished last in the division for three straight seasons, and they lack the established starting pitching to make the big leap to contention this season. But an improved farm system and an intriguing crop of young major leaguers give them reason to hope.

“It’s incumbent upon us to put together a team good enough for people to talk about,” general manager David Forst said. “We understand that. But I think the guys on the field play with a little chip on their shoulder because of it. There have been times over the last 20 years that it’s worked to our advantage to have that.”

The A’s have traded away Josh Donaldson, Sonny Gray, Yoenis Cespedes and blue-collar hero Stephen Vogt in recent years, and the players on the 25-man roster won’t attract much attention as they pass through hotel lobbies and airport terminals this season. Still, a day at Hohokam Stadium reveals a likeable and close-knit group with some compelling storylines.

Here are five reasons why this year’s Athletics are a lot more interesting than people think:

Oakland is home to baseball’s next great defensive third baseman

Matt Chapman grew up in Lake Forest, California, and played in the same little league with Nolan Arenado. They both went to El Toro High School and played shortstop for the Chargers. When Arenado was a senior, Chapman looked on as a sophomore and learned all about the importance of determination and a strong work ethic.

Is there something in the Lake Forest water that breeds lockdown third-base defenders?

“Maybe our infield was so bad in high school, it seems easy when we’re on good fields,” Chapman said with a laugh. “Don’t quote me on that. My high school coach might kill me.”

How much of a force is Chapman in the field? Ryan Christenson, Oakland’s new bench coach, played with six-time Gold Glove Award winner Eric Chavez, and says he thinks Chapman is better at the hot corner.

An American League evaluator echoes that sentiment, ranking Chapman on a par with Arenado and Manny Machado, the twin gold standards of third-base defensive excellence. The early numbers bear it out: Last year, Chapman contributed a stunning plus-19 defensive runs saved in 84 games with Oakland.

“I’m not saying he’s better than those other guys,” the evaluator said. “But he belongs in the conversation.”

The A’s also rave about Chapman’s leadership skills and “it” factor. He entered the big league clubhouse on June 15 and seemed comfortable from his first at-bat against the Yankees’ Jordan Montgomery.

Chapman asserted himself during a testy encounter with the Angels in September. Los Angeles catcher Juan Graterol was convinced the Oakland hitters were peeking at his signs or getting signs relayed from second base, and he made his displeasure apparent to several hitters. As Chapman settled into the batter’s box, he told Graterol to knock it off, earning an ejection from umpire Mike Everitt and instant respect from his teammates.

“He’s a leader,” Khris Davis told reporters after the game. “He’s a natural at it. He might be a rookie, but one day he’s going to lead the way.”

Chapman’s success as a hitter will hinge on his ability to tighten up his swing, make more consistent contact and hold his own against breaking stuff. He was a .244 hitter in the minors, and he batted .234 and struck out 28.2 percent of the time as a rookie. But he gets the ball in the air, and his confident demeanor suggests he’ll address the deficiencies in his game.

“With every team I’ve been on, I’ve wanted to be a guy that people look at as a leader or say, ‘That guy is doing things the right way. I want to be like him,’ ” Chapman said. “I haven’t dug too much into it. I don’t know if there’s a specific role where somebody gets a thing on their jersey. But I want to be there for anybody on our team, just like I’d expect them to be there for me and help us to be the best, most successful players we can.”

And Rhys Hoskins West

Or maybe Rhys Hoskins is Matt Olson East, and people just don’t know it yet.

In mid-September, the A’s traveled to Philadelphia for a three-game interleague series. At one point, Hoskins reached first base and exchanged salutations with Olson, and the two young sluggers shared some thoughts on their late-season power binges.

In Stephen Piscotty (No. 25) and Matt Olson, the A’s have one of baseball’s most heartwarming stories and one of the game’s most intriguing power threats. Christian Petersen/Getty Images

“He was aware of what I was doing and obviously I was aware of what he was doing,” Olson said. “His name was plastered everywhere. We just talked to each other and he asked if I was getting hounded by the media. I was like, ‘Uhh, honestly, no.’ I feel like nobody knows. It was good. I told him, ‘Stay healthy, keep it up, and good luck the rest of the way.’ ”

Hoskins went on a riveting run with 11 homers in 79 at-bats in August before Olson topped it with 13 long balls in 79 ABs in September. For the season, Olson averaged one homer every 7.88 at-bats — the fourth-best ratio ever for a hitter with at least 200 plate appearances. Only Barry Bonds (in 2001), and Mark McGwire (in 1998 and 2000) have surpassed it.

By the end of the season, Olson had accumulated 24 home runs and 23 singles. Try wrapping your mind around that for a second.

Olson grew up in Lilburn, Georgia, about 40 minutes from Atlanta, and he played on the same youth league fields that spawned Clint Frazier, Austin Meadows and Lucas Sims. An older brother went to Harvard, and Olson was bound for Vanderbilt until the A’s enticed him to sign with a $1.08 million bonus in the 2012 draft. Like his boyhood favorite, Chipper Jones, he opted to jump right into the fray as a teen.

Olson’s setup is a bit unorthodox, with his hands held away from his body. But he has made the necessary adjustments to become less vulnerable to hard stuff on the inner half. The next big item on his agenda is improving upon that .184 batting average in 56 MLB plate appearances vs. lefties. The A’s plan to give Olson as much time as he needs to figure it out.

The A’s are home to the home run trivia answer you never would have guessed

Forst and executive VP Billy Beane pulled off a heist in 2016 when they traded minor leaguers Jake Nottingham and Bubba Derby to Milwaukee for Khris Davis, a young outfielder who was just coming into his power potential. Last year, Davis joined Jimmie Foxx as the second player in Athletics history to record back-to-back 40-homer seasons. Over the past two years, his 85 homers are second to Giancarlo Stanton‘s 86 among MLB hitters.

“You could make a lot of money asking people, ‘Who has the second-most home runs in the big leagues behind Stanton?’ ” an American League scout said.

The power production is doubly impressive because of Davis’ unimposing physical stature. He’s a compact 5-11, 200 pounds, and he generates a lot of power with his hips and a strong lower half. He has hit 45 of those 85 homers at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, even though the park is notoriously challenging for sluggers. (Last year, when it ranked as the 11th-most generous home run park in the majors, was a notable exception).

“You could make a lot of money asking people, ‘Who has the second-most home runs in the big leagues behind Stanton?”

A major league scout on Khris Davis’ power production

Davis has struck up a bond with his namesake, Baltimore’s Chris Davis, who has shared some encouraging words with him during casual conversations at first base. The Orioles’ Davis has a $161 million contract, an All-Star Game appearance and two home run titles in his portfolio. His counterpart in Oakland launches homers with regularity and remains anonymous on the national stage.

“I get some ‘his’, and people drop the nickname ‘Crush’ on me,” Davis said. “I’ve been in restaurants in Oakland and people are nice enough to take care of my meal. I truly appreciate the hospitality and the perks like that. It never really happens on the road. You would really have to know baseball to know my face.”

Davis received a pleasant surprise recently when informed that his No. 1 batter similarity score on Baseball-reference.com is Bo Jackson, who was anything but anonymous in his dual-sport career in baseball and the NFL.

“That’s’ awesome,” Davis said. “I had his poster when I was a kid. He was an amazing player.”

They have baseball’s most heartwarming family story

In December, the A’s traded minor leaguers Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock to St. Louis for outfielder Stephen Piscotty, a former first-round draft pick fresh off a down year. Piscotty’s OPS declined to .708 from .800 the previous season, and he hit only nine homers in 401 plate appearances.

Piscotty was understandably distracted by family issues back home in Pleasanton, California. His mother, Gretchen, was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in May 2017, and her illness weighed on him from afar.

“I feel like there’s been a big weight kind of lifted off my shoulders,” Piscotty said. “ALS is tough. It moves fast, unfortunately — especially the one my mom has. It would have been really hard to go into a season knowing I wasn’t going to come back for eight months. That was pretty hard to swallow. When the trade happened, that was a huge relief.

“I’m gonna be living at home. We’ll have musical chairs with the rooms with my two younger brothers, but yeah, there’s a room open. And that’s where I want to be. At our house right now, there’s always someone there helping us, and I can be one of those people. That’s a great feeling. There’s nothing worse than being far away and wanting to help, and you just can’t be there.”

While Forst, Beane and Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak were all cognizant of the off-field ramifications, the deal made sense for both sides. The Cardinals were comfortable enough with their outfield alignment of Marcell Ozuna, Tommy Pham and Dexter Fowler to move Piscotty and Randal Grichuk over the winter. The A’s, who ranked 25th in the majors with a .704 OPS against left-handed pitching a year ago, get a young outfielder with on-base ability and a contract that keeps him under club control for an affordable $30.5 million through 2022. The A’s previously had Piscotty on their radar when he was at Stanford, playing ball and working toward his degree in atmosphere and energy engineering.

“I talked to Stephen right after we made the trade and I said, ‘Look, this was a baseball trade. We needed a right-handed hitting outfielder, and you fit perfectly for us. That said, I’m thrilled for your family — that you’re able to come home and your mom is able to see you play,’ ” Forst said.

Piscotty, 26, got engaged during the offseason. His fiancée will move into the family home in Pleasanton with him, and she has an apartment in San Francisco where he can slip away for what he calls some occasional “me time.” Piscotty is close enough to home that he has been able to get back to California and see his mom during an off day or two in the Cactus League, and the publicity generated by his story has helped raise more than $20,000 for the ALS Therapy Development Institute.

“The stars definitely aligned,” he said. “I felt good about coming out here and joining this young team. I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people.”

The Little Big Unit is in camp

A.J. Puk wore his hair short as a high schooler in Iowa and at the University of Florida, before deciding to let it ride with a long, red mullet that’s as polarizing as “Moneyball.” Puk says 50 percent of people like it, and the other 50 percent, not so much.

From his frame to his stuff — and that hair — A.J. Puk stands out on the mound with every pitch he throws. Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s a lot like ‘Bull Durham,’ ” Forst said. “When you win 20 in the show, you can wear your hair however you want and people think you’re creative.”

The Athletics have a lot riding on Puk. They selected him with the sixth pick in the 2016 draft and signed him to a $4.07 million bonus before sending him on a developmental jaunt across America. In 157 2/3 innings with the Vermont Lake Monsters, Stockton (California) Ports and Midland (Texas) RockHounds, Puk has struck out 224 batters.

Puk grew up a Jon Lester fan and is accustomed to comparisons with Andrew Miller and Chris Sale, tall thin, lefties with unorthodox looks. Melvin acknowledged the five-time Cy Young-award winning elephant in the room this spring when he said a lot of things about Puk remind him of Randy Johnson.

“You can’t help but think that,” Melvin said. “There just aren’t too many guys who look like that. They’re a little bit closer to you when they deliver the ball. They throw hard, the hair, the whole bit. We don’t want A.J. to feel like he has to live up to a comp like that. He has pretty good stuff, though.”

Melvin, who managed Johnson in Arizona in 2007-08, arranged for a one-on-one meeting between the Big Unit and Puk last year. Puk has made significant progress with the help of minor league pitching coordinator Gil Patterson, who introduced him to a hybrid stretch-windup delivery that allows him to maintain his release point and throw strikes with all the pitches in his arsenal.

“I can’t imagine it’s going to be long before he’s an option for us,” Forst said.

If and when Puk joins the big club, his distinctive name and look could make him a rarity on the Athletics’ roster: He might attract enough of a following to snag a free meal someplace other than Oakland.

#arent #Boring #Oakland #Sports #Sports News

0 notes

yahoo-roto-arcade-blog · 6 years

Text

Players on new MLB teams with biggest fantasy value increase or decrease

yahoo

While we’re still waiting on a few high-profile players to find new homes, let’s look at the faces who have changed places on the fantasy scene. As we run through the names, we’ll take an early position with the help of our friends at Inside Edge, a scouting and statistical service whose clients include major league teams.

But first we have to start with an import from Japan and one of the most talked about rookies in baseball history, Shohei Ohtani. Having never seen him play, let’s use a trusted source on not only Japan League players but players in general, Wise Guy Baseball. Wise Guy Gene McCaffrey defers to a Japan correspondent, Michael Cohen, who says Ohtani the pitcher is the most developed young arm among all of those who have pitched in the majors, as well as the hardest throwing. He hit 97 mph in his first spring appearance, when pitchers typically are a few ticks down from their fastest. “He can absolutely be an ace pitcher.” But, Cohen adds, “(As a hitter), he will strike out a lot though the bat speed is for real.” He’s a top 30 arm for sure and reasonable in the sixth or seventh round or so for the strikeout upside. Ohtani also reportedly is a lightning fast baserunner.

[Batter up: Join a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for free today]

Now on to the players who we have bettable big-league data on. Let’s start with one of the biggest risers this offseason, new White Sox closer Joakim Soria. Though he doesn’t have the plus-velocity you would associate with a closer, Soria earned an A-minus in the Inside Edge dominance stats — Ks in four pitches or less, 1-2-3 innings and swing and miss rate of strikes. His swing and miss was 22% where the average was 17%. But he struggles to get his fastball over (62% vs. MLB average of 65%). Soria was super lucky with homers last year and should regress closer to average, which will spike the ERA. But the real problem here is that if he’s really bad, he loses the job and if he’s really good, he likely gets traded into a set-up role in midseason. So you need him to be just good enough but not too good. This is very tricky making Soria worthy of a pick somewhere in the bottom third of drafts.

In Chicago now, but with the North siders, Yu Darvish maybe was tipping his pitches last year. Darvish lost command and dominance and also was hit harder than the average pitcher. I’d speculate but his ADP is too high (46.4), forcing you to pay to gamble that his problems are easily correctable.

Wade Davis will be closing in Colorado but still is the perfect middle-tier closer to target. The data says his skills are intact but he needs to work ahead in the count much better to remain effective. Taking a closer in the first 10 rounds is almost always a losing investment, according to Rob Silver. Davis should be able to replicate what Greg Holland did in 2017 at an attractive price.

Lorenzo Cain goes to a Brewers team that should be expected to run more. Ideally he’d be leading off for this to happen. But that spot may go to Christian Yelich. However, this wastes Yelich’s superior power, especially as a lefty in Milwaukee, which boots lefty homers by about 50%. That means Yelich should hit about 25-to-27 homers this season for the Brew Crew, making him profile as the ideal No. 3 hitter. Cain and Yelich both graded as Inside Edge A-minus hitters (across 24 stats). Yelich had a superior well-hit average (of at bats): .199 compared with .171 for Cain (MLB average was .155).

[2018 fantasy sleepers: Infielders | Outfielders | Starting pitchers | Relievers]

J.D. Martinez was a monster last year and moves to Fenway, which should be inviting for his homers as a righty (boosts homers for them by 15%). Expect the batting average and general run production to get a significant bump too. But monitor his Lisfranc injury before picking him, as that could limit his ability to generate power with his lower body. Martinez’s well-hit average last year was a sick .236. And it’s been .191 or better the last four seasons.

No change for Eric Hosmer, who some people are downgrading. Hosmer was also an A-minus hitter last year with a .196 well-hit rate. The only thing approaching a weakness for him as a hitter is his chase rate with two strikes (43%), which is just a tick lower than league average. Hosmer is a top-shelf bat and generally a draft bargain.

Carlos Santana should get a boost in power moving from Cleveland to Philly, a 43% bump based on last year’s park data. We cut that in half since only half the games are at home, so plus 4-5 homers, meaning you can pay for about 27 instead of the 23 he jacked last year. His well-hit rate was .201, excellent.

Of the other guys on our list, Corey Dickerson, Cameron Maybin, Brandon Drury and Steven Souza, the most interesting name is Maybin. Yes, he’s a meh hitter on paper — Inside Edge gave him a C-plus; he’s pretty useless against breaking balls and struggles to get on base. However, he can run and the Marlins are going to be so bad that they’ll probably just let him. The floor is 25 steals but the ceiling is 40-plus. I’d much rather roster Maybin late than rabbits like Billy Hamilton and Dee Gordon at their respective ADPs as Maybin could pop double digit homers, too.

The other guys are strictly roster filler, meaning there is a good chance you may drop them. Don’t get swept away by the fantasy love for Dickerson, who was a B-minus hitter with a terrible well-hit rate of .131; Dickerson’s plate discipline is an F across the board (meaning he is far worse than league average in chasing(1) early, (2) with two strikes and (3) non-competitive pitches.

[2018 Fantasy Baseball rankings: Overall | H | P | C | 1B | 2B | 3B |SS | OF | SP | RP]

#_author:Michael Salfino #_category:yct:001000854 #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL #_uuid:ac8db813-7cc6-3bf6-be55-716550777489 #_revsp:54edcaf7-cdbb-43d7-a41b-bffdcc37fb56

0 notes

flauntpage · 7 years

Text

Good Face, High Ass: The Baseball Scouting Glossary

Few vocabularies are as rich as the vernacular used by baseball scouts. Scout speak is practical and descriptive, yet colorful and sometimes lurid.

Taken out of context, the lingo can be alternatively oddball, which comedian Rob Delaney used to great effect in his dramatic reading of scouting terms culled by Harper's Magazine back in September 2004; gems such as "country-boy build," "slight toilet-seat hitting approach," "feel for wood," "uses hands to hit," "raw-boned physique," "muscular thighs," "good trigger," and "knows he can catch & throw."

To be clear, scouts have and always serve a valuable purpose in the baseball landscape identifying, evaluating, and projecting talent, an important companion to analytics. This compilation is merely intended to provide an informative and entertaining look at the indigenous language that arises when spending 200 or more days on the road watching ballgame after ballgame after ballgame.

VICE Sports polled several scouts, executives, and writers for their favorite scouting terms, and we compiled this entertaining sampling of a glossary:

The Good Face The consummate quality sought in every good prospect is the facial appearance of stardom. Exposed widely in pop culture in the book Moneyball when it was relayed that Billy Beane had "The Good Face," the term signifies a vague discernment of maturity, confidence, and future aptitude in the sport.

Its debut in the public domain actually came in the scouting tome, Dollar Sign on the Muscle. Former Phillies scout Gary Nickel said of "The Good Face": "It was a way of saying that a kid had charisma. It meant that he looked athletic, like a high stage in evolution—that he struck you right away as strong, forceful, manly, open instead of withdrawn." Another Phillies scout, Brandy Davis, insisted "'good face' is objective: it means he impresses you as an athlete—not a pretty boy. He's not withdrawn. He projects strength, virility, maturity." A study of Japanese baseball players in 2013, believe it or not, showed a correlation between facial structure and baseball performance.

High ass No, really, stop laughing. This is a term. Alternately referred to as "high back pockets" or a prominent "lower half," having a big posterior is said to portend good power potential. But it's more than a little weird when you think about a grandfatherly scout using the term on a teenage prospect.

Makeup There's nothing cosmetic about a ballplayer's makeup, which is an attempted qualification of his confidence, psyche, leadership virtues, and emotional stability. Does someone who flips his bat after a homerun have bad makeup? Maybe! A player highly regarded in this manner is always said to have "off the charts makeup," leading one executive to bemoan why his scouts don't get bigger charts.

"He's a baseball player." Though it would seem to apply to anyone on the field—I mean, is everyone else playing a different sport?—this sentiment is intended to be a noble compliment conveying an evaluator's utmost respect for a prospect, often connoting intangible skill or countenance that exceeds his physical tools. In Dollar Sign on the Muscle, a Phillies' scouting report on Bip Roberts praised him because, among attributes, he "can run, play defense, play baseball." Yes, play baseball, indeed.

Horseshit Poor play in baseball is never bullshit or dogshit, but always horseshit, with scouts preferring the equine concoction to its bovine and canine variations. (This used to be a common coda from press box wags to the scorekeeper's recitation of a pitcher's final line; after notation of how many runs and hits a man allowed, writers would chime in, ". . . and he was horseshit," as if in an attempt to codify the sentiment into the box score.) Dollar Sign on the Muscle clarifies that bullshit does have a place as a verb or to describe one's intention, quoting a scout referring to a former co-worker by saying, "His written report was all bullshit, and that's when I knew he was a horseshit guy."

Center cut A butcher's center-cut offering is often thought to be the choicest meat, and a very hittable fastball often receives that tag for its apparent succulence to a hitter.

Red ass A fiery, argumentative, hard-nosed player is said to be a red ass, a term that apparently dates to at least the 1920s. (See: Lo Duca, Paul)

Soft eyes This was explicitly evoked in a basketball context—former college coach Dan Dakich once said in a radio interview that Kristaps Porzingis would be a bust because "he's got soft eyes, and eyes are a big deal to me. Look at great players and look at their eyes and you can tell a lot about them." Dakich was adamant that he wasn't talking about actual vision or so-called court vision but the very appearance of a man's eyes, adding, "You can look physically at somebody's eyes and tell whether they're a killer or not. You can look physically, um, almost inside them if you know what you're looking for." Um, ok. A baseball scout relayed this term.

Inverted 'W' It's supposed to be a death knell for pitchers: a throwing mechanic in which the elbows rise above the shoulders before release, a tendency some believe is a precursor to serious arm injury. Linguists would call it an 'M.'

Stephen Strasburg is said to have an inverted "W" delivery. Photo by Patrick McDermott-USA TODAY Sports

Hyphenated names Two incredulous scouts said they've heard peers speculate that conjoined appellations are indications of poor potential. One of the scouts summarized the ridiculous thinking as follows: neither parent is an Alpha, so they'll allegedly lack a killer instinct. Really. We don't get it, either.

Redheads Another insane marginalization of an entire subset of people: some scouts are said to shy away from red-headed ballplayers, apparently because of an inability to cope under the hot summer sun. (Speaking as a ginger, I do go through an awful lot of sunscreen . . .)

Bowling-ball sinker Two-seam fastballs with downward action are always and only compared to gravity's pull on a heavy, falling bowling ball. No other heavy objects are accepted.

Long levers Ballplayers are seen as objects and their limbs are but functional levers for hitting, throwing, and catching baseballs.

Changeup "feel" Pitchers who throw good changeups are always said to have a "feel" for the pitch rather than an ability or skill or talent. Similarly, changeups are tagged as "feel pitches."

Bugs Bunny changeup The old cartoon character once threw such a deceptively slow pitch that his animated opponent swung three times before the ball even reached the plate.

Frisbee slider Frisbees can have a lot of horizontal movement. So too sliders. Ergo, Frisbee sliders.

Tool shed A player possessing lots of tools, i.e. the individual attributes (arm strength, hitting power, etc.) that comprise a well-rounded player.

20-80 scale Scouts don't rate tools on a 1-to-10 or 1-to-100 scale because that would be too simple. An 80 is exceptional, Hall-of-Fame ability; 50 befits an average major leaguer; 20 is you or me. (FanGraphs has a good primer.)

Ceiling/floor Scouts often sound like HGTV contractors for how often they invoke ceilings and floors to suggest the maximum and minimum growth potential for prospects.

Comp Short for comparison, the term 'comp' is a scout's way of describing a prospect's game through a likeness to an established player. These are often hilarious to read in hindsight—or, similarly, unfair for the undue expectations. (A scout once told me that 2009's No. 2 overall pick, Dustin Ackley, projected somewhere between Chase Utley and Mark Kostay, a huge gulf between a borderline Hall of Famer and a sturdy regular. Ackley, however, has thus far fallen short of even the bottom of this wide range.)

Arm slot This is the arm's trajectory on a pitch, ranging from overhand down to sidearm to submarine.

Swing path This is the bat's trajectory through the strike zone and is particularly relevant now that the baseball world is abuzz with talk of loft, backspin, and exit velocity, not to mention a surge in batted-balls in the air.

Dice roller A pitcher with an arm slot so elevated that pitches appear almost appear to be thrown over their head like they are rolling dice. (Note: In a very different context, it could apply to a Strat-O-Matic player.)

"Has an idea." Having an idea suggests a player has know-how. Often this is used to discuss his hitting approach and strike-zone discipline. It also means his brain is working.

"For me" Scouting opinions are all personal projections so the ubiquitous qualifier attached to each is "for me," as in "He's a No. 3 starter for me" or "For me, he's got the range of a statue." One veteran scout shakes his head at this phrase because no one else is talking. Of course the opinion is for you.

"Can or can't" At the end of the day, it's a binary decision—can he be a big leaguer or not?

"Occasionally" This hedge is often inserted in strategic spots like, "His mechanics occasionally lapse, and he loses the strike zone." Quips one scout, "You can say that about every pitcher. The real question is, 'How occasionally?'"

Downhill plane Even though every pitcher is standing on a mound and throwing down to the strike zone, the extra length of a tall pitcher throwing overhand and delivering the ball with a few more degrees of decline apparently warrants the description of downhill plane.

The 6-foot-8 Dellin Betances has a good downhill plane on his fastball. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Arm action This term details the actual throwing motion in which a pitcher removes the ball from his glove, raises his arm, and throws the pitch.

Plus Any pitch or tool that grades above average gets tabbed plus (or plus-plus), even though sub-standard tools rarely, if ever, are called minus.

Dude As scout-turned-draft analyst Dave Perkin says, "A dude is a legitimate prospect as opposed to a phony one, in fact, the argument could be made that a scout's entire professional life is spent attempting to identify who is a "dude" and who is not!"

Milk drinkers A scout told Perkin that he prefers players who aren't too wholesome and have an edge.

Rangy Baseball people love adding a '-y' suffix onto nouns for adjectival use. (The same '-y' construct is also a lingual device to create boring nicknames for players. Yankees manager Joe Girardi calls Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Luis Severino by the names Gardy, Hicksy, and Sevvy; even Starlin Castro has, somehow, become Starsky.)

Fringy average Even a mathematically precise term like "average" has a gradient of understanding. Players can be just plain average or they can be fringy-average or solid-average and so on.

Bat misser As the name would suggest, this term is used for pitches that draw a lot of swing-and-miss strikes.

Worm killer Despite the preponderance of outdoorsmen in baseball, this is not a fishing reference but an allusion to pitchers who induce a lot of groundballs.

Good Face, High Ass: The Baseball Scouting Glossary published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

0 notes