Math, Mystery and Men
NOT THAT YOU SICK BASTARDS!
Saw Moneyball with Kim, Alex and Penny. We were all sufficiently entertained and, dare I say, blown away - ? I didn't remember the 20 game winning streak that became, for some, the most suspenseful part of the movie - - although I do remember those green and white clad bastards taking three in a row from my beloved WhiteSOX in August of 2002. Stupid West Coast road trips where the SOX usually suck.
I remember not believing in the Billy Bean method (at least as it applied to the Athletics at the turn of the new century)
They didn't even mention it in the film but those Oakland teams had Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and I think all of them were at or near the height of their pitching powers (at least I remember seeing them make the WhiteSOX look pretty damned stupid during those years) and they displayed said powers in a park that was and still is pitching friendly.
This is not a critique of the film. I loved it. This is not an indictment of Billy Beane and what his crew did for baseball. I respect their achievements even though I didn't totally understand what was going on at the time.
I work with a very smart man who once explained to me that all the Bill James guys did was try to ask questions and see if statistical models could be devised to explain certain things that happen in baseball. Those who employ elements of this approach in running a baseball team are doing what all good leaders of organizations do - try to gather as much information as possible, see how past practice jives with that and try to maximize the results from the team on the field considering the strengths and weaknesses of your organization and other possible constraints.
Having said all that, I loved the movie and Brad Pitt is cute.
If Hollywood wants to make a movie about Kenny Williams' front office and the moves they have made in most recent memory (the acquisition of and money spent on Peavy, Rios, Dunn, Edwin Jackson and Mark friggin' Tehan...not to mention the boundless wasted energy spent on struggles against Ozzie G and local media) a good title might be Doucheball.
Thursday Oct 20
Happy bDay to my sister out there, wherever she is. I know where she is, but I'm not telling.
Spending much time in prayer these days in an effort to quiet negative thoughts that creep into my brain. I was more successful than usual today, but not successful enough.
Working my way through the Luminous Mysteries and praying them for Charlotte. Joe's got a fantastic photo of that girl on his machine at work and it cracks me up every time I see it. She has this look on her face that seems to say, 'What the fuck is up with this crazy world?'
I couldn't agree more.
Transitional govt forces in Libya have helped former leader M. Gaddafi transition from living to dead.
I wonder who gets all the sunglasses?
Saw Moneyball with Kim, Alex and Penny. We were all sufficiently entertained and, dare I say, blown away - ? I didn't remember the 20 game winning streak that became, for some, the most suspenseful part of the movie - - although I do remember those green and white clad bastards taking three in a row from my beloved WhiteSOX in August of 2002. Stupid West Coast road trips where the SOX usually suck.
I remember not believing in the Billy Bean method (at least as it applied to the Athletics at the turn of the new century)
They didn't even mention it in the film but those Oakland teams had Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito and I think all of them were at or near the height of their pitching powers (at least I remember seeing them make the WhiteSOX look pretty damned stupid during those years) and they displayed said powers in a park that was and still is pitching friendly.
This is not a critique of the film. I loved it. This is not an indictment of Billy Beane and what his crew did for baseball. I respect their achievements even though I didn't totally understand what was going on at the time.
I work with a very smart man who once explained to me that all the Bill James guys did was try to ask questions and see if statistical models could be devised to explain certain things that happen in baseball. Those who employ elements of this approach in running a baseball team are doing what all good leaders of organizations do - try to gather as much information as possible, see how past practice jives with that and try to maximize the results from the team on the field considering the strengths and weaknesses of your organization and other possible constraints.
Having said all that, I loved the movie and Brad Pitt is cute.
If Hollywood wants to make a movie about Kenny Williams' front office and the moves they have made in most recent memory (the acquisition of and money spent on Peavy, Rios, Dunn, Edwin Jackson and Mark friggin' Tehan...not to mention the boundless wasted energy spent on struggles against Ozzie G and local media) a good title might be Doucheball.
Thursday Oct 20
Happy bDay to my sister out there, wherever she is. I know where she is, but I'm not telling.
Spending much time in prayer these days in an effort to quiet negative thoughts that creep into my brain. I was more successful than usual today, but not successful enough.
Working my way through the Luminous Mysteries and praying them for Charlotte. Joe's got a fantastic photo of that girl on his machine at work and it cracks me up every time I see it. She has this look on her face that seems to say, 'What the fuck is up with this crazy world?'
I couldn't agree more.
Transitional govt forces in Libya have helped former leader M. Gaddafi transition from living to dead.
I wonder who gets all the sunglasses?
posted by edP | 7:04 PM
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