OSS:
Three up
- You couldn’t have scripted it any better for David Ross’s final regular season game at Wrigley. A huge ovation from the crowd in his first PA, and a bomb of a home run in his second. It was also a classy move by Maddon to pull Ross in the seventh to soak in the moment. Even Yadi showed some class.
- It was also a fantastic game for Jon Lester, who was cruising through his whole start. Only Yadier Molina gave him any trouble to speak of, because of course.
- Addison Russell had the second biggest WPA play of the day for the Cubs, one that nearly didn’t happen thanks to some umpire myopia. Hooray replay, I guess.
Three down
- The Cubs had a rally going on in the eighth inning, but a TOOTBLAN by Willson Contreras helped to cut the inning short.
- A bit of a shaky inning for Justin Grimm, who was brought in to face some lefties for some reason.
- I would put that the Cubs can’t beat the Cardinals again this year here, but there’s still a chance that we could see them again soon.
Comments
Perkins,
cerulean,
SKQuote Reply
Happy Debate Day!
EdwinQuote Reply
Trump and Hillary getting ready today:
https://youtu.be/bfjj7Y9N27c?t=1m34s
umbraQuote Reply
I was hoping the debate would be moderated by Morbo the Annihilator.
EdwinQuote Reply
Fernandez will win the award and he should.
dmick89Quote Reply
Can it really be true that millions upon millions of actual voters will be getting their first real exposure only tonight to these candidates who have been campaigning for 16+ months straight? That doesn’t seem possible and if it is, millions upon millions of people are even more gross than the candidates.
SKQuote Reply
Politics doesn’t belong here but at some point, someday, in some venue, I will probably go on an epic rant about the US election system.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
No, most of the people watching tonight will be those who already watch one of the news channels, whether it’s CNN, FOX News, NBC or any of the others. There are probably less than 3 million undecided voters at this point and that number is probably way too high. There are probably only 3 million voters who aren’t voting for the R or D next to whatever name is on the ballot.
Go ahead and go on your epic rant.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’m taking a wait and see approach.
MylesQuote Reply
Can it be awarded posthumously?
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
OK, the media keeps telling me that most voters don’t check in to the election until the first debate. It’s hard to believe.
Now, it would be much better for all involved if the election process and campaign started in September rather than the previous year, but that’s a topic for my maybe yes, maybe no screed in the future.
SKQuote Reply
So who is debating tonight? A First-Lady-turned-Secretary-of-State and a real-estate-mogul-turned-reality-show-icon?
That’s weird.
Why are they debating?
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
I would certainly think any player in MLB this season is eligible for an award. I think Lester probably wins under normal circumstances, but this isn’t normal.
dmick89Quote Reply
SK,
I think it’s pathetic that the election lasts this long. There’s almost no way to not hate the candidates at this point. I’d probably despise my mother by now if she was one of these candidates.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
538 has the number of undecideds and other party voters much higher than previous election cycles, contributing to much greater volatility, making a few-point margin for Hillary much closer than the few-point margin Obama had last time.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
I think that MLB should remove Fernandez from the ballot specifying that he will be honored with the award or another along with one whichever other pitcher is voted in.
ceruleanQuote Reply
It’s all one big reality TV show. So maybe they should embrace it:
Survivor: Presidential Edition.
At least then we wouldn’t be saddled with the wrong Trump.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I’m not sure why HRC is so disliked. I get the frustration/fatigue with “establishment” politicans, and HRC is very much that, but I don’t understand what she specifically did to get so much hate. I understand why people might not like her or be excited by her candidatcy, but to compare the actions of Trump and Clinton and somehow equate them as being equally unlikable seems crazy.
Is politics out of bounds on this blog? If it is I have no problem going back to talking about baseball, fall tv show lineups, The Wire, the downfall of the Cover 2 defense, the NFL draft, Salsa recipes, and other misc non-political topics.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
Cast iron cookware discussion is the only topic allowed in the comments. Discussion of any other topics has led to most of our commenters being banned, but none of them have replied to the email to acknowledge this.
berseliusQuote Reply
Whenever I’m washing our cast iron skillet, I always try to think back to that thread and what you all said about maintenance. I could have sworn it was something like #NeverWashCastIron but it couldn’t have been that extreme, could it? I mean, what about grease and food residues?
SKQuote Reply
SK,
If it’s really bad you can wash it out with soap, but then you’re removing the seasoning, so you’d need to re-season the skillet.
EdwinQuote Reply
SK,
The rule of thumb I remember is that you’re supposed to scour them out with salt. But keeping a seasoned cast iron pan around only works if everyone in your house is on board with it, as I’ve come to discover. Or if you want to be the only person who ever washes dishes.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I just wanted you all to know that I think of you, even during the most mundane moments of my day.
SKQuote Reply
Even during dish-washing.
Even during BM-ing.
Even during mast…icating.
All the mundane moments.
ceruleanQuote Reply
This here.
I mentioned the non-wash seasoning thing to my wife back then and she didn’t buy into it. But, she doesn’t eat meat anymore and I doubt pan seasoning is relevant for omelettes, which is all she’d used it for.
SKQuote Reply
Edwin,
I can’t shake the feeling that a huge—Trumpian huge—portion of the electorate is simply anti-[fill in the blank] and Trump’s gruff charisma trumpeting blue-collar sentiments has a wide appeal. We do not live in a post-race, post-gender society, so Trump also represents the status quo in that regard, while Clinton’s life-long pursuit of law and political office represents the status quo of the current administration.
Meanwhile, millennials don’t want another fucking boomer in office, and so reject both near-seventy-year-olds. (Sanders is a millenial out of time, by the way.)
At least that’s how I see this shaking out.
I will vote for Gary Johnson if for no other reason than the fact that if my vote matters for the redness or blueness of the state, then Clinton has already won. But as a libertarian who believes in a guaranteed minimal income and healthcare for all citizens, Johnson is a step in that direction.
ceruleanQuote Reply
SK,
The seasoning helps to make it non-stick.
I have a cast iron skillet, but we never use it because I don’t have that many recipes that call for it. Plus it’s heavy and my wife does most of the cooking.
EdwinQuote Reply
cerulean,
I just think Johnson’s economic policy would be a disaster.
EdwinQuote Reply
I’m voting for the guy who just can’t seem to stop making idiotic statements and hates black people: Tony LaRussa.
MylesQuote Reply
Edwin,
I can’t fathom voting for anyone other than Clinton, because it basically means a vote for a seriously sick person.
SKQuote Reply
So I see Joe is planning a bullpen game on Thursday with Zastryzny starting.
Monday Hendricks
Tuesday Lackey
Wednesday Arrieta
Thursday Bullpen
Friday Hammel?
Saturday Lester
Sunday Hendricks
Is that right? If so, Arrieta will be ridiculously rested going into playoffs
SKQuote Reply
Edwin,
Well, that goes without saying for every candidate. However, a counterpoint to his disastrous economic policies is his non-majority party affiliation keeping the cruft from both sides in check. And speaking as an economist, the Fairtax would be a boon for the economy, particularly for small businesses and individuals which drives most of the innovation of our economy. Most of the tax code favors large institutions which employ a lot of people, but that alignment is unsustainable, as we have seen.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Isn’t the Fair Tax effectively a regressive income tax? As I understand it, taxing only at point of consumption would disproportionately affect lower income people.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Surely that’s of no concern to libertarians?
SKQuote Reply
My main beefs with her are the server thing and her positions in support of more gun laws combined with the anticipated ability to nominate SCOTUS justices. If I’d handled classified information as she did when I was a Captain in the Army, I’d be in military prison with a dishonorable discharge. Whether or not the servers were actually hacked is irrelevant to the carelessness with which she handled extremely sensitive material (Top Secret/Special Access Program information includes capabilities like drones, human assets, etc.). Leaving that shit relatively open is a huge deal, and the only reasons it hasn’t sunk her is that her opponent is so manifestly unqualified and dangerous, and that most Americans don’t get how classified information works.
As to the 2A stuff, I’m willing to make the bet that whatever justices she appoints won’t reinterpret the Constitution in what I’d consider a damaging way, especially if the GOP holds the Senate. In either case, anything she could do that I’d see as fundamentally damaging would be a degree or two removed from HRC herself. The same can’t be said for Trump, who is an existential threat to the Republic. Speaking as someone with a history degree, I’ve seen how electing Trump ends, and it’s never pretty. All the best case scenarios involve a lot of violence and instability, and the worst case scenario is nothing but darkness.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Well, if more people have more purchasing power, that benefits the economy as a whole. My libertarianism focuses more on the role and scope of government in daily lives. I tend to think that government’s role is to protect people’s rights and enforce equality before the law, and that tax dollars should go almost exclusively to defense, infrastructure, and education. Also courts, I suppose, as enforcement of contracts/legal obligations would be corollary to enforcing equality before the law.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Yes, except that every citizen regardless of earnings gets money funded to their account for the amount of taxes that would be paid up to some poverty level. This bit of mathematical brilliance not only takes care of the regressive issue, but also renders moot any argument against illegal immigrants not paying taxes and because it simplifies all taxes, makes it less burdensome for individuals and corporations to comply. Some accountants and most tax attorneys and tax preparers would lose, but they are smart and educated; they’ll be okay.
ceruleanQuote Reply
So you’re thinking of Fair Tax in conjunction with a form of Universal Basic Income? I guess that makes more sense, though I’m not a huge fan of UBI in principle. I expect that may change if robots displace as much of the workforce as I’m expecting them to, though.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Universal Basic Income is a separate issue, which I am also for, but let’s not conflate it with the Fairtax.
The Fairtax “prebate” (you get it at the beginning of the month rather than the end) is merely an implementation detail to flip it from absolutely regressive to absolutely progressive, based on consumption of new goods and services.
Oh yeah, this feature also creates incentives to buy used goods since they would have already been taxed as opposed to purchasing new shit that is disposable, which is more sustainable long term.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Perkins,
And yes, the robots are coming, thank Robot-God.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Because she’s a woman.
umbraQuote Reply
Even with a FairTax “Prebate” it still amounts to a massivley large tax break for the wealthiest Americans. It makes the “regressive” part slightly less of an issue, but it’s still going to be an issue where wealthier Americans are going to pay a smaller % of their income as taxes.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
That approach is wrong-footed. Fairtax isn’t based on income, it’s based on consumption of goods. That $32,000 jet ride is going to be about $7000 in taxes. The wealthy person doesn’t notice a change, but they are still paying taxes all the same as a group.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I’d point out that we have zero evidence of this- the State Department claims that the e-mails were improperly demarcated as classified when they shouldn’t have been. Top Secret/Special Access Program information includes things like human assets and plans to assassinate Putin. It also includes publicly available press releases and itineraries for foreign heads of state which you can just Google. It includes nearly EVERYTHING because that’s just how bureaucracies work. Heck, I applied for a job for the Army Corps of Engineers, and the civil service exam or questionnaire or whatever was Top Secret. My resume, once I entered it into the web-fillable form, was Top Secret.
It shows poor judgment to implement the workaround she did, but this wasn’t emailing “Pippa Middleton is a Secret CIA Spy” to darth_yoda69@yahoo.com. I understand the reasons why she can’t just say “I used a private e-mail server to avoid FOIA requests for when I sent Angela Merkel a cat video on her birthday and didn’t want to wait for a Notary Public to add an emoji”, but I kinda wish she would.
umbraQuote Reply
While overclassification is an issue, I wouldn’t say this is entirely accurate. Information classified as TS/SAP is frequently “natively classified” as such, as at other points on the classification spectrum. Information about specific drone capabilities or naming HUMINT assets would fall into that category whether or not someone slapped a label on it, and it’s her responsibility to know that and store/transmit the information according to policy.
Real world example: I was working in my battalion’s S3 (operations) shop in Afghanistan, and the XO of our distribution company sent an email over NIPR (non-secure network) asking whether a mission to a specific place at a specific time was still a go. We had to scrub the mission as a result (because specific troop movements are always inherently Secret), and I immediately had to call our commo shop to get my NIPR hard drive wiped. The email came in without markings, but I understood the requirements for handling classified information, as well as that such information was natively classified.
While it’s not been proven that any information leaked, the negligence requisite to carrying out the scheme betrays an attitude of entitlement that she’s above the law. It’s tough to trust someone to enforce laws when that person has shown that she doesn’t particularly care what the law says.
All that said, I’m still going to vote for her. Because however bad her judgment may have been, Trump is frighteningly unqualified and batshit insane. Also an anti-Constitutional, racist, misogynistic, thin-skinned, egotistical, petulant manchild. His temperament is so manifestly unsuited to the office, that I’m honestly surprised people make an equivalence between him and Hillary. She’s bad, but he’s orders of magnitude worse. And it’s infuriating that she can’t seem to put him away.
PerkinsQuote Reply
cerulean,
Sure. But if you take the % of income someone makes and compare the tax paid to that income in order to find out what the relative amount of someone’s earnings are that is going towards taxes, under a consumption tax the wealthy are going to end up with a smaller % of tax compared to a lower income earner who by neccessety is spending a greater % of their income on goods like food, housing, whatever. A prebate might help some of the lower income workers, but overall you’re still ending up with a regressive tax.
And that’s fine. There doesn’t have to be anything inherently wrong about having a regressive tax system versus a progressive tax system.
My bigger issue with the fair tax is that I think it dramatically leads to less revenue for the Government. There’s a chance that a lower tax burden would lead to enough growth to overcome some of revenue gap (The Laffer curve) but I have seen any evidence that Tax cuts lead to that kind of growth. This means in order to balance the budget, there would need to be mass spending cuts across the board, which would probably redefine how government is essentially defined in this country.
And at this point we probably start to rub up against how the two of us view the role of government.
EdwinQuote Reply
oog vote trump
trump strong
trump smash
oogQuote Reply
oog,
He goes hard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcGPSnswzjc
EdwinQuote Reply
Yes, and as you say it betrays an attitude of being above the law. But ‘boss flouts the company/org policy in order to do her job easier’ is the kind of thing that unfortunately happens in every organization, and it’s a different story than ‘boss is beholden to Saudi royal family interests and that’s why she executed Benghazi at their say-so and deleted the e-mails to cover it all up’.
She’s the micro-manager to end all micro-managers, and she’s a workaholic who doesn’t want to go through two capchas and a retinal scan to send an e-mail hounding some intern to finish the briefing on Prince Harry’s food allergies. That’s precisely why we have policy and expect Secretaries of State to follow it, but the underlying pathology is a pathological obsession with getting work done. You have to be crazy to want to be President, and Hillary is crazy. She’s ambitious and driven and obsessive to a fault, and the e-mail scandal exposes that.
umbraQuote Reply
I just joined Pinterest. How do I get Sammy Sosa to be my friend? Do I send him a pin? I don’t think I’m doing this right.
EdwinQuote Reply
umbra,
Yeah, and that’s why I’m voting for her. I’ll trust her to get shit done that needs to be done, and for Congress to check her on the stuff I hope she won’t accomplish. Also there’s almost no way that Trump doesn’t have shady business ties that would render him subject to foreign influence/blackmail, and Putin seems to be doing everything he can to prop up the big cheeto. Why his tax returns aren’t more of a recurring theme on a daily basis is beyond me.
Shit, the major bar to getting a security clearance is if you’re hiding something (massive debts, an affair, homosexuality, etc.) that could be used as leverage against you by someone else. There’s your national security threat story. His not releasing tax returns indicates there’s fire to go with that smoke.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Nonsense. A vote for Johnson is not a vote for Trump. It’s a vote for Johnson. Given the unlikelihood of him winning, it might be fair to say it’s the equivalent of not voting at all, but it’s not even close to a vote for Trump.
My choice is to not vote or vote for Johnson. I’m voting.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Johnson has no chance. It’s terrible that third parties are in this situation but they are. With a R and a D that weren’t so far apart (and both sane, grown up, etc.), I could see voting third party. In this election I couldn’t do anything other than try to help Trump lose.
(I have felt all along that he will lose in a landslide of epic proportion, at least in terms of electoral college–with a poorer showing in popular vote than expected too. But I couldn’t risk the chance that I’m wrong.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I can understand not wanting Trump to win. I get that, but my vote for a third party candidate is not a plus one in Trump’s column. I don’t want Trump to win, but I’m also not going to help Hillary win. Of the two, I would much rather she win, but it’s just not my job to help her win. It’s her job and the fact she can’t easily win what is quite possibly the easiest election to win in American political history makes me question whether she can get shit done as Perkins suggested.
I believe your comment (a vote for third party is a vote for Trump) is part of the problem. It’s this accepted belief by too many that leads to this two party disaster this country finds itself in.
dmick89Quote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
Coghlan
Bryant
Rizzo
Contreras
Heyward
Russell
Almora
Baez
Hendricks
berseliusQuote Reply
It seems like Baez’s bat has really cooled off.
EdwinQuote Reply
Did anyone watch the new show Pitch?
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I haven’t, but I’ve read good reviews and heard good things.
EdwinQuote Reply
dmick89,
Well, I disagree that voting for the lesser of two evils is a cause of the two party system’s rottenness. I think it’s a symptom.
SKQuote Reply
Edwin,
I thought it was pretty good. I didn’t even cringe when they showed Joe Buck.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I haven’t watched Pitch, but I’ve been very pleased so far with The Good Place. Though I guess it’s not so surprising that I would enjoy a show produced by Ken Tremendous starring Kristen Bell.
berseliusQuote Reply
What would de Tocqueville think of this, our most uniquely American game? I like to think he’d be a Cubs fan.
umbraQuote Reply
This made the sermon on Sunday for its alleged works righteousness (recycle: +0.5 points, ruin the opera with your boorish behavior: -80 points), but something makes me think there’s more than meets the eye.
umbraQuote Reply
In principle, I actually like the two party system as it should be more stable than a multi-party system (no need to build coalitions), and theoretically limits the possibility for a far right or far left party to gain a large plurality. The big cheeto is turning that on its head a bit with his appeals to the alt-right and general shitheadery, but to me the biggest problem right now is lack of competition for seats. Most seats in the House and Senate are considered locks for the party holding them; when that remains true for multiple election cycles, there are few incentives for elected officials to do something other than follow the party line. Shit like that is how you get government shutdowns. For a long time though, having only two major parties meant each was large enough to pass laws with some support from more centrist members of the opposition. That breaks down when the primary system makes it so that only the most ardent partisans have a hope of getting nominated in the first place.
As to Hillary’s campaigning, her strategy over the last month seems to have been to run out the clock, but Trump got a bit savvier and somewhat quieter, or maybe it’s just that more people are desensitized to his antics. Whatever the case, she has to go on the offensive, and she needs to crush him. I still think she can get some shit done once in office, but campaigning is a different skillset than governing, particularly in this farce of an election.
PerkinsQuote Reply
How do they explain her success in MLB? I read that apparently she throws a screwball? This is where a lot of sports shows/movies break down for me, is the realism. There’s no way Henry Rowengartner dominates with just a fastball, that’s fucking stupid. He would get lit up like a tree in December without a breaking ball to go with it, and that takes years to develope. In Angels in the Outfield, they are blatantly fucking cheating and should be banned from baseball for life, with all wins forfit, and the kid has to go back to foster care.
EdwinQuote Reply
Eh, I’ve seen Chapman dominate a whole inning with just his fastball. He has a slider and changeup, but he doesn’t always use them.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
I liked it. Someone on Twitter suggested she’s throwing a circle change rather than a screwball though.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
http://www.avclub.com/article/here-are-acts-will-get-you-good-place-according-go-242814
berseliusQuote Reply
Rice in limbo,
Yeah, it’s a circle change from what they showed. They call it a screwball for some reason.
Edwin, high 80s fastball and apparently one of the best “screwballs” ever. It’s not unbelievable. Especially when you see Hendricks be so dominating.
The problem I always have with sports movies is that the actors lack the size and strength we are used to seeing. That’s not untrue of this show too. Still, I really liked the pilot.
dmick89Quote Reply
On voting for a third party versus one of the main parties. I live in Indiana. When Indiana was a Blue state (2008), Obama won by a lot. Basically, the electoral votes from my state were in addition to the ones needed for him to win. It’s like how every additional win for the Cubs right now doesn’t mean very much.
So let’s assume that it was my vote alone that decided between Trump and Clinton on Indiana. Because states are interdependent, meaning they move in the same direction relative to each other, I know that Clinton must have already reached the number of votes she needs, because if Trump loses Indiana, he lost everywhere that really mattered. If Trump wins Indiana as he should, my vote for Clinton was and is meaningless.
But voting for a third party actually helps the third party in the future. So I will vote for Johnson and my wife may vote for Stein, not necessarily because of their views, but because of the optionality they represent.
For DMick—in Iowa, right?—the race is closer. Your possible vote for Clinton may make a difference. However, that does not negate the optionality vote for Johnson, which remains an issue. But if Trump wins by one vote in Iowa, we know who to blame. (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Hey, at least it wasn’t a Gyroball. “It’s like a slider that doesn’t slide!”
umbraQuote Reply
cerulean,
Kansas. I grew up in Iowa.
dmick89Quote Reply
berselius,
“As explained by well-meaning celestial bureaucrat Michael (Ted Danson), people’s actions during their time on Earth are assigned positive or negative point values, which are then added up at the time of their death.”
Michaelmas is in three days, did you remember to get a present?
umbraQuote Reply
THIS IS COMPLETE HORSESHIT
umbraQuote Reply
Wasn’t the pitch everyone called the gyroball actually a shuuto (similar movement as a screwball or circle change)? And then he ended up not really using it in MLB?
PerkinsQuote Reply
If you paid Will Carroll enough money, he would teach you the ancient secret of the gyroball.
berseliusQuote Reply
Josh Bell is getting really annoying.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Then we are in the same boat and voting for Johnson is probably the best thing you can do, at least according to 538.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I thought a shuuto was just a two seam fastball, with more run than sink?
EdwinQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah, if Clinton and Trump tie in Kansas, Clinton is easily going to win this election.
Clinton has actually been running ads here in Kansas. I don’t remember any ads for Obama. Clinton also pulled her ads in Colorado and now that state is a toss up so I don’t think she’s an expert at this whole campaigning thing.
dmick89Quote Reply
Is there a video game like Sim City, except instead it’s Sim President, where you try and manage your resources to find a way to win the presidency?
EdwinQuote Reply
Is MLB.tv down? I can’t get it to work on my phone or Apple TV.
dmick89Quote Reply
Crap.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The force is strong with this one.
EdwinQuote Reply
Phew.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Strand rate still going strong for Hendricks.
EdwinQuote Reply
Kyle was an econ major. Maybe he can weigh in with his thoughts on Free Trade and globalization.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
He’s not batting this inning so we should expect his thoughts soon.
dmick89Quote Reply
I guess he could bat. For some reason I thought Bryant ended the last inning.
dmick89Quote Reply
I think you’re right. I sometimes get confused since they all have similar trajectories, but differ on velocity and break.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Is JD the only person to call a slider a “slide ball”?
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Edwin,
Though it should be noted that many economists’ thoughts on those issues are couched in tired ideas and guesswork. Hendricks’s baseball thoughts on globalization and free trade may be more accurate.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Come on, Javy.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Not to be confused with a curver, which is slower and has more break.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Marlins up 6-0 in the 3rd. Would be cool to see them win 16-0.
dmick89Quote Reply
JAVY!!!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Good job.
dmick89Quote Reply
Baez!!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
JAVY!!!
PerkinsQuote Reply
I temporarily suspend my hatred for the Marlins, and so approve this message. A 15–0 win for the Cubs would also gain my approval.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I’m recording the debate, but could someone just go ahead and make it easier for me by posting their responses here in gif format? Thanks.
dmick89Quote Reply
I wonder if Gerrit Cole still thinks the Cubs aren’t the best team in the league.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Come on Kris.
dmick89Quote Reply
Come on, Kris.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Javy Salami.
The Grand Baez.
I can’t really decide.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Perkins,
Cole probably thinks Trump is the best presidential candidate ever.
dmick89Quote Reply
https://bjays.wordpress.com/2007/04/07/how-to-throw-the-shuuto/
It’s up for debate. Some guy in the comment section claims a shuuto is more like a screwball/circle change, so who knows.
EdwinQuote Reply
cerulean,
The Grand Baez. I have a childish sense of humor so salami doesn’t work.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
That was all just a big misunderstanding—he had been watching tape of the 2012 Cubs by accident.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Edwin,
That’s what I thought (similar to a screwball).
dmick89Quote Reply
But a childish sense of humor and salami are a perfect match.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Oof. Terrible AB by Rizzo.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Ugh.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
DumpsterFire dot gif
BerseliusQuote Reply
When seven reach before an out is recorded, coming away with only 4 runs is quite a disappointment.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Russell!!!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
cerulean,
As far as disappoints go, I prefer those that occur when 4 or more runs are scored in an inning.
dmick89Quote Reply
This team gave over 200 PA to Joe Mather. Sad!
EdwinQuote Reply
Is there a debate going on? But, there are meaningless baseball games to attend to!?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Russell would be so amazing of he had a more accurate arm.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
RUSS-oh-wELL!
ceruleanQuote Reply
Umpire seems to be giving a very pitcher friendly zone. Hendricks might get his ERA down under 2 tonight.
EdwinQuote Reply
Almora wants to be a part of the postseason too.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I don’t understand why Coghlan only hits well in a Cubs uniform, but I’ll take it.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Bryant!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
BRYANT!!!!
ceruleanQuote Reply
(dying laughing)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
15-0 would almost be a disappointment at this point. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
This debate is…epic?
ceruleanQuote Reply
The Reds are knocking the Cardinals around.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Wow. This fucking debate is entirely too entertaining. It’s on par with a Ken Tremendous show. And tremendously so.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Hendricks ERA is 1.99.
dmick89Quote Reply
Tremendous.
ceruleanQuote Reply
More runs, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Stop and frisk. That’s what you do when you’re on fire right?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Little while = last few days, according to Trump.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Yay Cubs.
Wow this debate.
Haha Cardinals.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
BREAKING: Donald Trump is not a computer scientist.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rondon is still broken.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rondon!? Where’d he go? Who is this imposter?
ceruleanQuote Reply
Chapman? Really? O.K.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
100
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Chapman is not the only one that hits triple digits.
100 wins.
??????????????????
ceruleanQuote Reply
The Cubs had better win the World Series this year. There won’t be a next year.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
So you’re predicting Trump wins the election?
dmick89Quote Reply
Cubs run differential: +250
Rangers run differential: +6
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I honestly cannot believe that anyone could vote for Donald Trump.
As president.
So of course he’ll win the election.
ceruleanQuote Reply
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DEMAND TO BE ENTERTAINED.
TRUMP ENTERTAINS.
TREMENDOUSLY.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Is there any evidence for this?
Nader got the Green Party to its height for his election that helped elect Bush II but did it not crash and burn afterwards? Ross Perot did real good for a third party pres candidate but his party went nowhere.
Neither was a politician though, which is a key problem. They had no lifelong belief in a certain organizing political philosophy that could be manifested in an organized political party — one was a consumer watchdog and the other a businessman who made billions from outsourcing. Neither was ever going to have the determination required to use a loss to build for the future.
Johnson is an actual politician and public servant, so you can see him sticking to his guns for the long term and trying to build a party.
Then again, in major parties or third parties, if you lose in the general election, that almost always means you are no longer the leader of the party.
Until there is massive campaign finance reform, third parties will always be disadvantaged.
That, along with rules or incentives to shorten campaigns to 90 days or less, and congressional terms expanded to four years so that house members aren’t campaigning 50% of their time in office, will also help — especially with the task of electing third party candidates to the house and senate and state gov.
Don’t agree that 2-party system makes for stability. Maybe at one time when they were closer together, but not today when one party controls congress and refuses to work with the president who is of the other party. That’s non sustainable, in other words, unstable. An argument against multi-party is that the leading party won’t have a majority. True this can cause gridlock, hung parliaments, etc., but it also encourages compromise through coalitions for the common good. Dems and Reps today appear to have turned compromise into an unthinkable weakness or sacrilege. Sad!
SKQuote Reply
Should probably expect to see lots of headlines like this in coming days
SKQuote Reply
Trump said we have to do cyber better
SKQuote Reply
Interesting debate. Trump really struggled as the night wore on. He can’t help himself. I have no idea how someone could take him seriously as a candidate.
EdwinQuote Reply
SK,
Voting for a third party may not help.
Not voting for a third party definitely does not help.
Fighting off apathy regarding third party will eventually help. That’s part of the struggle.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Also, I would love me some preferential voting instead of the one-vote–one-candidate system we have.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Edwin,
Let’s hope the entertainment value kept the populace watching, and most of them feel like he did wear down as the night went on.
Trump has tremendous stamina, but not the stamina to be presidential.
ceruleanQuote Reply
One of the problems with third parties in the US is that they tend to be all head and no body. Running a candidate at the national level without being a major player in local and state elections won’t get them taken seriously. If third parties want to make a real impact, they’ve got to start at a lower level. If people can see them as a factor closer to the ground, and eventually in Congress, they won’t think of them as so ridiculous or implausible as presidential candidates.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Cut to awesome Futurama Nixon Gif
EdwinQuote Reply
Perkins,
Yep
SKQuote Reply
If I had to define the issues that matter most to me, it would be:
1. Camping Finance Reform
2. Financial Regulation
3. Social Welfare
EdwinQuote Reply
Tents are too expensive. Rental fees are unacceptable. I’m scared of bear attacks.
EdwinQuote Reply
Camping finance reform (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwin,
If we don’t do cyber better, none of that will matter.
dmick89Quote Reply
I agree, but I can’t imagine how difficult most of the electorate would think that is. People are really stupid.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
There have been movements for years at local levels. The all-head-no-body you reference is part of the campaign stategy at all levels. Advertising is expensive. More of it gets spent where it is thought to have the most impact. Though maybe they should be spending more locally.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Part of the problem is that if a politician wants to raise any money he or she will have to put an R or D next to their name.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
I think it’s debatable that it has any impact at the highest level. Teddy Roosevelt was the last third party candidate to have a serious shot at the presidency, and that’s because he was Teddy Fucking Roosevelt.
PerkinsQuote Reply
“let the bears pay the bear tax. i pay the homer tax.”
“dad, that’s the ‘homeowner’ tax.”
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
THE TENT IS TOO DAMN HIGH
BerseliusQuote Reply
The current administrations plan on camping reform is a disaster. Worst I’ve ever seen. Sad!
EdwinQuote Reply
Camping is in the worst shape ever.
dmick89Quote Reply
You’re lucky if you’re not killed by ISIS when you’re camping.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’ve been battling ISIS at the campground my entire life. Fucking bastards!
dmick89Quote Reply
We really need to convert to the BearTax system, which taxes the Bears on consumption.
EdwinQuote Reply
Bears haven’t paid a dime in taxes their entire lives. Pay up or be deported.
dmick89Quote Reply
I’ve heard from friends that a great way to keep Bears away from your campsite is to put up goalposts.
I will build the most wonderful, beautiful goalsposts ever. Believe me. And I will make the Bears pay for it.
EdwinQuote Reply
Edwin,
That makes sense. I assume I’m protected from bears if I’m hiking once the bears pay for the goalposts.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
oogQuote Reply
Fixed for pedantry. It has an impact, just maybe not a beneficial one for the party. However, like with the stock market, the more people believe that it is worth less or worth more, the more likely it is to be true (up to a breaking point).
Also wasn’t Teddy seriously shot but saved by his rhetoric in a non-figurative way, then went on to deliver his speech before being checked out by doctors?
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Here’s the story about Teddy. Now that’s stamina. Damn.
ceruleanQuote Reply
I assume the reason we haven’t seen a game recap is because in honor of the Cubs winning 100 games there will be 100 up and 100 down.
EdwinQuote Reply
Whenever I think about what a man ought to be, Teddy Roosevelt is the Platonic ideal. Brilliant and intellectually curious, physically strong and resilient, service-oriented, valorous in battle, practical yet boldly idealistic, and unwilling to give or accept excuses. Washington and Lincoln may have been better presidents (in part because of the magnitude of the challenges they faced in office and how they rose to meet them), but Teddy might be the best or most complete man ever to have held the presidency. Though Lincoln and Washington were also pretty hardcore.
PerkinsQuote Reply
If the Cubs rested on the Sabbath day this year (forfeiting every game on Sunday), they’d still be leading the division by 5 games.
MylesQuote Reply
Myles,
Would they have to tithe, too? That would put a crimp in any efforts to extend Bryant.
uncle daveQuote Reply
Perkins,
That’s the most disappointing thing about Obama, because he has those attributes, but nature of circumstances and his pragmatism did not lead him to be one of the greats. Thanks Obama.
Pardoning Snowden would help. But not enough.
ceruleanQuote Reply
The odds of Snowden being pardoned after January falls to about zero. It’s probably not a lot higher right now, but it’s definitely higher.
dmick89Quote Reply
I don’t see Snowden’s getting pardoned. He released a whole bunch of information that gave away (explicitly or implicitly) intelligence gathering capabilities and TTPs (tactics, techniques, and procedures). While he did some good, there are few in the national security community who would argue he did more good than bad, and his actions could be considered at least on the borderline of treason.
As to President Obama…foreign policy will be the big thing that sinks his legacy. Iraq completely cratered, partially due to things beyond his control, but also partially because he was more interested in fulfilling a campaign promise than achieving lasting peace. McGurk was the wrong guy to send to renegotiate the Status of Forces Agreement, and there’s a chance that some adult supervision would have checked Maliki’s excesses that hastened the rise of ISIS. The whole “red line” fiasco in Syria was a watershed moment for showing that we’ll let our mouths write checks our political will can’t cash, and something that Putin undoubtedly considered when he occupied the Crimea and waged a proxy war in eastern Ukraine. Also intervention in Libya without an idea for the endgame. That was bad as well. Afghanistan was also his to lose, and he did by telegraphing the timeline of the surge in order to shore up political will for it at home. If I’m in the Taliban or Haqqani Network, I know I can wait out the storm until mid-2012 and ramp up after the bulk of the troops have gone home.
Honestly, the biggest issue I have with his administration is the obvious political calculations involved in every bit of military strategy. When strategy is determined by time rather than meeting victory conditions, it’s just a huge waste of lives and resources because that isn’t fighting to win. And it’s thoroughly immoral to commit troops to a war without fighting to win.
While he’s done some good things domestically (as has SCOTUS during his term), he may have done lasting damage to our reputation abroad. Pax Americana is a good thing; it’s better for us to stay engaged and in a position to exercise our will than to open the door for actors like Russia and China, whose aims are often at odds with ours. People say we shouldn’t be the world’s policeman, but honestly, it beats the alternative. Bush and Obama made the mistake of assuming the military is the best or only tool for that, though. Or at least that’s how it appears based on their actions.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Wilson Ramos —–> torn ACL
That really sucks for him and for the Nationals.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It’s cool and all that Bryant gets the day off after getting his 100th RBI, but I want him to get 40 HR.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
I’m not sure he has the stamina to get 40 HR.
EdwinQuote Reply
To-night’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Coghlan (rf)
Rizzo
Zobrist (lf)
Montero
La Stella
Baez
Kawasaki
Lackey
berseliusQuote Reply
Coghlan!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Coghlan sucks at sucking. So does Montero recently. In fact, pretty much the entire team sucks at sucking.
Can’t be the best at everything, I guess.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Vogelsong is pretty good at sucking.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
There is a lot to unpack here. But for me, the only winning move in Iraq and Afghanistan is not to have played.
I think we do more damage to the progress of humanity by being the world’s police. Our greatest contribution to the world is our ideas—ideas we export to the world that for whatever reason are not counted as trade in our favor. Very seldom should force be an option and too often it’s the first option. Neither candidate will change that, and it’s a damn shame.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah, that’s my fear with either of these candidates. I’d be surprised if things don’t escalate in terms of military intervention regardless of who wins. I’d feel a bit safer that nuclear war will be off the table with Hillary, but that’s not saying much. She’s as much a hawk as Bush was.
dmick89Quote Reply
Lackey looks so awkward at the plate.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Fowler!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Fowler!!!
dmick89Quote Reply
There’s something to be said for enforcing our will on the world order. It serves our national interest at any rate. But there are four main levers with which to do so: diplomatic, military, information, and economic.
One of the negative externalities of presidential candidates and legislators who aren’t veterans is that they’re more likely to lean on the military option because they don’t understand the human cost of war in any meaningful way.
Military force is certainly the most lethal, and frequently the swiftest way to enforce our will, but it’s also the costliest and most perilous. It absolutely should be the last resort.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Wow, that was lucky.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Cardinals down to the Reds. If the scores hold the Cubs will have a 20 game lead in the division. Crazy.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
They are trying not to suck, after all.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
who is the preferred opponent in the NLDS? i’m thinking it’s gotta be the mets at this point.
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
I’d like to face the Cardinals.
dmick89Quote Reply
Edwards really got squeezed there.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
EnricoPallazzo,
Definitely the Mets, with their decimated rotation.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Strikes, please.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Cardinals’ power scares me a bit.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
You and me both.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Cubs playing reverse spoiler. Give the Pirates an even record against the Cubs and they are right in the thick of the WC.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Polanco drops the ball.
The Pirates season in a nutshell.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Screw the alternate closer!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Grimm is being way too cautious with this lead.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
OK, now he had to be careful.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I don’t think Grimm wants to make the postseason roster.
PerkinsQuote Reply
The Chapman trade is looking brilliant now.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I disagree that we should enforce our will any where in the world. The spiteful amount to very little (nuclear holocaust excepted) because they cannot compound success. But those willing to adopt ideas that work can expand on them, obsoleting old ideas faster, and compounding success. Basically the backwards-looking society become more and more inconsequential. Unfortunately, there is nuclear holocaust to contend with, but pissing a bunch of people off with drone strikes doesn’t seem like a great strategy to prevent it.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Throw a goddamn strike.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That was a nightmare.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Pena?
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Can’t be worse than Grimm was.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
They’re intentionally walking the winning run on base?!?!
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
The Cubs don’t deserve to win this one.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
And they do anyway.
Also the Pirates season in a nutshell.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Correct.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Grimm pitched himself out of the playoffs.
dmick89Quote Reply
Meanwhile, Almora, Coghlan, and Montero are making the decision of who to leave off the roster pretty difficult.
ceruleanQuote Reply
If they only carry 11 pitchers, I think all of them can make the roster.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
I think they’re leaning toward 11. I was fearing they’d go with 12. I can’t imagine Montero doesn’t make the roster. I also think Coghlan will.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
berselius might be right on the fate of Willson.
The following 10 seem to be a lock
rizzo
zobrist
russell
bryant
ross
fowler
heyward
montero
soler
baez
And then they can take all but one of these:
lastella
willson
almora
szczur
coghlan
Maybe Willson stays after all. Szczur and Almora seem to be the most redundant. Although LaStella could be expendable if Coghlan makes the team.
SKQuote Reply
I love how Lackey projects to be the fourth starter when he was the first starter on last year’s 100-win team.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
SK,
I forgot about Szczur. I’d still probably take one of him and Almora and keep both of LaStella and Coghlan.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Contreras has kind of become Hendricks’s personal catcher. I think Ross catches Lester, Willson catches Hendricks in game 2, Montero catches Arrieta and Lackey’s catcher depends on the opponent.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I thought Montero caught Hendricks’ last start. That might not mean anything though.
SKQuote Reply
SK,
Pretty sure it was Contreras. Could be wrong. I don’t know. (dying laughing)
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Correct. I was thinking of the one before that.
SKQuote Reply
dmick89,
I was wondering what the hell “Loo” meant in that context. Maybe you should add a macro to change all toilet speak to (dying laughing).
(dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
The Cubs 3rd order record is 111-46. They’ve been the second unluckiest team according to this (Rays).
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
If this was their record, they’d have a shot at 116 wins. That’s ridiculous.
dmick89Quote Reply
Also, do I win a prize if they finish 4–1 to reach 105 wins?
Well fuck your prize—I demand a parade. (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
Me, before the season:
This team is so incredibly deep, that you can imagine a scenario in which Russell puts up 4 WAR this year and gets absolutely no attention from a national outlet. Don’t make that mistake.
Addison Russell: 4.1 fWAR this year, 4.3 bWAR, 4.0 WARP
MylesQuote Reply
cerulean,
Yeah, I was thinking of that last night after they won. I thought you were nuts. Decent chance your prediction is 100% right.
dmick89Quote Reply
I know I said Russell had a shot at 20 home runs if he stayed healthy and showed a little improvement. It’s amazing that Russell is an all star and get so little attention.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
The craziest thing about their record is that it isn’t the result of the rosy scenario.
If the Cubs had the Rangers luck, they would have 26 more wins. That’s 127–30 with a shot for 100 games over.
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
Next year’s slogan should be Respect 100.
dmick89Quote Reply
Arrieta has been mortal, Montero and Heyward have been disappointing, Soler and Fowler missed pretty significant time during the hardest stretch, Rondon and Strop went down for a while, Clayton Richard was in his dark days before his transfiguration—and Schwarber was lost for the year in the first week of the season—and they still have been good enough to underperform their third-order record by ten wins while also reaching triple-digit actual wins.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dpleted
ceruleanQuote Reply
My approximate view for game 2.
I hope Hendricks starts, but I’d be okay with Lester or Arrieta too. (dying laughing)
ceruleanQuote Reply
cerulean,
So… #FireTheo? Or no?
Rice in limboQuote Reply
Rice in limbo,
They should fire Theo from a cannon wearing a leotard made from the W flag and the stars and stripes as part of the postseason entertainment.
#fuckYeahMerica #fuckYeahCubs
ceruleanQuote Reply
Having two MVP and two CYA candidates really crowds out a lot of stuff, whether it’s Russell’s step forward or Heyward’s leap backwards
berseliusQuote Reply
cerulean,
The Cubs probably won’t have a better chance of winning the World Series in our lifetimes. It kind of sucks that the playoffs are somewhat of a crapshoot.
dmick89Quote Reply
To-night’s base ball squadron
Fowler
Bryant
Rizzo
Zobrist
Heyward
Russell
Coghlan
Montero
Arrieta
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I approve of the regulars playing, but I’m kind of surprised. I expected this week to be like spring training with the lineups.
How badly is Soler hurt? He may be hurt enough that he doesn’t make the playoff roster. That wouldn’t surprise me at this point.
dmick89Quote Reply
Soler had only had two starts over the last two weeks.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
I wouldn’t be surprised if Joe yanks most of the regulars after 3 PAs, spring training style.
berseliusQuote Reply
Theo ————–> 5 year extension
SKQuote Reply
Perkins ——-> drinking in celebration
PerkinsQuote Reply
Apparently Hoyer and McLeod have extensions, too.
dmick89Quote Reply
Cookie Monster dot gif
PerkinsQuote Reply
New shit: http://obstructedview.net/cubs-extend-theo-epstein-for-5-more-years/
dmick89Quote Reply
Didn’t notice the new shit.
ceruleanQuote Reply