This happened early last Friday. You gotta love Apex.
As one wag has already commented ... he should have worked for the ABC station as their slogan is "Eyewitness News".
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A lot going on ...
recapping quickly what you've missed if you haven't been in Dolberry's shoes lately ...
Friday: Won a softball game 18-3. Dolberry didn't do much.
Saturday: APD's first game of the year. In his very first AB in the 11-12 league he got an RBI single to put his team up 1-0, then stole 2nd. They ended up losing 8-2. He grounded out in his 2nd AB. Dolberry spent the rest of the afternoon working in the yard and coming in contact again w/ the dreaded poison ivy. Went to movie w/ youth group. Fun.
Sunday: Was 4th in line at the opening of the urgent care at 8am. Don't think I've waited in line before something opened ... since waiting for U2 tickets in college. Got my steroids. Went out to
Asheboro to see the cousins/Shelly/Chuck. Was fun, but I fell asleep while out there due to Benadryl. Others that were awake reported that it was fun.
Monday: Travelled to DC to make a presentation to the director of EPA's Office of Transportation & Air Quality. Think it went pretty well. Always fun to go to DC. Makes you feel like you're doing something important. Always nice to spend $16 dollars for a burger for lunch as well.
Tuesday: People at work were asking me who punched me in the face as PI has spread pretty much over my entire face, neck, arms, and lower legs. Both Dolberry softball and APD baseball games got rained out (thankfully, in my case).
Today: APD's team evened their record at 1-1 w/ a 4-1 victory. One of APD's teammates jacked one out of the yard which was quite impressive. APD followed him and Dolberry called for back-to-back jacks, but he grounded out instead. Still he had a walk and another SB. Good little player. He is totally not afraid of these fast pitchers ... he knows what a strike is ... and he can make contact w/ pretty much any pitch. Still needs to grow into some power, obviously.
Upcoming: I am going to spray enough Roundup through our yard this weekend to undo any good I've ever done for the environment while at EPA. I am going to spray enough Roundup to kill pretty much any organic thing w/in a 2-block area. Maybe the big maple tree will survive, but I wouldn't count on it.
Hope all is well for all DCV readers, near and far ...
Friday: Won a softball game 18-3. Dolberry didn't do much.
Saturday: APD's first game of the year. In his very first AB in the 11-12 league he got an RBI single to put his team up 1-0, then stole 2nd. They ended up losing 8-2. He grounded out in his 2nd AB. Dolberry spent the rest of the afternoon working in the yard and coming in contact again w/ the dreaded poison ivy. Went to movie w/ youth group. Fun.
Sunday: Was 4th in line at the opening of the urgent care at 8am. Don't think I've waited in line before something opened ... since waiting for U2 tickets in college. Got my steroids. Went out to
Asheboro to see the cousins/Shelly/Chuck. Was fun, but I fell asleep while out there due to Benadryl. Others that were awake reported that it was fun.
Monday: Travelled to DC to make a presentation to the director of EPA's Office of Transportation & Air Quality. Think it went pretty well. Always fun to go to DC. Makes you feel like you're doing something important. Always nice to spend $16 dollars for a burger for lunch as well.
Tuesday: People at work were asking me who punched me in the face as PI has spread pretty much over my entire face, neck, arms, and lower legs. Both Dolberry softball and APD baseball games got rained out (thankfully, in my case).
Today: APD's team evened their record at 1-1 w/ a 4-1 victory. One of APD's teammates jacked one out of the yard which was quite impressive. APD followed him and Dolberry called for back-to-back jacks, but he grounded out instead. Still he had a walk and another SB. Good little player. He is totally not afraid of these fast pitchers ... he knows what a strike is ... and he can make contact w/ pretty much any pitch. Still needs to grow into some power, obviously.
Upcoming: I am going to spray enough Roundup through our yard this weekend to undo any good I've ever done for the environment while at EPA. I am going to spray enough Roundup to kill pretty much any organic thing w/in a 2-block area. Maybe the big maple tree will survive, but I wouldn't count on it.
Hope all is well for all DCV readers, near and far ...
Thursday, April 17, 2008
So, we're driving home this evening ...
... after the beautiful KMD picked me up from the bus stop and we see a guy using a weed eater to trim along his driveway a ways ahead (50 yards top) and tbKMD says:
"That's the littlest dog I've ever seen."
She said this in reference to the weedeater. This was after she said my two choices for dinner were chicken breast sandwiches or turkey breast sandwiches. Wow.
On a more encouraging note ... APD had a baseball scrimmage and played really well. Against much faster pitchers than he'd seen in 4 season of 9-10 yr old baseball, he worked a 8 pitch walk in the first and grounded into a 5-4 FC on his 2nd AB, after hitting a line drive down the LF line that was just a few feet foul. I was impressed.
"That's the littlest dog I've ever seen."
She said this in reference to the weedeater. This was after she said my two choices for dinner were chicken breast sandwiches or turkey breast sandwiches. Wow.
On a more encouraging note ... APD had a baseball scrimmage and played really well. Against much faster pitchers than he'd seen in 4 season of 9-10 yr old baseball, he worked a 8 pitch walk in the first and grounded into a 5-4 FC on his 2nd AB, after hitting a line drive down the LF line that was just a few feet foul. I was impressed.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Labels and blog topics
One of the upgrades to the DCV made in our makeover from a few weeks ago was to start adding labels to blog posts. That way, you, the reader, can go straight to the topics of your interest when checking out the archive for some salient piece of Dolberry wisdom (see the "blog topics" on the left side of the page). A lot of lesser blogs don't offer this convenience.
Anyway, one of my favorite labels is "genius ideas" and I've got two more of them tonight.
1) When a network promotes a new show incessantly during an event your interested in (e.g., TBS' full blast assault w/ Frank TV during the baseball playoffs) and the show is awful and gets ratings that are surpassed by Ginzu knive infomercials, they are not allowed to take it off the air until it has aired at least as many times as thousands of commercials, guest appearances in the booth, or seemingly impromptu mentions by the broadcasters. (How's that for a sentence. Diagram that one.) For example, say there were 14,856 commercials for Temptation Island during a two-week promotional blitz, plus there were 234 mentions of the show by Joe Buck for a total just over 15,000. Thus, Fox would be required by law (Dolberry's Law) to show at least 15 episodes and take the ratings hit. I think this would curtail the every-90-seconds reminders the networks think we need.
2) In the same vein, if a developer clears out a whole bunch of trees to build a shopping center in which more than half the stores remain unoccupied (or have gone out of business) one year later ... that developer is required to clear out all his concrete and asphalt and replant the trees. OK, well, new trees. There needs to be some penalty for so badly misgauging the consumer economy w/ a useless building at the expense of useful trees. We could call it Dolberry's Law.
Tonights labels: genius ideas and ginzu knives.
Anyway, one of my favorite labels is "genius ideas" and I've got two more of them tonight.
1) When a network promotes a new show incessantly during an event your interested in (e.g., TBS' full blast assault w/ Frank TV during the baseball playoffs) and the show is awful and gets ratings that are surpassed by Ginzu knive infomercials, they are not allowed to take it off the air until it has aired at least as many times as thousands of commercials, guest appearances in the booth, or seemingly impromptu mentions by the broadcasters. (How's that for a sentence. Diagram that one.) For example, say there were 14,856 commercials for Temptation Island during a two-week promotional blitz, plus there were 234 mentions of the show by Joe Buck for a total just over 15,000. Thus, Fox would be required by law (Dolberry's Law) to show at least 15 episodes and take the ratings hit. I think this would curtail the every-90-seconds reminders the networks think we need.
2) In the same vein, if a developer clears out a whole bunch of trees to build a shopping center in which more than half the stores remain unoccupied (or have gone out of business) one year later ... that developer is required to clear out all his concrete and asphalt and replant the trees. OK, well, new trees. There needs to be some penalty for so badly misgauging the consumer economy w/ a useless building at the expense of useful trees. We could call it Dolberry's Law.
Tonights labels: genius ideas and ginzu knives.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The darkness has no choice before the dawn ...
Today was opening day for APD, but after a really nice start to the day (temps in the mid 70s), rain moved in around 2:00p and caused the postponement of his team's 3pm game. He's on the Braves this year. Some pictures follow.
I mowed the lawn this morning w/ my brand new Cub Cadet lawn mower. Very fun. Not much assembly required ... though I was a little confused when it told me to remove the 'mulching baffle'. The folks who write these instruction manuals are just ridiculous.
Today is 4/12. Which is the title of a really cool Switchfoot song. Lyrics follow. Enjoy!
I mowed the lawn this morning w/ my brand new Cub Cadet lawn mower. Very fun. Not much assembly required ... though I was a little confused when it told me to remove the 'mulching baffle'. The folks who write these instruction manuals are just ridiculous.
Today is 4/12. Which is the title of a really cool Switchfoot song. Lyrics follow. Enjoy!
Been having trouble staying asleep
You've been waking up at 4:12
You roll the voices over in your head
Then you try to put them neatly on the shelf
You watch the sun rise
You saw the darkness had no choice before the dawn
With your own eyes
And then you broke out laughing from a yawn
You said
I’m so sorry I’ve been so down, I
I started doubting things could ever turn around
And I began to believe that all we are is material
It’s nonsensical, (yes it is)
So you walk outside and everything’s new
You’re looking at the world with new eyes
As if you’d never seen a sky before this blue
As if you’ve never seen the sky in your whole life
And then the phone rings
As it turns out, you're already late
And now you’re wondering
Was peace just a temporary state
You’re waiting tables and parking cars
You’ve been selling cell phones at the shopping mall
And you began to believe that all you are is material
It’s nonsensical
I’m so sorry I’ve been so down
I started doubting things could ever turn around
But I still can’t believe that all we are
And that all of are dreams
Are nothing more than material
Souls aren’t built of stone, sticks and bones (repeat 12x)
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The DCV Interview
The DCV was lucky to sit down this evening (via phone) with two great youngsters enjoying a Spring Break week at Disney World. Thank you to Miss A and EAB for taking some time to share their experiences thus far w/ the DCV.
Q. What's been the highlight of your trip so far?
A. Miss A: I liked the ride "Soaring". You get to fly over San Francisco in a hang glider.
Q. What's been your favorite park?
A. EAB: Animal Kingdom. There was a funny gorilla who was like "I don't want to see you." He had his back to us for a long time. Then he started peeing, for an even longer time.
Q. Has the food been good?
A. EAB: Daddy ordered 3 dinners and 3 desserts tonight. Miss A: This morning we went to the Princess Breakfast and I got autographs from Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and Belle. EAB: One of the princesses said I was a monkey. I loved the bacon, but I didn't like the cinnamon roll.
Q. Have the lines been long?
A. EAB: No. For "Soaring" you just go straight in, then stop a bit, then go.
Q. Tell me about a special experience you've had at Disney World?
A. Miss A: I was chosen to be a padawan at the Star Wars Jedi Training Facility. I got to go up on stage and be part of the show. We got to swing lightsabres and fight Darth Vader. Storm Troopers ran on the stage. It was so fun. EAB: And I got a Darth Vader outfit.
Q. What country did you like best at Epcot?
A. Miss A: I like Japan, Mexico, and especially England because they let us stay late at their restaurant so we could watch the fireworks. We've seen fireworks every night, except tonight.
Q. How the hotel been?
A. EAB: Great. We have 4 TV's. Miss A: They have three pools, one w/ waves, one shaped like a flower, and one shaped like a bowling pin.
Q. Last question. Would you recommend to someone who's never been to Disney World that they go?
A. Miss A: "Yes, they should. Everyone should go." EAB: "You should go. You can even borrow one of our TVs."
Q. What's been the highlight of your trip so far?
A. Miss A: I liked the ride "Soaring". You get to fly over San Francisco in a hang glider.
Q. What's been your favorite park?
A. EAB: Animal Kingdom. There was a funny gorilla who was like "I don't want to see you." He had his back to us for a long time. Then he started peeing, for an even longer time.
Q. Has the food been good?
A. EAB: Daddy ordered 3 dinners and 3 desserts tonight. Miss A: This morning we went to the Princess Breakfast and I got autographs from Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, and Belle. EAB: One of the princesses said I was a monkey. I loved the bacon, but I didn't like the cinnamon roll.
Q. Have the lines been long?
A. EAB: No. For "Soaring" you just go straight in, then stop a bit, then go.
Q. Tell me about a special experience you've had at Disney World?
A. Miss A: I was chosen to be a padawan at the Star Wars Jedi Training Facility. I got to go up on stage and be part of the show. We got to swing lightsabres and fight Darth Vader. Storm Troopers ran on the stage. It was so fun. EAB: And I got a Darth Vader outfit.
Q. What country did you like best at Epcot?
A. Miss A: I like Japan, Mexico, and especially England because they let us stay late at their restaurant so we could watch the fireworks. We've seen fireworks every night, except tonight.
Q. How the hotel been?
A. EAB: Great. We have 4 TV's. Miss A: They have three pools, one w/ waves, one shaped like a flower, and one shaped like a bowling pin.
Q. Last question. Would you recommend to someone who's never been to Disney World that they go?
A. Miss A: "Yes, they should. Everyone should go." EAB: "You should go. You can even borrow one of our TVs."
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Sayonara Sarasota (after 2009)
The Goodyear (AZ) city council approved $33 million to expand the spring training facility they're building for the Indians into one that will house the Reds and the Indians. This probably signals the end of our annual pilgrimage to Sarasota.
I know as a blogger I'm expected to bloviate knowingly that either Sarasota or Goodyear elected officials screwed things up royally, but I think only time will tell. Sarasota's mayor indicated that there was doubt on whether the Reds were just posturing ...
Dolberry is just a fan but it seemed clear from the beginning (2-3 years ago) that the Reds were looking to improve their position. I do think it was a good move on the part of the Reds. Ultimately, it will save them money, maybe enough for them to sign an extra early-round draftee or two next year. People in Sarasota are talking about maybe the Orioles moving into Ed Smith, but I'd give 50-1 odds on that ever happening. Peter Angelos simply isn't going to pay to play in a older, even if refurbished, park when other towns are paying teams to play in new stadiums elsewhere.
The Reds are pretty sure they'll be in Sarasota next year, but they have until August to exercise their 2009 option. I wonder how many years of cheesesteaks I can fit into that extra duffel bag I'll be bringing next year.
I know as a blogger I'm expected to bloviate knowingly that either Sarasota or Goodyear elected officials screwed things up royally, but I think only time will tell. Sarasota's mayor indicated that there was doubt on whether the Reds were just posturing ...
"There has been a feeling in the community that the Reds would not leave, that they were simply threatening the city of Sarasota and they weren't going anywhere," she said. "Well, now reality has set in. They are going."
Dolberry is just a fan but it seemed clear from the beginning (2-3 years ago) that the Reds were looking to improve their position. I do think it was a good move on the part of the Reds. Ultimately, it will save them money, maybe enough for them to sign an extra early-round draftee or two next year. People in Sarasota are talking about maybe the Orioles moving into Ed Smith, but I'd give 50-1 odds on that ever happening. Peter Angelos simply isn't going to pay to play in a older, even if refurbished, park when other towns are paying teams to play in new stadiums elsewhere.
The Reds are pretty sure they'll be in Sarasota next year, but they have until August to exercise their 2009 option. I wonder how many years of cheesesteaks I can fit into that extra duffel bag I'll be bringing next year.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Softball update
Honest, I won't blog on every single softball game played this year, but tonight's was exciting. Opening night for Gold team. We led the whole way, including 11-8 going into the 7th. Unfortunately, they hit two HRs w/ two outs as part of a 7 run 7th. So, trailing 15-11, we came out w/ a walk, single (me), single, single, double, single to win it w/o even making an out.
I made a few more comical throws ... my throws are starting to resemble my golf game (everything's about 20 degrees off to the right) and a humorous diving attempt in a left field that matched last year's Derby Day track for sheer muddiness. The ball plugged about 5 feet in front of me while I slid right past it. But I did go 3 for 4, so that's a little better.
I made a few more comical throws ... my throws are starting to resemble my golf game (everything's about 20 degrees off to the right) and a humorous diving attempt in a left field that matched last year's Derby Day track for sheer muddiness. The ball plugged about 5 feet in front of me while I slid right past it. But I did go 3 for 4, so that's a little better.
Monday, April 07, 2008
Congratulations Carrie!
Well, the tournament saved its best game for last. And I still don't understand how someone who picked Kentucky to make the final game won the tournament ... but that's what happened.
Enjoy your bragging rights for the next year (or more accurately, the 2-3 months before we forget who won). And send me your address and desired prize.
Enjoy your bragging rights for the next year (or more accurately, the 2-3 months before we forget who won). And send me your address and desired prize.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Update 2: Dolberry Invitational
It all comes down to Carrie (Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk) vs. Tim (don't call us Memphis State). Either way, Dolberry Invitational history will be made. If Tim wins, he'll be the first repeat winner. If Carrie wins, she'll be the first winner to have their national championship runner up lose in the first round (Kentucky).
The Papa John's card prize is really only for C-Lo's sake. He loves him some Papa John's. The winners are welcome to select a gift card of their own choosing. The only proviso is that it doesn't require much effort on the part of Dolberry.
Here's a great (but sad) article about the last Memphis (State) team to make the Final 4, although they were officially stricken from the records after NCAA violations. Let hope the rest of life is better for more from this year's UM team.
The Papa John's card prize is really only for C-Lo's sake. He loves him some Papa John's. The winners are welcome to select a gift card of their own choosing. The only proviso is that it doesn't require much effort on the part of Dolberry.
Here's a great (but sad) article about the last Memphis (State) team to make the Final 4, although they were officially stricken from the records after NCAA violations. Let hope the rest of life is better for more from this year's UM team.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Shamrock Challenge
The good people over at the "Adventures of our super-fantastic babies" blog are running their 2nd annual Shamrock Challenge. The judges are awesome people. In honor of their greatness, we have their wedding metallic tulip thingy in our shamrock. (No, Dolberry does not know what metallic tulips have to do w/ getting married.) While I recall that I somehow didn't win last year, Dolberry is not the sort of guy who holds a grudge for 12 months. 10 tops. I hear there's a prize involved this year ... interesting.
Dolberry is entering his "A" shamrock this year. Enjoy!
Dolberry is entering his "A" shamrock this year. Enjoy!
Friday, April 04, 2008
Update on Dolberry Invitational
Thanks to all for playing this year. Six players are still alive in the race for first place. Here's the list of the lucky players and who needs what to win:
Personally, I see it coming down to Chad vs. Greg S., w/ Greg winning it all ... but I've been wrong a lot in this bracket.
Brian T.: Kansas over UCLA
Carrie: Kansas over Memphis
Chad: Memphis over UNC
Tim: Memphis over Kansas
Dolberry!: UCLA over Kansas
Greg S.: UCLA over UNC, UNC over Memphis, UNC over UCLA
Personally, I see it coming down to Chad vs. Greg S., w/ Greg winning it all ... but I've been wrong a lot in this bracket.
Meet Your 2008 O'Jimmies
Well our softball game for tonight got rained out. Then the Hurricanes lost their regular season finale which likely means they won't make the playoffs (unless the Capitals lose tomorrow night ... and the Caps have won 10 of their last 11). If the Reds don't bounce back from this 5-2 deficit, it's going to be a pretty pitiful sports night.
Speaking of sports and pitiful, wanted to introduce you to the 2008 O'Jimmies.
Decent hitters: Reyes, Kent, Francoeur, Encarnacion, N. Johnson, Laroche, Keppinger
Not-expecting-much: Snyder, Castro, L. Gonzalez, Pagan, Gerut, Gross
Decent pitchers: Webb, Smoltz, Isringhausen, Villenueva, Volquez
Not-expecting-much: Affeldt, Gordon, Moyer, & Turnbow
The O'Jimmies have finished 1st & 2nd (of 13) over the last two years. But, as seen below, we're in 9th thus far ... I'll keep you up to date as the season progresses.
Speaking of sports and pitiful, wanted to introduce you to the 2008 O'Jimmies.
Decent hitters: Reyes, Kent, Francoeur, Encarnacion, N. Johnson, Laroche, Keppinger
Not-expecting-much: Snyder, Castro, L. Gonzalez, Pagan, Gerut, Gross
Decent pitchers: Webb, Smoltz, Isringhausen, Villenueva, Volquez
Not-expecting-much: Affeldt, Gordon, Moyer, & Turnbow
The O'Jimmies have finished 1st & 2nd (of 13) over the last two years. But, as seen below, we're in 9th thus far ... I'll keep you up to date as the season progresses.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Life Episodes: April 3rd, 1974
As you'll recall the "Life Episode" segments on the DCV are reserved for those singular events that helped shape the legend that is Dolberry. 34 years ago today was one of those events. It was the Superoutbreak. 148 tornadoes in a mere 18 hours, including 6 F5's and 24 F4's. (For perspective, there's only been one U.S. F5 this decade, the Greensburg KS tornado last May.) Below is a map of the 148 twisters drawn by Dr. Ted Fujita (subject of very first DCV entry). Keen observers will note Tornado #48 ....
My first recollection of that day is that a round of severe storms rolled through Louisville around 10:30 that morning, an odd time for thunderstorms and one that foreshadowed the events to come. Dolberry was a strapping young 2nd grader at Kennedy Elementary impressing the teachers with his intellect AND his ability to avoid the lice outbreaks that were common that spring.
Rode the bus home and Mom took Kathy, Kris, Robbie Livingston, and I up to the barber shop on Patti Lane. Presumably, the prescient Dolberry had tactfully handled the haircut situation with the proper dash of complaint, because I remember we then headed to that old Ice Cream hut on Taylorsville Road. Coming out of the ice cream shop, I remember being greeted by the single blackest, most menacing cloud I had ever seen and have ever seen.
That's when things broke down a little. Mom, clearly stressed from an outing w/ four kids under eight, froze in her tracks. Dolberry, barely able to see over the steering wheel of the old Impala, had to drive the group home. Just after 4:15p, I turned on WHAS 840 on the car radio and heard John Burke of the Louisville NWS talking about how tornadoes ("tornadas" in his accent) had touched down Brandenburg and the hook echoes on the radar were heading toward Jefferson County. (Click that link above. Very cool.) While Dick Gilbert was up in Skywatch 84 avoiding "suspicious looking weather" in SW Louisville, Dolberry was flipping the radio dial around to avoid having to listen to horrid 1970s artists like B.J. Thomas and Paul Anka in between weather updates. Some have credited Dolberry for saving all five of our lives by having the composure to do this.
I rushed my mom and siblings out of the car and into our basement. Since our house was one of the few in the neighborhood w/ a basement, many of our neighbors came over to our house for safety. Dolberry had to calm many a frayed nerve exhibiting a steelyness beyond his seven years. We listened as the storm touched down right in front of the NWS forecasters eyes (Burke: "No tornado as of yet. High winds. Good gracious sake alive. There's 50 (mph winds) right there. By golly, the whole thing's going. Hear it? I'm going!") and ripped up the roof of Freedom Hall beginning a devastating F4 trek right through Louisville. (Gilbert: "It's a spectacular sight. Very black low clouds. Around Bowman Field. No definitive tornado yet ... Yes! There's one now. Dipping down. In the Highlands. Transformers have been blowing regularly.") We were down in the basement for a good 45 minutes before Dolberry ventured out to check the situation and sounded the all clear. There was another round of tornado warnings that night and we reprised the whole thing again, this time w/ a panicky El Cueto in the fold.
Anyway, it was this experience that made me want to be a meteorologist. I don't know what my life would have been like had the Superoutbreak never happened. And while it was a day upon which I can look back on my actions with pride ... I still don't like getting haircuts.
My first recollection of that day is that a round of severe storms rolled through Louisville around 10:30 that morning, an odd time for thunderstorms and one that foreshadowed the events to come. Dolberry was a strapping young 2nd grader at Kennedy Elementary impressing the teachers with his intellect AND his ability to avoid the lice outbreaks that were common that spring.
Rode the bus home and Mom took Kathy, Kris, Robbie Livingston, and I up to the barber shop on Patti Lane. Presumably, the prescient Dolberry had tactfully handled the haircut situation with the proper dash of complaint, because I remember we then headed to that old Ice Cream hut on Taylorsville Road. Coming out of the ice cream shop, I remember being greeted by the single blackest, most menacing cloud I had ever seen and have ever seen.
That's when things broke down a little. Mom, clearly stressed from an outing w/ four kids under eight, froze in her tracks. Dolberry, barely able to see over the steering wheel of the old Impala, had to drive the group home. Just after 4:15p, I turned on WHAS 840 on the car radio and heard John Burke of the Louisville NWS talking about how tornadoes ("tornadas" in his accent) had touched down Brandenburg and the hook echoes on the radar were heading toward Jefferson County. (Click that link above. Very cool.) While Dick Gilbert was up in Skywatch 84 avoiding "suspicious looking weather" in SW Louisville, Dolberry was flipping the radio dial around to avoid having to listen to horrid 1970s artists like B.J. Thomas and Paul Anka in between weather updates. Some have credited Dolberry for saving all five of our lives by having the composure to do this.
I rushed my mom and siblings out of the car and into our basement. Since our house was one of the few in the neighborhood w/ a basement, many of our neighbors came over to our house for safety. Dolberry had to calm many a frayed nerve exhibiting a steelyness beyond his seven years. We listened as the storm touched down right in front of the NWS forecasters eyes (Burke: "No tornado as of yet. High winds. Good gracious sake alive. There's 50 (mph winds) right there. By golly, the whole thing's going. Hear it? I'm going!") and ripped up the roof of Freedom Hall beginning a devastating F4 trek right through Louisville. (Gilbert: "It's a spectacular sight. Very black low clouds. Around Bowman Field. No definitive tornado yet ... Yes! There's one now. Dipping down. In the Highlands. Transformers have been blowing regularly.") We were down in the basement for a good 45 minutes before Dolberry ventured out to check the situation and sounded the all clear. There was another round of tornado warnings that night and we reprised the whole thing again, this time w/ a panicky El Cueto in the fold.
Anyway, it was this experience that made me want to be a meteorologist. I don't know what my life would have been like had the Superoutbreak never happened. And while it was a day upon which I can look back on my actions with pride ... I still don't like getting haircuts.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Dolberry's Law
The order of the world is established through a system of laws. Without the controlling influence of laws, it is easy to speculate that humanity would rapidly disintegrate into a chaotic mess. Laws can originate from many sources. The first ones were divine, they've been embedded in our psyches for generations. ("Love your God. Love your neighbor.") Some come through a legislative or deliberative process and their wisdom is borne out over decades. ("Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.") Some laws might be needed for a time, but circumstances eventually relegate it to obsolescence. According to dumblaws.com, in the State of Kentucky one may not dye a duckling blue and offer it for sale unless more than six are for sale at once.
Dolberry has always liked that category of "laws" that naturally spring from human observation and persist because of their truth. The most famous of these types of laws is the rather pessimistic Murphy's Law. Another famous one is Moore's Law. I've spent the last month ruminating over another law that I think could radically reshape the way sports fans watch and communicate about their passion. In typical Dolberry modesty, I propose it be called Dolberry's Law.
Dolberry's Law reads as follows: "As a sports fan, you may only claim credit for championships that were won during your lifetime and during a period in which you actively rooted for that team."
As we move into the Final Four and Opening Day of baseball season, it is perhaps fitting that we now gently admonish the two groups that I think will be most affected by Dolberry's Law, i.e., New York Yankees fans and U of K basketball fans.
When we were in Sarasota watching the Reds spank the Yankees, I overheard the following snippet from a conversation between a group of grumpy (& prolifically profane) 20-something Yankees fans ... "talk to me when you've won 26 World Series instead of four." (Actually, the Reds have won five, but I wasn't going to interject.) According to Dolberry's Law these guys are actually only entitled to take credit for four WS wins (96, 98, 99, 00). As a 41-yr old Reds fan, I'm entitled to gloat about 3 WS wins (75, 76, 90). Four vs. three is not a huge advantage, certainly not one worth boasting about.
The biggest category of fans misleadingly padding their championship stats are Wildcat basketball fans who continuously trumpet their seven titles. Unless you were born before 1950, you are not eligible to take credit for the titles in 48, 49, 51, & 58. So UK fans of my age can legitimately take credit for only three. (U of L has two over the same period.) So the next time you run across a UK fan, watch out for them drooling chewing tobacco on your shoes and admonish them with Dolberry's Law if they try to take credit for championships won when a whole race of Americans weren't even allowed to participate in the sport.
And just so Dolberry is not accused of making the law for his own use, please realize that I'm losing credit for Saint Louis University's all-time leading 10 soccer titles between 1959 and 1973. Using the "actively rooted" section of Dolberry's Law, I would only be eligible for any titles that the glorious Billikens won that one Saturday night I rode a bus out to some crazily far away western St. Louis suburb to watch a 0-0 tie. (Actually, Dolberry was probably only eligible for maybe 10 minutes of the 90 minutes of gameplay.)
C-A-R-D-S!
Dolberry has always liked that category of "laws" that naturally spring from human observation and persist because of their truth. The most famous of these types of laws is the rather pessimistic Murphy's Law. Another famous one is Moore's Law. I've spent the last month ruminating over another law that I think could radically reshape the way sports fans watch and communicate about their passion. In typical Dolberry modesty, I propose it be called Dolberry's Law.
Dolberry's Law reads as follows: "As a sports fan, you may only claim credit for championships that were won during your lifetime and during a period in which you actively rooted for that team."
As we move into the Final Four and Opening Day of baseball season, it is perhaps fitting that we now gently admonish the two groups that I think will be most affected by Dolberry's Law, i.e., New York Yankees fans and U of K basketball fans.
When we were in Sarasota watching the Reds spank the Yankees, I overheard the following snippet from a conversation between a group of grumpy (& prolifically profane) 20-something Yankees fans ... "talk to me when you've won 26 World Series instead of four." (Actually, the Reds have won five, but I wasn't going to interject.) According to Dolberry's Law these guys are actually only entitled to take credit for four WS wins (96, 98, 99, 00). As a 41-yr old Reds fan, I'm entitled to gloat about 3 WS wins (75, 76, 90). Four vs. three is not a huge advantage, certainly not one worth boasting about.
The biggest category of fans misleadingly padding their championship stats are Wildcat basketball fans who continuously trumpet their seven titles. Unless you were born before 1950, you are not eligible to take credit for the titles in 48, 49, 51, & 58. So UK fans of my age can legitimately take credit for only three. (U of L has two over the same period.) So the next time you run across a UK fan, watch out for them drooling chewing tobacco on your shoes and admonish them with Dolberry's Law if they try to take credit for championships won when a whole race of Americans weren't even allowed to participate in the sport.
And just so Dolberry is not accused of making the law for his own use, please realize that I'm losing credit for Saint Louis University's all-time leading 10 soccer titles between 1959 and 1973. Using the "actively rooted" section of Dolberry's Law, I would only be eligible for any titles that the glorious Billikens won that one Saturday night I rode a bus out to some crazily far away western St. Louis suburb to watch a 0-0 tie. (Actually, Dolberry was probably only eligible for maybe 10 minutes of the 90 minutes of gameplay.)
C-A-R-D-S!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Softball is underway!
We won our 1st game (18-15). I didn't do too well (0-3, but got on twice on errors) & I made one horrendous throw trying to get a guy out at home from SS on an OF relay. It's a long season.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Annual DCV Blog Bracket Challenge
Please join in. Free entry. One entry per player. Try to come up w/ a creative name ... that is more so than "Smith Entry". To the winner: a $25 Papa John's gift card.
Here are the instructions ... near as I can tell. Let me know if any problems. Enjoy.
Get in the action now:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?groupID=38038
Game Front:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage
Group: Dolberry Cherry Vanilla
Password: billikens
Here are the instructions ... near as I can tell. Let me know if any problems. Enjoy.
Get in the action now:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/group?groupID=38038
Game Front:
http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage
Group: Dolberry Cherry Vanilla
Password: billikens
Friday, March 14, 2008
Vacation Review - Spring Training 2008
Hey, as always, we had a great time on our Spring Training trip. For those that weren't there, here are the highlights:
Wed: There was a little anxiety getting ready for the trip as APD was sick, having missed school on both Monday and Tuesday. By Wed, he was feeling well enough to travel and apparently to infect perfectly healthy members of the traveling party (see Dolberry, Sunday). We had an easy trip down to Sarasota when the first of the more-than-usual vacation bugs bit ... I'd booked a different Comfort Suites than I had the past straight 5 years. Oh well, not a huge deal. Drove an extra 10 miles or so, but accommodations were just as nice. Also, I walloped APD and the beautiful KMD in our annual putt-putt game by an embarassingly (to them) large margin.
Thurs: Always fun to celebrate the beautiful KMD's birthday ... walking on eggshells all day not to mention a certain number (this year, 46); or use any of the following terms: "grizzled veteran", "retirement home", or "ol' lady". We picked up El Cueto and Grandma Cueto at their usual flea-infested hotel in Tampa and headed down to Sarasota for a Reds-Yankees game. APD got a ton of autographs: Eric Davis, Edwin Encarnacion, Dusty Bakey, Jeff Keppinger, and others. The Reds scored 6 runs in the first on an EE grand slam en route to a 12-8 victory. The picture at the top is from Day 1. We then retired back to the hotel (where there was another snafu upon registering) and had a lovely dinner w/ Angela and the Twins. Fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
Fri: El Cueto had us out of bed at 5:15a to go play golf. It was the least fun round of golf I have ever played thanks to: a) my complete inability to hit a golf ball in the proper direction and b) a course starter who had apparently taken customer service training from a WWII German cable company. Dolberry thinks only Eliot Spitzer has gotten more grief on an recent investment than my $130 outlay to get scolded by a bitter Florida retiree. The game against the Pirates was far more pleasant. The Reds burst out to a big lead again on a Brandon Phillips bomb & we got to see Johnny Cueto (the next great starting pitcher) absolutely dominate 10 Pirate hitters over three innings. Got to meet our favorite Florida State House Democrat for dinner and APD had a blast playing w/ the Twins in the hotel pool (approximate pool temp ... 73 deg ... brrrrr.)
Sat: Dolberry had a weird episode in the morning packing hotel bags. My back locked up quite painfully. I guess it was a back spasm. It did get me out of carrying bags down to the car which was nice. Apparently, taking 126 golf shots in a 3.75 hour period can wear your back out. Then, we drove down to Ft. Myers to watch the Red Sox play the Marlins. Interestingly enough, Josh Beckett came out to pitch before, he too, was felled by back spasms. The Fish won 5-2 despite a Jacoby Ellsbury HR. APD got Hanley Ramirez' autograph which was very cool. We drove back to Clearwater that night and actually checked into a hotel uneventfully. Had shrimp linguini at the Bahama Breeze which I will mention more about in the Sun section.
Sun: Around 2a, Dolberry spent his first moments of 2008 Daylight Savings time participating in the fun experience throwing up a full plate of shrimp linguini. I bet I was one of the first Americans to vomit in Daylight Savings Time this year. So, I have that going for me. Of course, Dolberry's first thoughts were not for himself, but for the the annual Phillies game Philly Cheesesteaks I was planning to enjoy in less than 10 hours. I devoted myself to a cautious but arduous set of stomach-relaxing techniques to prepare my digestive system for the meaty bliss of a La Spada's cheesesteak. After watching BP in the outfield, and catching a ball thrown up by a shagging outfielder (the other kind of "thrown up"), we settled into our seats. BTW, it was extremely cold in Florida the last two days of our visit. Disturbingly cold. Colder than it ever has been in past vacations. Cold and windy. Cold enough, that I think the Florida House should do something about it. Of course, like all good blog entries this one has a happy ending. I ate one cheesesteak (they're even better when their warmth warms you) and then devoured another one a few innings later and I didn't get sick the whole 11 hour ride back to Raleigh. Dolberry has the strength of 12 men.
Great vacation as always. Due to the people we spent it with (excepting that starter), I give it 5 stars.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
2008 NL Roto Preview: New York Mets
New York Mets: The Mets had a collapse for the ages last year ... one we'll be talking about 20 years from now (assuming we haven't all purchased sports-trash-talking robots by then). On Dolberry Day last year (Sept 10), the Mets were sitting pretty at 82 - 61, six full games clear of the Phillies. Here are some of the quotes from Mets players as their ship slowly took on water.
9/10: "We couldn't have picked a better time than this to peak. This is the best baseball we've played all season." (David Wright)
9/12: "We're obviously in the driver's seat and we want to close it out as soon as we can and focus on the postseason." (Shawn Green)
9/16: "How many errors did we make? Five? Six? You have to play defense, too. They deserved to beat us." (Carlos Beltran)
9/17: "That's not how we play the game. Hopefully we'll get out of it -- the sooner the better." (Omar Minaya)
9/18: "Anybody with half a brain would say we've been horrible." (Tom Glavine)
9/20: "Things are not going our way. It seems like every team comes back on us real easy." (Carlos Beltran)
9/24: "It's embarrassing with the season on the line to go out there and get embarrassed on your own home field." (David Wright)
9/26: "We all feel terrible for ourselves as a team right now that we can't really close the deal." (Willie Randolph)
9/28: "I think it's embarrassing. It's pretty pathetic that we have this division within our grasp with seven home games and we can't find a way to win one of them. It's a bad feeling." (David Wright)
9/30: "The harder we pushed, the worse it got." (Billy Wagner)
The Mets rank 30th on my list of favorite MLB teams, so I can't say I didn't enjoy reliving that experience. Anyway, here's what they look like this year.
C: Mike Schneider / Ramon Castro - Pass on Schneider. Castro is an O'Jimmie and the better fantasy player but he seems to be best suited for about 200-250 ABs per season. We should probably keep him w/ his bargain salary ($1).
1B: Carlos Delgado - He was banged up all last year and hits stats nosedived. Would look like a bounceback candidate but his already getting MRI's down in Florida. Likely pass. AVAIL.
2B: Luis Castillo - 32 years old w/ fading stats over the past 2-3 years. Best case scenario would appear to be above average AVG/OBP & 20 SB. AVAIL.
SS: Jose Reyes - Roto MVP runner-up. (.280/.354/12/57/78) Didn't do anything other then steal bags after coming to the O'Jimmies at the all-start break, but contributed to our 2nd place finish (good and bad). Only 24, expect a better AVG/OBP/HRs in 2008 w/ SBs down slightly (50-60). O'JIMMIES keep despite hefty salary.
3B: David Wright - Great player. Seems like he's been on the Wonderboys since he was 12 years old. WOND keep.
LF: Moises Alou - One of the few remaining MLB'ers older than Dolberry. Solid year last year, but 41-yr old quad muscles limited him to just 320 ABs. AVAIL.
CF: Carlos Beltran - One of the more up & down rotisserie superstars. Was a 5-category player last year, but knee surgery in offseason could reduce him to 4 cats. FOWL doubtful keep?
RF: Ryan Church - 29 yrs old. Sustained a Grade 2 concussion in a spectacular collision yesterday. Assuming he recovers from that quickly, he looks to get about 400-500 ABs as Mets primary RF. Solid Roto OF. MOJO keeper.
SP1: Johan Santana - His stats over the last 4 years can cause a Roto managers pulse to quicken. Moving to a very good pitchers park & plays on a team that should win 85-90 games. May set a record for auction price for a starting pitcher. $45 is not out of the question. Hopefully will have a bad spring to scare some NL'ers off. AVAIL.
SP2: Pedro Martinez - Pedro was one of the few Mets that performed well last September, going 3-1 w/ 32Ks in 28IP w/ a 2.57. The only downside was that he was more hittable than he's ever been (33 hits in those 28 IP). I'm chalking that up to small sample size and expect him to have a decent year ... IF his shoulder holds up. Doubtful SQZZ keeper.
SP3: John Maine - Very good, mostly overlooked SP. BARF keeper.
SP4: Oliver Perez - Maybe the least predictable pitcher in the game. Only 26, here are his WHIP in his six MLB seasons (2002-2007): 1.32, 1.63, 1.15, 1.67, 1.76, 1.31. High risk/reward here. Is in his contract year, if you are the cynical type. AVAIL?
SP5: El Duque or Mike Pelfrey - El Duque has only pitched over 200 IP once in his career (1999). He's claiming to be 39, but I'm guessing he's probably not counting years from the 1960s. Having foot issues this spring. Likely SQZZ keeper. Pelfrey is a one-time prospect who had a BB:K ratio near 1 last year. Only 23 but has a long way to go before he's a pitcher worth having on your roto roster. AVAIL.
CLS: Billy Wagner - Not the best closer in the NL like he was from 2001-2005, but he's still in the Top 5. JUST keep?
Alt CLS: Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez: If Heilman compiled the stats he has over the past 3 years on a team that didn't have a closer like Wagner, he'd have been crowned a "closer" and his salary would be about 10x higher than his current setup guy salary. Sanchez will have to show he's over shoulder surgery in Spring Training. AH may be a JUST keeper.
Bench: Damion Easley, Olmedo Saenz, Brady Clark, Endy Chavez: Easley and Saenz can both really torment a portsider. Clark's an OK 4th-5th OF. Chavez is a one-category player (AVG). Probably pass on all these guys, but one of them may get some serious playing time if Delgado is down for a large chunk of the season.
Prospects: Most of them were traded for Johan Santana. Best prospect is Fernando Martinez, but he's only 19 and probably not worth a reserve pick this year.
Injured: The Mets have a whole bunch of injured players right now. Wright, Reyes, and Alou are the only starting lineup guys that are healthy right now. A situation to be monitored.
Dolberry's Musings on the Mets: I do not like the Mets. This antipathy dates back to my days at SLU when I got caught up in that era's tempestuous Mets - Cardinals rivalry. There are too many Mets fans on my various softball teams. This fall I'm capping it at two. And they have to sit at the end of the bench. Out of earshot, if that's even possible for a Mets fan.
What it means for the O'Jimmies: We had too many Mets last year (Glavine, Reyes, Castro, Conine, & Feliciano). Not surprisingly when the Mets tanked in September ... so did the O'Jimmies ... dropping from 1st to 2nd in the last week of the season. I think we should cap them at two this year (Reyes & Castro). Johan would be nice, but he'll be too expensive.
9/10: "We couldn't have picked a better time than this to peak. This is the best baseball we've played all season." (David Wright)
9/12: "We're obviously in the driver's seat and we want to close it out as soon as we can and focus on the postseason." (Shawn Green)
9/16: "How many errors did we make? Five? Six? You have to play defense, too. They deserved to beat us." (Carlos Beltran)
9/17: "That's not how we play the game. Hopefully we'll get out of it -- the sooner the better." (Omar Minaya)
9/18: "Anybody with half a brain would say we've been horrible." (Tom Glavine)
9/20: "Things are not going our way. It seems like every team comes back on us real easy." (Carlos Beltran)
9/24: "It's embarrassing with the season on the line to go out there and get embarrassed on your own home field." (David Wright)
9/26: "We all feel terrible for ourselves as a team right now that we can't really close the deal." (Willie Randolph)
9/28: "I think it's embarrassing. It's pretty pathetic that we have this division within our grasp with seven home games and we can't find a way to win one of them. It's a bad feeling." (David Wright)
9/30: "The harder we pushed, the worse it got." (Billy Wagner)
The Mets rank 30th on my list of favorite MLB teams, so I can't say I didn't enjoy reliving that experience. Anyway, here's what they look like this year.
C: Mike Schneider / Ramon Castro - Pass on Schneider. Castro is an O'Jimmie and the better fantasy player but he seems to be best suited for about 200-250 ABs per season. We should probably keep him w/ his bargain salary ($1).
1B: Carlos Delgado - He was banged up all last year and hits stats nosedived. Would look like a bounceback candidate but his already getting MRI's down in Florida. Likely pass. AVAIL.
2B: Luis Castillo - 32 years old w/ fading stats over the past 2-3 years. Best case scenario would appear to be above average AVG/OBP & 20 SB. AVAIL.
SS: Jose Reyes - Roto MVP runner-up. (.280/.354/12/57/78) Didn't do anything other then steal bags after coming to the O'Jimmies at the all-start break, but contributed to our 2nd place finish (good and bad). Only 24, expect a better AVG/OBP/HRs in 2008 w/ SBs down slightly (50-60). O'JIMMIES keep despite hefty salary.
3B: David Wright - Great player. Seems like he's been on the Wonderboys since he was 12 years old. WOND keep.
LF: Moises Alou - One of the few remaining MLB'ers older than Dolberry. Solid year last year, but 41-yr old quad muscles limited him to just 320 ABs. AVAIL.
CF: Carlos Beltran - One of the more up & down rotisserie superstars. Was a 5-category player last year, but knee surgery in offseason could reduce him to 4 cats. FOWL doubtful keep?
RF: Ryan Church - 29 yrs old. Sustained a Grade 2 concussion in a spectacular collision yesterday. Assuming he recovers from that quickly, he looks to get about 400-500 ABs as Mets primary RF. Solid Roto OF. MOJO keeper.
SP1: Johan Santana - His stats over the last 4 years can cause a Roto managers pulse to quicken. Moving to a very good pitchers park & plays on a team that should win 85-90 games. May set a record for auction price for a starting pitcher. $45 is not out of the question. Hopefully will have a bad spring to scare some NL'ers off. AVAIL.
SP2: Pedro Martinez - Pedro was one of the few Mets that performed well last September, going 3-1 w/ 32Ks in 28IP w/ a 2.57. The only downside was that he was more hittable than he's ever been (33 hits in those 28 IP). I'm chalking that up to small sample size and expect him to have a decent year ... IF his shoulder holds up. Doubtful SQZZ keeper.
SP3: John Maine - Very good, mostly overlooked SP. BARF keeper.
SP4: Oliver Perez - Maybe the least predictable pitcher in the game. Only 26, here are his WHIP in his six MLB seasons (2002-2007): 1.32, 1.63, 1.15, 1.67, 1.76, 1.31. High risk/reward here. Is in his contract year, if you are the cynical type. AVAIL?
SP5: El Duque or Mike Pelfrey - El Duque has only pitched over 200 IP once in his career (1999). He's claiming to be 39, but I'm guessing he's probably not counting years from the 1960s. Having foot issues this spring. Likely SQZZ keeper. Pelfrey is a one-time prospect who had a BB:K ratio near 1 last year. Only 23 but has a long way to go before he's a pitcher worth having on your roto roster. AVAIL.
CLS: Billy Wagner - Not the best closer in the NL like he was from 2001-2005, but he's still in the Top 5. JUST keep?
Alt CLS: Aaron Heilman, Duaner Sanchez: If Heilman compiled the stats he has over the past 3 years on a team that didn't have a closer like Wagner, he'd have been crowned a "closer" and his salary would be about 10x higher than his current setup guy salary. Sanchez will have to show he's over shoulder surgery in Spring Training. AH may be a JUST keeper.
Bench: Damion Easley, Olmedo Saenz, Brady Clark, Endy Chavez: Easley and Saenz can both really torment a portsider. Clark's an OK 4th-5th OF. Chavez is a one-category player (AVG). Probably pass on all these guys, but one of them may get some serious playing time if Delgado is down for a large chunk of the season.
Prospects: Most of them were traded for Johan Santana. Best prospect is Fernando Martinez, but he's only 19 and probably not worth a reserve pick this year.
Injured: The Mets have a whole bunch of injured players right now. Wright, Reyes, and Alou are the only starting lineup guys that are healthy right now. A situation to be monitored.
Dolberry's Musings on the Mets: I do not like the Mets. This antipathy dates back to my days at SLU when I got caught up in that era's tempestuous Mets - Cardinals rivalry. There are too many Mets fans on my various softball teams. This fall I'm capping it at two. And they have to sit at the end of the bench. Out of earshot, if that's even possible for a Mets fan.
What it means for the O'Jimmies: We had too many Mets last year (Glavine, Reyes, Castro, Conine, & Feliciano). Not surprisingly when the Mets tanked in September ... so did the O'Jimmies ... dropping from 1st to 2nd in the last week of the season. I think we should cap them at two this year (Reyes & Castro). Johan would be nice, but he'll be too expensive.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
2008 NL Roto Preview: Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins: 71 wins last year and traded their primary offensive threat. (Sniff, sniff, we will miss you Miguel.) Got their new stadium approved this week, so may actually start keeping players past the age of 25 at some point. Will be changing name to Miami Marlins in 2010.
C: Mike Rabelo - 28 & hasn't really hit at any level. Came over in the Detroit trade. Pass. AVAIL (topper).
1B: Mike Jacobs - Should be hitting his prime. HRs are his only above avg category & is unlikely he'll hit more than 20-25. AVAIL.
2B: Dan Uggla - Very similar to Jacobs. Stats should be pretty predictable. Will hurt you in AVG/OBP, but give you ~ 25 HRs. GOODF keep.
SS: Hanley Ramirez - 2007 Roto MVP. (.332/.390/29/88/51) Wow! Only 25, but expect stats to regress slightly just 'cause they can't get much better. HAZE keep.
3B: Jose Castillo, Dallas McPherson, Jorge Cantu - Likely to be decided during spring training. Not much here. Castillo probably has the edge and had a decent winter league, but he's been a big zero through 4 MLB years. McPherson's got power but K's a ton & missed all last year. Cantu is ok, but his "D" at 3B is suspect. Pass on all 3. AVAIL (Castillo - JUST keeper?).
LF: Josh Willingham - Reasonable roto OF. RBI's dampened by rest of Marlins. AVAIL.
CF: Cameron Maybin, Cody Ross - Maybin is one of the best prospects in the game. A true 5-category stud. But he's only 20 and he did struggle in 50 MLB ABs last year. By 23, he will probably be an all-star, but how much you want to pay for him now is unclear. Cody Ross had a great two months last year, but they look out of place w/ the rest of his career. AVAIL (Ross - BSOX keeper?).
RF: Jeremy Hermida - Still only 24. Seemed to figure it out after the all-star break last year (.230 pre-, .340 -post). Look for breakout year here. BSOX keeper.
SP1: Scott Olsen - Was awful last year on all counts. He especially seemed to give up after the all-star break. Unclear how much of the deterioration was his attitude (which appears to be even worse than his stats). Either way, not much point drafting him or any other Marlin starter. AVAIL.
SP2: Sergio Mitre - Gets by on guile. Shortest Marlin starter at 6'3". (The Marlins probably would have the best basketball team rotation.) Not much to recommend here. AVAIL.
SP3: Andrew Miller - Was pitching for Tar Heels just two years ago. Big time prospect who struggled in 60 IP in Detroit last year. The Marlins can let him learn the ropes for a few years & hope he's ready by 2010 when they're ready to contend. AVAIL.
SP4: Mark Hendrickson - T.J. Simers (funny columnist from L.A. Times) calls him "The Big Stiff" which pretty much describes his 6-year MLB career (career ERA > 5.00) AVAIL.
SP5: Rick VandenHurk, Ricky Nolasco - VandenHurk K's about a guy an inning, but is hit hard otherwise. Only 22 and from the Netherlands, so still could develop. Probably should be coverted to a reliever, though. Nolasco doesn't look draftable. AVAIL (RVH BARF keep?).
CLS: Kevin Gregg - Solid closer. Nice K-rate. Highest paid Marlin (2.5 mil) BSOX keep.
Alt CLS: Justin Miller: Miller came back from Japan w/ a new propensity for K's. His K rate last year was equal to Billy Wagner & Derrick Turnbow. Pitched well for O'Jimmies at end of year. K:BB is around 3. Matt Lindstrom also had a decent year for a 'pen that was surprisingly good (Gardner, Tankersley, etc.). Hard to say which one would step up if Gregg went down or was traded.
Bench: Alfredo Amezaga, Jorge Piedra - Amezaga is cheap speed at best. Piedra probably will only get 150 ABs, mostly as a PH, but they should be decent ABs.
Prospects: Chris Volstad - SP, another tall Marlin SP (6'7"), probably arriving in late 2008. Great control for a young pitcher, but didn't K that many last year and was hittable.
Injured: Anibel Sanchez - SP, - Already had a setback w/ his return from shoulder surgery. Not expected to return until July and maybe later than that.
Dolberry's Musings on the Marlins: APD once got to run out to right field w/ Marlins RF Jeremy Hermida when he played for the Carolina Mudcats (Marlins AA club). That was one of Dolberry's better efforts as a youth leader getting that set up. Carolina Mudcats games are fun to attend. In my mind, they are way better than Durham Bulls games.
To me, D-Bulls games diminish the baseball w/ all the between-inning entertainment and other distractions. I realize how snobbish this sounds by the way. But it just seems especially incongruent at the DBAP. You're in this increasingly cool, revitalized Durham environment, but inside the stadium has a very Cary/Apex feel. I'm all for family-friendly ... it just seems forced somehow w/ the Bulls. Plus, I hate/loath/despise Y-M-C-A. It's probably just me, because their attendance is solid every year.
In contrast, the Mudcats play out in the middle of nowhere (Zebulon NC, actually) & there's generally no more than 3K in attendance, but you can hear the crack of the bat & you can sit in the first row & some people can yell out at the players (We Love You Teddy Bear!) loud enough to irritate everyone in a 20-mile radius. Despite the last item, I just like Mudcat games better.
What it means for the O'Jimmies: Not much given that Ramirez, Gregg, and Hermida likely won't be available. Any team leaving the draft counting on more than 2 Marlins is probably in trouble. Maybin and Miller are attractive as prospects, esp. Maybin. Justin Miller is probably worth a buck as an O'Jimmy keeper, but presumably you could get him for a buck again in the draft, so what's the point?
C: Mike Rabelo - 28 & hasn't really hit at any level. Came over in the Detroit trade. Pass. AVAIL (topper).
1B: Mike Jacobs - Should be hitting his prime. HRs are his only above avg category & is unlikely he'll hit more than 20-25. AVAIL.
2B: Dan Uggla - Very similar to Jacobs. Stats should be pretty predictable. Will hurt you in AVG/OBP, but give you ~ 25 HRs. GOODF keep.
SS: Hanley Ramirez - 2007 Roto MVP. (.332/.390/29/88/51) Wow! Only 25, but expect stats to regress slightly just 'cause they can't get much better. HAZE keep.
3B: Jose Castillo, Dallas McPherson, Jorge Cantu - Likely to be decided during spring training. Not much here. Castillo probably has the edge and had a decent winter league, but he's been a big zero through 4 MLB years. McPherson's got power but K's a ton & missed all last year. Cantu is ok, but his "D" at 3B is suspect. Pass on all 3. AVAIL (Castillo - JUST keeper?).
LF: Josh Willingham - Reasonable roto OF. RBI's dampened by rest of Marlins. AVAIL.
CF: Cameron Maybin, Cody Ross - Maybin is one of the best prospects in the game. A true 5-category stud. But he's only 20 and he did struggle in 50 MLB ABs last year. By 23, he will probably be an all-star, but how much you want to pay for him now is unclear. Cody Ross had a great two months last year, but they look out of place w/ the rest of his career. AVAIL (Ross - BSOX keeper?).
RF: Jeremy Hermida - Still only 24. Seemed to figure it out after the all-star break last year (.230 pre-, .340 -post). Look for breakout year here. BSOX keeper.
SP1: Scott Olsen - Was awful last year on all counts. He especially seemed to give up after the all-star break. Unclear how much of the deterioration was his attitude (which appears to be even worse than his stats). Either way, not much point drafting him or any other Marlin starter. AVAIL.
SP2: Sergio Mitre - Gets by on guile. Shortest Marlin starter at 6'3". (The Marlins probably would have the best basketball team rotation.) Not much to recommend here. AVAIL.
SP3: Andrew Miller - Was pitching for Tar Heels just two years ago. Big time prospect who struggled in 60 IP in Detroit last year. The Marlins can let him learn the ropes for a few years & hope he's ready by 2010 when they're ready to contend. AVAIL.
SP4: Mark Hendrickson - T.J. Simers (funny columnist from L.A. Times) calls him "The Big Stiff" which pretty much describes his 6-year MLB career (career ERA > 5.00) AVAIL.
SP5: Rick VandenHurk, Ricky Nolasco - VandenHurk K's about a guy an inning, but is hit hard otherwise. Only 22 and from the Netherlands, so still could develop. Probably should be coverted to a reliever, though. Nolasco doesn't look draftable. AVAIL (RVH BARF keep?).
CLS: Kevin Gregg - Solid closer. Nice K-rate. Highest paid Marlin (2.5 mil) BSOX keep.
Alt CLS: Justin Miller: Miller came back from Japan w/ a new propensity for K's. His K rate last year was equal to Billy Wagner & Derrick Turnbow. Pitched well for O'Jimmies at end of year. K:BB is around 3. Matt Lindstrom also had a decent year for a 'pen that was surprisingly good (Gardner, Tankersley, etc.). Hard to say which one would step up if Gregg went down or was traded.
Bench: Alfredo Amezaga, Jorge Piedra - Amezaga is cheap speed at best. Piedra probably will only get 150 ABs, mostly as a PH, but they should be decent ABs.
Prospects: Chris Volstad - SP, another tall Marlin SP (6'7"), probably arriving in late 2008. Great control for a young pitcher, but didn't K that many last year and was hittable.
Injured: Anibel Sanchez - SP, - Already had a setback w/ his return from shoulder surgery. Not expected to return until July and maybe later than that.
Dolberry's Musings on the Marlins: APD once got to run out to right field w/ Marlins RF Jeremy Hermida when he played for the Carolina Mudcats (Marlins AA club). That was one of Dolberry's better efforts as a youth leader getting that set up. Carolina Mudcats games are fun to attend. In my mind, they are way better than Durham Bulls games.
To me, D-Bulls games diminish the baseball w/ all the between-inning entertainment and other distractions. I realize how snobbish this sounds by the way. But it just seems especially incongruent at the DBAP. You're in this increasingly cool, revitalized Durham environment, but inside the stadium has a very Cary/Apex feel. I'm all for family-friendly ... it just seems forced somehow w/ the Bulls. Plus, I hate/loath/despise Y-M-C-A. It's probably just me, because their attendance is solid every year.
In contrast, the Mudcats play out in the middle of nowhere (Zebulon NC, actually) & there's generally no more than 3K in attendance, but you can hear the crack of the bat & you can sit in the first row & some people can yell out at the players (We Love You Teddy Bear!) loud enough to irritate everyone in a 20-mile radius. Despite the last item, I just like Mudcat games better.
What it means for the O'Jimmies: Not much given that Ramirez, Gregg, and Hermida likely won't be available. Any team leaving the draft counting on more than 2 Marlins is probably in trouble. Maybin and Miller are attractive as prospects, esp. Maybin. Justin Miller is probably worth a buck as an O'Jimmy keeper, but presumably you could get him for a buck again in the draft, so what's the point?
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