Joe Posnanski

Curiously Long Posts

• Home
• About Joe
• Archives
• Books
• Contact
• Glossary
• Halls of Fame
• JoeWords

91 Comments on “Defensive Indifference”

1. 
   1: Ed said at 9:56 am on March 20th, 2009:

   Ask anyone around the Red Sox again… he’s great when it comes to tracking down the ball. But I bet you they will all agree he throws worse than Mark Mallory.

2. 
   2: Mike said at 10:06 am on March 20th, 2009:

   Yeah, I think when we appraised Coco’s defense, we were talking about the running and catching parts. Note also that he followed Damon in center, so, you know, May Pang is a goddess when you’ve been living with Yoko.

   Oh, and: 6. No, not mid-sentence. 8. Maybe because if the plane lands unfortunately, not everyone will be in a shape to lift the window shades. And you’re not actually supposed to drink eight glasses of water; you want that much water, but you get a good portion of it from your food.

3. 
   3: Also Ed said at 10:10 am on March 20th, 2009:

   I tip the concierge if I have a dollar handy, valet paid after, I tip 10% on takeout (talk about something that “just feels right,” for some reason half my regular tip is what I like to give), gas tank bugs me too, usually not OK to stop them but depends, I am pro-reclining rights but maybe I don’t fly enough, I’ve always thought (without any evidence) the raising the shades thing is to help people who get motion sick, never rat on a friend and always keep your mouth shut.

4. 
   4: Kevin said at 10:16 am on March 20th, 2009:

   #5 I can answer…it’s so gas stations can put pumps on each side of the station without everybody having to deal with turning around or something. But they almost always are on the driver’s side these days anyways, so maybe that’s becoming less of an issue or something, I don’t know.

5. 
   5: Preston said at 10:22 am on March 20th, 2009:

   First of all,
   4. I certainly hope not – it would take me all of 2 extra seconds, if that, to find the seat – it’s not exactly rocket science. I can’t recall ever needing help finding my seat, so it really would bug me if I’m supposed to tip a couple bucks to be walked down.
   6. I agree with Mike, not mid-sentence. And even between sentences, it must be done tactfully, if at all.
   7. I don’t know, but I will not recline if someone’s sitting behind me – in fact, I always try to reserve seats either in the front or exit row for more leg room or in the back row so I can recline.

   Also, I think you’re misinterpreting Moneyball a bit – the point of Beane’s philosophy is NOT to focus on OBP and homers, it’s to focus on aspects of the market that are under-appreciated and therefore undervalued. At the beginning, that was OBP. More recently, most front offices have come to realize the value of OBP, and so it is harder to get deals on players with good OBP. The opposite has been true of defense over the past few years, and Beane looked to take advantage of that. It now appears, with the developments of this past offseason, that defense is being valued much more highly, so Beane will probably be looking for other inefficiencies of the market.

6. 
   6: Tank Garbonzo said at 10:28 am on March 20th, 2009:

   “5. Shouldn’t they put the gas tank on the same side of every single car?”

   If this was the case, everyone that pulled into a gas station would be going to the same pumps which could cause backups, traffic, anger, frustration, and other problems.

   My old 1970 Buick had the filler cap under the license plate. They could go back to that but I don’t think cars are big enough to accommodate the gas tank in the rear anymore.

7. 
   7: B.E. Earl said at 10:31 am on March 20th, 2009:

   9AM is the earliest I will tolerate it. Anytime before that well have me shouting at the housekeeping folks. As for the other stuff:
   1 – Yes, tip the concierge.
   2 – Tip the valet both times.
   3 – I generally don’t tip for takeout unless it is a restaurant that normally does not do takeout.
   4 – Yeah, but I rarely do it.
   5 – Gas tanks should all be on the left side of the car. Period.
   6 – Absolutely, but in a nice way.
   7 – I’m a recliner. If the option is there, I’m doing it.
   8 – I’ve never had one “insist”, but I hear ya.
   9 – I really don’t believe in the “turn off your electronics” rule. No way my iPod is messing with anything in the cabin.

8. 
   8: Kevin U. said at 10:32 am on March 20th, 2009:

   I think I’d put a catcher’s defensive rating at over 100% of their offensive worth. I guess it depends what all you take into account as ‘defense’. Saving wild pitches, throwing out runners (or just making them less likely to try stealing,) and managing the pitcher, in addition to the rare play at the plate or bunt. They’re involved in every play on defense, but only a few on offense. I’ll take a strong catcher who is a poor hitter over a good hitting catcher that’s poor at catching any day. And I wouldn’t say that about any other position other than pitcher.

   Speaking of which, What is the pitcher’s defensive value as a percent of their offensive value? (in the national league, of course) Would that be 1000% percent more important than their offensive contribution, or 5000%, or more? Pretty rare than anyone talks about the contribution of a pitcher’s hitting as to what sort of contract they should get…

9. 
   9: Rob said at 10:35 am on March 20th, 2009:

   There’s no way that Coco’s arm is as bad as Juan Pierre’s. I was at the Dodger home opener in 2007, which was Slappy’s first home game as Dodger. Early in that game a short lazy fly was hit to shallow center with a man on 3rd. I watched McPopup settle under the ball and was shocked to realize that the man at 3rd was tagging up. I though, no way – this is WAY too shallow to tag. Sure enough, the moment the ball was caught the (not notably speedy) runner at 3rd broke for home. Juan then uleashed a giant lollypop rainbow that was just bouncing at the pitcher’s mound as the runner from 3rd crossed the plate. I’m still shocked by the image, 2 years later. I’m a 41 year old man that throws a baseball about 3 times a year and I think my arm is comparable to Pierre’s.

10. 
    10: Brett said at 10:41 am on March 20th, 2009:

    ” Do you get the sense that ever since Moneyball came out, Billy Beane has basically tried with all his might to do EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what he supposedly did in the book?”

    I think Billy Beane has basically tried to do exactly the same thing (buy low on players who are undervalued), it’s just that after Moneyball came out, things like OBP became properly valued or overvalued, while things like defense became undervalued.

11. 
    11: James said at 11:06 am on March 20th, 2009:

    I think part of the reason people talked about defense helping the Rays win the pennant was because it was such an improvement over the previous year. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but maybe they were -20 in 2007, and being only +29 represented a 40+ run difference.

12. 
    12: Bryan Adams said at 11:12 am on March 20th, 2009:

    Fantastic questions, and we need rulings on this stuff. My answers —

    1. I wouldn’t.
    2. On the way out.
    3. Nothing, and this makes me CRAZY. Who gets that tip?
    4. No. Or I am owed a LOT of dough from all the weddings I’ve ushered without getting a thin dime.
    5. That would sure make life simpler.
    6. Whatever, I just nod and think about other things.
    7. Not sure, but we need a way for people with laptops and work to end up behind someone who is not reclining.
    8. No idea, it feels a little power-trippy to me.
    9. I’d never say anything because it’s a stupid rule. If airplanes can’t operate with FCC compliant devices onboard, then change the airplanes. And since when did this become a rule? I feel pretty sure I recall playing gameboy during takeoff as a kid. I hate the airlines and their arbitrary use of power over passengers.

13. 
    13: will betheboy said at 11:23 am on March 20th, 2009:

    The E Friends are Just called Internet Friends. Most people stay Internet Friends but some graduate to real life friends too.

    Also, 9 AM is the earliest acceptable time for hotel housekeeping.

14. 
    14: tda said at 11:30 am on March 20th, 2009:

    Get the moneyball idea right. It’s about exploiting inefficiencies. Mainstream media has a tough enough time understanding this – please tell me you’ll be on the right side or the argument.

    I know it’s been said, but I hope my comment is the one that makes you think, “Wow, ok, more than a few people are telling me to get this right.”

    Also, if you try to assign percentages, do you think your numbers should/will match up with the generally agreed upon defensive spectrum? Maybe it’s true that a position’s relative defensive worth to it’s team doesn’t match a player’s offensive and defensive percentages, but I’d at least like a comparison acknowledging the spectrum.

    Finally, no, both, $0, no, no, NEVER INTERRUPT, yes on recline guards, yes on shade lifting for people like me who need to see so they don’t feel icky, and no tattling.

15. 
    15: Richard said at 11:49 am on March 20th, 2009:

    I’m surprised that defense is only half. I’m used to basketball where a mighty defense can more than make up for a piddly offense, but not the other way around.

16. 
    16: Shaun said at 11:50 am on March 20th, 2009:

    The electronic devices rule is not because they can do anything to the plane. What they really want you to turn off are phones, laptops with wireless internet, and anything else that might be using cell towers to try and receive something. Since nowadays its hard to tell which devices are doing this, they just ask for all of them to be off.

    As it turns out, when you are traveling in the plane at high speeds, the cell towers can get confused trying to hand off your signal from one to the other. You are traveling too quickly for the usual hand-off algorithms to work, since you are not in the “tower crossover range” long enough. So, the airlines are really doing this so that the entirety of the nations cell towers are screwed up all the time.

17. 
    17: Spud said at 11:51 am on March 20th, 2009:

    Joe, have you seen the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode (or maybe you’re making a reference to it) where Larry wonders the same thing about tipping everyone?

    Are the Royals really that different this year? Other than Crisp and Willie Bloomquist?

18. 
    18: CA said at 11:53 am on March 20th, 2009:

    #7: Airline seats should absolutely have a button or switch or something that allows reclining only when the person behind the recliner allows it. An extra 10 degrees of tilt is pretty much meaningless for the recliner, but if the person behind them is over 6 feet tall it destroys their comfort for the entire time. This is an injustice that needs to be fixed.

    Re: catcher defense. I’m willing to be shown that I’m wrong, and maybe it’s obvious to everyone but me, but I’m not totally convinced that having a great defensive catcher is worth giving up much offense. The job requires virtually zero range. You could have the pitcher overrule him on pitch selection, or call pitches from the dugout, if he wasn’t very good at calling games. And how many throws does a catcher need to make in an average game? My hunch is that the gap between a bullpen catcher’s defense and Yadier Molina’s defense, while certainly real, is significantly smaller than the gap between a bullpen catcher’s offense and Joe Mauer’s offense.

19. 
    19: Josh in DC said at 12:02 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Having watched Damon and Crisp as a Sox fan (and Bernie Williams, too), I’m not sure how often it matters that a center fielder can’t throw. It’s certainly not something one WANTS in a player, but it matters rarely.

20. 
    20: Andrew said at 12:19 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    1. No
    2. On the way out
    3. No
    4. No
    5. No, but there should always be an arrow on the dashboard telling you which side the tank is on.
    6. No
    7. There should be designated no reclining areas on the plane with seats assigned accordingly. It is torture for tall people sitting behind reclined seats.
    8. Windows up for landing is a safety measure, albeit a pretty weak one. The intention is for people to be able to see if there is a fire or to get ready if a crash looks likely.
    9. I don’t tattle, but I don’t like devices to not be turned off. Electronics do interfere with each other – have you ever set a phone receiving a text message next to a radio and heard the morse code type sound artifacts? I doubt small handheld electronics could interfere enough to really cause a problem, but there is no sense tempting fate for obscure failure modes if it isn’t necessary – particularly since the majority of planes flying today were built before any kind of handling for electronic interference was a major part of the design process.

21. 
    21: Jack Roy said at 12:35 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Completely disordered responses:

    Wasn’t it Nate Silver who came up with the “secret sauce” rankings? Three season-long statistical measurements are positively correlated with durability in the playoffs—power pitching (K/9), closer quality (WXRL), and defense (FRAA). Slugging, walks, average, ERA, quality starts—these things seem like they should matter, but they simply don’t register in the available data.

    All due respect, but you seem to be misunderstanding Moneyball yourself. Walks were undervalued, therefore Billy Beane could put together a successful team on the cheap by chasing players whose value was relatively walk-heavy. But everyone’s read Moneyball, now, so walks aren’t undervalued anymore. But defense was—you’ll notice Theo Epstein’s definite trend in that direction—so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Beane follow that. Next it’ll be … I don’t know, groundball pitching or right-handed relievers or something. And if Beane can spot it before the rest of the sport, he’ll be able to put together a $40 million contender.

    Coco Crisp was a very good fielder at Fenway, particularly once he learned that center field. And some of his defensive metrics show him as one of the best, or the best, in the majors. Each of those metrics has one thing in common: They measure outs made versus the average CF without correcting for Crisp’s remarkable advantage in outs that would have gone to the LF if the LF were anyone but Manny Ramirez. He didn’t score as well with even Jason Bay in left, and he won’t score as well in KC. But still a good fielder.

    The Yankees are more or less stuck with the defense they have until Jeter retires. However, signing Teixeira probably made their infield defense league-average. So it seems the argument could be made that even the Yankees get the significance of defense, now (and if you can imagine a clearer argument for the proposition that defense has arrived, as OBP did five or six years ago, I’d like to hear it).

22. 
    22: Vin said at 12:45 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    1. I’m not sure.
    2. On the way out, I think. But I’d prefer to avoid valet parking altogether – I can park myself, thank you very much.
    3. You’re not.
    4. No.
    5. Ideally, yes, and that side should be the left. However, this annoys me less than it seems to annoy other people. Driving around to the other side takes what, ten seconds?
    6. No. At the end of a sentence, maybe, but even then, only in certain situations.
    7. Maybe because not all flights are totally full? They assume that people will be courteous enough not to recline too much. I’ll usually set it back as little as possible, but no more.
    8. I have no idea.
    9. No, with the possible exception of a cell phone. Cell phones a) are annoying, and b) could conceivably interfere with the plane’s radar (not that I know, but it seems possible). This isn’t to say that I’d view it as a responsibility, but it’s probably a good idea. On the other hand, a guy is listening to his iPod, leave him alone.

23. 
    23: Richard Aronson said at 12:46 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    First, Joe, (may I call you Joe) on two of the links you posted, the link was to the most current whatever, and that was updated, rendering your link invalid. The link in this article wound up being to half and half players, and I doubt (from context of your comments) that this is the defensive stat you wanted to demonstrate. There was also a link from your “Future of Newspapers” which I’m sure was to a Non Sequitur earlier this week (the one with the newspaper box amidst – you know the one) but again has been superceded by others of Wiley’s brilliant gems.

    As for your questions, let me say that I am notoriously cheap and spent 2/3 of last year out of work, which did not do good things for our savings account. I state that to indicate that if *I* think tipping is appropriate, then it really must be, and there are probably some circs (feeling all Wodehouseian today) where tipping is appropriate even though I don’t.

    1. Are you supposed to tip the concierge for giving you directions? I do not tip the concierge for things I would do for free for any random stranger that approached me on the street. Further, most of the folks who have been in my company while walking think I get asked for directions more than just about anybody they know. Animals love me. Customs has never hassled me. I look open, honest, and friendly. I try not to abuse this power.

    2. Are you supposed to tip the valet parking person on the way in or on the way out or both? I tip both, assuming the service was adequate. On the way in, because I don’t want them mad at me while they’re driving my car. On the way out, usually because I’m grateful to no longer have my car held hostage. I hate valet parking. If it took unreasonably long on either end (such as “Just leave your car, we’ll get to it” or “I have a #$%^#$%^ job interview and have been waiting for my car for FORTY-FIVE MINUTES and now will interview without breakfast and just what the hell is going on here!”) (yes, that was a bad situation; I could have walked to the interview in less time than I waited) then I eschew the tip.

    3. How much are you supposed to tip for restaurant takeout food? As a rule I don’t unless they deliver it to me or it’s a particularly large order that requires some special extra effort. In this case the restaurant is acting like a store.

    4. Are you supposed to tip the person who shows you to your seat at shows or sporting events? I never have.

    5. Shouldn’t they put the gas tank on the same side of every single car? No they should not! If they did, then have the pumps at Costco would either go unused or require all that extra stretching to reach the pump. However, ALL rental cars should have some indicator (just a little arrow would suffice) telling whether the gas cap is on the left or the right or (rarely) behind the rear license plate).

    6. If someone you barely know is telling you a story he/she already told you, is it OK to stop them mid sentence? Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I never tell my friend with MS this; I once told him a stat about Roger Clemens and ten minutes later he repeated it to me prefaced with “I heard somewhere that….” If I think the relationship is sound enough and old enough so that both of us would rather not waste each other’s time, then I will let them know. But more often than not I just smile and use the time to try and come up with another (hopefully better) punch line, and make folks think I’m great at improv.

    7. Why do planes allow people to recline their seats ALL the way back? Shouldn’t there be some rear-view passenger rights? Yes there should. But if *everybody* on the plane reclines all the way back, say on a red-eye, then everybody will be okay. It’s the problem of creating a valuable feature some of the time that caused annoyance most of the time. Aside from adding more leg room, which cuts into profits and ain’t happening, I see no solution.

    8. Why do some flight attendants insists that you raise your window shade for takeoff and landing? I have spent way too much of my free time trying to figure that one out. I have never had a flight attendant ask this of me. It *might* be row and plane specific (I’m sure you fly a lot more than I do, and thus are likelier to hit more rows and plane types) where they want the guys who might be responsible to open the emergency door to see that they’d be letting in flames before opening the door.

    9. Is it a passenger right and/or responsibility to turn in a seat mate who does NOT turn off all electronic devices for landing? Or is there some sort of “Airplane Omerta” that we are supposed to adhere to? I never have. From what I know of the electronics industry, it’s really a holdover from the old days, and a perk that the pilot’s union got written into contracts. If I thought there was ANY chance that your Kindle might interfere with my safe arrival, you bet your donkey I’m turning you in. That said, I always turn my electronic devices off (remember what I said about honest?).

24. 
    24: McKingford said at 1:12 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    I think people need to lay off Joe for supposedly misunderstanding Moneyball himself. Of course the focus was on OBP and power (so in that, Joe was perfectly accurate) – that was an *example* of a thing that was undervalued.

    But people here giving Joe grief forget the most important part of what Joe said: Moneyball is one of the most misinterpreted books ever. In what other way could it be misinterpreted if it *didn’t* just mean OBP and power are important? People are jumping down Joe’s throat for not pointing out Moneyball was about exploiting inefficiencies, when, quite frankly, that’s the point people who think it was only about walks and HR missed. In short, *that’s* the misinterpretation. Can we please give some credit to Joe for giving some credit to his readers, and assuming they *know* in what way Moneyball has been misinterpreted?

25. 
    25: Brian the OC said at 1:15 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Agreed, Coco was definitely more known for his glove and speed (and occasionally, his boxing moves) than his arm or bat. In fact, I think alot of people forgave his arm because he could simply get to a ball in a hurry.

26. 
    26: Jay Babbitt said at 1:21 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    I think Dave Cameron does a good job pointing out some issues with Dewan’s value system of infield/outfield. The guys at Fangraphs also do a good job trying to put defensive/offensive contributions of individuals and teams into context.

    Dewan is a good point-of-reference, but he’s not quite the Bible just yet.

27. 
    27: Mike_J said at 1:31 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Just so everyone knows, many cars have the gas tank arrows you speak of, you just never notice it (at least I didn’t until it was pointed out to me).

    http://www.idealog.us/fuel-1.jpg

28. 
    28: Joao said at 1:34 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Agree with McKingford. And in addition to mentioning that people have misinterpreted Moneyball, he followed that sentence up with this one:

    “Billy Beane has basically tried with all his might to do EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what he *supposedly* did in the book?”

    So he is clearly indicating that he is fully aware of what Moneyball actually meant and that Beane is doing what the mainstream thinks the meaning of Moneyball was.

29. 
    29: G Young said at 1:46 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    1. Are you supposed to tip the concierge for giving you directions?
    2. Are you supposed to tip the valet parking person on the way in or on the way out or both?

    Am I the only one who finds it hilarious that these questions were posed from a hotel room in Boise?

    Are there hotels with a concierge in Boise? Valet parking?

30. 
    30: Red said at 1:51 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Why does everyone think that if all gas tanks are on the same side of the car that only 1 side of the pump will be used? All you have to do is drive around the pump. Two cars, both with tanks on the driver’s side, and facing in opposite directions, can use the same pump.

    I agree with Joe…all tanks should be on the same side (preferably driver’s side)….life is complicated enough without having to worry which side of the pump to pull up on.

31. 
    31: CharlesH said at 2:04 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Thank you Joao and McKingford!

32. 
    32: Bill C. said at 2:17 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    To McKingford @ 24 and Joao @ 28: Thank you. I’m reading the comments by Preston @ 5, Brett @ 10 and tda @ 14 and wondering how on earth anyone who reads this blog could possibly think that Joe doesn’t understand the real premise of Moneyball. And it was frustrating me more than anything else I have ever read on this blog.

    And that would be true even if Joe didn’t explicitly make it clear in the very post they were complaining with the word “supposedly” and the assertion that Moneyball is the misunderstood baseball book ever.

    The very misunderstanding that you’re explaining for Joe’s and all of our benefits, Preston, Brett and tda, is the misunderstanding that Joe pointed out in prefacing his comments. So even if you’d never read this blog before, it should have been obvious that Joe was well aware that people misunderstand Moneyball. Next time you’re about to post a correction, stop, re-read what Joes has written, and make sure you understand it yourself.

33. 
    33: Bill C. said at 2:23 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    To Red @ 30 and everyone else who thinks all pumps should be on the same side…

    Yes it’s generally possible to drive around the pump and face the other way. But at many gas stations, that’s problematic because there’s just not the room to maneuver. A car or two at the pumps, another pulled up in front of the convenience store and driving around the pump to get your tank on the same side as the pump is simply not an option. And at some it is simply not possible at all.

    On the Jersey turnpike, many of the rest stops are set up so that the gas station is beyond the building with fast food, bathroom, and convenience store. You can only literally only approach those pumps from one direction because just beyond the pumps is the entrance back onto the turnpike. The lines are sometimes a dozen cars deep at all of the pumps. If gas tanks were all on the same side, fully half of the gas pumps would be useless in that situation.

34. 
    34: Bill C. said at 2:32 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    1. No
    2. On the way out (though if you think about it, if you want to make sure the valet doesn’t screw with your car, tipping on the way in would be better. But way out is customary).
    3. You’re not suposed to tip for takeout food at all.
    4. Yes you’re suposed to tip the person who shows you to your seat, but I say this should only be the case if you have got to the top of the ramp and handed your tix to the usher (basically asking the usher where your seat is). In some arenas the ushers won’t let you past the ramp without you giving them your tix and escorting you to your seat. You shold not have to tip those people if you knew where you were going. I always try to avoid the ushers because, frankly, I’ll get to my seat quicker without them.
    5. No way, see above.
    6. No. Courtesy dictates that you let them finish and then pretend you have not heard the story before.
    7. No rights in the rear except that it should be mandatory to put the seats up when the food comes around.
    8. I have no idea and I have also always wondered about this.
    9. You don’t turn ‘em in to the stewardess. You say to the person. Hey, turn off your sh*t, man.

35. 
    35: Eric said at 2:34 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    The “defense is worth ~50% as much as offense” doesn’t mean anything. All Dewan is saying is that the difference in run values between the best offense and the worst offense is roughly twice as large as the difference in run values between the best defense and the worst offense. That speaks to management decisions more than actual value–a run saved is still worth just as much as a run scored. It just shows that offensive variance is larger than defensive variance….which is really not at all surprising since one would expect that it’d be easier to find capable defenders than it would to be to find capable offensive players.

36. 
    36: Steve B said at 2:34 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Whether a person should tip or not on takeout has really had me thinking lately. As was previously said, when they take your order and prepare your food and hand it to you over the counter, they are acting like a fast-food restaurant. I don’t tip there, so I don’t tip at takeout either…but I do feel bad about it.

    But I’m most bothered at the number of establishments that, when you pay by credit card, give you a receipt that has a line for a tip. I don’t mind when this happens at the place where a tip is typically given, (haircuts, etc) but it bothered me when I was at Chipotle and saw that. Chipotle is a fast-food restaurant. You stand in line, tell them what you want, pay at a counter, eat the food that’s delicious but terrible for your health, and throw your own tray out. Why do they feel they deserve a tip more than people at McDonald’s or Burger King? It’s the same thing!

37. 
    37: David in Toledo said at 2:35 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    With regard to the policies you should be using for tipping, it all depends on whether you are on a Kansas City Star expense account and on whether they are about to take bailout money.

38. 
    38: Buchholz Surfer said at 2:36 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    One of thing that some baseball fans love to do is to lecture others on what “Moneyball” was REALLY about. Inefficiencies! As if finding undervalued players hasn’t been the goal of every GM for, like, ever.

    Why would you ever tip a restaurant for takeout food? Who does the tip go to? You’re actually making it easier for them by taking the food out, rather than eating it there. Maybe they should tip you for buying their food but not taking up a table and dirtying dishes.

    Did Joe mean tipping for delivered food when he said takeout? Because that is very different and very tip worthy. I tip about 20% for delivery. I mean, they are bringing you a hot meal of your choice as soon as they can, and have to find where you live and bring it to your door, frequently in bad weather.

39. 
    39: Steve B said at 2:39 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Oh, and I’m totally checking my car tonight to see if I have that arrow telling me where my cap is. If that’s there, I never would have noticed it. I got a new car recently, and last week I drove to the wrong side of a pump. This is the first car I’ve had with the tank on the passenger side of the car.

40. 
    40: Padre said at 3:13 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Ask your pal Aaron Gleeman, he’ll tell you: the Twins do not play “Twins baseball.” They put a high value on good defense the way Sabathia puts a high value on fitness; that’s fine in theory, but it’s not reality. Thinking that they emphasize defense is like thinking the Yankees are a championship team; not for many years, my friend, not for many years.

41. 
    41: David in NYC said at 3:26 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Well, since you can either create runs on offense, or prevent them on defense, I would say those two should be equal. Then, since the “preventing” part involves a) pitching, and b) defense, I would assume that those two are roughly equal. Hence, 50% of offense for defense, plus 50% for pitching, gives you 100% of offense. Not a surprise to me.

    I notice that I was not the first person to think to himself re Coco Crisp’s arm, “Haven’t you ever seen Juan Pierre throw?” (thanks Rob #9). I played with kids in Little League who had better arms.

    As for the questions:

    1. No. That’s his job, he’s not doing anything requiring effort. I assume he already knows directions to where you are going; he lives and/or works there, but you don’t. You’re not asking him to research it in the library or even on the Internet.
    2. Out only, unless you’re trying to impress a date.
    3. Nothing. (Unless, as mentioned, it’s delivery; then I tip the delivery person.)
    4. Depends. There are some venues where it is specifically prohibited (at least in NYC, where the ushers at some places *cough*Madison Square Garden*cough* used to literally yank tickets out of your hand so they could “guide” you to a seat [and they did this even when I had season tickets] and then stand there with palm out when you got to your seat, waiting for a tip).
    5. Yes.
    6. Depends on the story and/or the storyteller. I sometimes let someone else tell a story I already know just to see how their performance compares to mine.
    7. Don’t know, and yes. One of my pet peeves is the leaner oblivious to the row behind.
    8. Don’t know; it’s never happened to me.
    9. Absolutely, just as I used to complain to people smoking in a non-smoking section (back when those sections existed).

42. 
    42: Dan V. said at 3:34 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    The reason to keep the shades up is so that, in the case of a crash on takeoff, you have an ambient light level similar on the inside to the out. This is why they dim the cabin lights on takeoff… so when you rush out of your crashed plane you’re not blinded by the difference in light.

43. 
    43: Dan T said at 3:38 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Moneyball II?

    Joe-
    I haven’t re-read Moneyball, so I don’t remember where BB came down on fielding, but my take on Moneyball was that Billy was finding valuation inefficiencies in ballplayers and attacking. It just so happened that then, he saw OBP as a way under valued attribute that could help get wins.

    Is he seeing tremendous value in defense right now? Beane seems to zig when other zag, not to be a contrarian, but because he sees an exploitable edge. Interesting.

44. 
    44: David Wintheiser said at 5:55 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    @Kevin U:

    Catching defense is not worth over 100% of offense, and I say this as a fan of the team that employed the 2008 AL Gold Glove at catcher.

    The reason is opportunity: a catcher has a chance to get on base every time he comes to the plate, and the good ones will do so once per game or even more frequently. A catcher does not get the opportunity to throw out a base stealer once every three innings he spends behind the plate, and probably hasn’t since the Dead Ball era. (To support this assertion, I’ll point out that Ted Simmons, considered one of the poorer defensive catchers of the go-go 1970s, had 190 men attempt to steal on him in his poorest season, a year in which he caught over 1000 defensive innings.) Likewise, a big-league catcher simply doesn’t allow enough passed balls for their effect to be really measurable on his team’s record.

    You might argue that this is just selection bias, and that it’s possible for a catcher to allow a stolen base and a passed ball each inning — we just don’t see those guys in the major leagues. And that’s exactly the point: a guy who allowed a stolen base and passed ball per defensive inning would be back on a plane to the minor leagues before the game in which he got his first career start was over. The differences in defensive skill, as measurable by our counting stats, doesn’t vary as much as the differences in offensive skill; because of this, it’s the offensive difference that determines value in our present system, since the impact of that variance is easier to measure.

    Consider the opposite possibility: say every third baseman in baseball hit between .260 and .275 with between 15 and 20 home runs, but that some had tremendous arms while others could barely reach the pitcher’s mound with their throws from behind the bag. Wouldn’t it be obvious that the most valuable third basemen, in this scheme, would be the guys who could throw? In this case, you could easily imagine the plays he makes from third every game counterbalancing the extra hit per three weeks and home run per month of his rag-armed counterpart.

    And given that, why is it so hard to understand that a guy who can really hit but doesn’t play the outfield all that well has significantly more value than a guy with awe-inspiring defensive range but who gets on base less often than he changes his uniform?

45. 
    45: Tom in St. Paul said at 6:13 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Joe
    It would be nice to be able to go back in time and have Coco go up against Lonnie Smith for the title of worst outfield arm in the history of the Royals. I would love to see the footage of Lonnie firing the ball into the turf 15 feet in front of him when he was trying to throw out a runner at the plate. I tried looking on youtube for the footage but it the tape must have been burned up to get rid of the evidence.

46. 
    46: Jeff said at 6:21 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    1. Yes.
    2. On the way out.
    3. No.
    4. No.
    5. Gas tank filler is on the opposite side from the exhaust.
    6. Yes.
    7. Because for some of us that have long bodies, it’s the only way to fit in the seat. Really, the shorties in the world need to get over this issue. Just because you fit in the seat doesn’t make it the same for everyone else.
    8. Safety issue. Need to see where the fire’s burning after the crash.
    9. No. None of the electronics are going to have any effect. Let them have their “finger to the man” moment.

    As for the house cleaning, my favorite is the SF Hilton — they’ll arrive on the floor and then knock on everyone’s door, up and down the hall. I keep having flashbacks to “first call” in the military.

47. 
    47: Jake SD said at 7:16 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    I don’t own a car, so I get to play Gas Cap Roulette every time! However, since the little arrow on the dash is there most of the time, having to know which side the cap is on isn’t nearly as much trouble as having to guess whether the gas cap is internal or external release!

    nothing like pulling up to the gas station, closing the door and then … oops, can’t open gas cap without going back inside.

48. 
    48: Jake SD said at 7:17 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Gas tank filler is on the opposite side from the exhaust.

    If there’s one thing I notice even less frequently than which side of the car the gas cap is on, it is which side of the car the exhaust is on!

49. 
    49: Mike S said at 8:15 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Does Dewan adjust his numbers for ballpark effects?

    The reason the Rays defense was such a big story was that they had one of the worst defenses in history in 2007, then a very good one in 2008. They sliced a whopping 273 runs off their runs allowed in one year, which is stunning and equal to a 27 game gain in the standings. A lot of that was defensive improvement.

50. 
    50: Goetzo said at 10:00 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Do you really think that first base defense is more important that right field? I remember reading some article (a Bill James abstract, I think) where he talked about the 60’s Reds moving Frank Robinson from 1st to Right as it was silly to use someone with that much defensive ability at first. I’d have thought something like Left and 1B 30% and Right 40%.

    1. No. You might as well tip them for saying “Good morning.”
    2. $1 in and out, or $2 out.
    3. $0. I’m guessing that the cashier you get the take-out from is already paid a minimum or higher wage, as opposed to the wait staff, who are often paid virtually nothing because they’re supposed to live on their tips.
    4. Only if they’re seating at a better seat than your ticket is for.
    5. Yes. While I can see situations like what Bill C. described, what I can also see in those stations is one person with a driver side tank is at the pump with no one on the other side. Another driver side tank person comes in and instead of waiting, they will do a 3-point turn to back up to the pump. Now another person with a passenger side tank pulls up and has to wait for the second person to finish, but can’t pull up close as that person needs room to exit. Essentially a large gas station (like the Quik Trips in Missouri) will have enough room for everyone to circle around, and smaller ones will have cars facing nose-to-nose.
    6. Depends on what kind of impression you want to make. Never if she’s cute.
    7. I’ve never thought the seats recline back far enough to matter.
    8. Never had this happen. Maybe Southwest doesn’t do this.
    9. It’s certainly a right, but not a responsibility. I guess I’ve always figured that if it was that big of a deal, they wouldn’t let you bring them on in the first place.

51. 
    51: Marco said at 10:25 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    The game breaks down to two main parts, each 50% of the game – scoring runs and preventing runs, which can each be broken down further: scoring is hitting and baserunning, preventing is pitching and defense.

    Somebody please fill in the blanks for me with percentages:

    Baseball is __(A)__% hitting, __(B)__% baserunning, __(C)__% pitching, and __(D)__% defense.

    (Bear in mind that A + B = 50% and C + D = 50%)

    My guess:
    A = 45%
    B = 5%
    C = 35%
    D = 15%

52. 
    52: Bill C said at 11:07 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    David in NYC @ 41:

    Yes, scoring runs and preventing runs are exactly equally important. But it does not at all follow from there that defense would be worth 50% of offense. (And I’m not convinced that it is, by the way, but assuming the study is true for the sake of argument).

    For one thing, defense is not 50% of preventing runs. It’s definitely less important than pitching when it comes to preventing runs. The difference between a good pitcher and an average pitcher is going to be far more than the difference between a good defensive SS and an average defensive SS.

    I’m sure it can be measured, and maybe it has been, but if I had to ballpark it I would think defense is about 30-35% of preventing runs, and pitching is about 65-70% of preventing runs.

    I had more to say but this math is suddenly making my head tired.

53. 
    53: Mark W. said at 11:43 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    I would suggest that maybe one of the main reasons that the airlines want your electronic crap all turned off when taking off and landing is that then maybe a few more of the moron passengers on the plane might be a bit more alert in case of an emergency. Some of the attitudes that I am reading in the above posts tell me everything I need to know about why many people in this world tend to piss me off. Their time and their toys are more important to them than an ounce of sensible common decency displayed toward their fellow man or other passengers in the airline case. Call me old fashioned but I feel the same way about how some people dress when traveling. No, you don’t need to be wearing a jacket and a tie but can some of you at least bathe/shower and then put on some decent clean clothing before joining your fellow man in the friendly skies?! Like Seinfeld said to George when he saw him out in NYC public wearing sweatpants – “You’ve given up, haven’t you?!”

    Same thing with the totally selfish airline passengers who recline their seatbacks full bore with absolutely no regard for who and what might be directly behind them. While I am not a great fan of the airline companies, I tend to lean in their direction when I think how difficult it is to deal with so much of the degenerate paying public. Maybe if they could charge the lounging passenger a few extra bucks to sit in the “reclining area”?

    Tip the waitstaff maybe half what you would normally tip for the takeout in restaurants that serve most of their meals inside the establishment, like at an Applebee’s or Chili’s. They had to take the order, assemble it in styro/plastic carryout container and get it to you in a timely manner. If that service is lousy then don’t tip. If said service is lousy a second time speak to the manager or choose to take your business elsewhere.

    Coco Crisp’s arm is awfully bad but he does seem to compensate some by releasing the ball quickly. Overall, I am happy he’s not on my favorite team, the Pirates, and we know how bad they are! I have always felt that an excellent fielding ballclub is highly important – but it’s something that is nearly impossible to rate by number or percentage. A good fielding team will help limit a pitcher’s pitch count, can discourage the opposition’s offense and give a huge lift to their own pitching and offense. How do you put a number on that? Infields that can turn every doubleplay, catchers who almost dare the opposition to steal and outfielders who can glove and throw like Mays and Clemente are a joy to watch – primarily because they are winning most of their games!

54. 
    54: jaymark said at 11:59 pm on March 20th, 2009:

    Joe,
    Carrying the defense = 50% offense a step further, this should have ramifications on who we bestow “greatness” on? For instance, Jeter will sail into the HOF, but Trammell? Someday maybe, but at the mercy of the vets’ committee. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want the baseball gods to shoot lightning at me or anything, is he really inferior to a very good offensive but cement shoed guy like Jeter?

    Trammell– .285, slugged .415, 1231 runs scored, 1003 RBIs, 185 home runs, and 236 steals.
    Jeter — .316, .458, 1467, 1002, 206, 275.
    Offensively, no question. But assuming Jeter is below average and Trammell above average at a very important position…a draw? Simplistically, let’s say “average” is 5. Offensively, Jeter’s a 9 and defensively a 3. Trammell’s offense merits a 7 and defense a 7. Weight the averages, they’re equal (and that’s only counting defense as 50% of offense, whereas as you point out it’s probably more at SS). Yeah, that’s a dunderheaded analysis. But still…

    As for your questions, for all of them besides one, my response is “meh.” But the seat reclining issue…now THAT I have to comment on. I’m 6′4″ with the torso of someone a bit shorter, and I’m no beanpole. That sounds like the opening for a truly bizarre personal ad, but anyway..on most planes, my legs are jammed in, and that’s before the seat in front of me starts the recline-attempt. I use the word attempt because it just ain’t happening, but sometimes the person in front of me feels the need to repeatedly throw his or her weight backwards (because they are (1) evil, or (2) suspect the seat of being somehow jammed on something (which, of course, it is–my legs!)). I’ll usually just gently touch a shoulder and say “Sorry, I’m too tall for you to lean back,” and generally that’s that. But, of course, not always, since some people are indeed evil (like the guy on a packed flight out of Newark who, despite an earlier shoulder touch/apology, leaned all the way back while I was in the restroom, and then pretended (no benefit of the doubt for this turkey) to be asleep…needless to say, he was wearing a Yankees hat (my Jeter comparison should have already identified me as a hater). A minor confrontation ensued. Or the guy who responded to “Sorry, I’m too tall” with “Yeah, well I’m too tired to give a (bleep).” I felt bad for him, since that was early in a Newark to Seattle red-eye. But a minor confrontation ensued nonetheless.) And I’ve actually had someone say, as a previous poster did, “just lean your seat back too” and didn’t seem to believe me when I assured him that I would, except legs aren’t involved much in the reclining process…I’d still be crushed, and now possibly crushing someone behind me. I like being tall. Psychologists say life favors the tall, and I generally agree, so maybe I just quit bellyaching and say “meh” to that as well.

55. 
    55: knifewrench said at 12:30 am on March 21st, 2009:

    Actually, Joe, the Twins have been slipping on defense for a few seasons now. But you can’t really pin that on Gardenhire, save for those instances (e.g., Nick Punto) when the manager plays guys because they remind him of him when he played.

    The point is, this isn’t a particularly strong defensive team. Really I’d say the Twins’ only above average defenders are Mauer, Gomez and Span (in CF or RF). Morneau is fine at first and Casilla is OK at second, but the whole left side was a mess in ‘08. Punto is not an everyday shortstop, Harris ended up at third because they hated his glove everywhere else, and after holding his own for awhile, Buscher really tanked at the end. Then there was left field, where Delmon Young was as bad as anything we’ve seen around these parts since Willie Norwood.

    I’ll be interested to see how Joe Crede handles third base this year. If he’s as good defensively as I’ve heard he is, Crede will be a decent upgrade even if he doesn’t hit that much. Of course Young was touted as a good OF with a strong arm before he got here, too. Saw no evidence whatsoever of any of that.

    And honestly, how hard is it to put out the Do Not Disturb sign?

56. 
    56: Graphite said at 2:09 am on March 21st, 2009:

    Unless I am celebrating a win on the ponies and have taken drink, I tip nobody, ever, for anything. One of the benefits of living Down Under. And being an old-timer. And not having to impress anyone.

    All I know about baseball defence is that whenever a fielder fails to make an inning-ending out, the runners left on base will score. This is especially true if I have money riding on the result. Or the Orioles are playing.

    When approaching a gas station, activate the switch that flicks the filler-cover flap open and a glance in the side mirrors will show which side it’s on.

    I fly infrequently but recall an occasion many years ago when the dope in the seat behind me had brought his guitar with him as on-board luggage and stowed it directly behind my seat — between his knees and the seat-back. I solved the problem immediately, and without recourse to the cabin staff, by throwing the guitar in the aisle, taking my seat and reclining it to its fullest. One of the benefits of looking and sounding crankier than you actually are.

57. 
    57: berkowit28 said at 2:41 am on March 21st, 2009:

    I agree with reg. Juan Pierre is a worse thrower than Coco Crisp. Thank God we won’t be seeing much of him this year, the last two years were appalling.

58. 
    58: Sam said at 2:57 am on March 21st, 2009:

    3. How much are you supposed to tip for restaurant takeout food?

    Sadly, I find myself able to give an insightful opinion on this.

    (Short answer, yes, 10%…give or take the person’s helpfulness/politness)

    For the past two years, I have worked at an Applebees. During this time, I have worked quite frequently as the “Curbside ToGo Specialist”…you call me, I hook you up with some food, and off you go.

    Unfortunately, on account of the fact that many people are either 1) unaware of how takeout food works or 2) cheap, I don’t make so much money as I might like.

    Generally, on a normal, sit-down meal at an Applebees, a 15%-20% tip is standard fare. Tips are not pooled…you get what you get.

    On a ToGo order, I don’t give you refills, but I do have to take your order over the phone, answer any questions you may have, enter the order, prepare and wrap the order, and take care of your payment.

    We recognize that this isn’t a high-dollar service we’re providing you. What many people seem to forget, however, is that it is a service and, without a tip, we make minimum wage.

    Surely a helpful, thoughtful person’s effort in providing you a service that you could not have done for yourself is worth $2 dollars for every $20 spent. If they were good…hook them up. If they weren’t, adjust accordingly.

59. 
    59: GM-Carson said at 6:32 am on March 21st, 2009:

    I’ve compiled a 25 man roster consisting of players drafted from the 2000 MLB draft.

    Link- http://morehardball.blogspot.com/2009/03/mlb-2000-draft-team.html

    I appreciate the read, and plug if you like it.

60. 
    60: jay said at 6:57 am on March 21st, 2009:

    Joe, first time reader, your blogs excellent by the way, and I almost never place comments, but I just can’t hold back here. I’m a long time Red Sox fan and my fondest memories are of Fred Lynn and Dewey patrolling the outfield at Fenway Park. They were so graceful and fun to watch out there, which brings me to Coco. Yes, he runs down fly balls with the best of them, but WHO CARES if your arm is no better than Granny’s, my apologies to some Granny’s out there who obviously can throw farther than Coco. You have accurately described his arm, as well as, any I have heard in the past. Useless appendage is what you will be seeing for the foreseeable future. It does not get better during the season, and if your arm is polio bad, a ballplayer should never ever be talked about for a gold glove. It was nice to get that off my chest and even nicer to see Coco gone from Fenway. Although, I have a feeling offensively, Coco might turn in a decent year. I hope he does well because KC is gonna need him if they want to contend this year for the division, which I could see, but probably around .500.

61. 
    61: boozer said at 10:11 am on March 21st, 2009:

    i gotta say that i’m with sam on the tipping issue. what is often lost in our quest to be gracious guests and good tippers is essence of the tip itself. it is there to reward a server for good service. percentages should be a helpful guide on a starting point– 15% can be your starting point on a sliding scale. but don’t tip across the board a flat amount; it’s counter-intuitive. a good server should be rewarded as one; a bad one should be left wondering what went wrong. and, as a rule of thumb, tip more at places you frequent. if you want good service at your favorite watering hole? tip well… on the road in boise? maybe 15-20% is more than enough when it comes to dining. for the valet and others at the hotel? if you come in contact with these people often, take it into consideration to be more gracious and liberal with your money. these people do their jobs to make a living. much of that living depends on the generosity of others. appreciate those who appreciate you, and i would almost guarantee a great level of service and an unprecedented level of enjoyment of the service you are receiving.

    on the other hand, if things don’t seem to go so well, if your server is a mess, if the valet can’t find your car, if they are rude, etc… be merciless. i am a compulsive over-tipper, but i am merciless when it comes to bad service. bad service gets a bad tip. enough said.

62. 
    62: Buchholz Surfer said at 11:51 am on March 21st, 2009:

    “On a ToGo order, I don’t give you refills, but I do have to take your order over the phone, answer any questions you may have, enter the order, prepare and wrap the order, and take care of your payment.”

    No offense, but the service you are offering in the case of takeout is identical to the service offered by a counterperson or drive-through person at a fast food place. They do not get tips for that service. Most people don’t get tips for the services they perform for their jobs.

    In the US, waitpeople aren’t paid even close to minimum wage, so they need tips. People filling a takeout order make at least minimum wage. Customers getting takeout aren’t filling a table, dirtying dishes or requiring any waitservice. They are actually making things easier and more efficient for the restaurant. No tip should be necessary for saving the restaurant work and bother.

    If the To-Go person gets tipped, so should everyone at every fast food place or taco stand or pizza place. Why not tip the bagger at the grocery store? Or the cashier? They don’t make much and they are serving you. Why not tip the register person at a retail store? Why not tip the bank teller and the postal clerk? If one of these people goes above and beyond their normal duties, I might tip them, but not for doing their regular job.

    The rule should be something like this: if the person doesn’t even make minimum wage because they rely on tips, then you should tip them– like bartenders and barbers. Also, if they have to come to where YOU are to serve you– as in to your table or your house– then they should get a tip.

    But if they make at least minimum wage and you have to go to where THEY are to get the service, then they shouldn’t get a tip.

63. 
    63: Sam said at 1:54 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    Buchholz –

    “In the US, waitpeople aren’t paid even close to minimum wage, so they need tips.”

    False. Most (if not all) waitstaff in the United States are paid $3.33-$3.50 an hour (the servers minimum wage), but are reimbursed up to the level of the federal minimum wage ($7something) if their aggregate tips do not add up to that amount or more per hour.

    Takeout workers are often in the same boat.
    —

    People do not need tips to live. Tips are just that…a reward for helpful service. If you don’t think your takeout workers have done anything of value for you…that they aren’t worthy of a tip, then fine…we have no say in it. But just know that it is appreciated – and expected by the company that employs them.

64. 
    64: MonkeyHawk said at 4:22 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    I think you’re supposed to tip everyone in a hotel, even those who don’t expect it.

    I don’t spend particularly big but I’ve taken to asking for a wad of $2 dollar bills just for tipping.

    It’s really easy to figure out a Jeff for every $10 spent.

    I can get by with a Jeff as a tip for people who don’t really deserve it especially if I don’t plan to do business with them again — cab drivers, concierges, house-keepers. If it’s my favorite dollar-a-draw tavern, I’m considered Diamond Jim Brady when I pay with a Two.

    It’s also convenient for take-out restaurant food. Most of the cashiers are surprised they get a tip in the first place. If you’re gonna come back, they’ll treat you right.

    In Kansas, your typical waitress earns a minimum wage salary of $2.65 an hour. Tell them they don’t depend on tips.

    I like Sonic Drive-Ins (in spite of their commercials) for serving their entire menu all the time. If you want a breakfast burrito at 11 at night, or a $1 Junior Deluxe burger at six in the morning, those little girls deliver. And I always give ‘em a Jeff.

    They’re too often 15 years old… and supporting a baby on their own.

65. 
    65: Marco said at 4:22 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    The first 5 minutes of reservoir dogs covers the tip issue.

66. 
    66: ceolaf said at 7:00 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    You want to claim that we have the best educational system in the world?

    How can you argue that? Well, our best colleges and universities are the best in the world, and we have far more than our share of the top colleges and universities. That’s your best claim.

    Unfortunately, the rest is not even close to the best.

    We have issues with staffing — not a shortage of people willing to teach, but rather a shortage of people willing to make a career of it. And therefore, not enough people who stay long enough to develop real expertise. (Why? Status, pay, working conditions, etc.)

    We have HUGE issues with equality. The differences between our best and our worst schools is ENORMOUS. Funding disparities, racial segregation and economic segregation. Differences in academic and non-academic opportunities for students? These are bad. Really bad.

    It used to be that we had a shot at a lot of really really smart, hard working and ambitious people going in to teaching. But then women got real oppunities to do other things, and the interested pool got a lot smaller.

    This is not to say that we are not getting better. We got a lot better in the last 50 years. More kids stay in school longer; the kinds of students who used to drop out early stay. I’m speaking of immigrants, minorities and the poor. They don’t drop out is 5th or 8th grade any more. More kids are thinking of going to college, and more actually are. We are getting better — if NCLB and charter school thing has not stopped the decades of improvement. And I think that teachers who stick around today might well be better than they were 20 years ago.

    But our education system most definitely is not the best in the world. I’m sorry. It’s justn ot.

67. 
    67: Gate said at 7:31 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    It had never even occurred to me to tip when picking up take out. That may explain some of those dirty looks.

68. 
    68: Gate said at 7:32 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    We do have the best higher ed system in the world, so that’s something…although when talking about K-12 education you’re really talking about 50 different countries. Some states rank with any country in the world, other states…not so much.

69. 
    69: Rusty said at 7:44 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    Since baseball is half run creation and half run prevention, wouldn’t that mean offense is 50%, pitching is 25%, and defense is 25%?

    Which would mean defense and pitching are about equally important.

    I know for Win Shares Bill James gave run prevention a little extra weight — something like 52%.

    So, offense = 48%, pitching = 28%, defense = 24%?

70. 
    70: Bucky said at 8:31 pm on March 21st, 2009:

    On seats going back:
    There is a little insert somewhere people can buy to block reclining, although I’ve never bought one.
    I’m a bit over 6 feet tall, and my knees tend to be jammed into the seat in front of me even if they don’t lean back. Reclining myself, as a few have pointed out, doesn’t solve the knee issue.
    A reclined seat is not only tricky to use for eating, reading, working, it also throws off the angle of the little monitor if they have one. On an international flight, being able to watch a movie or two can help pass the time. If the seat is reclined, I can’t see it an angle which works unless I want to scrunch down until I resemble Quasimodo.

71. 
    71: Justin said at 2:02 am on March 22nd, 2009:

    I think the value of defense as a part of the overall value of a team relies on a number of factors that make it vary from team to team. For instance, last year, the Marlins’ pitchers led the league with 1,371 Ks while Seattle brought up the rear with 890. That’s 481 fewer outs (almost 18 full games worth, or almost three per game) where the Marlins’ fielders didn’t have to make a play, by which I’d assume that Florida’s defense likely did less to determine the outcome of their team’s game.

    Positional breakdown also relies heavily on Ks and other factors. If your pitching staff has a lot of ground ball pitchers, you’re going to want a strong infield defense, whereas if you’ve got fly ball pitchers you’ll want a strong outfield defense. Playing in Petco, you’ll want speedy outfielders whereas playing in a bandbox can allow you to get away with guys who may not be as fleet of foot when chasing down flies.

    If you want to look at things as a whole, taking all of baseball into account, then I suppose you can make it work, but I don’t believe you can say that any one team’s defense is necessarily as valuable as any other team’s defense, or that all shortstops (for example) have the same defensive value to their team even if they have similar skill sets in the field.

72. 
    72: somebody said at 8:57 am on March 22nd, 2009:

    seems to me you have to look at defense with in reason. meaning, those terrific defensive Phils have no-bat Pedro Feliz at third. that dude’s slick gloviness has got to save tons of runs (especially with slow thrower moyer on the mound). obviously, you dont want 9 of these guys on the field, but with a strong offensive at the top of the lineup (with guys like rollins and victorino who can glove as well) you dont need that at third, especially when you get third base offense from your 2nd baseman (solid fielding utley).

73. 
    73: Owen said at 12:58 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    I’ll still do it occasionally, but tipping for really minor things drives me bonkers (I’m talking about you Mr. Here’s Your Paper Towel). If you’re providing a service, then cool, whatever, but to make your living by exploiting a social custom. I don’t know, I realize some people are in dire straits, but….

    As for the overall value of defense, we’re talking about only after the ball is in play, yes? So what I want to know is how much of run prevention is defense? Obviously it depends on the pitcher, but on average, or maybe even as a function of groundball/flyball/K ratios or something, what percent of run prevention is catching the ball? It’s an odd conclusion, but if defense is worth half of offense, and run prevention is worth about as much as scoring runs, then doesn’t that imply that pitching is also worth roughly half of offense? The part that the pitcher can control (supposedly the bulk of what he can’t control happens with the leather). Is my logic/math wrong, or is that what we’re saying here?

    And as for airplanes, I am mildly bothered by people who pretend that there is no one directly behind them and/or, reclining more than a few degrees doesn’t affect their quality of life for the duration of the flight. No biggie, really, but I am 6′5. And I too am baffled by the window thing.

74. 
    74: RJL said at 1:39 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    if anyone is interested, we’re doing the Joe Posnanski fan club fantasy baseball league again this year, gonna make it a keeper league this time, we’ll do an auction draft.

    Roto leage, 6×6 with OPS and holds the extra cats

    email me at on2stix@yahoo.com if you’re interested

75. 
    75: John said at 1:45 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    Joe,
    I suggest that people you know via email but have not met in person should be called “e-migos” or “emigos”.

    You’re welcome.

76. 
    76: Melody said at 2:11 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    I have to say, it’s nice once in a while to be short I never have any trouble fitting in the seats on planes, buses, or even Fenway Park. Of course, I can’t reach anything, long ago gave up going to open admission concerts (can’t see a thing), and get elbowed in the face not-infrequently. Always dreamed I’d reach 5 feet one day, but that day never came. What can ya do?

    For those fearing crushed knees (or crushed laptops)…
    http://www.gadgetduck.com/goods/kneedefender.html?s

    But I do have to say, there is a potential MIRACLE on the way in the area of the great seat reclining debate… imagine staggered airline seats that allow access to the aisle even from the window seat, more privacy, and also recline without the seat back moving at all. Check this out:

    http://www.thompsonsolutions.co.uk/ts_cozysuite.html#

    With this design, the seat has a fixed back, like a shell, in which the seat itself can adjust. The recline mechanism moves forward and down, meaning you can recline without impinging on the space of the person behind you at all. Hallelujah!

77. 
    77: Kyle said at 2:19 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    He has the worst arm I have ever seen on a big league outfielder (and I watched Johnny Damon play for years)

    I so knew you would throw Damon in there, when I read it I laughed out loud. Coco seems to be all range, and he’s defintely taking a lot of walks so far. Lets hope that can continue. Besides, any ball past him and to the wall DDJ can be his 1st cut off man, lol.

78. 
    78: Kyle said at 2:55 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    secondly,

    Can we get around tipping the dealer $1 EVERY hand that gets played in poker rooms? This hurts my winrate, but I’m not going to be the only jerk that doesn’t tip. I’d be happy to do it every other pot won, but every single one can really add up. Not to mention the rake…

79. 
    79: Matt said at 4:14 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    #9– omerta.

    I have a daughter with developmental disabilities. The last time we were on a flight, the attendant said she checked with the pilot and it was OK to leave her portable DVD player on during takeoff and landing. The person next to you may be discourteous, but he/she isn’t putting you in danger.

80. 
    80: Gate said at 7:56 pm on March 22nd, 2009:

    I have to second the e-migos idea. That will be tough to improve upon.

    Totally unrelated thought: I have read a number of stories this spring about how Daisuke looks much more aggressive this spring. How he’s really going after hitters and that his nibbling around the corners is a thing of the past. He was just removed from the WBC game after throwing 100 pitches in 4.2 innings.

    Next thing you know, I’ll find out that Jason Varitek *hasn’t* actually been hitting the ball with more authority, like the beat writers have been telling me.

    Well, at least I know that Brad Penny is stronger and healthier than he’s ever been.

81. 
    81: Geoffrey said at 5:50 am on March 23rd, 2009:

    When it come to reclining on aeroplanes, I think that it is perfectly acceptable as long as you ask the person sat behind you. I don’t mind people in front of me reclining as long as they’ve asked first. What annoys me is when someone just goes ahead and reclines the seat regardless of your opinion or if you have the tray down etc. It’s just plain rude

82. 
    82: Mike said at 8:18 am on March 23rd, 2009:

    The Twins have gotten worse and worse on D the longer Gardy has been in charge. That might be a coincidence (it is possible that the players of this Twins’ era just aren’t that goo), or it might not. I’d say the don’t run the bases as well either, but I have no statistics to back that up.

83. 
    83: Thomas said at 8:24 am on March 23rd, 2009:

    Just got around to reading this, so if someone else posted it, sorry. Probably doesn’t matter because noone’s reading this anyway.

    Coco’s arm is next to useless, I’ll grant you that. But with Coco it seems that he simply gets to and catches every ball hit from left-center to right-center. Since he catches EVERYTHING, he doesn’t have to worry about throwing the ball in trying to nail a runner. He’s already gotten the hitter out and forced the runner back to the bag.

    This was especially true in 2007. If the ball left the infield, there was a good chance Coco was gonna catch it. He fell off just slightly in 2008, but I doubt I’ll see anyone with that kind of range for a long time.

84. 
    84: JeffSol said at 10:45 am on March 23rd, 2009:

    From my informal surveys, it seems to me that in addition to the arrow for the gas cap, generally Made in USA = driver’s side (this includes Honda, for example) and Made in Europe = Passenger side. Not sure if this is really consistent, but it has been on all of mine and my family’s cars for several years.

    #52, your argument about the relative worth of pitching and defense seems to be missing the point. I tend to think that pitching is more important, but saying they are equal (the logical conclusion if offense = 50%, pitching = defense + 50% and defense = 25) doesn;t imply that the difference between a great SS and a great pitcher is equal. I timplies that the difference in a great team defense (SS + C + 2b + CF…) is qual to the difference between a great pitcher and a poor one. Not sure that’s so, but it doesn;t seem outside the realm of reasonability.

85. 
    85: Vin said at 2:37 pm on March 23rd, 2009:

    Re: commenter above…interesting, ’cause my grandmother’s Oldsmobile – the only American car I’ve driven extensively – has a passenger side gas tank (unrelated: Do you older people have any appreciation of how ironic their tendency to drive Oldsmobiles is? I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone under 60 who had an Oldsmobile). I used to drive an old Volvo with a driver’s-side tank, and the Camry I have now is driver’s side, too (though the car was likely made in the USA). Small sample, I know, but just sayin’ – I’ve always thought the passenger-side gas tank was an American car thing.

86. 
    86: Vin said at 2:37 pm on March 23rd, 2009:

    I meant “do you think older people”…..oops.

87. 
    87: Mark W. said at 2:46 pm on March 23rd, 2009:

    Thomas #83: You are correct about Coco Crisp getting to many fly balls that others wouldn’t reach so that is certainly a plus. However, when he is charging a single and needs to hold the baserunner at second or throw out a runner at third or home it’s a whole different story. Same with him catching a fly and needing to hold a baserunner from taking the next base following the catch. It’s just sad…

    Still, if Coca had been in leftfield in the bottom of the 9th inning at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium on Oct. 15, 1992 he probably could have done as well as Barry Bonds did when Mr. Bonds six-hopped (am I being generous here?) his peg to the plate in hopes of keeping that breathtaking speedster Sid Bream from scoring and thus winning the NL pennant for the ATLBravos. (BTW, by my math little Coco would have been 12, almost 13 years of age that day. Yeh, he could have done just as well or better than Barroid that evening!)

88. 
    88: Tony B said at 3:21 pm on March 23rd, 2009:

    Gas cap issue:
    Hyundai Accent – driver’s side, release inside, detachable cap
    Saturn Ion – passenger’s side, no release, cap linked to car

    When the wife and I shuffle cars, this results in temporary insanity at the gas station.*

    Both have indicators on the dash, but they’re so inconspicuous it’s like Where’s Waldo? to find them.

    So either pick a side or make the indicators larger.

    *And why is it that I am the one always filling up the cars? She’s excellent at switching cars and leaving me with the one running on fumes.

89. 
    89: DHRjericho said at 12:02 pm on March 24th, 2009:

    G Young @ 29

    As a Boise resident I know of two hotels that offer Valet services (The Grove and Hotel 43) and my guess is that The Grove offers concierge services. Hey we even have an Urban Outfitters and a Cheesecake Factory.

    I wish I’d had known that Joe was coming to Boise because I would have insisted that he go to Goldies for breakfast (which is across the street from the Grove and 2 blocks from Hotel 43)where i’m assuming he stayed.

90. 
    90: Kris M said at 7:03 pm on March 24th, 2009:

    WOW! So much Coco … so little time… Coco played for Cleveland and he is a good glove man. As to his arm, it is bad but not the worst. The worst arm i ever saw was Oscar Gamble’s. Frank Duffy was the cutoff man. Anything hit to Gamble in leftfield, Duff would run full speed to get as close as he could, and then he would relay the throw, a. if Gamble could get the ball to him and b. if the play was not already over.

91. 
    91: SoCalTwinsfan said at 9:02 pm on March 26th, 2009:

    The Twins went from terrible defensively last year to pretty good in the second half. They started the season with Mike Lamb at third and Brendan Harris at second (by far his worst position) and Adam Everett was playing shortstop with an injured arm and could barely make routine throws. Delmon Young plays left field like he’s wearing roller skates and Michael Cuddyer is pretty much a statue in right (although he does have the best RF arm east of Seattle). The Twins dumped Lamb and Everett and stuck Harris at third (his best position) in a platoon with Brian Buscher (bad defensively but still an upgrade from Lamb) and put Nick Punto at SS and promoted Denard Span and Alexi Casilla. Both had to learn new positions in the big leagues but showed a lot of improvement over the season.

    Now the Twins have added Joe Crede third, so the left side should be light years ahead of where they began last season with Lamb and Everett. How good the OF is will depend on how often Young and Cuddyer are both out there. If the OFs are rotated evenly, then the excellence of Carlos Gomez and Span should be able to cancel out the crappiness of Young and Cuddyer to make it an average OF. The infield should be above average (depending on the health of Crede) and Joe Mauer is a Gold Glover, so the defense should be easily above average in 2009.

Leave a Reply