I Told You So

Here we are, three games into the 2010 Major League Baseball season. The Boston Red Sox just wrapped up their opening three-game series against the New York Yankees.

They won only one of the three games.

During the offseason, the Red Sox did not sign power hitter, Jason Bay. Instead they signed Marco Scutaro (SS), Mike Cameron (CF), Adrian Beltre (3B), and John Lackey (P). Given the people the new fielders were replacing hit about the same or better than their replacements, the offensive capability appears to have been downgraded somewhat. However, defensively, the team has improved. With the addition of another top-of-the-rotation pitcher in John Lackey, the Red Sox moved in the direction of strong pitching and strong defense to win games. GM Theo Epstein even stated that was their goal as they salivate over new defensive stats like UZR.

It's not working so far.

The Red Sox won the first game with offense, 9-7 - it certainly wasn't pitching holding the Yankees' run count down.

Pitching and defense lost the next two games.

At their current trend, the Red Sox will win only 54 games this year. Yes, I know it's a small sample size from which nothing of significance can be derived. If they win their next game against the Royals, then the trend changes to the Sox winning 81 games this year. That's the skewing of statistics with too small sample sizes. However, one can still make that statement with accuracy at this time.

So even though the season willl eventually even out the stats, probably in ways that show the Red Sox heading to 90+ wins for the season, I'm going to use the small sample size to say one thing:

I told you so!

Hallucination of Majestic Elephants

COMING SOON

Hallucination of Majestic Elephants
Literary Buzz:

“Along the way many great writers have begun with poetry and Jeff Howe’s five books of poetry published to date are diverse, enjoyable and very collectable, he writes with soul, ‘....Majestic Elephants’ will stamp him as another one on his way.” A. Myrtle. Poetsview.com

"From what I've seen of the previews, this will be a humdinger!" ReviwerGuy

"Jeff Who?" New York Times

Can We Just Stop it Now?

Probably think I'm talking about the railroading of government-run healthcare over the country, don't ya?

Actually, what I would like to see stopped is anything that is "From the Heart."

Follow me on this.

There are a lot of non-professionals, who by dint of the internet, home computers and home studios that are creating their own masterpieces of literature and music without the aid of a publisher. I'm okay with that. Quite okay, in fact. The market will still determine what it wants (and what it wants can get pretty weird).

Still, people need to come up with better titles for their works - and I'm seeing too much of what I referenced earlier.

There's

Poetry from the Heart,
Poems from the Heart,
Stories from the Heart,
From the Heart Productions,
Tales from the Heart,

and I just saw Music from the Heart.

How freakin' unoriginal can you be even if you "feel" like it's the perfect title?

Oh yeah, we also need to do something about this runaway train called the Federal Government, too.

Called the Best 5 Second Video on YouTube

This one makes me laugh every time.

I Guess It's Supposed to be Cute, but...

FairPoint Communications has decided to "bundle" its internet message with a cute, gremlin-like creature called a bundle. Most people probably find it cute. I find it a tad disturbing. See for yourselves:

Super Bowl XLIV

Who I would like to see:

New Orleans Saints vs. New York Jets

Who we will probably see:

Minnesota Vikings vs. Indianapolis Colts

Happy New Year

Hey, I know it's the 11th of January, but I'd forgotten all about this blog site, the busyness of the season I suppose.

There's not much new to report on this end.

The New England Patriots went down in the first round of the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens. It was eerily similar to the Red Sox demise in the ALDS last year. There were pundits choosing the New England teams to win using all sorts of seemingly reasoned rationale, but their opponents were just too much for them.

We are stuck in the middle of frigid January, which is perhaps the worst month to live through in these parts. This is the utter dungeon of winter, and there's not a whole lot to look forward to, except for spring in a couple of months, of course.

Well, at least pitchers and catchers will be reporting in a little over a month.

Until then, stay warm.

Jason Bay to sign with Mets

WFAN of New York is reporting that Jason Bay, former left fielder for the Boston Red Sox will sign with the New York Mets. Bay rejected the 4 year/$60 million offer made by the Sox during the season with interest in exploring the free agent market.

Unfortunately for Bay, a hot market never really developed in the off-season and latest reports were that the Mets had offered him 4 years/$65 million. The Red Sox, unable to wait for Bay to decide, had already signed Mike Cameron leaving Bay few options.

Jason Bay was a well-liked and respected player in Boston. He was a power hitter who had a tendency to strike out frequently. Even so, he still hammered over 30 home runs and over 110 RBIs last year. More importantly, perhaps, was that he seamlessly moved into the position left vacant by the departure of Manny Ramirez in 2008.

I wish Bay well in New York. He seemed a decent fellow, very professional in his ethic and demeanor. Good luck, Jason Bay. You'll need it at CitiField.

For what it's worth....

Throughout the day, I get these great ideas for blog entries. Or at least I think they are great. They seem great to me, but I suppose they wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone.

Unfortunately, when I get the time to sit down and focus on making a blog entry, either the idea has flown away or the steam necessary to run the writing engine has cooled down.

Sometimes I think I overthink what I want to write which leads to the paralysis of analysis (which is a phrase I picked up from my days in Amway over 15 years ago). And sometimes I only have a shred of an idea which I don't take time to think out at all.

The upside to all this is this: without an idea to develop, my blog entries can be shorter.

Much shorter.

And they won't take as much time, effort or discipline to carry out.

My definition of Chicago-style politics

If you can't persuade, then "persuade."

Spam

Please note that if you plan on leaving spam messages on my blog, they will be deleted. I receive emails whenever a comment is left, so I know when it happens.

So, really, don't waste your time.

Scutaro Signing

I found this post on Boston.com and thought it funny. So I'm reposting it here:

redroverredrover wrote: Yikes. The guy had one good year and now he's our starting SS? Sounds like the next Julio Lugo to me. However, I'm glad we've got another player to add to the list of silliest Red Sox names, joining the likes of:

Heathcliff Slocumb
Arquimedez Pozo
Coco Crisp
Izzy Alcantara
Nomar Garciaparra
Gar Finnvold

Please add to this list. I know I'm missing some gems.