tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15699268814187944862011-12-09T10:59:19.414-06:00A blog about baseball, history, humor, language, literature, movies, music, nature, nostalgia, philosophy, psychology, and other (mostly) apolitical subjectsThomasnoreply@blogger.comBlogger651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-176308696372302010-11-23T18:57:00.004-06:002010-11-23T19:31:04.910-06:00

Rumor has it that the Yankees have offered Derek Jeter a three-year contract worth $45 million. The annual rate of $15 million would be a comedown from Jeter's 2010 pay of $22.6 million (source), but in terms of on-field performance, Jeter would be grossly overpaid. And he wants to be more grossly overpaid, of course.Let's look at Jeter's value to the Yankees since 1996, the first year for which

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-67439569298098636382010-11-23T15:49:00.006-06:002010-11-23T16:25:27.404-06:00

In "The Quality of Films over the Decades," I compare my ratings of 1,900-plus feature films with the ratings given those same films by IMDb users:An obvious reason for the difference is that many IMDb users, unlike me, have a strong taste for films of the 1940s through the mid-1970s. I, on the other hand, generally prefer the films of 1932-1942 (the "Golden Age") to what has been produced since.

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-78780000074390248962010-11-15T21:57:00.012-06:002011-12-09T10:59:19.430-06:00

UPDATED 12/08/11When last seen, the best of the American League's greatest hitters were: Adjusted Nominal Player Years in AL Batting average % change # change rank* rank (all-caps, Hall of Fame; From To Nominal Adjusted in BA in rank * indicates active) 1 12 Ichiro Suzuki* 2001 2010 .331 .353 6.2%

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-92226031161189017902010-11-14T16:47:00.004-06:002010-11-14T21:59:05.033-06:00

I have written before about my judgment of the quality of films in various eras. In 2007, I characterized the eras from 1933 to then as follows:the Golden Age (1933-1942) -- 179 films seen, 96 favorites (54 percent)the Abysmal Years (1943-1965) -- 317 films seen, 98 favorites (31 percent)the Vile Years (1966-present) -- 1,496 films seen, 359 favorites (24 percent)Favorites are films that I have

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-40250991240071041372010-11-12T14:22:00.016-06:002010-11-15T22:49:55.007-06:00

Through a painstaking series of adjustments for changes in playing standards and conditions, and for differences among ballparks, I have reassessed the single-season and career batting averages of the American League's top hitters. The reassessment covers 120 players whose career average in the American League is at least .285 in at least 5,000 plate appearances.I will devote a future post to a

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-65172289784547138312010-10-06T11:38:00.005-05:002010-10-06T11:48:32.760-05:00

Thanks to Baseball-Reference.com, I have compiled the following table: Managers with at least 1000 wins after 1900, sorted by W-L record Yrs From To G W L W-L% ▾ Joe McCarthy 24 1926 1950 3487 2125 1333 .615 Billy Southworth 13 1929 1951 1770 1044 704 .597 John McGraw 33 1899 1932 4769 2763 1948 .586 Al

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-71824769803896097582010-10-04T17:41:00.007-05:002010-10-04T21:48:37.377-05:00

Here:The Yankees' season didn't fall apart until September 5. Despite some ups and downs, the Yankees' season record stood at .632 after the game of Saturday, September 4. At that point, the Yankees had a lead of 2.5 games -- their largest lead since July 26.And then the bottom dropped out. The Yankees went 9-17 (.346) in the last four weeks of the season, finishing second in the AL East, with a

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-73710578536617979022010-09-26T16:26:00.002-05:002010-09-26T16:31:03.911-05:00

The Yankees' recent record -- 4 straight losses, 6-12 in the past three weeks, .529 since the All-Star break -- suggests that their third dynasty may be drawing to a close. It would be unsurprising if that turns out to be so. Where are the replacements for Jeter, Posada, Pettitte, and Rivera, whose average age is 38? A-Rod is close behind, at 34, and not the A-Rod of a few years ago. Tex, at 30,

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-49075133159796052152010-09-18T16:06:00.004-05:002010-09-19T09:00:03.400-05:00

In the course of preparing the three preceding posts, I compiled the table below. Note that the American League's overall record is slightly better than the National League's. That's because of the AL's edge in interleague play, which continues into 2010. Won-Lost records, 1901-2009 (franchise histories at bottom of table) National League Team

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-1317242423421824172010-09-16T22:43:00.005-05:002010-09-17T12:18:45.911-05:00

According to an article posted in the "Bullpen" at Baseball-Reference.com, the Pythagorean Theorem of Baseballrelates the number of runs a team has scored and surrendered to its actual winning percentage....There are two ways of calculating Pythagorean Winning Percentage (W%). The more commonly used, and simpler version uses an exponent of 2 in the formula. W%=[(Runs Scored)^2]/[(Runs Scored)^

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-35884442868563166072010-09-15T21:25:00.008-05:002010-09-19T09:12:40.732-05:00

In the preceding post, I identified six eras of "modern" baseball:1901-1919 -- Deadball ("modern")1920-1941 -- Lively Ball I1942-1946 -- Wartime Lull1947-1961 -- Lively Ball II1962-1993 -- High Plateau1994-2xxx -- Juiced PlayerThese six eras have distinctive characters, which are captured in the following table: Change from 1901-1919 Runs per HR per Add'l runs

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-16396673869088126202010-09-14T18:29:00.010-05:002010-09-15T08:56:17.565-05:00

It is generally thought that the lively ball era began in 1920. In that year, the number of home runs per major-league game jumped to 0.511, eclipsing the previous "modern" high of 0.411, set in 1911. But the home-run barrage was only beginning in 1920. It jumped to 0.762 per game in 1921 -- nearly double the 1911 mark -- and continued around a rising trend through the rest of the pre-World War

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-60376530587147201692010-09-11T18:11:00.004-05:002010-09-11T18:21:37.745-05:00

The induction of Andre Dawson into the Hall of Fame provides a new benchmark for admission:a career OPS+* of at least 119 anda career BA of at least .279By that standard, there are 45 players (past and present) with substantial careers (at least 8,000 plate appearances) who deserve (or will deserve) membership in the Hall of Fame. Here they are, ranked by career OPS+ and then by career BA:

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-13705715130132886842010-08-12T15:16:00.004-05:002010-08-12T15:32:12.537-05:00

Are sluggers becoming more or less prevalent?To answer that question, I went to the Play Index feature of Baseball-Reference.com. I was able to find (thanks to a paid subscription to Play Index) the number of players, by season, with an OPS+ statistic* of 150 or more, from 1901 through 2009. Dividing each season's number by the number of major-league teams, I obtained the following result:

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-75498524533719975212010-07-26T19:20:00.003-05:002010-07-26T20:55:54.757-05:00

Drawing on statistics available at Baseball-Reference.com, I have plotted complete games as a percentage of games started, by league and for both major leagues, at five-year intervals from 1904 through 2009. (It would have been too cumbersome and not worth the effort to have transcribed the statistics for every season from 1901 through 2010).The result:Observations:The rise of complete games in

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-85877883128602775422010-05-18T16:36:00.004-05:002010-05-18T17:22:42.674-05:00

It has long been conventional wisdom in baseball that batters hit their peak in their late 20s and go into decline after the age of 30. But inasmuch as this conventional wisdom pre-dates the days of massive computerized databases and spreadsheets, can it be true, or is it the baseball equivalent of an old wives tale?To answer that question, I went to the Play Index feature of

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-83271795150914562212010-02-07T14:44:00.003-06:002010-02-07T15:28:46.109-06:00

Since the advent of three-tiered postseason play in 1995, a league's best team has seldom appeared in the World Series. Here's the tally (National League teams listed first; * indicates winner of World Series):1995 --Atlanta Braves (division winner; .625 W-L, best record in NL)*Cleveland Indians (division winner; .694 W-L, best record in AL)1996 --Atlanta Braves (division winner; .593, best in NL

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-1067891473787907182009-08-18T16:51:00.004-05:002009-08-19T15:22:47.237-05:00

According to Baseball-Reference.com:The Pythagorean Theorem of Baseball is a creation of Bill James which relates the number of runs a team has scored and surrendered to its actual winning percentage, based on the idea that runs scored/runs allowed is a better indicator of a team's (future) performance than a team's actual winning percentage. This results in a formula which is referred to as

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-53229069993658020972009-06-08T11:31:00.007-05:002010-08-11T11:09:15.924-05:00

UPDATED, 08/11/10About four years ago (at Liberty Corner) I drew on the archives of Dead or Alive? to list a number of erstwhile celebrities who were then alive at the age of 90 or older. Here's how the list looks today: Charles Lane 102, George Kennan 101, George Beverly Shea 101, Max Schmeling 99, Eddie Albert 99, Michael DeBakey 99, Luise Rainer 100, Gloria Stuart 100, Dale Messick 98,

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-63411017149924497092009-05-11T21:38:00.004-05:002009-05-11T21:58:14.455-05:00

Way back in September 2004, before the Montreal Expos became the Washington Nationals, I wrote:To succeed financially, the new Washington team must draw well from the Maryland and Virginia suburbs. Attendance will be high for a few years, because the closeness of major-league baseball will be a novelty to fans who've had to trek to Baltimore to see the increasingly hapless Orioles. But

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-59497556064079460712009-01-20T10:00:00.004-06:002009-01-20T10:11:33.527-06:00

One person administered the presidential oath of office nine times (a record). Who was that person, and to which presidents did he administer the oath? Scroll down for the answer.John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States from 1801 to 1835, administered the oath to Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and 1805, James Madison in 1809 and 1813, James Monroe in 1817 and 1821, John Quincy Adams in 1825,

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-85425592651338874392009-01-14T11:25:00.008-06:002009-01-15T14:48:46.112-06:00

Here is the problem (from Misha Lemeshko, via Eugene Volokh):8809 = 67111 = 02172 = 06666 = 41111 = 03213 = 07662 = 29312 = 10000 = 42222 = 03333 = 05555 = 08193 = 38096 = 57777 = 09999 = 47756 = 16855 = 39881 = 55531 = 02581 = ?I found the general and specific solutions to the problem after pondering it for about 15 minutes. Can you do it?If you've given up, or want to check your answers

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-43389760733246302442009-01-11T21:13:00.005-06:002009-01-15T12:29:58.164-06:00

The sub-hed of an article at City Journal asks "If human beings are naturally risk-averse, then what the heck happened on Wall Street?" The question can be expressed in the following syllogism:Major premise: All humans are risk-averse.Minor premise: Humans work on Wall Street (i.e., financial markets).Conclusion: The humans who work on Wall Street are risk-averse.It should be obvious to the

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-70542281640994772042008-12-14T11:30:00.000-06:002008-12-14T11:35:46.593-06:00

Given the recent (official) announcement that the U.S. has been in recession since December 2007, I decided to look at the record of business cycles compiled by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The following graphs depict the length of expansions and contractions (and the trends in both), before and since the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913.Source: "Business Cycle

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-46120741776922378352008-12-11T19:00:00.002-06:002008-12-11T19:14:34.246-06:00

Marginal Revolution has become an increasingly "marginal" blog because its dominant contributor, Tyler Cowen, has become increasingly incoherent. It turns out that Cowen is a fan of Elliott Carter, who writes incoherent "music," of which many samples can be heard here.Neither sound economics nor good music is consistent with incoherence. Therefore, I have scratched Marginal Revolution from my

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-88477328232176931712008-12-06T12:30:00.005-06:002008-12-08T21:28:50.134-06:00

Greg Maddux, who is about to announce his retirement from baseball, is a cinch for election to the Hall of Fame: 355 wins, .610 winning average, ERA+ of 132. But Maddux, like recently-retired Mike Mussina, shouldn't be ranked with the "immortals" -- the 16 Hall of Fame pitchers whose excellence, in my view, ranks them above their peers. (See this post and this post for relevant background.)Maddux

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-53628164708169192632008-12-02T17:45:00.002-06:002008-12-02T17:49:12.305-06:00

From a post at my old blog, dated January 16, 2008:On November 14, 2007, I wrote:Is it possible that the current bull market reached a temporary peak in May of this year, and is now descending toward a secondary bottom that it will not reach for a few years?This was my tentative answer, then:A reversal that lasts a year or two seems entirely possible to me.My less tentative answer, now, is that

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-60627870141646831572008-11-30T19:35:00.001-06:002008-12-01T18:41:49.077-06:00

Macroeconomics (the study of aggregate economic activity), in most expositions of it that I have seen, fails on two counts. First, macroeconomics usually ignores or accounts inadequately for microeconomic behavior, that is, the behavior of individual persons and firms. Second, it aggregates that which cannot be aggregated, namely, disparate forms of economic activity performed by disparate

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-47906372277602754262008-11-28T17:45:00.005-06:002008-11-29T18:34:02.242-06:00

According to the Centers for Disease Control, about eight-tenths of one percent of Americans died in 2005 (the most recent year for which CDC has published death rates). That's about 800 persons (825.9 to be precise) out of every 100,000.To put that number in perspective, imagine a dozen dozen eggs (i.e., a gross of eggs, for those who still know the numeric meaning of "gross"). Only about one of

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-2583881486611240812008-11-22T09:59:00.003-06:002008-11-22T17:38:50.562-06:00

I have said all that I wish to say about November 22, 1963, as a political event, and about JFK's performance as president. My purpose here is simply to mark what ranks as the third-most shocking day of my lifetime. The most shocking, because I remember it all too well, is September 11, 2001. The second-most shocking, which I remember not at all (because I was so young), is December 7, 1941.JFK's

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-15921424515204925472008-11-21T16:20:00.001-06:002008-11-21T16:26:38.421-06:00

...of the Laffer Curve, when you can have the real thing? The author of the first-linked item suggests that the amount of income remaining in private hands is maximized at an overall tax rate of 25 percent. My empirically-based estimate (second link) puts the private-income maximizing tax rate at 15 percent. The latter figure is a practical minimum:The normal peacetime burden of government

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-16448082971272418232008-11-20T18:05:00.001-06:002008-11-20T18:13:47.011-06:00

I once opined that aHall of Fame [starting] pitcher will have at least 300 wins or, at least 250 wins and an ERA+ of 120 or higher. (Go here and scroll down for the definition of ERA+.) or, at least 200 wins and a W-L average of .600 or better and an ERA+ of 120 or higher.I opined, further, that an " 'immortal' pitcher will have at least 250 wins, a winning average of at least .600, and an

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-62839786095846062042008-11-18T21:20:00.000-06:002008-11-18T21:24:54.902-06:00

The six songs I remember from an early age:"I've Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle" (probably sung by Gene Autry)"You Are My Sunshine" (probably sung by Jimmie Davis, who wrote it)"Cool Water" (sung by the Sons of the Pioneers)"Always" (sung by Dinah Shore)"Mairzy Doats" (probably sung by the Andrews Sisters)"Let It Snow"

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-55935684808165267332008-11-18T13:25:00.001-06:002008-12-12T04:42:41.811-06:00

I once remarked on the longevity of presidents:The [following] graph highlights trends (such as they are) in the age at which presidents have died (or to which they have survived if still living), the age at which they were elected or succeeded to the presidency, and the number of years by which they survived (or have thus far survived) election or succession. (I have omitted assassinated

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-69829330340782817612008-11-05T16:15:00.001-06:002008-11-12T13:52:10.517-06:00

I present the following graph as a matter of historical interest; no political commentary is intended or implied.Draw your own conclusions, if there are any to be drawn.

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-7766767180794112862008-11-02T13:13:00.004-06:002008-11-02T13:59:59.241-06:00

Why is "gunite" pronounced gun-ite, whereas "granite" is pronounced gran-it?If, in 1950, Harry Truman had said "four score and seven years ago," he would have been referring to 1863, the year in which Abraham Lincoln uttered that famous phrase.In the computer industry, "email" is preferred to "e-mail." But it seems to me that "e-mail" better represents the phrase "electronic mail." The meaning of

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-81666039397505201672008-10-27T10:40:00.003-05:002008-10-27T14:45:27.988-05:00

The popularity of the first names of my grandparents, in the years of their birth (all in the last three decades of the nineteenth century):Joseph - 7th (all ranks from the Social Security index of popular baby names)Delia - 126thErnest - 24thHazel - 26thAs of 2007:Joseph - 13thDelia - 989thErnest - not in the top 1000Hazel - 361stWhereas, in 2007,Anthony was 7th among male names (103rd when

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-41280121303303533302008-10-25T15:57:00.002-05:002008-10-26T20:04:46.294-05:00

The seven-game World Series holds the promise of high drama. That promise is fulfilled if the Series stretches to a seventh game and that game goes down to the wire. Courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, here is what has happened in the deciding game of the Series that have been played to date:1909 - Pittsburgh (NL) 8 - Detroit (AL) 01912 - Boston (AL) 3 - New York (NL) 2 (10 innings)1925 -

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-62134911361329059922008-10-24T23:20:00.002-05:002008-10-24T23:21:32.594-05:00

The last exciting World Series took place in 2001. It played out dramatically and ended heartbreakingly. The Yankees -- sentimental favorites in the fall of 2001, even among Yankee-haters -- fought back from a 2-0 deficit to forge a 3-2 lead, then lost it all in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game.No Series since has gone to seven games. Even if this year's Series does, relatively

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-8620598292056537182008-10-23T22:19:00.001-05:002008-10-24T12:49:46.411-05:00

Apropos nothing (or everything): Truth is not what someone says it is, or is not. Truth is truth, no matter the fame, wealth, position, or prestige of the person who proclaims a truth or advances a falsehood.

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-67263465607197750142008-10-23T16:20:00.003-05:002008-10-23T16:55:59.391-05:00

American League teams include the St. Petersburg ("Tampa Bay") Rays, the Minneapolis ("Minnesota") Twins, the Anaheim ("Los Angeles") Angels, and the Arlington ("Texas") Rangers. Over in the National League we find the Miami ("Florida") Marlins, the Phoenix ("Arizona") Diamondbacks, and the Denver ("Colorado") Rockies.The practice of associating a baseball team with a place other than the city in

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-33710552985991036312008-10-15T19:15:00.000-05:002008-10-15T19:16:02.339-05:00

Intellectual truth is what you "know" because the "knowledge" flows from a logical argument (which may be supported, in part, by "facts"). Real truth is what you know from direct knowledge.Intellectual truth can be useful; often, it is indispensable. If your father tells you that it is dangerous -- probably life-threatening -- to drive a car into a stone wall at 60 miles and hour, you are well

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-6301896889284753232008-10-14T10:50:00.001-05:002008-10-14T10:51:04.375-05:00

Richard BarthelmessWarner BaxterBebe DanielsRichard DixKay FrancisGail Patrick

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-57352936065205046472008-10-13T16:04:00.002-05:002008-10-13T18:18:44.806-05:00

A good reason to hope that the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Boston Red Sox and win the American League championship: The first game of the World Series is scheduled for October 22. The American League team will host that game. The forecast high for Boston on October 22 is 56 degrees; it will probably be in the mid-40s by game time. The Rays play in a domed stadium.Over in the National League, where

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-76038098003061259712008-10-12T19:59:00.007-05:002008-10-13T15:44:24.938-05:00

Movies I have seen this year:Once - Buskers' holiday.The Savages, Married Life - Good actors wasting their time and mine.No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Straight Time, 3:10 to Yuma, Gone Baby Gone, American Gangster - Good actors wasting their time and mine with gratuitous

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-79078085889459016132008-10-10T12:20:00.004-05:002008-10-11T18:26:29.639-05:00

As measured by the Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index, the price of U.S. stocks has declined about 45 percent from the peak of about a year ago. That drop rivals the crash of 1929, when the value of the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 48 percent of its value from the peak on September 1 to an initial bottom on November 13. (After recovering for a while, the Dow continued to slide, reaching

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-70578137835337682002008-10-06T19:32:00.000-05:002008-10-06T19:32:23.728-05:00

This year marked the first time that both the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox were involved in post-season play. The first time was not a charm, as the Cubs lost their post-season series to the Dodgers, and the White Sox lost their post-season series to the Rays. Dreams of an all-Chicago World Series have vanished like soap bubbles.

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-15617388845129134422008-10-05T16:23:00.003-05:002008-10-06T09:56:49.522-05:00

It has been observed many times that some illustrious baseball players would have amassed even more impressive career statistics than they did, had it not been for their service in the armed forces during World War II. Bob Feller, for example, missed the 1942-45 seasons (except for a few games at the end of the '45 season); Joe Dimaggio, the 1943-45 seasons; Ted Williams, the 1943-45 seasons (and

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-65797185727888548092008-10-04T12:52:00.001-05:002008-10-05T12:27:09.447-05:00

A sidekick, according to Wikipedia,is a stock character, a close companion who assists a partner in a superior position. Sancho Panza in Don Quixote, Doctor Watson in Sherlock Holmes and Batman's companion Robin are some well-known sidekicks....Sidekicks not only provide comic relief but can occasionally be brave or resourceful at times and rescue the hero from some dire fate: such as ... Festus

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-78619230355327907932008-09-28T13:55:00.005-05:002008-12-12T04:42:43.693-06:00

Here are the records of the best American League teams over the years, as measured by centered, nine-year won-lost average (to enlarge, right-click and select "open link in new tab"):Derived from statistics available at Baseball-Reference.com. The series begins in 1905 (the middle year of the span 1901-1909) and ends with 2004 (the middle year of the span 2000-2008).Two points: (1) The Yankees

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-73875443680372411742008-09-27T15:35:00.013-05:002008-09-30T21:18:45.157-05:00

UPDATED 09/30/08The World Series of major-league baseball was initiated in 1903 as a showdown between the best team in each league, the toddling American League (born 1901) and the twenty-something National League (born 1876). So far, so good, but with the advent of two-tiered post-season play in 1969 and three-tiered post-season play in 1995, each league often has not been represented by its

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-69763682619593254762008-09-22T12:35:00.007-05:002008-09-22T18:56:39.078-05:00

The Pittsburgh Pirates of major-league baseball will have a losing season this year, thus extending the team's string of losing seasons to 16 (1993-2008) and tying the dubious record of the Philadelphia Phillies (1933-1948).The leading consecutive-season losers in other major sports are, as far as I can determine, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of pro football (15 seasons, 1982-1996), the Kansas City/

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-68138271611948096282008-09-18T23:08:00.006-05:002008-09-28T16:41:43.375-05:00

The 2006 season began brightly for the Detroit Tigers, a team that had posted a losing record in each of its preceding twelve seasons. The Tigers went 76-36 (.679) in the the first 112 games of the 2006 season, running up a ten-game lead in their division. The Detroiters then went cold and played 29-31 (.483) the rest of the way. As a result, they finished second in their division. Nevertheless,

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-40167279640884491642008-09-17T21:43:00.006-05:002008-09-20T11:14:14.450-05:00

Compare the legendary John McCormack (1884-1945), an Irish tenor whose career spanned five decades, and Brooklyn-born Franklyn Baur (1904-1950), whose career lasted less than ten years.Both singers recorded many popular songs of the 1920s (McCormack samples here and here; Baur samples here). McCormack's influence on Baur (among others) is unmistakable, most notably in Irving Berlin's "You Forgot

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-66253989828150510912008-09-15T15:46:00.003-05:002008-12-12T04:42:43.887-06:00

Yes, we are in a bear market, as I foresaw here and confirmed here. But let's put the downturn in perspective:Dow Jones Wilshire 5000 Composite Index(12,184.44, as of 4:46 p.m. ET today)(c) BigCharts.comEven with today's significant drop (4.55 percent), the market is high by historical standards. (For example, the Wilshire 5000 Full-Cap Index, a broad measure of U.S. stock prices, is still higher

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-77814305721438174472008-09-11T16:41:00.002-05:002008-09-13T13:05:30.370-05:00

The classic era of American automobile design began in the 1920s and lasted through the late 1930s. Here are some of my favorites:1927 Kissel 8-75 Speedster1929 Jordan Speedboy G1929 Duesenberg J 350 Willoughby1930 Pierce Arrow Roadster1932 Cadillac 355B Sport Phaeton1932 Pierce Arrow Model 54 7-Passenger Touring Car1934 Packard Eleventh Series Eight 1101 Convertible Sedan1935 Auburn 8-851

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-50462042541016301742008-08-22T11:50:00.002-05:002008-08-22T11:53:00.021-05:00

I present, without comment, a petite histoire graphique of the unemployment rate in the United States. The median is 5.5 percent.Sources: Statistical Abstracts of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, Series D85-D86 (http://www2.census.gov/prod2/statcomp/documents/CT1970p1-05.pdf) and Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Status of the Civilian Noninstitutional Population, 1942 to date (ftp

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-71967585428965482662008-08-15T15:18:00.004-05:002008-08-16T15:17:58.122-05:00

Norm Cash and Brady Anderson had respectable careers by major-league norms, but each also had a "career year" that stood far above his other accomplishments as a player.In Cash's case, the one-season wonder was his league-leading batting average of .361 in 1961. It was Cash's first and last .300 season in a career that included 14 full seasons of play. His second-best average was .283; his

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-38251229727445902008-08-12T17:49:00.001-05:002008-08-13T12:00:08.652-05:00

Many baseball fans consider Vin Scully to have been the best announcer in baseball's long history. Others favor the Southern stylings of Ernie Harwell. I respect Scully and Harwell, but I prefer the late Skip Caray's acerbic wit.Yes, Caray's partisanship toward the Atlanta Braves was obvious, but he could be tough on the Braves, as well. In any event, he didn't shirk from the truth about what

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-67878210705006742722008-08-12T14:25:00.003-05:002008-08-13T16:21:45.656-05:00

William Lyon (Billy) Phelps was, in his day (1865-1943), a noted professor of English literature (Yale), proponent of Jane Austen, writer of popular prose, public lecturer, and preacher (he was also an ordained minister). I learned of Phelps because he and his wife summered at Huron City, Michigan, not far from the village where my grandmother lived.The Phelps's summer home (which Mrs. Phelps

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-25661390091433846502008-08-07T15:51:00.006-05:002008-08-08T15:06:57.111-05:00

...when I owned a small business in a rural village......one of my customers was the owner of a country inn. He and I traded services instead of paying each other in cash. (I did declare the value of services received as income on my tax returns.) As a result, my family and I enjoyed many a meal in this bucolic setting:Our favorite seats were on the glassed-in porch (lower photo, left). There we

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-66457561223248905082008-08-06T16:20:00.008-05:002008-08-06T17:35:45.578-05:00

I like red as an accent color. I especially like red's brighter and deeper hues (for example, carmine, cerise, cherry, cinnabar, crimson, fuschia, magenta, maroon, ruby, sanguine, scarlet, and vermillion). Therefore:

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-23542656324542069972008-08-03T11:54:00.011-05:002008-08-04T08:43:16.944-05:00

You may remember the movie Groundhog Day (1993), in which the character played by Bill Murray keeps having the same day over and over again. (If you haven't seen the movie, do so; I recommend it.)Has the same thing happened in major-league baseball? That is, in its 137-year history (1871-2007), has a season has ended with a league's teams finishing in the same positions as those they had occupied

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-23176913633196703022008-08-01T16:05:00.005-05:002008-08-02T21:19:00.858-05:00

This isn't a "political" post. Read on.Forty-two different men have served as president of the United States, although the official number of presidents is 43 because Grover Cleveland was elected to two non-consecutive terms, each of which is counted as a separate presidency. Herein, I present some important facts about those 42 men and their 43 presidencies, and about the implications of those

Thomasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1569926881418794486.post-79017723987744252002008-07-30T17:43:00.002-05:002008-12-12T04:42:46.840-06:00

It's often said that Washington, D.C., isn't a "baseball town." Why, then, does D.C. have yet another major-league team? Only because Members of Congress, who live in and around D.C. and treat it as a second constituency (or colonial territory), pressured Major League Baseball to move the failing Montreal Expos to D.C.The long, sad history of big-league ball in D.C. goes back to 1901 and the

Thomasnoreply@blogger.com