soapbox

Baseball’s had some really powerful stories going this week, in spite of the (sorry, Jimmy) malaise surrounding pro sports of late, due to scandals running rampant in football, basketball, and trudging towards infamy.

Too bad the usual sports media is too caught up in these to focus on the more compelling stuff happening all around it. Not only did we get to see Lester’s triumphant return to the mound after beating cancer (see my previous post), but we were shocked and saddened by the tragic death of KC’s AA 3B coach, Mike Coolbaugh.

Some of the thoughts expressed by the other MLB base coaches interviews in that last article echo thoughts I’ve had for years, primarily being: why don’t those guys get helmets?!? Just like the hard-hat-style cap that many catchers use (and that John Olerud wore when playing 1B) would probably have been enough to prevent or reduce the effects of incidents such as this.

Now that I’m on the subject, it seems like coaches could used some of those various armor-plated attachments that many hitters have taken to wearing. Shin guard thingies, elbow pads, something. Those poor guys are like fish in a barrel at a shooting gallery sometimes. As tragic an event as Coolbaugh’s death is, I hope that MLB decides to mandate some protective gear for the coaches in the aftermath, thereby preventing more such tragedies in the future and perhaps giving his family some sense of closure…

So, even though it sucks when Big Papi has to take a break for an injury (get well soon!), you do get some quality Tito quotes out of the whole lineup shuffle that inevitably takes place:

“Manny was all excited about hitting third yesterday,” Francona said. “He didn’t get a hit, so he wants it right back at fourth. That’s the extent of that baseball genius.”

Now that’s comedy gold there, people, let me tell you!

In other news, it was great to see Lester back and pitching pretty darned well after last year’s scary run-in with cancer. He got a little frazzled after giving up the 2-run homer, but he held it together well in the end and gave a solid start. Welcome back, Jon! Welcome back indeed!

On Mike’s orders, I am setting up a post for everyone to list “must get” applications for a new Macintosh.  Please list any software that you think a new user should have.  I recommend Firefox and Thunderbird for all your web and e-mail needs.

I’m back home from a weeklong conference trip, and have two interesting things to report.

First, I managed to get a little bit over 34 mpg for the 700 or so miles that I drove. Sticking it in 6th and cruising at 70 apparently works well. (Especially since the window sticker claims I should have only gotten 31 mpg.)

Second, if you ever want to drive a pucker-inducing road, try Route 321 S out of Johnson City, TN, towards Boone, NC. There’s a 30 mile stretch where you never go straight for more than 1000 feet, where occasionally one side of the road is up against a hill and the other side is up against nothing, where kudzu has completely removed the ability to see around curves, and where the road designers were apparently in love with decreasing radius turns. Oh yeah, no shoulders either.

Managed to get the brakes pretty hot through some sections there and my milage definitely wasn’t in the 30s. I think though with 2 or 3 runs through it to really understand the road, it could be a really impressive ride.

…1500 inmates at a Filipino prison performing the “Thriller” routine!

I know Nathaniel’s probably already seen this, since we read many of the same websites, but this was just too cool to let go. Awesome, very awesome.

Now, why can’t we have more of this sort of reform and rehabilitation in our penal system?

American sport isn’t doing well this week.   For those who don’t watch ESPN:

(1) Michael Vick indicted as part of the on-going dogfighting investigation.  Just plain ugly, I’ll not say more.

(2) In a story that broke this afternoon, an NBA referee is under investigation by the FBI for allegations that he bet on games that he officiated over the past two seasons, and that he made calls affecting the point spread in games.  Wow.  (I wonder if Rasheed Wallace feels a little bit of vindication?)

You’ve been warned, but for the stubborn here you go.  Checkers/Draughts is now the most complex game to be completely solved, and after 18 years the University of Alberta effort has been rigorously proven to be unable to lose.

Considerately, they allow you to play a “reduced strength” version of the program.