ashbury

I started to be snarky and post this to a particular thread that was annoying me.  But I thought twice, and will post it here, in a vacuum.
What's The Best Logical Fallacy?
A famous Logic professor told me the Appeal to Authority Fallacy is the best.
Anyone who doesn't say the Ad Hominem Fallacy is best is a poopyhead.
Argument from Repetition Fallacy is the best. Repetition. Argument from. Best.
Begging the Question Fallacy is the best because it is superior to all others.
Cherry Picking Fallacy is the best; this message is all you need, to see that.
Circular Argument Fallacy is best because nothing is better than an argument that is circular.
Either the False Dilemma Fallacy, or pure evil, is best, ergo False Dilemma.
Everyone is saying the Bandwagon Fallacy is best, so it must be.
False Equivalence Fallacy is no worse than any other and therefore is the best.
Have you or have you not stopped using the best: the Loaded Question Fallacy?
I bet double my last bet the next one will say the Gambler's Fallacy is best.
I just heard about the Recency Bias Fallacy. It's gotta be the best one ever.
I mistyped another fallacy, so Hasty Generalization Fallacy is the best.
I used to think Stockholm Syndrome Fallacy wasn't best but I'm warming up to it.
I've had success with Proof by Example Fallacy as the best. This is Exhibit A.
If Affirming the Consequent Fallacy is the best, then I wrote this. And I did.
If the Slippery Slope Fallacy isn't the best, pretty soon we'll have anarchy.
If you loved me you'd let me call the Emotional Appeal Fallacy the best.
It can't be a best list if you leave out the No True Scotsman Fallacy.
It's your job to prove the Burden of Proof Fallacy ISN'T the best. Not mine.
Super geniuses Dunning & Kruger invented the best Fallacy, Overconfidence Bias.
The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is best - it's only natural.
The Black and White Fallacy is either the best, or else all logic is wrong.
The Ipse Dixit Fallacy is best, full stop, case closed.
The Red Herring Fallacy is the best because, oh look, a squirrel!
The Straw Man Fallacy is the best because my opponent intends to outlaw it.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy is best and it's too late to pick a different one anyway.
The Survivorship Fallacy is best because it saved my life.
The long-neglected Appeal to Pity Fallacy is the one to support as best.
To deny Moral Equivalence Fallacy as the best is just like robbing a bank.
The Tautology Fallacy is best. When outlawed only outlaws will have Tautologies.

I started to be snarky and post this to a particular thread that was annoying me.  But I thought twice, and will post it here, in a vacuum.
What's The Best Logical Fallacy?
A famous Logic professor told me the Appeal to Authority Fallacy is the best.
Anyone who doesn't say the Ad Hominem Fallacy is best is a poopyhead.
Argument from Repetition Fallacy is the best. Repetition. Argument from. Best.
Begging the Question Fallacy is the best because it is superior to all others.
Cherry Picking Fallacy is the best; this message is all you need, to see that.
Circular Argument Fallacy is best because nothing is better than an argument that is circular.
Either the False Dilemma Fallacy, or pure evil, is best, ergo False Dilemma.
Everyone is saying the Bandwagon Fallacy is best, so it must be.
False Equivalence Fallacy is no worse than any other and therefore is the best.
Have you or have you not stopped using the best: the Loaded Question Fallacy?
I bet double my last bet the next one will say the Gambler's Fallacy is best.
I just heard about the Recency Bias Fallacy. It's gotta be the best one ever.
I mistyped another fallacy, so Hasty Generalization Fallacy is the best.
I used to think Stockholm Syndrome Fallacy wasn't best but I'm warming up to it.
I've had success with Proof by Example Fallacy as the best. This is Exhibit A.
If Affirming the Consequent Fallacy is the best, then I wrote this. And I did.
If the Slippery Slope Fallacy isn't the best, pretty soon we'll have anarchy.
If you loved me you'd let me call the Emotional Appeal Fallacy the best.
It can't be a best list if you leave out the No True Scotsman Fallacy.
It's your job to prove the Burden of Proof Fallacy ISN'T the best. Not mine.
Super geniuses Dunning & Kruger invented the best Fallacy, Overconfidence Bias.
The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is best - it's only natural.
The Black and White Fallacy is either the best, or else all logic is wrong.
The Ipse Dixit Fallacy is best, full stop, case closed.
The Red Herring Fallacy is the best because, oh look, a squirrel!
The Straw Man Fallacy is the best because my opponent intends to outlaw it.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy is best and it's too late to pick a different one anyway.
The Survivorship Fallacy is best because it saved my life.
The long-neglected Appeal to Pity Fallacy is the one to support as best.
To deny Moral Equivalence Fallacy as the best is just like robbing a bank.
The Tautology Fallacy is best. When outlawed only outlaws will have Tautologies.

I started to be snarky and post this to a particular thread that was annoying me.  But I thought twice, and will post it here, in a vacuum.
What's The Best Logical Fallacy?
A famous Logic professor told me the Appeal to Authority Fallacy is the best.
Anyone who doesn't say the Ad Hominem Fallacy is best is a poopyhead.
Argument from Repetition Fallacy is the best. Repetition. Argument from. Best.
Begging the Question Fallacy is the best because it is superior to all others.
Cherry Picking Fallacy is the best; this message is all you need, to see that.
Circular Argument Fallacy is best because nothing is better than an argument that is circular.
Either the False Dilemma Fallacy, or pure evil, is best, ergo False Dilemma.
Everyone is saying the Bandwagon Fallacy is best, so it must be.
False Equivalence Fallacy is no worse than any other and therefore is the best.
Have you or have you not stopped using the best: the Loaded Question Fallacy?
I bet double my last bet the next one will say the Gambler's Fallacy is best.
I just heard about the Recency Bias Fallacy. It's gotta be the best one ever.
I mistyped another fallacy, so Hasty Generalization Fallacy is the best.
I used to think Stockholm Syndrome Fallacy wasn't best but I'm warming up to it.
I've had success with Proof by Example Fallacy as the best. This is Exhibit A.
If Affirming the Consequent Fallacy is the best, then I wrote this. And I did.
If the Slippery Slope Fallacy isn't the best, pretty soon we'll have anarchy.
If you loved me you'd let me call the Emotional Appeal Fallacy the best.
It can't be a best list if you leave out the No True Scotsman Fallacy.
It's your job to prove the Burden of Proof Fallacy ISN'T the best. Not mine.
Super geniuses Dunning & Kruger invented the best Fallacy, Overconfidence Bias.
The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is best - it's only natural.
The Black and White Fallacy is either the best, or else all logic is wrong.
The Ipse Dixit Fallacy is best, full stop, case closed.
The Red Herring Fallacy is the best because, oh look, a squirrel!
The Straw Man Fallacy is the best because my opponent intends to outlaw it.
The Sunk Cost Fallacy is best and it's too late to pick a different one anyway.
The Survivorship Fallacy is best because it saved my life.
The long-neglected Appeal to Pity Fallacy is the one to support as best.
To deny Moral Equivalence Fallacy as the best is just like robbing a bank.
The Tautology Fallacy is best. When outlawed only outlaws will have Tautologies.

I've mentioned it a few times around here the last year or so, but I will be having a fun little adventure this summer and enjoying a game in every team's home park. I chose this summer so I could also enjoy a World Baseball Classic game or 2. Since I know you all can't get enough of my thoughts, feelings, and opinions on all things baseball, I figured I'd start a blog and share the journey with you. This first entry is to lay out the plan for you so you can see what it's going to look like and I can see what people are interested in hearing about.
Ticket plans: My plans for game tickets to MLB games are to get the cheapest tickets I can to almost every game. I want to see the parks. I want to see what the views are like from different angles and areas. I don't plan to be in my seat for most of the game so I don't want to waste money on expensive seats. The stadium I am most considering getting specific seats to is Fenway. I think it'd be fun to sit on The Monster. So, I may do that. If anyone has insight on other seat locations at other parks that are truly special and really provide a unique vantage point to a game, please let me know!
Travel plans: I don't want to drive in New York, so I will be doing a flight out to Washington and then trains and ubers and rental cars from there on my east coast swing. But the rest will be done in my trusty camper van. That will lead to some long days and tight windows on getting to some games and getting out of town after games, but it'll make for an exciting adventure! The WBC trip will be done solo, but the plan is to bring my dog with on the others. There'll be some hotel nights mixed in when we just need a night indoors with some comfort, but we're hearty, northern camping folk so we'll be good on the road most of the time. This will also allow us to save a few bucks over the flight and hotel option.
Schedule:
WBC/Spring Training- 
3/11 Dominican Republic vs Venezuela in Miami
3/12 Mets vs Cardinals in Jupiter
3/12 Nats vs Astros in West Palm Beach
3/13 Pool C vs Pool D WBC Quarterfinal in Miami
West Coast-
5/1 Colorado Rockies vs Braves
5/3 Sacramento Athletics vs Guardians
5/4 San Francisco Giants vs Padres
5/6 Los Angeles Angels vs White Sox
5/7 San Diego Padres vs Cardinals
5/8 Los Angeles Dodgers vs Braves
5/9 Arizona Diamondbacks vs Mets
5/11 Texas Rangers vs Diamondbacks
5/12 Houston Astros vs Mariners
Northeast-
5/21 Washington Nationals vs Mets
5/22 Baltimore Orioles vs Tigers
5/23 Philadelphia Phillies vs Guardians
5/24 New York Yankees vs Rays
5/25 New York Mets vs Reds
5/26 Boston Red Sox vs Braves
Midwest-
Chicago Cubs either start or end the trip with them depending on a couple other life events
6/22 Chicago White Sox vs Guardians
6/23 Cincinnati Reds vs Brewers
6/24 Pittsburgh Pirates vs Mariners
6/25 Toronto Blue Jays vs Rangers
6/26 Detroit Tigers vs Astros
6/27 Cleveland Guardians vs Mariners
6/28 Milwaukee Brewers vs Cubs
Southeast-
8/9 Kansas City Royals vs Cubs
8/10 St Louis Cardinals vs Phillies
8/11 Atlanta Braves vs Mets
8/13 Miami Marlins vs Pirates
8/14 Tampa Bay Rays vs Orioles
Seattle-
9/22 Seattle Mariners vs Astros
I'm in Seattle for a conference in September so they get their own special stand-alone game.
Minnesota-
Whenever. I live here. So, I'll go when the mood strikes.
There is an ability to move some games around and adjust with most of the schedule. Some of the schedule is pretty tight and that'll be fun and stressful all at the same time. I'm excited for the summer and think it'll be a pretty cool adventure.
Let me know what you think will be fun about it, what you think the pain points will be, and what things you think I should write about. What are you guys interested to know about all the different parks across the country and the challenge of seeing them all in one summer? Anything you're curious about with the WBC games? Let me know and I'll try my best to report back on it all!
Spring training has arrived and baseball season is right around the corner!

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

As the Twins' season sputters to a merciful end, it seems only fitting to focus on our neighbors, the Milwaukee Brewers, who are dominating the league. I mean, what's not to love? They're named for a profession that brings many of us much joy. The very likable Christian Yelich has returned to form. Arguably their most exciting player may be a Brewer, but he's barely old enough to have a beer. Their second in the league in both steals and hits and their starting rotation is impressive. 
So, on that note, let's take a look at one of the only movies that features our Wisconsin neighbors, Bernie Mac's "Mr. 3000."

The plot of "Mr. 3000" is actually a pretty interesting premise. What if a player retired with one of those cherished milestones like 3000 hits, but it was later discovered to be a mistake? In the case of Stan Ross, the lead character of "Mr. 3000," played by Bernie Mac, it's a crushing blow. Not only did he quit the game the day he reached the milestone, he proceeded to market himself as Mr. 3000 with an auto dealership, restaurant, and a bunch of other businesses. It was his identity and, he thought, his ticket into the baseball Hall of Fame. So, when MLB realized they'd counted wrong and he only had 2997 hits nine years later, Stan had to suit up again at the ripe old age of 47. To make it more interesting, Stan is far from beloved by pretty much anyone associated with the game because he has always been a "me first" kind of player. 
So how does Bernie Mac look playing baseball? Honestly, he's terrible. At no point does he look like he could be a legit beer league softball player. His swing is wonky and his running is far from smooth. As for the other players, it's much the same. Many of the pitches we see look like those tosses from the home run derby where a players dad is serving them up at 62 miles per hour. There are a few good plays here and there, but overall, don't search this flick out if you're in the mood for authentic baseball feel. 
How's the acting otherwise? It's pretty subpar across the board, for the most part. Brian White plays "T-Rex," the team's current superstar when Stan makes his comeback, but he's a bit over the top with his selfish childishness. The rest of the team are no-namers and none of them stand out. Angela Bassett plays Stan's love interest, "Mo," and she's actually pretty good. By far my favorite acting job in this movie is done by Paul Sorvino, who plays the Brewer's manager, Gus Panas. Gus doesn't like Stan and didn't want him back on the team and shows his displeasure by being completely blank-faced in every scene. Seriously, I don't know what they paid Sorvino, but throughout the movie he's just there...staring. At a pivotal moment towards the end of the flick, he jumps out of the dugout to defend Stan against an umpire in a Silent Bob sort of twist.
It's hard for me to really rate this movie, because while I kind of like it, I don't really like much of anything about it? I like the premise, but Bernie Mac is pretty bad, the baseball is worse, and Stan's Disney-esque transformation from a me-first player to a self-sacrificing role model on the team doesn't come off as legit. Plus, I keep thinking that Mo needs to run away and don't look back. She can do better than Stan. The big spoiler at the end of the movie is a plus for me, because I like it when movies don't do the expected thing (I won't spoil it). I also like that they incorporated one of the running sausages and he's kind of a jerk.
Run Time: 1 hr 44 min
Scorecard: Bloop single. Worth watching, but don't get too excited. 

Best line:      Tom Arnold: Hey, we're sorry about all that stuff we said before you hit that homer...
                      Stan: Yeah, you wouldn't be anywhere if it wasn't for Roseanne.

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were brought on board to head the Twins front office in late 2016.  We have nearly a decade of drafts to look at now.  What might have happened under other leadership? 
I took a look at the first rounders picked by the Twins 2017-25 and then checked which player was taken next.  That's hardly an infallible way to look at it, but resembles a kind of "crowd sourcing" among the dozen or so other GMs in the majors during the same era as to how it might have gone had they been drafting in the Twins place.  And it attempts to avoid cherry-picking of one hypothetical outcome or another way, way down the draft list, where multiple other teams whiffed too. 
I've opted to omit the 2024-25 drafts since it's way too soon to evaluate them, but for the rest I show the bWAR career totals side by side:
2023    Walker Jenkins  0.0     As      Jacob Wilson    2.2
2023    Charlee Soto    0.0     Marlins Thomas White    0.0
2022    Brooks Lee      -0.8    Royals  Gavin Cross     0.0
2021    Chase Petty     -0.8    Padres  Jackson Merrill 6.1
2021    Noah Miller     0.0     Pirates Anthony Solometo        0.0
2020    Aaron Sabato    0.0     Yanks   Austin Wells    2.6
2019    Keoni Cavaco    0.0     Phils   Bryson Stott    9.4
2019    Matt Wallner    4.9     Rays    Seth Johnson    -0.4
2018    Trevor Larnach  3.6     Brewers Brice Turang    11.5
2017    Royce Lewis     4.0     Red     Hunter Greene   12.4
2017    Brent Rooker    8.9     Marlins Brian Miller    -0.1
Each one is worth discussing, which I'll do from the bottom up.  Rooker of course is a very interesting case, and he has turned himself into a quality major league hitter after two other organizations after the Twins gave up on him too.  He was a throw-in on the trade that brought us Paddack and Pagan, so even though we didn't reap his full potential by a long shot, at least we cashed him in for something and the next team who was drafting wound up with nothing to speak of.  Advantage: FalVine.
Royce Lewis is maybe even more interesting.  We coulda had Greene, and instead got a player whose potential seems to have been decimated by injury.  Advantage: not Falvine.
Larnach?  He's been okay.  The next guy in line has been a whole lot better so far. Advantage: not FalVine. 
Wallner.  He's been somewhat better than Larnach. The Rays didn't do nearly as well  Advantage: FalVine.
Cavaco. Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Sabato.  Oh boy.  Coulda had a major leaguer - could we use an additional catcher right now?  Advantage: not FalVine.
Miller.  He's knocking on the major league door with the Dodgers; we traded him for the unique athletic stylings of Manuel Margot. The next guy drafted hasn't panned out yet, although he still might.  I'll try not to hold Margot against Miller personally - whether foolishly or not, the Twins cashed Miller in for something.  Advantage (ever so slightly): FalVine.
Petty.  Another interesting case.  We cashed him in for two years of Sonny Gray.  But, but, but, the Padres have Merrill and will continue to have him for many years, per contract.  I don't think the Padres would make that same trade.  Advantage: not FalVine.
Lee.  The current WAR is ugly, but it's reasonable to think he'll continue to have a major league career - by my recollection, it was considered an 8-player draft and the Twins were choosing #8, but give them credit for not overthinking it.  The next guy drafted looks like he's not gonna make it.  Advantage: FalVine.
Soto.  This is a comparison of two high-school pitchers, so it's way premature.  The other guy has displayed more health/endurance so far, and with good ERAs - he's reached AA at age 20 and not yet missed a beat.  Advantage: I'm gonna call this a 'push' for the time being but the tea leaves are currently pointing in the wrong direction.
Jenkins.  The big kahuna, and the reason I drew the line at the 2023 draft when it's obviously premature.  It's interesting because the next guy drafted has reached the majors and is doing very well.  Do the Twins now regret choosing Jenkins?  I would doubt it - his ceiling is sky high.  Would the As have chosen differently than the Twins did, back in 2023?  I also doubt it - this was considered a 5-player draft and the Twins were choosing #5.  With all things considered, I'm going to maybe be controversial and not call it too soon to tell.  Advantage: a push - the Twins simply did what was expected and (arguably) did what any FO would have done.
So, count them up.  Of the 11 picks, I give FalVine the edge on 4, I call it a push on 2, and it's a worse outcome on 5.
But I think that a simple count understates it.  Which would you rather have right now?
Merrill, Wells, Stott, Turang, Greene? Lee, Gray (suppose we would have extended him), Wallner, Larnach, Lewis? Oof.  Going by WAR for 2025 all by itself (it's anyone's guess going forward), I'd have to say: Not An Impressive Body Of Work.
I want a 11 Do-Overs.  😀

Regular readers here will recall that I enjoy the computer game Out Of The Park.  Since it's a game and I'm not hurting anyone, I abuse some of its features terribly.  In particular, there is often no sense of there being 24 hours in a day.  So, as GM in the game, my typical style is to do a top-to-bottom assessment of every level of my franchise's farm system and 40-man on the first day of the off-season, then I use the trading interface to sell off every questionable asset that has trade value, in exchange for players who fit my preferences better.  All this in one day of game-time.
Normally I feel as though a dozen trades in one day is a serious betrayal of reality.
Now I feel fine.  Even if yesterday was the trade deadline, not the first day after the World Series, I have confirmation that it can be done. 
I can't help chuckling.  Sometimes we say a player is putting up video-game numbers.  Yesterday was a video-game day for our GM.

Hello, fellow humans! My name is William Malone IV. Son of William Malone III. And I come with great news! Spring training games are currently ongoing. This means we are getting closer to regular season baseball with every passing second.
The Minnesota Twins went 82-80 last year. They became the tenth team in American League history to finish with an exact record of 82-80. Let's take a look at what the next season had in store for the first nine American League clubs to finish 82-80.
1965 California Angels
The Los Angeles Angels went 82-80 in 1964. They changed their name to the California Angels in the off-season, but this did not make them play much better in 1965. California achieved a 75-87 record to follow up their 82-80 campaign. This was accomplished with insane home/road splits, going 46-34 at home and 29-53 on the road. Their middle infield duo of Bobby Knoop and Jim Fregosi both got MVP votes in 1965.
1969 Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics went 82-80 in 1968. Unlike the Angels, they did not go through a name change after posting that record, but they did change managers. Hank Bauer replaced Bill Kennedy, making him the A's third manager in three years. It turned into four managers in three years when Bauer got fired with eight games remaining. He went 80-69. John McNamara went 8-5, for a total record of 88-74.
1972 New York Yankees
The New York Yankees went 82-80 in 1971. They did not change their team name. They also did not change their manager. One interesting thing they did in in 1972 was retire the number eight...twice! It was retired for Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra. Dickey wore the number from 1930-46. Berra had worn the number from 1948-63. And then in 1972, they decided to retire the number for both of them. On the field, New York went 79-76 in a season that was shortened due to a player's strike.
1975 Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins went 82-80 in 1974. They did not change their name. They did not change their manager. They also did not retire any numbers that next season. But one thing they did do was release a franchise legend. Harmon Killebrew was cut by the Twins on January 16, 1975. He had hit .222 with a .672 OPS in 1975. Killebrew caught on with the Royals in 1975, but didn't do much better. Neither did the Twins, who finished 76-83.
1980 Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins went 82-80 in 1979. They did not make a managerial change during the off-season, but they did make one during the 1980 season. Gene Mauch resigned with the team sitting at 54-71, and was replaced by Johnny Goryl. Minnesota finished strong under Goryl, going 23-13 under him. But it was too little, too late. The Twins final record was 77-84. Goryl was brought back in 1981, but was quickly fired after an 11-25 start.
1992 Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals went 82-80 in 1991. They had gone through three different managers during that 1991 season. Hal McRae, who was manager number three, kept the job heading into 1992 after going 66-58 down the stretch the year before. Kansas City took a step back in 1992, going 72-90. Big off-season addition Kevin McReynolds was listed to just 109 games due to injury.
1994 Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners went 82-80 in 1993. But hopes were high in 1994. They had generational megastars Ken Griffey Jr and Randy Johnson. Seattle also had Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner in their lineup, and an 18-year old Alex Rodriguez was set to debut later in the year. But it takes more than five or six All-Stars, because the Mariners were sitting at 49-63 before the player's strike cut 1994 short.
2001 Anaheim Angels
The Anaheim Angels went 82-80 in 2000. They did not change their name this time, although they had changed their name since the last time we read about them. And they'll change their name again soon. But not right now. The 2001 Angles went 75-87. They were missing slugger Mo Vaughn, who had hit 36 home runs with 117 RBI in 2000. He missed the entire 2001 season with a torn bicep.
2024 New York Yankees
The New York Yankees went 82-80 in 2023. It was the first time they had missed the playoff since 2016, so they loaded up in the off-season by trading for star outfielder Juan Soto. He was awesome! Finishing third in the MVP voting and leading the Yankees to their first World Series since 2009. Practically carried them on his back too. Aaron Judge was nowhere to be seen in October, batting .184 in the postseason. Meanwhile, Soto hit .327 with a 1.101 OPS in the playoffs. Sadly, this wasn't enough and the Dodgers were crowned World Series champions.

Shohei Ohtani is the number one talent in MLB and will be as long as his body does not fall apart – Last year he had 59 SB and 54 HRs – and he batted 310.  He had 9.1 WAR.  In 7 years he has maintained a 282 BA, and in seven years he has accumulated 43.8 WAR.  Plus what gets him on this list is that he was a two way players – a Pitcher (not last year) and a Hitter.  And his pitching stats are 38 – 19 with a 3.01 era.  Not the greatest pitcher, but ready to be number one on 2/3rd of the teams.  So is he the best?
Well there is another guy that seems to have made a name for himself – even a candy bar.  Babe Ruth with 182.6 WAR – Shohei has a ways to go here.  714 HRs, and he had 123 SB – although that was not his forte’.  His career slugging was 690. Shohei had a monster year last year and had a 646 Slugging.  And that Ruth guy could pitch too – which he did in 10 years – he did not want to pitch more but he could have.  His record was 94 – 46 with a 2.28 era.  So beyond recency bias how does Shohei rank number one in this rare category?
And then there is a third entry into this list – a man who went 34 – 5 in one season, then had his arm go dead so he switched to the OF.  Smoky Joe Wood was not in the same category as Ruth and Ohtani, but he did gain 40.2 WAR.  117 – 57 2.03 are pretty dramatic numbers, and a 283/357/411 slash line is not a bad one.
That is the end of that list but as I tossed in bed with a brain that would not stop I then though there are other means to go two ways:
Bo Jackson – played 8 years of major league ball.  He only accumulated 8.3 WAR but for four years he was mister excitement, but the trouble was he was doubling up with professional football and those four seasons with the Raiders injured him too much for either sport.
Deion Sanders was another NFL/MLB cross over.   His 5.5 WAR over 9 years tells you he was not a star in MLB, but he was HOF in NFL and had one really exciting season in the majors.
Looking at cross overs I have to rate Jim Thorpe the best – Olympic Champion in multiple events, in six years in the majors his line was 252/286/362 – not exactly all-star.  But in the NFL he was named on the 1920s Hall of Fame team.  
One MLB/NBA cross over was Gene Conely who played for the Milwaukee Braves and the Boston Celtic.  91 – 96 career on the mound 3.82 era.  No one knew how to deal with such a tall pitcher in those days.  He played 6 years in the NBA, but took off six to concentrate on BB.  He averaged 5.9 points and 6.3 rebounds as a power forward. 
Danny Ainge played in Toronto three seasons and accumulated a -2.0 WAR – not a star.  But in over 1000 games in the NBA he averaged 11.6 points per game
But crossing over is not easy – ask Michael Jordan.
I tried looking at other sports and HOF John Smoltz also was a pro golfer and was in nine tournaments.
In Hockey Smoltz teammate Tom Glavine played Hockey before BB but not the NHL although he was drafted by the LA Kings.
Justin Morneau  only played in a single exhibition game, playing for the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL in 1997.  And luckily for the Twins turned to BB. 
But there was actually one player who was both professional baseball and hockey - James Riley is the first player to ever play both professional baseball and professional hockey. He played 17 games in the NHL, 90 games in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association and won the Stanley Cup with the Seattle Metropolitans in 1917. In addition, Riley played professional baseball for small parts of twelve seasons, from 1921 to 1932, with the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators.
That is as far as I can go – football was always a two way sport up through Chuck Bednarik of the Eagles so now they are considering some two way players again, but it is not as dramatic as baseballs.  And naturally NFL has many kickers who have been pro soccer players. 
We know many of these athletes had skills that could have led to other sports, but it was always considered better to concentrate on one sport or one skill.  In baseball there might have been other pitcher/batters if the DH had existed.  Bullet Joe Bush hit .325 in 1921 and .326  - 1922 and 339 -1924. For his career a 253 average.   Wes Ferrell would have been a better example.  He was often a pinch hitter as well as batting in his own starts - His 38 career home runs are the all-time record for a pitcher (not named Ohtani). two seasons with an OPS better than .950, and two more above .800. He also won 193 games in a 15-year career.

And so concludes my Golden Anniversary year.
Not the Golden Anniversary of my birth. I’m a little way past that. And not the Golden Anniversary of my wedding. We’re a little way short of that.
Rather, this past July 13 marked the Golden Anniversary of the Detroit Tigers beating the homestanding Kansas City Royals 8-3, in front of 25,834 fans. Woody Fryman was the winning pitcher, scattering 12 hits over nine innings. Future Hall of Famer and 3,000 Hit Club member Al Kaline was the only player in the Tiger lineup not to get a hit. By contrast, little-used left fielder Marv Lane had four of his career 37 hits that night. He also had his only career triple and both of his career stolen bases. For the Royals, Cookie Rojas plated both runs with an inside the park homer and Kurt Bevacqua and Hal McRae each had three hits.
As MLB games go, it was pretty routine. But it was anything but routine for the eight-year-old kid sitting in Aisle 119, Row JJ, Seat 4, attending his first-ever big league game.
How do I know there was a kid in that seat attending his first game? Because I still have the ticket stub.
 
To celebrate this Golden Anniversary, I did two things this summer. First, I decided to go to three specific games to celebrate. I went solo to each of the three, which also provided time for reflection, as I thought baseball memories on the drive to and from.
The first game was at new Comiskey in Chicago. Or call it U.S. Cellular, Guaranteed Rate, whatever. I chose new Comiskey because for a long time, that was where I went to games most often, often catching the Twins when they were in town.
Ironically, I was standing a dozen or so rows back in the left field bleacher during batting practice, watching others clamor for balls hit into the stands. Some Twin staffer grabbed a ball and looked up in the stands. I suppose because I was one of the few people wearing a Twins shirt, he pointed at me and threw it in my direction. When I was a kid, I would have died for that to happen.
 
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A second game was at Target Field, where I probably get to games most often these days.
When by myself, I normally just get a cheap ticket and move down to an open seat over the course of the game. This time I actually found a $25 ticket for a seat in the Thrivent Deck.  That got me a padded seat, extra concession stands (with shorter lines and more food options), a concourse with greater access to restrooms and the like and the opportunity to wander through a Hall of Fame of sorts, with memorabilia ranging from Harmon Killebrew’s high school basketball uniform to the gear Joe Mauer wore for his emotional one-pitch return to the catcher spot in the final inning of his final game and lots of other stuff.
That game was topped off by crossing paths with my all-time favorite player as I was leaving. Tony Oliva is a regular at Twins games and was gracious enough to pause for a picture.
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The game I particularly looked forward to was at Royal (now called Kauffman) Stadium. My first hope in looking at the schedule was to go on July 13, but the Royals were on the road. However, I was able to go on July 24.
And here’s where it got extra cool. I wanted to recreate a picture from as close as possible to my seat from 50 years ago. When I looked for tickets, however, I discovered that the sections had been renumbered, so Section 119 was at a different location than it was in 1974.
I found an email address and sent a message to the fan relations office, asking if they had a seat map from 1974, explaining why I was looking for it. A couple days later, one of their people sent a map with the old seat numbers. He even went further, going out to take several pictures from the seat in question and sending them to me. It was indeed the general angle I remembered. When I searched for a ticket near the seat in question, I was able to find one a row behind and a seat to the side, essentially a checkerboard move from one seat to the other.
Then, the person in “my” seat went out to the concession stand just before the game started. I’d struck up a conversation with the family in that row, so I asked to hop into that seat for the opening pitch, taking things up a level. The glove is the one I had taken to the game so many years ago. The Marty Pattin autograph has long worn off.
A couple days after my first email exchange, the Royals took it even another step further in their customer relations. A department manager wrote to ask which game I would be attending and where I would be sitting, saying they wanted to bring me a gift to commemorate the day.
 
Midway through the game, what was probably an intern stopped by with a bag of goodies. She had bags to stop by other seats as well, but they had obviously raided the stash of leftover promotional items. For example, I got bobblehead was from a 2023 giveaway and the cap was what they had given to 2019 season-ticket holders. The picture frame was from when they hosted the All-Star Game in 2012. 
The best gift, however, was the t-shirt given away in 2018 to celebrate radio announcer Denny Matthews’ 50th year of broadcasting, but I’m choosing to see the 50 emblem as my own commemoration of 50 years. It’s fitting to have a broadcaster’s mic as well, since my love of baseball was incubated by listening to Twins on WHO-Des Moines.
 
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The second thing I did was put together a list of at least 50 things or memories that capture and reflect the joy I’ve experienced following baseball. Not surprisingly, I blew past that number in a short time, so I consolidated a few on the list that follows.
 
I’d welcome your commenting on any that resonate for you. Or that seem goofy enough to ask about.

1. Going to my first game in Kansas City. Dad and Mom weren’t baseball fans, but we were visiting my uncle in Kansas City, who got us the tickets.
2. Throwing a tennis ball against the side of the house for hours on end, playing imaginary games that always had the Twins winning.
3. Looking forward to Baseball Digest coming in the mail each month. Hoping each Christmas morning that one of my siblings would again renew the subscription as my present.
4. Winning the daily trivia contest on a local radio station several dozen times over a few years, getting two tickets to minor league games in Cedar Rapids each time. Cashing in the voucher for our box seat tickets, going down the steps to the concourse and then back up the steps to the seats, sometimes after turning right in the concourse to the souvenir stand, where a quarter could get the previous week’s copy of The Sporting News.
5. Going to the Rod Carew Game, a 19-12 Twins win over the White Sox in 1977, the year Carew flirted with .400 for much of the year.
6. Wearing the yellow t-shirt with my red Toughskin® jeans during Pee-Wee baseball and then the green pinstriped uniforms for Little League.
7. Being the bat boy for my brother-in-law’s slow pitch softball team, with my own team shirt with my name on the back.
8. Tying my bat on to my bike with baler twine and hooking my glove over the handlebar as I headed off to Vacation Bible School. I enjoyed the stuff we learned, but I have to acknowledge that the softball games before and after were bigger highlights.
9. My parents letting me drive six hours to a baseball game in Minnesota on my own, with my best friend and his brother. I don’t remember which summer it was and whether we were still in high school or had graduated. Going to a game while visiting the future Mrs. IT near the end of her year at Northwestern College in nearby Roseville.
10. Freezing our butts off on my first trip to Wrigley, during a May Term during college. I mean, it’s May at Wrigley — how could it not be shorts weather?
11. The community at Twins Daily, the best fan site there is for following the Twins. For being an online site, it has amazingly civil discussion (most of the time).
12. Playing fantasy baseball for 27 seasons. I don’t think I’ve finished last yet, but I haven’t won 24 of those years.
13. Going to a game with a dear friend, a loan officer, and talking just enough about his credit union so he could write it off as a business expense. Going to lunch with him just over 20 years ago to plan a weekend trip to St. Louis, Kansas City, Minnesota, Milwaukee and Wrigley, but having him not being able to go after he died so unexpectedly just a few weeks later. Taking a glove and ball to his grave when his Cubs made the World Series in 2016.
14. Not sure where to start in the list of memories related to IT Junior. Starting with teaching him the alphabet by saying that “A is for Aaron, B is for Bostock, C is for Carew,” we’ve covered a whole lot of geekiness since then.
15. Lots of memories with younger son (IT Sophomore?), including the joy of being one of his Little League coaches and sitting on a bucket as his catcher while he practiced pitching. I never caught a single inning in Pee Wee or Little League, but it was so much fun to have my own catcher’s mitt to use with him.
16. Weather — Blistering hot in St. Louis in July while taking the boys to their MLB first game at ages 6 and 3. Getting drenched during a rain delay in St. Louis on a later trip, using the giveaway insulated cooler as our “umbrella.” Blistering hot on a Saturday afternoon at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Freezing cold on a spring break trip to Chicago. Sweltering in the back of the upper deck at Wrigley. Lasting through a rain delay on a Sunday evening Twins blowout at Tiger Stadium, where the game ended with only about 100 fans in the entire outfield.
17. Ballpark nachos.
18. Served in a plastic helmet. Pretty sure that studies have shown that food is about 20 percent better when served in a plastic helmet.
19. Speaking of plastic helmets, collecting them as a high school student, wearing them all the time. I’m still not sure why they didn’t become a fashion trend.
20. Playing slow pitch softball in Iowa and Indiana, along with fast pitch in Indiana. Wow, did I stink at the latter.
21. Visiting all 30 major league stadiums. Redoing it when new stadiums opened in Atlanta and Texas. I’ve also been to 15 stadiums that have been closed. Haven’t decided how I’ll handle Sacramento next year. I’d have to count, but it’s probably about 20 minor league parks.
22. And lest 45 MLB parks seem impressive, what’s even more impressive is that Mrs. IT has been to 23 of the 30 current stadiums and a bunch of the closed ones! She doesn’t even like baseball, but it’s just one more reason why she’s a saint.
23. Putting together picture frames of pictures from all the parks, both for my office and for our home.
24. The 1987 World Series, with the Twins winning their first world championship.
25. The 1991 World Series, when the Twins won again.
26. Going to the public library to check out biographies and history books, particularly during oats combining season, when I would check out a dozen or so to read in the field while I waited for Dad to fill the hopper and be ready to dump in the wagon I was pulling. A lot of the biographies were from the adult section, and they used naughty words my parents wouldn’t have approved of.
27. Only realizing much later how much my thoughts about race were shaped by the biographies of Black and Latin players I read as a child, as they described the discrimination they faced, particularly in the minors.
28. All the Matt Christopher books I checked out from my elementary school library. And the My Secrets of Playing Baseball book by Willie Mays probably had my name on the card a dozen times.
29. Coming from school in the fall of 1973, checking the newspaper each day to see if Hank Aaron had hit another homer as he chased Babe Ruth’s record. Trying to figure out what the four columns of numbers in the box score stood for. Trying to figure out abbreviated names like “Ystrzski.”
30. Getting hooked on folk singer John McCutcheon’s music, particularly when I found there is actually someone writing intelligent songs about baseball. And then he did an entire album of baseball songs. And entire concerts of baseball songs. And I even contributed in a tiny way to his most recent song.

The Hammer - April 8, 2024.mp4 31. Listening to as many Twins games as I could as a kid, including late night games from the west coast, all on WHO-Des Moines. Getting rebooked on baseball on the radio by listening to games on MLB Audio these days.
32. Going to the Baseball Hall of Fame several times, including for Kirby Puckett’s induction. Going to an induction for what will probably be the last time when Tony Oliva was inducted. Going to a bunch of other museums as well. The best of the others is the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City, but there’s also been ones for Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Bob Feller (sort of — it’s now closed).
33. Developing a friendship with an MLB player, bringing him to church twice as a youth group fundraiser. Learning more about the business side of the game from the unique perspective he provides.
34. Field of Dreams, The Natural, Bull Durham, The Sandlot, Trouble with the Curve, Moneyball, A League of Their Own and all the great baseball movies I’ve seen. Putting together an All-Star team of movie characters — Billy Chapel on the mound, Roy Hobbs in right, Crash Davis behind the plate, etc. 
 
35. Seeing Twins minor leaguer Royce Lewis interact compassionately with a bat boy with Down Syndrome. Total class.
36. The amazing speed of Byron Buxton. Joe Nathan doing his horse-like, “Pbbbbbt,” as he stood on the mound and prepared to throw a pitch.
37. All the players who gave autographs to my sons throughout the years. I always thought Nathan set the tone with Twins relief pitchers. If the leader of the pen was so willing to sign, how could the others not do the same?
38. Baseball cards — getting introduced to them by getting a pack from my brother. A pack with a Rod Carew, no less. Collecting them as a kid. Spreading them all over the floor with my best friend. Getting gifted my brother-in-law’s cards one year for Christmas. Best Christmas present ever! Knowing I traded away several Nolan Ryan and Reggie Jackson rookie cards over the years. Eventually completing the 1976 and 1979 sets, two years when I was particularly active. Recently completing a run of all of Tony Oliva’s cards, making a display in my home office.
39. Having a work travel schedule at several employers that have lent themselves to being able to tag a bunch of games on to work trips.
40. Going to the Field of Dreams movie site several times, playing catch with IT Sophomore, but also with a bunch of people I’ll never know.
41. Baseball-reference.com. Enough said.
42. Going to the Society for American Baseball Research annual conference. Twice.
43. Ballparks — practically the only time I eat peanuts in the shell. Other than when I go to Five Guys.
44. Touring a bunch of parks over the years, including standing atop the Green Monster.
45. Covering plenty of games as a newspaper reporter or sports information director, including games in several minor league parks and a couple of states and games with a future NFL player. Interviewing a couple of major leaguers who were on minor league rehab assignments.
46. Getting to throw out the first pitch at a high school game, to the young man in my church who I serve as a mentor for.
47. Keeping score. Seeing the passion IT Junior has for doing the same. Occasionally sending scoring questions to Stew Thornley, whom I’ve gotten to know through a unique set of circumstances.
48. Having the goofy dream of retiring to Rochester, Minn., spending my evenings selling Diet Coke in the bleachers at Target Field. Probably won’t happen.
49. Having baseball as part of my end-of-life plan. Seriously. I’ve told Mrs. IT and the boys that baseball enjoyment is one of my measures of incapacity. If there’s no likelihood that I’ll ever be able to sense/experience a baseball again, that’s one indicator that it’s okay to pull the plug.
50. When asked how she feels about going to all these games, hearing Mrs. IT say, “I don’t like baseball, but I like some people who like baseball.” See saint reference above. That statement has taught me so much about marriage.
 
(If you’ve made it through all this, thanks for indulging me.)
 

In baseball there is a chance for something special to happen in every game. One of the rarer events is for a player to make his major league debut and never had spent any time in the minors.
Since the advent of the American and National League in the early 1900’s, only 102 players can make this claim.
There are 4 subsets of players who have achieved this rarity.
1) Prior to World War II – Thirteen players are in this group. Almost half of these players have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. They include Eppa Rixey (1912 Phillies), George Sisler (1915 Browns), Frankie Frisch (1919 Giants), Ted Lyons (1923 White Sox), Mel Ott (1926 Giants) and Bob Feller (1936 Indians). There are also two all-star caliber players in Cy Williams (1912 Cubs) and “Jumpin’” Joe Dugan (1917 Athletics). On the other hand there are others like Charlie Faust (1911 Giants – 2 games), Walter Ancker (1915 Athletics – 4 games) and Johnson Fry (1923 Indians – 1 game) who barely had enough time to get a cup of coffee.
2) World War II – With so many players enlisting to serve their country, there was a need to find able bodied players who could play the game. These seven players all made their debut in 1943 or 1944. Among the better players were Gil Hodges (Dodgers - 19 in 1943), Cal McLish (Dodgers – 19 in 1944), Joe Nuxhall (Reds – 15 years, 316 days when he made his debut in 1944 – youngest player to ever play a major league game), and Eddie Yost (Senators – 18 in 1944).
3) Bonus Baby Era – The next 71 players appeared from 1947 to 1965. Sixty nine of these players went directly to the major leagues because of the “bonus baby” rule. Between these years if you signed a player and gave them a bonus of $4,000 or greater they had to be carried on the team’s roster for the entire season. This stifled the development of many players, but some may have never made the majors or played in a major league game without this rule. Among this large group were Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente (Dodgers $10,000), Catfish Hunter (Athletics $75,000), Al Kaline (Tigers $35,000), Harmon Killebrew (Senators $30,000) and Sandy Koufax (Dodgers $14,000). It also included Eddie and Johnny O’Brien, twin brothers who signed with the Pirates for $40,000 each. The largest signing bonuses during this era went to Hawk Taylor ($199,000 Braves), Bob Bailey ($175,000 Pirates), Bob Garibaldi ($150,000 Giants), Willie Crawford ($100,000 Dodgers), John DeMerit ($100,000 Braves) and Paul Pettit ($100,000 Pirates). Only 2 of these 71 players were not “Bonus Babies”. They were Claude Osteen (Reds) and Eddie Gaedel (the 3’7” player sent up to bat by Bill Veeck, who drew a walk on 4 pitches in his only time at bat - he wore the number 1/8).
4) Current Era – Of the final 23 players who went directly to the major leagues 14 happened in the 1970’s. Included in this group were: Burt Hooten (Cubs), Eddie Bane (Twins), David Clyde (Rangers), Dave Winfield (Padres), pinch runner Herb Washington (Athletics), and Bob Horner (Braves). From 1979 to the present only 9 players have made this jump, they are: Pete Incaviglia (Rangers), Jim Abbott (Angels), John Olerud (Blue Jays), Darren Dreifort and Chan Ho Park (Dodgers), Ariel Prieto (Athletics), Xavier Nady (Padres), Mike Leake (Reds), and in 2020 Garrett Crochet (White Sox). All of these players would eventually spend time in the minors.
 
Just because you started in the majors doesn’t mean that you never played a game in the minors. A paper published by SABR (Society for American Baseball Research) published in 1980 listed 21 players who played at least 10 years and never played a game in the minors. So of all the players who went directly to the majors only 21 played 10 years and were never sent down. Many of these players played prior to World War II (8), but here are the 13 who played from 1940 until 1980: Mel Ott (HoF), Al Kaline (HoF), Ted Lyons (HoF), Ernie Banks (HoF), Bob Feller (HoF), Eddie Yost, Danny McFayden, Catfish Hunter (HoF), Dick Groat, Billy O’Dell, Johnny Antonelli, Sandy Koufax (HoF), and Carl Scheib. Since the 1980 article Dave Winfield and Bob Horner (played one season in Japan) exceeded 10 years and should be added to the list, making 23 players who played 10 years or more that never played in the minors.

Where's the game thread for our AFL team today?  Guess I have to start my own. 
J/K.  Here's a photo though. 

That's Kala'i Rosario in RF in case you can't tell.  😊  Had a good time watching a bad, sloppy game last night, with USAF Chief.
/ edit - and that's Rosario with a HR swing in the 5th in the cover photo 
 

Where's the game thread for our AFL team today?  Guess I have to start my own. 
J/K.  Here's a photo though. 

That's Kala'i Rosario in RF in case you can't tell.  😊  Had a good time watching a bad, sloppy game last night, with USAF Chief.
/ edit - and that's Rosario with a HR swing in the 5th in the cover photo 
 

I ran across an article, in a completely non-sports context (ethical choices), that fairly well sums up my view on using analytics wisely.
Have a read, see what you think.  I'm not going to short-circuit discussion by providing a summary; if no discussion occurs, so be it.
https://www.goodthoughts.blog/p/good-judgment-with-numbers

Where's the game thread for our AFL team today?  Guess I have to start my own. 
J/K.  Here's a photo though. 

That's Kala'i Rosario in RF in case you can't tell.  😊  Had a good time watching a bad, sloppy game last night, with USAF Chief.
/ edit - and that's Rosario with a HR swing in the 5th in the cover photo 
 

Where's the game thread for our AFL team today?  Guess I have to start my own. 
J/K.  Here's a photo though. 

That's Kala'i Rosario in RF in case you can't tell.  😊  Had a good time watching a bad, sloppy game last night, with USAF Chief.
/ edit - and that's Rosario with a HR swing in the 5th in the cover photo 
 

I ran across an article, in a completely non-sports context (ethical choices), that fairly well sums up my view on using analytics wisely.
Have a read, see what you think.  I'm not going to short-circuit discussion by providing a summary; if no discussion occurs, so be it.
https://www.goodthoughts.blog/p/good-judgment-with-numbers

Over the past few days, there have been some great articles written about Mauer’s accomplishments - the batting titles, the MVP season, the records, and the magic he brought to life on a near-daily basis for 15 years.
Today, he was deservingly enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Todd Helton, Adrian Beltré, and Manager Jim Leyland in Cooperstown, New York. I was fortunate enough to be present for it. 
Being there was an amazing experience. That is likely true for a number of other members of Twins Territory as well. Anecdotally, close to half of the fans in attendance wearing jerseys, team shirts, or other memorabilia were repping Mauer.

The whole weekend was a celebration of baseball legends, with a parade on Saturday, the induction today, and a speaker’s series taking place tomorrow with a Q&A panel with this year’s inductees.
Walking through the picturesque small-town downtown area, there were over a dozen cash-only vendors selling hot dogs and burgers they were grilling along the sidewalks. Children were operating lemonade stands and selling water from portable coolers. You couldn’t walk more that 10 feet without someone going the other direction saying “Hey! Joe Mauer!” Former players such as Fergie Jenkins were signing autographs. There were half a dozen baseball card shops selling memorabilia of the greats, from game-used gloves and bats, to autographed jerseys, to baseball movie-inspired gear.

The induction itself took place in a large field a mile or so outside of town, as Cooperstown only has around 2000 residents outside of HOF-weekend, and tens of thousands descend from near and far to celebrate the game most of us have loved since we were children.
At the ceremony, prior to the new inductees being introduced, some 45 other HOFers were brought to the stage and their accomplishments were celebrated briefly. The Twins were well-represented, with Tony O, Rod Carew, Dave Winfield, Jack Morris, Jim Kaat, Paul Molitor, David Ortiz, and Jim Thome all present. These players received some of the loudest standing ovations from the crowd. Rob Manfred and Bud Selig were also introduced, and they were the only people to be booed by the audience, which…seems right. 
Helton’s speech was the funniest, telling stories about his superstitions and his facial hair. Leyland’s was the most emotional, as the crusty baseball lifer got choked up multiple times as he reflected on the game. Beltre celebrated the teammates he loved to play with. Mauer’s speech was the most…Mauer. Joe’s humility was striking. Unlike the others, he did not share baseball anecdotes. He didn’t crack jokes. He instead focused on thanking everyone else - from the scouts, to his family, his high school coaches, and medical staff, Mayo Clinic doctors, and trainers that believed in him throughout his career. He built in pauses for people to applaud those others, and when the cheering wasn’t to his liking, he implored the audience to cheer louder and longer for those who see important to him. He even claimed his mom was the best athlete in the family. In typical Mauer fashion, he chose to stay out of the spotlight - even on a day honoring him. 
It will likely be at least 15 years before we see another player enter the hall as a member of the Twins, and that’s if a lot of things break right. It’ll likely be even longer waiting for another player as special as Mauer to come along. Even if you don’t have a chance to see one of your favorite players being inducted, Cooperstown is still well-worth a visit, as the museum can entertain for hours, with every turn presenting another artifact that brings back baseball memories. 

Abner Doubleday field is also just a block or so away from the Baseball Hall. This field over 100 years old, and is on the spot where he (apocryphally) invented the game of baseball.
 

Comment below if you were at the induction today, or if you have a favorite Mauer memory you want to share!

We all know Rocco is costing the Twins a chance for a win, every time he fills out the lineup card or comes out to make a pitching change.  And don't get me started on his pinch-hitting choices.  So, put a number on it. How many needless losses are on Rocco, so far this season?

We all know Rocco is costing the Twins a chance for a win, every time he fills out the lineup card or comes out to make a pitching change.  And don't get me started on his pinch-hitting choices.  So, put a number on it. How many needless losses are on Rocco, so far this season?