Ben October 28, 2011 Baseball , Written Down 0 comments full post »

Game Six

I’m still a bit in awe of Game 6 last night. Not sure I have the words yet … but lots of others have written some great stuff and I wanted to put it all in one place. Enjoy:

Game 6 Revisited: “How Did This Happen?” by Jonah Keri at Grantland
Cardinals World Series Game 6 and Game 7 factoids by Brian Walton at the Cardinal Nation Blog
Cardinals’ Game 6 Win Could Be Best Ever by Jeff Passan at Yahoo! Sports
Game Six by Joe Psnanski at SI.com

As I find more, I’ll try to add them here.

And, I’ll admit (and my twitter posts from last night will validate it), I had all but given up hope last night. It just started looking more and more like it wouldn’t be possible and more and more like the implosion I remembered as a child from the ’85 series that left me in tears as a 9-year old boy. And I’ll go ahead and say this now: I want like hell to see the Cardinals win Game Seven tonight. I’ll celebrate like a little boy. My friends who are Cubs fans will be mad at me and call me annoying and arrogant and I won’t care. But, even if I’m not celebrating tonight, even if we “only” made it to Game Seven, I will always have, and will always remember, Game Six. You can’t take that away from me.

Ben July 31, 2011 Education, Politics , Written Down 0 comments full post »

Matt Damon to Teachers: “We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.”

Matt Damon recently spoke at the “Save Our Schools” march. You can find the speech, included below, here and here, and you can also see video of Damon at the rally below the text of the speech.

I flew overnight from Vancouver to be with you today. I landed in New York a few hours ago and caught a flight down here because I needed to tell you all in person that I think you’re awesome.

I was raised by a teacher. My mother is a professor of early childhood education. And from the time I went to kindergarten through my senior year in high school, I went to public schools. I wouldn’t trade that education and experience for anything.

I had incredible teachers. As I look at my life today, the things I value most about myself — my imagination, my love of acting, my passion for writing, my love of learning, my curiosity — all come from how I was parented and taught.

And none of these qualities that I’ve just mentioned — none of these qualities that I prize so deeply, that have brought me so much joy, that have brought me so much professional success — none of these qualities that make me who I am … can be tested.

I said before that I had incredible teachers. And that’s true. But it’s more than that. My teachers were EMPOWERED to teach me. Their time wasn’t taken up with a bunch of test prep — this silly drill and kill nonsense that any serious person knows doesn’t promote real learning. No, my teachers were free to approach me and every other kid in that classroom like an individual puzzle. They took so much care in figuring out who we were and how to best make the lessons resonate with each of us. They were empowered to unlock our potential. They were allowed to be teachers.

Now don’t get me wrong. I did have a brush with standardized tests at one point. I remember because my mom went to the principal’s office and said, ‘My kid ain’t taking that. It’s stupid, it won’t tell you anything and it’ll just make him nervous.’ That was in the ’70s when you could talk like that.

I shudder to think that these tests are being used today to control where funding goes.

I don’t know where I would be today if my teachers’ job security was based on how I performed on some standardized test. If their very survival as teachers was based on whether I actually fell in love with the process of learning but rather if I could fill in the right bubble on a test. If they had to spend most of their time desperately drilling us and less time encouraging creativity and original ideas; less time knowing who we were, seeing our strengths and helping us realize our talents.

I honestly don’t know where I’d be today if that was the type of education I had. I sure as hell wouldn’t be here. I do know that.

This has been a horrible decade for teachers. I can’t imagine how demoralized you must feel. But I came here today to deliver an important message to you: As I get older, I appreciate more and more the teachers that I had growing up. And I’m not alone. There are millions of people just like me.

So the next time you’re feeling down, or exhausted, or unappreciated, or at the end of your rope; the next time you turn on the TV and see yourself called “overpaid;” the next time you encounter some simple-minded, punitive policy that’s been driven into your life by some corporate reformer who has literally never taught anyone anything. … Please know that there are millions of us behind you. You have an army of regular people standing right behind you, and our appreciation for what you do is so deeply felt. We love you, we thank you and we will always have your back.

Video:

Ben January 6, 2011 Faith, Politics , Written Down 0 comments full post »

Michael Vick Deserves to Die.

In his blog-post at the Church & Culture Blog: http://www.churchandculture.org/blog.asp?id=611, James Emery White writes:

Not on the Vick bandwagon is commentator Tucker Carlson who, commenting on Obama’s praise of an act of grace, said that Vick did not deserve a second chance.

Carlson said he should be killed.

“I’m a Christian. I’ve made mistakes myself, I believe fervently in second chances,” Carlson said as guest host for Sean Hannity’s show on Fox News Channel. “But Michael Vick killed dogs, and he did [it] in a heartless and cruel way. And I think, personally, he should’ve been executed for that. He wasn’t, but the idea that the president of the United States would be getting behind someone who murdered dogs… [is] kind of beyond the pale.”

… I do not know Michael Vick. I do not know Tucker Carlson. But Carlson is right – Vick deserves to die.

So does Carlson.

So do I.

Read the whole thing. It’s worth it.

Ben November 3, 2010 Politics , Written Down 0 comments full post »

File Under: Illinois Campaign News That Shouldn’t Be Surprising: Bill Brady vs. Pat Quinn

In Illinois Campaign News That Should Not Be Surprising:

It appears Pat Quinn won with the working class. They essentially split the middle class. And Bill Brady won with those that made six figures. Take a look at this (source).

2009 total family income:

Under $30,000

Brady 27
Quinn 66

$30,000 – $49,999

Brady 35
Quinn 57

$50,000 – $74,999

Brady 45
Quinn 46

$75,000 – $99,999

Brady 53
Quinn 42

$100,000 – $199,999

Brady 57
Quinn 38

$200,000 or more

Brady 65
Quinn 30

Ben September 21, 2010 Baseball , Written Down 0 comments full post »

Top 10 Rap & Hip Hop Hits: 2010 Cardinals Edition

Cross-posted at theoutfieldivy.com

As the 2010 season begins to wind down, I thought it was a good time to reminisce. So, I pulled out my “Yo, MTV Raps” greatest hits and put together my own personal Top 10 Rap & Hip Hop Hits: 2010 Cardinals Edition.

So, Party People, here we go …

Fight the Power (Public Enemy)
The 2010 Cardinals seem to have been defined by an underlying power struggle … between the front office and the field manager. And of course Colby Rasmus’ dad seems to have inserted himself in that power struggle as well (see greatest hit #8 below). Whether or not that struggle actually exists or will manifest itself isn’t really known — but the perception was/is certainly there. And perception is reality, as they say. My friend Jeff Gentry spoke about this yesterday when he listed the 5 Pressing Questions for the Cardinals, including “Whose team is it anyway?”. Check out his post for a more thorough (and better written) analysis.
Nuthin’ but a “GD” Thing (Dr. Dre)
With apologies to Dr. Dre (“Nuthin’ but a G Thing”) … The 2010 Cardinals entered the season seemingly answering some of the offensive questions from last year. They signed Matt Holliday, had Colby Rasmus from Opening Day, and had a healthy David Freese chillin’ at the hot corner. And there were few defensive questions. However, the defense seemed to let them down – most notably in the middle infield. Furthermore, a few of the moves the Cardinals made were apparently for defensive reasons– they certainly didn’t sign Pedro Feliz for his bat, and Lopez isn’t an offensive threat — and those moves didn’t really help with the defense either. There are some offensive holes to fill for next year. And the 2011 Cardinals will need to address the defense as well.
I Used to Love H.E.R. TLR (Common)
Okay, this time with apologies to Common (“I used to love H.E.R.) … There is nobody Cardinals scribes & media gurus (and Cubs fans) love to hate more than Tony LaRussa. A few Cardinals fans are on that bandwagon as well. They seem to have forgotten that he brought the Cardinals up from the abyss of the mid-90′s (see SoeBeck’s piece here). Certainly a time comes when a change in manager is necessary. And it is possible that time has arrived (or passed, or will arrive in the near future). The common refrain from many in the know (or who like to sound as if they are) is “I used to love TLR”. For the record, despite the times he frustrates me, I still love TLR. And I’m not afraid to admit it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think it might be best for the Cardinals to go in a new direction now or in the near future. However, I think he deserves to go on his terms and in his time. He’s earned it.
It Takes Two (Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock)
There are several things the Cardinals needs to address this off-season (see #10 below). But, there are two primary questions they must answer — and likely before any other questions are addressed. First, they must answer the Pujols question. Will he stay? And what will it take to keep him? Secondly, they must address the manager question. Is TLR going to be back? And if not, who will replace him? Those two primary issues must be answered. And quickly. Every other move the Cardinals make likely revolved around the answers to those two questions.
Stan (Eminem)
Cardinals fans were reminded again this year of the amazing history we are part of — an there are no goats orcurses to be found. Every day El Hombre reminds us of The Man by his consistency and character. And this season we were reminded of Stan the Man through the “Stand for Stan” campaign. If you haven’t already, you should consider Standing for Stan as well. You can find out more at the official Stand For Stan site.
Shed So Many Tears (2 Pac)
It’s been a tough year for Cardinals fans. What should have been an exciting season has turned into an excruciating one. And I admit, we’re a spoiled bunch. We can be whiny and annoying. We’ve become accustomed to playing in the postseason and competing for championships. It’s hard to watch your team implode when you’re not used to it. Which leads us to …
Keep Ya Head Up (2 Pac)
While the 2010 Cardinals were consistently inconsistent … there is promise for the future. The foundation of the team is strong, with Wainwright, Carpenter and Garcia at the top of the rotation and (assuming) Pujols and Holliday at the heart of the order. The front office has already announced a plan to increase payroll the next two seasons and the team drew 3 million fans again. It was a frustrating year, but the future looks bright. While there may be some payroll baggage (Kyle Lohse) there are no Soriano’s to worry about. And Garcia, Rasmus, a healthy Freese and success in the farm system all bode well for the Cardinals in 2011 and beyond.
Parents Just Don’t Understand (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince)
Colby Rasmus is either going to be the next great National League center fielder or the next outfielder that should have been great but never really was (J.D. Drew anyone?). It’s anyone’s guess. But if he wants any chance of being his best, daddy is gonna have to back off. No one can serve two masters. And, once you make it to the big leagues, it’s time to let daddy stay at home or sit in the stands. Read Gentry’s take on Colby in “My Two Dads”
O.P.P. (Naughty By Nature)
Dating back to the Jocketty era in St. Louis, the Cardinals have a history of building teams with O.P.P (Other People’s Players and Other People’s Pitchers). But the 2010 version of O.P.P. didn’t include the likes of Will Clark, Big Mac and Larry Walker or Dennis Eckersley and Jeff Suppan circa 2006. Instead it included the likes of Randy Winn, Felipe Lopez, Aaron Miles (not circa 2006) and an injured Brad Penny. It might be time for the Cardinals to focus more on developing a strong farm system and winning with their own rather than relying on O.P.P.
Bust A Move (Young MC)
We finish with a classic. And for the Cardinals perhaps the most important. They must first sign Pujols. But soon after, if the postseason is the plan, they need to get busy this off-season and bust a move. Or two or three. With Pujols signed, the core is there. But they have to build around the core with more than retreads and has-beens. Another big bat or two, an upgrade at middle infield and a solid back end of the rotation and bullpen are crutial for the 2011 Cardinals to outperform the 2010 edition.

Ben August 24, 2010 Baseball , Written Down 0 comments full post »

As goes Cards vs. Reds, so goes Pujols vs. Votto

As of today, there are two tight races in the National League involving Cincinnati and St. Louis.

The Cardinals are chasing the Reds to be champs of the Central.

And Votto is chasing Pujols for National League MVP.

The Reds have been consistent. The Cardinals have been consistently inconsistent. And, as much as I hate to say it, I think that’s likely going to lead to a division championship for the Reds. The Cardinals best hope may be to eek out a Wild Card win by coming on strong in the coming weeks (and their schedule should allow for it).

Meanwhile, Pujols has been having what many consider to be a “down year”. While Votto is having, well, a career-year.

Check out their stats so far for 2010 (from rototimes.com):

2010 Year-To-Date Comparison

Player Team G AB R H DBL TPL HR RBI SB CS BB K AVG OBP SLG

Albert Pujols STL 120 453 84 143 27 1 32 89 12 3 75 54 0.316 0.411 0.592

Joey Votto CIN 115 424 86 137 23 2 29 86 10 4 70 96 0.323 0.422 0.592

Certainly what makes an “MVP” is debatable. And, it seems the arguments change based on players and situations. Some claim an MVP must come from a playoff team. And while it typically ends up being based on offensive production numbers, there are those who would claim it should really be about more than just offensive production.

Based on these numbers so far for 2010, it could easily be a toss-up. Pujols and Votto have nearly identical numbers.

One could certainly argue that Pujols is a better all-around player (I would). His defensive numbers seem to indicate that. And then there are the intangibles …. Pujols gets intentionally walked significantly more, gets far fewer pitches to hit, is a right-handed hitter, and plays in a less-friendly park for hitters than does Votto.

In other words … I think Pujols is better than Votto, and I think he’s more valuable than Votto. But, it would not surprise me in the least to see Votto win the MVP. It wouldn’t be the first time Albert was robbed of the award.

In fact, it will be interesting to see if the “MVP needs to be on a playoff team” argument rises again. If so, the National League MVP could very well go to the player whose team wins the Division.

And that’s looking more and more like it could be Votto and the Reds.

Cross-posted at theoutfieldivy.com