19 March 2005

For Whom The Bell Tolls

Finally....a free agent signing. I can step off the ledge now.

Welcome to Kansas City, Kendrell.

18 March 2005

Nerd Wannabe?

All this time, I thought I was in.

Now, I know the truth:

I am nerdier than 23% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

What? I'm not good enough to be a nerd?

Honestly, I don't know whether to be pissed or relieved. I'm not kidding.

Oh well. At least I'm nerdier than the missus and our other participants.

15 March 2005

You've Got A Classmate!

Who doesn't love the nostalgic pop-in? All of a sudden, an email or phone call from someone you've tried desperately to keeps up with, bringing a sliver of excitement to your dreary life.
C'mon people, am I alone here?

The second leg of the 2005 Nostalgic World Tour continues with a familiar (and very welcome) face re-emerging from the cybersphere.

First came the rendezous with former classmate Candace.

Now, as I'm perusing my inbox deleting the newest installments from my good friends Afladdin and the ever present Ieia Aeiaaeieaeiaa, I come across a faint but piercing subject line from Classmates:

Cory, you have mail from Jaime

An oasis in a desert of male enhancement emails.

A message from one of my dearest friends from back home...and I wasn't the one who sent it.
To add to the surprise, I had recently dug up her old phone number and, given the trip I've been partaking in lately, considered giving our good chum a ring for old timeys sake.

It seems that James beat me to the punch.

What a thrill, to hear from my long lost friend. It's always been a mixed bag of emotions that I didn't stay in touch with many of my high school chums, ranging from the brow-beating accrued for not staying in touch to the heaven sent-satisfaction of a well-placed decision.

Jaime always fell elbow deep into the former.

Therein lies the reasoning behind a reply.

Let the healing begin. The ball's back in your court, James.

Don't pull a Cory*.

* Cory n. The most obscene level of procrastination. i.e. If you don't know, you're probably not going to attempt to find out, so I'll save you a trip. Under the title Procrastinator, my picture can be found.

11 March 2005

Armchair GM

Ever wonder what it's like to run a baseball team?

Well, this simulation where you run the Oakland A's online sounds like it's as close to the real thing...without the media, whiny millionaires, and irate fans.

Interestingly, this was the original purpose for the simulation:

"That year[1998], the Mayor asked Mr. [Zenophon] Abraham to find potential buyers for the A's franchise. At the request of one of the potential owners, Mr. Abraham created a five-year system dynamics model of the Athletics organization. That simulation, far beyond a spreadsheet, became the basis for the Oakland Baseball Simworld."

So, that's how Billy Beane got his job...Nice try, Moneyball.

09 March 2005

Abercrombie & Finished?

The following below is taken from the comments page on the excellent John Sickels' MinorLeagueBall.com regarding former Columbus High standout and current Diamondbacks prospect Reggie Abercrombie:

Reggie Abercrombie
John, do you think Reggie Abercrombie is over as a real major league talent prospect? He has the athleticism, but he is not young anymore, and can't seem to hit over class A.
by
mrmetaa on Tue Mar 08, 2005 at 06:49:32 PM CST
-------------------
no
No, forget Abercrombie. Great athlete, can't play baseball. Makes Terrero look like Bonds.
by
John Sickels on Tue Mar 08, 2005 at 07:00:37 PM CST

Ouch. A tough pill to swallow for our local boy done good.

Oh well. With a new spring comes hope for a career revival for Reggie.

I, for one, will be rooting for him.

Rather Final

Today marks the end of an era for CBS News and Dan Rather.

Here's an audio link to "A Critic's View of Dan Rather's Last Day" on NPR.

Finally, the following below was posted by Carey Fox in the Countdown email newsletter on MSNBC:

"Meanwhile, Walter Cronkite hardly waxes poetic regarding Rather's departure... Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather's predecessor at the "CBS Evening News," said Monday that Rather's replacement by Bob Schieffer was overdue.

But the idea that Rather is leaving under a cloud... is bunk. The man has a decades-long career, some mistakes included. The press has largely missed the point on the National Guard story anyway..."

Wanted: Good 'Ol Boy

How's this for a job?

I can see the resume now....

"Tasks include: Monitoring Daisy in her Dukes"

Vice President
CMT Dukes of Hazzard Institute Nationwide USA

Get paid $100,000 for one year to watch television!
Job responsibilities include: watch The Dukes of Hazzard weeknight on CMT; know the words to The Dukes of Hazzard theme song, Good Ol' Boys; write The Dukes of Hazzard Institute online blog for cmt.com; serve as expert on all things The Dukes of Hazzard; maybe take The General Lee for a spin now and then.
The job requirements include: Must be 18 or older and have a valid driver's license - just in case a spin in the famous '69 Dodge Charger, The General Lee, comes up); eligible for work in the United States; travel occasionally at CMT expense.
*The position requires the execution of a one-year, $100,000 Independent Contractor agreement with CMT.

GREAT!
For a Job Application, please visit:
http://www.CMTDukesInstitute.com

[link via grahme newell newsletter]

07 March 2005

What a "Wonderlic" World

NFL prospects: how many does it take to screw that pesky light bulb in?

Drop your No. 2 pencils, because the Wonderlic test scores are out and posted for your viewing (and snickering) pleasure.
An example of the Wonderlic Test can be found here.

Below is a look at some stand out scores from the class of 2005:

Your Top 5 Scores*
*(scoring system out of a possible 50)
Hangartner, Geoff (C) Texas AM 47
Smith, Alex* (QB) Utah 40
Miller, Heath* (TE) Virginia 39
Frye, Charlie (QB) Akron 38
Fitzpatrick, Ryan (QB) Harvard 38
Castillo, Luis (DT) Northwestern 37

Your Bottom 5 Scores*
Gore, Frank* (RB) Miami (FL) 6
Williams, Cedrick (CB) Kansas State 6
Patterson, Mike (DT) Southern Cal 8
Reid, Lamont (CB) North Carolina St 9
Moore, Eric (DE) Florida State 9
Montgomery, Mike (DE) Texas AM 9
Henry, Chris* (WR) West Virginia 9

One other notable score:
Brock Berlin - Miami (Fla.): 13.
Ouch....but I can't say I was surprised.

How's The View Up There?

What would it be like to stand atop the tallest mountain on Earth?

Find out here.

[link via FARK]

03 March 2005

Fishin' for Prospects

The best thing about living in a low-A minor league baseball town is the chance to see untapped potential in its purest form, so you can someday say, "I saw him play when he was only [insert age here]".

With that in mind, Columbus Catfish season is closing fast...and there's at least one choice catch at Golden Park in 2005 [for now].

I know it's a little early for concrete rosters, but comparing the Columbus Catfish's tentative roster for 2005 to John Sickels' top 20 Dodger prospects on his great site conjures up a few matches.

For the sake of time, here are your lucky pairing:

Julio Pimentel
18th on Sickels' list
Comment - "Watch Julio Pimentel, who has "2005 Breakthrough" tattooed on his forehead."

From the same list, last year's squad was a bit different:

Julio Pimentel
[see above]

Chuck Tiffany
6th on Sickels' list

Adam LaRoche
14th on Sickels' list
"[Wes] Bankston is three months younger than LaRoche and had a higher OBP. I also have to factor in the substantial deterioration in LaRoche's plate discipline after being promoted to the FSL. Of course, you can counter than Bankston didn't play in High A so we don't know if he would have dropped too.
It is possible that LaRoche is underrated at B-, and I'd entertain the idea of moving him up to B. But from where I'm standing, he's had an awful lot of hype for a guy with 65 games of good play and 68 games of poor play on his resume. "


Chad Billingsley
2nd on Sickels' list
"Billingsley is another prodigy. He needs sharper command, but again we're talking about a guy who acquitted himself well in Double-A at age 20. "

Delwyn Young
8th on Sickels' list
"Delwyn Young is a favorite of many statheads due to his booming bat. Defense remains a big questionmark, but if he keeps hitting like that they will find a place for him."

Willy Aybar
13th on Sickels' list
"I gave Willy Aybar a Grade C+ in the book. Some other analysts have started rating him as among the best prospects in the game. I went back and reviewed my reasoning for the Grade C+ grade. In retrospect I think that was too low. He did improve last year, and was young for Double-A, but I still don't see him as among the best prospects in the game, not yet. I'll move him to Grade B-."

A good comparision between former Waves Delwyn Young and Willy Aybar can be found at The Fourth Outfielder Baseball Blog.

Finally, in 2003, the man regarded in Sickels' prospect list as "a potential Miguel Cabrera":

Joel Guzman
1st on Sickels' list
Here's what Sickels had to say:
"Guzman looks like a potential Miguel Cabrera to me. There is some risk there due to his mediocre plate discipline, but the improvement in his overall numbers last year was marked, and he did extremely well in the Southern League for a 19-year-old."

More on Guzman from a man calling himself "CanuckDodger":
"If the Dodgers thought they could live with a shortstop in the majors with Derek Jeter range, they COULD keep Guzman at short. There is something to be said for getting premium offensive production from a premium defensive position. Of course, the Dodgers would be constantly worrying about the physical toll taken on a very tall man from playing short. I also think the Dodgers have felt spoiled by Cesar Izturis' defense at short (which includes plus range), and won't want to give that up. And even if Izturis leaves as a free agent after three more years, waiting in the wings to take over SS will be Chin-Lung Hu, a defensive whiz like Izturis with a bit more pop in his bat. Bottom line, I don't think Guzman will ever play short for the Dodgers."

Good Luck to the Catfish, and all their former and future stars.

I'm ready to see some new talent unfold on the banks of the Chattahoochee.

01 March 2005

Cool Stream

If you're like me and became a fan of The Arcade Fire, you're in luck.

The good folks over @ Merge Records are now streaming their latest listens by The Crooked Fingers and M. Ward.

Check out the albums (in their entirety) at the links below:

Crooked Fingers :: M. Ward

Check them out. Your ears will thank you.

[link via stereogum]

Trip Nostalgia

The trip down Memory Lane continues.

After finding a former classmate on my alma mater's site, and one lengthy email later, I received word from my wayward peer.
(Though, technically, since I left town, does that not make me the wayward peer? Egh...Labels.)

It was wonderful hearing from Candace and all that's happened in her life the last decade...at least, the little that can be conveyed in an email.

Not surprisingly, It seems our friend Candace has done a much better job at keeping up with our friends than I have....a shocker, I know.

Cory, not staying in touch? Surely you jest.

Well, I'll have you know that I've asked fair Candace to pass along my info to our many friends in anticipation of correspondence, and in turn, pass along their said info to moi.

I do understand that the process is a two-way street.

Let it be known that the seed is planted, and that lonely hitchhiker shuffling his feet along the road of life is ready and willing for another chance encounter.

Oh, what am I saying? I don't pick up hitchhikers....why would they?

Ugh...I'm tired of this metaphor.

Thanks Candace, for getting back to me, and making my day.

Hope all is well. Can't wait to catch up in person.