A $480,000 Salesman??

I know that their huge TV contract allows the Doyers to spend tons of money on their players, but paying $480,000 to a ticket salesman is ridiculous!

Enjoying one of my favorite Christmas presents...

Bonus points if you can name that first song.

Witness the Panda in captivity...

Cue the depressing Sarah McLachlan music.

Do you know Bo?

If there's one good thing that the evil four-letter has done, it's the 30 for 30 series.  If you're like me and don't pay for that station, you can watch the compelling documentary about Bo Jackson in its entirety online for free.  I would normally embed such a video in this post, but YouTube has forbidden it.  Instead, please enjoy this 1989 interview of Bo on the Arsenio Hall show before you follow the link above.

Bears > Bruins

Sic 'em!

OSITF links: How to Pitch

What if a baseball coach had to teach his players how to pitch using only what he learned from scouting report graphics during MLB broadcasts?  Well, Sam Miller from Baseball Prospectus has been there and lived to tell the tale.  It's a hilarious (and free) read, and it includes some great gems of wisdom, like this one:

Poor Form, Wade Boggs

Didn't anyone teach you "hips ahead of hands???"

Congratualations, Bizarro Chiefs--2012 PFFL Champions

Exercise your civic duty...

Hmm, but what if I want to vote for Bryce Harper?

A Boxing Day Abomination...

I enjoy Christmas Carols.  What I do not enjoy is when companies impose their own obnoxious lyrics on classic holiday songs (for example: Garmin).

This on the other hand, is an abomination of an entirely different kind:



There is no way that

Merry Christmas! Go Rockies!

Crowning the Champion

This weekend, the Percell Family Baseball League crowned its 2012 champion:


Half of the league was present for the ceremony, well sort of:

Christmas and Baseball...

Does it get any better than that?

Happy Anniversary, Model Basketball Observers!!

What an exciting, high-flying basketball play, no?  Indeed it is, but is it really a reason to lose one's well-maintained demeanor?  Is it reason enough to justify an undignified outburst?  More than one author has analyzed what is the model way to observe a baseball game, but what of basketball?  Just what is the best way to observe an athletic feat such as the one depicted above?

First, let's watch that very play in real time:

Hang A Shining Ace Upon The Highest Bough...

Just put the star on top of the Christmas tree. Hahaha pic.twitter.com/QRCP1Z07

— Ben Verlander (@Verly32) December14, 2012

So the world didn't end...

I hope that everyone has made it far enough to see the happy ending in this:

Don't get ahead of yourself, Frank...

Just be glad you aren't named Craig.

OSITF Namesake

Behind any great name is a great story. This blog is no exception. As many might not realize the significance, I thought I would call it to light.

Several years ago, back when Guns 'N Roses song Paradise City was a hot new hit, the Backsliders owner Melinda and her family were out visiting Colorado as they frequently did. Melinda and Bloomington Baseball owner Jay came across a relic, similar to this balloon. The two found it so humorous that the phrase caught on and it became a bit of a running joke. When it came time for the Percell Family Fantasy Baseball League to warrant a blog, the name was an obvious choice for the same reasons as to why the phrase caught the attention of Jay and Melinda.

Wax On . . . Wax Off . . .

Sand the floor . . .

Paint the fence . . .

Axe the monster truck tire???

Getting worked by our trainer out in Surprise... #offseasontraining twitter.com/BillyButlerKC/…

— Billy Butler (@BillyButlerKC) December 3, 2012

What?

I don't believe what I just saw.

No wait, actually I do:

Breaking: Gibby before and after a shave. Anything less would be uncivilized. Tune in now to @mlbnetwork twitter.com/Dbacks/status/…

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) December 4, 2012

If it doesn't have an exploding bird, I don't want it.

This is actually something people can purchase:

“The Big Unit” unveiled by Randy Johnson - Limited Edition @RJ51Photos pic.twitter.com/4QbFtL1T

— Ulysse Nardin (@ulysse_nardin) November28, 2012

If you want to see a boring video of Randy Johnson talking about the watch, there's one on youtube.  But If you're like me, you'd rather watch this:

"Jimbo" . . . how fitting.

Here is that yearbook proof that Jimbo was popular in High School:

Baseball Dream Theater VI

I'm in Milwaukee at a Brewers game, but I'm not sure why.  I'm routing for the Brewers, so they must be playing the Cubs.

With two outs, Carlos Gomez hits a single, which brings up Ryan Braun.  Braun bounces a pitch back to the mound, but the pitcher doesn't get a good grip on the ball.  At the precise moment that I snap the camera on my cell phone, Braun is leaping through the air in a superman pose and the pitcher is sliding past him into foul territory.  The ball flies away toward the first base coach while Braun's descent brings him an infield single.

Then, immediately, the inning ends entirely too early thanks to my alarm clock.

Sabathia : Yankees : : Ryu : Doyers

The Doyers recently signed Korean LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is listed at 6'2" 215lbs.

Here he is striking out thirteen batters in a single KBO game:



Here he is throwing down five double-doubles:

What is wrong with this picture?

I spotted this $59.99 hooded sweatshirt at a newsstand and noticed something peculiar...

Every vacation should have it's own movie trailer

Nationals 1B/OF Michael Morse, also known as this guy, recently had a movie trailer made for his honeymoon.  Take a look:

The Hobbit was Awesomesauce

This clip was NOT in the movie I saw last night.  Still, The Hobbit was awesomesauce.

A Bichette Blake Street Bomber Bobble? Booyah!

Dante Bichette bobbleheads are in design! Sneak peek: pic.twitter.com/SXmxKTgp

— Colorado Rockies (@rockies) December10, 2012

I want one.  Here's hoping they will also have Vinny and El Gato.

Miggy Wins Venezuelan HR Derby

The prize: thirty pesos.  Or something along those lines.

In case you slept through the Winter Meetings...

Here are all the "highlights" that you "missed" last week:



And here is why:

PFFL Season Recap

This pretty much sums up everything.  Well, everything except "fewest points scored."

Happy David Price Day!

Tampa to give #Rays @davidprice14key to city, proclaim Tuesday as "David Price Day"

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) December 7, 2012

He was the AL's best this year:



I only wish that he could actually pull THIS off:

What WIL it take?

So, now that the deal is done, is James Shields really the "high grade starting pitcher" that you were looking for, Royals fans?

Today's Lesson: Plate Swagger

It's always good to get a little BP in during the month of December. Today we focused on the all important plate swagger.

Walt Weiss remembers his most embarrassing moment

I have a snaking suspicion that he probably has some *ahem* more colorful stories that he could tell...

Super Mario does not embrace sabermetrics

Who knew?

Normal, IL Prepares for the Apocalypse...

By selling minor league baseball tickets, of course!

The Normal CornBelters are trying to cash in on the Mayan Calendar Armageddon Scare by holding a doomsday-themed ticket sale.

Stylistics > Jim Leyland

"Betcha By Golly Wow" as performed by Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland during a visit to the Motown Museum in the D:



Here is the same song, as originally performed by the Stylistics:

139 RBI in Four Minutes

Baseball Dream Theater V

"Cuban?"  "No, I'm Canadian."

Some friends and I are celebrating--I can't remember why--at Coors Field during a Rockies game.  Some of my coworkers are there too.  Everyone is smoking cigars. 

BABIP on Board

The good people at NotGraphs have released this handy animated explanation on BABIP, also known as Jonathan Herrera's only tool.

Ichiro: Greatest Outfield Arm Ever?

Ichiro has released some baseball trick shot videos.  You make the call: real or fake?



But wait, there's more...

GB^2

The Best Rockies Oddities of 2012

Just like the '12 Rockies' performance on the field, there isn't a lot of good:

Santa in pinstripes

The Kansas City Royals win it all . . . or do they?

What an awesome story!  Dearborn, Missouri?  No way!

Apparently the ticket numbers were randomly generated, so Frank White and Bret Saberhagen don't have to get offended that they were left off the ticket.  I guess this doesn't mean that the Royals will win the 2013 World Series either.  Even though the Royals connection didn't make the ticket a winner, this is an awesome story. 

What do you think a lotto winner in Dearborn, Missouri would buy first?  If you said a red Camaro, you're right.

This story wins the offseason.  By far.

Friday Fathomings

OUWMMMMMLY COW WHAT A MEAL!

Thor's Day Thoughts

Here is the new hitting and first base coach for Canada's WBC team, Larry Walker:

Odin's Day Oddity

Help Dikembe Mutombo save the world:

Tuesday Two-seam

¡Adelante!

Monday Minutiæ

The New Zealand WBC team sure knows how to have fun during a rain delay:



And I believe this is mandatory:

Sunday SIERA

With Thanksgiving behind us, here is a little something to get you in the Christmas mood:

Baseball Dream Theater IV

I'm the coach of a little league baseball team when the Zombie Apocalypse hits. 

Eventually, one of the kids on the team gets fed up with always running for his life and/or fed up with always playing left field, and he quits the team during the middle of a scrimmage.  As the coach, the dangerous duty of tracking him down and saving his life falls to me.  After a long search, I finally locate his reanimated zombie corpse.

When I return to the ballfield, I find that the team has disbanded and only one zombified little leaguer is around.  So I decide to flee as well and I end up taking shelter in a nearby barn.

Saturday Shuuto

Decent, but not as epic as this:

Black Friday Fathomings

Here's Rick Monday talking about what Phillies fans call "Black Friday," game 3 of the 1997 NLCS:



The Dodgers would go on to lose the '77 World Series to Reggie Jackson and the Yankees.

Turkey Day Thoughts

Know a hall of famer: Turkey Stearnes, inducted in 2000.
   

From Wikipedia:

Happy Birthday Left Outs!

I am thankful today to have such a great father.

Have an awesome day, Champ!
     

Odin's Day Oddity

Also spotted at the World Baseball Classic:

Go America! Go Broncos!

For your viewing pleasure.
(Photo by The Associated Press)

Tuesday Two-seam

Here are MLB.com's nominees for weirdest baseball moment in 2012:



Which is your favorite?
   

Monday Minutiæ

Let's all take a moment and appreciate the awesomeness of the World Baseball Classic.

Sunday SIERA

This is cool.  Every ballpark should have a few of these:

Safeco Field will soon be home to the largest video board in MLB. You won’t find this at stores on Black Friday. twitter.com/Mariners/statu…

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) November 15, 2012

Saturday Shuuto

I hinted at this on Thor's Day, but here are some talking heads discussing the hiring of Two Hands:



Is it me or do they only have one Bichette highlight?  You know, this one:

More like "Melk, eh" ...AMIRITE???

    
Had you told me that Melky Cabrera would sign with a team outside of the United States, I would have guessed Japan, not Canada.

Friday Fathomings

In case you aren't up to speed on the latest hot stove news...



It's somewhat comforting to know that there is a franchise that is run worse than the Rockies.

 . . . and it's also somewhat disturbing.
   

FREE BASEBALL!

On your Android device!

The ad-free version of 9 Innings: 2013 Pro Baseball is free today from Amazon.  I have installed it, but haven't had a chance to play it yet, so I can't say how good of a game it is.  It has a low user rating, but the vast majority of the negative reviews are because the game doesn't run on rooted devices.  If you don't know what a rooted device is, you don't have to worry.  Either way, the game won't cost you anything, so long as you get it today.

Here is the trailer for the game:



Link: Amazon.

Thor's Day Thoughts

Relevant.
   

Wednesday Walkoff

I'm sure everyone (presumably) is clamoring to know about which Pebbles (a/k/a Rockies MiLB farm hands) are in the Arizona Fall League.  Well, here you go:

Tuesday Two-seam

So the San Diego Madres are bringing in their fences:

I think they should have just made a deal with the Rockies to trade Petco Park for Coors Field.

Monday Minutiæ

I know the Red Sox have to replace Nick Punto, but this is ridiculous!

Sunday SIERA

I know everybody has been clamoring for this (presumably), so here it is, the best defensive plays in 2012 from the Pacific League:

Saturday Shuuto

Here's Brad Pitt Billy Beane on Walter William Weiss, the new manager of the Colorado Rockies:

Friday Fathomings

A week ago, the Houston Astros unveiled their new uniforms.  Here's the 'runway' they had:



The new uniforms are a big improvement, but I really don't like how they just decided to leave the synthesizer on demo mode.

Oh well, at least it wasn't as bad as this.
   

Thor's Day Thoughts

Major League Baseball may have its share of issues, but at least MLB fans aren't doing this:

Odin's Day Oddity

A week ago was Halloween.  I recently found out that the Arizona State Sun Devils have a cool Halloween scrimmage tradition, as pictured above.

How would you have looked playing baseball in your halloween costume?
   

Still topical: NEW POLL

Who should be the next manager of the Colorado Rockies?

This is really just a two horse race, but still . . . SOUND OFF!!

Topical: old poll(s)

Who will win the 2012 World Series?

Nobody thought the Rockies could pull it off...

Tuesday Two-seam

Happy Democracy, everybody!

If Mike Trout can't win a gold glove, how does he expect to win a seat in congress?

Fistbump: /r/baseball

Symmetry

Peyton Manning's passing yards this season: 2,404. Andrew Luck's passing yards this season: 2,404. Broncos 5-3, Colts 5-3.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2012

Let's not forget that Tim Tebow has 32 passing yards this season, and the Jets are 3-5.

Monday Minutiæ

Here's a nice clip of Zito and Romo on Leno.  It has some nice discussion about family.  Not terribly funny, but then again, it's Jay Leno...

Sunday SIERA

Some lowlights from the Giant's championship parade:



A GIF of this can be found here.

Saturday Shuuto

Get it?  Boosball?

With Halloween occurring this week, I happened upon an interesting article that reviews a comic in which Casper The "Friendly" Ghost investigates the 100-year history of the National League.  Check it out at Old Time Family Baseball.
    

Friday Fathomings

This week's PFFL waiver claims:

Emphasis added.  Ctrl + click to enlarge.

How fitting.

Odin's Day Oddity

Hunter Pence is a goofy dude, on and off the field:

Free Tacos: "A Great Moment for all America"

Quoth Ángel Pagán: "I feel happy that I brought everybody together in the United States and it’s a great moment for all America."

Fistbump: HardballTalk

2012: A Tacos Odyssey

Ah, free tacos.  Is there anything better?

Yesterday was free taco day, as any faithful reader of this blog already knows.  I hope that you were able to get your freebie.  I certainly collected my one four.  How was I able to multiply my free tacos, you ask?  Simple...

Odin's Day Oddity

Happy Halloween, everybody.

PFFL Week 8 recap

Pioneer Skies Stuns Record 6!

  

Pioneer Skies defeated Record 6 118.14 - 100.34 and got the highest point total in the league this week. Pioneer Skies (4-4) sits just two games back of Record 6 (6-2), but point totals show a much bigger gap, 1,078.64 - 730.06. Pioneer Skies played better than expected and scored 11.6% more than their projected 105.82 points, while Record 6 fell short of their projections and scored only 87.5% of a projected 114.61.

Pioneer Skies Smooth Moves

• Lawrence Tynes had the highest score of any K in the league this season with 19.00 points.
• The 36.28 points scored by Matthew Stafford was the second-highest QB score of the week and is the sixth-highest QB score in the league this season.
• Denarius Moore ranked sixth in the league in scoring among WRs this week with 15.60 points.
• The 15.40 points scored by Matt Forte was the eighth-highest score of any RB in the league this week.
• Pioneer Skies was still able to pull out a win with only 5 of their 10 starters exceeding their projected points.

Record 6 Regret Tracker

• Greg Zuerlein, who Record 6 picked up this week, scored below his 7.33-point projection with 1.00 point.
• At the QB position, Record 6 got outscored 36.28 - 16.84 by Pioneer Skies.
• Record 6 got outscored 19.00 - 1.00 by Pioneer Skies at the K position.
• Victor Cruz scored a season-low 2.30 points, 19.6% of his projected 11.73, which is his lowest percentage of the year.
• Tony Gonzalez had two season-lows this week. He scored a season-low 2.90 points and recorded only 34.6% of his 8.37-point projection.

What If

REMINDER: Free Taco this afternoon!

Today between 2pm and 6pm, it's taco time!

Tuesday Two-seam

The Giants only have a 2-0 lead in the Series...

The Nippon Series that is.

Time will tell if momentum changes as the Series shifts to Hokkaido.  Go Fighters!

Monday Minutiæ

The Giants have an interesting way of celebrating...

First, Marco Scutaro was assaulted:



Then, Marco Scutaro was assaulted in a different way:

Seeing Marco Scutaro celebrate with the Giants...

Might be the closest the Rockies ever get to winning the World Series.

Or at least it sure feels like that.

Congratulations, Giants.  You make me sick.

Miggy goes BOOM!

The Tigers have their first lead of the World Series.

Watching the World Series in HD is great...

I can see Joe Buck's hair plugs!

AMIRITE?

Re: Demi Lovato...

"It's very vibrato..."

"And not in a good way!"

My Tigers themed Jack O'Lantern is a total failure

. . . just like the actual team during the World Series.

Sunday SIERA

Fistbump: Deadspin.

Killing time until the game...

...at Laser Quest with my cuñados!

Baseball Dream Theater III

We went to Game Three of the World Series, but somehow it was being played in San Francisco instead of Detroit.  Our seats were in the upper deck behind home plate, but for some reason, when I looked at the field I had an angle from center field.  

Logically, there were Giants fans everywhere, but I did manage to spot two fans wearing Rockies gear.  One was in a Troy Tulowitzki jersey. 

During batting practice, I caught with my bare hands a foul ball that had ricocheted off a stair step behind and to the right of me.  There were a couple more foul balls hit near us, but none of the other fans were able to make a clean catch like me. 

Despite being a reliefer, former Rockies farmhand Al Albuquerque started the game for Detroit, rather than Anibal Sanchez. 

Saturday Shuuto

Phil Coke was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2002.  In 2009, the Yankees traded him to the Detroit Tigers as part of the three-team Curtis Granderson/Edwin Jackson/Austin Jackson/Max Scherzer/Ian Kennedy deal.  While he still played for the Yankees, he faced Miguel Cabrera only once.  Here is Coke recounting a discussion with Cabrera about that one at bat:

What to watch with no baseball games tonight

Friday Fathomings

Bruce Bochy seems to be winning the heart of our PFBL Champ.  Here's Bochy's witty NLCS exchange with Yadi Molina moments after Fat Panda fouled a pitch off his massive girth:



So is anyone else falling in love with Bochy and his freakishly enormous head?

At least I'm not the only one...

Not sure. He would be for me. RT @ositf_blog:Why isn't Vinny Castilla a candidate for the #Rockies manager?

— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) October 25, 2012

Gotta love Prince's effort...

Fistbump: @cjzero

Better reception tonight...

Better game so far too.

OSITF Links: Don't Count the Tigers Out Yet

Over at Baseball Nation, Al Yellon looks at a few other times that the Detroit Tigers have lost game one of the World Series.  It's good reading.

Thor's Day Thoughts

During the playoffs its easy to talk about all the bad commercials that air over and over and over during the games.  But let's be positive for a minute here.  What is the best commercial you're seeing over and over and over during the postseason?

Here's my pick:



Wow.  Doesn't that just fill you with a large number of powerful emotions? 

First, the commercial is way better than the shameless profiteering of the NFL's cancer awareness campaign.  Then you have Jon Lester, the pitcher in the spot, who is a cancer survivor himself.  He also started game four of the World Series, which I attended in 2007.  He was also on a disappointing Red Sox team my disappointing fantasy baseball team this year.

It's just so much to take in, isn't it?

Anyway, here's a quick behind the scenes about the making of that commercial:

This is not going how I hoped it would

A snowstorm has knocked out my reception of the World Series..

Here's hoping Barry Zito pitches as bad as he sings!

No really.  That was actually Barry Zito singing.

If your ears aren't bleeding yet, this next video about Patrick Duffy's nephew will do the trick:

Cheap Tacos - World Series Edition

I just want to make sure that everyone is aware of this promotion:

Projecting the 2012 World Series

On paper, the Detroit Tigers have the better offense, but since falling down three games to one in the NLCS, the San Francisco Giants outscored the Cardinals 20-1, so they seem to be firing on all cylinders.  With Valverde's playoff implosion, the Giants have the edge in the bullpen, but since game four of the ALDS, the starters for the Tigers have pitched well enough to go deep into the game, and Jim Leyland hasn't had to rely on his reliefers.  The 2012 World Series will probably come down to the starting pitching matchups.  Let's take a look, shall we?

Disclaimer: pitching matchups are subject to change.  The Giants have announced their plans going forward, and the Tigers have only announced their rotation through game four. The longer the Series goes, the more likely we can see changes.

Game 1: 10/24 - Justin Verlander v. Barry Zito

Edge: Tigers.  Verlander is a beast at the top of his game, and Zito will be facing a lineup with a lot of potent right handed hitters (Miguel Cabrera, Delmon Young, Austin Jackson, Omar Infante, Jhonny Peralta and Avisail García).

Game 2: 10/25 - Doug Fister v. Madison Bumgarner

Edge:

What to watch with no baseball game tonight...

THE NEW TRAILER FOR IRON MAN 3, OF COURSE!!!



If you want a closer look at what you just saw, io9 has a good screencap breakdown. 

If you think it was strikingly similar to the trailer of another recent superhero blockbuster, you're probably right.

So when can I pre-purchase my tickets?

Tuesday Two-seam

Losing 9-0 in game seven sure is a kick in the teeth, eh Mike Matheny?

I wish the Rox could have traded Marco Scutaro to the Nats

Ah well.  Congratulations, Marco.

Looks like it's monsoon season in San Francisco

Nobody knows exactly how much it rained on game seven, because there was so much that it broke the gauge that the National Weather Service uses.

Or maybe it's just the tears of Cardinals fans everywhere...

Who would you rather have win the NL pennant?

The National League teams I like better than the Giants include, but are not limited to: the Colorado Rockies, the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Washington Nationals, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cincinnati Reds, the Miami Marlins, the Houston Astros (yes, I'm still counting them as an NL team for now), and the Atlanta Braves.

Brian McKnight has a cool watch.

Much better than last night's ridiculous hat!

Why is a Marlins fan rooting for the Giants?

I don't get it.  This dude is clapping like crazy for the Giants. Doesn't he know that his jersey is the wrong shade of orange?

Wearing number seven for game seven

Swag.

Monday Minutiæ

Giants 0-5 record in best-of-7 "winner-take-all" games is the worst in major-league history. They'll play one Monday night.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 22, 2012

The #Cardinals have won 6 straight winner-take-all games, matching the longest streak in MLB history (Also STL from 1924-67) #NLCS

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 22, 2012

Another reason why I don't like the Giants

What is this?

I don't even.

Sunday SIERA

The NLCS resumes today.  The Cardinals missed a big opportunity to close out the series at home in game five.  Now, they will play in San Francisco facing Vogelsong, who won game two, and (most likely) Cain, if necessary.  But probably what hurts the most is the fact that the Cards were shutout by a pitcher who is crazy:



Hmm.  That reminds me of someone...

Saturday Shuuto

Hope everyone is excited for a full slate of no baseball today.

Oh well, here was a fun moment from the ALCS:

Baseball Dream Theater II

   

Even though it is happening two states away, we decide to go to today's Cardinal's game.  A trip to the box office successfully yields tickets to the game.  But, closer inspection on the way home shows that we have four tickets instead of two, and they aren't all together.  On the way back to the box office to clear everything up, a theft attempt is made on the backpack containing the tickets.  An unsuccessful attempt, that is.