Hall of Fame Stats

After I wrote my thank you to Adrian Beltré, I realized I hadn't really said anything about the outstanding career stats he compiled. Any Rangers fan worth their salt is already aware of most of them, but hopefully, a few non-Ranger fans also read this blog. So here is a summary of Adrian's accomplishments on the field. They are certainly worthy of a first-ballot election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Adrian will be eligible in five years. 

Adrian played 21 seasons in the majors. During that time, he played with four MLB clubs. Seven seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, five seasons with Seattle, one year in Boston, and his final eight seasons with the Texas Rangers. 

Perhaps Adrian's most impressive stat, other than playing 21 years at a high level, is the 3,166 hits. That ranks him 15th on the all-time hits list. He has more hits than any foreign-born player. More hits than George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, and numerous other baseball greats. 

His other stats include:

• 1,707 RBI - That ranks 24th all-time
• 477 Home Runs - Ranks 30th
• .286/.339/.480 slash numbers - Batting average/ on-base %/ slugging %
• .819 OPS - on-base + slugging
• Played 2,933 regular season games
• Five Gold Glove awards 
• Four All-Star games
• Four Silver Slugger awards 
• MLB home run leader in 2004 with 48
• MLB hits leader in 2013 with 199
• Named MLB Personality of the Year in 2017. An award he should have won numerous times

With the exception of the five Gold Gloves, the above statistics don't really touch on Adrian's outstanding fielding. Baseball continues to struggle with meaningful defensive metrics. The few measurable categories like fielding percentage are flawed. It often penalized fielders with outstanding range by charging them with an error on balls a less talented player doesn't get close to. Many of the new sabermetrics also leave a lot to be desired. All that being said, I'll give you my opinion based on over 50 years of baseball watching. I have seen Brooks Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Chipper Jones, Clete Boyer, George Brett, Eddie Matthews, and many other good and great third basemen play. Several in person. I have had the opportunity to watch Beltré almost every game for eight years. I'm not saying Adrian is the best fielder ever, but I can't name anyone who is better. 

With the above offensive numbers and one of the best ever fielding third basemen plus the leadership and off-field contributions, there should be no doubt in my mind that Adrian Beltré is worthy of a first-ballot election to the Hall of Fame. 

Thanks again Adrian for a great ride. 

wjh

Adrian Beltré

The great Adrian Beltré announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on November 20, 2018. 

First off, let me say thank you for 21 years of outstanding baseball. A very special thanks for the last eight years with the Texas Rangers. It gave me the chance to see you play almost every game. Mostly on TV, but also several times live at the ballpark. We will miss you. It wasn't just the outstanding baseball, you were also a great personality. You played the game with a smile regardless of the circumstances. You brought a smile to those playing with and against you. You brought a smile to the fans. You even brought a smile to the umpires. Your antics are legendary. 

Don't let that happy go lucky exterior fool you. Adrian was a fierce competitor. He gave full effort every game. He played hurt without complaint. He was a leader on the field and in the clubhouse. Screw up and you got the LOOK. After the look, there was often a talk and a teaching session, followed by encouragement. 

Adrian was an outstanding fielder. I can't imagine any third baseman being any better. He had catlike reflexes at the hot corner and an exceptional arm. His fielding plays often made the highlights.

Beltré also had unique mannerisms in the batter's box. He would do a little dance after being brushed back. He would immediately point to the first base umpire on a checked swing. Maybe most famously, he would sometimes hit from one knee. Several of those one kneed gems left the park. 

Let's not forget Adrian's off-field behavior either.  He was always up for a visit to the local children's hospitals, a youth center, or a charity function. He gave personal attention to special visitors to the ballpark and locker room. Aways with that big smile and humor. 

Over the 30 plus years of following the team, I can think of only one other Texas Ranger who connected with the fans the way Adrian has. That would be Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez. Ironically, Pudge and Adrian reached career milestones on the same weekend in 2017. I am confident that Adrian Beltré will be following Pudge into the Hall of Fame in five years. 

I was sad when Pudge was traded and I am sad today because Adrian is retiring. Sad but grateful to have had the opportunity to see great baseball. I know both gave it there all and owe us, the fans, nothing more. Pudge came back to Texas and works for the Rangers. If they are smart, the team will make a similar offer to Adrian. 

So, thank you again Adrian Beltré for an outstanding career and a bundle of joy.

wjh 

Very Random Thoughts - October 2018

• It seems we have officially merged Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas into one big commercial holiday.
• The new ESPN Monday Night Football broadcast crew is pretty much unlistenable. Guess that is what the mute button is for. 🏈
• I think it is very accommodating of shrimp to have evolved so that they turn pink when cooked just right. 
• Lobsters fall into the same category of appreciation.
• What are the odds that the last of a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka would be exactly one shot glass?
• Sports statistics have gone completely crazy. Do we really need to know that the pitcher is only the 15th person in MLB history to get more than seven strikeouts on consecutive Thursday night home games? 
• Why does it seem to always rain when the forecast is 20% yet almost never rains when you cancel outdoor plans because of an 80% rain forecast? 
• It is amazing to me how sensitive and defensive the white, Christian, privileged male is to any perceived threat to that privilege. Pretty whiney.
• The other night I had a dream about having a dream. Very confusing. 
• How come the big pipeline companies can afford to bury a huge pipe for hundreds, even thousands, of miles but the local utility companies can't bury the neighborhood utility lines? Electricity, phone, internet, and TV cables on poles will get knocked down. 
• Why is it OK to make people pay for Social Security (payroll taxes) but the GOP thinks the ACA requirement to have health insurance is un-American? 
• Are those really old recordings of Jimmy Dean or an impressionist on the new Jimmy Dean Sausage commercials? Jimmy has been dead since 2010 and sold the sausage company in 1984 to Sara Lee.
• Somebody needs to invent a champagne that doesn't sting the eyes. Then baseball players won't need to wear goggles during postgame celebrations. ⚾
• It seems to me that comedians do better crossing over to dramatic roles than dramatic actors do trying comedic roles.
• The only political poll that is truly accurate is the one on election day. 
• "America First" should not mean America only. 
• Wouldn't it be nice if when you vote early the political TV ads, emails, and junk mail stopped?
• There is a difference between "spin", exaggeration, selective/cherry-picked data and outright lying. 

wjh

MLB 2018 Season Predictions Results

Before the 2018 MLB season, I made my Fearless Forecast predictions. The predictions were made on our podcast, Two Old Guys Drinking Beer (TOGDB). You can check them out at this link, TOGDB - Season 2 Episode 12 at the 01:10 mark. Here is an accounting of those predictions and a recap of the season. 

A summary of those predictions shows that I got three of the six division races correct for 50%. I correctly predicted seven of the ten playoff teams for 70%. The Braves, Brewers, and Athletics fooled me. I also correctly predicted 50% of the World Series teams, the Dodgers, but I did not correctly pick the WS winner.

A few notes on the regular season. For the first time in MLB history, there were more strikeouts than hits. The AL East had two teams that posted 100 or more wins (Boston & NYY) and a team with over 100 losses (Baltimore). The AL Central had two teams with 100 or more losses (Chicago White Sox & KC). Baltimore finished 61 games out of first place in the AL East after losing 115 games. The NL Central (Chicago & Milwaukee) and NL West (LA Dodgers & Colorado) divisions both ended in a tie that required a one-game playoff. That left the wildcard and NLDS home field teams undecided until after those games. 

Here are my picks vs actual results: (correct picks are in bold)

• NL East pick Washington Nationals. Actual winner Atlanta Braves.
• NL Central pick Chicago Cubs. Actual winner Milwaukee Brewers
• NL West pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers
• NL Wildcard picks St. Louis Cardinals & Colorado Rockies. Actual winners Chicago Cubs & Colorado Rockies

• AL East pick NY Yankees. Actual winner Boston Red Sox
• AL Central pick Cleveland Indians. Actual winner Cleveland Indians
• AL West pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Houston Astros
• AL Wildcard picks Boston Red Sox & LA Angels. Actual winners NY Yankees & Oakland A's.

• NLDS picks Washington Nationals & LA Dodgers. Actual winners Milwaukee Brewers & LA Dodgers 
• NLCS pick LA Dodgers. Actual winner LA Dodgers

• ALDS picks Houston Astros & NY Yankees. Actual winners Houston Astros & Boston Red Sox
• ALCS pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

• World Series pick Houston Astros. Actual winner Boston Red Sox

Now the champion BoSox get to celebrate for a year. The other 29 teams are in wait til next year mode. Spring training starts in mid-February 2019.

wjh

Found Guilty & Sick

Have you noticed how sick people get when they are indicted? If they are actually convicted, the maladies become terminal. Courts are probably too lenient on defendants who claim illness. I'm not sure what judges can do to correct this. Two very recent cases bring this to the forefront. 

About two or three years ago Bill Cosby was still performing. He was doing live concerts and TV appearances. He was still animated and active. During his recent sexual assault trial, he appeared as an old blind man. A shuffle to his walk, holding the arm of an aide, and often seen with a cane. He has appeared even frailer and blinder since his conviction. Coincidently, at his sentencing, his lawyers asked that he be able to serve his sentence by house arrest rather than in prison. Their reasoning was that Cosby is an old blind man. He is no longer a threat to society. Of course, if you drug your victims you don't need to be very spry or have 20/20 vision. Besides, prison is just as much a punishment for past illegal actions as it is to protect society. 

The second even more recent case is that of Paul Manafort. Just this summer during his

trial he was the picture of health. Dressed in expensive custom-made suits, perfect haircut, and a big smile, he would stride confidently into court. Now just a few days ago he had to be wheeled into court in a wheelchair wearing a jail jumpsuit and only one shoe. He was also much grayer. I assume they don't issue Grecian Formula 44 in prison. Again, his lawyers say he is in deteriorating health and needs to be transferred to another prison facility. 

Of course, this behavior is all to envoke sympathy for the defendant or prisoner. In Cosby's case, it was first to influence the jury then the judge. Manafort won't be sentenced until February 2019. He is working the health angle now in hopes of influencing the judge to both a lighter sentence and a cushy white collar prison facility with excellent health facilities. 

My conclusion is that courthouses and jails are hazardous to our health. Perhaps the CDC and EPA should look into this. 

These two men are just the most recent example of court/jail induced health issues. They are by no means the first or the last to try this tactic. Almost all criminals profess their innocence. It also seems they develop health issues. Is there a doctor in the (court)house?

wjh

The Shortest Distance

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. 

Or is it? Apparently not in the FedEx universe. I had an electronic device that needed to be repaired. The repair company sent me the packaging and prepaid FedEx label to return the device in. The box was sent from the Chicago area to me in the DFW area. It traveled from:

1. Schaumburg, IL.
2. Memphis, TN
3. Dallas, TX
4. Irving, TX
5. My front door

Not too convoluted a route considering Memphis is FedEx's main hub.

I packed up the device and took it to a nearby FedEx office in Colleyville, TX. The destination was Grapevine, TX. Those two towns border each other so of course, the FedEx route was:

1. Colleyville, TX
2. Irving, TX
3. Dallas, TX
4. Memphis, TN
5. Ft. Worth, TX
6. Irving, TX
7. Grapevine, TX (delivered)

A little more involved. Just for fun, I looked on Google Maps. The FedEx store in Colleyville is about 12 miles (15 minutes) from the repair location. So of course, the route via Memphis and several other cities makes perfect sense.

The DFW and Memphis airports are about 480 miles apart, probably a little less as the crow flies. Let's say that's at least 900 miles the package travels roundtrip not counting the ground travel on both ends of the flight. That seems like about 888 miles farther than necessary. 

I wonder how the device will be returned to me. I checked and I live 13.9 miles (17 minutes) from the repair company location. I'm guessing Memphis and much of North Texas will again be involved. 

I'm pretty sure that except for the originator and delivery drivers, no human eyes ever look at the shipping label. Ain't technology and algorithms great? 

wjh

Fractured Instructions

We all buy stuff that comes with instructions. If you're like me, you usually ignore them. Still, there are times when you just have to check the instruction pamphlet. If the product is made in Asia, the instructions can be frustrating &/or hilarious. Here are a few examples:

• For a pair of bicycle gloves (made in China). Not so much actual instructions, but pointing out the features:
• SBR materials can protect your finger joints and wrists much more better.
• Skid-proof and hard-wearing materials for more security and comfortable of ride.
• Silica gel printing technology for additional friction force and reducing the probability of skipping handlebars.
• Thickening palm pad for reducing hand shock on bump road effectively.
• Breathable holes design for additional heat release function.
• Sweat absorbent materials for absorbing more sweat from sports.
• Velcro using for fixing and adjusting tightness adds more sense of security. 
• Tailor in three dimensional.
• For a dental pick (Made in China):
• Please rinse with mild water if there is a slight oral bleeding during use.
• Please keep this manual in a safe place and away from children. 
• A fitness tracker:
• Please fit the adjusting holes according to your wrist size , and then do up the wristband buckle ;
• Please ensure the band has enough battery at your first time using it.
• In connected state , click the "Looking for band" option , the band will vibrate to cause your attention.
• Note: The band will track sleeping status only when you wore it during your sleep.
• A bluetooth headset:
• The light indicator will turn into red when charging.
• The red light indicator goes out and turn into green when charging completed.

I'm not sure if these Asian companies use a digital translator or someone who has studied English for one semester or less. Either way, it seems like there is a market for translators who actually speak the language. 

I feel certain that there will be additional posts on this theme.

wjh