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On the subject of NBA franchise relocation, James had an intriguing way to organize our thoughts:

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Personally, I don't think it's important to preserve [statistical] records, because we'll adapt to the new records, just like we adapted to huge strikeout changes, etc, (or NFL going from 14- to 16-game season and eventually 18). Even so, going to 8-inning game will radically change bullpen usage, but, we've seen that over the past 30 years anyway.

Asked by: tangotiger

Answered: 1/14/2013

Well. ...philosophically, you and I share a predisposition in favor of change; I think we're both inclined to believe that baseball hurts itself more than it helps itself by its fear of change.  

 

But at the same time, it does not follow that all changes are good changes, or that there is no value in tradition.   Indeed, almost the ENTIRE value of a sports franchise is in its traditions.   You and I could design a game which is as entertaining to watch as baseball or football, but were a league to be launched based on that game, its revenues in Year One would be less than 1% of the revenues of the NFL or MLB.    The other 99% is accounted for traditions.  

 

The value in the franchises is in the traditions which bind its fan base to the team.    While I agree that baseball needs to be open to change, I also think that it needs to be not TOO anxious to change.  

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This is a thought-provoking suggestion -- that 99% of the Seahawks' shirt sales* are really because of a contextual backdrop.  The fact that they're playing in the NFL(TM), the league of Lombardi and Walsh and Unitas and etc., and the investment that sons and fathers have made over the years -- this is the fabric of fan loyalty and intensity.

Compare the value of a product's "brand"; the Coca-Cola "brand" is worth 60-something billion.  The memories, feelings, and attitudes are themselves the marketable product.

Obviously, most of this is true.  You could build a USFL team to play in Portland, and it might have great players, but it's not going to have anything that we value about a Felix Hernandez - Albert Pujols matchup on Friday night.  This would be true even if Felix and Pujols jumped to the USFL.*

Continuing:

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A question I've never gotten my ethical bearings on -- the potential move now of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle. As you see it, should a Seattle basketball fan feel sheepish about the situation in general? The new franchise will, or won't, be (or feel like) the Sonics on a civically psychic level?

 

Just noodlin' ... certainly you have a strong perspective on the general issue of sports teams relocating, the ethic that applies, and the tendency for it to turn out to be emotionally satisfying, or to manifest good karma so to speak, or not ...

Asked by: jemanji

Answered: 1/14/2013

Well, it relates to the value in tradition, which I was just talking about with Tom.     There was a 20-year period, 1953-1972, in which baseball franchises hopped around chasing bigger markets.   This was period of near-zero growth in baseball attendance--certainly the worst 20-year period growth record in baseball history (I think the exact worst is 1948-1968, and I believe that PER GAME attendance actually declined significantly over than 20-year period).   Eventually baseball realized that it was hurting itself by allowing franchises to move around willy-nilly, and put a stop to it.   

 

This is not to say, either, that a team should NEVER move.    A league should never allow the OWNER of a team to move the team for his own personal reasons--as, for example, Irsay did in moving the Colts out of Baltimore.  The team, in a more enlightened sense than legal ownership, belongs not to the person who has purchased the team, but to its fans, to the city, and to the league.    It damages a league for the league to allow the "owner", as one of the rights of ownership, to severe those other ties.    Nothing in the law, nothing in the concept of "ownership", says that an owner has the right to make that decision without considering the long-term best interests of the league. 

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James acknowledges that the LEAGUE gets half of the credit for the psychic "brand", and the CITY the other half.  It's a Lennon-McCartney partnership, and he sees (transitory) owners as little more than band managers in this equation.

He also calls into question whether it should be a "right of ownership" to move a team, given that it uproots the psychic value (and thus the brand and cashflow) of the franchise.

You might protest, well, the Oklahoma Thunder became marketable pretty quick.  Yes, that's why James acknowledges the league -- the NBA, not Clay Bennett -- as equal partner in this equation with Seattle.  Kevin Durant is scoring 30 a game in the contextual backdrop of the Kareem and Magic and Bird league.

You might ask, why didn't the NBA care more about tradition in Seattle?  James has great disdain for Larry Stern.

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I don't care about the 'legal' aspect; it just strikes me as historically inaccurate to say that they are one and the same franchise, which really isn't true.

Asked by: jimmybart

Answered: 1/15/2013

Here come more leaderboards in the pitching categories.

Once again, we note: Unlike hitters, I do not put an age cap on pitchers.  So some older guys will be mixed in.  The minimum number of batters faced is 100.

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Stat: Production Prevention, which is (XBH + BB)/PA or BF [same thing] (expressed as percent)

Rule of thumb:  Those who have been following along know that I look for hitters to produce extra-base hits and walks as the basis for their "production" of offense, and, conversely, I look for pitchers to be able to prevent hitters from doing as much.  Pitchers do well to keep XBH + BB to under 14% of batters faced.  It's interesting to keep in mind that strikeouts do not impact this particular stat at all.

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Starters:

1. Erasmo Ramirez (22) 10.2%
2. George Mieses (21) 10.8% (also reliever)
3. Trevor Miller (21) 11.1%
4. Jordan Pries (22) 11.2%
5. Stephen Landazuri (20) 11.5%
6. Robert Shore (23) 12.1% (also reliever)
7. Chris Sorce (24) 13.3%
8. Anthony Fernandez (22) 13.4%
9. Dylan "Sharkie" Unsworth (19) 13.4%
10. Blake Beavan (22) 13.8%

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Relievers:

[Technical non-qualfier (96 batters faced):  Matt Brazis (22) 7.3%]

1. Carter Capps (21) 9.2%
2. Kyle Hunter (23) 9.8%
3. David Colvin (23) 10.2%
4. Brian Moran (23) 11.8%
5. Bobby LaFromboise (26) 11.9%
6. David Pauley (29) 12.1%
7. Grady Wood (22) 12.7%
8. David Holman (22) 12.9%
9. Austin Hudson (24) 12.9%
10. Stephen Shackleford (23) 13.3%

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Below age-arc (young for level) pitchers:

1. Capps (21) 9.2%
2. Ramirez (22) 10.2%
3. Brandon Maurer (21) 14.1%
4. Tyler Pike (18) 14.3%
5. Victor Sanchez (17) 14.3%

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Notes:  Besides the cool thing that guys like Capps and Brazis, who were striking out the world, also were good at preventing XBH and walks, probably the most notable number belongs to Mieses.

He's been pushed pretty hard up the ladder (Clinton at 20, High Desert at 21), and his numbers haven't been super-exciting along the way, but to be right up there with Erasmo on this list, and ahead of Anthony Fernandez and Sharkie Unsworth (both of whom are better known for damage-control than "stuff"), is pretty interesting.

If you've been following my stuff, then you already have an inkling about Jordan Pries and Stephen Landazuri, but Trevor Miller is also trying barge into that group.  The 2011 40th-round pick was excellent in five starts in High Desert at the end of the year.

Though the winter weather is far from delightful, Colorado knows a thing or two about enjoying oneself in all climates. Whether a nice outdoor music festival in the falling snow tickles your fancy, or coffin races are more up your ally, Colorado has a multitude of celebrations to guide you into the spring.

SnowDaze and Icelantic Winter on the Rocks

For those ready to shake it hard enough to make the snow on the Rockies feel like white sand on the beach, look no further than Snowball Music Festival and Icelantic Winter on the Rocks.

With last year’s performance exceeding expectations, Red Rocks Amphitheater decided to continue hosting one winter concert a year. Dubbed Icelantic Winter on the Rocks, this year’s all weather show will feature up and coming hip hop artist Macklemore and DJ Ryan Lewis. The two will take the stage on February 1^st, and be supported by the likes of Major Lazer, Grouch and Eligh and Neelais.

After a month’s break to warm up, hit the outdoor action again with Winter Park’s Snowball Music Festival from March 8^th-10^th. Headliners include Pretty Lights, STS9, Kendrick Lamar and Big Gigantic, and the yet to be announced after parties always include some great tunes. General Admission tickets are still available for the show.

Snowdown Durango

Ever find yourself acting a bit out of character due to cabin fever? If so, head on down to Durango between the 1^st and 5^th of February to celebrate all the shenanigans that can happen during the cold, dark months of winter. Polar bear plunges, winter golf and arm wrestling are only a few of the fun-filled activites waiting for you in Southern Colorado.

Frozen Dead Guy

While March may come in like a lion and leave like a lamb in other parts of the world, in Colorado, it can be real cold and real wet. To keep the good times rolling in the rough weather, head to Nederland the weekend of March 2^nd to participate in one of Colorado’s favorite past times: Frozen Dead Guy Days.

Though under new management, FDGD will still offer all the favorites like coffin rides, frozen T-shirt competitions, and of course, visiting good ol’ frozen Grandpa Bredo. The festival is a must if wacky celebrations, good tunes and great mirco brews tickle your fancy.

For more information on Colorado winter festivals, head to the Heidi Town website. Stay active, stay warm and for God sakes, stay fun during the colder months in colorful Colorado. 

Repairs at four U. S. nuclear reactors are so expensive that they should not be restarted. fairewinds.com

Radioactive nuclides in the incinerator ashes of municipal solid wastes before and after the accident at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant are compared in a report. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance recently published a fact sheet on “U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise Infrastructure Modernization.” blog.heritage.org

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is rushing a court-ordered evaluation of the risks of storing spent nuclear fuel at the country's nuclear plants, according to two dozen watchdog groups. sfgate.com