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At BJOL, they just published the Fielding Bible awards for 2012.  The article is in front of the pay wall.  According to Dewan's calculations, Brendan Ryan gloved the Mariners -27 runs last year, with the #2 shortstop in baseball (Andrelton Simmons) saving the Braves -19.

You've got to figure that these single-season numbers could be outliers that present warped perceptions of real things actually, you've got to assume that these single-season numbers ARE outliers.  And that the numbers given are going to be misleading.  For example, Jason Heyward is credited with -20 runs saved from a corner outfield spot, whereas the last two years he saved only -8 and -4.  Franklin Gutierrez was credited with -31 runs saved in 2009 -- as an outfielder! -- but saved only -6 the next year.

In Brendan Ryan's specific case, however, SSI has indeed come to believe that Ryan saves a team -15, -20, or maybe even -25 runs over another high-quality ML shortstop.  For one thing, Dewan's research has demonstrated that shortstops, even ML shortstops, vary widely in their ability to convert outs to the 3B side of the position.  If you watch the Mariners, you are aware that Ryan is sensational at this play.  And for a second thing, Ryan's defensive scores are terrific every year, by every metric.

Finally, if you take all metrics that have ever been done on defenders, as a whole, you gradually triangulate the idea that [great defenders in the middle of the field] can settle into a -15, -18, -20 runs saved level of productivity.  On a year-in, year-out basis.

It's saying a lot for Dr. D to admit that he'd pay a defensive player $8-10M in U.S. currency for the 2 wins that he produces with leather alone.  This is production that he yields above and beyond that of other world-class ML defenders who compete with him.

But suppose that you pay Ryan for -20, -25 runs ... 2.0 to 2.5 wins, 2.0 to 2.5 WAR ... defensively.  Where does that leave him as an overall player?

The systems believe that if Ryan were a league-average fielder, that he'd be slightly better than replacement level.  Somethin's fishy about that:  he hit .194 last year, with an OBP and a SLG each way below 299.

There's a place for a great-fielding shortstop, and it's in a lineup surrounded by bat-first players.  Omar Vizquel glued the Indians together, back when they had Baerga at 2B, Joey Belle in LF, Thome at 3B and that kind of stuff.  Brendan Ryan would be fine, used as a balm to soothe the pitchers' psyches if Miguel Cabrera were playing 3B and Prince Fielder playing 1B.

We started the article believing that we'd finish by looking forward to a 2013 job-share between Nick Franklin and Brendan Ryan.  Hey, if you've got a $3,000 wrench and a $4,000 pair of pliers, you ought to be able to find a tool to do a fancy job wherever you are in the kitchen.  You've got a pitcher that Franklin's especially good against or that Ryan's especially bad agpainst -- not hard to find -- well, mix and match.

Looking at Ryan's .199/.277/.288 slash line, though, and scaling back his glove to the more feasible -20 runs level, Dr. D has circled around in a 360 circle like a jet ski without a rider, or like Rickey Henderson imitating one after a home run.

You could still, in Strat-O, use Brendan Ryan as a late-inning guy and as a platoon guy vs LHP; he hits lefties FARRRRR better than he hits righties, which is to say that he hits them about as well as Willie Bloomquist hits them.  But whether you can "embarrass" Ryan that way is another question.  Hey, Miguel Olivo just got shown the door for being politely unhappy about riding in the back seat.

The more Nick Franklin plays in 2013, the better I'll like it.

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Yesterday, I was able to witness something that was quite the bummer for a fellow traveler. As a backpacker, you hate to see people getting hustled. Cambodia’s border guards are notorious for being grade A assholes, but even with forewarning, nobody likes to get screwed.

As a group of friends and I crossed from southern Laos to Cambodia, we decided to pay the five extra dollars to have a local get us through the border. It is supposed to cost $25 for a visa, but most people some how end up paying upwards to $40. Our guide promised us no extra charges, and actually made it so we could just walk over the border and sit in a café, while he did all the dirty work.

As we sipped ice coffee and avoided the heat, our guide came into the café and announced our American friend needed to go with him to “fill out extra paper work.” The reason was that she only had three pages left in her passport, and the guards decided these pages were, “no good.” Two stated not to place a visa on them, but the other one was fine. The paperwork was a wavier that allowed the guards to cover up an old stamp. Though this is legal, the guards saw it as an opportunity to profit.

To be able to enter the country, the guards charged my friend an extra $15. Our local guide had no control over the situation, and the guards said they wouldn’t allow her in the country if she didn’t pay. She did her best to defend herself, asking for a receipt and the guard's name, but this only translated to $5 less of a bribe. Unfortunately, this is the negative side of travel many short-term travelers don’t see. 

Sex is an interesting topic. What makes it interesting is that it is something somewhat taboo, and if you are doing it right, it’s something that is ever-evolving. Sexuality, the act itself, and the culture around it are quite malleable.

For me, I’ve been a person whose morals and ideas around sex seem to fluctuate. When I was younger, these were derived by religion, but as I’ve grown, it has become more of an idea that changes from experience to experience. 

In the past two weeks in particular, I’ve been a bit confused on what positive sexuality means to me. I’ve found myself traveling with an amazing girl, and though we enjoy each other’s company, I’m not entirely settled on how I feel about having a physical relationship. This isn’t to say that it hasn’t been good, nor is it to say I’m upset about it, it is just something I feel unsettled on. Each day I keep exploring our feelings.

When making love in a relationship, there is a passion that is often not found with flings or one-night stands. Though there should be passion in these areas as well, it just doesn’t feel the same when not with someone you love. I know for myself I’m a very passionate person, and without the passion, my sexuality feels a bit empty.

Traveling has opened my eyes a lot to nuisances of my own sexuality, and though it’s still in flux, it has reminded me of an important rule: individual sexuality is something that needs to be explored. Take the time to learn what is right for you. This, in turn, will help you make better decisions for yourself, and will affect your partners in a positive way as well. 

There’s nothing like basking in the heat of Asia, while looking at your Facebook mini-feed and seeing it dump at your favorite mountain, knowing you’ll be back in time for the season. Today, Winter Park received 4.5 inches over night. This, my friends, is well before their opening date in early November. Does this year have the makings of another epic ski season for Coloradans?

As stated before, the 2010/11-ski year was incredible. Skiing in late November and early December felt like it was mid-season, and most resorts even extended their seasons due to late spring dumps. With that being said, last season was a bust. 

Many mountains didn’t even open fully, or did for a short period of time. Wolf Creek and Telluride had decent seasons, but besides a few small dumps, the best day of skiing to be had was one in late January at Eldora of all places.

Colorado took a hit last year due to lack of tourism and lack of snow. Though sad, this season looks as if it has the makings to be another great year in the history of Colorado skiing. A-Basin has already started running their lifts, and the other summit county areas are well on their way to following in suite.

For all us Coloradans, let’s make sure to do our best to please Ullr this year. We can’t afford two bum ski seasons in a row. For those of us who ache for powder, our well-being depends on it. Make sure to practice your snow dance and pray for snow all day, every day!