2012 Pitching Leaderboards -- "Stuff" Index
Here we go with the second of the "three numbers" for pitchers: "Stuff" Index.
This is based on the "Plausibility Index" stat, which, you may recall, is based on the "necessary conversion rate" of "random-y balls-in-play" to "random-y singles," all as set forth in the "Allegory of the Window."
For pitchers, the stat comes down to a measure of whether the pitcher can get outs and limit damage. It is important to note that, in the Spectometer world, "stuff" is content-neutral.
It does not matter if you throw 72 or 92 or 102, groundballs or flyballs. It matters not.
"Stuff" in Spectometer world is getting guys out and limiting damage (avoiding XBH and walks) ... it doesn't matter how you do it.
Just so you know.
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Stat: "Stuff" index, based on the "Reverse Plausibility Index."
Rule of thumb: I have rescaled the numbers such that "100" is roughly the minimum level of performance for a pitcher likely to go on th MLB success. Obviously, the higher the better.
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Starters:
- Tyler Pike (18) 128
- Robert Shore (23) 119 (also reliever)
- Danny Hultzen (22) 117
- Jordan Pries (22) 116
- James Paxton (23) 115
- Stephen Landazuri (20) 110
- Erasmo Ramirez (22) 107
- Brandon Maurer (21) 106
- George Mieses (21) 102
- Rusty Shellhorn (22) 100
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Relievers:
[Technical non-qualifier: Matt Brazis (22) 230]
- Carter Capps (21) 155
- Stephen Pryor (22) 147
- Dominic Leone (20) 143
- Bobby LaFromboise (26) 130
- Grady Wood (22) 129
- Carson Smith (22) 123
- Danny Farquhar (25) 122
- Stephen Shackleford (23) 120
- David Colvin (23) 119
- Brian Moran (23) 115
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Below age-arc (young for level):
- Capps (21) 155
- Pike (18) 128
- Ramirez (22) 107
- Maurer (21) 106
- Victor Sanchez (17) 98
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Notes:
- Obviously, the best news is that even though Hultzen and Paxton struggled with Command/Control, they did not have trouble getting guys out and limiting damage.
- You can see why we love Tyler Pike, and why we are ready to annoit Carson Smith (pithcing in High Desert, you know) to a third spot in a new "Big 3" of relievers (with Capps and Pryor)
- Put on the radar: Dominic Leone and Grady Wood.
- As we've already noted, Danny Farquhar could be a spring training surprise.
The Chocolate Hills of the Philippines
In the Bohol Province of the Philippines is a land known as the Chocolate Hills. This wonder of nature is renowned for being so amazing that it is one of the country’s main tourist attractions and people come from all over the world to see it firsthand. The hills get their name because of the brownish color that they turn once the grass of spring has dried up, though if you visit them during the wet season, they will instead be a vibrant green.
The main appeal of the hills is their strange and unnatural look. They appear almost as if they were made by man instead of nature, poking up seemingly at random from a mostly flat landscape. A total of nearly 2000 hills range across an area of around 20 square miles. Each one varies in height from 100 to 160 feet, though a few rare hills are taller, the largest being 390 feet. They all resemble each other for the most part, creating a wonderful patterned setting.
With the strangeness of the hills comes, naturally, a legend surrounding their formation. As the story goes, there were two giants in the area who took a disliking to each other.
While fighting, they threw sand and stones for several days. Finally they came to terms and left as friends, but the hills they created from their fight still remain. The truth behind the hills’ formation is that they are a variety of marine limestone, weathered over the centuries to take on the unique look they have today.
Unfortunately, if you want to stay in the region and enjoy the scenery for an extended time, you’ll have to rent a room at the government run hotel, which seems to be perpetually under construction. Still, even just a short visit is worth the time. If you’re a lover of the more curious places on earth, the Chocolate Hills is a must see.
The San Marcos Fair
Each year during the second week of April, the state of Aguascalientes begins a four week celebration known as the San Marcos Fair. While the entire state takes part, the biggest events are held in the state’s capital, the like-titled city of Aguascalientes. It continues into the first week of May, during which time people enjoy music, dancing and all the other distractions that the fair has to offer.
First begun in 1828, the original San Marcos Fair took place in November. It started as a livestock and agricultural fair, though later it would gain a more religious theme. Since then, it has been going on for nearly 200 years and has evolved into a more family-oriented celebration that, while still highlighting livestock and agriculture, is now more about just having fun. Nowadays, people come from all over Mexico and the rest of the world to enjoy this remarkable event.
There are many things to do and see while at the San Marcos Fair. Bullfighting is one of the highlights, as is a wide variety of traditional Mexican music and dancing performances. There are cockfights, art exhibits, games for both adults and children, fireworks displays and several stages putting on performances of many kinds. It has become so famous that each year many famous Mexican artists come to perform at this fair.
In addition to the mentioned entertainments, there is also plenty of local food and locally produced wine to partake of. There’s a market to buy souvenirs and even a nearby casino for those that enjoy a little gambling. Other things in the area consist of a zoo, a race track, an amusement park with rides, a horse track and more. San Marcos Fair is famous for the sheer number of events that happen over its four weeks. With more than a million things going on and most of them free, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Geert Wilders attempting to spread his message of intolerance
Some people in this world have a serious grudge against Islam. Whether it be for political reasons, religious reasons or a combination of both, they make every effort to utilize their political power to thwart attempts by Muslim communities to make a home for themselves within the structures of other countries. One particular idiot, Geert Wilders, is a Dutch politician who has taken it upon himself to travel around to non-Muslim countries and explain to people why letting Muslims through their borders is a bad idea.
His reasoning, in classic racist fashion, is that Islam is a religion that is incompatible with any other culture. Just like the arguments used to justify the separation of blacks and whites in the United States, he explains that letting the two cultures mix will prove the downfall of the original, Western structure.
He’s been running all over Europe spreading his message of hate and now the next target in his sites is Australia. In order to sway the Australian people, he’s trying to convince them that Islam is not just a religion, but that it is “…in fact much more.” Of course, he accompanies his hate-speech with a disclaimer. He doesn’t harbor any ill feelings for Muslims at all. He just happens to hate “their book and their ideology.” Yeah, like that makes sense in the slightest.
I passionately hate that people like this still exist, but with every change in the world, every merging of variant societies, there must always be people who vehemently oppose progress. Before a people can be accepted, they must fight against ignorance. People like Wilders are the leaders of this ignorance.
Eventually, he will be defeated, as all the racists of the past have been, though it will take some time and effort. With any luck, it will be sooner rather than later and Muslims who are just trying to make a life for themselves in other countries won’t have to deal with the hatred this man brings and the sometimes violent consequences that his words can create.
Commune by the Great Wall
If you plan on taking a trip to the Great Wall of China, there’s a nice hotel that many do not know about called the Commune by the Great Wall. It’s a bit on the pricey side and probably not the best for people on a budget, but if you have the money to spend, this hotel is not only a masterpiece of art, but it’s also in a great remote location and within hiking distance of the wall.
The hotel started out as a concept lodge put together by a real estate developer by the name of Zhang Xin. She found 12 artistic architects from all across Asia and brought them to together to design the commune. Each one created one of the twelve original
designs, each with its own theme. The end result was a collection of truly spectacular constructs. In order to make the commune more affordable and make room for more visitors, these original designs were then replicated.
Each of the commune’s houses holds at least four rooms and contains all the amenities that one might expect from a luxury hotel in the city. There are kitchens, dining rooms, saunas, rooftop lounges and more. The interiors are decked out with various pieces of unique furniture that were designed by some famous interior decorators. From the hotel, it’s a 10 minute hike to get to the Great Wall or, if you’re going into the city, it’s an hour-and-a-half drive to Beijing.
As mentioned before, the Commune by the Great Wall isn’t a cheap place to stay. It costs a little more than $300 a night, per room, and that’s for the replica houses. The originals command a much higher price. What’s more, the rooms for each building are rented out separately, so if you’re not traveling in a group of at least four, you may find yourself having to share common space with people you don’t know. Still, it’s a great place to get a bit of isolation and see one of the country’s biggest tourist attractions at the same time.
Casino Beef Week
Every year in the small town of Casino, New South Wales, people come together to celebrate a culture that most of us here in the U.S. are familiar with. The Casino Beef Week is an agricultural fair that centers on all things country and cowboy. Right in the heart of cattle country, the week-long event provides visitors with a chance to see a side of Australia that most tourists are unaware of.
The town of Casino is a small one, with only about 10,000 people living there. When Beef Week arrives, however, the population swells to about 40,000. As the self-appointed Beef Capital of Australia, they have quite a bit invested in making sure that this event showcases the things they’re proud of.
Started up in 1982, the original intent for Beef Week was to promote the town to outsiders. It was designed as a tourist attraction and to help provide Casino with an identity. Naturally, since their chief money-maker was cattle, they went with the beef theme. Since then, it’s grown and become an entertaining festival that hosts a number of fun events for people of all ages.
When checking out Beef Week, one can expect to see such western-themed things as rodeos, steer competitions and wood chopping contests. There are also parades, drag races, several exhibitions of arts and crafts and the Miss Casino Beef Week competition. Dancing and music is abundant as is the most popular item at the festival, beef. All sorts of amazing food is available, though you’d probably need to be a carnivore to enjoy most of it. And each week-long celebration is themed differently for the year.
But the party doesn’t stop when the Beef Week events shut down for the night. Once the lights go out, people head down to the local pubs and continue to celebrate in a different way, with plenty of drink, more music and more dancing.
If you really want to get a taste of Australia’s less-known culture, head to Casino during this time. It’s a more intimate way to experience the country, meet and hang out with the locals of cattle country and enjoy some damn good steak to boot.
YouTube Nation - Keeping Up with Current Events (Football Edition)
Things happen in this crazy world of ours, that’s a fact and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. These things we have dubbed “news” and entire programs on television are devoted to letting us know what this news is and which stories are the most important. There are even paper journals referred to as “magazines” that are filled entirely with the mysterious news product.
Normally, people consider magazines and TV shows to be the most reliable sources of news. Time has told us that this is not always the case, however. Me, if I’m going to get some news, I’m going to YouTube. It’s a much more entertaining way to learn about the events of the week, especially if you happen to be looking in on something that you don’t necessarily give a damn about.
I’m not a sports fan by any definition of the term. I’ve watched some games here and there, but in the long run I could care less. So when I get a hankering for some updates on what the latest Football thing is, I’m not going to go out of my way to check with EPSN or one of those silly popular networks. Hell no. It’s YouTube or nothing.
Sports are, I’ve found, actually tolerable when you use YouTube as your primary source of information. I’ve put together a few fun ones dealing with sporty-type material. In future YouTube Nation installments I may even look at things not football. Who the hell knows? I’m tired and it’s late.
The first in this selection involves the strange case of a football player and his imaginary girlfriend. I’ve heard reference of this crawling across the Internet but didn’t quite know what the hell people were talking about. So hello YouTube, teach me something I don’t know! This particular news source is from the Far East, though they are nice enough to provide us with some subtitled explanation. After watching, I now know who in the world Manti Te’O is, other than a guy whose name sounds like it comes from a Star Wars movie.
Next up, a look at the inner workings of the minds of football players, coaches and referees. This video, courtesy of the Bad Lip Reading guys, provides us with some commentary that may or may not be correct. Either way, who cares? It’s entertaining and that’s what football was invented to do - entertain.
And finally, an Internet version of the news that deals with… well, I think it starts out talking about football at least. It does kind of degenerate after a while into talk of men’s balls. It’s probably for the best that the subject strays from football, else I might not have stuck around long enough to enjoy the whole five minutes.
See, now wasn’t that better? You don’t even have to be a fan of the game to enjoy what YouTube posters have to say about it. Just click on a random video with a silly name, sit back with a beer and enjoy it just like a real football fan might. Who knows, you might even come away actually learning something.
Facebook Phenomenons - Animal Infestation
The almighty cute animal pictures have been around almost since the Internet first took form. I’ve no doubt that even the giant mainframes of old were victims to scientists that sent binary LOL-cats through the system in an effort to impress their friends. With the growing presence of Facebook, it has now become the primary dumping ground for all things cute animal related. Now, since they can be sent out, shared and recycled in such a short time frame, the numbers of them have multiplied. Add to this the fact that anyone with a computer and the basic knowledge of a picture editing program can make their own cutesy-wootsy LOL-cats or slap captions on home pictures of their dogs, and the takeover is complete. We shall never again be able to flee from them, for they are literally everywhere.
Thus did I decide that Facebook Phenomenons should have at least one installment that shares these wonderful pictures with you, the already frustrated reader. It would be remiss of me to ignore this unassailable social trend. I went through my last few days of feed and picked out five of the best (or at least ones I consider the best) and will now share them with you! You might even get a chuckle out of one or two of these. Assuming, of course, that you haven’t already had them prance across your feed a half-dozen times already.
The first one is neither cat nor dog, though this lack of cat/dog-ness is rare indeed. Squirrels are, however, probably the next on the list of most posted cute animals with catchy tag-lines. While the Photoshopping quality in this one is a bit amateur, the message comes across well enough.
And here’s one that is actually kind of amusing (again, I’m talking about my personal tastes… that’s why there are billions of these things, to make sure everyone is happy and hypnotized). This poor dog does not look pleased with his situation.
Next, I have an example of the aforementioned people with cat photos and a knowledge of editing. This one was actually put together by a friend of mine. She really, really likes her cat, Noodle, and forces these things onto my feed at least once a week. At least she’s nice enough to not force her poor kitty into strange positions just for the sake of art.
Next on the list, Jesus Cat! I like Jesus Cat.
And finally, the last one (I know you are relieved), one I like to call “Moustache Cat”. It was fed to me via a steampunk site I “like”. The lesson to learn here is that if you put a moustache on something, it instantly becomes steampunk. Seriously, it’s a law of physics or something.
Thanks folks for sitting through my presentation here. I’m sure you’ve seen more than enough of these things during your time and quite possibly may be on the verge of a rampage if you see too many more. Still, there’s a reason that cute animal pictures with captions keep coming back to haunt us and a reason why people all over the world just keep cranking out more. They appeal to something within us and, due to that unexplainable fact, will likely be a fixture on the Internet well into the later years of our grandchildren. The sooner we learn to accept and (perhaps) enjoy them, the less pain we will force upon ourselves in the long run.
The Craigslist Files #180 - WTF?!
It’s no surprise to anyone that Craigslist is filled with some really strange folks. Many of them have problems typical to all Internet users, such as an inability to use proper grammar, spell correctly or figure out where the Caps-lock key is at. Some are just complete assholes who like to rant and rave and cause problems in an effort to make their own lives seem more valid. Still others are just so incompetent that they have no idea what they’re talking about and, despite this, still choose to express their half-assed opinions to the world. But sometimes, you run across a post so utterly bizarre that you have to stop a moment and ask yourself “WTF just happened?”
These incomprehensible ramblings are sometimes about something, other times about nothing. Unfortunately, they end up so unintelligible that it’s often difficult to discern one from the other. A grasp of the English language appears to be at a complete bare minimum in some cases, so much so that I wonder if perhaps they’re using some sort of other English. Being American, I may not be familiar with the slang and speech patterns of other English speaking countries, so maybe I’m just missing it?
Whatever the reasons, these rare moments are usually good for a laugh and so should be savored, saved up and shared with the people you love. In this fashion, others may enjoy their own experience with this chaos. Here are two such posts that I’ve managed to track down during my months of doing the Craigslist Files. I’ve been keeping them in cold storage for a while and am now letting them out of the bag. Hopefully you get as much head-scratching action out of them as I did.
The first is a job ad. Well, it looks like a job ad. What the job entails is somewhat vague. It sounds like maybe some sort of marketing rep. or a PR position? Some of it is pretty close to making sense, but much of it is just gibberish. I’m guessing the person who posted it was a bit drunk when they put it together. See for yourself what sense you can make from it:
Rare Opportunity for Based Candidates
This is a very rare and very legendary opportunity for qualified candidates.
JOB DESCRIPTION
As a member of the Task Force, you are charged with protecting Lil B--the Based God--at any cost. You are a prominent member of Bitch Mob. You must protect and support Lil B on internet forums, YouTube video comment sections, and on Twitter. You are the first responder when any anti-Lil B content is submitted, and you react swiftly and appropriately with accurate and relevant pro-Lil B material.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Must be based.
- Must be a member in good standing of Bitch Mob.
- Must protect Lil B at all times.
DESIRED QUALITIES
- Tiny pants
- Master of cooking
- You are, or you resemble, one or more of the following: Justin Bieber, Ellen DeGeneres, a Martian, Charlie Sheen, JK Rowling, Rocky, John Madden, Kristi Yamaguchi, Bill Bellamy, Tim McGraw, Toucan Sam, Miley Cyrus, Jesus, Willy Wonka, Norway, Jerry Rice, Bob Marley, Don Imus, Kenny Rogers, Dianne Feinstein, Mick Jagger, Marilyn Manson, Jessica Simpson Carl Winslow, Quincy Jones, Al Capone, Steven King, Dr. Phil, Mel Gibson, Paris Hilton, Matlock, a surgeon, Darth Vader.
- Swag on at least 100,000; swag on 1,000,000+ preferred
- Fond of and not allergic to Tabby Cats
TO APPLY
Please send your resume along with a brief cover letter.
The other one I’ve chosen is a car sales advert (in case you can’t quite figure it out). It seems to use some strange sub-species of language that borders on intelligible but ultimately fails. Words from other languages appear to be inserted at random and some words are missing letters here and there. In the end, the message is that the guy is looking to sell his car. All other details are, I’m guessing, left for the reader to interpret according to their own personal whim.
Enter the Wu - 94 Miata WuMissle
Ayo whattup the drift world is full of wishwash S13s nahmean. Imma jus get right to it:
94 Miata (dropped same year as 6 Feet Deep)
5spds, so you choose
springs cut with Shaolin steel
no muffler, so swarm
diff welded with words
new timing belt, water pump
recently blessed
I aint gonna front shits real bouncy son, best part is it bangs but it aint dickridin nobody else style namsayin. But check it shit looks like Ish from WCC got the interior on. Runs like Tunechi when he see a dick swingin near. Drop $1800 gotta update the kitchen. May trade for a motherfuckin Ruckus.
So, aside from picking up some code breaking skills, you may find yourself with no way to understand some of the crap that rolls through the CL. These cut-above-the-rest confusion ads are, thankfully, few and far between, so you’ll generally only have to deal with the aforementioned uneducateds, idiots and assholes. God forbid that the more common type start breeding with this new and improved strain, thus creating the ultimate in rambling lunacy. For if this happens, all semblance of order with the world of Craigslist will be lost forever.
Of course, it’s probably already too late for that.
Review: Arrow ‘Burned’
The second half of the first season of Arrow has begun, picking up after a short, month-long hiatus. It’s always nice when they don’t make you wait too long, otherwise you end up forgetting what the heck was going on. So far, the series has been fairly decent. It’s not the best acted or scripted show on television, but it does possess all the elements that make comic books so fun, sticking true to its roots and presenting viewers with a light yet still dark-toned storyline of vengeance and justice. The newest episode, ‘Burned’, continues in the tradition already set forth.
When last we left off (spoilers!) Walter was kidnapped by the evil Malcolm Merlyn who, as we learned at the end of the mid-season finale, also happens to be a kick-ass archer, better than Arrow, in fact. Oliver/Arrow was out of action due to some serious wounds at the hands of Merlyn during a fight he didn’t win. With Oliver’s family in disarray and his confidence shot, the new episode picks up about six weeks after the events of the previous.
The storyline for ‘Burned’ is fairly generic. It’s an arrow versus bad-guy of the week format of the same kind that the series has been using most of the way. It jumps back to Oliver’s time on the island every once in a while, detailing not very much, but enough so we don’t get too bored. Oliver’s lady lawyer friend, Dinah, steals the phone that Arrow gave her father and uses it to get a hold of him regarding a series of mysterious fireman deaths. At first Oliver is reluctant to help beyond just digging up some information here and there, but eventually decides that only he can do the job right and stop the killings.
So yeah, that’s about it, but it’s the basic storyline for every episode, so what do you expect? What is nice about the new episode isn’t the originality of the story, however, but the improvement in acting among the cast. It looks like they’ve finally gotten comfortable with their characters, an important part of any series’ development.
Also, the addition of the phone as a prop was a nice idea. Now, the writers can bring Arrow along for any problem that happens to hit Dinah in addition to the normal list-hunting activities that drive the character each week. It’s his bat signal, so to speak, and it should prove helpful in fleshing out the series.
I did have a slight problem with the action scenes. These have been sort of hit-and-miss throughout the series and in this particular episode they really show no flair whatsoever. If anything, they’re just plain bad. Hopefully this won’t remain a trend during upcoming episodes. I’m also getting a bit fed up with the extra-drawn-out back-story. So far we’ve learned almost nothing about Oliver’s time on the island and if they don’t speed it along it will become so unimportant to the overall plot that I will not even care anymore. I’ve heard they’re supposed to wind it up this half-season, so I’ll keep my fingers crossed on that one.
All-in-all, not the best half-season opener, but not entirely awful. I’m still a fan of the show, at least until something better comes along. Anyone who loves classic comic book clichés should get a kick out of the series as long as they’re willing spend 40 minutes a week watching it. Looking forward to see what next week has to offer.