Yeah, so, OK there was an earthquake in DC today
But today's first observation is totally different. I have noticed, in my long appreciation of the sport of baseball, that the only thing holding the game back is one basic fact. At any one time, the 30 dumbest people on the planet are the 30 managers of the major league baseball teams. At least if you listen to fans or go to any site where fans post. How these ignorant bastards paid gobs of money to manage MLB teams ever got a job at all is mind boggling, because each and every one of them is blind (utterly incapable of seeing things that to teh fan is incredibly obvious), deaf (utterly unable to hear the words of wisdom being shouted in their ears by the long suffering fans) and (of course) dumb. All of their moves are idiotic. Pinch hitting. Not pinch hitting. Leaving a pitcher in the game or taking him out. Who they have warming up, and when they are warming up. And don't get me started on lineups.
Heck, I second guess managers all the time. But I also am open to the fact that managers have been involved in baseball much longer than I have and therefore just might have some insight that I lack. Further, the manager is privy to information that I don't have, especially involving injuries and other things that can affect a player's performance from day to day. And finally, explaining all of their brilliant rationales to Joe Fan may not only be not helpful from their perspective, it may be counterproductive. And therefore you should take anything they say in a press conference with scoops of salt.
Just remember, fans, that if you were in the manager's position you, too, could be one of the 30 dumbest people on the planet.
The earthquake today was surreal - we've had earthquakes in DC while I've lived here, but although there will be stories about them in the media I had never actually noticed one while it was happening. Not a problem with super shaker 2011! I was in the cafeteria in the Ford House Office Building (not where I work) when it started. At first I thought someone was wheeling a cart overloaded with heavy stuff down the hallway outside. But it just kept building, then seemed to subside and the back and forth shaking started. It was like the building was on rollers and in the middle of a game of tug of war. Being in DC, my first thought was terrorism, so I stayed put (why run outside into the middle of an incident?). But moments later the order to evacuate came, and out I went. When I got outside and couldn't see a smoke pall or a mushroom cloud I was quietly relieved.
Many skedaddled even before the all clear was given. I had a report to finish up, and so I stayed in and did that before bicycling home at 6pm. This kept me away from the great crunch on the Metro and the terrible traffic around DC (for which I was rather grateful). All in all, a very interesting day.
Heck, I second guess managers all the time. But I also am open to the fact that managers have been involved in baseball much longer than I have and therefore just might have some insight that I lack. Further, the manager is privy to information that I don't have, especially involving injuries and other things that can affect a player's performance from day to day. And finally, explaining all of their brilliant rationales to Joe Fan may not only be not helpful from their perspective, it may be counterproductive. And therefore you should take anything they say in a press conference with scoops of salt.
Just remember, fans, that if you were in the manager's position you, too, could be one of the 30 dumbest people on the planet.
The earthquake today was surreal - we've had earthquakes in DC while I've lived here, but although there will be stories about them in the media I had never actually noticed one while it was happening. Not a problem with super shaker 2011! I was in the cafeteria in the Ford House Office Building (not where I work) when it started. At first I thought someone was wheeling a cart overloaded with heavy stuff down the hallway outside. But it just kept building, then seemed to subside and the back and forth shaking started. It was like the building was on rollers and in the middle of a game of tug of war. Being in DC, my first thought was terrorism, so I stayed put (why run outside into the middle of an incident?). But moments later the order to evacuate came, and out I went. When I got outside and couldn't see a smoke pall or a mushroom cloud I was quietly relieved.
Many skedaddled even before the all clear was given. I had a report to finish up, and so I stayed in and did that before bicycling home at 6pm. This kept me away from the great crunch on the Metro and the terrible traffic around DC (for which I was rather grateful). All in all, a very interesting day.