SB Nation User Blog: JediLeroy

Sweet New Kings Pics!

JediLeroy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:06:58 -0000

I just got back from the latest Kings photo shoot. The Players are looking as good as ever.

For example, our buddies from Washington posed for the following heartwarming shot:

More photos after the jump.

Our foreign small forward, Garcasspi, wasn't available at the photo shoot (due to injury), but here's a pic provided by team photographers:

Our sexy, unshaven Benoc also smiled for the cameras:

The young, freakishly athletic Evanson will bring nightmares to all:

Quinté Grouby still needs to prove whether he was worth the two late first round picks:

Unfortunately, Grant Napear seems to break every camera capable of taking high-res pictures.

Omrisco Garcasspi from the latest team photo shoot

JediLeroy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:22:44 -0000

Omrisco Garcasspi from the latest team photo shoot

Amick: Nocioni Might Take Mason's Starting Spot Wednesday

JediLeroy — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:50:02 -0000

Amick: Nocioni Might Take Mason's Starting Spot Wednesday

Incontrovertible Evidence that Matt Holliday Hated Oakland

JediLeroy — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:44:03 -0000

A lot has been made of Matt Holliday, and his perceived indifference while playing on the A's. I set out to 1) see if Matt Holliday did, in fact, hate his time here and 2) quantify this indifference. You'll find the shocking truth after the jump.

I needed a solid methodology, given that quantifying emotions can get a bit tricky. So I went with the foolproof Google Image Search. To analyze the photos, I have created a caring scale from 0 to 2, where 2 points equal the maximum amount of caring. A laugh, toothed smile, or clearly angry face is awarded a 2, while a closed-mouth smile or uncomfortable grimace is awarded 1 point. Stone-faced or sulky countenances are awarded 0 points, since he clearly can't care less than 0. Batting photos are immediately disqualified because icy nerves of steely cold-blood are preferable during a plate appearance (defined for the purposes of this study as the period of time during which he is holding a baseball bat during a game), and virtually indistinguishable from indifference.

Let's check his time with the Rockies, which, while long past, shows that he did, in fact, care. Keep in mind that these are the first non-swinging images, and have not been cherry-picked to fit my preconceived notions.

Starting at the top left and moving in a clockwise rotation, we have photos with scores of 1,2,0,0,2. That gives us a total score of 5 with an average caring score of 1.000. Fact: Matt Holliday at least somewhat cared during his time with the Rockies.

Now let's look at his time with the A's.

Now, if we total the scores, row by row, we get:

0, 0, 0 (It looks as though someone stole Holliday's puppy.)

0, 0, 0 (I would have given him a point or two, except Cabrera likely initiated the hug, and we can't see Holliday's face--Geren cares 2 points-worth.)

1, 2, 0 (We see that his happiness was merely an unsustainable statistical blip, and that he regressed to mean. He's not even looking at Cust. He loathes his existence.)

This gives us a total of 3 caring points, and an average of .333 caring points per photo. It's quite clear that, during his time in Oakland, he didn't care much. He could care less, but not by much.

Now, let's turn to his short time in St. Louis.

It's a small sample, sure, but clockwise from top-left, we get 2, 1, 1, 2, 2.

Dugout-leaving for an encore is an automatic 2 points. In the bottom right photo, teeth are showing. Half-teeth still equals full points. With a total of 8 caring points in the five pictures, Holliday cares at a 1.600 clip with the Cardinals.

Here's another look at how much Holliday has cared with each team:

So, there it is. Proof that Matt Holliday didn't give more than 1/3 of a lick while playing in Oakland. I defy you all to challenge this rock-solid bastion of hard data.

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mia was released from the NICU on March 28th after nearly...

JediLeroy — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:10:28 -0000

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mia was released from the NICU on March 28th after nearly four months. She was born at around 1.7 pounds, and now weighs about 6. She's a healthy crying, sleeping, and excreting machine. It's great to have her home.

DLD 2/12/09 Smooth Criminals

JediLeroy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:24:50 -0000

3 days in a row is great, but 4 is better.

Michael Jackson has a flesh-eating superbug!

"There's a chance it could turn into a flesh-eating disorder where it begins to kill off his skin, so he’s being very carefully monitored."

Michael Phelps will pay for his blunders with his LIFE!

Some pranksters hijacked a Taco Bell drive through radio signal. If caught, they could face criminal charges. Sedalians don't take radio terrorism lightly. But seriously. Who hasn't hijacked a radio signal once or twice in their life?

Mmmm. Forbidden doughnut.

Everybody's a criminal these days. Let's send them all to jail and make them pay for their own toilet paper. That'll teach them.

You wanna catch some criminals? Blow their minds with spelling errors.

And in other news, what better way to say I love you than making him or her watch animals get it on.

Dump.

DLD 2/9/09 I Need a Fix

JediLeroy — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:49:18 -0000

I have a confession to make. I'm addicted to DLDs. A few years ago, when I really wanted to fit in with the all-time AN greats, I not only started using DLDs, but I also occasionally stooped to the level of creating crude ones in dark rooms. Anything to get my fix.

So, now I'm going through withdrawals. It's relapse time. In truth, I never stopped using—my supplier just ran out. I'm not only ready to use, I'm itching to abuse. Let's make this daily, folks.

I don't care if this discussion is already going on in MARQUEZ67's front page post. A-rod confessed to using steroids from 2001-2003.

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," the New York Yankees star said in an interview with ESPN that was broadcast Monday shortly after it was recorded.

Then there's this little bit at the end:

He gave $3.9 million to the school in 2003, the largest gift ever to the Hurricanes’ baseball program and money that provided much of the resources needed for renovating the existing on-campus stadium. In return, the baseball complex will be called Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.

His body is so artificially, steroidally muscular that they are building a baseball stadium on it. This was probably posted elsewhere, but I'm too lazy to look.

A British university has apologized to a Ph.D. student for throwing away his treasured, seven-year collection of lizard dung.

Yeah, I know I can do better. We can do better. Dump.

Baby Mia

JediLeroy — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 02:32:12 -0000

Baby Mia

I just wanted to take a moment to thank everybody for the prayers, good vibes and well-wishes. Baby Mia is steadily improving each day. We're really hopefully that she'll be O.K. We really are touched by the outreach here. Thank you all so much.

A plea for help

JediLeroy — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:58:33 -0000

I'm not normally one to do this, and I do so at the risk of offending some on here. But I believe in the power of prayer, and we need all the prayers we can get.

Earlier this year, my family and I moved to a small island in Japan. My wife was pregnant, so it was a big leap of faith for her to come out. Early Monday morning (in Japan), she was having a lot of pain in her stomach, so we called a rescue boat to the island to transport us to the hospital. She gave birth to a 26-week-old girl on a tiny rescue ship in the middle of nowhere in a country where she doesn't understand the language.

Baby Mia was born weighing 1.9 pounds. Her lungs and heart are underdeveloped. She is fighting for her life. For such a premature baby, it's a miracle that she is as strong as she is. We would appreciate any and all prayers on her behalf.

QOTM: Early Thanksgiving Edition

JediLeroy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:09:24 -0000

Since nobody else wants to do it, I will. I'm too lazy to go back farther than a month. Besides, it's not Quote of the Last 2 or 3 months. Let me know if I missed anything.

Excretory Activity edition
Poppy: Isn’t there a children’s book called "Everybody Engages In Excretory Activity"?
salb918: My excretory activity don't work in the playoffs

Snarky wit edition:
5Aces: Sorry, was using your own words. Next time I’ll try to put some thought into it.

Best HaHaGuyEver edition
Flashfire:

67MARQUEZ: This one is ova.
Oblique: Not to egg you on, but I agree.

DyeLongJustice: Halifax is cool ... but Victoria would have to be on the list, because thats where Richie Harden is from…and this is an A’s blog afterall.
PaulThomas: Surprisingly, it turns out Victoria specializes in producing spilt milk

Apricot: Congratulations! And thank you for both my $10 payment, and monkeyball’s $10 payment.
Nico: Foolshgame22 is in charge of making the payments, so they should be arriving any day now.
monkeyball: unfortunately, he sent them electronically via ByrnesPal. The payments will be taking indirect routes through banks in Nigeria, Ukraine, and Switzerland before reaching their destinations.
nevermoor: Although the delivery will be made at the normal time...By a delivery man who makes a sprinting dive at your door to edge out the USPS.
monkeyball: better hope they're addressed to your office … because he’ll never come close to touching home …

Nico: ... please check with your doctor before reading AN vigorously, especially if you have an erection lasting more than four hours.

MMunoz33: Bobby Crosby is good for baseball; Patience is a virtue!!!!
asfansince1989: he's definitely been good for all the pitchers he's faced
oblique: And for the baseball itself...Assuming that being hit by a large wooden stick is bad for a baseball.

Nico/PaulThomas tag-team edition
monkeyball: Even Crosby is a good pitcher at this level?
mikev: His 3/4 to sidearm delivery is hard to pick up.
Nico: Watching Crosby, you'd also think that a ground ball is hard to pick up.
PaulThomas: Yes, especially for the first baseman.

Too hard to describe edition

Cheezombie: how many unique accounts are registered?
gigglingone: only 5--There’s Blez, BBG, Paul Thomas, salb918, and all the rest are Nico
Monkeyball: qotm
oakinboston: there i go again...qotm-ing myself

PaulThomas: Why would they do that, and why do so many people think Garrett Atkins is good at baseball?
scatterbrian: I don't understand why everyone is on the Atkins diet
67MARQUEZ: Atkins is s horrible diet...Who loses his person 5-10 pounds a year

WadellCanseco: The world may have been perfect at some point.
Nico: Yeah it was - but then the Big Bang happened. Stupid Big Bang.
DMOAS: Sorry, it was an accident, I tripped on the power cord.

MrIncognito (during a heated debate about playoffs and the merit of walks): Also, Jeremy Giambi and Miguel Tejada forgetting how to run the bases has nothing to do with walking, nor does Jermaine Dye snapping his leg in half.
JediLeroy: Technically, Dye's injury does..

sactownbull: This baseball by the numbers bull can only go so far. At some point you have to use so good old fashioned baseball sense.
Graham: Why?
JediLeroy: At some point we need to get off this "electricity" thing and go back to good old fashioned.. "not-electricity" thing

TexasAsfan: I think someone is going to be really smart and offer Penny an incentive laden deal, I hope the A’s are the first to do it. I worry that a time with deeper pockets will beat us to it though.
grover: Time has deeper pockets than us all

nevemoor: Projected 2010 Infield based on compiling AN Posts:

1B: Barton
2B: Cardenas
SS: Cardenas
3B: Barton/Cardenas

Man we’re loaded in the infield.

xbhaskarx: beane is not Dunn yet...and Furcal of you cust haters!
Nico: That was Lowe, but I’m still willing Teixeira pun with you.

Creepy edition X2
JediLeroy: Speaking of weird dreams...PaulThomas was much less snarky in my dream last night than I would have expected....I have no idea why PaulThomas was in my dream. I’ve seen him once, and for about 5 minutes (at AN day).

carp: ...the sheer volume of fantasy GM ideas is a little creepy
oakinboston: [trades Bobby Crosby and Vince Mazzaro for Yunel Escobar while watching carp sleep]

Blicks: Randy Fucking Wolf wants 4/40?
iglew: That's his middle name? As if "Randy Wolf" wasn’t already evocative enough.

PaulThomas: Actually there are two I's in Teixeira
Nico: But only one in "Texeira" ... None in "Texera" and five in "Iteixeiriai".
WaddelCanseco: Right. The Yankees got the one-I'd Texeira
andeux: in the land of Texera he'd be king

JediLeroy (who used the wrong reply button): What? I was traded?
JediLeroy: Plz ignore. Kthxbye.

notsellingjeans: I'm amazed that you neglected PT's favorite verbal weapon: "supernumerary" ... The young wordsmith is responsible for a staggering 62.5% of its AN usage (10 out of 16).
Nico: Small sample size (A term that is both redundant and overused!)

Jeremy Belvins: I was always like this. Remember oaktoon?
Nico: Wait -- does that mean *you* are AN? Or are you just oaktoon?
Jeremy Belvins: You're too quick! But, to answer your question, I think we all have a little Oaktoon in us.
kaweahkaweah: Ah...then your Oaktoon's wife.

Blicks: It was. I still think Cahill-Rodriguez-Mazarro-Coleman is too much for Escobar though.
WaddellCanseco: It looks like Yunel is about 25 runs better than C. Izturis on offense and a bit worse on defense (but a lot younger so that should converge). So let’s say 2 wins better overall. Are CRMC really 2 WAR?

rebus: Plus the A's have a gang of guys who can play second.
monkeyball: all of whom, if arrayed side-by-side on the field at the same time, might just barely approach Ellis's range
WaddellCanseco: But they'd look cool snapping their fingers and singing

Raiders19494: i say peace out and dont let hte door hit you on the way out.
Nico: Like Crosby would hit the door

devo: "However, it’s his durability that concerns the Orioles most." That makes sense … I’d be worried that he’d be durable enough to play, too …

Pickup line of the Month
Jennifer: AHHH!!!! I won’t be around my computer at all today! The suspense is going to kill me!
mikev: I'll just call you with relevant info. I can call you, right?

schmifty with the McCovey Chronicles Personal Ad of the Month: (Lincecum is) snaggletooth gross, greasy hair gross, weak chin gross, superscrawny gross, awkwardmotion gross, mullet gross, and lotsofgirlslikehimandthatsjustwrong gross.

Quoth of the Month
Nico: Reven-ewe shearing?
nevermoor: Quoth the Reven
Nico: nevermoor!

Analogy of the Month
MrIncognito: There was this big thing like 200 years ago.

It was the scientific revolution. It basically established that numbers and data should inform the way we view the world. So far, it’s done pretty well, bringing us things like the Theory of Gravity, flying machines, antibiotics, and now the internet. It works for baseball, too.

Humans are terrible at detecting patterns. If you’ve ever seen a shape in a cloud that looks like a bird or an animal you’ve experienced our bias for seeing things that aren’t there. We form hypotheses or ideas about how things work, then examine the data to see how that idea stacks up. That’s how we ought to asses our ideas. Experience informs our way of thinking, and we should give due respect to your 35 years coaching the game, but remember that people spend thousands of years believing that certain dances or rituals affected local weather patterns.

Appropriate Username of the Month
(Holliday Trade News Breaks)
what_the_crap: OH my god …. oh my god …. oh my god …