SB Nation User Blog: mssickels

JERI's Update--John Will Be Home Today!

mssickels — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:38:40 -0000

Good Morning. As you might have figured out from the headline, John will arrive home this afternoon. He will no doubt be filling you in on his trip details in the coming days.

I know he is excited to be getting back to work on the book (The Baseball Prospect Book 2010), which oh, by the way, you should consider ordering if you have not done so. www.johnsickels.net is the site. There is a link somewhere on this page, on the right side column, that looks like a mock-up of the cover. It's so easy!

JERI's Late Night Update

mssickels — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:43:00 -0000

It's Sunday night, and John is somewhere in New Mexico, on his way home. He seems really excited about the players he saw, so that's good.

Sorry I didn't post this weekend...It's been a little hectic.

I'll TRY to be interesting tomorrow...Here's something I'm curious about your thoughts concerning:

Are there too many MLB teams? Not enough? What area do you think needs a team, or has a successful enough minor league team in terms of attendance and money that it could likely support a major league team?

PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT ASKING IF ANY PARTICULAR CITY SHOULD LOSE THEIR TEAM. THAT IS A QUESTION THAT CAN ONLY LEAD TO PROBLEMS AND STRIFE, AND WE WANT HAPPY FUN BLOG TIME.

The reason I'm asking is this: I've been trying to think of an area that has the population and financial demographic that could support a team that isn't already within drivng distance of one. I'm positive that there are areas where a team could succeed, but I'm not able to think of too many.

The only thought I could come up with is Las Vegas. However, I can't really see people giving up a day at the casino, (or other less mentionable adult attraction!) in order to see a game for a city they are just visiting, or to follow their home team to Vegas. On the other hand, there are lots of people, and lots of money there, so maybe. I know there is a minor league presence, so I don't know if a major league team would move in too, or if it would take over, or what. Also, they would have to come up with a NOT LAME mascot name so we don't get something stupid like the Vegas Gamblers, or the Nevada Elvises...or would that be Elivisi? At any rate, you get the picture.

And, who would be a good stadium sponsor? I'm really disgusted by the corporation named Target Stadium, and Cellular One whatever... I think stadiums should be named after something that honors the city they are in, like a famous citizen or a famous landmark. I want to see a stadium for Sin City named after something awesome...If it must be named for a corporate sponsor, what about Trojan Stadium? (SLOGAN: See the big bats swing in the Trojan!)

Or, get a casino to sponsor the stadium. Ceasar's would be my choice. The stadium could replicate the shape and cool decorations wherever possible. They could show live feed of people playing roulette rather than those warm-fuzzy-get-to-know-the-players pieces they show when the game stalls.

Just a thought!

Where would you like to see a team? Anywhere? Even if you think we have the proper team saturation, you can still play...Just name a city or state, suggest a mascot if you want...we're just having fun. I strongly suspect that the MLB powers that be won't be taking advice from any of us!

I got it! The Sin City Wayne Newtons!

******************************************************************************

PS..the picture is from hamsterdance.com, a website we used to play to amuse Nicholas. They've changed it since then, so it's not the same, but still worth a giggle.

JERI's Idea for Reality TV

mssickels — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:26:39 -0000

I must make a confession. I have gotten totally hooked on these cooking contest shows on the food network: Iron Chef America, The Next Iron Chef and Chopped. There is also a show on Bravo, Top Chef, that I watch, but not as consistantly. The Next Iron Chef and Chopped, especially, really are just horrilble, in that the contestants are a little desperate, and totally willing to stab their fellow contestants in the back, or just straight in the heart for a small advantage.

Up until these shows came into my field of vision, I prided myself, somewhat snobbishly, on the fact that I never have watched reality television. Eight thousand Survivor seasons, American Idol, the dancing shows, the Bachelor, Girl Bachelor, Loser Bachelor, The Apprentice, all these shows were just way beneath my interest level. They bring out the worst in people, and the contestants who show themselves to be the biggest asses, the worst people, seem to be the most celebrated.

Then I got hooked on Iron Chef, which is ok--it makes me feel like I, too, could make five dishes out of King Crab toenails. And, the chefs seem to have some respect for one another. After that, I discovered Chopped, which is way harder than Iron Chef, and waayyyy more interesting. The contestants actively smirk when their competition messes up, and they do these interviews where the chefs all bag on each other in between rounds. I lap this stuff up, to the point of being mildly ashamed.

The point, and I do have one, is this: Would a reality competition about baseball work? Would anyone watch it? The setup I'm thinking about would be pretty dismal, and would likely show the contestants to be on the pathetic side....which is kind of why I think it could work.

Here's what I see: the contestants would be guys who either didn't get drafted and would normally go to independant league ball or to used car dealer school, or guys who were stuck in triple A so long that they have been forgotten. The prize would be to start in ten games for whatever team they could bribe into participating...probably a cash poor team (you know who you are!).

Each week they would have contests that the players would have to accomplish and be judged on. One week each player could coach a little league team on fundamentals, one week they could have a homerun contest, one week they could each have a one-armed guy who they had to teach to hit, one week they could have to hand sew regulation baseballs. Interspersed throughout would be actual stuff having to do with actual baseball ability. There are literally endless numbers of demeaning, pointless tasks these contestants could be judged on. The weekly elimination could involve having a mascot shoot the loser with one of those hotdog guns.

I am going to say it first: This is an absolutely horrible idea. However, I think people would watch. Here's a chance for the average out of shape couch potato to see real athletes, with real abilities, put through the ringer and (hopefully) humiliated. You would get to see dreams made, but also dreams dashed. I always thought I was above liking that type of entertainment, and I'd like to think I would not watch, but I admit....my favorite episodes of my cooking shows is when there is a huge blunder or ego meltdown....I think we are all a little closer than we would like to admit to the whole 'let's go watch the lions eat the Christians' mindset.

So...what do you think? Would you watch this show? We could call it Iron Baseball Idol Survivor Apprentice. It could be hosted by one of the Kardashian sisters. If you would never lower yourself to watch such a thing, do you think anyone else would?

JERI's Update...mostly off-topic

mssickels — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:18:01 -0000

OK. So it is after 10, and I'm just now getting the opportunity to sit down and type. John is in Pheonix, and has already attended a game. He sounds very happy to be there. He wanted me to tell you that he's going to try and get some good video to post for you from the games.

When John takes these trips it is always a reality check for me. We are so fortunate to be able to both be at home, so even if he is busy, if I need help with a child, or a dog needs walking, spider needs squishing, or if I have a bad night of sleep and want to stay in bed for an extra hour, he's there to help out, just like I help him with the same type of stuff. Just being able to share the day to day chores, the day to day fun, and knowing that help (and adult conversation!) is within calling distance is such a gift.

I always wonder how the heck single parents manage to keep everything going day after day. Just trying to get the dogs walked with the four year old 'helping' is enough to make me scream...not to mention doing all the kid stuff, without a break, having one kid sick, one kid with some kind of freaky insomnia from Hell...I know that in less than a week, I'll be part of a duo again, and that it won't just be me. I also know, usually after about day two of a scouting trip, why I'm not a single parent. I'm too darn wimpy.

So, there's no question of the day today, since it's so late. However, I would like to express a huge, sincere amount of awe for all the single parents of the world who manage to get it all done, and not just for a week at a time, but every day.

G'night.

PS. Once again, the picture has nothing to do with anything. It is out cat, Spock, from when he was just a few months old.

JERI's Update, and Question of the Day

mssickels — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:23:58 -0000

Greetings! It's been a while since I've posted anything for John. He's driving through New Mexico, and has assured me that he will NOT turn left at Albuquerque (rim shot!).

Just a few updates in this post. First, and most importantly, we have the order site, www.johnsickels.net, set up for the BPB2010. Yes, it still looks like the work of a drunken monkey, and yes, I would be that monkey. However, the links work, and I'm hoping that it is pretty simple to use. The older PDF files and assorted hard copies we have available of past editions are posted on the second tab (on the left side of the site). I have reached a certain level of acceptance concerning my lack of artistic ability involving, well, pretty much everything.

Our older son has strep throat...he awoke Sunday morning, after an evening of trick or treating with two other families, with a fever of 103, and a really sore throat. We got the culture, and after the first dose of antibiotics on Sunday, he was already feeling much better.

So far, John, Jackson (the four year old) and I seem to be clear, as are our friends. Is it just our circle of friends, or do you guys notice that someone always seems to get sick 12 hours after a get together, so that both families have to be at red alert for a few days waiting to see who else will get the sickness spores.

NOW, for Jeri's Question of the Day...(Not a huge, groundbreaking question, I'm just really curious to see what you think...)

I'm guessing a fair percentage of you are watching the series. Does it diminish the fun/importance of the series since both teams are from the same geographical area? How much, if any amount, do you think MLB loses in merchandising and advertising revenue when there is a local series? Or, am I just a shallow fan for thinking it's a bit boring when the teams are neighbors?

Catch you later!

Some Scouting Video from Oklahoma

mssickels — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:37:21 -0000

Here is some video of Albuquerque knocking around Michael Ballard of Oklahoma from Wednesday. Two homers are hit in this clip, one of which I got nice footage off coming off the bat. I apologize for the camera work, as I'm just getting used to this. More to come later today from different angles.

Michael Ballard gets hit hard by Albuquerque, May 6th, 2009 (via MinorLeagueBall)

JERI's Big, Huge Question of the Day

mssickels — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:18:37 -0000

Hello, Happy Readers!

John's on the road, so I have been tasked with posting something this morning.

WAIT! Wait, don't click the X yet....read this post! Gimme a chance!

John got to see a member of the band Korn throw out the first pitch in one of the games he attended. Now, I'm not bagging on Korn....I loved them in the South Park/Scooby Doo episode in which they starred.

However, it did get me wondering: Does the throwing out of the first pitch mean anything to anyone? I know that a lot of the beauty of baseball is the tradition, the little rituals. At some point, though, doesn't it seem that the acting out of the traditions themselves might become so hollow that they become mere parodies of our cultural love of the game?

There are a few points to be made in favor of the First Pitch Ceremony:

1) It doesn't hurt anybody, Just throw it out and be done with it!

2) It may not be important to Joe Audience Member, but to the people chosen to make the throw, it's something they will always remember. Once John and I were at a Royals game and the 'first pitch' was thrown by a few kids, chosen from the crowd. They took turns, so each got to throw out a 'first pitch' (which kind of made NO sense to me, but whatever). The point is, these kids got to throw a ball to a REAL Major League Catcher! Good for them!

3) The First Pitch ceremony has always been done, period. Just do it.

Now, the points against the First Pitch Ceremony:

1) It has no bearing on the game, and is usually done before the spectators are even aware something is going on. Why bother?

2) It seems to be a bit hollow a tradition, when they have some random kid or some random Korn member do it, highlighting how little importance the tradition now has.

3) When they do it at every game, it dilutes the coolness quotient of the ceremony. They should reserve it for when there is a local or national VIP available, such as Queen Elizabeth, or Frank Drebin, then it would be more special, and the spectators might actually notice it more.

My personal thought is this: I think it has become a hollow gesture, one that doesn't harm the game or add or detract from the experience. If I were the Goddess of Baseball, I'd hold it in reserve for when we could get someone cool, but maybe that's just me.

What do you guys think? Are hollow traditions better than no traditions?

BPB2009 Has Shipped!

mssickels — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 16:53:32 -0000

If you ordered your book before February 7, it has shipped.

Many thanks to all our friends and family who gave their Saturday in order to help us out. Getting the book to you involves way more than writing and editing and printing. Without these people we would not be able to do it.

John's mom is fine, and he is on his way back to lawrence.

JERI

P.S. If you ordered your book February 7 or later, it will ship the next business day, at least for the next few weeks. After that we will set a shipping schedule.

P.P.S. If you want to post a query as to whether or not your book really shipped as stated above, just assume the answer is YES.

Oakland Athletics Top 20 Prospects in Review

mssickels — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:44:55 -0000

This list was originally published January 2nd, 2008. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. THIS IS AN OLD LIST!!!!!!!

1) Carlos Gonzalez, OF, Grade B+
    .293/.351/.439 for Triple-A Sacramento, .265/.302/.407 for Oakland. He should improve.
2) Daric Barton, 1B, Grade B+
     ,218/.319/.311 for Oakland. Proof that plate discipline isn't everything. He needs to watch out because there are other 1B prospects on his heels.
3) Brett Anderson, LHP, Grade B+
     1.80 ERA with 29/8 K/BB in 25 innings since being promoted to Double-A Midland. On a roll right now.
4) Chris Carter, 1B, Grade B+
     .262/.361/.561 with 29 homers for Class A Stockton. Very high strikeout rate, but draws walks and has tons of power.
5) James Simmons, RHP, Grade B
     3.54 ERA with 94/22 K/BB in 107 innings, 112 hits allowed for Double-A Midland. Strong command, doing well in Double-A, like the K/BB.
6) Henry Alberto Rodriguez, RHP, Grade B
     Was hammered due to control problems in Double-A trial, but 4.16 with 92/38 K/BB in 67 innings in the Cal League. Excellent stuff, but obviously command is an issue.
7) Trevor Cahill, RHP, Grade B-
      2.78 ERA, 103/31 K/BB in 87 innings for Stockton, 2.19 ERA with 33/19 K/BB in 37 innings for Midland. Ratios have slipped a bit in Double-A but are still impressive overall.
8) Aaron Cunningham, OF, Grade B-
     .320/.388/.510 with 12 steals for Midland. Not great plate discipline, but does a lot of other things well.
9) Corey Brown, OF, Grade B-
      .270/.358/.483 with 12 steals and 14 homers in 84 games for Kane County in the Midwest League. But .213/.278/.483 mark at Stockton, with 43 strikeouts in 21 games, shows the need for much more polish.
10) Andrew Bailey, RHP, Grade B-
       5.14 ERA with 87/51 K/BB in 89 innings for Midland, 81 hits allowed. Strong K/IP and H/IP, but command has slipped this year.
11) Sean Doolittle, 1B, Grade B-
       .305/.385/.560 mark at Stockton was strong, but .245/.294/.422 mark at Midland shows the difference in competition. Strike zone judgment has gotten much worse in Double-A.
12) Javier Herrera, OF, Grade C+
       .281/.352/.397 for Midland. Not sure what to make of him any more, other than he looks pretty mediocre. High strikeout rate.
13) Dan Meyer, LHP, Grade C+
        4.48 ERA with 109/52 K/BB in 123 innings for Sacramento, 113 hits allowed. Not bad for the PCL, but getting old.
14) Greg Smith, LHP, Grade C+
      4.04 ERA with 84/56 K/BB in 127 innings for Oakland, 108 hits allowed. Nice rookie season. Would like to see walk rate come down.
15) Sam Demel, RHP, Grade C+
      3.60 ERA with 16 saves, 75/29 K/BB in 55 innings for Stockton. Strong K/IP and a ground ball tendency are nice attributes.
16) Andrew Carignan, RHP, Grade C+
      2.11 ERA with 18 saves, 46/32 K/BB in 38 innings for Midland. Good season, but the walk rate will have to come down at higher levels.
17) Grant Desme, OF, Grade C+
      On injury rehab in the AZL Rookie League.
18) Travis Banwart, RHP, Grade C+
        Was dominating at Kane County. Promoted to Stockton, 4.26 ERA with 32/24 K/BB in 38 innings, 39 hits allowed. Ratios are much weaker in the Cal League.
19) Josh Horton, SS, Grade C+
      .285/.361/.335 for Stockton. Not much power.
20) Jermaine Mitchell, OF, Grade C
      .242/.343/.360 with 20 steals for Stockton. Draws some walks, but power hasn't blossomed as hoped.

This is a pretty good group. Add in guys like Craig Italiano and Vince Mazzaro who took big steps forward, plus all the prospects acquired in trades recently, plus returns from the 2008 draft, and you have a system that is suddenly flush with prospects again. The turnaround from a couple of years ago has been remarkable.

Family News Update

mssickels — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:36:35 -0000

We are still searching for my brother. Your continued patience and good thoughts are greatly appreciated.

JERI