Still selling the 'save' stat without context and meaning, 8/24/08

• Remember this the next time a BBWAA voter says he thinks the save stat is overhyped. The following little statistical excision tells you next to nothing about the ability of the pitcher, in fact makes him sound a bit of a dingbat, but leaves one thinking the save stat (alone) must be completely autonomous and revelatory. They can't deny it--here are the words:
  

(N.J. Star-Ledger): "The first five Yankees pitchers allowed 14 hits, three homers and four walks before Mariano Rivera got the final four outs

• for his third save of the series and 31st of the season.

• Rivera last saved three straight games July 14-16, 2007.
  

• The last time he saved every game in a series (three or more games) was June 1-3, 2004, against Baltimore."...

• From article by Ed Price, "(New Jersey) Star-Ledger," 8/24/08, "Yankees 8, Orioles 7"

So what? This little grouping of regular season total save stats alone is meaningless. It fails to mention crucial 'save opportunities,' inherited runners, multiple inning appearances, ERA, WHIP, K/BB, appearances where through no fault of his own the pitcher may have been given a "Win" or a no decision. And of course did the reliever enter with a 1, 2, or 3 run lead. The only possible point of this part of the article is to inflate the value of the isolated 'save stat' for a political view held by the writer.

• In fact, only one day ago, the same writer extolled another meaningless excision of the "total save stat." Meaning, it meant nothing and was just an excuse to place an entirely different pitcher's name in the same sentence as Mariano Rivera and failed to mention post season appearances and numerous other variables. A favorite pastime of certain flawed individuals:

8/23/08, Ed Price, Star-Ledger:

• (Note the popular reference to "all-time" as opposed to "national league all time," which in this context still doesn't convey an accurate image. Unless you're trying to elevate Hoffman and deflate Rivera):

(Price, Star-Ledger, 8/23/08): "Bruney, Jose Veras and Mariano Rivera finished up."

• With 30 saves (in 31 chances) Rivera matched last year's total and has 11 30-save seasons,

• second-most all-time to Trevor Hoffman's 12."

Again, so what? You're telling us nothing except a superficial excision that at best is misleading as to the accomplishment and ability of 2 pitchers. Their names should never appear in the same sentence.

• No one cares about Hoffman except bullies, wimps, BBWAA voters, anyone working at ESPN/MLB and anyone aspiring to do so.

Update: In reference to Ed Price's amplified late report on the 8/24 game:

• First for the record on Ivan Rodriguez' bad throw in the 9th inning allowing Brian Roberts to go from 1st to 3rd,

• The throw was officially charged as an error to Rodriguez.

• The NY Times described it as having been thrown both late and wildly,
  
• making no mention of Derek Jeter's glove.
  

This is how Ed Price described it:

• "After Rivera walked Brian Roberts with two out in the ninth,

• Roberts stole second and went to third when the throw from catcher Ivan Rodriguez

• went off shortstop Derek Jeter's glove and into center field.

• But Rivera struck out Nick Markakis to end the game."...

Price leaves out the important fact that there was an error on the throw.

• And that it was charged to Ivan Rodriguez.

Price leaves out any reference to the throw being bad and that it was charged an error.

• That's not all Price does. He says the runner went to third WHEN the throw from Rodriguez

• "went off Derek Jeter's glove"...

Anyone relying on Ed Price would have no choice but to blame Jeter, and would have no idea Rodriguez made a late and wild throw judged an error.

• Can you think of any reason a BBWAA voter would do something like this? As a point of information since we all like information, Ed Price has already achieved immortality via the name of Derek Jeter.
  
• When Jeter was up for MVP in 2006, Ed Price was tapped as one of the 2 New York area voters.
  
• Price did not give his #1 for Jeter.
  

Postseason record must be included in Baseball Hall of Fame consideration

Failure to do so ignores the stated rules and begs the question, why would you want to cheat someone out of his career?

• Rule 5, BBWAA voting for Baseball Hall of Fame:

"Voting — Voting shall be based upon the

• player's record,

• playing ability,

• integrity,

• sportsmanship,

• character, and

• contributions to the team(s) on which the player played."

As of 8/9/08, BBWAA website

MLB.com employee on Hall of Fame committee, 2007

(From National Baseball Hall of Fame press release, 11/8/07): "On the way to another Hall of Fame category, more BBWAA

• entwinement with enshrinement.

The BBWAA Board of Directors appointed 11 of its members to what is called the "Historical Overview Committee." These 11 decided the 10 managers and umpires who would appear on the 2007 HOF ballot for that catergory.

• (What are the names of the people on the BBWAA Board of Directors? From Baseball Analysts, 12/26/07, Rich Lederer writes they are as follows:
  
• "...the seven-person Board – which consists of you (Tracy Ringolsby)*, as well as Bob Dutton (President), David O'Brien (Vice President), Jack O'Connell (Secretary), Bob Elliott, Paul Hoynes, and Phil Rogers".

Of the the 11 guys named in 2007 Jack O'Connell from MLB.com is the one name on both the Historical Review committee and the final voting committee:

• Dave Van Dyck (Chicago Tribune); Bob Elliott (Toronto Sun); Rick Hummel (St. Louis Post-Dispatch); Steve Hirdt (Elias Sports Bureau); Moss Klein (Newark Star-Ledger); Bill Madden (New York Daily News); Ken Nigro, (formerly Baltimore Sun);

• Jack O'Connell (MLB.com);

• Nick Peters (Sacramento Bee); Tracy Ringolsby (Rocky Mountain News); and Mark Whicker (Orange County Register)."

With an MLB.com employee on the committee, proof that MLB is involved with Hall of Fame voting procedures. And that the Hall of Fame is more than just a museum.

• *Note on Tracy Ringolsby statement in 12/26/07 Baseball Analysts interview:

"The vote a year ago would have included mlb.com on the grounds that the writers are representing the official websites of the teams."...

• MLB.com writers are appointed by MLB. The websites are controlled by MLB, not the teams.This is only of interest to the non-braindead.
  

MLB.com, ESPN, and SI reps among 16 who vote for HOF Managers, Umpires, 2007

11/08/07, from National Baseball Hall of Fame Press Release: "The 16-member electorate charged with reviewing the Managers/Umpires ballot features Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Jim Bunning, Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, Al Kaline, Tom Lasorda, Phil Niekro, Tony Perez, Earl Weaver and Billy Williams; former executive Jim Frey; current executives Roland Hemond (Diamondbacks) and Bob Watson (Major League Baseball);

• and veteran media members

• Jack O'Connell (MLB.com),
  

• Tim Kurkjian (ESPN) and

• Tom Verducci (Sports Illustrated)."

Proving the "Hall of Fame" is not separate from MLB and is not "just a Museum."

You will love your servitude--Aldous Huxley 1962

""It seems to me that the nature of the ultimate revolution with which we are now faced is precisely this: That we are in process of developing a whole series of techniques which will enable the controlling oligarchy who have always existed and presumably will always exist to get people to

• love their servitude." -- Aldous Huxley (1962 speech at Berkeley)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Eco-economic Warfare and the Planned Collapse of Western Civilization

By Matthew D. Jarvie

http://sovereignsentience.blogspot.com/2008/02/recently-when-new-world-o...

Recently, when New World Orderly Bill Clinton was campaigning for his wife in Denver, he remarked that "we just have to

• slow down our economy and cut back our greenhouse gas emissions ’cause we have to save the planet for our grandchildren.”
  

(Of course it's always about "the children" with these people.) This is not simply Clinton's opinion, but that of

• his globalist handlers, who have for many years been using the issue of the environment and climate change as the pretext
  

to grab private land and deindustrialize the West, sending US jobs over to third world countries such as the UN's "Most Favored Nation" of China.

• To some of us who haven't swallowed the environ-mental lies being peddled by these criminal psychopaths, it's painfully clear to see that this
  
• has nothing to do with the environment and everything to do with ushering in a
  
• fourth world system of socialistic, fascistic control"....

Complicit media in Global Warming-Climate Change Scam--Virgin Airways Case

August 3, 2008 By Stephen Price, the Sunday Business Post online, Irish Business News

• "The Virgin boss’s much trumpeted pledge of €1.9bn to tackle global warming is nothing but smoke and mirrors.

In September 2006, Virgin boss Richard Branson pledged €1.9 billion towards tackling global warming. For the next ten years, he announced, the profits from his aviation and rail businesses would go towards combating the biggest, most complex problem that mankind has ever faced.

• The promise earned Branson headlines around the world. Media outlets carried photos of him, Bill Clinton and Al Gore at a Clinton Global Initiative press conference in New York.

Adults, Branson solemnly told the assembled media, had a duty to pass a ‘‘pristine’’ planet on to the next generation. Politicians and campaigners were effusive in their praise for his imagination and generosity.

However, a look at the not-very-small print revealed that this amazing gesture would

• not be a matter of taking the profits from Branson’s polluting industries and using

them to protect vast tracts of the Amazon.

• In fact, the money would go to a new division of the Virgin conglomerate, called Virgin Fuel.

• Branson was simply gearing himself up to make more money. But as always, the

• PR spin was that he’d be doing the rest of us a favour in the process.

Branson has built an empire on this perception. His first two business ventures - both failed - were growing Christmas trees and selling budgerigars, so he obviously understood from an early stage that

• nature is there to be exploited.

• His reputation as a rebel underdog took off when he was arrested in 1971 for selling records in Virgin stores that had been declared export stock. Because he also sold ‘‘cut-outs’’ (remaindered LPs at discounted prices), the perception took root that he was being persecuted by the authorities for challenging a rip-off establishment. In fact, he was doing nothing of the sort - he paid the taxes and fines owing from the case.

Branson’s anti-establishment persona was cemented in 1977 when Virgin Records signed the Sex Pistols; the band had already been dropped by two labels, EMI and A&M. He was also on board the boat the band played on when they sailed down the Thames during Queen Elizabeth’s silver jubilee celebrations. In a blaze of publicity, it was pulled in by police and a few punters were arrested.

• When British Airways engaged in a ‘‘dirty tricks’’ campaign against Virgin Atlantic in the early1990s,this was grist to Branson’s mill. Whether it’s flights, records, mobile phones, cola, radio, television, hotels, trains or holidays, sticking the word ‘‘Virgin’’ in front of something supposedly makes it cheaper yet cooler, with the bearded, grinning boss fronting many of his own ad campaigns. Because if a hippy says it’s all right, then it must be. Mustn’t it?

Since Virgin Fuel was set up in 2006, the tide has very much turned against bio-fuels with the realisation that far too much agricultural land could be eaten up by fuel crops. Palm oil, one of the major biofuels, is contributing to global warming as virgin (no pun intended) rainforests in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia are decimated to make way for palm plantations.

• Still, in February of this year Branson was on the tarmac toying with a coconut for the inevitable photocall when one of his 747s flew - empty- from London to Amsterdam on a 20 per cent bio-fuel mixture. Two years on from his ‘‘profits’’ gesture, slightly wiser green campaigners dismissed the flight as a stunt.

But onwards and upwards. While Branson has done little to save the planet and a hell of a lot to pollute it, he can arrange for you to look down upon it. This week he unveiled an aircraft for flying tourists into space. Virgin Galactic (yes, space can be branded too) has built a four-engine, twin-fuselage jet that will carrya spaceship with six passengers up to 50,000 feet to release it for sub-orbital flight.

• The actual space ship is not yet complete, but apparently2 50 punters have already paid $200,000 up front for the experience, among them Ireland’s own leading car salesman, Bill Cullen. The plane is called White Knight II, lest we forget what a favour Branson is doing for us.

Hippies are often credited with being the first to bring green issues to the fore, but the 1960s also legitimised the ascent of personal selfishness over social responsibility. Of course, Branson is no more of a hippy than I am, just a good businessman.

• Spraying huge amounts of jet fuel into the atmosphere, purely to allow rich people to look down on an overheating planet, is about as stupid and hypocritical as it gets. Still, I’m sure that the earth from space is a beautiful sight – enjoy it while it lasts."