Self-directed facepalm
AC and berselius posted new Daily facepalm posts one minute apart from one another. So now they are merged. Those responsible have been sacked
Mish Mash
Let's face it, half the content on this blog is just stuff Mish posts, so today is a look back at Mish's contributions to the world of Obstructed View and beyond. If you'd like to talk about baseball or even the Cubs, I'm sure there are places you can go for that kind of thing.
Cubs top prospects
ESPN's Keith Law released his top 100 prospects list ($) yesterday, and the Cubs had three players on the list (the system ranked 20th overall). Anthony Rizzo came in at 36, recent first round pick Javier Baez came in at 95 and top prospect Brett Jackson came in at 89. That one's a real head scratcher but KLaw's ranking criteria is different from most prospect listers. He sees a problem with BJax's strikeout rate, and if he doesn't figure it out he's "just" a solid-average regular. Former Cubs prospects Hak-Ju Lee and Chris Archer came in at 12 and 63, respectively. I find ranking Lee that high to be even more ridiculous than the Brett Jackson ranking, but I've never been high on Lee.
A Tale of Two (Second) Cities
Mish linked to this free story on BP about not one but two baseball teams, both of which play in Chicago, but (we hope) they're headed in very different directions.
Jed Hoyer Interview
Jed Hoyer went on ESPN 1000 yesterday. You should take everything he says with a Milton Waddams sized grain of salt, but the main headline from the interview was that he says Soriano will more than likely start the season with the Cubs. He also left open the possibility of maybe thinking about talking in the general area of an extension or similar type contract or agreement with Matt Garza.
Thread-Hijacking Discussion Mish Recently Enjoyed
If you want to know how to post images in the comments, you should follow mb's helpful instructions to Mish in yesterday's facepalm thread.
Speaking of salary dumps
The Pirates and Yankees are apparently talking a A.J. Burnett trade, and the Yankees are willing to pay at least 2/3 of his deal to do it. Much like Blake DeWitt getting cut by the Cubs, being salary dumped to potentially clear up room for 1000 year old Raul Ibanez should be a reason to consider instant retirement.
News about Apple Mish Recently Enjoyed
He enjoyed this story. He didn't actually eat an apple. Unless . . .
Is Mish's Dad Dead?
No.
Is there a Cubs game today?
No.
Mishtweeted
New pics from @GameOfThrones Season 2 are AH-MAZING.What a great job of making Brienne hideous!
— Manu Mishra (@Manu_P_Mishra) February 9, 2012
Image Mish Recently Enjoyed
Cool Interactive Infographic Mish Recently Enjoyed
Is there Wrigley Talk Friday today?
Check it out at 1 pm CT. Link
Video Mish Recently Enjoyed
Finally, happy birthday to Mish's favorite video evar. Can't believe Mish has been debating between kicking in the back seat and sitting in the front seat for 52 Fridays, but here we are.
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
Argh, all my editing keeps messing this up
(dying laughing)
Really, this is unnecessary. Don’t you have your own place you can go to tell people to go to other places?
Can you guys see anything in this post? It’s coming up as blank for me, but working in the editor. I could just have a cache problem.
I’ve got nothing B.
@ Berselius:
Blank for me too.
blank city dude
Yay, the post works again.
Berselius and And Counting broke the site and will be without dinner for 21 days.
Everyone is picking on Mish and he can’t use the dad is dead line.
The interwebs can’t handle 2 facepalm posts at the same time.
I liked it better when it was blank.
mb21 wrote:
We must have reached critical mass of snark.
What the hell happened to the blank post I did? This is why we can’t even have broke-ass things.
Mish is the best
(dying laughing)
As Mish’s sworn enemy I disapprove of this facepalm.
A doubled-up Facepalm post without the following:
…just doesn’t seem right.
This one is also good:
Oh thank god. I thought I broke this corner of the internet.
To be fair, this post only shows my (un)contributions in the last 24 hours. I have 2 years of some of the worst posting every to happen on this blog to my name, assholes.
WOW! I didn’t know you could kill a post like Bubbles’ up around #16 with negative faget points.
And now I’m too scared to actually click on the link to see what he said (dying laughing)
I hope this link doesn’t need annotation:
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/10/billy-beane-is-going-to-the-oscars/
Wow you guys are assholes. (dying laughing)
Simpsons song medley by some dbag on guitar:
Kevin Goldstein @Kevin_Goldstein Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Sup 1st/2nd. RT @Frankieaaron: @Kevin_Goldstein If Gerardo Concepcion were in the draft, about which round would you expect him picked?
I have no problem with the $$ but i still am a little confused why we had to give him a 40 man spot
@ Rice Cube:
All i said was that Mish is awesome. The masses disagreed
Mish wrote:
It took you two years to figure this out?
If you had problems with the Samardzija contract you have problems with Concepcion. There’s just no way you can have problems for one but not the other. At least with Samardzija he could elevate his fastball to 98, 99 mph. You have a hell of a lot higher ceiling when you can throw it 100 mph rather than sitting 89-92.
@ Mish:
Pretty sure the vocals are an overdub, maybe the guitar too, though he can clearly play it.
@ Mish:
That’s the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me.
@ mb21:
Are the scouts seeing that he has control and just needs refinement then? Or is this a pure “bet on the athletic guy” type move? Obviously there is something there they like. On the other hand, Theo said the best GM is going to be wrong 50% of the time.
I guess the AJ Burnett —> Pirates rumor is gaining traction.
@ mb21:
I think they are different cases. I can see giving a college (although admittedly raw kid ) a 40 man spot if you think the potential is there. See no reason why the money wouldnt be enough without the 40 man spot.
I think they are two different players and situations.
Also one was drafted the other was a free agent
Berselius wrote:
Correct (dying laughing)
josh wrote:
I started a post about a week ago that mentioned that again. I’ve kept reading the Cubs saw something. Yeah, they always see something in everyone they acquire, but it doesn’t mean they’re always right.
I think signing Concepcion is a real head scratcher. I don’t understand. I don’t like the money. I don’t like him being added to the MLB roster.
@ bubblesdachimp:
Samardzija was drafted, but to keep him from playing football they paid him as if he was an international free agent.
Maybe they gave him the 40 man spot because they know they will be losing one or more because of the Theo compensation? Who else in the system should grab the spot if not Concepticon?
mb21 wrote:
@ Mucker:
I think you could pick a name out of a hat and you’d probably find someone as deserving as Concepcion. I actually think he’s as deserving of a 40-man spot as Hayden Simpson is. I won’t be surprised one bit if he’s as bad as Simpson either.
@ Mucker:
I think it’s more about his options being used right away than it is about taking up a spot on the 40 man
mb21 wrote:
I don’t know much about it but aren’t you eligible for Rule 5 if not on 40 man? Don’t know if that has anything to do with it. You guys know way more about this stuff than I, so I’ll take your word for it.
srbutch5 wrote:
I didn’t realize international free agents had options. Man, I need to study more.
Mucker wrote:
I’m guessing some of you still watch Dexter…
@ Mucker:
You’re not eligible for the Rule 5 until after you’ve been in the system 4 or 5 years. It’s 4 years for players who join an organization after 19 and 5 for those 18 and younger. So Concepcion has 5 years before he can even be eligible in the rule 5 draft, which is probably about how long it will take him to get the big leagues.
mb21 wrote:
Oh ok. Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that.
@KevinGoldstien wrote:
So the 7th best prospect in the Cubs system is worth a freshly drafted 2nd Rounder? Therefore, what is Josh Vitters worth? He usually barely makes the top 10 in most analysis.
Would Jim Hendry trade a box of donuts for Vitters? One has empty numbers, one has empty calories, both inhibit taking walks.
So getting a 5th-10th guy for, say Matt Garza, is worse than getting a B supplemental pick when he hits Free Agency?
If the Sox get borderline top 10 Josh Vitters or Trey McNutt as compensation, is Theo considered a type B free agent? Is this considered a good or bad deal for the Sawx?
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7559458/cte-concussion-crisis-economic-look-end-football
@ GW:
It was nearly banned in 1905 by the Bull Moose Founder, Teddy Roosevelt. In 1905, people died every other game due to the sports brutality. Concussions are a big difference.
I’m glad you were able to find a photographer for your Christmas card, MB
http://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/407509_10150749207253275_624353274_12404306_1792656114_n.jpg
@ GW:
There wasn’t a single regression calculation in that article. And those guys call themselves economists.
Your daily dead
@ mb21:
Love it mb
@ Berselius:
Don’t you have your own blog for criticizing the lack of regressions in economic analyses?
@ Mish:
It’s currently being used to make fun of you. (dying laughing)
@ mb21:
It should be “Mish’s dad’s daily dead”
I don’t mind being made fun of (though I do a much better job of it myself); I grow angry when posts saying I’m the best get negatively-fageted-pointed to the point that they are no longer displayed. (dying laughing)
@ Mish:
There is no point at which that happens here so you’re good.
@ mb21:
Comment 16?
@ mb21:
Could it just be that they have a directive to spend money on Internationals and youth, making them more willing to put up a little more money than is strictly prudent in those realms?
Speaking of: What’s the payroll look like this season if they don’t sign anyone else? I seem to recall there was potentially enough flexibility for Fielder/Pujols, so there still has to be $20M or so floating around out there now, right?
@ Mish:
Apparently there’s no setting to turn that off. I thought I did. I’ll look into it.
@ mb21:
Haha no worries. The only thing wounded is my will to live.
Brandon McCarthy is a funny dude:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/extramustard/hotclicks/02/10/oakand-as-pitchers-brandon-mccarthy-takes-ver-hot-clicks/index.html
And this part is pure win:
@ Pezcore:
If football dies, “banning” will be a symptom, not a cause
@ Mish:
I have decided that I like this guy.
Re: AJ Burnett…
WTF. You’re asking a small-market team to give you Garrett Jones AND eat more than $10MM of a bad contract? I didn’t do the trade values or anything but that just seems…dumb.
@ Mish:
(dying laughing)
http://daveartlocker.blogspot.com/2012/02/manning-face.html
Just listened to today’s WTF. There is a Cubs billboard ad visible from the Northbound lanes on 294 that I think is around the Irving Park exit, featuring Dale Sveum. It’s pretty funny.
Eddie wrote:
There’s one on I-90 as well. Baseball is better!
Rice Cube wrote:
…after the acid kicks in.
Urk wrote:
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
(dying laughing)
mb21 wrote:
At first I thought this was another Dexter reference. Anyway, it’s good. I can go either way on the Dead, but Grisman and Rice always rule.
Also, I didn’t edit the quote, it just happened to truncate it to the only two words that mattered. (dying laughing)
I’m on an iPhone 3G, which is about as obsolete as I am, but I seem to be getting a blank screen that comes up with an “on/off” button that cannot be toggled, and it is obscuring the article text and comments as it runs the length of the page. I’ll try to screencap this if it keeps happening, but wondering if anyone else has this issue.
@ Rice Cube:
Same thing for me on an Android.
@ Rice Cube:
@ GBTS:
I’ll look into it.
Pretty sure it’s the Mobile/Desktop toggle button.
@ GBTS:
When did it stop working? Sometime yesterday afternoon? If so, I’m guessing it has to do with me combining a bunch of css and js files. I never thought to check the mobile version when I was doing it.
Incidentally after rereading that CareerNet letter my new favorite line is “J. P. Morgan is a firm with a reputation that precedes itself”. (dying laughing) Truly Alvinesque.
Try the mobile version again. It’s working on my Iphone 4 and ipod touch 3 g
fang2415 wrote:
I mentioned it yesterday, but if you highlight the text first and then hit quote it works just fine.
It’s working. Yay!
http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/7563675/miami-marlins-manager-ozzie-guillen-prepped-carlos-zambrano-theo-epstein-meeting
I think it’s good now.
thanks for pointing it out, guys.
@ mb21:
Just read through this thread. About Conception being in 89-92 range, that scouting report is from (I think) June. Kids 17-19 are pretty projectable and many add a couple ticks. I mean, we can say 89-92 until a newer report comes out, but he *MIGHT* be in the 92-95 range nowadays. Or he could get up there when he starts working with the Cubs strength and conditioning coach.
No reason really to already start doubting the scouting abilities of the new Superfriends.
Fang, I changed the share plugin as I think that’s what was interfering with the captcha. Can you let me know if it works (or doesn’t)?
mb21 wrote:
I would hate for you guys to have to shut down the blog because you lost all your mobile traffic.
@ GBTS:
The only way we to shut down is if Berselius and And Counting shut it down for us. (dying laughing)
So, has anyone googled “santorum” recently?
@ Aisle424:
mb21 wrote:
Which one’s Berselius and which one’s AC?
That video also reminds me of this:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/rumors-of-extramarital-affair-end-campaign-of-pres,26801/
@ Suburban kid:
(dying laughing) http://spreadingsantorum.com/
testing
@ Suburban kid:
That’s been the top hit since 2006 or so.
There’s a similar Google-bombing campaign for Romney: http://spreadingromney.com/
@ ACT:
I did not know that.
@ Suburban kid:
That’s because nobody gave you the cliffnotes when you saw the link.
@ Aisle424:
That’s an insane video.
@ jtsunami:
I don’t doubt their abilities, but I do very much doubt they made a good decision here. They are going to make mistakes and it’s hard for me to see that this isn’t one of them. That it only cost $7 million is a good thing, but this guy just isn’t very good.
Mish wrote:
The end is kind of scary to see how much of the world we have nuked repeatedly.
There is almost nothing to write about with regards to the Cubs.
@ GW:
(dying laughing)
mb21 wrote:
I have the worst writers block ever. I’ve literally got nothing.
@ Aisle424:
I don’t either. If it weren’t for Adam and Jeff doing the DFP, this place would have nothing new. There have been several times over the last couple weeks I’ve sat down with the intention of writing something. Anything. I spend about 20 minutes looking around for something and can’t find it. This team has gone from entertaining and bad to boring and bad.
@ Aisle424:
You never really think about the extent of testing. Mind is blown.
@ GBTS:
I thought it was cool that for a while, mobile users had an obstructed view of Obstructed View.
Should this have been an Unobstructed View?
@ Aisle424:
I thought it went like this:
Download | Convert YouTube to MP3
new shit: http://www.obstructedview.net/commentary-and-analysis/trusting-theo.html
is something wrong with the website? I can’t seem to sign in, and nothing has changed in over a day.