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Cup of Coffee — July 1, 2009

Is Tony Pena Jr. still batting?

This entry was posted by brianS on Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 8:34 am and is filed under Cup of Coffee. It is one of 751 entries by the author. We are no longer accepting Letters to the Editor on this post.

54 comments to Cup of Coffee — July 1, 2009

  • FirstTimeLongTime
    July 1st, 2009 at 8:38 am

    If I had any photo shopping abilities I imagine I would be doing something like this too.

  • SBG
    July 1st, 2009 at 8:41 am

    Thanks, brianS, for picking me up on the first day of the second half of the year.

    That was a discouraging win last night. Man, oh man, that Royals club is depleted and we can't find a way to dispatch them.

  • SBG
    July 1st, 2009 at 9:05 am

    Here's a colossal WTF:

    Eddy Curry has a $3.7 million home in Chicago that he bought in 2003 that is in foreclosure. He took out a 30 year loan on the place at 9.25%. I realize that that's a jumbo loan and he's going to pay more interest on such a loan, but wow. Why is a guy like that taking out a 30 year loan? And yes, the payment is $28,000+ a month, but he should be able to make that payment. He's still got 2 years and $21 million left on his New York deal. How can this guy have his house in foreclosure???? It fairly boggles the mind.

    • twayn
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:08 am

      I'm sure it was because he needed the mortgage interest deduction.

    • ubelmann
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:46 am

      Assuming he put 20% down on the house, it seems like he must've dumped about $2.5M into the house already. It is rather mind-boggling that he wouldn't continue the payments until he at least found someone to buy the house, no?

  • yickit
    July 1st, 2009 at 9:06 am

    Its crazy humid here in DC today. I can see the "air" outside. A great day to hunker down with some Wrongful Convictions reading and watch a Twins game.

    That game last night certainly stressed me out.

    • Andrew
      July 1st, 2009 at 4:09 pm

      From the link:

      Lew Ford: LeFebvre once compared him to Joe DiMaggio when he plays against the Royals.

      Sounds about right.

      • davidwatts
        July 1st, 2009 at 4:59 pm

        my favorite was right after that:

        Luis Rivas: Perhaps a grander, and dumber, comparison by LeFebvre, Rivas was compared to Ruth after more than one multiple homerun game against the Royals (34 total career homers in 2100 AB in 8 seasons.

  • Jeff A
    July 1st, 2009 at 9:20 am

    There are four Hall of Famers on today's birthday list:

    Roger Connor (1857)
    John Clarkson (1861)
    Jack Quinn (1883)
    Ben Taylor (1888)
    Bob Prince (1916)
    Frank Baumann (1933)
    Jamie Walker (1971)
    Justin Huber (1982)

  • Algonad
    July 1st, 2009 at 9:35 am

    I know that some people don't like to speculate on trades and I also know the Twins are very unlikely to add a decent piece to the mix, but I still like to play the "what if" game.

    I'd like to see the Twins pursue Freddy Sanchez. I'm not familiar with his defense, but his worst OPS year in the past five years since he became an everyday player is .669. Punto has only been higher than that once.

    He's signed at $5.5 million per year with a club option for 2010 so the Twins would have to add some payroll but at least they wouldn't be stuck with him into his 30's. I'm sure they'd have to give up a prospect or two but I just can't stand to see that black hole at 2b in our lineup.

  • kg2005
    July 1st, 2009 at 9:36 am

    SBG-
    You sent me an invite to that silly facebook baseball game a few months ago and I've been hooked ever since. Never thought I'd end up playing well over 20,000 games.

    • SBG
      July 1st, 2009 at 9:39 am

      It is indeed silly. I'm now 20th in revenue per hour (almost $8MM), despite being way down the list in terms of "experience".

      • davidwatts
        July 1st, 2009 at 9:42 am

        I am working on the revenue side of the game too (but I am only 4476 in the standings/$65k per hour)

        • SBG
          July 1st, 2009 at 9:46 am

          When I say I'm 20th, I'm 20th among all players at all levels, despite being at level 118. I'm 2nd at my level. The key is gifts. Send me the best cash gift you can every day and I'll reciprocate.

  • twayn
    July 1st, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Is Tony Pena Jr. still batting?

    Hey, now. Tony Pena Jr. is a tough out. Ten percent of the time.

  • Dread Pirate Will Young
    July 1st, 2009 at 10:17 am

    I'm planning on taking a weekend vacation to see Western Minnesota since I've never done much out there. Right now, looks like the plan is to head out of the Jeffers Petroglyphs and then head up to the Birch Coulee Battlefield. Now, we can add in Fort Ridgely and the Lower Sioux Agency, but I don't know if they're worth it.

    Any advice? Any places I'm blatantly missing?

    I'm willing to drive around a bit, so anything else in the Redwood Falls, Granite Falls area would be much appreciated.

  • SBG
    July 1st, 2009 at 10:48 am

    Carlos Boozer, December:

    I'm opting out. No matter what, I'm going to get a raise regardless. I am going to opt out, I don't see why I wouldn't, I think it's a very good business decision for me and my family, but I'd also like to see what happens with the Jazz and stay here.

    Today:

    After looking at their options, forward Carlos Boozer and center Mehmet Okur decided to exercise the options on their contracts and stay with Utah.

    This guy is a huge douchenozzle. He screwed Cleveland, big time (and he could have been playing with Bron-Bron!). No matter what, Carlos!!!! No matter what! Here's the matter: there was no market for Boozer, except at the mid-level exception, which would have been a massive paycut. He's now going to be a free agent next year, when lots of teams have cap room. I'm not one to wish injuries on anyone but if he say, blows out his ACL in April, I won't be that upset.

  • Andrew
    July 1st, 2009 at 10:49 am

    A bit of a plug, but I dunked a basketball last night, finally.

    Boss, I think I remember you saying you've done it, which doesn't surprise me since you're quite tall. Anyone else in this prestigious club?

    • spookymilk
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:51 am

      I have tiny girl hands. My vertical is quite nice, but thanks to the hands, it'll never matter as it relates to dunking..

      They're great for writing, though!

    • brianS
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:52 am

      Not since the summer between my sophomore and junior years in h.s. (that would be in the 1970s).

      One of the hazards of playing football is the risk to knees. Injuries robbed me of what little lift I had.

    • SBG
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:57 am

      I could throw it down back when I was in college fairly easily. I couldn't do it from right under the basket, though, which would have been massively cool. I once was in a gymnasium that had little bars at various heights that you could try to hit and I got the 10'9" bar in street clothes at a run, which means about 30 inches of vertical. That was a very long time ago.

      • SBG
        July 1st, 2009 at 10:59 am

        I should point out that I could dunk in high school, but only if I had the ball tucked in my hand and got about a forty foot run at it. A couple more inches of growth and more strength after I graduated made it much easier.

    • ubelmann
      July 1st, 2009 at 10:59 am

      Not me. I have zero hops. I can get up to the crossbar when I'm playing goal in soccer, but that's about it.

      • SBG
        July 1st, 2009 at 11:03 am

        You are a little guy. Add six inches of height and longer arms and things would be much different.

        My dad had some hops. He nearly high jumped his height (and that was before the Fosbury Flop) in high school.

    • FirstTimeLongTime
      July 1st, 2009 at 11:09 am

      I can dunk a WNBA ball! Well, at least I could the last time I had a WNBA ball around me-- which come to think of it had to be at least 9 years ago.

    • Neil
      July 1st, 2009 at 12:03 pm

      I came close back in HS - we played some school that had one of those rubber floors (I believe they made those things with shredded knee ligaments). I could get up, but I'm 6 even so I had kind of a ways to go. We had a lot of fun in warmups that day.

    • Beau
      July 1st, 2009 at 12:37 pm

      I was able to get above the rim in high school, but not high enough to dunk a ball, even if I could palm it

    • E-6
      July 1st, 2009 at 9:53 pm

      I had several dunks on the playgrounds of Minneapolis as skinny college kid--a couple of them when I was the token white guy on the court. Let's just say my stock soared with the fellas after those. I have large hands and could palm a basketball off of the dribble. (Still can, actually.)

      I missed my only dunk attempt in a high school game. I tried to bring it from my hip after a half court steal. Bounced it so hard off the back iron it almost made it back to half-court on the fly, resulting in an easy layup for the opposition. I was immediately yanked by a pissed off coach. (It woulda been spectacular, I tell ya...)

      • SBG
        July 2nd, 2009 at 4:24 am

        When I was in college, a bunch of us found a court with a basket on a playground with a basket at about 9 1/2 feet. That six inches made a lot of difference. I could dunk on that flat footed. I do recall, though, a guy who could also do it and he was a lot stronger than I was. I was guarding him under the basket and he just went up and threw down on me. Wow. I was guarding him and he just disregarded that and slammed it home. I absolutely could not do that with someone draped on me. He could. I was impressed.

  • ubelmann
    July 1st, 2009 at 11:37 am

    Reusse's Twitter feed cracks me up. You can follow him being cranky wherever he goes! And apparently he was at the game on Monday.

    • davidwatts
      July 1st, 2009 at 11:41 am

      I know! I loved this one from the other day
      Toughest decision in sports: lunch @ Dixons chili or Arthur Bryants in KC. What would Ricky Rubio do?

    • SBG
      July 1st, 2009 at 11:43 am

      Twitter and a Blog. It's only a matter of time before he takes up residence here. Or in his mother's basement. C'mon Patrick, sign up!

  • spookymilk
    July 1st, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    I get emails from both the Twins and Mariners, and I just got one that was telling me to "vote Mariners into the All-Star game." Huh. I have to think Ichiro is a lock to get voted in, and there's no other position player who should probably be there this year. Their defense is great, but..."Mariners" plural? Meh.

  • freealonzo
    July 1st, 2009 at 2:58 pm

    Who's killing all our celebrities? Karl Malden dies.

  • brianS
    July 1st, 2009 at 3:32 pm

    Woo hoo! More paid vacation for me!

    (that is, I am "buying" those days off)

  • New Guy
    July 1st, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Memo to E-6, brianS:

    I scheduled two whole videos today. Aren't you proud of me?