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Beau Vine

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by Beau Vine

  1. 5 minutes ago, Ojo Rojo said:

    Yeah, I'm considered the asshole in our relationship, yet I say "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong" regularly.

    I've mentioned this before, but way back when my wife and I were having troubles, I finally decided that there was no sense in fighting, so whenever a disagreement came up, I would say, "You're right, my fault."

    That eventually drove her fucking bananas. 

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  2. 3 minutes ago, NastyDreams said:

    Sure. Put your dumbass on a street corner and protest.  People would pay I'm sure.

    How does this make any sense at all in the context of the discussion?

    How were "these workers stealing time and entertainment from their customers who PAID PAID PAID to see a game?"

  3. 1 hour ago, NastyDreams said:

    Exactly, which is subject of this thread.  The NFL is losing money and want to make business changes.  The consequences of the workers stealing time and entertainment from their customers who PAID PAID PAID to see a game.

    lolwut???

    I appreciate both sides of the issue, but this is the stupidest post in a thread that has gone fully Cloak Room.

  4. 2 hours ago, BrazilHorn said:

    Saw a tweet scroll by on espn from a player and last part was something like “and this decision made by people who call themselves owners”. Trying to I’m guessing draw parallels to slavery. 

    They call themselves owners as they own the business they’re running. 

    As owners they can establish whatever code of conduct they like.

    No, they actually can't, because code of conduct is subject to the collective bargaining the owners and the NFLPA have agreed to. 

    (This change does seem like it could possibly fit into the nebulous "conduct detrimental to the... public confidence in the National Football League" clause in the CBA.)

  5. 2 hours ago, SuingToGetAMessageBoard? said:

    This kind belongs in spirit even if I don’t know if a white person called on him. I grit my teeth watching this video.  Cop so keyed up every sentence is a confrontation.  Black dude so calm you might think he’s on the verge of falling asleep.  Backup called, surrounded, taken down, tazed.  

     

    https://deadspin.com/milwaukee-police-release-video-of-bucks-sterling-brown-1826275081

    It's a gotdam good thing that the popo had 8 officers willing to protect and serve the citizens of Milwaukee against this dangerous terrorist taking up multiple parking places at a Walgreens at 2am.  

  6. This is great:

    Quote

     

    Rosenthal: How Fortnite and a farting dog named Domino gave Jeremy Jeffress — and the Brewers — a boost

    GettyImages-960624590-1024x682.jpg
    By Ken Rosenthal 6h ago comment-icon@2x.png 10 save-icon@2x.png

    A dog? A video game? These are the additions to Jeremy Jeffress’ life that are helping him stay out of trouble off the field?

    Well, yes, according to the Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander, who just happens to be one of the best relievers in baseball this season.

    “After the game, I have to come home and see my little pup, let him out of the cage, take him out a little bit,” Jeffress said. “And then I go straight to Fortnite.”

    Jeffress’ history of substance abuse includes 50- and 100-game suspensions for marijuana use while in the minors during the late 2000s and an arrest for DWI on Aug. 26, 2016. A diagnosis of juvenile epilepsy in 2013 helped explain the high anxiety and seizures he has experienced as an adult, as well as his tendency to self-medicate.

    Fortnite, the wildly popular video game recently suspected of causing David Price’s carpal tunnel syndrome (it did not), is actually something of a godsend for Jeffress, who began playing in spring training with former Brewers reliever Will Smith and later was joined by two other members of the team’s bullpen, Josh Hader and Corey Knebel.

    “We play online. We have headsets. We talk to each other,” Jeffress said. “It’s a team thing.”

    Jeffress’ agent, Joshua Kusnick, said the game not only is contributing to his client’s success, but also the success of the Milwaukee bullpen, which ranks first in the majors in ERA for a Brewers team that is 31-19, the best record in the National League,

    Of Jeffress, Kusnick said, “He doesn’t go out anymore. He’s obsessed with Fortnite to the point where there are no more distractions. He goes home after he’s done with work. He’ll do his video (study). He’ll do his research.

    “Then as soon as all of his work is done, instead of doing what he used to do when he would go out and party with whomever, he plays Fortnite with all of his teammates. I’ve never seen a major-league bullpen where no one is going out. They’re doing the right things off the field, and it seemingly is having a positive impact on the field.”

    While Hader has emerged as the biggest star in the Brewers’ bullpen, all but one of Jeffress’ 25 outings have been scoreless, including his last 21. His opponents are batting .120. His ERA over 25 2/3 innings is 0.35. Some regression is likely, but the average exit velocity against Jeffress is 85.4 mph, the 17th lowest in the majors for a minimum of 50 batted balls, according to StatCast.

    Jeffress acknowledged his enthusiasm for Fortnite — and the hours he devotes to the video game — make it easier for him to avoid the temptation of nightlife.

    “For sure,” he said. “Temptation is everywhere, man. You see temptation in every part of life — TV, the streets, the world, everywhere. Even in a restaurant, you can be tempted by anything. Taking those temptations away, or limiting them, is the best thing for you.”

    Fortnite, though, is not the only difference in Jeffress’ post-game routine. He also credits his newfound domesticity to his black-and-white pocket bully, Domino, a dog he picked up last November while home in Virginia.

    “He’s a fat little boy,” Jeffress said. “He takes up a lot of my time as well.”

    IMG-9478-840x1120.jpg
     
    (Photo: courtsey of Jeffress)

    Jeffress brought Domino to Arizona for spring training and mentioned him to Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who quickly sensed how important the dog was to the reliever. Counsell, his wife Michelle, and their four children, ages 8 to 15, keep dogs at home in Milwaukee. When the Brewers broke camp, the Counsells — minus Craig, who was with the club — took Domino with them on the drive from Phoenix to San Diego.

    “It was my wife, our four kids, her mom and dog and a farting dog,” Counsell said.

    Counsell was joking, but he and the rest of the Brewers’ organization consider Jeffress’ well-being a serious matter, and Domino figured into that equation. The mother of Jeffress’ child and their daughter, Jurnee, 4, live in Phoenix. Domino keeps Jeffress company when they are not in Milwaukee.

    “I definitely wanted him to bring the dog to Milwaukee,” Counsell said. “Look, we’re all looking for comfort and peace and happiness and companionship, all that stuff. A (dog), that’s a great way to do it. As glamorous as this life is, sometimes it’s a little lonely, too.

    “Everybody has their own way to cope with everything. Really, this is about J.J. maturing and understanding what works for him. We’re trying to help him with that. He’s got a pretty good support system that helps him through it.”

    Jeffress is grateful for the Brewers’ support — he agreed to a team-friendly, one-year, $1.7 million contract with two club options last Dec. 1 in large part because of his comfort with the organization.

    His history with the Brewers began when they selected him 16th overall in the 2006 draft. The team sent him to the Kansas City Royals as part of a package for right-hander Zack Greinke in Dec. 2010, re-acquired him as a free agent in April 2014, traded him with catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers for prospects on Aug. 1, 2016, then re-acquired him for a minor-league pitcher at last year’s non-waiver deadline.

    “I know everybody from top to bottom,” Jeffress said. “There is no greater feeling knowing that, knowing you have people who know you inside and out, and that you can just be yourself around them.”

    These days, nothing seems to faze Jeffress, who has escaped a number of hair-raising jams in the season’s first two months, helping the Brewers win games that, in Counsell’s estimation, were “kind of hopeless.” Jeffress talks about becoming a difference-maker off the field as well as on. He will host the Brewers’ Bowl-A-Thon on Aug. 5, supporting children and families living with epilepsy.

    Does a dog deserve the credit? Does a video game? Perhaps the credit simply belongs to a pitcher who is trying to do the right things, on and off the field.

    “It hasn’t been an easy road. It’s definitely been a learning experience,” Jeffress said. “But I’m glad I’ve been through it. I can look forward to the positive things and try not to make the same mistakes twice.”

     

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  7. 5 hours ago, Huckleberry said:

    Their recommended action if the NBA doesn't change the rule will handle it perfectly from the committee's perspective (freshmen ineligibility). That would send one and done types overseas. 

     

    That would fall into the category of "cutting off your nose to spite your face" as my grandmother used to say.  Having players like Deandre Ayton and Trae Young play is wonderful for the NCAA.  It makes NCAA basketball more interesting, more popular, and most importantly, makes money for the NCAA.  There is no way that the NCAA is going to approve freshman ineligibility.  It's a farce to even suggest it.  

    And thanks for your prompt reply.  

  8. 10 minutes ago, Guadaloopy said:

    Would be a lot funnier if they weren’t 5-10 this month.

    You do know that your mom isn't the only way to have a slumpbuster, right?

  9. Daughter is a soph EE at Mines.  I thought she waited waaaaay too late to apply for internships (I don't think she applied for one until late April), but she interviewed for a couple during finals week and last week got offered a $24/hour internship at Suncor in Denver.  

    I'm starting to be OK with her turning down the full scholarship to Trinity.

    And again, a hearty FUCK YOU to the UT admissions people.  

  10. NCAA D-II and D-III tournaments started today!

    All of the Texas D-II teams are in the South Central Regional in Canyon...

    1. West Texas

    6.  Tarleton State

     

    2.  Colorado Mesa

    5.  Kingsville

     

    3.  St. Ed's

    4.  *THE* Colorado School of Mines

     

    And Mines just bitchslapped St. Ed's 11-3 in the first game of the day.  #helluvaengineer

     

    In D-III... How in the fuck is this bracket created?!?!?

    Texas-Tyler is in the Saugut, Illinois Regional, playing... Aurora?  Wayne's World!  Wayne's World!

    UTD, Concordia, and TLU are in the Spokane Regional.  Concordia and TLU play in the first round.  UTD plays Redlands.

     

  11. Holy shit, this is great, from Eno Sarris theathletic.   Not sure if everything is going to paste...

     

    Quote

    I’ve been talking to Joey Votto for a while, and sometimes I figure we’ll just have a normal conversation about his back, or some little quirk in his production, and my understanding of baseball won’t shift fundamentally. That hasn’t happened yet.

    It definitely didn’t happen when we talked this week. Yes, much of this links up with other conversations we’ve had over the years, but there’s one part — about plate coverage — that puts a lot of his revelations from the past in a new light. Rather than highlighting that part and writing it up separately, I wanted to keep the context that the rest of our conversation provides.

    So, yes, Joey Votto said something funny and mind-blowing. He also talked a lot about his different choices in the past and why he made those choices. So here it is all together, in roughly the order in which we talked about these topics this week. Hopefully, it helps you better understand how the best first baseman of our time sees the game.

    Eno Sarris: One thing that’s interesting is that, after a four-year stretch where you were at your worst with your glove, you’ve had your best two-year stretch the last two years, by some defensive metrics.

    VottoD18.png

    We talked once about the different physical things you have had to do to improve your defense, but what about the mental? Have you changed your approach, your positioning? 

    Joey Votto: Yes, positioning is huge. It requires effort, you have to really play harder. You have to play farther from the base in order to be able to cover parts of the infield that lead to hits, but then you also have to be able to get back to the base.

    Back to hitting. Looking at your early season splits, since you’ve said you don’t get your good swing until May—I know that these sort of things aren’t supposed to be meaningful for players, but it still looks like you almost have a little trouble lifting the ball early in seasons. Your fly ball rate maps with your rolling offense. Is that what you mean, that you don’t get your power swing until May?

    I had a double in Milwaukee that ended a two-month stretch where I did not hit any sort of long line drive or balls over the fence. I do feel like there’s been some progress. I do sacrifice a little bit at the very beginning of the season, trying to find my swing and trying to find my timing. It’s not intentional, like I’m not intentionally trying to give up at-bats, but I do recognize that over the last few years it’s been a hard process.

    Votto's 15-game rolling offense (wOBA, blue) maps well against his 15-game rolling fly ball rate (FB%, red).
     
    Votto’s 15-game rolling offense (wOBA, blue) maps well against his 15-game rolling fly ball rate (FB%, red). Both generally improve as the season goes on.

    “I’m trying to get that good feeling,” maybe more than worrying about the outcome of that single at-bat?

    There’s three parts to hitting. There’s the skill of reading the ball, then there’s also the skill of discerning balls and strikes, but there’s also being able to swing with a powerful stroke, for line drives and home runs. If I have 60 feet and 6 inches, I feel like I’m working in a really small window of adjustments —

    Which you are —

    Which I am — to be able to create exactly what I want with the ball so that I can do that as often as possible over the next sixth months of the season.

    I was wondering if this sort of early-season work, if this was about physicality and your body or if it was more about approach and timing. As you get older, is it harder to get going?

    No. It just takes more time. I still think I want every year to be a peak year. I’m stubborn, but I still think, This is what it’s going to take to get exactly what I want. For me, it’s taken longer each year than it has in previous years. But as long as I’m doing the essentials — making contact when I swing, swinging at strikes, and making sure my direction is right.

    I made a sacrifice with my exit velocity over the years.

    Joey Votto’s Exit Velo    
    Year Average EV Percentile
    2015 89.6 78
    2016 89.6 73
    2017 87.6 61
    2018 90.3 69

    I have normal exit velocity and that’s a product of my approach. Getting older, but also being more balanced through the strike zone.

    You’re swinging at more strikes

    I’m swinging at more strikes.

    Over the years, Votto has swung at pitches outside of the zone less (red, O-Swing%) and has also swung at pitches inside the zone more (blue, Z-Swing%)
     
    Over the years, Votto has swung at pitches outside of the zone less (red, O-Swing%) and at pitches inside the zone more (blue, Z-Swing%).

    I liken my style to José Altuve. Look at his exit velocity and it’s very balanced — he’s 85-90 mph in virtually every part of the strike zone. You look at Mike Trout and it’s anywhere from 95-105 in good parts of the strike zone, and there are a couple — not holes, but, softer parts of the strike zone.

    Courtesy BaseballSavant and Statcast, here are the 2017 exit velocity heat maps for Mike Trout, Joey Votto, and Jose Altuve. Note the steady nature of the heat maps for Votto and Altuve.
     
    Courtesy BaseballSavant, here are the 2017 exit velo heat maps for Trout, Votto and Altuve. Note the steady nature of the heat maps for Votto and Altuve.

    It almost sounds like you have different swings. Do you have different swings to deal with different parts of the zone?

    I’m not sure. I’ve definitely adjusted my swing over the years. I can’t use my old swing, the one I used to use.

    I was more upright and I was just trying to hit for power.

    I was a better low ball hitter, but now I’m a better high ball hitter. I used to hit balls on the outer part of the plate better than I do now.

    Votto's batting average on balls in play was more concentrated on low and away in 2012 (left) and more diffuse -- especially high in the zone -- in 2017 (right).
     
    Votto’s batting average on balls in play was more concentrated on low and away in 2012 (left) and more diffuse — especially high in the zone — in 2017 (right). Source: FanGraphs.

    It’s a reaction to how you were being pitched, too, right?

    Yeah.

    You used to be busted inside a lot and you tried different ways to deal with that until you showed them you could handle it.

    Yeah.

    In 2015, Votto was busted inside with cutters and four-seamers more often. He responded by busting out.
     
    In 2015, Votto was busted inside with cutters and four-seamers more often. He responded by busting out. Source: FanGraphs.

    So much of exit velocity and launch angle comes from plate control — which pitches you swing at — and you’re obviously elite at that. But you’re swinging at more strikes and striking out a little bit more this year. Are you swinging at bad strikes, at too many strikes?

    I want my scouting report to read: very balanced. I never ever want to let on that part of the strike zone is pitchable. I’ll give up something to mask weaknesses, whether it’s connected with away, up and in or whatever.

    [Laughing] I asked you a question about that once! You said you didn’t try to muck with your scouting reports intentionally, that you weren’t trying to set up or alter your scouting reports early in the season. I guess this is a little different. You’re saying, ‘I can do that.’

    It’s a little bit different. All I want to tell them is I can handle anything. I want to show pitchers I can do anything.

    Batter Hot Zones
    Daniel Murphy 40
    Salvador Pérez 40
    Robinson Canó 39
    Carlos Gonzélez 38
    J.D. Martinez 38
    Eduardo Núñez 37
    José Altuve 37
    Manny Machado 37
    Marcell Ozuna 37
    Brandon Crawford 36
    Buster Posey 36
    Adam Jones 35
    Adrián González 35
    Christian Yelich 35
    Corey Seager 35
    Freddie Freeman 35
    Justin Turner 35
    Khris Davis 35
    Matt Kemp 35
    Mookie Betts 35

    [This table shows how many ‘hot zones’ a hitter has within the strike zone from 2016-2018. Minimum 1000 Plate Appearances, 64 maximum possible zones. A zone is a three inches by three inches square, and it’s designated as ‘hot’ if the hitter produces an above-average weighted on base average per pitch in that zone (.115 wOBA). Joey Votto (26) is tied for 95th with batters like Anthony Rendon, Kyle Seager, Miguel Cabrera and Starling Marte. Note José Altuve’s ranking.]

    Here's Joey Votto's wOBA per pitch heat map since 2016, where you can see his 26 hot zones.
     
    Here’s Joey Votto’s wOBA per pitch heat map since 2016, where you can see his 26 hot zones.

    You want to show that you can handle anything in the box. If you did show a weakness, they’d go straight to that constantly.

    They’d exploit it. And I don’t want that.

    Has anything changed about how you deal with big velocity pitchers over the years? 

    I stopped caring about velocity a few years ago. I don’t care what number shows up. the only thing I care about — and this is probably sharing too much — the only thing I care about is how I perceive the velocity.

    How you see it coming out, how easy it is to track. Would it change if I asked you about high perceived velocities? Would you shorten up? 

    It’s more about I never want to be exposed. So the guys that have better fastballs, that’s an adjustment that I have to make. But the league has changed, I think it’s a fastball league now in some ways. And I’ve changed. Things are different now.

    Especially as a left-handed hitter, the strike zone has changed. It was quite a bit longer, and balls on the other side of the plate were called more often.

    ZoneLefties-2.png

    So that’s why you first changed your swing, when you had that first big a-hah moment, that you had to be able to take that low and outside pitch and drive it the other way. 

    Yes, especially as a lefty.

    And now there are strikes on the hands more often. And you’ve been talking about what to do with that inside pitch and been choking up more

    Yeah, those high fastballs and those close-and-in fastballs have been called more. Also because I’m getting older and slower. Almost for sure that reason, without a doubt.

     

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