The long-time Detroit Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell is certainly hoping to be luckier than Dale Murphy on getting some love from the BBWAA voters. And, let's be honest, per a previous blog post, he certainly deserves it more than one-time teammate Jack Morris.
And, he probably needs it more sooner rather than later. In his 12th year on the ballot, and still at a bit under 40 percent support last year, and with a steroids-related backlog of good players growing and growing, his clock is definitely ticking.
That said, he's arguably UNDER-rated.
First, defense. A career dWAR of 22.8, but only four Gold Gloves, when he should have six or seven? Of course, he had one tough competitor at that position — see below.
Second, overall value. Career WAR of 67.1 and WAA of 40.4. That latter stands out. A 40-plus on WAA, as I am learning to evaluate it, is a strong credential.
That said, Tram's been hurt in a couple of ways.
First is having little "black ink" in his career.
Second is a relatively short career, with a relatively young drop-off. Other than an Indian summer at 35, his last good year was at 32, and already then, due to being banged up at SS and other things, he was missing games year after year.
Third, related to No. 2, is relatively low counting stats, including fewer than 2,500 hits.
Fourth, related to the "banged up," is being overshadowed so much by Cal Ripken.
Fifth, contra the high WAA, his career OPS+ is just 110, right on the HOF border for me, but I make allowance for positions of high defensive need, especially if the player meets the demand.
And, per the glove work, if we'd emphasize his defense more, and call him a "junior Ozzie Smith" on that side, and a "junior Cal Ripken" on the bat side, maybe we would appreciate him more. I know I've grown to look more favorably on his case.
So, Tiger homers? Focus on Tram, not Black Jack!
Per my three rhetorical questions, he should be in there, he probably won't get there this year, and he may get there before he hits his 15-year expiration. Stay tuned.
A little background to my Hall of Fame blogging —
I am a "small Hall" guy. In fact, I think there's plenty of people we should vote back OUT of Cooperstown. Here's some pitchers, and some batters, looking just at the modern baseball era, who need the boot.
Oh, and while you're here, please vote in the admittedly unscientific poll.
And, click the "MLB Hall of Fame" tag for more on other candidates on this year's ballot and my thoughts.
January 03, 2013
Eric Cantor, chickenshit
It's no surprise that John Boehner got re-elected Speaker of the House, and with only nine GOP defections (and three "presents" and one not voting).
Per the 1998 push against Gingrich, which had its roots in a summer 1997 coup attempt, I think Cantor could have had the position, had he wanted to fight for it.
That said, Boehner's inability to manage his party in general aside, he probably could have kept a majority of Republicans for two or three ballots. The question ultimately would have been what Democrats chose to do.
And, I'm sure Nancy Pelosi would have told her troops to keep voting for her until Boehner came calling with a deal.
Boehner would have conceded to Cantor before doing that, though.
But, Cantor doesn't want the hassles of being in the tea party gunsights or taking its arrows in his backside.
So, no coup was ever going to happen.
Now, could he try one after debt ceiling negotiations? Push Boehner to then step aside, if he thinks that's "needed"? I'd still offer 3-1 odds against that, unless Boehner publicly kisses Obama on the House floor.
Per the 1998 push against Gingrich, which had its roots in a summer 1997 coup attempt, I think Cantor could have had the position, had he wanted to fight for it.
That said, Boehner's inability to manage his party in general aside, he probably could have kept a majority of Republicans for two or three ballots. The question ultimately would have been what Democrats chose to do.
And, I'm sure Nancy Pelosi would have told her troops to keep voting for her until Boehner came calling with a deal.
Boehner would have conceded to Cantor before doing that, though.
But, Cantor doesn't want the hassles of being in the tea party gunsights or taking its arrows in his backside.
So, no coup was ever going to happen.
Now, could he try one after debt ceiling negotiations? Push Boehner to then step aside, if he thinks that's "needed"? I'd still offer 3-1 odds against that, unless Boehner publicly kisses Obama on the House floor.
RIP Kyoto Treaty
 |
| The tower of a church is seen between the
smoke-billowing chimneys of the brown coal power plan Frimmersdorf in Grevenbroich near Duesseldorf, Germany. (Frank Augstein/Associated Press)/via CBC |
It's arguable that if Bill Clinton (pre-Monica Lewinsky, too, but post-re-election) never had plans to submit the bill for Senate ratification even at the time the meetings in Kyoto started, he never should have inked his name, or made pledges he wasn't even going to try to deliver.
Second, it's too bad that, already then, Kyoto did lump all developing nations into one basket. Conservatives around the world are right to complain on this one — China is not the same as Botswana.
Third, it's also too bad that the old G-7, at that time, didn't already start talking about what mechanisms, in terns of tax, economic and other government policies, were most likely to work the best to obtain results.
Today, we know a simple, straightforward carbon tax is the answer. But, one moderate recession and one whopper semi-depression recession later, that's a much harder sell than 15 years ago.
And, with more economic muscle on its part, putting China in a separate basket from Botswana, per Point No. 2, is an almost impossible sell today.
That said, there is an answer for both, which I have mentioned more than once —
Carbon tariffs on imports.
As far as I understand the World Trade Organization, it allows such carbon tariffs as long as they're not steeper than carbon taxes.
There you go.
Of fiscal cliffs, ATMs, debt ceilings and leverage
Various progressive types have been saying, to various degrees, that our Compromiser-in-Chief (a couple of Facebook friends think "Dear Leader" has gotten too snarky or too creepy, so sad) did less than he could have done on the fiscal slope compromise.
I certainly do.
Let's riff on my headline.
Obama gave away leverage in two big ways and areas — the Alternative Minimum Tax and the debt ceiling.
On the AMT, it was good tax policy, true, but it was horrible political policy. The AMT needed to be indexed to inflation, that's the good tax policy. It didn't need to be indexed unless part of a bigger deal; that's the bad political policy.
The leverage lost there is small potatoes, though, to not making a debt ceiling fix part of that "bigger deal."
Given that 2/3 of House Republicans voted against a bill that was a slam dunk in the Senate and where Obama had had leverage, up to that moment, he's likely to get his head handed to him on a platter in mid-February, or his ass kicked.
No, I take that back.
The Compromiser-in-Chief will hand his own head to the House GOP in advance and therefore We the People will get our asses kicked.
More proof? The first act of the new GOP House? A move to ... wait for it ... repeal Obamacare.
I certainly do.
Let's riff on my headline.
Obama gave away leverage in two big ways and areas — the Alternative Minimum Tax and the debt ceiling.
On the AMT, it was good tax policy, true, but it was horrible political policy. The AMT needed to be indexed to inflation, that's the good tax policy. It didn't need to be indexed unless part of a bigger deal; that's the bad political policy.
The leverage lost there is small potatoes, though, to not making a debt ceiling fix part of that "bigger deal."
Given that 2/3 of House Republicans voted against a bill that was a slam dunk in the Senate and where Obama had had leverage, up to that moment, he's likely to get his head handed to him on a platter in mid-February, or his ass kicked.
No, I take that back.
The Compromiser-in-Chief will hand his own head to the House GOP in advance and therefore We the People will get our asses kicked.
More proof? The first act of the new GOP House? A move to ... wait for it ... repeal Obamacare.
Texas is No. 1 — in mercury
Per the Environmental Integrity Project, Texas power plants are collectively No. 1 in the nation in mercury emissions.
And, worse, they're individually No. 1 — and Nos. 3-5, too:
1. Luminant Generation, Martin Lake Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Rusk County, TX (1,501 lbs. of mercury emissions);
2. Southern Co., Gaston Steam Plant in Shelby, AL (1,244 lbs. of mercury emissions);
3. Luminant Generation, Big Brown Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Freestone County, TX (1,240 lbs. of mercury emissions);
4. Luminant Generation, Monticello Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Titus County, TX (911 lbs. of mercury emissions);
5. Luminant Generation, Sandow Steam Electric Station in Milam County, TX (841 lbs. of mercury emissions).
You'll also note another common factor — Luminant, the former generating arm of TXU.
Full report (PDF) is here.
And, worse, they're individually No. 1 — and Nos. 3-5, too:
1. Luminant Generation, Martin Lake Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Rusk County, TX (1,501 lbs. of mercury emissions);
2. Southern Co., Gaston Steam Plant in Shelby, AL (1,244 lbs. of mercury emissions);
3. Luminant Generation, Big Brown Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Freestone County, TX (1,240 lbs. of mercury emissions);
4. Luminant Generation, Monticello Steam Electric Station & Lignite Mine in Titus County, TX (911 lbs. of mercury emissions);
5. Luminant Generation, Sandow Steam Electric Station in Milam County, TX (841 lbs. of mercury emissions).
You'll also note another common factor — Luminant, the former generating arm of TXU.
Full report (PDF) is here.
January 02, 2013
Al Jazeera + Al Gore = Al Air America?
No, jokes and multilingual puns aside, it's serious. Al Jazeera TV wants to buy Current, Al Gore's cable network.
And why not?
Per the story, it gets Al Jazeera plus current highly limited US broadcasting of its own network. And, Current is currently making some dinero. And, present editorial staff at Current might benefit from piggybacking in the Middle East on Al Jazeera there.
And, that said, contra the Yahoo story, or updating what shouldn't need updating, in 2011, Dave Marash, former DC anchor for Al Jazeera, said it was NOT anti-American, according to his Wikipedia page.
Al Jazeera plus Current could provide something better than originally hoped for on Air America, too.
Plus, the Pam Gellar type Islamophobe wingnuts would shit bricks royally, too. That's reason enough for this merger.
And, beyond this, why shouldn't we have more opportunities to see Al Jazeera? Screw Comcast et al.
Or screw Time Warner, which dropped Current just after the takeover.
And why not?
Per the story, it gets Al Jazeera plus current highly limited US broadcasting of its own network. And, Current is currently making some dinero. And, present editorial staff at Current might benefit from piggybacking in the Middle East on Al Jazeera there.
And, that said, contra the Yahoo story, or updating what shouldn't need updating, in 2011, Dave Marash, former DC anchor for Al Jazeera, said it was NOT anti-American, according to his Wikipedia page.
Al Jazeera plus Current could provide something better than originally hoped for on Air America, too.
Plus, the Pam Gellar type Islamophobe wingnuts would shit bricks royally, too. That's reason enough for this merger.
And, beyond this, why shouldn't we have more opportunities to see Al Jazeera? Screw Comcast et al.
Or screw Time Warner, which dropped Current just after the takeover.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)