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by elcroata on Dec 6, 2009 10:16 AM PST
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depending on how "left-handedness" is defined
apparently some estimates range as high as 30 percent of humanity.
The link you post
puts that number between 7% and 10%. 30 was the number of kids in class of that particular poster.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
oops -- that's what happens when you post a link
mentioned by someone else without checking it yourself.
Here’s a citation about percentages of left-handedness from an ABC story:
Favoring one side — a result of something called lateralization of the brain — was once thought to be a uniquely human trait linked to language. The ability to speak comes mostly from left regions of the brain, so the assumption was this would correspond with increased motor control on the opposite, or right side. In motor control, activity on one side corresponds to the opposite side of the brain. So this could explain why about 70 percent to 90 percent of people are right-handed.
I think it’s safe to say that there’s no agreement on overall percentages, although reports of higher than average percentages of lefthanded people in sports and the arts are common.
As the linked post notes, there is no clear answer
of what percentage of the population is left-handed. It’s not because it hasn’t been measured, but because the definition of left-handedness is not a clear one. It really is a continuum. (It’s also, as I noted elsewhere on this thread, non-symmetric. Right-handedness is far more clear than left-handedness.)
It’s generally accepted that there is a slightly higher percentage of non-right-handedness among males than among females. There is also disproportionately high representation of non-right-handedness both among geniuses and among the mentally retarded. The latter is much more pronounced and much more clearly established.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
I thought we had moved on from talking about Bobby Crosby.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Randy Ready once referred to
Greg Harris as being amphibious:
This was the guy. Funny story I once read about him in SI in an interview with Andy Van Slyke:
Spring training, 1990 or 1991 I believe. Harris comes in to pitch (with his crazy double handed glove) for the Phillies, Randy Ready is playing 1B, and Van Slyke is the runner on 1st.
Van Slyke: “What’s up with that glove.”
Ready: “He’s amphibious.”
Van Slyke: “You mean he can pitch underwater?”
"just a beating heart ... plasma that we'll put into our uniform." - Billy Beane
by athleticsBB4life on Dec 6, 2009 10:43 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
It's a shame Yogi Berra was not around
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Fantastic post, elcroata.
My first thought was that you crossed a chapter of Tom Tango’s The Book with Posnanski-esque readability.
Do you have any thoughts on why left field is so poorly under-represented, relatively? Unlike playing in the infield (minus 1B), I can’t think of any reason why handedness would really matter in the outfield, and specifically, in left field compared to center and right.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
Wow, these are some serious compliments
Deeply thankful.
Don’t really know. I did have a coach once who opposed playing left-handers in left field, though. His take was that they are in poor position to throw once they field the ball in the corner. For some reasons, ha had no problems playing right-handers in right field.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Wow... amazing read, front-page worthy
And great use of Pozterisks.
Although throughout your post, I kept wondering about this guy…
The horse jumped over the f---ing fence.
What was the final word on that one, btw?
The pitcher has to choose sides first, right?
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
It required the insertion of a new rule in the rulebook, but yes
They elected to give the advantage to the hitter. Shame, IMO, since switch-pitching is so vanishingly rare that it ought to be encouraged.
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
by PaulThomas on Dec 7, 2009 11:13 AM PST up reply actions 2 recs
You're right...
advantage should go to the switch pitcher on that one…
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 11:23 AM PST up reply actions
Thanks, JLaff
There was a guy like that on Belgian national team some fifteen years ago. He didn’t play match-ups, but he would switch to his other (I think right, if I remember correctly) hand when he would start to get tired.
Being challenged to even make a decent lay-up with my weak hand, I have nothing but utter admiration for this kind of ability.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
I've trained myself to be two footed in football (soccer), but yeah
throwing with my weaker hand (left) is pretty much impossible at this point. All credit to anyone that can do it.
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
Catchers
The Hardball Times has an old article about Left Handed Catchers and their apparent absence from baseball.
The conclusion was that there was no reason why Lefty Catchers wouln’t work. They believe that the reason why there are so few Lefty Catchers is because any catcher with a strong arm is converted to pitcher.
Don't believe in yourself.
Believe in Me who believes in You.
There are two problems with lefty catchers
First, you cannot throw to 3B. Any decent runner who gets to 2B will steal 3B.
Second, it’s a bit harder to throw to 2B because you are throwing over the batter more often.
My guess is that these aren’t enough to rule out lefty catchers, and the conversion to pitcher is probably more of a reason.
Another likely explanation is that there is such a bias against left handed catchers that any good lefty is sent to another position early in his career. This has happened with an excellent lefty catcher on my son’s high school team. (And a better, younger, right handed catcher came along as well.)
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 6, 2009 6:07 PM PST up reply actions
Didn't we recently draft one of the few lefty catchers?
I don’t remember his name, but I remember the story.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Petey Paramore, I think.
And interestingly enough, it was his catcher defense that wowed scouts the most.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
Paramore is right-handed
The thing about lefty catchers came up as the result of a typo in which Mitchell LeVier was listed as a catcher when they meant center fielder; i.e. “C” instead of “CF.”
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
Oh, is he?
Good to know.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
a lefty catcher should be able to throw to third
as well as a righty catcher throws to first. Have you ever seen those quick snap throws to first?
Aren’t there more batters hitting from the left side? If so it shoudl actually be easier for a lefty catcher to throw to second.
I agree that a strong armed lefty catcher is most likely converted to pitching. i also think that it’s a self-perpetuating stereotype.
you're not a lefty, are you?
yes, we can throw to third, but it takes a lefty an extra step. A righty catcher already has his plant foot in place; a lefty needs to get his left foot behind his right foot before he can make a good throw. that extra step would allow a lot of guys to steal 3b.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 6, 2009 6:43 PM PST up reply actions
A good catcher
doesn’t need to step to throw out a runner, generally they have good hands and snap the throw. If you’re stepping, odds, are the runners beating you anyway.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
That's because he's right handed
and is already in position to throw, which is exactly my point.
if think a lefty catcher could throw well to 3b off the wrong foot, just watch an nfl quarterback throw off the wrong foot. the throw is a wounded duck, and it’s not because his arm is any weaker or his footwork any worse than that of a major league catcher.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 7, 2009 6:51 AM PST up reply actions
No, more batters are hitting from the right side
But over last 5 years, not dramatically so – roughly three out of five plate appearances. But, a batter in the left side of the batter’s box should disturb both left-handed and right-handed catchers, right?
If anything, shouldn’t a left-hander be able to snap-throw behind the batter, much like some right-handed catchers’ pick-offs to first?
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Yes, a lefty catcher should be able to do that
And the first base thing is a good point. I think 3rd base is the more material physical issue. And I think the real issue is the culture that channels good lefty catchers away from the position and/or selects against them.
Any advantage a righty catcher had in throwing to 2nd over fewer heads would be very small if for no other reason than the slight difference between # of throws.
The 2 – 3 snap throw is a little more subtle analytically. These are more a tool for managing secondary leads than for preventing steals, and rarely result in outs.
Secondary leads are important. I would still think that the secondary lead advantage that a lefty catcher would have would be less of a benefit than the disadvantage relative to stealing 3rd would be.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 7, 2009 7:09 AM PST up reply actions
Another contributing factor
Catchers gloves are much more expensive than regular gloves. When kids show up at their first Little League practices, they mostly have their own mitts, but no one brings a catcher’s glove. The catcher’s gear is all team furnished, and even the best-funded Little League team doesn’t have a lefty catcher’s mitt in the bottom of its gear bag. Kids self-select as catchers, and should an eight year old lefty want the job, he’s facing an immediate, formidable barrier. Much easier to pick one of the other positions.
Everybody's got a little light under the sun.
by FreeSeatUpgrade on Dec 8, 2009 6:39 PM PST up reply actions
That's funny
cause our little league actually had a couple of lefty catcher gloves. Granted there were like only 2 or 3 for both levels combined, but it was available for the couple of lefty catchers I knew.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
Maybe lefties are just smarter.
Who really wants to be a catcher? :-P
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
The big money's in pitching.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
I always explained
the disproportionate ratio of lefties in baseball (to myself at least) as the effect of an arms race. Since I’m sure so many major leaguers are groomed from a young age, many are taught from infancy to hit left handed so they can be more successful when facing righties. And the lefty pitchers are groomed that way to counter the higher number of lefty hitters. So, it wouldn’t be that more lefties make it the majors, but that major league type players are made into lefties. You may have discussed this in the post and I missed it.
i've never seen any evidence that anyone who naturally throws right-handed
is converted into a left-handed thrower. I’d be interested to see if it happens. I think if it does (which i really doubt) they would have to be converted very early in life.
Hitting from the left side, by contrast, doesn’t necessarily need to be taught so early in life. There’s a big difference between batting and throwing as far as handedness.
That's the way I see it, too
I am by no means switch-hitter, but when one of the active baseball players joins a softball game, we are obliged to hit from our weak side. It feels weird, but I can get some decent swings together.
When trying to throw left-handed, however, I mostly resemble a motion-dyslexic 3yr old.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
I learned to throw righty
pitching BP for my son’s little league team a few years ago. I have shoulder trouble and basically could only throw about 50 pitches lefty, then had to stop. I tried switch pitching to extend BP, and it eventually worked.
Most lefties are more ambidextrous (or amphibious) than righties because we have to be. So, I think we can do this more easily than a typical righty. So, while I was even less likely to make it to the big leagues as a righty than as a lefty (and there was never any chance of that), after a couple weeks of practice I looked like someone with an unorthodox but not hopeless right handed delivery.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 6, 2009 6:10 PM PST up reply actions
It's because deep down you all want to be righties. :-P
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
Brett Cecil?
Isn’t he the one who was naturally right-handed as a child but when he wanted a glove for his birthday his mom said “get a right-handed glove” and his gramma got one with the glove “on the right hand” and a lefty was born? I think the story goes something like that, and IIRC the pitcher is Cecil.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Ummm ...... Barry Zito
Zito does everything righthanded but pitch. His dad thought pitching lefthanded would give him a better chance of reaching the majors.
Former WS MVP Mickey Lolich
"She's kinda got cankles, our kids are gonna have to play soccer." ~ Mrs. "Disco" Hayes
by CaliforniaJag on Dec 7, 2009 1:39 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I really don't see how you could.
As I mentioned earlier, I managed to convert myself into a two-footed football (soccer) player through practice, and I imagine the same could be done with hitting (I’ve never played baseball in my life, but I could hit from both sides in cricket), but throwing is another matter. It’s a much more complex action that for some reason my brain cannot fathom.
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
Switching hitting i've found has less to do with mechanics
and more to do adjusting to the field of vision difference. It’s significantly easier flip like that. But then I also never bothered with a backhand for tennis, I’d just forehanded it by switching hands on the fly.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
That's almost as weird as a guy who played squash with me
that double handed both his forehand and his backhand. Needless to say he didn’t make it far.
Some motherfcukers are always trying to ice skate uphill - Blade.
I'm sure there's a reason no one has tried it professionally
But I’d imagine there’d be an advantage to being able to switch hit in tennis. Better reach and strength, ability to switch things up on an opponent during a serve, etc. I sucked, but being able to switch hands was the only thing I was able to do that kept me from being an utter disaster.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
I think much more than changing handedness,
it is encouraging left-handers to train as pitchers, thus creating a disproportional pool of players. Only a really, really, overzealous parent would try to switch his child’s handedness to succeed in Majors. And unlike teaching left-handed batting, throwing hand change would have to happen at a stage in life where athletic career is not yet a given at all.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
They don't necessarily do it to have the kid succeed in major league baseball
At least, I don’t think so. they’re more likely thinking about high school and college, and sometimes it’s the kids and not the parents.
I’ve seen this in action. I once managed a 14U travel baseball game against a team that sent 9 lefties to the plate against our righthanded starter. when we put a lefty reliever in, 4 of them turned around. Only 3 of them were lefty fielders. We lost, but not because of their switch hitting.
FWIW, my entrie coaching staff thought this was pretty stupid, just because it’s a lot of effort for little benefit.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 7, 2009 6:59 AM PST up reply actions
The Latin, of course, for 'left' is 'Sinister'
I’m pretty sure they have some interesting euphamisms around this, too, but I can’t for the life of me remember what.
I suspect that you think tilting at windmills means something other than what it does
And French is "gauche".
Note that the same association acted in different directions. “Sinister” originally meant left and came to mean evil by association, while “gauche” originally meant clumsy and came to mean left by association. The Spanish deserve some credit for abandoning their derogatory Latinate word for left and adopting the Basque-derived izquierda instead.
While it’s true that in many languages the word for left has a negative connotation, the most obvious counter-example is English itself. Unless you’re trying to make a political point, there is no apparent judgment associated with the word “left”. And yet if you go back far enough etymologically, there is. “Left” comes from an Old English word meaning weak.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
the political "left' and "right" designation actually comes from the French parliament
referring to where the parties sat at the end of the 18th century. Those inclined to favor the monarchy sat to the right, while the “radical” anti-monarchists sat on the left. So at least this has nothing to do with handedness.
I wouldn't be too surprised if they could be attributed to the same right/left
designation of good and bad. The monarch wanting to have his people on his right hand side. Same as the saying of the “right hand man”.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
No. Si is correct on this one.
The political meaning of left and right definitely came from French parliament, then spread to other languages from that. This is well documented. (Minor quibble: in revolutionary France is wasn’t monarchists on the right so much as aristocracy, which is not the same thing.)
“Right-hand man” is much older and connected the more general association with right as good and left as bad.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
I'm not arguing the validity that our left/right political association
comes directly from the French parliament. I’m merely suggesting that the French parliament may potentially have been influenced (even if only subconsciously, assuming such an argument could even be made) by the left’s “sinister” meaning, or, in this case, the epistemology that led to right being right and left being “clumsy” in the french language. I’m not necessarily arguing because I really have no idea, but thinking that the reason the Monarch’s supporters were on the right were because they were intentionally placed there because they were on the “right” side of things and that the Monarch’s detractors were intentionally placed on the left because they were thought as “clumsy” or against the right. Politics has a tendency to play these sorts of games.
If there’s points of fact that suggest the French origins of these positions have absolutely nothing to do with good/bad properties attributed to left/right, I’d be extremely shocked, but I’m certainly in no position to argue.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
I have books at home that discuss this,
but I’m not home. (Online discussions like this make me realize how much I miss my library. For all the talk about the miracles of the Web and Wikipedia and all, sometimes it’s not nearly as useful as familiar books.)
I do know that the monarch did not preside over the National Assembly — at the risk of oversimplifying, making decisions without the king was rather the point of convening — so talk about people being seated to the Monarch’s left or right is not germane.
The left and right are named from the point of view of the speaker’s chair, facing the assembly, so the actually people seated on “the left” are, from their own point of view, seated to the right of the people on “the right”.
I wish I could say more about why they sit where they sit. It was my impression that the individual representatives got to choose where to sit, and position was not assigned by some higher authority.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Ha ha losers.... you memorized history...
why bother? it’s just gonna repeat itself anyway!
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 11:27 AM PST up reply actions
Kinda like on Southwest?
"Since other people actually read these threads, though, probably best that your particular brand of wrongness not go completely unchallenged." - PT
There are differing opinions on me. According to Iglew "DFA is PT with a sense of humor. PT is DFA with introspective self-doubt. I like them both" but according to sirbed Im "The Stats Killer"
by designatedforassignment on Dec 10, 2009 12:33 AM PST up reply actions
Left is for S, which is for sinister
Takes me all the way back to organic chemistry ;-)
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
by cuppingmaster on Dec 7, 2009 10:05 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Wow. This was amazingly thorough and very enjoyable to read. Strongly Rec'ed
Especially since I just asked about lefty velocity in the prospect thread it was also timely. Thank you.
"Since other people actually read these threads, though, probably best that your particular brand of wrongness not go completely unchallenged." - PT
There are differing opinions on me. According to Iglew "DFA is PT with a sense of humor. PT is DFA with introspective self-doubt. I like them both" but according to sirbed Im "The Stats Killer"
by designatedforassignment on Dec 6, 2009 12:13 PM PST reply actions
Hm
One thing that does leap to mind is that having 28% of pitchers be left-handed is not necessarily wrong as long as they are not actually throwing 28% of the innings. If left-handers generally had shorter outings corresponding with opposing lefty-heavy lineup sections, it might well be worth it to have a healthy number at the back end of your bullpen. If 28% of pitchers threw only 23% of innings, it would be perfectly strategically reasonable, I think. In a game with free substitution, that would make no sense— you could just get 23% of the pitchers to throw 23% of the innings— but baseball’s subs are strictly limited. 28% of pitchers throwing 23% of the innings will have better platoon splits than 23% of pitchers throwing 23% of innings.
It seems possible that GMs are hiring the right number of lefties and their managers are just misusing them.
Good times. Terrific post, too.
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
Thanks
58,973 left-handed innings pitched
157,301 right-handed innings pitched
That’s 27.3% and pretty much in line with percentages for both starters and relievers. I have not found any evidence that left-handers are being used significantly different than right-handers.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Right
I’m just arguing that maybe they should be. It makes sense that the average outing for a lefty should be shorter than the average outing for a righty. But that doesn’t seem to really be the case right now.
Linda's in the cold ground, won't see her anymore
Somewhere out on the highway tonight, the drunken engines roar
It's just one of those things, one of those things
-- Al Stewart, "Accident on 3rd St."
In memory of Nick Adenhart and all victims of drunk driving
pretty interesting read, elcroata
"I saw a curveball, that’s about it," Rangers’ manager Ron Washington said. "You can’t take anything away from the kid; he went seven innings, but it wasn’t any shutout stuff." - Ron Washington on Gio's performance and the 7 k's.
When speaking of faults and plate tectonics
If the land, in relation to the fault, is moving to the left it is referred to as sinistral. And that is all I have to contribute.
"Their batters are patient to the point that it's annoying." -Ryan Franklin
Very entertaining!
It's not the results, it's how you look going about those results -- Tim McCarver
I'm not sure if you have this or not
But when you drop the bottom 24% of the lefty pitchers, does it turn out that there are more relievers or starters? I’ve always heard the notion that “a lefty with a pulse can find a job” but this seems to only be true for relievers.
I wonder, then, if it’s that lefties look worse because the number of innings pitched by crappy left-handed relievers far exceeds the number of innings pitched by very good lefty starters?
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
Doesn't really tilt either way
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Left-handed is not the opposite of right-handed.
Some discussion of the phenomenon here, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. The reason left-handers are more ambidextrous is not just due to societal pressure. There really is a fundamental neurological difference between being left-handed and being right-handed. Indeed, it has been said by those who study it that a more accurate distinction would be right-handed vs non-right-handed.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
as a lefty myself -- not a "non-righty" – I can do many things right handed
but that is because many things require that you do them righthanded, or make it expensive to find a left handed alternative. I also was told to write right handed as a small child in school (that’s right it still happened even in the last half of the 20th century).
My experience is far from unique, by the way.
I can write with either hand now...but that's obviously because I was made to write righty
and on my own time, later wrote lefty…
Neurological studies have shown that
left-handers have greater ability to be ambidextrous than right-handers, even after controlling for societal pressures like being forced to write with the other hand like you (and many others) experienced.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
just a 'victim of society'
I was trying to blame my relatively ambidexterity on being a victim of this right-handed dominated society.
but then you look at the relative % of left-handed presidents in the modern era, and that certainly doesn’t hold true. clinton, obama, bush I – all lefties. Carter, Bush II – righties. (handedness)
by rollierollieOxenfree on Dec 8, 2009 11:03 AM PST up reply actions
In a lots of different metrics,
lefties are over-represented on BOTH ends of the spectrum — success, intelligence, social skills, musical and artistic talent, etc. So for example, there are a lot of left-handed geniuses, but also a lot of left-handed retarded people.
Health is a special case. In general, lefties are more susceptible to diseases, so in a peaceful society lefties have lower life expectancy. (This is attributable to health reasons, not, as once believed, due to accident proneness.) However, in violent societies with high rates of killing, lefties have the higher life expectancy. It seems lefties are at an advantage when it comes to fighting for survival, possibly the same “unfamiliarity” advantage they enjoy in sports.
Note that pretty much all of these things can also be said about males relative to females, too.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Am I wrong......??
or is a left handed pitcher not a mirror image of a right handed pitcher. At least that has always been my belief. If you watch a mirror image lefty pitch, he just pitches different than a righty. To me the coordination and body and arm movements are different. Yes, only subtle differences, but different. What do you all think?
Great read!
My parents are both lefties, my mother really wanted me to be a righty because of doors, scissors, cards etc.
I was undecided till 6-7 or so when I finally settled into writing w/ my right, but I hold my pen like a lefty.
Its fun to look at pictures of me drawing growing up as it dances back and forth.
Oddly I brush my teeth lefty, bat lefty, I’m right footed( goofy), and am pretty ambidextrous in most things.
I’ve always found it odd how many artists and musicians turn out to be lefty, seems like half of my friends.
Both of your experiences
are consistent with studies. Left-handedness is indeed over-represented among artists. Also, some studies have suggested that lefties are more likely to make friends with other lefties. (Caveat: I don’t think either of these findings is rock solid. Among other things, “artists” isn’t a real clearly defined category.)
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Heh
Among other things, "artists" isn’t a real clearly defined category.
Tell me about it… Doesn’t pay well, and keeps you up at night.
Unless you do school shows.
Ugh.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
More fun with words.
“Dexterity” comes from dexter, the Latin word for right. The etymological implication of the word “ambidextrous” is not just equally skilled with both hands, but that “equally right-handed”. Someone who is equally clumsy with both hands is said to be “ambisinister”. I’m out of town and away from my reliable dictionaries, and I haven’t been able to determine from online sources whether “ambisinister” is a recent coinage.
The word “poindexter” derives only indirectly from the right. It comes from a French surname in which the “dexter” is a sort of war horse (modern destrier in French), and that word ultimately derives from Latin dexter. Association of “poindexter” with nerdiness comes from a character in Felix the Cat, and later reinforced with a character in Revenge of the Nerds.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Not to go full-blown nerd or anything,
But when chemists talk about molecules that cause plane polarized light to rotate, they call it dextrorotary if it rotates light clockwise (to the right) and levorotary for counterclockwise (to the left). I take it that dextro- comes from that same dexter Latin root, but if sinister is the Latin root for left, where does levo- come from?
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
Careful -- any more and you'll be close to sounding nerdy.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
QUANTUM PHYSICAL PHOTON EIGENFUNCTION DARK MATTER
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
You naughty minx.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
Apparently laevus is another Latin word meaning left.
I would very much like to research this further, but alas I am away from home and without my Latin dictionaries.
I’ve seen rectus used to mean right in the right-hand sense, too. So I’m also curious about that.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
but when chemists are referring to the chiral center itself of the molecule
the designations are R and S, r for “right” and s for “sinister”, or left, as you say
holdin' it down for the bay from upper westside manhattan
As a fan of the show Dexter,
This amuses me.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
I'm going to practice
handwriting, brushing my teeth and wiping my bottom with my non-dominant hand starting…now!
http://sonicliving.com
May I recommend not trying all 3 at the same time?
Ugh, I’m too late.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I have a funkily situated master bathroom toilet,
and the cross-handed wipe took about a month to fully perfect…
By the way, when did this turn into the poop joke section of the Dick Joke Jamboroo?
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 11:30 AM PST up reply actions
Allow me to provide your 20th rec
Both entertaining and informative, not to mention thought-provoking. Terrific stuff.
I'll gladly taka all the recs I can take :) Thanks
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Will you take an fp promotion, too?
Because this is surely deserving.
I'm here to talk about the past.
twss
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
i think that one's a dialogue.
twss, then twhs, then twss.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
It could be all be a hilariously pathetic TWHS.
“Thanks!”
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
total sausagefest...
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 11:31 AM PST up reply actions
On reconsideration
I’ve decided I wasn’t lavish enough with my praise.
You took a quite nerdy technical topic (and a somewhat obscure one at that, given that there hasn’t exactly been an inexorable drumbeat of people demanding to know why there are so many lefty pitchers) and made it both entertaining and accessible without dumbing it down. This isn’t just good reasoning, which is valuable in itself, but it’s excellent and creatively composed writing, which is much rarer. On top of that, the illustrations are terrific – I always assume illustrations of any kind are borrowed from somewhere, so it was only on second glance that I noticed that you seem to be drawing your own (fess up if you’re not!). As someone limited to stick figures myself, I’m inordinately impressed by this.
In the interests of not sounding too fulsome, I will point out that you’re not perfect (or maybe you are – it’s possible that “taka all the recs I can take” isn’t gibberish, but rather English on a higher plane than I am capable of understanding).
Not to put on the pressure – you can’t and shouldn’t hold yourself to this standard on every comment or post – but the bottom line is that I won’t be skimming past comments or diaries when I see your byline. Way to go!
Yes, I really miss the "edit" button on the comments :)
Thank you very, very much.
The drawings (the big ones, not the ones from the lefty-righty OPS overview) are not mine, but rather made by my wife. Perhaps I do get some credit for marrying the right one?
Another thing I just never know how to do in English is the capitalization of the title. So, if anyone wants to jump in and help out, I’ll fix this one. I am quadrilingual, but with different strengths and weaknesses in each language. English dominates the office vocabulary. Working for an American company in Germany, we do speak German every day, but with such expressions as “downgeloaded”, “geleveraged” and “appointen” . German, on the other hand is where the bureaucracy expressions come to live. So, any kind of words for permits, taxes and such is most natural in German. That leaves Spanish as the language for romancing and Croatian as the last resort, when really heavy duty cursing is a necessity.
I actually have no idea why I wrote all this now, but anyway, thanks a lot and I’ll try to keep it up.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
In English, there are several different standards
for capitalization in titles. Different publications adhere to different style guides. The commonest practice is to capitalize all words except articles, prepositions and coordinate conjunctions. But there are many variations on this theme. Most styles will capitalize prepositions and conjunctions if they are beyond a certain length; some capitalize all subordinate conjunctions; and some always capitalize the last word of the title.
An alternate style sometimes used is to capitalize the title exactly as if it were a sentence, ie, capitalize the first word and any proper names only. This is the same as the standard for French, Spanish, and Italian (and many English styles will defer to this standard for a title of a work that is in one of those languages). This is what you’ve done for this FanPost, and I think it’s fine as it is.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
What's happening to German is sad
When I worked in Germany about 15 yrs ago, I did some consumer research on computer usage. In our first team meeting, the conversation was like “wir machen das Consumer Research hier im City” and “How many computer users gibt es in Munchen.” At first, I thought they were being nice to me as an English speaker, but then I realized this is how they talk. It was essentially German sentence structure with 50% english words.
It’s really too bad, because there are perfectly good german words for most or all of these things, and you’d think they would want to use some of them from time to time.
As for other languages . . . French works pretty well for romance, too; for cursing, I trust you on Croatian. English is fairly rich, too, but I understand that Russian may be the best language for that sport . . .
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 8, 2009 8:32 AM PST up reply actions
I've read that in French
the subjunctive is falling out of use.
English is an extraordinarily assimilative language. While its dominance may contribute to the extinction of other languages, at the same time it draws features from those languages to add to itself.
English is the the Borg of languages.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Resistance is futile
And yes, the french subjunctive is falling out of use, as is a lot else in french. It’s not quite as bad as Germany – you hear “le week-end” more than “fin de semaine” but a “computer” is still usually an “ordinateur.”
Cases, tenses and other structures tend to disappear and merge in all languages over time, then reappear over time in different forms. If you listen closely, you can hear the English subjunctive breathing its last breath in phrases like “I wish Crosby were a better hitter.” Your grandchildren will all say “I wish Crosby’s grandson was a better hitter.” Most of us say it this way now, of course.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 8, 2009 4:28 PM PST up reply actions
I think the commonest subjunctive phrase
in America today is “God bless America.”
People say it all the time but rarely think to parse it grammatically. It’s not a declarative sentence, or we’d say “God blesses” or “God blessed”. It’s not imperative either. Even if one did have the impertinence to tell God what to do, one would still have to add a comma, like, “God, [please] bless America.”
I read it as pure subjunctive, with no “that”, “if” or “may” needed to introduce it.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Good observation
I’m sure you’re right. I think the phrase comes from “May God Bless America”. This could well end up being the last refuge of the subjunctive in English.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 8, 2009 5:54 PM PST up reply actions
You should hear people talking in Tokyo computer stores
It’s like some kind of bizarre pidgin tongue.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
That must sound weird
English words work OK in German, which probably has something to do with the fact that English is mostly derived from old German. English words in japanses would just be weird.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 8, 2009 4:32 PM PST up reply actions
You mean like, "Ai rabu yuu"?
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
No, I'm Caucasian
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 8, 2009 5:55 PM PST up reply actions
There are actually zillions of explicit loan-words in Japanese
most, but not all of which are English. (And worse yet, many of them are half-baked portmanteaus that no English speaker would ever understand, like “pasokon.” “Karaoke” is another one, although that’s even more confusing because half of the word is Japanese and half is English.)
And then there are all the thousands of additional words which are derived from mispronunciations of 8th century Chinese.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Ever since I started getting into baseball stats
I’ve definitely stopped buying into all the mysticalness and hyperbole that is common to baseball. I’ll still never stop believing in the low, inside “sweet spot” that left handed hitters have.
If you think Billy Beane is a bad GM, I hate you and find you stupid.
Ah, the G-spot.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget her cunning.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Don't give up the mysticism...
just trade conventional mysticism for abstract mysticism…
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 11:32 AM PST up reply actions
Uh, thanks for the encouragement.
It grieves me that a quote from Tolkien, Star Trek, or South Park gets about 50 times as much response as a quote from the Bible. Heck, even Shakespeare gets more response than the Bible.
Is Generation Y completely unfamiliar with the Bible? I’m not even a Christian, but come on, it’s a core text in our literary canon.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Why does this grieve you?
The Bible is thousands of years old. South Park’s quotes are at most 13. Don’t worry, in another 2000 years it’s highly unlikely anyone will still be quoting South Park.
Also, in college I once told a few Christain friends that I would like to read the Bible someday, as well as the Koran. To which I received the response “You can’t just read the Bible, you have to study it.”
I basically stopped reading since then( such an inefficient use of time! ), and so I haven’t had a chance to get around to either. But I would be reading them with a view of their current cultural impact, and not due to them being core texts in our literary canon, something which I view of little import.
If religion still exists in another 2000 years,
then of course, Trey Parker will be forgotten.
If religion falls out of favor 2000 years from now, in a post-digital age, Mr. Parker might be bigger than Jesus, as one of the earliest pioneers of picking on and discrediting religion in an international mass-media format.
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 1:39 PM PST up reply actions
Guys, the world is ending in 2012.
Come on.
Keep in mind, of course, that "the best defense of Derek Jeter's life" ranks somewhere in between "the best fiscal responsibility of Mike Tyson's life" and "the best not-getting-assassinated-ness of James Garfield's life." -FJM
I'm probably due for one king-hell of a
nervous breakdown and/or disassociative episode if it doesn’t.
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 10, 2009 1:58 PM PST up reply actions
also, rrryanc
I am in agreeance with part of your opinion that reading is an inefficient use of time.
I love reading, and can even speed read, but I look forward to the day when I, and my nanotech-aided eyes and memory, can read a whole book, thoroughly analyze it, and be able to recite it by memory, in seconds.
"Sniff some krazy glue, and start a religion!"- The Reverend Billy Lard
by Gaijin_Suketto on Dec 7, 2009 1:44 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Are you saying that all lefties are women?
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 7, 2009 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
Great essay
I’m bookmarking this one.
As a lefthander in a right-handed world I’ve always been puzzled by the left/rght percentages in baseball and tennis compared to other sports. This is the best articulation and explanation of these percentages I have seen to date.
As an aside, I’m also an art historian, and I have learned over the years how little people in general recognize the fundamental right-handedness of Western culture. On tv, in paintings, etc. whenever two people are together within a frame the person on the viewer’s left (to the right of the other person) is the person of power. Adam is always depicted to the left of Eve; men stand at the left facing the altar and their brides at the right. Male news anchors are more likely to sit to the left of female colleagues. When they don’t it is because they are in a subordinate position within the news hierarchy. There are many, many variations of this perceptual equation.
28%. It is simply incredible that this figure is so constant in baseball.
chronic
I might have missed it drunk and skimming the posts...
but it used ti be Lefties were “switched” to righties as kids………
by Colorado Booze Hounds on Dec 8, 2009 6:48 PM PST up reply actions
Thanks for all this lefty info!
I’m a lefty except for batting. Of course, the only time I ever did this was in high school PE, but I throw left-handed, eat, write, etc.
I can agree with the element of surprise in sports. Once when I played tennis (again, high school PE), the person I played against kept saying “It just looks weird when you serve… when you hit” etc. I won most of the matches when we played tennis (who knows if that was due to any talent!?).
I forgot to give some credit where it's due
Namely to SB Nation NBA sites, where I used the knowledge of community to compile the NBA data. Thanks.
Also thanks to the poster who directed me to a very recent ESPN article with the exact numbers, thus saving me about a half of the work on NBA front.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
what a great post
My father is left handed, and yes he really does own a left handed catcher’s mitt. It’s the only one I have ever seen. I was born left handed but as a child my mother would take things out of my left hand and put them in my right. My older sister is also left handed and Mom didn’t want to be the only right handed person in the family. I still consider myself right handed but I can hit, throw, and shoot pool with either.
death to myspace!
I have a question
So, your hypothetical well organized KMart — it will only have one aisle, and shoppers will only be allowed to move inexorably forward? (Or perhaps be allowed only to back up to peruse previously viewed or missed items?)
A B -3X = Swedish girls like chocolate @('.')@
What the hell is this?
A monkeyball post that has words in it???
Actually, it wouldn't make a difference
As all the items would be of the same, average quality.
But since I get to play the architect for a day, I would keep them flowing in one direction only – no coming back.
P.S. Nice to see you here
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
That first picture has me singing
Take on meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Take me onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I’ll be goneeeeeee
In a day or twoooooooooooooooo
Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
I remember reading an article
many, many years ago, about the disproportionate success of lefties in a broad range of sports. Baseball was one of them, and so was tennis, which struck me as odd because the game is symmetrical – but of course the one thing about it that isn’t symmetrical is the percentage of righties facing lefties vis-a-vis the percentage of lefties facing righties, and that familiarity aspect favors lefties in a big way.
The one I was most astonished by, however, was bowling. Yes, apparently lefty bowlers experienced disproportionate success, even though not only is the “field” symmetrical but you’re not even competing directly against other bowlers. It seems the explanation was that the preponderance of righties meant that bowling lanes were just that much more worn on the right side of the alley, whereas on the left side a lefty could reliably count on a fresher lane surface where his the spin of his ball would break more consistently into the pocket.
Fucking lefties, sneaking away with advantages in everything except the use of scissors!
As a lefty, let me tell you what you have overlooked
It’s not just scissors. Try writing in ink left-handed and watch your hand smudge what you just wrote as you keep writing. I HATE THAT!!! {Now imagine that “HATE” is now smeared with random ink spots that would baffle even Rorschak. Welcome to my world.}
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
You smudge it with your hand?
I thought it would be your forearm that would eventually drag across the writing with that weird crooked-armed writing style you freakos use.
Sorry. I’m a little sensitive after always reading about how you guys are more creative and all that. Myself, I can barely pick my nose left-handed, and that only after years of practice.
I can turn the TV on and off with my foot
(albeit it’s my right foot…)
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Daniel Day Lewis is not impressed
To answer your question, Faust, it’s the part of the hand between the base of the pinky finger and the wrist that does most of the smudging.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
That makes sense...
Something I had never thought of, having never had to do so.
I'm right-handed, and I still manage to smudge
with that part of my hand. Any time I write more than one line, I smudge up the one above.
I have god-awful penmanship. I had a typewriter in my bedroom since I was about eight years old and I used it for everything. In my early 20s I’d type my grocery lists. I had paper that came in a big roll, so I just fed it in and let it scroll, like adding machine tape.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
My typing skills are so bad
that somehow I manage to smudge words when I type.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I also had a typewriter in my bedroom since I was about eight years old
Unfortunately it belonged to my eleven years older sister, who shared the room and financed her studies by retyping stuff “in clean” for smaller companies. Yes, it was a mechanical typewriter. Yes, she could do about 400 signs a minute. Yes she needed the big light on. And, yes, she could only do this during night.
On a plus side, now I don’t have any problems falling asleep during off-shift sailing in the Drake.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
true story
I once wrote the word “and” so poorly that the (unfortunate) teacher who graded my paper thought I meant “camel”
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
by cuppingmaster on Dec 8, 2009 9:17 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
So do you stretch out your leg to the TV
(Which means you’re sitting too close! You’ll ruin your eyes!)
Or do you put the remote on the floor and step on it?
I was assuming he used his right foot
to dial a friend’s number on his cell phone, and asked the friend to come by and turn on the TV.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
I usually pick up socks and other dirty clothes
off the floor with my foot. I grab it with my right foot and lift it to my left hand. That way I don’t have to bend over.
I often shut drawers or doors with my foot, too.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
You and I have different techniques
I don’t pick up dirty clothes off the floor. Maybe that’s why Chez Nico is becoming so sparsely attended.
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Learn to write at a downward angle and you won't have that problem
From upper left to lower right, paper at a 45% angle to your body, top in the upper right, bottom in the lower left. You won’t smudge this way.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
I contacted PBA
and asked them to share some numbers, but got no answer. I did find the same (or a similar) article about how bowling through the seldom used part of the lane can play to left-handers’ advantage. It brought up another interesting point – I had never stopped to think how left-handers need different bowls, as the holes for the fingers are asymmetrical in size, thus affecting center of gravity.
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
advantage in tennis
In tennis, there may be a 0.01% advantage from the mere fact that when all games are begun, when the lefty serves first, he/she is on the right side of the court. The momentum follow-through pulls them towards the center, which is where they need to be. For righties, they have to take a step back, which is a wasted motion (takes away from their response time on responding to the return of the serve). But since this only occurs in games where the lefty starts (assuming all else is equal), it would be an advantage only 1/(total # of serves by the lefty in a game) of a fraction advantage.
Perhaps.
by rollierollieOxenfree on Dec 8, 2009 11:10 AM PST up reply actions
I write Right Handed and Throw Left handed.
Interesting article. I can tell you that when i was young my first baseball glove (a present) was left handed and I had to take it off to throw (with my right hand). I complained to my mom that I had to take off the glove to throw because it was the wrong handed glove. Her being a divorced mom struggling to support two boys and all their sporting aspirations told me to either learn to throw left handed, or wait till my birthday or christmas for a new one. I started throwing left handed and hitting left handed soon after this. To this day I write right handed, but throw left handed. I golf, bowl, throw, and bat for the left side. This is why I think that there is some credence to the belief that learning to throw with either hand is possible if learned young enough. Great article and I made it all the way through.
I'm amused
Curtis Granderson came back 48 times to vote in the poll. I guess it’s better than reading trade rumors.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
Well, the last guy who copped to reading trade rumors
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Any verdict
on the value of swapping him for Corey Wimberly?? Last I remember he had made the starting roster for the Midland RockHounds.
Talk about a non-factor trade
Wimberly just passed through Rule 5 for the second consecutive season.
Sometimes deals just end up doing nothing for either team. The Chris Denorfia trade comes to mind too.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Wait..I'm a lefty!!!!
How did I miss this? ;-)
"Bobby Crosby at third is a bit of an adventure. And not like, here’s some hidden treasure, what fun. More like, gah! poison ants!" --alea iacta est
That explains so much.
They call their best player "Kung Fu Panda" and they complain that people aren’t taking them or the game seriously enough? -Nick
No idea
It was pitched by a right-hander, so the odds were in your favor…
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
No left-handed compliment here -- very well-done!
We southpaws are The Last Oppressed Minority.
The tennis section was interesting to me and mirrors my experience, esp in squash. Although it was a great advantage in the lower skill levels — both because of surprise and because I served from very different angles than they were used-to, the advantage diminished in the higher skill leagues. I was almost convinced that it had become a liability, as they knew not to hit to my killer, well-practiced forehand, and my backhand was not as well developed as it would have been if I’d been playing 90% lefties. At the elite level, the effect would have been reduced to surprise, although that was never a problem with which I had to concern myself.
Thanks again for an entertaining, informative and thoughtful piece!
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
I hope you don't mean that second line literally
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Expressed like an unreconstructed oppressor.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 8, 2009 8:33 PM PST up reply actions
Quite the contrary
I mean, just off the top of my head, prejudice against atheists and overweight people is far more acceptable than prejudice against lefthanded people…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
I agree about prejudice against overweight people,
but I don’t see it for atheists.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Yeah, but overweight people are the majority.
(sayeth the OWP)
PS — Paul, I AM kidding — but I do use lefthandedness in my classes as an example of an immutable characteristic that is not (yet!) protected under Title 7 (or even CA law).
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 9, 2009 10:48 AM PST up reply actions
Really?
Just twenty years ago our president (Bush Sr.) said in a press conference:
No, I don’t know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God.… I support the separation of church and state. I’m just not very high on atheists.
That’s mind-blowing to me.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
New A's Charity should be
A’s for atheists!
Yes!
"Do I talk to myself? No, I just remind myself of what I'm trying to do. You know, I never answer myself so how can I be talking to myself?" - Rickey
by cuppingmaster on Dec 9, 2009 12:45 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
that's despicable (what bush said)
but I find that if you look at the press or entertainment vehicles, it’s actually QUITE acceptable to be prejudiced against christians, less so against atheists. Think when was the last time you saw an evangelical christian portrayed positively in a movie or a news story.
but we’re probably straying too far into politics and religion, which isn’t the purpose of AN . . .
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 9, 2009 1:21 PM PST up reply actions
You can't possibly be serious
Have you read, like, anything ever written about Tim Tebow? Or Josh Hamilton?
And that’s just in the sporting world (and thus at least plausibly on-topic)…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
I am serious
but I’m really thinking news, not sports.
you’re quite right about the sporting world, where evangelicals are prominent and well organized. also, guys like tebow seem to be a credit to their faith, though that’s from someone (me) who 2 weeks ago thought Tiger Woods led a clean life. we’ll see about Tebow. heaven help him when he messes up.
but, seriously, search your newspaper or tv news – outside of the sports parts – for anything positive about conservative christians (evangelicals or catholics). you pretty much won’t find it, esp. on the editorial page. on the other hand, it seems that every buffoon who claims to be a christian (falwell, roberts, etc.) gets lots of press. especially if he has a puffed up hairdo and wears tight pants.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 9, 2009 7:36 PM PST up reply actions
Uh, I think it's safe to say
that looking through newspapers and TV news for anything positive about ANYBODY is a waste of time… I mean, you’re right, but you could replace “conservative christians” with “atheists,” “Canadians,” or “people exactly 5’8” tall" and it would be just as true. Negative news sells. That is in no sense prejudice against Christians (or atheists, or Canadians).
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Dunno
I know how the Braves feel about Church though.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
I think that only applies to the extremists.
People occupying the extremes (Christian or atheist or anything, religion-related or not) won’t get a positive portrayal in the media. It’s a different story for people who lie closer to the average.
Oh, and I kind of get the feeling that the off-topic CGV rules are loosened a tad during the offseason (not much baseball to talk about, I suppose), but if this whole discussion is wandering off the path too much, I’ll drop it.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
Two observations:
First, I don’t think that the ignorant, off-the-cuff remarks of a president constitutes societal prejudice.
Second, given that no other journalist at that press conference reported the exchange, I think there’s room for doubt that Sherman has accurately quoted it.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Maybe not
but the last time I checked, something like 47% of Americans said that they would not vote for an atheist for political office. (Imagine if 47% of Americans said they wouldn’t vote for a black politician! That has the ring of 1950s Alabama to it.) It is, in practice, a literal career death sentence for a politician to admit not practicing religion.
There is not a single avowed atheist or agnostic to be found anywhere within the US Congress. Not one. (Odds are there are any number of closeted ones, but as I said, they’d be complete idiots to reveal it.)
I could go on…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Pete Stark (D-CA)
Hayward and Union City area. But he’s the only one, I believe.
And about that 47% figure, that’s higher than gays or Muslims (which hover in the 30’s, I believe). Amazing.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
In 2007 there was a Gallup poll
showing 53% would not vote for an (otherwise qualified) atheist for president. That beat out all the other categories, like homosexual or Mormon, though Muslim was not included.
I assume the figure comes down a bit if you say for any elected office, rather than just president, and I doubt your 47% figure is for all political office.
I also expect the figure comes down if instead of saying “atheist” you say “non-believer”. “Atheist” has a strong negative connotation not shared by other synonyms.
I don’t believe in God, so that makes me an atheist, but I never actually call myself “atheist” because most people who call themselves atheists are assholes. I always say “non-believer” which is basically the same thing but without association with activists like O’Hair or Sherman, who are always trying to purge all mention of God from our coins, pledge of allegiance, Christmas celebrations, etc, etc. Frankly, I wouldn’t vote for someone like that either.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
at least atheist assholes
don’t tend to wear puffed up hair and tight pants like their christian counterparts. so, hey, count your blessings . . .
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 9, 2009 7:37 PM PST up reply actions
[Insert pithy Abraham Lincoln witticism about euphemisms here]
As for the pledge/coins/Christmas decorations, any putatively “religious” content in those is such facile bullshit that, really, everyone (monotheists included) ought to oppose them simply on grounds of being government bullshit…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Facile bullshit makes the world go round.
I like the Christmas stuff, and a lot of the rhetoric and pageantry as well. Other stuff, such as the coins, does nothing for me, but if it makes others happy, I don’t see why that isn’t a good thing.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Two points:
1. I have yet to meet anyone who claimed to derive pleasure from coinage, and
2. Even if they did, any such pleasure would essentially be sadistic “wow, isn’t it awesome how I get to force my religion on other people!” pleasure, which is loathsome.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
The presumed pleasure
is a feeling of satisfaction and security that the coinage is blessed with good faith.
It doesn’t “force religion” on other people. That’s ludicrous. So you have to see the word “God” on the rare occasion you actually look carefully at a coin. Boo hoo, you’re so oppressed.
The fact is that America is a Christian nation. America is also a nation that is dedicated to religious freedom, and that’s something I love very much about America. But to read that freedom as a mandate for stripping American culture of the Christian themes that are essential to it is, I believe, fundamentally wrong-headed.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
The phrase is "in God we trust."
If you do not “trust” in God, you are (by basic grammar) not part of the “we.”
Which takes us right back to that George Bush quote.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
It does not take us back to the quote.
Just because you aren’t included in the phrase that appears on money doesn’t mean you aren’t a citizen or have no rights.
There are a great many “we” sayings in the public arena that not everyone subscribes to. It’s not a big deal.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
If someone walks up to you on the street and says "hey, you're an asshole"
you’ll probably blow it off as ridiculous. Nothing wrong with that. But that doesn’t suddenly transform it into anything other than an insult.
The fact that one can (even should) choose not to dwell on something does not ipso facto make it not offensive.
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
So, Paul -- you'll like this one...
Big burly guy bursts into a bar and bellows: “All lawyers are assholes!”
There’s silence, and then a small, tremulous reply comes from way down the bar: “Sir, I resent that…”
“So, you’re a lawyer, are you?” hollers the intruder.
“No,” says the small voice — “I’m an asshole.”
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 11, 2009 2:09 PM PST up reply actions
I'm still not seeing how
“In God we trust” translates to “If you don’t, then you’re an asshole.”
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
"You don't belong"
Just because you know that they’re not necessarily meaning you, they’re still meaning you.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
I didn't say it did
I’m just pointing out that your conclusion doesn’t follow from your premises.
The fact that the insult is a (concededly) trivial one does not make it not insulting. It just means one probably shouldn’t spend a lot of time thinking about it (and I, at least, don’t— I get irked by it maybe once a year for an hour or two).
But, hey, if someone else is willing to pay the lawyers, I’m not going to argue (ok, I might argue with the tactics in terms of social change theory, but that’s arguing over means, not ends)…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
I don't recall the witticism to which you refer
And several minutes of googleing didn’t help.
Enlighten me, please?
Reportedly the story goes like this
Someone once asked Lincoln whether one could say a dog has five legs, if you called the tail a leg. Lincoln’s response: “No— calling the tail a leg doesn’t mean it is one…”
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
"most people who call themselves atheists are assholes"
is surely a gross exaggeration.
I’ve come to accept the word – reluctantly, given the widespread negative attitudes towards atheists, apparently even from people like you who technically qualify.
For me, the problem with “non-believer” is that it’s too vague. Non-believer in what, exactly? I’ll bet many people who hear that term take it to mean that the person doesn’t believe in a particular religion, but may yet believe in something, some vaguely defined theism that there’s a higher power of some kind out there even if it’s not as any specific religion portrays it. I don’t think it clearly communicates the specific idea that you don’t believe in God. And I think it’s not believing in God that makes atheists suspect to believers, not some problem with the word “atheist” itself. Many have the assumption that atheists have no basis for any morality, recognize no limits, “anything goes”, and so forth (I’d argue that the moral certainty of certain believers tends much more strongly to lead to horrible, even “evil” results, than the much more circumspect morality of those of us who don’t have the comfort of “knowing” that God is on our side, but that’s another argument, and a very long one at that).
I’m sure atheists also have a problem similar to that of gays – the social stigma leads to most atheists being very quiet about their beliefs (or lack of same) if not actively hiding them and even lying about them, which reinforces “decent” people in thinking there must be something wrong there and assuming that none of the people they know and respect fall into that category. Gays have generally suffered much harsher persecution than atheists, but oddly they may now be further along the road to reaching general acceptance.
I plead guilty to gross exaggeration.
The word “atheist” sounds to me like it’s asserting a creed, the creed of God not existing. Maybe it’s the “-ist” on the end, or maybe it’s just the way the word has been used by others. I’m not asserting anything to anyone; I just don’t believe in God. If others do, I’m fine with that, and I don’t feel it means they’re stupider or less enlightened. If “non-believer” is vague, I’m OK with that. I mean, I don’t believe in the Spaghetti Monster either. For that matter, I don’t believe in a soul separate from the body, which many atheists do. On the other hand, I do agree with many of the teachings of Jesus.
I agree with you that the presumption that atheists lack morality is silly. Some people are moral and some aren’t, but religion or lack thereof doesn’t make them so. To connect the two implies that people can’t be moral without having some big guy threatening them with heaven or hell, which seems pretty lame to me. Morality is good for its own sake, and it requires no bribery.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
We seem to have about the same approach here
I don’t really “assert” a creed either, although I don’t have an objection to mere assertion – it’s proselytizing I have more of a problem with. I’m happy to discuss my beliefs, but I don’t try to push them on others. In fact, for those that have woven God deeply into the fabric of their lives, I don’t think that my unraveling that thread for them would necessarily make for a happier or more ethical human being. On the other hand I do think we need to argue strongly against (and take stronger measures where necessary) against those who would act on the belief that God sanctions and even mandates acts of violence or discrimination – and in the real world, there’s no way to do that that won’t get you called “strident” and “anti-religious” (just to use the milder terms).
I would agree with all that, but
I think people are too quick to blame violence on religion. When people are religious they attribute everything to God. When they give charity, they say it’s God’s will. When they care for their family, they say it’s God’s will. When they work hard at their job, they say it’s God’s will. And when they kill someone or declare war, they say that’s God’s will.
If you’re going to go blaming wars and violence on religion just because the aggressor attributes it to God, then it’s only fair you give religion credit for all the good things, too.
I’ve found that many of my fellow unbelievers are quick to blame religion for all the bad things that religious men do, but never see the same causality with the good things. And I suspect it’s because they are predisposed against religion, so they see what they want to see.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
with more people like you out there
there would be fewer good (i.e., juicy and nasty) arguments. I do mean that as a serious compliment, most people are unwilling to criticize their own side of the aisle.
we could try blaming wars on religion (crusades) or on atheism (communism). or we could look at what all wars all have in common, which is that they were started by people. Interestingly, there are two species on the planet that engage in warfare – chimps and humans . . .
Eddie murphy said something great about racism. You don’t get to choose stereotypes. You can’t say “yes, black people all like fried chicken, but they’re not better athletes than white people.” (he actually used a different stereotype here . . . ) Yes, that’s a bad example, but it’s pretty funny if you ask me.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 9:09 AM PST up reply actions
OK... but
Your first paragraph implies that whatever violence happens would happen anyway and it’s all just a rather trivial matter of what rationalizations are offered for it. No doubt there are many instances in which this is true, but there are also plenty of violence (and discrimination) that happens as a consequence of religious doctrine and/or institutions that would not necessarily happen otherwise.
For one thing, the concept of the sacred just raises the stakes in various ways. If you draw a rude cartoon about a public figure, friends and admirers of that person might be upset and consider you a jerk and even loudly denounce you, but that’s usually about it. But if you draw a rude cartoon about the prophet Muhamed, you have infringed on the sacred and there are people who will actually feel morally obliged to try to kill you. It’s true, of course, that disrespect can lead to violence even in secular situations, but the concept of the sacred raises things to a whole new level.
I’ll grant you the flip side of this argument – that there are also good and generous deeds that people do from conscientiously religious motives that they would not be moved to do without their religious beliefs.
Just to clarify my position,
Your first sentence accurately describes my view (though I wouldn’t use the word “trivial”). I stand by that view, and I disagree with your second sentence.
Your example is an interesting one, which I believe does not back up your position. We can pursue this elsewhere if you like, but I don’t care to debate it on AN. I think I already stepped over the line a while back.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
Yes, it's hard to see how this particular discussion is brought to us by Curtis Granderson
And I’m overwhelmed getting ready for business and holiday travel, so I need to let it drop anyway. Besides, it’s the sort of far-reaching philosophical discussion that is best carried out in person and with drinks in hand, the way God intended (oops…), and in the unlikely event that we should one day find ourselves in the same state and in a position to do so I’d be delighted to resume (as much as I enjoy the internet, combining conversation with food and drink is my idea of what civilization is all about, or ought to be).
See, i think the difference needs to be drawn between
religious people and organized religion. Organized religion can arguably attributed to Wars in the name of God. That doesn’t mean the religion itself is the cause. Doesn’t mean the followers of the religion are the cause. They may be part of the instrument used, but not the direct cause. In reality it’s a power hungry guy using his organized religion as his tool. Personally, my problem with it is that no one is in a position to tell anyone else what to believe because regardless of how much you study or how smart you might be, the reality is, no one really knows. So while I personally have a disdain for any organized religion, I don’t have any problem with any person who chooses to follow, observe, congregate or in any way involve themselves with one. Those are the people I attribute the “good” side of things to. Generally the war monger is likely to do or encourage these charitable deeds for a more greedy cause then to simply to do good.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
You've observed a rather odd but trenchant point
in that the rate at which various groups have achieved social acceptance in American society is almost exactly inversely proportional to the amount of discrimination and general hosing that they’ve suffered through history.
Women
Racial Minorities
Disabled
Gays
Atheists
That could either be a rank order of “worst victims of prejudice,” or a time order of the point at which they became “mainstream” in political life…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
Of course we atheists have all of eternity
to ponder our unfortunate miscalculation. When I see God I plan to laugh awkwardly and say, “OK, my bad.”
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
so you're placing Pascal's wager
with Nico’s waiver?
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 9:10 AM PST up reply actions
uh, I meant "replacing"
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 9:10 AM PST up reply actions
I intend to get all pissy
and walk right on by and yell “Oh NOW you show up. God you’re unreliable”.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
You may be surprised at how well atheists are accepted these days
I attend a thing at Harvard occasionally called the “roundtable,” which is a dialog between christian and atheist academics. The discussions are intense, but quite respectful. An example is not a proof, and academics are representative of nothing other than academics. But I think it says something about how people think about atheism.
I think the issue with no highly recognized politician having said they’re an atheist can be understood in thinking what a political campaign is. It’s a sales campaign. Politicians are like houses. A realtor will tell you that you don’t sell a house because it’s unique and beautiful. You sell it because it’s neutral and pleasant enough that people can see themselves in it.
This is why almost all politicians within any country sound almost exactly the same – they’re all trying to be neutral and pleasant so that people see a bit of themselves in the politician.
Atheism is a bit strange and frightening to some people, to be sure, but I would suggest that these days it’s no more so than evangelical christianity.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 9:32 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
Your last paragraph kind of clashes with the rest of your analysis
I mean, there are boatloads of evangelical Christian politicians.
fair point
though I think most are paying lip service at best, and on the hot button issues for evangelicals – abortion, school prayer, gay marriage, and public display of religious issues – it’d be hard to point many ways the evangelical agenda has advanced in the past 20 years.
But I think that in polite society these days, it’s the reverse of what’s on the political scene. Think what’s more likely to cause awkward silence:
1) “I’m an atheist”
or
2) “I believe Jesus is the son of god”
I’d vote #2.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 12:57 PM PST up reply actions
on the hot button issues for evangelicals – abortion, school prayer, gay marriage, and public display of religious issues – it’d be hard to point many ways the evangelical agenda has advanced in the past 20 years.
You need to read What’s the Matter With Kansas if you want to understand why this is going on.
As for the second point, I’d say both of them are rather likely to cause an awkward silence if you just burst out with them…
O'Hara: Detective Lassiter is literally on fire.
Spencer: What kind of fire are we talking about-- "Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial" fire, or "misusing the word literally" fire?
been meaning to read that
and if I quit posting on AN I probably could . . .
I agree with you on both statements creating an awkward silence.
new motto – atheists and evangelicals unite, you have nothing to lose but those awkward silences
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 8:22 PM PST up reply actions
I'd say you're implicitly "polling"
the polite company you keep, not polite company writ large on the national scale.
Or perhaps you are saying you don’t consider Christians worthy of being included in polite company? ;-)
I AM a christian
and am probably not worth being in polite company for lots of reasons, that being only one.
I don’t go around blurting out either statement, so my poll is unscientific. but here in new england it’s definitely hip to be atheist and not cool to be a christian.
in the bible belt, of course, it’s more than a little bit different.
The A's. The SWINGING A's. That's right, the SWINGING A's.
by eastcoasta'sfan on Dec 11, 2009 8:28 PM PST up reply actions
And not to get into politics
But there’s also quite a prejudice against a certain group of people the city of San Francisco is known for.
"Loyal? I'm the most loyal player money can buy." - Don Sutton
Sushi eaters who only care when Bonds comes up to bat?
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Thanks and great to see you here - it's been a while!
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
You know it’s hard out here for a pimp,
When he tryin’ to get his money for the rent …
I think I should diversify away from just hiring, become a designated firer, too, and look like George Clooney.
Then I’d have all the bases covered.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 9, 2009 8:37 AM PST up reply actions
I dunno, elcro -- based on the goofy shytstorm I appear to have touched-off just above,
… I may be happily disinvited.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 9, 2009 3:46 PM PST up reply actions
I don't know
I like your ability to come into the room, blow it up and sit back and watch it unfold without really getting yourself dirty. Very well done.
CuttheMullet, from "The Thread":
"Whenever I’m about to do something, I think "would an idiot do that?" and if they would, I do not do that thing."
Eh, I wouldn't call it that.
It hasn’t escalated to anything at all. Just a discussion. No harm done.
Your day breaks, your mind aches.
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
when she no longer needs you.
I'll take you in any of my posts
50 extra comments you cause just look good in the balance sheet
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
Balance sheet
How to cook the books.
"Go ahead and overachieve, you scrappy Brett-Favre-colored walk-takers." —Rev Halofan
… and every one precisely on-point.
You’re welcome.
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 10, 2009 12:51 PM PST up reply actions
Good work getting your link posted on Beyond the Box Score.
Just a really great read all around.
Keep in mind, of course, that "the best defense of Derek Jeter's life" ranks somewhere in between "the best fiscal responsibility of Mike Tyson's life" and "the best not-getting-assassinated-ness of James Garfield's life." -FJM
That's pretty cool, thanks for the info!
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
here is the link
A couple of comments there bring up the fact that there are several MLB pitchers who write with their right hand, but pitch lefty. Of course, that has already been covered here…
Great post-
A lot of interesting thoughts swimming around due to this one. Personal interest in your anecdotes regarding tennis, as I played competitively in juniors, for a D1 school, etc. Basically I was good enough to at least understand the ways various types/levels of pros were significantly better than me. Thinking back on a lot of the things you hear from players of varying strategic intellect, it seems that while the tennis world has a good concept of the actual reasons things are happening, that still didn’t stop obviously false memes from being passed down through the years. A strange idea I sometimes hear is that the design of the court is unfair w/r/t handedness in the game, and there is an accompanying ridiculous proposal to split the court in thirds. While it brings up interesting discussions, the proposer (I think some website is at the forefront of this odd and poorly thought out plan, which is spammed to several forums by various knowing or unknowing believers in the Lefty Conspiracy. Various other pseudoscientific theories abound which mostly seem to exist as excuses for poor performance against lefties, or that mythical “coulda been a contender…if i just had been born left-handed.” I would have been better had I been born Federer, but that seems like an obviously trivial point that doesn’t make me any more sympathetic to those hearing such a lamentation. No idea why then, that left-handedness is something that so many people just sort of think could have happened to them without any doing on their part, and if their luck had been changed in that one way, that it would enable them to transfer all their other current skills as developed but they would just be better. The simple and incomplete view tends to be the common and default one in many areas, I suppose.
Back to my point:
I agree that lefties do have an advantage in tennis due to the one-on-one nature of the sport. However, it is not nearly as extreme as is often stated- I noticed that you pulled a statistic saying that 24% of the ATP Top 10 from 1968-1999 were lefthanders. However, this is actually a very small sample of players, given that many were included over a 10-15 year span. Connors and McEnroe being two very large reasons why this figure doesn’t really represent what is really the advantage to a lefty. In a quick search, I didn’t find any truly large sample studies of the lefty%, but out of the current top 100 there were 12. So this is slightly more that you’d expect, and I have seen studies which indicate this is the usual distribution across pros.
The advantage is really as simple as this: there are more righties than lefties. So lefties get a lot more work on developing their backhand, and so the crosscourt (note for those clueless on tennis: crosscourt shots are far more consistent, most groundstrokes should be hit crosscourt/diagonally. can explain more if any confusion) matchup of Righty Forehand vs. Lefty Backhand is not as tricky for the lefty as the corresponding Lefty Forehand vs. Righty Backhand matchup is for the righty. This is exploited by the styles played by most lefties, which tend to exploit their lefthandedness as much as possible- they hit with heavy spin, attacking the righty backhand as is easier for them to do with their standard cross-court shots. One example is Nadal, who uses ridiculous spin to pick apart backhands and is the only player who can consistently beat Federer based on this matchup issue. Another, different style which still is based on the same principles is that of John McEnroe- who used his slice serve toward RH backhands to get into the net as quickly as possible with his opponent hitting difficult backhand passes. No way would he have developed this style had he been a righty (whether or not it would still work today with larger more forgiving racquets, I believe it would although obviously there would be slight modifications, Goran Ivanesevic was somewhat of a more modern version of this style.)
Anyhow, if there were more lefties, everything would be exactly reversed. Baseball isn’t QUITE the same due to the asymetric field (which the effects of 1B being closer to lefty hitters are usually waaay overstated as a reason for their proliferation, since a few hits per year could be the most that results from legging out infield singles which you would have not been safe on if you had been hitting from the right side.) but basically, it is.
I can imagine a team exploiting this inefficiency and maybe eventually the % of LHP would change marginally over time while things change, as I doubt we’re at a true Nash Equilibrium point for LHP. But I don’t think we’ll see much movement on this front for quite some time, though one can hope- I think the “crafty righty” has in a few cases been given a chances by teams who think this sort of thing might be the case, but it is definitely rare and i would imagine there are quite a few guys who would move in or out of the majors if teams didn’t have this bias which more or less makes the LHP a sticky point.
Apologies for my length and tangents which you may find unrelated, but if you stuck around through this post, thanks! And thanks to the OP for an outstanding post.
by Canseco's Roid Party on Dec 9, 2009 11:29 AM PST reply actions
OP?
The meaning of life is not so much 'found,' as it is 'made.' --Opus
by The Dogfather on Dec 9, 2009 12:11 PM PST up reply actions
I'll read any post referencing Ivanišević
to the very end. :)
Have a glove you could spare for a good cause? If so please let me know
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