Afternoon Royals Links: Congratulations Devil Fingers & The Myth of St. Willie's Good Season

by Freneau on Aug 12, 2009 1:25 PM EDT

Last night on Twitter I posted a comment saying the Angels weren't really a smallball team anymore. (OK, it was a little stronger than that.) Just your standard issue random Twitter blast. Anyway, Trenni Kusnierek of MLB Network, who had reported on the Angels offense that same day, ended up responding to me, and we got into a little exchange or argument. I think she's convinced me that the Angels are still doing all of their Angely things, however, they're also walking more and hitting for more power this season. Every few years, the Angels either a) hit for a really high average or b) get a power bump, and then they have a decent offense. (Like in the 2002 playoffs when they hit a zillion home runs and won the WS.) Yea, they always play small ball, but on its own that doesn't do much for them. Anyway, it was an interesting and unexpected exchange.

Lastly, before we get to the links, as you may have seen on Driveline Mechanics, frequent RR poster "Devil Fingers" has welcomed his firstborn son into the world. Congrats DF.

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Congratulations, D_F

This has been a good year for babies.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Aug 12, 2009 1:35 PM EDT reply actions

Congratulations, d_f!

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Aug 12, 2009 1:37 PM EDT reply actions

Hey, Congrats D_F!

Will his first full sentence be Trust the Process?

Phase 1: Assemble expensive, below average players
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: CHAMPIONSHIP!
-RoyalsRetro

by ratherfantastic on Aug 12, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

Congrats D_F

you didn’t wanna name the kid Bill James Devilfingers?

Graduate with a B.S. from the Dayton Moore School of Stats Analysis

by BHWick on Aug 12, 2009 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

I was thinking

He was pushing for “Yuniesky”

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Aug 12, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

thanks everyone

I/we have all the usual new parent emotions: thrilled, scared, amazed, “he’s perfect” blah blah balh. It’s a lot of fun. ANd terrifying.

You know, we kept saying that “we just want a baby,” (which was true) but I think all the “boys are terrible!” propaganda (maybe I just noticed it more once we found out) seeped into my brain anyway. In other words, look for me to start walking around the house with my pants off like Tracy Jordan to make sure B.L.F. knows who the boss is…

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 3:33 PM EDT reply actions

Congrats d_f!

Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed

by Top Ramen on Aug 12, 2009 3:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Congrats

Good luck, a good form of alpha-ism is to just pee on everything.

When super delayed gratification meets with underachieving veteran they laugh at the Royals, just a hypothesis though

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Aug 12, 2009 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions

On second thought, that might...

piss off Mrs. Devil Fingers. (pun intended) So…remember to work on your ‘crazy dad’ glare. You can accomplish a lot with boys by just having that look that you are crazier than they are. (forgot which comedian used that in their stand up) But this is totally true.

When super delayed gratification meets with underachieving veteran they laugh at the Royals, just a hypothesis though

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Aug 12, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Congratulations!

My only words of wisdom to impart on your son is to live every week like it’s shark week.

Other than the obvious danger when changing diapers or giving him a bath, the one difference between boys and girls we noticed was that the boy seemed to have a innate ability to grab and pull hair, which actually is not a bad defense mechanism with an older sister.

Is this your first, or is there a Little Miss Bloomquist Fingers already running around the homestead (or outpost or whatever you call them in Canada)?

by Gopherballs on Aug 12, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

He's the first

I have no idea why I used the phrase “firstborn son.” I mean, it’s accurate, but it’s a little too King James, even for me.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

or a little too Rumpelstiltskin

If you can make it until he starts sleeping through the night, you will be okay.

by Gopherballs on Aug 12, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm at 3.5 months for my firstborn son

and he’s nowhere near sleeping through the night. You have to get sleep when you can cause you never know when they’ll start sleeping for long periods – different for everyone I hear.

Fortunately I have the Royals to keep me in high spirits while I stay up late into the night.

by jsolo on Aug 12, 2009 5:15 PM EDT up reply actions

I may be the luckiest husband alive

I never had to get up in the middle of the night when any of our 3 kids were/are newborns.

Of course, not having the proper “equipment” to do the feedings helped.

Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed

by Top Ramen on Aug 12, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

same friend who I mentioned elsewhere in this thread...

His daughter was sleeping through the night by one month old… Im pretty sure that makes him the luckiest man alive

Desperately hoping for Desperate Measures

by averagegatsby on Aug 12, 2009 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

and also the leading candidate for a...

completely opposite baby if they have a next one

When super delayed gratification meets with underachieving veteran they laugh at the Royals, just a hypothesis though

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Aug 12, 2009 6:18 PM EDT up reply actions

this is what happend to Mrs. Buddyball and me

our first daughter slept thru the night pretty quickly, took long naps, and when she moved into her big girl bed, would not get out of it until we were up.

our second daughter did not sleep thru the night until she was about 4, was climbing out of her crib at 1.5, and really never took naps. Once she started kindergarten, things smoothed out a little better.

good luck!

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Aug 12, 2009 6:45 PM EDT up reply actions

My 1st daughter did that

We were pretty lucky. We’re about a month in on this one, hoping she starts sleeping through the night soon.

by AxDxMx on Aug 12, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

First born was making it 8 hours in 3 days

The second has been hell was up like 4-5 times last night and about a 1 year old.

Only words of advice, listen to all advice, but you can’t use 90%, it’s that 10% that will save you.

Jeff Zimmerman - Protecting the world from RBI's and Wins from my mom's guest house.

by Jeff Zimmerman on Aug 12, 2009 11:46 PM EDT up reply actions

congrats df

by gilmeche55 on Aug 12, 2009 3:35 PM EDT reply actions

The Biggest Advantage

To having a boy is that it is not mandatory to put a bullet in your brain pan before they turn 14.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Aug 12, 2009 4:21 PM EDT reply actions

a friend of mine wanted a boy...

because when you have a boy you have to worry about one penis, when you have a girl you have to worry about every penis

Desperately hoping for Desperate Measures

by averagegatsby on Aug 12, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

he got a girl

Desperately hoping for Desperate Measures

by averagegatsby on Aug 12, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

That was pretty ammusing

Phase 1: Assemble expensive, below average players
Phase 2: ?
Phase 3: CHAMPIONSHIP!
-RoyalsRetro

by ratherfantastic on Aug 12, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions

congrats D_F!

have you determined your child’s WARB (wins above replacement baby) yet?

by marbotty on Aug 12, 2009 4:48 PM EDT reply actions

not yet

He’s hasn’t even had 600 poops yet. It’s the 600 poops after that where we decide whether or not we’d have been better adopting from Lithuania.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

(which is a great thing to do, by the way)

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Congrats D_F!

Why did we all decided to have babies this year? Did we know that we’d need a distraction to this season?

That makes 4 regulars on this site that I know of that have procreated this season. Why are we willingly increasing the fan base after what they’ve put us through!

by jsolo on Aug 12, 2009 4:56 PM EDT reply actions

I can guaruntee that I have no children on the horizon

Desperately hoping for Desperate Measures

by averagegatsby on Aug 12, 2009 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Congrats D_F!

Boys rule. I expect you to work on his lateral movement so that he will someday have employment with the Royals, no matter how terrible he is at baseball!

Relive Royals History at royalsretro.blogspot.com

by RoyalsRetro on Aug 12, 2009 4:58 PM EDT reply actions

I suppose that also means he's forbidden to take math.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

and computer science

Hopes fade once again from blue to red. Go New Chiefs!!

by kabrink on Aug 12, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Congratulations

I hope for his sake he has a stupendous OBP in Little League…

by kcbottom9th on Aug 12, 2009 5:05 PM EDT reply actions

Teach Him To

Be a crafty lefty or a switch-hitting catcher and he’ll make millions in MLB, guaranteed.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Aug 12, 2009 6:20 PM EDT reply actions

or give him the name Tony Pena III

Desperately hoping for Desperate Measures

by averagegatsby on Aug 12, 2009 6:32 PM EDT up reply actions

As I say in the article

I figure if I teach him to hit lefty-handed, throw right-handed, but pitch lefty-handed, I’ve got all the bases covered (so to type).

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 6:39 PM EDT up reply actions

the only way he'll have ALL the bases covered

is if he balloons to about 16,000 lbs

by marbotty on Aug 12, 2009 11:59 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd pay a dollar to see that

Just think of the revenue potential!

by AxDxMx on Aug 14, 2009 3:38 AM EDT up reply actions

I predict he will be gritty

"Things could always be worse." - Buddy Bell

by buddyball on Aug 12, 2009 6:46 PM EDT reply actions

Daddy D_F

How exciting! My wife and I are 13 weeks pregnant with our first! :) I’ll be looking for updates from you and the rest of these guys on kids and parenting. I’ll need the advice!

Coffee. The NEW Performance Enhancing drug for Sport's Writers. Just ask Ken Rosenthal.

by 306008 on Aug 12, 2009 7:06 PM EDT reply actions

Congrats!

I have no advice to give, 3 ays in

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 8:40 PM EDT up reply actions

I have plenty of advice

7 kids in, 13 years in from my first.

However, my kids don’t sleep like the ones mentioned earlier in this thread, so you might not want to take it.

Chaim Mattis Keller New York City's # 1 Royals fan!

by cmkeller on Aug 13, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Dang with all the babies, and future babies coming into the RR blog sphere

I’m starting to feel left out.

Perhaps Mrs. VanPeebles would want one if I could guarantee a better job sooner rather than ‘after a few more years’.

I just want to fit in so bad, I think I’ll start switching her birth controls pills with Omega-3 pills.

Yeah, that’s the trick!! RR the finest level of peer pressure for the good of all Royal-dom!!!!

When super delayed gratification meets with underachieving veteran they laugh at the Royals, just a hypothesis though

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Aug 12, 2009 7:26 PM EDT reply actions

Does that mean Trenni follows you?

Because it’s not liked you tagged that with “Angels”

Kansas City Royals: your 2006 and 2007 NL Central champions!

by mazoboom on Aug 12, 2009 7:40 PM EDT reply actions

yea... she has been iguess

by Freneau on Aug 12, 2009 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions

She's on 810 quite a bit,

probably keeps up with the Royals to make sure she sort of knows what she’s talking.

And if you’re going to keep up with the Royals, there’s no better place than RR.

He can get 4, NOT 5.

by Warden11 on Aug 13, 2009 12:08 AM EDT up reply actions

Along with the myth of St. Willie's good season

I’d like to present the myth that Alberto Callapso is “killing” the Royals with his defense and needs to be replaced in the offseason.

It hasn’t popped up here much, but Mellinger listed it as a definite need for the offseason, and it’s a frequent topic at other Royals blogs/boards.

I realize his defense is atrocious, but I’m not sure that replacing an .800+ OPS to save a few runs in the field is the best idea. (This proposal is often combined with suggesting moving Teahen to 1B, which is all kinds of terrible).

Unless I'm wrong...
My Twitter feed

by Top Ramen on Aug 12, 2009 8:19 PM EDT reply actions

I really don't get that either

Teahen at 1B would be like having Gload at 1B, just a little better. Teahen either keeps his positional value by moving around and filling in, or playing RF, otherwise he’ll be a below average 1B even with an above average glove. Billy Butler does an adequate job there. Unless we get Albert Pujols, BB should stay at first, or possibly split time with Kila between 1B and DH.

by AxDxMx on Aug 12, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Callaspo's defense is not "killing" the Royals

but it is bad enough (around -10 runs) to drop him from a modestly above average player overall to a modestly below average player. I like Callaspo and was one of his early advocates, but I am not sure he is going to hit quite this well going forward either. But, yeah, Callaspo is more of the type where you keep eye out for an upgrade but replacing him is not any sort of priority.

by Gopherballs on Aug 12, 2009 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

tonight's lineup shows lots of stupidity from Trey

Teahen at 1B with Gordon out. Teahen is a bad 3B (and contrary to somehow-popular opinion, Gordon is probably at least average, in any case, he’s the best 3B on the team)… but Trey responds by putting Bert at 3B? Sure, you don’t have to turn the double play, but you have to have just as much range (not a Callaspo plus) and a stronger arm (…).

Seems like Sam Mellinger is gunning for a job in the F.O. or the dugout.

I'm not a sabermetrician, but I do play one at Driveline Mechanics.

Can't get enough of me? Check out my Twitter feed.

by Matt Klaassen on Aug 12, 2009 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions