Moving a Church in Manning, Iowa

Makes me a little nostalgic for the old home state. I would say that this video captures Iowa about as well as any 4-minute video ever could. From the National Geographic series "Monster Moves."

Rebels Overthrow Loan Sharks, 14-7

The Midway Rebels scored 10 unanswered runs in a late-inning coup d'état to topple the visiting Loan Sharks 14-7 on Tuesday. Pitcher Jonathan Spack baffled the Rebel batters the first two times through the order, scattering four runs over the first four innings while next-of-kin David Spack’s three-run homer in the top of the fifth gave the Moneymongers a 7-4 lead. But the top of the Insurgent batting order broke through for four runs in the fifth and six runs in the sixth to salt the game away.

As the young 2008 season gets going, the Sharks’ defense continues to steadily improve. With two on and nobody out in the third, Tim Sullivan made a spectacular running-leaping-gliding grab in right field to rob “Tom” of extra bases and turn what might have been a big inning for the Rebels into something more medium-sized. New recruits Jessica Rousselle and Rachel Grubb coolly handled everything that came their way at short field and second base, respectively. First baseman Mack McNamara recorded the first out of the game on a tough, twisting pop fly and then used that big mitt to scoop everything within reach at first. Over at the hot corner, Peter Holladay made full use of the entire diamond to record outs, throwing to second and first for assists and making a put-out of his own at third.

On offense, leadoff hitter Joe Lieber went 4-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, while Maz Ali went 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs scored. Tim Sullivan delivered a two-out RBI double in the first, and Kenji Foster raked a big two-out single in the third to knock in two runs.

Loan Sharks 103 030 0  7 11 2
Rebels      102 146 X 14 20 6

Next up for the Sharks: New England Home on Monday May 19 at Shattuck.

Loan Sharks Chomp Woodpeckers, 22-15

The Sharks avenged their opening-day drubbing at the hands of the Noisy Birds with an assured 22-15 triumph on Tuesday at Shattuck Memorial Coliseum. Kenji Foster’s two-out moon-shot triple to left in the top of the first plated two of the inning’s three runs and got the Sharks off to the proverbial “good start.” Veteran twirler Steve “The Monk” Schnapp gave up 5 runs (3 earned) in the bottom of the 1st, but then settled down and held the Woodpeckers scoreless in the 2nd and 4th, allowing the Sharks to build up what would prove to be an insurmountable lead.

The Sharks’ canny patience at the plate — they drew seven walks — served them well all evening. Rachel Carlson worked a crucial lead-off walk to begin the second. Two batters later, a Kevin Whalen round-tripper knotted the score at 5. Then, with two outs, a walk to Joe Lieber was followed by a quartet of singles from David Spack, Foster, Schnapp, and Mack McNamara that scored two and put the Sharks up 7-5. In the bottom of the second, The Monk’s diving sinkerball and the Sharks’ airtight infield defense kept the Hammerbeaks off the scoreboard while stranding two of their runners at first and third.

In the top of the third the Usurers capitalized on a throwing error by the Woodpecker shortstop to push across three unearned runs, making the score 10-5. The Woodpeckers struck back in the bottom of the frame, scoring four quick runs to draw within one, 10-9. But the Avian rally was snuffed out when “Kenny,” trying to stretch a double into a triple, was gunned down at third by the old reliable 8-1-6-5 relay from centerfield to third via the pitcher and the shortstop. The baroque put-out was followed by a Woodpecker double which was rendered harmless when the next batter grounded to third for the final out of the inning.

In the fourth frame, the Sharks conjured up a two-out, four-run rally, powered by Matt Henzy’s RBI double and David Spack’s three-run homer that rolled all the way to the tunnel in left field. In the bottom of the fourth, with the score 14-9, The Monk calmly set the Woodpeckers down in order to preserve the 5-run bulge.

In the top of the 5th, the Sharks displayed their depth as a phalanx of so-called “subs” entered the game and then hung the crookedest number of the night on the scoreboard. Jonathan Spack got things started with a leadoff walk and one batter later Naomi Shelton followed suit. A grounder through the third-baseman’s 5-hole loaded the bases for Tim Sullivan, who obliged with a single, and Maz Ali, who cracked a double. Dave Hinchen later contributed a single and when the dust had settled, the Sharks had added five runs to make the score 19-9.

In the bottom of the fifth, “Tim” hit a solo home run for the Woodpeckers, and then their cleanup hitter launched a towering shot into the trees. A Shark outfielder tracked it down and fired it to shortstop Ali, who whirled an threw an absolute bullet to third-bagger Rich Cowen, who was in position and ready to tag out an extremely surprised cleanup hitter chugging into third. The crisp throw-relay-catch-and-tag pinched a Woodpecker rally and the Winged Ones would manage only one more run that inning to make the score 19-11.

The sixth inning saw yet another two-out Shark rally, as Mike Whalen launched a two-run tater to left. Sullivan followed up with a single, and then Ali laced a hard shot up the middle. As Sullivan rounded second and cruised into third, the throw from center hit him squarely in the back of the head, the ball ricocheting into the Shark dugout. Apparently none the worse for wear, Sullivan was awarded home for the Sharks’ 22nd run of the evening.

Down 22-11 in the bottom of the sixth, the Feather Patrol refused to fly away quietly. They assembled a two-out, five-run rally, complete with Grand Slam™, that made the score 22-16 and tightened collars a bit on the Shark bench. But after failing to score in the top of the seventh, the Shark defense clamped down to focus on getting three outs in the final inning, doing so while allowing a solitary run to score via a smattering of singles and fielders’ choices.

Loan Sharks 343 453 0 22 22 3
Woodpeckers 504 025 1 17 20 3

Ron's Auto Runs Over Loan Sharks, 28-4

The Sharks fought valiantly, but could never quite get on track in this, the second game of the young 2008 season. Ron's poured on 11 runs in the top of the second and never really looked back. The Sharks hit some line drives right at people, and then the Automatons would hit a soul-destroying bloop or a hope-crushing bleeder at the most inopportune moment. On the plus side: good weather, a raft of energetic new teammates, no injuries!

Woodpeckers Smother Loan Sharks in Season Opener, 27-5

Ouch. Not exactly the most auspicious Loan Sharks home opener in recent memory, but at least we had some warm weather (can be rare in April) and a few laughs. It was close until the third inning, when the Woodpeckers erupted for 11 runs that put the game out of reach.

But there were some bright spots! Joe Lieber launched a majestic 3-run homer to left in the fourth inning, following up on Bob Paret's seeing-eye solo home run in the second.

The father-daughter team of Mize (shortstop) and Maya (second base) Jonas turned in some stellar defense up the middle, including a great play by Maya to knock down a wicked grounder and flip to her dad for a force out at second, drawing applause from all assembled Sharks and Woodpeckers alike. Joe Lieber and Mize also turned a nifty double play to kill a Woodpecker rally.

On the bench in the late innings, Kenji Foster explained the finer points of sunflower seed eating to the youth of Jamaica Plain. Speaking as someone who has to crack each individual sunflower seed with his teeth before prying open the shell with his fingers, I salute the transmission of this vital dugout skill to the next generation of Loan Sharks.

Base Ball: Another Perspective

A coupla-three years ago I attended an old-timey base ball game between the New York Gothams and the Providence Grays. I even went in costume, sorta.

Here's Conan O'Brien's version:

Heckscher-Ohlin Model: Interpersonal Edition

The Heckscher-Ohlin Model is one of the foundations of International Political Economy. It holds that a country tends to export goods that match its factor endowment. For example, a capital-abundant country, like the United States, exports capital-intensive goods, like Boeing 7E7s. While a labor-abundant country, like China, exports labor-intensive goods, like lead-frosted baby teething rings.

But what if we applied the HO Model to Interpersonal Political Economy? I find that my personal factor endowment is that I am cynicism-abundant. Were I not so devoted to autarky, I would export more of this cynicism. I would rain on others' parades whenever possible. However, given the fact that I am a relatively closed economy, I do the bulk of my parade-raining on my own self.

So: what are your personal "abundant factors?" And do you export them?

International Political Economy Thesis Statement

After 1918, the United States rather suddenly became the world’s most powerful nation. Unlike Britain, which achieved economic leadership gradually through the 17th and 18th centuries, the U.S. found international leadership thrust upon it by the devastating effects of the First World War on Great Britain and the other European powers. Having attained world leadership not so much by design as by default, the domestic economic and political characteristics that might have supported free trade in the U.S. were weak or underdeveloped compared to the characteristics supporting closure. As a result, over the course of the 1920s the U.S. turned inward, a move that cascaded throughout the international system.

Beckett misses out on AL Cy Young: No prob.

So C.C. Sabathia pitched 40 more innings than Josh Beckett in the regular season, a differential that earned him the Cy Young but also tired him out so much that in October (there is only one OCTOBER!) he had juuust enough gas in the tank to beat the Yankees once and then turn in two terrible starts against the Red Sox, thereby making it possible for Beckett to go to and win the World Series. Works for me.

Just Wondering

More posters.

Mike Lowell, Most Valuable Player

I know I should just be basking in the moment, but I'm concerned about
what happens to Mike Lowell now that he is a free agent.

Now that Alex Rodriguez is leaving New York, Lowell will probably get a 4-year offer from the Yankees, and I don't think the Red Sox will offer him more than 2 years with an option for year 3. The Sox front office is cold-blooded that way...and it was the right choice to let Pedro Martinez go after the 2004 WS, and Johnny Damon after the 2005 season.

It's really going to be up to Lowell -- does he want to play in Boston, where he'll be loved, or take more money to go to a Yankees team in disarray.

This free agent stuff is the one part of baseball I don't like. I don't begrudge the players getting what they can given the system, but I do wish there was more roster stability, like in the NFL or NBA.

OK -- resume basking!

Photoset: Grainfield and Park, Kansas

A few photos we took while in Northwest Kansas this past July.