Pickles & Dimes

I was throwing around an idea to Shauna in bed this morning around 4:40 a.m. Due to the obnoxious behavior of our two cats, we get little sleep after 4:30 a.m. Luckily for Shauna, I’m out of bed by 5:15, and the cats follow, so she’s able to catch an extra couple of hours of sleep.

My idea is this: start spending the night at the Super 8, located a sparse 10 blocks from our house. We’ll spend the evening with the cats, sit on our own couch and watch our own TV. When it’s time to retire for the night, we can zip on over to our “new” bedroom. At 5:15 a.m. I can zip back home and get ready for the day. We don’t even need to bring a change of clothes. 

Now, the hotel doesn’t look all that great, but it’s only $39.99 per night. Can you really put a price tag on a good night’s sleep? I can, and it’s $39.99 per night. Plus, the Super 8 has a swimming pool. Our house? No swimming pool.

I think I’m sold.

I cannot believe the rabies-frothing hacks in the media. Dayn Perry of Fox Sports actually insisted that Morneau was the fourth best player on his own team. He then ridiculously asserted that Torii Hunter was better than Justin.

Obviously Perry only watched four seconds of a Twins game, because if he would’ve followed them at ALL, he would’ve realized that Torii tanked at the plate until only the very last month of the season. I love Torii and think he’s an immensely gifted fielder, but his plate discipline and propensity to swing at first pitches made him a liability at the plate, especially in clutch situations.

Regardless, what people like Dayn are doing is ludicrous. Justin deserves this award, and Jeter doesn’t. In fact, Jeter shouldn’t have even placed second.

You want numbers? Let’s compare the top two candidates, shall we?
(more…)

Yes. Finally, baseball got it right.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So well-deserved.

Now we have the Cy Young winner, the batting champ, and the MVP.

Hopefully, we can do better than losing in the first round of the playoffs next year.

[This is where I typically would type an anti-Jeter sentiment, but since I'm in a genial mood, I won't.] Screw that, since everyone from NY and ESPN is bitching. You all suck, you sore, pathetic whiners.

Edit: Wow. ESPN sure didn’t waste any time moving the story off the main page. It’s now on the sidebar, with not one, but two links as to why Morneau shouldn’t have won. Something tells me Jeter’s name will be mentioned no less than 867 times. Sad.

Despite the murky criteria of the award, Jeter did not deserve this award. Hell, he shouldn’t have even placed second. If Jermaine Dye’s White Sox hadn’t tanked, I would’ve considered Dye to be MVP. The man was an impossible out; a true threat no matter what the score. As far as ESPN’s erroneous statement that Morneau shouldn’t have even been MVP of the Twins, with Mauer or Santana taking that honor – it’s ridiculous. Santana pitched every fifth game; Mauer struggled late in the year in key situations.

Regardless, it is the Most Valuable Player award for this particular baseball season, not the Lifetime Achievement Award. By the numbers, Morneau had MVP-caliber stats. And looking at the intangibles, Morneau definitely contributed more to his team than Jeter did. He came through with more game-winning hits, he was a tough out and he forced pitchers to throw to him because they didn’t want to pitch to Hunter. Bottom line? If Morneau didn’t perform like he did, the Twins wouldn’t have won the division – a division that was the best in baseball all year. If Jeter didn’t perform like he did, the Yankees still would have won a weakened AL East.

One of my friends, who relocated to New York this summer, reported back that everyone is pissed there, asking, “Who the f- is Morneau?”

He’s just the guy who didn’t even make the All-Star team, and instead of whining about it, blew your millionaire lineup-supported boy out of the water.

1. Gauge the correct amount of spaghetti to cook for two individuals.
2. Ever correctly tell you which direction North is facing.
3. Keep herself from laughing when people slip on the ice.
4. Withhold curse words when her fantasy football team tanks.
5. Have any semblance of aim when playing darts.
6. Correctly pronounce the word “triathlon” on the first try.
7. Handle the truth.
8. Get the songs “Baby Got Back,” “Iron Man,” and “Breakin’ the Law” out of her head for more than 24 hours.
9. Wrap her mind around Lexus’ self parallel parking feature.
10. Understand how Jenna Elfman keeps getting work.