Another successful week, with all 5 work days surpassing the 6000 step mark, with weekends still leaving a little to be desired. Monday was easily the best day of the week, due to 2 trips to North Plaza, one for a meeting and then the afternoon trip for coffee. The rest of the week was just the afternoon pick-me-up trip. Saturday’s activity was limited to a trip to the grocery store.
Weekly total: 44,753
Daily average: 6393.3
Late last week, we took our annual look at the all time leaders in pitching stats for the 755 games I’ve attended (and identified) between 1984 and 2014. With the full White Sox roster due in camp today, it’s time to take a look at the offensive stat leaders for those games, starting with our first category:
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 93 |
| Sammy Sosa | 42 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 41 |
| Derrek Lee | 40 |
| Jermaine Dye | 40 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 366 |
| Alexei Ramirez | 261 |
| Continue reading → |
My latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.
Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today, we crack the top 30 with the 9 albums ranked from 37th to 29th with between 76 and 86 listens.
#29: Motley Crue – Motley Crue Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 86 plays
9 of the glam metal bands biggest hits make up the total for this greatest hits package.
#29: Garbage – Chicago ’05
iTunes stats: 86 plays
This bootleg, from the bands 2005 show at the Metro, uses all 17 songs from its setlist to make up this total.
#29: P.O.D. – Satellite
iTunes stats: 86 plays
2 tunes, and former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks, are responsible for this total.
#32: The Beatles – Past Masters, Vol. 2 [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 84 plays
This remastered version of the album has 10 songs that make up its total.
#33: The Beatles (White Album) [Disc 1] [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 82 plays
This remastered version of the classic double album has 8 songs that make up its total.
#34: Garbage – Version 2.0
iTunes stats: 80 plays
12 tracks from the band’s second album make up this total.
#34: Various Artists – Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
Continue reading →
As they finish polishing up the statues for tonight’s awards ceremony, it’s time to finish up our predictions, which are based on not having seen any of the nominated films, with a look at the acting categories and the big one:
American Sniper
Birdman
Boyhood
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Imitation Game
Selma
The Theory of Everything
Whiplash
The race seems to be coming down to either Boyhood or Birdman. My guess is that the innovative storytelling in Boyhood will put it over the top.
Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
Bradley Cooper, American Sniper
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Michael Keaton, Birdman
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Michael Keaton seems like the obvious choice to win here. A one-time box office star who faded away and is making a comeback seems like a guaranteed Oscar success story.
Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night
Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Julianne Moore, Still Alive
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild
Well, at least there is a performance here that I have actually seen. But, I’m not going to go with Rosamund Pike’s work in Gone Girl, but instead will be putting my vote behind Reese Witherspoon.
Name: Mike Caruso
Rank: 169
Position: SS
Years With White Sox: 1998-1999
Mike Caruso was the centerpiece coming back to the White Sox, along with Keith Foulke, Bob Howry, Lorenzo Barcelo, Brian Manning, and Ken Vining, in the so-called White Flag trade on July 31, 1997 that sent Wilson Alvarez, Danny Darwin, and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants. Caruso was a 20 year old in Class A who was expected to be the heir apparent to Ozzie Guillen on the left side of the White Sox infield. He fought his way on to the opening day roster in 1998, beating out Benji Gil, and became an instant success story.
He made his major league debut on Opening Day 1998, going 1 for 5 in a White Sox victory against the Rangers. By the time the year was over, he had compiled a .306 average, the highest rookie total by a Sox player since Minnie Minoso in 1951 and the best for a shortstop since Luis Aparicio in 1970. He finished 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting, behind winner Ben Grieve and two spots ahead of teammate Magglio Ordonez.
Things started to go south in 1999. Without veteran third baseman Robin Ventura to cover him, Caruso’s defense, already thought to be suspect, was exposed thanks to a strong arm and shrinking range. Offensively, his average dropped to .250 and he managed only 17 extra base hits in 529 at bats, for a slugging percentage below .300. Manager Jerry Manuel called out his young shortstop, for his poor production, lack of preparation, and a general lack of baseball smarts.
The 2000 season saw Caruso back in the minor leagues, thanks to the arrival of Jose Valentin. While his former teammates went on to win the AL Central, Caruso struggled against minor league pitching before an injury ended his season prematurely. Following the season, he was designated for assignment and was selected off of waivers by the Mariners.
Caruso’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
White Sox pitchers and catchers report to spring training today, so it is time to looked at the pitching leaders in games I’ve attended, and identified, between 1984 and 2014. Not a whole lot of difference from last year, but a few people have moved up the ranks a little. So, without further ado, let’s get things started with our first category:
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 31 |
| Gavin Floyd | 24 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 21 |
| John Danks | 17 |
| Ryan Dempster | 13 |
| Matt Clement | 13 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Mark Buehrle | 16 |
| Carlos Zambrano | 15 |
| Continue reading → |
With the Academy Awards scheduled for Sunday night, here’s my predictions for the non-acting awards. I likely have seen very few of these movies, so I will mostly be going on gut feel and word of mouth.
Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo, Birdman
Richard Linklater, Boyhood
E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, Foxcatcher
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler
I haven’t seen any of these films yet. If I had to guess, which I guess I do, I would think it will come down to either Birdman or Boyhood, and I’m going to go with the crew from Birdman.
Jason Hall, American Sniper
Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Paul Thomas Anderson, Inherent Vice
Anthony McCarten, The Theory of Everything
Damien Chazelle, Whiplash
Another category where I have not seen any of the nominated work. I have heard nothing but good things about Whiplash, mostly from Balb Bryan of the Adam Carolla Show, so I will go with that.
Big Hero 6
The Boxtrolls
How To Train Your Dragon 2
Song of the Sea
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
Obviously, The Lego Movie will take home this prize. Wait, what? It wasn’t nominated? In that case, I’ll take a shot in the dark and say Big Hero 6 will take home the statue.
Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Robert Yeoman, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Łukasz Żal and Ryszard Lenczewski, Ida
Dick Pope, Mr. Turner
Roger A. Deakins, Unbroken
I haven’t even heard of a few of these, so I’m going to guess that The Grand Budapest Hotel will get some love here.
Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Mark Bridges, Inherent Vice
Colleen Atwood, Into the Woods
Anna B. Sheppard, Maleficent
Jacqueline Durran, Mr. Turner
I’m thinking Into the Woods will deliver a fairytale ending for Ms. Atwood.
My first full week with the Fitbit got off to a bit of a slow start, but picked up considerably on Tuesday, thanks to a time-killing trip to K-Mart, the most depressing place on Earth, prior to getting my taxes done. The rest of the work week all finished above the 5500 plateau. Saturday, as the weather took a turn towards the frigid, was a bit of an off day.
Weekly total: 40,938
Daily average: 5848.3
My latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.
Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today, we look at the 8 albums that rank from 45th through 38th, with 68-75 listens.
#38: The Beatles – Please Please Me [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 75 plays
The remastered version of the first Beatles album uses 7 songs to make the list.
#38: Poison: Swallow This Live
iTunes stats: 75 plays
The first CD I ever owned, which I received for Christmas in December of 1991, makes the list thanks to 8 tracks from the double album.
#40: Pearl Jam – Vs.
iTunes stats: 71 plays
Pearl Jam’s second album, which I purchased as a midnight release at the record store in Purdue West whose name escapes me, makes the list thanks to 7 tunes.
#40: Various Artists – Television’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
iTunes stats: 71 plays
23 theme songs, from shows like Perry Mason, Leave It To Beaver, and The Munsters, make up the total from this compilation.
#42: Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
iTunes stats: 69 plays
7 tracks make up the total for this breakthrough album.
#42: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour [2009 Stereo Remaster]
Continue reading →
Top Of The Heap – Erle Stanley Gardner as A.A. Fair
Six years after introducing readers to defense attorney Perry Mason, Erle Stanley Gardner, under the alias of A.A. Fair, began the Cool and Lam series, about a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The 13th installment in the series, Top of the Heap, was reprinted as part of the Hard Case Crime series of books. Having enjoyed my previous experience with the line, and seeing a name I recognized, I decided to take a leap of faith and see what Mr. Gardner had to offer to a 21st century readership.
This installment of the series focuses on Donald Lam, the junior detective at the agency, and moves him out of LA for the most part, which, from what I can tell online, was a departure for the series. The firm takes on a case to provide a banker’s son with an alibi, and Lam, after following the leads that seemingly have been left for him to find, decides to investigate further, leaving him on the outs with both his partner and the SFPD. What he finds, however, is a murder mystery, stock fraud, and gangster business all tied together in strange ways.
I found the tale to be pretty enjoyable, especially taking into account that it was written in 1952. The harboiled detective speak takes a little getting used to, but it wasn’t long until I was taken away to a far away time, one which resembles the Los Angeles that James Ellroy employs so frequently. This is the only entry of the series that was reprinted, so odds are that I won’t be revisiting the Cool and Lam crew, but if I happen to come across another of Gardner’s novels, I would certianly give it a look.