tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68018432024-03-12T21:06:55.521-07:00Random FandomArizona Diamondbacks baseball and other cultural diversionsStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.comBlogger506125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1145566458193954702006-04-20T17:54:00.000-07:002006-04-20T13:54:18.260-07:00Gonzo and Me, Media StarsTo begin with, congratulations to Luis Gonzalez becoming the 21st player in major league history to hit 300 homeruns and 500 doubles. Gonzo is and has been my favorite Diamondbacks player, and so I'm happy he's reached a milestone which he himself indicated meant a lot to him.But enough about him. What about me? Where the heck have I been?As you probably know, I have a second blog, called Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1144034041355670412006-04-02T20:07:00.000-07:002006-04-02T20:14:01.366-07:00World's Shortest Diamondbacks Preview, In Limerick FormRotation OK, bullpen's just aliveNot many runs the offense will driveThe youngsters will be no disgraceIn their division, third placeThey'll lose 87, win 75(Yeah, it doesn't scan so well. Who are you, Robert Frost?)Play ball!Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1143729544414694452006-03-30T06:59:00.000-07:002006-03-30T07:39:04.920-07:00Review: The Last Nine Innings - Charles EuchnerFor a Diamondbacks fan, Game Seven of the 2001 World Series is unquestionably the greatest game in the comparatively short history of the franchise. A come-from-behind victory against the most storied franchise in all of professional sports to bring the state of Arizona its first major professional sports championship, the game was both exciting in isolation as well as important in context.So itStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1142464370780150492006-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:002006-03-15T16:12:50.840-07:00Why I Haven't Posted In A Week Or So...Appreciate the shout-out, Jim. I haven't posted because I haven't felt like I could give a perspective that fans couldn't already get from your shop. (Really, if you're a Diamondbacks fan, and you're reading me and not Jim... I shudder to think...)However, if we're being snarky, I'd point out that if you search on "Diamondbacks suck" on Google, only one Diamondbacks blog appears on the 1st Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141849345052434472006-03-08T18:02:00.000-07:002006-03-08T13:22:25.136-07:00Hey, Why Don't We Trade Alex Cintron?All set to write about Craig Counsell's shoulder today and the Diamondbacks' options, when news comes across the wires that Arizona traded Cintron today to the Chicago White Sox for pitcher Jeff Bajenaru.So there goes that post.OK, not really. My basic argument was, even if Counsell was out for the season for surgery (an event the club does not expect to occur, though we've yet to hear from Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141759866901706122006-03-07T18:23:00.000-07:002006-03-07T15:58:42.080-07:00Kirrrrrrbbbbyyyy Puckkkketttt!!!!!For a recently-revived Diamondbacks blog, I had been writing comparatively little about the Diamondbacks. I had intended to tip the scales a bit today, writing about Counsell's shoulder or perhaps Chad Tracy's All-Star chances.But then I picked up the paper this morning, read the headline(s) about Kirby Puckett's death from stroke-related complications, and decided that could wait another day or Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141413749887745762006-03-03T18:09:00.000-07:002006-03-03T12:22:29.900-07:00Now With Extra Bite!Even though I didn't post for four months, I still got a small stream of traffic, primarily the result of web searches. Nothing particularly weird or obscene, I suppose.Yesterday I got one of the weirdest searches -- somebody reached me using the phrase "alex cintron teeth".Yeah, I don't get it either. Is this some sort of advancement in sabermetric analysis that I missed out in my sabbatical -Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141250199573084942006-03-01T18:52:00.000-07:002006-03-02T14:44:59.330-07:00Exclusive: Interview with Reclusive Random Fandom ProprietorNow that Random Fandom is back (sort of), we here at Random Fandom thought it was a good time for an exclusive interview with the uni-monikered proprietor of Random Fandom, Stefan. We sat down with Stefan recently and chatted with him about his time off, his return, and his future.Random Fandom: Stefan, thanks for sitting down with us today:Stefan: Sure, no problem. Happy to be here.RF: FirstStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1141072967830783662006-02-27T19:18:00.000-07:002006-02-27T15:37:07.310-07:00Daft Punk Is Playing At My HouseDaft punk is playing at my house, my houseI’ll show you the ropes, kid, show you the ropesGot a bus and a trailer at my house, my houseI’ll show you the ropes kid, show you the ropesI bought fifteen cases for my house, my houseAll the furniture is in the garageWell daft punk is playing at my house, my houseYou got to set them up kid, set them upYou got to set ‘em up, ooh ooh yeah (x2)You got to Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1130788700093922382005-10-31T19:24:00.000-07:002005-10-31T12:58:20.166-07:00Welcome to Phoenix, Stat-Boy (or whatever your name is)!Dear Josh Byrnes,On behalf of the Arizona Diamondbacks community of blogs -- a small, huddling mass of people crowded around the back door bumming a cigarette -- welcome to Phoenix. You have been selected to replace the only General Manager the Diamondbacks have ever known. To be honest, this isn't really like replacing Pope John Paul II or FDR, but you probably knew that.If this were a movie, Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129837921476919262005-10-20T18:45:00.000-07:002005-10-20T12:52:01.483-07:00Insert Tower-Related Pun HereAs I noted a couple days ago, given Jeff Moorad's apparent willingness to run the Diamondbacks, I'm not sure the selection of a GM is quite so important. (Important, but not so important. See -- no "so" in that first part. Critical analysis, eh?)But Geoff over at Ducksnorts thinks the writing's on the wall, and that Kevin Towers will be on his way shortly. Geoff is not distressed, but I don'tStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129665289228846752005-10-18T18:34:00.000-07:002005-10-18T12:54:49.280-07:00Streets of Fire(Semi-)retirement means you get to take the long view regarding things that the daily posting grind is less forgiving of.The flurry of Royce Clayton-ish news last week is an example.First, Moorad says he's gonna make Royce Clayton a contract offer. Horrors! Then we find out it's one year for $1.5 million. Frankly, I could live with that. It's a million that could probably be spent elsewhere (to Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129147223537669232005-10-12T18:45:00.000-07:002005-10-12T14:57:23.800-07:00The Front Office: All About the LinksEvery few months I update my links and then feel compelled to post about it.Why? I don't know.In any case...Adds:CardNilly -- It's one thing to ask for a link exchange (which CardNilly's proprietor has not done) -- it's another to link to a site on a regular basis. That really won't get you anywhere with me, but having read his posts, and found them enjoyable and insightful, I figured his (St. Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1129060926895796062005-10-11T18:24:00.000-07:002005-10-11T13:02:06.986-07:00All About ChemistryBoy, you tell people that you don't feel like writing much anymore, and what happens?Somebody -- somebody with actual readers -- thinks you're the third-best Diamondbacks blog.So do I respond to this bit of external validation with a newfound devotion to my craft and a ironclad promise to never again refer to the music of the band Semisonic?Er, no.The great thing about deciding to scale back my Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128699606786670512005-10-07T07:27:00.000-07:002005-10-07T08:40:06.796-07:00My Daughter the Bookie Strikes BackLast year I unveiled a feature so popular that it literally made the Internet crash.OK, nobody really paid any attention to it, but then again, it had nothing to do with the Metrozoids, Jennie Finch, or Mark Grace cursing, so why should they?Being firmly in Billy Beane's camp regarding the general crapshoot nature of the playoffs, in lieu of making my own playoff predictions, I had my 3-year-old Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128370194585250472005-10-03T07:26:00.000-07:002005-10-03T13:09:54.593-07:00Closing TimeClosing timeTime for you to go back to the places you will be from.Closing timeThis room won't be open 'til your brothers or you sisters come.So gather up your jackets, and move it to the exitsI hope you have found a friend.Closing timeEvery new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.-- "Closing Time," SemisonicHere we are at the end of another season. For fans in other cities, the Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1128124737112569512005-09-30T17:52:00.000-07:002005-09-30T16:58:57.120-07:00Prove Me WrongSure, plenty of other teams have exciting victories over teams out of playoff contention on Thursday, but while people care about Chicago's or Boston's or New York's victory, nobody cares about Arizona's.A sweep of the Dodgers. In LA. Again.Yeah, well, that and $8.50 will get you in to see Serenity. (No, I'm not one of the long-time fans. But it's intriguing enough in a slow movie year that IStefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127938441932207642005-09-28T17:59:00.000-07:002005-09-28T13:14:01.940-07:00ClingingOK. So the Padres came back last night. For a while there, amidst the Webb-Weaver duel in LA, the tantalizing possibility of climbing to within 4 games of the Padres floated out there like a chocolate dog in the Land of Chocolate.Alas, it was not to be. The Padres won. Even though Brandon Webb won a 2-0 game over the Dodgers, thanks to Chad Tracy's 25th home run of the year (Goal # 5 Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127762846370461002005-09-26T18:12:00.000-07:002005-09-26T12:27:26.520-07:00I Should Or Should Not Stop Watching Baseball. Discuss.Yeah, I know I said not to look at the standings. But it's hard when the stupid Padres won't get their stupid act straight and win a stupid series against the Diamondbacks, who everybody thinks are just about the worst team in baseball.Except that we're not. (Yeah, I'm lookin' at you, Los Angeles Dodgers of Los Angeles. And, yes, I figured that the expiration date on those "City Name Nickname Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127491900710384012005-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:002005-09-23T09:11:40.753-07:00"C" Is For ClutchIf Javier Vazquez wins the award for Most Frustrating Diamondback in 2005, Alex Cintron definitely placed 2nd in the balloting. Playing behind the least-preferred starting D-Back position player, Royce Clayton, Cintron responded to this challenge and opportunity by... doing not much.VORP? Clayton: 10.2; Cintron: 8.7 (though on a per-PA basis, Cintron is higher)Win Shares? Clayton: 10, Cintron: Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1127331318953414282005-09-21T07:44:00.000-07:002005-09-21T12:35:18.963-07:00In Which I Take Unwarranted Cheap ShotsWhy not?I mean, San Diego lost 20-1 to the Rockies Tuesday night. Sure, the Diamondbacks have lost 3 games by 10 runs. And 1 by 12. Oh, and 1 by 13. Oh, and yeah, who could forget the 3 games lost by 14 runs. And -- my personal favorite -- 1 loss by 15 runs.But, hey, at least not 19 runs.And for all the naysayers regarding Diamondbacks attendance this year, the Diamondbacks managed to draw Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126814991472984892005-09-15T18:30:00.000-07:002005-09-15T13:09:51.533-07:00Beware the Ides of SeptemberI come not to bury Gonzo, but to praise him.Congratulations to Luis Gonzalez for receiving the 2005 Branch Rickey Award for his humanitarian efforts this year and over the years.The award was timely, because it comes on the heels of what is new for Gonzo -- trade talk.On the afternoon of July 3, Gonzalez was named to the All-Star Game. At the time, Gonzo was hitting .302, with an OPS of .874. Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126726213914125812005-09-14T18:10:00.000-07:002005-09-14T12:30:13.923-07:00Zen and the Art of the Weak Pop FlySo, uh, I haven't posted much lately. You might be wondering, has he been benched like Royce Clayton should be for the rest of the season (if only to let other talent show their stuff)? No, like Russ Ortiz' 2005 season, there's just no stopping me. Unfortunately.It's a confluence of things, really. Busy times at work. Busy times at home. Lackluster team on the field.Or maybe it's just all Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126295518021268292005-09-09T17:41:00.000-07:002005-09-09T12:51:58.030-07:00How Much Longer Do We Have Here?Not focusing very well on the current moment right now -- I'm spending my time counting down the days to season's end.That was made easier thanks to the five minutes of Thursday's 12-inning 8-7 Diamondbacks loss to the Pirates that I actually saw. Those five minutes includeda) Wilson's incredibly long at-bat against Worrell, eventually leading to a Troy Glaus error, andb) Bay's homerun.That's Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6801843.post-1126121852758584442005-09-07T18:08:00.000-07:002005-09-07T12:37:32.766-07:00Eyes on the BallIn my favorite scene from the excellent 1993 movie version of The Fugitive, Harrison Ford's Richard Kimble, trapped at the edge of a sewer drain, pleads with Tommy Lee Jones' Marshal Sam Gerard -- "I didn't kill my wife!," Kimble says. "I don't care," says Gerard, with just a hint of exasperation.I love Jones' delivery in that line (as did Oscar voters, since he won the Academy Award for Best Stefanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380092056977325525noreply@blogger.com0