Friday, December 29, 2006

How Quickly They Forget

The decision by the San Francisco Giants to give Barry Zito a seven-year, $126 million contract brings to mind the old saying about the definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting the results to change.

These owners and general managers always think the guy they sign is going to be different, and maybe it will be so this time for Zito. But even though he is still months from ever throwing a pitch for the Giants, there is plenty of reason to believe that this signing was a big and very expensive mistake. Forget about the amount of the contract, as hard as that may be to do, and think about its length. Seven years for a pitcher? When's the last time a contract even as long as five years for a pitcher worked out well for a team? Don't forget to get back to me on that.

I acknowledge that Zito is just 28 and has proven to be durable, at least by today's standards, having pitched more than 200 innings in each of his six full seasons. But he is only 41-34 in his last three seasons, and his best ERA during that time is 3.83. How much will Zito improve on his recent performance in the next 2-3 years, even given that he will be playing in a pitcher-friendly stadium? Hard to predict, of course, but to justify that kind of money the difference had better be dramatic. And how will Zito perform in years 5-7 of the contract? There is simply no reason to believe that those years will be even as good as -- and instead almost certainly will be worse than -- what Zito has done the past couple of seasons.

Finally, here are two more words that should have given the Giants great pause: Mike Hampton. Remember him? He was the must-have lefty free agent who after the 2000 season signed an 8-year, $121 million deal with the Colorado Rockies. Two years later he was dealt to the Marlins and then to the Braves. Since signing his mega-deal his record is 53-48, and he didn't pitch at all in 2006. And his contract still has two more years to run.

Welcome to the future, Giants fans.

Tales from a Windy City

I am spending a few days at FCB's Midwest office in Chicago, where the temperature is an Al-Gore-told-us-so 51 degrees. Even on an overcast day like this one, Chicago is a great city to walk around in, with buildings from several different eras, the elevated train tracks, and Lake Michigan, to name just a few points of interest.

And lots of great places to eat. Last night, Mrs. FCB and I dined at MK, a place we have been to before and liked so much that we made a point of returning. Since I'm no PhilaFoodie, I can't give you the in-depth review, but here's a capsule summary of an outstanding meal.

We started by sharing some tuna tartare that, while good, needed a little more kick, and a simple but tasty arugala salad. From there our paths diverged, with Mrs. FCB enjoying liver ("Something I would not make at home, so I need to get it here") accompanied by the traditional bacon and onions. I had a perfectly cooked pork chop featuring a delicious rub of rosemary, thyme, garlic, and pepper. It was terrific. An Andrew Rich 2004 pinot noir from the Willamette Valley went well with both dishes, maintaining its smoky undertone with the fruit opening up nicely as the meal progressed. A cheese course followed, and then we shared a scrumptious dessert featuring banana in a variety of presentations. Truly a delightful meal.

Here's where we are headed tomorrow night with friends. That should be a nice meal as well.

Monday, December 25, 2006

And So This Is Christmas

And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the City of David a savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among all people."

Luke 2:10-15

Merry Christmas to all.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Happy Festivus. And may your Airing of Grievances be satisfying, if not productive.

Or you could just get a blog, like this guy. Or me.

Yo, Dog

It's been a hard week for our canine friends. First, Joseph Barbera, the creator of Huckleberry Hound and many other cartoon characters, died. And now this.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Yanw

Can everyone just please stop with the incessant will-he-or-won't-he-retire-last-home-game-last-game-ever-oh-my-God drivel about Brett Favre? Everything about him is so five years ago. He's turned from a great player into an irrelevant statistics-padder. I am baffled as to why anyone cares at all whether he keeps playing.

The Very Common Touch

Oh, those wacky Windsors! It's always good to have a reminder of why -- and how much -- I detest the whole dole-living bunch of them. Maybe some of them will do something really crazy in 2007, like get a real job. (Hat Tip: Huffington Post).

Monday, December 18, 2006

And A Child Shall Screw Them Up

Good for David Stern. He should impose increasingly harsh penalties until these stupid fights finally stop.

Tough break for the Knicks, though. Isiah Thomas didn't get suspended.

Ooh La La

Hoodies are sooooo hot (FCB shoutout: The Big Lead).

Unbelievable

How Appealing, Sentencing Law and Policy, and The Volokh Conspiracy are just a few of those commenting on the stunning 10-year sentence for the 17-year-old Georgia man (boy?) whose 15-year-old girlfriend was videotaped voluntarily peforming oral sex (or oral sodomy as prosecutors like to call it). The poor guy was convicted of aggravated child molestation.

Ten years with no parole and a lifetime of registering as a sex offender!!!!! Sorry to repeat myself, but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Prosecutors must have nothing to do in Georgia.

Since oral sex is not a frequent topic on this blog (but is here), I will take this opportunity to ask: Why does some variation on the word "perform" always precede "oral sex" in articles about people those whose sexual habits make it into print? You would think there was tap dancing or juggling involved.

And you can stop clicking on the word "here" five lines up. It was a joke.

Good to Know

According to Wikipedia, the "two leading causes of climbing deaths on Mount Hood are falls and hypothermia."

Climb Every Mountain

I don't know anything about mountain climbing, but I know enough about 1) December; 2) cold temperatures; 3) snow; 4) ice; and 5) an 11,249-foot mountain to know that I never want to experience all of them at the same time.

I mean, really, what were these people thinking?

Let me say that I am sorry for their families and friends who have to experience such a loss. But how unforeseeable is it that there might be a monster storm at the top of a mountain at this time of year? Should people even be allowed to climb such a mountain at this time of year? What has this rescue operation cost? And how high would that cost have been if one or more of the rescuers had died as well?

I have no idea if the following is a fair comparison, but I found it interesting. Mt. Hood is situated at coordinates of 45 degrees, 22 minutes North. Chicago is located at 41 degrees, 50 minutes; Milwaukee at 43 degrees, 3 minutes; and Minneapolis at 44 degrees, 58 minutes. Ever heard of it snowing with high winds -- at ground level -- in those cities in December?

So when I read, in the article linked above, that the local sheriff says that, "We failed them. We literally failed them," I have to scratch my head. Were it up to me, there would be a sign at the foot of the mountain making clear that climbers who ascend after a certain date should not expect a rescue operation if things go wrong. Those who assume such risk have to live with -- or, however sadly, die from -- such risk.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Waseca Prison Blues

Jeff Skilling reported to prison yesterday to begin serving his 24-year sentence. Not to put too fine a point on it, but, as I have argued before, Skilling is getting screwed. It is shameful that he is serving 24 years while Andrew Fastow is serving only six. The single biggest factor in the length of Skilling's sentence is not the criminal activity for which he was convicted. It is that he exercised his constitutional right to have the government prove the charges against him before a jury of his peers. I have no problem with giving Fastow something of a break for pleading guilty. But it is Fastow -- not Skilling nor Ken Lay -- who is most responsible for Enron's demise. I don't care what he has contributed to the Skilling case or the civil cases,. For him to get six years is a disgrace.

The question of Skilling's guilt or innocence is both difficult and interesting. Here's an interesting analysis (warning: it is a long post) from Houston lawyer Tom Kirkendall's blog of the case against Skilling (FCB shout out: How Appealing).

Drunk with Power

I guess it was too much to hope that Governor Rendell's recent re-election and announced disinterest in further electoral forays would lead him to set crass politics aside. Of course it was.

Now he's rammed through the appointment of former state Senator Joe Conti as the chief executive officer of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The Governor apparently couldn't be bothered to tell LCB Chairman Jonathan Newman that Conti was going to be hired until fewer than 24 hours before the LCB voted on the hiring, but what the heck, Rendell had the other two LCB members in his pocket.

Forget about how it looks that, in the wake of his pay raise fiasco, the Governor has handed a $150,000 a year job to an outgoing legislator who was either so dumb or so indifferent that he said he wasn't giving his salary increase back because he had already spent it on a water heater. What's particularly troubling is that, in the face of the laudable progress Newman has made to modernize and improve the ridiculous state store system, the Governor couldn't even be bothered to conduct a real search for a CEO or involve the person most responsible for the LCB's recent (if insufficient) progress.

According to the Inquirer, Rendell defended his actions by saying, "Do you hear of any $1.7 billion company that doesn't have a CEO?" Of course, a CEO is less necessary when you have a state-controlled monopoly over the industry in question. But the best part of all this is hearing Conti and others claim he is qualified to run this $1.7 billion company because -- I am not making this up -- he has been a legislator and, before that, he managed two restaurants. I guess if he had managed three restaurants he would be in line to take over General Electric.

Oh, We Got Trouble

It's not just baseball, football, or cycling anymore. Welcome to Development on Steroids, also known as Philadelphia River City, a 10-building, 12-million- square-foot, 3700-apartment, two-hotel, and one-60-story tower complex being proposed for northwest Center City between 23rd Street and the Schuylkill River. Here's an artist's rendering of the site.

I support the responsible development of Center City and other parts of Philadelphia and have been critical of those who adopt an "enough is enough" attitude 10 minutes after they move in. But, that said, one has to ask: Are you bleeping kidding me?

Disclosure time: I'm neither an urban planning or architectural expert, although I am by years of experience a city living expert. If built, the shadows cast by Philadelphia River City will literally fall on FCB World Headquarters and kill off the western view from the top floor of FCB HQ. And it says something about what is happening in Center City that, despite this proximity, River City is not even the closest multi-housing development within the sound of these keyboard clicks. So, I definitely have a dog in this fight.

But I have to question both the wisdom and the feasibility of the proposed complex. Is it necessary that every inch of Center City have a building on it? Why make it harder for many to see the magnificent facade of 30th Street Station? Why do developers want to mess with the great open view of 30th Street Station as you walk up JFK Boulevard, which is the second-best walking view in town after the Art Museum/City Hall corridor on the Ben Franklin Parkway? Okay, I know the answer to that one -- money. What is the point of a height limitation in a zoning code if someone can seriously seek a variance to allow a building eight times higher than the law permits? How will people get into, out of, and past this behemoth, given the existing roads and the geographical limits imposed by the Schuylkill River? And how much money will all this cost taxpayers, both in the form of necessary infrastructure improvements as well as lost revenue if the development becomes a Keystone Opportunity Zone, entitling businesses and their well-heeled employees to forego state and local taxes?

Governor Rendell is on record as supporting Philadelphia River City, which is hardly surprising since he loves big developers only slightly less than his lovely wife and cheesesteaks. So let's hope that the mayoral candidates and other officials begin an extended public discussion about the merits of this project.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

My Kingdom for a Fork

Sorry to go all Seinfeld here, but what is the deal with chopsticks?

I had a very nice meal last night at Aqua, a Thai/Malaysian place in Center City (PhilaFoodie review here). I know the cuisine comes from a part of the world where chopsticks are used. But -- hello? -- I am not in Bangkok, I am in Philadelphia, where people use a little utensil that I like to call a "fork."

I don't mean to pick on Aqua, which I liked a lot. And they did bring me a fork after a bit. But why do you have to ask for it? Why do people use chopsticks when they eat Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, or other similar food? Why does the type of food cause someone to change the method of eating it? It's not like the food tastes better when it touches wood instead of metal. It's not like people in China use forks when they eat food that originated in the West. It's not like you pay in yuans or bahts at the end of the meal. What is going on here?

I feel better now. Thank you.

Drewless

Has any player ever had more money thrown at him for no good reason than J.D. Drew? He's managed to accumulate $38 million in his career to date; two years ago he somehow got the Dodgers to give him a five-year, $55 million deal; and now he has walked away from that and scored a five-year, $70 million contract with the Red Sox. So much for "Theo Epstein" and "boy genius" showing up in the same sentence ever again.

For some reason stat geeks love Drew. I guess it must be for his four seasons with an OBP over .400. Whatever. The facts are that he has averaged only 118 games per year and has medium power (career average of 20 HR and 63 -- 63!! -- RBI, with 2006 being his only 100-RBI season). He gets this big money because when things are going well he looks like Mickey Mantle. But then something always happens, and it's back to the DL. I don't care how much money is floating around baseball these days. This is an insane signing that the Red Sox will regret.

Drew reminds me of those Miller Lite commercials from years ago: He's everything you've always wanted in an outfielder. And less.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Black and White II

Malcolm Gladwell makes an interesting attempt to quantify how much revulsion people should feel when someone says something stupid at best and horribly racist at worst. I agree with him in his relative ranking of Mel Gibson and Michael Richards. Although Richards is getting more of a hammering, primarily because his rant was captured on video, Gibson's was worse, since it's easy to believe -- despite his protests -- that he really believes that stuff.

And as for Michael Irwin, as Gladwell says: Please. He's an idiot whose continued employment by ESPN is by far the most baffling personnel mystery on Planet Bristol. I don't know what Harold Reynolds did to get himself fired (other than his self-described innocuous hug of a female co-worker), but he must be apoplectic everytime he sees Irwin on the air.

Black and White

Here's Slate's Dahlia Lithwick's account of yesterday's big Supreme Court arguments in the Louisville and Seattle school integration cases. Go to How Appealing for more on the arguments.

My view is that locally developed integration plans -- such as Louisville's attempt to ensure between 15 and 50 percent non-white enrollment in its schools -- should be permitted, especially in light of the segregated housing patterns that exist virtually everywhere. I am much less bothered by explicitly race-conscious efforts to achieve integration among several public schools within a district than I am by the at times clumsy steps taken by some universities to deal with the racial make-up of their students.

And note the decision by the Bush Administration to take the side of the parents seeking to end the integration plans. Typical. Just another example of conservatives who favor "local control" until they (or their kids) don't get what they want. They'll be happy to get a little judicial activism now.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Hello to Me

According to the New York Times, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said the other day that Google estimates that a new blog is being created every second of every day (that's 86,400 for those keeping score) and that the average blog is read by one person. That makes FCB, like the children of Lake Woebegone, officially above-average.