The rule is not against stealing signs; it is against using electronic equipment to steal signs.  

 Thanks.   I appreciate the research.  Yes, Wikipedia is research.  

 It's crime related, but I don't really want to talk about it until things advance to a certain point.  

 Yeah.  It didn't bother me on The Wire because I just saw it as setting the groundwork for a new season. . . a couple of new characters, etc.   I see the connection, though, now that you point it out.  

 

I think my real issue with it, which I would not have the space to explain in Twitter, is that the conflict that it creates are just not interesting.  In Mad Men, in particular, Don Draper is trying to do certain things, Peggy Olson is trying to do certain things, Pete Campbell has an agenda, Joan Harris wants certain things; these competing wants and needs interact with the demands of the clients and also with the background of the 1960s to create outcomes that nobody really wants, but which are the soup created by the mix of elements.  But when the company is sold to somebody else, it turns into a fight about who gets 15% and who gets 20% and who gets a million dollar buyout and who gets what role in the new company, and. . . who gives a rat's ass?  It's just not interesting.   And every time you do it, it is less interesting than it was the last time.  It becomes a track and field event rather than a basketball game or a football game, only the subject is not focused athleticism, but just money and power.   I don't care.   I don't want to see it.  

 Well (a) 5.4 WAR over a period of two seasons is not actually a lot, and (b) Perconte in 1984 hit .294, scored 93 runs, had 180 hits, 29 stolen bases, a .357 on base percentage.  Those are really good numbers.   The real question, is why you want to ignore the 180 hits and 93 runs scored, and pretend that his modest WAR value is unexplained.  

 Thanks.  

 Well, OK, but.   I think that that was the way that Leonard characteristically ran the bases after a home run.   Very often people think that something began at the moment when they first became aware of it.   From my perspective, I have no way of knowing whether that is where this nickname actually arose, or merely if that is where you became aware of it.  

 Good to hear from you, Carmen.  I have seen the shift that you advocate used, but then, I've seen all kinds of different shifts used.  I don't know enough about it to be second-guessing the use of shifts by major league teams.   The Red Sox hire several people who study those issues; I wouldn't want to second-guess them, since they clearly no more about it than I do.   

 

I would think it would depend on the personnel.   I don't think MOST third basemen are going to be measurably effected by moving 35 feet to the left, or most shortstops are going to be effected by switching to the other side of the base, OTHER THAN in a potential double play situation (and most teams are cautious about using a shift in a double play situation.)   But data may emerge, over time, as to how much different fielders are effected by being out of position.  

 Oh, I have NO idea.  I would think it was a close call whether he was one of the Top 100 pitchers, wouldn't you?   I just don't remember that kind of stuff.  

 OK.   RT is not an endorsement.  

 There is nothing planned.  Still friendly with Brian Kenny, but have no plans to go to New Jersey for the studio.  

 Amos thanks you.  We have named him Amos, in honor of Amos Otis and also Amos Lawrence, for whom my city is named.   The Shelter told us he was a mix of border collie and terrier.   Shelters have been known to be wrong about these things.  

 

 Thanks. 

 I'm sorry to say that I don't think so.   The types of analysis that I do rely on stable data covering large numbers of games. 

 

I would say this:  that is you want to, you could easily know more about that than I do.  If no one really knows a lot about it, that's an opportunity for you to establish yourself as the expert in that area, by simply collecting, collating, and analyzing the data which exists scattered around here and there on thousands of uncorrollated sites.  

 No direct contact, no.