I had philosophical points to make but I’m going to just talk about good things today. It’s a little cool, 58º but the sun is shining bright and I’m going to my first Met game of the season. We can always find bad things going on, there are always bad things going on, but we can also always find good things, there are always good things going on too. Yesterday I went into the City, saw my friend Carey, and went to Trader Joe’s for the first time in forever. I got petite pain au chocolat. How lucky am I to live in a universe with petite pain au chocolat? I know about it from Christine Lavin. She wrote a song with the recipe. I have eaten Christine’s, they are better than Trader Joe’s. Hey Chris, you should have brought some to the show!
I listened to the Mets doubleheader; they won both ends! The Mets are 9-3, the best record in Major League Baseball. That sounds like a rather good world to me. Keeping to baseball I did something to help my mental health. I have complained about how frustrating I find my baseball groups on Facebook. They are filled with people that don’t let the facts get in the way of their opinions. They have exactly the same attitude as COVID-19 and climate deniers. Perhaps not surprisingly when I check on their politics, as I’ve done since Trump ran in 2016, of those whose politics I could determine, all but two that have had that attitude were Trump supporters. You can’t argue with people that don’t accept that opinions should be based on facts and reason. I found myself saying things I shouldn’t say, I responded too often with sarcasm. That never convinced anyone and just raises the temperature of the culture war. So, what did I do? I created a new baseball group, Baseball Statistics and History: An Empirical Approach. Here is the group description.
This is a place to discuss baseball based on facts, whether they are historical or statistical. Feel free to share any analysis you do. Feel free to ask trivia questions. Feel free to express opinions if they have facts to back them up.
This is not the place to discuss things that are pure opinion and can never be resolved. Should Pete Rose and steroid users be in the Hall of Fame? That discussion will never go anywhere so don’t start. Does player X deserve to be in the Hall based on his stats and history? Always a fun question.
Most importantly do not be rude or abusive. No ad hominem attacks
Now when I read someone making ridiculous conclusions are posting for the 25th time this week that Pete Rose is the all-time hit leader, I just ignore it. That’s no longer my neighborhood and it’s not my responsibility to improve the level of discourse. This has done wonders for me. Now if I could only get those people out of politics.
I finished this week’s Gord’s Gold. I should post a preview for it today before I leave but I probably won’t. I have to get to the Met game early. 16 years too late they put up a statue to the greatest Met every Tom Seaver. I need to look in awe and take pictures. I’ll post them here tomorrow. It’s a great statue catching him as his left foot lands while making a pitch. It captures his trademark drop and drive pitching style.
I wonder how much of this good mood is based on listening to the second movement of Beethoven’s Ninth playing, the greatest and most joyful work of art, playing on WQXR.
Wise Madness 