I'm now up to Chaos, and I think I may be better served to start watching old episodes of Kung-Fu. In the mean time, Kurt C is looking for a copy of Game 5 of the 2005 NLCS. If you can find anything, can you drop me a line or leave a comment? I've checked MLB.com, which should have it somewhere or the other, but I don't have much luck navigating that site. Actually I watch Cardinals games via MLB.tv, and after hearing

Tying run at second, two out... Palmeiro... over the head of Jenks... Uribe charges, throws... Out! And the White Sox have won the World Series!

from Joe Buck about a hundred times this year, I'm convinced MLB.com is actively discouraging me from spending money there.

In other developments, I recently received a list-serve email from the San Diego Padres. Here are the highlights:

PRIMARY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assist with database manipulation and integrity
Assist with internal web coding and building
Assist with research projects
Assist with data entry

SPECIAL INTERNSHIP PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED:

Help complete internal database/website functionality
Implement data integrity and uniform schemas

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Currently enrolled student in a college or university or recent graduate
within 2 years majoring in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or
some other form of a Science/Analytical background.

Experience with data manipulation (PGSQL preferred).

Advanced knowledge of PHP5.

Familiarity with a scripting language (Perl, Python, or Ruby
preferred).

Flexible scheduling - may be required to work evenings, weekends and
holidays as needed for position.

For us stat-head amateurs, that's a reminder that modern-day baseball teams have the kind of information we don't have. Perhaps more importantly, they should know which data is meaningful and which is noise. For example, any numbers-guy worth his salt knew that Junior Spivey had a much better track record than Aaron Miles, but Miles presently sports a .425 on-base average in the bigs and Spivey's hitting .175 in Memphis (and may be headed to further surgery). Sample size yadda yadda yadda, but it certainly looks like somebody knew what they were doing. I don't want to give the Cardinals a free pass -- I think So Taguchi was in a crucial pinch hitting role Sunday because of a silly bases loaded split -- but blindly trusting the Cardinals brass isn't a bad forecasting method.

Some more mundane questions:

• When does the Spivey Experiment end? He homered tonight, but both sides must know Junior's odds of playing in St. Louis get dimmer by the day.

• Could Juan Encarnacion please have more than a walk per month? Currently he has fewer walks than Skip Schumaker and Mark Mulder.

• Why do the Cardinals have 8 relievers on the roster? OK, it fills two tables for bridge in the bullpen. So I'll ask why would you ever double-switch when you have 8 freaking relievers on the roster?

• How long will it take the other Cardinals brass to figure out radio? I did some traveling last week and I know missed having KMOX serving up games.

• Can this be right, that the Cardinals' playoff chances went from 49% to 58% during one Saturday in May? Now it was a near-perfect day with the Cardinals winning while everyone else in the NL Central lost, but, geez, it's May.

Posted by Rob at May 15, 2006 10:30 PM