Miles+B

1/3 Book Letter: Moneyball

In the first third of Moneyball by Michael Lewis, Lewis expresses his love for the story of the underdog Oakland Athletics, becoming an outstanding team. Not only does he talk about the advantages of the other teams, like the Yankees, such as higher payrolls, thus attracting better players, he also talks about the disadvantages of teams like the Devil Rays and the Athletics, such as having the lowest payrolls, thus not being able to afford the players who are considered the best in the game. The passion behind the writing clearly shows as he writes, because he doesn’t solely state what Billy Beane, the owner of the Athletics, does, but he explains why he, even, agrees with it. In Chapter 2, How to Find a Ballplayer, he talks about the new method of finding solid players, even though the payroll is small. The tactics talked about are tactics that most would not have thought about, but since Beane was put in the position of having to put together a team without a lot of funding, he had to adopt unusual strategies to do so. When I think of a great ballplayer, the first thing that comes to mind is batting average. I remember Nomar Garciaparra won the batting title in 1999 and Ted Williams set the record with a .406 average in 1941. These are the players I consider great, but then I read Chapter 2. One of the main points of this chapter is that batting average is not as important as other statistics such as on base percentage. The example used in the book is Kevin Youkilis, who now plays for the Red Sox. He had the second highest on base percentage in all of major league baseball a year after the Athletics drafted him. Paul DePosdesta called Youkilis, “Eucilis: the Greek god of walks.” This will forever change the way I view players. I will maintain the opinion that Graciaparra and Williams were some of the best players to ever play, but the list will grow, to people like Youkilis, who don’t have to get hits to be stars; they have to get on base. In Chapter 4, Field of Ignorance, the main topic is of fielding percentage, team and individual. I had never even thought to think of errors like this, mainly because I had always agreed with the scorers ruling. What this chapter is saying is that errors are really just someone else’s opinion on what play should have been made. I have been catching in high school games, and not been able to throw someone out after a bunt, but really thought that not even an All-Star catcher could have, but it was ruled an error. I was upset at the time, but have come to realize that if everybody understood it is just one person’s opinion, then errors would not make people feel so down on themselves. Someone in the major leagues, about two weeks ago, sprinted back to catch a pop fly, but couldn’t catch up to it in time. Although the book does not mention this, I believe it should have because it is one of the main problems with errors. The player was running full speed, and at the last second dove, fully extending his body, but the ball tipped off his glove and fell to the grass. This was ruled an error by the scorer because it touched his glove, but he did not catch it. That should not be an error, in my opinion, because it is saying that if he ran a little bit slower, and dove but did not tip the ball it would have been a hit, because the ball did not touch the player. This chapter really pinpoints the reasons for some of the commentators to change their style, concentrating less on statistics, yet more on things like how hard they are hitting it, or how good a pitcher’s control is.

2/3 Book Letter: Moneyball

In the second third of Moneyball, issues are addressed such as how the Athletics were able to strive in a league of teams with higher payrolls. Beane was able to manipulate the board of commissioners by telling them that no matter how well they do with the average players they get, the fans will not show up, thus giving them revenue, just because the players are not stars. “Win with nobodies and the fans showed up, and the nobodies became stars; lose with stars and the fans stayed home, and the stars became nobodies,” (122). This was the truth about the fans, but Beane had to pitch the opposite to the board so that the Blue Ribbon Panel would try to even out the finances. The panel was amazed that the Athletics were able to strive because they were going with the idea that finance meant more than anything in baseball, so there couldn’t even be one exception. Since there was one exception, Beane had to make arguments that would allow the board to think that maybe even the Athletics aren’t an exception, and that they still don’t get fans because of the average players. When reading this, I was surprised that Beane wanted the Blue Ribbon Panel to go through with their plan, for one main reason. The main reason is that although if the panel went through with their plan, it would positively effect the Athletics as well, he was fielding a perfectly good team using his unique strategies, so why would he want to better the position of teams like the Devil Rays, who just accept the fact they are financially struggling, and do not try new tactics to better their situation. Another reason why I am surprised Billy Beane still wanted the panel to go through with their plan to financially even out the teams is that he seems like the kind of man who wants to defy everybody, and win the World Series without the help of any outside source. When Paul talks about the importance of on base percentage and the importance of slugging percentage, it fascinates me. The way he describes it is perfect for the points he is trying to prove. He is trying to prove that a high on base percentage is better then a high slugging percentage. The way he proves this is by assuming one team has a 1,000 on base percentage, and the other team has a 1,000 slugging percentage. The team with a 1,000 on base percentage will never get an out, thus score infinite runs, because every player will reach base. A team with a 1,000 slugging percentage could bring four men to the plate, one hits a home run, and the other three get out, thus ending the inning. This means that four men were brought to the plate, and four bases were reached safely, so the slugging percentage is 1,000, yet only 1 run scored. In this instance, using the extremes of perfect percentages really made the explanation great. “’We don’t get the guys who are perfect,’ said Paul. ‘There has to be something wrong with them for them to get to us’” (142). This was taking about the whole created by Jason Giambi. Giambi left a spot to be filled, and the Athletics had to look into the players deeper then how they were seen by most people. The Athletics could not afford the players who were widely known as good players. They had to take the players who had important qualities such as a good on base percentage, instead of home runs or average. This further promotes my confusion about why Beane wanted the Blue Ribbon Panel to even out baseball financially, because the Athletics were doing just fine finding players that fit their criteria, not everyone else’s.

3/3 Book Letter: Moneyball

The last third of Moneyball, in my opinion, was the least interesting because it no longer talked about strategy of finding players, it focused more on the history of the team. It did, however, talk about finding undervalued pitchers, in Chapter 10, The Anatomy of an Undervalued Pitcher. One of the most interesting things that happens in this chapter is Beane is not planning on staying to watch the Athletics beat the all time winning streak, he is planning to go to a different, minor league, game. The fact that he was not planning to stay for his game does not remind me of any other owner I have ever heard of. Although he says, “’All they provide me with is subjective emotion’” (244), it is still ridiculous not to watch the Major League team that he owns. It does, however, bring up an interesting point. Even though he makes every decision for the team before the game starts, he has no say in what happens as soon as the game begins. It is entirely up to the manager to make decisions within the game. So, in a way, Beane leaving is not totally wrong because there really is not anything he can do further to promote the team. In Chapter 10, there is a story that says Chad Bradford carried a special rock out to the mound with him every single time he pitched in high school, but he made it so nobody else knew that he was bringing it. This actually surprised me because he does not do that anymore, and it is hard to lose superstitions. I wish Michael Lewis had gone a bit further into the story and explained why he no longer brings the rock out to the mound. I have many superstitions when I play baseball, and some have been lost due to them “not working,” as I like to call it. When I do not complete my goal, but I did my superstition, like tapped the bat on my foot three times, or pounded the plate with my glove when I am catching, then I drop the superstition. It would have been interesting to know if that is why Bradford dropped his. Ray Durham’s attitude towards running the bases is something that I admire. I wish every team would base run exactly like Ray Durham. His philosophy is that a single is a double, and a double is a triple. He runs everything out because of the sloppy job outfielders usually do of fielding the ball when it is a guaranteed single. The outfielders usually put their head down and focus on cleanly fielding the ball, but do not charge hard or come up throwing, which gives Durham more time to stretch out his hit, and milk it for all it’s worth. This shows he is striving to be the best because he does not settle for what most players settle for, and what most people expect him to settle for. My overall feeling on this book is that it is a great new way of looking at the game of baseball. Before I read this I really did have the thought in my mind the Devil Rays would never be a par team because they will never have enough money to buy good players, thus they cannot attract a crowd to the stadium to make revenue. This just turned my thoughts around by telling me the story of an underdog team with short funding, finding a way to win.

Double Truck: It’s the most wonderful time of the year Miles Bennett ’10

The snow crunches beneath your feet, the sounds of children screaming overwhelm the air, and as your foot sinks in and your boot fills with snow, you know winter as come.

With sledding, skiing, snowboarding, snowman making, snowball fighting, snow shoeing, and snow fort making, there is something for everyone.

Kids catch word of a storm on a weekday, and all the phones start ringing of the hook at every house in town, with the same words being yelled loud enough to break an ear drum, “Snow day!” The kids are up all night long, half asleep, watching the weather on the news, not ready to give up hope, even the once the storm as blown north.

A mother’s dream comes true when her little child asks her to take them to the park, to learn how to sled. They start on hills that adults can stomp out in one kick, but nobody tells them that, it’s practically Mount Everest to them. As they work their way up to the hill that “all the older kids” are on, their hearts race, they don’t know what to expect. Will they crash at the bottom, will they get lost in the commotion of everyone hurrying back of the hill? They don’t know. The mother gives her child the gentle push, and screams good luck while her child has embarked on their first big hill.

The holiday season comes, and all the families gather together. Grandparents fly in from out of town, and the whole family is there at the baggage claim to greet them. Nobody cares how far away they had to park to be able to greet their grandparents in the airport, but they all know they had to do it. Nobody even complains when they all have to walk back to the car, while the grandparents wait inside the heated airport for the family to return.

Nothing is better than winter time. Nothing even comes close.

Fun in the snow Miles Bennett ’10

All winter long kids are looking forward to summer, but when winter comes, nobody is disappointed. With winter comes snow, and with snow comes fun.

From sleigh riding to snowman making, and snowboarding to snowshoeing, families and children are out enjoying the winter wonderland. “I love snowboarding a ton dude. It’s totally radical,” Jeremy Granoff, a junior at Wellesley High School said. Not only does Jeremy spend his winters on a board on Okemo Mountain, but when he can’t make his way all the way to Vermont, he spends his days making snowmen with his little sister, Elyssa.

The winter doesn’t only supply fun for the kids, but for adults, as well. “I used to love bringing my daughter to the little hill at Warren park to sled. She thought it was so big then,” Wellesley resident Terri Tsagaris, said. Winter provides a setting for family bonding, which is never a negative.

There is something for everyone in the snow, from sledding to snow shoeing and skiing to snowboarding.

Cleaning bathrooms not important? Miles Bennett ’10

Walking into a Wellesley High School restroom might cause nausea or force you to hold it until you get home.

“It is plain old revolting. Nobody cares about the bathrooms. They are a second thought,” junior Jeremy Granoff said.

The floors are always wet with no explanation, the toilets are never flushed, and graffiti fills the stall walls. Rivalries between students, or between grades are portrayed with atrocious language.

“I’m tired people missing. When I have to go to the bathroom, I don’t want to need a sponge,” sophomore Ben Gilbert complained. He is not the only one with this complaint, other students, as well, are forced to clean up other people’s messes.

Most people expect the custodians to clean up for them. When people use the bathroom it won't take more than thirty seconds to clean up after yourself. It's common respect.

Would people treat their bathrooms at home like this? Hopefully not.

Cleaning bathrooms not important? Miles Bennett ’10

Walking into a Wellesley High School restroom might cause nausea or force you to hold it until you get home.

“It is plain old revolting. Nobody cares about the bathrooms. They are a second thought,” junior Jeremy Granoff said.

The floors are always wet with no explanation, the toilets are never flushed, and graffiti fills the stall walls. Rivalries between students, or between grades are portrayed with atrocious language.

“I’m tired people missing. When I have to go to the bathroom, I don’t want to need a sponge,” sophomore Ben Gilbert complained. He is not the only one with this complaint, other students, as well, are forced to clean up other people’s messes.

Most people expect the custodians to clean up for them. When people use the bathroom it won't take more than thirty seconds to clean up after yourself. It's common respect.

Would people treat their bathrooms at home like this? Hopefully not.

Day Number 1 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/18/sports/baseball/18mitchell.html?_r=1&ref=sports&oref=slogin

1. There are 33 words in the lead paragraph.

2. There are 20 paragraphs in the whole article.

3. Many of the paragraphs consisted of only ones sentence, while it was not uncommon for a paragraph to consist of two sentences.

4. The article answers big questions such as who Mcnamee will testify against, and what advantage that has for him. This is primarily the “what” and why” of the article because he is testifying against the players such as Roger Clemens in order to be exempt from being charged with drug distribution. The article also answers questions regarding the “who,” obviously, as Roger Clemens is being testified against and Mcnamee is getting off free of punishment due to his cooperation.

5. This article leads me to ask questions about what the plans are for the future. It does not reveal what will be done to the players that Mcnamee has testified against. Not only does the article not reveal anything about the players that are being testified against, it also fails to talk about the legitimacy of his testimony.

6. There are plenty of story ideas that could derive from this article. Some of these include the sides of these stories of the players, as this article only talks about the testimony of Mcnamee not what the players have to say. Another idea that could come from this article is talking about Mcnamee’s actual involvement with the steroid usage of the players.

7. My reaction to this article, mainly, is very surprised. I am surprised because I did not think that anybody would actually testify against Roger Clemens, after setting the strikeout record. I expected him to, generally, be protected by his peers because of that.

Review of the Bradford (2007)

Throughout reviewing the //Bradford,// a lot of aspects were placed under the microscope, and weaknesses exposed. I critiqued the March 2007 Issue. One of the main issues that stuck out while working through the checklist was the lack of polls and survey’s. Whether they are actually taken by the Bradford itself, or if they are taken elsewhere and reported by the //Bradford//, they are not existent. They would be a great addition to the review section (i.e. music reviews, movie reviews, play reviews) and a great addition to the sports section. In the sports section, the polls could be used when talking about attendance at an important game, so rather than stating that “tons of students attended,” it could state, “according to the poll taken by the Bradford, 60% of the Wellesley High School student body attended.” Another aspect of the paper I would like to shine light on is about the variety of groups the paper targets. Although there is a sports section that will target all of the athletes, and there is a review section that targets all of the artsy students, a large portion of students that do not fall into one of the “main groups” is ignored. For example, there has not been one article about student bands since I have been on staff. Even though they are minimal, they are still an interesting topic, that more than that minority would enjoy. The third, and arguably most important, aspect of a quality high school newspaper that is being ignored is student jobs. From my personal experience, the vast majority of students have jobs, whether they be community service, or paying jobs. The fact that I don’t know how many kids have jobs, and what kind of jobs they have means that there are probably other students in the same boat, thus making any article written about student jobs new information to some people. Since the paper goes home to many parents, they would love to read about student jobs because it gives them ideas about how to influence their own children. One idea to for articles in the paper are focus on one interesting job a week, and interview the people or person that have that job (a “job feature). Photographs are a main downfall of the //Bradford.// Despite their abundance, quality is better than quantity. For example, on the front page a caption reads “Science teacher Carolyn Fretz invited child lab to the planetarium,” while the picture depicts a child doing arts and crafts. Captions are also very vague. For example, on page 12, a caption reads “Kimball finishes the race and a well fought regular season.” This caption does not disclose any information the reader cannot infer. A better caption would have been, “Kimball finishes racing the _________(event) after a __-___(record) regular season.”