Disjointed Kitsch

Just about every day I hear a talking head spout “doom and gloom” or “best thing since sliced bread” on some subject. Could be the latest gadget or some political item or a person or whatever. It’s always one extreme or another.

What I’ve wanted to do for a long time is to keep track of these best/worst attributions and then review them 1-5 years later and see how they panned out. Well, at least one person bothered to record a “doom” statement on Apple Computer made by Michael Dell back in 1997 and I for one, “Fan Boy” that I am, hold up an example of the “doom” sayers being wrong:

Shut down Dell and give the money back to shareholders by ZDNet’s Jason D. O’Grady — In October 1997 at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97, Michael Dell was asked what he’d do if he was in charge of Apple Computer. Dell responded to an audience of several thousand IT executives “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.â€? According to Mac Daily News: A month later Steve Jobs responded […]

You can read the rest of the post to see the conclusion by Mr O’Grady, but suffice to say that with Apple’s stock closing up on perhaps the best quarter in their history and Apple’s market cap more than that of Dell’s and twice the value, perhaps it’s best not to piss off Mr Jobs.

Apple’s sale/demise has always been a subject of much discussion by the “doom-sayers”. One of these day’s the heads will stop talking Apple doom/gloom and start talking about Apple as they really are: an innovative, risk taking company that turn in a fairly consistent performance year after year and product after product and not a “flash in the pan”.

At the break, I’ve got the lead! Some things I’ve learned so far:

• Go for more than just batting average. Those RBI, home runs, etc.. count too.
• Start as many players as possible every day. Players get days off, especially catchers so have backups.
• Get a good multi-position backup - e.g. Freddy Sanchez can play 2nd, 3rd and SS so I can play him when my regular/s take a day off or during slumps.
• Get pitchers - starting and relief. I’m not sure of the best balance here but more than 1 good closer from a consistent winner, e.g. Jonathan Papelbon, is a must. Have more than 3 starting pitchers and rotate the starting ones in.
• Make daily starting line-up changes based on the DL, days off, starting pitchers, etc
• Don’t be afraid to pull a starter if he’s sagging during the last 7-15 days. Points matter, not loyalty
• Keep an extra outfielder. There are 3 OF positions and more times than not one of them is out.

I’m not a guru on this by any means, but this is what I’ve leaned so far in a 1/2  season. Playing fantasy baseball has made the past-time more real to me and as a result I’ve payed more attention to the games, players, etc.

I’m anxious to see how the 2nd half of the season goes!