Weekend Links 2-2-18

A few links of interest for your weekend reading:

Brad Meltzer is one of my favorite authors. His political thrillers helped get me interested in reading fiction again. But he also has written a series of children's books entitled Ordinary People Change the World. In this wide-ranging interview he discusses the latest entry in the series as well as what inspired him to write the books in the first place.

The gentle - and radical - faith of Mister Rogers. In related news, Tom Hanks will portray Mister Rogers in an upcoming film.

Last week we had the class of 2018 for the Baseball Hall of Fame announced. The election results refueled the debate over whether Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens (among other steroid users) should be allowed induction into the Hall of Fame. Don Yaeger makes the compelling case against their election (which I also wholeheartedly agree with).

This is something I honestly had not considered: 4 ways that Netflix perpetuates modern anxieties.

I try to shy away from political commentary with the exception of a small handful of writers. David French is one that I make a point to read pretty much everything he writes. In this column he manages to sum up perfectly the issue that is at the heart of the culture wars: masculinity.

Tweet of the week (this video gave me chills):

Vin Scully reciting the Field of Dreams speech.

(video from @MLB) pic.twitter.com/qX9LPiisTu

— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) January 30, 2018

Weekend Links 1-26-18

A roundup of interesting stuff that I ran across this week:

I really appreciate Tim Challies' analysis of the Billy Graham Rule and its practical application. As usual, he has taken a very thoughtful approach to a thorny issue.

This is cool: Trash collectors in Turkey use abandoned books to build a library.

That time Edgar Allan Poe pranked New York City and inspired Jules Verne.

This is right on the money: America needs more gentlemen. Thank you Peggy Noonan for writing this column.

This is the first of what promises to be a fascinating series of articles: How should Christians think about "the news"?

Why this guide to "intelligent reading" should be on your to be read list. It's definitely on mine.

"Follow Your Heart" has to be without a doubt the worse advice you can give to someone. Don't believe me? Here are ten great reasons why.

Tweet of the week:

Congrats, Chipper! Enjoyed watching you play way back when. “Anybody who can't get pumped up to play in Durham needs to be kicked in the butt a couple times." #halloffamer #bullcity #durm https://t.co/WQwrSMtEoB pic.twitter.com/bMCls9H66G

— Mary Katharine Ham (@mkhammer) January 25, 2018

Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2018! Another fun note via Jayson Stark: with Chipper Jones' election to the Hall of Fame, he becomes part of the only foursome of teammates in the Hall of Fame that spent 10 or more years with the same club (the other three are John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux).

This speaks to me: 12 bookstores worth traveling for. I love visiting book stores when I go to different places.

What I'm Reading: The Rubber Band and The Red Box by Rex Stout.

I first became intrigued by the Nero Wolfe mysteries watching the A&E series A Nero Wolfe Mystery some time ago. Then last fall I read Fer-de-Lance and The League of Frightened Men (the first two Wolfe novels in the canon) and was immediately impressed by how well the TV series captured the essence of the books. Rex Stout managed to create one of the most interesting detectives in the history of mystery fiction. Each book has been tremendous fun to read so far. I count this series among the many that I am thoroughly enjoying.

Daily Links 4-10-14

In today's edition: Victorian Buzzfeed, memorable quotes from children's literature, chatting with George F. Will, Tom Hanks and Walt Disney, and more.

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This is really cool: 25 Stages From Courtship to Marriage. Or, Victorian Buzzfeed. (Hat tip: Acculturated)

Photo Credit: The Public Domain Review

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The myths of success that hold us back from being really successful.

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Hugh Hewitt chatted with George F. Will, author of A Nice Little Place on the North Side. I am reading the book now and it is fantastic. (Audio at the link)

Related: George Will sang during the 7th inning stretch last Sunday. The Cubs won the game. Good luck charm? Ironic considering that Will says Harry Caray is responsible for him becoming a Cubs fan.

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The odd off-season jobs of 10 Baseball Hall of Famers. There was a time before baseball players got rich just playing the game that they had to do something else in the off-season to make ends meet. Fascinating stuff.

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Hard to believe that thirty years ago Tom Hanks was an unemployed actor. But one thing helped him make it through the hard times. No surprise that it helped serve as an inspiration for one of his most memorable roles.

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Quotes from classic children's literature:

Courtesy of: Quotery

Daily Links 1-8-14

In today's links: making college pay off, a caution to Christians about alcohol, a word from a young woman to young men, and more.

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If you don't click through any other link in today's post, take time to read this heartfelt letter from a 19 year old young woman to young men. It is an amazing post.

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Baseball's Hall of Fame will announce their 2014 class of inductees later today. Before the announcement, take time to read this column from Jonah Keri on what's wrong with the current voting process, how to fix it, and what his ballot would look like if he could vote.

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Glenn Harlan Reynolds (a.k.a. Instapundit) on how to make college pay off:

In the field of higher education, reality is outrunning parody. A recent feature on the satire website the Onion proclaimed, "30-Year-Old Has Earned $11 More Than He Would Have Without College Education." Allowing for tuition, interest on student loans, and four years of foregone income while in school, the fictional student "Patrick Moorhouse" wasn't much better off. His years of stress and study, the article japed, "have been more or less a financial wash."

"Patrick" shouldn't feel too bad. Many college graduates would be happy to be $11 ahead instead of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, behind. The credit-driven higher education bubble of the past several decades has left legions of students deep in debt without improving their job prospects. To make college a good value again, today's parents and students need to be skeptical, frugal and demanding. There is no single solution to what ails higher education in the U.S., but changes are beginning to emerge, from outsourcing to online education, and they could transform the system.

His upcoming book, The New School: How the Information Age Will Save American Education from Itself, looks like it will be an important one to read this year.

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Eric Metaxas interviews Malcolm Gladwell at Socrates in the City:



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31 College Campuses that are the perfect wedding venue:

Duke Chapel, Duke University, Durham, NC

Hat tip: Neatorama

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Somehow I missed this when it was first published: The Distinct, Positive Impact of a Good Dad.

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A caution to Christians who drink alcohol. I don't have any objections to occasional drink. This article makes some very solid points.

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Daily Links 1-7-14

A daily roundup of links of interest from the web. In today's edition: how to jumpstart your journaling, alternate covers for books, building a library of literary classics, and more.

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A guide to jumpstarting your journaling. This article is chock full of great ideas how to get started on keeping a journal. If you've never tried it before I highly recommend it.

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Some artistically reimagined book covers. These are pretty amazing.

A reimagined cover for Ray Bradbury's classic novel Fahrenheit 451.

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An illustrated guide to buying classic books (even if you're on a tight budget). The best thing about some of these collections is that they can easily purchased to help decorate your bookshelves and make them look nicer even if you don't intend to read the books.

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Dr. Albert Mohler offers some great suggestions on how to become a more effective and prolific reader.

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There is a Calvinist revival going on in evangelical churches and The New York Times takes notice with a remarkably good article.

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The results of Baseball Hall of Fame voting will be announced soon but before we get to that we can look at a list of 50 best players not currently in the Hall.

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From Art of Manliness, a terrific article on how to gain the respect you deserve at work.

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How to build the perfect snowman.

Daily Links 1-2-14

In today's roundup: zero tolerance and public schools, an update in the war on boys, PEDs in baseball, and more.

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Glenn Reynolds weighs in on new research showing the ability of preschoolers to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Too bad the same can't be said for public school administrators.

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The Washington Examiner weighs in on the war on boys with this editorial:

Lost in all the noise about helping girls achieve their potential is a growing body of evidence that boys are in trouble. It's the real "gender gap." Consider this: A recent study by two MIT economists found that men, not women, are less likely to graduate from high school and finish college. As a result, the study said, "over the last three decades, the labor market trajectory of males in the U.S. has turned downward along four dimensions: skills acquisition, employment rates, occupational stature and real wage levels." 

The authors say the declining economic value of men and the rise in women's achievement contributes to the breakdown of the American family by making marriage less valuable. Then, with more out-of-wedlock births and single-parent households headed by women, the lack of a male role model hurts boys in particular, both economically and academically. 

This isn't a new finding: Multiple studies over the past 40 years have shown that boys suffer more than girls from divorce because they tend to externalize their reactions and act in ways that make them more likely to cause trouble at school or get arrested. Simply put: Boys need fathers to learn how to become men. And too many of them don't have one. 

Read the whole thing.

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Making the argument for voting for players from the Steroid Era for Baseball's Hall of Fame. Their opinion? It's the numbers, stupid. The hard part for me about the steroid debate has always been what distinctive advantage, if any, does use of PEDs give to a player? Baseball is hard game to play and even harder to master. Though I'm opposed to use of PEDs I still remain unconvinced that they give a player a significant edge.

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The polka-dot bomber from World War II:

The full story on why it's painted that way is here. (Hat tip: Neatorama)

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Prince William made the day of a 12 year old girl who was visiting Sandringham on Christmas Day:

In another era, it would have been seen as undignified. But in the newly populist royal family, everyone seems to be getting in on the act. 

After Prince Charles and the Queen set the trend by agreeing to pose for mobile phone photos with members of the public, Prince William has joined in.

And this time it was the royal who actually took the picture. 

William, 31, photographed himself with Madison Lambe, 12, on her phone – because she was too nervous to press the button. The Duke of Cambridge took the snap after she visited the Sandringham Estate on Christmas Day to watch the Royal family walk from their house to church.

Priceless.

Daily Links 12-31-13

In today's roundup:  how to make perfect lemonade, how to be your most productive, who belongs in Baseball's Hall of Fame, and more.

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According to this post, the secret to making perfect lemonade is to rub sugar on the lemon peels first. This looks like it is worth a try.

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This seems a little counterintuitive: schedule your most important tasks of the day at 5 p..m.  The only thing I am likely to be focused on at that point will be quitting for the day.

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Peter Gammons weighs in on who he thinks belongs in the Hall of Fame.

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There's been a lot of discussion about the fact that kids are leaving church in droves particularly once they reach college age. However, here are three notable characteristics of kids who don't leave church.

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A fascinating list of 11 things you won't see in movie theaters any more. I am actually old enough to remember when some of these things were common in theaters.

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The history behind the ad campaign that tried to convince people that coffee was bad for kids.

Daily Links 12-18-13

Good morning! In today's roundup of links: bestowing a long overdue honor, surprising ways to make decisions, Frozen, Saving Mr. Banks, Tim Keller on pastors who write books, and more.

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Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox, and Joe Torre are all being inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame next year for their managerial careers and rightly so. But there's another inductee who is receiving some long overdue recognition as well: Roger Angell. Follow the link for a sampling of his terrific work. (Hat tip: Book Riot)

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Six surprising ways to make decisions. It's an interesting list.

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Another interesting review of Mansfield's Book of Manly Men: An Utterly Invigorating Guide to Being Your Most Masculine Self.  Perhaps most interesting is that it is written by a woman.

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Disney celebrates sisterly love in Frozen. Haven't seen it yet (at least as of the writing of this post) but plan to take the family soon.

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Speaking of Disney, another movie I am looking forward to seeing is Saving Mr. Banks. Here's a list of 10 things you should know about this real life story.

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Tim Keller on whether pastors should consider writing as part of their ministry and when they should start to write books:

Pastors can write as a valid part of pastoral ministry. It is part of the ministry of the Word. The ministry of the Word does not mean only the spoken word. But when they should write is the question.

I don't think ministers should produce much in the way of book-length writing in the first half or even two-thirds of their ministry. Why? 

1. Because they are still growing in their wisdom and understanding of the Word, and they are likely to change their mind on some things. 

2. Because (yes) it will distract them from the two main ways they can grow into wise and skillful ministers with something to say. Those two things are regular preaching/teaching and a lot of pastoral involvement. 

3. I think younger ministers should earn their credibility through building up some fruitful and effective ministries. That takes literally all one's time for a long time. They should not divert valuable time for ministry to writing. I know that if a young minister sees his church grow rapidly he will be bombarded with offers to write books, but even if his church grows to thousands of people by the time he is in his early 30s, he is still not really time-tested, nor does he yet have the insights and knowledge of the Bible he will have later.

4. If you wait to write until you are older, the writing will go much faster, because you will have reams of material and many layers of thought about a lot of subjects and texts. Writing a book in your 50s will go twice as fast and be twice as good as if you try the same book in your 30s. It's just good stewardship to wait.

Hat tip: Justin Taylor via Twitter

Evaluating the Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot

Few things cause as much arguing during baseball's offseason as the annual Hall of Fame Ballot. Last week's announcement included 19 newcomers to the ballot and a total field of 34 names. Interestingly, this year's class is pretty loaded (though not quite as loaded as I had suggested it could have been a few years ago).

This is also the season where we hear griping from sportswriters that the wrong people are voting and that the BBWAA should change the rules on who votes (and they have a point). There are also complaints that it's unfair to limit a voter to 10 players on the ballot (I disagree). There are a few easy choices right off the bat (Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and Frank Thomas are all no-brainers to me). What to do with the remaining 7 votes is a little trickier. Here's my list of 7 players who would earn a place on my ballot and whether I think they will be inducted.

1. Jack Morris - it's his last year on the ballot. Last year he garnered 67.7% of the vote (2nd highest total). His 254 career wins are a good number but not the automatic induction number that 300 wins represents. If it were any other year without the three clear inductees on the list I would say he has a better chance of getting in. I think he'll still get a lot of votes and may manage to squeak in.

2. Craig Biggio - he had the most votes of any player last year. 3060 hits is good enough in my mind to warrant automatic induction. The big negative - PEDs. Not because he necessarily was guilty but because voters have sought to punish a lot of guys unfairly because of the rampant steroid use of the 90's. If he doesn't make it this year it has more to do with who is getting in rather than a knock against him. It's only his second year so if not this year he should be a favorite to get in next year.

3. Jeff Kent - His 377 career home runs are the highest for any second baseman. However, the Hall tends to overlook second basemen as they are typically valued for their glove more than their bat. That puts guys like Kent at a disadvantage when voters are looking to offensive statistics as a guide to determine whether they are worthy of enshrinement. I think he's got a good case to be inducted in the Hall but he may be waiting a couple of years before that call comes.

4. Tim Raines - along with Rickey Henderson (who's already in the Hall of Fame), Raines was considered one of the preeminent base stealers of his era. His 808 career steals are far above anyone else in this class. He's fifth all time in steals (and coincidentally all four players ahead of him are in the Hall). While it's unlikely to be inducted this year (it's his 7th year of eligibility) I think it's likely to happen at some point in the future.

5. Lee Smith - He's third all time in saves. The two pitchers ahead of him (Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman) are sure to be inducted on their first ballot. .He has nearly 100 more saves than Dennis Eckersley who is in the Hall of Fame. He also happened to be (along with Eckersley) one of the most dominant relievers of his era. His candidacy has suffered in part because of who he has been up against for election. If he doesn't make it in by his final year of eligibility it's a safe bet the Veterans' Committee will vote him in.

6. Jeff Bagwell - A key part of Houston's playoff teams in the late 1990's and 2000's, Bagwell should be eventually enshrined. He spent his entire career in Houston. And although his overall offensive numbers are solid but not spectacular his home run total (477) should be enough to convince voters on the fence that he belongs.

7. Mike Piazza - Another solid player with good but not great numbers. However, he was a prodigious home run hitter (427 for his career) makes him worth consideration. He has two big strikes against him. First, he was primarily a catcher which is a position that is woefully under-represented in the Hall. Second, he played during the Steroid Era and has been treated by many voters as guilty-by-association rather than there being any clear evidence of steroid usage. It will probably take more years than it should for the steroid outrage to die down  enough for him to get the consideration he deserves.

So Long, Duke

One of the great legends of the game, Duke Snider, has died.

Duke Snider, the Hall of Fame center fielder for the charmed "Boys of Summer" who helped the Dodgers bring their elusive and only World Series crown to Brooklyn, died Sunday. He was 84.
Snider died at the Valle Vista Convalescent Hospital in Escondido, Calif., said the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, which announced the death on behalf of the family. Snider had been ill for months. His family said he died of natural causes.

"The Duke of Flatbush" hit .295 with 407 career home runs, played in the World Series six times and won two titles. But the eight-time All-Star was defined by much more than his stats -- he was, after all, part of the love affair between the borough of Brooklyn and "Dem Bums" who lived in the local neighborhoods.

Ebbets Field was filled with stars such as Pee Wee Reese, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges during that 1955 championship season. Yet it is Snider's name that refrains in the ballpark favorite "Talkin' Baseball."

"Willie, Mickey, and the Duke," goes the popular song, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.

Snider wore No. 4 in Dodger blue and was often regarded as the third-best center fielder in New York -- behind Willie Mays of the Giants and Mickey Mantle of the Yankees -- during what many fans considered the city's golden era of baseball.

Snider was a key figure in Roger Kahn's classic The Boys of Summer as well as Terry Cashman's anthem Talkin' Baseball. He was a favorite among the Brooklyn faithful and will truly be missed.

Does Andy Petitte Belong in the Hall of Fame?

It's inevitable that anytime a really good baseball player retires there is an immediate discussion of whether he will be enshrined in Cooperstown. This is true for New York Yankees starter Andy Petitte who this week made it official he was calling it a career.

Although Petitte was a very good pitcher throughout his 16 year career, the numbers do not indicate an automatic trip to the Hall. The strongest case to be made in his favor is a record 19 postseason wins (all but one with the Yankees).

The strongest case against enshrinement: only 240 regular season wins, only 2 seasons of 20+ wins and no Cy Young Awards.

Sure, the postseason record is pretty amazing but consider he was also on some great Yankee teams. To me, that's as much an argument against as in favor of enshrinement.

I think it will be a close call once he's eligible for the Hall. A case can be made for enshrinement but I'm not sure his career matches up with those already in the Hall. If he had been able to pitch a couple of more years and rack up another 20-30 victories it would be more of a lock. In the end, I think Andy Petitte will be remembered as one of the best Yankee pitchers ever and a very good pitcher during his time. But I don't think he will be considered a great pitcher and just barely miss enshrinement into Cooperstown.

Another Legend is Gone

He was one of the best managers ever being the first to win a World Series title in both leagues. George "Sparky" Anderson passed away yesterday at age 76. He was sixth all-time in wins (although when he suddenly retired he had been third behind only Connie Mack and John McGraw having since been passed by Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and Joe Torre).

He was truly one of the game's greats and his retirement as well as his passing have come all too soon. Not long ago I had read Mark Frost's excellent book Game Six about the 1975 World Series and gained a new found appreciation for the genius and character of Sparky Anderson.

So long, Sparky. You will be missed.

Put Me In, Coach

In 1984, John Fogerty was trying to make a musical comeback with his album, Centerfield. He didn't know at the time the album would end up being a huge hit. The title track was his love song to baseball. He didn't think that would get much airplay. He was wrong. It was an immediate sensation and was played at ballparks everywhere. More importantly, it's been the opening song played at the National Baseball Hall of Fame's induction ceremony for the past 10 years. On July 25, the Hall of Fame will honor the song during this year's induction ceremony. If baseball didn't already have an anthem in "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" then "Centerfield" would certainly be it.

Baseball's Anthem

It's over 100 years old and one of the most popular songs ranking only behind "Happy Birthday" and "The Star Spangled Banner" in how many times it is sung. It was written by a guy who had never even seen a baseball game (at least up to that point). It wasn't sung in ballparks until about thirty years after it was written yet it was a huge hit at the time of its initial release. It is of course, Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The Baseball Hall of Fame has the entire fascinating history of the song.

On my very first trip to Wrigley Field, I got to join in with the crowd and the king of the anthem, Harry Caray in singing the song during the 7th inning stretch. Caray more than anyone else helped popularize the song.