Fantasy Core RPG: The Sorcerer

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.
Fantasy Core PDF 
NPC PDF

NPC Index

The Sorcerer

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save
1st	+0	+0	+0	+2
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+3
3rd	+1	+1	+1	+3
4th	+2	+1	+1	+4
5th	+2	+1	+1	+4
6th	+3	+2	+2	+5
7th	+3	+2	+2	+5
8th	+4	+2	+2	+6
9th	+4	+3	+3	+6
10th	+5	+3	+3	+7

Description: Most magic Sensitives are discovered early on and are referred to either the Wizard Council or the Church (Paladin training), depending on the nature of their abilities. A few slip through the cracks.  Usually a Sensitive is lacking the training to cast spells and is only a slight danger to anyone (poltergeist-like effects, firestarter, etc) or might have some minor, uncontrolled healing ability or can sense undead/demons. 

● A Sorcerer somehow had access to some spell knowledge or an unqualified instructor, and was able to figure out how to cast spells.  They are unable to really learn spells in a scholarly sense, and having few resources, a Sorcerer will only know a handful of spells. 

Hit Die: d6.

Prime Ability: Int.

Subprime Abilities: Str and Con.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sorcerers are proficient with dagger, club, light crossbow, dart, staff, and short sword. They are proficient with leather armor (and magic Elven chain mail), but not with shields.

Standard Starting Gear: 5+1d10 GP, pack, 3 days rations, waterskin, 2 useful items, dagger or staff.

Spells

Sorcerers do not keep a spellbook, nor do they have access to a reliable mentor or magic organization.  If they read a read spell from a scroll or book or even see it performed, they will either intuitively understand it or (more likely) never figure it out.  They may learn up 5^th level spells and only up to their Int bonus in spells per level (including Cantrips).  They may not cast any Ceremony spells.

A Player Character Sorcerer [the author shakes his head and sighs] may start with 0 and 1^st levels spells, up to their Int Bonus, in each.  (So, up to 4 Cantrips and 4 1^st level spells)  All further spells must be acquired in-game: bought, bartered, found, stolen, or observed (and if Read Magic isn’t one of your Cantrips, this is the only way you learn new spells). 

A Sorcerer may spend a day attempting to learn and practice a spell, DC 12 + Spell level vs Int Bonus + ½ level.  If successful, they learn the spell.  If unsuccessful, they must roll a DC 12 + Spell level Will Sv or permanently lose 1 Wis point.  (Yes, just like Call of Cthulhu, the more Saves you blow, the harder it is to make them.)  At 6 Wis, the Character becomes eccentric (Player’s choice on how to play that.)  At 3 Wis, the Character becomes hopelessly insane and is taken over by the Ref.  Choose new spells carefully.                  

An NPC Sorcerer could have anything in terms of spells.  A low-level Sorcerer having a high-level spell is almost certainly seriously demented.  By strange contrast, a high-level Sorcerer is probably a very cautious individual and only focuses on low-level spells.  A high-level Sorcerer with high-level spells must be a rather lucky person.    

Spellcasting

Sorcerers know few spells, but they are very good at the ones they know.  Spellcheck: Int bonus + 1/2 level vs. DC 8 + Spell Level.  With 3 cumulative failures in a turn/encounter, all magic use is suspended pending 1 turn of rest.  A spellcaster must roll to activate a spell, even if their Spell Check is greater than the spell’s DC.  A Natural 1 is a Botch, meaning all spellcasting is immediately suspended until the caster has had 1 turn of rest.  A Saving Throw against a spell has a DC of 12 + 1/2 caster level.

Notes

The trained spellcasters often regards Sorcerers as rabid dogs needing to be put down.

Sorcerers often live furtive lives, trying to stay a step ahead of the Wizard Council (or other authorities).  No legitimate person, organization, or government agency will have anything to do with them.  Only questionable employers (like crime syndicates and rebellions) will take them in.  A wealthy benefactor could keep them as a secret magic-user, but they’d have to be very discreet or very well connected.  

(Obviously this is a gimped Wizard.  However, their ability to cast virtually any standard spell at any caster level makes them extremely dangerous and potentially game-breaking.  They’d make great villains and very frustrating Characters, for Ref’s and players.)   

Baseball Journal--Yankee Rant Take 2

[Three months later, I got set off again on this subject.]

8-31-12

This bugged me. A couple of Fox Sports Radio hosts were discussing the big Dodger/Red Sox trade. They agreed with the consensus of sports reporters that think that it was good for baseball. [Certainly it wasn't good for the teams involved.] Probably mostly because it was a good, reportable story more than anything, but their ostensive reasoning is that it puts a big spending team on the West coast to balance the East coast teams. But did this action just highlight the payroll disparities between the big market and small market teams? Heavens no! Just look at the great small market teams, and further more look at all that money they get from the luxury tax on the big spending teams.

Now here's what irritated me. It was then mentioned that one team receiving luxury tax money was being forced to spend it on the team, instead of the owner just pocketing it. On some level, this is a correct and proper ruling. The MLB has had a revelation that increased competition between the teams is a good thing. Not parity like that overly popular NFL has, mind you. You see, the Yankees always need to make the playoffs, and preferably the Red Sox and an LA team as well. (If the MLB could force the Cubs to win ballgames, they'd do it.) Enough competition so that these teams aren't playing a baseball equivalent of the Washington Generals (the Harlem Globetrotters' foil). This has worked up to a point. As long as the big spending teams get in, MLB doesn't care who wins the World Series. If smaller payroll teams like the Rockies and Rays contend every so often, that's okay. Everyone is somewhat happy.

Back to why I'm annoyed [maybe I should have got to the point quicker in this], the MLB doesn't tell the Yankees how to spend their money or how much profit they can make. [Did I read somewhere that the Yankees didn't actually make money?] Obviously they don't need to, but it's been acknowledged that some teams are going to need welfare in order to compete with the Yankees. If you're going to be an owner in Major League Baseball, you've got to be able to compete and if you're going to take welfare, we're going to tell you how to spend it. This has an internal logic, but not an overall one.

It has been established [once again] that the MLB (like all sports leagues) is selling competition, and that the competition has to have some measure of equality in order to be interesting, otherwise it's an exhibition. Certainly some teams will be better than others due to management, coaching, and players. Over time, all teams should have their up's and down's. However, these differences should not be overwhelmingly financial. Yeah, some teams are worth more and draw much better than others (TV and attendance). If they can't all play competitively, it doesn't matter. Eventually the value of the bad franchises will have to drag down the value of the perennially good ones and their gate. [Wow, that point is questionable.] Even terrible franchises in the NFL are worth an enormous amount of money. [Actually true. Every NFL franchise is on the list of the top 50 most valuable sports franchises in the world.] Meanwhile, the MLB can't find worthwhile new owners at any decent price. [This is how shysters like Jeffrey Loria can acquire and milk the Expos and Marlins, and how Frank McCourt ended up with the Dodgers.]

How are smaller market teams achieving any success? The Fox Sports Radio hosts [remember them? The people who started me up on this] were somewhat critical of some of these teams using their luxury tax money to build up their farm system. This is what I'd expect from a former player [though I'm not naming names]. They want the money spent on free agents, in order to drive up veteran salaries. The small market teams need to focus on developing their own talent and hope for a good crop. Lock up the best ones at a decent price. Maybe add a couple of mid-range veteran free agents for their experience. Make a run at it for a few years. If any of your expensive picks goes bust, you're dealing off the rest and having to start over. Likewise, win or lose, all your good young talent will eventually dessert you, or you'll have to trade them off in order to get something for them.

Let's say you're the Yankees. How do you run that team? You invest in the farm system and hope for a couple of real gems to appear, but everyone else is trade bait. Your team is stacked with former number one pitchers off other teams, superstar free agents, and future hall of famers, also developed by other teams. If any of these big salaries don't pay off, no problem, you can just buy more. The size of the roster is probably the Yankees biggest problem, they can't grab as many great players as they want to.

[Regrettably or fortunately, the rant finally rambled into complete incoherence at this point. Something about the Yankees and Red Sox doing a travelling show around the country instead of playing the Royals and such, and some comparison with highly unequal college football programs. Thank God this ended before somebody got hurt. I hope I've gotten this out of my system, but no guarantees.]

Fantasy Core RPG: The Bard

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.
Fantasy Core PDF 
NPC PDF

NPC Index

The Bard

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save
1st	+1	+0	+2	+2
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+3
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5
7th	+4	+2	+5	+5
8th	+5	+2	+6	+6
9th	+5	+3	+6	+6
10th	+6	+3	+7	+7

Description: Wit, song, and satire are the tools of the travelling minstrels.  Those wanting fame for their deeds spread abroad, would do well to entreat a Bard with their tales, a meal, and some coin.  Their tales of the world and legends could also be quite valuable. 

Hit Die: d6.

Prime Abilities: Cha, Dex, Int, Wis

Subprime Ability: Con, Str

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bards are proficient with dagger (melee and thrown), club, and rapier.  They do not wear armor, but favor flashy, expensive clothing.

Standard Starting Gear: 1d10 GP, hip flask, 1 useful item, lute, flute, 2 daggers.

Bardic Music: Bards are known for their musical ability and will have some proficiency in any instrument (or can pick it up quickly).  Usually they will have a lute and a small flute (cf. a recorder or a tin whistle) with them.  Of course, they’ve got their voice with them as well.  1 + (Cha + Wis)/2 + ½ Level to use.

● Healing (DC 12): May be used to add ½ level to others’ Healing or Stabilizing attempts, while at rest.

● Soothing (DC is 10 + HD): May be used to calm animals and the insane.  This cannot be used in combat.

● Countersong (DC is 10 + HD): May counteract the effect any sort of musical attack.  Bards themselves are always fully immune.

Bardic Performance

1 + (Cha + Wis)/2 + ½ Level to use, DC 12 Social/DC 18 Hostile Crowd.

Performance is what the Bard is all about.  Here is where the Bard may sway the crowd by lampooning a target with satire, promoting a cause or person, or just generally putting people in a good mood (and distracted).  They may also accompany another speaker attempting to rally a crowd.  With a good performance, add +4 to someone else’s attempt to influence the audience or a specific person.  Assume at least 1 turn for any performance. 

Performance pricing is whimsical depending on the level of the Bard and who they're performing for, but generally Level x 10.  The best Bards would obviously be in the employ of the wealthy or royalty, and on some permanent retainer.  They tend to make this money disappear quickly due to their spendthrift lifestyle, so they’re always looking for their next gig or a rich patron.

Bardic Knowledge: Bards get around and hear lots of stories and rumors.  Int Bonus + ½ level, DC 12 minor factoid, DC 18 very specific.  This skill is good for general area rumors, trivia, personalities, and gossip, not anything scholarly.  Please don't roll if the knowledge is somehow important to the story.  If nothing else, Bards will know who to go to to get special information. 

Bard Skills: The Bard adds 1 + ½ level + ability bonuses to attempts.  In general, figure DC 12 for difficult tasks or against someone of equal or less HD; DC 18 for very hard tasks or higher HD.  

● (Dex + Int + Wis)/3: Stealth (Hiding, sneaking), Escape Artist

● (Dex + Str)/2: Acrobatics (Balancing, jumping), Climb

● (Cha + Wis)/2: Charm, Negotiate, Intimidate (Psychologically), Disguise

Bardic Magic: A Bard’s charm may indeed be supernaturally based.  Some Bards have some natural minor magic abilities.  Not wanting to be under the thumb of the Wizard Council, such Bards keep their abilities a secret. 

● They may know 0 and 1^st level spells equal to their Int Bonus (up to 4 each).  They will not be able to acquire more spells.  They would likely know spells such as Ghost Sounds and Lights, Detect Magic, Sleep (combined with a performance), Disguise Self, and such.  Nothing splashy or obvious. 

● Spellcheck: Int bonus + ½ level vs. DC 12 + Spell Level. (Cantrips are DC 10.)  With 2 cumulative failures in a turn/encounter, all magic use is suspended pending 1 turn of rest.

Notes

Mistreatment of a Bard or any whom he knows or anyone he sees too full of

themselves, will feel his barbs and gain an unwanted reputation wherever they go.  Glories will be repeated into many ears.  Infamy passes through many more via Bardic songs, even outside of the mortal world.  They are well known and connected.  They are loved by their friends and hated by their enemies (which is why they are somewhat handy with a sword).  Bards will have many of both.  They can yield many dividends as allies, or they can be deadly, almost unhurtable foes (killing a popular Bard will get you lynched quickly).  

(This would be an interesting Character class in a social setting, but probably not one you’d want to take into a dungeon, not that a Bard would be caught dead in such an unfashionable place.  They could be great fun as an NPC, especially played as a capacious prick, whom the group is forced to deal with.  Not always an enemy, but certainly not a trustworthy friend.)      

Baseball Journal--Yankee Rant Take 1

[I did this not once, but twice during the season. Pretty much out of nowhere, I just went off the rails ranting about Yankee baseball economics. Not the team, just the way the franchise is run and how it effects the rest of the league. I don't think I ever really came to an actual point in either. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to do so here in revision either, so I'm pretty much putting these up as is. This is a big subject. Leaving baseball economics as they are will have its fans, but also has significant risks.]


5-8-12

"Don't be a Yankees fan." A co-worker told me he was planning on getting into baseball and needed to pick a favorite team. [He didn't do either.] I'm not exactly an expert on that subject, but I am sure about Yankee fans. They're bitter, really. What do you really get to enjoy as a Yankees fan? Fans of other teams accusing you of buying championships? Getting into the playoffs? Happens every year or the manager is fired. Winning the World Series? That's already happened 27 times. Winning the most World Series? You already have twice as many as the next most, the Cardinals.

Given how much your players cost and your winning tradition, winning the World Series every year is the only satisfactory outcome. Anything less is a wasted season. Better spend more in the off season. Beat your competitors via the balance sheet.

This is MLB's conundrum. The Yankees are their most popular team with the most fans. When the Yankees aren't in the Series, national ratings drop badly. I think this is largely because Yankee fans won't watch if their team isn't involved. They're not baseball fans; they're Yankee fans. So if the MLB instituted a hard salary cap and NFL-like parity, the Yankees would have to have more normal franchise up's and down's. This would irritate the large base of Yankee fans and drop post-season ratings.

But by continuing the current structure, the Yankees and other big market teams can always spend their way out organizational mistakes. Smaller market teams will briefly catch fire every so often, but won't be able to maintain success as they lose their best players to big market free agency and pay dearly whenever they make a contractual mistake. The potential popularity of these teams is being throttled.

To compare with the NFL, probably half the teams in the league have a sizable nationwide fan base. In baseball, maybe four or five teams could truly claim that. And given how long some of these teams have been around compared to football, it's truly pitiful. Professional sports sells competition. It has to be fair on some level to be interesting. If the Yankees put the rest of the league out of business, nobody's going to pay to watch them take infield 162 times a year. Likewise, a travelling road show playing against completely inferior opponents would have all the repeat entertainment value of a Harlem Globetrotters game. How many Washington Generals fans are there out there?

Every time a small market baseball team goes into a losing cycle, their fan base, down to its civic core gets razed along with it. It's very hard to build up a winning tradition and pass it along generationally and geographically. As good as the Rays have been for the last few years, they have few fans around the country and have trouble attracting them in Tampa Bay, where large numbers of transplanted and retired Yankee fans show up to root against the home team. The Rays are probably desperate enough for paying customers that they welcome them. The Marlins, meanwhile, have won two World Series almost in spite of the local population's indifference.

The Yankee's popularity is ultimately good for the MLB as a corporation, but bad for the sport in general. Sort of like how Tiger Woods is to the PGA or Dale Jr. is to NASCAR. Any sport cannot allow the majority of its popularity to concentrate on any one entity without risking overall unpopularity. Even as popular as the Lakers are in the NBA, the league makes sure they are always challenged by good teams. I'm not advocating for fewer Yankee fans, but rather for more fans of the other teams. For that, baseball needs more fans.

While the Yankees get quite a bit of exposure, not everyone has access to the YES network to see them on a daily basis. Most baseball fans or potential fans live in some other team's market. A casual or new fan is much more likely to support the local/regional team if they're winning. But if they're always bad or go boom and bust (like the Marlins), your new potential fan is much less likely to get involved in any way other than a tertiary manner. Obviously all managements and owners aren't equal, but why would potential new and more competent owners take over if certain teams are always able to outspend them because of their location and league rules?

I don't think the Yankees lose fans if all the teams in the MLB all played by the same economic rules. I do think that other teams have a decent chance of increasing theirs.

Unfortunately, this is going to be continued.

Fantasy Core RPG: Sample Alchemist Wares

FANTASY CORE RPG
(c) Jerry Harris, 2012
Published here as Open Game Content.
Fantasy Core PDF 
NPC PDF

NPC Index

Alchemist Wares

Alchemists are the Medieval scientist.  Unlike Wizards, the Alchemist's powers may theoretically be duplicable by anyone, which is why they jealously guard their secrets and discoveries.  Lacking a really firm grasp of physics however, their inventions and concoctions success tend to be a bit iffy.  The most reliable of their kind work for kings and rulers.  The rest tend to be quacks and con men.  These people do not adventure, but may sell goods to those who do or contract out others to gather materials. 

They may be up to 5th level.  Alchemists who continue in the profession too long tend to end up either getting lynched for failed products or blowing themselves up.  The best are usually in the employ of royalty or the wealthy. 

An Alchemist's inventions will work at a rate of Int bonus + 1/2 level, DC 12 for minor concoctions, DC 18 for more potent ones.  Roll for success when the concoction is actually used.  Failed inventions may work initially only to suddenly go out or have ill effects shortly thereafter.

Acid 10 gp (DC 12): You can throw a flask of acid as a splash weapon. A direct hit deals 1d6 points of acid damage and lose -1 to non-dex/magical armor. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the acid hits takes 1 point of acid damage from the splash. Will also burn through locks and other metal objects if poured on them.

Alchemist's (Greek) Fire 20 gp (DC 18): You can throw a flask of Alchemist's Fire as a splash weapon. Treat this attack as a ranged attack with a range increment of 10 feet.  A direct hit deals 1d6 points of fire damage. Every creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of fire damage from the splash. On the round following a direct hit, the target takes an additional 1d6 points of damage. If desired, the target can use a full-round action to attempt to extinguish the flames before taking this additional damage. Leaping into a lake or magically extinguishing the flames automatically smothers the fire.

Antitoxin 50 gp (DC 12): If you drink antitoxin, you get a +5 alchemical bonus on Fortitude saving throws against poison for 1 hour.

Everburning Torch 110 gp (DC 12): This otherwise normal torch has a continual flame spell cast upon it. An everburning torch clearly illuminates a 20-foot radius and provides shadowy illumination out to a 40-foot radius.  It will go out within a day of being lit.

"Holy" Water 25 gp (DC 12): Holy water (not actually holy, a chemical concoction) damages undead creatures and evil outsiders almost as if it were acid. A flask of holy water can be thrown as a splash weapon. A direct hit by a flask of holy water deals 2d4 points of damage + Stun 1 rd to an undead creature or an evil outsider. Each such creature within 5 feet of the point where the flask hits takes 1 point of damage from the splash.

Smokestick 20 gp (DC 12): This alchemically treated wooden stick instantly creates thick, opaque smoke when ignited. The smoke fills a 10- foot cube.  The stick is consumed after 1 round, and the smoke dissipates naturally.

Sunrod 2 gp (DC 12): This 1-foot-long, gold-tipped, iron rod glows brightly when struck. It clearly illuminates a 30-foot radius and provides shadowy illumination in a 60-foot radius. It glows for 6 hours, after which the gold tip is burned out and worthless.

Tanglefoot Bag 50 gp (DC 18): When you throw a Tanglefoot Bag at a creature, the bag comes apart and the goo bursts out, entangling the target and then becoming tough and resilient upon exposure to air. An entangled creature is glued to the floor (or unable to fly) can break free by making a DC 12 Strength check or Escape Artist check. A creature trying to scrape goo off itself can do so within 4 rds, or 2 if another creature is assisting.  An application of universal solvent to a stuck creature dissolves the alchemical goo immediately.

Thunderstone 30 gp (DC 18): When this stone strikes a hard surface (or is struck hard), it creates a deafening bang within a 20 ft radius that is treated as a sonic attack. A deafened creature, in addition to the obvious effects, will act last in any combat rd and lose any spell casting ability.  Lasts 4 rds.

Tindertwig 1 gp (DC 12): The alchemical substance on the end of this small, wooden stick ignites when struck against a rough surface. Creating a flame with a Tindertwig is much faster than creating a flame with flint and steel (or a magnifying glass) and tinder. Lighting a torch with a Tindertwig is a standard action (rather than a full-round action), and lighting any other fire with one is at least a standard action.

Universal Solvent 25 gp (DC 12): Will dissolve anything in a turn or less (except it's ceramic container jar).  Works too slow to function as a weapon. 

Panacea 50 gp (DC 12): Cures all hp damage and any disease conditions.  Failure is a sickening poison (incapacitated 1 turn).

Alchemical Gold 5 gp/gold bar (DC 18): This fakery will last one day if successful, only an hour otherwise.  

PED's 20 gp (DC 12): Yes, Performance Enhancing Drugs.  If successful, it will boost one ability stat to +4 for 1 turn/encounter.  On failure, the imbiber is rendered sickened for 1 turn.  No way to tell without swallowing it.  Taking more than one per day is guaranteed failure.  

Sleeping Potion 50 gp (DC 12): On a failed Fort Sv (DC 18), the imbiber is knocked out cold for a day.  If the potion fails, the victim doesn't wake up or wakes up in 1 turn, whichever would be worse. 

Gunpowder Bomb 200 gp (DC 12): Bowling ball sized, a bomb will normally destroy anything it's put against.  Using it against anything other than a stationary target is simply begging for a comedic result.  With a three-rd fuse and running away to shelter, you can escape damage, otherwise the wielder will be within the blast radius.  (Note: Attempting to use gunpowder to create a makeshift cannon is going to end in disaster, unless you're character is Captain Kirk.)

Grenade 75 gp (DC 12): Typically causes 4d6 damage to a 10’ area, 1/2 damage with successful Ref Sv.  These have a 1 rd fuse, and the thrower will need to have cover or they will take damage as well.  Failure means it's a dud, but roll again.  A second failure means a late fuse, and it goes off in 2 rds.

Alchemist's Lab 500 gp: Feeling lucky?  Wanna try your hand at mixing your own chemicals?  Failed attempts are 50% likely to explode (1d10 to everyone within 10’) or produce noxious gasses (DC 12 Fort Sv or rendered unconscious).

Special Concoctions 100 gp (DC 18): Sure Alchemists take requests.  This would probably be something along the lines of a special bane against a monster or maybe a mass effect drug.  Anything that involves on-site mixing a couple of chemicals to produce a gas would fall into this category.   

Personal Concoctions not for sale (DC 10): Alchemists should have specialties that they are very good at.  These are only for personal use or for trusted patrons.  The Alchemist may be protective of the formula to the point that they will not allow anyone else to take possession of them, and will insist on activating them themselves.  

Baseball Journal MLB Rewind 11-18-12

8-25-12

They've fired the players and kept the manager. Well, I'm pretty sure the Boston Red Sox will be firing Valentine at the end of the season anyway. [That wasn't much of prediction. I think we all saw that one coming.] Let's see, they're sending Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto to the Dodgers for James Loney and miscellaneous. That's the best player on the Red Sox and a couple of high-priced washouts, for a guy who's never lived up to his potential and an entourage. And a $162 MILLION difference in salary!

LA wanted to make a big splash for their upcoming TV deal (much like their cross-town rival Angels), and the Sox dumped a huge amount of payroll. For what? Getting Josh Hamilton? Dream on. (And even if they get him, it's just going to be another unhappy relationship.) [Seriously, who would be a good fit there at this point?]

Did the Red Sox really have to get rid of their best player, just to get rid of Beckett and Crawford? I shouldn't have been surprised that this deal cleared waivers given who was involved and the money involved. Sure the Dodgers wanted A-Gon, but what a steep, questionable price to pay for him.

With the Giants and the Dodgers locked in a fight for the division, Ken Rosenthal, in San Francisco for Fox's game of the week, was asked how the Giants' reacted. One of the coaches said, "We've scared them so bad, they went out and got a whole new team." One of the players added, "They're the same players that weren't winning in Boston." [As it turned out, the Giants' confidence was well founded. I'll add here, we now know the short-term effects of this deal. The long-term effects are still up in the air. I'll fearlessly predict that Adrian Gonzalez will still be great.]


9-3-12

I don't know what I'm doing wrong in life, but I'm experiencing yet another Twins game this season. It's been fairly uncanny how often I keep encountering their games. Right now, it's against the White Sox, courtesy of ESPN Radio. They're not a good team this year, nor in a big media market. I don't seek them out (since I don't like them), and of the teams I get regular exposure to (Diamondbacks, Rangers, Rockies, Cubs, White Sox), they're only a division foe of the White Sox. I can't explain it.

This Labor Day/three-day weekend, I've also gotten a steady dose of the Washington Nationals. It's hard not to be impressed by Bryce Harper. If "hustle" were a quantifiable stat, he and fellow rookie, Mike Trout, would be leading the league. I've seen Harper take second on the a single, and take home from first, twice. He's a spark plug. Let's hope he doesn't lose a step for a long time.

Meanwhile, the only story with the Nationals is the season-long saga of Stephen Strassburg. He's a start or two away from being shutdown for the season, in spite of the Nat's impending, inaugural playoff run. If they don't win the World Series, there's going to be head wagging, finger pointing, hand wringing, and a heavy dose of recriminations and criticism. Strassburg may be scarred for life anyway. Either way he'll always know in the future that he should have had a ring (or another ring), but was denied the chance. [Or not. Everything bad could be washed away by winning it all in 2013.]

File this under things that don't show up on the scorecard. During today's matinee between the Cubs and the Nats, the scoreboard erroneously showed the Cubs having gotten a run in the middle of an inning, which they never actually scored. Len and Bob had a good time with this. "Labor Day celebrations started early for the scorekeeper." "Maybe there's a Cubs fan in the scorer's box with some optimistic thinking." "Cubs fans have temporarily seized control of the scoreboard." Like everywhere else, there were quite a few in attendance.

I'm embarrassed to mention that all this Nationals talk has finally solved a mystery for me. The Nat's previous incarnation as the Montreal Expos' hat had always puzzled me for its logo and color scheme. A few years ago, I did finally discern the "M" for Montreal in the logo. It was like a "Magic Eye" painting to me. I just couldn't see it. It wasn't until this weekend that the light finally came on about the colors. Why would a Canadian team were red, white, and blue? Because it's representing the French Tri-Color there in Franco-phile Quebec, of course. No wonder the team failed to catch on in the rest of Canada. [I'm sure I've now firmly established my baseball credentials.]

Meanwhile, after firing the team, the Red Sox management hover on the precipice of firing the manager. Sportswriters across the country dust off the piece they wrote the day Bobby Valentine got hired about his inevitable dismissal. They now just need to fill in the updated details and conditions. [I jumped the gun on this by a month, but everybody saw this coming. Some (such as myself), from Day One.]


9-6-12

The oddities of dome play. Rogers Center in Toronto almost had their first rain out as the roof failed to close all the way during a storm. A torrent of water fell through the crack onto the field. Conflictingly, then the fire alarm went off. Why do they have artificial turf in a retractable roof stadium anyway? Meanwhile in Tampa Bay, a large bird got loose inside the dome and flew around the roof, looking for an escape. I wonder if they have a rule if somebody had hit the bird with a pop up? Hitting the first catwalk, it's a dead ball. Second catwalk, it's a foul. Avian interference, ground rule double.


9-9-12

The Giants lost a close one to the Dodgers on Saturday, but they didn't beat Posey. He gunned down three baserunners. Why would they ever want to move this guy to first base?

Meanwhile, the Cubs completed a sweep of the Pirates on Sunday. Rookie catcher, Anthony Recker, hit his first home run early on. It went out to dead center field and I think it went off the end of his bat. Recker is a very strong-looking specimen. After the inning, one of the grounds crew went up in the shrubbery to find the ball, which he quickly did. Maybe. Replay showed the ball landing in different place. He was on his walkie-talkie after snagging the ball. You could almost read his lips. "Look, I found a damn homerun ball. What difference does it make whose?"

[Is it over? Is it? Is it over? Yes! The nightmare of typing up this handwritten journal is over. I may keep a log next season, but I won't do it like this. Still, nice to reminisce. At some point in writing these entries I evolved a set of rules. Only comment on games I've actually seen (or seen part of) and try to focus on stuff other than play-by-play accounts, stuff that doesn't show up on the scorecard, and only comment on issues if I have something worthwhile to say. Obviously, I couldn't even keep to those simple rules all of the time, but it was a great way to really get into the sport for most of the season. Highly recommended.]