All posts by jeffrey

Saltpeter

Incumbents’ Credibility Crushed

Incumbents face hurdles as recent changes challenge past statements.

From the looks of it, incumbents Kris Valstad and Joe Eddy McDonald have a mighty big hole to dig themselves out of in their reelection campaigns.

The City’s recent about-face on controversies surrounding City Manager Nelson Oliva—most notably the affordable housing program operated by his former company and supposedly run by his college-aged daughters—has only made the two incumbents’ past praise for Oliva–along with their efforts to minimize the controversy–all the more relevant.

On Aug. 26, during a candidate roundtable event, Kris Valstad said the affordable housing issue had been solved. But apparently it hadn’t been. A little over a month later at a candidate forum at City Hall, Valstad heralded the work of Nelson Oliva and his company, NEO, for reviving the city’s affordable housing program in the wake of a scandal.

Valstad did not recognize the irony in his statement: Oliva arrived and departed (albeit on an interim basis) amidst alleged wrongdoing. He also did not address the question he was asked, which centered on the legitimacy of the $1.1 million no-bid contract awarded to NEO in June. All that Valstad’s non-answer did was reinforce the point that he did not consider the matter to be important. But that no longer seems to be the case.

During those two candidate events, Joe Eddy McDonald chastised press coverage of the issue. He even cautioned that the city simply could not be run if residents believed what they read in the newspaper. McDonald also suggested that the criticism surrounding the issue was coming from elitists within the city that solely did not want lower-income housing. This set of statements highlights the rather contentious relationship McDonald has had with residents—at least with those who ask questions.

It is a citizen’s responsibility to engage with government officials, ask questions and request clarification in order to better understand how their tax dollars are being spent. It is a cornerstone of our nation’s democracy. But McDonald does not seem to want any part of it. McDonald is visibly irritated while residents address the council from the podium during city council meetings, and his responses—if there is one—are regularly curt and abrasive.

Where there is smoke, there is likely fire, and putting truth to paper—although it is difficult to read at times—is necessary for a public to retain control over their government. The reports published in the Contra Costa Times, which the incumbents had routinely cast as inaccurate and blown out of proportion, were part of an investigation into the City’s policies and misleading statements regarding its affordable housing program. It was a citizen-driven investigation. It was not a witch hunt.

Despite the recent change in city manager and a demand for a complete review of the affordable housing program, the incumbents face a daunting task this election in convincing voters that they were not stubborn in their consistent denial of any improprieties, in appearance or actuality. One only has to look at the incumbents’ very recent statements on the matter to understand how deep their denial has taken them, and how seriously it has diminished their credibility in this election.

Saltpeter

City Attorney Must be Replaced Next

More change is necessary at City Hall.

The city of Hercules announced this week the appointment of an interim city manager, Charles Long, an outsider who helped Pinole in recent years through a troubling scenario not dissimilar to the issues currently facing Hercules.

Although City Manager Nelson Oliva is officially on medical leave for three months, the City Council has acknowledged a series of errors and mistakes in judgment over the course of Oliva’s at-times rocky tenure. The council’s appointment of an outsider is welcomed, but it is just the first step.

First off, what took so long? The company line out of City Hall for months was that nothing was wrong, and that in time, the whole story would be revealed and everything would prove to be aboveboard. That whole story never came.

For months, residents complained of apparent nepotism and a lack of accountability and openness at the podium during City Council meetings. There was no response from the city. Two scathing editorials were written by the Contra Costa Times, first last October and then in July, and there was still no response from the city, except a friendly suggestion to not believe what you read in the newspaper.

Even when a grand jury report was released, which outlined eight findings and five recommendations on the subjects of the city’s affordable housing department and lack of accountability and access to government, the city responded a month later with a churlish, spiteful letter. It didn’t seem to matter that the City agreed with seven of the eight findings and four of the five recommendations.

It wasn’t until the most recent editorial appeared in the Contra Costa Times—the one that called for voters to “take back control” and elect the two challengers running for City Council on Nov. 2—that the City reluctantly responded. And the council’s appointment of an interim city manager is certainly a step in the right direction.

Among other things, the interim city manager is tasked with conducting a complete review of the affordable housing program and every consultant contract, a full management audit, and implementing a program to improve communications between city government and the community.

One troubling fact remains however. One person was there every step of the way: the city attorney. If the City Council is finally admitting that some of the business it had conducted, and how the city had conducted its business, was wrong or misguided—in the wake of countless resident objections at the podium, three scathing editorials, and a grand jury investigation—how can the council retain the city attorney who had guided and counseled them along the way?

If what had taken place was indeed wrong—and kudos to the council for finally admitting this unsettling, inconvenient fact—how can the City Attorney, who had contended that all that had taken place was right (and who still has not admitted any fallacies in his judgment), be part of the transition forward?

City Attorney Mick Cabral’s advice and counsel was misguided. His defense of the city’s actions did nothing but amplify residents’ distrust of city government. And Cabral’s written response to the grand jury demonstrated hostility and contempt for open government laws.

A change in city manager was a positive first step. The replacement of the city attorney is the next logical one. It’s also necessary. It has to be done to heal the wounds. It has to be done for the city to regain the public’s trust.

Untitled 1980

The Free Library

I read a lot of books growing up — similar to most children, I suppose — pretty much any book I could get my hands on. The Boxcar Children, Encyclopedia Brown, anything. I had so many books I decided to start a library in my bedroom. I stacked the books neatly, created a library card and return slips with 3×5 index cards, and I invited my first customer into my room, my younger sister.

I am not sure which book she borrowed, but it was probably an Encyclopedia Brown, since following the thorough checkout process, she had returned to the library to borrow another book within an hour or two. (Encyclopedia Brown reads fast.)

I was caught off-guard and somewhat upset at the notion of a speedy return. I immediately established a new rule for a minimum borrowing time — that a book could not be returned within one day of checking it out — if only to validate the extensive effort of checkout. My sister thought that that idea was stupid, and that she wouldn’t borrow another book under such a rule.

The library folded later that day.

§ [insert_php] the_ID(); [/insert_php] · Originally published [insert_php] the_time(‘F j, Y’); [/insert_php].

Coach's Notes

Notes on Game 16

Another game. Another loss, 25 to 8.

  • We are historically bad.
  • We are certainly better than how we are playing, but that is not saying much, and it doesn’t help any. Let’s try to salvage the season, win a few games, and bust some playoff hopes for the other teams. And then let’s get drunk.
  • Our next game is at 7:20. Phew.
  • The re-tooled lineup worked very well yesterday. If we didn’t have that one muther-fuckin inning, we would have all had another at-bat or two. I plan on continuing to re-tool. Once again, if you have ideas on the lineup, please let me know (and feel free to remain anonymous).
  • It is my understanding that we do not need to practice, since only three players (myself included) showed up last Sunday.
  • I had never witnessed a 1-5-4 double play until last night.
  • Where are the women? Eric’s improved livestock surely cannot be all that’s available to root for the Superbas. (And whatever happened to Dom No. 24?)
  • No one struck out last night, the first time this season. That being said, we already have $50 from this year’s fundraiser and $80 from last year (although collection will be an issue, I know), so planning for the end-of-the-year bash has begun. Tim has mentioned that his place may be available (in Walnut Creek), and B.H. has a place (in Napa) that should do fine as well. (If we continue to strikeout at our current rate, we may have enough cash-on-hand to host two fests.)
  • I have posted the batting statistics and batting leaders through the first four games (a tad earlier than I had planned, but oh well). The statistics include the RLS and TRP, two stats that I have created. I have defined the two thoroughly on the website, but I will post the definitions to the blog shortly. I will also post the definitions of the minimum number of plate appearances and how I break ties on the leader board.
  • Direct quote from our second baseman during last night’s higher thought sessions following the game at the bar/pizzeria at Willow Pass and East Olivera: “They didn’t call him Magic Johnson for nothing.”
Uncategorized

Ruminating on a failed government

The state is broken, yet I am intrigued by the circumstance. (This post is an aberration of sorts.)

Mark DeSaulnier is coming to town, well, Pinole. The state senator will be hosting a town hall event on state reform Thursday evening in what I would presume to be a packed Pinole City Hall. Unfortunately, “proposals […] on the pressing need for state government reform” is not all that is needed to right the California ship. The state needs to do like France and wave the flag of a second bear republic (or third, depending on the count, while obviously maintaining ties to the union, of course; no South Carolinian separatist first-man-overboard motives here).

A rewriting of the state’s constitution is clearly essential; a constitutional convention in Sacramento, er, Monterey. Anything short of a complete rewrite is merely surficial; the root of the problem is deep and unmoving.

An aversion to taxes — to the point of being perverse — is a principal culprit, in my opinion. Nothing in government is more powerful than local taxes (and nothing is more tangible). If you desire better schools, more police and fire protection, well-kept parks or preserved open spaces, taxes collected and spent at the local level is the answer. And the more taxes kept local, the better.

But in the climate of a body politic, both state-wide and local, demanding no new taxes (pay the teachers by cutting police; pay the police by cutting prisons; pay for prisons by cutting parks; pay for parks — well, get rid of the parks altogether, I guess), meaningful reform is simply not possible beyond a very, very long list of overly positive assumptions. Proposition 13 should be repealed, sure; but government could surely be smaller even if it is repealed and taxation was normalized, stabilized. Local taxes — taxes paid by me, and my neighbor, to pay for streets, schools, parks and police — nothing is more effective.

But the state’s constitution — as it stands — can not stand. This may be an extreme view, but a wholesale reform of the system is needed (the way politicians are elected, the way taxes are collected and tax dollars spent, the amendment/initiative process, etc., everything). This perilous occasion may be perceived as an insult — the failure of a government to serve its people — but it is also an opportunity, nothing short of priceless in its uniqueness, and an equally enormous responsibility, to be present at the creation.

§ [insert_php] the_ID(); [/insert_php] · Originally published [insert_php] the_time(‘F j, Y’); [/insert_php].

Coach's Notes

The Red-Legged Superbas Index

Powered by Snapple Iced Tea and an Excel spreadsheet, I developed two new statistical measures to evaluate hitters on the team. Softball isn’t baseball, so I figured the stats needed tweaking (in a beer-league way).

Contribution Percentage, the Red-Legged Superbas Index (RLS)

I like to refer to the “Contribution Percentage” — better known as the “Red-Legged Superbas Index” or “RLS” — as the “slugging percentage on steroids.” The Slugging Percentage (SLG) is a useful statistic as it determines your average hit value — be it a single, double, triple, etc. (If your SLG is 2.000, you average a double.) Major League Baseball (MLB) employs another statistic, which should be considered useless, the On-Base Plus Slugging Percentage (OPS). What the actual meaning of this statistic is I will never know. Is there spatial meaning, MLB? (It is a made-up statistic so commentators can comment on stats with values greater than one.)

It was my desire to create a “highly-inflated” statistic for the softball team to try to capture the “true contribution” of all players. For this statistic, the Red-Legged Superbas Index (RLS), I give credit to all forms of offensive contribution — be it a home run or a walk, a double or a sacrifice fly; everything counts. The only item that hurts a player is a strikeout. So, I took the numerator of the SLG, the total bases reached on hits, and added to it the number of walks, the number of times reached on error, and the number of sacrifice hits, and subtracted the number of strikeouts. I then divided this crazy sum by the number of plate appearances. In the absence of walks and sacrifice hits (and strikeouts), the SLG is equal to the RLS. If a player strikes out, the SLG can actually be greater than the RLS; in general, however, the RLS tends be greater than the SLG, as designed.

The rationale for the RLS, in my opinion, can easily be defended. If you reach base on an error, how are you not “contributing”? If you walk, how is that not, effectively, a single or a “total base value of 1”? Same goes with sacrifice hits. The only debate may be with the subtraction of strikeouts as it may be unfair to punish those who strike out. (Is a strikeout any less effective than, say, a pop-up to the pitcher?) But hell, this is softball.

On a further note, I was originally planning on adding the number of times a runner advanced (a statistic I called “A”) to the numerator. For example, a fly-out to right and the runner at second tags to third, or a ground-out to second and the runner advances to third on the play. But the logistics of keeping the books to that degree of accuracy was overwhelming.

I think runs scored is grossly undervalued in modern baseball. In softball, at least, it is the only thing that counts, which is especially evident when your team isn’t scoring any.

Total Run Production Index (TRP)

There is a little-known and underused statistic in baseball called “Run Production (RP)” which is the numerator in this statistic I created. Run production accounts for all of the runs a player has scored and the number of runs a player has batted-in (minus the number of home runs, which is duplicitous, as it adds a run and an RBI for the batter). This stat, in my opinion, is most insightful on a player’s “net worth.” I took this run generation and divided by the number of plate appearances (not the number of at-bats), and called it the “Total Run Production Index” or “TRP,” pronounced “trip.”

In reality, the TRP is the likelihood a run will score every time a player comes to the plate. For example, if a player has a TRP of 1.000, that player averages an RBI or a run-scored (or a solo home run) every plate appearance; if a player has a TRP of .500, there is a 50% chance that he will knock in a run or come around to score each time he comes to the plate.

Coach's Notes

Notes on Game 15

After suffering another large defeat, 20 to 4, I was a little depressed, being the coach.

  • “What is losing?” Losing is a disease… as contagious as polio. Losing is a disease… as contagious as syphilis. Losing is a disease… as contagious as bubonic plague… attacking one… but infecting all. But curable. Now, I want you to imagine… you are on a ship at sea…
  • 6:15 games are tough. They are tough to get to, tough to get warmed up for, and 6:15 is just a plain old shitty time for a softball game. We have three more 6:15 games this season, including next week.
  • Wright has sponsored a practice for this weekend. It will be Sunday at 10am at Willow Pass Fields. I’ll post the details shortly.
  • I won’t say the most important thing is to have fun, it isn’t. We are here to win, but let’s have fun doing it.
  • To reiterate, the second baseman is in charge of positioning the rightfielder, and the third baseman is the captain of the infield on all cutoffs. We’ll go over some of this at practice.
  • B.H. turned down dinner with the mayor to make the last game.
  • If it seems I get upset, it may be one of two things, I’m an asshole making things worse, or I’m just messing with you. I’ll leave it up to you to figure it out. Some people know me better than others and understand my “humor” (I can barely call it that), but that is what it is. No hard feelings.
  • I’m telling you, the bar at Willow Pass and East Olivera is the place to be after the game. Besides the higher thought that is prevalent (taking two, not one, but two Viagra pills, and then operating heavy machinery leads to some crazy hi-jinx), the owners are brand new and are selling the place like mad. Look for some pasta dinner specials.
Coach's Notes

2006 Summer Season Awards

Following the first season, I developed a slew of awards. Too many, in fact, especially when considering the observed lack of success. I had presented them in groups over a period of days to increase excitement.

What a year it was for the Superbas. A good start — one win, one loss, and one tie — and then it went downhill, and fast — five consecutive losses, a win, and then three more losses to finish strong. But the team had fun, and even avoided a mutiny here and there along the way. (Not bad for an inaugural season.)

Over the next few days, the end-of-season awards will be announced. Each recipient will receive a $100 Buy.com gift card (not really, but play along) available for the purchase of select fitness-related items.

On to the awards. There are eighteen awards (for a 15-man team and a 12-game season; yes, eighteen). The awards will be presented in clusters and in no particular order. If you have any issues with an award’s recipient, consult with your captain, and then go fuck yourself. Until tomorrow…

First set.

Well, here goes…

East Side Player of the Year: Raphael
The east side is all about attitude, and Raphael exhibited a ton of it, highlighted by flashy catches in right field followed by T.O.-style celebrations.

West Side Player of the Year: Brooks
The west side is more subtle and graceful, and no one exemplifies these characteristics more than their captain. Brooks worked his way out of a mid-season slump to finish with a .581 RLS (fifth-best on the team) and was an anchor for the defense.

Comeback Player: Eric
Only one comeback was made this year, so this was pretty much by default. But seriously, Eric came back after his Fairfield-style injury to garner 20 plate appearances (four other players had the same or less). Eric was only 1 plate appearance shy of the cutoff (despite missing more than half the season) and led the team in sacrifice hits.

Ironman: Joe
Joe played in every game this season and was involved in several collisions at the plate. Joe worked hard following a pre-season injury to record the fourth-most plate appearances on the team.

Second set.

Continuing on…

Clutch Player: Jeff
Jeff hit in 9 consecutive games, a franchise record, and is a fixture among the top four in almost every batting statistic category. Jeff batted .529, had 2 triples, and recorded a .743 RLS (fourth-best on the team).

Surprise Player: Kevin
Kevin pitched his way into our hearts but Kevin also led the team in walks and was seventh on the team with a .467 RLS.

Biggest Disappointment: Jason, Bill
This award, nicknamed the “Maximoo Award,” is the most difficult to hand out. But it has to be done (for parity sake). There were really four contenders — Eric with his injury, Ted with his slump, Jason with his loyalty complex, and Bill with his attendance issues. In order to make the decision… consult the stats. Only one player had fewer plate appearances than Jason’s 14 (Bill’s 13). Jason was the first player to strikeout this season after refusing to take batting practice. (And for that, I salute you…) On the upside, these two guys combined for an almost .600 batting average, a 2/3 on-base percentage, a 1.000 slugging percentage and a 1.000 RLS. On the downside, the two combined for a measly .370 TRP. Jason and Bill managed to only score 7 runs this season, one of which came on Jason’s home run (which, coincidentally, was the first ever in franchise history).

Rutherford B. Hayes Award For Excellence In The Field Of Unadulterated Support: Dom No. 24
First, a little background information on Mr. Hayes. Hayes was born and raised in the state of Ohio before becoming governor and was only one of four U.S. presidents to have won the Oval Office without winning the popular election. (J.Q. Adams, Benjamin Harrison and sitting-president G.W. Bush are the other three.) Hayes promised to only serve one term and that he did. Hayes was also the first sitting president to visit the west coast. But on to Dom. We had one true fan this season, and that was Dom No. 24. (I am unsure of Dom’s last name, so from now on, it is “Dom No. 24.”) Without Dom, would we have won the two games we did? (Hard to tell.)

Third set.

More awards…

Copper Gloves: Wright, Andy, Carlo, Jeff [myself], Craig
Copper Gloves, the Red-Legged Superbas version of the Gold Glove awards, are given to two outfielders, two infielders, and an additional player from any position that exhibited “defensive brilliance” during the course of the season. The Superbas may not have scored many runs, but their defense at times was stellar, thanks to these guys. Infielders Andy and Jeff [myself], outfielders Wright and Craig, and pitcher Carlo did their best to keep the Superbas within striking distance, and it showed. Bravo.

Lifetime Achievement: Ted
We only know one thing for sure: we could not have done any of this without Ted. (Money, money, money… money.) And, needless to say, he probably has the longest list of better things to do out of all of us…

Fourth and last set.

And finally…

Most Improved Player: Jesús
Maybe it was the brand new glove, or maybe, just maybe, it was skill and hard work. As the Concord crowd chanted harmoniously, “Hey-shoo, Hey-shoo,” Jesús played solid defense and batted .417.

Top Offensive Player: Andy
There is little doubt to whom the “opie” should go to when you see Andy’s offensive numbers. The East Side captain led the team in RBI and doubles, batted .550, and recorded a hefty .870 RLS and sick .609 TRP.

Top Defensive Player: Brooks
Brooks achieved defensive player of the game honors four times and easily earns the “dopie.” The steadfast West Side captain anchored the defense over the course of a somewhat tumultuous inaugural season.

Most Outstanding Player: Carlo
This one was easy. Carlo led the team in triples, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, the RLS and TRP. If there was a triple crown winner, Carlo was it. Carlo also pitched well and became a third middle-infielder, swallowing up several hard hit balls up the middle.

Coach's Notes

Notes on Game 14

Our second game of the second season, and fourteenth overall, was another humiliating loss, 21 to 9.

  • I’ll be in Philadelphia for some brotherly love the rest of this week so I’ve posted the remaining schedule and the current standings in the Strikeout for Beer Keg Fundraiser a little earlier than usual. Of course, what is “usual”?
  • We strung together a few runs last night at different times, but we need balance throughout the batting order. Our top six hitters accounted for 12 of 15 hits and all 9 runs.
  • We are the away team next game so let’s start the game off with a few runs and play with a lead (for a change).
  • I’m always open for ideas on the lineup or defensive positioning, so if you have an opinion, please let me know. If you’d prefer to remain anonymous, you can contact me through the Email the Coach feature on the website.
  • I will begin developing a base coach code of conduct.
  • The new scorecard was a huge success.
  • Why is it that ten players on this team are from one company, and we cannot get that company to sponsor us? If you are a higher-up at said company, get your ass in gear. (The result would be a lot more beer.)
  • If you have lady-friends, please bring them to the ballgames. If you have cougar friends, that’d be even better.
  • Before the game yesterday, a player denounced my opening game lineup with Joe as the leadoff hitter, and then went 0 for 3 in last night’s game.
  • There is a bar in the plaza across the street from the Willow Pass Fields complex at Willow Pass and East Olivera. A few of us were there after last night’s game discussing pygmy goats. Don’t miss out on these priceless opportunities for higher thought.
  • Our next game is at 6:15pm, with soft-toss BP and warm-ups at 5:45pm. How many players will show up?
Coach's Notes

Last Practice

The team didn’t get a lot of participation at the optional practices, but I tried to base the lineups on those that showed up. After the final practice before the second season started (we would have no in-season practices) I tried to maintain my fleeting authority.

Our next practice is scheduled for 10am at Willow Pass Fields No. 4 or 5 (the fields farthest north) on Saturday, April 7. This will be the last practice before our first game on the tenth. We had a pathetic showing this past weekend — five players — and unless you plan to start the season on a ligament-tearing rampage, you will most likely suck unless you warm up your arm and swing a bat. (Yes, I mean you.)

That being said, I have established a tentative opening day defensive lineup (based on players who have come to practice).

In order to improve our player profiles, please send me your measurements. If you are married, please send me your wife’s measurements as well. (All information is helpful.)

I have established April 9 as the deadline for registration dues, so if you haven’t paid by the day before the first game, you are a deadbeat, and therefore, off the team. I understand this may be portrayed as a harsh tactic, but this team has a reputation to uphold (in the eyes of the cougars of Concord, and we shall not disappoint).

Some people may ask, “hey Coach, were you high when you wrote this?” and I assure you I’m not, but I have been in the sun all day, and that reminds me, if you are ever in the mood for an impromptu moonlight stroll along the railroad tracks, I know this person who is looking for a walking partner. If you are interested, check out his website at walkingpartner.com.

That is all.