Mired in Deep Thought with Chrosh Kamildress

Apparently there are people out there who are uninquisitive. People who don't like thinking. People who are willing to accept the world as it is. People who don't ask why. People who don't drink Bud Dry.

Those people probably shouldn't read any further.

For the rest of you, I had an epiphany the other day that I want to share. Actually, it was more of a question or dilemma or a ponderance. Whatever.

Has anyone yet researched who the best baseball fielders are in pressure situations? We often hear that Team A has a XYZ batting average in late inning pressure situations (LIPS), but we never hear what player or team plays the best defense in the same situations, which would, of course, effect the aforementioned batting average of Team A.

Assuming players are slightly more likely to let a ball drop with no outs and no one on base, it would stand to reason that in pressure situations, fielders are more "on their toes", which in turn may increase "range factor". Or perhaps the opposite is true and certain players freeze up under pressure.

Although I don't suspect every player turns into Bill Buckner with the game on the line, I would not be surprised to find a slight variance in fielding metrics dependent on the number of outs in an inning or how many runners are on base. Digging deeper, this could also show what individual runners effect the defense the most while they are on base.

Just something I thought of. If someone has figured this out already, please send me a link. I'm curious.

Anyway, on to less analytical, brain-taxing subjects:

I faced a major decision Sunday night: do I watch Return of the Jedi on Spike or the Yankees vs. the Red Sox on ESPN? I figured either way I would get my daily dose of an Evil Empire.

And just in case you aren't excited enough between the upcoming NBA playoffs and the ongoing NHL playoffs, the D-League playoffs start April 15th. So file an extension, or pull a Pete Rose and don't file at all, and watch Rod Benson and his Dakota Wizards take on the Sioux Falls Skyforce and former Florida State Seminole Michael Joiner.

By the way, am the only one who secretly yearns for Josh Childress and Chris Kaman to join Kobe and Shaq, Kevin Garnett and LeBron, and Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in the split-face NBA commercials?

The Great Jordi has spoken on this, the 13th day of April, 2008.