Okay, so while we’re all busy feeling sorry for ourselves, I’d just like to point out how much it stinks to be a Blue Jays fan right now:

Despite their inferior record, the Padres are six times more likely to reach the playoffs than the Jays. So, yeah, I don’t like getting swept at home by the Giants either, but it sure beats being in the same league as the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, White Sox, Twins, and A’s. Or, to put it another way, the Blue Jays would have the second best record in the National League if they were in it.

Anyway, I’m still very frustrated but I’m going to stop whining for now because it isn’t making me feel any better and it isn’t solving the problem. Besides, there’s still no better place to be than the ballpark. Also, we’ve got a boatload o’ links today. In fact, here they are now:

Problogger Lists

Thanks again to Darren Rowse at Problogger for using my list as part of his latest group writing project. This was a lot of fun — it exposed me to some very cool blogs that I never would have found on my own and also provided inspiration for future postings.

Feel free to check out all the entries if you’d like. Otherwise, here are nine of my favorites:

• The Top Ten Important Aspects of a Game (Yehuda). I’m a game geek, so this one hit the spot for me. The author also has high praise (in the comments) for a game I’ve had my eye on called Puerto Rico. Gee, guess what I’ll be buying real soon.
• How to be a Better Sports Radio Caller (Boston Sports Media Watch). This should be required reading for anyone who’s ever had the urge to dial in and start yapping. In a nutshell, be prepared, be cordial, use facts, stay on mission, and conclude by restating main points.
• The best and worst of the Red Wings (Behind the Jersey). My hockey knowledge is extremely dated, but this is a great idea. Don’t be surprised to see something similar around here one of these days.
• Some of the Worst Filler Songs of All Time (The Secret Government EGGO Project). The premise: A list of bad songs on otherwise good albums. I was stuck for ideas on this one; maybe you have some of your own?
• Top 20 Sports Movies of All Time (Lit’s Controversial Sports Chanting). Pretty self-explanatory, and not a bad list. I thought he had Slapshot too low.
• Beyond YouTube and Google Video: 5 Great Video Sites on the Web (Xeep’s Video on the Net). You know I’m a YouTube junkie. Some of you have suggested alternatives. Here are some more. I haven’t checked any of ‘em out yet, but I certainly will be.
• 14 Amazing Chuck Norris Facts (Martial Development). This is just the damn funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. I love #10: “When Chuck Norris does division, there are no remainders.” Solid effort.
• 9 Weird Words That Amuse Me (The Journal). I come from a long line of English teachers and I’ve worked very closely with words most of my adult life. Plus I’m partial to the number nine.
• Top Five Things I’ve Learned Blogging the Yankees (Bronx Pride). Gotta throw a little love to the only other baseball blog represented in this project, even if it is about the New York Yankees.

Okay, there it is. And now back to your regularly scheduled baseball links:

Baseball Links

• Padres Report – August 15th (Padres RunDown). You should already know by now that Peter Friberg is back up and blogging about Padres prospects. In this installment, he asserts that the organization is in better shape than Baseball Prospectus’ Kevin Goldstein seems to think it is.
• Should #31 be retired? (Shea Nation). Of course, it is retired in San Diego. This article is talking about Mike Piazza in New York. That reminds me, I will be tackling the Steve Garvey situation at some point — I thought about doing it for the group writing project list, but I didn’t have time to do the necessary research.
• Does Size Matter? (Part 1) (Hardball Times). Sittin’ on the shelf a while but still worth discussing. Probably the most amusing part of this study, to me, is that according to the Lahman database, which lists Tony Gwynn at 5’11″, 199 lbs., Gwynn doesn’t fall into the short, heavy category where Kirby Puckett resides. The rest of the discussion is interesting, but I wonder about the accuracy of height and weight measurements not only for Gwynn but for other players as well. There are guys who put on 30-40 pounds over the course of their career; how do we account for that? (Incidentally, the second installment is now up.)
• Congratulations to longtime blogger Aaron Gleeman on his new gig. I remember when Gleeman first joined us in this wacky “place” we call the blogosphere. Okay, now I feel old. [Tip o' the Ducksnorts cap to Baseball Musings]

Couple quick reminders, then I’ll let you go. First, if you’re coming to the meetup on Sunday (and you know who you are), I’ll have your tickets for you outside the entrance nearest the park in the park (I think it’s by the corner of 8th and J). I couldn’t get seats in the shade, so wear a hat and some sunscreen.

Second, a few of you have joined the Ducksnort Book Project mailing list to discuss ideas for the upcoming book. I’m still in the gathering phase, but I will be sending something out over the weekend for digestion. Also, if you’d like to get involved but haven’t yet, drop me a line and we’ll make it happen.

That’s all for now; more as it happens. TGIF and keep the faith!