You can’t always get what you want
But if you try sometimes
you (just) might find
You get what you need
- Rolling Stones
Each day, when I open up the secret part of the site and check on who wants to be a new member (sorry, Free-Viagra-For-You@HotF***ingTeen.***, you are not getting in) and check my messages (I never knew that so many people were interested in the capabilities of my penis) I also grab the various headlines that relate to Chicago sports to see if there is anything I can write about that you may, or may not, be interested in. This morning, just out of curiosity, I scanned back through the notices for the past 12 months and was only able to count 2 as emanating from our namesake and, of those, only one that made the front page.
It’s like a breath of fresh air.
As he* who shall not be named continues his lethargic nose dive into obscurity, it is nice to enjoy one of our fondest wishes up here being fulfilled in a manner akin to Chinese water torture. At least for him*. For us, it more like the slow opening of a beautiful flower.
I bring all of this up for two reasons; (1), to kill some time and; (2), because it fits the theme of the two stories I found to share with you today.
Both stories are baseball related so, as is my usual wont, I will start on the Northside. CARRIE MUSKAT of MLB.com reports that Xavier Nady wanted to bat so he DHed for Carlos Zambrano who needed to pitch.
Nady is still working on throwing. He’s been working with pitching coach Larry Rothschild on his mechanics and is able to throw from 120 feet. However, manager Lou Piniella said Nady won’t be full throttle until June 1.
“It’s a work in progress,” Nady said. “Even I couldn’t tell you if I’ll be ready April 10 or when I’ll feel comfortable to let it fly. The June 1 [date] is more to play and a guy tags from third, try to throw him out at home. That gives me almost 11 months [since the surgery].”
He will be able to play the outfield before then and the Cubs will simply have to make some defensive adjustments, moving the cutoff men back to compensate.
“I heard ‘June,’” Nady said, “but I could play some games here and there. I really don’t know. I think time will tell.”
It did feel good to be in a game, his first since a Minor League rehab outing June 25. Nady was with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and removed himself from the game after making a throw from the outfield. He underwent surgery July 8.
A career .280 hitter, he’s projected as a backup outfielder and pinch-hitter.
“I was happy to be back out there,” Nady said about Wednesday’s game. “It felt a little awkward at first, first pitch or two. Obviously, your timing is going to be a little awkward. It was a positive feeling to be out there and swing unrestricted and we’ll go from there.”
“Nady can hit,” Piniella said. “We have to get him out there on the field and let him get his at-bats. If we can get him on the field, Nady is going to do some damage with the bat.”
The Giants’ Pablo Sandoval looked like he was in midseason form when he launched a 2-0 pitch from Zambrano over the right-field fence in the third inning.
“Do you know how many home runs Barry Bonds hit off me? One,” Zambrano said. “That was in Spring Training.”
Zambrano, making his second spring start, gave up five runs on six hits in three innings, hit a batter and walked one.
“They got lucky with the bloopers,” Zambrano said of the Giants’ hitters in the 30-pitch third. “This is Spring Training. The good thing about it is my fastball is running good and all my pitches are good. They got lucky, which sometimes the hitters are.”
At the end of the day Nady did look pretty good considering how rusty he must be and, well, as for Carlos, there are going to be days like that no matter what you do. For some reason, in the 3rd inning, his pitches were just slow. Maybe he was tired, I don’t know. Even so, the Cubs got in their work and managed to get some looks at younger players.
Side note here; last year I bitched about Lou using veterans too much in early Spring Training just so he could get the wins. This year he is running a much more balanced line up. The Giants, now, are the ones who are going to be burned out in August if they don’t pay attention. The again, it’s the Giants, so who gives a flying .... squirrel?
On the Southside, Ozzie wanted a team that could actually pitch and catch the ball. Some speed on the bases would be nice too, he mentioned one or two or, oh okay, about 20,000 times. This year he got his wish. For Ozzie, Santa is a skinny black man wearing a nice Armani suit with a cell phone glued to his ear. He wouldn’t have it any other way. JOE COWELY, the author of yesterday’s uncredited byline at the Sun Times, takes a look at how they do the humpty-hump at Camelback Ranch.
The White Sox manager was in the dugout Wednesday afternoon embracing the idea that this could all fall back to him—and that public opinion might turn against him if 2010 is a failure for the Sox.
‘’That’s just fine with me—I’ve been the fall guy for six years,’’ Guillen said.
It was Guillen who said no thanks to bringing back slugger Jim Thome, who ended up with the division rival Minnesota Twins. It’s Guillen who has been begging general manager Ken Williams for more speed, less power. It was Guillen who said he could make a designated-hitter-by-committee work.
With the Twins going from preseason favorite to likely needing serious help at closer in the wake of Joe Nathan’s elbow injury, the Sox are in position to make this season memorable—if Guillen’s plan works.
‘’When we talk about the ballclub, we look at the future, the way baseball is going, how we play the year before, what we need,’’ Guillen said. ‘’If you look at this ballclub in the past, great players, we’ve had great success, but in the meanwhile we’ve been looking around and saying, ‘Wow, how can we change this?
‘’You can see the difference from this spring training to the ones in the past. We have 12 stolen bases already, where in previous spring trainings we might have one at this point. We’re trying to score more runs in a different way. We still have guys in the middle that can hit for power, but also have more guys that can go from first to third on a base hit.
‘’When you talk about speed, that also relates to defense. We can get to more balls, and that will help our pitchers. Last year, we were making errors left and right, and that cost us a lot of games, a lot of innings.
‘’Like I say, I’m not afraid to go out and fight with these guys because we have a pretty balanced ballclub.’’
Let’s take a look at that balance, shall we? MLB.com was kind enough to give us a brief synopsis.
After going down quickly in the first two innings, the White Sox exploded for seven runs in the third. Andruw Jones tallied a two-run triple and A.J. Pierzynski drove in another two runs with a base hit, while Brent Morel added an RBI double and Alejandro De Aza had two hits and an RBI. Alex Rios also drove in a run during the frame. Chicago had 14 hits on the day.
There must be something in the Arizona air in third innings. Anyway, seven runs, no homers. Just like Ozzie drew it up in the dirt.
Yes, the team still has to get used to the DH by Committee plan that Ozzie is implementing (although most seem to like it more and more each day) and a lot of guys are going to be hitting the treadmills much more aggressively. This team hasn’t run this much on the bases in 5 years. They had better have those legs in shape for the long haul.
Simply put, if PK is going to bunt, then someone’s lazy butt better be tearing up the base paths to make that worthwhile.
Nothing like a good old comparison/contrast to kick off a happy hump day. You’ve got your ying and you have your yang. You’ve got your ... oh, hell, you’ve got opposites. You get that. I don’t need to go any further.
Yesterday, two vaunted hitters took time out of their busy days to talk to the media. One took the time to say what a great city Chicago is by pointing out that not everyone here is a, foaming at the mouth, racist. The other took some time to note that he kind of likes not having to swing for the fences any more. Both were asked questions about baseball. Go figure.
Anyway, as PAUL SULLIVAN at the Tribune reported, it was Chicago’s favorite son who brought up the first part of our blog. Ah yes, what would a day be like without Milton Bradley? We may never know.
In his latest salvo aimed at the Cubs, Milton Bradley claims he wanted manager Lou Piniella to apologize to him in front of his teammates after Piniella called him a “piece of (expletive)” during a confrontation last June.
Piniella declined, according to Bradley.
“The next day, he called me into his office and wanted to apologize,” Bradley told ESPN. “I felt you put me on blast, called me out in front of everybody, you’re going to apologize in front of everybody.
“He didn’t choose to go that route, but I accepted his apology nonetheless, because as a Christian that’s what you do. I don’t have time to hold grudges against people.”
The day after the incident, Piniella apologized to Bradley personally and also made a public apology to him through the media for the harsh words. At the time, Bradley said he accepted it.
Now, after being traded to the Mariners, Bradley is on the offensive. He repeated to ESPN the stories of receiving hate mail and that his 3-year-old son was called a “derogatory” name.
Bradley also repeated the story of alleged racist remarks by Chicago waiters, which he told Cubs beat writers last August.
In the ESPN variation, Bradley added Alfonso Soriano’s name.
Bradley insisted to ESPN that Chicago is still one of his favorite cities.
“When people ask me what city you like to go to as a visitor, Chicago is always No. 1,” he said. “I just really had a bad experience. I don’t think the entire city of Chicago is racist or anything like that.”
Well, it’s good to know that they aren’t holding Klan rallies at City Hall or anything like that. I was getting worried. Anyway, despite Bradley’s memory of the situation, Piniella called him a P.O.S. in the hall behind the dug out and not in front of his team. It was heard by more reporters than team mates. And Lou apologized to Bradley’s face and presented a mea culpa to the media. The fact that Bradley felt, and still feels, the need to humiliate Piniella above and beyond getting an apology is a pretty clear look into a very disturbed, narcissistic, mind.
Oh well, thank God and Greyhound he’s gone.
On the Southside we get a slightly different perspective from another hitter. As SOMEONE at the Sun Times reports (the story is uncredited), Paul Konerko is digging small ball. As he notes, you only need one more run than the other guys to win.
It is still very early into Cactus League play for Paul Konerko to have a truly good idea of what kind of offense the White Sox will be unleashing this season.
But the team captain knows what they won’t have, and he likes it.
‘’Offensively, we feel the release of the obligation to hit for power,’’ Konerko said Tuesday. ‘’Where you felt like we had to keep up with the big power-hitting teams, I feel like, ‘OK, we’re punting on that idea.’ We’re not that type of team anymore, and it’s kind of refreshing to be a team that goes into a game with that kind of mind-set because it was always the other way around. It was no one’s fault; it was just the pieces we kind of had here. It’s a good thing now.’’
While Konerko said it wouldn’t be fair to compare this team to the 2005 World Series team, he couldn’t help but point to the similarities.
‘’I always go back to the years you win,’’ Konerko said. ‘’The closest thing to that was 2005, where that team could blow some people out, beat up some people. But you always felt that you would go into every game feeling it was going to be a 2-1 game. That was our mind-set that season.
‘’Hopefully, this team will have that by the end of spring training because I always felt that type of team was tougher to play than the big-swinging-and-missing type of team. You’re going to play 40-plus one-run games each season, and hopefully we feel comfortable in those games because we’ve kind of lost that the last couple of years.’’
I remember in September of 2005 when Ozzie was, jokingly, complaining that the team was going to give him an ulcer with all the one run games they were winning. If that is all he has to worry about this year, I think this team will do fine. Our anonymous author noted that as well.
Guillen was asked what life would be like if the Sox had to play in the American League East with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox and didn’t flinch.
‘’Yes, [we would be competitive] because we have five [starters] out there and our lineup has some good balance,’’ Guillen said. ‘’Last year, I said at the end of the season, ‘If we have this ballclub going into spring training ... ‘ Ha! Well, I have it now. Now we will see what we can do.’’
I know that the old adage is “be careful what you wish for,” but I liked this team after they cleared out the flotsam last year as well. I was talking, via email, with Scott Merkin of MLB.com earlier this year and we figured that Contreras and Colon cost the Sox 25 games last year. The Sox got immediately better, and the team looked more alive, after their departure. There is something to be said for addition by subtraction. Although that Peavy guy wasn’t a bad call either.
First, some important news, “Tank Top Girl” is back for another Spring Training at Ho Ho Kam and is in her regular seat in section DD. No, I am not making that up. Never let it be said that the staff at Jay the Joke doesn’t dig as deep as we can to get you the news you need.
In other news, that some people might occasionally be interested in, both the Cubs and Sox have survived the first week of Spring Training. And both are holding to, long held, traditions. The Cubs have their DL list up to 5 and the Sox made Ozzie utter a slew of profanities so loudly that they were heard in the bleachers. Due to the injuries on the Northside the Cubs have opened up a free for all race for roster spaces on the pitching staff. As, the eternally pleasant, CARRIE MUSKAT of MLB.com reports, there are more arms than spots, so Lou just gets to sit back and let the last ones standing make the team.
“I’ve said good competitiveness really helps the team, and I think that’s what this is,” (Ryan) Dempster said. “We’re all pulling for each other and want everybody to do well. For me, I want to go out and pitch well and push those guys to do the best they can.
“I think you’re going to see the best come out in all those guys fighting for a couple different spots,” he said. “In the end, no matter who makes it or who doesn’t make it, it’ll make all of us better.”
Marshall, Samardzija and Gorzelanny all would prefer to start. Samardzija did have success as a reliever in 2008, posting a 2.28 ERA in 26 relief appearances.
“I’m not the same guy I was then or even last year,” the right-hander said. “I’m a totally different pitcher. I like how I’m throwing now, I really do. I’m excited to get out there again and get the pitch count up and get deeper in a game.”
He’s probably under more scrutiny because of his star status at Notre Dame as an All-America wide receiver.
“If you ask anybody, they’d rather have the pressure of being pushed quick and trying to make the adjustment than having to grind it out for four, five years,” Samardzija said. “I put the pressure on myself to learn quick. ... Where I’m at now is a good spot.”
Gorzelanny had to wait through a seven-run seventh before he got into the game, and the long inning might have contributed to his feeling a little uncomfortable in his first Cactus League game. The lefty pitched in relief last season, his first with the Cubs.
“Obviously, [starting] is my No. 1 goal,” Gorzelanny said. “That’s what I was brought up being and what I’ve always wanted to be, and what I made my somewhat mark in this game is as a starter. That’s all I want to do. If it comes to it, whatever happens happens, as long as I’m part of the team.”
Carlos Silva also is in the mix, and the two who don’t make the rotation were expected to slide into the bullpen. On Monday, pitching coach Larry Rothschild met with manager Lou Piniella to go over the young pitchers on the roster. They narrowed the list to five or six who can compete for a job in the bullpen.
“They all have good arms or they wouldn’t be here,” Piniella said. “They all have ability. You have to find out about the experience factor and how they respond. That’s why these Spring Training games are so important, and not only for us, but for a few of these guys. There are some spots here.”
The only relievers who appear set are closer Carlos Marmol and setup pitchers John Grabow and Esmailin Caridad. Marshall has experience in both roles; he’s been an effective swingman.
“I like starting,” Marshall said. “It’s a routine. I also enjoy coming in almost every game, [which I did] for a while last year and getting guys out in big situations. One of the most exciting games I had last year was when I came in against the White Sox in the bottom of the eighth and threw one pitch and got a double play and we won the game. That was one of my highlights from last year, besides playing left field.”
Marshall was in left for one batter in a double switch, then switched back so he could stay in the game. He’s ready in case Piniella wants him back in the outfield.
“I’m sure [Piniella] sees me out there shagging,” Marshall said. “I don’t want to go diving after balls.”
Of course, they could just sign Kerry Wood again. But that would be cheating.
On the Southside, Dayan Viciedo got a very fast lesson on what happens to base-runners who do not run very fast. All around nice guy, SCOTT MERKIN also of MLB.com, manages to clean up the resulting tirade enough to make it fit to print.
Dayan Viciedo learned an important lesson on Monday, one he probably should have known already from his year as part of the White Sox system.
The lesson?
Hustle down the line on every ball hit, regardless of how routine the play is for the defense or where the game is being played.
Viciedo failed to run out a popup during Monday’s “B” game against the Dodgers, and heard about that mistake from general manager Ken Williams and manager Ozzie Guillen.
Sitting in the Camelback Ranch stands with assistant general manager Rick Hahn, Williams yelled from his perch about Viciedo’s lack of effort on this particular play. It was a stern suggestion, with no margin for interpretation, regarding this non-grinder type of move.
By the time Williams made his way down to talk to Guillen in the White Sox dugout, Guillen already had talked with Viciedo. He shared Williams’ disappointment, if not taking it to a slightly higher level.
“I was more upset than Kenny was. We don’t put up with that stuff here, and we don’t like players playing like that,” said Guillen, speaking on the matter following the White Sox 5-4 loss to the Mariners in the afternoon’s Cactus League contest.
“Especially from a kid who just played Double-A last year, and especially the way the Minor League kids are playing right now, the way they’re playing well and hustling,” Guillen said. “I talked to him in the dugout before Kenny came down. I talked to him in the dugout after Kenny came down, and he promised me it won’t happen again.”
This move from Viciedo basically came out of frustration. The good-natured young man, who turns 21 on Wednesday, finds himself in a somewhat crucial year to prove himself, per Guillen’s spring words. Viciedo had a solid debut with the Barons in 2009 but also is in the second year of a four-year, $10-million deal, which is not commonly found among Minor Leaguers.
Money is immaterial in this matter, though. Guillen has pulled players before from big league games under these same conditions and preaches playing hard at all times as one of the few rules on this White Sox team.
“It’s something that I make very clear in Spring Training,” Guillen said. “I don’t care if we play a ‘D’ game or if we play against the coaches. We play for a reason. And the reason is to play good, no matter who you play.
“He made a mistake. Hopefully he learns from that mistake, and I don’t expect that to happen again and you move on. He knows he did a wrong thing. And it will be a better thing for him next time.”
Ah yes, carrying on the mythical tradition laid down by Carlton Fisk to Deion Sanders, Ozzie let some very choice words echo across the fine state of Arizona. Run hard or get splinters. It is an easy lesson to learn. But one that seems lost on many players these days.
It’s Monday. The traditional back to work day for the masses. For many of those masses, it is the day after mass. So, you could say that Monday is the massive post mass massing of the masses. But, I hope you won’t.
Angel Guzman, of the Cubs, is going to be spending his Monday talking to doctors about the severely torn ligament in his throwing shoulder. I asked a buddy of mine, who is a sports doctor, what Guzman’s chances were of returning to play baseball. She said (based solely on currently published reports), “Very slim. If he just has rehab, then he will regain function of the arm but will be unlikely to be able to regain the motion required for pitching. If he has surgery, he should regain the motion, but the power and control will most likely be gone.” This poor guy just can’t catch a break.
However, it is a gray day outside and I don’t want to pile any more depressing news on you, so I am going to focus on some fun stuff instead. On the Northside, the Sun Times very own, ELLIOTT HARRIS reports that Ernie Banks has been pitching a film idea to Harold “Ghost Busters” Ramis about the Cubs.
COMEDY CUB: Ernie’s the pitchman for a Ramis
Let’s film, too.
After Harold Ramis was honored at Saturday’s Landmark Legends Gala at the Palmer House Hilton (along with Mr. Cub Ernie ‘’Let’s Play Two’’ Banks and businessman/Chicago marathon founder Lee Flaherty), Quick Hits had but one question for the multitalented movie man:
With ‘’Ghostbusters 3’’ in the works, shouldn’t there be a ‘’Groundhog Day 2’’—possibly with a Cubs theme?
‘’Ernie Banks already pitched me a movie,’’ Ramis said. ‘’He wants me to do the ‘Caddyshack’ of baseball about the Cubs.’’
Would a Cubs-themed ‘’Groundhog Day 2’’—with a happy ending—be too implausible?
‘’They win the [World] Series in the ending?’’ Ramis pondered. He stroked his beard. ‘’I’m not sure.’’
OK, so would the Cubs movie be a comedy or a tragedy?
‘’Comedy,’’ Banks said. ‘’[It would be] when the Cubs win the World Series, [featuring] players from each generation.’’
Sounds more like science fiction. Especially that part about winning the World Series.
‘’On DVD,’’ Banks said. ‘’Bill Murray will be in it. Whoopi Goldberg will be in it. People who follow the Cubs for more than 30 years can get a DVD in the wintertime and look at the Cubs in a World Series.’’
If that’s not a Hollywood ending, nothing is.
What was not noted in the article is that Bill Murray will be depicting Alfonso Soriano and Whoopi Goldberg will be portraying Carlos Zambrano.
Who knows? After Major League came out Cleveland went from door mats to perennial contenders. At least for a while. It could be a good thing.
Or it could be one of those things that would haunt Cubs fans for all time. But, we’ll never know until they make it, so stick around.
On the Southside, TONI GINETTI, also of the Sun Times, reports that Jake Peavy has gotten Omar Vizquel to sing country music.
Nope, you just can’t make this stuff up.
WOODJOCK?
Jake Peavy can wing it.
And he can pick it.
With a guitar, that is.
The newest White Sox ace is proving he is a man of more than just pitching talent as he settles in with the team. He will use one of those extra talents, as a country music fan and player, to help raise money for the Jake Peavy Foundation, which helps a number of organizations, including White Sox Charities. Peavy and teammates Scott Linebrink, Omar Vizquel and Gordon Beckham will be on stage with seven other major leaguers on Thursday for a benefit in Scottsdale called Woodjock Jam Fest.
‘’It’s just a fun way to raise money that’s different than the usual golf tournaments people use to raise money,’’ Peavy said. ‘’We’re super excited about it. It’s going to be a blast.’’
The event expects to draw an audience of about 1,400 to The Venue in Scottsdale.
‘’I’ve played and recorded some before, but never before a crowd like this,’’ Linebrink said. ‘’It’s going to be a little nerve-racking, but it can be a fun deal.’’
The cast includes Barry Zito, Bernie Williams, Bronson Arroyo, Tim Flannery, Aubrey Huff, Brandon Medders and Ben Broussard. Vizquel doesn’t quite fit the ‘’country’’ image, ‘’but he’s my locker-mate, and I said, ‘If you want to come and sing, come on,’’’ Peavy said. ‘’It’s designed to be fun for the fans and us, and in the end we’ll raise money for some great causes.’’
Among the causes are Strikeouts for Troops, which will host 22 injured servicemen attached to the Wounded Warrior Battalion West to the event. Also benefiting will be White Sox Charities, a local autism organization called Autism Speaks and Team Focus USA, an Alabama-based outreach program mentoring fatherless young men.
All worthy causes. It saddens me that I can’t attend, but it is good to know that, even in my august absence, a lot of people are going to have fun and help others. Plus, just the idea of Omar Vizquel busting out a Latin tinged version of Kawa-Liga should be worth the price of admission.
CLICK HERE TO HELP THAT YOUNG LADY TURN HER FROWN UPSIDE DOWN
I was going to bust out a bunch of tired Goldilocks’ references. Fortunately for all involved I had an attack of common sense. I also had a cup of coffee, heard a funny joke and smoked the last cig in my pack. Then I sat down and tried to figure what the heck happened yesterday. According to numerous sources, the Bears had $25 million dollars to spend on Free Agents this year. They blew past that amount like a Lamborghini past a Prius on the Autobahn. That snapping sound you heard was necks being cracked from turning too fast trying to keep up with what happened at Halas Hall yesterday. In one fell swoop the Bears went from laughingstocks to prime stock.
At least that’s what they are saying.
And, for the first time in a long time, fans believe them.
DAVID HAUGH at the Tribune came to his senses in time to meet his deadline so we can all follow along with what happened.
Ted Phillips, you’re a terrible liar.
But Bears fans will stand in line to forgive you after a day they never will forget.
They don’t want you to stop telling tall tales now either. Fib your way back into the playoffs if you can. Tell Bears Nation another whopper about being out of money after committing $121 million, including $55 million guaranteed, to three players Friday so you can’t afford a safety.
Then go out and pursue a safety your team still badly needs. A veteran offensive lineman might be available on the cheap too. And by all means keep shopping for wide receivers. You’re not done.
Admittedly that sounds like nitpicking after one of the most eye-popping offseason days in Bears history that saw defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna sign long-term contracts at Halas Hall, football’s Fort Knox for a day.
That’s where the league’s most aggressive buyer surprisingly struck on the first day of free-agency. Just two weeks ago, Phillips answered a question about the impact of labor unrest by saying, “We’re not going to be one of those handful of teams sometimes that just goes hog wild in free agency.’’
I suppose Phillips defines hog wild as expenditures exceeding $121 million.
In or out of context, nobody who understands NFL supply and demand believed a word the Bears team president said anyway. Everybody knew the Bears had no choice Friday but to respond to the urgency of their situation the way a team in the league’s second-largest market should — regardless of Phillips’ empty rhetoric.
Surely Phillips never has enjoyed being caught in a white lie more than Friday.
The Bears continued to debunk the outdated myth that the franchise is cheap, adding to a payroll that ESPN ranked fifth in the NFL last year. They reached deep into the McCaskeys’ pockets and then kept digging.
By the way, when exactly did the Bears become the Redskins?
Virginia McCaskey must be on vacation, and if you are, Mrs. McCaskey, you may consider switching to a budget hotel. Your family business is spending like an heiress with daddy’s credit card.
But what wise investments they appear to be.
These signings are an admission that the status quo, long heralded as the only quo you needed to know, was no longer in vogue. This was an apology to fans. A, cash draped, confession that the team has wasted daft picks and trades for far too long to develop anything resembling a winner. At least in our lifetimes.
Did they overpay? Probably. But when you are desperate you don’t really have any leverage at the table.
The more important question is ‘are they better?’ So far, that answer would appear to be yes. Much to my surprise. Yours as well, I’d wager.