IT'S A PITCHER'S MARKET

During a good part of the off season we and the rest of baseball fans globally were holding their breath as teams, one by one, showed interest in phenom pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.  Frankly, we were all obsessed.

Why?  Because he throws hard.  Because he has a variety of pitches.  Because he has a good track record.  Because he has consistency and accuracy.  Because he throws a lot of strikes.  Because he has good control.  Because he could bring a team a championship, anchor a pitching staff and sell tickets.  This week I have been keeping a close eye on the NFL Draft.  I know it’s baseball season, but it was on and I am a Giants fan and the Yankees  were on the West Coast.  A friend of mine said something very profound as we watched the draft this week.  “The New York Giants need to be careful who they pick.  They can’t just consider talent and history, they also have to consider brand power and fit for a team in a major market like New York.”  I agree.  And the Yankees are no different.  But, I have to also state that we are in a pitcher’s market right now and the market is beating hitters much like they did back in the 1970s. 

According to the recent New York Times article, “Pitchers Handling Hitters From Start to Finish,” “with few extreme year-to-year differences, the overall batting average of the major leagues has slowly dropped from .270 in 2000 to .249 this season, which would be the lowest mark since 1972 and the 18th worst mark in the sport’s modern era.”  But why?  Why are pitchers so lethal?  Well according to the same article, some baseball analysts say that it is due to the crack down on PEDs.  But others cite the fact that pitchers are striking more and more hitters out, which has nothing to do with PEDs because if you can’t make contact, you can’t do anything.  ESPN calls it “The End of the Steroid Era=The End of Age of Offensive Insanity.”

Besides striking out more batters, “pitchers have also been more efficient as strikeouts have increased, with an average of 2.5 strikeouts for every walk this season, just off last year’s average of 2.51. Before 2013, the last time baseball had such a high ratio was in 1884,” stated the Times. 

According to the ESPN article “The Age of the Pitcher,” hitters claim that “pitchers throw harder now. Much harder. And not just some of them. Practically all of them -- other than maybe R.A. Dickey.” The article goes on to list the number of pitchers throwing 95 or more miles per hour.  From 2007-2011 the average has more than tripled. 

PITCHERS WITH AVG. FASTBALL VELOCITY OF 95+

• 2007: 11
• 2008: 16
• 2009: 24
• 2010: 29
• 2011: 35

There are a number of reasons why guys are throwing harder but the most notable are personal training, early onset of training (as young as Little League), pitching limits preserving young arms and more long tosses building overall arm strength. 

Then there are the specialists.  The guys who come into the came from the bullpen and blow past pitchers must like a hurricane strikes the coastal towns of the Northeast. I get so excited when I hear so and so is warming up in the bullpen.  The only group of people who don’t get excited about a reliever warming up in the pen are hitters.  And I don’t blame them.  “Relievers this season are averaging 8.59 strikeouts per nine innings and have combined for a 3.72 earned run average. Compare that with starting pitchers, who average 7.62 strikeouts per nine innings and have a 3.91 E.R.A., and there seems to be no sense to leave a tired starter in a game in the hopes of fulfilling a romantic notion of “finishing what he started.” And who can argue with a manager who would rather bring in fresh arms than hold out for complete games.  Which also supports the notion of protecting arms with workout limits and managing pitch counts. 

So, we are in a pitcher’s market.  Despite the fact that the number of ballparks being built today give an advantage to hitters, pitchers are reigning supreme. Does that make baseball more interesting or boring?  Pitcher’s duals are so exciting, particularly when the suspense of a possible no-hitter is in the air. 

I think it is more interesting overall, yet I will agree young guys like Yangervis Solarte, Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu are electrifying and other players like our Captain, Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Jose Bautista and Albert Pujols make the game fun to watch.  But nobody lit up the ballpark more than specialist Mariano Rivera.  Talk about having the whole package- velocity, athleticism, efficiency, consistency and brand power.  Yes, it is a pitcher’s market folks, so hang on for another wild ride at home plate again this season! 

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof



 
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HISTORY OF THE FUNNY BALL

If you Google ‘history of doctoring the ball in baseball’ you get incredible results.  The top five specifically are Whatever Happened to the Spitball; Biggest Cheaters in Baseball; Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz accused of doctoring ball; Gaylord Perry; and Spitball.

Even if we didn’t go any further into the controversy behind the funny ball, you can deduce that doctoring the ball involves spitting, cheating and pitchers.  But it is much more than that.  It’s something that has always been a part of the game and it is never going away unless it is successfully proven to hurt the game of baseball and its integrity much in the way PEDs has.

According to BaseballReference.com, “Doctoring the baseball is altering the baseball in some way so the pitchers are able to create unusual amounts and types of movement on pitches.” Not really a big fan of that definition frankly because one could say that Mariano Rivera “created unusual amounts and types of movements on pitches.”  He virtually patented the infamous cutter and he did so without doctoring.

Then there are the knuckle ballers like RA Dickey and retired Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield.  These guys get lots of movement on the ball but they are not doctoring the ball, they are gripping it in an intentional way. 

But whatever happened to the spitball, greaseball, shineball, slimeball?  Why is it so bad?  Who are the worst offenders?

The shineball made famous by pitcher Eddie Cicotte of the notorious Black Sox, was created by lathering “special oil used to treat infields onto the ball, creating a shine on one side and making the ball move in ways that confounded even the best hitters. Depending on what they smeared on the ball and how good they got at manipulating oozy substances, pitchers could make pitches drop, fade away, or ride in on hitters, all while using their same old throwing motions,” stated Jonah Keri in his 2012 Grantland blog post picked up by ESPN.com.  There were a number of pitchers over the years who were accused or even suspended for doctoring the ball. 

Guys like Gaylord Perry, Joe Niekro, Whitey Ford, Don Sutton and Don Drysdale all spit, greased and applied a foreign substance on the ball.  Four out of the five pitchers listed are in Baseball’s Hall of Fame.

In more recent years, we saw Kenny Rogers, Clay Buchholz and now Michael Pineda get caught with their hands in the mysterious substance goo jar.  But why do it if it is considered illegal?  It helps pitchers grip the ball in cold spring and fall games.  It gives pitchers more movement on the ball.  According to Keri’s post, doctoring the ball has helped “extend the careers of countless fading arms throughout baseball history.”  Can it hurt the batter?  Sure it can, much like an inside pitch that gets away from a hurler.  A spitball even killed a batter (before helmets were mandatory) in 1920.  Incidentally, it was Yankee pitcher Carl Mays. 

Why did the spitball go away for a while?  "Pitchers got reluctant to do it simply because they didn't know how to do it," said Jim Hickey, pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays and a former minor league pitcher. That knowledge base eroded so badly that today, "it's like a hitter trying to change the way he positions his hands. He's afraid to do it, even for one at-bat, because he doesn't want to go 0-for-1. Pitchers now are afraid of using an experimental pitch, getting whacked, and losing the game because of it,” stated Hickey in an interview with ESPN.com.

The spitball also is said to have disappeared for a while when Bruce Sutter developed the now famous splitter or split finger fastball, which gave the ball the magical movement that the spitball can give.  The spitball may have gone away for a while but guys like Gaylord Perry brought the demon back in the 70s and early 80s.  You never knew if or when he would throw it and Perry liked having that reputation.  I have to be honest, it was kind of cool to watch him pitch because there was always some sort of controversy and I guess some anticipation in wondering when the funny ball would come.

The difference between what happened with Pineda recently and what happened with Rogers and even Buchholz is that Pineda was blatant and about as subtle as a bull in a china shop.  Sure, we didn’t have HDTV when Niekro and Perry were pitching but use a little discretion.   Accusing Buchholz of throwing a spitball in the a game last season, Blue Jay analyst Jack Morris stated that he “found out because the guys on the video camera showed it to me right after the game," Morris said. "I didn't see it during the game. They showed it to me and said, 'What do you think of this?' and I said, 'Well, he's throwing a spitter. Cause that's what it is,” according to MLB.com. 

Umpires are trained to watch a pitcher very closely.  A pitcher has to step off the rubber when he puts his hand to his mouth or grabs the rosin bag.  And if managers or coaches draw attention to something suspicious with their pitcher or the opposing team’s pitcher, it can throw of the pitcher’s game and rhythm, which is never a good idea.

I am not advocating spitting, ever.  Not on the ground, not at someone and not on a baseball.  But, if guys are going to doctor the ball to get a good grip or feel more confident about their performance, then okay, but don’t flaunt it and don’t be stupid about it.  Two words- Be Discrete! Throw hard but don’t get so wrapped up in wanting perfection that you forget to keep your eye on the ball.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof



 
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BITCH & MOAN, BUT PINEDA DID GREAT!

Baseball is back! Geez. I've been on baseball fields all day. I'm tired. No... I'm exhausted.  Luckily for me, I DVR'd the game and I'm able to give you an update finally... just in case you were on a baseball field today too, I'll at least fill you in.  Sorry for the delay... life comes first!

Look, Michael Pineda was on fire today. That's the first thing! I mean, the guy looked amazing, and you have to give him credit. It's been a long journey, and we have ourselves a real stud.  Hopefully he'll dominate all year long.  Today he went 6 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 run.  He struck out 5. Overall, he looked real good.  What killed it for the Yanks was two-fold... the bats, and David Phelps.

Now, I'm not about to hammer Phelps.  But he had a bad outing, and he contributed to the loss big time.  Is it the end of the world? Hell no, it's Game 5 of a long season, but it hurt.  Many Yankee fans thought we had a shot before he came in.  After he gave up 3... we just couldn't get it together.

The hitting went like this:

Jacoby Ellsbury had 3 hits today.  Francisco Cervelli, filling in for Brian McCann was 2-3 today.  And take a guess who's batting .538?  Yangervis Solarte, who went 2-3.  There is something very special about Solarte.  Hopefully his success continues.

The Yankees didn't score a run today, but they tried. They were shut out by RA Dickey and Company. Pineda got the loss.  Hey, sometimes that's baseball.  But don't worry, we have Opening Day in the Bronx coming on April 7th.  I love being home, and I'm looking forward to it...

Final today: Blue Jays 4 - Yankees 0.

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This offer will expire some time on Monday night, April 7th.

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BE AUTHENTIC OR GO HOME!

At #BYB it is fair to say we call it as we see it.  We do our homework and we are selective about our words and our topics, which are fueled by fan interest, current events and our own experiences.  We communicate with one another, like a team does or should when we strategize what to write about and when.  We use social media to connect because we are not all in the same city or state for that matter.  And at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the month and at the end of year we are real, we are authentic.  What I appreciate about the #BYB team is that we will not stand for any less than sincerity.  And we want the Yankees and baseball for that matter to be nothing less than real. 

RA Dickey, former New York Mets now Toronto Blue Jays pitcher said it simply in  a quote published in the New York Times from his book, Whenever I Wind Up.  My Quest for Truth, Authenticity, and the Perfect Knuckleball, “There are all kinds of nuances you can really only learn by having been beaten up a little bit and picking yourself back up.”  Dickey has learned to live and relish the moment because of the battles he has fought in his professional and personal lives.  But do you have to fight a battle to find your way to authenticity?  Perhaps…isn’t the saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” one we can all relate to at one point or another in our lives? 

So, who is on the short list of authentic in our baseball world?  How about just Yankeeland?  Reflecting on this, for me, was no small task.  In fact, I just finished teaching a group of 16 Chinese students from Shanghai this week.  We discussed the importance of being authentic in our communication to audiences.  When I asked them what that meant, I found myself facing an audience of crickets.  But, then, I asked them to pause and think about what that meant.  I straight up asked them to tell me what the definition of authenticity was?  Here’s what I got:  Reliable, Believable, Real, Powerful, Unique and Genuine.  I was floored by two of the definitions- Powerful and Unique.  Interesting take on authenticity by a group of 20 something Chinese nationals; I will start with these two terms because perhaps these are the results of one being authentic. 

Who is powerful and unique in Yankeeland because of their believability, reliability, realness and genuineness?  If we narrow it down to players who are currently active, my list looks like this:  Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, David Robertson- to start.

I might also suggest Brett Gardner, Ivan Nova, David Phelps and Brendan Ryan (yet I don’t know much about their community work).  Is it unique to be authentic?  Perhaps.  Does it make you powerful?  I think it can.  Presidents get elected because they portray themselves as authentic.  High school players are chosen for teams because of their work ethic and talent, which boils down to authenticity.  You either are or aren’t.  You either put in the work or you don’t.  You can’t fake it.  And when you do, you might be Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira or Robinson Cano- all held powerful roles at one time, but because of their less than authentic practices, may have fallen out of fans’ graces. 

Right before New Year’s I had dinner with a friend at an old-style Italian Restaurant off the strip called Angelo’s Fairmount Tavern.  They had a back room, which our table faced, called the Clubhouse.  I took a short tour on my own as tables turned over and I was awed. 

Vintage pictures of Yankee greats, covers of World Series and regular season programs (many of which I once owned), headlines of memorable events like Joey D’s streak ending at 56, Yankee Stadium celebrating 50 years, and a picture depicting Yankee greats through the years entitled Steinbrenner’s Dream. 

I was in heaven but as I developed this article over the last few weeks, I realized that that room in that restaurant called the Clubhouse depicted a very different game than the one we have in front of us today.  The players played sick, hurt, tired, drunk, sober, bloodied.  They didn’t need fancy; they needed a ballpark and some fans.  They didn’t have full body workouts and high tech machines, they just went out and played and when they could not play any more, they retired.  Many remain powerful and unique because of what they did on and off the field.  They defined authentic.  And I fear, that outside a few, that authentic is a dying breed. 

So I end this article the same way I began it:  here at #BYB we call the game the way we see it- real, authentic, and true.  We don’t always like what we see.  We are not always happy with our team and their actions.  And we sometimes have to report it anyway.  I can’t tell players how to live their lives, but I can give my opinion and here it is:  Be Authentic or Go Home.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Opinion Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof



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YANKEES ARE FREE FALLIN'

When I was in High School, I played baseball and track my senior year.  It was a pain in the ass.  I missed some games and missed some meets depending on what I felt like doing that week.  That pissed my coaches off, but the way I saw it, I was all about making my own decisions senior year... and I was good at it.  I was in control.

I had a ritual.  Before games or meets, I played Runnin' Down a Dream by Tom Petty. I had a Walkman and it was on Cassette.  I know some of you kids think I'm speaking Greek right now with all your digital song shit these days.  Yeah, back in the day, we actually had to flip music over to listen to the other side of the album. I know... I know... you have no idea what the hell an album is and you don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Listen... just go with it.

After my game or meet, I played Free Fallin' by Tom Petty. It didn't matter if I won or lost, it was my cool down song.  Let's just say the summer of 1989 was all Tom Petty Full Moon Fever.  It was my bible and I played it through graduation until college that fall.


What's my point? The Yankees should be listening to Free Fallin' right now. They should be listening to it, playing it loud and understanding that if they don't turn their team around fast... they are about to be done. No fan needs these losses right now and the Yankees sure as hell don't need it.

The Yankees lost to the last place Blue Jays.  What the hell is that? Andy Pettitte was on the mound... and got the loss. Um, seriously.  The Yankees couldn't scratch 2 runs off of RA Dickey... I swear to God!  What has happened to my Yankees who are on a slide right now... right when they really need to win?

Andy Pettitte went 6.2 innings tonight.  He gave up 6 hits, but only 1 run. He walked 2 and struck out 5.  He did fine. Not great, not outstanding... fine.  Shawn Kelley was back and gave up the other run.

The Yankees DID NOT SCORE.  The Blue Jays pitching only allowed 5 hits all game. We left 7 runners on base.  ARod struck out twice, Alfonso Soriano was 1-4 but struck out 3 times.  In other words... there were not highlights to speak of... in fact they are free fallin'.

Final: Blue Jays 2 - Yankees 0.

I'm sick to my stomach...

Let's win already, I'm growing impatient. Anybody with me? Anyone at all?

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NIX LIKELY OUT FOR THE REST OF 2013

Remember when RA Dickey hit Jayson Nix with a knuckle ball the other night and word spread that he fractured his wrist? (Read HERE), Well, According to Newsday and other sources... he's probably out for the remainder of the 2013 season.

Newsday writes: "Asked before Thursday afternoon's series finale at the Stadium if Nix is done for the season, Yankees manager Joe Girardi sighed and said, 'We haven't got a timetable, but my guess would be yes.'''

Nix had a good run with the Yankees this season and was given a whole lot of opportunities and handled it pretty well.  We wrote about him in our BYB piece, WE STRUCK GOLD WITH JAYSON NIX, Read it, it's great!

We'll let you know if the guy is expected the come back... but let's assume not.

Enjoy your Friday.

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WITH A HUFF & A PUFF... THE YANKEES WIN!

In a game that had all the earmarks of an extended battle, Alfonso Soriano put to rest any thoughts of extra innings with an eighth inning blast to the left field seats off Blue Jays hurler RA Dickey that gave the Bombers a 4 – 2 win.

In the first four innings of the contest, Adam Warren limited the Toronto offense to four hits and two runs, yielding two walks and striking out four.  But, after giving up a lead-off home run to Josh Thole (his first of the season) and then hitting Kevin Pillar with a pitch in the fourth, Joe Girardi brought in 28 year-old left-hander David Huff.  From that point on the Blue Jays would manage just one hit off Huff – a chop over the mound by Brett Lawrie. 

The value of what Huff gave the Yankees bullpen cannot be put into words as the group had been worked heavily in yesterday’s double-header sweep.

The blast by Soriano was his ninth as a Yankee (this season) and ruined an otherwise brilliant pitching performance by Dickey who remained sitting in the dugout until well after the game’s finish.

An early highlight of the game for the Yankees was Ichiro Suzuki’s 4,000^th hit (MLB and Japanese baseball combined).  Following a signature single to left, the game was halted to recognize the great hitter’s accomplishment.

For a majority of the game Dickey seemingly owned our boys in pinstripes, but from the fourth inning on Huff matched scoreless innings with the 2012 Cy Young winner.  Both Huff and Warren proved that the Yankees have depth at starting pitching should they need it.

In spite of working both games yesterday, the great Mariano Rivera took the mound in the ninth inning and struck out Mark DeRosa before giving up a double down the left field line to Rajai Davis. 

Mo responded by picking Davis off second, then striking out Edwin Encarnacion to end the game.

Also having a big night – yet again – was Robinson Cano.  The second baseman went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored.

The excitement of tonight’s win is tempered by the fact that the team lost Jayson Nix for an extended period with a broken hand.  He was hit by a Dickey pitch in the second.  What move the Yankees make to fill in the hole that is left with the loss of Nix is yet to be determined, but David Adams might want to stay by his phone.

The Yankees hope to finish a sweep of the Blue Jays tomorrow at 1:05 when Andy Pettitte takes the mound.  For now, the team is on a roll and has won its fourth consecutive series. 

Final: Yankees 4 - Blue Jays 2

Anyone else feeling 1978-ish?


    
--Steve Skinner, BYB Guest Writer
Twitter: @oswegos1

 

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NOTES THAT COULD HELP YOUR FANTASY BASEBALL TEAM

Jason Kipnis has come on strong in the last two weeks, shaking off an early season slump. The Indians Second Baseman has 4 homers and 13 RBIs these last 14 days.

If you play Fantasy Baseball on the Internet, check and see if Kipnis is sitting on your wire. He may have been dropped by a manager frustrated by his early non-production.

 Chris Sale is on a roller coaster this week. He went from tossing one hit shutout ball against the Angels on Sunday night to getting an abscessed tooth removed on Monday. He is not expected to miss his next scheduled start Friday, against the Angels again. He will hope to improve his already impressive 2.88 ERA so far this season.

RA Dickey seems to be at least trying to adjust to life in the AL East after a somewhat rocky start. He gained the W against the champion Giants this week and has had five quality starts in eight tries. But his ERA sits at an uncomfortable 5.06 currently, and those losses have come in bunches. Stay tuned.

The good news on Bryce Harper is that he is not hurt seriously after slamming into the outfield wall Monday night. He has no concussion and needed 11 stitches on his chin, but no major injuries were incurred. The bad news on Harper is he is sporting a measly .138/.297/.241 slash line for the last two weeks. So a few days off might do him a whole lot of good.

The Pirates are scaring people with their bullpen. Mark Melancon leads the league with 13 holds. His ERA is an itty bitty 0.47, with a WHIP of 0.68, making him the ideal set-up man. Considering that Jason Grilli is making a case for best closer in the league right now, teams should be wary of letting Pittsburgh hold a lead late in the game with their vicious one two punch from the mound.

There’s some of what’s happening with the non-Pinstripe crowd.


Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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KEN DAVIDOFF IS DOING HIS JOB & DOING IT WELL

Let me chime in on the RA Dickey-Ken Davidoff charade.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Ken Davidoff wrote a piece over this past weekend where he characterized RA Dickey as a “handful” in the Mets clubhouse.  You can read it HERE. Here is a quote from that piece:

"Dickey can be a handful. He clearly has enjoyed his rise from the ashes into a Flushing folk hero, and while he deserves praise and riches, there’s also the matter of him having to coexist peacefully in a workplace. His gift for self-promotion and his love of attention don’t endear himself to most teammates. Instead, his durability and outstanding results led him to be appreciated but far from beloved.

If Dickey can’t control his verbiage at a holiday party — “Folks, not today, not with the kids here” was all he had to say to reporters — then how would a full season of uncertainty feel? How many times would Dickey spout off publicly? Or work behind the scenes to make the Mets look bad and boost his own brand?"

I've heard this before.  Lately when Dickey and the Mets were trying to work out an extension deal, it was reportedly getting heated and it was revealed that the Mets didn't like the way Dickey was handling his new found fame, so to speak.  Read WHY I'M COMMENTING ON RA DICKEY, I'LL NEVER KNOW for guidance on how I felt about the situation.

Now... after that piece, there are plenty defending Dickey and slamming Ken Davidoff.  The question I have is "Why?"  Bottom line, as an outsider and absolutely nothing to gain writing about the Mets or Dickey for that matter, Ken Davidoff can write anything he wants from his perspective, because, quite frankly, Davidoff probably knows alittle something more than we do. He's the baseball insider.  He’s able to hang around the Mets players, the brass, and he can probably get any “off the record” or on the record conversation he wants with any player he wants, at any time... many of us can’t.  Maybe Davidoff is getting us a perspective that none of us know about. Did anyone think about that?  It’s unfair to attack Davidoff in that regard and for the record, I have no beef with Dickey either.  Davidoff does incredible work and Dickey can feel good about himself after his fairy tale season, I give him that. My beef is with the Mets. But more about my opinion on the Mets in another post, this one is about Davidoff who deserves props for doing his job!

Now, Davidoff put together another piece yesterday after the whirlwind and explains the basis for him criticizing Dickey (HERE). Why? Because he's not a coward. Davidoff's a good writer and always chats about his columns.  He's probably one of the most interactive writers out there. He doesn't post something and then, when he gets a million questions asked to him, he doesn't ignore those questions. Some do. He actually communicates, he gets it.

Look, my take is simple; RA Dickey’s moved on, he’s a Toronto Blue Jay.  The reality is, this story is over.  One can make an argument that no one should “care” about Dickey and his “antics” if there were any, that's where I fall. But, the other thing is, from my own perspective, I was clear when I wrote that if Dickey feels good about himself, winning a Cy Young award and 20 games, let him enjoy himself a bit, he deserves it.  Lord knows the Mets didn’t do anything for him to help win 20 games. I wrote: “He won the Cy Young award.  Sure, the Mets can say that RA Dickey is enjoying his new found fame alittle too much and acting too arrogant, or whatever they seem to be doing to attack this guy's character, but hey, if RA Dickey feels good about himself after the season he just had, and the mountain he just climbed, let the guy ride the wave man!"

The best part about Dickey was that today he said this about being a Toronto Blue Jay: “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a part of an organization that’s committed to winning.” In other words, F Off Mets! (Read HERE.)

But back to Ken Davidoff... Lay off him. Or, stop being jealous.  The guy is one of the best out there, and he went the extra mile most likely to get the story that none of us had.  You can’t get angry at him for doing his job, that would be ridiculous. It’s the holiday season, lighten up. As far as I can tell the story is over... with Dickey getting the final word in. 

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