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And this is the day you learned of a man — a base-balling man — named Lean Boswell.

While acquainting himself with the internet last night, the author found his way to a post by Mop Up Duty’s Callum Hughson from late 2010 regarding retired Cuban shortstop German Mesa. As notes Hughson, Mesa is regarded not only as the best defensive shortstop ever to have played in the Cuban domestic league, but was also an above-average offensive player for much of his career, which lasted from 1986 to 2002, when he retired.

What one learns from the video embedded here is that — regardless of how many runs he saved and/or produced — Mesa is capable of convincing a lone, tired internet surfer that life is not sinkhole of misery.

What else one learns (both from Hughson and the rest of the internet) is this:

• He was nicknamed El Mago (the Magician) and El Imán (the Magnet).
• He played for Industriales for his entire career (except when he played for Metropolitanos, their farm team).
• He slashed .285/.386/.423 in 4,344 career at-bats, probably.
• He was banned for life for 1.5 years between October of 1996 and March of 1998.
• He had terrific rapport, as the video here indicates, with Industriales second baseman Juan Padilla.

It is a GIF of redemption. Perseverance. Stick-to-it-tive-ness. It is a GIF of Micah Owings, full-time hitter, lacing a double.

h/t: The very assuming Bradley Woodrum

In his Discourses, noted Roman Stoic Epictetus proclaims that, to live a life free from anxiety, that each of us must become like a “spiritual athlete.” To that end, NotGraphs presents this exercise, with a view towards helping to tighten and tone the spirits of the readership.

A pair of she-bears take a long loving look at the real while also devouring some children.

Notes
In his challenging text on the nature of the contemplative life, 1974’s The Human Adventure, Carmelite monk William McNamara invites the reader to take what he calls “a long loving look at the real.”

During the final game of Pool A play this morning in Fukuoka (box), Cuban left fielder Alfredo Despaigne either did or did not accept McNamara’s invitation following his eighth-inning home run off Japanese right-hander Takeru Imamura.

To wit:

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Charlie Hough does what he pleases, people.

If Charlie Hough were a dandy fop, he would keep handy a dainty kerchief at all times, with which to wipe his brow or nose with victorian decorum. Charlie Hough does no such thing, puritan!

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“Didn’t know you could bet on any special player.”
 
“On anybody or anything. We bet on strikes, balls, hits, runs, innings, and full games. If a good team plays a lousy team we will bet on the spread of runs. We cover anything anyone wants to bet on.”
 
    –The Natural (1952)

Fantasy baseball has well earned its reputation for being a healthy and educational activity for boys and girls aged 9-99. Furthermore, an independent medical think tank discovered that exposure to fantasy podcasts while in the womb has advanced language development in newborns by up to 15%, as well as caused a 25% reduction in paying for saves. This is science.

But though it’s a natural thing for a young man or woman to own up to twenty or thirty fantasy teams in a given season, nurturing them like plants or goldfish, one can suffer from a certain level of diminishing returns. That’s why we need new forms of fantasy baseball, new things to bet on, to keep things fresh and instill some faint imitation of purpose into our lives. To that purpose, I propose the Fantasy Baseball Twitter League.

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Buried at the bottom of a story last week at MLB.com:

The New York police officer on trial for allegedly plotting to kidnap, murder and eat 100 women was high school baseball teammates with Mets outfielder Mike Baxter.

Also in the news:

Former Braves catcher Bruce Benedict next in line to be Pope.

Ramon Castro, Jason Castro, Starlin Castro said to be under consideration to succeed distant cousins Fidel and Raul in Cuba.

You have previously been made aware of the baseball prowess of perpetual Presidential candidate (I’m fairly sure he’s still running, somewhere) and spritely elf Ronald Ernest Paul, former congressman from Texas’s 14^th district. Paul’s performance in the annual Congressional Baseball Game is legendary, as it includes the first out of the park home run in the game’s long history (it’s been held at least 79 times since 1909) and still just one of two. He was 45 at the time.

Three years later, at 48, he almost did it again, as the following video, uncovered by Steve E. over at Whiskers on a Stache (where you can find the finest admiration of Kevin Bass) demonstrates:

What else do we learn about Representative Paul during the 1983 game at Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria, Virginia?

• Ron Paul has the range to play centerfield. (0:35)
• He is “the best long-ball hitter on the [Republican] club, who has stroked a number of homeruns, not only in practice but during the course of the games.” (0:40)
• Representative Barney Frank “would add he’s probably one of the best gynecologists you’ll find out on this ball field today.” (0:53)  Ladies, take note.
• Actually, he’s “the only gynecologist in attendance tonight.” (1:03)
• The Republicans are incompetently managed by Silvio Conte, as Ron Paul is batting seventh in part in favor of Rod Chandler, R-Washington, a freshman congressman who was seven years  Paul’s junior. But the strategy backfires, as the Republicans have chances to score early, but don’t capitalize without their star at the dish. (1:06)
• Ron Paul looks damn good in his rainbow Astros uni. (2:31)
• His double off the left-center field wall demonstrates he still has legitimate gap power and a smooth right-handed swing from the right side of the aisle. (4:00)
• He’ll lay down a bunt anytime. Nobody should get to tell him what he can and can’t do with their unwritten rules. (5:00)
• You can fool him with breaking stuff, but he’s patient enough to wait for the fastball, as he lines another hit to left. (6:02)
• The shadow government doesn’t want to create a martyr and won’t let you see him get plunked, note the interference on the video. Nevertheless, Paul won’t be intimidated and stays in the game. (7:05)
• Presumably, he took advantage of baseball’s strict and intrusive regulations to get to first base on catcher’s interference. Hypocrite. (8:45)
• He will never be elected President of these United States, but he can rest easy knowing he still is a sure-handed flycatcher. (9:05)

Ultimately, Conte’s egregious managing probably costs the Republicans the win in 1983, as the game ends in the first ever tie, 17-17.  Clearly not as good at running a ball club as he was at acquiring defense contracts for Western Massachusetts. On the day, Paul officially goes 2-for-3 with a single, double, HBP, reached on catcher’s interference and at least a run scored and two RBI. Hits for average, power, runs, fields, and throws like a boss. And he’s the best gynecologist on the field. He’s a rare six tool player.

So, some dude was spotted in Dunedin, Florida wearing an Alex Anthopoulos jersey. I’m assuming it wasn’t Mr. Anthopoulos himself, because, well, that would be weird.

I’m curious: is this happening elsewhere? Any Duquette jerseys in Baltimore? Dipoto jerseys in Anaheim? What about Wren jerseys, in Atlanta? Anybody rocking a Mozeliak jersey in St. Louis? What about a shirsey? Any Alderson jerseys in Queens?

I fear this is a very slippery slope. The cult of the general manager, and all that.

H/T: My man Jerry, @NorthYorkJays.

Andy Moore Burlington Aristocrats Age: 34 B/T: L/L Born: Elizabeth, WV Position(s): P (SP3) View Hardball Dynasty Profile

It’s possible that the author just traded for computer-generated left-hander Andy Moore of Elizabeth, West Virginia, in his Hardball Dynasty league because of Moore’s relatively balanced platoon splits, above-average control rating, and reasonable salary.

What’s probable, though, is that the author traded for computer-generated left-hander Andy Moore owing to his entirely virtual mustache, which one is forced to assume was stolen from a carnival strongman in the year 1913.