[Westheim]

Raccoons (53-46) vs. Aces (45-53) – July 25-27, 2051

Both teams had enjoyed a day off on Monday, although the front office staff in Portland didn’t necessarily get the same treatment. I was busy consulting with Cristiano, Pat Degenhardt, Slappy, and Honeypaws about trade options for some outfield offense, while snarling at Maud when she couldn’t bring in the donut reinforcements quickly enough. 15 hours later we were no smarter than before, but at least a little bit fatter for the winter, because winter’s coming. Before winter, though, the Aces came, ahead 2-1 in the season series. They were hopelessly behind in the South, scoring the fourth-most runs but also giving up the third-most runs in the CL. They had a -63 run differential, when everybody knows you can’t have much worse than a -9 run differential if you want to lead the division.

Projected matchups:
Bubba Wolinsky (10-7, 3.41 ERA) vs. Chris Cornelius (9-8, 3.95 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (11-5, 3.33 ERA) vs. Larry Broad (4-10, 5.44 ERA)
Victor Salcido (4-6, 4.06 ERA) vs. Josh Wilson (7-9, 5.35 ERA)

Only righty opposition here. That aside, the Aces were also missing a few teeth from their lineup, as Neville van der Wouw was on the DL along with Jeremy Welter and Dustin Huber.

Game 1
LVA: 2B J. White – RF Austin – CF D. Martin – C Weese – SS Holbrook – LF D. Encarnacion – 1B M. Colon – 3B Coen – P Cornelius
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – CF Puckeridge – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – C Suggs – 3B Crispin – RF Glodowski – P Wolinsky

Aubrey Austin, a prohibitively priced trade option, hit a 2-run homer in the first inning to get us underway on Tuesday after Wolinsky had already allowed Jim White on base with a leadoff single. Given the absolute dearth of offense for the home team, that already seemed like the ballgame. The first time through the Coons lineup was depressing, while the second time wasn’t that much better, although Pucks hit a single and Maldo knocked a double to put a pair in scoring position with two outs for Sean Suggs. Sean Suggs grounded out to end the inning, which sugged. Bottom 5th, still down 2-0, the Coons got a leadoff single from Ed Crispin, who was immediately forced out on a grounder by Matt Glodowski and his useless pelt, the combo of which somehow had over 150 at-bats already this year. Cornelius ambitiously tried to get the lead runner on Bubba’s bunt though, which didn’t work, and added a second runner. Matt Waters’s single made it three, all starting intently at Lonzo in the box. A sharp shot up the middle for an RBI single advanced everybody 90 feet, and Pucks lobbed one over White’s head for another one to tie the game at two. Ken Crum’s bouncer was knocked down by White and played for an out at second, but that still got the go-ahead run home, 3-2. Maldo popped out, leaving two, but Crispin was on base again in the sixth, stole second, and then scored joggingly anyway when Glodowski homered to left. – No, Maud, that in no way doesn’t make his pelt useless.

At best it might make me toss out a trade offer with the Bayhawks for not one, but two outfielders, which would obviously be wrong. For the time being, the inning continued with Adam Eutsler getting shown all the nasty spots of the city as the Coons loaded the bags again and then had Crum dish in a pair, 7-2. Maldo flew out to deep right to strand another pair this time. Bubba drove in a 2-out run with his second single of the game in the bottom 7th, plating Sean Suggs and his leadoff double, but didn’t get through the top 8th anymore. With Austin on base and two gone, the Coons went to Mike Snyder, who allowed a hit to Kevin Weese and then dropped a throw from Maldo at first base to decidedly not retire Steve Holbrook and concede Wolinsky’s run with that error, but at least managed to finish the game without getting more qualified personnel involved. 8-3 Coons. Puckeridge 3-5, RBI; Crum 2-5, 3 RBI; Suggs 2-5, 2B; Wolinsky 7.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (11-7) and 2-3, RBI;

Game 2
LVA: 2B J. White – RF Austin – CF Cramer – C Weese – LF Bishop – SS Holbrook – 1B M. Colon – 3B Coen – P Broad
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – 1B Puckeridge – LF Crum – RF J. Maldonado – C Suggs – 3B Crispin – CF Suzuki – P Wheatley

The innings breezed by like nothing on Wednesday for a lack of offense on either side. Pucks hit a double at one point, but was stranded, and in the sixth(!) it was Lonzo to reach base, steal second, and see Pucks draw a walk behind him, all of that already with two outs. Ken Crum grounded hard to the right side, but White was there and made the play to end the inning. That made it three hits for Portland, and just one hit against Wheats, who however struggled with command at points and had also walked a pair and needed 88 pitches through six innings. He added another zero to the board despite a 1-out walk to Steve Bishop in the seventh, getting a double play from Holbrook, but that inning had pushed him to 108 pitches and that was probably gonna be enough in the scoreless game. Would the team give him a chance to win?

Are you new here?

Instead the Aces got Miguel Colon to dish one up the leftfield line for a leadoff double against Willie Cruz in the eighth. Ben Coen’s groundout moved the go-ahead run to third base, and here they went for the squeeze play, because we were not the only desperate team in the league. Broad popped it up however, Cruz snagged the ball, and Colon was as dead as disco halfway between third base and home, ending the inning with a 1-5 double play. Suzuki and Waters drew walks in the bottom 8th, but Lonzo grounded out and Pucks flew out to Brent Cramer to leave those on, as well. Eloy Sencion couldn’t get through Jim White to begin the top 9th, putting the lefty hitter on base, then was double-switched out with Pucks for Hitchcock and Glodowski against the .316 hitting right-hander Kevin Weese, who grounded out to Lonzo. Broad began the bottom 9th, but was yanked for lefty David Fox after Crum opened with a single. Fox ticked Maldo with a 1-2 pitch to move the winning run to second base with nobody out. Sean Suggs was up 3-1, then steadfastly grounded to short. Bishop and Gary Tabano got mixed up with a bad throw though, and the only out was at second base, Crum being at third with one out for Brian Kaufman, batting for Crispin. Also, whiffing. Ruben Gonzalez hit for Suzuki as we went for ******* broke, but flew out to Austin. (labored breathing)

Top 10th, Hitchcock still on the bump, and with Gonzalez at first, Maldo back to right (after being at first when Pucks was subbed out), Glodowski to left, and Crum in center. What could possibly go wrong? Hitchcock cleverly got two outs with grounders to Matt Waters before Colon dropped a single into left that Glodowski promptly overran for an extra base. Josh Landstrom floated out to Crum, though. Bottom 10th, Glodowski drew a leadoff walk, then looked on as Waters and Lonzo both whiffed. Roberto Medina was the last stick off the bench and singled for Hitchcock, moving the winning run into scoring position again for Ken Crum, who rolled an 0-1 pitch on the infield, Landstrom and Fox got into each other’s craws, and the Coons filled the bases on an “infield single”. Bring up Maldo, then! Fox labored into a full count to Maldo, who fell asleep after six pitches and thus couldn’t swing at ball four in the dirt, automatically walking off the Critters bloody somehow. 1-0 Blighters. Medina (PH) 1-1; Crum 2-5; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K;

(looks aged)

Between games the Aces sent SP Dave Washington (6-7, 5.25 ERA), their sole lefty who hadn’t been scheduled to start in the series anyway, to the Buffos for two prospects. The Coons still could not find a trade deal they liked.

Game 3
LVA: 2B J. White – RF Austin – CF Cramer – C Weese – LF Bishop – SS Holbrook – 1B M. Colon – 3B Coen – P Jo. Wilson
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – 1B Puckeridge – LF Crum – RF J. Maldonado – C Suggs – 3B Crispin – CF Suzuki – P Salcido

Salcido got another second-inning rectal exam, offering two walks, three hits, and three runs to the Aces, when the Raccoons needed 30 innings to score that much. Bishop singled, Holbrook walked, and Colon and Coen drove in all the runs with back-to-back doubles up either line. Bishop doubled home another run in the third inning after leadoff walks to Cramer and Weese. Salcido also bunted into a double play in the bottom 3rd, and was yanked after a pair of 1-out walks to White and Austin in the top 4th, which gave him six walks on the day. Miles walked the bags full with Cramer, but then had Waters snatch a Weese liner and double up an inattentive Austin at second base to end the inning, but with the Aces still already up by a slam.

Maldo in the fourth and Crum in the sixth found double plays, and only Suzuki hit a sac fly to bring in Suggs in the fifth after him and Crispin had chopped singles. So there WERE Coons runners, but we wasted them as efficiently as possible… Miles pitched long relief through the end of the seventh without allowing a run, and when he was hit for in the bottom 7th, Mitch Sivertson did so as the go-ahead run after the 6-7-8 batters had opened the inning with a single to left, a single to right, and an RBI double to center, 4-2. He grounded out to Coen, which helped zero, and Waters’ sac fly was the last run of the inning, with Lonzo grounding out to short instead.

Waldo kept the Aces off the board in the eighth, and the Raccoons got Pucks on base with a leadoff single off Medardo Regueir in the bottom 8th. Crum’s groundout advanced the tying run, and Maldo slapped a single to center, on which Pucks didn’t accept any stop signs and dashed for home, tying the score at four. Maldo moved up to second, Suggs walked, and Ruben Gonzalez singled in Crispin’s spot against the lefty Regueir to load the bases with one gone. And Suzuki hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. (deep sigh) Lillis held the game tied against the meat of the order in the ninth; we went for a lefty since Cramer and Bishop were left-handed batters, rather than with Hitchcock.

Hitchcock was instead out for the inevitable tenth inning, getting two outs before walking Regueir (!!) and nicking Josh Landstrom in the #1 spot. Austin kindly grounded out to Lonzo to spare us the humiliation of falling behind with that sequence, kindly. Hitchcock was back in the 11th, and exploded entirely. Gary Tabano and Ben Coen (…) hit a pair of 2-run homers to put the game away. You’d assume. Bottom 11th, Fox in play. Kaufman and Suzuki singled, but the last stick off the bench, Glodowski, popped out, the useless pelt. Then Matt Waters romped a 3-piece to left, which markedly made up only three quarters of the deficit. Say, where was that the last 56 hours?? Lonzo and Pucks grounded out to end the game. 8-7 Aces. Puckeridge 2-5, BB; Suggs 3-4, BB; Crispin 2-3; Gonzalez (PH) 1-1; Kaufman 1-1; Suzuki 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Miles 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K;

Fine, you bums.

Push me to the utmost extreme measures!!

Trade

The Coons reluctantly reached across the border and struck a deal with the damn Elks for INF/RF Nick DeMarco (.273, 10 HR, 45 RBI). The 30-year-old righty batter was an extremely skilled defensive infielder, but also very adept in centerfield, which would likely be his preferred zone of employment. He routinely hit for a 110-ish OPS+, which sounded like a huge improvement for us, and would replace Roberto Medina (3-for-7) on the roster.

The Coons parted with May’s waiver claim Aaron Walker (.158, 0 HR, 3 RBI) and A-level reliever Kyle Mascarello, a former Nick Brown Memorial Pick, in the deal.

Raccoons (55-47) vs. Condors (49-50) – July 28-30, 2051

The two most inept teams in terms of scoring met for the weekend for the last three games between them this year; at least the Condors weren’t gonna make the playoffs. We were up 4-2 in the season series, and we were level with 390 runs scored each to begin the weekend, but the Condors even had a +9 run differential compared to -4 for us. And yet, the Coons were in first place by three games on Friday morning. (shrugs)

Projected matchups:
Juan Mercado (5-5, 3.54 ERA) vs. Elijah Powell (3-1, 3.58 ERA)
Rafael de la Cruz (4-3, 3.92 ERA) vs. Paul Paris (3-7, 3.04 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (11-7, 3.35 ERA) vs. Tony Llorens (6-9, 3.49 ERA)

Southpaw Sunday! …and the only southpaw for the week.

Nick DeMarco arrived in such a hurry on Friday that he ended up wearing a Coons jersey without the name on the back; the first attempt by venerable old clubhouse guy Gus resulted in “DEMURO” bring stamped on the back, and that would be confusing.

Game 1
TIJ: SS C. Navarro – CF Ransford – C Mittleider – LF T. Duncan – 1B G. Cabrera – 2B Whitehurst – 3B Ottinger – RF Bator – P E. Powell
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – 1B Puckeridge – LF Crum – CF DeMarco – C Gonzalez – 3B Crispin – RF Glodowski – P Mercado

Tim Duncan’s homer to left made it 3-0 in a hurry after Chris Navarro had singled on a 1-2 pitch and Dustin Ransford had reached on a Waters error. The Coons made up one in the first, when Lonzo tripled and Crum singled him home, and in the second as well, on a Glodowski homer, but Mercado found the top of the order and more trouble again in the top 3rd. Navarro singled, Mittleider walked, double steal, and then RBI singles for Duncan and Gil Cabrera.

After two extra-inning games and with Miles still burned, the Raccoons couldn’t afford to pour out the entire pen behind Mercado either – he had to suck it and the game had to be surrendered. That amounted to nine runs (!) in 5.2 innings on Mercado before Cruz and Snyder completed the game, the latter allowing one more run in the eighth. The Coons didn’t do much outside the bottom 6th, when they put up a 3-spot that hardly mattered and barely got them back into slam range. Gonzalez singled home a run, and Crispin doubled in two, all with two outs, but that was it until the bottom 9th, when George Youngblood struck out Crispin, but then gave up straight singles and a run to Glodowski, Sivertson, and Waters. Lonzo had been double-switched out earlier, and Suggs struck out in his spot against new reliever, righty Jake Hill. Puckeridge hit a single to center to narrow the score to 10-7, with Ken Crum coming up as the tying run. He ran a full count, then sent a screamer into the gap for a 2-run double, 10-9. (raises eyebrow) DeMarco then, 0-for-4 in the nameless brown shirt so far. The first pitch to him was wild and moved Crum to third base with the tying run, and then he took a strike he didn’t like. He liked the next strike. A belter to left! High! Deep! DEMUUUROOOOOO!!!! … 11-10 Furballs!! Puckeridge 2-5, RBI; Crum 4-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI; DeMarco 1-5, HR, 2 RBI; Glodowski 2-3, BB, HR, RBI; Sivertson 1-1;

(jumps up and down on the trusty brown couch, screaming out of his mind)

Game 2
TIJ: SS C. Navarro – 1B G. Cabrera – LF T. Duncan – CF Ransford – 2B Whitehurst – 3B Ottinger – C Robbinson – RF Lamotta – P Paris
POR: 2B Waters – CF DeMarco – RF Puckeridge – LF Crum – C Suggs – 1B J. Maldonado – 3B Crispin – SS Sivertson – P de la Cruz

…and then another early deficit. Navarro, Duncan, and Nathan Whitehurst all knocked sharp hits off de la Cruz in the first inning and two runs scored on the two singles and final double. Bottom 1st, Waters walked, DeMarco singled to put them on the corners, and Pucks found shallow center for an RBI single, 2-1. Crum struck out, Suggs singled to fill the sacks, and Maldo’s sac fly to deep right tied the game. Ed Crispin turned a 1-2 pitch around into shallow center for an RBI single. Sivertson grounded out, keeping the score at 3-2.

Despite a pair of Condors on the corners in the third inning, Rafael de la Cruz held the line… until the fourth, when Dr. Padilla disturbed my already fragile piece of mind by walking out to the mound with Reed Ottinger on first and one out, and ended up collecting the young pitcher in his first start as a 21-year-old. While I begged the baseball gods for kindness and mercy and promised to eat all my peas and rhubarb, Willie Maldonado offered eight outs and a single at the dish, nothing of which budged the game’s 3-2 score. That only occurred with Waldo out of the game as Lonzo pinch-hit for him with two outs and two on, Maldo on second and Crispin on first, and slapped the third single of the inning, an RBI single to center, 4-2. The pair that remained on base stole second and third with Waters batting, but Matt Waters flew out to Ricky Lamotta, a Coon last year, briefly. The Condors then pulled back that run with three singles off Brett Lillis jr. in the seventh, Duncan getting the run home, but then PH Justin Bator struck out to strand a pair. Blowing the lead they left to Willie Cruz, however, who fell to an Ottinger single and Danny Diaz’ pinch-hit double in the eighth… The ninth went to Hitchcock, but the tie was held mostly by Ken Crum. Tim Duncan singled with two outs and went for home on a Bator double off the wall. Crum unleashed a rocket to home plate that eviscerated the runner and ended the inning to keep the score level…! Bottom 9th, Aaron Erwin pitching for the Condors with a 4.14 ERA. Waters flew out, and DeMarco disappointed as well, failing to get his second walkoff in two games, merely clanging a ball of the top of the fence for a 1-out triple. Bum! And of course the Coons failed to win the game from there. Pucks was walked intentionally, then forced out on a Crum grounder, and Suggs popped out, which sugged.

Thusly, the third extra-inning meat grinder of the week: Eloy Sencion got three cozy outs in the tenth inning, since Hitchcock had thrown a lot of pitches in his blowout on Thursday and wasn’t available for two now. The Coons then went on to put two third basemen on the corners with singles off Erwin in the bottom 10th. Crispin and Kaufman, the latter pinch-hitting for Sencion with two outs, then looked at what Waters might do in that spot… but they should have looked at what Erwin might do in that spot, completely missing his catcher with a 1-1 pitch and that sent Crispin scampering home and scoring on the wild pitch, ending this game. 5-4 Critters! DeMarco 2-4, BB, 3B; Puckeridge 2-4, BB, RBI; J. Maldonado 2-4, RBI; Crispin 2-4, BB, RBI; Lavorano (PH) 1-1, RBI; Kaufman (PH) 1-1; W. Maldonado 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K and 1-1;

(sneaks around Dr. Padilla’s office)

(tries to catch a glimpse of Dr. Padilla moving Raffy’s throwing arm around without looking like he’s trying to catch a glimpse)

(screeches and runs when Dr. Padilla looks to the door)

Game 3
TIJ: SS C. Navarro – CF Ransford – C Mittleider – LF T. Duncan – 1B G. Cabrera – 2B Whitehurst – 3B Ottinger – RF Bator – P Llorens
POR: 2B Waters – SS Lavorano – CF DeMarco – LF Crum – 1B J. Maldonado – C Suggs – RF Glodowski – 3B Sivertson – P Wolinsky

Another first inning, another early fold-up garden chair taken to the face. Wolinsky allowed a leadoff single to Navarro, walked Mittleider, and conceded a run on a Duncan single. A Sivertson error cost another run on Gil Cabrera’s grounder, and that was before Reed Ottinger crashed a 3-run homer. Five runs, four unearned, all deserved. Wolinsky wouldn’t make it out of the second inning, giving up another three runs on four hits in a complete shellacking. Snyder struck out Ottinger to get out of the ******* inning at all.

Nick DeMarco was undisturbed by the lopsided score and hit a 2-out, 3-run homer with Waters and Lonzo on base in the bottom 3rd, which narrowed the score all the way to 8-3. (wrinkles pointy black nose) Yeah, no, I didn’t think they’d pull that one out as well. The Condors also promptly slapped Snyder for three hits and two runs in the fourth inning, as if to tell us no-you-won’t.

Snyder threw 56 pitches for ten outs, which wasn’t extremely efficient either, but Paul Miles was even worse, throwing 56 pitches for just SIX outs, and while giving up another two runs on homers by Whitehurst in the sixth and Bator in the seventh. Waldo and Lillis each threw score- and pointless innings at the far end, and the Coons entered the bottom 9th against Ramon Montes de Oca with a 9-run deficit. Pucks singled for Maldo. Suggs walked. Suzuki hit an infield single for Glodowski. Three on, no outs. Sivertson singled up the middle, 12-4. Kaufman drew a bases-loaded walk to push in another run. The pitcher was in the #1 spot though, Waters having been lifted in a double switch. Crispin was the last batter on the bench, but popped out to third base. Lonzo hit a sac fly, but that was the last run for the Critters, with DeMarco striking out. 12-6 Condors. Puckeridge (PH) 1-1; Kaufman (PH) 1-2, BB, RBI;

In other news

July 24 – The Capitals nearly get physical with the umpiring crew when their 11-inning game against the Gold Sox ends with Denver’s Raul Sevilla (.307, 7 HR, 63 RBI) sticking an elbow into a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the winning run, and the umpires let the initial call stand, for a 4-3 Gold Sox win.
July 26 – The Knights lose swinging catcher Tyler Cass (.302, 4 HR, 56 RBI) to a ruptured achilles tendon, ending his season.
July 26 – The Crusaders for some reason send SP Jeremy Baker (8-4, 2.82 ERA) to the Blue Sox for outfielder Adam Magnussen (.226, 4 HR, 36 RBI).
July 26 – The Wolves acquire 3B/SS Alex Lopez (.338, 0 HR, 8 RBI) from the Condors for RF/3B Justin Bator (.322, 5 HR, 16 RBI).
July 27 – The Stars pick up LF/1B/RF Steve Humphreys (.208, 4 HR, 18 RBI) from the Thunder for Dale Mrazek (7-1, 2.53 ERA, 21 SV) and a prospect.
July 27 – The Warriors score in every inning but the eighth in a 17-6 rush of the Cyclones. SFW C Nick Samuel (.255, 18 HR, 66 RBI) drives in five runs to lead the team.
July 29 – Pittsburgh needs more players and acquires LF/1B/RF Bryce Toohey (.249, 12 HR, 58 RBI) from the Canadiens for MR Bernardino Risso (5-5, 3.04 ERA, 5 SV) and a prospect.
July 29 – The Thunder pick up SP Mike Zeigler (5-7, 4.38 ERA) from the Warriors, leaving the Warriors with a prospect.
July 29 – The Pacifics beat the Cyclones, 5-4 in 17 innings, on a 2-out single by wacky southpaw swingman Jose Rodriguez (4-6, 6.04 ERA).
July 30 – The Bayhawks and Canadiens exchange veterans north of age 35, as San Francisco gets catcher Giampaolo Petroni (.303, 1 HR, 12 RBI) for 2B Hugo Acosta (.250, 0 HR, 9 RBI) and a prospect.
July 30 – The Wolves get LF/RF/1B Scott King (.259, 8 HR, 31 RBI) from L.A. for two prospects, including #66 C Chris Maresh.
July 30 – Sioux Falls gets CL Carlos Castillo (1-5, 3.04 ERA, 29 SV) from the Falcons for backup catcher Anton Mercado (.337, 2 HR, 19 RBI).
July 30 – MIL 2B/SS Ricky Lopez (.262, 9 HR, 36 RBI) would miss three to four weeks with a bruised wrist.

FL Player of the Week: PIT 2B/3B Alex Vasquez (.324, 4 HR, 36 RBI), batting .591 (13-22) with 3 RBI
CL Player of the Week: VAN SS/3B Dan Mullen (.293, 2 HR, 39 RBI), hitting .444 (12-27) with 8 RBI

Complaints and stuff

A walkoff walk, a walkoff homer by a guy that didn’t have a name on his back, and a walkoff wild pitch. You can’t say we won my unanimous decision this week. Every game went the distance. And three went even beyond that.

…and then there were the two lowest-scoring teams of the CL meeting each other and then taking the morningstars to each other for a total of 48 runs in three games. Now, we’re still both last in runs scored (and the Coons last in particular). Put in relation, we have 411 runs, and half the CL (six teams) is within 25 runs of us, so it’s not like we’re MILES off.

Maybe one mile.

There is also good news. Rafael de la Cruz had been diagnosed with a slightly sore shoulder. He *may* miss a start, which would be a problem as there’s no day off coming up any time soon. His turn would be Thursday. We’ll have to wait and see whether we have to work something out there.

In any case, we are on the road for two weeks now, visiting the Thunder, Titans, Indians, and Warriors for 13 total games.

Fun Fact: 38 years ago today, Milwaukee’s Nick Gilmor hit for the cycle against the Knights.

This is the most recent cycle for the Loggers, who have had four in total, all of them against CL South teams.

Gilmor was 23 at the time of his heroics had a 14-year career, mostly in journeyman fashions, playing for five different teams, including two stints each with the Loggers and Indians. A regular in his 20s he once hit .312/.367/.497 for the Indians in 2015, but mostly hugged the league average. He led the league in triples in 2015, and was an All Star twice and a Gold Glover once. For his career he batted .275/.333/.416 with 99 HR and 553 RBI, but got no extended Hall of Fame considerations.