Morning Notes: March 31, 2010
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 12:59 PM EDT
28 comments
Morning Notes: March 31, 2026
**Got a clean bill of health from the doctor today. BP very good at 115/75. Thank God for calcium channel blockers. I set a goal three weeks ago of losing 50 pounds in the next 52 weeks, one a week, but cutting out most sugars and refined carbs, increasing vegetable intake, and getting more exercise. So far I've lost three pounds, so I'm on schedule.
**Tomorrow we will do an All Questions Answered thread, starting at 8 AM central.
**Coming up later today: Prospect Retro for Troy Glaus. In the coming days, I am also planning Retros for Troy Tulowitzki and Nick Swisher, and a review of where Matt Kemp's career stands. And yes, I am working on the shortstop sleeper prospect thing, but it is a longer piece.
**My Rookie of the Year Picks:
NATIONAL LEAGUE: Jason Heyward. He hits .267/.338/.434, which isn't as good as some people expect, but is still impressive considering his age. He ends up winning the award anyway.
Runner up is Stephen Strasburg, who gets called up in late June and goes 4-6, 3.79 in 13 starts, with a 67/25 K/BB in 75 innings. That's fine performance for a rookie but doesn't completely fulfill the dreams of some.
Darkhorse number three candidate is David Freese, who hits .272/.335/.470 for the Cardinals. Voters splitting their ballots between Freese and Strasburg end up giving the award to Heyward.
AMERICAN LEAGUE: Wade Davis, who goes 13-9, 3.55 for the Rays with a 155/69 K/BB in 180 innings.
Runner up is Brian Matusz, who also goes 13-9 but with a 3.89 ERA. His K/BB and his FIP end up better than Davis, but he ends up losing the award to Davis in a close vote.
The Tigers have three darkhorses: Alex Avila, Austin Jackson, and Scott Sizemore all have good rookie campaigns as the Tigers are involved in a close dogfight with the White Sox and Twins for the division title.
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John, how bout a Prospect Retro for Nick Markakis and Delmon Young?
PPPPPPUNTO 4 MVP 2010
by punto4mvp on Mar 31, 2026 1:32 PM EDT reply actions
John
what about the fantasy league roster analysis?
by daveh33 on Mar 31, 2026 2:25 PM EDT reply actions
Way to go John.
You should keep us posted on how your exercise and weight loss program is going. It may give you some extra motivation and also motivate some of your fans to get healthier too.
by cronie on Mar 31, 2026 2:39 PM EDT reply actions
I lost 200 pounds over a year in high school. I did it stupid, and ended up getting pretty sick, but I have never really gained it back and even though that was 10 years ago I still feel great about it. Really changed my life. I know that losing that weight added 20 years to my life.
Also, funny side effect: after the weight loss, can’t even get near water without getting a crippling case of motion sickness. Luckily, I joined the Air Force and not Navy out of HS.
by Oscar_the_Dog on Mar 31, 2026 2:46 PM EDT reply actions
I lost 30 lbs in six weeks going raw food
Which is pretty extreme, but I wanted to try it out.
I’ve stopped that diet, but still have maintained my current weight.
So, I suppose my suggestion would be to see how many raw food meals (salads with no dressing, homemade smoothies, etc) you can introduce in your normal week.
by unspider on Mar 31, 2026 3:15 PM EDT reply actions
Isn't raw food boring?
I guess I can see where raw food would provide more nutrition, perhaps at a lower caloric intake, thus helping one lose weight, but this just seems extremely faddish to me.
by Flynn Blake on Mar 31, 2026 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I think for a normal person, it's hard to not get repetitive
For the most part, I ate salads and fruit and drank smoothies to get full, not necessarily to enjoy them (although by no means do they taste bad).
I think it’s hard to sustain mostly because of the weight loss - I went back to “normal” food so I’d stop losing weight, even though I ate enough to not feel hungry.
I think raw food is a good option for as many meals as you can stand.
by unspider on Apr 1, 2026 11:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Diet
It seems that all the foods we like are mostly bad for you if eaten on a regular basis. So, pizzas, cold cuts, breads, fast foods, brownies-cakes have to be in extreme moderation. I learned the hard way, almost looking like the michilen man and my pants too tight a few year back in my mid 50’s. More fruits, salads, and Brown Rice - a thermogenic helps alot. Losing the weight helps give you a better chance of enjoying your family for more years. Good Luck John.
by KalineCountry on Mar 31, 2026 3:16 PM EDT reply actions
man I know its hard John
but you can do it!! Way to go on your weight goal! Just a little bit each day will help. for any diet/exercising plan you need to find out the right balance for yourself before settling for what works.
"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"
by feslenraster on Mar 31, 2026 3:42 PM EDT reply actions
Hey John good news on ur BP!
Are you taking any supplements? I’ve been doing P90X for almost 2 months and i’m loving the results so far. You may not want to go that extreme but a resistance band would be great to start out.
by Jay212033 on Mar 31, 2026 3:59 PM EDT reply actions
supplements
Let’s see….I take lipitor for cholesterol, two different BP meds, fish oil supplements, and low-dose aspirin. I’m too fat and I have a bad family history. The meds have my BP and cholesterol at excellent levels, but I need to lose the weight in order to avoid diabetes. So far my blood sugar is completely normal, but I want it to stay that way.
I’ve been struggling with weight since grad school. I tend to eat badly when I am stressed, and I am frequently stressed, lol.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Working out
How is the working out going John? I know when I was cleared to work out after my health issues, I needed to have a personal trainer to be sure i didn’t overwork myself. I recommend that to anyone who is starting from scratch, or who has trouble getting motivated. Congrats on your efforts and I applaud you for making such a drastic lifestyle change.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Mar 31, 2026 4:16 PM EDT up reply actions
exercise
That is the next piece of the puzzle, trying to find time to exercise.
Between kids and work, I seldom have time to do anything except a 20 minute walk with the dogs before I go to bed.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 4:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Recommendation
I would recommend getting a treadmill, bike, etc. Usually I just put on a DVD of a TV show, which usually lasts 44 minutes, and try to get in my cardio at least 4-5 times a week. It saves you time since you don’t have to get to a gym.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Mar 31, 2026 4:43 PM EDT up reply actions
bike
There are many days when I do not have 45 minutes to spare, not if I want to sleep.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Do 20 or 30 minutes
I know it is hard to find time but by working out you will likely live 10 years longer. . I have seen many people die due to preventable issues. Heart issues, diabetes, strokes, etc can all help be prevented if people regularly exercise and eat sensibly. Just think how great it will be to be able to play ball with your kids once they are older!
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Mar 31, 2026 4:49 PM EDT up reply actions
i know
I know. My dad had a stroke at 63 and lived for 12 years in a nursing home, unable to speak.
I’m not afraid of death. I AM afraid of being trapped in a useless body like he was.
I’m excellent about taking my medicine on time every day, and I have enough discipline to eat properly when I am not under stress. I need to get a better handle on my stress, though, and I need to exercise more.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Good luck John
Once you get into a routine you will be good to go.
"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift
by King Billy Royal on Mar 31, 2026 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions
dad
I do have some advantages over my dad. He was a heavy smoker. He had untreated high blood pressure, and untreated high cholesterol.
Nevertheless, it’s clear that my genetics work against me.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Im working on losing too..
except I need to drop about 150 lbs. Walking the dogs was a nice start, and I’m now starting to walk during my lunch break at work as well. Its not hard to find 15-20 minutes during a 18 hour day, you just need to get into a rotation for it. A friend of mine did it and found that after a couple weeks he was sleeping better, had more energy and wound up with more time to work out. I’m hoping for the same.
by ADLC on Mar 31, 2026 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions
I hate to say this
The doctor told me that if I didn’t make time to exercise that I wouldn’t be on this time side of life anymore. It was blunt but he made his point. So I made it a point to exercise 1 hr before and 30 mins after work.
by Jay212033 on Mar 31, 2026 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions
schedule
There is no way I could find 1.5 hours in a day to exercise. Simply not possible.
30 minutes I could do.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions
30 minutes enough...
I’m extremely busy myself and lost over 20 lbs in a year without changing my eating habits by exercising every other day for 30 minutes. The key is to pick something you will stick to and make it a priority. I would recommend some kind of equipment—I have a elliptical trainer—and set goals based on distance or calories burned.
Also, don’t get too caught up on the weekly weigh-in goals. I keep track of my weight daily and can see a clear downward trend over time, but my weight on any particular morning fluctuates quite a bit and isn’t a good reflection of general fitness. Actually, it seems to correlate most with how much I ate the night before.
by DenverBears on Apr 1, 2026 7:35 AM EDT up reply actions
Supplements
In your everyday meal you don’t get all the vitamins you need that’s where the supplements come into play. I can almost guarantee that most days you don’t have the energy to workout do you? I know I didn’t I would start working out and quit after about 10 mins and wouldn’t work out again for about a week. Most of my family members have diabetes and high BP so I’m doing my best not to try follow down that path.
by Jay212033 on Mar 31, 2026 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions
supps
Well I take extra vitamin C and a potent vitamin B supplement in addition to the fish oil.
Yes, I usually lack energy.
by John Sickels on Mar 31, 2026 10:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Congrats John
It is really hard work to change your diet.
I would recommend grilling vegetables. They taste so much better that way!
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by yoda1 on Mar 31, 2026 7:26 PM EDT reply actions
Weight loss
While I am younger than most, if not all, of the posters on the site, I have too have had expierences with needing to lose weight. As recently as Mid Jan this year, I was 200 pounds, at least 40 lbs overweight. Because of my age, it was something that really worried te doctors(my family has diabetes throughout, among many other problems). What finally got me to start caring about my weight was actually a girl… eh, I’m a teenager ;)… I decided I wanted to lose as much as I could. I didn’t change much about exercise(I have knee issues that forced me to stop being able to play sports and lead, or at least contributed, to a weight problem), but focused on what I ate. I made it a habit to eat fruit multiple times a day, usually tangerines, and almost completley cut out dessert. The worst for me was ice cream, and I basically forced my family to get rid of it. About 2 1/2 months into it, I’m down to 174. Just 26 pounds have helped my knees and energy levels.
Good luck John, you have a whole community that’s pulling for you
by lakersdodgersyankees4life on Apr 1, 2026 12:59 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
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