29 Sunset Missives

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Catching Up With Catchers Who DH

June 21, 2026


Last August, I noticed that Major League Baseball teams were using catchers as designated hitters more often than in previous years, so I attempted to quantify and contextualize the trend. Through Saturday’s games, most teams were just shy of the halfway mark in the season, so I counted again.

The topline takeaway: Teams are starting catchers at DH at higher rates than they have in recent years, and at a higher rate than any other season for which I’ve checked the numbers.

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Make the NBA Draft Lottery a Mini-game

May 25, 2026


This weekend, Brentford missed European football for next season after they failed to convert an open header in the 100th minute of their final day match against Liverpool. That feels terrible right now, but before this season, the Bees were widely picked as a relegation candidate after transitioning away from their top two goal scorers and manager from the previous season. Instead, they simply kept on doing what they do, matching their highest-ever finish since returning to the English Premier League in 2021-22 and generally having solid vibes. Be resilient and formidable like Brentford. Don’t be expensive and nonsensical, like Tottenham.

This week, I wrote about my wild NBA Draft Lottery idea, my wild MLB roster construction idea, my super-easy lentils preparation, and more. LFG.

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- Improving the NBA Draft Lottery
- The San Francisco Giants Have Been a Boring Kind of Bad
- Do Not Ever Let the Casino Into Your Pocket
- I Almost Hit a Home Run
- The Root of Anti-AI Rage
- Lentils: Hell, Yeah
- What Makes a “Top 15 TV Show”
- “The Ten Year Affair”

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