Frazz by Jef Mallett for August 25, 2024

If it’s of any help, Differential calculus will help you to learn to throw a curve.

Math is patterns and proofs. Loads of fun if your mind works that way, not much at all if not. But it’s a very poor proxy for the rest of the world.

PS: Arithmetic, on the other hand is boring to math people. Basically just counting… with some tricks for manipulating the counts of one thing or another.

The pro players are under contract at least, so they have to play. I wonder how many would still suit up if the team owners gave them the rest of the season off?

I thought he did his own reading list. How could he not be done if he determines when that is?

And a splat on the wall can be art.

When I play tennis or pickleball, I always say (at least to myself, sometimes to my partner) each point is its own game, so even if I’m (or we’re) far behind, this particular point can be magic.

For math, you are on your own kid.

The point of playing after you’ve been mathematically eliminated is the possibility of spoiling it for someone else. If your hopes have died, you can still kill them for some other team.

Once all the post-season slots are filled and the seedings confirmed, bodies are on the field but minds are in Cancun.

Chess players don’t play out a match past the point where the result is inevitable. I guess they don’t enjoy the game that much…

(In baseball, too, if the home team is ahead after the top of the ninth inning the game is over, even if the league’s home-run king would be leading off the bottom half.)

Being a lifelong Pirates fan, I feel you Frazz…

Societal calculus x sports chances = what the result becomes. Just the way it is…

Keep playing because they are getting $350k per game in TV money, they still have to play teams still not eliminated, even bad teams will have 10k+ fans show up to buy tickets.

Magical paragraph?

There’s also playing for individual stats which can make a big difference salary-wise for future years, or just getting a contract for another year.

Ah, I wish I’d done more math homework. I got by on quizzes and tests mostly, especially multiple choice, but in my later years I’ve wished I had gotten more practice doing figures in my head and getting more comfortable with running through equations.

Today, the Chicago White Sox lost their 100th game. They are 31-100 (.237) and are on pace to be worse than the 1962 Mets.

At the gym, I watched the 9th inning and the postgame. The postgame show didn’t even pretend to be upbeat.

There’s also the chance to play “spoiler”, whereby in beating your rival you knock them out of contention as well!