Well, I imagine if it doesn’t happen today, it’s going to happen at some point this weekend. Since the Fall of 2006, the birth of HJE, the Cubs had never failed to make the postseason. Presumably that’s about to change, disproving my theory that HJE is magic. In a tradition started (and shelved) after the 2006 season, Kermit plans to throw a Mathematical Elimination Party, details of which will follow shortly. For now, here’s your Roundup. (Just the) tips are always appreciated.

• I didn’t realize until this week (thank you, ChuckDickens) that the incomparable Baseball-Reference.com has a blog. On it, they point out little statistical quirks and interesting tidbits. One particular anomaly I enjoyed was the number of teams who walked fifteen batters in a game and still managed to win the game.
• Sports Desk Speaks launches a preemptive strike against those who might start calling for the return of Mark DeRosa. (HT: Luis)
• Laz Diaz will not be duped by your ruse, Geovany Soto.
• Don’t bother reading this article. Just check out the picture they used for Derrek Lee.
• Flip Flop Fly Ball graphs the best records in baseball versus the World Series winners. (HT: Pre)
• Also cool is their pictorial representation of the direction home plate faces in the 30 MLB parks. (HT: Pre)
• Bugs & Cranks tells you what you were missing for your entire adolescence. And, for that matter, well into your adult life.
• Speaking of second base, what the hell is wrong with Brandon Phillips?
• I don’t care what they’ve done, the St. Louis Cardinals are obscure. (HT: Hugging Harold Reynolds)
• What’s scarier than a shark? GHOSTSHARK!
• Speaking of nightmarish animals…
• I sure hope my last words are, “YOU TELL THE DEVIL I’M COMING FOR HIS ASS!”
• What were you dorks doing in Bangor?
• Here is a classic answer to one of your burning questions. What if you threw Aaron Miles into a hole so deep that it stretched all the way to the other side of the planet?
• Unlock the power of your amazing, tiny little brains.
• I wonder why some people think dating services are for weirdos. (HT: Grow Stubs Grow)
• I’m pretty sure Photobomb has discovered the greatest picture of all time.
• The earth is a pretty awesome place, as evidenced by these pictures of glaciers from ooooooouterrrrrrrrrr spaaaaaace.
• Friends are so awesome.
• Your dog isn’t dragging its ass across your carpet out of spite. Though he still does probably hate you.
• In the spirit of the serial Raiders of the Lost Ark trailer posted last week, check out the Bob Hope version of Ghostbusters. (HT: Andy Dolan)
  
• How many of George Costanza’s former jobs can you identify?
• The guys who spliced together every “dude” in the greatest comedy of all time, The Big Lebowski…
  
  …are at it again, collecting a bunch of your service provider’s worst nightmares.
  
• Thanks, in part, to the work of us idiots here, it would take a bit of time to read the internet.
• I. Want. Those Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sculptures.
• Turns out mic checks aren’t always boring.
• I have a couple new favorite sites of the week. One is the terrific Lamebook, home of such entries as this one. (HT: Irish Yeti) The other one is Photoshop Disasters.

Well, that’s it for me, folks. Enjoy taking the rest of the season off. Trust me, we’ve been doing it all year, and it’s GREAT.

-Sweet Uncle Lou