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The Oakland A's signed Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year contract, and come opening day he'll be starting in center field.
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Yoenis Cespedes has now played one game of Major League Baseball. Let us over-analyze him and his performance!
In January, the Oakland Athletics re-signed free agent Coco Crisp. They told him he would play center field. In February, the Oakland Athletics signed Yoenis Cespedes. It looked like Cespedes would bump Crisp over to left, and Monday, that was made official, as it was announced that Cespedes will start for the A's in center in Japan.
Coco Crisp will deal with the change and try to be the best left fielder he can be. But as he tells Bob Nightengale, he would've made a different decision as a free agent had he known what would happen in Oakland.
Coco Crisp never would have re-signed with the Oakland Athletics, he revealed Monday, if he had known they were going to move him to left field.
"No, I wouldn't have come back here as a left fielder,'' said Crisp, who signed a two-year, $14 million free-agent contract in January. "I would have signed with Tampa."
The Rays were interested in Crisp as a center fielder, and had B.J. Upton on the trading block. But there was uncertainty over whether Upton would be moved, which led Crisp back to Oakland. He just wanted to go somewhere to play center field, and now he's not going to play center field.
Don't misinterpret this as sour grapes. Crisp seems to be dedicated to the A's, and he seems to have the right attitude about his situation. He's just being honest. Had he known he wouldn't play center in Oakland, he wouldn't have re-signed with Oakland. Now that he has re-signed with Oakland, and now that he knows he won't play center, he'll make the best of it.
In early January, the Oakland A's caught some people off guard by re-signing Coco Crisp to a two-year contract worth $14 million. It seemed like the A's were rebuilding and dedicating themselves entirely to youth, and Crisp is 32. But then, Crisp is familiar, and the A's needed a center fielder. So it was a little weird, but not nonsensical.
In the middle of February, the Oakland A's caught a lot more people off guard by signing Cuban ballplayer Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year contract worth $36 million. Among the people they caught off guard was Coco Crisp, who didn't feel like he should move to accommodate Cespedes, also a center fielder. Susan Slusser:
"I'm going to make all the plays," Crisp said. "If someone feels there's someone better than me, it's hard for me to believe. Unless he's a demigod come down from the heavens, no one is going to outshine me in center field."
Well, despite Crisp's words, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he'd be bumped to left. Cespedes was the bigger investment, after all, and Crisp has 216 games of major-league experience in the corner. The only question left to answer was whether Cespedes would make the A's immediately out of camp, or go to the minors for a spell. Slusser's got the news:
Cespedes will go to Japan and will play CF. Crisp will be in left. #Athletics— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 19, 2012
Cespedes is breaking camp with the A's, and he's going to play in center field while Crisp plays in left. It was always the most likely outcome, and now it's basically confirmed. Cespedes, mind you, hasn't torn up the Cactus League in the early going, having batted 3-for-17, but he homered in his first game and he's looked really good in practice and intrasquads. He's learning quickly, and the A's feel confident that he can learn at the big-league level.
Adds Slusser:
Melvin said Crisp handled news like a pro. Melvin says he, Melvin, still believes Crisp one of best CF in league. #Athletics— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) March 19, 2012
The first pitcher Cespedes will face in a meaningful game will be Felix Hernandez.
Sometimes being old and not really so great can be a real drag. Just ask Coco Crisp, who isn't quite ready to be shunted to left field in favor of a hot prospect.
Yoenis Céspedes. You might first have seen him in the World Baseball Classic three years ago, or in that crazy promotional video a few months ago. And you might have guessed that he worries more about his style than his substance. But SI.com's Joe Lemire spoke to Peter Bjarkman, an expert on Cuban baseball who has met Céspedes, and Bjarkman says otherwise: "He's really a levelheaded, dedicated young ballplayer."
So that's good, anyway. But how well will Céspedes actually play? Lemire:
In an article analyzing Céspedes' major league potential, Bjarkman described the player as "a legitimate five-tool prospect" though he "has not quite met expectations against better pitching and under the pressures of international play." Bjarkman raised questions about how Céspedes will fare against major league pitching, especially in his first season, because of a tendency to be a freeswinger.
Bjarkman said the overall level of play in Cuba's top league is comparable to Double A ball in the States, but he noted that Cuba's elite players -- the top 25 to 40 or so -- are obvious major league-caliber ballplayers. Céspedes is decidedly in that group, he said, but probably more of a top-10 player than a top-5.
All of which just reinforces the position that Céspedes isn't a sure thing, any more than high draft picks are sure things. Of course he's older than draft picks so there's no need to project what he'll look like in three or four years. But with no experience in Organized Baseball, Céspedes simply doesn't have the track record you'd prefer to consult when investing $36 million in a baseball player.
It was Monday that the Oakland Athletics came out of nowhere to sign Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year contract worth $36 million. I mean, I'm sure Cespedes kind of saw it coming, since he was involved and made his own decision, but most everybody else figured that Cespedes would end up with the Miami Marlins. Or if he didn't end up with the Miami Marlins, he'd end up with a bigger spender than the A's.
But he signed with the A's. The toolsy, athletic Cuban outfielder signed with the A's. And while Cespedes isn't the sort of player you imagine when you think about Moneyball (the book), Ben Lindbergh at Baseball Prospectus argues that Cespedes is a Moneyball-style addition:
Once you start hearing those superlatives, Cespedes' price tag starts to sound more reasonable. So what if he's never played in the States? So what if, at age 26, he's probably already reached his physical prime? If he fulfills that potential and becomes a star, or even gets most of the way there, he'll be more than worth the money. Sure, $9 million a year is a lot for the A's. But it's not all that much out in the wide world of free agent outfielders. It's Michael Cuddyer money. Actually, it's less than Cuddyer money—the Rockies will pay Cuddyer $10.5 million per year, only for three seasons instead of four. Considering Cespedes is over six years younger than Cuddyer, that extra year seems like a small price to pay.
That makes this a Moneyball move [...]
If you don't think that Oakland signing Yoenis Cespedes is a Moneyball move on account of his physical profile, congratulations, you are part of an embarrassingly still large group of people who have zero understanding of the point. I don't even know why those people read books. What do they get out of those books? Probably not what they're supposed to get out of those books.
The signing of Yoenis Cespedes means at least one talented A's youngster is going to end up on a bus to Triple-A in 2012.
All along, there was one question:
(1) How good is Yoenis Cespedes going to be?
Now, there are two questions:
(1) How good is Yoenis Cespedes going to be?
(2) How did Yoenis Cespedes end up signing with the Oakland Athletics, of all teams?
We still can't answer question No. 1. There will be no answering question No. 1 until we know a lot more about Cespedes than we do today. As for question No. 2, Danny Knobler investigates:
When Cespedes' agents approached the A's recently after finding a softer-than-expected market elsewhere, the A's saw opportunity. They know that signing Cespedes for $36 million over four years is a risk -- an expensive risk for a team that doesn't have any other player signed for more than $6 million this year.
But they also know that the upside is great. The scouts who like Cespedes compare his combination of power and speed to Bo Jackson.
You just don't find players like that. The A's don't find them, anyway, not in their price range.
In the end, Cespedes got a better deal from the A's than the one the Marlins offered ($36 million over six years, according to sources). But Cespedes had also told officials from other teams that he preferred not to go to Miami, because of the potential circus playing in a city with a huge Cuban exile population.
It wouldn't be right to say that Cespedes fell into Oakland's lap. There was competition, and Oakland has made a considerable commitment that could very well blow up in its face. But I'm guessing that at no point did the A's think they had what it would take until recently. Then they started getting excited.
The A's have tried to spend on a few players. Some of those players didn't want their money. Cespedes is happy to take their money and play as well as he can in exchange. If he doesn't work out, he doesn't work out, but if he does work out, then the A's got a star for less than it usually takes to get stars.
Yoenis Cespedes is a physical exam away from officially being an Oakland Athletic. That's a decision he has made on purpose. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez spoke with Cespedes to get a little insight into his thought process.
On signing:
"I am super happy because it's been a dream of mine for a long time," Cespedes told MLB.com from the Dominican Republic. "To leave my country and play in the big leagues is what the goal was. My family is really happy, too. They are living their dreams through me."
On goals:
"My first goal is to make the team and stay healthy all season, and little by little, I'll make more goals," Cespedes said. "I've been preparing every day for this and I 100 percent believe that I am ready for the Major Leagues. I have a lot of international experience and experience at a high level. I'm very confident in my abilities."
On Oakland:
On Monday, the 26-year-old outfielder agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract with Oakland, citing the reputation of A's general manager Billy Beane and the direction of the franchise among the reasons he chose the A's.
It didn't hurt that one of Cespedes' favorite players growing up in Cuba was former Oakland shortstop Miguel Tejada.
If we want to be cynical, we can say that Cespedes probably signed with the A's because the A's offered the best combination of money and proximity to free agency. He'll get the $36 million he would've gotten from the Marlins, but this way he'll hit free agency in four years, not six. I'm sure that was a big factor. But I like to think that Cespedes is genuinely excited - not just about playing, but about playing for the A's in particular. I like to think that that can happen, because the A's can be kind of depressing, and I don't want baseball to be depressing.
Do you think Cespedes was influenced in any way by Moneyball? In any way at all? He must've been, right? At least just a little bit?
Monday, Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes shocked the fraction of the world that knew about Yoenis Cespedes by agreeing to terms with the Oakland Athletics. That's the Oakland Athletics instead of the Miami Marlins. The Marlins said they would be "aggressive to the point of stupidity" when it came to getting Cespedes signed. They lost him, to the Oakland Athletics. If it was weird before that all of a sudden the Marlins were big spenders, consider that the big -spending Marlins were just out-spent by the A's. And the Yankees and Red Sox are trying to practice fiscal restraint. Weird times. The world might not end in 2012, but it seems the world as we knew it is indeed long gone.
Let's get back to Cespedes. At ESPN, Christina Kahrl presents "Things to ask about Yoenis Cespedes." There are a lot of things you could ask about Yoenis Cespedes. What is his favorite color? What is his second-favorite color? What was the color of his childhood bedroom? But Kahrl narrows it down to three:
1. Why go to Oakland?
2. What does this deal say about his value?
3. Is Cespedes all that?
Click through for responses and commentary. A glimpse:
So, what did the Athletics get for their $36 million? That's the question we don't have the answer for, but as gambles go, you can understand why the A's did it. It's a bet Cespedes will provide premium outfield defense wherever they put him -- all the better to help a young pitching staff. And if Billy Beane wants to swing another deal, having Cespedes gives him the flexibility to shop Crisp.
I do have a few issues. For one, Kahrl seems to imply that Crisp's defense is only valuable in center, and not in a corner. For two, the Marlins reportedly offered Cespedes $36 million, just like the A's did, only for more years. And for three, I'm skeptical of translated Cuban statistics, just like I'm skeptical of minor league equivalencies. Cespedes is a scouting grab, not a numbers grab.
But overall, the point is the point: surprise! Risk! A's! Maybe! If Cespedes pans out, the A's will look sharp and they'll reap the rewards. If Cespedes doesn't pan out, at least the A's tried. They've committed the money to the highly sought-after talent. Now it's up to the talent.
Remember this? That was November. Last November. For a time last November, this was Oakland's outfield depth chart:
Left Field
Ryan Sweeney
Jai Miller
Center Field
Ryan Sweeney
Right Field
Ryan Sweeney
Michael Taylor
Heavy on the Ryan Sweeney. Maybe the A's thought he could do it. Maybe that was a cry for help.
It's February now. Ryan Sweeney is gone. Guess he couldn't do it. Over the offseason, the A's brought in a Corolla's-worth of outfielders. And on Monday, they brought in another, jumping out of the closet to sign Yoenis Cespedes for four years and $36 million.
What the A's have now is an outfield surplus. This was addressed by Steve Slowinski at FanGraphs:
[...] but by signing Cespedes, the A's seem to be showing little faith in Cowgill, Taylor, and Reddick — two of whom they acquired this off-season in trades.
It may be that the A's didn't anticipate Cespedes being available for such a good deal, so they adjusted their off-season strategy on the fly and decided he was worth the investment. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's always good to add talent if it comes at a reasonable price and fits in the budget. But the A's are now stocked to overflowing with outfield talent, and I'm not sure how they can make it all fit without trading some away over the next year or so.
This isn't an argument against Cespedes. If the A's think Cespedes is worth it, the A's think Cespedes is worth it. They'll deal with the outfield surplus when it becomes a more pressing concern. I can't imagine Billy Beane is afraid of confronting a situation in which he might have to swing one or two trades.
Of course, the big issue is: is Cespedes going to be worth it? Slowinski states that "the A's only need him to be an average major-league player (2.0 WAR/year) for this to be a market-value deal." That's based on the whole of the free agent contracts handed out. But one figures that the A's hope for more free agent contract efficiency than the average team, so they shouldn't be held to the same standard. If the average free agent costs $4.5 million per win above replacement, well, for the A's, maybe that should be $3.5 million, or $2.5 million, or maybe even less than that. Basically, I do not think the A's would be pleased if Cespedes turned out to be a league-average player. They're hoping for more than that, and based on the contract, I'd assume that they're expecting more than that.
The A's stunned the baseball world by committing four years and $36 million to Cuban mystery man Yoenis Cespedes.
According to reliable sources, the Oakland Athletics have swooped in to sign Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a four-year, $36 million contract.
Yoenis Cespedes was a hot topic at some point. So was Yu Darvish. But they're yesterday's news! Who will be the hot topic for a month in 2015?
There existed a rumor, not even that long ago, that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes didn't want to play for the Miami Marlins. Read that again. There was a rumor that a talented baseball player out of Cuba didn't want to play for an improving and suddenly spendthrift team in Miami. A team that had said publicly that it would be "aggressive to the point of stupidity" when it came to trying to lure the Cuban.
Yeah, that rumor never really made any sense, unless Yoenis Cespedes is some kind of baseball hipster. Based on this picture, from Juan C. Rodriguez, we can say with a high degree of certainty that Yoenis Cespedes is not any kind of hipster.
That's Cespedes arriving at the Miami airport. In Miami, he's going to meet with the Marlins. And according to this report, also from Juan C. Rodriguez, the Marlins are - unsurprisingly - believed to be the favorites to sign the outfielder:
Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes is scheduled to land in Miami Tuesday afternoon. According to an American League source from a club that's been monitoring his free agency, the Marlins likely will be his future employer.
Other teams with interest are thought to be the Tigers, Cubs, White Sox, Orioles and A's, and maybe one of them comes up with the winning bid in the end, but the Marlins almost look inevitable. The fit is so perfect, and signing Cespedes would give the Marlins one more high-priced splash to end the offseason.
Cespedes intends to make a decision in time to play in spring training. He's currently free to negotiate, or I should say the agency that represents him is currently free to negotiate, although Cespedes can't actually play until he's cleared by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Because Yoenis Cespedes is a foreign asset. They're all just assets. Assets who play a game for our amusement until they are replaced with superior assets.
I'm going to level with you. I started writing this update because I saw a Rotoworld tweet reading:
Tigers confirm interest in OF Yoenis Cespedes
"Very interesting!" I thought. Then I went to the source. This is the source. From the source:
The Tigers might not be Cespedes' most likely destination at this point, but Dombrowski said "it's correct to say" the Tigers haven't declared themselves out of it.
Rotoworld's tweet said that the Tigers confirmed that they're interested. The Tigers actually confirmed that they're not not interested. Those sound like the same thing but they are not the same thing. In one version, Dave Dombrowski says "yes, we are interested in Yoenis Cespedes." In the other version, Dave Dombrowski says "no, we have not completely ruled ourselves out on Yoenis Cespedes." Do you see how the message is different?
Of course, after the Tigers swooped in to sign Prince Fielder, one can't really predict what they might do next. But the fact of the matter is that the Tigers did commit a lot of money to Fielder, and the fact of the matter is that Cespedes will have other suitors, including the Marlins, who have publicly acknowledged that they're thinking about Cespedes when they're making love with their partners. Cespedes will probably not end up in Detroit. But, hey, we've confirmed that the odds of that happening are not zero percent. All right.
Look, I don't want to be a zealot about this, but I can't believe that we're still writing about where Yoenis Cespedes is going. First, the news, from Ken Rosenthal:
Sources: Cespedes likely to visit #Marlins in Miami within the next week. #Cubs, others remain deeply involved.
There's a city with the biggest population of first- and second-generation Cubans in the country. In this city, there's a team that's frantically spending money to build attention and goodwill as they enter a new ballpark. This team has a hole in center field. On the market is a Cuban superstar who plays center field. Let's not think this through too hard.
But there is a catch: Maybe the Marlins' baseball people just aren't crazy about Cespedes. Maybe they're concerned that he'll need some AAA time, or maybe they're concerned that he'll never hit in the majors. Maybe they're convinced he can't play center.
Those would all be some good baseball reasons, so it's not a sure thing. But I'd wager there's a heavy push from the marketing department on this one. If Cespedes becomes a star for the Marlins in their new ballpark, that could change how the franchise is viewed by a fan base that's too used to fire sales.
Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is a free agent. Fantastic! And fantastically exciting for the Miami Marlins, who recently volunteered the information that they would be "aggressive right to the point of stupidity" when it came to trying to sign him. Now the Marlins can try to sign him!
Oh, but wait, what's that? There are whispers that Cespedes doesn't want to play for the Marlins? That doesn't really make any sense, but okay, I guess that's new information we have to keep in mind. Maybe he'll go somewhere else. Maybe he'll go to the Cubs.
Well actually now you can forget about that last paragraph. From Joe Frisaro:
Hearing Cespedes has no issues against playing for #Marlins
It's hearsay against hearsay, but the hearsay from Frisaro seems more legitimate since you'd think if anything Miami would be a more appealing potential destination for a player like Cespedes. People can have their own reasons for things, and none of us has any idea how Cespedes truly feels, but it would be...weird if he had something against playing for the Marlins. He probably doesn't.
The bidding war will begin. We know that the Marlins will make an aggressive push. We don't know if anybody else will match or exceed their aggressiveness. Throughout the proceedings I'm sure Twitter will remain calm and composed.
Tuesday night, we heard from sources that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had officially been declared a free agent. Earlier Wednesday, we heard from sources that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had not officially been declared a free agent. Now - still on Wednesday - we hear that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has officially been declared a free agent.
Jesse Sanchez, again:
Let the games begin. Yoenis Cespedes is officially a free agent.
So what happens next? Bidding happens next. Cespedes isn't playing anywhere, having batted 5-for-35 in winter ball with ten strikeouts and zero walks. Interested teams will be working with very limited information, including numbers in the Dominican, numbers in Cuba, and a couple scouting videos. But that's precisely what makes him so compelling. We don't know that much about him, which allows imaginations to run wild. He could be great! He could be a superstar! He could be bad, but he could be a superstar! Look at that YouTube video!
Not long ago, it was reported that the Marlins, Tigers and Cubs had the most interest in signing Cespedes. Since then, the Tigers have committed $214 million to somebody else, and there's been a little talk that Cespedes doesn't want to play in Miami. I don't know if that second thing makes any sense. Stay tuned. There's one more offseason bidding war yet to play out. Two, maybe, depending on Edwin Jackson. Jackson's represented by Scott Boras, and I've learned something about assuming that Boras doesn't have the upper hand.
Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has gotten his Dominican residency. The next step is for him to be officially declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. Tuesday, there were reports that Cespedes had been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball. Haha, jokes! That's totally not true.
#Cespedes is not a FA (yet). He's been granted temporary residency & issued national ID card by Dominican government.
This doesn't really matter that much. So Cespedes isn't a free agent now. He'll be a free agent soon. Very soon. Maybe tonight. I don't know. There's no expectation that he's going to hit some stumbling block and be declared unavailable forever. Before long, there will be teams bidding for Yoenis Cespedes.
But there are no teams bidding for Yoenis Cespedes at the moment, meaning this is just getting drawn out longer and longer. Of course, I think the Prince Fielder sweepstakes taught us all a little lesson about the value of patience.
Interestingly, Danny Knobler adds:
Teams are waiting for the OK to start bidding on Cespedes. There's still a feeling that Cespedes really doesn't want to go to Marlins.
The Marlins have been very open about their interest in Cespedes. Alarmingly open. Groin-grabbingly open. The interest might not be mutual. I don't know where that's coming from, and I don't know if it's true or if Cespedes' mind would be changed by a pile of money, but there you go. I'm a messenger, not an interpreter.
Earlier Tuesday, we learned that Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes had been granted residency in the Dominican Republic. From there, all that was left was for Major League Baseball to declare Cespedes an official free agent. At that point, the bidding would be able to begin.
Well, here's Dionisio Soldevila. Dionisio Soldevila has something very interesting to say:
Yoenis Cespedes is officially a free agent. Has finally received his Dominican residency permit. MLB teams asked him to stop playing in DR
Later on, he said this was coming from Cespedes' agent. It stands to reason that Yoenis Cespedes' agent would have a pretty good idea of what's going on with Yoenis Cespedes.
Right now, nothing is official. We don't know for absolute certain whether teams can start throwing money in Cespedes' direction. But it might be true, and if it isn't true now, it should be true before very long.
It's interesting that, according to Soldevila, teams asked that Cespedes stop playing winter ball. It's possible that they didn't want him to get hurt. It's also possible that they didn't want to watch him keep sucking.
All right, we've knocked down the Prince Fielder domino. Roy Oswalt seems like he's about to topple. You never know when Edwin Jackson might up and put pen on paper. This offseason is winding to a close, as teams prepare for spring training. There's just that one guy - remember that one guy? The Cuban? Yeah, Yoenis Cespedes. We're still waiting on him. And, as of Tuesday, he's one step closer to free agency.
Cuban outfield prospect Yoenis Cespedes has established his residency in the Dominican Republic and is now waiting for approval from Major League Baseball to be declared a free agent, his representative Edgar Mercedes said.
It's close. The moment that Cespedes becomes a free agent is almost agonizingly close. This moment was probably supposed to come ages ago, but Cespedes is allegedly the sort of talent for which teams will have patience.
The other day, it was said that the Tigers, Marlins and Cubs were Cespedes' hottest suitors. That was before the Tigers committed $214 million to a big beast of a man more sure to hit dingers. So I don't know if the Tigers are in or out. They're probably in to a lesser degree than they were. That's me speculating, but I've also been doing this long enough to kind of have some idea how things work, so I'm not just pulling things out of my ass.
In limited action in the Dominican winter league playoffs, Cespedes batted 5-for-35 with a homer, zero walks, and ten strikeouts. I'm guessing he is better than those numbers. The question is how much better.
It's January 23. Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes still isn't an official free agent, even though it feels like we've been waiting for ages. Any time now. Any time now.
Cespedes will become a free agent at some point. Then the bidding will begin. Who will be in on the bidding? Ken Rosenthal indicates three teams appear to have the most interest:
Sources: #Tigers, #Marlins, #Cubs most active on Cespedes. All three tracking him closely in DR. Still no word on when he will be FA.
It's hardly a surprising list. The Marlins have already said that they'll be "aggressive right to the point of stupidity" on Cespedes. Cepedes himself has told the media that the Cubs are making a push. The Tigers have been linked for some time. These probably aren't the only three teams who are monitoring Cespedes, but they're apparently the three teams that like him the most.
For a little while, Cespedes has been playing in the Dominican winter league. According to the best numbers I can find, he's so far gone 5-for-35 with a homer, zero walks and ten strikeouts. For the sake of reference, this is a league in which Pedro Feliz has 14 walks and 22 strikeouts. Cespedes might just be a little bit raw. We'll see if that has any effect on his price.
Who is most likely to sign Yoenis Cespedes? And who wants to see Yoenis Cespedes hitting a dinger?
As we've talked about, Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is nearly a free agent. Once he is a free agent, the bidding war will begin. We've long figured that the Miami Marlins would figure prominently in said bidding war. David Samson didn't exactly downplay the idea.
From the Sun Sentinel:
"Aggressive right to the point of stupidity, but not quite there," said Samson, characterizing the club's planned pursuit. "We think he's a perfect fit for us, but it has to be sane. [We've] expressing interest, going to visit, making it very clear to his representatives and to him and his family that we think he should not be anywhere other than Miami. As a Cuban and someone in the DR, it makes perfect sense. We have a perfect position for him to play. It would be great."
"Aggressive right to the point of stupidity" is just such a perfect way to describe the Marlins' entire approach to the offseason. So of course that'll carry over to the Cespedes sweepstakes. There's no guarantee that the Marlins will sign Cespedes, of course, but they'll try their damnedest, and these aren't your grandpappy's Marlins anymore. These Marlins are...aggressive right to the point of stupidity. Man that's perfect.
Yoenis Cespedes blew up thanks to some YouTube footage that allowed him to show off his broad array of skills and strengths. Based on that footage, a number of people have tried to predict the kind of player he could turn out to be.
Clay Davenport also tries to predict the kind of player he could turn out to be. But Davenport doesn't rely on the Cespedes video; Davenport relies on Cespedes' stats.
A selection from kind of a dense article:
So yes, the overall projection is for good power, low BA and OBA, and a good CF, with an overall EQA in the .260-.270 range. Per the EqA report, the average EqA for major league center fielders last year was .269.
Davenport also arrives at what he thinks is a pretty solid player comp for Cespedes: Adam Jones. Pointing at one player comp based on numbers posted in Cuba has extraordinarily limited value, but maybe that'll help to keep peoples' imaginations in check. Sure, Cespedes could turn out to be anything. He could be a superstar! Or he could be a disappointment. Or he could be Adam Jones, who is kind of in between.
Cuban stats are Cuban stats. The level of play in Cuba is nowhere close to the level of play in the major leagues, so we can only do so much with the numbers. But Davenport's investigation is one to read. It offers something new, on what's become an old topic.
It's the middle of January. Yoenis Cespedes is still out there! So Prince Fielder and Edwin Jackson aren't alone. Sometime soon - and I know we've heard this before - Cespedes will gain Dominican residency. He will also become a free agent. Then he will sign with a team. That should happen before spring training.
In the meantime, what is Cespedes up to? An answer:
According to Kevin Cabral of ESPN Radio Dominicana, Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes has joined Aguilas Cibaeñas in the Dominican Winter League.
So he's not just sitting around eating potato chips. I'm not sure how much playing time Cespedes stands to get, and I'm guessing the answer is "not a whole lot", but it's probably not the worst idea in the world for Cespedes to try to shake off a little offseason rust and show scouts what he can do in competitive games before he signs a contract. Cespedes, at this point, is a big giant mystery - some game action could make him a little less mysterious.
Once Cespedes is available, there'll be a lot of interest. The Yankees, the Marlins, the Nationals, some others... Cespedes will not be lacking for suitors.
Prince Fielder is still out there as a free agent. He is, without question, the best available free agent. While there's no indication that he's close to signing a contract, that could all happen very quickly if someone comes in with a willingness to spend.
If Fielder were to sign soon, would that mean the end of the big free agent spending? Thankfully(?), no. There's still Edwin Jackson. There are still other guys. And there's still Yoenis Cespedes.
Remember Yoenis Cespedes? He was a huge deal, not too long ago. But before he could become a free agent, he had to take care of some legal things, which put the rumor mill on pause. Cespedes' current status? He's close to gaining Dominican residency. Once he does that, he can petition MLB to become a free agent. Once he does that, teams will be free to bid.
And they will bid. The Marlins should be involved. Several other teams should be involved, possibly including the Yankees and Red Sox. Early on there was talk that Cespedes might want $60 million, but according to Frisaro:
A couple of months ago, it was believed Cespedes was seeking an eight-year deal worth more than $60 million. Several teams have backed away from that number, and a source said Cespedes' cost appears to be coming down.
More realistic numbers are four years in the $32 million range, the source said.
Cespedes is 26, and has the potential to be a power-hitting center fielder. He also has the potential to be a non-power-hitting DH, or mediocre busboy. Here's to taking chances!
Monday was Yu Darvish day. Darvish's negotiation rights became the property of the Texas Rangers. It was a big deal. People cried.
But now Darvish is going to disappear from the news for a few weeks as he and the Rangers are unlikely to reach a contract agreement until the end of the 30-day negotiating window. Which means it's time to think about the other big international name again. That name being Yoenis Cespedes. Or Yoennis Cespedes, depending on whom you ask. But we're going with Yoenis here.
What's the deal with the Cuban? Any day now, he'll be granted residency in the Dominican Republic. Once that happens, it'll take another 10-15 days before he's cleared by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control. Once that happens, the bidding can begin. And the bidding should be heavy.
Who'll be in on the bidding? We know about the Marlins' interest. We know about the Tigers' interest. We know that the Nationals, Cubs and Orioles have shown some interest. But here's Kevin Goldstein:
As part of the Darvish piece, I've talked to a lot of int'l folks. General consensus is that the #Yankees are BIG on Yoenis Cespedes.
That might not mean much on its own, but the Yankees have had a remarkably quiet offseason to date, and Cespedes could be their splash. God knows they have the money.
Come January, we could see the Yankees and the Marlins get into a heated bidding war against one another. Welcome to the new reality.
There's a new video -- the second in what seems to be an ongoing series -- of videos featuring Cuban phenom Yoenis Cespedes, an outfielder in line for a big MLB contract when finally given the chance to sign. And Baseball Prospectus's Kevin Goldstein's got a review for us.
One of the great unknowns on the free-agent market is Yoenis Cespedes, a five-tool talent that has scouts drooling, and who could be the next Matt Kemp or Wily Mo Pena.
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A man was killed in a mobile home fire in North Fort Myers, according to officials with the Fort Myers Fire Department.
Fire crews responded just after 5 p.m. to the mobile home at 238 Lamplighter Lane off of Bayshore Road in North Fort Myers.
Neighbors say they heard a loud explosion and saw the victim run safely outside, but then they say he quickly ran back inside.
"I saw Larry come out and go back in. I called 911. I ran across the street and started screaming his name but he didn't answer me," said Loise Drouin.
She said she thinks he ran inside to grab his pet birds. But he never made it out.
Firefighters have not yet confirmed if they found any animals dead or alive.
The man's identity has not been released. But neighbors say his name was Larry and that he was a 68-year-old veteran.
Right now, crews are examining the scene in an attempt to determine the exact cause of the fire.
Both the North Fort Myers and Bayshore fire departments responded.

subset: commoncrawl


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PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. -- Investigators in Peoria have shut down a sizeable Marijuana growing operation. This time in Peoria Heights.
Officers said they discovered more than 70 pot plants inside a house in the 3800 block of Faber Avenue Wednesday.
MEGG officers said they also found 10 pounds of processed marijuana and equipment used to grow the plants.
Steven Benson was arrested for possession, intent to deliver and growing marijuana in two rental homes. Officers says one of them was used solely for growing marijuana.
The internet has made it easier for pot growers to buy growing equipment.
"This person at this point we believe was cloning or producing his own marijuana plants and then cultivating them to the point where you could manufacture cannabis," said Dave Briggs, Peoria MEGG Unit Director.
"We're not pleased that this operation is in our community, but we're also not naive to think Peoria Heights is the Midwest version of Disney Land," said Dustin Sutton, Peoria Heights Chief of Police. "We know what goes on and it's nice to have these types of resources."
Four trailer loads of plants and materials were seized in the operation.
Police estimate it is worth around $100,000.


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Teacher of the Year for 2011, Kathy Powers
Arkansas Teacher of the Year 2012-13 Ceremony in the Governor's conference room at the state capitol. Kathy Powers - Raymond and Phyllis Simon Intermediate School - Conway Public Schools.
For more information, please contact:
Kevin Briggs, Photographer/Videographer
Arkansas Department of Education
Office of Communications
Four Capitol Mall, Room 403-A
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-683-5945


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TOWSON, Md. – Freshman leftfielder Brendan Butler had three hits and scored three runs as the Tigers (22-27) snapped out of a team batting slump by beating Maryland Eastern Shore (11-35), 14-4, in a rain-delayed non-conference game at a damp John B. Schuerholz Park on Tuesday afternoon.
The Tigers, who matched their season high by scoring 14 runs, banged out 13 hits and took advantage of five UMES errors. In addition, UMES pitchers walked seven Tigers and hit four batters with a pitch.
Freshman righthander Nick Cioffi (below, right) and sophomore righthander Chris Acke r combined to pitch a six-hitter against the Hawks as they teamed up to strike out seven batters. Cioffi, who earned his second win of the season, pitched the first five innings. He allowed three unearned runs on four hits. Cioffi, who is now 2-2 on the season, walked one and struck out two batters. Acker, who pitched the final four innings, allowed one run on two hits. He didn't issue any walks and he struck out five. Acker earned his third save of the season.
After a 47-minute rain delay at the start, the Tigers and the Hawks finally got the game underway at 4:17 p.m.
In the bottom of the second inning, the Tigers rallied for three runs to take a 3-0 lead. Butler, who had his third three-hit game of the season, led off with a double to left centerfield. When junior first baseman Kurtis Voytell was hit by a pitch, the Tigers had two runners on base with no outs. While pitching to freshman shortstop Ryne Willard, freshman righthander Alex Welch of UMES threw a wild pitch. While Butler advanced to third, freshman catcher Dustin Aigner made a throwing error trying to pick off Voytell, who was trying to get back to first base. The wild throw enabled Butler to score the first run of the game.
Willard drew a walk to put runners on first and second base before senior catcher Sean Adkins was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with no outs. Sophomore third baseman Mike Draper upped the Tigers' lead to 3-0 when he lined a two-run single to right. However, Welch escaped the jam by striking out freshman centerfielder Richie Blosser and getting sophomore designated hitter Brandon Gonnella to line into a double play.
The Tigers scored a very unusual run in the third inning, upping their lead to 4-0. Sophomores Pat Fitzgerald and Dominic Fratantuono opened the inning with back-to-back walks. While pitching to Butler, Welch tried a pickoff play at first base. However, first baseman Jeff Fleetwood was playing behind the runner and Welch's throw went down the rightfield line as Fitzgerald scored to give Towson a 4-0 advantage.
After shutting out the Hawks on one hit through three innings, Cioffi ran into trouble in the fourth inning. Sophomore rightfielder Byron Campbell opened the inning by reaching base on an error by Willard, the Tigers' shortstop. After junior centerfielder Tre-von Johnson grounded out, Fleetwood drew a walk. Cioffi picked up the second out when he struck out senior third baseman James Newsome. However, junior designated hitter Malik Wylie grounded a double down the leftfield line, scoring both runners to cut the deficit to 4-2. When Aigner followed with a double to right, Wylie scored to make it a 4-3 game. Cioffi pitched out of the jam when he retired freshman shortstop Joshua James on a fly ball to right.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Tigers broke the game open by sending 11 batters to the plate while scoring six runs. Adkins led off the inning with an infield single. When Draper was hit by a pitch, the Tigers had two runners on base. Blosser followed with a bunt single down the third base line. The Hawks' third baseman, Newsome, tried to throw out Adkins but his throw was wild and Adkins scored to give Towson a 5-3 lead. With runners on second and third, Gonnella doubled to left field, scoring two runs to put the Tigers ahead, 7-3.
After the double by Gonnella, freshman righthander Michael Epps relieved Welch. He hit Fitzgerald with a pitch, giving Towson runners on first and second base. After Fitzgerald and Gonnella pulled off a double steal, Fratantuono was retired on a ground ball to second base. Butler came through with a two-run single, upping the lead to 9-3. A single by Voytell moved Butler to second. Willard drove in Butler with a single to left, giving Towson a 10-3 advantage. Freshman righthander Chipper Smith came in from the bullpen and pitched out of the jam as he struck out Adkins and Draper.
In the sixth inning, the Tigers added an unearned run in a very unusual manner. Butler led off with a single to right. He reached second base when Voytell grounded out. After a walk to Willard, Adkins blasted a long drive to right center, the deepest part of Schuerholz Park. Johnson, the Hawks' centerfielder, made a terrific catch on the run and banged into the fence. Butler alertly tagged up and scored all the way from second base to give Towson an 11-3 lead.
The Tigers added three more runs in the seventh inning to take a 14-3 lead. A single by Gonnella, a walk to Fitzgerald and a single by Fratantuono loaded the bases with no outs. After Butler popped up, sophomore righthander Sean Woods uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Gonnella while the others moved into scoring position. With two outs, Willard delivered a two-run single to right centerfield, giving Towson a 14-3 lead.
After shutting out the Hawks for three innings, Acker gave up a run in the ninth inning. Johnson lined a solo home run over the left centerfield fence, his first homer of the season. However, Acker retired the Hawks without any further damage to nail down the victory.
The Tigers, who came into the game with eight losses in their last nine games, improved their record at Schuerholz Park to 13-6.
While Butler led the Tigers with three hits, Gonnella went three-for-six with two runs scored and two RBI's. It was his first three-hit game of the season. Willard had two hits and three RBI's while Draper drove in two runs. Despite going hitless, Fitzgerald reached base four times and scored three runs.
The Tigers return to action on Wednesday night when they visit UMBC for a non-conference game at 6:00 p.m.


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Randy Kidd, DVM, PhD
In recent years we've become more and more aware of the important relationship between diet and health for both ourselves and our pets. Recent pet food scares have made this relationship even more evident for pet caretakers. As a result, consumers are now looking for food sources for their pets that support health above and beyond providing basic nutrition. In this article, we'll take a look past basic nutrition at beneficial food ingredients called prebiotics and probiotics that are present in natural foods or can be added to prepared foods.
In both natural and prepared foods, prebiotics and probiotics create health benefits related to their interactions with the microflora (tiny organisms) in the animal's digestive tract. In addition, both prebiotics and probiotics apparently have health-providing activities of their own, independent of interaction with the digestive tract.
The health benefits of prebiotics have only come to light in recent years, but recognition of the beneficial effects of probiotics actually dates back to the 19th century when the French scientist, Louis Pasteur, postulated the importance of microorganisms to human life. These ideas were further reinforced by the work of 1908 Nobel Prize-winner Elie Metchnikoff.
So, what exactly are prebiotics? They are, by definition, non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth of one of a limited number of beneficial bacterial species in the colon. Beneficial bacteria include Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli, which have the potential to improve host health, while at the same time working to inhibit the growth of pathogenic, "bad-guy" microorganisms. In other words, prebiotics are "health food" for beneficial bacteria.
For a food ingredient to be classified as a prebiotic, it has to be demonstrated that it is:
Probiotic bacteria, when taken together with prebiotics that support their growth, are called "synbiotics" that promote the probiotics' benefits. Several commercial products available for both humans and pets now contain prebiotics, and other products contain both prebiotics and probiotics.
Commonly available prebiotic oligosaccharides (oligosaccharides are carbohydrates composed of varying numbers of sugar molecules) include the following:
Fructo-oligosaccharides - Also referred to as "FOS" or "neosugars", they are composed of units of fructose (the sugar commonly found in many fruits and honey) that are resistant to digestion in the upper digestive tract. FOS act by stimulating the growth of Bifidobacterium species in the large intestine. FOS food components are found in a number of common foods, including garlic, onions, leeks, wheat, bananas, asparagus, and artichokes.
Fructo-oligosaccharides are classified as prebiotics because they have the ability to selectively promote the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria (such as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) at the expense of the less friendly putrefactive (capable of producing foul-smelling by-products) bacteria such as bacteroides, clostridia, and other coliforms. Bifidobacteria produce acetic and lactic acids, which inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and stimulate intestinal peristalsis.
Inulins - Thse are a group of naturally occurring fructose-containing oligosaccharides. In commercially available products, the inulins are usually derived from the roots of chicory (Cichorium intybus) and Jerusalem artichokes, (Helianthus tuberosus); other plant sources include dandelion, burdock, wild yam, jicama, agave, onion, and garlic. Inulins stimulate the growth of Bifidobacterium species in the large intestine.
Most commercially available products that contain prebiotics for pets use the roots of chicory as their source. Chicory, also known as "Blue Sailor" grows wild along the highways throughout the Midwest United States. Roasted chicory roots are often used as a coffee substitute, and chicory coffee is considered a treat in some parts of the country. Dogs seem to like the bitter taste of chicory, and chicory root is also used to improve the texture of some human foods, which may add to its appeal for dogs.
There are several other classifications of prebiotics, including: soy oligosaccharides, lactilol, lactosucrose, pyrodextrins, and isomalto- and xylo-oligosaccharides. Many of these are being used, in Japan and other countries as either food supplements or for treating specific diseases. Some are still considered experimental and can only be used by prescription in the U.S., though many are now being commercially developed here.
Interestingly, it has been found that human milk also contains a significant level of unique oligosaccharides, which are similar to the fructo-oligosaccharides. These prebiotics are known to provide various health-promoting properties for the infant, including: protecting the baby's intestinal tract from unwanted pathogenic bacteria, lowering the risk of diarrhea, modulating important immune responses in the baby, and, according to recent evidence, helping prevent skin allergies.
Here is how prebiotics work: Prebiotics are essentially health food for probiotics, meaning that they act to enhance the growth and colonization of the good-guy micro-organisms of the intestinal tract, including species of the Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli bacteria. In addition, prebiotics may have a number of other beneficial actions, including:
Prebiotics may also play a role in improving mineral absorption and thus decrease bone thinning in older (human) patients. And, as mentioned, they may also play a role in the health of the young, especially as related to skin allergies.
Most of the actions of the prebiotics are currently under study, so specific actions are not always known. However, the following is a brief rundown of some possible ways the prebiotics work to enhance health:
Anticarcinogenic (anti-tumor) activity of prebiotics is not well understood, but it may be related to the beneficial bacteria's ability to produce substances that arrest the growth of cancer cells. Prebiotic oligosaccharides may also aid in increasing the concentrations of calcium and magnesium in the colon, which helps control the rate of cell growth.
Finally, vitro and animal data suggests that the bifidobacteria and lactobacilli bacteria can bind to and inactivate some carcinogens, directly inhibit the growth of some tumors, and inhibit bacteria that may convert precarcinogens into carcinogens.
Antibiotic activity of the prebiotics may be accounted for by their growth-promoting effects on bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These bacteria can reinforce the barrier function of the intestinal mucosa, helping in the prevention of the attachment of pathogenic bacteria, essentially by crowding them out. These bacteria may also produce antimicrobial substances and stimulate antigen specific and nonspecific immune responses.
Prebiotic activity to lower triglyceride and blood glucose levels are less understood, but the effects have been noted in many users, especially in humans. In addition, human osteoporosis may respond to prebiotics, possibly because the bacterial fermentation of the oligosaccharides facilitates the colonic absorption of calcium and possibly magnesium.
A recent trial compared human breast-fed babies with bottle fed babies, with some of the formula-fed infants receiving prebiotics. The results strongly suggest that formula supplemented with prebiotics can modify the bowel bacteria and so reduce the chance of children developing atopic dermatitis. The results of this trial might indicate that prebiotics could have a role in helping to prevent allergic dermatitis in our pets. Stay tuned for more information.
In addition to providing intestinal and general, overall health, some prebiotics have been used pharmaceutically for the treatment of a variety of diseases, including the following:
Prebiotics are not recommended for those who are hypersensitive to any component of a prebiotic-containing supplement. That is, anything added to the prebiotics to make it more marketable may be a problem. There are also some prebiotics that are prescription only. Use of these needs to be monitored by your veterinarian, but even high doses of prebiotics are tolerated by most. Some users may experience transitory gastrointestinal symptoms such as flatulence, bloating, or diarrhea.
Not much is known about the correct and effective dosage levels of prebiotics for dogs or cats, but preliminary evidence seems to indicate that very low levels (0.3% of a dog's diet) are most effective and produce the least number of side effects (bloating, gas, etc.) I feel that the best way to supplement any nutrient is to go to the source. In this case, herbs such as dandelion root, burdock root, and chicory are easy to find, organically grown in your own backyard or found at your local health food store. Simply sprinkle a pinch or two of the herb ground up, fresh or dried herb, atop the pet's food every day or so and your pet will not only receive a healthy dose of prebiotics, he'll get the added benefits of the whole herb. Note that when wild-harvesting plants, be cautious of plants that could have picked up toxins, especially the lead from the exhaust of passing cars. You should also check with your holistic vet for recommended doses and methods of adding the prebiotics and probiotics to your pet's food.
Article courtesy of Pet360


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Douse the firestorm, let Maxine Waters get back to the people's business
by Joseph Debro
The descendants of former slaves are counted at Census time to determine how much money to allocate to public works in various cities. When the money comes, we are locked out. The husband of Sen. Dianne Feinstein was awarded a huge contract to perform a service for which his firm was marginally qualified. The senator introduced legislation to authorize money to support that contract. The white press barely noticed those related events.
Racism is alive and well in this country. All Maxine is seeking is economic parity. All that poor people want is economic parity. The White press ignores economic disparity. Our voices cannot be heard. Our issues can only be surfaced in their pages in the context of controversy.
I am in the awkward position of defending incompetent management at OneUnited Bank (OUB). Unlike Citibank and others, only OUB made very bad investments. Unlike Citibank and others, only OUB is guilty of extravagant spending. Rather than giving obscene bonuses, totaling hundreds of millions as did Morgan Stanley, AIG and others, OUB bought bling bling costing less than a few million dollars. They are bashed and so are their friends.
The amount of money in question at OUB, compared to the amounts given others, is infinitesimal. OUB got $12 million. AIG got hundreds of billions of dollars.
Because Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a champion of the poor, can be sullied, the White press has had an ethics orgy. They seemed to have forgotten AIG and the billions Treasury poured down that rat hole. No one at AIG has been accused of making bad investments. The hundreds of millions of dollars paid in bonuses have taken a back seat to this opportunity to bash Maxine.
The other issues that Maxine raises are contracts. Those in the community of descendants of former slaves are cut out of this opportunity. While Maxine is busy defending herself from charges that are largely manufactured by people like Porter Goss, the ethics committee chair and former protector of drug dealing presidents, we are without a champion.
The facts as reported by R. Jeffrey Smith at the Washington Post clearly show that Congresswoman Waters is not guilty of any ethics violation. The cause for which she advocated is just. Economic parity is a lesson that Treasury surely needs to learn. According to Smith, two separate reports by Treasury officials, including an inspector general, opined that the OUB loan was made without outside influence. An executive, not a legislator, made that loan.
Congress people have no ability to make loans. They have no ability to force those who have the authority to make loans, to do their wishes.
Congress people do not have the staff to check out companies such as OUB. They must depend upon the administration for such fact checking. If this loan is outside of policy, then the person who wrote the check must be held accountable. Maxine Waters must be given back her platform.
Joseph Debro is president of Bay Area Black Builders, co-founder of the National Association of Minority Contractors, a general engineering contractor and a bio-chemical engineer. He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
One thought on "Douse the firestorm, let Maxine Waters get back to the people's business"
Maxine Waters: Nail that ole broad's hide to the wall, she was a nasty ill tempered ole broad when she was in the Kalifornia State Legislature and she hasn't changed. Charlie Rangel: Roast and toast that ole toad, he's the same as Water's, only a little more personable but still shady.↓


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|Men's Golf » News
|» News » Schedule » Roster » Coaches » Old Corkscrew » 2013-14 Statistics » Record Book » Individual Career Summaries » Archive
FGCU Finishes 11th At Saint Mary's Invitational
Eagles card 293 on final day to move up three spots
SEASIDE, Calif. – After a disappointing first day at the Saint Mary's Invitational, the FGCU men's golf team responded with its best round of the 54-hole tournament, carding a 293 in the final round to move up three spots into 11th place out of the 15-team field at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Courses.
The Eagles' round of 293 followed a day in which they shot 304 and 305 over the opening 36 holes. FGCU's three-round total of 902 was just one stroke back of San Francisco, who entered the tournament at No. 45 in GolfWeek's rankings.
No. 27 Notre Dame began the day with a 16-stroke lead and added to that total, winning the tournament with a 281(-7)-289-291/861. Notre Dame's Tom Usher took home medalist honors with a four-under par 212 (68-72-72). Host Saint Mary's (881) edged out Pacific (882) in a close battle for second place. Santa Clara (886) and Nevada (889) rounded out the top 5.
Senior Dan Mazziotta (Fort Myers, Fla./Cypress Lake HS) built-off his even-par 72 to close Monday with a team tournament-low one-under par 71 in the final round. Mazziotta's under-par round was just one of five on the afternoon, as he moved up 15 spots to tie for 14th place (78-72-71/221). The top 20 finish was the fourth in four tournaments this season for Mazziotta and his 22nd in 31 career tournaments. Mazziotta's one-under par 71 featured 15 pars, two birdies and just one bogey.
Juniors Brandon Pena (Clewiston, Fla./Clewiston HS) and Alex Medinis (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers HS) were each part of an eight-way tie for 26th place at the end of the tournament. Pena's final round was an up-and-down battle, as he carded six birdies, but also had four bogeys and a double-bogey en route to his second even-par 72 of the tournament. Medinis produced a much steadier 54 holes with a 74-77-73/224. Medinis finished the tournament with 39 pars.
The final counting score of the day came from senior Gyles Robin (Jersey, England/De La Salle College), who turned in a 77. Robin contributed a score in each of the three rounds and finished in a tie for 66th place (80-76-77/233). Junior Jeremy Self (Tupelo, Miss./Tupelo HS) also finished with a 77 on Tuesday for his best round of the tournament.
FGCU will close out its fall schedule from Nov. 8-9 at the Stetson Invitational hosted at the Victoria Hills Golf Club in Deland, Fla. The 54-hole tournament will open with two rounds on Monday, Nov. 8 followed the final round on Nov. 9.
T-14. Dan Mazziotta – 78-72(E)-71(-1)/221
T-26. Brandon Pena – 72(E)-80-72(E)/224
T-26. Alex Medinis – 74-77-73/224
T-66. Gyles Robin – 80-76-77/233
81. Jeremy Self – 81-83-77/241
TOURNAMENT STANDINGS (15 Teams)
1. #27 Notre Dame – 281(-7)-289-291/861(-3)
2. Saint Mary's – 295-291-295/881
3. Pacific – 302-287(-1)-293/882
4. Santa Clara – 299-288(E)-299/886
5. Nevada – 302-296-291/889
6. Miami (Ohio) – 304-293-293/890
7. Loyola Marymount – 301-292-302/895
8. Cal Poly – 305-300-292/897
9. Marquette – 303-298-297/898
10. #45 San Francisco – 304-295-302/901
T-12. UC Irvine – 309-296-303/908
T-12. Northern Illinois – 306-298-304/908
14. Loyola-Maryland – 312-297-308/917
15. UC Santa Barbara – 309-301-312/922


text:
Below are my predictions. What are your thoughts?
Eagles Draft Class 2011 Danny Watkins, the Eaglesfirst pick in the 2011 draft. At first glance, the Eagles 2011 draft class may look unimpressive. The Eagles...
These are my favorite Undrafted Free Agents left out there for the picking. I'll explain what I hope the eagles do after I list them all. This is a pretty long one. Any of these players would be...
If you want to know the real deal with a player, a good place to start would be to talk to someone that has watched the guy for the past four years.
Topics: Milk Carton | Cranial Pondering | Coffin | RUT | Union | "Q" Where Has This Guy Been At? It's been a while, BGN. The days were I'd spend hour-upon-hour traveling this site in...
The 2011 NFL Draft is over and the Eagles selected a whopping eleven players. With so much uncertainty surrounding next year and free agency not happening, this probably isn't a bad year to have...
Two drafts ago, the Eagles took a RB out of Pitt that worked out well and they've went back to that well this year.
You simply don't draft a kicker in the 4th round to have him "compete" for the job. Folks, the Eagles' new kicker is Alex Henery.
The newest Philadelphia Eagle Jaiquawn Jarrett met the local media in a conference call this evening to discuss being drafted by the team who just so happen owns the stadium he's been playing in...
The Eagles made a bit of surprise in with their second round pick taking local product Jaiquawn Jarrett from Temple University.
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My new laptop
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text:
Well, just got back from our stay in Lincoln. I thought we'd only get one hike in, we got three! Yup, my leg is healed and I am hiking again. Without getting overly dramatic, dang it feels good to be be back
On Nov 9, we got Willard:
Nice lil mountain, I loved the summit....enough room to skip around. Will try in snow. We had great weather and amazing views. Easy jaunt up and down....I was happy, since both myself and my boyfriend haven't been hiking much.
On the 10th, we got Avalon:
LOVED this mountain...pity it was so cloudy, but it was great fun. Some tricky parts, but I have been out of hiking for a few months. Good views, but the clouds of course didn't help. Guess I'll have to return......
On the 13th, we got Mt Tom, Mt Field, and Mt Avalon! We actually only planned to get Tom, but since it was such a lovely day and we were so close, why not get Field? And since Avalon was on the way...well, we had to!!
View From Tom
Tom's summit...it was really windy!!!!!
We'll go there next time
Summit of Field
Pearl Cascade on the descent
Beecher Cascade
Overall, an awesome trip, though I am bummed to be back. At least I am hiking again, and already have plans for next time. When we go in spring, we're gonna throw in Willey, we just didn't think we had enough time this trip. 3 4000' down!!!
I have more pix on my Facebook page, if anyone is interested, just PM me. ( I have to keep the profile private because if work, ha!)
Oh, and I was annoyed there were no summit signs on Avalon, Tom, or Field, lol....I love those summit sign pix! Oh well


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A story we've been following all week took more twists and turns
today. A home on Savannah's west side
about to be condemned, the family renting it being evicted. Now tenant and
landlord are accusing the other of lying -- and that's not all.
The house and what's supposed to be inside may lead two families
to court. News 3 viewer Ashley Altman
spoke to us about the home earlier this week.
She claimed her family had lived four months with broken plumbing and
missing appliances - no stove or A-C.
The landlord claimed the home had those things. They said the plumbing
problems were the Altman's fault and promised to produce receipts to prove
it. Today plumber Jimmy Tarpley spoke to
us instead, "The first time that I came over here - the main sewer line was
stopped up and I ran the snake in the main line. I remember I got two wash rags out of the
line that somebody evidently had let go down in the commode and some plastic
bags." The Altman's agree and say that
was caused by someone squatting in the home before they moved in. It's what happened after that's in dispute.
The Altman's say the
plumbing never worked properly - no cut-off valves, a non-working sink and a
leaking toilet...problems the landlords - Randall and Casey Knowles refused to
address. Tarpley shares a different
story. He tells me when he was called a
second time, there was something else causing the problem, "A toy, a little
small child's toy that had lodged itself in the commode and so we were able to
get that out and they went to working again."
As for the appliances - the Knowles want the Altman family charged
with theft. They produced a receipt
showing they'd bought a new a-c unit back in April. They say that was placed in a back window and
there was an older unit in the front.
Their real estate agent confirmed by phone she remembered there being a
stove and two a-c units - however, none of the online pictures from the real
estate ad showed those items in place.
Ashley Altman provided screen shots of a facebook conversation she had
with someone on July 5th - five days after moving in - about purchasing a
window unit that she says she took with her when the family moved out Thursday
And that brings us to the final claim. The family was told they had to leave when
city inspectors deemed the house unsafe on Thursday. The Altman's sent us video taken as they
packed up last night - making a point of showing there was no damage. But the Knowles say when they showed up Friday
morning, they found the house vandalized and flooded. Tarpley says, "It appears somebody cut a
water line in the wall - somebody had cut a little hole out of the wall and
there was - they took a saw and they cut the water line and that's why the
house is flooded." It may take law
enforcement to untangle this mess.
The Knowles had Metro Police write a report today - they say they
want the Altman's charged with vandalism and theft. The Altman family tells us they've presented
their evidence to police and have contacted an attorney. Meanwhile they're looking for a new place to
Now a follow up to a "Voice of the Viewer" report we brought you earlier this week. The Altman family contacted us about conditions in the home they were renting on Savannah's west side. On Thursday, city inspectors got involved.
Fix the problems or have your property condemned. That's the message City of Savannah Code Inspectors have for the landlord of one west Savannah home. We first told you about the Altman family earlier this week. They've been renting a home on Savannah's west side - with broken plumbing and missing appliances - for four months....and paying a thousand dollars a month to do so. They say the landlord refused to fix the problems - and they turned to News 3 for help.
We went to the city looking for answers. Cornelia Reed with City Code Enforcement explained the process renters can follow. First she says they must contact the landlord, "If it's a life safety violation - usually that needs to be corrected within 24 to 48 hours. The life safety violations would include anything such as electrical, mechanical, plumbing." If the landlord is unresponsive - as the Altman's say theirs was - Reed says the next step is to call 3-1-1, a city code inspector will come out to evaluate the property.
That's the step the Altman's took Thursday morning. By the afternoon - inspectors were on-scene taking notes. They determined the house plumbing problems and lack of heat - mean the Altman's need to get out as soon as possible. Reed had warned that's a possibility, "We cannot allow individuals to reside in a property where it could be a safety concern - especially with children."
Inspectors then went to the landlords business - to notify him of the 24 hours he has to fix those two problems or have his property condemned. He could not be located - but inspectors say the clock is still running. The landlords -- Randall and Casey Knowles -- had the Altman's served with eviction papers Thursday morning. The paperwork to do so was filed after News 3 began looking into the story. The Knowles told News 3 the Altman's were behind in rent and that the plumbing problems were caused by the family themselves -- and that there are receipts to prove it. Despite promises to produce those receipts several times over the last few days -- the Knowles have not provided them. The Altman's did produce receipts for rent paid this month showing no balance owed.
A family of six -- living in a home they feel is barely habitable- and paying a thousand dollars a month to do so. They say the landlord refuses to fix anything. Ashley Altman says she contacted News 3 out of frustration. She says her family has been living in these conditions for four months...and don't know what else to do. She says they've complained to the landlord about plumbing problems like a leaking toilet and non-working sink...but nothing's been fixed. And she says broken plumbing isn't the only problem. No stove or working refrigerator means her family has to cook meals in just a microwave and toaster oven. Those appliances are promised in the lease the family signed for the home.
News 3 contacted the landlord - Randall Knowles. He didn't want to appear on camera - but tells News 3 he did provide a stove and doesn't know why it's not in the house. He says he's had no complaints about the refrigerator and that he's had a plumber out to the house three times. He claims the Altman's owe him back rent. The Altman family provided receipts to News 3 for weekly rent payments written as recently as last Friday showing no payment due.
Knowles says he simply neglected to write in that portion of the receipt. He has also promised to provide News 3 with receipts for the plumbers visit, that he says show the plumbing issue arose when objects were flushed down the toilet that shouldn't have been. In one instance he says that was a child's toy, in another, he believes it was a hairbrush. The Altman's deny that claim.
1430 East Victory DriveSavannah, GA 31404
Telephone: 912.651.0300
Fax: 912.651.0320
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
2013 Cape Fear Heart Ball February 9th
- Details
- Published on Wednesday, 19 December 2012 14:09
- Written by Super User
The American Heart Association's Cape Fear Heart Ball will be held Saturday, February 9, 2013, at the Wilmington Convention Center. This annual black tie event celebrates the organization's mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke and raises funds to support research and education.
This year's event is themed The Crystal Heart Ball, marking the gala's 15th anniversary of funding life saving research in the Cape Fear. The red carpet rolls out for this year's event at 6:00 p.m. with an incredible silent auction and cocktail reception. Over 450 guests representing the Cape Fear's top business, medical, civic and social leaders will enjoy an exciting gourmet dinner, live auction and musical entertainment by Jack Jack 180 beginning at 7:30 p.m. WECT anchor Frances Weller will serve as event emcee. The evening will also feature an Open Your Heart video, highlighting Cape Fear area cardiovascular and stroke survivors.


text: Notice: Undefined offset: 8192 in /home1/thetexa2/public_html/gallery/include/debugger.inc.php on line 223 The Texas Sppur Gallery Home :: Login Album list :: Last uploads :: Last comments :: Most viewed :: Top rated :: My Favorites :: Search Home > Livestock Shows > 2010 Dickens County Livestock Show FILE 53/68 Friend of the Stock Show Polly Herrington was presented with the Friend of the Stock Show award by Greg Arnold, president of the livestock show committee. Polly and her late husband, Robert Herrington, were given the award for the years of support to the stock show. Rate this file (No vote yet) File information Filename:#8958FriendStockShow.jpg Album name:txspur / 2010 Dickens County Livestock Show File Size:317 KB Date added:Feb 25, 2010 Dimensions:1159 x 1241 pixels Displayed:62 times URL:http://thetexasspur.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-664 Favorites:Add to Favorites Powered by Coppermine Photo Gallery


text:
Note, the inverted knife blade above my right shin no longer exists. It was pulled while testing the placement 2013-02-17 by yours truly. It failed on a medium test pull with a hammer. It was a time bomb waiting to go off.
Are you serious, Joe!?! That's scary. I've clipped and trusted that for years. Is there any gear opportunities in its place?
Nothing reliable natural pro wise is available. A few inches above where the pin was you can place a #1 Camalot, but the rib of rock the outer lobes would set against is friable. Additionally, it's a shallow placement, and the rock undulates a bit making lobe engagement tricky. I always had trouble clipping the pin. The extra reach to place the cam may make it super desperate, and then it probably won't hold anyways.
Adam, I can see clipping that particular pin but "trusting" it???? You could tell by lookin' at it that it was probably crap. Of the times I have led that pitch, the only time I ever clipped it was the first time I led it. Every time after it seemed better to just climb on past it as fast as possible. As aside note, while it is good that this particular pin got pulled, this and "other" pins in Eldo are now being pulled by ACE members without any public input or permit from the state park. Peace, Steve Sangdahl, Eldorado Springs
Come on, Steve, aren't all pins in Eldo good?!? I've been working on that premise for years. Just kidding, of course. Maybe "trusted it" was the wrong term. To be fair, a lot of people put some kind of faith in it as they clipped it with no other gear between them and a groundfall.
Consensus is a great thing, Steve. I'm all for it, although being able to dislodge a pin with arm-force warrants it be gone, imo. Your attitude about not clipping a bad pin is the smart one. Better to have the attitude that you are soloing and cannot fall, rather to have any faith whatsoever in that the pin might catch you. Thanks to Joe for removing it. Glad it's gone.


text:
Yuma, Ariz. (13 On Your Side) - The new citizen's forum appears to be a calming force to what some have called in-fighting at City Hall.
Yuma City leaders established the citizen's forum in response to residents who were outraged after council members moved call to the public to the end of each council meeting.
The citizens forum is now held the day before each council meeting.
The forum at City Hall provided some back-and-forth discussion between the Mayor and the City Administrator on why these sessions are not being televised for all to see.
But Mary Ann Easterday, a local, says voicing her concerns and exchanging dialogue with City officials is a step in the right direction.
During the session Yuma Mayor Al Krieger spoke out and asked "Why is this not televised?"
The Mayor immediately called for televising the citizens forum.
His political opponent City Administrator Greg Wilkinson said "Mr. Mayor, the work sessions are televised, the forums are not."
The two traded jabs back and forth.
Krieger says not televising the sessions is another way of silencing residents.
Council members Paul Johnson and Leslie McClendon agree the forums should be televised.
Wilkinson Pointed out it's only the second time the City has held a citizens forum and televising future sessions can be accomplished.
Yuma residents like Easterday agree.
"If they want to televise these meetings, I think it would be a good thing with the idea the public would know what's going on and maybe they would get engaged," said Easterday.
Easterday came in to voice her concerns on what the City can do to control flying dirt and dust that seems to be a problem near Avenue A, between 25th and 26th street.
Easterday says she was able to get feed back on her issue and supports the idea of having a citizens forum this way, better than she would have been able to in call to the public.
"Since you can dialogue right then and there, I think some of your questions are answered right away. Just like with tonight, they said maybe the would put up two barricades for the wind and they talked about things that could be done," said Easterday.
Easterday did say it's an inconvenience to have to fill out a speaker request form a week prior to the forum.
She also says she wishes the call to the public would again happen at the beginning and the end of each City Council meeting to give residents more opportunities to be heard.


text:
Wes Clark Endorses Transition to Single-Payer
by Scott Shields, Mon Jan 30, 2006 at 12:34:10 PM EST
Unlike Matt, I was not present at today's "Real State of the Union 2006" event at the New America Foundation. But thanks to the miracle of satellite radio, I did listen in on a good portion of General Wes Clark's headline speech on C-SPAN Radio.
Overall, I liked what I heard. Though it was billed as a foreign policy event, Clark was clearly putting forward a broad vision for a Democratic platform. But to my ears, he was also laying the groundwork for another White House run in 2008, discussing everything from Beltway corruption and early childhood education to labor and economic policy. And perhaps the most interesting part of his speech came with the section on healthcare.
In health care, we need to take better advantage of modern technology to practice evidence-based medicine, in which treatments and practices are based on statistically proven results - not commercial advertising - and doctors and hospitals are held accountable for their performance, not just by the threat of malpractice but by the day-to-day quality of their results. We need to harness the innovation of our biotech, pharmaceutical, and health insurance industries better to serve the public good, not just the private gain of shareholders. No child in America should grow up without regular medical check-ups and care - or regular exercise and physical fitness - and every adult should be provided access to the kinds of diagnostic testing and preventive treatments which can slow the onset of aging diseases like diabetes, atherosclerosis, and Alzheimer's. Additional insurance coverage should be directed to catastrophic illness and injuries, the kind that wreck families and shatter productive lives. And inevitably this will mean transitioning over time from a work place centered, private payer system toward greater reliance on some form of single-payer system to ease administrative burdens and reduce costs.
Even using the phrase "single-payer system" is a somewhat gutsy move on his part. As President Bush is set to announce his 'less insurance, not more' plan for HSAs, Clark is boldly willing to move the other way, not just accept compromise. Of course, he's talking about an eventual transition, but at least he acknowledges that it is the ultimate goal. The proposals many Democrats have put forward in the past have been pretty sound (like Kerry's call for government-sponsored catastrophic reinsurance), but too many seem to shy away from explicitly endorsing the one system that makes the most sense. I'm glad to see Clark join the ranks of Democrats who aren't afraid of speaking up.
Tags: General 2008, Healthcare (all tags)


text:
More From GP controls
Innovations 2010
Posted by Brooke Wisdom on Jan 01, 2010
One-pass gravel How one contractor converted a simple idea into an attachment that creates stakeless road beds By Marcia Gruver Myron Mullett's gut ...
Do you want some tips to stay safe on the job site?
Equipment World has created an entire section devoted to safety.
Here are the most recent tips we've posted:
Hauling headaches: Know your load limits when trailering equipment
One-man machines: The operator should be the only person on a wheel loader