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This prayer for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary refers to Mary being "preserved from original sin," reminding us of her Immaculate Conception. Mary was conceived in the womb of Saint Anne on December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is exactly nine months before September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (For more on the reason why Catholics celebrate the birth of Mary, see When Is the Virgin Mary's Birthday?)
The focus of this prayer is on Christian unity. Recalling those who, "although separated from the Church, have kept a certain veneration for" the Blessed Virgin Mary (that is, the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox), the prayer asks the Mother of God to intercede "to restore unity and peace once more to all the Christian people."
The phrase "O Virgin who destroyest all heresies" is ancient, going back to the middle of the first millennium of Christianity, and refers to Mary's role in salvation history. It was Mary's fiat—her acceptance of God's Will—that brought Christ into the world.
This prayer is perfect for a novena in preparation for the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as throughout the year, when praying for Christian unity.
Prayer for the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
O Virgin immaculate, thou who by a singular privilege of grace wast preserved from original sin, look in pity upon our separated brethren, who are nevertheless thy children, and call them back to the center of unity. Not a few of them, although separated from the Church, have kept a certain veneration for thee; and do thou, generous as thou art, reward them for it, by obtaining for them the grace of conversion.
Thou wast conqueror of the infernal serpent from the first instant of thy existence; renew even now, for it is now more necessary than ever before, thine ancient triumphs; glorify thy divine Son, bring back to Him the sheep that have strayed from the one fold and place them once more under the guidance of the universal Shepherd who holds the place of thy Son on earth; let it be thy glory, O Virgin who destroyest all heresies, to restore unity and peace once more to all the Christian people.


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I recently interviewed David Syvertsen of New Era Scouting, and he answered many questions about what the Lions should do in the draft and analyzed a few specific players as well. He also gave his thoughts on the Matthew Stafford debate, making his opinion on the situation pretty clear. Take a look:
(Rest of interview is after the jump.)
POD: Thanks to David for taking the time to answer my questions.

subset: commoncrawl


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So back in March, if you recall, I wrote a piece in which I speculated, due to some media reports, that the managing editor of The Grio and regular MSNBC contributor, Joy-Ann Reid could possibly be a real contender for her own prime time show on the network, after it was announced that Ed Schultz was being moved out of his weekly prime time slot for the weekends.
Wishful thinking, of course, since literally just as soon as the article was posted up, came the news that Chris Hayes (the guy who still reminds me so of those persnickety, obnoxious nerds I used to intimidate for lunch money in high school) was relieving Schultz.
Well three months later, it turns out that the great Hayes experiment has been a total disaster for MSNBC. His show, according to one report this week, has been "hemorrhaging viewers." In fact the ratings for his show are so bad that it's been dragging down the overall ratings performance of the network. Gone are the huge gains in ratings the network made against other 24 hour news channels last year, as it now finishes third, or even fourth sometimes, among its competitors.
Hayes may be very knowledgeable about politics, but he's lethal on TV. His show is more of a college classroom than a news show (same problem I have with Harris-Perry's show) and he regularly avoids dealing with whatever important burning issue is of the day, for a draggy PhD dissertation on some other lesser important matter.
And keep in mind that despite the fact it's supposed to be a news/discussion show on a news cable channel, it's still always just, and has been, entertainment. You have to keep your audience hooked and entertained. If you want really hard news then read the N.Y. Times or watch BBC News.
So what is MSNBC going to do? They could and will probably try to tinker with Hayes' show to try to make it more in line with Rachel Maddow or Lawrence O'Donnell. But Hayes would most likely resist that. And the network, at this stage, is reluctant to cancel his show so soon since that would, in effect, publicly admit that they made a colossal mistake - something that any network would be loathe to do.
But if push comes to shove, considering all things and especially the ratings, Hayes' show may not make it past this summer, which, yet again, opens up the opportunity for another shot for Reid to get her own show.
First of all, who else do they have? I can't think of anyone, except maybe regular MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capeheart, but he also has that irritating persnickety thing too. And Karen Finney has her own show on weekends which is supposed to premiere this month, if it hasn't already.
Furthermore, as I said last time, no one can deny that Reid is really, really smart, knows politics inside and out like nobody's business, is personable, has fantastic presence on the screen (she's been on TV and radio since 1998), and has smoothly subbed occasionally on other network shows.
And she's is on the network ALL THE TIME. Every day. Sometimes a few times a day. Like, what else do you need?
Also they've really "glammed" her up lately, and I wouldn't be surprised if she insisted perhaps even bringing in her own makeup people and stylists, knowing that appearances always does matter on TV.
So during the next few months, let's see what happens. One thing for sure is that Hayes' show can't continue any longer, if it doesn't improve, and if MSNBC will see the obvious solution right in front of them.
But I'm not taking any bets.
Hazel Smith | December 30, 2013 5:37 PM
I love Joy Reid. What stopping her? DARKER SKIN?
Hazel Smith | December 30, 2013 5:34 PM
Why Joy Reid cannot get a spot of her own? She is much more watchable than most on MSNBC. Why not give her a chance.DARKER SKIN?
Lucille Brown | December 26, 2013 6:05 PM
Joy Reid,
I do love you, however, if you don't slow down and stop talking so fast, I am going to have t0 block you.
Jaron Brooks | November 12, 2013 10:25 PM
I agree that the very smart and charismatic Joy-Ann Reid should have her own MSNBC primetime show - and would have been a much better choice than the always-annoying Chris Hayes, who becomes more insufferable the longer his show continues.
But, an important point: Sergio's boast that he used to intimidate "obnoxious nerds" like Hayes for lunch money is very ugly. He seems to find robbery and threatened violence against someone perceived to be weaker to be funny. He should know that bullying anyone, gay, Black, Arab, "nerd," anyone considered "inferior" is nothing to be proud of.
Rhonda | September 1, 2013 10:56 AM
Joy Reid should have been in Karen Finney's slot. I don't know how Finney got a show. However, Schultz's leaving weekends has opened that slot for Joy. Dare they put two black women back-to-back? Chris Hayes should return to mornings. Steve should return to the Cycle. Now that Current TV is kaput, Joy Behar might be available to take over Chris Hayes' slot. Regardless, MSNBC has come a looong way since it had Alan Keyes as a host, way back in the day.
jannay | August 19, 2013 8:39 PM
If MSNBC doesn't give Joy a spot they are missing out. She is more impressive than Karen Finney. She is very very smart. And she doesn't get rattled, when confronted. She is good. I hope it isn't because of her darker complexion.
lee | August 12, 2013 3:21 PM
I like Joy a lot. She is very SMART and I would place her in the same category as Rachel Maddow (who is my favorite) and Alex Wagner, Martin Bashir, Ed Schultz and Chris Matthews. Melissa Harris-Perry is smart too, but I think Joy is a better speaker/debater than her. I was hoping that Joy would get her spot on the MSNBC lineup, and was disappointed that Karen Finney got it instead. I have nothing against Karen Finneya nd I think she is smart too but I find her anchoring the show a little bit dull.
Every time Joy is a guest or a guest "host," I always make sure I watch the show because she is very smart and makes a lot of sense in her analysis and opinions.
I predict that Joy Reid will be the next Gwen Ifill of television. I hope MSBC gives her a spot for own show soon before another station grabs her. We need people like Joy to enlighten us, if not educate us, on the issues that matters. All the best to Joy Ann Reid!!!
Harold C. | July 19, 2013 7:10 PM
Jon Ann Reid doesn't need MSNBC. I predict she will host a news pgm on The OWN netwok! Go get Joy Oprah!
Jay Zee | July 19, 2013 2:57 PM
Enough with the "Grio Girl"... Doesn't MSNBC have anybody else they can put on these shows as guests? As an avid watcher on MSNBC it's kinda boring seeing her on every show.. every day... how about some variety. Maybe if they give her a time slot we won't have to see her on TV all day long?:
Dennis Copson | July 15, 2013 5:31 PM
Are you kidding me? MSNBC has too many black personalities on air now--especially the ubiquitous Reverend Al, a bobble-headed buffoon incapable of even the simplest of political analysis. Any more added to the cast would be ethnic overkill even though MSNBC has been trolling for blacks in their audience for awhile. Why I can't figure out--they are such a small segment of society to cater to exclusively--except that they have lost most other viewers. Really, just look at who MSNBC has been promoting recently: Melissa Harris-Perry, Toure, Reid, Cameron Hall, on and on. Reid is a smart cookie, no doubt, but she is also unabashedly biased towards all things black, another zealous proponent of "black victimization" politics ala "Shakedown" Sharpton, and an extreme lefty and a purveyor of the prevalence towards black injustice in America. I seriously doubt she'll get the nod for a fulltime show, but she may factoring in the considerable face time she's getting on most all the other programs of late. MSNBC has been doing weird things for the past year in search of the right ingredients to beat FOX (fat chance!) featuring a younger, more liberal (if that's even possible) cast of ethnically variable talking heads. But adding Reid would bring no "Joy" to me nor millions of other viewers looking for a more balanced approach to our political news of the day. Therefore, I say no chance of her as a fulltime host of her own show although she will sit in for other hosts and appear on their show more as time goes by.
Charlene Leisr | July 11, 2013 1:00 PM
I watch MSNBC less & less due to the decrease
In quality programming like Hayes, Wagner,
Perry, Matthews & O'Donnell. I never follow
Sharpton or Bashir. An original favorite of
Morning Joe unfortunately gets worse daily
now if the main hosts are even on. But, if
Joy Reid gets a show....I'm done with MSNBC.
Guy Smiley | July 8, 2013 8:28 PM
The Essence Festival just passed and we saw a lot of Reid. MSNBC getting into the cultural appropriations game! Anyone catch Schultz(y) line dancing to that god awful song? Anyway, Reid had a big weekend. She was all over the network, perhaps there's something brewing. I like Chris Hayes, but he lacks pizazz. He is simply being overpowered by O'Reilly's angry White guy routine. Could a curvy, sassy, brown skinned, short haired female compete with that? Could she be the ying to his yang; a completely opposite narrative?
We need more diversity in prime time. There are still no people of color hosting shows in prime time on any network. Al Sharpton is not on in prime time, and he doesn't represent the hip, young, wonkish viewers the network appears to be courting. I appreciate how he has given Black folks a platform, but we can do a little better than brother Al. Furthermore, Chris Matthews and Lawrence O'Donnell are old news. It is time for a younger, hipper, smarter generation of news commentary entertainment. I'd like to see Richard Liu get a shot, and definitely get some Hispanic representation as well. I'm not terribly certain Joy Reid will translate to White viewers, even the most liberal among you. MHP, given the right marketing, would have given O'Reilly a run for his money. She's an intellect, she's beautiful and she certainly has command of a very key demographic. That alone, would have greatly increased MSNBC's bottom line numbers. Black people are tuning into MSNBC, and they know it! My ideal lineup: Hayes, MHP, Liu, Maddow and token Hispanic. Let's make this happen, Deborah Turness. "Really" shake things up!
tishauna7 | May 31, 2013 6:29 AM
she's a little too far up Obama's ass for my taste. especially how she defended obama on not standing firm on Susan rice.
AccidentalVisitor | May 24, 2013 8:27 PM
Wasn't aware of the dismal ratings for Hayes' show, but I can't say I'm all that surprised either. MSNBC had the perfect lineup despite griping from some progressives. Ed Schultz was the boisterous everyman who was bent on championing the middle class and could talk the "real language" of the common folk. Rachel Maddow was the darling of progressives who could wow and woo her audience with her combination of wit, stats and storytelling, all of which she weaved together to present a clear picture of what was happening in politics. Lawrence Odonnell was the highbrow schmoozer who used the tricks he learned in the political arena of Washington and the entertainment center of Hollywood to put together a smart, accessible fast-moving show. Chris Hayes may be a better journalist then all of them (loved his work for The Nation magazine) but his problem was that he is the male version of Rachel. True enough both Hayes and Maddow's shows go about things a little different, but their methods and objectives are pretty much the same. And if you are going to take only one of them you will go with the Maddow Show becausse it has always been a well-oiled machine. Hayes on the other hand presents a somber, analytical show for grownups and most American viewers can't handle that.
To be honest after seeing Hayes fill in for people over the years as a guest host, I didn' t think he was good for TV (it took me awhile to warm up to his dry style). But I was wrong. His "Up With Chris Hayes" became perhaps my favorite program on MSNBC, one that I felt I could never miss. Two hours on Saturday and Sunday was perfect for him and gave him more than enough time to explore multiple topics with a panel of guests that kept changing while the minutes rolled by each episode. That's a job he should have stuck with for ten years. If he had he would have truly helped revived the weekend news program format.
But when Big Eddie took that opportunity to do a weekend show (as a listerner to Schultz' radio program I don't believe he was forced out, especially considerhing how successful his TV gig was, I believe, just as he said, he wanted to cut down on his workload) I felt the MSNBC brass saw it as a golden opportunity to offer a daily show to their golden boy. I hope it all works out for them.
As for Reid she is another good journalist and, oh yeah, she is everywhere on MSNBC. But do I think she would be the perfect solution for the problem? Not so sure. There is very little evidence she can carry a show as well as she carries a segment as a member of a talking-heads guest panel. Plus I gotta ask does MSNBC need another black host? We are pretty well represented enough. In fact one could argue black hosts are overrepresented on MSNBC, especially black women. Doesn't Tamra still have her show? And of course there is MHP and the upcoming Karen Finney show. One repeated topic on the MSNBC shows is the changing demographic as the result of the surge in population of Hispanics. Well ins't it about time MSNBC start grooming Hispanic hosts?
Helluva | May 24, 2013 5:00 PM
I like Joy, but not sure if she's strong enough to anchor her own MSNBC show (just yet). As you say, it is ENTERTAINMENT. Thus, someone like Michael Eric Dyson (who I think goes overboard often) would probably be a better choice. Or, as previously mentioned, TJ Holmes...he at least has had a stronger following than M(r)s. Reid. She would, however, do well in a tandem format, like the one Toure's a part of, I believe.
Nadia | May 24, 2013 11:16 AM
Calling T.J. Holmes.
JMC | May 24, 2013 10:53 AM
I like Chris Hayes and Joy and would love for her to have a show. I also like the "academic" feel of his show and MHP's show. Perhaps because I am in academia myself. One thing with Chris's show is that he has the most minority guests on his show. He does a wonderful job of giving voice to underrepresented people who are working in fields related to topics he is covering. This aids the network overall. Yet you are correct his numbers can keep on bleeding and the network do nothing.
ALM | May 24, 2013 10:35 AM
I hope this happens for her, but I still wouldn't be surprised if the network brought a new person in entirely. It makes more sense to utilize an established, familiar face like Ms. Reid's, but companies make decisions all day every day that don't make any sense.


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Hey all. I've recently re-entered the work force with a nice new M-F 9-5. With that I'm looking forward to putting together a training program in hopes of upping my grade a bit. I primarily climb trad and would like to be consistently redpointing 5.11 and a bit harder sport. I like Eric Horsts 4-3-2-1 plan but I think i'll modify it to be a 2-3-2-1 because I feel like I already have a good base. So my question is in regards to those of us who are fortunate to be able to get outside to climb on the weekends, every weekend...even in the winter. If i'm out climbing single pitch trad, which often doesn't result in much of a burn, how do I structure my weekday training routine to accommodate or balance? By not giving up a Sat or Sun for a fingerboard routine or treadwall sesh am I looking at a diminished return from my training program?
It sounds like you should just go climbing in addition to your hangboard/ "treadwall sesh". If an afternoon of single pitch cragging leaves you looking for more of a workout, then do yourself a favor and do more of a workout. Oftentimes I'll end a day of cragging on a pumpy route and run laps on it to failure. It looks like Monday and Wednesday should be your rest days, Saturday and Sunday you go cragging and supplement a lack of a burn with a dose of hangboard, then you hangboard for glory Tuesday and Thursday.


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Roger Traves QC
Roger Traves has a broad based practice centred on commercial law but with experience in a range of other areas. They include administrative and public law, local government and planning law, valuation law and compulsory acquisition of land, professional liability, equity and trusts and succession.
Roger regularly acts as mediator in a wide range of disputes.
2013 Queen's Counsel
2003 Senior Counsel
1985 Barrister, Queensland
1985 Associate, Sir Walter Campbell, Chief Justice of Queensland
LLB (Hons) University of Queensland
LLM Queensland University of Technology
BA University of Queensland
Professional Involvement
2011-2013 President, Bar Association of Queensland
2009-2011 Vice-President, Bar Association of Queensland
2003-2009 Member, Bar Council, Bar Association of Queensland
Boards, Community Involvement
Director, Cancer Council of Queensland, 2011-
Honorary Chairman, Board of Directors, Breast and Prostate Cancer Association of Queensland 2012-
Honorary Chairman, Board of Directors, Breast Cancer Association of Queensland 2002 – 2012
Legal teaching and publications
(a) Legal Teaching
- Teacher, Advocacy Training Course, Australian Bar Association, 20-24 January 2014
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 12 February 2013
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 7 February 2012
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 7 February 2011
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 1 February 2010
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 8 July 2009
- Bar Practice Course, "Professional Ethics", 25 June 2008
- Bar Practice Course Teacher 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003
- Workshop Leader, Skills Training Advocacy Workshop, Queensland Law Society, 8 May 1993
- Tutor, Contract Law, Queensland University of Technology, Law Faculty 1990-1992 (approximately)
(b) Selection of Publications and Conference Papers
- "Professional Ethics", Bar Association Annual Conference, February 2013
- "Professional Ethics", Bar Association Annual Conference, February 2012
- "Equitable interests in estates and equitable remedies: Looking beyond family provision applications", Succession Law Conference, Twin Waters, 3 November 2012
- "Breaches of trust, negligence of trustees and the exercise of discretion by trustees of discretionary trusts", Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners ("STEP") Conference, Kingscliff, September 2012
- "Misleading or deceptive conduct and circumstances relevant to the interpretation of contracts", North Queensland Law Conference, Commercial Stream, 25 May 2012
- "Constructive Trusts and Unconscionable Conduct", paper delivered to Master of Laws Course, University of Queensland, September 2011
- "Common Challenges for the Legal and Medical Professions", Hearsay, August 2009
- "Professional Ethics", Bar Association Annual Conference, March 2009
- "Legal Responsibility for the Poorly Performing Surgeon and Organizational Responses to Minimize Risk and Improve Performance", Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Scientific Congress, Hong Kong, 16 May 2008
- "Defence Costs Clauses in Liability Insurance Policies", Hearsay, November 2007
- "Defence Costs Clauses in Insurance Policies", Australian Insurance Law Association, Annual Insurance Law Conference, Gold Coast, 11 July 2008
- "Ethics In Mediation" International Ethics Conference, Southport, 14 July 2008
- "Professional Ethics", Bar Association Annual Conference, March 2006
- "Professional Ethics", Bar Association Annual Conference, March 2005
- "What If" Evidence, CPE Session, Australian Professional Indemnity Group, 17 August 2004
- "Equitable and Statutory Unconscionable Conduct", Bar Association of Queensland conference, 23 July 2004
- "Liability Insurance and Defence Costs", Australian Insurance Law Association, Insurance Law Conference, May 2004
- "Science and Truth in the Courtroom. Does it Matter?", Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress, 7 May 2003
- Presentation to Insurance Conference, April 2002
- Seminar Insurance Law Interest Group on the Insurance Contracts Act, 2002
- "Making the Most of an Expert Witness", Medico Legal Society, 17 November 2001
- "Recent Developments in Respect of Section 54 and Section 48 of the Insurance Contracts Act", Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Queensland Law Society, 29 June 1994
- "Conditions Precedent and Promissory Obligations in the Context of Guarantees"; "Guarantees and Assignments of Leases"; and "Directors' Liability for the Execution of Corporate Guarantees", papers presented to Queensland Law Society Continuing Legal Education Seminar, 25 May 1993
Secondary Education
Brisbane Grammar School
- Captain of School 1978
- Captain of Cricket 1978
- Queensland Sheffield Shield Cricket 1981-1982
- Classical Music


text:
December 9, 2013
Australian lawyer and U.N. war crimes investigator Michael Hourigan was given the task of investigating the assassination of the Rwandan and Burundian presidents by shooting their plane out of the sky over Kigali on April 6, 1994. His evidence that Gen. Paul Kagame had ordered the assassinations was suppressed. Hourigan's death this week went unnoted by the press.
December 27, 2011
The past 12 months were very intense on the African continent. Some important elections stirred up a whole lot of interests. Shared zones of influence are being renegotiated between the old powers of the world, the Western powers, and the new power, China.


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Texas refused to dip too deep into their impressive slate of prospects on the farm in the month of July, as Jurickson Profar, Mike Olt and Martin Perez were all essentially off-limits in trade discussions.
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When the Los Angeles Angels traded away shortstop prospect Jean Segura to land Zack Greinke, Kaleb Cowart immediately became the best prospect in Los Angeles' system.
It comes as no surprise that Cowart is the most notable of the eight prospects the Angels are sending to the Arizona Fall League.
Cowart spent time in both the Midwest League and the Cal League in his age 20 season, and succeeded at both levels. Amazingly, Cowart had the same exact number of at bats at both levels (263). Cowart hit .293/.348/.479. with nine home runs and nine stolen bases in the MWL, and then went on and hit .259/.366/.426 with seven home runs in the California League.
While it's a bit surprising to see Cowart's power numbers dip as he went to the homer-happy A+ league, Cowart's eye improved dramatically. Cowart managed just 22 walks in the MWL, but drew 45 walks after his promotion to the California League.
Between the two levels, Cowart hit a combined 16 home runs, while hitting .276/.358/.452.
As a switch hitting third baseman, Cowart has quite a bit of value as a prospect, and he should only improve over the next few years. Though Segura was unquestionable the better prospect in July, I think there's little doubt that Cowart had the highest ceiling all along between the two.
Though he's least a year and a half away from making an impact in Los Angeles, Cowart could actually give the Angels a run producer at third base at some point in 2014, or more realistically, 2015.
It's no secret that the Texas Rangers boast a strong farm system, and that it's still one of the best farm systems in all of baseball. The Rangers are sending eight prospects to the Arizona Fall League this year, and perhaps no prospect is more notable among them than shortstop Luis Sardinas.
Sardinas spent the entire 2012 season in the South Atlantic League, and he put up very respectable numbers as a 19 year old. Sardinas hit .291/.346/.356 in 374 at bats, while walking just 29 times, but only striking out 52 times. Sardinas was an asset on the bases as well, stealing 32 bags while only being caught nine times.
The Rangers signed Sardinas in 2009, around the same exact time the club inked now-uber prospect Jurickson Profar. Needless to say, Profar's rise has certainly overshadowed Sardinas' play, but that's not to say Sardinas isn't an intriguing prospect -- he most certainly is.
How Sardinas fares this year in the Arizona Fall League isn't of too much consequence. Sure, the Rangers will get to evaluate him against other top prospects, but let's also remember that 2012 was Sardinas' first taste of full-season ball. Sardinas' previous career high in professional games played was 26 in 2010, in the AZL.
Still, Sardinas could very well put himself on the map in 2013 as one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball. He's a plus defender, and if he hits just enough, he'll be a very, very hot prospect. With Elvis Andrus and Profar already blocking him, it wouldn't shock me if Sardinas is used in a package this winter, if the Rangers try to go after a superstar player, such as David Price or Justin Upton.
We've repeated it over and over here at SB Nation Dallas, but it bears repeating again: it's a great time to be a fan of the Texas Rangers.
Not only are the Rangers going to clinch a third straight AL West title in the coming days, but they still boast one of baseball's top farm systems.
Last month, we reviewed Texas' top ten prospects coming into the year, and how they fared in 2012. Unsurprisingly, on the whole, they fared really well, with at least one future superstar in Jurickson Profar among them.
The good news on the farm doesn't stop there. The Rangers will be sending eight prospects to participate in the Arizona Fall League this year. Kellin Deglan, Leury Garcia, Chris McGuiness, Luis Sardinas, Miguel De Los Santos, Jimmy Reyes, Ryan Rodebaugh and Ben Rowen will represent the Rangers this fall in Arizona.
It's certainly worth noting that none of the prospects headed to the AFL for the Rangers were among the top 10 prospects coming into the season, as per Baseball America.
Teams often send lesser prospects to the AFL to get a better feel for their status as a prospect, and to try out new positions or mechanics, and to better evaluate the prospect going forward. I tend to agree with Adam Morris over at Lone Star Ball that the most intriguing prospect on this list is Luis Sardinas, primarily for the reasons he cites. Sardinas is one of the top defensive shortstop prospects around, and if he can come around with the bat, he'll be a very, very valuable commodity.
Be sure to check back here at SB Nation Dallas throughout the week, as we'll break down Texas' prospects headed to the AFL, as well as other notable prospects in the AL West.
We take a look at Texas' top ten prospects headed into the 2012 season, and where they are now.
The Los Angeles Angels didn't have a strong farm system coming into this year. They did, at the least, have one of the top prospects in all of baseball in the form of Mike Trout. Trout, of course, is no longer a prospect, and instead is now the American League MVP and maybe the best story in all of baseball in 2012.
After Trout, Los Angeles' top prospects, per Baseball America:
One of the more surprising stories so far in 2012 has been the success of the Oakland Athletics -- especially after they held yet another firesale over the winter, trading away Gio Gonzalez and closer Andrew Bailey to the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, respectively.
The moves by Billy Beane were supposed to signal yet another rebuilding era in Oakland. The A's, however, signed Yoenis Cespedes to a contract. Cespedes has been worth every penny spent by the A's, and is one of the many reasons for Oakland's success, batting .307/.367/.517 with 14 homers and 10 steals in 290 at bats so far.
Oakland's success isn't limited to Cespedes of course. Tommy Millone, who came over in the Gio Gonzalez trade, has pitched very well for Oakland, with a 9-9 record and 3.91 ERA. Millone also has a 1.22 WHIP to go along with 101 strikeouts against just 28 walks.
Of course, there's also Josh Reddick, who was part of the Andrew Bailey trade. Reddick is hitting .260/.333/.516, with 25 home runs and 10 steals on the season.
Andrew Bailey, meanwhile, hasn't thrown a pitch for the Red Sox, and Ryan Sweeney, who was also sent to Boston, is now out for the season.
Oakland also traded Trevor Cahill this past offseason, and netted themselves Jarrod Parker, Ryan Cook and Collin Cowgill.
Parker has been very good for Oakland, with a 7-6 record to go along with a 3.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and .244 BAA.
Ryan Cook was Oakland's representative at the All-Star Game, and he's pitched very well out of Oakland's bullpen. Despite having seven blown saves, Cook has recorded 12 saves and 11 holds, while striking out 49 in 48 and 1/3 innings and posting a 1.03 WHIP.
The A's also have promising young pitchers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock to show for their winter trading as well, and that's in addition to Miles Head and Derek Norris -- two solid offensive prospects.
Billy Beane took a lot of flack for his moves in the offseason, but those moves are a large reason for Oakland's success in 2012.
Johnny Hellweg made his second start in the Milwaukee Brewers organization on Monday night -- the same night that the Brewers recalled Jean Segura from AA to start at shortstop in Milwaukee.
Hellweg, who was traded to Milwaukee with Segura and Ariel Pena in exchange for Zack Greinke, struggled mightily in his second start in AA for the Brewers. Hellweg lasted five innings and only gave up three runs on five hits, but he walked seven and struck out just three.
In 129 and 2/3 innings in AA between two organizations, Hellweg has issued 69 free passes and has only struck out 98. To Hellweg's credit, he's only given up 111 hits in those innings.
Still, it's tough to consider Hellweg an excellent prospect. There's no doubting that his stuff is electric, but the soon-to-be 24 year old will have to establish better command, otherwise he'll likely end up as a reliever.
Though Segura, Hellweg and Pena were undoubtedly three of Los Angeles' top prospects, there's little doubting that the Angels paid a more-than-fair price in exchange for one of the best pitchers in baseball.
Jean Segura will make his Milwaukee Brewers debut on Monday night, when the Milwaukee Brewers attempt to cool off the scalding hot Cincinnati Reds.
Segura was given just 30 at bats in Milwaukee's farm system prior to the call up. All Segura did was hit in that small sample, batting to the tune of .433/.500/.533, with four steals and four walks against four strikeouts.
Overall in the minors this year, Segura has hit .304/.358/.413 with 37 steals in 102 games. Segura, though, has drawn just 27 walks, but has only struck out 61 times.
Segura was traded along with Ariel Pena and John Hellweg by the Angels in exchange for ace Zack Greinke. It's not in the least bit surprising that Segura is the first to reach Milwaukee, as the Angels had recalled Segura for a brief (read: one game stint) prior to trading him.
I still maintain that the Angels struck gold with this trade, though Segura should prove to be a quality major league piece. I just don't see superstardom in his future, but he should at the least provide the Brewers with a quality shortstop for years to come.
When the Texas Rangers acquired Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs, they shipped off third base prospect Christian Villaneuva and right handed pitching prospect Kyle Hendricks. Dempster didn't exactly have a stellar debut for the Rangers, but one player in the trade did: Christian Villaneuva.
On the same night Dempster was torched by the Los Angeles Angels for eight runs on nine hits in four and 2/3 innings, Villanueva shined in the Florida State League. Villaneuva went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk. Those two hits, however, were home runs, giving Cubs fans some hope for the future.
Prior to being traded, Villanueva hit .285/.356/.421 for Myrtle Beach, with 10 home runs in 375 at bats. Ranked as Texas' eighth best prospect coming into 2012 by Baseball America, there is certainly some upside to Villaneuva. Baseball America gave him a grade of 60 high, meaning, he has the potential to be a very good player (60 grade), but is a high risk of reaching that potential, since he's still fairly raw and still has to advance to class AA.
This isn't to say Jon Daniels made a mistake trading Villaneuva. Dempster's numbers prior to being traded are very, very similar to Colby Lewis' numbers. Lewis, as you may already know, is out for the year, leaving a rather gaping hole in Texas' rotation.
With Adrian Beltre under contract for a few more years, and Mike Olt ahead of Villaneuva on Texas' organizational depth chart, Villaneuva was deemed expendable -- and rightfully so.
Still, Villaneuva could prove to be a nice piece for Theo Epstein and the Cubs.
The 19-year old SS is the most valuable asset in the Texas organization and he should be completely off-limits in any mid-season trade negotiations.
It's no secret that there are two top prizes this year at the trade deadline: Cole Hamels and Zack Greinke. Personally, I believe that Greinke is a top five pitcher in all of baseball and should be considered the top prize, but I digress.
It appears that the Rangers think highly of Greinke, too. According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, the Brewers sent a scout to watch AA Frisco -- Texas' AA affiliate, which is chalk full of prospects.
If the Brewers are serious about dealing Greinke, and they should be, then the Rangers are as good a bet as any team in baseball to land him -- if they want. Coming into the season, the Rangers had the top-ranked farm system, per Baseball America.
Naturally, the Rangers have some prospects worth watching at AA. First and foremost is Jurickson Profar, who might very well be the top prospect in baseball. As a 19 year old in AA, Profar is hitting an absurd .293/.371/.479, with nine home runs, nine stolen bases, and a slick 39/49 BB/SO ratio.
Though some (delusional) Brewers fans likely covet Profar, the bottom line is this: he's not being traded. There are probably two players in all of baseball that the Rangers would trade Profar for (hint: one of them plays for the Angels, the other, the Nationals), and a two-month rental of Greinke is not going to cut it. Profar will not be traded.
There are plenty of arms in AA, but the hot topic of discussion is likely Mike Olt, who is ranked as the No. 11 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America's midseason top 50 ranking. Olt has taken a major step forward with his bat, hitting .300/.406/.590, with 22 home runs in 75 games.
The problem is, however, that the Rangers have an All-Star third baseman of their own for a few more years in Adrian Beltre. It's a good problem to have too much talent, and this is one of those cases. If Olt's bat truly is this good, then, unlike what I said in the spring, it should be able to play at first base, if the Rangers want to go that route.
Still, with the Brewers desperate for a third baseman, it seems likely that they will target Olt in a trade. Is that unreasonable for two months of one of the very best pitchers in baseball? I'm not sure that it is unreasonable, but I'd understand if the Rangers held onto Olt, instead of having two months, with no guarantee of an extension, of Greinke.
The Rangers have plenty of worthy pitching prospects in AA, too. Cody Buckel could easily be seen as expendable, as could Barrett Loux.
There's lots of talent on Frisco's roster, but my money is on saying the Brewers insist on Olt, at least until the end of July. They're in no rush to deal him, and they're probably going to (rightfully) ask for the sun, the moon and the stars until they have to deal Greinke.
Lost in all the hoopla surrounding the All-Star Game is the always-interesting Futures Game, which falls on the Sunday prior to the Home Run Derby. This year, the Texas Rangers will have two players represent them in the Futures Game -- and one on each team. Third base prospect Mike Olt is on the U.S. Team, while Jurickson Profar, who may very well be the single best prospect in baseball, will be on the World Team.
Olt is having a phenomenal year, and will likely be at the center of trade talks if the Rangers choose to pursue Zack Greinke or Cole Hamels. Jon Daniels will likely have a difficult time surrendering Olt for a rental, even if the Rangers would be receiving an ace back in the deal.
Through July 3, Olt is hitting .302/.409/.597 with 22 home runs in just 278 at bats. Olt has drawn 48 walks and struck out 81 times as well.
Though he's blocked at third, the Rangers might be able to use him at first base -- which would give Texas a bit more leverage in trade talks.
As for Profar, well, there's not really enough superlatives for him. At just 19 years of age, Profar is hitting .293/.371/.479 in AA. Just think about that.
Profar is showing pretty good power, as evidenced by his slugging percentage. He's socked nine homers, 18 doubles and six triples so far this year, and has drawn 39 walks against just 49 strikeouts.
Again, he's 19. And he's probably the best prospect in baseball. And there's also no way he will be traded.
So, if you're a Rangers fan and you were looking for a reason to watch the Futures Game on Sunday, there you have it. You'll get to see two of the very best Rangers prospects, who just happen to be two of the very best prospects in baseball.
Martin Perez will be with the Rangers prior to Tuesday night's game against the Tigers.
Texas Rangers minor league prospects Mike Olt and Jurickson Profar were named to the Futures Game roster on Thursday
Olt is hitting .308 (78-253) with 20 home runs, 13 doubles, and 58 RBI in 67 games for Frisco (AA) this season.
Profar has batted .318 (77-242) his last 61 contests since April 14. ESPN's Keith Law says Olt is one of the players he sees making his way up to the major's pretty soon:
Mike Olt, 3B, Texas Rangers (Double-A Frisco): With Mitch Moreland on the DL, there would appear to be an opening for Olt at the big league level, especially since third base is rather occupied at the moment. As classy as he may be, Michael Young isn't the answer at first.
Read more about the Texas Rangers at Lone Star Ball. Be sure to head over to Baseball Nation for additional news, notes and analysis around Major League Baseball.
The injury bug just keeps striking the Texas Rangers -- even if it's not in Arlington. This time, Leonys Martin has been hit with it, as he'll be out six-to-eight weeks with a torn thumb ligament, according to Evan Grant.
Leonys Martin out 6-8 weeks with torn thumb ligament— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) May 2, 2012
This isn't devastating news, but it's certainly bad news. Martin has been mashing in AAA, hitting .347/.423/.520 in 98 at bats -- doing his best to quiet the critics who have been down on his hit tool. Martin has shown solid discipline as well, walking 12 times while striking out 16 times. Martin also has notched 11 extra base hits -- three home runs and eight doubles.
With Josh Hamilton ailing in Texas, some speculated that Martin could be called up to replace Hamilton for the short term. Unfortunately, Martin will need a replacement in AAA for the next six to eight weeks.
For more on the Rangers, head over to Lone Star Ball and join the discussion.
Jurickson Profar didn't get off to he best start in AA this year, but he's proving to the Rangers and scouts that he's capable of handling the challenge at AA. The 19 year old shortstop has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 games -- and has drawn four walks in those 10 games as well.
Profar hasn't just been getting on base, he's been slugging the ball. Eight of Profar's last 13 hits have gone for extra bases, as he's notched five doubles and three triples in his last 10 games.
The recent hot streak has Profar's season line up to .253/.323/.483. Though the average and OBP remain a bit low, Profar has clearly adjusted to the challenge of AA pitching, and his numbers have been rising steadily over the last half of April.
Interestingly, Profar hasn't hit well on the road this year. In 51 home at bats, Profar is mashing, hitting to the tune of .314/.397/.608, but on the road in 36 at bats, Profar is hitting a paltry .167/.220/.306. This is something that will correct itself over time, but it's still a massive difference -- and for now, it can likely be chalked up to a small sample size.
Regardless, it's tough not to get excited over Profar, especially when you consider he's just 19 years old an in AA. He's still a couple of years away from being entrenched in Arlington, but it's already exciting following the young shortstop's progress through Texas' system.
Well, the Los Angeles Angels are shaking up their roster. The Angels announced after Friday's loss that they have released outfielder/designated hitter Bobby Abreu, and are replacing him with uber-prospect Mike Trout.
#Angels have released Bobby Abreu and will call up Mike Trout from Salt Lake.— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 28, 2012
Abreu, who turned 38 in March, only received 24 at bats in 2012 with the Angels, appearing only in eight games.
Trout, though, could kick start Los Angeles' offense. Through 77 at bats in AAA, Trout hit .403/.467/.623 with 11 walks and 16 strikeouts. Trout's speed was showcased as well, as he hit four doubles, five triples and stole six bases.
It's unknown how the Angels will utilize Trout, but he could very well start in center immediately. Peter Bourjos, excellent range aside, has been struggling mightily, hitting a paltry .178/.245/.267 through his first 45 at bats, with three walks and 12 strikeouts.
As long as Trout is getting at bats, he will immediately upgrade Los Angeles' offense -- which certainly needs it. We'll see how the club uses him going forward, but the Angels have just added a massive talent to their active roster.
The rich are getting richer... at least, it appears that way. Texas Rangers prospect Cody Buckel made Baseball America's weekly hot sheet this week, after hurling yet another dominating start this week.
Not surprisingly, the folks at Baseball America lauded the Rangers and Buckel.
When the Rangers very publicly revamped their pitching development program a few years ago, they were bucking conventional wisdom by allowing pitchers to long toss at football-field length distances, emphasizing throwing between starts and letting pitching coaches-not pitch limits-determine when a pitching prospect would exit each start. Just a couple of years later, that approach is nearing closer and closer to being considered conventional wisdom thanks to a growing list of pitching success stories. Buckel is part of the next wave of young Rangers pitchers. On the heels of a dominant season in low Class A Hickory, Buckel has had no problems making the jump to high Class A-he's striking out more than a third of the batters he faces and he's yet to allow more than one run or two hits in any of his four starts this year.
Buckel likely needs a promotion to AA Frisco to be challenged -- and he'll probably get that sooner this year rather than later. On the young season, Buckel has pitched 21.1 innings, allowing just seven hits while issuing eight walks and striking out 29. Buckel's ERA on the year is microscopic as well, sitting at 0.84.
When the Seattle Mariners dealt Michael Pineda to the Yankees this offseason, they acquired Jesus Montero -- one of the game's very best young bats. With this trade, the Mariners were clearly attempting to address their offensive woes, as the club lacks offensive firepower. So far, though, Montero hasn't been hitting, and there's still not much behind him in the minors that will turn Seattle's offense around.
It's an extremely small sample size, but so far Montero is hitting just .241/.259/.370 through his first 54 at bats with the Mariners. Montero has drawn only two walks and has struck out 11 times -- a ratio that he'll have to improve on in order to become an elite major league hitter.
It's certainly likely that Montero will turn it around, and probably sooner rather than later. Seattle still will need to restock their system with hitters. Seattle's best hitting prospect behind Montero is Nick Franklin, who is having success in AA at age 21. Franklin is hitting .281/.343/.438 through his first 64 at bats. From a shortstop, those stats are perfectly acceptable, but they're far from impactful.
Vinnie Catricala, thought to be one of Seattle's better offensive prospects headed into this year, has struggled mightily in AAA. Through his first 66 at bats, Catricala is hitting a meager .182/.214/.212.
So, what conclusions can we draw from three, really small sample sizes? Not much, other than Montero will eventually hit, Franklin looks like he'll be a quality, though not impactful, player and that the Mariners will be desperate to add bats throughout their system in this year's MLB draft.
If the Mariners are looking to compete in the near-future, with Felix Hernandez and their stable of pitching prospects, they will likely have to sign a major free agent or two. It wouldn't shock me at all if Seattle became players in the Josh Hamilton sweepstakes this winter.
Billy Beane and the Oakland A's started yet another rebuilding phase in December, capped off by sending Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals in exchange for four prospects.
Tommy Milone, SP, MLB: 2-1, 2.84 ERA, 19 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 8 SO, 6 BB
Milone is off to a solid start for the A's. While he doesn't profile as a top of the rotation starter, he's a capable back-end guy, and is pitching a bit above that so far. Still, Milone's SO/BB ratio indicates that he's a back-end starter. Those are plenty valuable, though, and Milone will likely churn out a few really quality seasons.
Derek Norris, C, AAA: 53 at bats, .321/.316/.604, 2 HR, 7 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 11 SO
So, the knock on Norris throughout his minor league career has always been that he doesn't get enough hits, and that his OBP was carried solely by his plate discipline. Well, so far Norris has only drawn one walk in AAA, yet is hitting over .300. We'll likely see his eye come back and his BABIP go back down a bit, but if he can hit in the .260-.280 range, he's going to be a very, very good catcher.
Brad Peacock, AAA: 1-1, 1.42 ERA, 19 IP, .89 WHIP, 17 SO, 6 BB
Peacock has pitched very well in AAA so far, as his microscopic .89 WHIP through three starts would indicate. Six walks in 19 innings is a bit of a concern, but Peacock has mitigated that damage by allowing just 11 hits so far this year. He'll likely be pushing for a promotion around midyear if he keeps pitching well.
A.J. Cole, SP, A+: 0-2, 4.80 ERA, 15 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 12 SO, 3 BB
Only 20 years old and into the Cal League, expectations probably need to be tempered a bit on what Cole's numbers will end up looking like. His ERA will likely end up fairly high (thanks, Cal League homers!), but Cole is off to a reasonable start with a 4:1 SO/BB ratio -- which is excellent.
All in all, the prospects Beane received for Gonzalez are off to good starts. Oakland will need their prospects to start panning out if they're going to be competitive as the team tries to move to San Jose.
Still, Oakland is still a long way off from competing with the Rangers, but Oakland's rebuild might finally be moving in the right direction.
If you're a fan of the Texas Rangers, then you have a lot to be giddy about in the early going of the 2012 MLB season. The two-time defending American League champions are off to an 11-2 start, which is the best in all of baseball, with a staggering +46 run differential through their first 13 games of the season. The Los Angeles Angels, who spent as much money as they possibly could over the winter, are already seven games out of first.
Still, there's plenty reason to be even more excited as a Rangers fan. Texas boasts the top farm system in all of baseball per Baseball America -- so the future is perhaps even brighter than the present.
Here's a look at how Texas' top prospects are faring, per BA's pre-season top 10 Rangers prospect list.
Yu Darvish, MLB: 2-0, 3.57 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 13 BB, 14 SO, 17.2 IP, 42.1% GB
Needless to say, Darvish has struggled so far through his first three starts...yet he still has avoided disaster. There's still no reason to think he won't blossom into an ace, but it's clear there is a learning curve in America for Darvish.
Jurickson Profar, AA: .205/.294/.409, 44 AB, 5 BB, 8 SO, 3 HR, 2 SB
Let's all remember that Profar is still just 19 years old. His BB/SO ratio is fine, and he's reached base safely in his last five games. Profar will come around and be just fine.
Martin Perez, AAA: 1-1, 2.60 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 6 BB, 12 SO, 17.1 IP, 1.38 GO/AO
So far, so good for the 21 year old in lefty in AAA. Last year, Perez struggled mightily in AAA, so it's really nice to see him off to a good start. He's always been young for his age, but he's made adjustments -- see his 10/11 AA results.
Mike Olt, AA: .239/.327/.500, 46 AB, 6 BB, 16 SO, 3 HR, 0 SB
Well, the slugging percentage is nice, but everything else isn't particularly nice. The strikeout rate is quite alarming, and if Olt wants to succeed at the higher levels, he'll need to cut down on that K-rate. It's a small sample size, but it's certainly alarming thus far.
Leonys Martin, AAA: .362/.439/.534, 58 AB, 7 BB, 9 SO, 2 HR, 3 SB
Martin didn't play well enough in the spring to earn Texas' starting centerfield job, but he's certainly doing everything he can to prove that he's Texas' centerfielder of the future. All Martin has done is hit so far in AAA, but again, it's a small sample size. It's encouraging, but let's see where Martin is in another month or two before really raising expectations on what to expect from Martin.
Neil Ramirez, AAA: 1-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 14 SO, 3 BB, 15 IP, 1.07 GO/AO
Ramirez is off to a nice start in AAA. Obviously, with a WHIP as low as 1.00, he's doing something right. Ramirez is missing bats as well, averaging just under a strikeout per inning while holding opponents to a .214 average against.
Cody Buckel, A+: 1-0, 0.60 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 21 SO, 3 BB, 15 IP, 4.50 GO/AO
It's pretty tough to be better than Buckel has been so far this year. Not even 20 years old, Buckel is mowing down Hi-A hitters for Myrtle Beach, holding opposing hitters to a meager .125 average. If Buckel continues to dominate into the middle part of the year, Texas will have no choice but to promote him to AA -- possibly around his 20th birthday in mid-June. It's only 15 innings, but it's a very encouraging 15 innings.
Jorge Alfaro, A: .250/.276/286, 28 AB, 1 BB, 8 SO, 0 HR, 0 SB
Not a good start, but we're only talking 28 at bats here. Alfaro has a long way to go, and he's really going to need to improve on his BB/SO ratio of year's past -- and he's not off to a good start there yet. The strikeout rate is ugly so far, but again, we're only talking 28 at bats in his first taste of full-season ball.
Christian Villanueva, A+: .262/.367/.381, 42 AB, 4 BB, 9 SO, 0 HR, 1 SB
The power hasn't shown up yet in Villanueva's first 42 at bats, but, he's getting on base at a respectable clip, and the power will likely come. Nothing awful about his start this year, but nothing terribly notable either.
Rougned Odor, A: .302/.367/.509, 53 AB, 5 BB, 10 SO, 2 HR, 0 SB
Well, this is certainly a treat. Odor is 18 years old and in is
playing in the SAL crushing the ball in the SAL so far. Odor has recorded a hit in each of his last seven games, with four of those games being of the mult-hit variety. Odor has notched a double, two triples and two homers as well, so as seen in his slugging percentage, he's really driving the baseball so far. It's 53 at bats, but at 18 years old, it's a damn good 53 at bats, and worth starting to get excited over.
Ron Washington said during spring training that he wanted Leonys Martin to spend a full year in AAA. Martin, though, is doing everything he can to prove to the Rangers that he won't need a full year in AAA.
As I said yesterday regarding Engle Beltre, Jurickson Profar and Michael Olt -- it's still very early. Regardless, Martin is hitting, and hitting a lot in the early part of the season. Through 54 at bats, Martin is hitting .389/.468/.574, with four doubles, two home runs and seven walks against just seven strikeouts.
It's a small sample size, yet it's still encouraging that Martin has adjusted to AAA pitching. Following his promotion to AAA last year, Martin hit just .263/.316/.314, with no home runs, 11 walks and 24 strikeouts in 175 at bats.
Martin is going to spend a good chunk of the season in AAA, but he's doing everything he can to push for a promotion sooner rather than later. If he keeps hitting like this, he'll force Texas' hand.
For more on the Rangers, be sure to check out Lone Star Ball and join the discussion.
The Texas Rangers have won back-to-back pennants, thanks in large part to their revamped farm system under Jon Daniels. Once again, the Rangers are atop organizational talent rankings, as they have the best shortstop prospect in the game and a deep system. It's still early, but it's not too soon to start taking a look at how Texas' prospects are faring so far in 2012.
Expectations the past few years have been greatly tempered on Engle Beltre, as the talented outfielder has struggled in each of his stints at the AA level. Last year, Beltre hit a meager .231/.285/.300 in 437 at bats for Frisco, damaging his prospect status greatly.
So far, though, Beltre is off to a roaring start in AA. It is only 45 at bats, but through his first 12 games, Beltre is hitting .289/.360/.600, with three homers, four steals and four walks against 11 strikeouts. Four walks isn't a lot, but it's certainly progress. In 181 at bats at AA in 2010, Beltre walked just 10 times. Last year, in 437 at bats, Beltre drew just 28 walks.
Again, it's extremely early, and if Beltre wants to turn himself back into a very good prospect, he'll need to keep hitting for the entire year. It's certainly something to get slowly excited about, and certainly something worth watching.
Texas' top prospect has been struggling a bit in AA so far. Jurickson Profar is hitting just .200/.304/.425 through his first 40 at bats, but, does have three homers and five walks against eight strikeouts. It's still very early, and Profar is just 19, so there's no reason to be any less excited about him -- he still may just end up on top of top 100 lists headed into next year.
Mike Olt is struggling in AA as well so far. Through 43 at bats, Olt is hitting .209/277/.419, with four walks and 15 strikeouts. Again, it's still very early so we're dealing with small sample sizes, but Olt is going to need to put the ball in play much, much more often if he is going to succeed in AA, AAA or the MLB.
As it stands, Olt isn't really going to have a place to play in Texas. He's not going to hit enough to play first or left field, and he's a solid defender at third, where his bat plays best. He's a good prospect, and he's likely trade bait come July, but he certainly needs to cut down on his K-rate going forward if he's going to be a valuable trade chip. His strikeout rate is certainly worth monitoring all year long.
Mike Trout is hitting .435 through his first 11 games, and may soon force Los Angeles' hand to play him everyday in Anaheim.
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Hoy Grimm, left, managing partner of LeConte Wealth Management, talks with incoming Blount Partnership president and CEO Bryan Daniels during the Blount Chamber/Blount Partnership Member Appreciation Christmas open house.
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We are a quarter of the way through the Challenge!
Congratulations to all schools that increased their school breakfast participation in the first quarter of the NH School Breakfast Challenge! 204 New Hampshire schools increased their breakfast participation. We applaud your dedication to ensuring children are nourished and ready to learn each school day.
We extend special congratulations to Pelham High School and Pelham Memorial School for initiating school breakfast programs in their schools.
NH Challenge Top Achievers for the first quarter- Great work!
The following schools increased their school breakfast participation by the highest percentage in their categories:
Temple Elementary School
William E. Lancaster School
Dr. H. O. Smith Elementary School
Sunapee Middle High School
Newfound Memorial Middle School
Ross A. Lurgio Middle School
Londonderry Middle School
Profile Senior High School
Oyster River High School
Windham High School
North Hampton School
For more information on how our Top Achievers were identified, please see the FAQs.
For more data on all NH school breakfast participation rate changes, click here.
Many thanks to all Challenge participants for your commitment to nourishing New Hampshire's children. With a healthy breakfast, students have the fuel they need to excel within and beyond the classroom.


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The Professor Whizzpop Show is a funtastic medley of comic mayhem perfect for birthday parties, christmas parties or festivals or fetes… the show stars the hapless Professor Whizzpop whose myriad of mishandled magic provides giggles galore as the Professor gets nearly everything wrong and the kids in the audience help to make everything right!
During the show you may see the "world's longest piece of string trick", the " rabbit in the hat trick" ( with a very unrabbit-like bunny), the "world's biggest magic wand trick"and the "mommy is a magician trick". Every trick is guaranteed to engage, empower and enrich your kids … not to mention the fun and giggles are guaranteed!
Contact the Professor today to see how a little bit of magic and a large load of laughs can turn your event into a party to remember!
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Film Review: 'Let Me In'
Date: October 6, 2010
by: Pam Nadon | Film critic
Every so often an American remake of an outstanding foreign film works. "Insomnia" and "The Vanishing" are two such films, as is the recently released "Let Me In." Inspired by the Swedish film "Let the Right One in," director Matt Reeves ("Cloverfield") creates a touching horror thriller that is definitely on a par with its predecessor.
Watching "Let Me In" is a déjà vu experience in that the tone and story are remarkably similar to the original version. The central character is a 12-year-old boy named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) whose life is insufferable. His parents are in the throes of a divorce and he's sadistically bullied at school. A girl named Abby (Chloë Moretz) moves in next door with her "father" (Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins) and the two forge a friendship based on their outcast statuses.
Abby's situation is a tad more severe than Owen's because she's a vampire. Her father sneaks out at night to procure fresh blood while the local cop (super-savvy Elias Koteas) is hot on his trail. When Owen witnesses Abby's first kill the victim reaches out to him for help, but he closes the door and lets Abby have her way with her prey.
"Let Me In" is not your typical vampire flick. Charismatic character actors Jenkins and Koteas give great performances that complement the brilliant work of the two young thespians whose chemistry is perfection. Beautifully shot during dark, snowy nights and in dimly lit claustrophobic rooms, the film consistently feels ominous and foreboding. Let's just say, "Let Me In" makes "Twilight" and "True Blood" look downright cheesy.
I'm not a huge fan of the vampire genre. Frankly, I don't grasp the appeal. But this honorable remake is a stunningly crafted film about emotional turmoil and difficult life choices. In its own creepy way, "Let Me In" makes sense.
— Pam Nadon
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18 Sarasota Orchestra: Chamber Series
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Students make splash for school
Lakewood Ranch Community Activities Corp. this weekend will celebrate the start of school with its annual Back to School Splash Bash event Aug. 23, at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA, 5100 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
Klauber, Mancini honored by AJC
The West Coast Florida Region of AJC (American Jewish Committee) will honor Michael Klauber and Phil Mancini, of Michael's On East, in November.
Temples share the Torah
Twenty-three years ago, Temple Sinai received a Torah on loan when it organized a new congregation in Sarasota.


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Plaistow, NH — Thomas E. Ingham, 86, a resident of Plaistow for over 60 years, died on Thursday, October 3, 2013, shortly after admission to Lawrence General Hospital.
Born, raised and educated in Haverhill, Mass., he was the son of the late Thomas A. and Helen E. (Marcotte) Ingham. He graduated Haverhill High School, Class of 1945. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of W.W.II, and served aboard the U.S.S. Joseph Campbell. He was employed as a change order analyst for 39 years at Western Electric Co., until retiring in 1982.
A longtime member of Saint Luke the Evangelist Parish and the former Holy Angels Parish of Plaistow, where he served as head usher for many years, Mr. Ingham was a founder and supporter of the Holy Angels Food Pantry and a member and past-president of the Holy Name Society. He was active in the local school system as a former board member of the Timberlane Regional School Board and served as chairman of the building committee for the Timberlane Regional Middle School, and past president of the Band Parents Association.
A member of the Plaistow Lions Club since 1976, Mr. Ingham actively served on several fundraising committees, and was a past recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award and attained the status of Life Member.
A loving husband and devoted father, grandfather and great-grandfather, he enjoyed golfing, bowling and trips across New England. His favorite spot was sitting in his chair on his front porch most evenings watching television, and was known to scores of Plaistow residents and commuters from neighboring towns along Danville Road as "The Man in the Chair."
He is survived by his "Kiddo," his wife of 62 years, Ruth M. (McKomiskey) Ingham; two sons and daughters-in-law, Thomas A. and Janet Ingham of Newton, and Gary A. and Suzanne Ingham of Plaistow; a daughter and son-in-law, Thalia and Ronald Marino of Atkinson; two sisters, Claire Brownstone of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Norma Jean Ingham of Big Bear, Calif.; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
ARRANGEMENTS: Relatives and friends may call on Monday, October 7, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Brookside Chapel & Funeral Home, 116 Main St., Route 121A, Plaistow. The Plaistow Lions Club will hold a Service of Remembrance at 7:30 p.m. His funeral will be held on Tuesday, beginning at 9 a.m., from the funeral home, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m., in Holy Angels Church of Saint Luke the Evangelist Parish, 8 Atkinson Depot Road, Plaistow. Burial will follow in Holy Angels Cemetery. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to The Plaistow Lions Club, P.O. Box 504, Plaistow, NH 03865.
To send a message of condolence to the family, or for directions, please visit www.brooksidechapelfh.com.


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Rainbow over Northwick
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Rainbow over Northwick
I saw this beautiful bright double rainbow at the top of Perdiswell Street, Northwick, Worcester, today. Submitted via text (WN News 80360) by Sam Joesbury-Clarke, Barbourne, Worcester.
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nige - Lead RP - 28/Jun/14 with ewan mccallum
Hidden - Lead RP - 21/Jun/14
1st red point after top rope. Short sharp crux. LRob - Lead RP - 23/Oct/13
bigie bob - Lead RP - 19/Jul/12
technical and satisfying climbingowain86 - Lead RP - 20/Jun/12 with Lewis, Gareth, Eugene, Greg
Soo close! Bolt to bolt to work out moves, nearly got it 1st RP. Will go next time.owain86 - Lead dog - 19/Jun/12 with Eugene, Greg
Good but maybe not quite as good as the original. 2nd redpoint after a brief top-rope, 2nd 7c in the UK in a session. Little difference, if any, from the original in terms of difficulty. Not sure if that makes this 7b+ or the original 7c? I am bemused that this gets 7c whilst Raisin Frumpsnoot 'only' gets 7b+, it is a significantly harder proposition than BTD.ksjs - Lead RP - 19/Apr/12 with jo
Hidden - Lead RP - Apr/12
Ally Smith - Lead RP - 07/Jul/11 with Pete H
Yep, it's much better than Body Torque (which itself is not bad).halfmanhalfbiscuit - Lead RP - Jul/11
zero six - Lead RP - Jul/11
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Hidden - Lead RP - 26/Apr/08
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Preview Counselor Applications
The Office of Student Transition and Family Programs is accepting applications for the 2013 Preview Counselor staff. This group of student leaders is involved in virtually every aspect of our orientation program for new students and their families. If selected, you will receive hourly pay, meals during the event, $250 in Monarch Plus, and have the option of free on-campus housing for most of the summer. In addition, you'll meet thousands of incoming students, be part of a terrific staff of student leaders, and gain skills in mentoring and public speaking.
Although the position begins in the summer, applications are due by January 22, 2013 at 5 p.m. The interview process and training are conducted in the spring.
To learn more and apply, visit http://www.odu.edu/preview and click 'Preview Counselors' in the left menu.
Questions? Contact Kate Griffin at email@example.com or 683-5699.
The Office of Student Transition and Family Programs is part of the Division of Student Engagement and Enrollment Services.
Posted By: Amanda Griffin
Date: Thu Nov 29 11:33:41 EST 2012