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East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
- Address:
1271 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139Neighborhood:
- Cuisine:
SeafoodPrice: $31 to $50
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
- Dining Style: Casual Dining
- Website: http://eastcoastgrill.net/
- Phone: 6174916568x
- Hours of Operation:
Dinner: Monday - Thursday, Sunday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm.
Saturday Lunch: 11:00am 2:30 pm Sunday Brunch: 11:00am - 2:30pm.
- Payment Options: AMEX,Diners Club,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
- Cuisine: Seafood, Southern, Barbecue
- Executive Chef: Jason Heard
- Dress Code: Casual Dress
- Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
- Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
- Catering: Chef/Owner Jason Heard, Catering Chef Nate Creed and Catering Director Becky Rogers feel that they have truly mastered the art of catering. Together they will customize a menu that fits your style, tastes and budget. From pig roasts, birthdays, company events, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs and weddings, there is no end to what they can and will do for you.
- Private Party Facilities: The Lava Lounge can be yours for the night! Offering private parties for you and up to 28 of your closest friends. We will customize your menu to best suit your group- even offer to create "Your Own Personal Hell." Give us a call and we'll take care of the details to make your night perfect!
- Private Party Contact: James Lozano 6174916568x
A word from East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
East Coast Grill brings high level big, bold flavors with live fire grilled seafood and Low & Slow BBQ in a fun casual atmosphere. Highlighted by its open kitchen, full raw bar and funky décor; it remains a corner stone of the Greater Boston after 25 years!! The theory here is that the closer one gets to the equator, the more flavor there is in the food. Expect the chile-fueled heat of the Caribbean, the grill-savvy of Latin American cuisine, and the dynamism of Asia when you order from the regionally inspired menu. Our Brunch Bloody Mary bar has garnered quite the following of hard-core Bloody Mary enthusiasts. Drop by for Brunch (Sundays), Lunch (Saturdays), Dinner 7 days a week or for our late-nite snacks, raw bar and cocktails (Thursday through Saturday starting October 17th).Continued
Foodspotting photosSee all photos
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar reviews from OpenTable diners
112 reviews since May 5, 2014
- Food4.3Service4.2
- Ambiance3.6Noise LevelEnergetic
neighborhood gem (62)fit for foodies (58)good for groups (32)hot spot (26)vibrant bar scene (22)special occasion (16)kid-friendly (11)great for brunch (11)late-night find (9)great for lunch (6)romantic (2)notable wine list (2)Show More
- Decent food, Not for special eventOpenTable Diner Since 2007Dined on 8/31/2014We were seated right away dispute being early for reservation. Hostess was very friendly and accommodating. Waiter friendly, we got water right away. Soda was flat, they should have changed the co2. We told the waiter and he brought another flat soda. He didn't charge for it though. Buffalo shrimp were quite good. Pickled veg complementary very good. Mahi mahi was decent Steak was okay. Overall the place is noisy, decide interesting though.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- good timeItalianDined on 8/30/2014Here for my Birthday. Staff were great, food was very creative and done very well. Good options from BBQ to fish and you can't beat the plaintains! Be sure to enjoy the homemade pickles served when you sit down.Special Features:
- was just okezamDined on 8/29/2014Food was ok. Price/cost relation not worth it. Very noisy. Messy placeSpecial Features:
- oldie still the best over the top!MickVIPDined on 8/28/2014Wowza! What a great time, fantastic food and drink and superb wait staff ton of folks bringing items to our table.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Best Comfort Food in A Long TimePhilDined on 8/23/2014Prior to theater in Harvard Sq decided to have early dinner. Parking on street & promptly seated at 5:30 when restaurant opened. Not being big drinkers had a glass of sangria and wife an iced tea. Special appetizer-cajun shrimp was excellent w/just right amount of spice. Brisket & ribs perfectly cooked & arrived w/warm cornbread, cole slaw & fantastic baked beans (definitely not out of the can). Portions good size. Waiters/waiteresses very attentive offering refills on iced tea & asking us if there was anything we needed. Plenty of time to eat w/o being rushed & still made it to the play with time to spare. Desserts looked very interesting. Will have to wait for another time. Price for what u got was reasonable (sangria maybe a bit high).Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Consistent performanceOpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 8/22/2014Been coming here for many years taking friends visiting from out of town. Big date night place for my wifeand I. Reservation for 6 people was ready when we arrived. Everyone in our party was happy even me as a vegan.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- excellent fish and vegetarianannieDined on 8/22/2014Fish dishes are excellent as are raw oysters. barbaque meat dishes are huge and rich..vegetarian entree excellent and plentiful, but one veg (kale?) was tough and inedible.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good but pricey food, odd ambianceLoudandPriceybutdeliciousDined on 8/20/2014It says something that this place's ambiance made us question the quality of our forthcoming food. The volume of the music was too high for a mid-week dinner spot, and the song selection was bizarre. It careened from my mall punk middle school days (NoFX) to horrible corporate country to lame contemporary pop in the space of three songs. That said, when the food arrived, we let bygones be bygones and the music played second fiddle (har har). Our meals were very good - not quite worth the price, but close. I would recommend this place with the caveat that patrons come prepared to pay five dollars beyond the quality of their entrees and brace themselves for a cornucopia of unfortunate noise. A solid B, on the verge of a B+.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Oldtime gemcakiDined on 8/20/2014Always love the mango/avocado gazpacho so chunky and full of flavor. Shrimp tacos wee delicious with a touch of heat in the sauce. Appreciate good veggie sides like the braised greens. Key lime pie was a great ending. Happy to lean they now take reservations.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- No seafoodAPGMJRDined on 8/3/2014I was told it was a good place for seafood in the area. The day I went for dinner they only had 2 options for dinner. Their menu has very very very few choices of food and drinks
- DisappointedXimenitaDined on 7/31/2014I have been an ECG fan for over 10 years. It has been our go to place for their oysters, fun food, drinks and atmosphere. We ordered some of their appetizers to share. Their corn, shrimp and tuna taco were great. The lamb was extremely fatty and rough to eat. We told the waitress we would not be eating it, that we would still pay for it but that we wanted something else. She rolled her eyes, proceeded to bring it to the open kitchen, pointed at our table and made a big scene about it. Another staff member came back and told us that lamb is always fatty. Overall the food was good but the waitstaff ruined a nice evening. I'll chuck it up to inexperience and personal bad attitude but I was embarrassed to have brought my friends here.Special Features:
- Fun timeAlMichele84VIPDined on 7/19/2014Our group of 6 enjoyed our dinner here. Drinks were, good, food was great and the service excellent. We like the varied menu, BBQ and seafood were hits. Always enjoy dining here.Special Features:
- Very coolRockerDined on 7/18/2014Food was outstanding. Loved the place and neighborhood hot spot.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2000Dined on 7/14/2014Been there many times, but this time was disappointing. Food only fair and the place seemed old. It was Monday night and only about 1/2 full - may reflect having gone down hill.
- Last meal at East Coast GrillkikiVIPDined on 7/12/2014For nearly 20 years and have had good meals at ECG. This past weekend was my last time though. I ordered the BBQ platter: ribs, pulled pork, Texas brisket, baked beans, cornbread. The plate came with everything heaped in an unappealing pile. The ribs had little meat and it was tough; clearly not the slow-cooked, fall-off-the-bone kind you'd expect from a quality restaurant. The BBQ sauce on the ribs tasted like cheap store brand sauce. The pulled pork was tasteless and dry. But the real shocker was the brisket - a 4-inch long slab of pure fat. It was completely inedible. When I complained to the waiter, he casually said Sorry and offered to bring over an additional rib. I declined. Service was also poor. I won't be returning.
- OpenTable Diner Since 2014Dined on 7/12/2014great dinner at great location - a hidden gem - will definitely recommend and return!Special Features:
- Good food, good service, good funneighborhoodfoodieDined on 6/28/2014Enjoyed the dining experience very much. The occasion was my nephew's 50th birthday and the ECG was his choice. Food was delicious, especially his grilled bluefish, and service was great. We arrived 20minutes late for our reservation only to be told that they give away tables after 15 minutes. I was taken aback by this and when I indicated that I was unaware of this policy, was told that it is not written anywhere. I think it should be. At any rate, the host and hostess both got to work and found us a table very quickly, so all was not lost. All in all, it was a fun evening. I think it's hard not to have a good time there.Special Features:
- Lots of PotentialOpenTable Diner Since 2013Dined on 6/27/2014Our seating was fine but right near their grill. If you haven't been they have a charcoal grill, and while it is cool, it had embers sparking out and hitting my wife. I think a charcoal grill is a gimmick, as it doesn't add anything from a flavor perspective. Use gas and keep it safer and controllable. The food was inspired but not well executed. My shrimp and grits was a cool idea, but a syrupy sweet glaze/marinade masked any interesting flavors. My wife got the BBQ trio, and it was below average. They seem to smoke the BBQ ahead of time, which is reasonable, but they use their HOT charcoal grill to heat it up, which just creates tough BBQ. Also they slop thick sauce on the meat, which is pointless as far as I'm concerned with good meat.
- Always Delicious!FoodExtraordinaireDined on 6/20/2014We've been going to East Coast Grill for years & we've never been disappointed. Their food is always fresh & delicious. Don't ever hesitate to order the raw oysters. They are amazing. Love the wide variety of beer & drinks.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- PickyeaterVIPDined on 6/18/2014Excellent service-wonderful food! Creative, delicious !! The only down side is the noise level--if you don't mind a really noisy atmosphere--you must go!!!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- pickyeaterDined on 6/15/2014I definitely would return to try more dishes. Service was well-timed and friendly.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- used to be so goodkassiaDined on 6/14/2014now the ribs & brisket are tough, and the prices too high for the quality. the pickles are still good, and the duck salad was quite nice. even the oyster selection was scanty (one excellent, one fair - though they seemed to have been handled safely, which is the most important thing about oysters).
- Best Jerk Chicken EverMemaDined on 6/11/2014My son and I had dinner at East Coast Grill the other night and both ordered the jerk chicken. We strongly agreed that it was the best we've ever tasted. I also love their margaritas and I am a total margarita snob, fresh lime juice only and not too sweet.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Good, But PriceyStephDined on 6/11/2014Loved the menu list (BBQ and seafood? Don't mind if I do!) and the drink menu was great, but with all the casual ambience, it became pretty easy to forget the hefty price tag that comes with that plate. Great location and great experience, but won't be back for a little while.Special Features:
- East Coast shinesjdevlinDined on 6/5/2014My out of town friends from the west wanted really good seafood and East Coast Grill did not disappoint. We arrived and the service was outstanding. We ordered oysters to start. One order of the Cape Cod oysters came with mignonette sauce and a spicy cocktail sauce, while the other was served with a soy and wasabi sauce that was superb. Just the right amount of wasabi. We also ordered the tuna tacos that were barely seared on the outside and served with cucumber and greens in a slightly spicy dressing. The mahimahi lived up to the freshness claim. Served with Mexican spices,the black beans and rice side along with plantains made a fabulous dinner. The scallops were perfectly seared and seasoned and the crab legs got rave reviews.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- EXECELLENTactionstar21Dined on 6/4/2014Wow, what a great place. Love the hot sauce and had the best shrimp meal ever.Special Features:
- Great Experience!!LisaMagriteDined on 6/3/2014Heard about East Coast Grill for years & finally went and now know what everyone has been raving about! All the people that work there were super friendly as soon as I walked in, great service & amazing food! Can't wait to go back!!Special Features:
- ECGAronDined on 6/2/2014What can I say? East Coast rocks the house! Also, I very much want to steal a bucket of pickles. For great justice.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Really disappointedWillPayforQualityDined on 6/2/2014Can't believe how underwhelmed we were with the service, the food and the restaurant. Billed as "Chris is back"... Maybe he should have stayed away! Awful service, bland and tasteless food, definitely not worth the sky high prices. Happy to pay for quality but this just felt like a place past it's prime, hanging onto former glory and ringing the cash register at the expense of loyal patrons. I am done. Need a new go to seafood place in Cambridge.
- Decent restaurant, great locationwwm24Dined on 5/31/2014I would say that the food was pretty good, some items were a bit overdressed, but it looked to be a good spot to get cocktails with friends. However, I was there with one friend and my infant, which is something I would not do again. It needs to be kept to a place for friends and cocktails, not kids.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great food, sweet serviceSnowpea2Dined on 5/25/2014We have had dinner at the East Coast Grill & Raw Bar twice. Each time we have had seafood that knocked our socks off. And the staff is remarkably kind and solicitous, given the crush of patrons on weekends.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Great Experience All AroundOpenTable Diner Since 2013Dined on 5/25/2014We had not visited East Coast Grill since moving out of town over ten years ago. But, we returned this past weekend and were not disappointed. We started at the bar with the friendliest most personable bartender who patiently suggested drinks and described the delicious concoctions in detail - all 4 of us ordered something different and each one of us was very happy with our unique cocktail. The atmosphere is fun and energetic, casual yet also appropriate for a special occasion. We had fantastic service from the hostess, to the waitress and servers. And, the food was outstanding! We tried Oysters, steak, Mahi Mahi and ribs and each and every dish was mouth watering and done to perfection. This is one of my all time favorite spots!Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Always a great time!Caj89Dined on 5/25/2014One of my favorite restaurants, it never disappoints.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- good not greatimpressedVIPDined on 5/17/2014enjoyed the food at east coast grill, but did not find it to be great. very, very loud. better than mediocre, but not as good as I had remembered. we had an issue with one of our dinners, and the staff handled it very well. they took care of replacing the dish, and made the guest feel like they were very sorry about the issueSpecial Features:
- EnjoyableTheStewardVIPDined on 5/17/2014Good food, good service, noisy. Shrimp and grits better than many I have had down South. Other fishes were also very good.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- VibrantrestaurantDined on 5/17/2014We were visiting the Boston area to see Harvard. I chose this restaurant with my 17 year old daughter. We were attracted by the seafood on the menu and the vibrant feel. It lived up to our expectations, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was wonderful. Well done.Special Features:
- Great fish, fatty duckTroxelDined on 5/17/2014It is a hipster place; love the little plastic animals on the bar drinks. The energy level was high, lots of families celebrating graduation with fun food. We started with excellent oysters. The Mahi Mahi was very well done, moist in the middle with lots of flavor. The duck meat was delicious (half a duck too) but we had to excavate through the fat (its a duck) which seeped into the fried plantains underneath rendering (pun) them inedible. The skin was also inedible, a shame because crisp duck skin is amazing. If I were the chef, I would give duck fat in the context of grilling some serious thought.
- Good not greatShesheDined on 5/17/2014Always packed so expect a wait at prime time if you don't have a reservation. Very loud, bustling, but service is excellent. The food is decent but won't blow you away. The hell ribs are hot as hell so order only if you are adventurous. They weren't tender though (needed to really saw them with knife) so besides the heat, they missed the mark. Margarita was excellent. Corn bread and beans and rice were slightly bland. Fish was decent. Basically hit or miss on the food. Liked it but I didn't love it.Special Features:I would recommend this to a friend.
- Goodies in townBeChouieDined on 5/15/2014The levels of spicy ribs are unbeatable. The price is decent. It's a good place for chilling and for southern foods dining. Plus this grill pineapple, it goes so well with the full plate of the BBQ ribs!Special Features:
- Great ExperiencepleasedVIPDined on 5/15/2014Great restaurant, have been going for years. New owner (relatively new, I think 2 years ago), is charming and attentive. The food is consistently excellent, and the service great. Highly reccomend this place for a great evening out. And it is also a good celebration/special occasion place.Special Features:


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Here are the week ten Bears power rankings from various sites around the web:
ESPN: #19 (Last week: 17)
Analysis, "With the way the Bears played in Week 9, they were lucky they were facing the winless Bills."
Fox Sports: #13 (Last week: 19)
Analysis, "Give Jay Cutler credit for not making many mistakes during last week's win over the Bills. His offensive line wasn't great, but they still gave him enough functional space to throw the ball."
CBS Sports: #15 (Last week: 18)
Analysis, "They come off their bye with a tough road victory against the Bills. Now they can put a real kill shot on the Vikings this week."
Pro Football Weekly: #18 (Last week: 20)
Analysis, "Through eight games, do we know their offensive identity?"
Pro Football Talk: #17 (Last week: 19)
Analysis, "If the Bears lose to the Vikings, Lovie Smith may ask Brad Childress for a hug."

subset: commoncrawl


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By Jack Kuenzie - bio | email
COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - South Carolina's steady population growth over the past decade will give the Palmetto State an extra voice in Congress, but there's still a lot of work to do before we have any idea of what the state's new congressional districts will look like.Over the last decade, the population of the Palmetto State has grown more than 15 percent. That means a need to re-draw the lines to add a seventh congressional district.USC professor Mark Tompkins said the district is most likely to take in much of the Grand Strand and Pee Dee. "As many of us are noticing, it makes the rest of redistricting a little easier," said Tompkins. "We don't need to move other people dramatically if we put the new member up in the Grand Strand."There's a lot of speculation, but no firm plan for the new district lines. Over the past couple of months, lawmakers have been holding public hearings around the state to find out what voters think about how the districts should be configured.One of the latest meetings happened last week in Florence.The Cook Political Report sees the state adding an eight-county Seventh District including Georgetown and Horry on the coast, stretching north to Florence and Darlington and up to Chesterfield and Marlboro counties.Some minor changes would be in store for the third and fourth districts in the Upstate. The second district now held by Congressman Joe Wilson would be far more compact, while District One is concentrated in the Lowcountry.The sixth district, controlled by Democratic Congressman Jim Clyburn, sprawls across all or parts of 14 counties -- many predominantly African-American. "The phrase we use in this of course is packing, and Mr. Clyburn is getting a packed-in district of his constituents," said Tompkins.Another take on the map from a conservative site called Red Racing Horses envisions a larger first and a smaller seventh district. The second and third would be narrow strips running down the western side of the state.
Copyright 2011 WIS. All rights reserved.
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The 2012 Florida State Seminoles are already heavily favored to win the ACC Atlantic, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and are considered by some to be contenders for the BCS National Title. To do so, they will have to make it past twelve teams during the regular season. No disrespect to Murray State and Savannah State, but only ten of those teams are worth discussing. And this post will discuss a few particular aspects of the teams Florida State will face: Their returning starters, 2011 Football Outsiders F/+ statistics, and highlights of their most important games up to the point at which they will play Florida State. Links to ACC team previews by Football Outsiders and SBN writer Bill Connelly are also provided.
On September 15th, FSU will play its first FBS and ACC football game, hosting Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons open their season at home against the Liberty Flames but follow with a September 8th ACC match at home against the North Carolina Tar Heels. The 2011 Deacs were 6-7, 47th in Offensive (Off) F/+, and 86th in Defensive (Def) F/+. The offense was clearly the more successful unit but it returns only three starters. The less successful defense returns seven. Will they show improvement? UNC, who returns eight starters from its 33rd Off F/+ unit and five on defense (56th F/+) will be a solid test. Being that both schools are within 100 miles of each other, home field benefit is negligible. A few positive signs to watch for would be that UNC scores a margin greater than ten points, and keeps Wake below 14. Also watch to see if Wake's brand new offensive line gets handled by UNC. If Carolina gives it to them bad at home, its gonna get ugly in Tallahassee against our deep and experienced DL.
Florida State follows that game with its fourth consecutive home game against the Clemson Tigers. Clemson finished 2011 at 10-4 with a Off F/+ of 20th and returns six starters from that unit. Many of us will choose to recall West Virginia in the Orange Bowl when we learn that the Tigers finished 76th in Def F/+, and they have seven starters returning. (How much of that game was considered "garbage time" is beyond me.) The first and only test prior to facing Florida State will be their opening game. On September 1st Clemson and Auburn will meet in the Georgia Dome. Auburn finished 2011 with a 8-5 record and Off/Def F/+ of 57 and 66. 2011 Auburn was a very young team, however, and returns seven on offense and nine on defense. It could be entirely possible for Auburn to catch Clemson in a post-2011 WVU hangover and pin up 35 or more by halftime. We'll have to see if new DC Brent Venables (Oklahoma) has his unit geared up for a real game. According to Dabo, both the OL and DL units should be considered the team's weakness (paraphrasing), so A few positive signs to watch for would be how badly Clemson's DL struggles under its new DC, and the effectiveness of Auburn's DL vs Clemson's OL and how Clemson responds. We also should hope Clemson shows a few weaknesses since we won't get a chance to look for any against Ball State or Furman the following two weeks. If it weren't for the fact that this game is played in week one, fans might expect it to be a high scoring contest. If the game is lopsided in Clemson's favor (I'd say by a two-score margin or higher on a neutral site), we should worry.
Next, Florida State will play its first road game (albeit in Tampa) against the South Florida Bulls on September 29th. The Bulls 2011 record of 5-7 doesn't do the team's defense too much justice, as they finished the season with the 25th best Def F/+ and return eight starters from that unit. The offense, on the other hand, finished 49th Off F/+ and also returns eight starters. I'm not sure if it was youth, bad luck, or some combination of both, but this team played in five games decided by exactly three points in margin, and lost FOUR of them. Three were conference games. You get a sense that, if the defense can maintain and the offense could improve marginally, 2012 South Florida would be a 9-3 team on the 2011 schedule. We'll know more when USF hosts Rutgers on September 13th. Rutgers returns six starters from an average offense (50th Off F/+) but eight starters from a pretty decent defense (30th Def F/+). A few positive signs to watch for would be that this game remains close if USF wins (within a seven point margin), and to watch for a low scoring game. Both teams return a high number of defensive starters from top 30 defenses, so it would be promising if USF struggles to score against veteran skilled units. Also watch the special teams game. USF finished 2011 ranked 86th in special teams F/+ rankings and both the punter and kicker return this year. It could be an aspect we take advantage of.
USF travels to Ball State the week before they host FSU.
Florida State travels to Raleigh for its first true road game against the NC State Wolfpack on October 6th. The Wolfpack return seven starters from 2011 on both offense and defense. The 8-5 2011 squad was not as good as their record indicates, finishing an average 56th in Off F/+ and an uncomfortable 73rd in Def F/+. Special teams was another glaring weakness (92nd F/+). NC State's record during the second half of the season is improved over the first half, but still presents a bit of an enigma. A team that won four games by at least thirteen points (over UVA, Clemson, Maryland, and a road shutout of UNC) also lost to Boston College and couldn't score a single point against Florida State. Its important to remember that NC State may have been the only team in the ACC hit harder than Florida State by the injury bug, so improvement can and should be expected in 2012. The first two weeks of NC State's schedule will tell us if that improvement is coming. The Wolfpack open their season in Atlanta for a neutral site game against the Tennessee Volunteers. The Vols return 18 starters from both sides of the ball (10 off, 8 def) and could be much improved from their 2011 5-7 season where they beat the snot out of Cincy 45-23, yet needed overtime to defeat Vandy at home in their only other BCS win. Tennessee was 60th in Off F/+ and 46th in Def F/+. Following that game, NC State will travel to UConn. The Huskies also finished 2011 at 5-7 and a slightly better than average 37th Def F/+ carried a team with a horrible 83rd Off F/+ rating. This team lost at home to Western Michigan. They return a solid amount of starters (7 offense, 9 defense) and host a scrub in week one to prepare for the game. A few positive signs to watch for would be that NC State plays these games like we know most ACC teams can when they play BCS OOC games: Low scoring, plenty of turnovers and confusion, so on and so forth. If NC State is anywhere near a team Florida State needs to concern itself with, Tennessee and UConn should be easy wins for the Wolfpack. One or two losses here, and NC State could contend for fourth place in the ACC Atlantic.
NC State travels to Miami the week before they host FSU.
The next week, FSU returns home to host the Boston College Eagles on October 13th. The Eagles return more starters than any other ACC team (9 on offense and defense) but do so while returning the 89th F/+ offense and losing 22.2 percent of 2011's recorded tackles from the 48th F/+ defense when Luke Kuechly left for the NFL. BC will really need someone (or a few guys) to step up and pick up Kuechly's production. BC opens 2012 with a home game against Miami and a win here would say a lot about the Eagles (and the Canes). But another test game comes in week three when BC travels to Northwestern. The Wildcats only return five starters on offense and defense, and that does not include QB Dan Persa. The offense was good (28th F/+) but the defense was outright horrible (94th F/+) and if the Eagles can score anywhere, it should be against this unit. (Note: NW defeated BC at home 24-17 to open 2011.) What should we watch for here? Anything. Anything at all. If NC State loses the games I mentioned above, BC should be stiff competition for them. But unless the Eagles blow out Miami, NW, and Clemson in week five, they shouldn't be much of a match for Florida State.
Boston College travels to West Point to play Army the week before they travel to Tallahassee.
Florida State hits the road again on October 20th for its second in-state road game against the Miami Hurricanes. After playing seven games, Miami will have played four ACC teams and two BCS OOC games. Only one of those teams, Boston College, had a losing record in 2011. The expected struggles of the expected struggles of the 2012 Miami Hurricanes are well known here on Tomahawk Nation, so I won't get into much more detail there. Miami finished 2011 with a F/+ ranking of 15th on offense and 87th on defense, and return four starters on offense and five on defense. (I almost said six on D, then remembered Ray-Ray Armstrong got dismissed.) The games I am interested in watching are September 8th at Kansas State and October 10th against Notre Dame in Chicago. The Wildcats won ten games in the Big 12 last year and return nine starters from the 31st F/+ offense and seven from the 50th F/+ defense. Week one is a road game at Boston College, so this will be Miami's first real test. Notre Dame will also be interesting for a few reasons. First, Miami will already have played five games and should have their personnel established by now. Second, we are all familiar with the struggles of 2011 Notre Dame from when we defeated them 18-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl. But Notre Dame was a lot better than their 8-5 record, and finished with the 22nd Off F/+ and 14th Def F/+. Eight offensive and six defensive starters return for this team. This is not a scrub team. It will probably be the most difficult team Miami will play up to Florida State. (No disrespect to Kansas State or Georgia Tech intended.) To make the game more difficult, Notre Dame has a bye week before playing Miami. Lastly, this game is being played sandwiched in between two ACC home games and will tell a lot about the mental focus and maturity of the guys playing for "Da U." Florida State fans should watch for any signs of life against these two teams. Failure to compete with Kansas State and Notre Dame would indicate that Miami simply does not have the personnel to hang with the elite teams of college football.
Miami hosts North Carolina the week before they host Florida State.
On October 27th, Florida State hosts the Duke Blue Devils. No offense to Duke, but I am going to mention that they return eight starters on each side of the ball and play North Carolina the week before they travel to Tallahassee, and that is about it. The following week of November 3rd is Florida State's bye week.
On the evening of Thursday, November 8th, Florida State and the Virginia Tech Hokies will stand alone on the national stage. Continuing the ACC's fine and outstanding tradition (*cough*) of Thursday night football games, these two teams will meet in what many predict will be a rematch in the ACC Championship Game. VT returns nine defenders from 2011's 20th ranked F/+ defense, so there are very few question marks here. What is in question is that QB Logan Thomas returns from the Off F/+ 26th unit, but he brings only two additional starters with him. The VT offensive line is basically brand new. Andrew Miller returns as a JR center, and brings 14 starts. The rest of the projected starters? None. Zero starts. Now keep in mind that VT has nine games and a bye week to help figure things out. But they open against Georgia Tech at home, and GT returns seven from its Def 62nd F/+ team. GT wasn't known for manhandling opponents in 2011 and they might do just that against a very, very green VT OL. The Hokies have two big chances to get exposed when they play at Pitt on September 15th and host Cincinnati on September 29th. Both were Def F/+ top 40 (Pitt was 27th) and return five and six starters, respectively. These defensive units may have to make some adjustments with their own new starters, but not with as many new starters as Virginia Tech. Low scoring games (or losses) here will be huge tells. VT also travels to UNC after playing Cincy.
Now here is where Florida State has a huge advantage. Virginia Tech travels to Coral Gables the week before playing Florida State on a Thursday night. Contrary to prior years, the ACC appears to have (mostly) gotten this concept right, and neither team has a short week with which to prepare. The VT/Miami game is also on a Thursday. However, FSU has the advantage here since the Noles play Duke on 10/27 followed by a Saturday off. So after playing Miami on October 20th, FSU basically has eighteen days to prepare for Virginia Tech. (No offense, Duke.)
On a related note, I took a moment to evaluate the ACC's use of Thursday nights in the overall ACC schedule. Miami also has the week off before they host VT. But Clemson hosts VT on Oct 20th then travels to Wake Forest on a short week. Wake also plays Clemson on a short week after traveling to Virginia. And UNC and UVA play on Thursday, November 15th. Both play on short weeks, with UNC hosting GT before traveling to UVA, who hosts Miami the week prior. The ACC has four Thursday night games scheduled for 2012, and two of them feature both teams getting shafted with short weeks. The other two feature two teams with rest. Hey... At least there is balance.
Florida State plays its last road game on November 17th, when the Seminoles travel to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins. Maryland returns seven on offense and eight on defense, but 2011 UMD was a train wreck. This team was ranked Off F/+ 88th, Def F/+ 82nd, and F/+ 102nd on special teams. They haven't won a game since Towson on October 1st. (Maryland finished 2-10. The other win was Miami. Ouch.) The Terps hosted Temple in 2011 and lost 38-7, so a very quick test of the Terps will come when they travel to Temple in week two. Temple returns almost nobody in 2012, with two starters on offense and five on defense coming back. If Maryland struggles here, watch out.
Maryland travels to Clemson the week before hosting Florida State.
The Seminoles conclude their 2012 regular season against the Florida Gators at Doak Campbell Stadium on November 24th. This game will feature a Gators team that returns seven starters on offense (Off F/+ 65th) and TEN on defense (Def F/+ 22nd). The Gators have plenty of opportunities to feature and test their athletes when they play their SEC East schedule (with the addition of Missouri) and two cross-division games against the Texas A&M Aggies and LSU Tigers. The point of note to Florida State fans that is unique to 2012 is this: Florida plays eight consecutive conference games but starts conference play in week two. They open against Bowling Green and conclude SEC play on November 3rd against Missouri. What follows is not just the standard one, but TWO cream puff home games to prep for FSU. The Gators will host the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns on November 10th and the Jacksonville State Gamecocks on November 17th. That means that the Gators will have roughly 21 days to prepare for Florida State! (Florida State will have played Virginia Tech and Maryland in the same time period.) Now there is always the chance that the Gators will have the best record in the SEC East and will have the look-ahead factor to the SEC Championship Game in play, but lets be serious.
This is not just a rivalry game for UF, this is THE rivalry game for UF. The Gators haven't lost three in a row to FSU since 98-2000, with a 7-4 overall record since 2001. Compare that to UGa, where the Gators haven't lost three in a row since 1987-89, they hold an impressive 18-4 record since 1990, and never lost two in a row during that span. Even during the Lost Decade, FSU competed more effectively (UGa is 3-8 vs UF since 2001). Expect Florida's "A Game." What FSU fans will be watching for is any potential struggles that UF may have in conference play, particularly on offense. If the Gators are in no way assured a berth in the SEC title game by the conclusion of the "Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" against Georgia on October 27th, attendance will continue to flounder at Ben Hill Griffin and the Gators might lose some focus. This doesn't mean that the Gators shouldn't be taken seriously. But we would certainly know by then if UF was able to resolve the offensive issues left behind by the departed Charlie Weis. Unless we have the same turnover luck we enjoyed in 2011's 21-7 match at the swamp, we should probably expect this to be Florida State's most difficult game of the year.


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Chatwood tosses 6 innings of 1 hit ball, bests top Royals' prospect
Not only did Angels pitching prospect Tyler Chatwood give up no runs and only one hit, he showed the best control since his promotion to A ball, walking only 2 while striking out 6. He outlasted Royals 2008 first round pick Michael Montgomery, who struck out 7 and walked 4 over only 4 and a third innings. The game's only scoring began with an Anel De Los Santos single off of Burlington reliever Derrick Saito in the eighth. Speedster Ryan Groth came into the game to pinch run and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by third baseman Dwayne Bailey and single by center fielder Tyson Auer. Groth then scored on a double steal. Three Kernels' relievers combined to shut Burlington down in the final three innings, sealing the deal for the Kernels. Wish I had been there. Look for Cedar Rapids to take off one of these days - the nucleus of this team was the cream of last year's Pioneer League, and should be better than their current 17 and 19 record.


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Tracklist - Live in Hellvetia
Disc 1
- 1.We are one
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- 3.Thunder God
- 4.Tears of Babylon
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- 6.Queen of my world
- 7.Out of the ruins
- 8.Hunter High and Low
- 9.Drum Solo
- 10.Metal Invasion
- 11.Merlin - Requiem
- 12.Merlin - Legend of the Past
- 13.The Quest
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- 15.A Perfect Day
- 16.Far Away
- 17.Mr. Evil
- 18.Land of Light
- 19.Freedom Call
- 20.Hymn to the Brave
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Hi dolls! The grand finale of Dancing with the Stars is a just few hours away and I am practically peeing my pants in anticipation! I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life and I'm not even the one dancing! LOL. I am so proud of how far Rob has come and no matter what the outcome is, Rob has already won this competition in my eyes. This experience has made him so much stronger and more confident and it has taught him that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible. Rob was an amazing person to begin with, but somehow, this has made him an even better person. I am just so proud of my baby brother and I can't wait to see what he and Cheryl have in store for us tonight.
Here are a few pics from last night's show. I love this pic of me, my mom and my sisters! I've already sent it to be printed so I can frame it LOL.
P.S. Obviously don't forget to tune in tonight at 9pm for the grand finale and then pleeeeeease VOTE for Rob and Cheryl — call 1-800-868-3402, text 3402 if you have AT&T and vote online!


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Terminal 5 (Venue Partner)
610 W 56th St
Flavorpill is now a social platform, where you can find not only editor picks but also see what your friends are doing. This site, archive.flavorpill.com, will no longer be updated... Welcome to the future!
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Saturday Dec 15, 2012 (8pm)
Terminal 5 (Venue Partner)
610 W 56th St
Directions: 1, A, B, C, D at 59th St / Columbus Circle or N,Q,R,W at 57th
Spark Seeker Since first emerging on the international stage in 2005, Matisyahu has established a reputation for following his muse—from the stripped-down roots reggae of the gold-certified Live at Stubb's to the trippy ministrations of Youth to the polished pop eclecticism of Light. Then, in 2010, he returned to the venerable Austin venue that introduced him for Live at Stubb's II, demonstrating that all those travels had somehow only strengthened his connection to his musical bedrock. It was a whirlwind half-decade journey, one that earned Matisyahu a place in pop culture at large.


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Police hunt ends as suspect found in Worcester (From Malvern Gazette)
Get involved! Send your photos, video, news & views by texting MG NEWS to 80360 or e-mail us
Police hunt ends as suspect found in Worcester
1:21pm Wednesday 30th April 2014 in News
A CROSS-country police hunt has ended after a man who failed to turn up for his court case was arrested in Worcester.
Nineteen year-old Ashley Mitchell was arrested in Shap Drive in Warndon, Worcester on Tuesday (29th).
Mitchell, whose last known address was in Watford, failed to attend Central Hertfordshire Magistrates' Court on Thursday, April 17 in connection with a common assault in the town, near London.
Hertfordshire Police said last week they believed he could be here in Worcester.
Officers have since thanked the media and public for their help.


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I have developed a little program for entering your game score predictions and keeping track, and then analyzing the results. This began as a programming exercise (testing a new database that's still under development). Thought I'd make it available to NN and see how you like it.
It's rather rudimentary right now, but usable.
Please give it a try at www.adlibdb.com/nfl (cut and paste to url window)
Use a user ID that folks here will recognize.
Your basic score is simply the point differential between your predictions and the actual results.
There is a penalty for picking the wrong winner, and a bonus for predicting the correct score (per team).
After the games are played, you can see how everyone did and who's the winner.
I'd like your comments about what other calculations or measurements to add, or otherwise how to improve the program. I'll look at add picking against the spread.


text: We had dinner in this restaurant once while in Riviere-du-Loup, it was one of the restaurats open in late September and it seemed to be quite good. It is part of a "Italian Trattoria" chain and for this reason there are few dishes "inspired" by the Italian tradition. Being Italian we didn't risk with some pasta dishes with a lot... More


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The medical field is a fast-paced and highly demanding world. In this sort of environment, Franklin Medical Center seeks to provide as much access to direct physician care as is possible. Hospitalists, physicians responsible for the care of inpatients only, can play a significant role in enhancing overall patient care and experience. The hospitalist works with your primary doctor to insure that you are receiving the best treatment available. If you currently seek care from a physician who only works in a clinic practice, simply request to be treated at Franklin Medical Center, and the hospitalist will be available to admit you to our facility and take care of you until you are well enough to be discharged back into the treatment of your primary doctor.
© 2010 Franklin Medical Center


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Upon departure of your accommodation, if any lost or forgotten items have been found they will be returned to main office at Central Hotel. Items will be available for collection between office opening hours. All items will be kept for no longer than six weeks, any items not collected after six weeks will be donated to charity.
Click Here for Central Hotel opening hours.
If we do hold an item that you wish to be returned, we are happy to send this via Royal Mail. We ask that you cover the cost of the returned item.


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I have been thinking about this for a while and I want to go ahead and make a list of some of the potential hidden gems of this draft. As we all know this draft is pretty loaded at a few positions and weak at others..
Feel free to use this post as a place where you can debate and give your thoughts on a few hidden gems you think will burst onto the scene.
- Branden Weeden- I honestly look at Weeden and I see a guy with all the tools to succeed in the NFL, I see him fitting the mold of Eli Manning, which to me is a pure pocket passer who can escape though lateral movement to deliver the throw. Weeden is 28 which may be a knock on him but if he gets behind a good offensive line then he'll likely be a guy who'll play a good 9-10 years in the NFL.
- Russell Wilson- Honestly when I look at Wilson I see Jeff Garcia. He's a guy who is at his best when able to move around and use his legs but has an average arm. To me he's the ideal fit for the West Coast Offense. If given some time to develop he has the potential to develop into a very good player. And before people knock his height (Listed at 5'11 everywhere I've looked) just take a look at guys like Garcia and Vick and take note of how all three do play alike in the pocket.
Running Back:
- LaMichael James- I see James a guy who'd fit the role of Darren Sproles. He's a gamer and when healthy will help a team in many ways. There is little doubt in my mind that he'll be a quality player but his ceiling is very high and it wouldn't surprise me to see him as a starter in a year or two.
- Isaiah Pead- I'm actually pretty high on Pead, he to me is Buckhalter. He is ultra-competitive and is a hard runner who can make the first guy miss and adds a bit in the passing game. He'd be a great backup for many teams around the NFL.
- Cyrus Gray- Another Buckhalter type who is good in all areas but great in none. The big thing with him that impresses me is that he's a solid pass blocker which would help solidify him as a #2 RB sooner rather than later.
Wide Receiver:
- Rueben Randle- He's a big WR who knows how to use his body, he's a hard worker and that bodes well for him since he has some areas of his game he needs to improve on. Randle's a guy who can become a #1 WR somewhere down the line but he'll need to work for it.
- Joe Adams- This guy has Desean Jackson ability. He's a dynamic returner who will help a team day 1, and he's actually not a bad WR. That being said he needs to go to a team that likes to air it out deep so he can use his speed in the same way Wallace and Jackson do.
- Tommy Streeter- This guy played well in college and has the size and athletic ability to develop into a player like T.O. if he can work on his game a little bit. I like him and he seems like a mid-round type of guy who'd be worth bringing along.
- Dwight Jones- Let's just say he's a big WR at 6'4 225lbs. He's a redzone threat who can do it all. Displays good hands, good route running ability and is strong. He might end up being the best WR out of this draft by the time his career is over.
Offensive Tackle:
- Zebrie Sanders- Sanders is 6'6 307lbs and is athletic while doing so. He was the only solid piece on an injury plagued FSU offensive line. I know many people here knock on him but this guy has played both RT and LT over the years and has done so at a high level. He fits a Zone Blocking scheme where he can use his athleticism to get into the next levels.
- Brandon Washington- Washington is an athletic player who would be better suited for Right Tackle (or Left Tackle on a team who has a left handed QB). Washington is a player who's capable of excelling in a ZBS or in a power running system.
- Brandon Mosley- If you want to see a player who fits what the Eagles do at OT then look no further. At 6'5 305lbs Mosley is extremely athletic and put together a nice career at Auburn. Before Auburn he played some DE and TE at Junior College. Mosley has the size and athleticism to not only be good but dominant in the NFL. I'd compare him to Jason Peters.
Offensive Guard:
- Senio Kelemete- Senio is a strong OG who fits a system that relies on athletic offensive lineman. He has the ability to get into the 3rd level of a defense and the strength to push DT's backwards. If you're looking for a Howard Mudd type of guy then take a look at this guy. This being said Senio needs to work on his technique in order to excel at the next level.
- Tony Bergstrom- Bergstrom is an OG/OT prospect that I see as a guy who can move inside and be dominant. He fits what you need from a OG and honestly has great footwork and burst off the line which will help him in the long run. The drawback with him is that he'll be 26 at the start of this Season.
- William Vlachos- This 3 year starter at Alabama is a tough, smart and fundamentally sound player who could potentially play Day 1 for the team that drafts him. He's 6' 300lbs but he moves very well and can do some damage out in space.
Defensive End:
- Bruce Irvin- Bruce is a guy who had some issues early on in his life and that will likely cause him to drop in this draft. There's no denying his talent and he displays a good burst off the line. He's very raw but with a coach who can develop him he could be a very good player.
- Donte Paige-Moss- Donte is extremely fast off the line and he has the speed and strength to develop into a great DE in the NFL. Honestly he'd fit a scheme where he can just attack the QB, but he also has good run stopping ability.
Defensive Tackle:
- Jaye Crawford- Crawford will be a mid-late round pick and will likely be a great steal. He has a solid pass rush and is good against the run which makes him valuable. He played well against SEC competition and the best thing about that is his best games did come against his best competition.
- Brandon Thompson- Thompson thrives on creating havoc, he doesn't necessarily have great sack totals but he is disruptive enough that teams must devote 2 players to blocking him which frees up other DLman. With the proper coaching he could wind up being a player like Jenkins.
Outside Linebacker:
- Ronnell Lewis- Lewis is a very inconsistent player which makes him a risk, however he has the ability to play SAM and WILL LB in a 3-4. The big thing with him is that he's violent, once he gets his hands on the ball-carrier he is simply ruthless. Lewis plays fast and forces others to try and play at his speed which then causes the Offense to make mistakes. If Lewis can play at a more consistent level he'll be a great tone-setter and game changer in the NFL.
- Terrell Manning- Manning played at North Carolina State. He will be a late round pick but he is solid in all facets of the game. Manning is a turnover machine who lacks elite speed but has great coverage instincts. He's not exactly a violent hitter but he's a solid tackler who gets the ball-carrier to the ground.
- Danny Trevathan- Danny lead the SEC in tackles the last 2 seasons and is a leader. Danny is solid in coverage and is a thumper in the running game. He projects at a WILL LB in a 4-3
- Omar Bolden- Bolden is strictly a man CB who is best at bump and run. He has injury concerns but if he can stay healthy he can potentially turn into a solid CB who can matchup on the outside or play in the Nickel.
- Cliff Harris- Harris ran into issues last year, however he's a great talent who is in the mold of Asante Samuel. He's a high risk- high reward player who could likely be a stud if he can get his life straightened out.
- Mike Harris- This guy out of FSU is a solid hitter who excels at getting into the backfield. When I watch him play I see a bit of Sheldon Brown in him. He's going to be a late round selection but with coaching he could eventually turn into a solid player.
- Eddie Whitley- Eddie is coming out of Virginia Tech as a very experienced player. He excels on special teams and is a physical safety who has a knack for the ball. He needs to add some strength but he does have the rare ability to match up man-to-man with WR's which is something that teams will covet.


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The snappable, snackable green bean is the featured produce at the Farmers' Market Saturday. Grab a bagful to sautee or add to a salad. The folks at the farmers' market suggest cooking them with anise, cumin or nutmeg to counteract the beans' notorious side effects.
What: Pleasant Hill Farmers' Market
When: Saturday, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: Crescent Drive at Downtown Plaza


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How to deal with sister on vacation?
July 30, 2012
How to get along with pushy sister while on vacation?
My sister has a strong personality. She is loud, pushy, and obnoxious.
Examples: at the moment, we're staying at a vacation house. There is a list of instructions. Since the instructions are absurdly detailed, my sister took insult to them. They specified no smoking near the house or forfeiture of the security deposit. Since she thought the instructions were ridiculous, she immediately ran outside and started smoking on the porch.
Whenever we play a game, she declares that she is going to win. If she loses, she becomes sullen and difficult. It's impossible to play for pleasure, because she has to win.
She is fishing, but she refuses to buy a fishing a license.
Her voice is very loud. She shouts all the time when she is talking.
She is frequently short and snappy. She seems to become impatient easily and will be rude if something is taking too long. Like, the other day, we were trying to do something as a family and my mother was taking a bit to get ready. She said, "I'll be outside when you all get your acts together," in a pretty snide voice. I know that doesn't sound huge, but she says this kind of stuff all the time and I find it kind of exhausting. This is probably the biggest problem for me.
These are a few examples I can think of at the moment. But, in general, I find her really unpleasant to be around and hard to talk to. It's gotten to the point where I am afraid to speak around her or take up for myself because I don't want to deal with any battles or insults.
It's making our vacation stressful for me. I expressed all of this to my mother, and she said I should try talking to my sister. This seems impossible, as I think she won't listen and if she does, she will become emotional and start crying (as she has done in the past). She takes everything very personally. My mother suggested I focus on the positive, as well, but I find the negative so overwhelming I can't quite get a handle on it.
I do need to survive this vacation for another week. Any tips for dealing with this sort of insistent personality peacefully? Confrontation is not really an option, as this is a temporary situation and doesn't have a ton of bearing on real life.
A couple of things that may be of interest:
- We are not close. We see each other maybe once a year. We talk a couple of times year on the phone.
- She is older than me by about eight years. I'm in my early 30's.
posted by
Human Relations
(15 answers total)
2 users marked this as a favorite
As it's short term, I'd just try to reduce exposure as much as possible - can you do things on your own at least some of the time? Or activities where you don't need to directly interact with her - e.g. you could both be in the same space, reading, but you don't have to chat.
For things like the game playing, I'd just decline to play. If she wants to know why you can say you just don't think it will be much fun. If she pushes, you can mention that her competitiveness makes it hard for you to enjoy the game.
For things that only affect her - fishing for instance - then just ignore it.
tl;dr - set some boundaries and don't take the bait if you think she's trying to annoy you.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
6 favorites
Walk away, literally. Go out for walks, go shopping on your own, don't try to do "family" things but do one-on-one things with your mother and let your sister do the same. Don't announce this change, just do it yourself. Don't try to get your mother involved anymore. One, you are adults, and two, she's made it clear she doesn't want to referee.
Also, don't worry about the fishing license and other things that don't affect you. Your sister sounds very unhappy. Try to bear in mind that her abrasiveness is about her, not about you. Hard to do in close quarters but if you feel compassion for her, her insults & barbs won't sting so much.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
4 favorites
Immediate term: don't do "family things" together. Go out yourself. Get drinks at the local bar. Go shopping. Hang out at the beach/lake and make your own friends. Do not even give a damn about smoking on the porch, fishing licenses, or games-- because this does not in any way affect you.
Long term: stop taking family vacations where you are cooped up for weeks at a time with people you don't even particularly like. If you want to see your mom on vacation, head up to the vacation house for a weekend, say hi, and go home or head out on your own vacation.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
4 favorites
Someone once said to me, wisely, that your family knows how to push your buttons because they are the people who came out of the factory where those buttons were first installed.
One of my brothers and I get into bad patterns with each other where we - by default - say exactly the thing that will push each other over the edge. Over time, we've acknowledged that it makes us less interested in being in each other's presence, and that we feel badly about this. We try to work on it, with varying degrees of success.
There are probably ways you could work with your sister to have some conversations about the way you feel around each other. She may have issues with your style as well, and you would need to be open to hearing that. You can, if you choose, frame a conversation about this from a place of wanting to improve your relationship and not from a place of criticism. It might be a breakthrough for you and lead to nicer family vacations and things going forward.
In my experience, just trying to ignore it or stay away from it doesn't work if you do in fact spend time together as a family. As people said above, this is your choice - either don't spend time together, or see if it's possible to do some work on the relationship if you are going to be spending time with each other. You might be surprised by what's possible.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
1 favorite
Respond directly to things that affect you with an assertive statement of what you want: "Anne, I'm not going to play a game with you if that's your attitude." or "Anne, can you please lower your voice?" or "Anne, please smoke further away. I don't want cigarette smoke in my clothes and hair."
Stick up for yourself if she's being rude to you: "Anne, I don't like the way you're speaking to me." If she continues to be rude, walk away and find something else to do.
When she does something that doesn't affect you, such as fishing without a license, ignore it. If she tries to get a reaction from you, stay neutral with an almost-bored, "OK" or "Mmmhmm."
posted by
on July 30, 2012
this is a temporary situation and doesn't have a ton of bearing on real life.
Focus on the fact that you're stuck with her for one tiny week. It's not your childhood all over again where you're stuck with her for years. Take time off from the family whenever you want or need. Go read, shop, visit a spa, do whatever you want. Give yourself permission to spend X hours per day away from her.
Next year, only go on the family trip for a weekend.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
2 favorites
My sister isn't quite as bad as you (she does tend to at least respect rules), but she also can be pretty pushy and I am not a super fan of traveling with her.
I have decided that the best method, in these situations where I know that she will only be around temporarily, is to just go with the flow. If she's doing something you don't like, let it go. If she is talking too loud, just live with it. If she gets snappy with you all, just let her snap and don't respond. If she runs outside impatiently just let her sit outside waiting for you instead of inside.
It's hard not to respond sometimes--judith has it right, family really knows how to press your buttons--but you'll find that things go a lot more smoothly if you just let things go her way. You can choose to go off on your own sometimes, which can also help.
posted by
that girl
on July 30, 2012 [
1 favorite
Family dynamics, always a good time. I love my family, but my sister is grumpy and bossy. We love each other, talk frequently and enjoy exchanging stories about how exasperated we are with our parents.
You have to develop strategies for dealing with your sisters. My Sissy is very finicky about food, and her mood is reflected by her blood sugar levels. I think she was a cat in a former life. When she comes to stay with us, she must have toast and butter in the morning, with tea. Dr. Pepper to drink and ice cream (Ben and Jerry's Phish Food) to nom on in the evening. Also she likes candy. So I stock up on stuff she likes, and if she starts looking and acting like she's hungry, I feed her.
Although I'm the oldest, Sissy bosses me around and tells me where to get off. Typically she's tiling my backsplash or painting a room, or installing a cabinet for me, so I STFU and let her, because that's her gig. She always jokes later on about how nasty she can be, and I don't take it personally.
Ignore what doesn't apply to you. So she fishes without a license. That's for her to hash out with the Game Warden, not your problem.
When she acts like an infant during game time, treat her like one in a very jokey manner. "Okay, I guess we're playing Candy Land then. Really Patrice? Really? What are you five? Just deal the damn cards." Tone is everything with this.
If she storms off in a huff because you don't have your "act together", simply respond, "Okay, we'll be there when we're ready." Her attitude is on her.
When she's bellowing when describing that thing that happened to her at the Seven-Eleven, just say, "Sweetie, I know you're excited, but you don't have to yell." Smile and nod.
If you did want to broach the subject, you could sit down, perhaps when you're mellow and not uber-annoyed and say, "Sissy, I wish I could enjoy family time with you, but I find that your attitude makes this very stressful for me. I like to follow rules, and when you deliberately do the opposite of what's been asked, it makes me tense. I know that you like to joke around, but sometimes you come across annoyed or it sounds rude. I don't like it when people are rude to me, even people that I love. I know you're enthusiastic when you're discussing topics of interest and your voice rises. I find that when your decibels go up, that I have a hard time concentrating on what you're saying because you're saying it so loudly."
I'd rather just deflect things as they arise rather than having a big, ole, sit-down about it. One reason we're so frustrated is that we're holding in all of our snark. Let 'er rip. Even if she does get upset and cry, that's her, not you.
posted by
Ruthless Bunny
on July 30, 2012 [
4 favorites
If nothing else, refuse to pay your share of the security deposit next time, if it's going to be forfeited due to her smoking. (If applicable.)
posted by
on July 30, 2012
She sounds like a nightmare, but it also sounds like a lot of the stuff she's doing isn't directed at, or doesn't affect, you personally. Like the smoking thing. It's petty and childish to intentionally smoke somewhere just because she's told not to (seriously, she's 38? If she wasn't smoking in front of your mother I would have sworn she was 15). But it doesn't actually hurt you. Same with the fishing without a license.
I understand the impulse to want to protect the rest of the world from your sister's bad behavior. You probably feel like she's an emissary of your family, and you're somehow responsible for her behavior. But you're not. And you will be less stressed out if you remind yourself that things she does that don't directly harm you are not your problem.
Also, since she sounds very unpleasant, and it doesn't seem like you like her very much, maybe decide not to care when she cries? I mean, I know that empathy is hard-wired in, and it's generally a good thing. But it sounds like she's exploiting that, so maybe it will help to see her crying for the manipulative behavior that it is. That one is easier said than done, I know.
posted by
Ragged Richard
on July 30, 2012 [
2 favorites
Are there any situations in which you are able to enjoy her? One-on-one time? If so, I'd suggest avoiding the trying situations as much as you can (tons of good advice above on that) and engineering some good sister time-- a walk together, staying up late after everyone else has gone to bed, whatever.
I also am annoyed by my sister (for different reasons), but have found a way to appreciate her more by emphasizing the positive interactions and avoiding the negative.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
1 favorite
talking to my sister ... seems impossible, as ... she will become emotional and start crying
You might try figuring out why your sister is so self-destructive. (Why do you consider it 'impossible' to be with her while she's crying?)
open the conversation by criticizing her (appalling) behavior. As you've noticed, she has plenty of defenses that will make that pointless.
experiment to see what conversational lines might give you some insight into her misery.
You can treat this intellectual and emotional puzzle as a challenge, designed to take your mind off her infuriating behavior and turn it into something more rewarding for you.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
2 favorites
Someone once said to me, wisely, that your family knows how to push your buttons because they are the people who came out of the factory where those buttons were first installed.
I think it was "Of course family knows how to push your buttons, they installed them."
posted by
on July 30, 2012
She sounds extraordinarily unhappy so have sympathy there. But, yes, minimise the time you must spend together and let her impulsive/self-destructive behaviour go - it's hers to deal with. If she wants to deliberately do these things, as long as it doesn't affect you, let her, it's her responsibility to deal with the consequences.
posted by
on July 30, 2012
Take her mountain climbing. Tell her she's not allowed to do it without a rope.
posted by
on July 30, 2012 [
1 favorite
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Queen visits Duke in hospital
The Queen has visited the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital on her official birthday. Prince Charles said yesterday Prince Philip was "much better".
Queen looks relaxed after visiting Duke in hospital
The Queen looked relaxed as she stepped into her waiting car after visiting the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital this evening.
Queen leaves hospital after visiting Philip on birthday
The Queen has left the London Clinic after visiting the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital.
Her stay lasted just over half an hour.
Queen arrives at hospital to visit Prince Philip
The Queen has arrived at a central London hospital to visit Prince Philip.
She appeared to be clutching a card for her husband, who turned 92 today.
Queen to visit Prince Philip in hospital this evening
The Queen is expected to visit the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital in central London this evening, Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Edward said his father was "well" after a short visit earlier today.
Duke set for two-month 'period of convalescence'
Buckingham Palace said today the Duke of Edinburgh was "comfortable and in good spirits" and would likely take a two-month "period of convalescence" when he leaves hospital.
A statement said:
– Buckingham Palace
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is progressing according to plans at this early stage. He is comfortable and in good spirits.
He will remain in hospital for up to two weeks, and it is expected he will then be taking a period of convalescence of approximately two months.
Edward waves to cameras after Duke visit
Prince Edward is seen in the video below leaving hospital around 20 minutes after arriving to visit his father.
The Duke of Edinburgh underwent surgery on Friday and is expected to stay in hospital for up to two weeks.
Prince Edward: Prince Philip is 'well'
Prince Edward has left hospital after visiting the Duke of Edinburgh.
Asked how his father was, he replied: "Well."
Prince Edward visits father on birthday in hospital
Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, has visited his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, in hospital in central London.
Prince Philip underwent exploratory abdominal surgery on Friday and turns 92 today.
Prince Edward visits Duke of Edinburgh in hospitalby Tim Ewart - Royal Correspondent
The Duke of Edinburgh's first visitor is Prince Edward, who drove himself up to the hospital and parked outside.
Gun salutes mark Prince Philip's 92nd birthday
A 41-round Royal Salute by The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery took place in Green Park at noon today to mark the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday .
There will also be a 62-round salute at 1pm by the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London.


text:
TCU sophomore defensive end Devonte Fields saw his first playing time of the season Saturday against Southeastern Louisiana.The reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year played only during the third quarter, seeing time in four Southeastern Louisiana drives and recording one tackle assist. Fields' presence had much more of an impact on the field than it did the stat sheet, TCU coach Gary Patterson said."That was our best quarter of defense," he said. "More pass rush. I thought the team picked up as far as the defensive group."In those four drives, Southeastern Louisiana turned the ball over on downs, had a pass intercepted by safety Chris Hackett and punted twice. On their previous two drives, going back to the first half, the Lions had scored. The quarter reprieve from Fields' two-game suspension for an unspecified violation of team policy during the off-season gave him some game experience before TCU's conference opener Thursday against Texas Tech in Lubbock.Patterson said Fields will serve the remaining quarter of the suspension later this season, but the exact time is still up in the air. "It was real good just to see him out there with the pressure we were going to get with him being out there," TCU cornerback Jason Verrett said.Fresh facesSeveral young or new players saw their first action or made their first big collegiate play Saturday as Gary Patterson and his coaching staff worked deep into their depth charts.Making the most noticeable impact were Nebraska transfer Aaron Green and Wyoming transfer Josh Doctson, who scored their first touchdowns as Horned Frogs.Doctson, a Mansfield Legacy grad, scored in the third quarter on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Trevone Boykin. Doctson scored a touchdown against TCU when he was with Wyoming in 2011. Green scored on a 9-yard pass in the fourth quarter.Five players — Doctson, Green, Cameron Echols-Luper, Ja'Juan Story and Trevone Boykin — notched their first TCU receptions.Also, freshman linebacker Sammy Douglas from Arlington High recorded his first collegiate solo tackle in the fourth quarter. Running back B.J. Catalon, who saw significant time last year as a freshman, knows the importance of getting those milestones out of the way."I think it's good, definitely for a player's confidence, because you feel like [you] can still do this even though it's college and the next step up," Catalon said. "[You] can go out and play with these guys and fit in just perfectly."Banged upBeyond the injury to quarterback Casey Pachall were several other health concerns for TCU.Sophomore tight end Griffin Gilbert left the field limping and was on the sidelines in street clothes for the majority of the second half. Gary Patterson said he had yet to be briefed on the severity of Gilbert's injury.Also, defensive tackle Chucky Hunter left the game in the first quarter with a leg injury but returned in the second half. He left the playing field after the game favoring his right leg."He's OK. Besides, he's Chucky," Patterson said, acknowledging the junior's determination.
TCU football notes: Gary Patterson says medical redshirt unlikely for Casey Pachall
Have more to add? News tip? Tell us


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It's 3 am. Sharp pains have suddenly awakened you.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will bring all the demons against each other in the ferocious battle.
Battle lines are virtually drawn between lawyers of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema over the location of of the High Court in the new state of Andhra Pradesh.
It was in April this year that the NKDA authorities had commissioned a study by a professor of zoology of Burdwan University for suggesting ways to check mosquito breeding.
A battle royale between the BJP and the Congress is already underway here.The BJP is fighting the bypoll along with union minister Ram Vilas Paswan led-LJP and another union minister Upendra Kushwaha-led RLSP.
The actor recently shared his views on piracy on his micro-blogging page
Nagpur University's CoE Vilas Ramteke has issued a warning to teachers asking them to attend to valuation duties as results of more than 50% of summer exams are still pending.
As palace intrigues go, the 450-year old Bhupati Bhawan in Amethi has seen more shockers in the last 25 years than ever before.
Student Council 2013- 2014 of Father Muller Medical College is organizing EQINOX'14, Battle of Bands on May 10 at 3pm at the College Stadium.
Hamirpur has traditionally been a BJP bastion with only one Congress win during the past 25 years. Even when the Congress returned to power in the state in 2012, 10 of the 17 assembly segments in the Hamirpur lok sabha constituency returned BJP candidates. Narinder Thakur who contested against Anurag Thakur after switching over to Congress and lost by more than 73,000 votes, has since returned to BJP fold.
Two seriously injured children, who were injured in the road accident near Sukhmani enclave at South City on Sunday evening where three members of a family died, are battling for life at PGI Chandigarh.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislators K Taraka Rama Rao said his party would move the Supreme Court in case the Centre tries to stall the process of formation of Telangana state.


text:
This is my first "diary"/blog on this site and it is important for me to note my current dispositions about the Rockies. I love the Rockies and I always have, and as much as I like to threaten that I will no longer be a fan if management keeps up with the way they are running the team, this is just an idle threat. With that being said I am a harsh critic of the Rockies upper management, in most cases. Dan O' Dowd is possibly my least favorite person in the world, I dislike Tracy Ringolsby with almost the same fervor as I do O'Dowd, and even the announcers the Rockies have had throughout the years, have turned my stomach on a regular basis. I hold that Clint Hurdle is the worst manager in baseball today and that the only category he leads in is getting the least amount of efficiency out of his team. Again, with that being said, I desperately want the Rockies to succeed and become a great baseball franchise and turn Denver into a baseball town. It is with that disclaimer that I give to you my evaluation of the recent trade. I hope that I am wrong however, due to my arrogance and confidence in my opinions, I want to have it documented if I am right. Therefore I do not write this hoping that I am right but rather that I am proven to be a fool in the upcoming season.
The Rockies started the off season with a dire need for an everyday center fielder. They have recently made a trade in which they at least think that they have addressed this need. The Rockies swapped their opening day starter and homegrown pitcher Jason Jennings to the Houston Astros for center fielder Willy Taveras and two minor league pitchers. Jason Hirsh is one of the minor league pitchers they received who is expected to make an impact at the major league level. A statistical analysis of this trade uncovers the fact that the Rockies 1) were duped again into making a bad deal and 2) could have gotten more value from the Astros out of this trade. When players change hands in trades the overall criteria that must be used to judge the value of the trade is how much better the team got overall. The Rockies management does not use any sound criteria to judge this and therefore they have been led once again into making a bad trade. The hot stats right now to predict run production for a baseball team are on base percentage and slugging percentage with a heavier emphasis on on base percentage. I will use this criteria to determine the value the Rockies got out of this trade. Corey Sullivan the Rockies everyday center fielder for the 2006 season hit .267 with a .321 OBP and a slugging percentage of .402. This is bad when compared to the major league averages in this statistic especially for a player who hit lead off for a good portion of the year and a definite team need. In comparison Willy Taveras hit .276 with a .333 OBP and a slugging percentage of .338 for the 2006 season and the year before he had comparable numbers which is important for predicting positive or negative trends in a players future success. Willy Taveras seems to have room for only moderate growth in potential because of this. In effect the Rockies improved .012 in OBP and lost .064 in slugging percentage. Most statistical experts estimate that OBP is four times or so more important than slugging percentage in predicting run production. By this criteria the Rockies actually are worse off if they start Willy Taveras than if they start Cory Sullivan in terms of run production. In short the Rockies improvement in OBP is likely to be offset if not destructed due to thier loss in slugging percentage once again in terms of run production. The Rockies management would be likely to dismiss these statistics as important predictors and mention that Taveras's speed will increase the teams stolen bases and also decrease their runs allowed in terms of defense. Unfortunately stolen bases are not as good of a criteria for predicting run production and as for better defensive play they would be correct. Taveras will be a better center fielder than Sullivan but not significantly enough to impact the team a great deal. Furthermore Rockies management is likely to posit that Taveras will see an increase in offensive production because of hitter friendly Coors field. While in many cases this may be true, it is not in this case true. Taveras played in Enron field which is comparable in hitter friendliness to Coors field, having a shorter left field fence and a larger outfield. Finally as mentioned earlier Taveras has played two full major league season and showed only marginal improvement last year from his first year in the league therefore it is likely that Taveras's developement as a player will not be substantial and that his previous stats are reliable indicators as to what type of player Taveras will be.
This error is compounded considering that the Astros back up center fielder who will now be their starter is a much better player than Taveras and the Rockies undoubtedly could have gotten him instead of Taveras. Last season Chris Burke hit .276 with a .347 OBP and a .418 slugging percentage. If the Rockies were to have gotten Burke it would have increased their center field OBP by .026 and thier slugging percentage by .016. This would have still been a marginal gain but a gain nonetheless. Burke also has shown a propensity for trending upward in his two full seasons in the league. Furthermore Burke is only 2 years older than Taveras and is paid 38,000 dollars less per season. Look for Burke to outperform Taveras significantly this season.
Hirsh was also a driving factor in this trade and conceivably will be Jennings replacement in the Rockies rotation this season. Hirsh is just on the cusp of transitioning from a prospect to a major league starter and his ability to compensate for the loss of Jason Jennings is highly unlikely. Hirsh has nine big league starts and has posted a record of 3-4 with a 6.04 E.R.A. He is only 24 so in theory there is room for developement. One thing that frightens me about Hirsh is his walk ratio. In 44 innings pitched last season he walked 22 batters averaging a walk every other inning pitched. In comparison Jennings led the Rockies starters last season with a 3.78 E.R.A. So as stated earlier it is unlikely that Hirsh will be able to fill the role Jennings left behind in his first full major league season and the Rockies will see a significant gain in runs given up throughout the season.
Another part of this deal that hurts is that in the market right now pitchers are overvalued because the supply for good pitchers is minimal. The Rockies were in a good place to deal Jennings and get more back for him than he was actually worth. As it looks right now the Rockies traded their opening day starter for a player in Taveras that is unlikely to increase there offensive production and a pitcher who if develops will probably never be substantially better than Jennings in his prime. Another argument that is put forward is that Jennings will be gone at the end of the season so we should get what we can now. That is a decent point however due to the lack of supply in pitching it is likely that pitchers will be a hot commodity around the all star break and teams will be forced to give up even more at that point in the season than they are now. It is not difficult to surmise the overall effect of this trade. The Rockies did not improve offensively in terms of run production and they will probably see about a two run increase in a typical five man rotation, in terms of runs given up (and that is being conservative). Any potential gains they could have made in this trade by the developement of Hirsh will likely not be realized until two to three years down the road and as I have suggested these gains are likely to be marginal at best.
As for Taylor Buckholtz he is right now listed as the Rockies fifth starter. Last year he did not do very well posting a 6-10 record with a 5.89 E.R.A. Actually he will probably do a little better this year and post an E.R.A around 5.0 and have a record a little under .500. As he is listed right now as the Rockies fifth starter this would be an improvement over last years fifth starter, Kim. Unfortunately Kim will probably move up in the rotation to the fourth spot.
All this seems pretty bleak and that is because it is, however the Rockies have made some gains this off-season, despite this error. When dealing with the Rockies we have to take into account that manager Clint Hurdle has a propensity for shuffling the line up constantly. A starter in the Rockies lineup is likely to get a lot of days off what this means is that if the Rockies bench is stronger than in past years, then having a stronger bench will increase offensive production more than it would should the manager stick to a consistent lineup. Let's put aside the fact that for a financially limited baseball team to leave bargaining chips and what amounts to capital on the bench is a stupid thing to do and focus on how this will affect the Rockies. The Rockies have two utility players that are likely to see a significant amount of playing time in infield fill in situations. These players are Ryan Spilborghs and Kaz Matsui. Spilborghs is likely to see playing time in fill in situations in the outfield as well. Both of these players should not be played too often but they will, luckily they both have OBP's that are close to the league average which will mitigate the losses in run production when they are played instead of the starters. In the outfield they have brought up minor leaguer Jeff Baker who was on a tear at the end of the '06 season. More on him in a minute, but if the Rockies keep Baker and platoon him with Brad Hawpe which they will do because Hawpe is a lefty and Baker is a righty and Hurdle loves to play that game, Baker may be able to compensate for the loss in offensive production when Hurdle chooses to sit Hawpe or Holiday.
However the Rockies best bet for significant improvement this season is to trade Baker right now. This flies in the face of conventional baseball wisdom of the Rockies but Baker is highly overvalued by the market (and unfortunately by the Rockies as well) and they could trade him to make significant offensive gains in their everyday lineup. In 57 At bats at the end of last season Baker hit .368 with 5 home runs. The Rockies consider him to be a rising offensive star but they are looking at the wrong stats. In his 57 AB Baker took only one walk and his OBP was a mere .379. His slugging percentage was through the roof at .825 but that is likely to decline with a larger pool of statistics. With these startling numbers then who would trade Baker why not opt to trade Hawpe or Holliday instead? Well because one walk in 57 AB shows that Baker has a propensity to swing at a lot of pitches. (This also means that his Batting Average will be closely tied to his OBP which is unlikely that it will be higher than .310 with a OBP of around .345 or so by the end of the season. Even those numbers are generous.) Each player has a hole in his swing, and holes are more easily found outside the strike zone rather than within, therefore the pitchers in the league will figure out Baker's holes rather quickly, and we will see the stock as well as the statistics of Baker plummet by around mid season when pitchers learn to throw the pitches Baker can't hit and can't lay off. What this means is that Baker's value right now is as high as it will ever be and that each day the Rockies hold on to him, when he starts his decline will be a day when Baker is worth less than he was the day before. If possible the Rockies interest's would best be served if they packaged together Baker and newly acquired Taveras for a center fielder with an OBP of .400 or better and a slugging percentage of .500 or better. This is the best way that I see for the Rockies to increase their offensive run production and the position in which they have the most room for improvement. (A better option would have been to keep Jennings, and then package Baker in with one of their two major pitching prospects, Ubaldo Jimenez or Juan Morillo to make the same deal for a center fielder. Perhaps Rocco Baldelli?)
The Rockies will make significant gains in two positions for two reasons: one is that last year they played Clint Barmes at shortstop who was an out machine and an offensive black hole (OBP .264 enough said.) The second reason is that prospects have matured and will be brought up. Troy Tulowitzki will probably be their new shortstop, and although I do not think he will win a rookie of the year award, due to the poor play of Barmes he will be a significant impovement at the shortstop position, in terms of run production. I expect the Rockies to gain about .1 to .12 in terms of OBP but the gains in slugging percentage will probably be unsubstantial. Chris Ianetta is one of the players I really like on the Rockies. At the end of the season last year Ianetta took 13 walks in 77 AB and had an OBP of .370. Ianetta will probably get about 75 percent of the starts at catcher, with Yorvit Torrealba getting the rest. Torrealba (OBP .293) giving way to Ianetta will probably translate into about a .07 to a .1 gain in OBP. A loss will be realized in slugging percentage but it will be unsubstantial.
I don't think the Rockies will see any substantial losses in run production in 2006. I think that Matt Holiday had a career year last year and his production will go down. However I think that Todd Helton who was plagued with a stomach virus and other health related problems last year will bounce back and increase his offensive production, which is quite strong as is. This should come close to off setting any losses by Holiday's decline. Third baseman Garrett Atkins will have another very strong season and Right Fielder Brad Hawpe will probably also remain consistent to his previous offensive numbers. Second Baseman Jamey Caroll is not a very exciting player but he keeps his OBP above the league average and is not a detriment to the Rockies run production. Like Hawpe and Atkins he figures to remain pretty consistent in his offensive production with a batting average around .300 and an OBP around .380.
All in all look for the Rockies to increase the run production from last years numbers slightly. Last year the Rockies ranked fifth out of sixteen national league teams in run production and they figure to finish again this year in the top 5.
The Rockies bullpen is probably slightly better than they were last year. Significant losses they took were losing Jose Mesa one of thier more reliable right handed arms in the bullpen. Free agent signing Latroy Hawkins should be a good replacement for Mesa. Ramon Ramirez will hopefully see more action this year as last year he posted the second lowest E.R.A in their bullpen (second only to closer Brian Fuentes). Also having a full season with late season addition Jeremy Affeldt should give the Rockies a boost in the bullpen. Unfortunately after those four top pitchers the Rockies bullpen sees a sharp decline in quality of pitching. However if effectively managed the bullpen should be pretty good compared to traditional Rockies bullpens. Unfortunately manger Clint Hurdle is unlikely to use his most effective pitchers at the right times. He is more likely to focus significantly on lefty/righty matchups than to pay attention to the quality of pitcher on the mound. This hurt the Rockies last year and will probably continue to do so in the upcoming season.
The most substantial loss the Rockies will take will be in terms of runs allowed, because of their lack of depth in their starting rotation. Starting pitchers Aaron Cook and Jeff Francis should be above average but by no means top of the line starters (although we did see flashes of brilliance from Aaron Cook). Now third in the rotation is Josh Fogg who is actually a practical, and above average fifth starter, but unfortunately will probably be in over his head at third in the rotation. Fogg being the third starter in the rotation indicates that the Rockies rotation is in trouble. We probably won't see any permanent starters but a host of different players will fill in. Byun Hyun Kim will probably see as close to a fixed role in the rotation as anyone. Kim actually started his fair share of games last year and was about as effective as Fogg. Still he posted the worst E.R.A on the Rockies staff and walked an inordinate amount of batters. Expect the fifth spot to be won by one of the rookies the Rockies have. Among the contenders will be Ubaldo Jimenez, Juan Morillo and Jason Hirsh. All of these pitchers are prospects that have been touted by the Rockies as having a lot of potential. However given the Rockies history that is probably not a good thing. It will be the difference between whomever starts fifth in the rotation and Jennings production, that will be the bulk of the Rockies pitching decline, in terms of runs given up. Last year the Rockies finished 12 out of 16 teams in runs allowed. This year they will probably allow more runs and finish in the bottom three in runs allowed.
This is why the Rockies trade of Jennings is so sad. They had a good shot at improving from last year but they basically gave Jennings away for nothing in return. If they wanted to sign him but needed money they could have cut or traded Kaz Matsui who has the second highest salary on the team and is not even a starter (8.5 million/yr). Overall my prediction is that the offensive gains in terms of run production made by the Rockies will be offset by the greater gains in runs allowed. Once again the Rockies have relied on conventional baseball wisdom and instincts that don't add up, when you look at the numbers. Unfortunately the Rockies are very likely to stay around their win/loss record of last year and once again miss the playoffs in the worst division in baseball. What all the afformentioned analysis adds up to is that the Rockies have gotten a little better in some areas but significantly worse in others. I see no way unless they use the rest of the off season to come up with a solid starting pitcher and a well above average center fielder, that the Rockies will improve in any significant way in the upcoming season.
I apologize if all of this is redundant or common knowledge on this site. I am not yet familar with the level of knowledge on this particular site, so a lot of what is above written may sound rudimentary. I actually wrote this blog for a different site in which the users did not know as much about baseball or the Rockies. However at first glance this site seems to favor the recent trade and this is at least an opposing opinion, that deserves to be criticized.