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Reports Indicate Recall Costs in Millions; Weeks to Execute.
COSTA MESA, Calif. - June 19, 2012 - SYSPRO, a developer of best-of-breed, award-winning enterprise resource planning (ERP) software for on-premise and cloud-based utilization, announced today the company's ERP software offering is a solution for the rising costs and time delays that FDA-regulated manufacturers and distributors are experiencing when a contaminated ingredient necessitates a product recall. The SYSPRO announcement was made in response to recent reports citing recall costs and execution times, including one conducted by the Food Marketing Institute, Grocery Manufacturers Association, GS1 and Deloitte ("Recall Execution Effectiveness: Collaborative Approaches to Improving Consumer Safety and Confidence," 2010.)
According to the report on recall execution effectiveness, the average cost of a recall to participating food and consumer product companies can run into millions of dollars, not counting the extensive human costs involved in the recalls. In addition the studies indicated that the average recall took days and even weeks to complete.
SYSPRO ERP software offers extensive traceability capabilities as well as other functionalities that facilitate the ability of manufacturers to trace products from origin, through the manufacturing process, to their ultimate destination, fully maintaining assurance certification and tracking expiration dates.
SYSPRO lot traceability and serial tracking functionality afford extensive visibility up or down the supply chain, as well as providing specific components to parent tracking, thereby offering the means to expedite recalls, should the need arise.
Gorant Chocolatier, Boardman, Ohio-based maker of quality chocolates, recently stated that one of the reasons for the firm's selection of SYSPRO ERP software was the outstanding reputation the software enjoys in the food industry. Specifically, noted Gorant, "The software's ability to trace ingredients from origin through the manufacturing process to the ultimate customer not only helps us to accommodate customers who demand this ability, but to fully comply with FDA rules and regulations pertaining to food safety." Gorant, in fact, did a mock recall that involved the tracing the path of a "tainted" ingredient. The recall was accomplished in less than two hours.
Chocolate Potpourri, a Chicago-area manufacturer of chocolate truffles, also established a recall plan based on SYSPRO ERP queries. The plan enables Chocolate Potpourri to locate the supplier of the suspect ingredient, the supplier production lots and the dates received. The company's recall team has the ability to call up jobs to which the ingredients were issued, determine which customers had purchased the resulting products and issue a product recall, when required by governmental authorities.
Recently, SYSPRO announced that SYSPRO ERP software also facilitates the ability of food and consumer product companies to fully comply with the recently passed FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the most sweeping reform of US food safety laws in more than 70 years. The Act aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from responding to contamination to preventing it. Congress has been adding new rules to the act since its passage, the target being to implement the same levels of safety as those governing pharmaceuticals.
About SYSPRO
Since its inception in 1978, SYSPRO has been delivering state-of-the-art business solutions to some of the world's leading companies. As a global leader in the production of world-class ERP software, the company now caters to the specialized needs of 14,000 licensed companies in more than 60 countries worldwide. SYSPRO is marketed globally through regional territory distribution centers and a global reseller network in the US, Canada, Africa, Asia Pacific, Australia and the UK.
SYSPRO is a fully integrated business software solution that provides complete control over the planning and management of all facets of business including accounting, manufacturing and distribution operations in a variety of industries.
For additional information on SYSPRO, call Stanley Goodrich at 714/437-1000 or go to www.syspro.com
All company names and products mentioned in this release are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.


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November 30, 2015
NEW YORK (AP) -- Media conglomerate News Corp. is set to appoint Robert Thomson, a veteran journalist and the managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, as the CEO of its new, as-yet-unnamed publishing company, according to a report in the Journal.
The paper cited unnamed "people familiar with the matter." News Corp. did not respond to a request for comment Saturday.
Thomson is also editor in chief of Dow Jones, the News Corp. division that includes the Journal and a financial news service.
News Corp. said this summer that it will split into two public companies, one for its newspaper and book publishing business and the other for its fast-growing movie and TV operations. Rupert Murdoch, whose family controls the New York-based conglomerate, will be chairman of both companies.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Teen baseball phenom: 'I'm not LeBron yet'
Pirates/MLB Videos
CARY, N.C. — Bryce Harper didn't flinch with television cameras focused on him, even though his upper body was tangled in microphone wires.
"Part of life, I guess," the 16-year-old quipped Tuesday.
And it has been since the baseball phenom announced plans earlier this month to skip his final two years of high school, take an equivalency test and play next season at a Nevada community college — a move that could accelerate the catcher's professional career.
Harper, who recently appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as baseball's Next Big Thing, has embraced the hype and attention.
"I'm not LeBron yet," Harper said, referring to NBA star LeBron James, who also appeared on the SI cover as a teenager. "He's doing bigger and better things. He's in the pros. He's doing all his stuff and has endorsements, and all that good stuff. I can't say I'm LeBron yet. I'm Bryce Harper. That's what I am.
"You can't really just rely on that" hype, Harper said. "I love the target on my back, and I love how scouts come out and watch, just all that stuff. I've just got to keep getting better."
Harper's hope is that the improvement comes quicker at the College of Southern Nevada next spring than it did at Las Vegas High School.
Saying he modeled his game after Mickey Mantle and Pete Rose, Harper hit .626 with 14 home runs and 55 RBIs as a sophomore this year. That, despite what he said was a lack of strikes thrown by pitchers determined to work around the slugger who hit the longest home run in the 12-year history of the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium, a 502-foot drive that came in a home run derby and off a metal bat.
"High school, you know, it was a great experience for two years, but I just wanted to get out of there (after) getting walked 42 times a year," said Harper, who is in the Raleigh suburb of Cary to play a weeklong tournament with his American Legion team at USA Baseball's training center. "I really wanted to swing the wood bat — if I could have swung the wood in high school, I would've.
"I'm not really skipping anything. I still get to go to the prom, still get to go to homecoming, still get to go do all that fun stuff. I get all the good things and just don't have to ... deal with the high school stuff, all that drama and everything. It was time to get out."
Harper's father, Ron, insisted the decision had nothing to do with giving his son a premature push into the 2010 baseball draft because "I haven't even gotten a 100 percent answer whether he is going to be eligible." Players may enter the draft at age 16 if they have completed high school.
"A lot of people say, 'You're the adult, you need to make that decision for him,"' Ron Harper said. "He is a pretty mature kid, and he's a good kid, and the level of baseball that he's been playing at, he needs to be pushed. I believe that, and he believes that."
He also brushed aside the criticism that his son has shortchanged his education, and said Bryce's backup plan is to become a fireman.
"We've taken every step to go in that direction (toward the draft) — if that works out, then so be it. If it doesn't, then Bryce will be playing again in junior college, which is fine with us," Ron Harper said. "We're planning for four years of college. ... It's just that now, he's moving on just a little sooner than everybody else."
Ron Harper also dismisses any notion that leaving school early is a bad idea.
"They're thinking, 'Here he is, setting his kid up for failure,"' he said. "When I put him on the baseball field when he was 3 years old, I set him up for failure, because it's a game built on failure."
Bryce Harper isn't worrying about failing.
He's well aware of how many can't-miss phenoms in baseball managed to do exactly that, and he doesn't want to be another one.
"I want to be the best guy ever, the best player who ever played the game," Harper said. "I'm not going to sit back on everything, say, 'I'm on the cover of SI, I'm doing this, I'm doing that.' ... I'm not where I want to be yet. This is a stepping stone. I just want to get better, play the game and hopefully be in the big leagues one day."Additional Information:
Roll the video ...
A look at the skills of sophomore phenom Bryce Harper, who plans on skipping his final two years of high school to get a jump on professional baseball.
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Olivia Chantecaille and I go way back, having first met six or seven years ago when I interviewed the striking beauty guru for a shopping column I used to write for Fashion Wire Daily.
So I was delighted when she recently invited me to Chantecaille's newly revamped Soho office for a sneak peek at their new collections and the skinny on her not-so-average workday. (Chantecaille was founded by Olivia's mother, Sylvie, in 1997 – her father, Olivier, and sister Alex now work for the company, as well.)
"Every day is so different, which is the fun part of my job," Olivia told me as we sat in a corner of the loft-like whitewashed space in front of a display of Chantecaille cosmetics, all of which I was dying to play with. "I wear so many hats. For example, tomorrow I'm going to one of our labs to work on our new spring colors for 2012, which is very exciting. They're actually a lab based in Italy, outside of Milan, but they have a satellite lab here [in upstate New York] where we can go and mix colors that they'll produce in Italy. It's a great, fun place to work with the technicians and be very creative and come up with all the new shades that were inspired by the current fashion trends."
Continue reading "At Work with Olivia Chantecaille" »


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- Filed Under
We all receive countless requests from special interest groups for contributions. They are usually presented as absolute necessities. Sometimes they are accompanied with small gifts to make us feel obligated to contribute to their cause. Should we comply with all such requests, we would face bankruptcy. We must instead establish a budget and learn to say "no."
Our legislators in Washington have learned neither to establish a budget nor to say no to special interest groups.
It is true that the solicitations they confront are much different from ours because they are presented often by highly paid lobbyists who offer funding for reelections, blocks of committed voters and anything else that will not violate the law. The outcome is completely predictable. We now must borrow 40 cents of every dollar they spend, and our national debt will soon reach $20 trillion.
The answer is simple. If they cannot learn to develop a budget and to say "no" to the special interests we must learn to say "no" when they seek reelection.


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Cedric Dione Jefferson
- Filed Under
Rapides Parish Sheriff's detectives who served a search warrant at an Alexandria house after complaints of meth sales found a drugs, guns, a convicted felon and a small child, according to the release.
The warrant was served Wednesday at 100 Mary Lane "in response to tips and complaints of methamphetamine sales from the residence," reads the release.
Three people - Cedric Dione Jefferson, 37; Mark Anthony Williams, 40; and Jessica Lynn Pace, 26, all of 100 Mary Lane - were found inside with a small child. A search of the house found about a half-ounce of crystal meth that had been packaged for ...


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Condom has a rough ride in black south-easter
Cape Town's largest condom had the ride of its life on Wednesday night when it was blown off the wall of the central city civic centre by gale-force winds.
Fortunately, the five-storey high banner, which depicts a realistic-looking (but not realistically sized) male contraceptive below the words "Condoms make it safer", did not prove dangerous to anyone's health.
"At least it didn't land on someone's head," said city medical officer of health Ivan Toms, the brains behind the condom. "No one was hurt. Basically the wind ripped it into pieces and now there are bits flapping on the building. I don't imagine I'll be able to get it up again."
Tom's condom has already been the centre of debate in the executive committee of the new Cape Town unicity, with some more conservative members feeling uncomfortable about the display of a 20m high, multi-coloured male penis - even if it is wrapped in rubber.
Mayor Peter Marais ruled that the giant banner could stay "for now" - but he didn't take Mother Nature into account.
"Perhaps we will replace it with something new," said Toms. "The idea was just to raise awareness about the dangers of HIV/Aids and to remind everyone in the city to protect themselves. We didn't mean to offend, but Aids isn't a subject you can handle with kid gloves."


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Posted on: May 15, 2011 12:09 pm
The Bullpen: What of it?
There's no getting around it: the Orioles bullpen has been terrible this year. Its 4.92 ERA is good for 26th in MLB, and at times it has seemed like every relief pitcher was struggling simultaneously. Only five clubs in MLB have allowed more walks from their bullpen. The .258 BAA is 24th in MLB. I do, however, see reasons for optimism in this area as the season progresses. It may never be turned to the strength many thought it might be, but it could and should be a serviceable unit over the long haul. Why do I feel this way? Well, it might get long and circle back on itself, but I think my reasoning is sound.
It really starts, though, with this: The Orioles bullpen is sixth in MLB in innings pitched. After watching years of this team feature a bullpen with decent arms that starts getting shelled at some point in the season, I have come to realize more and more that, for the most part, to find a good bullpen one should look where the starting pitching is best, and where that starting pitching is lasting the longest. Obviously it's not going to be a 1:1 tradeoff, but at a glance the trend does seem to more or less hold. Why is that? Because for the most part, pitchers are in a bullpen because, compared to other MLB pitchers, they are average to bad. There are, of course, exceptions - but almost all of those are closers or setup men. Middle relief is middle relief because those guys aren't very good. Given a small sample size (fewer innings) they are more likely to have better numbers than if they pitch more often.
After three straight nine-inning starts, the bullpen is going to be rested. I think we are already about to see a localized drop in their ERA and an improved performance. That won't hold up if our next three starters go 3, 5, and 2 1/3 or something, but the last couple of days have been huge for that unit.
On a second note, I think we, as fans, have overreacted to a couple of bad performances by these guys. If we look at them one at a time, I think we will all take comfort in what we see.
Kevin Gregg has blown two saves in nine tries. That's not ideal, but here is a list of pitchers other than Greggwho have blown two or more saves this year:
Ryan Franklin, Cardinals (4)
Brandon Lyon, Astros (4)
Matt Thornton, White Sox (4)
Fernando Rodney, Angels (3)
Sean Burnett, Nationals (3)
Brandon League, Mariners (3)
Nick Masset, Reds (3)
Tyler Clippard, Nationals (3)
Ryan Webb, Marlins (3)
Craig Kimbrel, Braves (3)
Mariano Rivera, Yankees (2)
Kerry Wood, Cubs (2)
Rafael Betancourt, Rockies (2)
Joe Nathan, Twins (2)
Joaquin Benoit, Tigers (2)
Brian Fuentes, Athletics (2)
Jeremy Affeldt, Giants (2)
Matt Belisle, Rockies (2)
Bobby Jenks, Red Sox (2)
Chris Ray, Mariners (2)
Chris Resop, Pirates (2)
Clay Hensley, Marlins (2)
Matt Capps, Twins (2)
Carlos Marmol, Cubs (2)
Jose Veras, Pirates (2)
Jeff Fulchino, Astros (2)
Joakim Soria, Royals (2)
David Robertson, Yankees (2)
Jordan Walden, Angels (2)
Mike Dunn, Marlins (2)
Luke Gregerson, Padres (2)
John Axford, Brewers (2)
Fernando Abad, Astros (2)
Vinnie Pestano, Indians (2)
That's a list of 35 guys, including Gregg, representing 23 teams. Only seven MLB teams lack a pitcher with two ore more saves, and of those the Rangers, Mets, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks all have three or more pitchers with one blown save. Only the Rays, Phillies, and Dodgers are in such good shape that they have had two or fewer pitchers blow only one save. I think that should give us some perspecive on where Gregg really stands among his peers. He isn't lighting the world on fire, but he's not close to the bottom of the barrel, either. Of the 34 pitchers listed above, 27 of them have worse ERAs for the season than does Kevin Gregg. Most of the damage was done in one bad outing on April 18th against the Twins...since that outing Gregg has pitched ten times and surrendered just one ER. So, we probably owe him a break at this point. Oh, and another tidbit: Gregg does have the lowest ERA among Orioles pitchers.
Koji Uehara is next in the O's bullpen in ERA, with an even 3. I am not so worried about him, to be completely honest. He's still the guy in this bullpen that I have the most confidence in when we hand him the ball. Consider: despite some struggles in late April/early May, his WHIP on the season is 0.93. He has struck out 18 batters while walking only 4. He hasn't walked a batter in May, so he looks to be back to pitching like himself, and all of th damage this month came on one swing. Since that outing, his ERA for the year has dropped by nearly a full run.
Jim Johnson has also struggled at times, pitching to an ERA of 4.05 out of the bullpen. And yet, his WHIP is an even 1.00 and he has a BAA of just .205. He has shown that he can be extremely effective at times while wildl ineffective at others. Well, isn't that what a bullpen pitcher usually is? A guy who isn't consistent enough to start but who can bring it on a given night? He's got some pitches that are simply nasty, and is still a valuable asset out there. He's the kind of guy who will win you some ballgames if used effectively, and one can tell almost right away if he has it based on whether his best pitch is working. I think Showalter is a good enough manager to make that work for us.
Jeremy Accardo is well behind his career numbers for the year. His 4.32 ERA is 0.34 high and his (atrocious) 1.62 WHIP is up by about the same total. Not that a 3.98/1.36 line is what you want to see, but this is a guy who has already appeared in half as many games (13) as in any year since 2007. He's not a guy I can guarantee we'll see a great improvement from...he had two great years, one awful year, and one virtual non-year while with Toronto...and so far, his numbers point to a mediocre but not awful year in Baltimore. BUT I firmly believe that the less we have to use him, the better those numbers will be.
With Jason Berken comes the point at which my thoughts begin to circle back on themselves. I don't think Jason Berken is good. I have always felt this way, and have virtually zero confidence in his abilities. The reason, in this case, that I think the bullpen is going to strengthen soon is that his innings will begin to be shared, and shared with someone better than Josh Rupe. Brian Matusz is about to return, and that return will push either Brad Bergesen (a pitcher coming off of a complete game, four-hit shutout) or Chris Tillman. Tillman is looking more and more like his destiny lies in the 'pen, but I think that could be a decent future. He seems to more often be the victim of a bad inning than sustained suck, and good managing (plus a little luck) can turn that to advantage in a reliever.
Michael Gonzalez, simply put, is just not going to be this bad over a full season. The last time he had a terrible ERA for a year was his first in the majors (2003 with Pittsburgh) when he appeared in just 16 games. Pitchers just don't, after 7 years in the lague, pitch to an ERA more than five runs above their career numbers. I just don't even acknowledge that as something that can happen. In his worst full season, Gonzalez had an ERA of 4.28, and if the 7.94 he's sitting on right now were to hold up it would be more than three and a half runs worse than that year. We just need to give him some time...this is a situation where, yeah, maybe he's not that good any more. However, even so he IS better than the numbers he has at this point in the year, and that wil prove out over the course of 162 games.
Clay Rapada. Well, I don't have a lot of positive things to say here. BUT an ERA of 11.12 is another number that isn't likely to sustain itself at that height. I would expect to see Rapada to continue to struggle, but I also expect him to be phased out with a healthy Brian Matusz. Similarly, we won't be relying on the awfulness of Chris Jakubauskas or Josh Rupe.
All of this boils down to: Our starters beginning to go deeper into games as they get into midsummer form, the return of Brian Matusz, the cutting of the chaff, and a couple of guys pitching like the pitchers they have been for their careers should minimize the problem that the Orioles bullpen has become in the early part of the season. I don't expect greatness out of this group, but I also am growing increasingly confident that they will be "good enough" through the dog days. Now, if only the bats would wake up...
Category: MLB
Posted on: July 6, 2009 7:34 am
Edited on: July 29, 2009 3:59 pm
If you've thrown a pitch for the '09 Orioles
And I don't get lazy and stop halfway though...Then I'm about to have some words of one kind or another for you. I'm gonna cite your key stats, tell you what I think you're doing right and wrong, and then say what your value to the organization is going forward. Be warned: I'm only pleased with a few of you. So, without further adeiu, and in order of innings pitched:
Jeremy Guthrie, you've pitched to a 5.20 ERA and a 1.4 WHIP, and that's not something I expected out of the guy who was second to Johan Santana in QS over the two prior seasons coming in. Your 19 HR allowed scare me. However, you still find the strike zone more often than not to the tune of a 2-1 K/BB ratio. You're trying too hard, something that's been thoroughly analyzed by fans at this site. You try to make every pitch the perfect pitch; consequently when you miss it's a meatball and it lands over the fence. Other than all the HR, you look like the ace I remember, so I think we need to keep you in the organization for at least a few more years. Your arm comes cheap compared to similar hurlers, and frankly you're our only veteran.
Brad Bergesen, you're one of four Orioles starters to win his MLB debut this season, and the only pitcher besides Guthrie to throw more than 90 innings so far. Your 3.53 ERA and 1.16 WHIP means you've been the team's best starter, and you do it without walking people too much. This organization needs pitchers who can find the strike zone and keep a good head on their shoulders. You're going deep in games and truly dealing. Your future is here and it's in the rotation.
Koji Uehara, your 4.05 ERA and 1.25 WHIP look OK on the surface, but the telling stat is when your numbers are split by time through the order. You're excellent the first time through, below average the second time through, and god-awful the third time through. They're figuring out your stuff and you're not adjusting. However, you are stirking out four times the batters you're walking, and those are great numbers to have for a team that has struggled mightily with walks for the better part of a decade. You belong as an Oriole, but your inability to adjust to hitters and to hold up with a high inning count means you need to be middle relief (when you get healthy). In that role you could be very effective for a contending team, and so I think the brass needs to recognize this and keep you around.
Mark Hendrickson, The 4.86 ERA you've posted looks pretty bad on the surface. However, as a reliever (3.20) it's better than 3 runs down from as a starter (6.32). Once you were moved to the bullpen, you became effective. Your stuff just isn't that great, but you have a career of moderate success and for a struggling organization that's valuable. I don't think you have long-term value to the Birds, but for this year and perhaps one or two more your veteran presence and ability to go out and throw multiple innings, including spot-starts if necessary, is nice to have around.
Brian Bass, we're just past the halfway point and you hae a 4.71 ERA and 1.59 WHIP...the fact that you still rank in top 5 on the team in innings (and the secondary fact that it's below 50) tells us something about the state of our pitching. You did have a couple of effective months, but like most mediocre relievers you are streaky. Your stuff isn't great, and frankly you're just taking up a roster spot since we have several guys who could pitch to those numbers in long relief. Unlike some of the other pitchers, you don't make up for your mediocre numbers by throwing strikes.
Rich J. Hill, you have a 7.43 ERA and 1.80 WHIP. You've walked 31 batters (most on the team) and only struck out 39. The raw ability we've heard about just doesn't seem to be there. You don't command any pitch but your fastball, and it doesn't have great life. You have a curve, but more than half the time you can't get it working. You're wild, and are really the only truly wild starter left on the roster. All of that combines to suggest that the Orioles should be done with you. Perhaps you can get your stuff figured out in another organization.
Danys Baez, despite your 4.5 ERA you have at times been the O's most effective reliever. After your surgery your fastball has newfound life, but like all pitchers who rely on one pitch you are sometimes vulnerable to good hitters sitting on that pitch. One of the great moments of the season was when you blew one fastball right by a sick Ryan Howard only to have him jack the next one. I don't blame you; it sure didn't look like he could catch up to your stuff. I'm unsure if you have more value to the Orioles via trade or kept on for several years as a mid-to-late reliever.
Adam Eaton, I have little to say. Your time has come and gone to the tune of an 8+ ERA and 1.83 WHIP. While you were acquiring these numbers you had all of one successful outing which came when you were saving your job...which only served to convince the organization to keep you one or two starts longer than it should have.
Jason Berken, you had a great first start, winning your debut like so many have for us this season. However, since your ERA has bloated up to 6.25. What I see from you is flat stuff that is good enough to foll hitters no more than once a game. I like the head you've got on your shoulders, because you've shown composure, but I don't think it's a good enough head for you to be crafty enough to get MLB hitters out consistently with what appears to be average stuff. I think the organization should be patient with you in case I'm wrong, but I doubt there'll be much value in keeping you with the parent club in 2010.
Jim R. Johnson, I don't think the 3.00 ERA and 1.26 WHIP are indicative of how truly effective you have been for the most part...your numbers, like many short relievers, are highly inflated by your limited innings. Hitters are frequently simplay outmatched by your stuff, and frankly I think it's between you and Chris Ray for the best ability among Orioles relievers (and you've been harnessing it to greater effect). I, for one, would be most upset if the FO elected to part ways with you.
Matt Albers, while your ERA is close to 4 we're finally starting to see signs that you're the pitcher you were before your injury. Batters hit about .400 against you in April, while in June that number was down to .250. I still get the sense from watching you that you haven't pitched enough innings to be quite right again, but I think the O's should hang on to you because it wouldn't surprise me to see the hurler they had in early 2008 re-emerge for good.
I have again run out of time, at about the halfway point of this analysis. I will again return and complete my evaluation shortly.
EDIT: Way too late to update this and have the rest of the numbers make any sense. Oh well, there's half of the pitching staff.
Category: MLB
Posted on: May 15, 2009 12:21 pm
Edited on: May 15, 2009 4:46 pm
Breaking Down the Birds: the Base on Balls
This decade, most years the Orioles have been among the leaders in MLB in issuing the base on balls almost every year, it seems. They've also been below .500 for that whole span. I thought there was certainly a correlation there. That the free passes were a major contributor to high ERAs and thus losses. All of this seemed a natural thing to assume. It seemed like a walk was scoring and breaking the team's back every night...but th evidence of this year seems to point in the opposite direction. This year, the Orioles are issuing many fewer walks, and are in fact among the better staffs in that category. Yet they remain in last place, and in May are already quite a few games below .500. Do walks really not matter as much as I'd thought, or is there some other variable that I've yet to discover offsetting the improvement in walks? O's fans, let's investigate.
For one thing, the staff has allowed the second-most home runs in baseball (most in the AL)...but they were doing so last year while also issuing all those walks, so this wouldn't seem to be the variable we're looking for. They're also leading baseball in BAA, which may be the factor; after all, if the baserunners are getting on they're getting on, regardless of the method. Still, the Orioles were 28th of 30 teams in THAT category in 2008, and walks are down more than this BAA is up. It seems there isn't a simple answer. What is producing this maddening result? How can more control be leading to a higher team ERA? Breaking down each pitcher may be the only way to reach the truth of the matter.
Jeremy Guthrie: Guthrie has issued 16 walks in his 46.2 IP, good for about a 3 BB/9. Not great, to be sure...still, it's much better than the average Baltimore pitcher from last year, who issued 4.35 per 9. So why has Guthrie's ERA ballooned to 5.21? Well, Guthrie is among the league leaders in XBH allowed, and has allowed 98 total bases, second only to Ricky Nolasco of the Marlins. That certainly solves the mystery in his case. The ace of a pitching staff should not be sniffing the top of those categories.
Koji Uehara: He's walked but 7 batters all year, good for a 1.48/9 IP mark. Not too shabby. Only one guy with at least 40 innings (Kevin Slowey) has managed better. And yet, Koji is saddled with a 4.01 ERA and 2-3 record. So what's this guy doing wrong? Well, I know from watching that it seems every time he comes out of the game the 'pen lets his runners score. His run support isn't great, especially from a lineup averaging pretty good numbers. He has a pretty smart WHIP of 1.13. Uehara is the victim of a few homers (6), a bad bullpen, and unfortunate run support. Part 2 of mystery solved.
Mark Hendrickson: Here is the easiest of the starters to figure out. For one thing, He's walking 4.13 per 9, not all that far below the team average last year. For another, he's given up 42 hits and 7 HR in just 28.1 innings...bringing his WHIP to a staggering 1.94. Simply put, he isn't throwing like a major league starter. This is one fifth of the rotation that is no mystery at all.
Adam Eaton: Eaton actually has a similar problem to that of Hendrickson; up over 4 BB/9, and a higher ERA but lower WHIP. So actually, make that 2/5 of the rotation that aren't mysteries. It begins to come clearer what's going on.
Brad Bergesen: Bergesen is issuing a little more than two and a half free passes per nine. Pretty good. So what's HIS problem? Well, for one thing, he ranks 156th among pitchers with at least 20 innings in BAA, at .348. .348!! That's horrendous. He has an excuse because he's learning, and I'll take a rookie giving up hits and not walking people over the alternative, but one need look no further than that number to solve Beresen's part of the mystery.
Alfredo Simon: Simon only put together 2 starts before his injury, but he only lasted 6.1 innings total and walked 2 (works out to about 3 per game). He isn't really worth mentioning, but is here in the interest of completeness. His OPS against was 1.242...
After a look at the starters, a picture begins to emerge. 3 of the 5 starters are much better than the Orioles' staff was last year in this important category, but the other two are only marginally better. Still, it is worth noting that all 6 men who have started games for the Birds this season have walked fewer per nine than the O's did collectively last season. So one would expect improvement in the ERA, but instead we're seeing inflation (overall ERA from 5.13 to 5.44; starters' ERA from 5.51 to 5.62). When examined closer, though, Guthrie's extra-base hits, Uehara's hard luck, and Bergesen's hits begin to make sense of the mess.
Still, the starters so far are responsible for only 54% of the walks over 60% of the innings...which means both that the bullpen has been doing worse in this area and that the 'pen has been a significant contributor to the team's ERA and losses. Taking a look at the bullpen numbers, the ERA is up almost a run over last year, and they are walking about 3.8 per 9 in '09. That's fully 1 less walk per game than the number that unit posted in 2008. Is the problem here similar to that in the rotation?
Well, collectively the league is hitting .298 off of Baltimore relievers. That number is up 30 points...but is that alone enough to account for 1 fewer walk per game? Well, working out the math says that the increased batting average accounts for 11 extra baserunners over the 123.2 innings worked by the 'pen this year. Over the same span, the decrease in walks has prevented about 14 baserunners...and so the high BAA isn't the whole story. It seems that in this case, the number worth looking at is the OPS against...which in 2009 is a whopping .860, good for last in baseball. That number is up a whopping 97 points from last years', more than enough to account for it.
What has all this investigation told us? Well, perhaps the obvious. All things being equal, fewer walks means fewer runs means more wins. It also tells me, though, that I was wrong in assuming that simply coaxing more strikes out of the staff as a whole can cause a ripple effect. I had always thought "if they'd just stop walking people, the rest will average out." So far, that simply hasn't happened. The single largest factor, as evidenced by Guthrie and the bullpen, working against that lower walk total is the staggering number of extra-base hits allowed by the Orioles (151 through 35 games). As Jim Palmer would likely say "well, there's throwing strikes, and then there's throwing quality strikes." Despite the ERA evidence from the first month and a half, I think the move to the first half of that statement is one step forward. Now if they can get personnel who can execute the second part, the Birds will be in business.
Category: MLB
Posted on: February 18, 2009 12:24 pm
Edited on: February 18, 2009 12:27 pm
Building a pitching staff in Baltimore
So, entering Spring training the Orioles have two sure answers for their opening day 5-man rotation and a wealth of solid options in the bullpen. What they have beyond that is an astounding number of question marks, and it's hard to see them being immediately competitive (or even climbing out of last place this season) because of that. However, it seems to me that Andy MacPhail and the rest of the front office are doing exactly what they need to to get better in the long run. They have solidified all of the positions on the field and spots in the lineup, right down to the bench and acquired a wealth of young (and not-so-young) arms to experiment with. Now the Orioles will have a year or two of evaluation, to hone things down to a solid starting staff of the future, and 2 or 3 years from now will be the time to supplement all this great young talent with a big Free Agent signing or three to get them over the hump. This is all, of course, provided they evaluate the talent they have properly and bring it through the organization at the right pace and with the right mindset. With some coaching staff adjustments and a trend toward more control, the O's are in a very good position to do that.
Now to the immediate problem: The Orioles have 27 pitchers on their Spring Training Roster, and 10 more as non-roster invitees. So how do you hone 37 guys down to a 13 man staff, and 5 starters, in a month? It is clear that the 13 guys they begin the season with will not be the same 13 they end the season with, as more younger guys will get a shot if they fare well in the minors, but who do they break camp with? This is my attempt to sort out the madness before any live competition takes place.
I'll start, just like the O's will, with the list of 37 players.
On the Roster
Jim Johnson
Non-Roster Invitees
Wow. That's quite the list of names. For non-Orioles fans I'm sure few of them jump out as great options, but there is a TON of upside attached to a number of those names. But who's ready?
Step 1 - The Obvious Stuff
Now it's time to begin whittling down the list. Some of this process will be easy, but in a way it will make the next couple steps even more difficult.
1A. Locks for the rotation:
Jeremy Guthrie
Koji Uehara (we didn't sign him to pitch in the minors)
1B. Locks for the bullpen:
Danys Baez (I know they've said they'll look at him for a starting role, but after the injury and a career as a reliever, with all the guys the O's have acquired, I'm just not Baeing it).
Jim Johnson (Some have tabbed him as a potential starter, but the way he pitched in his relief role last year tells me that would be a mistake. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.)
Chris Ray (I can't wait to see if he's the pitcher he was before he got hurt.)
Dennis Sarfate (I suppose he COULD get upstaged by someone else, but his experience is invaluable)
George Sherrill (Who will be the closer? Personally, I like Ray in the ninth with Sherril and/or Johnson in the 8th)
Jamie Walker (I could see him being released or traded sometime this year, but with this much experience we'll break camp with him on the parent club)
1C. locks for the team:
Mark Hendrickson (he's a special case and will wind up in either a starting or long-relief role, depending on how the Spring goes. I'd put Albers here but he may need to rehabilitate in the minors first)
So, that leaves the Orioles with a shorter list of players competing for a short list of spots. Nine spots on the team seem guaranteed with 4 remaining...either 3 rotation slots and one reliever or two and two, depending on how Hendrickson's value is determined. It sounds less overwhelming put this way, until one realizes that there are 28 names vying for those 4 spots. Yikes!
Step 2 - Sorting out the relievers from the starters
Keep in mind that this is based primarily on what they've done so far in their careers...many of the "starters" could end up pitching in relief at some point or vice versa, but I think there's a good chance that a career starter won't break camp in the MLB bullpen or vice versa.
Brian Bass, Bradley Bergesen, David Hernandez, Rich Hill, Radhames Liz, Brian Matusz, Troy Patton, David Pauley. Hayden Penn, Chorye Spoone, Chris Waters, Jake Arrieta, Andy Mitchell, Chris Tillman
Matt Albers (because of the injury - he could start later in the season), Jim Hoey, Bob McCrory, Kam Mickolio, Jim Miller, Wilfrido Perez, Alfredo Simon, Alberto Castillo, Scott Chiasson, Fredy Deza, Brad Hennessey, Ryan Keefer, John Parrish, Ross Wolf
So it looks like an even split with 14 guys competing for the last spots in each role. Time to thin the herd a bit.
Step 3 - Identifying the top candidates to start
3A. Who's (definitely) not ready:
Brian Matusz He should progress quickly but has virtually no professional innings under his belt. Not a guy to break camp with.
Troy Patton Love the kid's upside, but let's see how he pitches in AA or AAA before we promote him. Injuries like his need time to evaluate.
Chorye Spoone He's been highly touted within the organization, but he has put up mediocre numbers at the lower levels and we have far too many pitchers with more upside than him for Spoone to realistically have a shot.
Jake Arrieta Great numbers so far and great potential, but he's only pitched at A Frederick. Can't wait to see him, but the O's need to avoid rushing him.
3B. Who might not be ready:
Three guys had fantastic numbers at AA Bowie but have not yet pitched above that level. They are Bradley Bergesen, David Hernandez, and Chris Tillman. A fourth guy has had some success in a couple seasons at AAA Norfolk (Andy Mitchell) but is a non-roster invitee for a reason. I personally don't see any of these guys cracking the opening day roster unless they have dazzling Spring numbers.
3C. So, your contenders are:
Brian Bass, Rich Hill, Radhames Liz, David Pauley, Hayden Penn, and Chris Waters. None of them has great MLB numbers, but all have experience at the big show. As I've said, any of the four guys under 3B could surpass the field and get a spot, but I consider them long shots who may deserve a chance later in the season.
3D. My favorites and my prediction:
Personally, I think Rich Hill, Chris Waters, and Brian Bass deserve to make the cut...with Bass being the odd man out of Hendrickson is tabbed as a starter. I think Trembley will select Rich Hill, Hayden Penn, and Mark Hendrickson as his opening-day 5 (in unknown order) but personally I don't see Penn turning his career around in Baltimore and I think Hendrickson would be more valuable in the bullpen.
Step 4 - Identifying the top candidates for the 'pen
4A. Injuries to think of:
My heart tells me to put Matt Albers straght onto the MLB roster because he's a great kid with talent and success at this level. My brain tells me he needs to start the season in the minors and work his way back from that injury. Since he elected therapy instead of surgery, he needs to work back slowly.
Jim Hoey is also working his way back from injury, and his MLB numbers are terrible even before that. Kid needs seasoning and rehab.
4B. Need more time:
Scott Chiasson He simply hasn't performed well in the NL, and needs to pitch in the minors first.
Fredy Deza Promising numbers last year but only in 6 games.
Ross Wolf Same as Chiasson
4C. The other long shots:
As with the starters, the folks listed here would need excellent Springs to make the team. They are Wilfrido Perez (great at AA with no MLB experience), Alfredo Simon (mediocre and limited MLB numbers), and Ryan Keefer (his ERA wasn't very good in the minors as a reliever).
4D. So your contenders are:
Bob McCrory, Kam Mickolio, Jim Miller, Alberto Castillo, Brad Hennessey, and John Parrish.
4E. My favorites and my prediction:
Personally, I like Brad Hennessey and Mark Hendrickson to take the last two bullpen slots out of camp. However, as I noted above, I think Trembley will tab Hendrickson as a starter, and probably select John PArrish as his last reliever (along with Hennessey). A final thought is that Bob McCrory and Kam Mickolio seem to be much better than their lofty ERAs at the MLB level indicate. Keep in mind that McCrory has had two bad outings, and started with a 108 ERA by allowing 4 runs to TB in .1 innings. Any time you shave 93 points off of your ERA you're moving in the right direction. Mickolio had a similar spike in ERA (at 27) but has consistently brought it down since.
Well, I hope you stayed with me through all that blab, O's fans, and I hope you have found them interesting and useful in making sense out of the Spring. Please comment with any thoughts you may have. What did I miss? Who do you like that I didn't tab? Who do I like that you thinkis terrible? Please, weigh in.
Category: MLB
Tags: Alberto Castillo, Alfredo Simon, Andy Mitchell, Baltimore, Bob McCrory, Brad Hennessey, Bradley Bergesen, Brian Bass, Brian Matusz, bullpen, Chorye Spoone, Chris Ray, Chris Tillman, Chris Waters, Danys Baez, David Hernandez, David Pauley. Hayden Penn, Fredy Deza, George Sherrill, Jake Arrieta, Jamie Walker, Jeremy Guthrie, Jim Hoey, Jim Miller, John Parrish, Kam Mickolio, Koji Uehara, Mark Hendrickson, Matt Albers, Orioles, Radhames Liz, Rich Hill, Ross Wolf, Ryan Keefer, Scott Chiasson, Spring Training, starting rotation, Troy Patton, Wilfrido Perez
Posted on: April 8, 2008 7:20 am
Edited on: April 11, 2008 7:22 am
Orioles Organizational Report 2: AA Bowie
OK, I've been sitting on this information for a while because I didn't have a good block of time to sit and type. I present to you the AA Bowie Baysox annotated roster. I know, I know, we all want to see the Keys because that's probably the more exciting team to read about. They're coming. I have most of that one ready too. Remember, the key is as follows: New faces for the rebuild, old faces who are part of the rebuild, new faces to fill holes, and
Ben Davis This guy has been around all over the place, majors and minors. Not realistically going to contribute to any sort of rebuild.
Zach Dillon He was part of that Frederick championship team, batting .275; ok for the C position. Could get on the radar with repeat success at this level.
Blake Davis Not really a star, but he has an advantage because he plays SS, where the organization is sorely lacking in depth.
Ryan Finan Flirted with greatness (for A-ball) at times with Frederick, contributing 64 RBI and 35 extra-base hits to their title run. Another guy who may benefit from the organization being shallow at his position.
Jeff Nettles He may have been picked up in hopes that he'd finally break out. I remember thinking he looked good years ago, but now I think he's a washout. Could be another Tike Redman type, coming back from independent leagues to moderate success.
Carlos Rojas Not sure what the deal is with him; he's listed as "utility" on AA Roster, which probably says something negative. He has shown improvement each year of his short career, though.
Kennard Jones Had a decent season for Frederick, and has good speed. Seems to fit the Cory Patterson MO. Been around too long for me to expect too much of him.
Nolan Reimold I hope to see him move up soon. He KILLS left handed pitching, slugging .818 against lefties in limited time lat year (oblique). His name has been tossed around a lot the last couple years.
Mike Rodriguez IMHO a longshot to make any kind of move. He's consistently batted in the .270s in his pro career, which is OK, but has showed no improvement really.
Gerardo Casadiego Could make some appearance at the ML level in the 'pen, has done reasonably well as a reliever. Nothing to write home about, though.
Julio Manon Despite his limited succes with the Orioles, I like his chances to make it back. 33 SO in 22.1 IP last year...wow!
Kam Mickolio Ahhhh the Erik Bedard trade. 'nuff said.
Jim Miller Sort of lost in the mix of relief pitchers here. Not all bad though.
Chorye Spoone Very highly regarded. He, along with Mickolio and Tillman, are a sort of pitching triumvirate down here. Which one's Pompey?
Chris Tillman I have learned from doing these reports just how amazing that Erik Bedard trade was.
Well, this roster doesn't have as much to show for it as Norfolk, but like the whole Orioles organization it's stacked with pitchers. Nolan Reimold is the only position player who I think has a real shot at major league success, but there are some other intrigung guys, and they should make for a decent AA squad. Exacerbating our lack of infield depth are injuries to Paco Figueroa and Michael Garciaparra (out for a week for each vowel in their names?) As said above, I love Mickolio, Tillman, and Spoone all pitching for the same squad. I think this team's brightest spot is relief pitching. I envision Spoone taking that role (just a hunch) eventually, and Mickolio, Manon, and Casadiego are already looking good out of the 'pen.
Posted on: April 5, 2008 11:47 am
Edited on: April 5, 2008 11:53 am
Orioles Organizational Report 1: AAA Norfolk
Hey folks! I'm going to start posting some minor league stuff to my blog, a place all the O's fans on these boards can come to get info on just how the farm is going. I figured since I was going to start following the minors more closely, and since the team sites are all separate, I would consolidate some information in one place. I'm coming into this somewhat blind since I haven't payed much attention to the minors in the past. The info might be a little sketchy to begin, but I'm going to try to get better as I go.
I'm starting by doing annotated rosters. I got the roster info from each team's official site, or minorleaguebaseball.com, and I added a blurb about each player mentioning what I know about them, or could find with a quick search. I also have divided players into four categories: New faces for the rebuild, old faces who are part of the rebuild, new faces to fill holes, and
Chris Heintz This is a guy who's been around we picked up in case Quiroz doesn't perform. Not really part of the rebuild.
Omir Santos Came over from the Yanks organization, where he was held in high regard. He could be second on the
ML depth chart in 2011.
Mike Costanzo Piece from the Tejada trade and part of the movement. Let's watch this guy closely.
Alex Cintron Cubs played games for Roberts with him. Signed for now to pressure the young infielders at the ML level.
Oscar Salazar Not part of the solution. Castoff from everywhere who doesn't impress me.
Sebastien Boucher Played for team Canada. Visa problems delayed his progression, but I think this gentleman could be a
surprise talent. We got him for John Parrish.
Tike Redman He impressed me last year by overachieving. If he gets through the rebuild as a backup outfielder it would be OK.
Chris Roberson Another young outfielder meant to revitalize that part of the organization.
Jim Johnson A prospect from inside the organization. I think it would be best for him to send him elsewhere, because I just
don't see him emerging past all the other prospects.
Radhames Liz I'll just let everyone make up their own. We know Liz.
Craig Anderson Another young pitcher putting up good minor league numbers. He isn't heralded like many of the others, though.
Jon Leicester I guess he's part of the rebuild in terms of volume of prospects. Injury has kept him down, and I doubt he'll
amount to much in the long run.
Bob McCrory Reliever with tremendous upside. could be a closer if Ray doesn't recover well from surgery.
Lance Cormier Grabbed from the Atlanta organization to compete for that 5th rotation and/or longman spot.
A long-shot to emerge, but still eant as part of our pitching movement.
Roberto Novoa A reliever from the Cubs org. who had a promising 2006 but missed 2007 with injury. Go MacPhail.
Garrett Olson Another kid we know all about.
Hayden Penn Sigh. I hope this kid stays healthy so we can find out how good he actually is.
Esteban Yan Absolute LOL. not sure he'll ever see MLB again, but welcome back geriatric reliever. Can we say Jesse Orosco?
Andy Mitchell A reliever I know next to nothing about. Little help, anyone?
It's worth noting that there are three additional pitchers on the AAA DL: Cory Doyne, Fredy Deza, and Sean Tracey. I've heard alternately good and bad things about all of these guys, and any of them could end up contributing to this deep rebuilding movement. Beyond the obvious (pitching) we don't have a whole lot at the AAA level in terms of the future. We do have three outfielders (Boucher, Redman, and Roberson) who I like but I see them more as potential future bench players (solid bench players, but still not starters). There's also Omir Santos, who I like to eventually back up Weiters. In terms of infielders we really only have Costanzo as far as legitimate prospects go. I think he's the least likely of the ten players from our two big trades to amount to anything.
So, we're certainly deep at both SP and bullpen, have a few bright spots in the outfield, and are sorely lacking in infielders at the AAA level. I guess that's what everyone's been saying, but there it is broken down.
Posted on: February 17, 2008 10:13 am
Orioles best case scenario part 1
Part I: Overall results and standings
I am going to consolidate here my thoughts from a lot of threads on the Orioles board. I will later break it down by infield, outfield, starters, 'pen, and bench. I am cautiously optimistic about this rebuilding project, in that I don't think it will necessarily translate to a 100-loss season or two before we get good.
This year, I think best-case scenario the Orioles will go 76-86, or something like that. 10 games under is a reasonable goal for a group of young guys with somewhat limited veteran leadership. I want to wait to evaluate things piece by piece until we know if Roberts is with us out of training camp, though. There are several reasons why I think an improvement over last year is possible, and perhaps even likely.
1) The Orioles performed fairly well last year (until the 30-3 drubbing derailed things) for a team as injured as it was. The thing is, there are a lot of qualifiers in that sentence. That awful day wasn't so much the thing that set the losing streak in motion; more it was a sign of how tired that team was. There were 6 starting pitchers (plus one from AAA who was poised to help out) who missed a month or more. That put pressure on the 'pen to eat a ton of innings and removed the long men from the bullpen equation. The bullpen itself was also not healthy, especially at the end of the year. It wasn't just Chris Ray and Danys Baez, either. They were hurt, and played with injury most of the season, but Williamson went down before the season ever started, Shuey never was able to return from injury, Sendy Rleal was on the DL long enough to get designated for assignment, Todd Williams disappeared from baseball, and the list goes on. Despite all that before the 30-3 drubbing (which happened in late August, by the way) the Orioles were 3rd in the AL in staff ERA behind Boston and Oakland.
1a) What I mean by the above is that even though Bedard is gone, the rest of last year's pitching staff wasn't as bad as the numbers made it look. Also, except for Bedard, I truly feel that most of the replacement players are better than those who left. Jeremy Guthrie and Adam Loewen aren't quite the 1-2 punch that Bedard and either would be, but they're both very capable pitchers. If this pitching staff says healthy, it should be at worst nearly as good and at best better than last year.
2) The offense may also improve, because some players who should produce had down years last year, and those we lost didn't have good years offensively either. Ramon Hernandez, Jay Payton, Aubrey Huff, Jay Gibbons, and Melvin Mora ALL had years that were atypical of their career numbers. I know they're all aging, but most, if not all, of them could easily improve over last year's numbers, especially Hernandez and Huff. I don't think Gibbons is very good, but he is much better than last year shows. The offense dealt with a lot of injuries too, and most of the guys who were ailing then are healthy now. The new young guys will provide an extra spark. Small ball should improve. competition will beget some guys to have much better years than they would otherwise.
3) The team should be better defensively as well, because youth movements tend to be accompanied by excellent defense.
4) The Orioles lost over 30 1-run games last year, and hardly won any. This says to me that even a slight improvement could pick up 10-15 games, and even if they're slightly worse talent-wise it doesn't mean they'll lose more games. the number of heartbreakers last year was enormous.
There are counterarguments, of course, most notably that I'm comparing last year's team to this years and the personnel has undergone a major series of changes. Another is that the Rays are improved over last year, while the Sox and Yanks are about the same. The Orioles picked up a lot of wins over the Rays, and those should be more challenging this time around. I'm not really saying the Orioles will improve this year in wins-losses, just that they can. As the title of the thread says, Best Case Scenario.
Posted on: February 13, 2008 10:21 pm
Who will be the Orioles fifth starter?
It seems like 4 slots in Baltimore's rotation are pretty much locked up with the signing of Steve Trachsel to a minor league deal. The question now has to become: who the heck will grab the last slot? The O's are deep on pitching in the minors, especially after the two big offseason trades. The thing is, none of those guys screams "I'm ready to start all season!" So, I compiled a list of all pitchers on the 40-man Roster and the non-roster invitees who have started at least one game in the majors. I looked at a few key stats to guage experience and readiness as well as performance in the majors. My guy is Troy Patton, and here's why:
In terms of experience, after Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, Daniel Cabrera, and Steve Trachsel (who are certainly the favorites for rotation spots 1-4) the guy with the next most (well, more than some of the above) is Esteban Yan. Yes, the long-time reliever has had more spot starts in his career than any of the O's young guns. OK, so scratch him from the list-he's definitely no one's full-season starting pitcher. Then there's Lance Cormier. With 23 starts and 244 IP, he's logged a 5.98 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and K/BB ratio of only 1.22. More pitchers with control problems are NOT what the O's need. Another newcomer is Matt Albers, but his numbers don't look much better than Cormier's.
Then there are five guys who have been noteworthy from inside the Orioles organization over the last couple of years: Brian Burress, Garrett Olson, Hayden Penn, Jon Leicester, and Radhames Liz. Burress did some good things for the team last year, but I think that 1) he doesn't have the durability to start all year, 2) his numbers weren't good enough to throw him in ahead of one of our hot young prospects, and 3) he'd serve the team better as a likely oft-needed long man. Olson may or may not be ready, but he wasn't last year. He pitched to nearly an 8 ERA and over a 2.1 WHIP. Then there's Penn, who has been injury prone and largely ineffective when called up. I'm talking 9.31 ERA ineffective. Leicester is another guy who really is more suited to the bullpen. I don't think he's in the O's plans to be cultivated as a starting pitcher. Then there's Liz. He looks like he has amazing stuff, but what I see from him is Daniel Cabrera 2. He can zing it in there, at times he's untouchable, but he's wild and hasn't settled in. I hear he is a very good pupil, though, and so for the future he's the guy this team wants to work on. I think Patton could be ready NOW though, whereas Liz might benefit from half a season in the minors.
That leads me to Patton. He's the only person on this list with under a 5 ERA (it's 3.55). His SO/BB ratio is second to Yan at 2 even, and his WHIP is an impressive 1.11. Now, he is also the least experienced, and those numbers are not as meaningful as they look because they're only through 2 starts and 12 2/3 innings of work. That's a pretty solid 12 2/3 though.
I realize I have a somewhat weak case because first, prospects aren't all about their numbers in he bigs, second Patton has hardly any track record to go on. I like digging into the numbers, though, and they tell me this Patton kid has potential.


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Gavin Ross wrote:
Would serial comms handle using a single channel/port to address multiple linked devices. I want to send a bitstream which inludes, as the first two bytes, the address of the micro controller that it refers to. Only if the address matches its internal address, will the micro controller respond else it will ignore the comms. Or would I need to have each micro controller action the serial event and either respond or send it to the next device in the chain on a different port?


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Want Access To Exclusive Fitness Assistance?Sign up for our program and create an account here get access to online traning materials, meal plans, home exercises and tips to help you keep it off! If your account has been approved, click here to log in. Thanks!
Before the boot camp, I went to the gym, ran, and lifted weights about 3-4 times a week. One thing I was concerned about with starting a program is that I can get bored fairly soon with it or that it might not be fun. Mike does a great job of keeping me motivated and kept in contact with me throughout the entire camp. If you are thinking about trying the camp the best way to learn is by doing. Everyone works at their own level and Mike keeps you going with encouragement. Thanks Mike!" "
-Dr. Trent Maly, D.C., Lincoln, NE


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Grade history
UCLA Department of Psychology: 98TB - Spring 2006
Pass: 0 ~ No Pass: 0 ~ Satisfactory: 0 ~ Unsatisfactory: 0 ~ Incomplete: 0
Be warned, this class is very enjoyed but its a lot of reading and her test are very detailed oriented. I found the class to be easy but the test was a little difficult. I read all the chapters and studied for hours but still found the questions confusing. I do recommend the class. Very informative
Overall, I recommend Peplau...lectures were mostly interesting, even though I agree that it was annoying how she takes off the slides after like 10 seconds. The paper was based on your choice of 3 movies & was easy, the midterm was pretty fair, she offered extra credit, and the movies shown in class were interesting & worth staying for (she asks a few exam questions on them btw). However, the final totally threw me off. Many of the questions were worded ambiguously & some seemed to have multiple answers. Many students were having problems during the final & she was running back & forth trying to clear up questions. Take this class, but make sure you do great on everything else before her super-tricky final
This was a very good class and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend it to everyone if you have enough time and effort to put into it. Their is allot of reading to do and the test are some what detailed as well. I busted my butt of studying for this class and doing the readings but I still ended up getting only a B grade. But, on the other hand, everything that you need to read is very interesting and quite enjoyable. I got allot and learned very much from this class. The test are pretty reasonable I guess, if you do all the readings and study very very well the about 30 chapters and class notes as well.
Peplau is one of the most biased "researchers" I have ever met. The whole class was one big "Women Rock" session. Perhaps the title should be changed to "Women are better than Men." For example, she would tell us that men and women should both be assumed to enjoy sex and have a right to enjoy sex. Then she shows a video on how women do most of the chores. In this video we have the men talking about how when they help their wives with chores, they get more sex. Ok...so women should use sex as a tool? as a reward? like we wouldn't want to have sex for the joy in that? we must be nonsexual beings. By the end of 2nd week I felt like if I heard "you go girl," shouted one more time, I would have to puke. If you have any respect for gender equality then this class will just frustrate you.
I took psych of gender with Professor Peplau and overall I would recommend taking her class. Don't be fooled though, during the first lecture she puts on this sort of intimidating "front" where she explains all the tedious work you have to do and how her multiple choice exams are "tricky" and "difficult" but if you read the material you'll do just fine (so don't drop it unless you have a really full course load). The only problem was when taking lecture notes (she uses an overhead projector) she would quickly take it down and when people in the class asked her to put it back up she would have this slight arrogance about her and would continue on with lecture or leave it up there for half a second (a bit snappy and the people in the back would just laugh it off). If you need to take a psych elective though and don't mind all the reading you have to do and tedious papers and video questionnaires then by all means take her. And once again just ignore the comments during the first day about how her exams are so hard (I think maybe she does it just so she can maintain the class size she wants thus getting people to drop)
really great class. i would say that i learned so much and really enjoyed going to this class, but it was not easy! be willing to put in the time for the reading and you'll do well. a lot of info in 10 weeks. peplau does a great job of structuring the class and is very very fair... i do wish the final wasn't so difficult (well, as difficult as a multiple choice test can be. take it seriously, thats what i learned). i would highly recommend this class to anyone for the simple fact that i think the info in this class is something everyone should be exposed to.
The class was informative, yes, and interesting yes, but uncessarily hard. Don't be fooled by the smiley-face stamp you get on all your papers/homeworks. Although I obtained a 89% in the class, I was stuck with a B, not even a B+. That's a little unfair if you ask me. She is a very accomplished and interesting woman, but again, whats with that unfair curve?
Dr. Peplau uses a variety of materials, such as films and guest speakers, which made the class interesting.The exams were challenging, however I attended Marlene's discussion group and Tara's reviews, and both of them helped me to prepare for the exams. There are 2 exams (multiple choice), 2 very short papers and easy film commentaries. Overall, I would recommend the class, but this is by no means an easy "A" type of class-- you must be prepared.
I really enjoyed this class. We watched 6 films throughout the course of the class. They were very entertaining and the commentaries were an easy way to earn points. The extremely short papers we wrote were also a source of easy points. The midterm and final were composed of multiple choice questions. It is critical to read all of the material assigned. A close reading of the material will ensure a good grade in the class. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone. It was very informative and interesting.
Prof Peplau may seem a bit standoffish in lecture, but unlike may other psych profs, she is actually very warm and personable in office hours. This was the best psych class I have taken, and the prof bends over backwards to administer the exams in a fair and democratic way (giving you a page to respond about unfair questions and considering throwing them out, writing questions in a fair and clear way). Unfortunately, there isn't always time for class discussion, though there probably should be, especially since some of the research she presents has some problematic implications (for example, at the end of the class she presents Prof Sidanius's research "disconfirming" the double jeopardy hypothesis, that women of color are doubly oppressed). Overall, though, her class is really worth taking, and is by far the most LGBT friendly Psych class I have taken (believe it or not, this includes Prof Garnets class, if only because Prof Garnets doesn't cover trans issues).
Really enjoyed her class-- she was very organized and used a variety of materials. The films were excellent. If your prepared you will most likely do well. I highly recommend her class.
I really sincerely enjoyed this class, i mean it wasn't one of those where I wouldn't miss it for the world or anything, but I DEFINATELY learned a lot about being a feminist, about different womens' issues, as well as about different issues regarding sex and race---I think this class was way more effective than any others I've taken in dispelling myths about gender and sexuality, and conveying the message that we should be accepting of one another no matter what race, gender or ethnicity (I know it sounds cheesy but that's really how I feel!) The movies were great, the lectures were smooth-flowing, with just the right amount of info (never felt rushed, OR bored). Overall, I would totally recommend this class to anyone, and encourage guys to take it too even though it's a womnyn's studies course.... the TA's Jessica and Tracey were cool too, v. concerned, v. sweet and they know what they are talking about! Peplau is cool, the grading was fair, and you got "easy" points for attending class and answering short Q's about movies we watched... also easy points for writing v. short papers on reading. Overall awesome class
Peplau is great...Her lectures are very intriguing. And the films she shows in the class are really fascinating. I loved the one with the old couples, as well as Tough Guise. I highly recommend Peplau.
If you're intrested in this kind of material, you will find this class captivating. There is a lot of outside reading, but the point comes across easily and sensable. You will find her lectures intresting and that she has a sincer dedication to her profession as a teacher.
M165-was not too difficult, but there is lots of reading. Lots of detailed questions on her exam and the final is much harder than the midterm. Lecture was interesting but after awhile you figure you can get the same information from the book. However, for the final she really focuses on her lectures so attend class. Overall, the class was interesting, but be prepared to work at earning your grade.


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Northern Iowa's Wes Washpun, right, drives against Iowa State's Deandre Kane on Saturday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
- Filed Under
More than winning or losing, Saturday was about finding an identity.
The Northern Iowa men's basketball team that showed up at Wells Fargo Arena looked a lot like past Panther squads - at least early during its 91-82 overtime loss against Iowa State.
Defense ruled, just as it did when Northern Iowa went to the 2009 and 2010 NCAA tournaments. ...


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Game Day
Prohibited Items
Prohibited Items (for Football, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse, Soccer, Outdoor Track & Field, Tennis)
- Alcoholic beverages
- Artificial noise making devices
- Back packs
- Cameras with detachable lens larger than 6 inches
- Chairbacks larger than a single seat (16 inches)
- Flags
- Food/drink containers including bottles, cans and thermoses
- Ice chests and ice bags
- Large carry bags
- Outside food and drink
- Strollers
- Tobacco products
- Umbrellas
- Video cameras/cases
- Weapons
- Any items deemed hazardous by game management personnel
Law enforcement officials have the right to inspect any item at any time for the purpose of spectator safety.
Prohibited items must be returned to vehicles or disposed of before entering the stadium. There are no provisions to check items at the gates.
Prohibited Items at O'Connell Center (for Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming & Diving, Gymnastics, Indoor Track & Field)
For the safety and enjoyment of our patrons and staff and in the best interest of the O'Connell Center, the following items are prohibited inside the facility:
- alcohol
- drugs
- weapons
- fireworks / explosives
- laser pointers
- helium balloons
- air horns and noisemakers
- bicycles / roller blades / skates / skateboards
- oversize bags *
- still cameras / video cameras / camcorders / audio recording devices*
- thermoses and coolers *
The O'Connell Center reserves the right to inspect all bags and packages entering the building and refuse any item our staff deems harmful, dangerous, or obtrusive. The O'Connell Center also reserves the right to revoke tickets and/or eject patrons in violation of policies and procedures.
Oversize bags (larger than 15"x9"x6") are prohibited inside the facility for all events. Final clearance of bags into the facility is left to the discretion of the venue staff.
For more information please visit the O'Connell Center's webpage


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How To Get Rid Of Acne Scars Naturally
In this Videojug film Tina Richards, skin and health expert, shares some great tips on how to get rid of acne scars naturally.
Top Tips
- If you have very deep acne scars, you should talk to a dermatologist.
- Exfoliate and cleanse your skin before you treat acne scars at home.
- If you use a product with retinol in it, you should apply it at night as sunlight can break retinol down.


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- KNIA / KRLS - http://kniakrls.com -
Eagles' Soccer Falls to Carlisle
Posted By Sports On May 16, 2014 @ 5:54 am In Today's Local Sports | Comments Disabled
A pair of Jake DeRuiter goals were not enough for the Pella Christian boys' soccer team yesterday, as they fell to Carlisle 4 – 2. Even in the loss, the Eagles are starting to come back around; they've scored four goals in their last two games, after scoring just five in their eight before that. The Eagles drop to 1 – 10 on the season and will next play Grinnell on Monday.
Article printed from KNIA / KRLS: http://kniakrls.com
URL to article: http://kniakrls.com/2014/05/eagles-soccer-falls-to-carlisle/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2009 KNIA/KRLS. All rights reserved.


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Regarding Tom Cowell's recent cover story about state-controlled wine and spirit stores in Pennsylvania:
We shall revolt.
If Improv Everywhere could get 1,200 people to ride the subway with no pants, could we get 1,200 people at one time to cross the border to N.J., buy a single bottle of wine or beer, return to Pa. then call the State Police and let them book us for breaking the law? I think we could. Can you imaging how ridiculed the LCB would be in the eyes of the whole nation for doing this? Victory is within our reach! Revolt drinking brothers and sisters!
JAKE via philadelphiaweekly.com
The union issue is a political smokescreen. It's the huge donations from the wholesalers to the heads of the respective committees in Harrisburg that's the problem. Don't be fooled that anyone in Harrisburg wouldn't sell out the 2,300 clerks if the donations poured in for opening up the system. Nothing will change until the general population really raises a stink and follows through with PAC money. Every time I mention this issue to an elected official I hear: "No one other than wine snobs really cares." Somehow, they feel the state will lose revenue if ordinary businesses collect the taxes.
We are actually losing a lot of jobs with the current system. There would be many independent wine/spirits specialty stores opened. Retailers such as Costco, Trader Joes and Whole Foods all have great wine programs in other states. All of these retailers open elsewhere first.
TED via philadelphiaweekly.com
As a bourbon drinker, I have seen the selection in Pennsylvania go to hell in the last couple of years, while bourbon is exploding nationwide and around the world.
In PLCB-land, any product not strictly conforming to their set formula is eliminated, and little or nothing new is introduced to fill the gap. I buy as much booze out of state as I can. Tax revenue is being lost because of the PLCB!
SAM K. via philadelphiaweekly.com
Visiting a state store seems to me to be what it must have been like to shop for similar goods in a 1950s Soviet industrial town. At least the hammer and sickle on the wall would have brightened the place up a bit. I'll continue to spend my booze (and gasoline) money in Jersey.
JAY B. via philadelphiaweekly.com
Regarding Brendan Skwire's online feature about Arlen Specter's performance record:
Arlen Specter has solicited money from unions in Philadelphia and the state. He has never done anything for them. Always stating that he had to vote his conscience. A statement like that really makes you wonder what the hell is this nutcase talking about?
Let's get a serious candidate in there that will bring business to Philly. And make sure it's not a Democrat or a progressive Republican traitor.
FRANK via philadelphiaweekly.com
Do I hear "Presidential Potential" in this guy's resume? Talk much, do little aside from cause less to get done? It's happening all over the country, trials which only serve to bankrupt individuals. It's all about the money, and keeping lawyers in business. Plea bargains for habitual criminals are like job security, yet do nothing for the security of the people. Court hearings are more than just special events for those who'll never learn to listen—they turn average citizens into criminals, but more so, if not warranted, they demean the way we see our country's legal system. It's no joke.
M. FETTIG via philadelphiaweekly.com
Savage Love
Savage Love: Sondheim is solace
What we post about when we post about terrorism
First Person Arts Podcast: Ready to Check Out?
Savage Love
Get personal with beloved "sexpert" Dr. Ruth Westheimer


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One of the most important bills to pay is the bill paid to yourself. By putting a portion of each paycheck away into a liquid savings account you are supporting your future retirement, expenses and unforeseen emergencies.
You can set up your savings deposits one of two ways: automatically or manually.
"The key to saving for most people is to automate the process you want to pay yourself first by setting up direct deposit from your paycheck into a dedicated savings account."
By setting up direct deposit your bank will transfer a percentage or fixed amount of money into your savings account monthly, biweekly, or weekly.
Advantages? You can set it up and forget about it. By never seeing that money you won't be missing anything. This can also help you live on a smaller budget without even knowing the difference.
"Now a disciplined person may prefer to move the savings over manually but for most people that's not going to work because if you wait until the end of the month to save what's left over, for many people there's nothing left over."
By manually putting money into your savings you can see how much you are taking out of each pay check and watch your savings grow.
This might be an option for you if your paycheck amount varies from week to week. For example if you get a $400 dollar paycheck for two weeks but only 100 for the next two, you probably don't want direct deposit to take a set amount of money out every other week.
Depending on your financial situation one form is better than the other ... but which one?
"Automatic savings. It's easier you just have a fixed amount that you won't see and it will go automatically to your savings account, you don't have to worry about it every month."
"I would rather have it manually so I would have control over it so I know how much exactly is going in."
"Direct deposit." [And why is that?] "Because it saves me the time of going to the bank."
"I would rather have it be automatic because I feel like I would take it out for kind of silly things."
"I would rather put the money manually myself. It seems a lot safer."
Check out the simple savings calculator on Bankrate.com under the checking and savings tab. It's an easy way to calculate how much you can save over a period of time.
Remember pay yourself first. For Bankrate.com, I'm Theresa Heintz.
If you think you are spending a lot of money on your pet, you aren't alone. But why do we do it?
Research shows that it's not necessarily money that makes you happy. Learn what can make you happier.
You can decide to do things yourself or hire someone to do it for you when you understand your hourly wage.
If you are limiting your monthly spending, you are not alone.
Looking to save money? Jean Chatzky shares an easy way to save without squeezing your budget.
Sure it's easy to pull out your phone and make a quick payment. But how can you protect yourself?
Looking to save money? Jean Chatzky shares the most popular ways consumers are saving this year.
Jean Chatzky shares tips on how to stop paying too much for your auto insurance.
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About half a kilometre along the Brighton Beach road, on the left, is a directional brown and yellow sign. It points up an unpaved road – Artillery Road as it was known to the Anzacs – to Shell Green Cemetery. Follow this road uphill, stopping at Shell Green, to Lone Pine Cemetery and Memorial. As you come through a small area of pines at the end of the road, you will find the entry to Lone Pine off up to your right.
Of all the bastards of places
The way up Artillery Road is the way to Second Ridge (the first ridge was considered to be the ridge leading down from Plugge's Plateau to the coast behind Anzac Cove) and the Anzac front line. Behind the ridge and along the side of the road were many dugouts and rest positions where units could be stationed when not in the trenches. The ridge, also known during the campaign as Bolton's Ridge, stretches down to the sea at Brighton Beach and the end of the Anzac line in 1915.
Reinforcements, and men returning from temporary rest camps on Imroz and Lemnos islands, would have walked the same route you have just taken from Anzac Cove to reach units stationed in this area. This is to the right of the 'old Anzac' line held by the infantry battalions of the 3rd Brigade (9th, 10th, 11th and 12thBattalions) and, from early June 1915, the regiments of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade (5th Light Horse, Queensland; 6th Light Horse, NSW; 7th Light Horse, NSW).
As the name Artillery Road suggests, there were also a number of batteries of the Australian Field Artillery stationed in these hills. Originally, the road only reached as far as Shell Green Cemetery. In preparation for the August Offensive thousands of soldiers, mainly British, were brought to Anzac and hidden in newly constructed dugouts on terraces along the hills.
Photo story
The sniping position of Trooper 'Billy' Sing. It was situated near Chatam's Post at the southern end of Bolton's Ridge on the southern side of Artillery Road. In this photograph Sing, described as a 'picturesque looking mankiller', is looking at the camera. On one occasion Sing was assisted by Trooper Ion Idriess:
I spotted a man's face framed enquiringly in a loophole. He stayed there. Billy fired. The Turk vanished instantly, but with the telescope I could partly see the motion of men inside the trench picking him up. So it was one more to Billy's tally …
[Ion Idriess, The Desert Column, Sydney, 1982, p 32] [AWM C00429]
During this period, Artillery Road was widened and extended up the hill to just behind the Lone Pine position on the ridge. The hard work of road building had to be done by the Anzacs themselves and this daily grind, called 'fatigues', was the reality of war at Anzac:
You must not imagine that life in one of these year-long modern battles consists of continuous bomb fighting, bayoneting and bombarding all the time … [the] chief occupation is the digging of mile upon mile of endless sap [trench], of sunken road … The carrying of biscuit boxes and building timbers for hours daily … the sweeping and disinfecting of trenches in the never ending battle against flies – this is the soldier's life for nine days out of ten in a modern battle.
[Charles Bean, dispatch, Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 2 December 1915, p.3058]
Photo story
Studio portrait of William 'Billy' Sing DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal), 5th Light Horse Regiment, of Clermont, Queensland, the most famous of all the Anzac snipers. Sing was credited with 150 confirmed Turkish deaths but informal estimates put his tally at over 200.
The flies were everywhere, breeding in millions in the bad sanitary conditions, piles of food scraps and rotting corpses. The smell was something a veteran never forgot. Trooper Ion Idriess, 5th Light Horse, spent much of his time at Gallipoli here on Bolton's Ridge and the rest positions behind it. Like others, he lived mainly on a diet of tinned bully beef, tea, sugar, biscuits and jam. So hard were these biscuits that it was not uncommon for men to break teeth on them. The easiest way to deal with the biscuits was to grate them and turn the resultant mush into a sort of porridge. Idriess recalled a particularly foul dinner of biscuits and jam:
Immediately I opened the tin the flies rushed the jam. They buzzed like a swarm of bees. They swarmed that jam, all fighting among themselves. I wrapped my overcoat over the tin and gouged out the flies, then spread the biscuit, held my hand over it, and drew the biscuit out of the coat. But a lot of the flies flew into my mouth and beat about inside. Finally, I threw the tin over the parapet. I nearly howled with rage … Of all the bastards of places this is the greatest bastard in the world.
[Ion Idriess, The Desert Column, Sydney, 1982, p 42]
Behind the names on the gravestones at Shell Green Cemetery, off to your right about half-way up Artillery Road, are many touching stories. In Plot 2, Row G, Grave 23 lies Private Roy Facey, 11th Battalion, age 23, from Subiaco, Western Australia. Roy came to Gallipoli in June 1915 to join his brother Albert Facey who was already serving in the battalion. Albert, as the older brother, put in a request to move to Roy's company and was looking forward to being with his brother with whom he 'always got along well'. The reunion never took place. On 28 June 1915, both Roy and Albert took part in an attack and Albert later wrote about what happened:
… on arriving back I was told that Roy had been killed. He and his mate had been killed by the same shell. This was a terrible blow to me. I had lost a lot of my mates and seen a lot of men die, but Roy was my brother … I helped to bury Roy and fifteen of our mates who had been killed on the twenty-eighth. We put them in a grave side by side on the edge of a clearing we called Shell Green. Roy was in pieces when they found him. We put him together as best we could – I can remember carrying a leg – it was terrible.
[Albert Facey, A Fortunate Life, 1984, p 273]
Charles Bean's account
Go to the AWM website for Bean's Official History of Anzac
A daily duel...
From July 13th to 17th, when the bombardments of Steele's were most severe, Browne's battery in the Pimple fought a daily duel with the 75's. The position from which some of them were firing was already known to the Australian artillery as that of the enemy's "sandpit" battery. Presently, however, it was discovered that at least one of the 75's was firing from some other direction. The infantry detected a flash, apparently of a gun, behind Battleship Hill. On to this Browne on July 17th endeavoured to register a section of his battery. Since only two guns under Lieutenant Edwards were available, and since the 75's at once returned their fire, rapid shooting became necessary in order to "smother" them. Other gun-detachments were ordered to stand by, in order to "carry on" if either of the crews were disabled. The expected happened. After several high-explosive shells from the 75's had burst on the parapet, another struck the shield of No. 1 gun and blew away its crew. Sergeant Taylor, covered with wounds, struggled to continue firing, but the relieving detachment, which had sprung at once to the gun, forced him, strongly protesting, away from it. "See after the others," he said, "I'm only scratched."
Of "the others" one gunner, Barrett-Lennard, a youngster of twenty-one, lay with an arm and a thigh shattered, but life lingered for a minute or two. "Look after the sergeant," he insisted. "I'm all right – I'm done, but, by God, you see, I'm dying hard." Another, Stanley Carter, part of whose back had been torn away, also regained a brief consciousness before he died. "Is the gun all right, sergeant?" were his first words. Of such mettle were the men who, under almost insuperable difficulties of Anzac, fought their guns throughout the campaign.
[Charles Bean, The Story of Anzac, Sydney, 1924, pp.343-344]
Photo story
Members of the 9th Battery, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade, First Division, AIF, a Tasmanian unit, loading and firing their 18-pounder gun on 19 December 1915, the day of the final evacuation. They had been ordered to use up their ammunition before leaving. The 9th Battery had guns positioned in the area of Artillery Road. The British18-pounder was the mainstay of the British Empire field artillery batteries in World War I. A battery on Anzac consisted of four 18-pounders.
A digger's account
Maggots are crawling
… This is the most infernally uncomfortable line of trenches we have ever been in, which is saying some for the regiment. We are in "reliefs" now, "resting", about fifty yards back of the firing-trench. For a couple of hours, to rest our nerves, they say. There forty-eight of us in this particular spot, just an eighteen-inch-wide trench with iron overhead supports sandbagged as protection against bombs. We are supposed to be "sleeping", preparatory to our next watch. Sleeping! Hell and tommy! Maggots are crawling down the trench; it stinks like an unburied graveyard; it is dark; the air is stagnant; some of the new hands are violently sick from watching us trying to eat. Weare so crowded that I can hardly write in the diary even. My mates look like shadow men crouching expectantly in hell. Bombs are crashing outside, and – the night has come! If they hadn't been silly enough to tell us to sleep if we could I don't suppose we would have minded. The roof of this dashed possy is intermixed with dead men who were chucked up on the parapet to give the living a chance from the bullets while the trench was being dug. What ho, for the Glories of War.
[Ion Idriess, The Desert Column, Sydney, 1982, p.42]