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FALLON, Nev. - In another battle of tug-of-war, the Truckee Wolverines came out on top.
Truckee limited Fallon's potent offense as the Wolverines held on for a 30-20 win at the Edward Arciniega Complex on Friday.
The newfound rivals traded leads and thunderous hits in the chase for the Northern Division I-A crown. With the win, Truckee (7-1 DI-A, 7-1 overall) recaptured the top spot and must beat South Tahoe on Friday to win the title.
Fallon, meanwhile, falls to 7-1 and in a three-way tie for first, along with Truckee and Lowry. The Greenwave and Buckaroos tangle on Thursday in Winnemucca.
"I talked to (Fallon coach) Brooke Hill after the game and said 'I don't know how many more of these games we can take,'" Truckee coach Bob Shaffer said. "We've pretty much had games that came down to the end. This wasn't much different."
Truckee was the benefactor of numerous mistakes and penalties by Fallon including recovering a fumble on the first play of the game. Truckee's Mitch Harrity scooped up the ball after Skye Barton was stripped and rumbled 18 yards to the Fallon 16.
The Wolverines, however, were held to a 30-yard field goal by Louden Smith. But Fallon's quick-strike offense responded.
After a 51-yard kickoff return by Tyson Ernst to set up the Wave's drive at the Truckee 41, quarterback Morgan Dirickson hit Beau Marshall for an 11-yard touchdown pass.
The drive nearly stalled after Dirickson - operating from the Pistol formation - fumble the snap and running back Trent Tarner recovered at the 21. It was a reoccurring theme for Fallon, although the Wave dodged the bullet when Dirickson connected with Barton for 11 yards on second-and-15 from the 21.
Truckee, meanwhile, put together a methodical 11-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 3-yard TD run from Tyler Curtis. The Wolverines also dodged trouble when quarterback Erik Holmer fumbled at the Wave's 13. Truckee lineman Julian Aguirre recovered the ball and tumbled 3 yards to keep the drive alive.
Fallon raced down the field on its subsequent possession, but Tristan Harriman missed a 26-yard field goal attempt. Making matters worse, Fallon's field goal unit forgot the kicking tee, which is allowed in high school football.
"It's just frustrating because it happened in a game like this," Hill said of the mistakes. "You got to play confident and play well. It's not all the kids fault. We got to do a better job of coaching them."
Two drives later, Holmer was picked off by Barton, but the Wolverines' defense forced a punt. Holmer marched his team 97 yards in five plays, highlighted by a 23-yard completion to Jake Pettit and a 35-yard strike to Adam Morgan.
Truckee's Tyler Griffin was shaken up on the drive after a big hit from Barton. Griffin was hurt twice in the game, but returned to action after both hits.
Curtis, though, capped the scoring drive with a 34-yard TD run through the middle of the Fallon defense for a 16-6 lead. Curtis had a game-high 88 yards on 16 carries.
Fallon had a chance to cut the advantage, but Dirickson was intercepted by Javier Virrey at the Truckee 1-yard line.
"When you're playing a good football team, you can't make mistakes," Hill said. "We had a couple dropped snaps that hurt us and a couple stupid penalties. You got to play clean. We didn't and they did."
The Wave, as they have done all season, came out in the second half on fire. Ernst capped a five-play, 42-yard drive with a 21-yard TD jaunt. He also had runs of 3, 5 and 13 yards.
Fallon regained the lead with 2 seconds remaining in the quarter when Dirickson hooked up with Barton for 80 yards. Dirickson's pass landed perfectly in the outstretched hands of Barton, who managed to keep his balance, and accelerated past the Wolverines' secondary down the right sideline for the score.
Dirickson completed 15 of 23 passes for 239 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. Barton, meanwhile, hauled in eight passes for 149 yards.
Truckee's defense, though, stepped up and forced its second interception of the game when Morgan picked off Dirickson at the Fallon 35. Dirickson fumbled the snap on first down to set up a 2nd-and-19 from the 40. Tarner carried for 3 yards, but a 5-yard penalty put Fallon at 3rd-and-21 from its own 38.
Dirickson dropped back, fired to the left and the ball was tipped by a Truckee defender. Morgan dropped to his knees and cradled the ball at the 35. Truckee defensive end Zak Pettit added two sacks.
"I think we match up greatly," Pettit said. "It comes down to a little bit of heart. Our D has been shut down all year."
The Wolverines scored on the ensuing drive thanks to a 32-yard run from Curtis and a 7-yard TD pass from Holmer to Pettit. Holmer completed 10 of 15 passes for 169 yards, two TDs and one interception.
"Fallon, we have all the respect in the world for them," Holmer said. "Our offense stepped up and I think we hit our stride. We made key plays in key situations and made big plays. I think two coaching staffs - I think some of the best in the state. I think it's kind of starting a rivalry."
Fallon's next possession resulted in a turnover on downs and Barton leaving the game briefly after a monster hit from Pettit. Barton ran a seam route and Dirickson laid the ball into the waiting arms of Barton, who did not see Pettit come for the thunderous hit to jar the ball loose.
Barton lay on the ground for several minutes, was escorted off the field and returned to action several plays later.
Truckee wasted little time scoring on its next possession. Griffin ran 46 yards for a TD, but the play was called back for an illegal formation. No matter, as Holmer found Morgan for a 51-yard TD pass with 5:45 remaining to ice the game.
Holmer's pass seemingly floated in the air forever, but Morgan was able to beat Ernst and run under the ball and score.
"That was a big play we needed to make," Holmer said. "I think that kind of hit them in the stomach and took some wind out of them."
With three teams at 7-1, Truckee controls its own destiny. The Wolverines can lock up the No. 1 seed with a win at South Tahoe. If Truckee wins, the winner of the Fallon-Lowry game will be the No. 2 seed. The top two seeds open the playoffs at home.
Fallon can win the league with a win over Lowry and a South Tahoe win. Lowry can win the league with a victory over the Wave and a Vikings win. Truckee owns the tiebreaker with Lowry and Fallon.
"We got a pretty good opponent ahead," Hill said. "We got to go on the road and find a way to beat them. That's our challenge now. We want a home playoff game."


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JOHNSTOWN - Bill Guerin's pregame speech to the Johnstown Tomahawks was short, poignant and certainly meant only for inside a hockey locker room.
More than 20 sets of young eyes stared intently as the four-time NHL All Star and US Hockey Hall of Famer chose his few words carefully as he paced the home locker room of the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
Again, these words are meant only for inside a hockey locker room.
"It's great," Guerin said, "you walk in and they're just kind of blank faces. For them, they're getting ready to play a game so they're focused, I don't even know if they listened to what I said. They're focused, these guys. And I'm looking forward to a good game."
The Tomahawks lost the opener, 3-1, to Port Huron.
Port Huron and Johnstown play again at 3 p.m. today.
Guerin was in town to drop the ceremonial first puck on the Johnstown Tomahawks' second season. He did so in a red Tomahawks home jersey with Guerin on the nameplate and No. 13 on the back. Tickets were sold for a chance to win the jersey.
Guerin was a trade-deadline acquisition for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, helping the Penguins to the franchise's third Stanley Cup.
Asked what it might be like for a young hockey player to meet a player of Bill Guerin's stature, the humble Hall-of-Famer said, "I don't know about my stature, but an NHLer I don't know if I ever met an NHLer until I played in the NHL, but whatever I can do to influence somebody's game or career. It's nice to come and give back, to get involved in local hockey teams and communities. The [Tomahawks owners] are friends from Sewickley and they asked me to do it and I jumped at the opportunity."
The actual puck drop was delayed about 40 minutes after the pregame fireworks display filled the arena with smoke. The display was impressive, and the smoke clouded fans' view of the former Penguins forward as he stood at center ice with the team captains.
The second season of junior hockey in Johnstown started with a bang and continued into the night with fast, hard-hitting hockey.
"[The owners] do things one way and that's first class," Guerin said. "It's not just for fun. They create a good environment they create a good opportunity for these young kids and that's great. They put a lot of money into it and they want to see it be successful. This community's got a rich hockey tradition and people know about Johnstown all over the world. It's a place that should always have a hockey team."
The Tomahawks second season is still only the beginning according to War Memorial General Manager Tom Grenell.
"This is the beginning of something very special," he said. "I think they were able to go out and build up and show that they are a premium franchise with premium quality players. I'm expecting much faster hockey this year and I'm expecting it to domino down to youth hockey. We offer affordable tickets across the board."
Saturday's game was attended by 3,025 fans. They were loud, energetic and clad in red, white and black Tomahawks gear.
"We would like this to become a five-county regional asset, not just the Johnstown Tomahawks," Grenell said. "I think it fits in nicely with Penn State going Division 1. Some of these kids are likely to end up at Penn State. How cool would it be to see an 18-year old play here and then as a 19-year old at Penn State?"
The off-ice product is almost as good as the on-ice draw.
"We like to do some Altoona Curve-like things at the game," Grenell said. "We're trying to create more than just an event. We're trying to make this a destination. Tomahawks games at the War Memorial are a destination for everyone."
Before being drafted fifth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1989 NHL entry draft, Guerin played two years at Boston College. Before that, Saturday's guest of honor played juniors throughout North America, living a life much like the young Tomahawks players.
"I can relate because I did it," Guerin said. "And I sat in locker rooms like that and worse; long bus trips, weekend trips and week-long trips. That's the bond that hockey players have, we've all done that, so you can relate to each other no matter what age you are or what level you get to."
George Lugar of Johnstown, winner of the Bill Guerin autographed jersey, said of Tomahawks games, "It's good hockey, and it's something fun to do. These kids play with a lot of heart. It was great winning the jersey, but I got to get a picture with my kids and Billy Guerin. That was better. That will be a better memory than a signature."

subset: commoncrawl


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Every story from the Holocaust illustrates a way of life for Jews in Nazi Germany. They are all tragic in their own ways, and the stories of survivors continue to amaze generations later.
The story of one young girl is on vivid display right now in a Johnstown exhibit called "Letters to Sala: A Young Woman's Life in Nazi Labor Camps," at the Frank & Sylvia Pasquerilla Heritage Discovery Center through Aug. 31.
The display features letters written by Sala Garnacz, a Jew from Sosnowiec, Poland, who was sent to a German forced-labor camp called Geppersdorf in 1940, when she was just 16 years old. During her time there, and in a series of other labor camps through 1945, Sala kept up a fiercely loyal back-and-forth letter-writing campaign to friends and family, letting them know about her whereabouts.
Article Photos
Courtesy photos
According to the New York Public Library, the portrait at right is the earliest known image of Sala Garncarz-Kirschner, taken when she was 12 years old. It was among the personal items that Sala kept with her throughout her time in German labor camps during World War II.
The labor camps in the Nazi regime forced civilians from conquered countries into manual labor in the German infrastructure, working on the German military assembly lines and in some German corporations.
Somehow, she kept the letters she received - more than 300 by the time she was liberated in 1945 - with her as she went from camp to camp. Those letters are the basis for the exhibition in Johnstown.
"[The exhibit is] the story of a really remarkable young Polish girl who was sent to a German labor camp - never to an actual concentration camp - and managed not only to survive, but she was an avid letter writer and she managed to save them all," said Shelley Johansson, director of communications and marketing at the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.
Fact Box
If you go
What: "Letters to Sala: A Young Woman's Life in Nazi Labor Camps"
When: Through Aug. 31
Where: The Frank & Sylvia Pasquerilla Heritage Discovery Center, 201 Sixth Ave., Johnstown
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily
Admission: $8 for adults, $7 for seniors and $6 for children ages 3 to 18 (Children 2 and younger are admitted free)
"It's a pretty remarkable feat, considering the situation she was in."
Shortly after Sala was freed from the German camps, she met and fell in love with an American soldier, Sidney Kirschner. The two married and she moved with him to New York City in 1946.
"Over and over throughout her story, someone who should not have helped her, did. And she was able to survive," Johansson said. "After her liberation, she married an American GI and moved to America. And she hid these letters. In 1991, she gave them to her daughter before she was about to have heart surgery."
Sala's need to share her history before a serious medical procedure led to the collection of letters, photographs and documents being donated to the New York Public Library by her daughter, writer Ann Kirschner. Her remarkable collection was copied and made into a traveling exhbition, sponsored by the French Children of the Holocauset Foundation, which has toured the country. (The original documents are kept at the New York Public Library, as part of its Dorot Jewish Division.)
Sala's dedication to keeping her family together through the letter writing is echoed in the reason she hid her collection for so long; Despite her struggles, she wanted her family to rise above her past.
"She said she hid the letters, 'Because I didn't want my children to hate because of what happened to me,'" Johansson explained.
Sala, who is still alive and splitting her time living in New York and Florida, has seen her story told again and again: by her daughter in the book "Sala's Gift: My Mother's Holocaust Story"; in a play by writer Arlene Hutton; and in an
in-development documentary by director Murray Nossel.
The traveling exhibit is a natural fit for Johnstown right now, because the Heritage Discovery Center is presenting the Johnstown Jewish Community Project this year.
"The goal of the project is to celebrate 125 years of Jewish culture in Johnstown," Johansson said. "That was the time when Jews first organized and began to celebrate [service] in Johnstown. ... The Jewish immigrants really came to the area with plans to stay. A lot of folks, it was not their intent to stay forever, but to earn money and go back home.
"The Jewish immigrants came intending to stay. There are many positive effects from that community."
The curator of the Johnstown Jewish Community Project, Kaytlin Sumner, says the "Letters to Sala" exhibit paints a picture of life in the Nazi labor camps that may fascinate today's audience.
"All of the letters were transalated and when you come to see the exhibit, you can read those," she said. "It's a great activity for kids to go around and look at the beautiful writing and compare it to how we write today."
According to Sumner, the Heritage Discovery Center was able to bring "Letters to Sala" to Johnstown thanks to area donors. The Johnstown Jewish Community Project - which has been created in conjunction with Congregation Beth Shalom in Johnstown - has also featured a lecture series, film nights and special curriculums for teachers who want to use the exhibit in their lessons.
The Project's main exhibit is "Remembrance: 125 years of Jewish Life in Johnstown," which explores the history of the Jewish residents in Johnstown.
"What is really nice about the project is that I was able to meet so many members of the Johnstown Jewish community," Sumner said. "And so many of them offered stories and photos and artifacts [for the exhibit]."
"Remembrance," which has been on display since last fall, will close on Sept. 3.
"After it leaves us, it will be permanently enshrined in the Beth Shalom Congregation in Westmont," Sumner said.
Mirror Staff Writer Keith Frederick is at 946-7466.


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Entertainment Photos
Photos: Headbands and bright colors at the totally '80s Fun Run at Brookhaven Country Club
Photo: Rex C. Curry/Special Contributor
John Calloway starts the Brookhaven Country Club Totally 80′s 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run on Saturday, March 29, 2014.
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Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I did the bulk of the research for this article with the idea this would be a preview on whom the Cubs should prefer as their new right fielder. Then the signing became imminent and eventually a reality, so I decided to turn this into an analysis of the newest Cub outfielder, Milton Bradley. You've probably already seen a lot of these numbers in one way or another, but why let the work go to waste?
Let's start with a look at their offensive numbers...in beautiful table form. Their ages are their 2009 baseball ages, in other words using the July 1st cutoff for their birthday. The 3-year WARP averages are a simple average, just taking the last three seasons and dividing by three, rather than weighting it by games played or anything like that. Considering it's a cumulative stat, I actually believe that's kosher. I went with 2009 Bill James projections, but you can find MARCEL or CHONE on their fangraphs pages. Bold indicates the leader in that category.
|3-Year WARP1
|3-Year OPS
|2009 Bill James OPS Projection
|A. Dunn
|M. Bradley
|B. Abreu
|R. Ibanez
|N. Swisher
|J. Hermida
|G. Anderson
There's also the 39-year old Ken Griffey Jr. still out there and the right-handed Pat Burrell was out there, but there didn't seem to be the remotest of rumors on either of them with the Cubs.
Bobby Abreu looks promising when you see the best 3-year WARP1 average, but then you see that starting from 2006 it was 7.3, 5.8 and then 5.2 last year and you have what the experts like to call a downward trend. You sell that stock, you don't buy, especially at age 353. Dunn looks to be the safest with the bat going forward, but then you look at his WARP1 scores and you can see how much his defense kills his overall value.
UZR, or Ultimate Zone Rating is now on Fangraphs and was created by Mitchell Lichtman5. RAA is Clay Davenport's system that can be found on Baseball Prospectus, which I hear will come out with a major revision this spring in the new Baseball Prospectus book. Plus/Minus system from ACTA Sports was taken from this BP article, if anyone has the Bill James Handbook, I can fill in the gaps.
|3-Year UZR average
|3-Year RAA Average
|A. Dunn (LF)
|M. Bradley
|B. Abreu
|R. Ibanez
|N. Swisher
|J. Hermida
Bradley has only played 172 games in the outfield over the last three years, but he's the only one that is a positive with the glove. You can see just how poor Abreu's become defensively and rumors swirled that Abreu was scared of the wall at Yankee Stadium, which would only be exasperated with Wrigley's brick facade. I think Swisher's defensive numbers get roughed up by being misplaced as a center fielder and
Adam Dunn needs to accept his life as a DH. It worked just fine for Frank Thomas and David Ortiz (not that Dunn is quite that good a hitter).
Much has been made of Bradley's volatile past, and for good reason, it's part of the package the Cubs are getting for the next 2-3 years. From the ESPN highlights and blurbs we're all exposed to, I'm sure a
lot of fans think Bradley is ready to go berserk on them if you just
look at him the wrong way. But this isn't a guy picking fights with
everyone he crosses paths with, rather a guy with serious anger
management issues.
And for all the people ready to condemn him for his past, there always seems to be someone there to let us know there's more to Bradley than the "Angry Black Man". And as that ESPN.com article states, "He just thinks it's time people understand the three-dimensional person living behind the one-dimensional image."
Now the Cubs are pretty dumb at times6, but I think it's safe to assume they did their due diligence checking in with past managers, players and other acquaintences of Bradley and know exactly what they're getting themselves into. Don't forget that Dusty made a special trip back in 2005 to visit Bradley and see if the Cubs might be interested, so he's been on the Cubs radar for quite awhile. By all accounts, he gets along just fine with his teammates7 and no one seems to have ever questioned his effort between the lines. It's that effort and talent that has given him a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and now seventh chance...this time with the Cubs. That is not to condone his past actions, for he has crossed lines that shouldn't have been passed, but it is to forgive and move forward. Yes, when you're talking tens of millions of dollars and your favorite ballclub, it's understandable to be wary, but people do grow up and they can change and well, there are players that have probably done far worse things on the Cubs or in the league that just aren't as public.
"Judge not, that ye be not judged"
As for the ballplayer the Cubs are getting, I think it's obvious that they went out and got the best talent available for the perceived need they had, that of a left-handed hitting right fielder. The talent that culminated in an AL leading .999 OPS last year. And before we write that off as just a passing fad on a career year, take a look at the history of players to lead the league in OPS over the year.
Go ahead and give it a scan...I'll wait a minute.
Pretty impressive list isn't it? There's not a player on there that a team wouldn't want to have in their lineup, not a fluke to be seen. It's not to say he'll ever repeat it, but it is to say that he's a pretty damn good hitter in pretty good historical company.
Of course, he's not quite that good. His projections on his fangraphs page all point to him having an OPS south of .900. There's a few good reasons for that. First, last year's .999 OPS was by far a career high and much of it was aided by a league-leading and completely unstainable .396 BABIP. How unsustainable you ask? Well, if you look at three-year averages the top three are Jeter(.367), Holliday(.365) and Chipper Jones (.361), so at the very least you're talking a 30 point drop in his average stats and it's far more likely to drop even further. Also, when he hit a flyball, 21.2% of the time it went out of the park last year. That's another career high and well above his career mark of 15.4%. It was also good for 8th in the league, mixed in with names like Ryan Howard, Alex Rodriguez, Adam Dunn, Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome and I don't think anyone is going to confuse Bradley for that type of power hitter.
There's also of course the Ballpark effect, often cited as the Coors of the American League. It is quite kind to left-handed hitters over the years, but so has Wrigley Field. The chart below using Baseball Reference Multi-Year Park Factors seems to indicate Bradley will actually get a boost this year.
|The Ballpark
Of course, park factors aren't all that reliable and it's best to break them up for left-handed and right-handed hitters. I believe the Bill James Handbook does that, of which I do not own a copy, but my understanding is that The Ballpark or whatever they call it these days has always been quite friendly to left-handed hitters, particularly in aiding home runs and might be a reason for that career 21.2% HR/FB rate. But Wrigley isn't too bad itself and the switch of where he plays the majority of his games won't make as much a difference as sheer rebalancing of the luck he enjoyed last season.
So yes, his numbers will most likely drop from 2008, it's actually pretty much a guarantee. But an OPS around the .900 mark would still be good for the best on the Cubs last year - Ramirez led with .898 - and did I mention we're adding this to the best scoring offense in the NL last year?
Injury History
Moreso than his past anger issues and altercations, his past injuries should be of greatest concern. This is a player with only 500 plus plate appearances twice in his career (2004 and 2008). Leg, knee, back and I believe even a ribcage injury have all sidelined Bradley over his career. Now the Cubs of course checked his medical records and did all the appropriate tests, even so far as stating his injured right knee is stronger than his left knee.8 That doesn't mean it will hold up playing the field on a regular basis or another body part will fail him. But what is interesting is that even if Bradley misses half the season, he'll be worth his contract this year that pays him $7M.
Oh, how you ask?
Well it's a bit of a leap, but the fine folks at Fangraphs have been putting together something called Value Wins and assigning a dollar value to a players performance. Here is what Milton Bradley's page looks like:
|Dollar Value in Millions
The dude is so good that even when hurt he's worth more than most of the major league hitters. Let's add an extra column with a mystery players value.
|Dollar Value in Millions
|Mystery Player Value
Well that mystery player is the guy that I think a lot of Cubs fans felt was the safe bet, one Bobby Abreu. Once again, we clearly see the decline is skills and when you're 35 - compared to Bradley's 31 years of age - there's little hope it will improve.
So I'll give the Cubs credit on this one, for once they went with a baseball decision instead of a public relations one. They added a potential impact bat to a lineup that was already the best at scoring runs rather than a fading star or one-dimensional slugger. And while there will be a million people coiled to spring an "I told you so" the moment he hits the disabled list or a reporter, I think the Cubs are in the precarious 100-year-drought position of having to take some chances.
1 -.880 OPS from the left side, 1.023 from the right side,
2 - .799 from the left side, .864 from the right side
3 - If you play in the stock market, heed the words of one of the richest men in the world, Warren Buffet. "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful" 4
4 - Myself, nor TCR are responsible for losing your life savings.
5 - I believe you can find the beginnings of UZR from these BBTF links.
6 - Neifi Perez, Jose Macias, Tony Womack, Freddie Bynum, Glendon Rusch, Jeromy Burnitz, Juan Pierre, Jacque Jones, Wade Miller, César Izturis, Tom Goodwin, Lenny Harris, Shawn Estes, Todd Hundley, Julian Tavarez, Willie Greene, Ismael Valdez, Ty Griffin, Earl Cunningham, etc, etc, etc.
7 - Except that racist Jeff Kent (let's see how Kent's HOF chances fare after that phrase gets a few Google hits).
8 - Reading between the lines, it just means his left knee is in bad shape. The line for over/under on a left knee injury is officialy set at 04/12/09.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Good stuff, Rob.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Well thought out discussion Rob.
Milton Bradley for 90 games vs. Abreu for 150 games, discuss.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I've gotta take Bradley for 90
On top of being the more talented player as of right now, he's also the better investment for the team. If we sign Abreu and he has a poor year, he will be written off as washed up and have no value. If the same happens with Bradley, teams will still be willing to take a chance on him.
Also, I sort of like the idea of Bradley not playing 100 games. Planned off days will give Fukudome more at bats, and as awful as he was post June last year, I think he will turn it around this year. Maybe he won't be as influential as we thought he could be, but if he throws up a .275 next year, he'll no longer be looked at as a bust.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Totally agree.
I just assume that Bradley only plays 90 games. Then we know he will be fresh come October when the Cubs are sitting at home watching the playoffs.
Plus we need to free up the at bats to get "grinders" in there like Aaron Miles and Doug Deeds. Maybe even find some Rf at bats for Paul Bako. He is lefthanded and all.
Abreu is older. So his perennial 300 average and 400 Obp really don't count. He could start to suck at any moment. We need a fiery part time player who is younger.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Man, are you dark about everything.
why do you follow the team at all?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Not being dark. But I'm not a kool-aid drinker either.
I'm just disapointed that we have been on the cusp, and we've taken a step back.
We just signed Cliff Floyd to a 3 year deal.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Wait - you are equating Cliff Floyd to Milton Bradley?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Just out of curiosity, did you read the article?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
" if he throws up a .275 next year, he'll no longer be looked at as a bust."
You may be surprised to learn that Fukudome only managed to hit .279 the first half last year when he was "hot." I think it will be a miracle if he can hit .275 this year.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
no he was "hot" the first month and a half, where his average flirts with .300
regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
based on what? The excuse for last year was he got tired. But clearly that's just wishful thinking if he already "sucked" after just six weeks.
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
I had never heard that he was tired
What I heard was pitchers found the hole in his swing and exploited it
The Cubs spent a lot of money on him, I'm sure they are concentrating on getting more out of him
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
"I think Fukudome is going to bounce back and have a good year for us," Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "This is what I think -- I think he got tired last year. He didn't play a full season the year before in Japan. -- Lou Piniella
found here (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090130&c...)and scores of other sources
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
Lou is sort of stupid.
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
sooo that would make that lou's excuse
fukudome denied repeatedly being tired or fatigued
Re: regardless, he sucked. i think he can pull off .275 though
Never trust a guy who had a bad season to come out and tell you, "You know, I wasn't prepared. My bad."
Not saying that fatigue is definitely the problem (that swing is pretty funky), just saying that you don't necessarily trust the athlete to admit what the problem is--or to know what the problem is, for that matter.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
How about Abreu to back up Bradley and Soriano? Maybe come February 28 he'll still be looking for a job.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Very nice analysis! I am a fan personally of the Bradley signing; it's a gamble, but what you really do is articulate that the "safe" choice, Abreu, is probably the riskiest.
Maybe GM's know this too, which is why he is still out there 2 weeks before ST.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
"the "safe" choice, Abreu, is probably the riskiest."
I think the safe choice would have been pulling the trigger on the Felix Pie+ for Ibanez trade last July.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Perhaps Abreu is still out there because, as the most accomplished, durable, and consistent RF out there, he commands the biggest salary?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
While it is possible DB, I just can't imagine Abreu getting anything near the 3/30 we gave to Bradley.
I think Bradley over Abreu is a huge mistake. Especially when considering
A) our apparent finances will prevent us from procuring a suitable replacement if Bradley goes down with injury ( a VERY real possiblility)
B) We have exacly ZERO legitimate MLB ready prospects to plug into RF in the event that Bradley goes down with injury ( a VERY real possibility)
Conversely I think the Abreu/Bradley age debate is a bunk issue. Bradley has the mileage on his body of a 38 year old. Abreu is still 20 SB fast and athletic enough that he was the smarter/safer play. IMHO
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
You're preaching to the choir here Dr. Aaron...I absolutely agree.
I hope MB proves me wrong, and he has a good, healthy season in RF.
I am skeptical.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
You were skeptical about Mark DeRosa, too, right?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
And Fukudome
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
As a matter of fact...yes, I was skeptical of DeRosa. He was a utility guy for 4 seasons at ATL, then suddenly, at age 31, he breaks out in Texas.
Generally, age 31 is not usually when a player breaks out into previously unheard of performance.
DeRo put together 3 nice seasons in a row, and I wish him luck in Cleveland.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
it wasn't sudden if you look beyond the numbers to the human. there were legit and real reasons his hitting turned around and it wasn't casual lockerroom credit or 1-year-magic.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I'm sorry Crunch, was that comment on Bradley or DeRosa?
DeRosa credited working with Texas hitting coach to his turnaround, chnging his timing mechanism and his stance slightly.
Whatever he did, it worked, as his power numbers improved tremendously since 2006.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
him in ATL vs. him in the box in TEX is/was night and day and that don't show up in the numbers...well, eventually it shows a little bit, but it don't tell you what happened.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
"A) our apparent finances will prevent us from procuring a suitable replacement if Bradley goes down with injury ( a VERY real possiblility)"
our financial situation is much better than it would have been if we signed abreu
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
abreu durable?
abreu consistant?
he's barely a RF'r the past 2 years...his arm and the area he covers has been slipping embarrassingly.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
So you're arguing that Abreu is (a) not a consistently good hitter (career: .300 AVG, .405 OBP, .902 OPS) and (b) not durable (never fewer than 151 games played since '98)?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
What are Sammy Sosa's numbers since '98? I am sure he could be had for less than Abreu.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
How good does his range have to be playing at Wrigley? He managed 10 assists with his "slipping" arm. His range isn't what it used to be..um..at 35, most OF's range is slipping....bfd.
Abreu's a player who plays 150 games a year, and consistently puts up
.300/.380/.480, hits 20-30 HR's, steals 20 bases, and scores 100 runs, including last season.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
slipping is slipping.
i'm not alone in knocking abreu's D/arm the past couple years and it was already questioned in PHI.
as far as his bat slipping...if you're into numbers i dunno how you got him hitting 20-30HR unless it's the same place you got his D scouting...years ago.
there's nothing abreu can do with a bat that bradley can't match and top in a full season's worth of play...and bradley's 4-5 years younger...not to mention a better defender than abreu even at abreu's peak years ago.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Well that is the whole point of the argument, Crunch.
If we knew that Bradley will stay healthy then obviously he is a better player.
However 10 years of Data shows us that he is 90% likely to miss a good chunk of time every year of his contract.
Mark Prior is a FAR superior pitcher to Sean Marshall or Ryan Dempster when healthy.
I don't see anyone pining for his return?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
10 years of data means nothing to 2009.
neither do "ifs"...
bradley is healthy and he's not rehabbing anything. we got what we got. you don't got a guy with a shredded shoulder or someone who needs 5 cortizone shots in his knee a year (abreu, btw, had multiple cortizone shots in his THROWING WRIST in 06 and 07 while debating it at times in 08).
if bradley kept reinjuring 1 thing over and over that'd be more cause for alarm to me.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Like the analysis, thanks, Rob G.
I like the MB signing, even if it is for only 90 games, etc. The only problem I can forsee, is if Lou and him get into a disagreement or two over playing time or anything along those lines. Obviously he is going to leave it all on the field, but I just worry if they get into a time or two it starts to eat away at the team chemistry. Love the signing, love MB's talent, the aforementioned temperment is my only fear.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
So the thought that the Cubs new RF is as durable as balsa wood is not a fear?
That the Cubs may have bought high?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Holy shit, did Dusty Baylor actually just use the Reply function? Breaking a 101-year streak seems so much more plausible now.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Doug, kindly go eff yourself, and have a nice day....lol
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I mean yes it is. But not the primary fear. I think we will all be shocked if MB plays over 140 games this year. I have the expectation that he will play right around 100 games, and with that in mind, my primary fear is that he messes up the chemistry of the team.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
ESPN 1000 radio's Bruce Levine (thru Silvy/Waddle) reporting the Rich Hill to Baltimore for PTBNL
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
WMVP says the Hill to BAL trade is done. For a PTBNL.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I'm not normally the grammar/spelling police, but I've seen the following misuse in a bunch of different places, and the dude will no longer abide:
weary = fatigued
wary or leery = cautious, skeptical, or distrustful
Please don't ban me.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Bradley was a better DH than Floyd
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Bradley is clearly better than Floyd.
But I imagine Floyd would put up some nice #s in Texas.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Just want to make sue: Not INTERN to Be Named Later?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
The "Coors Field of the American League" is 90 percent sitting at 98F degrees average temperature at game time, and it's not a dry heat. That may explain why Ken Washington kept him out of right field a lot here in Texas. The ballpark at Arlington is pretty much protected from the wind, too. MB hit a lot into the crooked wall gap in right center. He is not a free swinger - waits for his pitch. Cubs have been getting better at that since Lou took over (K-Fu's turn this year). Home games should be well suited for Bradley, let's hope he bats third. And winning ball games (as opposed to losing at scores like 13-11 as a Ranger) can go a long way in anger manager-ment. Lou's plan is taking 3 years to take shape but I predict Dempster will not make a prediction this year.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Wonder how he'll adjust to more day games? It's an old, tired and cumbersome subject, but more than a handful of players have said that coming over to Wrigley can take a few months to a year of adjusting to playing more daytime tilts.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Bradley: .280/.370/.457
Floyd: .279/.359/.483
Bradley is better than Floyd NOW....absolutely.
Floyd was a pretty good player.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Nice analysis but has anyone ever really doubted his ability? Nope, me thinks not. The question is, will he give us 120 games a year for three? He's like Ken Griffey Jr. Plays hard, gets hurt.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
It's hard to read through the 2-3 people declaring Bradley already dead to the world, a waste of money, and abreu/dunn could have been had for 1yr/5m or something similar.
the team signed the best hitter and best defender (by far) in the lot for 10m a year.
yeah, he's an injury concern but there is nothing anyone can point to right now to say "wow, he's gonna have to not run/sprint/lean/throw/etc. that or he's doomed!"
is he rondell white? ...a guy who could injure a new body part yearly in new and exciting ways until his body/age caught up to him?
is he "over" his injury bug?
we'll find out...until then the club picked up the best defender and hitter (except power) in the lot.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
WAIT! you mean that folks would have to wait to see how the player does, FIRST!
HA! Laughable...
I agree, how can you slam someone when they signed the best available player? We'll see how it pans out.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Bradley may be the best defender, provided he plays 120-140 games.
Bradley was the best hitter....last year, for one season. The rest of his career, who knows? He's always hurt.
Is he Rondell White? No..at least Rondell White had 6 seasons of playing 120 games or more.
Bradley has a ton of talent, but until he proves he can play full time in RF, there will be doubters.
Except for last season, he couldn't carry Abreu's jock, btw...
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Abreu hit 20 last year and actually had a better year than in '07, at least in terms of HRs, OPS, AVG, OBP and slugging. I'd take that slippage.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
brian giles agrees.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Hell, I'd take Brian Giles and his slippage over Milton Bradley over the next 2 years. Get him out of Petco and you've got 150 games of proven production.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
can i buy some weed from you?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Except it would take a court order, or some type of Congressional Resolution to get Giles out of San Diego...
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
The age thing bothers me alot less than the injury thing.
Bradley is the best player of the group. He just cannot stay healthy.
That is a problem in my humble opinion.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
ya know...i dont think bradley is a great fit for a NL team, but you don't get guys that hit AND field like him (CF/RF is a part of his game no matter how ignored) for 10m a year with an "out" on the 3rd year.
guys like him signing contracts like this generally tiered bonuses that could drive their price up considerably paying him over 2 years what he'd make in 3 if healthy.
imo...not only is this contract cubs-favored, but it could turn out to be one hell of a deal for a CF/RF who hits like he does.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
...again, IF he hits like he did last season. That was the one full season like that he's managed, over the last 8 seasons, to put together.
Until he puts together a couple of seasons like that, 2008 screams outlier.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
While Crunch is soliciting weed, I'm still waiting to hear how Abreu is not consistent or durable. Opinons on who's better/a better fit aside...
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Um....range wise maybe, but i'd take 2 errors and 10 assists out of RF for the Cubs, even if Abreu's range isn't what it used to be.
Abreu's power is down. Ok. He still managed 20 HR's, he still hit 39 doubles, still stole 20 bases, still scored 100 runs, still drove in 100 runs.
Please list all seasons in which Milton Bradley did any of those things?
I give you the 22 HR in 2008. Then?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Well, He did have 516 at bats in 2004
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
And he only made 3 errors in 20 games in the OF last year.
so we know he is an awesome fielder
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I really do hope it's the case Rob. We are ultimately all fans here. I just want the cubs to be giving themselves the best possible chance to win.
I hope Bradley holds up and is all that he can be. But you have to understand the skeptics when you see that since 2004, Bradley has played
and 20 games in the Outfield. I sure as hell hope that were getting Milton in RF for more than the 61 games per year that he averages. Obviously time will tell.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
"Bradley will easily be a .900 OPS guy."
Rob, I am encouraged by your enthusiasm. Exactly what suggests Bradley can repeat last year's performance, which was much better than his career numbers would project him to be? I understand that he may be better than his .280/.370/.457 career line..which projects to .824 OPS btw...but why should he be expected to hit that way again? He hasn't done it before over a full season, so why expect it now.
Abreu is declining badly. His "declining badly" season of 2008 is better than any season MB had prior to 2008. His OBP is down...to averaging .370 over the last 2 seasons...and slugging about .465. Yep...terrible.
I wouldn't have paid Abreu $16 million again, but I'd have sure looked into what he'd have taken.
Trust me, I hope that I am dead wrong, that MB plays 150 games in RF, puts up
.290/.370/.490, with 25 HR's and 90 RBI's. But I will not just expect that of him since he had a career year DH'ing in 126 games last season.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Yes, and a .900 OPS is a long way from his career OPS of .827 isn't it?
Why doesn't MB's 2008 strike anyone else as a career season?
If the economy wasn't in the toilet, Abreu would have a job. He will not get anywhere near $16 million again, and would be foolish to expect it. He can barely play the OF anymore....ok. His range has deteriorated, at age 35. Shocker there...but he only made 2 errors, and still somehow managed to get 10 assists. If he put up the #'s from last year, and managed to not embarrass himself in RF, I'd take Abreu 7 days of the week over Bradley.
I am obviously not going to be swayed, and neither are you Rob.
I will admit I'm wrong when Bradley plays 140 games or so in RF, and is putting up a reasonable .290/.370/.450, which is more in line with his career numbers.
But to expect another .320/.436/.563? Without the benefit of DH'ing full time?
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
"Why doesn't MB's 2008 strike anyone else as a career season?"
I have this concern too, but I'm hoping that my silence on the subject, which will begin again immediately after this post, will help to ward off bad mojo.
I also thought DeRo was coming off a career year when the Cubs signed him, and shutting up about that worked out well for me.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Of course Rob, those numbers are still much better than any he has put up in any other season.
I hope you are right...that magically he can stay healthy for 140 games, playing OF full time, putting up numbers better than his career averages..
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Remember when Fukudome was sweet for like 5 games?
"After only five games, Fukudome's status among Cubs fans sits somewhere between Ernie Banks and sunshine. His reputation in Chicago is Obama-esque. If he has a good road trip, fans might commission a statue of him, apostrophes and all, by the time he gets back. A good month and Nippon Life Insurance (his personal press conference sponsor) might want to think about naming rights to Wrigley. But let's not get carried away or anything. One thing's for sure -- he's been a great addition.
If it seems like Fukudome (8-for-16 with five RBIs this season) has been a part of every positive Cubs play so far, it's true, and Saturday was no different. "
(One of the two games I've been to at Wrigley in my life, reading the recap dreaming about better days that involved Cubs wins)
This discussion wouldn't be happening if he didn't blow donkey dick.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
This discussion wouldn't be happening if he didn't blow donkey dick.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
To say Kent is a racist and Bradley isn't is laughable.
Kent had problems with two of the biggest ass-holes in baseball. Barry Bonds and Milton Bradley....wow shocking.
Meanwhile Milton Bradley has spent his career using race to justify his actions calling Kent, Paul LoDuca, Billy Beane and numerous other people in baseball as racists. I love in the article you put up about Kent where Bradley says this....
"I was told in spring training I was the team leader by Paul DePodesta. By Jim Tracy. By Frank McCourt," Bradley said of the Dodgers' general manager, manager and owner. "Growing up in LA, I know how to deal with all types of people, and I do it on an everyday basis. But some people don't deal with all different types of people every day, and therefore don't know how to handle situations when they arise."
Bradley accused the media of coming to his locker first Tuesday because he is black. Kent had not yet arrived at his locker.
"At no time am I going to let somebody question my hustle, my injury or question my motivation for playing," Bradley said. "I watch him on the field, and I follow in his footsteps and the things he does on the field. As far as off the field, he has no clue about leadership.
"If you're going to be the leader of the team, then the need to mingle with the team and associate with the team. I mean, you can't have your locker in the corner, put your headphones in and sit in the corner reading a motocross magazine. He's in his own world. Everybody else is in this world."
Well except for the white man who is keeping Milton Bradley down. Or that "Uncle Tom" reporter he lashed out to. Its laughable to think the Dodgers wanted Bradley who has been kicked off teams before he arrived in LA would be handed team leader status. That is Bradleys delusional thinking.
But i like what a Dodgers fan had to say...
Oh yes, Milton. You've proven yourself to be quite the people person. I particularly like the way that you "dealt with" that speeding ticket you received back in 2003. Driving away from the cops proved a shrewd tactic, as you only had to serve a 3-day jail sentence for that. Throwing your helmet at umpire Bruce Froemming illustrated your ability to "handle situations" quite admirably. Complaining when JD Drew's signing threatened to take your center field position from you was brilliant. Oh, and getting suspended during the Dodgers' playoff run last year for assaulting fans with beer bottles was a class act through and through. What a leader!
And Bradleys idea of mingling with his teammates goes something like this..
(after an argument with Paul Lo Duca, Bradley stated, "If you don't know me and I don't know you, don't approach me, and I won't approach you") angering many within the game.
But hey lets look into what he said about the A's after he was gone.
Just look at it, you tell me," he said. "It's a mighty coincidence that every black guy who's been there the last three years - you can go back to Jermaine Dye, Terrence Long, Mike Singleton - is gone. When I was with Cleveland, I'd ask guys, 'How do you like it here?' and they'd say, 'We can't get in a game over here, we can't stand it over here.' Then I got there, and I said, 'Man, I don't see any of that.' Then 2007 rolled around, and I started seeing it.
"I don't know how Stew (Shannon Stewart) still does it. When I was there, asking why am I not playing, I was also saying, 'Why is Stew not playing?' He was hitting .300 then, he's the only guy they got hitting .300 now. But he still can't get in there to play every day.
"He's the kind of guy who's not going to say anything, though - he'd whisper it to me - but he's not going to say it out loud. I'm the type of guy who would say it out loud: Are you trying to win around here or are you trying to save a dollar? But I don't have to worry about that now."
Entire A's organization is racist, Milton Bradley a fucking saint. And 2nd Shannon Stewart played 146 games getting 576 AB's. Maybe someone would like to explain to Bradley what playing every day looks like.
Bradley loves to flip the race card to make excuses for his actions like it is some sort of free pass. Yet he is the one constantly looking for a new team.
You keep hearing he is a fiery team-mate that just wants to win, but you hear plenty of reports of him not hustling and players getting pissed at him for doing it. Basically Milton plays as hard as he wants to, kinda like Manny Ramirez, and fuck anyone who questions his hustle.
Wait he did question Eric Byrnes...
Milton Bradley says of Eric Byrnes (in Sports Illustrated), "He's an example of what I call false hustle." I have to agree. What's more childish and phony than a major-league ballplayer who runs hard all the time, shows enthusiasm and pretends to actually enjoy playing baseball for millions of dollars? Milton you really are a complete idiot. Thank god Beane shipped your ass out of town! What a douche.
Kent only question Bradley's hustle and in return got called a racist by probably the biggest racist baseball, and his name is Milton Bradley.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
bradley called out kent for being a selfish guy who cashes a check and shows up...even bonds didn't call his ass out on it because dustbag always handled that crap (until it boiled over).
jeff kent is one of the most insignificant teammates in the history of the game...if he was an asshole he'd be more notorious, but as it is he just "did his thing" and no one cared (especially the media) to call out this thing everyone knew about. he wasn't a teammate, he was a guy who took the field with you because he was paid to.
bradley wants to lead, but he's not a leader...it don't stop him from calling people out and no matter what we think of him...he's right about a lot of people/things he's calling out about teammates...we just don't like the guy bringing the message.
btw, i think you're taking liberties with the "milton being racist" stuff, esp. in relation to calling players out even if he's hypersensitive, himself.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
If my memory serves me, wasn't it Jeff Kent who called out MILTON for not hustling?
That in itself would lead you to believe that Jeff Kent actually cared about the team, and wasn't some selfish "Me" player. If Jeff Kent didn't care about the team then why the hell would he call Milton out.
Milton's reaction was that he didn't like to be called out. The race thing was just Milton being Milton.
Oh, and Jeff Kent is a sure fire HOFer. Milton Bradley never will be.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
jeff kent's clubhouse story is a long non-reported one of selfishness.
it's amazing...you can go to almost every team kent has played for and very few of his former teammates can tell you much about him. he don't have many baseball friends and the concesus is he doesn't want any.
jeff kent calling out anyone usually results in people telling jeff kent to mind his own business rather than pretending to care about baseball at random moments.
barry bonds didnt jump all over kent because of 1 single incident and 1 single thing said.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
I think maybe Mike C may have been saying, " Hey Milton, look in a freaking mirror, shut your piehole, and play the effing game please."
...or something like that...
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
you don't get that with milton...just like you don't get a lockerroom teammate with kent or a non-media-whore with Arod.
if milton sees something that bugs him chances are we'll hear about it.
fwiw...for all the lockerroom shaking he's done he's generally come out on top and supported by his teammates.
that said, the cubs lockerroom doesn't seem to be a problem clubhouse, but it has lost 2 vocal semi-leaders in dero and wood. the rearranging of the clubhouse power structure is definitely worth watching in 09.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Very nice blogical, Rob G. I don't see any problem with averaging WARP - it's a season based stat. No mention of him stirring up the clubhouse, which Lou is allegedly looking for, is my only small quibble.
I still think that his HR/FB ratio wasn't that far out of line, considering it's his first chance playing in a 'hitters ballpark.' He hits the ball really hard.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
A late thanks for your efforts here, Rob.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
ESPN (TV) says the White Sox have offered Abreu a contract.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
here is the source of the Abreau rumor
apparently it was 1/8...but who knows how desperate he will get.
not sure it makes sense, Quentin, Dye, Thome...not much room for him unless they have a Dye trade arranged.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Yep..it's more than Bradley will get paid this year...because Abreu has shown that he will be there for 150 games a season, and does not have a reputation for being a confrontational hothead.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Yep...I'll take a "self-centered non team player" who shows up every game, posts good numbers, and while his range is diminished in RF, at least he will be there for more than 90 games. Oh...and Abreu also shows that he can still steal bases and take plenty of walks.
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
Again...I will be the first to admit I'm wrong when Bradley plays 140 games in the OF, hitting somewhere near his career numbers even...
Re: Did Cubs Make the Right (Field) Choice?
there was a rumor that the Angels would be interested in Dye but the WSox wanted Figgins back. Not sure if that makes sense for the Angels though unless they're going with Brandon Wood at 3B.
Recent comments
be curious how long Maddon sticks with Lester to try and let offense get back into it and get him the win (4-2 as I type, was 4-0)
Fwiw, he needed 2.1 IP to cross 200 for season so he got that at least. He also needs 9 K's for 200K's on season and he has 4 through 3.
cubs score 2 runs thanks to predictable reds pitching and horrible CIN defense...cubs only down by 1 now. heyward even got a gift 2rbi double out of an easy popout. neat.
something named Ty Blach has outpitched Clayton Kershaw through 6 innings (1-0 Giants).
not that finishing 2nd place will matter much nor did this game, but have to think if Hendricks pitches well tomorrow, he could leapfrog Lester in Cy Young voting. Don't see anyway Scherzer doesn't win it regardless and it doesnt' look like Lester has any incentive clauses that matter. Also might give Cueto some votes.
Rather remarkable how many teams have really good 1-2 options this year.
Nats: Scherzer and Roark (and Strasburg was great before injuries)
Cubs: Lester and Hendricks (and Arrietta is still damn good just not as consistently lately)
pretty much what I'm gathering from this thread is that it doesn't matter who you play in 5-game series, but no one wants to have to deal with Cardinal fans if we end up losing.
I can respect that.
first game for lester giving up more than 2 runs since july 24th. hell of a run.
doh, yes...dunno what happened there. jake arrieta is all "bro wut?"
lester going for #20...cubs haven't had a LH (thanks jpep for the correction) 20 game winner since d.ellsworth in 1963.
fwiw, all the games are free on mlb.tv
Short rest for MadBum would be 2 days. WC game is Wed., Games 1 & 2 are Friday/Saturday.
A left-handed one...
J-Hey not finishing with an offensive onslaught.
If Geoff Blum could be a Playoff hero, there is hope still...
Giants scare me. I think you're wrong about Bumgarner, he would pitch on short rest for Game 2 and then full rest for Game 5. Cueto would go Game 1, then short rest in game 4. Add in some really tough outs in that lineup and I want nothing to do with them. With that rotation they can easily steal a series.
Cards are a tough matchup. The rivalry evens out their comparable lack of talent. And like someone said, they love HRs, which is how to beat the Cubs. The upside is that I would feel really good about Lester twice against STL.
j.buchanan with a nice start...5ip 2h 1bb 3k, 0r/er
zobrist with 2HR and a double through 8
heyward 0-4 :(
Mark Gonzales @MDGonzales
Soler likely to return Sunday, Maddon says
Right now, I'd like to see the Mets first, Giants 2nd.
I believe that since most of the team from last years' NLCS is on the squad this year, they will really amp their game up even more to kick their ass in payback for 2015.
The Giants just do not have the depth in years past, and I think all things equal - and at Wrigley - they could handle them.
I do not want to see the Cards, period. Or their fans, media, or Joe Buck.


text:
Red Carpet Photos: Who was hot and not at the Screen Actors Guild Awards
Photo: Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Harry Shum Jr., left and Shelby Rabara arrive at the 19th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
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Joint Session with Strategic Resource Management
8:00 Chairperson's Remarks
Carlos Nunes, Director, Portfolio Management & Analytics, Pfizer Inc.
8:05 Breakfast PresentationSponsored by
Tufts CSDD Research: Trends in Assessing Internal and Outsourced Clinical Trial Costs and Resource Demand Stella Stergiopoulos, Project Manager, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug DevelopmentUnder the current global operating environment, biopharmaceutical companies face far more limited financial resources while time-to-market pressures are intensifying and worldwide clinical research activity is rising steadily. In response, companies are becoming more demanding of their planning and forecasting capabilities and setting lower tolerances for variance between planned and actual performance. Accurately gauging costs and resource demand for a clinical trial – both internal and outsourced – remains one of the most important challenges for biopharmaceutical companies. This session presents findings from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development on this critical topic, examining current industry practices and emerging trends.
8:45 What Senior Management Needs and Expects from Portfolio and Resource Management
Richard Heaslip, Ph.D., President, Programmatic Sciences; Associated Faculty, Organizational Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania; former Vice President, Project Management, Wyeth Research
Senior Management from pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies have differing opinions about the specific roles that Portfolio and Resource Management Professionals should have in the decision making processes of their respective companies. However, most Senior Managers can easily identify what they need and expect from those highly trained professionals. In this talk, we will explore the types of relationships between the Senior, Portfolio, and Resource Management roles, and organizational constructs for optimizing interactions between these three important groups.
9:15 Co-Presentation: The Clinical Research Organization of the Future: Managing High Performance Outsourced Projects
Eric Morfin, Ph.D., VP, Project Management and Founder BioPharmaPM; DCTD Project Management, SAIC
Tim Krupa, Independent Consultant, former Executive Director, Project Management, Quintiles
The Clinical Research Organization of the Future will have to enable the pharmaceutical companies to pursue two seemingly incompatible goals: maintaining or increasing quality products while dramatically reducing costs and development lead times. During this presentation, the attendees will learn all the necessary practices for identifying and selecting the right CRO. Tim will discuss the techniques required for successfully managing CROs and the shared responsibilities required for the sponsor and the service provider.
10:00 What is more Important to Manage Risk and Uncertainties: Process or Tools?
Ulrike M. Grimm, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Head Project Management, Vifor Pharma Ltd.
Pharma companies tend to rely on the outcome of tools in portfolio management and decision analysis. However, the more complex the supporting software, the harder to check the consistency and plausibility of the data and underlying assumptions. The new tools suggest a high degree of precision, but does this hold true? My experience from a small biotech company shows that you can also achieve good results in managing uncertainties and risk by a more process-driven approach. The audience will understand that a transparent process of managing the data and assumptions that make up the business case is to my understanding more important than a highly sophisticated tool. Portfolio management should spend a rather large proportion of their available time to set the process right and align the organization to it (pay attention to comparability and review / consistency checks of the data by a transparent and communicaton-focused approach). Examples will be given.
10:30 Networking Coffee Break
Sponsored by 11:15 "Software, Tools, and People - Oh my!" How to Reach the Land of Portfolio Management Dick Piehl, Project Manager, Integrated Project Management Company, Inc. (IPM)More and more companies are seeing the value of PPM and are using tools to help them determine how to invest their limited resources in the right projects. A wide variety of tools, ranging from simple spreadsheets to complex software packages, exist to evaluate a portfolio from several perspectives Once you have picked the tools the challenge is in how to integrate them to produce optimal results. How do you get everyone in your company to consistently use the tools? The answer is that dreaded word "process". Portfolio management goes beyond tools. A sustainable, cost-effective development program depends upon well-defined operational processes that draw upon the positive aspects of a wide range of tools. This session will use a real case study to explore practical lessons learned to design and implement a development process that leads to successful portfolio management.
11:45 Keys to Success for an Enterprise-wide Portfolio Management Capability
James Down, Vice President and Process Executive / Product Lifecycle Management, Becton Dickinson
In 2007 Becton Dickinson implemented a Global Product Development System (GPDS) organized around the PRTM PACETM methodology. The PACE model predicts evolution of a business from informal business processes (Stage 0) through "functional excellence", "project excellence", "portfolio excellence" to finally "cross-enterprise excellence". Each stage accompanies enhanced business performance. Achievement of portfolio excellence requires the full alignment of project and portfolio management across the enterprise and implementation of a global portfolio management system. In this presentation we will describe the implementation of the Becton Dickinson GPDS how it transformed the product development processes including the successful implementation of a global portfolio management process that spans all business units within Becton Dickinson.
12:15 Sponsored Luncheon PresentationSponsored by
What Your Executive Really Wants in a Portfolio Review
Daniel Smith, Vice President Consulting, Enrich Consulting
1:55 Chairperson's Remarks
Richard Heaslip, Ph.D., Associated Faculty, Organizational Dynamics, University of Pennsylvania; former Vice President, Project Management, Wyeth Research
2:00 Innovation in Delivering Positive Clinical Proof of Concept
Richard K. Harrison, Scientific Director, Thomson Reuters
Phase II is the weakest link in the R&D continuum. R&D productivity is at an unsustainably low level for the industry. However, there are strategies that can successfully navigate these challenges to deliver a positive clinical proof of concept and deliver new drugs in areas of high unmet medical need. This presentation will focus on how improving Phase II (PoC) survival will have the single biggest impact on R&D productivity. The audience will gain practical insights on how to assess risk in pre-proof of concept portfolios.
2:30 Managing Uncertainty: Developing Organizational Peripheral Vision
Roch Parayre, Ph.D., Senior Partner, Decision Strategies International Inc.; Fellow, Aresty Institute of Executive Education, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Managers are barraged by a growing stream of weak signals from the periphery. How do they know to which items they should respond and which they should ignore? The key is to spot and interpret the important weak signals – particularly around customer demands and technology – and act on opportunities ahead of the competition, or recognize the early signs of trouble before they escalate into major problems. This session introduces the concept of organizational peripheral vision in order to identify opportunities and threats faster.
3:00 R&D Pipeline Modeling: Does it Help Inform Expectations around Product Flow?
Suzanne Brown, Executive Director, Pipeline & Project Management, Merck & Co.
Product probability of success in Pharma has not improved noticeably over the last several years yet we continue to increase R&D spending. By using pipeline modeling, can we better understand the impact of POS on product flow and subsequent investment? This presentation will highlight an approach that has been piloted at Merck Research Laboratories.
3:30 Networking Refreshment Break
4:00 Interactive Breakout Discussions
Break-Out Discussion Groups and Afternoon Wrap Up:
Concurrent breakout discussion groups are interactive, guided discussions hosted by a facilitator or set of co-facilitators to discuss some of the key issues presented earlier in the day's sessions. Delegates will join a table of interest to them and become an active part of the discussion at hand. To get the most out of this interactive session and format please come prepared to share examples from your work, vet some ideas with your peers, be a part of group interrogation and problem solving, and, most importantly, participate in active idea sharing.
TABLE 1: Project & Portfolio Management: Will it Survive the Vertical Disintegration of the Biopharmaceutical Industry? James Samanen, Ph.D., President, James Samanen Consulting; former Director, Drug Discovery Project & Portfolio Management, GlaxoSmithKline
• What are the biggest concerns about the future of project and portfolio management as Pharma continue to downsize and externalize?
• If every area of expertise needs to argue for its position among the core competencies, will project and portfolio management will be among the last competencies to be retained in the future?
TABLE 2: How to Incorporate Resource Planning Into Portfolio Decision MakingGrant A. Morgan, Ph.D., PMP, Leader of R&D Metrics and Clinical Capacity Planning, Director, Global Project Management, Allergan
• Are internal resource projections incorporated into Portfolio decision making?
• Does upper management consider both FTE resources and available dollars when evaluating the optimal portfolio blend?
• Does upper management use a bottom up or top down methodology for incorporating resource estimates in portfolio planning, what are the benefits of both options?
TABLE 3: In Light of the Evolving Business Trend: Rethinking Pipeline Shape & ManagementArun Kejariwal, Manager Portfolio & Decision Support, Research Planning & Integration, Merck & Co., Inc.
• How companies are changing the org structure to give much higher focus on "Execution". This could also including if the companies are rethinking the skills needed for right execution.
• Changing strategies in terms of ensuring some % of budget is dedicated to external collaboration. Morgan Stanley report to shift from "research" to "search" model
• How should one think of the pipeline shape? Has the traditional approach of FIFO failed us? Should there be "buffer of projects" at each stage -- pick the best to move forward rather than FIFO?
TABLE 4: Pitfalls in Project Portfolio Planning Dorene Lynch, Business Development Executive, Integrated Project Management Co., Inc.
• How do you create consistent "high resolution" project plans that accurately spell out, in vivid detail, the resources required to complete each task and activity?
• How do you capture the actual hours spent by all project players in completing project tasks and activities? Do you analyze planned and actual time spent by each person in your organization on every project to which he or she is assigned in order to demonstrate who's overloaded?
• How do you handle incidents of resources that are "stolen" across projects, excessive overtime, large-effort-but-ultimately-useless projects, and so on?
TABLE 5: Managing and Communicating Uncertainty in your Projects and PortfoliosRichard Sonnenblick, President, Enrich Consulting
• Is Monte Carlo simulation always necessary or can multiplication of attrition probabilities sometimes suffice?
• How do you effectively communicate project and portfolio uncertainty to executives?
• Should you communicate uncertainty in resource planning forecasts, and how do you avoid going too far?
TABLE 6: How Do You Build a New Culture When you Merge Two Companies? Suzanne Brown, Executive Director, Pipeline & Project Management, Merck & Co.
• Many companies are merging today and have increasing pressure to become productive immediately - where do you focus first to gain that productivity?
• Each company brings different processes, product and cultures - which is the most difficult to integrate?
• What are good practices to create a new culture?
TABLE 7: Flexible Resourcing Models for Clinical DevelopmentFelix Steybe, Ph.D., PMP, Resource Manager, Deputy Director, Global R&D Project Management, Bayer Schering Pharma AG
• Different principles for Rolling Forecasts vs Mid-Term Planning (external and internal costs)
• How are algorithms and cost models developed (ramp up payments, recruitment based models, CRO fees)?
• How can you report and analyze resources and do they really guide decision making?
TABLE 8: How to Manage and Fill Pipeline GapsUlrike M. Grimm, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Head Project Management, Vifor Pharma Ltd.
• Do you have a pipeline model that sets the criteria for the specifics of projects to be looked for and do you work according to the pipeline model?
• Who decides about new projects: business development & licensing (BD&L) or research department? Or both? An independent committee?
• How are the two departments BD&L and research integrated with portfolio management? How are these interfaces managed? What could be improved?
5:30 Close of Portfolio Management Executive Forum (Strategic Resource Management continues on through Wednesday, November 4th)
Monday, November 1 | Tuesday, November 2 | Wednesday, November 3Thursday, November 4
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Better corn silage is possible
Better corn silage is possible
by Carole Curtis
The author is an agricultural free-lance writer based in Manitowoc County, Wis.
As yields improve over time, a picture of how to manage corn for optimal silage performance has emerged.
The yield march continues for corn silage, according to Joe Lauer, University of Wisconsin extension corn specialist. In Wisconsin, yields rose 0.04 tons an acre per year from 1919 to 1929; 0.1 tons from 1930 to 1995 as hybrids hit the fields; and 0.21 tons during the transgenic era that began in 1996.
"Managing corn for optimum grain yield will optimize silage yield and quality," Lauer told those attending a recent Manitowoc County Forage Council seminar, located in northeast Wisconsin. "But some modest changes can translate into maximum results. The tweaking for silage lies in hybrid selection, planting date, plant density, and harvest timing," he went on to say.
Decisions impact forage results
While the ultimate test of quality is animal performance, there are a number of agronomic considerations:
Yield and quality. Trials dating back to 1994 show yields range 3.1 tons per acre between the top and bottom hybrids. That translates to a 477 pound swing in milk per ton of silage. Measured another way, it is an 11,500 pound swing in pounds of milk per acre.
Planting dates. From April 24 to June 16, Lauer found yields dropped by 2.2 tons per acre for a 27 percent impact. The date had a 3 percent change on milk per ton and a 30 percent gain on milk per acre. Similar scales based on planting date would apply to other regions.
Plant density. When comparing 22,000 seeds per acre to 40,000 seeds per acre, there was a 1.2 ton difference per acre, giving a 14 percent impact on yield. Although milk per ton was 4 percent higher with the lower population, there was a 10 percent gain on milk per acre with the higher plant density.
Soil fertility. An application rate of 160 pounds of nitrogen per acre was compared to no application. It showed a 20 to 50 percent change in yield.
Harvest timing. When harvesting wet (R3) compared to dry (R5.5) corn silage, there was a 4.4 ton per acre range or a 40 percent shift in yield in favor of R5.5. In addition, there was a 15 percent impact on milk per ton and a 38 percent range in milk per acre.
Row spacing. Interestingly, Lauer said, 13 trials on row spacings of 30 inches compared to 15 inches showed no statistical difference.
Criteria for selecting silage hybrids
Variation for silage yield and quality exists among commercial hybrids. Lauer said, "Base silage hybrids selection on whole plant silage yield as well as grain production. This selection standard also will provide flexibility as a dual-purpose crop. Silage quality, a relative maturity of 5 to 10 days later than grain hybrids, standability for added flexibility, and pest resistance are also important."
In the current transgenic era, Lauer offers some additional principles to help guide hybrid selection. Growers should use multi-location averages to compare hybrid performance and evaluate its consistency of performance. Among the genetic factors that influence a grower's decisions on his forage cornfields, Lauer advised looking for hybrids with grain yields labeled adequate, high forage yields, and high milk per acre.
"The digestibility of stalks and leaves should be considered, and plant maturity should be 5 to 10 days longer than a full-season hybrid," said Lauer. "The variety's drydown should be synchronous between stover and ear, instead of the "stay-green" of grain hybrids, to allow for proper ensiling moisture at harvest, and kernel texture should be soft," said the Wisconsin corn specialist.
"When breeding and managing a corn plant for silage, good agronomics remain critical. The hybrid should offer high yields of biomass and pest resistance in high density situations," Lauer said. "There is a lower economic threshold for pest control with silage," he added, noting transgenic traits for pest control are important.
The hybrid should also offer adequate lodging resistance and be prolific.
In addition, pay attention to seed cost, and buy only the traits you need. "The bottom line is that traits do not add to yield," Lauer said. "Traits protect yield."
However, yield will be sacrificed and problems will develop if the timing of harvest is off. "If the silage is too wet, at greater than 70 percent moisture, there will be reduced yield, souring, seepage, and low intake by the dairy cows," said Lauer.
"If the crop is harvested too dry, at less than 60 percent moisture, there will be reduced yields, molds will develop, and digestibility, protein, and vitamins A and E will be lower," he noted.
The harvest timing trigger depends upon the ideal moisture for the particular silage storage facility.
Pushing populations and row spacing
"Plant distribution has the most potential to move a farmer off his current yield level," Lauer said. "Plant densities for maximum yield are going up as new hybrids are commercialized. For row spacing, narrower is considered better, although the decision has a low impact on yield.
"There are challenges to plugging in more plants," noted Lauer. "Excessively high populations can lead to poor root development, standability issues because of poor stalk strength, inconsistent ear development, and small or blank ears," he cautioned.
In industry trials on twin rows, Monsanto reported an average of 3 bushels per acre more for twin rows when compared to 30-inch rows. Also, yields were higher at 16 of 20 locations and different hybrids responded differently.
Meanwhile, AgriGold found a 5 bushel advantage with twin rows in 2009 and a 4.4 bushel advantage in 2010, as well as hybrids responded differently to row and plant spacing, said Lauer. Pioneer reported twin rows yielded 0.7 bushels per acre less than 30-inch rows in 2010 with similar hybrid responses.
Among the management factors, Lauer advised plant populations for forage cornfields of 2,000 to 3,000 more than the 26,000 to 34,000 seeds per acre typically planted for grain fields. Plantings can be made up to seven days later than for grain.
Looking ahead
Although silage corn can currently produce as much protein and oil per acre as soybeans and yields continue to rise, Lauer concluded there is plenty of room for progress. Forage quality changes have not occurred, although specific hybrids such as brown midrib have had dramatic changes.
"More progress might be gained if breeding efforts targeted quality rather than yield," Lauer said, noting environmental traits may become just as important as forage quality traits, especially for managing manure and drought stress.


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On Saturday night, Blue Ivy's pop star mom, her husband Jay-Z and LeBron James held court in Houston at the Sprite Two Kings private dinner at RDG + Bar Annie.
While fans were buzzing about the singer's new documentary, Life Is but a Dream, Beyoncé slipped into the late night event dressed in a white pantsuit with her honey-hued hair in curls.
As the event continued, Chef Robert del Grande served mixed surf and turf with starters of Maine lobster salad, seared foie gras po' boys and entrees including wood grilled prime beef and gulf red snapper.
After dinner, things took a lively turn as deejay Mick Boogie played hits late into the night. Other attendees included P. Diddy, Drake, Ne-Yo, and Scottie and Larsa Pippen.
– Heather Staible
Spot a celebrity? Tweet us your sighting— People magazine (@peoplemag) August 7, 2012
@peoplemag with #CITA and it could appear on PEOPLE.com!


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