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Commemorative Opening Day Program – First Look
March 14, 2011 — Earlier today, the cover of the Commemorative
Opening Day Program was finalized (see it for the first time below).
This is truly a sneak peak, since the magazine hasn't even
printed yet. If you follow the Yankees
Magazine Homestand Blog, you are seeing this cover before anyone else.
Please take a moment to let me know what you think of the
Opening Day cover, and please stay tuned for more Yankees Magazine covers during the season. I will continue to post
them here first.
And even if you are not attending the Yankees Opening Day
game against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium on March 31, you can still
purchase the game program. To do so, please call (800) GO-YANKS.
–Alfred Santasiere III
April Issue of Yankees Magazine Preview
March 14, 2011 – A few weeks ago, I spoke with Joe Girardi
about a dozen or so topics. We talked about Alex Rodriguez and his tireless
work ethic. We discussed A.J. Burnett, and Girardi expounded on why he is so
confident that the pitcher will rebound. Then I asked the skipper about
Rafael Soriano, the Yankees new eighth inning man.
That's when the manager's demeanor changed. His eyes lit up,
and he began to smile.
"Rafael is going to change our entire game plan," Girardi
said. "There's going to be a lot of pressure on the other team to score enough
runs during the first seven innings of each game."
Girardi's optimism is warranted. Soriano established himself
as one of the best closers in baseball last year with the AL East champs, the
Tampa Bay Rays. He led the American League in saves with 45 — and only blew two
save opportunities — and he posted a career-best 1.73 ERA.
Soriano is a power pitcher, who struck out 57 batters last
season, while only walking 14.
Now Soriano is the bridge to Mariano Rivera, who is coming
off another brilliant season in the greatest career a relief pitcher has ever
Are Mo and Sori the best one-two punch in baseball today?
Are they the best late-innings tandem in Yankees history? Will there presence shorten games for opposing teams?
In the next issue of Yankees
Magazine, which will be on sale on March 31 — Opening Day 2011 — I take my
best shot at answering those questions and at providing an in-depth look at the
newest Yankees star.
Besides talking to Girardi for this story, I spoke with
Soriano on the day he signed with the team (see photo below). I also asked
Derek Jeter for his take on just how difficult Soriano is to hit, and pitching
coach Larry Rothschild gave me his insight on Soriano's repertoire and command.
The April issue also includes the first of two "New York
Yankees Alumni Newsletters" that will be published in 2011. This month's alumni
spotlight is on Bubba Crosby, who was a fan-favorite earlier in the decade and
now runs a huge landscaping business in Texas.
And, earlier this winter, Yankees
Magazine senior editor Kristina Dodge participated in the first-ever Women's
Fantasy Camp. In between swings, Kristina was taking notes for a very special
first-person account of the camp that will also appear in April.
–Alfred Santasiere III�
Say Hey, Willie
March 7, 2011 – Last week — in between trips to Tampa — I
traveled to Arizona to conduct a highly sought after interview.
On March 3, I met with Willie Mays at his house in
Scottsdale and discussed the career of Alex Rodriguez with him. The interview
took place at Mays' dinning room table, and it lasted about 30 minutes.
Mays is one of several all-time baseball greats who I interviewed
over the last few months for a feature-story on Alex Rodriguez, which will
appear in the May issue of Yankees
I spent some time with Hank Aaron, Don Mattingly and Yogi
Berra in New York City earlier in the year, and I met up with Mike Schmidt in
Clearwater, Florida two weeks ago.
The Mays interview will make what I feel is an already
special story even more exclusive. When I initially reached out to Mays through
his personal assistant, I was told that he rarely does one-on-one interviews,
and that she couldn't imagine why someone from the New York Yankees wanted to
speak with him. I asked Mays' assistant to let the Say Hey Kid know that
Rodriguez and I put together a wish list of players whose words we wanted to be
in the story — and Mays was at the top the list.
That got Mays to "mull it over" for a week.
Then the Mays' camp asked me who else I spoke to for this
story, and I provided them with the names above.
A day later, I got the call I had been hoping for. "He said
yes," Mays' assistant said a second after I picked up the phone.
Less than a week later, I was on my way to the Southwest.
On the day of the interview — a mere 20 minutes before I was
scheduled to meet Mays at Scottsdale Stadium — the Hall of Famer called an
audible, asking me to come to his house for the interview.
I was humbled by the opportunity to spend a half hour with
Willie Mays at his dinning room table. It was certainly one of those times that
felt surreal.
But it was real, and it was a challenge. Mays, who hit 660
home runs, was selective in the topics he was willing to discuss.
To use a baseball comparison, I felt like a pitcher who
didn't have his best stuff for the first 20 minutes of the conversation. But I
stayed with the list of questions I had prepared, and it paid off. �In the last ten minutes of the
interview, Mays spoke candidly about A-Rod, even discussing the first time he
heard about him.
"A scout for the Seattle Mariners told me about this guy who
had just been called up," Mays said. "He said to me, 'Willie, this kid is only
19 years old, but I honestly think he can do everything you did in the game.
The first time I saw Alex swing the bat, I agreed with the scout."
Stay tuned to this blog over the next month, because I will
be posting several more entries about the interviews and experiences that went
into my one-of-a-kind story on Alex Rodriguez, including two days I spent with
A-Rod in Miami.
–Alfred Santasiere III
Saluting the Boss
February 28, 2011 – Moments before the first pitch of 2011
was tossed, the Yankees paid tribute to George Steinbrenner in a city that
benefited from the late owner's charitable works for three decades.
In a heartfelt ceremony, Ron Guidry, Joe Girardi, Goose
Gossage and Derek Jeter each read a part of a plaque that resides near a larger
than life statue of Steinbrenner outside the aptly named George M. Steinbrenner
Field. Steinbrenner's wife Joan, along with his daughters Jennifer and Jessica,
followed the plaque dedication by each laying a rose on the interlocking NY
logo that is painted on the grass behind home plate.
The interlocking NY was chosen over home plate because the
ceremony's organizer felt that it was important to incorporate some symbolism.
George Steinbrenner shaped the Yankees image for a long
time, and in my opinion, there was no better place for those roses to sit.
A complete wrap-up of the day with reactions from players
that span nearly four decades will be published in the April issue of Yankees Magazine.
–Alfred Santasiere III
5 Minutes with… Dwight Howard
February 27, 2011 – In a rare break from baseball this
spring, Yankees team photographer James Petrozzello and I traveled a few hours
east of Tampa to see the Orlando Magic take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on
Friday night (Feb. 25).
The Magic won convincingly behind a David versus Goliath
performance by all-world center Dwight Howard. Howard scored 40 points, blocked
six shots and brought down 16 rebounds. I stopped counting the number of slam
dunks Howard amassed after he reached eight.
Following the game, I sat down with Howard in the Magic
locker room for a "5 Minutes with…" piece, which will be published in the May
issue of Yankees Magazine.�
One of the topics we discussed was Howard's affinity for
"When I was in high school, I really enjoyed playing baseball
as much as basketball," the 6-foot, 11-inch star said. "I was a pitcher, and I
had a good fastball. I really liked to watch Randy Johnson pitch because he was
so tall and he used his height to his advantage."
Howard also spoke to me about a familiar face he sees each
"CC Sabathia is here a lot during spring training," Howard
said. "He has come up to me before a few of our games and said, 'I'm here to
see you play.' I really admire him
for that, and I'm honored that he wants to take the time to see me out there."
–Alfred Santasiere III
Yankees Universe Fan Club – Join Now!
February 27, 2011 – If you didn't join the Yankees Universe
Fan Club in 2010, which was its first year of existence, don't wait any longer.
Yankees Universe has been re-vamped and now includes four
levels of membership.� While the
merchandise that is offered varies from level to level, all Yankees Universe
members are privy to a members-only website with exclusive content.
That content includes feature-length stories that won't even
be published in Yankees Magazine, a
season-long series of exclusive video interviews, which can't be seen anywhere
else and a game-by-game blog by long-time New York baseball writer Jack
In the last week, I conducted several of those video
interviews with Yankees players and coaches. My conversation with Joe Girardi,
in which the manager spoke about his expectations for 2011 and the addition of
Rafael Soriano, among other topics, will be the first interview to go live on
Yankees Universe (and it will posted in the upcoming week).
I also sat down with Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter
(pictured below), along with top prospect Jesus Montero and centerfielder
Curtis Granderson, who spoke about his approach to his second season in
Spring Training is always a busy time, and this year has
been no different. The work-day starts early for players, coaches, writers and
front office personnel. But through these interviews, I feel that I captured
the pulse of the team and the atmosphere in and around George M. Steinbrenner
While you wait for the season to start, please call (800)
GO-YANKS or log onto Yankees.com/universe for more information about Yankees
Universe – and once you join, please let me know what you think.
–Alfred Santasiere III
New York Yankees Media Day – 2011
February 25, 2011 — It's been a busy offseason at Yankee
Stadium, but for myself and the other members of the New York Yankees
publications department, the new season begins (and the offseason ends) on
Media Day.
Media Day provides select media outlets and the New York
Yankees publications department with the opportunity to photograph every
Yankees player and coach at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
This year, Media Day was held on Feb. 23, and Yankees team
photographer James Petrozzello captured portrait photographs of each Yankees
player and coach on the steps of the visiting dugout. The photo session began
at 7:00 am, and it took place under overcast skies.
Below are a few of the beautifully lit shots that
Petrozzello snapped amid the humid Florida air. �The first is of Brett Gardner and the second is of CC
Sabathia, or to be more specific, Sabathia's fastball grip.
Petrozzello asked each pitcher to grip a baseball as if he
were throwing his most vaunted pitch, and seconds before the photo below was taken;
Petrozzello discussed the shot with Sabathia.
"I want to take a close-up shot of your grip on your best
pitch, which is your change-up, right?" Petrozzello asked.
Sabathia quickly began to laugh.
"No it's my fastball," he said.
"What do I know, I'm the photographer," Petrozzello
Later, Petrozzello noted that ESPN The Magazine published a recent poll in which major league
hitters voted on which pitchers have the best changeup, fastball and curveball,
among other pitches. And, of course, Sabathia's change-up got enough votes to
put him in that category.
I guess a good pitcher never willingly gives away any secrets.
Enjoy the photos below. And check out many more Media Day
portraits in Yankees Magazine this
–Alfred Santasiere III
Bowl Week 2010
30, 2010 – To say it's been an eventful week in New York City would be an
Sunday night, the Syracuse and Kansas State football teams arrived — amid one
of the most severe snow blizzards New York City has seen in years — and they
have been on the run ever since.��
Bowl week has included practices at the New York Giants and New York Jets
facilities, visits to the New York Stock Exchange, Ground Zero, a children's
cancer center and the Empire State Building. Despite the less-than-ideal
weather conditions, the Syracuse and K-State players and coaches experienced
the best that New York City has to offer, while also giving back in a big way.
New York Yankees publications staff has been everywhere this week. We've covered
every event, every practice and every interview. You'll see that coverage in
the 2011 New York Yankees Official Yearbook, where we will be publishing a
roundup of this week's events, along with a story on today's Inaugural
Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
Monday, I covered both teams' practices at the TIMEX Performance Center in East
Rutherford, NJ — which is the New York Giants indoor practice facility. As I
walked through 40 mph winds and blowing snow in the parking lot, I was happy
that the practices were indoors.
some of the Syracuse players hadn't even arrived in New York by that time because of flight delays and cancellations, those that were there tried to keep their excitement in check.
don't want to get too excited too soon," Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone said.
"Focus is key, and it's my job to keep these guys focused on the task at hand,
which is preparing for Thursday. We haven't been in a bowl game since 2004, so
we'll be motivated on Thursday."
Tuesday morning, I accompanied a group of Kansas State players to
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where they spent a few hours with young
been on several visits to Memorial Sloan's pediatric center with Yankees
players through the years. While those days are marked by memories of
professional athletes posing for photos, signing autographs and offering encouraging words, this
was a vastly different visit.
K-State contingent didn't include household names, but it did consist of
players who were there to do a lot more than shake hands and sign autographs.
When we arrived in the giant indoor playground, which sits in the pediatric
cancer center, the players quickly found seats at the arts and crafts table,
alongside kids who were playing video games and next to kids who were relaxing
on couches.
the arts and crafts table, a group of players spent about an hour making purple
and white (K-State colors) bracelets and paper snowmen. Other players engaged
young patients in video game competition — playing the latest football game.
lengthy visit gave the patients — many of whom have been in the hospital for
more than a month — a much-needed lift. And the way these young
student-athletes cared for the kids was inspiring and deeply touching.
"It put my own life in perspective," defensive back Dahrnaz Tigner said. "When I think that football is hard, and then you see people dealing with life-threatening conditions, it opens your eyes."
were several highlights during the week, but in my opinion, none were more memorable or spectacular than that visit.
On Wednesday, both teams were at Yankee Stadium for walk through practices, and both posed for their official Pinstripe Bowl team photos on the field. I have coordinated the New York Yankees team photo for the last five years, and that task comes with challenges — getting every player on the field at the same time, setting up the shot quickly. But at least baseball teams only have 25 man rosters. Syracuse and Kansas State feature rosters with more than 115 players each.�
In the end, the Syracuse and K-State sports information departments and photographers were great partners in setting up and taking the photos. They helped to make it a seamless process.
After the team photos, Marrone spoke to a group of Bronx youths.
"I told them, 'Don't let anyone tell you what you can't do, because through education, you can do whatever you want,'" Marrone said. "When I was growing up, I watched the Yankees and I wanted to be a baseball player. In my heart, I believe that somewhere there will be a kid who will turn on the TV tomorrow and say that he wants to play football at Yankee Stadium. And that might lead him to success in his life."
Santasiere III
A Tradition is Re-Born
November 20, 2010 — Sporting green jerseys, Notre Dame scored 17 unanswered points in the second quarter and took a commanding 17-3 lead into the home locker room at Yankee Stadium.
History in the Making
November 20, 2010 – Every one who is packed into Yankee
Stadium tonight knows they are part of history. Tonight's game between Notre
Dame (5-5) and Army (6-4) is the 50th matchup in their storied
rivalry. As I detailed in the October issue of Yankees Magazine, the greatest games in that history took place
across the street – at the old Yankee Stadium.
Knute Rockne's "Win One for the Gipper" speech was uttered
during a game in the Bronx against Army. And, of course, the greatest college
football game of all-time (in the opinion of most football historians) took
place between an undefeated Notre Dame team and an undefeated Army team in
1946. That game resulted in a 0-0 tie, and it featured four eventual Heisman
Trophy winners.
There were several other epic battles between the two teams
at Yankee Stadium, including their 1925 contest, which many believe put Notre
Dame on the map.
Tonight is historic, not only because it's a milestone game
in the rivalry, but because it's the first football game at the new Yankee Stadium
and because it's the first time these two teams have played in the Bronx since
Notre Dame and Army officials were intent on having their
teams play in the first game at Yankee Stadium. Moments after Heisman Trophy
winners Johnny Lujack (Notre Dame) and Pete Dawkins (Army) took the field the
for coin toss, their wish became a reality.
–Alfred Santasiere III


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subset: commoncrawl


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The reincarnated version of this World Cup-winning XC racer gets modern updates and a hella-fast ride
Shurter and Zakelj take the series titles; Kulhavy and Kalentieva win the races
The mountain's rocky, technical trails will challenge America's fastest cross-country and Super-D riders.
Both riders played it smart to survive a hot, steep, technical course
Led by Nino Shurter, the team nabs the top three spots; Julie Bresset wins the women's race.
The Swiss rider leads from the gun, and takes the win in Val d'Isere.


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Ufficio del Turismo e dei Congressi del Principato di Monaco
Via Mosé Bianchi 2
20149 Milano - ITALIA
Tel : +39 02 864 584 80
Fax : +39 02 36 56 58 73
A typical day in Monaco
Wake up in a hotel in the Principality, with an impressive view of the Mediterranean Sea from your room.
Enjoy your breakfast in the sun at a café by Condamine Market, experiencing one of Monaco's typical spots.
Time for a stroll through Monaco. On the itinerary: a visit to Monaco's Oceanographic Museum and Saint Nicholas' Cathedral (where Prince Rainier III married Grace Kelly), then on to the Prince palace for the changing of the guards.
Set out on a journey for a feel of some Italian flavour on the Riviera of Flowers. Lunch on antipasti, pasta, Italian cured meats, vegetables, olive oil, basil, white wine in a typical restaurant in Vallecrosia. Enjoy the explosion of flavours.
A spot of shopping in the busy streets around the market square.
Ready for take-off? Head into the hinterland behind Menton to try paragliding, a thrilling experience offering a bird's-eye view of the coast and the delightful village of Sainte-Agnès.
After all the excitement, the group heads back to Monaco for aperitifs on the beach by the sea.
Back to your hotel
The group enjoys a prestigious evening in the fairytale setting of the Salle des Etoiles with its roof pushed back for a Gala dinner followed by a show.
See the roulette wheel turn at the legendary Casino of Monte-Carlo as the evening draws to an end! (Night Clubs just opening so you never know…).
Mountain biking / Walking in Dolceaqua / Flower market in Nice / Shopping in Saint-Tropez / Sailing regatta / Offshore racing / Beach Olympics / Water sports / Formula 3 racing / Karting / Jeep safari / Wine-tasting competition / Cookery classes / Pétanque tournament / Team building in town / Photography contest / Paragliding / Treasure hunt / Fun karting / Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild / Villa Sauber in Monaco / Greek Villa Kérylos in Beaulieu / Pottery in Vallauris…
Spoilt for choice in Monaco. »Leggi il seguito
Via Mosé Bianchi 2
20149 Milano - ITALIA
Tel : +39 02 864 584 80
Fax : +39 02 36 56 58 73


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By Anne Stanton 7/13/09
Governor Jennifer Granholm is relying on the green industry to pull
Michigan out of its economic mire, but environmentalists say that careful
research is needed to get the most out of your money.
At issue is the Mariah Windspire, a graceful looking and quiet
vertical-axis wind turbine.
In April, Gov. Granholm applauded the $5 million MasTech factory as a
model of the green direction Michigan wants to go.
With a promise of 140 jobs in three years at the Manistee plant, the
project was supported with a $400,000 grant from the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation.
In May, the Windspire was given away on ABCs Extreme Makeover television
show, becoming the star of the job site, garnering much attention from
the crew and surrounding community, according to the companys press
Windspires plug n produce design connects directly to the household
power supply, offsetting electricity use and reducing energy costs.
Thats all true, but a test on an early unit was abruptly terminated in
January after multiple mechanical problems over an eight-month period. The
test was conducted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the
Department of Energy.
In a phone interview, Mariah President Mike Hess said the mechanical
problems that were flagged in the NREL test have been fixed. Part of the
problem: the company wasnt allowed to replace the initial turbine, which
had a bad inverter.
Weve fixed all that. That was part of the 18 design changes we made
before the turbine went into production. We have a test unit in the
backroomwe ran it for 10 million cycles to prove we dont have a problem.
Those are tests that we do, which is part of the development. It isnt
something we made in our garage.
Hess added that the Windspire has a streamlined, integrated design that
ensures long-term durability. The Windspire also carries a five-year
A tour of the Mastech plant, which now employs about 40 people, was led by
John Holcomb, the general manager, who was visibly proud of his 40
employees. He showed off the super-strong magnets inside the column, which
allows the spire to float in its operation and eliminates the need for a
gear box.
In its former lifebefore the auto industry self destructedMastech
designed robotic machinery for auto plants. Now it has applied precision
robotics to building the Windspire.
Several turbines have been returned as defective, but those were produced
in Reno, not Manistee, which began commercial production in May. The
company is doing the right thing by fixing the turbines free of charge or
replacing the turbines entirely, said Holcomb who replaced a Windspire in
Fremont last week.
Ive been building machinery for 30 years, and theres always the
possibility of a mistake. How you react to it and how
you take care of it sets you apart from everyone else. And they are taking
care of it, he said.
Start-up problems aside, environ-mentalists on the Internet are
challenging the claims for the Windspire. Unlike horizontal wind turbines
that capture the highest winds at 100-plus feet in the air, the Windspire
reaches only 30 feet, where wind speeds are slower.
On Mariahs website, theyre showing a wind turbine next to all kinds of
obstructions buildings and trees and claiming theyre getting an
average of 12 mph wind. Its very misleading, and Im worried people are
getting victimized, said Ian Woofenden, who has used wind energy since
the early 1980s, has taught wind energy workshops for 14 years, and is
senior editor of Home Power Magazine, which takes a practical approach
toward renewable energy.
Woofenden said wind speeds of 12 mph are rarely attained in urban areas
and are usually much less. For confirmation, he advised consulting the
Warwick Wind Trials report, which independently tested rooftop turbines
(Mariahs wind turbine stands 30 feet high).
Woofenden, who describes himself more of a pie on the plate rather than
pie in the sky kind of thinker, believes that Windspire let its
marketing get ahead of its engineering. He is impatient with the whole
debate, having seen a series of vertical wind turbine companies come and
go over the years.
In a phone conversation from his office in Las Vegas, Hess bristled at
his critics, saying they are resistant to anything new.
You do get better winds with a 100-foot tower. Thats a scientific fact,
but you cant do that in an urban environment. Your neighbor wont let you
do that. The application of what were trying to do is significantly
different because you dont have the height allowance in urban areas.
Hess agrees that a potential buyer should ensure their site has an average
wind speed of 12 mph to achieve the desired 2,000 kilowatt hours per year.
The company is offering a performance guarantee and will compensate any
purchaser that doesnt get the performance shown on the companys wind and
power curve.
They really put their neck out on the line with the power production
guarantee. No one has ever done that before. There is none for small wind
except for Mariah, said Allan OShea of Contractors Building Supply in
Copemish, which sells the Windspire along with other energy-saving
According to the curve, the estimated savings for an average electrical
bill would knock off $220 from the average $1,235 annual electric bill.
Thats based on a 12 mph wind site and utility costs of 11 cents per
kilowatt hour. Those savings would be recouped over 29 years, assuming
that utility costs remain the same and no maintenance or repairs are
OShea said most of the units he sells have a pay-off of between 15 to 18
years. That pay off assumes electrical rates will increase 10 percent per
But Woofenden says the assumption of paying nothing for repairs or
maintenance is highly unlikely and nearly impossible.
When Ive asked owners of vertical wind turbines, how many kilowatt
hours do you get and crunch the numbers, I tell them, Im the bearer of
bad news. You are paying far more than you would have paid if you bought
the electricity from your utility. I have seen installations where the
wind electric is costing $4 a kilowatt hour and the local utility is 10
cents a kilowatt hour. Those are the results you get with short towers
next to houses and trees.
OShea believes too many pundits like Woofenden are building fences
around the industry, stifling innovation and growth.
OShea said he takes an honest approach with customers, conducting an
energy audit and advising how to best save energy and money. It might be
insulation. Might be better windows. The most committed people will begin
with the cheapest fixes and progress toward a wind turbine and solar
OShea agrees that the advertising of Mariahs literature is misleading
when it shows a wind turbine operating in a wooded subdivision, but he
would never sell a turbine in that setting. He turned down three
interested customers last week, but installed a Windspire at a windy site
off I-75 near the Mackinac Bridge.
Well probably sell 60 turbines in Michigan this year, but 25 percent of
the world doesnt have electricity, so theres a huge market out there,
he said.
Hess said theres a place for a vertical wind turbinevery high wind
areas, especially in townships and cities that ban high, horizontal
Along the coastline, we are in a phenomenal wind area. Its a great way
to make renewable energy and youve gotta take advantage of it, said Jim
Barnes of Eco-Building Products in Traverse City.
There are places where it will worka coastal area, a place with no
trees, the wind is close to the ground, and thats okay. But thats not
most places, said Mike Bergey, president of Bergey Windpower. I
actually dont have a problem with Mariah selling what they have. As far
as Ive ever seen, theyve been honest about their performance and what to
expect, and if people want to buy that, its well engineered.
The company plans to make a low-wind model that will capture wind at
speeds as low as five to six mph, as well as a
high-wind model that will survive 160 mph winds. Those are needed for
communica-tion towers located in remote mountain-
ous areas.
Woofenden contends that even if the wind is strong near the ground along
the coastline, its stronger up high where
there is also less turbulence. The latter factor is important because wind
turbulence causes mechanical fatigue. He argues that
if zoning doesnt permit a 100-foot tower, then residents should fight to
change it.
Duncan and Maggie Sprattmoran live in a hybrid type of house, powered by
solar in the sunny months, wind in the darker months, and propane to run
the refrigerator. They also heat their home with wood. Their decision to
operate their Leelanau County home off the grid 20 years ago was somewhat
prompted by the $13,000 price tag from Consumers Power to hook up.
But Maggie, who previously sold renewable energy products, said that it
was more about protecting the earths environment from pollution and
global warming than money.
If we paid the real cost of coal-fired power plants, as we do with solar
and wind, the numbers would be huge. When we compare wind to coal, are we
really comparing apples to apples? So for me, when we raised our kids, I
thought a lot about the story I was going to tell them. What am I willing
to pay with income to say theres an opportunity to do it a different way?
Im sorry we live in a world that doesnt ask us to be honest about that.
What come out of my checkbook is one piece of the conversation, but I wish
we talked about the real issues, Maggie said.
At the end of the Mastech tour, Holcomb sheepishly admitted that his
electric bill for his old farm house was around $350 a month. OShea said
he has pared his energy bill to $60. The two men reflect the wide spectrum
of concern and action.
(Next week: Is Wind Right for You?)
If youre looking to save on energywhether motivated by money or
idealsheres a list of where to start. These suggestions were provided by
OShea, Barnes, Woofenden and Gary Woodcock, owner of Healthy Green Homes.
Number one, look for leaks of cold (or hot) air. The cheapest way to
bring down your energy bill is to seal those leaks, which may involve
replacing old windows.
After tightening your home, improve your insulation. Heat travels
vertically and radiates through the roof. Blow in 15 inches of
cellulose insulation.
Get rid of your old refrigerator if its not energy efficient.
Solar hot water collectors are wise investments, but dont invest in
solar if your water tank and piping arent insulated, which wastes
energy. Heres a really cheap idea: put an extra blanket around the
water tank to keep the heat in.
Replace standard light bulbs with long-lasting LED light bulbs.
Lower the temperature of your hot water heater.
Turn off your lights and computer when youre not using them.
Watch a smaller TV. The bigger the TV, the more energy it eats.
Deal with phantom loads (electricity that is used when an appliance is
turned off) by using plug strips and turning them off. When you buy
a new appliance, ask about phantom loads.
Solar technology is expensive, but panels come with a 25-year
warranty and are extremely reliable without the maintenance issues
of wind turbines. Theyre pricey up front, but youre buying 50
Woofenden said.
Bottom line, do your research, crunch the numbers, and dont trust the
media, said Woofenden.


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July 30, 2012
Materials Professor Tresa Pollock Awarded ASM Gold Medal
Tresa Pollock, professor and chair of the Materials Department at UC Santa Barbara, has been awarded the Gold Medal by ASM International. ASM awards recognize achievements of members of the materials science and engineering community.
Pollock has been recognized for "enlightenment of the microstructure, processing, and property relationships of structural alloys, and for imparting that knowledge to her students and other technologists in industry, universities, and national laboratories." Pollock is a renowned expert in the science and technology of advanced structural alloys with applications in aerospace, energy and automotive industries. She holds a PhD from MIT and began her career at GE Aircraft Engines, where she worked in the development of advanced superalloys for gas turbine engines.
Pollock's current interests include the mechanical and environmental performance of materials in extreme environments, unique high temperature materials processing paths, ultrafast laser-material interactions, alloy design and 3-D materials characterization. Her recent research is in the areas of thermal barrier coatings systems and platinum group metal-containing bond coats, new intermetallic-containing cobalt-base materials, vapor phase processing of sheet materials for hypersonic flight systems, growth of nickel-base alloy single crystals with a new liquid tin-assisted Bridgman technique, development of new femtosecond laser-aided 3-D tomography techniques and development of models for Integrated Computational Materials Engineering efforts.
Related Links
Copyright © 2016 The Regents of the University of California, All Rights Reserved.


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Those who stayed up late to watch Alabama lose 9-3 to Kentucky received little reward for their dedication. After five weeks of battling and battling, there was none by 2 a.m. this morning.
"We gave away about four runs," coach Jim Wells said. "Like most teams, we can't do that. I know last week, it was fun scoring all those runs but that was uncharacteristic. We've been playing better the last five weeks. But two runs score in the first (off an error) and the throw-away (in the sixth) scored two runs. We just played poorly in all phases of the game."
With all the defensive improvement, the lapses hurt.
"Defensively, it was surprising because we didn't play as well as we normally do," catcher Alex Avila said. "You're going into the game knowing our pitching staff is going to give up some runs, that we can't give them any extra runs. That's the only way we're going to keep the ball games close."
This game was not close, and the errors didn't help. Wells said freshman Jimmy Nelson pitched "good, relative to what he's done this year. Not championship ball, but enough for our team where we should've been in the game more."
All the more proof to Wells that it's all about pitching and defense. "Because hitting can go up and down," he said.
And to think, it started off really well for the Tide. Four straight hits, a 2-0 lead and a bunch of momentum. Then UK starter Aaron Lovett settled in. He gave up just four hits after the first.
"Earlier in the game, he was throwing a lot of fastballs, we were tattooing him," Avila said. "And then he started throwing a lot of changeups to both righties and lefties. Fastball counts, stuff like that, keeping us off-balance. He had a great changeup. He figured out the weakness, and we weren't able to make the adjustment."


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Apartment Florianska IV in Krakow
Size60 m²
Floor No.
- Kitchen
- Washer/dryer
- Parking available
- Lockable room
- Pets allowed
- Internet/WiFi
- Towels
|Floriańska, Krakow, Poland
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
|2 days ago
This 3 star apartment offers the discerning tourist or businessman a self-catering alternative to expensive hotel accommodation. This apartment has been created especially for those, who wants to have high standard accommodation in Krakow, within easy reach of Old Town, and do not want to overpay for hotel. Apartments Krakow guarantees much cheaper rental solution.
This lovely flat is right in the heart of Old Town is stylishly furnished and it is ideal for a short-term and long-term, relaxing and comfortable stay in Krakow whether you are here on business trip or with your family. Outside the building are twenty-four-hour shops and restaurants, so very convenient for those not wanting to cook. For cooking passionates the apartment provides a well equipped kitchenette.
Apartment is located in the centre of Krakow's Old Town in monumental house just next to Royal Route, Florianska Gate, tenement- house where famous painter - Jan Matejko was born.
Next to the building you will find taxi stand, railway station (300m), tram and bus stop (200m) and parking (100m). Next to apartment there are parking facilities (extra charge).
Check-out 11:00
Check-in should be made at the office, which is located at 39 St. Florianska, where you will be taken to the apartment by staff.
|Weekly rate
|Monthly rate
|Check-in after
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|Cancellation Policy
We stayed here for 6 days in Sep 2013 and it was great. The location was perfect - just a couple of minutes' walk to the square and very close to a 24hr supermarket. The apartment itself had everything we needed and was very comfortable - and bigger than we'd expected. The best thing about it was the customer service. P&J apartments have an office just round the corner from the apartment and they were really helpful both by email before and during our stay and in person while we were there. We booked transfers to and from the airport with them and also arranged trips to Aushchwhitz and the salt mines through them. Our flight to Poland arrived early in the morning and our flight home left in the evening but they were very helpful in accommodating us outside the usual check in/out times to fit better with our flights. I would definitely recommend staying here.
Very nice apartment and well located.
Appartement très agréable et bien situé.
Marike and Nico - Holland
Fine appartment in one of the main streets of the centre. Good services from P&J appartments with the check-in and check-out.
large appartment with more than enough space
with a walk of less than 5 minutes you are at the central market (Rynek Glowny)
Not such a nice bed
Small windows, litte fresh air and a bit dark but you have many lights to turn on
No parking space, but you can park at the 24h parking from hotel Wyspianski (Street: Mikolaja Kopernika), 15euro for a day and 10 minutes walking to appartments Florianska.
The apartment was excellently located - just a few minutes walk from Market Square. The reception were very helpful and friendly. The facilities were good and it was very clean. I thoroughly recommend.
My only reservations were about things that were really beyond the control of these guys - it was unusually hot whilst I was in Krakow and the apartment was very stuffy (they had provided an electric fan) and there were building works outside which meant it was noisy early in the morning.
The apartment is in a very central and close to everything. Everything was very clean. The heating and hot water very well. We need a number of tools and quickly provided us. I recommend it.
El apartamento se encuentra en una situación muy centrica y cerca de todo. Estaba todo muy limpio. La calefacción y el agua caliente muy bien. Necesitamos una serie de utensilios y nos lo facilitaron rapidamente. Lo recomiendo.
Everything was good. Krakow is a very very nice place. The house is direct in the old town. It was clean and thanks alot for hosting house in Krakow. I and my husband know where we gonna stay if we again have the opportunity to visit Krakow again.
Very good and uncomplicated contact without complaint-thanks
Sehr guter und unkomplizierter Kontakt ohne Beanstandungen- vielen Dank
The city of Krakow is beautiful and definitely worth the trip. The accommodation is very spacious and has a fresh and uncomfortable fact. The cleanliness is fine and at night it is, despite its central location, very quiet. Important to remember that parking is available but does not directly belong to the apartment. So it must Paying (in the time between 10.00 - 20.00 clock) will be parked. The beds are very comfortable and you sleep well in it.
Die Stadt Krakau ist sehr schön und auf jeden Fall eine Reise wert. Die Unterkunft ist sehr geräumig und wirkt dadurch kühl und ungemütlich. Die Sauberkeit ist in Ordnung und in der Nacht ist es, trotz der zentralen Lage, recht ruhig.
Unbedingt daran denken, dass Parkplätze zwar vorhanden sind aber nicht direkt zur Wohnung gehören. Es muss also Gebührenpflichtig( in der Zeit von 10.00 - 20.00 Uhr) geparkt werden.
Die Betten sind sehr bequem und es schläft sich darin gut.
Nos alojaron en un apartamento recién reformado justo encima de las oficinas. Limpio y camas cómodas. A 1 minuto andando de la Plaza del Mercado. Muy recomendable. Lo único negativo fue que al estar en una calle peatonal hay mucho ruido por las noches y el piso no está demasiado bien insonorizado.
Genial estancia. Aunque el apartamento no era el mismo que el de las fotos, las comodidades eran iguales e incluso mejores.
La gente que nos atendió fue amable y fantástica.
El únicp problema que podríamos poner fue que tuvimos problemas con los radiadores y la caldera, pero lo solventamos rápidamente.
¡Totalmente recomendable!
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption


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Changing how we share information - 140 characters at a time
by awilson
Social networking has changed the way we communicate, connect, and learn. It allows us to keep in touch with people with a level of regularity and intimacy that we would not have been able to, because time and space make it impossible.
Allowing individuals to gather and express themselves in a much more simple and immediate fashion, social media provides the capability to not only have the ability to share ideas and opinions, but also (if they wish) gain notoriety, and expand their influence.
Twitter made an announcement on its official blog that users are now sending 200 million Tweets every day. This picture really hammered home what we all probably already knew...
...that we Tweet.....a lot.
A few other stats from the post that seemed shocking:
- If you read all of the text in every Tweet sent in a single day, it would take you 31 years
- That's the equivalent of a 10 million-page book
- That Rebecca Black (check out her video here) beat out both Charlie Sheen and Britney Spears as a top trending topic for the first half of 2011
The sheer volume of information being sent 140 characters at a time is just astounding. The ability to do so has altered the way ideas change hands and how fast those ideas spread. At the same time, leading organizations are looking to social collaboration tools, such as social business software, to empower their employees to be more productive and to cultivate deeper relationships with customers and partners.
I'm amazed and excited that I'm around during this time to see how this changes our lives. While its still up in the air what Twitter's business model is (or going to be), its clear that the network will continue to be a major force in how we share and consume information. Acquia announced this week that Twitter's developer community is built on Drupal and supported by Acquia. We are proud to be a part of this effort and look forward to continuing to help shape the future!


text: Why doesn't soccer rate enough with the TP to have separate "Big Schools" and "Small Schools" lists like virtually every other sport? The only answer I can come up with is BIAS AGAINST soccer by the TP. If girls volleyball, just to name one sport, can have two lists, why can't soccer?


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financial disclosure
January financial disclosures exposed the power of unaffiliated super PACs funds this election season. Margaret Warner and John Dunbar of the Center for Public Integrity's iWatch News discuss the fundraising reports, the $22 million raised and some of the big spenders helping these groups help their preferred candidates. Continue reading


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PORTLAND, Maine — The Thunder took care of business right off the bat.
Entering with a two-game lead over the Sea Dogs for the final playoff spot for the Eastern League Eastern Division Series, Trenton squashed Portland's hopes Saturday with a resounding 8-0 victory in the first game of the doubleheader to advance to the postseason.
Trenton took the nightcap, 4-2, to complete the sweep.
Trenton will have a tough task as it faces the top team in the EL, the Binghamton Mets, in the best-of-5 series beginning Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., at Arm & Hammer Field. Game 2 is set for the following evening at 7:05 p.m., in Trenton.
Shane Greene (8-4) went the distance, allowing just three hits while walking two and fanning five. Tyler Austin, who was activated off the disabled list prior to the game, doubled in Gary Sanchez (walk) and scored on Carmen Angelini's fielder's choice for 2-0 lead in the second inning.
The Thunder piled on three more runs off Miguel Pena (1-1) in their next at-bat. Mason Williams singled and trotted home on Ramon Flores' triple. Flores waltz home on Jose Pirela's 10th homer of the season.
Casey Stevens went deep for just the second time this year with a solo shot in the fourth. The scoring was capped by back-to-back doubles by Pirela (scoring Flores who walked) and Sanchez.
In the second game, Trenton scored the first four runs of the game.
Flores (single) was aboard when Kyle Roller smacked his 17th homer of the season of Terry Doyle (1-6) for the 2-0 first-inning lead. In the third, Francisco Arcia, Flores and Pirela each doubled. Pat Venditte (1-2) notched the win in relief.
Danny Burawa allowed one hit over two innings with a walk and two strikeouts for his fourth save.
• As noted, outfielder Austin came off the disabled list. Austin, who turns 22 next week, had been on the DL since July 13 with a right wrist injury and missed 47 games. In 81 games with Trenton this season, Austin was hitting .254 with six home runs and 39 RBIs. He went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI in his return.
On mobile or desktop:
• Like Times of Trenton Sports on Facebook
• Follow @TimesofTrenton on Twitter


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Ideal Hotel Design - Paris
This hotel offers dry cleaning/laundry, an area shuttle and an elevator (lift). Guests wishing to enjoy a drink will surely want to visit the bar/lounge. You can find a health club on site so you will be able to take some time out to de-stress.
Multilingual staff are available at the front desk 24 hours-a-day and can provide tour/ticket assistance and express check-in. Free WiFi is available.
Ideal Hotel Design - Paris
Hotel Info: 1-877-214-4288from $50
- Comfort Double Room (Occupation Single)
- Family Room
- Comfort Triple Room
- Prestige Room
- Double or Twin Comfort Room
Also popular with travelers from the USA
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 68 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 7 floors
- Check-in time starts at 2:30 PM
- Check-out time is noon
- Express check-in
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- One child (11 years old and younger) stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding
- Pets not allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Airport shuttle (available on request) *
- Train station pickup *
- Self parking *
- Area shuttle *
In the hotel
- Buffet breakfast daily (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Room service (during limited hours)
- Health club
- Business center
- One meeting room
- 24-hour front desk
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Luggage storage
- Multilingual staff
- Elevator/lift
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
In the room
- Minibar
- Soundproofed rooms
- In-room massage available
- Private bathroom
- Shower only
- Hair dryer
- Satellite TV channels
- Desk
- Free newspaper
- Free WiFi
- Phone
Ideal Hotel Design - Paris's small print
Also known as
- Ideal Design Paris
- Ideal Hotel Design
- Ideal Hotel Design Paris
- Ideal Hotel Paris
For transfers, guests must contact the property before arrival at the number on the booking confirmation.
Mandatory fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at check in or check out:
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.65 per person, per night
Optional extras
Late check-out can be arranged for an extra charge of EUR 60
Self parking costs EUR 26 per night
Parking is available nearby and costs EUR 24 per 24 hours
Rollaway beds are available for EUR 30 per night
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of EUR 12 per person (approximately)
Airport shuttle service is offered for an extra charge of EUR 55 per vehicle (roundtrip)
Train station pick-up service is offered for an extra charge
Area shuttle service is offered for an extra charge
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.


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Take It Outside
Expert tips for making that next outdoor walk, run or bike ride your best workout yet
Photograph: istock.com@dolgachov
After the winter we had around here, who isn't tempted to ditch the gym? We are, and fitness experts actually tell us they want their clients to head outside right now. "People need to get the cobwebs out of their routines. This winter made a lot of my clients sluggish," says Rore Middleton, founder of Fairfield-based Evolution Personal Training. Besides, there's a body sculpting benefit to connecting with Mother Earth. "Inconsistencies [in the ground] will challenge your stabilizer muscles, help improve your overall stability and, with proper form, work your core," says Jamal Smith, fitness instructor at Equinox in Old Greenwich. So whether you're planning a lunch crunch or an evening session, here are some expert tips for making that next outdoor walk, run or bike ride your best workout yet.
Be Flexible
A fifteen-minute pre-workout yoga set—holding poses briefly and quickly transitioning through—stretches muscles and also warms the body for what's coming next, says Smith.
Pack on Pounds
Running with a weighted vest or walking with handheld weights "really fires up your engine," says Middleton.
Have a BackUp
When heat waves or rain derail your plans, have another option, suggests Equinox's Harry Otto. "Running up and down a flight of stairs thirty times is an amazing substitute for your morning run."
Think Intervals
Transform your outdoor cardio routine by adding strength-training moves such as squats, lunges or planks every thirty seconds or so, says Middleton. Or add sprints series at the end of your usual run, says Julie Gabay of Stamford's Pacific Swim Bike Run.
Go for your Personal Bests
Strive to cover your bike route in increasingly shorter durations, adds Gabay. Once you've improved your time trials, add more distance. Then focus on time again. This approach works for walking and running, too.
Stay on Track
"Wear a heart rate monitor (make sure it counts calories, too) to keep from getting lackadaisical," suggests Equinox instructor Giovanni Roselli.
Hyper Hydrate with water
Ditch sugary sports drinks. Instead pop a sugar-free electrolyte tablet into your water bottle, says Gabay.
Exercise Common Sense
When outdoors, play it safe: wear sunscreen; keep earphones at a sensible volume; and watch out for any road hazards.


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Interview with Amanda Cox: Visualizing Information at The NYT
I'm happy to share with you my second conversation hosted at Klevr.org
In this conversation I talk with Amanda Cox, Graphics Editor at The New York Times. We talk about the process of creating visualizations at the NYT. Amanda is one of the superstars in the field and you can find many of her visualizations here.
A couple of insights from the conversation include:
1. Keep your objective in mind.
Are you designing something to educate, entertain, enlighten, make decisions.
2. You are only as good as what you throw away.
Iterate, cut fat, and don't be afraid to leave things out.
3. Distributions are more interesting than averages.
Respect data, understand that averages often disrespect what is truly happening in the world or in your story.
Click Here To Listen To My Conversation with Amanda Cox, Graphics Editor, at The New York Times


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April 2012
Starting from March 2012 the complete line of GRAND inflatables will be represented in SPAIN by Company GRAND BOATS, S.L. in Mallorca >>>
March 2012
We would like to invite everybody to join our community on Facebook! Your pictures, news, advice,
feedback etc are very welcome! Home here for some fresh information !
September 2006
Starting from September 2006 GRAND offers
optional stainless steel railings for our medium and small size RIBs
in SILVER LINE and GOLDEN LINE range. It's an excellent feature with a number of great


text:
Results tagged ' Matt Lindstrom '
Lindstrom reacts to trade to Rockies
Matt Lindstrom was shoveling ice and snow from his mother's driveway Thursday morning in Rexburg, Idaho, when he phone started going crazy. He soon found out he had been traded for the second consecutive offseason, but the news wasn't all necessarily bad.
Lindstrom, who makes his offseason home in the Denver area, had been traded to the Colorado Rockies, who sent Minor League left-handed pitcher Wes Musick and right-handed pitcher Jonnathan Aristil to the Astros. "It's pretty exciting," Lindstrom told MLB.com on Thursday. "It's a little bit bittersweet because I enjoyed my time in Houston so much and all my teammates and everyone was really good to me down there. I'm going to miss even [the media]. At times I wasn't as good as I thought I was, but [the media] wasn't too hard on me. I'm really excited to get going to Colorado and help them out and provide late-inning relief, especially because that's where I spend my offseason."
Lindstrom said he had talked to both Astros general manager Ed Wade and Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd on Thursday.
"[O'Dowd] clued me in on what they're going to have me do and that's provide late-inning relief," he said. "Whatever the innings may be, there's a lot of good guys over there already and hopefully I can contribute."
Lindstrom, whom the Astros acquired a year ago in a trade with the Marlins, went 2-5 with a 4.39 ERA and a team-high 23 saves in 58 appearances. Lindstrom lost his closer's job when he struggled in the second half of the year and wound up spending two weeks on the disabled list with a lower back strain.
"There were things I learned through my journey last year," Lindstrom said. "I'm just going to take care of myself and be healthy all year and I know if I can do those things, good things will happen."
When asked how he feels now, Lindstrom said: "Feel awesome."
Lindstrom made $1.625 million last season and was due a raise in arbitration, which made him a candidate to be traded by the budget-minded Astros. Houston has feels good about its bullpen depth, with Brandon Lyon saving 20 games last season and Wilton Lopez developing into a dependable late-inning arm.
The Astros have also shopped infielder Jeff Keppinger, who started at second base for most of last season but has been pushed back to the bench by the signing of Bill Hall earlier this week. Houston traded with the Rockies in November to acquire shortstop Clint Barmes. Keppinger is still dealing with foot issues.
With the acquisitions of pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith, Barmes and Hall and trading away Lindstrom, the Astros are pretty much done this offseason, unless they can find a taker for Keppinger. They are also still in the market for a left-handed reliever.
In the last sixh months, the Astros traded away Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Pedro Feliz and Lindstrom and got eight prospects in return, plus they took two more in the Rule 5 Draft. That's 10 young players injected into the system.
I am on vacation all of next week — like I was this week, with the exception of helping my colleagues here and there on all the Astros news that happened — and I want to wish everyone who reads this blog a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Spring Training is around the corner!
Astros make tender decisions
Right-hander Sammy Gervacio, who missed most of last season with right rotator cuff inflammation, was the only unsigned player on the 40-man roster the Astros chose not to tender a contract to prior to Thursday's deadline to do so.
The move reduces Houston's 40-man roster to 36 and makes Gervacio a free agent and able to sign with any team, but general manager Ed Wade said the club will attempt to re-sign him at some point. The shoulder ailments limited the side-armed Gervacio to just 13 combined relief appearances last season between Triple-A Round Rock and the Astros.
"It's really a move of economics more than anything because of the uncertainty of his status going into Spring Training," Wade said. "Had he been injured coming into Spring Training and unable to perform, we would have had to carry him on the Major League disabled list.
"While we're protecting ourselves with respect to the tender, we still want Sammy to be part of our picture going forward."
Gervacio, who went 1-1 with a 2.14 ERA in 29 games in his Major League debut in 2009, is still dealing with shoulder discomfort despite not pitching in a game since May 3. He made $403,000 last season, which is slightly above the league minimum.
"We're going to have to be cautious how we bring him along," Wade said.
Wade said the club never entertained the possibility of non-tendering pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Matt Lindstrom, infielders Clint Barmes and Jeff Keppinger and outfielders Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence, all of whom are arbitration eligible and figure to play a key role in 2011.
"All of those players have value and will be counted on in some fashion going forward," Wade said.
Keppinger ($1.15 million salary in 2010), Bourn ($2.4 million), Pence ($3.5 million) and Lindstrom ($1.625 million) are in their second year of arbitration eligibility and Rodriguez ($5 million) and Barmes ($3.25 million) are in their third and final year.
Earlier this week, the Astros agreed to terms on one-year contracts with right-handed pitcher Nelson Figueroa ($900,000) and catcher Humberto Quintero ($1 million), thus avoiding arbitration with both players. Right-handed pitchers Brandon Lyon and Brett Myers and outfielders Carlos Lee and Jason Michaels are also all signed through 2011 or beyond.
Astros face arbitration decisions
UPDATE: The Astros signed Humberto Quintero to a one-year, $1 million deal Tuesday, and I've updated this entry accordingly…
Thursday is the deadline for teams to tender contracts to players who are eligible for arbitration. For the Astros, the list of players eligible for arbitration goes seven deep: pitchers Wandy Rodriguez, Nelson Figueroa and Matt Lindstrom, infielders Clint Barmes and Jeff Keppinger and outfielders Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence.
With Rodriguez, Bourn and Pence leading the way – they made a combined $10.9 million in 2010 – the Astros are going to have to commit a sizable amount of their 2011 payroll to arbitration-eligible players. Of course, the club could choose to non-tender some of these players and save money, and last week they outrighted left-handers Tim Byrdak and Gustavo Chacin, who were heading for arbitration.
Last year, the Astros wound up paying out $16.84 million to eight arbitration-eligible players. Rodriguez was the only player to wind up going to an arbitration hearing. He was asking for $7 million and the club won the hearing and had to pay him $5 million.
Here's a closer look at each of the Astros' seven arbitration-eligible players and what the chances are of the club tendering a contract:
LHP Wandy Rodriguez
2010 stats: 11-12, 3.60 ERA, 32 starts.
2010 salary: $5 million.
Can become free agent: 2012.
Tender prediction: Likely.
Analysis: I really can't envision a scenario in which the Astros wouldn't tender him a contract, even though he's due another hefty raise. He was their best pitcher in 2009 and had a terrific second half in 2010. Heading into free agency, it would behoove Rodriguez to put it all together for next season and repeat what he did in 2009. Good starting pitching isn't cheap, and the Astros hope they get what they pay for in 2011.
RHP Nelson Figueroa
2010 stats: 7-4, 3.29 ERA in 31 games (11 starts); 5-3, 3.22 ERA in 18 games (10 starts) for Astros.
2010 salary: $416,000.
Can become free agent: 2014.
Tender prediction: Likely.
Analysis: Figueroa is 36 and just now reaching arbitration, so he's still not making much money in the baseball world. And he had a pretty good season for the Astros in 2010 after they picked him up off waivers, which is why it would make sense to tender him. He's a solid clubhouse citizen and could compete for a spot in the rotation or give them a steady option in long relief.
RHP Matt Lindstrom
2010 stats: 2-5, 4.39 ERA, 23 saves, 58 games.
2010 salary: $1.62 million.
Can become free agent: 2013.
Tender prediction: Likely.
Analysis: Lindstrom had an up-and-down first season in Houston, and he really struggled in the second half when his back issues began to mess with his delivery. When he was healthy, he was a pretty solid closer. He's still relatively inexpensive when you consider his age (30) and his stuff, and I doubt the Astros would give up on him after one rocky half of a season.
IF Clint Barmes
2010 stats: .235/.305/.351, 8 HRs, 50 RBIs (with Colorado).
2010 salary: $3.325 million.
Can become free agent: 2012.
Tender prediction: Definitely.
Analysis: The Astros landed Barmes in a trade with the Rockies on Nov. 18 in exchange for Felipe Paulino. He's likely going to be their starting shortstop next season and will be playing for a contract because he's a free agent after next year. Considering the offensive shortcomings the Astros had at shortstop last season, paying around $4 million for Barmes for one year isn't a bad deal.
2B Jeff Keppinger
2010 stats: .288/.351/.393, 6 HRs, 59 RBIs, 34 2Bs.
2010 salary: $1.15 million.
Can become free agent: 2013.
Tender prediction: Definitely.
Analysis: Keppinger is coming off a career season in which he was the Astros' starting second baseman for most of the season. There's still a chance the Astros could acquire a second baseman with more pop and better range and return Keppinger to a reserve role, but he's too much of a steady hand not to want back on the roster. He rarely strikes out or gets into prolonged slumps and had a pretty good on-base percentage a year ago.
CF Michael Bourn
2010 stats: .265/.341/.346, 3 HRs, 25 RBIs, 52 SBs.
2010 salary: $2.4 million.
Can become free agent: 2013.
Tender prediction: Definitely.
Analysis: Bourn didn't quite have the breakout season on offense in 2010 that he enjoyed in 2009, but he made the All-Star team, won his second Gold Glove and led the league in stolen bases. He was up and down on offense, but finished the season with a flourish at the plate before a strained oblique injury cost him the final two weeks of the season.
RF Hunter Pence
2010 stats: .282/.325/.461, 25 HRs, 91 RBIs, 18 SBs.
2010 salary: $3.5 million.
Can become free agent: 2014.
Tender prediction: Definitely.
Analysis: He's coming of a career season in which he was named the team's Most Valuable Player after tying career high with 25 homers and setting career high with 91 RBIs. This is Pence's second year in arbitration eligibility and he'll still have two years remaining after 2011, so he's under the Astros' control for three more years at least. He's going to get a nice raise in 2011, but he's earned it.
Astros position breakdown: relief pitching
Here it is: the eighth and final installment of the Astros' position-by-position breakdown. Today we'll take a look at relief pitching, which general manager Ed Wade says is one of the strengths of the team. Before we get to the bullpen, here are the links to the previous seven entries in the series (click on the desired position to view the entry): catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, outfield, starting pitcher.
2010 bullpen to begin season: Brian Moehler, Jeff Fulchino, Sammy Gervacio, Chris Sampson, Tim Byrdak, Matt Lindstrom and Brandon Lyon.
2010 end-of-season bullpen: Fernando Abad, Tim Byrdak, Gustavo Chacin, Enerio Del Rosario, Jeff Fulchino, Matt Lindstrom, Wilton Lopez, Brandon Lyon, Mark Melancon, Felipe Paulino, Henry Villar and Wesley Wright.
Others who made an appearance: Nelson Figueroa, Brian Moehler, Casey Daigle, Gary Majewski, Kevin Cash.
Combined 2010 stats of Astros relief pitchers: 24-23 record, 45 saves in 60 opportunities, 4.49 ERA (ranked 13th in the NL).
Free agents: None.
Arbitration eligible: LHP Tim Byrdak, LHP Gustavo Chacin, RHP Matt Lindstrom, RHP Felipe Paulino.
What happened: The Astros traded for hard-throwing Matt Lindstrom last December and plunked down $15 million on a three-year contract for Brandon Lyon to bolster the back end of the bullpen after losing both Jose Valverde and LaTroy Hawkins to free agency. Lyon developed a cyst in his shoulder and was behind all spring, opening the door for Lindstrom to win the closer's job.
Lindstrom got off to a terrific start, posting a 1.40 ERA in his first 19 appearances and going 10-for-10 in save opportunities. He blew three saves and posted a 5.23 ERA in June and began battling back spasms that eventually cost him the closer's job and forced him to the disabled list in August. Lyon took over as closer in early August and finished with 20 saves in 22 chances and a 3.12 ERA.
Lindstrom, who led the team with 23 saves, and Lyon became the first set of teammates to save at least 20 games in the same season since the 1992 Cincinnati Reds.
Wilton Lopez, who the Astros acquired on a waiver claim in 2009, took on an important role in the back of the bullpen and wound up pitching in 68 games and posted a 2.96 ERA. The Astros also got good mileage out of lefty Tim Byrdak and right-hander Jeff Fulchino, who battled injuries and wasn't as sharp as he was in 2009. Fan favorite Chris Sampson had a good first half and was eventually sent to the Minors after some struggles and designated for assignment. Alberto Arias, who was injured in Spring Training, and Sammy Gervacio were quickly shut down because of shoulder troubles.
As the year progressed, the Astros got a good look at right-handers Henry Villar and Mark Melancon, who was acquired from the Yankees in the Lance Berkman trade.
What's next: Astros general manager Ed Wade doesn't plan to do much to the bullpen in the offseason and sees it as one of the strengths of the club. Lyon and Lindstrom will once again compete for the closer's job in the spring, though both could again wind up finishing off games at some point. The Astros like what Lopez brings to the back end of the bullpen and envision Melancon as a future late-game reliever.
Arias, who had surgery for rotator cuff impingement, could be in the picture next year along with Gervacio, who missed most of the year with rotator cuff inflammation. Gervacio had mixed results in the Minors but showed some good flashes with the Minor Leagues. Fernando Abad had a good Major League debut in his 22 appearances and will be a left-handed option, along with Wesley Wright.
Who's on the farm: Left-hander Douglas Arguello, the pitcher of the year at Double-A Corpus Christi, will be in spring camp next year competing for a job. Abad and Villar, both of whom came up late in the season, could lead the next wave of youngsters in the pen. Don't forget Chia-Jen Lo, who missed much of last year with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament.
Medical updates on Bourn, Lindstrom
Right-hander Matt Lindstrom, who's been on the disabled list since Aug. 17 with a lower back strain, threw between 30 and 35 fastballs at about 80-85 percent effort in the bullpen prior to Sunday's game and reported no problems.
Lindstrom was originally scheduled to throw Saturday and begin a Minor League rehab on Monday for Double-A Corpus Christi, but the back began bothering him again and moved back his bullpen session by one day.
"I'm not trying to throw as hard as I can out there," Lindstrom said. "I was just trying to get a feel for the mound again and stuff. We're going to continue to reevaluate how I feel and go from there. I'm anticipating an outing with the Double-A team within the next couple of days, so it should be fine. It's a day-to-day thing. Whenever I wake up I try to see how I feel, but today was a good day."
This has been a frustrating stretch for Lindstrom, who struggled through back issues and lost his job as closer just prior to going on the disabled list. He's going to take the day off Monday, but is encouraged his arm feels great.
"I was making really good progress in Philly, and the last couple of days started to feel the spasms come back a little bit and we tried to stay off it," Lindstrom said. "That's why we pushed my bullpen back to today. Today I was waking up and feeling a little cranky, but we did the things we needed to do to get ready to throw another 'pen. It went well."
Center fielder Michael Bourn left Sunday's loss to the Mets in the eighth inning with a strained hamstring. He said he was day-to-day and hoped to be able to play in Monday's series opener against the Cardinals in Houston, but don't expect the Astros to rush him to action.
Bourn said he first injured the hamstring beating out an infield hit in the third inning Sunday. He left the game in the eighth.
"It's alright," he said. "It got tight on me earlier in the game and that's why some balls I couldn't run out. Before it got too bad, I came out. I knew better than to try to keep going in there and to try to run again. You could feel the tightness and it was hot out there. Instead of being dumb, I tried to be smart."
Bourn's single Sunday gave him an eight-game hitting streak. He's batting .382 during the streak with a .432 on-base percentage and five stolen bases. His infield hit was his National League-leading 32nd of the season.
Lindstrom knows DL right move
Matt Lindstrom, who has been battling back problems for several weeks, was placed on the 15-day disabled list following Wednesday's loss to the Mets. The Astros recalled left-hander Fernando Abad from Triple-A Round Rock.
Lindstrom was removed from his role as closer Tuesday following a tough stretch of games in which he was 0-3 with two blown saves and had allowed nine earned runs in 2 1/3 innings in four appearances. His back had been affecting his mechanics, and the Astros finally decided to put him on the disabled list.
"His back just hasn't been getting any better," manager Brad Mills said. "We talked to him before the game and it wasn't letting him finish any of his pitches and letting him be the pitcher he is. We need to get him right."
Lindstrom, who has saved 22 games in 28 opportunities, was clearly frustrated, but didn't disagree with the decision.
"It's not getting any better and I don't want to cost my team anymore games," he said. "So the good news is my arm feels great and that's why it's so frustrating for me now because I can't get on the same page as my back. We're just going to try to treat it for 15 days and get it some rest and hopefully come out firing when this DL stint is done and I can be me again and help the team win."
Lindstrom said rest will be the key.
"I'm going to continue to work hard as far as getting this taken care of so I can help us win games in September," he said. "When I'm right and feel the way I usually do, there's no hesitation on the mound, no question marks. I can throw pitches with conviction and locate better without thinking the back is going to spasm or fall on my face with the next pitch. I had this all the way back in May in Colorado and I've been fighting it for two months, and hopefully this stint will help it get better."
Abad, 24, was with Houston earlier this year and appeared in one game, throwing one inning in his Major League debut. He was 4-3 with a 2.50 ERA in 14 games at Round Rock.
Lindstrom falls on the sword
Shortly after Matt Lindstrom was traded to the Astros, someone who had covered him in Florida told me he was one of the most stand-up guys you could find. After dealing with the incredibly stand-up Brad Lidge for several years, I was somewhat curious at how Lindstrom would handle failure, and he's definitely cut from the same cloth as Lidge.
Lindstrom was waiting for reporters when the clubhouse opened following Tuesday's 4-2 loss in the Braves, a game in which he gave up two homers in the ninth inning to blow his sixth save of the season and second in five days.
"I'm just devastated," said Lindstrom, who had allowed only two homers in 42 1/3 innings this year prior to Tuesday. "J.A. [Happ] pitched a great game, the guys battled back, so it's really tough right now to swallow. I don't even know what to say, except I take responsibility for this and I look forward to getting back here tomorrow and work on what's going on with my mechanics so I can get my location back."
Astros manager Brad Mills and Lindstrom's teammates rallied around the normally reliable closer, who squandered a save on Friday in Milwaukee in his previous save chance. It was only the second time in his career he's allowed two homers in a game.
"We all struggle sometimes and he's our closer, and if we're up tomorrow by one I hope he comes into the game," said rookie third baseman Chris Johnson, who continued his torrid second half by going 3-for-4 to raise his average to .366. "He's our closer. We want him out there."
Mills didn't hesitate when asked if he has considered moving Brandon Lyon into the closer's role.
"Not at all," he said. "He's the guy."
Lindstrom has been dealing with back spasms for the last few weeks, and he's understandably reluctant to use it as an excuse. But the Astros need to figure out how much it's affecting his performance and, if it is, try to map out a plan to get him better.
When the hard-throwing Lindstrom is on his game, he proved he's a capable Major League closer. The task now is to get him back to that form after Tuesday's ninth-inning nightmare.
"It's nothing you want to experience, but that's a crazy game," he said. "That's a good fastball-hitting team in Atlanta, and you know that I'm going to go out there and throw fastballs and it's up to me to make the location, so I didn't get the job done tonight.
"The biggest disappointment for me is making my team go out there. They were battling all game and it takes two minutes to ruin it. Those guys battled hard all night, and that's the toughest thing."
The Astros at the halfway point
After 81 games — midpoint in their 162-game schedule — the Astros are 32-49, which puts them on pace to go 64-98, which would be their worst record in club history. I once thought the club was a shoo-in to reach 100 losses, but it is 15-15 in its last 30 games and has been playing better for the most part.
Will that continue? A lot of it will depend on what happens by the end of this month and the trade deadline. If the Astros trade Roy Oswalt, who pitched terrific on Friday, for some prospects, and perhaps even Brett Myers, they will be in a full-fledged youth movement and there figures to be some growing pains.
The Astros are already committed to rookies Chris Johnson at third base and Jason Castro at catcher, and it appears 26-year-old Angel Sanchez will get substantial playing time at shortstop until rookie Tommy Manzella returns from his broken finger. If the Astros do get some top-notch prospects for Oswalt, the second half of the season will be worth watching if the future of the club is on display.
This is one of the few seasons in last 20 years the Astros are pretty much out of it at the All-Star break, due in large part because sluggers Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman and Hunter Pence struggled collectively to begin the season. At the end of the season, they could wind up having decent numbers, but their inability to hit — along with Pedro Feliz and Kaz Matsui — early in the year buried the Astros.
Lee is on pace to hit 20 homers and drive in 82 runs, which would way below his career averages, not to mention he's hitting .238. Berkman is hitting .240 and has seven homers and 35 RBIs at the midpoint, but he did miss the first two weeks of the season. Pence? He's on pace to hit .257 with 22 homers an 77 RBIs.
On the mound, Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez — the top two pitchers in the Astros' rotation — are on pace to lose 20 games. That's a shame for Oswalt, considering he's delivered 14 quality starts in 17 outings and has a 3.32 ERA. He's stuck at 142 career wins, leaving him two shy of Joe Niekro for the club's all-time lead. Whether gets a chance to get it or gets dealt will be one of the biggest story lines for the second half of the season.
Here's predicting the Astros play better in the second half of the season and avoid 100 losses, whether it's from the veterans stepping up at the plate or the infusion of youth paying dividends.
Here are my Astros awards at the midpoint:
Astros Player of the Year: Michael Bourn. He's hitting .264 with one homer and 20 RBIs from the leadoff spot with on on-base percentage of .340, but he's stolen 25 bases, is among league leaders in outfield assists and is on his way to a second Gold Glove.
Astros Pitcher of the Year: Matt Lindstrom: He's got 19 saves in 23 chances for a team that has only 32 wins. He's posted a 2.97 ERA and proven to be a terrific pickup from the Marlins. He's got a chance to make the All-Star team. A case could certainly be made for Oswalt or Myers.
Astros Rookie of the Year: Wilton Lopez. The durable reliever is 3-0 with a 3.98 ERA in 30 games. At the end of year we may be giving this to Chris Johnson or Jason Castro, but they haven't been around long enough at this point.
Day 39: Busy, busy day at Astros camp
What a day at Astros camp.
The day began with the news the Astros had made nine roster moves, which essentially gave the starting catching job to J.R. Towles, and ended with Lance Berkman telling MLB.com he suffered a setback Tuesday in his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery. In between, Bud Norris pitched well against the Phillies and Matt Lindstrom was named closer.
Other than that…
Let's start with the biggest news, which is Berkman. It's growing increasingly unlikely he'd be ready for Opening Day. He felt so good taking batting practice Tuesday he said he was about "70 percent" certain he'd be ready for Monday. After trying to run, his hopes diminished.
"When I tried to run, I just couldn't do it," he said. "They're going to back me down for a few days and see what happens."
The recovery time on the surgery was two to four weeks, and Berkman has barely passed the halfway point. If he starts the season in the disabled list, he would have to miss at least the first four games of the regular season before being eligible to return.
Astros GM Ed Wade plans to meet with Berkman and head athletic trainer Nate Lucero on Wednesday to talk about the slugger's immediate future.
"I was hopeful that by increasing activities that it wouldn't irritate it, and apparently it's going to," he said. "I need to drop down to where I just swing a little bit. Today I took ground balls and moved around a good bit, and it didn't respond like I wanted it to."
If Berkman starts the year on the DL – and that is a good possibility – that would create another opening on the roster. We'll get to that later. But if Berkman is placed on the DL, the earliest he's be able to play in the fifth game of the season, April 10, against Philadelphia.
Lindstrom, who had a terrific spring, was named closer by manager Brad Mills after Tuesday's game against the Phillies. The hard-throwing right-hander hasn't allowed an earned run in eight appearances this spring, though he nearly did Tuesday after he loaded the bases with no outs and worked his way out of the jam.
Lindstrom came to camp competing with Brandon Lyon for the closer's role, but Lyon was behind and didn't appear in a game until March 18. Lyon had a cyst drained in his right shoulder in January and had to get his arm strength back.
But Lindstrom left little doubt with how well he's pitched.
"He's throwing the ball well, and obviously with Brandon Lyon slow getting out of the gate from the cyst, it's a logical move to make having him down there close to games in the ninth inning and still have an alternative to run with Lyon at some point," Wade said.
Lyon, who signed a three-year, $15-million deal, has 54 career saves, including 26 with Arizona in 2008. Lindstrom has saved 20 games in his career, including 15 with Florida last year.
"We told Brandon Lyon he was going to be extremely valuable for us and going to be extremely valuable getting to us getting to that point as we go forward," Mills said. "Nothing against Brandon at all, but when Matt did throw the ball as well as he did and Brandon was getting slow in getting going, that was probably it."
The Astros trimmed their roster by nine players Tuesday morning to get to 29, and in the process awarded an Opening Day roster spot to catcher J.R. Towles, who was competing with No. 1 prospect Jason Castro for the starting position. They haven't announced Towles is the starter, but the belief all along was Towles and Castro were competing for the starting spot with Humberto Quintero as backup.
Castro was among nine players told by Mills and Wade they weren't going to make the Opening Day roster. Castro and right-hander Casey Daigle were reassigned to Minor League camp, and right-hander Wilton Lopez and utility man Edwin Maysonet were optioned to Triple-A Round Rock.
In addition, non-roster invitees Gary Majewski (right-hander), Gustavo Chacin (left-hander), Drew Meyer (infielder), Chris Shelton (first baseman) and Kevin Cash (catcher) were reassigned to Minor League camp, but will remain with the team through this weekend's exhibition games in Houston. Daigle will remain with the team until after he pitches Thursday's Grapefruit League finale.
What does this all mean?
Towles is going to be the starting catcher. He told reporters team brass told him he was going to be the everyday guy. That's not surprising. Castro had a very good spring, but Towles had a better spring at the plate and has some experience. And what's wrong with Castro getting his feet wet in Round Rock?
The moves also leave the Astros with 14 pitchers, two of which (Alberto Arias and Yorman Bazardo) are injured. They're likely going to carry 12 pitchers so it appears here are the 12: Roy Oswalt, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez, Bud Norris, Felipe Paulino, Brian Moehler, Matt Lindstrom, Brandon Lyon, Jeff Fulchino, Chris Sampson, Tim Byrdak and Sammy Gervacio.
Gervacio had a great spring and deserved it, but Lopez and Daigle had great springs and were sent out. I'm guessing we'll see those guys again soon.
What about the infield? The Astros have seven infielders remaining, including Lance Berkman, who could be headed to the disabled list. If Berkman is disabled, that leaves Geoff Blum, Kaz Matsui, Tommy Manzella, Pedro Feliz, Chris Johnson and Jeff Keppinger as the six infielders.
That's why I was somewhat surprised they sent out Maysonet on Tuesday. If Berkman is disabled, Maysonet seems to be a much better fit to make the team as a utility infielder than Johnson, who's a third baseman. Johnson has had a great spring, but they still want him to play every day. It will be interesting to see what they do if Berkman is disabled.
The Astros need to trim one more outfielder from among the two non-roster players: Cory Sullivan and Jason Bourgeois. Let's be honest: Sullivan is the guy, especially considering Bourgeois had had trouble staying healthy.
So final four roster cuts could be the four injured guys: Berkman, Arias, Bazardo and Bourgeois.
As far as the game goes, the Astros beat the Phillies 5-2 on Tuesday to improve to 13-12 with two Grapefruit League games left. Philadelphia pretty much had its Opening Day lineup on the field, except for pitcher and catcher, so this was a good test for Bud Norris.
Here's the breakdown:
The good: Norris held the Phillies to six hits and two runs and struck out seven batters in five innings. He had a 1-2-3 first, allowed two runs and three hits in the second and one hit in each of the other three innings.
"I felt great," he said. "The plan was to go out there and throw strikes and compete and give my team a chance to win the game. I competed and made a lot of pitches."
Lindstrom walked two batters and allowed a hit to load the bases with no outs in the sixth, but he got two strikeouts and a groundout to escape and keep his spring ERA spotless. Jeff Fulchino threw a scoreless inning and had two strikeouts, Tim Byrdak allowed one hit and struck out one batter in one inning and Chris Sampson struck out three batters in one inning.
At the plate, Michael Bourn went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and a stolen base and appears to be fully recovered from his strained oblique. Carlos Lee went 2-for-3 with an RBI double and a three-run double, and Pedro Feliz had two hits. Hunter Pence scored two runs.
The bad: They were 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position. OK, now I'm nitpicking.
What they said: "I thought he threw the ball really well. It scared the daylights out of me when he stuck his hand up there, but at the same time I thought he threw the ball really well and it was so nice to see. The ball was coming out of his hand really good, even after he was hit in the hand." – Mills on Norris, who was hit in the pitching hand by a line drive in the third.
What's next: The Astros will send left-hander Wandy Rodriguez to the mound Wednesday against the Braves in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., at 12:05 p.m. CT. Rodriguez is scheduled to throw only two innings before catching a plane for Houston, where his wife is scheduled to deliver the couple's second child Thursday. Moehler, Sampson and Gervacio are also scheduled to pitch. Right-hander Roy Oswalt, who had an injection into his lower back Monday in Houston, will start a Minor League game Wednesday. Shortstop Tommy Manzella will also play in that game.
Lindstrom named closer
Astros manager Brad Mills said Tuesday right-hander Matt Lindstrom will be his closer to start the 2010 season. Lindstrom, acquired in a trade from Florida in December, hasn't allowed an earned run in eight games this spring, striking out eight batters and allowing five hits in 8 2/3 innings
Lindstrom came into Spring Training competing with Brandon Lyon for the closer's role, but Lyon didn't pitch until March 18 after having a cyst drained in his right shoulder in January. Lyon, who signed a three-year, $15-million deal, has 54 career saves, including 26 with Arizona in 2008.
Lindstrom has saved 20 games in his career, including 15 with Florida last year.
"We told Brandon Lyon he was going to be extremely valuable for us and going to be extremely valuable getting to us getting to that point as we go forward," Mills said. "Nothing against Brandon at all, but when Matt did throw the ball as well as he did and Brandon was getting slow in getting going, that was probably it."
Lindstrom and Lyon were two one of the Astros' biggest offseason acquisitions following the departure of closer Jose Valverde and setup man LaTroy Hawkins in free agency. In 191 career games – all with the Marlins – Lindstrom went 8-8 with a 3.88 ERA and 20 saves in 171 2/3 innings, striking out 144 batters and walking 71.


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Networked Video Solution Enhances Security Across Hamburgs Railway Network
Verint Systems
Verint Systems Inc. announces that German transit operator Deutsche Bahn has selected its Nextiva⢠Networked Video Solution to enhance the safety of passengers traveling across Hamburg's urban railway network.
Hamburg, Germany's second largest city, is home to more than 1.7 million people. Deutsche Bahn's S-Bahn Hamburg GmbH has six lines and 67 stations with more than 147 kilometers of track, and its 164 three-part vehicles carry 500,000 passengers daily. The Nextiva solution will help the operators create a safe and secure travel environment for tourists and local residents and help combat vandalism and crime. The solution will be delivered through Verint partner Controlware GmbH.
"We are pleased to help the city of Hamburg enhance the security of its urban railway network," said David Parcell, managing director EMEA for Verint Systems. "As a leading provider of networked video solutions for the transit market, Verint understands the needs of global transportation authorities and is committed to delivering innovative solutions to address their most important security concerns."
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding expectations, predictions, views, opportunities, plans, strategies, beliefs, and statements of similar effect relating to Verint Systems Inc. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and they are based on management's expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements. For a detailed discussion of these risk factors, see the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 10, 2007, as supplemented by our Current Report on Form 8-K filed on November 5, 2007. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them or to provide reasons why actual results may differ.


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What Dancing with the Stars' Drew Lachey Eats for Breakfast
Welcome to My Morning Routine, where we take a look at how people kick-start the day. And by "people" we mean celebrities.
(Credit: Matt Duckor)
Drew Lachey has danced his way back into the national spotlight in recent years, after serving his frosted-tip time back in the day as a boy band heartbreaker in 98 Degrees. He won the second season of Dancing with the Stars, and is back for this season as a Dancing with the Stars All-Star, which you can watch tonight on ABC. –Sam Dean
I usually get up at 6:45 or 7 AM. I have a 6-year-old, so I get up, get her ready for school, get her breakfast, run her to school, and then I come home. That's when I'm able to eat.
Usually I have something just to give me some energy–a granola bar, Cliff bar, or a brand of granola made here in Cincinnati called Whirlybird–before I go to the gym. When I come back, I try to load up on protein. Fruit is big, too–apples, oranges, cantaloupe. We're fruities in our house.
Every once in a while, I like to splurge and get donuts or coffee cake–something that makes me feel guilty for the rest of the day. You can't deprive yourself completely.
My daughter eats really really well: Honey Nut Cheerios, whole grain pancakes or waffles, or fruit and yogurt. Fruit, orange juice and water are staples. And then my son just eats whatever his sister's eating–he's a little garbage compactor. Between the two of them, they can eat a whole cantaloupe. They just inhale fruit.
I've never had a full cup of coffee in my entire life. I don't like the taste, and frankly it saves me a fortune. My vice is Diet Coke, which some people argue is a lot worse for you than coffee. Fountain pop is the best, so I'll take it that way if available. If not, it's just a can over ice. I like it in a glass because it's like a fine wine; you have to let it breathe and let out the carbonation a bit.
When I'm dancing 6-8 hours a day, I have a lot higher caloric intake. I like having some meat on my bones–I don't want to look skinny–so I try to stay in good shape and exercise, but still look healthy. If I'm dancing too much and don't have enough calories, I'll start wasting away.
There's this stuff called goetta that's huge in Cincinnati. It's a German meat product–pork mixed with oats–that goes back a long way. I like to fry up some goetta and have breakfast for dinner.
(Credit: WireImage)