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The man, unfortunately, is human.
Roy Halladay is not a robot as we once thought. The Phillies announced that the right-hander will hit the disabled list with a Grade 1/2 strain of his latissimus dorsi; he'll miss 6-8 weeks. Erik Kratz was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as the immediate corresponding move.
Who knows what caused the issue, however, at this point surgery is not needed, which is great news. The bad (awful, terrible) news is that the Phillies will miss their workhorse for an extended period. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee will have to pick up the slack, and that Kyle Kendrick we saw in St. Louis will have to become the norm.
Injuries are common for pitchers, but not this one. Halladay has started 31 games or more in each of the last six seasons.
This season, Halladay clearly was not himself, as he basically willed his way to a 4-5 record with a 3.96 ERA. Can the Phillies stay in the hunt and get a healthy Halladay back in early August? We shall see. But for now, this is a crushing blow in what's turning out to be a rocky season for the Phillies.
0 Comments
While it's never great to lose your ace for 2-3 months, if you consider all of the possible issues that can cause generalized shoulder pain in a pitcher, a strain is one of the better outcomes.
The worst case scenario here would have been a labrum tear or rotator cuff injury, which are both potentially career ending. All possibilities considered, the Phils and Halladay lucked out here.
This is Amaro's fault, he should've traded Halladay while he still had value
Loving the name, "typical fan". xd
This blows. But it's not the worst case scenario. If he comes back in mid-late July, as scheduled, we should be ok. Worley should be back soon and we'll still have a solid rotation. Can't wait to see the full team with Roy, Chase, and Ryan later this summer.
Everything is set up for a challenging, entertaining end of the season. Think 2007 😉
There's a saying in Texas or thereabouts to the effect that, "That dog won't hunt anymore."
Leave out the "Chase", and I agree.
Think 2007? Adam Eaton is coming back??? NOOOOOOOOOOO!
REALLY!!!! Koolaid drinker.
It would be no less a miracle if the Phils were to take the division at this point. Doc/Worley/Howard would all have to reappear with guns blazing. Jimmy has to come to life, Mayberry has to show some heart –
It maybe just too much
And MLBTR is saying Oswalt an Rangers agreed to a deal about an hour ago
Yeah, although he wouldn't be ready by the time Worley's back anyway, so he'd have to displace Kendrick in the rotation, which is…either a huge upgrade or a very expensive small upgrade depending upon the versions of Oswalt and Kendrick that show up on any particular day.
Roy is a piece of garbage to lie and day he is not hurt. You f u c.
Piece of s h it
I closed my eyes, covered my ears, and shouted "LALALALALA" when my yankees fan roommate said that Doc didn't look as dominant this year.
Now with this happening…gah.
So does anybody else on here want to jump on the ridiculous "trade Cole Hamels" bandwagon?
Look at it this way. Doc gets time off to get healthy and comes back full strength for the stretch run. Someone will take over his rotation spot and will just have to be average. Its not like Doc was 9-0 and got hurt with the position the Phillies are in. He has been pitching poorly and not giving the team the best chances to win.
this sucks the phillies need doc to when the nl east hopefully he comes back stronger than ever
P.S. – Sign Hamels now!!!
If Cole thinks he can get 7/175 if he waits, how much money do you think he would ask the Phils for to forego that payday?
The Dipsy
I think we may have caught a break here. A lat can heal on it's own. A 35 year old lat maybe a little slower than we all want, but it will heal.
To me, this is clear evidence of why you do NOT sign pitchers to long term contracts.
Sorry guys, I think Cole is great, and I know how much many of you admire his work, but I can't pretend to feel differently than I do. If he wants more than 3 years, I'd have to let him walk. It was the Pat Gillick edict, and IMO it's the right way to go.
Really, now! Halladay will miss some time, almost as much as a ton of position players who have been signed long term.
And I have to laugh at that "edict," because by signing Adam Eaton for three years, and trading a really good prospect for that already injured guy from the White Sox, Gillick pretty much proved how much he knew about a pitcher's durability.
If pitchers are only good for three years, maybe they should all be non-tendered when they reach their arbitration years.
Why do you twist things so? We are not talking about a pitcher in his arbitration years, we're talking about a 27 year old who is looking for a reported 7 year contract. Do the math! You want to laugh at the successful career of one of baseball's top executives because of one or two bad moves? okay, it's your right.
I expressed my opinion that signing pitchers to long term contracts is a poor business decision, I also noted that I knew it would not be popular and expressed empathy to the fans who undoubtedly will feel differently. It was my opinion George, hence the use of "IMO" in the original comment.
If you feel differently you have every right to, but unlike you, I don't purposely try to discredit you with "Really now!" or "And I have to laugh". What is the purpose of these incendiary comments? Are you deliberately trying to start a fire? Is it internet supremacy you seek? It's okay with me. You got it, man, you're the big winner. Your the king of the internet, okay?
By the way, are you even capable of forming your own opinion?, or are you just here to mock others? I admit that I began ignoring most of your comments a long time ago, so I wouldn't know. Do you have a single original or constructive thought to provide or are you just here to mock others and correct gramar?
What would you offer Cole Hamels? Would you be a seller if the team's record warrants it at the deadline as RA jr. has suggest he might be? Is there any deal that would make sense for Hamels or should we just take the compensatory picks? Who would you consider a proper trsde for a rental? Do you take a stand on anything on your own? Do you have anything to offer this board, except for being disagreeable to everyone else?
I didn't twist what you said, but I only indicated with some sarcasm how silly I believe it to be. A 6-8 week injury isn't exactly a good reason to not sign a pitcher; position players miss that amount of time constantly, as evidenced by more than one Phils player. If you can't sign a pitcher long term, then perhaps you shouldn't sign a second baseman or an outfielder, either.
That edict I find laughable is not your idea, but was Pat Gillick's, so that comment wasn't aimed at you, and you're pretty sensitive and maybe even paranoid if you think it was. Gillick was good, but I also feel he made one heckuva lot of mistakes, and shot himself in the foot sometimes with his rigidity. Maybe that no long-term kind of thinking worked a few years back when Gillick was doing basically a good job, but it won't work now. There's not an ace alive right now who will go for less than long term, so if you're not willing to sign someone for more than three years, you're going to wind up with a rotation of rookies and Blantons. You might as well non-tender when arbitration rolls around, because your rookie ace is still going to cost, might get injured in his third arb year, and will be gone soon anyway because you won't sign him long term. My point is, three years won't work IN ANY CASE.
It's pretty obvious to me that you have no grasp of sarcasm and satire by taking such a defensive position. You're even apologetic about your own opinions, which at least l am not. I find that some of the comments on this site are so ill-informed and badly reasoned that the only way to respond is with a sarcastic remark. That's just my nature. And as far as my not having any original thoughts, you have no right to say anything, because as you yourself said, "I admit that I began ignoring most of your comments a long time ago, so I wouldn't know."
As far as Hamels is concerned: If you want him to pitch for your team, you make a legitimate offer. Three years is not legitimate, and he or anyone else would be insulted. A legit offer for an elite pitcher these days is at least five years, maybe with an option for more. It's a process, and the final number and the final length has to be within budget, but from all indications, the Phils have quite a bit of money. You have to bear in mind that if Hamels walks, he has to be replaced, and any real talent costs a bit, also. I'm sure even you won't want a rotation of second rate arms. Were I advising on this thing, I'd also point out that Halladay isn't getting younger and has only one option year remaining, that most all the minor league guys are a few seasons away, that Blanton's money will be available, and that if you've built your team around pitching, it would be difficult to suddenly change directions given the lack of position players in your own system. If it comes down to seven years for Hamels, (I'm not sure it will) have him physically evaluated, and if he passes, sign him (for as much as you can afford), unless someone else really good suddenly becomes available cheap.
George – While I enthusiastically agree with you concerning signing "ace" pitchers to long-term contracts in this day and age of MLB, I do have to side with Lefty by saying that you do tend to be contstantly looking for some sort of fight on here. It's not just Lefty or me but other commentors as well that you seem to be always directing your criticism towards. I can be sarcastic at times, too, so I appreciate that in your nature. But, sometimes you go overboard with it and then it comes across as "twisting things" as Lefty alluded to. I think you have a sharp mind and a sound sense of the game of baseball. A lot of what you say makes sense. But always turning everything into some kind of debate all the time gets a bit tiresome and old.
This is a great place to come and share thoughts and ideas about baseball and, specifically, the Phillies. There's a nice group of us that comment regularly on here (as in just about every day). Can't we all try to get along and be friends since we "see" each other so much? Let's leave the fight-picking and the silly comments and rebuttals to the trolls and the idiots that also come on this site
Just a few other things: you seem to be awfully critical, yourself, and awfully disagreeable for someone who ignores another's comments. If I didn't take a stand, I would have no reason to respond to others, and I believe that if you actually read my remarks, you would realize that by responding I am offering my own take on things.
You happen to be one of the commenters here who I disagree with more often than not. If it's "incendiary" to disagree, so be it. That's my right, and it's my right to do so in my own style. Terms of incredulity, like "Really now" are part and parcel of my disagreement, because they immediately say that I think your thoughts and opinions are ridiculous. It's your opinion, sure, but to me, it's an insipid one, based on the poor example of a relatively minor injury to a player who happens to have signed what is, in this day and age, a short-term contract. Give me some better evidence, and I wouldn't be so harsh. (There is better evidence you could use, like Hampton or Dreifort.)
Also, what's the crap about "correcting grammar?" I've commented on that maybe a few times on one or two posts, but only when those posts were absolutely rife with mistakes, almost to the point of being unreadable. I also haven't actually tried to correct anything, but have merely pointed out that improvements should be made. If you actually looked, you'd find that I'm not the only one who did so. Maybe you think it's it's fine to be illiterate, but I don't like garbage writing. THAT'S MY OPINION, and I've as much right to it as you have to your three-measly-years Hamels proposal.
This is in response to Chuck A.:
I'm sorry if I appear to some to be picking fights, but I also feel that that is largely a matter of interpretation. I tend to disagree with some people more than others, and I do have a tendency to word things in a forceful manner. That, to me, is expression, not deliberate instigation.
However, I also know that many of my comments have been positive. There have been times, too, when my own comments have been twisted, as you and Lefty put it, and have sparked an uncalled for outrage. I think there's evidence that something as simple as "Utley will be back" has resulted in name-calling, and arguments bordering on threats. In such inflammatory cases, I find it best to avoid the subject.
If true discussion is the intent, then some things have to be debated, and in any debate, the discourse can get lively. I try never to denigrate the actual person, but only his ideas. Sometimes I've gone a little too far, but hasn't everyone? There are people here referring to others as Kool-Aid drinkers, @ssholes, and other terms of endearment. They aren't trolls, either. At least I don't sink to that level, and if I've truly hurt anyone, I am sorry.
You make the site sound like we shouldn't debate, but "to share thoughts" carries with it the possibility of disagreement. It would be a dull place without that.
George, it isn't the fact that you disagree that I have a problem with. It's that you are so disagreeable and inflammatory when you do. There's a difference, and you even admit it to knowing it. It's unnecessary, unpleasant and unwelcome. That"s not what lively debate is about.
Also, where in this statement did I say anything about the edict of Pat Gillick being my idea? "You want to laugh at the successful career of one of baseball's top executives because of one or two bad moves? okay, it's your right." I took no offense to that. I take offense to the contentious way you responded to that, as well as many other untoward remarks.
And did you really think that I didn't know prior to writing the comment that 99% of the people would hate it and disagree? I'm attempting to show that there is a different way to do things, that you can go out of the box, and that the madness has to stop somewhere because the LT threshold set forth in the new MLB CBA says so.
Now, please open your mind for just a moment, I've been promoting this idea for months, and now EricL has come aboard with the idea too. Offer Cole the largest salary per year ever paid to a pitcher- for 3 years. That's not an insult, that's a request that the athlete take some responsibility for his health, or lack thereof. In that way you are not handcuffing your franchise to a Barry Zito situation, or the others you mentioned. The L.T. is not going away in the next ten years per the new CBA (I think it was ten years? May be off on that) If Cole Hamels is healthy in three years, offer him three more at – again whatever the highest paid pitcher is making. As EricL pointed out quite correctly, that amount of money would exceed by far whatever 7 year deal he might accept now. None of us know for certain, but maybe years are the actual hold up.
If you still disagree, that's fine, I don't care if you ever agree with me, but for god's sake try to discipline "your nature" to discussing things in a manner that is not insulting, sarcastic or a willful effort to discredit people. We can debate back and forth here without that trash. Yes there are exceptions on here, we all know who they are, but you are better than that. Express yourself all you want, but flex your muscles elsewhere.
And for the umpteenth time, if you don't like what you are reading, why in the world would you keep reading it?
…and everyone who called Ken Rosenthal an idiot in spring training sent their apologies today…
Ken Rosenthal may have been on to something this time, but that still doesn't mean he isn't an idiot.
the only thing rosenthal was on was the box he stands on to interview the players! and yes he's still and idiot just a really really short idiot.
Lets try out some of our minor leaguer starters. All they have to do is pitch average; they don't have to be Grover Cleveland Alexander. Christ, they are probably better than Blanton is right now.
agreed 100 % big ed!my first thought was dave bush. i was flipping channels last night watching LHV play gwinnet and he pitched ok till he gave up 3 runs LHV was up 8-3 when i stopped watching. then this morning i read on the net that schwimmer blew the game! he gave up 6 runs and they lost 9-8! whew. i think tyler cloyd is the answer. he's pitched outstanding at AA andAAA this year 7-1 era under 2 give him a shot! the phils baffle me sometime they bring up kratz and not a pitcher. maybe they know something we don't!
This does suck a little, but is not devistating, if Vance can come back in a week or so and pitch close to what he did last year. the Phillies do not need a 5th starter until June 6th I think. And the one thing the Phillies are suppose to have in the minors is pitching. So you start the shuttle to Leigh Valley and see if you can find someone to give you 6-7 innings 3-4 runs a game. And hope that the offense wakes up those games. Most teams do not have 1 dominant starter and despite his record the Phillies still have 2 with Lee and Cole, and if you can get 1 out three good starts from KK and Big Joe then they still can be fine. Remember you do not have to win your division to make the playoffs, and with the Phillies pitching if healthy in September the extra play in game should not be a problem. so you have to throw Cole or Dock or Lee in that wild card game. If you win than which ever one starts does not pitch until game 3 of the Division Series. Say Doc gets healthy and he has to go that one game wild card game, then it would be Cole/Lee/Doc in the playoffs with Worley or KK or Big Joe which everone is a better match up or pitching better as your fourth starter. Even if you have to go to one of the big three in the last game of the year to make the wild card, you have Vance pitching game two if you can win the wild card game.
The one big IF is Vance. If he can stay healthy the Phillies still have a big 3 they can run our there if not they still have two aces which is more then most teams.
I hate to see Doc miss time especially a month or two. But in the big picture(pitcher) Maybe this rest will help in the long run even into next year.
Too many if's 'beta'. The division's too good for if's this year.
You idiot they brought up Kraatz because Chooch is hurt. A pitcher will probably come up when Chooch goes on the DL.
Wonderful beat ! I would like to apprentice at the same time as you amend your site, how can i subscribe for a blog web site? The account aided me a acceptable deal. I had been a little bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided shiny clear concept
some Craziness in the comments above …. there tends to be a lot of venom spewed around here anytime someone gets injured, or the Phillies lose a few games . . .
Truth of the matter is that an injury to a pitcher IS that much more significant that one to a position player . . . a position player, batter, doesn't not have one significant body part that will neccessarily determine his ability to play this game or not . . . with Pitchers, their entire career rests on the arm (shoulder, elbow) that they throw with. .
So to bet 7-years, of a guaranteed contract is that much riskier with a pitcher, than a position player . . . . . That said, I see Hamels, and Hamilton both as VERY RISKY signings – for different reasons, though I think both will get something close to 6 years – because teams are willing to pay top dollar for top players- even if they don't produce for the entire length of their contracts


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Beavers Enjoy Title While Preparing For Next Step
The Beaver River boys' basketball team is enjoying the fruits of all the hard work that culminated in the Section 3, Class C overall title.
The Beavers accomplished the feat with a 68 to 65 win over Mohawk Sunday at the Carrier Dome.
Next up is a state quarterfinal match-up in Binghamton Saturday against Moravia.
Click on the picture for Mel Busler's preview.
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Saturday, December 10, 2016, Watertown, NY

subset: commoncrawl


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The long-eared owl is a fairly widespread bird, found throughout Europe, North America and parts of Asia, where it spends the warmer summer months breeding. Like all migratory birds, the long-eared owl migrates south during the winter months, before returning north when the weather warms again the spring.
The two most of distinctive features of the long-eared owl are it's black ear-tufts and the reddish/brown disks that are marked around it's eyes and are characteristic of this species. The long ear-tufts of the long-eared owl are mainly used to make the long-eared owl look larger than it really is to other animals, when it is perched in the trees.
Long-eared owls are nocturnal meaning that they are most active under the cover of night. In a similar way to other owl species, the long-eared owls are generally solitary animals that are only really seen together during the mating season, or small groups of long-eared owls are sometimes spotted migrating to the warmer south together.
Long-eared owls are carnivorous birds, only hunting and feeding on other animals in order to survive. Small mammals such as mice and voles are the most common prey for the long-eared owl along with smaller birds and reptiles. Owls do not chew their food but instead swallow it whole, regurgitating the bones in a small pellet some time later.
The long-eared owl has few ground-dwelling predators as it is only really seen at ground level when swooping down from the sky to catch it's dinner. Airborne predators are the biggest threat to the long-eared owl, particularly large birds of prey such as bigger owls and eagles.
Long-eared owls breed in the warmer spring months between February and July, often nesting in the trees, occupying nests previously built and abandoned by other large birds. The female long-eared owl lays around 5 small eggs which she sits on (incubating them) for up to a month.
Today, the long-eared owl is becoming more threatened in the wild, with population demise primarily caused by habitat loss across much of their native range, and the decreasing amount of rodents for the long-eared owls to feast on.


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I recently went to Walmart with my girls to get some items to help support the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. I went to a Walmart a bit further than my house than the normal one we go to because I figured they'd have a better selection of the products we were searching for. They did have a big selection of ConAgra product to choose from with the specially marked packaging for the Child Hunger Ends Here (you can find it easily- the button image above mirrors what is on packaging). Entering the code is really, really easy- its easy to FIND where to do it on the site and also very simple to enter the code. This is a key piece to what I think will be the success of this campaign because unlike other promos from companies with specially marked packages, you don't have to poke around trying to figure out where to enter the very complicated code with letters, numbers and dashes. If you click on my "This Moment" story below, you can follow my shop experience with the kids all the way up through entering the codes and even getting COUPONS at the end!
How this campaign works is very simple. Buy a participating ConAgra food item with specially marked packaging (look for the bright red pushpin with the slogan on it!) and be sure to keep the code that is included either on the packaging itself or on a sticker/label that can be pulled off. Go to the ChildHungerEndsHere.com site and enter your code- this will literally take you about 15 seconds to do! By entering your code you will be providing 1 full meal to a child. 1 code=1 meal.
Something important to note: simply BUYING the product will not make the donation. You do need to actually sit down at your computer and ENTER the code on the packaging. I promise you it is quick and painless and won't take much of your time, and you'll quite likely make a difference in a child's life.
The neat thing is, when you do enter your code, you are directed to select a coupon for a ConAgra product for savings- which means the next time you make another ConAgra purchase, you are able to give another meal- at an even lower cost to you! I think this gives a lot of people like us, who maybe don't have a lot of extra cash to donate monies to help those in greater need than ourselves, to be able to give back and pay it forward in a way affordable to most. Simply by participating in this campaign, I was able to donate 8 meals – and print 8 coupons to save money on products that I can donate or consume here at the house, and donate even more meals. Its a pretty great cycle, if you ask me.
If you would like to get involved in this campaign, please visit the Child Hunger Ends Here site. For a list of ConAgra products included in the campaign, click the links below:
Peter Pan Peanut Butter (I wish the larger sizes of this had the campaign labels on them)
This post has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are my own.


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The Department of Land and Natural Resources is trying to create rules against transporting and releasing introduced wildlife in Hawaii.
"It may be by accident (or) they may not know that transport, release, or movement of wildlife is harmful to our native ecosystem. This proposed amendment could serve as an educational tool," said Lauren Goodmiller with DLNR.
A Maui helicopter pilot who illegally transported axis deer to the Big Island in 2009, prompted the new changes. Prosecutors said Thomas Hauptman flew four axis deer to the Big Island to establish a deer population there for hunters. He was punished at the federal level, but at the time, there was no state law against his actions. Now, the DLNR wants Hawaii to have its own law.
"We want to make sure we have the law behind us and we are able to enforce that," said Jason Misaki with DLNR.
The department said the new rules are needed right away because introduced species, especially those proven to be detrimental to Hawaii such as mongoose, coqui frogs, and fire ants do harm to our natural resources.
"A mongoose in a seabird colony is really bad. They can predate directly on chicks and predate directly on eggs," said Misaki.
At Thursday's public hearing many Manoa residents agreed.
"The birds that have been showing up have been quiet destructive to not only the vegetation and fruit in the valley but also the native birds too," said Manoa resident Brent Wilson.
The next public hearing will be held on Kauai. Then the DLNR will present the proposed rule changes and testimonies to the board of Land and Natural Resources.
New efforts to keep wildlife in Hawaii native
The Department of Land and Natural Resources is trying to create rules against transporting and releasing introduced wildlife in Hawaii.
Copyright 2013 by KITV All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Monahan's wake
Some alternatives for celebrating St. Paddy's Day in true Irish fashion
By Erica Wayne 03/17/2011
When I first got to Pasadena some 30 years back, St. Paddy's Day was a no-brainer. As soon as we finished work, it was off to Monahan's Steak House on South Lake Avenue for some green beer, corned beef and cabbage and an Irish coffee with emerald-tinted whipped cream for a final toast before heading home. There'd be lots of singing, laughter and recitation of naughty limericks with proprietor Peter Monahan and the celebrants packed five deep at the bar.
Since Peter's place closed some two decades back, there's no equal place in town for March 17 hi-jinks. The two Barney's and the two Lucky Baldwin's (one in Old Pasadena, the other in Sierra Madre), Brits (now beastly dead but resurrected as a third Lucky Baldwin's), McMurphy's (also beastly dead) and 38 Degrees Ale House in Alhambra were/are reasonable replacements with great brews and good eats, but none has the authentic Irish cheer of ol' Peter's place.
So, what to do on St. Patrick's Day? I thought of Clancy's in Glendale, but their menu is American seafood. Barragan's, despite the name, is Tex-Mex. Matt Denny's in Arcadia? The name is right. But the menu's anything but. I could have called around to locate restaurants with corned beef on their menus. But I prefer my corned beef with Swiss and sauerkraut on good corn rye with about a half-jar of Gulden's. (Besides, the Irish didn't even eat the stuff until they got to America.)
What they did eat, however, was oats, barley, potatoes and pork, with a little cheese, milk and mutton if they could afford it. What they drank was porter, stout, ale and an occasional tot of whiskey. So, with those ingredients in mind, I headed out to create my own St. Patrick's Day celebratory meal.
The most important stop was the Great Harvest Bread Co. in South Pasadena for its special holiday offerings: Irish soda bread, an appealingly rustic round loaf fashioned from wheat flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk and studded with raisins; and an oblong gouda and stout loaf (brown bread with actual hunks of cheese baked in). We sampled them both and were pleased, although the choice of mild Dutch cheese (over Dubliner or Irish cheddar with porter) seemed odd.
I bought two huge oatmeal cookies (one raisin, the other a less traditional chocolate chip), an Irish coffee cake muffin; and a "blarney scone," which did not render me more eloquent in describing its charms of a hint of orange, plump raisins and crunchy walnuts. Perhaps I should have kissed it instead of nibbling around its edges.
After that, a quick trip to Trader Joe's and Vons was all it took. Ignoring the old joke about a potato and a six-pack, I picked up lots of spuds, thick-cut bacon, pork sausages, barley, onion, cabbage, butter, milk, cream, lager, stout and a large bottle of Irish whiskey. Then I followed two easy traditional recipes to create our entrees, Dublin coddle and colcannon. Coddle is a steamed, layered concoction of sliced potato, barley, sausage, fatty bacon and onion with an optional soupcon of Guinness. Colcannon is a mixture of mashed potatoes with steamed cabbage and/or kale with bacon or ham.
I don't know where you're heading, but our St. Patrick's Day dinner will be a carb-laden feast chez nous. We'll eat ourselves silly, drink to the Irish (and to Great Harvest) and share some R-rated limericks like this one:
On the t*ts of a barmaid named Gayle,
Were tattooed price of beer, stout and ale,
And on her behind,
For the sake of the blind,
Was precisely the same, but in Braille
Then, we'll drink to the Irish again and share some disparaging ethnic jokes, such as the following:
Two women were sitting next to each other at a bar.
After a while, one says, "I can't help but think, from listening, that you're from Ireland."
The other woman responds proudly, "Yes, I am!"
The first one says, "So am I! And where about in Ireland are ya from?"
The other answers, "I'm from Dublin."
The first responds, "Why, so am I!! And where did you live in Dublin?"
The other says, "Warbury Street in the old central part of town."
The first one says, "Faith, it's a small world. So did I! And what school did ya go to?"
The other answers, "Well now, I went to Holy Heart of Mary, of course."
The first gets really excited and says, "And so did I! Tell me, what year did you graduate?"
The other woman answers, "Well, now, let's see. I graduated in 1964."
The first exclaims, "The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our luck winding up in the same pub tonight! Can you believe it? I graduated from Holy Heart of Mary in 1964 meself!"
About this time, Michael walks into the bar, sits down and orders a beer.
Brian, the bartender, walks over to him, shaking his head, and mutters, "It's going to be a long night tonight."
Michael asks, "Why do you say that, Brian?"
Brian answers, "The Murphy twins are drunk again."
And finally, after drinking to the health of the Irish once more, we'll raise a last glass to St. Patrick, thanking him for ridding the Emerald Isle of snakes but leaving plenty of potatoes and grains, and one to you all, in hopes your St. Paddy's Day evening was half and much fun as ours.
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Long Lagoon Necklace
Style: 570079490
Out of Stock
A single strand of iridescent crystals interspersed with metallic seedbeads. We love it as a long, single strand, doubled for a shorter look, or tied in a knot. Glass crystals; nickel-free metal; silk cord. Lobster claw clasp with chain extender. 54"-56".
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Team McMillan Mini of Auckland, has dressed up a demo model Mini Cooper S Clubman with graphics resembling the classic exterior wood framework of English and American station wagons.¨The vinyl graphic has been applied to the car's body similar in a style similar to the old Mini Countryman and Clubman Estate models of the 60's and 70's. ¨Team McMillan Mini Sales Manager Jonathan Highton is a self-confessed Mini fanatic, and is keen to promote and increase the Mini brand in the NZ marketplace.
Historically, the term "Station wagon" was applied to vehicles used at Railway Stations whose steel car bodies were modified and replaced with wood paneling to enable the carrying of cargo and luggage. These vehicles became popular with car manufacturers who adopted the wooden paneling styling design into their model range. The Surfing fraternity of California adopted older vehicles in the early 1960's as a means of transporting surfboards and makeshift accommodation on the beaches of the West Coast of USA.
The term "woodie" was popularised by the pop group "The Beach Boys" in their songs of surfing and lifestyle.¨The Woodie Mini Clubman captures the spirit of the outdoor and surfing lifestyle, and is fitted with roof-racks to carry surfboards to distant summer destinations.


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About Me
Bradley Miedema
Associate Professor of Music
Phone: (712) 722-6204
As the Director of Instrumental Music at Dordt College, I am privileged to conduct the Chamber Orchestra, Campus-Community Band and Concert Band as well as to teach conducting and other courses in music education. I enjoy interacting with music majors and non-majors alike in Dordt's ensembles, working collaboratively to achieve artistic performances for God's glory. Whether in the rehearsal room or in the performance hall, it is a thrill to bring musicians together for a unified purpose. In addition to my duties at Dordt, I serve as music director of the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra (NISO), conductor of the Northwest Iowa Symphony Youth Orchestra (NISYO), and as organist and choir director at First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center.
Education and Experience:
- D.M.A., Instrumental Conducting, North Dakota State University
- M.Mus., Music Education: Conducting, Western Washington University
- B.A., K-12 Choral/Instrumental Music Education, Dordt College
- Twenty years experience teaching music in schools from elementary school through college
- Adjudicator and conductor for competitions, contests and festivals throughout the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest
- MUS 215, Basic Conducting
- MUS 315, Advanced Conducting
- MUS 305, Orchestration
- MUS 314, Instrumental Music Education


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Pat Culliton serves as the director of Minneapolis-based Hennepin County Medical Center's Alternative Medicine Division, where she is also the director of Alternative Medicine for the National Institutes of Health Center for Addiction and Alternative Medicine Research. A licensed acupuncturist, she earned her Diplomate in Acupuncture [1] in 1985 from the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists in Washington, D.C. She has special interest in complementary therapies and substance addictions.
[1] http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/glossary/3#term4


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The Phillies have tendered contracts to Antonio Bastardo, Kyle Kendrick, John Mayberry, and Ben Revere for 2014. Bastardo, 28, posted a 2.32 ERA in 48 games in 2013 with a career-low 9.91 K/9 IP before being suspended as part of the Biogenesis scandal. After a promising first half, Kendrick, 29, posted a 6.91 ERA after the All-Star break but had positive drops in BB/9 IP and HR/9 IP. Mayberry, 30 for Opening Day, posted career-lows across his entire triple-slash in 2013, hitting .227/.286/.391. Revere, 25, had career-highs in all triple-slash categories, hitting .303/.338/.352, with a scorching hot line of .347/.380/.404 from May 1 to June 13 before he broke his foot in the first half of a double-header against the White Sox.
Analysis: Two of these tenders make sense, one is defend-able, and the fourth, well… Obviously, Bastardo and Revere were locks to return to the Phils in 2014 and the case could be made that Kendrick is worth the estimated $6-7 million he will get for 2014. But Mayberry? Mayberry continues to regress and he is not getting any younger, posting career lows in all three slash categories. They will likely have to pay Mayberry an estimated $1.1-1.6 million for around a .227/.286/.391 line next year. Not worth it.
80 Comments
I dislike Ruben Amaro so much…. I understand the Bastardo move and maybe kendrick… But mayberry? God!!!
Dingleberry is a bum. I said it before if they tenure Mayberry I'm done with any hopes for this team. Dingleberry shows no intentions of improving this team. This is total crap. I guess as Philly fans there is no hope till Monty dies, Giles is buried and ruin tomorrow is laughed out of baseball.
Wow. Really?
Okay, as an unabashed critic of how this team is being run I think I'm the perfect guy to answer our friend, Matt.
First of all, I don't believe baseball has ever known more dedicated people than the Giles family, both Bill and the legendary Warren before him. Successes or failures notwithstanding there is no doubt that they are baseball people through and through and always strived to do the best for the team and the city.
Dave Montgomery? I don't know Dave well but I remember a day in the 1980s during a similar rebuilding period when he invited a lowly fan in for a private meeting because he wanted to get a fan's perspective on the team and how they could reconnect with the community they try to serve. I can vouch for it since I was that fan. So lay off Dave, please.
And Ruben? Hate might be an appropriate word for how I feel about some of his recent moves but I'm not sure how that translates into hating the man, personally. Ruben has tried to reclaim the team's recent glory with aging players and clumsy patches designed to repair obvious new weaknesses. That may be wrong-minded but he's neither trying to lose his job nor lose games. The man wants to win but hasn't figured out how to do it without blowing up the team. That's all and I wouldn't want his thankless job.
And John Mayberry? A great kid, smart and a terrific athlete who has never lived up to his promise as a baseball talent. He's a player who (as Schmenk has suggested about Arencibia) might do better for himself and another team if he has a fresh start elsewhere. JMJ may never be better than mediocre at best but I don't think he's ever been used to the team's advantage – nor, I suspect, has he ever been given the proper coaching to improve his game, either at bat or in the field.
There. I've said it.
Matt. Relax.
Bill Giles maybe a baseball fan but he's really dumb. Did anyone of you guys see him on hot stove a week or so ago. He said that back in 80 he had a chance to vote for against a dh in the nl. The jackass couldn't make up his own mind about weather to vote for or against it, he called the owner of the team but he was on a fishing trip, so Giles voted against it. At the time bull was playing left field,, wow Greg would have been a great dh. He even went on to say he'd vote against it today if asked to vote. I'm sure if he realizes but Ryan Howard is on the phillies right now, he'd be better off as a dh. Also in the inner view he talked about how he traded away a hall of framer (Ryan s)while taking a piss in a public bathroom. To me he sounded as dumb as ruin tomorrow jr, it sure explained a lot about the philly front office. After he was off the phone,the guy chuckled and said wow imagine trading someone away in a bathroom. I think he was bought on the show to show Philly fans how deep the dumbness goes.
Thank god he voted against the DH, and I don't want the DH just because the Phillies currently have a good fit for that. And I'm sure things like the trade story happen more often than we know.
My goodness. I know we're dissapointed about the last 2 years. I am as well.
But for crying out loud. We had the best record in franchise history only 2 years ago.
Remember this time last year Redsox were considered a joke. Nothing is impossible.
I'm sorry guys if I shoot out my feelings and you guys don't like it, but I have suffered just like many of you. We have watched really bad teams under the wing of bill Giles. From 84 to 93 we had no hope of seeing a World Series, then after 93 we might have seen the worst phillies teams ever all the way to 2006 , at least back in 2006 we knew there was going to be a good chance that the phillies would make it all the way. And yes it was great from 2007 to 2011. Then 2012 came and we thought , well a few smart moves and the team would return, but the dumb gm we have didn't make the right moves. Sadly right now I feel the phillies have returned to being a last place team with signs of a long haul before they make it to the top again.
Those of you who don't agree with what I said should stay away from the Philly.com comments because over there they are a lot more harsh then me.
I'm a old time Philly fan and as much as I bash them I will always be. This is what being a Philly fan is all about,, we all have a loud voice and like to be heard. Everybody hits woohoo!!! We'll not really but maybe will hear that guy again.
I honestly think Amaro does not give a crap anymore! Why else would he bring both Bastardo and Mayberry back?? Not to mention Kendrick who also is not that much better than mediocre at best!
Amaro really needs a smack upside the head As well as Montgomery for letting this crap go on every single off-season now.
Anyone who has the slightest bit of common sense should know at best we will win 70 games next year and it will be even less in 2015 because our RAJ will bring back more players from our '08 season like they are the same quality players we had in 2008!
How did you arrive at the seventy win figure? Just curious.
How did I come up with 70 wins? Just look at the composite fWAR of each player and add them up! ( some people do their homework. )
Funny you asked me that though, as I seen the Phils Nation team just *today* had an article about how they too, project 70 wins for us in 2014 ( with the team we have now. )
Last winter, I also projected the Phils to win between 75-78 wins for 2013. What I'd be curious about is how do you think they wouldn't get about 70 wins for 2014?
Are you serious, bastardo?? Where are you gonna find a better lefty reliever for less
@Skylar: You realize that there is value in being mediocre at the Major League level, don't you? 6-7 million for a mediocre starter like Kendrick is perfectly fine!
Exactly. Kendrick is worth ~$6.5M for one year in a world where Phil Hughes gets $24M / 3 years.
Your correct in saying there's value in mediocrity in this league, but too much mediocrity at any price only buys you a .500 ball club. Austerity has diminishing returns while (smart) reinvestment builds winners.
The key is to avoid overpaying for mediocrity. Over the past 2 seasons, Ryan Howard has not even been mediocre for $25M per year. That performance, more than paying $6.5M for a starting pitcher with a 4.05 ERA over the past 3 seasons, is what buys you a .500 ball club.
The contracts tendered for Howard and Papelbon were nothing short of suicidal while retaining a mediocre 4th or 5th starter in Kendrick at $6.5 mil was probably a smart move. especially since Gonzalez remains a big question mark and (a healthy) Pettibone still has a lot to prove. Plus, I suspect Kendrick could become an effective, maybe even above average long reliever when needed. He had to be tendered.
My point is that retaining or acquiring mediocrity at a good price has diminishing returns.
I don't think there's a single starter in FA this year who clearly qualifies as being better than mediocre or much above that line. What the team needs is a future Doc or Lee since Doc's days have passed and the clock is ticking on Cliff, too. If Pettibone and Biddle aren't the replacement horses needed then management should be making an effort to land Tanaka. No team in the AL or NL is going to allow a 27-year-old Clayton Kershaw quality pitcher to reach the FA market without putting up a major fight to retain their services. That pretty much leaves Tanaka as the prize catch for some team. Only about 6 teams could afford him under current rules and the Phillies are in that group. Unfortunately, the mistakes made with Howard and Papelbon, while apparent, have probably made management gun shy and that would be the lingering tragedy of their signings.
Yep, the Howard and Papelbon signings are the gifts that keep on giving (taking actually).
@Phillies fan from Germany: if you are satisfied with a 70 win team ( meaning we'd lose about 92 game ) is fine, that is your opinion.
I'm not saying we should be a pennant-contending team regardless; but it'd be nice if Amaro stopped giving out these merely "2008 loyalty" contracts he's been doing the last few yrs ( with Utley, Rollins, Howard, and Ruiz now. )
@Skylar, I don't think "loyalty" has anything to do with it. In each case it was either a market deal or even team friendly in Utley's case.
Tendering Mayberry a contract was a foregone conclusion and should not come as a surprise to anyone. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/phillies_zone/Phillies-plan-to-offer-John-Mayberry-Jr-arbitration.html
Wow. It didn't take long for the negative Ruben comments to come out. Everyone knows that JMJ is not a starting outfielder but he offers some outfield depth and a decent bat against LH pitching. What else is available for the money? Roger Bernadina?? No Thank you. I'm sorry but some people just like to whine and be critical. Don't be so negative. Have some faith. He's not going to determine the fate of the 2014 Phillies.
The key is about improving the team by keeping Mayberry they are not improving the team. Who cares about the money its the fact that we could use a change. Look at a guy like Rajai Davis who might be available for 2yrs/$5M and that would be a massive upgrade on Mayberry offensively and defensively. Or you take a flier on some bounce back players like Grady Sizemore, Fransisco Peguero, Chris Dickerson, Tyler Colvin, Quintin Berry or Chris Coghlan. Other than Sizemore the rest could be had on minor league deals with invites and have more upside than Mayberry and are younger. The key is not will he make or break the season no he wont but why not go after someone else who might improve the team.
The key word here is "might." That's the kind of thing that gains a team players like Delmon Young, who "might" have had made an impact, or Chad Durbin, who "might" have been a veteran upgrade in the bullpen.
If you want other examples, try Ben Sheets, who "might" have been able to pitch with a wrecked arm, or maybe Casper Welles, who "might" have been able to re-capture some of his early career success.
At least we all know that Mayberry will never be more than a reserve, will only be paid like one, and that he isn't injured, trying to reestablish himself, or just been dumped by his current team who must have felt he could no longer do the job for the money involved.
Young and Durbin were stupid signings that had failure written all over them from the beginning. I was a huge Mayberry fan when he was coming up through the system but he has failed to do anything for this team as of late and he actually had a negative WAR last year of -0.4. What happens if Revere gets hurt again? Are you really okay with Mayberry playing center? I would rather have a guy like Rajai Davis that is a demon on the basepaths and can play good defense.
Rajai Davis is slightly better defensively than Mayberry in the OF, but he cannot play 1B and he's a worse hitter. If the Phils use Mayberry correctly (having him face LHP's the great majority of the time), he can be valuable. If they had platooned Mayberry and Schierholtz last year, they would have gotten very nice production from RF for ~$2M. This year, Mayberry should start vs. every LHP (either in place of Howard, Revere or Brown) and sit vs. every RHP.
Totally agree with you about Mayberry.
He's been the most misused player on the team and I would utilize him exactly as you suggest – as an RH platoon for Howard or Revere and occasional pinch hitter. And yes, a Schierholtz-Mayberry right field would have been inexpensive and likely more productive answer to the team's unending woes out there.
I wouldn't be surprised if Mayberry becomes another one of those late bloomers who accidentally figures out by himself (because his coaches are still asleep) how to shorten his swing to raise his average and how to cut off balls headed to the gap rather than invite inside-the-park home runs. Byrd finally solved the mystery at bat without resorting to more juice as the wrong answer and received quite a reward for his effort. Let's hope he remembers what he did right. I continue to hold out hope for JMJ.
George, your comment on the word "might" falls in line with my "If-If-If" Rule.
Three "ifs" come April and players are going to be packing their bags for home come October.
I can agree that Durbin was a trainwreck waiting to happen. But Young was still young enough to have a "breakout" year, or perhaps come reasonably close to his one very good season. He was also picked up by Friedman of the Rays, and I understand he's supposed to have a clue about players' abilities.
At any rate, were I really trying to improve, I wouldn't dump one usable piece and replace him with a gigantic question mark. Rajai Davis has certainly worn enough uniforms to be considered a reserve at best, which is exactly the definition of "Mayberry." Even the best, like Sheets, sometimes–no MOST OF THE TIME–don't revive their careers, and many supposedly good options turn out to be a complete waste of roster space. A team improves by adding reliable impact players when possible; they don't improve by switching a reserve for another reserve, or by filling the roster with players they "hope" will be better than what they currently have.
I's keep in mind last season's mantra, "Hope is not a strategy."
I just wonder where this leaves Ruf.
One of them should be traded by opening day, ideally.
Perhaps either Ruf or Mayberry should be traded but I hope any trade would be part of a blockbuster that includes a more viable outfielder in return.
If Byrd doesn't pan out (and he's probably as much a risk as Delmon was) than who plays right? If only one of the two (Ruf/Mayberry) is available to play an outfield position who is available to platoon with Howard at 1st (the ideal) or replace Howard if he goes down, again? Short of bringing up Maikel Franco and sticking him on 1st (which may become the long-term answer there) I don't see options beyond Frandsen who is strictly a bench player – not a starter nor a substitute for lost power.
…And if Mayberry is the one to go, who backs up Revere in CF other than another converted infielder?
More ifs… If Byrd really doesn't pan out, they likely won't come to that conclusion until close to the trade deadline anyway, and at that point they'll either be sellers (more likely) and it won't matter, or (miracle of miracles) they'll be buyers and an outfielder will be one thing they're looking for.
If Revere goes down for an extended period again (although I don't think he's been injury prone) Mayberry isn't a very good CFer anyway, so plugging in Hernandez won't cost them much.
I agree with your analysis 100% Ian
We are looking for starters, no?? Why oh why did that asswipe Amaro let Doug Fister get traded to the Gnats for actually nothing. We could have offered Minimart (almost the same as Lombardozzi) and two of our many average pitchers……
CS- I think, or I should say, hope you are joking. You don't really believe what you wrote here do you?
You can't possibly believe that Detroit would take Mini Mart of the .350 OPS, (almost half Lombardozzi's .639), and two pieces of trash for Pfister.
Good move by the Nats, they actually have organizational depth, and used it to improve over Haren.
I believe pawning MiniMart off to any other team constitutes a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
Made me laugh- An egregious offense for sure.
Yeah I was kidding on MInimart (I just want that "girlfriend" of Amaro) gone, but Galvis or Frandsen and two pitchers from that bunch we have that are all the same type would have done it. The 2 pitchers they gave Detroit were not going to come out of spring training with them. I live in Virginia and watch the Nats and Lombardozzi is nothing but their utility man and doesn't even equate to Galvis or Frandsen. Amaro could have gotten him if he had made an attempt or even known he was available. In other words he was asleep at the wheel as usual. He's the worst in MLB. Now he makes a trade for a 37 yr old backup catcher with no power and an average defensive catcher. My team for the last 60yrs is f—–g doomed as long as that Minimart loving ass—e is GM. Christ Montgomery wake the f– up and get rid of him.
I live south of Baltimore and watched Lombardozzi play high school ball at Atholton. He's a good kid, and we're proud he made the bigs, but you're right, he doesn't have much more going for him than some that we could have offered. The difference as I pointed out earlier is the organizational depth that they have- giving them the ability to make trades like this without depleting their system.
I don't think Amaro should trade away any more kids to chase his pipe dream. I think he should trade the vets, and stop pretending they have a contending team. So I'm glad he didn't make a deal like this. Past performance says it's likely he'd have overpaid anyway. It's time for the Phils to get a grip on reality and start the rebuild IMO, not chase more vets.
P.S. Since you see the Nats games, I hope you agree with me that Bob Carpenter is THE WORLDS biggest asshole, I can't stand him.
Not sure what the asking price for Rajai Davis. I would of went with him over Mayberry.
I think at this point you just have to laugh and find a hobby for the summer. This team is going back to being the laughingstock of baseball that they have been for most of their existence. I really thought the recent success was issuing in a new era of Phillies baseball, but Amaro has destroyed this team. What a joke.
@Dave, just curious: what specifically is your beef? Both Kendrick and Mayberry are relatively cheap for what they give you.
At this point I have a lot of beefs. Do I think Kendrick is useful…maybe. But he's not useful at 6 or 7 million – same with Mayberry. Martinez is still in the organization. Trading away Pence and Victorino for a bag of marbles and then failing to fill in the holes almost 2 years later. Signing an old catcher to a long term deal. The list goes on an on. We can agree to disagree on all these moves, but the results on the field speak for themselves. This team has declined for 5 straight years. Yes, I know they had the best record in 2011, but they were bounced in the first round. A few years ago, the Phillies were being mentioned in the same sentences with the best in baseball…Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, etc. I was so proud reading those articles. However, the moves being made just don't make sense for a top tier team. Are you rebuilding, retooling, treading water, trying to contend? I honestly have no idea what the hell Ruben is doing and I don't think anyone else does. I keep hoping for a big bold move, but I'm not seeing anything to get excited about.
I think the negativity and frustration is derived by Mayberry taking up a spot on the bench that could be given to ANYONE else. I'm pretty sure we all realize that Mayberry comes cheap, but he is BELOW replacement level. He takes AB's away from Ruf or anyone from the minors that could use a chance. Mayberry got his chance and we've all seen what he did with it. I'd rather watch a player with at least some unknown upside/potential instead of a known AAAA player's mediocrity. Crap, even Steve Susdorf, who's 27 in AAA could be given a chance, he might not set the world on fire but its a change of scenery.
All I'm trying to say is this is akin to the "Reid Fatigue" we had with the Eagles, except where the argument could be made he was a good coach and we needed a change,Mayberry is a bad player and we need a change.
I understand the fatigue and the desire to take the unknown quantity over the known mediocrity, but there is a lot of off-season left and I would be surprised if both JMJ and Ruf are still with the organization come opening day.
I am really getting frustrated with Ruben, I understand loyalty to your guys but this is just starting to get ridiculous. I am with Ian that Bastardo and Revere were locks and that Kendrick is understandable. Honestly before the Phil Hughes contract I would have been pissed at Kendrick getting tendered a contract but its the market. If the contract gets above $7M I will not be thrilled however. Mayberry should not be retained just simply because if Ruben is trying to improve the team and make another run then why stick with the same guys that have not performed up to expectations.
I agree with you here and what you said above Alex
I miss the RAUUUUUUUUUL chants…. 🙁
Slugging percentage .494, Slugging percentage .487
Yes, Dom Brown's was higher, but not that much.
This team won 73 games last year, so I applaud RAJ for doing everything in his power to keep this core group together as long as possible. I can't wait for opening day.
Totally agree with the general sentiment here. We need to upgrade everywhere possible. If we can upgrade our 4th OF from JMJ to Rajai for around 1.5 mill extra per season that's worth it.
Rajai Davis: 33 years old, hits about as well as Mayberry (a little more on base, a little less power), and his defense rates as bad or worse. Any upgrade comes from his speed, which is substantial. The only caveat there is that speed will decline (article: http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/the-stolen-base-aging-curve-depicted/), but the Phils may be able to get a decent year or two out of him, a la Juan Pierre.
I can see both sides of this four-player signing. I am not as upset as some, but this is not thrilling news either. The off-season is still active and I hope we see a reasonable upgrade
in the outfield, in our pitching(both starting and relief) , and in our bench. Next year will be important to the future of Rubin JR.
Know what's a great way to win the same number of games as the year before? Keep the same team.
Kendrick + Gonzalez balances out the rotation with two righties for the two ace lefties. If Kyle gets $6-7MM, that's ok.
Revere is cheap (due to the injury) and showed he can produce offensively (could be in the lead-off role) but couldn't show it over a full season. His defense is good enough, but he needs lots of reps to improve his value or it'll cost him pts in ARB. 2014: $1.5MM; 2015: $3.25MM to 5.0MM (based on career avgs. skewed toward mid-2013 #s)
Bastardo is our most experienced lefty despite the suspension. If he doesn't do well this year, he should not be tendered prior to 2015. A sub-2.50 ERA will get him ~$2MM this year (a raise of ~$600k). Next year, he'll make $4.5MM based on his avgs.
2014 should be the last season w/ Mayberry in red pinstripes. He's got value as a righty & can play 1B & all 3 OF positions. 2014: ~$2MM. He needs to produce offensively against righties and halfway decent against lefties with a total of 300 PAs (200 vs. RHP) to even be considered for a job in 2015, but JMJ will be too old, even if he proves ~1.0 WAR (or more) overall (1-2 WAR vs. RHP, -1->0 WAR vs. LHP) in 2014. Not good for a player I think will make $4MM in 2015, which will be a waste despite the following rule of thumb for $ value: for every 1 WAR, player is worth $4.5MM.
Why is a balance of RHP's and LHP's important for a rotation?
Even the players are disgusted.
""We won't win 100 games next season," he said. "But with another wild card, we can definitely get into the playoffs."
If I had to bet I'd say Cano inks a new contract with the Yankees at a substantially lower number of dollars and years than his initial asking price. He's pretty much priced himself into that corner.
However, if Cano won't come down to the Yankees terms, I think management would sooner say sayonara to Robbie and land Tanaka and Omar Infante (or someone of comparable quality) to play 2nd – with enough cash left over to pursue a decent closer.
As good as Cano is I don't think his resigning would have the same positive impact on the team that picking up a true ace like Tanaka would have on a season.
My point being that the acquisition of an ace is the easiest way to create a 10-game swing in wins in back-to-back seasons. Add a touches of improvement elsewhere (a la Boston) and a 70-win team is suddenly a wild card. And now you have 3 aces to help win those perpetually unpredictable short series against division leaders. If legal issues clear up in time and there's an opportunity to land Tanaka, Cano will be allowed to walk and he'll probably have to accept an offer equal to or below the Yankees starting counter bid. That team would be the Nationals.
I'm not seeing the improvement over the 2013 team, but I guess if we use Ruben's "back of the baseball card" methodology anything is possible. As is the case with the past two seasons, Amaro is counting on players in decline coming somewhat close to career averages and older players staying healthy. We've seen how well that "plan" works, but hey, why not try it for a third season? I can't wait for opening day.
Yesterday's "news" is the equivalent of treading water while being stuck in quicksand.
More moves like this only leads to sinking faster.
No one has anything to say about Amaro letting the Nats steal Fister? For what the Nats got him for we could have easily matched or topped that. What's your take on it Schmenk??
I don't know what to make of it, or what Detroit was looking for — it sounds like they wanted the lefty prospect (Ray), maybe they would have taken Biddle but Amaro didn't bite. Just speculating, though. Who knows.
Maybe Amaro offered Biddle, but Detroit thought better of Ray. Maybe they liked the other pieces.
People make way too much of an issue when another team grabs someone they think could have helped their own team. It just shows that there's more to a trade than meets the eye. Just because a tyeam wants a player doesn't mean they'll get him. There's always that other team involved; in fact, in a trade market sometimes there are multiple teams making offers. It's like an auction; you bid as high as you feel you can afford, and hope you're not outbid at the last second.
Schmeck, they didn't want much based on what they received. I'm pretty sure Detroit was just cutting salary, He would have been our #3 starter. He's proven. Christ what a GM. He was asleep at the wheel, probably relaxing with Mini in AC.
Again, if he was asleep at the wheel, then so were the GM's of 27 other teams. We don't know why they matched up with Washington and not one of the other 28.
No, we haven't gotten over the tendered contracts yet. But let's see, the Nats #4 is Fister, and our #4 is Kendrick. Who's our #3 you ask? Well, we don't have one. And our #5 is a guy with arm problems who's never pitched in the major leagues.
The guy with the arm problems is projected to be the Phils' #3. There have been other guys who've never pitched in the majors and did well, like Yu Darvish (not to mention rookies) so that part of the equation doesn't mean much.
Pettibone will probably be #5, and he was pretty decent in his rookie season.
By the way, who is the Nats' #5? You didn't say. Maybe he's worse than Pettibone. Maybe he's worse than the arm problem guy.
George, how can you say it doesn't mean much? The guy has never pitched at this level. You have absolutely no idea what you're getting. To project him as our #3 starter is ridiculous. The Nats #5 is Detwiler. He's better than 3 fifths of our rotation.
I can say it because in most every case it's true. There's not a pitcher alive who at one time had yet to pitch "at this level." Yu Darvish and Fernando Valenzuela never pitched "at this level" until they actually did. Ichiro Suzuki never played outfield "at this level" until he started setting records. Every rookie ever brought into the majors had "never pitched at this level," even all those Hall of Fame guys.
If a player has the talent, he'll stick. Obviously, this Gonzalez may or may not have the talent, but some scouts have looked at him and believe he does. I'll rely on that for now. It's not me who says he'll be #3, anyway; it's the "ridiculous scouting staff. People who have been evaluating talent for a decade or so.
If you want to be worried about something, worry about the arm, not the experience.
And you're rating of Detwiler is way too generous.
I agree with George.
The big issue with Gonzalez is that we don't know whether his arm damage is minor, something potentially career ending or something in between. The fact that his agent was willing to drop the signing price dramatically when word of his arm troubles came up has me a little concerned. Yes, other teams had already backed off when the Phillies outbid them but I don't think there was any reason they couldn't have reentered the negotiations after the initial deal was killed.
I think the World Baseball Classic has become a good barometer of just how many great players are outside of the American system. I'd take a Darvish or a Puig (or a Tanaka) over all but a handful of players in the league.
George, you said it yourself " its the ridiculous scouting staff. People who have been evaluating talent for a decade or so" The same staff who #1 picks over the last decade are rated the WORST in baseball. They are the ones who said Gonzalez will be the #3. Fister is a #3 starter of course with the Nats (our division) not with us because of Gonzalez's talent. Really.
The scouts who are high on Gonzalez were not just from the Phillies organization. They included scouts from the Dodgers, Red Sox, Rangers, Braves, Blue Jays and Cubs.
The consensus among them is that Gonzalez will need only a handful of rust-clearing starts in the minors before he's ready to pitch a major league game. Gonzalez is most likely a bona fide #3 after Hamels and Lee and will probably assume that position by mid-season if he doesn't require surgery this year. Fellow defectors Chapman, Fernandez and Cespedes did pretty well for themselves making it to the All Star Game this year. Had he played another month in the league, Puig would have joined them.
You guys are putting way too much faith in the Phillies scouting and development. I honestly hope your right though.
The bit about first round picks sounds about right, but where were they rated? They do have the fewest first round picks in MLB since 2000:


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Killuminati: Tupac's plan to die?
Before I start, I wanna say that I am a huge fan of Tupac and his work, and I am not trying to disrespect him or undermine his memory in any way. I am merely presenting an argument for a theory that has been in the back of my mind for around two years.
Firstly, to any of you who may say that Tupac would never have chosen to die: I remember an interview - in a Tupac documentary - with Mutulu Shakur who revealed that while 'Pac was locked down in New York he told Mutulu that he was contemplating suicide. Mutulu told him that his life would probably be cut short anyway, so why bother. This proves, however, that Tupac did have it in him to commit suicide. Considering that there was a good chance he would be returning to prison, something he could not face, it would have seemed a 'good' time to die. Plus, he had always predicted that he would die young, and it could have almost been like he didn't want to be proved wrong and grow to be old.
Maybe he had always planned to die at 25. Remember on Death Around the Corner, he says, "I know you ain't afraid to die. A real motha****a will pick the time to leave."
I don't think that he knew specifically how/when he would die, but I think he purposefully put himself into dangerous situations whilst at Death Row, so that some day someone would retaliate. He just kept on spending as much time in the studio as possible so that there would be enough material to keep his legend alive – "When I die, I wanna be a living legend."
Now we move on to the real evidence. I believe Tupac actually told us of his desire to die. Firstly, his production company was called Euphanasia. And we know that euthanasia means 'assisted suicide.' And he even mentions euthanasia on Letter to the President, "Plus all my homies wanna die, call it euthanasia." One of the biggest clues is in Troublesome '96:
"God forgive me 'cause it's wrong, but I plan to die / Either take me in Heaven and understand I was a sheep / Did the best I could, raised in insanity / Or send me to Hell, 'cause I ain't begging for my life / Ain't nothing worse than this cursed-ass hopeless life."
And what about in When Thugz Cry when he says, "Told my bodyguard, 'Don't let me suffer any longer' / Smoke a pound of marijuana so I know it ain't longer / Where is the end to all my misery? / Is there a close?"
That's probably the most significant clue of all. Whilst 'Pac was putting himself into various different dangers, who were the only ones preventing him from being killed: security. Therefore, if he could convince his bodyguard to stay unarmed, he could be murdered. Remember that they were all unarmed that night in Vegas.
I think Tupac seized the opportunity that Orlando Anderson presented. I mean, would the old 'Pac have started stomping someone over a gold chain. I don't think so. You'll probably say it was all the influence of being at Death Row Records, but I think the Death Row 'Pac was created out of his plan to get himself killed.
Life of an Outlaw: "The **** you've heard ain't do me justice / Got a death wish, bitch"
I think that Tupac probably informed Suge Knight of his wish, but Suge didn't mind too much as he realised how much money he would make off of all the material 'Pac would leave behind. Tupac may have wanted the 'alive' rumours to be spread as well, and purposefully left things behind to make it look like his death was fake. This would ensure his name was kept alive, and also, he probably would not want people to know he had got himself killed on purpose.
Smile: "There's gonna be some stuff you're gonna see that's gonna make it hard to smile in the future."
All of the past-tense references to his life could also be explained by him getting himself killed. He never used to talk about his life as if he was dead, but when he was recording the unreleased stuff on Death Row, he KNEW he would be dead when it was released.
This explains things like "Westside WAS the war cry" Why not Westside is the war cry? And what about in Until the End of Time: "Now who's to say if I was right or wrong, to live my life as an outlaw all along." And, "Besides rapping, only thing I did good was scrapping" He never used these past-tense references on any of his released material. He knew even when he was recording The 7 Day Theory that he would die soon. Just listen to the album and you can spot numerous things that support this.
Unconditional Love: "Something inside: Please help me die, these are strange times."
There's loads more references in his lyrics I could use. What about in his verse on Richie Rich's *****z Done changed: "I've been shot and murdered, can't tell you how it happened word for word." He knew he was going to be murdered, but wasn't sure exactly how it would happen.
Maybe he even knew that Suge would have Biggie killed after his death. That's why he has references to Biggie being killed. Like on the end of that quote above: "But best believe *****z is gonna get what they deserve." When recording The 7 Day Theory he already knew how the plan would go, and knew Biggie would be killed, so he didn't spend too much time dissing him. He dosen't even mention him on Against All Odds.
I've read/heard nothing that can disprove my belief that Tupac planned to die, and the theory has only made more and more sense with time. Don't just dismiss it as nonsense, and look at the evidence. I've given it 2 years of thought and am convinced that Tupac had a death wish which he knew would end his life at 25.
7' Day Theory
Why all these 7's. Its not a coindence. Its too many for that to be. Pac put them there for clues, to let us know he will return. Why does everything to do with his death has a 7 to it. C'mon, he had to die at 4:03. why not 4:04. He stayed in the hospital for 7 days before dying. It wouldn't work. Now his mom the person who is suppose to stop the alive rumor add another 7. In the video, "I wonder If Heaven Got a Getto," she has it where Pac arrive on Sept 14, in a place like Arizona or even Mexico, and then she goes to 6 days later. Another 7 days. What is her reason for this? She knows what she did.


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My work is offering free flu shots tomorrow, will it be safe for DD or affect my milk?
My work is offering free flu shots tomorrow, will it be safe for DD or affect my milk?
Addison Nicole changed my world on June 21, 2011
12:33 pm
7 lb 4 oz
EBF 11.5 months!
Sadie Lynn completed our family on August 7, 2013
12:46 pm
8 lb (even)
It is safe for you to get the flu shot.
~ Megan
Mommy to Alex (born 2/27/11) and Katie (born 3/31/14)
Protecting yourself from the flu is a really good way not to give it to your infant. Infants are at a much higher risk than healthy adults for serious complications, including death, from the flu.
Mom to Taiga born 6/2010
Pocket cloth diapers. Baby led solids. Full-time working mom. I my DH, DD, kitty Dr. Benway, and my working border collie Odin!
BF for 1 year and she and I still love it !!!!
Agree with PPs -- but with this caveat. I am one of those people who gets sick WHEN I get the flu shot... and don't get sick when I skip out on it. My DH is the same way. Understandably, we skip flu shots altogether... because, quite frankly, I'd rather take a "possibility" of getting the flu normally ...than the almost certainty of getting the flu from the shot.


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A neighborhood watched as a hot-air balloon made a surprise landing in North Versailles, Pennsylvania on Thursday night.
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Police investigating a suspected burglary in Australia were met with a 19-foot-long slithering surprise.
A huge python apparently broke into the charity store in Queensland by entering through a roof that was damaged in a cyclone two years ago, leaving a smelly pool of vomit-like liquid and destruction in its wake, The Associated Press reported.
Initially, police thought they were dealing with a human burglar.
"We thought a person had fallen through the ceiling because the roof panel was cut in half," police Sgt. Don Auld told the AP. "When they've hit the floor, they've vomited and then staggered and fallen over. That's what we thought anyway."
The snake somehow managed to elude authorities until the next day, when staff members at the St. Vincent de Paul store spotted it lying alongside a wall.
A local snake catcher managed to capture the reptile, which was released into a nearby wetlands area.


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1. Kansas City Chiefs (8-0)
The Chiefs' eight wins are against teams with a combined 20-41 record. But 8-0 is 8-0. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-2)
Owners of the best first-half resume in football, the Colts don't face a winning team until a Dec. 8 trip to Cincinnati. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
3. Denver Broncos (7-1)
Seven points in the first half? Down 21-7 in the third quarter? To the Redskins? The bye is coming at the perfect time. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
4. San Francisco 49ers (6-2)
That's five straight wins, all by double digits. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
5. Seattle Seahawks (7-1)
Not a great MNF win by any means, but halfway through the regular season, the Seahawks have the best record in the NFC. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
6. New Orleans Saints (6-1)
The Saints keep winning, but Marques Colston (six catches for 44 yards in his last three games) has been awful. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
7. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2)
Don't look now, but the Bengals – thanks to Andy Dalton playing the best football of his career (11 touchdowns in three games) – just might be the best team in the AFC. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
8. Green Bay Packers (5-2)
The Packers have won four straight games, including three by double digits. Their two losses came on the road to San Francisco and Cincinnati – teams that are riding five- and four-game winning streaks, respectively. This is the NFC North favorite. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
9. New England Patriots (6-2)
Even with Rob Gronkowski (three catches, 27 yards on Sunday), this team isn't looking like a legitimate AFC threat. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
10. Detroit Lions (5-3)
Calvin Johnson (329 yards) came within eight yards of breaking Flipper Anderson's 1989 single-game record. Detroit's offense might have the highest ceiling in the NFC. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
11. Chicago Bears (4-3)
With upcoming games against Green Bay, Detroit and Baltimore, a 3-0 start will very likely become a 4-6 free fall. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
12. Dallas Cowboys (4-4)
If any team can record a +4 turnover margin and lose, you better believe it's the Jerry Jones-owned Dallas Cowboys. Oh, and hey, Dez. Calm down. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
13. San Diego Chargers (4-3)
Hopefully the Chargers enjoyed the bye; five of their last nine games are against Denver, Kansas City and Cincinnati – teams with a combined 21-3 record. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
14. Carolina Panthers (4-3)
Cam Newton is playing far and away the best football of his career, and the Panthers are 8-3 in their last 11 games dating back to last season. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
15. New York Jets (4-4)
The Jets are 0-4 following a win. Geno Smith has one touchdown and nine interceptions in those four losses. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
16. Baltimore Ravens (3-4)
A pair of AFC North games – at Cleveland and against Cincinnati – might make or break Baltimore's season. (Photo by Vincent Pugliese/Getty Images)
17. Arizona Cardinals (4-4)
Arizona had more rushing yards (201) than passing yards (147) in beating Atlanta and are just one game back in the Wild Card standings. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
18. Oakland Raiders (3-4)
Terrelle Pryor is only the fourth quarterback since 1970 to rush for at least 100 yards twice in one season, and his 93-yard touchdown run against Pittsburgh rewrote the record books. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
19. Miami Dolphins (3-4)
Four straight Ls. It's back to the drawing board in Miami. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
20. Cleveland Browns (3-5)
The Browns were 3-0 when Brian Hoyer played. They're 0-5 when he doesn't. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (3-5)
I don't care who's playing quarterback. The offense has scored three points in the last two weeks. That is unacceptable. (Photo by Rich Schultz /Getty Images)
22. Washington Redskins (2-5)
Up 14, lose by 24. Forget the stats: This passing offense is one of the worst in football. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
23. Houston Texans (3-4)
With the Colts coming to town, five straight losses will likely become six. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5)
Nineteen rushes for 35 yards. Five sacks allowed. This O-Line is awful. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
25. St. Louis Rams (3-5)
Close but no cigar. (Photo by Michael Thomas/Getty Images)
26. Atlanta Falcons (2-5)
Matt Ryan, in a must-win game, threw four interceptions, as Atlanta – with just 27 rushing yards – fell to 0-3 on the road. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
27. Tennessee Titans (3-4)
Losers of three straight, the Titans couldn't ask for a more favorable post-bye schedule – at 3-5 St. Louis and against 0-8 Jacksonville. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
28. New York Giants (2-6)
How bad is the NFC East? The Giants were the only team in that division to win on Sunday, and they didn't score a single touchdown. They're also – after starting 0-6 – just two games back of Dallas in the standings. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
29. Buffalo Bills (3-5)
The game was still respectable in the fourth quarter. Playing against the Saints in New Orleans, that's about as much as you can ask from a losing team. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
30. Minnesota Vikings (1-6)
Greg Jennings was a non-factor against his former team, but at least Adrian Peterson scored. Fantasy owners rejoice. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7)
Mike Glennon (six touchdowns, three interceptions) hasn't been terrible by any means, but his per-game attempts have gone from 43 to 43 to 44 to 51. Way to ease in the rookie, Greg Schiano. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-8)
Jacksonville is 0-4 at home, 0-4 on the road and has lost every game by double digits. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)


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Gillibrand pushes credit union change
December 19, 2012 —
After the Great Recession hit the economy in 2008, commercial lenders became much more cautious about lending money, especially to small businesses. Since then, the economy has recovered a bit, but the credit crunch for small businesses continues.
In many communities, credit unions stepped in to fill some of the void. But current law dictates that credit unions can lend only 12.25% of any assets they hold. Senator Kirstin Gillibrand would like to make it easier for them to lend a bit more to small businesses, so she has sponsored legislation that would lift the limit to 27.5% over several years.
On a conference call with reporters on December 7, she said, "Credit unions are not-for-profit and they are membership based, which helps to guard them against the kinds of losses that major banks have seen in lending and investment operations. Credit unions also have a long history of scrutinizing borrowers and have low delinquency rates as a result. Because deposits have been on the rise as people move their savings from the stock market to savings accounts, they also now have cash on hand to lend to small businesses."
On the call with Gillibrand was Linda Armyn, senior vice president with Bethpage Federal Credit Union, who said that over the past three years, her organization has seen lending increases of over 30% each year. But they have been bumping up against the limit, so in order to comply with the law they have been selling off some of their loans to other lending institutions.
Also on the call was Phil McGuire, who owns car dealerships in Ithaca, NY. He said that after the recession, commercial banks "didn't walk but ran from" companies like his, and so he turned to a local credit union, which lent him the money he needed to expand. But that organization will be running up against the lending limit in about three months, so action on the bill is needed soon.
Gillibrand was asked if the move to allow credit unions to lend more would be opposed by commercial banks. She said no, because the credit unions "are not trying to make money, they're just trying to get credit. So it's a very different type of arrangement that I do not feel overlaps with business opportunities from community banks."
There are credit unions in Sullivan County in New York and Wayne and Pike counties in Pennsylvania. Gillibrand said there are 40 credit unions in the Hudson Valley, with 570,000 members, and the change in the limit could increase lending in the region by $230 million.


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View Rule
|View EO 12866 Meetings
|Printer-Friendly Version Download RIN Data in XML
|Publication ID: Fall 2010
|Title: Integrated Resource Contracts, FS-2400-13 and FS-2400-13T (Notice of Final Contracts)
|Abstract: Section 323 of Public Law 108-7, the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution (16 U.S.C. 2104 note) established special authorities for stewardship contracting not addressed in existing Forest Service timber sale contracts. In general, the new authorities provide for including service work in timber sale contracts and applying the value of timber or other forest products removed as an offset against the cost of services received. Integrated Resource Contracts FS-2400-13 and FS-2400-13T are being developed for use with stewardship end result contracting when the value of timber exceeds the cost of service work. Except where they deviate to address the new authorities, the FS-2400-13 and FS-2400-13T contracts parallel recently revised timber sale contracts FS-2400-6 and FS-2400-6T, which became effective upon notice in the Federal Register on May 6, 2004 (69 FR 25367). In order to fully implement the authorities under section 323 of Public Law 108-7, and because they are so similar to timber sale contracts FS-2400-6 and FS-2400-6T, the Agency implemented interim use of the integrated resource contracts while public comments are being sought. Comments received will be considered in the development of the final contracts.
|Agency: Department of Agriculture(USDA)
|Priority: Substantive, Nonsignificant
|RIN Status: Previously published in the Unified Agenda
|Agenda Stage of Rulemaking: Final Rule Stage
|Major: No
|Unfunded Mandates: No
|CFR Citation: None (To search for a specific CFR, visit the Code of Federal Regulations.)
|Legal Authority: PL 108-7
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|Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: No
|Government Levels Affected: None
|Small Entities Affected: No
|Federalism: No
|Included in the Regulatory Plan: No
|RIN Data Printed in the FR: No
Agency Contact:
Lorrie Parker
Regulatory Analyst
Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
ATTN: ORMS, D&R Branch, 1400 Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250-0003
Phone:202 205-6560
Fax:202 205-6539
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com