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"…I the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…"
–Exodus 20:5
Yes, Nation, this protracted offensive shortfall has reached biblical proportions. Right now, the team is paying for the sins of its father, namely, Ruben Amaro. We all remember Eric Bruntlett, right? He was about as bad an offensive player as has ever put on a Phillies uniform, and when his contract ran out, there was great rejoicing. Well, when we were finally rid of The Beard, Ruben went out and signed another player with mediocre speed, slightly above-average glove skill, and a .270 career OBP.
Credit where credit's due: RAJ has, along with his predecessors, assembled one of the top lineups in recent baseball history, plus a solid starting rotation and a bullpen that doesn't make you want to kill yourself.
But this bench, while never really a strength of this team, has finally reached unacceptable levels. Out of the eight opening day starters, none has a league-adjusted on-base-plus-slugging (OPS+) below 94, or just about average. Not one of the team's bench players is slugging higher than .370, with the highest OPS+ belonging to Exxon Wilson Valdez. That OPS+? 68. SIXTY-EIGHT! There are 29 major league teams, apart from the Phillies, and 28 of them have at least one bench player with an OPS+ better than 68.
The problems with this are obvious and serious, particularly for a National League team. When your starters are worn out or mired in a slump, or when your entire left side of the infield is hurt, the idea is to have some decent hitters to bring off the bench so you're not replacing a former NL MVP with a guy who has played sixteen years in the big leagues without even once performing at replacement level for a full season.
The worst part is that RAJ knew the dangers of the dead bench, had a whole offseason to fix it, and signed two over-the-hill veterans for far more than they were worth. Ross Gload doesn't have any offensive skill Greg Dobbs doesn't have, and, as a 1B/OF guy, hasn't hit for even league-average power since 2006. Castro and Valdez we've been over. Yet Gload and Castro are both signed to major-league contracts (Gload, inexplicably, for two years), when their production and more can be had for less money.
The smartest money RAJ can spend right now is not for Roy Oswalt or Jayson Werth or even Cliff Lee. It would be to somehow make the numbers work on a deal that would jettison Gload, Castro, and/or Valdez. Take the payroll hit—right now, the Phillies are throwing good money after bad by continuing to play their bench players—and find someone (anyone) to fill in.
I don't know where this production is going to come from (a minor-leaguer like John Mayberry? A free agent like Elijah Dukes?), but it's out there, and with every at-bat the likes of Valdez and Castro get, the more serious the punishment the team and the fans suffer for the sins of their general manager.
75 Comments
Well Mike, I think the article is about 10 days premature, but that's ok. That said, this is the situation I shuddered at thinking about at the beginning of the season, and why I suggested the Phils sign someone like Jermaine Dye who, to my knowledge, is still unemployed. We all need those "swiss army knife" players that can do everything, SEE: OQUENDO, Jose. We don't have one. Having one of those guys allows you to keep one or two professional hitters on the bench because you can get your offense without worrying about them playing a position, SEE: STAIRS, Matt (but a better version). I think that Ruben wanted to put together a "nice little bench", meaning one where no one would ever be asked to "step into the breach" if a big injury or something else happened, just one that could spell a regular every now and then or provide a defensive replacement. Well, as it turns out, this concept is failing because our regular players ARE out for long periods of time and extended exposure to regular playing time for Castro, Gload, Valdez has proven to be rather ugly. In short, our bench sucks offensively. Yes, Ruben needs to tinker with the bench. Maybe Tavarez is a start. Maybe he could look to signing Dye AND Dukes now. I don't think Ruben is stubborn enough not to recognize the inadequacies and not try to fix them.
The Dipsy
I knew this overreacting to the bench would come, these guys are bench players for a reason, they do not play everyday, and they are forced into it because of injury and slumping starters, I stated yestarday, Valdez was hitting over .300 from the 7th inning on that is not that bad, and has played an above average SS most of the time. These guys are defensive guys not offensive guys.
As for Gload and Dobbs it is a little early to say they can not hit, and Fransisco has hit OK. How about we let the starters get healthy and out of their funk before we start crying for a change. The first 15-20 games that JRoll was out his backups did a pretty good job, not great averages but some key 2 out hits, they can not do it forever hence bench players. So if you can get off the what have you done for me lately band wagon, realize over the period that these bench players have been forced into action that have done a decent job, just happens that they played way over there head a month ago, and now are playing a little below there abilities.
Now batting for the Phillies, Willy Tavares.
In defense of Ruben… Gload was the best pinch hitter in all of major league baseball last season and Dobbs is just a few years removed from claiming the same title. Castro and Valdez were never meant to be offensive stalwarts… Castro is a guy that can handle the bat but Valdez owns a career .229 batting average. We all felt like Ben Francisco could help in a pinch situation but the rice-man appears to be brown (as in, doo doo). At this point, I don't think adding is the answer… guys need to step up and do their job and that's everyone. Top to bottom, no one is meeting expectations. It's so hard to turn the ship around once it goes south… the pressure mounts, guys clam up and it gets really quiet in the clubhouse… it's simply no fun losing. It might take an ugly win to get them out of it or some sort of shot in the arm (getting guys back healthy).
Funny this is posted the day the Phils sign Willy Tavares. Granted he hasn't been much of a hitter lately, he still is a .274 career hitter and once stole 68 bags. This will definitely create some speed on the basepaths IF and only IF Willy can get on base. As was the case for Houston, he didn't get on and his effectiveness was slim.
Good post but with what Chuck says, Gload was the best pinch hitter last season. A lot of it is luck as much as I hate to admit it.
I don't think Tavares will make it out of AAA, considering he's an equally untalented replacement for DeWayne Wise, who also didn't see the majors.
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I agree. Signing Gload and Castro isn't the problem.
Gload KILLED the Phillies as a member of the Marlins and is an upgrade over Stairs. No problem there.
Castro has done a nice job and is TEN TIMES better than Bruntlett. No problem.
Valdez has been thrown into the whole thing because of the prolonged injury to J-Roll and now Polanco. And he hasn't exactly been awful either.
Francisco doesn't get anough playing time to be effective so I really can't blame him.
Dobbs needs to go in my opinion but I understand the need for that extra infielder right now.
What happenened to Cody Ransom?? Wasn't he brough to the organization to play the infield and he can hit a little too I think.
Part of the problem is with the quality of our lineup, the bench players just don't get enough at bats to ever find a groove. Gload was the top pinch hitter in the ML last year. He also had 259 PAs. This year, he's on pace for 177. And that would probably be lower if Charlie hadn't been mixing and matching lately.
It's easier to have the momentum continue going south when you're missing guys like Rollins and Polanco. Those guys comprise 25% of the starting lineup ex-pitchers. That means, you're missing one of those two every fourth batter… If they come up 9 times per game, they're likely to get on base 3 times… their replacements are only going to get once or twice. 9 times out of ten, those extra hits are going to make a difference.
Versatile players who can hit aren't all that available, even if YOU might think so. Remember, too, that Valdez wasn't even supposed to be on the big club, and that considered, he hasn't been half bad. Gload is a proven hitter (just not for power) but he's just in the same slump as everyone else. He also plays two positions, albeit not particularly well, whereas the questionable and way overpriced Dye only mishandles one. Dukes is a major head case. And none of your suggestions play the infield, which is where the Phils have injuries.
Bench guys are bench guys. When the starting lineup is as expensive as the Phils' is, one can't sign Derek Jeter to a minor league contract to be brought up "just in case."
It seems to me the Mets had similar injury problems last year, and they didn't do too well with their subs, either. The Braves had no one, really, to replace Jones when he was out, and their backup catcher, who played a lot, was one of the worst hitters in the league.
Personally, I believe Amaro did pretty well with the money available. And Mayberry isn't the answer, either.
A Bible quote could be considered blasphemous when prefacing such an insipid post.
Ahh, just an FYI, Jermaine Dye has stated a refusal to sign for bench player money.
As for Dukes, he's a headcase, and we don't need a primadonna bench player.
This "bench players need to get at bats" talking point which started some time last year really needs to go. They're bench players because they suck. Giving them more opportunities to suck isn't going to help. Ours just happen to suck more than most right now.
Castro has not done a "nice job," he's an all-glove no offense guy like he's always been and he's below replacement level right now. It's peachy that Valdez hits .320 after the seventh inning but there are 6 innings prior to that and when you throw them in he's hitting .259/.268/.370. This is not a big deal since he's just a stopgap while Rollins gets healthy, but there is no need to rationalize the fact that they're both bad players.
Dobbs should have been cut last month, Cody Ransom is hitting a shitty .241/.294/.472 in AAA right now. Ross Gload's offense will probably recover. He's not a terrible hitter in his career. The problem is he's a first baseman, and a left-handed first baseman at that, so he has no platoon value, and Manuel never rests Howard anyway. Instead, for some stupid, stupid reason, he insists on sticking Gload in right field, where he stumbles around and screws up anything that happens within 50 feet of him.
Ok so you complaining these can not hit and you want to bring up another aging .250 hitter and see what he does, I have an Idea how about you bring up some guy from the minors
Yeah, and Jermaine Dye is currently still unemployed.
Yeah, the bench players don't get enough at-bats to get into some kind of groove. That's my point with Francisco. He's really an everday player for a team like the Pirates, for example. Or a platoon player. He's just not that effective as solely a pinch-hitter.
No one was complaining about Castro's bat earlier in the season when he filled in for J-Roll the first time.
Phylan you really need to get off that high horse of yours, If Valdez goes 0-3 in the first six innings but comes up with a guy on second and one out in the 7-8 and gets his one hit, isn't that pretty good for a guy who hits .241 so he goes 1-4 with a clutch hit, I'll take that one out of three times, since he is a bench player, and he did do that the first time JRoll was hurt and got some key rib's I will take that from a guy who really is just playing so that balls do not get kick around at SS. Same with Castro he is on the bench because he can play SS 3rd and 2nd not because he is going to hit 300. Dobbs and Gloud and Fransico are you bench bats, and no they have not been hitting very well, but they are Pinch hitters they go 3-5 for a couple of streches and the BA will jump up. There is still over 100 games to play can we at least play half a year before we decide that these two guys who have proven they can hit off the bench in the past are all washed up
Stats are facts…look at the years the number of at bats Dobbs had in 08…he was more than just a PH, he played a lot at 3b. Look at Gload's AB's last year, he also was more than just a PH. Francisco before coming to the Phillies last year was starting 3-4 games a week in Cleveland and Stairs when he came to Philly was the DH for the Jays and getting 4-5 at bats a day. Pinch hitting is not as simply as just getting a call every so often and spot starts do not allow for people to get into a grove so that they are productive hitters or fielders. To act like its simply to just come off the bench and hit at a .275-280 clip is ridiculous.
I am in no way saying that this bench deserves a pass, RAJ should have done a better job and didn't.
The easiest way to get away from a crap bench is to have a healthy roster and right now the Phillies don't have that, and thus their bench is much more exposed then we would like it to be.
hUH???? What the hell was this post attempting to communicate. We can't afford to have All-Star starters at ever position BUT……we should somehow have All-Star backups???? Trust me the only way any other team has someone with an OPS higher than the Phils' backups is A.) luck or B.) they have a younger player that they are platooning and bringing off the bench because they feel he is not ready to start.
Come on. The Phils bench is NOT the problem right now.
be funny if we had all our players on the allstar team. they would not score a run…LOL….
Fire Chollie…Get rid of Dobbs…Bring up Brown and stick him in Left for now. Raul needs more juice.
Howard should give back some money. That was theft. To bad Jr is stupid. Just killing this team. Blanton is terrible.
Mmmmm. Amaro is stupid? Lifetime ball player. Played in MLB. Penn Charter and Stanford grad. stupid???
$2.05 million dollars. that is the number the Phils have tied up in Dobbs, Gload and Castro. Chump change. I could understand everyone's anger if those guys were pulling in a combined number 3 or 4 times that but 2 million? Settle down you knuckleheads – who do you want coming off the bench? Why not see if we can get Longoria instead of Dobbs, Tulowitzki instead of Castro and Manny Ramirez instead of Gload!
It's not the bench players! It's 3-4-5. They haven't hit for jack since my birthday (May 22nd).
Utley 7 for his last 50 with 0 hrs.
Howard 6 for 45 with 1 hr.
Werth 5 for 36 with 0 hrs.
That's a putrid 18 for 131. A whopping Average of .137. If someone wants to figure out their OPS you might puke!
Excellent points, psujoe. If our 3-4-5 hitters cannot execute, then we will not win. I hear rumors that Utley may have health (hip) issues. Howard is the streakiest player in baseball — feast or famine. Werth has had a couple of decent years so far and maybe we expect too much from him.
Great for Jr. that you think he was so smart. terrible ball player.
he was a lifetime .235 hitter. 8 years. batted .217 for a bunch of seasons. a whopping 16 homeruns.
he is just now throwing money away and prospects. he had a chance last season to get halliday by putting in drabek. he said no to the jays and kept drabek. then turns and gets Lee. I was thrilled by that deal. now he turns and gets rid of lee for trash and ends up giving drabek anyway. plus a couple more solid prospects. we gave up our farm for doc when we could of had him for less last season. with two years left on ryans contract he hands him 125 million. are you crazy. then gives jimmy some big money with time on his. then he does nothing for our bullpen and that was a big issue last season. cost us. i wont go to the bench because you get what you pay for. raul, howard, contracts will come back to bite us. then gives blanton and moyer those terrible contracts. your right he is very smart. we are seeing it now. i do miss pat g he knew how to put a ball team together. these are not jr,s guys.
I couldn't disagree with you more:
1. if the 3-4-5 hitters were hitting, we wouldn't even be talking about this.
2. are all teams expected to have 2 quality hitting UTILITY PLAYERS. no. utility players are meant to be defense replacements, and give guys days off once in a while(and hit down in the lineup)
3. John Mayberry can get called up if he's stopped striking out, strike outs are the last thing the phillies need right now.
I just reviewed the stats of our Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Last Place. But Mayberry is hitting well, and Ransom has 11 homers and can play short, second and third. Also, Mathieson looks like he is having a good year in the bullpen.
Supplementing post @ 3:43, I thought it was obvious to all that the bench is NOT the main problem with this team. But as benches go, its not a real great one. Better than last year's though. Its just not built to have to cover for a big injury. There are some guys on some benches in baseball that can step in and play every day for a month and not kill you offensively. We don't have one of those guys. But if the squad were hitting, as you all are opining, and quite correctly. no one would care.
I think Charlie should go to a straight Ibanez/Francisco platoon;
I think Charlie should start his bench guys more;
I think Charlie should hit and run more;
I think Charlie should steal more.
For now.
The Dipsy
Jeff, you are 100% correct. RAJ stinks, period. He has made many boneheaded moves that will come back to bite us on the ass. Just because he went to Stanford does not mean that he is all that smart when it comes to baseball. He was a psychology major. I just don't know who they have in the wings to replace this guy. I know he is trying, but he just ain't got what it takes.
Francisco needs to play more. He was a starter in Cleveland. He could blossom into a steady player here, but without playing time, his skills will not develop. And, I like Ibanez, but I do believe that he has hit that ceiling called "The age factor."
1. Mayberry can't hit in the major leagues; 2. RAJ is a fine GM. He got Halladay didn't he? And signed him to a below market value extension. Just as impressive is that he didn't pull the trigger last August when that crackhead that was running the Blue Jays was trying to hold him hostage by asking for way too much. And then he got Lee. Pretty nimble. Riccardi was fired and Ruben lauded. Don't start with the Cliff Lee because that wasn't his call. Its his fault the bench sucks and his hitters aren't hitting? No. Contreras and Pedro pulled off the scrap heap. You don't like that he hones in on players too early and pays them too much for two long? Neither do I. But on the whole I'll keep him.
The Dipsy
Dipsy your wrong. He could of had Halladay for less last season. Instead he gave up prospects for Lee then more for Halladay including Drabek.
Perhaps our bench is not hitting because Charlie Manuel is not giving his bench players adequate playing time. Dobbs has not had the at-bats to come into form. Coming off of an injury last year, he needs at bats and playing time. So does Ben Francisco. These guys should be playing more and maybe we would not look so rusty. And, when was the last time Ryan Howard sat out a game? He might really benefit by letting Dobbs or Gload play first base once in a while.
Mayberry has had only one stint in the majors, last year with the Phils where he had just 60 at bats. He did strike out 23 times, batted .211
and hit four homers. He may not be a major leaguer, but he certainly did not get enough time to prove this…..he had some stellar moments and some less-than-stellar ones. Although he may the type of player that needs playing time, not bench time.
The problem with sitting Howard is you'd like to do it against a lefty, but the Phils don't have a RH bat that can play 1B.
Mayberry is pretty old to invest a lot of time and energy into I think. 26 or 27? I don't regard that as prospect age anymore. From what I saw last year, while he has a lot of raw skills, he can't hit the curve and he can't lay off it. Maybe he'll be a late bloomer. That would be great.
The Dipsy
psujoe — another lefty like Gload might not be any worse hitting lefties than Howard, In fact he might be better and it would give Howard a day off and potentially improve Gload's plate performance against lefties. It's just a thought to keep more players from cooling off and shutting down completely.
2007-2009 stats
Gload vs LHP .285
Gload vs RHP .273 (but more power)
I'm on board with giving Howard a day off.. but I don't think that has anything to do with our struggles.
To me, it's simple. J-Roll on the DL the first time and the Phillies get through it. Castro played well. Ok…….the team weathered that.
However, the second time was a blow because 4 games into it he goes down and it demoralizes the team. That's when this little slump of ours began. It's really no coincidence.
And Polly being out has hurt the rest of the lineup even more.
Someone earlier said that with J-Roll and Polly not in the lineup that's 25% of your lineup not including the pitcher. That's HUGE!!
There is WAY too much pressure now on those 3-4-5 guys and it's obvious they are struggling.
This isn't RAJ's fault. On the whole, he's done a decent job, for all the reasons that Dipsy stated earlier. He's made some mistakes….maybe….but let's let it all play out before we all rush to judgement.
your wrong chuck. the slump started against boston pitching. just continued from there.
No. J-Roll wento down 4 games into his second stint. 2 games against Pittsburgh and two against the Cubs. The Phils went 2-2 in those 4 games and then beat the Red Sox on that Friday night. By then J-Roll was gone. And the Phils have suffered evr since.
Well you guys describe your website as the fan's perspective. This post indicates that you present the impatient potentially ignorant fan perspective.
It is early June. At this point, last year how was the Phillies bench doing? Well you really can't compare because the injuries were not the same. How many GM's appropriately prepare to have a 3rd shortstop in the off-season? Please.
Ross Gload is an upgrade over Matt Stairs. Castro has been helfpul off the bench. The role of typical bench players, not platoon players, are to fill in to give the starters rest.
Give it time. If the starting players like Werth, Utley and Howard do not come around, the bench will be the least of the Phillies problems.
You're preaching to the choir with me, jacatt. I agree. We need to give this time. And, I have said repeatedly that Gload and Castro were good signings.
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The players slump, and the manager and general manager get the blame. Who's doing the actual playing, people? Manuel certainly isn't striking out, and Amaro isn't the one hitting double play grounders.
Also, as someone did finally point out, none of the "new blood" suggestions here play the infield, and that's where the Phils have their injuries.
Finally, if anyone has looked at the transactions lately, they've ALL been either useless pitchers or bench/minor league players. There must not be any team with a lot of confidence in their benches if so many of these players are being shuffled, DFAed, released, or signed to minor league deals. At the beginning of the year, many Phils fans thought Figgins should be signed. He's a REGULAR, and his batting average is as bad as Castro's and Valdez's are. Another favorite, DeRosa, is on the DL. Some others have retired or been released.
Amaro has a difficult job, having to calculate how much a player will cost, whether that player will live up to expectations, if he'll walk if he feels he's not been made a decent offer, if he can squeeze a winning team into a rigid budget. Manuel has a difficult job making out a lineup with two missing parts (Ruiz and Castro aren't 100% either, and Utley may not be), being forced to keep using players who are slumping, and juggling a rotation and bullpen that have both been short at least one man and usually two for the entire season. I think it's time to cut them both some slack.
And Jeff: Amaro didn't trade Drabek at first because Riccardi also wanted Happ, who was a major league pitcher, and two other high-end prospects. Way too much even for Halladay, who he finally got for much less. Get your facts straight.
And who does the so-called moderation here? One of my earlier posts was flagged, even though it contained no profanity or nasty insults. Someone else's comment used the word sh-tty, only in its unedited form, yet it passed through without a yawn.
George, are you sure you didn't misspell Kyle the pitcher's name like I did?
Overall, I dont think the entire bench sucks. I believe it is improved from the last few seasons. Dobbs is done. Put Taveras in his place. But then again you also have Ben Fran. Ben Fran came up HUGE last year a few times, but this season he has been beyond bad with RISP. I think he might have 1 hit with RISP out of like 12 chances. Some of the bench woes to me must come back to the utilization of the bench by Cholly. Gload didnt just kill the Phillies, he was one of the best pinch hitters in the NL last season, so what does Cholly do? He keeps him on the bench and uses Ben Fran and Dobbs more often than anyone else. I have noticed a HUGE difference since Jimy Williams left as the bench coach, and this year is even worse. I dont think we are quite to panic time, but honestly we are getting close. Why are we getting close? The team has lose the focus like they have had in the past. Im sorry folks, but if you are a professional ball player and in the middle of one of the worst offensive slumps in the majors today, you should NOT be watching movies before a game. You should NOT have the manager tell professional ball players in the middle of a Houston Astros style offensive slump to turn a darn TV off (Charlie needed to say something and he did). You should be focusing. If you are watching anything, you should be watching tapes of your obvious change in approach at the plate. This team has lost focus, lost its killer instinct, and lost its hustle. It lost the things that made them a great team. Can they get it back? OF COURSE! Will they get it back, and win the division? Not so sure. Depends on which veteran wants to be a leader. The past 2 or 3 seasons the Phillies had a never say die, attitude. An attitude of its not over until the last out is recorded. Now they seem to have the attitude of overpriviledged children that EXPECT to win the NL East without actually earning it. This team has the talent, has HAD the attitude. They need to focus on exactly how and why the won the NL 2 yrs in a row, and the WS in 08. I hope that this day off on Thursday has helped them to focus, and think about what each of them did at the beginning of the season, even with JRoll missing. I said last season when the Mets had these injuries, that a great should be able to overcome these injuries, and they should NOT implact a team the way it has since JRoll went down the 2nd time. When he went down the first time, they were still playing like a team…Now they are just out there going through the motions. Unlike Mets fans, to me, injuries are not an excuse to play like this. Sure if you have a few starters out, it will affect you, but it should NOT affect you this much. The past 13 games have been beyone pathetic and embarrassing offensively. Thankfully, the pitching has not slumped as bad as the Offense. The other problem…The errors. I believe they are averaging 1 error per game. I know, back up SS, back up 3b, not a 100% Catcher, but still that many errors? Werth is in the middle of one of his patented streaks. finally broke out of his 0-21 slump with 11 strike outs to hit an RBI single to tie it up the other day. Will he continue? I hope. Howard hit a homer the other day, and always thought he hits them in bunches. Apparently not this season. Oh and the slump didnt start against Boston, it was MAGNIFIED by getting 1 hit against a BAD pitcher (Dice-K). Sorry there buddy. go back and look at Halladay's loss to the Pirates, and Moyers loss to the Cubs I believe it was. They BOTH gave up 1 or 2 runs I believe, and BOTH lost. They were BEFORE the Red Sox. Get your "facts" straight "Real Jeff".
Just to pile on, blaming the bench is like blaming the alarm clock that it is time to wake up to go to work. While we are missing 25% of our starters, we still have 75% – 5 of which are recent all-stars.
They look like the 2009 Mets right now – but even if Utley is wounded, they still have two of the best RBI producers in the league. Hopefully, they got their heads on straight with yesterday's off day. With the strong pitching performances, all the Phils have to do is hit their career averages, and they'll win far more than lose. The streak ends tonight.
I was at Moyer's game vs. the Cubs….and the Phillies couldn't hit. They came back the next day and beat the Cubs 5-4 and then beat Boston pretty good the next night (the last good game offense-wise, I believe). Then comes Dice K (with his almost no-hitter) and the two knuckleballers after that and it has been a disaster ever since.
And…..it just so happens to coincide with J-Roll going down for the SECOND time. Think that hasn't had an effect? It is no coincidence….and coupled with Polly's injury……………..the line-up has suffered greatly.
Is Polanco coming back to the line-up tonight? I thought I had heard that. If so, that will be a real shot in the arm. Hopefully, returning home and facing a team other than NL East and interleague teams will have a positive effect.
Man all these "new" Jeff's around here are making me worry, cause most of them are speaking out the wrong end.
I don't need "real" in front of my name you all know me so I will keep my title as is….
That being said, here is my take.
our 3-4-5 hitters are killing us, take away the fact of how much money they make and all that crap, they are absolutley killing us. We have always been a streaky team but since we are missing guys like JRol and Polly, we can' do much until they start getting their act together.
The bench problem spans from several issues, one lack of talent to some degree. Lack of use is a big one.
Gload, was the best pinch hitter in baseball but also played a lot more for the Marlins in the lineup. Not sure he fits what the Phillies need.
Dobbs, was the best pinch hitter in 08, but once again remember that year Howard was out for over a month and Dobbs was his replacement and really got into a good routine that he carried the rest of the year. I think his confidence is in the toilet and needs new scenary
Castro is a fielder period.
Valdez, is here because Jason Donald is "beating out throws from Cabrera in Cleveland" due to the Cliff Lee trade.
Schneider is a backup catcher period.
Francisco is not a good pinch hitter, he is a good 4th outfielder, but Cholly plays him like a pinch hitter. When we were hitting and our starters were pitching into the 7th and 8th he was rotting on the bench, that is mismanagement. We have a 37year old+ Left Fielder that needs to be platooned at this point, USE FRANCISCO, or bring up Mayberry, my LORD THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL FOR THAT ONE!!
So what Cholly needs to do is Platoon Ibanez and Ben hit Ben 2nd if Polly is still out otherwise hit him 6th platoon Valdez and Castro at SS till Rollins is back and bury them 8th in the order.
That's is my suggestion for the bench nothing will matter if our 3-4-5 hitters do not wake up SOON!
J-Roll and Polly at the top of the order sets the tone for the 3-4-5 hitters. Period.
Dobbs needs to go. Useless.
I agree that Ben Fran needs more playing time…maybe a platoon would work. I wasn't for it initially but now I think it's worth a try.
Castro was brought in for his glove and he's actually been ok at the plate. Not recently but in the beginning.
Valdez is who he is. A call-up because we needed someone. He's better than Eric Bruntlett, though!!
Gload is a good pinch-hitter, but I agree….maybe he played more in Florida and fit into their needs better. Still, I have more confidence in him than Stairs.
Schneider's a good back-up. No worse than Coste or Bako. No issue there.
First off all, the "Exxon Wilson Valdez" thing is neither clever nor funny, and should just be let go.
Who knows where the Phillies would be without the defensive play of Valdez and Juan Castro. Halladay does not get the perfect game without the plays those two made.
The bench is not the reason the Phillies have struggled since Zach Duke broke them. Utley-Howard-Werth are the reason. If those guys are hitting, the Phillies don't worry about who is batting in a 1-1 game in the 8th inning.
Finally, no speculating about Utley's health until he says he is injured. Otherwise, you are just making excuses for his poor play. I know about the Golden Boy treatment he gets in this city, and criticizing him is sacrilege. But he is hurting the team right now.
Valdez and Castro are both better than Bruntlett. People have short memories I guess.
Phillippe Aumont (1-6, 7.43 ERA overall at Double-A) has a 10.60 ERA in his last seven outings and has allowed six or more runs four times during that stretch. He has walked 29 batters over those 28 innings and hit five others. Yikes.
I'm Ted Bell.
When Utley gets hurt, he doesn't tell anybody and he plays through it. He's done it before. There is no excuse for the way this team is playing right now, but as far as Utley, he looks like he's playing hurt.
I'll be there tonight, cheering my arse off – Cannot wait to see our boys and especially the good Doctor pitching! Go Phils!
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Utley is like the Knight in Monty Python's Holy Grail (just a flesh wound as he loses a leg) – one of the reasons he is the golden boy. When you look at Howard, Werth, and Vic – their swings haven't changed – they are slumping for any number of reasons. Utley no longer spins his right foot – it could be that he intentionally or unintentionally changed this, but it could also mean that he changed due to pain/injury.
In that case why do we have managers in baseball. Would Phil Jackson be a great head coach without Jordan, Kobe, And Big Daddy?? I agree it falls on the players but the coach or manager have there part. Yes Phil Jackson had a great Bulls and Laker teams. The one thing he is great at is getting his players to play at a high level. Also the way he handles them. Like when he had Dennis Rodman. My problem with Cholly is the lineup garbage. I understand you change it up when its not working but to put Valdez in the number 2 spot. Then Dobbs up top. Are you kidding me. I would of had Vic, Ultey, Werth, Howard, Ibanez. so on…..Also I have a problem the way he handles his pitchers. The bottom line guys like Utley and our big hitters are world hitters. They will hit. The weather is hot and we are home. I would like to see them win 10-2 tonight. Just tear the ball cover off. Give Doc a little lead and its over. Tear off a 3 to 5 game winning streak. Then we can relax a little here.
Good point on the lineup Jeff, (especially since Victorino, Ultey, Werth, Howard, Ibanez and have swinging the bat so well for the past two weeks).
I'm Ted Bell.
I know some people are saying platoon Raul with Ben Fran, but I completely disagree. He has had quite a few chances in the last few weeks. I think he has left more men on base than anyone else. 6 in one game, 4 in another, 3 in yet another. 1 double in a game that I recall, which thankfully he was hit in, but I am curiouse if he could hit someone in with anything. He seems to be the FURTHEST from clutch. So if he can in fact hit to ball, but he isnt clutch in any way shape or form, maybe he is hitting in the wrong place? I dont know. What is Gload like in the field. I dont think Gload has had anywhere near enoug at bats. In Florida he was the main go to guy, and he led the league in hits as a Pinch Hitter, then comes here, RARELY gets used, and his numbers go down. Ben Frans plate appearances I believe have gone up, and he is doing less. Its seems to me, give Gload the plate appearances and he will sharpen up yet again and kill teams as a Pinch Hitter. And Chuck is right, if anyone says that Valdez and Castro are the same or worse then Bruntlett, you either a. have a VERY short memory, b. Are a brand new fan talking out there butt trying to make sense, or c. Are just plain clueless honestly. They are not starters people. There is a reason why they are bench players and JRoll and Palanco are the starters! That being said, that does not excuse the rest of the offense from sleeping. If they are also saying that this slump will get fixed when JRoll gets back in the lineup, like some fans are saying, it will be too late. No one player, or even two for the VERY short time that Palanco has been out as well should drive a team into a complete tailspin like they have been on. A slump maybe, but scoring something like 11 runs in 13 games is NOT a slump. It is a tail spin. A tail spin thankfully coming very early, and willl hopefully get it out of these systems. if this team gets on a hot streak, they can easily win 11-13 in a row, and still win upwards of 15 out of 20. They are capable. And they could have a winning streak well over 8, which the braves just hit, and yet is their franchise record for wins in a row. Some of this MUST go to Milt as well. I dont even bother calling him a "hitting" coach.
Not to get too off target – I want to know if this site might have a book review section. I have read some local history and am now enjoying the heck out of Riche Wolfe's compilation, Remembering Harry Kalas – there are others I would like to read any suggestions?
The Phillies are 28-24 right now… MOSTLY WITHOUT
Rollins, Happ, Madson, Romero, Lidge…and decent stretches without Blanton and even Polanco
…anyone complaing about our BENCH PRODUCTION should just jump off the bandwagon now
Seriously.. I can understand talk about Utley, Howard, Werth struggling… or whatever happened to Victorino's speed-game and energy, etc .. but to have to read complaints about Wilson Valdez and Greg Dobbs is ridiculous
There are reasons that Wily Taveras was available.. and that Jermain Dye didn't get signed, etc …
There are reasons that the guys we DID sign didn't have offers to be full time players in other cities.. and those same reasons enable us to pay them low salaries, which makes us able to afford Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, etc ……… spending extra money for BENCH PLAYERS is the defenition of "YANKEE" …… Lets all calm down a little, realize that we've got a great team that is banged-up right now.. but still 4 games above .500!
Anyone that doesn't think this team makes the playoffs again this season, raise your hand..
I think a lot of us had Phillies and Braves both in the playoffs this year, so to see us 1-2 in the NL EAST is no surprise.. and again, considering our injury status.. we should be thankful that we had guys to keep us playing great through the first stretch … Juan Castro, Paul Hoover, Nelson Fig, etc. . … good job Ruben
Th ereality of the situation is that the Phillies could be behid by a very big number ( 7-8) as early as next weekend.
That would be a huge problem given that the division is so much better all around than last year and they have some tough raod games.
Nationals w/ Strasburg, Marlins w/ Johnson and Nolasco, Mets w/ Santana and Pelfrey, Braves w/ Lowe and Hudson and Hanson, Dodgers on the road, Padres on the road, Yankees on the road.
Lots of losses there.
Slump or no slump , the Phillies would be underdogs in every one of those games unless Halladay pitches.
Yes those guys are struggling ted but i would rather have utley and vic batting up there then valdez. they will hit the ball. the braves have good pitching and we hit them when we are going good. there lineup doenst scare me. the mets are just plain bad. if we are hitting they have no chance. they stink. washington is average and please dont give me strasburg. lets see him face some big boys in the major league before we make him doc gooden.
Oh I'll give you Strasburg. There is every indication he is much better than Tim Lincecum. It did not take long for Linceum to start mowing down hitters in the bigs.
Can you see Utley, Howard, Werth or Ibanez touching that fastball?
Me neither.
Strasburg will look great in his first start.. against the Pirates ….. and then he'll struggle at time with major league hitters
The Phillies were UP a very big number when everyone was healthy.. and the Braves started slow.. now the roles are reversed a little
in the end, things will balance out and these are still two of the best teams in the National League …Overall, I still think the Phillies are probably 5+ games better than the Braves .. so we'll see
but everyone hitting the panic button needs to relax a little .. its June 4th
Phile were up big when everybody was NOT healthy. Only one guy has been different . Rollins.
Health has very little to do with why the Phillies are tanking.
The fact that Howard and Utley haven't hit a ball out of the infield in a month-that's got a lot to do with why they are struggling.
the fact that they are missing their #1 and #2 hitters… guys that, when on base… create huge holes in the infield, and go can 1st-to-3rd .. etc…
I would say that has a lot to do with it.
also, losing Rollins and Polanco, in favor of Castro, Valdez, Dobbs on DEFENSE… a few errors, extra baserunners, getting down early in games,.. and then you see guys pressing even more at the plate because they need to get back into the game
its all related…
When healthy.. this is the best team in the National League
Fair points, but I still can't buy the whole thing.
Right now, they are (unquestionably) the worst team in the National League.
And that is much more related to lack of performance by the players who are there than the players who aren't.
Of course, we all know that could change in a series.
WORST TEAM. LOL. You are such a moron. First off nobody is as bad as the Mets. Your closer cant hold a lead. They cant score runs for Santana. They stink. I guess Murphy wont help since he is out for the year. lol. The mets are no problem. Washington will come back down to earth and finish with a bad record. We kicked there butt when we were hitting. When the Phillies are hitting like we were, we will have a 8 game lead. Teejvee is just a moron.
This is a problem for me.. that a Phillies fan (because the Phillies are in a 10-15 game low point of the season) calls them "the worst team in the National League"
I understand that you mean RIGHT NOW.. the way that they're playing.. but these players have proved to me that they are in it for the long haul
I wouldn't be surprised if the ball starts jumping off their bats tonight, day off, back at home.. warm summer air
Phillies can, and will .. win 9-of-10 … 13-of-15, etc at some point this season to rebound from this current lapse, so they'll be fine
not that complicated . I said RIGHT NOW.
Cheezus what team is worse?
Definitely tapping mayberry would be the best option or see if lofton would consider coming back. Laugh,, but kenny could still do more than our bench right now.


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The 7 Most Alarming Effects of Climate Change on North America, 2013 Edition
The subject of climate change figured prominently in President Obama's State of the Union address on February 12. The President called for Congress to "pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change." All well and good, but waiting for Congress to fix climate change is like waiting for Congress to resolve, say, its budget debates. It's the kind of gridlock that will just send more CO2 pouring into the atmosphere.
While it's clear to just about everyone at this point that Mother Earth is out of balance, perhaps it is difficult to galvanize mainstream Americans (and the U.S. Congress) with bureaucratic-sounding terms such as climate change. There are better ways of describing what it will be like to have eight feet of water flooding your first floor—such as describing what it has been like to actually have eight feet of water flooding homes. If the past is any guide, we have a lot to look forward to on Turtle Island in 2013—none of it good. Here are the Seven Most Alarming Effects of Climate Change on North America, 2013 Edition.
1. More Wildfires
The year 2012 was the hottest on record in the contiguous United States since satellite recordkeeping began in 1979, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). January has continued the trend.
Last summer, two-thirds of the contiguous United States was gripped in the most severe drought since the 1950s. January 2013 proved warmer and wetter than 20th-century averages. Average temperature was 1.6 degrees above the average for last century and tied with 1958 as the 39th warmest January on record, NOAA said on February 14. And precipitation totaled 2.36 inches nationwide on average, 0.14 inch above the long-term average, NOAA said.
"The January precipitation average masked both wet and dry extremes across the nation," NOAA said in a statement on February 14. "Drought conditions remained entrenched across the Southeast, Great Plains, and the mountainous West."
On the ground, it means harder times for farmers and ranchers. It could also mean higher food prices for the rest of us.
The hotter temperatures are contributing to a plethora of wildfires, more and more of which we can expect to see, especially in the western United States and throughout Indian country. This means longer fire seasons, drier conditions, more forest-fire fuel (caused partly by widespread beetle infestations that have created dead, highly combustible trees ready for a spark) and increased lightning frequency due to more severe thunderstorms, according to the World Wildlife Federation.
Wildfires swept the U.S. West and Southwest in 2011 and 2012, the worst seasons on record. In Indian country that translated into damage or outright devastation on several reservations, including the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, where the 2,000-population town of Lame Deer, the tribal hub, was briefly evacuated in August 2012 after a fire in southeastern Montana made its way onto the reservation. In New Mexico, the Whitewater-Baldy Fire—the largest wildfire in that state's history—destroyed the habitat of the Gila trout, which had to be relocated. Other fires in the state threatened the San Carlos Apache and Fort Apache reservations. In all, hundreds of thousands of acres were destroyed.
What will this year bring? It's too dreadful to contemplate, but tribal forestry agents from Arizona and New Mexico to the Canadian border are on alert.
2. Less Water in Great Lakes
Last summer the Mississippi River had to be closed to shipping for days because the water was too low to allow barges to pass.
Now, two of the Great Lakes that border the U.S. and Canada, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, are lower than ever recorded, according to a new study from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This is doing everything from wreaking havoc on the tourism industry and other economic ventures that depend on the waters, to causing concerns about the fate of freshwater reserves in the future, as National Public Radio reported recently. The other Great Lakes are below average as well. Warmer temperatures and less ice coverage both cause the water to evaporate, said Alan Steinman, director of the Annis Water Resource Institute, to Public Radio International.
"Lower precipitation overall has contributed as well," he said. "A lot of people have suggested that it may be because we're taking more water out of the lakes, but that's really a very small percentage of the total water budget, it's more associated with climate."
Less water in the North Country can prove disastrous to traditional ways of life. Last year, for only the second time in 10 years, the manoomin (wild rice) harvest of the Ojibwe Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin was canceled, as was the harvest of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa near Duluth, Minnesota. Factors related to climate change were thought to be at least part of the culprit in both harvests, said Peter David, wildlife biologist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) to ICTMN at the time. "It seems that we are having more bad years for rice," he said.
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Waiving Trevor
OK, so here's the story. I was throwing a football around with my sister last night. It's a smaller sized football because I don't like heaving those big ones that I can't get my hand around. Now, maybe it's because we were throwing on a slope, or I'm just really bad at catching a football, or the ball hates me, or it could just be my sister's fault, but the ball often hits the ground before it hits my hand. I'm trying to get it, and it will hit my hands pretty hard. Anyways, last night I got hit very badly on my left pointer finger. I'm not exactly sure if I got hit on the bounce or on the throw or what, but it's bad. It's not broken, but it's very swollen and bruising. Now, the whole reason of that explanation was because I'm having problems typing without that finger, but I'll try my best, even if it takes two hours to write this.
Yesterday I heard the news that Trevor Hoffman had been placed on waivers by the Brewers. Immediately, the shock rushed it. The Brewers put Trevor on waivers?? And then, in came hope. Could it possibly happen? The guys on the radio were saying that Trevor would be a perfect fit with these Padres right now. We could use another guy in the bullpen, a veteran mentor for all the young pitchers. And I thought, why couldn't it happen?
When I got home, I checked the internet for any news and found out that he had been claimed by an unknown team. That drove me nuts!! I refreshed the news site way too many times. I finally just got off the computer.
I found out this morning that Trevor was claimed by the Giants, but this whole waiver thing is pretty confusing. I think Trevor will probably stick with the Brewers after all, but for a few hours yesterday, I had an unbelievable hope.
As many of you know, Trevor's departure in the offseason hit me hard. If you look back at my blog entries from November and December, I was rolling out tons of tributes. I was devastated that our All-Time saves leader was gone after 16 years. I was very thankful that he went to the Brewers instead of the Dodgers though.
Yesterday, I had a ray of hope that he would be back in a Padres uniform. Everything that I went through in the offseason, all the heartache and sadness, would be over. This season has flown by, that's for sure. He's been playing for the Brewers for about five months, and suddenly that could be all over. We would hear the bells in PETCO Park again. We could be a part of Trevor Time again. We could bring the All-Times saves leader home, where he belongs.
How incredible would that have been. I would have cried. It will be interesting to see how this whole waivers thing works out, but I don't think he'll return to the Padres this season. That's just a beautiful dream. But what I do still have hope for is Trevor returning in 2010. Sure, he's said that he wants to return to Milwaukee next year, but he's just saying that for the fans. I refuse to allow that. He's gotta come back to San Diego. To a winning team🙂 I wonder, if Trevor saw what this team is going to be, if he would leave so easily. I wonder that about Jake, too. Will he regret leaving when he sees what we will become?
Trevor, you will always be a Padre. Wherever you go, whatever you do, you will always be a Padre. I hope that you'll be back next year. We've got a great team lined up. Trev, we miss you like crazy!!
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Sorry about your finger. My brother throws his football very hardcore and I hurt my foot before. Man, I wish Trevor will come back to San Diego next year! I still miss him and the Padres need him!!
Sorry about the finger! I hope it and the Padres get better soon. =) Trevor is needed for the San Diego Padres, his legacy is there. I have a new post up.
Kaybee: In gym class when I was in 9th grade the same thing happened to my finger when we played football. My stupid school. A tiny girl like me shouldn't have to play football with a bunch of older boys in gym class. It's stupid.
I have a feeling that Trevor will be back in a Padres uniform before he retires. He would probably return to the Pads for a year or 2 and then retire. I feel bad for you. I know how it feels to be longing to see the player you love again.
If my Yankees get rained out today (which is likely) I can do the NL West cutie post tomorrow!!! -Virginia
Hard to see a veteran guy, and a future Hall of Famer, get bounced around like that :O( Hopfully, he will land on his feet!
Feel better soon!
I hope you feel better Kaybee! Keep your finger iced! And poor Trevor! I'm surprised that the Brewers even put him out on waivers. I hope he finds his way back to the Padres.
Oh, no, your poor finger!!! I hope Trevor comes back to you and soon.
I hope Trevor finds his way back home, to the Padres. Sorry about the finger, and Trevor. He will be greatly missed. Hopefully they can get him back in the offseason?


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"I started listening to Catholic Answers Live when I was struck down by an illness that basically left me bedridden. This left me questioning my faith and mortality, and my son introduced the Catholic Answers Live podcast to me. Listening to all the guests explain and defend the Catholic Faith has been instrumental. Has Catholic Answers made a difference in my life? It has become part of my life!"
~ Robyn, Australia
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"Your rank and possessions are nothing to us, for we have long before this sacrificed the like for the sake of Christ and rejoice in what we have done."
~ Saints Crispin and Crispinian, to Emperor Maximianus after he had used threats and bribes in an attempt to persuade them to renounce their faith; their martyrdom gained them heaven; Maximianus, after losing his crown, killed himself in despair.


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Posted on by KCPT - No Comments Yet - Be The First!
Back in 1998, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW travelled to Rochester, New York, and appraised items including a painting by Frank Zappa, a van Munster violin and a Minton vase. One of these items increased more than five times in value and another has dropped by more than $1,000. Tune in to find out which item's value has soared and which one's is sinking.
On August 10th, Antiques Roadshow is returning to Kansas City for the first time in 11 years. KCPT is excited to partner with Antiques Roadshow on an exclusive opportunity for you to meet the stars and appraisers that bring your favorite show to life, including host Mark L. Walberg and executive producer Marsha Bemko. Held in KCPT's main building and in our studio, this signature event promises to bring you closer than ever to your favorite stars. Your donation to public television will secure YOUR spot and help continue to bring Antiques Roadshow to the Kansas City community every Monday.


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Visa Debit takes flight with Air Canada
We're happy to announce that we now accept Visa Debit as a form of payment when you purchase your tickets online or through Air Canada Reservations.
As a Visa Debit client, you can now enjoy the convenience of paying for your air travel directly from your bank account. And you probably already know that all your purchases are backed by Visa's layered approach to security.
In adopting this safe and convenient payment option, our aim is to provide you with greater payment choice and flexibility when it comes time to take to the skies.
Frequently asked questions
We've provided answers to some of the questions you're most likely to have about paying with Visa Debit.
Visa Debit is the only debit payment option to offer Visa's Layers of Security, which include Verified by Visa, Three-digit code (CVV2), Address Verification Service (AVS), and Visa Zero Liability Policy. These layers are reinforced by Visa's industry-leading standards for data security and 24/7 fraud-detection monitoring.
No, you will not need to register for Verified by Visa separately for Visa Debit purchases.
You can use Canadian or U.S.-issued Visa Debit as a form of payment when you purchase air travel:
- online
- on your mobile device
- through Air Canada Reservations
You'll also be able to use Visa Debit to check in:
- online, or
- at one of our self-service check-in kiosks, provided your Visa Debit card has a magnetic stripe
At the present time, Visa Debit is not accepted for payment of RBC travel insurance, or onboard food and duty-free purchases. However, it is possible to purchase Onboard Café food vouchers online before travel, which can be used during a flight.
Please contact your financial institution and ask them about your daily purchase limit.
If the transaction you are making is declined or exceeds your Visa Debit daily limit, it will not be completed and no funds will be withdrawn from your account. You will be advised to enter an alternate form of payment or to contact your financial institution.
When applicable, refunds are credited back to the original method of payment within 5 to 10 business days.


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Spring 2012 Fashion Trend Report
The Top Spring 2012 Trends From New York Fashion Week
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The Top Spring 2012 Trends From New York Fashion Week
Attention, fashion lovers! It's time to get familiar with our Spring 2012 trend report, which we'll be updating with even more of all the best trends from the best shows in London, Milan, and Paris. From the sporty theme that dominated in New York, to the craze for lush prints, we've got the best trends covered right here.
Click the slideshow to get started!


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Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Climate Change in the Pacific Southwest
— Local Governments
Case Study: San Francisco
Evaluation of the Air Quality Co-Benefits of Local Greenhouse Gas Reduction Measures: A Case Study of San Francisco (PDF) (12 pp, 2MB)
U.S. mayors, city staff and local organizations are taking the lead to address climate change at the local community level. Cities are signing agreements, setting targets, and writing climate action plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the tools, resources and programs in the following areas which your city can use to implement your action plans.
On this page:
- Waste Minimization/Materials Management
- Smart Growth
- Renewable Energy
- Green Buildings
- Water
- Fleet Fuel Efficiency
- Collaborative Efforts to Assist Local Governments
- Additional Resources
Waste Minimization/ Materials Management
Establishing waste minimization programs is one of the quickest, most cost effective strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources.
- Implement Pay-As-You-Throw
- Calculate the GHG reductions from reduced consumption, reuse, recycling, and composting using EPA's Waste Reduction Model (WARM)
- Adopt a composting or construction and demolition material recycling ordinance
- Purchase materials with recycled content and calculate the GHG benefits using EPA's ReCon calculator
- Create a grease collection system and biodiesel-run fleets
- Divert food waste, fats, oils, and grease to an anaerobic digester
- Check out EPA's guide on Pay-As-You-Throw
- Use EPA's Waste Reduction Model to calculate the GHG impacts from your materials management programs.
- Calculate the GHG benefits from purchasing materials with recycled content using EPA's ReCon calculator
- Consider adapting and adopting model language from the State of California for construction and demolition materials ordinances
- EPA's Roadmap for Biodiesel Facilities
Smart Growth
Communities across the country are using creative strategies to develop in ways that preserve natural lands and critical environmental areas, protect water and air quality, and reuse already-developed land. For example, local governments can:
- Allow or require mixed-use zone (commercial and residential uses to create lively neighborhoods)
- Use urban dimensions in urban places
- Rein in and reform the use of planned unit developments
- Fix parking requirements
- Increase density and intensity in centers
- Modernize street standards for more complete streets
- Enact standards to foster walkable places
- Designate and support preferred growth areas and development sites
- Use green infrastructure to manage stormwater
- Adopt smart annexation policies
- Encourage appropriate density developments on the edge
- Learn about 11 essential fixes to codes that local governments can make without replacing their entire system of codes
- See how techniques for smarter growth can be used to protect water resources
- Check out EPA's Green Infrastructure Municipal Handbooks
- More about EPA's Smart Growth resources
Renewable Energy
Cities can take the lead in providing renewable energy to their citizens. Although most cities do not own their own power utility, cities can buy renewable energy for city buildings and can make it easy for citizens to site solar on their homes through expedited permitting and local policy solutions. Reuse of contaminated lands -- such as brownfields, landfills, Superfund sites, and mining sites – for solar or wind energy can also support the growing demand for electricity production through clean and renewable alternatives.
- Harvest energy from food waste or local landfill
- Site renewable energy on contaminated lands
- Site renewable energy on municipal buildings
- Fast-track distributed solar electric permit applications
- Adopt a Property-Assessed Clean Energy Financing Program (available now to cities in California and Nevada)
- Bundle demand for clean energy from your citizens to purchase it from a renewable source
- Site renewable energy at municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities
- Check out your state and local renewable energy incentives
- Look at this guide on how to make solar accessible in your city
- Check out an interactive mapping tool showing EPA-tracked contaminated land with renewable energy potential
- Information on EPA's Re-Powering America's Land initiative
Green Buildings
City of Berkeley, CA Paves The Way for Innovative Solar Financing
The City of Berkeley was recognized for being the first city in the United States to allow property owners to pay for energy efficiency and solar power using their individual property tax bill. EPA established the Climate Protection Awards in 1998 to recognize exceptional leadership, outstanding innovation, personal dedication, and technical achievements in climate protection.
The Berkeley Solar Initiative is financed through the Berkeley Financing Initiative for Renewable and Solar Technology (FIRST) Program. Through this Program, the City of Berkeley is the first city in the US to allow property owners to pay for solar power system installation as a long-term assessment on their individual property tax bill. Berkeley is also exploring expansion of this program to include energy efficiency improvements. Assembly Bill 811 was recently signed by Governor Schwarzenegger authorizing all California cities to establish similar financial mechanisms to encourage energy efficiency improvements in existing homes. Senate Bill 358 was recently signed in Nevada allowing similar financing structure.
See Berkeley Solar Initiative Business Plan for further information.
Cities are adopting green building policies and ordinances for both their environmental and economic benefits. Green building policies address a host of issues related to environmental protection, sustainability and climate action. Some of the environmental impacts associated with conventional buildings include: 30% of waste output; 70% of total U.S. electricity consumption; 30% of U.S. GHGs; 12% of the potable water in the U.S.; 40% (3 billion tons annually) of raw materials use annually. The economic benefits include higher rent premiums and tenant occupancy rates, higher employee productivity, and superior property sales prices for green certified buildings.
- Pass a green building ordinance for new buildings
- Set up a retrofit program for existing buildings
- Encourage competition among small businesses in your community
- Take advantage of state funding and incentives by turning to the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) -- state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy
- For local funding and incentives, the Local Government Commission (LGC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership organization that provides technical assistance and networking to community leaders who are working to create healthy, walkable, and resource-efficient communities:
- Additionally, the Emerging Renewables Program provides rebates to consumers who install qualifying renewable energy systems
Tucson, AZ requires graywater systems on new homes
In October, Tucson became the first city in the country to require commercial developments to harvest rainwater. Beginning in 2010, 50 percent of a development's landscaping water will come from rainfall. Additionally, all new homes built in Tucson after 2010 will need to include plumbing for a graywater system.
Tucson's approaches to water conservation extend beyond ordinances. Progressive water pricing is also used to encourage sustainable water use.
Potable water charges have:
- a monthly service charge(based on meter size) which the customer pays regardless of the amount of water used;
- usage charges (based on the quantity of water used);
- a CAP (central Arizona project) charge; and
- a conservation charge. The conservation charge is used to fund a variety of conservation programs.
Saving water saves energy! Saving energy saves water! Cities can become more sustainable by:
- work with water and wastewater agencies to improve their energy efficiency and helping them identify renewable energy projects
- promote water conservation (including purchasing EPA WaterSense-labeled products)
- promote green infrastructure and low-impact development techniques on all new projects
- utilize your State Revolving Fund programs to finance eligible sustainable water projects
- EPA Region 9's Sustainable Water Infrastructure Program can help you identify opportunities. Please visit our website for success stories, funding information, technical resources.
Fleet Fuel Efficiency
Local government fleet operators can consider and select from a wide range of measures to improve the fuel efficiency of fleets servicing their community. They can also inform private businesses about opportunities to save fuel and money. Options to consider include:
- Switching to clean fuels, e.g., biodiesel blends
- Clean vehicle acquisition
- Regular vehicle maintenance
- Idle reduction measures
- Optimizing fleet size & use
- Low-rolling resistance tires
- Setting up a fleet fuel tracking program
- Check out EPA's Green Vehicle Guide
- See San Francisco Bay Area clean fleets toolkit, which fleet operators in any area can use
- Find out about funding opportunities through EPA's National Clean Diesel Campaign
Collaborative Efforts to Assist Local Governments
Green Cities California provides accessible, ground breaking environmental policies or Best Practises that you can immediately download and modify for your jurisdiction.
ICLEI is an association of over 1000 local governments from 67 countries who are committed to sustainable development. They provide conferences, networking, and toolkits to help local governments realize sustainable visions.
Cool California provides toolkit for local governments to identify cost saving actions, financial resources, and case studies to assist local governments achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Cool Cities are cities that have made a commitment to stop global warming by signing the U.S. Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. The Cool Cities campaign empowers city residents and local leaders to join and encourage their cities to implement smart energy solutions to save money and build a cleaner, safer future.
Clean Cities is a government-industry partnership sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Office. With nearly 100 local coalitions and nearly 14,000 stakeholders, Clean Cities' mission is to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector.
Smart Growth encourages the use of sustainable development principles to help cities and countries reduce carbon footprints.
Additional Resources
California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) Model Policies for GHG in General Plans white paper (PDF) (250 pp, 3.2M, Large File)
HUD-DOT-EPA Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities
Contact: Karen Irwin


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More Santana!!
With every passing hour, I get more excited about our newest Met. I'm feeling so giddy that I haven't even got the patience to photoshop something cute and clever, so I'll just refer you to Matt's awesome "1986 Topps Santana card".
The beauty of this deal is that there's (so far, fingers crossed, back off Evil Eye!!!) no bad side. In fact, I can only keep coming up with gleeful benefits. We're paying basically the same money Barry Zito got last year–and we know how that turned out–but our dude is worth it. Johan's still young, he's healthy (don't even think it, Evil Eye!), and he's the best pitcher in baseball!
But even better–if it's possible!–will be the mental effect on our team. Can you imagine going into '08 with the psychological remnants of last September still intact? No matter what they said or did, our boys would be entering the season as losers (in the actual sense of the word), with basically the same guys on board. I can only imagine how hard it would have been to turn that around in their minds. But with one lucky, ballsy move by Omar (ballsy in that he refused to part with more), suddenly there's a whole new energy in that clubhouse. Almost as important as his arm, Johan Santana has given our team hope.
We're a team with Pedro Martinez as its number two pitcher. That's just so very, very awesome.
5 Comments
I think the Mets really needed to make a splash after the disaster of last season. They could not have done better. The Mets are now the team to beat in the NL. Congrats.
Steve (still misses #45 in Boston)
The Mets have made it a MUST year season as they have trade away their future. Santana will be a nice cover for the pitching staff but there are question marks after him and the line up has question marks on first base, second base, catcher, and both corner outfield positions. With the farm system empty, how will they replace these players in 2009 and beyond?
The Phillies Mets rivalry will sure be fun this season!
The Mets, on the contrary, managed to keep a bulk of their future as a result of this Santana trade. They gave up Humber, but kept Pelfrey. Gave up Gomez, but kept F-Mart (who is by far and away THE future of the organization, according to the most seasoned scouts). Bear in mind that Santana is still young and we have him locked up for six years. Must be nice to be a Phillies fan and live in denial. Oh and as my friend asked – how many HRs will Burrell hit off Santana this year? Answer: As many as the games the Phils won in the postseason. OOOPS.
Hey Zoe…
I'm pumped about this Santana signing. Can't wait to start the season!
BTW, I agree with mysummerfamily. The Mets pulled of the Johan deal without parting with their best pitching prospect (pelfrey) and their best hitting prospect (fmart.) Gotta be happy about that.
~ Eddie @ Ya Gotta Believe
So true! The Mets can finally stop thinking about last September now that there's so much excitement about the future. You could see it on David's face at the press conference- he was downright giddy, as he should be🙂


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So it begins.
ESPN's Buster Olney says the Phillies are calling other teams to let them know some players are available. All, except one:
PHI has reached out to other teams to let other teams know that players are available, including Michael Young. Cliff Lee not on the list.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 28, 2013
All most of us can say is, about damn time. After Saturday's embarrassment, this is actually somewhat exciting.
36 Comments
This losing streak is a blessing in disguise I guess you would say…
We need to sell, this is good news
You're right, they need to sell. But I don't think it's a disguise at all. It was necessary to shake Amaro out of his delusion this team could contend.
Amaro, like most people in sports, likes to think his players are good enough to win everything (look no further than across the street at the Eagles' camp for more proof).
Sure, some teams with similar records have stormed back to win. But those teams were underachievers who got it together. This team has overachieved to hover around. 500 all year. With poor defense, an anemic offense, inconsistent starting pitching and no bullpen it's a credit to the team they've managed to keep it up this long. But it's unsustainable. Time to retool for the future.
I want to see a little bit of selling, not too much. I think there are some pieces the Phillies can part with and still have a hope of staying competitive next year.
So do I. Dom Brown, Darin Ruf, and Ben Revere should stay. All three should be great players with time.
Anyone else get the feeling that the Phils are saying that Lee is "untouchable" because they're trying to drive even more interest in him?
I wonder who else is not on the list, or who is only there in case another team makes a ridiculous overpayment.
I'm sure there are lots of players to be traded, but I also think the Phils have a ton of garbage that can't be traded even to the Long Island Ducks. No team is going to make a deal for Nix, or Mini, or Valdez, or Howard, or Adams. Guys like D.Young might get a nibble, but no one would give up mare than organizational filler for that kind of player.
I firmly believe that the only guys who are worth anything to other teams are the very ones Amaro will balk on. He'll be asking too much for the Utleys and Papelbons because he'll believe they can still help in 2014.
What seems to be the problem?? Have a lot of talent but the Phils just cannot seem to do anything or have that We can't be beat attitude anymore! Is it the Charlie ? Who can explain?
So Dummy Amaro junior is going to make good deals now?
After 5 years of horrible ones all the sudden he will make correct decisions?
I wish you could post photos here. Id like to post one of Fred Sanford saying you big dummy.
How many losing seasons and terrible teams will have to be endured before he is gone?
He doesn't even really have a grasp of the sport or talent or contracts.
I hope Phillies management will address the real problem. The sooner the better.
time to rebuild ! love to see a lot of guys go. not so much with utley ,but bye bye chase. love ya but, need to get something for ya.
love to see rollins go, bye chooch( don't like the fact that you don't establish the fast ball with young bullpen guys), see ya papple bum. bye m. young.
i'd keep lee, unless someone offers you a great deal, including a young ace. pitching will always give a team a shot.
i like d. young's approach at the plate. want galvis back up, should be here now. joyner has done wonders with d. brown. revere is a keeper after rough start. you can't move howard. bye some cheap players who actually get on base, and don't strike out so often ,like the a's do.
i want fundamentally sound hitters, looking to get on base.
charlie has never been liked by me ! hello mr sandberg !
Galvis is terrible. He can't hit and his defense is hardly comparable to Jimmy.
Have you actually watched Freddie Galvis play defense. He's probably the best defensive infielder in the system. He gets to everything, has a cannon for an arm and can play multiple positions even though he's a natural shortstop. He played great defense at second and third when called upon. Maybe you should actually watch the games instead of reading blogs and going by what's on there~
rollins better than galvis on defense , somebody bumped his head.
I think it's time to get rid of Charlie Manuel. Let Sandberg manage the team the rest of the season and see how they respond. If it goes well, we're set for the next several years… otherwise, we can look at other options without wasting yet another season.
And a grand slam… seriously. We have terrible players yes. But it also feels like we have no manager whatsoever. Charlie's time is up.
Charlie didn't sign Garcia or call up Diekman. These guys are RAJ's and should be exposed as non-contributors.
Phillies need to declare Bankruptcy like Detroit so that they can dump those big salaries LOL!
Bryan, sorry dude but this team doesn't have a lot of talent. They have two great lefties (one of them having a down year), and a solid right fielder, and that's about it. Chooch can't hit without Adderall and the rest of the team is either bums or injured. Delmon Young is a joke, Mayberry will be a Camden Rivershark by next year, Ruf isn't ready for prime time, and Michael Young could best be described as "adequate". Utley is probably gonna get hurt any day now (that's why I'd trade him ASAP while he still has value). The bullpen is absolutely a laughingstock, the Ryan Howard signing is one of the worst in sports history. The team has an ancient lineup and a weak farm system. They should be selling any and everything they can while they still have value and try to rebuild around Brown, Revere, and Hamels. The only players off the list should be Cole and Dom. Open season on the other 23 (though as we all know Howard isn't going anywhere).
Are you f—ing kidding me. Mcdonald and Minimart batting back to back. The Tigers are in trouble now. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha what a frigging joke this season has become.
Young and Rollins both replaced– a deal in the works?
***crosses fingers and prays***
Bring up Hernandez and Asche
I don't see Dummy sending Rollins anywhere.
After all 2 years ago when he was a FA the Dummy bid against himself when no one else wanted Rollins.
I also am skeptical of another team actually wanting him.
Although I suppose on another team he could hit 8th or 9th where he should have been hitting the last 4 years.
He does have value for another team. That will use him properly because he can still defend.
But he is like the rest of Rubens buddies and untouchable.
That deal for Rollins was actually a pretty good one and he has pretty much played up to it. I can't blame Ruben for that one.
Agreed. The Rollins deal was fair. There are many reasons to criticize RAJ's job… that deal isn't one of them.
Peralta could be suspended in the Biogenesis sweep so maybe Rollins could be shipped to Detroit with Papelbon . Or maybe it's wishful thinking.
Long time no see Chuck A.
Hope all is well with you.
I just don't think paying him 11 million a year was warrented when no one else really wanted him.
I don't think anyone else really wants him now till 2015. I guess we will see.
But yes in the grand scheme of Ruben Dummy Amaros decisions its not one of the worst.
Rollins is probably worth 5-7 mil a year for another team that hits him at the back half of their line up. Which is where guys with .310 on base need to hit.
Quite the offensive explosion by the Phils today huh?
Doh, to Dieky, Batardo, Garcia.. et al…
I'm all for a remake a serious remake starting at the top.. Rube, Cholly
While Cliff Lee would bring back the most in a trade, I believe that Amaro wants to keep him – and with good reason. There is going to be nobody available in FA in 2014. This division is not a good one and with good starting pitching next year we could have a chance – provided Amaro can rebuild the offense and get players that are interested in getting on base and moving runners, etc. You know – "fundamentals". My advice to Amaro on the offense – think of a player that approaches hitting like Ryan Howard, and then go out and gets guys that do the exact opposite.
The Dipsy
Anyone but Lee, Hamels, and Brown should be available and there should be a priority on moving Utley and Papelbon.
this team is awful,as a 14 game season plan holder,you will never have my business again,i can watch bad baseball anywhere,here is an idea,fire ruben,he sucked as a player and sucks as a gm.
There are those that believe this team can contend next season. On what planet! I would rather see the young kids with some youthful enthusiasm than all the laid back millionaires that are painful to watch. I grew up watching Mays, Musial, Aaron and so on. They played because they loved the game and not the dollar.
The guy we really need to trade is Papelbon. He's very good…but only for now. He won't be nearly as good next year…or the one following that. He's started to decline so now would be a good time to sell high and free some salary space for the near to medium-term future.
I have been railing to get this done quickly, like for TWO months now. I've watched the declining velocity graphs, and this is a classic "almost fall off the cliff" type of decline. We needed to do this back then, when everyone was asking me – "Well who is going to be our closer then?"
And I kept asking, Who cares! Sometimes you've just got to cut bait and run. Now it's a matter of – just get a middling youngster, maybe two, and dump the damn contract already.
There could also be a hidden injury, but we know the Phillies and their players would never tell us that until they have to.
After all is said and done, I don't see a natural match between a Philles player on the block and a team with a) a need for said Phillies player and b) anything worthwhile in terms of return prospects or players.
I expect little to happen before the July 31 trade deadline. Perhaps more will be done in August waiver wire deals.
I don't think Manuel is the problem, certainly the huge contract to Howard in hindsight is easy to criticize. I agree we have some aging veterans who may not have a lot let, Utley I feel is still playing fairly well he certainly has fallen off a bit. In all fairness, he has been with us for 10 years, he has played through a lot of injuries and has shown a lot of guts especially with the hip issue in 2008. He had beat himself to the ground and it caught up with him. Howard just needs to get healthy, he had a pretty good year in 2011 (33 homers, 30 doubles) so I dont think he is too much of the problem. Yes he strikes out a lot but so did Jim Thome, I think thats what you get with sluggers unless your talking about Pujols when he was with the Cardinals. Get the pitching rotation back together and playing well as a staff, (I have a feeling Halladay will come back very strong next year), Lee has been excellent and Hamels will bounce back. As far as the bullpen, they are young and some of them should turn into pretty good players, Bastardo I dont see the beef with him that people have. His WHIP is very high though so that must be it As far as Rollins is concerned, he's never been a great on base percentage guy hes not the prototypical lead off man. He certainly needs to be better though as a hitter. In his 12th year, his best days may be behind him however.
I will agree with those that said we need good fundamental hitters, even in the world series years we got by on the long ball and one or two clutch hits and the pitching did the rest. Also hitting with runners in scoring position has always been our downfall and needs to be addressed. Young needs to be better at the plate, I haven't seen enough of him to judge his defense for myself but I read it is poor. Obviously, if I was a GM I would concern myself with a 3B that can defend before he can hit. I also agree that we need more organizaitonal depth, I became concerned with all the trades to get Lee back, and to get Halladay that we were depleting the farm system. I wouldnt be opposed to trading Utley or Rollins even though as I stated I think they still have something to offer but are certainly getting towards the backside of their careers. Young could go also. IMO, Amaro gets another year and if we can at least make the playoffs he stays for a 2nd year. Every GM screws up once in a while and in hindsight it is very easy to second guess Amaro. Lets see if he can correct his mistakes. To me as long as he doesn't keep giving out crazy contracts and gets some prospects we'll be fine. I think we had a pretty decent draft it seems so I hate to use the dreaded rebuilding word but thats where things are at, cant change the past and the rest of this year is shot have to wipe the slate clean and try again next year maybe even the year after that. Hopefully next year we will see some potential with a younger lineup that can bring some energy. I really miss a guy like Victorino as a spark plug but hopefully we can hit on a younger version of him and build around that and count on Howard to get back to 2011 form at least, and as I said the pitching staff needs to come back together again. Also, a more experienced bullpen will help.
I really don't care as long as Ruin Tomorrow, JR is running the team. He'll just get schooled like the amateur he is. FFS even Ed Wade picked his pocket on the Pence trade. Really, pretty much every move he's made since (and including) trading away Cliff Lee has been a disaster, except Maybe the Oswalt trade.
ruin tomorrow, lmao. niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !


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All visible celestial objects known today account for only 10% of the mass in the universe. The rest of this "missing mass," also known as "dark matter," is presumably invisible because it does not emit or reflect visible light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation. Or perhaps its light is so feeble that current astronomical instruments are unable to detect it. However, dark matter can be indirectly detected due to its gravitational influence on other nearby visible objects.
The presence of dark matter was first discovered in 1932 by astronomer Jan Oort, who measured the perpendicular motions of nearby stars relative to the disk of our Milky Way. He studied the gravitational influence of the galactic disk on these stars, and so, was able to measure the mass of the disk (just as the mass of Earth can be calculated from the acceleration of a falling object). To his surprise, this calculated mass was twice the amount of mass seen as stars and nebulae. A year later, Fritz Zwicky examined the dynamics of clusters of galaxies, and also came to the startling conclusion that the observed galaxies only accounted for 10% of the mass needed to gravitationally bind the galaxies in the cluster.
One widely-used method to deduce the amount of missing mass involves measuring the rotation speed of a spiral galaxy. Spectroscopic and radio observations have obtained the rotation velocities of hundreds of spiral galaxies. These experiments have revealed that, in most cases, a galaxy's mass continues to increase toward the edge of its visible disk of stars. This implies that spiral galaxies are surrounded in haloes of matter that cannot be seen. Observations of elliptical galaxies, groups, and clusters of galaxies also indicate the presence of dark matter interacting gravitationally with the visible objects.
The nature of dark matter, and its abundance, are among the most important questions in modern cosmology today. What is it made of? Some astronomers believe that dark matter is composed of protons and neutrons, called baryonic or simply "normal" matter. Baryonic dark matter candidates include extra-solar planets, remnants of stellar evolution such as comets, objects not massive enough to ignite hydrogen fusion called brown dwarfs, dying embers of stars such as cold white dwarfs and neutron stars, as well as interstellar and intergalactic gases.
Non-baryonic dark matter, on the other hand, could be elementary particles that do not interact strongly with normal matter. Except for the neutrino particle, many such elementary particles are still in the realm of theory and have not been detected.
Since all visible matter is only a small fraction of the total mass in the universe, the amount of dark mass that is present will determine the evolutionary future of the universe. If there is not enough dark matter to gravitationally bind the universe together, it could continue expanding forever. If there is enough mass in the universe to gravitationally hold it together, the universe may slow down its expansion, come to a halt, and begin to contract and eventually collapse.
The temperature of dark matter in the early universe also may have determined the early evolution of the universe. Not long after the Big Bang and prior to the formation of galaxies, matter began to aggregate under the influence of gravity. Dark matter might have provided the "seeds," a lumpy background in which ordinary matter could congregate to form galaxies and stars. If this "cold dark matter" were present, where particles had a negligible random motion, galaxy formation would begin on small scales. Matter would gather in sizes comparable to current galaxies or smaller, and eventually build to become clusters and superclusters due to the gravitational attraction of the galaxies.
If, however, "warm dark matter" was present, it would erase the small galaxy-sized "seeds" that initially formed. Instead, enormous gaseous pancake-like structures as large as superclusters and clusters, are created, subsequently condensing into individual galaxies.
Globular star clusters are among the oldest objects in our galaxy. Their beauty is easily discerned through amateur telescopes that resolve tightly-packed swarms of glistening stars, suspended in the night sky like Christmas ornaments. More than 150 globular star clusters are known to be associated with the Milky Way Galaxy. Each cluster contains hundreds of thousands to a million stars within a volume of 10 to 30 light-years across.
In 1918, Harlow Shapley recognized the existence and structure of globular clusters. By studying the clusters' distribution in the sky and measuring their distances, he was able to deduce the location of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and the Sun's distance from it. In the 1930s, Edwin P. Hubble discovered globular clusters in the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy, and since then globular star clusters have been found surrounding many other galaxies.
Globular clusters reside within a spherical volume of space called the "galactic halo," which surrounds the disk of our galaxy. The clusters orbit around the galactic center, taking millions of year to complete their highly elongated, randomly oriented orbits. Most globular clusters wander as far as 90 to 120 thousand light-years from the galactic center, and some extend as far as 300 thousand light-years out. The motions of these distant objects, influenced by the gravitational pull of the entire galaxy, allows astronomers to calculate the amount of mass in the galaxy. Some recent estimates reveal that the galaxy is 500 billion times the mass of the Sun. This estimate is significantly higher than the mass contributed by visible stars and nubulae alone, indicating that there is a great amount of unseen dark matter in the galaxy.
When compared to the Sun and other stars of the galactic disk, globular cluster stars appear to be deficient in heavy elements. This indicates that they are ancient objects, made from the pristine gas that condensed to form the galaxy long ago. However, about 20% of globular clusters are slightly richer in heavy elements compared to their counterparts, and are, therefore, presumably younger.
Although chemical composition differs from one cluster to the next, all member stars within a given cluster have a similar composition, indicating that they were born from the same cloud. This provides a unique opportunity for the study of stellar evolution. Yet each star began life with a different mass. By observing the luminosity and temperatures of their current states, astronomers are learning a great deal about the life cycles of stars.
Globular clusters contain mostly low-mass stars that are so tightly packed together that the density of stars near the center is about 2 stars per cubic light-year. In comparison, our solar neighborhood has about one star per 300 cubic light-years. If you were looking into the sky from a hypothetical planet in the middle of a globular cluster, like 47 Tucanae, you would be surrounded in a perpetual twilight cast by the light of thousands of nearby stars.


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Breakfast links: Pointing fingers
Related, the Plan Maryland isn't about curbing growth or denying economic opportunity to rural counties but it does basically tell rural counties (and rural area of other counties) that the state won't subsidize sprawl development.
That's fine by me - so long as they don't build another ATF-esque building on a prime parcel downtown.
Add to that, a sense of victimization at the hands of mighty baltimore that goes back over a century in maryland - back to when Baltimore really WAS wealthy and powerful.
For evidence, I present this post.
If the FBI moves and the site is redeveloped as normal office space, you're still going to have lots of jobs located in the core of the city - just a different employer.
I think there's a bigger discussion that needs to happen about federal security requirements and job locations. The various design criteria are not compatible with urban contexts, but they need that very urban context for all sorts of transportation issues. I don't know what the answer is, really. DHS at St Es, behind a brick wall, isn't a great solution; nor is the ATF building; nor is a Langley-esque campus that's removed from various transit and land use assets.
Charter Schools:
The incredibly steep increase in charter enrollment last fall, the steepest in 4 years and right after the first year of increased public school enrollment, coming directly after the departure of Rhee last spring is a pretty clear referendum as to what the departure of Rhee meant to the parents of school age kids in DC.
I will certainly credit the Metro station far more than ATF ( as well as the zoning changes and associated improvements to the area). If you want tenants, the DOJ leasing office space in the Constitution Square project is likely more important than the ATF building at catalyzing development, since you're talking about leasing of private space instead of building a fortress.
Either way, I'm not sure how that's relevant to the FBI site. That's not an area that needs a catalyst at all, ergo your point about catalyzing NoMa is moot. The question is what the site should be in terms of form - and I'd argue that an ATF-esque fortress-like structure would be inappropriate (moreso than the current building is).
If the FBI wanted to demolish and rebuild, firstly...I would toast with a fine champagne the dusty debris from that monstrosity of a building. I mean, it's lacking an entire 2nd floor. WTF?
Secondly, there's plenty of office space scattered around town for them to relocate to. They'd spread across the city for the 5-10 years it would take to rebuild the thing on the same site and then move back to the NEW Hoover building.
It's been a good week for brutalist haters. First the new plans for the Scientist Church at 16th and I were released and now this. At this rate all of the eye sores in SW will be razed within a month!
Will a potential new FBI headquarters embrace those same design elements? If they don't, it's a missed opportunity.
This seems pretty obvious and noncontroversial to me. As DC has implemented Smart Growth policies, it's made the city more attractive to middle-class residents, housing costs have increased, and it's no longer the residence of last resort for the region's poorest. Instead, PG County--with its more suburban growth patterns--has made up the difference.
I'm sure the downstate Commissioner simply meant his comments as a full-throated paean to DC's Smart Growth policies, rather than a condemnation of PG County's abortive attempts to do the same.
I suspect the FBI's security requirements would be higher than the DOT's, unfortunately. The ATF building meets a higher security standard.
Likewise, while the DOT building is better than ATF, it still leaves a lot to be desired. Almost no retail at all, save for a tiny Starbucks. First floor uses do not activate the street, etc.
I say this because 1)One year is not nearly enough time to gauge whether Rhee's departure "negatively" affected overall 2010's school performance. 2)Kaya has continued most of her policies..albiet in a much more diplomatic behind the scenes fashion? So why doubt her deputy?
Seems like the new Potomac Yard metro stop would be a good location. They could use the natural barriers of railroad tracks and GW Pkwy for added security and still have good transit accessibility. Also, I'd assume the largest share of employees live in Virginia.
Rhee's presence will have no bearing on my decision. I think it is trite to blame the decline in DCPS enrollment on Rhee's departure.
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