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In our latest Writer's Roundtable, the Phillies Nation crew discuss our New Year's Resolutions for the Phillies in 2012.
Nick "The Beerman" Staskin: For my New Year's resolution, I'd like to see Charlie do a better job with his in game management. Dontrelle Willis can be a weapon if used solely against lefties. However, theres a good chance Manuel wastes him like he did with JC Romero. There's no reason to let Halladay and Lee throw 120 pitches in blowouts. Save their arms for down the stretch.
I'd like to see the the team play the right players. Dom Brown got a raw deal last year, being sent down so that Raul Ibanez could decompose in left field. Brown showed some success getting on base last season and fans need to realize not all rookies start off like Ryan Braun did. Give the kid some time before we write him off.
And, extend Cole Hamels! If you are going to throw 5 years and $125 million at an older lefty in Cliff Lee then pay your home grown ace.
Jon Nisula: With 2012 comes a new year, a fresh start for our Phillies, who fell short of what I'm sure was everyone's goal–a World Series appearance. But unlike what I've been reading and hearing by many Phillies fans, I did not see 2011 as a failure. They were good enough to win the most games in franchise history–surely they were good enough to win the World Series. The loss in the NLDS does not signal a reason for change for me, or at least any drastic changes.
My resolutions for the 2012 Phillies are this: I want to see Domonic Brown be the full time left fielder, or at the very least a platoon with John Mayberry Jr. Brown is a top prospect for a reason. Next, I would like to see someone on the offense finish in the top five in MVP voting. What I mean by this is, I want someone in the lineup to step it up and emerge as a feared weapon, something that the Phils did not have in 2011. Finally, I really want to see Kyle Kendrick elevate his game and become the unquestionable fifth starter for this team. I like Kendrick as a person, and I love his attitude. If he can just settle into his niche and become the fifth starter–and not pitch like the Kyle Kendrick we are used to seeing—I would be a happy man.
Kieran Carobine: It is my wish for this season that the Phillies win more 1 and 2 run ball games. Too many times Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels ended up on the wrong side of cold hitting. Something that ties into this is the team staying healthy. Obviously the offense will be starting behind the eight ball with Ryan Howard recovering from his surgery. The additions of Lance Nix, Jim Thome and Ty Wigginton should help out a little.
I would like to see the Phillies hit .260 as a team and somewhere around 170-175 home runs. I realize this is a lot to ask with Chase Utley possibly past his prime and no Howard until May or June. In the end, a title shot and playoff berth is the ultimate goal. The trifecta of Halladay, Lee and Hamels should make it a reality. But they can't do it alone.
Don M.: How about a firm rule to only swing at strikes. Make pitchers come to you, and make them pay for falling behind in the count. Have pitchers unable to throw junk balls for timely strikeouts and forcing our hitters to rollover into double plays.
I'd love to see us use our speed again, Rollins can still run, as can Victorino, but I'd like to see Utley, Pence, and Mayberry taking any and every extra base they can. Become a team that "battles," a team that nobody wants to face because you will never give up an at-bat. Part of that mentality needs to come from Charlie, who needs to demand a championship from his players.
Most importantly, in 2012, I need to see Cole Hamels with a contract extension. Backload the deal so that his contract gets a bump when Roy Halladay's contract expires- whatever it takes, make it happen before other teams ever have a chance to bid on that golden left arm.
Jay Floyd: My resolution is for the fans. To the Philadelphia faithful that sell out the Phillies' home park on a daily basis, stop acting a fool. Many members of the fan base despise the manner in which they are depicted by the national media and while pointing out how other city's ticket holders don't get generalized in the same fashion, however the Philadelphia region's fans have continued to fail themselves in recent years.
We're all familiar with the events when individuals who lacked good judgement, while in attendance at Citizens Bank Park, caused mischief, violated others or took violence to the ultimate level. There was even the incident when a senior citizen was hit by a motor vehicle as he left a game.
I certainly accept the outlook of "don't let one bad apple spoil the bunch", but when The City of Brotherly Love feeds that media hate that they disagree with so much, even on an infrequent basis, breaking down that bad reputation only lies in their own hands.
Corey Seidman: I'll preface this by saying that these are what I'd want the Phillies to do moving forward, not what I realistically expect.
1) Lay off the high fastball: I'm looking directly at you, Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino. Both Pence and Victorino struggle to hold up against a fastball high in the zone despite not being proficient when they DO make contact with the pitch. You know how Ryan Howard has "holes in his swing?" Well I can't think of any player having a bigger "hole" than Pence has on high fastballs. He and Victorino were probably the two best hitting Phillies last season, but both ended way too many plate appearances swinging at garbage upstairs. It got to the point where you knew it was coming… you would call it in your head or out loud to your friends, and it would still happen. Laying off the high fastball is a discipline issue, a mental thing. Pence has made a living off being aggressive, but this is one area where his aggressiveness is so overwhelmingly negative that it's confusing that he hasn't trained his eye to let it pass.
2) Rest Placido Polanco once a week: This assumes he's healthy enough to play the other five or six games in a week, obviously. If Polanco stays healthy, there is no need to give him 145-150 starts. I'd be fine with seeing Polly start 128-135 games, preventing his energy and limited pop from being sapped. Ty Wigginton isn't good defensively, but getting him in the lineup rather than subbing Polanco for Michael Martinez or Wilson Valdez at least provides a somewhat capable bat.
3) Play Jim Thome once a week at 1B until Ryan Howard returns: Charlie Manuel, Ruben Amaro and Thome have all explicitly said the hope is that Thome is good to go one game per week at first base. I hope it actually happens. First base defense isn't absolutely essential to success. Sure, you notice when a first baseman misses a scoop or boots a 3U into a single to right, but a first baseman can go largely unnoticed in a game. Thome gives the Phillies the added dimensions of power and patience, so you need to utilize that, not let it sit on the bench until you can pinch-hit him against a team that subsequently brings in a lefty reliever.
Pat Gallen: First, I'd like to see Charlie Manuel be more aware of pitch counts/innings. I'm not a huge fan of them because guys like Halladay and Lee can put themselves in proper shape to throw 120 pitches every time out. And 100 is just an arbitrary number, anyway. However, a lot of these guys have logged big innings over the last few years. Let's tone it down a bit in the blowouts, like Nick said. Lee and Halladay aren't getting any younger and while CG's and SO's are nice, they aren't necessary.
Next up is that Hamels extension. It has to happen NOW. Third, I'm looking for a HUGE season from Jonathan Papelbon. The onus is on him to be near perfect this year to live up to that massive contract the Phillies gave him. I'm talking 40-45 saves and an ERA south of 2.00.
Lastly, I'd love to see a re-strengthened, rejuvenated Ryan Howard once he's back. Howard needs to have a strong second half of the season for fear of a revolt from the fans who know the Phillies are paying him an exorbitant amount of money. He needs to work on that swing once he's able, and even before he is, he needs to watch tons of film and get himself ready for the long haul.
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It looks like the Nationals are quietly making a move on Fielder. That wouldn't be good news for the Phillies or the rest of the division. That would be a scary team if they actually pulled it off.
New Year Resolutions;
I agree with them all with the exception of Dom Brown! He can't play and was given more than enough opportunity to prove he can. He is lacking in all the fundamentals of the game, which demonstrates the unwillingness to work on his game to get better. I'm tired of waiting for that to happen. I have zero confidence he will ever realize his potential, because quite frankly, he can't play. If we can trade him for someone who can contribute right now or package him at the trading deadline, that's the only value I see in keeping him around.He is physically talented,but can't play baseball.
Lol, this is a joke, right? This post is so colossally Off base that I can only assume you're trying out for a position as a staff writer for The Onion,
Mike Schmidt was a 196 hitter after 1 year in the big leagues. Imagine if they gave up on him like you seem to want to write off Brown.
You don't like that comparison? Too much?
Okay, think that the Padres are upset with giving up on Shane Victorino after hitting 232 his first year and exposing him to the rule 5 draft? Or Houston after giving up on Bobby Abreu and his 248 over 2 shots over 2 years? John Mayberry Jr was washed out of 1 organization, and then hit 211 his first year here, and now everybody thinks he could be the real deal after a nice 3rd season…all I know is I remember when Bobby Dernier was the real deal…how did that work out? I also remember when Marlon Byrd was a complete bust here (actually,he hit 303 his rookie year, struggled with injuries, and as a result, at the plate the following year before Bowa drove him out.)? He would have been better than both Ibanez or Mayberry the past 2 years (or any combo we had in RF before Pence this past season).
The point is, you cannot write off a player after 91 games. Brown needs an extended look. Play Mayberry at 1b while Howard mends and put Brown in LF and see what he has.
I like all these resolutions.
It really doesnt like the Phils really improved much. Some of the teams have added some players. Are we still good enough to keep up with the rest at this point.
as with all sports … all you can do is try to put together a team with a solid chance to win before each season …
Now obviously we fell short of the ultimate goal the past two seasons- but outside of winning the playoff-tournament …. I'd say "the rest needs to catch up to us" instead of of "are we still good enough to keep up with the rest" …
The bat that the Phillies missed most in the playoffs last year, was already on their roster, Polanco ….. going with what Corey said above- they need to give him planned-rest and have him able to hit for contact in the playoffs next year
You don't need to improve much when you have more wins than any other team in the sport. The 72-win Marlins and 80-win Nationals will likely both improve next season, but the gap that they have to close in order to even be in the conversation as the best team in the east was gargantuan. They will likely be in the running for the wild card slot, but the 102-win Phillies bringing back the same roster with a slightly improved bullpen and vastly improved bench are still the team to beat, and it's not particularly close.
For me, the biggest statement made here is "extending Cole Hamels NOW!!" The Phillies cannot let him get anywhere close to free agency.
My resolution for the Phils would be for Charlie Manuel to do an Andy Reid impersonation; to put his players in a better position to succeed. This means, of course, no more using pitchers with LOOGY skills against lots of RH batters, no more letting the "closer" label dictate bullpen roles, sending MiniMart to the minors, etc.
If we re to also consider the front office, I would suggest that the team is to make NO BLOCKBUSTER DEADLINE DEALS to acquire additional offensive talent if they're already in first place by a wide margin. I would also ask that they stop paying relief pitchers a lot of money because they're just not worth it.
Finally, I would resolve to get lucky and win the world series so we can stop hearing the bleating from people who think a playoff series loss is indicative of inferior talent rather than the natural variance inherent in the game of baseball.
too many people think that a 5/7 game series is a better evaluation of talent than the 162 games season …
I go by what everyone's darling Theo Epstein said … "all you can do is hope to make the playoffs … and hope to win it once for every 8 times you get there" ..
coming straight from one of baseball's "most brilliant minds" … telling just how hard it is – depends on matchups, health, good calls, bad calls, tight strikezones, weather, etc …
in 2008 – despite the Rays being up 3-1 in the ALCS I wanted to play them instead of Boston …. because we matched-up better against them. Garza was spent from the ALCS- Price was in the pen still … etc .. we got lucky with that matchup and capatilized on it .. had we faced the Red Sox, who knows if we would have beaten them in the WS …
Agreed, with the one difference being that I really don't care if it shuts the fanbase up — I want them to win because dammit, Doc (and Jim Thome and Cliff Lee) deserves a ring. Yes, I know a ton of fantastic players have gone their entire careers without winning the Series or even getting to it. But come on, it's Doc — the man puts more physically and mentally into his preparation than anyone, and if he hasn't earned a ring, no one has. I want to see him get it.
no more letting the "closer" label dictate bullpen roles
When you spend that kind of money on a closer, guess which inning he pitches in?
The right answer is "the one with the highest leverage index." Which could very well be the seventh or eighth inning.
Right or not, when you pay someone that kind of money, they pitch in the ninth and on a rare occasion an out or two in the eighth. When was the last time Mariano Rivera came in, when he was the official "closer", and pitched just the seventh inning in a high leverage situation?
I think the "sign Hamels NOW" is most important if they really want to keep him.
I am quite certain Ruben's statement that "it takes two to tango" means that he has tried unsuccessfully to get this accomplished. It's just not Amaro's style to let things go this long, I think attempts at negotiations have been ongoing for at least a year.
IMO- Despite what Cole has said publicly, If Ruben is unable to extend him prior to S.T., I think he will test the market.
There's really nothing else standing in the way of Ruben and Cole getting it done. All the urgent offseason moves….closer, SS, bench…have been addressed. There is really no good reason for this not to happen before S.T.
Wow – Nick was posting a funny, right?
I started to nod my head in agreement until he mentioned Willis' name. Forget Dontrelle. Then he said that DB did not get a fair look? You jest beerman! DB did not get a fair shake? Are you kidding? Especially during the time while Ryan is out, I would like to see Dom play LF while platooning with Mayberry.
The only sensible statement I saw in this blog was about signing Cole now. Thome will be a bust my friends, please do not count on him for anything – then anything we get will be a bonus.
My hope for a Phils resolution would be that Cholly would make adjustments when playing the tougher competition – AKA playoffs. Get the runners over, play small ball for God's sake!
My other resolution would be that Cholly (recurring theme here) would tell Ryan that its OK if he does not hit 45 hrs a year – that he can start opening his swing for the low and outside pitches that consistently get him out… his power will come, just make contact man.
Anybody else here feel like half the people here are so bored with Phillies success that they keep seeing monsters under the bed?
Definitely Chris – You would think that according to all these wishes we had a losing team – swing only at stirkes, win more one and two run games, take our stellar pitchers out earlier…. As I recall this team, under Charlie Manuel won 102 games. Say it folks – the Phillies won 102 games but apparently we did not like HOW they won these games. Apparently we would have liked more of them to be closer. Apparently we would have preferred our relatively weaker bullpen to pitch more innings than our Cy Young winning starters. Really?
This seems to be a continuing theme. Let's find something to complain about. My wish – win 102 games again this year! Personally I don't care if they are 1-0 or 12-3. I don't care how many strkeouts, small ball vs three run homers, starters vs bullpen although if you think there was a better pticher in the bullpen then the starters you have to let me know.
Manuel has been given a wonderful team and he seems to get the best out of each of them by trusting them and treating them as adults. If a guy swings at too many balls what is the good of Manuel pointing it out. You think the player doesn't know. Charlie deals with the cards he has been dealt. If you want more small ball or whatever you have to get the players that do that, not try and change the adults you have been given.
Go Phillies!
Yeah, I think they were 30-15 in low-scoring games (winner scores 3 or less). I'm sure it could be even better, but jeez, if that's one of the key things we have to try to improve, that's not bad.
Bob .. I think the thing your missing is that while the Phillies are pretty damn good … there is always ways they could improve ….. things that might have helped them in the playoffs
Like hitters being more selective … not helping the other teams pitchers..
or Cliff Lee being more rested- would that have helped him perform better and hold down a lead in Game 2 ??
Nobody is complaining…… just saying what we think could get us another ring next year, or the moves we'd like to see made
Cole Hamels signing —-GIT 'ER DONE !!!!!
If the Phillies sign Cole to a 4 year deal with an average salary of 17.5 million it will be a big hit towards the luxury tax, right? If they wait until the season starts to sign an extension is it calculated differently?
How about pinch hitting for a guy with a .314 slugging percentage vs lefties.
Whats the point of having him hit vs Arthur Rhodes in the 8th inning?
Oh he makes a lot of money.
The Giants won a title sitting over priced talent. Just sat Zito and Rowand.
So it can be done.
I guess some fans/teams want to win and others are into fielding fantasy style rosters.
Where you swing away 3-0 and the manager is OK with it.
The problems run deep here. Game 5 vs the Cardinals. Game 6 vs the Giants in 2010 should have been engough. But apparently it wasnt.
Some people/GMs have to learn the hard way.
Heres my New Years Prediction. Charlie and RAJ will not have their jobs come Jan 1 2013.
And that isnt a bad thing.
Now Donny back to the cheerleading.
Rah rah
AFW the opitamy of what have you done for me latley you pick two games out of what 340 games and say this team obviously can not win. Man your Bull runs so deep eventually you can not really beleive it. Two games, big games sure, games you have to win if you want to be WS champions YES. But they should not define the team. The only team that had a winning record against the Phillies last year was the Cardnails (NL) Can you say bad match up. And if I am remembering correctly I think the Giants had a winning record against them in 2010, I may be wrong. All you can say is that you have to pinch hit for your clean up guy in game five of a playoff series, name one team who has done that. But we Should cause Howard has never come thru in the clutch in his entire life. Please move back to NY and cheer for you Mets, at least then you could complain about a bad team
Why is it that because a fan is a bit negative about the Phils automatically means that he must be a Mets fan? This is a blog that invites individuals to comment as well as express their own opinions. That said, the Phils have a great team but they also have a small window of opportunity to win considering the older age of the core players, the contracts paid to said core players, the bloated team payroll and the fact that the farm system has been gutted of MLB ready prospects. Any finish short of a World Series win could be viewed as a failure by the fans and organization which could result in the dismissal of Manuel and/or RAJ. The bar has been set, lets hope the Phils meet or exceed our expectations!!
Baseball Phan…
the fan that you're talking about is much more than "a bit negative about the Phils" … to the point where many on here don't believe he is actually a fan of the team … and if so, why he is so consistently negative and bashes the organization on a daily basis …
Its one thing to demand a lot from your team, question decisions .. and its another to say they suck, you would trade them all, etc
I do not have a problem with people being negative about a game or a move or a player, my problem with AFW is that he spews out the same garbage no matter what the original lpost is, just bash Howard and his contract and he never has anything new it is just the same old bashing, and I am sorry if I am the only one but not winning a world series does not mean a faliure of a season to me
Beta, you are far from the only one.
In fact you may be among the silent majority.
Dom Brown deserves a shot — at least part-time in LF. How long can he stay a minor leaguer? Let's get him on the field in 2012.
Andrew- what moves would you have made this offseason if you were the GM instead of Ruben Amaro?
There's no monster under my bed, my Chihuahua sleeps there and guards it. Im pretty sure we will make the playoffs again, just once there how far will we get. If not for Ben Fran game winning HR, we would had only one game.
Id have moved 3 of the starting 8 from game 5 of the cardinals series.
C Ruiz
1B Howard
2B Utley
3B Polanco
SS Rollins
LF Ibanez
CF Victorino
RF Pence
Any 3 of them. For anything in return or nothing in return.
I understand that the 1B is unmovable.
No one else will eat $25,000,000.00
But Ibanez and Rollins were easily movable. Or gone on request.
Donny what makes you think this lineup can beat Wainwright and Carpenter or Lincecum and Cain?
Polanco Utley? Or anyone? Trade them.
I dont care who it is. I dont care who comes back. But I do know that this lineup is impotent and cant beat good pitching.
And anyone else might.
But you and Beta will continue to preach.
Rah Rah
The best ever.
An inferior team beat you 3 years in row.
At some point your superior will take over.
Because you are the best.
See this is where you err. You say trade any 3 and you don't care what comes back you just want to get rid of 3 of them. If the current lineup wasn't good enough to win in your eyes what makes you think trading any 3 of them and replacing them with nothing will make it any better.
Oh that's right you're one of the guys who would have Valdez, Martinez and any other marginal bench player named MVP of the team.
@ Beta I picked the 2 games where you lost.
And yes Id not play your man vs lefties and especialy not late innings when Arthur Rhodes comes in.
You are invested. I am too. In the team.
Just not indivdual players.
@ Beta
You had a 5 game series
3 of the 5 at home.
Halladay started games 1 and 5
Game 2 by Lee and game 3 by Hamels
You scored 0 runs in game 5.
If they play 1,000,000 innings they still score 0 runs.
And I call foul and you call me a Mets fan.
Really. I call foul.
You and Donny suck. You did this. You support this crap.
You want him to swing. This is your fault.
But I turned in Phan card and am supporting the Mets.
Lets see they won game three when Cole started and they spotted Lee a four run lead. should Charlie have Pulled Cliff earlier and gone to the pen I say yes I said it as I was sitting in the stands, Charlie had no faith in the pen, you want to bitch about that go ahead. You go to the pen and hold that game two lead and this series is over in 3 games, but wait it was Ryan howards fault that they lost game 2. And I say good ridence to you turn your fan card in
This is why j said before that you're so hard to read… You start to make points to support an argument and then always have to top your own comments with "lol, you guys suck, you support this team," etc…
I do support this team, and I do support these players… You tell me all the time that "it's not 2008" anymore, which is true, but one of the main points you try to drive home is that these players can't ever play that way again- why not? If timely hitting was what helped us in '08, why won't that ever happen again… And if our pitching is that much better, we shouldn't need as much offensive support… Which is how we've won more regular season games the past few years.
We fell short of the goal in the playoffs, but these are also some of the only Philadelphia athletes to ever win a championship in my lifetime- so yea, I'd like to see them stick around, I think they deserve that… It's called loyalty. If you constantly need your team to be "Champions or Bust," maybe you picked the wrong team to support, because the rest of us clearly aren't Phillies fans just for the World Series titles..
Your idea for improving the team is to blow it up, despite the fact that every GM would probably kill to be in Ruben Amaro's spot right now.. I would think about 95% of GMs would swap rosters with the Phillies if given the opportunity
I think we would ALL appreciate more of a response than just "rah rah, lol, Donny loves them all. Swing 3-0, you never learn, sign them all"
You know, maybe some legit baseball talk from you in 2012?
"Legit baseball talk" from Andrew? Is that even a remote possibility?
I would be willing to bet that if he posts every day for one week that he can't go that entire week without insulting someone on here, constantly calling us out ….."Donny and the Chucks", calling beta a "Dummie", referring to all of us as "You guys"….as though WE are on different sides from him and somehow inferior.
If this were the conservative movement, Andrew would be Ron Paul. The fact of the matter is that for the last two seasons, with the same players (older players – this is not a youth movement), the offense has been poor. Its an offense that hasn't gotten it done. Hoping for these players to hit better reminds me of a great line: "Hope is not a strategy". Do I think that this offense can put it together if we get big years from players? Yes. It almost never happens, though. But how can you expect a buch of 31-32 year olds to have better offensive years? We've seen the best. They're not Morgan, Rose, and Perez. They get hurt a lot. We need a trade.
The Dipsy
TheDipsy, you're overstating it.
Offense is down across baseball in recent years. Whether it's the restrictions on PEDs, or improved pitching, or a combination of both, scoring in the NL has declined 12% from 2007 (4.71 per game) to 2011 (4.13).
When you look at the Phillies offense compared to the league average, there hasn't been much of a decline:
2007 +17% (Phils averaged 5.51 vs. league average of 4.71)
2008 + 9% (4.93 vs. 4.54)
2009 +14% (5.06 vs. 4.43)
2010 +10% (4.77 vs. 4.33)
2011 + 7% (4.40 vs. 4.13)
2011 +12% (4.63 vs. 4.13) after Utley returned in May
So relative to the league, this year's offense averaged over the entire season was 7% better than the league, not much worse than in 2008 (9% over the league).
And from the time Utley started in May, the Phillies averaged 4.63 per game, or 12% over the league average (and highest in the NL). No offense is perfect, but the Phillies have a very good one when Martinez and Valdez are kept out of the batter's box.
Now maybe you meant something more specific, like hitting vs. certain pitchers, or in certain situations, but then you would still have to compare the 2011 team to other years or the rest of the league for conttext.
Thank you for the post. I would really like to see how many games the Phils scored over 9 runs v. how many times they scored under three runs. My suspicion, while I may be wrong, is that they are either feast or famine and do not fair particularly in 3-2, 4-3 type games. I think the'ye might be a skew. I know what my eyes see and they see an offense that crumbles in crunch time. Do you have stats for the post season? Thank you.
The Dipsy
First, in low-scoring games (winning team scores 3 or less), they were 30-15.
From the time Utley returned, they scored 3 or less in 43% of their games. The range in the NL was from a low of 39% (StL) to a high of 60% (SF), so that could certainly be better, but still not terrible.
They did struggle in the postseason (although they still outscored St Louis). I think they struggle against some better pitchers, i.e. more so than other teams, so some more offense wouldn't hurt — it just depends what you have to give up to get that, and does it really make the team better overall as a result.
How can you expect 31-32 year olds to h e better offensive years?…. Total or in the postseason? In the postseason it timely hitting, making pitchers work… I dont think age has anything to do with that, and I think if Rollins, Utley, Vic, Howard, Ruiz have all had big postseasons before- why wouldn't they be able to do that again? Did they all of a sudden forget how to play or did they just play bad at a bad time, on a big stage
The problems do run deep… Which is why I said that Charlie needs to hold their feet to the fire a little, if Howard continues to chase balls in the dirt from lefties, sit him until he stops… If Victorino plays with his head up his ____, sit him until he stops.. The players aren going to change their approach if nobody demands it of them- hitting coaches fired and all.. They think they're good, to a large degree they are correct, but there are ways to improve, and I don't the mental approach has anything to do with age at all.. If anything, the maturity should help them grasp these concepts
Don – You are correct. Our players don't work pitchers, don't run deep counts, don't move guys, etc. Schenkman points out that the Phils may struggle inordinately more against the better pitchers. I am sure they do. The reason for this is the good pitchers can take you out of the three run homer offense. To combat this successfully, you would need a team that has A) good pitching, too, and: B) the ability to scratch or manufacture runs, i.e. the dreaded "small ball". Do I condone the Phils change their offensive style? No. Its unrealisitic and probably not even the best idea. But they do need to add a small ball component. That, they don't have. And that's Charlie's fault. This they need to fix.
The Dipsy
FYI, they led the league in scoring after Utley returned in spite of being 6th in HRs over those last 4+ months. It is much less of a HR-centered offense than it used to be.
I agree that 32 year old baseball players CAN repeat their offensive successes….or even do BETTER….if given the chance and with some smart coaching. Thing is….Charlie Manuel has a certain style of managing. Is he even able to change his approach enough to make a difference?
Babe Ruth hit 60 hrs when he was 32. Hank Aaron hit the majority of his hrs after the age of 30 as a matter of fact, he hit 47 (his career high) at the age of 35 and hit 40 at the age of 37.
Yes, these are definitely exclusive names. It can be done though.
@ChuckA – I don't think Cholly can change his approach, but I would love to see it happen.
Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron were Hall of Famers, arguably the greatest home run hitters of all time. How many of those do we have on this roster? Arguing that players can improve after 32/33 when they have already been in decline for multiple seasons and comparing them to those 2 is ridiculous. It's like comparing Kyle Kendrick to Steve Carlton. The vast majority of players, once in decline, stay in decline. You may have 1 season where they "bounce back", but its not a longterm thing and it is not something I want to count on. I would have traded Chase Utley after 2010 when there might have been trade value and I would have let Rollins walk, to allow for some changeover. Let Galvis take his lumps in the majors, go find another 2b (or better, move Polanco to 2b and get a 3b who is not breaking down and can hit for an entire season). Then after 2012 you could have looked for a 2b to replace Polanco.
You're right about comparing to the extreme cases, but while the decline curve is rarely a smooth one, and it's not unusual for there to be improvement from one year to the next (fewer health issues for whatever reason, more hits fall in, etc.).
You seem ready to turn over the infield, but are you aware that Utley was the 2nd best second baseman in the NL in 2011? Or that Rollins was the 3rd best shortstop?
schmenkman..so do you ignore the injuries then? They have been mounting for Rollins and Utley for years, and Polanco has been breaking down. So yes, I am ready to turn over the infield. It is January and all 4 of our infielders have injury concerns. To continue to hope that they have bounce back years, at the same time, is unbelievably naive. Just like it was time to replace Ibanez at the beginning of last season, it is time to replace Rollins, Utley and Polanco now. As usual, the Phillies will be behind schedule with their offensive side of the game. All Amaro seems to value is pitching. While it is important, it is only 1/3 of the game. The other 2/3 is hitting and offense. Rollins isn't a great fielder while on the bench injured, and his hitting has been slipping for years, and Utley isn't a good infielder, period, and his offense is suffering due to injuries, and that knee isn't getting any better. Time to get younger. Rather do it now, and prepare for 2013 when Lee and Halladay are still young, and hopefully Hamels is re-signed. And maybe, with this pitching, we have enough to make noise in the post-season in 2012 despite the turnover. They aren't going to do it, but I can hope.
Any given 31 or 32 year old can have his best season at that age. But counting on four of these guys to have years better than their averages is unrealistic. Thats all im saying.
The Dipsy
Ryan Howard is 32. He has 286 homers so far. How many of you guys think he can get to 500??
He starts his 5-yr extension this year but it will be late and he might not even be right for awhile once he comes back. Conservatively, let's say he hits 20 this year. That leaves 194 HR to get over the next 4 years IF he wants to do it as a Phillie. I don't see that happening.
and so are we all caught up on individual players having big years numbers-wise … does it matter if Howard has a lot of RBIs if the growing trend is that RBIs don't matter …
or do we just want them to win a lot of games, make the playoffs, and hopefully go on a run??
I personally don't care if ANY of them have their career year in 2012.. as long as we win the NL East, and secure homefield again
"I personally don't care if ANY of them have their career year in 2012"
That's good, because of course they won't. And that's ok. They didn't in 2011, and yet led the league in scoring after Utley returned, with among the fewest games with 3 runs or less.
Dipsy – Do me a favor. Next time you see a Phillies game where Halladay is pitching make believe you are a fan of the opponent. You will see them swing at balls out of the zone, not be patient, etc. Meanwhile you will be very unhappy with your pitcher and manager as they fail to hold the Phillies from winning.
My point is that we looking at the games as just fans tends to overstate the problems with your team or understate the weaknesses of the other team. If we make a "comeback" during the game the other team's fans say they "blew the lead". If we don't hit in a game we have a "weak offense" while the other team says they had "superior pitching".
The statistics tell you things like we have the best ptiching and superior (maybe not best offense". You can't believe these things because you remember all the strikeouts and other failures. But remember 70% failure in offense in baseball is good.
Yes the team can be better but that does not mean it is good. I agree that they need to get younger but for now they are too goode enter a rebuilding i.e. trading away good players for prospects.
We can all be fans but let's not highlight the negatives or the positives. The record speaks for itself. We had more W's than anyone else last year. Something must be right?
Some people just like to believe that the sky is falling … and that the world is ending whatever days it was supposed to end last year, etc ..
"Yes, the team can be better but that does not mean it is good (sic)" I know what you meant. The Halladay point is a good one because Halladay lost the final game. Why?????? Because the Cards could eke out a run. One freakin run. Thats how you gotta think against the really good pitchers. A run here…and a run there….and if you end up with four at then end of the game you'll be in good shape if you're pitching is good too. The Phils don't think like this. Ryan Howard AND Charlie Manuel are always thinking long ball. The mere fact that Charlie didn't hold Ryan up on that 3-0 pitch is criminal. CRIMINAL. There is not one legitimate argument you could make for swinging at that pitch. But that's Manuel/Howard.
I am ragging because the team can play better if they just play different sometimes.
The Dipsy
I went to 35 games last year and will again this year. I love how this team can smash/bash and pitch with the best of them but in the playoffs the Dipster is spot on. As he so eloquently explained in another post, the competition gets tougher and the offense needs to adjust.
I with ya Dip!
PN commenters, A request for help please-
I just attempted to look up team and individual "plate discipline" stats on Fangraphs. I don't understand most of the terms they use for categories. "0-Swing%, Z Swing%, and on and on. I'd really like to know if the stats back up what I believe my eyes see. Does this page show amount of pitches taken, pitches fouled off, etc.?
I'd appreciate if someone could help. Or at least link me to a glossary that shows what these things mean, the glossary in the upper right hand corner doesn't show them- I don't think. Or maybe there is a better source of information on this than fangraphs?
Thanks in advance, Lefty
Lefty, I don't know of any site that has pitches fouled off.
Here is the glossary: http://www.fangraphs.com/library/index.php/offense/plate-discipline/
Have you checked out Baseball-Reference? This shows pitches per PA, % swung at, etc:
If you hover above the column headings the definition pops up.
I would focus on the NL (or AL) rather than combine the two, due to the DH.
Thanks, that's just what I was looking for, complete with league averages!
So the B-R site linked above did have fouls (F/Str), and the Phillies were last in the NL last year (although some of the best hitting teams were also near the bottom).
I see that too. thanks again.
I log on for shits and giggles
And there they are saying Howard will hit 500 homers.
And yes Donny I LOLOLOLOLOL
True Believers.
This is real?
.341 vs lefties?
Every GM would kill to lock up old players who have failed on higher level in 09,10,11??
And then in 12 they will be reborn?
You are hard to read and understand.
Everyone wants Howard up vs a leftie in game 5 of a 5 game series?
But you are serious?
Then The Phillies play GM like you and Chuck.
More wins than anyone.
Rah rah
Only 3 loses in 5 games when it mattered and if you played 100000000 innings you werent scoring.
Rah rah
YOu prove every ones point AFW failing on a high level in 09 10 11 yea losing in the WS in 6 games to the Yankees is failing, and losing to the eventually WS winner in 10 and 11 is failing at high levels. The WS or bust thing is just stupid. I understand it comes from the expectations, but following the Phillies since I was 5 in 1970, my expectations are to field a competitive team evrey year, get to the playoffs more often then in the past, and yea maybe win a WS or two or Three in my lifetime. The idea that a five or seven game series is failing at a high level is just idiotic. AFW I would like you to name what you think were the best teams in baseball over the last 10 years, and how many won the WS. I am sure you will probably say all 10 WS winners were the best. I look at it once a while ago, and in my opinion I think i came up with 4 in the last ten years and 2008 was not one of them.
@ baseball fan
This is why I can hardly tolerate reading these mongotards.
Im not a fan. I turned in my fan card. I am a mets fan.
Donny has for years sandbagged called out grammar and reading and spelling.
Donny has for years been wrong. As I have again and again nailed it.
Donny has for years said how I ruin things for him.
Donny Moron is for a reason.
He has over and over again earned it.
And now he thinks they are they are the best.
Im out of line and not a fan for caring.
He and the other Donny Moron disples are tough to read.
Classy… and a self-admitted Mets fan
Do you forget Andy's writing prior to the Cards series? Huge fan… seriously. Although he had his doubts about their success he also did cheer them on and rooted for them. What I dont understand is that he calls the Cards the best team in baseball like he called the Giants the best team the year before. I too dont consider 2010 or 2011 a waste.
I just dont understand why we can't just talk baseball, and have to address certain people acting certain ways…
Seriously tell one guy that his posts "read like a 3rd grade book report" and they never let you forget about it… And he'll then tell people that you try to correct people for spelling… Anyway, I've tried to bury this hatchet multiple times with no success ..
I just don't understand how people are "phillies fans" yet seem to be completely unhappy with every single thing about the organization over the past few seasons. They've fallen short of the ultimate goal, but they are far from a bad team- they are consistently among the very best and should continue that trend this season.
Rah rah
I don't know why you're bothering to respond, but I do want to say that it's no better than 1st grade, and in fact much more like K.
Rah rah. LOL.
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subset: commoncrawl


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This is a biotin-labeled and amidated peptide derived from residues 368-393 of human p53 tumor suppressor protein with dimethylation at Lys372 and additional KGW residues on its N-terminus. Methylation at Lys372 activates p53 and induces upregulation of target gene p21. Methylation at Lys372 also inhibits Lys370 methylation by interfering with Smyd2, a lysine methyltransferase, and p53 interaction. Lys 370 methylation reduces p53 transcriptional targets.


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In Nice 2000, Stojko was back and did well to capture the silver medal, the showdown was between the 2 russians of Yagudin and Plushenko. Plushenko being the favourite - but it was not to be his day which is very unlike Plushenko who normally is very consistent, this was a rare thing for him and he saw himself out the medals - that made the way for Yagudin who changed his Free to "Tosca" and struck GOLD for his third title, Michael Weiss of the US has a solid program to steal bronze from Plushenko. From this event my memory is of the wonderful Stannick Jeanette of France who delighted the crowd with his wonderful "Solo" LP.
This time around - I cannot believe I would have said Plushenko is here 12 years on and would have been a medal contender here after winning Europeans once again on his 2nd comeback. The "King" has not entered the worlds since 2005 (which he withdrew after SP) - his last world chance must surely be in 2013 before he heads for Sochi (Injury free of course).
Enter the defending champion Patrick Chan who lets face has taken the mens discipline to another level and maybe Plushenko would have found him very tough to beat here on evidence of Chan's season. Patrick just puts everything out there with great speed and flow with no breathing spaces, the transitions are second to none and the judges love him. He is the overwhelming favourite in Nice of the 4 disciplines and it would be a SHOCK if he did not win here - that is if he nails all his content. SOMETHING I do not want to see is for Patrick to win with 2 or 3 falls - If that does happen the COP needs to be looked at by the ISU!!
Daisuke Takahashi Is probably the likely challenger to Chan, but Dai needs to nail everything to get close to him and might need a solid quad to take his 2nd title. Love both his programs even though Blues for Klook is an overused - dangerous choice to use but Dai somehow has made it his own - with lovely touches and nuances to the program. I would love Dai to win but maybe Chan is out on his own.
First tier of other medal contenders:
Artur Gachinski - Seems to be a big performer on the biggest stage, and comes here as Russian No1. I love Artur's programs this year - a big step from last year - just adore his LP entitled "The Demon" that suits him really well, still learning I feel and sometimes still looks Junior, needs to work on his artistry and steps in between but technically can be very good.
Javier Fernandez WOW!! Javier, what a transformation, like Wagner in the Ladies Javi has gone from strength to strength with the help of a certain Mr Orser. Love Javi's programs and I think his Jazzy SP is one of my fav's this year. If you can remember I touted him as favourite for Euro's and was surprised the nerves got the better of him. I feel he will redeem himself here and should get a top 8 finish - if not sneak in for that bronze medal.
Takahiko Kozuka It was a hard hard choice to round the top 5 of first tier skaters but I have put Kozuka in here. I just feel like Artur he is a big performer on the big stage and seems to pull something out the bag when it matters. Silver medalist last time around. I think Takahiko will struggle to retain that spot and not sure on the programs this year - even the outfits - that look a bit old fashioned. although his Nausicaa LP is growing on me, but surely that music belongs to Lu Chen.
the best of the rest:
Jeremy Abbott A lovely artistic skater that does struggle mentally, it can either be hot or cold with Abbott - I am just hoping he will be on form here, he has the talent to be at the top of the pile. The SP is the best out there so if he nails that he has a chance, the Muse LP is growing on me - but I feel his Tango four Seasons LP came too early - that was pure class. Would have loved to have put him in the first tier but I feel Jeremy might fall short here.
Adam Rippon Another US skater that oozes class, and has some wonderful arm over the head technique to his jumps which I adore. Still some sameness about Adam I wish he would be more original in his music choices as i am not a lover of his SP or LP. Can surprise if he is on form.
Michal Brezina Technically very proficient he seems to make it look very easy but can let him down from time to time - nerves seem to get the better of him, I like his SP but like Rippon the music choices are very suspect - nothing original. Still needs to work on his artistry but if he pulls off the quad and axel and triple triples he should be in the mix.
Yuzuru Hanyu Another Japanese powerhouse, I love Hanyu and I hope he does well. I love both his programs especially his SP which is full of emotion - love the speed and flow on the ice - and was wondering to place him in that Kozuka place of the top five but I feel his time will come but not yet - he may be regarded still as the number 3 here at Nice.
Florent Amodio well you might have thought that I might have said Joubert to round out the top 10 but I feel Amodio is the strongest for the home challenge here as I feel Brian has opted for his very overused Matrix LP which I feel is dated now and past its prime. Amodio is not having a good season after a breakout season last year but managed to capture the bronze at Euro's to everyone's surprise including his own. I am glad he changed his SP this time to "Tears in the Sun" and I think this suits him very well, some modifications to his free especially at the beginning to an arranged piano piece by S Damiani - and this is much better too. I hope he does well because he does capture the crowd.


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food, Energy Vermont needs to become more food and energy independent using our local natural resources, and we should aim to produce 75% of our own food, power and heat energy by 2020. This will create tens of thousands of jobs and keep hunreds of millions of dollars in our annual local economy.
budget, finance One systemic way to increase Vermonst's financial stability could be a state-owned bank similar to the Bank of North Dakota, which is arguably the reason N. Dakota is the only state with a budget surplus.
independence Washington DC has lost all moral authority over Vermont. We need to exert our rights as a sovereign state. What could Vermont do if we spent our annual share of the cost of US military overstretch, $1.5 Billion, to build the local economy instead?
Health Care A State-level single-payer system could cut costs by 30%, but we also need Tort-reform and a focus on prevention and wellness. Vermont is the healthiest state in the nation, it's time for us to create a real solution and move beyond the left/right debates coming out of D.C.
Tax reformTax only unearned-income, not salary/wages. Reform property tax, moving to a land-rent-tax that does not penalize the creation of value. Reform Act 60, nullify NCLB, giving towns full control and responsibility over local education.


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Residents, who have not yet registered to vote, have less than a week to do so at Huntley Village Hall.
Residents have until Tuesday, Oct. 9, to register for the general election on Nov. 6. The village conducts voter registration from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at Village Hall, 10987 Main St.
Some registration reminders include:
-Two forms of identification required (Driver's license, Social Security card, library card, credit card, utility bill, etc.)
-One form of identification needs to have a voter's home address
-Address and name changes on a Voter ID can be made at Village Hall


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- Game Details
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Nobody does war like Infinity Ward. Its 'Call of Duty' titles have evolved from excellent examples of the first-person shooter genre to a redefinition of what gamers expect from a war title. With 'Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2', Infinity Ward takes the already solid foundation laid in 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' and polishes it to a jaw-dropping shine.
Call of Duty Achievement Unlocked: 40 Million Active Users
During a quarterly financial call yesterday, Activision dropped some interesting stats on FPS Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. There are more than...
Kanye West To Headline Call Of Duty XP Event
Activision just announced the musical headliner for Call of Duty XP, the company's CoD themed fan-fest. It's going to be, get this, Kanye West!...
Call Of Duty Trial May Move Forward For Activision, EA And Respawn Entertainment
Activision and Bobby Kotick may be headed to trial over Call Of Duty, as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled that there were enough facts...
Call of Duty Lawsuit: West And Zampella Claim Activision Secretly Developed COD Games Without Them
In a complaint filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 creators Jason West and Vince Zampella...
Call Of Duty Multiplayer Fee Coming -- Analyst Michael Pachter
According to Wedbush Securities video game industry analyst Michael Pachter, you will be paying to play Call of Duty games in the...
Video Preview
Adam Sessler and Matt Keil Discuss CoD: Modern Warfare 2
G4's Adam Sessler sits down with X-Play Senior Producer (and resident Call of Duty pro) Matt Keil to further elaborate on the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 gaming phenomenon.
Video Preview
Infinity Ward CEO Talks CoD: Modern Warfare 2
Adam Sessler speaks with Vince Zampella, CEO of Infinity Ward, about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Find out about the evolution of the game over its two-year development cycle with details on singleplayer, Spec-Ops, and multiplayer.
Video Preview
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Writer Interview
X-Play's Adam Sessler interviews Infinity Ward Writer Jesse Stern to preview the heart-throbbing, cinematic storytelling qualities of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
My X-Play 1000Th Episode PosterLatest Post: Mar 18, 2013 by Smashdrama
I Can't Believe It's Come To This.Latest Post: Mar 18, 2013 by Shadow_ben_jamin
Anime Corner Farewell Tour! March...Latest Post: Mar 18, 2013 by Squeakachu31


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"Conflict minerals" likely will become a common part of many supply chain and operations management professionals' vocabularies. Next May when new Dodd-Frank financial reform rules go into effect, 6,000 companies will be required to name whether minerals excavated in certain conflict-heavy regions of Africa are used in their manufacturing processes.
According to the Wall Street Journal's CIO Journal, "the law requires manufacturers to track the source of tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold__all commonly used in electronics and consumer appliances 'back to the mine … but it's an almost impossible requirement,'" says Tim Mohin, director of corporate responsibility at chipmaker Advanced Micro Devices.
The tracking difficulty arises because the materials can be mined in very small operations__"someone with a shovel outside of his house." These materials go though aggregation, are shipped to a port, and eventually make their way to the manufacturer, which faces challenges when attempting to determine exactly where its components come from. Adding to the complexity, supply chain partners can try to hide the source if it's considered problematic.
There are some resources for manufacturers. The Electronic Industry Coalition sponsors a program to review smelters, who aggregate conflict minerals from many sources. The program currently has certified only a few dozen smelters, which is not nearly enough to provide all manufacturers with needed materials.
Enterprise software has the potential to enable companies to track their requests for supplier compliance data. According to the CIO Journal, the biggest enterprise providers, including Oracle and SAP, are offering options that enable compliance officers to record evidence of their efforts to establish the origins of materials, such as requests for suppliers' bills of materials, that the company will need to prove due diligence if audited.
Even with next year's legal due date, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is allowing companies to report their products as "indeterminate." Experts predict many manufacturers will need that concession, and the SEC will be more tolerant if companies can demonstrate they have made strong efforts to confirm the source of their suppliers' materials. Conflict avoidance
Consider the following APICS Operations Management Body of Knowledge Framework definition: "Corporate social responsibility means using fair and beneficial business practices regarding labor and the community or region where a firm conducts its business."
APICS is committed to exploring corporate social responsibility and sustainability though its products and services. For example, APICS 2013 features an entire learning path dedicated to sustainability. These sessions will present real-world solutions as well as innovative ideas for supply chain and operations management professionals. The APICS 2013 Expo presents opportunities for attendees to talk directly to representatives from enterprise software providers such as Oracle, Infor, and IFS. These interactions can support attendees looking for software solutions to comply with Dodd-Frank financial reform, seeking to streamline their production planning processes across locations, and much more. Visit apics.org to find out more about APICS 2013, September 29–October 1, in Orlando, Florida.
Questions for discussion
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Zoning In on Sustainability
By Ingrid Ostby
November/December 2012, APICS magazine
Report Tracks Efforts to Curb Conflict Minerals
August 21, 2012, APICS e-News
Full Disclosure Green
By Antonio Galvao, CSCP
May/June 2012, APICS magazine
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Susan and Bruce Golboro of Bala Cynwyd, and Diane and Tom Hanak of Wynnewood announce the engagement of their children, Stacy Robin Golboro and Aaron Addison Hanak.
Stacy graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work. She earned a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Stacy works for the Jewish Family and Children's Service of Greater Philadelphia.
Aaron is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. He currently works in inbound sales at Knox Refrigeration.
Stacy is the granddaughter of Gloria and Marvin Barsky of Wynnewood, and Betty-Jane and Alan Golboro of Palm Beach, Fla. Aaron is the grandson of Richard and the late Mildred Hanak of Merion, and the late Caryl and Robert Brielmann of Connecticut.
Sharing in the couple's happiness are siblings Peter Golboro, Amy and Andy Sussman, and Elissa and Lauren Hanak.
Date of Occasion
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Mazel Tov Category
Mazel Tov [3]
Engagements [4]


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Dear members,
Thank you, NarutoBase Staff
hey guys , could the yellow flash , be fighting bee & raikage ? thats why kakashi is alone?
Originally Posted by Uchihagodzzz
The expression on his face is of sadness/anger, and the water is coming out of the eye.
If it was the rain, it wouldn't be coming out of his eye, you look again.
your right, thats tears not rain.
Originally Posted by Rico Uchiha
note that Tobi tells Obito that the combination of Hashirama's cells with Uchiha DNA can unleash special powers! That's probably an explanation why Obito has this unique MS-ability and why he doesn't go blind
good theory never thought of this. +rep that would also explain how madara activated his rinnegan after his battle with the 1st
troll chapter...I saw Kakashi's hands through Rin
I wont be making any comments this week...:confused:
Originally Posted by MisterX
notice, how Kakashi's mask is cut exactly where his scar is, it's exactly as when he lost his eye..
I doubt kishi drew it by mistake.. so why do you think it's that way..??
maybe it really is a zetsu clone, and zetsu copied him back then, that's why his mask was cut like this
the alternative is that kishi drew it, to show is that kakashi only has one mask, and wears it for years..
What do you think??
Good observation. My only problem with the Zetsu clone theory is, why then did Obito see it happening through Kakashi's sharingan?
Or, maybe Obito's "vision" was actually just Zetsu transferring information to Obito, either through the Zetsu suit or the half of Obito that is composed of Zetsu. Black zetsu can supposedly record things. Maybe this was one of his recordings, or something similar. He's been MIA in all this.
At least kakashi got to second base.... kinda.
WHAAAAAAT!!!!?? Kishi!!!! WHY!!!! Do you always leave us hanging!!!???
*LeSigh* Till next week...
To "you let rin die" to "you killed rin" wtf kishi... and if kakashi killed rin the MS activate so if that happened why he didn't use it against itachi?
What if Kakashi killed Rin to strengthen his Sharingan, but he's crying because he actually went through with it?
RIN told kakashi to kill her , because she didn't want to become a fodder in the near future ( she heard that kishi doesn't kare about the girls in the series, so she said f@#$%ked im done with this
wow.. really. kakashi.. come.. on..
And for the people that keep asking where the f is Minato, remember Kakashi is a jounin so it wasn't team Minato anymore
I really think madara put kakashi in genjutsu because he said you will defiantly come back and kakashi was crying when he killed rin that means he didn't mean to kill her or maybe I'm wrong. I really can't wait till I see the next chapter.
Originally Posted by labiancareality
hey guys , could the yellow flash , be fighting bee & raikage ? thats why kakashi is alone?
That could be very much possible, cuz Zetsu said that Minato is on another mission, if he wasn't lying.
But it's kind of doubtful, cuz Kakashi and Rin (and maybe others) fighting against Hidden Mist Ninjas, while Minato's group fighting Hidden Cloud Ninjas - all this if they are at the same area/battlefield. :shrug:
But if not, the most logical explanation for him being absent is the clash versus the Hidden Cloud - which means different mission. :y
Nice chapter even though it didn't give us much .....
It was good to see the 3 different robes and other weapons including madara's war fan and the chains tobi used against minato hmm....
Let the " i know why kakashi did it , it wasn't kakashi threads begin" xD
Personally i still think its staged by someone named madara. It is a zetsu which has done this and spiral zetsu was meant to lead obito there to see this because madara clearly said you WILL return and apologize sinceerly. clearly he said this becasue he knew after seeing ( zetsu : kakashi ) killling rin he would defs come back to help madara complete the eye of moon plan
but jesus already!! i think after next chapter of showing what really has happened naruto manga chapter 606 will be back to the present...i wanna see killer bee and naruto go hard out!! its gonna be epic!!
Originally Posted by Shouten
I doubt the thoery that is was only a Zetsu clone. If that is true, then Rin should be alive and Obito would know about this, and we could see Rin dillydallying on Konoha.
I have a hunch that Rin was betraying the leaf in some way, and there was no other choice but to kill her. Madara probably know about Rin's deeds for some time because he has information gathered through the Mazo which is connected to different places, but Madara refused to tell Obito the truth, and Madara knows that the fight was actually between Kakashi against Rin and the mist ninjas, which is the reason why Madara was confident in saying that Obito will come back to him, because Madara knew that Kakashi will kill Rin for some sort of betrayal.
Or it could also be an accident that he Raikiri'd Rin.
Well, just a hunch.
i agree. on the other hand the zetsu clone told obito that he was protecting him so his body is wrapped around obitos..so he could just force him back
Soooooo many questions left to answer now lol. Can't wait for the next issue ;-; *begins re-reading til then*
rin can be a zetsu clone!
Facts :
zetsu clones are perfect.
They don't vanish even after dieing.
They have blood.And die like a normal human being.
They cannot be recogonised unless you are madara and you have EMS. (chances of this happening 40% )
Or maybe.
Rin was a spy and that is why she got killed by kakashi,
Why? Because we can see tears in kakashi's eyes which means he knew what he was doing,
if he killed her by accident he wouldn't have this expression on his face. (chanes of this happening 25% )
kakashi was actually a zetsu clone. chances - (25%)
OR maybe kakashi knew how to obtain MS and killed her on purpose ? (chances of this happening 2%)
Last edited by Frikid; 10-02-2012 at 04:31 PM.
Originally Posted by masana82
Look again, that's rain coming down his face, not tears.
If you look at the bottom of Kakashi's eye though, there is a clump of water that definitely looks more like tears.
i think its actually a zetsu transformed into kakashi...or madara was controlling him with genjutsu...
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Events » Lectures, Performances & Films » Lecture
Painter and Patron: Goya's Portrait of Don Pedro, Duque de Osuna
Date: Saturday, December 07, 2013
Time: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Speaker: Dr. Susan Grace Galassi, Senior Curator, The Frick Collection
Type: Lecture
Major figures in the Spanish Enlightenment, Don Pedro de Alcántara Téllez-Girón y Pacheco, the 9th Duque de Osuna (1755–1807), and his wife, Doña María Josefa de la Soledad Alfonso-Pimentel y Téllez-Girón, Condesa-Duquesa de Benavente y Osuna (1752–1834), promoted liberal causes in politics, science, agriculture and industry and were equally progressive in their taste in art. From 1785 to the end of the century, they commissioned portraits of themselves and their children as well as some of the Goya's most imaginative genre scenes, and they amassed a large collection of his prints. Galassi explores the Frick portrait, carried out at the end of the century, in the context of the long, mutually beneficial relationship between Goya and his primary patrons of the time.
Theater | Free with admission | Stickers for ensured seating are distributed in the Main Entrance gallery starting at 3:00 p.m. Members enjoy early seating between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m.; general admission seating begins at 3:45 p.m.


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The Phillies are targeting free agent Adrian Beltre, according to Randy Miller of the Bucks County Courier Times. Money could be an issue; Beltre, 30, could be seeking a four-year deal. Additionally, Beltre is represented by Scott Boras.
Mark DeRosa, a personal favorite of Charlie Manuel, is still an option as well as Placido Polanco and Pedro Feliz. A friend of Feliz says that he would like to sign elsewhere, possibly Seattle.
Chone Figgins is still an option, and Sam Donnellon of the Philadelphia Daily News believes he is a great fit.
50 Comments
Yeah, well see about that. They dont sound too excited about the fact that Boras wants a 4 year deal. And if Boras insists on that, I completely guarantee you that the Phillies will move on to Mark DeRosa.
Chone Figgins will command too much money to go after considering hte other needs they have he is not an option. Beltre may actually get too much money for their liking as well.
Im ok with DeRosa or Polanco as I would rather spend more money on better pitching.
Get him on a 3-yr deal… I really don't see Beltre getting 4 this offseason…
Id go 3 for 21M. Nothing higher…because Mark DeRosa will sign for 3 for less than 21M
Would love Beltre, he is the best fit for the team with regards to their needs but he is not worth the extra year or extra dough if they can get someone else without having to go above their means.
3 years and 21 mil is my feeling of what I would end with. Because DeRosa is going to take that if offered.
Great minds think a like Geoff.
Yes exactly….tahts the limit really. AND back load it so this year you only have to pay 4 or 5…
Scott Boras can't insist on Jack Sh!t, because Beltre was on roids and hasn't had anywhere near the production that Seattle was expecting when they signed him
I want him on the Phillies but for 2-3 years, at no more that $7-8 M per season
Im thinking that this revelation from Boras abotu 4 years, if he adheres to it, is going to disqualify the Phillies here. I think that they will end up with Mark DeRosa.
Guess we'll have to wait and see since Boras is involved we can't expect a quick resolution on this 3B issue. I'd love to see him on the Phils though great glove, and nothing cures a hitter's woes like CBP.
3 Years 20-24 mill, maybe through an option out there for a 4th year, knowing that we won't likely exercise it. Phils will need their first round draft pick this year. We need to start drafting a for the infield of the future.
I know how silly this is going to sound, but if Atkins gets released and goes cheap, could it be possible to afford him AND DeRosa? If Atkins falters again, DeRosa could take his place, and even if he doesn't, DeRosa would be the best bat off our bench. Again sounding silly, do we really need a 5th OF to start the season? If there's any sign of one OF being hurt, we could milk the minors, while still giving Taylor/Mayberry at bats every day to improve.
Yeah, I know I'm exhausted and someone will point out that this idea is stoopid and impossible.
If Beltre gets 3/21, that would be a victory for him coming off of a down year. This market is shaping up like last year… remember, Bobby Abreu got one year and 5 million. There weren't many lucrative contracts doled out in 2008 –
If you go by that measuring stick, it's not unreasonable to suggest that the Phillies can try to work that number lower or cut that down to two years. I don't know how many teams are in the market for a 3B but there are some good ones on the market this year and next…
geoff–you cant compare derosa/beltre. beltre is an everyday player and is 4 years younger than derosa. signing derosa would mean you would HAVE to play dobbs/castro/whoever a decent amount of games. derosa will get more playing time and probably the same amount of money on a team not as good as the phils.
havoc–i agree with you. 3 years, 4th year option, 24 mil plus incentives/performance bonuses. thats a good investment because beltre is young enough to still have great offensive numbers ahead of him. problem–beltre averaged about 12.5 mil per season over the last 5 years in seattle. dropping down to 8 mil could be tough to swallow, but if the phils committed to the 4 year deal i think beltre/boras would go for it
get it done ruben
What did Abreu get this year… 2 years, $15 M ?
Anyone that is a legit player in baseball gets somewhere in the $6-7 Million range.. and the outstanding players get double-digits
Beltre won't be cheap, but shouldn't be too expensive either
I have to say maybe you give him his 4th year 25 million or so. And I think they will try harder for Beltre because, really I do not see DeRosa as everyday 3rd base guy. And to give a guy 4 years when he is 30 is not a bad idea if he pans out, if he sucks it up, 3 years is too many also. With Boras as an agent I do not see a quick deal like we had with Raul last year. Unless you over pay him. He has to know he is not getting 10-12 million on this contract with his down years in Seatle. Would it not make sense to take 2 or 3 year deal and have decent offensive numbers, and be 32 or 33 when it is time to maybe sign another 2 or 3 year deal worth more. I like the guy and think he is the best fit for this team because you do not need huge numbers from the #7 guy, .270 12-18 hr 60 rbi. Just do not K as much.
With all that said I would still not be surprised to see Peter Happy back.
Phillies Sign DeWayne Wise & Wilson Valdez…Nuff said lol
either way you slice it, its an upgrade over feliz. even if ur a skeptic and a pessimist, you can still see that there is a significant age difference between the two guys. whether you like beltre or not, whether you think he will be a good fit or not, you can still honestly say to yourself…'ya know. he is young enough where he could potentially have 2-3 solid years of production, especially in the phils lineup.'….you cant argue me there. can you say the same thing for pedro feliz?? not really.
even if beltre puts up the EXACT same numbers that he did in seattle, minus his injury season 09 and his fluke season 04 in LA, he would still be considered an average 3rd baseman abd be on par with feliz. in the worst case scenario he does about the same as pedro we just pay him a little more to be average. but im tellin ya, there is room for improvement for this guy and i think being on a contending team will turn his game around.
Guess they are creating competition for the bench spots? I'm cool with that.
Also I agree on the 5th outfielder position. Fransico in the 4th outfield spot, giving Vic, Raul, and Jayson a few days off. If some one goes down for a long period of time, he could fill in nicely. And you bring up Tyler, Brown, and even Mayberry if he works on his plate discipline this winter. If not you only going to sign a guy for a year, because you have these guys almost ready to play if not now at least in 2011.
Any Boras client will take time unless he senses the market won't be there. Boras would be a fool not to grab 3/21 for Beltre, IMO. Beltre may not move untilt he market gets set with Figgins though so be patient.
I like the two minor league contracts.
Beltre, in my opinion, would be way overpriced at seven mil for three years. He's no better than Feliz, and in that 3rd year will be just as old. He's coming off an injury, and his one spectacular year was a fluke. I'd try him for one year with an option and incentives.
The Phils are approaching Beltre because Boras takes his time. I'm sure they're trying to determine right away if they have a remote chance of a bargain before everyone else–Polanco, DeRosa, Figgins–are snatched off the market by other teams. I don't take this rumor as much of anything.
Well, if it's true he was on 'roids, I'd be worried about recurring injuries, that stuff wears down your body, slower healing, tend to flab out and lose agility. Depending on how much he did (if he did), he could be physiologically as old as Pedro.
Csn reported Jamie Moyer is back in the hospital with complications from his groin surgery…wish him well.
Beltre would be a nice pickup, he's an excellent defender and knows how to hit. Definite upgrade over Feliz.
I'd offer a 3 yr 18 million with a club option for a 4th year at 7 million with a 3 million buyout. Beltre has major upside, he's been in the AL playing for the Mariners. In Safeco. What do we know about players coming from the Mariners and Safeco to the Phillies and the Bank? We know that Raul Ibanez had a monster season. Why? Better coaching, better park. From what I've read about Beltre, he's been a warning track guy for the Mariners. In the Bank, those are HRs.
I feel like we need a good 3b to compete with the AL teams, and there aren't many guys who play great defense and can hit. Derosa is not a good choice, because he is older, below average defensively, and beloved by so many teams. Honestly if I had to sign Derosa to a 3 yr contract, I wouldn't go over 14 Million, and I'd be hesitant to do that, he can hit and nothing else. He has major potential to be the next Geoff Jenkins for this team.
Idk i think we are going to land Derosa though i can just feel it. And is it me or is this Roy Holladay drama just old now?
Some people here are overvaluing Beltre. He might be worth $5 to $6 million for one year but he is not worth anything over 3 years. He had one career year in a contract year and one monstrous contract as a result. His hitting stats are not much better than Feliz'. He did not have a good year last year and it was a contract year. He hasn't shown the ability to deserve anything than a one year deal.
Beltre plays gold glove defense and would probably hit on our team. I'd say that's worth 6 million a year.
Beltre suffered a shoulder injury and then a freak ruptured nut sack after getting racked by a hit ball. Keep in mind, Feliz under went back surgery in the off season last year….I'll take a shoulder issue from a non pitcher than a back problem any day esp. when back surgeries have high failure rates and often result in a loss in range of motion. He is also a better fielder than Feliz and had to face alot of Angels pitching. I think he'd rake at CBP
Just what the Phillies need…another low OBP player that strikes out 100 times a year. Beltre would be a disaster.
Back surgery has a high failure rate, but Feliz's seemed to be success. Shoulder problems, I'm afraid, can be devastating as well; shoulder problems pretty much wrecked the career of Houston's HOF caliber first baseman a few years back (Rats! Can't think of his name!), and certainly hasn't helped Scott Rolen over the years.
Beltre is a HUGE RISK. He's also a low OBP, high strikeout type. While he may not be a disaster, he's not such an upgrade that he should be paid 1-3 million per year more than Feliz.
J reed (and some others I've read) seems to think part of Beltre's hitting slowdown is attributable to facing Angel's pitching, and that he'd improve in the NL east. Given the talent in the NL east–Johann Santana, Josh Johnson, Javier Vasquez, Jair Jurgens, etc., is this even a logical argument? And on top of that, the Mets will likely be going after John Lackey–an ANGELS pitcher.
NO MORE HIGH STRIKEOUT GUYS PLEASE AND THANK YOU. Just sign Polanco and be done with it.
The Dipsy
Happy Thanksgiving Phillies Nation!
Beltre and Scott Boras – coming off a 5 year $64 mil contract? Comon, get real! Although he probably would settle for less than that amount thinking or wishing he will come in under 8 mil a year is a pipe dream. He is not worth that!
If we could keep Feliz, I think all of us would be OK with that decision.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I'm with Dips, just sign PP and be done with it. Save the rest of the $$$ for pitching.
I think some of the people are undervaluing Beltre. He is a better defender much younger and has power to left field which would play very well at CBP. Remember he played his home games at Safeco Field which has always been tough on RH pull hitters. He still managed to average over 20 hr's and his away SLG is over 100 pts higher away from Safeco. If you go by fangraph's value his down 09 season was still worth 10.7 million. Meanwhile Pedro, who I loved, has only had one season that high in 07 which was worth 11.7 million. I think signing Beltre would be a huge upgrade and would keep our INF defense strong while adding a RH power bat that would give us 5 guys with 30 HR power. If we can get him for a 3yr 21-24 million I think it's a no brainer.
polanco and derosa are not effective full time starters and each could realistically be signed to 1 year deals. you would have to sign BOTH of them in some sort of platoon operation at 3rd base and have bench bats. i dont see polanco in the picture whatsoever, but i do think derosa is still a possibility if beltre's price is too high.
joedad–beltre happend to play injured during his contract year last season 2009. he is 30 years old and has the greatest offensive production capabilities of any 3base FA. if the phils offered him a 1 year deal…boras would laugh. the dude is gettin multiyears somewhere thas for sure. the only question is how much and how long.
brooks–i would not be okay with keeping feliz. ruben isnt an idiot. he sees this as the 1 position that we have the opportunity to upgrade and take the team in a better direction. i ll take figgins, beltre, polanco easily before i take feliz. nothin against pedro personally, its just there are better options out there and this is part of the business
amen jesus…good reply…i couldnt agree more
happy thanksgiving everyone!
beltre will be here as a christmas present. i guarantee it. 3yrs, 4th year option 24 million plus incentive bonuses. he numbers will blow you away next season when he is here and he is surrounded by great players.
The old "his numbers will blow you away next season when he is here and he is surrounded by great players" mantra has already been used in the past with David Bell and Pedro Feliz. Beltre is exactly the type of player that the Phillies should be avoiding.
This lineup needs a new dimension other than standing around waiting for the three run HR. It needs a leadoff hitter that actually gets on base (what a novel concept). Signing Figgins strengthens the lineup at both leadoff and the 7th slot.
ok sure spend 10mil a year for 5 years of figgins. thats the kind of deal hes lookin at. and then by year 2 of the contract, when hes 34 years old, and hes speed is deteriorating, he will be an average player. you will have another mediocre player in a huge contract. im not investing that much time/money into a guy with speed as his only attribute. jeff i bet u didnt even know who figgins was 2 years ago
oh and because jimmy had one bad year everyone is ready to give up on him??? hell lets give up on cole hamels and brad lidge too since they played like sh*t last year. jimmy has the tools and the diligence to come out next year swingin the bat real well.
How is moving Rollins to the 7th slot "giving up on him"??? Leadoff hitters are supposed to set the table for the big bats. They're supposed to get on base. They're supposed to work the count. They're supposed to be able to situational hit. Which of those attributes does Rollins show any sort of proficiency in? None. He swings for the fences in every AB, no matter what the score, no matter what the situation. He always has and he always will. Moving him to the 7th slot is not "giving up on him" – it's simply putting him where's he belonged for years now.
Figgins isn't getting 5 years or $50 million from anybody. You know that as well as I do. He will get more than Beltre because he's a more valuable player. A team that in recent history blew $24 million on Adam Eaton and $13 million on Geoff Jenkins shouldn't be concerned with paying a couple of million a year more over Beltre to get the better player.
And you lost that bet jrollpatrol08.
Supply = Demand dictates that Beltre isn't worth more than a one or two year contract or a 3 year contract at a low price. There are quite a few free agent 3rd basemen who are at or just below Beltre's level of production who will take a one or two year deal.
I'm amazed at how much value people associate with Figgins. You are talking about a little above average player who had 2 maybe 3 good seasons and not in a row. He is going to get 4yrs at 10mill from someone, to those who don't believe that please see Gary Matthews Jr., and I don't see him worth that. He strikes out over 100 times a season, was thrown out 30% on his steal attempts, has a career high of 62 RBI's in the AL, and has a career SLG of .388. I agree that JRoll isn't the prototypical lead off hitter but he gets the job done. He scores tons of runs, drives in runs when runners are on base and steals bases at a high rate of success. So I think that overpaying for Chone just doesn't make a lot of sense. Over the last 4yrs he has a total value of 51 million, take into account his season last yr was worth 27.4 million. Beltre over the last 4yrs has been worth 58.8 million. I would rather have Beltre for 2-3yrs at 7-8 million than Figgins for 4yrs at 10mill. We could take the extra 2-3 million to get an arm for the pen.
jeff i agree, figgins is probably an all around better player right NOW. but in 2 years at age 34 you think he'll still have an above average obp? doubtful. let other teams waste their time on him becausehe will get about 10mil per year as the leader of the 3b FA pack. he would add a great scoring dimension for the phils, but in the long run i strongly believe the phils would get a better return on their money with beltre for 3 rather than figgins for 4-5.
jesus u got it right
I think its just fine to sign DeRosa or Polanco really. They need to add depth to the rotation, there is no second right handed starter. Drabek should not be rushed AT ALL, hes very young sitll. I wouldnt mind leaving him down there until September really. No hurry at all. Then they need a closer to be their plan B. They just need to convince one of the better ones on the market that he should come here and be the option if Lidge isnt ready.
i kinda like pavano as the 5th starter. i like him over the injury prone harden, bedard, sheets that everyone seems to be talking about. i think pavano still has 2 solid years left and he had areal cheap contract last year in the AL. performance based incentives, i think he would be a good fit, right hander, with experience…esp with the news of moyer, who knows how effective he will be even at the beginning. i realize he is paid for already, so they will want to use him somehow, but if he is injured he wont be any use in the rotation or bullpen. sounds like the brewers are targeting pavano, but we will see. considering his yankees debacle of a couple years ago, he had a decent comeback year last year in the AL central….
Pavano? He's been injury prone himself, doesn't have the stuff of Bedard, Harden, or Sheets, and has seemed at times to be a head case.
Let's worry for now about 3rd base and how limited and overpriced the available talent is. I'm thinking more and more that there will be a large hole at third no matter who is signed. I just don't see any of the free agents being all that much better than Feliz. I hope I'm wrong.
bedard could even hack it on the orioles. if you ask a cubs fan if they were impressed with harden, you woul hear a unanimous NO. and if sheets even played last year i dont remember. damn i dont remember either of these guys havin a year to mention in a while…
heres the deal== i feel like pavano has just as good stuff and as much potential of winning over say the next 2 years. i feel like teams REALLY lookin for SP might gamble on the 2nd tier of pitchers like bedard, harden, sheets…im just sayin if pavano should be top on the radar for the phils if they are lookin for SP. he will be a low risk/high reward type pitcher in terms of salary. he had a good rebound year from injury. he has experience pitching in both leagues. i like him as another R handed guy in our rotation.
but beltre is comin in at 3rd.
correction…bedard could 'NOT' even hack it on the orioles…
Not saying Bedard, Sheets, or Harden are great options. I'm saying Pavano is just as bad or worse. His ERA last season was 5.10, and he gave up the most hits of any pitcher in the majors.
Pavano is also being courted by at least two other teams, the Twins and Brewers, and will not be cheap because of that. He'll probably get more than double what he did last year. Maybe he'd be worth that, but it's too big of a maybe. With his track record (one really good year, but overall about a .500 pitcher) he's far more "high risk" than he'll ever be "high reward."
yea its just a tough one…i mean i do think they should try to get a righty starter…but after lackey its just a real crapshoot. duscherer (sp?) from oakland has good stuff but he is young enough to probably be stepping into a decent contract for years and money. dont know if the phils want to committ to that. and the guy missed last year because he was battling depression?? and alot of injury-prone guys there…pavano may not be the BEST choice, but i cant really think of many better options in FA
we need to really start investing some time into finding a young guy in the draft or free agency that we can work into a premier 3rd baseman, signing 30+ guys to play the hot corner is getting old.


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ICBA and Farmers Market Coalition Join Forces: Encouraging Consumers to Bank, Shop and Dine Locally
Just in time for ICBA Community Banking Month and the opening of farmers markets across the country
Washington, D.C. (April 23, 2013)—The Independent Community Bankers of America ® (ICBA) and the Farmers Market Coalition announced today that they are joining forces for ICBA Community Banking Month and for the opening of farmers markets across the country. Their goal is to help educate consumers on the benefits of building a more sustainable local community and life by banking, shopping and dining locally.
"Community banks have helped local farmers and small businesses grow for years, so working with the Farmers Market Coalition to spread the positive Go Local message makes just as much sense now as it would have 50 or 100 years ago," said Bill Loving, ICBA chairman and president and CEO of Pendleton Community Bank in Franklin, W.Va. "By banking, shopping and dining locally, consumers can make a big impact in their lives and in the lives of their neighbors—all while helping to build a more sustainable and robust local economy, which means more local jobs and more local prosperity."
In addition to supporting resilient local economies and agricultural livelihoods, farmers markets provide fresh, nutritious food directly to their communities. Amid the colorful, talkative bustle in these markets, relationships are built, healthy habits are forged, farms thrive, knowledge is shared and new food enterprises are sparked. Since 2000, the number of recorded farmers markets has grown from 2,863 markets in 2000 to more than 7,800 in 2012. As demand grows for fresh local food and shoppers seek relationships with the farms that make such food possible, farmers markets represent an important retail option that bolsters local economies in communities large and small.
Community banks, which are locally based financial institutions that take in and lend deposits locally, have consistently been the largest provider of agricultural credit within the commercial banking sector. In fact, community banks with assets under $10 billion provide more than 75 percent of all commercial bank agricultural loans, and banks with assets less than $1 billion provide nearly 60 percent of all commercial bank agricultural financing. Also, because community banks are small businesses themselves, they have the added advantage of being able to help their agricultural and small business customers understand the unique dynamics of their local marketplace, helping them through good and bad times to build a plan for success.
This spring and summer, ICBA and FMC will spotlight successful partnerships between community banks and farmers markets across the country. As part of ICBA's Go Local initiative, the success stories will highlight these mutually beneficial relationships, while educating the broader consumer base on the benefits of banking, shopping, and dining locally.
To find a community bank near you, visit ICBA's community bank locator at www.banklocally.org. Simply type in your ZIP code and the app will show you all the community banks in your area. You can even download free ICBA locator apps for your iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. For more information about farmers markets and their impact on communities nationwide, visit www.farmersmarketcoalition.org.
About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America®, the nation's voice for nearly 7,000 community banks of all sizes and charter types, is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry and its membership through effective advocacy, best-in-class education and high-quality products and services. For more information, visit www.icba.org.
About FMC
The Farmers Market Coalition (FMC) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to strengthening farmers markets for the mutual benefit of farmers, consumers, and communities. FMC strives to build a strong national network of farmers market organizations, provide professional development opportunities for continuous market improvement, and better understand and communicate farmers market impacts to the public. For more information, visit www.farmersmarketcoalition.org.


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We're super into Chvrches front woman, Lauren Mayberry's style. We love how she pairs her rock and roll vibe with flawy dresses and playful prints. And her sweet melodic voice? I mean… <3 When this single first came out we were jamming to it in the office and are now so excited to go see them play live at Coachella this year! Who are you most excited to go see?
5. Chvrches: "The Mother We Share"