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Locke heads into season with confidence high
But after tossing six shutout innings against the Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field with his best fastball-changeup combination all spring, he can head north feeling that much better.
Locke allowed four hits and struck out three in six efficient innings on both clubs' getaway day. Sure, the Yankees were swinging early and often as they prepared to break camp, but Locke still looked at the outing as a confidence-booster.
"It's easy to feel good about today's outing, especially when it's the last one, heading out today," Locke said. "I'll be in Pittsburgh tonight at some point, and you feel a lot better about that outing when you're in Pittsburgh. I'm excited, ready to get roaring."
Locke finished the spring with a 3-1 record and 2.63 ERA, leading the Pirates with three wins over his seven games (six starts). He felt like he was getting ahead of hitters better than he had all spring, and he worked in his changeup more often and more effectively than in his previous Grapefruit League starts.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle added that Locke was throwing all his pitches well, but the changeup was an "equalizer" for him. And pitching with the comfort that his next start would be in the Majors didn't hurt, either.
"Time will tell. I've seen it happen, and that's one of the best things you get to enjoy as a manager," Hurdle said. "As hard as the day is in some areas, there's equally a lot of opportunities that you're bestowing upon guys and being the one at least to share the good news with them first. He cut his teeth twice at the Major League level and took some hard lessons. He didn't get his first win until his last start, and he had a few starts."
Locke will have to pitch somewhere between now and his first turn in the rotation, but he didn't know exactly when or where that will come. He did know that he will be with the Pirates at PNC Park for Opening Day -- his first in a Major League uniform.
"It's super exciting, just talking to the veteran guys around here saying all the time that Opening Day doesn't get old. It's never the same. It's always exciting," Locke said. "It's going to be like a playoff-type, World Series-type environment just because everyone's so happy to be out there again playing in front of the home crowd. So it's going to be a lot of fun, I'm sure, for me because I've never been a part of a big league Opening Day before.
"I can only speak to Triple-A Opening Days. I was so excited for that one, so I can only imagine that this one will definitely hold a candle to it."
Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Sporting News MLB writers Jesse Spector and Ryan Fagan trade emails each week about a hot topic in the world of baseball. This week: Should MLB stop counting pitcher wins?
Ryan: Ah, the win. The elusive, arbitrary statistic that's long been used as the standard by which potential Hall of Fame pitchers are measured. Well, Jesse, I think it stinks.
The very concept of a pitcher "win" helped shatter my sense of fairness in the world. I'll explain.
I was one of those kids who devoured the statistics on the back of baseball cards; the one who memorized the record book just because that seemed like the best use of my formative years. It got to the point that my great uncle's favorite thing to do when he visited town was to try and stump me with baseball trivia. He never succeeded.
Anyway, I remember seeing Bob Gibson's magical 1.12 ERA in 1968 and marveling at how anybody could have been that much better than Doc Gooden's 1985 season (time frame alert). And then, I saw something that just didn't seem fair. In that 1968 campaign, Gibson lost nine times. Nine times. For a St. Louis Cardinals team that won 97 games and lasted into the seventh game of the World Series.
I asked, "How is that possible?" I was told, "Because that's how a win works."
I said, "But that's not fair." I was told, "Sometimes life isn't."
I just looked it up. In those nine losses, Gibson had an ERA of 2.14 and struck out 9.2 batters per nine innings. In those nine losses, the Cardinals scored 12 runs, total. In his worst start of the season (by Game Score), Gibson allowed four earned runs in nine innings (and, in a dash of irony, the Cardinals actually won that game).
You want the story of Gibson's magical 1968 season? Look at that 1.12 ERA. Or his 1.77 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), which has been topped only twice (Pedro Martinez in 1999 and Gooden in 1984) since Babe Ruth changed the game by becoming a full-time hitter in 1919.
That 22-9 record? It's misleading at best, an outright lie at worst.
Jesse: Let me go a little more current than Bob Gibson and Doc Gooden, especially since I had the chance to see Matt Harvey pitch in person Wednesday and get a win by pitching a four-hit shutout against the Rockies.
Harvey is 9-3 with a 2.09 ERA, 1.99 FIP, and 0.858 WHIP. More unfair than the losses are the no-decisions, in which Harvey has a 2.38 ERA, has held opposing hitters to a .578 OPS and has 81 strikeouts in 75.2 innings over 11 games. For reference's sake, Mark Belanger had a .580 career OPS. So in 11 starts, Harvey has made entire teams hit like history's prototypical good-glove, no-bat shortstop — and the New York Mets have not hit enough to get him a win. Life and baseball are not fair.
But the question at hand is not whether the win is fair. It is whether MLB should stop counting them. The answer to that is a firm no.
For a single game, a pitcher might lose 1-0 or win 8-7. For a single season, a pitcher might be Felix Hernandez in 2010, going 13-12 despite having a 2.27 ERA. Or he might be Rick Helling, posting a 20-7, 4.41 line in 1998. Over time, though, these things even out. There are no bad pitchers with 300 wins, and even in this era of specialized relief pitching and a higher rate of no-decisions, the biggest winners are some of the top pitchers in the game. The leaders in wins this century: CC Sabathia, Tim Hudson, Roy Halladay, Mark Buehrle, Andy Pettitte.
Are wins the best way to judge a pitcher? Of course not, but the idea of wins being the be-all, end-all went out the window when Hernandez won the Cy Young for that 2010 season.
Since we all know that there are better stats to judge a pitcher's effectiveness than the win, the reason to keep counting them is that it's still the object of the game. If you played 35 games of Scrabble, you would do best to judge your performance on your points average, your rate of converting triple-word scores, and your bingo count, but you still would want to know how many times you won and how many times you lost, and having consistently drawn nothing but vowels would be little consolation for playing great but going 16-19.
It's not Harvey's fault that on so many occasions, the Mets lineup has gone AIIEEEE, but it's still a results business. Even just looking at wins, his 9-3 record looks pretty darn good next to the 43-57 mark for all other Mets pitchers.
Ryan: All I got out of that whole thing was you challenging me to a best-of-5 Scrabble Showdown. Or maybe Matt Harvey was extending the challenge. Or Mark Belanger.
I dunno. In any case, I accept.
Totally agree, accumulating wins are the object of the game. For the team, not an individual player, though. We all recognize there are so, so many things out of a starting pitcher's control, and yet he's assigned a W/L when certain circumstances are met. Why not assign the leadoff hitter wins and losses? He comes to the plate more than any other player on the team and he has as much or more ability to impact his team's offensive performance. And, at least he has an opportunity to play defense, too, so he can make an impact both ways. In the American League, the pitcher has ZERO impact on his team's offense.
Side note: I went into the Los Angeles Dodgers locker room to find a starting pitcher to back me up. Ricky Nolasco was the only one there. After a bit of chit-chat about tough-break losses (hey, he was with the Miami Marlins to start the season) and cheap wins, I asked if he thought it would be a good idea to kill the win statistic. He looked at me like I had "Loria Is Awesome" tattooed on my forehead and said, "That's ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. Because … I mean … you know … Nah, that's ridiculous."
Safe to say he's with Team Spector.
Anyway, those pitchers you mentioned who lead MLB in wins this century? Look at the teams they've pitched for. They've all been with perennial pennant contenders, with only a few individual seasons as outliers. And they're all also top 15 this century in average run support — aside from Buehrle, who's 24th at 5.07 runs per start.
King Felix, who's at a mere 4.22 runs per start, would run naked through the Pike Place Market for that kind of support.
Jesse: I don't know that I would say that Halladay has been on perennial playoff contenders, and Buehrle's success with low run support relative to his peers also points to something I've felt for a long time — that guy's career has been seriously underrated.
The point I really want to respond to here, though, is your idea of W/L records for hitters, which I know you brought up to paint as crazy, but I'm honestly intrigued by — possibly because I'm crazy.
WPA (Win Probability Added) is a pretty cool stat, one you've examined in Numbers That Matter. So, what if the hitters with the highest and lowest WPA for winning and losing teams were assigned hitter wins and hitter losses? Further, think about applying that idea to pitchers for a "truer" won-loss record.
For Harvey, since I brought him up, that would mean a ... well, it would mean a 9-2 record, with him picking up two wins an losing two to Bobby Parnell, who, incidentally, is 2-2 in Harvey starts this year and would be 3-3 in WPA won-loss. Harvey's third traditional loss would instead go to LaTroy Hawkins, who is 0-3 in WPA won-loss in Harvey starts this year, but 0-1 for his traditional record in them. One funny thing is that Harvey would earn a hitter win for the May 17 game in which Parnell got the pitcher WPA win. That's pretty impressive.
Harvey was the only Mets pitcher in the game on Wednesday throwing his first career shutout. No doubt about the WPA pitching there, aided by catcher John Buck, who has a 2-2 WPA hitter record in Harvey starts. Anyway, the losing pitcher in that game was Jhoulys Chacin, while the WPA loser would have been Manny Corpas, who let the Mets bust the game open with a three-run eighth inning. Chacin, like Nolasco, then had to talk about how he had thrown a good game, but gotten nothing for it — in fact, less than nothing, a loss.
"I got behind in the second and had to throw fastballs for strikes," was what he said afterward.
Ultimately, the loss was because he made mistakes against the bottom of the Mets' order and could not afford those mistakes going against Harvey. Another day, maybe, but in this case, Chacin wore it. Life is unfair, and baseball is sometimes a reminder of it, but someday Chacin will win a game more because a teammate bails him out than because of his own performance. And generally, it will trend toward evening out. For as many tough losses as pitchers may take and nonsense wins as they may snap up, in the vast majority of games, the decision, win or loss, goes to the pitcher who has the greatest impact on the game.
I still like the historical perspective the traditional stats provide, and ultimately, the goal is to have as much information as possible for evaluation. Judging regular W/L against the rest of the team, and with run support factored in, still can do that pretty well — just ask Felix when he puts some clothes on, and then we can play some Scrabble.

subset: commoncrawl


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LAKEPORT -- A Clearlake Oaks man was sentenced to 14 years in state prison Monday for shooting another man with a shotgun in his hometown last September.
Wearing black and white jail stripes, Walter Frederick Wolkenhauer showed little emotional reaction as Judge Andrew S. Blum handed down the prison term Monday afternoon at the Lake County Courthouse.
Wolkenhauer, 20, pleaded no contest to assault with a firearm and admitted to a special allegation of using a gun as part of a Jan. 28 plea bargain.
Authorities say Wolkenhauer shot Dustin Warner near the Tower Mart in Clearlake Oaks the night of Sept. 13, shortly after calling Warner and threatening to shoot him.
Wolkenhauer was in Nylander Park when he shot at Warner, hitting the victim with 12 birdshot pellets, prosecutor Susan Krones said. The two reportedly argued back-and-forth for several days before the shooting.
The prosecution and defense agreed Wolkenhauer should serve four years for the felony count, but the two sides did not reach an agreement on the prison term for the special allegation.
Krones, arguing for the maximum enhancement of 10 years, told the judge, "This was done out in the open, so other people could have been injured." Public defender Lisa Proffitt, who represented Wolkenhauer, asked the court to impose the low term of three years for the allegation. "It was a stupid move. He understands that and wants to move on with his life," she said.
The judge ultimately sided with the prosecution, sentencing Wolkenhauer to 10 years for the gun-use allegation in addition to the four years for the assault count. "He went into a public park in this community with a loaded shotgun and fired it at another human being," Blum said.
Wolkenhauer, housed at the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility since turning himself in Sept. 29, received 263 days worth of credits based on time served in the county jail and his behavior while in custody.
Jeremy Walsh is a staff reporter for Lake County Publishing. Reach him at 263-5636, ext. 37 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow his court coverage on Twitter, @JeremyDWalsh or #Lakecourt.


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Fundraiser Focuses on Preventing Malaria in Africa
Published on Mon, December 03, 2012
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 200 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide in 2010, and most fatalities from the disease took place in Africa. Malaria—a mosquito-borne illness—is preventable, and that has prompted Campus Ministry and Catholic Relief Services to collaborate, raising money to fight malaria in Africa.
On Wednesday, December 5, Marywood's men's and women's basketball teams will play Baptist Bible College. All proceeds will be used to purchase insecticide-treated bed nets, which are used to combat the spread of malaria.
Sr. John Michele Southwick, IHM, assistant director of campus ministry, says it is important to raise awareness about preventable diseases such as malaria.
"Malaria is still taking people's lives," Sr. John Michele said. "More than two million people—mostly children—die of malaria every year, and it's preventable. [The disease] also perpetuates poverty. If someone gets it, they can't work. Why wouldn't we do something?"
According to Catholic Relief Services:
- Malaria is one the most common and serious diseases in the world, yet it's preventable.
- Malaria perpetuates poverty. When people are sick, they cannot work, then food becomes scarce, medicines become unaffordable and families suffer.
- Malaria was eradicated in the United States in 1946. This public health campaign paved the way for the creation of the Centers for Disease Control.
For the past three years, Campus Ministry and Catholic Relief Services have worked together on a number of other initiatives such as the Fair Trade Sale, the Lenten Rice Bowl, and student food fast.


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MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - The Miami Beach City Commission is considering changes to how the film industry works in the city.
A committee met Monday to discuss limiting how long film and television crews can continuously work after noise complaints from neighbors.
"We're not looking to hurt them, but at the same time, residents have their rights," said Commissioner Jerry Libbin. "The proper balance can be struck to give everyone what they're looking for."
A man who lives near baseball star Alex Rodriguez said constant filming there is too much of an inconvenience.
"January, I believe it was like four, five shoots," said the neighbor who asked to be unidentified. "In February, there were like seven shoots."
In the last year, Rodriguez has received 20 permits for commercial shoots at his home.
"We're looking for what I believe is a compromise position to let everyone have what they have expressed that they need or want," said Libbin.
Currently, crews can shoot 60 days every six months with few restrictions. A new proposal allows only 10 consecutive days per month and sets up a list of homeowners who can say no to a film crew.
"We are worried," said entertainment attorney Ivan Parron.
Parron said more restrictions could stop film and television shoots in Miami Beach.
"Basically, a monkey wrench. You're creating a lot more problems than anything. It's already getting a lot of bad press in Hollywood, and it's last thing that our city needs in these times," said Parron.
Last year, filming in Miami Beach brought the city $87 million.
"Good, clean business," said Libbin. "We can find a happy note for everybody here today."
The proposal would still need to go in front of the commission, which likely wouldn't happen until December.
Copyright 2012 by Post Newsweek. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Our design entrepreneur Marcia Budet has an interesting story to tell on how she started her business. Her inspirational story proves that so much can happen in just a year. And, like our other spotlights, you'll get to read her fun fact.
Can you tell us about your line?
It is an international award winning line offering creative and innovative fine jewelry, directly influenced by our architectural training. Our collections are made in 18k gold and/or sterling silver with precious and semi precious stones and we also do custom work. We redefine effortless elegance and our work inspires women to embrace sophistication with an edge.
When did you start your line?
Why did you start it?
It was almost a happy accident. I was looking to buy a double ring for myself, but could not find one I really liked, so I decided to design it myself. A colleague saw the piece, sent me a link to an international design competition in Italy and encouraged me to submit my design. I did – and a year later I was at the Gala in Lake Como receiving a Golden Award for it. After that, clients started approaching me and I recognized it to be a business opportunity worth exploring.
What's your brand signature?
Sophisticated boldness
Asymmetrics + Diamonds, which is the first piece I designed and won an award in Italy.
Why did you apply to DENYC?
Because I knew I would greatly benefit from it. Learning from fellow designers and the training offered have surpassed my expectations.
What do you hope to get out of the program?
New friends, new skills and lots of fun.
Best part of being a NYC designer?
Access to a great variety of suppliers and raw material, great networking, and inspiration overload.
Can you give us a fun fact?
I am a huge, huge sports fan.


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Showing 1 - 24 of 39468 Canvas Tote Bag


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Out of the Humidor
(continued from page 23)
That's the best reason we can come up with for our mailbox overflowing with letters and faxes since we announced the coming of CIGAR AFICIONADO nine months ago. We've been literally flooded with mail from cigar lovers. It seems that people have some pent-up desire to express their feelings about cigars, anti-cigar fanatics and just about everything else, including our new magazine.
CIGAR AFICIONADO had always planned a Letters to the Editor page. But we had no idea the response would be so overwhelming. So, this is really more than a letters page. It's a forum. It's a place where you, the reader of CIGAR AFICIONADO, can talk about the subjects that matter most to you.
So, keep the cards, faxes and letters coming. Send them to me at CIGAR AFICIONADO, 387 Park Ave. South, 8th Floor, New York, New York, 10016, or fax (212) 684-5374. In the next few pages, you'll see a small sample of what people had on their minds.
Here's to happy smoking.
Marvin R. Shanken
Editor & Publisher
Editor & Publisher
* * *
Nov. 3, 1991
Dear Marvin:
Please include my husband, Mark Bivins, on your mailing list for the first issue of your forthcoming publication for cigar lovers. I know he will want to subscribe.
Thank you,
Ellen Bivins
Amarillo, Texas
Amarillo, Texas
Editor's Response: Thanks Ellen. I only wish there were more wives out there like you.
* * *
March 8, 1992
Dear Marvin:
One of the simple pleasures in life for a gentleman is fine cigars and somehow this has been lost in America. I applaud your efforts to publish a magazine devoted to the cigar. It needs a comeback and your magazine should be a great help.
W.C. Thompson
Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury, North Carolina
* * *
Nov. 22, 1991
Dear Marvin:
I am one of the unfortunates whose wife won't let him smoke cigars at home (unless I'm outside, at least 50 feet from the house).
I have just one request--could you put a Field and Stream cover on it?
Doug Grissom
Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Editor's Response: Your wife shouldn't mind your CIGAR AFICIONADO at home; after all, it does not contain smelly perfume ads like many of the women's magazines she probably subscribes to.
* * *
April 12, 1992
Dear Marvin:
There are, as you most probably know, various subtle and not-so-subtle ways of getting Havana cigars here in the U.S. I hope your new magazine never investigates this; it will ruin it for the rest of us who maneuver to the best of out abilities to keep ourselves content.
Until not long ago, there was a store in Moscow called "Gavana," where Cuba's best was on sale, for rubles. When I found myself writing a movie in Moscow in late 1989, my producer, a devout cigar smoker who knows Cohiba is the best in the world (and there's no point in debating this), told me where to find the shop.
I arrived to find an empty storefront and an even emptier interior. A white-coated elderly woman sat collapsed in a chair behind the bare counter. When I asked her whether there were any cigars available, she muttered something about coming back the following day. The next morning I arrived to find 300 people cramming the shop, and spilling outside. Elbowing my way in, I found one self-appointed fellow giving out numbers--a familiar Soviet (now Russian) way of maintaining order. I tried to ask him what the drill was, and as I sought an answer, 15 people signed up. So I stopped the politeness, got myself a number, and then asked my question. He ignored me, yelling out only that there would be cigars for maybe 100 people if any even appeared. My number was 167. As I left, he was still handing out numbers. I walked out the door as he called, "21 1!"
I write this smoking a small Jose Quintero and wishing you every success.
George Malko
New York, New York
New York, New York
Comments2 comment(s)
Gary Frandsen Port Byron, Illinois, usa, April 12, 2013 2:15pm ET
Dear Marvin:
After reading the latest edition of Cigar Aficionado,I realized that our article about Laurence Fishburne left out an acting credit. He was in the 1986 CBS TV Show
"Pee-wee's Playhouse" as Cowboy Curtis.
I do enjoy reading your magazine cover to cover and will be a life long reader. Thanks
After reading the latest edition of Cigar Aficionado,I realized that our article about Laurence Fishburne left out an acting credit. He was in the 1986 CBS TV Show
"Pee-wee's Playhouse" as Cowboy Curtis.
I do enjoy reading your magazine cover to cover and will be a life long reader. Thanks
john zakes jr La Porte, Indiana, USA, May 13, 2013 12:17pm ET
I have been a subscriber for at least 15 years. love the articles and especially the ratings. Enjoy the pictures also. I just wish they would print only pictures with the cigars actually lit. was no big deal for awhile but in the last year,I have seen people holding unlit cigars the wrong way!! the wedding pictures are really prone to this. just doesn't seem to be right-my opinion.
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Or register for Cigar Aficionado today—it's free.
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Topic: New biopsy and bad news
Hi again,
John had another biopsy and the tumors are from his cholangio. The Dr. was upset when he told us, which was really bad for John. He basically acted like it was all over for us.
I try so hard to keep his spirits up and then some idiot Dr. says something like that.
I'm so mad I could spit. Also I did some research on the chemo regemin the Dr. said would be VERY MILD, and the side effects can be horrible.
I don't know if it's just the Drs. here or has anyone else had these types of problems with getting accurate info?
We see the oncologist on the 9th and I'm going to take a print out of the side effects to him and see what he says.
Keep John in your thoughts please, I think we're in for a real rough time.


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The corn market recently bounced because traders thought last week's drop to five-month lows would spark improved export demand. Thus, futures reacted badly Wednesday when the latest Export Inspections report showed last week's sales fell short of the week-prior total. One might reasonably argue that the price drop was too recent to have initiated the expected, reaction, but traders were also facing a negative reaction to the currency situation. That is, the U.S. dollar reached a two-year high versus the Japanese yen. This seems indicative of its relationship with several Asian currencies, so it was not terribly surprising to see the grain and soybean complexes react negatively to the news. The fact that bulls could not sustain the December 21 bounce back above the $7.00/bushel level probably inspired technical selling as well. March corn ended the day 11 1/4 cents lower at $6.93/bushel and December fell 8 1/2 cents to $5.98 1/2.
The weekly Export Inspections data seemed much more favorable for soybeans than they did for corn, since the latest figure (at 44,486 bushels) topped comparable week and year-ago totals. Moreover, the year-to-date results are far above those posted over the same 2011 period despite the substantial price increase experienced in the interim. Moreover, sizeable Christmas rains could once again delay Argentine soy plantings, thereby implying a diminished 2013 crop. Nevertheless, soybean futures fell rather substantially in the wake of the weekly inspections report. U.S. dollar strength and slippage in the equity indexes may be weighing upon the legume market. January beans fell 15 3/4 cents to $14.24/bushel, while January soyoil dropped 0.53 to 48.41 cents/pound and January meal tumbled $4.9 to $429.9/ton.
As in the corn pit, wheat traders have recently expected slumping prices to boost exports, but the weekly Export Inspections report indicated a disappointing wheat sales total as well. Negative post-Christmas financial market trends (i.e. U.S. dollar and energy price strength and equity index losses) probably depressed golden grain values. We would also point out that bulls proved unable to mount a sustained challenge of chart resistance around the $8.00/bushel level (basis March CBOT futures) over the weekend, which more than likely encouraged fresh selling. Trader interpretations of recent technical movements will probably determine their short-term bearish expectations. Some likely think the $7.75 low marked a significant turning point, whereas others may be expecting a drop all the way to $7.60. March CBOT wheat closed 11 1/2 cents lower, at $6.92 3/4, on the day; March KCBT wheat fell 18 3/4 cents to $8.25 3/4 and March MGE futures slumped 13 1/4 cents to $8.68/bushel.
After avoiding a substantial decline in the wake of last Friday's disappointing USDA Cattle on Feed report on Christmas Eve, live cattle futures moved modestly higher Wednesday morning. Bulls are almost surely relying upon the prospect of persistently tight fed cattle supplies and robust demand from domestic and export sources for underlying strength. Having winter storms hammer the Central and Southern Plains over the past week may also favor bulls, since wintry weather is hard on feedlot cattle. Having choice cutout values post a major midday advance also seemed to provide considerable support for cattle futures. The February live cattle contract rose 0.55 cents to 133.77 cents/pound today, while April added 0.47 cents to 137.25 cents/pound.
The cotton market seemed to suffer from a dearth of fresh news over the Christmas holiday, although some might reasonably argue that the storm that marched out of the Southern Plains favored early-2013 bean plantings over cotton (due to somewhat diminished concerns about another drought next summer, which would favor bean plantings). Still, the lack of fresh information seemingly caused New York traders to focus upon technical aspects of the current situation. For example, the nearby March future pushed to three-month highs Monday and again today. That strength has been quite impressive, especially when viewed within the context of concurrent grain, soybean and equity index losses, along with the U.S. dollar advance. Its associated momentum indicators suggest the white fiber market is nearing overbought territory, but we don't regard the latest readings as being particularly high. March cotton surged 0.66 cents to 77.06 cents/pound, while December gained just 0.23 to 79.01 cents/pound.
Cotton once again seemed to be competing with soybeans for acreage across the Southern U.S. Friday, as exemplified by the fact that is surged to its highest close since mid-September as bean futures rebounded strongly from losses posted earlier in the week. Vigorous export business has played a major role in the cotton market lately, but we suspect technicians are also climbing aboard the bullish bandwagon, because the ongoing advance has been very well behaved. That is, the March future has not fallen significantly below its 10-day moving average since mid-November. We tend to expect more of the same over the short term, especially if the other crop markets sustain rebounds from recent losses. March cotton ended the week by rising 0.35 cents to 76.18, while December advanced 0.29 to 78.52 cents/pound.


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Merlins Bridge 3
St Clears 3
STEPHEN McNabney scored a late equaliser to earn Merlins Bridge a draw at home against St Clears, writes Gordon Thomas.
With only minutes remaining and the Wizards were trailing, and up popped McNabney to fire home and secure a point for this side that lifted them up to third in the table.
The Saints played extremely well and thoroughly deserved to lead by a single Steve Thomas goal at half time. Shortly after the interval and Daniel Bryce equalised for the Wizards with a fine header. Thomas added his second goal of the game in the 65th minute and five minutes later saw Ian Derbyshire volley in a third for the visitors.
Bryce pulled one back for his side's second, and then had what would have been a third goal was controversially disallowed by referee Paul Rooney. The striker looked to have beaten the off side trap with no complaints from the visitors. But McNabney finally struck late to earn his side a share of the spoils.
Merlins Bridge: Carl Woodhouse, Paul Thomas, Nathan Thomas, Dave Rees, Jordan Raymond, Matthew D'Ivry, David Davies, Peter Thomas, Stephen McNabney, Daniel Bryce, Simon Thomas. Subs: Gareth Williams, Matthew Ellis.
St Clears: James Dixon, Nathan Evans, Sean Seymour Davies, Owain Evans, Ian Derbyshire, Eddie Wiggans, Steve Thomas, Kristian Isaac, Nick Squire, Martin Thomas, Danny Peters. Subs: Josh Jones.
Referee: Paul Rooney.


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People across the district can apply for funds and support from the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) to 'green-up' and improve their neighbourhoods.
The RHS Yorkshire in Bloom development project offers a new £100,000 fund which will be distributed over the next three years to support grassroots community gardening in the region.
There are 80,000 community gardeners and 1,600 schools in Yorkshire who can apply for these funds which will help projects to create community gardens and growing spaces, improving pocket parks and the public spaces in towns and villages.
Small grants of up to £500 are available for groups that require start-up funding and for larger projects, gardening groups can apply for bigger funds between £5,000 and £15,000.
The deadline for the grant programme is March 15, 2013. For more information and to apply for a grant visit rhs.org.uk


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Category: girls name Scarlett
Celebrity names from Ava Gardner to Angelina Jolie, Miles Davis to Michael Jordan have influenced the names of real live babies over recent years.But now there's a brand new generation of stars whose names are proving inspirational to parents. From the worlds of music, sports, and reality TV along with films, these celebrity namesare showing major gains on the new popularity lists in both the U.S. and the U.K.Many of these new celebrity namesare unusual, exotic, rarely heard before their famous bearers brought them to our attention. And their current popularity can be attributed directly to the stars who made them shine.The newest, hottest celebrity names today are:
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Wednesday November 3, 2004 2:09 pm
Intel Launches New EE Pentium Chips
Posted by Hector Martinez Categories: PC / Laptop
If you're wondering, the EE stands for "Extreme Edition." (How totally 90's.) In any case, it's always interesting to see advances in chip technology, especially when you're holding out on buying a new PC until prices drop. Intel's latest chip runs at 3.46GHz and incorporates 2MB of cache. Companies that have employed previous "Extreme Editions" in their rigs include Alienware, Falcon Northwest and Hewlett-Packard. Chip prices are expected to be around $999.
Read More | Cnet
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1979 Corson Boat Co Power Boat Prices and Values
Select Corson Boat Co Power Boats Models Below
Corson Boat Co Note
No longer in production.
(1997 - 1974)
Corson Boat Company was founded in 1972 as a builder of fiberglass bowriders and fishing vessels. Based in Madison, Maine, Corson Boat Company sold smaller powerboats ranging from 14 to 20 feet in length. Ending production in 1997, Corson Boat Company was officially declared closed in 2004.


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zj1002 wrote:here is the vid from a couple years ago. pretty basic stuff, it just goes over how to use the hips properly. I am not sure if this drill will make your hip rotation faster but it should help your throw once you understand the timing. I have noticed drastic differences when I don't jam my hip at the hit.
People with naturally fluid hips are usually world class athletes(or have the potential). last year around spring time I met a professional baseball pitcher at Pease Park. He was pretty new to the game, only playing in his free time(offseason or rehab if recall). You could tell his strong core/hips made him a natural. With just a few tips from me he got out to about 350ft. He couldn't control a disc, but his discs were moving at a considerably faster speed than mine, and with little effort. it was all from his core, and was pretty damn impressive.
I can't believe I haven't seen this video yet, this opens my mind to other things that I could fix. Actually, I didn't even know this existed till someone referenced it in another thread.


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Wow...stil crazy that they got guys like Rashard Lewis and Mike Miller deeply burried on their bench.
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Wow...stil crazy that they got guys like Rashard Lewis and Mike Miller deeply burried on their bench.
This ^^^^^^
Tyler...an air ball foul shot... really?
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2
I remember last year...so I have hope.
The anouncer just called it a quiet night for our bench...they made 24 pts...I think he does not follow any Pacers games...haha
Our starting 1-2-3 combined to go 5-21 from the field to complement their 7 TOs and 11 PFs.
Yeah 14 points is about right for today.
James Jones is still on the Heat? Dang, he's buried deep on their bench.
Lol at Lebron leaving that guy hanging hahaha
Then we dont need more Lance,we need someone who can shoot,so OJ would be much better!
Pendergraph and Juwan Howard hugging it out.
Our garbage unit kept the Heat scoreless for the final 2 1/2 minutes of the game. New starting lineup?
Oh God, here goes NBA TV already talking trash about Pacers..
Why did Norris Cole shoot with 1 second to go.
There is no NBA player named Monte Ellis.
This team still has some work to do if we want to take down the big boys in a 7 game series.
Warmed my heart.
Good game, so we know that it will be 10000 time harder in the playoffs, cause LeBrick didn't do much today. Way to go.
I need to stop following Skip Bayless on twitter.
"We've got to be very clear about this. We don't want our players hanging around with murderers," said Larry Bird, Pacers president.
Best bench in the league for sure.
Yeah...I'm debating whether or not that I want read and watch the recaps tomorrow.
Beat 'em in May.


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Oh, Mischa. What has happened to the former fashionista? Her funky fashion choices have gotten more and more out-there since returning to the states from a summer abroad. Here are our votes for her most off-beat moments of the past month.
1. Her infamous diaper shorts/torn tank top combo, worn while grocery shopping with pal Nicole Richie on Sept. 2.
2. Her oddly frumpy palm-panted romper (left), worn while running errands Los Angeles, Sept. 19.
3. Her abstract printed Miu Miu bubble dress (middle), which is oddly reminiscent of crinkled wrapping paper, worn to a Teen Vogue event, Sept. 20
4. Her droopy metallic shirt and skinny jeans combo (right), worn to stylist Rachel Zoe's birthday dinner, 9/24
5. Her punk-pumpkin outfit, complete with a politically charged t-shirt, worn while out and about in Los Angeles, 10/1.
Tell us: Is Mischa making fashion-forward statements or faux pas?
Photo: Volpe-Wasman-Rod/X17; Jill Johnson/jpi; Alex Turner/Splash News


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BERKELEY — Police are investigating a homicide after a man was found shot outside his car on a winding roadway in the East Bay Hills on Sunday.
Officers were called at about 5:40 a.m. to Grizzly Peak Boulevard after receiving multiple 911 calls of a person needing medical attention, said University of California Police Department Lt. Alex Yao.
At the scene, officers discovered a car off the windy roadway just south of sign post 16, between Centennial Drive and South Park Drive, Yao said.
Outside the car on the ground, police found a man suffering from a gunshot wound.
Officer performed medical aid but the man died at the scene, Yao said. He was pronounced dead by Berkeley firefighters.
The roadway was closed to traffic for a few hours following the shooting.
The victim's name is not being released pending notification of his next of kin, Yao said.
Police are not releasing any additional information about the shooting including the man's age, city of residence and what kind of car he drove as the incident remained under investigation on Sunday.
It was not immediately known who shot the man or what the motive for the shooting was and police would not say whether they had a suspect in custody.
But police did say the shooting does not appear to be random.
"Based on a preliminary investigation we believe this appears to be an isolated incident," Yao said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 510-981-5900.
Contact Natalie Neysa Alund at 510-293-2469. Follow her at Twitter.com/nataliealund.


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United Way Day of Caring, Red Cross Blood drives, Marine Corps Toys for Tots, Salvation Army Adopt a Family, Breast Cancer Awareness and Walk, Make a Wish, March of Dimes, Associated Churches Food Bank, Community Harvest Food Bank, and multiple additional area community church food banks, Wolf Lake Free Medical Clinic, Juvenile Diabetes Research, Buddy Walk for Autism Awareness, Wayne Township Trustee's Healthy Cities and Military Veterans Assistance, Relay for Life, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and much more.
Additionally, UAW Local 2009 and GM members are involved as volunteers, giving countless hours as mentors and helpers with big hearts, supporting our churches, our children's schools, scouting and sports teams.
May God bless and protect the people of GM Fort Wayne/UAW Local 2209 and all of our community volunteers and donors. This is what it means to Live United.
Vickie Meyers, director of labor and community services, United Way of Allen CountyWhy would anyone of importance in the city want to impose any disorder to the Courthouse Green park area by adding Gen.Anthony Wayne's statue and base? Evidently, the $100,000 cost to move the statue is of no concern. If the statue is dwarfed by the surrounding grove of trees and brush, why not trim and clean up the surrounding clutter of forestry. Let Gen. Wayne have his prominence in Freimann Square, its current location.
The Courthouse Green area is maintained as a beautiful park-like setting, benefiting the citizens of Fort Wayne. It needs to remain as such. The Park Department does a terrific job managing the seasonal flowers, beds and lawn care year round. The park needs to stay that way.
If it must be moved, move the statue to the Old Fort site on Spy Run Avenue. Thousands of vehicles use this thoroughfare daily. After all, this city is named for Gen. Wayne, and he will receive his notoriety and will please those wanting to relocate him.
Why not ask the citizens of Fort Wayne to vote on the relocation process. There are thousands of clear-minded residents who have opinions. No doubt, their tax dollars are being used to cover the costs of transitioning the statue and base, if only across the street. More than one individual should be in this decision process.
The courthouse itself has received the nation's highest certificate of honor of historical courthouses. Keep the park around the building uncluttered and magnificent as it stands.
Linda AllenTom Henry is spending $100,000 to move a statue that is the namesake of the city. No mention of where the money is coming from — imagine that. It's understandable to want the Anthony Wayne statue in a more prominent place because the city was named after him. It does not make sense, however, to spend $100,000 to do it, especially during such harsh economic times. It won't create any long-term jobs nor bring in a steady stream of tax revenue. Does anyone really believe visitors will be prompted to spend money here because of a statue on a horse? Looks like many others do not like this newest wasteful spending by Henry, either. Do we even have a City Council here anymore? Doesn't look like it.
Laura J. SmyserI read the other day that the FWFD can no longer conduct fire drills or talk fire safety at schools because the city doesn't have the money. What a crock!
Except for fuel it costs nothing extra. Firefighters like getting out with the kids. The combat division also did most of the building inspection at one time, which was a cost saving. These are tough times and will have to be met with solutions that do not automatically include raising taxes .This is simply the city trying to leverage Council for a tax hike.
John Bloom


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Network Services provide access to Internet resources such as a global website, a campus academic system such as Blackboard or a departmental printer via both wired and wireless networks. VPN access is available for individuals who need remote, secure access to campus resources.
Faculty and Staff can complete a Communications Services Request (CSR) form to request new physical network connection, move an existing connection, or cancel a connection. Residence hall rooms have an active network connection that can be shared between the roommates.
Wireless access is available via 802.11g or 802.11n networks throughout the campus. We provide two networks: bsusecure is a secure network for faculty, staff, and students and bsuguest which is intended for our campus visitors.
Network Services also provide a rich set of network tools that allow you to view information about your connection's status and determine access capabilities to resources both on and off campus included are items such as a speed test, trace route, and several gadgets and widgets that provide real time network statistics.


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Topic: Kicked Out???
Last night while visiting with my mother in the local hospice care center, a nurse informed us that mom may be discharged from the facility. The nurse stated that since they have her pain and nausea under control there is nothing more they can do. WHAT??? I thought hospice was for assisting at the end stage of life. We admitted her to the facility to have her stay comfortable, not be cured. My mom is on a 75mg fentanyl patch and has 10mg of liquid morphine every 2-4 hours for breathing difficulty. She is so weak that she can barely move from bed to bedside potty (even with assistance) without being totally exhausted. This is the last thing we need to deal with at this time. She has been in the center for 4 weeks tomorrow, and has continued to weaken. Any suggestions?


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I don't think we've realized yet how young the Pacers as a team are after the offseason moves. It's not that we filled the roster with rookies, but it's that we've taken a bunch of 30 year olds from last year's team (Foster, D. Jones, Amundson, Barbosa) and replaced them with 25 year olds.
Last year's team has an average chronological age of 27.09 (or 26.9 by my calculation), which places the Pacers in the middle of the pack according to this link. This year's team has an average age of 25.63, a number which would have placed the Pacers as the 6th youngest team last year.
Some points of interest:
* Our third oldest player is Tyler Hansbrough, at 26.7 years.
* Paul G and Lance remain our youngest players, by a fairly wide margin.
* 7 of our 13 players are roughly in the 25-26 age range (round up Augustin, round down Hansbrough). Likewise, we have a bunch of guys with 4-5 years experience. We seem to be heavy on "young veterans" - guys who aren't on rookie contracts anymore, but aren't exactly grizzled vets either.
* Actually, Green and Mahinmi's years of experience are misleading. Officially, they've played 5 and 4 years respectively in the league, but both were light minute players in their career so far. Green has only totaled 3673 NBA minutes, while Mahinmi only has 1815. In comparison, Paul G has totaled 3223 minutes in his 2 NBA seasons.
* Our 2 oldest players (West and Granger) are both starters and key players for the team. No "veteran mentor" types on this squad!
Age and experience is generally correlated with winning in the playoffs, so it's a little disturbing to see us go young at a point when most are expecting us to make a move towards the ECF. Maybe the Pacers' FO doesn't believe that age is related to winning - OKC for example, is a notable exception to the general rule. But I would think that the FO knew they were potentially taking a step back by going so young.
It does cast this offseason's moves in a new light. Far from taking the next step as a team, it would seem that the FO has rebuilt the team with long term viability in mind. It's a Spurs-like move really, of keeping the core players intact while swapping the replaceable parts around. A big difference though is that the Spurs' core has proven a heck of a lot more than the Pacers' core.
All that aside, we have one of the youngest teams in the league with still some upside to improve. That's the kind of team fans like to see, right?


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Pacers get: Josh Smith, Nets unprotected first rounder, 2.1 mil tpe
Pacers send: Granger, Rush, 2012 Top 1 protected 1st
Hawks get: Troy murphy, Favors, Rush, 2012 pacers first
Hawks send: Josh Smith, TPE
Nets get: Granger, M. Eavens
Nets send: troy murphy, Favors, 2011 high first
Pacers get their future PF and a high first round pick. We lose Granger but we could use that pick on possibly terrence jones or perry jones to replace granger.
Hawks get cap space and won't we choked by the LT while picking up a rising PF and an excellent backup in rush and a future pick also.
Nets pick up granger and a role player while giving up only favors, and a first and Murphy who is basically of no significance to them.
so basically we are trading granger for Josh smith and Rush for the high first round pick.
George/ d. jones
2011 pick/ Posey, free gent TBA
J. smith, Tyler
hibbert/ josh
We get the athletic PF we are looking for for Hibbert. Yes we lose granger, but we also get our Pf while also getting a top pick who could replace granger. (Perry or Terrence jones). rush is looking like the inconsitent player he was and we could easily replace him with a player in free agency. We would also save 3.3 million now.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
July 24, 2013
Baseball ProGUESTus
The Living Strike Zone
Most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else. In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping our caps to some of the most illuminating work being done elsewhere on the internet, we'll be yielding the stage once a week to the best and brightest baseball writers, researchers, and thinkers from outside of the BP umbrella. If you'd like to nominate a guest contributor (including yourself), please drop us a line.
Jon Roegele is a columnist at Beyond the Box Score. He currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. You can follow him on Twitter at @MLBPlayerAnalys.
The strike zone is always a hot topic within the baseball community, and the attention on called strikes has only intensified since the public introduction of the PITCHf/x tracking system in 2007.
Thanks to this technology, the position at which every pitch crosses the plane of home plate is reported by means of a fitting algorithm and extrapolation. While the reported measurement is not perfect, due to potential error from a number of sources (including fitting error and camera characterization error), the reported data gives us a very good idea of pitch locations and whether pitches were deemed balls or strikes.
Numerous studies on the strike zone have been published over the past several years. Some of these studies have shown that the strike zone is called differently based on factors such as batter handedness and the count. This phenomenon fascinates me, so I decided to examine the called strike zone across a range of factors to investigate which ones appear to consistently affect its size and/or shape.
To assess the strike zone at the most granular level, I divided the plane at the front of home plate into 1x1 inch squares. I then binned every called pitch into its appropriate square by its location and calculated the percentage of pitches in each grid location that were called strikes. If more than half of the pitches in a cell were called strikes, then that cell was included in the strike zone. With this framework in place, I then adjusted one variable at a time through a range of values to examine its potential effect on the size and shape of the called strike zone. With one-square-inch grid locations, it is simple to sum the cells and report the called strike zone in terms of its area in square inches.
In order to have more confidence in the effect of a particular factor, I examined a number of years independently. The factors that I report herein are those that consistently altered the strike zone in a particular manner throughout the observed seasons. They are addressed in the order of significance of their effect.
I should also point out that while I am adjusting one variable at a time, in reality changing many of these variables implicitly suggests that another related underlying variable would not be randomly distributed given the fixed range of the variable under study. I will attempt to point out these circumstances where applicable.
All images are shown from the catcher's/umpire's perspective.
Factors Affecting Strike Zone Location
Batter Handedness
Called strike zone for LHH and RHH, 2012
Another observation that holds true across the seasons studied is that the strike zone for hitters on each side of the plate favors low-and-away pitches to down-and-in pitches, as can be seen in the juxtaposed images.
Batter Height
Called strike zone for LHH <= 70in tall and LHH >= 75in tall, 2011
Between the shortest and tallest hitters, it looks like the bottom of the strike zone shifts up about one inch while the top expands by about two inches. This makes sense to me—the taller hitter's knees will of course be higher, leading to the shift at the bottom, and his knee to shoulder-belt midpoint distance would be longer, driving an even more elevated top of the zone.
Called strike zone for RHH in AL and RHH in NL, 2010
Of course, one explanation for this could be that the average AL batter was taller than the average NL batter. As a quick test for this, I looked at the zone location for all hitters in each league that were 72 inches tall (6'2"). The roughly one-inch-lower zone was still visible with the height controlled for in this fashion.
Factors Affecting Strike Zone Size
Consider the size differences between zones called with no strikes and two strikes:
Average size of strike zone in square inches by strike count for LHH, RHH
Note the dramatic decline of the strike zone size as the number of strikes climbs. The area of the strike zone decreases on the order of 77 square inches with two strikes as compared to a strike-free count.
That's a lot—it's like taking away a 9x9 box from the strike zone! This is akin to what you might hear if you have an environmental assessment of an older house—the report will tell you that your house is leaking as if you have a 4'x4' hole in one of your exterior walls. Of course, the truth in that case, as in this one, is that the area is accumulated incrementally over a number of places, in this case squeezing in from all directions around the perimeter of the called zone.
Called strike zone for LHH with 0 strikes and LHH with 2 strikes, 2011
Admittedly, the image with two strikes is not pretty. There are a few factors at play here, including the fact that the image is ball count-indifferent, that more breaking balls and offspeed pitches would be thrown with two strikes, and also that the sample size is smaller given that many plate appearances never reach a two-strike count.
While it is purely conjecture, one potential explanation here for the difference in sizes could be the reluctance of umpires to be put on the spot by ringing up a hitter on a called third strike pitch that they might perceive as borderline. Early in the count, they may be more likely to rule such pitches as strikes given the lower immediate impact of their decision on the game.
The types of pitches thrown in these strike counts would also tend to be different. With no strikes, one might expect mostly fastballs, given that this is still the most common first pitch of a plate appearance, and also the pitch most pitchers will go to when behind in the count. Keep this in mind as we progress though the other factors.
Average size of strike zone in square inches by outs for LHH, RHH
With two out, the area of the called strike zone is roughly 38 inches larger than it is when there is nobody out. I find this factor particularly interesting, both because I can't see any significant underlying variable that would be confounding this result and because I can't think of a good theory to explain why it looks the way it does.
Called strike zone for LHH with 0 out and LHH with 2 out, 2009
From the images across the seasons, it would appear that with two out, the zone expands slightly more off the edges of the plate than it does up and down.
Pitch Type
While they're very good now, raw Gameday pitch type classifications have been a work in progress throughout the PITCHf/x era, in particular in the earlier seasons. An example of this is the handling of pitches that are now labeled as two-seam fastballs (FT), which were not introduced as a pitch class until the 2010 season. Classifying pitches is not an easy task, so these results always should always be viewed with this in mind.
With that said, we can see how the pitch type plays a role in the size of the strike zone. While I did compare all pitch types, I will show only those that have likely been the most consistently classified across the seasons in question, especially because they show the largest discrepancy in strike zone size.
For this category, the pitch sample sizes for the non-fastballs are a little smaller than most other ranges measured in this study, so while I believe the general trend here is valid, you may choose to take the measured deltas with a grain of salt.
Average size of strike zone in square inches by pitch type for LHH, RHH
Fastballs clearly expand the zone relative to all breaking and offspeed pitches. In particular, four-seam fastball-based strike zones were found to be about 25 square inches larger on average than those for changeups and curveballs. For the most part, this finding lines up with expectations based on the count effect above.
Batter Height
Average size of strike zone in square inches by batter height for LHH, RHH
The strike zone size peaks for hitters over 75 inches (6'3") tall, with these batters having to deal with a zone that is on average 21 square inches larger than hitters up to 70 inches (5'10") tall.
The data also relies on reported player height data, which may or may not be accurate, as some players "round up" their heights slightly.
Average size of strike zone in square inches by pitch velocity for LHH, RHH
The size of the strike zone consistently peaks in the 88-92 mph range and reaches its minimum on pitches below 84mph. The difference in zone area is about 20 square inches. It is interesting to note that the area called on fastballs above 92 mph actually reverts to a smaller zone again. There are several potential reasons I can think of that could play a part in this difference.
The hardest pitches are likely some of the most difficult for the catcher to receive, especially if the pitch does not hit the initial target. I would expect that having to move your glove and catch a pitch at this velocity while maintaining a "quiet" receiving posture is quite challenging, which may influence the umpire indirectly toward believing a borderline pitch was outside the zone. In addition, many flamethrowers struggle with command in general but make up for that shortcoming with elite velocity. It is not hard to imagine that a pitcher who routinely misses targets by relatively large margins would not get the benefit of the doubt compared to a control artist.
There is, of course, the underlying factor here of velocity implying pitch type to some extent. This result lines up well with the previous observations regarding pitch type, with fastballs showing a larger strike zone than other, slower offerings. Pitch type is certainly intermixed with these results, given that the pitches studied were thrown not only with different velocity but with different movement as well.
Base State
Average size of strike zone in square inches by base state for LHH, RHH
Here we see that when a runner reaches base, the strike zone tightens up relative to its size with the bases empty. With a runner on third, the zone contracted by about 17 square inches on average over the period of the study.
This one is also interesting. I suppose this is consistent with the strike zone being smallest with two strikes, in so much as the pitcher is given the benefit of the doubt initially, but is forced to "earn" his way out of a troublesome inning with runners on just as he must "earn" that last strike for a strikeout. This is just conjecture again, but it's an interesting exercise to imagine what is at play here.
Average size of strike zone in square inches by league for LHH, RHH
The difference is not staggering, but it appeared in every year of the study. The set of umpires calling pitches are distinct between the two leagues.
Batter Handedness
Average size of strike zone in square inches by batter handedness
Since the player pools for these groups are so distinct (aside from switch-hitters), I tried controlling for batter height for this particular factor to make sure that the difference is not simply caused by right-handed batters being taller on average than their left-handed counterparts. The larger RHH zone was still visible by height bin, indicating that a true gap, albeit small, does appear to be present.
One area that can be highlighted to illuminate this difference between the sizes of the called strike zones for left-handed hitters and right-handed hitters is pitch type. Pitches classified as cut fastballs and sliders were called with disproportionately larger strike zones for RHH than LHH. The zone for cutters (only in years since 2010) averaged 24 square inches larger for RHH, while the difference was roughly 18 square inches for sliders.
Average size of strike zone in square inches by temperature for LHH, RHH
Showing the same pattern as with velocity, the two extremes show the smallest strike zones, with games played between 75-85 Fahrenheit typically having the largest zone. The called strike zone in the warmest weather is typically about seven square inches smaller than games played at a more pleasant 75-85 F temperature.
Other Factors
Putting it All Together
Batter handedness affects the location of the zone, with the zone for left-handed hitters shifted toward the outside edge of the plate. The zone adjusts to the height of the hitter in a manner that would be expected based on its rulebook definition. The NL strike zone appears to be slightly lower than the AL version, although I could imagine uncontrolled factors outside the scope of this study (such as run-scoring environment) proving to be the root explanation for this observation.
I do not believe that from what I have presented above we can separate the individual effects of the count, pitch type, and velocity factors on the called strike zone. The fact that the strike count shows the largest delta leads me to think that it plays a part in the zone size regardless of the pitch type and velocity. The fact that the zone for pitches with a velocity over 92 mph is smaller than that for pitches slightly slower, yet four-seam fastballs as a group form the largest strike zone, suggests to me that the fastest of fastballs yield a smaller strike zone than more typical fastballs. And the fact that all breaking and offspeed pitches and offerings slower than 84 mph are called with a smaller zone seems to indicate a real effect here, where I would propose that it is likely more the movement of these pitches than their velocity that is making the difference.
To my mind, the fact that the strike zone appears to expand as much as it does with two outs in the inning is the most intriguing of these individual results. Someone may already have discovered this, but I was not aware of this effect before undertaking this study.
Expanding Strike Zone
Average size of strike zone in square inches for LHH, RHH
For the overall picture of the strike zone, I've included an interim result for the 2013 season for all games up to the end of June. The strike zone's size is on the rise in recent years, with the last year and a half operating with a zone about five percent larger than the one in effect just a few seasons earlier. This expansion may be part of the reason for the increase in called strikes reported by James Gentile. Extra called strikes would be one catalyst for the fairly substantial rise in strikeout rates in today's game.
Since scoring has been on the decline over the years in the study, I wondered if the zone might appear to have grown simply due to a higher percentage of pitches being delivered with the bases empty (as we've determined that the zone tends to swell in these games states). For this reason, I checked the particular case of bases empty, nobody out, with a 0-0 count to batters between 70-72 inches tall. The effect was still very striking, with the average zone for LHH and RHH increasing in square inches by year from 430 in 2009, to 438 in 2010, to 450 in 2011, and up to 459 in 2012.
Consider the picture of the strike zone as it stood in 2009 compared to 2012.
Called strike zone for LHH in 2009 and LHH in 2012
Called strike zone for RHH in 2009 and RHH in 2012
If you look closely, you can see that the strike zone may have been squeezed in ever so slightly in 2012 compared to 2009, but it has expanded at the bottom quite significantly, by up to two inches. In fact, if you look at the images of all pitches by year from 2009 forward, which you are free to do at the bottom of this article, the trend of the bottom of the zone creeping lower is apparent for both left-handed and right-handed batters. Another way to view this change is by measuring the area of the called strike zone below 1.75 feet (21") off the ground throughout these seasons.
Average size of strike zone less than 21" from the ground in square inches for LHH, RHH
This finding is also very interesting. Is this a result of a heightened awareness of pitch framing? In other words, have catchers around the league become so much better on average at receiving borderline low pitches that they have turned these former balls into strikes? Are pitchers throwing more to this area than ever before, such that umpires are being conditioned to deem more of these pitches acceptable? Have umpires been instructed to call the lower strike? This topic bears more research. One possibility that we can rule out here is that the American League has been slowly adopting the National League's lower zone, as the pattern of the bottom of the zone falling has been visible in both leagues over this time.
There is ongoing debate about whether the current strikeout rate and its skyward trajectory are good for the game. While I haven't proven that the larger zone directly leads to more strikeouts, if it is decided that strikeouts need to be curtailed, the way the strike zone is called, particularly at the knees, might be one avenue through which the league could attempt to alter the situation.
Next Steps
With a definition of the strike zone based on some subset of these factors, looking at individual hitters, pitchers, and possibly catchers and even umpires could be interesting. For example, how much could Z-Swing rate and O-Swing rate change for hitters if a more accurate zone is utilized? Similarly, which pitchers hit these less obvious areas of the zone most frequently? If we calculated net expected balls called strikes minus expected strikes called balls for catchers, would it change our opinion slightly about anyone's receiving skill level? I would not expect any league-wide impact from this sort of exploration, but perhaps it could highlight certain individuals who may be underrated or overrated if the zones typically used for these measures are less accurate than might be possible.
I would also like to delve deeper into the dropping bottom of the strike zone across the league over the PITCHf/x era to see if it might be possible to determine a root cause for this behavior.
Strike Zone Images
As usual, these images are shown from the catcher's/umpire's perspective. Note that the "box" drawn in the image is just a two-foot square that is included as a point of reference to allow for an easier comparison between images.
According to the rulebook, the strike zone extends from one edge to the other of the 17" home plate in the horizontal axis. The top and bottom of the strike zone are based on the location of the hitter's body. The top of the zone is defined by the midpoint between the top of the batter's shoulders and top of his uniform pants, and the bottom of the zone is defined as the hollow beneath the kneecap.
Credit and thanks to Baseball Heat Maps for the PITCHf/x database and Baseball-Reference for player height data upon which this analysis was based.
11 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Peter Ellwood
Great stuff. Not only does this contribute to the increase in strikeouts, but the decrease in walks. This year's league-wide walk rate is 7.9% (was 8.0% last year), after hovering between 8.5% and 8.9% from 2001-2009.
Jul 24, 2013 07:01 AM
Dan Rozenson
BP staff
One factor that may explain the expansion of the strike zone overall (and the apparent increase in conformity to the rulebook zone) is that PITCHf/x and/or other tracking systems might be shaping better awareness of umpire tendencies to MLB and the umpires themselves.
Jul 24, 2013 07:44 AM
Interesting idea Dan. You're right in that it seems like at the left/right edges of the strike zone, they may be being pulled in ever so slightly, which would be more toward the rulebook strike zone (even in the case of the inside edge of the LHH zone).
Jul 24, 2013 08:58 AM
One note on a great article: The separate umpire crews for both leagues were merged about a decade ago. Perhaps the NL's slightly larger zone is due to pitchers-as-batters getting a larger strike zone?
Jul 24, 2013 09:36 AM
Thanks for pointing that out Sean!
Jul 24, 2013 10:02 AM
This is awesome stuff. Love to see something like this done for individual umps, top 10 biggest and smallest zones and its effect on offense.
Jul 25, 2013 00:10 AM
Bryan Cole
I know Mavs owner Mark Cuban says his team does this with NBA refs. If I had to guess, there are several MLB teams that do exactly what you suggest, and maybe adjust their strategy accordingly.
Jul 25, 2013 09:49 AM
Eric M. Van
Next thing to look at: the impact of the identity of the hitter, and of the pitcher.
Jul 27, 2013 23:19 PM
Great stuff!
Oct 22, 2013 10:50 AM
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A fire that destroyed a Ukiah duplex and left two families homeless late Sunday afternoon is being described as "suspicious" by the combined Ukiah Fire Department and Ukiah Valley Fire District.
Division Chief Kirk Thomsen said the fire that began around 5:45 p.m. June 16 in the 700 block of Cindee Drive is "still under investigation, but we do not believe it to be accidental," and that the Ukiah Police Department will be taking over the case.
Thomsen said the fire was reported around 5:50 p.m. when the residents of one side of the duplex came home, smelled smoke and discovered that something was on fire in the backyard.
"They tried to put it out with a fire extinguisher and water, but it soon overwhelmed them, traveling up the side of the building and into the attic space," he said, describing the fire as "active" when firefighters arrived. "When they began their interior attack, the roof started becoming fully involved."
As the fire grew, a thick plume of smoke could be clearly seen from nearby streets and Highway 101, as the back of duplex's property borders both the city's former substation on South Orchard Avenue, and the on-ramp from East Gobbi Street to Hwy 101.
Soon after the fire was reported, California Highway Patrol officers responded to close the on-ramp to traffic, which Thomsen said was because the structure fire was igniting vegetation along the highway.
When Brian White of Ukiah saw the flames from Gobbi Street, he recognized the building as his friends' apartment. Knowing they were not home, he drove to the scene to rescue their dog, Einstein.
While White and Einstein watched the firefighters, who battled the blaze for nearly an hour, a distraught woman collapsed in the street after seeing the destruction and was attended to by fire and medical personnel.
Tim Miller, executive director of the Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties chapter of the Red Cross, said local volunteers were dispatched to the duplex to help the families -- with a total of four adults and 11 children -- by providing food, clothing and temporary lodging.
Thomsen said crews were at the duplex until "well past midnight" cleaning up after the fire.
"We did manage to salvage some stuff," he said. "We took everything out of the house before we flooded it with water." Justine Frederiksen can be reached at email@example.com, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.


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Couldn't Han be 'improved' by using Smuggler Lando's torso? His shirt's buttoned up.
Something's a little off on the Lando torso, don't know why. Maybe the bulk of the shirt, I'm not sure.
It's the way the vest is hanging open on it, it's too wide at the bottom. Plus it was designed for Lando's poofier arms/sleeves. Plus Han would never be dorky enough to wear his collar over the top of his vest like Lando...
I've seen pics of Stormies with a short blaster as well (never seen in the movies, just production stills). Wonder if we'll ever get that version?
All this ceremony got me thinking, what are the chances the will CGI a medal on Chewbacca in the upcoming Blu- Ray edition. I know it unrelated to this topic but it would give Hasbro another "variation to sell us.I really do hope some of these surprise us in a good way. If these will hit in Dec/January we should see some packaged production shots somewhat in the near future.
If he isn't wearing the red Snuggie I want nothing to do with it.
Han Solo - The regular VOTC Han always looks better to me because of the head. This is likely a pass for me.
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A SINGLE male driver had a narrow escape when he emerged from his vehicle largely unharmed after it flipped onto its roof close to Ashton Keynes yesterday.
The commercial vehicle was travelling along a country road close to the village at around 3pm yesterday in wet conditions when it struck the grass verge and overturned into the middle of the road.
Sgt Martin Avis, of Wiltshire Police, said: "This was a lucky escape of the single male occupant. The roads are wet so drivers should take care."


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Earthquake Survival with Dr. Jim Goltz Parte 2
Supervivencia a los terremotos con Dr. Jim Goltz – P1 de 2
Parte 2
Parte 1
Parte 2
Dr. Goltz (m):
In California which is very seismically active, we have between 40 and 80 earthquakes a day. Some of them very small, typically only measured by instruments that are extremely sensitive, but a few of those earthquakes come above the threshold to be felt by people.
HOST: Hallo, thoughtful viewers, and welcome to Planet Earth: Our Loving Home. Thus far in 2010 several powerful earthquakes have struck the Earth, with January's 7.3 magnitude quake in Haiti and February's 8.8 magnitude temblor in southern Chile causing the most destruction as they were centered
in highly populated areas.
On today's program we'll speak with Dr. Jim Goltz,Earthquake and Tsunami Program Manager in the Preparedness Division of the California Emergency Management Agency, USA to learn about earthquakes and appropriate responses to a quake.
Dr. Goltz has been involved in earthquake research, planning, preparedness and mitigation for 35 years. To begin, he will discuss what causes temblors and how to know if a quake is occurring.
Dr. Goltz (m): Earthquakes occur on faults. There are thousands of faults around the world. Some of the largest earthquakes occur around the borders of the great tectonic plates that characterize our planet.
And we just recently had two of those earthquakes on plate boundaries, the earthquake in Haiti and also the earthquake in Chile. So these are large plate boundary events. The earthquake process is largely random.
For continually updated details on earthquakes around the world please visit:
United States Geological Survey's Earthquake Hazards Program
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It's here, friends. Back to school time. Back to germs…and the increased risk of LICE. I kid you not, just typing those words makes my skin crawl and my scalp itch. I had lice once, in 2nd grade. I remember my mom putting all my stuff through the washer over and over again, bagging my toys in dark trash bags and putting them in the freezer if they fit. Such a yucky feeling. I hated it. I also remember the product she put on my hair and scalp, and that super fine toothed comb that took hours to go through…it was not fun for anyone in the house. I dread the day it comes into my house…although hopefully with regular use of Fairy Tales Hair Care's Rosemary Repel line of products, which consist of natural ingredients known to repel lice…hopefully we won't have lice in the house.
We've been using Rosemary Repel products for almost a year now- and I'm especially glad we have it in the house now, before school starts. I have three in elementary school this year and that to me means triple the risk. I love to be able to use natural products to try to prevent things like lice from entering our home- it helps me feel like I'm protecting my children but also preventing a huge mess.
Pencils and erasers aren't the only thing students are bringing back to school this season; head lice outbreaks are rampant during the school year. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, there are between 6-12 million cases of head lice cases annually.
"Preventing lice is much easier than managing an outbreak, which can be a stressful, time consuming and an expensive experience for both parents and children," said Risa Barash, founder of Fairy Tales Hair Care. "Outbreaks can impact entire schools, play groups, athletic/dance facilities and daycare centers." Fortunately, following a few simple guidelines can help deter the problem. "Don't share hats, helmets, brushes and combs and do weekly head checks; use it as a nice time to talk to your child," recommends Barash.
Since 1999, www.fairytaleshaircare.com has been the source for education and tips on head lice prevention and removal. The site provides educational material and how to videos to help educate parents, school nurses and teachers on all things head lice related. The Rosemary Repel® line of hair care is designed to repel lice using organic ingredients such as rosemary, tea tree, citronella, peppermint and lavender oils. Rosemary Repel Hair Care is clinically proven to be over 95% effective when combined. Gentle and safe for everyday use, each product is infused with aloe, jojoba and vitamins that leave hair soft, smooth and shiny.
The free iPhone app, "The Facts of Lice" is the first of its kind to report and track lice outbreaks. With over 250,000 downloads to date, parents and educators can anonymously report an outbreak and receive notifications when an outbreak is in a selected zip code.
Naturally caring for families since 1999, Fairy Tales Hair Care produces an assortment of premium-quality, non-toxic hair care products and bug repellents for children. Dedicated to maintaining the health of every family member, the company's formulas are made with the best organic herbs and essential oils and are nut-, soy, dairy- and gluten-free. The brand's Rosemary Repel collection is the U.S. leader in natural lice prevention products. Headquartered in Passaic, New Jersey, Fairy Tales Hair Care products are available in fine salons, pharmacies, Ulta Stores, drugstore.com and specialty stores nationwide. For more information, visit www.fairytaleshaircare.com.


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JEVS Human Services honored two partner companies and two individuals who went through its programs at an annual awards ceremony.
JEVS Human Services held its 15th annual Strictly Business Awards, handing out Business Leadership Awards to SugarHouse Casino and TD Bank.
The city's first casino, which opened in 2010, SugarHouse was nominated by the JEVS welfare-to-work programs and cited for going "a step beyond the traditional employer partnership by hosting on-site workshops and providing interview training and information sessions for JEVS' clients seeking self-sufficiency."
TD Bank, nominated by JEVS hireAbility N.J., is one of the nation's 10 largest banks and a JEVS corporate partner.
Inspiration Awards went to LaRhonda Brunson, nominated by Orleans Technical Institute's Human Services Program, and Maurice Teasley, nominated by The Choice is Yours.
The awards luncheon was held at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel, hosted by Erika von Tiehl of CBS3.


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I Wear the FaceRiddles are little poems or phrases that pose a question that needs answering. Riddles frequently rhyme, but this is not a requirement.
I wear the face of a leader of men. My financial worth is small and my
appearance not impressive, yet my presence is a passport to any country
and society. I have the entree alike to the boudoir and the armed; I
penetrate to royal palaces and to the far corners of the earth. In my
youth I am bright and fresh looking; later, my face is marred and
disfigured and I am cast aside as nothing; but when I am very old I am eagerly sought, and a safe refuge is provided for me, where I am exhibited to admiring visitors. What am I?
AnswerA Postage Stamp
What Next?
See another brain teaser just like this one...
Or, just get a random brain teaser
If you become a registered user you can vote on this riddle, keep track of
which ones you have seen, and even make your own.
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Torch run promotes Special Olympics
EUGENE, Ore. - Police ran through the streets Wednesday carry the Flame of Hope Torch for Special Olympics through Lane County.
This weekend, 150 athletes from Eugene and Springfield will compete in the Special Olympics.
Local coordinator Ted Barker has participated in the games for 22 years.
"What's fun is the interaction between the police officers and the athletes," he said, "and the athletes love the police officers and it goes both ways."


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Topic: Dr. Jerome Canady
Hello everyone. I thought this would be a good idea to gather all information, good and bad on Dr. Canady here in one spot. I thought 2 of our members were scheduled for an appointment with him this week. I hope they will find the time to post the results from those meetings so we can all read them.
I have read the comments from Truth4u and take them seriously as many other have posted here also, some good, some bad.
Here is a link to a posting on Hopkins website.
http://www.cancercompass.com/message-bo … 6682,0.htm
http://www.cancercompass.com/search-res … m?q=canady
Hope the information is helpful.


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By the time the NBA playoffs roll around, teams usually have settled on a rotation of players that generally means eight players will go most nights.
But the Clippers are going to stick with the kitchen-sink approach after their reserves averaged 40.1 points per game this season, fourth-best in the league.
The Clippers went 40-17 when their reserves outscored their opposing bench players.
That doesn't necessarily mean Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will lose any playing time.
"I think we have a unique team," Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We'll stay with it the way we've been playing, and if the players need a few more minutes - Chris and Blake's minutes have been up a bit lately - but overall because of the beginning part of our season our bench was doing such a good job, their minutes were down. Hopefully that's a benefit for us.
"I have confidence in all our guys. Grant Hill's helped us win games, Ronny Turiaf's helped us win games, Willie Green's helped us win games, so I have no hesitation putting them in if I feel they can help us."
By early in the second period on Saturday, the Clippers had 10 of their players make it onto the court. Green, Hill and Turiaf weren't among them.
"You also have to keep a rotation and you have to understand the flow of the rotation is important," Del Negro said. "I think we've gotten into a pretty good flow lately."
Checking that emotion
It was more of an issue at midseason, when the Clippers were struggling following their 17-game win streak, but Del Negro brought up the issue of his team restraining itself on the court without any prompting.
After all, he has to cover all bases for a team that has double-digit technical foul players like Griffin (14), Matt Barnes (10) and DeAndre Jordan (10).
Jamal Crawford added nine and Lamar Odom seven.
"We've addressed it a few times," Del Negro said. "I want us to play with emotion, I want us to play with a lot of energy. But you've got to play the next play. You can't assume anything, especially in playoff games.
"Play the next play, you can't worry about the refs, you've got to stay in the zone, you've got to stay in your mindset, you've got to know what the execution process is, and hopefully we'll control our emotions from that standpoint and be able to execute.
"If you get ahead of yourself a little bit and you're so amped up you're trying to do things faster than you need to - once we get our feet under us as the game gets started, we'll be fine."
The Grizzlies were the annoyed team in the first half Saturday, with starters Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley picking up two fouls each in the first quarter and Keyon Dooling being called for a technical early in the second quarter.
Conley picked up his third foul with 2:10 left in the second quarter on a jump shot by Chauncey Billups, which then bounced into the basket. Billups couldn't convert the three-point play, though.
On your feet
The NBA's no-flop rule, instituted before this season, has gotten a little tougher for the playoffs.
The first offense is a $5,000 fine, then goes up to $10,000, then $15,000, then $30,000 with subsequent violations. A player's fifth flop could result in a larger fine or even a suspension. There are no warnings.
"They're the rules. You'd better abide by them," Del Negro said. "That's come into play a lot this season. I think the guys are used to it a little bit, but now there's no warning or anything. The league takes a hard look at that stuff."


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Florida International coach Mario Cristobal has been fired after six seasons.
Cristobal signed a contract extension five months ago that carried him through 2017, but his Panthers were 3-9 this season and finished near the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference.
"It was based on going 3-9 this year with 30 seniors and what was supposed to be his best team," FIU athletic director Pete Garcia told The Miami Herald. "He's done a very good job for this program, but we've gone backwards over the last year and half. Over the last 22 games, we've gone 8-14."
Learn more: You're fired! College coaches getting the ax in 2012 season
Cristobal, despite what is now a 27-47 career record, was one of the nation's hottest coaches a year ago. His name surfaced in numerous coaching searches, which helped to prompt his contract extension.
He took over the FIU program after the team had finished 0-12 in 2006. At that time, the football team did not have a weight room or a football stadium. Fast forward to 2010 (6-6) and 2011 (8-4) when the Panthers went to consecutive bowl games, winning the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl in 2010 and losing to Marshall in the Beef O'Brady's Bowl last season.
FIU, which was this year's preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt, is leaving for Conference USA.
Butch Davis, the former Miami (Fla.) and North Carolina coach, could emerge as a candidate to replace Cristobal.


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Consumers wanting to avoid unpleasant trips to the dentist may want to stick to cow's milk. A new study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Dentistry suggests that soy milk, a popular cow's milk substitute, may be worse for dental health than conventional milk.
Bacteria commonly found in the mouth produce five to six times more acid when they feed on soy milk compared to cow's milk, according to researchers at the University of Melbourne Dental School in Australia and reported in My Health News Daily.
Acid contributes to the formation of plaque on teeth, which can cause tooth decay and cavities.
William Bowen, professor emeritus of microbiology and immunology at the University of Rochester's Center for Oral Biology, suggests that further studies be conducted on the effects of soy milk on dental health. Bowen was not involved in the latest study.
Bowen noted that cow's milk is known not to promote cavities, regardless of the quantity consumed.


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Another break-in in my neighborhood this weekend. TV said last week that there had been 17, but the neighborhood association said that was only the 2nd one the knew of. That's the same thing they said last time.
And still Mrs G doesn't want a new dog or a security system. She'll completly freak when I bring a handgun to hide in the BR.


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God we have to protect Luck better. He is never going to make it through an entire season at this rate.
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God we have to protect Luck better. He is never going to make it through an entire season at this rate.
Wow, that was a great play call. Donald Brown, redeem yourself dude.
Take me out to the black, tell 'em I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.
Yeah, we are not making life on Luck any easier. Special teams has been nice today.
During the Giants-Cowboys game it was pointed out how both defenses looked tired as the game went on. That is expected from defenses throughout the NFL this week. Combined that with the fact that the Bears, after a slow start, have been able to move the chains and I am worried about how the defense does as this game goes on.
The Colts not only can't keep pressure off of Luck but Luck is getting the crap beat out of him. They need to keep going with the short, quick passes if they want to move the chains in this game.
Who is this Joe LeFedge guy and why is he making our special teams of years past look like garbage?
Carmel HS Class of 2011
The special teams of past years was garbage.
Unfortunately in DC I am stuck watching the Redskins game, but RG3 is thriving behind a decent offensive line.
Is the whole Colts line playing bad? Are Constanzo and Satele at least ok? Or does it all suck?
They are all sucking, it's pretty crappy.
And the defense isn't looking too good right now.
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
RG3 is looking amazing with a pretty good OL, he is making Garzon look good too.
How that wasn't a flag? Chicago was offside, number 71 was moving.
That was definitely offside
Don't ask Marvin Harrison what he did during the bye week. "Batman never told where the Bat Cave is," he explained.
We are Blitzing a lot more than normal plus our front for is pretty damn good. Playing a cover 2 we have to have a great front 4.
Yep he was offside, that was crap.
He's still a troll. We all knew the offensive line was going to be shaky. We all knew the defense was going to be shaky. Why would anyone need to eat crow? His pounding it into all of our heads repeatedly is the only difference between the opinions.
Aw crap... Reggie just got punched in the gut by the football. Hope he's alright.
OK so I have a question, why isn't the new corner on Marshal at all times?
Colts just need a running game Luck and the OL for that matter has no chance with the way the Colts have ran the ball 2 day.
Finally a decent run. OlBlu should eat crow because our offensive line just created a big hole.
Nah, OldBlu told me I was too optimistic for thinking the Colts would win 3 or 4 games. I think its clear I think that the Colts won't be that good this year.
There we go! Offensive line and Brown finally making some positive steps!
Take me out to the black, tell 'em I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.
How 'bout that O-line?


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GOODYEAR, Ariz.—Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker makes his home in California's Bay Area, where he was born and raised.
It is also the home of the San Francisco Giants, the team on the other end of the Reds' postseason collapse—one of the worst in major league history—last October. The eventual World Series champions won three consecutive games in Cincinnati after falling behind 0-2 in the best-of-five NLDS to eliminate the Reds, who had the majors' second-best record.
For the rest of the offseason, Giants fans celebrated in Baker's face. It disgusted him because Baker knew his Reds were good enough to be the team celebrating a championship.
"You can't wipe it away that quickly," Baker said in his first media powwow of the spring Tuesday morning. "It takes a winter. You try to think about the positives, but the toughest part was living in the middle of Giant territory and seeing jackets and jerseys and license plates and flags and billboards and everybody telling me they were pulling for me except when we were playing the Giants.
"I was constantly reminded, every day. People asked me if I went to (the clinching) Game 4 of the World Series. I tried to be polite, but I felt like saying, 'Hell naw.' "
Although most of the Reds already are in camp (sans a few with visa problems), they won't have their first official full-squad workout until Friday. That is when players really can start to put the agony of last fall behind them and work toward their third NL Central championship in four seasons.
Cincinnati has a deep rotation, a bullpen that was one of the best in the majors last season and a lineup that can hit with any team in the league. In addition, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Reds' chief competition in the division, appear to be weaker than they were a season ago.
The Reds could be better with a full season of a healthy Joey Votto—the first baseman played in only 111 games last season because of knee problems—and if Aroldis Chapman can be a front-line starter rather than a dominant closer. Cincinnati avoided arbitration with righthander Mat Latos on Tuesday by agreeing to a two-year deal, though third baseman and clubhouse leader Scott Rolen announced he likely will not return this season.
Despite last season's postseason failure, Baker believes the Reds are ready to win this season.
"I know that we're close," Baker said. "I like this team; they like each other. This is as close to a family situation (on a team) that I've felt in a while."


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Hi. There is a good plug-in for those who use Mozilla Firefox. It checks the words you type in the browser for mistakes and offers available amendments, so you don't have to bother yourself looking up in a dictionary in order to prevent mistakes. However, I wouldn't advise it for lame ESL learners like me, because you will get used to it and when you're at another desktop and has no dictionaries nearby, you have difficulties.
In brief, you can download it from here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/browse/type:3