text:
Ask and ye shall receive…
In the last post, I mentioned how much I would have loved to have witnessed the conversation between Tim Wallach and John Lindsey, telling him he's reached the big leagues. Well, as it turns out, you can!
Apparently Ned Colletti gave a heads up to the Dodgers Media Network and they filmed the conversation. It's cool behind-the-scenes stuff you just can't get anywhere else.
So check it out…and keep rooting for Big John. Hopefully he'll get to debut in front of his family in Houston, have a big month, and earn himself a big league gig somewhere in 2011.
211 Comments
Good morning ITD,
I can't watch videos at work but I'll make sure I watch it when I get home. I supposed I can view it on my phone but I rather see it at home on a bigger screen, besides I got a meeting in 5 minutes and another at 2:p.m. sigh..
So who is that Brooklyn dodger knitting in the black an white picture in the dining room? Maybe later on I'll research it or post the picture in the Brooklyn forum where I go sometimes or maybe OBF knows.
Don't think we can expect too much passion when the team is being led by none other than Eeyore himself. Evidently he's just as enamored with Juan Light as he was with Juan at the top of the order. Hate to say it but the only person that invigorated the line-up was Manny. Take him out of the equation and this team plays exactly like it did for grandpa in 2008 before Manny arrived. I don't think JoJo EVER connected with this team, and with his double standard and favoritism he's always had for vets no matter how bad they play, who could blame them for tuning JoJo (and his crew) out. Hell, they probably get just as tired of hearing everything getting compared to the Yankees as we do.
I want to see the video where Joe is telling the team they've folded like a cheap tent and perhaps, for a change, they could go out there with a bit of passion and beat someone…anyone. If I went about my job as listless and beaten as these guys, I'd be lucky to be employed.
Looks like a good time was had by all on the tour the other day. Sorry I couldn't make it this year. It is good to see that even in a down year the stadium itself still holds a lot of charm and interest even if the team playing there has been a big disappointment.
Speaking of which, it has been a long time (or at least seems to be a long time) since a Dodger team was for all intents and purposes out of the playoff picture by the end of August. Yes, the team still is in it mathematically but even for someone like me who traditionally believes there is a chance until the magic number says otherwise, I doubt even the players still believe. At least that is what their play looks like on the field. How can an entire team go so cold offensively for so long? How can one player after another look so bad at the plate, not only against the good pitchers but against the rest of the pack? What happened to Broxton? What has happened to the rising stars, Kemp, Ethier and Loney? What has happened to Martin? Folks, this is the core group of players that go us so excited not all that long ago. Is this all Joe's fault? Honeycutt's? I do think the staff does have to take a load of the responsibility but don't the player's have a stake in what happens?
Of course, none of us really knows for sure. I said at the beginning of the season I was not going to let the ownership squabbles get in the way of enjoying the season but even that has not worked out the way I wanted. I still want to believe the players rise above all this stuff and focus only on the job at hand. How will any of us ever know for sure if this is the case?
I do know one thing. I am convinced as everyone else that current ownership has to be replaced. I am starting to believe that in time that will happen. I cannot see how Frank or Jamie can be a good leader now that we know so much more about each one's moral and ethical character. They both have violated the public trust that comes with owning a major sports team. Hopefully, they will realize that the only way to preserve what is left of the proud Dodger legacy and heritage will be to sell to someone that has the financial and business sense to get this organization back to the top. I believe that is what the McCourts wanted to do but clearly, they have failed. I just hope it is not too late.
Ask and Ye shall receive……Please, Mr. Torre, Mr. Honeycutt and the rest of this staff, let me be the one to help you pack your bags when you leave. And, the greatest gift of all would be for Ned to join them and, for mccourt to be forced to sell the team.
Ned, Joe, Larry, Honey…it's just not working anymore. You've beaten down the kids into puddles of goo. Joe, make the announcement today.
Hi ALL
Well another game with the NL West leader, trying to keep pace with the Giants.
I hope to heck the D'Backs can salvage a game, so I can root more easily for my own team.
It's amazing, I want our boys to do well but I hate the Giants.
I'm glad to see the Cardinals are 5 1/2 & 6 back.
Well it's time to get back to Petco(on T.V. of course).
Comon D'Backs.
Let's go Dodgers!!! We can still finish .500!!! It isn't much, but its better than having losing season. Go Billz!!!
I don't know if I come here out of habit, I'm masochistic when it comes to the Dodgers, or I just miss all your sorry assses. 😉
I see we have the gruesome twosome back at the top tonight – Pierre Light and DeWitt Light.
So how is everyone's sorry asss anyway?
I'm sorry, was that Russ Mitchell or Russ Martin?
I guess misery loves company, BPB1 🙂 My sorry asss is fishing fine!
By the way, I heard today that Theriot has a Fishing Bobblehead……lmao!!!
Glad to hear it Tru!!
Well, at least Kemp proved he could still hit minor league pitching.
I imagine that's a real collector's item Tru.
LOL!!! Hi'Ya Beav!!! My bass is just sorry the McCourts still own the team!!! Hey Trumom!!! Win or lose, I can't resist you, Beav, Nelly, and the ITD gang!!!
I saw a picture of it…a real collectable 🙂
I just couldn't tell if it was a CARP or CRAPPIE….lol
Howdy, Jhall 🙂
I guess Ned is the Catfish!!! A true bottom feeder with a funny mustache!!!!
I'm starting to wonder it these guys could even hit it off a tee.
Guess that leaves the rest of the team to FLOUNDER.
I'm starting to wonder who the hell are these guys!
Uh-oh. They got a run. Now what are we going to do?
Oh well, like the proctologist said to his nurse, "I'm sorry. I wanted a Butt Light."
Fold it up and go home!
Looks like Billz is having a brain fart. Good thing we've got Torre and Bunny rushing right out there to calm him down.
Butt Light….lmao!!!!
enchanted – it is just our endearing charm that you can't resist that keeps you coming back for more 🙂
Thank you. Thank you. I'll be here the rest of this week. Please be sure to tip your server…
And drive safely going home.
This Luebke is dynamite.
Oh wait, he's pitching against the Dodgers.
Dodgers are chopped liver, try the veal!!!! Rim-shot.
I wonder if our batting practice pitcher's tossed a no hitter yet.
We have batting practice?!
Kemp really drove that one.
He killed earthworms with that shot, BPB1!
Here is a question from Dylan Hernandez's twitter page..
So, do Dodger fans win in a sale? Fourth ownership group in 15 years?
What the hell is going on with this team behind closed doors? the Dodgers have had bad teams before, but I swear, I can't remember in all my 41 years a s fan being this embarrassed and livid at a Dodger club. This "leadership" group should be horse-whipped for allowing the Dodgers to play this gutless against a Division rival in the midst of a pennant race.
Ned better be a terrific salesman this offseason, because I can't think of a reason that anyone would want to be on this team.
This justs keeps getting fishing better! I swear we ARE the Bad News Bears!!!!
Oh well, more fishing soap!!! Pathetic!!! I can't stay up for any more of this carp!!! Goodnight all!!!
Beyond embarrassed, entering shame.
It really is shameful, Kahli.
Night Wally!!
And Billz says: Fu-Q Giants!!!
The only good thing tonight is the fact the the Giants lost!
I think our team has said: Fu-Q Frank and Joe!!!!
Very happy to see that the Giants lost.
That'll ease things up a little.
Looks like shutout #16 tonight.
I really did think that major leaguers had more pride than this, but I obviously was wrong. Watching this really does make you sit back and think that maybe your energy could be better spent supporting another team.
Dear Joe,
I have suffered and applauded Alston, Lasorda, Russell, Hoffman, Johnson, Tracy and Little, but you, my friend, have taken the Dodgers to an all-time low–and I don't care who your owner is, who your GM is, or who your players are. You are captain of this ship and you, sir, and you alone, should be held accountable for piloting this vessel into the worst hazard of all–apathy. Disgraceful.
Where is the Dodgers' Torri Hunter?
?We did not come ready to to play today,? Hunter said of the Angels. ?It seemed like we didn?t come with it today at all…I apologize for me and for us as a team…We need to play better…This is what we get paid to do."
Puds are lucky we came along when we did or they've lost their division lead.
That was comical. All Torre can "manage" to do is look like a buffoon.
So true, BPB1!
Wasn't Headley in Blazing Saddles?
OMG!!!! Joe Torre is a fishing idiot!!!!
Really Nells!! At this point there really isn't anything left to micro manage is there? That's something only Joe would do, and in the process deprive Lindsey of his first ML AB.
Even my A's/Twins fan friend called me and called you an idiot Joe. That is just plain embarrassing!!!!
At this point, wouldn't forfeiting be more honorable than what these guys are doing?
Maybe he just wants to take some of the heat off of our equally idiot of an owner. If that was Joe's intention, he did a mighty fine job because the media is going to be all over that dispicable display of being just plain classless. The Dodger fans thank you Joe for having to explain that one all day tomorrow.
BPB1 – not only did he take Lindsay out of a chance to bat, you put Andre in there (who I am sure would have wanted Lindsay to have his first major league at bat). Andre hasn't been hitting well, and even if he had hit the ball, who cares at this point. Even Andre would have rather seen Lindsay get his shot at his first at-bat than to bat himself. I am just so floored by that decision, but why should I be surprised. It is just par for the course with the decisions made by our three clowns running this team.
This was a comment made on facebook…………..see, it's not just us!!!
You know, a thought just crossed my mind. Think mebbe Torre is wearing his new glasses because he has eyeballs painted on the outside glass and is really asleep?
I know most people think I'm crazy but I'm elated that the Giants are 1.5 games out, even though it came at the expense of the Dodgers.
oldbrooklynfan – I am pretty elated myself :)))
Its inexcusable Nells plain and simple. In a tenure full of bizarre decisions, that one just topped the list.
I'm sorry folks, but why would any of you want to spend your hard earned money for tickets to see this shameful mess? Its obvious that both management and the players could care less about the fans. It's about time the fans care less towards the club. Maybe the last few games with a "real" attendance of 10,000 or under would prove a point.
Any another thing…
If either of the two morons that pretend to be owners really WERE owners, they'd not only be mortified and embarrassed, they'd start chopping heads. But you don't hear one word from either, and THAT says all you need to know about the McCourts.
Good evening ITD,
Lindsey will start Friday or Saturday. The Dodgers flew his family to Houston to watch him on his MLB Debut.
It doesn't matter that Lindsay is set to start Friday or Saturday, that was an embarrassing and terrible decision to pull him from his first ML at-bat.
Well, Torre's decision to pull Lindsay made the mlbtv highlight real on QuickPitch.
Everything about the Dodgers is embarrassing now.
The team has finally checked out in full, Chad Billingsley handing the ball to Joe in a mound visit where Joe just intended to chat.
There was no fire of any kind, the Padres looking like a team of 8 year olds rolling by their parents, who slowly trod in an effort to pretend to be trying to beat them.
The Padres, mind you, are one year removed from an ownership divorce. The Padres owner wasn't a wet-behind-the-ears moron, though, knowing when to fold 'em.
Frank McCourt doesn't care about the team. He doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about me. He doesn't even give a s–t about his own family.
All who are cursed to be within his grasp are charged with being dragged through the mud… and as we hit our, what? tenth sewer patch, we're not even fazed if the brown stuff is even mud anymore.
The most shining examples of Dodger Optimists are even in the doldrums now, multiple times worse than 1989, 1992, or 2005. Because in those seasons, there was hope for next year. This year, Frank McCourt, the Caretaker of Dodger Tradition, happy plays fiddle in the eighth circle of Blue Hell on Earth.
The Dodgers, to their fans, used to be an escape from the ills of the world. A pristine font from which we could draw, and remember all that is good about life.
Now, in the worst way possible, they're an exhibit of all that is wrong with the self-absorbed, self-inadequate owner who sees the Dodgers as a silver-medal (wait, he tried to buy the Angels too, that might make us bronze) albatross around his leveraged-into-quicksand neck, not as the Storied Treasure many, such as O'Malley and should-be-owner Eli Broad, see in Blue Heaven on Earth.
This is NOT your town, Frank, it's OUR town, and it's time for you to put on your big-boy pants, for once, and GET OUT, while you still have a few shreds of dignity to clutch onto.
I love my Dodgers, and you, Frank McCourt, no matter how many responsibilities you attempt to slime your way out of, will NEVER be a Dodger.
And as the ashes of this whole debacle, your own doing, rain upon you some day in the hopefully-not-too-distant future, and you're wondering where it all went wrong, why Angelinos won't happily pay you twice what they're accustomed to (or can afford) to watch a team you've spent 33% less on than when you "purchased" (HA HA HA!!! "Purchased"?!!! HA HA HA HA!) the club, why people won't believe your slick words and pat-on-the-head charm, here's a clue as to why…
Reading for tonight: "The Embarrassment of Riches", Lee Jenkins' look at the goings-on in the Ravine. This one, though, has Peter O'Malley in it.
In his usual classy way, he doesn't say much. He doesn't even talk directly about the current owner. But what is said speaks volumes over the din of shutterbugs and photo-ops of the McCourt entourage.
When Northstateblues has written, one must read 🙂
The Gnats are 2 games out.
Thanks for sharing that article Northstateblues. It was well worth the read, as heartbreaking as it was to do so.
I like seeing the Gnats 2 back. Wouldn't mind seeing that number get bigger and bigger. maybe this sweep will help the Padres gain enough steam to hold on.
Thanks Nelly. I hate writing stuff like that, but when I do, I feel like it's my little way of taking the Dodger Experience back.
We're not the Yankees, it'd probably take us 100 years to win 27. But the key to the Dodgers philosophy is in trying to be the best. I wish the owner shared that view.
Is always the freaking matchup which is freaking dumb but Gregerson own rhb than lhb. When Pods got PH for Lindsey I know damn well Gregerson was going to come in and Ethier to PH.
Stadium Petco Park, San Diego, CA 20,851 (48.8% full) – % is based on regular season capacity
What's the problem with the Padres even getting around 90% in the stadium? Is not like the game started late for them and of course school is back in and even when it not they still have trouble with attendance. They had 20,071 (47% full) Tuesday night and on Monday was 23,574 (55.2% full). I just went back to the May and July games in SD and the attendance was pretty decent over 90% so I guess we do own that stadium with our fans visiting there but there no point this time.
Just got through reading the posts I missed last night. North, yours was amazing. I wish Josh would make copies and hand it to the powers-that-be!
I would love to see those home attendance be somewhere in that range but it won't happen.
Lindsey can hit RHP I guess Torre didn't want him to face a tough set up guy.
I don't know why does Weaver want to come back. I think Weaver has been treated wrong to and it has been 9 days since he's last pitch.
Dodgers' Weaver wants one more year
After watching last night's game, I have to hope that the dodgers are laying down, so the giants don't win the west, if not then they are as pathetic as the standings and stats show for them. That 3 run inning of the padres was a joke. Yea I can understand JT letting Bilz pitch to Adrian G, but to pull John Lindsey in his first MLB AB, for Ethier who hits the first pitch for a DP, was almost cruel, I guess the thing that didnt work, if the dodgers are quiting is the invisible tag theriot put on venable for the inning ending DP.
Ryan you are not a magician, but you did fool the ump on that one.
Hello ITD!
I am in downtown LA Jury Duty waiting room. They have computers for jurors to sue and this one became available! woohoo!
Ok, they are about to call names again. Just wanted to say Hola!
oh oh, they just called my name as part of this group.
Oh oh look like Joyce is the home plate ump tomorrow for the Tigers.
RHP Armando Galarraga will see a familiar face behind the plate if he starts as scheduled Friday night?umpire Jim Joyce. The umpire schedule has Joyce's crew at Comerica Park for Detroit's series with Baltimore this weekend, and unless the rotation is disturbed Joyce would be behind home plate. It will be his first game at Comerica Park since the Cleveland series three months ago when Joyce, then working first base, missed the final-out call and cost Galarraga a perfect game. "I would probably rather be behind the plate than stand there at first base and have to relive that visualization of being at first base with him pitching," Joyce said of his Friday assignment. "It's better for me and my psyche to be behind the plate that night. As a matter of fact, I'm actually looking forward to it." Joyce worked home plate the day after Galarraga's imperfect game but has not worked a Detroit game since. Galarraga had right elbow soreness in his last start Sunday, but he is scheduled to start Friday.
Quote To Note:
"It felt even better (than imagined). When the crowd stood up, I had to tell myself not to cry. I said I can't cry out here. People will think I'm a baby."
?Rookie C Max St-Pierre, who got a standing ovation from Kansas City fans Sept. 4 when he made his major league debut and singled in his fourth at-bat. St. Pierre played 14 seasons in the minors before getting his shot, a fact duly noted on the Royals scoreboard.
Quote To Note:
"It felt even better (than imagined). When the crowd stood up, I had to tell myself not to cry. I said I can't cry out here. People will think I'm a baby."
?Rookie C Max St-Pierre, who got a standing ovation from Kansas City fans Sept. 4 when he made his major league debut and singled in his fourth at-bat. St. Pierre played 14 seasons in the minors before getting his shot, a fact duly noted on the Royals scoreboard.
This is very weird because that person play for the Tigers and got the standing ovation maybe Lindsey would get the same treatment from the Astros crowd.
I think league should change that game played and is just not right to see 1 games played on Lindsey yahoo/espn sport profile.
1B John Lindsey became the oldest non-Asian player to make his debut since 2002, even though he never got an at-bat. He was brought into Wednesday's game as a pinch hitter, with two runners on base and one out in the eighth inning to face San Diego LHP Joe Thatcher. When the Padres countered with RHP Luke Gregerson, Dodgers manager Joe Torre came back with left-handed-hitting Andre Ethier. Torre gave the lineup card to Lindsey, who was all smiles afterward and cherished the souvenir. Lindsey will start either Friday or Saturday, perhaps both games, and Lindsey loved hearing that news because his entire family will be there in Houston to witness it.
Ok, what happened to my prior post?
I am in downtown LA for Jury Duty.
Yay! We are dismissed for lunch at 11:35 and I don't have to come back till 1:30. Where to go to lunch? hmmm.
red mark "they have computers to use" instead of "they have computers to sue" LOL.
Ciao! I am off for lunch and then we are being sent to the 9th floor where they have additional security check. Only floor where they have that and I wonder why.
The Dodgers have found a new method of keeping the Giants out of the playoffs ? by getting swept by the Pods!! But all those gains will likely be erased next week when we get swept in the Phone Booth Park. Oh, the humanity!
I?m looking forward to the Oregon/Tennessee game on Saturday, since there?s nothing to look forward to in Dodger-town. Not this year. Not next year. Not until Frank takes the long awaited action:
The fact that Frank McCourt doesn't care about the fans doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt creates a delusional fantasy world in the press in which Dodger fans are behind him doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt doesn't care about spending money on the team on the field, passing up EVERY big name pitcher until trading for Ted Lilly at the 11th hour is baffling, but it doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt spent practically no real, tangible, existing money to buy the Dodgers is even more baffling, but with Bud Selig, the Owners' Commish, in charge, it doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt talked about upholding Dodger Tradition, while pulling the Dodgers' roots from any tradition they've had not only in Vero Beach, but Worldwide and in Player Development as well, is troubling, revolting, and sickening, but it doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt, along with his soon-to-be ex-wife, are emptying their skeletons of all their closets in an effort to cling to their precious fake-and-leveraged money, is vomit-inducing, but it doesn't surprise me.
The fact that Frank McCourt is willing to drag this embarrassment of a court case for years, should the Big Baby not get his bottle, in a pathetically transparent effort to use the 2013 TV money to buttress his case and get a permanent foothold in the owners' box, doesn't surprise me.
What DOES surprise me about Frank McCourt is that he (and Jamie, for that matter) is willing to tie his family, offspring and all, to the caboose of this final run of the Frank and Jamie Ego Express, and drag them behind the train for miles upon miles until one of their parents throws in the towel.
The fact that this man (and Jamie, for that matter) would sacrifice his own flesh and blood for this is infinitely more sickening than the fact that he's sacrificing a ballclub's hopes as well.
He could have made an effort to keep this swept under the rug, and let the media dig up the skeletons. With these two divorcing, though, the media doesn't even have to work to find the dirt, the McCourts are doing all the shoveling for them.
No, the dignity of keeping family issues sacred would be an act of a classy man, and Frank McCourt, all can agree, is devoid of the capacity to even FATHOM the concept of "class".
Frank McCourt: The Shame of Los Angeles.
*!*!*JOSH*!*!*: I admire the job you've done over the years here with the creation and upkeep for a window into the inner workings of the Dodgers franchise. This blog has created many friendships and connections that might never had happened had you not given the fans an outlet to give feedback about the ballclub.
I apologize for the personal attacks against your big boss, and I shame myself any time I speak ill of the man in charge, as even though I don't see anywhere near eye-to-eye with him, I understand and respect the fact that he's the leader of our ballclub. I don't have the tact or class that, say, Vin Scully does when mentioning unfavorable situations with the utmost journalistic neutrality. Oftentimes, I feel that what I write is akin to lighting bags of dog droppings and knocking on the Dodger Stadium offices before running off.
I'm just trying to give feedback to the organization about how they are perceived to the outer world, despite the best efforts of the Dodgers PR machine, although I understand that none of this will help the owner to make the decision to hand the team off to someone who, at the very least, would keep their private dealings private.
When you said, a few weeks ago, not to lose interest in the team, I wanted to reply that I haven't. I could never lose interest in the team. It means too much to me, always has, likely always will.
But the owner doesn't have any interest in the team I fell in love with, beyond how he could squeeze every red cent out of their fans, now even the Spanish speaking ones with the trademarking of "los Doyers".
If only he understood that the way to LA's hearts and wallets is spending on a Champion, he'd be held up high upon the shoulders of Angelinos along with Dr. Buss.
Every Dodger fan is miserable for Frank McCourt having purchased the ball club. Even the remaining Optomists are miserable at having to be embarrassed any time the team is mentioned in the media, as well as having to defend their team from sentiments of their own fellow fans.
I know the Dodgers' image means the world to you, and likely most if not all of your colleagues.
But if the Dodgers' image means anything to Frank McCourt, he has a funny way of showing it.
Hi Guys and Girls
Boy am I glad that series is over.
Now playing the Astros, there is no way we can effect the Giants one way or the other.
This will make it much easier to sit back and root for my favorite team.
Let's see if can get any runs off the feared Bud [turns to colleague – what was his name again?] Yes, Bud Norris.
Evidently, we can.
Runs??!!?? What the devil are those things?? And a crooked number? I'm so confused.
Well, well, well………..Welcome back Mr. Ethier!!!! Now, THAT is our Andre :))
Okay Josh, I'm asking… PLEASE SELL THE TEAM!!!!!!
NSB, kudos for another extremely well-written comment. This one should be published in the Times!
Same here Beav!!! Its pathetic!!!
And time warped to boot!!! Geez!!! Thank you football season!!!!
Brox must be taking pitching tips from Sherrill and Dotel!
***Josh*** I also wanted to thank you for offering & following through on the tour for us. I'm very sorry I wasn't able to go. I had hoped to but due to losing a couple of my crew at work to school I wasn't able to get out of town. I had worked 15 out of 16 days and to drive 6 hours on Friday, do the tour & game on Saturday and drive 6 hours home on Sunday when I had to then work the next week wasn't looking like a good idea for us.
I do hope you have it again next year and maybe a little earlier in the year like in April or May. It gives us the ability to meet up and spend time with one another in person which I would love to do.
I also echo NSB's statement in regard to your job and having to deal with us. I know we can be a pain but that's because we love our Dodgers. This is why there is so much passion that comes out at times in a negative way.
So sorry if we have been tough on you. When I've seen you up here in SF I've wanted to say hello and introduce myself but you looked busy. Maybe if I make it next week I'll say hello.
As I typed this we had runners on the corners with 1 out and didn't score and then Brox comes out and walks the 1st batter. Same thing over & over again. Torre & company needs to go…
For me at times being negative is therapeutic. This season has been so maddening starting from the NLCS last year. If I don't laugh then I'll cry and we all know that there's no crying in baseball.
I for one am fine with losing. But being embarrassed and seeing some very classless things happen with our owners is really tough to not say anything negative and be really hacked off.
To repeat what was said… the divorce won't have any affect on the team on the field… was and is total crap.
Sell the team and clean house. The 1st one to go for me would be Conte.
Another day…another loss….same old fishing story!
Decided to watch TV for awhile. Guess I'm not surprised to come back and see (A) we're losing, and (B) we have only three hits against anothet no name pitcher.
Gotta know things are bad on the farm when the best you've got to bring up are Oeltjen, Mitchell and a 33 year old.
Thanks Ned. Job well done.
Now that the Dodgers' three-day Christmas gift is over, the Padres are back to losing baseball games…
And it sure is refreshing to see how the Dodger players will run through a brick wall for Torre, Bowa, Colletti, and McCourt.
Hi'Ya Collie!!! Well said!!! First one to go for me is Ned the Catfish!!! I'm ready for a clean sweep. The owner, GM, manager and all the coaches. Give Ng or White a shot at GM and see if Hershiser wants to manage or be the pitching coach.
To be a Dodger fan is to be a glutton for punishment 🙂
Sad the team didn't win today. There's always tomorrow.
Watching the NFL game tonight, I realized that the game was boring, but with their position in CBA limbo, they might not be playing next year.
I'm going to try to enjoy the rest of the season, however fruitless of an attempt it might be. Even from the pessimistic point of view, if they're right, it won't be this good again for a while.
Personally, I think once we flush, the water will come out clear. The only problem is waiting.
And we have a bunch of once-youngsters on this team that are gonna be PO'd next season.
This boats got so many leaks, its not surprising that it is rapidly sinking!!! If the McCourts are still around with Ned and our current manager and coaches, next year promises to get even worse!!!!
Actually Norris is a good pitcher and could be a CY canidate in the near future and he's a Cards killer. That bs inference called was a joke.
Mr. Soap — agreed!!
On a somber note my neighbor got home about an hour ago and was telling me about a huge explosion in San Bruno. She had passed the area on her way home from San Jose and about 10 minutes later reports came in about the explosion.
I've been watching and it looks as if it's a natural gas explosion. If any you are the praying type please do as it doesn't look good. Many houses are leveled.
Does anyone remember when we ever scored a run in the 9th, let alone tied or won the game?
Another truely pathetic effort. Shutout for the last 8 2/3 innings of the game. There for the grace of one pitch being shutout for the 17th time.
At this point, I really don't care if they trade the entire team. The only one even semi-interesting to watch anymore is Jansen.
If this was a critical game Torre would've had argue that bs call.
They all look like Cy Young against this team shad.
I hope no one is hurt or killed Collie!!! As for our Dodgers, more Fishing Soap!!! Loney and Mitchell really killed us!!! Pathednik and NoHiTheriot were sure shrewd acquisitions!!! Very sad and totally unacceptable©!!!!
I hate to say this but I think this team losing on purpose.
Broxton need to be shut down I hate when he did that a 4 pitches walk to the lead off guys and a 3-1 count to Pence seriously. Also shut down Kuo no need to risk him in those meanless game and were the hell is Weaver?
Broxton need to be shut down I hate when he did that a 4 pitches walk to the lead off guys and a 3-1 count to Pence seriously. Also shut down Kuo no need to risk him in those meanless game and where the hell is Weaver?
They're not losing on purpose Shad. They just s*ck!!! Flat out!!!
Urgh I didn't know that post twice my internet was so freaking slow.
I don't think the best players and the best coaches and managers could help this team, they were just meant to lose this year.
Broxenfeurer is a mess!!!!!
Wow, Collie…how frightening! I will say a prayer. I've spent some time in San Bruno. We used to stay there when we went to the gift show in S.F. Much cheaper and we liked it a lot.
We'll never know Brooklyn because Frank sure as hell will never go out and get the best players, coaches and manager.
Brox is one of our FLOUNDERS.
Lilly was 7-1 vs Houston to and if he can't get 2 more wins that end his double digit win season.
They're showing pictures of the explosion/fire in San Bruno. Looks pretty bad. One witness said it felt like an earthquake and explosion. It looks like it's in a residential area. Let's keep those prayers going, gang.
Collie – prayers for sure. That is really scary looking. Stories like that make me appreciate as well as worry about Dodgereric since he deals with that stuff everyday.
As for the Dodgers, there isn't much to say is there?………. but we are all still here so at this point we are just gluttens for punishment I suppose.
Wow Bautista hit his 44th HR's this year I remember he suck with the Pirates. He really must be on something the most he had was like 19th HR.
I knew it the Padres aren't even trying with the Giants tonight go figure.
This is a very intriguing article, and the writer of the article (Dennis Schlossman) is on facebook with some of us as well. Below the article link is a very intriguing comment he made about our team. Many of us have wondered, and I guess we just might be correct in our thinking.
Remember how we were talkin about stuff in the clubhouse? Was just chattin with my scout buddy, and he told me that three players have no desire to play for Torre whatsoever, and they won't even look at the other coaches when being offered advice. Also said the three were completely disgusted with all aspects of manage…ment. I was very surprised with two of the three names…
Any guesses on the names? Well, here are some of the comments that were made in regards to this………
?…Kemp, Loney and Ethier. He said that the three have developed horrible attitudes towards all the coaches over the past two weeks. Can't say that I blame 'em.
Which came first, the attitudes or the benching?
I think Loney being involved adds a lot of credibiliy to the story.
I was very surprised to hear Loney and Ethier's names. Also, said that one of the pitchers called Honeycutt "*********", but no name was shared. I thought of one name off the top of my head, but it woulda have needed to been spoken in Spanish
I am not real surprised for Ethier to have been in that group to be honest. He's more passionate about the game; Loney is level headed and calm. We figured out there was a house divided, we just didn't know how many were involved. So sad.
Padilla was the first guy I thought of… Disrespect is a very, very ugly virtue, and from what I'm hearing, pretty much have it for everybody of their heads. Can't say I blame em one bit. You mentioned Blake, when I see his facial expression on the field, it looks like he's just overflowing with total disgust.
I'm thinkin there's much more to the story. I'm gonna float more questions his way tonite. I think Manny had a huge role in whatever went down. I was thinkin' too, wouldn't it be awesome to get an interview with Belliard? Most of the other guys can't speak their minds because they are bounded by contracts…
Oh, also said that Ausmus was doing his best to keep the clubhouse together. Said he sees him as bench coach or maybe even bullpen coach next year regardless of ownership or management. Said Ausmus really wants to be a part of the Dodgers moving forward.
It's what we have been thinking, but it's always nice to see that it's not just us feeling this obviously frustration for what the management is doing to this team, and now to have some indication that the team itself is not happy, makes our thoughts even more valid.
My Theme for this season:
They got a name for the winners in the world, I want a name when I lose , Call me Dodgers Blues
Steely Dan
Wow — telling article Nelly. I think it's been obvious to all of us watching. My question is if Joe is waiting for them to be out of contention before talking about his future then he should of done it during spring training.
Having a couple of Ortiz in the running for a starters job was telling enough. Throw in regressions in Matty, Brox, & Russ as well as injuries to Dre, Manny, Russ, and Ferk it was obvious the writing was on the wall. Hopefully this will cause some change for the better.
So, if it is obvious to all of us watching, why doesn't it seem to be obvious to the one that can actually change things and begin by selling the team? That would be a very good first step in moving back in the right direction.
Did we drafted Russell Mitchell as a 2nd baseman in 2003 and convert him to a 3rd baseman?
I'm only asking this because I played alot of fantasy baseball and on yahoo sport a lot and they have him eligible at 2nd/3rd bases.
nelly-very interesting, to say the least. We could have won with the add on players, but if the heart of the batting order goes in the tank, no way are you going to win anything. You'd think they would at least play for personal pride. Assuming this is true, the details would make for some eye opening reading.
WOW – Awesome info Nells. It would explain a lot about the regression of all the young guys, both hitters and pitchers.
With that in mind, here's a question…
Is Martin as bad as he's been, or being a catcher, did Torre just get in his head first? Martin's been going down ever since JoJo & Co. arrived.
Here's another question…
If JoJo announces he's staying (or they anoint Mattingly), will the players' agents start demanding a mass exodus so they don't have to play under him again?
There's a definite pall hanging over the team. I have to think that Joe announcing his retirement would be a relief and they'd immediately start to perk up a bit.
OK, last question: If we assume Joe's going to leave, why isn't Mattingly managing the last 20 games to gain some experience?
Tank tank tank I want a top 10 picks to bad nexy June to bad McCourt probably won't pay him.
Tank tank tank I want a top 10 picks to bad nexy June to bad McCourt probably won't pay him.
Let's me try that again. Tank tank tank I want a top 10 picks but to bad next June McCourt probably won't pay him.
This is freaking unbelieveable and insane but you don't see this often Joey Votto has yet to hit an infield popup this season.
Will this depression last for long?
Won't you tell me
Where have all the good times gone
When you think about it, the only time these kids have performed WELL is when Manny showed up and was present in the clubhouse. Everyone assumed it was because he protected them in the line-up. I feel it was because he taught them how to have fun. Does anyone associate fun with Torre, Bowa or Honeycutt? I'll bet this team will do back flips the day Joe announces adios. Joe is not a bad guy…he's just a bad fit for young players. Bowa, too. Manny took them to the post season, not Joe. That's why I'll always love Manny as a Dodger.
NSB, kahli, great posts and thought provoking comments. And Nelly, your "inside" information is quite disturbing. As a long time Dodger fan I have endured many a sour season but as NSB and others have pointed out, I cannot ever recall feeling as if the players have lost interest. Even those teams of the early 90's, one of which lost 99 games, did not have the downtrodden feel of this year's team. As I asked in an earlier post, how can so many players tank all at once? Is there not one player (or coach) who will stand up to the others and just tell them to suck it up and play their best no matter what? Shouldn't they already know that without being told? Didn't your Little League coaches tell you that? Are these players that selfish that they would cheat the fans? The problem is, even if they are not "dogging" it, the perception is certainly there.
By the way, I read the Sports Illustrated article yesterday and the only thing in that article of any interest is the grief Peter O'Malley supposedly gets when he is in public buying coffee like every other slob out there. I respect Mr. O'Malley, but I would give him grief too if I had the opportunity for selling to Fox in the first place. I understand why, I just cannot forgive him for beginning this downward spiral in the first place. Of course, it should be duly noted that at the time of the sale, the Dodgers had not won a playoff game since 1988 and Peter clearly did not feel he had the resources to take the organization in the direction necessary to stay competitive financially. Too bad. The fans have been paying for this ever since.
Hi everybody
This streak will end tonight.
I tell you.
LOL, Bear!
How in the hell is Bautista still hitting HR? He just hit 2 HR's and now have 46 HR's and 110 rbi's.
If anyone need to be resigned Ned better sign Gibbons next season.
Gosh freaking time warp.
Did the boys really win, or am I time-warped back to 2009?
Good evening ITD.
I am with you VPDB, my hat off to Jamie Carroll. He has been a breath of fresh air. I know I questioned it when he came to the Dodges.
"On the other hand it is disconcerting to me that a bunch of highly paid so-called professionals would disregard people who are there to guide and supervise them, much as they might dislike them or even disrespect them. I think we all have at one time or another worked for somebody we did not like or worse. Andre, Loney and Matt have enough major league experience, and hopefully pride, to set those kind of puny considerations aside and play for their careers and for their teammates.
By verypissedoffbear on September 10, 2010 1:42 PM "
Well said VPOB!
VPOB – I agree with you about Jamey Carroll. He did a great job for the Rox when he played with them. He was just a victim of no room to play.
As far as my post last night, only the people in the clubhouse really know what is happening. I find it really hard to believe Andre and James have an attitude problem. If anything, maybe it is just frustration being misread as a bad attitude. Whether we believe what is written or not, it is the view that is being percieved by some, whether it is intended or not.
Thanks Dodgers for winning tonight. It makes sitting here watching the gnat/padres games a little more bearable, especially with the gnats fishing announcers. Go Padres!!!!
I am out of the time warp once again.
Where's fishingsoap when you need him?
LOL I guess I had the same name on my mind but maybe because I was looking at the great cartoons about Jamie and Frank I found in the Downtown News when I went to Jury Duty. I posted the cartoons and link in my blog if anyone wants to look at them.
Well, the photo of the boys doing their celebration in the outfield always makes me smile. At least for tonight they are happy to have that losing streak end.
Wow….I'm in shock! Woo-Hoo….way to go Gibbons!!!!
I can't believe Dotel got out of that 1 out triple from Bourn now he's going to get a win
Ouch Gibbons
WooHoo, win streak!!! Well, maybe we can still finish at .500!!! Great stuff CZ!! LOL!! Thanks, I enjoyed it!!!
I type that 15 sec when the game was done. Damn dial up suck.
Gawwwwd Padres!!!!!!!!! Don't you know what us Dodger fans living in gnat country have to put up with now that you let them into first place with you? No fun!!!!
Gosh I just read that play by play and Bochy really mismanaging his bullpen and had to keep Wilson in the game with the bases loaded with 1 out and shocking how they didn't PH for Whiteside with Posey?
Woohoo! Dodgers win! Congrats Dodgers! Congrats Gibbons!
Let's hope Ely has a good game tomorrow.
I forget who said here that Jeff Weaver has been the forgotten man. I can't help to think that if Weaver would have started those starts given to Monasterios that the Dodgers would not have been put against the 8th ball so early in those games.
Without Vin on the air, I just listened to the game in Spanish and work on the computer.
Kuroda-san deserved the win but what else is new.
Great picture of Kemp…nice to see someone happy:
I can't believe some Giants fans were actually rooting for us to beat the Padres lol.
Well I didn't say it but what if Weaver has started from the start? What could've happen and the bullpen probably would've had 50 to 75 less innings combined from there relievers. Monasterios could've stay in the bullpen all seaosn long. If you added up Monasterious/Ely/McDonald combined starting IP they should be around 20 to 30 innings less than Weaver.
On Labor Day I purchased a note pad lap top and this is my first entry. No big deal yet, since I'm home.
Hope everyone is remembering 9/11 today. If not make this a reminder.
Hope the Dodgers can extend this one game winning streak.
2nd attempt.
Remembering 9/11.
I purchased a note pad lap top on labor day and this is my first entry.
So far after one attempt all I've gotten are page loading problems.
So I'm trying again.
That's odd after a 2nd attempt, I see the first one made it through even though I canceled it.
Paging down takes a while, since this thread is so long, because the key that says "end" is for moving to the end of the line that I'm typing.
Any help?
Comebacks dominate the night, Loons advance, Raptors win on Landry 9th inning heroics
by Phil Gurnee on Sep 10, 2010 8:57 PM PDT 0 comments
The Raptors did it the hard way scoring two runs in the 9th to overcome a 1 – 0 lead, and come away with a victory in the 1st game of their playoff series. Leon Landry hit a two run double to provide the game winning run, which backed the superlative pitching from Patterson, Bawcom, and Tolleson.
Matt Magill went on a K tear striking out 10 batter in 5 innings but by the time he left in the sixth the Loons were down 3 – 2 just like Thursday Night. Instead of waiting until the 8th, the Loons took the lead for good in the bottom of sixth on single by Galvez, double by Songco, and SF by Becker. Ynoa slugged a home run in the 7th to put the game away for good. Steve Smith got the win with Luis Vasquez nailing down the save. Here is Hugh's Report.
The Loons get no rest as they head into the 2nd round, starting Saturday Night. Hugh will be doing another live blog on Sunday. These playoffs don't mess around, they started on Wednesday and they could play every game from Wed – Mon unless someone wins two straight, so the rotation will get a workout.
Jhall – as an honorary Buckeye, what a wonderfully, simple tribute they did at the beginning of the game for the rememberance of 9/11.
Thanks Nell'!! We should never forget those that perished at 9-11…
I am very happy that you and Trumom are Buckeye fans.
Jhall – I was worried about the Buckeyes in the first half, and then the second half they showed their strength pretty well. I was going back and forth between that game and the Cal game where they just stomped all over Colorado.
The Dodgers need 10 more wins to assure themselves of a .500 season.
Good evening ITD boys and girls!
Well, it sure is nice to see our Boys in Blue win again. I?ve been in the mindset for about a month that if we won?t be in the playoffs our Boys better make sure that the gnats don?t get in the playoffs either. So, GO PADRES, GO PHILLIES, GO BRAVES!!! And the question from KCAL today was which division was going to contribute the wild card entry. And 84% said that it was the NL West? I don?t think so. Between the Phillies and the Braves, one is going to win the NL East and the other will be the Wild Card winner.
Oh yeah, and the other day (Tuesday to be exact) about that game in Milwaukee and Trevor Hoffman? I was there watching that game! What an electric evening! Yeah, I was at that game with my husband and his brother and sister-in-law. What an evening. We got the tickets along with passes to the Stadium Club. Wow, the food at that buffet was great! And then to see history in the making made the evening even more special. When we were eating dinner, we were sitting over the left field seats, right next to the window looking out over Miller Park. I saw the big picture of Trevor Hoffman and the number ?599? right below it. I told my husband, ?Hey, Hoffman is still sitting at 599 saves.? And then to see Trevor earn his 600th save and see that number change from 599 to 600 was incredible! I?ll never forget it for as long as I live. Yes, I still have our tickets and I plan to do something to commemorate THE EVENT!
So how are my ITD friends this fine evening?
Okay, I?m getting tired and it seems like ITDers are taking a break now too. I?ll catch up with y?all later?
Good Evening ITD readers and writers!!! I had to make a choice between watching the Dodgers and watching the NASCAR race. Well, the game wasn't on here unless I wanted to watch the Astros feed so my decision was easier in watching the race and just checking in on the Dodgers game. Well, both events had great endings. Glad the Dodgers got their second win in a row, and very happy about Denny winning the race today after his engine failure last week. To think of it everything sports related I watched today had a good result. Tomorrow starts the first week of fantasy football. Well technically, I started on Thursday :)))
Hey CP!!! Sorry I missed you!! It looks like you had a great time in Iowa and at the ballgames – that's fantastic!!!!
Here's is Sarah's Take, which I normally don't read, but it came in as a google alert because Andre being mentioned in her article. The google alert had the headline, and then this line from here article………………..
"Andre Ethier's broken pinkie ruined the Dodgers' season."
Ummmmmm……………….there is a team of 25 players, 9 of which, start each and every game. Andre doesn't pitch and he only plays one position (well, he did play first and center field this season), and he is only 1 of 9 batters. I agree that it was a major factor in Andre's season, but to say he is the reason the Dodgers season was ruined is absolutely ridiculous. I don't care who Sarah is or who she thinks her audience is, but I am a very pissssed off Ethieraholic right now for that statement.
The rest of the paragraph goes on to say this…………………..
Although Ethier quickly returned to the lineup from the broken pinkie, he hasn't been the same offensive force. Last week, Joe Torre said that if he were the Dodgers' manager next season, he would work on the mental approach to baseball with Ethier, Matt Kemp and James Loney during the offseason. I am not sure Ethier has the wrong mental approach to the game. I am not confident that his broken pinkie is healed fully. With a finger problem, no hitter can be an offensive force in any lineup, and Ethier doesn't have a good power hitter to protect him in the lineup.
ummmmm………………..once again, why does Joe have to work on just Matt, Andre and James' mental approach to the game? Other than Jamey Carroll, it wasn't the greatest offensive season for anybody. Doesn't this just go to prove even more that unless Joe is handed a team that is already developed and he can buy any remaining parts, he has no clue on how to manage a young team…………which Ned has managed to take away all the youngness this team did have and replace them with pvls. So, Joe is left with Andre, Matt and James who are the young players, and he has no clue on how to handle them.
I am just so fed up with reading how these three players are the reason the season was not so good. Why don't you (Frank, Ned, Joe and Jamie and the ENTIRE coaching staff) take a look in a mirror and think of what you could have done differently to make this team better or at least make them think they had a chance because from my viewpoint, you never gave them a chance to just be who they are and let them play the game like they know how to play it. ****sigh****
Wow Rivera blown a rare save and his last one was July 4. I guess he human at all but he probably should've been in the game after going 2 innings last night.
A very early good morning, ITD!!!
I just read Sarah?s Take. She does make some interesting points but I think they?re quite misguided and her aspirin needs to be straightened out. Pretty much the entire team imploded this season and it wasn?t at all fair that she singled out Ethier, Kemp and Loney. For that matter, it wasn?t right that Joe pointed his finger at them, either!
Injuries are part of the game and all teams experience them, but if Ned hadn?t traded away the farm for raggedy old PVL rentals and injured former stars the past number of years, we?d have had adequate coverage without having to rely on Ned?s inevitable one-sided trades. Slumps are part of the game, too; unfortunately when two or three players experience them at the same time, bad stuff happens and all the coaching staff can do is work with the players to help them adjust and fix the problems.
Guidance and mentoring are a huge part of this game and the managers and coaches are responsible for providing that. Unfortunately our coaching staff is deficient in their teaching skills. Our older coaches have no idea how to approach the younger generation. Otherwise, why the mass mutiny? Before Jojo and Company point their fingers at the players, they need to realize when you point your finger at someone, there are three fingers pointing back at you. That?s something Sarah should realize as well.
I agree….it is NOT Andre's fault. I don't know who this Sarah chick is but, she is way off base and, I think she should be called out on her ridiculous assessment. MANNY, didn't play much….RAFFY got hurt just when he was heating it up,the ENTIRE BP IMPLODED, and, most importantly of all……NED, JOE and the entire coaching staff should be removed immediately BECAUSE THEY ARE THE REASON WE ARE IN THIS MESS!
Ms. Morris used a bad choice of words saying Ethier's pinky was the reason the season went bad, but she did go on to talk about the numerous other problems the Dodgers have this season. We should have STARTED the season with a real #1, the injuries and BP let down have been talked about. The most interesting part is about Ethier, Kemp, and Loney's approach to the game. Something went wrong there and they are the ones with the bats in their hands. I do not think we should be so eager to give them a free pass on this issue. Joe and staff could not reach them? That answer is obvious enough. Maybe it is time for Wallach. I wouldn't complain. To me, there is blame enough for everyone, top to bottom.
Great posts this morning Sparkleplenty, Knouffbrock and Tru!!!
I agree, she made a lot of points that many of us on here have made numerous times, but when you are writing for columns for the Dodger homepage, you would think their would be some editing skills involved, especially if that wasn't the intent of the comment about Andre and his injury. I probably wouldn't have even read the article because most of the time she irritates me anyway so I usually don't even click on it to read it, but it was sent to me through my google account and that line about Andre just happened to be the line that was highlighted as the main point of the article.
When things go bad on a team that had all the potential to do great things, everything needs to be looked into, not just the players (and not just a select few players either), but it seems like all the blame is being placed on them and none of it is being directed at coaching or management or, in our case, even the owner. The players certainly do own part of the problem, but it hasn't been just one or two players this season. If it were just Andre and Matt or just Russell and Matt, or just James and Russell or James and Andre or a pitcher or two, then by all means, have at it,but in the case this year, it is more than just a two/three player problem.
Like many have said, the Dodgers have issues from the top down that really need some major revamping in this coming off-season in order to have some sort of team left to play next season, and it needs to start at the very top with our current owners. They need to do what is best for the team, but obviously that isn't happening or the team would have been sold already.
My hope is that the Dodgers finish this season as strong as they can, and if that means just making the Giants miserable for three days then so be it. Then hopefully during this off-season we can see a new owner, GM and manager (who's name is not Mattingly) who can get them back on track by doing things the Dodger Way.
Monsterious should say in the bullpen and Weaver should've start. What took so long for Weaver to even be in this game? His last game was back vs Philly on Aug 31.
Gibbons is such a beast and congratulation on your 1st rbi's Mitchell.
Congratulation on your 1st major league hit Lindsey.
This is the biggest series of the year coming up, we have to sweep the Giants in order to put a stop to their climb.
Keep them out of the postseason.
I agree! BEAT S.F. and GO ROCKIES!!!!!!
It was a great weekend for my other sports. Denny Hamlin wins in Richmond and the Redskins beat the Cowboys (Sorry Boblee!! It was more a matter of your Boys sucking than my Skins playing well) Now, if the Chargers could win tonight and the Dodgers beat the Giants tomorrow, that would be fabulous!!!!
BTW – the gnat fans in my house are just too damn happy – blah!!!!
I know you won't be surprised, but Joe didn't make the list of the top 10 managers this season.
With the addition of John Lindsey the discussion
went to other long suffering minor leaguers.
One friend said Maury Wills and I said Sweet
Lou Johnson. Looking it up it seems Wills spent
eight yrs. and Lou spent nine yrs. in the minors.
Long but not exorbitant.
Wasn't there a Dodger in the 60's/70's that came up
after double figure yrs. in the minors?
Both Wills and Sweet Lou made significant contributions to the Dodgers when they finally made it, with Wills becoming one of most exciting players to ever wear a Dodger uniform. Sweet Lou stepped in for the injured Tommy Davis and helped the Dodgers to the 1965 pennant. Neither player came into the league with any great expectations but both made the most of their opportunities and both are currently employed by the Dodgers.
Lindsey is a good story. Most guys would have given up a long time ago when they realized they were not going to make it. The money in the minors is not all that good but compared to what someone might earn in the real world, playing minor league ball may not be so bad. Lindsey must be a good enough player and person to be of value to a minor league team for all these years and he is doing what he wants to do. But I have to agree with VPOB that it will be difficult for Lindsey to stay in the majors unless he really proves he belongs. It was good to see how his teammates and even the opposition treated him when he got the hit. They know what he has endured.
And Nelly, those Giants fans in your house better not take their eyes off the Rockies. I must say it is a bit annoying to be playing the role of spoiler rather than being in the hunt for a playoff spot. Spoiler seems to satisfy Giants fans since they have not really won anything since, what, 1954? I expect more from the Dodgers than being spoilers.
Good afternoon ITD.
I can only dream of how exciting it would have been to have the Jints, Padres and the Dodgers in the race. Heck, even the Rockies….Oh well..
I would ahve thought that by now, Josh would have had a new thread.
Oh, and contratulations to Eric for his letter making it to the Saturday letters. It was his suggestion to all Dodger Stadium Vin Scully Stadium.
I was reading that back in New York when they had three MLB teams, there was "an unwritten rule for fans" that you could have ONE favorite player from the other two teams. Did you? If so who were they? Just curious.
Good evening all! I'm going to the game tomorrow night and possibly on Wednesday night as well. Is anybody else going?
Hopefully they can at least win a couple and not just roll over, but maybe give them an LA version of Joe Morgan.
Giant fans are always cocky and this year they've been out of the woodwork so I would love to see them have to not make it. Either way the Dodgers have had a DUD of a season so I can't be all that excited but for some reason this year I will feel just a bit better if the Giants don't either.
Nelly — I got your FB message & I was thinking about Michael. I will love it when he's drafted by the Dodgers. You know that's going to happen. That is how things go down! I wonder what he'll say in his press conference??? Maybe something like he didn't grow up a Dodger fan but his wonderful Mom and Grandmother were so he knows how special they are & that he's so glad he gets to play for a winning team that has won 7 championships since coming west! That he appreciates what the Dodgers GM – Mr. Logan White did by selecting him and he looks forward to continuing the winning for his awesome owner Mr. Cuban. 8)!!!
By then Dre will be playing for Arizona and they will face each other.
Or he'll go to the Giants and Dre will still be with the Blue and they'll face off. Hmmmm…. the possibilities are endless! Fun to think about!!
Collie – Everytime I mention that he says "hell no!!". What would be fun is for Andre and Michael to be playing on the same team, preferrably the Dodgers, but definitely not the Giants. However, I see your point. A face off between the two would be good, but it would also kind of suck. It would be the only time that I would have to say "Sorry Andre…………..family first!" However, if Andre hits one into the bay off of him or crushes one into center field at the Ravine, I just might have to say "yeah Andre" in a much quieter tone than I do now 🙂 That being said, I really, really don't want him anywhere near the gnats organization. I am hoping after this school year, I don't have to even think about the colors orange and black anymore, as they are MHS's school colors.
Dodgereric – great job in getting your letter in the paper!!!
That video on the homepage pulls on the heart strings just a tad, and it hits very close to home to my family. It's things like that which put the human back into the players, and I just adore them all when they are involved like that. BTW – Andre has some major martial arts skills. Maybe he can come and do a demo for my brother's TaeKwonDo school, and then just stop by my classroom for a chat :)))


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Statement by John Dyer,
Acting Principal Deputy Commissioner, Social Security Administration
before the House Committee on Ways and Means
Subcommittee on Human Resources
April 21, 1998
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
I am pleased to be here today on behalf of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to discuss our administrative initiatives and legislative proposals for protecting the integrity of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. Before I begin, however, I would like to reiterate what Commissioner Apfel said before this Subcomminee last month-SSA is commined to improving the management of the SSI program now and in the future.
SSI is a vitally important program that provides nearly 6.5 million aged, blind, and disabled individuals the means to provide themselves with basic necessities of food, clothing, and shelter. These individuals are among the most vulnerable Americans. These individuals have little in the way of personal savings or other income. For them, SSI is truly the program of last resort and is the safety net that protects them from complete impoverishment.
I want to give you some idea of who gets SSI benefits. More than 2.3 million individuals receiving SSI are aged 65 or older. Of the 2.3 million, nearly half (47 percent) are aged 75 or older. Seventy-three percent of those over 65 are female and many, if not most, are widowed. At the other end of the age spectrum, nearly 880,000 severely disabled children under age 18 receive benefits. These children generally live in households below the poverty line. Even adult beneficiaries who live in their own households live in poverty. The 1998 Federal SSI benefit rate is 5494 a month. This amount represents 74 percent of the 1998 Federal poverty guideline for an individual. Eligible couples-both of whom are either aged, blind, or disabled-fare only slightly better. The couple's Federal benefit rate represents 82 percent of the poverty guidelines for two persons. There are nearly 260,000 eligible couples receiving SSI. By any measure, SSI recipients are among the poorest of the poor.
We need to keep these individuals in mind as we seek to improve the administration of the SSI program. We must be sure that any changes we make do not adversely impact this very vulnerable part of our population.
It should be noted that although the SSI program experienced substantial growth between 1985 and 1994, in the 4 years since then the program has essentially reached a plateau and experienced little or no growth in the number of beneficiaries. One reason for this is that with funding support from Congress, we have substantially increased continuing disability reviews (CDRs). Also there have been several changes enacted recently concerning eligibility for SSI. Another factor is the improved economy. But the important point is that the number of beneficiaries in the SSI program has stabilized and SSA can focus more closely on the continuing eligibility of, and accuracy of payments to, those who are on the rolls.
Let me assure you that we have always been committed to administering the SSI program as efficiently and accurately as possible. It is important to our nation and the low-income aged, blind, and disabled individuals that the program serves. We have every intention of strengthening the administration of SSI in order to restore public confidence in this important program.
Reasons for Overpayments
By design, the SSI program is intended to provide vital assistance to individuals who are aged, blind, or disabled and have limited income and resources. It is a means-tested program that requires SSA to investigate, and the beneficiaries to divulge, all-of their income and assets. All sources of an individual's income, including in-kind income, and any assets are explored, considered, and valued. Some individuals forget to report to us about some of these items, others may not understand what we need to know, and may not fully understand that their ownership interests in financial accounts or real property may affect their eligibility for SSI.
Overpayments occur for a variety of reasons. For example, every time the wages of a disabled child's parent fluctuate because of working extra hours. the amount of income deemed to the child changes and the possibility of an overpayment exists. If an individual has slightly more than the allowable resource limit in his or her bank account at the beginning of a month, he or she may be overpaid SSI for the month. An unanticipated living arrangement change in the middle of a month can cause an overpayment.
SSI is a program that requires an individual's need be matched with his or her income, resources, and living arrangements on a monthly basis. Because it is a practical impossibility for SSA to get every bit of information about every change in a timely fashion, there will inevitably be some amount of overpayment or underpayment. This is inherent in the nature of a program such as SSI. Nevertheless, there are several things that can be done to minimize these overpayments. improve program payment accuracy, ensure that only those who are truly eligible are on the rolls, and strengthen the integrity of the program.
Notwithstanding these administrative challenges, in FY 1996, SSA made correct payments in 94.5 percent of SSI cases. We can do berter, and improving SSI payment accuracy is one of SSA's highest priorities. SSA has developed a comprehensive approach that includes strategies for greatly reducing the problems that cause inaccurate payments and measures the success of the actions. At the core of the plan is a focus on the early identification of changes that affect benefit levels and the prevention, detection, and collection of overpayments.
SSA's efforts to reduce and recover overpayments which I describe below respond to the major sources of overpayments.
The areas of wages, financial accounts, and institutionalization account for nearly half of the overpayments made in the SSI program. We believe that matching information with various databases holds great promise in the prevention of overpayments caused by these factors. SSA has already undertaken steps in this area and we will do more.
Information concerning other income and resource factors account for a quarter to a third of overpayments. An indispensable element in identifying these types of overpayments is the periodic redetermination of SSI recipient eligibility conducted by SSA's claims representatives. The President has included in his budget a proposal to authorize a cap adjusnnent for $50 million in FY 1999 for nonmedical redeterminations of SSI recipients. These funds will help in reducing overpayments in these areas by providing additional resources for this important workload.
Questions of residency in the United States also lead to a relatively small number of overpayments nationally, however, these overpayments generally tend to be concentrated in certain geographic areas. As I describe, below, both SSA and the IG have initiatives underway to reduce overpayments cause by misinformation on residency.
SSA's efforts in all of these areas therefore encompass the vast majority of the causes of SSI overpayments. We also have initiatives to address directly fraud and abuse in the program. In addition, SSA will maintain its ongoing efforts, supported by this Subcomminee, to increase the numbers of continuing disability reviews and to improve our debt collection.
Shortly, we expect to submit legislative proposal to address the reduction and collection of SSI overpayments. Let me now describe SSA' s current efforts in these areas.
Measures To Improve Payment Accuracy
Much of the overpayments in the SSI program are the result of payment inaccuracy. Payment inaccuracy, unlike fraud-based error which results from a deliberate act of deception, is caused either by inadvertent failure to report a change or by changes that occur--and are reported--after the monthly benefit has been processed for payment.
Prevention and detection require knowing the causes of overpayments and instituting cost efficient methods of rooting out these causes. Using agency program review data and Inspector General (IG) and Government Accounting Office (GAO) observations, SSA has identified the leading causes of SSI overpayments: these are wages, financial accounts. and institutionalization. These three areas represent a large percentage of the total overpayment dollars. Better detection of these events--which ideally will lead to prevention of overpayments due to these causes--depends on enhancing existing data matching activities and capitalizing on emerging on-line data exchange opportunities.
Computer data matching has proven to be a highly cost-effective means to identify changes that affect SSI eligibility and payment amounts. Data matches that we currently conduct result in a benefit-to-cost ratio of eight to one. We estimate that the planned new matches will yield the same or even better results.
SSA is aggressively pursuing more frequent matches for current exchanges and new matches that will offer more current information than is received presently. New key matches are:
- Wages--Beginning in October 1998, we will match once a quarter with earnings
data from all States through the Office of Child Support Enforcement's (OCSE)
data bases. This replaces twice-a-year matches with wages reported by employers
to the unemployment agencies of the 44 States that have agreed to coopera te with
SSA in making this wage data available for the purpose of SSA's administering the
SSI program. Wages from OCSE's data bases could be available on-line to SSA
field offices by as early as December 1999. We understand that an amendment
was accepted in the Senate to H.R. 3130 that would significantly limit the value of
the data to SSA by requiring the deletion of the data by OCSE after 12 months in
most cases. A retention period of less than 24 months for any report will
significantly erode the value of the directory as a means of strengthening the
adminis tration of the SSI and DI programs. The Administration strongly opposes
this provision and I urge you to oppose the Senate provision in conference.
- Financial accounts--In order to verify amounts of resources in bank accounts, we currently have to get a signed authorization from the applicant or beneficiary and send it to the bank. The bank then searches its files and either provides us with information about the account balances or tells us that the individual does not have an account at the bank.
We have heen looking into the possibilities of electronically obtaining these same data for several years. Doing away with the manual processing of the requests and replies regarding bank account information would save time and money. Additionally, we would be bener able to identify cases in which there are undisclosed bank accounts because we will be able to canvass more banks electronically than we can by paper to determine if and where individuals have undisclosed accounts.
- Institutionalization--Individuals who are in nursing homes for a full calendar month and who will remain in the institution for longer than 3 months may only be eligible for a reduced SSI benefit of $30 (the "personal needs allowance") , or may be ineligible if they have other income. In 1993, a provision was added to the Social Security Act requiring nursing homes to report admissions of SSI beneficiaries. We have undertaken several initiatives at the regional office level to encourage nursing home operators to comply with this requirement, but our not knowing of individuals' admissions to nursing home admissions still is a frequent cause of overpayments.
We currently match once a year with nursing home admissions from 29 States through the Health Care Financing Administration. We are exploring more frequent matches of data with all States.
SSA has long recognized that on-line access to databases offers the possibility of immediate prevention of overpayments. Under the current scenario in most SSAoffices, verification of wages or unemployment compensation, for example, requires contact with the employer or the unemployment compensation agency. Most often this is done by phone or mail, and takes claims representatives' time and the time of the person or agency from whom/which we are requesting the information. In the case of redeterminations, while we are waiting for verification, we continue to pay the individual based on the information in the file that we verified the last time we contacted the beneficiary. If that information has changed, the individual is either overpaid or underpaid. In addition to improving payment accuracy for current beneficiaries, on-line access also would simplify and speed up initial application and payment processing because verification would be received immediately.
With on-line data access, the claims representative will be able to go to a computer terminal while the individual is still in the office, get verification, and correct the SSI record immediately, This is the approach that we have piloted in our Tennessee offices. Under this pilot, employees in SSA field offices have on-line access to the State's human services, vital statistics, and unemployment and workers' compensation records and the State agencies have on-line access to SSI records.
The Tennessee pilot has been very successful and the idea has been expanded to other States. SSA currently has on-line access to State records with 30 agencies in 20 States. In all but two States-California and Texas--the se are not pilot programs; they are real time. on-line programs with the access and conditions for the information's use stated in agreements entered into between SSA and the State. In many of these States we have on-line access to data from only one or two State agencies. but we continue to negotiate with States and their agencies to expand on-line access. This approach holds promise for improving SSI payment accuracy and saving administrative time and money.
Another area that is a key factor in how well overpayments are prevented and detected is the execution of program procedures. SSA is conducting a campaign of quality assurance to focus attention on persistent sources of error to improve claims development skills through program highlights, training, and process reviews and strengthening of key instructional material. Two areas of immediate emphasis will be wages and in-kind support and maintenance.
We project that these and other administrative payment accuracy initiatives will improve the current payment accuracy level of 94.5 percent to better than 96 percent by FY 2002. Such an improvement will save millions of dollars in SSI program fimds.
On March 11, 1998, Commissioner Apfel sent an Administration bill to the Congress, which included a proposal for discretionary cap adjustment authority related to increased fimding in FY 1999 for nonmedical redeterminations of SSI eligibility. Redeterminations are periodic reviews of an individual's income. resources, and other nondisability-related factors that affect an individual's eligibility or benefit amounts. (Determinations of whether individuals remain disabled are done generally through the continuing disability review process, which I will discuss later.) Redeterminations often uncover unreported changes in individuals' incomes or living arrangements and enable us to correct the SSI record to reflect these changes before large overpayments have been made. Having the resources to conduct additional redeterminations of income and resource eligibility will reduce incorrect payments and result in 5-year program savings of nearly 5216 million.
Debt Collection
Improving payment accuracy will be a significant achievement, but a robust debt collection system also is an essential element in strengthening the integrity of the SSI program. SSA has a long-standing commitment to debt management and we are continually engaged in projects that improve our performance in this area.
In 1997 alone, SSA collected $1.7 billion in overpayment debts. Of that total, $1.2 billion was returned to the OASDI Trust Fund' while about $437 million in recovered SSI overpayments were returned to the Treasury's general fund.
SSA recovers more than 80 percent of the SSI and OASDI debt that it is owed when an individual remains on the benefit rolls, but is unable to match that performance when an individual leaves the benefit rolls. The President's budget includes a provision that addresses the problem. This provision would authorize SSA to collect 5S1 overpayments from a former SSI beneficiary's current OASDI benefit. Nearly half of all uncollected SSI overpayments were paid to former S51 beneficiaries currently receiving OASDI benefits; however, there is no authority in present law that authorizes SSA to collect SSI overpayments from the current OASDI benefits of an uncooperative debtor. This proposal will significantly strengthen SSA's ability to recover SSI overpayments and is expected to result in $170 million in program savings over 5 years. We urge the Congress to act quickly on this proposal that would give SSA an important tool in debt collection.
As I mentioned, if the overpaid individual has left the benefit rolls, no offset against
SSI or OASDI benefits is currently possible. However, as part of our debt collection
initiatives, we began using the tax refund offset (TRO) beginning in January of this
year to recover SSI overpayments in such cases. Under TRO, an individual's
overpayment is recovered from tax refunds that are owed to the individual. If an
individual meets the TRO criteria, SSA will send a notice advising him or her that any
income tax refund due would be used to recover the overpayment, and providing an
opportunity for the debtor to protest.
TRO for SSI overpayments has been very successful. So far in 1998, we have recovered an estimated $18.4 million in SSI overpayments through TRO. An additional $4.8 million in SS1 overpayments have been repaid by overpaid individuals after they have been notified of the TRO in order to prevent their tax refund from being reduced or withheld. Therefore, in less than 4 months, TRO has resulted in the recoupment of $23.2 million in the SSI program alone.
Continuing Disability Reviews
Another way in which we ensure the integrity of the SSI program, as well as the DI trust fund, is through continuing disability reviews (CDRs). During FY 1996, SSA processed roughly half a million periodic CDRs, with estimated lifetime savings (including Medicare and Medicaid) of nearly $2.5 billion. Under President Clinton 's leadership, SSA has processed more CDRs more cost-effectively than ever before. During FY 1997, we processed over 690,000 periodic CDRs, a 38 percent increase over 1996. In FY 1998, we expect to process over 1.2 million periodic CDRs, more than double the number of CDRs in 1996. Our improved profiling/mailer process provides a high level of confidence in both our ability to achieve our estimated workload targets and in the accuracy and reliability of the decision resulting from our case reviews.
Our achievements in processing CDRs over the last two years demonstrate Congress' and the Administration's commitment to addressing this crucial workload. Discretionary cap adjustments for additional funds have been authorized to enable SSA to become current in the processing of OASDI CDRs by FY 2000 and title XVI CDRs by 2002. We are proud of our recent accomplishments and are confident that our CDR strategy will lead to reliable and cost-effective monitoring of the disability rolls.
Prisoner Reporting
We have increased integrity in both the SSI and OASDI programs with our aggressive activities relating to suspending benefits to prisoners. A little background in this area may be helpful to understand where we are now.
Since its inception in 1974, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has prohibited benefit payments-with certain exceptions for medical facilities-etc an individual for any month in which he or she is an inmate of a public institution (including prisons and jails) throughout the calendar month. Provisions enacted in 1980 suspended Disability Insurance benefits to prisoners who were incarcerated as a result of a felony conviction. In 1983, the law was expanded to include Retirement and Survivors Insurance beneficiaries. In 1994, the OASDI nonpayment provisions were expanded to include individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity (or a similar finding or verdict) with respect to an offense punishable by confinement for more than one year (regardless of actual sentence imposed), and those found incompetent to stand trial with respect to such an offense. In addition, the felony incarceration requirement was changed to conviction of an offense punishable by confinement for more than one year (regardless of the actual sentence imposed).
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) included several provisions pertaining to reponing of prisoners for SSI program purposes. One of these is a provision which authorizes the Commissioner of Social Security to enter into agreements which provide for incentive payments to certain State and local institutions for furnishing information to SSA which results in ineligibility of an SSI beneficiary. An instirution becomes eligible for a $400 incentive payment for each individual reported within 30 days of confinement and $200 for each individual reported within 31 through 90 days from confinement.
Under the Clinton Administration, SSA has been in the forefront of enforcing the prisoner ineligibility rules. Before Congress enacted the incentive payment provision. we began a major initiative in 1995 to strengthen prisoner reponing. Under this initiative we contacted all correctional facilities and by the end of 1995, we had reporting agreements with over 3,500 jails, prisons, and local facilities, covering over 99 percent of the inmate population in the United States.
SSA established a highly effective process for receiving prisoner admission data. In addition, we have acquired historical data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and most State prisons to ensure that we have identified and suspended benefits to all ineligible prisoners. SSA estimates that in calendar year 1995. program outlays were lower by $167 million in OASDI and $90 million in SSI due to suspension of payments to prisoners. In the past 3 years, SSA has suspended nearly 200,000 pnsoners.
In May 1996, in order to further encourage prisons to report to us, the Administration proposed its own version of legislation that would provide incentive payments to prisons for each prisoner that had their SSI benefits suspended because of their repons. This provision was similar to the one eventually enacted in PRWORA later in 1996. SSA has paid 9,000 incentive payments under the PRWORA provision.
Measures To Address Vulnerabilities to Fraud
Although the most important elements in strengthening the SSI program are improved payment accuracy and debt collection, fraud is a significant concern. A strong IG, working together with SSA's employees in local offices, is the most effective means we have to control fraud and abuse in the SSI program. To this end, SSA and the IG have cooperated on developing a comprehensive anti-fraud plan, which we call "Zero Tolerance for Fraud." The plan has three goals: (1) to change programs, systems. and operations to reduce instances of fraud; (2) to eliminate wasteful practices that erode public confidence in SSA; and (3) prosecute vigorously, individuals or gruups who challenge the integrity of SSA's programs. The activities in the plan fall generally under the categories of fraud prevention and detection, referral and investigation. and enforcement. There are presently 33 anti-fraud initiatives in the plan.
Commissioner Apfel, in his March 12 testimony before the Subcommittee, described two very successful anti-fraud initiatives involving attempted claims of false U.S. residency and "middlemen" interpreters, so I will not go into a great deal of detail about them.
Under th IG's Border Vigil project, the Southwest Tactical Operations Plan (STOP) identified individuals who were receiving SSI after fraudulently claiming United States residency. As a result of the IG's work, we revised our policies for verifying U.S. residency and identifying potentially problematic cases. We are extending the program to both border areas in the United States.
An SSA project in Chula Vista, California that used contract investigators to identify individuals who were not U.S. residents led us to the institution of similar efforts along other parts of the southern border. The direct costs associated with the Chula Vista project were $11,475, with indirect costs of a similar magnitude. The project revealed about $500,000 in overpayments and prevented about $400,000 in erroneous payments.
The encouraging results of the Chula Vista project led us to expand the pilot to 12 additional sites in California, New Mexico, and Texas in November 1997. Under this pilot, cases involving questionable U.S. residence are re ferred to a contractor to perform an investigation of the residence issue and to provide a report on the investigations for use by SSA in making residency determinations.
Another of our successes involves thwarting "middlemen" acting as interpreters but providing SSA with misleading or incomplete information. We suhstantially increased the number of bilingual employees in local offices to act as interpreters and increased funding to pay for the services of interpreters when bilingual SSA employees are not available. In addition, we developed strong policies to carry out the provision in P.L. 103-296 that allows us to disregard evidence in a claim--including that provided by a third party--if we have rea son to believe that fraud or similar fault was involved in providing the evidence.
In the area of referral and investigation, SSA and IG have two initiatives underway that strengthen the SSI program's integrity and lessen its vulnerabilities.
In 1994, SSA awarded a demonstration grant to the California Disability Determination Service (DDS) for a Fraud Investigation Unit to serve their Los Angeles area branch offices. Now funded from the regular DDS operating budget, this unit's mission is to take referrals of suspected fraud from DDS adjudicators, and to make timely decisions on the suspect aspects of the claims. Through Febrnary, 1998, this small fraud unit has processed 372 referrals and provided the investigative evidence to support a denial in 49 cases.
Last year, based on the success of the California pilot and similar interagency taskforce activity in the Seattle region, SSA and the IG proposed selling up investigative units in five more locations. These units--called "Cooperative Disability Investigation (CDI) teams--will have the same basic mission as in California with regard to early "in-line" fraud prevention. Although the California unit is staffed entirely with DDS investigators, the new CDI teams will consist of an IG special agent, two investigators from a State or local law enforcement agency. and two DDS and/or SSA personnel. The first CDI team began operations in New York City on March 10th. The others (Atlanta, Chicago, Baton Rouge, and Oakland) will follow over the next several months.
We expect this project to produce almost $35 million in prospective program savings (roughly 10 times its costs) over the next 2 years. In addition, we expect to see increases in employee morale and public confidence as SSA and the DDSs have another tool for a more proactive stand against fraud. If these expectations are borne out, we will seek to expand the concept to other DDSs in coming years.
Subcommittee Draft Proposals
Mr. Chairman, in your letter of invitation, you asked for comments on potential Subcommittee draft proposals. SSA has been looking at some similar proposals.
We believe that we can work with the Subcommittee to develop proposals that have bipartisan support.
We do, however, have some concerns about the Subcommittee proposals. Some appear to have effects on beneficiaries that need to be fully analyzed before we can offer a complete evaluation. Others need to be more fully developed. For instance, I have serious reservations about any proposal that includes a rote application of the two "marked" standard to all of the childhood listings. There are listings that currently use wholly medical criteria that do not fit easily into the two "marked" mold, such as the listings for cancer. SSA is committed to updating the listings where appropriate. However, this process requires careful consideration of the latest medical information for each impairment.
We and other affected agencies would like to work with the Subcommittee staff to develop a more complete understanding of these proposals with the goal of achieving a bipartisan approach.
SSA's stewardship of the SSI program has been both compassionate in its concern for the well-being of the people the program serves as well as vigilant in its concern for its responsibilities to the general public whose taxes support the program.
SSA currently operates the SSI program at a 94.5 percent accuracy level. We are not satisfied with that. We want to improve on that percentage. To achieve that, we have taken a range of actions, the most important of which I have mentioned in my statement today. We will be performing more continuing disability reviews and more frequent general eligibility reviews of SSI recipients wbose case characteristic indicate a high potential for error. And, in coordination with our Inspector General, we will continue to develop initiatives to quickly identify and react to circumstances where individuals are anempting to defraud the taxpayers.
In the area of debt collection, SSA's track record is also good. SSA recovers more than 80 percent of the debt it is owed when the individual remains on the SSI or OASDI rolls. Overall, in 1997, SSA collected $1.7 billion in overpayment debt. Of that amount $437 million was returned to the Treasury's general fund. With the help of the legislation in the President's budget, we will improve our collection efforts through recovery of SSI overpayments from OASDI benefits.
Our goal is to strengthen the integrity of the SSI program while maintaining the essential function it serves of providing basic income support for the aged, blind, and disabled. We believe we are on the right track.
Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcomminee, I wish to thank you for the opporrunity to discuss this important subject with you today.


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Reviewed by Caleb (age 8)
The next day, Scrooge started to pack to go to an island to find the giant pearl. Huey, Dewey, and Louie wanted to go too. So, Scrooge let them go. They boarded a ship two hours later.
That's all I'm going to tell you. Read the book to find out what happens next.
I like this book because I like the Little Golden Books. I like them because they are funny in a way. I like this one the best!
I liked Scrooge because he is funny. I also like Scrooge's nephews because they are funny too. (I think that the whole family is very crazy!) I think that they do a lot of wrong things at the three volcanoes on the island.
My favorite part is when they ride the hydrofoil. The hydrofoil is a boat on skis. I like the picture when the hydrofoil looks like it's going so fast that it's going to fly off the water. I felt like I was going to rocket out of my bed when I read it.
I recommend this book for kids who are four to nine years old. I recommend this book for people who like Little Golden Books and books about science and adventure.


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Injuries are a pain (sorry about that) -- unless you're the beneficiary. That looks to be a recurring theme in Week 6 as key injuries on offense and defense present opportunities for certain players to fill up the fantasy football stat sheets.
Giovani Bernard, RB, Bengals vs. Panthers
Wide receiver A.J. Green, frustrated by a reaggravated toe injury, is expected to miss this game. But the team's loss is Bernard's gain. With tight end Tyler Eifert on injured reserve with a designation to return, that leaves Mohamed Sanu as the Panthers' only real concern as a receiver (with apologies to Brandon Tate and Dane Sanzenbacher)....


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Sustainable Energy Initiatives in India
Director, Climate & Energy
Research Associate
India has emerged as a leader in promoting renewable energy development and tackling global climate change. The Worldwatch Institute has worked closely with partners in India to advance the country's ambitious goals of increasing access to clean energy sources. We offer our expertise and experience to Indian decision-makers to bridge knowledge gaps and develop recommendations to overcome barriers to low-carbon development.
|Related Publications
India's National Solar Mission: a Market Analysis of Phase 1
November 2012
State of the World 2006: Special Focus: China and India
January 2006
Sustainable Energy Roadmaps: Guiding the Global Shift to Domestic Renewables
Report #187 | March 2012
Low-Carbon Development in India
Workshop Input Paper
|About Sustainable Energy Initiatives in India
Worldwatch has a long and successful history working in India and has established strong local connections through activities including a 2010 New Delhi workshop in partnership with the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) on strategies for low-carbon growth. Worldwatch also holds yearly launches of its annual State of the World report in partnership with CEE, which helps garner great local interest in the Institute's work.
We are currently working to establish long-term projects in India. These include bringing our Sustainable Energy Roadmap methodology to individual Indian states and establishing partnerships with civil society organizations in India with strong community ties in order to bring greater attention to local energy needs, and to enable local communities to play a larger role in their own energy choices. In addition, we hope to engage with interested government agencies – at the local, state, and federal level – to build capacity to expand sustainable-energy access to improve livelihoods.
|Recent Blogs in Re|Volt
Another Solar Trade DIspute: United States Files WTO Complaint Against India
In February, the United States filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) to challenge India's domestic content requirements (DCR) for projects under the country's Solar Mission – a national program aimed at reaching 20,000 megawatts (MW) of grid-connected solar power capacity in India by 2022, enough to power almost 30 million Indian homes at current average levels of consumption.
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