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In April 2014 AirAsia said it will not move from LCCT because of the issues of safety and security in KLIA2. Continue reading
In April 2014 AirAsia said it will not move from LCCT because of the issues of safety and security in KLIA2. Continue reading
Yours truly has been reliably informed that only the extremely learned and independent Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), YB Datuk Nur Jazlan, and YB Tony Pua, who was the CEO of a Cyber Village Holdings Ltd in Singapore, were dominating in the PAC meeting held on 28-4-2014. It must be noted that YB Tony Pua has been known to have been following up on issues raised by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes on KLIA2 especially on the so-called cost overrun and delay. Continue reading
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has verified that KLIA2 is structurally in compliance with its requirements and safety standards.
17-12-2012 @6:30 pm: Yours truly has been informed by YB Datuk Ismail Sabri, Minister of Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism, that his Ministry has taken the necessary actions to stop AirAsia from selling of tickets beyond 31 March 2013 as AirAsia's AOC is only valid until 31 March 2013.
It has been widely reported in the newspapers recently that the Air Operation Certificate (AOC) of AirAsia has been granted by Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) for a six month period until March 31, 2013 due to failure to meet the regulatory requirement as reported in HERE. Normally, OAC is granted to an airline for a two years period. Up to this date, the said press report by the Sun Daily and New Strait Times have not been refuted by the management of AirAsia or denied by Minister of Transport or DCA. Continue reading


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There was a time, far far away and long long ago, before Brad Pitt and six children, when Angelina Jolie was perceived as solely a sex bomb/scary chick. She'd cuddle with her brother, James Haven at events, make out with Billy Bob Thorton here, there and everywhere, and generally just behaved as flamboyantly as possible.
PHOTOS: Things Have Changed Drastically For Angelina Jolie
Jolie did clean it up as the years progressed, looking very polished at film premieres and putting the focus on her charity work. With her 60 Minutes interview airing this Sunday, let's take a look back at Jolie before she and Pitt got together.

subset: commoncrawl


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'1400' Running Shoe
People Also Bought
People Also Bought
Details & Care
Running shoe designed to enhance performance on race day features a REVlite midsole and no-sew mesh upper for an ultra-lightweight experience. The multi-traction sole offers full ground contact and a secure grip on slick surfaces for stability and confidence on wet roads.
For over a century, New Balance has dedicated itself to producing premium footwear to aid athletes in their pursuit of excellence—seamlessly blending function and fashion to give you the performance technology you need and the style you want.
- Neutral.
- 5.7 oz.
- Neon colors are bnghter in person.
- Lace-up style.
- Removable insole.
- REVlite midsole.
- Synthetic mesh upper/synthetic lining/rubber sole.
- By New Balance; imported.
- BP. Shoes.
- Item #351585


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Daniel Henderson Is This Week's Hometown Hero!
It's time for this week's Hometown Hero -- brought to you by Keller Chevrolet and Batavia Downs Gaming. Today's Hometown Hero comes to us originally from Alexander. He has already served for six years in the Army so far, and he's still counting. Our Hometown Hero is Sergeant Daniel Henderson.


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Speedlite 430EX III-RT
Take a new, creative approach to lighting using a powerful, portable Speedlite Flash with radiofrequency triggering.
The ultimate in image quality with DSLR-level control that will satisfy even the most demanding photographers
The compact PowerShot G series all share at least a 1.0 type sensor and superior DIGIC processing to deliver premium quality results in the palm of your hand.
The PowerShot G1 X Mark II features a large, 1.5-type sensor and a sharp, bright f/2 zoom lens, capturing the highest quality images with DSLR-like performance and versatility.
The PowerShot G3 X combines the image quality of a large 1.0-type sensor with the framing flexibility of a 25x zoom lens for stunning close ups and cinematic movie recording.
Fast, bright optics combine with high-sensitivity sensors and powerful DIGIC processors to help you master low light.
DIGIC 7 delivers expert image quality by enabling ultra-fast AF and EOS-like in-camera image correction and processing. It also offers enhanced subject detection for assured tracking as well as improved stabilisation with Dual Sensing IS.
Enjoy complete creative freedom, from composition to editing. Our large sensor compacts offer customisable controls that give immediate access to useful functions, plus advanced features like RAW file support and built-in optical ND filter.
Create beautiful cinematic footage. With our latest expert compacts you can enjoy full exposure control and achieve perfect focus with Touch AF and the MF Peaking. Keep movies sharp and steady when shooting on go with Dynamic IS.
Effortlessly share your creations, using Wi-Fi with NFC to connect to compatible smart devices with just one tap; or upload them straight from the camera to social networks.. Use your smartphone as a remote control via the Camera Connect app.
Use Speedlite flashes for creative lighting, experiment with filters using a Lens
Filter Adapter or add a bright, electronic viewfinder. Shoot underwater down to 40m with a Waterproof Case or protect with a premium leather case.
Take a new, creative approach to lighting using a powerful, portable Speedlite Flash with radiofrequency triggering.
A powerful, versatile and responsive viewfinder to explore your creativity.
Perfect for scuba-diving or snorkelling. Use the PowerShot G7 X Mk II underwater at depths of up to 40m.
Make the most of your Canon compact camera with everything from lens hoods and filter adapters to soft cases and more.
Stay connected on the go. Upload, print and backup images directly from your camera or pair it with your smartphone or tablet for instant sharing.
Take your next steps in photography and video, exploring advanced features that will help you shoot unique and beautiful images.
Easy to carry and packed with powerful optical zooms our compact travel cameras let you capture and share your travel memories in superb quality.


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Acquiring core capabilities through organizational learning: Illustrations from the U.S. military organizations
This paper focuses on the development of core capabilities through organizational learning. It insists on the variety of learning types which must be articulated in order to provide organizations with effective core capabilities. Principal illustrations are drawn from the U.S. military education and training initiatives in the context of the Network-Centric Warfare (NCW). Discriminating between various learning and training mechanisms according to their (i) type, (ii) level and (iii) context, we develop a conceptual framework to study organizational learning as a dynamic capability which enables the organization to develop core capabilities.
If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.
|Date of creation:
|Jul 2007
|Publication status:
|Published in 23rd EGOS Colloquium: Beyond Waltz – Dances of Individuals and Organization, Jul 2007, Vienna, Austria. pp.1-25, 2007
|View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00293534
|Contact details of provider:
| Web page: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/
References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
- Bengt-ake Lundvall & Bjorn Johnson, 1994. "The Learning Economy," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 1(2), pages 23-42.
- Brenner, Thomas, 2006.
"Agent Learning Representation: Advice on Modelling Economic Learning,"
Handbook of Computational Economics,in: Leigh Tesfatsion & Kenneth L. Judd (ed.), Handbook of Computational Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 18, pages 895-947
- Thomas Brenner, 2004. "Agent Learning Representation - Advice in Modelling Economic Learning," Papers on Economics and Evolution 2004-16, Philipps University Marburg, Department of Geography.
- Sanchez, Ron, 2004. "Understanding competence-based management: Identifying and managing five modes of competence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(5), pages 518-532, May. Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)
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A zebra finch couple. Photo by Cathy / CC BY NC SA 2.0
Zebra finches, with their characteristic bright beaks and distinctive songs, have long fascinated bird behavior scientists. Their tendency to form long-term pair-bonds, in particular, has been the subject of several studies. Now, a recent study has found that relationships between the birds early in life can affect how they interact in the future.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, gave juvenile male finches the chance to pair with either a young female finch or another young male finch. (Zebra finches will often form same-sex couples instead of mixed-sex ones). After two rounds, during which the researchers tracked which males formed couples and which did not, the male finches (now adults) were given the same opportunity with new adult female finches.
The researchers found that males who failed to bond with other male finches didn't have any trouble bonding with the adult females. However, juvenile male finches that hadn't made a love connection with young female finches tended to also have a hard time when it came to bonding with adult females.
The authors believe that the phenomenon known as the "loser effect" (animals that lose a fight are more likely to lose the next fight) may be to blame. In this case, rather than losing a fight, the finches just lose the love game: Males that don't manage to snag a female are then less likely to do so the next time they get the chance. "In the mating context we have good reason to expect the same mechanism to happen," Mylene Mariette, lead author on the study, told BBC News.
The explanation for this effect is not yet clear. One possibility is that the females could somehow tell which males had been unsuccessful in their earlier attempts, and that could have made them less willing to cozy up to those males. Alternatively, the males, their self-confidence shattered, may view themselves as less attractive, resulting in fewer pairings.
This "loser" effect may only be short-lived, however. "He may just court less attractive females. He's not a loser for life," said Mariette. Young male finches with lady troubles will no doubt be relieved to hear that.


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Jane Lynch Gets Pampered By Pool Boys In 'More' Photos
Sure, it's no Lea Michele in her panties kind of photoshoot, but Jane Lynch did strip off her infamous sweatsuits for More magazine, proving that she can be racy, too.
The actress, 50, dons a leopard print ensemble in one picture and cozies up to a furry friend in another, all the while sharing the tongue-in-cheek photo-op with hunky, half-naked men.
However, Lynch gets serious in the accompanying article, discussing her problem with alcoholism, saying that she's been sober for 10 years. Always modest, she adds, "Relatively speaking, my personal bottom was rather benign. Had I know I'd be telling my story over and over again, I would have made it a lot better," she joked.
Lynch also talks about settling into marriage with her wife, psychologist Lara Embry, whom she met last year at a lesbian rights fundraiser.
"I'd never dated anyone that I wanted to marry," she says. "I didn't think it was going to be out there for me. But the minute we were married, I felt the difference. I felt like I am no longer alone."
And it's a double-high note: "I got married – and I married a doctor!"
If only we all could marry doctors…


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Jamie Dzierwa Real Estate Investor from Illinoisposted about 7 years ago
I am looking into getting my real estate license, but I heard through the grapevine that all realtors are required to become brokers now, that you just can't get your real estate license to be just a realtor? Does that make sense and does anyone know if this is true? Thanks alot.


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People + Policy
= Positive Change for the Public Good
If you thought this summer was just about Net Neutrality and merger mania, you have another think coming.
We at Free Press have also been hard at work on the media ownership front. Last week, we filed comments in the Federal Communications Commission's 2014 Quadrennial Review docket. In our comments, we urged the FCC to retain local media ownership limits and ensure enforcement of those limits by curbing the use of Shared Services Agreements. (For the last decade, broadcasters have used SSAs to evade the ownership rules and control multiple TV stations in the same market.)
For those keeping score at home, the 2014 Quadrennial marks the sixth time the FCC has reviewed its ownership rules. The FCC is legally bound to review its ownership rules every four years, but the agency managed to weasel its way out of completing the 2010 Quadrennial and instead rolled that review into this year's. The FCC is now four years late and counting when it comes to meeting its obligations under the Telecommunications Act.
The FCC has also punted yet again on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals' instruction to study the impact of media ownership rules on diverse owners.
Back in 2010, the FCC promised that it would take steps in preparation for the 2014 review to complete studies and institute policies that would boost ownership among women and people of color. That still hasn't happened, and the buck must stop here. Minority ownership levels are at a record low and the Commission must make diversity a central focus of its 2014 review.
In our comments, Free Press recommended that the agency do the following:
1. Assess the market structures that are most likely to foster ownership among women and people of color and evaluate the potential impact of media ownership rule changes on opportunities for such owners.
2. Conduct the research necessary to promote ownership of broadcast stations among underrepresented groups and guard against further erosion of media ownership among these groups that could occur if the FCC relaxed its media ownership limits.
The dismal state of minority ownership and the Third Circuit's directive are reason enough to maintain existing ownership limits. But even if that weren't the case, there is substantial evidence that the FCC's media ownership rules play an integral role in promoting competition and independence among the most popular and important local information sources.
Mega broadcasters will tell you that there's no longer a need for the ownership rules because "OMG … the Internet!" You shouldn't believe the hype. Sure, new technologies may offer the promise of supplemental news services, but they haven't come close to replacing the newsgathering and information programming of broadcast television and newspapers.
Moreover, the sources of local news available online are virtually identical to those available offline: Websites of local TV stations and local newspapers remain the dominant destination for local news on the Internet.
And because local ownership limits are still needed, the Commission needs to prevent broadcasters from skirting those rules through SSAs.
Free Press has already provided ample evidence of how harmful these agreements are. Broadcasters are using SSAs to sidestep ownership rules in nearly half of all media markets. It's time for the Commission to require disclosure of these arrangements and make them count toward ownership totals. If the agency won't respect its own rules, it can't expect anyone else to.
Georgetown Law professor and former Free Press adviser Andrew Schwartzman wrapped up this sentiment nicely when he spoke about the FCC's latest failure to enforce its rules. This came just last week when the FCC renewed the license of New Jersey Fox affiliate WWOR and granted it yet another temporary waiver of the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule.
Groups have twice challenged this Fox station's right to hold a license given its failure to serve residents of Northern New Jersey. WWOR is the only full-power station in the state but instead serves New York City ... where Fox owner Rupert Murdoch already owns TV stations and two major newspapers.
"It is very hard," Schwartzman said in an email, "to tell my law students that the legal system works when the FCC allows one of the most powerful companies in the country — and the world — to violate the Commission's ownership rules with impunity for years on end, and gives it a new 'temporary' waiver that allows it to operate in violation of the ownership rules for several more years and allows it to extend even that waiver indefinitely by simply filing a new request for a waiver."
People + Policy
= Positive Change for the Public Good


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Land of the Rising Mickey
Page 1 of 2
The Fishermen
Part 4 - Party Time
When we left off, Takahashi Masatomo had just prevented Fujio for selling O-sankaku (the submerged sand bank that would become Tokyo Disneyland) from under Oriental Land Company's nose.
But the fishermen were outraged. A group of their leaders burst unannounced into OLC president Kawasaki Chiharu's office and demanded the title be transferred back to Fujio.
They'd latched onto Fujio's talk of "the largest amusement park in Japan" and they didn't trust OLC's assurance that they would bring Disneyland to Urayasu. Perhaps it was with good reason... After Kawasaki's fruitless January 1961 visit to Walt Disney Productions, the park was still nothing more than a dream, and the real estate men involved were hungry to sell off the land a tiny piece at a time.
Kawasaki was stunned by the fisherman's sudden appearance, so stunned he was prepared to give up. Takahashi recalled his reaction -
"He (Kawasaki) said ' It's ok. We've done enough. Change the title back to Fujio'." But Takahashi successfully argued that he could still win the fishermen over... but first he had to keep them out of jail.
The Fujio bribery investigation was widening. Only one of leaders of the fishermen's cooperative associations - Okajima - had been arrested. Word circulated that more association leaders were going to face charges. That meant just one thing to OLC - no negotiations. They would stall for at least as long as the leaders were incarcerated.
Takahashi to the rescue again - He and OLC's lead attorney used a combination of well placed friends and legal maneuvering to encourage that charges against the fishermen not be pursued. They weren't.
It was certainly one way to start making friends with the fishermen... Finally, in June of 1961, Takahashi was in a position begin negotiating with them.
The roughly 1700 fishermen and their families were poor. Their livelihood had been destroyed by Honshu Paper. They knew they had to move on, and they knew the best way to do that was to create new land and encourage development on it. But the project would more than quadruple the size of their village... Should they trust OLC to be the ones to make such a massive change?
The fishermen and their families were genuinely excited about an amusement park. They were attracted by both the potential revenue and the idea of putting Urayasu on the map for a reason other than pollution.
But, of course, the other big question was money. Even if Takahashi could win their trust, the fishermen were due compensation for the transfer of their fishing rights. Takahashi's mission after winning their trust would be to will their support and even their friendship. With those things, he might be able to prevent OLC from being completely taken to the cleaners.
Takahashi began to frequent Urayasu's many dining bars, where the fishermen could always be found. He had a though road ahead of him... Japanese culture dictates there be complete consensus. There couldn't be a single dissenter among the fishermen of the many groups. To complicate things even more, the smaller groups were not allied with a single fishermen's cooperative association. There were two groups, and they were historically at odds with each other.
Takahashi's best course of action was to talk to the individual leaders of the smaller groups, convince them to trust him, and have them build consensus among the various group members. But first he had to figure out who many of the leaders were -
"In the beginning it was very difficult to find the boss of a group. I couldn't tell who they were for a while. I talked to many people and found out little by little", said Takahashi.
Recalling the sort of things he would say to the leaders, Takahashi said, "Tokyo Bay is dirty now, you can't live with fishery anymore. Just trust me. I will make a good Disneyland. Please cooperate with me. Persuade them."
The fishermen were an intimidating crowd, known for their hard drinking and short tempers. They'd lived hard lives and been through a lot. But Takahashi (also famous for holding his liquor) could speak their language.
"Then I got close to them. I was lucky. They understood me well and said, 'I understand, I will help you.' After that, it was easy."
Takahashi-san was being modest.
Kawasaki had this to say - "Takahashi is very good at talking to people and persuading them. Before he joined the company, we had talked to the fishermen. It didn't work though. But when Takahashi talked to them, it went very well. He is sociable, open-minded, and a big guy. He naturally makes friends with people like the angry fishermen. It's a great ability. Because of this negotiation he spent a lot of his own money too, but it was worth it."


text: A friend has a child has many allergies - nut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free. She also has many mobility and sensory issues. They really want to bring their family to Disney but have many questions, cautions, and concerns. The DD eats much of the same things every day for all meals. They have purchased prepackaged meals that are free of all her allergies, that they use daily. The problem they are running into is needing a microwave in the room for breakfast, as she can't wait to eat. Another challenge they have is, if they bring meals with them to restaurants and counter services will they microwave it for them? For medical needs, does Disney ever provide a microwave? Is the old GAC program help me at all in the food needs? They have no problem waiting Their turn but are hoping the pass can help them with the saving their spot in line. Any help that can be provide will be greatly appreciated.


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At Gemvara, we believe that the jewelry you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why we make each piece to order, one at a time, just the way you want it. Choose Blue Topaz and Rose Gold or Pearl and Platinum: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your Ruby Romantic Jewelry From $750 to $999 design with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Ruby inspires bold passion with its vibrant red tones.Our wide selection of Ruby Romantic Jewelry From $750 to $999 by talented designers means you can find jewelry that's exactly your style. You can also shop by style, choosing our Signet, Nautical, or Cross Collections. Gemvara's fine quality Ruby Romantic Jewelry From $750 to $999 is designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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Gilboa Davara wrote:
> Unless I'm mistaken, the original idea was that -devel members has to be
> sponsored before given rw rights.
> Being a fedora developer and/or an active -extras maintainer will just
> speed things up.
No. fedora-devel-list was originally meant to be developer discussion
only. End-user support does not belong here at all. Unfortunately,
this list has been increasingly failing us for a few reasons:
- "developer discussion" is a gray area
- policing is a manual process of constant vigilance. Effort today
leaves no lasting effects in a few days.
What if more list members helped in the policing, making it an actively
hostile place for end-users to post support questions? I dunno...


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Discover vista views overlooking the Columbia River and Badger Mountain at Charbonneau, a rural senior living community in downtown Kennewick, just over two hours from Spokane. The hilltop hideout is near the Meadow Springs Country Club, shopping at Columbia Center and healthcare facilities like Providence Health and Services. Nearby attractions include the Franklin County Historical Society and Museum and events at Columbia Park.
Charbonneau is situated on a beautiful campus, showcasing hanging flower baskets and lush green courtyards. Inside, the community is warm and uplifting with a robust social calendar. Explore your passions or discover new ones playing Scrabble, taking a baking class, singing karaoke or gathering with the genealogical society. Lovely parlors, game rooms and a library offer space to gather with friends for tea and conversation. Chef-prepared meals are shared in the handsome community dining room. One view from this vista and you'll feel instantly at ease. Schedule your visit today.
Learn more about Holiday Retirement's senior living options.
Join us. If you are exploring senior living and have questions, our dedicated staff are waiting to help make your retirement a special experience. The dining at Holiday Retirement is one of many special touches available to residents. Schedule a time to visit and enjoy a fresh, chef-prepared meal. We look forward to meeting you.
You also agree to Holiday Retirement's Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Agreement to be Contacted by Telephone.
Grab your lederhosen and join our community to celebrate the season with traditional food, drinks and fun.
Nothing says fall like the flavor of pumpkin. Join us for this month's chef showcase featuring yummy pumpkin desserts!
Filter by Category
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The joy of an all-inclusive lifestyle is writing just one check a month and having life's daily details taken care of for you. So what, exactly, does your Holiday rent include?
* Square footage and dimensions are approximations and may vary between individual apartments. Please see community management for details.
Compare your current expenses and determine the potential savings of an all-inclusive Holiday® lifestyle complete with dining, transportation and maintenance-free living.
Compare expenses.
From personable managers and pleasant housekeepers, to attentive servers at mealtime, and helpful maintenance technicians who are there when you need them, this community is the new extension of your family. We're here to make your life easier in any way we can.
Explore the Holiday senior living lifestyle.
At Holiday, "Bon Appetit" isn't just a saying, it's a way of life. Everything from entrée to dessert, is made from scratch and served in restaurant-style dining rooms.
Contact the Community and join us for a meal.
Discover chefs and recipes.
Keep things simple. That's how we've offered our all-inclusive lifestyle for more than 40 years.
Meals, maintenance, transportation and more included.
Contact us today.
Beyond just games and puzzles, our activities are part of a holistic wellness approach you'll only find at Holiday, designed to help seniors live more robust, fulfilling lives.
It's called the Layers of the Holiday Lifestyle, a comprehensive program of activities and events designed to stimulate the seven dimensions of wellness: physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, creative, social and vocational.
Discover the Layers of the Holiday Lifestyle.
We strongly believe in the life-affirming power of pets, and are delighted to have dogs and cats as part of our communities.
So whether you are bringing along an old furry friend or welcoming a new one, contact us when you are ready to visit. We know you and your pet will love it here!
Read about our favorite pet residents.
Hear from our residents and their families about why they chose Holiday Retirement and what life at a Community is all about.
Watch our videos.
Choose from a variety of comfortable senior living apartments in various sizes and configurations allowing you the freedom to furnish in any style that appeals to you.
View floor plans, then come on in for a visit.
Try the furniture planning tool.
Holiday Retirement understands that moving to a senior living community can be stressful. That's why we're proud to partner with Moves for Seniors, a company that specializes in simplifying the senior move experience.
Learn more about this program.
Are you interested in volunteering to enrich the lives of local seniors? Share your talents and interests with our residents.
Learn more and volunteer today.
Coast to coast. From sea to shining sea. Holiday is sure to have the perfect location for you.
We're right where you are. Right where you want to be.
Find a retirement community near me.
We'll take care of the chores so you can enjoy the carefree lifestyle you've earned.
Scheduled transportation. Our specially licensed and trained drivers allow you to leave the driving to us – to doctor appointments, shopping and other scheduled offsite activities.
Weekly housekeeping and linen service. No more vacuuming, no more dusting, no more loads of sheets and towels. Let us take care of the housework and laundry.
Learn about other Holiday amenities and services.
Have you ever wondered what life is like at a Holiday Retirement Community?
Take a look at all the good times being had at this Holiday Community, then schedule a visit and experience it for yourself.
View more photos of life at Holiday


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Jefferson scientists test new device for fixing holes in hearts of young stroke patientsPhiladelphia, Pa.--As many as one in four adults is walking around with a "hole" between the upper chambers of the heart. Most of them will never know it.
The person who learns about the "hole" in his or her heart does so when he or she suffers symptoms of a mini-stroke (TIA) or a more-debilitating stroke. And it is usually only then that the person learns the term Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO), a persistent opening in the upper wall of the heart which did not close completely after birth.
"We are all born with a PFO," says Michael Savage, M.D. director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia. "For most of us, the opening closes within months after birth."
The symptoms occur--often in young adults--because the opening can cause the blood in the heart to be rerouted from the right to left side. As a result, if a clot forms in this rerouted blood and passes through the PFO to the brain, a person may experience a stroke or mini-stroke (TIA).
Interventional cardiologists have been using transcatheter devices designed to close PFO successfully for many years. Now in a multicenter study to be presented at the American College of Cardiology's 55th Scientific Session (Monday, March 13 at 10 a.m.), researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital assess the initial U.S. experience with the Cardia PFO closure device for the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients with PFO. The Jefferson scientists will report that the Cardia PFO closure device is effective in sealing PFO and appears highly effective in preventing recurrent stroke.
The device, delivered through a catheter, is a tiny self-expanding double umbrella design consisting of polyvinyl alcohol sails and nitinol arms. It is positioned on both sides of the PFO and closes like a clamshell around the hole.
After several months, cells grow over and cover the device and it becomes part of the patient's body. "The patient is unaware that this is happening," says David Fischman, M.D., assistant director, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital was the lead center for the 22-site study. The goal was to determine implantation success for the device, procedural complications and recurrent stroke or embolization.
Ninety patients who had experienced a stroke--40 men and 50 women with an average age of 47 years--were treated and received the Cardia closure device. PFO closure was successful in 89 patients. Each was then prescribed daily doses of 325 mg. aspirin and 75 mg. clopidogrel (Plavix) for six months after the procedure.
"Followup with these patients was favorable in comparison with our prior experiences using blood thinners alone," said Dr. Savage, who is also associate professor of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University. Of the group, one patient had a stroke, two died from non-device related causes and two patients experienced transient ischemic attacks (TIA).
In conclusion, the study authors found:
- The Cardia PFO closure device is effective in sealing PFO, with a high success rate observed even during this initial multicenter learning curve experience.
- The device appears highly effective in preventing recurrent stroke.
- These promising results underscore the importance of the pivotal randomized trial of this device in patients with strokes of unknown origin (cryptogenic).
For information about treatment for cardiac disease or to make an appointment with a Jefferson cardiologist, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW.
Editor's Note: Members of the team who conducted this study at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa., are: Michael P. Savage, M.D., David L. Fischman, M.D., Babu Jasti, M.D.
Additional researchers included:
Michael Mooney, M.D. (Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, Mn.)
Adam Greenbaum, M.D. (Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich.)
Daniel Turner, M.D. (Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.)
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 30 Apr 2016
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.


text:
Philip B. Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo
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Philip B. Anti-Flake Relief Shampoo Reviews
Good Product!This works well, plus above the normal dandruff ingredients, it has some natural, healthy ingredients. Although it works well, it is over priced. You can spend $25 less and still get comparable shampoo. — 9 years, 5 months agomvap47 | 345 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
It worksThis shampoo works much better than anything you can buy at your local drugstore and you will notice a difference with just one use. It does cost a lot more than your local drugstore shampoo, but it was worth it. Big downside to the product is the stuff smells horrible, it resembles the smell of a dog dipped in flea dip. Just follow up with a sweet smelling conditioner. — 9 years, 7 months agoApril1p | 18 reviews
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This is one of my most favorite bar cookies. It's difficult for me to stop eating them. I suppose they could be made with prunes or dried apricots, although I've not tried them.
- Yield
- 16-20 bars
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups chopped pitted whole dates (packaged chopped dates are rolled in sugar, not preferred for this recipe)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups A/P flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
- Line a 9x9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray or butter it. Preheat oven to 350° F. Put water and dates in a small saucepan and simmer until very soft and thick,stirring often. Cool. Stir in vanilla. In a large mixing bowl put the flour, sugar, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Stir to blend. Add butter. Using fingers or a pastry blender, rub or cut in until moist clumps form. Press half of the mixture over bottom of the pan. Spread the date mixture over. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the dates. Press down on the crumb mixture gently. Place in the oven and bake unil brown at the edges and golden brown and set in the center, about 25 minutes or longer. Don't over-bake. Cool completely in pan on a rack. Lift out of the pan using the foil edges. Place on a cutting board, peel down the foil from the edges, and cut crosswise into bars.
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Nutritional Info
- Calories222
- Carbohydrates37 g(12%)
- Fat8 g(12%)
- Protein2 g(4%)
- Saturated Fat5 g(25%)
- Sodium73 mg(3%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat0 g
- Fiber2 g(8%)
- Monounsaturated Fat2 g
- Cholesterol20 mg(7%)


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Fans have been given an insight into Cheryl Cole's hectic life in her new ITV2 Access All Areas show and the star has lifted the lid on her recent romance with dancer Tre Holloway and it seems like Chezza's new man has definitely made quite the impact on her, as the singer opened up about how she felt after Tre's recent injury, showing her concerns.
During the hour long show, Cheryl happily kissed and cuddled her man in front of the camera, as he supported her in the lead up to her tour. However, things took a turn for the worse when Tre broke his leg just before her first show.
Looking clearly concerned Cole mused: "He's nervous, it's his life, it's his livelihood. It's like me losing my voice - what would I do?"
Adding, "He's upset with himself as I asked him not to back flip, about five times."
She was later seen comforting him as he recuperated in her presence. And no stranger to the odd magazine feature or 2, Cheryl also opened up about getting used to having a relationship in the public eye again as she picked up a magazine and joked to Tre: "Did you know we're getting married in the winter?"
After glancing at the gossip magazine presented to him by one of the dancers, he said: "I can't handle that."
Cheryl added: "It still blows my mind the amount of lies and rubbish is written about me by people in an office..."
"It's all new to Tre it's crazy to him, I've had it for ten years I know how it works. It's more hurtful when the media intrude on my loved ones, they didn't ask for this."
Speaking previously to the cameras about the pair's 'strong connection', Chez said: "There's a stronger connection and a chemistry that you wouldn't have with any other dancer."
"To have that relationship is rare. To be able to have that with you and share those moments is pretty special actually."
All together now, awwww!
Cheryl lets her hair down in new L'Oreal ad
Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart Have 'Explosive Argument' Before Los Angeles Twilight Premiere?
Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart To 'Raise Their Baby In England'?
Brian Conley's Wife 'Blames I'm A Celebrity Bosses For Not Intervening Before Collapse'?


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Throw you coin over your shoulder for good luck. But you don't need luck for this Wishing Well. We are a charity group that works for you. We help those who need help and help those who don't. This is not a need based Charity Guild. No coin has more value just because someone has more.
Wishes and Specific Item(s) you want that's under 250,000 on the average buy price on the Market. We grant wishes based on your activity in the Guild. We do not grant wishes to nobodies. You need to become a Somebody in this Guild.
Our Rules are Simple. They differ base on each Sub-forum so please read each of them before you post. For our newbies we try to get you on your feet. Anyone who is 7 days old and has 3,000 Achievement points will be able to take a scoop from the Well. That'll be about 50k to start you off!
Our Staff are special people. Please adore them and listen to them. Any disrespect for them is a instant ban. No questions asked.
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Short version: Installed Windows 8 on the mSATA (with Windows 7 on the main SSD). When I boot to the mSATA, Windows 8 opens/works fine. When I shut down then power up again, I cannot get into any BIOS setup screens to reset the boot order...it just keeps booting to Windows 8. I need to pull the mSATA drive to boot to Win7.
Long version: Added a Kingston mSATA to install Windows 8. Pulled the Intel SSD to do the install and everything went fine. Put the SSD back in. If I boot to Windows 7 and then shut down, when I power back up I can use the ThinkVantage button to get into the BIOS setup, or the f12 key to get to the boot order screen. But, if I change the boot order to get the machine to boot to Windows 8 on the mSATA, then do 'Power - Shut down' from Windows 8, when I power up again, neither the ThinkVantage or the f12 key do anything, and the machine boots to the mSATA.
When I power up after being in Win7, the black 'Thinkpad' screen includes the line under the Thinkpad logo that says "To interrupt normal setup...Push the blue ThinkVantage button." But when I boot up after being in Windows 8 on the mSATA, the black Thinkpad screen does not include that line.
I have BIOS version 8AET56WW (1.36). I have installed the UltraNav driver on Windows 8.
Any suggestions appreciated...pulling the mSATA drive each time is not fun.
Silly me...should have thought of this simple workaround:
Set the SSD (with Windows 7) ahead of the mSATA (Windows 8) in the boot order so it always defaults to the SSD, even after a shutdown from Windows 8. Doing that makes f12 available to select a boot drive every time the T520 powers up. (It also enables the ThinkVantage button to open the BIOS setup. If f12 is not working on your machine, change the setting in the BIOS.) That solved the booting issue.
But, every time I boot to the mSATA, then shut down and boot to the SSD, CHKDSK runs. So, I changed the BootExecute setting in the registry to disable autocheck of the C drive.
Hi. Have the very same Problem!
How Could you change the Bootorder? Did you have to take out the msata?
Greatz Melody


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Anti-Defamation League urges Switzerland's government to be vigilant in its commitment to ensuring freedom of religion
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Wednesday urged the Swiss government to be vigilant in its commitment to ensuring freedom of religion, following a Swiss popular referendum that amended its constitution to ban the construction of minarets.
ADL National Chair Robert G. Sugarman and ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman issued a statement saying, "On November 29, the Swiss Muslim community fell victim to a populist political campaign of religious intolerance, led by the far-right Swiss People's Party (SVP). The Swiss government opposed the initiative during the campaign and underscored its commitment to religious freedom in a statement after the vote.
In the statement, the Jewish group urged the Swiss government "to be vigilant in its defense o
urging the goverment wont do you any good. the people decided, thats how it is going to be.
Muslims are allowed to build mosques, you do NOT need a tower to exercise your religion, not all churches have towers and not even in the middle east do all mosques have a minarets.
3. the Jewish ritual slaughter was outlawed because it goes against our Animal protection laws, Jewish stores, or stores in general, that wish to carry Kosher meat can just import it from surrounding countrys.
somethin More..
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(10) | Report
What do the Swiss people have against minarets? Sure, it doesn't match the local architecture. But it doesn't violate animal protection laws. I have a hard time imagining any real reason that doesn't amount to dislike of Muslims.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(-7) | Report
Part right, I feel. The best food is the freshest food, kosher, halal, Chinese, or other. Of course, nations which are coastal don't need to worry about importing fresh foods (other than veggies). However, if the Swiss have laws preventing the handling of fresh meat, fish, poultry, then it is to their disadvantage, but it is still the law, which is either enforced, ignored, or changed or adhered to.
Minarets are just a way for muslims to brag and exploit their in-your-face religious expressio More..
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(1) | Report
The ADL trying to tell the Swiss about freedom of religion, lmao! Fuck the ADL... They have continually attacked western heritage and values. They insinuate that the Christian Bible should not be read in public as it contains hate speech; and they had Christians arrested on hate crime laws for reading a phrase of the Bible that taught against homosexuality... Fuck the ADL and kick out duel citizenship traitors and infiltrators...
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(9) | Report
Go Swiss!
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(8) | Report
"On November 29, the Swiss Muslim community fell victim to a populist political campaign of religious intolerance, led by the far-right Swiss People%u2019s Party (SVP)"
typical adl disinformation. the svp is the biggest party in switzerland and isn't "far right" at all. conservative, yes, but there is a difference.
regardless of whether or not one agrees with this measure, the people have spoken in a way in which they are prevented from doing at the national/federal level i More..
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(7) | Report
Direct democracy is not perfect - it's reliant on an honest media. Just look at the climate change BS for example. At the moment a majority of people are convinced that man-made global warming is real. This is due mainly to media misinformation.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(-2) | Report
aye, not perfect. but show me a perfect system and i'll grant you a wish.
its better than representative democracy hands down, which also relies on an honest media.
more than that though, it relies on an informed public.
while it can be argued that in turn is dependant on the media, i think its more on the shoulders on the proponents or opponents of a particular issue to get their point accross, by hook or by crook.
it can be argued that people are too dumb to make their own decisions, or More..
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(4) | Report
Comment of user 'nuckelhedd' has been deleted by author (after account deletion)!
The media is where people learn most things about current events.
And our guns haven't been taken away.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(-2) | Report
pfft fuck the adl and abe foxman. these dumb bastards insist on pushing their beliefs on everyone and always got their big noses stuck in other peoples affairs.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(6) | Report
HAHAHAHA! Don't you love it when the people speak!
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(5) | Report
I agree with Marlboro. Minarets are not Mosques. Its a eyesore. And don't say that they all go on this tower so that they can be closer to God. Looks like little rockets to me anyway.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(3) | Report
These bloody Jews can't stand not being the centre of attention can they. Here we go again playing the fucking martyr when it's nothing to do with them.
BTW In the West it's the people who hold the power not the government. They are just employees, no matter what they may wish to think.
That's just the way it is.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(3) | Report
let the swiss decide what is best for the swiss... and so on....
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(1) | Report
Let's take it a step further and ban the teaching of lies called any religion, period. Let's make laws protecting our children from mind control and the implanting of exclusionary, dangerous delusions of imaginary gods and the self-serving creeds of their priests, rabbis and imams.
Just a thought.
Posted Dec-6-2009 By
(0) | Report
The Swiss people decided, that said-religeous freedom, might just be the problem...
I don't entirely disagree.
Let's see, if the Swiss know what they're doing.. As they have, in the past...
Posted Dec-7-2009 By
(0) | Report
We need a limit on churches. Theres a church on every block in my city, id say at least 100 churches. Its retarded
Posted Dec-7-2009 By
(-1) | Report
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Adl Slams Swiss over Minaret Ban
ADL Asked to Opine on Corruption/Racketeering in the Los Angeles Jewish/Legal Community
Richard Posner, University of Chicago Law Professor, Asked for Ethics Opinions Regarding Racketeering in the Los Angeles Courts, Bet Tzedek, and ADL
Swiss far right forces vote on minaret ban
Minaret ban 'wins Swiss support'
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Jewish groups, including the ADL and B'nai B'rith, give Sonia Sotomayor the Jewish stamp of approval
ADL 'outraged' by West Bank mosque arson, condemns extremist Jewish violence (by jewish haaretz newspaper)
Josh Fox's lawyers pull down critique of Gasland on youtube/Mosques as jihad centers.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
August 4, 2006
Transaction Analysis
July 31-August 3
Optioned OF-L Reggie Willits to Salt Lake (Triple-A); recalled LHP Joe Saunders from Salt Lake. [8/1]
Colon replacement is rarely this pleasant, but let's face it, Saunders is ready. He's got the stuff, he's generated the results despite pitching in Salt Lake, even posting a nifty 2.3-1 groundball/flyball ratio. After posting a pair of good starts, the Angels know what they have, hence their willingness to dangle Ervin Santana. How this plays out in the months and winter to come, we'll have to see, but happily, Bartolo Colon is only under contract for one more year. This is the last season of Darin Erstad's regrettable four-year deal, and while I expect they're going to re-sign him--he's Darin Erstad, greatest hero ever, after all--they could dangle Colon, absorb some of his salary, and perhaps include one of their less-promising promising young infielders if they found a deal that could bring them a top-shelf third baseman. With the sort of talent that Bill Stoneman has on hand, he can afford to play for big stakes in the offseason, but in the meantime, the Angels have an ideal situation in terms of rotation depth.
Placed LHP Kurt Birkins on the 15-day DL (elbow neuritis), retroactive to 7/30; recalled RHP Julio Manon from Ottawa (Triple-A). [7/31]
Purchased the contract of RHP Winston Abreu from Ottawa. [8/1]
Orioles fans can exult that losing Birkins isn't too much of a big deal, what with the immortal Tim Byrdak already back. Not that they should have expected all that much in return, but I'm a little disappointed that the Orioles didn't move Javy Lopez, Jeff Conine, or Kevin Millar. If there's a system that could use any sort of talent, even other people's discards, it's the Orioles. Conine and Millar are probably bad enough to make it through to a waivers-deadline deal at the end of August, while the current rumors surrounding Lopez becoming a Red Sock would be a little surprising (nobody claimed him?). At least Lopez wouldn't have to wait till October to burn his Orioles uni and move on.
Activated LHP David Wells from the 15-day DL; placed OF-L Trot Nixon on the 15-day DL (strained biceps); optioned RHP Jermaine Van Buren to Pawtucket (Triple-A); added RHP Bryan Corey to the active roster. [7/31]
Recalled RHP
For all of the rumor-mongering, the Sox didn't make any additional moves, which doesn't exactly help their bid to stay ahead of the Yankees. Wells looked far from being ready to contribute in last night's start against the Indians, so even there, they aren't necessarily any better off than they were letting Kyle Snyder take his lumps every fifth day. Snyder did look good in long relief of Wells last night though... which really only leaves the Sox with a Scylla or Charybdis sort of choice in the rotation, the sort of tag team that should encourage the Sox to take the long way round and skip them altogether as frequently as the schedule permits. At least losing Nixon isn't a major problem--now that Wily Mo Pena is present and accounted for, the Sox will just lean a little more heavily to the right in their lineup, but they shouldn't have trouble scoring runs.
As for the fading legend of Hee Seop Choi, I'm enough of an optimist to suggest that somebody ought to claim him, even after his miserable Pawtucket summer. The A's, D-Rays, Orioles, heck, even the Pirates all ought to give him a look if they can claim him on waviers or work out a minor deal in the next seven or eight days.
Acquired 1B-L Sean Casey from the Pirates for RHP Brian Rogers; optioned 1B-R Chris Shelton to Toledo (Triple-A). [7/31]
It's not a terrible move, since it effectively cost them nothing to rent a left-handed bat that can make contact and get on base adequately and pop a double now and again. As much as it might surprise that they would shunt Shelton aside for a powerless favorite of the chattering classes, keep in mind that Casey is only under contract through the end of this season. Barring a major mistake in the offseason--like giving Casey a contract--this is just a spur to encourage Shelton that also provides the Tigers lineup with a lefty-hitting alternative. If Shelton takes his demotion as an opportunity to get his April stroke back, Dombrowski and Leyland will be hailed as geniuses, and if he doesn't, he might instead be on the Kevin Maas Career Path to Pan-Flashing. He hasn't slugged .400 in any month since April, and from a first baseman, that's bad enough to lose your job to Sean Casey.
I do expect Shelton will be on the playoff roster, and that creates the possibility to have Shelton, Casey, and Young in the lineup simultaneously, which means somebody has to play something besides first or DH. I suppose it's possible that Shelton would endure a postseason embarrassment like Howard Johnson did in 1984, when Sparky Anderson benched his third baseman to play Marty Castillo. However, Leyland's big on being loyal as well as being a motivator, and I doubt they'd snub Shelton that way. If it protects them against another injury to Young (or a Magglio Ordonez knee to be named later giving out), it's a good thing. If Casey actually does anything more than what he's done for the Pirates, it's a bonus.
In the meantime, this might also free up Dmitri Young for some spot duty in the outfield. I know I bring up Darren Daulton's '97 campaign playing for Jim Leyland and Dave Dombrowski before, but making Daulton a right fielder to get his bat in the lineup didn't hurt as badly as you might think, considering how ill-equipped Daulton was to play any position at that point, and if Leyland had that sort of tactical flexibility before, I wouldn't put it past him to use Young in the outfield against an opposing righty who has real problems with lefty hitters.
Acquired RHP Joselo Diaz from the Rangers for 1B/OF-L Matt Stairs; acquired 1B-R Ryan Shealy and RHP Scott Dohmann from the Rockies for LHP Jeremy Affeldt and RHP Denny Bautista; placed 1B-L Doug Mientkiewicz on the 15-day DL (strained back), retroactive to 7/26; placed RHP Brandon Duckworth on the 15-day DL (sore elbow); activated OF-R Reggie Sanders from the 15-day DL; recalled RHP Joel Peralta from Omaha (Triple-A). [7/31]
Activated C-L Paul Bako from the 15-day DL; optioned C-R
So here it is, the long overdue tear-down of the "Save Allard Baird's Job"-edition Royals. Having failed in their primary task, it's up to Dayton Moore to figure which winds to scatter which bits into, but if you had any high hopes that the Royals would get good stuff, guess again.
The deal with the Rockies was more about cleaning house than getting goodies. Dohmann is literally just an evener, and may not remain on the 40-man roster past November. And Shealy? He's already 27, and when a guy is hitting .267/.337/.521 against right-handed pitching in Colorado Springs at that age, that isn't what you're going to get in the major leagues from him. What's he going to do here, other than provide yet another stumbling block for the now very, very ready Justin Huber? Maybe, if the Royals tried to make Huber a catcher again for snicks, I'd get it, but that seems incredibly doubtful. The only thing Moore accomplished with this deal was making sure he has a choice, and while that's not a bad thing, what this really guarantees is that the good folks in Omaha will have a pretty good first baseman for the PCL, whichever one doesn't make it up to a season of waterfalls, BBQ, and 90-100 losses.
I'm a little more non-plussed about the decision to discard Bautista already. This is a team that has been employing league-wide castoffs like Mark Redman, Brandon Duckworth, Seth Etherton even. People with little or no upside, like Mike Wood or Scott Elarton. As quick as they've been to congratulate themselve on getting five good starts out of Luke Hudson, they're also in the business of giving extra opportunities to Runelvys Hernandez. Why didn't Bautista get any of that same benefit of the doubt? Well, apparently not on Dayton Moore's watch, and while it's worth giving the new guy the benefit of the doubt, and throwing out the old and trying something new, discarding Bautista to get a modestly-able first baseman little better than a younger, perhaps more able first baseman, just really seems like an unfortunate exchange.
As for the decision to finally trade Stairs, let's be fair to Moore, it isn't his fault that Baird never flipped him for anything of value last year or in 2004. Diaz isn't all bad, mixing a solid fastball with a splitter, but he is already 26, and his command issues conjure up memories of that Bautista character, the guy they decided they couldn't fix. Combined between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Oklahoma, Diaz had struck out 75 in 63.2 innings, while walking 42 and allowing only 44 hits. Throw in a half-dozen wild pitches and hit batsmen, and you've got a wild thing in Omaha not brought to you by Marlon Perkins. He's worth looking at, certainly, but he may not be any better than Todd Wellemeyer, who they found on waivers. Maybe he becomes part of a better bullpen, but as with any reliever, it's hard to get worked up over him.
In other news, they get to keep Minky around to the bitter end, and they didn't duck an uncomfortable decision about letting Mark Grudzielanek clinch his 2007 option by letting him get 500 plate appearances. That was probably the poison pill as far as trading him away, but again, that's on Baird, not Moore. Reggie Sanders gets stuck with the distinguished elder statesmen/babysitter role, althoguh there's always the opportunity to deal him in the winter or spring. Sour grapes over what little they got for Mike MacDougal compared to some of the other deals being done for relief pitching, let's face it, if the Royals are going to be fixed, it will have to be from inside. Moore's moves in November and December will matter more than what happened at the deadline.
Acquired RHP
Optioned RHP Scott Baker and 1B/3B-B Terry Tiffee to Rochester; recalled RHP Boof Bonser from Rochester; activated RHP Matt Guerrier from the 15-day DL. [8/1]
Optioned RHP Boof Bonser to Rochester; purchased the contract of RHP
Okay, so the Bonser, Baker, and the Candlestick maker routine in the fifth slot is getting old, and we're all waiting on a decision to call-up Matt Garza already and get it over with. Although losing your roster spot to Jason Tyner might seem extra humiliating, Tiffee wasn't playing ahead of Nick Punto, and you now have a Twins infield where the only power source is Justin Morneau, but what's a competitive ecology without a little variety? Heck, as long as Punto gets on base at a .400 clip, you can't second-guess that. Maybe we've finally found a replacement for Jose Oquendo in our hearts and minds. Getting Hunter back is also good news, since that keeps Tyner on the bench, where he might do his best work as a pinch-runner or occasional must-make-contact desperation pinch-hitter.
The other nifty little note was getting something of value for Lohse. Although bringing Lohse back from Rochester was supposed to be an exercise in trying to get value for him, it seemed unlikely to me from the start, and even less so when he pitched as poorly in the pen as he had as a starter. However, former Twin minion Wayne Krivsky came to the rescue, happily discarding some prospect he didn't draft to get the once-acceptable Lohse for the bottom of his Red rotation. And conveniently enough, Ward's a comer, raw considering this is his first year as a pro after being picked out of Gardner-Webb College in the third round of the 2005 draft, but a kid who can throw in the low 90s consistently, and occasionally dial it up to 96. He's been solid as a 22-year-old in the Midwest League, tossing 114 innings, posting a 95-37 K-BB ratio, and allowing 74 hits, two home runs, and only 2.8 runs per nine. Even in this organization's logjam of pitching talent, he might shine. It might have taken an old allegiance to pull it off, but to Terry Ryan's credit, he got something for Lohse, and probably something better than he would have gotten in this year's draft if Lohse had not accepted arbitration.
Acquired 1B/OF-R Craig Wilson from the Pirates for RHP Shawn Chacon. [7/31]
Optioned RHP T.J. Beam and OF-L Aaron Guiel to Columbus (Triple-A). [8/1]
I really like the idea of getting Wilson--and getting him at this price, instead of waiting to let Chacon leave as a free agent--and thereby adding a right-handed power bat who can take over at first base and let Jason Giambi DH. Wilson helps balance out getting Bobby Abreu and eventually both Hideki Matsui and Robinson Cano back. When that happens, we're back to the days where not even getting down to the Yankees' nine-hole hitter makes life any easier on a pitcher. I've already said I think the Yankees can win the division now, and this only makes that look even more likely.
Unfortunately, there is the one little problem, which was keeping the now-purposeless Andy Phillips instead of Guiel. You play in Yankee Stadium, and Matsui isn't back yet--this is the team where you do want to have somebody on the bench who can park something in the right field porch. I admit, Guiel's probably the first choice to go down once Matsui returns, but that hasn't happened yet. Now that Wilson is here, what is Phillips for? Being a better first baseman than Giambi is no longer a unique skill on the roster, and that's really the only position that Phillips can play, and he isn't even any good at it. Hitting? Again, being good enough to pinch-hit for Miguel Cairo or Bubba Crosby, but maybe no Sal Fasano, is not a player you make a point of keeping. Guiel shouldn't just be on this team now, he's somebody you want on your playoff roster, certainly instead of Nick Green. Dumping him now on something like the principle of "last hired, first fired," is just sloppy roster management. This stuff has cost the Yankees in postseasons past, so it's a bit annoying if you think they're supposed to have learned something from those years they dragged Enrique Wilson along with them as some sort of unlucky charm.
Acquired LF/3B?-R Joel Guzman and OF-L Sergio Pedroza from the Dodgers for SS-R Julio Lugo; recalled 3B-R B.J. Upton and SS-B Ben Zobrist from Durham (Triple-A). [7/31]
Placed RHP Travis Harper on the 15-day DL (shoulder); recalled RHP Seth McClung from Durham. [8/2]
Whatever the D-Rays decide to do with Guzman, I like the idea of going out and getting him. I soft-pedaled some of my doubts about him in the Dodgers section--I just can't help but think of the equally positionless, equally touted mistake prospect of the White Sox in the late '80s and early '90s,
Basically, I'm not a true believer, but I think this deal made sense for Tampa Bay to make. Lugo was leaving as a free agent after the season anyway, and they don't have to worry about trying to make Guzman anything other than a first baseman or left fielder when they have Upton taking over at third. The core that GM Andrew Friedman and his crew has put together in short order is pretty interesting:
Your 2007 Opening Day Devil Rays? (age) C Dioner Navarro (23) 1B Jonny Gomes (26) or Joel Guzman (22)? 2B Jorge Cantu (25) 3B B.J. Upton (22) SS Ben Zobrist (26) LF Carl Crawford (25) CF Rocco Baldelli (25) RF Delmon Young (21) or Elijah Dukes (22) DH Dukes, Gomes, or Guzman?
Looking at that spread, damn straight there wasn't room for the likes of Joey Gathright. Yes, the old-timers in the lineup would be third-year starter Gomes and the rookie shortstop who gets on base all the time. That's a team with no need for any winter moves, unless somebody offers you top-shelf pitching talent for Crawford. Heck, spend the winter in Florida already. (Oh, the winter meetings are in Orlando? Easier still, and they can show up to see what's available in the Rule 5 draft.) Gomes is only starting to learn how to play first, so that's a maybe; Guzman might end up getting a look at the position in the AFL or a south-of-the-border winter league. If you judge Guzman's prowess by the question "will he be better than Travis Lee," that's an easy yes. But will he be someone who can really hit? Tampa-St. Pete is exactly the place where you can afford to find out that sort of thing.
And Pedroza, you ask? He's 22 and his .281/.437/.562 in the Sally League looks tasty, but that's a Low-A league and he played college ball at Cal State Fullerton, a top program. If he can't beat up a bunch of kids only a year or two removed from high school, he'd have some explaining to do. Pushed up to High-A, first by the Dodgers and now the Rays, he's been awful. If he has to repeat the Cal League next year, you're looking at a guy who won't see Double-A till he's 24, and if he has the bat to make it there, he winds up as filler. That's a normal timetable-he might surprise and exceed that, of course. But if that's what you get out of him, I don't think the Montgomery Biscuits will be pre-fabbing his humiliating biscuit-bearing togs too soon, and seeing him as anything above organizational soldiery would be optimistic.
Acquired 1B/OF-L Matt Stairs from the Royals for RHP Joselo Diaz; acquired RHP Kip Wells from the Pirates for RHP
Recalled RHP Scott Feldman from Oklahoma (Triple-A); optioned LHP John Rheinecker to Oklahoma. [8/1]
Optioned RHP Scott Feldman to Oklahoma. [8/2]
Although they were supposedly involved in a lot more discussions than what these results indicate, not a bad minor pair of pickups by the Rangers. They picked up Wells just as he seems to be rounding into reliability after rehabbing his way back, and that gives them a fifth starter they'd understandably rather go down the stretch with than Rheinecker. Recovering from getting an artery replaced this spring, there's some sort of chance that Wells might bounce back to his good run of 2002-04, and it cost little to risk it. In contrast, Rheinecker hasn't had a good start since the All-Star break, and after a pair of eight-plus inning outings at the start of his extended gig in the rotation, hadn't been particularly helpful. He fits in sort of nicely in a rotation manned by four other retreads or castoffs, plus that Millwood character.
Stairs is a little more marginally handy, in that he's here to provide a lefty-hitting alternative in the outfield, back up Mark Teixeira at first, and take a few spot starts at DH when Buck Showalter wants to put Mark DeRosa in the field. Using DeRosa at DH isn't the best idea in the first place, since it sort of handicaps his chief skill, an ability to play seven or eight positions. Regardless, it affords Showalter the opportunity to mix and match Stairs, DeRosa, Brad Wilkerson, and Nelson Cruz in the right field and DH slots. Add in Jerry Hairston's ability to play second, center, or left, and you get a bench that doesn't have anyone resembling Esteban Beltre on it.
Placed INF-R Andy Green on the 15-day DL (shoulder inflammation); purchased the contract of RHP Mike Koplove from Tucson (Triple-A). [8/3]
For the curious who may have noted that both guys involved played yesterday, the move happened between games of the double-header. This does put the Snakes at 13 pitchers, and everybody in the pen is pitching well, so Koplove doesn't have a job to nick from one of the others. I suppose that's slightly more affordable in the NL than in the AL, where you don't need a DH. However, this gives them a four-man bench of one reserve infielder (Damion Easley), backup catcher (Chris Snyder), whichever center fielder isn't in the lineup (Jeff DaVanon, more often than not), and either Shawn Green or Conor Jackson, depending on who starts at first. That's not so terrible, because none of these guys is Lenny Harris or Quinton McCracken, but it doesn't leave a lot of space for normal use of pinch-hitters and enduring an in-game injury, and that could really be a nuisance in extra-inning games. It would be awfully handy if one of the pitchers hit like Dontrelle Willis, but none do.
Acquired RHP
Obviously, John Schuerholz is as much of a fan of Karel Capek's The War With the Newts as I am, because how can you resist a six-foot tall amphibian who can pitch? Wait, you mean he isn't a six-foot-tall salamander? He's just a Cardinals' organizational soldier? Well, that's downright disappointing. I was wondering if they were going to make him wear a third sock and stirrup on his tail, and now I find out that what we have here is your basic cookie-cutter non-roster relief guy.
Traded INF-L Todd Walker and cash to the Padres for RHP Jose Ceda; acquired INF-B Cesar Izturis from the Dodgers for RHP Greg Maddux. [7/31]
Purchased the contract of RHP Juan Mateo from West Tenn (Double-A). [8/1]
Placed LHP Glendon Rusch on the 15-day DL (tennis elbow); recalled RHP David Aardsma from Triple-A Iowa. [8/3]
Blech. Not that the Cubs should have expected to get much for making Walker and Maddux a couple of two-month rentals for teams that matter in the standings, but they managed to actually hurt themselves in the process. The only way getting Izturis helps them is if they've decided that Ronny Cedeno needs to go back to Iowa. If they instead think that, because Izturis is under contract through 2008 (counting a team option the Cubs might forego), they'll have a particularly slick-fielding middle infield combo of Izturis at second opposite Cedeno, then they're just begging to suck. A combination of Izturis and Cedeno won't score runs for you, but it will conjure up memories of particularly feeble middle infield combos of the '70s, like the ones that Dusty Baker played with when he was a Brave (who can forget Marty Perez and Larvell Blanks in 1975?). Izturis has had a pair of good Aprils (in 2004 and 2005), which helps create the impression that he can play, where the rest of his career gives a pretty solid indication that he whatever else, he really shouldn't be an everyday player. It's more appalling still when you recognize that Neifi Perez is also under contract for next season, so the Cubs may well wind up with all three of their middle infielders struggling to post a .300 OBP.
Now that Maddux is gone and Rusch is broken, what's the rotation look like? The way it should for a team out of contention: evaluating some of the organization's deep pool of talented young pitching, trying to see if they'll ever get another quality start out of Mark Prior, and letting Carlos Zambrano remind the Bud-addled masses what a real pitching ace looks like. Rich Hill did just have his first good start, and Carlos Marmol has more promise than most converted position players, but obviously has more than a few kinks to work out. Mateo's promise was already apparent last year, inspiring the Cardinals to take him in the Rule 5 draft, but failing to find space for him, he was returned to the Cubs. Mateo's offspeed stuff isn't considered as polished as anyone would like, but he's extremely effective using his low 90s heat--last season's strikeout rate at Daytona translated to better than a 2-1 K-BB ratio in the major leagues, an impressive spreadsheet feat for an A-baller. Like last season, he's spent most of this year starting, but with little trouble at Double-A: 3.1 runs allowed per nine, 70 Ks to 26 walks, 78 hits, only six of which were home runs. He could be trouble, in that he's a flyball pitcher, but with Jae Kuk Ryu, Sean Gallagher, Randy Wells, and
Acquired LHP Rheal Cormier from the Phillies for RHP Justin Germano; acquired RHP Kyle Lohse from the Twins for RHP
Optioned LHP Brian Shackelford to Louisville; announced that OF-L Dewayne Wise cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to Louisville. [8/1]
Okay, we get it. Wayne Krivsky's going for it. Considering that he's only under contract through 2008 (2009 is a mutual option), and that he's already got one of the game's most moribund farm systems around, why not? If he gets this team into the playoffs, he either guarantees that '08 option, or he guarantees that he won't wind up in an ESPN studio when he isn't waiting for the phone to ring. Fixing the whole organization needs more than just the next two years, so I don't blame the man for moving boldly. Time is short, both for this assemblage of talent, and for his commitment to the organization.
That said, while each of these deals is less costly than the monster Kearns-Lopez giveaway, he did have to give up good stuff for both Cormier and Lohse. The former is somewhat understandable--Cormier has perhaps more fame than he deserves because he's been somewhere between adequate and outstanding for much of the last six years in Philly. The problem with getting Cormier is that they didn't have to merely consent to a 9� week fling, they had to woo the 39-year-old with a contract extension for 2007 (at $2.25 million), with a club option for 2008. I don't blame Cormier for holding out and extracting security to waive his 10-and-5 rights--the man has to move to Cincinnati, after all. Germano wasn't just some organizational soldier: he'll end up in the Phillies rotation, either later on this season, or next.
Where things get really silly is making another deal to try another failed Twin in the ongoing quest to find a fifth starter better than Brandon Claussen. It's a wee bit too soon to break out a "Mission Accomplished" banner just yet, because beyond being an overpriced mediocrity coming into the season, Lohse has been a complete disaster within it. Bumped from the rotation to Rochester before being handed a shot at redeeming himself as a long reliever, Lohse had been both the Twins' least-effective reliever and one of their least-effective starters. Maybe now we know who to blame for last winter's decision to offer Lohse arbitration and hold onto him, but Krivsky's current decision to entrust him with a rotation spot down the stretch is every bit as much a bit of wishcasting as it was with Joe Mays. Worse still, Krivsky actually gave up an arm with promise for Lohse. If the team keeps Lohse, they might offer him arbitration, but that would be a mistake, since he'd still cost far more than he's worth, and arbitration's 10% maximum pay cut isn't enough. Maybe they can cut him even further back than that by trying to sign him for less after non-tendering him, but at that point, you're going to an awful lot of trouble to have Lohse around, when there's very little reason to get worked up about him in the first place.
I'm sure this will lead to more "I've always loved you" cliff-diving from craven Reds beat reporters, but points on effort don't count in the standings. If this is Krivsky acting out of self-interest and a desire to win, that's all well and good, but he could a better significantly job picking his ponies than he has.
Acquired LHP Jeremy Affeldt and RHP Denny Bautista from the Royals for 1B-R Ryan Shealy and RHP Scott Dohmann. [7/31]
In an exchange of problems between organizations, Dan O'Dowd didn't do as badly as you might think. Dohmann had obviously overstayed his welcome, and I've never been a big believer in Shealy's potential, given his age and modest hitting credentials generated at altitude. So flipping the two of them for pitchers with some amount of experience and ability was a pretty decent swap on the face of it, and that's without getting into whether or not Affeldt and Bautista might benefit from escaping one of baseball's worst teams. Even coming to Coors Field, (and even if Coors Field goes back to being Coors Field, as our own Joe Sheehan might order if he were Czar for a day), O'Dowd has picked two guys with talent. That said, both Affeldt and Bautista represent a huge clustersmuck of control issues that the Royals understandably got tired of. Affeldt was a disaster in the rotation, but he wasn't all bad in the pen, and lefties who throw hard and spin a nice 12-6 classic edition curve don't grow on trees. Perhaps left alone in one role, even at altitude, he'll get it turned around, but also keep in mind he's a year away from free agency-eligibility, so he might not be around for long, whether he succeeds or fails.
Affeldt was the throw-in in a sense, because the big what-if is whether or not Bautista will ever harness his stuff. It seems amazing to me that the Royals decided that if he couldn't fix them himself, he wasn't worth anything. I like the decision to give him a look in Colorado, and while some might have wished for somebody more certain or more established in a deal that had Shealy outbound in it, we do know a few things. Whatever his mechanical issues, the man throws in the mid to high 90s, and he keeps the ball on the ground. Put him in the rotation and make your pitching coach work for his dollar, or put him in the pen and groom him to close, there's talent there. Shealy wasn't going to pass Todd Helton by, and also doesn't look like the sort of player who will make the Rockies cringe with regret playing for somebody else. There's a risk here, in that Bautista may never pan out, but it's one worth taking.
Placed C-L Matt Treanor on the 15-day DL (sprained shoulder); purchased the contract of C-R Paul Hoover from Albuquerque (Triple-A); transferred RHP
Activated 3B-R Morgan Ensberg from the 15-day DL; optioned RHP Chris Sampson to Round Rock (Triple-A). [8/1]
Reinstated OF-L Orlando Palmeiro from the Bereavement List; optioned UT-R Eric Bruntlett to Round Rock. [8/2]
Ensberg's return puts Aubrey Huff in right field, which in turn puts Jason Lane even deeper on the bench. I don't see that as a good role for Lane-guys with contact issues seem to struggle coming off of the bench-so I'm really surprised by the decision to ship out Bruntlett instead. It leaves them with another former starting outfielder on the bench on a team that has a professional pinch-hitter like Palmeiro on it. It makes Chris Burke, your starting center fielder du jour, the team's backup shortstop, when you don't really know if he can play short, and when you really can't guess that Burke at short and Willy Taveras in center is better than Burke staying in center and Bruntlett at short should anything happen to Adam Everett. However, these are nits that I'm picking, and in the same way that I like that they've created a regular role for Burke, I like having both Ensberg and Huff in the lineup. Add in the decision to give Matt Albers a shot in the rotation, and there are all sorts of things to like about Phil Garner's roster management of late.
Acquired RHP Greg Maddux from the Cubs for INF-B Cesar Izturis; acquired SS-R Julio Lugo from the Rays for LF/3B?-R Joel Guzman and OF-L Sergio Pedroza. [7/31]
Designated OF-B Jose Cruz Jr. for assignment. [8/1]
Not a bad swag for the Dodgers, but also not as good as it might look at first glance. Maddux is not having a particularly good year, and he's not replacing Ned Colletti's earlier mistake--Mark Hendrickson--in the rotation, but instead bumps Aaron Sele, who hadn't done all that badly. So you'll have to forgive me if I don't exactly see this as a clear case of "doing what it takes to win" or whatever. If the GM can't admit that he blew it and picked up a lemon instead of peach, a do-over deal to get a starter about as good as the one he gave up (Jae Seo) is just self-created busy-ness for its sake. I'm sure the same people who think the Dodgers are something special are feeling appropriately fuzzy about seeing Maddux in their classic uni, but he's a patch, not the Maddux of old, and a patch on a patch at that. The upside? Famous guy gets into playoff race in what might be his final season; film at 11.
The hidden benefit is taking Izturis off of Grady Little's tactical menu, sparing the manager the effort of finding a way to use a player who wasn't useful; which brings us to the other fixer-upper exchange, getting Lugo for Guzman. This might seem an expensive rental, because Lugo's a free agent at season's end. It's also something of a dare, because the Dodgers are asking Lugo to play second, a position he hasn't spent much time at since 2000, and he wasn't good at it then. Still, this is the franchise that made Davey Lopes a second baseman, and Lugo offers a similarly tasty blend of power, speed, and some OBP. If his OTJ training at second doesn't cause too much trouble, he might be the best middle-infield upgrade of the deadline. Add him to an infield that has Wilson Betemit at third and Rafael Furcal at short, and you've got a pretty gifted collection of players handling second, short, and third. This also eases the pressure on getting Jeff Kent or Nomar Garciaparra back any sooner than they'll be ready.
But what about the cost? It depends on where you stand on Guzman's prospect status. If you look at the birthday, you see that he's a 21-year-old who's holding his own at Triple-A. If you're a cynic, you'll note that .297/.353/.464 at Las Vegas isn't all that special, and there's no idea about what position, if any, that Guzman can play. He's a terrible left fielder, but at his age, he should be able to learn. His glovework at short back in the day was considered a menace by his pitchers, and he's slow on his feet; his best defensive tool is probably his arm, except it isn't clear he knows how to use it to best effect as an outfield. He's not going add much on the bases, so what you have is a positionless stork who will go as far as his bat will take him. The Dodgers decided they didn't have the time to see how far that would be, but his youth and tools do represent a real possibility that they'll look bad on this deal. However, keep in mind that this is an organization that has a 22-year-old James Loney as its first baseman of the near-future, Andy LaRoche (23 by season's end) and Blake DeWitt (21 shortly) coming up at third, and Andre Ethier (24) ready and Matt Kemp (22 soon) nearly so in the outfield. Since Guzman wasn't really a shortstop, and this isn't the DH league, what else is he but trade bait? Reasonable people can disagree over whether or not the Dodgers got value, but Lugo was the prize pickup for your middle infield needs, and if he leaves as a free agent you will get a pick or two to replace him (with Logan White doing the picking). That doesn't sound so bad to me, and if Guzman develops on Tampa Bay's watch, you can afford to be generous enough to say 'bully for them' if you're Ned Colletti.
Finally, are there any questions about how useful Jose Cruz is any more?
Acquired RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez from the Pirates for OF-R Xavier Nady. [7/31]
Placed RHP Duaner Sanchez on the 15-day DL (separated shoulder); recalled OF-R Lastings Milledge from Norfolk (Triple-A). [8/1]
Recalled LHP Royce Ring from Norfolk (Triple-A); optioned RHP Mike Pelfrey to Norfolk. [8/2]
Signed SS-B Jose Reyes to a four-year contract extension with a club option for 2011. [8/3]
A lot to like here. First, there's the Reyes deal, which buys out his arbitration years, his first year of free agency, and his second year of free agent eligibility should they pick up the option. The annual compensation rates scale up after a $1.5 million signing bonus: $2.5 million in 2007, $4 million in '08, $5.75 million in '09, $9 million in 2010, and either $11 million on the option, or a $500K buyout. (Cheap, that.) By contemporary standards, the only really expensive season the Mets have to pay for is 2010, and then perhaps only if Reyes turns into the new Garry Templeton, instead of building on his 2006 breakout. Now, I know, Templeton was Reyes' only meaningful comparable player coming into this season, but now that Reyes has done something special as a 23-year-old, it's not a bad gamble to lock him up through his Age-27 or Age-28 seasons. At that point, he might command A-Rod money on the open market, but the Mets can cross that bridge (to the Bronx) if they have to. What it might mean for David Wright is really the 800-pound gorilla the Mets need to deal with first.
Omar Minaya also deserves kudos for his fancy footwork in pulling off the deal with the Pirates no sooner than he had lost Sanchez for the season after a car accident. Now, I don't believe that Roberto Hernandez is going to be a world-beater, but getting him does allow the Mets to ease up on Aaron Heilman's work load, and ideally get him tuned up for the playoffs. Getting Perez as a throw-in is another nice little gamble. Sure, he's a mess and may not be fixable, but isn't this what you hired Rick Peterson for in the first place? If Rick-Pete can get Perez back to anywhere close to his 2004, that would be particularly sweet, but if he simply gets brought back to usable fifth starterdom, that's a useful add-on for the next couple of seasons.
The one thing that might have Mets fans quaking is getting rid of Nady, because if Milledge isn't ready, you're down to a weak platoon of Endy Chavez and Eli Marrero. I know, Chavez has "broken out" this year, but I think we've been on that wild fun ride we called the career of Timo Perez one time too many already. However, it's a worthwhile gamble, and frankly, I'd rather have Milledge up on this team, playing with Cliff Floyd and Carlos Beltran, and getting a taste of the playoffs. It isn't quite the same thing as Andruw Jones getting the call in 1996, but it's not that different.
Finally, shipping out Pelfrey makes sense to me, although I know this is something Kevin Goldstein and I disagree about. He's in favor of pushing pitchers up fast, and in general, I might not disagree. I'm just not sold that doing it in a guy's first year as a professional is that easy a call. He wasn't embarrassed in his four big league starts, but if Pedro Martinez is ready for a regular turn in the rotation, then we can safely kill off this flirtation with the six-man rotation, and instead wonder about whether or not the seven-man pen made up of a closer and three righties and lefties will become conventional. Royce Ring managed to re-buff his dimmed prospect rep by holding lefties to a .152/.220/.152 clip at Norfolk, earning him the right to join Pedro Feliciano and the deathless Darren Oliver as the pen's lefty trio. Not a famous or expensive guy in the group, so for all the concern over the money spent bringing in Billy Wagner to close, we should again credit Minaya for not spending seven large to get a 'name' situational lefty. As much as I'd like to see Heath Bell get a shot, Ring might be part of next year's pen once Oliver leaves for somebody's larger offer, and let's face it, we're talking the seventh reliever on a team wondering what flavor they want their cakewalk to be. Tiramisu, German chocolate, or pecan pie... decisions, decisions...
Traded LHP Rheal Cormier to the Reds for RHP Justin Germano; optioned OF-L Michael Bourn to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A); recalled RHP Brian Sanches and CF-R Chris Roberson from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. [7/31]
It's sort of amusing, but Pat Gillick may well have landed better value for Cormier than the sum of what he got in the Abreu deal. Don't get me wrong, Germano probably won't be the next Roy Halladay, but his list of comparables is interesting: Rick Wise pitched forever, and Adam Eaton and Kip Wells have had their moments. He's just about ready to step into the rotation already, but at the very least, he'll deserve a shot in 2007.
Acquired RHP Brian Rogers from the Tigers for 1B-L Sean Casey; acquired OF-R Xavier Nady from the Mets for RHP Roberto Hernandez and LHP Oliver Perez; acquired RHP
Recalled CF-L Chris Duffy and RHP Josh Sharpless from Indianapolis (Triple-A). [8/1]
It's an astonishingly poor haul, but let's face it, timing is definitely not one of Dave Littlefield's gifts. The best player acquired might well be the payoff for Wells, and that's saying something, because Chavez is a far from finished product. If he adds a consistent breaking pitch, he might grow up to be an effective major league reliever, but right now, he's got a pretty significant problem getting lefties out, and in a pitching-rich system like the Pirates, a situational righty would be hard-pressed to make it. Happily, he's only 23 and has already reached Triple-A, so there's room for growth. But the rest? Rogers is a soft-tosser despite only being 24, and has already worked his way out of rotation duties to wind up in a Double-A bullpen. Heck, the man did his best work in the '60s, and would that really be the sort of guy you want to mix into your team chemistry? He has been dominant in Erie, striking out 69 and walking only 13 in 64 innings of middle relief work, but his .268 BABIP hints that his defense has been making his life a lot easier. Think
What about the major leaguers acquired? Filler, the both of them. Chacon's potentially a free agent at season's end, and while he's been bad enough this year to probably be desperate enough to stick around, at 28, what you see is what you get, the latest incarnation of such disappointments as Joey Jay, Pete Smith, or Steve McCatty. Flashes of usefulness--like last season's stretch drive with the Yankees--earn him a moderate amount of fame, but right now, he's just a guy in the way in an organization with better homegrown talent on the way up. Nady's seen as a prospect by some, but he'll be 28 next year, and as nice as this year's PETCO-unchained power spike has been, this is his ceiling. As a fourth outfielder or your worst starting outfielder on a team that gets offense from the other seven slots, he's not useless, but he's not going to make the Pirates any better, he'll only keep them stocked in inventory. The best thing to do with him is make him the new Rob Mackowiak, play him at first and third some, and then see if he fills somebody else's needs so that you can flip him for something better. They're flipping everybody else all over the diamond in an apparently random search for people to play in the positions that Jason Bay and Jack Wilson don't play, so why not?
That brings us back to whether or not Littlefield can flip people for value, and the longer the track record gets, the less believable such a proposition becomes, and the more the Jason Bay looks like an anomaly. Dealing Wilson a year or two too late to get real value for him demonstrates a real problem with understanding that this team's goal should be on building to win, not building to win 75 games if everything works out right. For four major league players (and Perez), in a seller's market, Littlefield wound up with placeholders for the rotation and the outfield, and perhaps one minor league reliever who might amount to something. That's not simply bad, it's downright pathetic.
Acquired 1B/2B/3B?-L Todd Walker from the Cubs for RHP Jose Ceda. [7/31]
Activated CF-R
Pretty much as expected, with the Pads getting a modest offensive boost at third base for a Dominican to be named now, and with Johnson pushing Young off of the roster. There will be ugly moments for Walker at third-he wasn't entirely awful playing there a decade ago, but let's face it, that was when Walker was a much younger, quicker man. But that's where having Geoff Blum and Mark Bellhorn comes in, because the thing they should really want from Walker is three at-bats per game started by a right-handed pitcher (he's .302/.360/.422 vs. RHPs this year). Bellhorn and Blum can come in for late-game defense, and start as needed versus lefties, although neither is really much better against southpaws than Walker. That's basically a decision about who's going to bat seventh or eighth against a lefty, and seasons usually aren't made or broken on that kind of detail. So, a good move by Kevin Towers, and an easy upgrade in his outfield reserves. These were the only real holes left in the NL's third-best offense, and Towers has cut bait when he had to (in the cases of Vinny Castilla and Young) and made a cheap deal when he could.
Acquired RHP Jorge Sosa from the Braves for RHP
Optioned RHP Josh Kinney to Memphis (Triple-A). [8/1]
Although this means that we got a lot less fireworks from Walt Jocketty than in years past, taking a flyer on Sosa on the off chance that pitching coach Dave Duncan can do something with him seems like a worthwhile exercise.
Purchased the contract of RHP Ryan Wagner from New Orleans (Triple-A). [7/31]
Placed C/1B-L Robert Fick on the 15-day DL (rib cartilage separation); purchased the contract of C-R Brandon Harper from New Orleans. [8/1]
Christina Kahrl is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
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text:
Witnesses are being sought after two festive home thefts were committed in Silsoe.
The first burglary took place in Newbury Lane between 9.30am on Christmas Eve, and 9.15am on Wednesday. Offenders forced open the front door before making off with a laptop.
A second burglary took place sometime between 3pm on Christmas Eve and 10am on Wednesday in West End Road when offenders entered through a small window.
The thieves took a jewellery including two distinctive gold pocket watches. The first had the initials 'FB' engraved on the case while the second was engraved with 'for 25 years' service – Vauxhall'.
Detective Constable Darren Armitage, who is investigating the two burglaries, is keen to hear from anyone who may have seen anything suspicious. He would also like to hear from anyone who may have been offered any of the items stolen.
If you have information call 01234 275291, the non-emergency number 101, or text information to 07786 200011.