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Sunday, May 31, 2009

Win save combination, Pettitte-Rivera, including post season

Update: Here's the list of Pettitte and Rivera's 11 post season win-save combos as of 10/7/10.

============================
 UPDATE: June 11, 2010 was the 67th regular season win-save combo for Pettitte and Rivera.
The MLB.com article doesn't mention the existence of a Pettitte-Rivera tandem in post season. According to Baseball-Reference, the two have 10 (updated from 8) of these. I understand MLB eschews use of the words "regular season" in articles like this, as it might alert consumers that stats also exist for "post season" -which would be "unfair."
  • Players' most difficult work is casually lost to history for contrived excuses, such as they're simply "luckier" than others by getting to the post season in the first place so best not to bring it up. This passive-aggressive Soviet style information blackout would have you believe everyone going to the post season gets good stats.
This twisted manipulation of players' life and work advances easily in a Banana Republic monopoly such as baseball. In spite of MLB's information blackout, Pettitte and Rivera's work stands:
(8 of the above were multi-inning appearances for Rivera. Honorable Mention: The "Bugs" Game, Game 2, 2007 ALDS, NYY @ Cleveland. Pettitte and Rivera appeared together in other post season games that didn't have the exact technical requirements for a win-save combo).
  • setting a new Major League record."... "Mo Sets Record with 58th "Save" for Pettitte." (PLUS 8)

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Saturday, May 30, 2009

Americans surrender capitalism without a fight --Pravda

(Pravda): "It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed,
  • against the back drop of a passive, hapless...people.
True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics.

  • Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives.

They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride blind the foolish.

  • Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses

and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive.

  • His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America's short history but in the world.

If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not,

  • America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system,

These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. ...

made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves

  • on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another.

They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament).

Then came Barack Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago,

  • warned Obama and UK's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster.

Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set

  • "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? ...

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker." "American Capitalism Gone Without a Whimper"

Stanislav Mishin

"The article has been reprinted with the kind permission from the author and originally appears on his blog", via the Drudge Report

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Joe Mantegna throws out first pitch

Joe Mantegna prepares to throw first pitch at Cubs game v Dodgers at Wrigley Field, 5/29/09, getty photo. My favorite of his films is House of Games, David Mamet directed, 1987.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Chazz Palminteri's opinion

Chazz Palminteri called WFAN today as he does from time to time. I tuned in shortly after this particular call to hear a subsequent caller mention it to Francesa who said Chazz just wanted to give his opinion about Joba. A website, JetsInsider.com, that follows Francesa was listening, and noted Palminteri voted for Joba to the pen (at least for this season): On the subject of Chamberlain, a poster (JetsFan1983) noted his reduced velocity might render him of no help to the team in the bullpen. (As other fun sites do, this one critiques Mike's appearance and speech patterns). This post is just a point of interest and not meant as something Yankee brass should use in player evaluations. (sm)

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Taking in the sights in Cleveland

Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez at NBA playoff game in Cleveland, May 28, 2009. ap photo

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For the record, someone else's home run call gets critiqued

Mushnick, NY Post, 5/29/09: "Apparently it ain't just patrons cursed by obstructed views at Citi Field. Wednesday on SNY, Gary Cohen gave Ramon Castro's fly down the left field line Cohen apologized, explaining that he loses sight of that corner but thought the ump signaled homer."
  • NY Post commenter, "Collin M wrote:
"When Gary Cohen does that "ITS OUTTA HERE" scream, I just cringe - ruins a happy moment every time.
5/29/2009 7:58 AM EDT"

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

The New York Sun is back!

The New York Sun is back online only, which is great news. The sports section hasn't been updated yet, but I'm hopeful (they used to have Tim Marchman). It had ceased publication last September. via Lucianne.com

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Brett Myers has MRI on hip

Brett Myers had an MRI today which showed a frayed labrum in his right hip. The team will obtain a second opinion before deciding a course of action. Via Baseball Musings. AP story.

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100 persons laid off at ESPN

100 Connecticut employees have been notified of termination by ESPN.
  • Newsday from AP: "The layoffs are part of a plan announced by ESPN Chief Executive George Bodenheimer in January, when he told employees the sports television giant would be reviewing its entire operation and also would leave about 200 vacant jobs unfilled.
  • Company spokesman Josh Krulewitz says ESPN plans to replace the jobs that have been cut with others that "more effectively grow our company, and our head count number, ultimately, will remain consistent with current levels."
ESPN, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Co., employs about 5,400 people worldwide, including about

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Chien-Ming Wang best news of the night--Girardi

Reported on Yankee radio post-game by Suzyn Waldman following Chien-Ming Wang's successful 2 innings vs the Texas Rangers, Girardi thought it was the best news of the night.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

One of Elvis Andrus' favorite Venezuelan dishes

Overheard on Yankee radio, Texas Rangers' Elvis Andrus' mother has been visiting him from Venezuela along with his two sisters. Mrs. Andrus has been making one of Elvis' favorite dishes not readily available to him outside his native country.
  • Ingredients include black beans, rice, and plantains. Suzyn Waldman provided the news about Mrs. Andrus making one of Elvis' favorite dishes. Carlos Silva, technician in the radio booth, supplied the name of the dish (which I missed) and its main ingredients to Suzyn and John for broadcast.

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Francesa's 2 Yankee points today: Burnett and Chamberlain

Francesa's Yankee points today, AJ Burnett needs to stop with the pies. He should join in the fun by pitching well instead.
  • Number 2, Chamberlain must go to the bullpen. The Yankees have gone to great lengths to prove he 'can' be a starter. (My note: Hank Steinbrenner-remember him?- made that his big issue). They're right--he 'can' be. But he's above average at best in that role and has been babied doing it. Francesa cites high walk and hit totals.
It may be they don't want to look like they made a mistake in their hype about him being a starter.
  • Coincidentally, the Yankees have no one for late inning relief (7th and 8th inning, usually referred to as 'an 8th inning guy' but is more than that).
  • They cannot possibly win without a reliable set up man.
(My note: Mariano has been willing to do both jobs for many years but that shouldn't be the expectation going forward). Chamberlain, says Francesa, now attempting to be a 4 pitch maestro and flopping, when he was a success as a 2-pitch demon. Doesn't have to abandon starting forever, but should do so for this season.
  • P.S. The 'Chamberlain to the pen' issue has been labeled 'silly' on the internet. Many who make this claim are not Yankee fans and are anonymous anyway. To those who are Yankee fans, the situation this year makes the argument moot.

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Chicago sports station seeks reporter

Radio home of the White Sox, "CBS Radio-owned WSCR-AM (670) is launching its own version of a television reality show called "Pepsi Max Score Search." The sport-focused radio station soon will begin holding open auditions to look for Chicago's best undiscovered talent
  • Auditions will be held at select locations throughout the Chicago area during June.

Candidates will be recorded reading a 30-second pre-written script, which will then be posted on the WSCR Web site for review. A panel of broadcast industry experts will identify their top 10 candidates who will then meet with WSCR Program Director Mitch Rosen. Four finalists will be selected from that group. Visitors to the WSCR Web site will be able to vote for their favorite among the four candidates.

People can enter by visiting the website, 670thescore.com

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Monday, May 25, 2009

The Flag in Arlington

U.S. Navy members stand before flag in Arlington, Texas, 5/25/09, before Yankee-Texas Rangers game. getty photo

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Citgo's sweet radio ad

The ad is heard regularly on Yankee radio and other venues:
  • "Every Citgo is locally owned
  • and independently operated"....
  • a voice says in soothing tones.
It goes on,
  • so when you visit your local Citgo, you're supporting your own neighborhood.
Male and female voices chime in saying how nice that is.
  • Woof, woof adds an adorable neighborhood dog.
photo of Citgo station with mother and child from brandlandusa.com, 10/3/08, from Citgo ad that ran in a national magazine in Florida.
  • Top photo, Venezuelan police stifling a peaceful student demonstration in May 2008 from SoftwareTimes.com
Third photo, Venezuelans protest Chavez' closing of independent television network RCTV, from TimesOnlineUK, May 29, 2007, "Chavez Takes on CNN after Closing TV Station"

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Memorial Day

  • Ed Mullen, U.S. Air Force, World War II, Brooklyn Dodger fan, surviving. Hasn't recovered from the Dodgers leaving Brooklyn. Is a Mets fan today as he considers them a substitute for the Dodgers. Was never a Yankee fan.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

Why hasn't Bob Davidson been fired again?-Bill Madden

Bill Madden: ""Can anyone explain how Bob Davidson, one of the consistently lowest-ranking umpires who seemingly is constantly involved in controversial blown calls and was already fired once, is still working in the majors? Yes, both of Lackey's pitches went behind Ian Kinsler's head, but common sense tells you there was no intention to throw at Kinsler and get thrown out of the game after one batter."
  • from Madden's NY Daily News column, item at end in 'It's a Madd, Madd World,' "Mets Manager Jerry Manuel has Amazin' Ring of Stengelese" 5/23/09 ***********
  • And another controversial call he made when apparently needing to rush to catch a flight, umpires leaving the Baltimore stadium with police escort, May 8, 2005, Royals v Orioles:
  • "Still, Davidson called the balk with the score tied in the eighth inning and the game dragging on to the point where it apparently was questionable
  • whether he would make his flight to Tampa for the series between the Devil Rays and the Chicago White Sox. The Baltimore Police Department and other sources confirmed that the umpires asked for an escort out of the ballpark because of the tight travel schedule. They got a motorcycle escort through the stadium traffic, which is not unusual following an afternoon getaway game. That, in itself, is not improper, and World Umpires Association president John Hirschbeck said yesterday that major league umpires would not let a travel schedule affect their performance. "I know I would never do that, nor do I believe that any umpire would do that," Hirschbeck said."
  • Pointed out by Peter Schmuck ever so gently so as not to ruffle feathers (article posted 5/10/05). on Baseball-Fever.com, "Was it a Balk or Not? Posted on this blog 8/25/07

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Giambi hits #400 in Oakland

Top two photos Giambi, 4th inning 5/23/09 v Diamondbacks on hitting #400, getty photos.
  • Photo #3 after Giambi hits walk-off homerun, 6/5/08, 2 OUTS, bottom of the 9th, Yankees losing 8-7, BJ Ryan pitching. Final score, 9-8 Yankees. Newsday photo.;
  • Photo #4, 8/29/08 Back Cover, Newsday, Giambi curtain call for game winning hit on 8/28/08, v Red Sox. Score tied 2-2, bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, 1 out, Giambi hits game winning single.
Congratulations to Giambi. He made many clutch contributions as a Yankee and became a leader in the clubhouse. Until the media feels like telling us the 103 other names, Giambi deserves to be treated like everyone else.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

John Mayberry's father wasn't the guy on the cell-phone

Sandomir, NY Times Bats Blog: Update | 8:18 p.m. "When John Mayberry Jr. hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning against the Yankees on Saturday,

Fox found that very wrong guy for a reaction shot (but did not identify him as the elder Mayberry), then cut to him several times on his cellphone, with a graphic saying that he was Mayberry, who hit 255 home runs in a career from 1968 to 1982.

  • “John is making the call,” Fox’s Tim McCarver said. “‘Have you heard about John Jr.? He just popped one, a three-run shot.’”...

When Fox showed him again, McCarver said: “Mayberry clan all smiles.” (They were presumably smiling because the Phillies were ahead, not because John Jr. is kin.)

Ken Rosenthal, Fox’s on-site reporter, tracked down the real Mayberry, who was in the stadium, getting food for his wife, presumably at the same moment Fox gave his identity to someone else. Dan Bell, a Fox Sports spokesman, said, “The crew made a mistake and misidentified Mayberry Sr, who we later were informed by Rosenthal, was sitting in a different section.”

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The Captain after the Phillies win

The Captain is joined by Cano and Swisher after the 5-4 Phillies win, 5/23/09. ap photo

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Lee Hacksaw Hamilton to return to NFL broadcasting

Lee Hacksaw Hamilton who currently appears on Sirius XM MLB Homeplate has been hired by Compass Media Networks for football duty.
  • "Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, the longtime radio voice of the San Diego Chargers and a pioneer of sports radio, is back in business.
Hamilton, who was fired by XTRA Sports 1360 in that station's on-air purge in October, has been hired by Compass Media Networks to call national NFL games.
  • Westwood One, which has the rights to carry about half the teams in the NFL on a national basis, has a contract with XX Sports 1090.
Sports USA has rights to several other NFL teams and has a contract with XTRA Sports 1360. But Sports USA is said to be on its last legs. "I've been pursuing this relentlessly, but it all came together very quickly," said Hamilton, a Rancho Bernardo resident. "It's very exciting. The NFL is my passion. It's nice to have someone value your work."
  • The other team will consist of Chris Corrino ---- the longtime voice of the NBA's New Jersey Nets ---- and former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger.
In the last five years, only one NFL play-by-play job ---- for the San Francisco 49ers last year ---- has come open."...

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Dodgers credential bloggers for press box, full access

"At Dodgerfan.net, we’ve always been interested in the communications side of baseball, as well as what happens on and off the field. And while the Los Angeles Dodgers have always been known as one of the most progressive organizations in professional sports, they recently What makes this so interesting is that these bloggers are not professional journalists, but rather passionate fans who have developed a forum and following for their opinions and analysis. ...
  • Major League Baseball is also watching. “They were very supportive,” said (Josh) Rawitch (Dodgers Vice President of Communications). "Pat Courtney, Vice President of Communications at Major League Baseball, basically said, ‘Good for you…let us know how it goes.’ I’d imagine they’re going to keep an eye on this, as it’s a topic we’ve all talked about regularly at our annual PR meetings for a couple of years now and this is part of the natural progression.”"...
  • Photo of view from Vin Scully Press Box from Dodgerfan.net
"Dodgers Credential Bloggers for Press Box, Embrace Social Media," 5/22/09, via BTF

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Climate Change a hoax of suicide, homicide, and blackmail

UK Telegraph: "China and India, as the price of their participating in the UN's planned "Kyoto Two" deal to be agreed in Copenhagen next December, are demanding that developed countries, including Britain, should pay them 1 per cent of their GDP, totaling up to more than $300 billion every year.

Africa is putting in for a further $267 billion a year. South American countries are demanding hundreds of billions more. In the US,

Meanwhile, as Mr Obama's Nobel Prize-winning Energy Secretary, Stephen Chu, babbles on the BBC's Today programme about how the world's energy needs can be met by wind and solar power (for which, he assured us, we would need to cover only 5 per cent of the planet's deserts with solar panels), a study shows that for every job created in Spain's "alternative energy industry" since 2000, 2.2 others have been lost. (Mr Obama talks about creating "five million green jobs" in the US.)

Last week the BBC and various newspapers excitably greeted the opening by Alex Salmond of Whitelee,

  • "Europe's largest onshore wind farm",

140 giant 2.3 megawatt turbines covering 30 square miles of moorland south-east of Glasgow. It was happily reported that these would "generate" 322MW of electricity, "enough to power every home in Glasgow". They won't, of course, do anything of the kind.

It really is time people stopped recycling the thoroughly bogus propaganda claims of the wind industry in this way.

The truth is that the 80MW average output of "Europe's largest wind farm" is only a fraction of that of any conventional power station, at twice the cost. For this derisory amount of power, the hidden subsidy to Whitelee over its 25-year life will, on current figures, be £1 billion,

  • paid by all of us through our electricity bills.
Truly, our world has gone off its head, and no one seems to notice –"...
  • 'Climate Change Act, Now the World Faces its Biggest Ever Bill,' UK Telegraph by Christopher Booker, 5/23/09, via Lucianne.com
MLB promotes 'climate change'/'global warming' scam.

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Mariano Rivera Jr. takes to the field

(NY Post): ""It's quite surprising because he's not a very big kid, but he has a very live arm.""...said Coach Salerno of Rivera Jr.

"And what's going to fit a slightly built young man," Rich Salerno said.

  • "We don't usually call them closers," Salerno said.

Salerno gushed about Rivera Jr. as a person and said he expects Rivera Jr. will be on the varsity squad next season.

  • "Every time I get a chance to see him play, I go," Mariano said.

It can't be easy to play baseball when your dad is a legend. We saw Patrick Ewing Jr. unsuccessfully try to make the Knicks' roster. Rivera admits it probably is difficult for Rivera Jr....

  • "I think being a 16-year-old kid, it's got to wear on you," Salerno said." But he handles it well. He really does handle it well."...

Salerno has known Rivera Jr. for years because he is president of a youth baseball program that Mariano Jr. has taken part in. One of Rivera's other sons, Jafet, is also a member.

  • "Great kid. Very respectful," Salerno says of Mariano Jr. "He's a super kid. Understands who he is, knows who he is. Very unpretentious. Acts like a normal kid.""...from NY Post, 5/23/09, "Mo of the Same, A Rising Son at Iona Prep," by Mark Hale
(I wonder if he could be ready by this afternoon?....)

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Home runs at new stadium on pace to double last season--NY Times

(NY Times): "There have been 82 home runs at the new Yankee Stadium, easily the record for the first 21 games at a new ballpark. "Phillies Win Home Run Derby and Game," by Tyler Kepner, 5/22/09, photo from the Star-Ledger, 5/22/09

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Arod, Cervelli, Mo after Orioles win

Francisco Cervelli, Mariano Rivera, and Alex Rodriguez meet on the mound after Orioles win, 5/21/09 getty photo. Mo's right arm appears to be successfully avoiding the fray.

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Tribute to Gabrielle Schoeneweis by Jimmy Scott

Jimmy Scott at Dugout Central writes a tribute to Gabrielle Schoeneweis. He has links to an interview he did with her. From his piece, 5/21/09:
  • "I never met Gabrielle face-to-face. Our relationship was not close by any means. But we did speak on the telephone and trade emails. She agreed to an interview last fall, right after her husband’s New York Mets team blew another first place lead at the end of a second consecutive season;...She had no fear of speaking to me. Quite the contrary. She was lively. She was fun. As we spoke, her husband was sitting nearby. I could tell she’d look at him as she spoke to me. I could tell she loved him very much.
She also loved her children with all of her heart. When Scott gave up the last home run,
  • Gabrielle was in the hospital after giving birth. Scott, to his credit, didn’t use his family concerns as an excuse. He accepted his fate as scapegoat.
Gabrielle, to her credit, talked candidly about what happened. She talked about meeting Scott. She talked about dating and falling in love. She talked about their plans and about being a mother. She talked about their family.
  • It might be eerie to some; to others it might be a tribute. If you want to listen to Gabrielle’s interview on Jimmy Scott’s High & Tight, you may. You can hear Part I HERE. You can hear Part II HERE. You can hear Part III HERE."..."Gabrielle Schoeneweis: The Sad and Tragic News," by Jimmy Scott, Dugout Central

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50 Greatest Players in Baseball Today-Sporting News panel

SportingNews.com: "Pujols, who appears on the cover of the latest Sporting News magazine, was a runaway winner, picking up 55 first-place votes from Complete list of 50 best, "Sporting News' Top 50 MLB Players," 5/20/09. Chart above from NY Post article, "A-rod Looks up at Pujols in Mag's Top 50 List," "Alex Rodriguez Ranks 2nd Behind Albert Pujols in Top 50 Players list by the Sporting News" 5/21/09 by Mike Puma
  • Update to May 2010, 50 Greatest Players as voted by Sporting News assembled group.
  • After last year's post season performance by Mariano Rivera, the group not only did not raise him in the ranking, they lowered him 2 slots to #11. The list of actual voters always reveals why rankings turn out the way they do.
  • Until they reveal each voter's ballot, these lists are nothing but politics. At this point the dispensers of immortality are only described as follows:
"Sporting News' voting panel included 18 Hall of Famers, 12 Cy Young award winners, 8 MVPs, 15 rookies of the year, 3 batting champions, 3 home run champions, 9 Silver Slugger award winners, 18 Gold Glove winners, 6 ERA champions, 4 World Series MVPs, 2 relievers of the year, 7 managers of the year, 5 former executives, 6 media members and 9 team broadcasters.) This story first appeared in the May 24, 2010, edition of Sporting News Magazine."
  • 1. Albert Pujols, 1B, Cardinals (-)
  • 2. Joe Mauer, C, Twins (+37)
  • 3. Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees (-1)
  • 4. Derek Jeter, SS, Yankees (+4)
  • 5. Tim Lincecum, SP, Giants (+14)
  • 6. Roy Halladay, SP, Phillies (+1)
  • 7. Hanley Ramirez, SS, Marlins (-2)
  • 8. Ichiro Suzuki, RF, Mariners (+22)
  • 9. Chase Utley, 2B, Phillies (-3)
  • 10. Ryan Howard, 1B, Phillies (+1)
  • 11. Mariano Rivera, RP, Yankees (-2)
  • 12. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners (NR)
  • 13. CC Sabathia, SP, Yankees (+16)
  • 14. Evan Longoria, 3B, Rays (+6)
  • 15. Zack Greinke, SP, Royals (+10)
  • 16. Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees (+1)
  • 17. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers (+11)
  • 18. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox (-)
  • 19. Justin Verlander, SP, Tigers (NR)
  • 20. Chris Carpenter, SP, Cardinals (NR)"

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Marlins LandShark Stadium still needs fans

LandShark Stadium (formerly Dolphins Stadium) nearly empty prior to Florida Marlins-Arizona Diamondbacks doubleheader, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. ap photo.

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

'Climate-industrial complex,' media, politicians reap cash bonanza

  • Biggest wind turbine manufacturer buys advertising time from CNN; MLB supports Duke Energy; $51 million spent on lobbyists in 6 months. Enron pioneered carbon scams; Al Gore axis of cash.

"Some business leaders are cozying up with politicians and scientists to demand swift, drastic action on global warming. This is a new twist on a very old practice: companies using public policy to line their own pockets.

  • The tight relationship between the groups echoes the relationship among weapons makers, researchers and the U.S. military during the Cold War. President Dwight Eisenhower famously warned about the might of the "military-industrial complex," cautioning that "the potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."...

This is certainly true of climate change.

  • that this approach does not pass a basic cost-benefit test.

We must ask whether a "climate-industrial complex" is emerging, pressing taxpayers to fork over money

  • to please those who stand to gain.

This phenomenon will be on display at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen this weekend. The organizers -- the Copenhagen Climate Council -- hope to push political leaders into more drastic promises when they negotiate the Kyoto Protocol's replacement in December.

  • that a climate-scared world would buy.

Naturally, many CEOs are genuinely concerned about global warming. But many of the most vocal stand to profit from carbon regulations. The term used by economists for their behavior is "rent-seeking."

A fellow council member, Mr. Gore's green investment firm Generation Investment Management, warns of a significant risk to the U.S. economy unless a price is quickly placed on carbon.

  • Even companies that are not heavily engaged in green business stand to gain.

European energy companies made tens of billions of euros in the first years of the European Trading System

American electricity utility Duke Energy, a member of the Copenhagen Climate Council, has long promoted a U.S. cap-and-trade scheme.

  • Yet the company bitterly opposed the Warner-Lieberman bill in the U.S. Senate that would have created such a scheme

The Waxman-Markey bill in the House of Representatives

U.S. companies and interest groups involved with climate change hired 2,430 lobbyists just last year, up 300% from five years ago. Fifty of the biggest U.S. electric utilities -- including Duke --

The massive transfer of wealth that many businesses seek is not necessarily good for the rest of the economy. Spain has been proclaimed a global example in providing financial aid to renewable energy companies to create green jobs. But research shows that each new job cost Spain 571,138 euros,

Moreover, the programs resulted in the destruction of nearly 110,000 jobs elsewhere in the economy, or 2.2 jobs for every job created.

When the Kyoto Protocol was signed, an internal memo was sent within Enron that stated, "If implemented, [the Kyoto Protocol] will do more to promote Enron's business than almost any other regulatory business."

The World Business Summit will hear from "science and public policy leaders" seemingly

They include James Lovelock, who believes that much of Europe will be Saharan and London will be underwater within 30 years; Sir Crispin Tickell, who believes that the United Kingdom's population needs to be cut by two-thirds so the country can cope with global warming; and Timothy Flannery, who warns of sea level rises as high as "an eight-story building."

Free speech is important. But these visions of catastrophe are a long way outside of mainstream scientific opinion, and they go much further than the careful findings of the United Nations panel of climate change scientists. When it comes to sea-level rise, for example, the United Nations expects a rise of between seven and 23 inches by 2100 --

  • considerably less than a one-story building.

There would be an outcry -- and rightfully so -- if big oil organized a climate change conference and invited only climate-change deniers.

The climate-industrial complex does not promote discussion on how to overcome this challenge in a way that will be best for everybody. We should not be surprised or impressed that

"Mr. Lomborg is director of the Copenhagen Consensus, a think tank, and author of "Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist's Guide to Global Warming" (Knopf, 2007)." via Lucianne.com

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New homerun call for Nick Swisher tonight

  • Update, 8/17/12, Swisher hit 2 HR tonight v Boston. For the 2nd one in the 7th, "Nicky Swish is at it again!" (description) "Nick Swisher is positively Swish-a-licious!"
Update, 8/14/12, Tonight it was "Nicky Swish is positively Swish-a-licious," as John noted Swisher homered both last night and tonight. Final, 3-0, Yankees over Texas. The game had been scoreless through 6 and a half innings.
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Nick Swisher's 2nd inning home run tonight received an updated tag from Yankee radio's John Sterling. After announcing the home run had been hit, John said,
  • "Nick is positively Swish-a-licious." Earlier in the season Sterling had tagged Swisher home runs with, "he is Jolly Old St. Nick." It may take a few tries for the right tag line to emerge, but he stays with it once it's settled.
I'm a big fan of John Sterling (and Suzyn) and hope he's calling Yankee games for the rest of my life. I've listened to many other teams' pbp guys, and I wish them well. But for me on a daily basis, John is the best on radio. It's something very few people have the exact gifts to do but he does.

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Max's Cafe proprietor passes away

NY Times, Kepner: "Max Margulis, a World War II veteran who ran died of a heart attack on Tuesday, the Yankees said."...

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McCarthyism against radio host Michael Savage moves from UK to US: National Public Radio

British Ambassador to US, Nigel Sheinwald appears on NPR station KQED in San Francisco, 5/19/09. Page has audio link. Sheinwald is quite superior, but doesn't reveal child murderers and terrorists are on the list. Just affirms his so-called government's position on keeping Savage out.
  • Obviously, this was destined by its originators to incite hatred and take wing in the US. via Michael Savage radio program.
  • Viva Savage. 15 years on US radio and no one has even stubbed a toe.

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Earth to Chamberlain

(Neil Best Watchdog): "Joba Chamberlain was one of the celebrity guests at ESPN's upfront presentation to advertisers Tuesday. ...

Chamberlain: "Well, this is the first time I've heard this question. [Laughter.] You know what, they are two different mentalities. As a starter you have to pace yourself and the fact you're going to go seven innings.

  • So I'm going to stick to the starting part of it.""
After endless coverage of how unwise it would be for Chamberlain to continue his habits of showing hitters up, he goes one further and broadcasts it around the world via his words.
  • "Joba Chamberlain Needs GPS to get around stadium" via Neil Best

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

It would be much easier to be a liberal

American Thinker: "I wish I were a liberal, because then everyone would like me. My family would start talking to me again, and chances are, my ex-husband would want to renew the marriage vows he broke when I started spouting conservative opinions.
  • I'd like to be a liberal because it's ever so much easier to allow others to form my opinions for me instead of researching an issue myself.
That always gets me in trouble, especially when the facts I discover
  • diverge from the latest politically correct consensus.
I'd like to be a liberal because then I'd be rewarded for all my shortcomings and I'd be an important cog in the wheel of social justice, and a cherished warrior in the current fight for equality....
I'd like to be a liberal because any guilt I would normally feel for what used to be considered deviant,
I want to be a liberal because they care so much.
  • They have a lock on all the fashionable emotions, like tolerance, diversity, equality and patriotism.
And as long as my intentions were pure and I 'care',
I'd like to be a liberal because everyone knows that conservatives are racist, homophobic, stupid and, well, beneath contempt. Conservatives are motivated by -- gasp -- profit, instead of being nice. Enough said.
I could turn failure into success, murder into choice, lies into 'misstatements', and theft into investment. Best of all, I could make up the rules as I go along, change them in midstream and then
It's great to be a liberal because everyone knows they hold the moral high ground. They don't lie, cheat or steal. Oh, and they don't condone torture.
Before I am able to join this community of man, however, there are a few ground rules:
  • I have to acknowledge that government is the best and only solution for any problems America has.
  • Despite the fact that pretty much every government solution to date has been a disaster.
  • I must agree that America is bad and white Christian males are responsible for all that is wrong with the world.
  • Oh, and I must acknowledge that dialogue is better than war.
Even though decades of dialogue haven't worked, things are different, now that Obama is president. I must have faith.
  • I'd, of course, be expected to not only condone, but happily embrace gay marriage and the long list of newly minted sexual behaviors, and swear to never mention the adverse health risks or the proven harm they do to traditional families.
  • I'd also have to quit judging people. (Except conservatives.)...
I'd have to immediately quit smoking, in public at least. I'd also have to renounce Christianity in favor of Mother Earth and believe
  • that the Constitution is a 'living instrument'.
and that liberals know best. Always. And lastly, I'd have to support the notion that racism is still rampant, even if it is the silent 'institutional' type.
  • I'll be eligible for the right to housing, health care, a living wage (even if I don't work) and happiness.
And as long as I remain a liberal, no-one is allowed to insult me. How cool is that?
  • I'll finally get my columns published in my own hometown paper and would have a good chance of getting face time on MSNBC.
Best of all, I'll be able to atone for my sins by merely Then, I would live happily ever after. Isn't that worth sacrificing such ethereal and frivolous notions like "I Wish I were a Liberal," by Nancy Morgan, via Lucianne.com

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Persons in expensive seats look interested

May 18 v Twins, I noticed this picture because customers in the expensive seats looked interested in the game. Meaning they might actually be fans and not just rich guy comps. Andy Pettitte, Brendan Harris and Ramiro Pena in rundown. Newsday photo

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Hal designates Felix Lopez for assignment

Felix Lopez was a guest on Yankee radio tonight with John Sterling and Suzyn Waldman in one of the early innings. I heard the last part of it in which he said the team is aware of issues fans have had with the new stadium and they're going to do 'their damnedest' to make those things right. Lopez is of course senior vice president of the Yankees having married Mr. Steinbrenner's daughter Jessica in 2004. On 10/2/08, Ken Davidoff in Newsday wrote about the dysfunctional group in the Yankee front office. About Felix Lopez he wrote:
  • "3. Felix Lopez. The husband of George Steinbrenner's younger daughter Jessica, Lopez has
Posted on this blog 10/2/08 with links, which now just go to Newsday and not the article. Ballbug lists the article also without an active link. "Cashman aims to win with dysfunctional Yankees"

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SF Giants' voice Mike Krukow is a rare boon for fans

(Mercury.com): "Mike Krukow has his critics in some circles for being a "homer," that indefinable know-it-when-you-hear-it word. But there's a difference between presenting the game for Giants fans — i.e., your audience — and pretending everything is always rosy, and

Krukow is doing the former rather than the latter.

  • Thursday night, (5/14) he had emotion bordering on outrage

It was even better 24 hours later, after he had heard about Jonathan Sanchez's contention that

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"KTRB-AM (860), which began broadcasting A's games this season, switches to an all-sports format today. That's good. What might not be so successful is the lineup involving nationally syndicated shows instead of local programming; those national shows have garnered very little listener interest when KNBR put them on sister station 1050 opposite its own programming on 680.

  • KTRB, which like KNBR is a 50,000-watt station based in San Francisco, starts at 6 a.m. with Todd & Tyler's Radio Empire. At 10 a.m. comes 2 Live Stews, featuring Atlanta-based Doug and Ryan Stewart. Chris Myers and Steve Hartman take the afternoon, followed by Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith, then Ron Barr and then Chris Townsend."...Mercury News via Radio Daily News

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NY Times columnist Dowd faces plagiarism charge

NEW YORK (AP) - "New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd has admitted to using a paragraph virtually word-for-word from a prominent liberal blogger without attribution.

Dowd acknowledged the error in an e-mail to the Huffington Post on Sunday, the Web site reported.

The newspaper is expected to issue a formal correction Monday."...Breitbart via the Drudge Report

  • Blogger's version via Newsbusters:

"More and more the timeline is raising the question of why, if the torture was to prevent terrorist attacks, it seemed to happen mainly during the period when we were looking for what was essentially political information to justify the invasion of Iraq."

  • Dowd's version:
"More and more the timeline is raising the question of why, if the torture was to prevent terrorist attacks, it seemed to happen mainly during the period when the Bush crowd was looking for what was essentially political information to justify the invasion of Iraq." (Numbers of persons who label themselves "journalists" are making the easy transition to government these days. There's really no cause for worry should any encounter rough spots in their media gig). sm

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Cardinals flagship radio exec under pressure from investors

"(KTRS) Station investors include many prominent St. Louisans, including broadcaster Dan Dierdorf, former beer distributor Jerry Clinton and several

KTRS president and gm Tim Dorsey denies he's being pressured to resign, but The memo criticized Dorsey for everything from the 2005 sale of half-ownership of the station to the Cardinals for $2 million, to his hiring and firing of on-air talent, to what it called the lavish lifestyles led by him and his two station-employed sons.
  • "It is obvious to us that he has mismanaged our station for years to such a degree that the value of our asset has diminished because of it," the unsigned memo said....
Dorsey created KTRS (formerly KSD) in 1996; he had been second-in-command at KMOX Radio for years.
  • Despite cash infusions, KTRS has lost about $1 million a year for the last several years, including $320,000 in the first quarter of 2009, the memo said.
It blamed Dorsey for rosy projections about the revenue the station could get from Cardinals broadcasts. Based on those assurances, investors sold to the Cardinals at a fraction of the station's potential worth only to see revenue estimates fall well short, the memo said. It also questioned why Dorsey paid Cardinals broadcaster John Rooney $80,000 for occasional on-air appearances, even though he was being paid by the Cardinals, and The memo also took Dorsey to task for spending "tens of thousands of dollars wining and dining at St. Louis' finest restaurants," and his use of limousines, luxury hotels and first-class airport lounges."...via Radio Daily News

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