tkeith

*THAT* is a tremendous travesty. Both Hawk and Murph belong, but that vote total is a real slap in the face.

Hmmm... there was 1980/81, when they had all but locked up Dave Winfield, only to have him leave the dinner and be the victim of racial epithets in the streets of Hotlanta, which irked him enough to choose the Skankees. I'm liking the look of the crimson hose. I'll like them even more when the Saltalamacchia deal gets done! Zen, I worry that your thoughts on Lugo may be correct, but I'm seriously hoping not. Lugo would make a spectacular utility player, and an abysmal starting SS.

I agree with you Jim, though nobody is trying to deify Guaraldi the way they do with Evans. As for the dinner party, I'm not allowed to choose the music anymore. Even when I choose rock stuff for a party, I get accused of playing it too loud. However, the last time I programmed a "jazz dinner party" set, I went heavy on the Dick Griffin (Now Is The Time and The Eighth Wonder) and Pharoah Sanders (Journey To The One), carefully selecting the non-wild stuff. Evidently, my opinion of what constitutes that description differs greatly from the rest of the free world.

I guess thats good especially if he can bounce back from this surgery ....BUT what we really need is a catcher and a 4th outfielder!!!!! My guess is that Smoltz would take over Masterson's spot, and JM would return to the rotation. This frees up Buchholz for the Saltalamacchia trade. Saw this morning that they're in talks with Rocco Baldelli, which addresses the 4th OF spot nicely, IMHO.

Wow. Somebody should send that guy the links to Hans Groiner!

It might have been this one. Jim Wohlford batting cleanup and Joe Strain batting sixth... hard to believe Philly could pull that one out.

Mike Hargrove... the human rain delay. By comparison, Nomar was in a hurry to get in the box.

Just a couple of notes. Typically I begin all of my guesses with the disclaimer that I haven't read any of the responses, and/or that they are ear guesses, not researched guesses. I rarely (I can think of only once) ever research the guesses as I'm listening, that would take the fun out of the BFT for me. Pretty sure I'm not alone in that regard.

Prediction: Alex and I never hang out and listen to music.

Fun stuff. I liked much of it, some of it, less so. 1 - No clue. Not my bag, baby. 2 - Disney Theme (When You Wish Upon A Star). No idea who, maybe Frank Morgan. 3 - John Lewis' Django. No idea who this is. I want to like it, but it bugs me. 4 - Know the tune, but can't put a name to it. Shit... I know this recording -- I have this. Shades of Hank Jones, maybe, but I'm leaning towards Vince Guiraldi. If I don't have it, I want it! Why doesn't anybody play like this anymore? 5 - Don't know the tune or the players. I like it as a one off, but not sure I could listen to a whole album of this. This would be fun to see out in a social venue. 6 - No idea, not my t'ing. 7 - If it isn't Billy Bang or Michael White, I'm not likely to get a violin player! I say this isn't my bag, but I used to run into a guy at a lot of jam sessions who played this sort of thing, and I was always happy to see and hear him. Again, very good for a social setting, but can't see hitting the basement and cranking this to chill. 8 - Sounds like Buddy Tate to me, but the ideas seem a level below Buddy's. Maybe when Buddy was older or somebody trying to play like him. The recording sounds newer (electric bass, if I'm not mistaken -- listening on laptop). No guesses on the other players. Trumpet sounds like someone shooting for a Ruby Braff sort of sound, but with a Armstrongish feel. 9 - I appreciate this more than the last (or the first) because it's authentic. Not just the recording, the sound of the music itself. I'd never spin this, but I respect it. 10 - Heheheheh. I can't help it, this amuses me. "...a composition by my worthy constituent, Mr. Dizzy Gilespie..." It's not authentic to either period, but I like the fact that they're thinking outside the case on this one. I liked the trumpet players, but the sax players sound very stiff to me. 11 - Tom & Jerry... oh, wait. Tune is The Sheik of Araby. I don't know players of this era, but I always like to listen to this sort of thing. I'd throw out a guess that it might Fatha Hines, as he sounds kind of heavy handed. (Hey man, why couldn't all BFTs be like the first one I tried, where I knew most of the guys!?!?!?) 12 - Solitude. Sounds like Ron Carter to me, based on the 'thrumping' slides to some of the notes and the sketchy intonation. No idea of anyone else. 13 - Sounds like maybe Kenny Barron on piano. Not sure of the drummer... could be Victor Lewis if I'm right about KB, which I don't think I am. Perhaps one of the guys who came after KB like Geoff Keezer. I like the lines of the alto player, but he's under-executing them, almost like alto isn't his main horn. 14 - I know the tune, but can't name it. At times I was thinking Kenny Drew on piano, but it's not him. 15 - There's A Song In My Heart. Modern recording. Billy Pierce on ts. I'll guess Alan Dawson on drums, because it's flawless and I'm totally not diggin' him. Don't know the trumpet player. Sounds like James Williams on piano (but I could be biased by the association with BP). 16 - My Love is Here to Stay. No idea, but I have to wonder if it's two women a friend of mine sent me a video of. They were both about 30 and absolutely shredded. I'll say it's a modern recording with modern personnel. 17 - Evidence. (or as I heard Clifford Jordan describe it, "I've heard it called 'Just You, Just Me,' ... then somebody called it 'Justice'. I'm thinking somebody modern, like George Colligan or Ben Walzer. Drumming reminds me of Eric McPherson -- busy but inspired. 18 - No idea. Modern recording, lacks the authenticity. 19 - ???

The Youk deal will play out -- they're just bidding on the idea that the economy will suffer. He likes it here and they'll time the deal right (not when he's pissed because they just offered the farm to a comparable player). That said, expect something in the 5-6 year range, for probably $12-15-mil, which is too much, but they did it to themselves. Would have made more sense to get the Youk deal done BEFORE the Teix play. Lowell will be fine, it's Papi I'm concerned about. I think they're banking on the chance that Lars Anderson can be Papi's replacement if necessary. Still, I'm feeling good about this team. Next year? Well, that's a ways away now, isn't it.

Strangely enough, even with all the signings, I don't think the Yankees have improved all that much from last year. Well, IF CC and Burnett are healthy, their starting pitching must be better. Tex is a much better fielder than anyone they had there last year. Has more power than Abreu. And now they have tons of outfielders to trade off for relief pitching. It seems to me that the key is going to be Burnett, if he can come up big, he could put the Yankees over the top. As I said before, I don't see CC equaling Mussina's win total in 2009, and there is still the need for a quality three starter. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see what kind of effect on the team the move to a new park will have, maybe none, but you never know. I gotta ask, why does Wang get no respect? He was the #2 starter for a couple of years and was reliable in that role. He could easily be the #3 guy (I mean, he has records of 8-5, 19-6, 19-7, 8-2 over his four years in MLB, and he gets no love) on *any* staff. What's funny is, I had to talk my brother-in-law in off the ledge. He was all set to give up and convert to Yankee nation (okay, he's a bit of a fool to begin with, but basically harmless). We ran down both rosters, position-by-position. Skanks got the edge for SS, 3B* (when we talked intangibles, this was a push at best, as Lowell is a god; given his injury, we gave it to PayRod), and C, assuming the Sox *don't* pull the trigger on Buchholz-for-Saltalamacchia. 1B is not a given, but I'd give them the nod there. Pitching: Sabathia-Beckett is a push, and it's less likely that Beckett will eat himself out of the league. Burnett-Lester is a no-contest -- Lester wins. Wang-Matsuzaka I'd call a push, but most would say Matsuzaka; he's definitely more of a power pitcher, where Wang is all about finesse. #4 starter is open for both teams, #5 starter will be a young guy on both teams. Sox have a stronger bullpen for middle relief, and closer is a push. Mo is great, so is Paps. These two teams are really well matched. One of them will have a $190-million+ payroll with marginal flexibility (their economy of scale is likely to change in the current economic crisis, and if it doesn't, MLB *will* get a salary cap). One of these teams was, as it sits, a playoff team last year. The other will need time to gel. I'll say it again, now -- The Skankees do NOT intimidate me, at all. I predict they'll make the playoffs, but I also predict they're out in the first round.

Ironic, isn't it? As for the previous Manny tongue bath, uh, I mean post, I was definitely one of those that bitched about Manny's money. He's a *one* dimensional player. Yes, he would occasionally have a Swaboda-like defensive play, but basically, he was a liability on defense... and on the base-paths... and eventually in the clubhouse. He can hit like hell, no two ways about it. But to ignore the baggage is denial. Teix will NOT have any easier time in NYC (ask the Giambino). When he's hitting .268 in May with low production, he'll feel the Bronx pressure, just as he would have in Boston. I'm *thrilled* to not have this team under the weight of another 8-year megadeal for umpteen million ducats per season. As I said yesterday, bring on Lars Anderson!

Richie Havens' autobiography THEY CAN'T HIDE US ANYMORE

Don't know about Manny, but seriously, there's no sign these guys are done. I would have loved to have had Teix in Boston, but I'm not at all sad about avoiding another HUGE, interminable contract, particularly for a position that is easily filled. No matter, keep spending -- judgment day will come for that team at some point. $765-million committed to 4 players. Even my father, a life-long Skanks fan, is incensed by this.

F*ck him. Bring on Lars Anderson. Yankees won't win anyway.

I can't take credit for that. I think MG id'd the album. I did in my mind, but couldn't bring the title to mind. I remember really liking about half this record, but it led me to the older Farmer stuff (like the Argo recordings) and that was pretty much the end of its tenure in my record collection (along with the pitiful Joe Henderson co-lab on CTI).

I'm shocked this was actually those guys. I had them pegged as young guys trying to play like them. I don't mean to kick your record collection, but to my ear, these guys had each lost a step by the time of this recording.

Huh... guess it really was a cleaner Pharoah sound. I'm somewhat familiar with FK, but he sort of rubs me. He makes the same error Wynton made in the early days -- playing too much like his influences. The other thing that bugs me is the hyper-compressed sound of his drums on most recordings. That said, I need to check this disc out because that was really nice.

Actually own this one, too, but never really dug it. There is one tune that really cooks, but the rest of it just didn't resonate for me. Still, I should have done better on this one.

Jee-heee-ZUSS! I actually picked this up a couple of months ago, but haven't gotten around to spinning it, yet. I need to win the lottery so that I can free up some listening time.

I don't know why the Sox are waiting to contact him ? Yeah, J.D. Spew is due for a breakdown this year; bring him on!!!!

Funny, I remember the Game of the Week being almost exclusively out-of-market games. Wonder if they had the brains to do that on purpose. Wish they'd go back to that. Stupid cable packages prevent it, though.

As it should be.

Jim Rice should be in the Hall .....i found this in response to a fans question : [Question from fan:] I remember watching you when I was in high school and how they always talked about the strength of your forearms and your bat speed. I also remember an "urban legend" that you could break a bat at the handle just by swinging and flicking your wrists. Any truth to that? Tom F. Tyngsboro, MA [Rice answers:] I did it twice in games. On two separate occasions I broke bats without ever making contact with the pitch and both were check swings. I think one was in Oakland and a curveball started out high and I committed to swing, but when it broke downward on me and I tried to stop my swing I was left just holding the bat handle in my hands. Now, doesn't that sound like a Hall of Famer? Bob Lobel had a great round-table discussion a few years back with Yaz, Fisk, Evans and Rice (if I remember correctly). It was one of the first times I'd ever seen that side of Rice. He was always very surly as a player (though, not so much towards fans). Then a couple of years ago, I saw another interview where he was asked about his attitude towards the press. I had heard Steve Buckley (who's an ass) talking about Rice saying, "When he was 0-4 with 2 strikeouts and 2 double plays, those were the days he'd talk to you, and he was fine. It was the days when he went 3-4 with 2 homeruns that he was so difficult." Rice addressed that very phenomenon in the interview, saying, "I never wanted the focus to be on me, I wanted it on the team. That's why, hey, if we lost because of something I did, I'll take the responsibility. If we won, that's a team victory." *THAT* sounds like a Hall of Famer. If Rice had had Lasic at his disposal, he might well be in The Hall.