Dave James

Brad, I agree that the loss of Veritek is huge. Not just for what he does on the field, but he's a real presence in the locker room as well. Although a player would have to clear waivers in order for the Sox to get another catcher, I've heard that Mike Lieberthal could be a possibility due to his rather large salary. Regardless of what the Sox wind up doing for a backstop, I wouldn't sell them short. Not on Big Papi's watch. I really think the whole American League may come down to the final weekend as close as things appear to be. BTW, ESPN is reporting that the Yankees are looking at Gary Sheffield playing first base. Apparently, he's more than OK with the idea. He's been doing some work around the bag with Don Mattingly and, according to Joe Torre, he's already ordered a first basemen's glove. If both he and Matsui can come back healthy, that's some line-up they'll be able to put on the field. Up over and out.

Up over and out.

The injury worm is turning. It will be interesting to see how the Sox fare without some of their keys guys. They still have one DL assignment to go to match the Yanks who have been without Cano, Matsui and Sheffield for well over a month. Even though the guys Boston has lost aren't nearly as productive as these three, it should still be a true test of their mettle. Their timing with regard to Varitek couldn't have been any worse either. The only way they can get another catcher now is if someone clears waivers. Up over and out.

RF, Yes, Weird Emma is right up there with Salad Fingers. Thanks for sharing. Who does this stuff anyway? No, disregard that...I don't think I want to know. Someone needs to put down the bong. Up over and out.

According to Buster Olney, if you take into account both the number of home games and the teams each will be playing, the Yankees have a more favorable second half schedule than do the Sox. Up over and out.

A few years ago we found ourselves in a crunch for more inventory space. We ran a similar promotion to this; received a wonderful response from you and gained the space we needed for new releases. We now find ourselves in the same situation again. To ease the backlog of inventory, we invite you to participate in this Limited-Time Special Offer. Take 10% off on the twelve selected sets listed below. The offer is good only from August 1 through August 31, 2006. #170 Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions #183 Miles Davis: The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (LP) #197 The Complete Blue Note Horace Parlan Sessions #206 The Classic Columbia Condon Mob Sessions #207 The Complete Pacific Jazz Joe Pass Quartet Sessions #208 The Complete Roost Sonny Stitt Studio Sessions #211 The Complete OKeh & Brunswick Bix Beiderbecke, Frank Trumbauer & Jack Teagarden Sessions #213 The Classic Columbia and OKeh Joe Venuti and Eddie Lang Sessions #214 The Complete Roulette Sarah Vaughan Studio Sessions #215 The Complete Blue Note Lou Donaldson Sessions 1957-60 #217 The Complete Brunswick and Vocalion Recordings of Louis Prima and Wingy Manone (1924-1937) #219 The Complete Brunswick, Parlophone and Vocalion Sessions of Bunny Berigan Up over and out.

Interesting piece from Jayson Stark on ESPN this morning having to do with how close Roger Clemens came to returning to the Red Sox: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a deal that would have wiped all the other deals off the back page, the front page and all the pages in between. It was a deal that would have changed history -- and pennant races. It was a deal that didn't happen this weekend, but apparently could have -- and should have. It was a deal that never was -- a deal involving the only active 343-game winner currently hanging around our planet. Multiple sources say it was a trade that could have been made, even as late as Monday afternoon. All Astros owner Drayton McLane would have had to do was say: "You know, it's the right thing to do." But apparently, that isn't what he said. Drayton McLane isn't ready to give up on his season. And he isn't ready to give up Roger Clemens. The owner easily could have done for Clemens what the Cubs did Monday for Greg Maddux. There are times when certain people deserve to be rescued from their sinking cruise liners. This year, for those two living legends, was one of those times. The Cubs couldn't be sure if this was Maddux's final season. But if it is, he doesn't deserve to finish it with a team that's trying to hold off the Pirates in the NL Central dungeon. So on Monday, the Cubs gave Maddux a chance to write a different ending, to his season and his career, by pitching in games worthy of his presence. They didn't have to. But it was the right thing to do. Accounts vary on exactly how close the Astros might have been to granting Clemens a similar favor. But we have heard too many accounts that suggest those dots could have been connected to ignore them. The version that people in Houston are telling their friends is that they never actually fielded offers from anybody on Clemens. In this rendition of the story, GM Tim Purpura was sharp enough to see those offers coming. So he "prepared" for calls from the three teams that pursued Clemens as a free agent -- the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers. But he never planned to go beyond those preparations unless McLane told him to -- presumably because the season was a lost cause and it was the right thing to do. Except McLane never spoke those words. So teams that called were allegedly told it wasn't the Astros' "present intent" to trade the Rocket. He was out of play. There is another story going around, however, that presents a different version of this tale. And it's fascinating how many hooked-in people in baseball were hearing it late Monday afternoon. In this version, the Red Sox weren't told the Astros didn't intend to trade Clemens. Instead, the two sides exchanged ideas, scenarios and even lists of potential players who could have been sent to Houston in exchange for Clemens. In this version, both sides were aware of how close Clemens came to signing with the Red Sox in May and how much he'd thought about finishing his career where it all began. So the two teams allowed themselves to go further down this road than they normally would have gone -- until the trading deadline was less than two hours away. There was only one reason they went no further -- because McLane wouldn't let them. In this version, Clemens even found himself in a conversation with McLane this weekend about their team's struggles. It was a conversation that easily could have ended with McLane asking him: "Do you think I should trade you?" Instead, it must have ended with McLane talking as optimistically as ever about how the Rocket and his friends were going to pull another miracle out of their sweat socks. Instead, the idea of trading Clemens clearly never entered the owner's brain. Given Clemens' affection for his hometown, his teammates and even his owner, he would never broach that subject himself. He would never ask to bail out. It isn't what he's about. He's the one who chose to play in Houston instead of for one of those other three teams, of course. He did that even though he knew their postseason prospects always looked brighter than the Astros'. So you could easily argue he had his chance to play somewhere else, and now he should be obligated to honor his commitment to the team he picked. Go ahead. Argue it. We won't fight you. But there is also an obligation on the other side, the obligation any team has to a player of Roger Clemens' stature. Obviously, everybody in Houston has a vision of how the Rocket Man deserves to close out his astonishing career. And obviously, this isn't it. This Saturday in Arizona, Clemens will take his 2.09 ERA (and misleading 2-4 record) to the mound -- for a team that is currently six games out in the wild-card race, 17 games under .500 since its 19-9 start and the not-so-proud owner of a worse record since May 4 (30-47) than the Royals (31-47). And any time your team finds itself mixed up in a phrase like "worse record than the Royals," you know you're in trouble. Or you ought to know, anyway. But the owner of the Astros clearly doesn't know. Doesn't see it. Doesn't want to see it. So if there was really a deal there to be made with the Red Sox, that deal could have done more than just hand Clemens a better script. From all accounts, it could have helped the Astros, too, by saving them $7 million, and by infusing more real young talent in their system. Two players. Maybe three. But the owner was terrified he'd be known forever as The Man Who Traded Roger Clemens. And Clemens would never want to be known as The Man Who Abandoned His Own Hometown. So it would have had to be handled delicately. But it could have been done. All Clemens had to say was that he wasn't "abandoning" his team. He was committed for life. He'd be gone for two months, and then he'd be back to work for the Astros for as long as they wanted him, doing whatever they needed done. All (Astros owner Drayton) McLane had to say was that he did this because he loves Roger Clemens, and he cares about him, and he wants his career to end the way it deserves to end -- with another trip, or three, to the mound in baseball's grand Octoberfest. Then they'd all get back to the job of working together to make the Astros a better franchise. Could have been handled that way easily. But none of that ever played on the LCD screen inside the owner's head. And all McLane had to say was that he did this because he loves Roger Clemens, and he cares about him, and he wants his career to end the way it deserves to end -- with another trip, or three, to the mound in baseball's grand Octoberfest. Then they'd all get back to the job of working together to make the Astros a better franchise. Could have been handled that way easily. But none of that ever played on the LCD screen inside the owner's head. So now Clemens and his Astros teammates will have to figure out a very different script than the one they've been living through these last six weeks. But is that even possible? You have to admire the furious effort Purpura gave over the last several days, trying to add the likes of Miguel Tejada and Alfonso Soriano to a club that needs a serious jolt to save its season. But the honest truth is, this Astros' season might not be save-able. Yeah, things may have looked bad two years ago (when they were four games under .500 in August), and the Astros somehow recovered and made it to Game 7 of the NLCS). Yeah, it sure looked dire last year, too (when they were 16-31 in May), and they still survived to play in their first World Series. But not this bad. At least those teams had a certain vibe to them that this team doesn't. At least those teams could hand a lead to their bullpen and be reasonably sure they'd get to shake hands shortly thereafter. At least those teams weren't next-to-last in the league in runs scored and dead last in slugging. This team, though, is a different story. This team has scored zero runs while Clemens was in the game in four of his eight starts -- and blown saves for him in two others. It is so obvious this team is missing something huge and vital that it advertised its flaws to the world this weekend -- by chasing names as powerful as Tejada and Soriano, by dangling players as high-profile as Roy Oswalt and Brad Lidge. Yet the owner maintains his boundless optimism. He sees what he wants to see. He believes what he wants to believe. And he believes, mostly, that as long as he has Roger Clemens in his clubhouse, they will never run out of miracles. Optimism is a beautiful quality in this life. So you hope Drayton McLane's optimism is rewarded -- because if it isn't rewarded this time, the only 343-game winner of the division-play era might well finish his career in a half-empty ballpark in Pittsburgh in the last week of September, for a team with no more to play for than the home team. That scene just won't feel right then. And the vision of it doesn't feel right now. But as it approaches, how will we forget that it didn't have to be that way? All Drayton McLane had to do to change it was simply feel the urge to do the right thing -- for a pitcher who has always done the right thing for him. Up over and out.

Hats off to Big Papi. He does this with such regularity, I think it's close to becoming an expectation. Even if he is a DH, I think he's got to have a great shot at the MVP this year. I know his B.A. isn't terrific, but if you're looking for a most valuable player, who else could it be? The Twins must kick themselves in the butt every time he unloads. How do you let a guy like that get away? And, for nothing. Up over and out.

Has anyone else stumbled across this series of videos on youtube? This take weirdness to a whole new level. Up over and out.

With the Abreu trade, The Boss has shown once again that money is no object. For that reason alone, I think if the Yanks had any inkling that Sheffield might be thinking Beantown, they'd just pick up his option for next year. He'd be great trade bait and that way, they have some control over where he goes. You also know that Sheffield wouldn't sign with anyone if they aren't willing to renegotiate the length of his deal. Given that he's worth it, that's probably not an unreasonable expectation. With any luck at all, this could keep him out of Boston for as long as it matters. I see ESPN is carrying the Sox & Indians tonight. It'll be interesting to see how Wells holds up. Up over and out.

Although I don't know a whole lot about the four guys the Yankees ponied up (only two names are even familiar) I'll most always go with proven major league commodities rather than potential. The move from the high minors to the show is not exactly a hop, skip and a jump. Sure, some of these guys could turn out to be all-stars, but as Joe Torre said yesterday, the Yankees are all about now. Given that philosophy, I think this is a terrific move. I can already hear the short porch in right whispering to Abreu, "come to papa." Lidle is the wild card here. For sure, he a better fifth starter than any of the cannon fodder the Yank's have trotted out on the bump all year. And, he's won four straight for the Phillies so he's clearly pitching well. This also allows the Yanks to move Chacon and Ponson to the pen where they might be more effective as set up guys, as Chacon was the other night against the Rangers. The interesting part of this, as Dan has pointed out, is how this affects guys like Williams, Cabrerra and, most importantly, Sheffield. Sheff's position is right field, so getting Abreu sends a pretty clear message that he his days in the Bronx are numbered. That means he can either pout and do nothing, or come out swinging trying to up the ante when he goes on the market after the season is over. As much of a competitor as he is, I would opt for the latter. If the Yanks do get both Sheffield and Matsui back in a month or so, the offensive line-up they can put on the field is, in a word, awesome. Of course they still have to pitch. I thought The Unit was coming around until his outing on Saturday against the Rays. Two steps forward followed by one back, isn't going to get it done. He has to be the stopper, the #1 guy no questions asked. Not sure he has that in him any more. Question now is this; are the Red Sox compelled to make a move before the end of the day to try and keep up? Up over and out.

Al, This just cleared the wire on ESPN. I agree with what you've said, but what I find peculiar is that Lee was OK with the trade. Isn't he a 5/5 guy? Doesn't that give him right of first refusal? I'd think he'd want to go to a club that had a shot. Texas doesn't. Also, isn't he a free agent at the end of this year? That would be the double whammy in that they're just renting him for a couple of months to help them go nowhere. I don't get any of this. Up over and out.

I'm exposing myself to some major flaming by the heavy metal jazz crowd, but I'd have to go with Fred Anderson. He hurts me like a thousand dogs. Up over and out.

I'm starting to hear chatter that Reynolds had some ongoing relationship problems with his immediate co-workers and management that had nothing to do with sexual harrassment. That could mean a lot of different things. Maybe he pulled rank because of his tenure. Maybe he thought he walked on water. Maybe he thought he had more juice than he really did now that Peter Gammons is gone. Who knows. I will reiterate what I said at first blush. You absolutely do not fire someone for sexual harrassment unless you've got 'em dead to rights. Perhaps these other considerations played a role in the decision to let him go, but in terms of the termination itself, they would have to remain separate from the issue at hand. Up over and out.

It seems to me that at one point, I was able to go into my i-Pod and level out the sound on all the recordings I'd downloaded from one source or another. I know there's a "sound check" box that has to do with volume levels, but that's not what I'm talking about. What I'm after is a function that actually goes through all the songs one by one (as I recall, it took some time) and adjusts them to a common volume. I ask because one of the problems I'm having when I burn discs off i-Tunes is that the volume can differ pretty markedly from one song to another. Am I just imagining things, or can you really do this? Thanks. Up over and out.

John, Sorry, I can't help you in your quest, but two snaps for mentioning Steve White. I stumbled upon him when I was randomly dowloading some of the OJC catologue from e-Music. He was on one of those Nocturne Records "Jazz in Hollywood" sessions. Not only can he play a pretty mean tenor, but he sings on a couple of tunes as well. He's got that '50's hipster jive thing down to a tee. Good stuff from an almost more than obscure artist. Up over and out.

Matthew, Sorry for misdirecting my citation. Give me an "E" on your scorecard. I feel shame. With regard to the ESPN Insider, I couldn't agree more. It's getting to the point that anything that's even remotely interesting on their website is "Insider protected". I'm with you, there is no way in Hell I'm ever going to pay money for this. What it does tell me though, is there are a lot of people out there who will. Probably the same crowd that couldn't wait to get their ESPN cell phones so they can stay absolutlely current on a 24/7 basis (and pay through the nose for the privilege). I love sports, but my enfatuation has limits. Up over and out.

Lots of Shepp material is available from Alan Lawrence at The Jazz Loft in Seattle. www.jazzloft.com. Up over and out

Dan, First of all, I agree 100% with you. Under no circumstances does anyone with their head screwed all the way on physically touch anyone in an office/work environment unless there is absolutely no question about the acceptability of the gesture. With regard to piling on A-Rod, Reynolds had just recently come over to Phillips' side in terms of his suggestion that the Yankees deal him. Doesn't sound like anyone who was vehemently disagreeing with the direction ESPN has elected to take on this non-story. Up over and out.

I don't think you fire someone for having an opinion. If that was the case, why didn't they turf Steve Phillips? He's far and away the leader in the clubhouse when it comes to dissing A-Rod. Up over and out.

Let's not overlook this basic fact of life. Fair or unfair, sexual harrassment is in the eye of the beholder. How he "hit" on women is not the issue, the issue is how it was perceived. Up over and out.

Seems to me I read a story once about The Dead appearing on "After Dark" and dosing their host. I gotta think that episode, if it still exits, is someplace on the cutting room floor. This looks like an interesting package if for no other reason than to watch Hefner go through the motions. I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone with that kind of public personna who seemed to be more uncomfortable than Hugh Hefner. Maybe the burden of having to appear cutting edge cool all the time just plum tuckerd him out. Either that did, or it was night after night spent making sure that all the live-in lovlies at the mansion didn't get too bored. A tough job for sure, but someone's gotta do it. Up over and out.

For those of us who are major league baseball fans, there's some bad news this afternoon. After 11 years at ESPN, Harold Reynolds has been fired. The dreaded spectre of sexual harrassment is apparently what's behind his dismissal. Of couse, you can't judge someone until all the facts are present and accounted for, but ESPN simply would not move on something like this unless they had more than enough evidence to justify their actions. Reynolds was a hero in Seattle when he played for the M's. His involvment in the community was both selfless and ceaseless. Not a flag waver, he just did this stuff because he thought it was the right thing to do. He always struck me as one of the truly good guys in sports. Someone like my own personal hero, Steve Yzerman, who just seems to embody everything that's right and good about sports. I'm just totally bummed to hear this. And that doesn't even begin to address what ESPN has lost in terms of his analytical skills and abilities, the overall personna that he brought to the table each and every night. Up over and out.

Weizy, Gump Worsley. Boy, there's a name I haven't heard for awhile. Rangers and Canadians if I'm not mistaken. Old school all the way. I used to keep a hockey scrapbook when I was kid and I had several pix of Worsley on the ice with his face right in the middle of everything right above the crease. You gotta appreciate his guts, but at the same time, acknowledge his stupidity. Of course, he spent the formative years of his career before curved sticks and 100 MPH slap shots, so just like the knuckleheads who wouldn't wear helmets, he had a hard time coming to grips with changes in the game. Just ask his face. Up over and out.

I don't mind being compared to a piece of furniture, but to Nancy Pelosi? Man, that's cold. Fortunately, I have a good cut man in my corner. It may take a day or so, but I'll get over this. Up over and out.