Dave James

An Eephus is like a change-up except it goes maybe 10-12 feet in the air. Just like a change, you throw it with the same motion you use on a regular pitch and that's what screws up the batter's timing. At the MLB level I wouldn't want to throw more than about two of these to any one batter or fans would be looking for a souvenir someplace out on Waveland Avenue or in McCovey Cove. When I first started playing slo-pitch softball in 1974, there were no limits on the height of the arc of the ball. I could throw one maybe 20 feet in the air and still drop it behind home plate. They changed the arc rule two years later and limited the height to 12 feet from the point of release. Talk about taking the air out of my fun bag. Enough reminiscing. Here's a video of the 1946 All-Star game that was played at Fenway Park in Boston. The Rip Sewell footage begins at about the 1:40 mark.

When do we eat?

I was on Facebook for a couple of years, but I dumped it a few months ago. It did allow me to reconnect with a few old acquaintances, but that's about it. Maybe I just have boring friends, but I got tired of people telling me what they had for breakfast. What a waste of time.

looks like Ilya Kuriaken (sp?) David McCallum

Something else along the lines of skill building is accessing the back up tracks that are available on YouTube. Lots of blues and rock tracks provided in different keys. It's fun to play lead parts over the chord changes AND if you make mistakes, no one's around to hear them. A win win situation.

I'm a huge fan of Mad Men, but I'm not sure Breaking Bad isn't right up there. Excellent stories and top notch acting. Terribly addictive.

Rip Sewell and Bill Lee are spinning in their graves.

Starting to hear rumors about Texas, Prince Fielder and Yu Darvish.

The guy is a class act. I like some of the guest hosts they've brought in, but there's only one Robert Osborne. He's the face of the franchise. TCM is one of a handful of cable stations that I could not get along without.

I think if you could somehow wave a magic wand and all the football players living or dead whose long term health is or was compromised as a direct result of playing the game could be identified, we would be stunned by the numbers. As it is, with only a handful of players whose brains have been analyzed post-mortem, there's no way to tell how widespread the problem really is. For years the NFL conspired to supress, obfuscate and redirect the discussion even though they were well aware of the seriousness of the issue. To me, that's at least negligent if not criminal behavior.

Wasn't Aric a law student in the Seattle area at one point? Wouldn't that make you more, not less aware when it comes the clarity of your oral or written communication? Writing never reflects on anyone anymore than it does on the writer. That's why I don't hit "send" unless I'm sure something is as well written as I can make it. I have no problem with a moderator correcting the wording of a post.

Absolutely love Dan Hicks. Especially the early version with the Hot Licks, Naomi Ruth Eisenberg and Maryann Price.

Best benny line ever?

I'm betting that in 5-10 years, neither the NFL or the NHL will look anything like it does today. Football and hockey are going to have to figure out how to modify their games to reduce he incidence of head related trauma. It's really not an option. If they don't, responsible parents of children who are athletically inclined are going to begin steering their kids towards non-contact sports like baseball and basketball and the pipeline for contact sports will begin drying up. The problem, needless to say, is how you take a sport where hitting is such an integral part of the game, significantly modify it and still retain interest in the sport itself. Hopefully, improvements in protective technology will play a role in making the changes that are necessary, but that can only go so far. This is a huge problem that from all outward appearances, neither the NFL or the NHL is willing to confront.

Does this mean that the people at the Apple store should be asked to stick a finger up your as, just to be precautionary? If that's the case, then cost is no object.

I've had a 15" MacBook Pro for just less than two years. About three weeks ago, the cursor started jumping around like it had a mind of its own. I couldn't control it with either the trackpad or a mouse. I've taken it to two different computer repair places and spent a total of about $100 for diagnostics. One place said if I couldn't use the trackpad, a mouse should still work fine. WRONG. Another said there was a faulty connection in the trackpad and that they'd fixed it, tested it and everything was A-OK. WRONG. Has anyone else out there experienced this? I've been to all the diagnostic websites I can find and tried all the suggestions, but nothing works. According to the information I can access about my computer, the battery is OK. Could it still possibly be battery related? I read someplace that over time, the battery can avtually swell up and impact the workings of the trackpad. I'm trying to avoid taking this to Apple for repair, since they charge and arm and a leg and it takes forever. Any ideas about how I can solve this problem or even if it's soluable, i.e. could my MacBook really be shot after only two years? I do use it a bunch. Thanks for any tips, help or suggestions any of you guys can provide. I'm about to go nuts.

Just picked off a brand new copy from Amazon for $14.12. Nice.

My favorite Morgan role was Officer Bill Gannon in the reconstituted Dragnet series from the late 60's and early 70's. Outside of the drug related episodes which were always highly amusing, the one episode I remember most vividly was one where Friday and Gannon were working a case involving the theft and fencing of fur coats where a legit furrier taught Gannon how to act like he knew he way around a mink coat. I don't know why I remember that episode so well, but for whatever reason, it's stuck with me all these years.. Anyhow, here's a little something Dragnet fans and fans of Morgan might find amusing. Terrific dead panning and the usual impeccable timing from Benny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P1uXrS2TFA

I often find myself wondering what it would have been like if Eleanor Roosevelt could fly or if Julius Caesar had owned a Piper Cub.

Although its of little immediate solace to fans of teams in the AL West, that Pujols deal is going to wind up being A-Rodian in its downstream implications for the Angels. For one thing, the guy may already be two or three years older than he says he is and for another, look no further than Mr. Rod for an indication of how one's skills begin to deteriorate around age 36. This is absolutely, unequivocally guaranteed to be a short term gain, long term pain situation. Yet another indication that in a league with no salary restrictions, these guys can't get out of their own way.

What a horrifying juxtaposition. Not all that "horrifying" IMO. Both singers (anything Dion does and Franklin in her post Columbia years) have a tendency to be way over the top. I much prefer a certain level of subtlety from a female vocalist, something I get none of from either of them. With regard to Doris Day, sexy is as sexy does. She may have tried to come across as a June Allyson-like girl next door, but there was a certain "je ne sais quoi" bubbling beneath the surface that whispered of something entirely different.

FWIW, if I was going to Amsterdam, I'd be hard pressed not to visit the Hotel Prins Hendrik where Chet Baker fell to his death in 1988. I know that might sound a little morbid, but it's still something I'd pretty much have to do. I might even ask if I could seem Room 210.

Agree this is good news. Too bad he passed away a year ago. I'll tell you what would be equally good news would be someone doing whatever has to be done to get Gil Hodges into the Hall. C'mon man.

Five years, $106 million. Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Miami Marlins, the new New York Yankees.