Quincy

That's it right there. Maybe the most surprising thing to me would be if he pitched a serviceable game. Seems more likely to blow up or blow 'em out. Game 7!

Yeah, that's going to be really hard to find. Good luck indeed. Bobby Valentine probably thinks he can manage the Yanks and his team in Japan at the same time. Joe Girardi tried to act cool on Fox...what's Derek's opinion about him I wonder. Yup, there's a big shortage of guys who'd want to manage the NY Yankees alright. Ok hoss. I'm also thinking that Lou Piniella is bashing his head against a wall screaming "why the hell did I sign with the Cubs!"

Oh yeah, I certainly get that side of things too. As mentioned earlier by another, it was an effective way to get rid of him without firing him. Still, unlike Stengal (different owner, different times) at least he was offered a contract, and one that would have kept him the highest paid manager in baseball. He had the highest paid roster all those years, whereas you know other than 2 good years in Atlanta his managing record with the Mets & Cards was not great. I like Joe a lot, both as a player (as a kid I couldn't understand why the Cards traded him to the Mets), manager, and person. For one thing I always like how you could pick him out in the team photos because of his 5 o'clock shadow. I suppose in a way what the Yankees did is crueler than just firing him. Because he had to chose between pride and possibly the best job in baseball (were it not who you worked for) and whether it was worth a pay cut down $5 million. That may tear at him till he dies more than likely. On the other hand, I think some owners may worried about the economy, and how that may interfere with the ability to raise ticket prices etc. I think even the likes of the New York Yankees would be wise to cut some of the fat. Saving 4 million on a manager, not paying Clemens, maybe even not overpaying (or going long) on a 36 year old catcher or an aging reliever might be a healthy thing for the team long term. I know I know, long-term thinking isn't allowed in the Bronx. So why the hell isn't Cashman being asked to work for less?

Torre made $7.5 million last year. He was offered $5 mil for 1 year with a 1 mil bonus for making the playoffs, 1 million for making to the ALCS, and 1 mil for making it the World Series. If the Yanks won the pennant he'd get a $8 million dollar deal for 2009. He turned 67 last July. Here are the next richest deals: Lou Piniella, CHC $3.5 million Bobby Cox, ATL $3 million Tony La Russa, STL $2.8 million Mike Scioscia, LAA $2 million Jim Leyland, DET $2 million Bruce Bochy, SF $1.75 million Good luck finding a $5,000,000 job out there Joe, let alone one that pays $7,500,000. Maybe not having to deal with Steinbrenner & Co. is worth the difference!

And that's 25 times per game! I recall Torre was easy on the ears the few times I heard him. Boy I wish you could wave a magic wand & make this happen.

Miami is so old & beat up, I hear Riley is going to be a player coach.

So glad you came back and decided to stay awhile. It hadn't occurred to me that your travel in the convoy during the war didn't result in a permanent stay, but then you aren't that old, as you were just a teenager on that frightening voyage. I too wish for the sentiments expressed near the end. Cheers!

Here's wishing you get what you want from Jacobs Field!

And to think the Rockies "hot stove" season began with them looking to trade Helton to the Red Sox. Of all the stories this season in baseball, they just weren't on the radar. In July it was the oh-so-tight AL races, with the surprising Seattle Mariners (okay, west coast perspective here!), the Yankees climbing back up in the standings, Detroit vs. Cleveland, with Detroit once in the hunt for the best record. Most of the close races fell apart in the AL sooner than I thought. In mid-summer the NL had great races too, though it all seems cock-eyed in retrospect. The Mets were the sure thing, the Dodgers were in 1st in the west and when Teix got traded to Atlanta the thinking was that that enhanced their shot at the wild card. In September our attention got diverted to the great Met collapse & streaking Phillies, and if you did look over at the West you might go "oh, I guess Colorado still hasn't been knocked out yet," but the Padres & Phils seemed the more logical wild card possibilities even in the final days. Just another long-winded way of saying how strange all of this is. I was looking over the Rockies pitching staff and noticed their #3 had only won 8 games and was wondering if that was some sort of record in futility, but quickly discovered the last Indian pennant winning team had the same total (Jaret Wright and Chad Ogea). Not sure if there are others. 8 days until the World Series. Sheeeeeeeeeeesh!

I gave 14.92 this time because of (sniff, sniff, getting weepy) all of the wonderful musical discoveries I've made on this board. So at what total does Allen drop his pants?

That's the way to handle difficult decisions! With winter coming it's good to stock the cupboard with great music. Seriously, you'll be enjoying these sets for the rest of your life. (Unless you abandon jazz for punk or something, but if you do the resale value of the Mosaics will fund this new endeavor. )

No worries. The deal on the big boxes is better than the Selects, anyway. The $5 difference for those won't break the bank, I'm sure. Yup, "no worries" other than wanting to hear it. Actually as the upcoming Lionel Hampton is a smaller box (just 5 discs) I intend to add it as a cherry on top when the time comes. It is funny how the 4 & 5 disc Mosaics seem downright cozy after one has ordered a 7 disc or larger set.

Resistance is futile... With just a few hours to go I put the Christy/Lee in the cart. Then I thought I clicked Onzy Matthews, but instead I saw Liebman in the cart (they're alphabetical neighbors on the Select page.) Removed that, but rather than go back to the Onzy I saw the price of the Jazztet set... 4 big boxes in 2 months! I will return someday to get the Onzy.

I'll take a US mono over a German stereo any day. Capitol's mono pressings sounded great, and the mono mixes for MMT were superior. Oh yeah, the mono (sorry, you even mentioned mono in your post above.) I was just thinking of the US fake stereo. I usually prefer the mono mixes (especially for The Kinks) but with The White Album & MMT I prefer certain stereo mixes over the mono (& vice versa.) And with some songs I like part of the mono mix and part of the stereo, so my ideal version of a song would by a hybrid of both! Of all of the Beatles things to track down 25+ years ago the German MMT took the longest to find, so I tell myself that that's my favorite version, even if it isn't for all the songs.

True, although if you take strike 3 with runners on, you're likely to get called a sissy like ARod or something like that in the press. The other tactic that's sometimes used on sinkerball pitchers is to step up in the box, the thinking being that you'll hit it before it breaks. The counter attack is to throw fastballs and bust the hitter. Though not rocket science, it's easier said than done for hitters facing a guy with a great sinker. How often do your hear "he's thinking too much at the plate." Think too much it takes away the hitter's aggressiveness, don't think enough and you have the problem you describe.

But that's the beauty of the pitch. When you're at the plate it looks like it's going to be in your wheelhouse. The break comes at the very end, and boy does it break! And the thing is, if you decide to take the pitch you run the high risk of looking just as stupid if instead the pitcher throws a regular ole fastball for a strike. Steve Carlton won 300+ games by throwing a slider that was just outside of the strike zone. It wasn't until he lost fastball velocity that batters finally laid off it. It's a much easier game from the couch than in the batter's box.

You wouldn't want the American vinyl recreation of Magical Mystery Tour. In the vinyl days the one you wanted was the German, which was the only true stereo version. I understand they appeal of the early US albums with the reverb etc., but it'd be a waste of disc to give us a US MMT.

I came for The Office and watch Earl too, but I think 30 Rock in-between may be(come) my favorite. It's weird to have an old fashioned "tv night" again.

Also King Crimson. Which is guitar porn I suppose.

It's as much fun as you'd expect, and each session has its own flavor thanks in part to the different piano/keyboard players - Parlan, Clark, Scott, Hancock, Tyner, and Walton. A few years ago I thought I might let it pass and hope it would all be RVG'd eventually. Some of the talk about the 1st disc brightness scared me too. But I couldn't wait & no regrets. While the sonics aren't as good as the Malcolm (warning - I belong to the cult) Addey sets mentioned (Wilson & Hodges) I certainly wouldn't dissuade someone from buying it. (I budget for Mosaics but not Japanese discs for what's it worth. I seem to recall those who do the latter prefer the Japanese pressings > Mosaic, but I may be misremembering.) And given some of the news about EMI there are no guarantees that the material will get RVG'd in the future either. I forgot to mention a hazard of buying the Gerald Wilson set. It will likely spur further interest in many of those Pacific Jazz players, such as Harold Land, Teddy Edwards, Curtis Amy, Carmell Jones and so on. Some are served by the Selects. I forgot I also have Peggy Lee/June Christy set hovering on my list. It's kinda cheap for a Mosaic too. And the talk of West Coast arrangers has me thinking of the Onzy Matthews, which I intended to pick up last month...This sale thread could get expensive.

Look on your remote and see if there is an "Angle" button. It might be near "Subtitle" or "Audio." If there is, then during that part of the DVD you can press the angle button and see the alternates. There may a hesitation of a couple of seconds (or maybe not) as it switches to the different angle. Thanks for the heads up!

Isn't that the truth! It's never safe to completely write off any of them. Yep, I don't feel knowledgeable (or lucky) enough to guess which would go next. As long as finances are not so severely crimped that you couldn't act if something goes "Last Chance", or have the mindset that it's okay not to have it all, then I'd really recommend doing as I do and go with what interests you most right now (I know, you still have to narrow it down!) I thought for sure I'd have it by now, but I've been happily side-tracked by an interest in the older music sets. Bix/Tram/Tea, Venuti/Lang, H.R.S., & the Capitol. Somehow Turrentine & the Stitt slipped ahead of the Jazztet too, as did the Teagarden Roulette. Funny how these things happen. One of these days! (In fact maybe before Sunday, though having ordered 2 sets last month I'm trying to be strong.)

There are only 3 rock songs on that disc, and 3 soul songs. And two of the rock numbers are probably better known from soul-style versions anyway. MG Thanks for counting them. I just put the last disc on now as a matter of fact, and from all of the complaints about it I'm always surprised that the disc is not the replaying of "Hair" in its entirety followed by Monkees songs.

Gram excepted I don't think I've seen so many references to a dead cultish figure the past year since Volkswagon & the emo pansies discovered Nick Drake. But now that I think about it 3/4s of it has been posted by you - maybe I think the lil' "o" is too reflective of the real world. Like I said, I'm not knockin' the guy one iota. How 'bout not overrated, but I've read enough promotion to last me for the next few years, ok? I take it all back. There is no overrating the man. Just had to see that observation printed again. It's a head scratcher. Well yeah, too many just have that and nothing else even remotely country. I'm with Chuck in thinking so much of this shit is hormonal. I bonded with the album as a young 'un. I guess I needed the approval of hippies (Skull & Roses too) to say it's okay to explore Merle, Hank Sr., Louvin Bros., etc. I had already started but they get an assist, and for that I'm grateful. It's probably the last Byrds album I've reached for in the past several years, namely because my partner throws it on when I'm away and I always seem to walk in to "One Hundred Years From Now." (She was influenced by hippie siblings, not fanzines.) Lately, if I throw on the Byrds it's likely to be Mr. Tambourine Man or Untitled/Unissued, whereas a couple of years ago it was the stuff in-between. There's something to be said for churning through band members as it sure as hell creates a diversity of sound.

Gerald Wilson, Buddy Rich, Lou Donaldson and Dizzy Gillespie are on the list (as are, perhaps, the Count Basie, Duke and Eldridge). I have the Gerald Wilson & the Duke. The Wilson was possibly the most surprisingly delightful Mosaic purchase (despite what any complaints about the last disc of '60s rock songs, which I don't really mind.) The players are outstanding, love the arrangements and though I don't have audiophile equipment, it also sounds outstanding. The Duke is essential. I already had a good portion on the old Columbia releases, and feel no need to gush over it. Yes there are many alternates, but one can always program/reburn/skip/put it on a harddrive around that if need be. My ever changing wish list also has the Gillespie, Eldridge and Basie bouncing around at different positions (fighting it out with the Jazztet and other sets) and I haven't ruled out the others you're considering. Having read many of the Mosaic threads I think the Diz & Basie are getting high marks, and while a couple of folks have expressed stylistic problems with Eldridge most praise the set (namely JSangry.) I think in the end you can do no wrong, so go with what interests you the most right now. If you play the "order before it goes out of print" game, the Hodges has been around a long time, but I profess no expertise in predicting these things.