Dan Gould

Oh, the K rate is great; I think he had two or maybe three hiccups where he gave up runs - one being to the MFY. Since Bard has been hit or miss - and Okajima has been AWOL for some acupuncture treatment - I think their best bullpen set up has to be Wagner in the eighth and Paps in the ninth. Let Bard, Ramirez and maybe Saito deal with the seventh. If the matchups are very favorable, they could get one or two outs in the eighth. But if Wagner and Paps alone make it seven inning games, I think we got a good shot, if Lester, Beckett and the rest get the job done.

Well at least there's one factor working in the Tigers' favor - Grienke goes against the Twins today. So if he does his thing and the Tigers can manage a win, they won't have to use Verlander Sunday. Of course, Grienke leads the majors in great starts that result in no decisions, so having him pitch is hardly a guarantee. But better than having any other KC pitcher going. Meanwhile I can't believe how bunched up the Rox and the NL division winners are. Do you realize its possible to have a situation where the Wild Card could have a better record than both of the other division winners? Shows how the league is so lacking in dominant teams. Oh, and did anyone notice Wagner pitched last night, the first time he's gone back-to-back. With the built-in days off, I wouldn't be surprised if Wagner could be available in every playoff game, if they are willing and he is willing (I'm pretty sure he is). He could be a big weapon.

:party:

The Times reported that according to records in Norwalk, CT, where the accused extortionist lived, for a time he shared a home with a girl who was identified as the person who gave out audience prizes. So the clear implication is that she was the source of at least some of the information the guy tried to use against Letterman. This is the big question - did this woman come home to say "I had to sleep with that repulsive sleazeball again, it was disgusting" and when this guy's personal life fell apart - nasty divorce, serious money problem - he figured that info was his meal ticket? I guess it boils down to a question of whether he had consensual relations with no benefits or penalties or whether he was more of a sleazy boss. I kinda suspect it was more of the latter because in this day and age, if everything was consensual, how is release of the information going to "bring his life crashing all around him"?

Sabathia went for his first 20 win season, but alas, its October, and so he sucked. Feels very much like old times: 2 2/3, 9 hits, 5 walks, 8 runs (5 earned).

Man Detroit just lost and the Twins are having an easy time of it - soon a game back with two to play. And Detroit has Verlander scheduled for Sunday. They've got to win tomorrow and see the Twins lose - what the hell is the point if they have to use Verlander to make it in to face the playoffs? I'm sure there's no intent to use Verlander Sunday if he isn't necessary, but if they don't clinch Saturday they have to use him. The MFY are going to have a cakewalk if they face the Twins or a Detroit team that can't throw Verlander twice.

I love how you make shit up as you go along. Your years are completely fucked up, and the Cubs are listed in NL for the entirety of their existence.

I find this last claim quite amusing, as I believe you can't find a damn person on the planet who currently takes a side in this rivalry who also took a side when they battled in New York. New fans in Cali might have embraced the previous rivalry, but does that matter? If Goodie were alive in the fifties, he wouldn't have given a shit about the Giants or Dodgers - they were on the East Coast where baseball is not worth following. Now you embrace the rivalry as the "oldest" in MLB history? What a joke. Given that its a completely truncated history, pre- and post- move, I don't think that's a true "old" rivalry. Can't be when it only goes back three generations or so. Now, Cards vs Cubs - that's a rivalry that truly spans the previous century. Same with the Sox and Yankees. Typical Dan-logic: Because a given team originates someplace else, you aren't supposed to root for them now. It is the oldest rivalry in baseball, Dan. Period. Look it up. What hogwash. You really shouldn't have said that, Timmy. Giants date to 1883. Dodgers to 1884. The Cubs date to 1876, and the Cardinals to 1882. That would make the Cubs vs the Cardinals rivalry date two years older than the Giants vs Dodgers. Now, if you look back in time you find different names in different years for the same franchise. So let's consider when a team first was called the Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, Cardinals: Giants: 1885 Cards: 1900 Cubs: 1903 Dodgers: 1911 So, by this measure, the Cubs and Cards have gone at it since 1903, while the Dodgers and Giants have gone at it only since 1911. How about if we consider the fact that team names changed over time, back and forth? This factor only effects the Dodgers half of the claimed "oldest rivalry", because the Dodgers really went back and forth on their name. They were the Dodgers in 1911 and 1912, but then spent a season as the Superbas (which they had been called for a good portion of their history to that point), then went to the Robins and only became the Dodgers, permanently and forever after, as of the 1932 season. So, by this measure, its not even close - the Dodgers have been rivals of the Giants under those names and continuously, only from 1932 to 2009. The Cubs have been rivals of the Cardinals, under those names and continuously, from 1903 to 2009. So, you're wrong, yet again, Goodie. There is no definition that makes the Giants and Dodgers the "oldest rivalry". Here are the team pages: Cubs Cards Giants Dodgers And don't give me the "Cubs and Cardinals aren't rivals" baloney. Illinois is split down the middle between Cub fans upstate and Card fans among those who are closer to St. Louis.

Attempted extortion isn't a crime? If it wasn't a crime, why was the CBS employee arrested late yesterday? In other words (I'll translate it for you): if there wasn't a crime, should it be news? I'll translate it back at you, slick: What part of CBS Employee Is Charged In Letterman Plot do you think signifies there wasn't a crime committed?

Attempted extortion isn't a crime? If it wasn't a crime, why was the CBS employee arrested late yesterday?

I find this last claim quite amusing, as I believe you can't find a damn person on the planet who currently takes a side in this rivalry who also took a side when they battled in New York. New fans in Cali might have embraced the previous rivalry, but does that matter? If Goodie were alive in the fifties, he wouldn't have given a shit about the Giants or Dodgers - they were on the East Coast where baseball is not worth following. Now you embrace the rivalry as the "oldest" in MLB history? What a joke. Given that its a completely truncated history, pre- and post- move, I don't think that's a true "old" rivalry. Can't be when it only goes back three generations or so. Now, Cards vs Cubs - that's a rivalry that truly spans the previous century. Same with the Sox and Yankees.

Count me as a fan of the opening boogaloo numbers on Backlash and I feel comfortable in taking Jack's word for the Atlantic recordings I haven't nabbed and don't feel any need to consider.

"Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" was a huge favorite of mine when I was about eight years old - right up until now.

With four games to go, nothing is set in stone yet. But the A.L. will be: NY vs DET/MINN LAA vs BOS

You know what? You're every bit as uninformed as you are a jackass. He CANNOT manage before 2011. There is no wiggle room, the contract says that if he chooses to manage before the end of the contract, the Red Sox must be compensated. That isn't wiggle room. That's a penalty if he quits to purse something else. And as far as tonight goes, check out the lineups, asshole. Its a fucking "B" team in March lineup.

You know, if Carmona hadn't shown that 2007 was a fluke, the Indians would look a lot better with a good young ace at the top of the rotation. Westbrook can be serviceable, if Masterson tops out as a good #3, there's a pretty decent rotation. Not necessarily playoff bound but that's got to be better than a .400 winning percentage team.

I couldn't say for certain since I don't pay attention to Coltrane seeds on Dime, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that these same recordings have made the rounds there in the past six or nine months.

A lot of people have considered Sox pitching coach John Ferrell as a strong candidate for a managerial slot; his Cleveland connections are sure to mean there will be a lot of speculation about him and the Indians' job. Fortunately he's felt a lot of loyalty to Boston and has refused to be considered in the past and his current contract, which makes him one of the highest paid pitching coaches in the league (no one is sure if Duncan makes more or not), says he cannot become a manager before 2011. But that really only sets up a compensation scenario if Ferrell decides to go manage the team he used to work for and where he lives in the offseason. Hey Patrick, how would you feel if the Indians gave back Masterson to get Ferrell? You could print up t-shirts that say "We Gave Up Victor Martinez and All We Got is This Stinkin' Manager".

I don't think that makes them cheaters, J.H., when does an outfielder jump up and say "hey ump, I trapped that one, it was a hit!" Full sequence of photos here, here is the most damning one: Sure looks like the ball is on the ground there. Would be a pity if the Rockies make it by one game.

Gene Harris, Horace Silver, Monk, then a lot of people are tied for fourth: Wynton Kelly, Kenny Drew, Cedar Walton.

Never have I seen a more pathetic schizoid team in my fucking life. Best record in baseball from immediately following Boston Massacre III in August up until about ten days ago. Then: Split in KC, and fucking lucky to get it. Swept in New York. About to lose two straight to the fucking Jays - this oen tonight featuring not one, not two not three not four but FIVE FUCKING HOME RUNS allowed by the fucking piece of shit who is supposed to be the #3 pitcher in the playoffs? How the fuck can anyone fucking dream that they could go on any sort of roll in October -assuming that they fucking manage to win one more fucking time between now and Sunday? I wish they would just fucking drop the rest of the games and get this shit over with.

You haven't heard? These are student athletes. Better than doing it for the money.

I'll bet I'm not the only one not looking for musical insights but intrigued that there is real in depth information on his life and times.

O'Brien discussed what happened and showed video last night - it was a nasty fall on the back of his head. If he were an athlete, he'd be held out of contact drills for a while, methinks. There's video here on the NYT website but I'm sure you can find it elsewhere if you don't have an account.

This hardly makes sense give when Clarke left the band - he was replaced in 1955 after only a few years and a handful of ten inch records. How did it become a "business" years before the group really hit its stride as one of the most popular bands of its era? My understanding was always that Clarke understood what, musically, Lewis wanted the band to be, didn't dig it and left.