Dan Gould

Well, is Manny Delcarmen the chief goat of this pathetic bunch of losers? If he does his job in game 2, Timlin, Okajima and Papelbon were lined up to keep a 1 run lead, but he pissed that away, and now he turned a 3 run deficit into a seven run deficit today. Dollars to donuts that Lester will give back the three runs they just scored. Watch it happen .... edit to say that I expect my team to win, but I have no faith whatsoever. You philosophers can try to figure that out.

Up for more comments - FFA especially.

Nope.

I picked this one up for Father's Day a couple of years ago: The Three Sheeters Entertainers Club RIB and ROAST RON SANTO Among the participants were Don Kessinger, Glen Beckert, Randy Hundley and a few professional comedians I'd never heard. Since Dad doesn't have a turntable or functioning CD player, I transferred it to cassette and kept the LP - and ironically enough, I don't think he ever sat down to listen to it.

I've never been the victim of a robbery though our neighborhood has had quite the problem with break-ins since the summer. Fortunately it seemed to be neighborhood kids who'd steal kids stuff like video games and CDs. Still annoying and we were glad that the local cops made an effort, got some intelligence on who it was, and made a couple of arrests. I'll tell you what was infuriating though: in the middle of the rash of burglaries, a parent came home to find stolen property in the kid's room. He decided to beat some sense into his ass, and then got arrested for child abuse, while the cops did nothing about the stolen property! What a messed up world. So, I've been more aware of the possibility of a break-in but working at home nowadays I am rarely out of the house very long. Plus we've got the two dogs and I do believe that Coltrane would put a world of hurt on anyone who got into the house uninvited. As for the idea of wiring windows and doors, the previous owners had installed such a system but had let their contract for monitoring lapse, and we weren't impressed with the prices we were quoted either. What remains isn't any sort of loud alarm but a recording that will say "FAULT! Check Garage Door" or "FAULT! Check Front Door." Its not much but its something, we figure.

Paul Byrd, the Matt Morris of 2007, who would've thunk it? Actually that was Jake FUCKING Westbrook, and equally untalented piece of shit. But we're making them look like Cy FUCKING Young, and deserve to have our ass handed to us. Its really just as well, I find the asshole bandwagon fans both insufferable and extremely boorish, and there would only be more of them if they reach or win the World Series.

This question/topic occurred to me yesterday when I discovered that there was a new Eric Alexander release on High Note. Now, once upon a time, I'd have probably snapped that one up pretty fast, or moved it near the top of my wish list, and in fact as I listened to the samples, I thought they sounded perfectly fine ... but then again I've got a number of perfectly fine EA discs, this one is unlikely to be any different or "better" than the rest. I thought to myself "well there won't be any surprises on this one." Which got me to thinking about the famous Whitney Balliett line that jazz is "the sound of surprise" and it got me to thinking things like: How often are you really "surprised" when listening to this music? How important is it to be "surprised"? When I see active threads seeking recommendations of Milt Jackson and Blue Mitchell recordings - after a certain point, where is the "surprise" in hearing these "new" recordings? A lot of folks who love Duke and Count Basie - how much surprise do you hear in their typical recording? It occurs to me that the true moments of "surprise" are few (though this is not an exhaustive list): Klook or Max Roach transforming the sound/contribution of drums Parker or Gillespie Ornette, when he first got attention I know that the sound of surprise is meant to invoke something smaller - the perfect chorus, or the near instantaneous, ESP-level interaction between players. But does everyone listen closely enough to catch those moments? Relatively few people here have the musical training to truly follow an improvisation and catch those true moments of "surprise". So, where does "surprise" fit into your appreciation of jazz? And if "surprise" isn't a big part, what keeps you listening? For me, I don't think that "surprise" is what got me into jazz or kept my interest. I think its the "dark blue center", the swing pulse, the sound of trumpet/sax/piano/guitar etc. Well I've run off at the mouth - I hope this gets an interesting discussion started.

If you can't beat FUCKING Paul Byrd then you don't deserve to move on.

I'd like to suggest that we don't need a list of "pledges" for Allen Lowe to hound each month. Jim says he hates asking for money, and that's understandable. The simple answer is for someone - hint hint, Allen - to post a new thread each month soliciting donations, with the paypal info/mailing address. You may not get the same people but I would bet that you'd get a steady stream of donations that would come close to covering the monthly expense. I think what we should really do is help the band retire the debt from the last CD. I'd suggest Jim put together a CD worth of tracks -maybe some live ones - available for download with a minimum donation of $15, but that might hinder the band's next project.

Are their separate rankings for Men and Women in competitive chess? Why on Earth would that be? Tennis, Golf, you know things that depend on physical strength to one degree or another ... but Chess? Or are the rankings subdivided by gender? And again, why would that be? Anyway, congrats, Paul! Ever think about becoming a chess hustler? There was an article in the Times a week or two ago about guys making pretty good money at it.

:party:

I thought only A-Rod gets reamed for "thinking too much" - and he definitely is the only one getting reamed for taking called strike three with runners on. Honestly, I know where you're coming from but it just seems to me to be as logical and obvious as a situation where, 3rd and 6, QB in the shotgun, and he constantly hands off to the RB - you don't blitz the outside linebackers, you look for the run! If they start beating you with that play, then make adjustments, but don't make it easier by beating yourself first.

If you don't have a problem with Oscar Peterson, you might look for some dates on Telearc by "The Very Tall Band". I haven't actually heard them but I would expect they are in the vein that you prefer. Edit to say that I don't think the group is necessarily found under that name, they might be listed as OP records. I'd check Allmusic for any Telearc label releases under Milt, Oscar's or even Ray Brown's name.

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. Yes, I understand that it looks like a fastball in your wheelhouse. But the fact is that it breaks out of the strike zone, and he throws the pitch probably 80% of the time when there are two strikes. My point, and the reasoning behind it, remains the same: take pitches until he proves he can throw it for strikes. Yes, occasionally he throws the four seamer and it doesn't break and you look stupid. Fine. A few called strikeouts doesn't end the game. In fact, its better than grounding into a double play, whether a K is swinging or looking. But if you've watched the video, you have to know that he's throwing this pitch out of the strike zone. That means you have to be willing to lay off it, whatever it "looks" like. Its not rocket science, and intelligent hitters adjust their strategy based on the pitcher they are facing and their knowledge of his patterns. Oh and two, OK, its tougher to lay off the pitch. But that's not how he got his strikeouts or his rally killing ground outs. He was on the edge of being knocked around because of his wildness and an overeagerness to swing got him off the hook, and the vast majority came with three balls. Three ball counts require extra patience, IMO, because of his over-reliance on that pitch. Watch and see - I will bet that the Sox will be even more willing to take pitches the next game he starts. If he's throwing all his pitches for strikes, fine - we'll be up shit's creek sans paddle.

Well I am damn glad that I went to bed after the wild pitch that scored the second run. There is no FUCKING way any "championship" team can lose this game, at home, but they managed. Now we will find out how the "lesser" pitchers match up, and then whether three out of the four "aces" can find their shit the second time around. I would say that the odds are better for Carmona than for Schilling, so I am no longer optimistic unless the bats wake up with a vengeance against the crap they are going to be facing, and Dice-K and Wakefield pitch as if it is June, when they were outstanding, and not any of the months since then. And one last note about that game: I don't know what is more amazing, that Gagne was on such a short leash or that FranCOMA is still in love with that LOSER "LOOGIE" who gets lit up by the very fucking people he is supposed to be getting out. This game was lost: When Carmona was let off the hook over and over again. (Why are they swinging at 3-1 pitches when this guy never throws anything straight? It is ridiculous to swing at shit when so many of his pitches break out of the strike zone. And his "out" pitch -why the fuck does anyone swing? That pitch he goes to about 80% of the time with two strikes, it breaks down and in to righties and is never in the strike zone. A-Rod hacked at one that was 18 inches inside. What is the matter with these hitters? Lugo, Pedroia, Youkilis all swung at that crap - if you study the video, can't you fucking figure out that you shouldn't swing? Like I said before the game: make sinker ballers strike you out looking before you start hacking. Schilling - an old pathetic fart. Does he have any chance of not fucking up the same way next time? Maybe the reason he looked "good" against LA was because a guy with zero career home runs had to hit cleanup. Not exactly the same lineup any more. The pathetic inning before the collapse. Your best hitters against their worst reliever, and they do nothing. If they manage to get back to Boston and Gag-Me gets the ball again, hide the kids. It will be as ugly as it has ever been at the old ball yard. It will be as if both Kim and The Kid flipped off the fans simultaneously. That's what they will give that fucking piece of shit.

I agree with Hans about A Sure Thing. It wasn't a sure thing that I'd like it - "Orchestra" makes me think "strings" but I'm glad I got it.

I mean, aside from some of my posts. From a SI interview of Tony Gwynn: Everything sounded so right, I'm starting to think Gwynn knows where its at ... and then I read those last five words. :bad: :bad:

No comments from the legions of Tribe fans/supporters? I will say this: If someone had said that the first game would be a blowout, I would have guessed that it would be in the Sox favor, simply on the basis of Beckett pitching and the game taking place at Fenway. Anyone hear the guys on Sportscenter giggling over the fact that Manny and Papi's statistics are more appropriate for a softball league than MLB? :g First "must win" game tonight, and I hope that the Sox take the right approach to Carmona. It worked for the Indians against Wang and the Rockies against Webb: To beat a guy with a good sinker, don't start swinging at any balls low in the strike zone, unless he actually demonstrates that he is throwing that pitch for strikes. I'd rather see guys getting called out on strikes three times in a row than pound the ball into the ground three times in a row. Schilling will have a smaller margin for error than Beckett had, hopefully a combination of the right approach and maybe a few nerves for Carmona at Fenway will give the Sox a 2-0 advantage.

Colorado had them both tonight. I'm starting to think that the Rockies<Chris Berman voice> could... go... all.... the... way</voice>. Best team defense in the MLB, clutch hitting, speed, and good starting pitching. Well, I'm not sure about that but what they mostly have is momentum and a lot of confidence in themselves. Which leaves me wondering whether there has ever been another such team that went on a hot streak to make the playoffs and then kept it going and won it all? I know that their 14 of 15 streak at the end of the season was a record, but I wonder if anyone went 9 of 10 and then carried it through or something like that.

Well I guess its time for my prediction: Red Sox in 6. Why? Jonathon Papelbon - if Okajima or someone else falters in the eighth, Papelbon is more than physically capable of a 4 or 5 out save multiple times in this series. Borowski is equally capable of blowing a game or two, particularly at Fenway. Beckett & Schilling - They are without doubt the two best post-season pitchers around, and the Sox have them. Sabathia and Carmona are terrific, let's see them execute at Fenway - their great starts against Boston came at Cleveland. Sabathia also has to be extremely careful with Manny, who rakes him like nobody's business - his OPS is over 2 against the chubby lefty. The lineups - The Indians have some fine hitters, but a lot of them tend to strikeout, and two of the top 3 starters they'll face are strikeout pitchers. The Sox lineup is patient and simply deeper overall than the Tribe. Home field advantage - I've read that "Yankee Stadium is more intimidating than Fenway" so it won't matter. But home field advantage cuts both ways - the Sox get a huge OPS lift at home than on the road. Furthermore, while Mystique and Aura, those aged strippers, may reside at Yankee Stadium, Fenway is a different animal altogether, because of the proximity of the fans to the field. 38000 at Fenway easily sounds like 54000 at the Stadium.

Well that's a relief!

There really is no issue of "letting him go" or "allowing Joe to make it look like he's resigning/retiring." His contract has expired. Its not a question of firing or resigning but one of whether or not to sign him to a new contract. Furthermore, it looks like Joe is a little pissed off at the situation he is in and made it clear at the post-game press conference that he isn't ready to retire and would be interested to see what opportunities are out there. Aside from that, I do agree that they ought to treat him with respect when they announce it, acknowledging his great overall record but after seven years without a championship, the team wants to move on.

Sorry I missed this earlier. Not being a betting man nor a collector of RVGs, I think I'll pass.

The answer is "yes" because New York is a "what have you done for me lately" town and its seven barren years, and worst of all, three straight dismissals right out of the chute in the playoffs. Its also "yes" because its the single move outside of losing A-Rod that will transform the team. Case in point, Mariano Rivera. He's now quoted as saying that Torre's presence or absence will effect his decision when he declares free agency. Pettitte may choose not to return and maybe Posada too (he can get a huge contract and not even have to move, since the Mets want to get rid of LoDuca). So naturally I am in favor of any change that sends the team into turmoil. It should also be noted that as a game manager, Torre is average at best and when you factor in his management of the bullpen, he is below average. He excels at managing egos and keeping everyone on the same page and pulling in the same direction. He excels at handling the outside forces (the media and the Tampa mafia) that can disrupt the team. He commands a great deal of respect from his players. But he is not by any stretch of the imagination a superior game manager.

Everyone keeps picking against AZ and they keep winning. I say they reach the World Series .... where they get their asses handed to them by Boston or Cleveland.