Dan Gould

As I thought I made plain above, these are not my recordings. Someone else made the transfers of the original 78s to digital. I am playing with the digital versions using Goldwave. Your suggestion had me intrigued so I took the first track, which I had edited for pops and amped up the signal because it was recorded low, and I saved it as a mono file. There's definitely an improvement in signal to noise, though its subtle. However, I think this is a way to reduce the noise bed without using the software's NR function. That cleans up the recording nicely but it definitely leaves it sounding a bit compressed and squished.

So I guess the guy with the extensive collection of 78s hasn't invested in a mono cartridge for best playback. Oh well. I got these old blues 78s comps he's put together which are pretty cool and has lots of obscure tracks (including two tracks off of B.B. King's short-lived label, Blues Boy King, which fetched $100 last time on ebay) but I wanted to do somethng with the fidelity. I still don't get how a stereo cartridge would put a pop in one channel and not both, but ... Now I need to decide about noise reduction. Some of the tracks have such a prominent sizzling noise floor ... sorry Allen, I know how you feel about that stuff.

I'm cleaning up the pops and clicks on a CD of 78 transfers, and I've realized something odd: They are mono recordings (obviously) yet the pops always show up in the wav form much more pronounced in one channel or the other (or only in one channel). How is this so? Would a stereo cartridge take a click and put it to one channel instead of both? I realize this isn't that critical, but I have to say I find it very surprising.

Brad, IMO, there's no doubt that George will be extra upset if the Mets go to the Series, let alone win it ... but knocking them off the back pages wasn't the purpose here. The only difference between now and the era of the revolving door manager's office is George's willingness to calm down and listen to other points of view. In another era, in the time it took George to make a decision, he would have fired Joe, hired his replacement and re-hired Joe.

Its official: Joe still has his job. Interesting that George is passing on Piniella. I really thought that George would jump on the opportunity to bring him back, and now its likely Piniella never comes back (if he's serious that he only wants to manage one more time). Is it now official that Joe is a lame duck with one more year to go? If 2007 starts like 2005, will Joe get fired mid-season? I guess George's "baseball people" convinced him that it was pitching, and young pitching that was lacking. I'm afraid that means that the Yanks may not only go all out for Zito but will go hard for the Japanese pitcher, too.

Jim Caple wrote a pretty smart column on why the Yanks should trade Jeter instead of A-Rod. Among the reasons: They'd still have an outstanding shortstop. There's no whiff of desperation in dangling Jeter, and no stench of being a headcase who'll never perform in the limelight. So teams won't try to hold up the Yanks because they're desperate but would give up plenty to get Jeter. Too bad it would never happen - it would be alot easier to pry top-level prospects and awesome young pitchers if you offered Jeter.

Now the Post is reporting that Joe is safe. Then again the same article says that Piniella is interested in the Nats and he's already announced that he has no interest at all in a rebuilding situation. So.... We may have an answer today, as there are indications that Torre will hold a press conference at 1 pm. Stay tuned!

I'm going to go Tigers-Mets. I don't see how the Cards pitching can keep the Mets from outscoring them, and the lack of a proven closer will hurt them sooner or later. Edit to add that they had to use their best starter to wrap up the DS which puts them in an even worse situation heading into the LCS. Tigers are not only hot again, but they were an awesome road team so being the wild card won't matter. On top of that, the A's subpar offense is due to return and if the Tigers keep pitching the way they did, nothing will stop them from bringing a championship to a deserving old baseball town. Wait a minute ... the Mets winning the WS would make Steinbrenner's head explode and he'd completely blow up the team and the front office. Go METS!!!

Farnsworth, who was the epitome of inconsistency + nagging back trouble, was supposed to be the key setup guy (why they threw 17 million at him) along with a Tampa Bay reject whose name escapes me. The Tampa reject, who Joe had begun to have faith in, was piss poor and had season ending arm surgery. In the wake of those two, Proctor and Villone became key, with Proctor pitching in 83 games and 102 innings, which is a huge number for a relief pitcher in this day and age. His numbers weren't so bad (3.52 ERA) but Villone hit a serious wall in August. I believe I heard that around the first week of August, his ERA was barely over 2. From then til the end of the season, it rose all the way to 5! Along with Farnsworth, they were the key "bridge to Mariano" that ended up being the most rickety bridge they've built so far. Well, one answer would have been not adding Abreu at the trade deadline - then Sheff wouldn't have felt put upon and ignored. They did do pretty well with Melky and Bernie filling in, but let's face it, everyone agreed that Abreu was a huge positive addition that made a big difference. The real problems were Giambi's wrist injury and hitting decline, plus Sheffield's lack of experience playing first base and inability to find any hitting groove in such a short time frame. Torre had no good option for first base - neither guy was hitting and neither can field the position! Not Torre's fault. BTW, the NY media may be going crazy over this, but there are some interesting things coming out. The Daily News is ripping Jeter for not doing more to "reach out" to A-Rod and get him better situated, and I honestly think there is something to that. Jeter has long struck me as a prickly personality and if you cross him, like A-Rod did in the infamous Esquire article, he never ever forgives or forgets. It was a completely different situation, I know, but I am reminded of the time that Pee Wee Reese went over to Jackie Robinson and stood with him while he was being viciously abused by fans (I want to say he put his arm around him but I'm not certain). I do think that Jeter giving more public support and encouragement to A-Rod might have made a difference, and for a guy who emphasizes winning so much, why would Jeter not do it? So, the interesting question becomes, if you fire Torre, the only manager Jeter has known (in the big leagues), to hire Piniella, on the basis that Lou will help A-Rod get it together, where does that leave Derek? How disrespectful is that to the 'Captain'?

That's too bad, Jim. I guess the lesson is, check and double-check the length of the set so you're absolutely certain that you're going to leave on the highest note possible.

He did abuse the pitching staff (Villone and Proctor in particular, and Rivera was, in June, on a pace for the most inning + appearances since 2001, so who knows if that resulted in his strained muscle in September?). The only way he didn't abuse the staff was in not using Wang for Game 4, since he threw far more innings this year than any previous year. But as it was pointed out, Piniella would have had Wang pitch anyway. There are serious questions about strategy in the way he used Sheffield, Giambi and moved A-Rod back and forth in the lineup. Its also a fact that the team seemed dispirited and flat for the last two games, presumably because he couldn't get them up and motivated. Personally, I think that last complaint is BS because if you watch any team that is being mowed down by dominant pitchers, they look flat and beaten. Trudging back to the dugout over and over again will do that to you.

Very interesting column on why Piniella is the wrong man for the job, from Dan Graziano of the Newark Star-Ledger:

Well, it really depends on what she wants to learn. Yeah. What are her goals? Does she plan to lead the first generation of Organissimo tribute bands? Or does she want to replace Dr. Smith in LD's band?

No problem, Marty. The difference between Yankee fans and Red Sox fans is that if the shoe were on the other foot, we would be re-living and celebrating a five game sweep for the next ten years, regardless of getting bounced in the first round. But for Yankee fans, its all about the rings and so the sweep is a nice memory but its still a terribly disappointing season.

Dave, I presume you mean exercise Sheffield's option year, not actually sign him to something longer. But regardless, there is no way that 38 year old, 13 million dollar Sheffield gets more than a mediocre pitching prospect, let alone "prime pitching prospects". He's old, he's coming off a lost season, and 13 million dollars is at least 4 million more than anyone else would pay him. They'd be able to control where he goes but they'd probably have to pay a portion of salary and get mediocrity in return. My best guess is that Sheffield's option is declined, and I am still very much on the fence about him at Fenway. The idea of him hitting before or after Papi and Manny is exciting, but he didn't exactly look like a natural first baseman and there's no way he'd handle RF very well at Fenway. But if he takes personal afronts personally, he'd probably murder Yankee pitching for us and maybe make up for a lot of fielding miscues.

No doubt. Exactly the feelings I had when I got the album... Maybe that's cause its one of the seminal mid-50s original hard bop dates, not a retread of a tiring formula?

I think there's a 70s Cadet recording that answers to that general description.

that's exactly it. If Steinbrenner wants Lou, and truly believes that his worst mistake was firing him the last time, then its now or never. Lou will surely be managing somewhere next year, and while the obvious choice is the Yanks, Chicago and Seattle are supposed to be very interested. Might even be a bidding war. Lou says he wants to win a World Series, so who knows? Maybe he'll say "OK, but you gotta promise me A-Rod will be gone before spring training. That guy's the ultimate jinx!"

A lot of people love this one but its never clicked for me. I keep it because its Tina, but ...

So Marty, do you think that Torre will survive? I know you're a huge fan and I'm sure you don't want him to get the axe.

This has the added benefit of Teddy, a tenor who I've truly grown to love. They joined together in the 80s for a couple of dates on Storyville. Young at Heart is the best of the three. Also on Storyville is this one: which has Maggie with Benny Bailey, Sonny Red in addition to Teddy.

One other thing. That Yahoo writer is foolish to lump Wright's contract in with all of the other monstrosities. Wright has one more year left, at 7 million, or a 4 million dollar buy out. Given what other mediocrities will make in free agency this year, there is no reason not to keep Wright around as the 5th starter at that price. He's fine in that slot, he just shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a playoff start, let alone an elimination game.

I don't think its fair to criticize Torre's lineup moves in the last three games. He's always shown a preference for vets, so playing Sheffield - who can blame him, even if he was out of position and terribly rusty? Giambi hasn't hit in about two months and is an atrocious fielder anyway, so switching them around is just a matter of "pick your poison". I know full well that Francona would have done the same thing, hoping that when the light goes on, Sheffield responds. He didn't - but its not Joe's fault. Dropping A-Rod was just a natural response to an October slump everyone saw a mile away. Here's the bottom line, in two parts: 1) Posada and Jeter both hit .500 in this series. The rest of the team hit .170 something. So its Torre's fault that Damon, Abreu, Giambi, A-Rod, Cano, Matsui and Melky all stunk it up? 2) Steinbrenner has always loved football and the rah rah, knock his lights out style of coaching. He's going to figure that Joe couldn't get this team motivated and "up" and that is what he thinks Piniella can do. The Torre death watch is officially on. And I'll predict that if the Yankees get the right package of young pitchers and prospects, A-Rod is gone, too.

But if Fantasy wasn't going to put these out, I can't imagine Concord will.

CD Baby has a two minute clip of "'A' Train" here.