Dan Gould

Thanks Jim, and the same to you, Allison and little ol' Pumpkin Pie. Oh yeah, and thanks to Randy and Joe. I'm sure these nearly 40 minutes of Christmas tunes will get plenty of spins.

I franly think the whole point is to limit 7/4s string of posts, so I support any software that will take those strings of non-sequitors and combine them into a single post. Seriously, I don't see what the big deal is. If you truly have a NEW thought, post it in a few minutes. Y'know, get some work done in the meantime, then come back and post. Otherwise, if you really have to make a separate post for "emphasis", use the many text editing functions to emphasize your point. Otherwise, its all just post-padding, afaic, so I vote to keep it.

I was thinking the same thing, Paul. For once the BCS will have it right, no arguments, and those two teams look pretty similar and well-matched. Meantime, on a day of huge blow-outs and embarassments, who'da thunk that my Seminoles would come out on top of #5 VA Tech? So somehow, in a season worse than anything He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named produced, they managed to bookend wins over top 10 opponents and a BCS bowl bid. (OK, "He who must not be named" is probably a bit obscure. Dude's name was CHRIS RIX and he single handedly brought embarrasment to the program over four long years. I have no explanation of how they continued to stumble in his absence, except that maybe his losing ways infected the team, like a virus, and continues to affect them in his absence.)

They didn't dig deep for Beckett. Ramirez was their top position prospect but he didn't have a spot with the club once they signed Renteria and failed to move Ramirez to a position like centerfield. Anabel Sanchez is at best the number 4 pitcher in the system, behind Jon Lester, Papelbon, and Hansen. The fact that they got Beckett, Lowell and Mota and kept the top three pitching prospects was an extraordinary deal. The fact is, the Sox may accept a couple of prospects but to part with Manny and not leave a gargantuan whole in the lineup, they have to insist on established major league talent. What I'd love to see happen is for Minaya to make the best deal he can, and then we'll know the truth about how much, and for what reasons, Manny wants out. Cuz Manny in New York means at least as much hassle and lack of privacy as he bitches about in Boston. My guess is Manny invokes his 10/5 rights and kills the deal.

Well the Yanks have signed Farnsworth: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2245182 But at best, they've replaced Flash when they need to do a lot more, and in all likelihood, its a significant drop-off.

Hopefully a bunch of us will be going to this show and we can meet up before or during intermission. Paging Evan and Marty!

Yanks wave bye-bye to Flash: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2244420 Now, if the Rangers could come up with an offer to keep Farnsworth out of the Bronx, the Yanks would truly be up the proverbial creek. Actually, the Yanks are still up the creek, cuz they needed to add reliable arms, not just replace one. And Farnsworth was a head case with the Cubs, who knows if he'll ever pitch to his potential consistently?

Here's the Reich review in today's Tribune: A nice review for sure, but I really don't get that last paragraph.

Is it my imagination or is the Golson show no long listed? I saw this and went "huh?" cuz I already bought tickets! If you were looking at the South Florida Jazz Society website, that would be the wrong one. Its the Gold Coast Jazz Society that's hosting this one. Click.

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Very sorry to hear this, Jim.

If you also hate the Yanks, then by all means we do hope that Bernie comes back.

If the White Sox have signed Konerko, the Sox really have no choice but to keep Manny. Konerko was the only other player I could see giving at least some protection to Big Papi, especially at Fenway. As far as Jeter to centerfield, the Times had a much better suggestion of what to do for third base: Sign Billy Mueller. Excellent defense, won a batting title, and a guy who plays the game right. Without the histrionics, he'd bring some professionalism they've lacked since Cry Baby O'Neil retired. At the same time, I am not at all convinced that Jeter has the better arm over Crosby. Few converted infielders turn into Dwight Evens (although its true that Sheffield started out an infielder), and Crosby has always been an outfielder. But certainly Jeter would handle the position as well as or better, and you wouldn't have the blackhole otherwise known as Bubba's Bat in the lineup. The Yanks will deny, deny, deny ... but I think this story has legs at least until they find an acceptable alternative to starting the season with Bubba Crosby in the lineup every day.

nof didn't take "swipes" at other "styles". He even calls it "good music". All he said was that the style epitomized by Sweets is the kind of music he likes best.

No, no, its "no gun, no jail!"

and to think I'd skipped this thread after the first dozen posts, I came back wondering how it got to two pages.

Kinda neat, but its really silly to show the Palm Beach Post but not the Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. The latter is surely a better paper with better journalism and a larger circulation. If not all three papers, it should show the Herald and the Sentinel and not the Post.

I'm with you. I LOVE it.

Seems like I'm talking to myself lately, but I gotta say I am pleased with how the Josh Beckett trade worked itself out. Not clear yet if the Sox played hardball or if they were legitimately concerned about Beckett's medical records, but getting the Marlins to throw in Guillermo Mota for a Single A prospect is a pretty good add-on: 1. Before he was traded to the Marlins, Mota was one of the best set-up men in the NL, posting an ERA under 2 in one season, and just over 2 in the next for the Dodgers. 2. The Yanks were targetting Mota for a trade, but we got him instead. So, the Sox have added Beckett, Mota and Lowell. The Yanks have held on to Sturtze and Matsui. It may be early, but I like how the off-season has shaped up so far, even with Theo's unceremonial departure.

The only shopping I'll do will be online. But even when I was a kid, my mom had the good sense not to even consider venturing out today, and its only gotten worse since then. I mean, stores opening at 5 a.m.?

Blue did bring out the blue in the Bird LP used as an avatar, but I gotta say I much prefer the peach. As far as the chat room goes, we would have really helped a couple of years ago when I tried to organize the first birthday party Organissimo.

Man, I wish the guys in the White Sox front office would quit sitting on their wallets and at least make an offer. I mean hell, to see Manny in a pair of clean sox would just be heaven. This idea of speed, defense and hot pitching is great until a pitcher gets hurt. And then what? We go to Marte or some other guy who sits on the bench most of the time for a reason? Sheesh. This Juan Pierre guy looks interesting though. Hits for average and runs like Pods? Too bad the Marlins want Rowand in return. Who said you can't get a big bopper for your lineup? Looks like Jurassic Carl is history: Thome dealt to White Sox for Rowand http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2234843 Guess you're in the market for a centerfielder now. I'm assuming that Thome becomes DH, not first baseman. Maybe they traded for him as insurance against Konerko flying the coop. And I think its clear Manny ain't going to New York now, with Delgado on his way, unless that is Minaya is truly willing to break the bank.

No PMs coming my way, so how can I tell?

Let me ask you this, Dave: Will you be happy going into next year with Bubba Crosby as the starting centerfielder? And in the wake of the Marlins trade, there are indications that Cano could go to Florida for Delgado. Does that gibe with the supposed "new approach"?

Well here's a damper for Red Sox Nation: And here I was figuring that if the Mets trade for Delgado, there's no place for Manny to go.