Dan Gould

Like my friend Mr. Blues, I too am speechless. I know now we "have to" win it all, but you know what? Nothing can take this feeling away, ever. It washes away all of the hurt/heartbreak/pain of so many bitter defeats, and paid the Yankees back a hundredfold for what they've done to us in the past. Why Yankee fans (present company excluded) deserve all the pain and anguish. This from the most arrogant sons of bitches on the planet? Choke on it, buddy! Have to give some props to my man Harold/Dave, who correctly foresaw that the Yankee pitching options wouldn't get it done (unlike his namesake, who always picks the Yanks, and then after the game, all of a sudden he's giving his expert commentary on why the Sox won. Why didn't he know they'd win beforehand?). But who knew that Derek Lowe, on two day's rest, would pitch such a remarkable game? Almost as gutty as Schilling, in his own way. Critical, certainly, was the early runs, which got the Yankees out there ripping away. How many times did Lowe go strike, groundball out; strike, groundball out? Four pitches, two outs-you can go far, pitching like that. And what about Johnny Damon? "Roundin' third and headin for home it's a brown eyed handsome man" The one big Second Guess is Pedro coming in in the seventh. Made no sense whatsoever, with a big lead, looking at Game 1 Saturday in Boston, when Pedro can pitch on regular rest, why even have him warm up? I could understand (just a bit) if the game were closer, but it was seven runs. Let Leskanic go in the seventh, and go batter to batter. Or use Wakefield to get to Timlin (or was Wake really not available? I can't imagine that was the case. ) Plus, it got the crowd back into the game, and when Matsui ripped the double, I was pissed. I still knew it was over (my wife was sitting tensely on the couch until the final groundout, while I was cheerfully chatting on the phone without a worry (at least, after Bellhorn's homer and Timlin's 1-2-3 8th inning). GO RED SOX!!!

Yeah, and frankly, this scares me:

Actually, there's been a lot of debate about Mirabelli being used anyway, at least ealier in the series. He is a pretty good hitter, as you say, and in fact he kills Yankee pitching, with pretty gaudy numbers at Yankee Stadium, if I'm not mistaken. And that is ironically where Tek has had a terrible time this year, though he came up with big hits last night. I know you want to win or lose with your big dogs, but I would not have a problem with Mirabelli getting the call. In fact, maybe you even start Mirabelli and keep him in until Wake is done, then have Varitek come off the bench? I honestly won't second guess Francona if Mirabelli plays tonite, however that comes about.

Oh, I think its a distinct possibility. And as scary as it would otherwise sound, the fact that Pedro won't get near the magical/disastrous 100 pitch mark makes me think he could definitely come in and get 3-6 outs. The important thing would be not getting amped up in front of the animals in the stands and losing command. If he can pitch as he did in Fenway, I'll take Pedro out of the pen in a heartbeat. For that matter, how about Pedro for nine outs, followed immediately by Wake? They sort of tried that in the regular season, thinking that sandwiching Wakefield in between Schilling and Martinez would be extra tough. But in a game, instead of a series, it might be deadly if 1-9 saw pitches in the low-mid 90s, and the next time through saw 65 mph knucklers. Or vice versa! Maybe get Wake to go three innings, and follow him with Pedro for only a couple. At least I'm confident that Francona won't pull a John McNamara and leave the starters in the pen while this year's version of Schiraldi and Nipper get pounded.

Curiouser and curiouser: still no announcement on the Yank's starter tonite?? I mean, obviously Brown is not the ideal choice, but who else is there? Vasquez, also on three day's rest? Duque on two? Brown may have looked horrible, but he's the guy with post season experience. It all makes me wonder whether they don't think Brown can even pitch on three day's rest, or whether Brown has something wrong with him. As far as the Sox go, I think its a smart move to start with Lowe, who's pitching with the most amount of rest, and see how long he can last, then let Wake come in. If we get him a lead and Wake has the same knuckler he showed in Monday's game, this can be over very quick. But either way, take your chances with Lowe and let Wakefield try to get the middle nine or more outs, when they'll really count. And I'll tell you this, Yankee fans: the mere fact that Pedro isn't starting makes me cautiously optimistic.

True, but I believe the rule says, "the last base the player reached before the interference took place." In other words, I'm not sure if, say, Jeter had been running on the play and reached second before THE CHEATER'S girly-man move, would he have returned to second instead? Neither here nor there, but my point is, the rule is punitive, but I don't think its automatically so.

I'd be much more interested in this session if it hadn't been 1971 but ten years earlier! Early in the Morning is a terrific LP she cut for Argo, with a bunch of Basie cats and Ramsey Lewis. Highly recommended if you ever see it!

I nominate the king of who likes those odd time signatures. (Might not get an accurate accounting though.)

Yeah, but considering how long Jazz Corner has been up and how long Organissimo has been up, the posts and thread data is pretty remarkable.

I think its called a "tray card", though for cassette inserts, they are known as J-cards (maybe that's what made you think of "U card"?. Anywhoo ... as Johnny Carson might say, "Weird, wild stuff."

And here we are again. I'm kind of reminded of the end of Speed when Dennis Hopper's character says to the Great Wooden Actor (not sure if this is exactly right, but you get the drift): "Well, Jack, I think Harry would be disappointed, seeing as we're right back where we started." A few observations: Schilling's performance was, IMO, the greatest pitching performance in post season history. To do what he did, in that situation, under those medical circumstances, is absolutely amazing. This series has far surpassed last year's LCS for sustained excitement. Until Game 7 last year, you didn't see the extraordinary shifting of tides and changes of fortune, and I'm only talking micro here, not the macro level of losing three straight and then coming back to force Game 7. The only other post season series to match this has to be the 2001 World Series, and I'm not even sure it matches this series, because as amazing as the Yankee come backs in the Bronx were, those weren't elimination games the way the two extra inning games were. A-Rod, henceforth and for all eternity to be known as THE CHEATER, not only is a cheater, but he has absolutely no integrity either. Now, you may say that one follows the other, but I disagree. He formulated his plan in a split second as Arroyo moved over to make the tag, but as the umpires huddled, he knew what he had done. When they called him out and he stood there with that, What Did I Do? look, I lost whatever respect I had for him. He knew he was guilty, and a man walks off the field, goes into the dugout, and apologizes to his team. Speaking of THE CHEATER could anyone (of a certain age) not recall Reggie Jackson, another (UNINDICTED) CHEATER sticking his hip out to deflect the double play relay, not only tipping the balance in that game, but irrevocably changing that World Series? Thank God that today, the umpires get together and talk things over. ********* Reasons for optimism (Yankees): Its Game 7, its Yankee Stadium, and they're facing the Red Sox. 'Nuff said. Flash and Mariano got the day off. Presumably Mussina is available, like last year, and so is Vasquez and Duque (thoiugh with a bad shoulder, who knows if pitching Duque is a good idea.) Reasons for optimism (Red Sox): Big Mo Embree and Timlin got the day off. Foulke only had to go one inning and I'm sure he'll be available for the last three outs again.

That reminds me how much I am amazed at people who dredge up old threads because they had some thought they wanted to share and it seemed to be the right place to put it, instead of just starting a new thread ... My anal-retentive, everything-in-its-place Virgo mind salutes you!

The last hurricane knocked our DSL off for almost ten days, and it was hell. They give you a free dial-up backup, so its not like we were permanently offline, but once you've had broadband there's no way to go back to dial up. Our version of Windows tells you your connection speed is, and our 56K modem was running at like, 44K, and that got me to thinking how, only a few years ago, 56K connection was "state of the art"

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing. Quite rightly so! I will add one batch a day, as I do have to work some besides posting here . May I suggest then that you consider what I did, then? As your schedule permits, type up your comments, links, images in a piecemeal fashion, but do it using the Private Message function. Just save the PM as a "draft" until you've found the time to get it all written up. Then just copy and paste into your answers thread, an d viola, you have a complete set of answers posted at one time.

OK, then what's the verdict on quoting "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" in the middle of "Two Bass Hit"? I just discovered that my memory was faulty. Actually, what I heard was "Two Bass Hit" incorporated into "Take Me Out To The Ballgame". Does that change the verdict?

it's because Mike hasn't typed them up yet. He just reserved the first posts in this thread for later editing. D'OH!! In my defense, I have to tell you that it said, "page loaded, but with errors" which made me assume he had written them all up and the error, whatever it might be, was preventing me from seeing them.

I know Yankee fans have no worries (was the Empire ever concerned about Luke Skywalker before the Deathstar exploded? ) but some truly shocking "firsts" in these two games: First time Yankees have blown back-to-back save opportunities in the post season. First time they've lost back-to-back extra inning games in the post season (I think both of those are Joe Torre era stats). Whatever you want to say about them, don't say the Sox don't have heart, or courage or guts. Leiber can be hit, there's no question about that, and I think this team will be super loose for Game 6. The question is whether Schilling's new hightop cleat will function in a game situation. If it does, and he does what he is capable of ... this will be simply amazing. And with Brown to go in Game 7? I like the sound of that. Strong chance of rain today in New York, I bet both teams will be lobbying for a postponment, even if the rain lightens up by game time. I can just see both managers touring the outfield, one saying, gee, you know, this looks really treacherous. I don't think its safe to play in this slop ... and the other guy nodding his head vigorously.

How weird-I see Mike's first batch of answers, but the rest just say "7-12" and nothing below that. Same for Disc 2. First set of answers are visible, rest aren't. This is really annoying.

Could we actually find ourselves rooting for the Rocket, after hating him so much? I'd much rather see the Rocket back at Fenway, but if its Houston vs the Yanks, I got no problem rooting for the old man for old time's sake.

Reasons to keep hope alive: We need two wins to reach a meaningful game, and we have Pedro and Curt to pitch them. Pedro at home can get the job done. He was so amped up in New York, with that infernal chant going. That was why he threw so many pitches. Pedro, under control (hopefully) has to turn in a vintage performance. It could be his swan song at Fenway, and I think he'll do it. Mussina-scratch just below the surface of any Yankee fan, and most will say they aren't at all certain that Mussina is a true "Big Game" pitcher. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but playing at home, I know we can get him this afternoon. We're due for some breaks to go our way. You may end up lording it over us again, but there's no way these two teams are this different in talent. And last but not least, if we can somehow get there, its Kevin Brown in Game 7, and I believe there isn't a Yankee fan on Earth who wants to see Kevin Brown in Game 7. He was a disaster, and if he pitches in the World Series, it will be a disaster. And who follows? Vasquez? He's no improvement. And frankly, I wasn't impressed with Duque either-he had a fraction of his usual command. The Yanks may reach the Series-hell its practically impossible for them not to-but this team is eminently beatable, by either NL team.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Jim, I agree that from a societal standpoint, it is an outrage. Too bad Chris didn't particularize what he found outrageous about Max's situation. A lot of pixels might have been spared.

I said: "I don't know why Max's kids did what they did--perhaps they did not see any other way--24/7 nursing care is rather expensive." To which Dan responded: "Now Chris tells us that "all of Max's children signed papers to have him committed to this home" and simply ignores the likelihood that Max's children are doing what they feel is best. I don't know what you are trying to do here, Dan, but it sure looks like you are trying--for some inexplicable reason--start an argument. ALL you had to do, Chris, was say this in your original post, instead of inserting it after the dispute begins: BTW, its a real neat trick to invert the chronology of the comments, as if from the start you held the family blameless, instead of covering your ass after people questioned your comments. Now, from Lois via Kevin, we learn that the family sold his apartment to secure an excellent home for him (a very typical familial response), one that Lois herself vouches for. So, is it really an "outrage"? Should he really be "brought home" when his family has apparently done the best thing they can do for him? I'll say it again: I think its highly likely that people unfamiliar with the family's decisions and reasons for what they did, and with no knowledge of what is being done, came to see Max and found him in a distressing state, in a depressing place, and decided "something should be done." Maybe, just maybe, something is being done.

Comin' in late but I dug Disc 2 a heckuva lot more than Disc 1. Just a few guesses: #1: Ain't this Bag's Groove? I keep thinking it is but then not ... so maybe it isn't. Like it a whole lot though. #3: Chaloff? #13: Tal. #16: Jacquet? Thanks Mike! This disc will be getting many more plays.