Matthew

I've played this one a couple of times now, an it really is a beautiful album. Wyatt is able to blend strings, other instruments, and his voice very effectively. The opening song, Laura, is especially lovely. This is not your typical jazz standards album, but a very creative piece of work from a great vocalist / musician. Highly recommended.

Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings.

On the other hand at least you get a chance to play for the title with less than the best record. The 2000 Yankees had the 5th record yet made the playoffs and won the title over the Mets. In the pre-wild card days there have been clubs that played .600 ball and never got a chance as there was one team that was better. Though I'm not sure which side I fall on. In a short series anything can happen. However it's also damn hard to win the season year after year with no "back door" to the World Series. One of the reasons that I can't put the 1996-2000 Yankees in the same class as the Big Red Machine is the DH. The style of play without the DH is very different, and especially the pre-DH era. The 1996-2000 teams were built with a completely different outlook than the A's or Red's, in fact, that is the reason I think the early teams are better, they had to play the whole game, and a better style. Those Yankee teams, Torre just filled out the line-up, and tried not to fall asleep at the wheel. I'll take the Big Red Machine anytime, I saw them play, and they were awesome -- too bad Joe Morgan can't stop talking about them, or himself, I think that just turns fans off this team. But, really, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, wow! Both sets of fans are nervous about this one, they seem to be equally matched, and it looks like it's going be which team takes advantage of the breaks will win (if that's not a cliche, I don't know what is!)..

The Official World Series Film Collection. I was able to find this for $80.00, so I decided to buy it for my birthday. Been selecting various Series, to dip my toe into the water. Started with the 1968 Boston / St. Louis Series, as that is the first one I remember following, then the 1969 Mets / Orioles Series, as my 6th grade teacher brought a tv into the classroom, so we could watch the games during the week (Ah! days long gone, where you had actual day games). Just a fun box set to have. I'll look at the 1979 Series later today, as that is one of my all-time favorites -- has there ever been a funkier series than that one? We Are Family, two of the worse stadiums in baseball, great players, Earl Weaver... that series had everything and a couple of bags of chips! Edit: 1979 World Series was Pittsburgh Pirates vs Baltimore Orioles

From the Mercury News: "At one point in the game, I turned to (assistant) Dick Tidrow and I said, 'This is a street fight, and we win those,'" general manager Brian Sabean said. That's why I think we are in store for a special World Series, both teams play a great style of baseball, though, I think Dan is right: four games without the DH, plus the twilight in San Francisco, are big pluses for the Giants. Hamilton will also be finding out about the dimensions of AT&T, and how a lot of his hits won't be flying out of the park.

Giants vs. Rangers. It's going to be a heck of a series. But, boy, following the Giants is torture, but a good torture right now.

That's a smart move. Hopefully it backfires. Timmy gone, now Brian Wilson. Torture.

Giants ahead on Jose Uribe's homer, 3-2, and they're bringing in Lincecum to pitch the 8th. Wow...

I'm actually very excited about the World Series this year, all three clubs remaining play very attractive baseball, not station-to-station by any means. Bud Selig probably hates what's left, but I think baseball fans are in for a fun ride.

It's nice to know I wasn't the only one who noticed a big time Karma pay-back to ARod -- even sweeter: Strike three looking. Good to see the Yankees go down, but this series showed they have big problems, with age being at the top of the list. There is no hot, young, everyday player, coming up, on is even on the team now. Even if they do sign Lee, that's not going solve a lot of the problems. The have enough money though, to cover a lot of holes in their lineup. It could be this is 1964, where they made it to the WS, but lost to St. Luis, then 1965, the bottom fell out of the franchise (Jim Bouton's Ball Four has the best insight into that situation).

Thanks for the birthday greetings, hard to believe I'm 52, time seems to go so fast. I was in meetings all yesterday, but I was able to listen to the last inning where the May Flower Yankees* lost -- sweet. That is what MFY stands for Dan, isn't it?

It would be very sweet if the Rangers close out the Yankees at the Stadium, a mighty warm glow that's for sure. I still don't understand why Giradi kept AJ in to pitch to Molina, even Joba would have been a better choice. On a side note: I really cannot believe how poor the umpires are right now, they can't get anything right.

Hey, first time I'm able to catch the Giants / Phillies, at a good time also -- 3-0. Who would have ever thought that Cody Ross was a series changer?

Yeah, I was also thinking how far Joba has fallen. That Yankee publicity machine really pumped him up. Strangely though, I still think he can be a quality pitcher, not with the Yankees though, Garadi messed Joba up big time. Game not nearly over yet. What is scary about the Yankees is the fact they can put up a five-spot in any inning, it's the starting pitching that might kill them after all.

Yankee starting has been truly terrible. Maybe there's hope for Texas yet.

What a crap performance by the Texas bullpen. Geesh, that was pathetic. I hate seeing the Yankees handed a game like that. Edit: spelling. Hard to see off my BlackBerry

Don't know if anyone is following the on-going drama of the PAC 10 realignment, but what's coming out so far stinks. Pat Haden, AD for USC says it's all about money (of all institutions!), but it really is bad that they're thinking of breaking up the California schools, that's what the whole conference was based on for years. The NCAA, and this BCS system has killed any interest I ever had in college athletics.

I agree. Nothing but the most bland, vanilla, broadcasters on Television now, Cosell wouldn't get with ten miles of a network microphone nowadays.

For some reason, I've been having a nostalgia bender for the baseball of my youth (1970 - early 80s) on Youtube -- think this might be my favorite clip, reminded my of Bobby Cox this week.

As I've said before - send him home for the rest of the post season. AJ has been officially been named game four starter by the Yankees -- good luck on that one, Ghostie, David, and Paul. I wonder if the Yanks are down in games 3-0 to the Rangers, or even 2-1, if Girardi will stick with A.J. in Game 4. He's not only completely unreliable and frequently simply awful this year, but the batting order is also hurt by having Cervelli in place of Posada. Guess Posada can always DH in place of Berkman or Thames, but that's a bit risky. I would say that if AJ winds up starting game four, he will be on a very short leach, especially if the Yankees find themselves down, and if that's the case, I would not be surprised to see CC pitch on three days rest (when's the last time CC has pitched?). Though, the Rangers have yet to show that they can win a game at home. Oh, and I'm sorry Martyjazz for leaving your name off the Organissimo Yankee Fan Club™ roll call.

Pure beauty from Brain Eno.

As I've said before - send him home for the rest of the post season. AJ has been officially been named game four starter by the Yankees -- good luck on that one, Ghostie, David, and Paul.

A.J. Burnett hits two Yankees during simulated game

That's ditto for the Inland Empire. Man, when is Fall actually getting here?? Yeah, it's already 90 here. Can't wait for cooler weather to arrive.

Crawford's gone, of course. I think Soriano's likely gone, too. Pena hardly had a standout year and could give the old hometown discount. Fan base is OK, just not eager to pry open the old wallet for ballgames in a crappy park. I think they do quite well as far as TV ratings go, if that's any gauge. And they did pack the place for the playoffs. I noticed some wide open spaces in the upper decks at Turner Field in their deciding game. I think this attendance thing is more widespread than Tampa-St. Pete. Tampa averaged 23,000; Cincinnati 25,000; San Diego 26,000. All pretty disappointing for teams taking a run at the playoffs all year. Anyways, as they refer to the offseason round here ... back to the drawing board. There was a surprising lack of attendance for a lot of teams this year. San Diego has never really cared for the Padres, or any sports team for that matter, usually the games that were loudest were Mets games, with all the transplants yelling for New York. Even the Chargers don't sell out their games. I was very surprised about Cincinnati though, good baseball city, 2011 will probably see a huge increase in Reds attendance.