Vic Sage

When McConaghy is watching the taped messages from his son and daughter as they grow up without him, and then later, seeing his daughter think the worst of him, and then finally meeting her again at the end... well, i lost it. each time. Most SF films don't bother with stuff like "character" or "emotional context". If you watch "2001" (which this movie sort of quotes, visually), you can see the stately, cerebral approach to SF is in this picture's DNA, but it goes beyond that. For an epic space/time picture, it spends its first hour or so on Earth, defining the stakes but, mostly, developing the characters, so you care about the outcome later on. Without getting into all the timey wimey stuff, which always makes my head hurt, I thought the movie worked pretty darn well.

it was brutal, but i liked it alot.

The Mets tradition of throwing players under the bus before trading them continues... according to this guy: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/11/13/the-mets-tradition-of-throwing-players-under-the-bus-before-trading-them-continues-apace/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs

I thought it was a pretty solid entertainment of that genre. I generally like Emily Blunt. I'm looking forward to her in the upcoming adaption of INTO THE WOODS this Christmas.

If they don't make a move for a leadoff-hitting SS, then who leads off for this team? * EY? He's not going to start, or even play that much (barring injury); * Lagares? Lacks discipline, so doesn't get on enough. And he lacks base-stealing instincts; * Murphy? Maybe. He gets on ok (at least with his BA), and can run OK, and his lack of HR power is less of a problem. But he still doesn't take enough BBs to earn a high OB%. Plus, Terry won't do it, because Murph doesn't LOOK like a leadoff hitter; * The best OB% guys in the lineup are probably Wright and Duda, but Terry's certainly not going to bat them leadoff either; * Granderson? I suppose. He can still run, and he will take a BB, and HR power in a leadoff hitter is a nice add-on, but he's been a better hitter further down in the lineup throughout his career, and more productive, too, where his low BA and solid power are more useful than it is hitting behind the pitcher at the top of the order.. In other words, we need a leadoff-hitting SS.

Child isn't playing with toys anymore, she's always on her iPad or playing video games with super graphics. Woody and the gang lament the loss of imagination and venture to try to cultivate it in their child. Irony. Right. But we don't get that here.

yeah, that's my feeling, too... Tulo is a good hitter but he has Coors-inflated numbers and a significant, chronic and recent injury history (averaging 120g/year, with over 126g in only 3 of his 9 seasons), and a mega-$ contract for 6 more years. That's nuts. If the Mets could take the risk on him (in money and prospects) and then just shrug off the $$ commitment if things don't work out with him, then maybe. But you KNOW that, if Tulo goes down (or, really, WHEN he goes down),l the contact would be an albatross that will handcuff this organization for a long while. And the only way the Rockies would eat any significant portion of that contract is if they're getting our very best prospects and major leaguers too. Wheeler & Syndergaard, and go from there. If we give up those kinds of chips, we need a blue chip in return. And Tulo's not a blue chip... he's a red cross. So no thanks.

i'm ok with this move. Until Conforto is ready, Cuddy can give Duda and Grandy a breather against LHPs, and the rest of the time he's in RF, with some ABs also going to who... Nieuhenheis? CF - Lagares 2b - Murphy / Young (Herrera?) 3b - Wright 1b - Duda / Cambell RF - Cuddy / Nieuhenheis (denDekker?) LF - Grandy C - D'arnaud / Recker SS - Flores / Tejada Cuddy will help (more than CYoung did, surely), but he's not a difference maker. Unfortunately, Lagares is the only + defender in that lineup. And though they'll have enough power now to occasionally score in bunches, they won't score consistently without a decent lead-off hitter. But if they could move Niese/Gee/Colon-type pitcher + Murphy for a better-than-average SS with leadoff skills, they could move Flores, Tejada or Herrera to 2b (any of whom would have more range), and then be more consistent on offense and cover more ground on defense. Any SSs with a good glove and leadoff skills available? And if anybody says "Tejada" (I'm looking at you, Ceetar), i'll have to hunt you down and kill you slowly.

You know who this is. It's Carol Danvers, the former Ms. Marvel. The source of X-Man Rogue's powers/initial existential crisis. Yes, i literally know who she is, i just don't KNOW-know, you know? She has no emotional identity for me; she came along too late for me to care. I mean, i remember her popping up in Captain Marvel in the 60s, and then getting her own series as "Ms. Marvel" in the 70s, but that book was pretty lame. Later, she got raped in an Avengers story, crossed over with the X-Men, and then became different characters (like Binary and Warhawk) in more recent decades. Now she has been reclaimed as "Captain Marvel". Well, I knew Captain Marvel. I read Captain Marvel. And, sir, I say that this Danvers broad is no Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel is dead. Sure, she may be a woman with Kree powers, but she can bugger off, for all i care.

i like Recker. He has power and he can throw. We've had worse.

RealityChuck wrote: It's risky. If a movie flops, it can cause a chain reaction of flops. Also, there's the risk that the entire superhero genre becomes oversaturated. It's not risky at all. They're not making the films simultaneously; its a planned schedule. Just because they announced those films doesn't mean they have to make them. If the genre starts to tank, they can just stop. As for the slate itself: Cumberbatch is a perfect choice for Dr. Strange, but i'm not excited about the guy who played Jackie Robinson being cast as Black Panther. He was nothing special. I was hoping they'd go with Chiwetel Ejiofor. As for Ms. (Captain) Marvel, the only Captain Marvel i ever cared about was a Kree warrior who died of cancer. I don't who this chick is. That being said, If they cast Katee Sachoff, i'm in. As for an Infinity War movie, the only issue for me is who they get to play Adam Warlock, one of my all-time faves and a key figure in the cosmic corner of the marvel universe. A golden god grown in a cocoon, the height of physical perfection, Warlock is a messianic figure with a vampiric soul jem on his forehead that has a will of its own, and he's the hero who finally vanquished Thanos. I'm thinking Alexander Skarsgård. I'm also excited about an Inhumans movie; they've always been some of my favorite characters... the royal family includes a shapely broad with flaming red hair that's ALIVE! I mean, its all my fetishes rolled into one. And Black Bolt is one of the great figures in Marvel history. Regal and silent, forever holding back a power that can shatter the world, forever holding back a mad brother who wants to conquer the world. Who would i cast? I'm not sure yet. I have to think about this one. Maybe, since the character is mute, you could go with a big body, like a Randy Orton, who has film experience and would look great in the suit and doesn't have to speak any lines.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Fits their needs in several ways, was a legit consideration whether or not Trackie said so. I like him. this. i've always liked him as a player. i wouldn't mind having him in our OF next year. He's not the difference between a losing team and a winning team, and if Wright and Grandy don't come around next season, Cuddyer won't matter, but he can be helpful if the pitching is where we think it is, and some of the other guys start hitting again. He won't put up Coors numbers at CitiField (even with the fences pulled in) but he could put up a line of .270/20hr/30 doubles/ 90r/80rbi with an .800 OPS, and he could platoon some in RF, and spell Duda and Grandy against tough LHPs. A useful piece, not a centerpiece.

yeah, you've got to consider a 25-year old SS with a decent glove, a good bat and a relatively affordable contract. Maybe he's a turkey, but i'd buy a slice of that for a $1.

now all we need is another LHed power hitter to take advantage of it, and a few effective LHPs to neutralize its effect.

I don't know what his defensive numbers were this year, but Flores certainly passed the eye test for me. He has a strong, accurate arm and soft hands. Range is obviously the issue for him, but there have been HoF SSs with less than good range, if they made up for it with intelligent positioning and consistency on D, and a productive bat. Ripken and Jeter come immediately to mind. I think the best is yet to come with Flores, and Tejada is a utility player at best. Reynolds? Who knows.

i laughed my ass off and appreciated the self-deprecating mockery of pretentious Hollywood bullshit.

i root for the Billy Beane's Athletics, so i don't have to hear morons talk about the fact that Oakland's failure to win a championship somehow "disproves" the efficacy of quantitative statistical analysis.

I was there with the Sage clan; a nice day was had by all. We were in section 327 (3b side, mezz) in the "Caesar" section. I like those Caesar seats. close enough to watch, far enough to be affordable. But a side note: the last row of the mezz is still a limited view, with the overhang blocking the scoreboard. But it doesn't limit view of the game, which is much better than Shea, where the Rear Loge view was like watching the game through a mail slot and every flyball was a mystery. Foodwise, i tried a veggie burger so as not to provoke my acid reflux, but there must've been plenty of processed crap in there because it still burned like i'd eaten a hot dog. So i might as well have. The game offered a nice goodbye for Abreu; and the 30hr/90rbi season for Duda ends up the only positive offensive accomplishment this year. Colon's 200ip/15w season for a sub .500 team should make his value high enough to get something for him this off-season. Unfortunately, Murphy's return to Earth down the stretch probably lessens his value.

i was there and Trops did ok... just well enough to lose.

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Vic Sage wrote: Well according to the Supreme Court, corporate entities ARE people. I'm waiting for the Supreme Court to rule that people are corporations so I can deduct everything under the sun. "Incorporation - To cause to merge or combine together into a united whole." Since people are a merger of various organs, chemicals and biological processes combined together into a united whole, it could be easily argued that people are the result of incorporation and, thus, are themselves corporations. So deduct away! I'll send you a cake with a file in it, when i find out what prison you'll be serving time in.

Well according to the Supreme Court, corporate entities ARE people.

"i enjoy the abiding sense of tragedy, which sustains me through temporary periods of joy." I didn't write this... but i could have.

i guess i missed this year's prediction thread, but i would've gone with 10 games under, at 76 - 86.

going to the last game, sun 9/28, Fan Appreciation day. Casey bobblehead!