Vic Sage

Newly hired managers: Reds - Bryan Price Nationals - Matt Williams Tigers - Brad Ausmus Mariners - Lloyd McClendon 2013 options picked up: Mets - Collins Braves - F.Gonzalez Phillies - Sandberg Cards - Matheny Dodgers - Mattingly Padres - Black yankees - Girardi Twins - Gardenhire Rockies - Walt Weiss Royals - Ned Yost OPEN spots (with rumored candidates so far): Cubs -Rick Renteria, AJ Hinch, Eric Wedge, Dave Martinez, Tory Lovullo

Slick? with a daddy in a trailer, a job in a comic store, and a hooker for his birthday. Nah. The gods of tarantino just smiled down on his good heart and his true love and gave him the wherewithal to raise himself up. and he does. and us too, by extension. No, I wouldn't call him slick. I'd call him smart (smarter certainly than his station in life would have anyone realize) and brave (with a courage forged in love. and borne out of nothing left to lose), and amusingly lucky (because the gods favor true love). This gives him a certain coolness that others respond to with respect... a respect he likely had not been the target of until that moment in his life when luck, courage and smarts converged to give him what he deserved. When was the last time you saw a movie with 2 doomed lover/losers on the run that ends with them getting everything they wished for? Those characters don't usually get happy Hollywood endings; they get noble sacrifice and bloody tragedy. Tarantino says fuck that... i like these guys, you like these guys, and they deserve to win, no matter the body count they've left in their wake. so here ya go. and I said thanks, Quentin. May we have another? And he said, yeah, here's some more.

excellent strategy, Kase. i concur.

My son asked me why she didn't move her fat ass over, so Leo could climb on too? I had no acceptable response. Other than that, i enjoyed TITANIC for what it was, but wished it weren't about the actual event; it trivializes that tragedy by making it all background to their UPSTAIRS/DOWNSTAIRS romance.

my understanding is that the contracts are guaranteed like any others in baseball (and everywhere else except football), but not any of the option years. That's why they're called "options". So if the manager get fired on a long-term deal, the team still pays him. but i think they have non-compete clauses, too, so if they're fired and being paid by one team, they can't go manage another team in that league. That's why some go into broadcasting until their deals expire.

the night of the earthquake game, i was at a restaurant hosting a surprise birthday party for my girlfriend (soon-to-be fiance, later-to-be wife). We watched it all unfold on the TV in the restaurant; it was on in the background and we slowly became aware that people were paying attention to something on the TV. Of course, I don't think that including a natural catastrophe in the celebration was why she ended up marrying me. But she did, so there's that. which gives me oddly positive feelings about that tragic event.

Mazer was at my elementary school assembly one year (P.S. 188, Coney Island) giving out sports awards to us, and i got a "participation award" (or something) from him and shook his hand. i had no idea who he was at the time. then I saw him doing sports on Channel 5 and thought it was cool i got something from somebody on tv. I became less impressed with him over the years.

Those not coming back (with job still open): Jim Leyland, Tigers - retiring Dale Sveum, Cubs - fired Eric Wedge, Sea - fired Signed only thru this season (with no new deal or options for next season): Ned Yost, KC - got 2-year extension Walt Weiss, Rockies - Organization guy will likely get more than 1 year Bo Porter, Astros - What difference does it make? But probably stays Team options for 2014 (not yet exercised): Fredi Gonzalez, Braves - will likely be exercised after post-season Mike Metheny, Cards - ditto Bud Black, SD - i think they still like him but he's been there a long while now Don Mattingly, LA - They fired his coaches and keep insisting on 1-year deals; i guess they're trying to force him out. Already hired: Reds - Bryan Price (hired) Nationals - Matt Williams (not confirmed) So that looks like 3-6 jobs open for next season. Your remaining candidates for the following? (option not yet picked up): Astros - no word yet Padres - no word yet Dodgers - ? OPEN spots (with rumored candidates so far): Detroit - Lloyd McClendon, Tom Brookens, Tim Wallach, Mel Rojas, Dusty Baker, Manny Acta, Tory Lovullo, Brad Ausmus Cubs -Rick Renteria, AJ Hinch, Eric Wedge, Dave Martinez, Lovullo Mariners - Chip Hale, McClendon, Lovullo ALSO mentioned: Joe McEwing, Joey Cora

In terms of value of offense at SS over defense, Davey used to play Hojo a significant number of innings at SS each year (from 1985-1990, over 1 full season's worth overall during those 6 seasons), even when Kevin Elster was there. And when GG shortstop Buddy Harrelson took over from Davey early in 1990, and managed through most of `91, he continued to play Hojo there about the same amount, sitting Elster on occasion. Frankly, i would've played him there every day and let him become Ernie Banks, while also making room for more ABs for Gregg Jeffries at 3b. But that's me.

get Torre on the phone... STAT!

As weak-hitting shortstops go, I see Harrelson in the second tier, with Larry Bowa, Don Kessinger, Roy McMillan, and Dick Schofield (both of them). First tier is guys like Maury Wills and Ozzie. Third tier is, like, Roger Metzger, Rafael Santana, Ozzie Guillen. Rey is in the fourth tier with Dal Maxvill--about as bad a hitter as you can be and play every day. After that you're in Ray Oyler territory, where the best glove in the world won't keep you in the lineup. the FTWH sstops would also include Aparicio, Bert Campaneris and maybe Vizquel. Dave Concepcion would be at the top of the tier, falling just a little short of being on the bottom tier of GOOD-hitting sstops.

i think that's BILL Carson, senor. there are 2 kinds of pitchers in the world... those that get muthafuckas out and those that don't. He don't.

I gave my predictions in the roster thread: Projected 40-man roster so far (x = 25-man roster): SP [7] - x-Niese x-Wheeler x-Gee x-Mejia x-Matsuzaka Matt Harvey (60-man DL) Jeremy Hefner (60-man DL) RP [8] - x-Parnell x-Black x-Familia x-Torres x-Edgin (L) x-Rice (L) x-German Robles C [3]- x-d`Anaud x-Recker Centeno IF [8]- x-Wright x-Davis x-Murphy x-Tejada x-Satin x-Turner Flores Tovar OF [6] - x-Lagares x-Young x-Duda x-Brown x-DenDekker Puello minor leaguers added [5]: Steven Matz (LSP) Jacob deGrom (RSP) Darin Gorski (LRP) Jeff Walters (RRP) Cory Vaughn (OF) FAs not re-signed [6]: Harang Hawkins Aardsma Byrdak Feliciano Francisco Players who get "crunched" [9]: Santana (buyout) Henn (released) Atchison (non-tendered) Quintanilla (non-tendered) Burke (optioned) Carson (optioned) Baxter (optioned) Valdespin (optioned) Nieuwenheis (optioned) TOTAL ROSTER = 37 [35, when Harvey and Hefner go back on 60-DL) Guys still on the "crunch" bubble: Matsuzaka [FA] Hefner Edgin Rice Germen Robles Recker Centeno Davis Duda Turner Lutz Tovar Brown den Dekker Other notable "Rule V-eligible" minor leaguers: Goeddel Ceciliani Cesa Maron Kolarek Huchingson A.Rodriguez Dykstra Bennett Sandoval Cohoon note: you left Quintanilla off your poll list

The key point here is: If anything, Puig should come in for censure from his own teammates. He admired his home run, which is inexcusable if it's anywhere close to not leaving the yard. This one didn't, and if not for Beltran misplaying the carom in right, Puig could have cost his team an extra base or even an out. "Obviously, I'd like to see him run right away," Don Mattingly said. It was a clear fuckup, but not a disrespectful one, and the Cardinals should hope he does it every time. That should be the issue here, and Beltran could have prevented Puig's histrionics by making a clean play and throwing the fucker out at 3b. I don't have much use for the chronic me-ism of the current ballplayer, showboating being just one indicator of it, but i have even less use for those who bitch and moan about violations of the "unwritten rules" instead of just outplaying the arrogant selfish pricks and beating them on the field with the kind of professionalism they claim to prefer. If Puig can't cheer, then Beltran can't whine if he fails to throw him out. How's that for an unwritten rule?

batmagadanleadoff wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Well, yeah... nominally. More deserving than Stearns. Lo Duca deserved it in 2006. It was his career season, at not a bad one at that... Stearns was an all-star in his own right, 4 times actually (which didn't include his best year, 1978), with at least 2 of those seasons putting up an OPS+ better than LoDuca's all-star year, as well as accumulating a career OPS+ as a Met 10 points higher than LoDuca. Stearns did have a down year in `79 (garnering an unearned A-S appearance, likely based on his `78 performance and the fact that somebody on the Mets had to be picked). But Stearns was a better catcher for the Mets, both on a single-season basis, and on a career basis, than LoDuca.

Actually, Lo Duca was an all-star. My bad. I remembered him as an all-star for LA and FL, but forgot about that one in NY.

They're from Ultimate Mets Database, and are number of games each played for the Mets (presumably at SS).

Top 10 Mets Catchers (games): All-stars: 1. Mike Piazza (826) 2. Jerry Grote (1176) 3. Gary Carter (566) 4. Todd Hundley (745) 5. John Stearns (698) Not all-stars: 6. Ron Hodges (446) 7. Paul Lo Duca (231) 8. Todd Pratt (206) 9. Mackey Sasser (261) 10. Chris Cannizzaro (236) other catchers with over 162g: Duffy Dyer 326 Josh Thole 279 Ramon Castro 256 Vance Wilson 255 Charlie O'Brien 224 Barry Lyons 183 Alex Trevi�o 179 Brian Schneider 166

Ha ha ha... Kase, you kill me. Oh wait, you were serious. Sorry. If by "shortstop" you are talking purely about defense at the position, and NOT ranking the best baseball players to play ss for the Mets, then i suppose there's an argument. Not one i'd want to make, but certainly a valid and supportable one. But as a complete player at the position, i'd rank him 3rd (4th, if you include Hojo), but closer to, oh i don't know, Kevin Elster than to Reyes or Harrelson. Top 10 Mets SSs (with at least 162 games): 1. Jos� Reyes (999) 2. Bud Harrelson (1280) 3. Howard Johnson (263) --- 4. Rey Ord��ez (907) 5. Kevin Elster (524) 6. Jos� Vizcaino (236) 7. Rafael Santana (478) --- 8. Frank Taveras (371) 9. Roy McMillan (335) 10. Jos� Oquendo (183) * Special mention: Al Weis (127), for his role in 1969

he's the closest thing we have to a legit OF prospect near the top of our system. Hail Cesar!

actually, i based my high rating of this film on a 2D viewing, so i don't think it matters for this film all that much. i rarely see 3D versions... it gives me a headache, and usually doesn't look as good, and its almost never worth the extra cost (Imax 3D). The only film that i've seen both 3D and 2D versions of, and that is markedly better in 3D, is AVATAR. There, Cameron created a fully immersive experience about a guy going through a fully immersive experience, so it made thematic sense, and he's one of the few technician/directors that can pull it off so well.

root for the Dodgers? my dad would turn over in his grave. As would all the other dead from Brooklyn.

Gesundheit

Frayed Knot wrote: ...Sure he hasn't managed or even coached anywhere before but he's Cal Fucking Ripken. You gotta do what you gotta do to get the job, i suppose. Hell, its worked pretty well for Mrs. Ripken.

These former players who go right into broadcasting and are required to comment on, or analyze or call, the games of their former teams put themselves in a dreadful position. If they do their new job properly, they're betraying the organization and their former teammates. If they stay loyal, they're biased hacks and lose any credibility as journalists... you know, like Yankee announcers. That being said, fuck Chipper.