Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Around the Oriole Blogosphere: Utter Collapse Edition
Before I start this edition of AtOB, I wanted to mention that Dempsey's Army has been nominated for a Mobbie for best Oriole blog at The Baltimore Sun. Please vote for us in the Oriole blog category if you feel so inclined.
But if you don't, please go vote for one of the other Oriole blogs I link to or that you may enjoy. It's a long suffering group and they all deserve some good recognition. Voting runs through October 9th. Vote early, vote often!
*****
Stacey at Camden Chat notes something about Brian Roberts' doubles explosion that I hadn't noticed:
Brian Roberts hit his 56th double of the year which is a record for most doubles by a switch hitter. Lance Berkman held the mark before him. It seems like a weird record to me.
In the midst of a 12 game losing streak and 100 losses looming, I'll take weird.
*****
Patrick Smith of Bugs and Cranks is ambivalent when it comes to Dave Trembley's future:
I’d love to write that I’d be outraged if they fired Trembley after presenting him with a stinkbomb of a team to manage. I really should be stumping for the guy and I’m not sure why I’m not. Numb, I guess, after 12 losing seasons.
*****
Dan at Camden Crazies examines Brian Matusz in the midst of a sweeping multi-post look back at the Orioles of 2009. He's a good man. And thorough.
*****
Matt Wieters Facts:
Matt Wieters Doesn't Take Pitches...He Shows Them Mercy.
Matt Wieters Forced Rick Astley To Give You Up, Let You Down, Run Around And Desert You.
Matt Beat Cancer..... Literally With His Bat. There Is No More Cancer.
*****
Orioles Card 'O' The Day highlights the birth of the Baltimore club and gives a tip of the cap to Bill Veeck.
On a side note, the other owners hated Veeck so much that when they heard he was trying to move the Browns to Milwaukee, they swiped the deal out from under him and allowed the Braves to move there instead in 1953. Baseball owners are and evolved breed, huh?
*****
Jay Trucker looks at the losing and the manager:
2 ½ years later, the team has played terrible fundamental baseball. The young guys have a chance to grow in 2010. Right now, it looks like the whole team is trudging to the end of the year. One way to start 2010 on a fresh page is to ax Dave Trembley. He hasn’t had a team with which to compete the last 2 ½ years, but he hasn’t taken the club a step forward by working with what he’s had during that time, either.
*****
It is a cruel mistress but at its root, baseball is still a beautiful game. Anthony at Oriole Post can still remind me of that as he always manages to catch some good action shots during the games at OPACY.
*****
Right Off Russell takes a look back at the 1989 "Why Not?" Orioles:
It was a year when everything broke right. Players had career years and late inning rallies were commonplace. The ‘89 O’s were a young bunch that scrapped and clawed for everything and almost pulled of an amazing worst to first turn around. And personally, it was truly magical. I had just jumped into sports fandom, sure I was aware of the Orioles, but 1988 was the first year I followed them with a passion. Nice timing, huh? Experiencing the ‘89 season only solidified the Orioles lifelong hold on me.
*****
If you don't like Roar from 34's Eutaw Street Chronicles, you hate America.
*****
100 losses? The Loss Column, ironically, says we shouldn't care.
In other words, these last five games of the season mean nothing. Whatever needs to be seen has been seen. Year three of the rebuilding process is already underway.
*****
The Wayward O is backing the manger. Here's Wayward O with more:
Wayward O is backing manager.
This losing streak (collapse) is because Baltimore is not real Baseball Team capable of playing full season.
It is not because Mr. Dave Trembley is bad manager.
*****
Weaver's Tantrum salutes the fine effort of Brian Roberts, even if it has been in vain. Regarding his doubles record for switch-hitters:
A lot of the guys on the single season doubles list are Hall of Famers. Brian is in good company. It seems unlikely that B-Rob can get to 60, tying Todd Helton's post-WWII record, but its not impossible. He can be forgiven for some selfish play at this point in the season. Forget about drawing walks or moving runners along, Brian. Go for the record!
But if you don't, please go vote for one of the other Oriole blogs I link to or that you may enjoy. It's a long suffering group and they all deserve some good recognition. Voting runs through October 9th. Vote early, vote often!
*****
Stacey at Camden Chat notes something about Brian Roberts' doubles explosion that I hadn't noticed:
Brian Roberts hit his 56th double of the year which is a record for most doubles by a switch hitter. Lance Berkman held the mark before him. It seems like a weird record to me.
In the midst of a 12 game losing streak and 100 losses looming, I'll take weird.
*****
Patrick Smith of Bugs and Cranks is ambivalent when it comes to Dave Trembley's future:
I’d love to write that I’d be outraged if they fired Trembley after presenting him with a stinkbomb of a team to manage. I really should be stumping for the guy and I’m not sure why I’m not. Numb, I guess, after 12 losing seasons.
*****
Dan at Camden Crazies examines Brian Matusz in the midst of a sweeping multi-post look back at the Orioles of 2009. He's a good man. And thorough.
*****
Matt Wieters Facts:
Matt Wieters Doesn't Take Pitches...He Shows Them Mercy.
Matt Wieters Forced Rick Astley To Give You Up, Let You Down, Run Around And Desert You.
Matt Beat Cancer..... Literally With His Bat. There Is No More Cancer.
*****
Orioles Card 'O' The Day highlights the birth of the Baltimore club and gives a tip of the cap to Bill Veeck.
On a side note, the other owners hated Veeck so much that when they heard he was trying to move the Browns to Milwaukee, they swiped the deal out from under him and allowed the Braves to move there instead in 1953. Baseball owners are and evolved breed, huh?
*****
Jay Trucker looks at the losing and the manager:
2 ½ years later, the team has played terrible fundamental baseball. The young guys have a chance to grow in 2010. Right now, it looks like the whole team is trudging to the end of the year. One way to start 2010 on a fresh page is to ax Dave Trembley. He hasn’t had a team with which to compete the last 2 ½ years, but he hasn’t taken the club a step forward by working with what he’s had during that time, either.
*****
It is a cruel mistress but at its root, baseball is still a beautiful game. Anthony at Oriole Post can still remind me of that as he always manages to catch some good action shots during the games at OPACY.
*****
Right Off Russell takes a look back at the 1989 "Why Not?" Orioles:
It was a year when everything broke right. Players had career years and late inning rallies were commonplace. The ‘89 O’s were a young bunch that scrapped and clawed for everything and almost pulled of an amazing worst to first turn around. And personally, it was truly magical. I had just jumped into sports fandom, sure I was aware of the Orioles, but 1988 was the first year I followed them with a passion. Nice timing, huh? Experiencing the ‘89 season only solidified the Orioles lifelong hold on me.
*****
If you don't like Roar from 34's Eutaw Street Chronicles, you hate America.
*****
100 losses? The Loss Column, ironically, says we shouldn't care.
In other words, these last five games of the season mean nothing. Whatever needs to be seen has been seen. Year three of the rebuilding process is already underway.
*****
The Wayward O is backing the manger. Here's Wayward O with more:
Wayward O is backing manager.
This losing streak (collapse) is because Baltimore is not real Baseball Team capable of playing full season.
It is not because Mr. Dave Trembley is bad manager.
*****
Weaver's Tantrum salutes the fine effort of Brian Roberts, even if it has been in vain. Regarding his doubles record for switch-hitters:
A lot of the guys on the single season doubles list are Hall of Famers. Brian is in good company. It seems unlikely that B-Rob can get to 60, tying Todd Helton's post-WWII record, but its not impossible. He can be forgiven for some selfish play at this point in the season. Forget about drawing walks or moving runners along, Brian. Go for the record!
You Too Can Be an Artiste!
Iowahawk is sponsoring an art contest. No doubt inspired by the National Endowment for the Arts (a.k.a. The White House Propaganda Team.)
Iowahawk (a.k.a. Dave Burge) will endow the winner with $33.16. It's not the size of the prize that matters, it's the pleasure of being in his company.
Scroll through and enjoy, art lovers!
UPDATE: Oops! That's $33 and 18 CENTS!
Iowahawk (a.k.a. Dave Burge) will endow the winner with $33.16. It's not the size of the prize that matters, it's the pleasure of being in his company.
Scroll through and enjoy, art lovers!
UPDATE: Oops! That's $33 and 18 CENTS!
Liberals Against Rape
Even the reliably liberal Steve Lopez (formerly of the Inky) gets it when it comes to Polanski.
Lopez is especially hard on Polanski's idiot defenders and excusers.
UPDATE: Another progressive, WAPO's Eugene Robinson, joins LAR with this well-written piece.
UPDATE II: Add HuffPo's Jason Linkins to the LAR team.
Lopez is especially hard on Polanski's idiot defenders and excusers.
Polanski stood in a Santa Monica courtroom on Aug. 8, 1977, admitted to having his way with a girl three decades his junior and told a judge that indeed, he knew she was only 13.Good for him. Read the whole thing.
There may well have been judicial misconduct.
But no misconduct was greater than allowing Polanski to cop a plea to the least of his charges. His crime was graphic, manipulative and heinous, and he got a pass. It's unbelievable, really, that his soft-headed apologists are rooting for him to get another one.
UPDATE: Another progressive, WAPO's Eugene Robinson, joins LAR with this well-written piece.
UPDATE II: Add HuffPo's Jason Linkins to the LAR team.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
You Don't Need to Be a Weatherman, Blah, Blah, Blah
Aww crap. Where's global warming when you need it?
French Intellectual, Legal Dimwit
Ann Althouse hands French philosophizer Bernard Henri Levy his head on the Polanski matter.
Read the whole thing.
Read the whole thing.
Sarkozy's Steel Fist, Obama's Kid Glove
Sarkozy diplomatically unloads on Obama for his kid-glove handling of Iran and North Korea on nukes causing the WSJ to opine:
We thought we'd never see the day when the President of France shows more resolve than America's Commander in Chief for confronting one of the gravest challenges to global security. But here we are.
It Wasn't "Rape Rape"?
Whoopi Goldberg joins the chorus of nitwits who attempt to defend Roman Polanski.
Patterico is on the case.
Patterico is on the case.
Base Hits: The Long Road Home, Records Broken and Top Draft Picks Galore
I predicted that September would be ugly for the O's but after winning series' against the Yankees and the Rangers, you started to think that they would be competitive with the weaker part of their schedule. I was wrong the second time.
11 straight losses including sweeps at the hands of the Blue Jays and Indians have put 100 losses back on the table. It already has them in line for the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft.
Facing the Rays and the Blue Jays this final week, the Orioles are just about assured of getting the 3rd overall pick and have a great shot at the 2nd pick of the 2010 draft. My advice at this point: keep losing
*****
Also in this last week, Jeremy Guthrie has a chance to give up more home runs than anyone in Oriole history. He has given up 32, the record is 35. Unlikely, as Guthrie has pitched better in September but well withing reach.
*****
Speaking of records, it has been widely reported that Brian Roberts can reach 60 doubles this season. He has 55 with 6 games left so it is unlikely that he will reach 60. But 60 is kind of an arbitrary number. The real milestone is 58.
If Roberts hits three more doubles, he will have one of the top ten seasons for doubles since 1901. That's what I'll be looking for this last week.
*****
The Orioles and Sarasota have selected the firms that will renovate Ed Smith Stadium, the new Spring Training home for the team.
The plan is to "either tear down or renovate" the stadium after Spring Training 2010.
*****
Will Dave Trembley return in 2010? It's not looking good.
(Oriole GM Andy) MacPhail has said for months that the club won't make a decision on Trembley's option for 2010 until either the last weekend of the season or a couple of days after it ends...
MacPhail met with Orioles owner Peter Angelos last week to discuss Trembley's status, but he continues to say little about the situation...
MacPhail has talked repeatedly about the importance of avoiding a late-season swoon, which has became an annual rite for the Orioles. He made it clear Sunday that he isn't pleased with the way the club has played on its current 10-game road trip...
Macphail has also said that while the record counts, the management will have to examine underlying factors as well. Yes, they do.
But it's going to be hard to not fire Trembley at this point. That's not where Dave wants to be.
11 straight losses including sweeps at the hands of the Blue Jays and Indians have put 100 losses back on the table. It already has them in line for the 2nd overall pick in the 2010 draft.
W L GB
Washington 53 103 --
Baltimore 60 96 7.0
Pittsburgh 59 96 7.5
Kansas City 64 93 10.5
Facing the Rays and the Blue Jays this final week, the Orioles are just about assured of getting the 3rd overall pick and have a great shot at the 2nd pick of the 2010 draft. My advice at this point: keep losing
*****
Also in this last week, Jeremy Guthrie has a chance to give up more home runs than anyone in Oriole history. He has given up 32, the record is 35. Unlikely, as Guthrie has pitched better in September but well withing reach.
*****
Speaking of records, it has been widely reported that Brian Roberts can reach 60 doubles this season. He has 55 with 6 games left so it is unlikely that he will reach 60. But 60 is kind of an arbitrary number. The real milestone is 58.
If Roberts hits three more doubles, he will have one of the top ten seasons for doubles since 1901. That's what I'll be looking for this last week.
*****
The Orioles and Sarasota have selected the firms that will renovate Ed Smith Stadium, the new Spring Training home for the team.
The plan is to "either tear down or renovate" the stadium after Spring Training 2010.
*****
Will Dave Trembley return in 2010? It's not looking good.
(Oriole GM Andy) MacPhail has said for months that the club won't make a decision on Trembley's option for 2010 until either the last weekend of the season or a couple of days after it ends...
MacPhail met with Orioles owner Peter Angelos last week to discuss Trembley's status, but he continues to say little about the situation...
MacPhail has talked repeatedly about the importance of avoiding a late-season swoon, which has became an annual rite for the Orioles. He made it clear Sunday that he isn't pleased with the way the club has played on its current 10-game road trip...
Macphail has also said that while the record counts, the management will have to examine underlying factors as well. Yes, they do.
But it's going to be hard to not fire Trembley at this point. That's not where Dave wants to be.
Pick The Liar
Meanwhile in Canada...
So somebody is lying. It's either Christina Woodkey or Paul Krugman. You decide.
When the pain in Christina Woodkey's legs became so severe that she could no long hike or cross-country ski, she went to her local health clinic. The Calgary, Canada, resident was told she'd need to see a hip specialist. Because the problem was not life-threatening, however, she'd have to wait about a year.NYT columnist Paul Krugman announced some weeks ago that such scare stories about healthcare being rationed in countries with single-payer systems are "false."
So wait she did.
In January, the hip doctor told her that a narrowing of the spine was compressing her nerves and causing the pain. She needed a back specialist. The appointment was set for Sept. 30.
"When I was given that date, I asked when could I expect to have surgery," said Woodkey, 72. "They said it would be a year and a half after I had seen this doctor."
So this month, she drove across the border into Montana and got the $50,000 surgery done in two days.
"I don't have insurance. We're not allowed to have private health insurance in Canada," Woodkey said. "It's not going to be easy to come up with the money. But I'm happy to say the pain is almost all gone."
So somebody is lying. It's either Christina Woodkey or Paul Krugman. You decide.
American Naivete Personified
The French may be talking nonsense when it comes to Roman Polansky, but they're talking sense when it comes to Obama's naive speech about nuclear disarmament.
As Tom Bevan points out, this is not news in America
As Tom Bevan points out, this is not news in America
Thank Trial Lawyers and Democrats
A lawyer for Med-Mal reform.
A taste:
A taste:
The upshot is simple: A few thousand trial lawyers are blocking reform that would benefit 300 million Americans. This is not just your normal special-interest politics. It's a scandal—it is as if international-trade policy was being crafted in order to get fees for customs agents.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Obama's Vision Thing
Jennifer Rubin on Obama's view of America vs. Americans view of America.
Obama plainly embodies that mindset of liberal elites. America is flawed. America has no distinct message or values, and its interests are entitled to no more weight than Belgium’s or Cuba’s. It’s wrongheaded to assert our national interests. We should be seeking consensus and righting the great wrongs that America has done to other nations—both its stinginess in redistributing wealth and its failure to cater to other nations’ geopolitical and psychological concerns. Russia needs reassuring. The Arabs need validation. And it’s the president’s job to lower America’s profile so as to not incur the wrath of hostile powers.
Average Americans don’t buy into any of this. They have the notion—ridiculed by Obama and his supporters—that America is unique, both in its attributes and in its role in the world. They might grow weary of the burdens and prefer shorter and less costly wars (what democratic people do not?), but the notion that we should simply go along with the crowd, avoid hurting Russian sensibilities, or accede to false historical narratives of Arab nations in contravention to our own interests and those of our allies are alien and off-putting to them. If Iran is a threat to the world, ordinary Americans expect their president to do something about it, not merely call another meeting to talk with thugs spouting genocidal nonsense."
The Polanski Case
Kate Harding nails it on the Roman Polanski arrest.
Let's keep in mind that Roman Polanski gave a 13-year-old girl a Quaalude and champagne, then raped her, before we start discussing whether the victim looked older than her 13 years, or that she now says she'd rather not see him prosecuted because she can't stand the media attention. Before we discuss how awesome his movies are or what the now-deceased judge did wrong at his trial, let's take a moment to recall that according to the victim's grand jury testimony, Roman Polanski instructed her to get into a jacuzzi naked, refused to take her home when she begged to go, began kissing her even though she said no and asked him to stop; performed cunnilingus on her as she said no and asked him to stop; put his penis in her vagina as she said no and asked him to stop; asked if he could penetrate her anally, to which she replied, "No," then went ahead and did it anyway, until he had an orgasm.Gee, let's hope so.
Can we do that?
Pictures from We Tv & David Tutera's Premier of My Fair Wedding & launch of David Tutera By Faviana
I had the pleasure of being at New York City's Gotham Hall for the premier of We Tv's My Fair Wedding with David Tutera.
The opening act was amazing by Nuttin But Stringz! Followed by the collaborative launch of David Tutera By Faviana a line of luxury wedding gowns inspired by couture red carpet affairs and events. The collection is expected to be in stores by February 2010. David can add this to his amazing list of accomplishments from floral and event design to his newest book, The Big White Book of Weddings. Everyone also enjoyed the premiere of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera and of course it was exciting, funny and amazing to watch the transformation. One of my fav wedding shows.
Here are some pictures of the fab event enjoy!!
The Silver Lining Team: The Best of a Dark Decade
Over the past 12 years, we O's fans have been subjected to the worst stretch of seasons in the team's history (at least since they came to Baltimore). Yes, even worse than the 50's and early 60's.
To that end, here's a team made up of the best Oriole players of the 00's. Some of this list is a bit depressing but this is just to remind us all of the bright spots before we mercifully close the door on this miserable decade (and more).
Catcher - Javy Lopez (2004-2006)
Lopez was not a great defensive catcher but actually hit pretty well for two of the three seasons he was an Oriole. In the great wasteland of Oriole catchers during the aughts, Lopez stands alone.
1B - David Segui (2001-2004)
Another guy who looks great compared to the other guys at his position is Segui. Over portions of 3 seasons, Segui was a steady performer at the plate and flashed a pretty slick glove. He also reportedly showed some young guys the ropes in regards to chemically enhancing your play...but I'm leaving him in.
2B - Brian Roberts (2001-2009)
Through all the ups and downs that Baltimore has had this decade, there has been one guy who fans could look to for excellence in every facet of the game. Roberts led all Orioles in doubles during the 00's, is in the top 5 for the entire American League and only second to Jeff Kent among all major league second basemen. Of course, he also led all Orioles in stolen bases with 255.
In addition to this, he has been a the face of the Orioles in the community and a fan favorite for a team that has been pretty horrendous.
3B - Melvin Mora (2000-2009)
As much as I have slagged Mora for his play in 2009, he has had a very nice career for Baltimore and will always be remembered as one of the great Oriole third baseman. Ok, maybe that's because after Brooks Robinson the pickings have been slim at the hot corner. But as a whole, Mora turned himself into a pretty decent fielder, had some monster seasons at the plate and was a steady presence for almost 10 seasons.
He leads all Orioles in hits and home runs for the decade.
SS - Miguel Tejada (2004-2007)
It was easy to pick apart Tejada's game. He tended to lose power over the course of his stay, his baserunning mistakes were maddening and his fielding was not always great. But as a total package, Tejada was arguably the best player to don the black and orange this decade. He played a premium defensive position and he hit .300 and knocked in 20 homers his first three seasons (and just missed both marks in his 4th).
It's tough to replace that kind of production at shortstop as we have seen.
LF - Luke Scott (2008-2009)
Left field was an offensive black hole as B.J. Surhoff aged and then retired. But finally, Scott came over from Houston as one of the many spare parts in the Miguel Tejada trade and provided more than adequate offense from left in 2008 and 2009 (although he's been mostly a DH in '09).
He's a flawed hitter (can't hit lefties, streaky) but he's a lot of fun to watch and supplies a ton of raw power to the lineup.
CF - Adam Jones (2008-2009)
The jewel of the Erik Bedard trade has become the best Oriole center fielder of the decade after only parts of two seasons.
RF - Nick Markakis (2006-2009)
Markakis was rushed from AA and struggled mightily during his first 2 months in the big leagues. Since then, he's been a .300 hitter with Gold Glove caliber defense in right. He leads all Orioles in OPB for the decade and was only second in OPS to Miguel Tejada.
DH - Aubrey Huff (2007-2009)
A mediocre hitter who had one monster season in 2008. Another failing of The Warehouse is that Huff is the best DH Baltimore had.
Bench - Ramon Hernandez (2006-2008)
Hernandez's value came mainly in 2006 and he dropped off precipitously after that. Rough decade for catchers. Thank God for Matt Wieters.
Bench - Jeff Conine (2000-2006)
Conine's flexibility in the field and decent bat made him a valuable role player early in the decade and would make him an excellent bench player for this team.
Bench - Mike Bordick (2000-2002)
Bordick had a slick glove and managed to swing a pretty good bat for a "good glove, no hit" player. And we traded him to the Mets for Melvin Mora. Good value.
Bench - Tony Batista (2001-2003)
Batista manned third for three seasons and, while not good, was better than he seemed at the time. Lots of raw power, not much discipline.
SP - Erik Bedard (2002-2007)
By far, the best Oriole pitcher of the group and the best Oriole pitcher since Mike Mussina. In between stints to the DL, Bedard was dominating. While he was here, Beadard set the Oriole record for strikeouts in a season
SP - Jeremy Guthrie (2007-2009)
Guthrie was a 1st round bust for Cleveland when Baltimore picked him up off of waivers before the 2007 season. He had surpassed all expectations to become the steadiest Oriole starter since he arrived (even including his sub-par 2009).
SP - Sidney Ponson (2000-2005)
I guess the thing ot point out about Ponson is that he had 22 complete games as an Oriole and is only behind Mike Mussina among Orioles who played after 1990.
SP - Daniel Cabrera (2004-2008)
I cannot revisit D-Cab's Oriole career. I just can't. Oriole leader in strikeouts during the 00's.
SP - Rodrigo Lopez (2002-2006)
Lopz makes the list. Winningest Oriole pitcher of the decade.
RP - Buddy Groom (2000-2004)
Groom was pretty good. The lefty pitched 285 innings over the 5 seasons with the Orioles and served as a workhorse when the O's needed him most.
RP - Jim Johnson (2006-2009)
Converted starter who dominated in a setup role. (A role he may soon be returning to.) Teamed up with George Sherrill to form a nice 1-2 punch at eh end of games.
RP - George Sherrill (2008-2009)
When I start to worry about who will close for the O's in 2010, I remember that Sherrill arrived with no closing experience whatsoever. He was servicable in that role and made the All-Star team in '08.
RP - BJ Ryan (2000-2005)
Feels like Ryan should have more saves here. But Ryan was very good for 5 full seasons, striking out opposing batters at unbelieveable rates.
RP - Chris Ray (2005-2009)
After Ryan split for Toronto, Ray stepped in and was every bit as good as the Oriole closer. An injury has derailed him a bit but there's hope he can return to form.
RP - Chad Bradford (2007-2008)
Of all the free agent relievers the Orioles signed this decade, Bradford was the only one to earn his money. He kept the ball in the park and was a nice matchup guy for righties.
RP - Jorge Julio (2001-2005)
Yeah, he makes the list. I think I have enough distance on Julio now to mention that he was really awesome in 2002. That's about all I have.
To that end, here's a team made up of the best Oriole players of the 00's. Some of this list is a bit depressing but this is just to remind us all of the bright spots before we mercifully close the door on this miserable decade (and more).
Catcher - Javy Lopez (2004-2006)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Lopez .293 .343 .468 .811 72 46 0
Lopez was not a great defensive catcher but actually hit pretty well for two of the three seasons he was an Oriole. In the great wasteland of Oriole catchers during the aughts, Lopez stands alone.
1B - David Segui (2001-2004)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Segui .287 .375 .425 .800 35 18 2
Another guy who looks great compared to the other guys at his position is Segui. Over portions of 3 seasons, Segui was a steady performer at the plate and flashed a pretty slick glove. He also reportedly showed some young guys the ropes in regards to chemically enhancing your play...but I'm leaving him in.
2B - Brian Roberts (2001-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Roberts .284 .355 .421 .776 316 76 255
Through all the ups and downs that Baltimore has had this decade, there has been one guy who fans could look to for excellence in every facet of the game. Roberts led all Orioles in doubles during the 00's, is in the top 5 for the entire American League and only second to Jeff Kent among all major league second basemen. Of course, he also led all Orioles in stolen bases with 255.
In addition to this, he has been a the face of the Orioles in the community and a fan favorite for a team that has been pretty horrendous.
3B - Melvin Mora (2000-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Mora .280 .355 .439 .794 250 158 82
As much as I have slagged Mora for his play in 2009, he has had a very nice career for Baltimore and will always be remembered as one of the great Oriole third baseman. Ok, maybe that's because after Brooks Robinson the pickings have been slim at the hot corner. But as a whole, Mora turned himself into a pretty decent fielder, had some monster seasons at the plate and was a steady presence for almost 10 seasons.
He leads all Orioles in hits and home runs for the decade.
SS - Miguel Tejada (2004-2007)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Tejada .311 .362 .501 .863 146 102 17
It was easy to pick apart Tejada's game. He tended to lose power over the course of his stay, his baserunning mistakes were maddening and his fielding was not always great. But as a total package, Tejada was arguably the best player to don the black and orange this decade. He played a premium defensive position and he hit .300 and knocked in 20 homers his first three seasons (and just missed both marks in his 4th).
It's tough to replace that kind of production at shortstop as we have seen.
LF - Luke Scott (2008-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Scott .257 .339 .482 .821 52 47 2
Left field was an offensive black hole as B.J. Surhoff aged and then retired. But finally, Scott came over from Houston as one of the many spare parts in the Miguel Tejada trade and provided more than adequate offense from left in 2008 and 2009 (although he's been mostly a DH in '09).
He's a flawed hitter (can't hit lefties, streaky) but he's a lot of fun to watch and supplies a ton of raw power to the lineup.
CF - Adam Jones (2008-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Jones .274 .323 .428 .751 43 28 20
The jewel of the Erik Bedard trade has become the best Oriole center fielder of the decade after only parts of two seasons.
RF - Nick Markakis (2006-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Markakis .298 .367 .470 .837 158 75 35
Markakis was rushed from AA and struggled mightily during his first 2 months in the big leagues. Since then, he's been a .300 hitter with Gold Glove caliber defense in right. He leads all Orioles in OPB for the decade and was only second in OPS to Miguel Tejada.
DH - Aubrey Huff (2007-2009)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Huff .282 .341 .473 .814 106 60 5
A mediocre hitter who had one monster season in 2008. Another failing of The Warehouse is that Huff is the best DH Baltimore had.
Bench - Ramon Hernandez (2006-2008)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Hernandez .264 .328 .427 .755 69 60 5
Hernandez's value came mainly in 2006 and he dropped off precipitously after that. Rough decade for catchers. Thank God for Matt Wieters.
Bench - Jeff Conine (2000-2006)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Conine .286 .342 .440 .782 122 66 32
Conine's flexibility in the field and decent bat made him a valuable role player early in the decade and would make him an excellent bench player for this team.
Bench - Mike Bordick (2000-2002)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Bordick .261 .324 .418 .742 54 31 22
Bordick had a slick glove and managed to swing a pretty good bat for a "good glove, no hit" player. And we traded him to the Mets for Melvin Mora. Good value.
Bench - Tony Batista (2001-2003)
AVG OBP SLG OPS 2B HR SB
Batista .245 .293 .433 .726 72 69 14
Batista manned third for three seasons and, while not good, was better than he seemed at the time. Lots of raw power, not much discipline.
SP - Erik Bedard (2002-2007)
G CG SHO W L K BB HR ERA
Bedard 114 1 1 40 34 639 254 58 3.83
By far, the best Oriole pitcher of the group and the best Oriole pitcher since Mike Mussina. In between stints to the DL, Bedard was dominating. While he was here, Beadard set the Oriole record for strikeouts in a season
SP - Jeremy Guthrie (2007-2009)
G CG SHO W L K BB HR ERA
Guthrie 92 2 0 27 32 343 160 78 4.12
Guthrie was a 1st round bust for Cleveland when Baltimore picked him up off of waivers before the 2007 season. He had surpassed all expectations to become the steadiest Oriole starter since he arrived (even including his sub-par 2009).
SP - Sidney Ponson (2000-2005)
G CG SHO W L K BB HR ERA
Ponson 160 22 4 53 64 639 343 126 4.84
I guess the thing ot point out about Ponson is that he had 22 complete games as an Oriole and is only behind Mike Mussina among Orioles who played after 1990.
SP - Daniel Cabrera (2004-2008)
G CG SHO W L K BB HR ERA
Cabrera 147 6 2 48 59 651 478 88 5.05
I cannot revisit D-Cab's Oriole career. I just can't. Oriole leader in strikeouts during the 00's.
SP - Rodrigo Lopez (2002-2006)
G CG SHO W L K BB HR ERA
Lopez 167 5 2 60 58 614 281 128 4.72
Lopz makes the list. Winningest Oriole pitcher of the decade.
RP - Buddy Groom (2000-2004)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Groom 330 18 15 13 212 72 26 3.91
Groom was pretty good. The lefty pitched 285 innings over the 5 seasons with the Orioles and served as a workhorse when the O's needed him most.
RP - Jim Johnson (2006-2009)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Johnson 116 9 6 10 88 54 9 3.66
Converted starter who dominated in a setup role. (A role he may soon be returning to.) Teamed up with George Sherrill to form a nice 1-2 punch at eh end of games.
RP - George Sherrill (2008-2009)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Sherrill 99 51 3 6 97 46 9 3.71
When I start to worry about who will close for the O's in 2010, I remember that Sherrill arrived with no closing experience whatsoever. He was servicable in that role and made the All-Star team in '08.
RP - BJ Ryan (2000-2005)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Ryan 391 42 15 19 436 182 29 3.57
Feels like Ryan should have more saves here. But Ryan was very good for 5 full seasons, striking out opposing batters at unbelieveable rates.
RP - Chris Ray (2005-2009)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Ray 188 49 10 16 176 82 27 3.91
After Ryan split for Toronto, Ray stepped in and was every bit as good as the Oriole closer. An injury has derailed him a bit but there's hope he can return to form.
RP - Chad Bradford (2007-2008)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Bradford 125 2 7 10 42 23 3 3.00
Of all the free agent relievers the Orioles signed this decade, Bradford was the only one to earn his money. He kept the ball in the park and was a nice matchup guy for righties.
RP - Jorge Julio (2001-2005)
G SV W L K BB HR ERA
Julio 281 83 11 24 257 133 42 4.20
Yeah, he makes the list. I think I have enough distance on Julio now to mention that he was really awesome in 2002. That's about all I have.
Undress For Success
So the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission has determined that "racial animus" drove the decision of the Valley Swim Club to cancel visits by a camp of mostly blacks kids. It has ordered $50,000 to be awarded the complaintant a single minority kid and his family.
This would be the same government panel that just a few years ago awarded a former radio employee $600,000 for the insult of being asked to read a book. The book called "New Dress for Success" suggested that people in business refrain from dressing in ethnically stereotypical ways.
The HRC's ludicrous award was appealed by the station. A federal panel tossed it out and that was the end of the matter.
In the swim club case, the club's attorney says the HRC's decision was a "fait accompli" once the media coverage got ahead of the facts of the story. He's got that right.
The media coverage of this story remains pretty poor and the commentary is simply over the top.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial on the matter is jaw-droppingly bad. Here's a portion:
There is, after all, plenty of evidence that the swim club as an organization didn't act out of racial malice, especially given the fact that the minority campers were invited to the pool in the first place. There is even more evidence the the club's leadership acted with amazing stupidity and arrogance in unilaterally cancelling their aggreement with the camp. But the case for racial animus remains as weak as ever.
The Inquirer tips it's hand in its lead paragraph:
This is a nothing more than a shoddy and disreputable attempt to marginalize people with whom the Inky's editorial board disagrees politically. Even worse, it won't work. The playing of the race card simply doesn't intimidate people like it used to, mostly because it has been played so promiscuously, unfairly and underhandedly for so many years now. This is just the latest example.
This would be the same government panel that just a few years ago awarded a former radio employee $600,000 for the insult of being asked to read a book. The book called "New Dress for Success" suggested that people in business refrain from dressing in ethnically stereotypical ways.
The HRC's ludicrous award was appealed by the station. A federal panel tossed it out and that was the end of the matter.
In the swim club case, the club's attorney says the HRC's decision was a "fait accompli" once the media coverage got ahead of the facts of the story. He's got that right.
The media coverage of this story remains pretty poor and the commentary is simply over the top.
The Philadelphia Inquirer's editorial on the matter is jaw-droppingly bad. Here's a portion:
Here was a fully investigated conclusion that, yes, racism still exists in America, and earlier this summer it dashed water into the faces of little black and Latino children who naively ventured to a suburban pool for a swim.The HRC certainly came to a conclusion all right, the same one the Inquirer and other enlightened types came to month's ago. But the HRC came to a conclusion in the New Dress for Success matter as well. That conclusion was bounced out of court. This one, ultimately, could be too.
There is, after all, plenty of evidence that the swim club as an organization didn't act out of racial malice, especially given the fact that the minority campers were invited to the pool in the first place. There is even more evidence the the club's leadership acted with amazing stupidity and arrogance in unilaterally cancelling their aggreement with the camp. But the case for racial animus remains as weak as ever.
The Inquirer tips it's hand in its lead paragraph:
A state investigation that found a Montgomery County swim club discriminated against a group of minority kids who visited its pool only underscores how much racism still remains a sad part of society. This was no philosophical treatise on the role of racism in some of the more agitated, animated opposition to ideas being put forth by this nation's first black president, in particular President Obama's health-care reform plan.The editorial board would have us believe that racism not only remains a driving factor in lives of many white people, it explains the opposition to our first black president's idea of health-care reform.
This is a nothing more than a shoddy and disreputable attempt to marginalize people with whom the Inky's editorial board disagrees politically. Even worse, it won't work. The playing of the race card simply doesn't intimidate people like it used to, mostly because it has been played so promiscuously, unfairly and underhandedly for so many years now. This is just the latest example.
Liberals Want Illegals Covered
I suppose reasonable people can disagree about whether or not to provide taxpayer subsidized health insurance to illegal aliens, like these liberal House Democrats want to do, but it doesn't sound much like a political winner.
UPDATE: And if you'll recall this was the issue that led Congressman Joe Wilson to shout out to the president "You lie" during his address to congress. Obama said he was tired of misrepresentations about what the Democrats were proposing when it came to health reform, including that that they would cover illegal aliens. Every time, the Republicans sought to include an amendment into a health care bill that would explicitly exclude health benefits to illegals, Democrats voted then down. What would any reasonable person conclude from that? And now some Democrats are expliciting advocating such coverage for illegals. However impolitely Wilson challenged the president, on the issue he was speaking truth than Mr. Obama.
UPDATE: And if you'll recall this was the issue that led Congressman Joe Wilson to shout out to the president "You lie" during his address to congress. Obama said he was tired of misrepresentations about what the Democrats were proposing when it came to health reform, including that that they would cover illegal aliens. Every time, the Republicans sought to include an amendment into a health care bill that would explicitly exclude health benefits to illegals, Democrats voted then down. What would any reasonable person conclude from that? And now some Democrats are expliciting advocating such coverage for illegals. However impolitely Wilson challenged the president, on the issue he was speaking truth than Mr. Obama.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Proposal to extend class 004 Computer science by K. P. Singh
We have just received an interesting proposal for the extension of the UDC class 004 Computer science by Kunwar P Singh and Manisha Singh (Department of Library and Information Sceince, University of Delhi) - which we are looking forward to working on.
We have been annually updating class 004 ever since its major revision and publication in 1994, adding a couple of the most urgently needed
We have been annually updating class 004 ever since its major revision and publication in 1994, adding a couple of the most urgently needed
Proposal to extend class 004 Computer science by K. P. Singh
We have just received an interesting proposal for the extension of the UDC class 004 Computer science by Kunwar P Singh and Manisha Singh (Department of Library and Information Sceince, University of Delhi) - which we are looking forward to working on.
We have been annually updating class 004 ever since its major revision and publication in 1994, adding a couple of the most urgently needed
We have been annually updating class 004 ever since its major revision and publication in 1994, adding a couple of the most urgently needed
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Obamacare & Doctors: No Love Lost
Why doctors hate Obamacare.
Dr. Mark Seigel explains:
Dr. Mark Seigel explains:
All the current health-care bills are unfair to doctors. Even Sen. Max Baucus' "moderate" bill (like the other bills) includes cuts to Medicare and Medicaid that would directly affect hospitals and doctors: How far does Congress think it can cut our reimbursements before compromising care, if not driving us out of business?Read the whole thing.
Obama Tested, Fails
Mark Helprin on Obama's recent foreign policy blunders:
Money Q:
Money Q:
Stalin tested Truman with the Berlin Blockade, and Truman held fast. Khrushchev tested Kennedy, and in the Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy refused to blink. In 1983, Andropov took the measure of Reagan, and, defying millions in the street (who are now the Obama base), Reagan did not blink. Last week, the Iranian president and the Russian prime minister put Mr. Obama to the test, and he blinked not once but twice. The price of such infirmity has always proven immensely high, even if, as is the custom these days, the bill has yet to come.
A Child's Tale; An Adult's Nightmare
Another innocent Delaware County man is hauled up on very flimsy sex abuse charges, tried and acquitted. My print column is up.
ACORN: It Gets Worse!
From U.S. News and World Report:
A special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate ACORN since the Obama Administration obviously has too many conflicts of interests to do a credible job.
Perhaps my favorite ACORN story, before this one, is when it sued the state of California to be exempt from its minimum wage laws. This, after organizing to push for a higher minimum wage. Hypocrisy doesn't come any clearer than that.
As with most criminal organizations it won't be its most significant crimes that take it down. (Remember Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion.) But the videos of ACORN workers across the country giving two undercover activist filmmakers advice on how to a child prostitution ring without paying taxes will by the death of ACORN.
And if the president, a past ACORN community organizer and top legal counsel, doesn't order a special prosecutor to dig deeper into its activities, the scandal could drag him down too.
Left-wing kooks will continue to defend ACORN until their dying breath, sucked in as they are by any group that claims to be on the side of poor people. But ACORN doesn't help the poor, it exploits and corrupts them for its own self-perpetuating gain.
This latest round of problems for ACORN may be the best documented, but they are not the first nor, for that matter, are they the most serious.This is why Democrats who have been supported by ACORN are now fleeing, cutting and running. They have voted to defund the group lest they be dragged down with them.
A report issued last summer by the Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, according to Sunday's Washington Times, "presented evidence that ACORN had engaged in criminal misconduct."
Among the findings, the report said, ACORN:
Engaged in tax evasion, obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting a cover-up of nearly $1 million embezzled by Dale Rathke, brother of group founder Wade Rathke;
Committed investment fraud, depriving the public of the right to "honest services," and engaging in a racketeering enterprise affecting interstate commerce;
Conspired to defraud the United States by using taxpayer dollars for partisan political activities;
Submitted false filings to the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Department of Labor; and,
Violated the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act.
Any one of these is a serious allegation. Taken together, they give ACORN most every appearance of being some sort of massive criminal enterprise worthy of a federal investigation of the sort made under the terms of the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act—or RICO.
In fact the group and its affiliates are currently the target of more than a dozen lawsuits related to voter fraud in the 2008 election alone."
A special prosecutor should be appointed to investigate ACORN since the Obama Administration obviously has too many conflicts of interests to do a credible job.
Perhaps my favorite ACORN story, before this one, is when it sued the state of California to be exempt from its minimum wage laws. This, after organizing to push for a higher minimum wage. Hypocrisy doesn't come any clearer than that.
As with most criminal organizations it won't be its most significant crimes that take it down. (Remember Al Capone was convicted of tax evasion.) But the videos of ACORN workers across the country giving two undercover activist filmmakers advice on how to a child prostitution ring without paying taxes will by the death of ACORN.
And if the president, a past ACORN community organizer and top legal counsel, doesn't order a special prosecutor to dig deeper into its activities, the scandal could drag him down too.
Left-wing kooks will continue to defend ACORN until their dying breath, sucked in as they are by any group that claims to be on the side of poor people. But ACORN doesn't help the poor, it exploits and corrupts them for its own self-perpetuating gain.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sex Tourist Sentenced
A Bucks County sex tourist gets sentenced to 8 years for having sex with two underage Russian girls.
Where did this guy go for advice when it came to child rape? ACORN?
Where did this guy go for advice when it came to child rape? ACORN?
Lost In Afghanistan
The head of the Council on Foreign Relations is lost trying to figure out Obama's strategy in Afghanistan.
Charles Krauthammer says Obama is distracted trying to push his domestic agenda while American soldiers are dying for lack of a new strategy and resources. He and others worry that he simply doesn't care that much about foreign policy and dangers posed around the world compared to his desire to impose a domestic agenda that is more European-like and statist at home.
So far, sounds right.
Democrats used to say that the important war was in Afghanistan. But they only said that to politically justify their criticism of the Iraq War and the Bush Administration. They wanted to sound like they weren't simply a bunch of soft-on-terrorists-anti-war nuts. If winning in Afghanistan was so important back then, why is it not important now?
Charles Krauthammer says Obama is distracted trying to push his domestic agenda while American soldiers are dying for lack of a new strategy and resources. He and others worry that he simply doesn't care that much about foreign policy and dangers posed around the world compared to his desire to impose a domestic agenda that is more European-like and statist at home.
So far, sounds right.
Democrats used to say that the important war was in Afghanistan. But they only said that to politically justify their criticism of the Iraq War and the Bush Administration. They wanted to sound like they weren't simply a bunch of soft-on-terrorists-anti-war nuts. If winning in Afghanistan was so important back then, why is it not important now?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Prof FIREd for Criticizing Policy
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) takes on a case of a college administrator trampling the rights of a professor who asked a rather embarrassing question during a sexual harrassment training session.
The question?
If there any penalty for someone making a false charge of sexual harassment?
The answer was no. And the professor said that was a "flaw" in the policy.
Said professor was dragged in front of the college president and ordered to resign or be fired for being "divisive" to the campus community.
Read all about it.
The question?
If there any penalty for someone making a false charge of sexual harassment?
The answer was no. And the professor said that was a "flaw" in the policy.
Said professor was dragged in front of the college president and ordered to resign or be fired for being "divisive" to the campus community.
Read all about it.
Base Hits: Trembley on Umpire Bias, Reimold for ROY and A Good Baseball Match
Friday morning on Sirius XM MLB Home Plate, Dave Trembley appeared on Power Alley with hosts Seth Everett and Bill Ripken. Regarding Trembley's meltdown with home plate umpire Ron Kulpa, Seth asked if he thought umpires had a bias for or against certain teams when calling balls and strikes.
Carl Crawford is pleading to the heavens but The Holiness he seeks to implore is not skyward but behind home plate. And he just gunned you down. Twice. You're out, Carl.
*****
From an article at Guardian.co.uk about the food served at various sporting events in England and America:
In the United States, where baseball has traditionally been associated with soggy hot dogs and watery beer, an interesting trend began a few years ago when the Baltimore Orioles began selling regional cuisine like pit beef platters and Maryland crab cake sandwiches on match days.
Can't wait to go down to OPACY for a good baseball match! Match day. That's classic.
*****
Everett: Do you sense, and you don't have to name names, but do you sense that there is some semblance of a bias amongst umpires and that sometimes umpires are favoring one team to another?
Trembley: (laughing) Hey listen, I don't have enough money in my checking account...if I answered that question truthfully, I could never pay 'cause Mr. Watson would get me severely. But what I would say and what I would say very clearly is that the strike zone is different from umpire to umpire and sometimes from game to game. It's not consistent...I just don't understand that....I've always said that the toughest three outs to get in Yankee Stadium are the six you gotta get in the bottom of the 9th. It seems like the strike zone in some places is a little bit different.
He drives me nuts when he bats Cesar Izturis second but how can you not like the guy...
*****
Via the DC Sports Bog by Dan Steinberg, the Orioles are mounting a Rookie of the Year campaign for Nolan Reimold by sending members of the BBWAA some arguments in Reimold's favor. Here's two that Dan posted:
It's nice that the Orioles are doing this because, quite frankly, Reimold probably just isn't on the average writer's radar.
Now, he's not catching Gordon Beckham for the rookie leader in RBI as the Orioles state may happen but of rookie position players (Beckham, Reimold and Elvis Andrus), he's the best hitter. Pitchers like Rick Porcello and Andrew Bailey are going to cloud the mix as well but Reimold is certainly a worthy candidate.
(edit: So much for this campaign; Reimold is done for the season.
*****
Oriole-Induced Grimace of the Week:
Carl Crawford is pleading to the heavens but The Holiness he seeks to implore is not skyward but behind home plate. And he just gunned you down. Twice. You're out, Carl.By the way, was Hancock at this game?
From an article at Guardian.co.uk about the food served at various sporting events in England and America:
In the United States, where baseball has traditionally been associated with soggy hot dogs and watery beer, an interesting trend began a few years ago when the Baltimore Orioles began selling regional cuisine like pit beef platters and Maryland crab cake sandwiches on match days.
Can't wait to go down to OPACY for a good baseball match! Match day. That's classic.
*****
On a random note, I was at a poker game on Saturday at the house of the son-in-law of the man who played catcher for the 1979 Pirates. (I believe he was the backup catcher, a guy named Steve Nicosia)
Anyway, besides being on the team that upset the Orioles in the World Series, Steve had an enormous collection of bats that this guy had on display in his basement. Luis Tiant, Willie Stargell, Pete Rose, Manny Sanguillen, Bill Madlock...about 45 bats that Nicosia had collected during his playing career.
Not much to elaborate on but it was pretty cool.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"Who is John Galt?"
A parade of signs at the recent tea party protest in Washington.
As Robert Tracinski explains these people aren't racist, as many lefties are claiming, they're pissed at government proflicacy and what they understandably perceive as attacks on their liberty.
As Robert Tracinski explains these people aren't racist, as many lefties are claiming, they're pissed at government proflicacy and what they understandably perceive as attacks on their liberty.
Articles from E&C 30 (2008) online
Articles published in the "Extensions & Corrections to the UDC" journal, issue 30 (2008) are now available in DLIST:
McIlwaine, Ia C. & Williamson, Nancy (2008) Medicine and the UDC: the process of restructuring Class 61. Extensions and Corrections to the UDC 30 : pp. 9-16.Gnoli, Claudio; Mazzocchi, Fulvio & Slavic, Aida (2008) The UDC Philosophy revision project. Extensions and Corrections to
McIlwaine, Ia C. & Williamson, Nancy (2008) Medicine and the UDC: the process of restructuring Class 61. Extensions and Corrections to the UDC 30 : pp. 9-16.Gnoli, Claudio; Mazzocchi, Fulvio & Slavic, Aida (2008) The UDC Philosophy revision project. Extensions and Corrections to
Articles from E&C 30 (2008) online
Articles published in the "Extensions & Corrections to the UDC" journal, issue 30 (2008) are now available in DLIST:
McIlwaine, Ia C. & Williamson, Nancy (2008) Medicine and the UDC: the process of restructuring Class 61. Extensions and Corrections to the UDC 30 : pp. 9-16.Gnoli, Claudio; Mazzocchi, Fulvio & Slavic, Aida (2008) The UDC Philosophy revision project. Extensions and Corrections to
McIlwaine, Ia C. & Williamson, Nancy (2008) Medicine and the UDC: the process of restructuring Class 61. Extensions and Corrections to the UDC 30 : pp. 9-16.Gnoli, Claudio; Mazzocchi, Fulvio & Slavic, Aida (2008) The UDC Philosophy revision project. Extensions and Corrections to
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Light Shines, ACORN Turns to Dust, Democrats Flee
Byron York reports Democrats abandoning ACORN in droves.
Not our Sen. Bob Casey though.
Somebody has to be brave enough to stand up for illegal immigration, tax fraud, pimping, child prostitution and the sex slave racket.
Not our Sen. Bob Casey though.
Somebody has to be brave enough to stand up for illegal immigration, tax fraud, pimping, child prostitution and the sex slave racket.
Jimmy Carter: Racist!
"Did we really need Jimmy Carter to tell us that racism is one of the driving forces behind the relentless and often scurrilous attacks on President Obama?"Not when we have Bob Herbert of New York Times to tell us.
Even richer, Herbert quotes Jimmy Carter's past racist statements.
During his presidential campaign in 1976, he blithely let it be known that he had no problem with residents “trying to maintain the ethnic purity of their neighborhoods,” and he tossed around ugly terms like “black intrusion” and “alien groups.” He later apologized.For liberals, it seems, playing the race card means no good deed goes unpunished.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Goldberg Hooks Dowd
Jonah Goldberg goes through the left's "tackle box" and finds nothing but "race bait."
The worst offender, worse than Jimmy Carter, worse than Al Sharpton even is...
The worst offender, worse than Jimmy Carter, worse than Al Sharpton even is...
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times hears Rep. Joe Wilson shout, "You lie!" And her instinctive response is: "Fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!"Goldberg has hooked a race-baiter.
It's the "fair or not" that gives Dowd away. She admits to hearing racism whether or not it's warranted. That's called prejudice. And unlike Wilson's foolish outburst, Dowd's was carefully considered. Dowd, Carter and Sharpton can't grasp that conservatives are less hung up on race than they are and that we can get past Obama's skin color. "Some people just can't believe a black man is president and will never accept it," writes Dowd. She's right. She's one of them.
Big Ed Announces...
We have a state budget deal.
Here's my favorite part of the AP story:
Also Big Ed says the taxpayers of Pennsylvania may not believe it but they're the "winners" in this deal.
Don't you feel like a winner? And it all thanks to the dealmaking abilities of our governor and state legislators? How can we ever thank them?
Any suggestions?
Here's my favorite part of the AP story:
The deal would slash spending by about 1 percent, but will not raise the state income tax or sales tax rates.Slash? How come you never see a sign in a store window: PRICES SLASHED!!! SAVE 1 PERCENT on EVERYTHING IN STORE!
Also Big Ed says the taxpayers of Pennsylvania may not believe it but they're the "winners" in this deal.
Don't you feel like a winner? And it all thanks to the dealmaking abilities of our governor and state legislators? How can we ever thank them?
Any suggestions?
It's Not The Color, Stupid!
A thoughtful piece by David Brooks on what is dividing America today.
Hint: It isn't race.
UPDATE: Jim Sleeper also offers his views on this subject.
I have one bone to pick with Sleeper. He writes:
When seniors protest, they tell politicians "Don't mess with my Medicare" they mean, "This is OUR program, it works for me and if you cut spending on it in order to include 47 milllion other people, I'll get less. I don't want less. Leave it alone."
This may be selfish. But it is not illogical.
Hint: It isn't race.
UPDATE: Jim Sleeper also offers his views on this subject.
I have one bone to pick with Sleeper. He writes:
It's the absence of honest answers, more than racism, that's turned out people brandishing signs that liken Obama to Hitler and demanding, with stupefying illogic, that government keep its hands off their Medicare.But there is nothing illogical about this "demand" at all. The left has been berating seniors for criticizing Obama's attempts to "socialize" medicine. What the seniors well understand is that Obamacare would significantly eat into spending on Medicare and reduce their choices when it comes to their health care.
When seniors protest, they tell politicians "Don't mess with my Medicare" they mean, "This is OUR program, it works for me and if you cut spending on it in order to include 47 milllion other people, I'll get less. I don't want less. Leave it alone."
This may be selfish. But it is not illogical.
ACORN Holioed
My print column on the ACORN fiasco is up.
It should be noted that the Philadelphia office of ACORN did not fall for the secretly videoed pimp-and-prostitute-seeking-advice stunt. This is not amazing. What is amazing is that so many other ACORN offices across the country did.
Plus, a correction from the story, it's Tresa (not Trisa) Kaelke.
UPDATE: First Jon Stewart (as mentioned in the column) now Jay Leno makes fun of APORN, I mean, ACORN.
UPDATE II: The House votes overwhelmingly to cut ACORN's federal funding. But 75 house members voted against it. Guess how many were Democrats?
It should be noted that the Philadelphia office of ACORN did not fall for the secretly videoed pimp-and-prostitute-seeking-advice stunt. This is not amazing. What is amazing is that so many other ACORN offices across the country did.
Plus, a correction from the story, it's Tresa (not Trisa) Kaelke.
UPDATE: First Jon Stewart (as mentioned in the column) now Jay Leno makes fun of APORN, I mean, ACORN.
UPDATE II: The House votes overwhelmingly to cut ACORN's federal funding. But 75 house members voted against it. Guess how many were Democrats?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Once Again, The Race Card
Jimmy Carter accuses President Obama's political opponents of racism.
GOP head Michael Steele, argues otherwise:
GOP head Michael Steele, argues otherwise:
It is becoming increasingly clear that some in the Democratic Party need a serious history lesson. Slavery was racist, Jim Crow laws were racist, segregation was racist – opposing a radical political agenda is not. Americans of all races and political mindsets applauded the election of America’s first African American president; it was a proud moment for every American. But our pride in electing an African-American president does not override our right to disagree with President Obama’s policies. It is obvious certain politicians are attempting to exploit racial anger to make up for their own policy failings.Read the whole thing.
Obama Will Give You?
Headline: Obama Will Give You $2,500 To Go To School.
Isn't that nice of him? Kind of like Oprah giving audience members cars. Except, wait a minute, where did Obama get the $2,500 to give you? Oh from YOU, your children and maybe your grandchildren. It's stimulus package money voted by the Democratic Congress and approved by The One.
Oprah actually earned the money she gives away. Obama and Democrats, not so much.
Isn't that nice of him? Kind of like Oprah giving audience members cars. Except, wait a minute, where did Obama get the $2,500 to give you? Oh from YOU, your children and maybe your grandchildren. It's stimulus package money voted by the Democratic Congress and approved by The One.
Oprah actually earned the money she gives away. Obama and Democrats, not so much.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger Itself
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger, yes as blogger supports javascript which makes blogger support all the possible hacks in this platform, but the problem we bloggers face in using this is , where to host this javascript on blogger.As blogger doesn't provide any source to host javascript for blog like it has provided picasa for images.As of before we all were using googlepages to upload the .js files but google closed this service and switched to google sites.As still we can upload these .js files to google sites but just upload it with file extension .txt instead of .js and it start working.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger Itself
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger, yes as blogger supports javascript which makes blogger support all the possible hacks in this platform, but the problem we bloggers face in using this is , where to host this javascript on blogger.As blogger doesn't provide any source to host javascript for blog like it has provided picasa for images.As of before we all were using googlepages to upload the .js files but google closed this service and switched to google sites.As still we can upload these .js files to google sites but just upload it with file extension .txt instead of .js and it start working.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger Itself
How To Host Javascript Or .js files on Blogger, yes as blogger supports javascript which makes blogger support all the possible hacks in this platform, but the problem we bloggers face in using this is , where to host this javascript on blogger.As blogger doesn't provide any source to host javascript for blog like it has provided picasa for images.As of before we all were using googlepages to upload the .js files but google closed this service and switched to google sites.As still we can upload these .js files to google sites but just upload it with file extension .txt instead of .js and it start working.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
But still,we can face any problem in future with it.The best solution is to have paid server to host your files for unlimited bandwidth, but bloggers using this free platform dont like spending on it.
I also provided you with the list of some servers to upload your javascript files but the problem was bandwidth which was very less.
So i will provide you the best solution to host your javascript on blogger itself and enjoy unlimited bandwidth.
Now just see the below codes.
<script src='http://Your-Script-Url/file.js' type='text/javascript'/>
Whenever you are trying to implement some hack making use of javascript you would have mostly been asked to download the .js file and upload to your own server,get its url and then replace it with red link in above codes shown above,and then place the whole above codes in blogger html before closing of head tag.The Problem we all face is getting an free server with unlimited bandwidth to host these javascripts.
So why don't we upload these javascripts to blogger itself.Just what you have to do is,whenever you are asked to do this kind of above stuff while implementing any hack.
Just use below code in place of above one i showed you.
<script type='text/javascript'>
//<![CDATA[
<--Paste all code here from .js file -->
//]]>
</script>
Just in place of red line in above code what you have to do is just open the .js file (which you are asked to download or upload to your own server) in notepad or on your browser , copy its code and paste it in place of above red line.And your javascript codes are now ready which are now hosted on blogger itself instead of hosting to third party server.
Now you will face no bandwidth problems.If you still have any problem related to this tutorial just leave your comments.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Purple & Pink Luxury Wedding Invitations Photo Shoot by New York invitations designer Lela New York
Meehan's Meaning
Pat Meehan declares for Congress.
A few observations:
1. He gives the GOP a great shot to reclaim the seat they lost three years ago when an ambitious Joe Sestak knocked off a wounded Curt Weldon.
2. Sestak's giving up the seat to run for Senate shows how, bad judgement and personal ambition have hurt Democratic chances to hold Congress for long. Meehan might have ambitiously jumped into the governor's race, but was talked in to settling for a less difficult congressional run, thus increasing GOP's chances in both races. Democrats on the other hand are invovled in internecine fights throughout the party.
The party's liberal leadership is at war with its more moderate members.
3. Sestak challenging Specter is a great example of two men who put themselves before party. There is plenty of vanity to go around in politics but never was it more on display than in this race.
4. At 80 years old Specter jumped parties to stay politically viable. Sestak, Mr. Ants in his Pants, jumped in to challenge Specter against the wishes, advice, and demands of party leaders like Ed Rendell. It was Rendell who cleared the way for Sestak to run against Weldon when Swarthmore's Bryan Lentz was gearing up to run. Lentz took the second banana role of running for state rep instead.
Was there ever any chance the Sestak would listen Rendell and others to wait for his chance to run for Senate? Probably not.
5. Meehan, the former Specter chief of staff, county DA, and U.S. Attorney, has been more respectful, politcally cautious, disciplined and smart. He runs for Congress now, has a good shot at winning and can go anywhere from there. He is well known in the 7th, well-regarded, and despite the Democrats growing edge in voter registration, likely to beat either Greg Vitali or Lentz, both state reps.
6. Vitali, in particular, seems too liberal to beat Meehan, especially, given the growing public backlash against the statist policies promoted by this Democratic president and the very unpopular Democratic leadership in Congress. Lentz appears to be more of a moderate than Vitali, has the military background that mollifies right-leaning Independents, but isn't particularly well known.
7. All around, Meehan's run is a good example what the GOP needs to do nationally to rebuild itself. Get good, sensible, respectable candidates who know the values and interests of their districts. The GOP has been in disarray the last three years after the 2006 mid-terms, thanks to George Bush's mealy-mouthed compassionate conservatism and big spending. (The Iraq war didn't help either.) Republicans are lucky to have opponents who as arrogant and out of touch as this bunch of Democrats. They are spending the country into oblivion and grabbing more and more power for the state. The voters, especially a growing number of Independents, know it and don't like it.
Game on.
A few observations:
1. He gives the GOP a great shot to reclaim the seat they lost three years ago when an ambitious Joe Sestak knocked off a wounded Curt Weldon.
2. Sestak's giving up the seat to run for Senate shows how, bad judgement and personal ambition have hurt Democratic chances to hold Congress for long. Meehan might have ambitiously jumped into the governor's race, but was talked in to settling for a less difficult congressional run, thus increasing GOP's chances in both races. Democrats on the other hand are invovled in internecine fights throughout the party.
The party's liberal leadership is at war with its more moderate members.
3. Sestak challenging Specter is a great example of two men who put themselves before party. There is plenty of vanity to go around in politics but never was it more on display than in this race.
4. At 80 years old Specter jumped parties to stay politically viable. Sestak, Mr. Ants in his Pants, jumped in to challenge Specter against the wishes, advice, and demands of party leaders like Ed Rendell. It was Rendell who cleared the way for Sestak to run against Weldon when Swarthmore's Bryan Lentz was gearing up to run. Lentz took the second banana role of running for state rep instead.
Was there ever any chance the Sestak would listen Rendell and others to wait for his chance to run for Senate? Probably not.
5. Meehan, the former Specter chief of staff, county DA, and U.S. Attorney, has been more respectful, politcally cautious, disciplined and smart. He runs for Congress now, has a good shot at winning and can go anywhere from there. He is well known in the 7th, well-regarded, and despite the Democrats growing edge in voter registration, likely to beat either Greg Vitali or Lentz, both state reps.
6. Vitali, in particular, seems too liberal to beat Meehan, especially, given the growing public backlash against the statist policies promoted by this Democratic president and the very unpopular Democratic leadership in Congress. Lentz appears to be more of a moderate than Vitali, has the military background that mollifies right-leaning Independents, but isn't particularly well known.
7. All around, Meehan's run is a good example what the GOP needs to do nationally to rebuild itself. Get good, sensible, respectable candidates who know the values and interests of their districts. The GOP has been in disarray the last three years after the 2006 mid-terms, thanks to George Bush's mealy-mouthed compassionate conservatism and big spending. (The Iraq war didn't help either.) Republicans are lucky to have opponents who as arrogant and out of touch as this bunch of Democrats. They are spending the country into oblivion and grabbing more and more power for the state. The voters, especially a growing number of Independents, know it and don't like it.
Game on.
Monday, September 14, 2009
New York Fashion's Night Out Pictures
Sephora had Temptu Make up artist's were giving free make-overs. Temptu is a new at-home airbrushing makeup system. Super light with a flawless finish.
Satya Jewlery was selling their amazing jewelry at Lord & Taylor! You were able to customize your very own charm, mine was so cute in 18K Gold! Makes a nice present.
Base Hits: Talking (Speaking) Baseball
With all the Derek Jeter record-breaking hoopla, you may have missed the fact that Ichiro broke Willie Keeler's 108 year old record for consecutive 200 hit seasons when he made 2009 his ninth.
But the press generally doesn't mention the team Keeler's played for and when they do, like Yahoo! Sports' David Brown, they only get it half right.
With another 200 in the hit bank, Ichiro surpasses a Hall of Famer who has one of the more famous nicknames in baseball history, "Wee" Willie Keeler, who did it from 1894-1901 for the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise.
That's only half true. In fact, it's only 3/8 true because Keeler only spent three of those eight seasons with Brooklyn. He spent the first five seasons of the streak (and his career) with the old National League Baltimore Orioles.
Just giving credit where credit is due.
*****
Speaking of records broken, a guy named Jeter moved to 53rd on the all-time hit list and this got a lot of attention. OK, he's now the Yankee hit king. But as you can see in this report I created at BaseballReference.com, Jeter is also the all-time Yankee leader in outs.
Where was ESPN as he approached that hallowed milestone?
*****
Speaking of the Yankees, the O's take the weekend series! This bodes well for Baltimore avoiding 100 losses. The toughest part of the September/October schedule is over. The rest of the season leaves only three games against the Red Sox. The rest of the schedule is Rays, Jays and Indians. The Indians stink. The Jays are not good. The Rays have turned back into a pumpkin and have lost 11 straight.
The O's went 4-6 against the toughest part of their schedule. It still won't all be pretty but I feel a lot better about it than I did a week or two ago.
*****
Speaking of the weekend series, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman got the wins over the Yanks. The last two rookie pitchers to defeat the Yankees in New York in the same series? Bob Milacki and Dave Johnson on August 26th and 27th, 1989. Why not, indeed.
*****
Speaking of rookie pitchers, the Orioles are leaning towards shutting Brian Matusz down for the season and are expected to make a decision today. Caution is probably the best prescription for this team.
*****
Speaking of Brian Matusz, he was ranked #4 on Baseball America's year end Prospect Hot Sheet. Matusz impressed at all levels in 2009.
But the press generally doesn't mention the team Keeler's played for and when they do, like Yahoo! Sports' David Brown, they only get it half right.
With another 200 in the hit bank, Ichiro surpasses a Hall of Famer who has one of the more famous nicknames in baseball history, "Wee" Willie Keeler, who did it from 1894-1901 for the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise.
That's only half true. In fact, it's only 3/8 true because Keeler only spent three of those eight seasons with Brooklyn. He spent the first five seasons of the streak (and his career) with the old National League Baltimore Orioles.
Just giving credit where credit is due.
*****
Speaking of records broken, a guy named Jeter moved to 53rd on the all-time hit list and this got a lot of attention. OK, he's now the Yankee hit king. But as you can see in this report I created at BaseballReference.com, Jeter is also the all-time Yankee leader in outs.
Where was ESPN as he approached that hallowed milestone?
*****
Speaking of the Yankees, the O's take the weekend series! This bodes well for Baltimore avoiding 100 losses. The toughest part of the September/October schedule is over. The rest of the season leaves only three games against the Red Sox. The rest of the schedule is Rays, Jays and Indians. The Indians stink. The Jays are not good. The Rays have turned back into a pumpkin and have lost 11 straight.
The O's went 4-6 against the toughest part of their schedule. It still won't all be pretty but I feel a lot better about it than I did a week or two ago.
*****
Speaking of the weekend series, Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman got the wins over the Yanks. The last two rookie pitchers to defeat the Yankees in New York in the same series? Bob Milacki and Dave Johnson on August 26th and 27th, 1989. Why not, indeed.
*****
Speaking of rookie pitchers, the Orioles are leaning towards shutting Brian Matusz down for the season and are expected to make a decision today. Caution is probably the best prescription for this team.
*****
Speaking of Brian Matusz, he was ranked #4 on Baseball America's year end Prospect Hot Sheet. Matusz impressed at all levels in 2009.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Nanny, May I?
James F. Murphy e-mails to announce:
Just what authority does one need to visit a taxpayer-funded, government school in today's society, a note from some government bureaucrat?
Unbelievable.
UPDATE:
On a nicer note:
And I didn't even mean to annoying. Must be a gift.
UPDATE II: This just in... from petition organizer Chris Westcott:
Thanks Chris, will there be anything else.
There is "a right way and a wrong way" in today's society in visitingMy question:
public schools and Mr. Spencer overstepped his authority in trying to
gain entrance to Media & Indian Lane Elementary schools. The (RTM)
superintendent Ms. Kerr should be commended in her decision to ignore
Mr. Spencer's unauthorized visit.
Just what authority does one need to visit a taxpayer-funded, government school in today's society, a note from some government bureaucrat?
Unbelievable.
UPDATE:
On a nicer note:
Dear Gil,Dear Jim,
RTM officials certainly display a drastic, almost obsessive interest at protecting their students from what should be the crux of educating; questioning and developing a flare for independent thought. Or could it be based upon reading your Sunday, Sept. 6th piece entitled, Obama should listen as well as speak? I think your fictional "Tommy" touched an educational nerve.
Could it be that your Tommy exhibited too much independent thought? Certainly seemed out of whack from an RTM education. Keep it up Gil, it's fun to be annoying, isn't it?
Regards,
Jim Bowman, a sometime Guest Columnist living in Fla
And I didn't even mean to annoying. Must be a gift.
UPDATE II: This just in... from petition organizer Chris Westcott:
Good article yesterday. I appreciate your attempt to contact Mrs. Kotch.My response:
Thanks Chris, will there be anything else.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Cats, Dogs, Landlords, Tenets
A contract is a contract. Read before you sign. My print column is up.
Baby Birds: The Notable Minor League Performances of 2009: Part 2
Part 1 was last week and covered the low minors. Now, we look at Frederick, Bowie and Norfolk.
Frederick Keys - High A
1B/3B Brandon Waring
G AVG OBP SLG BB K 2B HR SB
Waring 128 .273 .354 .520 45 120 35 26 5
At 23, Waring tore up the Carolina League. Waring came over from Cincinnati in the Ramon Hernandez trade in the offseason and had the best year of his professional career. Waring took home the Caroline League MVP award and continued to hit well in a brief stint in Bowie to finish the season.
OF Robbie Widlansky
G AVG OBP SLG BB K 2B HR SB
Widlansky 86 .340 .395 .506 29 48 31 7 5
An 11th round draft selection out of Florida Atlantic in 2007, Widlansky won the Carolina League batting title with a .340 average and showed some good gap power. At 24, Widlansky was a bit old for the league too but he and Waring should make the Baysox lineup a bit more formidable in 2010.
SP Zach Britton
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Britton 140.0 2.70 55 131 6 1.27
A 21-year-old lefty sinkerballer who was named Carolina League pitcher of the year, struck out nearly a batter per inning and induced groundballs 65% of the time. Yeah, it's time to start getting excited about Zach Britton. The 3rd round pick in the 2006 draft is paying dividends.
RP Pat Egan
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Egan 92.2 1.94 16 75 2 0.96
The stats above are cumulative from stints in Delmarva, Frederick and Bowie but the bulk of it was as a Key. A 36th round pick in 2006, Egan keeps the ball in the park, walks damn near nobody and can strike you out to boot.
Bowie Baysox - AA
3B Josh Bell
G AVG OBP SLG BB K 2B HR SB
Bell 127 .295 .376 .516 61 98 35 20 3
The stats above are the combined numbers from his time in Chattanooga and his time in Bowie but he was equally good on both teams. Only 22, Bell came to the Oriole organization in the George Sherrill trade and looks to be on the fast track to Baltimore. He's the best hope for a "home grown" solution to Baltimore third base vacancy.
SP Steve Johnson
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Johnson 145.1 3.41 62 154 18 1.28
While we're on the Sherrill trade, Johnson was the second half of the haul. Johnson's a flyball pitcher but the righty mowed down hitters while pitching for three teams at two levels in '09. May stay at Bowie to begin 2010 but should be in Norfolk shortly.
RP Eddie Gamboa
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Gamboa 83.2 1.08 17 75 5 1.17
Another late round pick (21st round in 2008), Gamboa started the year in Delmarva and ended up in Bowie. He's moved fast and seems to be getting better. He's part of the good relief pitching depth in the Oriole system.
RP Luis Lebron
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Lebron 60.1 2.54 33 91 5 0.99
The 24-year-old righty from the Dominican Republic was absolutely filthy striking out 13.06 per 9 and saving 20 games between Frederick and Bowie. He throws in the upper 90's and can throw a slider for strikes.
Norfolk Tides - AAA
OF Jeff Fiorentino
G AVG OBP SLG BB K 2B HR SB
Fiorentino 102 .312 .387 .510 48 62 26 12 13
At the age of 26, Fiorentino finally put together a season the Orioles were hoping for when they drafted him in the third round in 2004. He led the Tides in average, on base percentage, homers and RBI. Let bloomer? Fluke season? Who cares? It was a hell of a performance.
SP Jake Arrieta
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Arrieta 150.2 3.40 56 148 13 1.37
The stats above are combined and he dominated at Bowie but by season's end he had his legs under him in Norfolk and posted a 3.60 ERA over his last 10 starts. He'll start the season in Norfolk but could be in Baltimore by the All-Star break.
RP Josh Perrault
IP ERA BB K HR WHIP
Perrault 72.0 2.13 18 74 7 1.01
He's 27 but he was lights out in his first year in the Oriole organization. Stats include his Bowie stint and he's heading to the AFL and if he performs well, he may be in position to make the Oriole bullpen out of Spring Training.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Enough Lying to Go Around
Kevin Williamson at NRO (formerly of the Main Line Times, I think) says Rep. Joe "You Lie" Wilson was "rude, but right."
He explains.
He explains.
ACORN Undercover
Want a hoot?
Check out this "tax expert" from the Baltimore office of ACORN trying to help a "prostitute" and her "pimp" (actually undercover filmmakers) withhold money from the IRS.
It gets better. She also offers her advice about the hooker's plan to import a bunch of underage Salvadorean girls to put on the street as sex workers.
Priceless.
UPDATE: ACORN fires the workers involved. What a shame.
Check out this "tax expert" from the Baltimore office of ACORN trying to help a "prostitute" and her "pimp" (actually undercover filmmakers) withhold money from the IRS.
It gets better. She also offers her advice about the hooker's plan to import a bunch of underage Salvadorean girls to put on the street as sex workers.
Priceless.
UPDATE: ACORN fires the workers involved. What a shame.
About Those Retired Numbers at Camden Yards...
The theft of Cal Ripken's #8 monument from the outside of Camden Yards gives me the opportunity to comment on these monuments in a larger sense.
Below are some pictures I took of the monuments during a couple visits to the Yard this season:
The retired numbers monuments are a nice gesture but they fall short. They are aluminum. They are hollow. They seem cheap. Earl Weaver's #4 was damaged so they are not exactly durable. And to top it off, they turned out to be mobile.
The Orioles should do this: leave the number monuments but start to add proper statues of the Oriole immortals around the park.
A statue of Brooks ranging wide of third to make the play. Frank Robinson unleashing a mammoth home run swing. Cal tipping his hat to the Oriole faithful. Earl Weaver, cap turned backwards, arguing with the ump. (OK, maybe not that last one...)
The only proper statue at the park is of Babe Ruth! I know he's a Baltimore native...but he's an icon of a division rival! We can do better.
You don't have to do it all at once. Commission the Cal statue this year. In a couple of years, unveil Earl Weaver. And so on. It can and should be done.
I'm going to post some pictures of the statues outside of Turner Field. They are a start. The Oriole immortals deserve better.
Below are some pictures I took of the monuments during a couple visits to the Yard this season:
The retired numbers monuments are a nice gesture but they fall short. They are aluminum. They are hollow. They seem cheap. Earl Weaver's #4 was damaged so they are not exactly durable. And to top it off, they turned out to be mobile.
The Orioles should do this: leave the number monuments but start to add proper statues of the Oriole immortals around the park.
A statue of Brooks ranging wide of third to make the play. Frank Robinson unleashing a mammoth home run swing. Cal tipping his hat to the Oriole faithful. Earl Weaver, cap turned backwards, arguing with the ump. (OK, maybe not that last one...)
The only proper statue at the park is of Babe Ruth! I know he's a Baltimore native...but he's an icon of a division rival! We can do better.
You don't have to do it all at once. Commission the Cal statue this year. In a couple of years, unveil Earl Weaver. And so on. It can and should be done.
I'm going to post some pictures of the statues outside of Turner Field. They are a start. The Oriole immortals deserve better.
Fashion's Night Out in NYC
Everyones invited! That's right, TODAY only, all participating designers and retailers are inviting everyone for Fashion's Night Out in NYC. There are no tickets are special entry tickets required.From block parties to champagne and free samples it's all here, from 6:00pm-10:00pm or later.
Check out the website here for more information on participating designers and retailers.
See you there! http://www.fashionsnightout.com
Huffing Behind the Wheel
To paraphrase Chris Rock: I can understand drinking then driving. It's wrong but I unnerstand. But huffing WHILE driving? just don't get.
A Graphical Representation of Consistency? We Try It...
This article by Jeff Zrebiec in The Baltimore Sun about the "streaky" Brian Roberts got me thinking about how to measure "streakiness". Roberts had never struck me as a streaky hitter but how could you easily tell? Hitters have good stretches and bad...it's part of baseball. Monthly splits tell some of the story but not all of it. That's when the idea of symmetry took hold.
Humans can easily identify symmetrical objects from uneven lopsided ones. It's genetic. That's how we judge beauty right?
So I just decided to measure the number of hits in each game and do a radar style graph to illustrate. For the Orioles, you can't get much more consistent than Nick Markakis' 2008 season. Here is is. Games counts go clockwise and hits come out from the center. As always, click through for a larger picture:
A couple of big outbursts throw off the balance a bit but this is about as balanced a graph as you're going to see from a good hitter.
For contrast, Melvin Mora's 2008. If you remember, Mora started pretty slow, exploded in late spring and turned out to have a pretty good year.
Fairly lopsided. That's pretty streaky.
Pretty balanced overall with July and August being pretty killer to offset it a bit.
So now, Brian Roberts (so far) in 2009:
There are some gaps there...but really it's not that bad. You want to see real streakiness? Here's Luke Scott, 2009.
By comparison, Roberts looks fairly consistent. Sure, he has his hot streaks and cold but it's not crazy hot and cold. I would describe Roberts as many things before I would use the word "streaky".
Humans can easily identify symmetrical objects from uneven lopsided ones. It's genetic. That's how we judge beauty right?
So I just decided to measure the number of hits in each game and do a radar style graph to illustrate. For the Orioles, you can't get much more consistent than Nick Markakis' 2008 season. Here is is. Games counts go clockwise and hits come out from the center. As always, click through for a larger picture:
A couple of big outbursts throw off the balance a bit but this is about as balanced a graph as you're going to see from a good hitter.
For contrast, Melvin Mora's 2008. If you remember, Mora started pretty slow, exploded in late spring and turned out to have a pretty good year.
Fairly lopsided. That's pretty streaky.
One more from 2008, Aubrey Huff:
Pretty balanced overall with July and August being pretty killer to offset it a bit.
So now, Brian Roberts (so far) in 2009:
There are some gaps there...but really it's not that bad. You want to see real streakiness? Here's Luke Scott, 2009.
By comparison, Roberts looks fairly consistent. Sure, he has his hot streaks and cold but it's not crazy hot and cold. I would describe Roberts as many things before I would use the word "streaky".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)