True Blue LA

IP: 102
ERA: 4.92
Notes: Undergoes TJ surgery at the all-star break.

harsh

BFDC - February 14, 2012 reply

I like being wrong.

From last thread, this is too awesome. How many times will we post this this year I wonder...

here is the link
http://mikesciosciastragicillness.com/2012/02/13/this-might-be-the-best-thing-javy-guerra-and-james-loney-do-all-year/

Check it out and smile this morning

msti is right

the 2nd one with the pole is the best

me too

I made prediction last year and it’s my fault he was frustrating. Won’t get fooled again!

Just an update quote from Mike Brown regarding the tournament.

The LFP forum 2 team was put together at the last minute after the Dodgers PR team pulled out. That team was made up of guys on my forum and people who signed up when I posted about needing players. I did not even have a final roster for that team till Friday night when I added three people from Facebook and moved some of the players from my Forum 1 team over to team 2. I also had three people drop off that team last week. So I really had no idea if I even had enough players to field a team on Sat. The one girl came with the girl who played second for my team. The other girl came from Facebook.
.
I had no idea how good any of them were going into Sat. The team they beat was an organized team. I told that teams mgr no organized teams when he asked to join. I knew something was up when I agreed to let him field a team and he sent me a roster with players names and positions the very next day. I was giving him the benefit of a doubt. and was hoping all day someone would beat them. I never thought it would be any of my teams.
.
by M.Brown on Feb 13, 2012 11:09 PM PST up reply actions

A couple of the LFP2 ringers play in a league I play in up here in Camarillo. They are really really good. Their team had to be split up here because they kept going 10-0 every season and winning all the sweatshirts. Really nice guys though. They told me they had no idea they were going to be put on the same team, just that more players were needed so they grabbed the best.

We will find out this spring that he has arm problems related back to last summer and that was why his peripherals fell apart. Basically he will Broxton us.

His x-FIP did get progressively worse as the season went on

x-FIP by month

Apr: 3.65
May: 3.41
Jun: 4.47
Jul: 4.01
Aug: 4.61
Sep:5.35

Last spring training I saw a huge hitch in his mechanics and predicted a bad season for him unless he fixed it. I didn’t expect THAT bad of a season, but the hitch never got fixed and here we are.

I’ll make a prediction, but it’ll be after I see him in Spring Training.

DodgerofTrolleys - February 14, 2012 reply

191 IP, 160 K, Era: .350

You missed

A period there

nah, he’s going to allow one run every 12 innings.

or i guess like once every 25 innings? Math, pfft.

I was told there would be no math!

SeanMillerSavior - February 14, 2012 reply

is Trolley pregnant?

uh oh

what kind of spawn does a trolley have?

buses?

carts?

If a cart and a trolley got married, the trolley would get a visa

#obscure

The LA trolley system was aborted to bring you LA buses. Damn you Detroit.

but it’s coming back slowly!

Get off my lawn.

and also, ridership was declining anyhow, and trains cost a lot more to maintain

I knew you would challenge this, because the idea of GM killing the LA redlines is a bit urban myth.

it’s a fun one, and when I was in school and hated everything I deemed environment destroying I bought it, but it’s just not true. The freeways made cars the dominant mode of transportation, it was gridlock that brought trains back, no more conspiracy than that to it.

Robert Moses

oh this looks fun. Thanks!

I think the man a hero and god

the man behind Shea Stadium, and as a result the man responsible for the Los Angeles Dodgers. How interesting : )

But, what about Roger Rabbit?

Roger Rabbit was more about the ethnic displacement side of freeway building (which definitely happened, and also happened with trainbuilding [ask me about the real old Chinatown]) than it was about big oil destroying the trolleys

Side story& plot development.

oh it’s definitely there, just yeah in the background

DodgerofTrolleys - February 14, 2012 reply

Oops 3.50

I’m not good at predictions.

Billingsley makes all star team

Uribe is too fat to play 3rd base so Dodgers move Bills there. He hits .300, 25 HRs and 100 RBI’s (I am actually tempted to think this is a good idea)

BaldBilly - February 14, 2012 reply

Posterizing an entire team? That's cold.

Equally annoying, Sports Illustrated trying to insert itself like that. #SILinsanity?

he’s on his third step right there anyway.

There isn’t any travelling in basketball anymore. It’s called pre-takeoff preparation

He took a

wait for it, a Lindy hop : )

#Swingdanced

(ba-da-bop!)

no haters, that is an awesome photo

when you do something no one has ever done, don’t hate the love enjoy the ride.

He’s on an Ely run.

yeah but Ely is a Dodger, Lin is a Knick, my momma always told me never enjoy rides from strangers.

“You can get in the van, just don’t enjoy that shit”

Did

She also tell you if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything.

That would cut the posts in this blog to about three per day.

GFY

See!

time will tell

that is a harsh sentence

Give

The guy his due, it is a great story.

I was driving yesterday and all I heard on the radio was Lin & Tiger. And that brought in Tebow and Whitney. Then I switched to Bon Iver. I really like the song “Halocene.”

I need to listen to him to see what’s up, any other suggestions besides that one?

I liked the first album. Josie’s right: the music is definely moody. I can see people not digging the vocals. It’s kind of like choral chamber pop music if that makes sense.

Bon Iver is fantastic, but quite moody.

I must admit when I heard the “Breaking News” that Cespedes had signed, I was really wishing it was us :( That would’ve made me more excited about the season.

I think the Dodgers are more likely to sign a Centipede than Cespedes

he apparently wrote that album while isolated in a cabin by himself. my sister wanted to recreate it. hipsters.

I’m so hip I heard about it from the New Yorker :)

my sister is definitely a hipster. i asked her to describe a hipster once and she basically described herself (and my brother). I said, “So…you?” and she was like, “NO! …oh wait, shit.”

Wonder if that jinxes the Lakers and Lin or just one or the other?

Hopefully neither, though the Lakers may not need the help.

“Hey, entire team, let’s guard this guy” is not a good defensive strategy. Especially since he scored on the play

I thought it said “Against All Duds” at first glance and thought it was a crank cover.

Come to think of it…I guess the way the Lakers are playing that wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.

One of the best defenses in the NBA

in action. :)

Anyone listen to the Slate podcast Hang Up and Listen? I listened to it for the first time today, they talked quite a bit about Lin.

Question

Looks like another softball tournament will be played this summer. We could easily field two teams if we can recruit two more skirts. The question I have is this. Would players be offended if we had a Team A and Team B where Team A was loaded with our best players and Team B was filled with folk who just want to have a fun day worth of softball but have little expectation of winning and don’t want to take it seriously? I’m asking because we have the following options:
1. Field one huge team where many of us simply don’t play enough
2. Field two mediocre teams and both go home after three games
3. Field one team who should be good enough to compete for the title, and one team who simply has a lot of fun much like the Sons of Steve Garvey Team. I would be playing on Team B. Hopefully David, Michael, and Eric would also play on Team B.

Fly my brother out from Baltimore. He’ll wear a skirt and a wig.

i was gonna say, phrasing it that way, could end up with a couple of Scottish guys

Dont mind me Phil, but you seemed to be obsessed by this softball tournament stuff and looking for a way to win it all.

quiet ewe, Phil I’m all aboard the A&B plan

I expect you to play this time on team B. Bring the brownies

now I want to play on team B

I’d come just to watch Team B.

Maybe there could be a B team TBLA/DT combo to fill that out and be somewhat competitive.

Yeah – we could family up and really make a powerhouse

Tim Crews' Dastardly Mustache - February 14, 2012 reply

I predict Chad Billingsley will retire due to boredom at the All Star Break and be the ace on Team B. He’ll be asked to leave Team B in between games for not putting one in Weisman’s ear after he threw behind Eric in the first game.

Vote Green!

I can’t answer that question until I know whether I would be on Team A or Team B. :)

BKnapp - February 14, 2012 reply

The thing about Team A and Team B

is that Team B will show everyone what’s what and win it all anyway :)

That is the plan but keep it on the low down

low down, love down

2 teams with one varsity and one jv is cool with me

Knowing I’ll be a JV player.

Same here.

This way i won’t feel bad after my 4th defensive error.

Assuming i come back to SoCal for the summer.

Phil, you are good softball player, get yourself on the field

and a good manager to boot

terrible manager, but I have hope that he will get better

anyone who stacks the ladies isn’t paying attention

to be fair, I wasn’t planning on being too involved until I tripped on the base paths and felt the need to defend my honor as an athlete.

I still think there was a sniper in the bushes

The grassy knoll!

"but those ladies are already stacked!"

ba dum BUMP

you weren’t even at the game to see her

I would totes be interested

I can be the B teams secret weapon

see the B team can be awesome and have fun, and the A team can scream at the umpire because we don’t understand the rules : )

yeah, that was another expectation I had of the manager

rules

I’m only playing if I can practice first this time

tbla picnic with a seamless transition to tbla championship

I’m way too competitive. With myself. It’s bad.

In defense of Phil, Mr. Brown said we’d be using USSSA rules, so he read the rulebook from beginning to end only to find the rules were bullshit except for the ones he didn’t tell anyone about.

learning what the ump meant by “illegal” and “one to waste” and “gotta be” as we were playing the third game sure was fun.

I liked being the worst player on my team, except for the times in the outfield when I showed I was the worst player on my team.

Missing the diving catch in Game 1 was an opportunity wasted. Missing the can of corn in Game 4 has been a burr in my aching saddle for the past three days and counting.

JonWeisman - February 14, 2012 reply

what makes us

so easy to remember the errors, so hard to remember the hits

My timing at the plate improved a little as the day went on. Although my best hit was a liner to right that went just foul. Would have been a triple if I were running 100 percent. Instead, I had the aching walk back to the plate.

JonWeisman - February 14, 2012 reply

at least you didn’t carry the bat with you!

/inside joke

did you get called out for doing that?

sure did

I did, I wasn’t happy with the swing and I ran to first with the bat

I still say that I dropped it before I hit the bag, but who really knows what time it is anyway

Chicago knows!

old men jokes

What did you expect? Another attempt at teenage humor?

(you didn’t)

I would be down for Team B

Already had you penciled in. Been feeling bad I had to tell you we were full up.

Phil is a softie

he wears a floppy hat and sat himself most of the tourney so others can play

you are a good man PhilGurn ie

It’s going to be a big year for Chad:

3.13 ERA 3.08 FIP 218 Innings 207 Ks

And they say puppy love does not last

All you doubters will see what I've been saying :)

The Houston Doubters

waiting for the Whitney Houston / Houston Astro re-name jokes to begin

BaldBilly - February 14, 2012 reply

The Houston Drowners

Gah, now Josh Maciello is tweeting me, too. Reg make it stop!

Make him stop searching and replying! I get it, he means well. He’s not going to own the Dodgers. Move on, guy.

He is getting the Voldemort treatment from me, the more someone wants my attention the less chance there is of me ever saying their name

Yeah or is he Beetlejuice? Don't say his name three times, that's even worse.

Either way, I won’t mention him again or reply to anyone (as happened here) who was discussing or tweeting at him.

posted without comment (his final tweet)

Josh Macciello @joshmacciello
@craigary @EephusBlue Thanks Buddy. Rings will follow me buddy. Multiple

another clown chasing the Dodger circus

this is about as bad as the strippers who ran for governor of California during the Davis impeachment

He does have range

So did they

I would post a pic, but NSFW with those ladies

awesoke photo

saw him warming up, dude had a great arm from outfield. he’s a player

which blog team did he play for?

the LFP

There goes my Valentine’s Day courtship of HJ.

JonWeisman - February 14, 2012 reply

for you Jon?

I am all smiles and giggles

I’m stuck between deciding if he’s a con artist or a crazy person. Leaning crazy person.

Con artist

Crazy people don’t dress up in a Dodger uniform and take a bunch of photos with complete strangers at an event – like he is some kid of guy to a take a picture with

Crazy doesn’t self promote nearly this well

But a con artist would realize that hunting random people down on Twitter to prove he’s for real makes him look fake.

He could be a crazy con artist.

lets all agree on this

Attention Whore

With a side of “idiot” and “flim flam man”

Amen to that.

Either one works.

Your insistence that he made up a movie that seems to at least have tried to exist is still kind of weird.

I haven’t mentioned that since you pointed it out.

And if you follow the claim that he actually was involved in this it leads to “Loraine Ave Productions” Another company that doesn’t have things like a mailing address or things they’ve accomplished.

Did he make up anything else on his CV? I mean, he has almost nothing of substance, but I don’t seem to recall anything that was patently false.

In the sense that you can’t prove something doesn’t exist, no. In the sense that there’s no actual evidence he did any of these things, he made up everything.

Gotcha.

Question on Rookie League Pioneer League team in Ogden

Yesterday, the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming reported that an “unnamed Pioneer League” team will be visiting Casper in May to see if they want to re-locate to Casper in 2013. The Rockies’ team was there since 2001, but they grew tired of minimal fan support and moved the team to Grand Junction, CO for 2012. The location is vacant, but the team looking to move there is unknown.

Might it be the Ogden Raptors? It would make the most sense for the mystery team to be from the South Division just due to travel purposes, as the other four teams in the league are all in Montana. Has there been any noise that the Dodgers are displeased with their location in Ogden?

Have not, only Brandon cares about what happens in Ogden. Based on our hitting what happens in Ogden stays in Ogden

Guffaw

only Brandon cares about what happens in Ogden.

I know Chad Moriyama cares too, but not sure how often he ventures here. I will say that James Baldwin III prospect of yours got me a lot of cheap beers with that strikeout swing

Aren't they fairly popular in Ogden? Why would they move to a, uh, ghost town (as it were)?

Not sure

Ogden Is Always Near The Top In Pioneer League Attendance

CanuckDodger - February 14, 2012 reply

Good to know

Ogden was my least likely guess among those in the division.

I just looked at my old emails…the Dodgers signed a four-year extension through the 2014 season with Ogden back in August 2010, so it’s probably not the Dodgers.

Super thanks

Brandon Lennox - February 14, 2012 reply

as others have mentioned it probably isn't the Raptors

but I am disappointed to hear that I won’t be able to write about the Casper Ghosts anymore in my 2012 minor league reports

Maybe the Casper Weinbergers will take over.

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/2/14/2796560/the-ten-worst-swings-of-the-2011-season

josh sullivan back with more gifs, this time the worst swings of last season

got me to guffaw embarrassingly loud at work

I was confused, since Josh Sullivan is a Rockies minor league pitcher, while Jeff Sullivan is the writer

oops

These rule.

hee came hee seop'd he choi'd - February 14, 2012 reply

serious lols here

Clint Barmes needs to make up his damn mind, because nobody likes a waffler. Unless a waffler is one who prepares waffles. Then everyone likes a waffler.

Only thing better then the waffler is the honeydripper

needs more butter

http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/

This website is amazing

Great job here Mike. Always tough to write about a fallen loved one.

Thanks. There’s not an easy way to dance around it, his peripherals were terrible. I’m still a big fan (loyalty and all that) but even those of us still in his corner need to re-evaluate a realistic career trajectory for him.

If he lets down again this year

There’s no denying it, and I will have to start agreeing. But I have 2012 as Billingsley’s last stand to still be a great pitcher.

Once he has surgery, you will get a pass and be all excited about 2013

I don’t know why his peripherals got progressively shittier as the season went on. It certainly makes for an argument that he was hiding an injury but I don’t buy it. Billingsley is a guy who immediately removed himself from a game in 2010 after pulling his groin when he was pitching beautifully. In short, he’s never been shy about telling the club when he’s injured, so why would he hide it last year?

If anything, Billingsley (noticing the season was over in mid- May) was trying to work through things while on the mound and it led to a really crappy second half of the season. No need to be conservative with your approach when your team is out of it and you’ve locked up a contract for the next 3 years. Might as well work thru his issues during that time.

Pulling your groin is pretty painful and makes it so you can’t really do anything, though. If it was some sort of nagging injury that he felt he could power through, I think he wouldn’t have told anyone.

so he is not going to the HOF?

I didn’t say that

ok good

That is why I picked all the players who have no expectations to write about.

2.95 ERA with 221 Ks in 209.2 IP, 17-11

We win the division and probably more with this kind of performance.

(Mark Ellis is still our #2 hitter.)

Eh…I’m not so sure

I guess the offense would have to be really terrible. But two legit aces? That’s playoff material.

The 2011 Giants disagree

right you need 3 aces

then you are playoff material

This strikes me similar to my (wildly false) claim at this time last year that if Kuroda made 30 starts the Dodgers would win the division.

179 IP, 4.02 ERA, 3.85 FIP, 7.4 K/9, 4.05 BB/9

Dodgertown Classic at Dodger Stadium

March 13

2pm: UC Irvine vs. Pepperdine
6:30pm: USC vs. UCLA

I'm in

Are you moving next door to Tony Jackson soon? :)

Sunday

Awesome. Sounds like a dream gig.

I hope Eric grow his hair out long and starts dressing like a tween pop superstar’s dad.

Free parking.

$7 tickets (in advance, $12 day of game)
$5 tickets for students (must be purchased on campus)

“Discounted concessions” too

If LMU were in, I’d be in. But alas (and alack!)

What was it last year, like half price for hot dogs, et al? I forget.

“Free parking”…bet Frank hates that phrase.

Is there anything Classic about UC Irvine vs. Pepperdine? Are they longstanding rivals or something? Or is this just PR filler? Are there a group of schools who take a turn at being opening fodder for USC vs. UCLA?

Proud College Baseball Schools, thank you very much

Though I agree UC Irvine has not business being there simply based on geography. I’d rather see another LA school represented. Any suggestions?

none that wouldn't be absolutely terrible

uci makes some sense since they play pepperdine every year

Pepperdine v LMU is the rivalry, LBSU v Fullerton would work too

I don't think LBSU and Fullerton would want to be the undercard though

and Fullerton doesn’t make any more geographical sense then UCI

right, but we’re talking specifically about match-ups that will put butts in seats.

we're talking about a whole heap of things :)

none of it important, all of it passionate

also a great title for a book

Fullerton seems to have won the Big West championship about 80-90% of the time it’s existed. The Big West conference has all the southern California NCAA Division 1 schools outside the Pac 10 (i.e. except UCLA and USC). The membership seems to have varied over the years (I don’t know whether there’s relegation to Division II involved?). At the moment that’s Cal States Fullerton, Northridge, Cal Poly, Long Beach; UCSB, UC Irvine, UC Riverside; and U Pacific. But there have been others. Fullerton seems to win it most years.

this is pretty much all correct

but whats your point?

Well, in that case, I’m wondering what the geographical limitations are. (Or league? ) Speaking from UCSB here, which does not too badly in baseball.

A lot of times it is based on schedule availability. Last year the other game (besides USC-UCLA) was Georgia vs. Saint Mary’s.

Those schools do not like each other.

You throw the records out when they play

I wonder if Gonzaga / Saint Mary have the same rivalry in baseball as they do in basketball

uci is about 2 hours closer to pepperdine then ucsb

That would be difficult. It takes me about 80 minutes.

so 40 minutes then :-p

I don’t believe for a moment you can get from UCI to Malibu in 40 minutes unless there is zero traffic. Google maps puts their libraries 78 minutes apart by road, over 66 miles.

David Young - February 14, 2012 reply

So skip UCI and play Pepperdine against UCSB

UCI and Pepperdine are stronger programs right now than the two PAC schools.

Indeed

debatable

UCI could easily finish the year ahead of ucla but are currently ranked behind them. USC sucks.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/baseball/story/2012-01-25/usa-today-espn-baseball-poll/52790710/1

and pepperdine didn't receive any votes

South Carolina going for the three-peat this year if memory serves.

We drafted their heart and soul, no way they repeat:)

Wingo!

Two pretty elite college baseball programs

in case you wanted to see the logo (I know you did)

nice looking

surprised Arte has not tried

to make his own classic to rip off

203 innings
3.64 ERA
187 K
15-10

Wouldn’t he need an ERA of about 2.79 to win 15 games?

Oh, hey, do you want to play fantasy baseball? With the same jerks you comment about In ‘N’ Out burger and Dave Grohl all day anyway? Read all about it. And join. Now.

Only four spots left!

Rangers

They play the Giants, Diamondbacks, Padres and Rockies this year. Conspicuously absent is, well, you know.

GIVE ME KERSHAW/DARVISH.

Take your vacation in July and fly to Kansas City

this sounds awesome

BBQ, Blues, Negro league museum which I have given money to but never visited, new ball park for me

everything sounds great except for KC in July

That is surprising, I guess they didn’t want to give away any secrets to the team they expect to meet in October

John Calipari was just on the Scott Van Pelt show and I guess Calipari had a quote last week that he wasn’t 53 years old, he was 51 because he “had two years vacated.”

That is funny.

Not a Calipari fan (think he’s a cheating ass and full of himself), but I’ve heard him interviewed a few times and he comes across extremely bright and very funny. I hate when that happens.

I simply love USC fanboys who hate on other coaches (programs) because they don’t play by the rules.

YES! UCLA fight fight fight :D

DannyDodger - February 14, 2012 reply

Todd Bozeman eliminated any chance Cal would have had at claiming moral high ground. Between Bob Toledo and Neuheisel, UCLA has no claim either.

Did anyone mention UCLA?

Yes.

Right, but why reply to me instead of him?

Because my two statements belonged with each other, but I could have separated them I guess.

USC bball needs a cheating head coach and fast!

But getting Mayo worked so well for you

It worked a hell of a lot better then 6-20, thats forsure.

Phil’s right…that was the root of all their problems this year.

But I know they lost their best player to an ACL tear or something in Brazil, maybe they wouldnt be so bad if they had him. But I know SC didnt spend all that money on that new arena for this shit. Hopefully after season Oneal is gone and they can maybe find an up and coming head coach if they cant get a good proven one.

The Galen Center

was funded primarily by donors. I don’t think Oneal is going anywhere.

How many BB coaches in major programs survive years like this? Hell Howland should be shit canned.

Ben Howland has better shot at

being let go than Oneal.

Im not in the know, but was there a situation with Oneal last year with him getting drunk and or his wife, and getting into it with someone, and then being suspended a game in tournament and losing that game? I would think he was already in hot water from that, 6-20 makes that boiling water overflow.

Yep, happened during the Pac 10 tourney.

Link.

Ya, he got into with an Arizona booster. I honestly have to idea why USC would keep O’Neal as a head coach. His players hate him, the fans hate him, he’s a raging douchebag, and he cant recruit.

Sounds like they deserve each other to me.

We’re in agreement there! I’m all for USC retaining him for the next two decades, I just dont understand it.

Really, Sc doesnt give two shits about basketball. All i’m worried about is our clusterfuck of a basketball program.

Some are worried that Howland will get

Shabazz and Parker and then what will happen.

I do think the basketball program decline does sit with him, bad recruiting choices (and luck) and bad assistants (until this year recruiting wise)

For me, getting Shabazz and Parker is the only reason to keep Howland. There is no excuse to miss the tournament 2 times in 3 years in his 7-9th season as a coach. This team is completely his responsibility, and its construction and the handling of talent is 100% on him. It’s unacceptable for UCLA to be this bad, especially when the conference is as bad as it ever has been.

At least he’s been kicking out solid NBA players who do more in the NBA then they did at UCLA.

He hasnt done much of either (winning and producing NBA guys) over the last 3 years. On this years team, there is maybe 1 or 2 guys who will get a sniff at the league. Getting a huge class for next year will be great, but the warts will still be there.

My dad’s a diehard UCLA fan and he wants Howland gone in a big way.

I don’t

the dude can coach. he has had some success and some missteps but why start over again with someone new

I like when you have a credible coach and you just leave him alone and let him become great.

Gary Kubiak!

I’ll see myself out

I used to be so proud that all my favorite teams were the most stable in sports

I think changing coaches mostly fails

I still remember him taking a defensive oriented team to the finals two years in a row. I think recruiting is his beef these days.

He’s been left alone and cratered the program. He has changed his recruiting style and his coaching style. He is not the same coach that he once was. It is sad that he has strayed from what made him successful, but there is no getting around it. He’s not getting fired before next year, but if we have another down year next year, I can see no way that he stays.

Also

I do think that some at USC believe that basketball recruiting is fraught with even more problems than football so they will step lightly there.

And the fact that most alumni and students just don’t seem overly enthused even when that program is half decent.

I agree…this isn’t a focus for them at the moment. They’ll bring in a caretaker for a couple of years and then go try to get a better coach and focus on the hoops team. I think baseball is a higher priority for them at the moment, given their history.

well, with USC football possibly going downhill for awhile after this season due to all the scholarship cuts, maybe this is the time for SC bball to make a move, get a good HC, and try to steal some of the spotlight away… or maybe not.

I would assume these donors donated for this to win though no? to give USC the facility it needs to compete?

No, I’m sure the underlying principle in building the top notch arena was to put a team in there that couldn’t compete against the Serra Womans High School Basketball team.

Not fair; those chicks can ball!

Hey they tried it

it got OJ Mayo who had a part in the most severe sanctions on a football program short of the death penalty.

Even with Mayo, the only games they ever drew well was against UCLA and that was because UCLA fans went to the Galen Center.

Its a good facility and it is useful for their Olympic Sports and probably directs more revenue to the athletic department but I think they see college basketball, especially with the one and done rule as something they hope to compete in but not push it.

Okay, seems like a cop out to me. The program sucks so the rational is that no one cares. If no one cared they would not have built the facility. JMO as an outsider who knows nothing.

Seems like nobody is really into it because they suck most often. Sure they mix in a nice season with NCAA tourney play, sometimes even win a round or two. The Sam Clancy days were alot of fun. But I think if SC was ever consistently a threat, SC people would get behind it. Was SC football attendance still good in the 90s?

I think he’s gone.

I think O’Neill is back next year. He’ll get a pass for the injuries, even when they finish with the worst record in school history (outside of the one 0-2 year).

But Oneill is 206-209 career. 1 time he took a team to sweet 16. Even without injuries where can this team go with him? Its easy to see, Oneill doesnt have IT, and IMO USC should make a move. But we shall see.

It would be a long day’s journey into night before the axeman cometh for O’neill.

working hard for it

like it

Its easy to see, Oneill doesnt have IT

Ahh…Phil loves me! And on Valentine’s Day too!

happy valentine's day! this says it all pretty much

http://xkcd.com/1016/

I really hope Billingsley does well. I always liked him :(

DannyDodger - February 14, 2012 reply

This will be the first valentine's day in at least 15 years

that I didn’t paint, draw, or otherwise make Mrs HJ her card or gift.

not proud of my effort, didn’t mean to, just got away from me

Go get a can of black spray paint and tag her name on a building that’s on her way home.

I bought some seed packets in Cambria and just need a little note to go with them. These days get harder the longer you’ve been married . . .

I may be taking these profiles to seriously, is 10,000 words to many to discuss FedEx:)

Depends

How many footnotes?

Yes.

Especially if that profile absolutely positively has to be here overnight.

Especially if you’re saying them all to a volleyball.

Only if tou dan;t discuss UPS also.

Now who can argue with that

Wow! That was bad spelling/punctuation. My only excuse is that I just found out I have to have eye surgery, and my eyes are still blurry from the Opthalmologist’s office.

Sorry to hear that -

Not nearly as sorry as I am!

I've had cataract surgery in both eyes many years ago

so I’m used to getting dilated at the ophthalmologist. But one time they over did it and I had to spend about 4 hours in a dark room because light was so uncomfortable.

I didn’t get dilated, but the doc put a numbing agent in my eye. Tough drive home.

That’s where ivdown should have stepped in.

More like letdown amirite?

aw really? :(

Texans will have to put the tag on Foster to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere. Right, nolander? RFA tender would be risky.

RFA means they can match any offer I think?

so why not? Franchise tag would be expensive, but they might use it. They have a lot of players they need to resign actually, but I expect them to bring most everyone back with Mario being the wild card

What if a team desperately wants Foster and blows everyone’s mind with an offer? Risky for HOU.

we'll see

in smithiak we trust

As I understand it (Not very well) if the player is a restricted free agent then the team that has the players rights can offer up a contract that would mean that any team that signs him would have to give up a draft pick. The higher the contract number the higher the compensating draft pick.

the highest you can do now though is get a 1st round

no more 1st and 3rds

Franchise tag compensation is two firsts, but that is it.

Eric - Baseball Ref Help

Only because I care, but I’m’ trying to find out the least number of games started by a catcher by the age of 31. My angle is that if AJ Ellis can start over 100 games in his age 31 year, it will be a unique situation given he has started only 62 games by age 30. BRef keeps me down by using a min 250 games when I do career searches.

age <=30
games <=100 (or whatever number you want)

I’ve done that of course and got zero hits. I refreshed and started over. Now it works.

Eric has the Shinning.

Not the same to be sure, but Gregg Zaun never started more than 77 games at C before he was 33, then started 91, 121, 59, 93 the next four. Ken Huckaby is one dude I can think of who played in only one game before 31, then started 77 games the next year. That would be a crappy comp.

Tom Wilson kicked in, only 9 games by age 30, started 52 at age 31

Could all be a moot point but I think AJ Ellis is going to make history.

Honey you and I

You don’t ♥ Huckaby?

David Young - February 14, 2012 reply

I was just bummed he never made the Dodgers. He was in Albuquerque forever.

Is Mark Few Mr Clean?

I think state screwed me

I checked my status for my california return, they say my 258 dollar balance was transferred to my balance for my 2007 taxes. I worked only 6 months or so in 2007, working part time at minimum wage. Even if somehow I didn’t do my taxes for 2007 for state, which I did, what reason could they have to take out at least 258 dollars for that amount?

I called them to find out and it was a 17-26 minute wait. Awesome.

I honestly don’t get state taxes. I’m fairly certain I haven’t had a W2 with much of anything taken out for state tax.

I could understand if this was federal

But state taxes are always so low, and if you work part time for half the year at minimum wage how the hell would you owe anything more than 50 dollars?

if you were working 40 hours a week at the State minimum (6.50 or so back then,right?) for half a year you still wouldn’t be required to file state taxes. I’d fight it

2007 was 7.25 or 8.00 if I remember correctly. I could be wrong.

7.50 I believe

Yeah Josie, I’m going to try calling later, they at least do call backs so you don’t have to wait on hold.

If they are taking money out for 2007

you could be paying penalties.

You need a minimum

yearly income of about $14,000 to pay CA income tax.

What would that be for, any idea?

wouldn’t you have been a dependent at that point, anyway?

Yeah I was

Take it to the Death and Taxes thread.

where is the malaise thread?

I’d rather stay here and talk about Chad Billingsley’s 2012 miracle WHIP

ISWYDT and it’s disgusting. /nomayo

CHConfidential
Should @BHarper3407 be in the majors this year? @joe_sheehan & Harold Reynolds debate it today at 530 ET

I wouldn’t do it out of spring training. Harper should light-up AA/AAA for a couple months first.

Do they have three better outfielders than him? Werth, Morse and…

(reply fail)

LF Morse
CF Werth
RF Harper

Not sure if this would work defensively.

If your alternative is Roger Bernardina, are you really going to freak out that much about defense?

I think they signed Mike Cameron to give Harper time in AA/AAA but he would probably be better then him if you did not factor in controlled years.

Cameron was dreadful last year. He’s not really a great option.

Not for a team who expects to compete. Maybe they trade for Raja Davis before all is said and done. Davis has no spot for Toronto and he’d be fine for them while they wait on Harper.

I guess the crazy guy they traded to the Brewers would work right about now.

Rick Ankiel on a NRI wouldn’t be any worse than Davis, Bernadina or Cameron.

Might not be any better though.

I guess a platoon of Ankiel / Cameron should work for about 10 weeks? Not like Harper would not have serious growing pains if they stick him out there to start the season.

In center?

I heard they would move Werth to center if Harper made the starting lineup.

I say he finally goes sub-3.00

ERA: 2.90
IP: 210
K/9: 8.50
BB/9: 3.00

Bam.

Yahoo with the Linsanity

This is the main pic on their NBA page, about Warriors and ones that got away. Everybody is crazy:

everybody is crazy, nobody is right
(but me)

this is a great title for a book

Been so long on Parish I forgot he was a Warrior

hated that guy

The Celtics were like the Big Red Machine to me. As a team I hated them, as individuals I marveled and respected the talent.

that was the Reds for me, I just hated the Celtics

especially McHale and all the guards

Bird – I enjoyed watching

Did you buy all the Audubon guides?

I wanted Danny Ainge to dive headfirst into a wood chipper.

Wanted?

I still do

Yeah, he was annoying but I could not hate Dennis Johnson, McHale, or Bird. Parrish was meh.

I hated Rose, was in awe of Bench, liked Perez, thought Joe Morgan was simply amazing.

I hated DJ since he was a Sonic. Hated everything about him. Hated him until he died, and then I felt stupid. Dude could play, played hard defense, if he was a Laker I would have loved him

McHale seemed like a punk to me and he was too damn good

Parrish was meh – when I was a kid I didnt even think him good. When he performed well it seemed to be inspite of my astute assessment of him

Johnny Bench was the shit and Joe Morgan too. I thought Garvey was way better than Perez, I thought that Rose was an ass, and I hated that we had Bill Russel and they have Davy Conception.

George Foster was like no one on the Dodgers

they were good

True Story – When I used to play in Vegas a lot, Gary Nolan, yes that Gary Nolan, was my casino host at the Mirage.

He bro’d me up more than once

I hated them all with a fiery passion.

I have come to like, if not love, at least appreciate Larry Bird, and respect McHale/Parish/DJ

I think I was quicker to come around on McHale because I had an instructional video featuring him showing how to shoot a turnaround in the post. I was unstoppable in 7th grade.

The Dude Abides - February 14, 2012 reply

Hated McHale when he played

Until the 1987 postseason, when he and several other Celtics fought their way to the Finals with what should have been season-ending injuries. More recently, the guy cracks me up for talking about how good post offense can make the post defender play “7-Eleven defense,” i.e. stand still with the arms straight up like a 7-Eleven clerk being held up.

McHale as a studio guy / announcer is fabulous. Great sense of humor.

There was some story about some rookie from U of Minnesota playing the Celtics and McHale was guarding him. McHale (who went to Minn.) was talking the kid up, saying welcome to the league, etc, and told him he would give him a Gopher-friendly “free shot” the next time down the court.

Kid gets the ball, turns to shoot, and McHale blocks it and the Celtics have a fastbreak. McHale just runs down the court laughing.

Yep, Ainge was my least favorite; a Celtic crybaby

and McHale. Bird was too damned good and goofy to hate (and then seeing his later friendship with Magic made me like him for reals). Parish reminded me of the chief in Cuckoo’s Nest. DJ was annoying but didn’t hate him.

Fuck em all. Bird included. Fuckin Cutter

The Dude Abides - February 14, 2012 reply

I guess he never broke away from that

Nicely done, sir.

This quarry hole…is mine!

From wiki

When Chamberlain left the Warriors, owner Franklin Mieuli said: “Chamberlain is not an easy man to love [and] the fans in San Francisco never learned to love him. Wilt is easy to hate […] people came to see him lose.”

we loved him:)

From the moment I started watching basketball he was my man. Hell he was the reason I was a Laker fan, he was the reason I hated Alcindor.

jesus Phil

How can anyone hate Lewis?

Hopefully he at least liked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

145 innings

ERA 3.95
FIP: 4.20
X-FIP: 4.20

Basically what Phil said, sometime around August Bills’ fastball velocity took a huge hit and that’s when he really went to hell. There’s been no sign that anyone’s tried to fix it so I’m seeing Bills starting strong then falling apart sometime in the mid season. I’d like to be optimistic here but Chad’s managed to never improve any of his issues and his strengths are starting to fall apart real fast.

How did the move go

Are you still on the Westside?

Got all my stuff over yesterday, and yeah still in Marina Del Rey, just moved half a mile down the road.

so you live alone now?

Nope, just had massive drama with my landlord so I was forced to move.

sounds exciting

I hope he left dog poop, or a dead mackerel, or a box of mice, hidden in the walls

good stories are better than being a good person

I’m going to prank them really hard in court.

an expensive dish served cold is always the tastiest

“You aren’t allowed to demolish part of my apartment without telling us” versus “Yes I am.”

I'm optimistic

relatively…

202 IP, 3.17 ERA, 7.97 K/9, 3.35 BB/9.

I’m wishing a K/BB of >3 but i think that is too much to wish for

wukunlin - February 14, 2012 reply

Lunch is calling – sounds like The Clash in my head

I think Rolling Stone called that a top 10 all-time album.

not as good as the foo fighters obviously, but you know

that album doesn’t need to be validated by a rag like rolling stone

What do you consider the authority on the subject?

mine ears, herr widow

there is none

its subjective

dude

who sold more albums?

all I need to know

although I have to admit is grohl or cobain the better musician

made for fun conversation with a couple of my bros last night

I’m not your bro, brah

that was 2 nights ago broseph

did I miss that? Thank god. They’re both terrible.

hipster

she cultivates her hipness

I just distinguish between songwriter and musician. Cobain is famous for one and not the other

and you don't think grohl is a good musician at all?

Anyone who’s heard the acoustic version of Everlong would never say he’s a bad musician, I just don’t think the Foo Fighters are groundbreaking, which makes them forgettable

thats a far cry from terrible!

but I understand your view point

Ms. Becker used hyperbole? ¡No me digas!

Shocking, no?

They might not be ground breaking, but damn they kept the beat and kept it strong.

This, not everyone can be Prince

Did they also sing songs about whales and cops?

I don’t know if grunge is really the musical genre in which a lead/solo guitarist could show off their chops. At some point you have to start looking at metal, glam rock, and progressive to see truly purely skilled musician.

Or, Matt Bellamy.

Chops are what I have for dinner

I want to know album sales and the rest is clear to me

He was cool on Yo MTV Raps

This is the most mintxcore reply ever.

The ladies at work have put together a Valentine Tea Party. I’ve been invited. I made gingerbread brownies who have lost various limbs during the process. I sprinkled melted white chocolate to salve the wounds. They are not pretty. I will be mocked. They will feel superior. It will all be good.

awww

Kenny Chesney working on the Cheesy

like it

Trader Joe’s green chili burritos ftw.

I will be doing the same

eerie…

TJ’s Stroganoff and Ceasar salad.

what do you call a group of bulls masturbating in a field?

The NBA

great answer

I’ve seen Stroganoff as steak with a dollop of sour cream on top, and I’ve seen the Lawry’s packet version where it’s more of a hippie mush. I think I prefer hippie mush.

I use stew beef and a crock pot, Add blue cheese and burgundy.

I get those a decent amount

But they’re so hard to cook with a microwave, they always come out bad. The Tamales cook easier.

wrap in paper towel cook 1 minute

flip, cook 1 more minute, devour

When they're frozen it's really hard to defrost them with my microwave.

incredibly…

oh, fuckit

shrug

I don’t bother with the defrost setting, i just nuke em

My roommate's fridge sucks.

There’s always frost buildup.

You could take out the amount you intend to use and let them defrost in your refrigerator. Just a thought.

I don't think ahead!

I’m a college student!

The illusion of practical forethought.

Closure on my neighbors illegal no parking signs 2 weeks ago....

LA City mailed everyone on the street a letter saying take down the signs within 48 hours or everyone gets fined. With minimal discussion the signs came down. I win.

someday I should tell you the story of my dad leading an illegal tree chopping campaign in our cul-de-sac

Did Danny Ainge almost end up in the chipper?

How Far would you Go?

Far enough and then a little more

and nice job with the Caps

I take my job as volunteer member of the TBLA Improv crew seriously.

We need t-shirts

first rule of improv, never say “no”

I often remind people of that

Yes and

i would like to hear this

on the drive to the JV game in a couple months

absolutely : )

When I was in a Condo Association

One officer decided to cut down all the perimeter trees on the lot. We nearly hung him.

YES!

wait, i'm not quite sure what was the problem before

People in your neighborhood were putting up no parking signs at their houses?

yes.

resident parking only you will be towed type of signs affixed to telephone poles on the public street. there is one crazy lady and a bunch of idiot followers on the other side of the street.

“A riot is an ugly thing…….and it’s time we had one!”

the “or you will be towed” part reminds me of Arrested Development’s “You should threaten to sue. It’s free if it’s only a threat”

nice

Darren Rovell, still weird and creepy.

I unfollowed someone on Twitter yesterday just because they retweeted Rovell. Felt right.

I have a strict policy on that re:Bleacher Report

Yep, though I'm amazed and pleased at how few people I follow ever RT BR

to be fair, BR is just shitty. Darren Rovell is loathesome.

I get my WWE news and updates on there

My favorite parts are when they do articles on the Attitude ERA, so I can relieve when wrestling was actually cool and fun for me.

They’re not as good as the ones about Attitude FIP.

dumb baseball tattoo

what a jackass

Bernie Brewer seems to be making a move on an unsuspecting lass.

is he going to move the astro next year?

Ha!

that must have been SO PAINFUL

I don’t like to demand a lot of things, but damnit this better be green.

I can’t see it.

+1

and TWSS (damn!)

I have a really unfortunate tattoo design, but I also don’t have a lot of money, how do I solve this problem?

The St. Louis Cardinal is about to decapitate Mr. Met!

My god, the St. Louis Cardinal is about to decapitate Mr. Met.

so nice he had to say it twice

Internet is fucking up.

Noticed that…………

The Phillie Phanatic is showing some love for the Greendale Human Being.

Also, when did the Expos have an Eagle for a mascot? That is definitely not Youppi!

Apparently its the Nationals’ mascot, “Screech” the eagle.

But he’s wearing Expos swag. If he was going to go that route, he should have just used Youppi.

Yeah, and you think you’d think through your tattoo beforehand.

It’s obviously his own drawing, with a random mix of old and new. Which I’m against. He missed a golden opportunity to include the Crazy Crab!

he has that in his scroat

is Mr Met violating that Parrot?

Now I REALLY want to see this.

Ben Wallace will play in his 1,055th career game tonight, breaking the NBA record for most games played by an undrafted player.

Pretty cool.

Also, fuck the 2004 Pistons.

2004 is dead space to me.

Didn’t realize that Avery Johnson was undrafted too. He had a damn good career for a Muppet.

Bills Prediction

201 IP
3.82 ERA
175 K

VegasBlues - February 14, 2012 reply

so shamed

as you can tell from my posting volume, after a kick ass early morning, by late AM productivity at work has lagged

so I trudge off to lunch for a reset, come back re-invigorated, filled with piss an vinegar ready to start on my board slides.

I order the Frenchie, a favorite sandwich of mine at the place across the street, thinking I will have a bite and enjoy reading my mag. Lo and behold, the nice bartender sets me up “You can’t have a Frenchy just drinking water, you need a glass of wine with that”

Me, dumb smile, hmmm she is kinda pretty, I wouldn’t date her when I was her age, but as an older gent, I can see she has some real beauty. “What should I be drinking?”

Her “Let me pour you a few tastes”

Me – drink, drink, drink “I like this, what is this?”

Her “blah, blah, blah”

Me “Great, take it”

Now here I am 45 minutes later, no closer to anything, except maybe to god

post of the day

I agree.

I want to trade souls with the man.

For those of you that have to drive on the west side of LA tomorrow

http://totaltrafficla.com/2012/02/13/obama-traffic-street-closures-in-los-angeles-corona-del-mar-for-februrary-15-16-2012/23105
Mr. President will be in the area. This is your traffic advisory. Plan ahead, don’t get stuck like me trying to get to kickball in the middle of this.

He is attending breakfast at the home of Jeff and Nancy Stack

Can you imagine the stress at the Stack household right now?

I can see it all as a movie, casting call

Jeff successful, kind, disinterested, slightly bumbling
Nancy, uptight, hair pulled back, social riser, wanting every thing to be perfect
Son – Young republican, hates the president, Alex P Keaton x 3, banging the Latina house maid
Daughter – 16 and punk rock, if punk rock was still a thing. Looks rough by innocent, a daddy’s girl without enough attention
Maid – super hot, with a tattoo of Che on her ass.
Dog, lovable big, hairy, mischievous, with a talent for stealing food and a habit for jumping on people and licking faces

Lets make this sucker

16 and EMO

and SHE HAS A CRUSH ON THE PREZ with a plan to have him be her first

oh, so gooood

3.91 ERA, 196 innings

court168627 - February 14, 2012 via Android app reply

Off Topic!