LOC Record

Last minute trading

2006-02-13T19:01:00.000-05:00

While we all dream about getting rid of our bad contracts a couple of trades have gone down.

First, the Lobes send Tejada and Vazquez to the Stocks for Pedro (back to Minnesota for Pedro)

Then the Lobes stayed busy sending minor leaguer Brad Snyder to the 500 for Jon Lieber.

Another trade

2006-02-10T18:22:00.000-05:00

Trade has gone down:

500 gets Gary Sheffield
Bees get Francisco Cordero and Adam Johnson

Big Money Trade

2006-02-03T08:58:00.000-05:00

A pretty big trade has gone down as the 500 and Wilders exchange their big free agent "prizes" from last year:

500 get Randy Johnson and Pokey Reese

Wilders get Adrian Beltre and Octavio Dotel

First Trade of 2006

2006-01-04T14:06:00.000-05:00

The Orangutans send 1B Carlos Delgado to the Toilet for SP Esteban Loaiza.

Another trade

2005-12-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

500 gets 2B Ron Belliard
Tomcats get SP Denny Bautista

Trade

2005-12-14T11:23:00.000-05:00

500 gets John Rheinecker
Toilet gets David Bush, J.P. Howell and Matt Lawton

2005 Ricky Henderson Award

2005-11-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

The League of Champions Most Valuable Player. The Man. The King of Kings. The..um...uh...oh, it's ARod. This is his third Ricky (to go along with his 4 Mitchells). And, no, there is no truth to the nasty rumor that he lost one of his Mitchells in an illegal poker game to Gina Gershon. Now, his ability to hit in the postseason, that I cannot confirm or deny.

The results:

Alex Rodriguez 16
David Ortiz 7
Alfonso Soriano 4
Johan Santana 3
Mark Teixeira 3
Carl Crawford 1
Travis Hafner 1
Mariano Rivera 1

2005 Kevin Mitchell Award

2005-11-03T21:14:00.000-05:00

League HQ has been flooded with calls to reveal the winners of the final two awards and who am I to say no to the people. So...

This year's top hitter as voted by (some of) you? Why Alex Rodriguez, of course. Minnesota's monster free agent pick-up came through like the stud he is. Worth the record-setting salary? Maybe not, but how much is a LOC Championship worth? No, seriously, let me know because I have three of them and really only have room for two right now.

Anyway, the results:

Alex Rodriguez 17
David Ortiz 11
Mark Teixeira 5
Manny Ramirez 3

2005 Rick Reuschel Award

2005-11-03T19:44:00.000-05:00

Another award, another repeat winner. Not that there's anything wrong with that, especially when that winner is Minnesota ace Johan Santana. Granted, his 2K5 was a comedown from his 2K4, but then again, most seasons would be. He's pretty good is what I'm saying.

The results:

Johan Santana 16
Pedro Martinez 9
Andy Pettitte 9
Mark Buehrle 2

2005 Mark Davis Award

2005-11-02T23:01:00.000-05:00

Enter Sandman. Again. Cactus Franks checkmate, Mariano Rivera, takes home his second straight Davis and the third of his career. Not much else to say. He's not the best closer in history for nothing, folks.

The results:

Mariano Rivera 11
Joe Nathan 9
B.J. Ryan 7
Francisco Rodriguez 6
Bob Wickman 3

2005 Chris Sabo Award

2005-11-01T13:07:00.000-05:00

This season saw a solid crop of rookies make their mark in the LOC. Things are looking up across the league as draft picks are blossoming into regular contributors. However, none had the immediate impact of 2005 Truth or Consequences first round draft pick Huston Street. The young reliever helped the Cactus Franks make their midseason push into the playoffs and looks to anchor the team's bullpen for the next few years.

The results:

Huston Street 10
Jonny Gomes 5
Tadahito Iguchi 5
Robinson Cano 4
Felix Hernandez 2
Scott Kazmir 2
Gustavo Chacin 1

2005 Mike Moore Award

2005-10-29T10:32:00.000-04:00

This season's award voting is officially closed. I know some of you were waiting for the last minute, but that may have conflicted with next year's voting and we don't have the intern power here at the league office to handle that kind of work. So, for those that did vote, gold stars. For those that didn't, thanks for making our job easier.

On to the first award. The Moore winner this year was almost an afterthought during the heated 2B bidding at the draft. Not surprising considering he was known more for being "scrappy" than being, well, "good." Sure, he faded a bit in the second half, but Brian Roberts sure showed Jerry Hairston Jr. who his real daddy is, didn't he?

The results:
Brain Roberts 9
Jason Giambi 5
Felipe Lopez 4
Jorge Cantu 3 (Ed. note: where's the love?)
Jose Contreras 2
Justin Duscherer 2
Kevin Millwood 2
Jhonny Peralta 2
Andy Pettitte 1

Foresight

2005-10-26T10:08:00.000-04:00

"(Casey Stengal) lost big with his style in Brooklyn and Boston, but he posted the greatest record that any manager ever had with the Yankees. Maybe Torre's style just needed the right circumstances to be successful. I'll believe it when I see a little more of it."

-- Bill James (from his 1983 Baseball Abstract article on Joe Torre, then manager of the Atlanta Braves)

Welcome to Eddieland

2005-10-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

Hey fellas, just wanted to drop in and say hi and let you know that I am looking into opening a funeral home. I figured at this stage in my life (work sucks, marriage is over) that I am now ready to take on death as a living. Death to stay alive. That's a good one. So if anyone is interested or has any words of wisdom, I am all ears.

Heimlich von ARod

2005-10-17T09:56:00.000-04:00

Here's the best article I've read so far about ARod's "lacking" performance in October.

And here's another article on the phenomenon we so lovingly refer to as "choking." It's by Malcolm Gladwell and, while not entirely sports-related, does a good job examining the difference between choking and panicking.

LOC Record

2005-10-17T09:41:00.000-04:00

LOC draft 2006:

Saturday, March 11th - in Hoboken, NJ at Dan W's place

Hopefully this works for everyone.

2.0

2005-10-14T15:59:00.000-04:00

Welcome back. You may have noticed a few changes. The two biggest are to your right.

First, there's a button linking to a discussion board. That's right

Second, you'll notice some news headlines. Just another nice little enhancement.

As for the site itself, this is going to be the primary information source for the league going forward. Lineups, free agent results, power rankings, announcements, awards -- the whole shebang. This will open the league up and (hopefully) create the community feel I believe we all would like to have.

In this Post section, let's keep it short and sweet. For one, links to articles instead of the full text. However, if you have something original to say, by all means write away. And remember, there's now the forum to start any discussions or to go off topic. Basically, let's have fun and see how this develops.

Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions. Everyone who registered previously can still use their old User Name and password. Everything's the same. Just better.

Signs

2005-07-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting little article. and it actually has to do with baseball.

July 17, 2005 -- When Luis Sojo received the phone call in 2003 that he would be the Yankees' new third-base coach, he was in his native Venezuela playing in a winter league. As soon as he hung up with GM Brian Cashman, Sojo knew what he had to do.
Before celebrating or calling friends and family, Sojo sought out his team's third-base coach to learn how to give signs, the lifeblood of any good third-base coach.
It may look to most observers like a third-base coach has either lost his keys or is being bothered by a fly, but their motions are actually an intricate system of bluff and language that can win or lose baseball games.
"The signs and the signals are the glue that holds the whole thing together," said Paul Dickson, the author of "The Hidden Language of Baseball."
Some teams go to great lengths to camouflage their signs with complex systems, while others keep it as simple as they can - while the specter of the opposing team figuring out your signs always looms. The degree of the manager's paranoia usually determines how complicated their system will be.
"I've been on clubs that you had to be a Harvard graduate to get the sign," veteran coach Don Zimmer said.
Most teams operate with the same set of signs for everyone in every instance. Others are more complicated. Some might change their signs every three innings, or change them depending on the number of outs. Former Padres and Astros manager Preston Gomez had a different set of signs for every batter.

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Former Yankee Bobby Murcer remembers when he was with the San Francisco Giants in 1975, hearing the system manager Wes Westrum - a noted sign stealer - wanted to use. It was the end of spring training and third-base coach Joe Amalfitano gathered the team in center field.
"He went through a set of signs and there was adding, subtracting and multiplying," Murcer said. "I spoke up, like I usually do, and said, 'Joey, not only will the opposing teams not get our signs, we won't get our signs.' "
Casey Stengel once said of his difficult sign structure, "The other teams can't steal 'em and my guys can't understand them."
DOESN'T ADD UP
With just 20-30 seconds between pitches, it usually behooves teams to keep the system simple. Still, the threat of stolen signs makes coaches get creative. The Red Sox had a system in the 1970s based on adding and subtracting the number of touches by the third-base coach to determine the play. When outfielder Bennie Carbo once was caught stealing a base, manager Darrell Johnson angrily asked him why he had run.
"Two plus two," Carbo said.
"That's four - the take sign," said Johnnson. "The steal is five."
"Damn," said Carbo. "I added wrong."
Most teams don't do anything quite so complicated. Usually a third-base coach will run through a number of touches - to his hat, arm, chest, etc. Almost all of this means nothing. In the most common system, a team will designate one area as an indicator and the true sign will be the next touch. So if the indicator is the belt, once a coach touches his belt, the next sign will tell the base runner and batter what play is on.
"Ninety-five percent of the time it's a bluff because during the game, how many times does the manager actually put on a bunt or a hit-and-run play?" Mets third base coach Manny Acta said. "You can go games without any of that, but I still have to do it pitch after pitch because I still have to keep the other team guessing."
After each pitch, the third-base coach will look to the dugout to see if the manager wants to call a play - a steal, bunt, squeeze or hit-and-run. Besides signs for those calls, the coach also has a "take off" sign to kill the play.
Besides the indicator, some teams use certain touches to mean plays (a hat touch means hit and run, for instance). Murcer remembers minor-league manager Rocky Bridges using the simplest system. Bridges would mimic a bunt with his hands when he wanted the batter to bunt and wave his arm when he wanted a runner to steal.
Both Acta and Sojo said they are believers in keeping it as simple as possible, something that players appreciate.
"Luis does a good job of not trying to trick you, I think is the best way to put it," said Yankees catcher John Flaherty. "I've had third-base coaches so concerned about the other team getting their signs that they'll put signs on, take them off and put them back on again. As a player, you get confused."
ART OF THE STEAL
The key for a third-base coach is to make sure every set of signs looks like a real play call.
"You have to do the same thing when you are putting on a play and when you're not," Sojo said. "You don't want them to look at you and say, 'Wow, when he puts on a sign, he's a lot quicker.' "
Zimmer, noted for his ability to pick up an opposing team's signs, said he would look for slight changes.
"I think sometimes when you're watching the third-base coach, it's the rhythm," Zimmer said. "You see a guy give four different touches really slow and then you see him the sixth time [and] the rhythm changed, the first thing I think is, 'Oh boy, something might be on.' "
Stealing signs from the third-base coach is generally accepted as part of the game, not regarded as derisively as stealing a catcher's signs from second base or peeking from the batter's box.
Former Giants manager Roger Craig used to assign one player to watch the third-base coach, one to watch the batter and one to watch the base runner. Then they would report what they saw. He even used to have pitchers throw to first in order to give his spies more time.
Former White Sox coach Joe Nossek developed a reputation as the best sign stealer in the game. Nossek reportedly kept notes on every third-base coach in the league and grilled newly acquired players about their former teams. Twins manager Tom Kelly once changed his signs three times in a game because of Nossek.
"Joe Nossek had everyone psyched, thinking he's the best sign stealer in the universe," Dickson said. "They would watch him more than they would watch the game."
In 1997, the Phillies accused Mets manager Bobby Valentine of having a camera on their third-base coach, which Valentine denied.
COUNTER MEASURES
Teams go to varying lengths to thwart would-be sign stealers. When they played the Mets this season, the Yankees changed their signs so Willie Randolph, who coached third for 10 years in The Bronx, and former Yankee Miguel Cairo would be unable to steal them. Tony LaRussa used a team trainer to send signs to the third-base coach, figuring no one would be watching him.
Sometimes, this subterfuge backfires. When he was the manager of the Texas Rangers in 1974, Billy Martin got league approval to use an electronic transmitter. He had a microphone and each coach had an earpiece to listen to his instructions. In one game against the Red Sox, Martin wanted Cesar Tovar to lay down a suicide squeeze. But the transmitter did not work and third-base coach Frank Lucchesi could not hear what Martin wanted. Martin grew angry and screamed, "Suicide squeeze" into the microphone. Boston pitcher Luis Tiant stepped off the mound and yelled, "Frank, Billy said he wants the suicide squeeze." That ended that experiment.
The theft of signs is almost as old as signs themselves. According to Dickson's book, signs evolved out of the Civil War from signal flags used by ships and hand signals used by soldiers during battle. The first reports of a professional team using them came in 1869, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings were on a barnstorming tour in the west. Seven years later, the Hartford Dark Blues were the first team accused of stealing signs.
Sometimes no thievery is needed. Players often give things away - usually when they're given the "take" sign. Some step out of the box, others sigh. In 1985, Rangers DH Cliff Johnson was so miffed when third-base coach Art Howe gave him the take sign on 3-0 that he returned a sign of his own - one that everyone could understand: the middle finger.

Here's the setup...

2005-06-21T08:47:00.000-04:00

...someone come up for the spike....

-------------

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - New research indicates parts of the brain that govern fear and anxiety are switched off when a woman is having an orgasm but remain active if she is faking.

In the first study to map brain function during orgasm, scientists from the Netherlands also found that as a woman climaxes, an area of the brain governing emotional control is largely deactivated.
"The fact that there is no deactivation in faked orgasms means a basic part of a real orgasm is letting go. Women can imitate orgasm quite well, as we know, but there is nothing really happening in the brain," said neuroscientist Gert Holstege, presenting his findings Monday to the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
In the study, Holstege and his colleagues at Groningen University recruited 11 men, 13 women and their partners.
The volunteers were injected with a dye that shows changes in brain function on a scan. For men, the scanner tracked activity at rest, during erection, during manual stimulation by their partner and during ejaculation brought on by the partner's hand.
For women, the scanner measured brain activity at rest, while they faked an orgasm, while their partners stimulated their clitoris and while they experienced orgasm.
Holstege said he had trouble getting reliable results from the study on men because the scanner needs activities lasting at least two minutes and the men's climaxes didn't last that long. However, the scans did show activation of reward centers in the brain for men, but not for women.
Holstege said his results on women were more clear.
When women faked orgasm, the cortex, the part of the brain governing conscious action, lit up. It was not activated during a genuine orgasm.
Even the body movements made during a real orgasm were unconscious, Holstege said.
The most striking results were seen in the parts of the brain that shut down, or deactivated. Deactivation was visible in the amygdala, a part of the brain thought to be involved in the neurobiology of fear and anxiety.
"During orgasm, there was strong, enormous deactivation in the brain. During fake orgasm, there was no deactivation of the brain at all. None," Holstege said.
Shutting down the brain during orgasm may ensure that obstacles such as fear and stress did not get in the way, Holstege proposed. "Deactivation of these very important parts of the brain might be the most important necessity for having an orgasm," he said.
Donald Pfaff, professor of neurobiology and behavior at Rockefeller University in New York, said the interpretations were reasonable. "It makes poetic sense," said Pfaff, who was not connected with the research.
___

More Madden

2005-05-14T11:42:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure most of us care about this stuff...So here's a huge preview on Madden 06...the thing i'm most excited about is being able to take the Wonderlic test...

http://sports.ign.com/articles/613/613583p1.html

Yanks

2005-05-08T19:32:00.000-04:00

here's a good article on why the yankees stink. it's long, but good. like trudeau.

http://www.nypost.com/sports/yankees/46171.htm

Madden 2006

2005-04-14T18:21:00.000-04:00

This has absolutely nothing to do with anything. but here's a big new feature in Madden 2006. it's gonna make madden tough. i like that...

_________

This is Part I of our Madden 2006 Preview. EA Sports has asked us to release different features at different times...so here is Round 1.Surveys of the Madden Community over the past couple of years show that about 70% of the play calls made involve pass plays. While we have seen a resurgence of the running game in 2005 with the advent of the juke glitch, most guys will still air it out come 2006. We've seen some new additions to the offense over the last couple of years including hot routes, playmaker hot routes, run flips and formation shifts, but nothing earth shattering. Some serious innovation is needed on offense like we saw on defense last year.

Enter Vision and Precision (also heard it called Vision & Placement) passing. Passing's role in the NFL is an enduring thing so EA decided to step up and make some dramatic changes. Basically, Vision and Precision passing covers two things. One, a QB can't throw where he can't see. Two, QB's want to be able to place the baller where only the receiver can get it.Each QB will have a cone of vision based on their awareness. QB's with high levels of awareness will have greater cones of vision. QB's with low levels of awareness will have a much narrower vision cone. Throws to players within your cone of vision will be more accurate. Throws to players outside of your cone of vision will be less accurate. Skill levels will also affect the vision cones. Vision cones will be wider on Rookie modes and tighter on All-Madden.Here's a couple of screens to give you an idea. These 2 are done with Madden 2005 & a little Photoshop aftertouch, they are not Madden 2006 screens and aren't what the final product will look like (you can see actual Madden 2006 screens further below). They are just to give you an idea.

Low awareness QB (Grossman...sorry Rex, we Gators still love you!)

High awarenss QB (Manning)At the beginning of the play, your cone of vision will lock onto the play's primary receiver. You can use the R2 & L2 button pre-snap to change the default receiver. For example, if you read linebacker blitz and want to hit a quick slant pattern, you can lock onto that receiver before you snap the ball. This will duplicate the idea of a QB make his pre-snap read and looking for his 1st receiver.

After the snap, you can use your right analog stick to rotate your cone of vision to throw to receivers outside of your original view. With a QB like Manning or McNabb, this is fairly easy as their vision cone will cover a good part of the field. For a QB like Grossman or another guy with low awareness, this will prove to be very tricky. There is another option, however.You can hit R2 and press the pass icon of the receiver you want to throw to. This will cause you lock onto that receiver no matter where he is on the field. That way you don't have to use the right stick to lock onto him. I know that if I am playing with a low awareness QB, I'll use this option a lot more than the right stick.After the receivers have run their routes, they will go into "Get Open" mode. Their icons will disappear off the screen, so it will make it much harder to find a guy to throw to him. Hopefully this will stop the 20 yard drop and run around tactics that we have seen the last couple of years.When you roll out with your QB, your cone of vision will shrink up a bit. On other quick change to note. You don't have to drop passing icons anymore to sprint. You just hit X (on PS2) to sprint. If you are sprinting, your cone of vision becomes even smaller. I like the thought behind this as it will make it harder to be accurate on the run.On the precision side, you can use the left stick to adjust your throw location. Up on the stick as your throw, makes a high pass. Down makes a low pass and right and left obviously adjust the throw to either side. Now you can throw a high pass over the middle to clear those pesky linebackers. There will be some logic built into the game for hits on receivers with their backs to the defender which should even things out a bit here, otherwise we will have a whole new breed of rocket catching.A couple of notes here from a defensive point of view. If you lock onto a receiver the whole time, the defense will get a SLIGHT awareness boost. This seeks to duplicate the idea of a QB staring down a receiver. You can also look off a receiver. Lock onto one receiver, switch your vision and make the throw. This will give the defense a SLIGHT awareness decrease. Bear in mind, that this is a minor + or -. You aren't going to look at a receiver and have the whole defense chase him so that you can quickly switch and catch a guy wide open. It will be a gradual difference as it should be.

As far as the CPU goes, elite QB's will rarely throw out of their cone of vision. Low AWR QB's will throw out of their cone more often. From what we saw at EA, the camera angle will not rotate with your cone of vision, just the cones itself.My hope is that this will balance gameplay out a bit more. We should see more of a difference between high awareness and high speed QBs. Vick will be more deadly on his feet with the sprint button change, but his cone of vision won't be anything like Manning's vision will be. It will take some serious practice to get over the learning curve, and an even greater premium will have to be place on blocking and pass protection in order to succeed in the passing game. One the other end, I think we will be looking at a more interesting and realistic passing experience.

Jessica Alba

2005-03-25T08:43:00.000-05:00

Usually I prefer blonds but in the case of Jessica Alba I think she looks much better with the dark hair. Blond she becomes a cross between Brittany Murphy and Brittany Spears. Which of course is still pretty hot.

The InsideHer

2005-03-23T12:21:00.000-05:00

This is from PageSix in the Post. i don't know why the thought of Pat O'Brien acting like this is so funny to me, but it is so i'm sharing it

....

March 23, 2005 -- PAT O'Brien, the host of "The Insider" who entered rehab on Sunday, has more to worry about than sexually explicit voice-mail messages. There's a photograph, too.
An impeccable Left Coast source says that O'Brien's girlfriend, "Betsy," has an ex-husband who is in possession of a "compromising photograph" of the mustachioed broadcaster pleasuring himself.
"There's also an e-mail Pat O'Brien sent to Betsy laying out the framework for [having] an affair," said our source.
"It's like a blueprint, something in his file that he has sent out before."
Betsy is described as an attractive blond mother of two daughters. "She left her Pasadena husband when Pat seduced her," said the family friend.
The ex-husband is said to be well-off financially, but he might let the photo be sold to one of the supermarket weeklies — because he doesn't like O'Brien. "He's finished with the divorce and he's moved on," said our source.
Betsy figures prominently in voice mails that were posted Monday on the Internet, in which a man who sounds like O'Brien is heard trying to coax an unidentified woman into a threesome.

"Let's have [bleep]ing sex and drugs and just go crazy," the voice says in one of three messages, most of which is repetitive and unprintably graphic. "You're [bleep]ing sexy, I want to go crazy with you."
"You are so [bleep]ing hot . . . my girlfriend is so hot, you are so [bleep]ing hot. Please leave me a voice mail, leave me a voice mail. Bye."
In the third message, the voice says: "I am so [bleep]ing into you, but Betsy's so [bleep]ing jealous . . . I told Betsy you're into her and if you get this message just look at me and say yes. I want to [bleep] your [bleep] and get crazy. I don't know why I'm like this, but you have to be with Betsy, too."
O'Brien, who has one child with his wife, Linda, has taken Betsy out with him in public to many events over the past few months.
A spokesman for "The Insider" said O'Brien won't be coming back to the show "until he is better."

The Case for Alomar

2005-03-22T10:41:00.000-05:00

Here's a nice rundown of Roberto Alomar's case for the HoF. He's probably in a similar situation to Larkin, though I think Alomar was the superior player. A far better comp is Craig Biggio, who perhaps has the most underrated career of this era and will be greatly impacted by the verdict on Alomar.

Reading List

2005-03-11T12:14:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read, let me recommend The Ticket Out: Darryl Strawberry and the Boys of Crenshaw by Michael Sokolove. It's about the 1979 Crenshaw High School baseball team, regarded by many as the best HS team of all time...and what happened to the players, including our boy Straw.

Fun fact: the opposing pitcher in the 1979 championship game? John Elway.

Cheating? What's Cheating?

2005-03-11T10:56:00.000-05:00

Is laser eye surgery an unfair advantage in sports? Here's an interesting article about the ethical fine line that comes with medical enhancements.

Wanna Buy A Monkey?

2005-03-04T17:05:00.000-05:00

I think I have to re-think my stance on monkeys after this. In summation, "...had severe facial injuries and would require extensive surgery in an attempt to reattach his nose...His testicles and a foot also were severed"

Barry Larkin

2005-02-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Amid all the roids hoopla, a rather significant event slipped under the radar: the retirement of Barry Larkin. This, of course, leads directly to one of the more interesting Hall of Fame cases in years. A combination of playing his entire career in Cinncinnati (for some bad teams), having his prime in between eras, and frequent injuries definitely blur his case. But, would it surprise you (as it did me) if I told you Larkin actually played 19 years? That's quite an accomplishment in itself. Here's a rundown of some of the numbers he rang up during those two decades at shortstop:

Games: 2180
At-Bats: 7937
Runs: 1329
Hits: 2340
Doubles: 441
Triples: 76
Home Runs: 198
RBI: 960
Steals: 379 (Success rate: 83%)
Average: .295 (league AVG: .269)
On-Base: .371 (league OBP: .339)
Slugging: .444 (league SLG: .417)

Fielding %: .975 (league: .968)
Range Factor: 4.32 (league: 3.94)

Postseason AB: 71
Postseason AVG: .338
Postseason OBP: .397
Postseason SLG: .465

12 Time All-Star
1 MVP (1995)
3 Gold Gloves

Check out the whole record at Baseball-Reference.com.

Here's a pretty good take on the issue.

Thoughts?

the Dead Zone

2005-02-15T12:17:00.000-05:00

what's up, dudes. i'm sure everyone else is enjoying the sports "Dead Zone" as much as i am right now. i just realized yesterday i should start following college basketball so i know what the hell is going on when we finally get to March Madness. apparently Illinois is really good, or something. at least i have prospect research to get me by till then. Capuchin GM Sid Bream and I are very anxious to use those draft picks to begin the rebuilding process, and Cleveland Steamers manager Chico Lind is excited to be getting an infusion of new talent to his squad. he's getting really tired of having to eat lunch with Jeff Heaverlo and Freddie Bynum every day.

hey, i was wondering - who can make the best team of guys they've prematurely cut from their roster? mine has to be the best. i'd have Raul Ibanez at first, five-tool stud Aaron Rowand in the outfield, perennial LOC MVP candidate Melvin Mora at third, David Bell to back him up, and of course i'd have TWO closers (as opposed to zero) in B.J. Ryan and Justin Speier. good times. but i guess for every Melvin Mora there's a Mitch Meluskey too.

Gammons

2005-02-10T13:24:00.000-05:00

I thought this was pretty cute...i assume we all read peter gammons' diamond notes...here's a website that generates random diamond notes based on all his other diamond notes...each time you 'refresh' you get new ones...

http://www.humbug.com/diamond/notes.html

Prom

2005-02-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

Have to post this...this is the new prom dress for this season...any comments?

http://www.nypost.com/style/39213.htm

The Sosa Story

2005-01-31T21:18:00.000-05:00

I understand that the Cubs wanted to get rid of Sosa--stat--and that he was a cancer in the clubhouse, yada, yada, yada, but I don't understand how they couldn't find a better deal out there? When Jerry Hairston Jr. is the key player you're getting in return for a guy who did still hit 35 HR last year, I guess that tells you how far Sammy has fallen. At least in Chicago. Anyway, the focus now returns to the field and just what happened to Sosa? My guess is nothing.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that Sammy is not Barry. All "supplements" aside, Bonds is a freak, an aberration. Who has two peaks with the second coming so late in his career? (The answer is Bonds, but it was rhetorical.) If the average player peaks between the ages of 27-32, then Sosa's just following the norm, albeit with an exceptionally high spike. Here's his OPS progression:

Age OPS
20 .669
21 .687
22 .576
23 .710
24 .794
25 .884
26 .840
27 .888
28 .779
29 1.024
30 1.002
31 1.040
32 1.174
33 .993
34 .911
35 .849

Pretty self-evident, no? What this tells me is that one, Sosa's still a pretty good hitter, and two, he's getting unfairly criticized because he raised the bar so high during his peak.

Changing of the Guard

2005-01-14T15:01:00.000-05:00

For the first time in LOC history, Alex Rodriguez was not the best hitter of the season. Sure, he only fell to third, but it was also his first experience with a double-digit TLV. To make matters worse for ARod, he was also passed for the top TLV of all time as his teammate Vlad Guerrero's 6.33 bested his old record of 7.00. Rodriguez is looking at a HUGE free agent payday this draft and whomever ends up signing that giant check can only hope he gets the same production as Vlad provided after signing this year.

Top 10 Hitters All Time

2004 Guerrero, Vlad, St. Paul: 6.33
2001 Rodriguez, Alex, St. Paul: 7.00
2003 Rodriguez, Alex, St. Paul: 8.33
2000 Rodriguez, Alex, St. Paul: 9.17
2002 Rodriguez, Alex, St. Paul: 9.67
2002 Soriano, Alfonso, Danbury: 10.67
2002 Ordonez, Magglio, Klong Island: 12.33
2000 Giambi, Jason, Minnesota: 12.33
2000 Erstad, Darin, St. Paul: 13.50
2003 Boone, Bret, Klong Island: 14.00

The biggest FA starting pitcher also earned his salary this year as Curt Schilling edged out Johan Santana for the 2004 crown. While Schilling didn't set the record (that belongs to the nearly perfect Pedro of 2002), he and Santana both crack the All Time top ten:

2002 Martinez, Pedro, Alexandria: 1.20
2000 Martinez, Pedro, Minnesota: 1.40
2004 Schilling, Curt, ToC: 1.80
2004 Santana, Johan, Minnesota: 2.00
2003 Halladay, Roy, Kissimmike: 2.80
2003 Martinez, Pedro, Alexandria: 3.40
2003 Loaiza, Esteban, Danbury: 4.00
2001 Mussina, Mike, St. Paul: 4.40
2000 Wells, David, Waukegan: 5.20
2003 Mussina, Mike, Danbury: 5.80

Finally, while it wasn't a record-setting year in LOc bullpens, Keith Foulke continued to add to his career dominance as he placed his third season in the top six of all time. Here's the top ten:

2003 Foulke, Keith, Minnesota: 3.83
2000 Foulke, Keith, Minnesota: 4.50
2000 Lowe, Derek, ToC: 5.67
2000 Koch, Billy, Rochester: 6.33
2001 Rhodes, Arthur, American: 6.67
2004 Foulke, Keith, Danbury: 6.83
2002 Rhodes, Arthur, Justinapolis: 7.00
2004 Gordon, Tom, Kissimmike: 7.17
2003 Rivera, Mariano, Carolina: 7.30
2000 Rivera, Mariano, Waukegan: 7.50

The Legend Grows

2005-01-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

klong
Originally uploaded by francomega.

I came across this in a free Batman comic. It's only a matter of time before Anderson Cooper himself runs a story about the Klong phenomenon. Of course, we'll all resent the fact that every nerd on the street will be wearing Klong shirts (Klong John? Calvin Klong? Klong Farm?) and we'll turn on Klong and call him a sell-out, but we'll still go to all his celebrity-laden parties and offer to drive home a drunk Tara Reid. Yeah, that'll be cool.

Your 2004 TLVs

2005-01-12T16:18:00.000-05:00

Finally, the 2004 TLVs (Total LOC Values) are done. As you know by now, the rating reflects the players performance in all the stat categories compared to every other player. Starters and relievers are separated. For example, the best TLV a hitter can earn is a 1--meaning he finished first in every category.

Here are the top tens for now. As you can see, there are some big surprises right off the bat. I'll be back with more in-depth analysis including one of the three leaders setting an all-time mark. Ooooooh, stay tuned.

Top 10 Hitters:
Vlad Guerrero, OF, St. Paul: 6.33
Melvin Mora, 3B, Amsterdan: 15.17
Alex Rodriguez, 3B, St. Paul: 15.67
Miguel Tejada, SS, Minnesota: 18.33
Carlos Beltran, OF, ToC: 19.50
Manny Ramirez, OF, Amsterdan: 20.50
Carlos Lee, OF, Danbury: 20.67
Gary Sheffield, OF, St. Paul: 22.33
Carlos Guillen, SS, Alexandria: 22.67
Michael Young, 2B, ToC: 22.67

Top 10 Starters:
Curt Schilling, ToC: 1.80
Johan Santana, Minnesota: 2.00
Pedro Martinez, Alexandria: 6.40
Mark Buehrle, ToC: 9.40
Freddy Garcia, Danbury: 11.00
Brad Radke, Alexandria: 11.60
David Wells, Amsterdan: 16.20
Rodrigo Lopez, Alexandria: 17.40
Kelvim Escobar, Carolina: 17.40
Bronson Arroyo, Alexandria: 18.80

Top 10 Relievers:
Keith Foulke, Danbury: 6.83
Tom Gordon, Kissimmike: 7.17
Francisco Rodriguez, Minnesota: 7.83
Juan Rincon, St. Paul: 10.33
Mariano Rivera, ToC: 10.50
LaTroy Hawkins, Alexandria 10.67
Joe Nathan, Amsterdan 11.33
Armando Benitez, Amsterdan: 11.83
Octavio Dotel, Justinapolis: 12.83
Shingo Takatsu, Carolina : 14.33

The Case for Bert

2005-01-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

Interesting argument made by Jim Caple on ESPN.com about Bert Blyleven's Hall of Fame candidacy. A lot of people in the know, including my boy Rob Neyer (whose article I would link to if they didn't make it an "Insider" exclusive--corporate weasels) have supported the election of the righty who won 285 games over his 22 season career and is 5th on the all-time strikeout list. It's the classic peak vs. career debate.

Another thought-provoking HoF question from rec.sport.baseball:

Can someone explain why Sandberg gets in and Whitaker gets
snubbed (not even enough votes to stay on the ballot)?

Whitaker: .276 .363 .426 117 career OPS+, 19 years
Sandberg: .285 .344 .452 114 career OPS+, 16 years

Yes, Sandberg had a higher peak, and was base stealer.
On the other hand, he was productive for a much shorter time.
Whitaker had 17 seasons with an OPS+ > 100 (vs. Sandberg's 9).
Sandberg has that one MVP, but Whitaker has the ring and played
on a great team.

I can see why Sandberg gets more votes--six outstanding years always
beats 12 very good years, but one of them is overrated, or one is
underrated, or both, it seems to me.

*FYI, OPS+ is a player's OPS divided by the adjusted league OPS, and multiplied by 100. The league average OPS is assumed to be 100, so if a player has a 110 OPS+ for the season, he is 10% better than an average player.

The Draft !!

2004-12-31T14:56:00.000-05:00

Hello boys--looking forward to a great year !!

Happy Festivus!

2004-12-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

Once again, the magic of Festivus is in the air.

This year, Festivus is not over until Weinman can pin Dan. Let the festivities begin!

Position Eligibility Update

2004-12-22T10:14:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the notable position changes for 2005 (positions listed are the only ones for which they are eligible as of opening day):

Michael Young: SS
Willie Harris: 2B, OF
David Newhan: OF
Tony Graffanino: 2B
Darin Erstad: 1B
Melvin Mora: 3B
Juan Uribe: 2B, 3B, SS
Desi Relaford: 2B, 3B, OF
Mark Teixeira: 1B
Ben Broussard: 1B
Geoff Blum: 2B, 3B
Rich Aurilia: 3B, SS
Aubrey Huff: 1B, 3B
Dmitri Young: 1B
D'Angelo Jimenez: 2B
Alex Rodriguez: 3B
Michael Cuddyer: 2B, 3B
B.J. Upton: ? (didn't play 20 games at any one position-16 at SS, 13 at 3B; my instinct says to leave him at SS until he establishes himself somewhere different, but that's for others to decide)
Mark Bellhorn: 2B
Jay Gibbons: OF
Scott Spiezio: 1B, 3B
Robb Quinlan: 3B
Jerry Hairston: OF (biggest surprise/disappointment of the group, imo)
Eric Young: 2B, OF
Casey Blake: 3B
Damian Rolls: OF (only 19 at 3B)
Jose Valentin: SS
Jeff Conine: 1B, OF
Omar Infante: 2B, SS
Chone Figgans: 2B, 3B, OF
Matt Stairs: 1B, OF
Matthew LeCroy: C, 1B
Brandon Inge: C, 3B, OF
Ramon Nivar: ? (if he plays at all, looks like it will only be in the OF, where he played all 6 of his games last year)
Raul Ibanez: OF
Carlos Guillen: SS
Shea Hillenbrand: 1B
Pokey Reese: 2B, SS
Felipe Lopez: 3B, SS
Tim Hummel: 3B
Kevin Millar: 1B, OF
Marlon Anderson: 2B, OF
Tony Womack: 2B

Does Brady Really Lead the League in Scoring?

2004-12-21T14:28:00.000-05:00

Derek Jeter may have something to say about that. I knew the guy was a playa, but c'mon.

Notice the similarities in his "friends." More proof of his lack of range?

Does Peyton Really Lead the League in Scoring?

2004-12-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

Check out this ESPN.com article about the dating prowess of NFL QBs. Not bad for guys who make a living reaching between a fat guy's legs.

Who's Your...Oh, You Know

2004-12-14T18:03:00.000-05:00

I know how I feel about the Pedro deal, but what do our Mets fans think? The Mets still have fans, right?

Monopoly

2004-12-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

For fans of sports video games, here's an article that's really bad news...EA has secured the exclusive rights to the NFL and NFLPA meaning no other game can use real players or teams...for a hardcore player like me, that is just awful awful awful news...this is a CLASSIC case of the big guy beating the small guys making it worse for us, the average joe (or paul)...here's the article. http://sports.ign.com/articles/572/572886p1.html

by the way, the article states how they're trying to do similar deals with the nba and mlb...

Epidemic of Fun

2004-12-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

Who said holiday cheer was the only thing you can spread this time of year (I mean besides Paul at the junior high winter formal)? Stop the sores? Why, when they can so much fun?

And so damn cute.

Craig Monroe: He doesn't just steal bases

2004-12-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

Latrell Sprewell may have kids to feed, but Detroit Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe has pants to hold up. and apparently drawing only one salary from the MLB, as opposed to the majority of players with a second income from the LOC, just isn't enough for Craigers to keep his wardrobe up to date. Last friday Monroe tried to walk out of a Florida store wearing a $30 belt he didn't pay for. somehow though he did have enough cash to post the $500 bail, and now faces second-degree misdemeanor charges.

Roid Rage, Part Two

2004-12-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

I hope when all the BALCO smoke clears and everyone has had the opportunity to express their shock and outrage that the issue of the effects of steroids is addressed. Let's be honest, the only reason athletes take supplements, legal or illegal, is because we demand top performance. That doesn't excuse their actions, but it should lessen our moral grandstanding.

Here's what I want to see addressed--scientifically and objectively, not on "Around the Horn:"

1. How do steroids actually help players? Sure, it makes them stronger, but does it effect hand-eye coordination? Speed? Accuracy? Does it truly change a player's influence on the game? I don't know, but I would like to find out.

2. What is the window of effectiveness of these substances? Two players who admitted to using, Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco, saw their bodies deteriorate quickly after their peak years. Mark McGwire, who admitted to using the legal Andro, could barely walk at the end of his career despite his home run outburst. Is Giambi's recent injury streak a result of steroid use? Again, I don't know, but I do think it is important that we find out. Fans and owners use these players for entertainment and profit. Granted, they are rewarded handsomely, but as we are once again being reminded, there's more at stake here than money.

Roid Rage, Part One

2004-12-03T11:16:00.000-05:00

My fellow Americans, what have we learned recently? Well, first, that putting those deviant ho-mo-sexshuls in their place takes presidence over addressing little things like wars, deficits, healthcare, the environment, education, censorship, yada, yada, yada. But, that's pretty obvious, eh?

Now, though, we are seeing that knocking professional athletes off their pedestal (that, uh, we put them on in the first place) is far more important than the leaking of confidential grand jury testimony. A major componant of our legal system has been severely compromised and the bigger story is how the Yankees can get out of Giambi's contract (and if he's suspended, how ToC can as well). Now, in order for a newspaper to break a story and get their name mentioned on ESPN a thousand times, the case against those scumbag BALCO drug dealers may get thrown out.

As I hope you know, I'm all for full access to the truth, but in a case like this, there is a process that should be followed. The truth would have come out and, more importantly, the full, accurate truth. Steroid use in sports is certainly major news, but the story deserves to be digested in context, not fed to us in convenient bites. Freedom of the press wasn't intended to mean that we are free to sell papers by any means possible. It was supposed to protect the people of this country from being deceived and from our voice from being suppressed.

ESPNews began their story on the Bonds "revelation" by insinuating that he in fact admitted to taking steroids. Why not, that's what we all want to hear, right? Of course, they had to add that what Bonds admitted to was that he may have unknowingly taken something that his trusted friend Greg Anderson gave him. Either way, it got me watching, so who cares?

Shame on MLB

2004-12-03T09:49:00.000-05:00

I must say MLB should be totally ashamed of themselves. Barry Bonds today (and Jason Giambi yesterday) is the biggest news in all of sports, and some pretty big news outside of sports as well. So why does mlb.com have RJ talks with Yankees (news 2 days old now) as the headline?? Not only that, but the site has 4 headlines that rotate, and the steroid issue is not one of them.

If its their job to report whats going on in baseball, and pardon me for believing this to be true, Barry Bonds should be all over the site today. But MLB hides the story on its site to try to not hurt the image of the game (i would presume). This is pathetic on their part and frankly i now find MLB pretty unreliable in terms of reporting ALL news.

Not Bad for a Guy with a 47-53 Career Record

2004-12-02T17:36:00.000-05:00

By popular demand, here's the link to Anna Benson's Web site. For those of you not in the know, she is Met pitcher Kris Benson's wife and, according to her bio, an "irreverent humanitarian." I don't know either.

Here's an interesting article that includes this little tidbit:

"We hadn’t had sex for a few days so we got into the back seat of our SUV in the parking lot at Three Rivers Stadium and while we were doing it fans were beating on the windows, we finished screwing then Kris got out and greeted the fans. Hell, I’m not stopping sex with my man so some overzealous fan can have an autograph!"

Brawl Fallout

2004-11-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Glad to see The Record is making a difference, one old school blowhard sportswriter at a time (and they don't come more blowhardy than Skip Bayless).

Back to Baseball

2004-11-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

I apologize to The Ed and Paulie Rawpalms for not being there for them recently. So, here's a little tidbit I came across about Clyde Sukeforth. Yes, that Clyde Sukeforth.

Okay, so you don't know who he is. Just about no one does. However, get a load of this (courtesy of the HoF's Inside Pitch):

Clyde Sukeforth, whose playing career was fairly non-descript, was involved in four pivotal intersections in baseball history: He was the man who scouted Jackie Robinson; was the bullpen coach for the Dodgers in 1951, who recommended that Ralph Branca pitch to Bobby Thomson; was one of the managers in Norman Rockwell's famous "Three Umpires" painting; and was instrumental in Roberto Clemente becoming a Pirate, 50 years ago today.

Artesting My Patience

2004-11-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

Two things our friends in the media didn't and don't feel is necessary to tell us sheep:

1. No one got hurt in the worst riot of all time.

2. Ron Artest has not recorded an album of his own, but is producing an album by a female group named Allure. (Maybe I wasn't paying attention, but from the jump this has been the impression I received.)

This isn't an opinion piece about the incident. I just wanted to point out how our news is molded for us. By the time the facts reach us, they've been handled more than the Culkin brothers at Neverland.

Get Your Frick On

2004-11-23T20:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a chance to cast a vote for the Ford C. Frick Award, given every year by the Baseball Hall of Fame to a broadcaster who has a "minimum of 10 years of continuous major league service with a club, network, or combination thereof is required to be considered. Broadcasters may be active or retired."

Vote or die before December 1.

A little rap...

2004-11-22T15:06:00.000-05:00

i check the blog all the time too...maybe a good idea would be when dan makes and announcement, he can send an email to "check the blog" rather than writing the entire thing in the email...

to keep Eddie (Money) Wilders interested in the blog, here are Nas' lyrics about Kobe...discuss in rap form...

_____________

Master used to breed us to be bigger, to go play
Athletes of today in the NBA
Make me proud. But there’s somethin’ they don’t say
Keep getting’ accused for abusin’ white pus-say
From O.J. to Kobe, well lets call him Toby
First he played his life cool, just like Michael
Now he rock ice too just like I do
Yo, you can’t do better than that?
The hotel clerk who adjust the bathroom mat?
Now you lose sponsorships that you thought had your back.
Yeah you beat the rap, jigga boo fake n***a you
You turn around then you s*** on Shaq
Who woulda knew, Mr. Goody-two-shoes
He love a little butt crack, got enough cash
Little kids with they bus pass, who look up to you
To do somethin’ for the youth. Stupid spoof.
But you let them use you as an example
They would rep, but our heroes got their hands full.

How long?

2004-11-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

So how long before there are special "work camps" created for the pro choicers and the gays?

And how long before Leave It To Beaver reruns are playing 24/7?

Lasting impressions

2004-11-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

It didn't take long for the blog to crap the bed. I for 1 check it everyday and think of cool and funny things to say, but I am not as funny or as cool. Thus I don't write anything funny. Or cool.

So I will pose a question: Where does the goverenment expect to find all the money for the No Child Left Behind program and why is it that many cities across the country are under funded already when it comes to this program?

2005 Draft II

2004-11-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

Word from the Commissioner's Office is that Draft Day 2005 will be Saturday, March 12.

Now, here's where things get interesting: what if we hold the draft down here in Florida? This has been discussed by several owners in the past, so let me answer some of your questions.

What do I get by going all the way down there that I can't get in New Jersey?

Spring Training. Tampa is in the center of the action with the Yankees, Phillies, Jays, Rays, Pirates, Reds, Tigers, and Indians all no more than an hour away.

That's cool, but what else?

How about warm weather? New York in March can be, well, freakin freezing. The average March temperature in Tampa? 66.6 (and that's cool down here).

Okay, but why this year?

As you may know, my plan is to move after I graduate next May. That desire was beaten home this Tuesday and it has become a need to get back to the educated "blue" Northeast ASAP. So, this may be our last chance to do this Spring Training-Draft Weekend thing for awhile.

Weekend? How much time are we talking?

It's your call. You can make it a three or four day weekend or make it part of a longer vacation. It's four months away, so everyone should be able to arrange the time they want.

Time's one thing. What about money?

Good question. Fares to Florida are generally pretty affordable. I suggest looking into JetBlue or Song. Like I mentioned earlier, look at it as a much needed end of winter vacation.

Some of us have a family or at least a lady "friend" to consider.

Just because she takes your money, doesn't mean she's a friend. Or even a lady. Anyway, the draft itself only takes up a few hours on Saturday and the rest of the time is yours to spend how you want. It's really up to you, but we'll make everyone feel welcome.

What else?

Well, you get the chance to see the famed LOC Cup. If you're good, I'll even let you take your picture with it. After all, everyone deserves the chance to feel like a winner even if they know it's only pretend.

Basically, I think it would be a lot of fun and a good opportunity to do something different. Take some time to weigh your options and think it over. Thanks.

2005 Draft

2004-11-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

Is there a chance we can have the draft in Florida? Discuss.

Jumpin' Jim Brunzell for President

2004-10-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

With all the focus on the big dogs, let's not overlook the race for Hillsborough County Commissioner here in Tampa. While you can't vote, I'm sure you are all on the edge of your seats wondering if B. Brian Blair, former rasslin' Killer B, will win.

Remember how the Bees were so over despite the fact that they cheated every match? Forget about the issues, how can we ever trust this guy?

Rickey Henderson Award

2004-10-20T23:44:00.000-04:00

Who do you think won? You have a guess, right, but you wouldn't bet anything on it? I don't blame you. There were some big seasons in the LOC this season, but no runaway and hide ones. That said, I still can't believe that Esteban Loaiza came out of nowhere to win his second straight...okay, okay. Owners were a little more sober this year. In a race tighter than Hilary Duff, your Most Valuable Player of 2004 is Amsterdan rightfielder Manny Ramirez. The results:

Manny Ramirez, Amsterdan: 14 (2)

Johan Santana, Minnesota: 13 (2)

Carlos Beltran, ToC: 12 (4)

Vlad Guerrero, St. Paul: 9 (1)

Ichiro, Justinapolis: 3 (1)

Others receiving votes: Curt Schilling 3, David Ortiz 3, Gary Sheffield 2, Alex Rodriguez 1

Note: Yes, once again Beltran did not receive any votes other than his 4 first place ones which were twice as many as anyone else. Just call him Al Gore.

Kevin Mitchell Award

2004-10-18T23:33:00.000-04:00

Sometimes players live up to the hype. When the news came down that Vlad Guerrero was going to be LOC-eligible, owners across the league salivated at the thought of adding this genuine stud in his prime to their lineup. The Bees did (Paul has a thing for studs) and they certainly got their money's worth. Now, they can spend the winter trying to figure out how they didn't make the playoffs with Vlad, Sheff, and A-Rod. The results:

Vlad Guerrero, St. Paul: 21 (4)

Manny Ramirez, Amsterdan: 19 (4)

Carlos Beltran, ToC: 6 (2)

Gary Sheffield, St. Paul: 6

Others receiving votes: Ichiro 3, Melvin Mora 2, Alex Rodriguez 2, Miguel Tejada 1

Notes: Beltran's 2 first place votes were the only votes he received. I know I'm not exactly objective, but I think some people lost track of his stats when he switched leagues. Anyway, wait until you see the Rickey results.

Rick Reuschel Award

2004-10-16T09:49:00.000-04:00

First, my apologies for the delay, but the final three award results are worth the wait.

As to which starting pitcher would be labeled this season's "Big Daddy," you knew it was coming down to two candidates. In a nine inning duel, Minnesota's Johan Santana snags the W. Santana's season was one for the LOC record books and it will be interesting to see where he places for the Rickey.

Here's how this tight race played out:

Johan Santana, Minnesota: 25 (7)

Curt Schilling, ToC: 21 (3)

Pedro Martinez, Alexandria: 7

Others receiving votes: Tim Hudson 3, Brad Radke 3, Mark Mulder 1

1-0

2004-10-13T08:17:00.000-04:00

There are 4 things the Yankees can take away from last nights win. First, Schilling is hurt more than anyone let on to believe. Second, the Yankees can still get timely hitting from top to bottom of the lineup (the Lofton home run was huge). Third, it's gotta be tough on the Sox that they couldn't come back on a very exhausted Rivera. And fourth, the Yankees won the game, which hurts the Sox even more.

I don't know if I so much agree with Pedro starting tonight. It's gonna be a rough atmosphere, although he is a big game pitcher. I just don't know what else he has left. Then again, he could turn it all around. Who knows. That's why they play the games.

Mark Davis Award

2004-10-07T11:36:00.000-04:00

After losing closer Jason Isringhausen after their first LOC Championship, the Cactus Franks opted for a bullpen by committee approach last season. Fortunately for them, their offense made up for whatever bullpen instability resulted. Before this season's trade deadline, ToC GM Bob Mastermind felt his team once again needed that game anchor and swung a deal for 2004's best fireman, Mariano Rivera. The deal was controversial (for a variety of issues, including the Franks taking on $17 million), but that doesn't take anything away from Rivera's amazing year. The results:

Mariano Rivera, ToC: 20 (6)

Armando Benitez, Amsterdan: 13 (1)

Joe Nathan, Amsterdan: 11 (2)

Francisco Rodriguez, Minnesota: 7 (1)

Others receiving votes: Francisco Cordero 5, Keith Foulke 3, Tom Gordon 1.

Chris Sabo Award

2004-10-05T19:52:00.000-04:00

If there is any consolation to a disappointing season, it's having found some building blocks for the future. This year's top rookie, SS Bobby Crosby, should give Kissimmike a solid foundation as they try to claw their way to the playoffs. The best part for the Wilders? He's not alone. The results:

Bobby Crosby, Kissimmike: 10 (2)

Shingo Takatsu, Carolina: 8 (1)

Lew Ford, Kissimmike: 4 (1)

Justin Morneau, Minnesota: 3 (1)

Others receiving votes: Jayson Werth, Zach Greinke, Kevin Youkilis, and John Buck (For the record, Rich Harden was not a rookie this year). I was surprised Morneau did not receive more support.

Mike Moore Award

2004-10-04T23:49:00.000-04:00

It can't be a coincidence that the most improved team in the league made so many shrewd moves throughout the season. Amsterdan's Joe Nathan takes this year's prize as the team lands 3 of the top 4 vote-getters. The results:

Joe Nathan, Amsterdan: 10 points (3 first place votes)

Travis Hafner, Amsterdan: 7 (1)

Juan Uribe, Amsterdan: 6 (2)

Carlos Guillen, Alexandria: 6 (2)

No one else received a first place vote. There were 10 other players who received individual votes, as this category continues to be interpreted freely.

Fight the Power

2004-09-29T23:26:00.000-04:00

I've been under the weather (I really don't know what that means) and I didn't have time to get this up sooner. Better late than never.

September 25-October 2 is Banned Book Week. Check out more info at ACLU or ALA.

You might not realize this is such a major issue anymore, but censorship is thriving in the land of the free. And it's not just coming from the Far Right. Everyone seems to have an agenda these days and they typically all revolve around depriving others of their rights. Hopefully, some of the banned books (or as they are politely called these days, challenged or reconsidered books) will comes as big surprise and open your eyes. Regardless, for everyone other than Paul, read something that's not good for you. It'll be good for you.

Take...Oh, Forget It

2004-09-25T17:42:00.000-04:00

One state hasn't been hit by 4 hurricanes during one season since 1886. Oh, I meant since 2004. Joy.

Yom Kippor

2004-09-24T17:30:00.000-04:00

I don't think I have that much of a problem with Shawn Green missing work for a religious holiday. Even though that work is playing professional baseball. Religious beliefs are religious beliefs, and if he feels that he should miss one day of work, then that's fine with me.

How Much Did The Poll Cost?

2004-09-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

In case you were wondering, a recent AP poll discovered that "People who make more than $75,000 a year are far more likely than those who make $25,000 or less to say are 'very satisfied' with their lives -- 56 percent of the higher-income group compared with 24 percent of the lower-income group."

Oopsie

2004-09-22T16:08:00.000-04:00

Truth or Consequences, NM -- ToC team officials had a good deal of explaining to do after reporters waited almost three hours for a press conference that never happened. "Sorry," said GM Bob Mastermind. "Our bad."

Early Saturday afternoon, the club released an announcement saying a press conference had been scheduled for Tuesday at 3:00 PST. Sources reveal that Team President, and Head Gangsta, Suge Knight was prepared to fire Manager Tom Emanski in what looked to be the aftermath of a shocking playoff collapse to the age old thorn-in-the-side WeinStockings. However, the Franks rallied over the weekend, winning the series, and presumably saving their skipper's job. Evidently, no one ever cancelled the press conference. "Someone should have done it," said Mastermind. "I'll give you that." Reporters began getting suspicious when the lights were shut off and the janitor asked them to lock up on their way out.

The bigger issue, though, is how Emanski and his players are going to handle this distraction as the LOC Series heats up. "It's all about returning to the fundamentals," said the manager. "I've sold my tapes to all the guys and had them write essays on the finer points. Vernon Wells' paper on pivot foot placement in a 2-6-3 double play was particularly moving." (Ed. note: Right before we went to press, former LOCer Fred McGriff called to endorse Emanski's comment.)

As for Knight, this is just the latest episode in his tempestuous tenure with the team. When confronted in the Hell's Foyer parking lot, he repeatedly grabbed his crotch while swinging a diamond-studded cane and shouting "What? What?" before he could be whisked away in his freshly pimped ride.

I Love This Game!

2004-09-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

What a weekend.

I have to admit I was pretty upset when Mariano collapsed on Friday night. As of Saturday morning, the Franks and Stox were deadlocked at 12 with ToC clinging to a .001 lead in season BA. The check totals were close, but with only two days left, it would take something big to go down to shake things up. I didn't realize how unprepared I was for the end. Then...Sunday Bloody Sunday in Alexandria. Pedro Martinez, the greatest hurler in LOC history, got bitchified for 8 ER. It blew the match-up wide open and clinched a LOC Series spot for the defending champs.

It also didn't help my nerves that Nomar was on the bench for the last week and a half. Michael Young was forced to play both middle infield spots and I have to say he was up for the challenge. I was wondering, though, if there was any connection to Nomar (Freakin Nomar) hurting his groin and Mia coming back from three weeks at the Olympics.

I would like to tip my cap to my archrivals. Quite a fight indeed.

Curse Reversed?

2004-09-17T23:47:00.000-04:00

We are on the verge of a monumental collapse in the TOC. Can the starcrossed Stox finally bring down the Evil Empire? Two days left...

Big Time

2004-09-16T12:52:00.000-04:00

Now, that's what I'm talking about. In preparation for joining the Big East next year, as well as the ranks of Florida football powers, USF took a big step toward legitimizing their program. Go Bulls!

More Bonds

2004-09-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

The all-time single season OPS leaderboard:

1. Barry Bonds, 2002 -- 1.381
2. Babe Ruth, 1920 -- 1.3791
3. Barry Bonds, 2001 -- 1.3785
4. Babe Ruth, 1921 -- 1.359
5. Babe Ruth, 1923 -- 1.309

* Barry Bonds, 2004 -- 1.445

Bonds

2004-09-16T10:07:00.000-04:00

From Salon.com's King Kaufman:

Today's stat: Imaginary managerial cojones.

That's right, imaginary -- well, you heard me. What we're dealing with is the anti-Bonds canard 'His numbers are artificially boosted by all those stupid intentional walks.'

Reader and Albert Pujols fan Tim Potter rebuts Monday's Stat of the Day, OPS, which Bonds is dominating to a ridiculous degree, thusly: 'You completely talk around the fact that his OPS is so high because he set a major league record for intentional walks this year because there is absolutely no need to pitch to him. He has nobody else on his team.'

A.C. Hawley puts it this way: 'If I was walked as often as Barry Bonds, my OPS would be that high as well.' Major league scouts, take note! There's an unsigned baseball player who claims he can slug at over an .800 clip in the bigs, something only Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds have ever done! For a small finder's fee, you may contact Hawley through this column to arrange a tryout.

OK, so all those intentional walks -- 105 of them through Tuesday night's game -- distort the numbers. Bonds has otherworldly stats because other teams are too chicken to pitch to him, or because his teammates are such bums there's no need to. That's the claim.

So here's what we'll do: We'll get rid of the intentional walks. We'll pretend that all of the opposing managers on the Giants' schedule have had the managerial cojones -- or lack of regard for job security, whichever you want to call it -- to pitch to Bonds the way they pitch to other big-time power hitters.

Jim Thome of the Phillies is second in the National League in intentional walks with 25. So let's fix it so Bonds has 25 too, instead of 105. Follow me here: We'll take 84 of Bonds' intentional walks and turn them into plate appearances in which he produces exactly the same results as in his remaining 464 appearances. Since 21 of those 464, or 4.5 percent, were intentional walks, four of these new 84 appearances will be free passes too, for a total of 25. Thus our imaginary Bonds gets the delicate treatment of the next-most-feared power hitter in the league, but nothing more.

So what else would happen in those 84 plate appearances that used to be intentional walks? Based on his season to date, Bonds would go 22-for-60 with 22 walks, including those four intentional, a sacrifice fly and a hit-by-pitch. He'd have five doubles, seven home runs and 17 RBIs. His batting average would stay at .372, of course, but he'd have 48 home runs, three ahead of Adrian Beltre of the Dodgers for the league lead, and 111 RBIs, third in the league behind Cardinal Scott Rolen and Colorado's Vinnie Castilla (both with 121), one ahead of Albert Pujols of the Cards.

Bonds' on-base percentage would suffer a bit, dropping from .614, the best ever, to .542, the fourth best in modern (since 1900) history. His slugging percentage would drop a bit too, from .828 to .822, still the fourth best season of all time. His OPS would fall all the way to 1.364, also the fourth best in history. On all three all-time lists, the only names above his 2004 season are Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Barry Bonds.

And just for reference, that 1.364 OPS would be 254 points -- 23 percent -- higher than that of the closest MVP 'candidate,' Jim Edmonds of the Cardinals at 1.110.

Folks, it ain't the intentional walks. Even discounting them, Bonds is having one of the greatest offensive seasons anyone has ever had. There are no other candidates for MVP. "

Rules Question

2004-09-14T10:15:00.000-04:00

If a member of your team gets suspended for a year for throwing chairs at fans, do we have to keep a roster spot open for him?

Thigpending Record

2004-09-13T22:18:00.000-04:00

Mariano Rivera is only 9 saves away from the magical 57.

Tallahassee Hurricane

2004-09-11T09:11:00.000-04:00

Living in Miami for the last 2 years and being a Hurricane fan my entire life, I have grown to truly appreciate the great FSU-UM rivalry. It seems every year they are both very evenly matched and the team that hold the ball last will win the game. My experiences watching these games have been quite odd. While there is alot of enthusiasm for the college games in the northeast, passion is lacked. In Miami, there is a passion and an arrogance that no one, absolutely no one will beat the Canes... ever. It is a cocky, but still passionate, fanbase.
But last night was the ultimate experience in this long lived rivaly. I have heard all the rumors about how Noles fans get so bothered by UM, but in the back of my mind I was pretty sure that these fans were just as cocky and confident as all UM fans. After watching 3 quarters of FSU dominated football, all the Noles fans in the room were biting their nails, waiting for the inevitable, until it finally happened. I cannot imagine how terrible it must be for a team when they KNOW they will lose, no matter what. That is the mentality in Tallahassee. I honestly feel bad for these fans. Doubts always in the back of thier mind, they must all be the most insecure group of people out there (Red Sox fans are in this boat too I suppose). Cocky people annoy me, but i would take that any day over fans who wait for the ceiling to collapse ontop of them. Needless to say, i was not the most popular person in Tallahasee yesterday, nor do i expect to be anytime soon. But one thing i can be sure of, I am definitley more popular than Chris Rix will ever be in this town!! God bless that child, and may God have pity on ANY team that gets in "THE U's" way!!!! GO CANES!!!!!

Old School

2004-09-09T16:25:00.000-04:00

The "Wait 'Til Next Year" signs are all over Danbury, TX as the Toilet once again fall short in their quest to topple the Evil Empire. After a flurry of deals, including bringing in C.C. Sabathia, Freddy Garcia, AND Keith Foulke, the team actually took a step back from last year's wildcard season. Owner Dan Kohler is reportedly in the market for a rented mule to beat throughout the winter. (There's no truth to the rumor that mules in the Danbury area are in the market for Cactus Franks jerseys in order to ensure they couldn't be beaten by Kohler.)

The bigger story out of the Derrty is the resurrection of the WeinStockings. Left for dead by fans and analysts looking for trendier picks, the Stox carpet-bombed Carolina (do they still have a team?) to cap off their impressive run to the playoffs. Now the only thing that stands between them and a chance to lose another LOC Series is their archrival and haunter of their dreams, the Truth or Consequences Cactus Franks. Longtime LOC watchers are salivating at this meeting of original franchises.

Take Three

2004-09-09T14:19:00.000-04:00

People down here are freaking out about Ivan. Right now it's a Category 5 storm and is devastating the islands. Reports from Grenada claim that over 90% of all homes and businesses have been destroyed. Wicked.

We still have roads closed all over Tampa from Frances, so I can't imagine what would happen if we were hit head on by a strong hurricane (let alone a Cat 5). Of course, there's no way to predict its path other than to say it MIGHT hit us. Nice. Looks like another weekend of watching and waiting.

Frances!

2004-09-06T15:52:00.000-04:00

It was quite a three-day weekend. Not much damage here, but a lot of rain and a lot of sitting around. This storm just left a little while ago. While it wasn't as strong as Charley, it was far more annoying. People on the East Coast started evacuating on Thursday. It hung out offshore for a long time (probably placing college football bets) and then sloooooooooowly made its way across the state. Anyway, it's now on to Ivan. Stay tuned.

Take Two

2004-09-02T13:36:00.000-04:00

Have you seen Hurricane Frances? It's bigger than the state of Florida. Unlike Charley, which was coming head on from the Gulf, this one is taking the backdoor bandit route. Hopefully, it won't be at full strength when it passes. Actually, hopefully it won't pass by here, but it looks like, regardless, this 3 day weekend is going to be a wash out.

Where have you gone Gary Coleman?

2004-08-31T09:14:00.000-04:00

If you could bring back a word or a phrase from your past back into mainstream America, what would it be? I would vote for "Philip Michael Thomas". Example: I was having a good day at work, but then my boss got all Philip Michael Thomas on me.

Paranoia?

2004-08-30T22:31:00.000-04:00

Perhaps the view from here is tainted by hearing too many doomsday prognostications about malfeasance in the potentially very close outcome in the upcoming presidential election, but I have to say that I am entirely baffled by the fact that the Franks have either left on the bench or else actively benched players performing quite well (including all-stars like Chavez and Schilling) for the sake of activating players doing worse this check, or even on the DL (and whose names are much less impressive-sounding generally).

Perhaps there are thought processes beyond my comprehension at work (to be sure, I know next to nothing about anything), and I can't see what is to be gained by tanking here--no one is betting on LOC games, are they?--but could it possibly be that the Franks want the Stox out of the playoffs so badly that they would actually allow the Toilet to sneak in ahead by keeping the game closer than it might otherwise be?

Oh Crap

2004-08-25T14:37:00.000-04:00

Here's a strong candidate for story of the year.

Mouth

2004-08-24T13:27:00.000-04:00

This is from PageSix in the New York Post:

August 21, 2004 -- OK, we get it — you're really not that innocent, Britney Spears. The increasingly prurient pop tart left British TV host Simon Amstell speechless during a recent interview. When he asked her what the last thing she'd had in her mouth was, she replied, "A dildo." Skanks for the memories, Britney! Simon tells London's Daily Mirror: "I was doing this interview with Britney and I had my usual set of silly questions. I thought her answer would be something like chicken escalope. Anyway, her people stepped in and cut that bit out."

My question is, why would she have that in her mouth anyway? Whatever, i just eagerly anticipate her sex tape to surface.

Kaz-am!

2004-08-23T23:26:00.000-04:00

Early on, Kazmir looks pretty good. He has a clean, smooth delivery combined with a consistent high 90s FB. He's not that big, but he has good mechanics. He needs to change speeds more often and fine tune his corner work, but that's pretty common for a 20 year old. Great sign: both benches have been on their feet watching him the whole game. Should be fun to watch him progress.

That said, I've been sidetracked by my guy Bobby Madritsch's giant neck tattoo.

Audition

2004-08-23T20:10:00.000-04:00

The potential number one pick in next year's minor league draft, Scott Kazmir, makes his major league debut tonight in Seattle. This could also be the beginning of a long, painful period for Mets fans. Either way, I'll let you know how he looks.

On Holiday

2004-08-19T10:49:00.000-04:00

I'm off to sunny Siesta Key for a few days, so you kids are on your own. We were originally scheduled to go last weekend, but something came up.

Nuts

2004-08-19T10:46:00.000-04:00

The surprise decision by ToC manager Tom Emanski to start Larry Bigbie this check versus the surging Stox took a major blow when the young outfielder was placed on the DL.

Will the Franks be able to withstand this lineup loss and hold off their fiercest rivals through the weekend?

More importantly, will this championship run end because of Larry Bigbie's groin? History awaits.

Lesson Learned

2004-08-18T09:58:00.000-04:00

It's a dark day here at the Record. We have learned that Olympic correspondent Jayson Blair is not only not in Athens, but is not even our Olympic correspondent. We regret the error and any confusion that may have arisen from his erroneous report concerning the Japan-Netherlands baseball game. Also, we are currently investigating the claim that Klong is God.

Klong is my God

2004-08-17T16:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the one and only Kris Long, who has reminded me that there is so much more to life than a nickname, I have changed my user name to EW. What a glorious day! I am reborn!

Fly in My Chardonnay

2004-08-17T09:49:00.000-04:00

Aside from total devastation and possible death, my greatest Charley-related worry was loss of AC. So, what happened Saturday night? Right, our AC stopped working. Completely unrelated, but the irony came in as borderline category 5. Dont'cha think?

Postscript: It was just clogged, or something, and I'm back in the cool pretending it's not so f'n hot outside. Where would we be if we couldn't lie to ourselves?

What's in a name?

2004-08-16T13:37:00.000-04:00

Every since I was a little kid, I hated my name. I tried all variations of it (although there aren't many ways to spelling Ed), and all I could come up with is Eddie. And I hate Eddie. My wife calls me Edward, and if there is a name I hate more than Eddie it's Edward. More than that, I hate Ed. To go even further, I hate Wilders. There are too many sylables, and it's too close to Gene Wilder or or Little House on the Prarrie. I'm basically up a creek without a paddle.

So now I move onto college, and I pledge a fraternity. Finally I'm thinking I'm gonna walk out with a cool nickname that may stick, hopefully leaving Eddie behind forever. But, they come up with Dizzy, and that's what I'm stuck with. On top of that, no one uses it.

Now the jealousy starts. Klong became Klong basically by accident. Trudeau (even though it's his last name) still sounds like a nickname. And all the time I'm still Eddie.

Frank starts the blog and every one uses a nickname or something else, and I'm here with Eddie. Crappy old boring Eddie. I hate Eddie.

The Aftermath

2004-08-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

Around 2 Friday afternoon, Charley was upgraded to a Category 4 and things started to get a little dicey. Then, it suddenly hooked right, away from Tampa. At first, though, it only shifted slightly and looked like it was still heading for us (a little east of Tampa). In the end, it veered more northeast than expected and missed us entirely. We got a little rain, much less than what we normally get courtesy of our daily afternoon thunderstorm.

That said, the storm shredded the town of Punta Gorda and everything else in its path. I'm sure you've seen some of the damage and I feel very fortunate to have avoided its wrath. This is the first time I've really understood the power of a hurricane. Not fun.

The Calm

2004-08-13T09:40:00.000-04:00

It looks like Charley has been upgraded to a Category 3. That's big time. ETA has been pushed up a bit to late afternoon/early evening. If I'm still here, I'll let you know how it went. Until then, enjoy Friday the 13th.

Rock Me Like a Hurricane

2004-08-12T18:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like Tampa is about to receive its first direct hurricane hit since 1921. A Super Bowl, a Stanley Cup, and now this--my work here is done. ETA is 8PM Friday. Everything is closed tomorrow and they have issued a mandatory evacuation of Pinellas County (St. Pete, Clearwater), the most densely-populated county in the state. Sounds like a big deal.

Of course, my fear is that we are going to lose electricity. First, no AC, which is just unthinkable. Second, no anything else. Seriously, it could get ugly.

CREAMERY

2004-08-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

Well, i went out for ice cream yesterday to that Cold Stone Creamery. it's a notch (yes "notch") better than regular ice cream, i think. slightly sweeter plus they mix up the toppings evenly throughout instead of just dumping it on top. plus they had a flavor called "cake batter". Trudeau should open up an ice cream place and make a flavor called "ball batter". Anyway, it was a fun night and i was talking to camille's friend. i'm just on the edge of having a shot with her. i might actually not need a louisville slugger to hook up with her, but it's probably gonna take alot of alcohol.