JimH5

I would pass on this. I need my hands free for food and clapping and foul balls, etc. Plus, I'm pretty content with just being at a game. I don't need more than the stadium atmosphere, a beer and sandwich, a relaxing seat, and two teams playing baseball. That's plenty.

The biggest problem I see with those uniforms is that Baldelli is actually standing up. (Rimshot) (Uncomfortable chuckling) They seem to be generic, and very bland. Much like the oatmeal served in every St. Petersburg retirement home. (Rimshot) (Silence and refusal to make eye contact) Shouldn't Elijah Dukes' uniform pants have a built-in holster? (Booing and throwing of drinks)

Congrats to you, Russ, and to Mrs. Russ, too! My daughter was born 3 years and 4 months ago, and the time FLIES by, so enjoy every minute. . . And lets hope Mrs. Russ doesn't tweak a hamstring when its time to push!

Can we ever move beyond arguing semantics? I'm trying to analyze his performance while on the field, not trying to peg the net value of that performance. Okay, then I guess Joe Dillon is having a terrific year. Not to mention its probably a good thing Sheets didn't go a full year since he missed time each of the past 2 years. Maybe Corey Koskie's agent should use that as a negotiating point. -------------------------------------- Alright, that's enough snippy little comments from me for now. . . I didn't read Russ' comments that sparked this thread, I just was responding the question if Sheets is having a down year. And you can measure "down year" any way you want to. . .Is it down from your expectations? Yes. Is it down from other top pitchers in the game? Yes. He's pitched in 23 games this year. Listed below are his stat lines, with my "highly developed" rating system, where I grade his performance in each start. . . Apr 2--Great CG, 1 ER (W) Apr 7--Terrible 6 IP, 5 ER (L) Apr 12--Terrible 5 IP, 7 ER (L) Apr 20--Good 7 IP, 2 ER, (ND) Apr 25--Incomplete. . .Left with a groin strain after 3 IP May 1--Good 6 IP, 2 ER (W) May 6--Good 6.1 IP, 2 ER (ND) May 12--Good 6 IP, 3 ER (W) May 17--Great 7.2 IP, 2 ER (W) May 22--Good, left with a blister 6.1 IP, 2 ER (L) May 29--Okay 6 IP, 3 ER (W)--11 hits allowed June 3--Great 6 IP, 0 ER (W) June 9--Great 7 IP, 0 ER (ND) June 14--Okay 5.2 IP, 3 ER (W) June 19--Great CG, 2 ER (W) June 25--Great 6 IP, 1 ER (W) June 30--Great 8 IP, 4 ER (W), 11 Ks vs. Cubs July 5--Terrible 6 IP, 5 ER (L) July 14--Incomplete, Left with sprained finger August 29--Great 6 IP, 1 ER (W) vs. Cubs Sept 3--Okay 6 IP, 3 ER (ND) Sept 9--Bad 6 IP, 5 ER (W) Sept 14--Terrible 3 IP, 5 ER (L) So he's had 8 starts this year that I consider Great; 5 that I consider Good, 3 that I consider Okay, 1 that was Bad, and 4 that were Terrible. Then there were 2 starts that were incomplete because he left for injury. And then you have to consider the 7 or 8 starts that he missed due to injury. That analysis actually worked out more to Sheets' advantage, in my mind. It seems that the "badness" in his overall stat line was really just dumped on him in a few starts. And it makes me look at W-L records with a little more respect than I otherwise might have. And I just wish the guy would stay healthy. . .

Yes, he's having a down year. For the 3rd consecutive year, he's missed significant time due to injury. You can cite rate stats all you want, but when a guy misses that much time, then it's a down year. He's good enough that he should be competing for Cy Young awards, and he doesn't merit even a mention, because when other pitchers are out pitching, he's rehabbing.

Didn't Shawn Green do the same thing a few years back? He may have. . .but honestly, I'm not sure. And I would (perhaps ignorantly) assume that Ryan Braun may be facing the same decision. Would that lead some to consider him unprofessional?

I'm not on the fence at all. Nobody's job is more important than their children. Family always comes before work, whether you're a teacher or baseball player. If somehow that is now considered unprofessional, then I think we need to reconsider our priorities. It's not exactly the same, but a little similar. . .During the 1934 pennant race, Hank Greenberg didn't play on Yom Kippur for religious reasons, and was largely celebrated for his convictions.

I was working in Little Falls, NJ--about 15 miles from the WTC site. We were close enough that you could see the towers from the top level of our parking structure. It was shocking, frightening and very surreal. We had clients who worked in the World Trade Center, and more than a few of my coworkers had friends who worked in Lower Manhattan. A peer of mine didn't know until late in the afternoon that her mom got out okay. There was a helpless feeling, combined with amazement, dread, horrific sadness, and resolve. For days and weeks afterward, everyone was on edge, with this sinking feeling that there may be more attacks coming any time. There were lots of traffic tie-ups, with trucks being stopped and inspected on bridges. Nearby Paterson, NJ has a very large population of Arab immigrants, and there was a lot of police activity in that area. We weren't really even that close. I cannot imagine what it would have been like to be right there. Just horrible.

http://msnbcmedia3.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/060626/060626_martinez_vmed_5p.widec.jpg He seems like a great guy with a terrific sense of humor. And while he doesn't make my heart melt, I often chuckle whenever he says something funny. And I'm pulling for him to have an impact in the playoffs.

That one's a puzzle. If his stuff is good, and he's using his own pictures, and the bids are really placed by people interested in buying the item, then I can't see why eBay would intentionally pull his selling credentials. I wonder if his other stuff will suddenly come up under a "new" seller's name. . . I would hold on for a reasonable shipping time before going to PayPal for resolution. I've bought a couple of things that I had problems with, but was always able to work things out with the seller. I guess I'd do Google searches and whatever else to see if that eBay seller is doing business as a dealer in a shop or on the show circuit, to see if there's another way to get in touch with him. I hope it all works out for you.

Not sure what the item is. That might make it easier to "diagnose" the problem. . . In the past, I've heard of eBay sellers being suspended for selling or listing fraudulent memorabilia, or unlicensed stuff when a license would seem necessary. Or maybe they suspect that he's been participating in a shill bidding scheme. I've also heard of eBay sellers doing stuff that if nothing else, irks people--like ending an auction early, or using other people's photos for items that they are selling. Not sure that those would result in suspensions, but maybe for a repeat offender. . .

This guy is tap dancing around the truth on this jersey. By saying "Dave Parker" and showing a picture of Dave Parker, it leads a reasonable person to think that Dave Parker wore this jersey while playing for the Brewers in 1990, regardless if he doesn't specifically say "game used". The evidence would say that Parker didn't wear this jersey. The size issues not withstanding, I don't ever remember the Brewers using numerals that are as "blocky" as those are. The shape of the 9 in particular looks more square than the Brewers used in that time period. I'm not an authenticator, but I have a "prove it to me" stance when it comes to sports memorabilia. On Baseball Reference, they have a link to the Hall of Fame website database on uniforms worn by each team each year. In 1990, the Brewers used buttoned jerseys. This one is a pullover. Even in the picture of Parker, is looks as though it's a buttoned jersey, but I can't say for sure. The database also shows that the 1990 Brewers jersey used a script "Brewers" across the front. This one is in block letters. I can't explain how it is that Parker is pictured in a jersey with block letters--maybe the picture is from Spring Training, as they did use the block letters in 1989, and the picture could be of him using a jersey from the previous year. http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/uniform_players.cgi?player_ID=parkeda01&teams=1973_PIT-1974_PIT-1975_PIT-1976_PIT-1977_PIT-1978_PIT-1979_PIT-1980_PIT-1981_PIT-1982_PIT-1983_PIT-1984_CIN-1985_CIN-1986_CIN-1987_CIN-1988_OAK-1989_OAK-1990_MIL-1991_CAL-1991_TOR-1991_TOT

I would agree with 20fry. Look at the other items this seller is selling. . .everything is stuff that you could pick up in any store or clearance shop. Did he have it authenticated by MEARS or some other expert? He just seems to be a guy with a 39 jersey selling it as real.

When I was 17 I worked at the Marriott (now Sheraton) in Brookfield as a Houseman. I walked the halls, emptying Housekeepers' carts of garbage and dirty laundry & restocked those carts with clean linens. I sorted dirty laundry, went on room calls to set up cribs, rollaway beds & some banquet tables. The dirtiest job I had was that, using the plunger on plugged toilets, using a water extracter for carpet spills, and cleaning a basement bar when there was a greasetrap backup. Nasty.

Not only is this the first one that I got--its also the first one that I knew. Too often I'm left scratching my head over the Bulgarian Sci-Fi animator whose brother-in-law developed the battery-operated singing fish.

John DeLorean

Is it Michael Floreale from When in Rome?

Is he known for performing in the Ska genre?

I don't think Lofton is a Hall of Famer. Bernie Williams was a contemporary, and I think Williams was a better player--and I don't think he's a Hall of Famer either. Lofton was a leadoff guy and never finished higher than 7th in OBP. He hasn't won a World Series, and has a .244/.314/.344 line in 84 postseason games. He's scored a lot of runs, and played a long time, but I don't see him getting in.

M-E-T-S There are fewer things funnier than a despondent Yankees fan, and a Mets winner combined with a Yanks loser makes for some great gnashing of teeth. Plus, I like Reyes and Wright. And Willie. And Omar Minaya. And Pedro. And Oliver Perez. I will root for the Mets over any team besides the Brewers.

The face of the franchise is an expressionless one with a distant stare. It's the same face as the guy who now has to accept the fact that the magic has left his relationship, and there's no getting it back. Or maybe its the guy who was passed up for a promotion at work. Maybe he props his chin up with his hand. He's not enraged--there's no energy left for that. He's just accepted that his lot in life is someone who is destined to tolerate the joy of others while he has none. While his face is vacant and blank, he can have some solace that there isn't a single drop of urine soaking his pants. Not this year. . .

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/5100fVNlEcL._AA240_.jpg I bought the Wonder Pets soundtrack for my 3-year old daughter. "we're not too big and we're not too tough, but when we work together, we've got the right stuff."

Sorry jaybird that you're having a tough go of it. . . But you have to know (as I'm sure that you do) that their obligation to you as an applicant is precisely zero. They don't have to give you the time of day. It's very very hard to not take it personally, but you just can't take it personally. You have to get up every day as though it's your first day searching, and leave the angry baggage at home. No prospective employer wants to hear it. Keep up the hard work and eventually you'll get your due.

There are some terrific books out right now, on a variety of baseball themes. I paged through the Jayson Stark book, and it looks very fun. Kurkjian's new one also looks pretty good, though it's written differently. There is one out from the Baseball Prospectus group on Playoff stretches that looks good. Then for history, I'm reading Shades of Glory now on a study of Negro Leaguers. The autobiographies of Buck O'Neil and Buck Leonard are also terrific. I have previously mentioned that I loved the Hack Wilson biography. The Walter Johnson biography written by Henry Thomas is very good. Thomas is a relative of W. Johnson's, so he has a unique perspective, and researched it with info that others might not have had access to. Red Legs and Black Sox is a very good book, though it's written half as a biography of Edd Roush and the other part about the Black Sox scandal--this was also written by someone in the Roush family (I forgot how she's related). The Clemente biography and The Big Bam (on Ruth) have been very well received, though I haven't gotten to them yet. Another historical one that I want to get is Crazy '08, about the 1908 season. Lots to read. . .just no time. . .

You can call for Yost to be fired, and still be a good fan. You just have to do it in the right way, in the right place. Otherwise, we're all just a bunch of Stepford Fans, unable to express legitimate gripes. Being a fan of the Brewers doesn't mean you have to be a fan of all the individual Brewers, or politely clap when they fail. You're entitled to make unhappy noises all you want--just don't interfere with others' enjoyment of the game. I was plenty displeased with the Brewers during the late 90s, and I considered myself a good fan nonetheless.