JimH5

Not a big fan of the shirt designs. I wouldn't buy any of them except for maybe #1 or #5, and then only if it is in XL and 100 percent heavyweight cotton. Still, free is free, and I'm glad that they are getting creative in the giveaways, if not in the designs of these shirts. Back in the early 70s, they had a jacket day for kids, and the jacket was ridiculously bad, though we all thought it was cool. It was made out of the same non-porous plastic material used in air mattresses. Spend a day or so running around in one of those and it was so sweaty--like you were trying to cut weight for wrestling. Stadium giveaways are fun.

I read somewhere that Cobb County is paying for 2/3 of it. I wasn't aware that Cobb County was paying for the building. That makes it a little less defensible. Still, as a fan of the Brewers, who have played in two taxpayer funded stadiums, it's hard for me to rip the citizens of Cobb County from spending their money the way that they want. That the Braves as a franchise are the beneficiary of that spending isn't their fault. Clearly, there are better uses of tax money. I hope they have a very long term lease, so this doesn't happen again soon.

If they can get the money together and build it in a location favorable to them, I don't see anything wrong with it. The lease is coming up and they don't want to stay. Not sure what the City of Atlanta is going to do with Turner Field, as it is still a pretty new-ish facility.

And this is the reason we do not NEED 8 or more freaking bobbles per season. Overkill. That's really what happened in the card industry in the early 90s. The explosion of card sets and subsets and ultrapremiums, etc. People realized they couldn't collect every card issued, so they became more specialized in their collections. I don't fault the Brewers for wanting to put more people in the seats. If they thought it would work, they would probably do 81 bobbleheads a year. Their concern is with filling the park, not with satisfying the wishes of bobblehead collectors.

I absolutely would vote for Steinbrenner. That others didn't address salary inequity isn't his fault. He had the resources and he spent them, and he turned the Yankees back into a winner. The only thing that will hinder his chance is his suspension, which could create some interesting arguments for others who have suspensions on their record. Torre, LaRussa and Cox seem like locks. Marvin Miller should be in, though the politics of it will hurt his chances.

http://baseballhall.org/news/press-releases/twelve-finalists-comprise-expansion-era-ballot-hall-fame-consideration-2014 Twelve guys are up for consideration/reconsideration on a new Hall of Fame Ballot: From the HOF news release: Dave Concepcion spent 19 seasons as the Cincinnati Reds shortstop, compiling a .267 average with 2,326 hits, 321 stolen bases and two Silver Slugger Awards, along five Gold Glove Awards and nine All-Star Game selections. Bobby Cox ranks fourth all-time in wins among managers, compiling a 2,504-2,001 (.556) record in 29 seasons as a major league manager, winning the 1995 World Series, while capturing five National League pennants in 25 years with the Braves, also spending four years managing the Toronto Blue Jays. Led Braves to 14 straight division titles from 1991-2005 (not including strike-shortened 1994 season). Steve Garvey compiled a .294 career average over 19 major league seasons with the Dodgers and Padres, amassing 2,599 hits, 272 home runs, 1,308 RBI and 10 All-Star Game selections. He hit .338 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 11 postseason series, was named the 1978 and 1984 NLCS MVP and won the 1981 Roberto Clemente Award. Garvey won four Gold Glove Awards and played in an N.L. record 1,207 straight games. Tommy John pitched 26 seasons for the Indians, Dodgers, Yankees, Angels and A’s, finishing his career after the 1989 season with a record of 288-231 and 3.34 ERA. His 700 career starts rank eighth on the all-time list and his 4,710.1 innings rank 20th all-time. Tony La Russa ranks third all-time in wins among managers, compiling a 2,728-2,365 (.536) record in 33 seasons a manager, winning three World Series (1989 Oakland, 2006 St. Louis, 2011 St. Louis) while guiding the Oakland A’s to three A.L. pennants in 10 seasons (1988-90) and the St. Louis Cardinals to three N.L. pennants in 16 years (2004, 2006, 2011). Also spent eight years managing the Chicago White Sox. Billy Martin spent 16 seasons 1969, 1971-83, 1985, 1988) managing the Twins, Tigers, Rangers, Yankees (five different stints) and A’s, compiling a 1,253-1015 record (.552). Martin’s teams finished in first place five times, winning two American League pennants and one World Series with 1977 Yankees. Marvin Miller was elected as the head of the Major League Baseball Players Association in 1966 and quickly turned the union into a powerhouse. Within a decade, Miller had secured free agency for the players. By the time he retired in 1982, the average player salary was approximately 10 times what it was when he took over. Dave Parker compiled a .290 career average over 19 major league seasons with six teams, spending 11 years in Pittsburgh and four years in Cincinnati, amassing 339 home runs, 1,439 RBI and two batting titles (1977-78). The 1978 N.L. MVP was named to seven All-Star games and three Gold Glove Awards. Dan Quisenberry recorded 244 saves in a 12-year major league career, spending 10 seasons in Kansas City, where he finished in the Top 5 in Cy Young Award voting in five different seasons, while being named to three All-Star teams, leading the league in saves five times. Posted a career 56-46 record with a 2.76 ERA in 674 relief appearances. Ted Simmons played for 21 seasons, totaling a .285 batting average, 2,472 hits, 483 doubles, 248 home runs and 1,389 RBI for the Cardinals, Brewers and Braves. An eight-time All-Star, he garnered MVP votes six times in his career. George Steinbrenner guided the New York Yankees franchise as principal owner after purchasing the team in 1973 to his death in 2010, with his teams winning 11 American League pennants and seven World Series titles. Joe Torre won four World Series titles and six pennants in 29 seasons as a major league manager, following an 18-year major league playing career in which he compiled a career .297 batting average. As a manager, posted a 2,326-1,997 record (a .538 winning percentage), leading the Yankees to titles in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 (in addition to 100-win seasons in 1998, 2002-‘04), and winning the A.L. pennant in 2001 and 2003. This is an impressive group. I think I would not choose Concepcion, Quisenberry & Garvey. The others are very compelling.

All I want is a Yuni Retirement Day T-shirt.

I think the NFL is very sustainable if they get rid of the rules regarding head shots, etc. I think with these rules in place over time it could hurt the sport since there will be more hits on legs that have more serious consequences (in the short-term). I honestly feel like they should have never changed the rules. These guys make a ton of money. I do think that players from other generations do deserve their fair share for head injuries, but today guys know the issues. If you don't like it, don't play and get a 'normal' job. I hope that enough people realize that this sport they use for entertainment leaves a trail of broken bodies and shortened lives. How much fun is it to know that some retired guys have to move into darkened rooms for days, just to cope with the pain? Do we really want to watch the NFL, knowing what the aftermath is? Aaron Rodgers seems like a great guy. Smart, funny, generous. . .If you cared about him, why wouldn't you encourage him to retire today? Look at what has become of Jim McMahon. Brett Favre recently said he has some memory loss. What are these guys giving up for the glory? How glorious is it for us to financially support this carnage?

I bought a 1986 Pontiac Sunbird from his dealership. . .in 1986. And he seemed to be in his 60s then.

The biggest problem with these type of deals is that they are used as "comps" by other players, driving up the price of everyone, and making it even tougher for the "have-nots" to participate in the free agent market. All the "price per win" numbers and valuations of what a player is "really worth" are based largely on what teams like the Yankees and Giants pay for their guys, and shouldn't really be used for many of the teams in baseball. That's the most important part of it. Lincecum's price will impact the whole market. The one saving grace from it all is the case of Kyle Lohse last year, where he was priced out of the market and had to come back to get signed at the end. I hope there are pitchers who also look at his case and recognize they're not always in the driver's seat.

Just locked in for 2014. Now the proud owners of a 20-game Sunday plus package on the field level behind the screen. We spent the last two seasons in the Loge family section. I opted for the F&B vouchers and Club admissions. 5 1/2 months to go!

Good. Hopefully he'll inspire the rest of his teammates to follow him.

I was responding to why Braun would make national headlines and Cervelli gets a side blurb. Braun is an MVP and Cervelli is a virtual no-name. When Mickey Mantle died, it was big news, and when Mickey Hatcher dies, it will barely make a blip. The power of celebrity.

I don't think we have to forgive, forget, or start with a clean slate. It's just a matter of moving on. It's probably better to move on. . .and it's certainly more fun. But I have a lingering bitterness that might still be there in April.

I guess I'm coming to terms on that myself as we look forward to Ryan Braun's return in 2014. He cheated, he lied, and he lied and he lied some more. He embarrassed himself and my favorite team. But he paid his penalty, and now I have to consider how much I'm willing to forgive. Maybe I'll start with a clean slate, and maybe I won't. We'll see.

Clean or dirty, Francisco Cervelli has made no impression on my life.

Thanks coder, and I didn't want a child until I was nearly 40, when I realized that I was never going to be a perfect parent, but I would give it my best and see what happened. And so far, the results have been largely positive. Maybe you'll change your mind. And trwi7, I hope you get to share in the gleeful disgust of a Brewer underachiever with a child. Every generation has one, so there will be another Yuni in 5 years and in 10 and forevermore. As for your hope that the Brewers never have another player with such stink-a-tude, don't be sure that Yuni isn't back at some point in the future. We scraped him off our boot once, only to have Doug step into that mess once again. He seems to have a soft spot for that adorable rascal. Seriously though, that Yuni is on the team and Roenicke continues to use him is just baffling. And it brings into serious doubt whether I'll renew my tickets. What if he's given a NRI next spring? Would it really shock you? How can the leadership not see what every analyst and other GM sees about the worst player in baseball? They gave him nearly 400 plate appearances this year. That's criminal. And they don't seem to want to bury him on the bench even with nothing to play for. This is the brain trust that we have to move the team forward? There had to have been a guy toiling in the Mexican league, or a 30-something career minor leaguer in AAA somewhere, or even independent ball who could have put up a .235 OBP.

I'm so very proud of my 9-year old daughter, who in awareness of the badness of Yuni, has renamed him "You stinky Butt cork". We shared some hearty laughter over that one, while Mrs. H5 looked at us with scolding eyes.

The Mets may be looking to move Lucas Duda or Ike Davis in the offseason. Either of those guys for Weeks + money could open up 2nd for Gennett, and serve as a short term solution at 1B. I would think the worst case scenario is that it doesn't pan out, and they've got another Francisco/Betancourt-type year of performance. Whether the Mets want Weeks is questionable, but Sandy Alderson has made it sound in interviews that it's time to move one or both of Duda & Ike.

I'm really glad for Gennett's success--and while he's not Mazeroski in the field, he seems to get to balls that have gotten past Weeks. I'm fine with him as the starter going into next season. The only issue I have is that he's seeing fewer pitches per plate appearance (3.28) than even Yuni (3.39). I guess if they're going to serve up a first pitch strike and he can hit it, that's great. But sooner or later, pitchers are going to stretch his strike zone. I hope he can adjust. Fernando Vina carved out a nice career despite being a hacker, so it wouldn't be the end of the world, but when a guy is young and somewhat promising, it would be nice to see him maximize his potential.

I'm kind of bummed, as WFAN has been broadcasting Mets games for years. The Yankees deal will force the Mets to another station. It's especially bad for WFAN as the Mets seem to have a brighter future than the Yanks on the field.

It doesn't matter to me that he's getting good publicity for doing these things. The only thing that would bother me is if he just showed up to a home-building charity for a half-hour to get his photo taken, and then went on with the rest of his day. There's no indication that he's doing anything like that. The world has plenty of opportunities to help mankind. If he gets to smile for a camera, no big deal. Somebody gets a house, and maybe Braun gets some personal growth.

Sorry about your Dad, RFC. Losing a parent is very, very hard. Glad you got a chance to be together at the end.

Saturday day baseball on Fox today, and they're showing commercials for very scary, R-rated movies. Is that something that you're going to want to have your 8-year old watching?

I think they were talking about moving those employees around to other restaurants in the group. They were going to open a new version of whatever the new 8twelve is in the Bayshore Towne Center, so that might be a landing spot. Restaurants open and close all the time, so this shouldn't be a big surprise. I'm sure having Braun's name on the building right now isn't helping, and the employees would know better than any of us if business is down.