pitchleague

a mega-phone horn so I could yell at the car in front of me to lay off his brakes. Or a scrolling LED board for the back window to get the dude behind me off my bumper.

I seriously thought I was going to get "Rick-Rolled" by clicking the link but that is quite the deal, I suppose.

"Urkel-nomical" "Michael is a genius!" Great episode. Too bad I could only clap at the jokes. With this cold I've got laryngitis so I couldn't really laugh out loud.

so you bring your ipod and earbuds and listen to what you want. what's bugging me is 102-degree fevers and chest pains associated with coughing/pneumonia-ish symptoms.

I had a bad experience with the McRib one Christmas. So sick the rest of the week. Never again--taste aversion is a wonderful thing. Same thing goes with Southern Comfort. But that's another story. Also the McBLT was kinda meh.

I'm surprised that nobody has put down "Whose Line is it Anyway" (either the British or the American versions). I always crack up with that show.

I, too, have noticed subtle differences since the merger. There is more talk in between songs on the music stations (at least I've noticed it more). And, yeah, the baseball channel isn't the same without Buck and the Big Chair.

I'm too generous this year: (please note: I didn't look a single stat up. Just going on memory.) Rickey Henderson definitely belongs in. Career SB, runs, walks (I think, or did Bonds pass him?). Was one of the most feared players (not necessarily "hitter") in the game in the 1980s and early 1990s. Bert Blyleven should have been in a few years ago. Sure, he doesn't have 300 wins but not many people realize that he was a strikeout pitcher (I think he is still all-time top 10) and he had a devastating curveball that players in the 1970s just despised. Andre Dawson is a marginal pick by me, but I'd let him in. His career numbers are pretty good and, likely, would have been so much better had he not had knee problems playing on the concrete, er, turf in Montreal for 10+ years. Tommy John was not an outstanding player by any means but he wasn't garbage either. He should be elected just because he took a chance on an unknown surgical procedure, risking everything, and managed to pitch something like 10+ years afterward, setting the stage for pretty much all other pitchers in baseball since. Mark McGwire may have done steroids and he may not have. But he did use andro, even though it wasn't illegal at the time and many people take him down a notch for that. I saw the kid play his rookie year and he was the real deal. Completely clean, I believe he still would have had over 500 homers. He didn't want to talk about the past at the Senate hearing and the writers are burning him for it. Jack Morris was the dominant right handed pitcher in the American League in the 1980s. Enough said. But then he continued to play well into the early 1990s also. He was one of the most feared hurlers of all AL hitters. Hall of Fame is supposed to equal best player during the time period of your career. Jack was that. And that 1991 World Series game 7 was phenominal (even if it did break my heart since I wanted Atlanta to win.) Jim Rice was to pitchers what Morris was to hitters in the late 1970s-mid 1980s--a hitter so feared due to his prodigious power. Sure, the guy didn't hit 500 bombs, but he struck fear into the hearts of opponents all over the AL. And those eyes could seriously burn a hole right through you. My wild card would be Lee Smith, but he is a "victim" of longevity, which resulted in such a successful closing career. I doubt that he ever gets in, but I'd at least throw a vote his way.

It's been a pretty cruddy couple of days here. Low 50s with rain. But I don't mind--it's "weather" rather than "the same 'ol thing."

if it came down to CC re-signing with the Brewers or Jim Powell stays with the club . . . it's Powell all the way. I really was tempted to just do a one-line all-blue "eh, he's okay," to compliment other's gushing man-love comments, but I decided to go against the route. Jim does check out the site (I don't know how much during the off-season) and I'd venture a guess that he's already checked out this thread. He could leave Milwaukee for a bigger (not necessarily a better) market, earn more money for his family, and return closer to his collegiate stomping grounds. Or he could stick around, continue his already impressive work with the Brewers, take over for a Hall of Fame legend, and continue building his own (Hall of Fame, likely) legacy as the new Voice of the Brewers for the next 50 years. Jim, I guess what it all comes down to is the slogan of those old Alcoa commercials, "You make the call!" Whatever the answer is, I suppose, it won't be a "wrong" answer, despite what many Brewer fans will say. Good luck (if this rumor is true)!

I enjoyed it, but it seemed very toned down. Granted, they kind of had to in order to "set up" the upcoming season, so they had to take things slow. But it did a good job explaining why Jack was in Africa and leads into the new season's story line very well. I'm always excited for the new season, critics be darned. Heck, I rarely agree with critics that pan something. Last season was fine; television is supposed to be fun. I had fun watching. If the critics didn't have fun, that's their problem.

kind of stinks as I was counting on Billingsley to be a future ace in my Diamond Mind league. He still can be, but this isn't going to help matters in any way. Unless it's like "Rookie of the Year" (the movie) and he's able to bust off 157-mph fastballs due to freakish leg strength acquired during the healing process.

Not sure about this thread, but since I feel bad posting in the "Wisconsin" thread, there should probably be a thread for the rest of us. This morning we had frost and temps about 39-degrees in Kingman, AZ--coldest morning thus far. Please note: this thread is not intended to tick anybody off or gloat about how "nice" it is. Let us know about your "winter" weather that is not related to Wisconsin weather (anywhere in the midwest is going to get similar to Wisconsin weather, but I'll understand if you post it here.)

woohoo! Gas is finally below $2.00 here in Arizona! Took long enough.

I'm sorry. I don't get it. 11 minutes down the drain unless someone can enlighten me in this "unfunny" bit of comedy.

ah, yes. I forgot about the doors quote from Dwight. Michael's mean quote was pretty funny, too. I had to rewind it the first time to make sure I heard what I thought he said.

Creed was classic. "Let's just pretend we're talking, until the cops leave." Also, the guys from Vance Refrigeration selling a bag of salad to Michael. Funny. I thought Dwight's story at the end was lame. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset.

yeah, I walked into the room literally 3 seconds before it changed. By the time I sat down and clicked "I Want One" it was Server Busy City. I have been fortunate to get one in the past. But only one. Not much out there this time around. Darn it.

Kevin Gregg. The off-season is always a long, drawn-out process. Sure, some teams jump the gun early, and some play very late. But most activity is from Thanksgiving until New Year's or so. I usually enjoy the off-season as a baseball fan but I don't post as much here during the winter. Some of that is reading all the speculation about trades and signings.. I'd rather just discuss trades, signings, etc. that are official.

"Without a Trace" should be cancelled. I just don't enjoy it anymore--haven't for a couple of seasons really, but I still watch it. "24" Man, what a show! I think season 4 was the best. Yeah, it's ultra-unbelievable what Jack Bauer can do/put up with but it's like watching an action movie that's 24 hours long instead of two. And I will second the motion somebody put on here to watch them on DVD. Much easier to watch and "get into". We should really have a thread titled "TV Shows that should not have been cancelled."

yep, Darrel's text message and the scene of him "walking on clouds" to his truck were side-splittingly hilarious. Nice to see them use Oscar a bit more for once.

our neighbors across the street let their cat(s) out for the night most evenings. Over time, I've noticed that our yard is getting torn up by the cats. I'll explain: in Arizona, most yards are decorative gravel, and not grass. Underneath the gravel, they put a nice layer or two of black plastic. But our front yard has several areas where the black plastic is showing through the rocks and, in several cases, torn up and out of the ground so it just blows in the wind like a flag. I know it's the cats as one evening I heard the "scratching" sound that cats make in the litter box. I got up and walked to the window and there he was. I scared it away. We also get dead birds in our yard occasionally as well as (rarely) cat poop. It's a "problem" because it is destroying my property but it's not that big of a deal at the same time. There are times that I'd like to complain to them, but they're a couple of older retired ladies and what can I do? Make them buy me more gravel for my yard? There are times that it's aggravating seeing the cats "hunt" and "sneak" around our yard or on our block wall in the back yard and I'd like to get traps and take them to the pound. But, again, it's a couple of old ladies--I don't need to tick them off. Cats are a problem, that's for sure. Oh, don't even get me started about how my folks entire house smells like a litter box (3 cats).

I'm sure you have your reasons, but why did you say "no" to Fond du Lac? Seeing as I grew up there and it's tons bigger (i.e. more things to do there) from when I was a kid, I'm just curious. Sorry to break it to you, but you'll really prove yourself to her if you are the one to make the sacrifices and let her stay right where she is. Heck, perhaps after this school year, you can see about getting a job in the Grafton school district for next year. She could even help you out with that, perhaps. The other thing I would suggest, although this is to an extreme, would be have both of you move together someplace where neither of you have ties (i.e. Appleton and Mequon). You both make the same sacrifice and "go with the flow". However, this is something I could only really say you should do if you are absolutely 100% sure that this is THE woman of your life and she feels the same. Regardless, good luck!

my wife and I did this when it was in Phoenix. I remember drawing a card with a person's name on it (you were to represent that person) and where they roomed on the ship (i.e. steerage, 4th deck, etc.) and then when you got to the end of the tour, you could check the big list of survivors and casualties to see if you "made it" or "died" on the ship. Pretty neat stuff overall.

that's awesome! Somebody must have put that up since the times that I've searched for it. Still wouldn't mind the Opening bit.