Thursday a.m. stuff
Bah.
Losing yesterday sucked.
I don't feel like doing the links this morning.
I'll let you guys do them, if you feel like it. Post links to Rangers stories this morning in the comments.
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Comments
Don't blame you one bit.
Games like yesterday are what had me turning down free tickets in May last year.
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on Jul 24, 2008 8:13 AM CDT 0 recs
Just
Take a hand full of pills and go to sleep….
If you wake back up, then it just wasn’t ment to be.
by clinton33 on
Jul 24, 2008 8:23 AM CDT
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I have a question for you guys
If you have tickets already purchased for a future game, but can no longer attend that game? Is there any type of redemption program to trade in the tickets for a different game? Or do you just have to try and sell them/ give them away?
by SaltyGoesYard on Jul 24, 2008 8:43 AM CDT 0 recs
I have a mini plan
And it has a straight exchange program. If you don’t have that, this is probably your best option
http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/ticketing/stubhub.jsp?c_id=tex
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on
Jul 24, 2008 8:51 AM CDT
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you can exchange the tickets at the window
for a modest (I think like $2) fee they will give you equivalent tickets to another game.
You can even exchange unused tickets for a game that has already passed at the ticket window for this same fee. They don’t advertise this, but they do it.
Warner Madrigal makes Ezequiel Astacio look downright handsome.
by tricer on
Jul 24, 2008 9:03 AM CDT
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OT
Thank god…SBNation is loading correctly on my work computer again!
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
by Dirk Diggler on Jul 24, 2008 8:51 AM CDT 0 recs
Losing
and being over 10 games out starts feeling like an old, comfortable pair of shoes.
I guess all those All-Stars, all the acclaim, and all the national hype really fired up the team.
"And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago." -John McCain
by DJCahill on Jul 24, 2008 8:52 AM CDT 0 recs
even how bad it seems...
were were damn close to going to Minnesota and Chicago and actually coming away 3-2.
by tyd3311 on
Jul 24, 2008 9:28 AM CDT
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The performance of the team has been a pleasant surprise this season
by which I mean a pleasant surprise slightly above “finding a dollar in your coat pocket”, but not quite “not having to visit your relatives for the holiday”.
by Telegraph on
Jul 24, 2008 12:22 PM CDT
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Hurley
Starts Sunday. That’s a good thing.
Go Strangers.
by hightowersmith on Jul 24, 2008 8:52 AM CDT 0 recs
very good thing, hurley is a beast
Feliz and Hurley. The 1-2 punch of the future
by Steal Home on
Jul 24, 2008 11:40 AM CDT
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Most anticipated game on that list: TBA v RA Dickey
the preceding post is not nearly as negative or insulting as you think it is
by DSheppard on Jul 24, 2008 8:58 AM CDT 0 recs
From the
“it doesn’t matter how bad the pitcher is, he will always find success somewhere else” department, RA Dickey is quietly having a very nice year.
"So you think the Celtics will beat Detroit? Hell will freeze over before that happens, mark my words." miles 5/20/08
by badradiorules on
Jul 24, 2008 9:09 AM CDT
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FJM Mariners piece
Nice softball thrown to Junior, ripping on Vidro.
http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2008/07/jim-riggleman-has-superhero-level.html
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on Jul 24, 2008 9:00 AM CDT 0 recs
heh
that’s good stuff
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
by Dirk Diggler on
Jul 24, 2008 9:23 AM CDT
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awwww, poor AJM
don’t you have any saberporn you can pull out to comfort you after losses like last night? I guess sometimes the real thing just feels better…..
I was looking forward to a full expose’ from you this morning regarding Galarraga. Its amazing how long he seems to be evading the saberventuality that you promise is imminent.
AJM=BUSH. Mission Accomplished…...
I think Bush has some Bill Jones stats behind his back that prove the war is going well. Sadly the rest of us are left with reality.
I can just see the presser now,”
reporter: Mr. President, how do you explain the lack of WMD and the subsequent failure to implement any sort of governing entity in Iraq?
Bush: Well, I know how things must look to you people out in “the cheap seats” but I assure you things are going great. You must look at things like War-shares and WMD+ to get a clearer picture. You guys know I’m not that smart at this stuff…...let me introduce you to my new WAR SaberCzar, Adam Morris. Adam, would you mind answering some questions from these fine folks?
I've got a laptop for pleasure.....The Rangers for pain.
by red shoe ranger on Jul 24, 2008 9:23 AM CDT 0 recs
saving that up for a while?
the preceding post is not nearly as negative or insulting as you think it is
by DSheppard on
Jul 24, 2008 9:25 AM CDT
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No
I think he spent the past hour and a half on it.
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on
Jul 24, 2008 9:26 AM CDT
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but, i was tought by piss poor political advertising that lawyers are in the pocket of democrats....
"I’m sure you’ve seen Kiker before but I’ll just reiterate that the kid is mean on the mound. He is only 5’10’’ but he is an intimidator. He looks like he hates hitters. He has the juice for pressure situations."
-Jason Parks on Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM
by Jayslick on
Jul 24, 2008 9:36 AM CDT
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lawyers, media, et. al.
of course all I hear when I turn on the radio are blowhards like Rush and Sean H.
unfortunately the Left offers up MSNBC…..lord help us. Less Olberman please.
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 9:42 AM CDT
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I know right
instead, we get more…
Now on the NBC Sunday Night Football crew.
what a beating
by tyd3311 on
Jul 24, 2008 9:54 AM CDT
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"I know right"
is a beating of a saying.
No offense.
"This report of my death was an exaggeration"--Mark Twain
by rangerdanger on
Jul 24, 2008 12:24 PM CDT
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He's clearly an ass
but also obviously appreciates your hard work…or he wouldn’t be here commenting on this great blog.
"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005
by Agreen07 on
Jul 24, 2008 10:43 AM CDT
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+ 1
Milly I have no choice but to nickname you "The Laborer".
Every time I see you on the mound you're laboring through the inning.
You sure as hell don't labor when you hear Dunkin Donuts is closing in
15 minutes, sat there with a chocolate eclair with 5 minutes to spare.
by LAMuscleFag on
Jul 24, 2008 11:53 AM CDT
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true
I love this blog and the Rangers.
Some just believe if you have a handle on ancillary stats you are somehow more knowledgeable, and those of us who rely on “the eyeball test” are ignorant. I disagree, and digress….
AJM, keep up the good work(this is by far my most visited site) ........just give a LITTLE love to Galarraga, please…..pretty please.
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 4:55 PM CDT
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Galarraga
it has nothing to do with ‘ancillary’ stats. If you want to stick to more mainstream things like W-L and ERA, fine. Check out his minor league history. He wasn’t exactly blowing people away down there. There is nothing in his history, or his ‘ancillary’ stats to suggest that he’s going to keep doing this in the long term. All of us, Adam included, would like to still have him here, but he’s not going to be this good for his entire career.
Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.
by t ball on
Jul 24, 2008 5:02 PM CDT
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sadly........
he’d be our ace.
When you release a guy who ends up being better than any pitcher on your staff, in the same year you released him, someone(JD?) should take some heat.
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 5:11 PM CDT
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Info
He wasn’t released. He was traded for Michael Hernandez, who then was released.
by Andy Seiler on
Jul 24, 2008 5:15 PM CDT
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something changed
last year with him.. dont know what, but you can throw out all his minor league numbers up until last year, because he is a completely different pitcher. Something clicked, and don’t think its fair to say he can’t sustain what he is doing for the long term. He is getting better.
by tyd3311 on
Jul 24, 2008 10:12 PM CDT
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Pre-Trade
He was also rated highly and was pitching well before the trade that brought him to Texas. It was the workload his last year or so in the Washington organization that brought out the bad.
by Andy Seiler on
Jul 26, 2008 7:17 AM CDT
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look on the bright side AJM
He could have compared you to Alex Jones instead of Bill Jones..
heh.
that guys f’n crazy.
"I’m sure you’ve seen Kiker before but I’ll just reiterate that the kid is mean on the mound. He is only 5’10’’ but he is an intimidator. He looks like he hates hitters. He has the juice for pressure situations."
-Jason Parks on Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM
by Jayslick on
Jul 24, 2008 10:59 AM CDT
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I'm not sure....
if he’s more angry at you or Bush.
by bdavison94 on
Jul 24, 2008 11:06 AM CDT
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+ 1 I think his red slipper.....
might be a size too small.
Milly I have no choice but to nickname you "The Laborer".
Every time I see you on the mound you're laboring through the inning.
You sure as hell don't labor when you hear Dunkin Donuts is closing in
15 minutes, sat there with a chocolate eclair with 5 minutes to spare.
by LAMuscleFag on
Jul 24, 2008 11:45 AM CDT
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it must be red
from all the vaginal bleeding. That’s what happens when you get sand in there kids
by FirebatM3 on
Jul 24, 2008 2:47 PM CDT
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uh oh......
LSB douchebags are in full coalescing mode.
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 4:31 PM CDT
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No Problem.....per se
I’m just a life long Ranger fan who has heard the “we need more pitching” mantra fro the last 30 years.
I check the daily boxscores to find recently desposed Ranger arms no hitting clubs for 6 innings, contending for league ERA titles, etc.
and what do you offer up? That they all suck. Your evidence? Peripheral stats that cant be found in your local paper…....W-L records and ERA’s be damned.
The Rangers would clearly be a better team this year with Danks, Galarraga, and Volquez but you defend the release or trade of all three.
The new mantra, “pitching is on the way…..”. Sure. Just like we are currently enjoying the spoils of DVD? (But, but, but we have Hamilton)
The next wave? Harrison, Hurley, Hunter. You’ve pegged Hurley with the upside of becoming the next Rick Helling, Harrison has a bag, and the consensus has been that Hunter is not an ML starter(not sure why).
The next, next wave? 3 years away…..at least.
You just sound like Phil Graham when you insist that Galaragga is no good. I guess its just all in my head, huh.
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 1:47 PM CDT
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Heh.
I love the grizzled old man who staunchly defends his point while the important one sails lazily over his head.
by brettgardner on
Jul 24, 2008 1:54 PM CDT
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oh to be
as bright as Brett…..
the “important” point? Do tell…..
It's easy to lie with stats, its even easier to lie without them......
by red shoe ranger on
Jul 24, 2008 2:02 PM CDT
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Red shoe isn't great with names or ... anything

"I’ll say something that doesn’t need context: anyone who is a Mariner’s fan is a douchebag." - FuturePants
by Chase Irwin on
Jul 24, 2008 1:39 PM CDT
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for the people who can't stand Josh Lewin...
...that’s your alternative…
yeesh…
by oc on
Jul 24, 2008 1:48 PM CDT
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his answer to the mark conner question is a shit answer.
Q: How, does one man in this whole scheme of things get a pass: Mark Connor? When the team struggled, everyone agreed Ron Washington deserved some severe blame. Never mind that it has taken many new players added to the mix to help the team’s fortunes.When does the fact that “it cannot get worse with a change” play into the equation of attempting to improve in any way possible. Recall, Washington was handed Connor; not his hire or a guy he chose from an open field of candidates.
GRANT: This is Mark Connor’s third year as pitching coach. In the first two seasons, the Rangers finished with team ERAs of 4.60 and 4.75. Know how many times since 1997 the ERA has been lower than that? Once. In 2004, when the ERA was 4.53, thanks in large part to the best bullpen in the league. Oh, and you know who the bullpen coach was then? Mark Connor.
Certainly the pitching staff – particularly the starting rotation – hasn’t been as good as was hoped. Do you blame Connor for signing Jason Jennings, who obviously wasn’t ready to return? Do you blame Connor for Brandon McCarthy’s injury? For the declining abilities of a 10-year veteran such as Kevin Millwood?
Don’t get me wrong, Connor and bullpen coach Dom Chiti bear some responsibility for the pitching staff’s problems, but everybody who works for the Rangers in management and instruction bears some of that responsibility. And, of course, the pitchers bear some of it, too.
Sure, it’s possible the Rangers will make some staff changes after this season, but I think the relationship between Ron Washington and Connor/Chiti has grown. It would have been easy to dismiss Connor last year and hire somebody the manager was more familiar with. Give both sides credit for giving this more time to work out. Just as patience was needed in evaluating Washington; patience is necessary in evaluating the relationships between manager and coaches
since 1997 huh? well we’ve had a total shit team when it comes to pitching since our last playoff run. 2004 huh? wasnt that the season we had Coco closing and Uggie as a setup guy. sure that seems like all Conners doing.
EG: Do you blame Connor for signing Jason Jennings, who obviously wasn’t ready to return?
maybe. i should have known how he was pitching and his history and how liekly a success return would be, if any1 knows its the pitching expert on the team.
EG: Do you blame Connor for Brandon McCarthy’s injury?
well, Do you blame Connor for Flotilla’s DL? Millwoods DL? Gabbards DL? Benoits DL? AJ Murray’s DL? Wait i see a trend. who runs that side of the operation at the major league level?
EG: For the declining abilities of a 10-year veteran such as Kevin Millwood?
umm yes, i actually do blame the pitching coach for a pitcher not being successful and not being in top form.
It would have been easy to dismiss Connor last year and hire somebody the manager was more familiar with. Your right, thats why every1 is pissed.
EG: Give both sides credit for giving this more time to work out.
why b/c its worked out so great?
Great coverage EG.
"I’m sure you’ve seen Kiker before but I’ll just reiterate that the kid is mean on the mound. He is only 5’10’’ but he is an intimidator. He looks like he hates hitters. He has the juice for pressure situations."
-Jason Parks on Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM
by Jayslick on
Jul 24, 2008 10:54 AM CDT
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Guys like Grant and TR
will never have legitimate answers about “should they fire so-and-so?” – because their careers are based on talking to Mr. so-and-so.
The line “For the declining abilities of a 10-year veteran such as Kevin Millwood?” is just stupid. What is the job of a pitching coach if not to get your key players to play at their potential? There are a lot of 10-year veteran, 33 year old pitchers who don’t get fall out of shape and whine like Millwood does. He should be in his pitching prime right now, or just off the peak.
Maybe Millwood is not Connor’s fault. But if someone makes a blanket claim that Connor is not responsible for anything, then they are only looking at the good and making excuses for the bad, at which point you are not being a good reporter or commentator and may as well be the guy’s agent. Sorry EG – its true.
by JBImaknee on
Jul 24, 2008 11:26 AM CDT
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I think EG is mistaken
It also wouldn’t be fair to single out any single administration for making these moves. Doug Melvin traded Harang for Randy Velarde (and it should be noted that Billy Beane turned around and traded Harang to Cincinnati). John Hart gave away – yes, gave away – Duchscherer and Davis. Hart traded away Danks and Young and essentially gave away Galarraga to make room for Jason Jennings. I do not think the Rangers will be trading young pitching away anytime in the future – unless it brings back young and established pitching in return.
I don’t think Hart traded away Danks or gave Galarraga away…..
I'm undefeated in fights. Have I been in any? No. Thats because people know my f'ing status. Don't mess with the elite. - Miles
by Dirk Diggler on
Jul 24, 2008 1:04 PM CDT
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ESPN article about Ozzie Guillen's asshattedness
It's baseball. You don't always get what you want, and you don't always want what you get. --Ed Coffin
by txranger7 on
Jul 24, 2008 10:59 AM CDT
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Good article
I can’t stand that prick.
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on
Jul 24, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
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What is the youtube clip?
site is blocked at work.
by bdavison94 on
Jul 24, 2008 11:06 AM CDT
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"Song Of The Count"
...check it when you get home. it’s great.
by oc on
Jul 24, 2008 11:12 AM CDT
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What youtube clip?
In the article? I must’ve missed it…
"This report of my death was an exaggeration"--Mark Twain
by rangerdanger on
Jul 24, 2008 12:46 PM CDT
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ha. Sorry.
I’m wee-todd-did.
"This report of my death was an exaggeration"--Mark Twain
by rangerdanger on
Jul 24, 2008 1:53 PM CDT
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Ed Wade as Quixote....
From BP, which is free right now. I found it funny.
Houston, we have a problem, because there’s a scheduled crash landing, and no time for anybody to get out of the way.
I brought up Coronado earlier, but what is it about the Astros that brings Cervantes’ mad knight to mind? Tilting and windmills can be admirable in the abstract, and like Don Quixote, this Houston team doesn’t have a whole lot of tomorrows, however bold their ambitions in the present. The real problem is that unlike Quixote, Ed Wade operates in a world where the windmills don’t sit still, they beat you about the head until you run and hide in a basement, and instead of the lonely dusty fields of La Mancha, you’ve got thousands of witnesses and hundreds of tut-tutting pundits talking about how a well-constructed windmill’s going to take a man who’s outlasted his usefulness 10 out of 10 times, and make him sorry for it as well.
There’s really little reasonable explanation for what Ed Wade’s done here, beyond drink way too much of his own Kool-Aid in his… inspired bid for win-now relevance in Houston. It isn’t the price paid to get a starting pitcher that’s so terrible—the Astros have so very little to offer, yet they nevertheless gave up one of their best mediocre prospects. They did so to acquire a starting pitcher, something they desperately need, and you can admire that in its ambition. It’s in the details where this desperate proposition fails so badly, because the Astros didn’t go out and get just any pitcher, they had to get a Petco Park illusion. A left-handed park illusion. To pitch for them. In front of the Crawford Boxes. And did I neglect to mention that his arm’s made out of stale macaroons?
In terms of performance, Wolf’s got just about everything wrong with him in terms of what makes him wrong for this team in this park in this already-dubious proposition—that he’s a stretch-drive pickup for a team that is just one Randy Wolf short of making it. You can pick at Wolf’s performance easily enough: a 6.63 ERA on the road, not to mention 1.7 baserunners per road inning, or the .296 opponent’s average away from San Diego. You can try to pick little bits of happiness out of that: six quality starts in 10 road starts sounds pretty good, and you can’t blame him for the two blown in the seventh—Bud Black threw him back out there. But look again, and you’ll notice that two of them were against the Giants, and another against the Mariners, and he isn’t going to get to face among the worst offenses on the road all that much more often, not any more than he’s going to get to call Petco home to give him a comfy environment to protect his overall numbers half of the time.
Even if Cecil Cooper manages Wolf with great care—and there’s no reason to believe that assertion on its face—there’s just not much to recommend this as the deal that will provide the Astros with that missing afterburner that’s keeping them out of the playoff hunt. It isn’t that dealing a prospect like Reineke breaks the organization’s back, it’s that it’s another cavalier gesture like the Tejada trade that really doesn’t get them any closer to leveraging Lance Berkman’s ballclub into one last playoff appearance. Add in Wade’s focus on how this gives the Astros a shot at re-signing Wolf after the season, and it becomes clear that there’s no institutional memory over what happened when they hauled in the similarly Petco-aided Woody Williams. As my favorite Scottish aphorism reminds us, “he won’t won’t be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rocks.”
by bdavison94 on Jul 24, 2008 11:00 AM CDT 0 recs
OT: Anyone seen Mr. Bean's Holiday

Don’t ask why I was watching it, but I now have a new French love interest.
Emma de Caunes
If you watch this movie…be prepared to fall in love.
She is like France’s version of Natalie Portman
by clinton33 on Jul 24, 2008 11:28 AM CDT 0 recs
Very nice
face.
Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.
by t ball on
Jul 24, 2008 11:31 AM CDT
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+ 1
Milly I have no choice but to nickname you "The Laborer".
Every time I see you on the mound you're laboring through the inning.
You sure as hell don't labor when you hear Dunkin Donuts is closing in
15 minutes, sat there with a chocolate eclair with 5 minutes to spare.
by LAMuscleFag on
Jul 24, 2008 11:41 AM CDT
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mmm french girls
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on
Jul 24, 2008 12:12 PM CDT
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zappa reference,
1st its minor league box score tracking by the day and now i find your a zappa fan, shit shroomer, we need to go hit a bar up get smashed and go see a ball game, you sound like my kinda fella.
"I’m sure you’ve seen Kiker before but I’ll just reiterate that the kid is mean on the mound. He is only 5’10’’ but he is an intimidator. He looks like he hates hitters. He has the juice for pressure situations."
-Jason Parks on Jul 22, 2008 10:08 PM
by Jayslick on
Jul 24, 2008 2:10 PM CDT
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"I’ll say something that doesn’t need context: anyone who is a Mariner’s fan is a douchebag." - FuturePants
by Chase Irwin on
Jul 24, 2008 2:19 PM CDT
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The question is
Who here likes Captain Beefheart?
Plaschke: Scioscia, the former Dodgers catcher, is the model manager who has created an atmosphere of winning.
Junior:It's that simple. Mike Scioscia brings a Glade Plug-In labeled "Winning™" into the clubhouse and everyone who breathes it in gains 15 points in average.
by TheBZA on
Jul 24, 2008 2:35 PM CDT
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