Rocky

Dang! My man Manny still has it--a one handed golfshot goes about 420 feet ! Yikes...he is unbelievable

Im torn I want to see the Cubs win, and i want to see Manny hit......

Follow playoff games here also

A good man that will be missed. Thankful he added positively to my life and many others.

PurpleDays

All I can say is that I agree wholeheartedly with each of the sentiments already expressed.

I hope some of you watched the tiebreaker game---It doesnt get much better than the 163rd game of the year being a late inning 1-0 win

Congrats to the White Sox---

I saw a little bit of the last two half innings... pretty good drama. Home team won...

btw, if either Chicago team gets to the big one, I hope the weather will be good in the Windy City.

Otherwise, LA/Anaheim and Tampa would seem to be good for preventing rain outs...

Do you really think ANY "Standard" would have been sufficient to keep corrupt fatcats from getting their greasy,

unprincipled hands on our money? I

NO. Not ONLY no, but HELL NO! :)

I don't think they decide that until you at least suffer through the playoffs w/o the D-backs....Besides, I for one, want to enjoy at least one day where the temperature stays below 100 degrees before I'm ready to welcome back the boys of summer...

I suspect we'll have a few of those days... hopefully VERY soon!

So, Simon, is there any uncertainty as to who you'll be cheering for in the playoffs?

White Sox are a half game behind Minnesota, so, since it figures in the playoff hunt, they will play a make-up game Monday night against Detroit...If the Chisox win, the Tigers will have sole possession of last place in the AL Central (behind Kansas City :blink: ) and the Sox will end up with an identical record with the Twins, and thus will have a one game playoff with them on Tuesday...Chisox lose to the Tigers on Monday, Minnesota wins the AL Central by a full game...

So, when do pitchers and catchers report for spring training?

Yikes-the Mets once again lost their play off hopes on the last day of the season. I can only imagine how gloomy the post game farewell to Shea was.

The Dodgers open up in Chicago. They could be almost done by the time it comes back to LA. But in the year of Manny, who knows ?

Then there's the Bosox opening at the LA team of Anaheim. They always give the Angels fits, but we'll see.

I still contend that the nightmare series would be Rays -Brewers. It's so bizarre, that if I didn't have teams to pull for, I'd be hoping to see it.

Well, there ARE good reasons to root for the Rays and the Brewers, one never having been in the playoffs and the other so long ago.

BUT one has to figure the Cubs to be a sentimental favorite in many places throughout the country.

I can't imagine the Brewers making it to the WS, but have to think that any of the other three NL teams could make it.

What happened with the AL central?

Is it time for Spring Training yet?

Convicted molester, 74, gets 8 years in prison

Snippets:

Is that TWI? It's hard to tell the way they printed the name.

I'd say its almost certainly TWI. It's put the way it is in the article, likely, because the reporter isn't familiar with TWI.

I'm not so sure the connection with twi is meaningful from any sort of cause/effect relationship because there are (unfortunately) too many child molesters in plenty of places not associated with twi.

That said, the association in this article is still there and still looks bad from any angle.

Im hoping for tickets too

They have a lottery system out here where a jillion people put their names in the pile and if you get picked you are in.

Last night was strange here as well, there is still avery long shot at first but the plan appears to be to combine going for it with resting up.

It was very odd when Jon Lester who was only going to go 5 - had a no hitter (again)into the sixth...I was really torn ---of course I'd love to see a guy toss his second of the year--but I really dont want to see him throw 130 pitches in his last start before the playoffs either.

As it turned out the Indians got a few hits in the 6th and the pint became moot as the Sox went on to win anyway.

Johnny Pesky's number 6 is going to be retired tonight after being with the Sox for 63 years.

In another real oddity it looks like it could rain all weekend here--Im hoping that if that is the case and they get rained out that they dont force them to play meaningless games right up until the playoffs but give them the rest time that everyone else gets to prepare.

Good Luck in the Playoffs!

I agree... as long as the games are meaningless to both teams.

Congrats to the Dodgers, Condolences to the DBacks..I'll be looking forward to seeing Manny again!

Interesting and amazing stat I just heard (and probably useless to most of you --but I think its cool)

Dustin Pedroia has swung at 1195 pitches this season and missed but 95

Amazin

That is amazing.

As to the Dbacks... they'll be a year older (the core members of the team, most of whom will be back), and that MIGHT make a difference next season. I doubt Orlando Hudson will be back. His wrist is much too fragile, even though he's a wonderful on field leader when he can play.

Big Adam Dunn's free agent so who knows? But THE one thing they missed most this season is the veteran leadership of a big bat. They had plenty of guys who could field better than him, but he did make a slight difference offensively when they brought him in. If they can build on that, it could be good.

They MIGHT bring the Big Unit back, but I can't imagine relying on him much next year. I'd like to see him get to 300 wins, but it's looking more difficult every start.

Webb and Haren still make an exceptional one-two punch as starters. The bullpen has been mostly good, but had some serious breakdowns. Those breakdowns wouldn't have been as serious with more consistent offense, however.

Stephen Drew came into his own this year. He was more or less mediocre offensively in the first half, but has raised his average to .290 with an exceptional second half. He hit for the cycle, has had numerous multi-hit games, and joined an elite club of only a couple other shortstops who hit 20 homeruns, 40 doubles and 10 triples in a season.

With Conor Jackson, Chris Young and Mark Reynolds, they have a solid young core of talent.

Besides that, next year I'll be able to take the new light rail mass transit system to the ball park and see games for less than $10 total cost with tickets and transportation.

So, I'm looking forward to 2009 (not simply because January will bring the end of an error)!

now, you're going to have to explain that one to me, ex70shouston :)

do you really think so?

I had kinda wondered about that point too. Really, there aren't any posters who frequent the politics forum who were gung ho corps muckety mucks in leadership for twi after the in residence years.

why exactly did he leave?

and

i'm the biggest loser

Hey don't they have a television show to celebrate those folks? :)

That's a great link to Fred Merkle, Mstar.

It's going to have to wait until I can give it the time and attention it deserves, though.

What will be the fate of the Dodgers and Dbacks ? It really is up for grabs right now. The Dodgers are heading south, and the Dbacks are heading north. Will Joe Torre and Manny right the ship? Will I kiss my playoff ticket hopes goodbye ? I did get an unexpected opportunity to get to the last home game on Thursday, and I'm figuring I better go "just in case".

Today is ELIMINATION day... for the Dbacks. <_< No one to blame but themselves.

I hope your Dodgers do well in the playoffs. :)

Ron G, our beloved southern curmudgeon checked into chat tonight. He has been in the hospital the last few days after suffering a stroke. He is home now, but has trouble with small motor skills such as the keyboard.

He asked that I post this and asked for your prayers for his complete recovery.

Personal addition from me-

Ron, I truly hope you get well soon. our deepest thoughts are with you and your son, and our expectations are huge for you.

I'll ECHO (ECHo, ECho, Echo, echo) that sentiment. Get well, YOUNG man!

Dbacks now only 2.5 games behind Dodgers.... it's no wonder that Hiway29 is being humble in looking toward a possible playoff chance for the Dodgers. It's certainly NOT a lock for them yet.

The Dbacks pretty much have to win the rest of their games and rely on the Dodgers to lose a few...

... the scenario STILL favors the Dodgers however!

thanks GT, any chance of getting a skin other than "denim" back?

That's my question also... besides, I thought denim was blue.

Rocky -- I said I didn't remember them all. Didn't I?? :)

And I remembered on of those... :)

Way Prod had TALENT. The *message* might not have been one you would like to hear (even though *in*),

but you sit behind a pedal steel guitar, and even tell me what TUNING THE STRINGS ARE IN, if you can.

Shucks --- you're denigrating folks who could pick, given the message they delivered,

rather than what they did on stage, with instrument in hand to audiences across the country.

Nother words, you are mistaken, musically *negligent*, and (somewhat) biased in this. :)

This stuff here pales in comparison to the times when there were REAL musicians on stage.

It's a friggin *stage show* now days --- judging by this video.

Anyone else remember Skip, Dean, John R., Dave G, Mike, Ritchie, the other Dave, Ken, Cliff, Claudette, Brian,

Stevie Kay, Dan M., Helen, Mary Ann, Joe, Paul, Ralph G., Dan H, John K.,

and a whole multitude of other performers (that I don't remember off-hand), on the TWI stages?

So Yea --- I agree with the guy who says *Stop It Forever!!*,

but to compare this performance with past performances from Way Prod , isn't being exactly fair.

You forgot Hope Harmon (Richeson).

Check out that dancing yo! Very M.J. like. Maybe he likes Jesus Juice too?

http://vids.eonline.com/services/link/bcpi...bctid1805534554

How very CREEPY, that dancing. :blink:

I have NOT been logged off of the site (unexpectedly) today.

I figured the removal of the alternative "skin" for GSC was done to remove a potential cause for the problem. It may have worked. :)

I still prefer the OTHER view (but not getting logged off).

I don't mind having to log in everyday - or every time I visit. It is bothersome to get logged off while posting or surfing.

Now I only have one choice of "skins" - "Denim" which is too big for my screen. The blue "Default" is gone - at least for me and for now.

I found the same diminuation of options this morning. However, I did notice that I didn't have to log in this morning (yet).

Mr.niKa's folks and brothers and alma mater are all in Tucson. And some of his fav climbs, and our fav cave, and some really decent Mexican food, and (oh, yeah!) one of our four kids.

And once we even got to meet with Rocky and Simon and (a truly wonderful woman whose name I cannot say online and whose number I used to have in my cellphone until I stupidly accidentally erased all 237 of my phone book numbers and whose Greasespot handle I cannot remember or find in my old messages and whom I REALLY HOPE PM's me if she reads this so that I can get her number again and call and see how she's been doing.)

Tucson is da bomb.

Well, I remember her name and sent you a PM.

with whom? ...the slipper?

niKa... she's been known to visit Tucson.

Thanks for the info...

Not too many years ago, I thought this kind of thing with LDS was used to promote fear mongering.

However, since Katrina, (actually immediately after Katrina) I was able to see it differently.