--

Btw, Icaros, your Jason Schmidt comment towards end of last thread made me chuckle.

Don't forget the rain tarp at old Busch Stadium.

Not everyone agreed with you...and I'll take that disappointment to my grave.

http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1985/B09060LAN1985.htm

Are the pitch counts listed in there? Can't find them.

13 - I sort of thought it had more or less been answered, but it was 5 1/2 years.

11 - I agree.

Fair enough. I should have known better than to bother with him.

http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/what-pitch-counts-hath-wrought/

Interesting, thanks.

The game the next day (9/7/85) at Dodger Stadium was the very first game I can distinctly remember attending (I was 9). I know I attended some before that, but I have no idea of the date or opponent. This game was memorable because:

a) it was sock day
b) PR Jose Gonzalez scored the winning run in the 9th
c) my brother got stung by a bee in the parking lot before the game

The bee joined us at Tommy's, and hid out in my brother's open coke can. My brother didn't attempt a drink until we were in the DS parking lot, at which time the hiding bee showed itself and stung him in the lip.

I didn't say that. I said that our expectations ought to start there. Every little thing matters. Skill matters most of all. So the EXPECTATION should be that, other than well-known park effects, and playing-time effects, performance will be the same no matter which team a player plays for. Of course, there is randomness, and there are psychological factors. We're pretty sure that teammates don't matter on average (e.g, that protection in the lineup is a myth) but that doesn't mean that it might not matter for a player here and there.

You're trying to pin me down to a blanket statement that I didn't make. I admitted right at the beginning that a "change in scenery" could matter a little, but not enough to make the difference between an MVP year and an unproductive year.

If you think in terms of a multiple regression, with performance as the dependent variable and everything else (skill, attitude, comfort, teammates, park factors, etc. etc. etc.) as explanatory variables, I'm not saying that none of the factors other than skill be end up being significant. But thy will be small in size, and swamped by skill.

Yet another caveat, of course, is health. Skill won't matter as much if a player is hurt. But my point is that if Jones is healthier in 2009 than he was in 2008, that would help him no matter where he played.

When do I not...

If he starts the season at Ogden, he's going to be that much further behind than where he should be.

Meh. Dice-K was doing that in the 3rd grade.

Talk about a prophecy!

...in bed.

Manny is Boras' last great project of the offseason. If he can somehow play the Giants and Dodgers off each other, maybe he gets that third guaranteed year.

I would be okay with 3/65 if we would just get it done already.

None of the above applies to people who might die when stung.

Sounds like you and your buddies would make better wasps or hornets.

36 - I'm starting to feel that way too. Patience has paid off to this point, but what if Boras is willing just to hold out indefinitely? At some point it would be nice just to solve the OF hole, move on, and focus on pitching.

I'm sure he'd have preferred Burnett's deal, but Lowe ended up doing pretty well for himself.

Hard to blame him if he can go in the 1st round, but man I hope he comes back.

That would make more sense

Might as well get my moneys worth for my doctor visit.

I was scared of bees for 20 years after that.

-via Diamond Lueng

To bad, he could have played 1st for the Isotopes and tried to hit 100 home runs in three years.

Personally, I think both Sanchez and Mays are making mistakes, but that's just me.

I wonder if Sanchez is waiting on Sam Bradford's decision, or perhaps vice versa.

NFL declares Rams Super Bowl champion and strips Patriots of all past and future Super Bowl championships...?

Sanchez no, he needs on the field and draft stock improvement. He should stay b/c the NFL is different from the NBA, there isn't a rookie cap whereas you aren't talking a ton of money b/t 1 and 25, and you need to hurry up and get your 2nd contract. Sanchez could go anywhere from 15-25, whereas he could be a 5-10 pick next year. That could be a $10-$15 million dollar loss, similar to the money Rivers and Ellis recouped by staying for their senior years.

If I was drinking anything, I surely would have spit it out at this comment. Hilarious! Assuming you're all better now of course. :)

I'm just saying it would be a bad time to find out you are allergic to bee stings at the age of 40, on a boat, 20 miles from help. If you knew you'd have some epinephrine with you.

I don't mean to be cavalier but really, everyone should know if they are allergic or not.
http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/b/beesting.htm

Plus, I truly think he is better than Bradford as a pro-prospect anyway and I think it will show at the combine. That leaves him fighting only Stafford at the top of the draft.

http://tinyurl.com/9lstnq

I got stung in Santa Monica when I put my hand on a railing at Palisades Park and discovered a dead bee attached to it. My hand swelled up a bit, but that was it.

The bee was given a proper burial.

{rimshot}

That's stopped the last month. Probably because there aren't any more bees left to die.

It is sad that maybe our best coach would rather go coach in college than stay with us.

How are allergies to insect stings diagnosed?
An allergic reaction to an insect sting is diagnosed by a physical exam and a medical history. After you have recovered from the allergic reaction, you may be given allergy tests to find out which types of insect stings you are allergic to and how sensitive you are to the allergens.

--

I'm less worried about bee stings than I am the general health of the bee population. As they go, so too do we.

--

I was excited to hear the Dodgers had signed Manny Mota today. Why, back in my day, he was a great man off the bench, they could use a pinch hitter like... {whispering in ear} What's that? Guillermo Mota? Oh! Feh.

Speaking of using Bees in self-defense in bad neighborhoods: I have a baseball game tonite at Gonzales Park in Compton. Does anyone know if this is a particularly bad neighborhood?

I'll take Bates, I hated our staff this past year.

Very funny mock song to the tune of "Desparado" entitled Matty Leinart now just played on 570 KLAC.

Mark Prior signs with San Diego. Again!

Petros dislike for Leinart (he loves Cassell, Palmer and Sanchez, don't recall how he felt about Booty) and Reggie Bush is well known.

That does not make his shots against them less funny.

What league are you playing in? My goal is to one day get back to hardball.

Being a Met, a Blue Jay, a Padre, a Dodger...hell, even I can't remember all the teams that I played for (Henderson)

Sleeping with Madonna (Henderson)

Sleeping with Madonna (Rice)

I played with Jose Canseco and never got to inject anything in his ass (Henderson)

Interesting if Rickey doesn't say A's or Yankees in that one answer.

what position do you play Kevin? our team for the most part is very respectfull amongst each other, I can't say that about the team we're playing each particular sunday (friendly banter) but for the most part the league is well run.

we're 5 & 1 & in 1st place so far.

I pitched through high school, can play 3B, 2B, and 1B, and probably the corner outfield positions.

And finally, on a very sad note, we just got word that former Dodger coach Preston Gomez passed away today. As some of you might recall, he was hit by a car during Spring Training last year and it seems he never really recovered.

we play in the cerritos/sante fe area.

141

nah man, just show up every sunday & bring your passion of the game with you.

;o)

I have a friend who plays in a wooden bat league near the rose bowl, I don't know what the name of the league is but I spoke to him the other day (he wanted me to check it out) he is gonna play there this sunday I think.

Wow, this is what happens when you try to make a team on the cheap.

All Time Greatest Bluebleeder Word Ever

I have also been stung on the face by red wasps and yellowjackets. My face swelled shut for days. Chicks really dig that.

IBAF releases World Rankings in advance of WBC in this WBC Extra

The U.S. is 3rd.

Now, getting puncture wounds in my feet (through the soles of my shoes, yet!) from protruding steel spikes left in unfinished concrete foundations ... never did get used to that.

http://tinyurl.com/9tvqkl

I like Heathrow stories because they remind me of the time the pig from Pink Floyd's Animals tour got loose and floated near the airport. Pilots on final were heard to report `a giant pig heading toward the runway'.

Let's see:

I like Kuo (but think his elbow is gonna fly off any minute now)

Broxton i've stated in the past how I feel about him, but I sure as hell hope i'm proven wrong.

Cory Wade the unsung hero of '08, let's see if he can repeat it in '09

___

I don't know how the Dodgers are gonna use Elbert & McDonald but there always seems to be a dark horse when it comes to the bullpen so veremos.

I used to see those sometimes around my pool and I would immediately just go under water or go inside.

Until today I'd never heard of such a thing.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

That stinger reads painful.

San Diego, Colorado, San Francisco, Cincinatti, and Pittsburgh.

A lot of those teams have one JP type or in Cincy's case, two JP types in their OF.

I was never freaked by bees until one flew into my ear when I was about ten. The angry buzzing was so loud and the stinger hurt terribly as it was moved around in my ear canal by the bee's death throes. It felt like I was being stung again and again.

To this day, fifty years later, I am very uncomfortable when bees are nearby...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmidt_Sting_Pain_Index

Urm, I'll stay a boy, thanks..

[borrows Underdog's cymbals]
[rimshot]

Ants that will eat people!!

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Raiders have hired Sanjay Lal to coach the team's receivers.

Lal replaces James Lofton, who was let go earlier in the day by the team.

Does Al Davis just hate James Lofton or something?

This is the dumbest idea ever.

On a more happy note in this time of trouble I give you this heartwarming tale of friendship.
http://tinyurl.com/9glwoa

man. it's the coolest insect ever [http://tinyurl.com/8cgllq]

185 I am a sucker for these tales of animal friendships. There have been many, including a lioness who adopted a young antelope!

Loney is set to receive the Greater Houston area's Major League Player of the Year on Thursday night at the Hilton Americas Convention Center Hotel.

OK, maybe not. I just like that analogy.

http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/RC29

When the last calf was eaten by a male lion while she slept, the lioness was said to have been stricken with grief - she went around roaring in anger.

Cases of lionesses showing maternal affection for animals they would normally see as prey are not unprecedented, conservationist Daphne Sheldrick said.

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1905363.stm]

____

sweet story though.

Hrm.

Lakers looking mediocre vs a shorthanded Rockets team. {cue I Love LA}

http://www.nba.com/nba_tv/NBA_TV_Talent_Ahmad_Rashad-93381-466.html

Even for a big Loney fan like me, it was pretty boringlol, oh and he made it known he was rooting for the rockets, but obviously hes form the houston area so makes sense

Most of the appeal comes from Gary Payton playing the Barkley role and saying pretty much anything, and Chris Webber humorously playing along as well.

The Lakers have another week or so before they even play half their games.

That reminds me of the dumbest question I've ever heard a TV newscaster ask. In Fargo, ND a reporter asked a Bush administration person "I know that Social Security is the third rail of politics, but what are the first two?"

At least Kendall plays catcher and not left field. :o

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_rail_(metaphor)

just got a call from the friend who plays near the rose bowl, the name of the league is called the "Stan Musial Semi-pro baseball league" you might wanna look into it Kevin, it's in Pasadena...

So was 206, but that's because I remembered the number wrong.

A big part on why the Brewers like Kendall. You can forgive a lot of a players offensive flaws if pitchers like pitching to him. Its why Jose Molina got more starts last year, even when the Yankees traded for I-Rod.

I think it's because I said a naughty word.

Whoops, should have read the rules better.

He had nothing to back this up however.

It's open to interpretation too, since a catcher's defense is one of the hardest things to quantify objectively.

6 for 6, including three 3s.

Wafer has a career high 23 so far.

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=993&position=C

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=443&position=OF

How scary is this Rocket team going to be when they are healthy? Weapons everywhere, they were sans McGradt, Artest and Luther Head tonight.

That's what I get for slamming the Celtics last week. Von Wafer scores a career high 23 against us? Wow.

The Lakers weren't at full strength either. Odom was playing his first game back from injury, Farmar is still out, Mihm is still out, Luke Walton is still out, and now Vujacic sat out due to back spasms.

In fact, I am really surprised the Lakers won. This is a huge win for LA, especially the way Kobe got that game winner towards the end.

I am not worried about the "lack of defensive effort" or any of that these days. They can definitely play defense with the best of them when they need to. I just think that it's a long season and it's all part of the ride.

I don't have those front row seats to the Cavs/Lakers game anymore, but I might consider going to the game anyway next week. DT trip?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-celtics011009&prov=yhoo&type=lgns