Hmm... Did I forget to hit submit earlier?

Apparently, I did. I meant to say that I don't think Cincinnati has much chance at all as the Reds pitching staff has transcended the word "shambles."

2 Impossible! Didn't you see how many trades Krivsky made to improve that staff?

And half of those guys got injured!

Here's one Pads blogger excited about the series: "And we finish the series with a doozy... Jake Peavy vs Brad Penny. Peavy vs Penny. I swear that for a series like this, they need to have a weigh-in day. Bring the pitchers that are going to oppose each other into a press conference. Have them strip down to their underwears and stand on a scale, flexing their muscles while holding a baseball. Measure their arm lengths. Do the whole bit. Then print up collectible posters. I'm telling you. This would be great."

http://www.gaslampball.com/

Apparently, they feel about Scott Linebrink the way Dodger Thoughts commenters feel about, um, er, well the whole bullpen I guess except Saito and Broxton.

This is a big series on so many levels. If the Dodgers take 3 or more games then the Padres wild-card birth will likely be in serious jeopardy. If the Padres take 3 or more games then the Dodgers will be clinging to the wild-card spot. If the Dodgers and Padres happen to split then ground could easily be made up by one or more teams behind them in the wild-card hunt. vr, Xei

This is the last time San Diego and Los Angeles will face each other this season.

Yes, but if they win the division and wild card, then both win their first playoff series, it is possible they will face each other for the NL championship. A freeway series of a different kind than we are used to seeing.

"separation Saturday" -- when exactly did that get made up do you think?

My brain says split and my heart says sweep. Im gonna go out on a limb and go with the sweep. Aint no way SD is going to end up owning us this badly.

5. I would be willing to give up my left tomko for Linebrink in our bullpen.

7. It would probably be called something lame like the "I-5 Series". Not sure what i would call it though. Maybe the "Not In Orange County Series".
vr, Xei

7 - Oh, sure. Think it through, why don't you?

Scott Linebrink trails only Jason Isringhausen for blown saves in the NL. Linebrink has 9 and Isringhausen has 10.

Of pitchers still on the Dodgers, Broxton leads the team with 4. Tomko has 3.

I don't think the percentage in this case is relevant because Broxton and Tomko are not expected to get a save.

12. Yes percentages are important, and I'd still be willing to give up my left tomko.
vr, Xei

10 - What would the political betting be? I fear a monkey or elephant might be on the line.

and saves are a very flawed stat, and so is blowing a flawed stat. I'm sure most pitchers would rather blow a flawed stat, than blow a good stat. Whatever that means.
:) vr, Xei

I did like the article, Jon. If we must have a wild card, then it at least brings some drama back to the end of the season. Seeing the Wild Card standings makes me remember the days when the Reds were actually in the same division.

7 11 They could also end up in a tie for the division and/or wild card, and have a one-game playoff.

I'd call it the El Nino series. Or maybe in a spy-vs-spy kind of way I'd call it port-vs-port.

18
Our port kicks their port's TEU.

14 If the Dodgers win, San Diego becomes responsible for fixing LA traffic. If the Padres win, LA must find a way to rehabilitate San Diego's municipal bond rating.

Should the Dodgers win, I'd prefer a truckload of California burritos from the La Posta at Washington and 3rd in San Diego.

17 - Stop it! :)

Bob, your mind comes up with the strangest bits of information.

19 What's funny about our port vs. theirs is that the US Navy dredged Long Beach harbor; It's totally unnatural. When the Navy was considering locations for its Pacific base, it was deciding between San Diego's natural harbor and spending a bunch of money to dredge a new one in LA. LA political and business leaders convinced the Navy to pick Long Beach.

San Diegans were quite upset about the snub, thusly contributing further to their inferiority complex.

Well this is it. Let's go blue. I wish I had something to add but I don't.

Port of LA traffic from Jan 1 to date (roughly):

5,420,311.40 TEUs

Port of San Diego traffic is hard to determine becausue it isn't much because the port isn't deep enough for most container ships.

22
TEUs are an important part of my quotidian.

25 - I recently read an (old) New Yorker story about the relationship between the mob, terrorism and container traffic. Which says something about the New Yorker's ability to hold my attention.

26 - Bless you.

http://www.all-baseball.com/dodgerthoughts/archives/017508.html

Question I once received on the phone,

"I'm from New Orleans. We have a port here. Do you folks have a port? Does it do much business? I got this thing from China and I think I'll call your port and ask where it came from."

If they tie, I think the Padres win the division based on head-to-head play. This is assuming that both qualify for the playoffs.

Someone can use all this information to figure out the chance that the Dodgers and Padres will meet again:)

If the Dodgers and Padres tie and they have to play a one-game tiebreaker, it would most almost have to be for the wild card and somehow the Giants would have to pass both teams.

But this would also require the Cardinals to slide.

Jon's lead reminds of the period of great TV theme songs (my way of dealing with the big series is not to think about it until closer to gametime).

1. WKRP in Cincinnati - Baby if you ever wondered, wondered whatever became of me, I'm living on the air in Cincinnati, Cincinnati, WKRP. (My secret crush, Bailey Quarters)
2. Greatest American Hero - Or George Contanza's answering machine - Believe it or not I'm walking on air, I never thought I could be so free, flying away on a wing and a prayer, who could it be, believe it or not its just me.
3. Tie Taxi/Barney Miller - Nice jazzy openings to two really good shows.
5. Baretta - Sammy Davis Jr. singing the classic line that unfortunately Robert Blake had to face for real - Don't do the crime if you can't do the time, yeah...

Sorry Xeifrank....I'll get to baseball later. And remember to keep your eye on the sparrow.

32 Following up, WKRP was really a good show, who can forget the famous Thanksgiving stunt, when Sparky Anderson guested as himself doing sportstalk show or of course the time when Venus Flytrap explained what makes up an atom.

This would have been a more appropriate subject to raise in the "Kuo and Bro" thread, but anyway. I am sort of surprised that no one here has talked about Broxton and Kuo pitching out of the stretch all the time. Okay, maybe it is not so odd for Broxton to be doing that as a short reliever, but Kuo as a starter? For a starter to be pitching all the time out of the stretch strikes me as bizarre. I honestly cannot recall another starter doing that, though somebody will probably point out somebody to me. Perhaps even more odd is that Kuo not only throws hard out of the stretch at the start of the game, he throws progressively harder as the innings pass, something one would think would be impossible without the leverage-advantage that a full windup delivery, in theory, gives a pitcher. Anybody have thoughts on this?

34 I recall that when Nomo had some control issues, he would pitch out of the stretch, I guess if Kuo still gets good velocity and movement and as a byproduct of pitching of the stretch, better control, so be it.

32. No biggie!! I actually like TV and movies when it's good TV and good movies. I can't remember the last time I watched a network TV show (especially a sitcom or 1 hour series) and said "wow, that was really good!". I've seen as many good Hollywood movies in the last 5 years as Tomko has blown saves this year. As bad as network TV and Hollywood movies are these days, it really makes you appreciate the good stuff from the good ole days. vr, Xei

36 Ironically, TV shows are probably stronger and better now than any time in the last decade or two (even network shows). :)

I'm going tomorrow night and I'm sure traffic is going to be a nightmare. Was it ToyCannon who does the park outside the gate and walk in thing? I tghink I'd like to try that if anyone has the details.

36 -- And what would be examples of "good stuff from the good ole days?"

We are pretty much living in the Platinum Age of Television.

36. I know. I wish they could make quality shows like My Mother the Car again. Why can't a quality idea like that get play on the air anymore?

I, also, am interested in outside the gate parking at Dodger stadium. We are going Monday because my wife wants a fleece blanket and Monday is fleece blanket night.

38

I don't think the traffic will be unbearable.

The USC game starts at 5, the Dodgers start at 7. The USC game will end around 8:30 and unless the Dodgers play a lightning-paced game, most of the USC traffic will have dispersed.

The USC crowd will be arriving early. My USC friends are setting up shop at 11 since the Nebraskans apparently are trying to corner the market on good tailgating spots.

Well, there's also the avoid paying for parking thingy too.

41 I usually get a decent spot near the Shortstop right off Sunset. Any side street off Sunset near the stadium gives you decent odds at a free, somewhat close parking spot.

42 Actually, with ESPN Gameday showing up, I would imagine crowds showing up very early in the morning.

Traffic itself probably won't be any worse than normal but with the ceromony starting around 6:30 or so, and if you are planning to walk in, the hunt for parking spaces may begin earlier than normal.

If anyone is heading to the Shortstop before the game on Saturday, Im pretty much a lock to be in attendance...

Who can forget Knight Rider?

I didn't know this was going to become a talking car thread.

What's the side stret for the Shortstop. I may try that out. I also am meeting people at the Stadium club

Of the Dodgers who could play tonight against Wells, only two of them have hit a home run off of Wells.

Nomar and Lucille II.

Nomar is 17 for 58 against Wells.

Branyan, Cameron, Piazza, Giles, and Walker all have a homer against Maddux and Piazza has four.

The pitcher I don't want to see is Cla Meredith, whom the Dodgers are 1 for 9 against. Meredith has not surrendered any runs since July 17th when he came in to a game against the Phillies and gave a single to Lieberthal, a triple to Nunez, and a single to Rollins before being pulled.

The Phillies also scored against Meredith on July 4 when Meredith gave up singles to Howard and Rowand to lose a game in the 9th.

50 This is where my heart is definitely winning over my head, I had ample opportunity to pick up Meridith this week since my fantasy team counts holds (okay that's lame but I didn't set it up). But I could not find it in myself to root for him, its bad enough I have to hope that Peavy pitches okay and yet the Padres still lose, luckily that has worked out most of the time this year.

So today, I figured I was gonna have a healthy lunch... I go downstairs and grab a spinach salad from a joint on the corner. I finish my salad, head back upstairs, and the first thing I read is a blurb about how the FDA is warning people not to eat leaf spinach because of an E. coli outbreak.

Now I don't know if this pit in my stomach is just nerves for the game tonight, or something worse.

49 Its either Sutherland or Quintero

Platinum age of television? What exactly does that mean? Computer animation? High tech home entertainment centers? I prefer watching a Mickey Mouse cartoon before they started using computer graphical 3D designs. Modern day TV has taken the artistry out of television show creation. It has also taken the good writers off the air and replaced them with junky trashy reality tv. MTV use to show music videos, now they show paris hilton slutting around farms. The examples are endless. vr, Xei

Nomo pitched out of the stretch in Colorado, 10 years ago tomorrow.

33 - Now, you're just betraying the fact that you're not a longtime reader of the site. :) WKRP has gotten plenty of attention here.

I watched the season finale of The Office for the fourth time last night; it's just exceptional.

54 - Xeifrank, you said recently you've given today's shows a chance, but nothing I read from you ever indicates anything other than complete dismissal. None of your comments reflect that you've actually watched some of these shows - they're all generalizations.

"Junky trashy reality TV" is, to put it kindly, a genre, not a summation of current programming. MTV is one channel. Or two or three - I've lost track.

56 MTV, MTV2, MTVu (colleges only), and I also think they have MTV Hits which may or may not actually play videos. I also think VH1 is owned by Viacom which is the same corporate overlord as MTV.

TV shows/networks represent market segments to advertisers. No one should be shocked that much of it isn't aimed at their own little (or big) segment.

If you were a certain type of teenager or tweener, you might like MTV a lot. Or, if you're like our friend Xei, you might watch TV Land instead.

57 Those 3 plus MTV Jams, and many ethnic ones (MTV Chi, Desi, K, Brazil, Tr3s, Latin America, etc). Viacom also owns VH1 and its stations (VH1 Classic, Soul, Uno, and Brazil), as well as MusicHD and CMT.

Just off the top of my head for some shows that are already on the air (and get good buzz) or ones that start airing this fall (on regular cable, not including HBO or Showtime):

Comedy: Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, The Office, Ugly Betty, Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Gilmore Girls, My Name is Earl....

Drama: Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Veronica Mars, ER, The Shield, Rescue Me, Nip/Tuck, Law & Order (pick your spinoff), Jericho, The Nine.....

54. Are you claiming couples talking about Whoopie on The Newlywed Show or the incredibly lame double entendres on The Dating Game were the apex of creativity?
I'm with you when it comes to movies and music not being up to par with the past, but the fact is, the scripts for television shows are much more complex and involved than they were in the passed. Watch an episode of Perry Mason and see how laughably simplistic it is compared to even an average new show like Justice.
Trashy reality shows have basically taken the place of trashy game shows on TV. The problem with nostalgia is that you only remember the few really quality things like Dick Van Dyke and you can compare it to the worst of the worst now.

bhsportsguy -- seems you may not have seen this post, and the riveting, and safe-for-work, linked photo of Jan Smithers:

http://www.all-baseball.com/dodgerthoughts/archives/016612.html

54 -- The '50's used to be referred to as the "Golden age of television," because the people who coined the term wanted to contrast the '50's with what they considered inferior subsequent eras. When I used the phrase the "Platinum age of television," I was conveying the opinion that ours is really the best era of television ever, with the understanding that the beginning of the present era should be considered the early 1990's. The end of heavy-handed censorship of the networks and the advent of original cable programming made American TV in the 90's suddenly "grow up," ending the decades-old conventional wisdom that TV has to treat viewers like delicate Victorian ladies who will swoon if they see or hear anything indecorous.

You still did not give me examples of what you consider "good stuff from the good ole days," so I have no idea if you are nostalgic for I Love Lucy (the 50's), Laugh-In (the 60's), Charlie's Angels and Three's Company (the 70's) or the A-Team (the 80's). Honestly, what do you have in mind?

62 Thanks Sam, so what do folks think now that the possibility of running into Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in Georgetown is now a strong possibility?

For the stretch run, the Padres added their oldest player yet this season, 43-year-old left-hander David Wells, and it's Wells who will take the mound tonight in Los Angeles against the Dodgers' prized viejo, 40-year-old Greg Maddux.

Are you trying to tell us Maddux is a man on a Mission? :-)

One reason this has got to be the Platinum Age of Television is that there are so many ways to avoid BAD TV. DVRs, on-demand, Tivo, even seasons of excellent shows on DVD. If you can avoid bad television, doesn't that make the rest that you choose to watch the cream of the crop, and better than back in the day when you were forced to choose between drivel and more drivel?

Unless, of course, you've got "Celebrity Duets" clogging up your DVR.... and if that's the case, I can't help you.

34 - Jered Weaver pitches from the stretch always.

Just posed the question to a co-worker. Is network TV better today or in the past. He almost choked on his sandwich. He hates current network TV more than me (is that possible?). Rant went something like, back when I was a kid the whole family could sit down and watch an evening of network TV together without the sexual innuendos, violence or people putting each other down. Of course, I totally agree. Shows brought up as examples were Andy Griffith Show, Beverly Hill Billies, Gillgans Island, Get Smart and many others. Sure, some of these shows may be a little outdated, but there is nothing on network TV today that could hold the jock strap of these shows (not even close). vr, Xei

64 I'd say we're happy to have anyone that good looking in town, no matter how creepy.

Shows brought up as examples were Andy Griffith Show, Beverly Hill Billies, Gillgans Island, Get Smart and many others. Sure, some of these shows may be a little outdated, but there is nothing on network TV today that could hold the jock strap of these shows (not even close).

You realize the irony inherent in this reply, do you not?

I thought all The Skipper did was put Gilligan down.

It scarred me for life.

70. Nope. They are just examples of shows that are funny, clean and have alot of creativity. If you want something a little more modern, I'd throw out shows like... Taxi, MASH, Seinfeld, Happy Days, 3rd Rock, Family Ties, Brady Bunch, cartoons... Popeye, Speed Racer, Bugs Bunny... I'm forgetting lots of stuff. If I had to list the shows on network TV today that I like the post would be empty. Well maybe, except for sports and the occasional freeway chase. :) vr, Xei

68 - I like those shows to an extent, but if you're telling me that nothing today can match the creativity of a Beverly Hillbillies or Gilligan's Island plot, I'm not gonna worry too much about this anymore.

Ok then, list me 10 shows on network TV (2-13) today that are a must watch. And of those ten which ones would you feel comfortable sitting down and watching with the whole family? This oughta be good. :)
vr, Xei

I've slowed down on my TV watching because bad things happen to the shows I like. With the exceptions of the Simpsons and Arrested Developement, and kind of TV DVDs I own are "the complete series".

68 Now this is something that I think I can address, when I now watch shows like Mary Tyler Moore of M*A*S*H, I am struck by how much innuendo was there but since I was just a kid (and maybe back them kids were still kids) I didn't get it but the shows were good and I laughed.

Did it ever dawn on me that Mary and Rhoda had sex, no, of course they never actually showed Mary in bed with someone (at least not that I recall), nor did many of the sitcoms of that time do that.

Now I like Andy and Get Smart but the whole country spun comedies, Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres, along with Gilligan's Island do not represent classic tv, safe tv yes, non-confrontational sure. Often the humor was toward themselves, their bumbling ways. CBS of course changed things when they brought All in the Family to the air, then MTM, MASH, etc.

ABC followed with Barney Miller, sure Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley followed the safe path too, Happy Days occasionally went for the "special episode."

Now, what this mean in regards to today's television, certainly in sitcoms, there are a lot of people trying to find the next big franchise comedy, its not out there yet.

Dramas are doing well, formats are changing a little, reality has settled down, but then again cable, both basic and premium (HBO) have changed the universe as we are a world of more than 3 networks.

So yes, are there shows today that match up with some yesterday's classics, for me The Simpsons remain a constant slice of very good pizza, anytime I can see a Sopranos/Godfather parody in cartoon form is a good way to spend a half hour, but anyways this is more than I will usually say about the starting lineup so enough for now.

69 What about Senator Mary Landrieu, she's a looker and a darn fine senator.

This pitching match-up will determine who is the better GM. Towers or Colletti.

or rather who made the better aquisition

78 I thought it was for Champion of the Universe.

74 The whole family argument is a tough one, partly because no one really programs for it, for East and West, that only is one hour of primetime per week, Sundays has two.

I am assuming you mean watching with kids under 12-13, I know for my nieces, they either watch shows like Dancing with the Stars, American Idol, etc. or the Disney or Nickoledeon.

Lost
House
The Simpsons
Law & Order- CI
Grey's Anatomy
Scrubs
The Office
My Name is Earl
CSI
Sunday Night Football (it's on NBC, right?)

And since my entire family consists of me and my fiancee, I'm gonna say my entire family could watch all ten. Okay, the fiancee would probably skip the football.

78 Really, just this one game, the Padres are 1-1 in games Wells has started, the Dodgers are 5-3, thus far. Not that I think its fair to judge the GMs on this deal but I have to think since they each have at best 3 more starts after this game, the Dodgers are ahead in this one particular deal.

68 -- Well, there you go. It is as I suspected. When I read your reference to the "good ole days," an image popped into my head of Dana Carvey doing his Saturday Night Live "Mean Old Man" routine, which involved Carvey made-up to look approximately 85-years-old, railing against the modern world, and praising life in the Great Depression or some such. The Andy Griffith Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, and Get Smart. Baby pabulum, all of it. This is what I was refering too when I said American TV used to treat viewers like delicate Victorian ladies. I also could have said they treated viewers like children. I once LIKED The Andy Griffith Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, and Get Smart -- when I was a little kid. But I am a grown up now, and I have no interest in childish things. You decry "sexual innuedoes, violence, and people putting each other down." Those things were all aspects of the real world in the 1960's, but TV in that era was practically an organizared propaganda effort to shield Americans from reality and perpetuate a national myth of innocence. In the 1990's, TV started exploding that myth, and the work continues. That is WHY TV is so great today.

69 You should pitch that to Tom as a way to get the fans back. The tagline could be, "Tom Cruise: He's hotter than a Lobbyist."

74 - I could do that, but I'm not sure how the challenge went from "there are no good shows this decade" to "name 10 shows that are on now."

And until today, shows that the whole family could watch together was not a qualification for your comment that "there is nothing good on television."

And why am I limited to network TV?

All these are new amendments to your ongoing dismissal of all television and movies.

I want you to know I mean nothing personal about this - not at all. It's good that I have a better idea of where you stand.

72 You're not seriously calling M*A*S*H clean, are you?

74 How you penalize today's TV by ignoring cable and asking for "network shows" is strange, but I see where it fits your argument. And we have to fit it into the argument, right?

Though with cable, you have plenty more options for "family entertainment" than you ever would have had 25-30 years ago. That's ignored as well, which is strange. Again.

86. Limited to network TV because that is what I've said all along.
Network TV GOOD;
New amendments. I never prepared a written treatise on the matter. If I were before a court of law, perhaps I would or I would hire someone (Steve?) to. I will state it clearly. There is nothing on network TV (2-13) minus sports, the occasional high speed freeway chase through Bob's neighborhood or a rerun of an old show that I like that is worth watching (for me). Yes, it is my opinion and of course I am not trying to sway people to agree with me, I am just making a comment and expressing a personal opinion on something that is a pet peeve of mine. I like to be entertained by something that is unique, different, creative, non-cookie cutter and has a good story. Perhaps when I was less than 12 years old it only had to have a good story and be a little unique. I feel this way about the TV I watch, movies I watch and music I listen to and to a point friends I hang out with. I don't expect the shows/music to be perfect, just to be very good and worth the investment of my time. I hope something comes along that makes me change my mind, but until then, I am that 85 year old grumpy man. :) Go Dodgers!!!
vr, Xei

89 - Yet even though we've never limited our discussion to network TV, you've been equally dismissive of it all. That's what's confusing.

Xei, can I point out 7th Heaven and Joan of Arcadia?

unique, different, creative, non-cookie cutter and has a good story

The Office
Lost
24
Scrubs
House

77 You just like her 'cause she used the word "boneheaded" on the Senate floor.

I think the real tragedy is that there are no new Arrested Development episodes. I mean, COME ON!

Carlos Marmol has had two very bad days in a row. First JD Drew, and now David Ross.

David Ross has 19HRs.

Let that sink in for a moment.

I'm just bracing for the worst this weekend. It's getting so bad with the Padres this year that I'm basically hoping for a split. That's all you can hope for against a team that has Todd Walker hitting in the three hole.

"unique, different, creative, non-cookie cutter and has a good story"

The Wire, people, for chrissakes! This is IMO easily the highest level the television art form has yet reached.

Or, as a New York Times review last week put it: The Wire "is the closest that moving pictures have come so far to the depth and nuance of the novel."

92. Those are probably the best shows on, but not worthy of the time investment in my opinion.

89. I am not dismissive of cable tv. I can easily find something on cable tv to watch. To name a few... History Channel, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, Fox/CNN News, Susie Orman, ESPN, Fox Sports, KCET, once in a while the comedy channel, once in a while the DIY network and once in a while one of the cartoon/nickelodeon type channels. Still confused. :) vr, Xei

35, 55 Don Larsen famously pitched his perfect game out of the stretch, which he started using exclusively about 2 weeks before that World Series started. A really big deal was made of it at the time.

97 Unfortunately, Eric, "The Wire", while genius, is on cable TV, and therefore not allowed to be spoken of with reverence as it should be here. :)

94 - Channel "G4" shows nightly reruns of AD at 8:30.

http://tinyurl.com/kj8pv
This is an interesting book that compares TV from pre-Hill Street Blues to post HSB. Author makes the point that TV used to be numbingly simple and that 70's viewers could never have followed a modern day show. Not even a sit-com. I've enjoyed all of this guy's books but this one is great for the TV people here.

98 - What I don't get is... you havent seen these shows, and people whose opinions you clearly value on other matters are telling you that those shows are very good on your selected criteria. Yet, you say they are unworthy of your time based solely on the fact that they are modern shows. The baseball analogy would probably be someone like Joe Morgan who criticizes Moneyball, despite the fact that he has never read it.

Damon Wayans has a new show called "The Underground" on Showtime. Its sketch comedy. I caught the season premiere last nite and think it has some potential.

102 I trot that guy out when I'm trying to convince my wife that video games are OK.

She mocks me.

We have no video games.

By the way, I do agree with Xeifrank to a certain extent, although I think he overstates the case. The vast majority of network TV I find mindless and not worth my time, but there have been exceptions over the years like The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Homicide, and Cheers. It does seem to be getting worse, though. I don't find the lowest common denominator programming to have any sort of value to me at all. Almost by definition, if something is going to have a broad enough appeal that a network is willing to air it, it's got to be dumbed down to an extent that it doesn't interest me at all.

105 Did she read the book? He does make a strong argument!

My grandfather lives practically next door to a Chinese restaurant, and he is constantly complaining about how bad their food is. I remind him all the time that one of the best Chinese restaurants in the area is just around the corner, not five minutes from him, and he says, "Oh, I know I can get great food from there. I just like complaining about the crap next door..."

Our thread, in a nutshell.

106 - Do you think that is possible for something to be transcendent or universally appealing rather than dumbed down?

While we're on the subject, let me give a big shout out to "Lucky Louie." That is a very funny show.

110 Now you've gone too far. I find Lucky Louie unwatchable.

109 I do think it's possible, yes -- like Seinfeld or the Simpsons, which I cited. Or any number of financially successful movies, like Jaws or Butch Cassidy. However, in practice, the networks seem to be moving away from the direction of transcendent toward lame-brained.

103. But I have watched bits and pieces of some of those shows. I will admit I have not watched EVERY show that is on network tv. But I can usually tell within a few minutes of watching if I like the show. I am not going to watch the complete series of The Office before deciding I don't really like it. So the analogy would be like if Joe Morgan were to talk to his friends about the Moneyball book who had already read it, then he plopped open the book, read a few chapters and then decided it wasn't worth his time to read it. But I like your Joe Morgan analogy, as we both received our college degree from the same school at the same time. I may have been one year earlier. And no, I am not proud of that fact. Perhaps when I run for office I will run on a "No Network TV" campaign. I've already counted up 9 votes that I'm sure to get. :) vr, Xei

93 Tony Kornheiser used to pine about some newscaster out in DC too, by the way what is the local reaction to Mr. Tony's MNF regular season debut?

110 Somebody her mentioned that they watched the premiere of this show and felt they needed to take a shower afterwards. That made me laugh.

My sister loved Little House so she bought all of the DVDs and they would watch one everynight, it helps that I have three girls and there are three girls (at least in the beginning).

While we were growing up, there was a battle about what show we got to watch, Little House or the Bionic Woman. And back then my interest was more on the bionic part than the woman, though I would try to sneak a peek at Charlie's Angels when it came on at 9.

106 It does seem to be getting worse, though.

That's easily explained. Just as athletic talent is diluted in sports through expansion, writing, acting and technical talent is diluted through the addition of networks.

You can also look at it from a perspective of marketing. The plethora of networks allows for a cornucopia of shows for varying tastes. Since you (or Xeifrank or Jon) only occupy a small subset of all possible marketing niches, it follows pretty easily that a lot of TV isn't directed at you.

98. The fact that you think that those shows can't hold the jock-strap of mind-numbing garbage like the Beverley Hillbillies (which manages to be the stupidest show to ever air on television outside of The War at Home) and Gilligan's Island leaves me completely flabbergasted. Most people, when they speak about how great TV used to be will be embarassed about those shows and say that's not what they are talking about.

117 Also, a number of extremely talented TV people have left the broadcast networks for places that will allow them to actually make good shows the way they want to.

For whatever reason, most of these people are named "David": Simon, Milch, Larry.

117 - As far as writing talent goes, apparently the opposite has happened. Due to the boom of reality TV, the networks are picking up less and less new sit-coms. Thus, there are far less network writer jobs available, and presumablely more competition for those jobs.

Hey Jon, Jason Cole is going to be on the Big Show (KSPN 710) at 3:20. Just a heads up for you since I know you knew him back in college.

As a kid I enjoyed watching shows like Happy Days with my parents but as an adult I'm very glad that shows like Scrubs exist and they never would have seen the light of day if cable hadn't loosened up the network world.

38
Marty good luck, you must arrive early to get decent street parking otherwise you'll end up down by the asthma center which is okay but still a bit of a walk. The walk will seem like a distant memory when you leave the game at your leisure cause you won't have gridlock to worry about. Of course be smart, leave the Porsche at home.

120. Yep, it's all about the $bucks$. Fortunately, I have my own 24 hour entertainment machine at home. It's called a 2-year old and it doesn't always take naps. Last night while some of you were watching Dancing With Stars or Queer Guy With A Straight Eye I was making water color paintings, drawing, hiding under a stack of pillows in the living room from monsters and giving Elmo a bath. vr, Xei

Oh, man, Lucky Louie just doesn't work for me at all.

Couldn't help but enjoy this and I hope this happens more frequently. I'm not a bad person but sometimes my need for vengence is not healthy:)

KC AA Hochevar, Luke ............ 2.0 6 6 6 2 2 9.82 - L (1-1)

What does everyone hate about Lucky Louie?

Tried Lucky Louie and while it is not unwatchable it is not a show I'll put on my calendar.

Am I the only fan of Still Standing? The parents just kill me. Easy laughs but it works for me.

The lack of national media hype on this series is a shocking example of east coast bias. We're not even talking small markets: LA is #2 in the nation, and I believe San Diego is around #6. This is phenomenally high-stakes set of games. Oakland vs. the White Sox is pretty good, but this is more crucial.

Beyond the obvious reasons why the media isn't making much of this (no Barry, no Manny, no Jeter), the NL is starting to be seen as an inferior league. Moreover, there is something about the Padres. For the national media, they register as a team with no tradition. Even in LA, Padre-hatred is nowhere near the levels it should be, because our fans tend to dismiss them as lightweights when, in fact, they've been every bit as obnoxious and disruptive an opponent as the Giants.

This weekend there should be bonfires for the Dodgers. This is for treasure, honor and blood! Have at it, ye might foes!

118 - (which manages to be the stupidest show to ever air on television outside of The War at Home)

Amen! Did it bother anybody else that the premiere of this show was on a September 11th??

And how have there been no votes on here for South Park yet?

127 I'm always shocked at the number of TV sitcoms, including the two you mentioned, that pair off an overweight, dim, unambitious, selfish lout with a relatively hot wife who not only goes beyond any possible fantasies these losers could hope to have, but also does all the work. Is this a TV writer's fantasy thing, or are all domestic sitcoms an homage to the Honeymooners, or what?

126 - Not funny, not insightful. And I tried to like it both times I watched it. Ultimately, it just seemed to try to be coarse without any benefit.

For example, I saw an episode where Louie found out he had been hired because his boss's wife told his boss to do it. And Louie was humiliated, defiant, etc. But there was nothing funny about it, and the plot didn't take me anywhere interesting.

BTW - this whole USC/Reggie Bush story has really taken off, today Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart both had comments or non-comments, ESPN television and radio include it in their hourly updates, it was covered in the ESPN Outside the Lines and Dan Patrick said it will be talked about on the College Gameday program.

130 - Don't you think it's all about casting? The assumption is that the most important quality in women is to be attractive and the most important quality in men is to be John Belushi's brother or imitator.

128 Jerry Crasnick from espn.com is coming out today to cover the series, frankly there is even or at least equally important series with the defending World Series champion fighting for their playoff life against the A's up in Oakland.

Just be glad that the Yankees have made their race against the Red Sox a non-story otherwise their 4 game series this weekend would definitely be the top baseball storty this week.

128 Two reasons for the non-hype are that both teams are expected to make the playoffs anyway, and that neither team is considered a "great" or even "very good" team.

132. I like the good ole days when sports talk radio use to talk about sports. Like which team is going to win and why. Sports radio has gone the way of ... well ... you know what. :) vr, Xei

130
That is true but they are both so dense and brain damaged from high school I could see the fit. It is also normally a pet peeve of mine but for some reason that show works for me.

On a sidenote, I think that sports blogging and in particuliar baseball blogging is at an all time high and I am very thankful that Jon's blog and others like his exist. Perhaps we should start casting for "Dodger Thoughts The Movie", or "Dodger Thoughts The Mini Series". :)
vr, Xei

This series is huge.

Lucky Louie reminds me of an old, unlamented Dom Deloise sitcom called, I think, Lotsa Luck. It was about a guy whose a slob. And every one of his friends and family leech off him. There was not one good character in the whole show.

10 TV Network shows in no particular order that I find either amusing or engrossing.
Simpsons
2 1/2 Men
Scrubs
Numbers
Lost
24
Still Standing
Office
South Park
Karma Boy-for some reason can't recall the name of the show. Crabman makes me laugh everytime I see him.

IMO, South Park is the funniest and most relavant show today. And it is played on channel nine. Probably not for the kids, though.

Maddux outpitches Wells tonight but hard to predict a win with our middle relief showing signs of cracking.

128 - But Dzz, who would you market from these two teams? In the minds of all but NL west fans, Piazza is still a Met, Kent is a Giant, Grady Little is that foolio from the Red Sox, there is no Eric Gagne anymore, and the rest of both teams is either colorless (how close is Hoffman to #478, btw?) or too young to invest anything in (see: every Dodger.)

Wow I sound like I just read Bill Simmons today, ew. I need to go hit up a volleyball match or somethin...

128 Actually, according to Baseball Between the Numbers, the Padres have the 3rd smallest market, bigger than only the Brewers and Royals.

130 I agree. I am more pumped/nervous for this series as any in recent memory. My whole weekend is planned around it.

140
The series was indeed called "Lotsa Luck" and Dom Deluise played the head of a bus station lost and found.

It didn't last long. I believe it was a summer fill-in on NBC.

131 - I only watched the first two episodes, but the show, but what I saw was unbelievablely coarse (and I usually don't mind coarse), completely uninspired, painfully slow to build towards obvious conclusions and awkwardly self_aware. By that I mean that the 4 camera, fake set, canned laughter and garish intros seemed like a Saturday Night Live spoof that didn't go anywhere. When I saw the preview, "HBO does the sitcom to end all sitcoms, I was excited." Unfortunately it just seemed to point out all the things wrong with most sitcoms rather than really improving on the genre.

135 Both LA and SD are "expected" to make the playoffs? What about Philadelphia, San Francisco and Florida? They're forfeiting?

I don't think either team is a lock, and it is entirely possible both will stay home.

The "great" standard is not met by any MLB team this season. "Very good?" Several teams, including the Dodgers, have been very good for stretches. But all the post-seasonish teams have serious flaws. I don't know whether LA's and SD's are so much more pronounced than the others'.

128 San Diego isn't the #6 market in the country; it's #26. San Francisco is #6 (about 2-1/2 times the size of SD, but half the size of LA).

141 I had seen every episode of the Simpsons three times and never even gave Family Guy a look. Then I finally watched Family Guy and now have not watched the Simpsons for over a year. They are dead to me. Family Guy is my favorite show and the Simposons has paled in comparison for many years.

BP has the Dodgers with an 83% chance of making the playoffs and the Padres at 72%.

The Phillies and Giants are hovering around 17%

I'm surprised at the SD market being so small. I guess what I'm thinking of is the actual city population, which I realize is not a factor in market size. If the Marines ever sell Camp Pendleton to developers, the Padres will have a much bigger fan base.

152 BP's stats are such front-runners. When the Dodgers had that big losing streak, their percentage was closer to 17%.

151 - The Simpsons should've been put out to pasture around 1995. Family Guy is pretty good, but South Park trumps all (animated division).

I enjoy some of the Adult Swim shows, specifically AquaTeen HungerForce. Took me awhile to "get it", but it's laugh out loud funny.

151 - Family Guy was my favorite show, but the new seasons were so painfully bad that they pointed out all of the inherent weakness in the show. The formula is just throw as much stuff against a wall as you can and hope something is funny, plus most of the "spoofs" aren't even jokes, they are just pop culture references with a Family Guy character in the middle. South Park did a funny take on this involving Manatees and colored balls with words on them.

153 MLB fought giving the city a franchise (as did Walter O'Malley). They have Mexico to the south, water to the west, The Dodgers to the North and pretty much nothing to the east. They are a geographically disadvantage market and always will be.

151 While I still love The Simpsons, Family Guy and King of the Hill are shows I will tune to when they are on their broadcast or cable channels.

San Diego's NBC affiliate is a UHF station, channel 39.

158 - King of the Hill... I don't get the appeal at all.

156 - I consider that a valid observation, not a criticism of the show. If it's funny, it's funny.

Rodney Dangerfield and Henny Youngman made lifetime careers out of simply stringing together unrelated jokes. Steven Wright comes to mind too.

ATHF is probably the most laugh-out-loud show I watch. "Tom Goes to the Mayor" is also very funny.

But what happened to "Space Ghost, Coast to Coast"?

156 I have admittedly watched very few South Park episodes and while I can appreciate that it has smart, insightful humor, it is a little heavy on the farting and swearing for swearing's sake to win my admiration so far.

133 148 Well, those are certainly legitimate criticisms. I agree that the show isn't insightful. If I was looking for insight, I wouldn't be watching a sitcom in the first place.

Unbelievably coarse, well, it's certainly that. That's what's good about it. I think it's done in a funny way. I find that stuff amusing for the shock effect -- the I-can't-believe-they-just-said-that feeling. I think the two lead actors have great comic timing as well.

The fake-looking set and simplistic camera setup I took as a parody of all the lame sitcoms of the past. It tries to lull you into thinking you're watching an ordinary, safe sitcom and then jolts you out of your comfort by doing or saying something that's beyond all bounds of appropriateness. Like the episode where he admits he hates his four-year-old daughter. (I can understand why Jon might not have appreciated that one though.)

I wouldn't call it brilliant or important or anything, but I do find it extremely funny.

162 - But what happened to "Space Ghost, Coast to Coast"?

Isn't most of Adult Swim comprised of Space Ghost spin-offs now?

Does anyone watch "Weeds" on Showtime? I just watched Season 1 on DVD. It was pretty good - better than Entourage, IMO.

So the huge population of TJ doesn't count for SD as a market?

166
The Padres try a lot of marketing in Mexico, but I don't know if tighter border controls have caused problems.

Then there was the whole Woody Goodman scandal.

I also enjoyed "News Radio" when Hartman was on the show.

Another very funny show in the recent past was "Kids in the Hall". Dave Foley must have enjoyed his career up to this point.

I feel like a proud father all I did was mention some theme songs and now we are having a discussion about Stewie, Bart and Cartman.

I could just cry.

161 - I agree, I think the problem with that format is that when the jokes are bad, and the new episodes in my opinion have largely been bad, you become excruciatingly aware of the formula. I find myself thinking: "they start by sitting on the couch, Peter says something stupid, cue 70s TV spoof involving and actor or actress running into Peter, into Brian and Stewy going at it, into 80s music star played by Meg... yada yada." The old episodes were often non stop funny stuff that really busted your gut, especially the Salesman bit in "Wish Upon a Weinstein", priceless.

149 Like Bob said in 152, the Dodgers and the Padres have the best chance to make the playoffs in the NL. Sure, either or both could blow it, but probably not.

I would say that very few NL teams qualify as very good this year. In the AL, however, one very good team, perhaps the White Sox (84-62), will not make the playoffs, and other decent teams, like the Angels and Red Sox (79-68, 78-68) won't either. The AL could legitimately claim to have 7 of the Top 8 teams in baseball this year.

165 I liked the original talk-show format a lot better than the spinoffs. I kind of enjoy the Brak show.

164 - The Office is insightful. Cheers, at the beginning, ws insightful. Frasier was insightful when it wasn't trying too hard to be insightful. Seinfeld was insightful. It's rare that a comedy can get by on just jokes. The sitcoms with something to say are the ones that resonate.

168 - I've periodically made Kids in the Hall references at DT and no one ever responds to them. I'm a diehard fan.

165 I thought Weeds was pretty good. Worth watching, but not brilliant or anything.

"Weeds" has the worst opening theme song in the history of Western Civilization, based upon the fact that I hate the folk songs of Malvina Reynolds with the ferocity of 10,000,000 red supergiants.

I find myself in both camps on this TV argument. I enjoy a bit of the old stuff and a bit of the new. For a couple of years we chose to live with only two channels -- our over-the-air ABC affiliate and a public television affiliate -- and detoxed ourselves from the TV a bit.

When we finished construction of our new house in April, we chose to subscribe to the smallest available cable package. We now have about 15 channels, including the major networks, ESPN, Animal Planet, HGTV, etc.

I greatly enjoy The Office, the missus has gotten hooked on Grey's Anatomy, and my son enjoys cartoonapalooza on Saturday mornings. (He doesn't yet realize all his friends watch cartoons every day/night.)

The last thing we want at this point is to become TV junkies again. I'm hopelessly unqualified to opine on whether this is the platinum age of TV, and, no offense intended, I'm pretty happy with that situation.

167
Woody Goodman - Wikipedia - Didn't even know that Guttenberg was still acting.

174 If my head were made of veal, and I realize that it is not, I would understand.

It just occurs to me that my headline should have been "Striving for Relevance"

From your pal, the OED:

"relevancy"
1. The quality or fact of being relevant:

173 I'm not saying there aren't any insightful sitcoms. I'm saying I don't look to sitcoms for insight. If I want insight, I'll watch The Wire, or read a book, or watch a film like the fantastic George McGovern documentary I watched last night.

Most sitcoms at least make an attempt at insight. I think most of them do it poorly -- even the best ones, like Cheers or the Simpsons, have a fairly low batting average when they attempt to go for insight. And when the attempt comes up short, it generally elicits groans and makes the show fall flat on its face. I think Lucky Louie is all the better for just dispensing with the attempt and presenting itself as nothing more than a lot of laughs. Like Seinfeld.

176 Isn't that exactly the point, though? Making a comment on the blandness and conformity of the suburbs?

Ok, any guesses on today's DT game thread title? vr, Xei

183
Eric, you don't know how angry I get when I hear that song....

I've ranted about it here before and I shall not do it again except to say that the song as it was originally written was just some stupid way of a folksinger trying to tell the world that she was better than everyone else because she was a quirky folksinger and everyone else's life was pointless.

168 174
Fans of Dave Foley's might want to check out his movie Wrong Guy, worth a Netflix rental. I think it is the only movie David Steinberg ever directed.

"...some stupid way of a folksinger trying to tell the world that she was better than everyone else because she was a quirky folksinger and everyone else's life was pointless."

Now that's a TV show I'd watch!

174 Those skits are just too funny. My dad saw me watching "Kids in the Hall" one day and thought I was sick for watching a show where men dressed like women.

The skit about the sausages is my favorite.

188 Its about time for another troop like Monty Python or Kids in the Hall to come on the scene, first England, Canada, where will the next set of guys come from.

Jon, I hope your friend can stand up to the inquisitive mind of D'Marco Farr at 3:20 today.

I assumed "Striving for Relevancy" was a reference I was too narrow or slow to catch.

Something like Kids In The Hall.

189 Well, a lot of the humor of "Kids in the Hall" derives from all the "eh"s and "hoser"s.

190 - I haven't spoken to him since '89; I doubt he'd remember me.

Not much to add to this discussion, except to say, throw in another vote in huge favor of shows about sentient fast food living in New Jersey.

The funniest guy on Kids in the Hall, I can't remember his name, went on to become Hank Kingsley's personal assistant.

By checking the IMDB, it appears that David Steinberg has directed three threatrically-released films

Paternity (1981)
Going Berserk (1983)
The Wrong Guy (1997)

And a LOT of episodic TV.

195 - You of course mean Scott Thompson, who starred on Kids in the Hall as, Scott Thompson.

Of course

And that reminds me that The Larry Sanders Show is my favorite comedy show of all time.

Trust a blogger to find the perfect picture . . .

http://tinyurl.com/kgvkg

So not only do I have to take my Segway in to get recalled, I actually had bought some bagged spinach earlier in the week.

I guess no salad for me tonight.

I shall replace it with either chips or cookies.

Okay, I am leaning to going tonight, what do you think, infield reserve or fastball alley loge section, I can buy one ticket in a pretty good section in loge, I will take the first one who says reserve or loge, thanks.

202 Roge.

Actually, I have no idea. The whole concept of attending a game at Dodger Stadium is foreign to me. I've been to about 50 Dodger road games since the last time I visited Dodger Stadium.

Infield reserve, for my money. I also enjoy sitting in the pavillion.

But the best seat is probably in my living room.

I've never sat in the Roge.

I've sat in a Rogue's Gallery before.

I'm in the top deck right behind home plate, and I have to admit for the money it's a great view of the whole field.

I still watch the Simpsons even though it is much more erratic these days, because occasionally there will be a gem of an episode. I'm actually not a fan of Family Guy (especially the new ones) because it is just a series of jokes - admittedly sometimes very funny jokes - for the sake of jokes, that for me grow tiresome quickly. I also sort of resent it because it's had a negative effect on the writing of The Simpsons - ironic, since Family Guy (with the stubborn, dunderheaded patriarch) essentially copied the Simpsons in some ways - but now The Simpsons has become much more jokes for joke's sake without any point. Frustrating, and yet they both do have some inspired writing and at least are markedly better than The War at Home which should be taken out to pasture and shot.

Meanwhile, I miss Futurama and am tickled it's coming back with new ones...

Meanwhile x2, go Dodgers!

201 - Chips, Bob, chips. No cookies for dinner; think of your health.

202 - Go fastball alley. Closer to the field (vertically speaking), and more behind home plate. Infield reserve (if I'm correct about where it is - high up and looking perpendicular at the base line) is a weird angle.

Just trying to help fellas.

...laughing to myself while thinking of obvious, perhaps inappropriate jokes.

The NY Times has a picture of empty shelves in a produce section. The labels underneath them are the exact brand of bagged spinach I bought!

206 I'll come up to the Top Deck to check out the store, I'll be the one in blue.

211 I thought that was you!

Ethier is still sitting. Anderson starting against Wells. Lugo too.

207 I, too, can't wait for the new Futurama episodes/movies/whatever. Futurama is probably my favorite show, the only things I watch regularly are the Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park, although I watch the Office, the Colbert Report, ATHF, and Venture Bros. occasionally.

I guess Grits is sticking with a 'hot' Marlon Anderson in favor of Repko or Kemp.

Funny I've forgotten about ol' Repko. I was trying to think who would start for Lofton against a lefty, and could only come up with Kemp.

An all lefty OF when we face a lefty? I'm surprised that neither Kemp nor Repko are starting.

185 Bob, if you've ranted on "Ticky Tacky Houses" before, then perhaps I've said "Amen" before. "Amen" again.

To some degree, that song reminds me of Marie Antoinette. "Why can't they all move into fabulous brownstone apartments in Greenwich Village?"

I'm sure it was after hearing that song that Bob Dylan decided to start a loud rock band. I'm surprised the Folksmen didn't have a parody of it.

216 Anderson is 2 for 3 lifetime against Wells.

I don't mind Anderson starting again since he has been swinging the bat well; I wouldn't mind Lugo not playing, but am not surprised because I thought maybe Kent would need a rest and... oh wait, he's playing instead of Betemit. What are Lugo's numbers vs. Wells? Maybe that's a part of the thinking here. In a crunch series like this I don't mind them going with experience, but I think Kemp and Repko both deserve some play soon. Ethier I bet starts tomorrow vs. the righty Williams.

218
I was proud to have grown up in the suburbs. And I don't think I'm a conformist because I did.

213 Grady thinks Ethier strained a cranial obliques.

Lofton, in a fair number of ABs (32), has a pretty good line against Wells. He's 11 for 32

I guess Saenz is done starting for the year.

With Maddux pitching, I would think you would want a fairly good infield behind him.

225 - Next Thursday is the litmus test then. Lefty Maholm vs. Billingsley and his 1.3 G:F ratio.

I just think every lefty starter Saenz doesn't start against is a missed opportunity.

Bronx Banter will be quiet tonight. Rainout in the Bronx. Let's play two! Twice!

218 Marie Antoinette was a silly little girl who had no idea of the plight of the peasantry, and simply said it because she was naive, not malicious.

Poor Marie Antoinette. Misunderstood gal.

Oh, and Sam, there was so much ridiculousness in class today that to boil it down to one or two questions would really make a mockery of the whole "Teenager question of the day". It was a goldmine this fine Friday.

I really need some time to figure out the best questions.

226 Nomar will get the start over the Tomato everytime, their stats vs. LH pitching:
Killer Tomato - 55 ABs - .382/.438/.691 - 4 HRs, 18 RBI
Nomar - 84 ABs - .372/.452/.654 - 5 HRs, 16 RBI

230 - Third base.

I don't know if this is the Platinum Age of Television or not, but there is definitely some quality programming out there. The reason people may forget that sometimes is because there is also a tremendous amount of absolute junk, more so in the past simply because there are so many more shows. So you can find good TV but you have to wade through a lot of foul waste to find it; for some the good isn't worth looking for and so TV in general just gets lumped together as worthless.

As for the game tonight, I'm disappointed that both Lugo and Anderson are going to be in the lineup. In fact, I get upset everytime I see Anderson, because it reminds me of how much we overspent for Lugo. I don't think Guzman is going to pan out in the majors, but we shouldn't of given him up anyway since we could've acquired plenty of Lugo-like players for nothing.

Grady would rather have Olmedo as his top pinch hitter and it really is an issue of defense at this point, 1B is not so much but Olmedo pretty much is just a guy who may catch a ball hit right to him.

Bob, any high speed police pursuits scheduled for your neighborhood tonight? Just trying to plan my network tv viewing schedule this evening. vr, Xei

233 - Saenz rarely gets to face a lefty when pinch-hitting since LA doesn't really have a left-handed bat in the lineup that would draw the LOOGY.

Give me the 3-4 at bats against the lefty starter and I'll take my chances that he doesn't mess up the 4 balls hit to him during that time period.

232 I know we all tend to believe that but again I think what Ned wanted to make sure didn't happen was a chance that if either Nomar and Kent did not come back from their injuries when their DL period ended, he would not have someone who could step in especially if he was going to trade Izzy for Maddux.

Anderson has played well while he has started and Lugo is pretty much going to start if we face a LH starter. But since we only face at most 2 other ones against the Pirates, I would think that Betemit will be in their most of time. Since there are no off days, expect Lugo for Kent in a game too.

I will say this, Grady did a great job of making sure Olmedo did not wear down this year.

235 As someone once said, it is hard to hide someone, eventually something will happen.

234
A high speed pursuit through the streets of South Pasadena wouldn't last very long since any reputable felon could get out of the city limits in about three minutes.

This is presuming that if you're in a high-speed pursuit, you're not obeying traffic signals.

239 But always lots of folks cruising Mission and Fair Oaks.

240
The Fair Oaks Pharmacy is a den of iniquity!

I may go to the Subway right there on Fair Oaks to pick up my dinner before the game.

The Fair Oaks Pharmacy has my faovrite malt, a raspberry one. mmmm.....

My favorite one also.

244 Sounds like a place for a pregame snack before tomorrow's game.

Despite living a few blocks away, I believe I have patronized the Fair Oaks Pharmacy fewer than 10 times in my life.

221 But that's the point. Using that song for "Weeds" is ironic (in the real sense of the word), because the people in the show are anything but boring and conventional.

Actually, I don't like the song, either, but it's better this season since they're using different cover versions instead of the annoying original.

I don't think I ever gone in, I did go to Soda Jerks a few times. Fosselmans in Alhambra has seen a few of my dollars also.

Jason Schmidt can't answer the bell for the Giants tonight in St. Louis because of a sore back. Brad Hennessey gets the start.

247

My other problem with "Weeds" was that it was on "Showtime" and I suffered through "Huff" I gave up on the idea that that network could produce any series worth watching.

Man, see I've been missing a discussion of Weeds (I, too, really hate the `theme song which will go unnamed'...) and the Larry Sanders show.

I feel so isolated in the high Nevada desert...

250
Dead Like Me was pretty great. Naturally they yanked it after two seasons.

I enjoyed "Dead Like Me", but Shotwime apparently thought "Fat Actress" would be better.

Sigh.

Showtime has been cashiered in the Timmermann household.

253 What??? You're not going to watch "The L Word" when it comes back???

I predict we'll look back on these years as "The L Word Decade."

Roger Clemens gave Ryan Howard an intentional walk to load the bases in the first inning in Houston.

Pat Burrell followed with a grand slam.

Not sure if anybody here has ever mentioned it but HBO seemingly pulled a nasty nasty trick. When I would Tivo Entourage, I would always wind up with Lucky Louie attached at the end. This is clearly because HBO tagged it as one show, tricking the Tivo into recording it. This is the first time I ever noticed such behavior and I felt violated. Or Tivo-lated.

Hayden Penn of Baltimore has given up six runs in 3 2/3 IP in Detroit and his ERA has dropped over 11 runs.

And now the Orioles have brought in Russ Ortiz to mop up.

I predict the Tigers will still be in first place at the end of tonight.

I don't criticize Joe Girardi nearly as much as others here, but today he hurt my fantasy team. Dan Uggla, who's OPSing .850, bunted Ramirez to 3rd base in the 1st inning. Cabrera immediately doubled. Uggla couldn't ground into a double play, and Lance Cormier isn't exactly a force on the mound, but Girardi still told one of his best hitters to bunt. So after his meaningless bunt in the first, what does he do in the 3rd inning? Homers.

H&S ejected in the Mets game after arguing a called third strike.

259 If it makes you feel better I forgot to tweak my lineup after the slow day yesterday and had Cabrera benched. So I get 0 points no matter that he does. Also apparently benched Magglio Ordonez who hit a HR. =(

I disagree with Jonny6 in one respect. You don't have to wade through anything to watch only the good TV (or the ones you'll like). That's what friends are for. The only new show I watched last year was "House," on glowing recommendations of a few friends whose taste I share. And natch, I love it.

So, about "The Wire." I've never watched that despite nary a discouraging word, but I'm intrigued. Is it the sort of show one can just pick up (like House or Law and Order) or is the sort with long story arcs (Sopranos/West Wing) that you have to watch from the beginning to understand all the internal references and character development?

If the Dodgers lose tonight and become the wild carda and the Marlins hold on and I consider them a contender, then the wild card race will be known as the Dennis Cook Division, in honor of the only man to play for the Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, and Marlins.

262
You have to watch "The Wire" from the very beginning or you will be hopelessly confused. It has a LOT of characters. And a lot of storylines.

Me, I'm just rooting for Fausto Carmona.

Fausto's out of the game, although he could get a win.

264. Yeah, that's what I'd feared. Ah well, there's always DVDs, if I get interested at the same time I decide to start buying DVDs.

When it comes right down to it, though, most of my TV time is devoted to sports. Different story every night, with a range of emotions. Sometimes it's comedy, sometimes it's tragedy. Sometimes it's history, and sometimes it's garbage. A cornucopia, indeed. Harumph.

What would be so hard about HBO putting a "So You Want to Catch Up With 'Wire'" video on their site.

I've missed both Wire and Deadwood because of this sense of having missed the boat. In both cases, these were shows that when I'm hanging with my wife I can't watch b/c she finds them too violent.

What kind of show is 'The Wire'? I've heard many great things, but I have no idea what common element holds all the characters and plots together.

It could be the world's greatest dramatized cooking show, for all I know, although the title wouldn't make any sense if that were true.

'The Wire' refers to a series of phone taps the Baltimore Police Department have on a collection of drug dealing gangs.

But there is more to it than that.

I missed The Wire because when it first came on, I thought not another crime show set in Baltimore please. They'd already done Homicide. But it is a good show even though I've not seen most of them. Every episode I do catch is good even if you don't know some of the context.

268 You can always rent the DVDs through Netflix. I caught up on ALIAS, LOST, and DEADWOOD that way. You could also snag episodes through iTunes. There's a promotion right now where ABC is offering a million free downloads of certain episodes of LOST, GREY'S ANATOMY, and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES through iTunes (I think).

iTunes is dead to DzzrtRatt

I've been too intimidated to start The Wire, but I will say that I felt the same way about the Sopranos for a long long time and, finally, this year, figured beter to watch and only get 30% of the enjoyment than keep pretending I would catch up and just never watch at all.

Others may view that as quite wrong. When I was 22, I would have viewed it as quite wrong.

267 When it comes right down to it, though, most of my TV time is devoted to sports. Different story every night, with a range of emotions. Sometimes it's comedy, sometimes it's tragedy. Sometimes it's history, and sometimes it's garbage. A cornucopia, indeed. Harumph.

The problem comes when you're in the mood for a comedy, and instead you get a tragedy.

273 You gotta watch those iTunes people. There is always a catch. Sure, you're sitting there watching "Lost" on your iPod, thinking, "I rule the world." I can't tell you where it will come from, or when, but you will regret having gotten involved with them.

276 That's just Steve Jobs' patented Reality Distortion Field. Don't worry, you'll get used to it.

256 - That never happened to me, or anyone else I know. I would just get Entourage. Are you sure your season pass didn't accidentally have you recording an extra half hour?

Unless very strange things happen at RFK, Alfonsi Soriano won't be getting his 40th steal tonight.

I call him Alfonsi, see, as a dimunitive. Because we love him so much out here.

Tomo Okha, btw, in his "look at me now" return to RFK was pitching well and 1-1 at the plate when he left in the third after legging out his hit.

Game thread is open.

278 Now I'm feeling really paranoid! Maybe it's just MY Tivo that demands I watch that cruddy show. I definitely did not set it to get an extra half hour. Creepy.

Jon, know what I like about your SI piece? It's straight-ahead with no sugar-coating, like Vin Scully. Don't get a big head. There's only one Vinny. But you're one of a kind too.