I dont think I'd release Andruw Jones. He at the very worst could a 4th/5th OF'er. It just doesnt make sense to eat 18 mils unless the Dodgers really want to free up a roster spot.

People mover, moving steps, moving walkway, a fleet of Yaks with packs, something to allow access to Dodger stadium by Metro rail.

Catch a game, go down the hill for as Warren Zevon put it...

"He was lookin for the place called Lee Ho Fooks, gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein."

Ooh, with the chalkboard erasers? That was fun!

The Rose Bowl Shuttle from Parsons used to be free but they charged $7 for parking if you happened to park there. Now they allow to park for free but charge $2 per person for the round trip. They probably make out okay since they now charge people who don't park at the lot anymore.

I doubt I will ever ride the shuttle again, especially if it costs money. It added about an hour to my commute and it was slow. The worst part is when I get to the Gold Line at Union, board the train, and wait 20 minutes for it to leave.

At least it better be Saturday.

Those had a lot of unintentional humor.

That pretty much leaves Ethan Martin - highest ceiling, projectable, big-time tools, etc.

Or park for free at outlying Metro rail stations and ride to China town, still gotta hike the hill up to Dodger land.

How much would a people mover cost? 10, 20 Million, Parking Lot Frank can just short change a few ball fields in poor areas....or NOT.

I doubt the Brewers would give him away for nothing.

Note: I in no way endorse a Simpson's reference here.

That is the rotation I have proposed here several times, and I have got the sense people here were too polite to say, but did think, I am insane.:)

That's when the moving sidewalk takes the baton.

And forget trading for Weeks. He has been a big disappointment for a second overall draft pick. As for giving up Xavier Paul and Garate for him, that would actually be a "fair" deal, representing what I think he is worth. But of course we are never asked to give up what is fair when we enter trade talks. The Dodgers are always asked to give up the moon and the stars.

He'd fit in nicely next to Kemp & Ethier, if we could somehow jettison Pierre/Jones.

Let's take a loot at the teams production as a whole last year that managed to outscore it's opponents 700-648 (Pythag 87-75). Where could this team reasonably improve with either in house options or lower tier FA's? (assuming a payroll cut for next year.)

C- .276/.376/.391 (103 OPS+)
1B- .292/.344/.458 (109 OPS+) -1 defense
2B- .281/.340/.419 (98 OPS+) -12 defense
SS- .244/.310/.367 (77 OPS+) +6 defense
3B- .245/.321/.376 (83 OPS+) +10 defense
LF- .300/.371/.445 (113 OPS+) -5 defense
CF- .236/.301/.358 (73 OPS+) -2 defense
RF- .315/.373/.537 (136 OPS+) -18 defense

I think it's safe to assume C, 1B are pretty sure bets to be better this year. 3B is I think at worst the same with a lot of real upside possibility assuming DeWitt gets the job. Our OF trio last year combined for a line of .284/.348/.448 (OPS+ 108) and -25 on defense. If we don't sign an OF'er Andruw Jones could be the make or break point of the season, if he's right, could that trio match that line of 108 OPS+ or come close? Probably, and it's reasonable to expect the OF defense to be much much better. Now, to adress our other holes SS and 2B. A full season of Hu, would be better the +7 number on defense. He should destroy that number, just a question if he can come close to the 77 OPS+ number. Now to 2B, sign Orlando Hudson maybe? If you do that's a massive upgrade at 2B, his offense will probably be better than the 98 OPS+ number and his defense would probably be at least 20 plays better than what we had last year. You could expect that team to at least score as many runs and prevent as many runs. (The drop off in pitching talent would be made up for the 50+ more plays this team would make on defense compared to last years team.)

Then Ned, knowing that Boras/Manny have no hand in the negotiation, can offer even less money than he did the first time.

I'd be more then happy to trade for Weeks. While he has been a disappointment given his draft position he still has some upside as an offensive 2nd baseman.

And what is Torre's problem with Stults anyway? He gave up 3 runs in 3 innings in Coors, a park where Billz is just one guy who has been much worse, and it was into the doghouse for Stults. Never mind that he threw a complete game shutout against the White Sox. Anyway, you simply don't give Torre an alternative to Stults. Torre's not the GM.

I like Orlando Hudson. However, I'm a bit worried that his first year back from his injury may not be a good one offensively. I understand that just because Jayson Werth had a similar problem does not mean that Orlando will also. But still ...

That said, even if there are still people ripping people off, people who are good at it still post impressive numbers--and with proper protection, make a lot of money.

54 Rim-shot.

Torre seemed to place far too much weight in his disappointment that Stults didn't challenge hitters when he had a huge lead. And Torre has shown that once you are in his doghouse it is very difficult to get out.

Granted, only a couple of people I know come close to posting that kind of win rate (And it's probably more like a 10-20% edge in smaller games--and lots of them), and I'm no where near the positive side when it comes to online, but I assure you they do exist in not-as-small-numbers as you'd think.

I'd be surprised if either McDonald or Stults is in the rotation come April.

Still has a blow by blow recap of how I made a terrible raise->call with AJo, got lucky, then a lot unluckier. I need to stop playing past midnight.

This is also why I have my doubts that Hu will be our starting shortstop come next April. Maybe Hu had vision problems that have been corrected. But he didn't hit for whatever reason when Torre gave him a chance and I suspect he'll need to have one heck of a Spring Training to overcome that. When he came back up at the end of the year Torre practically ignored him.

Randy Johnson seems like such a natural fit for us for one year. Then the depth is McDonald/Stults and whatever NRI's we have signed. I wouldnt' expect Randy or Schmidt to make more then 40 starts combined so McDonald would get plenty of work without over extending his innings.

Playing for points should probably not be looked at much more than practice at learning to crush really, really weak tournament play. Until you get to the level where Money Talks, people just don't care about chips or money and will do whatever entertains them (I am very much guilty of this online).

In a game that does not quickly or actively reward correct play, it can get frustrating and hard to not give into the "well if they do it, I can do it too" mentality. It's a cash book, but the second volume of Harrington of Cash has a fairly apt section on weak games and how to handle them. The basics being, don't get dominated, play more hands cheaply, and realize there is a lot of profit to be made if you just know how to handle it.

That said, the profit in Freerolls or Super-Super-Super-Satellites is so top heavy even the best player would need either a lot of participation or luck to do anything worth while with them. As I suggested, the best players have small edges, so the only real way for a reliable profit is to find a game you know you beat and to play it as much as you can, while learning to have a similar success rate at bigger games. Despite knowing a great deal about the strategy and ideas behind the game, my impatience and thrill-seeking still make me a losing player. Even if I "know" a lot more than someone playing dinky grind style makes more money than him, and I'm starting to not like that.

I blame this negative puppy petting stint we're in!

Somebody alert Dave Grohl!

Nobody "loves" Stults. But I think he can be a BETTER than average 5th starter in MLB given the craptastic standard that MLB 5th starters maintain. Smart teams make use of guys like that to their advantage, especially in times when the alternatives are for comparable or worse guys at much bigger salaries.

That said, I'm veering towards cash game ideal. Players love getting their money in the middle in tournaments, and there's no reason to join them really. Your stack in comparison to the blinds also rarely gets anywhere close to 'deep stack' past the first couple of rounds, so a lot of deep stack mentality doesn't play. Not the kind of game I like to play, but until you have a roll to afford at least $1/$2 online (and the uncapped games at a B&M), you're somewhat restricted.

"Oregon tailback Jeremiah Johnson, Arizona State safety Troy Nolan and USC kicker David Buehler are the Pac-10 Players of the Week. ... Buehler, a senior from Anaheim, Calif., connected from 35 yards on his only field-goal attempt, was 5-for-5 on PATs and had four touchbacks on seven kickoffs in USC's 38-3 win against Notre Dame."

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/pac10/0-5-3/Pac-10-players-of-the-week.html

Even better, NBA TV will have the Pacer broadcast audio feed so Joel Meyers can be avoided.

Okay, so I don't like Myers.

Also, now I appreciate Chick even more for interrupting Stu Lantz for all those years.

Same with billiards. And there's an MC guy who signals the crowd when to cheer.

So you quit being a lawyer, too? :-)

So I'll stay out of Poker Thoughts.

But if anyone wants to start Bridge Thoughts... I'm around.

I used to play a lot online until I got fed up with the clowns who didn't know how to play. Now I just play against Microsoft.

It was my contribution for how economists and government leaders keeping coming up with less imposing sounding words to describe economic bad times.

They used to be panics. Then they became depressions. Now they're recessions.

So to make it sound more palatable, I just say that the economy is suffering a net loss in the number of puppies being petted.

I've wasted many an hour playing computer Hearts, but never against clowns. That sounds kinda scary.

I think the guy who does the radio broadcast, Spiro Didas (right spelling?) has a lot of talent and will eventually replace Joel and become a tenured favorite. I love Stu for the memories and don't mind him on the air.

Pretty cool for Tommy, he's getting honored by the Japanese Emporer tomorrow.

It's really hard to read their face. They either look consistently happy or consistently sad.

Microsoft is an opponent against whom it is too easy to "run" or "shoot the moon," depending on your preferred parlance

That used to be true, but the version that came with my current laptop (running Microsoft Vista) is actually relatively challenging. The computers are decent players, though the main moon-shooting obstacle is this version's rule that the queen of spades doesn't break hearts.

Hold hands dramatically increase the "luck" factor to a level I don't appreciate.

After that, about 6-7 phone calls where the callers, said they disliked the McCourts, thought ticket prices were too high and did I say, did not like McCourts.

I have just resorted to only playing only in B&M's. Plus working for a graduate school guarantees I have no money to use in poker.

The whole thing smacks of Dunleavy not realizing that he had a near playoff team roster, and the last thing the Clippers needed was another baby buck who needed to be coddled.

Career line: .300/.405/.498 (.903)

No draft picks to surrender? Might make more sense than Manny or Burrell.

Now I've forgotten all the bidding conventions, which is more than half the game. I'd have to start over.

I actually play on Stars now just because they have friendly micro stakes, which I use to shape up my weak-game-crushing. That said, I'm poor and watching a Matt Stairs homerun etc took away my poker funds for a bit.

Poker is much more about proper situational analysis and patience than it is anything else. Except luck, but I don't think it has any more or less than other card games.

I'm guessing 'wreck had classes with Jeff Madsen. I can at least respect that he did well in a OH/8, and isn't just a hold 'em fiend.

I have played a few variations of Hearts, including:

1) 3- or 5-player (increased or reduced card passing, depending on the situation). I don't like these games as much, and I never mentally count them as "official" :)
2) Jack of diamonds is negative 10 points. This is kind of a unique wrinkle, and many end up eating the Queen in their attempts to get the Jack
3) "Cancellation Hearts." This is played with 2 decks, and the play is the same except there are double the points available. Also, if the same card is played by two players they cancel out. For instance, if there are 5 players and two people lay the King of Spades, two people lay the Queen, and one person lays the 3 of Spades, the 3 takes the hand, 26 points in all. Kind of a "fun" diversion game

I love Hearts. It is my 2nd or 3rd favorite card game, behind Oh Hell and possibly 500.

130
True, no one is willing to take the bullet for the good of the game

My brother-in-law is notorious for trying (often successfully) to shoot the moon, and plays up this reputation by often leading a card and challenging us by saying "Somebody stop me." This is maddening if he does this with something like the jack of hearts and we have to decide if he is capable of running it (and try to stop him, perhaps gaining 20 or so points ourselves).

Patience and the ability to keep emotion out of your decisions. Too many players make decisions based off of other hands.

It's like thinking a system will help you win at Roulette.

A friend's uncle then shot the moon with a wretched hand, and I have idolized him since.

Locks: Manny Lowe Blake

Good chance: Beimel

No chance: Penny Kent Maddux

I think that's everyone.

I predict a 1-0 loss by the Bruins to North Carolina. And the goal will come on a complete defensive breakdown.

I've tried for years to get friends to play a quarter a point, winner take all with me, and no one has bit. I may have to lower to a dime a point.

I haven't heard of Kemps before, but I might give that a try.

This summer I started playing 22, which is a fun game for many players except for the fact that losers get kicked out. Not the best to encourage socializing if you are out of the game that others are still playing.

No way Penny could get $7 million in arbitration.

If we're talking live in Los Angeles, the problem becomes where to begin. LA Casinos are notoriously shrewd on anything below medium stakes--even at $5/$10, they cap the game at 40BB, which essentially assures you a short stack within half an hour unless you catch a hand early. Money can still be made like this, but it's such a different beast than deep stack poker ($10/$20 and higher in LA, cheaper in Vegas and elsewhere) that learning games can be difficult. Part of the stake would have to be undoubtedly learning cost, and most people aren't going to do that.

173 - I've been completely ignoring the card conversation, but I assume that someone brought up Hearts if shooting the moon is being discussed.

But James Sheep might not be available for the Jan. 1 Rose Bowl game because the Nittany Lion mascot is facing a DUI charge.

The Daily Collegian reports that Sheep, a senior who serves as the Penn State mascot, was arrested after campus police ordered him out of his car at 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 22.

oops.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/

That said, the challenge to calm my eager nature and learn patience--and to see that in a semi-professional net profit is very appealing, and something I'm trying to start now that The Paper of Doom is done.

Euchre is fun also.

I could never handle the grind needed to be successful. I just can't stand the environment and type of people around the table for that long

Wait, all free agents? Seriously? Does this say something about the Yankees financials, or how poorly the Type-A/Type-B system is being dealt out?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

If the Dodgers Shuttle gets low ridership, the program can't justify the lack of demand and has to be discontinued.

If the Dodgers Shuttle gets very high ridership, the program can't justify the lack of operating funds and has to be discontinued.

I was surprised it even got enough numbers to be consider for the next season.

By the way, what a bunch of Cheapskates the Dodgers are. $70,000 dollars? How come its so hard to pay a measley $140,000 a year to make fans happier, but they're more than willing to overpay 18 million a year for Andruw Jones? What gives?

Abreau
Pettitte
Moose
Giambi
Pavano
Pudge
Moeller
Ponson

The Dodgers would have suffered great financial problems in the 1960s and 1970s playing in Brooklyn or Queens.

If the Dodgers were there now, they'd probably be raking in money because of increased media revenue.

I suggest we answer easier questions:
1) Would JFK have stopped the Vietnam War?
2) Would RFK have beaten Nixon in 1968?
3) Would Martin Luther have started the Reformation if the Pope would have allowed him to have sex?

1) I would welcome a trade for Rickie Weeks. If it only cost us Garate and Paul it would be an absolute steal.

2) I think poker is mostly luck.

3) Be careful rejoicing when you get the Pacers announcers on the NBA TV broadcast. I haven't heard the Lakers, but they can't be much worse.

4) I have never heard it called anything other than "shooting the moon".

Another reason why I respect Stults: he has weathered the insane conditions of pitching in thee PCL southwestern division that I don't think pitching prospects should have to be exposed to anyway. Look at what we did with Kershaw: we skipped him past the hitter-friendly California League completely and then the PCL completely. And yet, he somehow survived the majors. There is a lesson in that. Depending on the environmental conditions (parks, defense), it can be a lot harder to pitch to minor leaguers than it can be to pitch to major leaguers.

Declining arb to Giambi, Pavano, Ponson, & Moeller does not prevent them from being able to re-sign with the club.

Btw, doesn't the arbitration process seem a bit like a woman who asks you out for a second date, hoping like hell you decline so that they're not stuck with you for another evening? (Except most of the dates I've been on haven't involved draft picks as consolation prize.)

It was a meatball sub.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/minorleagues/prospects/y2009/profile.jsp?t=p_top&pid=457428

That is, of course, if you think he's really our #1 prospect.

224
I think the Brewers would be crazy to trade Weeks for that package even if they are both top 30 prospects. I'm surprised you have given up on Weeks so quickly.

And I like Xavier Paul as a solid 4th outfielder, or he and Young as solid 4th/5th outfielders.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Isringhausen as a Type-A FA is so loopy. Ah well, don't have to worry about that now.

I typically arrange my cards by suit, from low to high, clubs, diamonds, spades, hearts moving left to right. Thus, if (for example) I were to play the the 2nd card from the right, and it was a heart, my opponents would know that I had at least one heart left in my hand.

Garate for me is somewhere around 15-20 and Canuck had him at 27 before he was added to the 40 man roster.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

Now the Trojans are forever linked to 0-16.

That was a $10.8 million cut, which is not as big of a cut as Hampton's. But still pretty sizeable.

I bet Jason Giambi will take a bigger pay cut than Hampton. Giambi made over $23 million last year.