Speaking of turkeys, is there a way we can overturn whatever law it is that keeps the Lions on Thanksgiving day every year? It's just... sad.

I think we're looking at Jamie's comments wrong. The sheer nonsense of it makes a payroll austerity unlikely to be introduced in such a way to Dodgerdom.

I think a big name is now sure to come or this statement will haunt the organization.

Agreed. '09 will not be a rebuilding year, nor should it be. Even if we just sign one good FA we still might be the best team in the division. If we just sign Manny our offense will still probably be better than last year. We better just hope we spend our money wisely.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

To claim that she has no power in the organization is silly. Jaime McCourt is as much a representative of the organization as Frank McCourt or Ned Coletti is.

If she indeed is only a figurehead, that's might be even worse as the Dodgers according to Jamie McCourt is a forefront on social issues, and if they're treating her as such, then that is hypocritical and a betrayal of the beliefs the McCourts think the Dodgers portray to the community and the world.

Does he want to hire Freeman McNeil so they can demonstrate the tip drill?

Also, to imply that Jamie McCourt cannot have an independent thought about the Dodgers from Frank is well, that's silly. Because its clear she's has her own opinions about certain things.

Happy T-Day to all, and particularly to Jon and Bob and Ken and all the other Toaster content-providers for all the thought-provoking and amusing work you do.

I doubt blame the McCourts one bit for being unhappy about writing big checks to Andruw Jones and the like. But if they don't like it, they should either hire a GM who knows what s/he's doing, or sell the team and go back to running parking lots.

Stan from Tacoma

http://www.slate.com/id/2198957/ (rule 5 violations, but since the election is over, none of it really matters any more; I think, anyway, if you don't want to chance it by clicking, I won't take offense.)

Ted Stevens from Alaska was convicted of failing to report the gifts he received from oil companies and such. Does that mean that the gifts themselves were OK, and that his only infraction was failing to report them?

In other words, is it true that it's perfectly OK for congress people to accept gifts from corporations and the like?

The limit for any one particular gift is $50 and the annual limit is $100.

There are some exceptions.

It's probably been discussed ad nauseum, but Reading, PA has 2 things that it's known for in this part of the world. The Reading Outlets and the legendary Al's Diamond Cabaret, the finest BYOB gentlemen's club that I've ever entered...curiously located in the parking lot of the AA Reading Phillies stadium.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

The Yankees do not want to give Pettitte similar money as last year, knowing he is on the decline and is, at best in 2009, going to be a fifth starter. But, the Yankees need to offer arbitration, and hope that the Dodgers' need for a veteran starter is too much and they offer Pettitte a two year deal for good money. But, if Pettitte does accept arbitration, seek to trade him (and possibly Johnny Damon) to the Dodgers for a young player or two. I like Matt Kemp and James McDonald straight up.

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/files/newsstand/discussion/ny_baseball_digest_delgrippo_is_andy_pettitte_playing_the_yankees/

Stevens also said that what he received was not "gifts" but a loan, that he never repaid.

But as in most things, the acceptance of the gift is not what triggers the prosecution, its the cover up.

The first time I've read Dodgers and Dunn that close together in a sentence! Of course the Dodger update is the stupid McCourt comments and the Dunn update is that no one is openly interested in him.

I also wanna wish everysingle DT'er a very very happy thanksgiving.

Jamie/Georgia?

May Jeanie run the team after Jerry Buss retires/passes away, and may Jim never ever ever ever get near a basketball court again.

I have a bit of a baseball question, which was triggered by this from ESPN Page 2 (actually as part of a story on the NBA):

When baseball teams went into WHIP/OBP/VORP mode after "Moneyball" was released, Bill James wrote that the statistical revolution had changed the way rosters were assembled and games were played, only it might not necessarily be a good thing from an entertainment standpoint. After all, stolen bases are fun. Hit-and-runs are fun. Swinging for the fences on the first pitch is fun. Seeing a starter throw a 140-pitch complete game is fun. Watching a lineup with a bunch of boppers and no OBP guys is fun. Irrational, indefensible managerial decisions are fun. But watching hitters milk pitch counts, or managers use five relievers a game, or contender after contender constructed in the same cookie-cutter way ... not quite as fun.

So, my question is this, does anyone really find a, for lack of a better term, Moneyball team fun to watch? I understand the basic principles, and most of it makes sense: work the count, get a good pitch to hit, etc. But isn't there more to baseball than that? And isn't it possible to build a team that is fun to watch that can also be competitive? Isn't that what the Angels have done, after all?

I guess the way that I think about it, is like this, which would be more fun to watch, a line up with 8 JD Drews or a line up with 8 Nomars (in his prime, pre-injury)? And which would be more successful in terms of win/loss and revenue (and since baseball is a business, that's rather important)?

Caught stealings for your team are not fun. Busted hit-and-runs are not fun. Swinging for the fences on the first pitch and popping out is not fun. Seeing a starter throw a 140-pitch complete game and go on the DL a week later is not fun. Watching a lineup with a bunch of boppers and no OBP guys score one run is not fun. Irrational, indefensible managerial decisions are not fun and never were.

Its fun for fans of teams that catch base stealers. Its fun when a team is able to bust up a hit and run. Its fun when a hitter tries to swing for the fences and a pitcher strikes him out. Its fun seeing a starter go into a game, and potentially close out a complete game. Its also fun to see how badly a irrational, indefensible managerial decision can blow up in that team's face.

...As long as you don't have a rooting interest in the result.

Up to date Winter league stats. Apparently, Ramon Troncoso has been starting for his WL team. Think he could work as a 5th starter?

By the end of Ken Macha's reign, I bet I could have passed a Turing Test for his decision making. Managing by the Moneyball book may be statistically valid, but it is also utterly predictable. Mike Scioscia is much more of a challenge to guess along with, and that's more fun.

This season chefs are just high on the creativity and ingenuity, and while there isn't a chef of season 4 Richard standing among the crowd, they know how to cook out of a paper bag if so ordered.

http://tinyurl.com/562or7

Shimmin unfortunately is seven letters . . .

I see that as mixed up.

Shouldn't it read, "the Dodgers do not see Wilson as anything more than a defensive replacement for Furcal, so the components of the trade being given to the Pirates will be key. By no means will the Dodgers give up anything of value for a player as offensively challenged (and overpaid) as Wilson"

Doesn't that sound a little more reasonable? I mean, afterall, we are talking about Jack Wilson. For the life of me, I don't even understand the attraction of him for the Dodgers.

54 I agree, no "exceptional" prospects are worth Jack Wilson.

Showtime Lakers were fun to watch and they could win. It was the best of both worlds.

55
You could hit a home run in the Mexican League. All you have to do to put Xavier Paul's Mexican League power into perspective is to look at what Oscar Robles is also doing in that league.

Does this assume the same outcome (e.g. they both hit a single, Nomar on the first pitch and Drew on the 10th), or do you mean you'd even rather watch Nomar pop-up on the first pitch than Drew walk or homer on the 10th?