I know that D4P will be very excited about the seats returning to their original color palette, he was quite upset when they changed colors to begin with.

Seating bowl returned to the original color palette: yellow, light orange, turquoise and sky blue
---------------------------------------------
NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Come on, give me all blue!

I guess theres no chance we get seats installed in the pavilion is there?

Cheap buggers, imagine spending millions on renovation instead of billions.

I'm a clutch hitter.

Regardless of color, it's nice to see that they are replacing the seats this offseason.

The last game I attended this year (during the Pirates series), the seats that our little group sat in were in horrible shape. Seeing that my girlfriend hadn't been to DS before, it wasn't the best way for me to showoff one of my favorite places in the world.

I don't even remember when the seat colors were changed in the first place... of course, not having been there since 1987, cosmetic changes to Dodger Stadium tend to not personally affect me very much.

Although I guess it's good that those obscenely rich folks will now actually be able to see the game. At least, I assume that's part of the renovation, even though the article doesn't say so.

I was hoping when they replaced all the seats that they would go with Dodger blue everywhere. In the old days the pricing was based on the level and so it made sense that each was a specific color. Since the pricing now is specific to location as oppossed to level, I don't understand the need to go back to the original colors for each level.

The seat colors were changed in the 1970s sometimes. They changed the Top Deck first. For some reason, I thought that the two colors in the pavilion were different. But I'm not sure of that. I remember those sky blue seats. That's where I saw my first game. The turquoise seats got changed to blue when they switched from wood to plastic.

I do like that sky blue outfield fence that shows up in color photos of 1960s Dodger Stadium.

Now that I actually read the posted article, I've learned that my memory isn't all that faulty.

Heck, I never even knew the seats used to be wood instead of plastic. I mean, I guess it makes sense, I just never thought about it before.

One thing is that compared to previous years, the Dodgers appear to have slacked off on cleaning the seats from game to game. It's good to have a seat that doesn't break underneath you - it's also good to have a seat that the birds haven't marked.

I didn't read the release, but does it say anything about whether the old seats will be for sale. I know other clubs have done this. I would buy a set assuming they are reasonably priced. Don't know what I'll do with them but I'll figure that out later.

Maybe they can give the seats away at fan appreciation day--would be an upgrade from the ceramic logs.

13 - Yes, it says in the release that they are for sale. You can decide for yourself how reasonably priced they are.

All I ask for is cupholders. I'm willing to forgive McCourt a lot if he'll just give me a cupholder.

How will I convince my Fiancee that Dodger seats are necsassary for our living room?

16- If she loves you, she'll want you to be happy.

17 - Trust me, love does not apply to home furnishings.

Cupholders were the one area where American carmakers were ahead of the Japanese. Something to be proud of!

I go out with a woman who isn't much shorter than me.
Even though there won't be a row in front of me if I buy the seats, there's no way either of us would use old Dodger Stadium seats for any purpose other than to throw a jacket on one of them.

If we have cupholders, then we will be deprived of the joy of accidently kicking over an entire beer and watching it go down the back of someone in front of you. Something I did back in the 70's.

I'm actually not sure what the big deal is about putting your drink under your seat. I mean, cupholders are nice, but much more important in a car.

18 Truer words were never spoken.

I'd buy all 50,000 seats and reassemble the stadium in my yerd, if only it were a wee bit bigger.

Of course, I also said I would buy the Dodgers by holding a bake sale - 500 cupcakes for a million bucks each.

I assume the cupholders will be coin operated.

Thanks, folks, I'm here every Wednesday.

The big deal is not having some kid's coke spill down from the row in back of you and get all over your stuff.

Why is everything in italics? Is everyone speaking with particular emphasis and gravitas today? Makes argosy's request for cupholders especially heartfelt and poignant.

Anyway, I'm glad they're keeping the different colors. I think they'd been toying with the idea of having all the seats the same color when they started renovating last year. The different color seats are unique to Dodgers stadium, and just makes it feel cheerier. And I don't need the seats to remind me that the Dodgers have blue in their color scheme.

Or knocking your own drink over. Maybe I'm just a cupholder fan.

I see no italics

Hmmm, I'm on Safari. Perhaps that's why.

19 Yeah, the Japanese cup holders are too small. Can't hold a super big gulp.

26 - agree with the second paragraph, amused by the first

Right before Game 2 of the NLCS, a guy tripped on the steps of the Reserved (Blue) section and spilled much of his beer on my jacket. And then some loudmouth made fun of me the rest of the day. Then he made fun of the Dodgers for losing to the Expos that day. He was generally the most unpleasant fan in the history of Dodger Stadium.

I must make it my quest to track this man down from 24 years ago and see to it that I get revenge. He was likely in his early 30s at the time, so he should still be alive.

Until I get my hands on him on....

22 - Aha! Logical fallacy, Jon! It is more important to have cupholders in a car, therefore seats at Dodgers stadium don't need them? Red herring!

Sorry,

Comp Instructor Still Twitchy from Grading Papers.

Those box seats look pretty... out there. I'm excited to see how this looks in person. 71-91 who?

Any thoughts on the new color scheme's effects on park factor?

16/17/18--- You guys must have been there when I brought home a couple of box seats taken out of Angel Stadium during its Edison Field reconstruction.

I can verify, Love does not include stadium seats in the den.

How would the color scheme affect the park factor unless the batters are standing backwards?

If that's the case, they won't hit well.

36 - As long as they put butts in the seats I suppose it doesn't matter. They should have fans in the pavilions hold up large cards that have pictures of baseballs on them whenever the opposing team is up to bat . . .

33 - :)

But you're being unfair to my comment. I never argued that Dodger Stadium didn't need cupholders because they are more important in a car, nor did I say they were a negative. I was just asking about what the big deal was. It was dialogue, not an argument. So in good spirits, I'm throwing the flag back at you.

1
Penarol - You're right, I am excited. I like the colors. Didn't expect anyone on this board know that, but forgot you lurked around here.

"I'm actually not sure what the big deal is about putting your drink under your seat. I mean, cupholders are nice, but much more important in a car."

Spoken like a man who has never had some idiot kick over the cup under his seat while bustling past, ruining your scorecard, camera equipment, and other necessities.

Not that I speak from experience, or anything.

===================

"Trust me, love does not apply to home furnishings."

Okay, so love may not apply TO home furnishings. But ON home furnishings is a different matter...

Personally, I could do without cupholders on the backs of seats. I never realized this until the construction of the new hockey arena in Grand Forks, ND. Perhaps you heard of it; it's the one a casino owner paid all $100M+, contingent on the university keeping the Sioux nickname. Anyways...walking through an aisle is challenging enough without ramming my knee into a cupholder every 18 inches.

If was an Actual Lawyer, as opposed to an Unemployed Lawyer, I'd consider splurging on a couple seats. They're terrible to sit in, but would look great in the back yard. I'd just find that incredibly cool.

They don't use Dodger Stadium for this purpose anymore:
http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics34/00051926.jpg

I'm glad they are not changing the color scheme because after 20+ years I still don't have to learn the name of the diffrent levels. As I have always done, I can still say "where are you sitting? I am on the orange level."

Speaking of which I wonder if they will change one of the best features of my seats. I have seats 1-4 in Row C. The seats are in two sets of two and the sets have about a foot of space between them. I will be very very disappointed if that space is gone.

So no actual seats in the Pavilon?

They've already crushed my dreams of an all dodger blue dodger stadium, are they going to replace the wood panels with more wood panels or actually have bucket seating out there?

Bob, what was that Evil Knevil? Or was that teh giant slide at POP?

45
It was supposed to be a ski jump for a winter sports expo.

I finally found a photo online of a part of Dodger Stadium that lasted just one season I believe.

http://www.walteromalley.com/phot_detail.php?gallery=1&set=5&photoID=174

Oh, cupholders, lovely, lovely cupholders... Not that I'm obsessed or anything.

So I've only known Dodger Stadium with the current more saturated colors. How was the more pastel color scheme? I'm all for different colored levels, but becoming more pastel seems a little odd. (or am I misreading the press release?)

It would be interesting if they experimented with the idea of making each seat a different color, so the inside of the stadium would look like a big box of Crayolas.

"They've already crushed my dreams of an all dodger blue dodger stadium"
----------

Get me Boise State on the line! I need to buy some artificial turf!

49
Not what i had in mind but a great idea nonetheless!

48- "I'll meet you in the Burnt Umber section."

40 - I guess I've always known not to put any valuables underneath the seat, including scorecards.

46--Nothing beats the pictures of the auto racing in the parking lot in '63. Cobras vs.Vettes tearing around the Stadium. Very Cool.

According to the press release, seat prices start at $250/pair up to $500/pair. Good luck explaining that purchase to your wife/domestic partner/significant other.

42 If I had your awesome researching skills, I'd totally dig up a pic of the Dodgers-Chicago Bears basketball game and link to that. That is a pretty darn sweet pic though, I tell you what.

If I spent $250 on a Dodger seat, I'd hope that the seat bottom was kind of lopsided and that the seat was pre-packaged with peanut shells.

The first and last boxing match at Dodger Stadium I believe:

http://jpg2.lapl.org/pics39/00054039.jpg

52
Problem is, at games I generally carry with me a professional camera bag that weighs about 75 pounds and is the size of a small carryon. The only conceivable place to put it is under the seat.

54 I'd want the seat bottom to be sloping forward. I liked being in the first row of the reserved level with the guard rail in front of you and the seat sloping downwards. It makes for a wonderful view of the game.

So Leo Mazzone has turned down the Yankees and is apparently moving over to the Orioles.

Here's a new revenue source for Jamie to consider: Insert a quarter into a slot on the arm rest, and the chair vibrates.

Does Mazzone want to still be pitching coach or does he want to manage?

Out of Atlanta, endless rocking.

56 - I don't want you to take this the wrong way, Eric, but if I were sitting near you and a kid, I might be more worried about getting hit by the 75-pound camera bag than getting a Coke spilled on me.

By the way, I'm not anti-cupholder. I just don't hold them to the importance that 15 does.

60 - He won't be managing the Marlins...

Well, the camera bag generally doesn't go flying anywhere; I leave my juggling act at home. It usually just rests quietly under the seat until someone decides to spill something on it. ;)

The new added seats have cup-holders, don't they? I sat in them for a Rockies/Dodgers game way back in April and remember using one... of course, this doesn't mean they'll be adding them to the hoi polloi seats.

I not so boldly predict that the Cardinals will win tonights game by the score of 5-2. I've never incorrectly predicted the score of a game 6 at Busch stadium, while a category 5 hurricane was churning in the Gulf of Mexico. I am willing to put that streak on the line tonight! :)
vr, Xei

The Dodgers Site says old seats are $250 a pair and new seats, i.e dug out seats or the baseline seats put in this year are $500. Seems backwards to me. I think most people want the old seats not the new ones, even if the new ones are nicer.

Purchase includes all the necessary mounting hardware and easy instructions for assembly.

A lawsuit waiting to happen. . .

41
Totally agree. Everywhere I've gone where they've added cupholders you end up banging your legs on the useless things and I'm not a big guy. One of the reasons I only like seats on the aisle.

Some assembly required.
Batteries not included.

I doubt these would be easy to assemble as IKEA furniture. I own my own set of Allen wrenches!

That was a quick top of the first.

I think a Mulder-Oswalt game may have half-innings that are longer than the commercial breaks between them.

29 jeongers

I can confirm the Safari/italics issue. Very strange. The italics don't show up in the preview, though.

Oswalt = no St. Louis momentum. Doesn't mean they won't win, but Monday's gone.

You're right about italics in Safari. It starts in Jon's post with the first bulleted item, so I suspect its something to do with the bullets.

38 - In the context of saying that you couldn't understand why people can't just put their drinks under their seats, it appears you're making an argument against cupholders as unnecessary luxuries because they are more important in cars. But do cupholders in cars have anything to do with cupholders at Dodgers Stadium?

Anyway, just messing with you. I've been grading essays all week, so every statement makes me think, "Does this argumentative statement have sound reasoning?" So every statement seems like an assertion, and it takes me a while to decompress from being completely anal for the last week.

Ever go out into a thunderstorm to try out a new pair of galoshes as a kid (having grown up in Orange County, me neither, but the analogy's a good one)? That's me with "logical fallacy" (and, for some reason, "bifurcate") this week.

You may now return to talking about the baseball game. This has been a test of the Word Nerd network . . .

Safari doesn't show italics for me, but I'm using Tiger.

Does anyone else get nervous when an infielder uses one hand to catch a popup? I must be really old school.

Bill James wrote a piece once where he claimed it's easier to catch fly balls with one hand. Something about having your throwing arm in good position.

The Astros aren't following the script. They are supposed to be crushed! Crushed! Devastated! Unable to go on! Don't they know their place in history?

41 - rageon, do you live near grand forks? Glad to see there is somebody besides me that may prefer to watch hockey at the old Englestad Arena.

Regarding purchasing DS seats, I'm trying to convince my wife that they are the only thing I want for Christmas and that they would look great in our newly remodeled attic/rec room.

You mean there is a nonzero number of readers of this site who live in North Dakota?

That's weird.

I though all you North Dakotans cared about was Darin Erstad! ;-)

71 - just got home, and me too. I don't know why it was happening, but I made a bandaid solition.

74 - I'm a word nerd too - I honestly think you're making a mistake. You keep inserting an assertion into my comment that isn't there. (And for the complete context, you have to go back to comment 15. )

If I say, "I understand why it's bad to give a two-year-old a bow and arrow, but not why a 10-year-old shouldn't have one," I'm not making an argument for giving 10-year-olds bows and arrows. I'm asking for information.

52 - I learned about that last year. I was at the Steven Finley grand slam game, keeping score, then as it was getting exciting I wanted to set my scorecard down so I could concentrate on cheering and clapping and so forth. I set my scorecard underneath my seat, watch Finley hit the grand slam, started jumping up and down wildly for about, oh, 5 minutes, then when it finally calmed down enough, I found that I'd managed to knock over my drink, spill it all over my scorecard, then stomp on it repeatedly with my jumping. It's all a dirty mess now, ripped up and stained and most of it beyond reading....but I still think it's a pretty good souveneir, just in a different way. :-)

80 - solution, not solition

INT. DODGER THOUGHTS - EVENING - CLOSE UP

JEONGERS
(staring around Dodger Thoughts in wonder)
Hey, the italics are gone!

JEONGERS POV - The letters slowly melt back to plain font from normal font.

CLOSE-UP OF JEONGERS

JEONGERS
(still in awe)
It's beautiful . . .

FADE OUT

Roy Oswalt making his push to be the NLCS MVP. I believe Brad Lidge was one batter away from getting the award.

Famous NLCS MVPs: Eddie Perez, Mike Devereaux, Manny Trillo!

just got home, and me too. . .

Jon, does your wife get annoyed that you walk in the door and go straight for the computer or that you read entire threads after the fact. Does she ever wonder why you are talking to people you have never met when you could be talking to her? Just wondering if the custodian gets more slack than me.

Jon has just gotten home and realized that his daughter is actually 18 years old and she is attending Berkeley.

I'm against cup-holders because it would make it harder to get free refill's on soda because " Someone stepped on my cup ".

You can hit each stand in the pavilion.

I forgot to add:

Oh the cat's in the cradle with the silver spoon;
Little Dodger Blue and the man in the moon
When you gonna stop the blog, Dad?
I don't know when
We'll blog together then Dad
We'll blog together then

88 Oy!

66 - Hey Bob, what did you say maybe a month ago, about there being no more massive hurricanes this season?

I just hope Hurricane Alpha doesn't delay the Series too much, or we may have a 1997-esque climate disparity to talk about. Which on second thought would probably be pretty cool.

I made no promises about massive hurricanes that I can recall.

But I say a lot of stuff.

I promised Icaros that the Dodgers would finish ahead of Arizona. He's still upset about that.

Anybody watching the NLCS? Yet another terrible call in the bottom of the 5th on the Everett "tag" of Molina...

It was a missed call, but at least it was one I could understand how it was missed. Everett was very very very close to Molina.

80 - Okay, I see your point. The reason I'm inserting an assertion is because of the comment about the cupholder in the car, but I think I misread that. "A seat at a baseball stadium doesn't move like a car, so why does it need a cupholder?" is what I think you're asking. The answer, as others have supplied, is because in baseball stadiums, it's people that move.

Yes, I teach writing . . .

I think I'm going to die of Eckstein hyperbole. Seriously.

By the way, did anybody know that Terry Pendleton was going to interview to be the Dodgers' manager but cancelled today?

I think it may just have been this from Sept 21st:

259. Bob Timmermann
Hurricane Jason would be slow moving so people would have plenty of time to get out of harm's way.

Sadly, it looks like they will have to go to the extra names for the hurricanes this year. After W comes the Greek alphabet. If they make it through the Greek alphabet, then we should all be repenting our sins.

Given the umpiring we have seen the last two weeks, the LAA and whoever loses tonight will have some serious repenting to do anyways...

If I didn't have quizzes tomorrow and Friday plus three articles about Stalinism to read, I would play around with that Google search and try to find the post that I hope I am not just imagining.

Btw, does anybody remember the year the Eagles stomach-punched Green Bay with that fourth-and-26 and then choked away their next game at home to end their season? Not that I would wish that on the fine fans in StL. Not at all.

Aha! Sept 26th instead:

123. Bob Timmermann
I'm sure any game that starts this week is going to be played until its conclusion unless a Class 5 Hurricane hits and what are the odds of three of those in one year?

Now: to study. I mean it this time.

Hoisted by my own petards!

77 - We were taught to catch the ball "across your body" (with two hands, natch) so that your glove was right near your throwing hand. Two-handed catches make sense to me, just because you instinctively try to catch the ball on your palm, and if the ball makes initial contact with your palm, it seems to pop out or spin out of the glove more often. Something like this happened to Vlad Guerrero in the ALDS. If it ends up in the pocket or the webbing, your other hand won't help or hurt much.

The only pop flies I ever dropped I caught on my glove side. Depth perception may also play a role, because a catch across the body may be more likely to fall into the sight of both eyes, whereas a gloveside catch may only be seen with one eye, and hence in only two dimensions. Part of me will always cringe when I see an player choose to make a one-handed catch on the glove side.

78 I've lived in Grand Forks for about 9 years now. I was in undergrad at UND for 5 seasons of hockey in the old arena. Bought season tickets for the first season at the new area the next season. The last 3 years I was at UND law school.

After the first season in the new area I really lost interest, for a number of reasons:

1 - The BS about the people in box seats not being able to see when the student section was standing and the constant shuffling of seats that it lead to

2 - The stupid laser light show set to "Sandstorm" by Darude, EVERY....SINGLE....NIGHT.

3 - Efforts to stop the student-lead chants/cheers.

4 - Katie O'Keefe

5 - The non-stop games and contests and otherwise family-ization of the entire game.

Basically, going to the old arena was like attending a real sporting event with real fans and so forth. Going to the new area is comparible to playing hockey at Disneyland.

79 Personally, I've never been an Erstad fan, but it IS nice to see a ND guy make it, as it happens so rarely. But on the list of things most North Dakotans care about, Erstad would probably come after: snowmobiling, hockey, hunting, and the Vikings. I can tolerate hockey in person, but none of the other 3.

59- that would get messy... use your imagination

YES!!! PHIL COLLINS MUSIC! Cause nothing says "playoff baseball" like old '80s covers.

Did anybody else see this? http://tinyurl.com/exf4w

99 Isn't it "hoisted upon your own petard"?

I have a quota of one correct Hamlet-related comment today on Baseball Toaster. See Humbugardry.

An Astros-White Sox World Series would sort of be like the Giants-Angels World Series.

Someone's bad luck is going to have to end.

106 - I'm just glad we won't have to hear how Darrin Erstad and David Eckstein are the best players in baseball... now if only we could get Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to stop putting Ozzie "I like to run my team out of big innings" Guillen on such a pedestal...

Time to start keeping track of who may have the "last" things at Busch Stadium.

Jason Lane is the leader in the clubhouse for "Last home run at Busch Stadium".

I'm a bit surprised that more people are discussing Leo Mazzone leaving the Braves. I guess I always thought that Cox and Mazzone would be in ATL together for quite a while longer. He's just one of those coaches that you don't really picture ever leaving their current job.

Baltimore must have thrown some large stacks of money his way.

i thought it was "hoist by my own petard"

109 - I wouldn't bet against ATL throwing even bigger money right back at him to stay. I heard he only makes $200K right now anyway.

108 - Bob, this is sooo what jinxed them last time. No way am I doing that again.

Isnt there some kind of rule that you can't leave a team for another when its a lateral move?

I mean i could see if he was going to manage the Yankee's, is baltimore offering him the manager position?

Who wants to start counting down outs?

I wonder if Busch Stadium seats will go for more or less than Dodger Stadium ones.

Had to show the Ozzie Smith homerun didn't they, man after all these years seeing that still hurts.

Goodbye Cards. Houston against the White Sox. I guess I'll be cheering for the White Sox.

The articles about Mazzone say that he and Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo are lifelong friends from childhood. The guy may just want a change of pace.

I will root for the NL team in the World Series.

Busch Stadium seats would sell for more than Dodger Stadium seats.

Supply and demand. The demand would be great for those.

Busch Stadium will be torn down with a wrecking ball, not explosives for those curious about such matters.

The Cardinals already arranged the sale of seats in April.

From the Cardinals website:

In order to accommodate a large number of fans, seats will be offered in pairs only with each customer limited to no more than four pairs of seats. Seats will be sold for $470 per pair, which includes shipping along with the necessary mounting hardware and instructions.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last home run at Busch: Jason Lane
Last hit at Busch: Mark Grudzielanek
Last batter: Yadier Molina

Disgusting. Is anyone really going to cheer for Houston?

I will gladly cheer for Houston. Why would I want to cheer for the White Sox?

124 Yes. I was rooting for them last year as well after the Dodgers lost. I actually like them. I also have a dislike for the White Sox

Baseball playoff series's are a crapshoot. The Cardinals just crapped out. On to the World Series. Should be some great pitching matchups. Suppose to be quite chilly this weekend in ChiTown. vr, Xei

I've never understood why teams don't pay their valuable assistants head-coach type money to stick around. This is probably more common in football, so I'll use the an example from that. Lets say you're the Vikings and have Dennis Green coaching with Dungry running the defense and Billick running the offense. Wouldn't it make a lot of sense to pay those two what they would otherwise get to leave for head coaching jobs? Granted, some guys just want the title, but perhaps knowing that they could get the job is enough. This is especially true in a sport where coaching and strategy have an enormous impact in success. But I'd argue that there's a decent chance that Mazzone gives Atlanta a huge edge; one that's worth at least $1M a year.

The example in baseball probably applies more to the front office. If you're Oakland's owner and you know that Fuson, Richiardi, and DePodesta could all leave for better jobs/pay, wouldn't it be worth a few million a year to retain them?

How about the Dodgers and Logan White, who seems to be in line for a big promotion at some point. I think he's worth to the Dodgers at least what he could earn in a higher-up position elsewhere

You have former Dodger Phil Garner managing the Astros! He got into a fight with Mike Marshall! You've got to him give him credit for that!

Garner vs. Guillen could be a matchup of two of the dopiest managers in World Series history.

TEXAS, GW JR, GW SR, Clemens

I think we can all agree we will see the two best teams in baseball facing off starting on Saturday.

Once again, a tip of the cap to Larry Walker.

But it's great to see Biggio and Bagwell finally make it. This will be one to remember.

Bagwell and Biggio are playing in a World Series. That's something to root for.

I'm so angry...
anyways GW, GB SR.

130

Think of Texas at the state of Molly Ivins and Jim Hightower if it makes you feel better.

I think Eric Enders would beg to differ with your blanket condemnation of his home state.

Wow - how much does Jeff Bagwell not want to be interviewed right now?

Remember that California also gave starts to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. You can pretty much take every state in the U.S. and come up with somebody you dislike in politics.

128. I think most people would take the promotion if given the same monetary offer for a lower titled position.
vr, Xei

the astros are pretty much the only team in texas that i can tolerate.

i hate the university of texas, the cowboys, the rangers, the texans... actually their basketball teams aren't so bad i guess, but i always root against the spurs, and i find tim duncan boring and tony parker really annoying.

i realized recently that sports brings out a lot of hatred in me.

128 - If I were the Braves and I were staring at their rotation and their lineup, I would definitely pay Mazzone to stick around; besides, they're saving a lot of money playing 700 rookies everyday anyway.

Hope the umpiring is better in the WS than it was in the ALCS and NLCS. vr, Xei

also, i like the crayola seating idea.

128 - If I were the Braves and I were staring at their rotation and their lineup, I would definitely pay Mazzone to stick around; besides, they're saving a lot of money playing 700 rookies everyday anyway.

138. Vishal... email me if you get a chance I want to ask you about your upcoming studies in China. (xeifrank@yahoo.com)
vr, Xei

I want to root against the Astros because of that really, really annoying sound effect that they play every time a player with a last name beginning with the letter "B" comes up to bat. Bzzzzz!!!!

I feel almost as sick as I did last year when Boston won the World Series. I hate the Red Sox more than any team in basedball besides the Giants.

My wife's favorite team has been the Astros since she was 13 and a rookie named Bagwell signed her ball while she was at the Astrodome on a fieldtrip. I think I know who I'll be rooting for this WS.

Post game interviews in the locker room. Astros GM Tim Purpura is a favorite of Baseball Prospectus. He kinda resembles Bruce McNall (ex-LA Kings owner).

Too be honest with you I don't hate the Astros, I just dislike many things in the state. I hate the Astros owner.

I do like Berkman, Oswalt, and Lidge though.

*to

When I was in high school, the baseball team wore 1980s style Astros rainbow unis. Except the colors were brown and gold. It was a bad look.

Before that we had old style Padres uniforms.

The ugliness of the uniforms was mitigated by the fact that the team was really good.

Clemens in the postgame interview looks like he would be right at home in a country-western bar fight.

No baseball for two days? And then no more than seven games left?

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

151. The dude is big! Makes Oswalt look like a munchkin.

152. How many days until pitchers & catchers report?

I believe this will be the first World Series ever where both managers have mustaches.

137 I can't believe it's quite that simple. If the money is the same, but the greater title requires someone to move across the county to somewhere unfamiliar, is it worth it? Most of these promotions do offer more than enough money to make the move worthwhile, but I just don't think that everyone cares that much about their job title. I also think there's a risk in moving, because someone like Mazzone will be expected to have instant results in Baltimore. If he doesn't, and is gone in 2 or 3 years, could he get rehired at the same amount?

So Mulder finished the series 0-2 and didn't make it out of the 5th tonight? Wasn't he supposed to put them over the top?

Time for the Cards to trade for Terrell Owens. Meanwhile what does it tell you that Houston dumps Kent AND Beltran and then actually wins the NLCS the next year?

I don't think Houston dumped Beltran. They would have liked to have kept him. They probably didn't want Kent anymore.

157 What does it tell me? pitching

156. If a person is ambitious enough I think they'd almost always take the job promotion, assistant manager to manager, or assistant GM to GM. I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but managerial positions and GM positions are not easy to come by. The more common thing is seeing college hoop or football coaches decide to stay in the college game instead of moving on to the pro game. But that's apples and oranges. vr, Xei

160 I should probably clarify. The kind of coaches/assistant-GMs/etc... I'm referring to are the top of the line assistants, not the run of the mill types who need to take the promotion when they get the chance because it might not come along again.

146

The White Sox???

[150] i think the 80s uniforms is why i have always felt kindly disposed towards the astros.

152 The NFL and NCAAF holds me over when the games are like they were last weekend (I have never had a better sports weekend EVER!).

[163] i mean, they are why.

I have had so many good times in the loge section I could not resist...

162 - Not if I want to have a chance in convincing her that those Dodger stadium seats would look lovely in our backyard.

"I think Eric Enders would beg to differ with your blanket condemnation of his home state."
-----------

Not really. It sucks.

But then, I'm not from Texas, I'm from El Paso, which is a very different thing.

If all of Texas fell into the Gulf you wouldn't see me shedding too many tears, as long as Austin and the Rio Grande region got spared.

Somebody once asked me to list 10 cities in which I would never, ever, ever live even if offered a million dollars. Nine of my ten were Texas cities.

I will, however, be rooting hard for the Astros -- not because of any home state interest, of which there is zero. I'll be rooting for Houston because Guillen is a turd and the Astros have several players I like very much: Biggio, Bagwell, Oswalt, Berkman.

I bet Kent is pretty pissed right now. Why did he head out of Houston? Were they trying to make room for Burke's comeuppance?

167 - Good point. Just keep those chairs inside during the rain-storms we seem to be getting lately.

169 You'll have to send Kent an e-mail and let him know the Astros won. Then maybe he'll be pissed.

169

1. He's an expensive player, and money don't grow on trees, not even in big oil towns.

2. Getting rid of Kent increased Biggio's value as a player tremendously. They were able to replace Kent with a pretty good second baseman, while simultaneously creating room for Lane/Taveras/Burke/Whoever.

Uh-oh...

http://tinyurl.com/n5p0

A timely reminiscence of the first season of the Houston NL franchise:

http://tinyurl.com/d5fp7

174 - VERY cool website. Amazing to think that team has been through three ballparks, two names, and about a million different uniforms in the same timespan that Dodger Stadium has been open. Maybe one day today's Devil Rays will look quaint, the same way all of that .45s stuff does now.

Of course, he doesn't mention that while the .45s out-attendanced the Mets for several years, the Mets did bring home a title in 1969 while Houston (for now) is still waiting for one.

and 173 - ...not so cool.

172 - 2. Interesting point, how the Astros essentially replaced Kent with Biggio and Biggio with Taveras/Burke/etc. It's interesting to see how some general managers thinks this way, in terms of upgrading as many positions as possible (see Williams, Kenny) while others simply chase the biggest names and make them fit wherever (um...Cashman. And about 25 others.)

I'm happy for the Killer Bees as players, I'm happy for the Chicago Southside fans.

I guess it's a coin flip who I root for, unless one team gets down 3-1, in which case I root for the underdog to come back (and not incidentally extend baseball a little longer).

176. I'm here! I'm back. You can go ahead and root for me.
Wait, what were we talking about?

Sorry, I was busy putting all my nickels together to see if I had enough to buy Dodger seats.

Nope.

I'm rooting for Sox 1) because I hate Texas and feel much like Eric and others above; and 2) the Sox winning will kill many a Cub fan, and that's not a bad thing. That's about the most I can say for this WS.

I'm not sure this have been covered regarding the cupholders (I tried to catch up with the comments I missed)...

From Bill Shaikin's article regarding the renovation at DS...

New seats — in the original 1962 color scheme of sky blue on the top deck, turquoise on the reserved level, light orange on the loge level and yellow on the field level, including the luxury seats — will include cup holders, Greenspun said.

The Times and Dallas Morning News are both reporting that the Dodgers have not talked to Orel despite the published reports. Jon Daniels said so, and he's more reliable than yesterday's "source close to Texas."

The Mariners will interview Vegas pitching coach Roger McDowell. It's hard to say just how good he is...

Also from the Times:

Terry Collins is considered the leading candidate, but owner Frank McCourt wants to meet with more than one finalist. Two Dodger sources said San Francisco bench coach Ron Wotus had a strong interview

"I'm more comfortable in the NL, period," Wotus said before he was interviewed. "The Dodgers are like the Giants in that they are built to win now. Their focus is to win the division. The Dodgers are a premier organization."

Not too often a Giant says that. Stealing him and going to the playoffs is very intriguing to me, I must admit

181
Yeah, but Ben Maller doesn't like him.

"Ben's Take: If the Dodgers fired Tracy to hire Ron "bleeping" Wotus they might as well burn Dodger Stadium down!"