Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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Screen Jam
TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
In case you've ever wondered what would happen when you gun your engine into the red zone ... meet Jason Schmidt.
From Anthony DiComo at MLB.com:
Perhaps tired of waiting for the pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder to subside, Jason Schmidt has now chosen to ignore it. On the advice of his trainers, Schmidt will now defy convention and pitch - within reason - through whatever pain he might experience for the remainder of Spring Training. ...
Back in early February, after Schmidt had progressed enough to begin throwing off a mound, fatigue set in and the Dodgers shut him down for three days. That's the type of precaution that he says won't continue to occur.
"As long as they're not panicking," Schmidt said of the Dodgers training staff, "I'm not panicking."
Schmidtty, I'll always remember that home run you hit for us.
http://tinyurl.com/2me58s
New piece on Andy LaRoche on MLB.com:
http://tinyurl.com/237mnm
>>Right now, the only "things" he can do are non-baseball things. That won't change until he can remove his puffy white cast in two and a half weeks, and begin rehabbing his surgically repaired right thumb. Doctors reattached a ligament in the thumb on Monday, and predicted that he would need eight to 10 weeks to fully recover.
On his path back to health, LaRoche anticipates that hitting will prove much easier than throwing. As a right-handed batter, his thumb rests more or less idle when he grips a bat -- but there's no such convenience when he grips a ball.
"You don't realize how much you need your thumb," LaRoche said, "until you can't use it."
For now, though, he's worried mainly about his overall health. The throbbing pain in his hand has begun to subside, and slowly, he's beginning to sleep better at night.<<
The Pitbull
Tie it to your wrist. I know hindsight and all...that is a sad story.
Kazuo Matsui will undergo surgery on Monday to repair an anal fissure.
http://insidethedodgers.mlblogs.com/my_weblog/2008/03/gameday.html
"To think that this was built centuries ago, without modern technology, is simply astonishing and speaks to the will of the people here to accomplish what they set out to do. This despite losing countless lives throughout the process."
George Lombard will be the first to swing the bat for the Dodgers tonight.
I hope the Dodgers don't make a trip to Egypt then.
Or Easter Island.
Whatever you do, don't do a Google image search for "anal fissure."
http://tinyurl.com/3cb2b8
Why the concern about a minor league test? This is spring training. These games don't count. Or is Lasorda worried about going 0-8.
---
Darnit, the UCSB-UCI Big West semi-final is on ESPNU, the ESPN channel my lazy cable provider doesn't offer. I tried to see if there's a way to watch it online, but doesn't appear to be. Ah well, Gametracker for me, then.
Dodgers' Loaiza Dominates Again
http://tinyurl.com/2mldj2
Matt Kemp in China.
"I'm going to the top. That's where we're going this year, all the way to the top," said outfielder Matt Kemp, who reached the summit, which once was a military outpost and now houses a souvenir stand.
Most of his teammates focused on making the climb up the steep section of stone, but Kemp paused repeatedly to joke with vendors, stopping at a concession stand near the bottom to kick around a hacky-sack with feathers.
Kid likes to have fun; gee no wonder Kent dislikes him so.
Apparently we will see some of this sooner or later. From ItD (Rawitch):
We should have some great footage of the visit to share with everyone when we come back, as FSN Prime Ticket had a camera crew there following Matt Kemp around.
That comment represented all that is wrong with the blog world, but at least you're not the king of useless information and bad puns! :)
Was his shot at me ironic, since it was a perfect example of what he was complaining about?
My question is, wouldn't it be far better to not waste a year of his pre-arb pitching? I am far more optimistic about 2009 anyway, and would love to see the Dodgers go all the way and celebrate 50 years since their first LA title at the same time...
It all depends on how Kershaw is progressing in AA...or where ever they put him. If he is having a season like everyone expects him to, then yes, mostly likely we will.
Kershaw's contractual rights that is. As far as I know, he is still free to peacefully assemble, petition Congress for a redress of grievances and not have soldiers billeted in his house during peacetime.
In related news, anal fissure? For serious? Yikes. I just looked up all the causes on wikipedia, and, well, none of them are all that awesome.
I swear that same injury only happens to the Lakers, and it happens all the time.
Not coming back tonight. Have they ever come back less than a long time?
Yeah, they're negative, but that doesn't really mean anything with an ankle sprain.
Okay, I'll stop whining now, but would it kill the universe to show me something different once in a while?
Actually, just one ankle. The left one!
Not the dunk, but the whistle.
Not the basket, but the loose-ball foul that nullified the basket.
From out of nowhere it swooped, a stunning, mind-blowing, season-changing hand from the heavens.
From out of nowhere it swooped, a horrible call with 16 seconds remaining
Could it be that the two local head coaches cast an imposing figure on the sidelines?
Could it be that the two local histories cast an intimidating image in the referees' minds
This kind of repetition only works in speeches by Barack Obama.
Or some guy on that blog stole my uber-awesome gmail name.
I have proof that I was nowhere near a computer at 2:47 pm, but you'll have to get the information from two Japanese dudes who were up in a 200-ft. high crane with me at the port of LA. One of them speaks little to no English and it took me about 10 minutes to explain to the other one what I needed them to do before I come back on Monday.
Nevermind, I found it. 3:15 PT tomorrow.
Clippers vs Hawks
Spurs vs Pistons
USC vs UCLA
UCSB vs UC Irvine Big West conference final
WSU vs Stanford
Dodgers vs Padres in China
It's non stop on my tv tonight!
UCSB VS UC Irvine Big West SEMI Final. The Mighty Titans of Fullerton play in the other Semi against Northridge at 8pm on ESPNU
Oh yes, that's right. I stand corrected. This is going to be fun!
This is according to the narrator at the fine Giza sound and light show.
Maybe I come off as Grampa Simpson. I should take the onion off of my belt.
May I continue to live a long and healthy life, knock on wood.
But apparently no one hurt. Play to resume shortly, as things stand. Some damage visible near the top of the dome.
TV announcers mentioned the "freight train" sound often described as accompanying tornadoes, and apparently there was a tornado warning for the downtown Atlanta area. But no one has said one hit the dome for certain that I know of.
Mississippi State and Alabama, in OT as this happened, will have stories hardly any other teams will be able to match.
Ankle injuries are the theme of the night. Not Chris Paul too!
But--fortunately--there has been no mention of injuries. From the broadcast I'd think if there were any they would have been people hit by flying debris.
A basketball got stuck at the very top of a backboard, wedged against something (not the side of the goal as happens fairly often). Play had to be halted. Eventually some guys came out with a ladder and got it.
They resisted the temptation to dunk on TV, however. This is probably good for their job security.
Eyewitless News signing out at the SEC tournament.
1) What team is The Tomko trying to inflict himself on this spring?
2) Bob, you'll probably be the only one who knows if there's more news on how DJ Houlton is doing in Japan? I think you posted that he'd been bombed his first time out or so. On the mound, that is. Doubt you knew if he'd been bombed in any other ways.
a) after walking it off for about 10 minutes I proceded to immediately roll it again when I got back in the game
b) I was on my high school team at the time and had to have it taped for the game. Later my coach mentioned "I went back in the game tape and couldn't figure out how you hurt your ankle".
106 That snide remark will get you black-listed.
I'm of two minds about you today, Bob.
http://tinyurl.com/36u53w
Tomko is being Tomko in Kansas City:
Ugly line belies Tomko's solid start
>> Don't take that Brett Tomko pitching line in Friday's box score too seriously. At least that's Royals manager Trey Hillman's view on that matter.
The line shows Tomko went 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits and a walk.
"Great outing," Hillman said. "The line was bad, but with what he did, it was very good. He took the bullpen session right into the game." <<
http://tinyurl.com/3979kv
Yep, that's the Tomko all know and love. :-)
He'll throw a CG shutout.
Fun times for SEC folks as they try to figure out whether one team will be asked to play two games in one day tomorrow. Or??
SEC Eyewitless News signing off. Courage. Or something.
"No one here is pumped up and the games are meaningless. In the NL west (Tomko has been in the NL West 6 out of the last 7 seasons) each game is a dogfight and the stadiums are full. When I am on the mound I think sometimes about painting the most perfect waterfall or bird rather than pitching, and you don't do that in a pennant race."
http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/derek-lowe-hates-vin-scully-16609
However will you handle the disappointment?
vr, Xei
vr, Xei
vr, Xei
How many years old is the record?
As I said, I regret doing it, but I gave my sources and didn't report it as fact. Sadly, I'm probably going to break traffic records because Deadspin style dirt is what sells.
They have a superb recruiting class coming in the next two years so hopefully they'll make a stronger postseason showing then. Feh.
Darn, no Dodgers game on TV tonight. Guess I'll finish watching the rest of the DVD I have queued up - The Seven Ups. 2nd Best car chase ever.
NPUT
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