Tom Strange

Rock, I don't think he meant to imply it was the Sox... I never got the impression he was talking about anyone other than the NYY and their (increasing) ability to print money...

supply and freaking demand... I know what you feel like mstar, we have the NFL version here... have you heard what the PSLs cost at the new stadium that we (not so affectionately) call "Jerry World"? When you put a "quality" team on the field for 15 years straight in the largest metro area in the country you can pretty much "print money"... After CJ Wilson "pitched" the 8th inning last night (walk, HBP, walk, grand slam to freaking Sexton) he's on the DL with bone spurs in his elbow... when Washington came out to get him he left the mound before Wash got there and flipped him the ball... Wash gave him the ball back and made him come back to the mound and hand him the ball properly... little things, little things... they're adding up.

Last night David Murphy said: "This is the most fun I've ever had playing baseball... and it keeps getting better! ...thank him for us starman :)

yeah... our guys all season long have had their main goals as win the game, win the series... win the game, win the series. 22 year old Matt Harrison, making his 4th major league start, outpitched Pettite tonight and lasted longer... currently 8-2 after 7. oh... and that thing with the umps squeezing our pitcher and being liberal with theirs? it's happening again tonight... Rupe threw 5 strikes to Jeter with the bases loaded and 2 outs.. fortunately he lined to Kinsler...

Ian Kinsler was just on the radio talking about the team, the game, etc. One of the things he said was "...we don't ever feel like we're out of it, we have faith in each other." Also from Newberg this morning: As you know, I’ve been on a kick all season, actually dating back to March in Surprise, suggesting that Ian Kinsler was becoming Brenden Morrow, for a hundred reasons that I don’t need to reissue now. Let me ask you this. If you were having an MVP season, not your third or fourth one of those but an unquestioned breakthrough season in which you had shed the “solid player” label in favor of consistent placement on anyone’s list of the players having the best years in the game, and you were in the midst of your first real slump of the season, one that has you at 4 for your last 31 trips (.129) in the space of a homestand that could end up defining where this team is headed in 2008, what would the look on your face be like at the end of a game like last night’s? If you were a Leader, it would look like this, captured by the great Sharon M. Steinman of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: (thanks for indulging me boys... it's nice to watch a team that is exciting and has FUN) That's Milton Bradley (ever see him like that in LA?), 'everyday' Eddie Guardado (closing, striking out guys with his 85 mph heat) and Ian Kinsler.

Newberg has a line that he's used a few times this year: It's not about this season... it is about tonight. We've been kind of jaded with the "we're building" line around here... not because we (the fans) don't understand it but because Hicks always does something to detour it... we (the fans) just hope that he will defer to Nolan (and Daniels) now... it's our only hope. Hicks is not a well liked man. Here's a pic from last night... you'd have thought they just won the world series or something... but it's 25 guys pulling for each other, this is the reception our fourth OF got at home.

yeah... that's scary... and you're both photographers as well!

It's a balmy 106 in the shade on the back patio today... I'll just sit in here in the AC and watch sweetniKa dance...

ESPN tries too hard sometimes and not hard enough other times... IMO... it's almost like they've become "the Ocho". Anyway, that was our seventh walk off this year... we're not deluding ourselves (well, mostly not), we know we don't have the consistent pitching that can be counted on BUT sometimes we get enough pitching... and we've learned not to count this offense out... They're young (experience wise) and learning some valuable lessons... our biggest hope is that Hicks will stay out of things and let El Presidente Ryan steer the ship... but at least we're playing meaningful games (for us) in August... we're only 5 out in the WC race... tonight another mid-season call up goes on the mound for us who at times looks good and at times looks lost... we'll see. At least our guys aren't fighting each other... they pull for each other...

Walk off salami for Marlon Byrd... we win 9-5... this was our best chance (pitching wise) to win... last month when we were in NY we had one of those spells where we had good pitching from everyone... we can't count on that, just hope for it... AND ANOTHER THING: Today was the 15th anniversary of El Presidente Ryan playing on Ventura's noggin like it was a bongo drum... a game I was at!

OK now... Kinsler just nubbed one off of the plate. Kinsler didn't run (should have) so Pudge threw it to second, then to first double play. Kinsler argued... make that questioned, Art Howe questioned... they reversed it. But this home plate umpire just called two strikes for Jaba that cost Padilla 10-12 pitches and a run in the first inning... I know I sound like a whiner, but it's bad enough we gotta play the NYY in this heat... just seems we have to play the umps too many times as well... we get no respect (learned that from Cuban, not Dangerfield) Michael Young, line drive three run homer... F.U. umps! it's 101 degrees at 9:03 and there's some idiot in a full gorilla costume at the game...

yeah... it was officially 106 yesterday although the roadside sign thermometers said 113. Padilla just got called for a balk, Damon to second (didn't stop in the delivery). Damon to third on a ground out to first. Padilla just got called for another balk (stepped off the mound with the wrong foot?), Damon scores. It WAS a 3-2 game, top of the fifth... As predicted, Ron Washington will be watching the rest of the game in air conditioned comfort. Art Howe now managing. This with two freaking outs in (what was) a one run game. oh yeah... forgot... today it was 109 in the shade on the back patio. Tom Grieve went over to talk with David Cone (announcing for YES)... Cone didn't think the first one was a balk... but the second one, since he stepped off with his left foot first, they deemed that to Padilla having started his motion... Cone added that the crew chief had called about 10 balks on him in his career.

Okay... there's one inning... Chamberlain got the call on everything remotely close. Padilla got nothing. I can see it now... Padilla is gonna start plunking NYY and then maybe the ump... Padilla's not the most popular guy with umps, sure looks like that might play into it... my money is on Ron Washington not making it through the night on the bench...

freaking umpires... you know that little box they put up there to show you where the ball is in the strike zone? well, according to that box we Padilla had ARod 0-2, threw two more pitches that were inside the box, but he walked. next comes Giambi... a count of 1-2, two more pitches inside the box, one of them about a third of the way up and in the middle, and there's no strickeout... bloop to LF and we're down one... sorry for venting... it just seems like the pitchers get squeezed so badly these days... and I've never had a problem with umpires having their own strike zones as long as they are consistent... BUT THEY'RE NOT... sometimes it's a ball, sometimes it's a strike... same location... different call... so now Padilla threw extra pitches this inning... not a good thing when game time temp is over 100. and how does the batter know what he's supposed to swing at?

that is truly a wonderful thing! go... go as often as you can... either 'just the boys' or the whole family... there's nothing like it! (maybe it's time to get him a little glove... maybe a bat and a whiffle ball... :)

so it's all Manny all the time in LA LA land? ...were there any more than a couple of paragraphs about Texeira? ...funny isn't it?

As long as you're going to Home Depot P-Mosh check out VERMONT CASTINGS... their gas grill was top rated by Consumer Reports a year or two ago and I bought one... three burners, even distribution of heat, ceramic grates... and not so expensive! I even talked them into the floor model and got more $ off... if you'd like for me to email you the CR ratings from the online website let me know via PM...

...it is different for everyone, BUT it would be a very wise move to get tested for sleep apnea (however one does that)... it could mean the difference between life and death... but will definitely make a difference in your quality of life.

happening day young man! have a spacial one!

have fun! ...take Kristopher with you and go see a baseball game!

ship some of it this way shipper!

this too shall pass mstar... (I want it noted on the good side of my ledger that I restrained myself here) :)

I'd heard of him before... and I'm getting ready to read Moneyball so I figure it's a good primer... (I know, I should have read it long ago)

really nice piecs on Bill James on 60 minutes right now... says David Wright of the Mets is his favorite player...

I'm sure that Belles little weasel dog is wonderful... there's not another like my DixieChick... she's an American Bulldog... there's pics of her somewhere around here already... but before her... I'd always preferred whatever mutt I found at the pound...