Rocky

Bbbbutttt MarkO! :blink: there are sooooooo many juicy stories in the news today!! Like.... we found out that the University of Minn is planning to award Al Gore an honorary doctorate for his work on climatology... and that the magazine Editor and Publisher disclosed the latest Gallup Poll claiming that more Americans would be willing to elect a woman (Hillary) or a Black (Barack) than a 72 year old (McCain), or a MORMON (MITT) or someone divorced twice and remarried to his third wife (Rudy G)... and that Drudge reports that: So much for "your" "slow bleed" notion... oh, yeah, that's a Bush administration idiot... er, idiom. (sorry).

Maybe... that is IF you are expecting your buddy Dirk N. to hit 72 home runs this season!

http://mlb.mlb.com/content/printer_friendl...16/c1804407.jsp Playing Rules Committee implements changes for 2007 season02/16/2007 4:22 PM ET MLB.com • Official rule changes • Summary of official scoring rule changes A substantial number of changes made to the Official Baseball Rules by the Playing Rules Committee will be in effect at the Major League level during the 2007 season, it was announced today. Under Major League Rule 25©, the Playing Rules Committee is charged with voting to amend the Official Baseball Rules. The Playing Rules Committee addressed a number of areas where existing Rules could be clarified, harmonized with other Rules or amended to be consistent with accepted practices at the professional level. The Rules amendments primarily address those areas and do not make any major changes in the way the game is played. This marks the first time that the Rules have been changed since 1996, when the Strike Zone was redefined. Among the changes is a modification to the Rule regarding regulation tie games. The Rules had provided that a game that is called with the score tied in the bottom of the fifth inning or later is a tie game, to be replayed in its entirety, though player statistics count. In accordance with a unanimous recommendation from the Major League General Managers at their 2005 meetings, the Rule has been changed so that a tied regulation game that is stopped now will be suspended and resumed before the next scheduled game between the same two clubs on the same grounds (or, before the next scheduled game at the visiting club's grounds, if no more games remain at the original club's home park); only if no scheduled games remain between the two clubs would the game be a called, tie game, in which case it would be replayed in its entirety only if necessary to affect a playoff spot. Many of the changes that the Playing Rules Committee made went into effect in Minor League Baseball play in 2006. After discussions with the Major League Baseball Players Association, several of the amendments passed after the 2005 season and additional ones passed after the 2006 season will be in effect for Major League play in 2007. The Major League Baseball Umpiring Department is explaining these changes to the field staff of the Major League Clubs in visits to each Club's Spring Training facility. The Playing Rules Committee also extensively revised Official Baseball Rule 10, which concerns official scorers and scoring rules, acting upon recommendations of an ad hoc advisory committee comprised of official scorers, Club personnel and Major League Baseball staff. Among the changes relating to official scoring are: • a new definition of "ordinary effort" to guide scorers in making determinations on hits, errors and other rulings; • the addition of many casebook comments to guide official scorers; • the codification of an appeal process of official scorer decisions; and • a reorganization of certain scoring rules. The Official Playing Rules Committee consists of the Chief Executive Officer of the San Diego Padres, Sandy Alderson, who serves as Chair of the Committee; Bob Beban, the President and General Manager of the Eugene Emeralds of the Northwest League; Hall of Famer Rod Carew, a 19-year Major League veteran; John McHale, Jr., MLB's Executive Vice President of Administration; Terry Ryan, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Minnesota Twins; John Schuerholz, the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Atlanta Braves; Jimmie Lee Solomon, MLB's Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations; Bill Stoneman, the Vice President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; and Umpire Larry Young, who has over 22 years of experience at the Major League level. "A number of issues about the playing rules, some more technical in nature than others, had accumulated among umpires, Clubs, players and Major League Baseball for some time," Alderson said. "The Playing Rules Committee hopes that these amendments will serve to clarify these issues and, by doing so, benefit all who play and umpire the game at all levels." Summaries of the Official Baseball Rules changes are appended, one explaining changes to Rules 1 through 9 and the other explaining changes to the Rules governing official scoring. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. ----------------- The two links above will take you to .pdf files with the official releases.

Do you mean that yer gonna ask niKa to dance (with you)? And the 5mp digital camera make pics easier to share here anyway!!

I figured... much easier to get there from the Florida Keys, eh? Take your camera?

Likewise, I have no compelling need to be removed from their roles... my dad's final (earthly) resting place is in a Catholic cemetery in New York (not NYC)... and while I'm automatically qualified to have space reserved in a Veterans' Cemetery, there may come a time when I'd want to decide to rest in that same cemetery as my dad, which is in the city I where i was born... I would imagine that if I renounced my membership in the Catholic Church, I'd probably make it so I could not be buried in the same place as my dad...

indeed! :)

Heh heh heh... trying to make us jealous Dr. StrangeLove? Not working on me! I get to dress like that nearly year round. Pitchers and catchers report. Many teams that's today! Spring training games start in two weeks...

Is that some sort of Double Entendre?

Good to see you Jonny! :D Love that drama, eh! We'll be here when ya wanna visit.

Kathy DOESN'T like being on top? That's a shocker for someone who has so much to say! :P

Well, he HAS gotten plenty of positive feedback from posting them on several occassions... it would be (is, IMO) a reasonable inference. I enjoy the playful banter too :P

Of course, if one couldn't take it, one shouldn't give it. :) Well, I do NOT drive a Hummer, Corvette or any other car that generally is understood to be a compensation for such issues. :P ;)

Hard jabs? I don't think so. Besides, Jonny knows his "romantic" story telling is one of his strong points. And he could take it and give it with the best of them in the politics forum.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbac...cnames0212.html Working hard for the dream Look beyond the stars for great stories when spring training gets under way Joseph A. Reaves The Arizona Republic Feb. 12, 2007 12:00 AM Pitchers and catchers report. Four of the more beautiful words in the English language. This Thursday, nine of Major League Baseball's 30 teams open spring training with pitchers and catchers reporting for duty. (continued) -------------------------- Last night I also heard Keith Olbermann say essentially the same thing.

Oh come on! No one has been "mean" to or about Jonny Lingo on this thread. Gimme a break. He's a big boy. He can take some teasing or a gentle jab in the ribs from time to time...

Of course it does!!! Especially since you put some heat on it!

thank you... feeling's mutual. :P

We had hard freeze here too for a few mornings in Jan... for us, it means fewer crickets this summer... which is good. Lots more frost damaged trees than usual here... but today was a dang fine day.

It was a dark and stormy night... oops, no, THAT's tomorrows weather forecast. Today, sunny and warm, temp at my house in the mid-70s. Action at Scottsdale Stadium (home games for SF Giants during spring) is happening! I drove by there on my way home this afternoon...

Well... keeds, some among us might be thinkin to themselves that I, as it were, am FULL of baloney already! ;) I don't know nothin bout Gene Slavit, but I have spoken recently with our brother Simon... as is his manner, he has been an industrious lad... but he does stop by for coffee and to see what we've been up to... like you uns, I sure miss his wit and wisdom on this our thread. :D

Here in the Valley of the Sun, we SAW snow (off in the distance) a couple of weeks ago... a few of the mountains to the east and northeast of Scottsdale had snow on them for one day... fortunately or unfortunately, that's as close as it got to me... obviously, I'm not in the midwest. Aren't you glad you don't live in Upstate NY?

AHA! Finally, some INSIGHT as to why the gals made such a big deal about JL leaving.... Yes, his "romantic" stories were quite... how shall we say, titilating!

Indeed... the jambalaya had substantial moisture in it... and when finished, still (almost) was the consistency of a thick soup.

ALSO... there have been several folks seeming to speak FOR JL... as if they believe they know what he intended. Maybe they do... but it seems to me that the honorable thing for him would be for HIM to tell us what he means. None of this changes that I'm pleased as punch that he's gonna do what he needs to do... even if I do think he.... hhmmm, how shall i say this... can have his moods from time to time too. (like most of us).