EVIL~! alkeiper

Can you provide a link?

Yeah because now Larry Blowa will now have that as a reason to keep Utley from starting, the old "veteran leadership" excuse, the same reason why Doug Glanville is still on this team. Polanco is hot right now, hitting 302/340/547 in August. He's not a worthless veteran, like Doug Glanville. He's 28, and fully capable of beating Chase Utley in a fair fight for the starting role. It's amazing that the entire infield group of David Bell, Placido Polanco, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley are all hitting extremely well. Polanco is likely gone via free agency anyway this offseason. He'd be a useful player for a team looking for a cheap solution at shortstop.

The disgusting thing is that by recording four outs, one with a three-run lead, and the other three with a twelve run lead, Mariano Rivera gets credited for the save.

Mike Matthews broke his hand on a water cooler a few years ago when he was on the Cardinals and missed time.

Jeff Blatnick. Blatnick was an '84 Olympic Gold Medalist, and his victory after recovering from cancer is one of the all time great Olympic wrestling stories.

What's the question? Even perhaps if we haven't read the book, there's always a chance someone knows.

That's a problem on the NFL's end.

Actually, our country was against it. Other countries wanted it so they could send their best players to the NBA and still allow them to play in the Olympics.

For a team to trade a player at this point, he must first clear waivers. Beltran would certainly not clear waivers, and I believe he was blocked already. So he's not going anywhere. He's a free agent after this season. This offseason will be interesting, because there's alot of potential bargains out there. Magglio Ordonez will come cheap because of the injury. Richie Sexson is available. Carlos Delgado's coming off a bad year. Kevin Millwood is out there as well.

So Lithuania misses the finals, and Spain fails to medal. Its not just the US that failed in these games. This is parity more than anything.

Some folders have the option for polls turned off. Perhaps having three buttons instead of four throws you off?

Of course. Volkoff was part of the Mongols, which was one of the biggest heel tag teams in the late 60s/early 70s. As Volkoff, he held the tag team title and had a brief run with Hulk Hogan in 1985.

I recall Oleg Taktarov hitting the rolling german suplex at either UFC V or VI.

Why would there be? The best player in that game was Manu Ginobli, an NBA player. The best player in the Spain loss was Carlos Arroyo, and NBA player. Pau Gasol, an NBA player, dominated the tournament.

The Yankees are going to have to look at their team, and pitching might be a bigger necessity. I don't know if the Cubs can outbid the Yankees, but they can bid competitively. Of course, the Cubs will probably need a shortstop more than a center fielder.

It's in the UK and elsewhere overseas.

I think the players were fine. The problems as I see them is that the team was rushed together with inadequate preparation, and there was not enough versatility on the roster.

I agree with most of what Bloom says here, although I suspect there may be some parts he is not telling us. After all, of course his account will look beneficial to his argument. I do think the way he phrased some things is slightly childish. And his comparisons to the cancer patient and Willie Williams really has no baring on the argument.

Let's not get into the Pete Rose argument for the time being. I've been pondering an MLB only list, and I think Rose tops Ripken (note that its spelled correctly). In 1985, Rose was just a player/manager. None of this gambling/tax evasion scandal had surfaced (or perhaps even occured). All we knew was that this seemingly untouchable record was going to fall, broken by a player the press held in high esteem because he "played the right way." I'm probably wandering. I think Rose's hit was a greater achievement than Ripken's streak. Its not easy to pad one's hit total to that point. Ask Harold Baines. Rose did benefit by playing a few years too long, but 4192 is 4192. Ripken played every day to the detriment of his team. Check out his player page at Retrosheet.org. They have statistical splits available up to 1992. Ripken hit significantly worse in August and September. The streak is nice, but all it measures is the ability to play every day. It doesn't measure any portion of real value. Otherwise, Everett Scott and Steve Garvey would be Hall of Famers. Ripken was a class act, a nice guy, and a real credit to the sport. Rose was a cheat, and moreover he's been exposed as the years fly by. But that hit was a greater moment than Ripken's streak.

This is an interesting one. Pitcher Wes Ferrell 1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? No. 2. Was he the best player on his team? No. Ferrell was the second best player on the Cleveland Indians in the early 1930s, behind HOFer Earl Averill. He was, however, the best pitcher on his staff every year from 1929-35. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Not a chance, since he shared his prime with Lefty Grove, a top 5 all time pitcher. Ferrell was the second best pitcher in the American League during his prime, and the fourth best behind Grove, Carl Hubbell, and Dizzy Dean over his career. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? No. His teams never finished within sniffing distance of a league championship. Ferrell did make a handful of starts for the 1938-39 Yankees, but he was not a major contributor. He never pitched in the World Series. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? No. Ferrell never pitched more than 20 innings a season after he turned 31. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? No. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? None of Ferell's 10 similar comps are in the Hall. Only Lon Warneke and Tommy Bridges have any kind of HOF argument, and they are longshots. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Not really. Ferrell scores well on the Black and Gray Ink test, but his career numbers are significantly under par. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Yes. One, Ferrell was a great hitter. Ferrell hit 280/351/446 in his career, and his 38 career home runs is a record for pitchers. In 1935, he won 25 games AND hit .347, with plate discipline and power. In 1933, Cleveland outfielder Joe Vosmik fell to injury, and Ferrell replaced him for thirteen games. Second, Ferrell pitched in an unfavorable era for pitchers. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. I believe Bert Blyleven and others are more deserving. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Ferrell finished in the top 10 twice, in 1934 and '35. Remember its difficult for pitchers to win MVPs. There was no Cy Young in Ferrell's era. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Ferrell played in two All-Star games. Also remember that Ferrell won 20 games four years in a row from 1929-32, before the first All-Star game. He likely would have made more. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Probably. He did not have much support in his day. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? None apparent. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Yes. Conclusion: Ferrell is the only pitcher in major league history to post six twenty win seasons, and not make the Hall. He was one of the best pitchers in the major leagues, and the best hitting pitcher in major league history. But he fell completely off the table very quickly. I'm really on the fence as far as Ferrell goes. Anyone think he's in or out?

So the Yankees won last night, and who got the big hit?

1. Was he ever regarded as the best player in baseball? Did anybody, while he was active, ever suggest that he was the best player in baseball? No. 2. Was he the best player on his team? No. From 1975-82, Win Shares sees Ron Cey as more valuable every single year. And no one is advocating his candidacy. Garvey never led his team in Win Shares. 3. Was he the best player in baseball at his position? Was he the best player in the league at his position? Briefly. In 1974, Garvey was the best first baseman in baseball. Most years he was eclipsed by American Leaguers such as Rod Carew, Eddie Murray, and John Mayberry. Garvey was the best National League first baseman until 1979, when Keith Hernandez tied for the MVP award. 4. Did he have an impact on a number of pennant races? Yes. Garvey played for five National League championship teams, and one World Series winner. Moreover, his teams won all five divisional series they played, and Garvey hit 356/383/678 in those 22 games. In his postseason career, Garvey hit 338/361/550 in 222 at bats. I do not believe in clutch ability, but clutch performances do happen, and Garvey deserves credit for it. 5. Was he good enough that he could play regularly after passing his prime? Yes. Garvey played until he was 38. 6. Is he the very best baseball player in history who is not in the Hall of Fame? No. Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and others are more deserving. 7. Are most players who have comparable statistics in the Hall of Fame? No. Of Garvey's ten most similar players, six are eligible, and only one has made the Hall. None of the other four (Chili Davis, Will Clark, Mark Grace and Paul O'Neill) has better than a marginal chance at making the Hall. 8. Do the player's numbers meet Hall of Fame standards? Not really. Garvey scores 12 on the Black Ink test (average HOFer is 27), 142 on the Gray Ink test (average is 142), and 31.5 on the HOF Standards test (average is 50). Most of Garvey's black ink comes from leading the league in games played. Noble, but hardly a way to gain entrance to the Hall. Garvey never finished in the Top Ten of OBP. 9. Is there any evidence to suggest that the player was significantly better or worse than is suggested by his statistics? Two. First, Garvey won four Gold Gloves. He likely could have won more if not for Keith Hernandez. Second, Garvey played much of his career in Dodger Stadium, a challenging park for hitters. 10. Is he the best player at his position who is eligible for the Hall of Fame? No. Strong cases can be made for Keith Hernandez, Don Mattingly, and Dick Allen. Hernandez beat Garvey for many Gold Gloves AND frequently finished high in OBP. 11. How many MVP-type seasons did he have? Did he ever win an MVP award? If not, how many times was he close? Garvey won one MVP award, and finished in the Top 10 five times. 12. How many All-Star-type seasons did he have? How many All-Star games did he play in? Did most of the players who played in this many All-Star games go into the Hall of Fame? Garvey played in ten All-Star games. Very few players make that many squads and fail to make the Hall. 13. If this man were the best player on his team, would it be likely that the team could win the pennant? Possibly. Garvey never had a GREAT year, but he was consistantly very good. 14. What impact did the player have on baseball history? Was he responsible for any rule changes? Did he introduce any new equipment? Did he change the game in any way? None apparent. 15. Did the player uphold the standards of sportsmanship and character that the Hall of Fame, in its written guidelines, instructs us to consider? Garvey had many clashes with teammates and the press, although he was not always in the wrong. He was considered a good sportsman. Garvey also holds the NL record for consecutive games played, with 1,207. Conclusion: Garvey presents a strong case. A boatload of All-Star appearances, Gold Gloves, and an amazing postseason record. Ultimately, however, I can not endorse him. I question if he would have made so many All-Star teams had he played in the American League. He was not an impact hitter, and does not appear among the leaders in any important career hitting leaderboard. He played great defense, but defense only goes so far at first base. There are a half dozen more qualified candidates at first, and they deserve consideration before Garvey.

According to Athens2004.com, US versus Argentina is 8pm Athens time. I think that works out to 1pm Eastern.

From what I recollect, it was a short term deal to get talent on Raw while the WWF was touring overseas.

What happened is that the US called a timeout with about 28 seconds left, up by around 10 points. The US coaches; ' explanation is that you have to request timeout in advance, so it was requested before the game reached that point.