vivalaultra

There would be something...not right about Mark McGwire getting in the same year as Cal Ripken Jr. With that said, I think he definitely deserves it...and so does Jim Rice, dammit!

Any specific t-shirt? Pocketed? Non-pocketed? V-neck? Crew neck? You should go for a reversible shirt. Then you get two shirts for the price of one.

My Christmas list: 30-60 G iPod One of those iPod things where I can play it through my car stereo A few of those Western shirts I pointed out at Cavender's FF12 A signed copy of Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude (He's also my favorite writer.) These books: Don Quixote (unabriged) by Cervantes Rain on a Conga Drum by...some guy (It's a Townes van Zandt autobiography) This poster: http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Solitude-Gab...p;s=home-garden This Houston Astros’ Big Game Climaware Microfleece Jacket by Adidas http://shop.mlb.com/product/index.jsp?prod...1452769.1452771 These DVDs: The first season of HBOs Rome boxed set Be Here to Love Me: The Townes Van Zandt movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Some cowboy boots. $2000 to help Elizabeth pay for school. I'm not going to mention what I'm getting my family and lover for Christmas. It's all terribly cheap. This is the last year I can use the "I'm in college. I don't have any money." excuse.

Geez...one bad season and the guy's a headcase. If he's bonkers in '07, I'll agree, but I'm not gonna jump on the "Lidge is a Headcase" train just because the guy had a bad year.

I wouldn't say that they're becoming known unless you're into that kind of music. But yeah, they seem like they're on the verge of becoming a really, really good bad. Their new CD is a big step-up from their earlier one.

Trade Brad Lidge and Willy Taveras to the Sox for Manny. Stick Manny in LF (smaller LF=less chance for defensive errors), stick Carlos Lee in RF, stick Jason Lane in CF. No...that sucks...Trade Manny to the Angels for Santana and various other prospects.

But they're such easy targets...with their pocket protectors and...nerd glasses and whatnot.

Well, they made it on a Kidz Bop CD. And I don't have a problem with Kenny Chesney, persay...He makes good driving music. Have you heard anything off the forthcoming Modest Mouse CD? When's that puppy comin' out, anyway?

Modest Mouse was popular for a minute or two...

I haven't heard of either, but according to each of their official websites, huckflyn.com and marklundholm.com, one of them's a uh...musical comedian who plays "blues" and the other one used to do lots of drugs. I forget which is which.

I thought this was going to be about Akron/Family. I doubt Akron/Family will be the next Nate Dogg...unless lo-fi folk pop becomes really, really popular.

Damn straight. I was at that game. That is why even though Brandon Backe has a career ERA somewhere around 4.50, he'll always be Mr. Clutch in Houston.

Greg Zaun's agent is a dumbass... And that's a very good deal for the Brewers, by the way.

Has anybody heard the Swan Lake CD? I am currently downloading it...and deducing from the people in the band, I expect it to be awesome.

Shit, he can weight 900 pounds for all I care. All I know is that he's a pull hitter with homerun power and a short porch in left field. He's gonna go absolutely nuts at MMP.

Well, he was a Chicago White Sox (ugh!) for several years... Edit: The 'Stros also officially signed Woody Williams today to a 2-yr contract with a third year option. The contract is worth $12.5 million, but, with the option, could be worth $19 million. $6 million a year for Woody isn't bad, I don't think. If Clemens and Pettitte come back, the 'Stros rotation is gonna be killer, yo. Edit #2: ...I don't think it's a good sign that at the Carlos Lee press conference, when he put the jersey on, it was too small and he was unable to button it up...

He's slow out of the box, but he gets good jumps? Or his portly physique lulls pitchers into a false sense of security, maybe?

Well, it's not 8/$118 or anything...but it's still massively overpaying, but, such is the nature of the FA market. Last I heard yesterday, the deal on the table was 5/$73. But 6/$100 is like...Lance Berkman money. There's a definite need for offense from Houston; Carlos Lee's been as consistent as anybody in driving in 100 runs for the past 10 years or so, but, still...he's a pretty big dude...(although he did steal 19 or 21 bases last year), so hopefully there's not a no-trade clause or anything...ship his 400 pound ass to Kansas City in a couple years or something...

My sister and I just stood in front of a large display of 2 qt. slow cookers at Wal-Mart for about 4 hours. They were on sale for $3.88. I also got Field of Dreams on DVD for $3.44. I should've stayed asleep.

There's a Turkey Day rumor going around Houston that Woody Williams has signed with the Houston Astros. 2-year contract with an option for a 3rd. I can't imagine that it would be more than an $8 million deal. Oh well, I'm going to eat some sweet pataters.

That's actually not a bad lineup. If they've got a half-decent bullpen, they should be much improved.

The semi-daily Astros' update: As per 790 AM in Houston, Astros' owner Drayton McClane and GM Tim Purpura had a face to face meeting with Carlos Lee's agent today. All sides involved said that Carlos Lee will decide between the 'Stros, the O's, and possibly the Phils either by this weekend or in the next five days. Also, the Astros have more offers on the table to other "attractive free agents" that they're looking at getting resolved one way or the other in the next week. And possible trades for either Carl Crawford or Vernon Wells were mentioned. It was said that both the Jays and the Rays were shopping the two to the Astros. The Vernon Wells trade would be looked at more heavily if Lee went elsewhere, but the Crawford deal is apparently not contingent on whether or not Lee comes to Houston. The names being mentioned as trade bait are Brad Lidge, Chris Burke, Willy Taveras, and Jason Hirsh. And now...a semi-realistic possible Astros lineup for 2007 (since I also am not extremely familiar with the Pirates' lineup...and I don't care either way much for the Red Sox): Crawford CF Ensberg 3B Berkman 1B Lee LF Scott RF Biggio 2B Everett SS Ausmus C Oswalt P Now THAT'S a decent lineup.

Well, he did make..."THE GREATEST CATCH IN BASEBALL HISTORY!!!!" That probably added about $20 million to the deal.

You mean throttle as a term of endearment, correct? It's because of you I don't utterly despise the Cubs anymore. Now it's just a mild dislike.

Hey, the Pirates did come in ahead of the Cubs last season... And come on...no matter who they add, they're still the Cubs. They could have an infield of Derrek Lee, Chase Utley, Derek Jeter, Miguel Cabrera, and Brian Schneider, an outfield of Lance Berkman, Vernon Wells, and Carlos Beltran, with a rotation consisting of Carlos Zambrano, Roy Oswalt, Roger Clemens, Chris Carpenter, and Johan Santana...with Mariano Rivera as the closer and they'd still find some way to screw it up. They're the loveable losers...but bless their little hearts for trying so darn hard.