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Today's press conference
Everything went very well today at the press conference and to be honest, it would be really tough to find two nicer guys than the two newest Dodgers. While that might not mean as much to everyone else, for someone who has to regularly ask them to give their time to the media, community, sponsors, fans and other team events, I'm really looking forward to working with these guys.
In response to the comment about how bad the audio on the conference calls sound, I'm glad to say the problem isn't on the Dodgers' end. We actually have a top-notch conference call system that we use, but unfortunately when writers call-in from across the country on cell phones, the sound gets worse and worse. It sometimes sounds like they're riding a bike through a wind tunnel, but there's not much I can do other than ask them to please hang up and try to reconnect.
Also, as most of you know by now, the names are back on the jerseys due to popular demand. This was the first time a Dodger donned the new jerseys, which also have a couple other very minor differences that few will notice (the shadows have been dropped from the lettering on the back and the blue piping is no longer on the road jerseys). There's also a new batting practice jersey that we'll put up online once it's available for you guys to purchase it, but I think it looks pretty cool.
That's just about all we've got from now. We're going to take Juan to the Clipper game tonight, since he's a big basketball fan, so if you happen to be going, keep an eye out for him on the Jumbotron.
84 Comments
Sounds like fun.
I was watching the video, and I wish I could hear what Tommy was saying, because I know it was funny.
Josh, not a fan of names on backs of uniforms. However, have reconciled that and now look to see whose name will be on the back of the Dodger unnies. Pierre and Wolf don't look bad at all and attitude, community spirit, humility are such important aspects of any organization. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Couldn't help but notice Wolf slip on the line—
"I think I'm health-uh uh uh I know I'm healthy."
Nice job Wolf, way to straighten that one out.
They both do seem like very nice guys though. At least we've got that going for us. Do I need to right what comes next? Nice guys finish where?
I think Wolf will prove to be quite effective for LA.
i really feel that Wolf will be great in Dodger Stadium, i'm not worried about him one bit, BUT i am worried about Pierre taking some walks
Is it just me, or does anyone else here see the two-tone blue stuff on the backs of the jerseys? It looks awful. The Dodgers have ALWAYS used a two-layer tackle twill uniform number using a white background under the Dodger Blue number. Why are we changing the color scheme? The two-tone blue numbers and side logo don't mesh with team history. Can't say I like it at all.
And Josh…
The "Dodgers Introduce New Pickups Wolf, Pierre" links are dead on the front page.
Ned, here's my two cents.
Sign Maddux.
Sign Gagne.
Give Repko a chance.
Give Betemit a chance.
Hey Josh,
I didn't see you guys at the game tonight. Where were you sitting? I have tix in 116 row 18. Darn good game huh? Tell Juan he can come with me anytime 🙂
does anyone else find the road unis a little wierd?… by the way, i am in search of a job, if anyone can help me out, i would appreciate it..
okay, i know i am old school, but the off-center look on pierre' hat is really bothering me. i know other players do it, and it is a "hip-hop" thing, but, geez, do you think steinbrenner would allow it ?!?
when i coached my hs kids, i told them while your wearing the team uniform, your hats is on straight like a ball player. after the game, you can wear the hat anyway you want.
Gagne and Maddux ONLY at a very low price. (The 20 million dollar cheerleader) Gagne should give us a very large hometown discount, but im sure it wont be enough (Scott Boras).
Maddux… tough call. Not for > $10M/year > 1 year.
I'd resign Gagne and Maddox for the right price. Also prospects are just that prospects, not sure things. Other than Piazza , Karros and Pedro, I don't remember any of our prospects really becoming stars. Prospects are here to help feed the major club in anyway they can. If you can get a proven major league player for prospects , you have to do it.
You dont HAVE to. You don't have to get Delino Deshields for Pedro Martinez in a trade because he is a proven player.
Why panic and make these trades before we know more? Im pretty sure by mid season this year we will have a much better read on the young players, and will very likely still be in the NL West hunt. Probably on top if we can get Schmidt.
It's not like there are "good deals" out there now that we might miss out on.
Gagne for 4 or 5 mil plus incentives would be attractive. Maddux for 2 years at 10 mil a year is ridiculous. 7 or 8 mil for one year is reasonable for a 5 or 6 inning #3 or 4 pitcher.
I'd love to have both of them back, but you've got to be reasonable.
Konerko perhaps. That is my point. The Dodger farm system dried up for a number of years. Now it is flourishing. While ours floundered we took on numerous free agents who rarely worked out well for us. With the system rebuilt into one of the best in the business, why not tap it? Plus, players don't all have to be stars. They need to be good hard working players. eg LoDuca It is too easy to trade prospects rather than be patient. eg John Wetteland. That is the other point. We seldomly seem to get a good proven major league player for them. Other than block buster trades on occasion, teams are trading players they can't afford or don't want, often to make room for their own prospects. I agree, the farm is there for the good of the major club. However, I favor short term pain (waiting ) for long term gain (homegrown players) instead of short term gain(selling the Farm) for long term pain (underachieving, overpriced free agents or ego centered players in trades).Again, all WS Dodger teams have been built from inside with some strategic pieces added. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Wouldnt it be nice to have konerko manning first base…first chance we got we traded him for nothing.
if we dont sign schmidt or a top of the rotation starter were not looking good….bottom line.
drj884 – How could I forget Pedro for Delino or Konerko for Shaw? Good points. Why the rush? By mid season we will know better how the kids are doing. Some might argue their value will drop if they don't progress as well as hoped. I would argue they need the opportunity to display their wares. How could it be worse than what we had in the nineties and early 2000's with a hodge podge of rented players? Guys like Vernon Wells will be available by mid season. Go Dodgers!! Go Ned!!
I said it before and Drj884 reiterated it, don't make a desperate move when you don't have to. Wait for the right move and often times that is no move at all. In July we will have a much better read on what the team needs and I believe we can be competitive with the team we have. Fix the bullpen before you trade away the farm. Let's see what the kids can do.
If Wells becomes available, then you need to move on it. If not, he will be after next season.
jesuispret – Steinbrenner wouldn't allow beards, so that's not a good standard.
fliegel – there were a few others that were traded off that would have been useful. Scott Proctor (5th round, 1998) and Paul Konerko (1st round, 1994) come to mind immediately. But don't forget that the franchise has redone how it handles the farm system.
But getting a proven major leaguer is not always a better idea than using prospects. Often the old vet will not stick around for very long, and then the guy you traded off may or may not outperform the guy you acquired.
The worst example of this isn't even Pedro for Delino, but a deal Ned Colletti was in on, when San Francisco sent Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan, and Boof Bonser for proven major leaguer AJ Pierzinski.
agree completely- incase you guys are curious (or have a lot of time on your hands 😉 you can follow the young guys progress in the dominican winter league here:
Kemp plays for Estrellas etc… most of the guys are playing on different teams. This league is thought to be about equivalent to AAA- with a mix of current, former and future MLB players….
jesuispret… Pierre's hat looks like it's on straight to me and I can't remember him ever doing the "hip hop" thing with it. I think it's just the angle of the shot that's fooling you.
Who traded Konerko?
Pats – that was a bad one for AJ. Seemed reasonable at the time I expect in the heat of battle. We went through all this anxiety last summer over trading prospects. Some were moved that I would like to have seen retained but felt that Logan, Ned, etc. knew what our system could bear. It is a bit thinner now than last summer. However, I felt then that they knew who was expendable so would have to concede they also know now. I just love "Dodger" Dodgers so fear depleting the farm for older guys who don't play with the passion of kids in their first few years. In due course free agency kills that passion for many players but lets use it before it dies.Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Tommy traded Konerko if I remember correctly.
Harold… I could write a book on your last several posts. You've been smacking the nail right on the head. The thing about the Paul Konerko/Dennis Reyes for Jeff Shaw deal didn't have anything to do with FOX. It was Tommy's deal while he was the "interim" GM and to this day it's his biggest embarrasment. Tommy didn't mean to do it of course, but we all know how badly this team needed a third baseman and Konerko would have filled the hole for quite some time. Who knows how many "other" deals wouldn't have needed to be if just for that one position being filled? It certainly threw a monkey wrench in the machine… matter of fact, the whole FOX thing was an abortion to say the least.
We need an ace. Please sign Schmidt…don't let the Cubs get him. Please, Please
Pitching News from MLB.com:
Jason Schmidt: Contrary to published reports, the Cubs have not made the right-hander an offer and it still appears that he will sign with either the Los Angeles Dodgers or Mariners. From all indications, Schmidt wants to continue his career on the West Coast.
Barry Zito: The former AL Cy Young Award winner, regarded by many as the premier starting pitcher currently on the free-agent market, seems to be in no hurry to end his first foray into free agency. His market value could be determined on or before Dec. 15, the deadline for the Red Sox to sign Matsazuka. The Dodgers had been considered a possible destination for Zito, but a report in the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday said GM Ned Colletti has soured on Boras because outfielder J.D. Drew (another Boras client) opted out of the final three years of his five-year contract.
Greg Maddux: Returning to the Cubs for a third time seems out of the question. The team probably would not be willing to guarantee a two-year contract, which the future Hall of Fame inductee wants, and he prefers to end his career on the West Coast, near his home in Las Vegas. The Padres could fulfill both wishes, and playing in spacious PETCO Park would seem to be a good fit.
Did the Cubs find a field of money trees?
I can't believe the amounts they are throwing around this off season, for a team that was thought to be for sale?
Get Schmidt!
That is why they are doing it. If the team is a contender or playoff team it is presumed it will be worth more at selling time. After the sale the contracts are someone elses problem.
Tribune Co. has always had the money.
With the time it took to rebuild and the amount of talent the farm system has it's time we let the kids play. No single handed high priced veteran is going to carry this or any other team. I don't want to see any more Cody Ross' or Guzman type players get away. The kids in the system today have solid stats to support giving them a chance. Teams like the Yankees have to go on the free agent market because their farm system stinks and their fans won't stand for a 2nd or 3rd place team. Yet even with the highest paid players in the game they get beat by the Twins and A's etc… I ask you WHY ??? I believe it's because the Twins and A's are managed better and the kids are given a chance to prove themselves. They play as a team !!! A kid from the system will rise to the challenge with everything he has and be proud to be called a Dodger. I mean just look at how Gagne, Nomar, Martin and now Wolf want to be a Dodger. These guys are a team and teams are what win championships, not high priced over the hill free agents like Drew etc… The free agent market should be a place to find that one or two missing pieces that the farm system can't fulfill. And the free agent needs to have the drive to be a team player. Good management will do everything in their power to see that holes in the system don't happen and if they do they fix it ASAP, for the good of the team !! Getting a free agent needs to be the exception rather then the rule. Give the kids a chance, I'd go to see them play any day !!
No to Manny
Yes to Gagne
Yes to Maddux !!!
Yes to Schmidt !!!
Yes to Saito !!!
After that close the cash box and let's go to spring training and see what happens !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Gary's on it!!
Would you rather have last place Minor League teams, or 26 World Championships?
I am not sure I like the new road uniforms. I think it will grow on me.
The removal of the white tint around the lettering and numbers on the road uniforms is old school. The white was added in the late 70's. This feature is only about 30 years old. With the Los Angeles on the front, the road uni's are now retro 60's. I guess it was done to match the retro coloring of the seats in Dodger Stadium.
Hey it's Hollywood…it is cool to go retro.
Someone email Garys post to Ned 😉
Well nkirby4, considering that the Dodgers were in the post season 2 out of the last 5 years you can hardly say we're a last place team. And given two years ago when we fell apart, you can clearly place that on the Depo / Tracey days !! To answer your question directly, I would much rather watch a team of motivated team players then a bunch of whinning overpaid, over the hill free agents !! You should try going to a minor league game, I almost prefer it !! Having coached Little League and girls softball for over 25 years I can easily say "For the Love of the Game, not the individual" !!!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
I will "fourth" Gary's post. Can we vote on it?
"You go to a Minor League game…"
Don't threaten me with a good time. Hey pal, I've been to at least a dozen games in Vegas. And if you're telling me you'd rather watch a bunch of kids prove themselves than spend $150 on a World Series ticket, your smoking crack.
From ESPN.com:
No team should be considered a favorite to land Manny Ramirez since Ramirez has veto rights over trades and is a human knuckleball, flighty and unpredictable. But if anyone has an edge, perhaps it could be the Dodgers, who are 1) about to lose right fielder J.D. Drew to the Red Sox, 2) working very aggressively this winter and 3) stocked with plenty of desirable young players such as Matt Kemp, James Loney and Andy LaRoche to offer, not to mention a stack of talented relievers, which just so happens to be Boston's biggest need.
You have to figure Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, a Bostonian, is interested, too. He has made it his hobby to collect star Red Sox like Nomar Garciaparra and Derek Lowe (maybe if they don't get Ramirez, they can take Trot Nixon). And maybe Manny will like playing again for Grady Little, who was generally beloved in the Red Sox clubhouse. Hey, it can't hurt.
Gary, nice post. The Dodgers used to know this. In '73 with Cey, Russell, Lopes, and Garvey. Played as a unit right out of the gate and continued to do so for 8+ years. I'm not trying to live in the past, but seems appropriate to bring up at this point. Have we had quality, ROTY type players since then? Yes. However, our farm system hasn't been this plentifully rich since that time.
I've said this before, but again, pitching and youth. Let the kids play.
Go Blue!!!
No offense of course. Cause if that's what you'd rather do, by all means, knock yourself out. I, on the other hand am waiting for the day to blow every penny in my pocket to sit in Dodger Stadium and watch my first World Series game.
I agree nkirby4, I want to hear Vin Scully in late October. I can't wait till the day I am sitting at Dodger Stadium in a World Series Game.
alright enough of this hand over the keys to the prospects ****. we are not a small market team here people!!!!we are not minnesota, we are not oakland, we are not san diego!!!!we are LOS ANGELES and that is a large market folks with the attendance numbers we put up we are second to no one but the yankees yet we think like the kansas city royals………we havent won a playoff game that meant something in years. its time to wake up these mediocre teams we have been fielding here for the last 15- 20 years is just not good enough in LA.I hope ned has a plan for us but our big signing this offseason juan pierre??yikes
Way to go Gary! Well said…
Gary for President!!
Go Ned!!
Go Dodgers!!
Well nkirby4, you and I have far different opinions of good baseball. To me watching a rented team like the Yankees is just watching what money can buy and makes me a spectator. Watching a team grow from within over the years through the peaks and valleys to the playoffs and hopefully a World Series makes me a fan, a Diehard FAN !!! Apparently that's the difference between you and I !! It's obvious you love the Dodgers, and I'm with you there, but I love the game that the Dodgers play and every part of the game. From spring training to the end !! Regardless of the win loss column !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
On a side note: theres very little, if any, data that shows signing a big free agent bat is a good way to go about winning. Ask the Yankees, they have most of them.
Regardless of what you like to see in the game, watching players like Drew and Manny with their less than 100% is not acceptable. Give me a team player that leaves it all on the field.
when will these new jerseys be available to the public? i want to buy a new Chad Billingsley road jersey.
nkirby4, all of us share the frustration you are feeling. Let me pose a real simple down side to the Manny deal. It's an obvious one, but I would still like your opinion. Let's say for arguement that Manny is the player that puts us over the top next year. Everyone gets their WS. And, let's say for the sake of arguement that Ned trades the underachievers and keeps the quality youth. Again, for sake of arguement, every decision to this point as been poetry. What will the Dodgers do when we want to keep those quality players — maybe extend there contracts to keep them off of the free agency market, much like St. Louis did with Pujols. My opinion is that the organization would claim "no money, it's tied up".
I don't know what Neds plans are, or who's been offerred up. But, the names that have been dropped seem like you'd be trading many WS championships in the future for just one.
Go Ned!!
Go Dodgers!!
Well nkirby4, you and I have far different opinions of good baseball. To me watching a rented team like the Yankees is just watching what money can buy and that makes me a spectator. Watching a team grow from within over the years through the peaks and valleys to the playoffs and hopefully a World Series makes me a fan, a Diehard FAN !!! Apparently that's the difference between you and I !! It's obvious you love the Dodgers, and I'm with you there, but I love the game that the Dodgers play and every part of the game. From spring training to the end !! Regardless of the win loss column !!
Steinbrener never earned a World Series he bought a World Series. Steinbrener never developed a team full of players, he just assembled everyone else's hard work. He's not contributing to the game, he taking the game away from the average guy !! He's hurt baseball in every way possible. That's how jerks like Boras can prosper !! The last penny in your pocket is being spent because of Steinbrener and Boras !! Embrass the game / team not the individual.
For the Love of the game !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Let me tell you a little story Gar.
I am in love with baseball. Played high school ball and have always been a Dodger fan. My greatest Dodger memory, would be my first. In April 1991, at the first Dodger-Giant game of the season, Will Clark hit a home run down the left-field-line and two Giant fans stood up three rows in front of where I was sitting with my Dad and Grandparents. My Grandmother, bless her heart, stood up and said "sit down you ***********!" From that day forth I have lived with a ferocious desire to watch the Dodgers. Her love of the game has grown in me ever since.
Baseball is the greatest sport ever created (thank you Abner Doubleday). A sport about statistics and projections. Every fan writing on this blog lives the Dodgers success and failures. I have punched holes in drywall and broken two cellphones during my career as a Dodger fan. Nothing pleases me more than spending $150/game (tickets, dogs and beer) at Dodger Stadium. Sitting on the sunny side in the Lodge seats on a blistering Sunday afternoon is the stuff dreams are made of. Having the usher ask you to put you're shirt on three times can get annoying though.
I went to college up North, at Chico State. Home to 90% of the Bay Area high school graduates. Loved the town, hated the baseball fans. Had my hat stolen once in Normal Street bar, and was kiccked out after chasing the guy down and asking for it back. Trying to find a place to watch the game, unless they were playing the Giants or A's, was impossible. The bartender would laugh if you asked him to change the channel.
The day Depo traded Lo Duke away, my Grandmother was on the verge of tears. We had both made the trip to Vegas two years before and watched him go 4-4 with a HR and 3 RBIs. Her favorite player, a kid who spent 9 years in our farm system before being called up, was gone. Trading away our kids is a painful experience, even for them.
Part of this experience as a fan is coming to terms with the mistakes of team. The players, Managers (Tracy), Coachs (Donnelly), GMs (Depo) and owners (Fox) are all part of a huge machine. Gears if you will. If you have gears that are warn and not replaced the machine breaks down, regardless of the condition of the others. If you don't have all the peices to make the ******* thing work, you're SOL and watching October baseball from the couch, instead of the sunny side of Chavez Ravine.
you guys hear were going after luis gonzalez?
i think he could put up similar numbers to drew but his arm is a noodle. if we get schmidt im ok with that how bout you guys??
Id rather have GOnzo then Manny if that means keeping the prospects. Plus Power hitters don't do well at Dodger Staduim. Id rather have a doubles guy like Gonzo. He led the league in doubles last year
Smack dab on Gary. We were in the mess we were in for many years because we didn't have kids, Dodgers, and had an endless string of free agents who were all parts of a different puzzle. The winning Dodger puzzle over the years has been built from the inside with pieces added that fit in terms of position but more importantly in terms of attitude. When we went away from homegrown base, we headed into the long painful stretch. The core of the team has to be Dodger Blue. What happens is this. If Manny is signed there is no money. If he is not signed, there will be money to offer 5 year contracts to young talented Dodgers. It's elementary my dear nkirby4 unless we complicate. With a good foundation of Dodgers we have a chance to win every year. With a team of free agents we have a chance to win once, if that. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
exactly i hope we can snag him and then shoot for Andrew Jones, Torii Hunter or Vernon Wells next year. On a side note i think Joel Guzman is going to make Ned look bad pretty soon here. Thats a little konerkoish right there. we gave up prospects for nothing basically…that move was horrible.
euhlman, I couldn't agree more.
I'll take Luis for a year or two over Manny anyday. Next year V. Wells! Save the money, the farm, and the chemistry.
Holy cow… doesn't anyone here work?? : )
Gonzo's a class act and would fit in nicely for a year or two… if he can be had for cheap.
I like the Gonzo idea and if it doesn't work we're still in line with Loney or Kemp.
nkirby4, that was a lot of heart in your last posting and goes to the point "For the Love of the Game" With that said, I'm confused why you would want a guy like Manny who has no dedication, is past his prime and for so much money ?? His contract alone will stagnent way too many kids from proving themselves.
Besides, it's just plain fun to watch a kid play from the heart and win !!!
Believe in Ray's Kids !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Kevin – When you write your book I want a copy autographed by Vin. You too, of course. Guys there is a "h" of a difference in building with your own and renting from others. Your own make you winners. Big salary free agents make you wHinners.
nkirby4- nice post. Love that passion. I agree we need the pieces. I just don't think we can buy enough to complete the puzzle and excessive long term contracts just create so much inflexibility that future pieces can't be acquired. Here's one – I think we should go to the equalizer – MLB should have a true salary cap. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Nice article, I think:
Good article Benny. I had forgotten the 1965 Dodgers hit only 78 homers and yet won the WS. Also interesting that Pierre's lifetime OBP is higher than Maury Wills. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
Benny, thanks for that. It was a very nice article.
Go Blue!!!
I'm not saying that you trade away all the kids for Manny, All I'm saying is that these are the Dodgers not the Devil Rays ,and right now no matter how good your pitching is, or will be, you still need a big bat or two in this lineup to win. And if it takes a prospect or two to get it , you have to do it. After all winning is what it's all about right?
John Donovan SI writes: Manny's a pain sometimes. Everybody knows it. The goofy attitude. The bemused outfield play. Manny being Manny and all that nonsense. We know.
And Ramirez, let's face it, quit on the Sox last September, too. Plain stopped playing. After the Yankees swept a five-game series from the Sox in Fenway Park late last August, Manny started only eight of the final 38 games — and one of those was at DH. He said he had a sore knee. That about cinched a ticket out of town for Manny, a lot of people think.
From Ken Rosenthal's Article: The Red Sox would be a lesser team with out Ramirez.
For the 153rd time, trading Ramirez would cost the Sox not only their best hitter — indeed, one of the best hitters of all-time — but also diminish the effectiveness of David Ortiz.
Big Papi wouldn't be so peppy if he started walking 200 times per season, that's for sure.
If the Yankees were smart, they would donate a prospect to the Dodgers, Padres or some other team interested in Ramirez, helping that club sweeten its trade package.
The rest of the AL East would rejoice if the Red Sox traded Ramirez and replaced him with a combination of hitters that included — egads! — outfielder J.D. Drew.
Oh, the Sox could sign Drew and shortstop Julio Lugo. They could acquire a promising young hitter such as the Dodgers' Andy LaRoche in their Ramirez package. They could even add another bat or two with their increased financial flexibility.
Yet, even if they could make a separate deal for say, Andruw Jones or Vernon Wells — and they couldn't, for the Braves aren't trading Jones and the Jays wouldn't send Wells to a division rival — the Red Sox wouldn't be as strong offensively…
…One baseball man who knows Ramirez expresses doubt that the slugger would agree to go to San Diego and play his home games at Petco Park, one of the toughest hitter's parks in the majors.
Ramirez, mindful of his Hall of Fame chances, might reject a move to Dodger Stadium for similar reasons. Besides, who's to say that the Dodgers, in the end, would view him as the best possible investment? His defense is even more problematic outside of Fenway Park.
Think about it: The Dodgers could sign free-agent right-hander Jason Schmidt, trade right-hander Brad Penny for a corner outfielder, then take a run at Jones, Wells or Torii Hunter next off-season while retaining all of their top prospects.
Right on Benny. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!
All excellent points. The activity on this blog is truly astounding.
Everybody should have a glimpse at all the other teams' blogs (not all have one). The Yankees have comparable activity, but not as many posts. This is great fun.
nkirby4 So true. I find it great because I am four time zones away so when I check the blog in the morning at 7:00 A.M., the good folks in LA are snoozing at 3:00 A.M. A lot of passion, good old commonsense, LOL. I am always amazed at how much the posters know about the Dodgers and baseball in general. I tell you this is great as winter is starting to settle in here in Nova Scotia in the next 2-3 weeks.
"Think about it: The Dodgers could sign free-agent right-hander Jason Schmidt, trade right-hander Brad Penny for a corner outfielder, then take a run at Jones, Wells or Torii Hunter next off-season while retaining all of their top prospects."*****, that just sums up what most of us have been saying.
Thanks Benny
Okay , say the Dodgers sign Schmidt and trade Penny for an outfielder. My question is unless that outfielder is someone who drives in runs,not Gonzo,how are the Dodgers gonna score runs, THIS year?
Well we still have one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball (Furcal, not Peirre), Kent, Nomar, and a bunch of guys with upside- Martin, Ethier, Betemit, all in their second full years, have some experience now- should only get better. It's not the Brox Bombers, but its also not the 88 Dodgers!
Drew for Pierre (the main change from last year) is a downgrade for sure, but not such a large downgrade that it can't be made up for with some level of gradual improvement of the younger players. Lets not kid ourselves- Drew ended up with fairly good numbers- but he wasn't exactly a one man wreaking crew last year. I don't see much of a downgrade in this years offense, if any.
If Martin, Ethier, Betemit, Loney and Kemp all take small steps forward this year will actually be much better. That isn't an unrealistic hope at all.
dry884. That's still 100 RBIs that you have to replace. It's true somebody might have a better year, but it's also true somebody might have a worse year. We still need to replace those runs batted in and then some if we want to win. I'm talking win more than the division.
10-20 more RBI each from Ethier, Martin, Betemit full years will make that up (remember we had Izzy at 3B, and Navarro catching for about 1/3 of a year). Yuk.
Its not a sure thing for by any means, but nothing is, really. How sure are we Drew plays > 125 games this year? Not very. Or Manny for that matter- he's aging, has a bad wheel.
.280, 20HR, 80RBI from Betemit and Ethier and .290, 15HR, 70RBI from Martin are very possible. That more than makes up the Drew loss.
Nomar maybe a little less productive, Kent should be more….
Who knows- maybe Loney or Kemp break out.
Should be fun anyhow.
drj884, I wrote this a couple of days ago and reiterated today in another blog. I believe it's to your point. I think any big bat that we bring to Dodger Stadium will drop their HR/RBI production 10 to 20 percent — granted this is an educated guess. Instead of the one big bat give me 3 or 4 guys who could possibly hit 20+ dingers. Give me the guys who can easily move two bases at a time. I believe our kids give us this kind of production. Drew's numbers are not hard numbers for this team to make up for.
And, yes, it should be a wild ride.
Fix the bullpen and put Penny on a conditioning program or trade him and we will be fine.
I hope all of you are right, but I'd still like to see a proven run producer in the lineup. That said I also would like to see Loney be the everyday first baseman.
Ned isn't done molding this team together and I'm sure we'll see more changes, I just hope they're small changes !!
Harold, you made note to a salary cap earlier. I agree with the salary cap idea, but the only way it can happen is to have a huge strike that would most likely shut down baseball for at least a year maybe two. The economics alone would kill MLB. My guess is a single division of elite teams, Dodgers, Yankees etc… using the same format as today and then several divisions of teams from around the world, maybe even play year round. This alone would re-route a lot of the international talent and then they could structure a salary cap etc… much like Int'l Soccer. Back during the last big baseball strike I enjoyed the best games I ever went to and watched the kids play. I wouldn't want to see it happen again but it was fun to see !! Bottom line, the hugh amounts of money today are killing the game and as long as guys like Steinbrener keep spending, someone is going to be there to take it !! Much like giving your sole to the DEVIL !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Yes, and Drew didn't drive in 100 runs with special power numbers or clutch hits. Really quite ordinary, actually.
Batting with either Furcal or Lofton in scoring position half the time makes a big difference.
Drews big lure is OBP, hopefully we can get by without that.
I think we can.
Salary cap brought parity to the NHL in a hurry. It seems to me that the fans in every city should have the opportunity to have a WS winner. Under the present set up that is not too likely very often. The one reason is that they can't afford to pay their young stars and have to lose them. In essence they become a farm team for the rich guys on the block. A very good example of that is the former Expos who could have really challenged if they could have kept their players. Gary your observation might be the next major development in the world of baseball now that it has become international. Something has to be done to rid the game of the insanity with unreasonable contracts and constant rotation of rosters. Owners alone can't because they will be found guilty of collusion. Maybe it has to come with the assistance of the players as they did in the NHL with the Brendan Shanahan plan for fair play on the ice to make the game more fan friendly. I expect there would be problems with a cap as we know Mr. Steinbrenner would not follow it and agents would go out of their minds. Looks like Zito is going to cash in big time. We need good Ned, not big. Anxious to see what happens at those meetings. Go Ned!! Go Dodgers!!


text:
withjc on Family Tree Circles
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Journals and Posts
George Stephen League
It seems as if George Stephen League will always remain a mystery to me, and while I find quite a lot of info on his life in Kentucky, the only thing I have before this is that his birthplace in Virginia and that he was born in 1806. I also know that he was an orphan but have no information other than that.
Thomas Austin
Thomas Austin was born in 1745 in either Massachusetts or Rhode Island in either the township of Falmouth or Barnstable; married Mary Dawley who was born about 1745, and died June 5, 1834.
Freeman Austin was born March 26, 1770 in Rhode Island and married Catherine Van Wagenen April 18, 1799 in Westchester County, New York. He died April 24, 1856 in Ophier, LaSalle County, Illinois. Catherine Van Wagenen died on October 16, 1835 in Niagara County, New York.
Reverend Simeon Austin was born near the township of, "Breakneck Hollow". He was converted to the Methodist faith in Niagara County, the town of Porter, New York, state in the year of 1834. This took place in the school house near the house of Mr. Jack Moots. He united with this same church called "Society Methodists," and took a license to preach at the age of twenty two years in the same church where he converted to this faith. He was licensed at the annual conference of that church the following June, and was appointed to labor the field in Michigan. From this time forward he went about the country in His labor until the time of his death which occurred tje twentieth of May 1899 at five A.M.
Nearly thirty years of this time was spent in Nebraska and thirty years was given to the United Brethren. He drew the petition for the first United Brethern Church in Nebraska and led in accuring the same. This is written by Luren Austin abut his father. U.S. Federal Census of Watham, La Salle County, Illinois. Pg printed 277, blue pencil 553, 22 Oct. 1850.
The United Brethren Church permanently organized 30 October, 1873 at Pleasant Hill, La Saline County, by Bishop J.J. Glassbrenner. From page 746-747 History of Nebraska by "Morton."
Simeon left Henderson, Illinois in August 1870 to head for Nebraska. My great-grandmother;(Simeon's daughter), Celestia Emmaretta Mariah was traveling on this trail along with his wife Betsey Maria, maiden name (Whitten), to whom he was married on January 11, 1844. Simeon worked as a carpenter to supplement his income. They settled in York County, Nebraska where my great grandfather, Reuben League met and married my great grandmother, Celestia Emmaretta Mariah Austin.
They lived in a sod house, and also build a church out of sod which they shared with another denomination. The church benches were haybales.
My Great-Great grandmother, Betsey Maria worked in as a housewife and mother and assistant to her husbands ministry. When at her own home she worked in her bare feet to save her shoes for church and outdoor work. She grew beautiful flowers, saved all her flour sacks to make clothing for her children and diapers for the babies. They also ran the post office for a couple of years.
Celestia Emmaretta Mariah and Reuben Mixem League married on August 20, 1872 in York County, Nebraska. Reuben had served in the Union of the Civil War and was honorably discharged on the 10th of July, 1865.
How do I find out about George Stephen League who was born in 1806, Virginia and Thomas League who was born in 1780, California?
How do I find out about George Stephen League who was born in Virginia in 1806 and Thomas League who was born in Californian in 1780?
Thomas League. My Uncle told me that our family (Leagues) fled France because of persecution. I do not know if this is true; have no records, or anything to back it up. They may have fled to England first and scattered throughout the United Kingdom. Just guessing at this point, but eventually they moved to America. I know very little about Thomas League; who I have told was George Stephen Leagues father.(1860 and 1870 Illinois Federal Census) list George League as being born in Virginia in 1806, and at some point became an orphan. In 1835 George League married Mary Catherine Etherton. They lived in Kentucky until the year 1849 or 1850 when their children are recorded as being born in Illinois.
George Stephen League; my Great, Great Grandfather was always said to be a lay minister; or preacher, whichever you refer for the Methodist church no one has come up with any evidence for that; however, if you understand what was going on in the early 1800's it is possible to believe that he was. Also, I have no records for George Stephen League before 1835, or no one has given me. I did receive a marriage license from the Green County Courthouse for their marriage. So I do not know when he moved to Kentucky. Also, there is another possibility, just guessing at this point, but at some point part of Virginia divided up and was given to the state of Kentucky. Thus some people were born in Virginia and ended up being in Kentucky without ever having to move.
There may be other possibilities also.
The Ethertons: Benjamin Etherton; 5 Greats, who was born in Virginia in 1748, is said to be the father of Moses Etherton; my Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather, was born in 1770 in Virginia and came to Green County, Kentucky as a young man. Moses married Rachael Skaggs May 19, 1789 in Bardstown, Nelson County, Kentucky. He was a Baptist Minister at the Brush Creek Baptist Church and later at the Liberty Baptist Church. Reverend Moses joined the Liberty Baptist Church in 1801. Reverand Moses Etherton has his first son; William, in 1790 in Kentucky and this is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather. and he married Mary Elkins in 1804 in Kentucky. Mary Catherine; my Great, Great Grandmother was born in 1815 in Green County, Kentucky, and was his third child. Moses also had a son who became a minister, Reverend Elijah Etherton who became a preacher at the Liberty Baptist Church, and his son James Etherton also became a minister at the Liberty Baptist Church in Green County, Kentucky. George Stephen League also helped out as a messenger at Liberty Baptist Church in Green County, Kentucky. All of the children of George Stephen League and his wife Mary Catherine moved to Illinois with them and so did William Etherton,and his wife Mary; who were Mary Catherine's parents.
The Etherton side of my family~
My Great, Great Grandmother was Mary Catherine Etherton, daughter of William Etherton and Mary-(Elkin) Etherton. She was married to my Great, Great Grandfather George Stephen League. They moved to Illinois in 1850 or close to that; from Green County, Kentucky. Perhaps in 1849. Mary Catherine's father and mother; William Etherton Senior and Mary (Elkin~:Maiden name) Etherton. Stephen Walter Etherton also moved to Illinois. William Jr. was 23 in the year 1850, and Nancy was 18 in 1850.
Stephen and Peggy Anne (Smith~b. in Illinois, had three children in 1850 listed on the census record. James, age 2, William age 4, and Charles was 1 month old. Stephen Walter died in Bloomington, Nebraska.
Their children are Williams-1846, James-1849, Charles-1850, Samuel-1852, Theodor Clayton-1854, Mary K.-1856, John-1858, Emma-1864, Zacharia-1867, Ulysses Grant-1870, Joseph F. 1870.
William Seniors father was Moses Etherton-born in 1760 0r 1770 to Rachael Skaggs and Moses father was Aaron Etherton born in 1745.
My Grandfather, Floyd League
Floyd Forrest League is my grandfather. He and my grandmother, Nellie Ovendon had ten children.
He was born in Bloomington, Nebraska into a pioneering family. My great, Grandfather was a member of the United Brethren and when he moved to Dundy County, Nebraska at the once existing town of Pleasant Valley, and attended the Friends Church. My grandfather grew up attending this church at least for part of his childhood. The Pleasant Valley Cemetery is located about seven miles North of Benkleman, Nebraska.
My grandfather was a laborer and a prairie pioneer lay preacher. He substituted when other preachers had quit the job, or became ill. You might say that my Grandfather was there when the others weren't. He also worked at different jobs; whatever was available at the time. He worked for the railroad, for ranchers, for farmers, and during the war he worked at an airplane assembly plant. He couldn't be picky about where he worked, because he had ten children to feed.
My grandfather was a kind man, and he loved God. He and my grandmother had beautiful gardens, her a flower garden and my grandfather raise a huge vegetable garden every year. He kept a life size bust of Abraham Lincoln above his stairwell. They had a lot of old fashioned kitchen utensils, a wood burning stove, and a wringer washer. I remember they had an old piano in their living room. I loved visiting them very much. I do not remember any ethnic foods because they had lived in the United States a few generations by then and had always been poor. When your poor you only worry about having enough of whatever is available. Rice must have been inexpensive in those days, because they had so much of it that my Mom will not eat rice to this day. They also had plenty of garden vegetables and fruits though. When we went to go visit, we had new potatoes, corn on the cob, fried chicken, boiled green beans, and strawberries and cream. We also had squash, turnips, lettuce salad with cucumbers and bits of radishes, freshly pulled and boiled carrots, and garden onions.
My grandfather always told me about the big flood, when his oldest daughter woke them up to say there was water surrounding the house. My grandfather had a horse called Stormy, who was very stubborn and almost impossible to ride, but that night he was as calm and gentle and cooperative as any horse ever has been. My grandfather would put two or three children on Stormy's back and carry them to safety, and he did this over and over again until the children, and grandmother were all safe. My mom only remembers water swirling all around her, because she was really young when this happened.
My grandmothers flower garden was beautiful and beside the flower bed was a large, old tree with a tire swing and a tree house. There were irises surrounding the house, and many other flowers also. In the front yard, in those days were large drainage ditches to drain off the water, a dirt road, large and very old trees, and a gravel driveway leading from the front to the back of my grandparent's house. Every time we went to visit them it was like stepping into the sunshine! My grandmother also was always very kind and caring. She died in 1969 when I was twelve and grandfather passed away in 1978. After all these years I still miss both of them.
~FOR MY DAUGHTER~ My daughter is suffering from a rare medical condition...
My daughter is suffering from a rare medical condition and that condition does not exist on my side of the family anywhere. Therefore we think it is on her fathers side, but he is gone and I do not know his parent's names. His name is Robert Allen Thomas and for a long time he lived in McCook, Nebraska. I do not know where he was born or his birthdate, but he did fight in the Vietnam war. It is not about Robert Allen Thomas though, it is about my daughter Jennifer, and she would appreciate any information possible about grandparents, and any ancestors on her father's side. She is a wonderful person and she deserves to know about her family and her medical history.
Floyd League married Nellie Ovenden, father Crandell Ovenden
My Grandfather, Floyd Forrest League married Nellie Ovenden. Her father was Crandell Ovenden, married to Lucy Gowey and the Ovenden family came from England. Perhaps Kent County, England.
Betsy Maria Whitten, Both parents Scottish~
My Great, Great, Great Grandfather Simeon Austin was married to Betsey Maria Whittier or Whitten. Her mother's maiden name is (Underwood) from Scotland and her father, a Whitten was also from Scotland. They came to the state of New York from Canada.
My Great Grandfather Reuben League married Maria Celestia Emmaretta Austin. Simeon Austin was her father, my Great, Great Grandfather and he was a minister of the United Brethren. He moved to Nebraska from New York but lived in Illinois for awhile, where my Great Grandmother was born.
Simeon Austin started the United Brethren Church in the area that is now York, Nebraska but than was only York County, Nebraska. They worshiped in a sod church, with hay bales for chairs, and they shared the church with another denomination. My Great Grandfather Rubin League converted to the United Brethren and married my Great Grandmother, where she raised her family as a pioneer women. Doing all her work barefooted and saving her only pair of shoes for church. She made her children's clothing out of flour sacks and they were very devoted to the Lord. Floyd League was one of their children and my Grandfather.
Thomas Austin is my Great, Great, Great Grandfather.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you are suicidal and thinking "I Want To Die" or "I Want to Kill Myself," the most important thing is that you get help for yourself. If you cannot find help, this article should help guide you in the right direction. In order to get better, you need to reach out for help. Being suicidal can feel like an everlasting trap and you may start believing that no matter what you do, what you try, or however much will power you put forth, you will never get better. Although most people have different stories leading them to feel like killing themselves, the one thing that suicidal individuals have in common is that they want to die, but deep down, if they could get rid of the emotional pain, they would like to live a fulfilling life.
I Want To Die / Kill Myself: Coping With Suicidal Thoughts
When you are suicidal, I have found that three aspects of intervention are absolutely necessary to facilitate a full recovery. These three aspects include: social support, distraction, and professional help. Although it is imperative that you get some sort of professional help, you cannot be with professionals 24 hours a day 7 days a week. In the times when you feel most alone, you need at least one person who will listen to you talk, and even if they cannot provide good advice or a solution, be supportive and allow you to vent.
Additionally, when you don't have anyone to talk to and are alone, I've found that distraction is necessary. If you don't distract yourself, you may end up moping in a room all day by yourself and feel even worse that you didn't do anything by the time the day is over. I've divided this up three ways into things that you should do if you are suicidal.
Social support:
1. Call family – If you are lucky enough to have supportive family members, give them a call and tell them what is going on. Chances are good that you know someone (at least one person) who you can talk to about how you feel. If you cannot call them, at least text them and tell them what's up.
2. Call a friend – If you don't have any family that you can talk to about how you feel, hopefully you have at least one friend you can vent with. If you have no friends or don't feel comfortable talking about your feelings with them, there are still other options.
3. Call 911 – One way of getting some very good support for the way you are feeling is by calling 911 and explaining to them how you feel. When you call 911, a police officer will talk to you about how you are feeling and help you get to the bottom of the situation. If you do call 911, just know that you have nothing to be afraid of – the police are well trained and will help talk to you about what you can do to feel better. They may make you visit the hospital and get a professional mental health assessment, so keep this in mind should you decide to call 911.
4. Online forums – There are plenty of great online forums on which you can post anonymously and explain your situation. Many people on these forums are going through similar things and share your feelings of wanting to die and depression. One post will likely get you a ton of different feedback from people who have managed to live through their own suicidal days and create a fulfilling life.
Examples of forums include:
- PsychCentral.com
- PsychForums.com
- DepressionForums.org
I have listed them in the order that I recommend. I have given them all a shot and due to the sheer number of people signed up at PsychCentral, you are likely to get a lot of responses in a short period of time. Additionally, there are some extremely helpful souls at the PsychForums. Posting in forums anonymously is better than sitting in a room moping to yourself and holding in all your emotional pain. Share it with the world and let everyone know what you are going through. Someone may end up giving you some great advice or telling you exactly what you need to hear to push through another day.
5. Talklife App (iPhone / iPod / iPad) – A very cool app out to help those who are suicidal and struggling with their feelings is the Talklife app – available for free for iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices. I'm not sure if they are going to make one for Android platforms, but this is truly a gem with a lot of supportive people. You can help others by posting responses, get help by sharing your story and waiting for responses, and also come to learn that other individuals are going through tough times just like you. This is an awesome app if you utilize it correctly.
6. Suicide hotline – There are plenty of free suicide prevention hotlines that you can call anonymously to talk about how you feel if you are feeling suicidal. One example is that of the Samaritans. These are people that are waiting to talk to suicidal individuals and get them some help. At the very least, these anonymous people on the phone can be some sort of social support if you have none at the moment. Talking to a complete stranger is better than talking to no person at all.
7. Create a "life" contract – One good method for preventing suicide is to write up a contract saying that you will not kill yourself. You must share it with your therapist, psychologist, family or all of the above and sign it. This is essentially a promise that you vow to keep that you will not commit suicide. Surprisingly enough, these are pretty darn effective at preventing people from ending their life.
1. Exercise – One of the best distractions from your emotional pain of feeling suicidal is exercise. When you force yourself to work out, you are essentially becoming stronger and healthier. Additionally, in some cases, exercise provides a very quick antidepressant effect. Perhaps the most effective way to feel good is to go for a run – make yourself run at least a few miles. By running a few miles, you will stimulate the production of endorphins (natural feel good chemicals) in your body.
Whether you decide to go for a run, lift weights, do push ups, do pull ups, etc. Some sort of exercise can keep you distracted. Work your body until you are so tired that you think about getting some good sleep instead of suicide. Putting in your headphones, getting some fresh air, and going for a run outside is one of the best feelings in the world – no matter how terrible you currently feel.
2. Read (uplifting book or article) – If you are feeling like ending it all, some uplifting, inspirational reading material can really work wonders for your mind. If you read something positive or inspirational in regards to any aspect of life, it will help you feel better about your situation. Reading is a great distraction because no matter what you read, you are forced to focus on what you are reading instead of the suicidal thoughts cycling through your head. I know it may be difficult to read and stay focused, but having some good reading material handy can help you make it through another day. There are some great personal development websites (i.e. Steve Pavlina), books, and audio tapes (i.e. Tony Robbins) that may help you improve your situation by giving you a more positive perspective on life.
3. TV – If there is a good show on TV, or anything that you like to watch – sometimes simply watching TV can help distract you from your suicidal thinking. Whether it's a sporting event, comedy, or just a show that you've always liked, it may be really helpful to force yourself to watch it if you feel like killing yourself. TV can sometimes be inspirational, funny, but most of all, a good distraction from the way that you are feeling.
4. Journal – For certain individuals, one of the best ways to get out their suicidal emotion is by journaling. Write down how you feel and then write down some ways in which you think you can overcome the feeling. Writing it down and analyzing how you feel helps you become more aware and conscious of yourself and your life. You can learn a lot about yourself by journaling and if you have nobody to vent to, at least getting your suicidal feelings documented will help.
5. Movies – Movies are a great distraction when you are feeling suicidal and distressed. When I was at my most suicidal I watched the entire James Bond series and rented one new release every night until I had seen them all. I think that comedy type movies tend to be most beneficial for those who are suicidal. I would recommend staying away from dramas and movies with a lot of sadness because they may make you feel even worse. Stick to something upbeat and who knows, by the end of it, you may feel pretty good.
6. Fresh air – Get outside, go for a walk, breathe some fresh air and enjoy the outdoors. There is nothing better than getting outside in nature if you feel suicidal. Getting away from all the hustle and bustle and going for a walk to clear your head is one of the best feelings in the world. If it helps, take music, or an inspirational tape with for some sort of mental boost. If you have a dog, take the dog for a walk and just enjoy being outside and feeling free. Even if you feel terribly suicidal, the fact that you are moving and doing something is a positive step.
7. Play a game – There are many types of games you could play including: board games, sports, Nintendo, Xbox, poker, etc. Pick a game that you like and play it. There are computer games, board games, card games, and tons of options. You could even play chess or checkers or try to learn a new game. When you feel suicidal, you can use this game as a distraction to help you cope with your feeling.
8. Food – Treat yourself to some good, healthy, food and see if it helps. If you have been eating too much, or unhealthy as a result of your depression, you may want to stay away from this item on the list. However, if you are suicidal, eating something good may provide you with at least some sort of temporary satisfaction. If you have enough money, order a good meal and enjoy the fact that you get something delicious to eat. Although this may not take away your suicidal feelings, it will help keep you distracted.
9. Sex – If you have a significant other to have some sexual fun with, this can really help improve mood. It helps increase the production of dopamine in the brain and sex is generally considered beneficial for mental functioning. The same effect and level of satisfaction is not typically achieved via masturbation. If you have a partner that you can have sex with (and your sex drive is not nonexistent due to the depression), you may want to have some fun – it could be a good temporary distraction from your suicidal feelings.
10. Clean your room – One of the best things you can do for yourself to stay distracted is to stay productive. Acknowledge that you feel suicidal, but make yourself do something to improve your living situation. Something simple that you can do is clean your room. Make your bed, pick up your clothes, do some laundry, vacuum, dust, organize, etc. Having a cleaner room and the sense of accomplishment you'll get may distract you from how crappy you feel.
11. Art – Many people that have depression or are suicidal are great at drawing and creating artwork that helps express how they feel. Although dwelling on your emotion to create art may be painful, the act of creating artwork can help you get all of your feelings out and share them with the world. Additionally, if you are very musically inclined, you may want to write a song or play an instrument to help keep yourself distracted.
Professional help:
1. Psychotherapist – There are some great psychotherapists out there that may be just as smart and equally as equipped to help suicidal individuals as psychologists. The great thing about psychotherapists is that you can talk to them, they listen to what you have to say, and they come up with some solutions to help get you back on the right track mentally. If you are feeling suicidal, they will help you determine what is causing you to feel so down in the dumps and then come up with a plan to help you correct the situation.
2. Psychologist – There are some great psychologists that genuinely want to help people who are suicidal turn things around and make a full recovery. Psychologists are highly trained individuals that know how to help people struggling with thoughts of suicide and depression. Additionally many will help you come up with solutions for overcoming depression, feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and can recommend various treatments depending on what is causing you to feel suicidal.
3. Psychiatrist – If you are suicidal all the time and don't know what to do, somewhere along the line you will want to visit a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist will likely diagnose you with depression and give you some medication to try to help you overcome your depression. Although medications can be a pain in the butt to deal with, they do help a lot of people get through rough patches. If you feel suicidal all the time, every day, and don't know what to do, a psychiatrist will prescribe you a medication that will produce some chemicals to make you feel better about yourself. Most people who commit suicide do not realize that there are tons of different treatment options available and that one medication could turn their entire life around and change their entire reality: from extreme despair and sadness to happiness within weeks.
Life is Temporary: Death Is Permanent
Just know that there is always hope for your future. Science is advancing at such a quick rate that there could be a cure tomorrow for whatever ails you. If you have a mental disorder, there may be an amazing new treatment that you don't even know about. The key is getting yourself in touch with the right people for help. Wanting to die and/or kill yourself are not solutions to the problem at hand. The problem is that you are suffering. You need to take a look at yourself from the inside out and work towards making positive changes. Find one area of your life to improve so that you feel less depressed tomorrow.
If you have done everything on this list you should feel better and continue to improve your situation. Keep showing up, keep putting forth effort, keep trying, and eventually you will get better. It may not be overnight, it may not be in a week, a month, or a year, but when you figure out what works, you will be happy that you stuck around to enjoy life. You will look back at the time when you were suicidal as a mere "bump in the road" on the path to becoming the strongest version of yourself. If you can make it through this tough time, you can make it through anything. Choose to live.


text:
19 speakers and 9 candidates, but no women: architects demand gender equality statement from Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)
Architects have hit out at The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) for failing to book a single female to speak at its high-profile annual convention and for the absence of women candidates in the upcoming council elections.
Kieran Gaffney of Edinburgh-based practice Konishi Gaffney has written to the organisation about its line-up which includes Gareth Hoskins, John McAslan and Eric Parry but no women.
On Twitter, Gaffney said: 'Just written to RIAS about their all-male conference. Who's going to back me up?' He added: 'RIAS council members voting forms arrived today. 9 out of 9 are men standing for Council'.
In the letter, Gaffney called on the RIAS to issue a gender equality statement and take steps to ensure women are represented at future events.
Read the full letter
Described as the 'single most significant event in the Incorporation's annual calendar', the convention will take place in Aberdeen from 10 to 12 May and is titled 'Reconnecting with the Past'.
Charles Renfro of Diller Scofidio + Renfro which won a contest to revamp Aberdeen's Union Terrace Gardens (scheme pictured) is speaking at the event along with Kengo Kuma who is designing a £47 million outpost for the V&A in Dundee.
Barbara Weiss of Barbara Weiss Architects said: 'I'm absolutely surprised that in this day and age people are still putting forward speakers that are 100 per cent one gender.
'People need to be a lot more sensitive to these issues. There's an acknowledgement at the moment that things are beginning to move forward but it's obviously not yet hit the Scottish scene.'
Liane Hartley of Mend described the line-up as 'sadly representative'. She said: 'The strapline "Reconnecting with the past" says it all – we are clearly stuck in the past and failing to recognise women's standing in this profession.'
She said women 'need to be supporting and promoting each other's good work,' but should not be represented on a 'tokenistic level'.
'It's our responsibility as women too to get ourselves out there, be pushy and confident about our own voice and our contribution and get ourselves on to councils, panels,' she said.
Commenting on the lack of women standing for RIAS council, Clare Wright of Wright & Wright Architects said: 'Scotland has a very longstanding reputation for encouraging and supporting women in the professions and in education. There are excellent articulate candidates, who would represent aspects uniquely related to the 50 per cent of students and trainees who are women.
'It is surprising that they have neither put themselves forward nor stood for Council. One has to ask why?'
Chris Williamson of Weston Williamson said the absence of women speakers at the convention 'reflects badly' on the RIAS.
'Greater effort needs to be made to encourage participation from a wider, diverse membership,' he said.
Elena Tsolakis of Elena Tsolakis Architects said the line-up reinforced a 'stereotype' that architects had been working hard to dispel.
'This is a missed opportunity for the RIAS to engage with women who want to be part of the industry and with those who are already a part of it,' she said.
In response, RIAS secretary and treasurer Neil Baxter said the organisation had approached women to speak but none were available.
He said: 'We end up, not by intent or design, with an excellent group of speakers all of whom happen to be male.'
He added: 'There are many who would advocate positive discrimination for all fields of human endeavour. There are others who would see that as discrimination.'
Kathryn Findlay has confirmed that she was asked to speak at the RIAS convention, but was forced to decline due to a prior commitment to speak at the National | Architecture Conference in Brisbane, Australia from 10-12 May. 'I was certainly asked, as I was last year, but couldn't make it.'
The full RIAS response
Dear Kieran,
As you will be aware, the Incorporation has never pursued a positive discrimination policy. As it happens, the senior architects and clients on many of the very specific topics of this year's Convention (Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, Union Terrace Gardens, V&A Dundee) are male. However, the topics are pertinent and relevant to the profession and/or Aberdeen. It is also the case that we did speak to a number of female architects about potential participation in this year's Convention, not because they are women. Unfortunately, as it turned out, none of them were able to manage, so we end up, not by intent or design, with an excellent group of speakers all of whom happen to be male.
We have also been informed, by the press, that you have publicly questioned the candidates list for this year's RIAS Council Election on the basis that all candidates are male. As you should be aware, Council candidates are self-nominated. The invitation went without fear or favour to all of the Incorporation's membership. No female architects have stood for election, therefore there are no females on the list. However, you have my absolute assurance that we would encourage all our members, irrespective of gender, to stand.
I know there are many who would advocate positive discrimination for all fields of human endeavour. There are others who would see that as discrimination.
Yours sincerely,
Neil Baxter
Secretary & Treasurer
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
Readers' comments (6)
Well put Neil!
Neil Baxter's response shows a quite shocking disdain and ignorance of what the issues are. To suggest that inviting even one woman is a form of positive discrimination is blatant sexism, and for that alone he should offer his resignation.
But the real nastiness, and betrayal of the exclusionary agenda that the RIAS appear to support, is in the final sentence, in which he implies that the inviting of women, as a form of 'positive discrimination' (a term that is a canard of the unreconstructed right and Daily Mail - join the club Mr Baxter) is also a form of discrimination against men. To think that is, I suppose, his personal right, but to say it in public as the secretary of a representative body is an indication of quite how far male attitudes are entrenched in architectural culture, and shows quite how important initiatives such as the AJ's Women in Architecture are.
I guess that somewhere in a gilded parlour in Edinburgh, my response will be dismissed as 'politically correct'. Welcome to that Victorian club too, Mr Baxter.
Jeremy Till
I am fairly amazed that Neil Baxter, representing RIAS, does not see the complete lack of women speakers at their conference as a problem. It was the very first thing that struck me when I saw the brochure. We live in a world where women design, commission and use buildings, just the same as men and to not show any recognition of this seems ill considered. If RIAS would like some assistance in finding women to speak at their conference they could try reading this: http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/how-to-avoid-a-gendered-conference/.
It doesn't reflect our society to simply say none were available.
Firstly, thanks to Keiran Gaffney and AJ for raising this issue and for the great work carried out by the Women in Architecture team.
There are a raft of problems that exist within our profession and wider construction industry.
However, the issue of gender, opportunity and representation is one that we must not ignore or, more shockingly, deny. The issues are deep-rooted and complex.
There has never been a better time to address this issue here in Scotland. This begins by confronting apathy and resistance through positive action - as a matter of urgency. There are already some initiatives developing (formation of alternative speaker lists, planned group meetings etc).
We will all prosper from quality workplaces, holistic built environments and colourful public forums. Firstly, these must be multi-faceted and dynamic. Created by, and for the benefit of, both men and women.
As a female architect in practice for 0ver 20 years, I support the views expressed by Neil Baxter.
Emily Pankhurst? .....a century ago. Catch up everyone!
We are PEOPLE in a profession regardless of gender. If you're good at your job, you will get to the top. If you're not, you won't. Equally, men are represented at the bottom of the profession, and possibly outnumber women in that position too. Oh dear!
Dear Amanda,
What you state is ideal, but the statistics don't back it up.
From our survey of nearly 700 women and 100 men, and compared to salary data from RIBA and the AJ100, women are paid significantly less for the same full-time position.
By your logic, that means women just aren't good at their job, otherwise they would 'rise to the top'.
The reality is that statistics show the glass ceiling in pay and position still exists.
While 25 per cent of men working full-time are paid over £51,000 per year, just nine per cent of full-time working women are paid as much.
And while 40 per cent of women working full-time are paid £25,000 or less per year, just a quarter of full-time working men in architecture are paid as little.
According to RIBA Appointments' salary guide, which does not include figures for director pay, architects should earn between £34-45,000 per annum, while associates should earn £37-50,000.
Median pay for directors for the last two years in the AJ100 was £75k. Median pay for associates in the AJ100 was £46,000 last year, while median pay for architects was £37,000.
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