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1 Labor Day City and Chamber Offices Closed
12 Noon – Gambino's Chamber Board of Director's Monthly Meeting
13 9 a.m. - Community Center Live and Silent Auction to benefit Steve & Phoebe Janzen
16 6:45 a.m. – Community Center MEDI Monthly Meeting
18 Noon – Community Center MAC Monthly Meeting
18 Noon – Library PRIDE Meeting
19 Noon – Community Center Chamber Monthly Luncheon & Business Meeting Please call or e-mail - Our meal will be prepared by Subway, and our for Reservations. program will be presented by St. Luke Hospital.
20 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Central Park 36th Annual Art in the Park and Craft Show Free Shuttle Bus to park New vendors coming from out of state! Something for from Marion Die & Fixture everyone! Guys, check out the western items and leather on West Main or the baseball goods. Be sure to visit the food court and support our local fields on Eisenhower Drive. organizations and businesses. Gift certificate drawing 4 p.m.
25 MHS Community Service Day – contact Lisa Johnson
27 8 a.m. County Lake Old Settler's Day Run to benefit Steve & Phoebe Janzen
27 11 a.m. Main Street Old Settler's Day Parade, followed by food & fun in the park
28 Lunch at Noon Valley United Methodist Church 145th Celebration - Come worship & stay for lunch. Please call the church at 382-3142 for lunch reservations.
Thanks to the following businesses: Carlson's Grocery, Central National Bank, G&J Video, Marion National Bank, Marion Pharmacy, Shelter Insurance – Doug Heerey, Subway, Tampa State Bank, and Webster's Auto Service. Special thanks to the Marion Manufacturing team for donating back their chamber gift checks, to Tampa State Bank for having three teams, and to Marion National Bank for helping pay for the food. Others also donated back their chamber gift checks. We can't thank you all enough! This fundraiser will help our budget stretch to finish out the year. YOU ALL ROCK!!!
Thanks a bunch to G&J Video for donating the chamber gift checks for this year's school breakfast!
**Our October Luncheon will be a SOUP COOK-OFF!!! (Something new instead of our chili cook-off.)


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Find a Conversation
|Sun, 04-11-2010 - 1:20pm
Sitting here at my computer a few minutes ago, I caught a motion outside... a flock of turkeys were walking by on our road!
|Mon, 04-12-2010 - 8:50am
No turkeys here but the birds are making a real racket-symphony. So many different songs being sung! Beautiful day here today. Mason got up in a wonderful mood. And my ankles don't hurt. And I feel blessed!
|Mon, 04-12-2010 - 3:57pm
How kool is that, Dovie? I haven't seen the wild hen turkey for quite a while now. She used to land in my back yard, and once, I saw her out in my front driveway, pecking away at the small pebbles of gravel. I snapped pictures, but finding them would be quite a task, since I'm not sure which album they are in.
Of course, with alert, barking dogs sounding warnings from time to time, I'm sure she'll find another place to light.
Ahhh...the joys of living in the country where we can see wildlife visiting once in a while....

subset: commoncrawl


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What makes a romantic hotel? Many Best Loved Hotels are romantic for different reasons depending on your outlook. You may have fallen in love with that cosy retreat with the plush sofas and long melodramatic views of the gorse covered highlands. The city boutique hotel may be more your idea of romance with its elegant rooms, discreet service and lavish spa facilities. Whatever your requirements, you can be sure that you will find Best Loved Romantic Hotels in Achiltibuie to match.
Here is no hotel match your search criteria.
North of England
This June and July, B&B during the week from just £52.50 per person sharing.


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hey, where can I get that cable hope picture at??
Limited Membership
Originally Posted by ottojimotto
I'm starting to think maybe this team does have some talent, we just need some coaching.
I'm very glad more and more are starting to see the reality. Roster is fine we need a few changes here and there (stud C, pass-rushing stud DE, #1 WR, etc), just 4-5 pieces, but when reading some posts it sounds like we are fielding a bunch of UDFAs and thus the excuses for Dennis and Reggie.


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Till we meet again.
Well tumblr I'm sorry to say but for 2 years I will not be able to indulge in the wonder brilliance and magnificence you hold. Now I will be going on a mission to help other people out and I just hope that you never stop changing and becoming more wonderful by the day with all the brilliant people on here I'd say you're in good hands. So farewell I hope to see what you hold for me when I return. Hopefully I don't loose all the wondrous followers that I have. I shall miss thee. Farewell.


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Word: Paradiskorn
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Paradiskorn = Paradis Barley
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Reducing stress one exhale at a time …exploring Southern California and beyond
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Awards and Recognition
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Natural Wonders–good exhales!
The Darwin and Zena Stories
Who is breathing lighter?
Monthly Archives:
August 2012
Let's practice "Drop, Cover and Hold On!" How do you respond in an emergency?
That's not a swarm of bees…Better update YOUR emergency supplies!
A perfect weekend. Celebrating the ordinary.
A little trailer in the big woods…trees, sky and an Indian Preserve creates a well-being bonanza!
Holding onto summer with a visit to Surf City U.S.A.
Do you have an embarrassing high school moment? Doesn't everyone? Was yours in leotards?
Are you ready for post Olympic letdown? Maybe they can bring back Wide World of Sports?
Earthquakes, Hemp and Bob Marley…Only in California?
Balboa or Hawaii…I have islands on my mind and the Plumeria to back me up!
Darwin and Pinky make a run for the border…we are NOT amused!
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Your search for HIV or AIDS returned 31 results. Search again.
New Approach Uses Immune Cells To Deliver Anti-HIV Medications
Nano-antiretroviral therapy (nano-ART) turns macrophages—one of the very cell types that HIV uses to replicate and spread through the body—into carriers for anti-HIV medications. The approach has the potential to make treatment for HIV easier and more effective.
Expanded HIV Screening Projected To Decrease Spread of the Virus
Intensified screening for HIV among injection drug users receiving opioid agonist therapy could prevent more than twice as many new infections as current screening practice. A recent study based on mathematical modeling found that screening every 6 months instead of annually, and adding viral RNA testing to the currently used HIV antibody testing, could improve both effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Study: Treat Jail Detainees' Drug Abuse To Lower HIV Transmission
Active drug use before incarceration was associated with decreased engagement in HIV treatment among HIV-infected jail detainees. The severity of drug dependence correlated with worsening measures of engagement in HIV treatment. The study concludes that evidence-based treatment for drug abuse in jails may result in improved HIV treatment outcomes, which in turn could help slow HIV-transmission rates in the United States.
HIV Infection Accelerates Hepatitis C–Related Liver Fibrosis
Study patients with HIV–hepatitis C coinfection progressed to successive degrees of severity of liver fibrosis 9 years sooner than those infected with HCV alone. Further findings from the study suggest that suppressing HIV with antiretroviral medications may slow HCV-related liver fibrosis.
Dr. Marilyn Huestis Q & A: Matching Drug Effects to Drug Concentrations
Dr. Marilyn Huestis of NIDA's Intramural Research Program talks about conducting research on drug effects with human subjects, developing tests to help law enforcement identify drugged drivers, and an assay to help identify children whose prenatal exposure to anti-HIV drugs may put them at risk for adverse developmental outcomes.
Study Endorses Onsite HIV Testing Without Risk Reduction Counseling
Patients were more likely to take a rapid HIV test when substance abuse treatment programs offered the test onsite rather than referred for offsite testing. Patients were equally likely to accept and learn their HIV status whether the offer of onsite testing was accompanied by 30 minutes of risk reduction counseling or by 5 minutes of brief information on the testing procedure. Onsite testing accompanied by brief information was cost effective, taking into account the projected lifetime costs of treatment and the gains in health and longevity for detected cases.
Deadline Approaching: U.S.-Mexico Drug Abuse Prevention Research Fellowship
Researchers interested in applying for the NIDA U.S.-Mexico Drug Abuse Prevention Research Fellowship need to submit application materials by April 1, 2013.
Seek-Test-Treat-Retain To Stop the Spread of HIV
Despite the advances in treatment and prevention, roughly 50,000 new HIV infections still occur annually in the Nation. Research, in large part supported by NIDA, has produced a strategy to address this circumstance and break the epidemiological impasse: seek out HIV-infected individuals, particularly those in "hard-to-reach" groups that have minimal contact with the health care system; offer them HIV testing and treatment; and provide support to help them stay in treatment.
Antiretroviral Treatment Reduces Spread of HIV Among Injection Drug Users
Women and Sex/Gender Differences Research Program
NIDA Recognizes Developer of a New Business Model for Science
Prison Use of Medications for Opioid Addiction Remains Low
Describes results from a nationwide survey among correctional facilities on the use of opioid replacement therapy for people who are addicted to heroin.
Intensive Interventions Reduce Risky Sexual Behaviors
HIV Treatment Interruption Is Pervasive After Release From Texas Prisons
Describes a study revealing that HIV-infected prisoners in Texas often experience an interruption in treatment following their release and that assistance in filling out paperwork can reduce these interruptions.
Four Scientists Receive Avant-Garde Awards
Recognizes four scientists for the 2009 Avant-Garde Award for HIV research, an award intended to stimulate groundbreaking research for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in drug abusers.
Crack Cocaine Promotes Progression of HIV Infection to AIDS
High, Persistent Rates of Risky Sexual Behaviors in Delinquent Youth
James A. Inciardi (1939-2009)
NIDA's 35th Anniversary: Science Focused on Solutions
Commemorates NIDA's 35th anniversary and highlights some of the major accomplishments since the Institute's inception in 1974.
Study Gives Green Light to Antiretroviral Medications for HIV-Infected Injection Drug Users
Reports finding from a study showing that access to antiretroviral therapies, HAART in particular, can improve the health of HIV-infected patients who have a history of injection drug use.
Three Scientists Receive Grants for Innovative AIDS Research
Announces the recipients of the inaugural Avant-Garde Award for research to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS in drug abusers, Drs. Julio Montaner, Ileana Cristea, and Jerome Groopman.
Conferees Discuss Ways to Eliminate Disparities in Care
Presents highlights of a meeting summit to discuss ways to eliminate disparities in care, particularly as they relate to drug abuse and HIV.
Research Addresses Needs of Criminal Justice Staff and Offenders
Highlights a project in which nine research centers collaborate with criminal justice partners to test science-based tools for integrating drug abuse treatment in prisons and probation and parole programs.
Selenium Shows Promise as an Adjunct Therapy for HIV
Reports on a randomized controlled trial of HIV-infected men and women who, as a result of receiving selenium supplements, experienced lower HIV viral load and greater CD4 cell count.
Morphine Speeds AIDS Onset in Monkeys
Highlights the work of investigators who discovered key ways in which morphine may accelerate the progression of AIDS in animal studies.
HIV Patients Show Better Immune Recovery With Early Initiation of HAART
Researchers Report on Progress of NIDA's Southern Africa Initiative
Journal Highlights Global Nexus of Drug Abuse and HIV/AIDS
Latest Information on MDMA/Ecstasy, Steroids, and HIV/AIDS Is Available on NIDA's Web Site
Announces updates to research reports on MDMA/ecstasy and steroids and a new report on HIV/AIDS that provide the latest available information on drugs and drug-related topics.


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CH Robinson to manage new Robinson Fresh® Operations facility
| October 16, 2014 | Transport Intermediaries
C.H. Robinson announced that the company has begun operations out of a new, state of the art facility in Corona, CA in order to provide Robinson Fresh® customers with expanded and efficient supply chain solutions. Read More »


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got this in my email, tried it,added a few touches, delicious. i buy the precored pineapple for convenience on a workday, and i used my home grown peppers and basil.
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African Ethnic Birthing Stool Chair
African Ethnic Birthing Stool Chair
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Sold Date: 03/19/2011
Channel: Online Auction
Source: eBay UK
Category: Ethnic, Folk & Native American Art
African Ethnic Birthing Stool Chair
Whether bought for the purpose for which it was intended originally, or as an accent feature in an ethnic designed interior, this African birthing chair is cleverly carved from one piece of wood for the rear support, and incorporates elephants, lamas and treas, to create a high slightly reclining back support, while the seat is low and extends to slot through the back support, as photographed. This chair dismantles into two sections and will be shipped as such.
Made from an African hardwood, it has been wax finished, and has a few worm holes underneath the seat which have been extensively treated for your added peace of mind.
Dimensions assembled: Seat height: 32 cms Max. height of back support: 100 cms Depth: 80 cms
I'll leave the pics to describe this best. Please note any other items displayed are not included, but to give an idea of scale.
As with all my listings, this is a vintage item and as such does come with some evidence of age. If you are looking for pristine condition, then this might not be for you. I do try to give an accurate description of the condition, as I hope my feedback testifies, but this is always relative. I would urge you, therefore, where possible to arrange a viewing by prior appointment to satisfy yourself prior to bidding. Do bear in mind that Ebay final prices often reflect the fact that an item is being bought sight unseen and, there is, therefore, an element of risk , which is why it is always preferable to buy from a Reputable Seller like ourselves, with a long-established 100% Positive Feedback Rating. That said, the end price is likely to be much lower than you would pay in an antique shop where the cost of overheads is built in to the retail price.
Thank you for looking.
See my other listings for more great items!
Would the successful bidder please make contact via email or phone within 24 hours of the auction close to notify me of their intentions regarding payment & collection/delivery. My contact details will be noted on the invoice sent upon auction close.
Would International Bidders please note that payment from overseas can only be accepted via Pay Pal.
1. Personal Cheque: I allow 5 working days' clearance of cheques from banking, so please bear this in mind if you require your item quickly. As we are in a village, it is not always possible to bank cheques on the day of receipt. You might want to consider an alternative method, if so. Would you please make cheques payable to J. Willis - not Owl Cottage Collectables.
2. Pay Pal: If you wish to pay by Debit or Credit Card it is easy to do so via Pay Pal. It is the Seller who is charged for this service and while we do not pass this cost on to the customer, we would appreciate prompt payment via Pay Pal. It can take up to 5 days for a Pay Pal payment to be transferred to our bank account - so if you delay payment by Pay Pal, this delays our reimbursement costs to that extent + the extra 5 days!
3.Please email for arrangements if you are planning to collect personally. Please note that our courier's driver is not authorised to accept cash on our behalf, representing, as they do, a separate company. We will notify you upon close of the transaction if we are able to offer personal delivery, in which case an alternative method of payment might be possible. Please email in advance to ensure this is possible.
Unfortunately, I have now had my fair share of non-paying bidders so I regretfully have to point out that a Payment Reminder will be sent automatically after 3 days via Ebay.
After 4 days a Non-Paying Bidder dispute will be opened in compliance with Ebay's Unpaid Items Policy, and if no satisfactory response is received within 4 days of that, the item will be re-offered. There should be no necessity for it to get to this stage, if the buyer emails or phones to say there was a good reason why they had bid b...
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Results tagged ' 2013 '
My First Game of 2014; Big Autograph Expectations
After nearly seven months, I'm finally attending another baseball game.
Later today, I'm heading out to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP), in Durham, North Carolina, where the visiting Gwinnett Braves are set to take on the defending International League Champion Bulls in game three of a four-game series. With the teams having split the series so far through two games, it's sure to be an exciting game.
The thing I'm most excited about, besides the game itself, is seeing the DBAP for the first time since it underwent a multimillion dollar renovation this past offseason, which involved putting in new lights, new seats, a new playing surface, in addition to changing just about everything you can think of. Anything that helps make the fan experience better I always approve of.
Now, if you've followed my blog for awhile, you know the DBAP is one of the two local minor league ballparks — Five County Stadium, home of the Carolina Mudcats, being the other — that I frequent throughout each baseball season. Though I always enjoy a good baseball game, generally, I only go out to see a game when a good amount of prospects are set to be there, or if an MLB player is playing in a rehab game. Otherwise, I'm content to merely reading the box score each night.
As many of you are aware, within the past couple of seasons, I've developed a big passion for going out to games and getting autographs from the games' most promising young players who are on their way up, and that's the main reason I'm heading over to the ballpark tonight. Not living near any MLB teams, it's truly my only chance to get autographs from what will likely be future MLB stars down the road, and Gwinnett certainly has plenty of them, with Christian Bethancourt, Tommy La Stella and Cody Martin, among others.
However, they're not alone.
The Bulls definitely hold their own when it comes to roster construction. While this year's roster doesn't compare to the one they had last season, which saw Wil Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer as part of the Opening Day roster, their lineup and pitching for this year is set to be good yet again. From Enny Romero to Nathan Karns, and many inbetween, the Bulls stand a good chance of repeating as Champions, and as such, there are numerous players I want to snag an autograph from at some point this year.
But the Braves are the team I'm going for tonight. I'm not going to be trying for any autographs from the Bulls players this time around due to the fact that I can always get them in a few weeks, as opposed to a team that may not return with the same players next time. I learned that lesson last year with Wil Myers. In taking three games to finally get Myers, I missed my chance to get the top opposing teams' players. I won't let that happen this time around.
The way I'm viewing the schedules right now, it's likely that I'll be going out to Durham often this first month, with possibly no trips to see the Mudcats until May. The Mudcats simply aren't that great of a team, and the teams that are going to be visiting aren't that fantastic either. But it's just the opposite for the Bulls, as every team they're playing against throughout April has some really good players on it that I hope to get autos from. Though, it's likely that I won't be blogging about any of it, unless things happen to change.
But that's just the very beginning of what looks to be a great autographing season.
From May through the end of the season, both the Mudcats and Bulls are taking on loaded teams, making it difficult to decide when I want to head out to the ballpark and see certain players in person, though that's a good problem to have.
More significant than that, however, the DBAP is hosting the 2014 Triple-A Home Run Derby and All-Star game in mid July, which will bring in numerous top prospects from the Pacific Coast League which usually never comes closer than Memphis. I truly can't wait until then, as it's a can't miss experience that I'll absolutely be blogging about.
From the exciting Bulls games to kick off the season, to the remaining strong schedules between both the Mudcats and the Bulls, and the All-Star events thrown in there as well, everything combined altogether, it's sure to be an unforgettable season.
The Injury Bug: Numerous Players To Miss Time
Another day, another injury. It seems that's been the common theme as of late, with Michael Bourn, Yu Darvish, Aroldis Chapman and Jurickson Profar being the most recent players to fall victim to what's become somewhat of an injury epidemic around Major League Baseball.
While every year brings injuries throughout both the offseason and the regular season, this year seems to be above average in that department, and the season hasn't even begun yet. Including names such as Patrick Corbin, Manny Machado, Matt Kemp, and Jarrod Parker, among many others, the list of players set to miss Opening Day — the entire season for some players — due to injury continues to grow larger. Although some players aren't that big of a loss overall, some will have a drastic impact on their team's success.
None more so than the loss of Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen for the Braves. Both are set to miss the entire season due to the second Tommy John surgeries of their careers, and losing these key pieces to the Braves' starting rotation will likely have a profound impact on how they perform as a whole. I had the Braves winning the National League East division in 2014, as they did last season, however, the subtraction of these players from the roster could cause them to fall down in the rankings a bit.
But the Braves aren't the only team that could fall down a bit due to an injured player.
Patrick Corbin being out for what could be the entire season will have an effect on the Diamondback's performance this season. Corbin really broke out last year, and was set to lead their starting rotation throughout the coming season. But without him, while the D-backs should still be a good team, they won't be able to give the Dodgers a run for the division title like they previously would've possibly been able to do.
However, the team that will likely see the second biggest drop, behind the Braves, from their predicted finish will be the Athletics, who will be without A.J. Griffin for a good bit of time, but more importantly won't have Jarrod Parker for the entire season. He, like many pitchers I've discussed, is undergoing Tommy John surgery that will keep him out until 2015. With Parker out, the A's will have a difficult time overtaking the Rangers in the American League West division as they've done the past two seasons.
Not all of these injuries have occurred recently, though. A few players that won't be ready for Opening Day had their injuries happen much earlier than this offseason or Spring Training.
Manny Machado, Jose Iglesias, Matt Kemp, and Matt Harvey are all missing a good deal of time due to nagging injuries from 2013, with Matt Harvey (and possibly Jose Iglesias as well) out for the full length of the season. When healthy, all have extreme impacts on their respective teams, so, obviously, not having them being their productive selves is a big loss.
But despite all of the injuries that seem to grow in number everyday, these are the types of things teams just have to play through. You have to compete with what you have. And therefore, it's sure to be an interesting and exciting 2014 season, with there now being just six days until Opening Day.
Q and A With Nick Travieso
Nick Travieso was drafted by the Reds in the 1st round of the 2012 draft. Since the draft, Travieso has had his share of ups and downs, but overall, he's been able to show flashes of his potential to become a top notch pitcher at the major league level, doing fairly well in a couple of minor league seasons.
In his first full season of pro ball in 2013, Travieso spent the year with Class-A Dayton, going 7-6 with a 4.63 ERA. While that's not overly impressive, Travieso was still in the process of learning how develop into the pitcher the many feel he can become. This season, look for Travieso to breakout.
Heading into his second full season in the minor leagues, there are a lot of eyes on Travieso, being so highly ranked. But if he can show what he's capable of, this season and beyond, it shouldn't be too long before Travieso finds himself pitching on the mound up in Cincinnati.
Nick Travieso — top pitching prospect in the Reds' organization — took the time recently to answer some of my questions:
1.) At what age did you first become interested in baseball? Who was your biggest baseball influence growing up?
I actually played hockey before I started playing baseball. I started playing baseball when I was four. My parents got me into it because I would like to throw things around the house. My biggest influence growing up would have to be my dad, mainly because we worked every single day on fundamentals and just getting better all around. He played a huge role in my success throughout my childhood career up to now.
2.) Who was your favorite baseball player growing up? Why?
Growing up I idolized Roger Clemens. I have always been a Yankee fan, and I loved watching the way he pitched. He attacked hitters regardless of who was at the plate, and I wanted to be like him one day.
3.) You were drafted by the Reds in the 1st round of the 2012 draft. What was that process like for you? Where were you when you first found out? Initial thoughts?
The process was tough just due to the fact that I had always planned on attending college. When I first found out, I was with my family and a few friends at my house just watching the draft. The first thing I said was how fortunate I was to be a part of such a great and successful organization.
4.) Although you've played a season and a half of professional baseball to this point, having been a relief pitcher the majority of your time in high school, are you still making the adjustment to being a starting pitcher? What's the most difficult part of the transition? Do you prefer starting or relieving?
It was a very long road for me. I was use to throwing 1-2 innings tops and taking a few days off before pitching again. I always liked closing just because I could throw every pitch as hard as I could and empty the tank knowing that I wouldn't have to throw for a few days again. There were a lot of adjustments, but the biggest one was getting my arm in shape for more than a couple of innings and building my body to gain stamina to maintain velocity. I personally love starting now. I love being in control of the game from the very beginning.
5.) Playing for Dayton in 2013, where attendance is usually high, did pitching in front of the large crowds have any impact on your pitching?
Pitching in Dayton for the first time was something I had never experienced before. I never threw in front of more than about 1,500 people. Coming from extended spring training, where we would have maybe 5 people at a game, to Dayton, where there are 8,000+, yeah, it had an impact. My adrenaline was running, and I couldn't really control it. But as I got more comfortable, I started to be able to control myself and start pitching the way I know how to.
6.) Talk a little bit about life on the road: What's the most difficult aspect of it? What do you do to pass the time?
The hardest thing about being on the road is probably the bus trips. They are brutal. The trips range anywhere from 4-12 hours, and it's hard to do much but sleep. Our road trips usually leave either early mornings or late at night so we catch up on our sleep on the bus. Sometimes we'll have some cards to play or some movies to watch, but other than that, a lot of us use it as rest time.
7.) Is there any one stat that you pay attention to throughout the season? Or do you try to steer clear of them altogether?
It's hard to completely ignore stats. Although stats don't show everything, they are still very important. I try to stay away from them as much as possible but if there is one stat I tend to look at it would be my ERA. That's one stat that's always out there every start on the big screen, so it's one that, no matter how good or bad it may be, everyone can see.
8.) What do you feel went well in 2013? What are your goals for 2014?
I learned a lot in 2013; a lot about how to pitch. Everyone in pro ball can throw, but when you can pitch you have an upper hand. That's one thing I feel went well for me. The fact that I steered away from just throwing and actually learned how to pitch. 2014 is a big year for me. It'll be my second full season and I'm looking forward to it. I felt that the 2013 season was to get use to the whole process, but this year it's time to get out there and battle. I just want to stay healthy throughout the season and pitch the way I know how to.
9.) Favorite TV show? Favorite food?
I'm not so much a TV guy. I watch a lot of fishing/hunting shows, but lately I have been watching 'The Big Break NFL', just because it helps me with my golf game. I'm Cuban, so my favorite food is definitely Cuban food. It's hard to come by during the season, so when I'm home, I take full advantage of it.
10.) Lastly, what advice would you give to kids who are just starting out that dream of playing professional baseball one day?
The two things I would say is to never give up on your dreams and to work hard. I had a lot of ups and downs throughout my baseball career, but I never gave up. You have to be able to keep pushing to make it where you want to be, and you can't be satisfied until you get there. You have to work hard every day to beat out your opponents. One quote I live by is "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard". Never stop working.
Big thanks to Nick Travieso for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can follow him on Twitter: @NTravieso21
2014 Spring Training TTM Autograph Update
Around a month ago, I blogged about the through the mail (TTM) autograph requests I was planning to send off to players during Spring Training. At the end of the post, I stated that I was going to be publishing a blog post every time I received back a few autographs, and now that I've successfully gotten back some of the requests I sent, I figured I'd go ahead and type this entry up. Of the fourteen total TTM requests I sent off, I've received four of them back, with them being from:
Kyle Zimmer is the number 25 overall prospect in all of baseball. Although he didn't have a fantastic 2013 season, going 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA, Zimmer has a ton of upside moving forward, and has many people excited for Kansas City's future. With a fantastic fastball, in addition to an arsenal of a curveball, slider and changeup, Zimmer could, potentially, see his first big league time at some point towards the end of this season.
Albert Almora is the number 18 overall prospect in all of baseball. Though he played in just 61 games last season, Almora is one of the Cubs' highly coveted core prospects — consisting of Kris Bryan, Javier Baez, Jorge Soler, etc. — that are making their way to Wrigley Field. Almora is still several years away from the major leagues, but by batting .329 last year, hopes are high that he will develop into the talented outfielder that he has the ability to become.
This one doesn't need too much explaining. Clayton Kershaw has become one of the biggest superstars over the course of the past few seasons, winning two Cy Young awards in that time frame. Going 16-9 with a 1.83 ERA in 2013, Kershaw should continue to be, arguably, the most dominant pitcher in all of Major League Baseball. He's set to get his first start of the season on March 22nd, in game one of the Opening Series against the Diamondbacks down in Australia.
Eddie Butler is the number 41 overall prospect in all of baseball. Pitching in the 2013 MLB futures game up in New York City, in July, Butler went a combined 9-5 with a 1.80 ERA last season, really putting himself on the map around the league. He held opponents' batting average to a mere .180 for the entire season, and combined with other top Rockies pitching prospect, Jonathan Gray, the Rockies have a fairly good pair of young arms coming their way in the next couple of years.
I still have autograph requests out for Archie Bradley, Taijuan Walker, David Robertson, Mark Appel, Cody Asche, Kris Bryant, Kolten Wong, Mike Napoli, Jake Marisnick and James Paxton. When/if I get any of those back, assuming it's before Opening Day on March 31st, I'll be sure to post another update. Though, there's no guarantee I'll get any more back at all.
National League Predicitions for 2014
For the third season in a row, I'm making predictions (you should too) as to how I feel each Major League Baseball team will fare throughout the coming season. Although I haven't come close yet to predicting the exact finishing order of each division (I picked the Red Sox to finish last in 2013 and they won the World Series), it's a new year, and with it comes a new chance to luck out and get everything right.
I posted my predictions for the American League a few days ago, and today I'm going to give my predictions for the National League (along with my reasoning), starting with the National League East:
1. Braves
2. Nationals
3. Phillies
4. Marlins
5. Mets
I predicted that the Braves would win their division last season, but I didn't see them doing so in such massive fashion. This season, I have them finishing first again, but not by nearly as much. They lost their All-Star catcher, Brian McCann, but top prospect, Christian Bethancourt, should do a good job of filling that role once he arrives at some point this season. Admittedly, they have several players — Dan Uggla, B.J. Upton, etc. — who need to bounce back this year, but having finished so high in 2013 even with those players doing poorly, if those players can be healthy, the Braves should be really good; with Andrelton Simmons and Freddie Freeman being better than ever. Their bullpen, topped of by one of the best closers in the game, Craig Kimbrel, is good, as is their starting pitching, with Mike Minor and Julio Teheran. Everything put together, they should win the NL east.
The Nationals are the only team in the division that I see as having a legitimate shot at beating out the Braves for the division title, but I just don't think it will happen. Despite the addition of Doug Fister this past offseason to an already fantastic starting rotation of Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and Jordan Zimmermann, making their pitching staff one of the best in the division, to go along with a good bullpen, their overall lineup isn't really that great. The Nationals have a good leadoff hitter in Denard Span, as well as showstoppers Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, who are predicted to have great seasons, but I simply don't feel they will be consistent enough as a whole to get the job done night after night. If their offense can produce on a regular basis, they could, potentially, win the NL East, but I still have them coming in second.
As far as the Phillies go, they'll be a much better team than they were last season, but I just can't envision them beating out the Nationals or the Braves for either the first or second spot. Although they should have Ryan Howard back to his old self, after a couple of injury plagued seasons, as well as their All-Star second baseman, Chase Utley, those players alone won't get the job done. They lost Roy Halladay to retirement, and that will definitely impact their starting rotation depth, however, the pickup of A.J. Burnett will do a good job of filling that hole in the starting staff. The Phillies are a relatively old team, with a lot of veterans, but they also have some young talent that will help them out this season. If young stars Ben Revere, Darin Ruf and Cody Asche can have good seasons, the Phillies should be competitive again this year, coming up just short of the postseason.
The Marlins are another team that will be better this season than the previous year, however, they aren't even close to having all the pieces they need to make a run at the top of the NL East division. They have a fantastic pitching ace, Jose Fernandez, a great power hitting slugger, Giancarlo Stanton, as well as an underrated closer, Steve Cishek, but their team doesn't really extend beyond that. The acquisition of Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the Red Sox will be an improvement for them behind the plate, but the Marlins didn't do much more than that to improve their team this offseason. Their future lies with all of the young talent they currently have at the big league level — Christian Yelich, Jake Marisnick, etc. — and the talent they have on the way over the course of the next few seasons from the minor leagues. Until then, the Marlins will have to settle for fourth.
Despite the few good winning streaks that the Mets had last season, I expect them to fall back down a bit in 2014. One of the biggest reasons for their success in 2013 was Matt Harvey, who they'll be without for the entire season. Although they have a decent starting rotation regardless, in Zach Wheeler, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese and Bartolo Colon, who they picked up from the Athletics this offseason, it still won't be enough to finish any better than last, in my opinion. By far, their biggest addition of the winter was Curtis Granderson from the Yankees, as he should provide the Mets with some much needed power. Combined with the always consistent David Wright, Chris Young and Eric Young Jr., the Mets could very well go on some runs again this season. But with a lot of their players being question marks for how they'll perform, last place will be where the Mets wind up.
1. Cardinals
2. Reds
3. Pirates
4. Brewers
5. Cubs
After making it to the World Series in 2013, losing to the Red Sox, I look for the Cardinals to have another fantastic season, winning the NL Central division for the second straight year. They have a great rotation of Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Shelby Miller, among others, as well as a power throwing closer, Trevor Rosenthal. The Cardinals' lineup is just as excellent, ranging from a great defensive and hitting catcher, Yadier Molina, who's a great leader of their pitching staff, to an infield of Matt Adams, Kolten Wong, and newly signed Jhonny Peralta. Although they lost their above average third baseman, David Freese, Matt Carpenter should do a great job in his place, as he had a breakout season last year. Keeping with the theme, the Cards also have a great outfield which contributes both with their bats and their gloves. There are truly no weak spot for the entire team.
Competition for the second place spot in the division will be between the Reds and the Pirates, but I think the Reds will have the overall better team and will be able to overtake the Pirates. They have a great lineup of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier, among many others, with the speedy Billy Hamilton being their biggest make or break piece this season. With the loss of Shin-Soo Choo, the Reds need Hamilton to produce from the leadoff spot. He can be a major difference maker in a ballgame, but there's still concern with how often he'll be able to get on base. As far as their pitching goes, it's arguably the second best rotation after the Cardinals in the entire division. With Homer Bailey, Johnny Cueto and Tony Cingrani, to go along with a strong bullpen and missle throwing closer, Aroldis Chapman, the Reds should have a really good team.
Making the playoffs for the first time in 20 years, the Pirates brought a ton of attention to themselves last season. And therefore, I'm sure many people are placing them better than third, but I can't bring myself to. Both the Reds and Cardinals have a better starting rotation, though the Pirates still have a good one, with Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke, and Francisco Liriano, who broke out last season. Their bullpen is more of the same, being good but not great, although they did have some good relief appearances in 2013. What it will come down to is how well the Pirates' offense does, and how consistent each player on the team will be. As always, it's a given that Andrew McCutchen will be fantastic, as will Pedro Alvarez. But Neil Walker, Russell Martin and Starling Marte will each have to have a breakout year for the Pirates to place any better than where I have them.
The Brewers are an interesting club, as they had a playoff contending team just a few years ago, but now don't really have all that many star players remaining. Ryan Braun is by far their best player, and coming of a PED suspension to end last season, you have to figure he'll produce a great season again, having something to prove to many people around the baseball world. Besides Braun, the Brewers have veteran Aramis Ramirez, who can be somewhat of an impact player, as well as Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez, who both had breakout seasons in 2013. But the Brewers' pitching isn't all that great, with Yovani Gallardo needing to have a good year, as well as Matt Garza and their entire bullpen being average at best. Meaning, despite any record breaking runs or major breakout seasons, the Brewers are destined to finish next to last, at best.
As with the Astros of the American League, the Cubs are a team that's accustomed to bad seasons, not having won a World Series title in 106 years. The Cubs have an average pitching staff, with Travis Wood, Jeff Samardzija and Edwin Jackson being the strong points. For their lineup, Anthony Rizzo is their best player, with Starling Castro, Brett Jackson and Michael Olt all having star potential, but they need to prove their abilities in the coming season. With a last place season likely on the way, all the Cubs can do is look down the road, when they have numerous prospects coming that will have a major impact on their team. Kris Bryant, who has absurd power, Albert Almora, C.J. Edwards and Jorge Soler will all be arriving to the big leagues over the next few seasons, and once they arrive, the Cubs could begin making some noise in the division.
1. Dodgers
2. Diamondbacks
3. Giants
4. Padres
5. Rockies
The Dodgers have a team similar to the one the Tigers have in the American League. If they don't win their division, then something went horribly wrong. With one of the best starting rotations in all of baseball, made up of a 1-2-3 of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Dodgers should be a lot better than any other team in their division. Their great pitching continues into the bullpen, where they have some great relief options, including the always entertaining Brian Wilson as their closer. When it comes to the Dodgers' lineup, it's also one of the best. With a great defensive infield of Juan Uribe, Hanley Ramirez, Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez, combined with a great defensive outfield of Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig, with Matt Kemp coming along at some point later in the season, the Dodgers have no weak spots on their team.
After making a lot of key moves this offseason, the Diamondbacks look to be a very good team heading into the season; possibly being the only team that could, potentially, put some pressure on the Dodgers. They picked up a veteran starting pitcher, Bronson Arroyo, to add to their already good rotation of Patrick Corbin, Trevor Cahill, etc., with the possibility that Archie Bradley plays some sort of role this season. With a decent bullpen to go along with their rotation, including newly acquired closer, Addison Russell, who will be an impact player, the D-backs have their pitching in pretty good shape. And their lineup isn't all that bad either. Although they're not terribly strong at some positions, they have their All-Star first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt, who is sure to post stellar numbers, as well as new pickup, Mark Trumbo. The D-backs should have a decent season.
While the Giants likely won't place any better than third, with teams such as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the division, they should still be a really good team regardless. They have the best starting rotation in the division behind the Dodgers, with players such as Madison Bumgarner, Matt Cain, newcomer Tommy Hanson, and Tim Lincecum, who needs to turn things around this year after a couple of poor seasons. Their bullpen, however, isn't all that fantastic, with their closer, Sergio Romo, being the only standout. But they have a fairly good lineup, especially with the pickup of Michael Morse, who will provide them some power. Their catcher, Buster Posey, will be amazing as usual, and with an infield of Pablo Sandoval and Brandon Belt, among others, the Giants have a shot at taking on the D-backs if they struggle. But I see them having a middle of the pack finish.
The Padres went on a good run last season, and I feel they will have a fairly decent run this year, but it won't be enough to get them very far in the standings. Though the pickup of Josh Johnson will help out their starting rotation a bit, adding him to an already decent rotation that includes Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy, as well as a good closer in Huston Street, it won't be quite good enough to overcome the lack of run support the Padres hitters will be providing on a consistent basis. Playing in one of the worst hitters ballparks in all of baseball, the Padres always seem to have a tough time scoring runs, despite the big dimensions aiding their pitchers. The Padres have some decent players, such as Chase Headley, Jed Gyorko and Yonder Alonso, who will certainly contribute their fair share, but it won't be enough to place any better than fourth.
As with a lot of teams throughout baseball, the Rockies did several great things this offseason to improve their ball club, but they'll still likely finish in last place, yet again. They have a couple of pitchers, in Rex Brothers and Juan Nicasio, who broke out in 2013, but there's no guarantee that they can repeat that success, and the remainder of their pitching isn't too good. That includes the Rockies' bullpen, where there aren't a lot of bright spots to speak of. But their lineup isn't all that terrible. They have a great power hitting catcher in Wilin Rosario, a decent outfield with standout Carlos Gonzalez, as well as an all around great infield of Nolan Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki and Justin Morneau, who are all great both offensively and defensively. All of that will make the Rockies a team worth watching, but with pretty much no pitching, the Rockies will find themselves at the bottom.
Leave a comment below with whether or not you agree with my predictions.
3/8/14: NC State Vs. Notre Dame
Normally, I don't blog about college baseball games that I attend. They simply don't have the same talent level that comes with a Major League Baseball game — or even a minor league game, for that matter — and it's not usually worth writing about. But the NC State versus Notre Dame game that my dad and I went to on Saturday was a bit different.
First of all, the projected number one overall 2014 draft pick, Carlos Rodon, was scheduled to make the start for State, and with his previous track record — going 10-3 with a 2.99 ERA last season — Rodon certainly goes a long way in making this year's NC State team something special. But Rodon isn't the only standout on the team.
In addition, Trea Turner, who's predicted to be a top ten pick in the upcoming draft, adds excitement to each and every game, none more so than with his above average speed. With both Rodon and Turner, this year's State team is a must see.
Which is why I found myself out at the ballpark on Saturday afternoon. I wanted to witness it all for myself before they both leave following this season.
While Carlos Rodon is usually NC State's Friday starter, as most college aces are, a rainout on Friday forced the game to be made up as part of a double header with visiting Notre Dame on Saturday, with Rodon pitching game one:
Although he hadn't started off the year too well, going 1-2, I was optimistic that Rodon would turn things around in his first warm start of the season.
And for the most part, I was right.
Rodon appeared to be locked in out of the gate, as he gave up just one hit, and struck out two (one of which was Craig Biggio's son, Cavan Biggio) through the first two innings. In the third, however, Rodon lost a bit of his composure, allowing three hits, but impressed me with his ability to keep things from getting too out of hand, allowing only one run.
But while Rodon had a great start to the game, he didn't receive any run support, as State failed to get a man across the plate through the first four innings, due to the equally strong start from Notre Dame's Sean Fitzgerald. But Fitzgerald finally struggled enough in the fifth to allow a single run, bringing the score to 1-1.
At that point in time, I made my way around from the third base side to the first base side, which is where I spent the rest of the game, just so I could get a glimpse from a different angle of Carlos Rodon . . . . :
. . . . and Trea Turner:
When I first found my way over to that side of the ballpark, I heard of a rumor that Craig Biggio was actually in attendance to watch his son play. But since I never actually saw him, I can't say for sure that it was true. But I digress. Back to the game.
Both pitchers continued to do well until the sixth, when each allowed two runs to the opposing squad, raising the score to 3 runs apiece. Fitzgerald was replaced after the sixth, but Rodon was left in, which would turn out to be huge for State.
Recording what would be the game winning hit in the eighth, State's Jake Armstrong proved to be the difference maker, as he singled in Bubby Riley and Trea Turner, whose speed likely aided in his ability to score, making it 5-3, State.
Rodon finished out the game a bit shaky, allowing two hits in the ninth, but promptly got a game ending double play to lock up the fifth complete game of his career:
Rodon received the win, bringing his win-loss record up to 2-2, to go along with a 2.40 ERA on the season, striking out seven and allowing 10 scattered hits on 121 pitches. My overall impression was that Rodon was good, but not overly fantastic in this particular game, but that's not meant to take anything away from Rodon. He's a great pitcher, and will undoubtedly be a star in the majors at some point down the road (as will Trea Turner, who went 1-4 on the day).
As you may have inferred, I didn't try for any autographs at this game as I usually do every time I go to a baseball game, but that's simply because I'm going to be seeing NC State again next month, when they take on UNC at the newly renovated Durham Bulls Athletic Park on April 15th. Rodon isn't scheduled to pitch, so I'm hopeful I'll be able to get him to sign for me, along with Trea Turner. But either way, it's sure to be a fun time, as always.
Home Run Milestones that Should Occur In 2014
Below you'll find a list of the home run milestones that *should* occur in 2014. I say should because there's no guarantee that any given player on the list will reach the milestone; they could get injured, have a bad season, or whatever. I've made the same type of list the past two seasons, and they have been well-received, so I figured I'd post another one for this season.
You can't be a pitcher. Although there are some pitchers that can hit home runs, you won't find any on my list. Reason being is that they're not everyday players.
You have to have hit at least one home run in the major leagues. There are several dozen players going into 2014 that haven't hit an MLB home run, but adding them to the below list just didn't make sense.
You have to be closing in on an even milestone, like 100, 200, 300, etc. I didn't include anyone that's a few homers away from number 50, 75, 125, etc. It just didn't seem necessary.
The list is organized by player name, team, milestone they're going for, and how many home runs they are from that particular milestone:
2014 Home Run Milestones
Ryan Doumit, Braves — Home Run Number 100 (1 home run away)
Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox — Home Run Number 100 (1 home run away)
Colby Rasmus, Blue Jays — Home Run Number 100 (2 home runs away)
Mark Trumbo, Diamondbacks — Home Run Number 100 (5 home runs away)
Brian Roberts, Yankees — Home Run Number 100 (8 home runs away)
Geovany Soto, Rangers — Home Run Number 100 (9 home runs away)
Pablo Sandoval, Giants — Home Run Number 100 (10 home runs away)
Yadier Molina, Cardinals — Home Run Number 100 (11 home runs away)
Matt Wieters, Orioles — Home Run Number 100 (13 home runs away)
Pedro Alvarez, Pirates — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)
James Loney, Rays — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)
David Murphy, Indians — Home Run Number 100 (14 home runs away)
Jimmy Rollins, Phillies — Home Run Number 200 (1 home run away)
Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays — Home Run Number 200 (5 home runs away)
Josh Hamilton, Angels — Home Run Number 200 (18 home runs away)
Josh Willingham, Twins — Home Run Number 200 (19 home runs away)
Ryan Zimmerman, Nationals — Home Run Number 200 (21 home runs away)
Hanley Ramirez, Dodgers — Home Run Number 200 (22 home runs away)
Brian McCann, Yankees — Home Run Number 200 (24 home runs away)
Prince Fielder, Rangers — Home Run Number 300 (15 home runs away)
Adrian Beltre, Rangers — Home Run Number 400 (24 home runs away)
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers — Home Run Number 400 (35 home runs away)
Albert Pujols, Angels –Home Run Number 500 (8 home runs away)
Ten Players Who Need to Have A Good 2014 Season
Spring Training is well underway, and many players are beginning to find their grooves that they hope will carry over into the coming regular season. With just over three weeks until Opening Day, on March 31st, there's not too much time remaining for players who struggled last season to get things back on track for this year. With that said, some players certainly need to have a good year more than others.
While every player, obviously, wants to have a good, healthy season, there are numerous players who pretty much have to produce a good 2014 for one reason or another — whether it's personal reasons, statistical reasons, or for team success as a whole. Although there are more players than those in my list below, here are the top ten players (in no particular order) that I feel need to have a really good 2014 season:
1.) Albert Pujols
After recording twelve straight seasons of 30 or more home runs (all but one of which included 100+ RBI's) Albert Pujols faced the first bit of adversity of his career in 2013. Dealing with a nagging foot injury, Pujols only managed to post 17 home runs and 64 RBI's, along with a .258 batting average — absolutely terrible by his standards — in 99 games played. With the down year coming as a shock to many people, especially after the acquisition of him led many to predict playoff pushes for the Angels, there will be many eyes on Pujols from his very first at-bat of the season to see if he can bounce back. I personally feel that if Pujols is healthy, the numbers will be there, and he will be a top candidate for American League comeback player of the year, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
2.) Ryan Braun
In January of 2013, a list was made public by the biogenesis clinic in Miami, Florida, connecting numerous players to performance enhancing drugs, including Ryan Braun. After being connected to PED's back in 2011, the list raised many red flags, but Braun denied any drug use, yet again. But finally, after a 65-game suspension by Major League Baseball, Braun came clean and admitted to having used PED's, upsetting many people around the league. Therefore, unlike anyone else on my list, Braun (who had a good season, batting .298 with 9 homers and 38 RBI's in 61 games) needs to have a good 2014 more for his personal image rather than his talent level image. Everyone knows he's a great player, but it will take some time for fans to get over Braun's consistent denial of PED use — and a great season would certainly help with that.
3.) Ryan Howard
Battling injuries over the course of the past two seasons, Ryan Howard needs to have a bounce back year for him to once again be considered the major power threat that he once was. Playing in only 80 games in 2013, Howard batted a mere .266 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI's. Considering the fact that Howard hit 33 home runs just two years prior, making it the sixth 30+ home run season of his career, the Phillies' former star first baseman really needs to show signs of his former self this season. If Howard can perform anywhere near his previous level by staying healthy and putting many a ball into the outfield seats, not only could he very well win the 2014 National League comeback player of the year award, but the Phillies could have a real shot at having a memorable year.
4.) Derek Jeter
Announcing that 2014 would be his final season playing Major League Baseball last month, Derek Jeter needs to have a good final season to top off an already incredible career. In 2013, Jeter struggled with injury after injury, managing to play in only 17 games, and posting a .190 batting average, to go along with a single homer and 7 runs batted in. After accumulating over 3,300 hits in the big leagues over the course of his career, Jeter doesn't need to have a good final season to be remembered as one of the best players of all-time — he's already on that list for many people — but rather to finish out his career in Jeter fashion, going out on top of his game. I truly hope he can have a great 2014 season, and I feel he will do just that.
When David Price won the 2012 American League Cy Young award, recording 20 wins and posting a 2.56 ERA, many (myself included) felt he had a good chance at doing the same again last season. But instead, Price was faced with a midseason injury that caused his numbers to take a tumble. Posting a win-loss record of 10-8 with a 3.33 ERA — not too terrible, but somewhat disappointing for him — Price needs to bounce back in 2014 for both his sake and the sake of the Rays. Price truly can be the key for the Rays, who always seem to be on the brink of playoff baseball every season. With an improved American League East division for the coming year, Price's season could be the difference maker for if the Rays are able to make the postseason or not.
6.) B.J. Upton
Arguably the biggest disappointment of the 2013 season, batting .184 with just 9 home runs and 26 RBI's after a 2012 season of 28 homers and 78 runs driven in, B.J. Upton has to have a good season this year for him not to be considered a trade bust by the Braves. The Braves managed to win their division last season by a rather large margin without much production from Upton, and if they can get Upton back to his former self, the Braves could have an even better year. It will be interesting to see how B.J. Upton does in the coming year with so much negative criticism surrounding him from the 2013 season. If he can have another good season, the down year he experience will be a forgotten aspect of the past.
7.) Stephen Strasburg
There are some players that are tagged with a major amount of hype from their first appearance in the big leagues, and Stephen Strasburg is one of them. While he hasn't disappointed for the most part, going 8-9 with a 3.00 ERA last season, Strasburg also hasn't managed to blow everyone away and completely dominate like many believe he can. It's been reported that Strasburg has added a new pitch to his arsenal and is throwing better than ever, and that could mean good things for both him and the Nationals. If Strasburg can find a way to tally even ten more wins than he did this past year, the Nat's could find themselves in the running for the National League East division title, assuming everything else goes right for the rest of the team.
Having the potential to be an All-Star third baseman season after season, Mike Moustakas has yet to post an exceptional season at the major league level. Batting only .233, with 12 homers and 42 RBI's last season, Moustakas needs to have a good season this year for him to be seen as the above average player he can be moving forward. The Royals still have several holes in their lineup, but Moustakas performing well each year would go a long way in helping them move back into contention. He's still fairly young, at just 25 years old, and therefore has time left to live out his former hype, but Moustakas could use a strong statistical season to prove to many that he's one of the top third baseman in the game of baseball today.
9.) Matt Kemp
Although he's still not fully healthy, Matt Kemp is already on the radar of many people who think he will have a good 2014 season. The only question mark being his health, playing in only 73 games last year. If healthy, as with many players on this list, the numbers will be there, as Kemp is one of the premier talents in the game today, possessing 40 home run, 40 stolen base ability (coming one home run shy of doing just that in 2011, when he placed second in MVP voting). Although there is great depth in the Dodgers' current outfield, which includes players such as Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig, if Kemp can show signs that he's healthy, he will certainly get plenty of playing time in the coming season. He's too good of a player to count out.
10.) Tim Lincecum
Once a Cy Young caliber pitcher, having won back-to-back awards in 2008 and 2009, Tim Lincecum has really fallen off as of late. Each of the past two seasons, Lincecum has posted an ERA over 4.00, and in addition had losing records. While the win-loss record isn't the most important thing when evaluating a pitcher's season, an ERA anywhere above 3.50 usually means they had a disappointing year. But with the talent that Lincecum has shown in the past, I'm not giving up on a turnaround just yet. He just really needs to have a good 2014 season — perhaps more than most of the players on this list — for him to become 'The Freak' pitcher he once was considered. I truly hope he can, because when Lincecum is on, he's one of the most fun pitchers to watch in all of baseball.
There are a few players who need to have a good 2014 season who just barely missed my above list because their stats were slightly too good. One of those being Josh Hamilton, who was a major disappointment after signing with the Angles, but when you check the stats, he actually had a decent year, hitting 21 home runs and driving in 79 runs. Another example of that being Yoenis Cespedes, who had a down year average wise, hitting just .240, but posted 26 homers and 80 RBI's. Not too bad of a season for most players.
Joining those two on the list of just misses are Giancarlo Stanton, who was injured in 2013 but still managed to hit 24 home runs and amass 62 RBI's, along with Dan Uggla, whose .179 batting included 22 homers and 55 RBI's, which really isn't all that terrible. While all the players listed under the just missed category had down seasons by their standards, they managed to have somewhat decent years as far as the major league average goes. Even so, they could each use a good 2014 season to prove what they're capable of.
Which player needs to have a good 2014 season the most? Leave a comment below.
2014 Final MLB Standings Predictions
We're quickly approaching the opening-series of the 2014 Major League Baseball season, down in Australia on March 22nd, and so begins the predictions of where each team will finish in the coming year. Most of the time there's a team or two that comes along and completely throws off your predictions, but that's what makes it fun.
I'm going to be doing a separate couple of blog posts on my predictions for how I feel each team will fare this season sometime in the next week or two, but for now, I want to hear what you all think. Cast your vote below for which team you feel is most likely to win each division in 2014:
Voting ends on March 22nd.
New MLB Rule Attempts to Rid Home Plate Collisions
You've seen it a hundred times: A player rounds third, heading for home; a strong throw from the outfield beats him to the plate; and the runner finds himself confronted with a catcher blocking his path, leaving him with no other choice but to plow over the catcher in hopes of dislodging the ball and subsequently being called safe. But due to a new rule (rule 7.13) instituted by Major League Baseball on Monday, you may never see that again.
An agreement to form some kind of rule to prevent home plate collisions was formed back in December at the Winter Meetings, however, it wasn't until Monday that an official rule was released highlighting what will be allowed and what will not in 2014 (and beyond if the rule is successful).
The official rule is as follows:
A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate). If, in the judgment of the umpire, a runner attempting to score initiates contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate) in such a manner, the umpire shall declare the runner out (even if the player covering home plate loses possession of the ball). In such circumstances, the umpire shall call the ball dead, and all other base runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.
Rule 7.13 comment: The failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation of Rule 7.13. If the runner slides into the plate in an appropriate manner, he shall not be adjudged to have violated Rule 7.13. A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner's buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher. In the case of a head first slide, a runner shall be deemed to have slid appropriately if his body should hit the ground before contact with the catcher.
Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the catcher without possession of the ball blocks the pathway of the runner, the umpire shall call or signal the runner safe. Notwithstanding the above, it shall not be considered a violation of this Rule 7.13 if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable.
While the rule will take some time to get used to, for both the players and the umpires, for the most part, it's being accepted around the baseball world. Nearly everyone agrees that the major injury to Buster Posey back in 2011 likely began the discussion for a rule of this nature to be put into place, and Posey's manager, Bruce Bochy, has been one of the biggest advocators. Not wanting to lose a player of Posey's magnitude in such a way again, Bochy made the statement in response to the new rule that he's "all for it".
However, some people aren't completely on board, including Brewers' catcher, Jonathan Lucroy, saying, "I'm a conservative-type guy. I like keeping things the way they are, although I do understand where they're coming from . . . I understand the importance of [avoiding] concussions. I get it. It's just really hard to break old habits."
But the executive director of the MLB Players' Association, Tony Clark, stands by the new rule. "We believe the new experimental rule allows for the play at the plate to retain its place as one of the most exciting plays in the game while providing an increased level of protection to both the runner and the catcher," said Clark on Monday. "We will monitor the rule closely this season before discussing with the Commissioner's Office whether the rule should become permanent."
For me, I'm not fully for or against the rule. Collision plays at the plate can be extremely exciting, especially when it's the potential game winning run, but I also don't like seeing anyone get injured on an avoidable play. Although I feel that catchers have done a fantastic job in the last few years of making an attempt to move out of the base runners path and instead use a swipe tag for the out, this new rule will go a long way in ensuring that a rogue player with an altercation to settle doesn't get away with going out of their way to knock over a catcher. I'm certainly all for that.


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all vodka is not the same
- b
- bigbusiness Oct 6, 2011 08:28 PM
Yes there is a slight difference in taste and smell with different vodkas, so slight nine out of ten people would never be able to pick the same vodka twice in a blind taste test. The main difference in vodka is the next day and there are only a few that have never given me a hangover (of course speaking if u drink in SOME KIND of modificaton), belvedere is one, sobieski is NOT one, in fact when I have had 6 or 7 shots of sobieski I have been extremely hungover whereas with gey goose not at all, svedka not so much, finlandia, absolute, and shakers wheat vodka is good too. There are several others, but you do get what you pay for, just as in any industry there are some brands that are over advertised and so overpriced, but the best are the best and grey goose is one among a few.
So don't drink 6-7 shots at one time, that's hardly moderation. (Or modification.) Or drink more water during/afterwards, I have never gotten hung over when properly hydrated.
I was able to pick Smirnoff over Sobieski every time when I did a blind test a while back, it is more neutral. The Sobieski has a very mild but not unpleasant taste, and next to it the Smirnoff was like water.
bigbusiness: I had this discussion with my neighbor who is from Russia. He thinks more multiple filtering/distillation is the key differences between vodkas and prefers Grey Goose over Stoli [which surprised me].
Yankee: My guess is that you could tell the difference between Smirnoff and Sobieski largely due to the latter being made of rye. I would be impressed if you could tell the difference between Smirnoff and Svedka in a blind taste test.
re: hawkeyeui93
Yes I am aware of that, I said exactly the same thing in a thread here right after I did the test - but when I first tasted the Sobieski by itself, it seemed very neutral. Only when compared to the Smirnoff did I detect any taste. And it did win that taste test by the NY times against numerous high-end vodkas.
re: ncyankee101
When I am forced to have vodka on hand, I buy Smirnoff Red Label or Svedka ....
Disclosure: I'm not a vodka expert.
If you want flavor in your vodka and live in New York State, try Vintner's Vodka from Finger Lakes Distilling. It's made from grapes and has a pronounced grappa-like grape-based flavor, yet is very smooth. I *almost* bought a bottle.
http://www.fingerlakesdistilling.com/... Scroll down some
I have a friend who swears by Grey Goose because it doesn't give him a headache and others do. Not sure if its true or not. He doesn't drink vodka at my house. ;)
www.kindredcocktails.com | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community
Sounds like a chef I met once who claimed to drink two bottles of wine a night and could tell the good ones by how he felt the next day.
The idea that Grey Goose is fairly priced and not over-advertised seems a bit wacky considering it is a well known case of marketing over substance.
re: nickls
Yes grey goose is slightly over priced due to marketing but it is still a great vodka none the less, the whole point of the post is that there is so much nonsense buzzing around about these cheap vodkas having a "good" taste, no human can be truely honest and say any straigh tvodka is has a pleasent taste, ie they would drink it if they didn't get any buzz or affect from the alcohol, there is a small difference between rye and wheat but the point is some vodka does not give u a hangover if u do choose to drink a pint in a night. Yes you do also have to drink water before bed but that is just common sense, you should drink a few cups of water before bed even if u don't consume alcohol
re: bigbusiness
Sleep experts disagree strongly about drinking water right before bed.
In this oft-quoted taste test Grey Goose scored near the bottom
re: ncyankee101
Drinking water before I go to bed after a "hearty" drinking session has minimized hangovers for me for over twenty years to date ... It may not be good on the ole sleep cycle [in having to get up to urinate], but it sure seems to help counter the effects of dehydration.
re: hawkeyeui93
Yes i agree with you there - I was disagreeing with BBs assertion that you should do that even if you haven't been drinking.
There is a new vodka on the market, distilled in Bethel, NY right across the road from where the Woodstock festival was held. Catskill Distillery is producing Peace Vodka. Triple distilled. It is simply amazing. The smoothest vodka you will ever have. No heat or throat burn from the alcohol.
It is not my intent to derail this post, but the topic of blind testing brought back a pet peeve.
I will accept that folks can certainly taste the differences between vodkas, whiskeys, and gins.
My frustration is people who want for example, Crown Royal in a whiskey and coke.
I have run into this at parties where I have both well type bottles and much more expensive brands. I will start on making a gin and tonic, and the person will want Grey Goose.
I try not be cheap, but there is no way you can tell what whiskey was used in a coke and whiskey, or gin in a gin and tonic.
re: taketheunder
Save your empty expensive bottles and pour your cheaper well booze into them prior to the party and ultimately see if your proposition is true or not ....
re: taketheunder
You will definitely notice the difference in a G+T made with a gin heavy on the juniper - such as Brokers - vs a light citrusy one, such as New Amsterdam.
I would never waste a good whiskey pouring it into coke (or a cheap one for that matter, really don't like coke), but I am pretty sure the strong flavor of Elijah Craig 12 yr or Knob Creek would hold up a lot better than Makers mark or Jim Beam.
re: taketheunder
I made a gin & tonic with Martin Miller's a couple days ago (trying to finish a bottle to make space in the liquor cabinet) and I could still distinctly taste the characteristic cucumber flavor of the gin.
Which is not to say that I think a G&T made with Hendrick's or Miller's is necessarily better than one made with Gordon's, but you can definitely taste the difference if you don't drown it in tonic. I use about 4 oz tonic to 2 oz gin.
re: taketheunder
I think you meant vodka/tonic.
I'm sort of with you on the Coke. If you're going to ruin a cocktail with Coke, you might as well put the cheapest possible whiskey in it. That said, I bet I can easily tell the difference between one made with Canadian Club and one made with Bulleit Rye. And I bet you can too.
A Gin and Tonic is a whole different thing, however. Gins are very broad in their flavor profiles. A Gin and Tonic with Tanqueray versus Hendricks will be two very different drinks.
www.kindredcocktails.com | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community.
I bet tasting blind (or better, double-blind) would blow your theory out the window. Also, you should research distillation. 99.9% of the time it's the plates in the still that are counted, not actual, separate distillations.
Grey Goose almost always scores at the bottom when it's double-blind tasted by the pros.
re: invinotheresverde
It's a really gray area about "times distilled." To make a vodka you need a hybrid or column still with a minimum of apx. 20 plates, depending upon the design of the plate. Some column stills have as many as 40. Some distillers call each plate a distillation. Some call each 3-4 group of plates a distillation. Some call a plate or group of 3-4 plates a "theoretical distillation." Some just make up a number like 3 times or 6 times distilled. An alembic/pot still without plates can't make a legal vodka, ie. originally distilled out to 190 proof / 95% abv. in a still without plates, no matter how many times you distill it. It just isn't possible, the highest you can get is possibly 90% abv. but then it isn't legally a vodka.
re: JMF
I see an inconsistency, so some fact must be wrong, but I have no idea which one. You say vodka cannot be pot distilled. Finger Lakes Distilling makes a grape-based spirit which they call Vintner's Vodka (and very tasty at that -- more like grappa to me). Finger Lakes Distilling has only a pot still (I think).
I could easily have the pot still part wrong and they don't specifically say how it is distilled on their site.
I'm sorry that I didn't pick up a bottle when I was there. It would be nice to sip neat. I have no idea how it would be chilled.
www.kindredcocktails.com | Craft + Collect + Concoct + Categorize + Community
re: EvergreenDan
Went on the website and looks like it is hard to get this product outside of NY State ....
re: hawkeyeui93
Yes, sorry, should have said that. Maybe could be shipped. Maybe I shouldn't have tempted you. My point was more about it's production and designation as a vodka.
re: EvergreenDan
I did read about their product line [especially the grape-based vodka and the distilling process] and it sounds awesome ... Unfortunately, I am in a liquor control state where it is allegedly illegal to have spirits shipped [Iowa]. I guess this is like when I tout the greatness of Templeton Rye to people outside of Iowa [and select spots in Chicago, NYC, and SF] that can purchase it without mail order.
re: hawkeyeui93
We're off topic a bit, but I feel your pain. While many, many things are distributed in Massachusetts, if it isn't, it's illegal to have it shipped in from out of state. Who could possibly be served by preventing the importation of things otherwise not distributed within the state. It certainly would encourage distributors to pick up niche products!
re: EvergreenDan
Dan: I'm good for steering off course at times, which comes in handy from time to time in my chosen career of professional BS Artist [aka "lawyer"].
re: EvergreenDan
A couple of thoughts . . .
The website describes
"At Finger Lakes Distilling, we distill fermented liquids in our hybrid pot-column still, concentrating the alcohol to spirit strength. By heating the fermented liquid (wine, whiskey mash, etc) with a steam jacket surrounding the pot, it begins to vaporize. Because alcohol has a lower boiling point (173 degrees) than water (212 degrees) the vapors that form have a higher concentration of alcohol. That is how we can take a liquid like wine with about 12% alcohol up to as high as 95%."
Secondly . . .
Title 27 CFR: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
§ 5.22 The standards of identity.
Standards of identity for the several classes and types of distilled spirits set forth in this section shall be as follows (see also §5.35, class and type):
(a) Class 1; neutral spirits or alcohol. "Neutral spirits" or "alcohol" are distilled spirits produced from any material at or above 190° proof, and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 80° proof.
(1) "Vodka" is neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.
re: zin1953
There is actually a discussion going on the past 2-3 days on the artisanal distillers online discussion forum which I help admin. about vodka and are the new artisanal vodkas that are being made from grapes, grain, etc., and have some light flavor/character of the base showing through. The question is whether they are really vodka under the TTB classification. I say that as long as they fit the distinction about distilling up to 190 proof that they are. The whole neutral/tasteless thing is only in the past 150 years or so since the modern still was developed. Before that there were only pot stills and no matter how many times distilled, you still had some flavor to vodka.
(By the way that must be an old copy of Title 27 CFR as there is no ATF anymore. The firearms part was shifted over to Homeland Security when that dept. was developed, and the alcohol and tobacco were made into the TTB, short for alcohol and tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.)
re: JMF
It's actually a CURRENT reprint of the regs . . . the ATF reference is MINE, not copied from the regs, because for 95% of my career in the wine trade, I dealt with ATF (aka BATF). In other words, I still catch myself saying "ATF" out of force of habit.
That said, there certainly IS still an ATF -- and both the ATF ***and*** the TTB are proof positive the Feds can't spell!
The "ATF" is the "Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms AND Explosives." But there is no "E" in ATF -- let alone no alcohol or tobacco (see below), but in typical "turf war" fashion, I suppose, I guess they didn't want the "A" and the "T" to another Federal agency. See http://www.atf.gov/
As for the TTB, it's formally the "Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau," but that would be the "ATTTB," and that isn't what they call it. It's simply the "TTB," because the ATF(E) kept the "A" and the "T". See http://www.ttb.gov/
The TTB (like the ATF of old) remained with the Treasury Department. However, under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (which split the old ATF into the TTB and the *new* ATF), the *new* ATF -- the one that has nothing to do with regulating Alcohol and Tobacco -- is now part of the Justice Department.
Of course, the other reason that ATF and TTB are simply the ATF and TTB is because it conforms to the TLA rule.
P.S. Broadly defined, the Justice Department enforces laws, while the Treasury Department collects taxes. Thus, when the Homeland Security Act of 2002 split up the old agency, revenue collection was kept with Treasury, while law enforcement went to Justice. The only "A" and "T" the *new* ATF enforces is the "illegal trafficking" of alcohol and tobacco. Elliot Ness was an (old) ATF agent of the Treasury Department. Today, he's be a (new) ATF agent with the Justice Department. Anyone else have a headache?!?!?
re: zin1953
re: EvergreenDan
There is some confusion between pot stills and hybrid stills. many people call hybrid stills pot stills. A pot still, ie. alembic still, has no plates just a helmet/head and possibly/usually an empty column of some sort. A hybrid still has 3-4 or more plates in a short column on top of the head or to the side. To make vodka you need around 14-20+ plates in a column. This column can be on top of the still, or to the side.
See this link for Finger Lakes Distillings still which has the helmet, a column, and a column with plates to the side. The portholes in the column are where the plates are. (As a side note: that is a very nice still set-up they have. Both a tall 'whiskey' column, and a vodka column on the side. With that still you can make anything.)
It is widely known in the industry that Grey Goose is a mediocre vodka. Sydney Frank was a marketing genius. Grey Goose costs about $3 a bottle to make, if that, including the bottle.


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Episode 4 Sneak Peek
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- Date: 04/20/2012
This week, the chefs speed across the South Seas toward Fiji! For Kayne, the journey takes a brutal turn when he heads out to the reefs to hunt. Don't miss an all-new episode of 'No Kitchen Required' on Tuesday, April 24 at 10/9c.
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"Birth of DNA (Epigenetics)" by Zdenko Herceg
Deciphering DNA's hidden code
Reading the genetic "Book of Life" is not easy, an observation scientists learn all of the time. Consider the well-known nucleobases that comprise DNA. There are only four: adenine, thymine, guanine and cytosine (plus uracil, which is found in RNA). It turns out, however, that cytosine comes in two modified forms: 5-methylcytosine (5-mc) and 5-hydroxymethlcytosine (5-hmC). The versions look almost alike, but affect genes in very different ways.
In a paper published in the journal Cell today, researchers at the University of Chicago, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UC San Diego and Emory University describe a new technique for reading the particular differences in cytosine, an achievement that has ramifications for better understanding fundamental life processes.
These two modifications of cytosine "regulate gene expression that has broad impact on stem cell development, various human diseases such as cancer, and potentially neurodegenerative disease," said Chuan He, a professor of chemistry at the University of Chicago. "They may even shape the development of the human brain."
He, with Bing Ren, PhD, head of the Laboratory of Gene Regulation at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UC San Diego, and colleagues developed a method called TAB-Seq that directly measures 5-hmC and produced the first map of the entire genome of 5-hmC at single-base resolution. Ren applied TAB-Seq to human embryonic stem cells; Peng Jin of Emory applied the method to mouse embryonic stem cells.
The work is expected to have a significant impact upon the field of epigenetics, which looks at changes in gene expression caused by factors other than alterations in the actual DNA. 5-mC and 5-hmC appear to be major epigenetic players. 5-mC is generally found on genes that are turned off; it helps silence genes that aren't supposed to be turned on. Conversely, 5-hmC appears to be abundant on active genes, especially in brain cells.
"This is a major breakthrough in that TAB-Seq allows precise mapping of all 5-hydroxymethylcytosine sites in a mammalian genome using well-established, next-generation DNA sequencing methods," said Joseph Ecker, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, who was not involved in the Cell study. "The study showed very clearly that deriving useful knowledge about this poorly understood epigenetic regulator requires determination of the exact locations of 5-hmC with base-level accuracy. I expect that their new method will immediately become widely adopted."
Dulce ADN!
this excites me. so nerdy lol
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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Fish & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
By Blue Buffalo
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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Fish & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food, 30-lb bag
Bring on the big boys! Blue Buffalo Adult Large Breed Fish and Oatmeal Dry Dog Food has a taste worth barking for, and packs some serious nutritional benefits for your most loyal bud. The formula meets the unique health needs of large breeds, promotes healthy joints and bones, and is full of lean, delicious protein to help keep unnecessary weight off. It contains no soy, corn, or wheat and is free from artificial preservatives.
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|Item Number
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Deboned Whitefish, Peas, Oatmeal, Whole Ground Barley, Menhaden Fish Meal (source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids), Flaxseed (source of Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids), Natural Fish Flavor, Whole Potatoes, Tomato Pomace (source of Lycopene), Whole Carrots, Whole Sweet Potatoes, Dried Egg, Blueberries, Cranberries, Barley Grass, Dried Parsley, Garlic, Alfalfa Meal, Dried Kelp, Yucca Schidigera Extract, L-Carnitine, L-Lysine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Turmeric, Chicken Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Chicory Root, Oil of Rosemary, Beta Carotene, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Niacin (Vitamin B3), d-Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B5), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Biotin (Vitamin B7), Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Calcium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C),Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Choline Chloride, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate, Salt, Caramel, Potassium Chloride, Dried Yeast (source of Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, Dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation product, Dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product.
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Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Fish & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food Customer Reviews
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Formula Large Breed Adult Fish & Oatmeal Recipe Dry Dog Food 38 38
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