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Well done to Seren, Robin and Felix who all competed this last weekend at the National Open Water Festival in Sheffield! Thank you to Yvonne for your support.
Many congratulations to our Sharks team who came 3rd in the final of the Mercian League this evening! A great result!
City of Coventry 221LSSC 194Stratford Sharks 167Worcester 160Blythe Barracudas 160Rugby 144
Congratulations to Tom for qualifying for the ASA Summer Nationals for 200 fly!
More congratulations to Elinor and Seren who have qualified to compete at the WASA Summer Nationals!
Well done Tom, Nell and Seren.
Well done to all those swimmers at the Mercian League on Saturday night at Tamworth, great effort all round!
1st Lichfield 233
2nd Stratford 213
3rd Northgate 184
4th Bromsgrove 167
5th Nuneaton 148
6th Tamworth 98
Thank you to all the help on poolside from Yvonne, Alison, Ali, and Josh; and also our officials Helen Evans, Mark Willis and Debbie Brocklebank. A special mention of thanks to our fantastic transportation logistics team of Graham and Julie who got us there and back!
Big shout for Ysabelle and Hannah who won all of their individual races and the Open Age group Girls relay won both relays as well.
A big thank you to all the swimmers, parents, officials and coaches who turned up swam, supported, officiated and organised the team on Saturday. It was very close all the way through the gala, we finished a credible equal third and were it not for a couple of unlucky DQ's would have been close to City of Coventry in 2nd.
Sharks gained a total of six first places including individual wins for Leah Bowen in the backstroke and freestyle events. Isla Hirst and Elizabeth Hunt in butterfly, Cassie Lea in backstroke and the 10yr girls 4x1 freestyle relay. Second places were achieved by Adam Nash fly and breaststroke, Alistair Ristov backstroke, 9yr girls medley relay, boys 11yrs freestyle relay, boys 9yrs freestyle relay, girls 8 x 1 freestyle relay and the boys 12yrs medley relay.
Everyone swam with a 110% effort and the Sharks team spirit was very much in evidence. Special congratulations must go to Noah Folkes and Leah Bowen for having the most swims each on the night!
Great swimming from each and every one of you, you should be very proud to have been part of the team. We look forward to the next round in May, bring it on!
Boldmere A - 225
City of Coventry A - 184
Stratford Sharks - 174
Bilston - 174
Hinckley - 156
Northgate - 142
Stratford Sharks Swimming Club members claimed a superb 35 medals as they impressed at the Warwickshire County Swimming Championships which took place over the latter half of February and beginning of March.
The Sharks arrived at the event in Coventry to face an elite force of expectant swimmers but, armed with a staggering 500 qualifying times from 66 swimmers aged between nine to 46, they rose to the challenge.
Stratford had participants in 89 individual finals and none were more determined to turn on the style than first-time regional qualifiers Adam Nash, Hannah Penny and Felix Gallagher.
Adam excelled in the 'killer' 200m breaststroke and gained a Midland Qualifying Time. Not to be outdone, Hannah pulled out all the stops and achieved a Midland time in the 200m freestyle. Stratford's swim of the championships came from Felix. Head coach Dirk Cox knew Felix had a Midland Qualifying Time in him for the 400m freestyle and had coached him extensively on pacing the race and pushing through hard at the end.
That is precisely what Felix did and all the Sharks and their supporters were on their feet and screaming from the balcony as Felix approached the finish.
Felix had left enough power to finish the job off and he brought the house down as he secured the Midland Qualifying Time he has been chasing. Afterwards Felix said: "You're all pumped up at the start of the race but you can't afford to go off too fast. Dirk has taught me that the 400m freestyle is all about pace and consistency. Thanks Dirk, it worked and I feel elated."
Special thanks to Alison & Josh Newman on poolside, good job Sharks!!
A massive well done to all our swimmers who competed at the Coventry and District Relays! Yet again this year our Sharks swimmers and parents battled through stormy weather even to get to the pool in Coventry. We are very proud that our club was able to field an A and a B team in all 4 age groups. It is a great testament to our squad structure that we have such a depth of talented swimmers from Junior Reception through to Masters.
We had 19 podium places including 5 first place trophies; a special mention to all our 9 year olds who all came home with a medal. Well done Lizzie, Molly, Ellie, Heidi, Abi, Gracie, Olivia, Jess, Alistair, Oscar, Henry, William, Edan, Alexander, James, and Ryan!
Well done to all our swimmers who competed at the Long Eaton Meet on Sunday. There were lots of medals won and new pbs were set. Special congratulations go to Georgina for achieving her first regional qualifying time.
What a fantastic weekend our Sharks have just had at the Soundwell Meet. Lots of happy faces, pbs, County QTs and what super trophies! Full results will follow shortly.
A special thanks to our coaches Lisa, Chloe, Yvonne and Kim who looked after all those swimmers on poolside, and Bethan, Helen, Jackie & Catherine officating.
A great 1st place result for Stratford Sharks last night in Rugby with our Juniors following in the footsteps of the Senior's recent success. Despite a few DQ's and speeding tickets Sharks were the stand out club.
Thanks to Chloe, Josh & Anna on poolside, and to Ali, Ian & Craig in their whites.
This success is no coincidence and is down to the hard work and commitment of the swimmers and coaches in the Junior group.
Well done all!
1st 267 Stratford Sharks
2nd 266 Linslade crusaders
3rd 263 Rugby A
4th 255 Kingsbury Aquarius
5th 224 Coventry
6th 220 Redditch
7th 208 Leicester Sharks
8th 152 Rugby B
A tremendous turn out on Sunday for the rounders & picnic in the park! Great fun was had by swimmers, coaches and parents alike basking in some welcome September sun! A super start to kick off the new season.
Please would members note that to access Cognito forms you now require an access code. This would have been sent to you on 8th May in an email titled - [Sharks]Security Access Codes for Cognito Forms - Reminder
Now full!
The club shop is open most Friday evenings between 6.30 and 7.30 pm at SLVC. Visit the club shop page to view items. Orders can be placed online (just place items in the basket and checkout – the clubshop will be sent an email and will contact you to arrange payment and delivery)


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Fletcher names interim manager
Published: Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, August 9, 2005 at 8:30 a.m.
FLETCHER -- Town Council unanimously agreed Monday night to hire Al Richardson, former town manager of Black Mountain, as interim town manager.
Richardson will handle Fletcher's day-to-day affairs on a part-time basis until council members hire a full-time replacement for Town Manager Craig Honeycutt, who is leaving Aug. 19.
Council members met with Richardson for nearly an hour in closed session after a council meeting at Town Hall to discuss his contract. He will be paid $40 an hour and will work about 20 hours a week, said Mayor Bill Moore.
"I think he'll be an asset to the town of Fletcher while he's here," Moore said.
Richardson, 66, retired from Black Mountain in 2000 after serving as its manager for 18 years. He lives in Black Mountain.
Richardson said he is looking forward to working with Fletcher on an "as needed" basis.
"I am really impressed with the town," he said. "They have just done an incredible job in the 16 years Fletcher's been incorporated."
Honeycutt, Fletcher's first manager, announced his resignation July 15. He has accepted a job as town manager of Laurinburg, the seat of Scotland County in eastern North Carolina.
In a tearful farewell speech Monday night, Honeycutt thanked the council, mayor, town staff and volunteer board members for allowing him to work with them for the past 12 years.
"It's been a pleasure to work for you," he said, voice trembling. "I'm proud of the work that we've accomplished in Fletcher."
The town is accepting applications for a new manager through Aug. 26 and hopes to fill the position by mid-October. Richardson will serve until the vacancy is filled.
Also at Monday night's meeting, Town Council:
Johnson can be reached at 694-7881 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Sheraton Commander Hotel
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How has this hotel rated in the past?
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Photos of Sheraton Commander Hotel
Historical Traveler Reviews Sheraton Commander Hotel Cambridge
Beautiful old hotel
I stayed at the Sheraton Commander during a two day visit to Boston right during the rains in October 2005. I was extremely grateful for the location of the hotel, near Harvard square, and also for the fact that my room was so comfortable (and dry) afer long days of walking in the rain. The bed was fantastic, as always in a Sheraton, and the shower was nice (although the tub drained rather slowly.) I could really notice the difference in comfort when I moved to another hotel out in Revere on my third night - that one was fine but just didn't compare. The Sheraton room was also extremely quiet - it helped that I faced the back, but I also heard almost no sounds from any other rooms or the hallway.
The only negative is the service in the restaurant. I went down to breakfast one morning, was asked for my order, then read the paper for a good half hour (or more) while people worked or ate all around me - not one person ever asked me if I needed anything; it was as if I had wandered in off the street to read the newspaper and the staff was instructed not to disturb me! Well, I finally got the attention of another waiter, at which point a waitress was sent over to re-take my order. The food was pretty good but I was worried about a long wait to get the check afterward, which I also experienced. So I avoided the place on my second morning. Other than that, a good stay there.
Old school
Older address in a part of greater Boston where that's actually a plus. Terrific location just steps from Radcliffe Yard, and no more than ten minutes' stroll to Harvard Yard. Superb service in the hotel, though I must admit the valet guys were rather hard cases... OK, no tip for you.
The hotel interior is steeped in another age, with atmospheric Oriental rugs and polished brass. My room was very comfortable, cozy, and above all quiet. The reception honored my request for a room facing the rear of the hotel (as opposed to the busy thoroughfare out front).
Would I stay here again? Sure, just the location makes this hotel a winner. Though just for the fun of it, I'd probably try a different address next time in Boston.
Enjoyed history of old hotel
Our family recently stayed here for five days and loved it. The rooms were very nice and clean and the hotel was very interesting because it was so old. It was fun to imagine staying there during the time it was built.
I would reccommend this hotel to anyone who would trade some of the amenities a newer hotel offers for the ambiance of this old hotel. The staff was very helpful and nice.
Sheraton Commander Takes the Lead
Just got back from a 3 day stay at the Sheraton Commander. This was during the very busy Harvard Graduation which put pressure on the entire hotel staff. But they came through with flying colors. We had a King room that had been recently renovated. It was small but very comfortable. The bathroom was also small and needed more counter space, but the shower was very good and made up for the lack of counter space. The hotel is old but is in good condition. It is conveniently located to Harvard Square, downtown Cambridge and the subway station. The staff is very accomadating and friendly. I recommend this hotel as a good spot to stay in the Cambridge area.
Loyal, Dedicated Staff (Worn Out Structure)
I was a guest at this hotel facility from January 17 through 20, 2005. As noted in other reviews, the hotel is convenient if your activity places you on or near Harvard University, Harvard Square or in Central Cambridge. You can walk to any of these destinations within minutes.
The first and second floors of the hotel were being renovated during my visit. As a result, one could detect the faint scent of fresh paint on most of the upper floors. Evidence of construction activity was noticeable throughout the hotel. Having stayed at other hotels while contractors were renovating guest areas, I cannot understand why these businesses do not shut down during this major activity. More often than not, guests are offended by the noise, scents and disruptions caused by the construction.
I stayed at the Commander during the coldest days of January 2005. My first night was fine. I did not have heat during my second night. It was so cold in my room that I made a conscious decision to remain under my blankets and endure the frigid temperatures; I found it most threatening to get up in the middle of the night to permit a maintenance person into my room to fix the heater. I stayed in the bed until the morning, whereupon I called for service.
A kind maintenance person named Nelson came to my room in the morning to fix the heater. He was not able to repair the heater. He told me that I would have to change rooms. I repacked my bags and, with the help of hotel staff, moved to another room on the same floor.
All guests received a written notice that the hotel would not have water -- any water -- from 10:00 until 6:00 on my third day. The notice did not suggest that the lack of water was due to the fault of the municipal water authority or any other entity; hence, I concluded that the source of the problem was within the hotel itself. Never before have I visted a hotel in the United States that did not have water at all times of the day and night. While I survived by making plans that did not involve water usage, I noted that this development was discussed openly, and in negative tones, by all hotel guests.
My impression is that this 1927 hotel structure deserves some tender loving care. It is old. It has some grand, classic and elegant features, but it needs more than a few band aids. The management should close the hotel and renovate the entire facility. Their plans to renovate while guests use and occupy the premises threatens their business relationships. Simply stated, this experience convinces me that hotels should not host guests while the facility undergoes major construction.
I ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant daily. The food was average. The presentation was dreadful.
On a positive note, the hotel staff was delightful. The maintenance person -- Nelson -- was charming and competent. He was dedicated to customer service. Matthew, one of the front desk managers, was efficient and determined to make your stay a good one. He was, however, slightly, and acceptably, stiff. Another front desk person -- Michelle -- was warm, kind and attentive. Most members of the staff took a moment to extend a kind greeting.
Balancing all aspects of my experience, the attitude and competence of the staff converted an otherwise poor visit into an average one.
Overall, unless this hotel takes time and invests the money to upgrade the facility, there is only one reason to select this hotel: its convenience to Harvard and Central Cambridge. Given the vast number of alternatives, the comfort provided by other hotels may make it worthwhile to take a cab or subway to your destination.
Great hotel and location
My wife and I stayed at the Sheraton Commander during our USA honeymoon in April 04. We had been recommended by friends to stay in the Cambridge area due to the easy commute to downtown Boston and the lower accommodation prices. We were extremely pleased with our choice and had a wonderful stay in Boston. We stretched our budget slightly and went for a larger room that was well decorated and comfortable. The staff in the hotel were very helpful and willing to service any of our needs. The walk to the sub way and main centre of Cambridge was quick and easy with plenty of restaurants to choose from. The ride to Boston was equally simple and convenient.
We would definitely recommend the Sheraton to others visiting Boston and hopefully one day we can make the journey again.
Enjoyed the hotel and great location
My husband and I really enjoyed staying at this hotel. All the staff we encountered were pleasant, friendly and professional. The decor is lovely. Our room felt more like we were staying in an Inn rather than a hotel. We had a corner room towards the back of the hotel. We could look out and see neighborhood houses and trees.
I must comment on the shower. The wall mount shower head was amazing. It was about 5 inches around. It felt like I was in a warm rain shower. There was also a knob to adjust the water temp. There was a hand held shower head too.
There is a nice front courtyard area, attractively landscaped. Great for relaxing with a beverage after a day of activity around the area.
We have been to Boston numerous times and it was our first time staying in Cambridge. We loved it. It's about a 7 minute walk to Harvard Square where there are many shops, restaurants and open areas to check out. Lots going on during the day and night.
It is also quite easy to get into Boston. The red line runs from Harvard Square and connects to the the other subway lines. So you can get to almost anywhere in Boston. If you arrive by train the red line has a stop at South Station. I would stay there again.
Expensive, but super access to Harvard
I have stayed at the Sheraton Commander several times. It is very expensive, even for the Cambridge area. However, it is in excellent shape and well-appointed. I have been placed in several different types of rooms (why, I don't know - availability I guess). They ranged from average hotel fare to a spectacular corner room with four-post bed and sitting area.
The main thing with this place is location - it is basically on Harvard Square, and you could throw a rock from it to Harvard, or into the T stop. This is as close at it gets.
We checked into the Sheraton Commander and were placed on the "Concierge Floor". We never could figure out what was special and finally decided it was just a sign on the floor to make you think so. The maid's cart was left in the hall most of the day and the room was hot when we checked in. The hotel is very old and small and not good for a family. Overrated and overpriced for what you receive.
Nice Hotel
Stayed here in 11/02 while in town for a buisness trip. The hotel was very nice. Better than most Sheraton's. Food was excellent. A bit on the expensive side though. You can go for a short walk to Harvard Square where there are hundreds of places to eat. Location was also convienient to the metro for getting into Boston. You can be downtown in 10 minutes. Good workout room. Parking was in a lot on on the side of the building. It was valet only due to parking limitations. Could be inconvieninet in the rain as there is no where to stand out of the weather while waiting for your vehicle. Would definitly stay here again.
TripAdvisor Reviews Sheraton Commander Hotel Cambridge
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Joe Girardi announced before today's game that Phil Hughes will start on Saturday, which likely means that Freddy Garcia gets the ball on Sunday on two extra day's rest. I was kinda surprised at how many people were worried that Hughes was in the bullpen for good, but this should make them feel better. anyway, I'm glad to see they're giving the older guys some extra rest this month. It's best for everyone.
In which I praise Eduardo Nunez
For years, the Yankees employed a utility infielder basically because they had too, but they never really used the poor guy. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Alex Rodriguez were in the primes of their careers and very rarely took a day off, so the reserve infielder was just kind of there for emergencies. Cano is still very much in his prime, but Jeter and A-Rod have slowed down as they've gotten into their mid-30's. They're getting more regular rest (even if it's just a half-day as DH) and injured more frequently, so the backup infielder has become increasingly important.
Eduardo Nunez has been the primary infield fill-in this season, and he's been surprisingly productive. Maybe it's only surprising to me, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one with low expectations for the backup infielder. In 214 plate appearances this season, Nunez has hit .273/.325/.407 with 16 steals in 21 attempts, a .330 wOBA that is about five percent better than league average. His strength is simply getting the bat on the ball; his strikeout (9.8%) and contact (89.6%) rates are both substantially better than the league average (18.4% and 80.9%, respectively). After walking in just 5.6% of his minor league plate appearances (5.2% above Single-A), Nunez has upped that to 7.0% this season. His defense at short and third (primarily) has been sketchy (UZR hates him with a passion), but he seems to have improved of late, particularly on throws. Perhaps it was just a matter of getting regular reps.
I think it goes without saying that Nunez has been the Yankees' best utility infielder in quite some time, but just how much better? Let's look back at the last few seasons and the guys the Yankees had coming off the bench whenever they needed to replace someone on the diamond…
2009 & 2010
Ramiro Pena: .253/.283/.305 … 3.8% BB … 16.3% K … 11-for-13 in SB attempts
It was pretty surprising when the Yankees took Pena, a career .253/.311/.315 hitter at Double-A, north out of Spring Training in 2009, skipping the defensive specialist right over Triple-A. He performed about as well as could have been expected, flashing some leather and falling just short of his ZiPS projection (.249/.296/.332). Pena did end up back in Triple-A later in the 2009 season, giving way to trade deadline pickup Jerry Hairston Jr., who hit .237/.352/.382 in 93 PA with New York. Pena was the primarily utility infielder for all of 2010 though, with Kevin Russo and Nunez making short cameos.
Wilson Betemit: .265/.289/.429 … 3.0% BB … 28.3% K … 0-for-1 in SB attempts
Before the days of Nick Swisher in right field, Betemit was the guy entrusted with resting the regular infielders. He definitely has some pop in his bat and showed it during his time with New York, clubbing 13 doubles and six homers in 189 PA during 2008 (a .164 ISO). The problem is that he was generally a statue on defense and Grade-A hacker incapable of putting together a tough at-bat, or so it seemed. He was also valueless on the bases. Cody Ransom made a late season cameo and won the heart of Ian O'Connor by hitting a homerun in each of his first two at-bats in pinstripes. He hit .302/.400/.561 in 51 PA late in the season.
Miguel Cairo: .252/.308/.318 … 6.6% BB … 16.7% K … 8-for-9 in SB attempts
Can you believe that Cairo is still playing? It's crazy, and he's actually performing quite well (.321 wOBA) for the Reds at age 37. Good for him. Anyway, Cairo was consistently ineffective for New York except for that ridiculous 2004 season when he took over the regular second base job thanks to his .336 wOBA. Cairo's defense was about average, but the Yankees got tired of his act in 2007 and released him in mid-August. They had acquired Betemit at the trade deadline to assume backup infielder duties, and he hit .226/.278/.417 with four homers in 92 at-bats down the stretch.
* * *
Previous reserve infielders include Cairo and Nick Green (2006), Rey Sanchez and Andy Phillips (2005), and Enrique Wilson (2004). All of them, including the 2007-2010 crop above, were pretty terrible and certainly worse than what the Yankees are running out there now with Nunez. ZiPS projects Eduardo to hit .266/.307/.371 (.305 wOBA) with seven steals in nine attempts the rest of way, which seems reasonable if not a little disappointing. I'm still not 100% sold on Nunez as a future everyday player, but he's certainly been better than I expected, and it's come at a good time because the Yankees needed him more than anticipated.
The slump that holds back Cano
It was inevitable that Robinson Cano would disappoint on some level this season. In 2010 he put together a career year, hitting .319/.381/.534. That included a career high walk rate and career high ISO, which left us with a hope that this was the new Cano — the No. 3 hitter that we all envisioned when he debuted his sweet swing in 2005. In that way, 2011 has fallen below those lofty expectations. His wOBA is down 20 points and his walk rate is down to right around his career mark. The only thing he's retained is his power. Yet that doesn't tell the whole story. Seasons go in phases, and Cano appears to be hitting his stride. In fact, he's been hitting it for a few months now.
Cano started off the season impressively, hitting .320/.340/.639 in April. His walk rate was clearly low — he walked only three times in April, once on Opening Day and twice in one game on the 27th — but everything else seemed to be working. If he just laid off a few more bad pitches he could have been well on his way to another star-level season. But that lack of discipline soon came back to haunt him.
The team traveled to Detroit on May 3rd, and that's when Cano's slump began. For the next 34 games he hit .237/.294/.405 in 143 PA. He walked in just 4.2 percent of his plate appearances, and the lack of discipline apparently led to poor contact. His BABIP of .245 was far out of line with his established level. The slump might have drawn more comparisons to 2008 had Cano not continued to hit for power. In those 143 PA he still had 12 extra base hits, a .168 ISO.
Cano eventually broke out of the slump once Boston left town. Cleveland was next on the circuit, and Cano opened that series with a 3 for 4 performance that included an unintentional walk. That was on June 10th. Since then he has come to the plate 228 times and has hit .320/.377/.510, which is close to his 2010 production. The only difference is in the power department, where his .190 ISO since June 10th is a tick below his marks from the previous two years (.199 and .214).
The above, of course, merely dices Cano's season into convenient segments. All players streak and slump, and Cano is no different. What we can see, though, is that his mid-season slump has really dragged down his numbers. If you look through his 2010 game logs you won't see any slump that severe or that long. It's one major reason why he put together an MVP-worthy season. Without any prolonged slumps he was able to produce from start to finish and remain a prominent part of the conversation.
This year Cano has experienced a prolonged slump, which make his overall numbers look a bit worse. Combined with his refusal to take a pitch in April, it has led to a below expectations season to date. But it does appear something clicked in June, and since then he's back to producing elite numbers. He probably won't get his numbers back up to 2010 levels, but that's not what's important to the Yankees right now. As long as he hits at those 2010 levels the rest of the way, the offense will continue to steamroll opponents.
Series Preview: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
It's only early-August, but this is probably the Yankees' most important series of the season (to date). The Angels are their primary competition for the AL wildcard at the moment, and this series will give them a chance to really bury them in the race for a playoff berth. These two clubs have played one other series this year, with the Yanks taking two of three in Anaheim back in May.
What Have The Angels Done Lately?
We're focused on the Angels as a wildcard threat, but they're only one game back of the Rangers for the AL West lead. I'm sure that's what they're focusing on. The Halos have won three of their last four games and eight of twelve as they've trimmed their deficit in the division from four games to one already this month. They did just win a series against the punchless Mariners, though they only scored four runs in the three games. Overall, the Angels are 63-52 with a +22 run differential.
Angels On Offense
Despite all the big names on their roster, the Angels have the fourth worst team wOBA (.308) in the AL this season. Their best offensive player pretty much all season has been Howie Kendrick, a .302/.359/.446 hitter that hasn't hit for much power since a big April (.100 ISO since May 1st with just two homers). Rookie masher Mark Trumbo took over for the injured Kendrys Morales at first and he leads the club with 22 homers, but he's a hacker (4.7% walk rate) and can be pitched too. Just don't make a mistake in the zone, he's a bomb threat.
The big three – Bobby Abreu, Torii Hunter, and Vernon Wells – are sporting .326, .313, and .277 wOBA's, respectively. Abreu, unsurprisingly, is the team's best on-base threat with a 15.0% walk rate and .367 OBP. His power is all but gone at age 37 though (.089 ISO). Wells is the exact opposite, he's all power (.171 ISO) with no on base ability (4.2% walk rate). Hunter's pretty much right in the middle, with a .149 ISO and an 8.9% walk rate. Kinda funny how that works. The Angels have a really awesome rookie center fielder, but it's not Mike Trout (he was shipped back to the minors about a week ago), it's Peter Bourjos. His game is all speed, he'll steal bases (15-for-19 this year) and most of his extra base hits are hustle doubles and triples. Bourjos is also a Brett Gardner-level defender in center as well, the kid's MLB.com highlights page is outfield defense porn.
The rest of the offense is fairly unspectacular. You've got Maicer Izturis (.316 wOBA), Erick Aybar (.320), Alberto Callaspo (.327), Russ Branyan (.258), utility infielder Andrew Romine (one hit in seven plate appearances so far, and yes he is Austin's brother) and the catching duo of Jeff Mathis (.212) and Bobby Wilson (.226). I assume Mike Scioscia is unaware of Branyan's Yankee Stadium exploits and will have him on the bench like he has most of the season. The Halos will steal bases as usual; Bourjos, Kendrick, Aybar, and Abreu all have 10+ steals, and Wells, Trumbo, and Izturis are closing in on double-digits.
Angels On The Mound
Tuesday, RHP Dan Haren (vs. A.J. Burnett): It's kinda hard to believe that after all these years, Haren is just now having the best season of his career. His 2.72 FIP, 1.27 BB/9, and 0.58 HR/9 are all career bests, though his strikeout rate (7.27 K/9) has predictably dropped with the shift back to the AL. Haren's a four fastball guy, he throws a straight four-seamer in the high-80's about 13% of the time, a mid-80's cutter more than 48% of the time, a low-90's two-seamer about 18% of the time, and a strikeout splitter in the mid-80's about 9% of the time. A high-80's curve and mid-80's changeup round out his repertoire. Haren will pound the zone, so the Yankees will have to be aggressive and jump on the first hittable pitch they see. They haven't faced him since the series in Arizona last season.
Wednesday, LHP Hisanori Takahashi (vs. Ivan Nova): Takahashi is going to make his first start of the season this series because Joel Pineiro was so bad that the Angels had to pull him from the rotation (5.31 ERA and 4.59 FIP). Takahashi says he's good for 100 pitches on Wednesday, but he hasn't thrown more than 43 pitches in a game since last July. We'll see.
Anyway, Yankees fans surely remember Takahashi for the two six-inning, no run starts he made against them with the Mets last season. He's a pure finesse pitcher, throwing a high-80's fastball, low-80's changeup, and high-70's curveball with a show-me slider. The southpaw misses a ton of bats (10.6% whiffs career) and has a reverse split this year, but he's homerun prone (1.12 HR/9 in a pitcher's park) and will hurt himself with walks (3.54 BB/9). Hopefully the Yankees remember what they saw out of Takahashi last season and go to town.
Thursday, RHP Tyler Chatwood (vs. Bartolo Colon): Thank you Carlos Guillen. This was supposed to be Jered Weaver's start, but he's serving a six-game suspension for throwing over Alex Avila's head one batter after Guillen took him deep and pimped the trot. Instead the Yankees will face the rookie right-hander Chatwood, who has been in over his head pretty much all the season. The 21-year-old had more walks that strikeouts up until three starts ago, but he still misses next to no bats (4.6% swings and misses) and has a huge platoon split. Chatwood throws both his four and two-seamer in the 91-93 range, setting up his high-80's curve and the occasional changeup. I know the Yankees seem to struggle against pitchers they've never faced, but there's no real mystery here, he's a fastball-curve guy that will shoot himself in the foot with ball four untilScioscia yanks him from the game.
Bullpen: It's a sneaky good bullpen, led by rookie closer Jordan Walden. He's getting his walk issues under control as the season progresses (3.60 BB/9), plus his strikeout (9.60 K/9) and ground ball (47.9%) rates are excellent. Setup men Fernando Rodney (4.01 FIP) and Scott Downs (3.17 FIP) are solid and stellar, respectively. Right-hander Rich Thompson (9.90 K/9 and 3.38 BB/9) is their David Robertson, though maybe the 2009 version and not the 2011 version. Bobby Cassevah (4.54 FIP in limited action), Horacio Ramirez (7.26 FIP in very limited action), and Pineiro round out the bullpen. Yes, it's that Horacio Ramirez.
Recommended Angels Reading: True Grich. Here's some ticket info, courtesy of RAB Tickets and TiqIQ.
Russell Martin's Adjustment
The month of April is simultaneously great and terrible for baseball fans. It's great because hey, meaningful baseball is back, but it's terrible because there is so much noise. Some guys look like MVP candidates while others completely cooked in the first few weeks of the season, but there's just not enough data to support either argument. Take Brett Gardner. He got off to a brutal start in April (.188/.273/.391) but bounced back and has hit .304/.380/.408 since the calendar flipped to May.
Russell Martin was on the other end of the spectrum. He came out of the gate like a mad man, clubbing six homers in the team's first 17 games and looking like a $4M free agent bargain. His season has gone south since (.205/.306/.309 in the last 96 team games), though he has shown some signs of life since the All-Star break (.254/.325/.380) and since the start of that ten-game homestand two weeks ago (.283/.333/.457). But still, there's no denying that Martin has struggled offensively basically all season, and what do struggling hitters do? They go to the hitting coach.
Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long has done many great things over the years, none more spectacular than transforming Curtis Granderson from a platoon outfielder into an MVP candidate. Grandy's transformation has keyed us into some of Long's techniques, and perhaps his biggest calling card is the two-handed follow through. We've seen Granderson use it, Mark Teixeira use it, and even Gardner for a while. Martin, in case you haven't noticed, is now employing that same finish on his swing.
Through the magic of MLB.tv, I was able to go back and find when the transition from a one-handed follow through to a two-handed follow through occurred. The screen cap below shows two games: the clip on the left is Martin's second-to-last at-bat on June 1st against the Athletics in Oakland (he struck out in his final at-bat that game and I want to see his follow through when he made contact), and the clip on the right is his first at-bat on June 3rd against the Angels…
Russ followed through with one hand against the A's, then two days later it was two hands. The Yankees finished their series in Oakland on the 1st, were off on the 2nd, then played in Anaheim on the 3rd. You can connect the dots and see that it's likely Martin and Long got together and made the adjustment during the off day. Here's video of his last homerun before the switch, which came about a week earlier on May 24th, and here's video of the single that came from that first at-bat in Anaheim. If you want to go back even further, here's his first homer of the season and here's his most recent. We'll never know with any certainty, but it certainly seems like the adjustment was made during that west coast trip.
So that's great, Martin's using a two-handed follow through nowadays and he's making an effort to improve his performance. But is it working? Eh, not really. He hit .242/.352/.458 in 179 plate appearances before the change and has hit just .213/.294/.307 in 170 PA since. If you want to remove the scorching hot start, it's a .192/.322/.313 batting line in the 118 PA immediately prior to the change. It doesn't look like the two-handed follow through has done anything, but those are output stats. They're just results subject to things like defense and wind and whatnot. We've got to look at the process.
If you take a look at the spray charts (one-handed follow through, two-handed follow through), you'll notice two things. One, there aren't nearly as many balls hit to (moderately) deep left field after the adjustment as there are before, and there's also way more ground balls (specifically to the left side) since the change. You can see the spike in Martin's ground ball rate in his day-by-day batted ball profile…
Based on what Long has said when being asked about Granderson's adjustments, a two-handed follow through allows the hitter to keep the bat in the hitting zone a little bit longer, which theoretically should lead to more contact. Martin's strikeout rate went from 16.2% before the change to 14.7% after, a small but not negligible difference. You can probably make the case that a few more strikeouts wouldn't be the worst thing given the increased ground ball rate, just to avoid some potential double plays.
Anyway, I don't really know where I'm going with this. I just think it's interesting to see another batter adopt the two-handed follow through, which is clearly K-Long's doing. It didn't work for Gardner and the early returns suggest it isn't working for Martin, but I don't think it was ever intended to be some kind of cure-all. Every player is different, which is why it doesn't work for everyone like it worked for Granderson, but that doesn't mean it's not worth trying.
The Upcoming Rotation
Part of the problem with having a six-man rotation and an off day and using a starter in relief is that we don't really know who's pitching when. The Yankees announced on Monday that A.J. Burnett will open their series against the Angels on Tuesday, and will be followed by Ivan Nova on Wednesday and Bartolo Colon on Thursday. That's the same three guys they ran out there against the White and Red Sox late last week, so they didn't do any serious rearranging.
Despite throwing just 13 pitches (including four intentional balls), Phil Hughes' relief appearance against the Red Sox on Sunday was enough to eliminate him from his scheduled Tuesday start, which is unsurprising. There's really no reason to push it with the guy after he spent roughly three months on the DL with some kind of shoulder issue. Who knows how many warm-up pitches he threw in the bullpen. I'm guessing he'll start at some point next weekend against the Rays, or at least I hope so. I'm not sure I could handle another 25-year-old starter being banished to a relief role because "his stuff plays up in the bullpen."
CC Sabathia is getting an extra day of rest, starting on Friday instead of Thursday. The whole point of sticking with the six-man rotation is to give him bit of a breather here and there, and one extra day at a time is pretty much the best way to go about it. There is such a thing as too much rest for a starting pitcher, and the last thing the Yankees need to do is knock Sabathia out of his rhythm this late in the season. I assume Freddy Garcia will start on Saturday, putting Hughes on track for Sunday. We might see him in relief on Tuesday or Wednesday in that case. Ugh.
As I wrote yesterday, the Yankees are hamstrung by what amounts to a pair of dead roster spots: the 13th pitcher (seems to be Luis Ayala at this point), and Jorge Posada. It's not the end of the world but it's not ideal either, though it looks like they're going to stick with it for the next few weeks. The position players will get their rest in September, but now's the best time to take the foot off the starting rotation gas because you'd like to get them lined back up and working on the regular schedule in mid-to-late-September. For now, Sabathia gets an extra day this week and I'm sure we'll see the other guys get an extra day in the coming weeks.
Gamel keeps hitting in Staten Island loss
Gary Sanchez and Mason Williams were named the Offensive Player of the Week for the Low-A South Atlantic League and Short Season NY-Penn League, respectively. So congrats to them. Mark Newman said there's a chance Austin Romine will return from his back strain in "about a week," but it's hardly set in stone. Angelo Gumbs, meanwhile, is away from Short Season Staten Island because of a personal issue, so hopefully everything's okay.
Triple-A Scranton (3-1 loss to Gwinnett)
Kevin Russo, 2B: 0 for 4, 1 BB, 2 K
Chris Dickerson, LF: 1 for 5, 1 R, 2 K, 1 SB, 1 CS
Jesus Montero, C: 0 for 5, 1 K – he did hit a ball to the warning track, so that's a plus … UPDATE: it was two balls to the track, actually
Jorge Vazquez, 1B: 1 for 4, 1 K
Mike Lamb, DH: 3 for 4, 1 RBI – 11 for his last 21 (.524)
Brandon Laird, 3B: 0 for 3, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 E (missed catch)
Jordan Parraz, RF, Greg Golson, CF & Doug Bernier, SS: all 1 for 3, 1 BB – Parraz and Bernier whiffed twice, Golson once … Golson also had a double and got picked off first
Greg Smith, LHP: 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 6-4 GB/FB – 60 of 101 pitches were strikes
Josh Schmidt, RHP: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2-5 GB/FB – 31 of 51 pitches were strikes (60.8%)


text:
"The overriding challenge for our generation is to build a new economy–one that is powered largely by renewable sources of energy, that has a much more diversified transport system, and that reuses and recycles everything." –Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
Ted Glick on Grist, 'World on the Edge, a book review'
January 16, 2011
Ted Glick, Policy Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and co-founder of the Climate Crisis Coalition, writes on World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse by Lester Brown, titled 'World on the Edge, a book review.' Posted January 16, 2011.


text:
Compact Airborne Acoustic Transmitter for Buried Object Stimulation
Award Information
Small Business Information
Creare Inc.
P.O. Box 71, Hanover, NH, 03755
Principal Investigator:
Jed Wilbur
Principal Investigator
(603) 643-3800
Principal Investigator
(603) 643-3800
Business Contact:
Patrick Magari
Principal Investigator
(603) 643-3800
Principal Investigator
(603) 643-3800
Research Institution:
AbstractLandmines and buried improvised explosive devices (IED) represent a clear and present danger to the modern U.S. warfighter. The ability to survey a potentially hazardous area from the air using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-mounted optical acoustic system has the potential to greatly reduce casualty rates. However, existing acoustic sources are inadequate to stimulate the earth at the necessary levels or frequencies from the desired altitudesa new, compact, efficient, and intense sound source is needed. In this program, Creare is developing a Compact Airborne Acoustic Transmitter (CAAT) capable of stimulating the ground at 100 dB over the 90 to 400 Hz frequency range from an altitude of 300 meters. The CAAT combines an innovative, highly efficient acoustic source with a novel, efficient, and directional acoustic horn to maximize the sound pressure level on the ground. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of this approach by modeling, fabricating, and testing a prototype sound source and numerically optimizing an acoustic horn. In Phase II, we will interface the subsystems and build, test, validate and deliver to the Navy a prototype of the required size, shape, weight, power consumption, and acoustic output.
* information listed above is at the time of submission.
An Official Website of the United States Government


text:
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Usually when a teacher hears the word 'assessment', she thinks about strategies for checking in on her students' progress and proficiency.
She uses a variety of assessment methods: tests, interviews, homework, and direct observations to name a few. But the best teachers don't limit their assessment efforts to their students. Self-assessment for teachers can mean the difference between great and stellar performance. But self-assessment is foreign for those who are usually focused on student assessment. Where does the interested teacher start?
How to Make Good Use of Self-assessment
For teachers, it can be tempting to do the same activities over and over again, and a teaching rut can be hard to get out of once you're in it. By regularly spending a few minutes reflecting, evaluating, and assessing what you have done in class, you can become a better teacher and one who is always getting better.
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