text:
Defense wins championships.
This statement is just as true for the NFL as it is for your fantasy team. Yet, owners often overlook their D/STs and kickers and leave valuable points in free agency.
There's a lot of variance that comes with these positions on a week-to-week basis, but a careful analysis of the matchups can help you mine some fantasy gold.
Each week I'll take a look at the D/STs with good matchups that are worth an add, those who face a matchup downgrade, and some tempting options who should be left on the waiver wire.
The Usual Suspects
Teams you're not even thinking about benching this week include – San Francisco (vs. Chicago), Chicago (at San Francisco), Houston (vs. Jacksonville)
Preferred Plays
1. Denver (vs. San Diego) – There's no team D/ST hotter than the Broncos right now. They've put up 20-plus points in two of their last four games, and won a lot of folks their Week 10 matchups. This week they face the same Chargers team they racked up six turnovers and two scores on back in Week 6. Giddy up.
2. Atlanta (vs. Arizona) – The Cardinals have given up double-digit fantasy points to opposing D/STs in five of their last six games. Look for John Abraham and Kroy Biermann to get after John Skelton early and often in this one, which could lead to plenty of turnover opportunities for this Falcons defense.
3. Dallas (vs. Cleveland) – It was looking rocky for the Cowboys after the first half last week, but they exploded for three second-half TDs against the Eagles. On paper, their matchup against the Browns doesn't look particularly strong. Cleveland gives up the 14th most fantasy points per game to D/STs, but they're trending upward thanks to an anemic offense. If you started the Cowboys last week, keep riding them in this one.
4. Tampa Bay (at Carolina) – Tampa Bay may have been overshadowed by the performances of the Broncos and Cowboys D/STs in Week 10, but they were still pretty darn good, putting up two turnovers and two scores against the Chargers. This week they get a Panthers team that just gave up 28 fantasy points to Denver and currently yield the eighth-most fantasy points per game to D/STs.
1. Cincinnati (at Kansas City) – While it wasn't the huge number we've seen in most weeks this season, the Steelers still managed nine fantasy points against the Chiefs on Monday night. The Bengals are coming off a rock solid defensive performance in a tough matchup against the Giants. They should have no problem with the Chiefs and make for the top plug-and-play option this week.
2. St. Louis (vs. New York Jets) – Aside from two tough outings in back-to-back weeks against the Pats and Packers, this Rams defense has been better than you might think this season. They've topped double-digit fantasy points three times, and could make that four this weekend. The Jets give up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing D/STs and have yielded double-digit fantasy points in five of their last six games.
3. Washington (vs. Philadelphia) – The Eagles have turned into a team you circle on your calendars for your D/STs. This week they face a Redskins defense that was hit hard with injuries and has been generally uninspiring this season. However, they make for a great spot-start if you're in a pinch. Nick Foles will get the start for Philadelphia, and the fact that all of the Cowboys' Week 10 fantasy points came while he was in the game bodes well for the Skins.
Matchup Downgrade
1. Arizona (at Atlanta) – If you held onto the Cardinals through their bye, you're not exactly rewarded in this one. The Falcons give up the fourth-least fantasy points per game to opposing D/STs and have given up negative points in each of their last two games.
2. Pittsburgh (vs. Baltimore) – The Steelers D/ST was solid but unspectacular on Monday night, and that about sums up their play for this entire season. The days where you locked them into your lineup are gone, and you may want to take a look at other options this week. The Ravens just put up a 50 burger on the Raiders, and look to be firing on all cylinders.
3. New England (vs. Indianapolis) – I'm surprised and impressed by this Colts offense. They got off to what looked to be a slow start, giving up double-digit fantasy points to the Bears D/ST in Week 1. Since then they've held their opponents in check, and only one team has topped ten fantasy points on them. The Patriots D/ST does come with a relatively high ceiling, but last week they also showed us that their floor is pretty low managing just three fantasy points against the Bills.
Don't Get Cute
1. Indianapolis (at New England) – The Colts D/ST had their biggest fantasy performance of the season in Week 10, but it came in a great matchup against the Jaguars. This week they get the exact opposite in a Patriots team that has yielded negative fantasy points in four-of-nine games this season.
2. San Diego (at Denver) – San Diego has been the picture of inconsistency this season. They followed up their huge Week 9 performance against the Chiefs with a stinker against the Bucs this past Sunday. Look for a repeat of the latter this week. The Broncos have given up a total of negative three fantasy points over their last three games.
3. Carolina (vs. Tampa Bay) – The Panthers defense has a new look, but they're still struggling to put up fantasy points, scoring just one last week against the Broncos. Don't expect a turnaround this week. Tampa Bay has really found their groove on offense and currently gives up the second-least fantasy points per game to D/STs.
Can I Kick it?
Here's my top-12 kickers for Week 11:
1. Sebastian Janikowski (vs. NO)
2. Stephen Gostkowski (vs. IND)
3. Matt Bryant (vs. ARI)
4. Shayne Graham (vs. JAC)
5. David Akers (vs. CHI)
6. Greg Zuerlein (vs. NYJ)
7. Garrett Hartley (at OAK)
8. Mike Nugent (at KC)
9. Matt Prater (vs. SD)
10. Connor Barth (at CAR)
11. Mason Crosby (at DET)
12. Dan Bailey (vs. CLE)
D/ST Standard Scoring System
Any Touchdown
6 pts
0 points allowed
5 pts
Under 100 yards allowed
2 pts
1-6 points allowed
4 pts
101 to 199 yards allowed
3 pts
Fumble Recovery
7-13 points allowed
200 to 299 yards allowed
Blocked Kick
14-17 points allowed
1 pt
300 to 349 yards allowed
0 pts
18-27 points allowed
350 to 399 yards allowed
-1 pts
28-34 points allowed
400 to 449 yards allowed
-3 pts
35-45 points allowed
450 to 499 yards allowed
-5 pts
46+ points allowed
500- 549 yards allowed
-6 pts
550+ yards allowed
-7 pts


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Tigers won't get team trophy, but five individuals will come back to Kirksville with medals.
Story Updated Feb. 18
COLUMBIA, Mo. - The third and final day of the MSHSAA Class 2 State Wrestling tournament opened with four Kirksville wrestlers having the chance to go home with a bronze medal, and two would seize the opportunity: Ethan Rentschler at 113 pounds and Logan Summers at 220 pounds.
Kylan Easley took home a fifth place medal and Branden Beeler finished sixth.
Summers ended his Tiger career with two victories by pin, the first over Clayton Robinette of Smithville. In his final match and with a bronze medal on the line, Summers came out and pinned Bryson O'Callaghan of Savannah in the opening moments of the first period.
"Last year I lost to O'Callaghan in the bubble match and I wasn't going to let that happen in my senior year. Losing last night and facing him gave me the motivation that I wasn't going to lose the last match of my career," said Summers.
"Logan looked like he went out there on a mission and was only going after one thing," said Kirksville head coach Kevin Powell.
Rentschler opened the day with a convincing win over Ethen Carlberg, 10-2. Rentschler advanced to take on DeAndre White of Center high school for third place. The match came to a stop when Rentschler started to bleed with him leading 5-3 with 30 seconds left. On the restart White gained a point for an escape and pulled to within 5-4, but the match ended before he could pick up any more points.
"It was a really exciting match, I was able to come back and get third. My main goal was to get first but third will do. I took fifth as a sophomore, third as a junior and so now the only place to go up is first, and that's what I will be training for this summer," said Rentschler.
"Ethan wrestled him last year and it was one of his tougher matches at the state meet, and it was really exciting to watch him wrestling him again," said Powell.
Easley was up 1-0 in the second period, when Bailey Wilson of Smithville went on a 9-0 run. Easley picked up two points in the final period but it wasn't enough.
After the disappointment of his first match, Easley found himself in overtime against Blake Rugraff of St. Charles West. Easley wasted very little time as he quickly flipped Rugraff and picked up two points and won in sudden death, 5-3.
"I went out with the right mindset and worked my moves that would work and tried to get as many points as I could. Before overtime, coach pulled me aside and said, 'use that same move you just used.' I almost missed but came from behind and got my two points. It feels phenomenal, it's the best feeling ever to get my first state medal," said Easley.
Branden Beeler had a rough day three as the sophomore was shut out in his two matches. Beeler lost 6-0 to Cole Reynolds in his first-match and then fell 5-0 in the fifth place match against Jordan Jones of Mexico.
"I thought I did well but I wasn't able to close the gap enough. I just need to work on what I do and work towards a state title next year. I need to work on the little things, they will help me get a state title next year," said Beeler.
Easley and Rentschler lost their semifinal matches to wrestlers who went on to win state championships.
Kirksville had an outside chance of grabbing a fourth-place team trophy, but that came to an end when Odessa took home the 106-pound state title. The Tigers would finish in fifth five points ahead of St. Charles West, the team who ended Kirksville's run of district championships.
Oak Grove won the Class 2 team title as they racked up 172 total points. The Panthers scored the most points of any team at the state tournament. However the 172 points don't even rank in the top three efforts ever put forward by the school.
Fulton finished second with 113 points. Kirksville beat the Hornets in a dual match this season.
Odessa picked up a few more state titles and edged out Cameron for third with 103 points, Cameron finished with 102.5

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Cofre Sol
Jesus Guerrero Santos is a Mexican national treasure. His enormous talent in the field of fine ceramics has led to his repeated selection as the creator of honorary gifts for visiting dignitaries such as Pope John Paul II on both of his trips to Mexico. The production of Jesus Guerrero Santos' ceramics is carefully thought out. The forms are made by hand, the size, shape, and thickness of each item is consistent. Santos also paints each item by hand, ultimately kiln-firing them at a very high temperature to create a strong and durable finish. His unique finishes are a secret blend of ingredients that are carefully chosen, and which Santos has only shared with his sons, Adrian and Pablo Guerrero Castellanos, who have since created their own successful ceramics business in a more contemporary vein. After firing, the pieces are adorned with alpaca to create stunning and classical final designs.
Why Shop at La Fuente Imports?


text:
Tag along with Dick Tracy, The Shadow, The Hunter, and The Private Eye as they search for clues and solve cases in this collection of vintage mystery films.
THE HUNTER (1952): An undercover agent needs to ferret out a Soviet spy posing as a member of an acting troupe traveling on a flight to London. Barry Nelson starred as a Cold War spy in the television series "The Hunter" for 13 episodes that aired on CBS in 1952. Directed by Oscar Rudolph.
THE SHADOW: HOUSE OF MYSTERY (1932): Police detectives on a hunting trip discover the dead body of a beautiful young girl in a cabin. This well-produced Universal short subject is introduced by the "Shadow," the mysterious character popularized on the pages of "Detective Magazine." Stars James Durkin, Wilfred Lucas Leland Hodgeson; Directed by Kurt Neumann.
THE PRIVATE EYE (1951): Private Detective Florian Slappey plays it strictly for laughs in this all-black mystery spoof. "The Private Eye" was written by mystery novelist Octavus Roy Cohen, who is today best remembered for his unflattering portrayals of Afro-Americans. Stars Milt Wood, Geri Bryan, William Walker; Directed by Erle C. Kenton.
DICK TRACY: SHAKY'S SECRET TREASURE (1952): Tracy investigates when a woman's apartment is ransacked and her upholstery slashed. Ralph Byrd reprises the role he played in four Republic serials for this television series which ran from 1951-1952. Production was halted by the untimely passing of the show's star at age 43. Directed by Thomas Carr


text:
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The Bethesda Blog announces that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is now gold, with the completion of the RPG sequel coming just in time for its planned release a week from today. Word is:
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A 36-year-old man died Saturday after he was found unresponsive at a local warming center, according to officials.
Police were called to Har Hashem synagogue at 3950 Baseline Road after a man was found unresponsive. First responders tried to perform CPR, but the man passed away.
The death does not appear suspicious, according to Boulder police spokeswoman Kim Kobel.
The man's identity will be released by the Boulder County Coroner's Office pending notification of next of kin. An autopsy will be performed to determine the official cause and manner of death.


text:
LOWELL -- When he looks around the Lowell Police Department, Ken Lavallee sees quite a number of people he goes way back with.
Long before he ever became chief, Lavallee worked with colleagues like Deputy Superintendent Arthur Ryan, Lts. Tim Crowley, Frank Rouine and Paul LaFerriere, and Sgts. Thomas Fleming and Stephen Morrill, doing security for the former St. John's Hospital.
The native Lowellian, who recently announced his plans to retire effective today, also worked at St. John's with Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, whom he succeeded as Lowell chief, and Chelmsford Police Chief Jim Murphy.
"The experience prepared me very well for a career in law enforcement," said Lavallee, 57, who served with the LPD for more than 29 years, including six-plus years as its superintendent (one as interim before getting the permanent job).
"I've thoroughly enjoyed this. It's been an honor and a privilege," he added.
Lavallee still runs into Davis at regular meetings of the Massachusetts major-city police chiefs.
"Ed and I talk often and meet often," Lavallee said. "This entire city could be very proud of the work he's done in Boston."
Davis returned the compliment.
"Ken was always a great partner, somebody you could depend on," Davis said. "He was very popular with the staff at St. John's. Even back then, he was so well regarded. He showed incredible leadership qualities.
"We both started when we were at Northeastern together -- he was the one who told me about the St. John's job," Davis added.
At St. John's, which later became a part of Saints Medical Center and, more recently, the Lowell General Hospital Saints Campus, Lavallee and his cohorts paid their dues working all shifts, including overnights.
"The hospital was a great place for us to get introduced to law enforcement," Ryan said, noting that he and Lavallee were hired together to work for the LPD. "I worked with Ken close to five years at the hospital, and I've literally worked with him my entire police career. We're good friends."
While earning a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and holding one co-op job as a Westford Police Department dispatcher, Lavallee first began working at St. John's in 1974 as a security officer. In 1978, he moved on to work as a patrolman, first with the Carlisle Police Department and later with the Manchester, N.H., Police Department, before returning to St. John's to accept a position as security director in July 1980.
"It was kind of another co-op job for me," he said. "St. John's was, at the time, kind of a proving ground for young men and women who wanted to enter law enforcement. It had a busy daytime emergency room, where I had the opportunity to interact with the public and police officers."
He recalled one time he helped pursue a criminal suspect on foot and eventually captured the person, resulting in an award from the Lowell Patrolman's Union. Another time, a prisoner from the Billerica House of Correction, who had gone to the hospital under the auspices of seeking medical treatment, briefly escaped from custody with the aid of armed gunmen, who pointed a gun at a corrections officer. After escaping in an automobile, the prisoner was eventually recaptured.
Lavallee also recalled working at the hospital during the Blizzard of '78.
"I worked several days nonstop, transporting hospital employees to and from the hospital and maintaining a safe environment," he said.
"Kenny was really conscientious. He never really went out and painted the town red," said Chuck Ouellette, a civilian who works in the dispatch center at the LPD and who also worked with Lavallee and Davis at St. John's.
Ouellette noted that when he once went to Lavallee's house to watch a football game, Lavallee's personal space there was just as meticulously organized as his office at the Police Department.
"He's a great guy to work with," he said.


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Just Cause 2 - First Impressions, My mind has been blown to fucking pieces.
Just Cause 2 - First Impressions, My mind has been blown to fucking pieces.
Mar 10 2010, 08:40 PM
Post #1
Group: Gold Member
Posts: 1,285
Joined: 6-May 08
Member No.: 40,397
Well, another "2" game. Seriously, the last couple months I've played Modern Warfare 2, Left For Dead 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and just started the Godfather 2. Somehow or another I missed Mass Effect 2. I'll probably get to that later this year.
Anyway, Just Cause 2 comes out later this month. The demo's been released on PSN and XBL and I just went and preordered my copy from Gamestop.
The first Just Cause had mixed reviews - from being mindless fun to glitchy as hell. I really enjoyed the first one, although I've never owned it and it's been about 3 years since I last played it. This was my roommate in college's first 360 game and we played the hell out of it. Huge island levels to explore and a badass grappling hook to connect to everything. IT was a lot of fun. I actually just bought a used copy of the first game to hold me over until the Just Cause 2 is released on 3/23.
I downloaded the demo last night. It gives you 30 minutes to do whatever you please on the island. There's a mission set there for you to play if you choose and it serves as a quick tutorial, but I omitted the mission and jumped off the side of a mountain, plummeted to the ground before pulling my parachute and landing on the roof a jeep driving down the road, then throwing the driver out and hijacking it like nothing happened. It's amazing. The controls are very easy to get used to and the game is very lenient when it comes to the concept of physics. I spent a small portion of my time in the demo fighting the tan-skinned bad guys by shooting at them, throwing them around with my grappling hook, and blowing them the hell up in the totally interactive environment.
It kind of reminded me of the control scheme for the Saboteur. It felt familiar and that's something I instantly liked. At first I was thrown off by the Hispanic lead character, but I'm thinking he'll kind of grow on me.
I went and pre-ordered the game at Gamestop so I get the Monster Truck and bad ass pistols. A friend of mine pre-ordered his from Wal-mart so he could get the Hovercraft bonus.
Here's some videos of the ridiculous fun to be had:
Here's some of the achievement list; some pretty interesting shit.
Gaining a Foothold (10 points)
Complete 3 stronghold takeovers
Conqueror of Panau (20 points)
Complete 9 stronghold takeovers.
A Trusted Ally (20 points)
Complete 49 faction missions.
First Taste of Chaos (10 points)
Cause chaos for the first time.
Saboteur (10 points)
Complete 150 sabotages.
Destroyer (20 points)
Complete 1000 sabotages.
Professional Hitman (20 points)
Assassinate 25 colonels.
Globetrotter (20 points)
Discover 100 locations.
Freeroamer 1 (10 points)
Reach 100% complete in 15 locations.
Freeroamer 2 (20 points)
Reach 100% complete in 100 locations.
Body Count (15 points)
Kill 750 enemies.
Unarmed and Dangerous (15 points)
Kill 50 enemies using melee attacks.
Gravity is a *****! (15 points)
Kill 30 enemies by using the grappling hook and making them fall to their death.
Follow Me! (15 points)
Kill 5 enemies by dragging them behind a vehicle with the grappling hook.
Hang 'em High! (15 points)
Kill 30 enemies while they're suspended in the air with the grappling hook.
Wrecking Ball (15 points)
Kill 5 enemies by smashing them with an object tethered to your vehicle with the grappling hook.
Piñata Party (15 points)
Kill 5 enemies with the melee attack while they're suspended with the grappling hook.
Juggler (15 points)
Kill 30 enemies while they're in mid air.
Road Rage (10 points)
Kill 30 enemies by mowing them down with vehicles.
Marksman (15 points)
Kill 50 enemies with head shots.
Killing Frenzy (20 points)
Kill 20 enemies in 60 seconds.
Invincible Warrior (20 points)
Kill 50 enemies in a row with inventory weapons without losing health.
Destruction Frenzy (10 points)
Destroy 30 objects in 60 seconds.
Test Driver (10 points)
Drive 30 different vehicles.
Trying Everything Once (25 points)
Drive all 104 vehicles.
Road Trip (20 points)
Travel 75 kilometers by land vehicle.
Please Step Out of the Vehicle (10 points)
Hijack 50 enemy vehicles.
Stunt Driver (10 points)
Get 100 stunt driver points.
Parachute Climber (10 points)
Open the parachute and then land on foot 300 meters above the starting height.
I Believe I Can Fly (10 points)
Base jump 1000 meters.
Bridge Limbo (20 points)
Fly an airplane under 30 unique bridges in Panau.
Stunt Flyer (10 points)
Fly an airplane close to the ground for 30 seconds.
Perfectionist (25 points)
Reach 75% completion in the normal mode or mercenary mode.
Top of the World (10 points)
Stand on foot on the highest point of Panau
This post has been edited by Stoic Person Eater: Mar 24 2010, 01:54 PM
|Lo-Fi Version
|Time is now: 18th June 2018 - 05:53 AM


text:
The Wayne Rooney saga, while it is getting a bit tiresome, is fascinating because of the very interesting lottery ticket that he would be for any club acquiring him. Chelsea today made the saga even more interesting by apparently offering up not only a choice of two very good players - each of whom Manchester United probably need more than they need Rooney given the current make up of their squad - but £10 million in cash on top of which ever of Juan Mata or David Luiz the Red Devils should choose.
Assuming this offer were legitimate - and Chelsea have denied offering any players as part of the proposed package for Rooney - the question is who SHOULD be saying no to it? Let's break it down into it's component parts and figure it out:
Follow RotoWorld's Premier League Coverage All Season
Which Player Should United Pick?
Looking at the surplus of defenders, especially central defenders, that United currently have on their roster my sense is that they have a much bigger need for Juan Mata's skills than they do those of David Luiz. Throw in that I consider Mata to be a better player regardless of United's team needs and the case just gets stronger. We don't yet know what line-up or line-ups that David Moyes will employ at United but the notion of Juan Mata supporting Robin van Persie while interchanging with some combination of Ashley Young/Nani/Shinji Kagawa would scare the daylights out of me. Mata's stats may not be as gaudy as Rooney's were in his prime but he seems less dependent on dominating the ball to be effective and as a result would fit in nicely with United's other attackers rather than struggling, as Rooney did last season, to find a way to be effective without being the focal point of the attack.
Why Would Chelsea Give Up Mata?
You have to give to get and honestly, Manchester United don't need a big wad of cash because they can't seem to get any of the attacking midfielders they want (or their clubs) to take their money (see Fabregas, Thiago, etc.). Mata is undoubtedly an exceptional player who has been integral to Chelsea's attack for the past two seasons. Losing him would be a blow. It would, however, be a blow Chelsea are uniquely prepared to sustain. With Eden Hazard, Oscar, Andre Schurrle, Victor Moses and Kevin De Bruyne currently with the club and Marko Marin still on the books but out on loan. Minus Hazard the cupboard wouldn't exactly be bare.
In contrast to their wealth of talent in the midfield/wide attacking roles, Chelsea have struggled to secure a center forward to replace the less-than-inspiring combination of Fernando Torres (a shadow of his former self), Demba Ba (an OK back-up for a team with title aspirations), and Romelu Lukaku (unproven at the highest level). In this rumored deal with United, both clubs would be dealing from strength and acquiring to fill a current weakness.
Who Is The Better Player?
This is a really hard question because it gets to the question of why Wayne Rooney's production declined so dramatically last season. Barring injury, the easy part here is evaluating Juan Mata. He has been an assist machine in both Spain and England and has consistently contributed a solid number of goals as well. You can probably count on him for about 10 goals, 16 assists and a load of chances created.
What Chelsea would be betting is that some combination of Hazard, Schurrle, Oscar, etc. would be able to make up that production with Mata gone. They'd also be betting that the reason that Rooney slipped from 27 goals and 4 assists in 2011-12 to 12 goals and 10 assists last season was his change of role rather than the more sensational storylines related to his fitness and or declining skills. If Chelsea could put a 20-goal scorer with a history of scoring in big matches (check out where Torres scored his goals last season if you want to know why I included that comment) then it would be well worth giving up a player of Mata's undoubted talent.
If I were starting a team from scratch, I'd select Mata (as close to a guaranteed very very good player as you can get and only 25) over Rooney (who could be a better player if he returns to his best but there's no guarantee he will). Despite that choice, I completely see why Chelsea would be willing to give up the better player plus some cash to get their man.
So, Who Is Saying "No" Here?
If Chelsea made the offer then clearly they aren't saying no to this one. The question is why Manchester United would say no and I can only think of one really good reason. They know Rooney better than anyone and despite what Sir Alex said about his fitness, etc. last season they must know he is more likely than not to rediscover his 25+ goal form if he reverts to playing as the focal point of the attack. While United might be getting the better player, the younger player, the player with lower wages, and filling a big need of their own they must feel that there is too strong a chance that Chelsea will get the rejuvinated Rooney while not losing much with the loss of Mata. The goal at the end of the day is to win trophies and if United thinks that adding Mata will improve them some but Chelsea adding Rooney will help them even more and get them closer to United then United would be right to say no to this deal.
There will certainly be the Rooney haters who are assuming that he is in full decline who will disagree with this decision in hopes that United will get rid of a depreciating asset and bring in a much-needed attacking midfielder and they may be right. However, Manchester United's actions (again, assuming that the offer was real) seem to indicate that the percentages are against this point of view.


text:
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
A defense of J.P. Ricciardi's legacy
So you can save all of your "you're an idiot for wanting to keep Ricciardi" comments. That's not what this is about.
But we find ourselves wanting to take up the cause for the now departed Ricciardi because the manner in which his tenure was described over the past four days and eight years just seems fundamentally wrong to us, and we'd at the very least like to inject a little bit of reason into the naked Dionysian orgy of elation at his firing.
There are significant elements of the Toronto and national sports media who have taken revisionist and reductionist view of Ricciardi's time in Toronto. Put simply, their knee jerk take is: "He failed, because he didn't get the job done, he didn't do what he said he'd do, and he made lots of mistakes."
It's odd to think that eight years of a man's work can be reduced and crushed into rubble in such an off-handed way. To us, it would seem to be a lot more nuanced than that, so we'd like to address those three notions.
J.P. made a lot of mistakes
There are plenty of examples that get trotted out here: Letting go of Carlos Delgado and stripping the team down, then making big money signings that didn't pan out, like B.J. Ryan and Frank Thomas. Giving way too much money to Vernon Wells and Alex Rios, and "bungling" the Roy Halladay trade bonanza.
The thing is that when you take a step back and look across the league for a bit of perspective, you see that there are plenty of teams that make "mistakes" in overpaying free agents, or letting guys go. But GMs in general and Ricciardi in particular don't have the benefit of hindsight to evaluate the relative merit of these deals before they go out with them. Inevitably, you're going to make mistakes because players are going to have career years or they are going to get old, or they are going to get hurt.
But even some of those signings that are treated as "mistakes" now are a little more difficult to criticize if you place them in their appropriate context and look at the performance over the contract.
Take B.J. Ryan, for instance. He was the marquee closer on the market, and the press and the fans were clamoring for something better than a closer committee led by Jason Frasor. At the time, it seemed as though the contract was a year too long for a closer with a funky delivery, but the Jays wouldn't have brought him in if that extra year wasn't included. It was a risk, and as we saw this year, it didn't pay off.
But let's not forget that nobody was questioning that signing in 2006, after Beej had saved 38 games and posted a 1.37 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP. And in 2008, after his Tommy John surgery, he posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP with 32 saves. So while it didn't completely pan out in the end, he certainly brought value at the time.
And ask yourself this: What would the Jays have looked like over those two years without Ryan as their closer?
A similar signing was Frank Thomas, who was coming off a season where he was fourth in the MVP voting, and fit a need that the Jays had at the time: A masher in the middle.
Again, this was a signing that in the moment seemed like it might be for one year too many, but Thomas' performance in that first year (26 HR, 95 RBI, .857 OPS) was on par with expectations, and the aging slugger actually led the team in many of the relevant offensive categories (with the others being held down by fellow oldtimer, Matt Stairs.)
The point is that as a general manager, sometimes you need to trade off the long term financial implications in order to look after the here and now, and that is especially true in the AL East. The window to compete in the division opens briefly and slams shut suddenly, and you need to step up when you have the opportunity. You can't tear the team down and build it all back up gradually like you're in the NL West, because the two powerhouse teams above you are always going to have more money.
The biggest "mistake" of J.P.'s tenure was probably the Vernon Wells deal, and even if you set aside the fact that it might not have been Ricciardi's call to hand over that much money, he still needs to wear it because it was still his responsibility. But to understand exactly how a deal of that magnitude gets signed, you need to look at the other deals that were floating around at the time. The Gary Matthews Jr. deal, or the Carlos Lee deal, or Alfonso Soriano, or Carlos Beltran. In that moment, when no one was looking at a dramatic contraction in the economy in general and the money from the online components of the industry were flowing freely, there was a sense that a deal like Vernon's made sense in the context of the day.
Maybe Ricciardi wanted to bring Vernon back, and the Rogers brass or Godfrey felt as though they were prepared to hand over whatever it would take to keep him. Given the contracts being handed out to similar players, it stood to reason that someone would have made an offer in the range of $18 million per year or more to get Vernon, and letting him go at that time would have signaled to fans that the Jays weren't willing to compete to keep their own players.
It's easy to look back and pick this apart, but a man's gotta make decisions in the moment where he stands.
J.P. Didn't Do What He Said He'd Do
The Plan. That's what so much of the criticism of J.P. has come down to over the years. Did he have a "five-year plan" and did he stick to it? And if he didn't stick to, then what was the value of the plan in the first place?
Recognize this about some of the media types who took the most umbrage at the audacity of having a plan: Most of them don't have a plan beyond a week or the next series. They have editors in chief and managing editors or section editors or segment producers or executive producers to worry about the planning and and the long term view of keeping those who control the money happy, so the notion of some set of guiding principles and timelines and budgeting and a view towards where anything is headed is beyond their scope of interest. This leaves the reporter to react to the day-to-day events.
So the notion that a guy would come in with a "Plan" that he intended to execute would become laughable to some of those guys, and all the much more so when they were able to use it as a laugh line: "We're in year seven of the five-year plan! Hey-o!"
Moreover, there was an assumption that because J.P. came from Oakland that his entire worldview was predetermined and preprogrammed to be that of Billy Beane and his fancypants Moneyball tomfoolery. And so of course J.P. was going to institute a Moneyball regime in Toronto, because he was a Moneyball guy. Isn't that what he said?
What's missed in this assessment is that J.P.'s background was as a scout. He was not a number cruncher and he was not a sabermetrician. He was one of those guys who went out on the road for months at a time looking at kids and assessing them, and then cross-checking the assessments of others. If J.P. came from an organization where Moneyball practices (whatever the hell that means) were in place, he wasn't the driving force behind it.
(And for those of you who want a bit of an eye-opener, take a look at the handful of pages where J.P. appears in Michael Lewis' book. J.P.'s never the guy pushing stats. He's a scout.)
(Also, as the media bends over backwards to praise Alex Antholpoulos in the coming weeks, none of them are going to assume that he's an absolute disciple of J.P.'s...because he's a good Canadian boy and he deserves the benefit of the doubt.)
What J.P. had in mind for the franchise is up for debate, but it does seem as though he figured that Toronto could compete on the field without having to compete in terms of payroll. That meant cutting ties with Carlos Delgado and finding more economical alternatives.
But what J.P. might not have seen coming, and what none of us saw coming to the extent that it did, was the massive inflation of the payrolls of the Red Sox and Yankees in the next few years. The heart-breaking losses that both of the behemoths suffered in the early part of the decade led them to engage in an all-out price war for players.
When Ricciardi took the post in 2002, the Yanks spent $133 million in salaries. By the end of 2003, that number jumped to $180 million. (Using Biz of Baseball as the source.) The Jays' scaled back $66 million payroll was enough to keep them in the middle of the pack (13th overall) in 2002, and by 2008, their $98 million payroll was enough to keep them in exactly the same spot.
The payroll bumps that Ricciardi was permitted over the past few years in order to go after high-priced free agents wasn't so much a change of philosophy as it was a recognition of the change in the market. If there hadn't been immense inflation in terms of player salaries, the Jays may have been able to sign some of the same free agent targets without having to offer them more money than the Yanks or Red Sox.
Now that the economy has contracted and the payrolls have shrunk for every team other than the Yanks and Sox, there is a chance that some second tier free agents to fall to a mid-payroll team at a reasonable price. But one need only look at the monstrous signing season the Yankees had last off season to recognize that a gap is increasing between those two teams and the rest of the league, and the Jays don't have the luxury of getting by on 85 win seasons.
We're not sure what the plan was for Ricciardi, but if he chose to adapt and adjust it to the realities of the day, we can't say that we'd pillory him for a lack of consistency. Foolish consistency in a rapidly evolving world might make for a clearer narrative to follow, but it won't make for wiser business decisions.
J.P. Didn't Get the Job Done
Ultimately, this is true. If your notion is that his job was to fashion the team into a playoff team at some point in his tenure, then you're right, he didn't get it done.
But again, we come back to the context in which the Jays find themselves. They play in the division with the two most aggressive teams in the league, and there are no cheap playoff berths to be had. Moreover, they face those two teams 19 times each over the season while competing for a Wild Card entry with teams whose strength of schedules are vastly inferior.
The reality of assembling a "competitive" team in Toronto is that even good or very good teams can end up looking "mediocre". (Those two words are favorites of the sports punditocracy, and we've heard them endlessly to describe 86 and 82 and 87 win teams.) The teams that J.P. assembled in Toronto were far more competitive than he was ever given credit for, and would that their destiny not be tied to their geography, they might have made the jump into the playoffs.
Now that J.P. is gone, and a new regime is allegedly going to be in place at some point, their challenge will be the same. But given the unbridled, voracious appetite for winning baseball titles that their competition in the AL East possess, the New Boss is going to have to assemble teams that can compete each and every year, not just at the end of a prescribed cycle. And on the off chance that misfortune befalls either the Yanks or Sox, those competitive teams can pounce and take advantage and maybe slip into the postseason.
But even if the team is prepared to pony up and increase the payroll and look at making big moves to compete for a playoff spot, they won't return to the days of being a perpetual contender unless they are willing to establish themselves amongst the leaders in spending, as they were in the back to back championship days. Even with a bigger payroll and some good fortune, it is entirely likely that this franchise will continue to find itself in the position of winning 84 to 90 games per season and sitting in third place in the division.
Which is pretty much what J.P. did for most of his tenure.
37 comments:
Thanks for posting what many of us are thinking.
- October 6, 2009 at 1:43 PM
- The Ack said...
That's it, I quit blogging. Holy fuck, this is brilliant. Spot on, man.
Side thought - shouldn't we, as "defenders" of Ricciardi (if only to counter the ridiculous criticize-at-all-costs-and-in-the-absence-of-logic crowd), be happy that a Ricciardi protege is now at the helm?
I've come to the conclusion that I think I am. I'm pretty sure I am. We get the benefits of what we saw as Ricciardi strengths, mixed with new ideas and a fresh look....and the JP haters get a new guy to heap praise on....because he's not Ricciardi.
Imagine the kudos for an 80-win season in 2010!
Of course, it won't simply fold into a tidy little package like that. There will be missteps in the Anthopoulos era, and maybe the media will turn on him quicker than they did on JP.
But I need hope, dude. I need hope.
- October 6, 2009 at 1:52 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
You know what I hope? I hope that J.P. gets a job elsewhere, builds a 95 game winner in the NL West or Central, then wins a World Series.
And then let the media in Toronto and across this country make heads or tails of that.
J.P.'s going to be fine. He'll go to a place where they appreciate a GM with a little personality. And he'll be revered.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:03 PM
- eyebleaf said...
Tao, I salute you. This was absolutely fucking fantastic.
And I'm with you: I want nothing more than for J.P. to land on his feet, make the playoffs, and get a ring. He wants it. Bad. And he deserves it.
Long live J.P. Ricciardi, arguably the best GM the Jays have ever had.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:07 PM
- Torgen said...
Either JP's teams were great but incredibly unlucky, or he poked a huge hole in pythag and the fungibility of Wins Above Replacement. Either one deserves praise.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:21 PM
- SP said...
Jays bloggers put Jays beat writers to shame, and other bloggers to shame too. We have some of the best around. It's so great to have fan voices who consider context, nuance, facts--you know, stuff that real reporters should be doing.
I agree he needed to go and I agree he made mistakes. Some of those mistakes are mitigated by factors that narrow-minded people are too lazy to consider. I've been defending JP's record for a while now, so I don't really have anything new to add to what was said here.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:32 PM
- SP said...
Reading this reminded me of a Peter Gammons article I read when Ricciardi was hired:
In hindsight, some of the things said about JP in there sound almost comical and Onion-like, but Tao nailed it--JP was never really a sabermetrics guy. He was and always will be a scout through and through. He came in respected as one of the best talent evaluators in the game and probably is still considered that way.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:43 PM
- eyebleaf said...
I think that is the legacy Ricciardi leaves behind: an incredible talent evaluator.
Ricciardi will win. It may not happen in the AL East, although I hope it does, but he will win.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:46 PM
- Joanna said...
JP had good and bad, but it was time for a change. And if JP wins outside the AL East, it will, among other things, prove what a joke MLB has become.
So, maybe...Fuck Bud Selig.
But, good luck JP.
- October 6, 2009 at 2:54 PM
- Ian H. said...
The stupidest remark I've heard over the past week was that the A.J. Burnett signing was a "bust". As far as I'm concerned, both the Blue Jays and Burnett both got what they wanted out of that contract.
And since when was 38 total wins over 3 years a bust for a starting pitcher?
BTW - great job, Tao. I will also quit blogging and take up knitting instead, because it doesn't get any better than this!
- October 6, 2009 at 3:05 PM
- SP said...
Funny thing about AJ is that he was actually even better in those first two years than in the 3rd. He was just a lazy fuck in those first two years who couldn't handle pitching with pain, which is something every pitcher does. Then in his contract year, he nutted up and pitched his ass off just like he did in the 2005 contract year.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:11 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
JP took so much grief for the AJ contract when he signed it because AJ was a .500 pitcher who didn't deserve it...and then he took grief for putting in an out clause, because they needed to keep AJ because he was worth it!
Funny how that works!
- October 6, 2009 at 3:25 PM
- eyebleaf said...
I am loving this. All of it. Seriously.
I'm not loving this, from Robert MacLeod in The Globe. In fact, I may be crying right now: "And you can expect more changes, including the removal of Brad Arnsberg as the pitching coach before the start of next season."
Cito might actually survive. Which blows the fucking mind.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:36 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Cito in and Arnsberg gone is really crazy crazy stuff.
It makes me want to give Beeston a pink belly.
- October 6, 2009 at 3:44 PM
- Mattt said...
That was one hell of an awesome post. I'd love to say that I've been thinking the same thing, which is true, but I never could possibly say it so concisely. Well done...
- October 6, 2009 at 3:47 PM
J.P was going good at picking up players off the scrap heap who turned into productive players.
He was great at pulling the wool over Halladay's eyes and convincing him to re-sign twice with the Jays with the promise that we would compete.
He was terrible in spending big money.
He was terrible in media / fan relations.
People talk about what a great pitching rotation he created but he backed into that rotation when he was left no choce after the Ohko, Thomson, Zambrano debacle.
They talked about how he created a great defence but he backed into that as wel. If he cared so much about defence why trade Hudson for Glaus?
So, overall 8 years of wasted baseball, not one meaningful game played, low attendance...this is JP's legacy. Defend it all you want.
- October 6, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Tao, that's not JP's cock in your mouth! That's his nose!!
- October 6, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Very good post. I've been no JPR fan for the last three years, but I do remember the agreement and excitement that I felt after almost every one of his big signings. Wrapping up Hinske made sense. Signing Wells, Rios and Hill to long-term deals made sense at the time. Rolen for Glaus was a coup. Koske? Not so much.
How much did steroids mess up the deals? I think speculation has to be made that, at least for two-thirds of those signings that turned sour, that their sudden, rapid decline may have been due to a discontinued use of performance enhancers.
- October 6, 2009 at 4:17 PM
40 Million.
How much JP paid out to players who were no longer playing for the Jays.
Or, more than the entire payroll of a few MLB teams.
- October 6, 2009 at 4:19 PM
- October 6, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Ari-0 Speedwagon: speak for your self numbnuts.
- October 6, 2009 at 4:22 PM
Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but shouldn't the sentence:" The payroll bumps that Ricciardi was permitted over the past few years in order to go after high-priced free agents wasn't so much a change of philosophy as it was a recognition of the change in the market." be a bit different? There was a change in philosophy because the market place had changed. Not everyone in the AL East responded in the same way to the changing market - it's not like the Orioles or the Rays made big splashes in the free agent market once they realized the Yankees and the Red Sox were operating with their own printing press. Can you positively state that the Blue Jays operated the same way before they made these large free agent signings, but on a smaller financial scale?
Other than that little bit of nitpicking, the post was pretty good. Never understood those who thought Ricciardi was completely terrible, he made a few mistakes, I wouldn't have signed the Beej with his wonky delivery, but the plusses outweigh the negatives, not overwhelmingly though.
(Maybe you could have added another point about his drafting record, but that would have probably netted an inconclusive result. With regards to the draft, he did change drafting philosophy because the cupboard was pretty bare when he initially started and the desire to draft collegians was because they would get to the big leagues faster, hence the avoidance of high schoolers until the budget was increased - I wonder if Travis Snider would have been passed over had the purse strings remained tight. Once JP could spend some money on the big league roster he could actually draft high school projects because the wait-time to get the big leagues wasn't so much an issue with a larger budget team. I don't think it's any coincidence that with the increase in budget the philosophy via the draft had changed, and quite frankly, needed to change.)
- October 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM
When is this site getting the Score stamp of legitimacy.
Still can't believe JOAAANNNAAAA!! and The Blue Jays Cunter hot it before Tao and Ack!
- October 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM
- Torgen said...
The payroll bumps weren't a change in philosophy. The philosophy was to beat the big payrolls with a middle-of-the-pack payroll. What constituted a middle-of-the-pack payroll was what changed.
- October 6, 2009 at 4:38 PM
Rogers does business in Canadian Dollars. The Canadian Dollar went from being worth $0.67 US$ to being worth $1.05 US in the space of about 4 years. Rogers did not give JP one cent more in payroll to spend in their terms - they just let him spend the then current US$ equivalent because that's how the players get paid. There was no change in philosophy to debate - there was a massive weakening in the US$.
Idiots like Richard Griffin wrote glowing columns about the Rogers organization loosening the purse strings because they were too dumb to do the math on the conversion rate.
All that being said, the only signing I disagreed with at the time was David Eckstein. Otherwise I thoughty JP did a great job.
And, before I go, I've been wandering around the interweb since the beginning and blogs since they started, and that was one of the finest posts I have had the pleasure to read. Well done.
- October 6, 2009 at 8:02 PM
I'm sorry, I'm not buying this. I understand your position, and I agree that Ricciardi's most egregious 'mistakes' were not his alone and may not have been his at all--I'm thinking particularly of the Wells contract. However he had two egregious failings that, as far as I'm concerned, made him unsuitable for his position. One was controllable: he could have kept his mouth shut on numerous occasions when it would have been better for him and everyone else to stay quiet. The other was not controllable: he was fatally unlucky. On a number of occasions he made bold gambles, and not one of those gambles ever worked out. His quieter moves were more successful. Scutaro was a terrific pick-up. The pitchers he picked up on the back end of trades have worked out well and will continue to work out well. But his big moves blew up every single time. Ryan, Burnett, Thomas, Koskie, Stewart. All looked great on paper, all ended up costing the team big money and not helping the team win games. The law of averages suggests that at least a couple of these guys should have worked out but none of them did. No one needs a yappy GM with that kind of luck. It's better he's gone.
Isabella Reyes
- October 6, 2009 at 9:19 PM
How can you claim the payroll bumps weren't a change in philosophy when Ricciardi's first act of business was to strip payroll of fat contracts? I don't see how payroll contraction and payroll expansion are pretty much the same way to fill out the preposition 'to compete' on the baseball field. If the philosophy of competitiveness was the same, Delgado wouldn't have been allowed to leave for bubkus, among other things.
- October 7, 2009 at 2:08 AM
- QJays said...
Bravo Tao - (congratulatory back slap to someone who I agree with ... followed by meaningless chatter)
I think some of the commenters make reasonable points too -- the one about attendance is, in part, an important one (JP didn't rub the audience particularly well), but I personally think that it really points out an ongoing problem of baseball in Canada, as opposed to a specific problem of JP. For example: why is it that the Leafs play to sell-out crowds when they've been a comparably worse team, while minor variations in the Jays record leads to significant variations in attendance? The baseball fan-base is not engaged in the same manner, so the evaluation of what is being done properly by most "fans" is a different one.
Not being a hockey fan, my impression of the Leafs is that they are a crappy team with ownership that clearly doesn't value its fans -- I can base that on their lack of appearance in the playoffs (which 50% of teams get to play in). That's pretty much it, and I know its horribly simplistic. Despite my knowledge of Burke's past record, if he doesn't turn it around quickly, he must be a terrible GM -- unless I base my evaluation on attendance, in which case, he must be amazing. Clearly the fans like what they see!
I think JP's curse is partly that he arrived when the World Series victories still seemed pretty recent in most people's minds, and maybe the Dome still seemed new too, or at least a place where winners played. Victory remained a possibility -- and in baseball (as opposed to hockey) that is crucial. But the same number of years again, and it's been a generation since Toronto has had a championship baseball team. So even if things were, in fact, pretty hopeless when JP arrived, they became increasingly hopeless to most onlookers despite any positives that he might have brought.
In short, your fine-tuned evaluation of JP's positives is great, but it is also understandable why a lesser-engaged fan-base is not listening to that evaluation. And to be fair, I think the attendance and play-offs problems are the main reasons why pretty much all of us agree that it was time for a change.
Oh, and I hope JP gets a ring too, but not as much as hope Halladay gets one.
- October 7, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- Stedron said...
Looks like I'm a little late in the praise-fest, but yeah, you nailed it.
- October 7, 2009 at 10:56 AM
- Graeme said...
Very well said. I wrote my own defense of J.P. in my blog as well. I, however, also bought into the whole "Ricciardi is bringing Moneyball to Toronto" thing, so thanks for setting me straight on that!
- October 7, 2009 at 12:36 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Re: Attendance
Whatever your take on the numbers that Paul Godfrey cooked up, there were attendance increases throughout Ricciardi's tenure.
If you remember where this team was going by the time Gord Ash had finished effing it up, people were running away in droves from the SkyDome.
It was pretty depressing to see some of the smaller crowds this year, but the thing about them is that they were crowds full of people who dug into their pockets and bought tickets rather than getting them for free at the Rogers Video or wherever.
- October 7, 2009 at 2:41 PM
- QJays said...
That may be, though like I said, I think attendance on it's own isn't an indication of how good a GM you have, and JP was a fine GM. I do know that the friends who bought their tickets for $10 from scalpers this summer said the dollar value printed on the ticket was something like $1.98. I think all the regimes have had ways of boosting attendance -- the honest fans get milked 'cause they do things the expensive way.
- October 7, 2009 at 4:40 PM
- Colin said...
Not all of JP's big moves were failures. People like to throw out Burnett as a failure but nobody really says why it was a bad move. The trade for Glaus and then the trade for Rolen was a success. Ryan and Thomas ended badly, but people forget that those two performed well at first.
Oh, and Stewart was not a big move.
- October 7, 2009 at 8:53 PM
- Jayszone93 said...
Well said my man... Well said... Also, the "5 year plan" was a Toronto made media term, I don't remeber JP ONCE mentioning or uttering the words "5 year plan"...
- October 8, 2009 at 9:12 PM
- Kosher Guy said...
While JP's results were mixed and he did of course have many environmental factors beyond his control working against him, it was his arrogance and treatment of both players and fans that raised the ire of most people. You can't a) not deliver on your promise (5 years and then contention) b) lie to fans and players alike c) never admit you're wrong and still treat everyone around you like they're the village idiot and not be vilified. Whether Alex succeeds or fails will be secondary to how he builds relationships in how he's viewed by the fans and media of Toronto.
- October 30, 2009 at 2:05 PM
A little off topic, Guys... I have a question. Last week I saw this site:
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Are there any other sites where you can play sports games for real moneys? I Googled and found only Bringit.com and Worldgaming.com but it looks these guys don't specialize in sport gamez. Any suggestions?
- December 6, 2009 at 6:07 AM
A little off topic, Guys... I have a question. Last week I trapped on this site:
[url=http://www.rivalspot.com]Rivalspot.com - Xbox Live Tournaments[/url]
They say you can play online Nhl2k game tournaments on any console for cash... had anyone tried that before? Looks like a cool idea...
Are there any other sites where you can play sports games for real moneys? I Googled and found only Bringit.com and Worldgaming.com but it looks these guys don't specialize in sport gamez. Any suggestions?
- December 6, 2009 at 6:07 AM


text:
PHILADELPHIA — Legend has it Adam had a rib removed to make Eve. Mike Adams had a rib removed to make his arm relieved of pain.
Adams, a right-hander who formally signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Phillies Thursday to serve as their set-up reliever, had been one of the elite pitchers at that role from 2009-11. However, last season Adams came back to earth quite a bit.
It turned out he was dealing with a rare physical disorder called thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), a condition that causes nerve and circulatory issues and can result in pain, numbness and swelling down the arm of a sufferer.
"Last year was a struggle for me," said Adams, who started to experience symptoms in the opening week of the 2012 season. "I didn't know that's what I was having. I thought I was just having some sort of shoulder discomfort.
"I just battled. I didn't have the same stuff I had previously. I didn't have a good feel for the ball. It was like I didn't know how to grip a fastball … It got to the point where my arm felt five or six pounds more than it does, the ball felt like it weighed three pounds. My last outing I felt like I was pitching a shot put.
"I was trying to fix everything … Once I was told I had TOS, it was a huge relief."
The good news is that a surgery that cuts away the first rib – located just below the collarbone – has resulted in fast and issue-free relief of the issue. It is the same surgery Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter had in the middle of last season. He missed just two months.
After undergoing the surgery in mid-October, Adams was able to get back to throwing this month and had a workout with Phillies front-office assistant Charlie Kerfeld in attendance a couple of weeks ago.
"I'm three weeks into my throwing program, and throwing now feels so much better than it did all of last year," Adams said. "I'm trying to control myself in terms of not going too fast. It's hard because everything feels so good…"
When Adams is good, there aren't many relievers better. Even when battling the arm difficulties last season he was 5-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 61 games. Of course, the three seasons before that had a 1.42 ERA and averaged 61 appearances, striking out more batters (192) than he allowed base runners (151).
If there was one question that needed to be answered Thursday aside from that of his surgery, it was this: Why aren't you closing somewhere?
"It was important to me to set the standard … for guys who have done well in the eighth inning, but are behind someone for the ninth inning," Adams said. "It was important to raise the bar financially for (set-up) guys, I guess, so they get compensated the way they should.
"I feel like I could've filled the closer role on a lot of teams … I think we're starting to see the importance of the eighth-inning guy show up the past few years."
Adams said that as he sat next to Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., who a year ago thought Chad Qualls and Antonio Bastardo were good enough to set up new closer Jonathan Papelbon entering 2012. Oops.
"He's one of the most consistent back-end guys in the game," Amaro said. "He's a guy who, if we have to turn the ball over to him in the ninth inning (he's capable) … Sometimes you need two closers."


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Welcome disc golfer! You can login or create an account.
Questions? Call us: (785) 258-2494
Innova DISCarrier Caddy Pack - Innova created a way to simplify your gear. They integrated the BackSaver Strap with a stool and added it to the DISCarrier bag. (The stool can be detached.) The stool is constructed of sturdy lightweight aluminum with a 1260denier reinforced nylon seat. The frame includes a lower lumbar pad which helps carry the load and allows for more air circulation. It can also be used as a handle for carrying the bag. When set up, the stool keeps the Back Saver Straps off of the ground, dry and clean. It's easy to carry, not bulky!


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The City of Neosho has undergone a green infrastructure study in recent months to determine how the city can best manage storm water.
The City of Neosho has undergone a green infrastructure study in recent months to determine how the city can best manage storm water.
The study, performed by Low Impact Development Center, of Beltsville, Md., was funded by a $30,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant.
The city was awarded the grant last summer, and was one of 17 cities nationwide to be selected for the program.
"We're the smallest community they chose," said Neosho's Director of Development Services Dana Daniel.
Daniel said the consulting firm will present the findings from their study in a public meeting set for 9 a.m. April 17 at the Crowder College MARET Center.
Funding from the grant did not go through the city, but instead provided technical assistance to Neosho, in an attempt to outline ways to protect water quality, reduce flooding and determine the best practices for managing rain water.
The purpose of the grant is to identify potential green areas that could be created in the future, as additional green spaces are helpful in absorbing rainwater.
"The more streets, parking and pavement, the more runoff," Daniel said. "The green area can help alleviate flash flooding if it's done right."
While the grant does not provide the city with any funds to carry out the recommendations, Daniel said the study will help the city to move in the right direction.
"It's a building block," Daniel said.
Daniel said the EPA outlined four goals to be fulfilled with the grant, that the city's storm water codes be reviewed, that the city be given recommended areas in the community that could be developed as green infrastructure sites, that the city be provided a set of standard specifications for green infrastructure, and that a presentation be made to the city once the study is completed.
Daniel said one area the city expects suggestions on is the creek bed that runs behind the Neosho High School.
"The water flow can get pretty fast," Daniel said of the creek. "There's areas where the erosion is growing."
He said he expects that the consulting firm will throw out some ideas on how to alleviate the heavy flow in that creek.
City management has worked toward additional green space in Neosho recently, with sites such as the old Benton School site on Park Street, the former Baptist Church site just off the Neosho Square, and the old location of the Frye and Gray Building, on East Spring Street being utilized as city green areas.
The city applied for and received Missouri Department of Transportation Enhancement grants to aid in building sidewalks or trails connecting to two of the three sites.
The proposed project in the green space next to the Neosho Civic was denied the grant.
While it may not have worked for that grant specifically, Daniel said having the green infrastructure study done could aid the city in securing grants in the future.
"Some future grants, if they see you've taken this step, it won't hurt," he said.
The EPA is providing $950,000 nationally to assist in the green infrastructure studies, with a goal of decreasing storm water runoff's pollution of local waters.
"We're very grateful that we got chosen to be part of this," Daniel said. "We've learned a lot and I think it will be beneficial to the city."


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By Mike Weege
Evergreen Fire/Rescue has been planning to build a training facility for years. Research of building types and locations began in 2010, resulting in a proposal presented to the fire district board early in 2012.
I encourage community members to base their opinions on accurate information. In our current political environment, both locally and nationally, accurate information can be difficult to come by. Please do your own research, gather the facts and listen to both sides of the conversation before forming an opinion.
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Recipes brought to you by Avanti Savoia
Visit us online at www.avantisavoia.com
Rock Lobster Salad
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(Recipe ID: 173)
Serves 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Source: Chef Joseph Lowery
Unusual, different and really good!
Items indicated with an astrisk (*) available for purchase in the Avanti Savoia store. See below to add these items to your cart.
- 2 cups Well-drained sauerkraut, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Chives, chopped
- 1/4 cup Carrots, shredded
- 1 Cucumber, thinly sliced
- 6 Frozen rock lobster tails
- 1 1/2 gallons Cold water
- 4 tablespoons Coarse sea salt *
- 6 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil *
- 1 teaspoon Plum seed oil *
- 2 tablespoons White wine vinegar *
- 1 tablespoon White balsamic condiment *
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt *
- 1/2 teaspoon White peppercorn, freshly ground *
6 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Prune seed oil
2 tablespoons White wine vinegar
1 tablespoon White balsamic condiment
1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
1/2 teaspoon White peppercorn, freshly ground
Vinaigrette Preparation:
- Combine the wine, vinegar, and Balsamic condiment with salt and peppercorn, add the two oils gradually while whisking constantly to create a thick, emulsified vinaigrette.
- In a salad bowl, mix sauerkraut, chives, parsley, carrots, and add the vinaigrette and toss well.
- Chill.
- In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to a rolling boil.
- Add the coarse sea salt (4 tablespoons).
- Drop frozen rock lobster into boiling salted water.
- When water returns to a rolling boil, cook for 3 minutes.
- Drain and drench with cold water.
- With scissors remove underside membrane.
- Pull out meat in one piece and cut into 1/2 inch-thick crosswise slices.
- Add to the salad; lobster and cucumber slices, toss gently and serve.
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ROMULUS, Mich. (AP) — Authorities say a 78-year-old Florida woman tried to fly from Detroit Metropolitan Airport with almost $41,000 in cash hidden inside her girdle, bra and carry-on bag.
A complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Detroit says the woman was trying to board a flight April 2 to the Philippines when she said she had $200 in cash. She submitted a form, however, saying she had $1,200, prompting questions from Customs and Border Protection officers.
Following a search, authorities say about $21,000 was found in her girdle alone.
The woman hasn't been charged, but the government wants to keep the money. The Detroit News reported details of the request Friday.
Court records don't list a lawyer for the woman. The Associated Press left a message Saturday seeking comment from her.


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|Story Time
Event Type: Children's Story Time
Age Group(s): Children & Families
Date: 10/22/2014
Start Time: 10:00 AM
End Time: 11:00 AM
Story Time is a combination of stories, finger plays, action songs, music and crafts all designed to teach early literacy skills to children and help them discover the joy of reading. Please call the branch at 314-994-3300 or stop by the circulation desk to register. Ages 2-6. Registration required.Library: Lewis and Clark Branch Map
Location: Meeting Room 1 (LC)
Presenter: library staff
Status: Closed


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1 1/8 in. wide. Top edge graduated in inches, bottom edge graduated in millimeters. Cork on back provides non-slip grip when working on papers.
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We detect that you are using an outdated version that is not fully compatible with our website. We suggest updating your browser to the most updated version of your browser of choice in order to interact with our website and others without issue. Thank you for shopping with us!
This is the golf club that adjusts to 33 different loft angles, enabling you to carry more than twice the number of allowable clubs in one hand. A gear system inside the heel tilts the clubhead in 1/2-loft increments, allowing golfers to choose from five putters, two drivers, three fairway woods, 14 irons, or nine wedges with the twist of a dial. The club has the look and feel of a classic iron but its adjustable head quickly transforms it from a 64� super lob wedge for carrying bunkers to a perfectly vertical putter for saving par. Unlike a golf bag that requires an additional fee when flying, the club retracts to 19"-long to enable free, convenient transport in a suitcase. The clubhead is made from 17-4 stainless steel--the same durable material used in professional metalwoods--and the shaft and clubhead lock into place to provide the same feel and response as a traditional club. Specify Left- or Right-handed club. 38 1/2" Long. For golfers 5'8" or taller. (1 lb.)
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American Housing Survey, 1990: MSA Core and Supplement File (ICPSR 6462)
Principal Investigator(s): United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census
This data collection provides information on characteristics of housing units in 11 selected Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) of the United States. Although the unit of analysis is the housing unit rather than its occupants, the survey also is a comprehensive source of information on the demographic characteristics of household residents. Data collected include general housing characteristics such as the year the structure was built, type and number of living quarters, occupancy status, presence of commercial establishments on the property, and property value. Data are also provided on kitchen and plumbing facilities, type of heating fuel used, source of water, sewage disposal, and heating and air-conditioning equipment. Questions about housing quality include condition of walls and floors, adequacy of heat in winter, availability of electrical outlets in rooms, basement and roof water leakage, and exterminator service for mice and rats. Data related to housing expenses include mortgage or rent payments, utility costs, fuel costs, property insurance costs, real estate taxes, and garbage collection fees. Variables are also supplied on neighborhood conditions such as quality of roads and presence of crime, trash, litter, street noise, abandoned structures, commercial activity, and odors or smoke, as well as the adequacy of services such as public transportation, schools, shopping facilities, police protection, recreation facilities, and hospitals or clinics. In addition to housing characteristics, data on age, sex, race, marital status, income, and relationship to householder are provided for each household member. Additional data are supplied for the householder, including years of school completed, Spanish origin, and length of residence.
Series: American Housing Survey Series
Access Notes
Data in this collection are available only to users at ICPSR member institutions. Please log in so we can determine if you are with a member institution and have access to these data files.
This study is provided by ICPSR. ICPSR provides leadership and training in data access, curation, and methods of analysis for a diverse and expanding social science research community.
WARNING: Because this study has many datasets, the download all files option has been suppressed, and you will need to download one dataset at a time.
WARNING: This study is over 150MB in size and may take several minutes to download on a typical internet connection.
Study Description
United States Department of Commerce. Bureau of the Census. American Housing Survey, 1990: MSA Core and Supplement File. ICPSR06462-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1995. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06462.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06462.v1
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Scope of Study
Subject Terms: commuting (travel), energy assistance, energy conservation, energy consumption, home ownership, housing, housing conditions, housing costs, housing occupancy, housing units, income, metropolitan statistical areas, municipal services, neighborhood conditions, property insurance, property taxes, property values, relocation, rental housing, transportation, utility rates
Geographic Coverage: Anaheim, California, Cincinnati, Colorado, Denver, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas City (Missouri), Kentucky, Louisiana, Miami, Missouri, New Orleans, New York (state), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Portland (Oregon), Rochester (New York), San Antonio, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, Texas, United States, Washington
- 1990
- 1990
Universe: The universe consists of all housing units in 11 selected MSAs.
Sample: Separate samples were drawn in 11 selected MSAs. The samples were drawn from housing units enumerated in the 1980 Census and updated to include housing units constructed since 1980.
personal interviews
Original ICPSR Release: 1995-03-16
- 2006-01-12 All files were removed from dataset 12 and flagged as study-level files, so that they will accompany all downloads.
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During the summer of 2012 their friend and fellow classmate, Brandon Stewart, passed away from the disease, which causes muscles to weaken and waste away.
The National Junior Honor Society at Alfred G. Waters Middle School is spending the month raising awareness of Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
During the summer of 2012 their friend and fellow classmate, Brandon Stewart, passed away from the disease, which causes muscles to weaken and waste away.
Brandon was an 8th grader at the school.
The NJHS, with teacher Amy Brown, has planned a month of awareness-building and fundraising activities that will support research for a cure, said Appoquinimink spokeswoman Lilian Miles.
The month will end with a dodge ball tournament Jan. 31 to benefit SMA, where A. G. Waters students will play against each other in an effort to continue to raise month.
Each game will be played as best out of three.
Student teams of six can register for $10. The price to watch is $2 and $1 snacks will be on sale.
All of the proceeds from that night will benefit SMA.
SMA affects muscles throughout the body and may affect their feeding, swallowing, and respiratory functions, such as breathing and coughing.
On Jan. 3 guest speaker FSMA Delaware & South Jersey Chapter President Jessica Moyer gave a presentation to the middle school students on SMA and until Jan. 16 tee-shirts reading "Tackle SMA" will be on sale.
On Jan. 15, students will hold a fundraiser night at Jake's Wayback Burger in Middletown where 20 percent of profits will go towards their cause.
SMA is a rare disorder and occurs is about every eight out of 100,000 live births and affects every one out of 10,000 individuals worldwide.