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Tolleson an added boost of versatility for O's
By Brittany Ghiroli and Greg Luca / MLB.com
With injuries to outfielders Nolan Reimold and Endy Chavez giving utility player Ryan Flaherty -- who started in left field Thursday afternoon -- more time there, the O's were in need of another bench player capable of playing multiple positions. They got one in Tolleson, who was predominantly Norfolk's shortstop but has played pretty much everywhere along the infield as well as some left field.
"[They] just told me to be ready to play," Tolleson said of his role with the Orioles. "I'm sure I'm here to serve as some versatility off the bench. That being said, I know the team's being banged up a little bit and I'll get some opportunities. I'm just looking forward to helping these guys continue to win."
The 28-year-old Tolleson batted .265 with one home run and 11 RBIs in 26 games with the Tides. Signed as a Minor League free agent this winter, Tolleson batted .258 (8-for-31) as a non-roster invitee during Spring Training and said Thursday he's been keeping tabs on the big league club from down below.
"It's been a lot of fun to watch," Tolleson said of the Orioles' hot start. "Hope we can continue to keep this thing going, I know down in Norfolk they really try to concentrate on winning. I know that hadn't been part of the past lately. But I think the emphasis down there has made it more fun to watch these guys do what they've done up here."
Orioles' Chavez heads to disabled list
BALTIMORE -- As expected, given the Orioles' decision to recall starter Tommy Hunter, the team has placed outfielder Endy Chavez on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday with a left intercostal muscle strain. The move allows Hunter, who was optioned to Triple-A on Monday, to be recalled within the 10-day period, and puts the Orioles' second left fielder on the DL, as Chavez joins Nolan Reimold and the depth chart takes another hit.
"I never thought I'd be in this position, it's kind of frustrating and disappointing," Chavez said of his injury, which started during last month's series against the Angels and has progressively worsened. "I just wanted to try to help the team and keep playing. After the [season-ending] injury I had on my knee [in 2009], I don't want to go back again that way. It's frustrating and something I was not expecting."
Chavez said he had an MRI on his left oblique last week that came back OK, and he was able to get a handle on it with daily treatments. But the pain wouldn't go away and the inflammation in his rib-cage area wouldn't go away, prompting him to bring the issue to the team's attention after playing in Tuesday's game. Chavez was diagnosed with a left intercostal muscle strain, an area of the body located between the ribs that helps stabilize the chest wall.
Chavez is eligible to be activated as early as May 24, which is a scheduled off-day. The Orioles start a three-game homestand with the Kansas City Royals the following day.
Signed as a free agent this winter, Chavez has been excellent defensively, but he has struggled to get going at the plate. In 20 games, he hit .133, including a .125 marker (5-for-40) with eight strikeouts since the series in Anaheim.
Hunter will pitch the second game of Thursday's doubleheader, having last started Sunday's 17-inning game in Boston.
Eveland to start Friday; Hammel plan tentative
BALTIMORE -- The Orioles' muddled pitching rotation became a bit clearer on Thursday, with manager Buck Showalter's announcement that Jason Hammel is tentatively scheduled to start Monday and Dana Eveland will start Friday.
Hammel's next regular start would have been Thursday, but that date was pushed back to Monday or Tuesday to give him time to recover from right knee soreness that has been slowly worsening since it first cropped up two or three starts ago.
Hammel said Wednesday that an MRI revealed fluid and inflammation, but the knee had been improving with treatment.
"He could have pitched today if we had to," Showalter said. "If it was a different part of the season, he probably would have pitched, but we want to be real cautious."
Hammel dealt with a similar injury to his left knee, which was operated on after the 2008 season, so Showalter is trusting him to appropriately handle his latest ailment.
"He's got his arms around what he's dealing with and he feels like if he can get a couple extra days, or three or four, he should be able to manage it the rest of the season," Showalter said.
Missing Hammel for any stretch of time would be a significant blow, as he has been far and away Baltimore's best starter this season. Through six starts, the righty is 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA. In his most recent outing on Saturday against Boston, Hammel threw 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
Although Eveland had been projected as the starter for Friday's game against Tampa Bay for some time, Showalter confirmed those reports Thursday. Eveland was pulled from his Monday start with Triple-A Norfolk after five scoreless innings and 63 pitches.
Eveland, who made the trip to Baltimore on Thursday, has been Norfolk's most effective starter this season, posting a 3-2 record with a 2.21 ERA. The lefty has not allowed more than three runs in any outing this season.
"He had a good year in a very hitter-friendly park in Triple-A and has had some success at times in the big leagues," Showalter said. "He's pitching real well down there, pitching as well as any of their starters are, so I think we're lucky to have him. We'll see if Tampa agrees with me."
Scott recalls days with Orioles fondly
NEW YORK -- When the Rays open up a series at Camden Yards on Friday, Luke Scott will make his first visit to Baltimore since leaving the Orioles following last season, when the team chose not to tender him a contract.
Scott played four years in Baltimore, hitting .260 with 84 home runs and 236 RBIs in 471 games.
"Like I've said in the past, I played four years in Baltimore, had a lot of good memories there, met a lot of wonderful people, played with a good group of guys," Scott said. "I'm just very grateful for the opportunity to play in Baltimore.
"It will be special going back there. It's a beautiful park as well; I love Camden Yards. It will be a little emotional of course, because you play there and you dedicate four years of your life to one spot. I have a lot of special memories there."
Scott was asked if he anticipated more of a warm reception in Baltimore than what he received in Boston shortly after calling Fenway Park "a dump" from a player's perspective.
"I definitely think it will be a lot warmer than Boston," Scott said.
In his short tenure with the Rays, Scott has already become a fan favorite, a status he also maintained in Baltimore. He said he enjoys having a rapport with the fans.
"I like to, as much as I can, involve the fans in the game," Scott said. "I played the outfield in Baltimore. I would always interact with the fans. I would have fun with them."
Among the fans Scott enjoyed were those who came out dressed as Darth Vader and talked to "Luke" about "the Force" being with him.
"I'd high-five [the fans] or go and talk to them during pitching changes and stuff like that," Scott said. "I just would celebrate with them all the team victories and good plays, stuff like that. I like doing stuff like that. I like having them involved."
Scott said he had many fond memories from playing in Baltimore.
"I won't say there was one in particular," Scott said. "There were a few -- some big games we won, some big comebacks we had there. Unfortunately, we were never able to make it to the postseason."
-- Bill Chastain
With first extended spring start, Britton on track
BALTIMORE -- Orioles lefty Zach Britton made his first of three scheduled appearances in extended spring camp on Thursday, throwing three scoreless innings. The 24-year-old allowed only one hit and one walk in 45 pitches. Britton also notched a strikeout and five ground-ball outs, throwing mostly fastballs and a few changeups.
Manager Buck Showalter said all reports on Britton are positive and that his fastball velocity was "much better" than what it had been in batting practice.
Showalter added that Britton's recovery is right on schedule, which projects a potential return for late May, but more likely early June.
"It's been a pretty cautious schedule," Showalter said. "If anything, I'm not going to say overly cautious, I just think it's a good schedule to really make sure he's right."
Worth noting
Ryan Flaherty connected for his first career Major League home run off Rangers starter Colby Lewis in the first inning Thursday. J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis followed with a pair of homers, marking the first back-to-back-to-back homers for the Orioles since July 20, 2010.
On this Sunday in honor of Mother's Day, Adrienne Roberson will be the Orioles' guest PA announcer. Adrienne is the current Bowie Baysox PA announcer and is in her eighth season with Bowie. She has two children, Kyle, 11, and Kelli, 9.
Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. Greg Luca is an associate reporter for MLB.com. Bill Chastain is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Nearly 170 Fort Lewis College students received diplomas Saturday in the colleges midyear commencement ceremony at the Whalen Gymnasium. The students were welcomed into the struggle to create a better world by Jennifer Stollman, assistant professor of history.
Earlier in the programs invocation, Marcy Jung asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of the 26 children and adults killed Friday at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. Jung is associate professor of exercise science and gender and womens studies.
Stollman also referred to the Connecticut shooting in her remarks, saying, We wake up to a day of mourning, but added that she wanted to speak to the students not just as the graduating class, but as members of the world community.
This is a day of greatness for you, she said. You are a generation interested in healing the world. ... We have been waiting for you.
Stollmans focus was on human rights, saying that older generations are becoming less able of continuing the effort. She encouraged students to do whatever they can to help secure human rights at home and around the world.
To save a person is to save a nation. There are no small acts in human rights, she said.
Stollman reiterated that these young people must now assume the mantle of human rights, adding, welcome to the struggle.
Stollman this year was designated as FLCs 2012 Alice Admire Outstanding Teacher.
Alice Admire was an assistant professor of English at FLC until 1974. She was the daughter of Elza Pa Needham, for whom Needham Elementary School is named.
In her welcome to graduates and visitors, FLC President Dene Kay Thomas told graduates that they were surrounded by people who care about your future, adding that now its your turn ... to applaud them, which the students did.
Forging your trail will take integrity, excitement and enthusiasm, Thomas said, quoting William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
In keeping with the themes, FLC Faculty Senate President Charles Riggs said that the things we fight over are cultural inventions.
Riggs said that the graduates were not turned into left-leaning liberals because of their liberal arts education. Instead, their education had turned them into considerate, thinking adults, he said.
We need your voice in the world to be a voice of reason, Riggs said.
The graduation was a day weve all been dreaming about, said Byron Tsabetsaye, president of Associated Students of Fort Lewis College and a graduating senior.
Later in the ceremony. Thomas presented the FLC Distinguished Service Award to Henry and Jean Cooper of the John and Sophie Otten Foundation at FLCs Native American Center for continued support of Native American students and programs.
That was followed by a Native American celebration song from the Bala Sinem Choir under the direction of Louis Aragon.
Graduation candidates next received recognition of their accomplishments and received congratulations and encouragement from Joe Mauro, president of the FLC Alumni Association.
He was immediately followed by a group sing-a-long of the FLC alma mater.
The ceremonies also opened with music from the FLC College Brass Ensemble directed by Department of Music Chairman Marc Reed, and the processional started by the Westwind Pipes and Drums under Maj. Jerry Crawford, then the Pomp and Circumstance played by the brass ensemble.

subset: commoncrawl


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Town Square
Frugal vacations?
Original post made by Troy, Danville, on Jun 5, 2008
Comments (8)
a resident of Walnut Creek
on Jun 8, 2008 at 2:41 pm
What about staying close to home? The only time we ever go to SF is when we have out of town guests and we always discover something new. I haven't been to the new De Young Museum yet or explored the Presidio. It would be fun to spend a few days exploring - either taking BART back and forth or, if possible, spending the nights if there were someplace reasonable. Is the new aquarium open?
a resident of Danville
on Jun 13, 2008 at 11:53 am
There are many things to do right in your own backyard! We have many museums, parks, etc. in the area. And some museums even have days where it's free admission!
I'm not sure if the new aquarium is open- I didn't know there was a new one. In S.F?
We also have beautiful beaches. Maybe hotels will start offering discounts to help people go on vacation that are staying close to home. I know Disneyland does that for L.A. residents.
a resident of Walnut Creek
on Jun 13, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Remember the beautiful old Steinhart Aquarium in Golden Gate Park? It's closed for renovations but this was on the Web site:
"The Steinhart Aquarium at California Academy of Sciences is currently in a temporary location just South of Market at 875 Howard Street (at 5th). The Academy is expected to stay in their temporary location until 2008 when major refurbishment at the main building in Golden Gate Park is expected to be completed."
I also saw that another aquarium is right on the water that sounds pretty cool. It's called Aquarium of the Bay and is at Pier 39.
a resident of Danville
on Jun 15, 2008 at 12:27 pm
The Chronicle had a big story on this this morning on their business section. And people had ideas, such as giving people a ride to another city while visiting that city, house-swapping, taking the train or the bus. I guess "couch-surfing" is also popular but I think I'm too old for that!
a resident of Danville
on Jun 15, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Sticking close to home and doing things you don't normally have time to enjoy is called a "staycation."
a resident of Blackhawk
on Jun 20, 2008 at 8:01 am
wow Sue - did you make that up all by yourself?
a resident of Danville
on Jun 20, 2008 at 3:02 pm
There will be a lot of people "staycationing" this summer- that's for sure! Aren't gas prices suppose to rise to $6 a gallon?!
a resident of Venture Independent Study School
on May 29, 2017 at 4:51 pm
Due to repeated violations of our Terms of Use, comments from this poster are automatically removed. Why?
Salami, Salami … Baloney
By Tom Cushing | 25 comments | 601 views
Time for new collaboration between city and school district
By Tim Hunt | 2 comments | 473 views


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The man who will soon head the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis says seeing the Pope this week will help him prepare for his new assignment.
Bishop John Nienstedt will attend a prayer service Wednesday that Pope Benedict XVI will deliver to the nation's bishops.
Nienstedt will also attend the pope's mass Thursday at the new baseball stadium in Washington, D.C.
Nienstedt is getting ready to take over the Twin Cities archdiocese after Harry Flynn retires this year.
"I think it's strengthening knowing he's ministering to the Universal Church," Nienstedt said. "It gives me greater confidence in being able to minster to this great, large archdiocese. And to be faithful to that call."
Nienstedt has had one audience with Benedict since he became Pope three years ago.
Nienstedt said the Pontiff recalled his trip to St. Paul in 1984.
That's when then-Cardinal Ratzinger received an honorary degree during a visit to the University of St. Thomas.
The president of St. Thomas, along with the president of the College of St. Catherine, will also attend a meeting for Catholic educators with the Pope on Thursday.


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An old farm house sits on a windswept hill here in west central Minnesota's Pope County. It would be a picturesque rural scene, if not for the discarded electronics scattered across the farm yard.
Pope County environmental technician Ben Cogger takes an informal inventory of the high tech junk.
"Dot matrix printers, bubble jet printers, the insides of computer hard drives, mother boards," Cogger said. "Looks like cleaned out NASA or something here and piled up it up in the yard,"
Cogger says this mess started a few years ago when the farm's owner decided there was money to be made in computer recycling. The idea was abandoned and now so is the farm.
It became known as a spot to dump electronic equipment with little chance of being caught. Cogger estimates there are thousands of computers, monitors and TVs here, possibly leaching heavy metals like lead and mercury into the ground. The county doesn't have the resources to clean up the site.
It's an extreme example of something that's common in rural Minnesota, computer monitors being dumped in ditches along a country road, or TVs thrown into swamps.
"One or two of those a month probably. The majority of people will call in and say 'I picked it up and I'll take care of it, but I just wanted you to know that I found this out here," Cogger said.
There are ways to recycle electronics in Pope county. Locally it can cost as much as $30 to recycle a computer or old TV set. Free options require driving as much as an hour or more.
While it's easy and free to drop off electronics in many Minnesota communities, it still requires time and money in rural parts of the state.
In central Minnesota's Morrison County it costs up to $20 to recycle a TV, and the county only offers that service four times a year.
Amy Kowalzek, the county's environmental specialist, says that's contributed to the e-waste they find dumped in rural areas, and the electronics that people try to illegally sneak in with their garbage.
"When somebody has something to throw away, they don't want to hang on to it. Plus the recycling fee for electronics is more than what it would be than to throw it in the garbage, so that has been a little bit of the problem also,"
Kowalzek says the county is working on a plan to offer free e-waste recycling year round in Morrison County. She hopes that reduces the amount of old electronics improperly cast away.
That's already happened in northwestern Minnesota's Polk County.
John Steiner, who runs the county's environmental services department, says when they started offering free e-waste recycling, the county saw a big decrease in illegal dumping.
Steiner surveyed other Minnesota counties and heard similar stories.
"For those areas where collection is available and where it's much cheaper or free to the person dropping their electronics off to be recycled, they've seen a marked increase in the amount of illegal dumping in their jurisdiction," Steiner said.
The Minnesota Electronics Recycling Act of 2007 requires high tech manufacturers to pay for recycling a portion of electronic waste in Minnesota.
Garth Hickle with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says so far the law is working.
"We feel like we've got excellent compliance by the manufacturers. We have a significant expansion in the number of collection opportunities for residents and then the volume of material coming back in is exceeding our expectations," Hickle said.
But at this point only about two thirds of Minnesota Counties offer free e-waste recycling. And Hickle says four Minnesota counties still have no recycling options whatsoever.
"I certainly can't say every resident that every resident within the state is within an hour drive of a collection facility, but we're getting pretty close," Hickle said.
Hickle says the MPCA is working to create more electronics recycling programs across the state. But he's encouraged with the progress so far especially since the law has been in place less than a year.


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This year is the 10th anniversary of Cosaru.com store, and I'm planning to open a special event in this coming winter and give out event prizes to winners. And, I'm curious to know which prize you'll be interested in the most.
Through this quick survey, I'll get the idea to make the event prizes for the next couple of months.
Examples of expected prizes:
The actual prizes will be different from these pictures, but you get the idea what they'll look like.


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No-Heat Hairstyles | Summer 2013
Blow Off Your Blow Dryer With These No-Heat Hairstyles
Blow Off Your Blow Dryer With These No-Heat Hairstyles
Let's face it — it's too hot to fuss with the flat iron and battle with the blow dryer every morning, so try these easy hairstyle ideas from Real Beauty to save your hair from overheating this Summer.
We called upon Halli Bivona at the John Barrett Salon at Bergdorf Goodman to show us how to keep our hair healthy and on trend this Summer with easy 'dos that don't call for styling tools.
Also on RealBeauty.com:
New Ponytails to Try This Summer
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Call of Duty reaches $US1 billion faster than Avatar
Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the latest instalment in Activision Blizzard's best-selling video-game franchise, has topped $US1 billion in retail sales within its first 15 days of release.
The sales figure, which relies on Chart-Track retail data, means Call of Duty reached the $US1 billion mark faster than the movie Avatar, the record holder for feature films, Activision said in a statement.
The previous installment in the series accomplished that same feat last year. It took 16 days to reach the $US1 billion milestone, compared with 17 for Avatar, which came out in 2009.
"Since Call of Duty was launched, cumulative franchise revenues from players around the world are greater than current worldwide box office receipts to date for the top 10 grossing films of 2012 combined," Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick said.
"Sales for the Call of Duty franchise have exceeded worldwide theatrical box office receipts for Harry Potter and Star Wars, the two most successful movie franchises of all time."
Activision, the world's largest video-game seller, is counting on new titles to maintain growth after topping third- quarter profit and revenue estimates last quarter. Sales had flagged last year, hurt by the sluggish economy and a rise in games that are free to play.
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Test Bench: Pioneer VSX-94TXH A/V Receiver
Pioneer's latest A/V receiver produced uniformly excellent bench results: linearity and S/N were close to perfect on both PCM and Dolby Digital signals, while distortion and frequency response were nearly as good (the latter, in particular, on 96/24 PCM). Noise levels were more average on 96/24, as well as on analog-multichannel tests, suggesting that analog-domain residuals were the limiting factor here.
Power output was generous in 2- and 1-channel tests, and the 94TXH was happy enough driving 4-ohm loads. With 5 and 7 channels driven, and its clamping circuitry in full effect, the receiver fell well short of 100 watts per channel, but was still better than some receivers of similar ratings we've seen, and in any event, this is of no real world consequence. Pioneer's protection system worked seamlessly by reducing effective power by about half when extended all-channel clipping excursions were imposed, and the receiver never really became unpleasantly hot.
High distortion (7.1%) detected in the subwoofer output when driven by a 6-channel, 30 Hz Dolby Digital signal was unusual and not caused by waveform clipping in the usual sense; a waveform monitor instead showed an odd squeeze-and-tilt effect that measures as distortion but which I would normally associate with a digital arithmetic error of some sort. Performance with 2-channel low frequency (PCM) signals was much better(2.5%) and with single-channel signals was on par with my fullband tests, i.e. below 0.1%. My conjecture is that there is an error in the summing routine that adds "small" channels' low-passed signals. Since, when playing actual program material, the odds of multiple channels ever demanding anything remotely close to 0 dBFS levels simultaneously (and in-phase) are exceedingly close to nil, I have no reservations about real-world performance. I certainly heard no audible anomalies in my listening tests.
All data were obtained from various test DVDs using 16-bit dithered test signals, which set limits on measured distorting and noise performance. Reference input level is -20 dBFS, and reference output is 1 watt into 8 ohms. Volume setting for reference level was -8. All level trims at zero, except for subwoofer-related tests, all speakers were set to "large," subwoofer on. All are worst-case figures where applicable.
Output at clipping (1 kHz into 8/4 ohms) 1 channel driven: 178/300 W (22.5/24.8 dBW) 5 channels driven (8 ohms): 84 W* (19.2 dBW) 7 channels driven (8 ohms): 61 W* (17.9 dBW) Distortion at 1 watt (THD+N, 1 kHz) 8/4 ohms: 0.05/0.06% Noise level (A-wtd): -75.1 dB Excess noise (with sine tone) 16-bit (EN16): 0.8 dB Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, -0.2 dB *After approx. 10 seconds of continuous drive at these levels, protection circuits activated to reduce drive by 3 dB, i.e. half power; power-cycling the unit restored full drive.
Reference input and output level is 200 mV; volume setting for reference output level was -4. Distortion (THD+N, 1 kHz, 8 ohms): 0.04% Noise level (A-wtd.): -84.1 Frequency response: <10 Hz to 81 kHz +0, -3 dB
Reference level is -20 dBFS; all level trims at zero. Volume setting for reference level was -3.
Output at clipping (1 kHz, 8/4 ohms, both channels driven): 158/244 W (22.0/23.9 dBW) Distortion at reference level: 0.06% Linearity error (at -90 dBFS): 0.1 dB Noise level (A-wtd): -75.2 dB with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: -82.6 dB Excess noise (with/without sine tone) 16-bit (EN16): 0.5/0.7 dB quasi-20-bit (EN20): 13.0/12.6 dB Noise modulation: 0.8 dB Frequency response: <10 Hz to 20 kHz +0, -0.2 dB with 96-kHz/24-bit signals: <10 Hz to 45 kHz +0, -1.8 dB
Measured results obtained with Dolby Digital test signals. Subwoofer-output frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 24 dB/octave (approx.) above -6-dB rolloff point of 80 Hz High-pass-filter frequency response (crossover set to 80 Hz): 12 dB/octave below -3-dB rolloff point of 80 Hz Maximum unclipped subwoofer output (trim at 0): 7.8v Subwoofer distortion (from 6-channel, 30-Hz, 0-dBFS signal; subwoofer trim set to 0): 7.1%** Crossover consistency: bass crossover frequency and slope were consistent for all sources and formats Signal-format consistency: consistent for all applicable formats Speaker size selection: all channels can be set to "small" Speaker-distance compensation: available for all main channels.
**See notes
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ENGLEWOOD, Colo.—Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is on a streak that neither he—nor any other quarterback—has known.
Although more than a few quarterbacks in NFL history had thrown for 300 yards, three touchdowns and a completion percentage at or above 70 in consecutive games—as next week's foe, Cincinnati's Andy Dalton, did in Weeks 2 and 3—no one had ever done it in three straight games.
Manning now has done it in four.
Obviously, it won't continue forever. But what Manning's return to vintage form has done is force defenses into pick-your-poison mode. New Orleans kept its safeties back early Sunday night; Manning responded by audibling into four consecutive handoffs to Willis McGahee. When the Saints bit on a play-fake on the following snap, he easily found Demaryius Thomas downfield for a 41-yard gain.
This is why Manning and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy preached balance in the offseason, even referring to play-action as the third phase of the offense.
LINEMAKERS: 49ers vs. Cardinals: Point spread, Vegas lines and trends
FANTASY SOURCE: Upon Further Review | Sunday Recap
The Broncos' multidimensional offense has paced the ascension from explosive to lethal. It also is poised to have big days even if Manning doesn't have enough opportunities to hit 300 yards—as could be the case in the next nine games, when the Broncos face eight teams that currently have losing records, with four games against teams currently 1-6.
It's hard to imagine Denver's offense being better than it has in the past six quarters, when it has accounted for 55 points. But if defenses have to take the running game seriously, and if Manning handing off to McGahee starts resembling the quarterback's work with Edgerrin James several years ago in Indianapolis, its finest performances are still to come—a frightening proposition for the rest of the AFC.
Hillman on the rise: Rookie running back Ronnie Hillman is slowly, steadily earning the confidence of his coaches as McGahee's backup. Hillman's ability to pick up blitzes has improved after it was so shaky in August and September that he was dropped to fourth string, which meant he was inactive in Weeks 1 and 2. He moved up in Week 3 after Knowshon Moreno fumbled in Week 2 and gradually has adapted.
Like McGahee, Hillman also will be a primary beneficiary of Manning's cool efficiency; the seams he had Sunday against an off-balance Saints defense were the widest he has seen, and he sailed through the gaps for 6.1 yards per carry. There will come a point when Hillman has to spell McGahee, and for the first time, he appears ready for the extended role.


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Stolen Moped Found In Police Impound Lot
Prior to last week's letter even being published, the OCPD investigating officer was here first thing Thursday morning Oct. 8. The first thing that the officer and my son discovered was that the owner of Continental Cycles where we bought the moped, left out a character digit of the VIN on the original sales document, which also serves according to him, as proof of ownership.
This document and the VIN associated, along with a picture, is what was used to identify the stolen moped to the officer during the original report. Had the document been properly filled out perhaps this episode would have had a truly happy ending and also ended with my singing praises for the OCPD.
However, we all know that computers, as smart as they are, are stupid when it comes to matching names and numbers if they're not an exact match. The investigating officer maintains that he did enter the VIN (as he had it) into the NCIS. This apparently (sic) tripped up the computer into thinking that there was not a match from the moped that
was recovered; if the number was entered as it really appeared on the found moped. We still don't believe that was done due to the property clerk not having the VIN in her system (missing number or not) when my son showed up with the sales document.
Nevertheless, the OCPD had an emailed color picture of the moped, it was found by police three blocks from our home, subsequently fished out by the cops, and it was found only five days from when it was reported. Someone surely could have checked further. These things are not cheap.
The officer also said while he was here that Thursday, that he did check the "yard" after my son left the message on his voice mail. Where he checked, however, was where they store motorcycles and scooters. The moped was stored more or less where bicycles are stored. Why? I don't know. So he did check but hadn't had a chance to call and tell us that he didn't find it. But, it took my son less than two minutes to find it from outside the fence when he went there last Tuesday, Oct. 6.
And by the way, the property clerk told us while we were there picking it up that it would have been sold during the auction this Saturday.
If any apologies are warranted, those who think they should have one can take one.
Lawrence E. Snoots
Ocean City
Get Educated On Issues
People always say, "I don't like what is going on but what can I do about it beside vote?" My answer is that you can educate others as to what is going on and encourage them to get involved.
One can get involved and educate others by writing letters to the editor, contributing to community forums in newspapers, calling talk radio programs and just talking to people at every opportunity. The media won't educate us if it is not in accordance with their political views.
Our self-serving politicians care about one thing, their power. They want to stay in power by staying in office more than they want what is good for America. Citizen power comes from us threatening them with firing or, better yet, term limits. One of the, if not the only, promise that Obama has kept is that he promised to change the way America fundamentally works. We are, whether we are aware of it or not, witnessing just that and it will be for the worse.
I am alarmed by how few people realize that an economic tsunami is heading for us. This tsunami will be caused by the awesome growing debt, our dependence on foreign oil, dealing with a nuclear Iran and the catastrophic future costs of Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare and the loss of many pension funds as we all live longer.
How many people know how large the number one billion is? Our limited human minds are too small to comprehend a billion, no less a trillion. Who is going to pay for all this? Future generations and us now will pay. We are setting the stage for generational theft.
What makes America great is the desire we have to make something of ourselves by contributing to society in such a way that benefits ourselves, by making money, and the public, by providing goods and services. This desire to gain meaningful employment enables us to earn a living, spend money for enjoyment and pay reasonable taxes which supports the government in its proper endeavor to make a better nation for all. That's the way it is supposed to work but will not work if one thing is missing. That one thing is the incentive we have to work. That incentive always goes away when one is over taxed. That is the absolute direction this mindless administration is taking us. The heart of our wonderful capitalistic system, employment, which has given us all those fabulous goods and services that we all take for granted, is under assault.
— $384 billion in stimulus is proposed to be spent but only 10 percent has already been. Do you know why? The 80 percent is being held back until just before the 2012 Obama re-election.
— The $1.2 trillion, 1,018-page healthcare bill will take over one sixth of the US economy and fundamentally strip US citizens of their freedoms making us totally dependent on the government. It will eliminate health insurance companies awarding a profoundly inefficient, costly monopoly to the government. It will get its money by taking it out of Medicare and taxing the American public to paralysis thereby destroying the incentive to go to college and get good paying jobs. Obama is in a great hurry to get this passed. He fears people will learn the details, but plans not to have it go into effect until after the 2012 election.
Don't reassure yourself into thinking that all this can be reversed with the next election. When an infrastructure that made something work is destroyed, our health care system, it is almost impossible to get it back. Also, once people get the perceived notion that something is for free it is impossible to reverse or change that program. Consider Social Security.
Get involved with "Americans For Prosperity", a national organization that organized many Tea Party demonstrations, including the DC Sept. 12 march. We will be meeting again at the Ocean Pines Community Center at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. We are in the process of becoming the first generation of Americans that will leave our children worse off than ourselves. The day is coming when your grand children and great grandchildren will ask you, "when and why did America stop being great?"
Dennis W Evans
County Need Big Box Stores
They just don't get it. The Worcester County Commissioners recently agreed to approve design guidelines that, according to senior citizen Louise Gulyas, president of the County Commissioners, will get rid of "ugly" big box stores.
In my 90 years on this earth, I have learned that no matter how hard any government tries, they cannot stop the development of efficient, effective and economical private sector enterprise. For example, in these difficult economic times, it's increasingly important for consumers to be able to have access to big box stores and their one-stop shopping, extended store hours, free parking, lower prices and jobs for people who work in stores. Given a choice, I believe that many individuals would rather work in a big box store than be unemployed. Moreover, with a growing senior population in Worcester County, big box stores are well designed for handicap persons such as myself.
Instead of trying to impose artificial impediments to block the development of big box stores, the county should be providing incentives to obtain these significant economic drivers. To see the advantages of proper planning and incentives for big box stores that benefit consumers and government, all one has to do is visit the new Lowe's and BJ's along Route 113 near Millsboro, Del. These stores' parking lots are very crowded and many vehicles on the lot have Maryland license plates. By attempting to hinder commercial progress to protect the inefficient business models of the past, the commissioners are driving up the costs for not only the citizens of Worcester County but also to the many visitors to the county.
Evelyn Sweeney Toner
Ocean City
Support Appreciated
On behalf of the Dwayne Purnell family, I would just like to thank all who participated and contributed to our first annual benefit breakfast to help the needy in our community. To my regular staff who not only donated their time and hard work but also donated all tips taken in that day . We donated 100 percent of the daily receipts and with private donations we were able to raise close to $5,500 to help out the family of Dwayne who is home now and requires 24-hour care in wake of his complications from triple bypass surgery. We only wish him the best and hope he pulls through this.
I must add that whenever something happens to someone in this community it seems there is always a willingness to help those affected and that is a wonderful thing indeed. I was so excited to go to work that morning that I woke up at 2 a.m. and was ready to come to work feeling great about what we were doing. We were busy from the time we opened the doors until we just about ran out of food around noon. Thank you all so much for coming out and supporting the Purnell family at their time of need.
There is a line from a song by the Grateful Dead, a band I followed for years and went to see over 200 times called Shakedown Street. The line goes "Don't tell me this town Ain't got no heart, just got to poke around". Well you didn't have to poke around too far to see the love displayed last Monday at the Sahara Café.
Thank you so much again and hope to do it again next October. Peace.
Jay Whitmeyer
Ocean City


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"He and his friends would jam a lot and started touring," she says. "Our family vacations were spent touring with them to Alaska and London. ... I was always in the audience, dancing and listening with my mom."
Aside from a brief stint in chorus at Menlo School during high school, Ms. Keely didn't focus on music until she went off to study landscape architecture at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.
There she picked up a guitar and lived in a music-themed dorm. She left to study and travel around India with a knockoff Epiphone guitar.
One summer she attended the Stanford Jazz Workshop to work on her music skills (singing, playing and composing). During the school year back at Cornell, she would visit her older brother, Brandon, at NYU, where he played guitar and trumpet for fun. They ended up recording a song for their father for Father's Day 2007.
Their father's band's producer, T Bone Burnett, heard the song and encouraged them to continue recording and keep in touch.
Ms. Keely says at first she was terrified to perform in public. She recalls playing at a monthly coffee shop event at her dorm and laughs about how she didn't even make it through two verses of one song.
"Now, I love performing," she says. "I practiced a lot and got better. At first I was technically so new I couldn't do it on autopilot. Knowing that vulnerability is a special and wonderful thing."
Critics have commented on her inviting, sincere and emotional approach to music. She describes her sound as "contemporary folk that draws upon folk and Americana roots. ... I'm a pretty open and honest person, and in my songwriting I'm communicating about pretty universal things."
In October 2010, she self-released her debut album, Acorn Collection, which she says is "full of failed romances and pathetic heartbreak." For her second album, she says, she "had to find new inspiration because I wasn't going through heartbreak, so I drew on fictional sources."
That's where The Hunger Games enters into her narrative. The producer, Mr. Burnett, was involved in making the movie's soundtrack and asked her to consider writing for it. Ms. Keely and her brother spent a summer working on a bunch of songs based on characters in the book.
They recorded demos, mailed copies to Mr. Burnett's office in Los Angeles, and then arranged to drop by to play the song "Rules" for him.
The song eventually made it on the soundtrack companion album, "The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond." In that version, veteran singer Jayme Dee sang the vocals, Ms. Keely sang backup vocals and played ukulele, and her brother played guitar.
Other musical highlights for Ms. Keely include when she performed with her father, brother, and fiddler friend Antja Jean Thompson at the TEDxSanJoseCA Women program in December 2012. Ms. Keely's brother works at Google and her father is retired, but they still make time to play gigs together whenever they can.
Ms. Keely recorded her second album, "Deciduous," in Nashville that same winter, and made some videos. One was inspired by her grandmother emigrating from the Philippines to the U.S. in 1960. Ms. Keely wrote and performed the song, "Dream it Now," for a pro-immigration-reform documentary, "The Dream is Now."
This year she is turning her attention "to taking strides on the business side, and learning about film and TV placement (creating songs for movies and shows)," she says. "It's an area where a musician can make money. That's very difficult to do on tour."
Most months she performs locally at places such as Brick & Mortar and Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. On Feb. 19 she's appearing at Bottom of the Hill, also in the city.
See megankeely.com for details on other upcoming appearances.
Ms. Keely splits her time living between San Francisco and Woodside, where she works for Sycamore Design, a garden design company. Sometimes she finds herself pulling off the road during her commute to write down notes about a possible song.
"There are hundreds of unfinished ideas and scraps that are ready for me to assemble," she says, giving the impression that she is just getting rolling on her musical career.
This story contains 790 words.
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text: Eddie Robinson gives you what to watch for this weekend as the Houston Dynamo take on the Seattle Sounders at BBVA Compass Stadium (8 p.m.). TICKETS FOR THIS MATCH HAVE SOLD OUT. However, great seats are still available for our next two home matches against Arabe Unido and the New York Red Bulls.


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ASEAN Leaders Caught Between Tokyo, Beijing
A nuanced joint statement from leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations following their meeting in Tokyo, illustrated the difficulty Prime Minister Shinzo Abe faces in trying to attract more support for Japan in a region heavily influenced by China.
The gathering over the weekend was supposed to be a three-day photo op commemorating the 40th anniversary of Japan's relationship with the association that also demonstrated some success for Mr. Abe's recent efforts to strengthen ties with its members.
But the meeting took on unexpected importance as the first major Asian summit to take place since China's surprise announcement in late November that it had set up an air-defense identification zone encompassing disputed islands in the East China Sea.


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Supertrawler ban legal, says minister
Environment Minister Tony Burke has expressed confidence the federal government is on solid legal ground after confirming a ban on the supertrawler Abel Tasman fishing in Australian waters.
Mr Burke signed into force on Monday a two-year ban on any supertrawler operating in the small pelagic fishery, using new laws introduced after the Dutch ship's arrival in Australia.
Mr Burke acknowledged operator Seafish Tasmania had made it clear it would pursue all available legal options in response to the ban, but said: "We believe we're on completely strong legal ground".
"Under environmental law it is not uncommon for a project to be held up while checks are being performed," Mr Burke said. "Not uncommon at all."
The Abel Tasman decision marks an emphatic move into Commonwealth oceans management by the minister, who found he had needed to legislate to enforce powers already available on land.
After months of controversy about the largest fishing vessel ever slated for Australian waters, Mr Burke in September declared an interim ban on trawling in the small pelagic fishery by any vessel of the 142-metre Abel Tasman's size.
It had planned to trawl offshore between New South Wales and Western Australia for up to 18,000 tonnes of redbait and mackerel.
Mr Burke said his mind was made up to enforce the ban after a 60 day comment period when he was advised of uncertainty about the 142 metre Dutch-owned trawler's effect on localised depletion of its target redbait and mackerel species.
There were also doubts about the trawler's effects on target species' predators, including dolphins and seals, he said.
An expert panel will now be convened to assess the effects of the supertrawler over the two year period, and report back to the minister.
Seafish was taken aback by the government's decision, after it sought to negotiate a compromise with Mr Burke to address the specific concerns and was rebuffed.
Seafish director Gerry Geen told Fairfax Media the joint venturers did not want to go down the route of legal action, but all options would be on the table.
Mr Geen said they were "absolutely" entitled to compensation for the many millions of dollars the venture had cost so far.
"Any reasonable person would say that if you were given a green light by a government, and then months later you are stopped, then yes, we should be compensated," Mr Geen said.
The Coalition's Fisheries spokesman, Richard Colbeck, said Mr Burke had trashed the reputation of Australia's science-based fisheries management system in favour of populism, just as the Government did with the live export industry.
The ship remains tied up at Port Lincoln, South Australia, and the Stop the Supertrawler Alliance said it expected the vessel to now leave Australian waters.
Greenpeace said the UN had found that the global fishing fleet was 2.5 times too big for fish stocks to sustain. "The only place for the supertrawler is on the scrap heap," said Greenpeace Program Director Ben Pearson.
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Hey guys... Just experimenting at home right now with all these awesome pizza ideas. I stumbled upon Jeff varasanos website and he said to try making a pizza sauce without cooking it. So i took my tomatoes, sliced and seeded them, but when i took the immersion mixer to it, it turned orange and the taste was all off no matter what i did to it.
thanks guys, i appreciate the answers. Looks like I will be using fresh tomatoes just because... well, im working on an organic tomatoe farm. I am pretty sure that the tomatoe i was using (safeway only labeled it as TOV tomato on the vine) was a pretty flavorless tomato. Also I will bear in mind not to overmix the tomatoes and i will even try hand crushing them as well. thanks!
Norma,I never had any fresh tomatoes turn an orange color when using my Immersion hand blender.They were more of a lighter red shade than orange.I would have loved the orange hue, since most of my favorite Marinara sauces I purchased,border more on the orange side than red.I always wondered how they got the orange color to it.Maybe it depends on the type of tomatoes?Or maybe I did not mix it the same way you did? Always been curious about it.Thanks for reposting those links.I read them before but going to read them again.
Norma,That might be it about the blending.I pulse blend with the immersion mixer since I dont have a processor.Just pulse little by little to get the consistency I want.Took me a little trial to get it right though.Btw those tomatoes look great!
Make sauce and freeze?


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To celebrate the release of Dawnguard, our UK office is giving folks a chance to win a custom Skyrim Xbox 360 with Kinect. For full details on how to participate, be sure to check out the contest rules after the break.
Not in the UK? Visit our German, French, and Spanish Bethesda Blog pages for contest rules in those countries.
Contest rules after the break…
Official Contest Rules (UK Contest):
The contest is sponsored by ZeniMax Europe Limited (UK Company No. 06333300) located at Grafton House, 2-3 Golden Square, London W19 1HR (tel: +44 (0) 207 494 3244) ("ZeniMax Europe"). This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. In entering the contest entrants are providing information to us and not to Facebook. By entering the contest each entrant releases Facebook completely from any liability in respect of the contest.
The contest is open to anyone ages 18 & up residing in the United Kingdom. One entry per email address. Void where prohibited.
All participants must be 18 or older to enter and verification may be required before the winner is announced. Entries must be original and deemed non-proprietary and upon submission all entries become the sole property of the ZeniMax Europe and will not be acknowledged or returned. Except as set out here each entrants' personal data will only be used for administering this contest.
To enter, send an email to [email protected] with the subject line "Skyrim Xbox 360 – UK". The email must include your name, valid mailing address, and email address. Invalid or ineligible entries shall be excluded from consideration. By their submission of entry, participants warrant that all information is original and accurate, and they are legally entitled and authorized to make such submission, either on their own behalf, or as to information submitted upon the express authorization of another on whose behalf the information is submitted.
The contest will begin on July 25, 2012 and will conclude at 12:00 PM (GMT) on August 2, 2012. Upon conclusion of the contest, one (1) lucky winner will be selected at random and receive a limited edition Skyrim-branded Xbox 360 (4GB model) with Kinect. Selection by random drawing will be conducted by ZeniMax Europe, whose decisions on all matters related to the contest shall be final and binding and within its sole discretion. To claim his/her prize, the winner so notified must within ten (10) days of notice of award, provide such additional information and/or complete, execute and return any additional documents required by ZeniMax Europe.
ZeniMax Europe reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any suspect entry or entrant and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the contest. Participants agree that by participating they release the ZeniMax Media, its parent, and its affiliates from any liability in connection with the contest and any prizing.


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We all know of the two legendary spiritual weapons that caused Black zetsu to consider Itachi an Invincible force...
invincible [ɪnˈvɪnsəbəl]
1. incapable of being defeated; unconquerable
2. unable to be overcome; insuperable invincible prejudices
[from Late Latin invincibilis, from Latin in-1 + vincere to conquer]
invincibility , invincibleness n
invincibly adv
Hyperbole? Yes, But there is truth to his words...First one must understand what a Spirtual weapon is... Answer? Noone knows.. according to zetsu it's a supernatural item.... Databook implies noone really know how or when exactly they appeared.. but the legends have been passed down for years
What should be noted is that is has NO true phyiscal form, meaning these weapons have no true shape, and could essentially become what shape or size the user wishes... They way we see them now is at a size fit for susanno, but when these weapons were found by Itachi, they wouldn't have been large, they could have been anything, maybe even the normal size of a katana and shield..
If you don't believe what i'm saying, Of course , I have proof , often overlooked
Here you see how yatta mirror is, a flat shield, a bit bigger than Itachi, but still smaller than susanno itself..
Sasuke then throws explosive kunai to cause and explosion
You can no see the shield has grown, as the head of susanno is no longer higher in the air
specifically talking about this
You also should note the sfx showing the mirror was shrinking after the attack..
Next feat of this? pretty obvious
If you don't see it
You clearly see it extended again, covering more in the back of itachi, which is not how it originally looked, considering its flat
Now I want you to pay CLOSE attention , to the last two pictures I posted, and realize that for this attack, Yata mirror has changed size and shape, and is now fully covering Susanno....
This means that no matter WHAT attack comes at Itachi, Yata mirror can Change not only its ELEMENTS, but its ATTRIBUTES , to deflect it.....
The databook even says this
Note that it changes its attributes and properties..
You should also be aware that yata mirror doesn't simply "block' all attacks.. It REFLECTS.. All attacks.. as stated like 500 times in the manga and databook..
MUU - Onooki
People, alot of people , have been putting Muu over Itachi simply because Jinton is a "360" thing.... they claim, that yata mirror and its frontward defence would not at all protect Itachi from the molecule disintegration..
As Ive shown before, ANY incoming attack, would be countered by the mirror and reflected... even if yata mirror has to stretch in a 360 manner to do so , similar to what happened here
This isnt solely for Jinton....Any incoming taijutsu attack will be countered... yata mirror repelled Sasuke's and his kusunagi thrust....
People claim that A would be able to go behind yata mirror and attack.. Once again, this isn't a legendary spirtual item for crap and giggles..Like gaara's sand, the yata mirror protects the user from ANY attack
But how far can yata mirror really go?
Its not exactly clear, the databook mostly speaks of its impervious fortitude when pitted against jutsu
and Ninjutsu
What I want you to focus on is the two bolded
Of or relating to a supposed nonphysical realm of existence in which the physical human body is said to have a counterpart.
what? : o, Databook implies that Yata mirror would even defend against non physical dimension related attacks? Attacks like Long ranged Kamui?
....That my friends is up to you to see and consider
Grossly underated spiritual items
Another thing everyone should note is the sheer speed that the shape manipulation happens... The mirror moves from its small state to incredibly large withing milliseconds of the attack actually hitting
Inb4 Bogard, minator94 Soloking solos


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QB? The guy is on drugs. Clemens is not the answer but Ainge and O'Connell are also in the mix. The guys he listed may or may not be better than who we have as back ups.
From Bleacher Report, pretty good write up...
2010 NFL Draft: New York Jets Team Needs
by Kevin Roberts
Written on March 21, 2010
After a disappointing ending with Brett Favre in 2008, the New York Jets kicked Eric Mangini to the curb, released Favre, and officially started over.
Accepting what they had been doing wasn't working was the tough part. However, then they moved on quickly, hired a defensive guru in Rex Ryan, and found a new offensive nucleus in rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene.
It took almost the entire season and a deep playoff run to the AFC Championship game to figure it all out, but Ryan's crew seems to be stacked to contend in the AFC East for years to come.
The true future of this team undoubtedly hinges on the development of their star rookie quarterback, but if the off-season has been any indication, at least the Jets' faithful know that the front office is doing everything in it's power to make life easy on Sanchez and the offense.
Biggest Needs: WR, QB, OL Depth
The Jets couldn't keep a good thing going, as they cut Thomas Jones loose, figuring that the money just wasn't worth keeping a 32-year old around, especially when it was only a matter of time before the wheels fell off.
That showed the team was fully backing Shonn Greene after an impressive playoff run, but with the signing of 30-year old LaDainian Tomlinson just a week ago, it seems we're right back where we started.
On paper, this isn't a drop-off or an upgrade, and this shouldn't really change things in New York, so long as the impressive and productive Greene continues to tote the rock more than any other back on the Jets' roster.
With the running back position still holding great depth and talent, the next set of issues resides in keeping the offensive line fresh and full of blooming talent, while also pairing Mark Sanchez with another capable signal caller.
Kellen Clemens just isn't the answer as the long-term back-up, and the Jets could find themselves a real gem in the middle-to-late rounds if they took a chance on Jevean Snead, Zac Robinson, or even Jarrett Brown.
All three of these guys have the potential and talent to possibly make it as a starter at the next level, but all three also have enough flaws to make it very likely that they'll drop past the third round. All three would arguably be significant upgrade over the quarterbacks behind Sanchez, as well.
The last, but not least important position of need, would be the slot receiver position. New York could even grab a receiver for the future, as Braylon Edwards is only signed-on for one more season. However, their current starters for the position appear to be set in stone.
New York could really use a crafty, speedy receiver in the slot, and if it's a guy with enough talent that can man the third spot his rookie season and then take over down the road as a starter, then that's even better.
Golden Tate is one guy that has been heavily rumored to have caught New York's eye, as he can shake things up immediately from the slot, but still has the upside of a future star receiver, and could even develop into a true No. 1 receiver.
If the Jets are looking more for a big, possession receiver who can also make plays down the field, they could also land LSU's Brandon LaFell. And if they stick with the pure-slot receiver talents, they could be seeking the services of former Texas product, Jordan Shipley.
Biggest Needs: OLB, DE, DT
Cornerback and free safety were definitely huge question marks heading into the off-season, but at least on paper, these problems were addressed.
New York swung a trade for Antonio Cromartie, potentially giving the Jets one of the most feared corner duo's, while also replacing the departed Kerry Rhodes with the signing of Brodney Pool.
Both of these positions could easily use some youth and/or depth behind them, but these big moves show solid optimism that they won't be problem areas in 2010.
However, as good as the Jets defense was in 2009, New York could definitely stand to improve it's pass rush, and could even use some better coverage out of it's line-backing corps.
Calvin Pace is their best outside linebacker, and while he's solid, that just shows you how much better their explosiveness could be from the outside rush.
The Jets already know what it's like to look for a play-maker at outside linebacker and then watch him struggle to develop, so it's not crazy to think they could wait until the second or third round to address this need.
If they do go for a pass-rusher in the first-round however, guys like Ricky Sapp or Brandon Graham could be available, while if they wait a round or two, they could still get a quality OLB like Iowa's A.J. Edds.
While landing an elite pass-rusher is always something teams like to talk about, preventing future collapses is also a huge concern.
The Jets have two 30+ year old defensive ends, and have spent much of the past three season being disappointed by injuries to 31-year old defensive tackle, Kris Jenkins.
Their defensive line is built to win now and is one of the more stout and productive against the run in all of football, but making sure it stays that way means spending some picks on the meat up front in their defense.
The Jets could be competing with the Patriots and a few other teams for the services of Jared Odrick, an athletic, big, and versatile defensive end who could even play in the middle.
Overall, the Jets are already built to compete for their division, and just need to see steady improvement from their offense, which lacks consistency or flash.
If they can draft well and get 2-3 guys who can step up out of their rookie class, they should easily be in the Super Bowl talk again in 2010.
QB? The guy is on drugs. Clemens is not the answer but Ainge and O'Connell are also in the mix. The guys he listed may or may not be better than who we have as back ups.
I agree Beerfish. We don't have a ton of picks this year and I'm much more interested in bringing in line depth on both sides of the ball, a WR, and another RB long before I'm even thinking QB... someone that is never going to see the field and if he does we're f'd anyway.
My positions of importance are to get a starting DE or S, slot WR, OL/DL Depth, backup RB.
The good news is that we're going to be drafting the guy that we want the most at the best value which means trading up or down or staying put. It's gonna be a crazy draft day.
BleacherReport.com is the worst.
I agree with pretty much everything this article says, except for being so concerned about QB depth, there's always serviceable backups floating around the league. But if we want to reap the rewards of this draft asap as well as build for the future this is what id like to see:
Round 1: Draft BADefP or target a couple of special DL or OLB's and pull the trigger, this draft is full of potential star defensive players.
Round 2: Give me Jordan Shipley. You want a guy who can come in right away and produce in the slot, i think he's our guy.
Last 2 years:
Over 200 receptions
Over 2500 yards
24 TD's
You can't argue with his production and the man knows how to find the endzone. You can argue he may be available in later rounds but we currently don't have a 3rd. If we can trade up and pull it off then great, but if our scouts like him enough why take a chance.
I like Braylon and I think he'll have a bounce back year this year if he works on his chemistry with Sanchez. Him and Cotchery will open up the middle of the field for Shipley, Keller and LT/Leon, so many weapons for Marky mark to utilize. Now I think that's a scary group to gameplan for.
The rest of the draft as well as UDFAs can be used for OL, S and QB depth. These two picks would IMHO address our two biggest concerns in the now and help us continue to build for future success.
Just my .02 though
2. Safety
4. Slot WR
Back-up OL
1. Pass Rush (be it DE, OLB, DT).
2. Defensive Back (Safety and/or CB)
3. D-Line, especially DT (Ellis is Old, the Rest are average or injury prone).
4. O-Line Depth and Future Starter-Replacement Program (for old Mr. Steeler)
Disappointed by Kris Jenkins' injuries the last three years????
Has played with us for 2 and was hurt for just over a half, but who cares about facts?
Last edited by cdflip78; 03-22-2010 at 04:50 PM.


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The Final Conflict
Oh, boy. Another tremendous battle is brewing. It will be the mother of all battles - as well as the father, the son, and the daughter. More than likely, it will be the family pet of all battles, too. It's nothing less than warfare for world domination. Once and for all, it will settle the question: Who makes the coolest toys?
The iPod has changed history since October 2001, when it was launched with the lame slogan "Say Hello to iPod." Apple wasn't the first to sell a portable hard-disk music player - and actually, the company lucked into the product. An entrepreneur named Tony Fadell had the idea for a portable player fully integrated with a download service, but when his company failed to attract investors, he shopped around the notion to other manufacturers. They passed. So he asked Apple if it was interested. The resulting player was smaller, sleeker, and whiter than any other. Not to mention louder (Steve Jobs is partially deaf and reportedly kept asking the engineers to crank it up). And better. Today, Apple's victory is amazing: 80% of portables are iPods, and the iTunes Music Store has sold more than a billion tracks.
Apple continues to kick ass - and its competitors continue to whimper. Their players are pretty good, and usually much cheaper. But none has approached the cult status of the iPod. Apple still dominates the music download business, and the popularity of the iPod has radically empowered the company.
In much the same way that a banana-republic dictator bothers a superpower, Apple's iPod annoys Microsoft. The success of the iPod probably won't cause the world to abandon Windows, Office, and everything else Microsoft makes that breathes life into the modern world. But the music download business is joined at the hip with the computer business, and Microsoft needs to tap in. It's a matter of pride (and profit) for the company. So, tired of waiting for a hardware manufacturer to meaningfully challenge Apple, Microsoft is developing its own portable player - which, most notably, will have Wi-Fi onboard. You'll be able to wirelessly download music and video from anywhere, without a computer. Microsoft will launch its attack before Christmas.
Apple, not resting on past glory, is working on future-generation iPods. Reportedly, a new edition will have Bluetooth onboard. You'll be able to listen via wireless headphones - or just toss the iPod into a Bluetooth-equipped car and play it through the sound system. A Wi-Fi 'Pod may also be coming. Apple patent filings reveal new user interfaces, too, including touchscreens that would make the famous click wheel obsolete.
Can Microsoft invade the iPod's territory? Will Apple lose the hearts and minds of consumers as they grow tired of current-generation iPods?


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Tyler BoydClick Alvin BaileyClick Here to view this Link., Seffner (Fla.) Armwood: Bailey concluded his strong summer by leading his team to the Gridiron Kings title last weekend in Orlando. He was also a top performer at the IMG 7-on-7 Championships in June and was named one of the top three wide receivers at The Opening in July. Bailey was not afraid to put his skills on display anywhere in the country against any competition, and his stock is on the rise as a result.Here to view this Link., Clairton, Pa.:
Dhameer BradleyClick Strong spring performances led to more opportunities for Boyd during the summer. He was invited to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge and the Gridiron Kings events this summer and showed he was more than capable against some of the top defensive backs in the country. The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder will play on the outside in college and can stretch the field vertically with his speed.Here to view this Link., Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian Academy:
KD CannonClick Connecticut appears to have gotten itself a game-breaker in Bradley. At just 5-foot-10 and 166 pounds Bradley is not the biggest receiver around, but he is explosively fast. A slot receiver at the next level, Bradley can take a short pass and turn it into a big gainer. He did that several times at the NLA 7-on-7 National Championships and also at the Rutgers 7-on-7 tournament in June.Here to view this Link., Mount Pleasant, Tex. (2014):
Darren CarringtonClick The highlight of Cannon's summer was taking home MVP honors at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas, where he bested 190 of the top prospects in the classes of 2014 and 2015. He was also very impressive at Top Gun in July and several college camps during the summer. The 6-foot-1, 160-pound receiver looks to be the top prospect at his position in the Lone Star State for the class of 2014.Here to view this Link., San Diego (Calif.) Horizon:
Shelton GibsonClick Carrington first made an impression at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta, leaving his mark as one of the top receivers at the event. He also had an impressive showing at the Gridiron Kings event in late July. The 6-foot-2, 187-pound Carrington is a big-play receiver. He is not going to log a ton of receptions, but he can come down with catches few others can make.Here to view this Link., Cleveland Heights, Ohio:
Torii Hunter Jr.Click We did not see Gibson until the last weekend of the summer camp season, but the Rivals250 prospect made a strong case to be included on this list with his performance at Ohio State's Friday Night Lights Camp. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect looked to be in great shape, and he was flying by defensive backs all day long. Quarterbacks could not adjust to his speed and regularly underthrew him.Here to view this Link., Prosper, Texas:
Andre LevroneClick The Texas prospect with a famous name showed he has big-time game when he stepped up on one of the summer's biggest stages, keying his team's win in 7-on-7 play at The Opening in July. The 6-foot, 172-pound Hunter is not the biggest wide receiver prospect around, but he proved to be very productive in Oregon, and his stock is on the rise as a result.Here to view this Link., Olney (Md.) Good Counsel:
Josh MaloneClick Levrone went to the Top Gun Camp in Virginia last month looking to add another star next to his name, and he made a strong case to be considered for a bump in the rankings. At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, Levrone has great size for the wide receiver position, but he compliments that by being a sure-handed pass catcher and having deceptive downfield speed. Here to view this Link., Gallatin (Tenn.) Station Camp (2014):
Steven MitchellClick Malone came into the summer with eight scholarship offers to his credit and continued to raise his stock with performances at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas and the Top Gun Camp in Virginia during the month of July. The 6-foot-3, 186-pound Malone has great size for the position, but he also has deceptive speed and is a precise route-runner.Here to view this Link., Mission Hills (Calif.) Bishop Alemany:
Speedy NoilClick Ranked as one of the nation's top eight wide receiver prospects in the class of 2013, Mitchell was highly regarded heading into summer, and he backed up that lofty status with performances at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, The Opening and Top Gun. At 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, Mitchell is not a big wide receiver, but he has shown the ability to play on the outside or in the slot at the next level.Here to view this Link., New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr (2014):
James OnwualuClick His real name is Devante, but the nickname "Speedy" certainly fits. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound New Orleans native is explosively fast, and he showcased that speed at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge and several college camps this summer. Noil is the cousin of Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace and has shown the potential to reach similarly high levels of the game.Here to view this Link., St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall:
Earnest RobinsonClick The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Onwualu came into the recruiting process as an athlete prospect but has settled into the wide receiver role and will play there at Notre Dame. Active on the camp and combine scene since the end of his junior season, Onwualu's best performances of the off-season came at the Illinois NIKE Camp and the Sound Mind Sound Body Camp in Detroit in June.Here to view this Link., Pinson Valley, Ala.:
Artavis ScottClick The Southeast team at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge was loaded at the wide receiver position, but by week's end the 6-foot-3, 200-pound Robinson had separated himself from even that talented group with his smooth style of play and productivity. He was tabbed as the top wide receiver performer from the event and is a prospect whose stock is on the rise heading into the fall.Here to view this Link., Tarpon Springs (Fla.) East Lake (2014):
Tony StevensClick The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Scott is both a wide receiver and defensive back prospect; he played both at several camp stops this summer, including Ohio State's Friday Night Lights Camp last week. Scott was also a standout at Florida State's camp and the IMG 7-on-7 National Championships in July, and he has solidified his place among the prospects to watch from the Sunshine State in 2014.Here to view this Link., Orlando (Fla.) Evans:
Stanvon TaylorClick Committed to Florida State since February, Stevens primarily limited himself to 7-on-7 tournaments this summer. He proved to be a strong starter, earning a top performer nod on the first day of the IMG 7-on-7 Championships and locking down the overall top offensive performer spot during round-robin play at Gridiron Kings. The 6-foot-3, 187-pounder's stock is on the rise.Here to view this Link., Tulsa (Okla.) East Central:
Laquon TreadwellClick Listed as a cornerback prospect and headed to Oklahoma to play that position for the Sooners, Taylor did most of his damage on the summer camp scene from the wide receiver position. The 5-foot-11, 165-pound prospect was tabbed as one of the top wide receivers at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge and finished his summer with a strong weekend at the Gridiron Kings in Orlando.Here to view this Link., Crete-Monee (Ill.):
Levonte WhitfieldClick The wide receiver rankings are likely to see as much movement as any position when they are updated later this month, and the potential for a new No. 1 emerging exists. After a consistently impressive summer, Treadwell has put himself in the conversation for that top spot. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound receiver impressed at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, The Opening, Gridiron Kings and the Illinois NIKE Camp.Here to view this Link., Orlando (Fla.) Jones:
K.J. WilliamsClick Whitfield earned rave reviews, not only from the media but also from the defensive backs he faced this summer. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound prospect has slot receiver size but showed he can also stretch the field vertically with his speed. Besides boasting top-flight speed and quickness, Whitfield is also a very sure-handed receiver. He had standout performances at The Opening and Gridiron Kings events.Here to view this Link., Bethlehem (Pa.) Liberty (2014):
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Williams started off the summer by picking up his second scholarship offer of the process after camping at in-state school Pittsburgh. He then went out and had a standout showing at the New Level Athletics 7-on-7 National Championship and was named one of the top wide receiver performers at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge in Dallas.
Click Here to view this Link.


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Inaction on greener buildings puzzle experts
By David Fogarty
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Building greener homes and office towers and installing energy-efficient lighting could slash planet-warming carbon emissions, U.N. and industry officials said at climate talks in Bali on Friday.
They said the technology already existed to dramatically cut electricity use for very little cost, and yet it was puzzling that governments, industries and home-owners weren't cashing in on the energy-saving ideas.
"About 40 percent of all energy is consumed in buildings and in construction. This is the incredible fact most people don't realize," said Kaarin Taipale, of the U.N.'s Marrakesh Task Force on Sustainable Buildings and Construction.
The trick was to install greener lighting, ventilation, heating and cooling systems, said Sylvie Lemmet, director of the United Nations Environment Program's Division of Technology, Industry and Economics.
She said it was also possible to cut power consumption by using better insulating materials in walls, windows, flooring and doors, and changing people's behavior, such as switching off the lights as office-workers leave for the day.
"The entire current emission reductions commitment under the Kyoto Protocol can be achieved in the building sector alone. And the costs of achieving these reductions are low, very low."
Advanced technology was not needed, she told a news conference on the sidelines of the talks in Bali, where 190 nations are trying to shape a broader climate pact to expand or replace the Kyoto Protocol. The pact binds 36 industrial nations to meet emissions curbs between 2008-2012.
"You'd believe everyone would be rushing towards reducing emissions from the building and construction sectors and that governments are actively supporting the sector to realize this potential."
"This is not really happening and in most countries nothing is happening."
This was because there was little knowledge of materials, little awareness about by business about sustainable buildings, and economic disincentives, she said.
"All our studies have found it will not happen if governments are not active to help overcome the market failure that is very blatant here."
The developing world was taking a growing share of emissions.
"In China, two billion square meters (21 billion sq ft) of new building space is added every year, making China the largest consumer of cement, steel, brick and many other building materials."
Lack of coordination between building professionals and lack of knowledge about how to construct greener buildings was another impediment, said Christian Kornevall of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
He said there was often a failure of basic communication during the design phase, with architects, structural, mechanical and electrical engineers not working closely enough.
The same applied during construction, Kornevall, the council's project director of energy efficiency in buildings, told the same news conference.
He blamed "decision-making islands" for poor overall communication that led to energy-inefficient designs.
A senior executive of Dutch electronics giant Philips told a separate news conference in Bali that installing energy-efficient lighting could save 1.5 billion barrels of oil a year, or the annual output of 530 medium-sized power stations.
-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on: http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/
(Editing by Alister Doyle)


text:
Floyd looks to reprise must-win role
Righty kept Sox alive against Detroit, eyes encore in Game 4
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
The last time Floyd took the mound, his six innings with one earned run allowed helped keep the White Sox in a low-scoring battle long enough for Alexei Ramirez's grand slam to sink Detroit for good and send Chicago to its one-game playoff against Minnesota. He can't erase the Rays in Game 4 of this American League Division Series on Monday, but he can help put them in the same must-win situation as the White Sox.
"We put ourselves in a tough situation both times," Floyd said Sunday. "So we've done it before and are definitely capable of doing it again. I think we have the team to do it."
A week ago, it was Chicago's young pitching that carried the White Sox through their must-win stretch. John Danks started the Sox on what they hope is a repeat performance with his solid outing Sunday. Now comes Floyd, the 25-year-old right-hander who will try to reprise his role in what should be a pressure-packed contest.
"The reason why we are where we are right now is because of the two kids stepping up, Floyd and Danks," manager Ozzie Guillen said. "If those kids do not step it up the way they did, I'd be playing golf right now, or I'd be back in Caracas.
"Those two kids were the key for us. They pitched in really tough games and they handled it real well. They did more than we thought they were going to do."
But then, they've been outperforming expectations for much of the season -- certainly the expectations of the rest of the league.
Floyd, 1-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 2007, is a major reason the White Sox were able to fill out their rotation in 2008 in the first place following the trade of Jon Garland to the Angels. His 17 victories more than doubled his career total over his past four big league seasons, and his 206 1/3 innings were nearly triple his total from last year.
Game 4: Just the facts
U.S. Cellular Field
|Rays starter: RHP Andy Sonnanstine
|2008 on road: 6-5, 4.35 ERA
|2008 vs. White Sox: 1-0, 3.00 ERA (3 appearances)
|Career vs. White Sox: 1-0, 2.96 ERA (4 appearances)
|Career postseason: First appearance
|White Sox starter: RHP Gavin Floyd
|2008 at home: 10-3, 3.55 ERA
|2008 vs. Rays: First appearance
|Career vs. Rays: First appearance
|Career postseason: First appearance
|Rays lead series, 2-1. The White Sox are the 12th team to win Game 3 after losing the first two games of a Division Series.
|Game 1: Rays 6, White Sox 4
|Game 2: Rays 6, White Sox 2
|Game 3: White Sox 5, Rays 3
|Did You Know? The White Sox went just 9-31 in regular-season games this year when they didn't hit a home run. All their RBIs in Sunday's victory came on singles and sacrifice flies.
Back-to-back tough outings at Kansas City on Sept. 20 and at Minnesota five days later fed into the question of whether the breakout right-hander was running low on energy down the stretch. His 118-pitch effort against the Tigers on three days' rest provided an answer.
An aggressive Tigers lineup looking to swing early and often against Floyd swung and missed 14 times, helping him rack up eight strikeouts and seven groundouts.
"I think the only time I kind of was a little weak was my first [start on] three days' [rest]," Floyd said, referring to his Sept. 20 loss to the Royals. "But I learned from that and kind of learned from what happened the first three days to prepare myself for the next three days.
"But I feel real strong. [I've] been working out real hard and just trying to maintain my strength and, you know, stretch and everything. So everything feels good."
His pitch count in that Tigers game escalated in a hurry thanks to his final two innings, accounting for 55 pitches. Eleven of those pitches came to Detroit leadoff man Curtis Granderson, the last of them providing a glimpse of what made him so effective.
One two-strike pitch after another, Granderson managed to fight off pitches for foul balls and extend the at-bat. Once he ran the count full, however, Floyd went for the breaking ball and spotted it beautifully on the outside corner, forcing a late swing and miss from Granderson to erase a potential sacrifice fly opportunity.
"Every other pitch he threw over the course of that at-bat were hard sliders and cutters in," Granderson said afterwards. "It was a matter of which [pitch] was it going to be -- the slider, the cutter, the fastball, the curve. It happened to be the curve after all the other pitches in the at-bat."
That's the guessing game that the aggressive-hitting Rays face if Floyd can spot his pitch nearly as well this time around. Granderson has faced Floyd every year since 2003, back in the Minor Leagues. The Rays have never faced Floyd, though they've sure scouted him. His one weakness was three stolen bases allowed against a Tigers club that ranked last in the American League in steals for the year.
He'll have had six days of rest heading into this outing thanks to Guillen's decision to flip Floyd and Danks in the rotation order, forcing the Rays to see left-handers in Games 2 and 3. Monday marks a return to the right-hander, playing more to Tampa Bay's strength.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
On the eve of Rapture's fall from grace, Elizabeth enlists Booker DeWitt's services in locating a lost girl. Who is this girl Sally, what does Booker know of her supposed fate, and what is Elizabeth's connection to this mysterious child? Find the answers to these questions and more in this new addition to BioShock Infinite.
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text:
Videomaker's Association
Hidden in the Room of Requirement, the Videomaker's Assocation is a group of dedicated authors who are skilled with editing and have an eye for film. These talented individuals create trialers for authors as a way for them to promote their fan fiction.
You can request a trailer from the VMA members. They will create trailers for both chaptered stories and one-shots. As long as it is published on MNFF, they will make it.
So why not give it a shot? Need a way to promote your story? Or just want a really cool trailer? Well the VMA is for you.
To check it out, follow this link.
For more information, contact thegirllikeme.


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• This is not my area of expertise, but I can find out for you.
• I'm not sure; let me transfer you to someone who can help you.
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• I want to be sure and give you correct information. Let me call you back.
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• Amy might be able to answer your question, given that she wrote the report.
• I don't think I'm the best person to answer that, but I'll find out who is.
• Based on the information I have, this is what I think.
• Perhaps we should just Google it.
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text: nice job kaetlyn! IMO she still needs polishing but what a steady and high-energy skater. what i like about her skating is that she seems to be a natural competitor and performer... excited and not scared to be on the ice (which I find is often not the case in singles).


text:
- Mercedes news
Mercedes hopes for strong end to season as it looks to 2013
- News:
Schumacher bigs up Buddh
- Drivers:
- Ross Brawn
- Teams:
- Mercedes
Ross Brawn says Mercedes is hopefully the upcoming circuits will suit the W03 as it turns its attentions to the 2013 car.
Having started the season strongly - scoring the first win since its comeback with victory in the Chinese Grand Prix - Mercedes has slipped off the pace and Michael Schumacher was 13th in Korea while Nico Rosberg retired early. Brawn, however, believes the car will be more suited to at least three of the final four circuits.
"I think these next few tracks coming up - we're not sure about Austin yet - but they tend to come a little bit towards the nature of our car," Brawn said. "[Korea was] not necessarily the best circuit for us either, particularly the last complex, but the circuits we've got coming up if you remember last year we were a bit stronger in this batch of circuits. And there are still some things we want to try on the car during these four races particularly for next year."
Brawn admitted that Mercedes' focus was switching to 2013, but he said the team is not completely writing off this season with Sauber closing in on fifth in the constructors' championship.
"A balanced approach [to 2012 and 2013] I think. Our chassis team are designing next year's car; there are certain directions they want to confirm. The aerodynamic changes you saw [on Friday] we were trying on the rear wing are primarily for next year. So there's a mix.
"We don't want to sacrifice the remainder of this year for next year but it's a pretty strong aspect. At Suzuka we had two different rear suspension geometries we tried, we tried some other fundamental differences, so we're plugging those things in to the programme but we still want to have a pretty respectable performance for the rest of the year."


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Washington's Bryce Harper was ejected in the top of the first inning of Sunday's game between the Nationals and the Pirates for arguing a check-swing call on what was ruled a third strike. Though, as we shall see it was hardly the first or even most notable incident of an umpire vs. player run-in this season, it was nonetheless notable for a few reasons.
Perhaps most curious was the fact that there appeared to be two blown calls on the pitch that added up to the correct result. The 2-2 pitch from Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez -- a low, sweeping curveball that looked like it crossed the plate above the knee before diving below the strike zone -- seemed to be a strike (and was, per the pitch-track graphic on the Nationals' TV broadcast), but home plate umpire Bob Davidson ruled it a ball. That led Harper to believe he caught a break only to have Davidson appeal to third base umpire John Hirschbeck, who called Harper out on a swing it didn't appear he took. Indeed, Harper had taken an almost identical check swing on the previous pitch on which no appeal was made and no swing was called.
So, Harper struck out as he should have but for the wrong reason. Harper then lingered at home plate and stared in disbelief at Hirschbeck. Hirschbeck immediately started screaming and walking toward Harper, but what he was doing was warning Harper that if he didn't leave the batter's box he was going to be ejected. Hirschbeck went so far as to send the Nationals' third base coach, Trent Jewett, to protect his player. However, Harper lingered a little too long for Hirschbeck's taste, and when Harper finally turned out of the box and flipped his bat away and dropped his helmet, though those actions were not demonstrable, Hirschbeck ejected him.
There have been a number of high-profile player player-umpire run-ins this season, but there have been just 10 incidents leading to player ejections in 918 games thus far. One of those incidents was the Carlos Quentin/Zack Greinke brawl back on April 11, which resulted in four players being kicked out but had nothing to do with the umpires. Sam Holbrook, who was the home plate umpire and crew chief in that game and thus issued those ejections, is the only umpire to toss a player on more than one occasion this season, but, again, the Quentin/Greinke incident had nothing to do with him, which leaves baseball with no serial ejectors thus far in the early going.
In fact, even with manager and coach ejections included, only one other umpire, Jim Reynolds, has issued an ejection on more than one occasion and he was justified in doing so both times. Reynolds tossed Diamondbacks shortstop Cliff Pennington on April 13 when Pennington reacted to Reynolds' third strike call by slamming his bat on home plate, breaking the barrel, and he booted A's pitching coach Curt Young on April 25 when Young used a third-inning mound visit as an opportunity to argue a check-swing call on a 1-1- pitch from earlier in the inning.
Altogether, six of the player ejections have stemmed from ball/strike calls (including check swings), three, including the Quentin incident, have been the result of hit batsmen, and just one followed a disputed safe/out call on the bases. Here then are the five most problematic umpire-player run-ins from the season to date, not all of which have resulted in an actual ejection of the player in question:
1. Tom Hallion vs. David Price, April 28
Hallion called a two-out, 1-2 pitch from Price that appeared to catch the strike zone a ball. Price disagreed. After the batter, Dewayne Wise, grounded out to Price on the next pitch to end the inning, Hallion approached Price as he headed toward the dugout and the two exchanged words. After much chirping from various Rays on the bench, Hallion ejected Tampa Bay pitcher Jeremy Hellickson. After the game, Price claimed that Hallion told him to "throw the ball over the [explative] plate." Hallion responded by calling Price "a liar." Price responded by going on a Twitter rant in which he questioned Hallion's character. Hallion, Price, Hellickson and fellow Rays pitcher and bench jockey Matt Moore were all fined for the incident, which didn't get out of line on the field but should have stayed there.
[mlbvideo id="26683805" width="400" height="224" /]
2. Marty Foster vs. Ben Zobrist, April 8
With two-outs in the ninth inning and the tying run on base, home plate umpire Marty Foster called a full-count curveball from Joe Nathan to Ben Zobrist that was a half a foot outside and low a strike, putting a 5-4 Rangers win in the books instead of putting the go-ahead run on base, the tying run in scoring position and bringing Evan Longoria to the plate. Foster, who as I illustrated at the time, regularly calls pitches way outside to lefthanders strikes, admitted after the game that he had blown the call ("had I had a chance to do it again, I wouldn't call that pitch a strike").
[mlbvideo id="26131335" width="400" height="224" /]
3. CB Bucknor vs. Matt Albers, April 6
With the Indians' Albers pitching, Rays shorstop Yunel Escobar tried to stretch a single into a double and was thrown out by a fair distance. Except that Bucknor ruled that Cleveland second baseman Jason Kipnis missed the tag. Replays showed that Bucknor blew the call (Kipnis got Escobar on the foot and the knee before he reached the bag). Escobar scored on a single by the next hitter and after final out of that inning, Albers gave Bucknor an earful and was ejected from the game.
4. John Hirschbeck vs. Bryce Harper, May 5
I rank this here not as much for Hirschbeck's actions as for the fact that this ejection followed two bad calls. Here's the video:
[mlbvideo id="26863113" width="400" height="224" /]
5. Sam Holbrook vs. B.J. Upton, April 19
Holbrook called Upton out on a full-count fastball at the knees that did indeed look like a strike from Pirates starter Wandy Rodriguez. Upton disagreed and squawked over his shoulder at Holbrook while walking toward the dugout. However, when Holbrook made a shooing motion with his hand, it inflamed Upton, who then got in Holbrook's face and earned an ejection.
Said Upton after the game, "We had our disagreements about the pitch. Obviously I didn't agree with it. He thought it was a strike. I can live with that. But the shooing away part -- no, I'm a grown man. You just don't do that."
Bonus: Chad Fairchild vs. Cody Ross, April 20
As a counterpoint to the above, this is the most egregious incident thus far this season of a player earning an ejection by overreacting to an umpire's call. Here, Ross, the Diamondbacks outfielder, is called out on a pitch that very much looked like a strike, throws his bat way up in the air in a manner that would seem to earn an automatic ejection, then, when he is ejected, spins on his heel and goes crazy on home plate umpire Fairchild.didn't faze Ryan Braun