Rex Hudler

Screw the reruns, when is the new season beginning?? I'm not sure how the edited reruns will do..... Not sure the show will have the same punch.

QUOTE(ChiSoxFan @ Feb 28, 2005 -> 08:09 AM) But just how much more info on the Yankees and Red Sox does a baseball fan need? And if that's the case, then just change the name to Baseball Tonight: Yankees/Red Sox special. The real challenge would be to air an episode of BBTN without coverage of those 2 teams. Not gonna happen, but it would be intriguing. Why should it happen? There are no two other teams that people care about more than those two. They get the biggest TV ratings, they have the most stars, the highest payroll, etc. etc. If you are putting together a national show, those two teams have to get a bigger share of the coverage. Ratings would plummet if they spent 30 minutes talking about the White Sox, Brewers, Royals and Padres. I am not knocking the White Sox, but the bottom line is that they don't draw the interest nationwide that many other teams do, including the Cubs. So expect Baseball Tonight to be the way it is, or bang your head against a wall continuously because you don't understand its purpose. It is entertainment. It is not supposed to be 100% balanced. That is not its purpose. What surprises me is the consistent # of people that get offended by it, yet keep watching. One definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

I'm just an old fart who is still searching for the meaning of life, so I don't know squat. But I can tell you this. Your job does not have to be your identity. Having passion for a job is a great thing, but it is not necessary to enjoy life. I figure you need to look at things one of three ways. 1. Can you find a way to enjoy your life (assuming you are not based on what you said) with your current income? This means that if you are unhappy with your job, can you still perform it well enough to keep it and keep the money coming in? If you can, then can you make changes to your personal life so that you can enjoy your time away from work more? Can you afford to lose the roommate? Are there other aspects of your life you can improve on? Are there aspects that you can focus more of your free time on that will give you more enjoyment? If you can find a way to love your personal life and have the money to have a great time and enjoy life, then dealing with a less than perfect job is doable. But if you aren't happy outside of work, a crappy job will make life harder to enjoy. 2. Will enjoying the newer job/location and making less money keep you happy? Now? In 6 months? In 2 years? If you don't have the $$ to do the things you want outside of work, then is happiness from 8-5 worth it? 3. Is there a third alternative? Can you find the time to research a way to make more money, yet do the work you really enjoy? Is there another job/company/location that will provide that for you? Can it be done now or would you have to put in your time and pay your dues to make more money in whatever industry you love? Is radio what you really want to do or are there other industries that can provide a better combination of job satisfaction and compensation? -- Don't get caught up in line of thinking that your job is your identity. Our job is a part of all of us, but if the rest of your life is in order, a job CAN be a means to an end. -- That said, doing what you have a passion for can be very rewarding. If you can combine both a rewarding career and a personal life you enjoy, that is the best of both worlds. But you have to have a minimum amount of money to be able to enjoy life outside of work. For every person that amount is different, but being happy in your job, yet poor can only last for so long. Eventually your job will become less enjoyable because it is not providing you with what you need for personal enjoyment. -- Make sure you aren't just wanting to go back to the old job because you are unhappy where you are now. Sometimes, we want to go back to that old girlfriend when we are not happy or lonely, because we remember all of the good things. We remember the bad things less vividly. If you go back for the wrong reasons, it won't take long to realize it and then you will be looking again. That is not in your best interests or of the girl (company) you are going back to. That is not to say you can't or shouldn't go back if you really feel that is where you belong, just make sure you are going back for the right reasons. Rather than giving you answers, you now have more questions. Hopefully you can find some answers when thinking about these and other questions. It is different for every person and the answers are rarely black and white. Sometimes you just have to look at it from all angles, make a decision and take a chance. In mind, finding balance between enjoying what you do at work and what you do outside of work is the key. Where that balance is for you is the answer.

QUOTE(Tony82087 @ Feb 28, 2005 -> 02:05 AM) Can I just ask one thing for this season? Can we please not have daily threads on BBTN and how they don't have a clue??? ESPN, and especially Baseball Tonight, have always been bandwagon jumpers, and for good reason. There a national TV show, so there telling people who the hot/cold teams are at the time. The Sox haven't made any "sexy" moves this off season(the big FA,big trade) but added a bunch of smaller pieces to the puzzle. BBTN is not for a lot of people on this board, because 90% of us are die hard baseball fans, and that is NOT what BBTN caters to at all. It caters to the casual fan. Take it for what it's worth. And don't worry, they will hop on the bandwagon come July..... I think we should just get WHarris1 and soxfun1 and put them on TV and see if they can do better. See if anybody nationwide would watch their asses talk about the Sox and whine about the coverage the Red Sox and Yankees get? I mean, they HAVE to know more than those dumbasses on Baseball Tonight, right?

I'm sure this question has already been answered, but I seem to have missed it. How do I get updated rosters integrated into my Owner mode, and create Iguchi into it? Can Iguchi be added to the downloaded updated rosters? Step x step, please..........

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 28, 2005 -> 01:54 AM) I just feel we're seeing what a Davis team can do now. This is finally all his, and things are really looking up. I just see us doing bigger things next year. Our schedule won't be as disgusting as it was this year, and DJ having another guy to work with down low is going to be huge. Whether or not Bracey come back, 2005-2006 is going to be the year IU really gets put back on the map. Can't argue with you there. I am looking forward to seeing Killingsworth play and also to see if Monroe can really help. I'm not sold that he will be any better than Strickland as a senior (he has gotten better too as of late) or Ratliff. Killingsworth WILL make an impact, however.

Butter, your argument here is flawed for many reasons. First of all, no one (aside from maybe Syracuse and Georgetown) plans to load up on creampuffs, regardless of how tough their conference is. It is also not advisable in most situations to load up on every team in the top 10 either. A balance of winnable games (creampuffs or locals), mid-level teams and a handful of tough non-conference opponents is optimal. Teams also schedule sometimes many years in advance, so the strenth of the conference cannot be accurately predicted. Granted year in and year out the ACC is one of the better conferences, but it was just a few years ago they only got three teams in the tourney. On the flip side, it is impossible when a single school is doing their schedule, to know or predict how good the rest of their league will be. In principle no, Duke doesn't want to "load up" like Michigan St. did last year and IU this year, but neither do other teams. Illinois wasn't making their schedule harder this year because they thought the Big Ten would be down. The goals for scheduling are pretty similar for teams in all the major conferences. Yes, each may have their own philosophy to tweak things a certain way, but for the most part, there aren't a lot differences. If you want to point out the strength of the ACC vs. the Big Ten, go right ahead, but don't act like that is the reason the schedules are the way they are.

QUOTE(greasywheels121 @ Feb 27, 2005 -> 11:52 PM) True. This is why I think we'll probably get another year of Bracey; he's not all there yet. However, I've kind of turned my opinion on him. He's become a lot better player in the 2005 calendar year. I wouldn't be mad to see him back with the roster we already have going into next year. I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I'm glad that Mike Davis is basically a guarantee to come back now. At the very least, he deserves to coach the '05-06 team. I agree greasy, Bracey has changed his game since January rolled around. He deserves credit for being more team oriented. If he could only just shoot on the road........ ha ha Also, I agree that barring a total meltdown from here on out, Davis will likely be back. There is still no guarantee how the new AD will see things when he sits down and reflects on the program as a whole. I do disagree with you that Davis "at least deserves one more year." If we are back in this situation next year, the "one more chance" line of thinking will cost IU an additional $300k. If he is retained as the Head Coach, it has to be because the AD believes he is the long term answer. Of course, anything can change, but I really beliefve a decision needs to be made in the long term best interest of the program, not just giving him one more shot to see if it can be turned around.

QUOTE(Rowand44 @ Feb 27, 2005 -> 07:32 AM) The views and Expressions of Butter Parque and are in no way the same opinions as other Duke fans. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled College Basketball Thread. Thank you. Thanks........ I am hoping we can find a way to move on from this pointless argument. Hoosiers have a big date against the Spartans today at 11:00 (central) on CBS.

QUOTE(ZoomSlowik @ Feb 26, 2005 -> 07:58 PM) Damn, a 4.32 at 233 pounds?! Maybe the Bears should take a RB. Bring in Alabama, I have seen Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams both almost weekly over the last 3-4 years. I have always loved watching Williams run, he is fast, powerful and just makes people miss. That said, I have always had a feeling that Ronnie Brown would be a better NFL back. Both of those guys sacrificed personal acclaim by sharing the backfield at Auburn. If either of these guys were a feature back, they would have, with no doubt in my mind, been a Heisman favorite and the concensus pick as best back in the country. They are both that good.

QUOTE(Jeckle2000 @ Feb 27, 2005 -> 01:04 AM) It's hard to believe but thats how great a player he was. Just imagine what he could of done if he wasn't falling down drunk most nights. Probably would not have been as good.

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QUOTE(nitetrain8601 @ Feb 25, 2005 -> 07:41 PM) Same as last year, if a pitch is in the hot spot(at stomach or higher) press up and any direction you want to hit it at and it will be a fly ball. I actually have no problems hitting HR's. I have a harder time hitting singles. I always get extra base hits. That's because you are not facing me!

I played two games against the computer last night. Played the Sox vs. Baltimore and used the rematch function for the 2nd game, so the pitchers and lineups were the same in both. Lost 3-0 in the first game (had 2 or 3 hits) by giving up a 3-run bomb to Raffy Palmeiro. Won the 2nd game 3-1. Garcia had a perfect game until giving up a HR to David Newhan (hung an 0-2 curveball so I deserved it) in the bottom of the 7th. That was the only hit or runner for them the whole game. Marte and Shingo finished it out. Broke my HR cherry for 2005 with a solo shot by ARow. I still struggle with hitting even though I had six hits this time. I am frustrated by the hitting, but love the gameplay.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Feb 25, 2005 -> 03:13 AM) I can't f***ing hit. I doubt I hit one home run the whole damn year. Me either! I have asked this before but no one seems to respond. What setting for hitting do most people use? Do you keep the hot/cold zones on? What about the strike zone frame? Pitch cursor?

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Feb 24, 2005 -> 05:04 AM) UNC wanted Hendrix BADLY, he took forever to make his mind up between the two also. In the end his family's wants won out in wanting to see him play. He's an Elton Brand type player, 6'7 thick PF with great hands and rebounding ability. He doesn't have Elton's athletic ability, but he's one of the top 5 players in his class regardless. I don't think he will enter the draft out of high school, he's only 6'7-6'8 tops and doesn't have the athleticism the NBA is looking for. He had 22 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 blocks against one of the top Birmingham city schools in the regional on Tuesday. Not too shabby.

Nothing is official in ST, especially with how Ozzie chirps. I don't think he remembers today what he said Monday.

QUOTE(SuperSteve @ Feb 24, 2005 -> 04:09 AM) Haha, honestly though, I don't really see any surprises from us...unless it is acquiring a MIF. I think we pretty much know what our team will look like. Some teams I'd like to watch are the Indians (with Blake needing a pos and Boone coming back, and how will Jhonny Peralta play), the Reds (still a chance with Kearns at 3B, Freel at 2B, and Griffey out of CF?), and the Blue Jays (their abudence of kids and midlevel veterans: ie Koskie, Hinske, Hillenbrand, and Catalanatto...plus their young pitchers). Those are the questions I want to see. Also, how healthy are the Twins...Mauer, Morneau, Kubel...etc...injury heaven. From a minor league side, look for good years from Antoin Gray, Micah Schnurstein and Ray Liotta. May not hear much from them in ST since they won't be in big league came, but expect big things from them.

How is playing the computer? I hated playing the computer last year because the computer NEVER swung at a pitch that wasn't a strike, no matter how close it was. Basically I had to lay the ball in there all the time because I couldn't be too fine and got hammered.

paleshose, you seem to follow the HS kids fairly well...... What have you heard about Richard Hendrix? He has committed to Alabama, but NBA scouts have been hanging out at his games recently. He'll likely be playing in Birmingham at the state finals next weekend and I may go check him out.

QUOTE(Palehosefan @ Feb 23, 2005 -> 07:52 PM) Thanks for the response Rex. I view Mike Davis as a similar situation that Matt Doherty was in. They both got high major jobs without any or much experience, both started off really well, both had problems coaching young, talented teams. In Doherty's case he had a few attitude problems, not sure if Davis shares that part also or not. But eventually Doherty just didn't do as well as people thought he could just missing the tourney by 1-2 games. As an outsider, I think Davis is doing a very nice job recruiting and should have a very strong team next year. I would let him stay on another year with a good finish like you said, then again, the job would be even more attractive with such a good team likely returning next year. By the way, funny picture, this was one of the non-fouls against Sean May. http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/20/201828.jpg There is no doubt Mike Davis recruits well. That is his biggest strength. The question is, can he coach them and make them better? Can he run the program as a whole? He has a tendency to come across as a whiner and that doesn't make him or the program look good. He speaks to the media like he has a chip on his shoulder. That is totally understandable, but if he wants to suceed long term, he needs to get over that. No one wants a complainer or a whiner. The other thing that bugs me somewhat about him - and this is something that wouldn't matter if all else was in good shape - is that he isn't real well spoken. He just doesn't come across as a guy in control of a program that should be a top 10 program every year. He has had some bad luck and some near misses (Sean May, Jared Jeffries and Kirk Haston leaving early, Lawrence Roberts, Kris Humphries, Luol Deng). I just think it will boil down to, do you buy him out for $750,000 or pay him $550,000 for one more year and then be faced with having to buy him out for $500,000 this time next year. OR is the AD convinced he is the right man for the job long term and stand behind him??

Played two random exhibition games tonight against a buddy and lost both. My impressions....... -- MUCH better game play -- I know WHarris has been b****ing about the tag plays, but we found them to be 10x better than they were last year. I liked the improvements in that regard. -- Hitting is difficult... I am in a slump already -- I like little things like more contact, the foul balls are more realistic, etc. -- base stealing is much more realistic..... last year it was next to impossible to get thrown out. -- someone commented about leadoffs. What I found is that after you extend your leadoff the first time, your runner goes back to that point the next pitch, so you are already way out there -- we played with manual setting on getting back to a base on a pickoff attempt. Makes things very difficult but more realistic. I got picked off twice because my mind drifted Does anyone else play with the pitch cursor, strike zone and hot/cold zones turned off? It makes it a b**** to hit, but it is realistic. I found hitting to be more realistic in that there were more singles and line drives than last year. It seemed most of the time hits last year were ground balls or deep drives. Not much fell in front of the OFs. I enjoyed the improved, more realistic gameplay, but was frustrated with the hitting. The good thing is that I don't get hit much either, so the games are always close. That's all I can think of for now. I haven't even dabbled in the owner mode yet.

QUOTE(BHAMBARONS @ Feb 22, 2005 -> 04:41 AM) I was just wondering if there was any info on where Brandon will start this season. I think Brandon should begin in Bham just to get the starts under his belt. I think Brandon has a very bright future but I see little reason to rush him. Brandon has a wicked curve just ask Prince Feilder #2 Brewers Prospect!! I will be glad to do a barons thread with photos when the season begins. Thanks Tom No one knows at this point. Even Sox staff members (player development) who have a rough plan for where they will assign players can't say because too many things change during Spring Training. Players get hurt which causes chain reactions. Some players outperform or underperform expectations. Sometimes roster changes are made the day they are to board the plane to leave ST. There is no way to know. It will be Birmingham or Charlotte barring injuries, but anything else is just an opinion or a guess right now.

QUOTE(Mplssoxfan @ Feb 22, 2005 -> 03:07 AM) Well, his point in this case was that you can't miss the plate more than four times to any batter without a penalty, so why should you be able to throw to first twelve times in an inning with impunity? Excessive throws to first are boring. They help the defense, but they are boring. I don't agree with that reasoning at all. How many times a pitcher throws to first to hold a runner close has NOTHING to do with how many balls it takes to walk a batter. When leadoffs are restricted or steals limited to so many in a game, then this would make sense. And we know that ain't gonna happen.