Gregory Pratt

All managers make terrible decisions caused by momentary lapses, personal vendettas, a lack of availability of other players due to injury or hangover that we don't know of, punishments of players for not arriving in time, things like that. Analyzing Ozzie based solely on bad decisions is fine and well, good for you, but you'd find similar nonsense from just about every manager. Every manager fails and makes terrible decisions -- some becuase they're bad, some because of bad personnel, some because of bad situations, etc. etc. Ozzie's not the best but he's young and very good, IMO, especially with a pitching staff and gaining their respect. Beyond that, I simply love Ozzie the person, and you've got a good level of support from me.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 09:49 PM) That's funny, cause check out Arizona's best hitter the year they won the WS. Yeah, I think there was a change, though, between then and the Glaus/trade away days.

Brewers and Cubs win. Let's get hot again. PS: LaRussa is one of the greatest facilitators of steroids in the game. The Bash Brothers, Rick Ankiel, plenty of guys on the rosters besides the names, I'm sure, and he's always right there, steady like San Francisco. Pretty interesting that not all franchises operate like that, though, or managers. Arizona is on record as saying that they got rid of people they thought were on steroids and Glaus was one of them.

Nook Logan is bad. Glad we've got our own version now, though.

Oh, and my mom believes that if you swallow or inhale a cat's hair on accident (or purpose, if you're weird) you'll die because it'll go to your brain. I always tell her that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and she needs to get that out of her head because I don't care what her idiot, illicit brother has to say about anything and the statement doesn't stand to reason since we've had our cats for several years now.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 07:13 PM) Sure, any win for the Cubs is bad right now. They're playing terrible baseball, and they're still going to be in the lead in the NL Central after today. And you have to know that Zambrano is going to go on a good stretch sooner or later. He'd better. I've got Fantasy playoffs starting next week! But seriously, I don't think this team is particularly dangerous. They're more 2005 Padres than 2006 Cardinals, IMO.

There I am sitting on the train this afternoon after coming home from copy editing the school newspaper and this strange fellow is looking at me, smiling. I smirk slightly because it's flattering whenever someone's interested in you but being a heterosexual I paid him no mind but I looked around the train, checking out the signs, lost in thought, and glancing at him to see if he was still staring at me, which was starting to creep me out when he kept staring at me for stops and stops and stops. Finally we make square eye contact and he pats the seat next to him. I shake my head no and that's the end of it.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 07:04 PM) Cool You'll still complain that they won one.

Well they will next time.

QUOTE(Sonik22 @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 06:08 PM) I'm really sorry about that. I have two cats and i know i'm gonna really miss them when i go to college. I have a feeling my cat will go into a depression. He's upset when i go on vacation. Pets really do mean a lot. My fat cat, Runt, gets hyper jealous when a girl's over. If we go into my bedroom, she sits outside and watches the door until we come out and when we do, she hides under hte couch but still watches. If we're in the bedroom but not having sex or anything so the door is open, she watches angrily. "That's right Runt, I'm holding his hand!" was one of my personal favorite battles between a girlfriend and Runt. When I'm not home, they usually sleep until the times I usually arrive and then get happyhappy when I get here. They're sweet cats. Cats rock.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 06:39 PM) Stop me if you've heard this before.....the Brewers are a f***ing disgrace on the road. Oh, and the Cubs face the Astros next week, and they'll miss Oswalt. Didn't they lose two of three last time they faced Houston?

Uh, Suskind's One Percent Doctrine directly quoted the deputy director of the CIA who never denied making the statement and the agency never denied the analysis. Beyond that, it makes a ton of sense that for radical Islamic purposes purposes Fundamentalist Christian who slips up and uses word "Crusade" > Weak Bostonian with Herman Munster face who talks about sensitivity Of course McLaughlin has a huge axe to grind. Any analysis, after all, which disagrees with our preconceived notions is obviously false and created falsely. Osama bin Laden wants to drink tea with Nancy Pelosi and Walter Mondale. That's not really the issue here, though, and this isnt' a genuine debate or discussion about al-Qaeda. You said I made something up and I said, No, actually, sorry. That's enough for me as you clearly have not an agenda but a mind that has decided everything for itself and is in no need of looking further into a subject. I have just as much contempt for bin Laden, al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein as anyone here. I was, and am, as big a supporter of the War in Iraq from the beginning as anyone here. I simply object to claims which I think are demonstrably false about "Democrats = al-Qaeda" or "Iraq = going well." Neither has a basis in reality.

I'm sorry to hear that Gage.

QUOTE(fathom @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 04:44 PM) They raised some great points about Ozzie and his hold on this team during the early innings today. Much more interesting to hear than "it is what it is". what did they say?

QUOTE(santo=dorf @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 03:27 PM) I had the Hawk call of PK's second home run, and was stored on my student's share drive for some time. It was along the lines of: "There's a highhh, deep drive to left field! Meanononlooksback. You can put it on the boar-ed! EEyess!" In other words it was the homerun call he always makes?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 03:44 PM) The truth of the matter is it runs way deeper then a political ideology, but it puts your little panties in a dander when I compare American political ideology to that of Al Queda, because it's partially true. Now about the personal s*** you are throwing my way. Don't you DARE tell me what I know and what I don't know. You better get that straight away before I flame bomb your ass for public consumption. Do you get that? You have no f***ING clue what I know and what I don't, and what I study and what I don't, or what I really think and what I don't... so please just stop while you're ahead. I STRONGLY suggest you drop the personal rhetoric or it's going to get really rough. I'm saying that as being nice, this time. You always think you have to have the last word, I suggest on this, you drop it and don't. If you want to stick to the issues, fine. I didn't start this, but I can sure keep it going. I'll drop it, but I better not see anything else personal about you telling me what I think and what I don't... because this board is CLEARLY not representative of what I do really think or know, and I'll leave it at that. EDITED. We'll talk in private.

World Series Game 1? What about it?

Smoltz threw seven innings of no-hit ball yesterday before losing it to lead off the eighth. If this year makes people appreciate just how good Chipper Jones really is, what does it do for John Smoltz? -- I'm really curious what's up with Mitchell's investigation. They said recently they were just about done but they haven't released anything. I don't believe that they will release much information on what they found. I'm not even sure they were seriously looking. -- If the consensus opinion is correct and these are Barry Bonds' final days as a Giant, the man needs a proper send-off. Forget some downtown affair in mid-winter; it has to happen at the ballpark - specifically, the team's final home game on Wednesday night, the 26th, against San Diego. Owner Peter Magowan has done a nice job masking his intentions on the Bonds issue, but several sources have confirmed that the decision will come "quickly" - as in, directly after the season. That rules out haggling over salary numbers, as well as explorations of the free-agent market. It means the long-overdue start of a new era. In truth, the decision was probably made long ago. All these reports about seeing how well Bonds "holds up in September," or how much he's actually playing, are totally irrelevant. I'd imagine Magowan has known for months that Bonds won't be back, that home run No. 756 marked the expiration date of his usefulness to the franchise, and that Bonds sealed his fate with a disgraceful performance at the All-Star festivities. First, he insulted Magowan by refusing to participate in the Home Run Derby, even for a cameo appearance that would have delighted fans - especially kids - around the Bay Area. Magowan was angry about that, and didn't mind telling the press. Then a party-mode Bonds stayed up late the night before the All-Star Game, and as a reward for all those fans who voted him into the starting lineup, he showed up drowsy and willing to leave the game after two tepid at-bats. If the Giants want to bring back Bonds for another year, guaranteeing another fractured set of rules and an annoyance to every teammate who plays the game hard, that's their business. I can't imagine they'd be that stupid. It's time for a tribute to one of the greatest careers in the history of sports, and to a man whose name will forever be associated with the finest park in baseball. It's likely that the only reason the Giants have delayed the announcement is that they don't want to irritate Bonds while he's still in uniform. As such, he might want no part of a ballpark ceremony. He could just jump into his car and blow off the final week of the season altogether, publicly ripping the organization at every opportunity. I'd like to think he has a bit more class than that. A China Basin tribute could be a moving, unforgettable thing. Let's hope everyone has the good sense to pull it off

Konerko's not really a big fish. I can probably think of eight first baseman I'd take over him and a bunch of other players around baseball. I mean, Konerko's a good hitter and has solid power, but he's not really a big fish. That's kind of quibbling, though.

QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Sep 8, 2007 -> 07:54 AM) Gregory Royal Pratt: I did not.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Sep 7, 2007 -> 11:36 PM) Hey, I'm not the one saying s*** that used to be what people would roll in their graves over. JFK and people of his time have to be rolling in their graves seeing the Democrat party of today OPENLY embrace defeat in a time of war ALL for political power. It's not for debate, it's not for "the good of the country", it's for POWER. Let me tell you something, since you're too young to get it: when people in MY government openly and brazenly work against people who I know personally that are in harms way by statements like "OH LOOK, WE'LL GAIN SEATS IN 2008 IF IT KEEPS GOING [LIKE THIS]" - that's a mighty f*** YOU. I have NO respect for representatives of MY government who in my opinion border on treason by agreeing with talking points of Osama Bin Ladin. To you, it's just political discourse. To me, it starts becoming personal when I see stuff like this. Then people like you wonder why I get so cynical and "sarcastic" when it comes to the Democrat party. Today's Bin Ladin tape pretty much explains why - especially when I see Schumky Schumer and Harry Reid RUN for the cameras to try and grow a backbone, all for political power. At that point, they are not worthy of political discourse, as you put it. But, you'll never understand, because you believe what you believe, and that's okay, though. Good for you. You accuse me of being too young to "get it." Listen: I fully understand what al-Qaeda, war and terrorism are, thanks. I watched the 9/11 attacks same as you, maybe deeper as I was at the hospital when the second plane hit live. There are few people here as willing to concede that I don't know everything because I am young, but I flatly refuse to accept any insinuation that because I'm young you can teach me about terrorism. I know I know far more about al-Qaeda's history, leadership, operations, goals, aims, desires than you. I know I know far more about the Muslim religion than you do. I know that because of the way you talk about this, the way you would accuse with nothing but a shallow article as evidence the Democratic Party and all of its inhabitants of "sharing" bin Laden's talking points when in fact you couldn't be further from the truth. If you had a clue what al-Qaeda is you'd understand it is above and beyond political ideologies and it doesn't have anything more than a passing resemblance to American political ideology. They come from a very different world and have very different goals than anyone here in America who is not an Islamic theocrat bent on the caliphate. And that's about the end of that. Anybody who would accuse bin Laden of being a shill for the Democratic Party or worse loses all credibility on the subject. And that's about as far as this conversation will go because you either don't know what you're talking about or you simply don't care to give it genuine, serious thought and conversation. You approach all political news like a reactionary. Everything is "f***ING DEMOCRATS!11111111111111" or "/GREEN f***ING REPUBLICANS, SAYS THE DEMOCRATS!" and "bin LADEN LOVES SCHUMER!" It's cute to watch right-wingers dance about accusing Democrats of being like bin Laden and laughing about it but it's so wrong on moral, political and intellectual levels. Who cares about that, though? PS: al-Qaeda =/ Iraq.

Yes yes.

QUOTE(jackie hayes @ Sep 7, 2007 -> 10:36 PM) That's giving way too much credit, unless I missed the Meet the Press where Harry Reid claimed that corporations killed JFK and called for the death of democracy in favor of theocracy. Don't give common hackery credibility just to appear fair. I have zero interest in blaming Kap or Genius or any of the other Republicans here for the actions, thoughts or motivaitons of right-wing terror groups even if they have similarities with them, as they certainly do by sheer nature of being in the same party and same side. I think it's sleazy as hell and I won't engage in that. I was just pointing out. -- PS: this thread's title is bad, Heads. THis is far more important than "bin Laden and Chomsky," but this thread wasn't serious from the start. For shame. On the plus side, I've got a party tonight and it isn't even democratic.

Here's more. And there's plenty more out there on this specific subject. Osama bin Laden is a strategist and a propagandist, and frankly I'm insulted that someone would suggest I made "that" up as if 1. I would 2. I don't have a clue about the subject. Here's this: Here's Slate's take on it days after it happened: Guess I just made it up, though. Right right. Goodnight!