Texsox

X usually kills this thread.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Feb 7, 2015 -> 08:16 PM) http://www.baseball-reference.com/friv/birthdays.cgi Try by dob Thank you. I am still trying to track down a birth certificate. All I have now is the year of birth.

Remember this is a MA Thesis that a committee will be reviewing before I defend it later this year. I am the professor's only student for this class. It is the equivalent of 9 semester hours. Also, I am hoping to write a couple pages about his baseball career. I wish it were that easy.

That is my assumption. So I need to look at independent leagues in the 1950s which will be a PITA

I have not found another name that he used, but I am in the early stages of researching. Thanks.

QUOTE (Jerksticks @ Feb 6, 2015 -> 10:01 PM) Would there be interest if we made a spreadsheet with everyone's picks for like 5-10 Abreu categories, and then at the end of the year you get a rank for each category. For example, whoever is closest to guessing his HRs gets a 1 for HR category. Say the next closest is a tie they both get a 2 and the next poster would get a 4. Like golf, lowest score total gets the trophy. I think it would be fun only because his numbers could be anywhere from good to ridiculous. And we could post leaderboards every month or something. I think some good formulas in excel could probably spit out leaderboards simply by inputting Abreu's current stats. Fire it up. I also think when these threads start we need to QFT the prediction before your post. Just saying there may have been some editing going on in last year's prediction thread. Maybe we could lock the thread at some point.

I am researching a Texas writer for a chapter in my MA Thesis. His name is Mack Thomas and on one of the dust jackets for his novel The Total Beast it mentions he "tried his hand at pitching professional baseball" another reference makes me believe he probably was paid to play. Any suggestions on sources that may help me trace the dates and teams? (he has been dead for forty years). He was born in 1928 and served in the Air Force and went to college so he probably played in the 1950s.

I understand there will be a less expensive option for this year. I'm not certain what it will look like. I may create a team jacket since none of my players have bought a varsity jacket. They would rather buy a new driver for $400 than a jacket. The other difference from when I was in school in Illinois is here you only qualify to buy one if you have earned a varsity letter. We could buy one freshman year and would sew on our freshman numbers (grad year), then you would earn a sophomore letter (smaller than varsity, then to complete the look a varsity letter with devices for each sport or, keep sewing on each letter. To really complete the third world general look, the track and cross country runners would add the medals we won and walk down the halls jingling like Noriega at a state dinner.

Unlike younger "rookies" he is more seasoned and I do not see a sophomore slump setting in. .321/33/129/.995 I'm guessing power down a bit, average up.

When it does snow here the newspapers will put out special editions of the paper.

I just learned the jackets at my school are over $400. Wow. What did y'all pay for yours and when? Obviously my $50 in 1979 isn't a fair comparison.

Tuesday, fortyfive degrees and light rain falling. My girl's team ignored the weather and just grinded out decent rounds. They struggled with club selection but overall I was really impressed.

QUOTE (SnB @ Feb 3, 2015 -> 07:27 AM) Until the tenants stop paying. Again, all that is handled by the management firm. He has had one tenant who came close to defaulting. He has a three month reserve for paying the mortgage and adds a month each year. He isn't taking any profits out of the houses, he is paying off the mortgages as quickly as possible.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Feb 2, 2015 -> 09:51 PM) I don't think that math is right. Two families are buying him a house every month? And he'll have 6 by age 40? What, is he 39? He started when he was 27. He is 29 right now. He buys one every 12-15 months.

QUOTE (Dick Allen @ Jan 30, 2015 -> 02:50 PM) The male to female ratio is like a Rush show. Band or political shill?

Seeing that Paul Konerko Topps card has me remembering heading to the store and buying a pack. Got it Got it Got it, need it, Got it, need it, need it, got it . . .

Nicely played Topps.

Wouldn't it be great if the teams cut salaries and have? Then they could ___________________ .

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Jan 29, 2015 -> 10:24 AM) Im curious what the penalty would be if you were to enforce no shifts. Oh hey you are in the no shift zone, automatic ball/walk? I got an idea, lets review this in the booth and determine if he really was in the no shift zone so we can waste another 5 minutes Limited the appeals or make it like balls and strikes. I can't believe it will be called more than once or twice a season per team, if at that.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Jan 29, 2015 -> 10:07 AM) Uh, offsides? They do not lay down stripes every time there is a new line of scrimmage. (that's only for TV viewers) They wouldn't need to mark the field any differently.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Feb 2, 2015 -> 08:05 PM) Being a landlord sounds like a giant pain in the ass. They use a property management firm. Nothing to do except pay the small fee.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Feb 2, 2015 -> 11:21 AM) I am hopeless with power tools. I'm an accountant for f***sake, haha. A drill is the extent of "power" tools that I use and a flat screen mount or hanging some towel holders is as tough as it gets for me. That said, I was pretty proud of the electrical work I did in my house when we first moved in (so far no fires to date either). And I "loosely" use the term electrical work (if you call putting in a new light fixture (where an old one already existed) electrical work). My main rule is, unless it is simple, don't do it. And if it involves water, just count me out. The cost of me screwing something up far outweighs the savings of having a plummer come out. That said, the makita drill I've had has lasted generations (passed down). Works fantastic to this day. I'm not certain what a plummer is but if he is like a plumber, I agree. With electrical there is a circuit breaker.

My stepson and daughter in law have just bought their second investment home. They live very frugally and are able to save about 25% of their income each month. They now has two families buying him a house every month. His goal is six before he turns forty. When he retired he will own all those homes. Sounds impossible and it is, unless you start off that way. They drive nice cars, not super expensive and drive them until there is just no life left in them.

Tell me about it! Because there ain't no snow here, we're playing golf.

QUOTE (ptatc @ Feb 2, 2015 -> 01:18 PM) However, if the disease was pretty much eradicated in the US it had to come from somewhere, not saying it had t be undocumented people but that is more likely. How many Americans travel overseas? How many visitors do we have flying into the US every day?