Thursday, January 20, 2011

BE HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

http://www.sistersrunningthekitchen.com/2011/01/giveaway-announcement/

Monday, January 17, 2011

Recommendations

The other day I was listening to a certain album and thought, "This is really good, more people should be listening to this". I started to think of the albums/bands I'd recommend the most. Then I started thinking of TV shows and movies, so then I decided to form lists.

These, for the most part, aren't my favorite things of these categories. In fact, I tried to keep them limited to things that I think most people would enjoy without knowing about already. The lists are in no order really except in the order I think of them.

Bands
  1. The Clash
  2. The Flatliners
  3. The Gaslight Anthem
  4. Rx Bandits
  5. Street Dogs

TV Shows

  1. Arrested Development
  2. Freaks and Geeks
  3. Breaking Bad
  4. Mad Men
  5. Undeclared
  6. Parks and Recreation
  7. Chuck
  8. Better Off Ted
  9. Party Down
  10. Community
  11. Did I mention Arrested Development?

Albums

  1. The 59 Sound-The Gaslight Anthem
  2. Revolutions Per Minute-Rise Against
  3. Everything Goes Numb-Streetlight Manifesto
  4. And the Battle Begun-Rx Bandits
  5. Scrambles-Bomb the Music Industry!

Movies-Really, the only movie I'd highly recommend is "In Bruges". Go see that

Songs

  1. And the Battle Begun-Rx Bandits
  2. Have the Time-The Slackers
  3. Great Expectations-The Gaslight Anthem
  4. Down, Down, Down to Mephisto's Cafe-Streetlight Manifesto
  5. (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais-The Clash

This post was a lot more interesting to come up with than to actually make

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Baseball Hall of Fame: The Future

While the BBWAA did a good job with the Hall of Fame voting yesterday inducting Alomar and Blyleven, I still feel there are several guys on the ballot who should also be going in. While Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff unfortunately went down in voting, Barry Larkin, Lee Smith, and Tim Raines had good showings.

So one thing I often wonder who currently playing will be future members of the Hall of Fame. As I sit here watching Big Bang Theory (and soon 30 Rock) I decided I'd go team by team to see who will one day be going to Cooperstown. I decided to break it down by "Future" Hall of Famers, "Too Early to Tell", and "I'd Listen to an Argument About". "Future" implies more or less locks, "Too Early" is for guys who have already done well for some time but don't have nearly enough credentials yet, and "I'd Listen to an Argument" are for those borderline guys.

For "Too Early to Tell", the plays have to have been around and doing well for some time as opposed to a early in his career guy. For example, it is "too early to tell" about Felix Hernandez but I won't even classify David Price into that category for another couple years.

Free agents are listed under last years team.

Yankees
Future Hall of Famers: Jeter, Rivera, A-Rod (yes, I know he juiced)
Too Early to Tell About: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia, (maybe?) Robinson Cano
I'll Listen to an Argument About: Andy Pettitte (yes, juiced), Jorge Posada

Red Socks
Future: None
Too Early: Youkilis, Pedroia, (maybe?) Crawford
Arguments: Ortiz

Rays
Future: None
Too Early: Longoria
Arguments: Non

Orioles
Future: None
Too Early: None
Arguments: Derrek Lee

Blue Jays: No one on the Blue Jays will ever be in the Hall of Fame

Twins
Future: Jim Thome
Too Early: Mauer, Morneau
Arguments: None

White Sox
Future: Omar Vizquel, Manny Ramirez
Too Soon: None
Arguments: Paul Konerko

Tigers
Future: None
Too Early: Justin Verlander
Arguments: Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez

Indians: The only person on that team even worth talking about in any context is Shin Soo Choo

Royals: No Royal will even be in the HOF

Rangers
Future: Vlad Guerrero
Too Early: None
Arguments: Michael Young

Angels
Future: None
Too Early: None
Arguments: Bobby Abreu

A's: The A's stink

Mariners
Future: Ichiro
Too Early: Felix Hernandez
Arguments: None

Phillies
Future: Roy Halladay
Too Early: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Cliff Lee
Arguments: Jimmy Rollins, Roy Oswalt

Braves
Future: Chipper Jones
Too Early: Brian McCann
Arguments: Billy Wagner

Marlins: Too early on Hanley, everyone else stinks

Mets
Future: None
Too Early: David Wright, Johan Santan
Arguments: None

Nationals
Future: Ivan Rodriguez
Too Early: None
Arguments: None

Reds
Future: None
Too Early: Joey Votto
Arguments: Scott Rolen

Cardinals
Future: Pujols
Too Early: Matt Holliday
Arguments: None

Brewers
Future: Trevor Hoffman
Too Early: Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun
Arguments: None

Astros: They're horrible

Cubs: Also stink

Pirates: Even worse

Giants
Future: None
Too Early: Lincecum
Arguments: None

Padres-Stink

Rockies
Future: None
Too Early: Troy Tulo
Arguments: Todd Helton

Dodgers: Nada

Diamond Backs: More nothings.

So those the guys I think have a shot at the Hall of Fame. This is obviously subject to change (as I would have said Kevin Brown if this was 2002), but I feel pretty confident with these guys I listed.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Baseball Hall of Fame: Class of 2011

Next Wednesday, the 5th, is the announcement for the 2011 class for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Last year I did some speculation about how I thought the vote would go, and I was pretty far off. My outlook at the Hall has changed pretty greatly since last year, so I wont bother linking my old thoughts. This year I'll once again talk about how I think the vote will go. I'll speculate how I think the writers will vote, and also how I'd handle it if I had a vote. You need 75% of the vote to be inducted.

Returning Players (Last year's vote %)
  • Bert Blyleven (74.2%)
    Writers vote: Yes
    Personal vote: Yes
  • Roberto Alomar (73.7%)
    Writers vote: Yes
    Personal vote: Yes
  • Harold Baines (6.1%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-Baines had very good numbers for his career. However, he is where I draw the line. Basically a player with his numbers isn't quite good enough, but a player who is superior should. That being said, I'd have no issue if he one day did make it.
  • Jack Morris (52.3%)
    Writers votes: No
    Personal vote: No
  • Barry Larkin (51.6%)
    Writers vote: Not this year, but eventually
    Personal vote: Yes
  • Lee Smith (47.3%)
    Writers vote: Not this year, but eventually
    Personal vote: Yes
  • Edgar Martinez (36.2%)
    Writers vote: Not this year, but eventually
    Personal vote: Yes-Edgar Martinez is my favorite baseball player of all time. Yes he was mostly a DH, but name one team in either league that wouldn't have wanted him there from the late 80's-04. His numbers would be even more impressive if he was batting 3rd in front of Griffey instead of the other way around.
  • Tim Raines (30.4%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: Yes-If i had a ballot of over 10, Raines would be the one bumped. If he didn't spend the last third of his career as a bench player he'd be in easily, but that does hurt him
  • Mark McGwire (23.7%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-Those drugs enhanced him to put up hall of fame numbers, he wouldn't have done it on his own like others I believe would have. Shame, I liked him too.
  • Alan Trammell (22.4%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-Another one who just doesn't quite make it.
  • Fred McGriff (21.5%)
    Writers vote: Not this year, possibly in the future
    Personal vote: Yes-Crime Dog has the numbers in an era of suspicion. And he should be in for "not hot dogging it". Google that phrase. Actually don't, just look at the glossary on FireJoeMorgan.com
  • Don Mattingly (16.1%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No
  • Dave Parker (15.2%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No
  • Dale Murphy (11.7%)
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No

Players new to the ballot

  • Raphael Palmeiro
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-Another steroid guy who isn't deserving. 4 players have 500 homers AND 3000 hits. One won't make the Hall of Fame
  • Jeff Bagwell
    Writers vote: Not this year but eventually
    Personal vote: No-STEROIDS, STEROIDS, STEROIDS, you have to be blind to not thing that. His career cashed at the end and he didn't put up those numbers without enhancement.
  • Larry Walker
    Writers vote: Maybe, but probably not
    Personal vote: No-fantastic numbers in an era when everyone had fantastic numbers.
  • John Franco
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-I could be persuaded otherwise, but I don't think he'll get it.
  • Juan Gonzalez
    Writers vote: No
    Personal vote: No-2 MVPs on steroids in a career that crashed and burned quickly.
  • The other players on the ballot aren't really worth going into, they don't have much of a chance of even returning to the ballot next year.

So here is my hypothetical ballot:

  1. Blyleven
  2. Alomar
  3. Larkin
  4. Smith
  5. Martinez
  6. Raines
  7. McGriff