http://homepage.mac.com/shadigradi/PhotoAlbum75.html
| GS mauled by DOGS 24-to-9 * 6/18/06 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| woof, woof, uhhggg- r.i.p. old scarz - roll lee elia, ditka, lombardi, or better yet Chris Farley as Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker- "You'll end up playing in a van down by the river...!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I don’t want Mark Cuban owning the Cubs. Get a true Cubs fan with big cash that will not destroy the ballpark like Cuban would I suspect.
<http://www.nytimes.com/>
June 14, 2006
Chandlers Call for Tribune Breakup
By RICHARD SIKLOS <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/richard_siklos/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
A boardroom feud at the Tribune Company <http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=TRB> escalated today as the Chandler family — the billionaire former owners of The Los Angeles Times and now major Tribune investors — called for a breakup of the company.
In a letter sent to the Tribune Company's board, trustees representing the Chandler family accused Tribune's management, led by its chairman and chief executive, Dennis J. FitzSimons, of implementing a failed strategy for melding local television stations and newspapers, and failing to keep pace with industry rivals in everything from revenue growth to Internet strategy.
The Chandler trusts, which own a 12.2 percent voting interest in Tribune, called for the appointment of a special committee of independent Tribune directors to study spinning off the company's 26 television stations, and, possibly, its 11 newspapers, which include The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and Newsday.
If the board failed to do as the trusts asked, the Chandlers warned, they would "begin actively pursuing possible changes in Tribune's management and other transactions" that could involve rallying other shareholders and private equity firms to their cause.
The Tribune Company did not issue an immediate response, but has previously said it was sticking to a plan to borrow money and buy back up to 25 percent of its shares at a cost of about $2 billion, and sell some assets, after examining a range of strategic alternatives. The Chandlers today called that plan "hasty and ill-informed."
Tribune's shares rose 89 cents, or 2.9 percent, to close at $31.94 on the New York Stock Exchange <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/new_york_stock_exchange/index.html?inline=nyt-org> today on news of the Chandlers' letter. The company's stock has risen 14.5 percent since the Tribune Company announced the stock buyback on May 30.
In sending the 11-page document, the Chandlers also said formally that they would not tender their shares into the stock buyback plan, which the family's three directors on the 11-member Tribune board already opposed.
While the letter sets the stage for a boardroom battle that could lead to Tribune being broken up and sold piecemeal, it comes in the midst of a separate dispute between the Chandlers and Tribune over the value of two complex partnerships. These partnerships were set up before Tribune bought the Times Mirror Company <http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=TMMR> , which was controlled by the Chandlers and included The Los Angeles Times, in 2000.
If the rupture on the Tribune board does lead to the sale of some or all of the company's biggest assets, it would continue a major redrawing of the map for the newspaper industry this year. After unhappy shareholders forced the sale of Knight Ridder <http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=KRI> Inc., the nation's second-largest newspaper owner, to the McClatchy <http://www.nytimes.com/redirect/marketwatch/redirect.ctx?MW=http://custom.marketwatch.com/custom/nyt-com/html-companyprofile.asp&symb=MNI> Corporation in March, McClatchy in turn sold several papers to other buyers.
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A boardroom feud at the Tribune Company escalated today as the Chandler family — the billionaire former owners of The Los Angeles Times and now major Tribune investors — called for a breakup of the company.
In a letter sent to the Tribune Company's board, trustees representing the Chandler family accused Tribune's management, led by its chairman and chief executive, Dennis J. FitzSimons, of implementing a failed strategy for melding local television stations and newspapers, and failing to keep pace with industry rivals in everything from revenue growth to Internet strategy.
The Chandler trusts, which own a 12.2 percent voting interest in Tribune, called for the appointment of a special committee of independent Tribune directors to study spinning off the company's 26 television stations, and, possibly, its 11 newspapers, which include The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and Newsday.
If the board failed to do as the trusts asked, the Chandlers warned, they would "begin actively pursuing possible changes in Tribune's management and other transactions" that could involve rallying other shareholders and private equity firms to their cause.
The Tribune Company did not issue an immediate response, but has previously said it was sticking to a plan to borrow money and buy back up to 25 percent of its shares at a cost of about $2 billion, and sell some assets, after examining a range of strategic alternatives. The Chandlers today called that plan "hasty and ill-informed."
Tribune's shares rose 89 cents, or 2.9 percent, to close at $31.94 on the New York Stock Exchange today on news of the Chandlers' letter. The company's stock has risen 14.5 percent since the Tribune Company announced the stock buyback on May 30.
In sending the 11-page document, the Chandlers also said formally that they would not tender their shares into the stock buyback plan, which the family's three directors on the 11-member Tribune board already opposed.
While the letter sets the stage for a boardroom battle that could lead to Tribune being broken up and sold piecemeal, it comes in the midst of a separate dispute between the Chandlers and Tribune over the value of two complex partnerships. These partnerships were set up before Tribune bought the Times Mirror Company, which was controlled by the Chandlers and included The Los Angeles Times, in 2000.
If the rupture on the Tribune board does lead to the sale of some or all of the company's biggest assets, it would continue a major redrawing of the map for the newspaper industry this year. After unhappy shareholders forced the sale of Knight Ridder Inc., the nation's second-largest newspaper owner, to the McClatchy Corporation in March, McClatchy in turn sold several papers to other buyers.
Yikes! Thanks Larry (NO Larry... ;-O )
WHO's in LEFT???
PIMIENTA's at 2:45 pm . . . ullllpppppppp~~~!!!
We need a R-O-L-L C-A-L-L !!!
( HELL - we might want to play FOUR outfielders against Pimienta and try and have our pitcher help fill the hole at short center/second base on the "PEPPERZ SHIFT"!!!!
Who's OUT ? ? ?
--------------------
John Trimarco OUT (swollen ankle!)
Chuck Brown OUT! (healing dislocated finger!)
Joe Garza OUT!! (vacation!)
Larry probably OUT!!! (Mister Mom!)
??????????
WHO ELSE is OUT ?!?!?!
I, TimmO' was #12 last Sunday and did not play, so missing Joe and Larry drops us to TEN... IF everyone else makes it...
WE NEED JEFF "NADZ" BACK!!!
W-H-O E-L-S-E is M.I.A.?
My Cousin Patrick Shields may be able to make it soon...!!!? ;-)
KEVIN PERKINS... We MIGHT NEED YA to PLAY CATCHER Dude!!! ;-)
IN:
-----------
(My initial THEORETICAL LINE-UP / BATTING ORDER... ;-)
(PUTTING WAY TOO MUCH WEIGHT on the LAST GAME's Hitting... please take no offense!~ Just trying to give the MOST A/B's to the HOTTEST BATS!!! CANNOT afford to spin our wheels/strand runners against Pimienta... we usually don't hit their starting "Chubby Zorro" pitcher too well, while they tee-off on poor old us!!!)
---
1. (SC) Julio Martinez (Verrry Hotttt!)
2. (2B) Ric Palos (Genuinely Hot!)
3. (RF) David Wells (Getting Hot- need ya buddy!)
4. (C) Jose Vasquez (Warm... POWER... call him Sunday- no Uncle Joe/No e-mail/web?)
5. (1B) B.J. Sanabria (Getting Hot! schedule conflict but will play for us- (need 9 though!)
6. (SS) Gerry Mannix (Warming Up...)
7. (EH) Rob Van Tuyle (Warm... usually Smokin'!)
8. (P) Steve Olund (Warming Up...)
9. (CF) Mike Costello (Room Temp... only `cause of possible rust..., AND...)
10. (LF) Jeff Nadjowski (BACK! ...AND ... to motivate the guys who've been getting less A/B's)
11. (3B) Tim O' Grady (Pitiful since SWAT! BAD case of left KNEECAP Tendinitis... the less running the better; I will sit if we can scrape up TWELVE BODIES!!!!)
****WHO ELSE WILL BE THERE FOR SURE !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I wonder what shape the field is in after the RAIN?!?!?
ANY SUGGESTIONS for OUR LINEUP/POSITIONS???
If you want to move up/move down in the batting order, change positions, want someone ELSE to change positions (& can state it very politely & diplomatically!!!), LET US KNOW NOW so we can MULL it OVER overnight!
(I myself am thinking of playing a little three card monte shell game and swapping Big Jose behind the plate to not pressure him defensively at 1st Base, with B.J. Biggs moving there, and Ricky to Second Base, and SteveO/Julio to Short Center (whichever is not pitching tomorrow.) DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES SENSE?!?!?
If anyone is close to Wicker anytime soon take a lookee-see and report back to us PLEASE!!!
HELLLPPPPP!!! PIMIENTA's Tomorrow at 2:45 pm!!!
Sincerely (deranged...)
- TimmO!!!
(773) 416-9759 cellular
(773) 463-9370 Home...
(312) 742-7553 Wicker Fieldhouse!!!!
P.S. ... ..."Mike Costello had the idea/request... he stated that he hasn't had any batting practice yet this season due to lots of business travel... he/we could use a little extra work... we used to do it around 1 o'clock at Pulaski Park...? ? (Noble north of Division)... BUT I'M WORRIED ABOUT JUST SCRAPING UP A FULL TEN PLAYERS!!!! (Cos' saw the lack of response and said it was cool, that he'd hit the batting cages on his own- which I also did Wednesday night after sucking eggs the whole time since my Wicker dingers against SWAT... (I then went 0-3 aggainst Risk for B.J.'s Green Light Thursday. so color me o-for-Two-weeks or so... ;-< ...Don's secret weapon, except the night before: a texas leaguer 1-for-3... struggling...
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
On Jun 10, 2006, at 8:54 PM, Laurence Mills wrote:
Not looking like I can make it tomorrow due to conflict with a family baby shower - I must stay with el nino......can't find no babysitter.......
* WICKER GOLD STAR SOFTBALL SCHEDULE *
1.) Sunday, May 7th - 3 pm vs. United Nations ( LOST 13-to-7 ;-< )
- N o G a m e s - Sunday, May 14th - Mother's Day
2.) Wednesday, May 17th - 6:30 pm vs. Knuckleheads (RAIN OUT)
3.) Sunday, May 21st - 3 pm vs. Phyllis’ Musical Inn (WON! 17-16)
- N o G a m e s - Sunday, May 28th - Memorial Day
4.) Tuesday, May 30th - 6:30 pm vs. S.W.A.T. (WON! 13-12)
5.) Sunday, June 4th - 3 pm vs. N.W.S.K. (LOST 18-9)
6.) Sunday, June 11th - 3 pm vs. Pimienta (LOST 22-4)
7.) Sunday, June 18th - 11 am vs. The Dogs
8.) Sunday, June 25th - 2 pm vs. Phyllis' Musical Inn (3 hours LATER- vs. Clem!)
- N o G a m e s - 4th of July Weekend
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9.) *Sunday, July 9th* - 2 pm vs. That's Us, and
10.) *DOUBLEHEADER!* - 3 pm vs. Beachwood Inn
------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.) Sunday, July 16th - 4 pm vs. The Hitmen
12.) Wednesday, July 19th - 6:30 pm vs. Knuckleheads
13.) Sunday, July 23rd - 1 pm vs. S.W.A.T.
14.) Wednesday, July 26th - 6:30 pm vs. United Nations
15.) Sunday, July 30th - 5 pm vs. Los Gringos
16.) Sunday, August 6th - 4 pm vs. He Gone
- R A I N D A T E S & P L A Y O F F S T.B.A...
************************************************
Sorry I couldn't make it or pump this a bit...
I was stuck in my "MOBILE OFFICE" with the Blue Lights on top...! ;-)
(Thanx 4 da linkage Kenny!;-)
+
--Cryin' Officer TimmmO'Geeeee
+
++++++++++
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin/ppo-story/localnews/current/rg/
04-12-06-886102.html
Triton station on the air for 30 years
BY CHUCK FIELDMAN
STAFF WRITER
Scott Dirks has done pretty well for himself in the world of radio
ever since his brother "chickened out" more than 25 years ago after
winning a contest to play DJ for an hour at Triton College radio
station WRRG.
Dirks, a 1976 graduate of Proviso East High School in Maywood, got
called into action after his brother won WRRG's "Everyone is a DJ"
contest, but quickly decided he had no interest on being on the air.
"I never really had an interest in radio, but my brother freaked out
when he won the contest, and he told me to go in his place," Dirks
said Sunday when he returned to the WRRG studios for the first time
in 20 years to help celebrate the station's 30th anniversary.
"I was into music a lot, but I hadn't ever thought about going into
radio. I really enjoyed it when I first tried it. It seemed like a
fun thing to do."
Dirks continued working as an on-air personality at WRRG for a couple
of years and then took the job as the station's program director for
a five-year stint when the position opened around 1981. He also was
working part-time at WLUP in Chicago. When he was offered an
overnight shift at WLUP in 1986, he left the Triton station and moved
on.
Recent gigs
More recently, Dirks has been working at WZZN. Until very recently,
he was the station's production manager. He recently became assistant
program director.
"I wouldn't be in radio today if it hadn't started here," Dirks said
while enjoying pizza and conversation with some former and current
staffers at WRRG. "Working here was a very good training ground. And
I used this to kind of catapult into a radio job."
It was the fond memories that Dirks has of his days at WRRG that
prompted him to immediately be interested when he received an e-mail
about the station's 30th anniversary celebration, which took place
Saturday and Sunday in the WRRG studio and surrounding areas.
"Being here was my most fun time working in radio," he said. "Being
here gave me the opportunity to play radio without the responsibility
that goes along with working at a commercial station. I learned a lot
working here."
WRRG-88.9 FM is a non-commercial educational radio station owned and
operated by Triton College. Staff volunteers include Triton students
and community members. The station's programming includes a range of
artistically and culturally significant musical choices, topical
talk, community affairs, public service awareness and sports.
The station's alumni include Dirks; Wendy Snyder, on Steve Dahl's
afternoon show on WCKG; Walter "Freak" Kozielski, WRXQ; Christine
Moran, WDRV; and Steve Cushing, nationally syndicated "Blues Before
Sunrise" show on WBEZ in Chicago.
First event
The weekend reunion was the first such "official" event, according to
Kurt Werner, Triton's director of TV and radio broadcasting.
"There have been some unofficial reunions, but we thought the 30th
anniversary was pretty significant and would be a good time to have
an official reunion," said Werner, who himself was on the air at WRRG
from 1979-87.
"It's really been nice to see people coming back from different
times. Everyone has been having a great time seeing people they
haven't seen in years and talking about the times when they worked
here."
WRRG's reception is somewhat limited within the Triton district.
However, Werner said plans are in the works for broadcasts to soon be
streaming live on the Internet on the station's web site, www.wrrg.org.
Hey Hey Wickermen-
Here's basically what I've gotten back from my Gold Star guys:
=================================================
They aren't against the two new teams PER SE, but they don't want the
additions to screw up weeknight games (due to the early game traffic-
delays, and the likely poor playing conditions as the late game
flirts with darkness... imagine: if we have an average amount of
rainouts, compounded by darkness postponements, and pissed-off 6:15
double forfeit re-schedules! Oyyy!)
So, as of now, after hearing their comments, to honor their wishes,
at our next meeting I'll likely propose another vote to modify what
we are currently doing:
KEEP the 14 teams, but NO weeknight Double Headers (Weekend D/H'ers
O.K., IF consecutive!)
• INSTEAD: simply reduce the amount of games to 14:
Play everyone else once- plus one more game- to get that 14th game
in ...new guys vs. new guys... original teams play each other...
champs vs runner's up, against a classic-natural rival etc...
• AND: take the playoffs to a "round-robin" format, where it takes
two (or more) losses to eliminate you, and maybe sneak half of those
games onto a SATURDAY or two!
===========================
• This approach would compress most of the potential season-long
weeknight chaos we've invited into two nice dry, warm, bright and
sunny August championship SAT/SUN weekends!
• No extra work-related traffic stress/forfeits rushing to Wicker...
nor in-progress post 8 p.m. games postponed due to darkness... no
"crappy endings" on a squibb bloop single nobody can see due to the
"Gloamin'" darkness!
• And it guarantees ALL teams at least a second playoff game to try
and salvage their season, which might be nice for a change (believe
me we've all felt the pain of an "early exit", probably nobody more
than us "Old Scars"! ;-< )
Anyway, get back to us on how your guys feel about it (remember-
wouldn't it just SUCK to see CLEM proved right about this year's
experiments? ;-) Maybe we can hash things out / tweak it just right
so the next meeting will go so quick Clem will show up after we have
all left the building already!
Sincerely- Best wishes on 07 May right thru the Finals!
TimmO'Shady- Spitballer64 - `Old Scars
http://www.chomiczewski.com/softball/goldstar/goldstar.htm
http://www.chomiczewski.com/softball/goldstar/goldstar.htm
(P.S. - Below are forwarded some of my guys better comments... for
you to check out (with names deleted to protect the innocent/ Clem-
like! ;-)
=============================================
Doubleheaders on Sundays would be OK if the team could play them back-
to-back!
Weekday double headers I think would be a problem since the 1st game
would have to start & finish on time and we know how that goes!
--------------
I like doubleheaders, except when it's 97 degrees. I don't know how
well 7:15 start times will work, with no lights, even when the 6:15
games don't start late. And considering we often have only 4 players
by 6:25, how well would 6:15 work either?
===========
"I like double-headers, makes the long journey into wicker more worth
while"
Eugene O'Neill
===============
I also think the weekday DHs will be problem. Kelly's
been proposing those since he went to 12 teams and the
idea never got out of the box before.
More forfeits with the 6:15s because people won't be
able to get there (traffic keeps getting worse);
On the 7:15s, games will be called early because of
darkness, some as ties (that could mean a makeup for
one or two innings).
Why funk up the schedule with weekday DHs just to
allow expansion teams?
=============
The easiest solution is to forget about a 19-game "balanced" schedule
and go to 16 or 17 games.
Barring that, get rid of weeknight doubleheaders (there appear to be
24 additional weeknight games), add weekend doubleheaders, add an
extra Sunday game at 6pm (10 games added back), and finish the season
on Aug 13 instead of Aug 3.
Or any combination of changes: a 17-game schedule without weeknight
DHs and with games on Sundays at 6pm would end the season exactly as
is (24 games removed from weeknights minus the 14 games crossed off
the schedule minus the 10 games added to Sundays).
Think about the mass confusion that reigns in this league already,
and then add in 11 suspended games to reschedule (when?) and the
complaints of games ending in the 5th inning due to darkness.
Weeknight DHs won't work.
AND.......
Back to the "unbalanced" schedule, 16-17 games instead of the "fair"
19: who cares much about what division you are in? Can anyone
actually recall who was in our division last year? The big teams
won't like it, but for the sake of the league it would be better to
go to more of an NFL schedule. With 14 teams, everyone plays every
team once for 13 games. For the final 3-4 games, forget about
division--the teams with the best records the year before should have
tougher schedules (i.e. play each other). Who is it fun for to watch
a top team run up a 25-2 score twice on one of the bottom dwellers?
It'll take some effort, but it isn't too hard (it's tricky with 7
teams per division): the first place teams in each division should
play each other, and so on for the 2nd place on down incl. expansion
teams (one add'l game). Then in each division, last year's first
plays 2nd, 3rd v 4th, 5th v 6th in one division, 5th vs EXP in the
other division, and EXP vs 6th across divisions (2nd game). Then in
each division, last year's 1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 5th, and again
variation at the bottom: 3rd vs EXP in one, 3rd vs 6th in other, 6th
vs EXP across divisions (3rd game). Something similar for a 4th game
also. It might not be as "fair" as a random schedule, but it would
make the league more competitive, and would add many more interesting
games. (The best teams will shine in the playoffs anyway.) Just
think if MLB tried something like this: instead of the 1st place
Yankees playing 19 games vs Tampa Bay, they'd play TB 13 games and 6
more vs the 1st place White Sox--maybe not more fair, but more fun.
Of course, if every team in MLB made the playoffs like in our league,
they might just do that, because whether the teams slipped to 2nd
doesn't matter much when they're playing Kansas City instead of Tampa
Bay in the playoffs.
==============
YES
------------------
IM IN !!
===============
Sounds like too many teams combined with too many games = a season
that will drag on through Labor Day. I'm not sure anyone remembers
the weather in Chicago when they put these schedules together. You
can always count on at least 3 - 5 days of rainouts that will have to
be made up at some point. CPD must've been hit with some serious
budget cut in '06. Either that or they're pocketing a portion of the
fees paid by the teams in the league which is driving them into a
"Dennis Kozlowski" (TYCO) frame of mind where there's never too much
money. They either needs another field or fewer teams but they're
heading toward the softball equivalent of an O'Hare mishap with too
many planes trying to cross too few runways. Is there a 16"
equivalent of the FAA ? Regardless, count me in for whatever they
work out. God Bless ya' for sloggin' through the quagmire we call
Wicker Park Softball.
Cheers!
============
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tom- (Stylin' & PROFILIN' !)
Couldn't you have put a few more on the board for our "Losing Ugly"
American Team? ;-)
And did you and Jake hook up and bury the hatchet (in Dontrelle
Willis' head?)
;-P`
-TimmO
-=-=-=-=-=-
On Mar 29, 2006, at 11:07 PM, Tom O'Grady wrote:
> From the control booth at the World Baseball Classic Championships...
=-=-=-
Visit OUR www.16inchers.blogspot.com !
Post yer own thread via this address:
**** shadigradi.spitballer@blogger.com ****
Re: [goldstarsoftball] Email list changes
Sorry, I must take lots of blame for this as I recently forwarded an e-mail to stoke the fyres once more... and added Jake, Tommy and Johnny to the mix...
I'd call for a vote if I wanted to be more prickish but don't want to lose anybody else to the e-deluges... we'll take it elsewhere...
There's always the 16 INCHERS blog and 16opinions e-mail pissing match list..
shadigradi.spitballer@blogger.com is the quick and dirty way to post a thread to the blog... please try it everyone... it's better than e-mail in some ways...!
Drop me a line if you'd like to be added back to 16opinions@yahoogroups.com to occasionally piss out the attic window like the Peter Finch in all of us occasionally need to do... ;-)
shadi
I'v got like a zillion free Google G-MAIL memberships I can send you to use as an alternative to cramming your current inbox... (it's a GREAT mail back-up alternative to bounce copies of all other messages from work and funb addy's one has as an emergency backup archive... very searchable and you can add wonderful "alerts" based on Goggle Searches of whatever you're interested in and viola it's there usually daily... two and a half gigs lasts a LONG time without having to delete stuff...
Holy Barstool- WWDS?? (what would DEIDRE (and D. Welles for that matter say?)
;-)
Let's relocate the urination nation over to another venue soon...
(But b.t.w. - did you see how the WBC UMPS ROBBED Japan of a sac fly go-ahead 4-3 lead in the 8th inning against the USA yesterday? Holy Sadaharu Oh in a negligee batmen- Japan got banged right in the kok! ;-)
- TimmO'
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
On Mar 13, 2006, at 4:22 PM, Tom O'Grady wrote:
I agree. I’m equally tired of my own bullshit and Jake. Please keep me off the list. I have a business to run.
=-=-=-=-=-
Tom, with all due respect (and I do like you, but despise your constant pissing contest with Jake we are unwittingly dragged into), I believe you had sent a good riddance email last week. I am once again making a last ditch plea to keep this Goldstar Yahoo group email dedicated to communication specific to the upcoming softball season (Leftfielder Larry's out-of-left-field musings notwithstanding). In fact, as of tomorrow, you and Jake are removed from the goldstar list. Nothing personal, as I consider you friends, but good riddance indeed.
SteveO
Bracket Racket
Bracket Provokes Its Own Madness for the N.C.A.A.
By JOHN BRANCH - NYT - March 12, 2006
The bracket is the star. A road map of hypnotic, straight-line symmetry leading to the Final Four, it is revered for both its simplicity and its complex possibilities. When empty, the bracket stirs hype and imagination. When filled with 65 teams at their starting lines, it stirs even more.
Millions will watch the conversion today as the field for the N.C.A.A. Division I men's basketball tournament is revealed during an hourlong program.
Among the interested viewers, tucked emotionally between the teams and millions of eager office poolers, will be a loose army of people who see the unveiling of the bracket as the nexus of their lives, either personally or professionally, and sometimes both.
(continued in comments section...)
I had a feeling things would start percolating when I FORWARDED
Jake's WBC e-mail to Me (TimmO, TommO's younger bro...) (so sorry
Jake! ;-)
I do enjoy watching you guys mix it up here though!
If we played sauceball with this passion we would win Wicked Shark
eventually! The team that fights together often WINS together!

As for practice... per the BIGGZ there is allegedly a tournament THIS
SATURDAY MARCH 11TH at Olympia Park... maybe we could storm the
bastille and throw around out there (or somewhere) if the rain stays
away and the temps allegedly hit near 60... ? ? ? (but my bro and I
are tentatively scheduled to try and finally get to the thank you
cards and such from my ma's wake (double uber danke to those who were
able to make it!))
Here's the link to the blog thread (that blog that was s-u-p-p-o-s-ed
to cure these e-mail inbox blues...
http://16inchers.blogspot.com/2006/02/uncanny-fwd-16-tournament-
anyone-march.html#links
(Here's a pic of the Jan GSS@YG.C "activity"... YIKES!

WHENEVER we do actually manage to practice I must insist we go with
the "3 OUTS" "Game-hitting/pitching" style practice used by Pimientas
last year and my bro's HUSTLER teams back when they were crazily
devoted teens in the 70's... we could even practice at an asphalt
covered school or parking lot if it stays a bit soggy by the
weekend... maybe use it as an excuse to have a post practice brewski
to ward off these last few dog days o' winter... ? ? ?
-=-=-=-=-=-
Olympia Park
Address: 6566 N. Avondale Ave.
(nestled between W. Devon, N. Ozanam (Canfield), and Northwest Highway )
Zip: 60631
Phone: 773-631-6861

And remember- you can effortlessly use
shadigradi.spitballer@blogger.com
to send a NEW topic of discussion to the blog
http://16inchers.blogspot.com
at any time... official member or not... test it out soon!
---- TIMMO ------
Top homerun hitters, ages 38-40
Ted Willimas: 1231 At Bats, 88 homeruns 1 everty 14 at bats
Willie Mays: 1298 at bats, 59 homeruns 1 every 22 at bats
Babe Ruth: 896 at bats, 62 homeruns 1 every 14.6 at bats
Frank Robinson: 1129 at bats, 61 homeruns 1 every 18.5 at bats
Hank Aaron: 1181 at bats, 94 homeruns 1 every 12.5 at bats
Mickey Mantle: retired just before he turned 38
and then there's
Barry Bonds: 1166 at bats, 136 homeruns 1 every 8.5 at bats
From: Jake <jeffjake724@yahoo.com>Date: March 8, 2006 10:10:20 AM CSTTo: Tim O'Grady <togradysprint@earthlink.net>Subject: Yes, it was definitely worth it33,000 in attendance to see USA vs. Mexico. I can tell you this, no one just going through the motions. They wanted to WIN! Peavy was throwing in the mid 90's as was Nathan (struck out the side).It was an exciting game as USA won 2-0 on solo homers by Lee and Jones.So, $25 to sit 9th row to see A-Rod (yes, is IS playing), Jeter, Lee, Winn, Utley, Peavy, Jones, Griffey, Fancouer, Damon, Barrett, Timlin, Cordero, Lidge, Young, Wells, Teixeira, and Schneider play."I had more butterflies today than any playoff game or other game I've ever been in," said Team USA third baseman Chipper Jones.Good feelings were seemingly all around on Tuesday. Anxious fans -- many of whom supported Team Mexico -- began filling the promenade outside Chase Stadium some three hours before the first pitch. They blew horns, rattled noisemakers, waved flags; did anything they could to express their excitement.Some wore Mexican T-shirts, others draped themselves in American flags. Yet others covered their bodies in paint. It felt more like an international soccer match than a baseball game. Walking into one entrance an hour-and-a half-before the first pitch: a guy wearing a Derek Jeter Yankee jersey next to a guy wearing a Mike Timlin Boston Red Sox jersey. They gave each other five.Two other fans with split affections, Chris Eleiott (Yankees) and Paul Adams (Red Sox), expressed themselves by covering their bodies in Wal-Mart house paint. The two college students from Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois were in Phoenix for spring break."I'm not quite sure everybody is as pumped up as we are," said Eleiott, a mini American flag painted across his face. "But we've been jacked about this for a while. It's sick. Have you seen the U.S. lineup? It's so sick. Ten to 20 years from now, this is going to be huge. And I'll be able to say I was at the first one." (and so was Jake)."This was bigger than any World Series win I've ever had," said reliever Mike Timlin, who picked up the win. "This is my All-Star game, my Olympics, it's just awesome. I was watching Jake [Peavy] those first few innings, and my hands were sweating like I had dipped them in a bucket of water."Timlin wasn't alone."I wanted to win this game with every single thing I had in me," Peavy said. "You don't understand -- you just don't understand what it's like when you put that uniform on. I've never had a better feeling in my life. It's the coolest thing I've ever done as a baseball player."ORI could have paid $18 to have the same seats at HohoKam and see the Cubs lose to Texas 6-5 and watch: Wilkerson, Blalock, Nevin, Dellucci, Pierre, Pie, Perez, Walker, and Cedeno. I could have seen Maddux throw 2 innings, walk 3, and strike out one.CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message including attachments, if any, is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and /or privileged material. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. If you are the intended recipient but do not wish to receive communications through this medium, please so advise the sender immediately.
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Wicker Parliamentary Filibuster Clash
My bro Thom wrote privately, in an unrelated e-mail..."- How did the sauceball meeting go at the Wick?"Oh, other than a typically angry MOE (U.N.) threatening an inebriated and typically wonderfully obnoxious CLEM (Phyllis')... it went swimmingly!(Even before Moe got there, Clem help shoot my proposals down- but then we all scorched him on his wimpy/pointless NO STEALING second/NO PICK OFF'S pointlessness (said it slowed down the game too much...)Reps from EIGHT teams (still expecting another 12 team league)*******(I have the full rule sheet but my scanner is a little funked up- may have to type it out... remind me...)I irritated most everyone with about a zillion comments, observations, proposed rule changes, etc ( none of which elicited any sympathy... YET! ;-)NO allies for• SWING ANY BAT,• UNLIMITED ARC/16-foot pitching• No HOME-RUN LIMITS (Sorry Lars!)There were a few issues upon which accord was reached...• NO THURSDAY GAMES!!! (Kelli wanted/needed one day a week to sacrifice to the Tiny Tee-Ball Gods...) (I would have given Monday- no back 2 back games!)• Tentative Sunday, MAY 7th STARTING DATE...• We will use that additional orange 1st Base bag again for increased safety down the line...• I got clarification on the EVENTH BATTER / "E.H." Extra Hitter - It's been legal for a while, but maybe the reason I didn't understand why we didn't use it is that if due to injury or substitution we fall to only ten players then that 11th spot draws an out every time it's turn is reached in the order... (was THAT why we never got our poor "man on the bubble" into the game ?)The next meeting is in three weeks- Thursday, March 23rd..."VOTING" will take place on these topics (IF the team has their money in!): (talk about a "simple" majority... ;-)VOTE 1: • WHICH playoff format- INTER-Divisional Brackets (1 & 2 get bye's- then 3 vs. 6 & 4 vs. 5 IN your own division) OR same format but pitted across the two divisions...VOTE 2 • Looks like occasional DOUBLE-HEADERS!!! to balance out the NO THURSDAY games (but apparenty NOT two teams playing TWICE against each other??)VOTE 3 • RE-introduce all of my fantasy island proposals!DEMOCRACY AT WORK!!!
Take a peek at the $2.1 million birthday party that former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski threw in Sardinia for his wife's 40th birthday.
