That was so weird. Nats celebrating on the field while Aumont was warming up. They won the division, but they're still losers.
2 things I hope happen
1 - nats get swept in round 1
2 - harper gets punched in the face multiple times
i dunno it might be kinda cool to see Balt. against Washington in the World Series.
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
I'm probably rooting for the Reds. Their fans were really cool when we went there a couple years ago.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
I'm probably rooting for the Reds. Their fans were really cool when we went there a couple years ago.
yeah, I told cliff that's who I'd like to see win the NL. even tho I don't like dusty baker a little bit. But I'll be happy as long as the nats don't win the pennant.
That was so weird. Nats celebrating on the field while Aumont was warming up. They won the division, but they're still losers.
2 things I hope happen
1 - nats get swept in round 1
2 - harper gets punched in the face multiple times
i dunno it might be kinda cool to see Balt. against Washington in the World Series.
I don't like the braves, but I respect their organization. The nats have been blowhards since spring training. They backed it up during the regular season, but they talk too much for my liking. I hope they get destroyed in the playoffs.
I will be pulling for the orioles. They're a fun team to watch. Showalter has done an amazing job with that squad
yeah i am pulling for the orioles as well. my brother and i are talking about going to a playoff game in camden yards if it fits our schedules...i haven't been to a game there in about 8 years. be interesting to see a post season game in a different town.
f the nats and their natitude. that city doesn't deserve a winner. they've won close to 100 games and still can't fill more than 70% of that bland park. at least they won the division in a game where they lost to us instead of them doing it themselves.
Anyone see the Ibanez homer last night? Cliffy, I bet that was not a homer in 29 ballparks. That place is the only reason Ibanez is still a major leaguer.
Amazing the farm keeps producing after all the trades (some ill-advised) in recent seasons.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Anyone see the Ibanez homer last night? Cliffy, I bet that was not a homer in 29 ballparks. That place is the only reason Ibanez is still a major leaguer.
Amazing the farm keeps producing after all the trades (some ill-advised) in recent seasons.
Anyone see the Ibanez homer last night? Cliffy, I bet that was not a homer in 29 ballparks. That place is the only reason Ibanez is still a major leaguer.
Amazing the farm keeps producing after all the trades (some ill-advised) in recent seasons.
He got the GW hit too.
glad this trainwreck of a season is over. now we get to sit back and see if amaro can correct his mistakes
these oakland/texas games have been awesome. best time of year for sports. love it
well it was an interesting season to say the least
see ya next year
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
well it was an interesting season to say the least
see ya next year
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
well, if the phils cant win...at least the GOP did well tonight
'change'...
:thumbup:
How so? Sure, he won the "debate" but he didn't argue the policies he has been talking about for 18 months. If it's just sports and you want your guy to win, so be it, but the guy you saw on stage argued NONE of the GOP policies. So sure, on the surface he won, but I have even less of a clue as to what he would do if elected than I did before. At least before I knew he would be giving a massive tax break to the wealthy, now he claims to not even ben doing that. Who are you supporting?
Dude could have won the gold medal in London with how fast he moved to the center on Wednesday and I'd say, what seems to be your personal two biggest sticking points, taxes and welfare programs, he was almost as far to the left as Obama.
I will say, if what the guy was talking about on Wednesday is his position, then I am a lot more comfortable with a President Romney than I was a week or so ago. That said, I highly doubt he was being sincere.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
well, if the phils cant win...at least the GOP did well tonight
'change'...
:thumbup:
How so? Sure, he won the "debate" but he didn't argue the policies he has been talking about for 18 months. If it's just sports and you want your guy to win, so be it, but the guy you saw on stage argued NONE of the GOP policies. So sure, on the surface he won, but I have even less of a clue as to what he would do if elected than I did before. At least before I knew he would be giving a massive tax break to the wealthy, now he claims to not even ben doing that. Who are you supporting?
Dude could have won the gold medal in London with how fast he moved to the center on Wednesday and I'd say, what seems to be your personal two biggest sticking points, taxes and welfare programs, he was almost as far to the left as Obama.
I will say, if what the guy was talking about on Wednesday is his position, then I am a lot more comfortable with a President Romney than I was a week or so ago. That said, I highly doubt he was being sincere.
this is america, cliffy. nobody cares about actual specifics.
i dislike both of these guys. but romney is perceived to be the winner on wednesday and so he was. but who cares? all incumbents do poorly during the first debate because they haven't been challenged face to face by anyone for 4 years...and in this case, the challenger has been running for president for the better part of a decade so he is naturally going to be more prepared. clinton is the only incumbent who fared well in the initial debate and that is because he was up against a corpse. obama will do much better in a couple weeks. i think ryan will mop the floor with biden though.
i think the whole tax break thing is sort of semantics. just depends on how you look at it. he's technically just going to extend the current bush tax cuts. so if you're a repub, that's essentially keeping things as-is. if you are a dem, it's a tax cut (since they were going to expire).
also, your point about the center is funny because romney was way more to the center before he made "running for president" his full time job so many years ago.
for the record though, i think both guys are turds for the most part.
well, if the phils cant win...at least the GOP did well tonight
'change'...
:thumbup:
How so? Sure, he won the "debate" but he didn't argue the policies he has been talking about for 18 months. If it's just sports and you want your guy to win, so be it, but the guy you saw on stage argued NONE of the GOP policies. So sure, on the surface he won, but I have even less of a clue as to what he would do if elected than I did before. At least before I knew he would be giving a massive tax break to the wealthy, now he claims to not even ben doing that. Who are you supporting?
Dude could have won the gold medal in London with how fast he moved to the center on Wednesday and I'd say, what seems to be your personal two biggest sticking points, taxes and welfare programs, he was almost as far to the left as Obama.
I will say, if what the guy was talking about on Wednesday is his position, then I am a lot more comfortable with a President Romney than I was a week or so ago. That said, I highly doubt he was being sincere.
this is america, cliffy. nobody cares about actual specifics.
i dislike both of these guys. but romney is perceived to be the winner on wednesday and so he was. but who cares? all incumbents do poorly during the first debate because they haven't been challenged face to face by anyone for 4 years...and in this case, the challenger has been running for president for the better part of a decade so he is naturally going to be more prepared. clinton is the only incumbent who fared well in the initial debate and that is because he was up against a corpse. obama will do much better in a couple weeks. i think ryan will mop the floor with biden though.
i think the whole tax break thing is sort of semantics. just depends on how you look at it. he's technically just going to extend the current bush tax cuts. so if you're a repub, that's essentially keeping things as-is. if you are a dem, it's a tax cut (since they were going to expire).
also, your point about the center is funny because romney was way more to the center before he made "running for president" his full time job so many years ago.
for the record though, i think both guys are turds for the most part.
go orioles.
While I am certain I like Obama more than most, I am way too drunk to respond to this intelligently, so I'll just say that I agree with 99% of everything in here. And I will agree, Romney has been center and back, center and back. This seems a lot more like a career move to me than him actually wanting to be president.
well, if the phils cant win...at least the GOP did well tonight
'change'...
:thumbup:
How so? Sure, he won the "debate" but he didn't argue the policies he has been talking about for 18 months. If it's just sports and you want your guy to win, so be it, but the guy you saw on stage argued NONE of the GOP policies. So sure, on the surface he won, but I have even less of a clue as to what he would do if elected than I did before. At least before I knew he would be giving a massive tax break to the wealthy, now he claims to not even ben doing that. Who are you supporting?
Dude could have won the gold medal in London with how fast he moved to the center on Wednesday and I'd say, what seems to be your personal two biggest sticking points, taxes and welfare programs, he was almost as far to the left as Obama.
I will say, if what the guy was talking about on Wednesday is his position, then I am a lot more comfortable with a President Romney than I was a week or so ago. That said, I highly doubt he was being sincere.
the way I look at it in an NFL-type context is that romney was 0-4 going into the debate. I believe most, including myself, expected him to get his ass handed to him. He had a good showing and brought his record up to 1-4. He's still a long shot to win the Super Bowl, but he's not eliminated yet (which is what would have happened if he would have lost the debate).
Small victory in the grand scheme of things, but there's still hope...which is the best outcome any Romney supporter could have hoped for IMO.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
caution: make sure you have something to throw up in before reading this post
State of the Phillies: First base
options This week, the Daily News and High Cheese will be taking an in-depth look at the Phillies roster moving forward, breaking down the state of each position as it relates to the future and the present. In Tuesday's newspaper, Ryan Lawrence will look at the infield. Today, we'll start things off with a look at first base.
The success of a lineup is dictated by the economics of salary and personnel distribution, and the Phillies' production at first base in 2012 was a prime example. The market of talent in baseball features a strong supply of players who can both hit for power and reach base at rates above the league average. Of the $178 million that a team can spend before it exceeds the luxury tax threshold, the Phillies allocated 14.05 percent to their starter at first base. Really, the number is slightly higher than that when you factor in the $10 million that each team is required to pay for player benefits, which counts against the threshold (in other words, teams can spend about $168 million on player salaries before going over the threshold). In 2012, the Phillies flunked those economics, as their production at third base was well below league average in most major offensive categories.
I. 2012 production, Phillies first basemen (NL rank out of 16 teams in parentheses)
AVG: .234 (13)
OBP: .308 (13)
SLG: .415 (11)
OPS: .723 (13)
HR: 27 (4)
RBI: 102 (3)
RS: 75 (10)
BREAKDOWN: Ryan Howard struggled after he returned from the disabled list in early July, hitting .219/.295/.423 with 99 strikeouts in 260 at-bats in 71 games. Howard maintained his knack for hitting with runners on base (his 56 RBI in 71 games would equate to 127 RBI in 162 games) and for hitting home runs (14 HR in 71 games equates to 31 HR in 162 games). But a .219 batting average and .295 on base percentage of significant detriments: if you value RBI, you must value runs scored, and a hitter must reach base in order to score runs. Howard recorded career-worst marks in walk rate, strikeout rate and at-bats-per-home-run. The first three months of the season featured Ty Wigginton (62 games, .757 OPS) and John Mayberry Jr. (24 games, .625 OPS) getting the bulk of the action at first base. Combined, the result was production that was well below what the majority of other National League teams received from first base.
II. Future Salary Commitments
2012: Ryan Howard, 33 years old, $20.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2013: Ryan Howard, 34 years old, $20.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2014: Ryan Howard, 35 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2015: Ryan Howard, 36 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2016: Ryan Howard, 37 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold
2017: Ryan Howard, 38 years old, $23.0 million or $10 million buyout (14.05 percent or 0.00 percent of luxury tax threshold)
Flexibility: None. Howard is still owed $95 million in annual salary over the next four seasons, plus a $10 million buyout in 2017. His luxury tax cost is $25 million a season over the next four years, and he will be 33 years old during the 2013 season.
III. 2013 Organizational Depth Chart
1.Ryan Howard, 33, $25 million average annual value (AAV) signed through 2016
2.John Mayberry Jr., 29, pre-Arb (2.095 service time), club control through at least 2016
3.Laynce Nix, 32, $1.25 million AAV signed thru 2013.
4.Darin Ruf, 26, pre-Arb (< 1.000 ST), club control through at least 2018
5.Erik Kratz, 33, pre-Arb (<1.000 ST), club control through at least 2018
BREAKDOWN: First base will not be a priority for the Phillies for the foreseeable future. Manuel said late in the season that he thought Kratz could handle spot duty at first base, although there is no indication that will play a major role in 2013. Ruf, like any player with one month of big league experience, is an unknown, although he is the best chance for the Phillies to have some young depth at the position over the life of Howard's contract.
IV. Potential for personnel upgrades
TRADE POTENTIAL: None. Even during Howard's healthy 2011 season, his .253/.346/.488 batting line and 33 home runs were nearly identical to Adam LaRoche's .271/.343/.510 and 33 home runs for the Nationals this year. LaRoche, of course, was making $8 million in AAV compared with $25 million for Howard. Just to give Howard away to another team, the Phillies would likely have to eat at least half of the money remaining on his contract.
Disagree? Prior to 2011, Paul Konerko signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal that covered his 35, 36 and 37 years old seasons. Howard is due to earn $75 million for his 35-to-37-year-old seasons, plus a $10 million buyout for his 38-year-old season. If Konerko's contract is what the free market would bear for those years of power production at first base, there is little reason to expect that a team would assume more than that amount in acquiring Howard. Factor in the fact that Konerko's number have been better than Howard's over the past few seasons, and that Konerko is not one year removed from a ruptured Achilles, and it is pretty safe to say that the market would view Howard as, at best, a $12.5 million-per-season player over the remaining four years of his contract.
The time for maneuvering at first base was the last few seasons, when Howard, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez all signed new deals. The Phillies made their choice, and now it is on Howard to prove them right or wrong.
FREE AGENT MARKET: With a slew of elite first baseman having signed contract extensions over the previous few seasons, the 2013 market is not a strong one. Assuming the Nationals exercise LaRoche's $10 million option, the only potential everyday players available are Mike Napoli, Carlos Pena and James Loney. The rest: Jason Giambi, Eric Hinske, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Casey Kotchman, Ty Wigginton, Lyle Overbay, Xavier Nady.
V. First base: In conclusion
The Phillies have no choice but to believe that Howard will get back to the production level he offered when they signed him to a five-year, $125 million contract extension during the 2010 season, when he still had two years left on his existing deal. The first baseman was not in the same physical condition that he was before his surgery, which the Phillies hope will be rectified by an offseason of his usual training regimen. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has acknowledged that the Phillies' future will be dictated largely by the performance of the players who are earning significant dollars, and Howard is the most crucial member of that club.
I can't get over it. Wont be able to until his contract expires. I have issues coming to grips with such a ridiculously dumb move by my favorite team. Fact of the matter is that Howard's contract relative to his performance is going to prevent them from competing for a title
I will do my best to focus on ripping something else going forward. like amaro's inevitable terrible offseason moves
I can't get over it. Wont be able to until his contract expires. I have issues coming to grips with such a ridiculously dumb move by my favorite team. Fact of the matter is that Howard's contract relative to his performance is going to prevent them from competing for a title
I will do my best to focus on ripping something else going forward. like amaro's inevitable terrible offseason moves
just a complete utterly false premise. Even subtracting $25 million for the Ryan's contract the Phils openeing day payroll was still 32 MILLION HIGHER than any other National League team. so this non-payroll flexibility because of ryan howard's contract is just not based on facts :nono:
2012 Team Payrolls
No. Team Payroll Average
1 New York Yankees $197,962,289 $6,186,321
2 Philadelphia Phillies $174,538,938 $5,817,964
3 Boston Red Sox $173,186,617 $5,093,724
4 Los Angeles Angels $154,485,166 $5,327,074
5 Detroit Tigers $132,300,000 $4,562,068
6 Texas Rangers $120,510,974 $4,635,037
7 Miami Marlins $118,078,000 $4,373,259
8 San Francisco Giants $117,620,683 $3,920,689
9 St. Louis Cardinals $110,300,862 $3,939,316
10 Milwaukee Brewers $97,653,944 $3,755,920
11 Chicago White Sox $96,919,500 $3,876,780
12 Los Angeles Dodgers $95,143,575 $3,171,452
13 Minnesota Twins $94,085,000 $3,484,629
14 New York Mets $93,353,983 $3,457,554
15 Chicago Cubs $88,197,033 $3,392,193
16 Atlanta Braves $83,309,942 $2,776,998
17 Cincinnati Reds $83,309,942 $2,776,998
18 Seattle Mariners $81,978,100 $2,927,789
19 Baltimore Orioles $81,428,999 $2,807,896
20 Washington Nationals $81,336,143 $2,623,746
21 Cleveland Indians $78,430,300 $2,704,493
22 Colorado Rockies $78,069,571 $2,692,054
23 Toronto Blue Jays $75,489,200 $2,696,042
24 Arizona Diamondbacks $74,284,833 $2,653,029
25 Tampa Bay Rays $64,173,500 $2,291,910
26 Pittsburgh Pirates $63,431,999 $2,187,310
27 Kansas City Royals $60,916,225 $2,030,540
28 Houston Astros $60,651,000 $2,332,730
29 Oakland Athletics $55,372,500 $1,845,750
30 San Diego Padres $55,244,700 $1,973,025
Comments
2 things I hope happen
1 - nats get swept in round 1
2 - harper gets punched in the face multiple times
i dunno it might be kinda cool to see Balt. against Washington in the World Series.
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
yeah, I told cliff that's who I'd like to see win the NL. even tho I don't like dusty baker a little bit. But I'll be happy as long as the nats don't win the pennant.
oakland or bmore in the AL
I don't like the braves, but I respect their organization. The nats have been blowhards since spring training. They backed it up during the regular season, but they talk too much for my liking. I hope they get destroyed in the playoffs.
I will be pulling for the orioles. They're a fun team to watch. Showalter has done an amazing job with that squad
f the nats and their natitude. that city doesn't deserve a winner. they've won close to 100 games and still can't fill more than 70% of that bland park. at least they won the division in a game where they lost to us instead of them doing it themselves.
Amazing the farm keeps producing after all the trades (some ill-advised) in recent seasons.
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
fuck the designated hitter.
Me too...only for Thome.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
He got the GW hit too.
glad this trainwreck of a season is over. now we get to sit back and see if amaro can correct his mistakes
these oakland/texas games have been awesome. best time of year for sports. love it
see ya next year
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
see ya next year
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
'change'...
:thumbup:
a mitt romney fan, huh?
incumbents are usually bad during the first debate...
Tom O.
"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"
-The Writer
How so? Sure, he won the "debate" but he didn't argue the policies he has been talking about for 18 months. If it's just sports and you want your guy to win, so be it, but the guy you saw on stage argued NONE of the GOP policies. So sure, on the surface he won, but I have even less of a clue as to what he would do if elected than I did before. At least before I knew he would be giving a massive tax break to the wealthy, now he claims to not even ben doing that. Who are you supporting?
Dude could have won the gold medal in London with how fast he moved to the center on Wednesday and I'd say, what seems to be your personal two biggest sticking points, taxes and welfare programs, he was almost as far to the left as Obama.
I will say, if what the guy was talking about on Wednesday is his position, then I am a lot more comfortable with a President Romney than I was a week or so ago. That said, I highly doubt he was being sincere.
wtf? :wtf:
I thought we were buds.
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
this is america, cliffy. nobody cares about actual specifics.
i dislike both of these guys. but romney is perceived to be the winner on wednesday and so he was. but who cares? all incumbents do poorly during the first debate because they haven't been challenged face to face by anyone for 4 years...and in this case, the challenger has been running for president for the better part of a decade so he is naturally going to be more prepared. clinton is the only incumbent who fared well in the initial debate and that is because he was up against a corpse. obama will do much better in a couple weeks. i think ryan will mop the floor with biden though.
i think the whole tax break thing is sort of semantics. just depends on how you look at it. he's technically just going to extend the current bush tax cuts. so if you're a repub, that's essentially keeping things as-is. if you are a dem, it's a tax cut (since they were going to expire).
also, your point about the center is funny because romney was way more to the center before he made "running for president" his full time job so many years ago.
for the record though, i think both guys are turds for the most part.
go orioles.
While I am certain I like Obama more than most, I am way too drunk to respond to this intelligently, so I'll just say that I agree with 99% of everything in here. And I will agree, Romney has been center and back, center and back. This seems a lot more like a career move to me than him actually wanting to be president.
more of an anti-democrat fan than anything else. I actually wish that this Tea Party thing would gain traction.
the way I look at it in an NFL-type context is that romney was 0-4 going into the debate. I believe most, including myself, expected him to get his ass handed to him. He had a good showing and brought his record up to 1-4. He's still a long shot to win the Super Bowl, but he's not eliminated yet (which is what would have happened if he would have lost the debate).
Small victory in the grand scheme of things, but there's still hope...which is the best outcome any Romney supporter could have hoped for IMO.
http://gma.yahoo.com/1-man-dead-heart-a ... ories.html
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
bunch of animals. weddings are usually a happy environment.
State of the Phillies: First base
options This week, the Daily News and High Cheese will be taking an in-depth look at the Phillies roster moving forward, breaking down the state of each position as it relates to the future and the present. In Tuesday's newspaper, Ryan Lawrence will look at the infield. Today, we'll start things off with a look at first base.
The success of a lineup is dictated by the economics of salary and personnel distribution, and the Phillies' production at first base in 2012 was a prime example. The market of talent in baseball features a strong supply of players who can both hit for power and reach base at rates above the league average. Of the $178 million that a team can spend before it exceeds the luxury tax threshold, the Phillies allocated 14.05 percent to their starter at first base. Really, the number is slightly higher than that when you factor in the $10 million that each team is required to pay for player benefits, which counts against the threshold (in other words, teams can spend about $168 million on player salaries before going over the threshold). In 2012, the Phillies flunked those economics, as their production at third base was well below league average in most major offensive categories.
I. 2012 production, Phillies first basemen (NL rank out of 16 teams in parentheses)
AVG: .234 (13)
OBP: .308 (13)
SLG: .415 (11)
OPS: .723 (13)
HR: 27 (4)
RBI: 102 (3)
RS: 75 (10)
BREAKDOWN: Ryan Howard struggled after he returned from the disabled list in early July, hitting .219/.295/.423 with 99 strikeouts in 260 at-bats in 71 games. Howard maintained his knack for hitting with runners on base (his 56 RBI in 71 games would equate to 127 RBI in 162 games) and for hitting home runs (14 HR in 71 games equates to 31 HR in 162 games). But a .219 batting average and .295 on base percentage of significant detriments: if you value RBI, you must value runs scored, and a hitter must reach base in order to score runs. Howard recorded career-worst marks in walk rate, strikeout rate and at-bats-per-home-run. The first three months of the season featured Ty Wigginton (62 games, .757 OPS) and John Mayberry Jr. (24 games, .625 OPS) getting the bulk of the action at first base. Combined, the result was production that was well below what the majority of other National League teams received from first base.
II. Future Salary Commitments
2012: Ryan Howard, 33 years old, $20.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2013: Ryan Howard, 34 years old, $20.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2014: Ryan Howard, 35 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2015: Ryan Howard, 36 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold)
2016: Ryan Howard, 37 years old, $25.0 million (14.05 percent of luxury tax threshold
2017: Ryan Howard, 38 years old, $23.0 million or $10 million buyout (14.05 percent or 0.00 percent of luxury tax threshold)
Flexibility: None. Howard is still owed $95 million in annual salary over the next four seasons, plus a $10 million buyout in 2017. His luxury tax cost is $25 million a season over the next four years, and he will be 33 years old during the 2013 season.
III. 2013 Organizational Depth Chart
1.Ryan Howard, 33, $25 million average annual value (AAV) signed through 2016
2.John Mayberry Jr., 29, pre-Arb (2.095 service time), club control through at least 2016
3.Laynce Nix, 32, $1.25 million AAV signed thru 2013.
4.Darin Ruf, 26, pre-Arb (< 1.000 ST), club control through at least 2018
5.Erik Kratz, 33, pre-Arb (<1.000 ST), club control through at least 2018
BREAKDOWN: First base will not be a priority for the Phillies for the foreseeable future. Manuel said late in the season that he thought Kratz could handle spot duty at first base, although there is no indication that will play a major role in 2013. Ruf, like any player with one month of big league experience, is an unknown, although he is the best chance for the Phillies to have some young depth at the position over the life of Howard's contract.
IV. Potential for personnel upgrades
TRADE POTENTIAL: None. Even during Howard's healthy 2011 season, his .253/.346/.488 batting line and 33 home runs were nearly identical to Adam LaRoche's .271/.343/.510 and 33 home runs for the Nationals this year. LaRoche, of course, was making $8 million in AAV compared with $25 million for Howard. Just to give Howard away to another team, the Phillies would likely have to eat at least half of the money remaining on his contract.
Disagree? Prior to 2011, Paul Konerko signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal that covered his 35, 36 and 37 years old seasons. Howard is due to earn $75 million for his 35-to-37-year-old seasons, plus a $10 million buyout for his 38-year-old season. If Konerko's contract is what the free market would bear for those years of power production at first base, there is little reason to expect that a team would assume more than that amount in acquiring Howard. Factor in the fact that Konerko's number have been better than Howard's over the past few seasons, and that Konerko is not one year removed from a ruptured Achilles, and it is pretty safe to say that the market would view Howard as, at best, a $12.5 million-per-season player over the remaining four years of his contract.
The time for maneuvering at first base was the last few seasons, when Howard, Prince Fielder, Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez all signed new deals. The Phillies made their choice, and now it is on Howard to prove them right or wrong.
FREE AGENT MARKET: With a slew of elite first baseman having signed contract extensions over the previous few seasons, the 2013 market is not a strong one. Assuming the Nationals exercise LaRoche's $10 million option, the only potential everyday players available are Mike Napoli, Carlos Pena and James Loney. The rest: Jason Giambi, Eric Hinske, Lance Berkman, Carlos Lee, Casey Kotchman, Ty Wigginton, Lyle Overbay, Xavier Nady.
V. First base: In conclusion
The Phillies have no choice but to believe that Howard will get back to the production level he offered when they signed him to a five-year, $125 million contract extension during the 2010 season, when he still had two years left on his existing deal. The first baseman was not in the same physical condition that he was before his surgery, which the Phillies hope will be rectified by an offseason of his usual training regimen. General manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has acknowledged that the Phillies' future will be dictated largely by the performance of the players who are earning significant dollars, and Howard is the most crucial member of that club.
You're like a sado masochistic when it comes to Howard. You like torturing yourself with these kind of posts.
Here, enjoy: http://youtu.be/eBDShNUIYkg?t=1m36s
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
I can't get over it. Wont be able to until his contract expires. I have issues coming to grips with such a ridiculously dumb move by my favorite team. Fact of the matter is that Howard's contract relative to his performance is going to prevent them from competing for a title
I will do my best to focus on ripping something else going forward. like amaro's inevitable terrible offseason moves
just a complete utterly false premise. Even subtracting $25 million for the Ryan's contract the Phils openeing day payroll was still 32 MILLION HIGHER than any other National League team. so this non-payroll flexibility because of ryan howard's contract is just not based on facts :nono:
2012 Team Payrolls
No. Team Payroll Average
1 New York Yankees $197,962,289 $6,186,321
2 Philadelphia Phillies $174,538,938 $5,817,964
3 Boston Red Sox $173,186,617 $5,093,724
4 Los Angeles Angels $154,485,166 $5,327,074
5 Detroit Tigers $132,300,000 $4,562,068
6 Texas Rangers $120,510,974 $4,635,037
7 Miami Marlins $118,078,000 $4,373,259
8 San Francisco Giants $117,620,683 $3,920,689
9 St. Louis Cardinals $110,300,862 $3,939,316
10 Milwaukee Brewers $97,653,944 $3,755,920
11 Chicago White Sox $96,919,500 $3,876,780
12 Los Angeles Dodgers $95,143,575 $3,171,452
13 Minnesota Twins $94,085,000 $3,484,629
14 New York Mets $93,353,983 $3,457,554
15 Chicago Cubs $88,197,033 $3,392,193
16 Atlanta Braves $83,309,942 $2,776,998
17 Cincinnati Reds $83,309,942 $2,776,998
18 Seattle Mariners $81,978,100 $2,927,789
19 Baltimore Orioles $81,428,999 $2,807,896
20 Washington Nationals $81,336,143 $2,623,746
21 Cleveland Indians $78,430,300 $2,704,493
22 Colorado Rockies $78,069,571 $2,692,054
23 Toronto Blue Jays $75,489,200 $2,696,042
24 Arizona Diamondbacks $74,284,833 $2,653,029
25 Tampa Bay Rays $64,173,500 $2,291,910
26 Pittsburgh Pirates $63,431,999 $2,187,310
27 Kansas City Royals $60,916,225 $2,030,540
28 Houston Astros $60,651,000 $2,332,730
29 Oakland Athletics $55,372,500 $1,845,750
30 San Diego Padres $55,244,700 $1,973,025