Below are the 9 most recent journal entries recorded in angelsfield's LiveJournal:

Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
1:12 pm	xmmlbchat.blogspot.com :: Curtis Pride, thanks for the inspiration Thanks for the inspiration, Curtis. You made it to the top in a tough game, and you can't even hear! Hope to see you soon again. Oakland Athletics released INF D'Angelo Jimenez. (Comment on this)
Friday, September 29th, 2006
7:43 am	Voice of God There was a surprise visitor at the Coliseum for Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. You've probably heard his voice on countless occasions. After missing all season with a rare throat illness, Roy Steele was behind the mike for the first time since late last season. Steele had been the team's only public address announcer in A's history until he missed games last September and was replaced by interim PA man Dick Callahan, former voice of the Golden State Warriors. Steele's voice seemed weak when he took over the PA duties from Callahan as the umpires were announced, but it grew stronger as the game went on. Steele lost about 110 pounds when he was strickened with a disease called achalasia, a disorder of the esophagus. Callahan will return to the mike today for the team's regular-season finale. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 29th, 2006
6:35 pm	I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels ... I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels game, way out in Anaheim. I don't know why. I don't know why they call themselves the Los Angeles Angels now. No one in Los Angeles gets on the 5 and drives through that traffic to get out to Anaheim to see the Angels play. They're no more Los Angeles than the valley is. I mentioned to a few associates that I was going to see the game, while I gave them an assignment to keep them in the office all night, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They didn't even know where Anaheim was. Never heard of it. I only knew because I had to do document review out there as an associate once, for some client in the middle of some industrial park out in the sticks. I don't who these people were at the game. They weren't from Los Angeles, and they didn't look like lawyers. Well, some of them were probably from the city. Like Dodgers fans, they left the game in the sixth inning to beat the traffic back, even though there's never any traffic going back, it's just getting out of the city at 5:00. Because Anonymous Son was with me, I didn't even need to use the blow-up doll I have for the passenger seat so I can use the HOV lane and save some time. I love the HOV lanes. Very smart move by the state. The Angels won, although a 9th inning rally from the Indians made it close. Anonymous Son wanted a funnel cake. I didn't let him get one. It's a nice stadium out there. They renovated it a few years ago. Added a waterfall to the outfield, some fireworks when an Angel hits a home run. I think we should have vendors in the office who go around the halls giving away drinks and food. It would be really convenient to not have to get up to get something to eat. I'm going to bring it up at the next partner meeting. Since I got last minute tickets, they were pretty high up, but I gave an usher a $20 to let us sneak into the good seats, so it wasn't like I had to expose Anonymous Son to any poor people. My wife and I are trying to keep him away from those for as long as I can, to keep him unspoiled. Unspoiled may be the wrong word. Untainted. Unspoiled is harder. I sent an e-card to the incoming class of associates, just a week away from the Bar Exam. I hope they appreciated it. You can send one here, from me, to your colleagues taking the bar exam too. I thought it would be a nice service to provide, save you from having to write your own. I'm hoping for some failures this year. Not that it's good for the firm, but it's just so much fun to know. To watch someone wandering the halls, knowing he's thinking about how everyone around him knows he failed the bar. It's one of the highlights of the year. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:39 am	Paul Ladewski: Every Day, Normal Idiot A number of things piss me off when it comes to sportswriting. The first is one-sentence paragraphs, the Bill Plaschke specialty. Another is prevalent in the following article: shtick. If you're not funny, please do not waste my time with your attempts. Making pedestrian similes with an attempt at humor is a waste of words, and should be punished with termination if used frequently. What follows is one of the most biased articles I've read. Yes, we all have a level of bias when it comes to our favorite sports team. But as a columnist, Mr. Ladewski is supposed to transcend that bias at appropriate times, providing us with objective analysis and insight; he fails in both regards here. In lieu of pointing out every instance of shtick here on, I'm going to note the egregious offenders with italics. In this corner, QuesTec out on strikes Or: A stupid title for a stupid column By Paul Ladewski, as printed in the Daily Southtown [GET TO THE RIPPING!]White Sox general manager Ken Williams would rather kiss a pig on the lips than talk about it. Off to a great start, Paul. I'm on the edge of my seat, anxiously pondering exactly what “it” is, and why “it” is so bad that Williams would rather smooch Babe than talk about “it.” "I prefer not to get into it," K-Will said while his team prepared to square off against the New York Yankee$ at The Cell earlier this week. More suspense! Oh, I'm just dying here. C'mon, c'mon, what is it? Oh, by the way, spelling “Yankees” with a dollar sign? Fucking brilliant. Get this guy a pulitzer. Check that. Ken Williams wants to make a public issue of it the way he wants malaria. What better way to follow up a cliffhanger than with more shtick! And if you’re counting at home, we have three paragraphs so far, all of which are one sentence, two of which provide inane idioms, and one of which is an unrevealing quote. Hats off, Paul. Hats off. "You do want to me talk about it, don't you?" he said. Well, uh ... Say it, Paul. You want to know. You want to know bad, as badly as the public wants to know what the Bush administration is really up to. You see what I did there, Paul? I made a statement, and then succeeded it by making a stupid and irrelevant comparison. Man, I must be a great sportswriter. "Excuse me," K-Will said. "I think I'll watch batting practice now." I have ditched women for less teasing than this. And what the women were teasing was much more enticing than a Paul Ladewski column. In that case, as a public service, at the risk of strangulation, allow me to reveal the dirty little secret around The Cell these days. As much as they rather not say so publicly, the Sox believe they haven't gotten a fair shake from the umpires this season. Specifically, that goes for their rotation, whose combined ERA is nearly one full run more than a year ago. So it’s okay for the White Sox pitchers to benefit from a wider strike zone, but when the zone is tightened and they can’t react, it’s the umps’ fault? I assert that if Garland, Buehrle, and Garcia need a liberal strike zone to succeed, they aren’t necessarily good pitchers. (I’m watching the Yankees-Sox game right now. For the record, the ump is calling strikes plenty low.) "No," pitching coach Don Cooper said flatly when asked if the team was afforded the same respect of a World Series ago. "No, we're not." If I was the White Sox PR guy, that's not what I'd have Cooper say to the press. Rather, I think a more appropriate statement would be, “Yes, we're getting a fair shake from the umps. It's just that our pitchers all had exceptional years last year, and they're just on the other side of the mean right now. It's a shame, but that's baseball for you.” While that’s not the best way to describe your pitchers to the press, it’s a ton fucking better than sounding like a little bitch. Cooper will talk about it — even if it makes him about as comfortable as a wool turtleneck in the summertime. I can't even begin to point out how stupid this simile is. Did Ladewski stay up all night thinking of that one? (Nah, got to bed at 2, 2:30). "We don't make excuses," Cooper said. "We get what we get. It is what it is. We have to be like the Marines — adapt and overcome — because (the umpires) won't adjust to us." You know what I want to do to Don Cooper right now? I want to open a dictionary to the page containing the word “contradiction” and beat him over the head with it. You don't make excuses, Don? Didn't you just make an excuse, that the umps are being unfair to you? Oh, I think you did. This also makes me want to take a shit in Coop's mouth. Not in a kinky, sexual, Cleveland Steamer kinda way, but in a, “you are a piece of shit, so it's high time you ate a piece of shit,” kinda way. To say the least, the Sox are in a tough spot here. In the Williams era, especially since manager Ozzie Guillen took over, the complaint department has been closed for business. This is a team that takes pride in accountability, and we've seen the results. Frankly, I believe the gripe is legit, especially when you consider these are the defending world champions here. But as concerned as they are about it, the Sox come off as whiners or worse if they beef in public. So the most compelling evidence for believing that the Sox are getting screwed is that they're the defending World Champions? In what world does that logic make sense? Yes, the umps have it out for the White Sox because they won the World Series last year. In fact, they’re always biased against the defending World Series Champions. That's why the Yanks weren't able to string together three straight in the late 90s. And trust me, the Sox believe this is a big deal given the closeness of the AL wild-card race. So big that they've quietly spent a lot of effort and a lot of time to state their case to the major league honchos, who promised to monitor the situation, if nothing else. If true, I would think this would be a big deal regardless of the circumstances. But that's just me. So what's behind the perceived slight? Is it a Guillen backlash? Some sort of Fox Sports conspiracy? Would you believe QuesTec? Hear, hear! The machines are taking over. Get your Robot Insurance here. "The bleepin' camera at the end of the dugout has something to do with it," Cooper said. "When the umpires come here, they know this is a QuesTec park. That's something we have to realize. That's the way it is." QuesTec is the name of the electronic eyes that Major League Baseball uses to judge its umpires every season. In theory, QuesTec is the best idea since Barry Bonds behind bars. For years, umpires said to heck with the rule book and called balls and strikes as they darn well pleased. QuesTec was supposed to take care of that. Paul, I agree with you -- in theory. In theory, communism works. In theory. Trouble is, QuesTec has fewer friends than a former Enron official. From players to coaches to managers, almost nobody likes it. For one, not every ballpark is equipped for the technology at the moment. The system is capable of mistakes itself, as the manufacturer admits. Worse yet, when Big Brother watches, some umps become so defensive their strike zones are tighter than manhole covers, to hear some players and coaches tell it. Okay, now I get to the meat of the argument. I could have stated this obvious idea at the beginning of the column, but I decided to wait until after the explanation of QuesTec. Laewski has purported that the Sox are getting screwed by the umps, and is now citing QuesTec as a major reason. But what he's implying is far more egregious: the umps are tightening the zone for the Sox, and widening it for their opponents. And that, my friends, is fucking ridonkulous. See, the idea of QuesTec is to grade the umps by creating an objective estimation of the strike zone. So if an umpire was to call balls and strikes differently for each team, he would be immediately outed. And that, in essence, is the greatest benefit of QuesTec. When a manager (or Hawk Harrelson) bitches and whines about the umps, MLB can look at the QuesTec findings and determine if, in fact, the ump was calling balls and strikes differently for each team. Of course, no one working for the White Sox could ever come to that conclusion. They're too busy worrying about being screwed over, oblivious to the fact that there may be better teams in the American League. Because in baseball, if it's unfair for both sides, it comes out fair. Kinda like multiplying a negative by a negative results in a positive. Hey, if you knew QuesTec grades determined postseason assignments, how would you react? I would react by saying, “well, these guys best understand what Major League Baseball wants the strike zone to look like. They can call balls and strikes objectively, without bias towards a certain team.” Because really, all we’re looking for is consistency and a little sense. "QuesTec is a tighter zone. It's as simple as that," Cooper said. "It sounds like a pitching guy talking, but that's the reality of it for me. It's a factor. How much of a factor, I don't know. What I do know is, the (strike) zone is different this year." Yet, it's the same for both teams. Unfortunately, that idea is far beyond Cooper's comprehension. Is QuesTec the reason why the Sox are on a pace to win only 96 games this season? Don't be silly. In fact, Cooper spoke only on the condition his words wouldn't sound like an alibi of some kind. "I don't want you to turn this into an excuse, because we have none," he said. Wait, wait. You just spent all that time bitching and whining about QuesTec and how it's supposedly screwing your shitty finesse pitchers, and now you're writing it off? What was the fucking point of this column, then? And, as you may note, Cooper has once again contradicted himself. You go from, “it's a factor,” to, “we have none [excuses].” This makes as much sense as Matt Hasselbeck getting flagged for making a tackle. Man, I'm on a roll! While I’m at it, I might as well bust Ladewski and Cooper for the “wouldn’t sound like an alibi” bit. It’s like the famous saying, “No offense, but you’re an asshole.” But is QuesTec part of the reason why finesse pitchers Mark Buehrle and Jon Garland have seen their ERAs blow up this season? Could be. You’re so repetitive that I have to be careful commenting on this statement, for fear of my own repetitiveness. But let's get this straight. The notion that QuesTec is the reason that the White Sox are on pace to win fewer games than last year is silly, but it could very well be the reason Buehrle and Garland have inflated ERAs. That's what you said. Now let's think about it for a second. The White Sox are scoring more runs than last year, so their offense is not the cause of the dropoff. Their defense has had one switch, Brian Anderson for Aaron Rowand, which is a push at worst. So, by that logic, the pitching would be the reason the White Sox are winning at a lesser rate. Get my point? Of course you do. Smart people can make that association. Ladewski? Not so much. "The umpires are very aware of the zone east and west but not as conscious north and south," Cooper said. "That's what the camera has done. Is it the rule book strike zone? Absolutely not. Is it knees to the letters? Absolutely not." Bitch, bitch, btich. But remember, he’s not making excuses here. That's bad news for comparative soft-tossers such as Garland and especially Buehrle, who have to live on the edges in the absences of 90-mph heat. Or to put it another way, when the Greg Maddux Strike Zone is in effect, Buehrle and Garland are very difficult to beat. When it isn't, Home Run Derby has been known to break out sometimes. Does Ladewski read his columns back to himself before he submits them? Because in case he wasn’t aware, copy editors only correct technical errors, not a writer’s misguided thoughts. What you said about the Greg Maddux Strike Zone reinforces my earlier assertion that if you absolutely need a liberal strike zone to succeed, you are not necessarily a very good pitcher. Take the key sequence in the seventh inning Monday night. With Buehrle on the mound, the Los Angeles Angels' Tim Salmon got the benefit of not one, not two, not three but four strikes, replays showed. It was almost as if home-plate ump Eric Cooper said, "How do you like QuesTec now, buddy?" If Buehrle wasn’t getting strikes on certain portions of the plate, he probably shouldn’t have thrown pitches in that locale. Sure enough, Salmon eventually walked, the Angels scored three times and Buehrle did a slow burn on his way to the showers. "I mean, I don't know ... " he said the next day. "I'll kind of wait on that and stay out of trouble. But I watched the game and hoped everyone else saw that." Nothing snarky. Just pointing out that Ladewski is glorifying Buehrle’s whining. Meanwhile, did you see the game Javier Vazquez pitched in Toronto last week? Wore out the corners for eight innings. Struck out 13. Rogers Centre doesn't have QuesTec, by the way. Ladewski, you diabolical! You have the whole scheme figured out. Based on one game pitched by Javy Vazquez in a non-QueTec ballpark, you’ve proven beyond a reasonable doubt that QuesTec is the sole source of the White Sox woes. Is it possible to win a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize for the same column? Because if you can, I’d like to introduce the nomination committees to Mr. Paul Ladewski. And you thought the Yankee$ were the machine that concerned the Sox most these days. I think he’s referring to the Yankee$ (clever, even the second time around) as a corporate machine. However, the only Yankees machine the White Sox should be worrying about is the juggernaut that is the Yankee offense. UPDATE: Commenter Ben V. from Sportzilla and the Jabber Jocks puts some numerical analysis to my lashings: Somehow I doubt Ladewski bothered to look, but just for fun, here are Mark Buerhle's home and road splits: Home: 4.34 ERA, 89.1 IP, 16 HR, 43/24 K/BB, .254 Opp BA Away: 5.69 ERA, 61.2 IP, 8 HR, 24/12 K/BB, .329 Opp BA Could QuesTec be trashing Buerhle? Sure. But why is he worse on the road this year, especially when he has a 3.70 road ERA over the past three seasons? Maybe he's just not pitching well. Oh and Javy Vasquez walked six and K'd eight yesterday. That had to be the result of QuesTec and not the fact his stuff was likely all over the place. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
10:58 am	Game Notes for 8/10 ABOUT TUESDAY NIGHT: The Rattlers jumped out to a 6-0 lead and held on for a 6-5 victory over the Beloit Snappers. Jose Escalona allowed one run over five innings for the win. BIG INNING: The Rattlers scored all of their runs in the third inning off Zach Ward. Adam Moore and Chris Minaker each had two run singles in the inning. Gerardo Avila and Travis Scott also added RBI singles. FIRST LOSS: Ward had been 8-0 on the season. He was 7-0 for Dayton and 1-0 in one start for the Snappers. SEVENTH WIN: Escalona leads the Rattlers in wins with seven. He has won two straight starts. In Tuesday’s game, Escalona got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the top of the second inning to keep the game scoreless. Overall, Escalona allowed one run on six hits with a pair of walks, a pair of hit batters, and five strikeouts. LATE CHARGE: The Snappers trailed 6-1 heading into the top of the eighth inning. They scored four runs (two earned) off Ruben Flores and Brian Kappel to get close. But, Kappel closed the door in the eighth and slammed it again with a 1-2-3 top of the ninth. SPLITSVILLE: The Rattlers split the four game series with the Snappers at Fox Cities Stadium. The final three games were all decided by one run with the Rattlers winning two of those games. STOPPING THE RATTLER KILLER: Erik Lis hit his fourth homer against the Rattlers with a lead off shot against Escalona in the top of the fourth. Lis went 0-for-3 the rest of the game with two strikeouts. Lis finished the season 17-for-44 (.386) with four homers, five doubles, and sixteen RBI against Wisconsin. DOUBLE SIXES: Wisconsin scored six runs in an inning twice in the series with the Snappers. In the third inning on Tuesday night and in the fourth inning on Sunday afternoon. BIG CROWD: Tuesday’s attendance at Fox Cities Stadium was 5,525. It was the eighth home crowd of over 5,000 for the Rattlers this season. Wisconsin is now 4-4 when playing in front of over 5,000 fans at home in 2006. ABOUT THE OPPONENTS: The Cedar Rapids Kernels are the Midwest League affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Kernels did not qualify for the playoffs in the first half. Their current second half record of 20-25 puts them seven games behind the Swing of the Quad Cities for the top Western Division playoff spot and 5-1/2 games behind Beloit for the Western Division Wild Card. The Kernels are currently 51-64 overall. Cedar Rapids is coming into this series off a 14-4 win over the Lansing Lugnuts on Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The blowout win gave them a split in their series with the Lugnuts. VS. CEDAR RAPIDS ’06: The Rattlers are 2-5 against the Kernels this season. Cedar Rapids swept a three game set from Wisconsin at Fox Cities Stadium April 13-15. Cedar Rapids won by scores of 7-2, 4-2, and 5-3. The teams met again May 4-7 at Memorial Stadium and split a four game series. Cedar Rapids won game one of the series 6-2. Wisconsin took game two 8-6 and game three 3-2 in eleven innings. The Kernels won the final game 6-5. PROSPECTING: BASEBALL AMERICA’s Top 30 list of Angel prospects has three current Kernels on it. Pitcher Tommy Mendoza is the highest rated on the list at number ten. Infielders Mark Trumbo (#12) and Hainley Statia (#16) are also on the list. Jordan Renz is not listed by BA, but he is tied for the Midwest League lead in home runs with 21 and is fourth in the RBI race with 72. Pitchers Nick Adenhart (#6) and Stephen Marek (#18) each had ten wins this season for the Kernels, but both have been promoted to Rancho Cucamonga since the last time Wisconsin saw the Kernels. OPPOSING STARTING PITCHER: Anthony Ortega was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela by the Angels in 2003. He recorded an ERA of 0.85 in 94-1/3 innings and was 7-4 in fourteen starts for the Angels Dominican Summer League team in 2005. Ortega began the 2006 season with Rancho Cucamonga in the California League where he appeared in five games for the Quakes going 0-1 with a save. He was sent down to extended spring training before heading to Orem in the Pioneer League where he went 1-1 with a 0.79 ERA in two starts before being promoted to Cedar Rapids. In his last start, the Peoria Chiefs scored three runs on seven hits over seven innings at O’Brien Field and tagged Ortega with the loss. Tonight is his first appearance against the Timber Rattlers. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:00 pm	Affleck And Garner Watch The Sox Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner at Fenway Park in Boston during the Boston Red Sox's baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Check out Ben blowing that bubble. What a weirdo. ( more pics to come) (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
9:57 pm	Tribe 14, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2 I know I'll offend the purists of Anaheim in the audience, but I love being on the winning end of a blowout of Anaheim. It was nice to see Cliff Lee of Anaheim get his first solid outing in a month, and a grand slam by the birthday boy of Anaheim made it a very enjoyable afternoon of Anaheim overall. Currently, the Detroit Tigers of Anaheim are losing to the Boston Red Sox of Anaheim 1-0, and the Texas Rangers of Anaheim are beating the Chicago White Sox of Anaheim 2-1. It's early, but keep your fingers crossed-- the Cleveland Indians of Anaheim could make up some ground in the AL Central of Anaheim. (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:50 pm	Baseball Notebook and Etcetera Bonds Not Indicted Hits 721st Homer Barry Bonds is not indicted and hits his 721st homer the same day. He may not ever admit it but his chances of going into Hall of Fame may depend on how his legal problems unravel in the coming months and years. Bonds is arrogant enough to think this will all pass away and he will take his place in Cooperstown. If he is convicted of a felony his chances of getting into the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame will be reduced to slim and none. Greg Anderson is the key to whether Bonds is convicted and has done jail time to avoid testifying to whether Bonds lied to the grand jury. If he testifies that Bonds took steroids on specific dates it will be the death knell for Bonds and his baseball career. Bonds may have captured the attention of baseball fans everywhere with his 73 homer season but at what price. He may have traded a few years of prodigious home run numbers for a prison cell if Greg Anderson explains the doping schedule on the calendars that were seized by law enforcement officials and proving beyond a doubt that Bonds knew exactly what he was taking and it wasn’t flaxseed oil but undetectable steroids. So for now Bonds can continue to play baseball and possibly even break the record of Hank Aaron for lifetime homers of 755 but even more likely is that he will be convicted of a felony before that ever happens. Trade Rumors From Sportsline.com Team by Team Arizona Diamondbacks Updated:07/18/2006 The Cleveland Plain Dealer writes the Diamondbacks have sent a scout to follow the Indians this week. It is believed Arizona has its eyes on pitcher Jake Westbrook. Atlanta Braves Updated:07/14/2006 According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Braves are interested in Padres setup man Scott Linebrink. Baltimore Orioles Updated:07/19/2006 The Baltimore Sun reports the Orioles and Phillies have held discussions about sending Rodrigo Lopez to Philadelphia in exchange for either Bobby Abreu or Pat Burrell. ... Jim Duquette, Baltimore's vice president of baseball operations, told the Washington Post there was no truth to the rumor the Orioles are planning to trade Lopez to the New York Mets. Boston Red Sox Updated:07/19/2006 According to the Providence Journal, the Red Sox may be willing to move Wily Mo Pena in exchange for a pitcher. The Cubs and Nationals have contacted Boston about the outfielder. Chicago Cubs Updated:07/19/2006 The latest rumor involving Cubs pitcher Greg Maddux, as published in the Daily Southtown, has the former Cy Young winner returning to Atlanta. Chicago White Sox Updated:07/19/2006 GM Ken Williams said there have been no takers for reliever Cliff Pollite, who was designated for assignment on Sunday, the Daily Southtown reports. ... The Chicago Tribune says Williams does not have any meetings planned between front office personnel and professional scouts before the trade deadline. ... According to the Daily Herald, the White Sox may consider trading for Philadelphia's Tom Gordon or Pittsburgh's Roberto Hernandez. Cleveland Indians Updated:07/18/2006 If the Indians decide to trade Jake Westbrook, they would want a power-hitting outfielder in return, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Colorado Rockies Updated:07/19/2006 The Rockies are working on a deal that would send Ray King to the Red Sox for Julian Tavarez, says the Rocky Mountain News. ... The Denver Post says Colorado is also interested in Boston's Rudy Seanez and Atlanta's Jorge Sosa. Detroit Tigers Updated:07/20/2006 The Tigers are reportedly in the running to acquire Washington's Alfonso Soriano, but White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen told the Chicago Sun-Times he heard the asking price was Justin Verlander and Joel Zumaya. Florida Marlins Updated:07/12/2006 The Dontrelle Willis front remains quiet, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Although several teams talked with the Marlins regarding the lefty, Florida was quick to reject any offers. Houston Astros Updated:07/16/2006 The Astros are shopping Willy Tavares and the Cubs and Marlins have shown interest, says the Chicago Tribune. Kansas City Royals Updated:07/17/2006 It is believed the Royals are going to be big sellers before the trade deadline by moving veterans Reggie Sanders, Matt Stairs, Mark Grudzielanek and possibly Mark Redman, says the Boston Globe. Los Angeles Angels Updated:07/20/2006 The Riverside Press Enterprise says the Angels will start shopping second baseman Adam Kennedy. Previous reports had Kennedy headed for Toronto in exchange for Shea Hillenbrand, but after the third baseman was released Wednesday, that seems unlikely. GM Bill Stoneman would not say whether there was still interested in the former Blue Jay, writes the Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Dodgers Updated:07/20/2006 If the Dodgers are unable to trade Jose Cruz Jr. or Ricky Ledee, the Los Angeles Times says Sandy Alomar Jr. could be moved. Milwaukee Brewers Updated:07/18/2006 GM Doug Melvin denied rumors he contacted Philadelphia about trading for Bobby Abreu, says the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Minnesota Twins Updated:07/20/2006 The Minneapolis Star Tribune says scouts from the Dodgers, Brewers, Cardinals and Yankees have been frequenting the Metrodome to scout pitcher Kyle Lohse. New York Mets Updated:07/20/2006 According to the Newark Star-Ledger the Mets would be interested in White Sox pitcher Freddy Garcia, but would probably have to give up pitcher Aaron Heilman or Duaner Sanchez in return. ... The East Valley Tribune reports the Mets have scouted the starts of Arizona's Miguel Batista and Juan Cruz and the teams have held preliminary discussions. New York Yankees Updated:07/20/2006 Newsday reports owner George Steinbrenner has switched his preference in outfielders from Philadelphia's Bobby Abreu to Washington's Alfonso Soriano. Oakland Athletics Updated:07/19/2006 Barry Zito and the Athletics have mapped out the lefty's final 15 starts for this season, suggesting the Oakland ace will not be traded before the July 31 deadline, says the Oakland Tribune. Philadelphia Phillies Updated:07/20/2006 The New York Daily News says GM Pat Gillick would be willing to move Pat Burrell or Bobby Abreu, but not both. ... The most recent rumors involving Abreu have the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox among the interested parties, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Inquirer also says the Orioles are considering trading for Abreu, but it would take more than Rodrigo Lopez to get him. Pittsburgh Pirates Updated:07/20/2006 The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says trading Craig Wilson is almost certainly in GM Dave Littlefield's pre-deadline plans. San Diego Padres Updated:07/20/2006 With the release of Vinny Castilla the Padres are definitely in the market for a third baseman and the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests Houston's Morgan Ensberg and former Blue Jay Shea Hillenbrand are possibilities to fill the role. San Francisco Giants Updated:07/19/2006 The Giants have set their sights on Pittsburgh's Sean Casey, but the Oakland Tribune says the team may go after lefty Mike Gonzalez as well. ... The Tribune also speculates San Francisco could try to acquire Javy Lopez, who reportedly wants out of Baltimore. ... According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Giants are also considering Rockies first baseman Ryan Shealy. Seattle Mariners Updated:07/19/2006 The Seattle Times says several teams have asked about the availability of reliever Rafael Soriano. St. Louis Cardinals Updated:07/17/2006 The Cardinals have considered contacting the Phillies about spare outfielder David Dellucci, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Tampa Bay Devil Rays Updated:07/20/2006 Julio Lugo's contract demands of about $8 million over four or five years make it likely he'll be traded before the July 31 deadline, says the St. Petersburg Times. The Toronto Sun says there have been conflicting reports as to whether the Blue Jays are interested in the shortstop. Texas Rangers Updated:07/20/2006 The Rangers have held internal discussions on whether Shea Hillenbrand, who was released by the Blue Jays on Wednesday, would fit into the club's plans, says the Dallas Morning News. Washington Nationals Updated:07/20/2006 The Washington Examiner reports the Nationals have ordered emergency scouting reports of the Mariners' farm system. Recent rumors have suggested Seattle has joined the fray to acquire Alfonso Soriano. A’s Move Further Ahead Of Rangers and Angels A’s didn’t play yesterday yet they still put more distance between them and the Rangers and Angels who both lost. A’s are now a game and a half ahead of Rangers and 2 games ahead of Angels. Blue Jays Defeat Yankees in 11th Inning Blue Jays take a much needed win against the Yankees when Vernon Wells hits his 24th homer in the 11th inning. Blue Jays really need a sweep in this series to make an impact on the AL East race because it is not likely the Red Sox or Yankees will let them back into the race. Braves Fall 12 Back of Mets Braves fall back to 12 games back of Mets. It is looking more and more like their only hope is the wildcard. They have 7 teams ahead of them in wildcard but they could pass 3 of those teams if those teams lose and Braves win today. Nineteen Teams Still in Pennant Race There are 19 teams that are either leading a division or are 10 or less games behind the leader. The AL West and NL West finds all their teams with a chance to win the pennant so there should be a lot of exciting baseball left this season. Etcetera Roberta Gambarini Exciting New Singer Very seldom does a singer like Roberta Gambarini come along and release such an excellent album on her first try. To me she sounds a little like Diana Krall. Even though raised in Italy you would never know it from the way she sings. Her first release contains songs that are standards. It is a very good business decision to first release songs that people know of because some record buyers will buy an album for the songs in it. You can listen to her music at amazon.com. The following is a review at amazon.com about her first American release Easy to Love with John Clayton who has backed up Diana Krall in some of her recordings playing the bass. "outstanding vocal & jazz arrangements...Roberta Gambarini", June 30, 2006 Reviewer: J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) Roberta Gambarini once quoted..."I am concentrating to a standard repertoire because people relate to it more in America, more original material will come later on."...As a teenager, when her peers were listening to American and Italian pop, she was checking out her dad's jazz record collection. She got hooked on the music and has developed a captivating, confident voice as she has matured into a serious artist..."The most important thing for me now, even more than style, is to establish a connection with the audience."...Roberta now puts her own spin on jazz chestnuts, works from the "Great American Songbook", and waits for the recording industry to notice how well she does it with her singular approach...Roberta Gambarini has an instrumental approach and possesses a warm timbre, impeccable timing and intonation, incredible technique and scatting and improvisation skills. Born in Torino, Italy from a family where jazz was much loved and appreciated, she began listening to this music as a child...started performing while still in her teens, touring jazz clubs in northern Italy...Since 1985 she has played the most important festivals and venues in her country as well as many of the renowned international jazz festivals...Gambarini's been recording since 1986 both under her name and as a featured singer with most Italian musicians. In 1998 she moved to the United States with a scholarship from the New England Conservatory in Boston. In the same year she won third price at the International Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. Appearing with Roberta on this album as backup Chuck Berghofer (Bass), John Clayton (Bass), Gerald Clayton (Piano), Joe La Barbera (Drums), Willie Jones III (Drums), James Moody Sextet (Tenor Saxophone, Vocals), Tamir Hendelman (Piano)...with outstanding arrangements by Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Strayhorn, Roberta Gambarini, Tamir Hendelman...Gambarini is now performing under her own name...just stand back and take in her warm and dusky timbre, with which she can scat well-known solos remarkably subtly. As Michael Brecker stated "Finally a singer whom musicians have long known is one of the greats, Roberta's recording debut is breathtaking"...a quote from Kevin Lowenthal of the Boston Globe "Gambarini is a true successor to Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae"...take a listen and see if you don't agree --- outstanding vocals and jazz arrangements on her latest release from Koch is "Easy To Love", and my friend this album is just that! (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:47 am	I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels ... I left work early yesterday and took Anonymous Son to the Angels game, way out in Anaheim. I don't know why. I don't know why they call themselves the Los Angeles Angels now. No one in Los Angeles gets on the 5 and drives through that traffic to get out to Anaheim to see the Angels play. They're no more Los Angeles than the valley is. I mentioned to a few associates that I was going to see the game, while I gave them an assignment to keep them in the office all night, and they looked at me like I was crazy. They didn't even know where Anaheim was. Never heard of it. I only knew because I had to do document review out there as an associate once, for some client in the middle of some industrial park out in the sticks. I don't who these people were at the game. They weren't from Los Angeles, and they didn't look like lawyers. Well, some of them were probably from the city. Like Dodgers fans, they left the game in the sixth inning to beat the traffic back, even though there's never any traffic going back, it's just getting out of the city at 5:00. Because Anonymous Son was with me, I didn't even need to use the blow-up doll I have for the passenger seat so I can use the HOV lane and save some time. I love the HOV lanes. Very smart move by the state. The Angels won, although a 9th inning rally from the Indians made it close. Anonymous Son wanted a funnel cake. I didn't let him get one. It's a nice stadium out there. They renovated it a few years ago. Added a waterfall to the outfield, some fireworks when an Angel hits a home run. I think we should have vendors in the office who go around the halls giving away drinks and food. It would be really convenient to not have to get up to get something to eat. I'm going to bring it up at the next partner meeting. Since I got last minute tickets, they were pretty high up, but I gave an usher a $20 to let us sneak into the good seats, so it wasn't like I had to expose Anonymous Son to any poor people. My wife and I are trying to keep him away from those for as long as I can, to keep him unspoiled. Unspoiled may be the wrong word. Untainted. Unspoiled is harder. I sent an e-card to the incoming class of associates, just a week away from the Bar Exam. I hope they appreciated it. You can send one here, from me, to your colleagues taking the bar exam too. I thought it would be a nice service to provide, save you from having to write your own. I'm hoping for some failures this year. Not that it's good for the firm, but it's just so much fun to know. To watch someone wandering the halls, knowing he's thinking about how everyone around him knows he failed the bar. It's one of the highlights of the year. (Comment on this)