When Cupcakes Attack (cont'd)

Carthage College wins its tuneup for its big season-opener against Martin Luther (who throws a mean two-handed set shot).

Carthage College 74, Northern Illinois 70
~

Hard to imagine; or, who signs him next?

Orioles released RHP Adam Eaton.
Eaton has been terrible by any standard, with an 8.56 ERA. With few natural options to replace him and a staff in dire need of pitching, Eaton's release speaks volumes about how much he can help a big-league team at this point. No word yet on who will get his next start. Matt Albers will take his roster spot, but he's been relieving for Triple-A Norfolk.
~

You know the MAC sucks when...

...Buffalo is leading one of the divisions.

~

Sucking Never Sleeps

Cent. Michigan     3 20  7  0  3  33  Final 
Northern Illinois  0  3 11 16  0  30  OT

This after coming back from a 30-6 deficit.

In related news, American Express is asking da gumbint for a few billion dollars... which financial institution will K-Mad try to destroy next?
~

That's a tasty cupcake

Huskies getting pummeled on national tv - the weekly series

Central Michigan coach wary of NIU's defense

Football matchup: Central Michigan at Northern Illinois

is this the week they turn it around?

No.

Saturday, Oct, 18
at South Florida +25 over Syracuse
~

Will someone from Camp BushCo get in the room with these amateurs and tell them how it's done before Grandpa goes unhinged and strangles someone?

The time to let on that your [P]rezzziduntial ticket is clueless is after they're electorated.

Memo to Joe Biden: Let Palin Talk

For those who worry about expectations being so low that she can't help but beat them, that she did well in Alaska debates (by being spunky and bluffing through with gimmicks like patting a "stack of solutions" on health care), consider this:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

first observations gleaned from tonight's performance

The Sox really suck.

Trey Hillman is a McCain man: Brain-Dead

Manager Trey Hillman said Wednesday that Kila Ka'aihue isn't playing much because he's trying to "pick the right spots" for him.  Unbelievable. Hillman said last week that Ka'aihue and Ryan Shealy would split time at first base for the remainder of the season, but since then Ka'aihue has started once. Hillman gave Ross Gload the start there Wednesday, because apparently the last-place Royals need to keep giving playing time to a 32-year-old with a .270/.312/.343 line this season rather than give their top MLB-ready prospect a chance after he hit .314 with 37 homers between Double-A and Triple-A.

~

Stand up, stand up, stand up... for change

Oddly I found that I was quite moved by the closing of John McCain's speech last night. While he hasn't entirely "lost it", he's clearly lost a couple steps (in the sense that aging athletes lose steps)...which I think makes me feel that he is being used to some extent, and that is really awful to consider. I think I was moved because he sort of represented elderly people in general and there is a real pain involved in turning away from them as leaders and ultimately as active participants in society...you might have a great deal of respect for them as people, great appreciation for what they did to build society, but as they begin to lose their powers (imperceptible though the loss may be to them) you are forced at some point to deny them things they may seek. This feels terrible.

But I can't put Sen. McCain, or anyone who's reached that point, in the incredibly taxing role of a reformist President. I don't believe McCain still has the enormous powers required to put an active hand to the tiller of the huge ship of the federal government -- and thus to elect him is to allow the status quo to continue. Change and reform above all else require energy, they require persistence and followthrough. If McCain was the leader of a movement committed to reform, I'd feel differently -- but as far as his team is concerned the "reform" theme is about a week old. Barack Obama's massive organization is well-aligned with his message; he has many partners who actively seek the same results he does. Meanwhile, McCain is a maverick in his own organization: his inner circle has been selling his "experience" for months, and the outer circles of the GOP establishment aren't into cleaning themselves up (whatever that would involve). McCain just seems too weakened to do it for real all by himself. Once elected I imagine his advisers constantly giving him the slip, fooling him into signing off on things, or simply failing ("sure, Mr. President, we'll get that picture of the Walter Reed building for you...") because attention to detail requires more energy than perhaps anything else imaginable. This would leave unelected functionaries all across Washington (the same Republican ones manipulating the current figurehead) running the show themselves -- and since they aren't about the "reform", it won't happen.

The only change would come with Obama: the one who hasn't been in Washington too long, the one with the deep intellect and knowledge, the energy of a man in his prime, and the committed team of like-minded workers and advisors he built with that energy -- not to mention the internal drive and belief that drove him to weather the slings and arrows in seeking this office. If you believe in a democracy where the elected official himself is the one who's really in charge, you want Obama, as painful as it may be to turn away from a hero like McCain. If you're comfortable with the status quo -- that is, rule by the neoconservatives behind the W curtain -- you can indulge yourself by voting to see one more smile on the old veteran's face.

"Grab some bench...

...I've known squirrels with better arms than you."


Philadelphia
IP H R ER BB K HR Season ERA
A. Eaton 2.2 10 8 6 1 1 0 5.20

Will the living envy the dead? YES!, or, Dat's da "first place" Sox?

My phokking @SSSS

@&^$*#%!

Bot 9th: Chi Cubs
- S. Phokkface @ssbag Linebrink relieved M. Thornton
- A. Ramirez homered to deep center

as reported here Friday...

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Cubs "are exploring the possibility" of signing Jim Edmonds. Let go by the Padres last week, Edmonds' arrival would send Felix Pie back to Triple-A. He batted .178/.265/.233 in 26 games with the Padres, whereas Pie is hitting .222/.286/.286 through 29 games, and Edmonds is 15 years older.

One of these years Dusty Baker will figure out the double switch, you'll see...

But until then he will still be compensated with MEEEEEEllllllions of dollars a year, so don't feel to bad for him...

Though Corey Patterson was supposed to be at the plate, David Ross batted out of order in the ninth inning of an 8-3 loss to the Mets on Sunday. What is this, Little League? Per MLB rules, Ross has to complete his at-bat to be ruled out, and the outcome of his at-bat is then discarded with no runners allowed to advance. The Mets allowed him to do so, and since he lined out to right there was little harm done. Ross was the batter listed in the order after Patterson, so he was forced to come back to the plate for his 'real' at-bat and Patterson was charged the out. Ross singled after returning to the batter's box. There's almost too many jokes here for us to enjoy. Corey Patterson making outs even when he's not at-bat is just one of them. As if their wasn't already overwhelming evidence that Dusty Baker is a horrible manager, this just adds more fuel to the fire.

Smiff Knows Awfulness

HACKING MASS 2008
(Average Team 2008 ESPN: 86.3555)
Owner Team Name 2008 ESPN
1. statsMonger22 62-100 198
2. krukker Deadwood Drunks IV: The Awfulness 185
3. stansby Where's Barry? 182

Unlikely to last since Matt Morris was so awful he was released. I should get extra points for that.

Drunks are back...already totally sucking at #16

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/hm/

tuck him away

Sayonara! Japanese team, down 66-0 in 2nd, gives up

The coach of Kawamoto technical high school forfeited to spare his pitcher's arm with his team losing 66-0 with just one batter out in the bottom of the second. The young pitcher had already thrown more than 250 pitches, allowing 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second before Kawamoto asked for mercy.

Well, I'm starting a "My S#i+ Don't Stink" campaign...

Bush aiming to establish positive legacy

I'm putting one thing in the positive column for now: did not start war with Iran. Of course, this could change by tomorrow. Can't think of anything else. Anyone?

how will they blow it?

Chicago 13
Minnesota 6
Halftime

I don't care -- I'm going to bed. I'll say dis dough... for all the talk of Grossman, the oh-fensive line is even more totally gross, man.