Hello,
Things I'm most definitely not writing about today include NBA free agency. Dwight Howard, drama queen extraordinare, continues to dither about what team he's going to sign with. Meanwhile I hope I'm in the majority of people that could care less what team he decides to destroy. Which team will he ruin with his selfish, whiny and lazy personality? I have to laugh when he says all he wants is a title. If that's true then he should probably stay in LA. LA would have him, Kobe Bryant and could sign 2 max contract players in 2014.
If he really wants a title then right this minute he needs to go to the local gym and start shooting 500 free throws a game. He needs to raise his free throw shooting percentage high enough so that people can no longer Hack-A-Howard. It would be good for one of the highest paid players in the NBA to not be a liability at the end of games. What does it say about Howard that they have a name for how to exploit his biggest weakness?
Again if Howard really wants a title, I would suggest that Howard not take a max contract. He should actually take less, $10 million a year should take care of all of his needs. Howard taking less would give the Lakers more cap room to work with, giving them the ability to sign a better supporting cast to surround him and Kobe.
However I know that Howard's #1 goal isn't a championship, although of course he'd be glad to win one. Well just as long as he doesn't have to work too hard to get it. Howard's #1 priority isn't winning a championship, it's getting all the attention he can get. He's loving being in the spotlight now.
Howard says he'll announce who he's going to play for by Friday. I don't believe him, one thing about Howard is that he craves attention. Nope I'm pretty sure he's going to stretch this decision out as long as possible. And what is the guarantee that he actually sticks with a decision once he makes it. How long after he signs with a team until he becomes unhappy? I'm so glad my Jazz aren't in the Howard sweepstakes.
On Friday, July 5th, today is the day that Dwight Howard is suppose to announce where he's going to play. It was reported earlier today that he was going to tweet where he'll be playing the next 4 years. But then a half-hour later someone tweeted that he wouldn't be announcing on Twitter today. I'm sorry but if you are waiting around to hear where Howard is going to play, you really need to get a life.
Howard loves to jerk people around, he's been doing it for 3 years now. This is the time that he can take the best advantage of that. ESPN reports that the Warriors are going to sign Andre Iguodala which seems to indicate that they are taking themselves out of the Howard sweepstakes. I love that move, don't let Howard have the power. This is a good sign that the Warriors won't "win" the Howard sweepstakes. That's good news for them.
Again my team is the Utah Jazz and the news has come that former Jazzman Al Jefferson is going to sign with the Charlotte Bobcats. For some crazy reason the Bobcats agreed to pay him an average of $13.6 million a year for the next 3 years. Don't get me wrong but Jefferson is a perfectly good offensive player, but he's essentially a one dimensional player. Everything that I've heard about him is that he's a good guy, but that he's not a leader. Leadership is what the Bobcats need desperately. ESPN's Mark Stein reported this story and he said that Jefferson is Michael Jordan's biggest free agency signing since he's been running the team. I don't think you need to hear any more to realize why the Bobcats are so bad. I think Jordan is the Jerry Jones of the NBA.
The Knicks are going to resign J.R. Smith for 4 more years. Smith is a tenacious player but he also hasn't met a shot that he doesn't love. How many times did he kill the Knicks with his poor shooting in the playoffs? I love that signing as that will keep the Knicks spinning their wheels and they'll remain mediocre. The Knicks making it to the second round of the playoffs last season seems to be their peak. The Knicks will go back to being an after thought in the Eastern Conference. Hmm, maybe James Dolan is the Jerry Jones of the NBA.
TV:
I've seen all 6 episodes of season 3 of "The Killing", which is all the episodes they've shown. I hated the first two seasons of this show, but started watching season 3 because of good reviews. The show lived up to the good reviews at least initially. However "The Killing" is slipping back into some of it's weaknesses of the first two seasons. I'm tired of how relentlessly dark this show is, someone needs to turn on a few lights. Also the sixth episode has too much filler, which was one of the biggest downfalls of the first two seasons. I thought "The Killing" had resolved that by cutting from 13 to 12 episodes for season 3. It seems they should have cut at least one more episode.
Although "Falling Skies" was recently renewed for a 4th season, I don't know if I'm going to be able to get through the third season. There are starting to be too many aliens. And the show just seems to now lack that whatever it was that made the first two seasons so enjoyable. I haven't even watched the last 2 episodes of this show. I may or may not going forward.
Music:
Once again I want to say thanks to Spotify. I love hearing about a great band or song and almost being able to instantly go to Spotify to listen to the band or song. As I don't make a whole lot of money, I'm also glad it's free. Spotify saves me money by saving me from buying music that didn't turn out to be very good. For instance, I love Charlie XCX's song "What I Like". However after listening to a few songs on her CD, "True Romance" all the songs started running together. I had enough of that after about 5 or 6 songs.
In the February, 2013 Classic Rock magazine they previewed a lot of good bands who have new music coming out in 2013. They previewed such great bands as Pearl Jam, Foxy Shazam, The Scorpions, Black Stone Cherry, The Temperance Movement, Virginmarys, Tame Impala and Heaven's Basement.
In that issue of Classic Rock I read great things about the band Tame Impala. I listened to them on Spotify, listening to a few songs off of their most recent CD "Lonerism". A few songs was enough for me. The Tame in their band names seems to refer to the type of rock music they play. I became bored of their music quickly.
I'm a long time fan of The Scorpions and Pearl Jam. I've fallen in love with Black Stone Cherry and Foxy Shazam in the last couple of years. In 2013 I discovered The Virginmarys and I'm a huge fan of their CD "King of Conflict". They are a great band and I really love their sound.
Because of Spotify I do find pleasant surprises as well. I'd never heard of The Temperance Movement or Heaven's Basement until reading about them in this magazine. But now I love Heaven's Basement. They play true rock and roll and they kick some serious butt. They're one of the pleasant musical surprises of 2013 for me. The Virginmarys, Rival Sons and Heaven's Basement are probably my 3 favorite bands I've discoverd in 2013.
Another band I enjoyed is the Temperance Movement. Although they only have a 5 song available on Spotify now I enjoyed it. Thanks to my brother he suggested the band Adrenaline Mob, I quite like most of their stuff. I love their take on Duran Duran's "Come Undone". They've released a selection of good covers and original music.
themusicaddict
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Dodgers Daily, July 3rd, 2013: Ramirez Continues Hot Streak, Dodgers Win 10 of 11
Hello,
Happy 4th of July!
In the second game of the Dodgers-Rockies series, the LA won 10-8. LA has won 10 of 11 games and are on absolute fire. I'm always proud to be a Dodgers fan, but now I'm also excited to be a Dodgers fan. But is this Dodgers resurgence built to last? The Blue Jays floundered the early part of the season and then out of the blue won 11 games in a row. They looked like they were on their way to fulfilling the potential of all their off season moves. However since the Blue Jays 11 game winning streak, they have only won 3 of their last 10 games. Is that how things will turn out for LA?
Hanley Ramirez is playing out of his mind. Wednesday he was 4 for 5 and is hitting .412 this season. I didn't think any Dodger would get close to Yasiel Puig's batting average until Puig cooled off. Well Puig isn't cooling off and Ramirez is closing in on him. Ramirez also hit his 7th home run of the season in the 9th inning, giving the Dodgers another insurance run in the thin air of Colorado.
Puig has the reputation of going all out. I would say that usually that's a good thing, however he injured himself yesterday because of it. He crashed into the wall, but did make the catch. He injured himself but is listed as day to day. Wednesday he was 1 for 3 and he's hitting .440. Puig also added his 18th RBI of the season. As for the controversy of whether he should be in the All-Star game I wonder who really cares. The All-Star game is so watered down now anyway and the game seems to be losing a lot of its prestige. As a Dodgers fan I'd rather have him have 4 days of rest.
Adrian Gonzalez hit his second home run of the series with a laser to the second deck of Coors Field. Matt Kemp finally hit his 3rd home run of the season, although he still doesn't look 100% right yet. His batting stance makes him look stiff, although that same batting stance has worked well for him over the years. He was 2 for 5 and is hitting .251 this season.
While things are looking good now for LA, Zack Greinke continues to be mediocre. The $21,000,000 man continues to struggle. In 5 innings he gave up 6 hits, 5 runs and 7 walks. (7 walks?!). Thanks to the Dodgers incredible run support, he still got the win and improves to 6-2 on the season. His ERA is non-impressive at 4.30. Clayton Kershaw, a much better pitcher, is probably wondering what he has to do to get such run support.
On July 4th the Dodgers go for the sweep, the scheduled pitching match up is Chris Capuano (2-5, 4.72 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (7-3, 3.59 ERA). Capuano looks like he might have some potential, but I wish the Dodgers would go out and get either Matt Garza or Ricky Nolasco for the stretch run. I'd rather have either of those pitchers than Ted Lilly.
The Dodgers are 40-43 and have a 16.3% chance of reaching the playoffs. LA is in third place in the NL West. In terms of games behind, they are tied with the Rockies at 2.5 games behind. Whoever wins the Dodgers-Rockies game today will be all alone in second place in the NL West. That would be an incredible turn of events for the Dodgers. Of course it helps that Arizona is only 2-8 over their last 10 games. San Diego is also 2-8 over their last 10 games and it looks like they are about to be swept by the Red Sox on July 4th. The defending World Series champs San Francisco Giants have forgotten how to score and are only 1-9 over their last 10 games. The NL West is there for the Dodgers to take.
LA's Wednesday win is also the first time all season they've scored 5 or more runs in three straight games. Actually they've scored at least 6 runs in their last 3 games, over those games they are averaging 8 runs a game. No coincidence they won all 3 games.
The Dodgers are also finally rising up the ranks in something else, the stat for runs scored. LA scored 10 runs yesterday and leapt from the 29th to 26th highest run scoring team. The previous best I can remember the Dodgers were at was tied for 26th place. All alone in 26th place is better than that. LA trails the Astros by two runs. Maybe the Dodgers, the team with the second highest payroll, can finally pass the MLB team with the lowest payroll, the Astros.
The Dodgers will never catch the Red Sox, who have scored 125 more runs through July 3rd. If the Dodgers can sneak into the top ten that would mean good things for them. Currently they are 77 runs out of 10th place.
The Orioles also won on July 3rd, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2. Chris Davis hit his 32nd home run of the season. But he's not just a home run hitter, he finished 2 for 4 and is hitting .331 this season. In the race for the Triple Crown, Davis is 4th in batting average. He leads all of the MLB with his 32nd home run, having hit 6 more home runs than the incredible Miguel Cabrera. However Cabrera is first in RBIs, leading second place Davis by 2 RBIs.
The newly traded for Orioles pitcher Scott Feldman had a decent debut. He pitched 6 innings, only giving up 6 hits and 2 earned runs. He earned no decision in this game, but he's 7-6 on the season. He also lowered his ERA to an even 3.00.
Meanwhile the Alex Rodriguez train continues to head to obscurity. In 4 at bats in single A ball so far, he's 0 for 4. Meanwhile the Biogenesis mess continues to close in on Rodriguez. Once the process is done, the MLB wants to suspend ARod 100 games for his committing his second known violation of the steroids policy. If he's suspended, the Yankees wouldn't have to pay him. That would probably save the Yankees about $15,000,000. Would that be the first suspension that actually benefits the team?
I love how on Thursday that Rodriguez said he won't give up on the Yankees. Um Alex that's not what you have to worry about. What you need to worry about is when the Yankees will be giving up on you. If I'm the Yankees I've already given up on Arod. In those same comments Rodriguez says that most people would suggest the Yankees trade him. I'm sorry but Alex but I hope that "most people" would realize you are untradeable. Who'd want a player that's injury prone, paid way too much, out of touch completely with reality and is about to be suspended at least 50 games?
Congrats to the Detroit Tigers Max Scherzer for improving to 13-0 this season. This is the first time a pitcher has been 13-0 to start a season since 1986. (Thanks to ESPN for that great little nugget.)
themusicaddict
Happy 4th of July!
In the second game of the Dodgers-Rockies series, the LA won 10-8. LA has won 10 of 11 games and are on absolute fire. I'm always proud to be a Dodgers fan, but now I'm also excited to be a Dodgers fan. But is this Dodgers resurgence built to last? The Blue Jays floundered the early part of the season and then out of the blue won 11 games in a row. They looked like they were on their way to fulfilling the potential of all their off season moves. However since the Blue Jays 11 game winning streak, they have only won 3 of their last 10 games. Is that how things will turn out for LA?
Hanley Ramirez is playing out of his mind. Wednesday he was 4 for 5 and is hitting .412 this season. I didn't think any Dodger would get close to Yasiel Puig's batting average until Puig cooled off. Well Puig isn't cooling off and Ramirez is closing in on him. Ramirez also hit his 7th home run of the season in the 9th inning, giving the Dodgers another insurance run in the thin air of Colorado.
Puig has the reputation of going all out. I would say that usually that's a good thing, however he injured himself yesterday because of it. He crashed into the wall, but did make the catch. He injured himself but is listed as day to day. Wednesday he was 1 for 3 and he's hitting .440. Puig also added his 18th RBI of the season. As for the controversy of whether he should be in the All-Star game I wonder who really cares. The All-Star game is so watered down now anyway and the game seems to be losing a lot of its prestige. As a Dodgers fan I'd rather have him have 4 days of rest.
Adrian Gonzalez hit his second home run of the series with a laser to the second deck of Coors Field. Matt Kemp finally hit his 3rd home run of the season, although he still doesn't look 100% right yet. His batting stance makes him look stiff, although that same batting stance has worked well for him over the years. He was 2 for 5 and is hitting .251 this season.
While things are looking good now for LA, Zack Greinke continues to be mediocre. The $21,000,000 man continues to struggle. In 5 innings he gave up 6 hits, 5 runs and 7 walks. (7 walks?!). Thanks to the Dodgers incredible run support, he still got the win and improves to 6-2 on the season. His ERA is non-impressive at 4.30. Clayton Kershaw, a much better pitcher, is probably wondering what he has to do to get such run support.
On July 4th the Dodgers go for the sweep, the scheduled pitching match up is Chris Capuano (2-5, 4.72 ERA) vs. Jhoulys Chacin (7-3, 3.59 ERA). Capuano looks like he might have some potential, but I wish the Dodgers would go out and get either Matt Garza or Ricky Nolasco for the stretch run. I'd rather have either of those pitchers than Ted Lilly.
The Dodgers are 40-43 and have a 16.3% chance of reaching the playoffs. LA is in third place in the NL West. In terms of games behind, they are tied with the Rockies at 2.5 games behind. Whoever wins the Dodgers-Rockies game today will be all alone in second place in the NL West. That would be an incredible turn of events for the Dodgers. Of course it helps that Arizona is only 2-8 over their last 10 games. San Diego is also 2-8 over their last 10 games and it looks like they are about to be swept by the Red Sox on July 4th. The defending World Series champs San Francisco Giants have forgotten how to score and are only 1-9 over their last 10 games. The NL West is there for the Dodgers to take.
LA's Wednesday win is also the first time all season they've scored 5 or more runs in three straight games. Actually they've scored at least 6 runs in their last 3 games, over those games they are averaging 8 runs a game. No coincidence they won all 3 games.
The Dodgers are also finally rising up the ranks in something else, the stat for runs scored. LA scored 10 runs yesterday and leapt from the 29th to 26th highest run scoring team. The previous best I can remember the Dodgers were at was tied for 26th place. All alone in 26th place is better than that. LA trails the Astros by two runs. Maybe the Dodgers, the team with the second highest payroll, can finally pass the MLB team with the lowest payroll, the Astros.
The Dodgers will never catch the Red Sox, who have scored 125 more runs through July 3rd. If the Dodgers can sneak into the top ten that would mean good things for them. Currently they are 77 runs out of 10th place.
The Orioles also won on July 3rd, beating the Chicago White Sox 4-2. Chris Davis hit his 32nd home run of the season. But he's not just a home run hitter, he finished 2 for 4 and is hitting .331 this season. In the race for the Triple Crown, Davis is 4th in batting average. He leads all of the MLB with his 32nd home run, having hit 6 more home runs than the incredible Miguel Cabrera. However Cabrera is first in RBIs, leading second place Davis by 2 RBIs.
The newly traded for Orioles pitcher Scott Feldman had a decent debut. He pitched 6 innings, only giving up 6 hits and 2 earned runs. He earned no decision in this game, but he's 7-6 on the season. He also lowered his ERA to an even 3.00.
Meanwhile the Alex Rodriguez train continues to head to obscurity. In 4 at bats in single A ball so far, he's 0 for 4. Meanwhile the Biogenesis mess continues to close in on Rodriguez. Once the process is done, the MLB wants to suspend ARod 100 games for his committing his second known violation of the steroids policy. If he's suspended, the Yankees wouldn't have to pay him. That would probably save the Yankees about $15,000,000. Would that be the first suspension that actually benefits the team?
I love how on Thursday that Rodriguez said he won't give up on the Yankees. Um Alex that's not what you have to worry about. What you need to worry about is when the Yankees will be giving up on you. If I'm the Yankees I've already given up on Arod. In those same comments Rodriguez says that most people would suggest the Yankees trade him. I'm sorry but Alex but I hope that "most people" would realize you are untradeable. Who'd want a player that's injury prone, paid way too much, out of touch completely with reality and is about to be suspended at least 50 games?
Congrats to the Detroit Tigers Max Scherzer for improving to 13-0 this season. This is the first time a pitcher has been 13-0 to start a season since 1986. (Thanks to ESPN for that great little nugget.)
themusicaddict
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
themusicaddict's Greatest CDs Of All-Time: The Hooters "Nervous Night"
Hello,
On April 26th, 1985 a relatively unknown band named the Hooters released their second CD "Nervous Night". Until today I'd thought that was their debut CD, it turns out that "Nervous Night" is their second CD.
This band reminds me very much of 1985 and specifically it reminds me of my time at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. That was the first place I lived after leaving home. Although I learned a lot at Ricks College, not very much of that learning happened in the classroom. I learned a lot about myself and the ability to live on my own. It was the first time that I did my own laundry, which is something I take for granted now. Learning how to be partially self-reliant was probably the best thing for me about Ricks College. A few months after I survived Ricks College I was able to go on a 2 year LDS mission. I'm not sure I would have completed the a mission without my time at Ricks. (Ricks College is now called Brigham Young-Idaho.)
Another thing I learned about in my first time away from home was about some great music including "Nervous Night". Whenever I hear a great song from this CD I'll likely always remember my time served at Ricks College.
Anyway on to the CD, I don't know how much impression this CD made on America. It made a big impression on me though, I've loved this CD since I first heard it. Probably the most famous song from "Nervous Night"is the jaunty "And We Danced". The haunting "Where Do The Children Go" & "Day by Day" also made minimal impressions on the Top 40. "Nervous Night" went on to sell over 2 million copies. Rolling Stone magazine also named them the best new band of 1985. They were also the first act for the part of Live Aid held in Philadelphia. Also The Hooters were nominated Best New Band In A Video at the 1986 VMAs. (Thanks to wikipedia.org.)
Here are the amazing and excellent 10 songs from "Nervous Night", starting with the jaunty "And We Danced":
"Day By Day":
I can't believe I haven't heard this song in all of the Zombie movies and television shows that are on today. It seems a show like "Warm Bodies" would have found an appropriate use for "All You Zombies":
One of my favorite songs from this CD is "Don't Take My Car Out Tonight":
"Nervous Night":
"Hanging On A Heartbeat":
"Where Do The Children Go" (featuring Patty Smyth):
Although I had completely forgotten this song, listening to it again reminds me that there's no bad songs on "Nervous Night". I'd say that's a prerequisite to be a classic CD. This is "South Ferry Road":
"She Comes In Colors":
"Blood From A Stone":
As with the Knack, who had the amazing "Get The Knack", once the influence of their CD wore off, The Hooters started to fade. The Hooters followed "Nervous Night" with the I can barely remember it "One Way Home". I can honestly say that not one title of the songs on that CD rings a bell. Here's the complete "One Way Home":
I'm listening to "One Way Home" now on Spotify and I'm not impressed. The song that stands out the most is "Satellite". The rest of the songs sound like a band that only had one great album in them. And there's nothing wrong with that, that's one great album is more than 99.9% of all people have in them.
"Satellite":
themusicaddict
On April 26th, 1985 a relatively unknown band named the Hooters released their second CD "Nervous Night". Until today I'd thought that was their debut CD, it turns out that "Nervous Night" is their second CD.
This band reminds me very much of 1985 and specifically it reminds me of my time at Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho. That was the first place I lived after leaving home. Although I learned a lot at Ricks College, not very much of that learning happened in the classroom. I learned a lot about myself and the ability to live on my own. It was the first time that I did my own laundry, which is something I take for granted now. Learning how to be partially self-reliant was probably the best thing for me about Ricks College. A few months after I survived Ricks College I was able to go on a 2 year LDS mission. I'm not sure I would have completed the a mission without my time at Ricks. (Ricks College is now called Brigham Young-Idaho.)
Another thing I learned about in my first time away from home was about some great music including "Nervous Night". Whenever I hear a great song from this CD I'll likely always remember my time served at Ricks College.
Anyway on to the CD, I don't know how much impression this CD made on America. It made a big impression on me though, I've loved this CD since I first heard it. Probably the most famous song from "Nervous Night"is the jaunty "And We Danced". The haunting "Where Do The Children Go" & "Day by Day" also made minimal impressions on the Top 40. "Nervous Night" went on to sell over 2 million copies. Rolling Stone magazine also named them the best new band of 1985. They were also the first act for the part of Live Aid held in Philadelphia. Also The Hooters were nominated Best New Band In A Video at the 1986 VMAs. (Thanks to wikipedia.org.)
Here are the amazing and excellent 10 songs from "Nervous Night", starting with the jaunty "And We Danced":
"Day By Day":
I can't believe I haven't heard this song in all of the Zombie movies and television shows that are on today. It seems a show like "Warm Bodies" would have found an appropriate use for "All You Zombies":
One of my favorite songs from this CD is "Don't Take My Car Out Tonight":
"Nervous Night":
"Hanging On A Heartbeat":
"Where Do The Children Go" (featuring Patty Smyth):
Although I had completely forgotten this song, listening to it again reminds me that there's no bad songs on "Nervous Night". I'd say that's a prerequisite to be a classic CD. This is "South Ferry Road":
"She Comes In Colors":
"Blood From A Stone":
As with the Knack, who had the amazing "Get The Knack", once the influence of their CD wore off, The Hooters started to fade. The Hooters followed "Nervous Night" with the I can barely remember it "One Way Home". I can honestly say that not one title of the songs on that CD rings a bell. Here's the complete "One Way Home":
I'm listening to "One Way Home" now on Spotify and I'm not impressed. The song that stands out the most is "Satellite". The rest of the songs sound like a band that only had one great album in them. And there's nothing wrong with that, that's one great album is more than 99.9% of all people have in them.
"Satellite":
themusicaddict
Dodgers Daily, July 2nd, 2013: Kershaw Finally Gets Run Support, Congrats Homer Bailey, Thanks MLBN
Hello,
First things first, congrats to the Cincinnati Reds Homer Bailey for pitching a no hitter last night. He pitched the first no hitter of the season and is also the pitcher who pitched the previous no hitter. Since he had a no hitter, he was obviously dominating. I love the fact that one of the best pitchers now has the name of Homer. Thanks to MLBN for giving me the ability to watch Bailey get the final 3 outs in his no hitter. One of the many reasons I love MLB so much. Also thanks to Root Sports for being able to see a couple of innings of my LA Dodgers.
No matter what happens with Carlos Marmol in LA, no one will ever say today was the start of Marmol Madness. It's only a matter of time until the Dodgers send Marmol on his way, he seems to be the least important piece for the Dodgers in the trade that brought him to LA. I realize the Dodgers didn't give up much, but Carlos Marmol?
On Tuesday the Dodgers started a 3 game series against the Rockies in Colorado. They won the first game 8-0. Entering Tuesday's game the Rockies were 2 games ahead of the Dodgers. If the Dodgers sweep the series, which won't happen, LA would move pass Colorado in the NL West. As of now all 5 NL West teams could win this mediocre division. One reason the Dodgers have struggled so much this season is because of their inability to score runs. Even though LA scored 8 runs yesterday, they're still in 29th place in runs scored.
However with the NL Central so strong it's highly likely that possibly both of the NL Wild Cards will come out of that division. NL West teams that want to go to the playoffs, quite likely they need to win the NL West or start planning for next season.
Tuesday night's starting pitching matchup was Clayton Kershaw (6-5, 2.08 ERA) vs. Roy Oswalt (0-2, 7.36 ERA). Kershaw finally received some run support and pitched another fantastic game. His 7-5 record doesn't do true justice to how well he's been pitching this year. Entering this game Kershaw has the second lowest run support. He pitched a 4 hit shut out as his ERA decreases to 1.93. Although he's tied for 25th in wins, Kershaw leads all of MLB in ERA. Kershaw is also fourth in strikeouts, he has 126. He certainly deserves a raise in his next contract negotiations.
Kershaw pitched so well that even Michael Cuddyer couldn't get a hit off of him. Cuddyer was 0 for 4, which ended his 27 game hitting streak. After the game Cuddyer seemed to have a good attitude about the end of his streak. Don't feel too bad for him, he's still hitting .339. Oswalt struggled in the game, he dropped to 0-3 this season. His ERA took another hit and dropped to an even worse .788. Oswalt looked decent in the game, but the Dodgers certainly had him figured out.
Mark Ellis, who looks to be the casualty if the Dodgers trade for Chase Utley, led off the game. He popped out on his first at bat. Ellis finished 1 for 5, his batting average dropped to .258. He also had an error. The next batter was Yasiel Puig, guess what happened. He had a single, but then was caught stealing. Puig, who had another great game, finished 3 for 5. He hit his 8th homer of the season and is hitting .443.
Adrian Gonzalez popped out on his first bat as his batting average dropped to .295. However Gonzalez bounced back, finishing 2 for 5 and is hitting .298 as he continues to flirt with .300. He also had his 11th home run and his 49th and 50th RBIs of the season. He's been the one constant Dodgers offensive presence this season. Gonzalez is tied for a respectable 54th place in MLB for home runs. He's tied for a much better 24th for RBIs. He's all by himself at #34 in batting average.
Now if Matt Kemp could only remember how to hit, then you could see the full potential of this lineup. Kemp was 0 for 5, his batting average decreases to .248. Although his last at bat, he hit the ball to the warning track in the thin Colorado air. It will be nice when Carl Crawford comes back, but I hope they are giving him all the time he needs to fully heal. I just don't think the Dodgers can fully count on Crawford, he's just too injury prone.
The Dodgers have won 9 of 10 and continue to surge up the NL West. Thanks to the Giants poor play of late, LA is no longer last place in the NL West. The Dodgers are tied for third place with the Padres, the team that the Dodgers were able to turn this season around against. In the weak NL West, LA is still only 39-43. But they seem to have finally started playing to their potential and have a 13.6% chance of making the playoffs.
The Red Sox helped the Dodgers by beating the Padres 4-1. It's the least the Red Sox could do after LA took Josh Beckett off their hands. Boston has won 2 games in a row and 7 of 10. They are 51-34 and continue to lead the AL East. Boston leads the entire league in runs scored, they have scored an incredible 435 times. They have a 86.9% chance of making the playoffs. Baltimore is in second place in runs scored, they have 412 runs. Those same Orioles are second place in the AL East, trailing the Red Sox by 3.5 games. Baltimore has a 45.7% chance of making the playoffs.
Boston started John Lackey pitched 8 pretty good innings, only giving up a respectable 6 hits. He only gave up 1 run, lowering his ERA to 2.83. After losing Joel Hanrahan to season ending surgery and with Andrew Miller struggling, the Red Sox have turned to Koji Uehara to close games. He earned his 5th save of the season, has a small 2.06 ERA and has thrown 51 strikeouts.
Another one of my teams that's doing well is the Braves. Of course it helps them that they are playing in the mediocre NL East, clearly the NL Central is the strongest team in the NL. The Braves beat the Marlins 11-3 on Tuesday, Miami is the lowest scoring team in MLB. Kris Medlen was 2 for 2 at the plate and improved to 6-7 on the season.
Atlanta, 49-34, continues to dominate the NL East, the Braves have won 4 in a row. They are leading the second place Nationals by a full 7 games and have a 95.4% chance of reaching the playoffs.
themusicaddict
First things first, congrats to the Cincinnati Reds Homer Bailey for pitching a no hitter last night. He pitched the first no hitter of the season and is also the pitcher who pitched the previous no hitter. Since he had a no hitter, he was obviously dominating. I love the fact that one of the best pitchers now has the name of Homer. Thanks to MLBN for giving me the ability to watch Bailey get the final 3 outs in his no hitter. One of the many reasons I love MLB so much. Also thanks to Root Sports for being able to see a couple of innings of my LA Dodgers.
No matter what happens with Carlos Marmol in LA, no one will ever say today was the start of Marmol Madness. It's only a matter of time until the Dodgers send Marmol on his way, he seems to be the least important piece for the Dodgers in the trade that brought him to LA. I realize the Dodgers didn't give up much, but Carlos Marmol?
On Tuesday the Dodgers started a 3 game series against the Rockies in Colorado. They won the first game 8-0. Entering Tuesday's game the Rockies were 2 games ahead of the Dodgers. If the Dodgers sweep the series, which won't happen, LA would move pass Colorado in the NL West. As of now all 5 NL West teams could win this mediocre division. One reason the Dodgers have struggled so much this season is because of their inability to score runs. Even though LA scored 8 runs yesterday, they're still in 29th place in runs scored.
However with the NL Central so strong it's highly likely that possibly both of the NL Wild Cards will come out of that division. NL West teams that want to go to the playoffs, quite likely they need to win the NL West or start planning for next season.
Tuesday night's starting pitching matchup was Clayton Kershaw (6-5, 2.08 ERA) vs. Roy Oswalt (0-2, 7.36 ERA). Kershaw finally received some run support and pitched another fantastic game. His 7-5 record doesn't do true justice to how well he's been pitching this year. Entering this game Kershaw has the second lowest run support. He pitched a 4 hit shut out as his ERA decreases to 1.93. Although he's tied for 25th in wins, Kershaw leads all of MLB in ERA. Kershaw is also fourth in strikeouts, he has 126. He certainly deserves a raise in his next contract negotiations.
Kershaw pitched so well that even Michael Cuddyer couldn't get a hit off of him. Cuddyer was 0 for 4, which ended his 27 game hitting streak. After the game Cuddyer seemed to have a good attitude about the end of his streak. Don't feel too bad for him, he's still hitting .339. Oswalt struggled in the game, he dropped to 0-3 this season. His ERA took another hit and dropped to an even worse .788. Oswalt looked decent in the game, but the Dodgers certainly had him figured out.
Mark Ellis, who looks to be the casualty if the Dodgers trade for Chase Utley, led off the game. He popped out on his first at bat. Ellis finished 1 for 5, his batting average dropped to .258. He also had an error. The next batter was Yasiel Puig, guess what happened. He had a single, but then was caught stealing. Puig, who had another great game, finished 3 for 5. He hit his 8th homer of the season and is hitting .443.
Adrian Gonzalez popped out on his first bat as his batting average dropped to .295. However Gonzalez bounced back, finishing 2 for 5 and is hitting .298 as he continues to flirt with .300. He also had his 11th home run and his 49th and 50th RBIs of the season. He's been the one constant Dodgers offensive presence this season. Gonzalez is tied for a respectable 54th place in MLB for home runs. He's tied for a much better 24th for RBIs. He's all by himself at #34 in batting average.
Now if Matt Kemp could only remember how to hit, then you could see the full potential of this lineup. Kemp was 0 for 5, his batting average decreases to .248. Although his last at bat, he hit the ball to the warning track in the thin Colorado air. It will be nice when Carl Crawford comes back, but I hope they are giving him all the time he needs to fully heal. I just don't think the Dodgers can fully count on Crawford, he's just too injury prone.
The Dodgers have won 9 of 10 and continue to surge up the NL West. Thanks to the Giants poor play of late, LA is no longer last place in the NL West. The Dodgers are tied for third place with the Padres, the team that the Dodgers were able to turn this season around against. In the weak NL West, LA is still only 39-43. But they seem to have finally started playing to their potential and have a 13.6% chance of making the playoffs.
The Red Sox helped the Dodgers by beating the Padres 4-1. It's the least the Red Sox could do after LA took Josh Beckett off their hands. Boston has won 2 games in a row and 7 of 10. They are 51-34 and continue to lead the AL East. Boston leads the entire league in runs scored, they have scored an incredible 435 times. They have a 86.9% chance of making the playoffs. Baltimore is in second place in runs scored, they have 412 runs. Those same Orioles are second place in the AL East, trailing the Red Sox by 3.5 games. Baltimore has a 45.7% chance of making the playoffs.
Boston started John Lackey pitched 8 pretty good innings, only giving up a respectable 6 hits. He only gave up 1 run, lowering his ERA to 2.83. After losing Joel Hanrahan to season ending surgery and with Andrew Miller struggling, the Red Sox have turned to Koji Uehara to close games. He earned his 5th save of the season, has a small 2.06 ERA and has thrown 51 strikeouts.
Another one of my teams that's doing well is the Braves. Of course it helps them that they are playing in the mediocre NL East, clearly the NL Central is the strongest team in the NL. The Braves beat the Marlins 11-3 on Tuesday, Miami is the lowest scoring team in MLB. Kris Medlen was 2 for 2 at the plate and improved to 6-7 on the season.
Atlanta, 49-34, continues to dominate the NL East, the Braves have won 4 in a row. They are leading the second place Nationals by a full 7 games and have a 95.4% chance of reaching the playoffs.
themusicaddict
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Thank You Chris Paul!, The Dwightmare 3, Will The Dodgers Ever Learn How To Score?
Hello,
I would like to thank Chris Paul on behalf of all NBA fans for agreeing to a 5 year-$107 million dollar contract with the Clippers. I don't care where he signed, I'm just glad he didn't make it a long, drawn out process. Thanks for telling other teams not to pursue you and agreeing in principle to your contract quickly. Thank you for not being like the drama queen himself Dwight Howard, or as some call him Dwight Coward. Thanks again Chris Paul for being more concerned about finding the right basketball fit rather than getting people to fawn over you. I don't know if Chris Paul will even win a NBA title, as a main cog I do know that Howard never will.
My favorite phrase about Howard's latest unneeded drama is the Dwightmare 3. The funniest thing about this whole situation is that Paul is a much better player than Howard. I know I'm not the only one that's so tired of this whole song and dance. I can't believe that even Howard himself hasn't tired of this. I'm almost sure he already knows where he's going, unless he gets an offer that knocks him off of his feet. He probably isn't staying in LA or going to Dallas, Atlanta or Golden State. He'll probably end up in Houston with the very slightest chance he ends up back in LA.
When you can pay $88 million over 4 years to a broken down, poor foul shooting and going downhill player, why wouldn't you do it? That seems to be the thinking process behind Houston's bid. They must have missed the drama he's provided the last of couple of years. They must have missed his poor performance and his lack of effort the last couple of seasons. They must have missed him being intentionally fouled because he's such a poor foul shooter. I don't know what the Rockets are thinking, but I wouldn't want Howard on my team under any conditions. He's shown so many times how much of a whiny cancer he is.
I guarantee anyone that signs the self-loving, lazy, over rated Howard will regret it within 2 seasons. If Howard signs with Houston watch out for yourself Kevin McHale. Howard is a coach killer, which is another reason I'm amazed that someone would accommodate him. I predict that there will be rumors about amnestying Dwight Howard within a couple of years and eventually whatever team signs him will do just that.
As always I love reading the comments on ESPN about Dwight Howard's latest drama. I love how funny some people are in making fun of him. Thinking about that this morning, it made me think of a line from Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson". The line "Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio, a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. What's that you say Mrs Robinson, Joltin' Joe has left and gone away."
My lyrics for Dwight Howard: "Why are you still here Dwight Howard, a nation shakes it's disgusted head at you. What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, whiny Dwight just won't go away."
MLB: I follow closely and cheer for far too many teams, yes I know this. However I'm surprised of the 7 teams I do follow that not one of them played yesterday. What are the chances? All 7 of my teams resume play on Tuesday. I'm excited that I can see the Dodgers play Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as they are playing the Rockies. All Rockies games are on locally for me thanks to Root Sports.
Trade rumors: What the hell is Ned Colletti thinking in possibly trading for Carlos Marmol? What do they hope to gain in any trade for him, he's shown several times that he no longer can play. I did see one fan suggest that the Dodgers trading for Marmol is part of a deal to also get Matt Garza. That's the only logical reason I can think of LA trading for Marmol. The Dodgers already have one overpaid mediocre pitcher on their staff, Brandon League, why would they want another one?
Update: this trade has now been completed. Marmol is now a Dodger, how many times does he mess up before he'll be released? The main part of the trade wasn't Matt Garza, but LA now has the #4 international signing slot No. 4. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it must be valuable if the Dodgers are willing to trade for Marmol to get it. Marmol can be a free agent at the end of the season. Read that as he'll be a free agent at the end of the season. (Thanks to ESPN's Jayson Stark for breaking this down into layman's terms for people like me.)
I'm also a Cubs fan. I looked at my blog notes and I was excited when the Cubs gave Marmol his unconditional release. On my blog notes I wrote "Cubs finally dump Marmol". I can't believe that any other team would trade for him.
I'm much more excited about the rumors of the Dodgers possibly acquiring Chase Utley, adding another proven bat to the low scoring, injury prone Dodgers lineup would be great. The caveat as always being as long as they don't give up too much.
Although the LA has won 8 of 9, their offense still remains pathetic. At one point they had climbed all the way to being tied for 26th place for runs scored. Although they are winning now, they've slipped to 29th in all of MLB for runs scored. While the Dodgers were enjoying a day off on Monday the Marlins scored 4 more runs. Those two teams have now played the same number of games and Miami only trails the Dodgers by 31 runs. LA starts a strenuous road schedule Tuesday, their offense will probably drop a bit. I believe LA is at the make or break part of their season. A strong showing certainly won't make their season, but a bad showing probably will break their season.
It's time for Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez to put this team on their back and carry the Dodgers to the playoffs.
themusicaddict
I would like to thank Chris Paul on behalf of all NBA fans for agreeing to a 5 year-$107 million dollar contract with the Clippers. I don't care where he signed, I'm just glad he didn't make it a long, drawn out process. Thanks for telling other teams not to pursue you and agreeing in principle to your contract quickly. Thank you for not being like the drama queen himself Dwight Howard, or as some call him Dwight Coward. Thanks again Chris Paul for being more concerned about finding the right basketball fit rather than getting people to fawn over you. I don't know if Chris Paul will even win a NBA title, as a main cog I do know that Howard never will.
My favorite phrase about Howard's latest unneeded drama is the Dwightmare 3. The funniest thing about this whole situation is that Paul is a much better player than Howard. I know I'm not the only one that's so tired of this whole song and dance. I can't believe that even Howard himself hasn't tired of this. I'm almost sure he already knows where he's going, unless he gets an offer that knocks him off of his feet. He probably isn't staying in LA or going to Dallas, Atlanta or Golden State. He'll probably end up in Houston with the very slightest chance he ends up back in LA.
When you can pay $88 million over 4 years to a broken down, poor foul shooting and going downhill player, why wouldn't you do it? That seems to be the thinking process behind Houston's bid. They must have missed the drama he's provided the last of couple of years. They must have missed his poor performance and his lack of effort the last couple of seasons. They must have missed him being intentionally fouled because he's such a poor foul shooter. I don't know what the Rockets are thinking, but I wouldn't want Howard on my team under any conditions. He's shown so many times how much of a whiny cancer he is.
I guarantee anyone that signs the self-loving, lazy, over rated Howard will regret it within 2 seasons. If Howard signs with Houston watch out for yourself Kevin McHale. Howard is a coach killer, which is another reason I'm amazed that someone would accommodate him. I predict that there will be rumors about amnestying Dwight Howard within a couple of years and eventually whatever team signs him will do just that.
As always I love reading the comments on ESPN about Dwight Howard's latest drama. I love how funny some people are in making fun of him. Thinking about that this morning, it made me think of a line from Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson". The line "Where have you gone Joe Dimaggio, a nation turns it's lonely eyes to you. What's that you say Mrs Robinson, Joltin' Joe has left and gone away."
My lyrics for Dwight Howard: "Why are you still here Dwight Howard, a nation shakes it's disgusted head at you. What's that you say Mrs. Robinson, whiny Dwight just won't go away."
MLB: I follow closely and cheer for far too many teams, yes I know this. However I'm surprised of the 7 teams I do follow that not one of them played yesterday. What are the chances? All 7 of my teams resume play on Tuesday. I'm excited that I can see the Dodgers play Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as they are playing the Rockies. All Rockies games are on locally for me thanks to Root Sports.
Trade rumors: What the hell is Ned Colletti thinking in possibly trading for Carlos Marmol? What do they hope to gain in any trade for him, he's shown several times that he no longer can play. I did see one fan suggest that the Dodgers trading for Marmol is part of a deal to also get Matt Garza. That's the only logical reason I can think of LA trading for Marmol. The Dodgers already have one overpaid mediocre pitcher on their staff, Brandon League, why would they want another one?
Update: this trade has now been completed. Marmol is now a Dodger, how many times does he mess up before he'll be released? The main part of the trade wasn't Matt Garza, but LA now has the #4 international signing slot No. 4. I'm not sure what the significance of that is, but it must be valuable if the Dodgers are willing to trade for Marmol to get it. Marmol can be a free agent at the end of the season. Read that as he'll be a free agent at the end of the season. (Thanks to ESPN's Jayson Stark for breaking this down into layman's terms for people like me.)
I'm also a Cubs fan. I looked at my blog notes and I was excited when the Cubs gave Marmol his unconditional release. On my blog notes I wrote "Cubs finally dump Marmol". I can't believe that any other team would trade for him.
I'm much more excited about the rumors of the Dodgers possibly acquiring Chase Utley, adding another proven bat to the low scoring, injury prone Dodgers lineup would be great. The caveat as always being as long as they don't give up too much.
Although the LA has won 8 of 9, their offense still remains pathetic. At one point they had climbed all the way to being tied for 26th place for runs scored. Although they are winning now, they've slipped to 29th in all of MLB for runs scored. While the Dodgers were enjoying a day off on Monday the Marlins scored 4 more runs. Those two teams have now played the same number of games and Miami only trails the Dodgers by 31 runs. LA starts a strenuous road schedule Tuesday, their offense will probably drop a bit. I believe LA is at the make or break part of their season. A strong showing certainly won't make their season, but a bad showing probably will break their season.
It's time for Matt Kemp and Adrian Gonzalez to put this team on their back and carry the Dodgers to the playoffs.
themusicaddict
Monday, July 1, 2013
themusicaddict's Greatest CDs Of All-Time: The Knack's "Get The Knack"
Hello,
One of my favorite records of all-time is The Knack's "Get The Knack":
"Get the Knack is the debut album by the Knack, released in June 1979. At the time, the album was one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The lead single from the album, "My Sharona", was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and number one on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year end chart."
(Thanks to wikipedia.org)
"Get The Knack" blasted off in the summer of 1979. Every song on this record varies in quality from good to great. I was only 12 when this record was released and I don't remember how much attention it received. "Get The Knack" was released two years before MTV. MTV boosted many mediocre bands due to the exposure it provided. What would have happened to a great band like the Knack if MTV had started two years earlier? The best way to get word out about your music in 1979 was radio and magazines. Slowly but surely this record gained my attention. One thing that has always mystified me is why didn't the Knack go on to be superstars? I have no idea. Although the Knack didn't go on to be superstars, "Get The Knack" is one of the best debut records ever. (I refer to the format to listen to the music as records, this was before CDs. Depending on your viewpoint CDs were an upgrade.)
The Knack boys seemed to have a lot of trouble with girls, many of the songs deal with problems with love and their own sexual frustrations. Sexual frustration is a main theme running through their music. They picked covers and wrote songs that dealt with this theme extensively. Somehow The Knack were able to turn that frustration into great pop and rock hooks and make so many great delectable nuggets of music.
Here's the 12 blasts of great pop and rock from "Get The Knack". Enjoy!
They seem to have been a pretty dynamic live band. "Let Me Out":
One of my all-time favorite Knack songs is "Your Number Or Your Name". This song is one of many that deals with the many frustrations of women and love. This is one of their more innocent songs.
"Your Number Or Your Name":
"Oh Tara" "You squeeze my heart and let it go":
Another great song. "She's So Selfish":
This might be their sweetest love song. "Maybe Tonight":
"Good Girls Don't":
One of the best scenes from "Super 8" is when "My Sharona" starts playing and the kids are playing air instruments to it. Now that I look back on "Super 8", I think to myself it could have been so much better. This is "My Sharona" with "Super 8" highlights:
"My Sharona" by itself:
"Heartbeat":
"Siamese Twins (The Monkey and Me)":
"Lucinda":
"That's What The Little Girls Do":
This song sums up this whole record as well as what seemed to be the early philosophy of The Knack.
"Frustrated":
After I wrote this blog I still wasn't sure why the Knack hadn't become big stars. The mystery was resolved when I listened to their follow up CDs. (Thanks to Spotify for giving me the opportunity to do that.) "Serious Fun", "Round Trip", "Zoom" and "But The Little Girls Understand" are all hot messes. There are a few decent songs in those CDs, but there are way too few good songs.
After "Get The Knack" I can see the record company wanting to strike while the iron is hot and pressuring The Knack to put out another record as quickly as possible. Sadly that's what seems to have happened. Their second CD, "But The Little Girls Understand" isn't very good. Their third CD was "Round Trip" which is only a pale imitiation of their better earlier work. The Knack tried to make a couple of comebacks, but they were never as fresh as they were with "Get The Knack".
"Don't Look Back" is a good enough song, but the only Knack song that truly stands out after "Get The Knack" is "Africa". The Knack should have explored this funky vein a little bit more instead of trying to recreate their classic debut CD.
themusicaddict
One of my favorite records of all-time is The Knack's "Get The Knack":
"Get the Knack is the debut album by the Knack, released in June 1979. At the time, the album was one of the most successful debuts in history, selling over one million copies in less than two months and spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 album chart. The lead single from the album, "My Sharona", was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks and number one on Billboard's Top Pop Singles of 1979 year end chart."
(Thanks to wikipedia.org)
"Get The Knack" blasted off in the summer of 1979. Every song on this record varies in quality from good to great. I was only 12 when this record was released and I don't remember how much attention it received. "Get The Knack" was released two years before MTV. MTV boosted many mediocre bands due to the exposure it provided. What would have happened to a great band like the Knack if MTV had started two years earlier? The best way to get word out about your music in 1979 was radio and magazines. Slowly but surely this record gained my attention. One thing that has always mystified me is why didn't the Knack go on to be superstars? I have no idea. Although the Knack didn't go on to be superstars, "Get The Knack" is one of the best debut records ever. (I refer to the format to listen to the music as records, this was before CDs. Depending on your viewpoint CDs were an upgrade.)
The Knack boys seemed to have a lot of trouble with girls, many of the songs deal with problems with love and their own sexual frustrations. Sexual frustration is a main theme running through their music. They picked covers and wrote songs that dealt with this theme extensively. Somehow The Knack were able to turn that frustration into great pop and rock hooks and make so many great delectable nuggets of music.
Here's the 12 blasts of great pop and rock from "Get The Knack". Enjoy!
They seem to have been a pretty dynamic live band. "Let Me Out":
One of my all-time favorite Knack songs is "Your Number Or Your Name". This song is one of many that deals with the many frustrations of women and love. This is one of their more innocent songs.
"Your Number Or Your Name":
"Oh Tara" "You squeeze my heart and let it go":
Another great song. "She's So Selfish":
This might be their sweetest love song. "Maybe Tonight":
"Good Girls Don't":
One of the best scenes from "Super 8" is when "My Sharona" starts playing and the kids are playing air instruments to it. Now that I look back on "Super 8", I think to myself it could have been so much better. This is "My Sharona" with "Super 8" highlights:
"My Sharona" by itself:
"Heartbeat":
"Siamese Twins (The Monkey and Me)":
"Lucinda":
"That's What The Little Girls Do":
This song sums up this whole record as well as what seemed to be the early philosophy of The Knack.
"Frustrated":
After I wrote this blog I still wasn't sure why the Knack hadn't become big stars. The mystery was resolved when I listened to their follow up CDs. (Thanks to Spotify for giving me the opportunity to do that.) "Serious Fun", "Round Trip", "Zoom" and "But The Little Girls Understand" are all hot messes. There are a few decent songs in those CDs, but there are way too few good songs.
After "Get The Knack" I can see the record company wanting to strike while the iron is hot and pressuring The Knack to put out another record as quickly as possible. Sadly that's what seems to have happened. Their second CD, "But The Little Girls Understand" isn't very good. Their third CD was "Round Trip" which is only a pale imitiation of their better earlier work. The Knack tried to make a couple of comebacks, but they were never as fresh as they were with "Get The Knack".
"Don't Look Back" is a good enough song, but the only Knack song that truly stands out after "Get The Knack" is "Africa". The Knack should have explored this funky vein a little bit more instead of trying to recreate their classic debut CD.
themusicaddict
Dodgers Daily: June 30th, 2013: Puig Has 4 Hits, LA Wins 8 of 9 & Get A Day Off, Pirates, Orioles Continue To Roll
Hello,
In the final game of their 7 game home stand the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 6-1. 6-1 is the record LA had on this home stand.
In the final game of their 7 game home stand the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 6-1. 6-1 is the record LA had on this home stand.
Matt Kemp was 2 for 4 and raised his batting average to .254. Saturday's hero, A.J. Ellis, had another good game. He was 3 for 4 and raised his batting average to .257. Hanley Ramirez and Puig have been carrying this team for the last few days, they desperately need to get more help from Kemp, Ellis and many others.
Stephen Fife pitched a hell of a game for the Dodgers. In 7 solid innings, he only gave up 4 hits and a walk as he lowers his ERA to 2.83. Fife even had a single in one of his at bats, helping his own cause. Speaking of Dodgers starting pitchers, it seems that Ted Lilly pitched in a rehab assignment Sunday night. That was in Rancho Cucamonga and he may be back with the Dodgers soon. That's good, but does it really matter? If Lilly can contribute, then great. But I hope the Dodgers don't actually rely on Lilly. I'm hoping that the Dodgers trade for a #4 starter or that Fife or Chris Capuano round into that #4 starter. Lilly would be good as a 5th starter to give the other pitchers more rest, assuming he has any thing left in the tank.
The Dodgers have won 8 of 9 and yet remain in last place in the NL West. However they've shrunk the Diamondbacks lead and the whole NL West has shrunk. The Diamondbacks went into Atlanta and were swept by the Braves. Arizona has lost 6 of their last 10 games, but still maintain a tenuous hold on first place. The NL West may be the worst division in MLB, only the Diamondbacks have a winning record. It's one of the reasons with the Dodgers winning 8 of 9 is enough for them to be players in the division again. As of now the Dodgers have a 7.4% chance of reaching the playoffs.
The Dodgers are 38-43 and 4 games behind the Diamondbacks. LA has Monday off and then start on a streak of 13 straight NL West games to close their schedule before the All-Star Break. The Dodgers are 2 games behind the Rockies, the team they are start a 3 game series against on Tuesday. Dodgers-Rockies end their series on July 4th.
I hate to be the naysayer once again, but this Dodgers team still doesn't seem to be built on a solid foundation. The win streak is nice, but how much of that success is sustainable? It seems too much of the Dodgers success is predicated on a team full of injury prone players. It seems only a matter of time until they resume playing terribly.
The Pirates maintain the best record in MLB. Would you have even thought that was possible before the season started? They are 51-30 and have won 9 game in a row and they have a 88.1% chance of reaching the playoffs. They've surged to the top of the NL Central. The Cardinals have been struggling of late, but are only 2 games back.
Also congrats to the Orioles for sweeping the Yankees. The Orioles have won 4 games in a row as the Yankees continue to fade. The Orioles are solidly in second place in the AL East, having a 47-36 record. They trail the Red Sox by 2.5 games. The Yankees have slipped to 4th place, are 42-39 and 6.5 games behind Boston. While Alex Rodriguez has been having Howardish levels of drama, Chris Davis is battling for the Triple Crown. Yes, it's a good time to be an Orioles fan and a Yankees hater.
I hate to be the naysayer once again, but this Dodgers team still doesn't seem to be built on a solid foundation. The win streak is nice, but how much of that success is sustainable? It seems too much of the Dodgers success is predicated on a team full of injury prone players. It seems only a matter of time until they resume playing terribly.
The Pirates maintain the best record in MLB. Would you have even thought that was possible before the season started? They are 51-30 and have won 9 game in a row and they have a 88.1% chance of reaching the playoffs. They've surged to the top of the NL Central. The Cardinals have been struggling of late, but are only 2 games back.
Also congrats to the Orioles for sweeping the Yankees. The Orioles have won 4 games in a row as the Yankees continue to fade. The Orioles are solidly in second place in the AL East, having a 47-36 record. They trail the Red Sox by 2.5 games. The Yankees have slipped to 4th place, are 42-39 and 6.5 games behind Boston. While Alex Rodriguez has been having Howardish levels of drama, Chris Davis is battling for the Triple Crown. Yes, it's a good time to be an Orioles fan and a Yankees hater.
Colorado's Michael Cuddyer had a hit in his 27th consecutive game. However the Pirates Pedro Alvarez was 0 for 6 and failed to extend his 12 game hitting streak. Chris Davis hit his 31st home run of the season. And what else can be said about Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, other than he's simply amazing? In his last 10 games, he has hit 6 home runs, had 11 RBIs and scored 9 runs. In those 10 games, he had 18 hits and had at least one hit in each game. He only had 8 strike outs.
Cabrera again is battling for the Triple Crown. He's hitting .373, first in MLB. He has 25 home runs, second in MLB. He's 6 home runs behind Davis. He also has 82 RBIs, he's first in that category as well. Although his once big RBI lead has shrunk to only 2 over Davis. Those two are far ahead of the third place Paul Goldschmidt, who has 67 RBIs.
A lot of people are focusing on where Dwight Howard is going to end up and how much money he's going to make. Can you imagine how much Cabrera is going to sign for in his next contract? He can actually play!
Cabrera again is battling for the Triple Crown. He's hitting .373, first in MLB. He has 25 home runs, second in MLB. He's 6 home runs behind Davis. He also has 82 RBIs, he's first in that category as well. Although his once big RBI lead has shrunk to only 2 over Davis. Those two are far ahead of the third place Paul Goldschmidt, who has 67 RBIs.
A lot of people are focusing on where Dwight Howard is going to end up and how much money he's going to make. Can you imagine how much Cabrera is going to sign for in his next contract? He can actually play!
themusicaddict
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