The Sports Thread

[RGMike]

Not a bad deal for the Mariners, who also signed Chone Figgins last week. Could they finally be making a run at it?

They must be; if they can't do well with additions like that they should just give up. I guess they think the A's (who just gave up on Jack Cust) will continue to suck. Sadly, I think they're right.

Go M's!!

Did anyone pick Cust up yet?  I saw that yesterday and for whatever reason I dreamed about it last night.  don't ask me why.

damn, Mark, I wish *I* could have dreams about Jack Cust!

[mshray]

Did anyone pick Cust up yet?  I saw that yesterday and for whatever reason I dreamed about it last night.  don't ask me why.

damn, Mark, I wish *I* could have dreams about Jack Cust!

My dream was centered around me (!?) trying to help Cust land a new team.  Maybe I was an agent, maybe I was just a guy with an opinion...the dream was a little vague.  I distinctly remember saying that I didn't think it would work out with the Cards, but that's about as coherent as it got.  I'm not even sure if there was a Jack Cust character present in the dream.  I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd if he wasn't in uniform.

[RGMike]

A contrarian view on where Tiger's career is headed. I think I agree with Ostler and the PR guy he interviewed:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/17/SPGN1B5DF1.DTL

[Tinka Cat]

A contrarian view on where Tiger's career is headed. I think I agree with Ostler and the PR guy he interviewed:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/17/SPGN1B5DF1.DTL

ostler writes:

"Understand, neither Houskeeper nor I endorse cheating, lying and/or infidelity."

you can add to that list "washing my hands after using the men's room." 

yeah, ewww... I saw that once.

[RGMike]

Sharks break their losing streak; Colts remain undefeated. yay!

[Wayback]

Strumming Banjo-man super fan loses banjo he's played at 49ers, A's games for 25 years:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/49ers-Banjo-Guy-Loses-His-Banjo-79850747.html

[Wayback]

Holiday Greetings video from the Sharks!
http://www.svse.net/holidays2009/

[urth]

Strumming Banjo-man super fan loses banjo he's played at 49ers, A's games for 25 years:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/49ers-Banjo-Guy-Loses-His-Banjo-79850747.html

Sad, but given the circumstances of how it was lost, he has only himself to blame. If it were that precious, he should have not left it outside a bar while he presumably went in and tipped a few.

[mshray]

Fun fact:  On Friday December 18th IND, NO & MIN were a combined 38-2 (the Colts having just beaten the Jags in the final Thursday night game of the year).  Since then those three have combined to go 1-7.

[Tinka Cat]

Strumming Banjo-man super fan loses banjo he's played at 49ers, A's games for 25 years:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/sports/49ers-Banjo-Guy-Loses-His-Banjo-79850747.html

Sad, but given the circumstances of how it was lost, he has only himself to blame. If it were that precious, he should have not left it outside a bar while he presumably went in and tipped a few.

WTH did he leave it OUTSIDE the bar?  did they a "No banjos" policy

a couple years back, I saw this guy down at the Hyde Street cable car turnaround, busking for change.  I chatted w him about playing banjo and he gave me a little demo. He showed me the Earl Skruggs style, played Foggy Mountain Breakdown for me -- and those tourists waiting for the cable car -- and generally brightened my day.

I don't play banjo, but I play guitar a little and would like to be as good a picker like them thar bluegrassin' folks is!    *ptooey!*

[mshray]

Hey Mark, whaddya think of the Cards offering Matt Holliday $130M over 8 years? (needless to say, his agent is Scott "The Evil One" Boras)

I think they can afford it.  Did you know that Holliday & Pujols are exactly one day apart in age?  Both turn 30 next month & if the Cards can sign Holliday they will almost certainly lock up Pujols (whose $14.6M contract has 1 year left) as well.  On the other hand, nothing would confirm early speculation of Prince Albert leaving than the failure to sign a cleanup hitter like Holliday.

If they sign Holliday, I think they will have a core of Pujols, Holliday, Yadier Molina, Chris Carpenter & Adam Wainwright for the next 2-3 yrs, and another 2-3 yrs of everyone but Carpenter (the only one over 30 today).  That group should provide 2-4 All-Stars every year barring injury.

Holliday signed today for 7yrs $120M.

In other baseball news, Andre Dawson is the only player elected to the HoF this year.  Yay for the Hawk!

[Gazoo]

In other baseball news, Andre Dawson is the only player elected to the HoF this year.  Yay for the Hawk!

I can't believe Roberto Alomar was left off, apparently solely because of the spitting-at-the-umpire incident - as if Ty Cobb, Juan Marichal, and others didn't do a hell of a lot worse.  And from one voter's comments at ESPN.com, apparently it matters to some voters whether someone is a "first-ballot" HOFer or a later-ballot entrant.  I don't see what the damn difference is.

[RGMike]

In other baseball news, Andre Dawson is the only player elected to the HoF this year.  Yay for the Hawk!

I can't believe Roberto Alomar was left off, apparently solely because of the spitting-at-the-umpire incident

You don't think the AIDS story was a factor?

[Gazoo]

In other baseball news, Andre Dawson is the only player elected to the HoF this year.  Yay for the Hawk!

I can't believe Roberto Alomar was left off, apparently solely because of the spitting-at-the-umpire incident

You don't think the AIDS story was a factor?

I didn't think the story was that widely disseminated (no pun intended).  It was only in the news for a day or two.  I for one never did learn the truth.

[mshray]

In other baseball news, Andre Dawson is the only player elected to the HoF this year.  Yay for the Hawk!

I can't believe Roberto Alomar was left off, apparently solely because of the spitting-at-the-umpire incident

You don't think the AIDS story was a factor?

I didn't think the story was that widely disseminated (no pun intended).  It was only in the news for a day or two.  I for one never did learn the truth.

Out of the many hundreds of voters, one needs to get 75% of the total.  According to what they said on ESPN, Blyleven fell 5 votes short, and Alomar 8.  So it only takes a handful of swing votes who *did* think any combination of those things to make Alomar miss the cut.  Tim Kurkjian was adamant that anyone who didn't think Alomar was of "First Ballot" caliber was out of their minds.  After rattling off all his impressive accomplishments Kurkjian made the case that Alomar was in fact the best 2nd Baseman since WWII not named Joe Morgan.  I find it hard to disagree.