Baseball's General Managers Meet. Red Sox Win Negotiating Rights to Matsuzaka.

And speaking of pitchers, moments ago, as the annual General Managers meetings got underway, it was announced that the Red Sox emerged with the winning bid to negotiate with Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Yahoo News AP wire story:

NAPLES, Fla. - The Boston Red emerged Tuesday night as winners of the bidding for Daisuke Matsuzaka with a $51.1 million offer and have 30 days to sign the Japanese pitcher to a contract.

The Seibu Lions of Japan's Pacific League announced they had accepted the high bid for their prized pitcher, and the major league commissioner's office simultaneously confirmed at the general managers' meetings that the Red Sox had made the offer.

"Matsuzaka has a real talent. He would be a great fit with the Red Sox organization." Boston general manager Theo Epstein said. "We're excited to have won this part of the process. We're hopeful we can reach an agreement." Even before the announcement, general managers had assumed Boston would be the highest bidder in the blind process.

"We'll congratulate the winner and move on," New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman said Tuesday afternoon.

Matsuzaka is represented by Scott Boras, who last year negotiated the deal that moved center fielder Johnny Damon from the Red Sox to the Yankees. "Pitching, as usual, is at a premium," Boras said.

Warning! Scott Boras is a tool! I hope that Matsuzaka does not turn out to be the next Hideki Irabu. The Yankees ate that mistake. Matsuzaka is younger than Irabu was, and is in much better shape (George Steinbrenner once called Irabu a "fat toad"). Still, 51.1 million dollars is a lot of damned money to spend JUST TO TALK TO THE GUY AND HIS AGENT! Christ, it would have cost less money to have kept Johnny Damon last year, or Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe the year before! All were key members of the 2004 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION RED SOX! But no. The Sox went cheap, let those guys walk, and they and their new teams, the hated Yankees, Mets and Dodgers all made the post-season in 2006. Do I seem bitter about this? All right. I'm bitter. Let's just move on...

Agents roamed the lobby at the hotel where GMs are meeting, discussing their free-agent clients. Some agents think the market will move more quickly this offseason because of the decision by management and the players' association to eliminate the Dec. 7 deadline for free agents to re-sign with their former teams unless they were offered salary arbitration.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya said some teams are unsure of where the marketplace is going, "so if they could do something quick, they're going to try to do it."

Mike Mussina's agent, Arn Tellem, kept up talks with the Yankees on a new contract for the pitcher that likely will be worth $23 million to $25 million over two years. "We're in the red zone," Tellem said.

With Barry Zito and Jason Schmidt heading a weak free-agent class, pitchers will get top prices.

"There are 30 clubs and probably three-quarters are looking for pitching," new Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. "There's a lot of interesting pitchers out there. At the end of the year, the teams that have pitching, and healthy pitching, are usually the ones that are around."

GMs, as usual, will hold their annual discussion Wednesday of whether to have instant replay available to umpires, a concept commissioner Bud Selig opposes. In the past, the idea hasn't garnered enough support. "I guess we'll get a sense of that tomorrow," said Joe Garagiola Jr., a senior vice president in the commissioner's office.

Bud. Baseball NEEDS instant replay. WAKE THE FUCK UP! GET INTO THE 21ST CENTURY ALREADY!!!

There will also be talk Wednesday of whether to eliminate tie games, having them instead become suspended games. On Thursday, the GMs will discuss whether to have uniform standards for storing baseballs, a talk prompted by the use of a humidor by the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

As for the postseason schedule, nothing seems to have come of the idea floated by Selig to give wild-card teams fewer home games in the playoffs. "That is not officially on the agenda, so I suspect that will be some good lobby talk," Garagiola said.

Christ Bud, are you like, an imbecile? YOU were part of the nightmare that is the wild-card, and now you want to make things tougher on these teams? Have you been taking leadership lessons from Preznit Flight Suit Fantasy? Why not just make the wild-card players throw with the opposite arm and hit with only one hand on the bat while you're at it...

GMs did vote on one rule change, proposing that outright assignments to the minor leagues not count against the number of optional assignments a team has on a player. That must be approved by owners and the union.

I buy that. Outright assignments are usually one-way tickets back to Triple-A, but on occasion, the clubs monkey with the rules. Case in point: 1987. Ellis Burks is tearing up spring training. He is the last player cut. He spends three weeks in Pawtucket, and gets called up to the Red Sox, where he put together a 20-homer, 27-steal rookie season in just 133 games. The Sox did that to keep him on their books an extra season. If he'd made the team from the beginning, as he clearly should have, he'd have been eligible for free agency at the end of the 1991 season instead of the 1992 season. Maybe if the Sox had been forced to define the type of option under which to place Burks, they'd have given the decision more thought.

Anyway, we'll see what develops as these meetings go forward.

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Webb Wins National League Cy Young Award.

Brandon Webb of the Arizona Diamondbacks was awarded the 2006 National League Cy Young Award today. Yahoo News AP wire excerpt:

NEW YORK - Brandon Webb of the Arizona won a wide-open race for the NL Cy Young Award, beating out San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman on Tuesday.

One of six pitchers who tied for the league lead with a pedestrian total of 16 wins, Webb received 15 of 32 first-place votes and 103 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Hoffman, who broke the career saves record this season, got 12 first-place votes and 77 points.

St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, last year's winner, finished third with two first-place votes and 63 points.
Houston's Roy Oswalt, who led the NL with a 2.98 ERA, got the other three first-place tallies and came in fourth.

Webb, who went 16-8 with a 3.10 ERA and made his first All-Star team, was listed second on seven ballots and third on seven others. No pitcher was included on every Cy Young Award entry. Webb's victory total was the lowest for a starting pitcher who won the Cy Young Award in a full season. The previous low was 17 wins, by Pedro Martinez of the Montreal Expos in 1997 and Randy Johnson for Arizona in '99. Fernando Valenzuela of the Los Angeles Dodgers was honored with a 13-7 record in 1981 and Atlanta's Greg Maddux went 16-6 in '94 — but those seasons were cut short by players' strikes.

Note: Pedro's ERA in 1997 was a stingy 1.90 that led the league. He also struck out 305 batters and led the NL with 13 complete games that season. In 1999 Johnson led the NL in ERA with 2.48, innings with 271.2, starts with 35, complete games with 12 and an astonishing 364 strikeouts.

Webb also is the first NL winner to have an ERA above 3.00 since Philadelphia's Steve Carlton had a 3.10 mark in 1982. Rick Sutcliffe split the 1984 season between Cleveland and the Chicago Cubs, finishing with a 3.64 ERA overall but a 2.69 mark in the NL.

Before Webb, Johnson was the only Diamondbacks pitcher to take home the award, winning four straight times from 1999-02.

The AL Cy Young Award winner will be announced Thursday — and Minnesota's Johan Santana is a heavy favorite. The NL and AL Manager of the Year will be revealed Wednesday.

My money is on Santana.

Webb threw a career-best 235 innings, which ranked second in the NL. The 27-year-old sinkerballer also tied Carpenter for the league lead with three shutouts and both had five complete games, good for second in the NL.

One of the biggest keys in Webb's development has been his ability to control his deceptive sinker, which helps him induce one harmless groundball after another when he's on top of his game.

After a strong rookie season in 2003, the right-hander walked a major league-high 119 batters the following year for a terrible Arizona team that went 51-111. Webb also led the NL with 16 losses and 17 wild pitches that year.

But he cut his walks in half in 2005 and issued a career-low 50 free passes this year. And he got more help from Arizona's much-improved infield defense.

Webb agreed to a $19.5 million, four-year contract with Arizona in January. For winning the Cy Young Award, the buyout of his $8.5 million option in 2010 doubles from $500,000 to $1 million.

The 39-year-old Hoffman finished with a league-leading 46 saves in 51 chances for the Padres. He has 482 career saves, breaking Lee Smith's previous mark of 478.

Hoffman went 0-2 with a 2.14 ERA in 63 innings spanning 65 appearances. He was listed second on three ballots and third on eight. Hoffman also was a Cy Young Award runner-up in 1998 to Tom Glavine of the Atlanta Braves. Carpenter and Hoffman each receive a $50,000 bonus for finishing high in the voting.

In a season in which there is no truly dominant starting pitcher, this award usually ends up in the hands of a closer. I have a feeling that not enough voters would have been comfortable giving the award for best pitcher to a guy with zero wins, no matter how many saves he had.

No doubt Webb had a fine year, and was vastly improved in just about all aspects of the game. Despite the mediocre win total, he is far from the worst choice ever for this award. That dis-honor falls to Pete Vukovich of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, who had 18 wins, good for second in the AL, but an atrocious walk-to-strikeout ratio (102-to-105). The "Harvey's Wallbangers" Brewers clubbed their way to the AL pennant that year, and eventually lost the World Series to the Whitey Herzog's Cardinals, and Vukovich was definitely helped out by the bats of guys like Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie, Gorman Thomas and Ted Simmons.

Stay tuned for the AL winner, to be announced later in the week.

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Lieberman to Stab Dems in the Face?

Ugly Kid Joe Lieberman is leaving the door open to make an official defection to the side of the enemy. Preznit Bush is eagerly applying fresh lip gloss for inevitable. Atrocities from the latest Tim Russert Fluff-Fest courtesy of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune:

"I'm going to caucus with the Democrats both because it's good for my constituents in Connecticut, because I retained my seniority, I become a committee chair, but also I want to continue to work to bring the party back to its historic traditions of strength on national security, foreign policy and innovation and progress in domestic policy,'' Lieberman said Sunday.

He said that because voters (Republicans) returned him to Capitol Hill as an independent, "I am now an Independent Democrat, capital I, capital D. Matter of fact, the secretary of the Senate called my office and asked, `How do you want to be identified,' and, and that's it. Independent Democrat,'' the senator said on "Meet the Press'' on NBC.

Joe, I've got an initial for you, you Whore, with a capital W.

With many Senate Democrats having campaigned or raised money for Lamont, as the party's nominee, Lieberman acknowledged it might be "a little awkward'' for him back in Washington.

"They played by the traditional partisan political playbook. And I can't say I enjoyed it, but we're all grown-ups, we've got a job to do, and I'm going to do my best to get that job done,'' Lieberman said.

Grownups? You mean the grown up way you acted when you took your ball and went home to become an "Independent" after Ned Lamont beat you in the August primary?

Democrats will hold a 51-49 edge in the Senate, so Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000, could find himself courted by Republicans.

He was asked about a scenario in which he might become uncomfortable as Democrats sought to enforce party discipline and then the GOP offered to keep him as a committee chairman and respect his seniority if he switched.
"I'm not ruling it out, but I hope I don't get to that point. And, and I must say, and with all respect to the Republicans who supported me in Connecticut, nobody ever said, `We're doing this because we, we want you to switch over,''' he said.

Unbelievable...or maybe not...

Ken Kanniff, Connecticut's Most Wanted Gangsta, and I have had many discussions about this ass-clown. Ken posited that my hatred of the man was misplaced because his seniority was a key element in helping Democrats. My answer was in the form of a question: Help Democrats do what? Behave more like neo-con Republicans?

This election showed what an arrogant, out-of-touch asshole Lieberman is. He didn't get the message when Ned Lamont pasted his crusty arse in the August primary, so he ran off and pretended to be an "Independent". And thanks to the GOP leaving their candidate, Alan Schlesinger, hanging in the wind, Lamont went down in favor of "Joementum".

Now this piece of shit is going to endanger the 51-49 Democratic majority. If he switches to the Republicans, it'll be 50-50, and Ken's prediction of Cheney being wheeled from his crypt to cast critical tie-breaking votes will come true. They don't call the man Bush's favorite Democrat for nothing.

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Ramirez and Verlander named American and National League Rookies of the Year.

Major League Baseball handed out some more post-season hardware today as the Rookies of the Year in the American and National Leagues were announced. Yahoo News AP wire excerpt:

NEW YORK - Hanley Ramirez of the Florida Marlins won a tight race for NL Rookie of the Year, and Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander took home the AL award Monday.

Ramirez beat out Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman by four points in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America — the closest NL vote since the current format was adopted 26 years ago. The speedy shortstop got 14 of 30 first-place votes and finished with 105 points. Zimmerman received 10 first-place votes and totaled 101 points. Three of the top four NL finishers were Marlins. Second baseman Dan Uggla came in third, getting the other six first-place votes, and pitcher Josh Johnson was fourth.

Verlander easily won the AL honor after his closest competitors in a race dominated by pitchers were sidelined late in the season because of injuries. The hard-throwing right-hander, who helped the surprising Tigers reach the World Series, was listed first on 26 of 28 ballots for a total of 133 points. Boston closer Jonathan Papelbon came in second with 63 points, and Minnesota lefty Francisco Liriano finished third.

The 23-year-old Verlander, who went 17-9 with a 3.63 ERA, became the first starting pitcher to win AL Rookie of the Year since Dave Righetti of the New York Yankees in 1981. The last Tigers player to receive the honor was second baseman Lou Whitaker in 1978.

Ramirez gave the Marlins their second Rookie of the Year in four years, joining ace pitcher Dontrelle Willis (who won the ward in 2003). The 22-year-old Ramirez, acquired from Boston last November in a deal for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, batted .292 with 17 homers, 59 RBIs, 119 runs and 51 stolen bases. Ramirez also hit 46 doubles and 11 triples.

Voters select their top three choices and points are tabulated on a 5-3-1 basis. Before 1980, writers voted for just one rookie.

Zimmerman, who actually appeared on more ballots than Ramirez (29-27), hit .287 with 20 homers, 110 RBIs and 47 doubles. He also played strong defense at third base.

Six Marlins received votes, the most for one team on a rookie ballot. Pitchers Scott Olsen and Anibal Sanchez were also mentioned, along with outfielder Josh Willingham.

I'm good with these choices. If Papelbon and Liriano had stayed healthy and effective, the vote may have turned out differently, but they didn't, and Verlander had a terrific season. Even though Verlander faltered badly with fielding problems in the World Series, he's a fireballer who can reach 99 MPH at times. Given the way Tigers manager Jim Leyland handled him in 2006, and how he will likely continue to handle him going forward, there is no reason that Verlander cannot continue to improve and become a truly dominant starter.

As the excerpt indicated, the NL choice was a much tougher one, as revealed by the numbers. Ramirez is yet another Red Sox farmhand who was traded away. It appears that the "can't miss" tag observers pinned on him was accurate. Ramirez was part of the aforementioned deal that sent pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell to the Sox. It looks like he'll become a terrific player, and the fact that he is no longer a Red Sox may actually help him develop, since the Sox aren't known for daring baserunning, which is definitely part of Ramirez's game.

Congratulations guys!

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What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas, At Least Two Feet Away...

A ridiculous ruling now prohibits erotic dancers in Las Vegas from touching their customers in ways that can be interpreted as "raunchy" or "sexual" in nature. Yahoo News Reuters excerpt:

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A court has upheld a Las Vegas city regulation barring erotic dancers from raunchy physical contact with their customers, in a ruling that runs counter to the gambling city's sinful reputation.

Nevada's Supreme Court on Thursday reversed two lower court rulings that found the regulation improperly curtailed "expressive conduct" protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

The high court judges said that even if the constitutional amendment did apply, its protection was not absolute, and added the city measure helps curtail prostitution, sexually transmitted disease, drug offenses and criminal activity.
The city rule bars dancers from physical contact of a sexual nature with customers.

The decision echoes a ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year that backed a California city's regulation requiring at least two feet (0.7 meter) distance between erotic dancers and the audience.

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People, people! What the hell do you expect when you walk into one of these establishments? Games of Gin Rummy? Christ, the whole reason for going to such places is to engage in "raunchy physical contact". Look at it as a way to conduct oneself "expressively". Anything else would be silly, like Bill Clinton's idiotic "I never inhaled" nonsense when asked if he'd ever smoked pot. Hunter Thompson nailed that one. He said (paraphrasing): "Why the hell else would you smoke the shit? That's be like me saying "I eat LSD, but I don't swallow it'..."

Not for nothing, but in October 2005, as part of the bachelor party for the distinguished Ken Kanniff, Connecticut's Most Wanted Gangsta Man, our posse ended up at Scores, where I was immediately greeted by the captivating Sweet Lil' Shelby. She and her colleagues then proceeded to provide us with an evening of stimulating entertainment that included many lap dances, an activity that is certain to be viewed in a dim light according to this ruling. And sure, these activities would most likely be frowned upon by some on the Christian Right (like good old Ted Haggard, at least until his gay hooker turned him in), but neither we boys, nor the girls ever crossed the line, despite the fact that the two-foot rule was in constant violation while we were there. In fact, we were so well behaved, that one of the young ladies, upon hearing that a couple of the our crew members were planning a move to the area, offered her services as part of her full-time wage-slavery gig, which is real estate brokerage.

Look, I know there are a lot of clowns out there who like to paw the girls. I also know that there are a lot of girls who grind that little extra bit harder to get the guys to pay for more dances, but I just don't see why this was ever a matter that should have ever seen a courtroom. In my distantly receding youth, I played guitar in a heavy metal band that would occasionally play in a place that was several notches below Scores on the "ambiance" scale. We didn't get many song requests from the patrons, if you acquire my drift. In the one summer I did this, I saw some shit go down that you simply would not believe. Let me tell you, when the interactions between patron and provider got "blurry", the staff dealt with it quickly and severely. And they were somehow able to do so without needing a "two-foot" rule to know when and when not to act.

Dems Take House of Representatives! Rumsfeld Resigns!

The Democrats handily regained the majority in the House of Representatives after yesterday's stunning mid-term election. The Senate is still up for grabs, as there is, at the time of this typing, a mere 7,000 vote difference between Democrats Jim Webb and incumbent George Allen (R - Racist Prick). Even Ken Kanniff, Connecticut's Most Wanted Gangsta, and registered Republican, gave me this prediction yesterday afternoon:

Basically I am calling for the Dems to take the senate! We will see somehow, my gut tells me we will be looking at a 50-50 senate with the Veep being rushed form his crypt to cast essential votes for the next two years.

The news is mostly good all over. Senators Rick Santorum, Conrad Burns, Mike DeWine and Jim Talent are gone. Sadly we still have to deal with that racist SOB Corker in Tennessee and that turncoat muther-effer Joe Lieberman in Connecticut, but hey, you take what gains you can get, and it appears that the Democrats have picked up 28 seats in the House without having lost a single seat.

Not only that, but Preznit Flight Suit Fantasy threw Defense Secretary Donald "You Go To War With The Army You Have, Not The Army You Want To Have" Rumsfeld under the bus, mere hours after assuring the world that Rummy's job was safe, and that he, the Preznit, had the utmost confidence in him. Apparently Cheney and Rove managed to convince him otherwise. I guess the Unholy Trinity wants to make sure that Rummy has no distractions when he is subpoenaed to testify about his part in this administration's reckless criminal activities.

My meager contribution to the chaos is this National Public Radio excerpt of Preznit Flight Suit Fantasy's drooling speech this afternoon:

In response to a question asking how he can work with Nancy Pelosi when she has called him "incompetent, a liar, the emperor with no clothes and, as recently as yesterday, dangerous":

"I've been around politics a long time. I understand when campaigns end, and I know when governing begins. And I'm going to work with people of both parties.... People say unfortunate things at times, but if you hold grudges in this line of work, you're never going to get anything done. And my intention is to get some things done. And as I said, I'm going to start visiting with her with the idea of coming together."

"I mean, look, this is a close election. Race by race, it was close. The cumulative effect, however, was not too close, it was a thumpin'. But nevertheless, the people expect us to work together. That's what they expect. And as I said in my opening comments, there comes responsibility with victory, and that's what Nancy Pelosi told me this morning. She said in the phone call she wants to work together, and so do I. And so that's how you deal with it."

"This isn't my first rodeo. In other words, this is not the first time I've been in a campaign where people have expressed themselves and in different kinds of ways. But I have learned that if you focus on the big picture, which in this case is our nation and issues we need to work together on, you can get stuff done."

As Emma Leroy of the Canadian sitcom Corner Gas might say: That guy is as sharp as a sock full of soup."

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But poor George had hardly finished wiping the egg off of his Chevy Chase when someone else asked him a generic question about the message voters sent the GOP. Sorry, this part isn't in the transcript, so I'm going from memory here. The Clueless One's answer went something like this:

"Well, it's hard when people have to write in a candidate's name. I had to be the Secretary of State in Houston where voters had to be given pencils and paper and told who the candidates were. That's a tough thing for us to overcome..."

Yes, it certainly is. Especially when the reason there had to be a write-in candidate for that particular seat was because the incumbent, Tom DeLay (R - Arrogant Shithead), had to resign his seat in disgrace due to his involvement with crooked lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Too bad the reporter didn't use that as a follow-up. Liberal press my arse. Anyway, enjoy that shit sandwich Mr. Preznit. You've earned it!

National League Gold Glove Award Winners.

As promised, here is the follow-up to yesterday's AL Gold Glove Awards. Today, the NL revealed it's recipients, as detailed in the following Yaho News AP wire excerpt:

NEW YORK - Greg Maddux has become a constant in an era of change. The slick-fielding pitcher won his 16th Gold Glove on Friday, tying the record shared by pitcher Jim Kaat and third baseman Brooks Robinson.

"I'm honored," Maddux said in a statement. "I take great pride in my fielding. This award means a lot to me."
Maddux has won the NL pitching award each year since 1990 except for 2003, when Atlanta's Mike Hampton interrupted the streak.

Maddux was 15-14 with a 4.20 ERA this year, including 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA for the Dodgers. The eight-time All-Star and four-time NL Cy Young Award winner has 333 career wins.

Kaat won AL Gold Gloves for pitchers from 1962-75, then won the NL award the following two years. Robinson was honored as the AL's best fielder at third base from 1960-75.

Rawlings has presented Gold Gloves annually since 1957 based on voting by managers and coaches before the end of the regular season. They may not select players on their own teams, and they vote only for players in their own league.

San Francisco shortstop Omar Vizquel won his 11th Gold Glove, his second in a row in the NL after the nine straight he earned with the Cleveland Indians from 1993-01. He is two shy of the record for shortstops, held by Ozzie Smith, and at 39 he extended his own mark as the oldest shortstop to win the honor.

Atlanta center fielder Andruw Jones won his ninth consecutive Gold Glove. Among outfielders, he trails only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays (12 each) and Al Kaline and Ken Griffey Jr. (10 apiece).

That's some tight company Andruw. Well done!

St. Louis third baseman Scott Rolen won his seventh Gold Glove, his first since 2004. Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols won for the first time, as did New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran.

Houston catcher Brad Ausmus won his third award, his first since 2002. San Diego center fielder Mike Cameron won for the third time he earned Gold Gloves in the AL with Seattle in 2001 and 2003.

Second baseman Orlando Hudson won with Arizona after gaining the honor for the first time with Toronto last year. "I have always taken a lot of pride in my work defensively and this is the ultimate compliment," Hudson said.

Beltran and Vizquel each earned $100,000 bonuses, while Cameron, Pujols and Rolen got $50,000 apiece. Ausmus gets a $25,000 bonus.

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Once again, let's see what the stats had to say about these guys. Position-by-position rundown:

First Base - Albert Pujols was third in the NL in putouts, and second in assists and double plays, despite having missed 20 games. He made just six errors. Todd Helton of the Rockies made just four errors in virtually the same number of chances, and he led the NL in double plays, so he may have been a slightly better choice, but I don't have much to quibble with about Pujols having won it this season.

Second Base - Orlando Hudson was fifth in the NL in putouts, but he was far and away the NL leader in assists. Hudson also led the NL in double plays while making just 13 errors. He's a Frank White clone who deserved the award.

Third Base - Scott Rolen was just eighth in the NL in putouts, but he ranked second in assists and double plays, despite having missed 20 games, while making just 15 errors. He also has the rep, but at least he lives up to the hype.

Shortstop - Speaking of rep, Omar Vizquel ranked fourth in the NL in putouts, but just seventh in both assists and double plays. Sure he made just four errors, but you can't botch balls you can no longer reach. A better choice would have been Adam Everett of the Astros who had 90 more assists and 17 more double plays (he ranked second in the NL in both categories) while having made just seven errors.

Outfield - Three center fielders again in the NL. This is a tough one because all three guys are legitimate glove heroes. Jones was second in the NL in putouts, but had only four assists, mainly because nobody runs on him anymore. Beltran was fourth in the NL in putouts, but led CFs in assists, and double plays. Cameron was third in the NL in putouts. Juan Pierre of the Cubs led the NL in putouts, and he didn't make a single error, but he recorded only two more putouts than Jones in over a hundred more innings played. In a tough call, I'd have to give the award to Jones. He never makes a mistake out there, and Tom Glavine missed him his first two years as a Met. Beltran and Cameron's awards should have gone to Pirates left fielder Jason Bay (second among NL LFs in putouts and assists). Alfonso Soriano led the NL in assists and double plays, but had the second most errors of any NL OF, so he gets nothing. My right field pick would be Brad Hawpe of the Rockies. Hawpe was fourth among NL RFs in putouts, but led them in assists (second overall in the league to Soriano).

Catcher - Brad Ausmus led the NL in putouts by a wide margin. He was tied for third in assists and double plays, having made just two errors, and having committed only one passed ball. Good choice.

Pitcher - Greg Maddux was nowhere near the NL lead in pitchers putouts, but he tied for first in assists, and was the leader in double plays without having made a single error. Again, good choice.

Well, that's that. See you when the next batch of awards is given out, or whenever another topiccompelss me to blog at youse...

American League Gold Glove Award Winners.

Major League Baseball began it's annual rite of post-season award announcements with today's choices for American League Gold Glove Award winners. Yahoo News AP wire excerpt:

NEW YORK - After all those errors in the World Series, a Detroit Tigers pitcher won a Gold Glove. Kenny Rogers, whose smudged left hand created a lot of suspicion during the World Series, won his fourth straight Gold Glove on Thursday and fifth overall.

Tigers teammate Ivan Rodriguez won his 12th Gold Glove, extending his record for catchers. Seattle right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, Minnesota center fielder Torii Hunter and Oakland third baseman Eric Chavez won the awards for the sixth straight season.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells won for the third time in a row, Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira won for the second consecutive season and Kansas City second baseman Mark Grudzielanek was a first-time winner.

Chavez and Rodriguez each earned $100,000 bonuses for winning Gold Gloves, while Rogers gets $75,000. Grudzielanek, Suzuki and Wells get $50,000 apiece and Hunter receives $25,000.

Gold Gloves have been presented since 1957 by Rawlings and are voted on by managers and coaches before the end of the regular season. They may not select players on their own teams, and they vote only for players in their own league.

NL Gold Glove winners will be announced Friday.

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Now let’s see how the voters did. Thanks to the wonderful baseball-reference web site (located conveniently on my blog roll), we can look at this past season’s fielding stats and see if there could have been other, more deserving players for these awards.

Position-by-position: First Base – Mark Teixeira led the AL in putouts and double plays, and was fourth in assists while committing just four errors. He’s a good choice.

Second Base – Mark Grudzielanik led the AL in double plays, but was just fifth in putouts and sixth in assists. Sure, he made just four errors, so he does have sure hands. Part of the reason he led the AL in DPs was that terrible Royals pitching staff that allowed so many baserunners. Grudzielanik only made eight more double plays than the AL runner-up, Boston’s Mark Loretta, who played for a team that allowed fewer baserunners, so is this a good measure of fielding prowess? A better choice might have been Mark Ellis. He had more putouts, but fewer double plays and assists, but he made just two errors. We saw what happened to the A’s infield in the post-season when Ellis went down with a broken finger.

Third Base – Eric Chavez led the AL in double plays with 42 while making just five errors. But he missed some time due to injury which depressed his putout and assist totals (fifth in putouts, sixth in assists). Mike Lowell of Boston led the AL in putouts, was fourth in assists and second in double plays while making just six errors. It’s a tough call, but I’d have been tempted to go with Lowell.

Shortstop – Derek Jeter was last among AL shortstops in range factor. He was seventh in the AL in putouts, sixth in assists and ninth in double plays. That despite having played more innings than all but four AL shortstops on a Yankee staff that allowed more balls to be put into play than in recent years. Michael Young of Texas led the AL in assists and double plays, and was third in putouts. He also had 14 errors to Jeter’s 15, despite handling 135 more chances than Jeter did. Who do YOU think is more deserving of this award?

Outfield – Once again we have the “let’s exclude left fielders from the discussion” concept in full gear. Torii Hunter has the rep, and he did lead AL center fielders with four double plays, but he was more than 60 putouts behind league leader, Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore. Vernon Wells was more than 70 behind Sizemore’s pace. Both Hunter and Wells are fine defenders, but how do you overlook that discrepancy? I’d give Carl Crawford of Tampa Bay the award for left field, and to Sizemore for center field. Ichiro can keep his, even though he was fourth in the AL in putouts for right fielders. Let’s not forget he played nearly forty games in center field and saw enough action there to make his combined putout total third best in the AL.

Catcher – Ivan Rodriguez made just two errors and committed just four passed balls for a mostly young, inexperienced Tigers pitching staff. He was sixth in the AL in assists, which is terrific when you remember that hardly anyone runs on his cannon of an arm. Good choice.

Pitcher – Kenny Rogers was second in the AL in assists, and sixth in putouts. He has a terrific pickoff move, and showed some nice reflexes on the national stage this post-season. Good choice.

That’s all for now. I’ll be back tomorrow with the NL version.

CD Review Saturday. Glenn Hughes, Edenbridge, Iron Maiden. The World Series Sucked.

New Music From Glenn Hughes, Edenbridge and Iron Maiden

It is raining like hell here in North-Central Massachusetts, so I figured I'd catch up on my new music reviews. In the spotlight are the new releases from Glenn Hughes, Edenbridge and Iron Maiden. Hang on tight!

Music For The Divine is the latest release from Glenn Hughes. He features long-time guitarist JJ Marsh and new-found friend, drummer and co-producer, Red Hot Chili Pepper Chad Smith, as well as some guest appearances by Pepper guitarist John Frusciante. The songs are tight and varied, mixing elements of hard rock, funk and jazz, with very little self-indulgence. Here’s the track-by track rundown:

The Valiant Denial – Opens with a spacey repeating riff from JJ Marsh before moving into a slamming funk beat driven by Glenn’s pounding bass lines and Chad’s tight drumming. Glenn delivers the vocals with urgency and passion. After a couple of verses and choruses, the spacey riff returns and blends with some violins through which JJ contributes some deep fills before the song ends.

Steppin’ On – A monster funk-rock tune with some hard hitting on the drums by Chad. JJ’s guitar sounds goes from clanky to overdrive to pace Glenn’s snarling vocal delivery. The second half of the song moves into a nice jam until the end.

Monkey Man – Another funk rocker that is interspersed with quiet parts as Glenn’s vocal delivery goes from growling to gentle. JJ throws in a short solo tinged with a bit of the old wah-wah pedal. Another end-the-song funk jam turns up as Chad turns up the heat on the drums, while Glenn lays down some heavy bass lines.

This House – An acoustic ballad that centers on love. Glenn gives a lilting vocal performance over the strains of Marsh’s guitar and a nice string arrangement.

You Got Soul – Back to the funk rock on this beast. Glenn’s vocals go from a whisper to a scream over Chad’s jazzy drum fills and JJ’s everything but the kitchen sink guitar sounds. The heaviest song so far in terms of sheer sonic output.

Frail – Another acoustic ballad that highlights Glenn at his introspective best as he shows the more subtle side to his voice as he delivers the sad lyrics.

Black Light – A hard-hitting rocker that showcases Chad’s rolling thunder drumming style paced by JJ’s growling guitar riffs and insane, wah-wah driven solo. Glenn keeps the pace on the bass, while delivering a mid-range (for him) vocal performance that drives the point home.

Nights in White Satin – Why a Moody Blues cover? It’s not as bad as it sounds, and is actually kind of funny in parts. JJ let’s Chad’s Red Hot Chili Peppers bad mate, John Frusciante take over on the guitar, and he does a nice job as he provides some cool fills and overall atmosphere. Glenn’s vocals are mostly terrific as he does a nice job with his multi-tracked voice on the choruses, but he loses it late in the song as he pushes the limits of the higher end of his register. At least they didn’t try to duplicate the “breathe deep the gathering gloom…” part.

Too High – A straight ahead rocker with a stomping beat, courtesy of Glenn’s driving bass and Chad’s hard hitting drums. JJ is back at the guitar wheel, and he provides a psychedelic wah-wah feel and a tight solo. Glenn’s vocals are all over the place here, including some kind of dampening effect in some parts.

This Is How I Feel – John Frusciante returns to play guitar on this track, which goes from ballad-like to mid-tempo rocker, with some orchestral sounds in the mix for atmosphere. Glenn gives us a good feel for the range of his voice, as it goes from subdued to urgent. John provides a short guitar solo, and a nice psychedelic outro over Glenn’s meandering bass lines and Chad’s steady backbeat.

The Divine – The final cut is a poignant ballad. Glenn seems to be almost crying at times as he sings the words of warning that comprise his lyrics. Mark Kilian, who provided the string and orchestral arrangements on this CD, does more of the same here in addition to playing some nice keyboard melodies in accompaniment to JJ’s acoustic guitar.

All in all, this is a solid effort by the veteran Hughes. I hear that JJ has, for now, left Hughes to pursue a solo career. I hear that Glenn will replace him on the upcoming tour with Jeff Kollman (Cosmosquad), who is a solid choice. Fans of Glenn’s heavier side may be a bit disappointed, but his solo stuff has been headed in this direction ever since Return Of Crystal Karma. Besides, if it’s heavy you want, grab his collaborations with Dario Mollo (Voodoo Hill) or Tony Iommi (Fused). Well done Glenn!


Next up is a CD from Austrian symphonic metallists Edenbridge. The brainchild of a multi-instrumental madman named Lanvall, who writes all their material, this band has a lineup that has become prevalent in Europe over the past few years. They feature the typical guitar, bass and drums, with atmospheric keyboards, but they also have female vocalists with operatic abilities. Other bands that work this way are Nightwish, After Forever and Within Temptation to name just a few. The Grand Design is Edenbridge’s latest release. The track-by-track rundown:

Terra Nova – The beginning track features most of what we come to expect from this band. Seven minutes of time changes, multi-tracked choral vocals and musical virtuosity shine through. Multi-instrumental madman Lanvall provides his usual orchestral feel with tons of keyboards and some tight back-and-forth guitar solos with guest guitarist Karl Groom (Threshold, Shadowland). Drummer Roland Navratil gives us more of his machine-gun drumming attack, and new bassist Frank Bindig holds his own at the bottom end of things quite nicely. Vocalist Sabine Edelsbacher continues to shine as one of the best in this genre of European bands with operatic style female singers.

Flame of Passion – An epic that starts out as a straight-ahead rocker, the tempo goes back and forth between grandiose and hard-hitting. The whole band is tight, and Sabine ignites the sonic landscape with her vocal delivery.

Evermore – This track opens with a gloomy feel before charging straight ahead. The middle of the song gets quiet with light piano fills and Sabine’s whispering vocals before the band kicks back into gear and drives the tempo upward for the final verse.

The Most Beautiful Place – Starts out as a piano ballad that carries Sabine’s lovely voice as Lanvall’s orchestral layering make their appearance, bringing a deeper atmosphere.

See You Fading Afar – This one is a driving rocker, fueled by Lanvall’s effects-driven guitar tone and Sabine’s multi-tracked vocals. Roland stomps hard on the drums as the song grinds away.

On Top of the World – An uptempo song that starts off with a nice guitar melody from Lanvall that supports Sabine’s voice as the song moves into gear. Lanvall also throws in a fluid, multi-tracked guitar solo with a soaring feel to it. Nice, positive feel all through this track.

Taken Away – A quiet, sad song that features Lanvall on the piano to accompany Sabine’s sad, lamenting vocals.

The Grand Design – The epic title track begins quietly, with Sabine singing loftily over Lanvall’s harmonic acoustic guitar before the band kicks in with the grandiose power that is Edenbridge’s trademark. About four minutes in, the time and instrument changes come into play as Lanvall’s multi-tracked guitar solos run up against some violin parts, courtesy of Astrid Stockhammer, and some beautiful flamenco guitar from Martin Mayr. Lanvall caps this all off with an amazing guitar solo before the song finds its way back to the main melody. There is a final flourish of choral style vocals over Lanvall’s guitar as the ten-plus minute long track comes to an end.

This is a terrific CD, and if you are already a follower of this band you will love it, but at just eight songs that total about 43 minutes, it’s simply not enough! I hope Lanvall isn’t running out of ideas. Also, the cover art is typically mystical, but the band photos are terrible, especially those of Sabine. Look at her pics on the previous release, Shine, then look at this crap. Sabine is a babe! If I were Sabine, I’d find the photographer and kick the living shit out of the SOB. Anyway, next time, how about a little more sonic bang for the buck?


The final review of the day is A Matter of Life and Death, the latest release from British Metal Gods Iron Maiden. This is their third release since vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith rejoined the band for 2000’s Brave New World, and these guys just keep delivering the goods. Track-by-track rundown:

Different World – An atypical short and sweet Maiden track. Bruce Dickinson delivers his usual wailing vocal performance on this stomping piece. Steve Harris on bass and Nicko McBrain on drums are their usual steady selves. Adrian Smith seals the deal with a whining guitar solo.

These Colours Don’t Run – This baby brings us back to the more typical Maiden time changes. Bruce delivers the lyrics that are centered on not backing down in the face of war. Janick Gers fires off a tasty guitar solo. Adrian follows along with a solo of his own as the time changes develop.

Brighter Than A Thousand Suns – Starts quietly with Bruce using the low end of his register before the grinding rhythm comes in to power the song forward. This song deals with the notion of atomic weapons and the potential horror they hold. Adrian Smith takes the first guitar solo after a quiet passage featuring Bruce almost crooning “Out of the darkness / brighter than a thousand suns” before the band kicks back into high gear. Janick then fires off an insane guitar solo as the band heads into “gallop” mode before the main melody re-asserts itself. Question: We are three tracks deep and Dave Murray has yet to take guitar solo…WHY???

The Pilgrim – Starts off as if it will be a mid-tempo piece, but quickly revs up into gallop mode. Steve’s pinging bass lines and Nicko’s crashing drums pace the multi-layered guitar melody. The tempo changes to one with an Arabian feel before going back to the main melody. Bruce delivers the goods with lyrics that showcase the delusion of religious fanaticism. Adrian contributes a tight, quick guitar solo.

The Longest Day – Steve’s bass line starts this track off over a lone, quiet guitar. Bruce’s vocals go from whisper to low sneer to mid-range, and the band slowly builds the sound up as Bruce turns it up to banshee mode. The lyrics deal with the horror and desperation of battle. Midway through, a time change comes in with a sinister new melody. Adrian comes in with a guitar solo punctuated by Nicko’s heavy hitting and multi-tracked guitar melody before…AT LAST, A DAVE MURRAY GUITAR SOLO!!! The song then shifts back to the main melody with a last painful lament from Bruce before the end comes quietly.

Out of the Shadows – Starts quietly with a straining melody and Bruce singing in a lower voice than normal for a Maiden song. The chorus then comes in amidst an increase of wattage as Bruce begins to wail. Adrian takes the first guitar solo, although Dave provides some nice fills. A time change that features some acoustic guitar comes in, and is topped off by some multi-layered guitar work and more of Dave’s fills before the song comes to a quiet end.

The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg – Another one that begins quietly with Dave playing a flurry over Steve’s bass line. Bruce again begins his vocal delivery on the low end as this horror story of a song gets going. Things get going as a monster riff asserts itself, and Bruce’s vocals seem teeter from sneer to lament. A time change with some multi-layered guitars punches through, paving the way for Dave’s slithering guitar solo. The main melody returns with Bruce continuing to wail over the crunching wall of guitars, bass and drums before one last time change abruptly ends with uneasy quiet.

For the Greater Good of God – Quiet guitars over Steve’s bass begin this track. Bruce, again, begins his vocal performance on the low end of his range before the tempo change kicks in. Bruce, now back in wail mode, cries out over the guitar melody and Nicko’s heavy hitting. This song deals with the consequences of following idiotic leaders who invoke God to justify their mad plans. A flurry of time changes follows, punctuated by guitar solos from Janick, Adrian and Dave, before the main melody comes back. The song ends quietly with Bruce’s quiet lament for Jesus at the mockery most leaders have made of his life and death.

Lord of Light – Yet another slow burner at the outset. You get one guess as to the subject matter of this track. After a minute and a half, the tempo kicks in and Bruce is wailing like a banshee. Close to four minutes in things quiet down again for a bit before a new, more sinister melody kicks in. The guitar solos are quick, but deadly. First, Adrian fires off as if he’s a rocket to the stars, then Dave cuts in to put the fire out and start one of his own. The song ends with a heavy, quick finality.

The Legacy – The final cut, this one also gets off to a quiet start, the quietest yet, complete with acoustic guitars for over two minutes until a heavy, echoing riff churns up the waters before it quiets down again. The pattern repeats until a slow riff powers its way through followed by Bruce’s sneering vocals. If I had to guess, I’d swear that the lyrics centered on our own Preznit Flight Suit Fantasy and his brainless manner of leadership. The mid-song tempo changes come in, with Dave tossing in a tasty guitar solo. A nice multi-layered guitar melody comes in as Bruce continues to wail. The chaos slows down to quiet again as the song comes to a slow end.

How can this band still be this good after so long? Unbelievable performances abound on this outing. Needless to say, Maiden fans should love it. The US leg of their tour is over, and they are now in Japan (I managed to catch about 2/3 of their October 6th show in Boston. Unfortunately, due to wage slavery organization bullshit, I was late to the gig, which is why I have not posted a review). Anyway, see how you do on the Guess the Guitarist solo-meter. I’ve followed these guys from just about the beginning, and I like to think, as a guitarist myself, that I have a pretty good ear for the subtle differences in styles and sounds of each guitarist. See if you hear it the way I did. Here’s the solo tally: Adrian – 8, Dave – 5, Janick – 3. The CD package includes a DVD of how the sessions went as the CD came to life. I don’t see anything but boredom stopping this band from continuing to come up with monster recordings like this one, and right now, these guys are anything but bored. Exceptionally well done!


Let's Agree That This World Series Did Not Happen

Please? What a joke! I will say that the Cardinals scouts definitely earned their pay. They obviously saw the way the Yankees and A's pitched to the Tiger batters, and were able to help the Cardinals pitchers come up with a plan to neutralize the bats. How else could Placido Palanco go from ALCS MVP to 0-for 17 in the World Series? The Tiger hitters with the notable exception of gimpy Sean Casey looked completely helpless at times aginst the St. Louis hurlers. That would have been bad enough for the Tigers, but those awful throwing errors! You can't give teams extra outs and expect to win, especially in the World Series.

I have no worries about the Cardinals. They are mostly a veteran team that will likely end up at the top of the crummy NL Central again in 2007. It will be interesting to see how the young Tigers rebound from this. After the thrill of knocking off the mighty Yankees and shocking the A's with a sweep in the ALCS, to have their magical season end like it did has to be, to put it mildly, a letdown of epic proportions.

Things That Go BANG! In the Night...

Here are a couple of tidbits I found as Game 3 of the World Series draws near. They serve as a reminder to those who would ingore what is happening in the ever changing sky...

154-Pound Meteorite Unearthed in Kansas

Scientists, using technology they hope will help to unravel some of the mysteries of the Martian soil, have unearthed a 154-pound meteorite that fell to the ground about 10,000 years ago in an area of Kansas that is known for having taken such hits. Yahoo News AP wire excerpt:

GREENSBURG, Kan. - Scientists were excited when they pulled a 154-pound meteorite from deep below a Kansas wheat field, but what got them most electrified was the way they unearthed it.

The team Monday uncovered the find 4 feet under a meteorite-strewn field using new ground-penetrating radar technology that someday might be used on Mars. It was that technology which pinpointed the site and proved for the first time that it could be used to find objects buried deep in the ground and to make an accurate three-dimensional image of them.

"It validates the technique so we can use something similar to that instrument when we go to Mars," said Patricia Reiff, director of the Rice Space Institute.

Such GPR systems had been used in the past to locate smaller meteorites through the ice in Antarctica. But until the Kansas dig, the technology had not been successfully used for ground detection in heavy soils — like on Mars — to find meteorites or water there.

The dig was likely the most documented excavation yet of a meteorite find, with researchers painstakingly using brushes and hand tools to preserve evidence of the impact trail and to date the event of the meteorite strike. Soil samples also were bagged and tagged and organic material preserved for dating purposes.

"When we find a piece of meteorite, each one is a new sentence we add to the book to understand the evolution of the solar system," Essam Heggy, planetary scientist at the Johnson Space Center's Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston.

Even before they had the pallasite meteorite out of the ground, the scientific experts at the site were able to debunk prevailing wisdom that the spectacular Brenham meteorite fall occurred 20,000 years ago. Its location in the Pleistocene epoch soil layer puts that date closer to 10,000 years ago.

"We know it is recent," said Carolyn Sumners, director of Astronomy at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, as she surveyed progress on the dig. "Native Americans could have seen it."

The Brenham field was discovered in 1882. Scientists have since traced pieces of the shower as far away as Indian mounds in Ohio, indicating the meteorites were traded as pieces of jewelry and ceremonial artifacts. The site was largely forgotten in recent decades until Arnold and Mani leased eight square miles of it and began looking deep below the surface. More than 15,000 pounds of meteorites have been recovered from the area.

This week's find will end up as part of a new exhibit on comets, meteors and asteroids at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The museum will pay about $50,000 for it, Sumners said. It is valued at more than $100,000, she said.

Landowner Alan Binford watched with interest as the scientists freed the meteorite, bagging clumps of his rich Kansas farmland around it. "I didn't figure there would be that much scientific value," he said. "I never thought about them going to this extent. It is interesting history."

No shit he watched with interest. For that much money I'd sure as hell watch with interest too!

Full Story

German Cottage Crushed by Meteor

On a similar note, a 77-year old man had his cottage destroyed by a meteor over the weekend in Germany. Full Yahoo News Reuters story:

BERLIN (Reuters) - A fire that destroyed a cottage near Bonn and injured a 77-year-old man was probably caused by a meteor and witnesses saw an arc of blazing light in the sky, German police said on Friday.

Burkhard Rick, a spokesman for the police in Siegburg east of Bonn, said the fire gutted the cottage and badly burned the man's hands and face in the incident on October 10.

"We sought assistance from Bochum observatory and they noted that at that particular moment the earth was near a field of meteoroid splinter and it could be assumed that particles had entered the atmosphere," he said.

"The particles usually don't reach the surface because they disintegrate in the atmosphere," he added. "But some can make it to the ground. We believe this was a bolide (meteoric fireball) with a size of no more than 10 mm."

A few years ago, I remember reading a story in Sky & Telescope about a meteor that caved in the front of a guy's car in Upstate New York. I wonder what the insurance comapany told that poor bastard...

Full Story Link

Too Bad I Never Could Hit a Curve Ball...

Relax baseball lovers, the new basic agreement is all but finalized, as shown in the following Yahoo News AP wire excerpt:

ST. LOUIS - Baseball officials briefed owners on details of their new labor contract Tuesday and planned to make the agreement public before Game 3 of the World Series.

Commissioner Bud Selig and union head Donald Fehr were to appear at a news conference Tuesday night in Busch Stadium. The five-year contract, which runs through the 2011 season, is subject to ratification by both sides.
Lawyers struck the deal last Friday night and Saturday during negotiations in New York, then worked on putting it in writing.

The current deal, reached in August 2002, is set to expire Dec. 19. After eight work stoppages between 1972 and 1995, baseball will be assured of 16 years of labor peace.

The deal continues, with minor modifications, existing luxury tax and revenue-sharing rules, provisions that funneled money from large-market teams to their competitors. The payroll threshold for the luxury tax increases from $136.5 million this year to $148 million next year, then goes up about 5 percent annually, a baseball official familiar with the deal said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn't been announced.

The minimum salary increases, from $327,000 this year to $380,000 next season, and amateur draft pick compensation for some free agents who sign with new teams, will be eliminated.

Also, teams that reach targets for revenue-sharing will be rewarded under the new agreement, and those that fail will be penalized.

That part about eliminating amateur draft pick compensation when free agents sign with new teams sucks. This means that teams like Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay will continue to languish at the bottom of the standings. Young studs like David DeJesus, Jason Bay and Carl Crawford will soon become eligible to sign elsewhere, and the likelihood of more mid-to-late season trades to contenders will increase now that the draft pick option is off the table. I can't imagine which side screwed this one up.

Then again, maybe this new wrinkle will force teams like the Royals, Pirates and Deviled Eggs to think harder about what type of future their clubs want to embrace. After all, look at what happened to the Tigers this year. Three years ago they lost 119 games. Now, they are playing for a World Series championship.

Full Story

SKILLING CONVICTED!!! Queen Guitarist Collaborates on Astronomy Book.

Hola Amigos,

Rather than regurgitate the good news, namely that Jeffrey Skilling seems to be headed to prison for a long time, I figured I'd concentrate on this story I found on Yahoo news. Brian May, Queen guitarist, has collaborated on a book about astronomy that centers on the origin of the universe. Excerpt:

LONDON - Brian May traded rock 'n' roll for the big bang as he launched a book about the origins of the universe.

May, who abandoned doctoral studies in astronomy to play guitar with `70s rock legends Queen, has returned to his first love as a co-author of the book "Bang! The Complete History of the Universe," which was launched Monday.

Co-written with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, presenters of the British Broadcasting Corp. astronomy program "The Sky at Night," the book recounts the formation of the universe from its origins more than 13 billion years ago and looks forward to its end, several billion years from now.

Moore is a big name in British astronomy, so this will most likely be a high-caliber project.

May, 59, whose guitar playing drives "We Will Rock You," "Bohemian Rhapsody" and other hits, sees similarities between his two great loves, music and astronomy.

I think his best stuff was on tracks like "Get Down, Make Love" and "Somebody to Love", but hey, I guess you can't avoid reliving the big hits...

"I think there's a sort of purity about both of them," he said recently, according to The Guardian newspaper. "Because you can immerse yourself in thoughts of the universe, or in music, and you're really abstracted. You're a million miles away from all your worries and personal problems and the dust and smoke of where you are."

For me, that last paragraph says it all. Well done Brian!

Full Story Link

Back from the Twilight Zone...

Hola Amigos,

I'm back from the Twilight Zone, and am ready to resume blogging. For those of you wondering where I've been these past few months, and judging by the lack of comments, that number is very few, I've been helping to care for my sick father, who has had the bad luck to have experienced two bouts of pneumonia, a collapsed lung, various digestive problems and a minor stroke. The worst now seems to be over, but the combination of these ailments has left him weak and unable to function at a normal level with any sense of confidence. The end result, after having experimented with some home health care providers, who were competent enough, but who left Dad in a state of anxiety, is that he is now living with my sister, who has the luxury of not having to work full time, which guarantees that Dad will receive the care he needs.

Now, what have I missed that is comment-worthy? Hey, how about that criminal GOP gang? I'd like to think that the combination of corruption, arrogance and sexual predators would all but guarantee a Democratic re-capturing of the House and Senate, but as long as the GOP retains control of the Diebold voting machines, you'll forgive me if I don't hold my breath. All I can say is that the Dems should have taken note of Barney Frank's (D-Massachusetts) performance of this past Real Time with Bill Maher. He cut through the bullshit, and stated facts as they are, not how that nitwit Steve Moore pretended they were. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid should, in particular, have been watching, because Frank showed that all you need is the facts when you are right instead of mealy-mouthed apologies for pointing out the obvious, namely that this is the most criminally insane administration of all time, and I can only hope that November 7th will slow down their reign of terror.

On to baseball. The Red Sox reverted to their tried and true ways of wilting down the stretch this season, the ultimate shit sandwich being the five-game sweep they suffered at home at the hands if the Yankees in August. But, not content to merely be first runners-up again, they fell to third place in the AL East, one game in back of the Toronto Blue Jays. Well, thankfully, the Yanks were bounced from post-season play by the surging Tigers, who then swept the A's, and who now face the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. I'd analyze the Red Sox bit by bit, but it would take longer than I'm willing to commit to at this moment. Maybe in a future post.

Anyway, this is just to let all six of you know I'm back, and that I'll do my best to regain the heights of mediocrity to which you have become accustomed when accessing this crummy blog. That's all for now. I did finally obtain the latest Glenn Hughes and Edenbridge releases, and will be reviewing them some time this week. Until then, stay happy and stay safe.

Latest Wage-Slavery Organization Softball Update.

Hola Nighthawks,

We are back on the winning track again after last night’s 16-2 victory over Mercer Roadkill at Cornell’s. We scored early and often, and played tight defense throughout the game. The win now puts us at 4-2 on the season.

On offense, we scored three runs in the first inning, capped off by Dave Hall’s inside-the-park home run. We added five more runs in the second, with Mike “I Should Get a Pair of Cleats” Blumberg’s opposite field triple one of the highlights. That was quickly followed by Damon Calzaloia turning a sure double into a single when he neglected to touch first base on his initial attempt to round the bag. We dented the plate two more times in the fourth, three times in the sixth, and three more times in the seventh to round out the scoring.

Dave Hall, Keith Cantara, Gary “GB” Bastarache, Mike Blumberg and Lisa Mammone scored two runs each. Randy Pendexter, Brian Labossiere, Jesse Grater, Damon Calzaloia, Dario Palombo and yours truly each scored once.

Fact: Arnold John “Jigger” Statz was a small, speedy, switch-hitting outfielder who played parts of eight seasons in the major leagues from 1919-1928. He played for the New York Giants, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Brooklyn Dodgers. His best year in the majors was his 1923 season with the Cubs. Statz batted .319 with 10 homers, 70 RBI, 29 stolen bases, led the National League in times at bat (655), was second in hits (209) and fifth in runs (110) and total bases (288). Among outfielders, he tied for the league lead in double plays (7) and was second in putouts (438) and assists (26). His big league career average was .285 in 683 games.

Well big deal right? Why, you ask, am I typing stuff about a 1920s outfielder with minimal power who had a short major league career? Well, here is, to steal a line from Paul Harvey, the rest of the story…

Statz was one of the greatest minor league players of all time. He was with the Los Angeles Angels of the Pacific Coast League in 1920-21, 1925-26 and from 1929-42. He did not play for any other minor league team. Statz holds all of the longevity records in the PCL: Most games, 2,790; most times at bat, 10,657; most runs (1,996), most hits (3,356), most total bases (4,405), most singles (2,564), most doubles (595), most triples (137), and was second in stolen bases (466); and for outfielders, most putouts (6,872), most assists (263) and the most chances accepted (7,135). By way of comparison, Willie Mays is the major league record holder for putouts by an outfielder with 7,095 in 2,992 career games with the Giants and Mets from 1951-1973.

He had more 200-hit seasons (11) than any other player in minor league history. Among all minor league batters he ranks fourth in career runs and sixth in career hits. His best year was probably 1926, when he batted .354 in 199 games, leading the league in hits (291), doubles (68) and triples (18) and tying for second in runs (150). He led PCL outfielders in fielding (.997) and putouts (577), making only two errors in 604 total chances.

Statz was also part of the legendary Angels team of 1934 that was probably the greatest minor league team ever. They won 137 games and lost just 50. Due to the length of the season (188 games that year), the league standings were split into two halves. The Angels won the first half with a 66-18 record, and also won the second half with a 71-32 record. The second place Vernon Tigers went 105-83 to finish an astonishing 31.5 games behind the Angels. The Angels were so good that the 1934 playoffs ended up being a match between the Angels and a PCL All-Star team that featured Vince DiMaggio (Joe and Dominic’s older brother) Buzz Arlett, Ox Eckhardt and Smead Jolley (all PCL Hall of Famers) to name but a few. The Angels beat the All-Stars four games to two.

Statz, who later managed the Angels after retiring as an active player, when combining his major league time with his PCL time, played in 3,473 professional games. His total of 4,093 hits is surpassed by only Ty Cobb and Pete Rose.

GB was handed the pitching duties and kept things moving at a brisk pace. He kept the pitch count low, and the Roadkillers were off balance most of the time against him. The defense was excellent behind GB. Randy Pendexter made several over the shoulder catches while roaming from shortstop into short left field. He and Kathy Cantara combined for a nice double play on a grounder hit toward the middle to end one Roadkill rally. Mike Blumberg made a nice play on a popup behind the plate at catcher. Dave Hall and Keith Cantara held down the fort in left and left-center. GB also helped himself out by making good plays on several balls hit back up the middle. Mike Rose played third and finished the game on the mound, and also punked us in the outfield when he agreed to let one of their guys hit the girls ball. Result: A rocket way over Keith in deep left-center for a triple. Hey Rositi, there’s nothing wrong with a little gamesmanship in a blowout, but let the rest of us in on the deal next time, okay?!?

View From the Bar: Cornell’s was packed as we went inside for some much-needed refreshment. The early part of the festivities was taken up with me trying to explain the meaning of “Batta Please!” to Dario. The ump, at the start of every half-inning, would announce “batter please” instead of the traditional “batter up” or whatnot. Brian and Keith were on top of it, and we relived the famous skits from both the Chris Rock Show and Chappelle’s Show segments that hit on some less than subtle variations on the theme that mocked the “Nuttin Honey” cereal ads that were popular a few years ago.

After a bit, it turned out that one of the ladies from the local womens league was having a birthday, and her teammates provided a cake. After helping to sing “Happy Birthday” very badly, GB and I went over for a sample of cake, and stayed long enough to see one of the gifts, a new driver, the sight of which compelled someone to say “nice shaft”.

We then rejoined the crew and watched as the Red Sox overcame a 2-1 deficit to beat the Mets 4-2 for their 12th straight win (nice catch Coco!). But speaking of birthdays, today is GBs birthday. Don’t forget to wish him a happy one if you see him today.

Oh, for those of you in conversation with Mr. Hall, duck when you answer a question that concerns events that are common knowledge, but momentarily have everyone stumped. The matter in question involved, as closely as I can paraphrase Dave, “one of the Sox who got hurt at second”. Both Keith and I were stumped, which seemed to agitate Mr. Hall. I was about to ask him if he could be a little more vague when I suddenly remember that Gabe Kapler popped his Achilles tendon last September rounding second base in Toronto, so I quickly gave that answer, and was just as quickly swatted in the shoulder by the enthusiastic Mr. Hall.

Friday Morning Random Ten:
Death Alley Driver, Rainbow
Walking to Babylon, The Angels
Life on Earth, Jack Bruce and Robin Trower
Muddy’s Gold, Chocolate Box
Gates of Urizen, Bruce Dickinson
Don’t Wanna Lose Your Love, Santana with Los Lonely Boys
Material Eyes, Pat Travers
Our Truth, Lacuna Coil
American Witch, Rob Zombie
Limbo, Westworld

Special thanks to everyone for your expressions of concern about my father. I appreciate it very much.

That seems to be all for now. The next action appears to be a doubleheader at the Medway VFW against the Berzerkers and the Bar Tab Legends on Thursday July 6th.

Sky and Telescope Tuesday! Summer Solstice Catch-Up Time. Quick Red Sox Update.

Hola Amigos,

I'm back again after another unexpected absence, again to attend to family matters. For now, these matters are somewhat stable, so I'm taking advantage of the lull to update this blog for all six of you who keep screaming at the lack of recent posts.

Quick Hits: Happy Summer Solstice Eve. For we northern hemisphere dwellers, Sol marks its northernmost point in its apparent journey along the Ecliptic tomorrow morning, June 21st, at 8:26 AM EST. Conversely, this means it is the beginning of winter for my mates in Australia.

The Red Sox are, somehow, in first place by two games. This despite having been swept, then having swept two teams in back-to-back series in which both opponents had similar won-lost records going into each set of games. Oh yes, and they started last night's series with the Washington Nationals by starting a pitcher they claimed off of waivers from the KANSAS CITY ROYALS! Well, woonchanoit, but Kyle Snyder, he of the two (2) wins versus nine (9) losses career record with a 6.55 earned run average, managed to get the win in last night's 6-3 victory with five innings of mediocre (three runs allowed), but occasionally brilliant (six strikeouts) curve balls. Oh yes, Manny Ramirez launched his 18th homer of the year off of 211 centimeter (6-foot-11) pitcher Jon Rauch. The homer was Manny's 453rd career bomb that moved him past former Sox great Carl Yastrzemski. The series with the Nationals continues at Fenway park this evening.

Glenn Hughes and Edenbridge are scheduled to deliver us some new releases, and once I get my copies of their new CDs in my hands I'll spend some time at the keys detailing their merits. Now, on to the neat stuff...

Below are two excerpts from the friendly folks at Sky and Telescope. The first deals with the possibility that planets made of mostly carbon nay exist in orbit around a neighboring star, while the second hints that Native Americans may have depicted the supernova of 1006 AD in rock art.

Carbon Planets?

June 8, 2006 Exotic planets, dense with diamonds and graphite, might be forming around a nearby star. Astronomers announced this week that the disk around the young star Beta Pictoris is brimming with carbon, raising the possibility that abnormally carbon-rich planets might be forming there.

The rocky planets in our solar system are made mostly of silicate minerals such as quartz and feldspar. But last year, Marc Kuchner (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center) and Sara Seager (Carnegie Institution of Washington) presented models showing that silicate planets aren't the only possibility. If the protoplanetary disk from which planets form has more carbon than oxygen, then planets based on carbon minerals would be the norm.

Now, a team studying spectra from NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite has found just such a disk. The well-studied debris disk that surrounds Beta Pictoris has almost 9 times more carbon than oxygen; whereas the Sun has only half as much carbon as oxygen. The roughly 12-million-year-old Beta Pictoris system is just 63 light-years from Earth, and has long been considered the classic example of an evolving young planetary system. But the extraordinary amount of carbon has researchers wondering how typical it actually is.

Aki Roberge (NASA/Goddard), who led the FUSE team, suggests that this disk might represent another kind of planetary system. Rocky planets in such a system would be distinctly different from Earth, and not just because the crust would be made of graphite (i.e., pencil lead) and studded with diamonds.

"Imagine a planet where water and oxygen are extremely scarce but compounds like methane, propane, butane, tar, and soot are all available in abundance," says Kuchner. "Life would be very strange on a carbon world."

Oh shit, don't let George W. Bush read this. He'll want to mount an intersteallar glider brigade to confiscate all that oil. On second thought, George Bush reading Sky and Telescope is as likely an event as me taking Jessica Alba on a Vegas vacation...

But carbon planets aren't the only possibility for Beta Pictoris. Roberge's team speculates that, alternatively, the Beta Pictoris disk might represent a carbon-rich phase that all planetary systems undergo — including ours. "Beta Pictoris could be like a time machine, offering us a glimpse of our solar system in its infancy," says Roberge.
If so, Roberge says she would expect to find other debris disks that are just as carbon-rich. Her team has only studied Beta Pictoris with FUSE so far; however, astronomers know of many more young disks that can be studied.

But if our solar system was just as carbon-rich in its youth, where did all the carbon come from – and where did it go? Conel Alexander, a cosmochemist at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, thinks asteroids and comets might be to blame. A debris disk is a particularly violent place, where asteroids and comets routinely collide. The collisions literally knock the carbon-rich gas out of them, leaving excess carbon in a system with otherwise silicate planets. Strong stellar winds might have then swept away the excess carbon over millions of years.

Astronomers find evidence for this scenario in primordial dust particles in our solar system. Some of these dust grains retain their ancient carbon, suggesting that our system once had much more carbon. "But, nevertheless, these dust particles are not carbon-rich enough to explain the composition of the gases that we see in Beta Pictoris," says Alexander. "We need to consider a more exotic explanation."

Roberge and her team, who published their results in the June 8th Nature, suspect that new instruments will be needed to further explore the carbon-rich disk around Beta Pictoris, and to hunt for more. They speculate that the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, which may or may not be added to the Hubble Space Telescope, or the Atcama Large Millimeter Array, to be completed in Chile in 2012, will be sensitive enough to study the carbon-rich gas in detail.
"Maybe Beta Pictoris is a glimpse of our own solar system," says Kuchner. "Or maybe it's telling us about the starling variety of other kinds of planetary systems that might be out there."

I'm not as well trained as these folks, but it seems to me that our sun, as an older star, and its original nebula that eventually coalesced into the solar system, was made from "purer" stuff than the Beta Pictoris system. That is, the Beta Pictoris system resulted from the gravitational attraction of materials from stellar explosions that contained heavier elements, like carbon, than did our system. That would explain some of what this article details.

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Native American Depiction of Supernova of 1006 AD?

June 6, 2006 Two astronomers have proposed that a rock carving found in the White Tanks Regional Park, north of Phoenix, Arizona, may represent the supernova of AD 1006. If true, the carving would be the oldest known Native American record of a supernova, and the only known record of Supernova 1006 in the New World.

The carving shows a star-like object hovering above a scorpion symbol, which John Barentine (Apache Point Observatory) and Gilbert Esquerdo (Planetary Science Institute) interpret as the supernova appearing near the constellation Scorpius.

Supernova 1006 was one of the brightest in recorded history, visible in mid-day and prompting astronomers in Europe, Eastern Asia, and the Middle East to record its appearance and evolution. Barentine argues that the Hohokam tribe, which lived in the White Tanks area at the time of the supernova, also recorded the event. The supernova reached magnitude –7.5, about 15 times brighter than Venus.

However, despite media reports, leading archaeoastronomers remain highly skeptical. "Having looked at the White Tanks rock art panel, I am appalled," says Edwin C. Krupp, Director of the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and author of Archaeoastronomy and the Roots of Science. "Panels like this are not rare. There is no reason to link it to any supernova event. There is nothing persuasive about the imagery to support the extraordinarily detailed claim. The authors say nothing about all of the other imagery on the boulder and select two details for their discussion. These two details are in themselves dubiously interpreted."

"This Supernova 1006 petroglyph interpretation is nothing but assumptions and wishful thinking," he adds. Barentine admits that his conclusions are highly speculative. "The conclusion really hinges on whether this is supposed to represent a group of stars in the sky, and not an animal," he says.

In an effort to answer that question, Barentine and Esquerdo modeled what the night sky would have looked like at the White Tanks site on May 1, 1006, when the supernova first appeared. Both the supernova and Scorpius are visible above the horizon.

Still, experts doubt that the carving represents the supernova event, arguing that the star symbol could in fact represent the Sun, and the scorpion symbol could represent an actual scorpion — or something else entirely.

"We have no reason to think prehistoric Indians of the American Southwest saw a scorpion in the stars of Scorpius," says Krupp. "In fact, in North America, the stars of Scorpius are imagined as various figures but not as a scorpion."
"[The symbol] hardly resembles our constellation of Scorpius, much less anything we know about anybody else's," says Anthony Aveni (Colgate University), a leading author on ancient astronomy in the Americas. "Color me highly unconvinced."

I hate to call "bullshit" on Krupp, but of all the constellations, Scorpius is one of the few that actually resembles that for which it is named. Besides, the little buggers are everywhere in this region. So why the naysaying?

The White Tank petroglyph is not the first Native American rock carving to arouse debate in the archaeoastronomy community. In 1973, a team of researchers proposed that a carving of a crescent moon and a star at Chaco Canyon in New Mexico might represent the supernova of AD 1054. The claim has elicited debate that continues to this day.

"I am a supernova skeptic," says Aveni. "Anthropologist Florence Hawley Ellis gave a very ethnohistorically well documented explanation of rock carvings with crescent and star: they are Sun watchers stations and what one is seeing depicted are the crescent moon and [an evening] star low in the west after sunset."

"No alleged rock art depiction of the AD 1054 supernova is either conclusive or persuasive," adds Krupp. "Very plausible alternate interpretations for these are available."

Barentine presented a poster on the White Tanks petroglyph yesterday, at the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Calgary, Alberta. He plans on submitting it to a peer-reviewed journal soon.

If "very plausible alternate interpretations for these are available", then why didn't Krupp cite them? Again, I hate to call bullshit on the man, but it appears to me that he might be on the wrong side of this issue. Krupp writes a wonderful monthly column for Sky and Telescope called Rambling Through the Skies that occasionally touches on topics like this one, and he is usually very good at refining the information he has researched. I'll be following this story to see if Krupp develops any reasons to change his mind, or, if he can present evidence to back up his unusual certitude about his current stance.

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Happy 6/6/06! New Class of Sub-stellar Objects Discovered.

Hola Amigos. Happy 6/6/06. The trembling numerologists in the audience will have their twisted pre-conceived notions about demonic significance confirmed by my playing a mix of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Slayer and Candlemass CDs at my wage-slavery containment facility. Hey, what can I say? Those guys effing ROCK!!! And no, I do NOT plan on seeing the updated Omen movie. The first one was bad enough. Besides, my personal library houses volumes that are MUCH more frightening than that crap.

Anyway, I'm back at the keys after an unplanned break to take care of some family business that suddenly arose. You can thank my worthy correspondent and fellow space enthusiast Em Jeigh for the tip on the following Space.com story that features a new class of object, neither star, nor planet, but probably not a brown dwarf either. The interesting thing about these objects is that they appear to be independent bodies that have smaller bodies orbiting them. Excerpt:

Planet-like objects floating alone through space harbor disks of material that could make other planets or moons, something like miniature versions of our solar system, astronomers said today. What exactly to call any of these objects and systems is up in the air, however.

In one new study, six objects ranging in heft from five to 15 times the mass of Jupiter were observed. None are bound to stars. All are young and have disks of gas and dust that resemble disks found around young stars. Our own Sun had such a disk, out of which asteroids, comets and planets formed, theorists say.

The scientists involved in the new research are calling the objects "planemos," short for planetary mass objects that were born in the manner of stars and do not orbit normal stars.

"Now that we know of these planetary mass objects with their own little infant planetary systems, the definition of the word 'planet' has blurred even more," said study leader Ray Jayawardhana from the University of Toronto.

Observations at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile revealed infrared radiation from the dust disks. There are no conventional photographs of the objects. The results of this and a second, related study are being presented today at the 208th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Calgary.

The new observations were of objects previously identified in work led by Katelyn Allers, then at the University of Texas at Austin. Allers used data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The discoveries are not the first of their kind, however.

Last year, a group led by Kevin Luhman at Penn State found an isolated object about eight times the mass of Jupiter with an apparent disk of gas and dust. In a telephone interview today, Luhman said he prefers to use the term brown dwarf for all large, gaseous objects that are not orbiting normal stars. Brown dwarfs are generally considered to be much bigger than Jupiter but not massive enough to jumpstart thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen, the process that powers real stars and makes sunlight.

"I don't use the term planetary mass object," Luhman said. "They are really just brown dwarfs."

To understand the difference of opinion, one must first hear about the second new study, which further complicates the definitions.

In the other study, Subhanjoy Mohanty of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and colleagues looked at another so-called planemo and found evidence for a dust disk. The object, named 2M1207b, was discovered in 2004 and controversially hailed then as providing the first picture of an extrasolar planet.

While clearly of planetary weight, at about eight times as massive as Jupiter, 2M1207b orbits a brown dwarf. Researchers suspect both objects formed at once by condensing out of an interstellar cloud of material—exactly how binary star systems are thought to form and unlike the typical process of planet birth.

The brown dwarf is about 25 times the mass of Jupiter but still only about 8 percent as massive as our Sun. Like all brown dwarfs, it burns deuterium (which means it is at least 13 to 15 times the mass of Jupiter) but lacks enough heft to force thermonuclear fusion.

Jayawardhana, who worked on this study too, said: "It is quite likely that smaller planets or asteroids could now form in the disk around each one."

By using the term planemo, the researchers are purposely avoiding the debate over whether 2M1207b and the free-floating objects should be called planets. "Whether you call it a planet or not depends on your definition of the word 'planet,' whether it's a definition based on mass or one based on formation scenario," Jayawardhana told SPACE.com. "In any case, we have chosen to call it a planetary mass companion, rather than getting into a debate about how to define a planet."

Such a definition is the responsibility of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), which in recent years has been working—so far unsuccessfully—to draft language that defines planets both big and small.

If a planemo is a planetary mass object, however, then why are Jayawardhana and his colleagues describing the setups they've found as miniature solar systems rather than miniature Jovian systems?

"You can perhaps describe it as a big Jovian system too," he said. "The reason we describe [them] as mini-solar systems is because the central objects probably formed more like stars than like planets."

Luhman, the Penn State astronomer, doubts the IAU will adopt the term planemo. He said it is so difficult to pin down the masses of these things that distinguishing between a planetary mass object and a certain brown dwarf is very challenging. It makes more sense, he said, to call them all brown dwarfs if they formed in isolation and are not true stars.

Whatever the terminology, the findings suggest a whole new world of cosmic possibilities. "The diversity of worlds out there is truly remarkable," Jayawardhana said. "Nature often seems more prolific than our imagination."

Had enough? Let's recap: A brown dwarf is a radiating object that is more massive than Jupiter, but not as massive as the least massive red dwarf, say Proxima Centauri for example. However, brown dwarves do not radiate enough energy to burn hydrogen like normal stars.

This story reminds me of the "controversy" that popped up a few years ago when dozens of KBOs (Kuiper Belt Objects) were found orbiting the Sun at distances beyond Pluto's orbit. Some of the objects were a bit larger than Pluto (which is about half the size of Earth's moon), but some astronomers hedged on whether to call them planets or not. If memory serves, one noted astronomer even went so far as to suggest that Pluto be stripped of it's planetary title and relegated to being "King of the KBOs", which, as I just illustrated, it clearly is not.

In any event, I'm staying out of the naming nonsense and grooving with the idea of a new class of objects out there to tease the imagination. As Mr. Jayawardhana said at the end of the story: Nature often seems more prolific than our imagination." Okay, so it's not as cool as Clarke's "Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine", but it will do for now.

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