Artists create personas to protect themselves, it’s not a new concept. Assuming an alter ego allows freer expression of culturally inexpressible ideas.
A persona adds a layer of personal protection, as the public needs to work through an image to confront & understand an artist on a personal level.
This allows the art & ideas to speak for themselves (at least for awhile), instead of succumbing to the cult of celebrity. Fame brings money and excess, which are dangerous & corrupting influences to anyone.
With the rise of the Internet, anybody with a computer or mobile device can create their own online persona. Andy Warhol’s vision of everybody being famous for 15 minutes is now manifesting itself in all kinds of awful, weird, and simultaneously wonderful ways.
Online, people can be whatever they want without much repercussion, due to the layers of screening & anonymity. The cyber-world is sleazy & creepy, but also filled with revolutionary potential. Communication of ideas has never been faster, and people are starved for real information & discussion on anything & everything.
The downside of social media is that it allows a vehicle for evil & hate to spread its poison, especially when left unchecked, therefore it must be combated effectively & diligently. [1]
Innovative network television programming is virtually dead. Most of the best current films are documentaries created by independent filmmakers, as YouTube & Netflix are rich sources of engaging & serious independent film content. Hollywood needs to be largely understood as a waste of talent at this point.
No thinking kid (or adult that has survived with his/her brains intact) believes any corporate-sponsored news, which is 100% lies & half-truths. One thing I’ve noticed while researching and engaging in social media, is when reading an article on MLB.com, ESPN or NASCAR.com… I often find the comments just as helpful (if not more so) in terms of facts & ideas as compared to the article. Fifteen seconds of fame for the poster.
Dialectics in politics applies when long-term difficulties & seemingly hopeless situations are suddenly wide-open playing fields for opportunity & victory. Personas, when used correctly, allow elusiveness in being focal points for online influence & clout, which is necessary to revolutionarily transform & socialize our planet.
An assailant, armed with an assault rifle and dressed in military-style armor, ambushed the Dallas police department on Thursday evening, during a planned Black Lives Matter protest. Five police officers were killed, and seven others wounded, along with two civilians.
The shooter in Dallas was identified as Micah Xavier Johnson, an age 25 army veteran who served in Afghanistan. During his killing spree, he expressed his intent to “kill as many white police officers as he could,” due to his anger over the recent police killings in Louisiana & Minnesota. [1]
We now have African-American civilians killing white police officers, so we’ve come full circle on militarism & racial politics, and must conclude they’ve clearly failed us all.
Workers & students everywhere must join together and organize a socialist revolution. If not, then America will become a police state– constantly under government surveillance, with any of its citizens open to lethal drone attacks. There will be no point in lawyers or a court system, if this is allowed to continue. Drones (controlled from somewhere?) will be judge, jury & executioner. [2]
Texas, once again leads the way in legitimizing (& upping the ante on) barbaric violence, as the robot which blew-up the assailant could just as easily delivered tear gas or a sedative. In Texas, they execute you; and this is this first (acknowledged) lethal drone strike in the U.S.
The media (and those who control it), can no longer be allowed to frame all this as a racial issue. What this really comes down to is the failure of capitalism, which is now rotten-to-the-core, with no answers for its population in terms of jobs, wages, healthcare, education and the general standard-of-living.
All that is promised are more unending wars-of-aggression abroad (to keep us safe from ‘terrorism’), along with hatred & intolerance for the poor & immigrants domestically. This madness ends either with 1) a socialist revolution in permanence, or 2) mutually-assured destruction (MAD). MAD is a term which is debated seriously by bureaucratic fools who pretend to have answers, when they’re really leading us off a cliff.
Jay’s wrist broken 6-28-16
Final thoughts on the Federalist’s wrist being broken: Gio Gonzalez is too wild, and a bit of a punk for fielding the ball like it was in play. You could HEAR it. FYI, Dusty Baker approves of this, as it gives his team dominance. Dusty has read some martial art books, you know? He’s never had a reputation as a good handler of pitchers, so this is what you get. It basically destroyed a critical piece of (what’s left of) Andy Green’s lineup, and an asset A.J. Preller was getting ready to deal. Padres owe the Gnats one.
Wallace homers; Friedrich struggles in loss to O’s 6-29-16
It’s bad enough that the O’s are simply a lot better, but the Padres got screwed again with the umpires. That’s clearly interference, and the inning should have been over. The Padres keep getting East coast biased, and it really gets old. The point is not whether they would have won or not, it’s about respect, and Andy Green understands that very well. He’s an excellent young manager. Sometimes you have to get tossed for your team. Chris Davis was clearly to the inside of he running box coming to 1st, and interfered with 1B Wil Myers’ ability to catch the good throw from P Christian Friedrich.
A few other finer points of the game: the reason Chris Davis runs (illegally) to the inside of the box is because he’s a bad baserunner, and can’t hit the outside of the bag with his left foot. This is what a baserunner needs to (per the rules) on a chopper up the first baseline. Davis & the O’s were rewarded for poor play. East coast bias, Padres fans say.
Same garbage with BJ Upton getting robbed of a 2-run HR last week in Camden, with its antiquated foul poles causing all kinds of confusion. Replay officiating (in NY) all very convenient to the Orioles. Yes, the Padres stink so most of their fans don’t care too much about the results; it’s the lack of objectivity & respect which is disturbing. Too many East coast fans & media don’t even want to admit what really happened, expect to get all the calls, and then be allowed to control the narrative forever after. It stinks, much like the bourgeois political economy we all live in.
Cashner likely to return Sunday vs. Yankees 6-29-16
This moves Erik Johnson to the minors or waivers. Thank goodness. Now consider that James Shields has actually been worse for the CWS. It will be really nice to get Tyson Ross back– around August it sounds. Preller & Green have done all they can, but they’re totally outmatched against the upper AL East.
Skip Schumaker joins Padres in front-office role 6-29-16
Everyone said he was a good guy when he was cut by the Padres in Spring Training, especially Cardinals fans. Those who say the Padres should be more like STL, here you go.
Bossman, Jr. robs homer, turns unreal double play 6-29-16
That was the Play-of-the-Year by BJ. There are only maybe 2 or 3 other active players who could even possibly make that double play. [1]
I don’t exaggerate when I say that BJ Upton & Carl Crawford saved the Rays pitching staff at least 1 run/game as compared to the rest of the league. Most of it was BJ. The best players of their ‘dynasty’ were: him, 3B Evan Longoria, 2B Ben Zobrist, RHP James Shields & LHP David Price– managed by Joe Maddon. They were awesome, with a team payroll ~$50-60M under GM Andrew Friedman.
I’ve been thinking about this play for several days (baseball is like that), and I’ve come to the conclusion that’s the best double play I’ve ever seen. Score it 8-3, with BJ Upton robbing J.J. Hardy of a 2-run HR. The catch was made left of dead center in Petco, then the perfect throw to 1B Wil Myers. Hats off, unbelievable!!
Padres acquire Paddack from Marlins for Rodney 6-30-16
Remember that A.J. Preller signed Fernando Rodney at the end of the off-season, meaning anyone could have had him for cheap. No one else wanted him. It was a great scrap heap pick-up & reclamation, as the Padres net a top 20-year old pitching prospect for it.
Adiós… >>>——————————->
It’s 9:00 AM EDT [7-1-16], and this story still does not appear on the MLB.com News feed. Fernando Rodney is an All-Star closer, so this is actual news, but apparently not for some. FYI: Florida doesn’t always count as East coast. It depends…
Padres giving Maurer ‘first crack’ at closer role 7-1-16
I’m looking forward to the Yankees, who stink. Old, overpaid and poorly assembled. Too many egos with the NYY, make it an impossible situation for GM Brian Cashman. I don’t know how (or why) he’s stayed so long? Right now, LF Brett Gardner & SS Didi Gregorius are their only homegrown talent. Their starting pitching is bad after RHP Masahiro Tanaka. Nice bullpen, but too many extra innings will wear it down. Once again, Mariano Rivera was a unique closer and is irreplaceable. Torre & Girardi could manage games like they were 7 innings, then hand it to the best closer ever. They no longer have that luxury, even with Aroldis Chapman who is the only thing truly feared in their pen. Also note that DH Alex Rodriguez is at the end, and in many ways symbolic of everything wrong with their organization. It’s too bad, because he never needed PEDs. Alex Rodriguez was naturally one of the best shortstops ever. Now he gets an asterisk*
Padres give up 4 runs in the 9th, but Brandon Mauer gets his first save. Padres win 7-6 over the Yankees. Are we missing Fernando Rodney yet? Andy Green is going to have to be creative & flexible with this mess in the pen.
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It’s funny to me how the Tim Kurkjian-types are suddenly all excited about Fernando Tatis, Jr.– whom they still know nothing about. Preller knows. They never consider that A.J. Preller might actually know what he’s doing. It’s ESPN, MLB Network & Fangraphs ‘experts’ that are clueless on the Padres. Padres gotta win, THEN Preller is a genius; until then he’s an idiot to most. That’s America.
But isn’t it the media’s job to see which teams are doing things right (at ALL levels), and predict them as the next up-and-coming organization? 2014: Preller hired, Wil Myers deal. 2015 Rule 5 draft: Luis Perdomo from STL. LHP Drew Pomeranz acquired from the A’s for 1B Yonder Alonso. Top-5 rated Amateur draft in 2016, with nearly everybody signed. Fans, that’s progress.
Padres land 6 of Top 30 international prospects 7-2-16
This is the plan, and it’s a good one. Now it’s about player development for these kids. and trading the remaining veterans for more prospects.
Note that most infield prospects are SS, because these are the best athletes on young teams. Very few stay at shortstop as they progress through their professional careers, because the position is so demanding at the MLB level. Starting as a 1B, 2B or 3B prospect, upside is generally considered limited– due to lack of athleticism. Same with young center fielders vs. corner outfielders.
What has changed for the Padres today, is they have catapulted into a top-10 farm system, which is nice. After emptying their last-rated system upon arrival in the fall of 2014, A.J. Preller has accrued tradeable assets, acquired major cornerstones for a winning future (1B Wil Myers and starting pitchers Drew Pomeranz & Luis Perdomo), and simultaneously built one of the best farm systems in the game. The timely sale of assets such as Craig Kimbrel, James Shields, and most recently Fernando Rodney have all strengthened the organization in their returns. Padres are now drafting & signing the top talent, in all 3 drafts; instead of being the team that gets ripped-off. Fans can be confident with a GM like A.J. Preller, that future trades & draft selections (in total) will balance in the Padres favor. Franchises need solid leadership, in order to win, more than ever today. Padres finally have it.
The Padres have now played every team in the NL, so fans can fairly gauge where they stand. Padres are last in the NL West, with no hope of competing for the post-season. This was obvious on Opening Day, when they were shut-out 16-0 by the Dodgers, and swept in that Petco series without scoring a run. Opening Day was the only start the Padres #1 pitcher, Tyson Ross has made in 2016. Since then, Ross has been dealing with & rehabilitating from a shoulder injury, and is expected back sometime after the All-Star break.
Only ATL & CIN are worse NL teams, and it should be noted that they are qualitatively worse. The Padres can be grouped ahead of them, with MIL & PHI as rebuilding teams. Thankfully, the Padres are much further along in the process with 1B Wil Myers, LHP Drew Pomeranz & RHP Luis Perdomo already in their future mix. Padres also have more in tradeable assets than these other bad teams including: RHP’s Tyson Ross, & Andrew Cashner (when healthy), RF Matt Kemp, LF BJ Upton, CF Jon Jay 3B Yangervais Solarte, C Derek Norris & closer Fernando Rodney. Fans can sense that GM A.J Preller is about to make another round of deals.
Ahead of the Padres for now are ARZ & COL, two directionless franchises that are caught in no-man’s-land; maxed out on payroll, yet still far short of fielding a truly competitive team. PIT & MIA are next, with a few intriguing young pieces but lacking other key parts, along with the leadership to put it all together; expect both these teams to sink badly by August/September and into next year.
The remaining teams are all contenders to some degree, with the SFG & CHC being the class of the NL in 2016. The NYM are decent, but have serious injury issues with their young pitching staff. WAS and LAD are similar, in that both are high-payroll teams that don’t win in October. Both also have serious questions concerning their leadership, on-the-field & in the front office. Always beware of STL, they’re a championship team, waiting in the weeds.
Pomeranz homers, shuts down Reds in win 6-25-16
If Andrew Cashner is anywhere near healthy by season’s end, he will decline a QO, if he hasn’t been traded. Cashner is a better pitcher than Ian Kennedy, who received 5/$70M in free agency. A mid-20’s draft pick may be more valuable than any prospect package A.J. Preller is offered. Obviously, everything depends on Cashner’s health and performance. In the unlikely event Andrew Cashner accepts the Padres QO, it’s only a one-year deal for ~$16M, which isn’t a disaster contract. The rule in baseball management is: there are no bad one-year deals. That’s not 100% correct, but you get the idea.
Padres score in first 8 frames in win over Reds 6-24-16
Pete Rose has a remarkable lack of respect for today’s players. Example: his interview in the Reds booth during the 1st inning last night, when Wil Myers hits a home run, and Rose exclaims he can’t believe the ball went out– so the balls must be juiced. No credit to Myers for being a great hitter. He’s like that on FOX too, old-school to his grave…
I used to be a Reds fan when I was a kid, but always preferred 2B Joe Morgan as a player & C Johnny Bench. With that said, as selfish as Rose has been, I still hope he gets the MLB HoF. He’s paid his dues, and many players have done much worse.
The Reds are by far the worst pitching staff in MLB, and quite possibly the worst team in the NL. What the heck was Bryan Price arguing & getting tossed for? That last pitch before he got ran out was a strike, according to K-Zone. Cincinnati needs a clean sweep from ownership & management on down, otherwise they’ll continue to be NL fodder for a long time.
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Fernando Rodney has a ton of trade value, as the Padres hold a $2M team option for 2017, and are only paying him $1.6M this season. You need a reliable closer, so Preller can go either way, depending on what’s offered. Look what BOS gave up for Kimbrel.
September call-ups in San Diego will be interesting this season. That will be a nice change for fans. Still, a lot going on off-the-field until then. Nine days until the new International draft period opens, with the Padres all-in on that. Only a few top amateur draft picks left to sign… Nice Padres rebuild, A.J. Preller.
Upton Jr.’s near-homer changes momentum 6-23-16
BJ & the Padres got robbed of a 2-run HR. Get some modern MLB foul poles Baltimore! You need them with these stronger players now.
…and to that clueless O’s announcer, asking why BJ & Matt Kemp were circling the bases: it’s because they BOTH knew it was a home run, and wanted to be near the dugout with their teammates when the call was correctly overturned.
Didn’t happen. I wonder if the umpires were ‘protecting their own.’ The 3B umpire on the call initially had a glazed look in his eye– like he knew he blew the call. BJ didn’t care, and showed him up; and honestly that’s why I’ve always loved him as a player. You get hated on a lot for being that, so respect it.
Rodney just misses out on Padres record Righty’s streak of consecutive innings without ER snapped, but San Diego could appeal 6-22-16
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Fernando Rodney really should have the record, but that’s baseball, and it has to be scored a hit when the ball bounces off the bag. Notice Wil Myers is an off-the-charts defensive 1B, no errors so far. What a magnificent young player. Wil be Untouchable in future trade talks.
Padres fans have been debating the Wil Myers deal endlessly. Looks like: 1) the Padres stole Myers, 2) the Nationals got a good young pitcher and potential 2B/utility guy in Trea Turner from SD, and 3) the Rays got fleeced, receiving a 27-YO RF from the Nationals, who is having a career year hitting .255/.315/.443. Rays also reaped a few useless minor leaguers from a barren Padres system. Happened just after Joe Maddon & Andrew Friedman left Tampa.
Want a good laugh Padres fans? Go into the CWS forum, and read the comments on any James Shields start.
Shields shows improvement in steady start 6-23-16
White Sox fans: I just published a baseball piece on my site and laughingly referenced you at the end. It was intended as a compliment to your wittiness, clarity & direct style. I strongly prefer the NL, and truly appreciate being able to read your thoughts, clearly illustrating the hidden drama that runs this family franchise. It doesn’t take long to catch up, with the brutal honesty on this board. Jerry Reinsdorf ownership is family loyalty to the core, and they allow for too much incompetence & other bad stuff, most noticeably Hawk Harrelson broadcasting television. This nepotism & croynism poisons everything in the organization, leaving fans demoralized, over & over. Lifelong White Sox fans know this all-too-well.
This franchise goes back to Charles Comiskey, one of the most reviled owners of the Jim Crow baseball era. Reinsdorf is the last hardliner, old-school owner of the modern MLB era. He deserves credit for being willing to spend money when he believes his team has a chance, but gets demerits for consistent poor judgment in his selections for front office management & scouting. The CWS 2005 World Series is proof that even a blind squirrel can find an acorn, and flags fly forever, but it looks increasingly unlikely to happen again in Reinsdorf’s lifetime.
Buddy Bell, Rick Hahn & Kenny Williams all need to go at once if the CWS are to move forward. If anyone in that organization had even lurked into the Padres forum, they would have had all the information they needed to determine that James Shields was collapsing, meaning it was public knowledge. The White Sox are behind in every facet of their organization, and anyone brought in will need at least 5 years of serious ownership commitment in scouting, drafting, player development, advanced metrics and injury diagnosis & prevention, etc… just to catch up.
Obviously new management will want a new field manager in the end, but until then, Robin Ventura deserves some consideration & respect for what he’s had to work with. Questionable decisions on his part? Yes. But this entire mess, his fault? Not even close. Always hold ownership & front management accountable first in everything.
Facebook is primary, Twitter useless. Create a handle for all forums, and always be respectful of others. Be open and honest; reveal who you are, otherwise you won’t be trusted (or even respected) by most in the group.
Speak mostly with your ‘Like’ button. If thoughtful, it truly & concisely reflects who you are. This makes what you say carry more weight. Check & double-check spelling, grammar, punctuation, over-all clarity, etc… Same reason.
Of course, it’s always what you DO that really counts. With that said, this is what you must do on social media.
If you have a serious artistic, political, religious or other intellectual position; create a separate Page and manage all those affairs there. Occasional updates on your homepage are allowed, but let you friends either Like or not Like your Page, without having to reject you as a person.
Furthermore, you also need a website, 100% controlled by you. It must be up to par, in an Internet world that is a jungle. It must constantly be updated with new, interesting content; otherwise you have nothing. It costs very little in $$, but much in hard work, brains & perseverance. Hackers, spammers & the random laws of the universe are also waiting to take you down, so be prepared.
Become a competent, then artistic photographer. People are much more interested in pictures, over anything else. This includes video, which many mobile devices won’t run, or just take too long.
Screenshots work great too!
Choose your words well, economize. Less is more. No one respects the loudmouth who keeps at something, over & over. Handle them as needed, otherwise disengage.
Engage & ask open-ended questions to top posters. Let them speak & deliver shared messages for & with you.
Culture is produced by the workers. Without organized human labor, there is no culture. Culture (and what is cool), is always defined by the youth. Social media was created by college kids, and now allows anyone to be a celebrity (to some extent). If you are a leader on social media, then you are respected and listened to; and your opinions often influence others. This allows for those without obscene wealth to be influential, and therefore powerful.
Understand, that ALL social media is monitored & manipulated by those who own it. How they edit always reflects their ideology.
Social media is an integral part of the coming revolution. Become adept at it, as with other forms of communication (like actually talking to someone face-to-face), and together we the people will accomplish great things!!
The EU is essentially a giant trade agreement for Europe.
The 5th largest economy (UK) has just voted to leave the EU. [1]
France, the Netherlands, Spain & Italy are next…
The conditions of the 1930’s have returned, where extreme nationalism & protectionist trade measures are fueling economic wars, which eventually leads to a world war.
Racism & hatred of others is a primary ideological tool of the ruling class.
Mankind won’t survive WWIII.
The only solution: Workers of the World, Unite! [2]
Myers named All-Star Week ambassador First baseman eager to represent Padres, MLB during festivities in San Diego 6-17-16
Fangraphs has a new article titled, “Wil Myers Utilizing All Fields in Return to Prominence.” Of course they say the Padres should trade him, like everyone else. They’ve been wrong all along, but NOW they know…
Padres, Edwin Jackson agree to Minor League deal San Diego seeks depth for depleted pitching staff 6-17-16
“There was a point in mid-March when projections had San Diego’s starting five as: Ross, Shields, Cashner, Erlin & Maurer.” Maurer is in the bullpen, Shields traded, and the rest are DL’d. Padres are desperate, so this is what a GM does.
No way they trade Wil Myers, he’s their cornerstone.
Jon Jay for Jedd Gyorko (STL) was a great swap for the Padres, even with them eating $7M this year. I hope the Padres extend him a few years. Alexei Ramirez was a nice low-cost pick-up, instead of the overpay on Ian Desmond who couldn’t play SS anyways. A.J. Preller also snagged starting pitchers Drew Pomeranz, Luis Perdomo & Christian Friedrich this past off-season, which were all under-the-radar moves that have paid off and show future promise. He also restocked the farm system with the Craig Kimbrel trade, and set the Padres up a nice 2016 amateur draft. Yes they are in last place this year, but they’re in better position than ARZ & COL for the future.
From the 2014-15 off-season, Wil Myers was a steal. Shields was an overpay, and costing them $20M to go away, but an understandable gamble at the time for rotation stability. Preller did a great job unloading him before the bottom fell out, and we’ll see about RHP Erik Johnson & prospect Fernando Tatis, Jr. Matt Kemp was Preller’s worst deal, but it is still better than a lot of other GM’s biggest blunders. Overall Preller has done a fantastic job rebuilding an organization that was in shambles when he arrived.
Erik Johnson aims to impress in home debut 6-16-16
The Nationals are the last top NL team the Padres have yet to face. It’s another good test for this team, and die-hards hope it doesn’t get ugly. Luckily for the Padres, Stephen Strasburg pitched yesterday. Hopefully fans will get a good look at RHP Joe Ross, to get some measure on the Wil Myers deal. The other piece of that deal from the Padres system was (soon-to-be) age 23 SS Trea Turner, who was up briefly for 3B Ryan Zimmerman on paternity leave, but is now back in AAA Syracuse hitting .293/.357/.439.
MLB announces All-Star Concert Series lineup 6-16-16
Gwen Stefani, OneRepublic, Tori Kelly headline acts set to perform 6-16-16
Did anyone here see ‘piano man’ Billy Joel @ Petco? Just wondering since they advertised it all off-season. [1]
Perdomo stays grounded, gets first win as starter 6-16-16
Like AJ Preller said, with Perdomo’s stuff he would be a top 10 draft pick, if that was his availability. Gotta stick with him, too much upside. Snagging Luis Perdomo from STL is hopefully going to make up for trading away Ozzie all those years ago. That’s been A.J. Preller’s plan since the Rule 5 draft. Perdomo’s 22, sits at 95-96, and gets to 98 w/ tons of ground balls. Electric stuff here.
Padres best Rule 5 success was surely 2B Bip Roberts taken by the Padres from PIT in the Rule 5 draft in December 1985. At the plate OBP is life and making outs is bad. Bip Roberts (.294/.358/.380) was a super-utility player, and one of the most underrated players in franchise history.
After 1991, GM Joe McIlvaine traded him to the Reds for lefty closer Randy Myers. Note, any deals during this period in Padres history must be understood in the context of Tom Werner ownership, which ran from June 1990 to December 1994. Roberts had injury issues in SD, so of course he tore himself up playing on the notoriously hard turf (and unpadded outfield walls) of Riverfront Stadium. Along with CF Eric Davis, (HoF) SS Barry Larkin, and others, Bip Roberts could never really stay healthy playing for the Reds.
Marge Schott owned the Cincinnati Reds from her inheritance in 1984 to 1999. Schott was hailed by luminaries such as Oprah Winfrey as a model of ‘feminist success’ after the Reds won the World Series in 1990. She was later suspended by MLB (1996-98) then forced to sell-out, due to her statements in support of Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler.
Padres string together rally to sink Fish in finale 6-15-16
Ichiro is an amazing & unique player. Notice how well he takes care of himself. It makes all the difference.
RHP Luis Perdomo is now 2-2, and hitting .250 (1 for 4). He pinch runs and has a stolen base. Reminds me a bit of Fletch with the Lakers– he does all the little things they need. I don’t know where the Padres would be without him? An All-Star in my book, admittedly his current ERA (8.79) is a little high…
Shields, Sox optimistic rough debut just a blip 6-9-16
Padres fan here: for those CWS fans who didn’t know, James Shields is cooked. If Reinsdorf, Hahn or Williams are interested in another bat, Matt Kemp is available– please contact Padres GM A.J. Preller ASAP.
BTW, Padres fans have developed much appreciation for Alexei Ramirez. For a long time, the Padres have been replacement level at SS, and while the Cuban Missile has very little pop in his bat and doesn’t walk much, he hits just enough & is super-slick with a great arm in the field. He’s improved the Padres defense tremendously, and therefore helps their pitching staff. The Padres mostly can’t score runs, and have been shutout 10 times already this season. It was a situation where the CWS wanted to move in a different direction at that position, and it worked out for another team. Wondering what White Sox fans think of Tyler Saladino & SS prospect Tim Anderson? Best of luck with Jimmy Rollins!!
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Green: Padres deserving of ASG consideration 6-8-16
I don’t believe rookies should ever be All-Stars, as anyone can get hot for a few months & fool people. I think LHP Drew Pomeranz is for real, but this excludes him from consideration by my criteria. Closer Fernando Rodney may be the only Padres 2016 All-Star. CF Jon Jay is very underrated. 1B Wil Myers may be their franchise guy, but it’s a deep position. When 3B Yangervais Solarte stays healthy, he’s All-Star level. A few pieces are there, but many are still missing for the Padres.
Amateur draft begins tomorrow night, so keep these thoughts in mind. There are only 30 or so MLB players in every amateur draft, so if a team get one player that’s average. If they get two, that’s spectacular. Three or more in one draft is extraordinary. There are one or two HoFer’s per draft, and obviously those are the picks to make. They aren’t always 1st round either, as Albert Pujols & Mike Piazza prove. It’s about scouting and the ‘eye for talent.’ This draft is considered ‘college light & high-school heavy,’ so expect many HS picks. People who have no clue will yell & scream no matter what GM A.J. Preller does, but the truth is no one will know how anyone did for at least 3-4 years.
The All-Star manager (Terry Collins- Mets) gets to pick his staff, and obviously he takes his own guys. It would be really cool if he also selected Padres pitching coach Darren Balsley. I witnessed Jim Hickey in TB for many years and he deserves all his accolades, but for my money Balsley is the best pitching coach in baseball today. Without him, Drew Pomeranz isn’t a phenom. [Andy Green was later invited by Collins. Cool]
Facts for those who are straight, or just don’t know:
Orlando, FL has a sizeable gay community. Not coincidentally Orlando has a heavy party & drug scene. There is virtually no artistic activity of substance going on in most of the Orlando area. That is (at least partly) why it so susceptible to this level of violence.
What needs to be done:
Investigate G4S, the FBI and Omar Mateen’s dad’s political connections to the Taliban.
This will inevitably lead to covert CIA wars, with top Pentagon brass & executive White House involvement. Anything else from the media is either flak, or lazy stupidity.
When you connect the dots, it’s capitalism to the core.
On June 1, The Plaza Live in downtown Orlando was bought out, and let go the existing management team. [1]
On June 10th, pop singer Christina Grimmie was shot dead, while signing autographs after her show at The Plaza Live.
Her killer was Kevin James Loibl, age 27 of St. Petersburg, Florida. Loibl fatally shot himself after the singer’s brother, Marcus Grimmie, tackled him. [2]
This is the note his family posted on their front door:
No background or motive has been offered so far by the OPD.
This is their official statement [3].
Five days after the fatal shooting of singer Christina Grimmie, The Plaza Live is reopening for business on June 16.
Too many drug scenes with a generalized low level of political awareness & no significant artistic leadership, is a toxic mixture for the city of Orlando.
This is where U.S. presidential elections are stolen.
A gunman (later identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen) walked into Pulse, a gay bar in south Orlando at 2:00 AM Sunday night, and opened fire. When police & SWAT arrived, he had taken hostages. Hours later, he was finally overwhelmed & killed in a hail police bullets. Fifty people were left dead, and another 53 injured. It is now the worst mass shooting is U.S. history.
Mateen was a U.S. citizen reportedly born in New York, with his family from Afghanistan. Mir Seddique, the suspected shooter’s father, claims Mateen got angry when he saw two men kissing in downtown Miami a couple of months ago and that he says that may have been a trigger in the shooting. “We are apologizing for the whole incident. We weren’t aware of any action he [was] taking. We are in shock like the whole country.”
Apologies are nice, but explanations are better. This whole family needs to be investigated, with all political & business links exposed. Don’t expect any real answers to come from corporate mass media or official police/FBI investigations.
Orlando Police Chief John Mina at the news conference, “The suspect is dead. He appeared to be carrying a rifle, an assault-type rifle, and a handgun, and had some type of device on him. That’s what we’re doing right now. Checking the area for devices.” This will obviously be used as an opportunity for an urban lock-down run-through, with OPD ‘assisted’ by the FBI & military.
CNN’s Evan Pérez reported that Mateen had rented a car in Fort Pierce (about 120 miles south of Orlando) as transportation for the attack. Reportedly Mateen worked as a security officer, but for whom & in what capacity is still unknown? Curiously, Mateen was a registered Democrat, which is suspicious considering the claimed homophobic motivation for the massacre. [1]
Was Omar Mateen a military/CIA asset? What about his family? Where did he receive the military training to kill so many people? And the hardware?
Law enforcement officials told ABC News that Mateen had been “on the radar” of U.S. authorities for a while, but that he was not the target of an investigation. In intelligence terms, this has ‘rogue asset’ and ‘blowback’ written all over it.
Proper lessons need to be learned by everyone, before this escalates much further. Political grandstanding & business-as-usual can no longer be tolerated. Real questions need to be asked and their true lessons learned, or else this becomes our combined fate.
Muhammad Ali died yesterday at age 74 of respiratory illness. He had been afflicted with severe Parkinson’s disease for the final three decades of his life.
Ali one proclaimed himself to be “the Greatest.” To many he still is. Facing Ali (2009) is a 5-star documentary of his career, in the words of those who most notably squared off in the ring with “The Greatest.”
It must also be noted that in many ways Muhammad Ali will be the greatest example of why boxing must be banned, if we are to be a civilized society.
If this is how it ends for ‘the Greatest,’ then how horrible must it be for all the others?
His autobiography My Own Story published in 1975 tells his it as no one else can, up through the George Foreman ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in 1974.
As loved as Ali is at the time of his death, it is hard for some to believe that he was once vilified; exiled from boxing for 3 years during his prime, for refusing draft entry into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.
White mainstream media had refused to recognize his name change from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali, reflecting his conversion from Christianity to Islam.
Muhammad Ali’s religion & politics became the line between brash & charismatic versus uppity & dangerous in the late 1960’s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OOaMfVsxIc
When Ali spoke his mind on the unfairness of being drafted into a war he didn’t believe in, he became a global icon for the oppressed fighting against U.S. imperialism.
Ali embraced his role (and sacrificed more than any superstar athlete ever sacrificed), for a cause nobler than himself.
This is why he was so loved, and today is so mourned.
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