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Mighty Casey Baseball
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Category Archives: Carlos Marmol
2013 Season Forecast – Chicago Cubs
Posted on April 10, 2013 by Paul Proia
Record – Last Five Years:
2012: 61 – 101
2011: 71 – 91
Record at Home: 38 – 43
Record at Home: 23 – 58 (ouch)
Runs Scored: 613 (14th in NL)
Runs Allowed: 759 (14th in NL)
This is still going in the wrong direction.
Season Summary:
Ultimately, the team was awful out the gate, and continued playing poorly into May, including a long losing streak in late May (12 games). Something clicked in late June and July – from 6/25 to 7/30, the Cubs went from 24-48 to 43-58, a nice run of 19 wins in 29 games. Sadly, that was the high point – from that point forward, the Cubs had just a single good week in the last two months of the season. When they played the Astros to end the season, it was the first time in nearly 50 years that two teams with 100 losses appeared in the same game(s).
Record By Month:
Apr: 8 – 15
May: 10 – 17
Jun: 10 – 17
Jul: 15 – 10
Aug: 8 – 21
Sep: 9 – 19
Oct: 1 – 2
The bad news is that the Astros are no longer in the NL Central, so if the Cubs want to avoid last place, they actually have to get better…
The rotation, save a couple of spots, wasn't the problem. Jeff Samardzija was an above average option, going 9 – 13 thanks to a lack of run support. Travis Wood wasn't horrible, and neither was Paul Maholm (9 – 6 in 20 starts). Ryan Dempster was great until he was sent to the AL, while Matt Garza was decent until he got sent to the DL. The two problems were Chris Volstad, who was predictably horrible (3 – 12, 6.31) and rookie Justin Germano (2 – 10, 6.75).
Heading into 2013, the Cubs won't have Maholm either – he's a Brave. However, the Cubs did import the well-traveled Edwin Jackson who should be an innings-eater, if nothing else. Samardzija returns as the ace (and he is getting better), and the bottom of the rotation will include Scott Feldman from Texas and Carlos Villanueva, a former Brewer and Blue Jay arm. Feldman was not very successful in Texas (11 runs worse than average in about 135 innings), but Villanueva wasn't half bad in 125 innings. The question is can either of these guys get to 180 innings. If Garza can come back and help at all, the rotation looks to be no worse than last year with the efforts to improve the slot where Feldman takes over for Volstad offset by the lack of anyone who can pitch as well as Dempster did before he left.
RELIEVERS:
One of the biggest problems in Chicago lately has been the lack of a dependable closer – Carlos Marmol has no idea how to control his pitches and he walks people all day until he serves up a homer. Even at that, his runs allowed rate is marginally above average. Shawn Camp was pretty good, James Russell is a better reliever than starter, and former Sox arm Michael Bowden did okay. The problem is that the rest of the relievers are below average.
The Cubs will give a shot to a couple of Asian imports, Kyuji Fujikawa and Hisanori Takahashi. Both can be better than what the Cubs had, but aren't really proven commodities. If Marmol continues to deteriorate and the imports (and Camp) take a step back, this could be a devastating problem.
CATCHERS:
Goodbye Geovany Soto, and hello to the Wellington Castro era. Dioner Navarro has been brought in to help out. Cubs catching was well below average compared to the rest of the NL (bad against the running game, bad at winning games, bad at preventing runs from scoring, slightly error prone). Castillo wasn't better than Soto, but he did hit better than Soto had. The problem is that Navarro may hit like Soto did last year.
INFIELD:
Anthony Rizzo was a solid addition at first base and only has room to improve. Darwin Barney and Starlin Castro are the best keystone combination in the majors defensively – they hit some, too. The problem is that the third base slot isn't being filled well by either Luis Valbuena or Ian Stewart. This is a significant hole – and Josh Vitters doesn't look ready to fill it. The Cubs miss Aramis Ramirez. A full season of Rizzo looks like the only opportunity for improvement over last year.
OUTFIELD:
Alfonso Soriano had a reasonably good year in left – better as a defender, believe it or not, and as an expensive option, likely isn't going anywhere. David DeJesus is okay as a number two hitter, but not a great centerfielder. He's also getting older. In right, the Cubs trade Bryan LeHair for former Giant Nate Schierholtz, which isn't a step forward. I see this group falling off from last season's stats both offensively and defensively.
Alberto Gonzalez and Brett Lillibridge are around, as is Scott Hairston, who is an able bodied pinch hitter and fourth outfielder. Other than Hairston, I'm not impressed.
DOWN ON THE FARM:
AAA Iowa Outfielder David Sappelt didn't do much and got a job out of spring training, which scares me. Josh Vitters hit .304 at Iowa with some power, but didn't impress at the major league level – he will get another chance. Rizzo killed AAA and made the big leagues. None of the starters were impressive, even though Chris Rusin got a cup of coffee – the best relievers, like Bowden and Scott Maine, were given shots with the big club.
The AA Tennessee Smokies didn't have a single batter clear .300 who played regularly, but Justin Bour wasn't horrible – some power, a bit of a free swinger. The best arm may be Nicholas Struck, who is 22, fanned 123 and walked just 44 in 155.2 innings and had a winning record. Eric Jokisch looked okay in 17 starts, but needs to find a strikeout pitch to advance and be productive.
Daytona (A+) has 2011 first round pick Javier Baez to look forward to – but he's a shorstop who may have to be traded for other options. John Andreoli isn't horrible, a good eye, great speed, but no power. Young arms may help, though, including Matt Loosen and Frank Del Valle. Unfortunately, 2010 first round pick Hayden Simpson may be done.
2013 FORECAST:
I don't see a reason to be optimistic. The team crashed down the stretch, they didn't make any significant changes to the roster, and the one area where the team could improve (first base) is going to be offset by the outfield getting another year older and less productive. This team looks to finish about 65 – 97 and are an injury to Rizzo or Castro from losing 105 games. Theo – it's about time for your first miracle, wouldn't you think?
Posted in Alberto Gonzalez, Alfonso Soriano, Anthony Rizzo, Aramis Ramirez, Brett Lillibridge, Bryan LeHair, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Villanueva, Chicago Cubs, Chris Rusin, Chris Volstad, Darwin Barney, David DeJesus, David Sappelt, Dioner Navarro, Edwin Jackson, Eric Jokisch, Frank Del Valle, Geovany Soto, Hayden Simpson, Ian Stewart, James Russell, Javier Baez, Jeff Samardzija, John Andreoli, Josh Vitters, Justin Bour, Justin Germano, Kyuji Fujikawa, Luis Valbuena, Matt Garza, Matt Loosen, Michael Bowden, Nate Schierholtz, Nicholas Struck, Paul Maholm, Ryan Dempster, Scott Feldman, Scott Hairston, Scott Maine, Season Forecast, Shawn Camp, Starlin Castro, Travis Wood, Wellington Castillo	| Leave a reply
2012 Season Forecast: Chicago Cubs
2011 Record: 71 – 91 (5th, NL Central)
Runs Scored: 654 (8th, NL)
Runs Allowed: 756 (14th, NL)
Only Colorado and Houston allowed more runs…
The Cubs started losing early, and pretty much were consistent about it throughout the season. Starlin Castro kept hitting all year long, but the team was lacking in production from the outfield and the catcher spot. Carlos Zambrano was extremely frustrated and threatened to retire – but considering his history of blow ups, the Cubs shut him down anyway. The Cubs really had little truly decent pitching, helped by a defense that had little range and made a lot of errors. When it was over, Chicago was under new ownership. That group finally let Jim Hendry go – Hendry was the GM who was responsible for this mess – and replaced him with the Boston Red Sox mastermind, Theo Epstein. At least the Cubs have THAT going for them.
Matt Garza was acquired from Tampa and battled things to a draw. He finished 10 – 10, his ERA looks good here, but it's masked somewhat by the 17 unearned runs he allowed. In terms of runs allowed per nine, he was barely league average. Ryan Dempster's season was particularly troublesome. His strikeout rate was pretty good, but he walked more than in the past and he gave up too many homers. Zambrano, Randy Wells, Casey Coleman, Rodrigo Lopez, and Doug Davis were all at least 10 runs worse than the average pitcher given the number of innings pitched. Here's the breakdown:
Runs Saved /Pitcher
1.81 Matt Garza (31 starts)
-10.71 Rodrigo Lopez (16 starts)
-12.45 Carlos Zambrano (24 starts)
-13.24 Randy Wells (24 starts)
-16.82 Doug Davis (9 starts – ouch)
-17.17 Ryan Dempster (34 starts)
-22.88 Casey Coleman (17 starts)
Essentially, the starters gave up 90 runs more than an average pitcher would have done in the same amount of innings.
For 2012, Dempster and Garza are back. Zambrano was traded to the Marlins for starter Chris Volstad, but that's not an improvement – Volstad pitched worse than Zambrano last year. Jeff Samardzija is being moved to the rotation – he was one of the few Cubs pitchers to pitch on the good side of average. If he can match that for 180 innings instead of 90 innings, that would be a huge improvement over, say, Casey Coleman and Rodrigo Lopez. If Wells can stay healthy and get back, that would help, too. One can see a 40 run improvement at this spot.
Relief Pitchers:
Carlos Marmol has been a closer for a few years now, and he isn't getting any better. A closer with an ERA over 4 is a problem – and he's so wild that he's allowing nearly six walks every nine innings. The set up squad was actually pretty good – Samardzija was nearly six runs better than the average pitcher; Sean Marshall was even better – the best pitcher on the staff (14 runs saved). Kerry Wood was tolerable, but is running out of innings in his arm. After that, though, you run through some guys who struggled – John Grabow and James Russell.
Looking forward, I'm scared here. The best pitcher, Sean Marshall, is gone. Samardzija is in the rotation. The Cubs could be relying on Coleman to take on a long relief role, or pulling in Rafael Dolis or Chris Carpenter. I'm worried that this unit could easily be 10 – 15 runs worse than 2011.
Catching:
As a unit, Geovany Soto and Koyie Hill were fair against the run and mobile. On the other hand, they were mistake prone and if they are to get some responsibility for the pitching staff, the team was 20 games under .500 with a lousy overall ERA.
Soto can hit a little, but he's been inconsistent with his batting average and power. Soto finished by hitting .228 with 17 homers, which really isn't good enough – especially in Wrigley Field. Hill was worse – .194 with sub .300 slugging and on base percentages.
I made a comment that the team defense wasn't very good in 2011 – that doesn't apply to the middle infielders here. Shortstop Starlin Castro saved the team 18 runs – which breaks down to 24 runs because of his range, but he gives back nearly six runs because of his errors. Darwin Barney was also mobile and slightly error prone, but the net result was another 14 runs saved. The play on the corners, though, featured two older guys who no longer have the range to help out. Carlos Pena was once a fine fielder – not anymore. He cost the team 19 runs. Aramis Ramirez was even worse – he cost the Cubs 36 runs. Granted, the offense here isn't half bad. Barney has room to improve – he needs to be more selective at the plate and get his batting average up to the .290 range. Castro had 207 hits and generated 108 runs of offense, but he makes a lot of outs. Ramirez had a nice season – 109 runs created, and Pena added 85 more, despite hitting just .225 (he drew 101 walks and hit 28 homers). That kind of production will be hard to replace.
The Cubs will try Bryan Lahair, the minor league home run champ, at first base. His fielding isn't sterling, but his bat can help. Ian Stewart was acquired from Colorado and he's going to hit better than the .156 he hit in 2011, but he's NOT going to be the run producer that Ramirez was. Castro may still have more growth in him, as will Barney, but this unit could easily be down 50 runs from last year.
The Cubs featured an outfield of Alfonso Soriano, who has below average range, Marlon Byrd, who is surprisingly mobile for an older guy – but still below average in terms of range, and, for three months, Kosuke Fukudome. Fukodome has great range for a right fielder. Tyler Colvin replaced him, but he fell off the map in terms of his offensive output.
Offensively, Soriano still has power – 26 homers – but he doesn't run and he still is too much of a free swinger. Byrd seems to have lost all of his power and he, too, stopped getting on base after getting hit in the face with a pitch in Boston last May. Colvin hit .150 – ouch! The Cubs never seemed satisfied with Fukudome, yet he was actually the most productive hitter in the outfield.
Colvin is gone – he's in Colorado – but Soriano isn't going anywhere soon, and Byrd needs to get out of center and move to right so that the young legs of Tony Campana can take over in center. Reed Johnson (he's still around?) played well – he needed to play more. The problem is that the Cubs don't have someone who can help immediately.
Prospects:
The AAA Iowa Cubs were devoid of young prospects who can help soon… The aforementioned Bryan Lahair hit 38 – 109 – .331, but was 28 last year. The best player to roll through here that was younger might be catcher Wellington Castillo , a 24-year-old who looks no better or worse than Geovany Soto, and Tony Campana, who was here for just 30 games and hit .342 – a burner with little or no power. Casey Coleman was the best pitcher, but even he had holes – he doesn't have a big strikeout pitch and he gave up 11 homers in 70 innings.
There may be help in AA, though – the Tennessee Smokies were a top flight minor league team. Josh Vitters, a former #1 pick (2007) and Rebel Ridling – a great name – hit enough and with some power to suggest that they might get a shot by the end of 2012. 2008 #1 pick Ryan Flaherty hit pretty well, but he's a shortstop and middle infielders are pretty set in Chicago. He might get used in a deal soon – him or his fellow middle infielder D.J. LeMahieu… The pitcher who had results was reliever Jeff Beliveau – who sounds like he should be a hockey player – 57 innings, 69 Ks and just 13 walks. Kevin Rhoderick has a stunning arm but needs to refine his control. Jeff Stevens had good numbers here, but he's already turning 28 soon and has had a cup of coffee…
A+ Daytona finished second in the Florida State League and first baseman Justin Bour led the team in homers and RBIs – hitting 23 homers in the FSL is legit power. Undrafted Junior Lake continued to play well – is turning 22 and hit over .300 with some power and great speed. One thing you notice when looking over the pitching staff is a lack of high draft picks – the best pitcher was undrafted Jeff Antiqua, who logged 83.1 innings, fanned 81, and walked just 18.
If there is help on the way, it might be catcher Richard Jones, who hit 24 homers and batted .309 for low A Peoria. It doesn't look like it will be #1 pick Hayden Simpson, who fell off to 1 – 6 – 5.32. The best arm might belong to 11th round pick Eric Jokisch, who went 9 – 3 with a good K/W ratio in 118.2 innings.
The Cubs will probably allow 30 fewer runs this year – it can't really get worse than 2011 – but the offense looks worse. If the team falls back another 50 runs, which is entirely possible, you're looking at a 66 – 96 team. If Stewart doesn't come back and Soriano falls off, and LeHair doesn't hit in the majors, the Cubs are looking at 100 losses. Theo Epstein has a lot of work to do.
Posted in Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Bryan LeHair, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Pena, Carlos Zambrano, Casey Coleman, Chicago Cubs, Chris Carpenter, Chris Volstad, D.J. LeMahieu, Darwin Barney, Doug Davis, Eric Jokisch, Geovany Soto, Hayden Simpson, Ian Stewart, James Russell, Jeff Beliveau, Jeff Samardzija, Jeff Stevens, John Grabow, Josh Vitters, Junior Lake, Justin Bour, Kerry Wood, Kevin Rhoderick, Kosuke Fukudome, Koyie Hill, Marlon Byrd, Matt Garza, Rafael Dolis, Randy Wells, Rebel Ridling, Reed Johnson, Richard Jones, Rodrigo Lopez, Ryan Dempster, Sean Marshall, Season Forecast, Starlin Castro, Tony Campana, Tyler Colvin, Wellington Castillo	| Leave a reply
Posted on February 28, 2010 by Paul Proia
Last Five Seasons:
2009: 83 – 78 (2nd – NL East)
Runs Scored: 707 (9th – NL)
Runs Allowed: 672 (5th – NL)
For what it's worth, the Cubs and their opponents scored 732 runs in Wrigley Field and just 647 on the road last year…
Season Recap:
Picked by a ton of people to win the NL Central, the Cubs hung around the race for four months before throwing in the towel down the stretch.
Every time the Cubs would get rolling, they found a losing streak. Two weeks in, Chicago rolled out to an 8 – 4 record, only to lose four in a row. Recovering, they won 8 of 12 only to lose a couple more. Into May, the Cubbies took off – rattling five in a row to get to 21 – 14. Thinking that this win streak might put them out in front for good, Chicago lost EIGHT straight…
Hanging around .500 for the next several weeks, the Cubs entered the All-Star break at 43 – 42. Sensing a need to get going, the Cubs rolled out to 57 – 48 and actually sneaked into the top spot for a day in late July. That's when the bullpen suddenly lost it. The Marlins came back to beat former closer Kevin Gregg and the Cubs hit a tailspin that knocked them out of the NL Central race just as St. Louis was adding Holliday, DeRosa, and Lopez for the stretch run. The Cubs fell back to a game over .500, made a small fuss for the wild card race, and then disappeared.
Injuries hurt the Cubs as much as many other teams – losing Aramis Ramirez, Milton Bradley (injuries to his body as well as his attitude), Ted Lilly and Alfonso Soriano – but poor performances were equally to blame. Milton Bradley signed a three-year, $30 million deal and proceeded to hit .257 with middling power. Soriano's season was worse – knee injuries and age contributing to a horrific .241 batting average. And Geovany Soto, such a huge part of the 2008 NL Central Champs, fell off to .218, with just 11 homers. Throw in the decline of a portly Carlos Zambrano, who failed to win ten games and missed at least six starts, and you can see why the Cubs fell back 13.5 games from 2008.
2010 Goals:
Lessee… The Cubs need an attitude adjustment. Bringing Milton Bradley was a BAD idea – no matter how good his upside might have been, there's no excuse for that deal. Just as importantly, the big horses need to find the old mojo and get healthy. Soto and Zambrano need to return to form and it would be nice to get 140 healthy games out of Ramirez and Soriano – both of whom are running out of youth. Finding a dependable closer would help, too.
On paper, the Cubs have a fantastic rotation. Carlos Zambrano should be an innings eater, and if his off-season fitness plan works out (no pun intended), he could return to form. He pitched okay in the 160 innings he logged in 2009, but he needs to pitch 220 or more. Ted Lilly will be back, but might miss a few starts early on as he recovers from minor surgery to clean up his elbow. Ryan Dempster returns, as well as last year's top newcomer, Randy Wells. The fifth starter is former Pirate star (and Jayhawk alum) Tom Gorzelanny – who a couple of years ago was the ace of the Pirates staff. Last year, the Cubs front five (the top four plus Rich Harden) were about 68 runs better than average and threw 852 innings. That's going to be hard to BEAT, but is something that the Cubs should be able to hold steady for 2010.
The bullpen wasn't horrible – as a group about 16 runs better than average – but it lacked a big time stopper. Kevin Gregg saved 23 games, but was really only decent for three months and scary the rest of the way. He's gone… Carlos Marmol assumed the closer role – nearly impossible to hit stuff but walks a batter an inning which makes him Mitch Williams with a better chance to field grounders. Angel Guzman and John Grabow return to set the table, and Jeff Samardzija, Justin Berg, Sean Marshall will get long relief or spot starts. Samardzija is likely the one guy who could surprise as a fifth starter, but I'll be honest. I don't see him as anything special. Still – he throws hard and has as good a chance as anyone to have a good year facing 200 batters… The Cubs added Carlos Silva in a trade with Seattle – ridding themselves of one headache (Milton Bradley) while acquiring organizational depth in terms of a guy to toss BP.
So, as a staff, the pitching – already good – will remain good in 2010.
Geovany Soto returns, with his backup Koyie Hill intact. As a unit, they aren't horrible – but if there is a room for improvement, it's here. If Soto splits the difference between his awesome 2008 numbers and his horrific 2009 numbers, the Cubs could get 20 more runs on the scoreboard.
Derrek Lee had a quietly amazing year with the stick – 35 – 111 – .306, generating about 115 runs of offense. On top of that, Lee also had 36 doubles… The problems with his neck and back, however, affected his defensive range. Usually Lee is among the top two or three defenders at his position, but in 2009 he was below average in terms of range. Going forward, I see a 20 run slip in his offense, but he could at least return to league average defense if his back feels better. In terms of net production, it's a wash…
At second base, Jeff Baker arrived from Colorado and had a career half season, batting over .300 and fielding everything in site. That made up for the poor performance of Mike Fontenot, who appears to still have the job. I don't think Baker can do this over 500 at bats, and neither do the Cubs who have Fontenot penciled in as the regular. Fontenot was below average in both offense and defense – and I don't see this improving in 2010. If anything whatever bounce back Fontenot has will be covered by the slide in Jeff Baker's performance.
At short, Ryan Theriot returns – a decent enough glove man and someone who batted a lot near the top of the order, though – to be fair – he's really a GREAT number eight hitter. Andres Blanco returns – a capable infielder.
Finally, you have Aramis Ramirez – as good a hitter as you can find if he's playing 150 games at third base. Last year, playing just 82 games, he was as good as expected. Here's what makes me nervous – Ramirez turns 32 in June – so he might get back to 140 games, but it could be at a lesser scale. Chad Tracy is in camp to challenge Bobby Scales for a backup role – else Jeff Baker will be the other option here. Assuming Ramirez takes up the innings given to others last year, even if Ramirez slips in production by 20 runs, the team will still be better offensively by 10 runs at this position.
As a unit, I see this team declining in offense by ten runs and declining by ten runs defensively.
This is where the Cubs had the biggest failures. Alfonso Soriano led the group in homers with 20. Kosuke Fukudome was out of position in center but sensational in right – so to make things better, he needs to stay in right. But to bring in Marlon Byrd?
Last year, Sam Fuld got a small chance and played well defensively while getting on base at a .400 clip in just 100 at bats or so. Fuld is NOT going to do that in a full season, but it's taken the Cubs a long time to get Fuld to the majors after drafting him in the fifth round out of Stanford six years ago. He's quick, will bat about .275 to .290, and draw enough walks to be a scary leadoff hitter in front of Lee and Ramirez. Instead, the Cubs chose to spend money on Marlon Byrd. Byrd is about four years older, coming off a career year in Texas, and is a liability in centerfield.
If his knees are steady, Soriano could be a pleasant surprise – especially if he agrees to hit sixth and drive in runs rather than pretend to be a leadoff hitter who gets in the way of rallies. Healthy, he hits .270 with 30 homers. Another off season, and the Cubs will have an expensive problem for three more years.
Fukudome gets on base and surprises with power. He's a good #2 hitter, and his current backup, Xavier Nady – who signed an incentive laden deal on the heels of his multiple shoulder surgeries – would also make for a productive #2 hitter.
Any gains in Soriano's health and Fukudome's moving to right full time will be negated by the addition of Marlon Byrd. This group will likely improve by 20 runs offensively but decline by 20 runs defensively.
Kevin Millar will be battling for a pinch hitting role, joining Nady, Baker, Fuld, and Hill in providing one of the deeper and more productive supporting casts in baseball.
If the Cubs have any for 2010, there aren't many on the 40 man roster – that's for sure. This is a veteran club. On the whole, the prospects are mostly a few years away and only a couple really stand out…
Nobody stood out as a hitter in AAA Iowa (other than Blanco and Fuld), the top pitchers weren't impressive, though reliever John Gaub had 31.1 solid innings, striking out 40, but walking 16. Gaub had similar stats (28.2 innings, 40 Ks, 17 walks) in AA. He'll get a shot in 2010 – I just don't know how many innings he'll get. Expect Gaub to start in Iowa, though.
Casey Coleman was 14 – 6 with a 3.68 ERA for the AA Tennessee Smokies, but struck out just 84 in 149 innings, so he's not a long term option. He is, however, just 21, so if he can find a strikeout pitch, he'll be on the roster by the end of 2011. Starlin Castro might be the next big thing, though. A Dominican shortstop, Castro will turn 20 in spring training, but because the Cubs have options he'll likely start the year in AA or AAA. He wasn't overmatched in 31 AA games last season and had hit .300 or better in rookie ball and in Daytona. Castro would be my pick as the top prospect in the system.
Daytona had more than just Starlin Castro. Brandon Guyer hit .347 in half a season in the Florida State League, earning a trip to Tennessee, but he struggled in AA – if he's going to make it, he has to get it in gear quickly. Tony Campana is a burner – 55 steals – but it would be nice if he got his OBP a bit higher. Craig Muschko appeared to turn the corner at Daytona – 19 walks in 103 innings and an improving K rate. And, Jay Jackson could be the other top prospect – cruising through Daytona with 46 Ks and just 4 walks, moving up to Tennessee where he went 5 – 5 with a decent K rate, and even getting a start at Iowa and winning his only appearance. A Furman alum, Jackson will make the Cubs in 2010 if for no other reason than to get a cup of coffee in September. I like him.
2008 #1 draft pick Andrew Cashner made it to Daytona and didn't disappoint. Look for him in AA Tennessee, maybe even Iowa for parts of 2010. Ryan Flaherty, the 1A pick in 2008, will see if he can't handle more after a 20 homer season at Peoria. A shortstop with power would look good in Wrigley – but Flaherty is a few years away. Others in Peoria that may stand out in 2010 will be 2008 draft picks Aaron Shafer and Christopher Carpenter, but the guy with the most stuff might be 2009 Chief Chris Archer, who blew away 119 batters in 109 innings and only allowed 78 hits – with NO homers allowed.
Josh Vitters, the first round pick in 2007, struggled at Daytona after a solid half season in Peoria. He'll get a second chance at A+ ball this year – but he's just 20 and has time to get rolling. Tyler Colvin, once a first round pick out of Clemson in 2006, got to the majors after shuffling out of the prospect picture. At 25, he's running out of time – and as an outfielder, the Cubs seem to like older players…
I should note that the other minor league prospect moving up through the ranks is manager Ryne Sandberg. Perhaps you've heard of him. After a year in Peoria, he moved up to Tennessee and will start 2010 as the Iowa manager. If the Cubs get off to a slow start, he's being groomed to replace Lou Piniella.
The Cubs certainly have the star power to compete, but the cracks that showed up in 2010 weren't necessarily filled by young new help. Instead, the Cubs have essentially the same team with one difference – Marlon Byrd instead of Milton Bradley.
I see the Cubs scoring a few more runs than last year – as many as 740, but allowing a few more, too – 700. That works out to 85 or 86 wins (85.5, but if you carry out another decimal point, you'd round down). With an improving Milwaukee and a still very good St. Louis, that's probably good for third place – and at some point, the end of Lou Piniella's tenure in Chicago. With a slow start, he could be gone as early as June 1.
However, the guy responsible for Piniella and the rest of the roster is General Manager Jim Hendry. With a new ownership group in town, when Lou leaves he'll have someone to hold open the door – Hendry will likely be shown that same door.
Posted in Aaron Shafer, Alfonso Soriano, Andres Blanco, Andrew Cashner, Angel Guzman, Aramis Ramirez, Bobby Scales, Brandon Guyer, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Silva, Carlos Zambrano, Casey Coleman, Chad Tracy, Chicago Cubs, Chris Archer, Christopher Carpenter, Craig Muschko, Derrek Lee, Geovany Soto, Jay Jackson, Jeff Baker, Jeff Samardzija, John Gaub, John Grabow, Josh Vitters, Justin Berg, Kevin Gregg, Kevin Millar, Kosuke Fukudome, Koyie Hill, Marlon Byrd, Mike Fontenot, Milton Bradley, Randy Wells, Rich Harden, Ryan Dempster, Ryan Flaherty, Ryan Theriot, Sam Fuld, Sean Marshall, Starlin Castro, Ted Lilly, Tom Gorzelanny, Xavier Nady	| Leave a reply
A Weekend of Wheeling and Dealing…
Posted on December 14, 2009 by Paul Proia
After a weekend of work and play, it's time to see what all happened while we went Christmas and Hanukkah shopping…
Who Signed?
Rafael Soriano was signed to a $7 million contract – and then traded by the Braves to Tampa for reliever Jesse Chavez. Soriano immediately upgrades the closer role in Tampa, a problem all of 2009. [FanHouse/SI]
Houston inked reliever Brandon Lyon to a three year, $15 million deal. Lyon isn't bad – he's dependable, but is he really better than Grant Balfour? $3 million better for the next three years? (See his deal below.) [SI]
The new third baseman in Houston is former Phillie Pedro Feliz – one year, $4.5 million. [SI]
Scott Olsen got an incentive-filled deal with the Nationals – coming off a disappointing season and shoulder surgery. [ESPN]
Jason Kendall – who looked like he aged four years at the plate last year – signed a two year deal with the Royals. (See John Buck, below.) By the way – Miguel Olivo might not return. The Royals confuse me. [SI]
Meanwhile, the Royals signed Brian Bannister and Kyle Davies to one-year deals. [SI]
The Royals non-tendered catcher John Buck, but he signed with Toronto for $2 million pending a physical. [ESPN]
Two years ago, he was a closer – now, J.J. Putz is an eighth inning guy in Chicago for one year at $3 million. There are a lot of incentives, too. [SI]
Kevin Correia will stay in San Diego, signing a one-year, $3.6 million deal. [ESPN]
Arizona signed Augie Ojeda and Blaine Boyer to one-year deals. [SI]
The Braves signed outfielder Matt Diaz for one year at $2.55 million. [ESPN]
Grant Balfour signed with Tampa – one year, $2.05 million. [SI]
Milwaukee gets one more year with Craig Counsell – who remains a valuable utility player at 39. [MLB]
Esteban German remains in Texas for 2010. [MLB]
The Cubs tendered offers to eight players, (Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, Koyie Hill, Ryan Theriot, Tom Gorzelanny, Angel Guzman, Carlos Marmol and Sean Marshall) with Neil Cotts likely heading to arbitration. [MLB]
The Dodgers tendered offers to nine players (go read the article), including Chad Billingsley, Andre Ethier, Jonathan Broxton and Russell Martin. Everybody gets a raise in LA!!! [MLB]
Who Got Let Go…
The Braves non-tendered outfielder Ryan Church and second baseman Kelly Johnson. [MLB]
Boston non-tendered outfielder Brian Anderson.
The Mets non-tendered four players, including pitchers Tim Redding and Lance Broadway, as well as outfielders Cory Sullivan and Jeremy Reed. [ESPN]
Despite hitting 20 homers in little more than a half season, Johnny Gomes was non-tendered by the Reds. He might still sign somewhere, but let's face it – he's a DH. [ESPN]
Chien-Ming Wang is a free agent, and apparently disappointed that the Yankees didn't stay with him… Since injuring his ankle running the bases, Wang has REALLY struggled. [ESPN]
Matt Capps, closer for Pittsburgh, was caught off guard – he was non-tendered by the Pirates. [MLB]
Jose Arredondo, about to have surgery, will not have an Angels contract for 2010. [MLB]
Jack Cust (Oakland), Ryan Garko (San Francisco), Mike MacDougal (Washington), D.J. Carrasco (Chi Sox), Clay Condrey (Philadelphia), Alfredo Amezaga (Florida) join a LONG list of free agents.
Here's a good summary of who is now available… [SI]
For a complete list of transactions, you can always go here… [MLB]
What's the Hold Up?
Jason Bay may not return to Boston – the hold up appears to be the duration of the contract. Bay wants five years; Boston is offering four. [ESPN]
Mike Lowell's injured thumb is stalling an agreement between Texas and Boston. Boston would (a) get catcher Max Ramirez – a good prospect and (b) pretty much pay for Lowell to play in Texas where he would play first, DH, and backup Michael Young at third base. [ESPN]
The Cards made a pitch to Matt Holliday and hope to have an answer this week. [FoxSports]
One of the more famous names in baseball history, Bill Buckner, turns 60. Billy Buck was a hustler – played through injuries, used to complain about every called strike or close play at first base. He was unfortunately humbled by that error in the 1986 World Series and his career degenerated quickly after that – though he was showing signs of age at the time. He had a lot of hits – 2715 of them – and used to be fast. Something tells me that he's probably mellowed a lot over the last 20 years… I'd love to buy him lunch. Happy Birthday, Billy.
Others celebrating with cake, cards, or remembrances include: Honest John Anderson (1872), Maurice "The Comet" Archdeacon (1897), Toothpick Sam Jones (1925), Ken Hunt (1938), Ken Hill and future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio (1965) – I loved Biggio who was an amazingly versatile athlete, Dave Nilsson and Scott Hatteberg (1969), Angel Guzman (1981), and Josh Fields (1982).
Peter Gammons thanks everyone for the memories at ESPN.
Posted in Alfredo Amezega, Andre Ethier, Angel Guzman, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Augie Ojeda, Blaine Boyer, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Lyon, Brian Anderson, Carlos Marmol, Chad Billingsley, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chien-Ming Wang, Cincinnati Reds, Clay Condrey, Cory Sullivan, Craig Counsell, D.J. Carrasco, Florida Marlins, Grant Balfour, Houston Astros, J.J. Putz, Jack Cust, Jason Bay, Jason Kendall, Jeff Baker, Jeremy Reed, Jesse Chavez, John Buck, Jonathan Broxton, Jonny Gomes, Jose Arredondo, Kansas City Royals, Kelly Johnson, Kevin Correia, Koyie Hill, Lance Broadway, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Capps, Matt Diaz, Matt Holliday, Max Ramirez, Miguel Olivo, Mike Lowell, Mike MacDougal, Milwaukee Brewers, Neil Cotts, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Pedro Feliz, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rafael Soriano, Russell Martin, Ryan Church, Ryan Garko, Ryan Theriot, San Diego Padres, Scott Olsen, Sean Marshall, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Tim Redding, Tom Gorzelanny, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals	| Leave a reply
Wagner Retiring? That's What He Told the NY Post…
Posted on October 14, 2009 by Paul Proia
I've always been a Billy Wagner fan. He threw HARD – and gave great effort to do so. Few left handed closers could match his career. And now, according to the NY Post, that career might be over. According to sources, he wants to close games near his home in Virginia, and Boston declined his option so that Wagner could pursue his own deal. (Washington needs help, but it might be a few years before the Nationals are competitive, and Baltimore has a couple of options but none as good as Wagner if he's healthy.). Even after Tommy John surgery, Wagner had some success in 17 outings… Sources say that Wagner is going to put his family first in making a decision about playing again. [MLB]
Playoff Notes…
Joba Chamberlain will stay in the pen… Manager Joe Girardi will stay with a three-man rotation for the foreseeable future. C.C. Sabathia gets the opener (against Angel John Lackey), while A.J. Burnett and Andy Pettitte will get the other starts. [SI]
Managerial Carousel…
Jose Cruz will no longer coach first base for the Astros. However, he will get another position in the organization. In fact, a lot of coaches are pursuing other options – though Sean Berry, the hitting coach keeps his gig. Doesn't the new manager (whomever it will be) get a say in this? [MLB]
GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy will be retained by San Francisco for 2010. Now, if Sabean can find some offense to match the pitching staff, they could be playing next October, too. [ESPN]
In fact, the entire Bay Area baseball coaching world can rest assured that a job remains next year. Oakland announced that they will be retaining the manager and coaching staff.
Meanwhile, the Indians are saying WHO they are talking to (except in mentioning that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell was contacted), but they are making like Houston and talking to a lot of people about replacing Eric Wedge as manager. [ESPN]
Hot Stove League… Tim Hudson wants a "wow'" offer, or he might decline his 2010 option (worth $12 million) and become a free agent. The Braves have a lot of pitching right now – if it were me, I might let him test the market. [FoxSports]
But I wanted an autograph… Steiner Sports is suing Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina for not living up to obligations linked to marketing ventures. Molina was supposed to signing autographs and attending events and what not, received an advance, but has refused to do any work. [ESPN]
Hurry Back! Seattle catcher Rob Johnson will have operations on both hips and his left wrist – but plans on being ready for spring training… And, Nationals reliever Mike MacDougal also had arthroscopic hip surgery, but should be ready for March. [ESPN]
Happy Birthday! Yankee Manager Joe Girardi turns 45 today… I know what he wants for a present. Others on the birthday list include: Ivy Olson (1885), Oscar Charleston (1896), Harry (The Cat) Brecheen (1914), Tommy Harper (1940), Art Shamsky (1941), Al Oliver (1946), Ed Figueroa (1948), Willie Mays Aikens (1954), Ryan Church (1978), Boof Bonser (1981), and Carlos Marmol (1982).
What do I have to do to get this kind of marketing from MLB? Look for a new book about the 1912 World Series by Michael Vaccaro…
Posted in A. J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Atlanta Braves, Billy Wagner, C.C. Sabathia, Carlos Marmol, Joba Chamberlain, John Lackey, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Mike MacDougal, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, Rob Johnson, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Hudson, Washington Nationals, Yadier Molina	| Leave a reply
Pudge Returns to Rangers; Lots of Baseball Briefs…
Posted on August 19, 2009 by Paul Proia
Ivan Rodriguez, perhaps the greatest Texas Ranger of all, returns to his original home team for the stretch run. The Astros traded the veteran to Texas for three prospects (one named, two not) so that Taylor Teagarden could have a veteran backup with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on the DL. Pudge is no longer the offensive threat he was even three years ago, much less in his prime, hitting like a veteran backup catcher. On the other hand, what does this say about where Houston is heading? Houston had made an impressive run to get to into the NL Central mix, only to deal away someone who had been helping keep the Astros staff intact and checking the running game. J. R. Towles gets one more shot to become the starter they envisioned back in 2007, I guess. [ESPN]
Who did Houston get? Matt Nevarez has looked solid at Hickory (A), with 50Ks in just 35 innings, and finally appears to be harnessing his control. Nevarez is 22, signed four years ago after being drafted in the 10th round out of high school.
Look for Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda to get a DL stint to recover from post-concussion elements. [ESPN]
John Smoltz might be a Cardinal? No team has done more in the last four weeks to upgrade the team than St. Louis. [ESPN/FoxSports]
Meanwhile, FoxSports thinks that the Dodgers, in need of a starter, might consider Vincente Padilla. [FoxSports]
I haven't found the article – admitting that I haven't searched too much – but I read in the Chicago Tribune that Carlos Zambrano admitted that his back problems start with poor conditioning… So, while he's on the DL, Big Z is battling the bulge, too. Meanwhile, another Carlos Cubbie – Carlos Marmol, finally gets a shot at the closer role – despite his on/off season. I checked this out yesterday – Kevin Gregg was AWESOME in the month of July, only to fall flat in August (for the second year in a row, by the way). [FoxSports]
Another pitcher with a bad back isn't ready to return, and that's Boston's Tim Wakefield. Look for him to rehab for at least two or three more starts. [ESPN]
Stephen Strasburg isn't going to be ready to pitch for at least a month, so don't look for him to pitch in Washington in 2009 – and he'll likely spend a year in the minors after that. Word on the street is that the Nationals will not unnecessarily race him to the majors, despite his major league paycheck. [ESPN]
Fun stuff? Check out Rob Neyer's blog on ESPN…
Welcome Back! Tampa's Chad Bradford returns from the DL (officially), costing Reid Brignac a roster spot. KC's Kyle Farnsworth returns from his DL stint.
Hurry Back! Houston's Mike Hampton heads to the DL with a shoulder strain. Met Alex Cora heads to the DL with sprains in BOTH thumbs. Wow. White Sox Hero Dewayne Wise has a strained right shoulder and gets some time off.
Posted in Alex Cora, Boston Red Sox, Carlos Marmol, Carlos Zambrano, Chad Bradford, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Dewayne Wise, Hiroki Kuroda, Houston Astros, Ivan Rodriguez, J.R Towles, John Smoltz, Kansas City Royals, Kyle Farnsworth, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Nevarez, Mike Hampton, New York Mets, Reid Brignac, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Strasburg, Tampa Bay Rays, Taylor Teagarden, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Toronto Blue Jays, Vincente Padilla	| 1 Reply
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How often do we ask people questions which are to be answered "yes" or "no," when a definite answer is needed and they hedge their answers with "both." Or how about when you really want to know what they want for dinner and they say, "I don't care". You know they do. I think the hardest people to please are the ones who say they don't care.
Sometimes it does not make any difference. If you were to ask me how I wanted my liver cooked I would say, "I don't care." I don't. I hate liver. There is no way it can be cooked that changes it from an organ that filters toxins out of the body. That is what it tastes like and that is what it smells like. My response is not because I don't care. It is because you asked the wrong question.
But say we are discussing freedom of speech and I am trying to get them involved. I might ask them if they think four letter words should be allowed at school. When I poll the class try to get them to write a paragraph I get blank stares. Someone always wants to write two paragraphs.
Many times this is simply a refusal to take a stand. That can be because they really have no opinion or it could be they are afraid of criticism. It could also be a problem of ignorance.


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Home » Swanson Family acquires D&D Ingredient Distributors
Swanson Family acquires D&D Ingredient Distributors
Source: D&D Ingredient Distributors, Inc.
DELPHOS, OHIO — D&D Ingredient Distributors, Inc., an ingredient and custom premix supplier for feed and pet food manufacturers, has been acquired by the Swanson Family of Companies, a Turlock, Calif-based organization that also owns Associated Feed, Nutrius and Virtus Nutrition.
Both the Swanson Family of Companies and D&D Ingredient Distributors are third-generation family-owned organizations, and their combination seeks to expand business opportunities and improve service to the pet food and feed industries.
"Our family is very excited at the prospect of entrusting D&D and our employee team to the Swansons," said Doc and Dorothy Miller, who founded D&D Ingredient Distributors in 1976.
Arnie Miller, president of D&D and son of Doc and Dorothy Miller, added, "We had a number of requirements that we felt a partner would have to have and the Swansons fit all of them. We are looking forward to working together as one team going forward."
The two companies share several values, including key business principles centered on quality products and customer service, honesty and integrity, employee respect and growth, and leadership by example.
"We've admired the Miller family and done business with D&D for many years," said Matt Swanson, chief executive officer of the Swanson Family of Companies. "And for a number of years, we've wanted to achieve the combination of our two companies. Joining with D&D represents an important expansion eastward for us and it will enable us, with the help of the highly capable employee base at D&D, to better serve existing customers and position us to serve new customers in D&D's market area."
Under new ownership, D&D Ingredient Distributors will become D&D Ingredients LLC, and the company will incur minimal changes to business operations. Restructuring is currently underway, the company shared, and will "be seamless for D&D customers and vendors," Arnie Miller said. The business model and management team will remain intact.
"D&D is a very well-run business, providing a wide variety of outsourced manufacturing services to the animal feed and pet food industries," Swanson said. "D&D's focus on high quality products and customer service has meant steady growth and expansion of both its customer base and market area."
Business Suppliers Pet Food Ingredients and Formulations Mergers and Acquisitions
KEYWORDS cat food custom blending d&d dog food feed pet food ingredients premix premixes swanson swanson family of companies
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Allo Darlin' is the debut full-length from Allo Darlin'. It was released June 7, 2010 on Fortuna Pop!.

Reception

The AllMusic review by K. Ross Hoffman awarded the album 4 stars stating, "The playing is consistently strong and, with a few tender-hearted exceptions, briskly bouncy and grooving".

Track listing
All tracks by Allo Darlin'

 "Dreaming" – 3:22
 "The Polaroid Song" – 4:14
 "Silver Dollars" – 4:12
 "Kiss Your Lips" – 3:46
 "Heartbeat Chili" – 4:18
 "If Loneliness Was Art" – 3:30
 "Woody Allen" – 2:39
 "Let's Go Swimming" – 4:31
 "My Heart Is a Drummer" – 3:17
 "What Will Be Will Be" – 3:37

Personnel

 Elizabeth Morris – vocals, glockenspiel, handclapping, percussion, piano, ukulele,
 Paul Rains – electric guitar, backing vocals, fender rhodes, korg M1, lap steel guitar, omnichord
 Bill Botting – bass guitar, backing vocals, vocals
 Michael Collins – drums, backing vocals, percussion
 The Friday Night Choir – backing vocals
 Dan Mayfield – violin
 Monster Bobby – vocals
 Adam Nunn – mastering
 Keiron Phelan – flute
 Matthew Reynolds – backing vocals
 Simon Trought – backing vocals, engineer, handclapping, mandolin, mixing, percussion, producer
 Nik Vestberg – photography, sleeve design

References

2010 debut albums
Allo Darlin' albums
Fortuna Pop! Records albums

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 7 x 11 cake pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry cake mix, spices, buttermilk, molasses, eggs and oil. Mix until well combined.
Pour into greased cake pan and bake for 30-32 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to completely cool.
Using a straw or wooden spoon handle, poke holes into the cooled cake. Pour the sweetened condensed milk all over the top of the cake and into the holes. Cover and chill overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow the milk to saturate the cake.
Cover the entire top of the cake with Cool Whip, using a spatula to smooth the topping out evenly. Sprinkle with crushed gingerbread cookies. Return to refrigerator and chill for an additional 2 hours.
Before serving, drizzle caramel topping on each slice of cake and top with a whole gingersnap cookie.


In the spring of 2013, PBS aired Mr. Selfridge, a miniseries about Harry Gordon Selfridge, an American who went to London and opened a department store on Oxford Street in 1909. It was an 8-part series with Jeremy Piven playing the title character. I watch many of the Masterpiece series, but this one I skipped. Dorene did watch the series and, after just a few episodes, decided that we would visit Selfridges during our trip to England in June.
Not long after we passed Marble Arch, Dorene caught sight of Selfridges in the distance.
The inside of Selfridges, which looks like a standard department store, does not mirror the grandeur of the outside. It nevertheless does impress, with 6 floors that total about 10 acres; large crowds of both Londoners and tourists; famous designer collections; the ever-present yellow shopping bags that advertise people's willingness to spend lots of money there; and a surprisingly long line of people waiting just for a chance to view Prada products.
And it was. We had seen other restaurants along the sides, but Dolly's is simply a section of the display floor, adjacent to an escalator, that has been gated off and turned into a small cafe. It opened in March 2011 and was named for Mr. Selfridge's mistresses. "He had two mistresses named Dolly?" I asked when Dorene told me this. Not quite. Originally from Hungary, identical twins Jenny and Rosie became known as the Dolly Sisters for their vaudevillian act. Click here to see the menu, which includes a rather scandalous picture of the twins.
Dolly's has an enclosed kitchen in the center and a display case of pastries on one side. This leaves limited room for tables in narrow passages on the remaining three sides of the kitchen. Our wait for a table was about 15 minutes, and one or more people seemed to be waiting at all times. Yet in the spirit of afternoon tea, the staff did not try to rush patrons in and out.
Tea – an enjoyable, standard English Breakfast Tea. Dorene appreciated the strainer for the cup that captured the loose tea leaves from the teapot. An attached tray could be moved under the strainer to catch any dripping liquid when moved to the side.
Finger sandwiches (4 for each of us) – smoked salmon, chicken, egg salad, and cucumber and cream cheese. The amount of filling in each sandwich was small, but they were all good.
Scones – one fruited and one plain. Dorene and I both prefer plain scones, but I took the fruited one since I know how much she loves her scones. Dorene thought that the scone was small and mildly sweet. She's more accustomed to scones in the U.S., which tend to be less sweet than those in England.
Pastries – one lemon and one strawberry tart. We took half of each, although Dorene was too full to eat the strawberry tart. The lemon tart had "citron" written on top in chocolate, and the amount of lemon flavor was just right. The strawberry tart had a generous amount of strawberries.
Service – pleasant staff. Our waitress knew that we were visiting Dolly's for the first time, and when we were finished, she asked what we liked best. "The scones, of course," was Dorene's reply.
Atmosphere – noisy. While there is a novelty to ordering tea while sitting in the middle of a historic department, there's no way to escape that you are sitting in the middle of a bustling department store, next to the escalator for that matter.
Decor – Dolly's is described as having an Art Deco design. Dorene is an aficionado of the Art Deco movement and did not think that there was much to say about Art Deco at Dolly's.
The first sandwich I ate was the cucumber and cream cheese. I was so hungry that I finished it in just a few bites – probably breaching some form of afternoon tea etiquette. I was also concerned about another etiquette issue. After spreading the strawberry jam on my scone, I dipped my knife into the clotted cream. The remnants of jam on my knife ended up spoiling the pure color of the cream in the dish, which I feared betrayed my lack of social grace. I asked Dorene whether there should have been a separate knife for the cream. She hesitated, said that there probably should have been separate knives, but clearly had never before put any thought into the issue. Later, I figured out why this was not an issue for her. Dorene spreads the clotted cream onto the scone first and then puts the jam on top. Her knife is clean when it touches the clotted cream.
Had I been eating my scones wrong?
I googled pictures of scones, and while jam on top of clotted cream seems the more common method for eating scones, there were some pictures with the cream on top of the jam. I guess I'll stick to my way.
While afternoon tea at Dolly's does not invoke the "serene harmony" depicted in Muriel Barbery's quote above, there is at least the opportunity to step away from the bustle, excess, and, yes, the absurdity. As evidenced by the variety of customers we saw at Dolly's that day, from businessmen and tourists to multigenerational families and single shoppers, there is truth to the idea of the universality of tea. The price of 28.95 pounds for Afternoon Tea for Two does not quite support the notion of "at little cost," but given that everything in London is expensive, tea at Dolly's was worth the experience.
For a history of the department store, visit the timeline on the Our Heritage page of Selfridges website.
For a brief analysis of the relationship between Mr. Selfridge and the Dolly Sisters, visit the Jazz Age Club website.
Gary Chapman, author of The Dolly Sisters: Icons of the Jazz Age, has a blog devoted to the sisters, dollysisters.wordpress.com.
The sisters were even the subject of a 1945 movie starring Betty Grable and June Haver. IMDb does not list Mr. Selfridge as one of the characters. For a synopsis of the movie, visit TCM's website.
The book that was used as the basis for the miniseries is Shopping, Seduction, and Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead.
For fans of the miniseries, PBS has ordered a second season, which will air in 2014. Now that I know more about Selfridges than any other store I've ever visited, perhaps I may get on board.