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NLDS Playoffs Preview and Predictions – Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Games, History, Management, Players, Playoffs, Politics, Stats
Atlanta Braves (96-66) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70)
Keys for the Braves: Their young starting pitchers must handle the pressure; get the ball to Craig Kimbrel; hope that B.J. Upton continues his past playoff performances; don't let etiquette get in the way.
Tim Hudson was lost for the year when his ankle was stepped on by Eric Young Jr. of the Mets. Paul Maholm was left off the division series roster entirely. That leaves the Braves with a preliminary starting rotation for the NLDS of Kris Medlen, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran and…Freddy Garcia(?). Yes. The Braves left Maholm off the roster in favor of Garcia. In truth, Garcia might actually be a better bet than Maholm. He's got the experience and won't be rattled, plus he pitched well in his time with the Braves. We'll see if the Braves follow through with the decision if they're down two games to one in Los Angeles.
For the record, I'd have started Teheran in the opening game.
The young pitchers have to pitch well. It sounds simplistic, but it's true. The Braves offense is shaky and they've taken one of the primary home run hitters, Dan Uggla, off the roster in favor of Elliot Johnson. If they don't get serviceable starting pitching, they're not going to win.
Kimbrel is a machine in the closer's role and the rest of the bullpen has been solid. One thing manager Fredi Gonzalez has truly improved upon is how he handles his relievers.
B.J. Upton found himself on the cover of Sports Illustrated along with his brother Justin Upton and Kate Upton. The only reason I can see for this is to sell a few more magazines because Kate Upton is on the cover. If that was the idea, then perhaps they should have put her in a bikini and had her lounging around the batting cage in various states of undress. Otherwise, you can download much racier images of her from the internet and not spend the money to get SI.
On the field, B.J. Upton had a history of doing well in the playoffs with the Rays when he had seven career homers in 25 post-season games. It was also B.J. who didn't hustle on a double play ball in the World Series against the Phillies five years ago, so either or both of his on-field M.O. – the lazy player or the playoff masher – could show up.
I didn't discuss this when it happened, but now is as good a time as any: precisely who do the Braves think they are? For the second time in September, the Braves got into a confrontation with the opposing team because of a breach of etiquette. First it was with the Marlins after pitcher Jose Fernandez homered and stood admiring it. The second was with Brewers' outfielder Carlos Gomez for doing the same thing and yelled at Maholm as he was running around the bases. There was history between the two following a hit by pitcher earlier in the season. Freddie Freeman had a fit, Brian McCann intercepted Gomez before he got to the plate and gave him a loud, red-faced lecture and Reed Johnson took a swing at Gomez.
In both cases, for some inexplicable reason, the opposing teams and players apologized to the Braves.
This attitude is bringing back memories of the days before Chipper Jones became a respected and popular player throughout baseball and his mouth and overt love for himself made him one of the most reviled players in the game. The Braves of the 1990s were arrogant, condescending and obnoxious. It wasn't done in a blustery, cocky way either. It was a smug, "we're better bred than you" type of attitude you might see at Georgia Republican fundraiser where Newt Gingrich was the guest of honor.
Who elected them as keepers of etiquette? And why don't they pull that stuff with a team like the Phillies who would tell them to go screw themselves if they did?
I'd like to see what the Braves are going to do if Yasiel Puig does a little showboating in the playoffs. Are they going to pull the same nonsense? If they do, someone's going to get drilled because Zack Greinke doesn't put up with that stuff and the Dodgers have a few tough guys of their own. Suffice it to say there won't be an apology.
Keys for the Dodgers: Get good starting pitching; hand the game straight to Kenley Jansen; don't change their game plan.
With Clayton Kershaw, Greinke an Hyun-Jin Ryu in the first three games of the series, the Dodgers have a distinct advantage over their younger counterparts. Kershaw has been all-but unhittable; Greinke not far behind; and Ryu is the type of pitcher who shines in the post-season with his crafty lefty stuff. All three are mean and all three will only have to worry about certain segments of the Braves lineup.
The Dodgers set-up men have been inconsistent, but their closer is dominating. It's important to get depth from the starters and try to hand it right over to Jansen.
There has been concern about the potency of the Dodgers' offense because Matt Kemp is out and Andre Ethier is hurting. It's not something to worry about. They have enough power with Puig, Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez and Juan Uribe, a player who has hit some big homers in the post-season. They shouldn't worry about making up for the power that's missing. They have enough to get by.
What will happen:
The Braves clearly looked at the pluses and minuses of playing Uggla at second base. He's become like Carlos Pena without the defense. He either hits a home run, walks or strikes out and is a defensive liability. With both Uggla and B.J. Upton batting under .200 this season, much has been made of the combined amounts of money they're making – over $25 million in 2013 – for that dreadful production. Suffice it to say that if the Braves didn't win and hadn't been so adept at developing prospects, GM Frank Wren would have a lot to answer for.
Johnson isn't a particularly strong defensive second baseman either and he doesn't hit much. This says more about Uggla at this juncture than it does about Johnson. It's a risky move to pull and if the other bats don't hit, they're going to regret it.
What it comes down to for the Braves is if the Upton brothers hit and Jason Heyward is completely recovered from his beaning. The Braves are notoriously vulnerable to lefties and the Dodgers have two lefty starters and two lefties in the bullpen.
Ramirez has been on a mission this season; Gonzalez is back to the player he was before he joined the Red Sox; Puig is the kind of player who might use the post-season as his grand stage and hit five homers in the series; and the Dodgers starting pitching is simply better.
The Braves have too many holes in the lineup, too many vulnerabilities, too many questions surrounding their young starters and too much animosity has been built up against them throughout baseball for a veteran team like the Dodgers to back down.
The Dodgers will send the Braves back to charm school.
PREDICTION: DODGERS IN FOUR
October 3, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier, Atlanta Braves, B.J. Upton, B.J. Upton contract, Braves, Braves Brewers fight, Brian McCann, Carlos Gomez, Carlos Pena, Chipper Jones, Clayton Kershaw, Dan Uggla, Dan Uggla contract, Dodgers, Elliot Johnson, Eric Young Jr., Frank Wren, Freddie Freeman, Freddy Garcia, Fredi Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Hyu-Jin Ryu, Jason Heyward, Jose Fernandez, Juan Uribe, Julio Teheran, Justin Upton, Kate Upton, Kris Medlen, Los Angeles Dodgers, Marlins, Matt Kemp, Mike Minor, Newt Gingrich, NLDS predictions, Paul Maholm, Reed Johnson, Sports Illustrated, Tim Hudson, Yasiel Puig, Zack Greinke	Leave a comment
Hal Steinbrenner Summons His Yankees Staff
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Hal Steinbrenner is thoughtful, calm and polite. He's running the Yankees like a business and doing so without the rampant firings, missives and bluster that his father George Steinbrenner used to intimidate, bully and get what he thought were results. It's the son's demeanor that is probably even more intimidating to the gathered staff than anything his father ever did. The George Steinbrenner meetings were a regular occurrence with a red-faced Boss shouting, threatening and firing people only to calm down, feel badly about what he'd done and immediately rehire whomever he'd briefly fired. Hal's different. If he makes changes, they're made and that's that.
The news that Hal convened a high-level meeting with his staff is a serious matter to the future of the Yankees' baseball operations. It's obviously not lost on him or any of the other Steinbrenners and Randy Levine that the baseball people led by general manager Brian Cashman have been trumpeting home-grown talent in recent years while producing very little of it. For all the talk that the Yankees were going to grow their own pitchers similarly to the Red Sox, Giants and Rays, the last starting pitcher drafted and developed by the Yankees who had sustained success as a Yankee is still Andy Pettitte. That's twenty years ago.
A new storyline referenced repeatedly is that the Yankees intended to draft Mike Trout in 2009, but the Angels beat them to him. Are they looking for credit for players they wanted to draft four years ago after he's become one of the best players in baseball?
The defense implying that the Yankees' success caused them to only have late-round first round draft picks thereby reducing their ability to find top-tier players is weak as well. You can find players late in the first round and in the second and third rounds. The Yankees talk out of both sides of their mouths when they claim that Pettitte (22nd round), Jorge Posada (24th round), and Bernie Williams and Mariano Rivera (undrafted free agents) were due to the Yankees' methods and then complain about their low draft status and inability to find players. It's one or the other. Either there's a Yankees "specialness" or they're a victim of their own success.
They haven't signed any impact free agents from Cuba, Japan, Taiwan, Venezuela or the Dominican Republic and their drafts have been failures in the early, middle and late rounds. Dustin Pedroia, Jordan Zimmerman, Giancarlo Stanton, Freddie Freeman, Chris Tillman, Trevor Cahill and Justin Masterson were all second round picks. You can find players if you're savvy and give them an opportunity. The Yankees' lack of patience with young players combined with the overhyping to suit a constituency and narrative has certainly played a part in the failures, but they've also made some horrific gaffes in evaluation and planning. They have yet to publicly acknowledge that Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Ian Kennedy, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova were all mishandled, nor have they indicated a willingness to alter their strategy in building pitchers.
With the military school training that he has, it's no surprise that Hal—as Commander in Chief of the Yankees—is seeking answers as to why the club's farm system is so destitute and few players have been produced to help the Yankees at the big league level as they downsize the payroll. If they're not going to spend as much money on free agents, young players are a necessity to maintain some level of competitiveness. But they don't have them to use for themselves to to trade for someone else's more established star. The logical next step after this meeting is to start replacing some of his staff.
This recent hot streak aside, the overwhelming likelihood is that the Yankees will miss the playoffs in 2013. There will be the complaints that injuries were the main reason, but teams with $200 million payrolls really don't have much of a leg to stand on when coming up with excuses. After the season is over, there will be a lament that "if the season had gone on a week longer" then the rest of baseball would've been in trouble; or that the way Rivera goes out with a declining, also-ran team is not befitting his greatness; and that the post-season "loses its luster" without the Yankees.
These are diversions and attempts to make the Yankees more important than they actually are.
No one, least of all Hal Steinbrenner, wants to hear it. He's the boss now and he's been patient. He's justified in looking at the Yankees' annual payrolls and wondering why, with a roster full of the highest salaried players in baseball for as long as anyone can remember, they've been rewarded with one championship since 2000. Why, with the money at their disposal and an ownership willing to green light just about anything to make the organization better, they haven't been able to find young talent and nurture it to success. Why the Rays, Athletics and Cardinals among others have been able to win and develop simultaneously while spending a minuscule fraction of what the Yankees have spent. And why his GM so openly criticized the acquisition of Alfonso Soriano when Soriano has turned into a bolt from the sky in his return to pinstripes.
What this will do is embolden Hal, Levine and the rest of the Steinbrenners to believe that perhaps the implication of "baseball people" knowing more than anyone else might be a little overplayed.
This meeting is a precursor to a change in the structure of the baseball operations and with Cashman's repeated public embarrassments, inability to hold his tongue and abject errors, he's on the firing line. The Steinbrenners have been agreeable, loyal and tolerant to Cashman's demands and decisions. With the details of this meeting strategically leaked, it looks like they're greasing the skids to make a change. George Steinbrenner was more emotional than calculating and his meeting would have been eye-rolled and head shaken away as the ranting of a lunatic, quickly dismissed. Hal Steinbrenner isn't like his father, but the result might be the same when the season ends and he's not going to change his mind five minutes later.
August 23, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alfonso Soriano, Andy Pettitte, Athletics, Brian Cashman, Cardinals, Chris Tillman, Dustin Pedroia, Freddie Freeman, George Steinbrenner, Giancarlo Stanton, Hal Steinbrenner, Ian Kennedy, Ivan Nova, Joba Chamberlain, Jordan Zimmerman, Jorge Posada, Justin Masterson, Michael Pineda, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, Randy Levine, Rays, Trevor Cahill, Yankees, Yankees drafts, Yankees payroll	2 Comments
National League Breakout/Rebound Candidates (Or Cheap Gets For Your Fantasy Team)
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Last week, I looked at breakout/rebound candidates for the American League, some of whom will be very, very cheap pickups for your fantasy clubs. Now I'll look at the National League.
Wilson Ramos, C—Washington Nationals
Ramos is coming back from a torn ACL in his knee and because the Nationals traded for Kurt Suzuki from the Athletics last season, there's no need to rush Ramos back before he's 100%. But he will eventually take over as the starting catcher and it's not just because he's a future All-Star and potential Gold Glove winner.
Suzuki is a competent everyday catcher who's shown 15 homer power in the past. Even if he's not hitting, the Nationals lineup is strong enough to carry one mediocre bat and Suzuki's good with the pitchers.
There's a financial component though. Suzuki has a club option in his contract for 2014 at $8.5 million. The option becomes guaranteed if Suzuki starts 113 games in 2013. Barring another injury to Ramos, that is not going to happen. Ramos will be catching 5 of every 7 games by the summer.
Freddie Freeman, 1B—Atlanta Braves
It's easy to forget about Freeman due to the number of power-hitting first basemen around baseball, but he's gotten steadily better every year as a professional and with the infusion of Justin Upton and B.J. Upton into the lineup, plus Brian McCann, Jason Heyward and Dan Uggla, teams won't be worried about Freeman's power leading to him getting more pitches to hit.
Lucas Duda, LF—New York Mets
Given the Mets on-paper outfield (Collin Cowgill, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mike Baxter, Marlon Byrd, Marv Throneberry, George Theodore, Jan Brady, Cindy Brady, Gilligan, Barnaby Jones, Cannon), there's plenty of fodder for ridicule. Duda is the butt of jokes because of his last name; that he's a bad outfielder; because he seems so quiet and reticent. The criticism is missing an important factor: he can hit, hit for power and walk. If the Mets tell him he's their starting left fielder, period, they'll be rewarded with 25-30 homers and a .360+ on base percentage. So will fantasy owners.
Bobby Parnell, RHP—New York Mets
With Frank Francisco sidelined with elbow woes, Parnell has been named the Mets' closer…for now. They have Brandon Lyon on the team and are still said to be weighing Jose Valverde. None of that matters. Parnell was going to get the shot at some point this season and with a little luck in Washington last season when defensive miscues cost him an impressive and legitimate old-school, fireman-style save, he would've taken the role permanently back then.
Jacob Turner, RHP—Miami Marlins
The Tigers were concerned about Turner's velocity at the end of spring training 2012 and he wound up being traded to the Marlins in the deal for Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez. He acquitted himself well in seven starts for the Marlins and will be in the 2013 rotation from start to finish. He has all the pitches, a great curve, command and presence.
Justin Ruggiano, CF—Miami Marlins
It's natural to wonder if a player who has his breakout year at age 30 is a product of unlocked talent and opportunity or a brief, freak thing that will end as rapidly as it came about.
Ruggiano has been a very good minor league player who never got a shot to play in the big leagues. He took advantage of it in 2012 and will open the season as the Marlins starting center fielder.
Billy Hamilton, CF—Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have major expectations in 2013 and much of their fortunes hinge on their pitching staff; they're functioning with Shin-Soo Choo playing an unfamiliar position in center field; at mid-season (or earlier) it may become clear that Choo can't play the position well enough for the pitchers nor to bluff their way through to the playoffs. Hamilton is in Triple A learning center field after a shift from the infield and can make up for any educational curve with sheer, blinding speed that has yielded 320 stolen bases in 379 minor league games. He also provides something they lack: a legitimate leadoff hitter and an exciting spark that other teams have to plan for.
Vince Coleman spurred the 1985 Cardinals to the pennant by distracting the opposing pitchers into derangement and opening up the offense for Willie McGee to win the batting title and Tommy Herr and Jack Clark to rack up the RBI. The same thing could happen with Hamilton, Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Choo.
Jason Grilli, RHP—Pittsburgh Pirates
Grilli is a first time closer at age 36, but he's a late-bloomer with a fastball in the mid-90s and a ripping strikeout slider. The Pirates starting pitching and offense are good enough to provide Grilli with enough save chances to make him worthwhile as a pickup.
Kyuji Fujikawa, RHP—Chicago Cubs
Fujikawa was a strikeout machine as a closer in Japan and history has proven that Japanese closers tend to transition to North America much better than starters without the fanfare. Takashi Saito and Kazuhiro Sasaki are examples.
The Cubs are in full-blown rebuild and will trade incumbent closer Carlos Marmol during the season. They'll let him close at the outset to boost his value, then dump him, handing the job to Fujukawa.
Dale Thayer, RHP—San Diego Padres
Closer Huston Street is injury prone and the Padres, for whatever reason, don't think much of Luke Gregerson (they tried to trade him to the Mets for Daniel Murphy and when Street was out last season, they let Thayer take over as closer.)
Thayer has a strikeout slider that leads stat-savvy teams like the Rays, Mets, and Padres continually picking him up. If Street gets hurt, Thayer will get closing chances.
Yasmani Grandal, C—San Diego Padres
His PED suspension has tarnished his luster, but he's still a top catching prospect and once he's reinstated, there's no reason for the Padres not to play him with Nick Hundley and John Baker ahead of Grandal. Neither of the veteran catchers will be starting for the Padres when they're ready to contend; Grandal will. He hits and he gets on base.
February 17, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 2013 breakout candidates, 2013 fantasy picks, 2013 NL breakout candidates, Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves, B.J. Upton, Billy Hamilton, Billy Hamilton Reds, Bobby Parnell, Brandon Lyon, Brandon Phillips, Braves, Brian McCann, Carlos Marmol, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Collin Cowgill, Cubs, Dale Thayer, Dan Uggla, Daniel Murphy, Detroit Tigers, Frank Francisco, Freddie Freeman, George Theodore, Huston Street, Jack Clark, Jacob Turner, Jason Grilli, Jason Heyward, Joey Votto, John Baker, Jose Valverde, Justin Ruggiano, Justin Upton, Kazuhiro Sasaki, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Kurt Suzuki, Kurt Suzuki contract, Kyuji Fujikawa, Lucas Duda, Luke Gregerson, Marlins, Marlon Byrd, Mets, Miami Marlins, Mike Baxter, Nationals, New York Mets, Nick Hundley, Omar Infante, Shin-Soo Choo, Takashi Saito, Tigers, Vince Coleman, Washington Nationals, Willie McGee, Wilson Ramos, Wilson Ramos knee, Yasmani Grandal, Yasmani Grandal PED	Leave a comment
Don't Blame Fredi This Time
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What's wrong with the Braves?
Is it the pitching?
Is it manager Fredi Gonzalez and his coaches?
Is if the offense?
Mike Minor has been mostly dreadful; Randall Delgado inconsistent; Jair Jurrjens was on the trade block and was sent to the minors; and Brandon Beachy was brilliant before he got hurt. They were one of the few teams in baseball that didn't have a starting pitching issue before the season but are now on the lookout for starting pitching with a pursuit of Zack Greinke in the offing.
Gonzalez has made a conscious effort—in conjunction with the front office—to limit the use of his more trusted relievers Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel and Eric O'Flaherty. He's still done the inexplicable "Fredis" such as when he left Venters in to pitch to Alex Rodriguez with the bases loaded as the tying run at the plate. Naturally A-Rod homered to tie the game and the Braves lost.
With Gonzalez as manager, these gaffes are tacitly accepted and understood.
The Braves' offense is, statistically, much better and that credit could grudgingly go to new hitting coach Greg Walker. Former coach Larry Parrish advocated an aggressive approach that resulted last season's .308 OBP and finishing 10th in the NL in runs scored. This season their OBP has risen to .323 and they're 4th in runs scored.
How much of that is due to Walker and the dismissal of Parrish are realistic questions. Their clubwide pitches per plate appearance ratio is up from 3.79 to 3.87. Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward have improved noticeably in that regard. Is it that the Braves are waiting for their pitches to hit or that they have Michael Bourn for a full season, a healthy Heyward and an Uggla off to a better start? Brian McCann and Freddie Freeman are both far behind where they were last season. Does Parrish get the credit for the good things or just the blame for the bad things? Is that the criteria for Walker and Gonzalez. What's more important: results, process or perception?
The Braves' main issues have been on the mound. So does pitching coach Roger McDowell come under fire? Or is it explainable by Jurrjens' decreased luck and the aforementioned pitchers who are struggling and hurt?
There's no reason for a team with this level of talent to be barely over .500 and 6 games out of first place. But that's where the Braves are. Those with an ulterior motive to get rid of Gonzalez for the greater good would love to latch onto this mediocrity as validation to make a change, but in reality if they had Bobby Cox back in the dugout running things, I'm not so sure they'd be much better than where they are right now. Gonzalez's job could be in jeopardy in the near or distant future, but if they were going to fire him they should've done it after the collapse of 2011 and not now.
It would be strangely ironic if Gonzalez survived when he probably should've been replaced and is fired for the first half of 2012 when there's no much he could've done differently.
July 5, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Brandon Beachy, Braves, Braves trading deadline, Brian McCann, Craig Kimbrel, Dan Uggla, Eric O'Flaherty, Freddie Freeman, Fredi Gonzalez, Fredi Gonzalez gaffes, Fredi Gonzalez mistakes, Greg Walker, Jair Jurrjens, Jason Heyward, Jonny Venters, Larry Parrish, Michael Bourn, Mike Minor, Randall Delgado, Roger McDowell, What do the Braves need at the trading deadline?, What's wrong with the Braves?, Will the Braves get Zack Greinke?, Would the Braves be better with another manager?, Zack Greinke	Leave a comment
2012 National League East Predicted Standings
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Wins Losses GB
1. Atlanta Braves 93 69 —
2. Philadelphia Phillies* 89 73 4
3. Washington Nationals* 88 74 5
4. Miami Marlins 83 79 10
5. New York Mets 69 93 24
*Denotes predicted Wild Card winner.
There's a misplaced belief that the team that made the most drastic and biggest moves in the off-season is automatically the "best" team.
Because the Braves did nothing to add to the roster that collapsed out of a playoff spot, they're virtually ignored as a legit contender.
There was addition by subtraction by getting rid of Derek Lowe; they made significant improvements in-season by acquiring Michael Bourn. They're going to be helped by the gained experience of young players Freddie Freeman, Jonny Venters, Craig Kimbrel and Mike Minor; the return to form from Martin Prado; a healthy "I wanna get paid" year from Brian McCann; a better start and more consistency from Dan Uggla; and, most importantly, a healthy and "he has to be better because he can't be worse" year from Jason Heyward.
Chase Utley is hoping to play in spring training games within this week. Obviously his knee tendinitis will forever be an issue, but a great player like Utley doesn't need the 6 weeks of spring training to be ready. Inside baseball people would never admit this for financial reasons, but spring training is far too long as it is. Pitchers need maybe 3 ½ weeks to be ready to start the season; hitters far less.
The Phillies are old; there are injury questions hovering around Roy Halladay (as much as people think he's a machine, he's not a machine.); their lineup is pockmarked and questionable; but with their starting rotation and bullpen addition of Jonathan Papelbon, they've got enough left for at least one more run.
They're the next hot thing for many reasons.
They have a load of top-tier draft picks ready to make the move into big league notoriety; they've accumulated starting pitching; they have a devastating back-end of the bullpen; a lineup that can mash; and a veteran manager who has a history of winning.
They're going to look back on Chien-Ming Wang's injury and that they couldn't follow through on a rumored trade of the severely underrated John Lannan and breathe a sigh of relief; the concept of bringing Bryce Harper to the big leagues at 19 needs to be considered carefully and he should not play center field; Gio Gonzalez is not the guarantee the bounty of prospects and expensive, unnecessary contract he received would indicate; and Stephen Strasburg can't be considered an "ace" as long as he's on a pitch/innings limit that Davey Johnson would undoubtedly love to toss into a nearby garbage can.
But they're very talented and a viable contender.
Never mind the ownership, the new ballpark and the investigations swirling around the way said ballpark was approved and paid for. Forget about the monstrosity that will be on display whenever a Marlins' player hits a home run and is sure to cause seizures among a large segment of unsuspecting fans. (See below.)
Cold, clinical analysis will tell you that this team is either going to be a major success or a testament to rubbernecking to see how quickly the clubhouse, manager's office and front office degenerates into organizational cannibalism, whisper campaigns and a media feeding frenzy.
This is a powder keg. I don't like powder kegs.
Ozzie Guillen's teams with the White Sox consistently underachieved; Jose Reyes's health is a question; Hanley Ramirez did not want to move to third base and is going to eventually pout about his contract; their defense is awful.
With a good pitching staff and all these questions, they could be good. With all the other issues, they could explode. Fast.
Yes. I'm a Mets fan.
Question my analysis, but don't question my integrity.
Here are the facts: they're in an impossible division; they're short on starting pitching; they didn't improve the club in the winter; the franchise is engulfed by the lawsuit against the Wilpons stemming from the Bernie Madoff mess; and they're rebuilding.
They're not good and they're starting over with young players.
We won't know much about the future of the Sandy Alderson-led baseball operations or what they're going to do with players like David Wright until the trial is completed. They might be sold; the Wilpons might maintain ownership; the team might be slightly better than most projections depending on multiple factors.
Click here for a full sample of Paul Lebowitz's 2012 Baseball Guide (this link is of the Blue Jays) of team predictions/projections. My book can be purchased on Kindle, Smashwords, BN and Lulu with other outlets on the way.
March 18, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 2012 fantasy, 2012 NL East predicted standings, 2012 predictions, 2012 predictions MLB, 2012 projections, 2012 roto, Atlanta Braves, Blue Jays, Braves, Braves 2012 predictions, Brian McCann, Bryce Harper, Chase Utley, Chase Utley injury, Chase Utley knee, Chien-Ming Wang, Craig Kimbrel, Davey Johnson, David Wright, Derek Lowe, Freddie Freeman, Gio Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, John Lannan, Jonathan Papelbon, Jonny Venters, Jose Reyes, Madoff, Marlins, Marlins art, Marlins ballpark, Marlins home run art, Marlins predictions, Martin Prado, Mets, Mets trial, Miami Marlins 2012, Miami Marlins projections, Michael Bourn, Mike Minor, Nationals, New York Mets, NL East 2012 predictions, Ozzie Guillen, Paul Lebowitz book excerpt, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Roy Halladay, Roy Halladay injury, Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals, Wilpons, Wilpons trial	Leave a comment
My 2011 MLB Award Winners (And They Should Be Yours Too)
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Here are my 2011 Award Winners along with the other contenders listed 1-5. Also my pre-season picks are included.
American League Award Winners
1. Justin Verlander, RHP—Detroit Tigers
Verlander carried a mediocre team into contention and was about as brilliant as a pitcher can possibly be for the entire season. The Tigers record makes them look better than they were at mid-season when they were far from a playoff lock. Verlander won the pitching Triple Crown with 24 wins (5 losses); a 2.40 ERA; and 250 strikeouts in 251 innings.
If you use advanced statistics like WAR as a barometer, Verlander was second in the American League behind Jose Bautista with an 8.5.
The combination of being the best at his position and being imperative to the team's success—they wouldn't have been where they are without him—makes him the MVP.
2. Jose Bautista, OF/3B—Toronto Blue Jays
3. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF—Boston Red Sox
4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B—Boston Red Sox
5. Miguel Cabrera, 1B—Detroit Tigers
Before the season, I picked Carl Crawford.
Yes. Well.
2. CC Sabathia, LHP—New York Yankees
3. Jered Weaver, RHP—Los Angeles Angels
4. James Shields, RHP—Tampa Bay Rays
5. Mariano Rivera, RHP—New York Yankees
My preseason pick was Verlander.
1. Ivan Nova, RHP—New York Yankees
Nova has overcome every obstacle put in front of him including an "odd man out" treatment from the club that quite probably prevented him from winning 20 games as they had too many starters and Nova still had minor league options remaining. He's fearless, he's cool and he comes up big when the Yankees need him to. He went 16-4 with a 3.70 ERA and was completely reliable on a team that had more questions at the beginning of the season than they care to admit—including a failure to truly believe in Nova.
2. Eric Hosmer, 1B—Kansas City Royals
3. Jeremy Hellickson, RHP—Tampa Bay Rays
4. Mark Trumbo, 1B—Los Angeles Angels
5. Jordan Walden, RHP—Los Angeles Angels
My preseason pick was Kyle Drabek of the Blue Jays. He wound up back in the minors.
1. Joe Maddon—Tampa Bay Rays
Maddon did a magnificent job in leading the Rays from "out" of contention into the playoffs. Had the Red Sox held onto their playoff spot, I'd have picked Joe Girardi, but the late season run by the Rays stole a playoff spot and the MOY award for Maddon. Girardi did a magnificent job this year and that must be noted.
2. Joe Girardi—New York Yankees
3. Jim Leyland—Detroit Tigers.
4. Mike Scioscia—Los Angeles Angels
5. Ron Washington—Texas Rangers
My preseason pick was Leyland.
National League Award Winners
1. Matt Kemp, CF—Los Angeles Dodgers
Kemp's come a long way from being benched and ripped publicly by the club for his lazy, disinterested play and poor attitude that seemed to have come from going "Hollywood".
He dedicated himself to the game in 2011 and almost won the Triple Crown while playing Gold Glove defense in center field. He put up massive numbers with 39 homers, 126 RBI, a .324 batting average, a .399 on base and 76 extra base hits.
2. Ryan Braun, LF—Milwaukee Brewers
3. Prince Fielder, 1B—Milwaukee Brewers
4. Lance Berkman, RF—St. Louis Cardinals
5. Clayton Kershaw, LHP—Los Angeles Dodgers
My preseason pick was Albert Pujols.
Kershaw won the National League pitching Triple Crown with 21 wins, a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts in 233 innings. He walked 54 and allowed only 15 homers.
2. Roy Halladay, RHP—Philadelphia Phillies
3. Cliff Lee, LHP—Philadelphia Phillies
4. Ian Kennedy, RHP—Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Craig Kimbrel, RHP—Atlanta Braves
My preseason pick was Lee.
Never mind the games he blew late in the season, Kimbrel struck out 127 in 77 innings and saved 46 games for the Braves. They collapsed, but it wasn't because of Kimbrel.
2. Freddie Freeman, 1B—Atlanta Braves
3. Brandon Beachy, RHP—Atlanta Braves
4. Vance Worley, RHP—Philadelphia Phillies
5. Wilson Ramos, C—Washington Nationals
My preseason pick was Kenley Jansen.
1. Kirk Gibson—Arizona Diamondbacks
This is partially good work and partially managing a team from whom not much was expected. Gibson's intensity and the way it rubbed off on his players and the Diamondbacks won the NL West title.
2. Charlie Manuel—Philadelphia Phillies
3. Don Mattingly—Los Angeles Dodgers
4. Ron Roenicke—Milwaukee Brewers
5. Tony LaRussa—St. Louis Cardinals
My preseason pick was Mattingly.
September 29, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Adrian Gonzalez, AL Cy Young Award, AL Manager of the Year, AL MVP, AL Rookie of the Year, Albert Pujols, Brandon Beachy, Braves, Carl Crawford, CC Sabathia, Charlie Manuel, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee, Craig Kimbrel, Diamondbacks, Don Mattingly, Eric Hosmer, Freddie Freeman, Ian Kennedy, Ivan Nova, Jacoby Ellsbury, James Shields, Jered Weaver, Jeremy Hellickson, Jim Leyland, Joe Girardi, Joe Maddon, Jordan Walden, Jose Bautista, Justin Verlander, Justin Verlander MVP, Kenley Jansen, Kirk Gibson, Kyle Drabek, Lance Berkman, Mariano Rivera, Mark Trumbo, Matt Kemp, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Scioscia, NL Cy Young Award, NL Manager of the Year, NL MVP, NL Rookie of the Year, Prince Fielder, Ron Roenicke, Ron Washington, Roy Halladay, Ryan Braun, Tigers, Tony LaRussa, Vance Worley, Wilson Ramos, Yankees	Leave a comment
Could The Braves Go After Jose Reyes?
All Star Game, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hall Of Fame, Hot Stove, Management, Media, MiLB, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Waiver Trades, Players, Playoffs, Prospects
With tremendous depth in their starting rotation and bullpen, money coming off the books and the gaping hole both at leadoff and shortstop, could the Braves be a stealth pursuer of Jose Reyes?
After examining their contracts, there's an absolute fit for a dynamic leadoff hitter to slide in neatly with young core the Braves have built, mostly through the farm system.
Reyes's price—which not too long ago was going up-up-up-up—won't be as prohibitive to a team like the Braves unless one team (the Nationals?) gets crazy and offers him the oft-mentioned "Carl Crawford money" that Mets owner Fred Wilpon said Reyes isn't going to get.
What if the Mets make an offer of a guaranteed $110 million and that's the limit of what's out there? Then what if the Braves match it?
Would Reyes—knowing how things generally go for the Mets and that the team is far behind both the Braves and Phillies in terms of talent and stability—say to himself, "I'd rather go somewhere that I know I'm going to have a legitimate chance to win while I'm still in my prime"?
The Braves are shedding the salaries of Nate McLouth after this season and Derek Lowe after next season. Chipper Jones says he's coming back in 2012 and will be paid $13 million. Dan Uggla and Brian McCann are signed; the young players Freddie Freeman, Jonny Venters, Jason Heyward, Craig Kimbrel, Brandon Beachy, Mike Minor and Tommy Hanson are all far from free agency. Current shortstop Alex Gonzalez is a free agent at the end of the year.
There's an opening; it's workable financially; and the player is available.
The Braves have upended the Mets one way or another since the two teams were placed in the same division in 1994. They're the bane of the Mets existence. If the Braves want to, they can punch the Mets in the gut again by stealing away Reyes and improve themselves drastically in the process.
September 8, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alex Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves, Braves, Brian McCann, Carl Crawford, Chipper Jones, Craig Kimbrel, Dan Uggla, Derek Lowe, Fred Wilpon, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Jonny Venters, Jose Reyes, Jose Reyes Braves, Mets, Mike Minor, Nate McLouth, Nationals, Nationals pursue Jose Reyes?, Nats, New York Mets, Tommy Hanson, Washington Nationals, Will Braves pursue Jose Reyes	Leave a comment
Demotion Sickness With Jason Heyward
All Star Game, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Management, Media, Players, Podcasts, Trade Rumors
There's been a suggestion floated by some that the Braves should send struggling and injury-plagued future star Jason Heyward down to the minors for a brief time.
I don't believe this to be a ludicrous idea as others do, but there are several obstacles of them making the move. They don't have anyone to replace him nor his penchant for getting on base and the threat he poses in the lineup whether he's hitting or not. It might work or it might send him into a funk and make things worse—that depends on the individual. And his struggles have had as much to do with injury as they have with a sophomore slump or failure to adjust.
It's unfair to criticize the Braves developmental apparatus given the number of young players—Craig Kimbrel, Jonny Venters, Freddie Freeman, Brian McCann, Tommy Hanson—who've been homegrown, but the hype surrounding the predicted greatness for Heyward was always a portent for potential disaster.
The same thing happened with Jeff Francoeur as he was labeled a "can't miss" superstar and was treated as such from the time he was a kid all the way up to the big leagues; the flaws in his game were conveniently glossed over as Frenchy's "way". That he never walked and was a Sports Illustrated coverboy after having been catered to his whole life as a multi-sport star only exacerbated the problems when he struggled and eventually was demoted.
That demotion highlighted a rift between GM Frank Wren and then-manager Bobby Cox. Francoeur was being punished for doing the same things he was feted for when they were working and he was understandably offended in a self-important and arrogant sort of way.
But that's what they created by continually giving him passes and not correcting that which needed to be addressed.
He was in the minors for a few days and immediately recalled, rendering the maneuver pointless in both execution and practice.
Heyward's a better player than Francoeur, but Francouer was—at the very least—durable; Heyward has been prone to injuries and it's worrisome.
If there was a veteran solution to place in right field in his absence, sending Heyward down for a few weeks to get comfortable at the plate and to make sure he's healthy wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, but there isn't.
Sending him to the minors now would do more harm than good to the player and the team.
I was a guest on the latest Red State Blue State podcast. It's entertainment in its purest form.
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July 20, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Atlanta Braves, Bobby Cox, Braves, Brian McCann, Craig Kimbrel, Frank Wren, Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, Jeff Francoeur, Jonny Venters, Podcast Appearances, Red State Blue State Podcast, Tommy Hanson	1 Comment
Sifting Through The Wreckage At Turner Field
Books, Games, Management, Media, Paul Lebowitz's 2011 Baseball Guide, Players, Uncategorized
Considering its history as a house of horrors, why should this weekend be any different for the Mets at Turner Field for their series with the Braves?
You can run through the litany of things that have gone wrong already—read the New York newspapers for the slice and dice; listen to Mike Francesa tomorrow for the savage and vindictive postmortem—I don't need to get into that; it's predictable and tiresome.
I'm here to say the following: Don't be surprised.
Don't be surprised at all.
In your heart-of-hearts, were you expecting anything different from the Mets this year? Really?
The only small alteration I'm willing to make in my team prediction for them this year is that they could possibly be worse than 73-89.
Did you believe Chris Young would stay healthy? That Brad Emaus would turn into Dan Uggla? That Mike Pelfrey would seamlessly step up into the number 1 slot in the rotation? That the changes in culture and strategy from the front office on down would come into effect immediately?
Young hasn't been healthy since 2007 and even then he wasn't durable—he tired out by August; now he's already on the disabled list. The Mets and Young are making his bout with biceps tendinitis sound like a positive because it's a different injury than that which he experienced before. To me, this is a problem in and of itself. If a player has repeated injuries to the same area of his body, at least you know what it is; if he starts injuring other areas, you have to worry about the prior issue and the new issue.
Young will pitch when he pitches, but he won't pitch much and you'll never know when another trip to the disabled list looms.
As for the other stuff? I'll lift from The Dark Knight when Alfred consoles Bruce Wayne/Batman with the entreaty to endure the inevitable pain to reach his desired end.
Did you think there wouldn't be casualties in the teamwide sense as the Mets start over under a different regime? That they were going to vault into contention—in a rough division—based solely on new management, adherence to fundamentals and statistics?
They're not good. This year is a bridge year in which they're going to comb through the entire structure, see what they have; what they want to keep; and whom they'll dispatch.
Accept it. 2011 is shaping up to be an on-and-off field disaster. Teams recover quickly with a plan and intelligent management. The quick-fix strategy didn't work under Omar Minaya and they're trying something else.
A smooth and easy transition was fantasy.
Endure.
On the other side, Braves fans shouldn't take a doubleheader sweep of the Mets as a cure to all their early season ills. A lot of teams are going to look good against the Mets this year.
Much of the focus for the Braves has been the bullpen/lineup decisions of manager Fredi Gonzalez.
Gonzalez expressed his reasoning for batting Jason Heyward sixth here—link.
I understand where he's coming from in his decision to bat Nate McLouth second. Many want Heyward to bat second, but I wouldn't bat him second either; my concern moving forward would be that Gonzalez is going to stick with his lineup out of a resolute stubbornness; managers—especially new managers—need to set lines in the sand as to what their limits are; some would view an early change as caving to overt public pressure and a sign of weakness that can be exploited later on by players, media and fans. If Gonzalez acquiesces so quickly in a belief that Heyward batting sixth is the right thing to do, then where does it end?
It's not machismo, it's calculation and it's a mistake. It takes more courage to change something that's not working rather than stick to it out of a sense of obligation and worry about the perception.
I don't think Heyward should be batting sixth; his on base skills and power are going to waste with the weaker parts of the batting order behind him. He's going to walk a ton and see few pitches to hit.
Here's my Braves lineup:
1. Martin Prado-LF
2. Freddie Freeman-1B
3. Chipper Jones-3B
4. Jason Heyward-RF
5. Brian McCann-C
6. Dan Uggla-2B
7. Nate McLouth-CF
8. Alex Gonzalez-SS
You can flip-flop McCann and Uggla based on lefty-righty issues, but I see Uggla as a Graig Nettles-type when the Yankees in the late 70s, early 80s heyday had him batting sixth. Sixth is a pure basher slot for a flawed bat—which Uggla is. He strikes out a lot; gets on base; and has power.
Gonzalez batting eighth should improve his on base percentage and possibly raise the number of baserunners when the lineup turns over. If McLouth starts hitting, then perhaps move him up in the lineup. This is a suggestion to jumpstart both McLouth and Freeman and it removes Heyward from the wasted sixth spot.
Let's see how long Gonzalez clings to his template when there are smarter configurations right in front of him.
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April 17, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Alex Gonzalez, Atlanta Braves, Brad Emaus, Braves, Brian McCann, Chipper Jones, Chris Young, Dan Uggla, Freddie Freeman, Fredi Gonzalez, Graig Nettles, Jason Heyward, Mets, Mike Pelfrey, Nate McLouth, New York Mets	1 Comment
Hall Of Fame, Media, Players, Spring Training
I fancy myself as a pretty good judge of talent.
But sometimes I miss.
Digging through some old baseball cards, I found certain young players who, at the time, I thought were going to be stars; because they were going to be stars, I felt it was prudent to protect their rookie cards not only in plastic looseleafs, but in an individual plastic sheet before putting it into the plastic looseleaf.
Some of the names now appear ridiculous.
Todd Hollandsworth.
Tony Tarasco.
Ben Grieve.
Of course there were a few that were good for awhile like Raul Mondesi.
Then there are the Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Greg Maddux, Cal Ripken that have some legitimate value.
It's a crapshoot to see if a young prospect is going to live up to the hype or not.
We can also look at the drafts from yesteryear and examine the 1st round picks to get a gauge on how easily a players career can falter.
1992 had Phil Nevin, Jeffrey Hammonds, Paul Shuey and Preston Wilson sandwiching Derek Jeter.
In 1993 Darren Dreifort was selected after Alex Rodriguez; after that there were a series of names you might or might not recognize before Billy Wagner was taken. Three players after Wagner, Chris Carpenter was picked.
There are so many variables in a player's development that the last thing he needs is to be anointed before he's physically and emotionally ready.
You would think the lesson of caution would have permeated any fan base by now—especially ones like the Yankees and Braves who have known success and recent failure for big time prospects who simply didn't make it for one reason or another.
But they're not.
The Braves haven't placed any undue pressure of Freddie Freeman, but they did place the entire organization's fortunes on Jason Heyward last year; Bobby Cox went so far as to compare him to Willie Mays. Heyward was one of the rare few able to withstand the hype; we'll see with Freeman.
Memories of the Yankees trio of homegrown pitchers who were meant to dominate baseball—two of whom failed—should cause hesitation among the Yankees, the media and fans before raving about Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos.
We hear the fans go off in borderline orgasmic glee at the mere sight of Banuelos and Betances; David Wells makes idiotic statements to the tune of Banuelos being ready to pitch in the majors now; the media runs with the stories because they know that it can create a critical mass of attention.
Do they not remember Joba Chamberlain and Ian Kennedy? Of the three young pitchers, only Phil Hughes is doing what he was supposed to do; Chamberlain is a nondescript middle-reliever and butt of jokes; Kennedy is in Arizona.
It never stops.
Is Banuelos ready? I doubt it. Physically perhaps he can compete; but emotionally? Do they really want to take that chance now? Especially with the starting rotation questionable at the back end?
Two prospects who did make it were Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry; both had moments of true greatness; both flamed out with drug, alcohol and personal problems before they could be what their abilities suggested. Yes, they had good careers, but they were nowhere near what they were supposed to be; what they should've been.
Former Mets GM Frank Cashen always lamented rushing both to the majors and felt partially responsible for their off-field failings. It's not a remote concept that both Strawberry and Gooden would've been better equipped to deal with the spotlight had they spent full seasons in Triple A before coming to the majors.
Is Cashen being too hard on himself? Probably. Both Gooden and Strawberry would've found trouble whether they were in the majors at 19 and 21 respectively or 21 and 23.
To their credit, the Yankees are steadfastly refusing to rush Banuelos and Betances despite their tattered starting rotation; but that's not stopping the lust.
This is one of the reasons it was so important that they get Cliff Lee—so they didn't have to make that decision so quickly; the decision to try and win now with pitchers who could help that end or leave them in the minors to grow as players and people.
Will they make the same error they did with Chamberlain and let the lofty hopes of a franchise simmer like an unstable volcano, unleash him to the world, then deal with the fallout from scaling back and placing him in a preferable role?
I doubt we'll see Banuelos or Betances coming up to the big leagues this season other than in September for a look-see at the big leagues. And if that means missing the playoffs, so be it.
The instant gratification from a youngster who's homegrown and deemed "ready" and simultaneously fills a need is tempting; it's a siren whose true face and consequences are known only in the aftermath.
Naturally it's more of a point of pride to say, "these are our players". That's why there's such a bond between Yankees fans and the "core four" of Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera; they weren't mercenaries; they're Yankees; they bleed pinstripes and there's a connection that comes with that.
The Mets of Gooden and Strawberry could say the same thing; regardless of the success the duo had in latter years with the Yankees, they're still Mets. It was that way with Lenny Dykstra in his star years with the Phillies—he didn't look right in a uniform other than that of the Mets.
The Braves had that with John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones. The Phillies have it with Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels.
It's a comfort to say, "they're ours".
What's missed is how rarely that happens; that young players come up together; bleed, fight, scrap and win. That nostalgia for days gone by and the realization it may not happen again explains why it hit people so hard when Pettitte retired; a piece of that history is gone; it's a form of baseball mortality and the innate knowledge of the passage of an era.
But they're trying to force it to happen again with the youngsters the Yankees have accumulated; it's bad enough to saddle young players with the hopes of a franchise; it's worse to force it on them.
In fact, it's a recipe for disaster.
We've seen it over-and-over again.
March 7, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Andy Pettitte, Chipper Jones, Cliff Lee, Darryl Strawberry, Dellin Betances, Derek Jeter, Dwight Gooden, Freddie Freeman, Ian Kennedy, Jason Heyward, Joba Chamberlain, John Smoltz, Jorge Posada, Lenny Dykstra, Manny Banuelos, Mariano Rivera, Mets, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia Phillies, Tom Glavine, Yankees	2 Comments


text:
Tottenham are currently the biggest contenders in the Premier League – Guardiola
by Cory Weinberg November 23, 2020 Top News
The Spanish manager believes that the current table does not lie and that Jose Mourinho's side cannot be taken lightly.
Pep Guardiola believes Tottenham are vying for the Premier League title, but the Manchester City manager believes it could be the most open title race since coming to England.
City suffered a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday, leaving them 11th in the table, eight points behind leader Spurs, but played one game less.
Having scored just 10 goals in eight league games, this is the city's worst comeback since only six were managed after so many matches in 2006-07.
Guardiola said Jose Mourinho's Spurs deserved to be considered a threat to the title because he showed a lack of goals in his favor.
Goal 50 Revealed: The World's Top 50 Players
"He's at the top of the league. So obviously he's more of a contender than anyone else at the moment," he told a news conference.
"Of course, there are a lot of points to play, we are eight points down, we have one game less, but we have a lot of teams in front of us. We have to start winning games, if that doesn't happen it's not possible, we know it. We have to try to win games, we know that.
"In terms of the game, I don't think we're very far away, but we're struggling to get goals right now, and it's not specifically for one person or another. The fact is, 10 goals "is not good enough."
Since arriving in City in 2016, Guardiola has helped the club win two Premier League titles – 19 points and one bottom in 2017-18.
See also Norris sees McLaren as 'the same' but changes cheers for Australian GP
The other two are Chelsea with seven points in 2016-17 and Liverpool with 18 last season.
Guardiola thinks it could be the most open title race since arriving in England, with the Spurs clearing just five points from Aston Villa in sixth place.
"Well, first year, I remember Chelsea. Yes, it was very tight at first, but in the end they take advantage. The second season, and the third, and the fourth, it was twice as clear for the city and once for Liverpool." He said.
"It simply came to our notice then [the most open title race], But again this is nine [sic] Games I think we've played a lot yet.
"We'll see, you know how to play a lot of games this season. We'll see."
City's return of 12 points from eight matches is their lowest at this stage of the Premier League campaign since 2008-09, when they accumulated 10 points.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tiffany Ann Orona
Orona, circa 2021
Missing From Dayton, Ohio
Height and Weight 5'4, 150 - 190 pounds
Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Orona may dye her hair a dark color. Her ears are pierced.
Orona was last seen at the Full Circle Treatment Facility, a rehabilitation facility on Parnell Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, on October 11, 2021. She has never been heard from again. She lived in West Manchester, Ohio at the time of her disappearance. Her mother reported her missing in the spring of 2022.
Authorities believe Orona may be deceased, and they're trying to locate he remains. Her case remains unsolved.
Preble County Sheriff's Office 937-683-8047
Dayton 24/7 Now
Ohio Arrests
WHIO-TV
WDTN 2
Tiffany Orona's Facebook Page
Ohio Attorney General's Office
Updated 2 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated January 19, 2023; date of disappearance corrected, details of disappearance updated.


text:
Q: Is there way to not include the third argument on the reducer def using mrjob? I was wondering if there was a way to prevent "Top Ten Salaries" from appearing in my output, but I just want just the list. Here is my code:
 from mrjob.job import MRJob

class MRWordCount(MRJob):

  def mapper(self,_,lines):
    for number in lines.split(','):
      yield None, int(number)
  def reducer(self, _, numbers):
      yield "Top Ten Salaries", sorted(numbers,reverse = True)[:10]

if __name__ == '__main__':
    MRWordCount.run()

Here is my output:
"Top Ten Salaries" [10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1]

I do not want to include the text in front of the list. Does anyone know how I would go about this?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
HSBC uses blockchain for letter of credit between Australia and China
@PeterHSG
HSBC bank has completed what is believed to be the industry's first cross-border blockchain transaction with a Chinese importer involving a digitised letter of credit (LoC).
The banking giant set up the link between two of their clients, sending a container load of wool - about 19 tonnes - from Fox & Lillie in Australia to the China SDIC International Trade Nanjing Company (SDIC).
Voltron launches blockchain-based trade finance platform
HSBC makes first yuan-denominated blockchain transaction
HSBC China first foreign bank to offer digital credit card
HSBC makes world's first blockchain-based trade finance transaction
The development is based on the use of a LoC format, which is a paper-based format that makes up a significant proportion of trading in China. Being able to digitise this is expected to create savings in terms of time and invested resources.
This live deal shows the evolution of HSBC's blockchain strategy and we look forward to extending the benefits of this technology to more clients over time"
HSBC said trade transactions conducted using blockchain technology allowed all parties to review the documents in near real-time, which reduces cost, risk and lead times. Digitisation of the letter of credit process will give Australian exporters a competitive edge, the bank said.
Fox & Lillie managing director James Lillie said the company, as one of Australia's oldest and largest family-owned wool exporters prides itself on its resilience. The company's readiness to innovate and embrace change has played a large part in its evolution, he said.
Ajay Sharma, HSBC's Asia Pacific Regional Head of Global Trade and Receivables Finance, noted that China is the world's largest issuer of LCs by value - almost $750bn in 2018. He said that digitising this market will shake up trade finance in China.
HSBC Australia's head of global trade and receivables finance Joseph Arena said the "live deal" between Australia and China built on blockchain transfers that the company had executed over the past year in a number of world markets, validating the commercial and operational viability of the digital solution.
"This live deal shows the evolution of HSBC's blockchain strategy and we look forward to extending the benefits of this technology to more clients over time."
The trade was done using a new platform. First announced in October 2018, Voltron was developed by major banks and blockchain firms, including Bangkok Bank, BNP Paribas, CTBC Holding, HSBC, ING, NatWest, SEB, Standard Chartered, Bain, CryptoBLK, and R3.
The platform is designed to resolve an issue concerning the long process of paper-based letters of credit exchanged between importers and exporters, and other parties including shipping companies and banks.
More on Fintech
Credit Suisse opens Riyadh branch following Saudi license
Hong Kong residents eye offshore bank accounts
People moves: IQ-EQ, AllianceBernstein, Beaufort Group, BCS Global Markets, Tyndall IM, TMF Group


How to Ace your Interview and Craft the Perfect Resume.
Jane Dvorak, APR and fellow PRSA member educated attendees of PRSSA's National Conference on how to conduct a strong interview.
In order to succeed in an interview, you must first prepare! In order to successfully prepare you must do research on the company. Conducting research on a company consists of researching the company's competitors, website, mission statement and searching multiple employee's LinkedIn accounts.
Before heading out to an interview, ensure that you are wearing the appropriate attire. One thing that young adults often forget to do is iron their shirts. "I will not take you in front of my clients looking like that. That day you are looking as good as you're going to get, I can't imagine what a casual day will be like," said Dvorak. First impressions are determined by 55% the way you dress, act and walk through the door. This is one of your BIG selling points!
In our generation today, young adult often have tattoos. Dvorak states that it is ok to have tattoos but often baby boomers will disapprove. Before you're interview, know who you are speaking with and if you feel it is appropriate to showcase your tattoos.
As always, practice makes perfect! Practice answering basic interview questions out loud to yourself or ask a friend for help. Practicing out loud helps you better prepare for the interview. First impressions are based by 38% of the quality of your voice, grammar and confidence.
I'm sure you have shook many hands in your lifetime but have you been executing them properly? It is important to practice a proper handshake since it is one of the first impressions you give to an employer. While shaking hands, make eye contact with the other individual and do not be afraid to give a firm handshake. If you construct a flimsy handshake, it shows a sign of weakness.
When employers ask you open ended questions do not "puke up information" about yourself. Stick to the information you feel is important to share without reiterating your entire resume yet again to the employer. The employer is interested in an in-depth conversation about your accomplishments. Pick three bullets form your resume to broaden upon for an interview.
When the interviewer asks the inevitable question, "tell me about yourself" be prepared! Instead of reciting your resume ask the interviewer, "Would you like to know about my internships, work ethic or writing experience?" This will reduce your nervousness during the interview since you will already have these topics planned.
Remember that this interview is not about you, it's about them. Expand upon experiences you have had that relate with the company. Your experience is your big selling point, not your education.
While in the "hot seat" during an interview always be prepared to dazzle. Show the company why they should hire you. "It's all about what the company is going to get when they hire you," said Dvorak.
Another question that is almost certain to be heard in every interview is, "what is your weakness." Always prepare this question before your interview. When you have detected your weakness, know what the opposite of your weakness is. For instance, say your weakness is procrastination, the opposite is that you can work under pressure effectively. Learn to turn your weakness into a positive attribute that you hold. In an interview, NEVER say that you do not hold a weakness, everyone has some weakness.
Always have questions prepared for your interviewer. These questions can consist of topics you have not talked about in the interview. Have these questions reflect your research you conducted on the company.
In just only 20 seconds employers make a decision on a good and bad pile of employers. Find ways to make your resume to stand out compared to others and when you are given the opportunity to conduct an interview, find your confidence and expand upon your experience. Dazzle those employers!


"FBI agents interviewed Hillary Clinton for 3½ hours Saturday morning — a signal that the investigation into her use of a private email account while she was secretary of state is drawing to a close."
I'd have thought the most interesting aspect of the story would be that it was done on the Saturday of a long holiday weekend.
But no, the press ran cover for Hillary.
Historic times. Hilliary is the first presumptive nominee of any US political party to be interviewed by law enforcement in regard to a felony and possible criminal indictment.


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WVU Football
WVU Basketball
WVU Baseball
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WVU Womens Soccer
WVU Mens Soccer
WVU Women's Basketball
No. 12 WVU falls at Kansas State
Smothering half-court defense clutch for WVU
WVU-Kanas State Preview
Osabuohien brings energy to Mountaineers
Rod Thorn's Number To Be Retired
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Notebook: Bailey, Battle and Daniels making impressions at corner
by Shanna Rose - August 3, 2017 0225
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Heading into the season, an area of concern for WVU was its secondary but rest assured the defensive backs are progressing. "Our corners have had a few good practices, especially Hakeem Bailey," defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. "He's a guy that keeps making play after play. He's got some picks.
Chemistry important for Will Grier and WVU receivers
by Shanna Rose - August 3, 2017 August 3, 2017 0279
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Group text can be the beginning of something great. For the West Virginia University football team, they are hoping it will lead to an explosive season on the gridiron. With Will Grier at the helm of the offense this season, the Mountaineer wide outs were excited to build relationships with their
Position Primer: No scavenger hunt for talent among receivers, but will it pay off?
by Shanna Rose - July 12, 2017 July 10, 2017 0164
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.-- The West Virginia University football team lost two of its best wide receivers in Shelton Gibson and Daikiel Shorts, but the Mountaineers aren't scavenging for talent at the position. Both Gibson (43 receptions for 951 yards) and Shorts (63 receptions for 894 yards) moved on to the NFL after being WVU's go-to
Position Primer: The Will Grier era begins at WVU, but who's behind him?
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — With Will Grier eligible to play in the opener against Virginia Tech and Jake Spavital at the helm of the offense, the West Virginia University football team could explode for a high-scoring and exciting season. Entering the 2017 season, the highly touted redshirt junior has high expectations placed
Will Grier and David Sills click in spring game
by Shanna Rose - April 17, 2017 April 22, 2017 0199
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--One takeaway from Saturday's annual Gold-Blue Spring Game was that Will Grier and David Sills mesh well together. And it's a bond that could benefit WVU well come fall. "That connection has been fun to watch," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. "And over the course of the next two years it's
Football coaches and players continue to enjoy spring success
by Ashley O'Brien - April 6, 2017 0106
Tuesday afternoon several football coaches and players were available to address the media as the team's spring practices continue to go on. The players and coaches alike continue to speak positively about the team's advances and growth during practice, which one can hope would mean the team is getting an
WVU's Jake Spavital ready for task at hand
by Shanna Rose - March 6, 2017 0154
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.-When Jake Spavital last coached at West Virginia University, Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Steadman Bailey were a force to reckon with. The dynamic trio facilitated the Mountaineers in winning the 2011 Big East regular season title before obliterating Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Next year, the three were the
Jake Spavital to return to West Virginia as Offensive Coordinator
by Ashley O'Brien - January 13, 2017 January 13, 2017 0174
With the off-season officially in motion, coaching changes are in full swing. Former interim head coach of the California Bears Jake Spavital will be making a return to Morgantown. According to Bruce Feldman, current offense coordinator Joe Wickline will undergo a coaching shift as Wickline will replace Ron Crook as
Liberty Bowl Press Conference: Jake Spavital
by jerry McGhee - December 27, 2014 097
Video via - Texas A&M Athletics
The Fun Has Begun in Preparation for the Liberty Bowl
by Jeremy Simon - December 8, 2014 December 9, 2014 099
Bowl games are big business, there are millions of dollars as well as reputations at stake every December and January. The Liberty Bowl is no different. The Mountaineers have just finished off an impressive turnaround from last season's 4-8 record to finish 7-5 and bowl eligible. Texas A&M on the
WVUBaseball
WVU inks Mazey to contract extension
September 23, 2019 September 23, 2019 0807
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (Sept. 23, 2019) --West Virginia University Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President Shane Lyons has announced a three-year contract extension for baseball coach Randy Mazey that will
WVU Baseball announces two fall games against Marshall
Former Mountaineer McBroom called up to major leagues
September 3, 2019 September 3, 2019 0786
January 18, 2020 January 18, 2020 0223
MANHATTAN, Kan.--Cartier Diarra tied a career high with 25 points as Kansas State knocked off No. 12 West Virginia for its first Big 12 win this season on Saturday afternoon. Xavier
Photo Gallery: TCU vs. WVU
MORGANTOWN, W.Va.--Check out Shanna Rose's photos from WVU's win over TCU on Tuesday night.
Smith Named to FWAA Freshman All-American Team
Neal Brown adds two new coaches to staff
Luck Announces Home Golf Courses
December 17, 2014 02706
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Director of Athletics Oliver Luck announced Tuesday that the Mountaineer golf team will practice and, starting next season, compete at eight different home courses.
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For the last few years, we have done a summer bucket list to keep us busy while the kids are out of school. We are doing some of the same stuff as last summer plus some new ones. I know it looks a little daunting, but a few will be checked off on our camping trip next weekend and on our summer vacation. Some new places I am excited to check out are Granary Road and some really cool new parks in Calgary. Hopefully we get these all checked off before September Long Weekend. The girls enjoy the challenge and I like exploring the city. I added a few more things on here that I read on Facebook yesterday before this photo was taken - just so much to do in this city. You can follow along on Instagram with our hashtag #summer17bucketlist.


As someone who studied to become a historian, one of the most frustrating things to watch unfold is the ongoing debate over textbook content that is happening now in Texas. School boards have opted to revise criteria in favor of modern political happenings, injecting their own preferences to combat the 'liberal version' of history as it has been playing out. The political as to how this will impact education aside, this seems to me to be a dangerous shift in how we will educate our younger generations.
In college, I studied both history and geology, and came away with a dominant feeling for context. While exploring vastly different subjects, both the study of prior human events and of geological happenings are linked by a couple of very basic things: they're about actions, and how those actions affect other things down the line. Listening to the radio this afternoon, Vermont Edition talked about a recent landslide that consumed a home in Canada, and geologists on the show noted that there is a direct correlation between what happened over ten thousand years ago and today. Actions have a tendency, in both nature and human history, to have both short term and long term effects. Thus, the context of whatever one is studying is just as important as the individual figures and events that make up the present day.
History is the interpretation of the past. When I've talked about my degree, an M.A. in Military History, I usually have to preface that with an explanation that I'm not an expert in the specifics of World War II, Vietnam, the Napoleonic Era or the American Civil War. This was a degree that was designed to teach someone how to think like a historian, how to research like a historian and how to put together an argument, backed up with evidence like a historian – I can confidently say that I can talk about any number of military concepts, battles and figures, but more importantly, I know how to research those things, but also understand how to examine them within the context of history.
The founder of my alma mater, Alden Partridge, conceived of the school at a time when practical achievements were just as important as the theory behind the words, and as such, sought to educate the first Norwich University cadets in ways that encouraged them to see their teachings in practice, but also to formulate their own thinking based on what they saw when they were seeing. Where Partridge looked to more practical studies, such as Engineering, the same line of thinking applies to the social sciences field, which is where the worry about the Texas Board of Education comes into play.
History is not a static field, but one that is constantly growing and changing as different minds enter the field. Nor is history the study of the past: history is the examination of the past, and the interpretation of events as they happened. Thus, removing important figures such as Thomas Jefferson from mention as a founding father based on some of the things that he pushed eliminates the change to examine some of the context, and arguments, that have helped to shape the present. While teaching any sort of correct form of what happened in the past is far more preferable than teaching something that is ultimately incorrect, the problems surrounding the study of the past in this instance isn't about correcting past mistakes, it's about re-framing the past with a modern mindset, and patently ignoring the context of past events to suit modern political thought.
Removing elements of the past is harmful in a number of ways, going far beyond the individual figures: it not only impacts a student's understanding as to what events happened, but why they happened. Removing Thomas Jefferson as a figure who had pushed for the separation of church and State leaves a void in the understanding for a student as to why the founders placed such a restriction within the constitution. Rewriting history in this manner will thus leave a flawed understanding of the past, which in turn impacts how we view and act in the present.
While that, in and of itself is frightening, what bothers me far more is that a trend towards intellectual backwater and restriction on thought has grown. Often, there are arguments against spending on scientific endeavors, because a practical use or result might not result, or someone cannot think of how any such argument or study can be useful. However, the progress of science and thinking cannot be directed, channeled or moved for convenient thinking: science and learning will ultimately find what it will find: oftentimes, the results and findings exist, but only through searching, will answers be found. The same applies to education, and restricting what people learn simply for the sake of political convenience is short-sighted, ignorant and downright offensive to anybody who wants to see this country grow intellectually, politically and economically in the future.


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(אבות א:ב)
"The world stands on three things:
On Torah, worship, and deeds of loving-kindness."
(Pirke Avot 1:2)
Reach out to our Director of Education, Sarah Miller, with any questions about our program, or use the Contact-Us Page to let us know you are interested in getting involved.
About the Kol Emeth Education Program
We are a traditional, egalitarian, Conservative synagogue, located in the heart of Silicon Valley. Kol Emeth provides programs that meet a wide range of congregants' needs. We offer a warm environment for Jewish study, prayer and developing a close community. Our services are participatory and led by our Rabbis and congregants.
Kol Emeth Youth Education strives to lay the foundation of a strong and joyful Jewish identity, upon which every child can build a life of learning, celebration, and ethical action.
Our School Community Strives to Be:
A Welcoming Community: Our school is committed to creating a community that embraces and supports its students, parents, teachers, and staff. Our school's atmosphere is warm and personal, welcoming and diverse, encompassing a wide range of family types, learning styles, and Jewish backgrounds. Our school is also an integral part of a larger community: a vibrant, intergenerational synagogue to which our students contribute their joy and energy, and from which we draw strength and wisdom.
A Community of Lifelong Learners: We believe that Jewish learning is a lifelong activity, and that the purpose of our school is to begin, not to complete, a Jewish education. Our goal is for all our students to graduate with the desire and the tools they need to continue learning. We know that parents and teachers are on their own Jewish journeys, and we strive to create opportunities for them to learn along with the students. We believe that learning takes place in formal and informal contexts, and we provide programs for children and families in and out of the classroom.
A Community both Traditional and Modern: Our school takes Jewish tradition seriously, and approaches it through a modern lens. Through the observance of customs and holidays, we connect with the history of the Jewish people as our own, living, tradition evolving with every generation. At the center of this tradition is the encounter between Israel and God as expressed in the Torah. Our students are invited to find their place in this relationship, to discover the meaning of the sacred in their own lives. They experience the peace of Shabbat, the revelry of Purim, the shelter of the Sukkah, and the joy of Simchat Torah. They approach Jewish texts in a setting that respects their intellect and encourages their questions, and they study Hebrew as a gateway to traditional prayers and sources as well as a link with the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. Our school, like our synagogue, is committed to a Judaism that is fully gender-egalitarian. Boys and girls at our school prepare for leadership in every aspect of Jewish life.
Part of a Worldwide Community: Judaism links us not only with Jews past and future, but also with Jews around the world. Our diverse traditions enrich our school, where students learn Jewish customs from across the globe. We expect that our graduates will be able to walk into any synagogue in the world and feel at home. At the same time, our school emphasizes the special role of one place –the land of Israel– in Jewish history and life.
A Community Engaged with the World Around Us: Our students and their parents belong to many communities, and much of our time is spent in secular settings. We view this as an opportunity to bring a Jewish sensibility to the non-Jewish world. We teach children to carry their identity and values into every sphere of life. Our teachers connect traditional text study and Jewish observance with modern social realities. Through the practice of mitzvot (commandments), tzedakah (righteousness) and tikkun olam (repairing the world), our students and graduates carry Jewish values beyond the walls of the school and synagogue, into the world.
2018-2019 Religious school Calendar
Parent Handbook for 2017-2018
Scholarships for the Kol Emeth Religious School are available . Scholarships are only available to members of Kol Emeth.
Visit this link to complete the application. If you are not a member, please call (650) 948-7498 to speak with our Executive Director about membership options. Thank you!


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SynBio.Info - Engineering Biology
Import Word Document
Understanding Synthetic Biology
Created by Jérôme Lutz, last modified on Feb 08, 2016
Current page needs more text
We started, but this page is not yet finished. Add what you think is missing!
Books, Videos, Forums & Press
Blog Roll — A list of blogs regarding our field.
A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life — In A Life Decoded, J. Craig Venter traces his rise from an uninspired student to one of the most fascinating and controversial figures in science today. Here, Venter relates the unparalleled drama of the quest to decode the human genome, a goal he predicted he could achieve years earlier and more cheaply than the government-sponsored Human Genome Project, and one that he fulfilled in 2001. A thrilling story of detection, A Life Decoded is also a revealing, and often troubling, look at how scienc
Arrival of the fittest - How nature innovates — "Natural selection can preserve innovations, but it cannot create them. Nature's many innovations—some uncannily perfect—call for natural principles that accelerate life's ability to innovate."
BioBuilder — Today's synthetic biologists are in the early stages of engineering living cells to help treat diseases, sense toxic compounds in the environment, and produce valuable drugs. With this manual, you can be part of it. Based on the BioBuilder curriculum, this valuable book provides open-access, modular, hands-on lessons in synthetic biology for secondary and post-secondary classrooms and laboratories. It also serves as an introduction to the field for science and engineering enthusiasts.
Biology Is Technology: The Promise, Peril, and New Business of Engineering Life — He offers a uniquely informed perspective on the endeavors that contribute to current progress in this area--the science of biological systems and the technology used to manipulate them.
Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life — On May 20, 2010, headlines around the world announced one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern science: the creation of the world's first synthetic lifeform. In Life at the Speed of Light, scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for sequencing the human genome, shares the dramatic account of how he led a team of researchers in this pioneering effort in synthetic genomics—and how that work will have a profound impact on our existence in the years to come. This is a fascinating and au
BioCoder — BioCoder is a free, quarterly newsletter about biology as it moves from research labs into startup incubators, hacker spaces, and even homes. It's about a very old programming language that we're just beginning to understand, and that's written in a code made up of organic chemicals. It's the product of a sharing community of scientists that stretches from grade school to post docs and university faculty.
Journal of Commercial Biotechnology — Please say briefly why this is an interesting article
Nature Biotechnology - SynBio Focus — The latest iteration of genetic engineering offers the prospect of the design and construction of new life forms from biological parts, devices and systems. Although still in its infancy, this focus discusses some of the progress in synthetic biology toward practical applications.
How to speak about SynBio? — This explains well the pitfalls and general public perception to the SynBio. Though there are some things they say which sound wired to me.
CrispR Simpleshow
iGEM Team Documentation — A synthetic biology documentary by Kelly Neaves and Dominic Rees-Roberts, following the Imperial College IGEM team (International Genetically Engineered Machine), as they discover how to engineer bacteria to perform specific tasks, and consider the implications of their work.
Interview with Andrew Hessel — Please say briefly why this is an interesting video
Utopia — Spoiler-Alert: Utopia is a story constructed around a mad scientist, who wants to save the world from overpopulation by releasing a engineered, deadly flu virus. A vaccine produced by a huge cooperation can stop this flu, however this one is constructed to make people infertile and thus stop the population growth.
Education - Online
Coursera - Introduction to Systems Biology
edX - Principles of Synthetic Biology
Udemy - Syn Bio Courses — Udemy is a online learning marketplace, where 6 million+ students are taking courses in everything from programming to yoga to photography. Each of our 25,000+ courses is taught by an expert instructor, and every course is available on-demand, so students can learn at their own pace, on their own time, and on any device. Here we show the search results for "Synthetic Biology".
Education - University
UK - Cambridge
UK - Imperial College London
LEAP - SynBio Leadership Excellence Accelerator Program
Biochemist
Bioinformatic engineer
Jobs in Synthetic Biology
Edit Labels
Jérôme Lutz from Berlin & Munich, Germany
I like to share the great things I discover daily while researching and working in the field of Synthetic Biology.
When I talk to people about it, they often refer to Science Fiction. However, when I send them links to this wiki and they read through those pages, they start understanding that this is real and it's happening right now.


Audi has fully detailed its 2016 TT and TTS for the US market, following the all-new models' earlier debut in Europe.
The TT Coupe and Roadster will be powered by Audi's latest 2.0-liter TFSI engine, producing 220 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. The TTS Coupe manages to squeeze 292 ponies and 280 lb-ft of torque out of the same engine.The output figures represent a slight increase over the 2015 model, however the available power is still below the Euro-spec tune for both the TT and TTS. The diesel engine also remains unavailable for the US market.All models feature Audi's drive select system, Quattro all-wheel drive and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. Tech upgrades include a 12.3-inch virtual-cockpit display, 4G LTE-based Wi-Fi, and a new infotainment system.The 2016 TT and TTS will make their US debut next week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. US pricing and launch timing have not yet been officially confirmed.


European Journal of Mineralogy (2002) 14 (5): 943-955.
Tourmalines are the most important Fe-Mg minerals in the pegmatites and leucogranites intruding the crystalline core of the Western Tatra Mountains (South Poland). They also occur in the folded host rocks inside the contact zone. The chemical composition and the weak zonation of the investigated tourmalines are both consistent with the field observations which suggest their magmatic/late magmatic origin and a close association with the Li-poor leucogranites and Al-rich, Ca-poor metasediments. The irregular distribution of the tourmaline-bearing rocks can be interpreted as reflecting three factors, i.e., limited boron and water availability in the metasedimentary rocks during anatexis, variable oxygen fugacity (controlled partly by the presence of graphite) and restricted mobility of the mafic cations, necessary for tourmaline formation. The exsolution of a boron-rich fluid phase, incompatible with silicate melt, and its escape along a shear zone is also considered. The differences in Fe3+/Fe2+ characterising the Western Tatra tourmalines could result both from fO2 variations in the source metasediments during anatexis and from the interaction of magmatic/postmagmatic fluids with the metamorphic host rocks.
N49°04'00" - N49°22'00", E19°37'60" - E20°19'60"


AerChem's headquarters is home to a staff of experienced professionals. Sales, customer service, freight expeditors, accounting, purchasing, information tech specialists and documentation professionals. It is here that you receive the type of service to which you are accustomed.


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Choir need Islamic singer
ONE missing ingredient is all that is needed to complete the upcoming production from the Macclesfield Oriana Choir.
Macclesfield Express
The choir, together with Stockport Symphony Orchestra, and featuring the town's MP Sir Nicholas Winterton, will be performing Karl Jenkins' choral triumph The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace.
This powerful new work, commissioned by the Royal Armouries at Leeds in celebration of the millennium, seeks to 'ring out the 1,000 wars of old - ring in the 1,000 years of peace' and draws on texts old and new to make the point.
So important are the texts that, acting in a non-political role, Sir Nicholas will narrate the words before each vocal section.
Central to the work is the idea that all religions have the goal of peace at their core and it includes a short section where the Muezzin - of the Islamic faith - calls the faithful to prayer.
Musically, this is where the problem lies as according to the choir, the Middle Eastern vocal tradition does not lend itself to notation using familiar 'western' scales.
So the missing ingredient in this case is a solo singer who is capable of delivering the traditional Islamic Call to Prayer, commonly heard outside any of the world's mosques.
Time is of the essence, as this, the first performance in the North West, is to be given at Fallibroome Theatre Hall on Saturday, November 23.
If there is a singer out there who would like to appear with the choir and orchestra they can contact the conductor Keith Yearsley on 01625 424215.
The choir is expecting a large public interest in the production as it has been played extensively on Classic FM. In contrast to the main work, the concert will also include a rendition of Elgar's The Music Makers. The solo section in this work will fall to the Oriana's own Carol Taylor.
Tickets for the concert are priced at £12 and are available at Harry Smith Travel on Mill Street, Macclesfield or from Peter Mannion on 01625 423701.
PoyntonGarden share scheme finds the perfect matchFood4Macc is looking for people to share their gardens with aspiring growers


Fashion's darling, Alexander Wang, is having a major blowout sale at The Outnet right now. Time to shop for fall! Known for cool-girl separates and luscious accessories, you really can't go wrong.
Editor's note: If you're ordering shoes, get them a half to full size larger–trust us on this.


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Berrien County, MI Inmate Search
Search Berrien County, MI Inmate Records
Berrien County Quick Facts
Berrien County Jail Demographics
A Timeline of Berrien County Incarceration by Gender
Berrien County Prison Records by Race & Ethnicity
Berrien County Incarceration Rates
Similar Counties to Berrien County
Berrien County, MI Jails
Berrien County, MI jails hold prisoners after an arrest or people who have been transferred to the county from a detention center. Berrien County holds 2 jails with a total of 98,317 inmates. These correctional facilities have private cells for extremely violent criminals or controversial suspects. Berrien County jails are subject to health and medical restrictions and have to provide medical care to all its inmates.
Berrien County Population Total
52,181 / 107 / 56
Berrien County is well known for its Property Crime Totals, it has a share of 41.25% of all the crimes committed in the county - 587 Property Crime Total cases. Murder And Nonnegligent Manslaughter is the least trendy crime of the area with only 0.14% out of all the crimes in Berrien County.
Violent Crime Total 93 137 134 126 85 108 116 91 83 100
Murder And Nonnegligent Manslaughter 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1
Revised Rape 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 33
Legacy Rape 20 27 22 24 24 21 19 14 0 0
Robbery 5 13 14 10 9 8 13 6 7 12
Aggravated Assault 64 96 98 92 52 79 84 69 49 54
Property Crime Total 583 823 848 876 821 729 668 640 559 554
Burglary 130 207 188 264 208 182 192 195 181 142
Larceny Theft 416 576 590 570 576 515 449 416 352 387
Motor Vehicle Theft 37 40 70 42 37 32 27 29 26 25
Arson 5 9 7 4 5 5 6 2 5 1
The county has 154,629 people confined with a jail population density of 173 prisoners per jail. When breaking down the population by gender, females are a majority compared to male prisoners, being 49,255 women and 49,062 men.
2005 158,510
The county has an arrest rate of 3,873 and a local jail rate of 348 inmates per year and a pretrial rate of 196 pre trials per 100,000 residents aged from 15 to 64. The jail admit rate for the area equals 7,076, which is lower compared to the statistics of 2005 - 43,332 incarcerations a year.
The average jail count for Berrien is 341 incarcerations in a day. The numbers have decreased during the last 10 years, when there were on average 393 imprisonments a day.
Berrien County MI Jail
Berrien County MI Juvenile Center


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First Union Vote At An Amazon Warehouse In The U.S. Fails
By Emily Siner
An Amazon.com employee stocks products along one of the many miles of aisles at an Amazon.com Fulfillment Center in Phoenix last month.
Employees at an Amazon.com facility have decided against forming a labor union. The vote last night was the first of its kind in Amazon's history.
The Seattle-based online retailer employs more than 100,000 people worldwide, and the union would have comprised only about 30 maintenance and repair technicians at a warehouse in Delaware. These employees were unhappy about "limited opportunities for promotion and a constantly rotating chain of managers," Bloomberg Businessweek reports.
But after weeks of discussion, only six of them voted for unionization late Wednesday.
John Carr, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, said the company had met with employees to pressure them against unionizing. He called the process "an uphill battle all the way."
Kelly Cheeseman, an Amazon spokeswoman, tells the Two-Way that the company had met with the employees "to communicate facts and ensure they had all the information they needed to make an informed choice" and that the group decided that they didn't want third-party representation.
This would have been Amazon's first labor union in the U.S. The company is openly opposed to unions and has successfully fought previous efforts to unionize here. The attempts had never before gotten as far as an employee vote.
But some workers in other countries have sided with third-party negotiators. In Germany, hundreds of employees at three distribution centers went on strike last month to dispute their pay, CNN Money reports. Hundreds of other employees in Germany, worried that Amazon would move its facilities, responded by signing a petition against the unionization efforts.
Emily Siner
Emily Siner is an enterprise reporter at WPLN. She has worked at the Los Angeles Times and NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., and her written work was recently published in Slices Of Life, an anthology of literary feature writing. Born and raised in the Chicago area, she is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
See stories by Emily Siner