ATH is taped, which is the reason why they always miss out on anything that happens after about 2 PM everyday.

The interview segment on PTI is usually taped except for once in a while (I remember after Kobe got out of his rape charge, they had him on to start the program because it was such a big thing). Otherwise, the rest is live, or given a bit of a tape delay.

As for Reali, he was always Stat Boy, but once Max Kellerman decided to leave for Fox, they needed a new host for ATH. Since Reali had appeared on the show and been a guest host, they tabbed him. I guess they left him on PTI because he started there and never knew if he was always going to keep the ATH job. Either way, both are filmed next door to each other in the Washington DC studio, so all he would basically have to do is change and walk to the next room to pick up another paycheck.

Maybe the Tigers need these.

I'm happy BC defeated the Gophers. Think MSU was looking past Notre Dame when the #1 seed was eliminated. Think it will be North Dakota over Michigan in the finals.

Moneyball discussed BABIP a little bit and how pitchers have little control over it. In that part of the book, the author brought up Chad Bradford and explained that the A's coveted him because, as you said, he was a groundball pitcher, and ground balls are hard to hit for extra bases. He never mentioned slugging percentage explicitly, but that was basically his subject.

I was surprised by Pedro Martinez's BABIP stats for his two awesome seasons ('99 and '00). In 1999, he was 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 243 ERA+, but he did this with a .325 BABIP. In 2000, he was 18-6 with a 1.74 ERA and 291 ERA+, but his BABIP was a mere .237. While it may generally stay the same for most pitchers, his numbers in these two seasons were wildly different.

For those who didn't pay attention:

- The teams agreed to go to Japan on the grounds that they get stipends and their friends and family can go.
- MLB pulled out the friends and families thing and pissed them off.
- The teams were informed this week that coaches and trainers wouldn't get paid.
- Red Sox couldn't get ahold of MLB for days so they went public. They said they wouldn't go but clearly didn't mean it because they also said that if push came to shove they'd go and pay the coaches/trainers themselves. They refused to play the ST game today and the Jays (their opponents) supported them.
- A's joined.
- MLB of course folded within hours because the little money they saved would in no way be worth the PR damage, and they covered it by just excusing it as a misunderstanding in negotiations (which seems like it might be true but only in so far as the Players didn't realize that MLB agreeing not to pay the coaches out of the player stipend meant the coaches wouldn't get paid at all).

Players wanted more money. MLB wanted to save some money. Coaches got screwed in the process. Players figured it out and threw a fit. MLB gave up. Everyone wants more money.

I'm in...hopefully, I'll still be in the running by the Final Four this year.

To paraphrase a gem from OO "Two things in life are for sure: Solly is Jewish and Gimmick will always blame the refs."

HEY! That's completely uncalled for because... well, yeah, I guess you're right. Damn Vikings.

Not me, man... I'm in So Cal. I think The Dead was up North near you though.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! Exalt!

this comes as a shock to no one

I gotta say I agree with Lucky. I explained over in OO why I don't think the hall should accept the ball if it has been branded. Until otherwise ruled it is an official record.

Some jackass shouldn't get to decide he is going to vandalize the ball to bring attention to himself just because it is a hot button topic to baseball fans.

of course

I am starting to hate how this interleague shit is working out

saw that on the news last night. That was awesome.

I don't really like basketball but I watched the entire draft this year because the time between was so short that it kept my interest. Having 5-6 Florida guys waiting to be drafted was much easier to swallow in that format that it usually is in football. In football I just don't bother and got o a website on Monday to find where all my players went.

Rockies in 5

Lets see, tonight we have the ALCS, NLCS, RAW, Monday Night Football, plus whatever TV shows you guys watch. I would say that is plenty to talk about, so get into chat and talk

Loki's post brings to mind the opening of that Butthole Surfers song...(Sweet Loaf)

Son: Daddy?
Dad: Yes, son.
Son: What does regret mean?
Dad: Well son, the funny thing about regret is that it's better to regret something you have done than to regret something that you haven't done. And by the way, If you see your mom this weekend, will you be sure and tell her...
SATAN SATAN SATAN!!!!


And Solly:
Damnit - I thought you were posting BTR's obit.

1996 ALDS

Avg. .467
OBP .529
SLG. 1.067
OPS 1596

OH FUCK! I JUST TURNED ON TBS AND FRANK'S THERE ALREADY!