At Whole Foods in Glendale, CA, today, shopping for fine cheeses and caviar fixings for the New Year’s Eve feast.  Spotted a middle-aged guy with his eight-ish son wearing a jersey and hat.  I just said, “Yankees!”  He lit up and said “Yes!  Yes!”

That was when I realized the true meaning of Christmas.

Cashmas? (lantern)

[1] I really dislike the Whole Foods in Glendale. It’s oddly laid out. Have you been to the massive one in Pasadena?

I come to this site specifically to discuss the merits of various Whole Foods’ in the Los Angeles area.  I’m partial to the one on the westside. The ones in Brentwood, Westwood and Santa Monica are all kind of small.  I’ve never been to the one in Pasadena, it doesn’t seem like its worth the drive. 

On the subject of coffee, I’d love to see Montero have a stint in the Bronx this season.

That was when I realized the true meaning of Christmas.

To crush your enemies?  See them driven before you?  Hear the lamentation of their women?

[1] [3] [4]..... Bukowski and Chandler soon to post about the boring sun and fun. Come lads! Have some snow. Shoveling is great.
Happy New Year to all a yiz.

For Pete’s sake, I was posting about encountering a Yankees fan in unpromising circumstances…I thought I was getting all Jimmy Cannon.

HAP-py New Year!

As the year winds down I’ve been mulling over my favorite moment of the past year, and I’ve narrowed it down to 2.

1) The A-Rod Walk-off-Pop-Up that turned the season around.
2) The Steve Phillips firing.

Oh, and honorable mention to every single Matsui home run all year long.

Happy New Year to All !

This year, this was my kind of year.

And next year…

[6] “It was a cool day and clear.  You could see a long way but not as far as Velma had gone.”

HNY also to SSF and the other occasional very polite RSers.

You could see a long way but not as far as Velma had gone.
From a tale of murder and woe leading to the break-up of Josie and the Pussycats?

Or wait… was that the Scooby Doo gang… ?

Sickels said in a comment that Austin. Jackson would rate #2 if still in the system.

[12] I am old enough to know what you are talking about without having seen the movies, which explains why I was in bed at 11:15 last night.

On topic:  It’s interesting to look at Sickels’ lists from the past few years to see who made it and who didn’t, and who made it elsewhere.  Taken as a whole the Yankees have actually had a pretty productive last few years.  Maybe not as many young cost controlled guys on the team as you might have liked, but a pretty good number have either made it to the majors or been traded—you can argue the results of the trades, but having a player who brings back what the FO perceives as valuable is useful.  Also, you see guys rated as C prospects like Gardner in the majors…and then there’s Eric Duncan.

More OT:  I checked out the comments at Feinsand’s blog out of boredom.  They were less amusingly dimwitted than I’d hoped.  There was even some moderately interesting speculation about what happens after George Steinbrenner dies.  One poster suggested the Yankees were on a budget to save money for estate taxes, which is pretty absurd given what the taxes on the Yankees and associated properties would be.  But it did get me wondering what the boys will do.  There are family trusts, I believe, and then I think there’s some kind of weird window in the “death tax” which might encourage a pillow-assisted scenario by the boys…anyone here more qualified to speculate than me?

Trusts aside, iirc, there is no estate tax liability with regard to assets between a husband and wife as a result of the Unlimited Marital Deduction, so the issue probably isn’t ripe yet, but to think that saving $10-$20m in business expenses is going to make an ultimate difference is goofy.

FGas… there were movies?
And as to the argument about treating Greedy no better than Hughes, and I think this was more or less said: do we think that the team would have refused to trade Melky et. Co. for a left fielder with projections comparable to JV’s and carrying a similar one-year obligation?  I think they’d have jumped at it, but it wasn’t there.

6,10 who said I want you should find Velma to Robert Mitchum in the original movie?

[12] My favorite Chandler novel, _Farewell My Lovely_, in case it’s not obvious.

Rilke, I guessed the Chandler you had in mind and found it in the internet.  I should read it.  But you just don’t come across a lot of Velmas these days… I found that the association was irresistable.

Mike Mazurki (December 25, 1907[1] – December 9, 1990) was an American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 movies. His towering 6’ 5” presence and intimidating face usually got him roles playing tough guys, thugs, strong men, and gangsters

Actually he said it to Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet which was the tittle of the original film version of Farewell My Lovely.

Last night I saw Taking Woodstock and Liev Schrieber’s transvestite character was named Vilma, speaking of Velmas

[14, 15]  If you can believe what you read, George has been gradually transferring equity to his heirs for quite some time now.  Then there’s YES, which the Yankees own either about a third or about two thirds of, depending on what you read.  And there are also the limited partners, who own just under half of the team.  I’d say that the potential impact of estate taxes on the Yankees’ future is probably impossible for any outsider to decipher.  Hell, it might be damned near impossible for an insider to decipher.

Was Velma JJ’s sister in Good Times? Maybe Thelma?
Thelma Lou from Mayberry was cute. I hope Opie hit it. Barney… not so much.
Seriously, Chandler was great.
Anyone like James Ellroy? Another cool LA dude. Dude.
I do. Have em all. Several are signed. Sick stuff.

James Ellroy, OTF?
I like Elmore James…

[24] My broom needs a dusting.

[23/4] Elmore Leonard?

I’m particularly fond of American Tabloid.

[22] Raise your hand if you’ve considered what it would take for you to buy the Yankees and how cool it would be if you could pull it off.

Reading the articles, I happily foresee a spike in the voting for Trammell.  I remember him killing NYA, ending games at YS2 with grand slams, and his unrecognized MVP when he almost singlehandedly drove the Tigers roughshod over George Bell’s corpse to the ALE title.
SG, if you have the time and inclination, I’d love to see your version of the Trammell/Ripken/Larkin/Jeter comparison, comparing peaks and career.

Also, “TV Mama”

Movie sequel idea:  Zombies in the Outfield

Probably not a very good baseball idea though.

31 Good idea though Hunky Vampires in the Outfield and the human teens who love them would probably gross more

Hey, PTB, could you check the site usage before catchers/pitchers the last few years and extrapolate to this winter re the server and 100 comments/page etc.?  I guess there’s no need for someone to cover January and maybe most or all of February as things stand.

[26] Oh yeah. Rod Carew of the genre.
[27] Me too. Who knew of Mr. Ruby’s fondness for the wee doggies. Like I said, sick, vile stuff. White Jazz and Killer on the Road are worth the time.
[29] AT ruined 5 or 6 games I attended. Hate him, ugly bastard too.
[30] Love the Freddie King version of that song. Of course I love the Freddie King version of my car alarm, happy birthday or The Hills are Alive.
Good to see ya Ed. San Hozay too.
Wow, T-Bone Walker just called. He wants his eagle back.

[29] FWIW, here is BaseballProjection, using the method Bill James did in his last Abstract (career, top 3, top 5 consecutive):

Career WAR (total, not just at SS):

Ripken 89.8
Larkin 68.8
Jeter   68.7
Trammel 66.8

Top 3 years:
Ripken 11.0, 9.2, 8.3
Larkin 7.4, 6.2, 5.9
Jeter   8.0, 7.8, 6.5
Trammel 8.4, 6.8, 6.6

Top 5 consecutive years (quick look):
Ripken 4.5, 8.3, 9.2, 6.1, 6.6
Larkin 5.9, 7.4, 3.1, 5.9, 5.2
Jeter   4.6, 7.8, 8.0, 4.4, 4.3
Trammel 5.9, 8.4, 6.0, 3.1, 6.8

Clearly, Ripken is beyond the rest of them whichever way you look at it.  Quick look, I’m very tempted to put Jeter 2nd, Trammel 3rd, Larkin 4th.  But there really isn’t much difference between them.  SG can probably do even a better look; I had time and he may be on vacation.

Mmmmmmm… T-Bone…  Absolutely love me some T-Bone, OTF, esp. when I can get it without the annoying (to me) ‘big-band’ background.

Mike K., thanks!  Love to hear other views.  Somehow I’m imagining that more depth and discussion brings Ripken back to this pack, but I’m reserving judgment.

Nice work Mike. I’ve always felt Cal was grossly over rated. Feet of clay and hands of cement. Love his PED stand on Brady A too. Nice arm early in his career.
By Mo, he surely raked at the plate. Still, I’ll take Jeet. He’s been better long term. Still has wheels.
Pete- Mr. Walker was an effen wizard. I’m not, so I always mix him and and Elmore James up.
Love me some Clarence GM(lantern) Brown.

and and. Whatevs. Yakima Twilight. Sheesh.

[36] I’ve got, probably randomly though I enjoy it, _T-Bone Blues_ - is there something more canonical?

[37] “Somehow I’m imagining that more depth and discussion brings Ripken back to this pack”

Hmm, maybe nobody realized before Ripken what one could get out of a big SS so he benefits from comparison to his contemporaries?

[40]
“Stormy Monday Blues,” for an obvious one.

[40] Probably the best widely available.  If you ever see “Great Blues Vocals and Guitar” (1963), pick it up.  LP cover has a cartoon Walker playing a green guitar behind his head

Still, I’ll take Jeet. He’s been better long term. Still has wheels.

Well Jeter’s career isn’t done yet.  I think it is likely he *will* surpass Ripken, eventually.  But I don’t think he has, yet.