Iron Horse Roundup For March 2011- China's High Speed Graft Problem; BNSF Crew Killed in Shuttle Wreck; Southern Consolidated Returns to Steam

Railpictures.net photo- Yu Ming

CHINA: A series of internal government audits have found that China's much-vaunted high speed rail projects have been plagued by corruption, embezzlement, misappropriations and cost overruns, China's National Audit Office announced on Wednesday.

China’s state audit office said on Wednesday it had identified numerous cases of embezzlement and other irregularities from just a three-month period of construction on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed line last year and has passed the cases on to judicial authorities for formal investigation.

China’s railway minister and the rail ministry’s deputy chief engineer were both removed from their positions last month for “severe disciplinary violations” — an allegation that usually results in criminal charges for corruption.

The former minister, Liu Zhijun, is the most senior government official to be implicated in corruption in the past five years and his downfall has raised doubts about the future of the hugely ambitious high-speed rail expansion plans he championed. Neither Mr Liu nor Zhang Shuguang, the former deputy chief engineer at the rail ministry, have been named in connection with the state auditor’s investigation into the 1,318km, $33 billion Beijing-Shanghai high-speed rail project, which is scheduled to open to the public next year.

The line is the longest and most expensive high-speed rail project in the country but it has been dogged by scandals and controversies and singled out in previous state audits for financial “irregularities”. In its latest report the auditor also cited numerous cases of flawed procurement procedures, overcharging, unexplained costs and fake receipts related to the project.

An intense safety review of all projects is under way because of fears that corruption and the speed with which the network has been built will result in poor quality tracks that are meant to carry trains travelling at up to 380 km/h

Chinese High Speed Rail Attendants- Xinhua Photo

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, auditors say that embezzlers made off with the equivalent of $28.5 million for just the Beijing-Shanghai high speed rail project.

As a matter of personal opinion, I think this stands out as a cautionary tale over pinning any sort of long term economic recovery on numerous massive public works projects that would make the Big Dig look well run and fiscally responsible in comparison. It doesn't help that some of the politicians who are the most enthusiastic backers of high-speed rail here in the USA also backed things like TARP, the Stimulus or various government bailouts and have demonstrated zero appreciation for the massive costs involved in building and maintaining a dedicated high speed line.

Photo- Bill Wagner/Longview Daily News

WASHINGTON: Two BNSF Employees and a shuttle driver were killed while a fourth BNSF worker was in critical condition after a BNSF grain train collided with the shuttle van carrying them on March 24th in Longview, WA.

58 year old engineer Tom Kenny, 28 year old conductor trainee Christopher Loehr- both based out of Seattle- and 52 year old Dwight Hauk of Auburn, WA were being picked up by 60 year old shuttle driver Steven Sebastian and take to Vancouver, WA after their shifts when they were struck by the train.

The crossing is a remote, private crossing with no lights or arms that lower and raise on a train's approach. Instead, the crossing features a warning signs on top of a stop sign.

Railpictures.net- John Higginson

TENNESSEE: For the first time in 21 years, Southern Railway 2-8-0 consolidated #630 is under steam. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum spent the better part of a decade restoring the 1904-built ALCo to working order, with break-in runs taking place over the last weekend of March 2011.

Almost as noteworthy as the fact that the 2-8-0 is up and running once again is the fact that news of #630's revival was announced on Norfolk Southern's official Twitter page and a short video of the #630 being fired up on the company's official YouTube account. Norfolk Southern had announced last year that it would begin a partial revival of its steam program, using historic equipment form the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

Ermelo in happier, more derailment-free times- Eugene Armer photo

SOUTH AFRICA: A derailment on the Transnet line between Ermelo and Richards Bay in the northeastern corner of South Africa is expected to slow coal exports.

The accident, which occurred on Wednesday near Ermelo in South Africa's northeastern Mpumalanga province, is likely to add pressure on South African coal producers, already struggling to export all their coal due to bottlenecks on the rail lines.

Spokesman Sandile Simelane said one of the two lines would reopen on Friday but could not confirm when the other would reopen.

"We anticipate one of the lines to reopen tomorrow," he told Reuters, adding that an investigation into the cause of the derailment was ongoing.

He declined to comment on how much tonnage would be lost as a result of the derailment. Besides the immediate impact, it also means trains have to be rerouted, causing further disruption to the transport of coal.

South Africa is a major exporter of coal to power stations in Europe and Asia, but exporters have failed to ship all of their product because of bottlenecks on the lines approaching the huge Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

South Africa exported 63.43 million tonnes of coal last year, boosted by demand from China and India, but far below the terminal's expanded capacity of 91 million tonnes.

Industry representatives have said South Africa was unlikely to export 60 million tonnes this year due to frequent problems on the line.

Transnet is investing heavily in new and improved infrastructure, but it will take years before a substantial increase in transported tonnages is seen.

Possible Jihadi Probe of California Marine Base?

Officials with the United States Marine Corps said they have stepped up security procedures after a suspicious incident involving three Middle Eastern men took place at Camp Pendleton just north of San Diego last weekend.

SAN DIEGO -- One of the nation's largest military bases is reportedly under tighter security after three Middle Eastern men tried to enter without proper authorization. 10News learned the three men -- 40-year-old Afghani Ahmad Rahmani Naeem, 41-year-old Iranian Vahik Petrossian and 27-year-old Iranian Sengekdi Norvik Avanosian -- attempted to get into Camp Pendleton last weekend under what was considered suspicious circumstances.

According to a Be On the Lookout (BOLO) alert issued to high-ranking Camp Pendleton officials, someone reported hearing hateful comments and terrorist threats from three men at a gas station in Oceanside Saturday.

Investigators at Camp Pendleton said the men asked the attendant for directions on how to get to Camp Pendleton before they left the gas station. According to the alert, shortly after midnight Sunday, a rented silver Toyota Corolla driven by Naeem attempted to enter Camp Pendleton through the main gate.

As it was being searched, Petrossian and Avanosian drove up in a black Mercedes, but were told to wait. Instead, they continued past the gate and onto the base. Following a short pursuit, the Mercedes was stopped and searched. No weapons or contraband were found in the Mercedes, but base security noticed the air bag in the steering wheel of the Mercedes had been pulled out and re-attached with duct tape and had wires hanging free, the alert said.

According to the alert, Naaem told base security he was lost and was trying to go to Glendale. When interviewed, Petrossian and Avanosian said they were lost and trying to go to Glendale.

The three men claimed not to know each other, the alert said. Naaem, Petrossian and Avanosian were photographed and released after questioning, and a warning about the trio was posted to law enforcement. However, later that morning about 8:30 a.m., Naeem returned in the Toyota and tried to get on the base again, saying he made a mistake and was trying to enter Interstate 5, the alert said. After his vehicle was searched, Naeem was issued a letter of debarment from the base and escorted to the freeway.

[Petrossian and Avanosnian may very well be Armenian surnames, but keep in mind there is a sizable ethnic Armenian population in the northwestern corner of Iran around Tabriz, not to mention the two men could just as easily be travelling under an alias- NANESB!]

Investigators at Camp Pendleton also said that a criminal background check on the three men turned up nothing. At a cursory glance, this would appear to be some sort of probe to gauge the security at Camp Pendleton (however poorly executed)- one vehicle to distract/occupy the guards while the second one would make their move on targets further into the base.

The incident comes a little over a week after the US Border Patrol arrested a van full of illegal immigrants who were wearing Marine uniforms. A Border Patrol agent who had previously served with the USMC grew suspicious while working at a checkpoint outside of Pine Valley, CA (some 40 miles east of San Diego) when the van full of men were unfamiliar with the Marine Corps' 'Ooo-Rah!' salutation or the Marine Corps birthday.

Also worth mentioning is that about 15 miles north of Camp Pendleton is Edison International's [NYSE: EIX] San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, so there would be an abundance of potential targets out there for anybody interested in causing mayhem.

[Hat tip: The Jawa Report]

At Long Last, Opening Day is Here

After what seems like an eternity, that glorious day (where even the Pittsburgh Pirates or Kansas City Royals sport a perfect record) has arrived. With the bunting draped, the aroma of peanuts and popcorn wafting through the stands, kids of all ages playing hooky, and distant voices relaying the goings on at the ballpark on a crackling AM signal to listeners hundreds of miles away, America's pasttime gets underway with joy and anticipation- tempered by a cautious optimism- in the hearts of fans everywhere.

Now it seems as though there's nothing left to do but sit back and enjoy this most wonderful time of year.

Photo- Steve Stewart/MLB Blogs

Veenal Sins Update- Outspoken Pakistani Actress Recieves Death Threats From Taliban

Not surprisingly, in a country where religious minorities and moderate politicians are assassinated by radical muslims on a shockingly regular basis, Pakistani actress Veena Malik and her family have received death threats by militants from the Tareek-e-Taliban for her controversial appearance on the Indian reality TV show Big Boss (the Indian equivalent of Big Brother) and her subsequent smackdown of an Islamic scholar on a Pakistani talk show when she was accused of 'immoral' behavior and 'shaming' Pakistan.

You had to figure that it was only a matter of time.


Malik, for her part, took it upon herself to point out during the interview-turned-shouting match that Pakistan has much bigger concerns at hand than what she wore while in India. It gets even more interesting when the mufti challenging her (via remote video feed) admitted that he hadn't even watched the Big Boss series where the Lollywood star was filmed cuddling and massaging the neck of one of her Indian housemates.

Malik is currently back in India taping for a show she is hosting called Big Toss, covering the Cricket World Cup through April 2. Her agent in Lahore, Pakistan was able to produce a copy of one of the threatening letters for the AFP, although the news outlet couldn't immediately verify the credentials sender.

"The letter says that Tehreek-e-Taliban has taken a decision as a Muslim to punish Veena Malik soon," [Malik's agent Sohail] Rashid told AFP.

"We want our daughters and sisters in our homes only and Veena Malik, who is humiliating Pakistan's name in India, will be punished soon," Rashid quoted from the letter.

"We are soon going to punish Veena Malik so that our future generations may be afraid of going to India. It is the responsibility of all Pakistanis and Muslims, but now we are going to accomplish it," Rashid quoted the letter as saying.

While testifying against ex-husband and Pakistani cricket player Mohammed Asif, before the International Cricket Council (cricket's international governing body) Malik's family reportedly received death threats last year. The popular Asif was implicated in a match-fixing scandal in September 2010 and Malik had provided the ICC with phone records proving that Asif had been in contact with an Indian bookmaker prior to a match with England.

Today's Train of Thought- Wheeling and Dealing, March 30, 2011

Today's Train of Thought bids us a not so fond farewell to the month of March as we all are getting ready to turn the page on the calendar and welcome the change of seasons.

Here, railpictures.net contributor J Alex Lang and company caught a pair of Wheeling & Lake Erie GP40s running light through the snow at sunset in Castle Shannon, PA on their way back to W&LE's Rook yard in Pittsburgh on December 20, 2009.

The Rio Grande paint scheme is no accident, either- Wheeling & Lake Erie #303 started out life as GP40 #3085 in 1969. #303 is one of many Wheeling & Lake Erie locomotives that remain in Denver, Rio Grande & Western markings- including a stable of SD40T-2s.

The original W&LE had merged with the Nickel Plate Railroad a few years after WWII, while the Nickel Plate in turn merged with the Norfolk & Western in 1964. The current version of the W&LE came about when Norfolk Southern spun off much of the original trackage from both the original Wheeling & Lake Erie and one-time rival Pittsburgh & West Virginia in 1990. Interestingly, the Pittsburgh & West Virginia [AMEX: PW] ceased to exist as a railway with its 1964 merger with Norfolk & Western (now Norfolk Southern) but still functions as a Real Estate Investment Trust (or REIT), owning the land under 132 miles of track as well as various facilities and offices since 1967. Essentially, P&WV owned the land and track and leases it back to the Norfolk & Western (and then the W&LE) under a 99 year agreement.

Wisconsin Stops Collecting Union Dues For State Workers, Unions Threaten Boycott of Neutral Businesses

Ten days after a Dane County, WI circuit judge blocked the publishing of Wisconsin's new collective bargaining law the administration of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was no longer collecting dues on behalf of public employee unions and charging more for state employee's pensions and healthcare.

Madison — Gov. Scott Walker's administration no longer is collecting dues on behalf of state unions and, as of Sunday, is charging employees more for their pensions and health care, even though nonpartisan legislative attorneys say the changes are not yet law. Backing up the administration, the state Department of Justice argued that the new law - which eliminates most collective bargaining for public workers - is in effect and asked a judge to vacate a restraining order against the law. Meanwhile, a Dane County prosecutor asked a judge to declare that the law is not now in place. Highlighting the different legal interpretations, some local governments are not implementing the new law for their employees. Officials with the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County said they are waiting for answers from courts before making any changes on benefits and union dues.

The Dane County judge who filed the restraining order against the recently-passed bill from Gov. Walker is named Maryann Sumi. It's probably worth mentioning that Judge Sumi refused to order striking Wisconsin teachers back to work and that her son is a career operative for the unions like AFL-CIO and SEIU. More ominously, Judge Sumi issued a statement on Wednesday warning attorneys about their criticisms of how the case was being handled.

Before wrapping up a brief hearing Wednesday, Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi offered a word of caution to attorneys involved in high-profile lawsuits over collective bargaining in Wisconsin.

Sumi said emotions are running high over two cases she is hearing regarding Gov. Scott Walker's plan to eliminate most collective bargaining for public workers. That "spirited debate" is important in a democracy, but attorneys must keep in mind their professional ethics, Sumi said.

"They all have a responsibility to promote and not denigrate the judicial branch and, more importantly, the rule of law," she said.

She advised lawyers to review state Supreme Court rules that say: "A lawyer shall not make a statement that the lawyer knows to be false or with reckless disregard as to its truth or falsity concerning the qualifications or integrity of a judge...."

She referred to public comments made by attorneys after a Tuesday hearing, but did not elaborate.

Some observers consider Sumi's warning very one-sided and note that attorneys are within their rights to criticize the content of a ruling made by a jurist who had decided to insert themselves in the political process.

Meanwhile two Madison, WI labor unions and Dane County had abandoned efforts to consolidate their complaints over Walker's law after being told doing so would permit the state to bring the case for another judge.

Dane County and two city of Madison labor unions, AFL-CIO Local 236 and Firefighters Local 311, sought to consolidate their separate complaints over the act.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs asked the state to agree not to seek a substitution of judges before moving forward. But Judge Maryann Sumi said the defendants did not have to bind themselves to that commitment. The motion was then withdrawn.

Sumi also agreed with state attorneys that the motion to combine the cases was likely premature and cautioned attorneys in all cases related to the budget repair bill about their public comments when emotions are running high.

"They all have a responsibility to promote and not denigrate the judicial branch, and more importantly, the rule of law," Sumi said.

Meanwhile, the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) circulated a letter threatening a boycott of local businesses that decline to display signs the union is passing out that prominently feature the AFSCME logo on the bottom half.

The letters ask businesses to express that support by displaying union signs in their windows.

"Failure to do so will leave us no choice but (to) do a public boycott of your business," the letter says. "And sorry, neutral means 'no' to those who work for the largest employer in the area and are union members."

Jim Parrett, a field representative of Council 24 for Southeast Wisconsin, confirmed the contents of the letter, which carries his signature. But he added that the union was also circulating letters to businesses thanking them for supporting workers' rights.

The union-led effort is an outgrowth of a boycott campaign by the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and other unions in which M&I Bank and Kwik Trip were targeted because either the companies themselves or their executives supported Gov. Scott Walker's budget initiatives.

Jim Haney, the outgoing head of Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, a pro-business lobby, said the union effort was appalling. And he said the campaign would backfire.

"It's kind of like the old protection racket," he said. " 'If you have the right sticker, we won't break your knees.' This is beyond the pale to force a small-business person to choose when they want to stay neutral. But that isn't good enough."

In the letter, Parrett writes: "It is unfortunate that you have chosen 'not' to support public workers rights in Wisconsin. In recent past weeks you have been offered a sign by a public employee who works in one of the state facilities in the Union Grove area. These signs simply said, 'This Business Supports Workers Rights,' a simple, subtle and we feel noncontroversial statement given the facts at this time."

Parrett said that since the letters were sent, he has received threatening phone calls as well as calls from people supporting the state workers.

"I've gotten a lot of threatening phone calls," Parrett said.

Parrett said similar letter campaigns had been launched in other parts of the state. His region includes Racine and Kenosha counties as well as parts of Waukesha and Walworth counties.

Parrett referred questions to Marty Beil, the head of the Wisconsin State Employees Union. Neither Beil nor Phil Neuenfeldt, head of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, was available for comment.

The AFSCME effort comes more than two weeks after the executive director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association circulated a letter to Gov. Walker's 2010 campaign donors also threatening a boycott. Interestingly, WPPA executive director Jim Palmer was arrested in December 2009 for drunken driving and never served in law enforcement himself.

Exit question: If union honchos like Palmer or Parrett had their way, do you think we would be seeing things like partisan response times from police and firefighters?

[Hat tip- Lonely Conservative, Red State/Labor Union Report, Le.gal In.sur.rec.tion, Weasel Zippers, WisPolitics, Jammie Wearing Fool]

The Greatest Day in the World

By Mike Moritz

Ahhhh yes, the sweet smell of grass and the brightness of the sun. A bead of sweat rolls down my face, well wait, actually no, I'm in the north-east so no sweat quite yet, at least for me.

But let's pretend: The sweat rolls down my face and the sun is beating down on me. I place another ball on the tee, load my hands, like Josh Hamilton, stride forward, like Jose Bautista, bring my bat around and down to the ball, like Albert Pujols, staying close to my body, like Alex Rodriguez, and extending through the ball, like the great Chipper Jones. The days of spring training are just about over and although Florida and Arizona are loved dearly, it is time to get The Show on the road.

The big question is: what will top Jason Heyward's first home run, in his first at-bat, in his first game, on Opening Day? But many other questions still loom over head. Will the Yankee's rotation hold up? How much will the Phillies suffer without Chase Utley and Brad Lidge? Will Matt Kemp, Derek Jeter and others bounce back? Can and will Jose Bautista repeat as home run king? Will Adam Dunn slump (moving to the American League) or explode (going into U.S. Cellular Field)? And perhaps one the harder questions to answer: How will the American League East division shake out? Can the Orioles really win 81 games or more? Will the Rays finish last? Can Brett Gardner keep it up or will he turn into Nyjer Morgan (without the attitude)? How much of the future Royals team will we see and see succeed?

So many questions, but in time, my friend, they will be answered.

In time.

Luckily, that time starts TOMORROW! 1:00 PM, the Detroit Tigers go into Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Justin Verlander against C.C. Sabathia (the Nationals and Braves also play at 1, but I'm a Yankee fan so that's why I mentioned the Yankee game).

It is just such a relaxing thought: baseball.

Who could ask for more than Opening Day? Managers, get your seat-coolers ready; GM's, get your magical wands (or dunce cap) ready; and Sabermagicians, get your brains ready...? That was a bad joke, sorry, I'm just a little EXCITED.


OPENING DAY 2011!! WOO HOO!!

General Electric, General Motors Avoid Paying Taxes for 2010

While taxpayers and small business owners are poring over their IRS 1040 forms, I'm sure this bit of news from a pair of corporations that have benefitted from government bailouts and lagresse will bring a bit of joy and wrmth to their weary hearts.

A little over two months ago, GE Chairman Jeffery Immelt was appointed to an economic panel by the Obama Administration. This was the same conglomerate who lobbied for cap & trade back in 2009 and who's subsidiary TV networks of NBC and MSNBC acted as unabashed cheerleaders for Obama during his 2008 Presidential campaign. Now it's been learned that General Electric will pay nothing in taxes for 2010 and will in fact be getting $3.2 billion in tax breaks from the US government thanks in part to concentrating most of its $14.2 billion in profits offshore. More than half of GE's current workforce is outside the United States as well.

Back in November the Wall Street Journal reporteda few weeks before GM's stock was set to be re-listed in the NYSE that General Motors could wind up with tax breaks worth an estimated $45 billion thanks in part to lossesincurred prior to the bailout.

GM, which plans to begin promoting its relisting on the stock exchange to investors this week, wiped out billions of dollars in debt, laid off thousands of employees and jettisoned money-losing brands during its U.S.-funded reorganization last year.

Now it turns out, according to documents filed with federal regulators, the revamping left the car maker with another boost as it prepares to return to the stock market. It won't have to pay $45.4 billion in taxes on future profits.

The tax benefit stems from so-called tax-loss carry-forwards and other provisions, which allow companies to use losses in prior years and costs related to pensions and other expenses to shield profits from U.S. taxes for up to 20 years. In GM's case, the losses stem from years prior to when GM entered bankruptcy.

Usually, companies that undergo a significant change in ownership risk having major restrictions put on their tax benefits. The U.S. bailout of GM, in which the Treasury took a 61% stake in the company, ordinarily would have resulted in GM having such limits put on its tax benefits, according to tax experts.
"The Internal Revenue Service has decided that the government's involvement with these companies, both its acquisitions plus its disposals of their stock, means they should be exempt" from the rule, said Robert Willens, a New York tax consultant who advises investment banks and hedge funds.

The government's rationale, said people familiar with the situation, is that the profit-shielding tax credit makes the bailed-out companies more attractive to investors, and that the value of the benefit is greater than the lost tax payments, especially since the tax payments would not exist if the companies fail.

The pricetag for the GM bailout was thought to have reached at least $30 billion. The fact that the government was still a stakeholder in General Motors at the time could help explain the DOT's aggressive pursuit of Toyota Motors for a number of safety issues last year.

Ozzie Smith Fun Facts and Timeline Biography

Ozzie Smith was one of the best fielding shortstops to ever play the game of baseball. Known as "The Wizard" Ozzie, would make near impossible plays seem like they were routine.

Fun Facts About Ozzie Smith

• THREE of Ozzie Smith's high school teammates (Including Baltimore Orioles Slugger Eddie Murray) were drafted immediately following high school. Ozzie was not. He was considered too small and was passed over by every team.
• Ozzie started doing his infamous back flips in a sawdust pit as a kid. It was a way for him and his childhood friends to entertain themselves. When he played with the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals he opened and closed each season by doing those same back flips he perfected as a child.
• Ozzie used to (and probably still does) relax by listening to jazz music and playing backgammon.
• In 1991 he was named "Man of the Year", by the Jesse Jackson Rainbow Coalition.

Ozzie Smith Timeline Biography

• Born : December 26th, 1954. His birth name is Osborne Earl Smith
• Age 6 : Moved to Los Angeles because his father was a truck driver and that's where he could spend more time at home.
• Age 9 : His family and friends never saw him without a baseball in his hand. They say that he practiced non stop, every day.
• Age 15 : Went to high school with former Major Leaguer Eddie Murray.
• Age 19 : Learns to switch hit at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo
• Age 21 : Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 7th rd.
• Age 22 : Released by the Detroit Tigers.
• Age 22 : Drafted by the San Diego Padres.
• 1980 : The acrobatic shortstop sets a National League assist record.
• 1982 : Wins the World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals
• 1987 : He almost wins the MVP award (finished 2nd in voting)
• 1993 : Became the all time National League assist leader.
• 2002 : Inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 28th, 2002

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2011 Opening Day Preview: Giants vs. Dodgers

We've finally arrived back at the starting point! After a memorable season in 2010, one no Giant fan will ever forget, the Giants are back for more in 2011. The 2011 regular season starts Thursday night for San Francisco, as they travel into LA to play the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. Here is the projected Opening Day Lineup for both teams with some game preview notes to follow:

San Francisco Giants w/roster

Lineup:

1. Andres Torres CF
2. Freddy Sanchez 2B
3. Aubrey Huff RF
4. Buster Posey C
5. Pat Burrell LF
6. Pablo Sandoval 3B
7. Brandon Belt 1B
8. Miguel Tejada SS
9. Tim Lincecum P
_______________________________

LA Dodgers

1. Rafael Furcal SS
2. James Looney 1B
3. Matt Kemp CF
4. Andre Eithier RF
5. Casey Blake 3B
6. Juan Uribe 2B
7. Jay Gibbons LF
8. Rod Barajas C
9. Clayton Kershaw P

Both teams start their hopes for a positive 2011, but the Dodgers have a lot further to go. Casey Blake will be a game time decision and if he's out, that means Uribe's hitting 5th and Jamey Carroll is starting at 2nd base. Hardly the powerhouse you want to display on opening day. On the other hand, they will be bringing their best in Clay Kershaw, and Giants batters need to be on and get to him early and rattle him. It will be the 21 year-olds first Opening Day assignment and you know he's going to have some jitters. Torres, Sanchez and Huff are the perfect set to lead things off against him as they all are patient and know when a pitcher is struggling to find the zone. I think the Giants get to an early lead on a nice rally but probably no home runs. With these two starters, runs will be hard to come by, so a 4-2, 3-1 final wouldn't surprise me. Huff has been hot, so has Posey, and I think Pablo has a nice splashy return to his former self, all with multi-hit games and RBI's. Also looks like Belt will get the start, as he's on the roster and I don't think he's there to observe.

If something goes wrong, it will be because Lincecum gets in trouble by allowing a runner or two then the big 3-run bomb that takes the life out of the team (Matt Kemp should be intentionally walked in such situation). Otherwise, the Giants are the clear favorite, and I expect a comfortable win to start 2011.

Note- It's official, as if anyone expected otherwise, the Bearded Ninja will not be available opening day and has been placed on the DL. Wilson is expected to miss 2 weeks with the oblique strain. So in the final roster move of the spring, they didn't go pitcher, they didn't decided to go versatility and a bring on a guy who's probably better out at short than Tejada is right now but surprisingly, he wasn't picked for his hot bat. Wouldn' that be something, though, if young Ryan Rohlinger comes in and plays short like a young Richie Aurilia. I don't know the Rohlinger move is absolutely final, but the trust colleagues over at YAHOO! SPORTS have him on there and everyone who shouldn't, not. I like the pick. Could also eventually force Fontenot useless if only Rholinger can just be mediocre (.260, 8-10 HR, 40 RBI, 3B/SS/2B average to above average defense), teen wolf may have a battle on his hands. Good move all the way around... Though Corners, goes for outfield too, go to DeRosa.

Dodgers extend Chad Billingsley

By Mike Moritz

Just two nights ago, and just days before the greatest annual single-day in baseball- Opening Day- the Los Angeles Dodgers and right handed, starting pitcher Chad Billingsley came in agreement to a three-year, $35 million extension. Billingsley will earn $6.3 million in 2011, it will be his second of three seasons as an arbitration eligible player. The deal would buy out Billingsley's final year of arbitration eligibility and his first two free agent seasons. The deal will kick in after this season. The thing is, and Fangraphs noted this as well, it looks to me that Billingsley got cheated a little bit, he could have gotten a little more money out of this deal.

It seems as though Billingsley has long been underrated. His 3.55 ERA and 3.68 FIP are solid and his 3.07 FIP was his career best. For his career, he strikes out hitters at an above average rate, 8.19 K/9. I really do not have much to say about him; he has been pretty consistent for the most part (exclude 2009).

His command is not stellar, but it is not bad either, just barely worse than average: he walks 3.89 per nine innings. He does not have an overpowering fastball, his average velocity is 91.7 mph for his career and does not a devastating differential between his fastball and change-up; he throws an 84.5 mph change. His slider runs at about 84 mph. Take a look at his break for his pitches:

His slider breaks a good amount. That's all I have to say about his breaking pitches.

Billingsley is a huge ground ball pitcher. His career 46.8% GB rate rose to an even better 49.6% mark last year. Because of that, he rarely gives up fly balls: 34.4%. Even if he did turn into a fly ball pitcher for some weird reason, it would not hurt him that much, Dodger Stadium has a park factor of just 94 for right handed hitters (but a 116 factor for lefties, luckily, most hitters in the majors hit from the right side).

His skill set is stable and is a general recipe for consistency, which, for the most part, is correct. You can easily expect about 2.5 strike outs for every walk and a ton of ground balls. He's a pretty straight forward pitcher. I still think he could have gotten a bigger contract so this was a good move by GM Ned Colletti. 

Said full time writer for fangraphs.com, Dave Cameron,

"Steadier than he's given credit for, you can pencil Billingsley in for 200 innings of good performance."

It was put perfectly. Billingsley will once again be the number two starter behind Clayton Kershaw and will begin their attempt at a bounce back season with new manager, Don Mattingly.

Oh, and by the way, tomorrow is Opening Day. Greatest day of the year. Get pumped!

(Statistics in courtesy of: fangraphs.com and statcorner.com)

Quickie Helping of Sports Chowdah- No Doubting as Thomas Blocks Hawks; UConn Goes Four All the Marbles; Opening Day 2011 Around the Corner

NHL: It's been a busy past couple of days for the Bruins after their epic beatdown of Montreal last week. The weekend saw them lose at home by a 1-0 final to the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon before travelling to Philly and coming from behind to win by a final of 2-1 to officially clinch a playoff berth [Interestingly, a cursory glance at the NHL standings shows that no less than 4 teams in the Eastern conference have clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs as of Tuesday night while aside from the Vancouver Canucks clinching, the field is still wide open out in the Western conference- NANESB!].

The Bruins would head back home on Tuesday night to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, who appear to be fighting for their playoff lives now. The game went without any scoring until about 12 minutes into the second period when Zdeno Chara would get an even strength goal followed by a Johnny Boychuck tally 2 minutes later to make it a 2-0 Boston lead. Nathan Horton would open up the Boston lead to 3-0 after scoring a little over 5 minutes into the 3rd period to make it a 3-0 final.

Tim Thomas stopped a total of 32 shots for his 9th shutout of the season and 25th of his career. Mark Recchi's assist on Boychuck's goal moved him to 1,532 career points, moving him past Paul Coffey and into 12th place all time in the NHL. Boston has now won 4 out of their last games after dropping 6 out of 7 games earlier this month. Despite the loss, Chicago still manages to hold onto the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western conference- 3 points ahead of Dallas and Calgary while one point behind Anaheim as of Tuesday night.

The Bruins will close out the month of March by hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Garden on Thursday night. The Leaf's fairly slim playoff hopes are still alive after beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Tuesday night.

NBA: While the Bruins seem to be getting hot at the right time, the Celtics look for all the world like they're starting to wilt against a fairly unimpressive array of opponents. Now, part of me would like to think that this is some sort of intentional strategy by Doc Rivers to have the C's avoid certain teams that have given the C's a handful in the postseason.

Although they held off a late rally by Minnesota to win by a final of 85-82 on Sunday, Monday night was a different story wit Indiana's Roy Hibbert taking advantage of the Celtic's depleted front line, netting 26 points and 4 rebounds. Paul Pierce led the scoring in the losing effort for the C's, with 23 points and 5 rebounds in Boston's 100-107 loss in Indianapolis.

The road trip continues for Boston this week, with the C's travelling to San Antonio to take on the Spurs. While the C's have dropped 3 of their last 4, the Spurs are coming into Thursday night's game riding a 4-game losing streak. The game starts at 8PM ET (5 Pacific) and will be broadcast on TNT.

NCAA HOOPS: UConn survived a last second scare from Arizona's Jamelle Horne on Sunday while his 3-point attempt bounced off the rim as time expired in a 2-point game. UConn would hang on to win by a final of 63-65. The win (in which Kemba Walker had 20 points and 4 rebounds while freshman Jeremy Lamb had 19 points) sets up a showdown between UConn and the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The winner of that game will take on the victor of the VCU Rams/Butler Bulldogs game for the NCAA Men's Basketball championship.

MLB: Just a gentle reminder that we're less than 48 hours away from the opening day of the 2011 baseball season. There actually will be a slate of 6 games on March 31 starting with the Braves at Washington Nationals at 1:05 ET (10:05 AM PT) and finishing off with the World Series Champion Giants at Chavez Ravine to take on the LA Dodgers at 8PM ET (5 Pacific). Other teams getting underway Thursday will include Detroit @ the Yankees, Milwaukee @ Cincinnati, San Diego @ St. Louis and Anaheim @ Kansas City.

The Red Sox season doesn't officially get under way until Friday, April 1 at Texas where they'll take on the defending American League Champion Texas Rangers. The Red Sox home opener will be on Friday, April 8 against the NY Yankees.

The Day Is Near: What Spring Taught Us?

At the beginning of the spring, way back when pitchers and catchers reported to Scottsdale in mid-February, I did a post on the biggest three focuses of the spring for San Francisco. And, as the Giants get set to take on the Dodgers Thursday to start the season, here's what we got from the questions:

1.) IS BRANDON BELT READY: Ah, in a word, YES! He didn't exactly tear up Cactus League pitching, but he showed exactly why the Giants are so fond of him and why he's going to be so good in this league. He's patient at the plate, clutch, drives in runs, has power, can hit to all fields, and even is slick over there fielding first base. Belt hit .279 with 3 HR and 13 RBI. The injury to Cody Ross further increased his chances of making it, but at the same, the Giants have other options too. I'd like to see him up there to start with, but when it's all said and done, I have a feeling he'll end up in Fresno, a la Posey in '10. It that's indeed the case, he won't be down long, like Posey was. I just think Boch and Sabes will feel more comfortable with the veterans under the pressures of opening day and the first 6-8 weeks of the campaign. A: YES (should be up and at 1B with Ross on DL)

2.) WHICH SANDOVAL WILL SHOW UP? Well, we still need to wait a few weeks into the season to find that out, but so far, so good. Sandy's weight's down, and he's been tearing it up in the Cactus League hitting .313, with 3 HR and 16 RBI while leading the team in hits. His defense is improving too. The one area I worry about, is him trying to overcompensate for last year, and if he goes through a rough stretch, it could spell trouble. I'm seeing a .290/20/85 version of Panda this year though. If he doesn't live up to expectations, I'd move to plan B, and it's a good one in Mark DeRosa. A lot better than Mike Fontetnot was in the Playoffs last year, much better hitter. A: '09 Version (so far)

3.) WHERE'S EVERYONE GOING TO PLAY? Things were a little more crowded coming into spring than they are now, but there are still some decisions to be made. It's obvious Mike Fontenot is the back-up shortstop and will be on the roster. And for the time being, it looks like nothing really changes besides Schieholtz/DeRosa out in right instead of Ross for 2 weeks (unless Belt plays). They got pretty good health throughout the spring besides Ross, and closer Brian Wilson, who's still unclear on his status for the opener. If he can't go, they should be OK cause he shouldn't be gone longer than a week. In which case, Javy Lopez and Santiago Cassilla close. So, no un-foreseeable changes to the lineup yet, though that could change if Belt is inserted, which is still at 50-50! A: Huff in RF, Belt at 1B, Burrell in LF (rest the same w/o Ross)
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Notes: The Giants won round 1 of the Bay Bridge series vs. Oakland on Monday night, beating the A's 4-3 behind a big game from Aubrey Huff. Speaking of the Giants first basemen, he's had a ridiculous spring, as he know has 6 homers and 18 RBI. Buster Posey collected 2 hits and Pat Burrell drove in a run with a base-hit as well to give the Giants just enough support behind Matt Cain. Matty wasn't great, but he wasn't horrible either. He'll tell you he stunk, but he went 5 1/3 with 6 K's but did allow 6 hits and 3 runs. Still, it wasn't a bad final tune-up for Matt who will throw Friday in LA then pitch Monday's Home-Opener in San Francisco, when the World Series Flag is dawned and raised!

-Check back tomorrow for an in-depth preview of the Giants/Dodgers Opening Day tilt, including lineups, quotes and analysis, as the Giants start the marathon on the road to defending their crown!-

124 Killed In Southern Yemeni Munitions Factory Explosion

An explosion at an ammunition plant in Southern Yemen on Monday is said to have killed scores of civilians- some of them burned beyond recognition- who were looting the factory after anti-government militants seized control of the 7th of October plant and nearby town of Jaar before leaving with armoured vehicles and cases of weapons and ammunition.

After they left, nearby residents reportedly began taking down cables and doors from the factory while siphoning fuel from abandoned vehicles and dumping out containers of gunpowder so they could use them to store more water.

According to local residents, the cause of the blast appears to be accidental- something likely sparked the gunpowder stored at the facility.

Yemeni officals, however, haven't ruled out the possibility of sabotage or the militants booby-trapping the facility after taking what they could.

The takeover of the factory by Salafist Islamic militants and subsequent explosion is just the latest in a series of problems facing the Western-backed President Ali Abdullah Saleh, with antigovernment protests calling for his removal gaining momentum over the last two months and Al Qaeda allied militants and tribesmen exerting increased control over much of the country's interior. The continued unrest in the capital and ongoing insurgency in the hinterlands threatens to destabilize the strategically located Arab nation. Earlier this month, at least 40 people were killed in clashes between protesters and Yemeni security forces outside the entrance of Sanaa University prompting Saleh to declare a state of emergency.

Giants Arrive Back In San Francisco

It's not quite regular season yet, but we're just 4 days away from the opener, and the Giants, along with the rest of baseball, has migrated north to their home towns as they prepare to play the final few exhibition games of the spring at big league stadiums.

For the first time since the 2010 World Series, the Giants will take the field at AT&T Park, although we probably won't witness the same lineup that will take the field Thursday in Los Angeles. But these next 2 days are essentially the last day of the spring for the regulars, so we should see at least a few of them out there tonight. In fact, if I were Boch, I'd try out a projected opening day lineup tonight, and let then take it easy Tuesday and Wednesday. Without Cody Ross out 3 weeks, it's unclear who will start the year in right. I've been advocating for Aubrey Huff moving out there while Brandon Belt handles 1st, and if there's ever a day to try that out, it's tonight. Huff would get a taste of the AT&T right field winds and trickery, and hopefully give him confidence to handle it for a few weeks, off and on. We'll likely see Nate Schierholtz out there Monday night, but I'd try the Huff option first. No matter who's in right, I think we will see Brandon Belt at first, not just Monday night, but over the last 2 spring games after this one too. I still don't think there's a decision made right now regarding Belt, but I do think a lot should be taken into account how he plays at AT&T, and that means tonight especially. I say they use their projected opening day lineup today for 6 innings, then just give each key player an at-bat over the last 2 pre-season games.

With Ross also out, it mixes up the lineup a little bit, and again, that will rely entirely on who plays and who sits. Right now, I'm going to go ahead and say Belt makes the team out of spring in light of the Ross injury, and ends up in the opening day. Now, I'll have my opening day Giants preview coming up on Wednesday full the final version of the OD lineup, but right now, I'd say Belt needs to be there and hitting 6th right behind Pat Burrell and right before Sandoval and Tejada. I like Schierholtz, but he's never hit enough to warrant any long-term stint in the starting lineup, so you get an idea of the depth of the Giants right there. They also could decide to keep things as are with "The Bat" in LF and Huff at first and start out super utitlity guy Mark DeRosa out in RR. My first choice is Belt, but if he's in Fresno, it shouldn't mean Aaron Rowand enters the lineup. If Schierholtz did start, you could just drop him down to eighth then everybody up a spot. I was looking forward to a full year out of Da Boss, but hopefully he gets this out of the way early. Like I've said many times here, he reminds me so much of Jeff Kent, just with a more positive attitude on the field. The way he's always been pretty solid until he's hit his prime (29-30) and moved to SF then took fire, now let's just hope it keeps going like it did with Kent in 1997!

GBB Schedule: Between now and Opening Day, we'll be plenty busy, so check back everyday for updated posts here at The Giants Baseball Blog:

Tuesday- Pre-Spring Training Answers; Giants notes, Monday re-cap
Wednesday- Opening Day Preview, Lineups, News, Analysis and more
Thursday: Opening Day! Giants vs. Dodgers @ 5PM! Post Game coverage

VCU Final Four Tees, Clothing,Apparel,Youth,Men's,Women's

The VCU Rams have been the Cinderella darlings of 2011. Nobody gave them a chance to get to the Sweet Sixteen, let alone the Final Four! Their upset over the Kansas Jayhawks shocked the world, and they now have a lot of fans who have jumped on their wagon hoping the underdogs can win it all!

Their true die hard fans, who have been there since the beginning have a lot to be proud about. Show your team spirit with some officially licensed VCU officially licensed sports apparel. VCU tees, sweatshirts, jackets, and clothing for men and women are available. Sportswear clothing for the Virginia Commonwealth dedicated sports fan!

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Belated First Look At the New Wonder Woman- sans Christina Hendricks

Well- for those of you dreaming that the voluptuous Christina Hendricks would be coming to the small screen in the upcoming Wonder Woman TV series, sad to say but the dream is over. Adrianne Palicki was announced as the titular (tee-hee) character last week and the revamped Wonder Woman costume was also revealed in a publicity photo released earlier this month. I'll let you compare and contrast if you're so inclined. As Jammie Wearing Fool had pointed out, the newer version of the Wonder Woman costume is supposedly controversial because it lacks the stars and stripes motif of the classic version- however, I wouldn't be surprised if that was some sort of contrived 'controversy' to try and gin up publicity for the TV Series. Here are some 'before' pictures of Ms Palicki to give you an idea of what she looked like before playing the Amazon brunette. Adrianne Palicki had previously appeared in the Friday Night Lights TV series and the 2010 film Legion. Palicki also logged some time as a voice actress on Adult Swim's Titan Maximum and Robot Chicken. While there's no Christina Hendricks, British actress and model Liz Hurley (who's well into her 40s and still looking good) is slated to appear as Wonder Woman's nemesis in the pilot episode. And without the role of Wonder Woman to fall back on, how exactly is Christina Hendricks getting by? Well, when she isn't drawing attention as 60's secretary Joan Halloway, Hendricks is now the face of Vivienne Westwood's collection of Palladium jewelry. No doubt the market price of Palladium shot up when word of that got out. [hat tip- Wyatt Earp; Jamie Wearing Fool]

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Today's Train of Though- The Weather Outside? Still Kind of Frightful, March 27, 2011

One sure sign that spring is right around the corner? We're less than a week away from the start of baseball season!

But don't let that lull you into a false sense of security, as the weather in New England is always subject to dramatic change with no warning. One minute you could be enjoying tempratures higher than those in Florida or California, and the next you could be reduced to a shivering, soggy mess by an abrupt snowstorm or freezing rain.

Of course, railpictures.net contributor Ryan Parent likely didn't have that problem when he snapped this picture of northbound New England Central train 323. Since this picture was taken at the beginning of February 2008, Parent likely knew he was in for at least another month of inclement weather before 'mud season' but braved a snow squall to catch NECR GP38 #3849 and two other Rail America GP38s heading north through Cornish, NH.

The unassuming Granite State town of about 1600 was home to the reclusive author JD Salinger and two covered bridges, including the 1866-built 450 ft-long Cornish-Windsor covered bridge spanning the Connecticut River between Cornish and Windsor, VT. Traversing the former Central Vermont Railway line to White River Jct and north to Burlington and St Albans, VT, train 323 will cross the Connecticut River into Windsor a few hundred yards to the south of the Cornish Windsor bridge on a steel trestle.