Anti-Social Club Episode of Borderline Psychosis- 53 Killed After Gunmen Torch Monterrey Casino; NM Police Chief Admits Cartel Ties; Iraqi Connection?

UPDATE 8/31: Acting ATF director Kenneth Melson was reassigned to a lesser post in the Justice Department on Tuesday in the wake of further fallout from the Fast & Furious investigation. US Attorney for Minnesota B. Todd Jones was named as acting director after Melson's departure- a permanent head for the ATF would need to be confirmed by the US Senate.



Also on Tuesday, the US Attorney for Arizona resigned effective immediately. US Attorney Dennis Burke stepped down two weeks after testifying before a House Oversight Committee regarding Fast & Furious, which Burke was in charge of as the state's US Attorney.





NUEVO LEON: At least 53 people were killed when eight gunmen burst into a casino in the northern industrial center of Monterrey, doused the place with gasoline and ignited a fire that trapped dozens of patrons and gamblers.

With shouts and profanities, the attackers told the customers and employees to get out. But many terrified customers and employees fled further inside the building, where they died trapped amid the flames and thick smoke that soon billowed out of the building.



Video footage showed workers continuing to remove bodies well into the night.



Monterrey Mayor Fernando Larrazabal said many of the bodies were found inside the casino's bathrooms, where employees and customers had locked themselves to escape the gunmen.



In an act of desperation, authorities commandeered backhoes from a nearby construction site to break into the casino's walls to try to reach the people trapped inside.

The attack took place on August 25th. The following day, Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared three days of mourning and the Mexican government offered a reward of 30 million pesos ($2.4 million) for information leading to any of the assailants in the Casino Royale attack.



On Monday night, Federal Police in Monterrey announced that they had arrested five suspects and were still seeking the whereabouts of two more. Authorities believe a likely motive in the casino attack is nonpayment of extortion money and the five detained suspects are said to be members of the Zetas. Surveillance footage of the suspects filling up five gallon canisters of gasoline at a gas station not too far from the Casino Royale was shown at the conference announcing the arrests Monday.



The attack shocked and angered many Mexicans because instead of career criminals, the victims were mostly middle aged women who frequently visited the casino to play bingo.



MEXICO CITY: 21 of Mexico's 31 senior federal prosecutors abruptly quit earlier this month. Mexican press outlets report this as being the single biggest mass resignation of federal officials in recent history.

The office announced late last month that in Morales' first 100 days on the job, 462 prosecutors and other officials had been dismissed and 111 more were facing criminal charges involving a range of infractions, including fraud, theft, abuse of power and falsification of documents. An additional 386 employees were in the process of being dismissed.



Rosa Elena Torres Davila, a senior official in the attorney general's office, made Monday's announcement and said the resignations were tendered on Friday. They included the top federal prosecutors in some of Mexico's most violent states where drug traffickers have intimidated local authorities and killed thousands of people in cases that have largely gone unprosecuted. They also included the top federal prosecutor in the capital, Mexico City, which is a federal district with a status similar to that of a state.

Attorney General Marisela Morales declined to cite specific reasons behind the mass departures



CALIFORNIA: Local, state and federal law enforcement officers raided an Iraqi-Chaldean social club in San Diego County and arrested 60 men in a multi-agency investigation dubbed 'Operation Shadowbox'. The social club had been a source of complaints from both neighboring businesses claiming drug dealing and prostitution were rampant and wives of some patrons said that their life savings was being gambled away at the club.



More ominously, members of the club were alleged to have purchased drugs and explosives from the Sinaloa cartel. Marijuana was sold out of the club while methamphetamine smuggled in from Mexico would be forwarded to a sister organization in Detroit.

Since January, the DEA and El Cajon police have purchased narcotics, firearms, improvised explosive devices and pharmaceuticals from people at the club, Sprecco said. In April, an undercover operative was shown a hand grenade and was told more were available from a Mexican military source. Suspects in the investigation reportedly arranged narcotics shipments from El Cajon to Detroit.



During the course of the investigation, operatives discovered a suspected association with the Sinaloa Cartel, a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization, and the Chaldean Organized Crime Syndicate, which began in Detroit in the early 80s and has been linked numerous crimes, including murder, arson and kidnapping, Sprecco said.



The investigation resulted in the seizure of drugs including more than 13 pounds of methamphetamine, more than four pounds of ecstasy and pharmaceuticals and about 3,500 pounds of marijuana, Sprecco said. Authorities confiscated more than $630,000 and three luxury cars.



Officers seized 34 firearms, including semi-automatic rifles and four explosive devices, which were processed with the help of the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's Bomb Squad and the FBI, Sprecco said.

The city of El Cajon has the second-highest Chaldean population in the United States after Detroit- the San Diego suburb is home to about 47,000 Iraqi Chaldeans, many of them having immigrated there before the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in their native Iraq.



NEW MEXICO: The former police chief of the small New Mexico border town of Columbus has pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms and tactical gear across the border into Mexico on behalf of enforcers for 'La Linea'- a gang of enforcers for the Juarez cartel.

As a participant in the conspiracy, Vega conducted counter-surveillance, used a village-owned Ford F150 truck to transport firearms from the country, pulled over a car of ATF agents at La Linea's request, and tried to get ATF agents to return firearms to Gutierrez after they were seized, Spitzer told the court.



And on Feb. 10, Vega purchased thousands of dollars in body armor, boots, helmets and clothing, including a bulletproof vest for a La Linea leader, whose name was not mentioned in court.



Vega had previously pleaded not guilty to taking part in the conspiracy, in which he and his co-defendants allegedly purchased about 200 firearms - including AK-47-type pistols, weapons resembling AK-47 rifles, but with shorter barrels and without rear stocks, and American Tactical 9 mm caliber pistols - from Chaparral Guns in Chaparral and smuggled them to members of the Juárez-based La Linea cartel between January 2010 and March 2011.



In raids, law enforcement seized 40 of the AK-47 type pistols, more than 1,500 rounds of ammunition and 30 high-capacity magazines before they crossed the border, and found another 12 firearms in Mexico that were traced back to the defendants. Three others were found on three dead individuals in an SUV in Juárez, and others were found at a narcotics bust there, according to federal prosecutors

Former police chief Angelo Vega faces up to 35 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. The village's former mayor- Eddie Espinoza- and village trustee- Blas Gutierrez- have already pleaded guilty for their role in the weapons smuggling case.



Since the arrests, the small 4-man police department has been disbanded and the area is patrolled now by the Luna County Sheriff's Department.

Something to Fret Over: Feds Raid and Shut Down Gibson Guitars Over Imported Wood- Rival Company & Democrat Donors Untouched

Country singer Kellie Pickler flaunting contraband Gibson acoustic guitar at 42nd CMA awards in Nashville- Marsaili McGrath/Getty Images Entertainment

On Thursday, Aug 24th, agents from the US Fish & Wildlife Service raided Gibson Guitar corporation's Nashville, TN facilities, seizing massive quantities of wood and unfinished guitars. This is the second such raid on Gibson's Tennessee facilities in less than two years- in November 2009 federal agents seized files, documents and Madagascar rosewood used in the fabrication of guitars.



At first blush, this appeared to be a case of regulatory busybodies arbitrarily singling out a particular business for scrutiny. Like the 2009 raid, Gibson CEO Henry E. Juszkiewicz insisted his company was in compliance with both US and international laws regarding the harvesting and importing of rosewood.



The most recent raid apparently centers around the Department of Justice's interpretation of an Indian law (reportedly if the wood was finished by Indian workers are required in order for it to be legal).



However, last week enterprising bloggers took a look at the political contributions Gibson CEO Henry E. Juszkiewicz made over the last few election cycles on watchdog site opensecrets.org. The guitar company's CEO gave over $12,000 in contributions to GOP candidates as well as the Consumer Electronics Association, a PAC that contributed $92,000 to Republicans (Although the CEA also gave more than $70,000 to Democrats).

When warrants as ridiculous such as these are issued and executed, there appears no other reason than because the company or individual at hand is being targeted, not because there is any sort of wrongdoing. As a company, Gibson is a legendary. They’ve done nothing wrong, except, apparently, deigning to have a Republican CEO.



The plot thickens, however.



One of Gibson’s leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Company. The C.E.O., Chris Martin IV, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of election cycles. According to C.F. Martin’s catalog, several of their guitars contain “East Indian Rosewood.” In case you were wondering, that is the exact same wood in at least ten of Gibson’s guitars.



The Gibson facility wasn’t raided over allegations of tax evasion, charges of embezzlement, or even something as drab as child labor. Not even close. It was raided over what the DOJ deems an inability to follow a vague domestic trade law in India (one that apparently the Indian government didn’t seem too concerned about enforcing) regarding a specific type of wood. Not illegal wood, just wood with obscenely specific procedural guidelines.

It's worth noting that C.F. Martin & Co has not had the same visit from the Feds that their GOP-donating competitors at Gibson have received twice in less than two years.



Keep in mind this is the same Justice Department that allowed American guns to be smuggled to Mexican cartels, decided to sue Arizona after their state legislature passed SB1070 and declined to pursue a voter intimidation and civil rights violation case against the New Black Panther Party after members were videotaped wielding truncheons outside a Philadelphia polling station in the 2008 elections.



With any other Attorney General aside from Eric Holder, I would simply assume this was a case of anal-retentive bureaucrats and regulatory busybodies attempting to prove their relevance. However, this is the Department of Justice under Holder, so it's very difficult to see anything aside from Chicago-style politics in play as far as Gibons and C.F. Martin & Co are concerned.



UPDATE 8/30: In an even more curious development, Doug Ross' Director Blue blog was among the first to detail the political donations from CF Martin & Co. For a few hours on Tuesday afternoon, the blog had disappeared altogether before reappearing later on. Not just the post on the Gibson raid, but the entire blog.



UPDATE 8/31: In an interview on KMJ radio on Wednesday, CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said that he was told by government officials that his company's legal troubles would go away if he used Madagascar labor instead of US Labor at his factory.



[Hat tip: Dana Loesch; Director Blue; All American Blogger]

Another Day, Another Heavily Subsidized 'Green Energy' Plant Shuts Down

This time it's in California by the San Francisco Bay area. Employees working the evening shift at Solyndra's Fremont, CA plant were met by the CEO who gave them the news as they were coming off of their shift Wednesday morning.

Solar-cell maker Solyndra announced Wednesday that it will close its remaining Fremont factory, lay off its 1,100 employees and file for bankruptcy.



The news marked an abrupt end for a company once considered among the most innovative in a fast-changing industry. The bankruptcy also represents a high-profile failure for a federal stimulus program that gives loan guarantees to green-tech manufacturers.



Solyndra was the first company to win one of the guarantees, receiving $535 million in 2009 to build its second factory in Fremont less than a mile from the company's original plant. Both President Obama and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the new plant, citing it as a symbol of the nation's economic recovery and commitment to a green economy.



But Solyndra, whose solar modules are thin tubes rather than flat panels, struggled to compete against a flood of low-priced solar cells pouring out of heavily subsidized factories in China

Solyndria had backed out of a proposed IPO on 2010 as well. As far back as February, Congress had been probing into how exactly Solyndria secured the $535 million in financeial aid.



Earlier this month, Evergreen Solar- which had recieved more than $58 million in financial aid from the State of Massachusetts- filed for bankruptcy.

Today's Train of Thought- All Clear(Water), Aug 31 2011

Today's Train of Thought takes us down to the Sunshine State right outside of Tampa.



Like so many individuals in Florida, CSX GP39-2 #4301 had started out life elsewhere. In this case, the four axle geep was part of an order delivered to the Reading railroad not too long before the formation of Conrail. The 20 units wound up on the Delaware and Hudson after 1976 and made their way into New England when D&H was brought into the Guilford Transportation fold, meandering anywhere from Northern Maine to Potomac Yard just outside of Washington DC.



However, that was not to last and in 1988, Guilford divested themselves of the D&H. The New York, Susquehanna & Western was appointed the designated operator until Canadian Pacific took over in 1991. Since the GP39-2s were something of oddballs as far as CP was concerned, they were sent to the CSX (CSX predecessor Chessie system helped the bankroll the Reading's purchase in the 1970s), so in a sense, the former Reading units were heading 'home'.



One key difference between CSX #4301 and the numerous people who move to Florida after a long and productive career in the Northeast is that the 4301 is still working. Here, she is seen heading down the street running trackage in the middle of East Street and past the former Seaboard Air Line Clearwater, FL depot with 30 stone hoppers on local frieght O701 in June 2003. According to photographer Mike Woodruff, the depot has since been razed.



To this day, a number of the former D&H/Reading GP39-2s have wound up in service for CSX in the Tampa area.

How President Obama Spent The Summer- Not to Mention Our Precious Money and TIme

After the unprecedented sovereign credit rating downgrade from Standard & Poors earlier this month, President Obama took it upon himself to allay concerns over the economy and high unemployment rate by embarking upon a multi-state 100% NOT-a-campaign-tour "listening tour" through the Midwest.



Eager to demonstrate to midwestrners that he was no out-of-touch limousine liberal, Obama left the Presidential limo back in Washington D.C. and instead embarked upon his midwest road trip with two new motorcoaches that the Secret Service ordered in July 2010 for $1.1 million apiece.







And what better way to show the people of the midwest that you are serious about the economy, American job creation and living within your means than by pulling into town in a brand new, armoured Canadian made motorcoach escorted by a 40+ vehicle motorcade?



After a terse exchange with a local Tea Part activist in Decorah, IA and botching the name of one of the companies that was hosting a town hall, it was off to Martha's Vineyard- that summertime playground of the wealthy and powerful- for some well deserved R&R! But not to worry, as President Obama would manage to find time between golf games to issue two executive orders- one was regarding diversity in the federal workplace while the other would reportedly allow nearly 300,000 illegal immigrants to avoid deportation and receive work permits- not word on whether or not this amnesty-through-executive-order will include his uncle. He also hinted at announcing a new jobs plan when Congress returned from summer recess.



When he wasn't spending time with his family or golfing on Martha's Vineyard, the President managed to work in visits to wealthy donors on the island. Alas, with Hurricane Irene's approach, the President and First Family had to cut their vacation short by about 12 hours so that Obama could swoop in and take charge at the National Hurricane Center.



Despite the strong Democrat voting bloc in the Northeastern states struck by Irene, the President has made no plans to visit those states to view the damage firsthand or meet survivors, despite Democrat lawmakers in New Jersey urging the President to visit the stricken areas. Instead, Obama will be travelling out to California for more fundraising in Hollywood and silicone valley next month.



As for that highly anticipated jobs speech that President Obama had been promising since his Midwest road trip, the Administration attempted to schedule it before both the senate and House the same night as the GOP Presidential debates next week. Speaker of the House John Boehner declined the President's initial September 7 deadline pointing out that it would be their first day back from the summer recess and offered Sept 8th as an alternative. Although the White House seems receptive to that date, that Thursday is also supposed to have the season opener for the NFL with the Saints taking on the Packers.

Berkman Speaks Out

Today Berkman issued a statement which made it very clear he wants to stay a St.Louis Cardinal. He told Cardinals GM John Mozeliak that if he is traded by the Aug. 31 waiver deadline he will not resign with the Cards at the end of the year.

Berkman cleared waivers earlier this month, meaning he could be dealt to any team. The Texas Rangers expressed interest in him after Nelson Cruz injured his hamstring recently, but a deal has yet to materialize.
And Berkman doesn't expect a deal to get done, telling the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "that ship has sailed."
And it appears it has.
"We did have some teams inquire in the past week," Mozeliak told the newspaper. "I met with Lance and we talked about the situation. Ultimately, our goal is to have him back with us next year. Unless something comes along that absolutely blows us out of the water, I don't see him going anywhere."
Berkman says he doesn't want to serve as a rental player, as he did last season when he was traded from the Houston Astros to New York.


A strong candidate for comeback player of the year, Berkman is batting .286 with 30 homers and 81 RBIs this season.

Sporting News

Giants Bite the Bullet, Tejada and Rowand Out

Fans who've despised Brian Sabean's desire for over-the-hill veterans and players who have passed their prime had to breath a little easier when they went online today and read the latest Giants news.



The Giants have cut ties with their second highest paid player, Aaron Rowand, and finally admitted the center fielder never came close to fulfilling expectations the team had for him. ARow had a few clutch hits in his time as a Giant, the last 2 opening days stick out especially, but let's face it, he was never going to be a starting outfielder for this team again, and there's just no reason to keep him and his $13 million ego on the pine. I've heard teammates say a lot of good things about Aaron Rowand, but with my few dealings with him, I've never been a fan. I met him at a Giants event in '07 and he gave a real "brush off" type of attitude. Then there was his interview this year in Chicago which he praised Chicago, but declined to say a word about San Francisco and his teammates when asked in the interview (then had the audacity to call out Bruce Jenkins for reporting the story). But these aren't the reasons Rowand's DFA'd. The dude forgot how to hit a baseball and either failed to work on his game or simply declined at an amazing rate. Either way, a change of scenery will be best for all parties, but the only thorn left in the Giants side is the huge dollars they'll be committing to nobody in'12 ($13 million). I'm sure talk of Aaron Rowand on this blog isn't quite over yet, he'll pop up somewhere, but I must say, I'm happy I won't be forced into watching him and his bazaar, useless, uncomfortable batting stance that yields no results.



A lot of the stuff said about Rowand, can be said about Tejada, just on a smaller scale. The big difference with Miggy and Rowand though, is that the Giants aren't biting nearly as big of bullet by letting him walk. Tejada was on just a one year deal and was free after this season anyway, so the Giants are only out a month's pay on his contract. That to me was a no brainer, especially after Tejada made the whole organization look bad by 2nd guessing a bunt call, then actually calling timeout to argue with Tim Flannery about the call he just received. I think he forgot he was hitting .230 with zero pop and little run production, so I don't know exactly where that outburst of attitude came from, but I'll bet you it had a lot to do with his release Tuesday. I'm honestly surprised Tejada lasted this long to tell you the truth, cause he looked odd with this team, like he didn't fit in from day one.



So, the Giants are finally putting their foot down and with those two moves, they basically are telling guys, we don't care what we owe you, we don't care who you are or what you've done in the past, if you're not producing and are an anchor to this team, then your gone. I can't tell you how psyched I am to see Sabean and Co. starting to take that approach, just wish they would have done it about 2 weeks sooner and maybe we wouldn't have been in this mess. Now some fans are going to see these moves and take them as a sign of the team throwing in the towel, releasing veterans in favor of younger un-proven guys for the playoff run, but if you've watched those two play this year, you know how little of an impact these guys were actually having on the field. To me, it's not a white flag at all, it's a cry for help if anything. It's a message to the young guys that if they're doing their job in the minors, they'll get a look, and if they aren't at the ML level, then you'll be set aside. The two guys taking their spots are Pat Burrell and Brett Pill. Burrell returns from the DL and gives Boch his right-handed pinch hitting weapon back and, depending on how Burrell is swinging, another option in LF. Pill's a guy we talked a bunch about in this post, so check it out for more on him, but he'll play some 1st, 2nd and a little outfield I'd assume and must be thinking to himself, FINALLY! Pill has done as much as any minor leaguer with the Giants the last 3-4 years to not get a shot in the Bigs.

Roads Crumble, Bridges Collapse and Towns Cut Off As Vermont, Upstate New York Lashed by Remnants of Hurricane Irene

Andre Malebra- Burlington Free Press

After making a second landfall on Sunday outside of Egg Harbor Township just outside of Atlantic City, NJ, Hurricane Irene churned north and was downgraded to a tropical storm around the same time she made a third and final landfall near Coney Island in Brooklyn, NY.



However, the storm would continue wreaking havoc with torrential rains and inland flooding as it continued north through the mountain ranges on either side of the Hudson River.







Southwest of Albany, Scoharie County was hit particularly hard by heavy rains and flooding. The rains sent water over the banks and through the main streets of towns like Prattsville and Windham.



Irene did not let up when she crossed over into the Green Mountain state, dumping as much as 11 inches of rain in just under 48 hours, turning placid rivers into swollen torrents of water sweeping away cars, homes, chunks of highways and even the region's iconic covered bridges.







Portions of roadways and bridges throughout Vermont have been washed out, leaving entire towns severed from the rest of the state. Route 9, a two lane thoroughfare that crosses the southern portion of Vermont linking Bennington with Brattleboro has been closed indefinitely according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. At least 30 bridges on state highways- from covered to modern- remained closed as well as any number of bridges on county or municipal roads.



The Vermont National Guard was activated to airlift food, clean water and supplies to towns by helicopter where the road links to the rest of the state had been severed. With 55 Vermont National Guard soldiers and 6 Blackhawk helicopters deployed in Iraq, the National Guard from New Hampshire and Illinois sent additional craft and personnel to assist while high-wheeled vehicles were used to traverse stretches of road that had been washed away.



So far the death toll from Irene is 41 throughout 11 states. The storm is also responsible for an estimated $7 billion in property damage from North Carolina's Outer Banks to northern Vermont.

Vin Scully Coming Back as Announcer

When it comes to announcers there is no one better than Vin Scully. With all the drama in regards to the state of the Dodgers team plus the sinking of the Dodger ship, Vin decides to come back. Here is the story:

The Dodgers could be even worse next season. Their ownership situation could remain unresolved and their stadium could remain half-empty.But fans can take solace in at least this: Vin Scully will return for his 63rd season as the team's broadcaster. On a Friday night when Matt Kemp became the second player in franchise history to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, Scully shared his future plans with the Prime Ticket audience watching the Dodgers' 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.


"God's been awfully good to me, allowing me to do the things I love to do," Scully said on the telecast. "I asked him one more year, at least, and he said OK."

The Dodgers issued a news release soon after, confirming the 83-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster would be back. The team said Scully would again call all home and select road games.

Scully said he made the announcement on the air to avoid the kind of news conference he held the previous year to declare his intentions to return for the 2011 season.

"I hate to make a big deal out of it," he said. "I'm not trying to be a Brett Favre or whoever else."

Scully said he was lured back in part by the familiar faces at the ballpark.

"I enjoy the people," he said. "I really like newspapermen. I enjoy talking and visiting. The winning and losing doesn't bother me. I think it's just the love of people. I just don't know what I would do without it."

Scully handles the play-by-play for all nine innings of his Prime Ticket and KCAL telecasts. The first three innings of the games are simulcast on KABC 790 AM. His 62 years with the Dodgers is said to be the longest tenure of any broadcaster in American sports history.

"He's the face of the Dodgers," Kemp said. "If he was to leave, I think everyone would miss that voice."

Scully's announcement came on the week that Times columnist T.J. Simers reported that the Dodgers asked their season-ticket holders to evaluate the Hall of Fame broadcaster.

The ensuing uproar resulted in Current TV political analyst Keith Olbermann showcasing Dodgers owner Frank McCourt on his "Worst Person in the World" segment.

Scully revealed his decision in the sixth inning, when the Dodgers were trailing, 1-0. The Dodgers scored six runs an inning later.

"Can he announce it again tomorrow?" Manager Don Mattingly asked.


The Dodgers' six-run inning included a bases-loaded balk by Rockies starter Esmil Rogers, a two-run single by Justin Sellers and a two-run home run by James Loney.

Kemp capped the surge with his 30th home run.

With 33 steals, Kemp joined Raul Mondesi as the only Dodgers in the 30/30 club. Mondesi accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1999.

"I'm pretty happy at the moment," Kemp said. "It's something I worked hard for in the off-season, trained for. To do it at home is even more special."

Kemp said he thinks the 40-40 plateau is within reach. "We'll see," he said. "I can hit 10 home runs in a month. I think I can do it. Nothing is impossible."

story by Dylan Hernandez

Baseball In Brazil

A few years ago I ran a article on my blog about the Tampa Bay Rays setting up a baseball academy in a small town of Ibiuna thats right outside of Sao Paulo. Back in Feburary of the this year Major League Baseball hosted an one week elite camp in Brazil to find fifty of Brazil's best baseball players. Among the exMLB players that where to help coach included:

• Elias Sosa – Pitching Coach

He played in MLB from 1972 to 1983 with San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego

• Barry Larkin – Infield Coach

He played in MLB from 1986 to 2004 with Cincinnati

• Bob Didier – Catchers Coach

He played in MLB from 1969 to 1974 with Atlanta, Detroit and Boston

• Bruce Hurst – Pitching Coach

He played in MLB from 1980 to 1994 with Boston and San Diego.

• Wally Joyner – Batting Coach

He played in MLB from 1986 to 2001 with California, Kansas City, San Diego and Atlanta.

Just recently The 3rd Annual Brazilian University Baseball and Softball Championships got underway this past weekend in Ibiúna, São Paulo, at the Yakult baseball facility. 25 baseball teams and 7 softball teams are participating in this year’s championships, which has definitely grown in size and reach, given a number of teams are now coming from of areas outside of São Paulo state, including from such states as Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso do Sul.


The championships are played in 4 rounds over the following 3 months, so the next round is Sept. 17-18 in Ibiúna, then Oct. 22-23 in Ibiúna, and the finals being in Mie Nishe Stadium in São Paulo Nov. 5-6.

The championships are organized by the Confederação Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol Universitário, or CBBSU, which is a bit of an offshoot from the Brazilian Olympic Committee-sanctioned Confederação Brasileira de Beisebol e Softbol, or CBBS. More information and results of the championships can be found on the CBBSU and CBBS websites.

I am hoping one day that a brazillian player will become a major league player. The only brazillian that came close is Anderson Gomes that played in the minor leagues for the Whitesox. He played from 2006-08. He played the outfield.

Brazil has an untapped resource of athletes that any MLB team can benefit from especially the Cardinals.

Tempest Sports Chowdah in a Tea Cup, Come on Irene Edition- Aug 29, 2011

RED SOX: After dealing with 104° heat in Arlington, TX for their four-game series against the Rangers (which the Red Sox won the final three in convincing fashion), the Red Sox headed back to Boston just in time for the approach of Hurricane Irene.



Upon returning to Fenway, not only did they have to deal with forces of nature, but an Oakland A's team that was still smarting from allowing an unprecedented three grand slams in one game to the New York Yankees in last Thursday's 22-9 spanking of Oakland (although the A's took the first two to win the series).



Tim Wakefield continued his futile, almost Groundhog Day-esque quest for 200 wins on Friday night- it did not end well, with A's starter Gio Gonzalez getting plenty of run support in Oakland's 15-5 win.



As bad as that was, Hurricane Irene's approach was of more concern. Although the worst of the storm was expected to move out of the region by Monday and the Red Sox had the day off, Oakland was supposed to play Cleveland that day. With the storm expected to arrive on Sunday, it was decided to play Sunday's game as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.



Jon Lester had to wait out two rain delays in Game 1 to get the 9-3 win, including a 2 hour and 15 min dealy in the 7th. Apparently Game 1 couldn't have been made official after 7 innings because that would've effectively cancelled game 2 according to MLB rules.



For Game 2 of the doubleheader, Erik Bedard gave up his second single of the day before nature once again intervened in the top of the 5th. After another rain delay (the 3rd on the day) play resumed with Alfredo Aceves on the mound going three hitless innings to get credit for the win.



After riding out the remnants of Irene and an off day on Monday, the Red Sox will host the Yankees beginning Tuesday night. The Yankees took two out of three games played against Baltimore in a series that also required some shuffling and rescheduling thanks to Hurricane Irene. Game 1 will feature CC Sabathia (17-7; 2.99 ERA) going up against John Lackey (12-9; 5.98 ERA). First pitch will be at 7:10 ET and the game will be televised on NESN and the MLB Network.



OTHER RED SOX NEWS: The Red Sox sent Ryan Lavarnaway down to Pawtucket this week. The catcher filled in for Big Papi while he missed a week with bursitis, batting .303 and with 3 RBIs over 7 games with Boston. Boston then very briefly called up RHP Scott Atcheson before sending him down to Pawtucket for RHP Micheal Bowden over the weekend. Bowden is 3-3 with a 2.73 ERA for the Paw Sox this season.

Brownwood, TX firefighter Shannon Stone w/son Cooper at fire station- Heather Klein Photo

OTHER MLB NEWS- TEXAS: The Texas Rangers announced plans to erect a statue in honor of Brownwood, TX fireman Shannon Stone who was killed in a fall at Rangers ballpark in Arlington, TX earlier this season while trying to catch a ball tossed up from the field.

The statue will depict Mr. Stone and his six-year-old son Cooper attending a Rangers game. The full-size bronze statue is likely to be located outside the home plate gate of Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.



“We feel that this statue will be a most fitting tribute,” commented Rangers CEO and President Nolan Ryan. “It will not only serve to honor Mr. Stone’s memory but also to recognize Rangers fans and baseball fans everywhere.



“I have discussed the project with Jenny Stone, and she and the Stone family will be involved in the design and creation of the statue.”



Jenny Stone issued the following statement:



“We continue to be appreciative of Nolan Ryan and the Texas Rangers as we deal with the loss of Shannon. Shannon and Cooper had a special relationship, and we are touched and grateful that it will be memorialized at one of their favorite places. Our hope is that this statue will not be a symbol of our family tragedy but rather a reminder of the importance of a family's love - love of each other, love of spending time together, and love of the game.”



The Rangers, who will fund the project, are in the early stages of considering sculptors to design and create the statue.

The statue is tentatively titled 'Rangers Fans' and is expected to be completed in time for the 2012 season.



CLEVELAND: Jim Thome arrived back in Cleveland after being placed on waivers by the Minnesota Twins last week. With Tribe DH Travis Hafner out for the season and possibly needing foot surgery, Thome was acquired by the Indians after the Twins went 20 games under .500 and were 16 games out of 1st place before Thome was dealt.



Thome was initially drafted in the 13th round of the 1989 MLB draft and made his debut as a third baseman towards the end of the 1991 season. Thome left for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2003 and has since logged time with the White Sox and Dodgers before the Twins signed him to a 1-year deal in 2010.



Earlier this summer, Thome hit career home run #600 with the Twins- that number is now 602. The veteran DH has a .277 batting average in his 20 year MLB career.



BALTIMORE: UMass alum and Cy Young winner Mike Flannigan was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head on his Maryland property last week. The Maryland state medical examiner ruled his death a suicide and friends and family said he had seemed despondent over financial issues.



Flannigan started out with Baltimore in the 1975 season winning a Cy Young in 1979 and the World Series in 1983. In 1987, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays where before returning to the O's for the 1991 and 1992 season. The left-hander had a career record of 167-143 and a 3.90 ERA. After retiring, Flannigan worked in the front office in Baltimore before becoming a color commentator on the team's TV network.



NFL: The Patriots might've missed Hurricane Irene with their preseason trip to the Motor City, but they came up empty against the Lions. In a game that was actually less exciting than any of the three rain delays at Fenway, Lions QB Matthew Stafford wetn 12-14 with 200 yards and 2 TDs in Detroit's 34-10 preseason win over New England.



A final preseason game is scheduled for Thursday night this week in which the Pats will take on the NY Giants at Foxboro.

Berkman To be Traded?

I had that this was going to happen. With the Cards out of contention to make any advancement, word has it that the front office is already looking at who they want to bring back in 2012. Berkman has already been verbal about wanting to stay a Cardinal. Well some news about Lance possibly being picked up by the Rangers. Here is the rest of the story.........

Texas Rangers pitcher C.J. Wilson would like to have Lance Berkman on the team if a deal can be worked out by Thursday.


Wilson made the comments on the Ben & Skin Show on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM on Monday. A source told Ben Rogers, one of the show's hosts, that the Rangers were interested in Berkman, who reportedly has cleared waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals.

"You have to think about the needs of the team and the needs of the other teams that would potentially (be) going after him as well," Wilson said Monday. "It'd be great for us to get him because the Angels could use him a lot. ... Lance Berkman is a good player. He can play first base. He can play the outfield."

The Ben & Skin Show
C.J. Wilson calls in to talk about the AL West race and the possibility of bringing Lance Berkman to Texas.

With Nelson Cruz expected to miss three weeks with a strained left hamstring, the Rangers could be in the market for an additional outfielder. In order for any player to be eligible for the postseason, they must be on the team by September 1.

The Rangers were interested in Berkman over the offseason, but the veteran signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals. He has played well, hitting .289 with 30 homers and 81 RBIs. The Rangers have the prospects to deal for Berkman and if he doesn't re-sign in Texas, the Rangers would receive two draft picks in 2012.

"More than likely, if we make any moves, they'll be from inside the organization," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Monday.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan, however, told ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Galloway and Company on Monday that the team is examining all possibilities, including Berkman.

"Obviously with Nellie going out like he is, not knowing when he's going to be back and we got a tough schedule ahead of us, anything we can do to help the ballclub, we're certainly going to look at it," Ryan said. "Lance is having an outstanding year with the Cardinals. So is that a possibility? I guess you could say it's remote, but ... with a player of Lance's caliber, if that's a possibility, you certainly have to give it consideration."

Wilson said he and Berkman talked and moved on this summer after Berkman had said during the offseason that the Rangers were essentially a one-team wonder.

"I felt like if they didn't re-sign Cliff Lee that they were going to be an average team, and I feel that's probably what's going to end up happening," Berkman said on a Houston radio station in the offseason. "It's all about your pitching. I feel like last year was one of those special years where you kind of catch lightning in a bottle and they got hot and they had some guys that I felt like were pitching better than their talent level and consequently they had a great year."

Richard Durrett

Minor League Depth Put To Test

With the rash of Giants' injuries that's wiped out a good portion of this clubs top contributors, the Giants have been calling on more and more minor leaguers to step up and fill some pretty big shoes.



The latest and perhaps biggest minor league call-up came Friday, as the Giants brought up new top pitching prospect, Eric Surkamp, who was absolutely dominating AA Eastern League batters. Surkamp was 10-2 with a 2.02 era in 142 innings in AA, striking out 162 batters while sporting a WHIP slightly over 1. With Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito each shelved with ankle problems, the Giants basically had to call on the 23 year-old lefty by default, but he sure didn't pitch like an emergency starter Saturday in Houston. The newest Giant went 6 solid innings, allowing just 1 run on 6 hits with 4 strikeouts. He got out of trouble a few different times and really looked a bit like Bumgarner and Cain in the way he was able to mow through the Houston Astros despite allowing a few base runners. I was extremely psyched that the Giants ended up holding onto the prize lefty with all the trades they made and prospects they dealt, cause I truly think this kid's going to be a solid big leaguer. The Giants will need that to be the case too because it looks like Jonathan Sanchez's ankle injury is serious enough to shelve him for the remainder of the season and there just aren't any options after Surkamp with Zito down. The Giants could still add another veteran starter as insurance before the 31st, but Surkamp's solid showing may allow them to hold off. It would sure be something if this kid can supply that shot in the arm this pitching staff needs and provide a boost for the September run.



Speaking of September, it can't come fast enough for Bruce Bochy, who's seen his team ravished by injuries all season long, and a whole slew of them in August. Boch has been relegated to using Mark DeRosa way more than he should and I like DeRosa, but his wrist has turned him into a fraction of the player he was before he came to San Francisco. With Sandoval and Keppinger each banged up, the Giants need some help on the infield, and I think a guy like Connor Gillaspie would bring more to the table than DeRosa right now. Another guy who's really tearing it up in AAA and having perhaps the best year of any Giants' minor leaguer is 26 year-old 1B/2B Brett Pill. Unfortunately his main position is first base, and he kind of got lost in the shuffle behind Brandon Belt, but Pill has been a monster this year in Fresno, finally realizing his power potential, and has always been a solid average guy. Because of Belt, the Giants tried Pill out at 2nd base and the outfield as well, so he can play either of those positions too. He's hitting .310 with 24 HR and 104 RBI so far this year, and hit 35 HR with 193 RBI in 2009/10. He's one of the guys I'm definitely looking forward to being called up September 1st.



Other minor league Giants that should get the call-up September 1st and factor into the mix is outfielder Darren Ford. The speedy center fielder would probably be up with the club right now, but he's been injured and was slow to get going with the bat, but has come around in August. Still, he'll be up and be used as a pinch runner/defensive replacement quite often when the rosters expand. Hector Sanchez, who's bounced all around the Giants system this year will likely re-join the club in a few days as well. Sanchez came up for a day on the 23rd and had an RBI hit, then was sent back down the next day to make room for Surkamp. Besides youngsters like Sanchez, Ford and Gillaspie, the Giants will also likely be getting Pat Burrell back when the calendar turns, which will also help out a ton. Burrell's days as a starting left fielder are likely gone, but it will be nice for Bochy to have him on the bench to pinch hit.

Irene Makes Landfall, Spawns Tornadoes as it Churns Its Way Up East Coast

Hurricane Irene made landfall outside of Nags Head, NC at around 7:30 AM ET today, bringing with it storm surges and winds of 85 MPH. So far, Irene is blamed for at least six deaths in the region since Friday and has left millions without electrical power in the Carolinas and Virgina. The storm also spawned a series of tornadoes that struck parts of an already evacuated Virginia Beach, VA.



In Washington D.C., the District's Department of Public works was giving out sandbags to DC residents in the parking lot of RFK stadium, while Philadephia's mayor declared a state of emergency- the city's first such delcaration since 1986.



New York City took the unprecedented step of shutting down the subway and bus system while issuing a mandatory evacuation order for the lower-lying parts of the city, including the area around Battery Park and Wall Street.



After cancelling trains south of Washington DC, Amtrak announced that they would be cancelling all trains north of Washington DC this weekend, including the Northeast Corridor, Keystone Corridor and Empire service.



In Boston, while fishermen and lobstermen north of the hub were bringing in their vessels and gear ahead of Irene's arrival, airlines are expected to cancel their flights into and out of Logan Airport and MBTA is suspending bus, subway, ferry and commuter rail service on Sunday.

Eric Dickerson Throwback St. Louis Rams Jersey, Old Style Classic

Eric Dickerson Throwback Los Angeles Rams Jersey

Classic Old Style Retro Apparel

Eric Dickerson was one of those running backs that was always one stutter step, or one miss-tackle away from going all the way in for a touchdown. He was one of those running backs that was nearly impossible to defend. He had blinding speed and had power to run between the tackles as well.

In 2004 Eric Dickerson averaged 5.6 yds per carry and set the single season rushing record (breaking OJ Simpsons mark).  Dickerson's rose to fame during his career with the Los Angeles Rams, before being traded to the Indianapolis Colts.  The throwback jersey below is the classic old style Rams jersey that Dickerson wore on the field for the Los Angeles Rams.

Eric Dickerson Throwback Los Angeles Rams Jersey

Eric Dickerson Los Angeles Rams Throwback Jersey

•  If you were a fan of Eric Dickerson and the Los Angeles Rams, this is a must have throwback jersey! 


• Made by Reebok


• This is a replithentic jersey meaning that it has authentic quality materials but at an affordable price.


• Officially licensed NFL throwback apparel.


• Raised applique #29 on the front, rear, and shoulders of the jersey.


• Authentic NFL shield embroidered on the upper front center of the jersey.


• Dickerson's name embroidered on back.

Related :

• Los Angeles Rams Throwback Jerseys

Lisa Kelly: With the Angels

And by "With the Angels", I don't mean there was some sort of unfortunate mishap on Atigun Pass- think more like the US Navy's Blue Angels.



Wasilla, AK native and Ice Road Truckers star Lisa Kelly was able to fulfill a lifelong dream of flying with the US Navy's Blue Angels Precision flying team at an Air Show in Fargo, ND this month.

She says she has always wanted to fly in an F-18. In Kelly's line of work, she faces danger daily, but she says that's nothing compared to what the US Navy faces.



She says chasing this dream was a great experience. Kelly says, “We flew upside down, and I’m like hanging from my seatbelt dangling upside down looking at the canopy. We would go straight up and spin and it looks like the sun is just going around the nose of it.

The flight took place immediately prior to Fargo's AirSho between Aug 13th and 14th.







Both Lisa Kelly and Canadian ice road trucker Alex Debogorski will be making an appearence at England's Truckfest in a few weeks.

Man's Best Friend Until the Very End

Tumilson and Hawkeye in happier times

In the same vein as Hachiko in Japan or Greyfriars Bobby in Scotland, a photo taken at the funeral of one of the Navy SEALs killed when their Chinook helicopter was shot down by an RPG shows a dog laying quitely by the SEAL's casket.



Lisa Pembleton, a cousin of SEAL Jon Tumilson photographed the Petty Officer's loyal Labrador retriever Buckeye at his master's side one last time as the dog lay motionless next to the casket at Tumilson's funeral throughout the service. The funeral was held in Tumilson's hometown of Rockford, IA.

Pembleton wrote on Facebook that Hawkeye was Tumilson’s loyal pet who wouldn't leave his master’s side during the funeral in Rockford, Iowa.



“I felt compelled to take one photo to share with family members that couldn't make it or couldn't see what I could from the aisle,” Pembleton wrote.



Tumilson lived in San Diego for eight years before becoming a member of SEAL Team 6. A memorial fund has been set up in his honor and donations can be sent to Frogman 238 Memorial Fund at:

First Security Bank and Trust

201 West Main Ave.

Rockford, IA 50468

Buckeye will remain with friends of Tumilson's in Nebraska who had watched after the lab during the SEAL's previous deployments.

Beltran Finally Makes Impact

In his first start since coming off the 15-day DL, Carlos Beltran finally showed why the Giants sent their top pitching prospect to the New York Mets for the All-Star right fielder.



Beltran had his best day as a Giant, hitting a Tim Stauffer sinker on a line into the arcade above the right field wall. Beltran finished the day 2-4 with his first home run since July 20th, and it couldn't have come at a better time. The Giants got yet another outstanding performance out of their ace right hander, as Timmy shut down the surging offensive juggernaut that are the San Diego Padres. Although they've had a down year all the way around, ever since the Padres inserted former Giant farmhand Jesus Guzman into their lineup, they've turned into a team to be reckoned with when at the plate. Not to mention, they always seem to play their best ball against the Giants, but Lincecum had their bats quiet all night, going 8 strong innings, allowing just 4 hits with 7 strikeouts. The one number that was a little high for Timmy and cost him his shot at a complete game were the 5 free passes he handed out to San Diego. Outside of that, he was his typical Timmy self, and if you take away that little blooper down the right field line that Beltran nearly came up with, he would have had his shutout. In this save situation, Boch went with Santiago Cassilla, and there aren't many relievers in baseball having the type of year Cassilla is, so I'd expect to see him stick in that role until Wilson or Romo return. If your wondering about Heath Bell, who the Giants claimed off waivers yesterday from San Diego, I wouldn't expect him to head north to San Fran. They did it more so to block him from Arizona rather than take him for themselves. He certainly would make the bullpen freakishly strong, especially if Wilson comes back strong soon, but he won't come cheaply.



The other standout offensively on Wednesday night was Brandon Belt, who continues to impress with the more consistent playing time he's getting. He played left field and did so in front of perhaps the greatest left fielder of all time, certainly the best in Giants history, in attendance. Barry Bonds was in the first row next to the Giants dugout and was getting about as much camera time and attention from fans as the actual ballgame itself, and just maybe he is the Giants good luck charm. The new left fielder had another multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a double and a run scored. Belt's average is slowly but surely climbing, and he's now sitting at .243, so it's good to see Bochy recognizing that and making it a point to get the giraffe into the lineup. He's again in the lineup Thursday night and hitting in the 7th hole. Also in a new spot in the lineup is shortstop Orlando Cabrera, who I've been lobbying for to get a shot in the leadoff spot. He got on just one time in 4 at-bats Wednesday, but I just think he's a much better option there than guys like Rowand, Ross and Mike Fontenot. Bochy again has Cabrera in the leadoff spot Thursday, so he's another guy to keep an eye on to see if he could possibly be the Giants answer at leadoff where they've been below league average all year long. With a few days left for waiver trades to go down, I'd love to see the Giants snag a center fielder/leadoff man, so hopefully Torres returns strong, or Cabrera works out, cause you don't win a division or get very far in October if your leadoff guy is hitting .230.



Why Heath Bell Won't Be a Giant: Like I said at the top of the post, I highly suspect the Giants only had intentions of keeping Bell away from Arizona by claiming him, but it just so happens, they could actually use a guy like Bell right about now. Still though, San Diego is looking at two supplemental picks if they hang onto him and he inks elsewhere this winter, but the risk there for SD is that he accepts arbitration and wins $15+ million. So there is incentive for the Pads to deal him rather than risk him accepting arbitration, but they'd still want at least one top prospect, a la Eric Surkamp or a Gary Brown-type guy, and he's just not worth it for a month rental.

East Coast Braces for Hurricane Irene's Approach

Tourists and truck drivers evacuating North Carolina's Outer Banks by ferry. Photo: Chuck Beckley- New Bern Sun Journal

A mandatory evacuation order for the outer banks of North Carolina is expected to go into effect Friday as Hurricane Irene gained strength while approaching from the south.



Workers from the North Carolina DOT were inspecting the aging Bonner Bridge after Tuesday's magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Virginia- the bridge links North Carolina Route 12 from Cape Hatteras to the mainland and is a key evacuation route. Further inland, residents jammed the aisles of local stores and markets in order to stock up on food, fuel, water, generators and other supplies.



At least 180 flights to and from major east coast airports have been cancelled with Irene's expected arrival. Amtrak trains south of Washington D.C., already hobbled by slow orders from host railroads Norfolk Southern and CSX after Tuesday's earthquake in Virginia, were cancelled while travellers were awaiting word on any possible service disruptions on the busy Northeast Corridor.



To the north, the governors of Virginia, Maryland, New York and New Jersey have declared states of emergency in advance of Irene's landfall. The US Navy sortied more than two dozen vessels from the huge Norfolk Naval station, including the aircraft carrier Dwight D Eisenhower, while further north, four attack submarines were dispatched from their Groton, CT base to ride out the storm in deep water. Naval aircraft was being flown further inland to ride out the storm.



Officials in New York City are considering evacuations of low-lying areas in a worst-case scenario among other preparations.

The city is making preparations to open 65 evacuation centers, seven special medical needs shelters and 75 general population shelters. These facilities can hold roughly 71,000 people; there are about 272,000 people living in the area most likely to be affected.



Officials recommended residents put together a supply kit, including drinking water, a flashlight, a battery-operated radio and a whistle

The Philadelphia Phillies have rescheduled Sundays game against the Florida Marlins to be played on Sat. In Boston, Sunday's scheduled game against the Oakland A's will likely also be moved to a Saturday doubleheader. Aug 27th as a doubleheader and the Orioles are discussing doing the same with their weekend series against the Yankees. In Maine, the Maine Eastern Railway announced that they were cancelling trains for Sunday, Aug 28th.



All these precautions and preparations are underway despite the uncertainty of where exactly Irene is supposed to make landfall. Numerous projections show her coming ashore anywhere from North Carolina's Outer Banks to Cape Cod while possibly increasing to Category 3 in the process.



Even if the eye of the storm misses the most densely populated areas, there could still be extensive damage to metropolitan areas thanks to heavy rains and winds in the storm's outer bands. If Irene does strike New England, she will likely be the first significant hurricane to strike since Hurricane Gloria in 1985. Like Gloria, it's also entirely possible that Irene could make landfall multiple times.

Today's Train of Thought- It's a Gas Gas Gas, Aug 24, 2011

Today's train of thought shows us what can be best described as a pipeline on wheels out in Big Sky Country.



Once upon a time, Conoco Philip's [NYSE: COP] Yellowstone pipeline carried gasoline all the way from Billings, MT to Spokanne, WA. However, after a 3000 barrel spill in 1993 on the Flathead Indian Reservation, the tribal council there revoked the pipeline easement. This left a 56-mile gap through the reservation and there was no talk of relocating that portion



Into the breech stepped Montana Rail Link, offering to have the gas offloaded from the pipeline in Missoula into tank cars for a 129-mile trek into Thompson Falls, MT where it is placed back into the western end of the Yellowstone pipeline to complete its westward journey to Spokane. At Thompson Falls, the locomotives, empty tank cars and spacer car on each end are turned around for the return trip. The outbound train is usually referred to as 'The Gas Local' while the returning cars are sometimes referred to as 'Gas Cans'.



Railpictures.net contributor Amy Miller caught an outbound Gas Local in August 2010 with SD45-2 #332 leading SD70ACE #4308 at Arlee, MT. The two locomotives represent two dramatically different epochs in EMD's manufacturing- the #332 started out life as an SDP45 for the Erie Lackawana nearly 40 years ago before the E-L became a part of Conrail. At some point in its career, #332 got into a wreck and her rear hood was rebuilt before being pressed into service as a leaser with Motive Power International and sold to the Montana Rail Link [Occasionally even older locomotives will hitch a ride with the Gas Local, as MRL's GP9s shuttle between their Paradise, MT assignment and Missoula- NANESB!].



By contrast, the #4308 was built new for the MRL in 2005 by EMD and has been in service since then in a variety of duties ever since.

Quickie Lone Star Sports Chowdah Update for Aug 23rd: Texas-sized Innings Help Sox Stay Ahead of Rangers

Didn't seem that long ago, word of John Lackey starting would make any Red Sox fan worth their salt cringe.



After getting shut out by the Rangers by a 4-0 final Monday night, Lackey got the start for Boston Tuesday going opposite Colby Lewis. And Boston would have to find a way to win without Youkilis or Big Papi (although Ellsbury returned to the lineup for the 1st time in 3 games).



Things started pretty badly for Lewis when Ellsbury got on board with a single to open up the game and then came home on 1B Adrian Gonzalez's 1-out 2-run homer. Boston would then double their lead with an RBI double from former Rangers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a Marco Scutaro sac fly in the 2nd. From there, the Red Sox got 2 more as Carl Crawford brought home Josh Reddick and an RBI-double from Ryan Lavarnway to make it 6-0 in the top of the 3rd.



The Rangers were persistent and after giving up three straight singles, Lackey gave up his first run of the night thanks to a bases loaded walk to Elvis Andrus in the bottom half of the inning. The Rangers would go on to cut the lead in half after Josh Hamilton and Micheal Young had back-to-back RBI sac flies to make it a 6-3 game.



However, the Red Sox would start to pull away once again with a 2-out solo homer to Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the 4th. Although Josh Hamilton would get a home run off of Lackey in the bottom of the 5th, the damage was limited to one run after Jacoby Ellsbury ran down a fly ball from 2B Ian Kinsler and Marco Scutaro made a close play at short to get SS Elvis Andrus out at 1st base before Hamilton's at-bat.



Lackey would last 6 and ⅔ innings and depart with a 7-4 lead over the Rangers. Closing the game out wasn't so much a job for the bullpen as it was for the bats on Tuesday night as Marco Scutaro and Dustin Pedroia each had 2-RBI doubles in the top of the 8th.



Boston would go on to win by an 11-5 final (Ian Kinsler would get a solo homer off of Dan Wheeler in the bottom of the 9th). Adrian Gonzalez went 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI on the evening and after a frequently awful start to the season, Lackey is 12-9 with a 5.98 ERA.



The win sets up a rubber game tomorrow where Josh Beckett (10-5; 2.46 ERA) goes on the bump against Matt Harrison (10-8; 3.28 ERA). After missing nearly a week with bursitis in his right heel, it's possible that DH David Ortiz could rejoin the team's lineup on Wednesday.

A Derek Jeter Resurgence

By Mike Moritz

Right now, Derek Jeter is hitting .295. Okay, now anyone who thought that Jeter would come within 10 points or less of hitting .300 or better this season by the near-end of August raise your hand. I can see that a lot of you people did not think so, and rightfully so: Jeter hit .270/.340/.370 and a .100 ISO in 2010 en route to his worst offensive season of his career. His line drive rate (16.1%) and fly ball rate (18.2%) were both career lows while his ground ball rate reached 65.7%, which was the highest in baseball. All of this happened at age 36, at which point he is past his prime.

So coming into this year, sure he was expected to get his 3,000th hit but let's be honest, he was deemed just about at the end of his rope. And so, as expected, for the first three months at least, he struggled, as his line drive rates for April, May and June were 9.6%, 14%, and 9.5%, respectively. Jeter had new hitting mechanics that he flirted with for spring training and a few weeks into the season but ditched that plan early on.

July was the start of a resurgence for Jeter, which included his 3,000 hit and home run (which I was unable to watch because I was away; which is why you haven't seen a new post in a while). His line drive rate hit a season high 19.7% without a change in his mechanics. This month has only been better for Jeter; his line drive rate has sky rocketed to a heady 33.8%. Even when Jeter is at-bat, I just have the confidence that he is going to get a hit, hopefully you feel the same way.

The thing is, this resurgence might just only last for this season. Look, he's 37 years old now and has been in decline for a little while now so I find it highly doubtful that he can turn it completely around before he retire. I find it even harder to believe that he can really flip the switch back on because he really just has no power left basically.

I would love it if Jeter could become a .300 hitter again until he retires, but it's just not all that realistic. BUT! We could very well see Jeter finish with a .300+ average, and that would be very nice, even if he finishes with an ISO under .100 and his wOBA is almost 25 points less than his OBP.

Virginia, East Coast Rocked By Magnitude 5.8 Quake

Tremors from a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Tuesday afternoon in Virginia prompted evacuations in the Pentagon and Capitol building and was felt as far away as Ohio and Toronto.

The quake rocked Virginia just before 1:55 p.m. [E.T.], and authorities said the epicenter appeared to be in Louisa County, about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. The epicenter is not far from Dominion Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear plant, where the earthquake knocked out power, but the utility manually shut down both nuclear units without incident.



"We did lose on-site power, but all the diesel generators are up and running," Dominion spokesman Richard Zuercher said 30 minutes after the quake. "Everything appears to be operating just fine."



The quake- the largest in Virginia since May 5, 1897, according to the U.S. Geological Survey- shook buildings and employees were ordered outside across Richmond and other cities in Virginia. Within minutes, Richmond police began receiving calls about possible property damage.

So far, there have been no reports of any casualties or injuries, but there are scattered reports of some structural damage around Mineral, VA and 90 miles to the north in the Washington D.C. area.



The town of Culpepper, VA was placed under a state of emergency and the local jail evacuated immediately after the Tuesday afternoon quake.



To the north, the National Parks Service began shutting down monuments across Washington D.C. as a precaution.



The central spire on Washington D.C.'s National Cathedral- the highest point in the District of Columbia- was damaged in the quake, with cross shaped finial stones being knocked off the top of three out of the four spires and one leaning inward.



Both the Pentagon and US Capitol Building were briefly evacuated- Congress is in recess for the summer, but staffers were still present at the Capitol building.



In Washington D.C.'s Union Station, the quake reportedly knocked down some ceiling tiles in the main concourse, although there was no reports of any injuries. Amtrak was operating trains between Baltimore and Washington D.C. at a restricted speed while commuter railways MARC and Virginia Railway Express briefly suspended operations as track, structures and wiring leading in and out of Union Station were inspected for damage.



Further south, the two main rail carriers operating closer to the epicenter- CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern- restricted freight trains to operating speeds of 10-15 MPH while tracks, bridges, tunnels and signals were being inspected for damage by Maintenance of Way personnel.



Airports throughout the Mid Atlantic region suspended flights on Tuesday afternoon. Dulles Airport, Reagan National, BWI, Atlantic City, Newark, Philadelphia and New York's JFK were among the international airports that had suspended flights with flights resuming by Tuesday night in the New York area. The quake reportedly registered as strong as 5.4 on the Richter scale in New York state.



The Mineral quake comes not even 24 hours after the USGS reported a magnitude 5.3 earthquake at 11:46 PM Mountain Time outside of Trinidad, CO on Monday night. Records indicate it was the strongest quake in Colorado in over a century, although there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. Geologists have indicated that the Colorado and Virginia quakes are unrelated.

Belt's Bat Saves Giants in Houston

Well, the Giants got some more bad news on the injury front this weekend in Houston, but thanks to Brandon Belt, they were able to salvage the finale Sunday and move back to within 1.5 games of first in the West.



On the injury front, Brian Wilson's arm was bad enough to the point that they DL'd him, which I'm sure was the last thing they wanted to do with Sergio Romo already down. Luckily, the Giants bullpen hasn't missed a beat without their two best arms, even though the team struggled again in Houston. They were shut down in the first two games, as they were shut out in game one, then Madison Bumgarner was rocked in game 2. They did, however, manage to figure it out just in time to avoid being swept back to San Francisco though, thanks in large part to the bats of Brandon Belt and Pablo Sandoval. Brandon Belt has all the sudden found his stroke at the big league level, and I think it's going to be impossible for Bochy to sit this guy with the way he's played this last week. Belt had a 2-HR game earlier on the trip in Florida in the only game the Giants won there, then had the day of his young career Sunday at home in Houston, going 4-5 with another HR and 3 RBI. The hit total and RBI total were each career highs at the big league level, and more than anything, a statement from Brandon Belt that he can help this offense in a big way. The Giants don't win the game though if not for outstanding relief work in place of emergency starter Dan Runzler, and one big swing of the bat by Pablo in extra-innings. Sandoval hit the game winning 2-run homer in the 11th inning to send the Giants back to San Francisco on a positive note.



Now, with their return home, the Giants should have some reinforcements on the way. The club is very much hoping to have their all-star right fielder back in the lineup on Tuesday when he's eligible to come off the DL. If not Tuesday, Carlos Beltran should return to the Giants lineup at some point this week, and I expect him to take off when he does. I'm just going to be very curious as to what Bruce Bochy does with the lineup card once Beltran does return, cause someones going to be the odd man out. With the way Belt is swinging the bat, I'm sure Bochy wants to have him in there more often than not, and he also has to find a spot for the teams best defensive outfielder and one of their steadier bats, Nate Schierholtz. The logical choice would be to just throw Belt at first and move Huff into a bench/platoon role, but I just don't see that happening. Huff has started to pick it up a bit with the bat lately (.294/3/6 in August) and we all know how Boch likes those vets in a pennant race. Therefore, I could see Schierholtz losing the most at-bats once Beltran returns, with Belt getting 1/2 the starts in left and about 25% of the games at first, which would put his bat in the lineup 3 out of 4 nights while still giving Schierholtz and Huff plenty of at-bats. I'd still like to see Beltran in center with Nate in right and Belt in left, but that won't likely happen.