but I couldn’t remember the rapper’s name. Gangsta rap is the cause of most problems in the western world though.

By no means am I saying that any of those are not a factor or that we shouldn’t point out the issues. The problem I have is with people pointing to one thing and saying, “THAT IS IT!!!!” My problem is more with the wording of the conversation. I like to look at the entire picture, not pick out the single things that make the point that I want to make (though admittedly I do fall into that trap as well).

Especially because he probably disagrees with me…

But there is no proof that (1) pitching in winter ball, (2) high pitch counts, or (3) Dusty Baker make a pitcher more susceptible to arm injury. Pitchers get hurt all the time; pitchers who have no connection to any of (1), (2), or (3) sometimes need TJ surgery. Pitching is an unnatural motion that puts lots of torque on body parts that aren’t really designed to take alot of torque.

Bottom line, unless you can show that Volquez pitched when he was hurt, I’m going to chalk it up to “just one of those things”.

Eve Plum in Alice’s bedroom by the kitchen with the dog.

Do teams really prohibit them from playing or is it encouraged?

from now on, i’ll point with my whole hand.

It’s to the point where some asshole parents have suggested getting the procedure done on their high school kids to improve their arms. At any rate, it’s nothing to fear as far as surgeries go. The kicker is just being out for a year. Who wants to guess how effective Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo will be in 2011? I feel like we’ll have wasted their best years trying to field a winner.

unless he does something stupid like Rjio, and despite having his surgery in August, he tries to return in April.

And Ramon Hernandez, Jerry Hairston, Jr. and Joey Votto played in it as well. Also, the Dominican crashed out of the WBC fairly early on, which limited how much Volquez and Cueto actually pitched. Many players opted not to play in the WBC, but (and someone will have to back me up or correct me) I seem to recall that being of their own volition, rather than any vocal prohibition from their clubs.

Taveras cf
Rosales 3b
Votto 1b
Phillips 2b
Gomes rf
Balentien lf
Gonzalez ss
Hanigan c
Cueto p. vs.

vs. LH Tom Gorzelanny (3-1, 5.19).

Obviously Scott Rolen is still feeling the effects of the beaning. First start as a Red for Wlidimir Balentien.

I heard that they’re hope for an 8 p.m. start. The Ohio River level might be at field level by then.

but that’s because he has unbridled hatred toward all black people…

Clearly he’s not ready for it.

Does Walt think Dusty’s a dumbass too? How could he not?

He makes some of the best contact on the team and has the highest OBP this side of Joey Votto. Sure, he’s not a prototypical leadoff guy, but you’re not sacrificing power the way you were when Bob Boone batted Dunn leadoff. Put it this way: we got Taveras for his speed and basestealing ability, even put up a counter to 100 SBs. Instead, Taveras’s OBP is under .300 and he’ll be lucky to get 30 SB on the season. Why not try someone who will at least get on base, for the likes of Votto and Rolen to drive in?

Heck, I’d be tempted to rank Pete Mackanin higher than Dusty.

There’s Corey Patterson, Willy Taveras, and his “tossed salad” method of lineup construction to get past. There’s a reason BleedCubbieBlue’s series preview was called ‘Did You Ever Think You’d Be This Glad To See Dusty Baker?’

So no, I’d submit that he’s not the best manager we’ve had since Lou. I’d say he’s just about the worst.

He told Walt to bring in a leadoff hitter, and that’s where Willy Taveras came from. Corey was here last year solely because of Dusty. He doesn’t have to play Gonzalez every day with Janish sitting there on the bench, but he chooses to anyway. Maybe he isn’t responsible for Volquez’s arm injury, and maybe he’s a good presence in the clubhouse, but his lineups and in-game moves are worse than any other manager this team has had in my lifetime, even Boone and Narron.