The *Poor* Giants
Jon Miller was recently interviewed by Howard Medgal (“Sports on Earth”) and was asked to break down the failure points of the 2013 season. He said pretty typical things that we’ve all discussed, but I did find this comment interesting (in response to the challenges the Giants face in keeping up with the free spending Dodgers):
“The cost of a superstar bat, or a superstar pitcher, has to go to the mortgage every year,” Miller said. “And they still have to put money into revenue sharing — one of the haves. Or maybe the way they look at it, maybe, they have to write a check to Oakland, write a welfare check to Oakland, which is a different story.”
Now, I know the Giants refinanced their stadium loan so it’s not going to get paid off by 2017 as had been originally planned. But I don’t understand Miller’s comment at all. He uses the $20 mil annual finance payment as an excuse (or a *reason* depending on how you look at it) for why they can’t go after a $20mil/year bat but makes no mention of their monstrous yearly revenue. How could the mortgage payment be the reason they don’t go after a big bat?
And the re-fi was done so the team could develop the parking lot across from McCovey Cove. They’re going to build parks and restaurants (another future revenue bonanza for the team).
Miller should have stuffed his mouth with a couple of those tasty ballpark hot dogs before he tried to answer this question……
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Post season Prediction Contest:
Twin is organizing a (see above). If you’re interested, please indicate that you want to play in the comment section below. Here is his post from yesterday with some details:
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Not certain Twin saw my “yea” vote that I am in, but I am in. š
My take on the Miller comment is this – I like Jon, but he is a Giants employee and he is only going to reveal the “company line” which lately has amounted to what Navin R. Johnson said in The Jerk:
“My story? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days, sittin’ on the porch with my family, singin’ and dancin’ down in Mississippi…”
Headin’ up to the game. Will be sitting in the right-center bleachers. Maybe the Giants (Belt, Pence?) can send one of those cheapo home runs our way this time.
Have a great day Mac! Question – is Pawlie going to this game as well?
Hopefully last night is more evidence why Lincecum should stay here. Meaningless game for SF where Bochy easily could have brought in one of the Dunnings of the world an inning or two earlier, but no. He left TL in with possible chance to get another W for him. I think Bochy genuinely cares about the guy, and admires his competitive spirit, the Cy years and toughness, and how he has bounced back from adversity of this time a year ago. The *pen* move in the playoffs another example of giving him a chance to help the team, and regain some of his old confidence in different type of situation.
No SP wants to come out of the game; they all want a chance to get through stuff and stay in there. I’m sure after watching him last night the Yanks would love to have Lincecum in their starting rotation, with money/years not an obstacle. But I think/hope he is happier here in SF with Bochy and Rags.
Miller is dead wrong too, agreed. No reason SF can’t field competitive team and pay up for an FA if they so desired. They may not have *Dodger $$*, but that’s irrelevant to how successful you are. drafting and developing players and making smart decisions on what you have/what you need, is.
I would like to play in the prediction contest, I do not need the prize if I get lucky and win. My old girl friend, who is a Yankees fan, whom I haven’t hear from for months had to give me a jab on facebook after the game.
I told her Arod must of just got a shot in his ass before the game.
Good post Manny. What really pisses me off about ARod, is that he passed one of the legends (and good guys) of all time, Lou Gehrig in grand slams. Frickin’ money grubbing cheat!
i’ve added manny and blade to the list of who’s already in: craig, chi, chuck, snarkk, mac, rooster, kat, and salty. btw, the prize will be a pc, as i did for the previous contests. i’ll provide the specs when i work them up. it wil be a mini-itx form in a mini ‘shuttle’ case, but not an actual shuttle pc, i’m just using the shuttle case because it’s stylish. manny, and any others who may want to opt out of the prize: it will make a nice gift, too. and if anyone is wary of divulging person info, i can arrange for it to shipped to a ups store or similar facility. i pay shipping. there is no cost of any kind to the winner- except a monitor. the unit will include speakers, wireless keyboard and mouse, and a webcam for skpe, video email, etc.
Please Lord, do not let the Gallus Gallus Domestic non-Flapper win the contest.
I’m past, way past, caring a shriveled hot dog about the strokes on the stadium “mortgage”. How do we know it’s $20 million? Maybe it’s $12M. Maybe it’s $10M. Anybody seen the Giants Baseball Club, LLP tax return on the interest expense line? What’s on THAT, I’d believe. Maybe. Baer & Co. have surely refinanced that puppy SEVERAL times since the park was built, as interest rates have been at historic lows for years courtesy of the Great Recession and Ben Bernanke and his money machine. If they haven’t, they’re morons. And, they’re not. BTW, a “mortgage” on a huge, special purpose facility like ATT does not involve going down to B of A to make a loan application, or getting an on-line “mortgage”. The Giants cleverly use that word so that the hoi polloi think of their monthly pain. You go to Wall Street and Montgomery Street and get very favorable terms from investment banks or insurance companies at low rates for the obvious security and low risk that is a MLB baseball team. Anyway, the Giants may have even taken some revenues and paid down some principal. Who knows? Whatever the debt service number is, and I doubt it’s now $20M, is an operating expense. Like any business, you deal with it and minimize them. Such as have a cheapass South Carolina concessionaire that has labor problems with its employees, while still charging you nearly $8 for garlic fries. A team that is 5th or 6th in MLB total revenues and is one of the few that owns its own stadium, plus has a sweet city-deal long-term ground lease, and a major multi-use development deal in the works on its parking lot land, has little to complain about from a financial perspective. Cry me a river for a franchise worth around $1 billion. And, BF is right, they’ve sold the building out for 2 years straight, and darn near sold it out every year since they’ve had that park. They’ve maxed revenues to beat the band since the 2010 WSeries with licensing stuff. So, cut the crap Miller and Giants management about the “mortgage”. The real question is what they’re doing with those big operating revenues that have rolled in since before the WS years, and bigger revs the last three years. As far as I see it, it hasn’t been well spent in the minors for a few years now, and since SF has no international players of note, not there either. The only minor league position guy remotely looking like even a bench player next year is Perez. Hembree looks like a keeper. Otherwise, new in-house-developed talent is phfffft. Theyll have to go out and pay for talent to come here and stay here and/or work some trades in order to stay competitive. They can afford it…
Plus, I didn’t know, as BF said last night, that the Giants will pay Zito $7M next year ” to bang his wife”. Heck, I’d do that for a lot less, and they could save $ on the OpEx line…
Voggy is doing his now normal road trip gas can act. He is getting old (figuratively and literally).
they really didn’t hit vogie very hard in that inning, blade. the next 3 innings (if he makes it) should show us more. imo.
I think we just got shown more from Voggy…
ok, those were hard š
fucker didn’t take long to make me look bad. uh, is appalachian state on tv? or maybe “easy way to dry figs’?
but i still think that the determination as to exercising his option will be his arm health, not this year’s results. i think they bring him back.
Voggy was horrible the last half of last season. He was horrible this season after ST and the WBC, except for the game when he broke his thumb. Now, he’s horrible again. I see a trend…
i’ve rethought keeping him in my latest post. however, you did forget his brilliant 2012 post season.
i’m not getting in on the financial discussion this time around…
kontos- i’m no apologist for him, but he didn’t make a bad pitch to a-rod. i suspect he’ll be among those fighting for the last spot or two in the pen. kruk is right about this- he needs an off speed pitch.
farm guys- right now lf would be blanco/perez. i know that there’s sentiment for a left fielder in trade or free agency, but i don’t see them getting two corner outfielders.
pen- assuming nobody leaves in a trade- romo, casilla, hembree, affeldt, lopez ( i think they keep him) are locks, imo. i think they need another vet. that leaves kontos, machi, dunning, mijares, rosario, moscoso, kickham. fighting for one spot ( or two if they get don’t pick up an established reliever). i dont think gaudin returns. of those others , machi has looked the best, and has the best stuff. i think cody hall is a long shot.
starters- i think tim comes back, and they pick up another starter. that leaves surkamp, kickham again, vogie, and maybe escobar fighting for the 5 spot…
In my opinion, you may now scratch Moscoso off the list of those fighting for the “bed crumb” reliever spot.
well, he’s a very possible dfa, i’m just listing who i think *might* be in the running. even if he’s kept around after this year, he’s a long shot to make next year’s team. in his favor is that he can pitch 3 or more innings, and he did have a good year ‘recently’, 2011.
i should have added petit to the 5th starter competition, btw.
Well, this start is adding more to my position that Voggy is not even close to a next year’s no brainer re-sign. $6 million is cheap for a good pitcher. It’s not cheap for a guy that’s done…
ah come on. that drive to pagan was clearly aided by that 2 mph stiff breeze.
BTW, talking about competition from the Dodgers, as Miller did in BF’s thread. Did you guys know that 100% of the purchase price of any major league franchise team is depreciable over 15 years? It’s called the roster depreciation allowance (RDA). It started under Bill Veeck, he contended players were the major asset of a franchise, and they declined in value over time, like a herd of cattle (which got a depletion allowance for ranchers). The IRS allowed it, and it’s been allowed since back in the ’50s. It’s evolved so that now 100% of the franchise purchase price is attributed to the RDA, which is nonsense. So, with the new owners buying the Dodgers for $2 billion, the LA ownership gets to deduct around $133 million a year off of taxable income for the RDA. That is IN ADDITION to the deduction for total players’ salary expense. So, with the Doghair’s roster salaries costing over $200 million into the foreseeable future, that’s total tax deductions of around a third of a billion dollars a year just for the roster into the foreseeable future. That’ll put a pretty good dent into LA’s taxable income coming from that big cable deal. And, it will free up money for LA to keep its track towards the Yanks of the West for years to come…
The other reason that it makes no sense (and is counter-intuitive to me) is because baseball players salaries always go up, not down.
Yeah,plus baseball players wives make sure their always up as well.
š
It makes no sense for several reasons. A roster is typically composed of a mix of players who are declining and improving — a mix. For example, Puig increasing in value, Uribe declining. This is not the case with depreciable assets that are assumed to decline in economic value ratably over time. Second, the team doesn’t “own” the players like a rancher owns cattle. The team has player contracts, which can be traded for other player contracts. So, the roster’s contracts will look way different in 5 years post-purchase than they did at time of team purchase, let alone in 10 or 15 years after team purchase…
My head is hurting. š
Revamping the BP is sure a must.Monosucko wont be one of them.
Agree with Snarkk and i have said it as well..Vogs is “Overcooked” he is the Turkey Carcass in “Natonal Lampoon Christmas Vacation”
Good line about the turkey. š
Voggy reminds me of Sarah Packard in The Hustler, when Bert Gordon tells her (Voggy):
“Bert Gordon: You’re here on a rain check and I know it. You’re hangin’ on by your nails. You let that glory whistle blow loud and clear for Eddie and you’re a wreck on a railroad track… you’re a horse that finished last. So don’t make trouble, Miss Ladybird. Live and let live! While you can. I’ll make it up to you.”
Voggy’s story is a great story. But, I see it having a good shot at ending. And, you have to wonder how all of a sudden for a two season period he pitched better than ever at a fairly old age, then has fallen off a cliff (since the last half of last season) after scoring his best ever contract…
Bad batch of PEDs?
Less blow jobs?
Giants hitters need a Giant energy bar. Filled with greenies. Or, is that not allowed anymore? This is embarrassing, again…
BLEEP THIS!
Johnny Monell: Hey skipper,i know you don’t want to play me.But I was “Born” in NEW YORK!!! Shit you even threw a bone to Emanuel Burris,who always sucked and started him in Washington his hometown against the Nats a few years back.
Boch…Kid,we still can escape the cellar, until it comes down to that honored acomplisment,keep enjoying splinters up your ass.
Bochy could play him in this game that’s lost. If not, he should play him tomorrow somehow…
And, on cue, here’s Monell PHing for Hector…
And, striking out…
presuming posey still catches, sanchez is now a lock to be the back up. monell is just getting a look at the big league groupies..
Oh well.No worse then any other Giant today.
Would not of gotten in this one,without the Noonan bloop.It was Bochy’s easy out in this blowout.
No chance the kid plays against Pettite anyway,so back to pickin his butt full of.splinters.
Just so I am clear on where most Flappers stand regarding Voggy – you all want him back (exceptions being WillieD, Alleykat, Snarkk, and I), right? Not to beat a dead horse to death, but Voggy’s line of 5 innings, 5 runs, 5 hits, 1 SO, and 1 walk this afternoon, doesn’t elicit much enthusiasm from me regardless of whether he is given the 4 or 5 spot in the rotation. At $6 million per year, he seems like a less expensive Zito option.
Well, there’s another one I’m glad I missed.
Got a walk in with the doggies, and hung some drywall and i check in on the score. 6-0 in the 6th.
The dreaded TBD wins again. Complete game shutout no less.
Glad to see us laying down like dead dogs for the Yankers. A promising roadie bites the dust. Maybe the spectre of Pawlie in the stands will revive this bunch.
Hello, Cellar.
changing your screen name for weekend trolling, capon?
Yeah, it looks like bird shit is back Twin.
No, twin, that is not I – I will not post here under any other name – and, for the record, I too was hoping the Giants could beat the Yanks and put a stop to their postseason hopes.
i believe i saw that the giants’ salary obligation for next year is 84 million ( including the 7 milllion for zito, and monies paid, if any. to players no longer here. this year’s opening day payroll was 140 million. i’m going to project what i hope is a conservative opening day payroll in 2014 at 150 million- which leaves 66 million to spend on free agents, net gain, if any, for trade acquistions and raises, arbs, and renegotiated contracts.
pence- 17 to 20 mill. i’ll use high.
timmy- 16 mill
lopez- 6.5 mill
vogie 6 million- i’m rethinking that as i type. that would leave 17.5 for all the other stuff- fa agents, arb players, etc.
our arb guys ( i think), are abreu ,arias, blanco. i’ll put those at 1.5 for arias (he gets 925, 000 now) and 2 million for blanco ( 1,350, 000 now). abreu goes away. that’s 3.5 million for the 2 arbs. that leaves 18 million for acquistions and minor raises if vogie stays. not enough, imo, so i’m changing my mind and they decline the option on vogie ( it might be possible to bring him back with a ‘make good’ deal. so that would now leave 24 million for the minor raises and acquistions. minor raises to players who are not arb eligible yet really *are* minor. i’ll say 3 mill total. so we have 21 mill for new acquisitions. that gets us only garza, for example and maybe 3 million left- or a lesser guy like feldman for about 10- now 11 mill for any combo of utility infielder, reliever, and an outfielder. i’d go in between a garza and a feldman. i think we could get ervin santana for about 13 mill ( he’s at 8+ now) . that’s 8 million left
recap: garza and 3 mill left….feldman and 11 mill left…. santana and 8 mill left. if we let timmy go, we have another 16 mill. like i said-very very interesting off season.
( i hope my math is correct, and obviously, the new contract numbers are my guesses.)
Fairly good guesses Twin. Nice.
Only disagreement is in regard to Garza (despite the MLB report by Dierkes and provided by Flavor). Specifically, his “stock” is going down daily. He pitches today. THIS IS A BIG START FOR HIM, as Garza lost Monday to the Rays, where he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed six runs, eight hits and two walks to go along with three strikeouts. He has not won since August 19th and is now only 3-5 as a member of the Rangers. The Rangers need him to pitch well down the stretch, but he’s not showing many signs that he can be counted on to provide quality starts.
So, I don’t see him making anywhere near $18 million in lieu of the way he has puked all over himself in the months of August and September.
all the rankings i’ve seen still see him at the best fa starter available. but i’m off of him because he’ll still take up too much of what will be available. but these are just quick guesses on all of this, he’s been worse than i thought.
another factor to consider is that the fa pitcher list is really weak- santana probably rates one or two, nolasco and lincecum are in the top 5. some people are going to get overpaid in a weak market.
I had to look it up, but I had no idea that a capon is a rooster that has been castrated before reaching sexual maturity. The process of making a rooster into a capon is called caponization. A capon is usually castrated at around 8 weeks of age or earlier. Capons are generally slaughtered at around 10 months of age or younger.
Uhh, how old are you Rooster?
Lqtm..Blade.
What no ballsy response Rooster?
Oh that’s right yours have been plucked.
If the Giants win out, they will win only 78. Likely they’ll be around 75-87. That compares to some of the awful teams in the ’70s and early ’80s. Wow…
Twin, right now I would go after Santana. He is making $13 million on his option (which the Angels picked up before trading him to the Royals). He will be overpaid as well, but he will deserve it in my opinion. Biggest difference between him and Garza is that he has been able to pitch well in a hitters league (AL) and Garza hasn’t; or at least hasn’t shown that ability since he was with Tampa Bay. That’s ancient history.
I have no interest in Nolasco.
More on Garza – his four straight losing decisions is a career-high. Garza has failed to complete five innings in consecutive starts for the the third time in his career, with the other two times also coming in September. Garza is 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA since Aug. 3 – That’s the fourth highest ERA in the American League in that span.
santana was my pick as well. how much that would leave depends on my other salary guesses. i’d hope it would be close to or at 10 mill. that figure would be after keeping pence, timmy, and lopez.as i looked at all these numbers, i’m getting iffy on tim as well. if we kept pence and lopez. let timmy go, and acquired santana, that would leave about 25 million. it hurts me to say this, but tim would be the 4 if we had him *and* ervin. 15-18 mill is waaaaaaay too much for a 4. i just talked timmy outta here;-)
Mike, I was on Darth Vader’s dark side and wanted Tim gone during the early – to middle part of the season. Sure, the velocity is still not what it once was, but he has reversed the decline in 2013 by reducing his walk rate to previous levels and increasing his strikeout rate to 25 percent, ending a four-season decline in that metric. This season is also the fourth time in five seasons that he has been better than league average in terms of opponents’ offensive output, as measured by weighted on-base average. No way we get rid of Timmy in my opinion (as long as he agrees to the qualifying offer of $14 million, which I am guessing is a sure thing).
blade, the Giants this week said they would make a qualifying offer to Tim. But, why should Lincecum agree to the qualifying offer? IMO he’ll most surely get some very good offers on multi-year deals. Hell, the Yankees and the Doghairs could get in that mix, I’d be surprised if they didn’t…
I’m sure we’ll go over this in the offseason, but I vacillate between wanting a big makeover vs. selected changes for next year. Right now, I’m leaning towards a bigger makeover. BTW, Posey is something like 2 for 25 for this roadie. His tailoff in power and SLG is concerning…
He’s exhausted. Long season and I might be the Lone Ranger here, but BOCHY NEEDS TO REST HIM MORE!
The quasi siesta at 1st base isn’t helping him recover from the rigors of catching in my opinion either.
Why is he exhausted? He’s 26. He plays 1/2 his games in a cool climate. Yadier Molina and he have similar offensive stats, Molina a bit better this season. Molina plays in a steambath most of the season, home and away. Is he exhausted?…
Wrong example snarkk. I know Molina’s stats fairly well, since he is on one of my fantasy league teams. Yes, he is exhausted as well. Last 30 games, Molina is batting .250, 2 HR, 11 RBI, and 12 Runs.
You’ve made my point then, Blade. Molina has an excuse, he plays in a sauna. Plus, he’s 5 years older than Posey…
Now wait a second, you’re moving the “yard marker,” i.e., you ONLY asked is he exhausted and I answered yes, he is. š
Just conversation, blade, just conversation… ;).
Seriously, I’m concerned about Posey. Maybe it’s a “soph” slump, i.e., his second, actual, full season. And, the team batting cratered around him, so he didn’t get any protection and thus not a lot to hit all year. Next year, he needs to be gangbusters. Else, there will be a real incentive to move him out from behind the plate…
Don’t get me wrong, Nolasco has had a fine overall year, but he gave up six runs and nine hits over five innings Thursday, where he got a no-decision at Arizona. The previous start before the Snakes, he gave up 7 runs to us (5 earned). Meh.
So after a run of quality starts, Nolasco has been hit hard in his last two, surrendering 13 runs in just 6.2 innings. He’ll make one more start against us before the end of the season. I hope the Giants spank him again. If they do, I will have no doubt about not wanting him to play for us at the Phone Park.
i don’t want nolasco, either – but he’s still in the upper tier of a bad group. that’s my only point about him.
Yes, quite true.
Re: Voggy. Lurie makes a good point this afternoon. Giants don’t have to pick up his option to keep him. They can elect to not pick it up, but negotiate with him to stay at a lower price. I’d say you could do maybe 1/2 the option price, with incentives to get him to where he would have been under the option, if he performs. Pocket the extra $3 million and apply towards a reliever…
there are cheaper ways to keep him.
Sure, you could pay him $2 million and no incentives. Whatever. The point is they can keep him at a lower cost and less risk, so they could jettison him mid-season if he craters, and not worry about it. I doubt there will a clamoring market for him…
‘The point is they can keep him at a lower cost and less risk.’ i posted that, snarrk.
I guess I misunderstand your point…
as noted in my longer post, after looking at other numbers, i wouldn’t retain him except on invite to st on a make good deal. 2 million sounds right if he makes it. if someone else gives a big league contract, so be it. i’ve told timmy that he has to leave, as well. i’m a regular blogosphere bill walsh as an air gm.
Well, then I’m with you on the Voggy issue. He comes back only in a no to low risk way to the Giants. Too old, too much recent history that’s concerning…
No, twin, ZRoo is not I ā I will not post here under any other name ā and, for the record, I too was hoping the Giants could beat the Yanks and put a stop to their postseason hopes.
I posted this earlier up above before I realized there were so many comments after – also – to avoid any hard feelings IF – and it’s a huge “IF” – I happened to win the contest, I too will decline to accept the prize.
Many of us have “edit” privileges here Rooster and consequently, you’re right about this other person, ZRoo, probably not being you because he has a different email (albeit, it contains your moniker). Interesting . . .
blade, did you ever post at The Splash, over on the SFGate.com website? – that is where I first met twin and BF, and Nipper, and most of the others here – I don’t remember you – but regardless, I understand your aversion to a Dodgers fan posting here, which is why I try to keep my posts to a minimum – over at The Splash I remember there were those who always accused people of posting under aliases – not my thing – sorry to disappoint.
Posted there in 2007 and part of 2008 . . . Disliked the LA and Oakland trolls, as well as lack of knowledge and hysteria of most posters, e.g., fire Sabean, fire Bochy, fire the cook at the Cha Cha Bowl eatery, etc. ChiPower introduced me to the Flap and I haven’t posted once at the Splash since.
Heeeeeya – wait just a minute – I just saw the picture attached to twins’ post about the prize (it didn’t show up earlier when I read it) – screw that! I want it!
.
.
.
….just kidding
why would you decline a free prize, a very nice one? even if you have better or don’t want a small form desktop pc, everybody knows others who could use one. make a gift of it. i don’t deliver to poultry farms, if that’s the problem, however.
twin – we go waaaay back, but I realize others here don’t know this or don’t care – I don’t want to get anyone all butt-hurt.
I, for one, would have zero problem with you winning and keeping the prize.
capon, i’m going with the idea that you are just fucking with us in good fun. i don’t care what anyone else thinks, i’m giving the prize and and it’s yours if you win. we go too far back for me to have a problem with you winning the prize.
Is this based on a windows7, 8 or some other Op system?
7 premium or 8.1 preview edition, 8.1 is good for 3 months then it needs to be purchased. 7 is free ( but no disk )
wow Twin, that is another very generous prize. You’re The Man when it comes to contests and prizes.
Thought: Have each participant pick the # of games in which their team wins a series. Maybe for the WS? As a tie breaker or you could just have it be that way all the way through the playoffs. I think there’s gonna be a lot of guys picking the same teams, if they also had to pick the # of games they win it in, it might create some needed separation. Just my 2 cents.
i’m getting numb from all my gm-ing. do you want to spell out in detail how you’d do it? i’m open to all suggestions.
Yes, lemme kick it around while I watch the Cardinal lay waste to ASU
Newsflash from Baggs:
Giants will not pick up Zito’s option for 2014…
i’m shocked, i tell you, shocked… btw, he’s in the running for the clemente award.
Well, it’d be nice he wins something in 2013…
With Scutaro, Arias and Sandoval out, Baggs predicts Noonan, Abreu and Crawford tomorrow v Pettitte. Ouch…
Well, with the Giants done soon, my sports attention will turn to monitoring the over / under, currently at 1.5, on how many more times Aldon Smith will be arrested before year end…
I appreciate the sentiments twin and BF – and again I’m sure it will be a moot point, as I very rarely win contests involving picking winners – hell it’s been YEARS since I even can even pick a damned winning square at the annual Superbowl parties – not for lack of trying.
Wow – it’s been years since I went over to check out Henry Schulman’s blog @ SFGate – very little traffic there nowadays – comments look to be averaging somewhere in the teens – a far cry from the heyday years back when the comments would more often than not be in the hundreds.
this is more of ‘family pc’ than a gaming or real high end unit but it runs 7 and the aero desktop well. intel atom d2500 cpu, 4 gb ddr3 ram, 80 gb sata hd and a 250 gb external sata drive, dvd burner, intregrated intel 3600 graphics. acessories are a wireless keyboard and mouse, logitech speakers, webcam, card reader, and usb wireless adapter. it has 6 usb 2. 4 in back, and 2 front. front jack for mike and headphones ( headphones also included.)
as i said, it’s a family pc- but a nice one. i built it- from new but “bulk” components. it’s finished, i did that last night. it runs great.
Well, I can vouch for the PC, as I have one of your contest winners. Rooster, During the Giants 2010 WS championship run, Twin gave away a half dozen or so PCs, as well as other PC components during various contests. I sort of won the World Series prize. I think MacDog had actually won the prize, but gave it to me because he had won previously (not absolutely certain about the story, so anyone who recalls, jump right in). Anywho, they are good PCs, with all new component parts.
This tells me something else . . . Twin, it seems like you are getting better health-wise, if your digits are all of a sudden turning into “teenager” hands. What’s next smartphone texting? š
I’ll vouch for Twin’s PC construction abilities, too. I’m breaking out my A-game to win another one. Well, I didn’t actually win the first one, that was a generous gift from Twin after we won the 2010 series.
Problem is, my daughter has pretty much taken it over. I’ve got a couple of laptops that it use and my phone is fine, but I need another desktop.
So I’m all in to win. And Twin, you obviously didn’t have to do this but I know everyone playing in the contest appreciates you doing this. With nothing of interest in this year’s playoffs, other than the as-expected first round exit of The Art Dealers, your contest will keep the blog’s interest humming.
well. no one has had one blow up *yet*… although stix had trouble with his. but i suspect his electricity is from hamster power. and when i asked him if it booted, he said ‘ i dunno, should i kick it?’
just kidding, stix…
blade- my hands are better since we switched my anti-seizure med to lamictal. i still can’t do screws, though. a neighbor kid did those.
btw- my friend bea, the retired attorney, who drove us a lot, and whose daughter pilar ( a med student at ucsf ) visted me and walked with me after my surgeries, had catraract surgery monday- near disaster- they didn’t administer enough local anaesthetic and she jerked her head as the doctor was doing the procedure. don’t know all the details, but he cut into a part of the eye that he wasn’t supposed to. she can barely see in that eye although the doctor says he ‘thinks’ it will improve.
Although your friend Bea is an anecdotal story about surgery and hospitals, I am deathly afraid of them ever since my brother died (long story that I wont share here) . . . My mom had a hysterectomy a few years after he passed away and it took everything I had emotionally to visit her while she was hospitalized. 30 years later, my anxiety level goes up whenever I enter a hospital (albeit, it is nowhere near the fear I had back then).
I apologize – I should have said first – I am glad you are feeling better and I’m sorry for what happened to your friend Bea (instead of jabbering about me).
i wish there more about all the folks here. please, jabber away..
Well, damn – Utah State came close but ‘SC was able to squeeze out a win – would have been soooooo sweet to see ‘SC go down AGAIN this season.
BF – so you are saying you have no worries for Stanford in the UCLA game? I understand the Oregon game is a big one – as it is for the Bruins as well, but I think the Stanford-UCLA matchup will be close – Bruins are strong this year.
BTW – I’m getting the ‘Zona State – Stanford game down here on NBC starting right now – you geared up for it up there as well?
Hell yes we’re getting it. Fox sports. Cardinal are playa’s now at the national level
I’m worried about every game. But I will talk shit before each and every one of them. Cardinal respectfully took their foot off gas pedal last week vs Army.
And now, for some ASU ass kicking…
yeah – I was wrong – was watching Notre Dame squeak one out on NBC – Fox here as well – ASU can’t afford that interception – this could get ugly quick.
Twin, I just sent you an idea for scoring the contest. I’ll help manage and score it if you want help. Let me know what you think
if you want to take over the contest as far how it’s scored and the format, etc. that would be super. i like the idea of you doing that. i’ll just do the prize and sneer, smirk, lambaste, ridicule, and trash everyone’s picks. you know, like usual š
LMAO
looks like the Great Karmatic Equalizer is upset with last weeks game ending sequence that awarded a W to the sun devils over the wiscos.
It’s gonna take more than a few officials cluelessness to help them tonite.
ASU coach about to blow a gasket.
2 possible blown calls, has him going ballastic.
Blow out is on as the Cardinals/ Indians are scalping ASU.
That stupid pooch punt by the QB was hilarious.Gardner didnt block it as much as the QB just kicked it into his balls.
Back from the Bronx. Couldn’t have picked a more pleasant, comfortable day to go to a ballgame. First time seeing a game at the new Yankee Stadium. Looks remarkably identical, inside and out, to the previous one. Got good bleacher seats in right-center at a reasonable price. Lots and lots of Giants fans there, pockets of orange just about everywhere, and even spotted the Finnerty’s gang in the corner of the left-field upper deck. Ate a sausage with peppers, but passed on the stand selling garlic fries. Endured the “God Bless America” portion of the Yankee Stadium experience in the middle of the 7th. Afterward, went to an Italian street festival in lower Manhattan and grabbed a couple slices of pizza before heading home. All in all, it beat being at work, which is how I usually spend my Saturdays.
Great Flap update Macdog.Bummer that the Giants are laying an egg in ths series though.Glad you enjoyed an all-day fun time over-all though.
Just for shit’s and giggles MacDog.,your take on Vogs coming back next year.Blade,Snarkk,WillieD and myself all say “No Way”No How”.
Thanx, Kat. Re Vogey: I agree with Twin’s “make-do” take. I’ve also seen this from Baggs over the last week or so, his offer was around $3M. No way should the Giants pick up that $6M option. If any more proof was needed about Vogey’s diminished ability, then that 4-pitch walk to Stewart to load the bases in the 3rd today sealed the deal. He was a helluva Giant the previous two years and no one will forget that, but it’s a cold business and the Giants will be facing enough tough decisions. If they can save a few million on Vogey, then so be it.
Good comment Mac. Six million dollars isn’t chump change and I think you could get as good in the free agent dollar store or someone in our minor league system. Snarkk mentioned Lurie’s comment about not picking up his option and essentially signing him for half or even less. A frickin’ 5.73 ERA doesn’t deserve $6 million on this planet or any other. In fact, knowing how putrid that ERA is of his, would make me puke if the Giants picked up his option.
Blade, yeah, my Mets fan buddy at the game was horrified at Vogey’s high ERA on the video board. It hit 6.00 at one point, but then dropped back down by the time he was done. And then in came Kickham with his 9-plus ERA!
BTW, sorry I didn’t respond to your post this morning, but I left immediately after posting since I was running late.
That’s what I figured Mac. Sounds like you had a great time despite the Gmen losing.
if you haven’t read it, calvin trillin’s ‘american fried” is a terrific read. no, it’s not about fried food. among other great pieces, he has a chapter on new york city street food and festivals. i think that the man must have permanent italian sausage breath…
night all.
Nite Twin.