Yesterday, I mentioned I went to see "The Darjeeling Limited" at Crocker. I failed to mention, however, that it was almost a private showing. As I said, 6 people showed up. It was located in one of the basement theaters. Of course, I was already honked off that my movie card didn't result in a free popcorn, but in a Sour Patch combo. Are you kidding me?

Now this basement theater had the few rows that are ground level and four, somewhat lengthy rows that are stadium seating. Capacity is only 133, so we're not talking the Colosseum here. There was no need for my Roger Ebert get into the middle of the screen viewing location, as I normally do when I'm by myself, because it was small. I go three rows up, three seats in.

But I'll be damned if this one guy doesn't come in, walk to the far aisle, go up a few rows, then completely do a reversal, walk back towards my aisle, go up that aisle, and sit in the row behind me. That's right, last row, four seats in. OK, can you creep me out anymore? But I hate when people do that. I didn't hear him whistle though. Maybe he noticed my Kernel Seasons, but I wasn't sharing.

Meal of Links

David Cronenberg hates "Crash". Use of the title is what annoys him. James Spader was ultra-creepy in his version.

BTW, Super Bowl 41-and-a-half is not shown in Cleveland this Sunday (note the gray area). Unfortunately, it's the Browns only 4:00 home game in 2007 and it's on Fox.

Here is this year's most popular Halloween candy. I was at Red Hot Chili Peppers a year ago, so I'm back handing out stuff this year. This year's allotment includes: Twix, Milky Way, Reese's Caramel and Butterfinger.

Exercise Yard

Baseball is over and we slide right into the basketball season. TNT has the best studio show, mainly because of Charles Barkley. But Ernie Johnson, Magic Johnson and Kenny Smith are all top-notch, too. Tonight's preview show ended with a gem as the Spurs were about to receive their championship rings.

Ernie: "Magic, what's it like to play on Ring Night?"

Of course, Magic goes on about teamwork, etc.

Ernie, "Kenny, what's it like to play on Ring Night?"

Kenny goes on about dreams coming true, etc.

Ernie (knowing Charles hasn't won a ring): "Sorry, we're out of time." Everyone starts laughing. Then, it's Ernie again: "Charles, what's it like to play a team that gets their rings on Ring Night?"

Charles started laughing really hard. Those guys are great.

In other news, FIFA finally scrapped their rotation for hosting the World Cup. The 2014 World Cup goes to Brazil. And shortly after the awarding, concerns about corruption, costs and security took an immediate foothold. Wouldn't be soccer without those usual suspects.

Visitor

25 Across: One in Santa's support group (3 letters) Answer: Elf

I was in Nashville to see Mr. and Mrs. Mix and, of course, two of my favorite dogs, Penny and Daisy. Gale also went so she could reminisce about bowling with the Mixes and make sure we visited a Sonic. I have the magic touch with Penny, the most non-Rottweiler of all the Rottweilers. She tries to be stealthy sometimes, and it is funny to watch, but I guess she doesn't realize how big she is. Daisy is not crazy and remains as fun as I remember from my last visit.

Speaking of Sonic, I loved the fact we tortured Mr. Mix by taking 10-15 minutes to decide what food and drink we wanted, after we pulled up at the drive-in. I'm sure the wait staff thought we were prepping our lines and disguises for a robbery, but we were there only to make life difficult for "Dad". BTW, I heartily recommend the banana shake, especially after drinking Old Grand-Dad upon arriving in town.

Nashville itself is really a cool place. Get the countrified crap out of your head. The airport is so efficient they actually have 10-minute free parking by the baggage claim, so you can be picked up easily and without being told to move along. That's great for locals and visitors alike. And it was where we saw our only celebrity of the trip, Eddie George, on Sunday. It's a nice blend of the Old South with a college vibe mainly from Vanderbilt, and of course, a diverse music scene. I mean Widespread Panic was in town for three days at the Ryman, while we there. The goal, I guess, is to become the new Atlanta some day and they are on their way, it seems.

BTW, Tennessee's new smoking law went into effect on October 1, and this place may have actually got it right. In effect, if you are at a place open to all ages, there is no smoking. Think Applebee's. However, if you congregate at a place where adults hang out, like, oh, at a bar, it's OK to light up. (BTW, I actually saw a guy field a grounder on a Downtown street Friday evening.) Plus, smoking is OK on outdoor patios. This solves the issue that currently plagues Ohio smokers. Some patios allow smoking and others do not, because of how they are constructed. Tennessee says anything outside is fine.

The last time I was in Nashville, I was held hostage at the Opryland Hotel. This is the kind of scenery you get inside this venue.

















Oh, it's quite the nutty place, because it is so big. And, of course, it's humid. And many people get married at this gazebo.

















Couldn't find the onsite divorce lawyer, but we found the sports bar there Friday afternoon, where I continued my newfound habit of completely botching Central Time. Having major troubles with the concept of being an hour behind lately. Thank God they take American money there.

Since my last visit was mainly confined to being indoors, we visited the Parthenon on Friday. The Parthenon is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens. Why in Nashville, you ask? Well, some dude a long time ago insisted that with all of the institutes of higher learning, Nashville should be known as the "Athens of the South". Not sure if Athens is the "Nashville of Europe". But a wooden Parthenon was constructed for a centennial celebration in 1897 or thereabouts. It proved unbelievably popular, so in 1921, they opted to build a permanent replica, using stone, and that was finished in 1931.

















A relatively new feature of the Parthenon is this bigass statue of Athena.

















The Parthenon also has a gallery inside, which you can view for five bucks. The current exhibit was a mixed media presentation from the artist, Maureen McCabe. I really liked it because it was extremely quirky, while incorporating many themes of mythology. And she used some interesting items to place into her art. I was impressed.

I was also impressed at our lunch spot on Friday. Yes, Chicago Dogs at Hot Diggity Dogs in Nashville.


















I found this via Chowhound and it really hit the spot. Only open from 11:00 to 4:00, so it can't be a late night stop. For lunch though, it was good. Lots of care in construction of said dogs, as well. I had two Chicagos and on that patio, it felt like it was 40 degrees, as the sun did not make an appearance until Saturday afternoon down there.

Friday evening, we got a taste of Downtown Nashville. Lots of country bars are open and these are "pass the hat" kind of joints for the bands. We took in a few songs each at world famous Tootsie's and also at The Stage on Broadway. The Stage had a cool painting of The Outlaws that I wanted to confiscate. Anyhow, both places were fun, but unfortunately, when you hear that phrase "original song", you give it a shot and then leave fairly quickly.

Nashville is also the home of many brewpubs. Many are located Downtown, but we ate at Boscos, which is located in the Hillsboro Village neighborhood of Nashville, near Vanderbilt. This place exudes a pretty cool vibe and I went for the Gorgonzola Pear Salad, which I thought was terrific.

On Saturday, we headed to Lynchburg, Tennessee for the 19th Annual World Championship of Barbecue.

















A neat event, this matches winners of BBQ competitions around the world in a unique, invitation-only event. Lynchburg is located in a dry country (and there were liquor busts there on Saturday!), so there is no alcohol allowed. But the sun came out, just in time for some lemonade. And for some pickin' and grinnin' from the younger hip-hop crowd.

















It is also unique, because there is no admission fee. You can park at the high school for free and take a shuttle or walk to the distillery. When you arrive, there are a few booths selling food. Typically, three bones for $6, and associated half-slabs and full slabs; chicken, brisket, or pulled pork sammies; and other stuff. However, the competitors are there to compete, not to sell. So, you go from booth to booth scouting out free samples. It took us a while to figure that out, but once we did, it was very nice! For instance, hard to believe, but we had brisket from Germany that was outstanding. All in all, that was a great place to spend a day and view victory lane with Mini-Jack. Man, these statues were all over the place. Did you know Jack Daniel had size 4 shoes? But, he's a tall man in the world of spirits.

















And there was also time to cram in some World Series games, because they take forever to play, and some Ohio State-Penn State action, as well. So, that meant pizza time from a chain called NYPD Pizza. Don't be put off by the theme or name, this stuff is very good.

There you have it, an action-packed few days in Nashville to unwind for a bit. Only an hour and 20 minutes away by plane. Cannot beat it and plan to do it again. Maybe the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle.

Meal of Links

Since I had still had some time off today, I snuck over to the Regal Beagle at Crocker to see Wes Anderson's latest movie, "The Darjeeling Limited". Sparse crowd of 6 in attendance. I liked this movie very much. How can you not like a movie on a train? Especially in India. The movie stars Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson as brothers. Real subtle humor and it shows how some families can get along one minute and not the next. Oddly enough, it was preceded by a 15-minute short film by Anderson that set up some of the background of the main movie, which lasted about 90 minutes. I think this was tacked onto the release this week. Not sure why this was not included in the feature or it was conceived as a promo for the film, but they showed Natalie Portman's ass and that's not a bad thing. The movie and the short are definitely worth seeing.

The great thing about crowning a World Series champ lies in the immediate aftermath of the final out. The emotions come pouring out and it's like everyone is a little kid again, regardless of the millions they make. I don't think you could smile any wider than Jacoby (or it now "Tacoby", because of the Taco Bell stolen base giveaway?) Ellsbury running in from left field. Then reality sets in and each player tries to come to grips with what they just accomplished. Captain Jason Varitek having trouble maintaining his composure. Jonathan Papelbon seemingly in a fog, not quite comprehending what happened. Even Manny running from the dugout and enjoying things in a rather calm way. It's quite a sight. And the Red Sox are who we thought they were.

While I was in Nashville, "The Office" Convention was in Scranton. No wonder we didn't see Al Roker eating.

Exercise Yard

Can we do the impossible? Mention the dreaded "P" word for Browns Version 2.3? I have tried not to look ahead at the schedule, but there are a few winnable games out there, as the Browns now stand 4-3 after yesterday. Come on, the Jets, Bills, Texans, 49ers lie ahead. A tough Seattle team and three division games on the road also loom. OK, I won't mention the "P" word, especially after giving up 400 yards to the Rams, of all teams. But, I am thinking about it.

Visitor

28 Across: Gary of "CSI:NY" (6 letters) Answer: Sinise

I'm off on the History of Hee Haw Tour to Nashville. Back in a few.

Have you ever tried one of those Honey BBQ sammies from KFC? I had to go to the Target in Kent today at lunch and figured I'd stop there. I don't go to KFC much, especially after that bowl of death they've been serving.

But today, I figured out how they can sell that sandwich for 99 cents. Because it's basically a chicken sandwich a bit larger than the size of a White Castle. Didn't expect that all. May have been the fastest lunch of the year. I thought it fell out of my car, it disappeared so fast.

Meal of Links

We're the kids in America, oh oh. It seems they are not very bright. Can't use a ruler? That's scary.

Just when you think the world might be tired of Trump, this happens. I guess they'll find room for him.

The cost of the Bush Wars? $8K per person. Just think what could have been done with all of those lives saved and all of that money.

Exercise Yard

This puts the Paul Byrd HGH episode in it's proper place. It's not about throwing the heater, it's all about recovery times and the strength to continue pitching. Good stuff. I'd like to believe Byrd, but his story is Swiss cheese.

Visitor

23 Down: Soccer great Hamm (3 letters) Answer: Mia

Neil Young (BTW, listen to some of the accompanying clips. Especially "Harvest Moon", such a great tune and his version of "Lotta Love" is one of my all-time faves) is out with a new album. But, I'm in the mood for some Crazy Horse:



Meal of Links

Five easy ways to go organic. Right now, I have three of these products (I count Skippy Natural Peanut Butter), so if I can do it, there is hope for all.

Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee was a little off on his math. He stated most of the Founding Fathers were clergymen. Oops, only 1 of 56 could make that claim.

The LA Times is your SoCal Fire HQ. They are doing really good stuff on the story.

Exercise Yard

Bill Simmons with a post mortem on Indians-Red Sox. Lots of J.D. Drew goodness.

Visitor

63 Across: Longtime New Year's Eve bandleader (11 letters) Answer: Guy Lombardo

Manny Ramirez tuning in to that old Cleveland refrain, "Wait Until Next Year":




























Game 7 Thoughts

Joel Skinner has to send Kenny Lofton from second base on the ball that ricocheted off the leftfield stands. The crime is Skinner is normally aggressive windmilling runners in (see Peralta, Game 2 against the Yanks). On this particular play, at the very least, Gutierrez gets to second on the throw home. If Lofton is out, the tying run remains in scoring position. If he's safe, the go-ahead run is now on second. That is a big momentum shift. I've watched the play several teams and Skinner obviously makes the decision too quick. Manny Ramirez couldn't charge the ball and scoop and fire. He would have had to pick up a ball that had stopped rolling with a bare hand and throwing motion all at once and make a perfect throw to get a guy with speed. I would have risked it.

Lofton was clearly safe on his attempted double earlier. Very curious there were no arguments, mainly from Lofton, but where was the bench?

Travis Hafner had the ugliest series you could imagine. Very poor.

Jake Westbrook defied the Fox broadcasters by lasting six innings. Very tough in innings 4 through 6, BTW. Geez, McCarver and Buck seemingly wanted to see C.C. in relief for some reason. More double plays from Westbrook in this game.

Oddest thing was current Oriole and former Red Sox player Kevin Millar at the game. Not only attending, but throwing out the first pitch at Fenway and reading the Boston lineup on Fox. One of the biggest WTFs of the season.

Dice-K was becoming pretty shaky through five innings and the Red Sox did him good by yanking him. Still nibbles way too much, but the walks were not there last night.

Jhonny Peralta was the master of getting the bad hop in this series. It's amazing he wasn't killed.

Boston bullpen was tough, especially Papelbon. He is unbelievable.

How bout that guy in the first row with the Robert Redford imitation last night? Red scarf and all.

Rafael Betancourt finally had a bad game, at the worst possible time. I can't remember the last time a team ganged up on him.

Yukon Cornelius hit a ball that might still be orbiting our fine planet.

Joe Borowski had very little effect the entire playoff run. That was a miracle.

Really, it's not the day for this kind of talk:

"We still love our Indians."

"We're so proud of our team."

"They can hold their heads high."

Quite frankly, this collapse makes me wonder if any team in this town will win a title. Can't blow a 3-1 series lead, just cannot do it. The Tribe loses the game and series, 11-2.

Meal of Links

More on Chief Wahoo. Maybe he's the reason behind any sort of curse.

Just in time for Halloween. Scary Movie Scenes, so turn the lights on. Movie links are on the side, some with video. Oh boy, there's "Blue Velvet" when Frank comes home. "Marathon Man", tee hee. "Reservoir Dogs" with the ear. Good to see "Night of the Hunter", Robert Mitchum is one creepy guy. "Mulholland Drive" is number one. Lots of good ones, with some flicks represented more than once. And please read Quint's story from "Jaws" out loud with his accent.

TripAdvisor has a listing for Schrute Farms. I'm wishing for "The Office" to get back to the 30-minute episodes soon.

Exercise Yard

I don't have the NFL Network. Well, I did when I had Adelphia, but the big sucking sound of Time Warner Cable sent it down a black hole. Hell, I'd pay for the damn thing. Anyhow, the NFL Network isn't doing well. Or so it seems.

Visitor

18 Down: Janet of "Psycho" (5 letters) Answer: Leigh

Hatless Manny.
















Went over to Best Friend's to help celebrate her birthday last night and had a really good dinner. Then Game 6 started. Uh-oh.

Thoughts on Game 6:

Can't fall behind as quickly as the Indians did last night. That J.D. Drew grand slam was a terrible blow. Moreso, because he's not really liked by Red Sox Nation and now they have someone new to cheer for.

Where have you gone, Travis Hafner?

Now that Rafael Perez has blown up, we have no reliable lefty in the bullpen. And why was he first out of the pen last night instead of Aaron Laffey? I mean, that's why Laffey is on the playoff roster.

Did Kenny Lofton misplay that ball that Kevin Youkilis hit off the wall for a single? And how about Youkilis using a header to deflect Asdrubal Cabrera's relay throw at first base?

Fausto Carmona once again debunks the theory in this town that because he threw poorly last time, he would do well this time out. Man, was he bad yesterday. Look at Dice-K the last two months. Same problem.

Joe Borowski gave up some runs last night. Meaningless, yes, but shows the Red Sox they can hit him.

Curt Schilling woke up the echoes for last night's start. Pretty efficient. 90 pitches in 7 innings.

The Tribe defense could use some work. A couple of bad games recently with the gloves.

Grady Sizemore's foul attempt at a home run was an optical illusion, wasn't it? One replay, definitely foul. The other, I dunno, it looked like it may have been good.

Game 7 looks like Johnny Fullstaff against Johnny Fullstaff. We have got to Dice-K and his nibbling once before. Maybe we can do it again.

Meal of Links

Once more, some useful websites. Good stuff here.

John McCain, ABBA fan. I saw McCain had his Mom campaigning with him the other day. She's only 95.

Super Dave vs. Mr. T:



Exercise Yard

Here is the article from the Chronicle about Paul Byrd and HGH. Even if his reasons for ingesting HGH are legitimate, his career definitely took a turn for the better once he started using it in 2002. As a teammate of Jason Grimsley, I might add.

It's a real gray area for baseball. Adam LaRoche of the Pirates has ADHD and takes Concerta. Last year, when he first started taking it, his numbers went up and he had his best season. Now does he have an advantage over the other guys because of the drug, I don't know. It's interesting that in track & field, a well-known doping sport, LaRoche and I assume, Byrd, would not be able to compete. In effect, they'd have to seek employment elsewhere. Baseball would never take that approach, I don't think, but it probably deserves further study to determine if a legal prescription gives the player an advantage.

Visitor

None, a beautiful bye-week Sunday.

Dumbledore is gay? I thought he was dead?

I finally hit the wall last night. I think I had more sleep last night than the previous three nights combined. Glad there as no game, because I was a pile. Thought on Thursday that I was getting some sort of flu, but I think I was just rundown. Just miserable the last few days. Hate that feeling. Nothing that a Honey Crisp apple won't cure. Thanks to Best Friend, you won't find a better apple.

Meal of Links

When drugs were legal. A look at ads, products and labels when drugs were legal. My favorite might be the Benzedrine Inhaler.

Bill Maher had to deal with hecklers on his show last night. They were 9/11 Truthers. Maher went up into the audience to help eject one person himself. Best line from Joel Stein when Maher gets back to the table, "They won't shout Jerry for you?"

In case you were wondering the Writers Guild voted a strike authorization. Here are some potential ramifications.

Exercise Yard

Touchdown Manny.




























I thought the Indians would take this in six games. That's tonight.

Curt Schilling talks about Game 6 tonight at Fenway. I go back to many fans pre-analysis of Game 5. "C.C. saw what Byrd and Westbrook did by attacking the strike zone." "C.C. had two bad games in a row, he's due." The problem is we don't know what the hell will happen. Everything you say about Fausto Carmona can be applied to Schilling, as well, conveniently forgotten by the locals. He had one great game in the ALDS, one bad game in the ALCS.

The fact is, Carmona is on the cusp of stardom. If he tosses a game to beat a stalwart of postseason play, Schilling, he'll cement that status. If not, we'll move on to Sunday's game and hopefully, they will take that one.

Visitor

19 Across: Frankenstein portrayer (10 letters) Answer: Peter Boyle

Thoughts on Game 5:

Not much to say about the Indians tonight. They had kept the Red Sox bats pretty cold the last two-and-a-half games. I thought it would be tough to handcuff them again. The Tribe had only six hits. Tough, tough night. The last big threat was in the fifth, after two were out. Then Cabrera whiffed.

















Kevin Youkilis (Youkilis is Yiddish for walk, no?) is the sweatiest baseball player I've seen since the post-drug use Dwight Gooden.

I am such a stupid. In those Wes Anderson commercials for AT&T (like Philawareapragacago), some of the actors are showing up as different characters in other versions. That only took me a month to figure out.

I thought the end result for C.C. Sabathia was OK. Lots of baserunners, but he got out of almost every jam. Very curious that he came out for the seventh though and he departed quickly that inning, allowing two more runs. I'm not really sure why that happened. The fact that Rafael Betancourt was used in the seventh, showed that the Indians were very concerned with how Josh Beckett was pitching, and could not afford to give up any more runs. It worked that inning after C.C. left, but Rafael Perez had a bit of trouble in the eighth with a bad throw on a force out attempt and a great bunt by Julio Lugo to load the bases for his departure. Not a good series for Perez. He has an ERA of 40.50 against Boston.

Beckett had that nose-to-toes curveball working again. His Uncle Charlie is near the top in all of baseball. That looked like a guy who thought that might be the last game he would pitch this year. We couldn't touch him, for the most part. Big time heater, too. Each Indian, except Kenny Lofton, struck out at least once. But Lofton yelled at him, so I guess that was good.


















Boy, did Manny Ramirez have to take the heat from Tim McCarver, of all people, for not running on his touchdown-turned-single. This is becoming a broken record with Fox. Remember Thom Brennamann blasting Manny in the 2003 playoffs against Oakland for the same sort of showboating. i.e. not running? Sure, I'm a Manny apologist, but McCarver had just covered him not running in the previous at-bat. Not running after that long hit really got to McCarver, who quickly went into old-timer "Get off my lawn!" mode. The point is that escapade only mattered if Mike Lowell delivered in his at-bat and he did not. You can debate Sabathia would have pitched Lowell differently with Manny on second, but with two outs, I doubt it. I loved Manny calling a football timeout after the hit. One more thing, Manny sure likes to run sans helmet or cap.

Looks like Indians reliever Tom Mastny woke up.

Ruh roh. It looked like that "Cleveland Face" we are used to seeing in these situations started creeping into the visages of fans and players alike in the eighth inning. Man, was it quiet down there at Jacobs Field this evening.

Franklin Gutierrez? What did he do to get buzzed by Beckett? Given his control throughout, I'm curious about that pitch. Maybe it was because Gutierrez homered off of Beckett in a 1-0 loss back in July. Man, that guy has a long memory.

To win in the ninth, the Indians needed seven. They were the first team in postseason history to score seven twice in the same series. Could it be three? Nah, didn't happen.

Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon. Does he blink? Ever?

So, it is on to Boston and the rematch of last Saturday in Fenway with Curt Schilling and Fausto Carmona. Let's hope Schill doesn't find a bloody sock and Carmona finds his form again.

Tribe loses, 7-1.

Meal of Links

Today was National Meat Loaf Appreciation Day. I opted out.

Is NBC messing up? Too many complaints about too many of their shows this season.

This is something you don't see very often. David Byrne riding his bike through Manhattan. (In Quick Time).

Exercise Yard

In case you were wondering why Josh Beckett hates Kenny Lofton, they have a history. It was two years ago and involved bat flipping. After that 3-0 pitch in the fifth, you noticed Lofton flipped the bat after a called strike. Beckett does not like that and apparently has an even longer memory than I realized.

Visitor

16 Across: Stutz contemporary (3 letters) Answer: TEXT

ALCS Game 4

Game 4 must have been important, as Channel 19 was there. (They're Everywhere.)

















I was in attendance at Game 4 of the Indians-Red Sox ALCS last night with Gale. I was able to snag some mezzanine tickets from eBay at a decent price, so we went. A crowd of 44,008 attended. Not sure if the three empty seats next to me were included in that total.

Not an epic game by any means, as the Indians scored 7 runs in the fifth and Boston put up 3 in the sixth (on three consecutive homers). Manny was the third one up and hit another touchdown. I'm starting to think we are a bit sensitive in this town.

During the Yankees series, it was LeBron's hat in Game 1. Then it was that tired argument that the "national announcers" have it in for the Indians. Oddly enough, that argument kicked into high gear after Game 3, a loss. Last night, it was Manny posing. Who cares? We are up 3-1 on the Sox. The Sox are hanging on the edge of a cliff, and we are stepping on their fingers. Tomorrow, with heavy pressure by C.C., maybe they'll succumb.

Here are some photos.

Relatively little advertising around the park, but Sharp showed up in a big way. Note the hordes of interested spectators.

















I insist Bob Feller is mad they put a shirt on his statue. Here's Rapid Robert getting dressed before the game.


















The towel I refused to wave.

















The view from 309.


















Another view from 309. With a random.

















The Fat Furry Fuck was nearby.













On a night where I saw these jerseys: 17 Aaron Boone, 55 Sammy Stewart, 24 Roger Dorn is in the house!












An old-timer in front of us had this sign. "Climb the Rockies?"


















Street Nine. Postgame. Before everyone got to their transport home. Have a good night, everybody!

















Meal of Links

Hate to pee on the parade, but does Chief Wahoo gotta go? The red-faced guys (you see them all the time) are an abomination. If that was black face, they wouldn't get near the park.

All about Wedgie.

Let's see if Terry Francona plays Jacoby Ellsbury in Game 5. All of New England is begging for that move.

Exercise Yard

See above.

Visitor

37 Across: Big name in Indian politics (5 letters) Answer: Nehru

It was one of these afternoons at work where things got a bit silly. We stumbled upon the 10 Best Seinfeld Sports Moments. They are excellent choices. But I always laugh out loud at their second choice when Frank Costanza lays into Steinbrenner for trading Jay Buhner for Ken Phelps. Watch Jerry Stiller during the clip:



That somehow led us to the scene from "Arrested Development" where Martin Short plays Uncle Jack. You have to watch this for the immortal line: "Take me to the nuts! The bridge mix! Bridge mix! Fool." Get it here.

Meal of Links

Last week, I was in the frozen food section at the local grocery and needed some veggies. These BirdsEye Steamfresh Singles are really good. I have not tried the regular SteamFresh versions, but plan to. But the Singles meet all of the most important criteria: portion size, speed and taste.

I am very much sold on the new woman in Dexter's life on "Dexter". Great choice of a sponsor at his Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Her name is Lila, and I think she is one hot chick, played by Jaime Murray.

















In a few months, "The Wire" will begin again on HBO. It's a must see if you haven't watched it and you have enough time to catch up. The New Yorker has a lengthy read, almost as long as the series itself.

Exercise Yard

A real professional win by the Tribe tonight, as they go up 2-1 in the ALCS. Now the last time I had this feeling was 1998. The Indians had gone up 2-1 in the ALCS that year. I was at that Game 3 and watched Home Run Hittin' Mark Whiten absolutely crush one off of Andy Pettitte. He also doubled in that game. You know Mark Whiten played in the Mexican League, much like our present-day closer, Joe Borowski. Uh-oh. Also was at Game 4 and unfortunately that was a shutout loss against El Duque. Then someone (allegedly) mentioned something to David Wells about his mother playing in the Mexican League or something before Game 5 and that was a loss. Both at home, BTW. Game 6 was when Manny played Spiderman in rightfield in NYC and that was all she wrote. So, while it's a great feeling the Indians are ahead, I remain cautiously optimistic.

Game 3 thoughts:

Lonely Manny.


















Towel-waving? Not a big fan.

Great defense by the Indians after Ryan Garko fell down and went boom in the 2nd. Three double plays helped Jake Westbrook tremendously, as it remains the Pitcher's Best Friend.

Kevin Youkilis is not channeling Wade Boggs with his beard, but Yukon Cornelius from "Rudolph".

I wonder if Randy Marsh, the leftfield umpire tonight, is Stan Marsh's Dad from "South Park". If so, he took a huge crap on "South Park" last week. Glad to see him mobile this evening.

One-for-two on Fox trivia regarding starting Japanese pitchers in the LCS? No Hideki Irabu, are you sure? Hideo Nomo was the easy tap-in there, with Masato Yoshi being the 85-foot full-court heave to win the game with no time left.

Home plate umpiring was shaky tonight. This guy's track record was a small zone and it was early, then it expanded greatly, with seemingly no consistency. Hafner, Manny and Varitek the most obvious naysayers. Fox also mentioned that the home plate umpire's ERA was 5.11. Closer Joe Borowski's was 5.07 in the regular season.

Big-time home run by Kenny Lofton early. I thought Dice-K was at his nibbling best and didn't make that many awful pitches. Beautiful Gyro Ball, though. Most of the later scoring was done on grounders that somehow made it through the infield. But he threw 101 pitches and didn't get out of the fifth.

Incredibly poor baserunning by Big Papi in the 4th. That's bad from a rookie, inexcusable from a veteran. Especially a slow, heavy veteran. Even if his Edwin Moses act was successful, he's out at third by plenty.

Can't let the Sox captain, Jason Varitek, beat you. He isn't the player he once was and for him to put Boston back in the game with his homer in the 7th was disappointing.

Tim McCarver finally called Jensen Lewis "Jensen Lewis" tonight, didn't he?

Joe Borowski with the save in a tight game, eh? You know there is a stat that he had more 1-2-3 innings this year than Mariano Rivera of the Yanks. You can look it up.

Kill me now. Fox 8 actually has the results of the Jacobs Field hot dog race on their morning show tomorrow. Isn't there something about that school shooting that might rate a little higher? And with all of the attention going the Indians way these days and the local media falling neatly in line to cover it, are we gonna find out in the next couple of weeks that our taxes got raised again or perhaps Prohibition is returning soon and no one knows? Just curious, I guess.

It seemed odd that on the Fox broadcast they kept mentioning the possibility of rain for tomorrow's Game 4. Now I'm not sure if that was to hype Josh Beckett perhaps coming back on three days rest for the Red Sox or if the weather is a real threat. If Beckett goes tomorrow, he gets full rest for Game 7 (if necessary). Don't know if it's panic time for the Sox, as manager Terry Francona insists that Tim Wakefield will start. But if tomorrow is a washout, I believe Beckett is a real threat to start the following day.

Indians win, 4-2.

Visitor

21 Across: "Cool" singer whose group had the 1973 #1 hit "Frankenstein" (11 letters) Answer: Edgar Winter

Randomness from today's Browns home game:

Special Guest: My brother Jeff went today. He needed to improve on this year's record after that debacle against the Steelers.

Today's Opponent: One of the worst teams in the league, the winless Miami Dolphins. A team so bad, Browns Version 2.3 is actually favored today. Cleo Lemon takes over for the oft-concussed Trent Green at quarterback. The one thing that scares me about this game? The Dolphins can run the football, and Ronnie Brown is carrying the ball at 5 yards per. And what can't we do? Anyone? Bueller? Stop the fuckin' run. Believe it or not, Miami's run defense is worse than the Browns. I do expect the Browns to win this one, as the Fins are a team we should beat. Especially at home.

The Weather: An outstanding October day to watch football. 65 and nary a cloud. Perfect.

Today's Giveaway: None.

Section 345: When the Browns are winning, it's fairly calm. Not many folks sporting Dolphins gear because they are awful. There was a skirmish a couple of sections over when the game got tight, but nothing major. The sight of the world's largest man, a couple of sections away was disconcerting, however. I'm not sure how he fit into a seat. He had Sumo Dawg tattooed on his ample gut and, of course, was shirtless.

















Best Browns Play: I liked the last touchdown from Braylon Edwards. Nice pass from Derek Anderson in the left corner of the endzone beating single coverage. A pass that must be successful in the NFL, if you want to win.

Second-Best Browns Play: Kellen Winslow's 33-yard catch-and-run right before the half. Anderson noticed single coverage with the hated Joey Porter. He hit Winslow in stride with a bullet and he carried it to the three. It put the Browns in position for a field goal before the half.

Worst Browns Play: The late fumble by Jason Wright.

Best Line from Me (noticing a little person): "Hey, look at the midget!"

Best Line from Jeff (in reply to the above): "He could be the Brownie."

Best Action from a Random (following a well-endowed woman): As the crowd applauded, he tipped his cap and acted if the cheers were for him. Of course, he simulated grabbing of the woman's breasts as he continued his journey. Of course, it's juvenile, and funny.

Oddest Browns Jersey: 67 Jurkovic, 8 Dilfer, 81 Morgan, 58 Ranier.

Food Items: One hamburger (which I waited several minutes for) and one beer. I was carded. I continue to fool everyone.

Best Hat: A day-glo Tyrolean emblazoned with "Be A Dick".

The Fuckin' Run: The Dolphins could not run much after falling behind early. The Browns still managed to give up 110 on the ground. That only took 23 carries for a 4.8 average. Not good. BTW, Ronnie Brown has the most heart I've seen in a long time in a football player. Obviously, he is on a bad team, but he does not give up and had 101 on the ground and caught 7 passes for 69 more yards.

Worst Stat: Jason Wright. 20 rushes for 59 yards. That's not going to work.

2nd Worst Stat: Andra Davis had one tackle, tying Ryan Pontbriand, the long snapper.

Most Interesting Stat: The Browns have had games at home where the opponent has scored 45 and now 31 points. They won both.

The Browns blurrily charge off the field at halftime, up by (gulp!) 17 points:

















The Browns did what they needed to do today. A bad team showed up and they won. They got very complacent after going up 24-3. Things got kinda dicey in third quarter, as the Dolphins closed to 27-24. But the Browns scored twice more to put it away. The defense was not called on to do much and had a good first half, but they still give up way too much in the ground game. They also let Cleo Lemon make some big plays.

But let's see where the Browns go after the bye week. There are beatable teams remaining on the schedule. And they may end up with a decent record, if they avoid injuries. Unthinkable from me even a few weeks ago.

The Browns head into the bye week at 3-3, following today's big win.

Meal of Links

Charles Schulz, not exactly the most easy-going guy around. Good grief!

Hey, somebody was gonna try and assassinate Putin this week in Iran. No big deal, there are plots against him all the time wherever he goes.

Brains are weird. They recognize fearful looks quicker than happy faces. Maybe it's because you don't see abject fear very often. I dunno.

Exercise Yard

Home Run, But No Win, Manny!













I hope everyone stayed up for the Tribe game, because I'm still wondering if Jonathan Papelbon blinks. The problem with that one wasn't that it ended for me around 2:20, it's that I was able to pore through all of these catalogs I had laying around during the game and had ample time to browse. And then order. Lots.

Great job by Fox on the bumpers as I heard The Hives, The White Stripes and The Flaming Lips amongst others. Good God, what has happened there?

Don't know if last night was a great game, but it was awfully tense. Jhonny Peralta with a big-time homer early. He hit that home run where Jim Thome hit a playoff jack against the Bosox several years ago. I thought after Manny and Mike Lowell homered to put Boston ahead, it might be a long game for the Tribe. But the Indians bullpen came through in a large way and eventually Boston ran out of pitchers. It was an example of "getting some work", as several Boston pitchers had not pitched in a while. And, of course, Eric Gagne is the scourge of New England. And God bless you, Tom Mastny. My bandwagon ass has been with you all the way, buddy.

Can you imagine that the Indians have gone this far without having Jobo out there in a dire situation? We have escaped this impending disaster and even he can hold a 7-run lead in the 11th.

One thought on Eric Wedge. Ever since Josh Barfield has been banished to Herb Washington (look it up) status, Wedgie has fallen in love with this move. In the late innings of a tie game, he will inevitably pinch run Barfield for a slow runner. This move irks me in three ways. First of all, there is no guarantee the run will score and most importantly, he yanks one of our better hitters. Either Garko, Martinez or Hafner. Lastly, if we don't score, that spot in the lineup will invariably come up in a pressure situation. I have watched this move for over two months and Wedge has not been burned on it yet.

(Trot Nixon, Humble Pie Purveyor)


















I have warned everyone that this move will blow up in the playoffs and it will cost us a game. Last night, what happens? Barfield pinch runs for Hafner in the 9th and does not score and we go to extra innings. So, who comes up in the 11th in Josh Barfield's nee Travis Hafner's spot? Trot Nixon, Pieman! Oh no. Wedge, you fuckin' clown. This is it, you will prove me...Base hit! Trot is the man! We Win! God is good! God is great! Eric Wedge is a Hall of Famer!

Tribe evens the series at 1-1. Indians 13, Red Sox 6.

Visitor

None, it was a Browns Sunday.

Leaping Manny!
















Last night, Game 1 of the ALCS between the Indians and Red Sox was awfully one-sided, wasn't it? C.C. Sabathia looked like he was on "E" last night, after the second. Maybe all of those innings have caught up with him. Tonight, we'll see if Fausto (Spanish translation: Lucky) Carmona can pitch in the chilly weather. Too bad, the Indians have to face Curt Schilling, who has become one of the best postseason pitchers ever.

The game started OK last night with Travis Hafner's homer in the first. But then the two guys you can't have get on base started getting on base. Every time up. It was Big Papi and Manny all night. They have now been on base 27 of their last 30 trips to the plate. Manny looked awfully good last night. I still think he'll get calls when he's older like Minnie Minoso to come back and take a few hacks at the plate. His bases-loaded walk against Sabathia was a thing of beauty, as he fell behind in the count and then stayed away from fishing. That put the Sox ahead in the third, and then Mike Lowell doubled and that was all she wrote.

Tumbling Manny!



























It was very much the yawner after that. Too many walks from C.C., then Jensen Lewis took the mound and spit the bit. Hey, Aaron Fultz walked another lefty in a surprising development. I would not put him back out there again. Didn't I say that last series? Jeezy creezy, even Tom Mastny came in.

The only mildly intriguing part about the game was the ending. Both teams played a game of "Our pitcher can't be as bad as yours"? Eric Gagne or Joe Borowski. Gagne threw 25 pitches in the Indians 9th, while loading the bases. During the Boston 8th, JoBo threw 19 pitches and let two guys get on. These two are very scary even when no runs score.

Goofy Manny!





















Indians lose, 10-3

Meal of Links

Looks like MLB blew up my chance to see a game in Boston with Chris Dodd. It was a great idea by Dodd, but against some sort of rule that sucks.

The Boston Globe checks in with Rocky Colavito, of all people. Good old Rocky. According to him, he never cursed us.

A look at Fenway Park.

Exercise Yard

Hey how 'bout that music last night on the game? I guess it's "Cleveland Rocks" each inning when the Indians score, eh? Fox somehow realized it's 2007, as I heard the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Beck, All-American Rejects, and the Beastie Boys for some bumpers.

Of course, Tim McCarver was on. He didn't know Stephen King's (who was reading a book!) son's name. Unfortunately, there was a game going on. Ugh!

Visitor

46 Across: Kojak et al. (5 letters) Answer: Theos

Have you been to a Discount Drug Mart lately? I may not have been in one this century. Tonight, I took a walk to the one closest to me. It rained on the way there a little bit. It rained a lot on the way back. I got wet. I cursed.

Anyhow, it'll save you the runaround, but I've decided that weirdos shop there. I can't think of any other word, these people are weird. I was in the candy aisle. I have no idea why. I end up staring at some Junior Mints. Well, they really weren't Junior Mints. These Junior Mints were mint on the outside with chocolate on the inside. I was fascinated by them. That's not weird, but it definitely got my attention, as well as three little boxes of the regular Junior Mints for 99 cents and I wasn't gonna buy either product. Just then, an old woman comes around the corner and stops. She won't cross between me and the Junior Mints. WTF? Just go. I was gonna wait her out, but I decided it was too creepy. She didn't move until I moved closer to the Junior Mints. And then I got the hell out of that aisle.

Later on, I see this youth come strolling toward the pharmacy. He asks the pharmacist if they had any electric blankets. Some joker who was waiting for his silly pill refill tells the kid, "Hey, you can have your girlfriend over and then you can plug in it." I'm not sure what that means. Oh, it can go several directions, but the guy who said it was thinking of the most obscure meaning, I'm sure. Anyhow, the youth didn't even acknowledge him.

Hey, I don't mind being with the great unwashed, but I don't think I'm going to revisit this place.

Meal of Links

Does anyone watch TV Land with any regularity? Well, you can now ignore full-length episodes on TVLand.com. OK, maybe I'll watch a Jed Clampett or an Andy. Definitely the "Happy Days" holiday episodes, if offered.

Feeling pretty good today? Then don't read about death. Hey, drowning can be surprisingly swift. Hey, how 'bout that? Heart attacks, bleeding to death and even hanging are also addressed.

I think Fred Thompson's a good guy. But he also is a rich guy. That Sanford and Son pickup fools no one.

Exercise Yard

Even though hockey has been passed by NASCAR as the fourth major sport, the Stanley Cup remains the most coveted of the sports trophies. Mainly, because hockey still rivals baseball for its long-standing traditions and the fact that each player gets his name on the trophy and gets to keep the actual trophy for a day and do whatever they want with it.












Follow the Stanley Cup during its summer vacation with the Anaheim Ducks.

Visitor

73 Across: Dutch painter of "The Cat Family" (5 letters) Answer: Steen

This time of year, it's always a fun Wednesday because it's Octoberfest at the Happy Dog. And that means Polka DJ time combined with shrimp specials. Yes!!! My Dad really enjoys the polka and once again figured out "Blue Eyes Cryin' In The Rain", so I try to get him down there for this event. And my brother and niece were there, as well. Lydia got to color a cow placemat. I was supposed to help, but never got the opportunity. Sadly, there were not that many people there.

(Side note: Radiohead's record dropped today. I really like the song, "Jigsaw Falling Into Place". Not a polka.)

Anyhow, all the favorites were played and DJ Kiska is kinda funny as it's "Go Time!" before most songs. He always plays the "Smoky Time Polka", a medley so he can grab a smoke. I also discovered he drinks Old Grand-Dad, which transformed him into mildly tipsy Polka DJ. When we left, he was determining the "12 Commandments of the Polka" because he spun a record that had the initials "J.C." on it. Yes, Jesus owned that record. So, right before my eyes, I could see the power of that demon rum. As I always say, you can't help but have a good time when the polkas are playing in the background.

Meal of Links

Why we curse. Shit, it's a long read, but fucking worth it.

It's the fifty best breasts in film. Scarlett's in there.

Speaking of cursing, WTF? The Masters goes to ESPN for the first two rounds. By God, if Berman is involved, I'll curse. Lots.

Exercise Yard

The hole-in-one lady is finally debunked. Dave Kindred uncovers the truth for Golf Digest.
















Be sure to catch Ryan Garko's blog on Indians.com. He mentions his appearance on Jim Rome's show earlier today.

Visitor

22 Down: President when Texas was annexed (4 letters) Answer: Polk

With the Indians off today, I was able to catch up on two of my favorite shows. On "Curb Your Enthusiasm", somehow Larry David became John McEnroe's limo driver, Charlie ("Hey Mac, I'm shitfaced!"), and had to take him to a Paul McCartney concert. Unfortunately, Heather Mills took a "freak" comment personally. And all hell breaks loose. I laughed at this one a lot.



And the serial killer, "Dexter", got his mojo back and killed someone. However, no bowling this week.

Meal of Links

We probably have all had some of these warning signs. Seems harmless until you actually read what they mean.

Another Joy Division article.

Mark Cuban has been blogging about "Dancing With The Stars". Cubes is always entertaining. I hope he buys the Cubs.

Exercise Yard

























The Indians disposed of the Yankees last night. The .444 series average with RISP and 2 outs was unbelievable. Toss out Pettitte's game and that average is astronomical. Two so-so starts resulting in a win, an epic extra inning affair, very good bullpen work (even with Jobo), that RISP hitting, and getting early leads in three of the games all helped the cause in a big way.

Boston looms and their fan base is nuttier than the Yankees. But I think we match up real well and I am confident we will win this series. I see Dice-K gets Game 3 here. I would have thought they would have thrown him at Fenway. But it's Beckett, Schilling, Dice-K and perhaps the return of Wakefield for them. And we'll go with the same slate we used against the Yankees.















Finally, Suzyn Waldman, the Yankees broadcaster, was at it again. Not a good year for her especially after that godawful Roger Clemens return audio. Well, she cried on the air after the Indians won Game 4. (There is audio). I don't know if it's right or wrong, but it's very uncomfortable coming from a reporter. I listened to Waldman on XM during Game 3 and she referred to Joba Chamberlain being "attacked by locusts" on Friday. Just a bit over the top.

Visitor

41 Across: "The A-Team" costar (3 letters) Answer: Mr. T ("I pity the fool who doesn't eat my cereal.")

Well, that was an interesting Saturday night. I watched Pacquiao-Barrera online last night saving the $49.95 tag. It was the HBO PPV video with Chinese audio and the Spanish broadcast announcing team (like wrestling) in the background. The good thing is you can understand fists in any language.

But the broadcast was a real contrast. The commercials are obviously very modern, really hi-tech looking and it seems that it's phone ad after phone ad. But the guys at the sportsdesk make it look like 1950. Very plain set, graphics are bad. They had a phone hookup with a guy from Vegas. Instead of a graphic with the dude's picture, they have a map of the United States with the guy's picture at the bottom near the middle, kind of by Texas. Then they have a red mark on the map, representing his location. I thought it was in Arizona or Colorado. On second thought, maybe he had the PPV and was calling from a hotel or something and he wasn't in Vegas. Very strange.

HBO will rerun this next week with the Diaz-Diaz bout. Here is a recap if you choose not to wait.

Are we being overcome with squirrels? I can't believe how many of these are running around these days. On my walk this a.m., I saw plenty. Oddly enough, it's one of the few critters that hasn't entered my house.

Look at this guy:

















I'm serious. We may have to consult the Pied Piper.

Meal of Links

Sen. Larry Craig likes Super Tubers. That's the one where you insert a hot dog through a potato. This guy is high comedy.

Charles Schulz is the subject of a biography. His pre-publication press hasn't been good.

Tips on how to post an eBay auction. I have only sold one item on eBay. Tickets to a Browns game that turned into Bottlegate. However, I drank before confession that day. A personal highlight reel.

Exercise Yard















I was over at Paul's for the Browns game with Italian Sausage the main event. Tough to get a read on the Browns effort today. Personally, I thought the Patriots got too cocky after a 20-0 lead at halftime. They have a big game with Dallas next week and everyone knew this game was over at the half. So, they were uncharacteristically sloppy.

Oh, you'll hear that first downs were close, third-down efficiency was close, even time of possession was close. But the Browns had 4 turnovers, the Patriots had none. And the Browns also gave up 147 yards on the run and if the Pats had run more they would have scored 50. In a yawner, the Browns lose, 34-17.















The Indians series against the Yankees is what I thought it would be going in. Let's face it, if the Yankees were going down, it wasn't going to be against Jake Westbrook. Their bats woke up for two innings tonight and they beat the Indians, 8-4. We were the only team ahead in the playoffs that did not sweep and now Game 4 looms tomorrow.

Another lo-o-o-o-ong game this evening. Roger Clemens stunk. Westbrook went longer before he was run. Aaron Fultz made what might be his only appearance in the playoffs, it was a disaster. He's paid to get the lefties out and that didn't happen too much. I go back to Game 1. If Derek Jeter had bunted and somehow Fultz had been in there in the fifth inning of that game, this series may have been different. Trot Nixon didn't help Fultz at all. It was a microcosm of his season tonight. He homered in the second, but played cadaver-like defense on an easy single in the Yankee sixth, turning it into a two-base error and allowing three runs to score.

Philip Hughes pitched well in relief of Clemens to prevent further damage. Johnny Damon provided the spark for the Yanks with a homer.

Tribe loses, 8-4. It's Paul Byrd for us against Johnny Fullstaff for them tomorrow.

Visitor

None. Another beautiful Sunday.

I tell you, the bugs were as big as blimps!

















I was at the Indians-Yankees playoff game last night. Family affair as Ron, Gale, Stephanie and Cory were in attendance. Well, you can forget about Fausto Carmona being afraid of the big stage. That was one of the most dominant performances by a pitcher that you'll see. When he's good, which is often, you wonder how he could ever lose a game.

For instance, I saw him pitch against Kansas City twice this year amongst other games. In those two KC games, he threw 15 innings, gave up 10 hits, walked one, and struck out 14. In two of his losses, the Tribe did not score. In four others, they scored one run. If he gets help, they can win, because there are games where he is unhittable.

There is always a constant battle between what are the better games to watch, a slugfest or the a pitcher's duel. While Game 1 against the Yanks was fun, it was a game where you could leave for a bit and the Indians were still winning by a big margin. But last night, with only 1 run scored in the first seven-and-a-half innings, the game hinged on every pitch. That's pretty exciting and it would be difficult to argue otherwise.

On to the details. The Indians had baserunners seemingly every inning. But that's the difference when you have a playoff-tested pitcher like Andy Pettitte instead of Wang. He got out of every type of jam imaginable, including a bases loaded, no one out inning. Pettitte got some help early in the second when Jhonny Peralta got thrown out at home. He was out by plenty, and that's being kind. It's the second game in a row, he's been thrown out at a base other than first in the two games and the fact the Indians have won both should not obscure that fact.

Carmona gave up a third inning homer to Melky Cabrera, and it would have been gut-wrenching if that had remained the only run that scored. Hard to pick out one Yankee who is hitting the ball well after two games. They have been shut down completely.

Now I've seen countless oddities during my time watching Indians game at the old Stadium and now Jacobs Field. Wrong lineup cards submitted, teams batting out of order, fires, power failures, bomb threats, Randy Johnson afraid of big jets. But I've never seen bugs have an impact on a game as much as last night. Typically, each June you'll get a few games where they are a nuisance, but you never have players so consumed with them. The Yankee pitcher, Joba Chamberlain seemed especially flummoxed. As the bugs were clinging to his body, he gave up the tying run in the eighth, without giving up a hit.


















He called for the bug spray while warming up, as they were landing all over him. Then everyone got into the act, including the umpires. The outfielders didn't seem so concerned. Robinson Cano ran over from second as if he'd never seen a bug before. It was high comedy. Derek Jeter kept waving his hands in front of his face before every pitch in a "Get these damn bugs offa me!" motion. A-Rod opted for the windshield wiper method of bug removal. It was so bad, with one out, Chamberlain again called for the spray. The scoreboard responded with a "Bug Off, Yankees!" message. Inside that park last night, it was extremely humid, so the bugs showed up for about 40 minutes, then eased up. It was as if the Indians had run out of tricks on how to score and got a delivery from Acme just in time. It was amazing to watch.

The Tribe got two good innings again from Rafael Perez and finally won it the eleventh. Travis Hafner with a bases loaded single off of Luis Vizcaino and then major noise from the fans. Well, that only took 4:23 to play.

The view from 546:

















My first game this year, it snowed. My last game, bugs invade. Maybe it's our year. Let's see what they can do in NYC, starting tomorrow.

Meal of Links

It is sometimes baffling what what you can find. I think my all-timer was an ax in my backyard.

Black Friday was yesterday, Huh? Oh, it's Canadian Thanksgiving on Monday.

Strange day of horse racing on ESPN. Patrick Biancone, a well-known trainer, was suspended for having cobra venom (it's a painkiller) in his barn. Two horses were euthanized and another broke down. However, on a fun note, Independent George ran in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland today. Remember, "A George divided against itself, cannot stand!". He finished fourth, part of a Superfecta that paid $11,354.60.

Exercise Yard

Kid snares foul ball from Angels catcher off of Manny's bat in the fifth inning. A run eventually comes in to tie game. Later, Manny wins in it in the ninth with a homer.

Visitor

52 Down: Kim's ex (4 letters) Answer: Alec

Boy, this warm weather is great. Especially in time for playoff baseball. I decided to order Chinese for the game last night and also realized I need to get to the grocery soon. I like hot and sour soup and it was especially tasty yesterday.

Also had a visit from the General and it was good.

Meal of Links

Will music eventually be free? This Radiohead experiment is very interesting. I joined up already.

Patrick McGoohan has a biography out. I believe USA is doing a remake and a 40th Anniversary Edition of "The Prisoner" is out on DVD.

It's good to be the King. Even for Halloween. Doesn't he play for the Browns? Funny, I have an old Shawn King jersey. If I paired it up with this mask...

Who knew Charlie Brown was in the majors? Ted Lilly serves one up for the Cubs.

Exercise Yard

Thoughts on the Tribe game:

In C.C. Sabathia's last playoff start in 2001, the Indians beat Seattle, 17-2. Last night, it was 12-3 over the Yanks. His playoff run support, thus far, is overwhelming.

I'm not sure what to make of Kenny Lofton's acquisition. I'm of the opinion he didn't do too much of anything since he got here. Until last night. Lofton had only 14 RBIs since his arrival. Last night, he had 4.

I don't know what to make of Kenny Lofton's DHL commercial. Sure, it's funny. But how come his eventual stopping point, Cleveland, was not mentioned?

I believe there is a new show on TBS, "Frank TV", with Frank Caliendo. I don't think they advertise it enough.

The key inning for the game was the Yankee fifth. Derek Jeter not bunting with men on first and second and no outs is rather un-Yankeelike for the playoffs. I know Jeter's career batting average against Sabathia is .500, but that situation screams bunt. Especially since Bobby Abreu, hitting behind Jeter, had already walked twice. Then A-Rod follows him. As it turned, after Jeter's out, Abreu's double, and A-Rod's walk, Posada's at-bat became the game-changer. After falling behind, C.C. went to his old tricks and just brought the heat. His strike three to Posada was the best pitch he threw all night and he threw 115 pitches. C.C. got Posada and the next hitter and he was done. But what should have been a huge inning for the Yankees pretty much sealed their fate.

Is the sign, "Sorry Wang, Wong Number" in bad taste or just edgy?

The Indians emptied the bullpen late to give the guys some work and they were good. Perez, Lewis, Betancourt allowed Jobo to not enter the game. Keep in mind, he needs work soon.

Fear of the Indians not hitting was put to rest early as they worked Chien-Ming Wang for several walks and hits before his departure in the fifth. Nice homers from Cabrera, Martinez (the big blow), Hafner and my favorite, Ryan Garko. Wang gave up two homers in a game for only the second time this season. If there is a Game 5, our hitters' confidence should be high.

When the righties were up last night, that guy in the first row with the cellphone was absolutely killing me. Then his kid joined the act. Ugh!

The Tribe wins, 12-3.

Visitor

48 Across: "The Cosby Show" son (4 letters) Answer: Theo