Alvarez

A buddy of mine is printing a bust of his Grandfather in uniform [he was a WWII vet].

LOL and League fixed his mechanics and went on to dominate thanks to Dodger pitching coaches. I guess it helps having Sandy Koufax and Rick Honeycutt around, no big deal.

The Dodgers have players on both teams, but I want Hanley Ramirez to do well for D.R... Looks like this is going to be a GREAT game!

Fuckin' WOOHOO! I can't wait for the draft, opening day, ALL of it! Get ready homies, I'm fixin' to win this league...

Bye bye 'murikah! Come on Holland! win it for Europe! Most of the players for the Nederlands are from Curacao and the Antilles. But there are a few from Holland, mostly coaches. Namely Hall of Famer Burt Blyleven.

Advancing to the Semifinals are Puerto Rico, Republico Dominicana, Nederlands, and Japan.

League went from 10 teams to 12... ONE team left unclaimed! C'mon Raiders, let's play!

It's time for another History lesson, ladies and gents. Today, I bring to you a bad-ass piece of intelligence on vigilantism and Law Enforcement in the State of Montana. During a time when criminal elements dominated the Territories, a few dedicated citizens rose to become a powerful presence in Montana. They took a number sequence and forever weaved it into Montana's historical fabric. From the Wild West to the skys and highways of modern Montana, the origins of "3-7-77": In the days before Statehood, the Montana Territory was about as Wild as the West could get. Thanks to the Vigilance Committee, it would only grow wilder... "3-7-77". A date? A code? Since the vigilantes first posted these numbers in the Montana Territory, their meaning has been debated: Some believe it meant criminals should leave town within 3 days, 7 hours, and 77 seconds. Others think it was borrowed from California's vigilantes, where members 3, 7, and 77 were authorized to carry out executions. The most commonly accepted theory is that they are perfect grave dimensions -- 3 feet, by 7 feet, by 77 inches. Whatever the case, when the Montana Vigilance Committee posted these numbers on a man's quarters, it was understood that he'd better vacate the premises... Or face death by hanging. During the heart of the American Civil War [1860s], a small band of men were carrying out their own campaign inside the Montana Territory. Frustrated by rampant criminal activity -- and suspicious of law enforcement's involvement with the criminal element -- the first Montana Vigilance Committee rode through the Territory, hanging 21 men, including a County Sheriff. For nearly a decade more, the Committee operated with near immunity. Lynchings of random "undesirables" continued into the 1870s, when order was more or less restored by the Federals. The Vigilantes were known for brutal justice: Sheriff Henry Plummer was hanged "without the drop", meaning he was dragged up a tree and left to strangle. With the construction of the railroads came more trouble. By the late 1870s crime was again a growing problem. When an upstanding member of the Helena community was killed and robbed in his own home, a new Vigilance Committee came forth in the Capital city. It is believed this is the first time the numbers "3-7-77" were used to warn others. During the mining boom in nearby Butte, a rise in lynchings and other forms of extrajudicial justice was enough to catch Federal attention again. As the grip of law and order tightened, and as the Federal government turned its gaze away from the Civil War and towards the West, the old Committees began to disband. However, to this day, the numbers "3-7-77" can be seen on the insignia of Montana Law Enforcement and military personnel. Do the numbers really mean what we think they mean? Don't ask a State Trooper or Guardsman, he won't tell you! Insignia of the 186 Fighter Squadron Insignia of the Montana State Police

Whoever wins, the turnout for this year's Classic has been amazing. Look at those crowds in Tokyo! People packed the stadium to watch the Dutch vs. Cuba, without a single Japanese player on the field. Now THOSE are fucking baseball fans. Why did the U.S. have to downgrade to being a football country?

No way, my Little Lebowski Urban Achievers are going to sweep the season... ONE team left unclaimed, and the draft is in 12 days... C'mon, surely we've got ONE more baseball fan between the MRB and BAR?!

The Dutch and Japanese advance. Those yet to advance are the U.S., Italia, Republico Dominicana, and Puerto Rico. This tournament is REALLY heating up, I am absolutely in love with the hard-nosed baseball we've been seeing. Go Nederlands!

Words can not express how much I am looking forward to this. I live for baseball! Two teams unclaimed!

How about Team ITALY and the mercy rule victory over Canada?! Fuck almighty, I did NOT see that coming...

You know ME... indivigilance@gmail.com

Chavez was one of a HANDFUL in the international community to support Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and the legitimate Syrian government. For that, I have a great respect for the way he was a thorn in the U.S.'s side: Because the U.S. and NATO are pimping the Faux Syrian Army and a bunch of Wahabbi nutjobs [islamists]. I don't think there's any argument who is more evil: Us or Him. Anyways, I started this thread to post a news article and get your opinions, not to "woo-hoo" the death of a leader. I don't celebrate such events, not even Sheikh bin Laden's death.

Never said a bad word about Chavez. I could have cared less how he treated the U.S. gov't, and I certainly wouldn't celebrate his death. I know he brought Venezuela up to speed in a lot of areas, but he was just off his rocker [as many politicians are]. Let's not forget he became a politician after being imprisoned for attempting a military coup... The dude was like the LAST remnant of 20th Century leadership. P.S.: Socialism schmocialism. Democracy schmocracy... As far as I'm concerned, if you sit behind a desk and make decisions for other people, you're probably an arsehole. Which makes government in general full of arseholes. Venezuelan, American, Vulcan... All the same when you put on the suit and tie. Call me blue collar, I guess.

After seeking cancer treatment in Cuba and at home, Chavez finally passed away today, according to the Vice President. This guy made life hell for the U.S. gov't, while befriending some of the world's most apeshit dictators. Definitely someone who will be talked about for decades to come. The article can be found here.

Damn, those Jays trades are pretty fucked... Cone for Janzen looks like the real kick in the pants. I wonder what trades will be mentioned over the next 10-20 years? Anyone notice some seriously lopsided trades over the last few seasons? Depending on how the prospects turn out, the Blue Jays trade-raping Miami this offseason is the one that stands out the most for me. Miami is the only team who can afford to "wait for talent", but I guarantee if that deal was made with ANY other club, that club would be asking for MLB-ready talent in return for guys like Reyes, Buerhle, and Johnson. That's just not a trade you make, unless you're the dumbshit Marlins...

So we've all seen some pretty amazing fuck-ups by General Managers in our lifetimes... What do you think the absolute WORST trade your team made was? Try to keep the trades recent, we all know the Babe Ruth story already. Being a Dodgers fan, I've seen some SERIOUSLY shit trades go down in Chavez Ravine. We're talking XBOX trades... Here are just a few, with my all-time WORST in bold: -Pedro Martínez was traded to the Montreal Expos for Delino DeShields... -Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile were traded to the Florida Marlins for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla, Manuel Barrios, and Jim Eisenreich... -Paul Konerko and Dennis Reyes were traded to the Chicago White Sox for Jeff Shaw... Hard to beat those three, but let's see what you got!

The Netherlands and Taiwan advance to round 2 in Tokyo. If I'm not mistaken, Japan and Cuba also advance. Again, the Dutch are showing promise: 5-1 so far this go-around in W.B.C. play, including a perfect 3-0 in the qualifiers.

You are now legal to drink in all Canadian provinces. Good luck.

I just noticed Greg Maddux is the US pitching coach... Dude, people would give their left nut to learn from this guy.

The fez that Bosnian SS wore was red. Sometimes they wore feldgrau "field caps", helmets, and the like -- but for the most part the red fez was the hot item. And I haven't noticed it being advantageous. Up close, going room-to-room, I can tell "Oh, that's an assault" [the other skins have helmets]... But far away it's not like it makes him easier to hit or see. Perhaps this is because I have only 200 hours played and I am HORRIBLE at DoD:S...

Yes, Magoo. I am aware. However, I will NOT be submitting this skin to the Ordinance Office. It is for my own personal use and enjoyment, sorry.