[USML Announce] JHW Demonstrates How Best Defense Is Good Offense

Fri May 15 18:15:11 EDT 2009

Rich,

My partner Steve Stein owns an Aston Martin DB9 (in purple, believe it or not).? Great car, but not even in the same ballpark as the Ferrari you could get for the same money.? By the way, I didn't mean to exclude Mutual Fund guys, like yourself,?from the realm of big money.? I should have said Sidley or Morningstar money.? My apologies.????

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Robbins <RERobbins at iTinker.net>
To: 'USML Announcements' <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Fri, 15 May 2009 5:00 pm
Subject: RE: [USML Announce] JHW Demonstrates How Best Defense Is Good Offense

Let me know when you guys start looking at Aston Martins.

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net] On Behalf Of jhwinick at aol.com
Sent: Friday, May 15, 2009 3:05 PM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] JHW Demonstrates How Best Defense Is Good Offense

Brad Lee,

If the shoe fits, my brother.....

We've made two trades in which the key guys you traded away were Alex Gordon?(busted hip - 60 day DL), Alexi Casilla (sub .200 BA, since demoted to AAA) and Vlad Guerrero (torn pectoral) along with Rick Porcello who looked at the time to be overmatched by major league hitters.??So,?I wouldn't say that you've jumped into the deep end of the pool just yet.? And considering what?you sent me,?there won't be much sympathy on my end that you're not happy with the performances of the players you?received in return.? Though I note you don't reference?Sherrill, Saltalamachia or Kubel, all of whom have been terrific.

But please don't try this weak sh-t on us that you're trying your best to enhance your team.? I have it on good authority that you are rejecting all inquiries regarding Messrs Longoria, Ramirez, Jones, Liriano, etc. When you?engage?Kerber?or Robbins in good faith, then you can start?taking?offense at?my remarks.? Until then, I'll keep calling it like I see it.

As for Mr. Blocker's comments, let me provide a translation for those that aren't familiar with the?bizarre sense of humor of big firm lawyers.? Maserati is code for 2nd tier.? In Sidley-speak, Maseratis?are?what reasonably successful lawyers dealing with a mid-life crisis who?don't have Sidley money buy.? Mark was shopping at the Ferrari dealership.?Guys like me don't shop for Maseratis, let alone a vehicle bearing the?Prancing Horse.??And although flattered that?Mark would expect me to be slumming at the Maserati dealership, I'm still happy?driving my station wagon and its 90,000+ odometer.

TOeFuKi

? 

-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Jansen <bljansen at gmail.com>
To: USML Announcements <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Fri, 15 May 2009 9:32 am
Subject: [USML Announce] JHW Demonstrates How Best Defense Is Good Offense

My Dear Brother Jeffrey:

??? I know none of your caustic remarks were aimed at me since I already have made trades to enhance my team this year; two, in fact, and both with you (and as unseemly as it is of you to trash the very players you traded the Bombers to support your claim that his team can be beat, I must mention that the likes of? Sonnanstine, DeRosa and Beltre have not exactly done wonders for my place in the standings, but we can discuss that?another day, specifically when I negotiate the return of Brandon Wood as part of my dump deal to you).

??? But I must call you to task on your missive, in which you frankly come?off like Dick Cheney, grousing that he cannot now access memorandum previously classified?confidential by virtue of?his own fiat.? Here you chide owners for their reticence in making deals, but that reticence?results from your?own actions, to wit, your?trade to the Bombers that enabled them to acquire such a huge lead.?Now as you know, I am taking a correspondence?course in economics offered by Harvard, so I know a little about irrational exuberance (i.e., your? love of?Wieters)?and the notion that the market --and you know I very much am a free market man-- does not always reflect rational thinking (i.e., your??love of Wieters).? So while you may think it irrational that other owners are not spending or buying in this current market, they?very well may think that their actions are quite rational.? In any event, the market will determine whether or when?other owners feel it appropriate to dip in and take a risk.? They do not need?another owner?to serve as?the USML's?Timothy Geithner.

???As I?review your missive, I think that perhaps your anger results from a deep disdain of popular culture. You do not like, and you have never liked, popular songs, least of all parodies of them. But, Jeffrey, popular culture is the only culture I know.? Unlike yours, my family did not spend summers in Cape Cod?sailing with the Buckleys?and drinking with the Cheevers.??We did not spend our summer nights listening to classical music played on the Atlantic shores. I?was lucky if my dear departed father could afford a single A battery for my transistor radio.??So if my parody of "Let It Be" (Beatles, 1970) set you off, I apologize. But let me reach out to you and offer you a hand of friendship, a hand that bridges our cultural divide, a hand that heals.

? It's a long and winding road,?my?dear brother.?Give us a chance to take our sad teams and make them better.?

Regards,

Brad Lee??

?

On 5/14/09, jhwinick at aol.com <jhwinick at aol.com> wrote: 
The thought of?concession, let alone to the Bombers, has?always have been and always will be sacrilegious.? No song here, guys....just some facts to chew on.

Sure, the Little Ripper's got a nice lead on the field.? But its May 14th for heaven's sake.? Not to pick at an old wound, but the Hoosier Daddies enjoyed a considerably more commanding lead well into August a few years ago and we all know who got the last "laffey" that year.? Heck, if no one among you is man enough to make a run at the Bombers, I'm half tempted to reverse engines a la the Big Rippers and come after him myself.

Lets take a closer look, shall we?

This is an offense that has only?one superstar hitter in Kinsler.? The rest of the offense is built around guys like Garko, Aybar, Figgins, Rivera, Ordonez, Wells, Scott, Rolen, Kendrick.? Are you kidding me?? And there is a suggestion that everyone should just step aside and allow him to accede to the throne.? Just for kicks, take a look at the total number of DL days for Figgins, Rivera, Ordonez, Wells, Martinez, Scott and Rolen the last 3 years.? 'nuff said.

I'll admit that the pitching looks good on the surface.? But look a little closer.? Galarraga's ERA is now up past 4.6. ?Burnett's ERA has been climbing steadily and now exceeds 5.3 and he's on a Yankees team that looks like a disaster waiting to happen.? Bedard has been great but is already complaining about how his arm feels.? The King might finally be coming around, but with that pen behind him and that team (not) putting up runs for him, there won't be many wins.? I'll admit that Garza looks great.? In fact, he's looking like a nice keeper at 15.? But he'll not nearly enough to support a wire to wire victory.? Joba has been decidely ordinary (1.55 WHIP)?and looks like a guy that would be better off closing games than starting them.? Another pain in Mariano's elbow and the next thing you know, Mr. B finds himself even deeper in closers.? And speaking of closers....Morrow blows another one today (taking a win away from King Felix in the process), Francisco is ailing and Andrew Bailey is...well....Andrew Bailey.? And don't even get me started on the clown with the dead squirel hanging from his chin.

The bottom line is that the Little Rippers haven't yet been pushed.? There hasn't been any of the consolidation of talent that has marked the last few years of our league's history.? If the Nukes really are throwing in the towel, there is enough talent on that team alone to push Buddha, the Big Ripper or the Calamari to a title.? And both the Hoosiers and the Red Hots still have plenty of talent to move around themselves.? If David Price nets King Felix and Matt Garza, what is Evan Longoria worth?? Hard to imagine, but I'm eager to find out.

The year has only just begun.? As I see it, at the very minimum, the Little Rippers have a few more keepers that they should be compelled to move.? If the season ends with a Little Ripper title and the likes of Joba, Morrow, Francisco, Garza and Masterson?still on their roster, we should all be ashamed of ourselves.
?
Now get out there and make it interesting.? Otherwise, come June 1, I'll be entertaining offers for my beans

That is all.

TOeFuKi 

-----Original Message-----
From: springkerb at aol.com
To: announce at usml.net
Sent: Wed, 13 May 2009 8:28 pm
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] "Just Concede".....With Apologies to Beatle Paul

Great work, but I can remember when such thoughts were sacrilegious in the Berliner camp.

-----Original Message-----
From: Brad Jansen <bljansen at gmail.com>
To: USML Announcements <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Wed, 13 May 2009 4:30 pm
Subject: [USML Announce] "Just Concede".....With Apologies to Beatle Paul

When I see my team fall in the standings, Brother Blocker comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, just concede

And there with Jeff and Robbins, he is trading right in front of me

Speaking words of wisdom, just concede

?

Just concede, just concede, just concede, just concede

Listen to Mark Blocker, just concede.

?

And when the Bombers and Berliners finally and for once agree

There will be Matt Wieters, just concede

And though Price is?just a prospect there's no doubt about his pedigree

And what about that Bailey, just concede.

?

Just concede, just concede....

?

And now with?third place?fading,?I must worry about the Calamari

And who's trading for that Morrow, just concede

When I've heard enough from Winick,?Brother?Blocker comes to me

Speaking words of wisdom, just concede.

?

?

?

?

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