The Ashes, Third Test: England's Chance To Take Control



If only the first day of the test wasn't a washout.

Still, good things tend to happen for England at Edgbaston. They could still win this match thanks to a swift end to Australia's first innings on day two. Barring no further rain delays, England have a real chance to take full command of the series this weekend with a win. They have to remain optimistic for a result after such great bowling.

Tainted titles? Let they who are free of sin cast the first stone!

OK. David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are "cheaters". Or to whatever degree that naiveté carries you in todays professional sports lets just set the record straight. Anyone who thought the Red Sox or any other team for that matter were free from this dirty little mess be it called, Andro, HGH, the Cream, the Clear, be it injected in the buttocks by a trusted "friend", taken with your protein shakes, or whether we're all "not here to discuss the past..." that we are really "here to be positive". We all knew. We have always known. So please lets box up the "i told ya so's" and the big bad BIG MARKET team BS.

Tainted Titles? Look I loved the 2004 Boston Red Sox story. Who didn't? And then the White Sox the following year. But this revelation that somehow because of yesterdays report of Ortiz (a "surprise") and Ramirez (NOT suprising) being on the so-called LIST thus making that year "tainted" is ridciulous. Folks, there are 103 players on that LIST. And guess what, they weren't all Red Sox players.

OK. Here are the names we know Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, and Miguel Tejada were "confirmed" last year. And now we have Manny Ramirez, David Segui, and David Ortiz. Other names NOT confirmed but rumored are Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Francisco Rodriguez, and Gary Sheffield. Here is the list as published by ROTOworld as the "suspected test failures" and the teams they were on at the time of the test by division (** indicate PITCHERS)(BOLD indicates team was Division Winner/Wildcard winner):

American League East
1.Nomar Garciaparra (Boston Red Sox)
2.Manny Ramirez (Boston Red Sox)
3.Johnny Damon (Boston Red Sox)
4.Trot Nixon (Boston Red Sox)
5.David Ortiz (Boston Red Sox)
6.Shea Hillenbrand (Boston Red Sox)
7.Derek Lowe (Boston Red Sox)**
8.Pedro Martinez (Boston Red Sox)**
9.Brian Roberts (Baltimore Orioles)
10.Jay Gibbons (Baltimore Orioles)
11.Melvin Mora (Baltimore Orioles)
12.Jerry Hairston (Baltimore Orioles)
13.Jason Giambi (New York Yankees)
14.Alfonso Soriano (New York Yankees)
15.Raul Mondesi (New York Yankees)
16. Aaron Boone (New York Yankees)
17.Andy Pettitte (New York Yankees)**
18.Jose Contreras(New York Yankees)
19.Roger Clemens (New York Yankees)**
20.Carlos Delgado (Toronto Blue Jays)
21.Vernon Wells (Toronto Blue Jays)
22.Frank Catalanotto (Toronto Blue Jays)

American League Central
23.Kenny Rogers (Minnesota Twins)**
24.Magglio Ordonez (Chicago White Sox)
25.Sandy Alomar (Chicago White Sox)
26.Bartolo Colon (Cleveland Indians)**
27.Brent Abernathy (Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Kansas City Royals)
28.Jose Lima (Kansas City Royals)**
29.Milton Bradley (Cleveland Indians)
30.Casey Blake (Cleveland Indians)
31.Danys Baez (Cleveland Indians)
32.Craig Monroe (Detroit Tigers)
33.Dmitri Young (Detroit Tigers)
34.Alex Sanchez (Detroit Tigers)

American League West
35.Eric Chavez (Oakland A's)
36.Miguel Tejada (Oakland A's)
37.Eric Byrnes (Oakland A's)
38.Jose Guillen (Oakland A's)
39.Keith Foulke (Oakland A's)**
40.Ricardo Rincon (Oakland A's)**
41.Bret Boone (Seattle Mariners)
42.Mike Cameron (Seattle Mariners)
43.Randy Winn (Seattle Mariners)
44.Ryan Franklin (Seattle Mariners)
45.Freddy Garcia (Seattle Mariners)
46.Rafael Soriano (Seattle Mariners)
47.Scott Spiezio (Anaheim Angels)
48.Troy Glaus (Anaheim Angels)
49.Francisco Rodriguez (Anaheim Angels)**
50.Ben Weber (Anaheim Angels)
51.Alex Rodriguez (Texas Rangers)
52.Juan Gonzalez (Texas Rangers)
53.Rafael Palmeiro (Texas Rangers)
54.Carl Everett (Texas Rangers)
55.Javy Lopez (Texas Rangers)**

National League East
56.Gary Sheffield (Atlanta Braves)
57.Mike Hampton (Atlanta Braves)**
58.Ivan Rodriguez (Florida Marlins)
59.Derrek Lee (Florida Marlins)
60.Bobby Abreu (Philadelphia Phillies)
61.Terry Adams (Philadelphia Phillies)**
62.Fernando Tatis (Montreal Expos)
63.Livan Hernandez (Montreal Expos)**
64.Hector Almonte (Montreal Expos)**
65.Tony Armas (Montreal Expos)**
66.Dan Smith (Montreal Expos)**
67.Roberto Alomar (New York Mets/Chicago White Sox)
68.Cliff Floyd (New York Mets)
69.Roger Cedeno (New York Mets)
70.Jeromy Burnitz (New York Mets)

National League Central
71.Moises Alou (Chicago Cubs)
72.Sammy Sosa (Chicago Cubs)
73.Corey Patterson (Chicago Cubs)
74.Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs)**
75.Mark Prior (Chicago Cubs)**
76.Kerry Wood (Chicago Cubs)**
77.Matt Clement (Chicago Cubs)**
78.Antonio Alfonseca (Chicago Cubs)**
79.Juan Cruz (Chicago Cubs)
80.Aramis Ramirez (Chicago Cubs)
81.Craig Wilson (Pittsburgh Pirates)
82.Kris Benson (Pittsburgh Pirates)**
83.Richie Sexson (Milwaukee Brewers)
84.Geoff Jenkins (Milwaukee Brewers)
85.Valerio de los Santos (Milwaukee Brewers)**

National League West
86.Benito Santiago (San Francisco Giants)
87.Rich Aurilia (San Francisco Giants)
88.Barry Bonds (San Francisco Giants)
89.Andres Galarraga (San Francisco Giants)
90.Jason Schmidt (San Francisco Giants)
91.Felix Rodriguez (San Francisco Giants)
92.Jason Christiansen (San Francisco Giants)
93.Matt Herges (San Francisco Giants)**
94.Paul Lo Duca (Los Angeles Dodgers)
95.Shawn Green (Los Angeles Dodgers)
96.Oliver Perez (Los Angeles Dodgers)
97.Adrian Beltre (Los Angeles Dodgers)
98.Eric Gagne (Los Angeles Dodgers)
99.Guillermo Mota (Los Angeles Dodgers)
100.Luis Gonzalez (Arizona Diamondbacks)
101.Todd Helton (Colorado Rockies)
102.Ryan Klesko (San Diego Padres)
103.Gary Matthews (San Diego Padres)

So what does this LIST tell us? Well first, it actually says alot. Though here is what it doesn't say first: The truth of the names, the drugs involved, the dosages found (level), and the dates of the test itself. These are ALL UNKNOWN/UNCONFIRMED. But lets take it as a barometer of the depth of the "problem".

1. Every team but two had at least one player and most had more than one (The Chicago Cubs led with 10, including most of the starting pitching staff). The two having none? The St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros. OK, before you anoint them with congratulations lets remember a couple of things. First, each them held top-dawg status of the steriod era in the wake of two of the poster children of the Steroid Era being key members of those teams: Mark McGwire and Ken Caminiti (though his best days were in San Diego). Secondly, each has subsequently gone out and signed suspected "tainted" players that have served as key cogs to further successes, most notably the Astros with Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte. The Cardinals had Fernando Vina in '03 who was linked to PED's in the Mitchell Report and also, though languishing in the minors for his notable mental "hiccups", Rick Ankiel.

2. the LIST is just ONE list of many. The depth of this list is DEEP but it is really something to see in this great MATRIX OF LISTS for an eye-opening look into how far this really goes.

3. Big market, small market. Hitters, pitchers, Good teams, bad teams. They ALL had these guys. And they cover every cultural enclave. Though it would appear the ever surging list of minor leaguers in Latin American Leagues getting suspened or linked to trainers like Angel Presinal (nice hat in the photo BTW) are indicators there are some tremendously shady folks lurking outside the borders of the MLB that are taking advantage of young Latinos starry-eyed at the prospect of prosperity.

So please, spare me the "GIVE BACK YOUR TROPHY" march on Washington garb. There are no innocents here. There are no "clean" teams ready to take the tainted trophies off the glass-cased shelves.

And folks....if you watch, root, or just follow sports.....its the bed we've all made together. We watched salaries increase exponentially over the years and paid the ridiculous "entertainment" prices to watch them. We are guilty too. We hold athletes up to hero status as though what they do is really meaningful beyond these moderate metaphors of life. We demand greatness on a level that puts athletes in a position of having to inject themselves to "survive".

So buckle up. There will be plenty of "bad news" to come. Whether its overcoming 86 years of "suffering" as Red Sox fans or Lance Armstrong's 7 titles in cycling's premiere event or those heady days of the Steel Curtain of the 1970s to the Patriots of the 2000's, Olympic (False) Glories fading to shame. We asked for this. And they have given us what we asked for.

Bon Appetite.

My Thoughts Are With...


...those poor doctors at UCLA medical center who were ordered to keep Michael Jackson's blood flowing for over an hour in the ER. They must be traumatized for life. They worked furiously over a skeletal body...CPR, epinephrine / adrenaline, and electricity. My thoughts are with them. What happened to them should never happen to Emergency Room doctors.

Seriously, that had to be so awful. What attending orders over 60 minutes of resuscitation attempts? Did anyone walk out after a certain point? I want the inside story.

UPDATE, July 2nd: Shortly after posting this, I wrote an e-mail to the ER chief over at UCLA, Dr. Marshall Morgan, asking him if those who worked on Jackson would be receiving any perks or special recognition, as I feel they did more to deserve it.

Then on July 1st, I see this AP story that investigates whether Jackson could have been revived after being brought into the ER clinically dead. It seems that UCLA has a doctor who has been successful in reviving people who would normally be declared dead. But, no, this particular doctor wasn't called to the ER for the Jackson case. And no, the article is not reporting that Jackson could have been revived. So while the article could have discredited my question to the ER chief, it didn't. But I am not expecting any sort of reply from Dr. Morgan anyway. But I do expect some details to leak out over the next few weeks. Certainly TMZ or someone will want to hear about what these doctors saw and tried to do.

How To Overcome Two Painful Losses - Start A New Winning Streak

I had planned to blog last Thursday's game between the Marlins and Red Sox. It turned out to be the most annoying game of the season so far, with Boston getting only 1 hit in a rain-shortened game.
The next day was no better, with the Red Sox scoring only 2 hits in a 8-2 thumping at the hands of the Braves. Daisuke Matsuzaka was overwhelmed and later placed on the 15-day Disabled List with a 'weak shoulder'.



With two losses like that, and the Yankees creeping closer in the AL East race, the Sox were put to a bit of a mental test.

And did they pass.

The next game on Saturday (June 20) was special. It marked the return to Fenway of Derek Lowe, who started for the Braves, against Boston ace Josh Beckett. In a classic pitcher's duel, Beckett came out on top, throwing his third career shutout, while the Sox offense was led by RBI hits by Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, and Nick Green.

Then came Sunday, and it was a thrilling shootout in the same cold, wet conditions that hung over Boston all last week. And the winning run was a walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth by Nick Green.


It capped a dramatic turn-around in spirits and set the stage for a possible sweep in D.C. as the Red Sox will be facing the worst team in the Majors, while also trying to keep-up with the Dodgers, who currently have the best record in the Majors (46-24 as of Tuesday morning). The Nationals are 20-47 so far this season. The Red Sox are 42-27, and are looking to crack 50 wins well before the All Star break.

Red Sox Offense Gradually Getting Hot

For a team that was described as being in an offensive slump just 3 weeks ago, the Red Sox have to be feeling better about their hitting now. After last night's win against the Marlins, the Red Sox improved to 4th most productive offense in the Majors, with 353 runs scored. That's more than any National League team at the moment (the Phillies are right behind them with 341 runs scored - 5th best in the Majors).

David Ortiz is out of his slump. Dustin Pedroia, who was always a tough out before and during his recent slump, is getting clutch hits again. And my favorite new member of the team, Rocco Baldelli, has been earning more playing time, getting more hits, and seems to have become a buddy of David Ortiz.The positive energy and chemistry in the clubhouse works both ways. It kept the Sox positive during a time when they were not living-up to expectations. And now it is boosting everyone's mood and motivation as the team is closer to reaching its full potential. And we know because the Red Sox are a deep team, there is still room for further optimization as they approach the halfway point of the season.

The Sox will switch to a six-man starting rotation next week with the addition of John Smoltz. Nick Green appears to have secured his spot on the 25-man roster as one of their two shortstops (the other being Julio Lugo). I would hope that the Red Sox keep the six man rotation through the All Star break, and then re-assess which one of them would better serve the team from the bullpen. The other advantage is that if one of them is injured or traded, the Sox will still have one of the best rotations in the Majors.

Speaking of the bullpen, it was upgraded in May. The Sox sent situational lefty Javier Lopez to Pawtucket to make room for big right-handed rookie Daniel Bard. I like Javier for doing a fine job between 2006-2008. But it seems this is the beginning of the end of his stint with the Sox. His 13 earned runs in 11.2 innings simply could not fit in a bullpen that good. And Daniel Bard has already made an impact. He has allowed 5 runs in 13.2 innings with 15 strikeouts. That translates to a very respectable 3.29 ERA (compared to Lopez' 9.26 ERA). Could this mean that the Sox might shop for a situational lefty? Probably not. That's because Hideki Okajima, who had all sorts of problems last season, is back to his reliable self this season.

The Sox are poised for a win streak to carry them through the end of June, and win streaks earn playoff berths.

Red Sox Bullpen Passes Test . Yanks Can't Trust Theirs.

If we learned anything in this week's thrilling Yankees-Red Sox series at wet, chilly Fenway Park, it is that the Yankees cannot trust their bullpen. They have weapons and loads of talent, to be sure. Melky Cabrera and Robinson Cano continue to be the young heroes. Johnny Damon is having a far better season than he did in 2008. Derek Jeter is doing his thing, day in, day out. And A-Rod is always dangerous, on-track to hit career home run # 600 sometime in 2010 or 2011. But manager Joe Girardi knows their weakness. It is the bullpen.

Joe Girardi has shown in his 1 & 1/3 seasons that he is a by-the-book manager - very predicable. But he couldn't follow his own rules last night in the 8th inning, when he knew he had to remove CC Sabathia from the mound, but didn't. It was an interesting and revealing moment, demonstrating that Girardi and his staff can't trust their bullpen to hold the line late in a game. I'm sure he was also hoping to rest his bullpen in preparation for the subway series in the Bronx this weekend. But the immediate thought on his mind had to be that he didn't have a reliable set-up man available to work the 8th inning.

Job Search Notes / Tips

Dhalgren is no self-help guy or someone who buys into trendy job search techniques. But after 14 months, it was time to try something different. My previous method was getting results (a 10% callback rate on applications sent via the Internet), but not making real progress. So...

You may have heard of putting together a 'self-marketing plan' or 'target list' during an intensive job search. I just wanted to write a note on how I finally came around to adopting elements of these techniques. Plus, I have some advice to bring your interviews to a new level of performance.

I have decided to adjust my job search slightly. I watched a poorly-produced yet informative special on CNBC called 'Where the Jobs Are.' It didn't have anything revolutionary, but it did offer advice on how to create a 'target list' of companies you want to work for. One of the experts on the show suggested listing about 20 companies and then aiming a little lower than you normally would in applying for a position (for example, apply to the 'associate' position rather than the 'manager' position). At the same time, follow-up and make a brief sales pitch explaining that you really want to work for that particular company. Don't let them assume that you are overqualified. Let them know that you are seeking to fill their vacancy and commit to the firm long-term.

In other words, create a short list of companies you really want to work for and then both apply and network your way in, leveraging Facebook and LinkedIn or other networking groups (heck, even knowing what bars employees go to after work can help you get the name of a hiring manager).

I have my list of companies. I am still applying to jobs on the Internet, but I am applying directly through the company's careers site.

Hopefully this will help me regain traction as we enter the stretch between Memorial Day and Independence Day. I'll keep you posted.

As for interviews, it is a given that you need to educate yourself about the company (Wikipedia is actually a nice place to start). But if you can, try to do two extra things:

1. Try to make a quick pitch and suggest a way the vacant position could be expanded. An example I thought of is if a small company is looking for an office manager, go further and ask if they need a technician, web content manager, writer, accountant, purchaser, facilities manager, or any other responsibility that you excel in. I'm not suggesting that you offer a company a 2-for-1 deal, but you can show that you already have ideas on how the position can grow.

2. If you can identify a challenge that the company is currently facing (JetBlue for example is having trouble finding routes for new planes being delivered), see if you can make a mention of it and offer your opinion of how that problem can be addressed. You can skip this if you can't find a specific example in the news in the public sphere. But if you can, see if you can squeeze it in as a topic. If you are applying for a manager position, then see if you can raise it as an issue that you can actually address as a future employee of the firm. People like free samples, just be careful not to give away workable solutions for free. This is tricky, but see if you can come-up with a teaser that will make the hiring manager ask more questions. That would also give you something to mention in your thank you e-mail.

I just hope the ideas I am writing here actually help me as I enter the 15th month of my job search...

We're Not Dead...And Neither Are The Mets!

The month of May is a make-or-break stretch for the New York Metropolitans. It began with a home series against Philadelphia, will continue with a west coast trip, and it will end with a home series against the once hot, now struggling Florida Marlins. Oh, and they also host the Braves and travel to Boston for Memorial Day Weekend. It's a key month. But they have begun it with a beautiful sweep of the Phillies, and a fourth straight win overall. We'll see in 4 weeks if there is still a race for the NL East with the Mets in the mix. I do think the Red Sox will sweep the Mets at Fenway. The Red Sox offense is getting better as the season goes on. See what the Sox did last night?

Let Them Eat Chocolate Chip Cookies

We're being bombarded by so many wingnut and mainstream media talking points, it's nearly impossible to keep track. History probably won't record this whirlwind of concern trolling, presidential analysis, or the madness of Glenn Beck, but a funny talking point caught my attention in all of this.

Erin Burnett appeared on the Today show earlier this month and reminded people that even in the worst economic times, businesses and entrepreneurs continue to innovate. She then repeated the historical tid-bit that the chocolate chip cookie was invented during the Great Depression. But the way she delivered that fact...well, go judge for yourself. Some men think she's hot. I just think she's a former Goldman banker who is now a full-time apologist for Wall Street.

St. Patty's Day Mini News Roundup

O'Neill's pub, New York City, St. Patrick's Day 2006. Photo by Flickr user MikeL-911, used here under a Creative Commons license.

Let's start with the most outrageous major news story from this morning. Yes, AIG payouts to banks with TARP funds it received is outrageous. And yes, we need to know more about the relationship between Goldman Sachs and AIG. But I am referring to the Pope's opinion that condoms either can worsen or already worsen crises in Africa. I hope that we've reached a point in our history in which the words of a politician or religious leader cannot override scientific fact. Perhaps the right thing to do is to ignore Pope Benedict XVI, as we live in a secular world and shouldn't have to listen to what the leader of a shrinking, anti-sexuality, minority religion thinks about condoms, and the role they play in worsening crises in the world's poorest continent.

But I am a strong birth control and HIV prevention advocate. I'm going to try a bad analogy here, but condoms are to the fight against HIV and unintended pregnancy what the AK-47 is to to rise of insurgent warfare. In other words, condoms are cheap, effective, and have changed the landscape in the context of their use (in this case, barrier birth control, not civil war). If anything, this world needs more condoms, not less (OK, that's where the AK-47 analogy ends - there's over 70 million Kalashnikov rifles in the world). The world still has a deadly pandemic on its hands, and the HIV virus is most transmitted in Africa and Asia. Condemning condom distribution and/or their use is an opinion that is not grounded in scientific fact, logic, or reality itself.

It certainly seems to this author that the Pope discounted the effects of civil war, genocide, poverty, and refugee crises, and pointed a finger at a life-saving medical device for making life worse in Africa.

Embarking on his first visit to Africa, the Pope said that distributing condoms is 'not the answer' to figting HIV in Africa. Well then, seat belts are 'not the answer' to reducing deaths in motor vehicle accidents. And immunizing children against polio is 'not the answer' to keeping the disease nearly extinct in the human population.

Considering that Africa is the only continent where Roman Catholicism is growing, and the very conservative, irrational views of both the African senior clergy and the Vatican on issues of human sexuality and birth control, I think it is a fair prediction that the next pope will be African. It was my prediction last time, and I'm sticking to it the next time around. The growth of Catholicism in Africa has been explosive, thanks primarily to the strategic evangelical projects under Pope John Paul II, who visited the continent 16 times.

To his credit, the Pope did make this statement when he arrived in Cameroon:

"In the face of suffering or violence, poverty or hunger, corruption or abuse of power, a Christian can never remain silent," he said on his arrival.
Certainly the Catholic Church is a powerful voice for peace and justice. I just feel that attacking condoms is highly ill-advised.


Freedom is on the Retreat: Coup in Madagascar hands power to Andry Rajoelina, a man too young to become president under the current constitution. While I understand that outgoing president Marc Ravalomanana is not a poster child for democracy, I have to agree with the African Union that his ouster is an undemocratic coup d'etat.


Late-breaking changes to Formula One rules: And there are a few of them. Drivers must put in more autograph session hours and be more available to the media. Low-budget teams will have the option to operate under a $42M annual budget cap in-exchange for more freedoms regarding technical and aerodynamic changes during the season. And car weights will now be announced (and published online) after Saturday qualifying. But most significant and surprising of all, the FIA has announced that the number of race wins will determine the drivers championship, with points only being used in the result of a tie. That's huge. Had that rule existed in years past, Philippe Massa would have won the driver's championship last season, and Nigel Mansell would have three F1 titles instead of one.

My take is that this rule change is risky. What would happen if a driver won 6 or 7 races before August? Would he and the team have an incentive to sit-out consecutive races and coast-in for the championship come October? Races in F1 are all run on team strategy. So will the new strategy be to win the first race, and then do everything short of foul play to knock-out contenders in subsequent races? This will be interesting, but I fear it is going to be a bad experiment. There was a reason F1 used a points-based championship for decades. The current teams were asking for a restructuring of the points system and the FIA imposed a radical rule change instead.


And last on my list, a recycled Slate St. Patrick's Day article: The man behind the green beer and myth, by David Plotz (originally published on March 17, 2000).

John Stewart vs. CNBC / Jim Cramer, Part III

The extended version of the Jim Cramer appearance on the Daily Show. Jon Stewart destroyed him. And Megan McArdle seems annoyed by it all. How dare primetime TV transcend empty entertainment?

John Stewart vs. CNBC / Jim Cramer, Part II