Tweet 8/30

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:33:09 PM8/30/12

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# MITT NOM誰EE: Tonight is the night Governor Romney has spent his
entire life preparing for. Good luck, sir!

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:33:22 PM8/30/12

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# You know who Romney and Ryan remind me of? Millionaire Bruce Wayne
and his youthful ward, Dick Grayson.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:33:39 PM8/30/12

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# You can picture Mitt and Paul asking Aunt Harriet to excuse tem,
sliding down the Bat Pole, and driving to Washington!

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:33:57 PM8/30/12

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# Financial experts at Forbes tell it like it is:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2012/08/27/red-sox-were-left-in-disarray-by-theo-espstein/

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:34:36 PM8/30/12

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# Good to see the media expose the truth about Teflon Teddy. Sometimes
even the president of the Chicago Cubs must have to stand naked.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:34:48 PM8/30/12

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# Naturally, all articles about Epstein lead to statheads bitching
that anyone who criticizes J.D. Drew is stupid.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:35:16 PM8/30/12

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# There is no bigger J.D. Drew fan on the planet than this reporter,
but let’s not pretend he was a "great" signing.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:35:37 PM8/30/12

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# Drew was underrated and unfairly maligned, but it’s not like he put
up 5 monster years, either, and Epstein bid against himself.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:36:08 PM8/30/12

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# But listen, when Drew and Dice-K are the *best* signings of Post
Pearl Jam Epstein, then--yes Virginia--he was overrated!

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:36:22 PM8/30/12

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# I can only imagine, after last night’s great speech, what Paul Ryan
would say about Epstein’s recent track record!

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:36:35 PM8/30/12

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# Not to pile on Stewart, but @GordonEdes says the last Sox starter
pounded that hard was Howard Ehmke on 8/16/23!

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:36:53 PM8/30/12

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# Some have suggested signing Cabreroid on the cheap, but there’s no
place for cheats like him or PEDaler Lance Armstrong in sports.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:37:05 PM8/30/12

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# Speaking of cheats, Alex Fraudriguez is beginning his rehab stint
tomorrow, and Roidger will pitch again for the Skeeters.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:37:20 PM8/30/12

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# Everyone mocks the Jets for not scoring TDs in the preseason, but I
didn’t see any Pats or Giants cross the goal line last night.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:37:32 PM8/30/12

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# REDD HOT: Reddick hits #27, and is just 3 away from 30.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:37:46 PM8/30/12

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# THIRTYSOMETHING: Speaking of which, Papelbon saved #30 today. He is
the active leader with 7 straight 30+ save seasons.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:37:57 PM8/30/12

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# Bob Dylan, in his new video, is a pimp.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:38:17 PM8/30/12

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# Today’s inductee to the Twitter Hall of the Very Good is Dick Groat,
a balding shortstop who played 14 MLB seasons.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:38:37 PM8/30/12

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# Groat played in 1952 and from 1955-67, batting .286/.330/.366 (89
OPS+) with 2138 hits. He played for 2 championship teams.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:39:01 PM8/30/12

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# Groat made 8 All-Star teams over 5 seasons (he played in both ASGs
in 1959, 1960, and 1962). He also won an MVP, and was runner-up once.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:39:16 PM8/30/12

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# Groat didn�t hit for much power, stole just 14 bases, and made
errors. But he had good range and was a master at the hit-and-run.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:39:30 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was a basketball superstar at Duke, where he roomed with
Richard Nixon�s brother. He set NCAA record with 25 PPG in 1952.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:40:39 PM8/30/12

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# Groat won College Basketball Player of the Year twice, had his #10
retired by Duke, and was the 3rd pick of the 1952 NBA Draft.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:41:20 PM8/30/12

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# Groat played 26 games for the NBA’s Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952-53
(12 PPG), but pro hoops weren't lucrative or prestigious back then.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:41:36 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was also a great college baseball player; he’s the only man in
both the College Baseball and Basketball Halls of Fame.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:41:54 PM8/30/12

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# Groat grew up near Pittsburgh and signed with Branch Rickey’s
Pirates in 1952. The 21-year-old went straight to the majors.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:42:13 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was 3rd in the 1952 Rookie of the Year vote, hitting .284 in
95 games, though he had just 8 extra-base hits and a 74 OPS+.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:42:31 PM8/30/12

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# Groat served in the Army in 1953-54. He returned to the Pirates,
playing a good SS but hitting a soft .267 and .273 in 1955-56.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:42:47 PM8/30/12

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# Groat improved to .315/.350/.437 (113 OPS+) in 1957. He hit .300
with 36 doubles in 1958, but fell to .275 in 1959.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:43:00 PM8/30/12

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# Groat won the batting title (.325/.371/.394, 110 OPS+) in 1960, and
surprisingly also won the MVP by a landslide.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:43:18 PM8/30/12

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# Clemente (.314/.357/.458) felt he deserved MVP. Groat’s WAR was
higher--but Mays, Aaron, and Banks were superior to both Pirates.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:43:34 PM8/30/12

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# Groat hit just .214 in the 1960 World Series, but his double play
partner, Bill Mazeroski, hit the HR that made Pittsburgh champions.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:43:45 PM8/30/12

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# After solid seasons in 1961-62, the talented but directionless
Cardinals traded for Groat, who gave St. Louis veteran leadership.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:44:04 PM8/30/12

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# The Cardinals of that era were fascinating: Musial on his way out,
Brock on his way in, Gibson, Flood, Boyer, McCarver, White, Uecker.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:44:21 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was MVP runner-up in 1963, his best year: .319/.377/.450 (128
OPS+), 85 runs, 73 RBI, 201 hits, 11 triples, NL-best 43 doubles.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:44:41 PM8/30/12

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# Groat hit .292 in 1964, and helped the Cardinals come together to
mount a furious comeback and steal the pennant from Philadelphia.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:44:54 PM8/30/12

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# As in 1960, Groat didn’t hit well in the 1964 World Series, but his
team still defeated the favored Yankees in 7 games.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:45:09 PM8/30/12

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# Groat’s 1964 World Series highlight was probably Game 4, when he
pulled the hidden-ball trick on a napping Mickey Mantle.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:45:21 PM8/30/12

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# Groat�s numbers plummeted in 1965, and he was traded to the Phillies
after the season (with Bill White and Bob Uecker).

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:45:36 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was durable but mediocre for Philadelphia in 1966. He split
1967 between the Phils and Giants, hitting .156 in 44 games.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:45:47 PM8/30/12

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# Groat retired at age 36. He was on 6 HOF ballots but never topped
2%. He does have one HOF comp (Dave Bancroft).

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:46:00 PM8/30/12

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# Interestingly, Groat does do well on Bill James’ HOF Monitor, due in
large part to his MVP and two World Series rings.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:46:13 PM8/30/12

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# After his MLB career, Groat returned to his basketball roots. He�s
been a radio color commentator for U-Pitt since 1979.

bismotwitter

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Aug 30, 2012, 6:46:38 PM8/30/12

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# Groat was name-checked in a classic Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry
David thought the fictional Groat’s Syndrome was named for Dick.

Don Violette

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Aug 31, 2012, 7:41:50 AM8/31/12

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<<(bismotwitter)
# MITT NOM'NEE: Tonight is the night Governor Romney has spent his
entire life preparing for. Good luck, sir! >>

Gee, I'd have thought it might be the night he actually wins the
election. Or is sworn in.

--
"Okay, if you're going to question the
importance of an actor's signature on a
plastic helmet from a movie based on a
comic book then all of our lives have no
meaning"!!!

Don Violette

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Aug 31, 2012, 7:50:12 AM8/31/12

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<<(bismotwitter)
# There is no bigger J.D. Drew fan on the planet than this reporter, but
let's not pretend he was a "great" signing. >>

At 14 mil a year he was waaaaaaaaay over paid.

Don Violette

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Aug 31, 2012, 7:52:54 AM8/31/12

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<<(bismotwitter)
# Drew was underrated and unfairly maligned, but it's not like he put up
5 monster years, either, and Epstein bid against himself. >>

Worst thing a GM can do?

bismotwitter

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Aug 31, 2012, 4:37:22 PM8/31/12

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@Don: After last night, I'd say Governor Romney might want to work on
that acceptance speech and inauguration.

bismotwitter

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Aug 31, 2012, 4:38:15 PM8/31/12

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@Don: I agree. Drew was a valuable player, for sure, but his salary
was not cheap, and I don't think anyone else would've paid it.

bismotwitter

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Aug 31, 2012, 4:39:29 PM8/31/12

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@Don: Pretty much. Hell, the Yanks did it with A-Fraud after he opted
out. No way would anyone have come close to that deal.

Don Violette

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Sep 1, 2012, 7:46:17 AM9/1/12

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<<(bismotwitter)
# THIRTYSOMETHING: Speaking of which, Papelbon saved #30 today. He is
the active leader with 7 straight 30+ save seasons. >>

Screw him and the hosses he trotted in on.

bismotwitter

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Sep 1, 2012, 9:06:17 AM9/1/12

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@Don: Whoa!