The Rangers signed Japanese star Yu Darvish in January, a month after C.J. Wilson left in free agency. Plus, the Rangers had already decided to move hard-throwing closer Neftali Feliz from the bullpen into the starting rotation.
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers agreed to a minor league deal with free-agent pitcher Roy Oswalt with the anticipation that he will join the rotation within a few weeks.
Assuming Oswalt passes a physical, he is expected to join Triple-A Round Rock at some point this week.
The deal with Oswalt came on the same day the Phillies and AL West rival Los Angeles Angels put their ace pitchers on the disabled list.
"He's been around a long time, he's had a good career and obviously it's still going on," Hamilton said. "I'm sure just like anybody else, he'll come into the clubhouse and fit right in just like anybody else would. We'll make sure he does. It should be exciting."
The deal was announced in the middle of the Rangers' game Tuesday night against Seattle.
The three-time All-Star was interested in joining the two-time defending American League champions during the offseason, but the Rangers were then set with their starting rotation.
Oswalt last pitched against the Rangers on June 27, 2010, a night when slugger Josh Hamilton hit a homer several rows into the upper deck in right-center field way above the Texas bullpen. The drive was measured at 490 feet, the longest home run ever hit at Rangers Ballpark.
Oswalt likely will make several minor league starts before joining the Texas rotation. Rangers officials went to Oswalt's home in Mississippi two weeks ago to watch him pitch.
Several teams had interest in Oswalt during the winter and in recent weeks. He had decided to wait until the right situation for him.
During his 10 seasons with the Houston Astros, Oswalt had connections with Ryan, the Hall of Famer pitcher who played and worked for both teams.
In 11 major league seasons with Houston (2001-10) and Philadelphia (2010-11), the 34-year-old Oswalt has a 159-93 record with a 3.21 ERA in 339 career games.
Oswalt had two stints on the disabled list last season because of lower back inflammation. He went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts for the Phillies. His 139 innings pitched were his lowest total since 2003.
In eight career starts at Rangers Ballpark, Oswalt is 2-5 with a 4.78 ERA. He lost his last five starts there, but those were against the power-packed Texas lineup that would now be playing behind him.
Hamilton, talking before the team had confirmed the deal, said Oswalt is a good pitcher that would be a good mix with the Rangers.
But Feliz was put on the 15-day disabled list May 21 with right elbow inflammation and is not even expected to pick up a baseball again until late June. Scott Feldman, a 17-game winner as a starter in 2009 but who has since been primarily a long reliever because of an injury, made his second start in Feliz's spot Tuesday night.
The Phillies put two-time Cy Young winner Roy Halladay on the disabled list and he'll be out of the rotation for six to eight weeks because of a strained right shoulder. Angels starter Jered Weaver was put on the DL with a lower-back injury, likely forcing last season's AL Cy Young runner-up to miss at least two starts.
Selasa, 29 Mei 2012
Texas-sized impact of Oswalt’s move
Oswalt’s addition can improve those odds only minimally. But this isn’t about simply reaching the postseason, either for the Rangers or for the longtime Astro, who gets the added benefit of returning to the state where he’s spent most of his career, one relatively close to his Mississippi residence. Texas has won back-to-back American League pennants, but fallen to first the Giants and then the Cardinals in the World Series; last October, the Rangers were one pitch away from a dogpile before David Freese’s two-run triple tied Game 6 in the bottom of the ninth inning. Oswalt has never won a world championship; he pitched for Houston in the 2005 World Series and joined the Phillies in 2010 — a point when they were coming off back-to-back pennants — with an eye toward that elusive ring, but Philadelphia was bounced by the eventual NL champions in both years. By hitching a ride with the 2012 Rangers, he’s poised to take what may be his last shot.
Ted Lilly had hit the disabled list. Roy Halladay was headed there. So is Jered Weaver. On a day when it appeared Roy Oswalt’s leverage was at its absolute maximum due to a sudden wave of injuries to key starters on contending teams, the 34-year-old free agent chose the path of least resistance, signing with the Rangers Tuesday afternoon for $5 million in guaranteed salary plus another $1 million in incentives.
In doing so, Oswalt joins the team with the AL’s best record (31-18, for a .633 winning percentage), the majors’ best run differential (+99, 30 ahead of any other team) and its largest division lead (6 1/2 games up in the AL West, tied with the NL West-leading Dodgers). The Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds Report, which uses run differentials, PECOTA player forecasts and rest-of-season schedule as its inputs, estimates Texas’ chance to reach the postseason at an astronomical 98.8 percent, 11 percentage points higher than any other team, and 33 points higher than any other AL team.
Though he ranked among the NL’s top pitchers for most of his 10-year run with the Astros, Oswalt isn’t the ace he once was. Last year, he spent nine weeks on the disabled list due to a lower back strain and a bulging disc, and finished with just 23 starts and 139 innings, his lowest totals since 2003. His 3.69 ERA was his highest since 2009, with a steep drop in his strikeout rate — to 6.0, down from 8.2 in 2010 — offering an ominous sign, backed up by an erosion in his average fastball velocity, from 94.0 MPH in 2009 to 93.5 in 2010 to 92.3 in 2011. In 2010, 47 percent of his strikes came either looking or swinging, while 27 percent of them came via balls in play; last year the looking and swinging dipped to 39 percent, while the in-play ones rose to 32 percent. Accompanied by a jump in BABIP from .276 to .321 — something that may have been related to the quality of contact made by opposing hitters — his ERA rose by nearly a run, from 2.76 in 2010 to 3.69 in ’11.
Thus it’s quite possible the Phils will need to go outside the organization to patch the rotation, and even then, they’ll face the dual problems of a system depleted by big trades in recent years — including, ironically, ones for Halladay and Oswalt — and a payroll that began the year as the game’s third-highest at $172.1 million, not far from the $178 million luxury tax threshold. Pending free agents on noncontenders such as the Cubs’ Ryan Dempster – to say nothing of Zack Greinke or even Shaun Marcum, should the Brewers wave the white flag — won’t come cheap, while lower-upside options such as the Diamondbacks’ Joe Saunders don’t offer much bang for the buck. In a crowded NL East fray where they’re already running fourth, the Phillies are suddenly in serious trouble.
Oswalt won’t be the staff ace in Texas, but at least he’ll bulk up the Rangers’ rotation. Individually, while all five of their starters have been acceptable, none have dominated. Feliz’s high walk and homer rates (4.9 and 1.1 per nine, respectively) and low BABIP (.213) made his 3.16 ERA unsustainable. Darvish has the rotation’s best ERA at 3.25, but his gaudy 9.7 strikeouts per nine are offset by an astronomical walk rate of 5.2 per nine, and his 50 percent quality start rate is the lowest on the staff, one percentage point below the league average. Lewis is walking a minuscule 1.2 per nine en route to the league’s best strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.7, but his 14 homers (1.9 per nine) are a league high. With four homers in his last two starts pushing his homer rate to 1.1 per nine, Holland is suddenly dealing with a gopher infestation of his own, while Harrison has by far the unit’s lowest strikeout rate at 5.8 per nine, a potentially serious problem unless his staff-high .322 BABIP regresses. Feldman has allowed nine runs in 12 1/3 innings over three starts while striking out fewer than he’s walked, which isn’t a recipe for success.
That depth took a serious hit when the team lost Feliz earlier this month due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament, which could sideline him until the All-Star break. For a team that dragged its feet when it came to moving the youngster out of the bullpen — a transition that took two seasons — it was hardly a surprise to see the Rangers lacking the will to dismantle their late-game relief corps by restoring Ogando to the rotation, where he posted a 3.56 ERA in 29 starts last year.
Without Oswalt, the Rangers’ rotation wasn’t exactly broken. The unit’s 3.78 ERA ranks third in the AL, no small accomplishment for a team pitching in the league’s top hitting environment, but it’s ahead of their peripherals. They’re fourth in strikeout rate (7.8 per nine), but just eighth in home run rate (1.1 per nine) and 10th in unintentional walk rate (3.2 per nine) — the areas over which pitchers have the most control.
Meanwhile, the combination of Oswalt’s decision and Halladay’s injury leaves the Phillies’ rotation depleted and without its most obvious outside option for reinforcement. Halladay was diagnosed with a Grade I/Grade II strain of the latissimus dorsi, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, meaning that he won’t be back until after the All-Star break. With Vance Worley sidelined due to inflammation caused by bone chips in his elbow and not expected back until late next month, the Phillies are already calling Kyle Kendrick’s number every five days; the 27-year-old righty has 104 career starts under his belt, but he’s homer prone (1.2 HR/9 career), doesn’t miss many bats (4.2 K/9 career, 5.2 this year), and has a massive platoon split (.263/.303/.410 against righties, .304/.372/.506 for lefties). Retreads waiting in the wings at Triple-A, namely David Bush, Pat Misch and Scott Elarton, pitched their way out of the majors years ago, while their top minor league starter, Tyler Cloyd, is more suspect than prospect, having failed to crack the Baseball America top 30 list in an organization that ranked 27th out of 30 itself.
It will be late June before Oswalt is ready to pitch in the majors, meaning more Feldman, or perhaps a Triple-A starter, though none of the rotation regulars at Round Rock has an ERA below 4.67, and the two with ERAs below 5.00 (Zach Jackson and Greg Reynolds) have been blowtorched for a combined 6.59 ERA in 199 1/3 major league innings. Once he does join the Rangers, Oswalt will be pitching in the AL for the first time in his career, and in a ballpark where he’s hardly thrived; in eight starts totaling 52 2/3 innings from 2001-2010, he was lit up for a 4.78 ERA while allowing 1.5 homers per nine. That’s a small sample, roughly a quarter of a season, but it doesn’t change the fact that Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a homer haven for both lefties and righties, increasing big flies by 31 and 23 percent, respectively, over the past three seasons according to The Bill James Handbook 2012.
At the outset of the season, the Rangers enjoyed enviable rotation depth. With the signing of Japanese free agent Yu Darvish and the shift of closer Neftali Feliz to the rotation, they had repeated the formula that helped turn them into pennant winners two years ago, stockpiling starters who could miss more bats than the pitchers they were replacing. With Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison also holding down jobs in the starting five, the team could afford to offset Feliz’s move by returning Alexi Ogando to a setup role, and keeping Scott Feldman, who made a solid late-season return from microfracture surgery, in a swingman role.
Ted Lilly had hit the disabled list. Roy Halladay was headed there. So is Jered Weaver. On a day when it appeared Roy Oswalt’s leverage was at its absolute maximum due to a sudden wave of injuries to key starters on contending teams, the 34-year-old free agent chose the path of least resistance, signing with the Rangers Tuesday afternoon for $5 million in guaranteed salary plus another $1 million in incentives.
In doing so, Oswalt joins the team with the AL’s best record (31-18, for a .633 winning percentage), the majors’ best run differential (+99, 30 ahead of any other team) and its largest division lead (6 1/2 games up in the AL West, tied with the NL West-leading Dodgers). The Baseball Prospectus Playoff Odds Report, which uses run differentials, PECOTA player forecasts and rest-of-season schedule as its inputs, estimates Texas’ chance to reach the postseason at an astronomical 98.8 percent, 11 percentage points higher than any other team, and 33 points higher than any other AL team.
Though he ranked among the NL’s top pitchers for most of his 10-year run with the Astros, Oswalt isn’t the ace he once was. Last year, he spent nine weeks on the disabled list due to a lower back strain and a bulging disc, and finished with just 23 starts and 139 innings, his lowest totals since 2003. His 3.69 ERA was his highest since 2009, with a steep drop in his strikeout rate — to 6.0, down from 8.2 in 2010 — offering an ominous sign, backed up by an erosion in his average fastball velocity, from 94.0 MPH in 2009 to 93.5 in 2010 to 92.3 in 2011. In 2010, 47 percent of his strikes came either looking or swinging, while 27 percent of them came via balls in play; last year the looking and swinging dipped to 39 percent, while the in-play ones rose to 32 percent. Accompanied by a jump in BABIP from .276 to .321 — something that may have been related to the quality of contact made by opposing hitters — his ERA rose by nearly a run, from 2.76 in 2010 to 3.69 in ’11.
Thus it’s quite possible the Phils will need to go outside the organization to patch the rotation, and even then, they’ll face the dual problems of a system depleted by big trades in recent years — including, ironically, ones for Halladay and Oswalt — and a payroll that began the year as the game’s third-highest at $172.1 million, not far from the $178 million luxury tax threshold. Pending free agents on noncontenders such as the Cubs’ Ryan Dempster – to say nothing of Zack Greinke or even Shaun Marcum, should the Brewers wave the white flag — won’t come cheap, while lower-upside options such as the Diamondbacks’ Joe Saunders don’t offer much bang for the buck. In a crowded NL East fray where they’re already running fourth, the Phillies are suddenly in serious trouble.
Oswalt won’t be the staff ace in Texas, but at least he’ll bulk up the Rangers’ rotation. Individually, while all five of their starters have been acceptable, none have dominated. Feliz’s high walk and homer rates (4.9 and 1.1 per nine, respectively) and low BABIP (.213) made his 3.16 ERA unsustainable. Darvish has the rotation’s best ERA at 3.25, but his gaudy 9.7 strikeouts per nine are offset by an astronomical walk rate of 5.2 per nine, and his 50 percent quality start rate is the lowest on the staff, one percentage point below the league average. Lewis is walking a minuscule 1.2 per nine en route to the league’s best strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.7, but his 14 homers (1.9 per nine) are a league high. With four homers in his last two starts pushing his homer rate to 1.1 per nine, Holland is suddenly dealing with a gopher infestation of his own, while Harrison has by far the unit’s lowest strikeout rate at 5.8 per nine, a potentially serious problem unless his staff-high .322 BABIP regresses. Feldman has allowed nine runs in 12 1/3 innings over three starts while striking out fewer than he’s walked, which isn’t a recipe for success.
That depth took a serious hit when the team lost Feliz earlier this month due to a sprained ulnar collateral ligament, which could sideline him until the All-Star break. For a team that dragged its feet when it came to moving the youngster out of the bullpen — a transition that took two seasons — it was hardly a surprise to see the Rangers lacking the will to dismantle their late-game relief corps by restoring Ogando to the rotation, where he posted a 3.56 ERA in 29 starts last year.
Without Oswalt, the Rangers’ rotation wasn’t exactly broken. The unit’s 3.78 ERA ranks third in the AL, no small accomplishment for a team pitching in the league’s top hitting environment, but it’s ahead of their peripherals. They’re fourth in strikeout rate (7.8 per nine), but just eighth in home run rate (1.1 per nine) and 10th in unintentional walk rate (3.2 per nine) — the areas over which pitchers have the most control.
Meanwhile, the combination of Oswalt’s decision and Halladay’s injury leaves the Phillies’ rotation depleted and without its most obvious outside option for reinforcement. Halladay was diagnosed with a Grade I/Grade II strain of the latissimus dorsi, and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, meaning that he won’t be back until after the All-Star break. With Vance Worley sidelined due to inflammation caused by bone chips in his elbow and not expected back until late next month, the Phillies are already calling Kyle Kendrick’s number every five days; the 27-year-old righty has 104 career starts under his belt, but he’s homer prone (1.2 HR/9 career), doesn’t miss many bats (4.2 K/9 career, 5.2 this year), and has a massive platoon split (.263/.303/.410 against righties, .304/.372/.506 for lefties). Retreads waiting in the wings at Triple-A, namely David Bush, Pat Misch and Scott Elarton, pitched their way out of the majors years ago, while their top minor league starter, Tyler Cloyd, is more suspect than prospect, having failed to crack the Baseball America top 30 list in an organization that ranked 27th out of 30 itself.
It will be late June before Oswalt is ready to pitch in the majors, meaning more Feldman, or perhaps a Triple-A starter, though none of the rotation regulars at Round Rock has an ERA below 4.67, and the two with ERAs below 5.00 (Zach Jackson and Greg Reynolds) have been blowtorched for a combined 6.59 ERA in 199 1/3 major league innings. Once he does join the Rangers, Oswalt will be pitching in the AL for the first time in his career, and in a ballpark where he’s hardly thrived; in eight starts totaling 52 2/3 innings from 2001-2010, he was lit up for a 4.78 ERA while allowing 1.5 homers per nine. That’s a small sample, roughly a quarter of a season, but it doesn’t change the fact that Rangers Ballpark in Arlington is a homer haven for both lefties and righties, increasing big flies by 31 and 23 percent, respectively, over the past three seasons according to The Bill James Handbook 2012.
At the outset of the season, the Rangers enjoyed enviable rotation depth. With the signing of Japanese free agent Yu Darvish and the shift of closer Neftali Feliz to the rotation, they had repeated the formula that helped turn them into pennant winners two years ago, stockpiling starters who could miss more bats than the pitchers they were replacing. With Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison also holding down jobs in the starting five, the team could afford to offset Feliz’s move by returning Alexi Ogando to a setup role, and keeping Scott Feldman, who made a solid late-season return from microfracture surgery, in a swingman role.
Rangers To Sign Roy Oswalt
The Rangers stayed in contact with Oswalt this past offseason, but didn't have an opening in their rotation at the time and none of his other suitors locked him up. Once Neftali Feliz hit the disabled list, an opening emerged in the rotation and GM Jon Daniels struck. Rangers CEO Nolan Ryan and pitching coach Mike Maddux appear to have helped convince Oswalt to pitch in Texas.
If the Rangers have five healthy starters when Feliz returns from the disabled list, they could use him out of the bullpen and rely on a rotation of Oswalt, Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
Oswalt made 23 starts and completed 139 innings for the Phillies last year, posting a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 45.1% ground ball rate. However, the 34-year-old's average fastball velocity dropped to 91.4 mph, and he had two back-related stints on the disabled list.
The Rangers have agreed to sign Roy Oswalt, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. The right-hander will earn a guaranteed $5MM salary plus $1MM in incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Rangers required ownership approval to sign Oswalt, a Bob Garber client.
If the Rangers have five healthy starters when Feliz returns from the disabled list, they could use him out of the bullpen and rely on a rotation of Oswalt, Yu Darvish, Colby Lewis, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison.
Oswalt made 23 starts and completed 139 innings for the Phillies last year, posting a 3.69 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and a 45.1% ground ball rate. However, the 34-year-old's average fastball velocity dropped to 91.4 mph, and he had two back-related stints on the disabled list.
The Rangers have agreed to sign Roy Oswalt, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News reports. The right-hander will earn a guaranteed $5MM salary plus $1MM in incentives, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Rangers required ownership approval to sign Oswalt, a Bob Garber client.
Luke Bryan gets ‘Drunk’ on ‘The Bachelorette’
“I was the musical guest that ended her date one night,” Bryan says of his involvement in the show. “They took a turn on a street and there was a stage on it with me singing (current single) ‘Drunk on You,’ so it should be a pretty cool moment in the show.”
Bryan says that he’s excited to be on the show and that “Drunk on You” will be in “all those households.”
Country stars are becoming commonplace on this season of The Bachelorette, which is filmed on location in North Carolina to accommodate this season’s eligible lady Emily Maynard. Gloriana was on the reality show last week, and Luke Bryan will perform tonight.
“Hopefully it takes me to the top of the game,” he says. “It’s going to go full all out, and we’ll get after it.”
Next year, the singer hopes to expand his reach even further — he’s going to embark on his first headlining tour with plans to play arenas and amphitheaters.
Bryan says that he’s excited to be on the show and that “Drunk on You” will be in “all those households.”
Country stars are becoming commonplace on this season of The Bachelorette, which is filmed on location in North Carolina to accommodate this season’s eligible lady Emily Maynard. Gloriana was on the reality show last week, and Luke Bryan will perform tonight.
“Hopefully it takes me to the top of the game,” he says. “It’s going to go full all out, and we’ll get after it.”
Next year, the singer hopes to expand his reach even further — he’s going to embark on his first headlining tour with plans to play arenas and amphitheaters.
'Bachelorette' Emily Maynard Discusses Her Approach To Dating On Reality TV
Maynard is a single mom to 6-year-old Ricki, whose father, late NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, died in a plane crash in 2004. Maynard can't reveal whether she finds true love or gets engaged at the end of the season, but she does say she's happy she decided to take part in the show again.
"Every date I feel like I kind of repeated myself a lot because I wanted to make sure the guys were, you know, hopefully falling in love with me as a person and not with Emily `The Bachelorette' and I really wanted them to get to know me as me," she recalled.
NEW YORK -- Emily Maynard's love affair with Brad Womack on "The Bachelor" might have ended with a broken engagement, but she's taking a different approach to being "The Bachelorette."
"I hope it never gets to this point for her, but I would because I had a great experience," Maynard said. "I want my daughter to be fearless and to follow her heart and her faith and do whatever that leads her to do, whether I approve or not."
She said in a recent interview that this time around she's making sure to get to know her suitors.
"(With Womack) I don't know if I asked all the right questions that I should have, so you'll see me really getting to know the guys a lot better," Maynard said.
This season, the 26-year-old is grilling the guys competing for her affection over whether they're prepared to become a father.
"It was great because I could go out on these dates and also still do everyday mom stuff. I still had laundry to do and floors that needing vacuuming," she said.
ABC was definitely smitten with the idea of Maynard as its "Bachelorette." The network moved production of the show from Los Angeles to Charlotte, N.C., so Maynard could be with her daughter. It also made the experience a little more real.
It was also important for Maynard to make sure the guys on the show were really interested in her and not just caught up in the competition.
Fast-forward 20 years and Maynard says she would hypothetically approve of her daughter one day being "The Bachelorette."
"I hope that people can see how genuine I am in truly wanting to find somebody. I would never put myself through all this again if I didn't really believe in it," she said.
"Every date I feel like I kind of repeated myself a lot because I wanted to make sure the guys were, you know, hopefully falling in love with me as a person and not with Emily `The Bachelorette' and I really wanted them to get to know me as me," she recalled.
NEW YORK -- Emily Maynard's love affair with Brad Womack on "The Bachelor" might have ended with a broken engagement, but she's taking a different approach to being "The Bachelorette."
"I hope it never gets to this point for her, but I would because I had a great experience," Maynard said. "I want my daughter to be fearless and to follow her heart and her faith and do whatever that leads her to do, whether I approve or not."
She said in a recent interview that this time around she's making sure to get to know her suitors.
"(With Womack) I don't know if I asked all the right questions that I should have, so you'll see me really getting to know the guys a lot better," Maynard said.
This season, the 26-year-old is grilling the guys competing for her affection over whether they're prepared to become a father.
"It was great because I could go out on these dates and also still do everyday mom stuff. I still had laundry to do and floors that needing vacuuming," she said.
ABC was definitely smitten with the idea of Maynard as its "Bachelorette." The network moved production of the show from Los Angeles to Charlotte, N.C., so Maynard could be with her daughter. It also made the experience a little more real.
It was also important for Maynard to make sure the guys on the show were really interested in her and not just caught up in the competition.
Fast-forward 20 years and Maynard says she would hypothetically approve of her daughter one day being "The Bachelorette."
"I hope that people can see how genuine I am in truly wanting to find somebody. I would never put myself through all this again if I didn't really believe in it," she said.
The Bachelorette' Recap: Parton My French
Now it's time for the brilliant musical stylings of...Luke Brian? Never trust anyone whose whole name is made up of first names. That is like, rule number seven, America. I know it's hard with such prolific lyrics such as “your love makes my speakers go boom boom” and “I'm a little drunk on you and high on summertime,” but it's all about having standards. There needs to be more standards on this show, and if I have to be the one to create them after-the-fact, then so be it. This is my cross. I will bear it for you all, because I'm here for you, and I care about you guys.
Alright, America. Emily Maynard is no longer f**king around. Homegirl has a Love Sickle and she's chopping down every single dude in the way of her path to love. At this rate, the season finale will be next week.
Chris mentions that he's 25, and Emily is very wary of that. Clearly an old crone of 26 knows that 25 is a total dealbreaker. What sage wisdom this woman has! Luckily for Chris, she's managed to allow his age a pass. He's only 25 but he's a MAN, y'all. Thunder strikes and a fife (...? why?) plays—a tumultuous narrative, for sure. Chris assures Emily that he is mature because he went to school at seventeen, which is, you know, totally unique in the modern American world. No one does that! What an individual. Emily thinks he's an old soul. The rose is his and he lives to date another day.
Let's get right to it; there are two one-on-one dates this week, as well as a group date. Young Gerard Butler (aka Chris) is up first. His shoulders are too big for his shirt, but luckily their date is to climb a building, so his very large shoulder muscles will come in handy. Chris thinks that climbing a building is like love. He's deep, like a puddle. Why are all these ridiculous dates terrible metaphors for love? It makes my head hurt. But wait, there's more. Lightning! A storm's a-brewing. Thunder! Lightning! Crowds! Unfortunately for Chris, Emily's terror only results in high-fives, though, no kisses.
Alright, America. Emily Maynard is no longer f**king around. Homegirl has a Love Sickle and she's chopping down every single dude in the way of her path to love. At this rate, the season finale will be next week.
Chris mentions that he's 25, and Emily is very wary of that. Clearly an old crone of 26 knows that 25 is a total dealbreaker. What sage wisdom this woman has! Luckily for Chris, she's managed to allow his age a pass. He's only 25 but he's a MAN, y'all. Thunder strikes and a fife (...? why?) plays—a tumultuous narrative, for sure. Chris assures Emily that he is mature because he went to school at seventeen, which is, you know, totally unique in the modern American world. No one does that! What an individual. Emily thinks he's an old soul. The rose is his and he lives to date another day.
Let's get right to it; there are two one-on-one dates this week, as well as a group date. Young Gerard Butler (aka Chris) is up first. His shoulders are too big for his shirt, but luckily their date is to climb a building, so his very large shoulder muscles will come in handy. Chris thinks that climbing a building is like love. He's deep, like a puddle. Why are all these ridiculous dates terrible metaphors for love? It makes my head hurt. But wait, there's more. Lightning! A storm's a-brewing. Thunder! Lightning! Crowds! Unfortunately for Chris, Emily's terror only results in high-fives, though, no kisses.
Tomb of the Unknown Solider: Obama lays wreath in ceremony honoring US troops
The president and the top members of his defense team paid tribute to the over 6,400 Americans who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars as well as earlier conflicts, The Hill reported.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington's Arlington Cemetery was visited by President Obama Monday morning, where he praised the sacrifices of American soldiers after hosting a breakfast honoring Gold Star Families in the State Dining Room, UPI reported.
The Commander in chief's remarks focused on the wars started by former President George W. Bush that Obama wound down during his first term as US President, Reuters reported.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Obama's rival for the White House, is scheduled to make remarks in San Diego with Arizona Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, a decorated war veteran who lost to Obama in the 2008 elections, CBS News reported.
CBS News pointed out that the 2012 US elections mark the first race in modern presidential politics that neither of the two main candidates for president have served in the military.
“From the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan, they stepped forward and answered the call,” Obama told hundreds gathered at Arlington Cemetery, after laying a wreath at the Tomb in the traditional ceremony, ABC News reported. ”They fought for a home they might never return to; they fought for buddies they’ll never forget. While their stories may be separated by hundreds of years and thousands of miles, they rest here, together. Side by side, row by row. Because each of them loved this country and everything it stands for more than life itself.”
"After a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon," said Obama. "As commander in chief, I can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way is the most wrenching decision that I have to make. I can promise you I will never do so unless it is absolutely necessary and that when we do, we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation."
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington's Arlington Cemetery was visited by President Obama Monday morning, where he praised the sacrifices of American soldiers after hosting a breakfast honoring Gold Star Families in the State Dining Room, UPI reported.
The Commander in chief's remarks focused on the wars started by former President George W. Bush that Obama wound down during his first term as US President, Reuters reported.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Obama's rival for the White House, is scheduled to make remarks in San Diego with Arizona Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain, a decorated war veteran who lost to Obama in the 2008 elections, CBS News reported.
CBS News pointed out that the 2012 US elections mark the first race in modern presidential politics that neither of the two main candidates for president have served in the military.
“From the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan, they stepped forward and answered the call,” Obama told hundreds gathered at Arlington Cemetery, after laying a wreath at the Tomb in the traditional ceremony, ABC News reported. ”They fought for a home they might never return to; they fought for buddies they’ll never forget. While their stories may be separated by hundreds of years and thousands of miles, they rest here, together. Side by side, row by row. Because each of them loved this country and everything it stands for more than life itself.”
"After a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of a new day on the horizon," said Obama. "As commander in chief, I can tell you that sending our troops into harm's way is the most wrenching decision that I have to make. I can promise you I will never do so unless it is absolutely necessary and that when we do, we must give our troops a clear mission and the full support of a grateful nation."
Tomb of unknown soldier in Buffalo gets new marker
On Memorial Day, a new granite marker will be dedicated in a more accessible place, outside the adjacent Buffalo Zoo but still in view of the "mound in the meadow" that holds the remains.
Some 300 soldiers died at the Flint Hill camp during the winter of 1812-13 and their bodies were buried in a mass grave. The unidentified soldiers remain there today — but only a golfer with a terrible slice is likely to notice, according to a historian who's been working to change that. Marked only by a small plaque on a boulder, the gravesite sits in what is now the middle of a city-owned golf course in Delaware Park.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - They were American soldiers who'd set up camp in a Buffalo meadow in the fall of 1812, after failing in their attempts to cross the Niagara River and invade British-held Fort Erie in Ontario.
But in the encampment, in their summer-weight uniforms and open-ended tents, the soldiers would face their fiercest enemies yet: the coming winter and disease.
That Buffalo winter was a harsh one, particularly for the soldiers who'd come from warmer Virginia, Maryland and southern Pennsylvania in linen uniforms and without boots. Food was in short supply and blankets scarce. Then there was the "dreadful contagion," as newspapers of the day called it, typhoid, and other disease.
"People are shocked that they'd never heard this story before," said Cichon, the news director at WBEN radio, who drummed up donations for the new stone through Facebook and word of mouth, working with fellow historians Michael Riester and Pat Kavanagh.
"During the War of 1812, 300 American soldiers died in a camp in this area and are buried beneath the large boulder directly behind you in the park meadow," the monument instructs.
Kavanagh's research uncovered historic documents and news accounts that pieced together the 1812 soldiers' ordeal.
With the soldiers' story unknown to many even in Buffalo, Cichon and other volunteers behind the project hope it will both honor and preserve their memory.
"It's all about the men who died, and that their sacrifice not be forgotten," said Kavanagh, historian for the city's Forest Lawn Cemetery.
"Even if you read the plaque that's on the boulder that's out there right now, there's nothing that indicates in any way, shape or form that there are 300 guys buried here, that you are standing on the grave of 300 soldiers," said Steve Cichon, whose 2009 book, "The Complete History of Parkside," chronicles the neighborhood encompassing the park.
The dead were buried first in shallow graves near a creek. In the spring, when the ground thawed, they were exhumed and reburied in a single trench. The spot was marked by two willow trees, which eventually died. A flagpole and cannon also came and mysteriously went, leaving only the boulder.
Some 300 soldiers died at the Flint Hill camp during the winter of 1812-13 and their bodies were buried in a mass grave. The unidentified soldiers remain there today — but only a golfer with a terrible slice is likely to notice, according to a historian who's been working to change that. Marked only by a small plaque on a boulder, the gravesite sits in what is now the middle of a city-owned golf course in Delaware Park.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - They were American soldiers who'd set up camp in a Buffalo meadow in the fall of 1812, after failing in their attempts to cross the Niagara River and invade British-held Fort Erie in Ontario.
But in the encampment, in their summer-weight uniforms and open-ended tents, the soldiers would face their fiercest enemies yet: the coming winter and disease.
That Buffalo winter was a harsh one, particularly for the soldiers who'd come from warmer Virginia, Maryland and southern Pennsylvania in linen uniforms and without boots. Food was in short supply and blankets scarce. Then there was the "dreadful contagion," as newspapers of the day called it, typhoid, and other disease.
"People are shocked that they'd never heard this story before," said Cichon, the news director at WBEN radio, who drummed up donations for the new stone through Facebook and word of mouth, working with fellow historians Michael Riester and Pat Kavanagh.
"During the War of 1812, 300 American soldiers died in a camp in this area and are buried beneath the large boulder directly behind you in the park meadow," the monument instructs.
Kavanagh's research uncovered historic documents and news accounts that pieced together the 1812 soldiers' ordeal.
With the soldiers' story unknown to many even in Buffalo, Cichon and other volunteers behind the project hope it will both honor and preserve their memory.
"It's all about the men who died, and that their sacrifice not be forgotten," said Kavanagh, historian for the city's Forest Lawn Cemetery.
"Even if you read the plaque that's on the boulder that's out there right now, there's nothing that indicates in any way, shape or form that there are 300 guys buried here, that you are standing on the grave of 300 soldiers," said Steve Cichon, whose 2009 book, "The Complete History of Parkside," chronicles the neighborhood encompassing the park.
The dead were buried first in shallow graves near a creek. In the spring, when the ground thawed, they were exhumed and reburied in a single trench. The spot was marked by two willow trees, which eventually died. A flagpole and cannon also came and mysteriously went, leaving only the boulder.
Changing of Guard honors Tomb of Unknown at area cemetery
The Union High School student, a member of Tulsa’s Civil Air Patrol, served as a sergeant of the guard at Floral Haven Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier over Memorial Day weekend. Sergeants of the guard give commands during the re-enactment.
The event begins with the sergeant introducing the ceremony and inspecting the rifle and uniform of the incoming sentinel. The fine details are highly important at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because “the soldier in the tomb deserves the utmost respect,” Layland said.
Next, the sergeant, who gives commands during the ceremony, stands on the track and the incoming and outgoing sentinels stand off the track and face one another. The incoming sentinel receives orders for guarding the tomb then marches the track for a shift’s duration.
BROKEN ARROW -- Seventeen-year-old Charles Layland has been asked many times what it’s like re-enacting the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but it’s hard to find words to describe the job.
Major Sam Ory said the sentinels persevere despite the elements, from blowing winds to driving hail. The M1 Garand rifles the guards carry weigh more than ten pounds, he said. Layland said the position takes both a physical and mental toll.
“Just the amount of respect this re-enactment deserves, it takes a lot out of you, and it really shows you who you are and what you have underneath,” Layland said. “The sentinels are walking back and forth for an hour at a time at night, and they have nothing to do but do what they know, change shoulders when they have to and just continue marching down the track.”
Eleven people in the unit, including two teams of four and a team of three, have guarded the tomb in shifts over the weekend. Off-duty guards are expected to go elsewhere to rest and rehydrate.
About 50 people stood solemnly to observe a Changing of the Guard Monday afternoon. The ceremony took place every half-hour during the day and every hour at night since Saturday afternoon.
“It’s just one of the greatest honors someone can ever have,” Layland said.
The event begins with the sergeant introducing the ceremony and inspecting the rifle and uniform of the incoming sentinel. The fine details are highly important at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because “the soldier in the tomb deserves the utmost respect,” Layland said.
Next, the sergeant, who gives commands during the ceremony, stands on the track and the incoming and outgoing sentinels stand off the track and face one another. The incoming sentinel receives orders for guarding the tomb then marches the track for a shift’s duration.
BROKEN ARROW -- Seventeen-year-old Charles Layland has been asked many times what it’s like re-enacting the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but it’s hard to find words to describe the job.
Major Sam Ory said the sentinels persevere despite the elements, from blowing winds to driving hail. The M1 Garand rifles the guards carry weigh more than ten pounds, he said. Layland said the position takes both a physical and mental toll.
“Just the amount of respect this re-enactment deserves, it takes a lot out of you, and it really shows you who you are and what you have underneath,” Layland said. “The sentinels are walking back and forth for an hour at a time at night, and they have nothing to do but do what they know, change shoulders when they have to and just continue marching down the track.”
Eleven people in the unit, including two teams of four and a team of three, have guarded the tomb in shifts over the weekend. Off-duty guards are expected to go elsewhere to rest and rehydrate.
About 50 people stood solemnly to observe a Changing of the Guard Monday afternoon. The ceremony took place every half-hour during the day and every hour at night since Saturday afternoon.
“It’s just one of the greatest honors someone can ever have,” Layland said.
Senin, 28 Mei 2012
Bethenny Frankel: Farmer's Market Kiss
Ellen DeGeneres is the executive producer and the reality star has said, "It's nice to have a stamp of Ellen DeGeneres. I like that. It's going to be very different than her show…she keeps it pretty clean. I have a mouth for nighttime. It will be interesting doing daytime and just riding the line. I'm going to cross the line. Let's see how far we can go with this thing."
Bethenny Frankel and her husband Jason Hoppy were seen shopping with their daughter Bryn at the Farmer's Market in Malibu, Calif. on Sunday (May 27).
Someone else wrote: @Bethenny Love you but (expletive) this tweet. Don't do that... Pimp out a possible divorce for ratings on your new talk show."
Recently on Twitter a follower asked Frankel, "Are you getting a divorce?"
US Weekly reports that some fans aren't too pleased she is plugging the program with divorce rumors.
Bryn sat in her stroller while the couple browsed around the market. At one point Bethenny stopped to give her 2-year-old a carrot. Dad eventually sat their little one down to have a snack.
Bethenny's new talk show will start airing on June 11.
To that Frankel responded, "We're going to talk about everything on my show! June 11 on Fox Broadcasting."
Bethenny Frankel and her husband Jason Hoppy were seen shopping with their daughter Bryn at the Farmer's Market in Malibu, Calif. on Sunday (May 27).
Someone else wrote: @Bethenny Love you but (expletive) this tweet. Don't do that... Pimp out a possible divorce for ratings on your new talk show."
Recently on Twitter a follower asked Frankel, "Are you getting a divorce?"
US Weekly reports that some fans aren't too pleased she is plugging the program with divorce rumors.
Bryn sat in her stroller while the couple browsed around the market. At one point Bethenny stopped to give her 2-year-old a carrot. Dad eventually sat their little one down to have a snack.
Bethenny's new talk show will start airing on June 11.
To that Frankel responded, "We're going to talk about everything on my show! June 11 on Fox Broadcasting."
Bethenny Frankel’s Finale Begins Her Talk Show Career with Ellen Degeneres Producer
In the season finale, Frankel shows off her new apartment and her next big adventure. The big adventure is of course her new talk show.
Bethenny Frankel’s roller coaster ride to Hollywood continues. Just as the finale of “Bethenny Ever After“airs tonight on Bravo, Frankel learns that Fox will premiere her new talk show on June 11.
Huffington Post reports that “Frankel’s new talk show gets a six-week trial run in six major markets, kicking off on June 11th. She’ll be on Fox affiliates in Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Phoenix. The show will be produced by Ellen Degeneres. “’It’s nice to have a stamp of Ellen DeGeneres. I like that,’ she told Jimmy Kimmel. ‘It’s goding to be very different than her sho…she keeps it pretty clean.. I have a mouth for nighttime.’”
Bethenny Frankel’s roller coaster ride to Hollywood continues. Just as the finale of “Bethenny Ever After“airs tonight on Bravo, Frankel learns that Fox will premiere her new talk show on June 11.
Huffington Post reports that “Frankel’s new talk show gets a six-week trial run in six major markets, kicking off on June 11th. She’ll be on Fox affiliates in Dallas, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Phoenix. The show will be produced by Ellen Degeneres. “’It’s nice to have a stamp of Ellen DeGeneres. I like that,’ she told Jimmy Kimmel. ‘It’s goding to be very different than her sho…she keeps it pretty clean.. I have a mouth for nighttime.’”
Bethenny Ever After Season 3 Finale: Julie Plake Leaves and Bethenny Frankel Snags a Talk Show
Just days before she was supposed to move into her new baller apartment in NYC (complete with its own Skinnygirl bar) Bethenny got the news that her talk show was scheduled for a summer test run, meaning B and her family had to relocate to L.A. in a month.
Bethenny’s longtime assistant, Julie Plake, had her last day with Bethenny and the Skinnygirl team, and after a ton of tears Julie finally said her goodbyes and headed back home to Pittsburgh.
Thankfully we don’t need to wait another year to see Bethenny on television again, because her talk show premieres on June 11 on FOX. Be sure to tune in and check out the skinny gal strutting her stuff on daytime TV!
Season 3 of Bethenny Ever After has been a wild ride of laughs, tears and plenty of drama on the high seas, and the finale was no exception.
Bethenny’s longtime assistant, Julie Plake, had her last day with Bethenny and the Skinnygirl team, and after a ton of tears Julie finally said her goodbyes and headed back home to Pittsburgh.
Thankfully we don’t need to wait another year to see Bethenny on television again, because her talk show premieres on June 11 on FOX. Be sure to tune in and check out the skinny gal strutting her stuff on daytime TV!
Season 3 of Bethenny Ever After has been a wild ride of laughs, tears and plenty of drama on the high seas, and the finale was no exception.
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