BBTF.org/m/oakland : Oakland A’s pitcher Dallas Braden goes ballistic at Stockton town meeting

Monday, June 17, 2013

Gackle: A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon becoming Bud Selig’s worst nightmare

(www.sfexaminer.com)

posted 2 days ago by Repoz to oakland | 43 comment(s)

Why…did he squat out the raw sewage problem?

When news broke in August that Colon had tested positive for PEDs, many, including yours truly, assumed the tubby, strike-throwing right-hander had tossed his final big-league pitch. Synthetic testosterone had rejuvenated his arm, helping him stretch his career into the late innings, and without it, he seemed destined to hit the beaches (wearing a shirt we’d hoped) back in the Dominican Republican.

But after serving a 50-game suspension, Colon is ...

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1. Dan The Mediocre posted on September 27, 2012 at 10:58 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Did they also step on his mound?

2. Ray (RDP)

posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:12 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Wearing a backwards hat and carrying a bat, Braden yelled at Stockton police chief Eric Jones, saying the city’s police isn’t doing enough to keep citizens safe.

Hmm. Seems like this is nothing that George Zimmerman couldn't solve. What could go wrong?

3. Gamingboy posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:13 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

WON'T ANYONE THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!

4. PreservedFish posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:18 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

What does Malkmus think?

5. Meatwads stronger now, ready for the house posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:23 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Really where does he think he lives gary or detroit or chicago? So a black family moved in get over it.

6. willcarrolldoesnotsuk posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:25 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The Mamluks think that the Sublime Porte stands on feet of clay, and it is time to throw off the yoke of the Sultan and claim power in a new and independent Egypt.

7. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Actually Stockton's crime rate is pretty bad, usually in that top 10 worst in America category. Doesn't help that the city filed for bankruptcy last year and the real estate market has tanked well beyond your typical 2008-2011 tanking.

8. Matt Clement of Alexandria posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:30 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Braden sounds lost in the foothills of his mind.

(Or his pride. Or Mount Pine. It depends.)

9. Crispix Attacks 2: Swag Airlines posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:31 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The real estate market tanking would be the reason why the city filed for bankruptcy, right?

10. akrasian posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:31 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I’ve already put my home on the market here. I’m out.”

And nothing enhances home values like making sure it's highly publicized that there is a high crime rate in your neighborhood. It's good that he's so honest about things.

11. Tripon posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:31 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is one of those cities that bet heavily on expanded housing and millions of dollars in redevelopment projects didn't were really just a slush fund for people politically connected to the mayor and city council. Add the approved package and expansion of pension benefits and a recession and you have a city that probably should have gone bankrupt years ago.

12. Fernigal McGunnigle has become a merry hat posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:37 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Really where does he think he lives gary or detroit or chicago? So a black family moved in get over it.

Last year Stockton had the 10th highest violent crime rate in the country, they're bankrupt so they've been slashing the police budget with a concomitant rise in the murder rate, and the city's really poor and shows no signs of becoming non-poor any time soon.

EDIT: Cokes

13. Pasta-diving Jeter (jmac66) posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:52 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Last year Stockton had the 10th highest violent crime rate in the country, they're bankrupt so they've been slashing the police budget with a concomitant rise in the murder rate, and the city's really poor and shows no signs of becoming non-poor any time soon.

other than that, how did you like the play Mrs. Lincoln?

14. Tulo's Fishy Mullet (mrams) posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:55 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is one of those cities that bet heavily on expanded housing and millions of dollars in redevelopment projects didn't were really just a slush fund for people politically connected to the mayor and city council. Add the approved package and expansion of pension benefits and a recession and you have a city that probably should have gone bankrupt years ago.

One of my clients is a Fixed Income PM and I remember him using the term a number of years ago: 'Stockton Munis' to describe any awful municipal bonds. I suspect Assured Guaranty (a likely insurer of the debt) is taking the biggest bath on Stockton's bonds, and of course the city is pretty much screwed for some time, not necessarily the bond holders.

15. dr. scott posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:55 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton and Vallejo are the dual armpits of northern Ca. So many bad decisions and bad luck. Vallejo was written up in Michael Lewis last book about the global financial crisis. Scary stuff. Unfortunately these places could be more canarys in the coal mine than outliers.

16. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong posted on September 27, 2012 at 11:59 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Vallejo eh? Does that mean CC's put his house on the market as well?

17. Sleepy supports unauthorized rambling posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:03 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

And nothing enhances home values like making sure it's highly publicized that there is a high crime rate in your neighborhood. It's good that he's so honest about things.

What he did probably won't help things, but OTOH, he seems like a pretty high-vis "local guy"- played little league in Stockton, went to a community college nearby, now plays for the A's. If there really is an issue with the police not doing their jobs, this kind of thing actually might galvanize change.

I've recently moved to the San Jose area, and I've heard several complaints along the lines of "these layoffs in the [sunnyvale] police force might cause the ones who weren't laid off to un-aggressively pursue law enforcement opportunities, like what's happening in Stockton".

Bad thing is, it's only going to get worse, since I doubt if CA can fix it's problems without QE-level federal intervention.

18. PreservedFish posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:15 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton and Vallejo are the dual armpits of northern Ca.

Modesto, Fresno, Salinas ... there are a lot of broken towns here.

19. dr. scott posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:33 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Yes it's a close race but Stockton and Vallejo are the leaders, and as you said not really outliers dispite bankruptcy and non functional govt. I read in the Lewis book the mayor of Vallejo has one staff member who's only job is to write pension checks to former city employees, and that is the only staff member in the mayors office. All the money goes to pensions. San Jose has the same problems but they have not collapsed yet, but there are few long term forecast that don't have a reasonable probability of that happening there also. If only all the city govts had bought Facebook stock... Wait. I think they did.

20. Tripon posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:43 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sleepy, the cops in Stockton are jerks. They tried to fight the rollbacks in their pension benefits by placing billboard ads in the cities that such a move would force layoffs and crime to skyrocket and promise that they can't police the city.

21. Gold Star - just Gold Star posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:55 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sleepy, the cops in Stockton are jerks. They tried to fight the rollbacks in their pension benefits by placing billboard ads in the cities that such a move would force layoffs and crime to skyrocket and promise that they can't police the city.

Sounds like the backstory for Robocop.

22. smileyy posted on September 28, 2012 at 01:00 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

So, if you're the employer agreeing to a pension benefit, don't you kinda have to fund that benefit? Rather than hoping you'll have enough money to fund it in the future, and default when you don't? Oh wait, that latter part is the strategy, isn't it?

23. Joe Kehoskie posted on September 28, 2012 at 01:09 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sleepy, the cops in Stockton are jerks. They tried to fight the rollbacks in their pension benefits by placing billboard ads in the cities that such a move would force layoffs and crime to skyrocket and promise that they can't police the city.

24. Sleepy supports unauthorized rambling posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:35 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sleepy, the cops in Stockton are jerks. They tried to fight the rollbacks in their pension benefits by placing billboard ads in the cities that such a move would force layoffs and crime to skyrocket and promise that they can't police the city.

Well, from the sounds of things, they were right.

Tripon- I don't have any numbers to back anything up, just conversations with locals, but my ignorant take on the perception down here is that folks think stockton cops are passive-aggressively intentionally failing to do their jobs. I don't know the local politics at all (been working 80ish hours a week finishing a MBA and trying to shine at new job), but in terms of water cooler stuff, folks here are losing sleep over it, since they think it might be contagious. And we're 80 miles away.

Anyway, don't know if the stockton cops were even doing what my coworkers attribute, but my personal take is, I'd enjoy seeing a bit player like Dallas Braden at least get make someone high-up answer some tough questions.

25. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong posted on September 28, 2012 at 03:26 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Sleepy, the cops in Stockton are jerks. They tried to fight the rollbacks in their pension benefits by placing billboard ads in the cities that such a move would force layoffs and crime to skyrocket and promise that they can't police the city.

Well, from the sounds of things, they were right.

So the city is bankrupt and the citizens are not safe. Property values are plummeting and so the city's revenues will decline further, and police funding will fall even more. Their being "right" isn't going to make things better.

26. Greg Schuler posted on September 28, 2012 at 11:07 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Was it a full-sized bat or a mini bat? Because you can look bad-ass with a mini-bat when clearing bums out of the alley. How about the shirt - did he rock the sleeveless look?

As far as the underlying problem, Stockton should claim a local Al Qaeda cell and let the Feds roll in. Then again, the Feds have been gifting surplus military equipment like crazy to local law enforcement for the past few years - sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference between the local SWAT team and a combat patrol in A'Stan.

27. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) posted on September 28, 2012 at 11:23 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Well, from the sounds of things, they were right. With Stockton's crime rate, they were probably understaffed even before any cutbacks occurred. (And as I've made clear in the "OT: Politics" threads, I'm not a fan of public-sector unions or their retirement/pension plans.)

The problem here, as well as in other cities (e.g. Newark, NJ) is that instead of taking benefits cuts across the board, the Police unions refused, and forced the cities into layoffs.

So, you end up with fewer, really well-compensated cops, instead of more well-compensated cops.

28. Infinite Joost (Voxter)

posted on September 28, 2012 at 11:34 AM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is, ever has been, and ever will be, a ########. I have family in the Central Valley, which is home to some of the direst places on the west coast -- Visalia, Fresno and Bakersfield are no gems, either, in addition to the other places named above -- but Stockton is the bottom of a very deep barrel. Dangerous, gray, glum, and hot as the surface of the sun. One doesn't know whether he wants to cry or puke when driving around town. Most of my relatives have packed up and moved on, after a hundred years of living there: my grandfather bailed back in the 50s, his brother's kids have all moved to LA or San Jose.

Also, my friend got mugged at a gas station there while we were caravanning from LA up to Portland. So, yeah. It sucks there.

29. esseff posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:01 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is the bottom of a very deep barrel. Dangerous, gray, glum, and hot as the surface of the sun. One doesn't know whether he wants to cry or puke when driving around town.

Hey, but the ballpark is really swell.

30. The Chronicles of Reddick posted on September 28, 2012 at 12:44 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Speaking of levels of hell , where does Barstow rank on this list?

31. Poster Nutbag posted on September 28, 2012 at 01:29 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Dante's California:

1: LA
2: San Bernadino
3: Vallejo
4: Visalia
5: Modesto
6: Barstow
7: Bakersfield
8: Fresno
9: Stockton

32. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 01:35 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

You can't pigeonhole LA like that. Nobody thinks they're in the Inferno when they're hanging out in Bel-Air or Dodger Stadium (although the Dodger Stadium Parking lot is at least an 8). Also LA is generally 20 degrees cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than its outlying suburbs in the Valley, IE, etc.

I would put San Bernardino (and some other inland empire cities) lower on the list. Bakersfield is nicer than San Berdoo.

33. Poster Nutbag posted on September 28, 2012 at 01:42 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Seems fair...but there is NO disputing that the Central Valley is the core.....I probably have Vallejo to high on the list as well....still getting my coffee in

34. cercopithecus aethiops posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:03 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Of course, the problem described in 27 doesn't arise absent the problem described in 22.

35. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:06 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is, ever has been, and ever will be, a ########. I have family in the Central Valley, which is home to some of the direst places on the west coast -- Visalia, Fresno and Bakersfield are no gems, either, in addition to the other places named above -- but Stockton is the bottom of a very deep barrel. Dangerous, gray, glum, and hot as the surface of the sun. One doesn't know whether he wants to cry or puke when driving around town. Most of my relatives have packed up and moved on, after a hundred years of living there: my grandfather bailed back in the 50s, his brother's kids have all moved to LA or San Jose.

This wasn't in the brochure when I enrolled at UOP!

36. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:08 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The problem here is that public unions are one step more intimate politically than private unions and corporations. Private unions and corporations can back candidates who can then put legislation into effect that could then potentially benefit them. Public unions get government representatives voted in and then NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH THEM. It's like the right hand doing a deal with the left. It's a complete conflict of interest. There are middle school teachers in LAUSD making $80-120k whose students have not yet learned to read. That's insane.

37. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:09 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

35: See also, e.g., University of Southern California brochure, Yale brochure, UPenn brochure, etc.

38. Swedish Chef posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:13 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Seems from this thread that Stockton would be an excellent setting if one wanted to do a somewhat realistic "Escape from New York" remake.

39. cercopithecus aethiops posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:15 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It's also kind of insane to blame middle school teachers for the failings of elementary school education. OTOH, I agree that public unions should be kept out of politics. OTOOH, there pretty much are no public unions in my state, and we still have all sorts of problems with public services.

40. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:16 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

35: See also, e.g., University of Southern California brochure, Yale brochure, UPenn brochure, etc.

I was just joking. I'm a NorCal kid and I knew what Stockton was like when I went up there. UOP is actually in the nicest part of Stockton, though I realize that's a relative distinction.

The best things about Stockton are Pavement and Fat City, of course. (Fat City, the book, not the movie, though the movie is fine. The book, however, is one of the best American novels of the 20th century. My favorite writer on one of my favorite books.

41. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:24 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

I was just joking. I'm a NorCal kid and I knew what Stockton was like when I went up there. UOP is actually in the nicest part of Stockton, though I realize that's a relative distinction.

From a quick Google map search, Stockton appears to be about 40-50 mi. inland. How do you get away with calling yourself the Univ. of the Pacific, if you're 40+ miles from the ocean? It's like having Boston College located in Springfield.

42. Willie Mayspedes posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:25 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

saying the city’s police isn’t doing enough to keep citizens safe.

Hell just the other day his teammate got hit in the head with a projectile and had to have brain surgery!

43. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:28 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

40-50 mi. inland

Stockton is a port town, correct? Maybe the river connecting to the bay connecting to the Pacific grandfathers you in.

44. Swedish Chef posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:30 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

How do you get away with calling yourself the Univ. of the Pacific, if you're 40+ miles from the ocean? It's like having Boston College located in Springfield.

It's closer to the beaches than Miami University is.

45. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:32 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

It's also kind of insane to blame middle school teachers for the failings of elementary school education.

That's a good point. I jumbled my entire argument up into one sentence. I also don't know how to improve the system so my criticism probably doesn't help.

46. Shooty is in the Trust Tree

posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:32 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Stockton is a port town, correct? Maybe the river connecting to the bay connecting to the Pacific grandfathers you in.

Correct. Also, in the grand scheme of a continent 3000 miles wide, it's close enough, I think.

47. Ted Williams Carlos Williams posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:34 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Correct. Also, in the grand scheme of a continent 3000 miles wide, it's close enough, I think.

I think Lake Michigan State is in Omaha.

48. cercopithecus aethiops posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:36 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

Manhattan College is in the Bronx.

49. Best Regards, L.M. posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:40 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

The problem here is that public unions are one step more intimate politically than private unions and corporations. Private unions and corporations can back candidates who can then put legislation into effect that could then potentially benefit them. Public unions get government representatives voted in and then NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH THEM. It's like the right hand doing a deal with the left. It's a complete conflict of interest.

So you're saying that corporations with government contracts shouldn't be allowed to contribute to campaigns, either?

50. Swedish Chef posted on September 28, 2012 at 02:47 PM # hit 0 | hit 0

So you're saying that corporations with government contracts shouldn't be allowed to contribute to campaigns, either?

Sounds pretty reasonable.

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Monday, June 17, 2013

Gackle: A’s pitcher Bartolo Colon becoming Bud Selig’s worst nightmare

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