Sunday, January 31, 2010

How Bad for the Yankees is Arod's Contract?

After the 2007 season Alex Rodriguez signed a 10 year $275 million contract. For a player with a single team bidding entering his age 32 season this was quite the player friendly contract. Before Arod signed with the Yankees the lack of interest around baseball was significant enough that the MLB player association discussed filing a grievance. So while the Yankees might have overpaid how much have they overpaid? First lets get an idea of the production you can expect from Arod for the duration of the contract. Baseball Think Factory ran some rough projections before the 2008 season, I have replaced the 2008 and 2009 numbers with his actual production;

The RBI numbers will probably drop as Arod goes from a 3-4 hitter to a bit lower in the lineup as he ages. 2013-2017 seem to the big issue. Arod project to be a slightly above average player for most of the time(the average OPS in 2009 was .758) while most likely remaining the top paid player in baseball. You add in the potential 20 million a year Jeter will require for a 4 year extensions and the Yankees could be dishing out 50 million a year in 2013 and 2014 for below average players. They will have an additional 47 million invested in CC and Texieira. Texieria will only be 33 in 2014 and CC 32 so you can expect a fairly high level of production from those two. However the 2013/2014 Yankees will have 100 million in 4 players, possibly achieving only slightly above average production from those 4 spots.


Essentially what the Arod contract has forced the Yankees into is a budget minded approach where they will have to produce cheap players from within their own system. If they do not even the Yankees don't have the financially ability to spend their way into contention. As we get deeper into Arod's contract it will get worse and worse. I know this one is supposedly on Hank but Cashman has to get some blame here too.

But how bad is the contract? Ask me again when Arod is a 41 year old DH producing below average production while making 32 million a year....

The Joba Saga Just Won't Go Away

As the Yankees enter 2010 the team is pretty much set.
The infield spots are rock set in stone;
1b-Texiera
2b-Cano
SS-Jeter
3b-Arod
The OF is now also set, even though the roles and positions could change slightly with Granderson switching to LF and Gardner switching to CF. Also, Winn could potentially get some ABs as a LH if Gardner struggles;
RF-Swisher
CF-Granderson
LF-Gardner/Winn vs Lefties
DH and Catcher are also settled;
C-Posada
DH-Johnson
The rotation has 4 spots settled with AJ, CC, Vasquez and Andy. Throw in Mo closing and there is only two spots of significance left up for debate; 8th inning reliever and 5th starter. This is why the Joba saga just won't go away. If Joba starts and succeeds and 8th inning is a struggle you will here the talk that Joba needs to go to the pen. If the 5th starter struggles with Joba in the pen you have to question why the Yankees suffered through Joba rules only to give up on them so quickly.

With noting else to really debate on this team the radio waves and newspapers will be flush with recycled arguments in both directions. Is there anything that can save us from the same old story here? I don't think so, there is the possibility Joba can dominate as a starter and Phil will do the same in the 8th inning but even then you will hear the whispers. If either struggle the whispers become a roar. So Yankee fans prepare to roll your eyes through months of the Joba debate (again!), hopefully THIS is the last year and next year we can move on to bigger and better things. But as we approach 2010 come to the realization that the Joba debate is here to stay.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Lionel Messi as Child




Lionel Messi as Child



Born on 24 June, 1987, at Rosario, Argentina, Lionel Messi, the international football super star started playing football right from the days when he was just a kid of five-years. Earlier, Lionel was coached by his father at a local club Grandoli; however, in 1995, his father took him to Newell's Old Boys, a team based in Rosario. Lionel Messi, when he was a child of 11-years, was diagnosed with a peculiar disease known as “Growth Hormone Deficiency'.



During the days when Lionel Messi was a child, his talents and skills were so fantastic that the experts realized that Lionel Messi is going to be a unique story in the world of football. Due to his size and extraordinary talents on the football grounds, the child known as Lionel Messi stood out on the grounds of Rosario. Lionel Messi was the smallest sized child star during his earlier days of football game. The smallest kid Lionel Messi's story is now famous all over the world and he is a house hold name in the football fanatic countries of Europe.



Origins of Messi video:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lionel Messi Career




Lionel Messi Career



Lionel Messi, aged 22-years, is the youngest FIFA World Player from Argentina. Messi started his career with Rosario based 'Newell's Old Boy's Youth Team'. However, soon he left the youth team and relocated to Europe in the year 2000. The main reason behind him moving to Europe was the offer from Barcelona to take care of his treatment for 'Growth Hormone Deficiency'. Lionel Messi's real career graph started rising only after the season 2004-2005 when he got a breakthrough by breaking the La Liga Record of the youngest footballer.

Photobucket

From the season 2006-2007 and there after, Lionel Messi went on scaling new peaks in the world of football. 2008-2009 season turned out to be the most successful season for Lionel Messi wherein he scored 38 goals and played in a treble winning game. Lionel Messi was awarded the highest international accolade and honor when he won Gold Medal in 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, playing for Argentina Olympic Football team. The career of the young and talented Argentinean footballer Lionel Messi is perhaps the most outstanding career when it comes to the game of football.

Photobucket

Skimmer, Hidden camera & Keypad Pin Palsu




Modus operandi kejahatan ATM sedang marak, korbannya adalah nasabah-nasabah beberapa bank ternama nasional, sebut saja BCA di Bali. Dugaan sementara ada beberapa jenis modus yang mungkin dilakukan:

1. Pemalsuan atm/kartu kredit menggunakan skimmer palsu, dengan skimmer palsu dan data bisa ditransfer melalui flashdisk. Pelaku bisa mendapatkan kombinasi angka pada sisi magnetic kartu dan selanjutnya bisa diterjemahkan dengan whitecard reader dan whitecard writer. White card sendiri adalah kartu yang bisa dimanfaatkan untuk dicetak menjadi kartu atm sesuai dengan master kartu yang dikopinya. Untuk mendapatkan PIN-nya, pelaku menggunakan hidden camera yg diletakkan disisi ruangan yang tidak tersorot kamera sudut pengawas atm, atau bahkan diletakkan pada atm2 bersama yang biasanya tidak ada kamera pengawasnya.

2. Kartu dipalsukan dengan perolehan data dari skimmer dan PIN korban didapatkan dari keypad pin palsu yang dibuat semirip mungkin keypad nomor atm biasa, data pin kemudian bisa diperoleh dengan segera

3. kartu atm korban dipaksa tersangkut/ tertelan pada mesin atm, dan di sekitar atm diletakkan nomor bantuan/layanan customer palsu. Ketika korban menghubungi, didapatkanlah data-data kartu atm tersebut termasuk pinnya dengan cara suara samaran sebagai customer service bank tertentu. Customer diminta meninggalkan mesin atm dan dijanjikan akan diproseskan kartu pengganti yang bisa diambil pada bank customer yang terdekat

4. Pelaku berusaha meniru debit atm korbannya dengan menyembunyikan skimmer pada tempat tertentu, dan menggesek saat customer lengah, pin pun didapatkan dengan cara mengintip pada saat customer mengisi pin pada mesin debit sungguhan. Biasanya dilakukan pengusaha curang dan transaksi diluar atm.

sayangnya, komponen dan alat-alat seperti skimmer, white card, dll, dijual bebas di daerah tertentu sampai dijual secara online dengan harga yang cukup terjangkau :(

Beberapa tips yang bisa diupayakan customer atm antara lain:

1. memperhatikan posisi mulut atm, keypad atm apakah memang terpasang kencang dan tidak mencurigakan. coba goyangkan, apakah mudah tergeser, ada kesan selotip, maupun doubletape? bila ada, kemungkinan memang mulut atm telah dipasangi skimmer dan keypad atm telah dilapis dengan keypad palsu

2. perhatikan sekitar atm, apakah ada sekiranya bentuk2 yang menyerupai kamera di sekitar keypad atm/tertuju ke keypad atm, bila ada yang mencurigakan, sebaiknya tunda transaksi anda di atm tersebut

3. bila ingin melakukan pengisian pin, silahkan tutup serapat mungkin dan lindungi sisi jari anda pada keypad sehingga tidak terlihat dari sisi manapun kecuali sisi penglihatan anda

4. perhatikan nomor layanan pelanggan yang tertera pada sisi atm/dinding ruang atm, apakah terkesan janggal atau tidak umum? jika ragu sebaiknya hindari bertransaksi di atm tsb

5. bisa dicobakan pin kecohan dengan mencoba memasukkan kembali kartu atm anda dan coba untuk mengisikan pin salah (1x) seakan-akan ingin melakukan transaksi, kemudian batalkan transaksi anda. tips ini bisa dicoba untuk mengecoh pin yang mungkin terintip hidden camera

6. bila selesai bertransaksi di atm, tunggulah beberapa transaksi setelah anda, minimal 5 menit/3 transaksi orang-orang dibelakang anda, perhatikanlah gerak-gerik pengantri atm setelah anda, apakah nampak mencurigakan di mesin atm? hal ini untuk menghindari proses pengambilan data kartu atm anda oleh pelaku

7. hindari berbelanja dengan kartu atm/kartu kredit di tempat-tempat yang meragukan, terutama dengan posisi mesin gesek debit yang jauh/tersembunyi dari meja kasir

selamat bertransaksi dan semoga informasi ini bermanfaat bagi kita. terima kasih :)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Lionel Messi Biography




Lionel Messi Biography



Lionel Messi is a world renowned footballer from Argentina. Born at Rosario in Argentina on June 24, 1987, Lionel Messi currently plays for La Liga team for Barcelona, Argentina. Undoubtedly, Lionel Messi is one the best footballers of the present generation of football players and that is why, he has received several awards besides being nominated for FIFA World Player at a very young age of 21-years.



After debuting in the 2004-2005 season, Lionel Messi became the youngest scorer to score a League Goal and at the same time he was named the youngest footballer to play a League Game. Then after, Messi never looked back, as he kept on receiving numerous honors while Barcelona won La Liga in the debuting game of Lionel Messi. The season 2006-2007 turned out to be the season for Messi's breakthrough scoring several firsts - A First Team Regular, A Hat-Trick in El Clasico, and last but not the least, scoring 14 goals in 26 league games.



Saturday, January 23, 2010

Modus Baru Pembobol ATM: Menyerap Kode Pin




Kepolisian RI menangkap satu tersangka kasus pembobolan rekening nasabah melalui ATM. Tim Polri terus bergerak mengusut kasus ini.

Kepala Badan Reserse dan Kriminal, Komisaris Jenderal Ito Sumardi, mengatakan, para pelaku memakai modus lama dan baru.

"Modus barunya tadi menggunakan peralatan-peralatan khusus untuk
menyerap kodenya daripada pin," kata Jenderal Ito di Markas Besar Kepolisian, Jalan Trunojoyo, Jakarta, Jumat 22 Januari 2010.

"Tentunya kalau hanya pin tanpa ada kode ini kan mudah sekali [dibobol]. Kalau kita pakai [kode], seperti handphone kan tingkat kesulitannya tinggi," tambah dia.

Ditanya adakah indikasi pihak dalam bank terlibat, Ito tak membenarkan. "Bukan..bukan," kata dia.

Polri, tambah Ito, sedang bekerja sama dengan pihak bank mengapa sistem bisa dibobol, dan sejauh mana sistem bisa memproteksi rekening nasabah.

Makin canggih modus yang dipakai para pelaku, perlindungannya pun harus makin canggih.

"Dalam waktu satu atau dua hari ini saya akan ketemu dengan pimpinan bank untuk membicarakan lebih mendalam mengenai sistem pengamanan dan perlindungan-perlindungan terhadap laporan yang sudah disampaikan ke kepolisian," kata Ito.

Apakah arahnya menggunakan chip? "Itu terserah otoritas perbankan, yang jelas kita menggunakan teknologi lebih baik," kata dia.

Modus lama digunakan para pembobol menggunakan skimmer dan kamera.

"Tinggal pasang skimmer, lalu kamera," ujarnya Bobby, pengganda kartu, kepada VIVAnews, Jumat 22 Januari 2010.

Kemudian, setelah kartu disalin oleh skimmer, kemudian tinggal dicari kata sandinya dengan berbekal pantauan kamera.

Kata Bobby, pembobolan ATM rumit, dengan risiko yang sangat tinggi. Sementara cara kerjanya sendiri, katanya, sangat mudah.

"Harus kerjasama dengan orang dalam," katanya. "Minimal satpam ATM."

Alat pengganda kartu ATM yang disebut skimmer tak mahal, ada yang hanya bernilai Rp 1,5 juta.


Bank Indonesia dalam jangka panjang akan mengganti kartu debit magnetic dengan kartu debit berteknologi chip. Hanya saja kapan batas waktunya Bank Indonesia belum menentukan.

Deputi Gubernur Bank Indonesia Budi Rochadi mengatakan wacana penggantian kartu berteknologi chip ini sudah lama. Namun karena biayanya mahal, penggantian tertunda. Dana untuk mengganti kartu diperkirakan mencapai Rp 2 triliun.

"Tapi dengan peristiwa (pembobolan) kemarin, kawan-kawan bank mau mempercepat diganti chip," ujar Budi Rochadi usai Banker's Dinner, semalam.

Namun Bank Indonesia tidak mencampuri urusan pergantian teknologi kartu ini. Budi menuturkan, BI menyerahkan sepenuhnya rencana dan upaya pergantian teknologi kartu kepada asosiasi perbankan. Bank Indonesia memahami karena pergantian teknologi ini mahal, pasti dilakukan secara pelan-pelan.

"Biarkan bank yang mempersiapkan karena sekarang ATM ada yang bisa tinggal pasang teknologi itu ada juga yang harus diganti, jadi pelan-pelan," katanya.

Pembobolan bank menyebabkan sejumlah bank mengalami kerugian. Bank Central Asia rugi hingga Rp 5 miliar, BNI Rp 200 juta dan BRI sekitar Rp 48,5 juta. Angka ini kemungkinan masih bertambah mengingat ada tiga bank lagi yang ikut dibobol, yakni Bank Permata, BII dan Bank Mandiri.

dari VIVANEWS.com

Porsche Boxster

Expressways and dynamic performance at the new Porsche Boxster has been raised to the level of protection of the driver and passengers.2009 Porsche Boxster SPorsche BoxsterAll elements Along with the growth of the braking system to the structure of the carcass and additional security elements to reinforce, Porsche engineers reflect the idea that performance sports car must be designed in the

Porsche Boxster photo gallery

Porsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster2008 Porsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster2007 Porsche Boxster2009 Porsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster RS60 SpyderPorsche BoxsterPorsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster SPorsche Boxster2008 Porsche Boxster RS 602006 Porsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster2007 Porsche Boxster S2008 Porsche Boxster2008 Porsche Boxster1999 Porsche Boxster2008 Porsche Boxster SPorsche BoxsterPorsche Boxster2009

Tuesday, January 19, 2010


Manchester - Jangan harap Wayne Rooney atau Ryan Giggs eksis lagi di Facebook. Kenapa? Karena si Setan Merah telah menegaskan bahwa tak ada satupun pemain mereka yang jadi Facebooker atau Tweeps. Ya, Manchester United (MU) telah menyampaikan pengumuman melalui situs resmi mereka, yang isinya menegaskan tak ada satupun pemain MU yang benar-benar 'bermain' situs sosial. "Tidak ada pemain MU yang mengurusi profile mereka di situs jejaring. Semua berita resmi yang terkait dengan para pemain MU akan dikomunikasikan via ManUtd.com," demikian pernyataan di situs resmi klub yang bermarkas di Old Trafford itu. Mereka yang sempat merambah situs jejaring sosial pun akunnya sudah dimatikan atau konten yang ada di dalamnya telah dilenyapkan. Seperti dikutip detikINET dari EPL Talk, Selasa (19/1/2010) kebijakan ini akan berimbas pada beberapa pemain top seperti Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher dan Rio Ferdinand. Ada beberapa alasan yang disinyalir menjadi penyebab Setan Merah menutup pintu mereka. Salah satunya, kekhawatiran bahwa para pemain akan mengumbar informasi penting dan bersifat rahasia. Selain itu, jika para pemain terlalu banyak mengumbar info tentang klub di internet, maka traffic ke situs resmi MU kemungkinan akan menurun. Penurunan ini tentunya berpengaruh terhadap penjualan merchandise atau kartu keanggotaan situs.

Apa jadinya ya kalo kita sudah tidak bisa kontak langsung dengan mereka sekalipun hanya lewat facebook? diambil dari detik.com

Yamaha YFS200 Blaster

Yamaha YFS200 Blaster


Yamaha YFS200 Blaster

Yamaha YFS200 Blaster

Factory Workshop Service Repair Manual




This is the Service Manual for 1987 Yamaha YFS200(U-A) model. It covers everything to fix/repair your vehicle. You will get a complete manual with detailed instructions, diagrams and more.

With this repair manual you can simply view and print what you need.

No more getting grease all over your expensive paper manual while you are working. Just print out the section you need from the pdf file and throw it away when you are done.

The manual is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format and will work on a PC or Mac.

Yamaha YFS200 Blaster

yfs-200-yamaha yamaha yamaha-motorcycles yamaha-raptor yamaha-125 yamaha-atv yamaha-quad yamaha-r15 yamaha-250 yamaha-parts moto-yamaha raptor-350 yamaha-tmax yamaha-motorbikes yamaha-virago-535 yamaha-raptor-660 yamaha-2009 yamaha-racing yamaha-350 yamaha-125cc yamaha-raptor-350 virago-yamaha banshee-yamaha yamaha-atv-parts yamaha-virago-1100 yamaha-750 yamaha-1100 yamaha-exhaust vmax-yamaha yamaha-wr250x yamaha-warrior-atv-parts used-yamaha yz-yamaha yamaha-motorbike xs-yamaha yamaha-yfz450 yamaha-moto-4 yamaha-service-manual yamaha-blaster-parts yamaha-banshee-parts yamaha-raptor-1000cc fz-yamaha grizzly-yamaha jog-yamaha enduro-yamaha yamaha-wallpaper 650-yamaha majesty-yamaha xv-yamaha yz-125-yamaha yamaha-raptor-660r blaster-yamaha warrior-yamaha yamaha-ybr250 ttr-yamaha yamaha-battery yamaha-wallpapers yamaha-moto4 yamaha-grizzly-parts yamaha-grizzly-atv-parts tw-125-yamaha yfz450-yamaha yamaha-warrior-350-parts yamaha-raptors used-yamaha-atv-parts yamaha-125-yzf-r dt50-yamaha yamaha-r15-wallpapers yamaha-grizzly-accessories yamaha-4-wheeler-parts yamaha-top-speed bikepics-yamaha yamaha-raptor-700-parts yamaha-banshee-performance-parts yamaha-of 660-raptor-yamaha performance-yamaha yamaha-blaster-atv-parts yamaha-atv-replacement-parts yamaha-nerf-bars yamaha-screensaver yamaha-yfs200-blaster yamaha-yfs-200-blaster yamaha-blaster-yfs-200 yamaha-atv-aftermarket-parts yamaha-cc yfs-200-blaster yamaha-banshee-aftermarket-parts blaster-200-yamaha yfs-blaster parts-for-yamaha-atv discount-yamaha-atv-parts cheap-yamaha-atv-parts yamaha-atv-parts-catalog

Monday, January 18, 2010

ATV-Based Mini Lamborghini Murcielago For Sweet Girl's

If your aboriginal admitting aloft seeing this comic-esque babyish Lamborghini Murcileago Gallardo was that it was somehow accompanying to the acclaimed Japanese animation alternation "Speed Racer", again you're appealing abundant appropriate and you should accord yourself a pat on the back. See, the quad-bike-based Lamborghini replica was crafted in account of "Mach Girl", a TV alternation aftereffect based on the aboriginal Speed Racer anime that was appear in Japan a brace of years ago. High-res pictures afterwards the jump.

Via : carscoop.blogspot.com
Photos by Phil Alex with the help of friends Mike and Aaron

ATV-Based Mini Lamborghini Murcielago For Sweet Girl's ATV-Based Mini Lamborghini Murcielago For Sweet Girl's

Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify

Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify
Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify
Yamaha V-ixion With CBR 1000 and BMW 1000 Unification Modify

Banjar home builder's flat to try to share a strong characteristic features of the BMW 1000 RR and Honda CBR 1000 RR.

Like the double seat design (double-sitter) who is very strong with model CBR 1000 RR. While the gas tank, swing arm, Hornet, and the front motorcycle speedboard, clear taste BMW. Only, factors related to difficulties experienced by Jeni tank design because the original owners do not want to change.

Jeni's not if you can not handle it. Way, the design of the tank made of condoms in order, in addition to the original tank is retained, also facilitate standardization and maintenance. However, the process is fairly difficult recognized because they have to be divided into four sections (top left and right side). Then cradle made in the bottom of the tank.

Then the bottom left and right side together with the battery cover. "The most important thing before the installation of condom tank is coated with the original tank insulation on all parts of the meeting," he says.

When forming fiber, Kang Ade using clay as a medium of design. Step this way many designers do the motor of Europe. The advantage, according to Ade, in addition to the work easier because the texture of clay is very elastic and easily shaped like anything. The result was optimal.

Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification

Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification
Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification
Suzuki Smash Racing Look Modification

The most striking change was the application of the light house Yamaha X1-R from Thailand. So much like the Transformers robot, the front of the house following with given a touch of custom lamps. Especially in the shell of the lamp, right and left wing to cover protects the bottom half of the engine looks. In addition, there is in the form of seats, covers plus side to the stern of deliberately contrived sepatbor different.

According to the Court, put the cover body X1-R in Smash quite complicated. You see, there are several components that must be cut, plus, and moved. In addition, he had to reset the handle cover mounting bolts, from front to rear.

So, shockbreker double standard models modified to Monoshock. This makes replacement of the standard swing arm turned into handmade products from the aftermarket. Great was not haphazardly done that part, as well as other sections, because the goods are used and given a little expensive custom touch.

Special exhaust, this Court guarantee a good part because her voice a little more good and able to increase power. Apart from good to hear, according to Agung, exhaust was fitted to these changes. He predicts, the concept of combined racing look would be noticeable color trends.

Jual Boneka Upin dan Ipin



Jual Boneka Upin dan Ipin

Tinggi: 36cm Lebar: 13cm

Masing-masing @Rp.26000 Sepasang Rp.50000

belum termasuk ongkir :)

Berminat? hubungi : 021-93348984 (stey) telp/sms

Saturday, January 16, 2010

RUMAH DARA aka MACABRE








Sutradara Mo Brothers
Produser Delon Tio
Penulis Mo Brothers
Pemeran Shareefa Daanish
Imelda Therinne
Arifin Putra
Ruli Lubis
Julie Estelle
Ario Bayu
Sigi Wimala
Daniel Mananta
Mike Muliadro
Dendy Subangil
Distributor Gorylah Pictures
Merah Prod
Guerillas Visuals
Tanggal rilis 22 Januari 2010
Durasi 95 Menit
Negara Indonesia

Rumah Dara adalah film Indonesia yang dirilis pada 22 Januari 2010Mo Brothers dan dibintangi oleh Shareefa Daanish dan Imelda Therinne. dengan disutradarai oleh

Adjie dan Astrid, pasangan suami istri yang akan diberkati kehadiran anak pertama, pergi bersama 3 temannya ke Bandung pada suatu malam. Perjalanan ini merupakan usaha terakhir Adjie untuk berpamitan dengan adiknya, Ladya. Kedua kakak-beradik ini sudah tak akur lagi, dan besok Adjie harus berangkat ke Australia untuk memulai hidup baru.

Pertemuan mereka tidak berjalan mulus pada mulanya. Ladya yang seorang pemberontak menyalahkan Adjie atas tragedi di masa lalu. Tetapi atas bujukan Astrid, Ladya mengalah dan dengan sungkan ikut mengantar ke bandara.

Perjalanan terhenti ketika seorang perempuan cantik menghampiri mereka dengan cemas dan lingkung. “Nama saya Maya. Saya baru saja dirampok,” ujarnya. Berniat menolong, mereka pun mengantar perempuan ini pulang. Sesampainya di rumah Maya, mereka diperkenalkan kepada seorang perempuan anggun dan misterius bernama Dara. Disinilah niat tulus dan maksud baik menjadi awal bencana.

Siapakah Dara sebenarnya? Apa yang diinginkan oleh sosok-sosok lain penghuni rumah tersebut? Adakah harapan untuk selamat bila keluar dari rumah itu saja tampak mustahil?

Were the Tigers Selling High on Granderson?

When the Tigers unloaded Granderson earlier this offseason it was widely believed they were unloading salary. Dave Cameron at Fangraphs said at the time;
" The Tigers aren't as good today as they were yesterday, but they did manage to shed some payroll...."
Makes sense the Tigers were shedding payroll and restocking with MLB ready talent. But then word comes of the Jose Valverde signing, 2 years and 14 million. Valverde will make the same salary in 2010 as Curtis Granderson. Also, there are rumors of Detroit being in on Damon. So what gives?

The only possible explanation is that Detroit was selling high on Granderson believing that his 2009 was closer to the player he is and his stellar 2007 was the aberration. With clubs still viewing him as the player the saw in 2007 Detroit unloaded him when they had the chance. His salary in 2010 is very reasonable but it climbs to 8.5 in 2011 and 10 million in 2011. If he had another year like 2009 the tigers would have gotten almost nothing back in return for him after the 2010 season.

Now obviously the Yankees feel that Granderson is closer to the 2007 version of himself or they wouldn't have made the trade. However, you have to wonder if the Tigers were watching him every day and felt he was possibly on decline were the Yankees possibly wrong here? Did they buy a player on decline? We will see how it plays out but maybe this deal isn't the slam duck we thought it was at the time.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

1998 - A look Back

1998 was a banner year for baseball. Of course Yankees fans will remember the Yankees dominating the regular season on their way to the World Series. It was also an expansion year featuring new teams in Arizona and Tampa Bay. There were great individual performances as David Wells pitched a perfect game, Kerry Woods K's 20, Roger Clemens K's 18 and then, of course, there were the home runs.

We all remember Sosa and McGwire but 98 was also the first year in baseball history were 4 players hit more then 50 home runs as Greg Vaughn(!) and Ken Griffey jr. joined Sosa and Big Mac. So now that McGwire has admitted what we already knew how does 1998 hold up to hindsight? For starters the top players were clearly cheating as six of the top ten in the MVP voting were most likely on steroids in the NL(Sosa, Big Mac, Vaughn, Biggio, Galarraga,Bonds) and seven of the top ten in the AL(Juan Gonzalez, Nomar, Mo Vaughn, Manny, Albert Belle, Arod and Pudge).

For the Yankees, you also have to wonder how many players were doing steroids with Knoblauch and Pettitte already linked. As hard as it is to admit you have to wonder about some of the Yankees other top players. What about Bernie, Paulie, and even Tino? Any name linked to steroids (outside of Jeter but maybe that is even being naive) would not surprise me.

So now we have the top players and the top team linked to steroids.

So this is where the difficult part of the steroid era really comes into play. If the players and teams who succeeded during this period were clearly cheating what do we do with the records and the accomplishments of this time? Do we discount it all or do we simply take the stance that everyone cheated and call it even?

For the Yankees, I have come to the conclusion that the Yankees were the best team of the era with some of the best players. There is no way that most of the other top players were cheating but the Yankees core was not. However, the shear number of players who are being outed make it hard to discount or even taint the accomplishment of a team when they were clearly competing against other steroid using teams. Using that same logic you have to say the same for McGwire as well. He was facing opponents that were doing the same things he was. So basically the best then we still need to consider the best now. Sure those who were clean faced a competitive disadvantage and it isn’t fair to those players but I am not willing to complete throw those years out.

Knowing what we know now we either accept the timeframe for what it was or wipe it out completely. I am not willing to erase those year so Bonds, Big Mac, Sosa and 125 wins should stand forever in the record books and the Hall of Fame.

It is time to accept the period for what it was and move on.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

We're Back!

The inactive period here at Yankee GM is over!

Come back soon for the new and improved Yankee GM blog!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

The Muschallaro: Part Challenger, Part Camaro, Part Mustang


A talented modeler named Robert D. came up with the wacky idea of creating a scale-model that combines elements from the latest editions of Detroit's pony cars: the body of a Chevy Camaro, the front end of a Dodge Challenger and the rear-end of the...

Bugatti Files Trademarks for 16C Galibier Sport Sedan


The bean counters over at the Volkswagen Group are still gauging customer reactions to the Bugatti 16C Galibier concept to see if there's enough interest to build a production version, but just to be on the safe side - we all remember the Chinese Rolls...

Ford Confirms Deal with China's Geely on Volvo Sale


While General Motors is still trying to figure out what it's going to do with its Saab division, Ford Motor Company announced today that it has settled all substantive commercial terms with China's Geely Holding Group Company Limited on the prospected..

2011 Saab 9-5 SportCombi: Estate Version Pictured Undisguised?


The boffins over at the Swedish news site 'Aftonbladet' have posted this photo of the estate version of the new Saab 9-5 without any camouflage whatsoever. We're not entirely sure if it's the real deal or not as while the shades and lights on the body...

Fiat Group's Revised 2010-2011 Product Plan, Includes Chrysler-Based Sedans, Convertible and MPV for Lancia, 8C GTA for Alfa


During a Tuesday meeting in Rome with representatives of the government and trade unions, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed the Italian group's product plan that has been revised after the alliance with the Chrysler Group earlier this year. We already...

2010 Kia Sorento SUV Geared up by Cobra Technology & Lifestyle


The new generation Kia Sorento that made its debut earlier this year is the latest object of Cobra Technology & Lifestyle's tuning affections. Not that most Sorento buyers will actually ever need bull bars - that is, unless your parking skills are...

TRD Releases First Upgrades for Toyota Sai Hybrid


Toyota's budget version of the Lexus HS 250h, the new Sai Hybrid, just went on sale in Japan in the beginning of the month, but the automaker's TRD division has already lined up some subtle visual and performance upgrades for the sedan. In addition to...

Full Carbon Nissan GT-R with 600HP+ Upgrade by Original Runduce


The sketch you see pictured above represents a new tuning proposal for the Nissan GT-R R35 from Japan's Original Runduce that will certainly capture the attention of enthusiasts. The full carbon-fiber bodied GT-R will come with an overly aggressive aero...

New Honda Beat: Next-Generation Kei Roadster Speculated


Remember the original Beat, Honda's pint-sized, two-seater roadster with the mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of the 1990s? Well, Japan's Best Car magazine is doing what it does best by speculating on the return of the Beat in Honda's car range. ...

Report Says New Mazda RX-7 Could be Unveiled as Early as 2011


A proper two-door coupe replacement for the much-missed Mazda RX-7 could make its appearance as early as 2011 as a 2012 model, according to a report from Edmund's Inside Line. The news site says the introduction of the two-seat RX-7 will lead to the...

Lexus GS-F said to be Still Under Development, Could get LFA's V10 Engine


Given that the latest Lexus GS has been in the market for a while, most of us have abandoned the idea of an F-badged variant of the current model that would compete head on with the Audi RS6, BMW M5, Cadillac CTS-V and Merc's E63 AMG. But even though...

Honda HSV-010 GT: High-Res Gallery and 20 Minutes of Track Action from the NSX's Racing Successor


Even though Honda has not released anything new on the HSV-010 since we first reported about the Japanese firm's Super GT competitor last week, we couldn't pass the opportunity to share with you a new high-res photo album as well as two videos of the...

Crackpot: Greek Asks $800,000+ for Unfinished Ferrari Enzo Replica.


This year, we've seen people asking some crazy sums for their cars on eBay including $250,000 for a modded 1988 BMW 635CSi and almost a million dollars for a car that exists only on paper, the Plymouth Road Runner Concept, but this Enzo replica may very...

Bugatti Renaissance Design Concept: Veyron Supercar Reinterpreted


We're not sure when or if Bugatti will present a direct successor to the 1,001-horsepower Veyron, but if the VW Group-owned company does, John Mark Vicente, a Canadian graduate of the Communication Design program at the Emily Carr University, would like...

GM Slashes Prices of Remaining Pontiacs and Saturns by up to 46%


If you ever wanted to buy a Pontiac or a Saturn and you don't mind that both brands will soon pass into the books of history, now's the time as General Motors is offering dealers huge incentives to move a few thousand leftover vehicles from the two discontinued...