Yawn

by Al Yellon on Nov 25, 2007 5:04 AM CST in Chicago Cubs News

Still sleeping off that turkey from Thanksgiving?

It's a reeeeaaaaallllllly sloooooooow weekend.

News item: A-Rod might make even more money under certain terms of the deal he's signing; that might make it worth a total of over $300 million:

Under the agreement, which remains to be finalized, Rodriguez could receive $6 million each for tying the home-run levels of Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and an additional $6 million for breaking Bonds' major league record.

The Yankees could designate each level as a historic event, enabling Rodriguez to receive the added money in exchange for additional personal appearances and signed memorabilia for the club. That enabled the agreement to be allowed by the players' association and the commissioner's office. Baseball generally prohibits bonuses based on statistics such as home runs.

Grammar police: that's "an" historic event.

Quote of the day, found in Phil Rogers' column:

"They gave me an amount of money that my momma and all my friends would have slapped me if I [hadn't accepted]."--Torii Hunter on signing with the Angels for $90 million over five years after the Twins never increased their offer of three years, $45 million.

Nuff said. Go on back to sleep. Or watch the Bears game at 3:15 today. Oh, wait. Same thing, pretty much.

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Momma would have slapped me...

lol, that is great. There really isn't much going on. Something a little off topic I would like to inquire about though.

My uncle is a season ticket holder for the Peoria Chiefs. Coming up on December 10th is a special dinner deal for season ticket holders. Apparently for every two seats you have, you get a signed Sandberg cap. I didn't catch if he would be there in person to sign them or if they would be pre-signed. I thought just getting to the first round of the 7th Inning Stretch competition would send me to heaven happy, but meeting Sandberg would rate just above it. My uncle is trying to get more details for me, but I thought I would see if anyone else knows about it. Thanks in advance for any info.

Anxiously awaiting the arrival of Opening Day '08

by love the ivy on Nov 25, 2007 7:57 AM CST reply actions

Big deal. More money to a rich guy.

FYI, from http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/a.html

A or An.

Use an in place of a when it precedes a vowel sound, not just a vowel. That means it's "an honor" (the h is silent), but "a UFO" (because it's pronounced yoo eff oh).

Most of the confusion with a or an arises from acronyms and other abbreviations: some people think it's wrong to use an in front of an abbreviation like "MRI" because "an" can only go before vowels. Not so: the sound, not the letter, is what matters. Because you pronounce it "em ar eye," it's "an MRI."

One tricky case comes up from time to time: is it "a historic occasion" or "an historic occasion"? Some speakers favor the latter -- more British than American speakers, but you'll find them in both places -- using an on longish words (three or more syllables) beginning with h, where the first syllable isn't accented. They'd say, for instance, "a hístory textbook" (accent on the first syllable) but "an históric event." (Likewise "a hábit" but "an habítual offender," "a hýpothetical question" but "an hypóthesis.") Still, most guides prefer a before any h that's sounded: "a historic occasion," "a hysterical joke," "a habitual offender" -- but "an honor" and "an hour" because those h's aren't sounded.[Entry revised 21 April 2006; revised again 10 December 2006.]

Picking a nit, maybe. But, it the words in question sounded correct to me so I looked it up.

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Nov 25, 2007 8:08 AM CST reply actions

Geez -

talk about going back to sleep...

J/K

"I got mad hits like I was Rod Carew!"

by lostinthevines on Nov 25, 2007 8:22 AM CST up reply actions

Slow day at work today lol

I am doing my English homework so I have spelling and grammar on my mind...

"WGN, Channel 9 Cubs Baseball, Excitingly, Importantly, Dramatically Yours." - Jack Brickhouse

by BigJohnAZ on Nov 25, 2007 8:44 AM CST up reply actions

Told you all it was a slow weekend!

Hey, why not. Open grammar discussion!

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 25, 2007 11:06 AM CST up reply actions

I'm glad for Hunter...

...after watching him roam CF while living in Minnesota for the last few years. But I can't get over how much the Angels overpaid him. It is truly mind-boggling.

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on Nov 25, 2007 8:13 AM CST reply actions

Not so fast, grammar police.......

Since you brought it up.....

You could be right, but I believe over time the rule for "a" vs. "an" has to do with whether the next word begins with a vowel or a consonant. Due to the soft "h" in historic the tendency is to put the "an" there, but since "h" is a consonant, it get the "a".

But as with all rules, there are exceptions, especially with the word historic. According to the link below, you're half right.

http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/3431

Santo Forever!

by BeerCub on Nov 25, 2007 10:18 AM CST reply actions

Whoa.......

.... missed Big John's post.

Santo Forever!

by BeerCub on Nov 25, 2007 10:19 AM CST up reply actions

Beer Cub -

IS it your opinion that the govt. will be able to prove Bonds lied to the Grand Jury? IF a conviction was obtained, based on recent "celebrity" convictions, wouldn't it be logical to assume that BB would do SOME kind of time?

Wait 'til next year. And the next. And the Next. And the next after that too.

by TheEman on Nov 25, 2007 10:57 AM CST up reply actions

The Feds...

...usually don't mess around. BALCO was the focus of the investigation all along, and what people forget in the flotsam and jetsam of this thing is Bonds was given immunity before testifying, and so the only way they pursue him is if he lied. This was not some witchhunt against Bonds, as some insist, but an inquiry into steroids that has netted some high profile people, i.e. Marion Jones. Bonds could have said "yes" and then only had to deal with baseball. Jason Giambi admitted as much, and is still playing, although he's had some rough seas.

The prosecutor asked his questions re: steroids and needles many different ways and the answer was either evasive or a "no". I would guess they've got positive results on tests from BALCO they can tie to him and/or testimony from someone else. On simply does not lie to a federal grand jury, even a small lie, and get away with it. I'd say he gets convicted.

As for time, if there's a conviction, look no further than Scooter Libby. For essentially the same thing as Bonds, he got 30 months in prison, supervised release, a boatload of communit service and a $250K fine. But we all know what happened there. I doubt Bonds has any such guardian angel.

Santo Forever!

by BeerCub on Nov 25, 2007 11:44 PM CST up reply actions

I go with "a" historic

There's always a debate about this. The style for newspapers in the U.S. is to go with "a" historic.

by Bruce Miles on Nov 25, 2007 11:35 AM CST reply actions

Interesting.

I had always been taught the other way. Is that now the way the stylebooks have it?

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 25, 2007 12:00 PM CST up reply actions

grammar

i was under the impression that "an" precedes words that begin with vowels, to make it not slur together. Like, "an apple".

by zam on Nov 25, 2007 11:38 AM CST reply actions

Other way around...

Generally, one uses "an" before a vowel to smooth the sounds together, therefore not having a stopping sound.

Try saying it out loud "a apple" and "an apple".

When you say the first, the pause you put between the words is a glottal stop. They slur together more with the second option. Plus, it sounds prettier :)

by jjmarie30 on Nov 25, 2007 3:58 PM CST up reply actions

Never mind....

I read the post wrong. That is, assuming that it meant combining "a" and "apple", basically eliminating the first "a."

Sorry about that...

by jjmarie30 on Nov 25, 2007 3:59 PM CST up reply actions

aahh

i can't wait for winter meetings...

Live is boring until March 31st strolls by..

by Chanman25 on Nov 25, 2007 12:09 PM CST reply actions

So...

...what's the over/under on Jay Mariotti saying anything positive about Rex Grossman after today's game?

FREE CARMEN PIGNATIELLO!

by cwyers on Nov 25, 2007 7:38 PM CST reply actions

NFC=

Wait 'til next year. And the next. And the Next. And the next after that too.

by TheEman on Nov 25, 2007 7:48 PM CST reply actions

a historic vs an historic

Through common usage, both are correct:

http://www.betterwritingskills.com/tip-w005.html

While we're on the topic, why do flammable and inflammable mean the same thing? Does bi-weekly mean twice a week or every other weed (the answer... it can mean either!!!) and peruse actually means to examine with great care not to skim as most seem to think.

by lohroffc on Nov 25, 2007 8:48 PM CST reply actions

why isn't phonetic spelled like it sounds?

Can you imagine Steven Wright in the booth with Pat & Ron? Five minutes and they'd be getting the paddles out for Ron. Clear!!!

http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Steven_Wright

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Nov 25, 2007 9:11 PM CST up reply actions

B O R I N G

Wait 'til next year. And the next. And the Next. And the next after that too.

by TheEman on Nov 25, 2007 10:21 PM CST up reply actions

I told you it was a slow weekend!

n/t

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 26, 2007 3:23 AM CST up reply actions

Not to me

I like grammar trivia -- although it's not actually trivial.

Plus, some nits can never be fully picked.

Don't like "an historic", can't stand the use of "infer" when the correct word is "imply", and the most grating of all, using "then" when you mean "than". That last one comes up a lot in posts by people who are otherwise pretty good writers, but it totally ruins their message.

Why does everybody stand up and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when they're already there? ~Larry Anderson

by JohnM on Nov 26, 2007 3:31 AM CST up reply actions

Picking grammatical and language nits.

Don't get me started.

The one I really hate is using "I could care less" when you really mean "I couldn't care less".

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Nov 26, 2007 3:46 AM CST up reply actions

Bi-weekly is every other week...

period; just as semi-monthly means twice per month.

If bi-weekly can mean an interval smaller than 14 days, then I should go talk to ADP, the processor of our company's payroll system. I would be in for more money. :^)

It's common confusion with a lot of folks. Take envy and jealousy. 90% get that wrong. Someone has something nice (material or not) and another says, "I'm jealous". No, they're envious. You're jealous when someone wants something you have. You're envious when you have something someone else wants.

Our grandparents used to say, "I hope the Cubs win the Series before I die". Now teenagers are saying it. Let's change that next season!

by blackhawk24 on Nov 26, 2007 6:55 AM CST up reply actions

jeolous

Both uses are correct

adj.

1. Fearful or wary of being supplanted; apprehensive of losing affection or position.
2.
1. Resentful or bitter in rivalry; envious: jealous of the success of others.
2. Inclined to suspect rivalry.
3. Having to do with or arising from feelings of envy, apprehension, or bitterness: jealous thoughts.
4. Vigilant in guarding something: We are jealous of our good name.
5. Intolerant of disloyalty or infidelity; autocratic: a jealous God.

by lohroffc on Nov 27, 2007 9:48 AM CST up reply actions