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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Not an accident.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> announce-bounces@usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces@usml.net] <b>On Behalf Of </b>springkerb@aol.com<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 14, 2013 5:54 PM<br><b>To:</b> announce@usml.net<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [USML Announce] Balfour Grants Riptorns' Wish<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>I like the use of "surely" in the same sentence as "might."<br><br><br><br>-----Original Message-----<br>From: jhwinick@aol.com<br>To: announce <br>Sent: Thu, Feb 14, 2013 11:22 am<br>Subject: Re: [USML Announce] Balfour Grants Riptorns' Wish<o:p></o:p></p><div id="AOLMsgPart_2_2eabf4b8-8034-4b50-aab4-66b472d7b9ae"><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Putting aside that Balfour will still be ready for opening day, it doesn't change the fact that young Ryan Cook, not unlike his doppelganger Addison Reed, doesn't throw enough strikes (no matter how much heat) to get the job done. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>On a more useful note than the jive talk from Brad Lee I offer the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Baseball America's Prospect Handbook was released today. Here are the #1 Prospects for each AL team:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Baltimore - Dylan Bundy (Riptorns - but did I mention that his contract was running?)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Boston - Xander Bogaerts (Riptorns)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Chicago - Courtney Hawkins (Free Agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Cleveland - Francisco Lindor (Berliners)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Detroit - Nick Castellanos (Klein Nine)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Houston - Carlos Correa (Hoosiers)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Kansas City - Kyle Zimmer (Free Agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Los Angeles - Caleb Cowart (Adams)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Minnesota - Miguel Sano (Riptorns)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>New York - Mason Williams (Riptorns)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Oakland - Addison Russell (Free Agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Seattle - Mike Zunino (Free Agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Tampa Bay - Wil Myers (Riptorns)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Texas - Jurickson Profar (Calamari)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Toronto - Aaron Sanchez (Actually #3 - 1 and 2 were traded to the Mets)(Red Hots)<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>5 Riptorns! That surely means that the Riptorns might be relevant again by 2016. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Jeff<br><br><o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>-----Original Message-----<br>From: Brad Jansen <<a href="mailto:bljansen@gmail.com">bljansen@gmail.com</a>><br>To: USML Announcements <<a href="mailto:announce@usml.net">announce@usml.net</a>><br>Sent: Thu, Feb 14, 2013 12:32 pm<br>Subject: [USML Announce] Balfour Grants Riptorns' Wish<o:p></o:p></span></p><div id="AOLMsgPart_2_095108e7-f53b-4cba-85de-2538b9f38e70"><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>ITEM</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> A's right-hander Grant Balfour is scheduled to undergo right knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus Thursday afternoon, leaving Oakland without its closer for approximately four to six weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>LOSER</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> Berliners. Spurned in off-season efforts to trade fringe closer Grant Balfour, Berliners were banking on him to anchor 2013 bullpen. With the closer's career in jeopardy cold-hearted Winick now <b>WILL CUT THE CORD.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>WINNER</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Riptorns. Flamethrower Ryan Cook (5) will regain 9th-inning role and will not relinquish it this time around. Rippers now wait for Mariano Rivera to announce plans so they can decide how long to extend David Robertson's contract as team's <b>FOUNDATION IS SETTLING.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div id="AOLMsgPart_3_095108e7-f53b-4cba-85de-2538b9f38e70"><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'>announce mailing list<o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:announce@usml.net">announce@usml.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'><a href="http://lists.usml.net/mailman/listinfo/announce" target="_blank">http://lists.usml.net/mailman/listinfo/announce</a><o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre></div></div></div></div><div id="AOLMsgPart_3_2eabf4b8-8034-4b50-aab4-66b472d7b9ae"><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'>announce mailing list<o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'><a href="mailto:announce@usml.net">announce@usml.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre><pre style='background:white'><tt><span style='color:black'><a href="http://lists.usml.net/mailman/listinfo/announce" target="_blank">http://lists.usml.net/mailman/listinfo/announce</a><o:p></o:p></span></tt></pre></div></div></body></html>