NL can't match the talent of the AL

Ugh

I'm not amused, more disgusted. I think I'm going to have to go into an anti-media lockdown. Articles like that one just convince me that the media is working hard to ensure that the game continues to be about money, instead of about, I don't know, the game. Maybe the Diamondbacks don't get constant, fawning articles from near every sports reporter, but they're playing good baseball. If this guy is to be believed, only I (though he picked the wrong mountain range) and possibly God care about that.

One of them is going to follow in the proud tradition of last year's 83-win St. Louis Cardinals.

You mean the winners of the 2006 World Series? That's a tradition I'd be glad to see our boys follow in.

I'm not superstitious- it's bad luck.

by kishi on Oct 9, 2007 4:35 PM EDT reply actions

Hey...

At least he seemed to like us - in his patronizing way - and we weren't the ones described as, "creepy". :-)

by Jim McLennan on Oct 9, 2007 4:39 PM EDT reply actions

I am so sick

of the condescending tone we hear hourly from the east coast media. I think we should just give the original 13 back to England and be done with the sorry lot of them!

by unnamedDBacksfan on Oct 9, 2007 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

While we're on the media watch--

On another note, interesting point in Jon Heyman's article today on Torre and the Yankees. In his notes at the bottom, he points out that:

"* Magic touch: Arizona GM Josh Byrnes, whose team was the first to reach the LCS, previously worked for three teams. Yep, the Rockies, the Red Sox and the Indians. That's 4 for 4 if you're scoring at home."

Hmmm... hadn't even thought of that.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 9, 2007 4:48 PM EDT reply actions

Another angle

From USS Mariner:

http://ussmariner.com/2007/10/09/the-seeds-of-success/

All 4 playoff GM's are intertwined and are part of the newer stats + scouting approach in building an organization. Great read if you get a chance.

by AZSEAfan @ AZ Snakepit on Oct 10, 2007 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions

This is what I have to say to him

One of them is going to follow the proud tradition of the St. Louis Cardinals? You mean the team that WON the World Series last year. Yes, I agree that the National League as a whole is weaker than the AL but the top teams in the NL can compete with anyone in the AL. Are you talking about the Colorado Rockies that took 2 of 3 from the Red Sox or the ones that swept the Yankees? I'm not sure where you get you arrogance seeing as the NL has taken 50% of the past 6 World Series'. In the future I'd think before I typed and maybe go a little further in depth about the teams still competing.

Tippecanoe and Pena too! (let's hope pena doesn't die after 30 days in office)

by seton hall snake pit on Oct 9, 2007 5:00 PM EDT reply actions

in the lack of respect column

here is an ad that I saw on the Dbacks Website for Pepsi:

"Vote Now for the Clutch Performer of the Year!"

The candidates
A-Rod
Jake P
Mark Teixeira
the wrong Ramirez (actually, Ramirez #3, after Manny and Hanley)
JJ PUTZ!?!?!?!
Ryan Howard

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's October 9th and none of those gentlemen has a baseball obligation before MARCH.

by andrewinnewyork on Oct 9, 2007 5:16 PM EDT reply actions

You're wrong.

Spring Training starts in February. ;-)

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 9, 2007 5:39 PM EDT up reply actions

only for Peavy and JJ

Tippecanoe and Pena too! (let's hope pena doesn't die after 30 days in office)

by seton hall snake pit on Oct 9, 2007 5:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I did the same thing

the rest of you probably did - ticked off each face with a 'didn't make playoffs' or a 'sucked hard in first round, now sitting at home'.

by peachy rex on Oct 11, 2007 12:25 AM EDT up reply actions

Bitterness

I swear, as much as the articles anger me at face, I will savor each one, because it reminds me that THE YANKEES LOST AGAIN!

On a more analytical note, by saying that the baseball loving fans of America should care about Japan's Championship series almost as much as they do the NLCS, this Marchman hack proves his lack of understanding re:playoff baseball. In 2005, Baseball Prospectus ran a Diamond Mind simulation pitting the Chiba Lotte Marines against the WS Champs Chicago White Sox. 47 times out of 100, Bobby Valentine's Marines were victorious. Which proves two things: one, any playoff team can win a postseason series; and two, Marchman doesn't understand the nature of series baseball at all.

Look, I root for the D-Backs with every fiber of my being, but I won't say we have a better team than most AL teams, because really, it doesn't matter. Last time I checked, the WS trophy isn't handed out to the team that columnists, computers, or Pythagoras determined was the best, but rather, to the team who WINS THE WORLD SERIES!

That's the real beauty of baseball, you can analyze until your heart's content, but nothing will change the beautiful chaos of the game.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 5:56 PM EDT reply actions

I believe there is some truth is behind it

Bottom line is if the Yankees were in the National league, they probably would have had 98 wins and would still be playing. No doubt the Top American League Teams are more talanted... I'm not going into this, but fact is; it's a fact.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Depends

In the NL Central, probably. In the NL West, I think they've have struggled against the consistent, top-quality pitching there. See the Division Series against Cleveland for evidence of that.

by Jim McLennan on Oct 9, 2007 7:47 PM EDT up reply actions

not really, no

Actually, the only fact involved is that your statement that the Yankees would "probably have 98 wins and would still be playing" is pure and total speculation. We have little idea how the Yankees would have performed in the NL East or any other division, for that matter. Picking a number of games for them to win and basically asserting that they would win a first round series due to their supremacy is borderline ridiculous.

Look, the point I was trying to make is even more relevant here. Series baseball is a whole different animal than regular season baseball. The Yankees could be the best team in the world and they still might get swept in the division series. Truth is, the Yankees primary weakness (rotation depth, as evidenced by Clemens' carcass' performance in Game 3) is a legitimate cause for concern in a playoff series. I do not think the Yankees would be guaranteed of anything if they played in the NL.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 6:37 PM EDT reply actions

Need someone smart...

that is smarter than me to figure out how the Yanks have done in interleague play the last few years.

by AZSEAfan @ AZ Snakepit on Oct 10, 2007 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions

They've gone...

41-31 in the past four season. Three seasons at 10-8 each, and another at 11-7.

I'm not superstitious- it's bad luck.

by kishi on Oct 10, 2007 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

record

2007- 10-8
2006- 10-8
2005- 11-7
2004- 10-8

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 10, 2007 9:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Emotions clouding judgement

I said probably because it is highly likely, that they would have much more talant than whomever they played; therefore would probably win. Despite the different structures in the divisions there is a ton of talant on the team with one of the best players in the game. It is not just this guy writing this article. Most of the people at ESPN, most everyone I know agrees the National League teams are borderline inferior. Look at the betting lines, now & throughout the year. Vegas & the public agree as well. Given the fact that anyone can sweep anyone at anytime you should just take the National league every year to win the world series. You'll make money the rest of your life as long as they win every other year... Guess what that's not going to happen, because most years the AL will have the best team & will win more often. It seems to me the only people who argue this are fans of National league teams. You write 2 paragraphs on the Yankees, that was 1 example... I guess the rest of the world is "borderline ridiculous". Your a funny guy. The Yankees or Red Sox NO DOUBT would make the playoffs in the division even though I said probably...to think they would win 1 round with the best talanted team in the division is "borderline ridiculous".

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 6:54 PM EDT reply actions

Clarification into rebuttal

First off, what I said was borderline ridiculous was the idea that you could pick the number of games the Yankees would win in the NL and that you could assure that they would still be playing in the NLCS. Yes, I did note the use of the word probably, but the underlying assumptions are too big of a logical leap to make, at least in my mind.

Second, you claim that public opinion is such that "ESPN, most everyone I know, Vegas & the public, etc..." believes that the AL is superior to the NL. Did I ever claim otherwise? In fact, you accuse me of having an emotionally clouded judgment, yet never do I bash the AL, tout the superiority of the NL, or even make any sort of claim about the Diamondbacks themselves. I will freely admit that popular opinion would be on your side. However, popular opinion was also on the side of the Cubs, Phillies, and Yankees last week, and we all know how far that went.

Third, you still seem to be missing the point behind my theory of series baseball. It really doesn't matter who has the best team over a 162 game season, when it comes to deciding who will win a best of 5 or 7 series. The team with superior talent does not always win. This, unlike pretty much everything else discussed, is a fact. That, as I have stated before, is the beauty of the playoffs. Who can win a playoff baseball series? Anybody, anytime; that's who! You say I should take the NL, and then watch as the AL has the better team most years and wins out. Well first off, last year, Detroit had a concensus better team and lost to St. Louis. Go figure. Also, NL&AL talent levels are cyclical. Yes, right now it appears the AL has a significant advantage in talent. Give it a few years, and I bet that'll even out or even flip. And really, once again, it doesn't matter who has the overall better team, because if that was the case, the team with more talent would win every time, which simply doesn't happen.

Fourth, thank you for calling me funny. That made my day. It's a real pleasure to be complimented on your humor, and I rarely get the chance to thank someone for it. You know what else I find funny? The fact that the Yankees lost to the Indians and the mass media is going into panic mode because 3 out of the 4 teams left are not who they wanted to be there. Now THAT's funny!

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 7:09 PM EDT reply actions

Nice of you to clarify all that.

It's pretty rare someone writes more than I. I do disagree with you as how a team performs over the season will USUALLY have an impact on how they play in the playoffs. That being said there is no other sport where the more talanted team loses so often. My point was that to some extent as my first post said they are right to some extent. The top teams have more talant than the top National league teams. I don't know enough about the middle to lower teams in either division to have an argument, but in case there were shades on your eyes, I just want the people of Diamondback city to realize they are in an inferior division & probably would not have made the playoffs in the American League; which is great because now they have a chance to win it all. I don't know I just think it's foolish to call these people ignorant because you read one article that most of the world agrees with. Yeah they were wrong about these series...so you are some much brighter; like I said play the underdogs, go home rich. More often than not, the talant will come out on top even though it's not always the case & the American League has more talant.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 8:29 PM EDT reply actions

hm...

I understand the idea that the most talented team usually wins, but I think playoff baseball requires a more multi-faceted approach than simply looking at overall talent level. The playoffs are about exploiting weakness and execution. A team such as Cleveland can have inferior talent (at least offensively, for sure) in comparison to their opponent, yet prevail in a series when their weaknesses (Joe Borowski, Paul Byrd's evil side, and others that I'm sure a more apt observer of the Tribe could mention) don't come into play.

Take a look at the Cubs/D-Backs series; one could argue that the D-Backs won because their weaknesses weren't exploited. Our weaknesses: an inability to consistantly hit for average, supposed lack of rotation depth past B. Webb, postseason experience, etc... weren't effectively manipulated by the Cubs. While, on the other hand, the Cubs fell victim to an inability to hold runners, an over-reliance in the rotation on a few individual(s) (Big Z), and an inability to capitalize on plentiful (thank you, Livan) postseason opportunities. Now, there were other factors at play, such as the good work of the D-Backs 'pen, the desire for Cubs pitchers to throw high fastballs by Chris Young, and the sudden inability for the Cubs to hit with runners in scoring position. The second group of factors would have been tough to forsee, but the weaknesses remained there. I believe that playoff baseball, more often then not, depends on matchup specifics much moreso than overall talent level.

In the regular season, overall talent level is probably as good a predictor as any; but in the playoffs? Hardly, IMHO...

Oh, and the NL West is not an inferior league. How can it be? It had 4 teams with legitimate playoff possibilities halfway through September, has some of the best pitching in baseball (Peavy, Webb, Francis, Penny, etc...), and had only one truly weak team in the Giants. The two teams with the best records in the NL came out of the West. Look at the AL East if you want an inferior division. Yes, they had the Red Sox and the Yankees, two great teams, but the D-Rays and Orioles were pathetic excuses for baseball teams. Now, the Blue Jays might be on the same level as the Dodgers, perhaps, but top to bottom, the NL West was one of, if not the, fiercest division in baseball. Surely, you must admit, that it was the strongest NL Division, and easily stronger, top to bottom, then the AL West or Central?

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Thank you, dbackerinparadise

Great post. Oh, and thank you for writing in a clear manner and your use of correct spelling and punctuation. It surely makes reading a long post easier.

by TwinnerA on Oct 10, 2007 12:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Just so you know my point was

The article may have "some truth" to it because the "TOP TEAMS IN THE AL ARE MORE TALANTED THAN THE TOPS TEAM IN THE NL". That's my point here, you are arguing everything else, but that fact & so you don't get confused that's all I'm going to say for now.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 9:15 PM EDT reply actions

You may be correct

in saying that the top AL teams have more talent than the top NL teams. Unfortunately there are a few other factors involved that often supercede talent level.

I'm sure you could rattle off a bunch of players that have had plenty of talent that never amounted to crap. Or crappy players that became World Series heroes (Eckstein, Weaver...).

by AZSEAfan @ AZ Snakepit on Oct 10, 2007 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions

point taken

Sure. If that's all you're saying, then I won't dispute it. And thank you for not "confusing" me with "everything else". I appreciate your concern for my intelligence.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 9:19 PM EDT reply actions

By the way

You are getting way ahead of yourself. If you know nothing about the AL east, don't pretend too. The Blue Jays are a hell of a team who had as bad luck a season as you can possibly have. To put them at the same level as the Dodgers is a joke. The Devil Rays have a ton of talant & I happen to think they would do much better in the NL. You see the teams at the bottom of AL divisions are usually further down because the top is so top heavy. Broaden your horizons & learn about the the divisions if you want to compare them. Why you are comparing them, I havn't a clue. I never said the NL West was inferior & yes it looks like the best division in baseball. Think for a moment before you start comparing it to American League divisions, would any of these teams with there GREAT PITCHING made it to the playoffs in any AL division... By the way the pitching would not have been so great against offenses like Tampa Bay, Toronto, Boston, & New York. Yes Peavy & them are great, but the 5 man rotations...not so great. I'm sorry I can not agree with you this division is stronger than any AL division when I believe (even though we'll never know) that not one of these teams could have even one the wild card if they came over to the AL. Possibly the west, but the division has 4 teams...tough to make any comparisons there. KC aweful, White Sox aweful year, but those are 3 tough teams at the top there. Even Detroit probably more talanted than the many of the top NL teams. You've got to remember who these teams played to get these records. The records can be very deceiving when it comes to comparing the NL & AL, but do some research not just scanning of W & L & you will see most of the major league talant is in the AL where most of the money is.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 9:38 PM EDT reply actions

Yes the AL as a whole is better

but the NL's top tier teams can compete with the AL. If you want to compare basements then yes the AL is way better than the NL

Tippecanoe and Pena too! (let's hope pena doesn't die after 30 days in office)

by seton hall snake pit on Oct 9, 2007 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions

not buying it

"I just want the people of Diamondback city to realize they are in an inferior division..."

That is to what I was responding.

Tampa's offense is young, but hardly great. Runs Scored puts them in the middle of the pack, and I think that while they have great potential, nobody is staying up late at night worrying about the offensive juggernaut Devil Rays.

Toronto's offense is also middle of the pack, I don't know who considers it elite.

NL West Rotations don't match up?
ARI- Webb (3.01 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 236.1 IP), Davis (4.25, 1.59, 192.2), Hernandez (4.93, 1.60, 204.1), Owings (4.30, 1.28, 152.2)

SD- Peavy (2.54, 1.06, 223.1), Young (3.12, 1.10, 173.0), Maddux (4.14, 1.24, 198.0), and Germano (4.46, 1.30, 133.1)

LAD- Penny (3.03, 1.31, 208.0), Lowe (3.88, 1.27, 199.1), Billingsley (3.31, 1.33, 147.0), and Wolf (4.73, 1.45, 102.2)

That's 3 examples of NL West Rotations (yeah, I went 4 deep, the 5th starters were mainly fungible commodities) that I feel are exceptional and competitive against the vast majority of offenses. I believe NL West pitching plays against most anybody.

Top level AL talent may be better but I would argue that the NL is deeper. Also, I don't think you can conclusively say that the reason why the bottom level AL teams are so bad is because the top level teams in the AL are so good. That's a truism of sorts and cannot be proven either way.

I'm not really arguing at the fringes of NL lunacy, rather, I'm just throwing out an argument that I believe is logical but underutilized. While the AL is probably stronger on a macro level, I really think the gap between the two leagues is overstated and many good NL teams are ignored and decried as inferior without solid argumentation. I also believe that the NL West is the best division in baseball when you look top to bottom. I do not simply look at win-loss records, nor do I have no knowledge of other divisions.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 10:11 PM EDT reply actions

Wow

Yeah they could compete, but over 162 games with only the top tier teams playing each other other. I'd have to say the Red Sox, Yankees, Indian, Tigers, Twins, Angels, Blue Jay, & Mariners would probably play .520 ball over the Dimonbacks, Padres, Rockies, Mets, Phillies, Braves, Cubs, & Dodgers. That's helping your case...Now you want to take The Red Sox, Yankees, Indians, & Angels & play them against any top 4 in the NL...come on kid...wake up. There is just more talant...THAT IS A FACT. Why are you guys arguing this. Imagine interleague play all year. Here are some stats from when they do play... Ok yeah you can make some arguements on who plays who, but it is pretty overwelming numbers for a decent amount of games.

AL win % - 2007: .544 vs. 2006: .611

NL win % - 2007: .456 vs. 2006: .389

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 10:14 PM EDT reply actions

sure

Once again, not denying that the AL is a superior league. I'll give you the Angels, Red Sox, Yankees & Indians as teams that over a 162 game season would probably beat any NL team. Perhaps the Tigers, as well. But the Mariners, Blue Jays, and Twins? Really? Better than SD, ARI, COL, NYM, PHI, ATL, CHC, and LAD? You're going to have a hard time making that argument.

Also, how many times do I need to say that there is MORE TALENT AT THE TOP LEVEL IN THE AL. There, I said it. Loud and clear. Never denied it.

I would like you to answer this, then. Going back to some points you've abandoned along the way:

How can you think that "more talent" is a better determining factor than matchup specifics in a playoff series format?
How can you say that NL West rotations lack depth?
How can you say the author was "right on" about the talent disparity between the NL and AL when he compared the NL to the JPB?

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 10:23 PM EDT reply actions

Answers

Never once disputed matchups in the playoffs...Hell a I'd give a college team a shot with a great rotation & great matchups...
Didn't say that, said it wasn't great...compare it to the lineups backend rotation in the AL face. Peavy & Penny can thrive in any division. I just said that wasn't true of all the pitchers in the NL. Pitchers like Davis & Hernandez I feel would have done much worse in the AL.
I never even opened the article...I just read all the hate in the responses & said there "might be some truth to it" because I know there is more talant in the AL.

Yes you are right I'd have a tough time arguing the BOTTOM 4 of the TOP 8 I mentioned against the top 8 in the NL...no one would make that arguement.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 10:54 PM EDT reply actions

appreciated

Thank you for the answers.

Regarding your 8 to 8 comparison. I'll take 1-4 in the AL over 1-4 in the NL, but I'd take 5-8 in the NL over 5-8 in the AL. Which is essentially the crux of the top-level talent vs. depth argument.

Regarding the article: it compared NL quality to the Japanese Baseball League. That's absurd.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 9, 2007 10:59 PM EDT reply actions

You may actually have an argument there

Yeah that is absurd. Sorry didn't know the article was that bad...guess I should have read it first. Don't forget I'm always at work & not as thourough with my posts & spellcheck as a lot of these guys.

by cj060896 on Oct 9, 2007 11:44 PM EDT reply actions

Another factor

The AL simply has more money at the moment. The median AL payroll is about $87 million; the median in the NL is at $79 million. If you took an arithmetic mean, it'd likely be even more dramatic, since four out of the top five teams, and seven of the top ten, play in the American League.

by Jim McLennan on Oct 10, 2007 2:04 AM EDT reply actions

Chicks dig the long ball.

The AL is built to for offense, for star hitters, and that's what Joe ESPN-Watcher wants to see, not pitching duels and double switches. So hitters want to go the AL because there's more money and more opportunity, which creates a self-perpetuating cycle.

So yeah, there's talent in the AL. Who the hell cares?

Stay grindy, my friends.

by soco on Oct 10, 2007 2:39 AM EDT reply actions

It's spelled talent.

t-a-l-e-n-t.

Sorry, that was bugging me.

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 10, 2007 6:20 PM EDT reply actions

Maybe out there in the west

But here on the east it can be spelled both ways...Look it up my friend in more than just your spellcheck. See other spelling at the bottom of this entry as well. I have about 3 references for you, if you'd like.

tal·ant ˈtælənt Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[tal-uhnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
-noun 1. a special natural ability or aptitude: a talent for drawing.

a capacity for achievement or success; ability: young men of talent.
a talented person: The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.
a group of persons with special ability: an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.
Movies and Television. professional actors collectively, esp. star performers.
a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement: so called from the parable in Matt. 25:14-30.
any of various ancient units of weight, as a unit of Palestine and Syria equal to 3000 shekels, or a unit of Greece equal to 6000 drachmas.
any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.
Obsolete. inclination or disposition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE talente < L talenta, pl. of talentum < Gk tálanton balance, weight, monetary unit]

--Synonyms 1. capability, gift, genius.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This tal·ent (tāl'ənt) Pronunciation Key
n.
A marked innate ability, as for artistic accomplishment. See Synonyms at ability.

Natural endowment or ability of a superior quality.
A person or group of people having such ability: The company makes good use of its talent.
A variable unit of weight and money used in ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle East.

[Middle English, inclination, disposition, from Old French, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, balance, sum of money, from Greek talanton; see telə- in Indo-European roots. Sense 3, Middle English, from Old English talente, from Latin talenta, pl. of talentum, from Greek talanton.]

tal·ent n., tal'ant·ed adj., tal'ent·ed adj., tal'ant·less·ness n., tal'ent·less·ness n.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 8:12 PM EDT reply actions

Not in my spellchecker...

Or, apparently, google's:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&client=safari&rls=en&q=define%3A+talant& amp;btnG=Search

Or, dictionary.com, which references the AHD.

Maybe a few hundred years ago.

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 10, 2007 11:07 PM EDT up reply actions

east?

If by East you mean Latvia, I would agree. However, looking at three print dictionaries, and also through several online sources including dictionary.reference.com, I cannot find one source listing t-a-l-a-n-t as a legitimate alternative spelling. I have found similar entries online to thw thwo you posted, however, where you have listed "talant" or "talanted", I have found "talent".

For instance, here's dictionary.com, which is eerily similar to your first listing of proof.

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
tal·ent ˈtælənt Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[tal-uhnt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation

-noun 1. a special natural ability or aptitude: a talent for drawing.

a capacity for achievement or success; ability: young men of talent.
a talented person: The cast includes many of the theater's major talents.
a group of persons with special ability: an exhibition of watercolors by the local talent.
Movies and Television. professional actors collectively, esp. star performers.
a power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement: so called from the parable in Matt. 25:14-30.
any of various ancient units of weight, as a unit of Palestine and Syria equal to 3000 shekels, or a unit of Greece equal to 6000 drachmas.
any of various ancient Hebrew or Attic monetary units equal in value to that of a talent weight of gold, silver, or other metal.
Obsolete. inclination or disposition.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE talente < L talenta, pl. of talentum < Gk tálanton balance, weight, monetary unit]

The link for that is http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=talent

Also, when I search "talant" at dictionary.com, I get this message:

No results found for talant.
Did you mean talent (in dictionary) or Talanta (in encyclopedia)?

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 10, 2007 8:54 PM EDT reply actions

LOL

Well you're not so smart if you fell for that. I just copied & pasted Dictionary.com & switched some a's & e's. Hope you had fun...LOL

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 9:22 PM EDT reply actions

hmmm...

...sorry CJ, don't believe you here. Think you were just caught red-handed, lying.

by johngordonma on Oct 10, 2007 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Was just supposed to waste 1 guys time

Don't you be a fool too... Ok I was trying to lie. We have different words on the East coast. I had no idea he would take my word for it & would look it up himself. I mean everyone usually takes my word on here. I don't know what happened...good catch:) You guys are making my day today.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 9:39 PM EDT up reply actions

This is great

Look dude, I'm sorry, but uh, you got caught and now you look even worse trying to cover it up. I mean, props for trying to save face and all, but, give it up. Just because we're from the west doesn't mean were stupid. Hell, at least we can spell.

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 10, 2007 11:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Wow you really can't be that dumb?

More power to you buddy. Potterhead I'll remember that name & to never respond to you either. I got my 2 yr & 4 yr old nieces for those type of conversations...only trouble is they can't spell.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 11:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Fine by me.

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 10, 2007 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions

certainly

y'know what? I just went to dictionary.com too. But I figured calling your bluff would be a more enjoyable way to spend 5 minutes.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 10, 2007 9:28 PM EDT reply actions

Good Job

We all believe you & responding didn't take any time at all either...you're such a smart guy:)

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 9:36 PM EDT reply actions

joke's on...

"this was just supposed to waste one guy's time"
"you're such a smart guy :)"
"don't you be a fool, too"

Seriously, man, do you listen to yourself? If I catch it correctly, you're essentially saying that you don't spell check things and rather than admit error you would rather elaborately lie about your mistake and then make fun of the person(s) who caught your lie for wasting their time. Are you serious?

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 10, 2007 9:48 PM EDT reply actions

1st off it is well know I can't spell

I don't try to pretend to, but I thought your response would have some merit. It turns out I was just wasting my time reading your post, so I figured I'd have a little fun & waste some of your time too. Hope you had as much fun as me...don't take it so personal; it was just a game. Ooops sorry, you didn't know that.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 10:04 PM EDT reply actions

Sorry would that make you feel better

I wouldn't get any work done here if I spellchecked everything & checked my grammar...most who read my post have been forwarned. So consider yourself warned. Any post by me is gonna have some spelling & grammar issues. I is a college student.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 10:07 PM EDT reply actions

Just wondering...

..what college accepted your application ... and subsequent essays?

by batster on Oct 14, 2007 5:52 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't necessarily think you get it

Why would I want an apology? I've already stated that it took 5 minutes to catch your lie. My time hasn't been wasted, not hardly. I'm not offended by your lack of spelling or grammar; never called you on it. All I objected to was your nonsensical defense of a misspelled word; well, that and your patronization of anyone who doesn't take you at face. College student? Take it from a guy who's attending a state college; that ain't no catch-all excuse!

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 10, 2007 10:12 PM EDT reply actions

Congradulations

LOL, you only wasted 5 minutes. You didn't check any dictionary's at home & you only went to dictionary.com. I could see if you are trying to put that passed me, but now you're calling most of the readers on this board idiots if you expect them to believe that. Because of me now you lied to everyone, (a bad one at that). Hope your pride was worth it. Well I'm done with you; you should have stopped doing stuff like this in high school. I'm bored at work watching the clock tick...what's your excuse?

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 10:19 PM EDT up reply actions

All right, just stop.

Enough. We get it. Believe me, the pedestal you're standing on is in full view. The only lack of communication here is that you seem to think someone cares, which is a horrible lapse of judgment. Now stop throwing up your crap all over Skins' thread.

by Azreous on Oct 10, 2007 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions

People like you

Why posts like this go on & on. It's takes more than 1 person to carry on a meaningless thread. I was going to stop, but hell if it's pissing someone off that much.

"rather than admit error you would rather elaborately lie about your mistake" How funny a liar would say something like that.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions

You're right

People don't care they just like wasting 30 minutes of there day looking stuff up & responding. They just don't give a sh*t. Funny you're speaking for everyone. You don't care either, huh. Poor baby want a cracker.

by cj060896 on Oct 10, 2007 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah. This is MY thread, bitch.

Stop throwing up your crap all over it, cj.

In all seriousness, though, I think it's horribly ironic that I find myself... well, not siding with cj, but not siding with everyone else, either.

My dear cj... have I ever, ever mentioned to you that your spelling and grammar totally suck? Heck... I've beaten cj over the head with it so many times that I think he's suffered brain damage and actually spells worse now. That all being said, I DO find it hilarious that this time you actually tried to justify your lousy spelling by copying and pasting a fake dictionary entry. I also must... eh... unfortunately say that it is amusing that everyone went out of their way to try to prove him wrong. Whether or not he was lying, it doesn't really seem to be that big a deal. The more you all go on about this, the bigger the shit-eating grin across cj's stupid face.

It seems to me that everyone is sorta making a mountain out of a molehill here. Guess what?? Cj can't write for shit. Shocking, I know. And guess what? Cj doesn't know shit about baseball, either, as proven by his arguments in this AL/NL debate. (Not that we really needed any new proof) But, seriously now, who cares? You all just went on for 20 posts about whether or not "talant" is a real word, when everyone knows it's not.

Everyone here knows that if I don't like somebody or don't agree with their argument, I'm usually the first to jump on their spelling, syntax, etc. as an ad hominem attack. But this is a little ridiculous. Sure, cj's to blame, but I can't believe how long it's gone on.

Once and awhile, I'm honestly tempted to ban cj. This is NOT one of those times, I'm somewhat sorry to say. We may not all agree with cj, or even find anything coherent in his posts, but dammit if we're going to allow ourselves to keep dropping to this level....

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 11, 2007 12:14 AM EDT up reply actions

Respect

I understand, and I'm sorry I got everyone into this. I'm not even a DBacks fan or a regular, so I feel kinda guilty about starting this whole thing, and for feeding cj's crap. I got pissed at his trolling and his really awful arguments in really awful English, and I guess fell right into the trap.

So good luck tomorrow, and regardless of what happens in the NLCS, let's go make cj look stupid in the World Series. GO ROCKIES! Er, I mean, NL BEST!

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 11, 2007 12:23 AM EDT up reply actions

No, no, no. Don't get me wrong.

I know you're a visitor; I don't hold it against you. Frankly, I don't really hold it against anyone. It's just a little dumb that we would all go on for so long about something so trivial. Like I said, everyone here knows that I'm the worst of all at going after somebody about crap like that. I just think that this time it just got to the point where it was ridiculous.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 11, 2007 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

He should simply have said

"Talant" was the British spelling. :-) Hell, it's good enough for colour, aluminium and judgement...

by Jim McLennan on Oct 11, 2007 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Argh... your word for that light, strong metal...

...gets me every time. You see, in this country we don't need to dress up the spelling to make it sound prettier. "Aluminum" is the everyman, blue-collar spelling, AND follows the root properly.

Come on, Sandy Baby, loosen up. You're too tight.

by DbacksSkins on Oct 11, 2007 12:35 AM EDT up reply actions

THAT I might believe

Pronounced "tall-ont," right?

Friendly Rox Fan. Is it just me, or does Eric Byrnes play baseball high?

by potterhead4 on Oct 11, 2007 12:41 AM EDT up reply actions

my weakness

Yeah, I'm sorry for encouraging him. I really wasn't offended, but I'm a debater... I live to argue. I wouldn't have mentioned talent vs. talant; I let it go for 5-10 posts as he has mentioned before that he can't spell, but he tried to back it up with false evidence, and no debater can let that go...

Sorry, guys, I just can't resist sometimes.

our win differential is more important than your run differential...

by dbackerinparadise on Oct 11, 2007 3:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Guys

Can we bring it back to baseball please? CJ's name has his birthday in it (06/08/96). He is an eleven year old kid who gets his jollies off of riling up people by saying stupid things. He keeps saying he won't respond then writes twenty page posts. If we stop taking the bait, he'll go away.

by andrewinnewyork on Oct 11, 2007 8:53 AM EDT reply actions

Actually

I say I won't respond to certain people...& it's an anniversary...

dback, you should have dropped because even if these fools can't figure it out; you and I know I got you scurrying around to prove my made of word of the east wrong. Yes I called you guys fools & in this 1 instance you are. I guess they are dumber in the south, eh.

Furthermore, now I'm really impressed many of you believe that I tried to justify myself. I gave most of your more respect than that. You guys are right about 1 things...The smile on my face gets bigger & bigger.

Go Dbacks. Wouldn't it be great if Webb can have a great game & Davis win tomorrow. We play great at home, so I think it's feasible. Then we just have to win 1 on the road & 1 at home.

by cj060896 on Oct 11, 2007 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions