First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. increased its stake in shares of Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO) by 37.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 20,782 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 5,653 shares during the period. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s holdings in Flowers Foods were worth $443,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.
A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of FLO. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 1.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,663,643 shares of the company's stock worth $49,704,000 after acquiring an additional 29,251 shares during the period. Martingale Asset Management L P grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 29.2% during the third quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P now owns 645,467 shares of the company's stock worth $12,045,000 after acquiring an additional 145,805 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 0.3% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,941,781 shares of the company's stock worth $297,473,000 after acquiring an additional 47,373 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Flowers Foods by 2.9% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,544,115 shares of the company's stock worth $47,473,000 after acquiring an additional 72,001 shares during the period. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Flowers Foods during the third quarter worth about $201,000. 67.43% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Shares of FLO opened at $21.39 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.36, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. Flowers Foods, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.78 and a 12 month high of $22.82. The company has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.76 and a beta of 0.50.
Flowers Foods (NYSE:FLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 6th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.15 by $0.01. Flowers Foods had a return on equity of 15.46% and a net margin of 3.98%. The company had revenue of $880.67 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $869.41 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.17 earnings per share. Flowers Foods's quarterly revenue was up .8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Flowers Foods, Inc. will post 0.98 earnings per share for the current year.
In other Flowers Foods news, insider Debo Mukherjee acquired 1,550 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $20.20 per share, with a total value of $31,310.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 1,550 shares in the company, valued at $31,310. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 15.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.
Several analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Investment Research raised Flowers Foods from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $24.00 target price on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Pivotal Research reissued a "sell" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Flowers Foods in a report on Thursday, February 7th. Finally, ValuEngine raised Flowers Foods from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have given a hold rating to the company's stock. Flowers Foods has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $19.20.
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Dubai home fitness personal trainer Barry is a Fat loss and performance expert and he has been working in the personal training industry for more than 5 years.
Being a keen sportsman Barry has experience in professional level football in Scotland.
His professional attitude towards fitness and exercise has led him to become experienced in a wide variety of personal training techniques and methods which include Fat loss, weight management specific methodology, performance training, strength and conditioning, general health and well-being and more.
Barry is an all-round fitness expert who can use his experience to create customised workout plans for any level of fitness. Your health, lifestyle and fitness goals are most important to Barry which means he takes into account your thoughts and training requirements before deciding what training methods are best for you.
Whether you want to lose weight, perform better at your sport or just get fit in general Barry is a multi-skilled PT who can work with male and female clients as well as seniors and children.
To find out more about Barry and his skills please see the tabs at the top of this personal trainer profile introduction.
As a mobile personal trainer in Dubai, Barry can provide your personal training sessions at a location and time to suit your schedule. This can be at home or your building gym complex, outdoor / beach.
Yes, a fitness test along with a questionnaire about your previous experience, goals, medical health etc. is done on the initial complimentary consultation. This allows Barry to tailor make a bespoke routine just for you.
Barry won't fully know until an initial health and fitness assessment is conducted. This will allow for a more detailed adaptation to your training if required.
If a Barry's client has no health issues or allergies he can educate clients as much as possible and make initial changes each week to their current nutrition regimen rather than giving out diet plans. From Barry's experience, drip feeding information and changes to nutrition is the most effective way for long term success, this way has given him the best and most consistent results with clients.
Yes, the more people you add to your group personal training session in Dubai the cheaper it becomes. For more information contact Barry using the contact and bookings tab in this, her personal trainer profile page.
If you are in a job where you are unable to book a regular time slot then, weekly is fine. Although slots will not be guaranteed, Barry would do his best to accommodate.
Barry asks all clients to give at least a 24 hour notice period if a session needs to be canceled. If they give less than 12 hours they will be charged. If a client however re schedules for that week that is fine.
For current availability, personal training packages information and other questions please use the contact form below to get in touch with Barry.
I never lost the baby weight after having my little girl so when I got engaged it spurred me on to do something about it. I started personal training with Barry 9 months before my wedding. I went from a size 18 to a size 12!!! This was only possible due to Barry pushing me giving me confidence in my abilities and helping me believe I could do it when I didn't believe myself! He taught me to concentrate on how I felt after working out, the mental benefits firstly and the physical benefits would come naturally. He wasn't wrong and I cannot thank him enough. He genuinely cares about your well being not just results. Fab trainer and now a very close personal friend!
I trained with Barry as I really had no idea what I was doing when at the gym. He set realistic goals and gave me workout plans and kept me motivated! Was always available if I was having any problems or questions. Really encouraging and a positive attitude, if you're looking for a PT I would definitely recommend Barry!
Barry keeps each session fresh, fun and challenging. He always knows how to motive me and is full of patience. Barry is an absolute pleasure to train with! I've gone from a size 14 to a size 10. I thought it would take me a year to achieve this sort of weight loss, but to loss body fat, AND gain knowledge of nutrition and confidence on the gym floor in only 16 weeks, is simply incredible. Would recommend personal training in Dubai with Barry to everyone!
I have personally known Barry for around 8 years and he has shown nothing but a positive attitude, and care towards his team mates and personal trainer clients. Barry always has his clients grow in confidence and body confidence, he is a top trainer with a great personality.


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ArtistsBandNew Arrivals
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Led Zeppelin - Avocado
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Randy Tuten
Led Zeppelin Avocado, 1969
First printing, lithograph, Condition: Very Fine
Framed Dimensions: 25 5/8" tall x 19" wide
Close-up of frame
Frame at angle
This early Led Zeppelin piece was unlike any other poster in the Bill Graham series. Artist Randy Tuten had grown tired of seeing blimps in every Led Zeppelin advertisement, so he came up with the green avocado. Tuten liked it so much he "... wanted to do one a month that way- a series of crazy fruit posters." We can report that this never happened. There is a pretty cool and unique printing flaw in this poster making the avocado look like it is exploding.
This poster advertised the first shows by Led Zeppelin on the second tour of North America. Fittingly, as Bill Graham was the biggest and most important rock promoter in the world by now, the tour started and ended with Bill Graham venues. Their final shows were on May 30 and 31 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Here, in San Francisco, the played both the Fillmore West and Winterland. It was a pattern Graham had established years before with the Thursday and Sunday dates at the smaller Fillmore West (capacity 3,000) while the weekend shows were at Winterland (5,400).
At this point in time, Led Zeppelin's popularity was such that the group had reached top billing - on their first visit to San Francisco they opened for Country Joe & The Fish. They were now receiving four times the money that they had previously commanded on their first tour of America just a few months earlier.
During this tour the band took time out to record tracks at various recording studios for Led Zeppelin II which was released later that Fall. It was during this period that guitarist Jimmy Page switched from using his Telecaster to his signature Gibson Les Paul, whilst also incorporating the use of Marshall amplifiers.
Copyrights are held by their respective owners. Website copyright © Bahr Gallery | 1960's psychedelic rock poster art

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Delegate: Mr. Sjursen
Disclaimer: Obvious textual errors have been corrected. The authentic version can be found under "Original Records".
31. Mr. SJURSEN (Denmark), taking the floor on agenda item 90 as representative of the youth organisations of his country, said that for more than 20 years Denmark had not missed an opportunity to involve young people in United Nations youth activities so that they could impart the pertinent information to their peers at home. The areas of importance to young people (housing, education, employment and social conditions) warrant attention by the United Nations and the specialised agencies concerned. Young people must have the chance to play a role at all levels of society. To that end, the democratic system must develop innovative methods of decision-making if new standards and social structures were to be created.
32. In recent years, a growing number of development projects had been initiated in Denmark with a view to improving the conditions of young people and involving them in decision-making. The youth of Denmark was looking forward to new initiatives in that field.
33. The ecology was of concern to all members of the society and it was only natural that young people were concerned about creating a better environment. One could see them mobilising to protect the natural environment and to stop pollution; there too youth organisations could quite usefully contribute to the dissemination of information. However, the solution to the problems of the environment could not be dissociated from the overall development of society. It was therefore neccesary to rethink the planning of infrastructure and industrialisation and to take the ecology into account in all ecnonomic and political matters.
34. There should also be concern about AIDS, a disease which threatened all mankind, without omitting the ethical dimension. Efforts in that field should be based on the following principles: consent, anonymity, frank, direct and honest information, security and an absence of discrimination. The case of some African and Latin American countries especially threatened by that disease was of great concern.
35. Human rights, which were for young Danes an ideal for humanity, meant to them the right to a life in which they could influence their own adolescence and the society of which they were part. Unfortunately, human rights were constantly being violated throughout the world. Danish youth condemns those violations wherever they took place and could not accept that young people were being persecuted for wishing to express their opinion or to create what they considered a better society. Racism and xenophobia directly threatened many young people. Refugees and immigrants risked being victims of dircrimination.
36. In 1988, the Danish Youth Council had organised a campaign of friendship and
tolerance between young Danes, refugees and immigrants under the motto "A stranger is a friend you haven't met". [*10*]
37. In that connection, Danish youth regretted that the condemnation by the United Nations of the abhorrent system of apartheid in South Africa had not led to the adoption against that country of comprehensive and mandatory sanctions which was a necessary step towards creating a democratic South Africa with equal rights for all, regardless of race. Danish youth were particularly worried about the ban on political activities, particularly of the South African Youth Congress (SAYCO) and the United Democratic Front, but above all the intensified persecution of, among other things, the leadership of SAYCO, whose activities showed how young Africans could help establish a country based on respect for human rights for all. They were deeply affected by the detention of hundreds of activists of that movement, by systematic imprisonment, particularly of Patrick Flusk, who had several times met with representatives of Danish youth, and by the imminent execution of four innocent members of SAYCO.
38. The United Nations working group entrusted with preparing the Convention on the Rights of the Child would meet in November to take up the second reading of the draft articles. Danish youth draw attention to the article dealing with recruitment into the armed forces and urgently requested that the provisions of those articles be reviewed so as to offer children and young people the best possible protection against involvement in hostilities. How could children who were not otherwise recognised as responsible citizens be sent to the battlefields. The Convention should in that connection specify a mandatory age limit of 18 years.
39. Danish youth regretted that the last draft Convention did not contain provisions reaffirming the rights of the unborn child. It was essential to safeguard against unethical experiments with the human embryo. There should be rules concerning the use of modern reproduction and genetic techniques, since human life began at the moment of conception. It was in that spirit that the Danish Parliament had decided to establish an ethics council entrusted with regulating biomedical experiments.
40. Fortunately, the international political cliamte was curruntly very positive, especially with respect to East-West relations. Efforts should not, however, cease and it was necessary to pursue negotiations with a view to achieving a more secure world. Danish youth hoped that the future session at Vienna of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe would lead to closer East-West co-operation, particularly among youth organisations. They believed that contacts should be based on the free movement between countries and hoped for increased youth movement across borders. The extension, for example, of the Interrail System to the Eastern European countries could facilitate youth contacts.
41. Aware of the importance of measures to be adopted in the years to come so that future generations could live in a world without injustice, without danger and without pollution, his delegation would work towards that goal.
UN Doc.: A/C.3/43/SR.17, 14 October 1988, p. 9-10, Youth Delegate Search: https://youthdelegatesearch.org/denmark-1988/, doi: 10.17176/20221018-195415-0.
← Norway – 1987 → Norway – 1988


Dr. Ron Holt '89 attended a screening of the movie Bully on April 20, 2012, at The White House.
Dr. Ron Holt '89 attended a screening of the movie Bully on April 20 at The White House. The event was held in the Eisenhower Building of The White House complex. Approximately 150 invited guests from around the country attended this screening. The event included a question-and-answer session with the filmmaker and the film's cast.
Bully, originally titled The Bully Project, is a 2011 documentary film about bullying in U.S. schools. Directed by Lee Hirsch, the film follows the lives of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.
Holt is a physician practicing full time clinical psychiatry in South San Francisco, Calif. He regularly returns to Wayne State College to lecture on the impact of homophobia on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) youth and on society at large. Initially, the target audience was education and psychology majors, who became teachers, counselors and coaches. He emphasizes the danger of allowing homophobia in the classroom as it leads to low self-esteem, increased risk for drug and alcohol abuse, and suicide in GLBT youth.
For more information about Holt's speaking engagements and work on GLBT issues, go to www.audacityofpride.com.


Fundamentally a servo system can perform no more accurately than the accuracy of the feedback device controlling it. In addition, errors in speed or position can be introduced into the system by the less than perfect mechanisms that transfer the motor power to the load. Environmental factors like electrical noise or temperature may also introduce positioning errors. Sometimes the errors are acceptable. More frequently, however, they are not. After all, servo motors can be expensive, and the expectation is that they will be the most reliable and accurate of all positioning devices.
When it comes to high-performance servo applications, feedback devices fall into several different categories. In this white paper, learn how each offers unique advantages and disadvantages, both electrical and mechanical, which make one better suited for a particular application than another.


Well, to say the Heavens have a lot going on tomorrow is an understatement.
Beautifully rare to have a super moon eclipse on the day of an equinox!
It all amounts to a potent time to set intentions—this time not just for a month but for the season and whole damn year!
∼4AM – 8AM EST: a Total Solar Eclipse occurs that can been seen over parts of Europe, Africa, etc.
During the length of the day, Taurus Venus approaches her inconjunct with SaturnRx and Pisces Mercury, his with Leo JupiterRx. Both of which perfect on Saturday.
And of course, the Uranus/Pluto square is still holding strong at 15º.
I hope everyone enjoyed Thursday's Full Moon.
Today, the Waning Moon saddles up along side the North Node in Libra.
The uber social Air sign loves a buddy—great for party and bar hopping tonight.
We will intrinsically be able to feel out the current mood of any atmosphere or person we encounter—you'll know just what you're walking into.
Sunday, the Pisces Sun exacts his conjunction with Chiron.
The Will and the Wound become One.
Collectively, we get the opportunity to come face to face with the perfect imperfection of being human. All our cruelties and faults; transgressions and shortcomings; oversensitivities and bad judgement calls swirl away into the beautiful waters of the universal Piscean sea.
It amounts to the total soul level acceptance of ourselves and the triumphant ruin that is humanity, simply as we are—if only for a day.
The celestial forecast for the beginning of the week is one of low motivation and roadblocks.
We had a refreshing blast of energy over the weekend with the simultaneous Venus/Mars ingress into Cardinal Aries. But alas, today, stodgy Saturn will hit the brakes, as he and the Pisces Sun square at 4º.
Those of us with planets or points at the first degrees of Virgo and Gemini—actually all the Mutable signs, pay attention. The Sun is shining a potentially harsh light on an ongoing Saturnine transit—rarely are these without vulnerability.
More broadly, our initial reactions this Monday may skew to the negative and fighting the urge to be our own worst critic will be at the fore. Many will unfortunately capitulate to the more depressive pullings of an event such as this.
Though naturally we can choose to see the benefit of a day like today.
Requiring our watery Piscean fantasies submit to a trail by Sagittarian Fire could prove the appropriate final vetting to get our dreams off the ground once and for all.


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On Otis McDonald and his lawsuit challenging Chicago's 1982 handgun ban
Otis McDonald sued for the right to own a handgun in Chicago, and the Supreme Court ruled in his favor on June 28. Read his story, from our archives
By Jennifer Tanaka
Meet the plaintiffs: These four Chicago residents (from left), Adam Orlov, David and Colleen Lawson, and Otis McDonald, have sued to repeal the city's ban on handgun possession. Their case will be heard by the Supreme Court in February.
When Otis McDonald bought his house in Morgan Park in 1971, the purchase represented a generational milestone of sorts: One of 12 children born to Louisiana sharecroppers, McDonald left the farm at 17 to find work in the big city, and, after struggling for many years in low-paying seasonal jobs, was hired as a janitor by the University of Chicago in the early sixties. He eventually earned a coveted skilled union position as a building-maintenance engineer, a job he kept until he retired.
Today McDonald, a bright-eyed and trim 76-year-old grandfather, considers himself one of few defenders of peace and security on the leafy, house-lined street where three of his children grew up and played. The gangbangers and drug dealers have taken over, he says. "You go out there in the morning and pick up bottles and things on the lawn," he explains, describing events of the past summer. "They're out there at three in the morning, in the middle of the street, drinking and smoking their stuff. They throw stuff all over your lawn, and you can't say anything, because they might up and shoot you." McDonald says his house has been broken into three times and his garage twice—most recently, early one morning this past August by a man McDonald recognized from around the neighborhood. Does McDonald think the robber planned to sell the stolen possessions for drugs? "Of course, of course," he says matter-of-factly.
Otis McDonald wants a handgun—a pistol to carry around the house and keep on his bedside table at night. An avid hunter, he has two shotguns in the house, but he says those weapons are too unwieldy to use when facing a midnight intruder. More to the point, McDonald believes that if Chicago residents were allowed to keep handguns in their homes, criminals would think twice before breaking in—a fairly common rationale among gun-rights supporters. McDonald, however, is no ordinary gun-rights supporter: In 2008, he joined three other residents in a lawsuit to get rid of the city's handgun ban, the most restrictive gun law in the country and probably the most far-reaching because of Chicago's size.
Fulfilling a longtime goal of the gun lobby, two years ago the Supreme Court upended a 70-year-old precedent and ruled that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to own a handgun—at least in Washington, D.C., and other areas under federal jurisdiction. Now McDonald v. City of Chicago, to be argued in February, will determine if the ruling applies to the states and cities. If Chicago's law falls, will the city be flooded with guns and a resulting wave of deadly shootouts? No one really thinks so—but the ramifications may be far-reaching in other important ways.
Photography by Tom Maday
This article appears in the January 2010 issue of Chicago magazine. Subscribe to Chicago magazine.


the lingering suspicion is that the fault goes well beyond one or two rogue MI6 men, and up to the top where a decision was made not to ask awkward questions about the way in which George W Bush's Washington was waging its self-proclaimed "war on terror".
With the demise of the regime that coined it, that dangerous phrase has now fallen from fashion. But the damage done to British and American justice in its name is only starting to be understood.
It was only in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York that George Bush was awakened from his isolationist slumber to declare his war; and we should note in passing that war was actually declared on the United States in 1998 by Al Qaeda. However, I suppose that doesn't count, because many are still ununwilling to accept one can be at war with a non-state actor. They still cling to the out-moded idea that only states can be at war.
Or this: "The United States intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism…" Professor Geras calls it "the struggle formerly known as the War on Terror".
So Binyam may be back, Barack may be in the White House, but the truth is that the problem remains.
The war formerly known as the war on terror (FKATWOT) has been tracked by Norman Geras since Obama's election. News that Pakistan are allowing the Taliban to focus their attacks on NATO means the war FKATWOT will continue for some time.
The US alleges, partly as a result of Mr Mohamed's own confessions (he claims, made under duress), that he had attended an al-Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan, and had been plotting a Richard Reid-type attack in the West. But no charges have been, or will be, brought.
I can't honestly say that I believe Mr Mohamed's account, partly because it was a long way to travel for drug rehab, and partly because it reminds me of the case of the Tipton Three, whose odd journey through the Afghan war to American prison was supposedly chronicled in Michael Winterbottom's 2006 film, The Road to Guantánamo.
In that movie the three young men were depicted travelling to Pakistan for a wedding, getting bored, becoming part of a humanitarian relief column to Afghanistan, sitting around Kabul eating naan bread, taking the wrong taxi and ending up in a war zone. I noted at the time that the film had obscured both the timeline and the nature of the places visited by the Tipton boys, but still had to agree that their story could be true. Wrong. A year later one admitted to Channel 4 that they had indeed had weapons training in a jihadi camp. The humanitarian, accidental stuff was lies.
Nor is it the case that everyone held at Guantánamo could either be charged or was guiltless. Three weeks ago two former inmates turned up as senior al-Qaeda figures in Yemen, one of whom had subsequently been involved in bombing a US embassy.


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A retired Detroit Tigers site by Mike McClary
Tigers All-Time Roster [Beta]
Tag: Lance Parrish
Sept. 18, 1984: Tigers Clinch American League East Title
On this date in 1984, the Tigers clinched the American League East title, beating the Brewers 3-0.
Randy O'Neal pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits, one walk and striking out six. As he often did, Willie Hernandez earned a two-inning save, his 30th of the year.
Tom Brookens hit a solo homer off Brewers' starter Bob McClure. Lance Parrish drove in Detroit's other two runs.
If you want to take a deep dive into the '84 club, pickup a copy of Detroit Tigers 1984: What a Start! What a Finish! from Amazon.com. (Disclosure: I wrote the bios of Rusty Kuntz, Johnny Grubb, Chet Lemon and Carl Willis that appear in the book.)
Author Mike McClaryPosted on September 18, 2013 Categories FungoesTags Carl Willis, Chet Lemon, Johnny Grubb, Lance Parrish, Randy O'Neal, Rusty Kuntz, Tom Brookens, Willie HernandezLeave a comment on Sept. 18, 1984: Tigers Clinch American League East Title
2012 Top 10 Stories: #1 – Miguel Cabrera's Monster Season
How thick is the lens in a pair of Oakley sunglasses? I don't own the instruments to determine the precise measurement but I think it's safe to say thick enough to not only protect Miguel Cabrera's eye but sturdy enough to save his season, possibly his career, and almost assuredly make a Triple Crown season possible.
In my lifetime, the Tigers haven't had a player like Cabrera – or anyone close for that matter. Even the best players I grew up watching Jason Thompson, Steve Kemp, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Lance Parrish, Kirk Gibson and Cecil Fielder, rarely assembled a season in any one offensive category that compares to what Cabrera did in three of the biggest in 2012.
In case you've forgotten, here's a rundown of the countless ways he demolished major-league pitching (courtesy of the Tigers postseason media notes). Cabrera:
Led the American League with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs and 139 RBI to become the first player to win the Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski did so in 1967. It marked the 14th time since 1900 a player captured the Triple Crown and Cabrera is the 12th player to accomplish the feat during that time. He's the second Tigers player to do so, joining Ty Cobb (1909). He also joined Cobb by winning the A.L. batting title for the second straight season. The Peach did it in three straight seasons, from 1917-19.
Topped the American League with 377 total bases, 84 extra-base hits and a .606 slugging percentage, while he finished second with 109 runs scored and 205 hits, fourth with a .393 on-base percentage and seventh with 40 doubles.
Became the first Tigers player to connect for 40-or-more home runs in a season since Cecil Fielder hit 44 in 1991. It marks the 10th time in club history a Tigers player has hit 40-or-more home runs in a season and Cabrera is the sixth player in franchise history to do so. What's more, he became the first player in Tigers history to belt 30-or-more home runs in five straight seasons.
Collected 139 RBI during the season, marking the fifth straight season he has posted 100-or-more RBI for the Tigers – he became only the third player in Tigers history to collect 100-or-more RBI in at least five straight seasons. Hall of Famer Harry Heilmann drove in 100-or-more runs in seven straight seasons (1923-29), and Charlie Gehringer did so in five straight seasons (1932-36).
Finished with 40 doubles and 44 home runs during the season, joining Hank Greenberg as the only two players in Tigers history to collect 40-or-more doubles and 40-or-more home runs during the same season. Greenberg accomplished the feat for Detroit in both 1937 and 1940.
Knocked 205 hits during the season, marking the first time he has finished with 200-or-more hits during a season – he became the 21st player in Tigers history to collect 200-or-more hits during a season.
Recorded 377 total bases during the season, marking the fifth straight season he has posted 300-or-more total bases for the Tigers – he became the first player in club history to post 300-or-more total bases in five consecutive seasons.
To the chagrin of many, this not only added up to a Triple Crown, it was the case for Cabrera winning the A.L. Most Valuable Player Award. His 2012 season might never be duplicated by a Tigers player – unless Cabrera himself matches it. For me, regardless of whether his award-winning season was universally acclaimed, it was thrilling to watch day in and day out and it is easily the top Tigers story in 2012.
And to think if not for a thin plastic lens we might not have witnessed it at all.
The Top 10 Stories of 2012
#10 – Brandon Inge Released
#9 – Brennan Boesch Vanishes
#8 – The Black Hole at Second Base
#7 – Tigers trade for Sanchez and Infante
#6 – Tigers win American League Central
#5 – Victor Martinez Lost for Season
#4 – Tigers Sign Prince Fielder
#3 – Max Scherzer Arrives
#2 – Tigers Win the Pennant
Author Mike McClaryPosted on December 31, 2012 Categories FungoesTags Cecil Fielder, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Harry Heilmann, Jason Thompson, Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Miguel Cabrera, Steve Kemp, Ty Cobb3 Comments on 2012 Top 10 Stories: #1 – Miguel Cabrera's Monster Season
Feeling Better About Hall of Fame Weekend
Tomorrow afternoon Roberto Alomar and Pat Gillick will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Tigers fans (or at least this Tigers fan) will be thinking about Detroit players that should be enshrined in Cooperstown.
Sour grapes? Of course.
I do, however, feel better today after reading Christina Kahr's list of "Stars of the Forgotten '80s" which, she writes, is "an excellent lineup of stars from the '80s who haven't made it into the Hall of Fame."
Former Tigers abound in her brilliant – brilliant! – assessment:
Catcher: Probably the weakest position, but Lance Parrish's 324 career homers and 35.7 WAR (28.8 in the '80s) would suit. Parrish was also one of the best-throwing catchers of his day, gunning down 39 percent on his career, helping to land him on eight All-Star teams. Effectively, he was to the AL what Gary Carter was for the NL.
I've been saying this for years!
Continue reading "Feeling Better About Hall of Fame Weekend"
Author Mike McClaryPosted on July 23, 2011 Categories FungoesTags Alan Trammell, Jack Morris, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker2 Comments on Feeling Better About Hall of Fame Weekend
All-Star Game Notes and Non Sequiturs
Sometimes I want to rail on Major League Baseball about the lameness of so many things it does — the vapid celebrity softball game, the interminable Home Run Derby, the "this-time-it-counts" angle on the All-Star Game — but then I realize it's probably me just getting old.
The Tigers' collection of All Stars is the largest since 1985 when the club sent six players to the Metrodome for the game managed by Sparky Anderson. Here's a look at the largest classes of Tigers All Stars since 1984 and the team's record that season:
1984 (104-58)
Willie Hernandez
Chet Lemon
Lance Parrish
Alan Trammell
Lou Whitaker
1985 (84-77)
Dan Petry
Carlos Guillen
Magglio Ordonez
Placido Polanco
Brandon Inge
Edwin Jackson
Clearly, the better the Tigers were, the more players they sent to the All-Star Game. For a long time though, the Tigers were a team that had little to offer the American League manager. From 1996 through 2003, Detroit sent a single player to the game. In some cases the pickings were particularly slim (see 2002).
1996 (53-109)
Justin Thompson
Damion Easley
Brad Ausmus
Robert Fick
Dmitri Young
Ugly, no?
I still think it's remarkable that Alex Avila is the starting catcher in tonight's game. Whoda thunk it, especially after a dreadful Opening Day series against the Yankees when Avila looked about as lost as a player can look. I guess that's why, as Rod Allen says, you play the games. Jason Beck has a nice piece recapping the Tigers' All Stars' respective experiences in Phoenix.
The water is so far past being under the bridge, but isn't it still a bit weird to see Curtis Granderson starting in the All-Star Game … as a Yankee?
Six years ago today in the Home Run Derby at Comerica Park, Bobby Abreu destroyed the records for a single round, the championship round and the grand total for all three rounds of the derby by hitting 41 homers into every part of yard. The Phillies outfielder went deep 24 times in the first round, tacks on six more in the second round and finishes with 11 more in the championship round.
Looking ahead to the pitching matchups for this weekend's series against the White Sox:
Friday | 7:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Justin Verlander (12-4, 2.15 ERA) vs. Gavin Floyd (6-9, 4.59 ERA)
Saturday | 4:10 p.m. FOX/1270 & 97.1
Max Scherzer (10-4, 4.69 ERA) vs. Edwin Jackson (5-7, 4.30 ERA)
Sunday | 1:05 p.m. FSD/1270 & 97.1
Brad Penny (6-6, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jake Peavy (4-2, 4.83 ERA)
Hey, look who's available: The Dodgers designated Marcus Thames for assignment today.
Happy Birthday to Mike Schwabe (47) and Mike Munoz (46).
Finally, on this date in 1979 the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game of twi-night doubleheader against the Tigers when more tha5,000 fans refuse to leave the field during Disco Demolition Night. I wrote about it on the 30th anniversary.
Author Mike McClaryPosted on July 12, 2011 Categories FungoesTags Alan Trammell, Alex Avila, Brad Ausmus, Brad Penny, Brandon Inge, Carlos Guillen, Chet Lemon, Curtis Granderson, Damion Easley, Dan Petry, Dmitri Young, Edwin Jackson, ivan rodriguez, Jack Morris, Justin Thompson, Justin Verlander, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Magglio Ordonez, Marcus Thames, Max Scherzer, Mike Munoz, Mike Schwabe, Placido Polanco, Robert Fick, Rod Allen, Todd Jones, Tony Clark, Travis Fryman, Willie HernandezLeave a comment on All-Star Game Notes and Non Sequiturs
The Non Sequiturs Return and So, Too, Will the Podcast
Many of you have written to ask what happened to the Detroit Tigers Podcast. Without going into the boring details, the fact is that Ian and I both were unavoidably detained over the past few months. But that's about to change.
We will restart the podcast machine after the All-Star Game and take the second half by storm. More or less.
Thanks to everyone who's been asking — and thanks for your patience as we carve out time to do a show we love producing for our listeners.
With Justin Verlander's complete-game win yesterday at Coors Field, he limited the Rockies to one run on four hits. It marked the second-straight outing in which he tossed a complete game while limiting his opponent to as few as one run and four hits. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he joins Jack Morris (July of 1986) as the only two Tigers pitchers to accomplish the feat in consecutive outings during a single season over the last 33 seasons.
One-hundred years ago today Ty Cobb broke the American League hitting streak record with an infield single against Cleveland's Willie Mitchell. It's Cobb's 30th straight game with a hit. He adds two stolen bases to help the Tigers win, 8-3.
Paul Swaney and crew at StadiumJourney.com continue their stellar work publishing reviews of pro and college sports stadiums. His goal this summer is to post a review of every affiliated minor league ballpark. Recently he posted reviews of Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium and Fifth Third Ballpark in Comstock Park, Mich., home of the West Michigan Whitecaps.
How's this for timely? Just the other day we wrote about Tigers players filling in at third base. The most prominent name on the list was Al Kaline. Fifty years ago today played third for the first time in his career. His two hits and two RBIs lead the Tigers to a 5-4 win over the Senators at Griffith Stadium in D.C. He will return to the OF and play third base just once more in his career, in 1965.
From the Game Notes: The Tigers are batting .312 with 95 runs scored, 31 doubles, seven triples and 20 home runs in 18 games during June. Detroit is tops among all American League clubs with a .312 batting average during the month, while the club is second with 95 runs scored and a .477 slugging percentage.
One more historical note: On this date in 1984, Yankees reliever Jose Rijo falls to 1-7 when he serves up a two-out three-run homer to Howard Johnson in the 13th inning. The Tigers win 9-6. Alan Trammell, Lance Parrish and Chet Lemon also hit homers for the Tigers, who draw their third-straight crowd of more than 40,000.
Finally, Happy 78th Birthday to a terrific actor, Danny Aiello.
Author Mike McClaryPosted on June 20, 2011 Categories FungoesTags Al Kaline, Chet Lemon, Howard Johnson, Jack Morris, Justin Verlander, Lance Parrish, Ty Cobb2 Comments on The Non Sequiturs Return and So, Too, Will the Podcast
Today's Tiger: Jason Thompson
Born: July 6, 1954 in Hollywood, Calif.
Bats: Left Throws: Left
Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 200 lb.
Acquired: Drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round of the 1975 amateur draft.
Seasons in Detroit: 5 (1976-80)
Uniform Number: 30
Stats: .256 avg., 98 HR, 354 RBI, .779 OPS
Awards: Three-time All Star (1977, '78 and '82)
On May 27, 1980, Tigers GM Jim Campbell traded my favorite player, first baseman Jason Thompson, to the California Angels for outfielder Al Cowens.
The Hollywood native joined the Tigers full time in 1976 and played 123 games that year, hitting .218, with 17 home runs and 54 RBI. Two of the homers cleared the rightfield roof at Tiger Stadium. It was in 1977, though, that he made his mark: .270, 31 homers and 105 RBI — and earned an All Star Game selection.
Continue reading "Today's Tiger: Jason Thompson"
Author Mike McClaryPosted on January 17, 2011 Categories FungoesTags Al Cowens, Alan Trammell, Carlos Guillen, carlos pena, Cecil Fielder, Chet Lemon, Chris Shelton, Curtis Granderson, Dan Petry, Darrell Evans, Dave Engle, Enos Cabell, Eric Munson, Jack Morris, Jason Thompson, Keith Moreland, Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, Larry Herndon, Lou Whitaker, Matt Joyce, Miguel Cabrera, Richie Hebner, Ron LeFlore, Sean Casey, Sparky Anderson, Steve Kemp, Tony Clark4 Comments on Today's Tiger: Jason Thompson
Same Time, Next Year for Me, Morris and the Hall of Fame
It's early January which means I have to write a post about how I'll hold out hope that Jack Morris will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Gobs of articles have been written in the past couple of weeks, the majority of which put The Cat squarely in the "great but not Hall-of-Fame great" category.
Sadly, many of them, such as this one by Joe Posnanski, make terrific arguments against Morris' chances. Even sadder, I'm starting to believe them. As a result I'm resigned to the fact he won't be elected this year, if ever.
But wait! I have some anecdotes of my own:
In the summer of 2008 I attended the SABR Convention in Cleveland and asked former Indians outfielder Rick Manning if he thought Morris belonged in Cooperstown. He hemmed and hawed and eventually said, "That's a tough call." I took it as a "no".
Then, last spring — thanks to a twist of fate — I had coffee with former major leaguer Ken Phelps and I asked him if he thought Morris belonged in the Hall and he responded without hesitation: "Absolutely." I told him that many writers disagree and he replied, "Well, they didn't face him."
Touche.
I think today I realized why I so badly want to see Morris in the Hall of Fame. It's because Tigers fans that grew up with the players that formed the core of the 1984 team expected so much from them. Didn't we honestly think the Tigers would win again and again in the 1980s — not just one other division title in 1987?
For crying out loud, there was Morris, Dan Petry, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Alan Trammell, Kirk Gibson — the best collection of Tigers players in a generation! And all we got was a single World Series championship?
Granted, I wouldn't trade the summer of '84 for anything, I just expected it to be the beginning of something great, not a one-time trip to the baseball summit. Didn't you?
That's why I want to see Morris or Trammell in the Hall. They deserve — and I think they've earned — a lasting baseball legacy. One that includes more than the magic they displayed in October 1984.
Author Mike McClaryPosted on January 4, 2011 Categories FungoesTags Alan Trammell, Dan Petry, Jack Morris, Ken Phelps, Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, Lou Whitaker, Rick Manning4 Comments on Same Time, Next Year for Me, Morris and the Hall of Fame
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Deer give rise to many problems: in their management and conservation, connected with their annoying habit of eating trees and garden plants, and within the practical details of deerstalking. Queries frequently come direct to Richard Prior or through the 'Sporting Answers' column in the Shooting Times. These are of great interest not only to the questioner but to managers and stalkers generally.
The book is divided into headings for easy reference — Antlers, Behaviour, Damage, Stalking kit etc. Each section is prefaced by an overview, often containing humorous examples of the interface between deer and man and how they might be overcome. Deer Problems contains practical, well-tested solutions which are backed by the author's lifetime experiences. More than that it is eminently readable – just the thing to dip into by the fire at the end of a hard day's stalking.


text:
The Future of Social VR Games
By Joe Portes Updated Oct 29, 2016 08:08 AM EDT
First of all, PSVR is here and it is fantastic. I'm loving every minute of using my new VR headset, even when I got really sick playing World War Toons (a F2P VR shooter) and couldn't play anything for the rest of the night. It was a sickness that I welcomed with open arms… and then paid for later that night.
I have been telling anyone who will listen that virtual reality is absolutely amazing. If you have never tried any sort of VR, then just imagine what you think it will be like in your head — now forget that, because I promise you it's way better than whatever you're picturing. So yes, I was really blown away at first and I'm still enjoying myself now that the honeymoon phase is over.
But the question is: how will virtual reality evolve? What's next for this technology? How will it change gaming and, even more so, how can it change us?
How Will VR Thrive?
I've been thinking a lot about the future of virtual reality as a medium. There are countless articles online and we all know by now that new tech lives and dies by how it handles video games and porn. Obviously, the PSVR's main priority is video games; there are over 50 VR titles planned for the first year. And I'm sure Sony will eventually embrace the PornHub app because, well, they'd be stupid not to. Porn is coming to the PSVR whether Sony likes it or not (you can already watch 360-degree pornos in 2D without Sony's "consent"). But the real concern, in my opinion, is how the social and multiplayer aspects will play out (not for porn, but for VR games, of course).
Arguably, virtual reality is a very solitary experience. But it doesn't have to be. I had just as much fun being completely immersed in being the caped crusader, really feeling like I was the Batman, as I did yelling instructions to my fiancée as she tried to defuse a virtual bomb. One game really immerses you, causing you to suspend your disbelief to such a degree that you start trying to lean on things that aren't really there. The other constantly reminds you that you're not actually in a warehouse trying to defuse a bomb, but sitting on a couch while your partner frustratingly barks instructions that they're reading from a 30-page manual printed on real, physical paper. Both are valid and enjoyable experiences. Both exemplify how VR will thrive in the future. And we need both to elevate this piece of tech to something more than just a gimmick.
Asymmetrical Experiences
The latter example comes from my experience playing the fantastic party game Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. This game perfectly addresses the problem of "couch co-op" in a brave new virtual world — it's the same problem we saw with the Wii U gamepad. Both the Wii U gamepad and the PSVR headset are expensive peripherals that aren't designed to be used in conjunction with another gamepad/headset in the same room. This means that playing games with people locally has to be different; it has to be asymmetrical. Just as the Wii U did before it, the PSVR seems to recognize this and you can see such examples in the free Playroom game.
What the Wii U did was give one player a secret screen in the form of a 10″ tablet that other players couldn't see, and thus, they were given an advantage. The two problems with this are that it's possible for people to peek and it's not really possible to handicap the gamepad user (aside from having more players against them). The VR headset, on the other hand, creates an interesting dynamic. You, as the headset wearer, are transported to another place and you can't see the TV screen that your friends are playing on, just like they can't enter your virtual space. This is why Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes works beautifully in a virtual arena. The headset wearer has to communicate what the bomb looks like — does it have one or two batteries, what's the serial number, does it have five modules, what sort of puzzles are on those modules, etc — while "the expert" reads through the manual (I think it's more fun to print it out, but you can also read a digital manual on your TV screen) to find the solutions to the aforementioned module puzzles. Neither player can see what the other can; peeking is not even an option. You are not limited to two players either, as you can have several "experts" each with a group of pages from the manual all working together to help the headset player defuse the bomb. It gets really tense and incredibly fun.
The "Social Screen" Effect
One thing that makes Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes work (especially if you don't feel like printing a paper manual) is Sony's "social screen." In an asymmetrical game, the social screen can show things that the headset wear doesn't see (a bomb defusing manual, for example). But more often it is used to mirror what the person in the virtual world is looking at. You look awfully goofy when playing a VR game, but, at least with the social screen, your friends can see what you're looking at and why you're frantically waving your hands back and forth. More importantly, though, the social screen makes the experience of watching someone play a VR game way more enjoyable. On top of that, Sony has incorporated seamless streaming to Playstation Live, Twitch, and YouTube with the click of the "share button." So people in the room and people on your PSN friends' list can experience something similar to what you experience while you're experiencing it. The headset also has a built-in microphone so you can talk to all of those people at the same time. I can't imagine how this won't change "Let's Play" videos and Twitch streams from here on out.
But let's just stick to how this works for people in the same room as you, for now. One of my favorite VR experiences thus far was donning the cowl in Arkham: VR. This game perfectly exemplifies what I think single-player VR games need to be. It is purely narrative driven and has just enough interactivity to really make you feel like you're in Gotham city. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the game was watching a virtual re-enactment (very meta, I know) of Nightwing's alley fight. As Batman, you do nothing more than fast-forward and rewind the action then scan for clues. You are not fighting, you are not using exciting gadgets, you are simply watching something—and it's exhilarating. It is hard to explain if you haven't actually put on a VR headset, but virtual reality makes everything more interesting and exciting. This part was hard for my fiancee, who was watching me play, to understand why I was saying "holy shit, holy shit, holy shit" (it was my first VR experience, by the way). The TV displayed a run of the mill action sequence. But I was there, in that alley, controlling a really cool fight scene. I could lean in closer and see more details. I could turn my head and see what was going on behind me. It is unreal.
What really got my fiancee involved, though, was when I was trying to solve puzzles and find clues at the coroner's office. This is where the social screen really shines. Sure, having her talk to me while I was trying to ignore the real world and just be the batman did take me out of it, but it made for a fun social experience. When she instructed me to "look right" for a clue, I literally turned my head to the right rather than moved an analog stick. When Killer Croc sprang up into my face, I jumped back in fear and she laughed. What she didn't know was how real it felt and how my body instinctively reacted to an eight-foot alligator man trying to bite my face off.
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Socializing in a Virtual Space
The traditional gaming aspect of vying for a high score still exists in the virtual space. Granted, it's not the most social aspect but something about seeing a floating leaderboard in Carnival Games VR pushes me to give it just one more go, and then another and another. Super Hypercube is the same way, even letting you filter out friends and a global leaderboard. The thing that both of these games do really well is that they make it really quick and easy to jump right back into the game after you finish; there's no loading screens or any slow down, you just hit a button and you're back to chasing that high score in a second. Sure, you can enter a party through PSN and talk with a friend while you play on your respective PlayStation systems, battling to beat each others' scores, but that is not the same as occupying the same virtual space.
Enter Sports Bar VR. This is similar to Carnival Games VR in that there are various move controller based mini-games, but there is one big difference: online multiplayer. Actually, hanging out in a virtual bar is the main draw of the game. You can quick join a lobby of up to six people, choose a friend's lobby, or create your own. Part of why VR multiplayer games are so new and exciting to me is because of lobby systems can now work. Before, you were shown a screen where you can all type messages to each other or chat over headsets, and you all wait for the game to start. In Sports Bar VR the lobby is part of the game — it is a virtual space that you inhabit. You can walk around the bar — complete with a jukebox, barroom chatter, and NPCs — then start a game of billiards, air hockey, darts, or skee ball with any of the players in the bar or an AI opponent. But you can also just stack bar bottles, throw chairs, and talk. The ability to move freely around a virtual environment, start a game of 8-ball then throw a few darts while you're waiting for your turn, all while meeting new people is pretty great.
I stumbled on another really fascinating possibility for Sports Bar VR when perusing a message board for the game. A few players were asking developers for the ability to watch actual sporting events on the televisions present in the bar. Currently, the TVs just show a loop of real people playing pool (in pretty good detail, I might add), but the fact that several people in the forum said they'd be willing to pay to watch PPV sporting events in the game. At first, I thought this was crazy. Then I imagined the following scenario. What if the thing you shared with your best college buddy was an intense passion for UFC. You guys never miss a fight and usually watch the big ones down at the local bar. But your buddy is a marine and got shipped off to Afghanistan. This sucks, but the good news is that his unit has a PSVR and so do you. Now the night of the fight you guys always dreamed of seeing ever since college comes and you can watch it together, in a bar, while playing darts and drinking beer. You can move around and interact with one another in a virtual space and talk to each other; it's way more immersive and fun than simply talking on the phone while watching the fight because you can do all of the things you'd normally do at the bar. And once you actually try shooting pool in Sports Bar VR you will understand how good it feels — it is unbelievably realistic, with a great billiards physics engine and just feels right. This is what I see coming for the future of VR.
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Given what we can already do in games like Sports Bar VR or even online multiplayer shooters like World War Toons, it is easy to see what could be coming in the future. It doesn't even have to be all about games either. Right now there are several apps that allow you watch VR videos and you can even use the headset's virtual 226″ screen to watch 2D Netflix movies. If you extrapolate this, it's easy to imagine a world where people who live in tiny studio apartments that can't fit large TVs can gather in a virtual movie theater to all watch something together on what appears to be a giant IMAXesque screen. Horror and comedy movies are best experienced in a theater setting so who knows, maybe it will be the same in a virtual environment. Of course, there might still be talkers and people with annoying laughs, but at least you don't have to worry about somebody looking at their cell phone or opening a noisy bag of chips
Obviously, in order for a social game to work you need a player base. So the big question is: will social games like Sports Bar VR catch on? And, ultimately, could virtual reality make us more social people? Will it be easier for introverts to socialize if it's virtual? Or is VR just a solitary experience? Only time will answer these questions. Right now, there are so many possibilities and I, for one, can't wait to see how it all plays out.
What do you think is the future of virtual reality? How do you think the social aspect will affect this emerging technology? Let me know in the comments below!
(Editor's Note: There's undeniably a massive opportunity for Sony to tap into different types of virtual worlds and expand the social VR experience. With games like Sports Bar VR and Carnival VR, it feels like the basic ideas are there and they just need to be expanded. I'd argue that some of the many social online gaming experiences that are being played the most right now — like GTA Online, for instance — have great potential in their future iterations to include some social VR aspects. Think about hopping into a GTA Online-esque multiplayer online world, but instead of hunting down other players, you join up for bowling, skateboarding, a walk n chat, or whatever activity it may be…in VR.
As Joe points out, how great would a social movie theater be? Where you and your friends can "go see a movie" together on your PlayStations? I don't know if we'd want EVERYTHING to be in VR, like with Ready Player One where there's hardly any real-world social interaction. However, the possibilities for social VR gaming are endless, and we can't wait for the technology and development to evolve so that we can see where we can go with it.
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Joe Portes
Joe Portes is a writer of fiction, essays, and humor. He teaches Creative Writing at SUNY Adirondack. His short stories appear or are forthcoming in the Indianola Review, Funny in Five Hundred, Pitkin Review, and Z-Platt.
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California regulators said they are unable to regulate much of the MedPartners Provider Network they took over last week, partly because of the way the company is structured and partly because state law has not kept pace with the managed care revolution (Bernstein, Los Angeles Times , 3/18). Meanwhile, the plan's parent company, Alabama-based MedPartners Inc., filed two court actions in Los Angeles yesterday seeking to overturn the state's takeover, which they contend has hampered the company's ability to pay providers and has unfairly characterized the plan as bankrupt. "Under the circumstances, the company felt compelled to take action to ensure continuity of services to patients as well as to protect the interests of our affiliated physicians, other providers, our shareholders and our creditors," said MedPartners Chair and CEO Mac Crawford (MedPartners release, 3/17).
Peter Wolfson, the state-appointed attorney hired to oversee the bankruptcy proceedings of the provider network, said the company "very cleverly constructed a corporate organization that circumvented the ability" of California regulators to control it. Donna Campbell, deputy secretary for California's Business, Transportation and Housing Department, said the oversight problem is not unique to MedPartners, but it is systematic. Under current law, the state only regulates health plans, not managed care "hybrids," she said. The Times > reports that sources say this allowed MedPartners keep "just enough money in the regulated portion ... to meet state requirements, masking huge losses in its clinics and other operations." According to bankruptcy documents, the California plan owes hospitals and other providers "at least $73 million," a figure sources say may be "grossly overstated."
Crawford disputed charges that his company was letting the California plan dry up. "How could I exploit something when I have not taken a single nickel out of California and I've put in $256 million?" He added, "I think this company has gone above and beyond what anybody would expect to ensure that this (health plan) remains in place and these patients get treated" ( Los Angeles Times , 3/18). The Wall Street Journal reports that Crawford said he plans to use the proceeds of the plan's sale to pay physicians, hospitals and other providers. Moreover, California regulators have "just about shut our system down," said Crawford, who maintained that the state takeover and bankruptcy declaration disrupted "what he had expected to be an orderly process" (Hays/Rundel, 3/18).