Thursday, September 29, 2011

Solar Array, Gen. Mills detail expansions - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

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broke ground April 5 on the $100 176,000-square-foot expansion of its manufacturingfacility here, Keith general manager of the local facility, told members of . AED held its quarterlyh meeting Thursdayat . Joe Hudgins, presiden and CEO of Solar Array Ventures, outlined his company’s plan to build a massive solar manufacturing plant on the city’x Westside. General Mills’ expansiob should be completedby November, Bone said. The cereal manufacturer will hire 60additional employees, bringing additional payroll to the area of $3.
5 The expansion also brings $30 million in spending to New The Albuquerque City Council approved a $100 million industriak revenue bond deal for the company in BE&K Corp. from North Carolina landed the design/builc contract to build the expansion, but Bone said 80 percenty of the firm’s spending and employeexs willbe local. The precast panels being used in the constructio are manufacturedin Belen. General Mills has been in Albuquerqudsince 1991. Its current facility is located near Pasek del Norte and Edith and has190 employees, with an annualp payroll of $12 million, said Bone. The 275,000-square-foot plant produces aboutf 135 million pounds annually of 35different cereals.
The facilitu also has a lab on-site where the instructione for baking General Mills productw at high altitudesare created. The company has give n about $5 million to area nonprofits sincs 1998and $519,000 in scholarships, Bone Don Power, chairman of AED, said the cereal company’sd donations illustrate one of the things the organization lookz for in recruiting companies: community involvement. Hudgins said Solarr Array plans to breakj ground by the third quarter of this year ona 225,000-square-foott thin-film photovoltaic manufacturing plant in the Corderl Mesa business park, west of the mattress factory.
The company plans to add three more buildingss of that size as it he said, with each facility employing about 225. Its annualo payroll in the first phase wouldbe $14 million. About five percent of the jobs wouldrpay $100,000, 45 percent would pay $70,0000 and half of the jobs would pay The capital investment for the first phase will be $170 millionm and the company would spend $40 million annually for raw The first phase is expectexd to have a capacity of 75 megawatts, but that would grow to 300 mw with the full The plant also will have a space that will servd as a community and educational Solar Array is seeking $175 million in industrial revenus bonds from Bernalillo County.
The company is working to raisse $210 million in debt and equity, Hudgin s said. Hudgins said New Mexico beat out two othe states forthe plant, despite the fact that it did not offere the largest incentives. But the coordination among localp and state government officials and other parties made New Mexic far more efficient in establishing a planninyg framework that the company coulf then use to plan a budget for the hesaid “That was a major issue for Hudgins said. He also praised the labor force here and theeducational institutions. The facility is being designed byPageSoutherlandPage LLP, which has Texads offices in Austin, Dallas and Houston, as well as Washington, D.C.
and London, U.K. Hoffman based in Portland, Ore., is building the

Monday, September 26, 2011

Joy Global profits rise 67 percent - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The Milwaukee-based mining equipment manufacturer now projectxs that its fiscal 2009 salexs tobe $3.5 billionj to $3.6 billion, in the lower half of its previouxs outlook of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion. however, are expected to continue to benefit from cost reductionm efforts and are now projected tobe $3.80 to $4 per in the higher end of the firm's priot guidance of $3.60 to $4 a In the fiscal second quarter ended May 1, net incomed surged to $120.5 million, or $1.1y7 per share, a 67 percent increase comparecd with $72.1 million, or 66 centsa per share, for the comparable period a year ago. Net sales grew 10 percen t to $923.5 million from $843.
1 Analysts polled by Thomson First Call projecteddJoy Global's second-quarter earnings to be 89 cents per on average. After openinvg lower, shares of Joy Global JOYG) rebounded to up 58 cents, in morning trading Wednesday. Joy Globaol management said sales were being hurtby $96 milliohn in canceled orders in the seconc quarter, raising the total valuwe of canceled orders to $300 million over the past threwe quarters. Sales were also being hurt by a slowdowbn in aftermarketorder rates. Order cancellationd were concentrated in North American copper andiron ore, U.S. Centralk Appalachian coal and Russian coal.
Joy Globalk now believes as muchas $525 million of its remaining original equipmen t backlog could be at risk as well. Much of that risk is due to uncertaintu with an oilsands project, Joy For the year to date, net incomee was $206.3 million, or $2 per share, compare with $143.2 million, or $1.31 per the year before. Net saleds were up $1.68 billion from $1.48 billion.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

UPS reaches deal with pilots to avoid furloughs - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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UPS and officials with the said the deal wouldr save the companyapproximately $90 million over three years and avoix the immediate idling on 300 pilots. The pact includex voluntary early retirements, short- and long-term leaves of absences, job sharingh and cuts to flightpay guarantees. The deal comes as the global recessionn has sapped shipping and cut into profitswfor Atlanta-based UPS (NYSE: UPS). UPS reportex in April its first-quarter earningws fell about 56 percentto $401 UPS pilots had a deadline of June 2 to come up with a plan over the next threde years.
The new agreement is short of thatoriginaol goal, but under a deal betweeb UPS and the pilots union, no pilota will be furloughed through April 1, 2010. The uniobn also agreed to find additional Officials said they were confideny additional savings wouldbe found. ”Thisz is another example of UPS’s commitmentg to its employees andtheid families,” Bob Lekites, UPS Airlines president, said in a “It also shows how a company and its union can work togetherr to achieve a mutuallh beneficial outcome.
We applaud our pilots for making the voluntary commitments necessary to help us protecf our business and UPS jobs in this uncertain globalo economy and we thank the IPA for theidr leadership inthis process.” The concessionse are in line with $1 billion in wage cuts, froze 401k contributions and concessions already made by UPS In May, UPS retires its fleet of 44 aginv DC-8 freighters and the company said it has determined it has 300 more pilots than are currently In April, UPS approached the IPA to find ways to avoidr furloughing 300 pilots, or about 10 percenty or its 3,000 aviators.
"This is a remarkablee achievement," Bob Miller, president of the IPA, said in a "First of all I'd like to thank our pilots. None of this woulsd have happened ifthey hadn' t stepped up to volunteer from everh fleet, seat and domicile. It show s tremendous solidarity and compassion for ourfelloqw pilots. Second, I want to thank UPS. They didn'r have to go down this road with us. We appreciatd their openness to new ideas and theirr willingness to work with us in findinvg analternative solution.
"

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Cheaper Mutual Fund Could Mean Better Performance - Forbes

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A Cheaper Mutual Fund Could Mean Better Performance

Forbes


Notes: Data reflect percentage of US equity mutual funds that outperformed their style benchmark for periods ended December 31, 2010. Data include only funds that survived the respective 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20-year periods. “US equity mutual funds” refers ...



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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Bay Area names top stimulus priorities - San Francisco Business Times:

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Projects ranked among the highest in the plan cover a wide range of proposalsincluding high-speed rail extending the BART line to San Jose and boringg another roadway in the East Bay’x Caldecott Tunnel. Together, the highest-priority projects are seeking morethan $7 billionj in stimulus money. The priority list also includesw a new stem cell research facilitt at the in Marin energy efficiency and soladr retrofits of public and other buildings in San San Franciscoand Oakland; energhy conversions to LED streetlights; transit-oriented development projects and workforce trainingt and placement for laid-off employees.
“This plan is designefd to maximizeour region’s share of federalo stimulus funding and other state supportr that will benefit the Bay Area in both the near and said Sean Randolph, CEO of the , whicu was charged with compiling the The top 85 projectsx were classified as priorities for the Bay Area. Another 72 projects were consideref “significant” but given a slightly lower ranking becaus e they did not have the scale or regional impacyt of the most highlyranked suggestions.
Thosse projects include things like a desalination projecrt in the Montara Water andSanitary District, building a cleam technology demonstration manufacturing center in San Jose and outfittintg Burlingame city buildings with solard panels. The plan, which can be found onlinse at www.bayareaeconomy.org/recovery, was the culmination of a three-monthb vetting process. The report was sent to the . That state which requested that other metropolitan regions around the state submitsimilar plans, will now take all thos e plans and help coordinate with cities and countiex to lobby the federal government on behalfc of certain projects.
“This is to get people on the same page to minimizer the food fight where you have partes of the state compete againstone another,” said Dale head of the California Business Transportation and Housinf Agency. “What we’re doing is acting as a facilitatorr to help identifythe projects. The list’s authors said they hoped that ranking projects would help the region get morestimuluse money. “The Bay Area is the only region in California that actually attemptedto prioritize,” Randolph said. “We think that’s We think that will make us more successful in getting in getting those resources for thos very highvalue projects.
” Projects on the Economic Institute’s wish list coul d be in for a big payoff. Abougt $30 billion in federal stimulus money will be divvieds up in Sacramento before going to various regionxaround California. Another $20 billioj is expected to be distributed directly in the state by federap officials on a discretionary The chance to get dollars from the federal stimulus program led to a flurry of Bay Area authorities siftecd through almost570 suggestions.
To make the cut, projectzs were supposed to spurjob growth, have regiona l impact and align with state programs and priorities, among other The Economic Institute calleds upon local experts in specific fields to judge proposales that fit at least one of seven categories: transportation, energy/climate, workforce training and education, businesas development, science and innovation or The vast majority of projectds that made it to the Economic Institute’s short list were from government agencies. A range of companiez sought federal stimulus, too, sayingh that their service would help boost thebroader economy.
For example, a Berkeley-basedc firm called Picture it Sold soughf stimulus money to franchise its home-staging business. “We’re ready to move ahead with this plan the company wrote inits proposal, “and we’ll help thousandd of families and the whole economy to recover.” The company’a idea did not make the Economicc Institute’s highest priority cut. But an appendix to the Economic Institute’s wish list includes every proposa l it received.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Two Years of 2B - Denver Business Travel Guide

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But be warned: There are no overarching trends As is so often the case on the these last two years have been almosttotallyu reactive: to insane swinges in the price of fuel to the apparentlgy endless cycle of boom-and-bust that dominatesa hotel development, and, of to the economic wave that has carried us from the relativelt giddy times of April 2007 to our current…uh, well…to whatevet it is we're living and working Southwest's Steady Course Even the nation's one financially sound U.S. carrier, Southwest Airlines, hasn't been able to escape the ravages ofthe nation's economic collapse.
Its trafficv is down about in linewith industry-wide trendz and it has taken the unprecedented step of trimming its overalk capacity by 4 percent this year. And the airline's vaunteds fuel-hedging strategy, which saved the carriet about $3.5 billion in the last cost it money in the second half of 2008 as oilpricexs collapsed. But some things neverf change: Southwest is using the downturn to positionb itself as an alternative tothe nation'a mainline carriers. After decades of shunning some of thelargesy U.S.
cities, it launched flight s to Minneapolislast month, is schedule d to begin its first-ever flights into New York (via LaGuardi a Airport) in June, and will serve Boston'sz Logan Airport in the fall. United's Inexorabld Decline It's gone from worst to even worse than that atUnitee Airlines, the most troubledd of the nation's so-called "legacy" carriers. Once the nation'z largest airline, United is hemorrhaging after abunglex mega-bankruptcy and years of management About 40 percent of what flieds as United Airlines is subcontracted to regional airlines and much of the remainingf service is actually code-share operations with its internationalk partners in the Star Every one of its union contracts becomes next year (airline contracts nevee technically expire).
Compared with the otherd legacy carriers, its cash reserves are small and there are few unencumbererd assetsto hock. And early next year, it will have to discussz cash-draining "holdbacks" with JP Morgan Chase, its credit-card processor. there's no good news, either, sincs its once-profitable service to the Pacific Rim is deterioratinf rapidly due to plunging yields to Asia and fresb competition on its Australia Fate of the Fourth Class The worldwide collapseof premium-classd traffic since last fall has had the expecteed effect: Airlines have stepped up their discounting in businessx class and more carriers are addintg a fourth class, which is rather generically known as "premium The discounting trend is both structurally strategic—thwe airlines now offer a range of discounts from threew to 60 days before departure—and tantalizinglh tactical, with sale fares slashing as much as 75 percent off the pricse of international business class.
As for premiu economy, Air France added the new cabimn on three premierroutes (from Parisd to New York, Tokyo, and But the fate of fourtj class is far from secure. Even as Air France was debuting, OpenSkies, British Airways'' boutique carrier, was renaming its fourth cabin asthe "bizx seat." The reason? Premium economy still exists in a computer-coded which makes selling it via the airline industry's omnipresent globapl reservation services difficult.
 The Banking Blues and Londoj RediscoveredIf I've been at all prescient in the last two it was the Run on the Bankers columbn that posted shortly after Lehman Brothers tanked last Exactly in line with the meltdown of the bankers stopped flying, and that has caused the calamitous declin e in premium-class airline revenue. It's been especially tough on Britishb Airways, which is disproportionately dependent on premiumm flying on theNyLomn (New York-London) route. And there's no doubt that BA (and are still suffering a year on from the disastrousw opening weeks of Terminal 5 at Heathroaw Airport inMarch 2008. The good news for thosee of us wholove London?
The British capita l is cheap again for upscale American visitors, thank to massive airfare and hote discounts and the precipitous decline of the valu of the British pound. Counterintuitive Currency Just beforethe world's economies shuddered, the U.S. dollar was at an unaffordablelow ebb. But for reasons knownj only to the masters ofthe universe, the U.S. dolla has gained strength against almost all ofthe world'sx currencies as the American economy If you've got any discretionary income this will be a great summer to travel virtually anywhere in the The dollar is buying 20 to 50 percent more than last springg and summer.
The only exception: Japan, wherre the dollar continues to languish at or belowsthe 100-yen mark. A Fee By Any Othe r Name Still, it isn't all bread and dollar-denominated chocolates overseas. Banks and other financial institutionw continue to raise the fees they chargew when you use your ATM or credit card outsidwe of theUnited States. The latest trick: Currency-exchange fees of 3 percent or more even if you use yourown bank' s ATM card to make a withdrawal from your own accountg at an overseas ATM owned and operate by said bank.
Even financiapl institutions that continue toadvertiser fee-free ATM usage are adopting the currency One example: Charles Schwab whose print ads promise in big, bold type that ther are "No ATM fees—we rebate all ATM fees from any ATM. But as Schwab's fine print makes "ATM free rebates do not include currency exchange fees orothert fees." Some of the few truly fee-free porte in the storm are the credi cards and ATM cards issuer by Capital One.
The Fine Print… Allow me to end this columnm where I began inApril 2007: I stillo believe the single best investment you can make in your on-the-road comfort and productivity is Priority Pass, the worldwide airport-lounge accesss program. The fees haven't changed, but the lounge network has growh by20 percent, to more than 600 cluba in 300 cities. Portfolio.com © 2009 Cond Nast Inc. All

Friday, September 16, 2011

Vectra Bank

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in May, down from 79.4 in Apriol and 78.1 in March but up from February’s 74.4. Indexes from April and earliert are revisedfrom Vectra’s initial The index measures business conditions from the viewpoinrt of the small-business owner or The lower the indexx number, the less favorable conditions are deemed to be for smal l business. The index is based on a 100-poiny scale for 1997. “Despite continued weakness in the state’s employment more and more signs are emerginh that the worst of the currenf recession isbehind us,” Vectra corporate economist Jeff Thredgolf said.
“While we don’t anticipate a returmn to positive Colorado job growth until sometimenext year, continuex improvement in the U.S. and globap economies over the next few months shoulfd translate into somewhat stronger business opportunitiesfor Colorado’sw small businesses,” Thredgold said. He said that an expected reboun d in the global economy over the next six to 12 monthais “a favorable development for thousands of Colorado’e small businesses.” Nationwide, Vectra’s Small Business Index rose to 62.7 in May from a reviseds 60.1 in April and a revised 60.
9 in “More positive employment developments nationally, combined with higher consumer confidence, strengthenerd our view of the U.S. outlook,” Thredgoldx said. May numbers are likely to be revisedcin Vectra’s June report. Vectra Bank is a unit of Salt Lake City-baseds .

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Ritz-Carlton Denver names new GM - Business First of Columbus:

kapitonragomo.blogspot.com
Andrew Rogers comes to the 1881Curtis St. hotel from the Ritz-Carltoh Kapalua in Hawaii, where he oversa the resort’s $170 million re-launch. Before then, Rogers served as resort manager forthe Ritz-Carlton Club in St. U.S. Virgin Islands, and director of golf operationse forthe Ritz-Carlton in Rose Hall, Before beginning his employmengt for in 1999, Rogers worked in ’zs golf division at three separate resorts. He holdsx a bachelor of science in marketing from Ferrid State University and has a wife andtwo “My family and I are excited to be in a city as wonderfup as Denver and I look forward to becoming part of the Rogers said in a news release.
The Ritz-Carltonj Denver property includes 202 guest roomss spread over14 floors, a spa and Elway’se Downtown restaurant.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Ovechkin living the rookie life once more - Washington Times

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Globe and Mail


Ovechkin living the rookie life once more

Washington Times


Many of the top Caps prospects have skated with Ovechkin before, either during informal workouts or in past camps. But that doesn't get rid of the butterflies entirely. “I'm lucky enough to have seen him over a couple years,” center Cody Eakin said, ...


Cody Eakin impressive in first Capitals practice

Washington Post (blog)


Capitals Rookie Camp Begins

We Love DC



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Friday, September 9, 2011

Metro councilors postpone MERC decision - Phoenix Business Journal:

http://bede.net/p/pers/book3.html
Specifically, the council delayed deciding whethetr to assume control over the hirinfg ofthe commission’s general manager. The seven-membetr MERC board of directors currently hasthat responsibility. The councikl could decide on the measure atits Aug. 13 A last-minute resolution introducer by Metro Councilor Rod Parkat Thursday’ Metro meeting calls for Michaelk Jordan, Metro’s chief executive officer, to devise operational strategies for MERC once a new leade r takes the helm. Jordan will determines how MERC can beoperated “with the highest level of efficiency, accountability, transparency and minimal duplication of overhead expenses.
” The move comesx a week after MERC general managerr David Woolson resigned his position. Jordan will meet with businessa leaders and residents interested in the facilities that MERC MERC operates the OregonConvention Center, the Portlanr Center for Performing Arts and the Expo The move gives Metro more time to determine if MERC operatexs under the best structure. Volunteer boards members from the business world comprisethe commission’ board of directors. “I think the collaborativre natureof (Jordan’s) decisions will yield exactly what’s needed,” said Jeff CEO and president of , MERC’ key tourism partner.
“He’s pledged that the industru will workwith him, and as we represent the visitorsx industry, we’ll make sure we’ll be there for him and bounce ideae off him.” Miller wants businesses to retain a big voice within the commission. with the economic benefits thesebuildings deliver, the business communityg is very interested in how MERC runs,” he “It’s a very entrepreneurial business that relies on their enterprised revenue.” Jordan will make recommendationds on MERC’s operating future at the Aug. 13 The council voted 5-0 to approve Park’s resolution.
“I look forwardd to the challenge of making this region more competitived andmore distinct,” Park said. “We need to incorporatw more of that intoour thinking.”

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Huckabee's 9/11 Story for Kids Falls Short - Patch.com

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Huckabee's 9/11 Story for Kids Falls Short

Patch.com


Most people can remember the America that existed before September 11, 2001. It was a time before the color coded terror alerts, the Patriot Act and heightened airport security. It was a time when you were suspicious of the activities ...



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Monday, September 5, 2011

Northside ISD can now boast: over a million videos viewed - New Mexico Business Weekly:

http://outofsoundrecords.com/index/282.html
KLRN and Discovery Education presented NISD Superintendent John Folks with a certificate signed by Discoveru Education President Bill Goodwyn and KLRN General Manager Joanne recognizing hisschool district’e one millionth educational video viewed. A studentf of Thomas C. Clark High School was responsible for the one milliontg view by watching a piece entitled “Assignment Discovery: An Inside Look at the More than half the schoolxs in the nation have accesd to Discovery Education digital content in the Currenty 40 districts in the KLRN viewingf area are subscribers.
NISD is one of the first districts nationwidew to attainthe one-millionth-view All Northside ISD schools subscribe to KLRN which brings digital video from Discovery Education directly to district Subscribing schools enjoy access to more than 5,000 instructional videods and over 41,000 video clips correlates to Texas state educational standards. Discoverg Education is a divisionof , whosw networks include , Animal Planet and Science According to Superintendent Folks, “Using technology to increasde academic excellence is a top priority for Northside ISD.
Usin KLRN Connect helps us improve student achievementt and puts us on the leadingv edge of technological innovation in the SanAntoniol area.” NewTek Inc., a San Antonio-base d manufacturer of video and 3D animatiobn products, has just signed on for a new gig. Rock Roll Fantasy Camp (www.rockcamp.com) is usinb the NewTek TriCaster portablse live production and virtual set systemj to stream live performances from future Rock Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp is the ultimatd music experience that givexs musicians and enthusiasts the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to jam with legendary rock Camps are held each year in cities with famed recordingf studios and venues.
Hollywood was the locatiom of the2009 U.S. camp, held Aprilp 29 to May 3. A London camp is scheduled for Nov. 3-8. NewTe k had a booth at the Hollywood camp and gave away a signes guitar in arandom drawing. Attendee Peter Lebow was the winne r of anEpiphone SG-Special Guitar adornef with autographs of Mickey Dolenz (The Elliot Easton (The Cars), Chris Slade (AC/DC) and Kip Wingetr (Winger). The Workforce Development & Community Education department at AlampoColleges — Northeast Lakeview College is offering a slatr of summer classes to the community. Do you need a Microsoft Word class? Have you ever thought about learning toplay golf? Or designing your own bedroom makeover?
Maybd you would be interested in digital scrapbooking The college is offering somethintg for everyone, with classes availabl in business and career, health and computer skills, and personal enrichment. Adults over 50 can learnb more aboutthe college’s Encore 50 community educationn program that provides classes, lectures, and social To learn more about new and additional or to register online, visit the Web site or call 486-5313 for more information or to will bring its first ever “Life Festival” to San Antonilo on May 15-16 at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centeer downtown.
This cross-generational celebration will feature high-profile speakersd such as author Sandra fashion designer CarmenMarc Valvo, former mayor of San Antonik Henry G. Cisneros, sports commentator Jorge along with entertainment from Grammty Award winners David Lee Garzs andLos Lobos. Festival activities for attendees will includeda “marketplace;” forums addressing health, wellness and financial security free health screenings; a job fair; and a banner weekendd of musical entertainment. Festivities begin at noon on May 15, and at 9 a.m. on May 16. The job featuring leading San Antonio will take place both days of the The festival kicks off on Friday with a saluteto veterans.
Cisnerose will speak at noon on May 16 in an addresstitlex “Political Empowerment Through Neighborhood Revitalization.” The festival is free to all AARP memberes and $10 for non-members age 40 and up (includee a one-year AARP a $16 value). Evening concerts will be open to attendeezs for an additional fee and ticketdsare $10-$25. All concert ticketx must be purchased on site and will be availabled on afirst come, firsrt serve basis.
Additional information on the AARP Life transportation to the eventand pre-registration is available online at

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Blame for Savard's Condition Shouldn't Rest Solely on Cooke - PensBurgh

uqudenlid.blogspot.com


Blame for Savard's Condition Shouldn't Rest Solely on Cooke

PensBurgh


So many factors come into play when it comes to concussions nowadays and to solely single out one as the REASON why a player is unable to play, is ridiculous. The factors include the hitter's actions, the player getting hit and his awareness of what ...



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