jrgreene6
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Married . . . With Cats
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 21, 2024 18:57:18 GMT
So Twitter is reporting that our girl Maxine is in the best playing shape of his career. That’s nice and all well and good. But that still doesn’t make him a third baseman. He will still miss a good deal of balls hit that way and continue to make lousy throws. But I guess the Dodgers are willing to accept that along with his .200 average as long as he keeps hitting 30 + HR’s and 90 RBI’s. Between him a Lux at short, it should be a real adventure for the left side of the Dodger infield this year. Right handed pull hitters should have a field day every at bat. GO DODGERS!!! Pitchers are supposed to strike out hitters anyway. Fielders are mere ornaments. This sounds very dated, but remember when pitchers like Maddux & Palmer were the best in the game because they induced ground balls & pop-ups? Infields like the Cubs & Orioles were lauded for their defensive prowess. Even strikeout pitchers like Seaver & Jenkins MIGHT average a K an inning. A K an inning was very impressive. They're in the Hall of Fame. Now we have guys with spin rates & 100 mph fastballs. Yearly trips to IL. Hacks like Muncy who couldn't catch a liner with a fishing net. Well, if the pitcher did his job, Max wouldn't have to field. The hitter would strike out. Max got 30 homers. He struck out 150+ times. But that's not so bad. Dave Kingman went around the league in 80 days for the same thing. Adam Dunn normalized it. GM's with pocket calculators said the statistics prove that if you don't run, don't try to make contact, swing for the fences on 0-2 counts, that the probability of you scoring... A hundred thumbs up for this post of the year! The Reds & Dodger infields of the seventies were truly magic and things of beauty to watch. Now, if one of the four is even slightly gifted, it’s a miracle. We have our one, with Freddie at first. The jury is still out on Mookie at second. He held his own last year, but let’s see how he does as an every day infielder for 125 - 150 games. Lux had trouble throwing from second and his range wasn’t exactly stellar. Why Daisy thinks he’ll do better with longer throws and more ground to cover is right up there with why Daisy is still employed. Maxine? ‘Nuff said. LA cannot depend on its rotation to account for a K or two each inning. It just isn’t going to happen for 162 games. The hitters have gotten to the point where 100 mph + fastballs don’t phase them anymore because that’s practically all they ever see. The curve, slider, off speed and knuckler (is this pitch even thrown by ANYONE these days) are all part of the past legacy of the game that money and Manturd have destroyed. Now it’s fastball after fastball and moon shots into the upper decks or nothing. The Turd is said to be stepping down after his next contract expires in five years. Imagine how much more he’ll be able to screw up the game in that time? Shorter base paths, higher mounds, full face helmets on pitchers, a half dozen rounds of playoffs, additional runners in extra innings - the idiotic possibilities are endless. GO DODGERS!!! |
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,790
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Feb 23, 2024 2:44:08 GMT
So Twitter is reporting that our girl Maxine is in the best playing shape of his career. That’s nice and all well and good. But that still doesn’t make him a third baseman.
He will still miss a good deal of balls hit that way and continue to make lousy throws. But I guess the Dodgers are willing to accept that along with his .200 average as long as he keeps hitting 30 + HR’s and 90 RBI’s. Between him a Lux at short, it should be a real adventure for the left side of the Dodger infield this year. Right handed pull hitters should have a field day every at bat. GO DODGERS!!! Kind of a flashback to Pedro Guererro. He was a great hitter but to get him the lineup, the only place to put him was 3B. When he hurt his wrist banging into the railing while playing LF, he was never the same hitter again, and had few homers. BTW, I was at that game in '85, and was sitting in the LF corner about 20 feet from where it happened. I saw the grimace on his face. He was traded to the Cards midway thru '88 cos there was just nowhere to put him. So it should be with Mad Max. He's a proven power hitter but he has nowhere to play on the field. |
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,790
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Feb 23, 2024 2:50:31 GMT
Pitchers are supposed to strike out hitters anyway. Fielders are mere ornaments. This sounds very dated, but remember when pitchers like Maddux & Palmer were the best in the game because they induced ground balls & pop-ups? Infields like the Cubs & Orioles were lauded for their defensive prowess. Even strikeout pitchers like Seaver & Jenkins MIGHT average a K an inning. A K an inning was very impressive. They're in the Hall of Fame. Now we have guys with spin rates & 100 mph fastballs. Yearly trips to IL. Hacks like Muncy who couldn't catch a liner with a fishing net. Well, if the pitcher did his job, Max wouldn't have to field. The hitter would strike out. Max got 30 homers. He struck out 150+ times. But that's not so bad. Dave Kingman went around the league in 80 days for the same thing. Adam Dunn normalized it. GM's with pocket calculators said the statistics prove that if you don't run, don't try to make contact, swing for the fences on 0-2 counts, that the probability of you scoring... A hundred thumbs up for this post of the year! The Reds & Dodger infields of the seventies were truly magic and things of beauty to watch. Now, if one of the four is even slightly gifted, it’s a miracle. We have our one, with Freddie at first. The jury is still out on Mookie at second. He held his own last year, but let’s see how he does as an every day infielder for 125 - 150 games. Lux had trouble throwing from second and his range wasn’t exactly stellar. Why Daisy thinks he’ll do better with longer throws and more ground to cover is right up there with why Daisy is still employed. Maxine? ‘Nuff said. LA cannot depend on its rotation to account for a K or two each inning. It just isn’t going to happen for 162 games. The hitters have gotten to the point where 100 mph + fastballs don’t phase them anymore because that’s practically all they ever see. The curve, slider, off speed and knuckler (is this pitch even thrown by ANYONE these days) are all part of the past legacy of the game that money and Manturd have destroyed. Now it’s fastball after fastball and moon shots into the upper decks or nothing. The Turd is said to be stepping down after his next contract expires in five years. Imagine how much more he’ll be able to screw up the game in that time? Shorter base paths, higher mounds, full face helmets on pitchers, a half dozen rounds of playoffs, additional runners in extra innings - the idiotic possibilities are endless.
GO DODGERS!!! Don't give Manjerk any ideas! Now, his newest scheme is to change jersies and I hear so many players don't like it. The good news is he's retiring, but the bad news is it's not till '29. As Doug McKain said on Dodger nation, " can't he retire in an even numbered year, like 2024? |
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jrgreene6
Legend
Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,438
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 23, 2024 18:13:03 GMT
A hundred thumbs up for this post of the year! The Reds & Dodger infields of the seventies were truly magic and things of beauty to watch. Now, if one of the four is even slightly gifted, it’s a miracle. We have our one, with Freddie at first. The jury is still out on Mookie at second. He held his own last year, but let’s see how he does as an every day infielder for 125 - 150 games. Lux had trouble throwing from second and his range wasn’t exactly stellar. Why Daisy thinks he’ll do better with longer throws and more ground to cover is right up there with why Daisy is still employed. Maxine? ‘Nuff said. LA cannot depend on its rotation to account for a K or two each inning. It just isn’t going to happen for 162 games. The hitters have gotten to the point where 100 mph + fastballs don’t phase them anymore because that’s practically all they ever see. The curve, slider, off speed and knuckler (is this pitch even thrown by ANYONE these days) are all part of the past legacy of the game that money and Manturd have destroyed. Now it’s fastball after fastball and moon shots into the upper decks or nothing. The Turd is said to be stepping down after his next contract expires in five years. Imagine how much more he’ll be able to screw up the game in that time? Shorter base paths, higher mounds, full face helmets on pitchers, a half dozen rounds of playoffs, additional runners in extra innings - the idiotic possibilities are endless.
GO DODGERS!!! Don't give Manjerk any ideas! Now, his newest scheme is to change jersies and I hear so many players don't like it. The good news is he's retiring, but the bad news is it's not till '29. As Doug McKain said on Dodger nation, " can't he retire in an even numbered year, like 2024? From what I’ve seen on Twitter, they’ve already screwed with the Dodger script for their jerseys. EVERY previous version had the “break” (where the jerseys button) after the “o”, with a small tail then connecting it to the second “d” on the other side of the seam. The new ones now have the lower curved edge of the “d” now connected by the tail on the same side as the “o” and then the rest of the “d” on the other side of the seam. And they don’t appear to be as pure white as they previously were. Worst of all, the new pants are so thin that the whites are basically see-thru. Guess they’ll all have to switch to tidy whities for all home games. Cheap materials make for a cheap product. But you can bet your ass the authentic ones they sell on line or at their stores certainly didn’t go down in price. My wife got me a new Dolphins jersey for Christmas with my name and number on it. Same as they wear on the field. It was over $400! And the Nike logos on each sleeve aren’t even sewn into the material - they’re glued! Sadder yet is someone I know read and advised me that all major sports jerseys for the big four leagues, including all the names, numbers, special patches, etc. only cost between $15 to $18 to manufacture. Talk about price gouging! GO DODGERS!!! |
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 24, 2024 3:11:30 GMT
Don't give Manjerk any ideas! Now, his newest scheme is to change jersies and I hear so many players don't like it. The good news is he's retiring, but the bad news is it's not till '29. As Doug McKain said on Dodger nation, " can't he retire in an even numbered year, like 2024? From what I’ve seen on Twitter, they’ve already screwed with the Dodger script for their jerseys. EVERY previous version had the “break” (where the jerseys button) after the “o”, with a small tail then connecting it to the second “d” on the other side of the seam. The new ones now have the lower curved edge of the “d” now connected by the tail on the same side as the “o” and then the rest of the “d” on the other side of the seam. And they don’t appear to be as pure white as they previously were. Worst of all, the new pants are so thin that the whites are basically see-thru. Guess they’ll all have to switch to tidy whities for all home games. Cheap materials make for a cheap product. But you can bet your ass the authentic ones they sell on line or at their stores certainly didn’t go down in price. My wife got me a new Dolphins jersey for Christmas with my name and number on it. Same as they wear on the field. It was over $400! And the Nike logos on each sleeve aren’t even sewn into the material - they’re glued!
Sadder yet is someone I know read and advised me that all major sports jerseys for the big four leagues, including all the names, numbers, special patches, etc. only cost between $15 to $18 to manufacture.
Talk about price gouging! GO DODGERS!!! It just trickles down to the consumer every time. Back in the day, I could afford to go to a few Lakers games a year. The last one I went to was over 25 years ago. I know because I still worked for the Hilton. They fired me for getting sick in March of 2000. Tessa went with me. We stayed & watched a Kobe Bryant interview. BUT it was nice to see a winning product after Jerry Buss bought the team. Seeing all those Hollywood stars courtside was kinda sickening. Remember when Frank McCourt gave Jack Nicholson a Dodgers cap? Nicholson was a big Lakers & Yankees fan. Frontrunner. He handled the Dodger cap like radioactive shit. |
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jrgreene6
Legend
Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,438
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 24, 2024 4:44:35 GMT
Don’t think I’ve ever been to Dodger Stadium when there wasn’t a celeb or two citing; several times we were within an arms length or sitting only a few rows behind.
Think I told this one before, but one game we were sitting within a few rows of Charlie Sheen and Pete Rose.
They were literally betting on EVERY pitch and fifties were being passed back and forth for a couple of innings.
Around the third, I saw Charlie flip open his phone. He turned, looked up to the top of the aisle where stood two Playboy quality blondes.
He turns back around to Pete and I can read his lips as he says “Pete - I gotta go”. He was up that aisle faster than Usain Bolt.
GO DODGERS!!!
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,790
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Feb 24, 2024 13:59:59 GMT
What about Miguel Vargas in LF? He looked really good there, making 2 great plays. We do need a good bat there, so could playing LF revive his bat? He got sent back down to AAA last year about midseason cos he just couldn't hack MLB pitching. There have been several players in MLB history whose bats have been revived by playing another position. He went 2 for 3 yesterday, but I realize that one ST game does not a good season make. What do you guys think?
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 24, 2024 14:43:29 GMT
What about Miguel Vargas in LF? He looked really good there, making 2 great plays. We do need a good bat there, so could playing LF revive his bat? He got sent back down to AAA last year about midseason cos he just couldn't hack MLB pitching. There have been several players in MLB history whose bats have been revived by playing another position. He went 2 for 3 yesterday, but I realize that one ST game does not a good season make. What do you guys think? Leftfield is what they got Hernandez's 200 strikeouts for. |
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20DodgerMiracle24
Legend
Rob Manfred is a disaster to our national pastime.
Posts: 1,790
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Post by 20DodgerMiracle24 on Feb 24, 2024 14:57:15 GMT
What about Miguel Vargas in LF? He looked really good there, making 2 great plays. We do need a good bat there, so could playing LF revive his bat? He got sent back down to AAA last year about midseason cos he just couldn't hack MLB pitching. There have been several players in MLB history whose bats have been revived by playing another position. He went 2 for 3 yesterday, but I realize that one ST game does not a good season make. What do you guys think? Leftfield is what they got Hernandez's 200 strikeouts for. Good point, but consider why they game Vargas a low number? That implies that they intend to keep him for now, or they would've kept him at AAA or sent him packing. He had 61 Ks in 81 games, and in this day and age, that's not so bad. His bat does have some pop, as he had a .172 IP. WE shall see |
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 25, 2024 0:29:53 GMT
MLB Rumors: J.D. Martinez Rebuffed Giants Contract Offer in 2024 Free Agency
MIKE CHIARIX.com Logo
FEBRUARY 24, 2024
Free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez reportedly turned down a contract offer from the San Francisco Giants this offseason.
According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Giants made Martinez an offer, but he "didn't want to go there."
The 36-year-old Martinez, who is still a free agent, spent 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are the Giants' main rival. Heyman noted that the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers are a "potential fit" for Martinez.
While Martinez is perhaps in the twilight of his career, he is still a highly productive hitter, which is why it is so surprising that he remains unsigned despite spring training having started.
Martinez has been named an All-Star in each of the past five seasons when an All-Star Game has been held, and he put up monster numbers last season despite only appearing in 113 games.
Serving almost exclusively as a designated hitter, Martinez slashed .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBI for a Dodgers team that won the National League West with a 100-62 record.
Martinez had plenty of lineup protection, particularly from a pair of NL MVP candidates in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
There was some thought that Martinez would return to the Dodgers in 2024 after being such a pivotal part of their offensive attack, but any chance of that was ended when L.A. signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-breaking contract this offseason.
Since Ohtani typically only serves as a DH, it left the Dodgers without a spot for Martinez to play and contribute consistently.
Martinez is a six-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and one-time World Series winner who has bounced around quite a bit during his career despite his success, playing for the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers.
In 1,522 career regular-season games, Martinez owns a batting average of .287 with 315 homers and 1,002 RBI.
The Giants' interest in Martinez reportedly came before they filled their DH spot by signing Jorge Soler to a three-year, $42 million deal.
Soler, who will turn 32 on Sunday, is a one-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and one-time World Series MVP who clubbed 36 home runs for the Miami Marlins last season.
Martinez is far from alone in being a high-profile hitter who hasn't yet been signed. The market was slow for hitters this offseason, and he is joined by Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman and Tommy Pham as position players who remain free agents.
The Rangers already have a stacked lineup led by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis García, Josh Jung and Co., but with no clear-cut DH on their roster, they stand out as a team that could ink Martinez in the coming days.
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jrgreene6
Legend
Married . . . With Cats
Posts: 7,438
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Post by jrgreene6 on Feb 25, 2024 4:31:06 GMT
I’m surprised LA hasn’t made an offer to Joey Votto; he could fill in for Freddie once a week and fits the Dodger profile of a .200 hitter that can blast one out every now and then and drive in 60 - 75 runs.
Of course, how much of that production could LA count on with him only playing in 40 games or so?
GO DODGERS!!!
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 25, 2024 16:15:05 GMT
Yankees Predicted to Sign Blake Snell on $150 Million Deal
Story by Peter Chawaga • 16h
Offseason rumors have been swirling incessantly regarding a potential deal between the New York Yankees and free agent pitcher Blake Snell.
Writing for NBC Sports Chicago, Peter Marzano predicted Snell would opt for a long-term deal with the Yankees, ultimately agreeing to six years at $150 million.
“The Yankees do seem to be a team that will eventually open the checkbook for Snell,” Marzano noted. “Battling in perhaps baseball’s most competitive division after already making a blockbuster move to acquire Juan Soto, the Bronx Bombers may feel like adding another Cy Young Award-winner to their rotation … could be the knockout punch needed to emerge as the team to beat in the division.”
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole addressed the potential of such a deal while accepting his 2023 American League Cy Young Award, seated as he was next to Snell, who was accepting the National League’s counterpart.
USA Today MLB Insider Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees made Snell a six-year, $150 million offer in January, and noted in a follow up report that they were waiting to see if his asking price would drop or if he’d opt for a $25 million annual salary on a shorter-term deal.
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 25, 2024 16:20:03 GMT
Cody Bellinger re-signs with Chicago Cubs on three-year, $80 million deal
Gabe Lacques
USA TODAY
Cody Bellinger's long-awaited pot of gold at the end of the free agency rainbow finally emerged Sunday perhaps not as full as the 2019 Natonal League MVP might have envisioned.
Bellinger agreed to a three-year, $80 million contract to return to the Chicago Cubs, according to a person with direct knowledge of the agreement. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the contract will not be finalized until Bellinger completes his physical.
Bellinger, 28, was the best position player on this free agent market, unsurprising after he made history in winning the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year and two years later hit 49 homers to capture the MVP award. But two injury-filled seasons that compromised both his upper (right shoulder) and lower (calf) body contributed to a pair of desultory seasons in which he batted .193 with a .611 OPS.
That prompted the Los Angeles Dodgers to non-tender rather than pay him around $18 million via arbitration last winter. The Cubs snapped him up – and both parties benefited.
Bellinger batted .307 with an .881 OPS and 140 adjusted OPS for the Cubs, numbers far more in line with the .911 OPS and 140 adjusted mark during his first four seasons.
But a separated shoulder suffered while celebrating in the 2020 NLCS – it required off-season shoulder surgery – sent him on a significant detour, his compromised body and the subsequent outcome dimming his confidence. He reemerged this year as a five-tool talent, playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field and at first base while producing 4.4 Wins Above Replacement.
Yet his suitors on the open market apparently remained skeptical of his health and production woes. Clubs like the Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants remained on the front burner, but the offers Boras and Bellinger apparently sought never materialized.
As spring training began earlier this month, Bellinger, pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell and third baseman Matt Chapman - all Boras clients - remained unsigned. Sunday, Bellinger came to the conclusion a reunion − likely at a lower price and commitment than he desired − was the best route to go.
Yet Bellinger will hit free agency again at 31 and in the meantime, thrust the Cubs toward the front of the NL Central.
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 25, 2024 16:23:32 GMT
First, for Scott Boras - HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!
Second, for Mike Trout - both of these players were signed for a combined 230 million dollars. About what Moreno gave Anthony Rendon. You are NOT going to get to play on a competitive team in Anaheim unless it's just a total fluke.
Get out while you still can.
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Post by Blunashun on Feb 26, 2024 18:26:46 GMT
Report: Dodgers to Hire Fan Favorite to 'Advisory' Role Story by Ricardo Sandoval • 1h The Los Angeles Dodgers aren't done adding to their talent off the field. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes have surrounded themselves with talented ex-big leaguers, from Raul Ibañez to Nelson Cruz. The Dodgers are adding to their star-studded front office again. USA Today's Bob Nightengale was among the first to report the Boys in Blue are expected to hire former All-Star and fan favorite Matt Kemp in an advisory role. The Dodgers are expected to hire former All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp in an advisory role in their organization. twitter.com/FabianArdaya?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761865685360316869%7Ctwgr%5E72d444017d3fe3bf4e8cbc56fc39f844b2bbce47%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fmlb%2Fdodgers%2Fnews%2Freport-dodgers-to-hire-fan-favorite-to-advisory-role-rks97The three-time All-Star is expected to return to the team where he spent ten unforgettable years of his career. The Dodgers originally drafted Kemp in the sixth round of the 2003 MLB Draft. Kemp broke through in 2006. His best season came in 2011, when he finished second in the National League Most Valuable Player race, recording career highs across the board. Kemp slashed .324/.399/.586 with a .986 OPS, 39 home runs and 136 RBIs. Although a shoulder injury sapped his power at the plate, Kemp was still a popular Dodger when he was traded after the 2014 season to the San Diego Padres. Fans were outraged about the move. Ultimately, Kemp came back for a second stint in 2018 via trade and played a big role in leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series appearance. Now, the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner is back in Los Angeles for his third stint. He's excelled in Los Angeles his entire career, and it should be no different as an advisor. Only two current Dodgers played with Kemp during his original stint in Los Angeles: pitcher Clayton Kershaw (who's currently on the injured list recovering from off-season shoulder surgery) and infielder Miguel Rojas. Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, Austin Barnes, and non-roster invitee Daniel Hudson were teammates with Kemp during his 2018 encore. |
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