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My brother in law bought me this bottle of Grays Peak Small Batch vodka for Christmas. Dang nice looking bottle. I haven't opened it yet. But I'm wondering who here has a preference for vodka and if you really can tell the difference between one American Vodka and another? This one is going to end up in white russians anyway. The Dude would doubtless approve.

Who do you THINK will be the next candidate to drop out? I'm including the Democrats but excluding some of the Republicans who really aren't running any kind of campaign (Jim Gilmore, Lizzy Graham, Pataki...) Bonus points for picking when. Jeb Bush Ben Carson Chris Christie Ted Cruz Carly Fiorina Mike Huckabee Boddy Jindal John Kasich Rand Paul Marco Rubio Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Mark O'Malley Bernie Sanders

National League C Yadier Molina, Cardinals 1B Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks 2B Dee Gordon, Marlins 3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies SS Brandon Crawford, Giants LF Starling Marte, Pirates CF A.J. Pollock, Diamondbacks RF Jason Heyward, Cardinals P Zack Greinke, Dodgers American League C Salvador Perez, Royals 1B Eric Hosmer, Royals 2B Jose Altuve, Astros 3B Manny Machado, Orioles SS Alcides Escobar, Royals LF Yoenis Cespedes, Tigers/Mets CF Kevin Kiermaier, Rays RF Kole Calhoun, Angels P Dallas Keuchel, Astros

So I'm walking around the house singing The Animals, "House Of The Rising Sun" to myself. And I wondered what other FReepers sing to themselves...

Six-time MLB all-star Lance Berkman used to be a star on a field, but a starring role in an advertisement against a recently failed Houston equality referendum has some in the city wishing he’d fade away. In the ad, which took a stand against the Houston equal-rights ordinance (HERO), the former Houston Astros and Texas Rangers player urged everyone to “vote no” because it would allow “troubled men” to use women’s bathrooms. (snip) The fight for Berkman, however, seems to only have just begun. After the ordinance failed, Berkman doubled down on his comments and said he wasn’t just worried...

GO Royals!!

In every poll I see, Ted Cruz is a distant 4th, sometimes 5th. The guy has a very well organized ground game. He's knowledgable. He acts presidential. So why isn't he doing better in the polls? I'm interested in opinions.

The Cubs have got to win this game or they're in trouble. Well, they're already in trouble, but it can get worse. Royals beat the stuffing out of the Blue Jays 14-2!

No doubt the ratings will be big for the Cubs/Mets game. Go Cubs!

My Cardinals lost. I'm going to pull for the Cubs to go the whole way! I was glad to see the Royals win. My hometown of Springfield Missouri used to be a Royals stronghold before The Dark Years. My wife still has a bobblehead of George Brett on the entertainment cabinet. The Rangers...I don't know what to say. That 7th inning was the strangest and ugliest inning of baseball I've ever seen in my life. As for tonights game between the Mets and Dodgers, it certainly won't lack for enmity. Don't expect kissing and making up after it's over.

Already home to superheroes, young wizards and Legos, Warner Bros. is making room for some monsters. The studio announced Wednesday it has reached a deal with Legendary Pictures to release “Kong: Skull Island” in 2017, sequel “Godzilla 2” in 2018, and the mash-up “Godzilla Vs. Kong” in 2020.

LOS ANGELES -- Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada suffered a fracture to the fibula of his lower right leg in a nasty collision at second base Saturday night in the seventh inning of a Game 2 loss to the Dodgers in the NL Divison Series. The Dodgers' Chase Utley slid late and hit Tejada hard just as Tejada was turning around to attempt a double play on a grounder hit by Howie Kendrick. Tejada flipped over Utley and landed hard on his left side. The Dodgers went on to score a total of four runs in the inning en route to...

mmmmm...baseball.

I will try to post one of these for each series also, NOT EACH GAME, or something like that. Thanks to ken5050!

NEW YORK (AP) -- A year ago, no one could've pictured this. Yet here they were, Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros, soaking in champagne, merrily posing for a victory shot on the mound at Yankee Stadium. After all that losing, this was one October win to remember. Pitching on three days' rest for the first time in his career, Keuchel baffled New York for six innings of three-hit ball. Colby Rasmus and Carlos Gomez homered, and the Astros beat the Yankees 3-0 Tuesday night in the American League wild-card game. "Nobody really gave us anything at the start of...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers finally clinched the AL West title on the last day of the regular season. Hamels pitched a three-hitter, Adrian Beltre hit a go-ahead homer and the Rangers beat the Angels 9-2 Sunday, eliminating Los Angeles from playoff contention. A year after their 95 losses were the most in the American League, two months after they were still eight games out of first place and three days after ensuring themselves a postseason spot, the Rangers wrapped up their sixth division title. Texas plays its first AL division series game since 2011 on...

NEW YORK -- There was an old-school vibe as the New York Yankees celebrated their wild-card-clinching win in the home clubhouse in the Bronx. Rap songs from Run-D.M.C., LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys played on the stereo system. The song "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" blasted at one point during a very happy, but subdued, champagne celebration. The song seemed appropriate because this Yankee team is an overachieving bunch that has exceeded most expectations. "No one thought we would go anywhere this year, but we have come together the last eight months and it's been...

A Kentucky county clerk who had been jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples secretly met Pope Francis during his visit to the United States last week, a meeting she called greatly encouraging. The Vatican confirmed the pope's meeting in a brief statement on Wednesday. Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and her husband met the pope during the Washington leg of his U.S. visit, she and her lawyer told American media.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Clayton Kershaw lingered on the field a few moments longer than the rest of his Los Angeles teammates, then looked up at the cheering fans in Dodger Blue, smiled and tipped his cap before quickly disappearing into the dugout and heading off to celebrate. Kershaw pitched the big-money Dodgers to their third straight National League West title, tossing a one-hitter as Los Angeles beat Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants 8-0 on Tuesday night. Kershaw allowed just a third-inning single and struck out 13, and now he'll get a chance to erase those sour postseason memories...

The Chicago Cubs have clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2008. The Cubs were assured of at least an NL wild-card slot Friday night when San Francisco lost to Oakland 5-4, eliminating the Giants from playoff contention. The sign outside Wrigley Field lit up with "Cubs Clinch Postseason Berth'' after it became official late Friday night. Fans gathered around to take pictures and mark Chicago's return for the first time since 2008.