centerfield maz's Top CD Albums of 2010

The top albums of 2010 include some great anniversary reissues with all new unreleased tracks, rock & roll movie soundtracks, female jazz vocalist & my latest favorite current genre- female fronted metal bands. Most femme metal bands are out of Europe & can be classified as gothic metal, symphonic metal, progressive metal, etc. This style is huge around the world & beginning to grow more in America. (thank goodness for itunes & youtube) *some albums may be a bit behind due to american releases or me getting my  hands on it late

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & The E. STREET BAND

-THE PROMISE
(THE DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN STORY)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tvcAmNlv80

THE ROLLING STONES

-EXILE ON MAIN STREET 
(2010 REMASTERED with UNRELEASED TRACKS)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ZnmXrRUIQ

ANSOTTICA

-RISE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUQY0ZmQyv8

AUTUMN

-ALTITUDE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-p1FuG_Kh8&feature=related

TRISTANIA

-RUBICAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-S_QhVHGKZQ

THE MURDER OF MY SWEET

-DIVINITY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgtb_e2tH1E

UNSUN
-
CLINIC FOR DOLLS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9Iic1MxE5Q

GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURALS

-GRACE POTTER & the NOCTURNALS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHlhOgQ36m8

ELYSION

-SILENT SCREAM

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

-PINS & NEEDLES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLOfluH8mgQ

AMBERIAN DAWN

-THE CLOUDS OF NORTHLAND THUNDER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IrlUb2QSIo

WITCHBREED

-HERETIC RAPTURE

PYTHIA

-BENEATH THE VEILED EMBRACE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-AaY00F6UI

THE RUNAWAYS

- MOVIE SOUNDTRACK (Various)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN21HlKBi3Q&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RTipAZuMRI

THE DOORS

-WHEN YOUR STRANGE
(MOVIE SOUNDTRACK)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMMo3EmIfJw

BARE INFINITY

-ALWAYS FOREVER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrZ0uKXQ-Mk

CORONATUS

-FABULA MAGNA

LEAVES EYES

-NJORD

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JudU0SCYNTk

THE BEST OF APPLE RECORDS

-COME & GET IT
 (various artists)

WINTER IN EDEN

-AWAKENING

JIMI HENDRIX

-THE VALLEYS Of NEPTUNE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjxH_a5U7wA

TARJA

-WHAT LIES BENEATH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxod9jF9c-s

INGRID LUCIA

-MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS

ELIS

-CATHARSIS

KERION

-THE ORIGINS

DIE SO FLUID

-THE WORLD IS TOO BIG FOR ONE LIFETIME

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AV_tcYqyxY

DIABULUS IN MUSICA

-SECRETS

TRAIL OF TEARS

-BLOODSTAINED ENDURANCE

SAMANDRIEL

-AWAKENING

WE ARE THE FALLEN

-TEAR THE WORLD DOWN

RINGO STARR

-Y NOT

SHERYL CROW

-100 MILES FROM MEMPHIS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws7D9MHJBho

LAURA PAUSINI

-LAURA LIVE WORLD TOUR 2009

SEVEN KINGDOMS

-SEVEN KINGDOMS

& although no new songs- an awesome reissue / remastered package

JOHN LENNON

-THE LENNON SIGNATURE BOX

Italian American Player of the Day: John D'Acquisto (1973-1982)

John Francis D'Acquisto was born December 23, 1951 in the Little Italy section of San Diego, California. The tall right hander was a first round draft pick for San Francisco in 1970, the 17th pick overall.

After a brief seven games in September 1973, he rose on the scene in 1974. He was said to have registered the second best fast ball after Nolan Ryan on the radar gun in the mid seventies. His first game was a relief appearance at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, facing Johnny Bench with a 3-1 count and two on. He struck out Bench and saved his spot on the roster. In his next outing he struck out eight Dodgers in three innings of relief and earned a starting job. He then won seven of nine decisions and became one of the Giants best pitchers.

For 1974 he won the NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award, and the Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award, going 12-14 with a 3.77 ERA, striking out 167 batters (10th in the NL) with 215 innings pitched. He was 4th in the league with his strikeout to walk ratio, and his 36 starts were 9th best. He allowed a lot of walks (124) second most in the league, and hit six batters. At the plate he hit a HR and drove in 3 runs, while batting .113 for the 5th place Giants.

With his career looking bright, he needed elbow surgery in 1975 and it pretty much ruined his career. He got traded to the Cardinals with Mike Cauldwell and Dave Radar for Willie Crawford, John Curtis & Vic Harris. As soon as the season started he was sent to his hometown of San Diego in exchange for former Rookie of the Year Butch Metzger.

He made a good comeback in 1978 going 4-3 with 10 saves and a 2.13 ERA. In 45 games he struck out 104 batters in only 93 innings pitched. The next season the Padres tried him as a started again, but it didn’t work out, he won 9 games and saved 2, but lost 13 and had an ERA near five. He hung on for three more seasons in Montreal, California & Oakland, finishing his ten year career at 34-51 with 15 saves and a 3.56 ERA.

Set Up: After baseball he became a successful investment banker. In 1996 he was sentenced to prison for 39 accounts of defrauding investors of seven million dollars. The charges included illegal money wiring and laundering. In 2002 it was proven that he was set up to cover up the bigger investment thieves. He was released from prison and his name cleared. He went on to earn a PH.D and win awards in Physiology. He currently is a regional director for Sorganics/Ocean Solutions.

Former Italian /American Player of the Day: Yogi's Kid- Dale Berra (1977-19887)

Dale Anthony Berra was born December 13, 1956 in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He of course is the son of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra. Dale attended Montclair High School & was a highly sought out prospect, getting signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1975 in the 20th round.

At the age of 20 he was brought up in August 1977 playing in 17 games batting just .175.

Berra would be a reserve third baseman & short stop in Pittsburgh for five seasons, before becoming their regular short stop in 1982. That year he had career highs, as he batted .263 with 10 HRs 25 doubles 64 runs scored & 61 RBIs. At short he committed 30 errors second most in the league & would repeat that the next season.

He had 10 more HRs the next year, but his average was falling & by 1984 he was hitting just .222 with 9 HRs 52 RBIs in 136 games. In December of 1984 he was Traded along with Jay Buhner to the A.L. New York team for Tim Foli, Steve Kemp and cash. Yogi Berra had been the teams manager since the start of the ’84 season, & Dale became the first son to play for his father in the majors since Earle Mack played for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1937 &1939 under Connie Mack. In 48 games he batted .229 playing mostly at third base behind Mike Pagliarulo.

In the September 1985 Pittsburgh drug trials, Berra testified & admitted he used cocaine as a player in Pittsburgh. He said he used along with Lee Mazzilli, John Milner, Lee Lacy & Rod Scurry in the Pirate locker room. He also said he was using a lot of cocaine in 1984 when he got injured. The Berra name was now blemished & Dale’s career was never going to peak again. In order to avoid a suspension he was allowed to donate 10% of his salary & commit time to drug programs as per Commissioner Peter Ueberroth.

In 1986 he was seeing more action at short starting quite often & got off to a good start batting over .300 until Yogi got fired as the teams manager. After that he saw less playing time only batting .231 with 2 HRs & 13 RBIs in 42 games, getting released in July.

Dale signed with the Astros that August where his dad Yogi was now coaching; he did not play on the Astros 1986 team, but saw action in 19 games in 1987. He only batted. 178 & was released finishing his 11 season career. Berra played in 853 games, with 603 hits 109 doubles 49 HRs 278 RBIs & a .236 batting average. He played more games than any other Hall of Famers son topping Dick Sisler 853 to 799.

Retirement: In 1989 he was indicted in a drug raid that distributed cocaine in Northern New Jersey including his home area of Essex County. In 1990 he ran a construction outfit in Cranford, NJ.

 His brother Larry at one time played in the Mets organization & his other brother Tim played football for the Baltimore Colts in 1974. He played in all 14 games as a punt & kick returner.

Former Italian / American Player: Phil Gagliano (1963-1974)

Philip Joseph Gagliano was born December 27, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee. Phil’s brother Ralph Gagliano played in the minors throughout the sixties, playing one game in the majors with the Cleveland Indians in 1965. Phil was an all around infielder/ outfielder who had a 12 year career mostly as a utility player & pinch hitter. He was signed out of high school by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959, making his debut in 1963. He spent seven seasons in St. Louis seeing the most action in 1965. That year he played in 122 games at second base & in the outfield batting .240 with 8 HRs 14 doubles & 53 RBIs.

He got to play in three World Series with the Cardinals in the sixties, winning two Championships in 1964 & 1967. In the 1964 season he hit .259 in 40 games without getting a chance to play in the World Series. In 1967 he hit 2 HRs with 21 RBIs batting .221 playing in 73 games. In the World Series against Boston he got one at bat going 0-1. The next year he was used mostly as a pinch hitter, playing a utility role in the infield & outfield batting .229 with 12 RBIs. He got three at bats in the World Series against Detroit going hitless. He was traded to the Cubs during the 1970 season & soon became one of the games best pinch hitters. He spent two years in Boston batting .354 as a pinch hitter in 1971 with a .413 on base %.

In the spring of 1973 he was sent to the Cincinnati Reds with Andy Kosco for Mel Behney. As a pinch hitter for the 1973 NL Western Champion Big Red Machine, Gagliano hit .366. Overall he batted .290 with a .402 on base %. He filled in a few games here & there as a utility player as well. He got see action in three Games of the 1973 NLCS against the Mets, going 0-3. First he struck out in the 5th inning of Jon Matlack’s Game #2 two hitter in Cincinnati. He made the last out off Jerry Koosman in the classic Game #4, the game where Bud Harrelson & Pete Rose had their famous brawl at Shea Stadium. He also grounded out in the next game as a pinch hitter. Gagliano finished his 12 year career with a .238 batting average after the 1974 season.

from centerfield: A few years back the 1974 Phil Gagliano Topps baseball card, although a common was one of the last ones I needed to complete my set!