― bnw (bnw), Friday, 5 November 2004 17:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 5 November 2004 18:49 (nineteen years ago) link
Looks like Beltran's agent is trying to get a contract in total cash on in the A-Rod realm, which no matter how good Carlos may be is crazy thinking. Beltran is a great all around player and probably has not yet peaked, but he hasn't hit like A-Rod did in Seattle.
After such a big injury, I would figure that Sexton might go to a team on a short one year deal, just to prove that he is ok.
The team that I am really curious to see what moves the make are the Cleveland Indians. Their lineup is definitely ready to make a run at winning the central, but they need a whole lot of help in the bullpen and probably one or two starting pitchers. Are their finances improved? They used to be a money bags team and then started from scratch in rebuilding.
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Friday, 5 November 2004 23:18 (nineteen years ago) link
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=fanball-redsoxoffermadetoped&prov=fanball&type=lgns
― John (jdahlem), Saturday, 6 November 2004 17:08 (nineteen years ago) link
Come to think of it, is Pedro the first guy who signed his last contract during the Inflated Contract Era to come up for free agency? That is, is he the first of the guys who signed multi-year deals at $15-$20mil/year who will have to take a BIG paycut because of the subsequent market correction?
Delgado is in the same boat right now.
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 6 November 2004 18:29 (nineteen years ago) link
apparently a sosa for shawn green deal is in the works and the chisox have offered konerko, jon garland and prospects for the large unit.
― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Sunday, 7 November 2004 16:31 (nineteen years ago) link
If the Sox have offered Konerko and Garland for the Unit, no matter how good the prospects are the DBacks should bite. Konerko could be in the prime of his career next season and Garland might be the kind of pitcher that does better in the NL and he will be only 25 next season. The Unit will be 41 next season and he might be just as good or his body could fall apart in May, you never know on these things.
Getting rid of Konerko for the Sox is quite a gamble. If Magglio leaves and Thomas is still hurt next season, that team will have a serious hole in the middle of the lineup. Carlos Lee would really have to deliver and other people would have to step up.
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Monday, 8 November 2004 00:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― David R. (popshots75`), Tuesday, 9 November 2004 16:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 16:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 10 November 2004 19:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Thursday, 11 November 2004 14:16 (nineteen years ago) link
http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-spmets114038017nov11,0,3885182.story
REYES?? He'll be healed and Cooperstown-bound if they deal him for Soriano, aka Juan Samuel II.
Braves wisely trying to trade Andruw at the peak of his overratedness.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 11 November 2004 15:51 (nineteen years ago) link
it was good to see the can though, looking a little rough, but that's the can.
― otto midnight (otto midnight), Thursday, 11 November 2004 16:49 (nineteen years ago) link
Minaya hasn't impressed me so far.
What the heck is the ChiSox farm system like that they can consider giving up Konerko? Or are they going to simultaneously make a play for Delgado or some other 1B freebie?
― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 11 November 2004 16:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Thursday, 11 November 2004 17:07 (nineteen years ago) link
What's he done besides hire Randolph?
Geez, Mo Rivera got 24 third-place Cy votes -- is all that Wisdom of Gammons-influenced? What crap. Ben Sheets got ONE third-place vote in the NL.
Speaking of Pistol Pete, his latest column sez the Unit doesn't want the Chisox:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/gammons/story?id=1920544
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 11 November 2004 19:24 (nineteen years ago) link
― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 11 November 2004 19:40 (nineteen years ago) link
I can't see any way the Braves would deal Andruw Jones for Kevin Brown, especially considering Brown is around age 40 and played like a duffer last season and during the playoffs.
"Soriano, aka Juan Samuel II"
Interesting and apt comparison.
Boras is smoking rope on some of these deals he is fishing out there.
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Thursday, 11 November 2004 20:22 (nineteen years ago) link
― maura (maura), Sunday, 14 November 2004 20:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― gygax! (gygax!), Sunday, 14 November 2004 21:18 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Monday, 15 November 2004 03:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 15 November 2004 04:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 15 November 2004 05:03 (nineteen years ago) link
(aka Renteria's wallet)
― bnw (bnw), Monday, 15 November 2004 19:35 (nineteen years ago) link
― maura (maura), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 02:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― maura (maura), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 02:09 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 02:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― maura (maura), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 02:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 03:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 04:13 (nineteen years ago) link
Jim Bowden = ???? Didn't anyone tell him that both Vinny & Guzman are the bottom of the barrel at their respective positions this free agent season, and that he could probably get equal production from cheaper folk and / or sign those two for less money after everyone else filled their left infield needs? You'd think his many months working for ESPN would've taught him SOMETHING.
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 04:38 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 04:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:28 (nineteen years ago) link
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/20702.htm
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 15:56 (nineteen years ago) link
xpost - did R. Kelly sleep with his ex-chef, though?
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:04 (nineteen years ago) link
Yeah, why would Pavano suck in the AL, Yanc? (Pro Player has been a strong pitcher park; Pavano was still one of the 4-5 best in the NL last year, neutrally speaking.)
Mrs Sheff's adventures with R predated her trophy-wifery.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:11 (nineteen years ago) link
― John (jdahlem), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:36 (nineteen years ago) link
as for kelly/sheff -- i don't care if it happened long after i was dead, i would not want a tape of my wife grooving on kelly's no-cry-shampoo scented cock. talk about being shamed!
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:43 (nineteen years ago) link
She is 28 years old and the incident happened "more than 10 years ago".
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:46 (nineteen years ago) link
Also note - he's only 28! (I just did a quick PECOTA check, & hoped to find Tom Glavine's name on his list, but no dice. HOWEVER, 1998's Jon Lieber (link!) is #3 on his list of comparables.)
They better make RFK into Shibe Park or the Polo Grounds. With a water-slide in the field of play. And mascots (filibusters!) running onto the field at random times to interfere with balls in play.
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 16:52 (nineteen years ago) link
i'd guess the nl-to-al thing is 90% conventional wisdom, but i'll leave that to morbius.
chances are his era will be closer to 4.30 than 3.00, but in b/w the two, agreed?
― John (jdahlem), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 17:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Big Baby Bingo (Chris V), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 17:05 (nineteen years ago) link
― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 17:07 (nineteen years ago) link
If I'm reading the charts right, CP's bullpen support was among the worst (3.63) in '03 and decent (-0.83) this year:
http://baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sp_pen_support2004.html
http://baseballprospectus.com/statistics/sp_pen_support2003.html
Keep in mind Pavano's 2000 surgery meant he didn't have 30 (or even 25) starts in a year til 2003. Will Carroll, BP's injury guru, greenlights him:
"Carl Pavano (GREEN) - Here's a test case for pitchers. Pavano never pitched more than 136 innings before age 27, then jumped up to the 200-inning mark in his next two seasons. He pitched for a World Series winner, then got better the next season. He has a classic pitcher's frame, good mechanics, and everything but a strikeout pitch. If BP built a pitcher, Frankenstein-style, there'd be some Pavano parts in the mix. You have to be damned good to dump Alyssa Milano. (prediction: Orioles)"
The full Carroll free-agent report (non-premium!):
http://baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3622
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 17:16 (nineteen years ago) link
Kent has been healthy even as he's aged, assuming he can be kept away from "car washes." (Cubs)
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 17:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 19:55 (nineteen years ago) link
ViewsThe Tigers now have two closers. They recently picked up the $4-million option on Ugueth Urbina's contract for 2005. You can expect they will be asked about this at their upcoming press conference; it's quite possible Urbina will be traded at baseball's winter meetings. Percival was reportedly being pursued by up to 12 teams, most notably the Indians, who will now likely focus their attention on landing free agent Armando Benitez as consolation. Percival's fantasy value will suffer a little in Detroit, as he will have fewer save opportunities than he's had in Anaheim, but will be pitching in a better pitcher's ballpark. The main concern with the 35-year-old Percival remains his health, as he has battled various ailments the last couple years and is certainly past his prime.
― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 17 November 2004 21:29 (nineteen years ago) link
I guess now my question is (re: the Jays) - who were their shit-hot prospects from the 80s & 90s?
70s / 80s: (I'm really not sure on any of these)Tony FernandezTom HenkeDave Steib Jesse Barfield (?)Kelly Gruber (woo!)Garth Iorg (?)
90s / early 00s:Carlos DelgadoShannon StewartJeff Kent Pat Hentgen (for a brief while)Mike TimlinEd Sprague (woo woo!)
From what I can recall, the meat of their championship teams (Robbie Alomar / Joe Carter / Devon White / David Cone) (& Mitch Williams -ha!) came from other organizations.
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 21:12 (nineteen years ago) link
Pat BordersDavid WellsMark WhitenGeorge Bell (drafted by Phillies, came up as a Blue Jay)Fred McGriff (drafted by Yanks, came up as a Blue Jay)Juan Guzman (drafted by Dodgers, came up as a Blue Jay)Jimmy KeyTodd StottlemyreJohn Olerud (came pretty much straight out of college)
Add in some of the players listed above and that is pretty good for a 8 to 10 year run (like 85 to 92) of player development.
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 21:35 (nineteen years ago) link
as for 90s & aughts, don't forget...jay gibbons!
okay, you can forget him.
― jonathan quayle higgins (j.q. higgins), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link
STRICKEN FROM THE RECORD (if we're talking strictly about players drafted by the Jays, which I was). Not that I'm knocking the front office's knack for recognizing talented players in other orgs and/or fleecing the Yankee farm system (which, in the '80s, was required by the Collective Bargaining Agreement).
But, yeah, I think the Jays' farm system now is comparable to what it was - the only problem is the guys they acquire from outside of their system (either through trade or through free-agent signage). And the lack of developed starting pitchers. And having to play in a division w/ the two most lucrative franchises in all of baseball, if not all of American professional sports. And Skydome doing double duty as a vacant lot between April & October. And the team's inability to stick w/ a uniform design & logo for more than 2 years before coming up w/ a worse design. Otherwise, thumbs up, Canada!
― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 21:56 (nineteen years ago) link
I would still give the Jays credit for getting that talent out of the other teams minor leagues as there are bunches of players traded around that never do much at all. Whatever they were doing in late 80s early 90s worked, they were a perennial contender and won two championships. Some teams seem to develop one or two positions pretty well but the Jays came up with players all over the diamond.
― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 9 February 2005 22:08 (nineteen years ago) link
bo was the chicago sun-times high school athlete of the year a few years ago, he seems pumped at the opportunity to play for the cubs.
― otto midnight (otto midnight), Friday, 11 February 2005 05:43 (nineteen years ago) link
Pitchers and Catchers report today for about 1/3 of MLB (Astros, Braves, Devil Rays, Giants, Indians, Marlins, Phillies, Pirates, Redsox, Rockies and Tigers).
― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 17 February 2005 16:44 (nineteen years ago) link