SoxFan562004

I know it's just a reliever, but NYY really needed this, even if Pettite comes back their rotation will still be a weak point, they need to mash and get it to their pen ASAP and hope CC goes deep basically every outing to give them a day off

QUOTE (chw42 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 05:05 PM) Unfortunately, Jim Caple also wrote some article about how runs scored are one the most important individual stats in baseball in order to prove Derek Jeter wasn't bad last season. So there goes some of his credibility. http://insider.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove09/...%26id%3d4848879 I have a feeling this is just the beginning of some massive ESPN Jeter protecting. That situation is going to get uglier, the NYY didn't get a windfall this offseason and Jeter being run out at SS everyday is going to really be more of an obvious liability.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 05:38 PM) Their ticket sales have gradually declined the last 2 seasons and was down nearly 3000 a game from 2008 and 2000 a game from 2009. If each person spends $50 a game, that's $12 million less revenue compared to 2008. There's a serious revenue downside for the ownership group if that team competes with the Pirates again next year, and they're locked into those contracts whether they win or not. and they are completely stuck with that stadium, after the tax increase today there's no way they get any sort of sweetheart deal from the state

QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 05:34 PM) sounds like a way to keep lesnar active for 2011. i dont see how lesnar could be a coach when he is still really learning mma himself.. im no nostradamus but lesnar doesnt like the standup game and JDS is a standup fighter, i dont see that fight lasting very long in the end unless lesnar trains with freddie roach from now until the fight as far as the coaching goes, the "coaches" are usually just figureheads and they bring in their trainers or outside trainers to run the sessions. For example, Kos wasn't running the nitty gritty of his sessions, Camarillo and Cook from AKA were, which is why it was laughable the fighters on the team were complaining about training sessions, they didn't take advantage of it. So he'll use some of the Death Clutch guys or he has an established relationship with Extreme Couture in Vegas I'm sure those guys will assist as well. It will be interesting to see if Lesnar takes advantage of his time out in Vegas and mixes his training up a little with the crazy amount of camps out in Vegas. I'm sure UFC will give him a ton of leeway in his filming schedule if he asks.

QUOTE (Rowand44 @ Jan 12, 2011 -> 05:03 PM) That's Paul Wilson actually and his right leg is under Farnsworth's legs so he's not in full guard. yeah, he's in an open half, you definitely want to lock that down.

The Cubs are worth about 10% less than what they paid for it, they are going to struggle to get any help to fix that dump and they're saddled with bad contracts... they will have to exhaust all revenue streams and it's why even though Garza is a very good pitcher I can understand Cub fans scratching their heads about giving away prospects for him at this point.

also, JDS asked for this. Sounds like UFC gave him the option to sit and wait for Cain, he wanted a fight so they gave him TUF and the Lesnar fight.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 11, 2011 -> 12:38 PM) Who is going to play 1b for the Rays this year? and who is going to close for them as well? The team still needs a lot

Heyman has Rays looking at Thome and Vlad as well, obviously won't start some sort of crazy bidding war, but gives them another option of where to sign

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 05:47 PM) Nothing wrong with that. Also can work with Sale in rotation. yeah, also with the Twins line-up it helps

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 04:43 PM) Assuming the 2011 NFL Draft abides by the current rules.....Luck is f'ing idiot who most likely just cost himself upwards of 20+ million dollars since there will almost certainly be rookie salary restrictions in the new CBA. I'll never understand why a guy who is a consensus #1 pick (or top 5-10 for that matter) would choose to "finish school" for 1 meaningless year. Take your 50 million dollar contract and finish school in the off season instead of risking your draft stock dropping or blowing your knee out in your senior season. It's not really for anyone but Luck and his family to understand. His dad is AD at WV, the family doesn't need the money... I know they likely don't have millions and millions but maybe he values an education and his college experience more than money. I will never begrudge a player for going for all the money they can get or the other end of giving a hometown discount or staying in school.

SF makes sense, that division is a suck-fest, even with the Rams glimmering some hope, and SF actually has some talent on that roster. They invested two high picks in O linemen last year.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 12:35 PM) I could certainly see that Cubs team being competitive for the division. They definitely under-performed last year; they only got a half season from Aramis, they effectively got 1/3 of a season from Zambrano. They've at least got a player who could be average at every position. Soriano/Byrd/Fukudome, and Ramirez/Castro/DeWitt/Pena, with Tyler Colvin slugged in there somewhere, Soto behind the plate, Marmol as the closer, with Zambrano/Dempster/Garza/Silva/Wells as their rotation, Wood as a setup man, The thing is, they need to be healthy at a few key spots, and they're older than the teams they're competing against. Yeah I can see how they can compete, I just don't feel this move jumps them up significantly. There's just a ton of question marks in there, including health. Sure devil's advocate can be played for any team, but since we're discussing the Cubs, Zambrano is a complete question mark even with his last starts of the year in 2010, Silva is far from a guarantee, as is Wells, Dempster is good but again, 08 for him was probably more of an anomaly than an accurate reflection of what he really is. That line-up is just so full of ifs and maybes. Easily the best thing they have IMO is Marshall/Woods/Marmol for 7/8/9. Again, sure they can compete, but the NL Central is a tough division and I just don't think Garza makes them significantly better. I really think many people in the media, well let's face it Chicago is a bigger market than Milwaukee, are underplaying what the Brewers did... I mean, Markum and Greinke added, with Galardo (sp?) at 3 and Wolf at 4 is extremely good, and their line-up with Fielder, Braun, Weeks, Hart, etc. on paper is extremely solid. Also, they really got burned by Hoffman at the beginning of the season last year, he completely imploded and threw a bunch of stuff off. NL Central should be interesting this year.

QUOTE (kane0730 @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 12:33 PM) What's Garza's contract status? under arbitration control for 3 more seasons including 2011, which makes it a better deal for the Cubs. Again, mixed on this from the Cubs... they get a good young pitcher who they control money wise for 3 years and could always buy a year or two of that for an extra year or so. However, on paper I just don't see how it helps them compete in a more significant way this year. I like it far more as a 2012-13 move than 2011, but then they're going to have to replace guys coming off the books, grant it many of them are old and not fantastic, but unless something drastic happens the Ricketts won't have mega money to spend and even if you do, as the NYY proved this year, money doesn't always win out.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 11:46 AM) Can't deny this is a good move for the Cubs, too. But they're still a distant 4th behind the Reds, Brewers and Cardinals. my exact feeling on it. Yes, it's a good move, Garza is a good pitcher, but the Brewers added two better SPs this offseason. I just don't see it giving them that much better of a chance of winning the division.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Jan 7, 2011 -> 12:14 AM) Amazing how bad the media is these days when it comes to trying to be the first to leak out a story. They dont even care when they totally miss on breaking a story. No one calls them out on it. depends on how and where they couch it... if it's a twitter feed like Glazer has been doing where he really stresses he's hearing stuff from sources and nothing confirmed but updating a lot I don't mind, but when people are breaking stuff on TV and completely wrong I do hate it. Worst is when ESPN doesn't break a story, then they try to back door it so it looks like they did, ie "Chris Mortensen confirms earlier reports of...." completely ridiculous

QUOTE (zenryan @ Jan 6, 2011 -> 11:07 PM) looks like the Harbaugh talks fell apart. NFL.com is reporting Sparano was told tonight that he would return for 2011. Glazer now saying reports out of SF are they're trying to get a deal done tonight with Harbaugh for about 6m a year... well now about 20 minutes later Glazer is saying Stanford has raised their offer and he's leaning there, saying his sources in both spots are insisting he's theirs... seems still up in the air

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Jan 6, 2011 -> 10:20 AM) This. I dont get it either. is it possibly because he played in the same era as Ricky Henderson? Rock's numbers are great and I agree, he should get more attention for the hall, but Henderson was a similar player who was so completely dominant that with Rock playing in Montreal for a long time he just gets overshadowed

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Jan 5, 2011 -> 04:38 PM) Roberto Alomar was one of the 5 best players I've ever seen. And Bagwell not getting in pretty much confirms that there's no way Frank is getting in on the first ballot. I know he's got the 500 HRs. But they'll definitely use the fact he was a DH for most of those against him. there's a chance he gets in 1st ballot if enough voters have decided he will be the golden example of a guy they think didn't juice during the era and reward him for it, but yes, I think he'll wait a year and it will be strictly "punishment" for being a DH so long, even though during his crazy first seven years he played a good amount of 1b... How do you guys think A-Rod will eventually be handled? 1st ballot, one year "punishment" from writers or long time to get in?

QUOTE (Brian @ Jan 4, 2011 -> 04:22 PM) With no real competition for him, unless the Angels were there, why so much for so long for Beltre? Seems like Angels were involved, so mix them with Boras and his magical mystery team plus Beltre is good, the contract happens

Well Heyman is saying if the deal gets done it actually will be closer to what the Dominican paper said and be worth 90-100m.

Heyman reporting Rangers and Beltre are talking, but there's a 96m number coming out of the Dominican that he says is not true

Bulls constantly sold out, even when they were horrible. White Sox are spending money for various reason, lead one is JR is 74 and is likely exhausting his budget as far as he can, also, while they are not specifically the White Sox, the deadspin documents from last year show how creative team get with getting all the money they can out of a team, add that with the White Sox favorable lease at the Cell, they have money. This goes with JR being older, but he and his partners paid 19m for the Sox in teh early 80's, Forbes had the team listed in 2010 as worth about 400m.

at some point last night UFC decided it will be Maynard/Edgar II before Pettis gets his shot, it was a quick flip-flop and Maynard had already left the building by the time the decision was made.... also, Maynard and Edgar both got their win bonuses.

QUOTE (zenryan @ Jan 1, 2011 -> 10:13 AM) Anyone see the Sakuraba highlights from the last DREAM event? His ear cauliflower ear was partially detached from his head and the fight was stopped minutes in and he was rushed to the hospital. Everything will be ok but he wants to fight again. The guy is my favorite fighter ever and is no doubt a legend but this saddens me. He needs to retire before something serious happens. Him fighting up roided fighters that were way out of his weight class has already but way too many miles on his body. Yeah, Saku needs to retire, but Meltzer had an article up on yahoo about a week or two ago discussing how bad Japanese MMA is struggling right now and they flat out needs draws for TV purposes. It hurt them a lot that Kid Yamamoto signed with the UFC and didn't fight on the Dynamite card. Main event was very good tonight, How Edgar made it 5 rounds after that first round beating is beyond me. I agreed with the decision. Also, Pettis will be getting the next fight, there is n o immediate rematch. Overall entertaining card.