jackie hayes

So why should I be confident that he'll pitch a large part of the season? I like the pitcher, but I get worried about a guy who has "tired shoulder" after 84 ip. I know he had surgery on his shoulder -- have other pitchers had similar problems after surgery? Just a lot of questions on this one.

Okay, just misunderstood. Totally agree then.

I'm a big Wade Miller fan, but there's no reason to overstate the case. Pedro, Johnson, Schilling, Schmidt, Oswalt.... Very similar over his career to Wood's ERA+ numbers.

Still, Wade Miller... I'm shocked by that alone. He is a GOOD pitcher, a strikeout and somewhat of a gb pitcher (usually). I would love for the Sox to get him.

No, only Wade Miller. It says Oswalt was tendered. Almost gave me a happy heart attack.

No, I do. Phils would get 2 draft picks, but the signing team would only have had to give up 1. Doesn't change the point of my post, but still very stupid. Me :dips***

I doubt that. If no other teams were willing to sign him at his arbitration-value and give up 2 draft picks (he's a Class A fa), why would they be willing to trade for him at arbitration salary, and give up more developed prospects, when it's only a 1-year deal? Anyway, Ed Wade reserved comment -- not a very positive signal.

Bet the Phils aren't too happy about it. It's bad news for us b/c that will only make Cairo more valuable to the Cards.

It's not like the bell-ringer is examining the coin combo you're tossing in, though. Hey, whatever, it's just another buck for the SA, can't hurt. Just curious about that explanation, b/c I'm real sure I could throw in a gold coin w/o anyone noticing. If I could afford a gold coin, that is. Scroogy footnote: Kind of wonder where they get these coins. If they come from a dealer and then they're auctioned back to a dealer, it'd be a waste except for the news story.

What does the bill conceal? Does a gold coin clink differently than a copper coin?

I agree w/ WHarris. Tigers might be spending money, but I don't think they can play w/ the Sox over a season, barring injuries.

Poor guy, it's tough going through that phase. He'll understand in time that it's supposed to "pop up"...

Fair enough. But I think they're at least as proven as our bullpen guys. Takatsu's just had one great year (like Cruz), there are questions about his success a second time around. Politte has been up and down. Vizcaino was good last year, but not much more than that, with a terrible 2003. Marte's solid, but hasn't established himself as a closer. Calero hasn't pitched much, but he did repeat a very good year w/ another one, that counts for something. Personally I think people overstate Dotel's problems last year, but JMO, I don't feel like debating it.

On the Sox website, it says "Single-game tickets for home games at Tucson Electric Park go on sale January 22 and will be available online here!"

After the way Street tore everyone in the AFL a new one... I'll believe it when I see it. Obviously everyone is just guessing at this point, anyway. Dotel figures to start as the closer in 2005, then they'll see how everyone else progresses.

Calero, Dotel, Bradford, Rincon, and Cruz have all proven themselves. (As good pitchers -- granted Dotel's had some problems proving himself as a closer.) That's they heart of your pen right there. Street's probably the best reliever prospect in the majors. Oakland's bullpen is definitely a big strength.

If Street is anything close to what he's shown, he'll be a fantastic closer for years. Dotel's good enough for 2005.

He didn't mean for it to have any credibility....

I think there's a difference, though, in that the As already have 2 pieces to build their rotation on, Harden and Blanton. The Sox don't really have that. McCarthy still needs another year, IMO, to establish himself at that level. The As got 3 very good pitching prospects in Cruz, Haren, and Meyer. If only 3 out of those 5 pan out (and Harden's basically already there, so it's more like 2 out of 4), that's a very solid rotation. Still I'm surprised they traded both Mulder and Hudson. I thought they could afford one high price pitcher. Maybe they (or their spreadsheets) suspect Mulder's era is a sign of something more, or maybe they figure the money starters got this year is not a one-time blip.

Yeah, and maybe now we can get Mulder to speak in Chicago and say something uncomfortable about how he'd love to pitch here.... You know, let's get even.

Acc to Levine, nothing's going on. But in other cities they're still talking about JG & PK for Vazquez, maybe Marte too, or instead of one of those guys. Who knows?

Oakland's conceding 2005. A 2006 rotation of Harden, Blanton, Meyer, Haren, and Zito/Cruz/? could be pretty impressive, though.

Dybber leading off his thread about Alfonseca's offer being pulled because of the physical:

Yeah, just like you were saying at the beginning of the thread, right? :rolly It's pretty easy to say it's obvious after Levine's already been on the radio, man.