Rex Hudler

I don't see the process as unfair or political...... the fans, players and the manager get to select players. In essence three groups of voters passed on Frank and Paulie. How many does he want?

That was basically Ozzie's call. He wanted to give PT to Rowand, Perez and Gload, rather than call someone up who would be sent back down. He felt giving the part-time players more chances to play would help strengthen the team's bench later in the season.

baseballamerica.com or sportsnetwork.com or milb.com

Okay, actually I am just coming up for Friday and Saturday's games against the Mariners, but it sounded good. Anyone want to buy me a beer? LOL

For those keeping track..... Reed - 1-5 with a double, rbi and run scored last night..... Morse - 1-5 with 2 rbi and 2 runs scored in his San Antonio debut

Why aren't you coming to Bimingham? Did not enough people buy Soxtalk gear? lol Why can't I go?

Everybody makes mistakes..... but I can't feel sorry for a guy who has his life handed to him at 18 years old and can't have the maturity to do the right things. That tells me there were character flaws there to begin with. He could have done anything he wanted, hung out with whoever he wanted, but he chose not to. Then again, perhaps another argument could spawn from this about the insanity of giving an 18-year old millions of dollars, but that's another day.

Don't look know, but that weak pitcher's numbers are better than Buehrle's. After being asked to bunt and getting down 0-2 in the count.... I do agree with you Brando that Marte was the right choice to face Walker. Marte just stopped making good pitches. Two or three times he hung breaking balls on the inside part of the plate, when the same pitch on the outside portion would have resulted in an out. He just didn't make the pitches once he got him down 0-2.

I think that is a very optimistic assessment....... He hasn't ever even succeeded in AA. In fact, he has only had one half season above low A that has been worth anything. After taking a year off, and struggling before, I think his chances of any success in the Majors are not good.

Reyes has no pop, but is a nice player..... more likely a utility type guy. He is now wearing glasses and that has helped his hitting immensely. hows joe hamilton doing? If you mean Josh Hamilton, he is basically toast. He has had all kinds of problems, including drug problems. He is not playing right now, taking a personal leave of absence for the year.

Anderson hit a bomb last night for Birmingham. Good picture of him on barons.com today.

That's arguable...... Thomas has more walks and doubles. I see them both having very similar numbers.

rain delay, i believe.........

He'll play today for SA.

watch him play everyday and you will see why people like him. If he were so terrible he wouldn't even be in the big leagues. The guy needs to be seen to be appreciated. Coaches love him on their team. That tells me something. If you want to stare at the stat sheet, go for it. I'd take him on my team anyday.

The bottom line for me is Aaron Miles is a great guy and a fun player to watch. I will always root for him no matter who he plays for.

I am not going to get into the debate over which one should have been kept.... time will tell there.... but allow me to make sure we have our facts straight Miles is 27 - Harris is 26 Their minor league career stats are very similar. Harris has more speed, but Miles is by no means slow. Harris can play two positions, Miles cannot (although could play some 3B). Harris bats lefty, Miles switch hits. Their career batting averages are .290 (Harris) and .289 (Miles). Harris walks a bit more therefore has a slightly higher OBP - .368 vs. .338 Miles is considered an average defender but makes plays. I have no fear of the ball hit his way with the game on the line. All in all, I think they are similar players even though they are built differently. Harris is more lean and looks the part of a leadoff hitter. Miles is pretty muscular and with 6 more inches (in height) would have the perfect cleanup hitters build. Lastly, I will say that I have not seen Willie to the extent I have Miles, so I will let you draw your own conclusions about him. I do know that Miles plays his ass off every day and is a perfect example of a "plugger" (i think that is the word he used), which is what KW said he was looking for in the offseason. Managers love having a guy like Miles in the lineup everyday. His style of play can be infectious and help others raise their level of play. There is no way the Barons win the SL Championship in 2002 without him. From that, draw your own conclusions.

I can't fathom why the Braves would trade Estrada unless they were getting someone in return that would help them now. Compare it to the Olivo trade. We don't trade Olivo for prospects..... just for help today. Estrada is young and in the middle of an all-star type season. He doesn't have a big contract and he was the guy they got for Kevin Millwood. That trade was panned big time, yet seems to be working out okay. Why would you trade the component of that deal that is making you look good? I guess the better question is.... Why would they trade Estrada??

They don't necessarily have to come from the same deal....

Shouldn't have cut Birmingham out of the trip......... lol

Actually it came down to Olivo and Crede or Olivo, Reed and Morse........ Olivo was always in the deal.

Mariner Analyst, where do you post?? MLB Boards?

MA, I'll take a shot at this since I have seen both Reed and Morse pretty extensively in Birmingham. The best compliment I can give Reed is that he just looks the part of a baseball player. He works hard, handles himself professionally and just looks like he belongs on the field. He commands the strike zone well, as can be see by his walk and striekout rates. Getting behind 0-2 in the count does not seem to phase him. He uses the whole field and has more pop than people give him credit for. Right now it is more doubles power, but that could develop. His swing has been compared to that of a young Rafael Palmeiro. Defensively, his range is a bit suspect, but he goes all out. He comes in on the ball very well and is not afraid to make a diving play. His arm is about average, but is accurate. He does the little things well. Long term, JR could be Mark Kotsay or Raffy Palmeiro or something in between. He may not turn into an all-star, but he will be a nice player and one that you will enjoy watching. Morse is more of a project. He is 6'4 and has a great body, yet has good mobility. HE has had 30 doubles each of the last two years, which the Sox were banking on developing into HR power down the road. He is only 22 and is still somewhat raw, but the tools are definitely. He broke out this year in Birmingham, hitting 11 HR in the first half, matching his previous career high. He hit # 3 in the batting order and was an important part of the offense. I think he will need at least 2 years of AAA before he is ready, but he certainly has the tools to be a big time player. He is just not as polished. He is a great guy who smiles all the time and has fun playing the game. On the downside, his plate discipline needs work. He gets himself out too often swinging at bad pitches. Upper levels will expose that weakness more and more if he cannot improve there. I did see some improvement in that area from early this season until right before he was traded, so there is hope. Some also question whether he will be able to play SS at the MLB level. I can't say for sure he will be able to, but I think a lot of people wrote him off because he looks more like a 3B. San Antonio will be happy with the player they got, I have no doubt about that. Lastly, what Mariner fans need to understand about this trade is that they had an ace in the hole. Bob Fontaine is now the Seattle Director of Scouting (I believe that is the correct title). He was the White Sox Farm Director the previous 2 or 3 years. It can be argued that he knows the White Sox system better than anyone, even those in the Sox organization. I have no doubt that Fontaine had major input in which players to get in the trade. Fontaine has previously been successful with the Angels and was very good with the Sox. He knew what he wanted and knew who to get. That is rarely the case with big trades like this, so it was a major advantage to the M's. Hope this helps.

Go Hank..... I like that guy.......

Of course he is biased.... as is everyone on here.... I thought that was a very good piece. His points can be argued both ways, but he backs them up with insights. He looked at both ends of the spectrum and did it well. I was impressed.