BrandoFan

I wouldn't say Valentin was a terrible CF'er even condering his hamstrings were f***e dup coming out of ST.......If you look at his limited starts as a CF in 2001, he actually rated EXCEPTIONALLY high in Zone Rating, assists, DP and commited no errors. I still would say he is bewlo average for all intents and purposes but let's not get carried away here.

Hmmmm, heroin......

Oh, no doubt. It's just that people underrate Rowand's offense (hits lefties, bunts, solid speed, hustles) and overrate his defense. I see it breaking down defensively as follows: Good CF: Hunter, Jones, Cameron, Beltran, Edmonds, Griffey Average CF: Rowand, Damon, Kotsay, Singelton, Harris, Patterson, Wells, etc Bad CF: Berkman, Kearns, Everett, Giles, Magglio, Valentin....well, you get it

Randar sez Rowand is aces.

Albert Belle is a riddle that I am not even going to attempt to solve. I honestly don't know if he is a sociopath or just misunderstood or what.....and I don't really care either way But Frank is a different story: I never bought into the media bulls*** portrayal of him as a Shammy-like Grand Imperial Douchebag because, well, I chose to believe my own eyes and ears--- Hurt always did seem to me as refreshingly articulate and charming and loyal.......UNTIL conversation turned to his career-- BOOM! all sorts of annoying, self-aggrandizing (even by athlete standards) non-sequitors about not getting respect or pay or umprire conspiracies and what began to fly.......Frank can be his own worst enemy and yet I have zero animosity toward him as a person. None. Now as a player it's a different story...... Whatever the case may be, Ozzie sure made a FAUX PAS during the inauguration, er, press-conference back in November that may end up tearing this team apart. Idioto!

I dunno, I think some here are getting carries away, what with all the closer pojections or what. If he only has 3.00 ERA in a set-up role, with a 10/40 bb:so ratio in 50 innings of set-up duty, Il'l be satisfied.

1 Mill a year, eh? Saves leader you say? Us he also a record=holder for blown saves?

Jocks are the new dorks. Zzzzzzzz......

I loved the camera angle they used when they replayed Raphael Furcal's one-man triple play-- refreshing. And, once again, extreme close-ups SUCK when they are done on Kristuin Krook on Smallville. But when it's done on athletes, it should go under crimes against humanity. :fyou

Are you saying that Pats players wouldn't try as hard for Manning? That they would defy the coach more? That they would care less about their own stats and abouyt increasing their market value and by extension their ability to feed their families better.....if Peyton was the QB? Or that the styles wouldn't mesh? What? All I know is that there would be less pressure on Manning to throw 3+ TDS every game, he wouldn't try to go for a "spectacular" play on every other down and the fielding position that his D would afford him would be, well, much better. Again, time will judge which one of us is right. IMO Mannig is a better player and NE would be better with him than Colts with Brady. YMMV.

A much more pressing question is, of course....Why isn't this thread being merged with the Palestine vs Israel one? Who was the genius mastermind behind locking that thread I'd like to know? Are relevant discussions out of style on a POLITICAL forum these days?? Yep let's open the 50th Family Guy thread and have 5 replies in it instead...

This suicide method accomplishes two things: You die a truly painless death.... People you don't like die a very painful one because of proximity....

Yeah, with some luck, it may even be better than Bad Boys 2, Analyze That and Charlie's Angels: FT

And Hitler could paint circles around that Churchill....

Rowand can't hit RHP and is only average defensively (plus arm, mediocre closing speed, average jumps) and on the pads.

Have you ever wondered WHY managers, coaches and GMs make the obscene amounts of dough that they do, and just what separates good ones from the not so good ones? It's in tough, RISK cases like Billy Koch (what's wrong with him and can it be fixed?) and Jimenez (the lazy asshole is very talented but how do we keep him focused and motivated?) that EARN the big dogs their paycheck and respect. Worst case scenario, if he didn't hit at AAA and wouldn't progress in Winter ball Sox could have released him coming into 2004 spring traning with no problem....But no, Kenny just had to pull the trigger, the incompetent shmuck.

93 wins, baby. Keep hope alive.

Yeah, Edwads is pretty cute, isn't he? For a politician anyway. You see I have nothing against big-government, I DO think rich folk has to be taxed up to WHAZOO for the good of the less fortunate majority and I could care less if this country becomes UN's b****......so Clark is perfect for me. Cute geezer, articulate and authoritative and just liberal for my taste. Long Live General Clark and may all sorts of unleasant things befall Bush and Cheney. Amen.

I dunno, I think Ottawa creep has a point: how f***ing assinine was it for Frank to actually come out and ANNOUNCE he no longer cares about singles, driving the ball to opposite field, cutting on his swing with RISP, etc......He actually out-Shammied Shamy Sosa in the egomania and gall respect in that HR comment quoted in Nuke's sig.....Media will be media but Frank should KNOW BETTER than to say something as selfish and idiotic. Makes you wonder if he was the victim of the media in the past or not.... As far as Frank being a nice guy while sipping on martinies with some friends, I am sure he is....but give me a break-- this is a high-pressure, high-stakes world of pro sports we're talking about. Hell, I am pretty nice, too, but if you catch me at the wrong time in the wrong place, I can be a real asshole-- and I am not going to blame the media, either.

I believe Whitey holds the power in the rest of the world as well. I find your observation to be an astute one, first thing that flashed through my (albeit paranoid) mind, but I wasn't sure if I shuld say anything. Minorities can't seem to catch a break in this election game.

People said same things about Insano Artest....how is THAT trade looking right about now? Solid D, nearly 20 points a game, rebounds, passes, distrupts defensive schemes, etc. Jimenez looked pretty good with us except for one truly terrible month and now they say he is murdering winter league pitching....He is ready to break out.

Yeah Beltran is only, what, all of 26? Is he even in his prime yet? Having said that, is he worth 9 Mill for a team with a 45 Mill payroll? I dunno, they are going for it I guess. Wall-Mart boy is worht 20 Bill, so what's an extra Mill or two for him?

Yes, who needs (what I believe to be) a 375 OBP lead off guy with solid speed for Rowand to bunt over for a base-hit and for Frank and Maggs to drive in, setting the tempo from inning 1 and taking some pressure off our pitcherr.......Blazing saddles Willie and his magical 240 OBP will suffice. When we were ass-pounding people and taking names in April and June 2000, it was the chain-reaction effect that did the trick-- the entire team was feeding off one another and picking each ova up during slumps....In that respect, ONE player can make a big difference early on ala Lofton did with us early in 2002 and then with Giants and Cubs in subsequent seasons. Jimenez will never be a good fielder but he a SS's arm and his ZR was actually much better than Robbie's was in 2003 even considering how bloody awfuk DJ was in June, what with all the dropped DPs and all.... Armando Rios should have been the one gotten rid of and Jimenez should have been optioned to AAA for further review. People say now he looks extreemky energized and kicked some MAJOR winder league ass, looking very sharp.

And what are minorties, chopped liver? Whitey gotta stop buying into this superiority BS, it's sickenimg.

Jimenez will have a 375 OBP, 465 Slug; will be 10 for 14 in sb; and will play pleasantly surprising mediocre defense in 2004. Mark my words. What will Willie do?