BrandoFan

Does anyone on this team not named Jimenez or Grafanino know the meaning of "small ball"- you know, the shortening and quickening of the swing in order to increase a chance of putting the ball in play and getting on base late innings, especially with 2 strikes? It's seems our 3-7 hitters are putting their power swings on nearly every pitch. In 2000 I remember there were so many batted-around's not because we out-homered the competition so much as we hit a bunch of singles and generally found a way to get on base. Then in 2001 and 2002 our HR numbers went up but offenise significantly declined.

1. Are you a doctor? You seem think "2 years always" is the same as "sometimes up to 2 years" 2. He should have sat out last year if he wasn't 100% 3. The DP ball he just hit was not a mistake. Sosa kills it to left 450 feet-style.

Why is Graffanino in there? Oh, nevermind.

Bad throw by Rowand, too late and off the target.

Nice tag, Mr. Versatile! Safe! 5-2.

Nice throw, Mr. Versatile. Safe! Man on 3rd, 1 out.

It's refreshing to see a 1B who can actually field and make tough plays. Sigh.

How about when someone is hitting .238 and has been s*** all of previous year, should you then at least wonder if something is wrong with his batspeed, perhaps?

Not much to disagree with. Well done. If his mental problems are that bad, then no amount of batspeed can make up the difference: a superior batspeed allows a player to wait on a pitch a tenth of a second longer than most players, which is all that great hitters need...but a loss in confidence and delayed reaction costs a hitter 2 or 3 tenths of a second, thereby turning a possible double in the gap into a weak pop up, etc. I was talking about last year, sweetie.

Do you think he is the best young pitcher in baseball bar none? Do you think that he is already one of the best 1-st year pitchers of all time? Unless you answer "yes" to both questions, you are not a "realist" but a "skeptic"...Saying that "he might get hurt" is cheating (or intellectually lazy some would argue) of sorts because anyone can get hurt, including Pedro himself. Especially Pedro. How can I "make" him the greatest? What would it take for you too see the light? A couple of Cy Youngs? 20/20 is easy; predicting is not. . Going on the limb and saying he might be a once-a-decade player when it's all said and done is "preferential treatment"? I already said I hate the Cubs with a passion of 10,000 intoxicated Lou Piniellas so it's not like I am in love with this guy. No one is going crazy. Even the Cubs have him as a #3 even though he already better than either Wood or Clement (and Buerhle, but that's a different story). He's done nothing but dominate ever since he was drafted and, besides, 5 months is not 5 days.

Let's put it this way: Mark Prior has more chance at winning Cy Young than LeBron James at getting MVP. Fair enough?

So are you saying Frank Thomas is nothing but a mistake hitter now? So now poor, 10-million-a-year baby didn't get his steady diet of hanging curves and 88mph fastballs down the pipe? Oh, shawks...I can understand this reasoning when talking about classic mistake hitters like Jose Valentin or Jeff Leifer, but Frank? I guess noone is ready to comment on his batspeed...oh well.

And sky is blue. There is no "rating" going on, I am not a scout. I am simply offering my opinion and refuse to "play it safe" lest I be proven wrong in 3-4 years or make a fool out of myself. I could care less, really. More specifically, I am high on Prior, I was high on Rauch in 2001 and on Barcelo in 1999. Other than that, I haven't really singled out (saying Kip Wells and Juan Cruz are "real deals" ain't nothing because they already proved that in the Bigs, it's just stating the fact, something that doesn't require any insight whatsoever) a single player out of 1000s and 1000s of prospects that go through minor and major league teams every few years. That's 1 out a 1000, I don;t understand how you can call me a homer. Every publication out there has Top 100's of young players not even in the majors who they believe will "make an impact" each year. Compare me to them hype-puffing professional spinners, I am positively doom-sayer-y, lol But when I do see a player I really feel could be something special, I put my mouth where my, um...mouth is. Notihng wrong with that.

Listen I hate the Cubs more than you do and it pains me to say this...but you doth protest too much. It is not either "induct Prior into HOF right now" or "he is just one of the legions of unproven flash-in-the-pans". There is a golden middle somewhere in there and I reckon he is MUCH closer to the former than the latter. Vazequez had a performance of his CAREER which spans nearly 8 years in the pros (minors plus majors)...whereas Prior was drafted in 2002 for crying outloud...it's not disrespect to Pedro to say that once the former goes down, Prior will be the best pitcher in baseball. I hope he flops, I do...but it looks like he won't and no matter how much I hate the Cubbies I refuse to wish a freak injury on him. Yeah, 2 ER in 7+ innings is WAY better than a complete game shutout. It's ironic how Sox fans say K's are terribly overrated because out side of Colon none of our starters can stike people out...but then proclaim Vazquez was better because he struck out 2 more than Prior.

He just man-handled Jeff Leifer for a Sombrero (sp?) and a complete game shutout. He hit 96mph in the 9th inning in addition to laser-like control with a power-curve and a slider and unflappable psyche. They say he even threw a change-up. How about Charlotte Knights for Mark Prior and some baseballs?

That's a good one, Heather..lol Have you seen him pitch? Yes, unless they don't ...but even then they suck so.

1. So what? 2. His ERA for the game was still just over 2.00. I wish Garland was as "wild"/ 3. Prior will be the next great pitcher in baseball when Pedro breaks down. Unless Rauch gets healthy and starts putting it together that is

I think Freddy Garcia, Vincente Padilla or even Kip Wells are "for real". Prior effortlessly dominating in his first year is a bit better than that.

Awesome stuff. Flawless mechanics and lower body strenght. Confidence with a capital 'C''. This kid is only going to get better. f***ing Cubs always get high picks. I wish Rauch could come up and dominate. Ditto for Diaz, though his frame worries me.

Puh-lease, like Olivo couldn't have come up with a pair of game-tying doubles in addition to reaching base as a go-ahead run. I bet he would have reached as two go-ahead runs.

In no small part thanks to Loaiza, Stewart and Jimenez.

Three words: Water Tower, rifle.

You mean James Bond?

Who said anything about him being gay?

Parque is what I call a "Triple Threat": no stuff; no control; lousy attitude. I hated that f***er. And I am not homophobic. He could give Ethan Hawke a run for his money as a "writer"