BrandoFan

Yes, it would/could be if it met those rigorous criteria. I am glad you're getting a hang of it and expanding your mind beyond the silly jock's definition of what a "sport" should be. Kudos.

No, it's only enough when you have a fastball in the mid-upper 90's. I dare you to watch a Cub game next time and post as soon as you see a fastball exceeding 93 mph..........Also, his slider is indeed pretty devastating, but godforbid there is a slightest health problem (a tendonitis, a groin flare-up, nothing terrible), he won't have anything to fall back on. When his mechanics were altered/erratic, his slider was hanging and his contol deserted him - the very reasons why he struggled with SD and Florida. And while that could be said for a lot of power pitchers, I maintain that he is a higher health risk than most. You disagree, fine. I won't argue with him having a "plus" fastball. But it's NO longer because of velocity but because of his slider, release point and movement. He hasn't come close to a 94 mph four seamer either during 2004 ST or regular season. This is in no way relevant to your core point, however, so I will agree to disagree. It's funny that you claim you have seen 100+ games and yet you do not recall him LIMPING INTO THE DUGOUT AFTER EACH INNING FOR THE ENTIRE 2ND HALD OF 2003. Are you sure you've never heard "tender groin" mentioned at all? I bet most people reading this can back me up on this one......The point with Colon was that he was a power-pitching HORSE just like Clement. Suspect mechanics and work ethic. In his 20's, he could get away with his supposed back spasms, but now seeing him lose velocity and break, one begins to wonder if at 31, time is catching up to him. Why wouldn't they re-sign him? Alou's 9.5 Mill is gone. A-Gone's 5.7 Mill is gone. Tribune is rolling with cash - especially if they go deep in the playoffs, they'll make a TON of dough. Signing Maggs is not only insurence against Sosa's age and back issues, but it is also a PR KNOCK-OUT punch to the rest of the Soxdom....But even if they don't re-sign him, the issue here is can Matt Clement be a dominant pitcher in the AL for the entire season to off-set the loss of Maggs, both from production and popularity standpoints. It's far from a sure thing, buddy. Please, his speed is already back. Are you sure you are watching Cub games? He is almost as fast as ever -- and the only reason why he doesn't swipe bags is because 1) he fancies himself a #3 slugger as he admited on more than one occasion and 2) he is afraid of re-injuring himself, something that won't just go away after a few moths........Did you see his 2003 splits? His entire season was MAY - April and June and a little in July, he was the same selfish dumbass. Which is what he is now and has been prior to 2003. Do you even realize WHY his power is GONE this year - his flukey production against lefties notwithstanding? Because he SWINGS AT PITCHES EAR-HIGH -- not because his knee is hurting. I simply do not trust him to "figure it out" at the plate this season...............Finally, his defense has definately been mediocre. Ask any Cub fan and they'll tell you that besides a couple of mental errors like throwing to the wrong base, he's misplayed a few singles into doubles, broke the wrong way on balls into the wind, let bloopers fall in, etc --- in other words how is this different from what you would get from another overrated fielder, Aaron Rowand? Even if you forget that he was bailed out by rain in the Card shellacking last year....He was anything BUT stellar. Just an average pitcher once you adjust for Park Factor. Peripherals are nice and all, but your job is ultimately to prevent runs. So, no, a 2003 Clement is not worth the "very good #2" hype. Crow? Pot kettle.

Yeah, especially against lefties who've never faced him before from that side.....

That's just stupid. 0 for 4 is 0 for 4 is 0 for 4 - unless you think that a strike-out is somehow worse than a pop-up or a DP ball.....

It was a matter of time before the wolves came out "oooooing" out da ol' woodwork. One bad game to be precise. It doesn't matter that Jose smoked the ball off Santana and Romero, both tough lefties, just 2 days ago.....It doesn't matter that Willie Harris is much worse against them, in general and that progress Jose showed against lefties in Spring Training was enough to convince Ozzie that he could be tolerable against them.......Which he was, btw, with 300+ OBP coming into tonight's game. Valentin haters amuse me. I can't wait for him to have 2 straight bad games....All hell will break loose.

Ther are too many variables, and it can go either direction, so RISK management is also important. What if Sosa's back doesn't heal? They could use Maggs. But what if Clement is the real deal? But what if Prior and Wood both come back healthy, thus rendering Clement expendable? But what if Patterson is a bust? But what if Kelly Wunsch holds the opponents to 140 BA in 50+ innings? But what if Magglio is ready to break out for a 150 RBI/1100 OPS season? But what if there will be a HUMONGOUS fan backlash, which will exacerbated if Sox godforbid fail to reach postseason, esp if Clement is anything but stellar? And many others.....

Of course he has good stuff - otherwise we wouldn't even be having a debate about it. His 2002 was very good - then he could reach 93-95. But then he regressed in 2003 - again, he was a Cardinal game rain-out away from his career ERA average. Far from spectacular, despite his good peripherals. Of course Sox can't re-sign Maggs, but this season is a MUST win and the ONLY way you give him up to the Cubs is for Zambrano or Prior, which Cubs would will never do. Patterson is all potential; expecting him to excel (800 OPS? Sure )in the next 2 years is silly and it's a chance Sox simply cannot take. Even before his knee-tear, his OBP was dropping fast. In effect, he had only 1 really good month in 2003 - so did Jimenez, btw. Clement IMO is a 4.00 ERA pitcher in AL. That's not enough to lead the team into postseason, far from it. This trade is not nearly as 1-sided as WS0682 claims. There are serious downsides - and compensation draft picks wouldn't begin to, well, "compensate" for the brewing disaster of Sox missing playoffs and Magglio possibly winning the World Series as a Cub in 2004 And I still think Clement is a health risk, call it a hunch.

Whatever doubts anyone had, they were dispelled during his unbelievable showing in Spring Training. Sometimes you just have to watch a pitcher, stats be damned...Did I mention Clement is due for a major cool-off?

Jason, I was the one arguing FOR Perez, not the other way around. With Clement, it's the opposite - after a stellar 2002, I expected him to fall back down to earth, regardless of his excellent peripherals. He is not an ace and never will be. You'll see.

Unit, Rocket, Clement...hmm, something is not like the other. Clement "consistently in mid-90s".........Sure buddy, keep on BS-ing - I actually see Cub games on both WCIU ana WGN - he hasn't consistently hit 93 since 2002. Most scouting reports had him in 90-93 zone last year - and after a disasterous Spring Training, he hasn't been throwing a four-seamer at all, instead preferring the 90-91 sinker that he can also tail. Not that it makes any difference, just get it right. I also know you haven't watched a single game in 2003, because he's been having a tender groin (which thankfully for the Cubs stopped just short of Roy Oswaltitis but could flare up in the future) -- in fact they mentioned it on the air numerous times while he was LIMPING into the dugout after each inning. His back has been a concern since forever - although to be fair it hasn't sidelined him yet. As you get into your 30's, the nagging ailments are that much harder to overcome. Bartolo Colon is beginning to find that out, for instance. Put him in AL, and he is a 4.00 ERA pitcher. Would be a #2 or a #3 on this Sox team, but won't be a difference maker, not even close. Last year, only a rain-out in May (Cardinals were tagging him for 7 runs in first 3 innings before the game was called) kept his ERA from going over 4.20 -- in a pitcher neutral Wrigley Field, in NL where you have a pitcher batting no less! I could care less about compensation picks, it's win now, now, now with this frtanchise - losing Maggs to a cross town rival? Niiice....Sure they will re-sign him -- A-Gone is off the books, and so will be Alou. Magglio will look nice in Cubbie blue. A PR nightmare - especially if Sox don't make the playoffs and Cubs do in 2004......Patterson is talented but this year he is just bad. His defense is "very good"? Are you blind? Bad jumps and a weak arm, something that even his speed can't make up for. No better than Aaron. And as long as he continues overswinging and uppercutting, he will never come close to 800 OPS, not in 2004 or 2005 anyway. I remember you telling me how Konerko is worth as much as Odalis Perez. I told you what I saw of him and that he was poised for a break-out despite lousy stats in 2003. How's Odalis doing now? Don't be fooled by a great start. Clement won't have a sub-3.75 ERA in the NL this year, mark it down - that is if he doesn't go down with a f***ed elbow courtesy of one too many tantalizing sliders. Just watch, all the way from Arizona.

Willie would have had no chance. He can't hit lefties. At least Jose can muscle the ball out if by chance he DOES connect. He hit Romero and Santana - how hard could Rogers be? I am loving this!

Ozzie is an idiot

Why is Ozzie not taking Valentin out???? Makes no sense against a lefty late in the gamne.

You must not have read it correctly. Not gonna "touch" lefties? Can't hit a curveball? He CRUSHED them in 20 at bats during THIS sprinng training. He smoked the ball of Santana and Romero. What part of "learning curve" is not clear? I don't see what he did as a right-hander in the past against LHP is relevant.' Willie has no chance against LHP, bat too slow. Jose has a great chance when he connects - which as he gets used to seeing them from the left side, he be will doing more and more. As long as he hits 220-ish with some power by year's end, no problem. I know you don't like Jose, but this is as obvious as it gets. The past doesn't matter, all those curveball in the dirt don't matter, he'll start laying off of them as he sees more of each lefty from that side. Expect him to start.

Now this is reality: Willie cannot hit LHP - 300 OPS in 70 at bats in the majors. Beyond horrible. Jose crushed lefties in ST. Willie couldn't touch them. Jose is coming off a game on Sunday where he missed a 3-run homer off Santana by 2 feet (gone at USCF) and lined another ball off the wall against another tough lefty Romero. And Jose is just learning to hit from the left side against them, so his 640 OPS off leties coming in is actually not that bad all things considering There is no way Willie starts against LHP and Ozzie knows why. Jose will settle down and will give you 675-700 OPS against them by year's end - not as good as what he did in Spring Training, but more than acceptable.

Have a blast, E!

Or..... If given a choice of a 2.50 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP and a 5.00 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.....what would you choose? That one is dependent on the other matters not - afterall we're talking about which is the bigger stat. It's ERA.

Except Finley is on fire and there will be demand for him, experience and all. If you want Arizona to pay millions of dollars, you better give them a couple of decent prospects. For instance, I wouldn't be surprised if Cubs gave up Corey Patterson for him. He could help them in their WS quest and they would re-sign him for cheap in 2005, which would likely be his final year.

There will not be a Beltran. He wants 8/140 Sox can barely pay HALF of that.

He is 30. He is a two-pitch pitcher with a fastball topping out at 91-92 in last couple of years. There is always a concern about that slider ruining his arm, Jon Lieber style. His back and groin seem to be recurring every other year. He will be FA after 2004. Makes 6 Mill this year. Career ERA of 4.30 (league average was 4.20) Career WHIP of 1.40 Pitched in Qualcomm, Pro Player and Wrigley - all either neutral or pitcher's parks. This great start certainly raises his value, but MC is not and will never be a # 1-2.

Vlad the Impaler had the right idea.

Whereas here, a blown save is betrayal, so Shingo better not squander any of my good will.

Hang in there Shingo, I know where you're coming from.

Oh ok, so they decided to have Rauch up and Cotts back him up? Good, that's what they should have done.

Physical exertion? Check Mental stress? Check Skill and strategy? Check Organized competition? Check. NASCAR is no Formula-1, but both easily fit into the true definition of a 'sport'. And where the hell is this nonsense "it's not exciting to a casual viewer" coming from? It's utterly irrelevant as to whether or not something is a sport, and it's also factually incorrect - it's extremely popular. People need to get over their own narrow-minded'ness and bigotry. The funnist part is that most of the "athletic purists" on this board would collapse like little b****es after 10 laps of "racing".