YASNY

QUOTE(Wedge @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:49 AM) Joe Girardi is one helluva manager I wanted Girardi when we hired Ozzie. Not complaining about KW's choice, however. I never even consider Ozzie at that time.

QUOTE(Greg The Bull Luzinski @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:47 AM) Point 1: Pablo Ozuna did not have a lot of outfield practice before becoming our fourth outfielder this year. Point 2: If Fields or Sweeney is in LF next year, we still need a lead off hitter. We need a leadoff hitter now.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:44 AM) Good stuff. I was going to be pissed if I had to miss Friday and Saturday's game. I hate WCIU and Fox games. Yep. It made my morning. Looking forward to this one. I think Mark is gonna step up.

QUOTE(aboz56 @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:40 AM) Seems completely logical to me. Luckily here in Louisville we are getting the Sox. Usually we get the Yankees, Reds, Red Sox, Cardinals or Cubs above all else. I just checked and we are supposed to get the Sox-Tigers as well.

QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:37 AM) Yeah that situation has pretty much worked out perfectly for us, and it could have been a lot worse had Dye not met expectations here. It's worked out great for us and for Jermaine. Thank goodness he's a man who sticks by his word and didn't take that deal from Arizona.

Just win. That's all I ask.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 09:27 AM) I don't know how anyone could possibly project Fields to hit .260 with 20 homers next year. He does have impressive numbers at Charlotte, but strikes out a ton, and there will be a learning curve for him. Hopefully he does better than Anderson has this season, but I wouldn't count on too much more in 2007. Mackowiac platooning with Fields in LF looks a lot better than him platooning with Anderson in CF. That should allow Fields to ease into his spot a bit easier.

QUOTE(Steff @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 10:55 PM) I'd say it's those that experience the rejection and don't have proper parents to explain it to them is why things like Columbine happen. Sheltered lives make kids stuck up. Not killers. And it has to do with the parents not the rejection of not getting invited to a birthday party. Additionally, the response was kind in return. The response to that could have been handled better.. but what the hell. f*** it, right? Whatever.

QUOTE(Jake @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 06:27 AM) Fixed. Post-2006 + Baines = I believe Baines' contract has already been extended. Raines' has not been.

That fact that they have to jump over 6 teams makes it almost impossible for the Marlins to win the wild card. Only one of those six teams has to play as well as or better than the Fish to beat them out.

Thome's a streaky hitter. He's been in a funk, but he broke out of it last night (I hope) and he's going to scorch some Tiger ass the rest of the weekend. Then, he's gonna get real hot.

QUOTE(Harry&JimmyRocked @ Aug 12, 2006 -> 02:04 AM) i heard him say on the radio today that he's not intimidated by us That was before the game.

QUOTE(GoRowand33 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 03:28 PM) seems reasonable I hope that leylands strategy of downplaying everything hurt his teams intensity in the games Do you really think he is talking like that behind closed clubhouse doors? I think he just wants to refrain from saying anything that the Sox would put on a bulletin board.

Exactly. We need to PUT them into a slump. Time to plant the seeds of doubt into their heads.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:25 AM) He is ready. He is a better option than Alomar, but Alomar has more experience in calling games for big league pitchers. They would like Stewart to be more familiar with the guys he is calling, so they will wait till next season to bring him up. He is the perfect compliment to A.J. being righty even though statistically he hits righties better. He is a great defensive catcher who throws well and handles a pitching staff well. There is no doubt in my mind that defensively he is a top major league catcher and he can provide enough offense as a back-up catcher to be an above-average back-up catcher. He will be on the team next year, no doubt. Very possible. I also think Sandy will replace Raines on the coaching staff next year.

QUOTE(Milkman delivers @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:29 AM) I can see how it should be in the top 3, because it's so recognizable. But, the other two were better and the reason Fisk is number one is because he's much more famous than Iguchi and Uribe because....he played for the Red Sox. Maybe it's because Fisk is in the HOF?

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:30 AM) He was brought in as a number 5 starter and was only persued by a few teams with the Cubs way overpaying to bring him back. The front office may have hyped it as a big move but at the time of the signing, it was no more of an impact move than the Sox bringing in Pierzynski 2 offseasons ago. Let's just agree to disagree. There's been enough nits picked here.

Cavemen eat roast duck with mango salsa. Astronauts eat Tang. Cavemen. No contest.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:24 AM) It was more toungue in cheek than anything else. And when I say "big name" I make the assumption that people understand that would be the top tier guys, the best free agents not has-beens, otherwise it defeats the whole purpose of what I'm saying. Every year a few big name washed up players are signed in free agency, they may be popular players and recognizable names but they're hardly a factor in free agency that's why the phrase "big name" is generally used to describe the best players on the free agent market such as the 2003 offseason when Vlad Guerrero, Miguel Tejada, Bartolo Colon, Andy Pettitte, Javy Lopez and even Jose Guillen were available, they would be considered the "big names" not a 38 year old Maddux. When Maddux signed, wasn't he supposed to be the final piece to the puzzle after the Bartman collapse of the Cubs? He was supposed to be their ticket to the Series. Does that not qualify as a big time signing? Hell, as a supposed number 5 starter, he won 15 games for them that year. He pulled his weight. The rest of the team failed.

QUOTE(MichiganBorn @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 10:56 AM) This weekend should be fun. I hope for close games with no injuries. Verlander vs Count should be a good matchup. I hope Verlander is rested and not seeing deadarm. Tonight will show that. Sat showcases two lefties who have struggled as of late. So I don't know what to think of that. It might come down to who pulls the starter first and which bullpen performs better. Sunday is up for grabs too. I'm predicting Tigers take 2-3 (Homer pick I know but I can't help myself) Wish I could be there. Should be a great series to watch. (Would have posted in the game thread but I figured that would be frowned upon ) Your homerism is duly noted .... and summarily dismissed.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:15 AM) The point is, a big name means nothing if he's not any good. I'm talking about the big name free agents as in the best available players, not just popular names. Regardless. The phrase 'big name' was used earlier in the thread and that's what I had in mind when I posted.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 10:57 AM) They've basically backed off of their DOS claims that they made earlier. They're still sort of saying they were hacked, but they're not saying what the Hackers did at all except spike traffic, which sure sounds like a DOS attack, which they stopped saying it was. Confusing enough? Anyway, that Alexa graph...that's some damn good evidence in my mind. That's the sort of thing that makes me think filing a false police report charges could be coming down against people in that campaign. Now that's a stretch. They suspected foul play and asked the police to investigate. Seems legit to me.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:13 AM) Well then the Sox signing Sandy Alomar (a possible future HOF) that same offseason could be considered it's equal, could it not? Sandy's a possible future HOF? I think not.

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 09:56 AM) You'll have that at a park that is less of "rival", vs wearing Sox gear at a place like the Jake, Comerica, or Wrigley. Well, I can't understand anyone that would hassle a fan of the visiting team as long as he is acting in a respectful manner. There are opportunities there for some good natured banter, which can be a lot of fun. But to hassle someone because he is seeing his team at your ballpark is just classless.

QUOTE(Kalapse @ Aug 11, 2006 -> 11:05 AM) Greg Maddux was not exactly a hot commodity on the Free Agent market that year, it was basically the Cubs bidding against themselves. I really wouldn't call a 38 year old Greg Maddux a "top tier" free agent. I didn't call him a top tier free agent. I called him a big name free agent.