Balta1701

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Nov 1, 2011 -> 12:50 AM) That team was clearly struggling all year, it just so happened that no one wanted to break away in that division until late in the season. I understand KW and JR wanting to push this team and hoping it turned around without having to upset fans with a selloff, but I don't agree with that. I don't think it's that they want to avoid pissing the fans off...I think it's more that they've got $42 million in what is essentially sunk costs for this season for guys who are supposed to be good enough to generate a lot of wins. With that kind of money committed, it is a poor business decision to sell off and guarantee failure.

The Huffington Post Zombie section caption was "Why Zombie not eat Rahm Emmanuel? He just sitting right there."

Sometimes just wish brain would stop hurting...

Supposedly Politico has been working on that story for at least 10 days...and the Cain Campaign has completely bumbled the response while Politico was working it up.

QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 06:20 PM) The only impossibiity of this job is making us wish we still had Walker. Konerko could stop hitting.

QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 06:27 PM) I don't think he is controlling the message very well, which is different than not believing he is fixing Dunn's problems. Oh, so now you have a problem with a person on the coaching staff who makes a public decision that you find to be incorrect. And yet it's impossible to think that management may have made a mistake by hiring people who weren't up to the job.

QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 06:18 PM) I am not going to read too much into this, but I sincerely hope he isn't going to say keep doing what you, it was just one of those years. I believe this was for public consumption and to give Dunn a little confidence. But really, one of those years?! I'd rather he said we're going to take the winter to evaluate, study past film, and identify what is different and get him back on track. Tex, you're not allowed to insinuate that management doesn't know what they're doing on any issue...you know that.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 06:08 PM) Ugh, I knew someone would say that. I don't know why I leave these holes when I know they're there. Thomas was a complete afterthought in baseball for the vast majority of the last 10 years of his career (undeservedly). He definitely should be a first ballot guy, but the writers have a tendency to f*** these things up by voting against guys they dislike, voting for guys that are less deserving because they were media friendly, and only voting in a certain number of guys a year. It shouldn't be surprising to anyone if he has to wait a year or two. Don't confuse this with me saying that it's OK. But we should all understand that it's a very real possibility. And the bigger the outcry, the more likely it's fixed by ballot 2.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 06:02 PM) The Sox were loaded with 5th starters from 2001-2004. Remember how many they had? A ton. Grady Sizemore would likely leave us with the same number of outfielders we have now, but fewer dollars.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 04:53 PM) doesn't me he did anything. most companies settle these things, even if they are false. but, of course, he certainly could have done something. One thing it does mean is that he was actually accused of it at the time. He can't sit there and say the accusations never happened. He can say they were false, but he can't say that the media is just making stuff up. He'll try though.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 04:51 PM) Sox should sign Sizemore. They won't. Someone will offer him a decent amount of money unless he's not even able to pass a physical.

Now...we will regret letting him go.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 04:52 PM) Must've been a really down year defensively for catchers. But Wieters will win this. Otherwise I will severely punish myself by watching hockey. No J4L, you know the real answer...no one voting for these actually knows anything about defense.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 03:20 PM) What type of prospects will be received (say Grade A, B, or C)? Do you think the players received will be ready to help the major league team as Williams claims? I think there's zero chance KW gets back anyone who's both ready to help the major league team and also we'd want on the major league team.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 03:14 PM) GMAB. Verlander's stuff would play anywhere. And even if he reverted back to '09 numbers he's still by far and away the best pitcher in the central. But there's a huge difference between "Best pitcher in this division" and "Legitimate MVP candidate". You plug the 2009 Verlander in to that team last year and they would have had a legit battle for the Central most of the year.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 03:07 PM) He probably won't. That wasn't my point. '09 Justin Verlander is still pretty much a top 3 pitcher in the AL. 6th in ERA, 5th in WHIP that year, and that's while playing in a cavern.

No reason to assume that he can figure out which thread he's in.

QUOTE (DirtySox @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:52 PM) The Indians are also interested in bringing him back, but at a lower salary and with incentives. He might end up staying put. I think the only reason why this would happen is if he really wants to stay in Cleveland. Other teams will simply be willing to risk more money on a guy with his injury history.

QUOTE (spiderman @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:51 PM) I think there's still a very good chance that they trade Frasor. I know the end of the season was probably unfair to judge what had been a dependable middle-reliever, but considering they had some depth in the bullpen, I'm surprised that they decided to pick up the option. The problem is that I find it hard to see them trading him until he shows he's less bad than he was last year.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:46 PM) It's called BABIP. .319 and .286 in '09 and '10. .236 last year. So you want to tell me again how Verlander is going to maintain that .236 BABIP?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:43 PM) It's not because of Tebow himself but the fellation he receives from some of the media; "he changes your life" or articles about how he's the first nice guy to play football ever and signs autographs for middle-aged fans! (who will sell them on eBay) and how he's just so amazing! It makes me want to throw up. Kurt Warner is super-religious but people didn't hate him for it because the media didn't portray him as a saint because of it. The problem is that the reason why he gets that fellation is that he loves Jesus...that and the big fans of Florida as well...so it's indirectly because of the Christian thing.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:41 PM) I thought the Rangers were toast after losing Lee. That obviously wasn't the case. They've got money and a strong farm. They get the benefit of the doubt as far as I'm concerned. So you're saying Verlander is going to fall off or something? Even if '11 was his "peak" year, the guy has been god-like for a while now. There is a huge difference between the 1.15 WHIP/3.45 ERA he put up in 2009/2010 and the 0.92 WHIP/2.40 ERA he put up in 2011.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:38 PM) Lesson #1. Never, ever, tell that story again. LEsson 2: stop driving that way.

QUOTE (Jordan4life @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:32 PM) Problem with that is the two powers in the AL currently are not the Yankees and Red Sox. The Rays and Rangers are. And Detroit is still a lot better than us with money to spend this offseason. You should know better than to count things as firm before they actually are. The Rangers are likely to lose CJ this offseason, that will leave them more reliant on Harrison and other youth in their rotation, which is always a risk. Then there's Cruz and Hamilton staying healthy. And like it or not, Verlander probably just showed you what a "Peak season" looks like...and they had other very helpful things like great years from Avila and Peralta. Last year, I'd say 2/3 of this board would have agreed that the Twins were the team to beat in the Central. It shifted just that fast.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Oct 31, 2011 -> 02:27 PM) My guess will be something similar to the 1/$8m Berkman got last year with the Cardinals. A little more than I'd guess he'd get...but then again, both Boston and NYY could use some OF depth.