ThunderBolt

QUOTE (Kenny Hates Prospects @ Oct 14, 2008 -> 07:44 PM) OT, but I love Nick Markakis. He is every single thing that the most optimistic Ryan Sweeney lovers thought Ryan Sweeney could be, and he is without a doubt one of the most underrated players in baseball. This guy never gets discussed (of course he plays for the Orioles). He missed 100 walks this year by just one. The best part is, is that the kid could have been a dominating pitcher as well. THe Orioles had to choose where to put him! It's the same thing with Beane, Ankiel, Owings, and Hamilton. They were so naturally gifted that they could have done anything. The Pirates had to make this choice as well, with John VanBendenshoten, but unfortunatley, made the wrong choice.

Armstrong at C, and Gartrell in RF for The Saguaros tonight.

QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Oct 14, 2008 -> 03:44 PM) many athletes who are perceived as five tool players are usually minorities, Billy Beane, Brian Anderson, Joe Borchard, Josh Hamilton, Alex Gordon, Rocco Baldelli, Evan Longoria, Jay Bruce, Nick Markakis, Rick Ankiel, Joe Mauer, Grady Sizemore, Ian Stewart, J.R. Towles, and many more. It may not seem like it, but it's a fairly even line. I don't think race really factors into it.

QUOTE (BigSqwert @ Oct 14, 2008 -> 03:52 PM) And don't forget Josh Fields enjoys enchiladas. I think Anderson's partied with a couple spanish-looking chicks as well.

I'm in.

And what about Mark Ellis?

Baseball America! Damn, i was really curious what Brian Anderson had to say about Gordon Beckham!

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 13, 2008 -> 02:32 PM) It's dumb to say he's not in Ozzie's doghouse. No. 1 he sucked during crunch time and most of the time otherwise. No. 2 he brooeded on that Yankee, KC, Minnie road trip about not playing. He has a lot to prove as a White Sox. His first year was horses***. 1) Was crunch time that time when he was platooning with Konerko/Wise/BA? Because it's hard to find a nice rhythm when you're in and out of the lineup eveyday of the week. 2) That's all conjecture most of it by Cowley

33: THE LEGEND OF ROWAND!!! Nah, but Seriously Big Hurt: 35

QUOTE (LosMediasBlancas @ Oct 12, 2008 -> 04:48 PM) It kinda felt like the 07 Cubs. Does that mean we win 97 games next year? 'Cause if so i'm in.

QUOTE (chw42 @ Oct 11, 2008 -> 03:34 PM) He was also robbed of at least 5 wins because the Mets don't have a bullpen. Tiny Tim got robbed of 6 or 7 by his. Kid was the star of my fantasy team, and there was about a week or two where he couldn't buy a win.

QUOTE (Texsox @ Oct 11, 2008 -> 11:56 AM) I wonder what KW could get for him in a trade for MLB talent at the deadline Straight up? Probably nothing. But as part of a package he might fetch a decent haul.

QUOTE (maggsmaggs @ Oct 11, 2008 -> 10:29 AM) I am on your mindset. Why overpay for a second baseman when Getz seems like he can be a very solid right away in all facets of the game. Why now get a top 3rd baseman or CF via FA/trade so that the lineup become balanced. I am very confident that Getz can hit .280 right away. Why overpay for a CF when your Centerfielder last year had what was by all accounts, a year that was a statistical aberration, and is almost assured to have a turnaround year next year?

QUOTE (knightni @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 06:05 PM) Trey is at least 4 years from draft eligibility. I know, i was joking. Do you know if he's actually playing ball? i'm assuming he is, but i'm not sure. I remember around the time the kid was either born or reasonably young, the Mariners Gm at the time presented Griffey with a fake contract for the boy dated 2012. There's already proven talent in that family, and it would be rather cool if the kid could play like his dad.

QUOTE (JPN366 @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 05:41 PM) "Trey-Bone"...B'ham bound! If Griffey's kid is any good at this baseball thing. We could have A Double-Trey thing going on in a couple of years. It's a shame they can't be in Double A together, because then more name-based hilarity could ensue.

QUOTE (Jenksy Cat @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 01:00 PM) Why is Poreda a lock for "awesome setup man". Trading away one of the best closers in the game while he is under team control for years and makes You’re being a bit confrontational for a guy who just quoted one of my posts saying I don’t want Jenks traded. I, too, think it’s a spectacularly stupid idea. That being said, I was saying simply that if this was the case (and I hope like hell it isn’t) That Poreda’s stuff (hard fastball, decent slider, change) makes him an ideal candidate for a set-up role if he fails to develop into a starter (though i believe he'll suceed). We see it all the time Thorton was a starter for the Mariners and that didn’t pan out. So what did he become? A set-up man. Samardjia a starter for the Cubs in the minors, but there are some concerns about his development and his pitches, so what does he become? A good set-up man. How about Bobby Jenks? For the Angels AA team he was a starter, but for us, we put him as a set-up for Hermanson until the guy’s back gave out. We see this all the time, and there are thousands of examples. But I don’t want to kill the point. I like Bobby Jenks, he’s our closer, he’s my closer, but In the case of a hypothetical where he’s no longer the closer. I was just assessing the possibilities, and just so you know, I love Nick Swisher.

QUOTE (klaus kinski @ Oct 10, 2008 -> 09:17 AM) Choked me up-and made me damn proud Incredible, just a complete summation of why this year was so special. I too was at Game 2 0f the World Series, and as ludicrous as this sounds, but the experience of watching the one game playoff VS Minnesota (on by birthday, no less) on TV left me nearly as energized as actually being at the ball park. On a different note, I enjoy how BA and D-Wheezy gets their own head-turn, and the Missile and Swish get to share one.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 09:32 PM) "Maybe it makes more sense with Poreda in the rotation and Richard as the 5th starter?" What I was trying to do, by asking that question, was argue on behalf of Poreda as the fifth starter and Clayton as loogy. Not four lefties in rotation. Ok, that makes then. I think if Poreda keeps refining his slider, and continues making progress on his change then him entering the rotation in a year or two is a very real possibility. And after what Richard showed in the playoffs this year I would not be averse to seeing him as a multi-innings guy in the bullpen

QUOTE (Tony82087 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 08:29 PM) No Becks again tonight..... I think the Peo manager is just lulling the rest of the league into a fall sense of security. As soon as that goes away it's Slayer Time

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 08:54 PM) Wow, a 4 lefty rotation to start the season. Man that'd be weird. Have we ever seen that before? It's not a very common occurence, but it's not unheard of. The 2004 Royals tried it with Brian Anderson, Jeremy Affeldt, Darrell May and Jimmy Gobble. THe A's this year briefly had a five lefty rotation, while the Pirates had a four. It varies in sucess, but it's certainly an interesting idea.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 08:28 PM) Maybe it makes more sense with Poreda in the rotation and Richard as the 5th starter? It all depends on how confident they are in Poreda sustaining velocity, not getting hammered when he gets behind in the count and how his stuff translates the second or third time through the line-up. Are we talking about a rotation of Buehrle, Floyd, Danks, Poreda, and Richard? Because that's four Lefties in a row matter where you spin it, and Ozzie usually likes to rotates righties/lefties so as to give hitters different looks.

QUOTE (Kalapse @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 07:51 PM) If anyone came to the conclusion that Matt Thornton didn't have the "closer's mentality" during the 16 games Bobby Jenks missed in July (in which Matt Thornton had 1 save opportunity) then they're fooling themselves. I love Bobby, and i don't want to see him traded. That being said, if he was, Thorton as Closer and Poreda as set-up man makes an awful lot of sense

QUOTE (G&T @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 02:51 PM) That's what I'm reading as well. However, the Mets have Luis Castillo signed through 2011. The remainder of that deal is roughly 3 years/18M. He has been very productive until last season. He may be a guy that would be cheap to acquire. Of course he will be 33. He also has a bum knee, and pleaded with Jerry Manuel to bench him at home, because he didn't like to be booed. Yep... he'd go pretty well with the fans famous for making sure Damaso Marte never pitched in the Cell again

Somewhat suprising given that Poreda was sent to the AFL to work on his secondary pitches. The face that he's working in relief, however, gives me the clue that he's no longer being groomed for the starting rotation, and will instead fill the same function as Matt Thorton in the sox's bullpen.

QUOTE (SouthsideDon48 @ Oct 9, 2008 -> 12:52 AM) Hopefully the Sox start drafting players with 5-tool potential as well, and that's why I'm a little optimistic about this Beckham dude, cause he seems like he can become the 5-tool type. The problem with Five Tool players is that it's very hard to under-scout one. Meaning once someone is identified as a five-tool player they are pursued so aggressively that they rarely fall from the top five spots in the draft. Case in point, Josh Hamilton (perhaps the most highly touted five-too prospect of all time), The Upton Brothers, and even, Alex Gordon qualified for this mold. In short, it's very hard to stumble upon a five-tool player unless you are either lucky or so bad the previous year that your draft position allows you access. Now, Williams had an excellent idea last year in seek prospects from areas that are (for the most part) under-scouted. The success of The Cuban Missile clearly represents this fact. We have some well-rounded players in the minors with five-tool potential (hitting, hitting with power, speed, arm, and fielding) in Danks and Shelby, and we'll see how they pan out. Just remember the last time we actively drafted for five-tools we got Brian Anderson. Make of that what you will.