The Voice of Reason

I can't recall, who was Bonds eagle-eyed, hands-on manager during the period in question? :wink:

I can't believe someone would stoop to something that low.

Dateline Hollywood California - With Heath Ledger declining to recreate his role in the sequel to the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, native California pretty boy and current St. Louis Cardinal outfielder Jim Edmonds has "stepped up to the plate." Although possessing no experience in Hollywood, Edmonds is touting his actings skills evident when he makes routine catches look difficult and the quizzical look of sheer amazement he gave Big Z after being beaned "for no reason" - other that a long, admiring look at a previous home run. As for his ability to play a gay cowboy, Edmonds simply provided the famous picture of him "congratulating" a teammate as he crossed home plate. Although not a favorite of Cubs fans, they have grudgingly admitted that Edmonds would be perfectly cast in the sequel. Evidently, the only remaining sticking point in the negotiations is Edmonds inability to get Director Ang Lee to believe that Cowboys really did wear Maybelline eye shadow. :wink:

Still more perspective and analysis from another NBC writer. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11391893/

Nice objective summary by Fox's Rosenthal: For now, the enduring images of Sosa will be different in each mind's eye. Some will recall his glory days with the Cubs, his home-run hop, his joyous sprints to right field, his dugout pantomimes for the cameras. Others will remember his less charming side, his corked bat, his clubhouse boombox, his early departure from Wrigley Field on the final day of the 2004 season. Still others will recall his swift, stunning fall from grace, his feeble appearance before Congress, his loss of bat speed in '05. It's too soon to capture his legacy. Too soon to assign his place in history. Too soon to make sense of the Steroid Era and all that it involved.

I think Rick Telander summed it up pretty nicely today in the Sun-Times

I'd have to go with Ernie Banks as #1. Two time MVP, over 500 Home runs (in an era when home runs wern't so common), played a key position (shortstop) for several years, was excellent defensively and had a great attitude and work ethic throughout his whole Cub career. #2 would be Ryno. Based on relative value to players of his era, I'd have to put Sammy #3.

Not sure this belonged in the Goodbye to Sammy thread. Evidently Mr. Cook was not a big fan. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11376697/

I think the Cardinals should trade Pujols for some prospects in order to free up enough salary to cover their fraudulent claim.

Rumor has it that Paul Allen will be looking for new challenges if the Seahawks win the Super bowl. Go Seahawks!!! :lol:

TT - Thanks for posting the Baseball America Great Debate article about the feud between scouts and stat guys. I thought Gary Hughes came off looking pretty good in the article as someone who values and evaluates players using both perspectives. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/features/050107debate.html

There may be some interest in the final game but holding the tournament in March was a mistake. I agree with the following excepts from Jayson Stark's article. http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=2304682 "We find ourselves wondering why so many questions haven't been answered, why ticket sales have been so lukewarm, why Danny Haren qualifies for the team from the Netherlands, why the semifinal games have been scheduled on a March Madness Saturday during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament -- and several thousand other things" "The single biggest problem is that this was an idea not formulated by the baseball people. It came from the bureaucrats. I guarantee you that if you took a vote of general managers today, it would be at least 27 to 3 against holding it in March." "All of us have a responsibility to [promote] the betterment of the game and do what's good for the game, and we all understand that," says one skeptical GM. "But at the end of the day, I still wish they were doing this in November."

WBC = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

From a Red Sox beat writer: http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9179796 Could that spectacular prospect be Pie or Cedeno now that the Red Sox are apparently going in another direction as SS?

no kidding. did you see that usher? he had his hands all over her and she seemed not to mind. i swear he was copping a feel. lucky old fart. From what I can tell, she's quite the looker. But she also seems to be just a few steps shy of Mrs. Warner and Mrs. Christie in the full of herself pyscho sports wife category. Maybe at closing time when all the ugly girls have gone home. To each his own.

K-town wrote: When every other HOF candidate is scrutinized the same way, then Wojciechowski can make this argument. Until then, it's flawed logic....... and the only people who can follow it are the ones that are desperate to take a shot a Mac, regardless of how silly it sounds. The Voice wrote: Doesn't seem to me that Wojo is picking only on poor Mac (see below). I guess if you can't defend (McGwire's) the message, you (K-Town) have to attack the messenger. Wojo wrote: I wouldn't vote for McGwire. I wouldn't vote for Sammy Sosa when he became eligible, not just because he suddenly forgot how to speak English at those congressional hearings, but because time has created more questions than answers about his career numbers (a 36-homer/34-stolen base guy in 1995, a 66/18 guy in '98, 64/0 in '01, a 14/1 guy in '05?). And I wouldn't vote for Barry Bonds, who uses the Ignorance Defense when it comes to steroid use. In short, he says he didn't know the "flaxseed oil" given to him by his trainer was really steroid cream.

As usual, Wojo is right on the money. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=wojciechowski_gene&id=2298560 Summary I wouldn't let McGwire within a solar system of my No. 2 pencil, not until he quits hiding behind the law firm of, I'm Not Here To Talk About The Past & Associates. That's what he said last March during his testimony -- if you can call it that -- before the House Government Reform Committee. When asked repeatedly if he had used steroids, McGwire answered, "I'm not here to talk about the past." It was as if the phrase were pine-tarred to his vocal cords. Other McGwire reliables included: "My lawyer has advised me that I cannot answer these questions without jeopardizing my friends, my family and myself." And: "Like I've said earlier, I'm not going to go in the past and talk about my past. I'm here to make a positive influence on this." But entry into the Hall of Fame is determined exactly by what McGwire fears the most: the past. The past is where his 583 career home runs reside. The past is where he broke Roger Maris' single-season home run record. The past is where he took the then-legal Androstenedione, and who knows what else. Whatever he took, McGwire was so terrified to talk about those substances last March that he humiliated himself in front of a congressman from St. Louis, and did so on national television.

Disagree. It appears she's a little too impressed with herself and the fact the she was "skilled" enough to marry a man that gets paid millions to play a kid's game. Per WGN sports central last night, this wasn't the first time she has acted up at a game. Even stooping to calling people "White trash" and to "Go shop at Walmart" for having the audacity to cheer for her son's (grade school basketball) opponents. Besides, I don't think she's the least bit attractive.

Remember coming home from school and watching the end of the first game in 1969 an seeing Willie's two run homer. It was the start of a great 5 months of Cubs baseball - too bad the season lasted six months. From Barry Rozner Remembering Willie When we in Chicago think of Willie Smith, we undoubtedly remember the game-winning blast on Opening Day 1969, the Jack Brickhouse call, and the dinger that set the tone for the ’69 season. But did you know that Smith, who died of a heart attack Monday at age 66, is the only black player in major-league history to pitch in more than 20 games and play the field in more than 20 games? Smith began in the Negro Leagues and played for five major-league teams, beginning as a left-handed pitcher for the Tigers in 1963 and finishing with the Reds in 1971. In ’64 with the Angels, he started as a pitcher and moved to the outfield. For his career, Smith hit .248 with 46 homers and 211 RBI, and as a pitcher he went 2-4 with 2 saves and a 3.10 ERA in 29 appearances. Smith deserves at least a few moments of your time as we remember an important part of Chicago baseball history.

From another article: Is there any connection betwen this Axelrod and long-time Chicago Democratic machine political hack David Axlerod? Would explain how a 22 year old kid got such good seats and had a lawyer ready to sue on a moments notice. It's his son. So the lawsuit has nothing to do with money.[/quote] Sure. It never does. I'm positive he intends on donating the $1 million to his favorite charity.

From another article: Is there any connection betwen this Axelrod and long-time Chicago Democratic machine political hack David Axlerod? Would explain how a 22 year old kid got such good seats and had a lawyer ready to sue on a moments notice.

Players have "peak" or "fluke" seasons quite often. It's not as much a rarety as you would think. Do I think Eckstein will drop all the way to his career norms? Maybe not, but i'd think the safer bet is that he'll perform closer to his career norms than his 2005 numbers. Vance - Do you have the same feeling about D. Lee?

Sports Illustrated gives the Cubs a B. Guess that's what makes horse races and message boards interesting - a difference of opinion. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/john_donovan/01/19/nl.grades/1.html SI summary Lowdown: The restructured and now possibly dominant bullpen should help prop up the always-touchy rotation. The biggest non-pitching question remains at shortstop, where veteran Neifi Perez and 23-year-old Ronny Cedeno will try to do what the Cubs wanted Furcal to do. Still, when the smoke clears, this offseason will be judged on how well the hard-working Pierre does. He improves the defense and, if he's at top form, he'll provide many more RBI opportunities for Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. GRADE: Improved in field, in the 'pen and at the plate -- B.

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K-town wrote: It would be like the moderators of this message board saying "I'm going to clean up this message board, and I'm going to start by asking TheVoiceOfReason if he made any inappropriate posts back in 2001". Frankly, there's no connection, and nothing to gain from it. Sorry K-town - "I'm not here to talk about the past" - because like McGwire, I have a lot to hide. :wink: