EhDubya

Tucker (N/A) Would you please explain your comparison of Matt Szczur to Juan Pierre a little more? Obviously they both make easy contact and have great speed, but Szczur's upside seems considerably different than what Pierre has done. Szczur is bigger and stronger now as a very young man than Pierre was/is as a fully developed man. Szczur is hitting for more power in the minors at the same stage than Pierre did. Szczur also shows big power in BP, which I don't remember ever hearing about Pierre. Despite Pierre's speed he didn't provide the defensive value that Szczur projects. Why wouldn't Jacoby Ellsbury be a more appropriate comp? Do you honestly think that Szczur's power will be as limited as Pierre's? Klaw (1:54 PM) Let's ignore for the moment that Szczur has been terrible in high-A. He has one of the shortest, slappiest swings I've seen on a "prospect" - no leverage, no rotation, just flicks the bat at the ball and meets it out front. Until that changes, I don't see him hitting for any meaningful power in pro ball, and it's not like he's got great plate discipline. He'll be lucky to have Pierre's career. Dan (Chicago) Can we maybe chalk up Matt Szczur's dip in batting average at high-A to fatigue considering he's playing his first full season of pro ball ON TOP of a full football season.....also, he's 6 for 6 in stolen bases and was voted the best defensive outfielder by midwest league managers, so assuming he's carried that defense over and is playing plus defense at a premium position while stealing bases is it still fair to say he's been "terrible" at high-A? Klaw (2:12 PM) He has a .289 OBP, too. Maybe while you're chalking it up to fatigue, we can talk about your massive need to rationalize bad performance by a prospect in your favorite team's farm system, coupled with your need to get me to say something positive when the stats are so negative.

I hate ESPN for a lot of reasons, but the headline "Tebow number 2 on depth chart" really angers me. Who gives a flying rat's ass?

Hearing that JoePa was injured in practice.. knocked down by a WR. Shoulder and pelvic injuries. Possible broken hip. I caught flack over the holidays because I thought Joe wouldnt coach this year due to health reasons and his daughters seemingly getting through to him to retire. I wonder if they will get in his ear again after this. Probably not. Coaching from the booth again, it looks like..

If Derek Jeter dies before he's up for election he's got a chance at unanimous. Will all of the voters with Boston ties be dead too?

I think he's hoping to run across the ultra-rare Honus Wagner card since he ran across a Sammy one after this thread was started. Ahhh, I get it. Didn't realize Sammy Sosa startling lineups were such treasures.

Im trying to figure out what in the world Honus Wagner has to do with this conversation at all?

This has got to be one of the dumbest ideas I've ever read on these boards. You've got real issues if you look at a schedule including Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and the potential to play a Michigan or Michigan State and say, "what, is that it?" Time to take a break from the Playstation. Then schedule a lower tier Division I school. Division I-AA wins shouldn't count towards bowl eligibility It's just not always that simple.

This has got to be one of the dumbest ideas I've ever read on these boards. You've got real issues if you look at a schedule including Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and the potential to play a Michigan or Michigan State and say, "what, is that it?" Time to take a break from the Playstation.

Awful indeed. But no reason to give up. Just ask Terry Turner: http://thetimes-tribune.com/sports/knight-vision-scranton-s-terry-turner-not-letting-eye-injury-steal-his-focus-1.1110372#axzz1UBYi4gCm

Damn that Paterno for not scheduling Oregon to start the year before playing Alabama the following week!! What a wimp! And what a weak rest of schedule too! I mean, finishing the year vs. Nebraska @ Ohio St and @ Wisconsin??? What, scared to schedule Iowa the week before that or something, Joe? Whats your angle, playing them so early in the year? And no Michigan on the schedule AT ALL?!! With this amount of cupcakes on the schedule, anything less than 10-2 will be a joke! A joke I tell ya!

The Cubs are dead last in MLB with 264 total BB. The Yankees are first with 421 and BoSox have 415. This stat does not shock me like it probably should. Bring up Vitters, he'll fit right in!

That's a blockbuster. Interesting trade. i'm pretty thrilled about it. kolb wasn't going to play, so we basically got a second round pick and a CB who made the pro bowl in 2009 for nothing. I think it was an obviously great trade for Philly, but Vick isn't invincible... didnt he miss a good amount of time last year with a broken shoulder? Any other injuries? Now your backup is Vince Young, arguably much worse than Kolb. I guess what I'm saying is, saying that you got those things "for nothing" is not quite the truth. And now I sit back and hope that Vick goes down before playoffs and Young blows it in the NFC title game vs. the Cards. :wink:

Was it from diving into first base? Those Juan Pierre-clones love diving into first base.

So to be clear, you wouldn't be satisfied with an 85 win team? As if an 85 win team with Barney and Baker on it will never have the ability to make the leap to a 90 win team the following year?

Kind of hard to typo "Cleveland included nearly $4 million in the deal" though, no?

If we end up paying 75+% of Sori's contract and don't get a worthwhile prospect I won't be too happy. I'd rather we just turn him into a crazy-expensive Daryl Ward-type and use him as a pinch hitter, DH him in inter-league play, and then hope he can provide a pinch-hitting role when rosters expand and playoff push happens. Or hope that in a limited role his numbers appear better and we can dump him next trade deadline/waivers when his value is higher. Zambrano, yeah, better be a good return.

After I read this, I was really excited to read how he was going to provide the numbers on soccer vs. hockey water cooler talk. What a waste of time.

You sound awesome.

Vitters was drafted #3 overall to be a middle of the order, run producing thumper. Why would we want him to walk? It only clogs up the bases, dude.

Oh. My. God.

What is the source?

If you do a Hendry's top 10 bad moves list, can you include non-moves, like refusing to trade Hill, Pie, Prior until their value was borderline useless?

I wonder if all his new teammates have bad attitudes, which leads to him not getting along with them and not hitting well because of it?

I need you to post more, please.

There's been so many people drop out it hardly feels like a true all star game anyway.