goonys evil twin

Your jist is wrong. I don't know anybody who thinks Hendry is going to build a WSC by trading Nevin and Neifi. He needs to fill his most pressing need, but he doesn't need to trade before the deadline? One trade can fill that most pressing need, but it could be done at any time in the season? What is this most pressing need? How is he going to get it after the deadline? Since when has Hendry ever shown the ability to fill in the blanks with FA signings? That's why people want him to trade before the deadline, because that is when teams desperate to contend this season trade prospects for veterans.

Me too. I fear something, but it might be nothing.

No, it's the date, after which the Cubs won't be making any meaningful trades. You don't trade perceived low end pieces after the deadline, you trade actual low end pieces for crap minor leaguers that don't do anything, just like he did last year. If you want the Cubs to make a significant trade, you better hope it's before July 31.

He does need to go. You dont bring Weurtz in in the 7th inning with the bases loaded. That is Eyre's spot. Also, why the hell has Walker not played since his two error game? I thought he was not being punished??? oh and they called Theriot up yesterday with the injury to Lee and he was not in the starting lineup..... WHY FRIGGEN NOT? Why not bring Wuertz in? Paul Lo Duca was batting (a righty) so you bring Wuertz in to face him. Then you bring in Eyre to fact the lefties (Beltran and Delgado). How is that a bad thing? What you don't do is leave an old guy hanging on a thread against a tough lineup that has already gotten to him start the 7th. That was a perfectly fine time to use Wuertz. I would have had Wuertz walk Beltran and then brought Eyre in fresh to get Delgado.

More like an A's fan moving to LA. What about an Angels fan moving to San Diego? no history of competition between the clubs (that I can remember). At least KC and STL have 85 between them, just like the Dodgers and A's in 88.

If it's after July 31st, it won't be a good deal, or at least not a meaningful one. If it's after the season, the other team won't be desperate to make a trade. If you are counting on Hendry's trading savvy and the others teams' desperation to create a good deal for the Cubs, it would have to be before the deadline.

More like an A's fan moving to LA.

I like that in Italian, pitchers apparantly translates to launchers. I'm guessing a pullman is a bus (although that meant train long ago) "The ugly one comes when we have the transfers! In fact beyond to the alarm clock soon we must travel for hours all straits and amasses to you in a pullmann not largest! " Is pull a po supposed to be something about stretching? "In fact we must be introduced to the field to the incirca towards the 2e30 of afternoon when we are in house; we launchers run, pull a po and after batting practice the game is passed to the time in the Clubhouse waiting for."

For hour are having happened with the straight one to 2 seams, muovendosi a po ago that the beaters strike bouncing in inner... all the squares use many launchers, or ce they are some with departing travelers from many inning? All the squares do not work in the same way; many leave the departing travelers piu' to along in left regarding we! Every organization has the own philosophy insomma.....

1)qual' e' the level of the championship in which giochi?si sees of the good base ball or not? 2)quali are yours head of force of the launch and where you must improve Therefore the level of the championship I would not know to say... Of sure our series To is piu difficult, are all young boys here! I could say like the A2 from we, but having to us never played they are not sure; it is looked at of the good ones baseball, even if the errors do not lack

Then I answer to the questions that you have made me... RENE':"ma you have a pitch count precise, or they use you for 2-3 innings to second of the course of the game? In practical, they are attention to the result also in To or privilege exclusively the formation and the improvement " Premetto that we are many launchers here, therefore the pitching coach it tries to find a space for all; naturally there is who nozzle of piu and who less. Usually the departing travelers have a limit of launch around to the 70-75 launch, in practical if she goes it well launch 6 inning, but the piu of the times they arrive to 5. I for hour have entered to close the inning and they have not gone beyond the 2,2 resumptions; in this way I can launch every 3 days once, even if it is not always cosi! For hour they have used me in the games where we were in advantage and they have saved to me in those where we were under, but this does not want to say null...

Baker doesn't just sit Walker vs LHP he can't handle. He's unjustifiably sat him on numerous occasions.

Actually, Karl Ravech and his visible lack of patience with the others on the show is the best part of the show. He does make it somewhat amusing.

Even if they do play .500 ball, they will finish 70-92, and .500 would be a significant improvement (9-10 in the "they're playing better" month of July, 4-6 since the all star break).

It's quite possible. It's also quite possible that he's Adrian Beltre redux. That is a good point, but I think Soriano pre-walk year was better than Beltre was pre-walk year (by some margain). Thus, it appears to be less a motivation issue (which is Beltre's problem) than maturing as a hitter (Soriano's problem?). Still, I see your point. Right now Soriano has a 111 career OPS+ (that's pre 2006) Beltre has a 106. Beltre had a 100, 116 and 163 in the walk year with the remainder under 100. Soriano had a 110, 128 and 131, with the remained under 100. I think they were a lot closer than you'd imagine. Basically, Soriano had 1 more good season, but he had his entire peak period to get that extra season.

Tejada is a career 112 OPS+ guy, with 126 and 133 the past two seasons. Ramirez is a career 106 guy, with 136 and 137 the past two years. While it is not rare for good corner men to continue on into their 30s, it is rare for middle infielders to stay at the same level at that age. ARod is not likely to be the player he was at his peak (seasons of 160, 164, 167 and 167 OPS+ in his 20's). Jeter is not likely to be the player he was at his peak (161 at 25). Nomar won't be the player he was at his peak. Banks, Ripkin, Biggio and many others. They usually end up moving positions and they all declined offensively in their early 30's from where they were at their peak. If Hendry could simultaneously pull off a Ramirez/Tejada deal, and a deal that got them a solid third baseman, then that could work out nicely. But who will that 3B be? There are a limited number of players out there, and it's not like you can just order average 3B production and get it with ease. FYI, the median line for SS production in MLB is .260 .320 .425, while it's .287 .354 .469 for 3B. So yes, you should be able to get a little more production, but will that be offset by the greater dollar figures spent to get that production, seeing as how Tejada is more expensive than Ramirez and you will have to give up money and/or talent to get that new 3B. And who will this 3B be.

That is what I was thinking. It seems to me that has always had the talent, and now the light has gone on. Certainly that looks to be the case. The question, as always with career/contract year guys (especially post 30 year old), is if the improvement can be maintained. I still have my doubts.

Hey, I understand the point in telling people this. Certainly you can work to control your attitude and effort more and more, and teams should get guys to do this. The problem is you cannot control it 100%. There's nothing wrong with trying to though, obviously players should. They just can't, and they won't.

Soriano has had the potential to bring more to a team than Walker, but he didn't in 2004 and 2005. He was paid more because of the early hype in his career, and expectations for 40/40 seasons every year. He certainly has more upside, but that didn' ttranslate into actual production, until this year.

I could see how somebody could learn to loathe the Yankees after living amongst their fans for a while, so it wouldn't surprise me if somebody who had a mild fondness for the Cardinals would temper, or reverse those feelings after living amongst Cards fans.

I actually like the idea of holding out for something significant, even though he's not really worth much. Teams get stupid when going after name pitchers. You never know. well, yeah, hold out as long as you can. but if he's left to rot on the cubs' roster 8/1 because hendry couldn't get a top of the line prospect for him, i'm going to be kinda upset. if the cubs were in the dodgers position and they traded murton (who is half the prospect ethier is) for a guy like maddux, i'd be irate. i can't get too excited for the cubs being in sell mode for the first time in a while anyway because of how hendry and co. judge prospects and draft picks. i'm not getting my hopes up. If you hold out for something good, but then cave at the end because you want his roster spot, then your bargaining position is significantly reduced for later deals. Maddux's spot isn't worth that much. It's not like it would be impossible to find starts for Hill even with him around.

That's nice rahrah stuff for the kids, but it doesn't hold up to life in the real world, or for guys playing 162 games a year. Outside forces can affect attitude/effort quite frequently, no matter how tough you talk. How tough I talk? Didn't realize that was "tough talk". Thanks for the laugh. It does hold up in the real world as well. All I am saying is at the end of the day, the individual is responsible for the amount of effort they give. They are also responsible for the attitude. Its not just a baseball thing. Is this the beginning of a Tony Robbins commercial? No matter how much you want it to be, people aren't always 100% in control of their attitude/effort. I'm willing to bet that everybody can look back at a time when they wish they had a little different attitude about a subject or put in a better effort, certainly I am not the only one. And if you have a physically and mentally draining job that involves a load of travel and world class production on a daily basis, you will be affected by outside forces. There's a reason golfers slip up from time to time, it's not physical, it's mental. Same with ballplayers going through slumps. Guys aren't physically incapable of throwing to first, they let down mentally, lose focus. It takes attitude and effort to maintain focus throughout the course of a game or season. Every player inevitably loses focus at some time even if they really don't want to. But that's because they cannot control their attitude/effort 100% of the time.

I actually like the idea of holding out for something significant, even though he's not really worth much. Teams get stupid when going after name pitchers. You never know.

That's nice rahrah stuff for the kids, but it doesn't hold up to life in the real world, or for guys playing 162 games a year. Outside forces can affect attitude/effort quite frequently, no matter how tough you talk.

This is the time you'd hope your manager would help the GM out. After 6 Maddux had given up 4 runs, and should have left with a comfortable lead. But Dusty tried to get 7 out of him, despite being lucky to have only given up 4 at the time. With a 7 man bullpen and these games being meaningless, Maddux should have been pulled, looking decent against a great lineup. There was no reason for him to hit in the 6th either, but Dusty can't think beyond right here and now, and it's questionable how he handles the here and now.