goonys evil twin

Again, this isn't his funeral. Why can't people talk about him openly? Why do people have to pretend he was some great person and not have the opportunity to discuss what kind of human he was?

I would find it amusing to demote the previous year's worst team in each league to AAA, leaving you 28 teams for the regular season. They would automatically get promoted the following season, to be replaced by two worst from that year. But you can't fix the small market problem by replacing Tampa with Sioux Falls. But then the demoted teams would almost be forced to reduce ticket prices, while the union would refuse to allow owners to reduce contracts. The local team would lose most advertising revenue for the year. They might get a chance to win a lot more games, which could draw a crowd eventually.

No it couldn't. The Newark Bears, the Atlantic City Surf, the St. Paul Saints, the Sioux City Explorers, the Camden Something or others. Does anybody really think MLB would be better off if the Lancaster Barnstormers replaced the Pittsburgh Pirates next year? The stadiums are far too small. The media markets are miniscule. The talent is almost non-existent.

Oooooooooo, nitwits. That hurts.

Kind of like the first division/second division system. I like it! Newark Bears up, Kansas City Royals Down! Exactly. Have a salary floor and cap, and the bottom 2 teams in each leage get demoted every season. If you're demoted, you don't get any revenue sharing money, TV money, or other MLB money, and have to finish in the top 4 of the indy/AAA league to be promoted. That would give owners more incentive to field a winning team, and to hold incompetent GM's accountable. You'd have to get rid of all AAA affiliations, which would leave all those AAA teams with no players, which would make AAA as crappy as the Indy leagues and probably kill off several teams.

Awesome, negotiations for the next CBA are already appearing in the press. The real test for MLB will be if they can keep the contraction threat on the table in the same year they expand to 32 teams.

What has the team done for him? They are employing him and paying him an exhorbitant contract. What else could they do?

Yeah, I read it a few times and still don't get it. But that's what happens when Dusty talks.

if only everyone was trying to help, including the veteran backup middle infielder who is allegedly part of the onfield leadership of this team. I have my own Neifi fears, but I don't think he's trying to sabotage Cedeno.

I don't object to giving him the chance, I object to giving him a head start in the race just because he was good a few years ago and is a "proven veteran."

That's what I think.

This isn't his funeral. What is wrong with pointing out his negatives? Personally I think it's a little odd how overboard ESPN has gone with the non-stop praise ("Everybody knew he was the greatest guy"). I think they might feel they underreported the stroke and are making up for it after the death.

When was this? Bruce Miles article “I see Ronny pressing a little more, I think, than Matt,” Baker said. “Matt didn’t play winter ball, and Ronny did play winter ball. He had a great winter ball. Forget it and go on and be yourself. Every kid’s different. He’s got a lot of people around him who can help him. It’s all part of the learning process. He’ll be fine.” http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/sportsstory.asp?id=163627

Grissom was never a very good player. He had a reasonably successful career. He had a couple good years, but he was never very good. His OPS+ was only above average 5 times in his career. But most importantly, while the guy was a servicable player in his day, his day is past. He's 39. He was god awful last season. He can't be counted on for anything this year. In 2003, Grissom had 22 Win Shares, and 16 in '04. In '02 (albeit not a full season), he had an OPS+ of 124. He's always had value in the field and on the bases and, while those things aren't as valuable as OPS, they're not worthless. I guess I just disagree with the notion that OPS+ is the defining measure of a player's total worth, important as it obviously is. My point was, he's not that far off of some pretty good years. He could be a pretty valuable bench player, if used properly. Which, of course, is the source of everyone's worry, including my own. I'm not denying he had a good year. I just don't think you're being realistic when you say people are underrating his career. He was below average most of the time. If he was on your team his entire career, you would have been pissed if he started the whole time. Sure he had his moments, but his career was highly unimpressive. And now he's at the end of his career, so nobody should be expecting much out of him.

No, hopefully somebody else will get that job. is this really necessary when the full quote begins with "while I don't want Grissom as the fifth outfielder?" "In the even he makes the team, which I do not want, hopefully the Cubs will ask him to platoon in right against lefties and spot start in the other two outfield positions, and not take significant amount of playing time away from Murton." satisfied? Geez man, take it easy.

I did pick that up. I think he's thinking that the Cubs will give Cedeno his shot, he'll stumble, and Dusty will turn to the veteran that "saved" them last season. It's time to trade the malcontent~ Again, you have to blame Dusty for planting that seed in his head. I'm all for dumping Neifi the Worthless on the side of the road, but he's just a symptom of the disease that is Dustyball.

Why is that Maddux hasn't pitched yet? Well, I guess Greg is pitching today, and Prior's status is still up-in-the-air. I guess that would indicate they aren't taking similar approaches with the two of them. Hopefully Mark's able to get some game action within a week (although Larry says it's too early to tell), or else we're going to start getting pretty close to opening week, and if Prior isn't stretched out, it will be that more likely that they waste a roster sport on another bullpen arm who will sit for 10 games at a time. That's if Prior is able to start the season I guess.

Can somebody explain to me how playing LF would make him more valuable? He's a good hitting 2B, but as an OF, he's hardly special. It's not that hard to find a decent OF bat, it is hard to find a good 2B bat. If he was a utility man, I could see the flexibility as something that could add to his value. But his next team is not going to be paying him to be a utility man. They are going to pay him because of what he did as an everyday middle infield. If he gets 10-12m per in a multi-year deal, he'd be highly overpaid as a OF. versatility? If he was a utility player, then that would make sense. But if he's a starting OF as opposed to a starting infielder, he's just taking the space of somebody else who can hit just as well, and he's making way more money than he should. Soriano as a middle infielder = valuable, Soriano as a corner outfielder = replacable.

Can somebody explain to me how playing LF would make him more valuable? He's a good hitting 2B, but as an OF, he's hardly special. It's not that hard to find a decent OF bat, it is hard to find a good 2B bat. If he was a utility man, I could see the flexibility as something that could add to his value. But his next team is not going to be paying him to be a utility man. They are going to pay him because of what he did as an everyday middle infield. If he gets 10-12m per in a multi-year deal, he'd be highly overpaid as a OF. Because he's a below average fielder at second. It's why a lot of teams (Cubs included) only wanted him from Texas if he would agree to play the outfield. Compared to all major league outfielder's last year, he would have ranked fourth in homeruns only behind A. Jones, Manny, and Dunn. So, he could still get his $ playing the outfield and may actually be able to defend the position. His rank in HR is meaningless. He's nothing special as an OF, certainly not worth $10m+. When you can get his production from 2B or SS, it makes sense to pay a little more. But his production in the OF isn't great.

No, hopefully somebody else will get that job.

I don't blame Neifi for thinking he can start. I don't think it's very helpful to talk about your doubts for Cedeno to make it, but nothing he said was crazy. You have to place blame on Dusty for foolishly talking about how much Neifi saved the team last year, and for parts of the media for perpetuating that outlandish myth.

If you are coming up with a lineup with guys out of the Cubs system for 2008, I'd think you'd put Harvey in RF before Sing. Anyway, I think we should consider ourselves extremely lucky to have reasonable production out of Cedeno, Murton, Pie and Patterson by then. For 1B they'd either need Lee or some outside hitter. RF is probably going to have to come from outside the organization (although Jones will probably be out there)

That's the hope. Although you never know with surgery. And I'm skeptical about how helpful the "chair tossing" will be. Some have said it could be as much as a week to 10 days before he can throw with normal motion. If that is the case, it's possible his progress, or at least part of it, could be erased.

Parents really need to be more responsible when it comes to bringing their children to the ballpark. That kid could get seriously injured sitting there.

Hopefully Zambrano will be able to reattach it in his spare time.