goonys evil twin

No way. Neither player is a lock to be a good OBP guy. Pierre sucks this year, while Pods is incredibly inconsistent. I'd say the odds that his OBP falls to last years .313 are nearly as high as staying at his current .369. Dunn blows those guys away. Hairston, Walker, Lee, Dunn and Ramirez provide a solid core of OBP capable players, and would be a fantastic 1-5, much better than having Pierre or Pods at the top and sticking with the non existent LF production.

Are you asking why not give Nomar a 2/16 deal? The answer is fairly obvious. The chances of him making it through that 2 years healthy are pretty slight.

What number are you thinking, Craig? $4 base. $1 for all-star, $2 for top-5 MVP. $1 each at the 250, 350, 450, and 550 PA thresholds. unless i'm adding wrong, that could end up being $11-12. if healthy, he's got a great shot at being an all-star on name alone. i think neifi has quite a bit of value as a utility man, but that means we must have healthy starters everywhere to prevent dusty starting him. it'll be interesting to see who is playing CF and 2B next year, along with SS. Considering he led the AS voting this year for a while, and there are no obvious NL shortstop to take the throne from an active Nomar next year, I would hesitate to have that as one of the incentives. Personally I'd prefer a lower base and higher incentives. I'd give more than $2 for top 5 MVP. I would also try and lower the incentives for 250 or 350 PA, and give him more than $1m for 600 or 650 PA.

You simply can't make those statements with that level of certainty, just because Mike Piazza had a similar injury. No one knows what we'll get from Nomar. You don't think he'll produce much. Some people think he could be a huge boost. I think he can produce close to the same level he did with the Cubs last year. But to say that "he'll be a small role player at best" and "he won't be much of an offensive threat" like you're working with Nomar on his rehab is simply off base. My wife is a D.P.T. and whenever we're discussing injuries like this, the first thing that always comes out is "Every person is different" and that you can't make a diagnosis from 1,000 miles away when you've never seen the athlete. Nomar's body could be able to handle the injury better than Piazza did. They have different swings, play different positions, different body-types and likely were/are in different shape. The fact is that right now, no one knows what Nomar we'll be getting. Not even you. The physicians and trainers working with him right now are the only ones who have an idea as to how ready he'll be and where his body will be in 2.5 weeks. If somebody can say that Nomar can comeback because Piazza came back, then I can say Nomar will struggle because Piazza struggled. In fact, I can say whatever the heck I want to say with regards to my opinion about the likelihood of Nomar coming back and helping the Cubs win. I think it's incredibly asinine to count on him. It was borderline foolish to think he'd be able to be a great stable force coming into the season, and his injury just makes it all the more nonsensical to put the fate of the season on his groin. The fact is he wasn't very good defensively before the most recent injury. The chances of him being even a step worse have to be pretty good. In addition, he's a shell of his former self offensively. Sure, he should be able to outproduce Neifi with his eyes closed. However, he epitomizes the awful swing at everything approach that has plagued this team for years. And given all his recent injury troubles plus his age, it could very well be that he can no longer get by with that approach on god given ability alone. And even if he returns, the OF will still be a terrible mess. He's not going to be able to carry this team and make us forget all the problems. Improvements have to be made elsewhere before we can even think of Nomar making a difference.

Who is they? Is he still unavailable due to the head injury? With a thin 5 man bench due to the unnecessary 12 man pitching staff they cannot afford to keep guys on the bench who are too banged up to provide some help.

Is Redman starting today for Pittsburgh?

But that's old Nomar. Much long ago Nomar. Nomar of the past. This is going to be a slower, much less productive version of Nomar.

I think I'd go Hairston Walker Lee Ramirez Burnitz Nomar (under the assumption he is healthy and hit in his rehab stint) Murton Barrett I don't trust Nomar to be the guy responsible for bringing in Lee and Ramirez, and basically I think if he does come back he'll be worse than Burnitz.

What are you trying to say? Are we not allowed to have opinions on how Nomar will return from this injury?

I thought he was the poster child for the crappy player who has never done anything to earn one mention by Cubs fans when discussing possible trade targets. If he did steroids, he had the wrong prescription, because outside of Coors, he's sucked his entire career.

Piazza had the same injury and was able to come back the same year' date=' at a position where the groin is under alot more stress. I don't see why Nomar can't come back.[/quote'] Depends on how you define that stress. Is squatting for 9 innings worse than the quick lateral movements you have to make at shortstop? I would think going from side to side is much more dangerous. I'd say they're both about as dangerous as the other. With squatting, you've got constant pressure on your groin (and Piazza is no small dude). Going side-to-side blocking the pitches in the dirt and such also puts stress on the groin. Well, I disagree. Another thing to remember is that when Piazza went down, his OPS was over 1000, after returning it was about 700. Now, Nomar doesn't have to worry about getting worse, as he was off to a truly awful season. However, even if he did come back, I still wouldn't expect much. He was below average defensively, and will be worse. And he won't be much of an offensive threat. The bottom line is, don't count on Nomar to be the difference between the sub .500 start and a playoff push in the second half. He'll be a small role player at best if he even does come back. The winning will have to come from the starting pitching, Lee, Ramirez, Walker, Hairston and Burnitz.

Piazza had the same injury and was able to come back the same year, at a position where the groin is under alot more stress. I don't see why Nomar can't come back. Depends on how you define that stress. Is squatting for 9 innings worse than the quick lateral movements you have to make at shortstop? I would think going from side to side is much more dangerous.

This is just ARod trying to "keep it real" and playing to the large Dominican crowd in NY. He's as much Dominican as I am Irish. The guy doesn't even speak spanish without cue cards. He's a man of privilege who hasn't been accepted by any large group of fans since leaving Seattle, so he's pandering for love. He could be running for office in Washington Heights any day now.

I was yelling Boo-urns.

A 4 game sweep against Pittsburgh might be less likely than a simple series victory vs STL. I don't see it happening. If they did pull off even a 14-4 record before the break, meaning they'd be 57-48, they'd be more than just in the thick of things. They'd start to look like possible favorites again, because the only way they do that is if they get something they havne't had all year, and that's consistently solid hitting and pitching. 12-6 would be huge at this point, bringing them back to 5 over .500, 1 below the high water mark for the season. Realistically though I'm not expecting more than 10-8.

:scratch: :-k :chin:

I don't think that's how the players will view these games. I think they'll be played with passion. I think they'll be played to win. I understand your concerns about injuries but I think these players deserve the chance to represent their countries. And the prospect of a Japan, USA, Cuba, Dominica Republic/Venezuela final four has my head spinning. I agree with 1908. I am a big Hockey fan, and too most players and a lot of fans the World Championship or World Cup games mean a lot. Do soccer players only care about their club teams? That is what the MLB/NHL/NBA are. Club teams. In many many sports there is also an international stage, and players take pride in representing their country. If a guy gets hurt in these games, I am guessing that he was going to get hurt anyways.... pitcher injuries are wear and tear and are going to happen sooner or later. If its a freak injury like Nomar's this year, then there is nothing you can do about it, it could just as easily of come in ST.... And its every 4 years because all World Cup tournaments are every 4 years... I don't quite understand what that last line is meant for. I completely disagree with the idea that injuries are going to happen no matter what and there is nothing you can do about it. Futbol players care about the World Cup because the World Cup is a huge undertaking that has been around longer than many of the pro leagues. It's part of the futbol culture. These guys dreamed for their entire life to be a part of those teams. It's too late in the pro sports cycle to develop a new world cup and have it become such a great cultural phenomenom. If soccer didn't have it's world cup, and they decided to just invent one today, it would never become what it currently is in reality. Likewise, people comparing this tourny to soccer's world cup have to wake up to reality and realize this will be nothing like that.

I'm not predicting they will. However, teams often choose to "go another route" when the status quo isn't working. Philly isn't exactly known for their longstanding support of the team, and as the new stadium aura wears off, they'll be looking for a spark. Of course there are several other options besides trading Abreu, but you never know.

I agree, but there is still that glimmer of hope. And that glimmer is brighter than in several years past, because the talent on this team is so much greater than it's ever been in my lifetime. Of course, they will have to catch several breaks, including at least one team that is currently playing well to fall on its face.

Perhaps? I've been all over Abreu for years, he's the main reason I'm on 3 straight fantasy championships (along with Marcus Giles and Prior in 2003 and Drew in 2004). Unfortunately, he's already 31, so the idea that he could one day become GREAT, is a little off. He already is great, with a career OBP over .400, career OPS over 900 and an OPS over 900 for 6 of the past 7 years. He might maintain this level for a while, but he's not getting any better in the future.

=D> =D> I agree completely. But the last two Olympics have been the only times when the NBA's best didn't play. Even when only amateurs played, we had the best college players playing. Back on topic, do you think it would be better from a routine standpoint to have it held in November instead of March? I don't see any value in having the tournament, ever. But if they insist, then yes I'd rather see it in November. I don't want baseball to turn into futbol. I know quite a few Euros who are getting more and more annoyed with the constant 52-week barrage of endless tournaments, friendlies, leagues, championships, cups, etc. and their affect on the team they grew up supporting. At this point in my life, my greatest baseball interest is to simply see the Cubs win the world series. I no longer hold out hope for a miracle comeback into the sport that passed me by. I'm not having kids anytime soon (I think not at least), I have no young relatives close to playing, and I'm not coaching anywhere. I just want to see the freaking Cubs win a world series. And if this ridiculous PR stunt does anything to hinder their chances, I'll be mighty pissed. FYI, I think this year's tourny will be quite cool. I bet there will be lots of excitement and a high level of willing participation (minus the Sheffields of the world). And next time might be great as well. But that won't last. These guys know where their bread is buttered. Futbol's world cup works because it started a long long time ago. It would not be nearly as big a success if they started it up last year, or even last decade. It's ingrained in the futbol culture. Maybe in 100 years a baseball world cup will be a good thing, but you can't just create that organic excitement. And I'll be dead before this is a sustained great event.

I think basketball is very different for several reasons. (and yes I included my opinion about how much of a crappy joke that sport has become since celebrating the individual became the sole purpose of the league 20 years ago). One, most of the best guys don't even go. Do we want a situation where guys routinely turn down the invite? Two, the fact that half the NBA teams make the playoffs means it's a lot easier to sit your stars for 1, or even 2 full months, just for rest, and still have a great shot at the championship. There is not an equivalent in baseball because MLB is still, even with the wild card, all about the 162 games. You can't just rest guys for 20 games to recover from the grueling preseason schedule. And when the season is over the best and the worst teams are far closer in the standings than in the NBA, where the top 5-8 teams can just coast all season and still end up with a W% over .600. Three, the pitchers are more susceptible to injury than anybody. Guys start throwing in the middle of February, and they don't throw more than a few innings by mid-March. Unless they put 40-60 pitch count limits on these guys, they will have to start throwing in January to get ready. And after the tournament they will have to quickly turnover to a new routine to get ready for the longer outings and long season. And all of this for what? So every four years we can see the same guys we see all season long play in a different format, during what is already one of the most occupied sports months of the year, just so some country can stand up and wave their flag and pretend what just happened mattered, when in all likelihood many of the top players won't even be playing. Going strictly on how poorly MLB runs their own ship at times, I can only assume there will be several bad things coming out of this, including a glut of crappy advertising all over the fields. Insane starting times for games, controversy over who is running things for each team (MLB owners will want a say, national teams will want autonomy). Conflicts of interest between national managers and the professional teams' interests. A lack of willingness to play by some, a lack of readiness to play at their best by some, fatigue by the middle of the regular season by others, injuries and the subsequent bloated guaranteed crappy contract of a player who won't be the same later.

Any idea why that is? Are they trying to align it with some other event that takes place every 4 years? Is it trying to get out of the same 4 year cycle as the winter Olympics or soccer's world cup?

http://www.northsidebaseball.com/PremiumForum/viewtopic.php?t=22965

They're meaningless if MLB is the only form of baseball you enjoy watching. I happen to enjoy the game in many different forms and can't wait for this to start. They're meaningless because they're just PR events. I enjoy baseball in many forms. Pick up games in the park, watching little league or high school, and even the occasional college game. But the Cubs are my favorite team, and these will just be glorified spring training exhibition games.