seanimal

make that 4 teams hit me up with the id + pw i could probably get a couple people to join if you still need more

cueto looking good. too bad it doesn't count.

HARTY HAR HAR

...

oh duh, I should have asked this a long time ago. What websites do you guys go to, both news and analysis-wise? Since I'm going to be focusing on MLS this summer to get my feet wet, anything that deals with that is bonus, but I'm certainly not averse to international/European oriented sites.

the only issue i have with this - and a very minor one indeed - is that the hr guy's run production isn't based on PA's, it's based on games played. I guess we could assume an average season or whatever, I dunno, I'll inquire further, but I'm pretty sure the HR guy would produce well over 106 runs, but perhaps not more than the walks produce. The basic idea behind Mr. HR is that he hits one HR per game. He stays in the entire game though. He might get 4 AB's or 6 AB's if it goes extra. But every other at bat that he has he makes an out. When I was having this argument with my friends I just always assumed those outs came as a strikeout. So by the end of the year the guy would have 162 homeruns (one per game played), and who knows how many RBI's, because you wouldn't be able to decide when to hit a homerun. I guess that opens up the question as to where you would bat a guy like that. Well I was using the data that Nilo gave us from The Book, which said that the average run value of a HR was 1.397 which I just simply multiplied by 162 and got 226, which is less than the 231 that Meph says the OBP guy makes. Personally, I'm still trying to figure out his methodology before I go back and tell him that I think he's shorting the HR guy 120 runs.

Quickly? Hendry has been here since 94, and GM for 5 years. Right, but the green light to get the big pricey FA names seemingly only showed up in the last year or so. An organization this hapless suddenly deciding to spend big isn't the situation where I expect to see much being done that's thought out right away. What a bunch of nonsense. Hendry was given more than enough resources to field a great team every season he's been at the helm. It pains me to break with my avatar blood brother, but this is my sentiment. The "history" of this club has no realistic impact on its operation in the present.

Portugal? Why there? (wikipedia wouldn't tell me) The Portuguese league is ranked #6 in Europe behind La Liga, EPL, Serie A, Ligue 1, and Bundesliga -- the top leagues of Spain, England, Italy, France and Germany -- which is good enough for 3 Champion's League places. Benfica is the largest club in Portugal and usually among the top 3. The talent level at Benfica (as well as its opposition) is much, much superior to MLS and really gives Freddy the experience he needs against top flight players, both at practice and in games. Benfica is experienced at developing talent, and will likely bring him along at a good rate. The style of play in Portugal or Spain is also very conducive to the development of an offensive-minded player like Adu. Awesome, thanks.

the only issue i have with this - and a very minor one indeed - is that the hr guy's run production isn't based on PA's, it's based on games played. I guess we could assume an average season or whatever, I dunno, I'll inquire further, but I'm pretty sure the HR guy would produce well over 106 runs, but perhaps not more than the walks produce.

the fact that you continue to think anyone cares what Meph or anyone else writes on that blog is amusing bordering on frightening OH CRAP TURNABOUT WHAT DO I DO? well played sir, well played. almost not totally transparent too. i'm not really sure what you keep going on about, but i'm sure it's amusing you to no end no, actually, it's pretty frustrating that you feel the need to keep derailing this thread with your crap. i'm not trying to amuse myself, i'm trying to have a freaking discussion about baseball, or conceptual baseball or whatever. just stop dude. seriously. let it go.

Portugal? Why there? (wikipedia wouldn't tell me)

the fact that you continue to think anyone cares what Meph or anyone else writes on that blog is amusing bordering on frightening OH CRAP TURNABOUT WHAT DO I DO? well played sir, well played. almost not totally transparent too.

FIXED

That makes no sense. It's akin to suggesting that if the team was sold on June 1st, Sam Zell would get to keep all the ticket revenue, including season ticket monies. Duh, that's not what happens. The new owner is essentially purchasing the rights to all revenue, of which name deal money is a part. It'd be like if Sam Zell sold the team, and then after he got his check was like "oh yeah btw, i'm taking the safe that has all the money with me". Again, no sense. First, those two sentences you're quoting don't contradict each other. The Cleveland Indians are doing well. They're not doing well by Yankees standards, but their resurgence in the 90's reinvigorated their fan base who began showing up to games and allowed the team to invest heavily in developing players so they wouldn't have to compete in the FA market. That is entirely different from the notion that by virtue of SPENDING a bunch of money, that you're going to have a good team. As I said before/elsewhere, the Cubs payroll dwarfs Cleveland's. But Cleveland is a superior team (in a superior division in a superior league). The team we have is a "hey, anything can happen in the playoffs" type of team, rather than an elite baseball club. With the revenue this team brings in, it should be elite. But it's not. We can't even be totally sure we'll win the division, much less get to the World Series. But I digress. Sam Zell isn't the villain you're trying so hard to make him out to be. Yeah sure, he's kind of a wanker, but really, that's of no consequence. The selling of the naming rights isn't 40 mil in his pocket. It's revenue for the team, the spending of which he really doesn't provide much input for, beyond final say. (this discussion should be moved somewhere probably, as it has nothing to do with rosters)

Let's put it this way, you have the process all wrong. It's not like Allstate or whoever would just walk up to Sam Zell and hand him $40 million dollars and he walks away. The point of selling the naming rights is to increase the revenue stream, thus increasing the sale value of the team. The money comes in over time, not all at once, and not directly to Sam Zell (though as owner, he has a right to do whatever he wants, whether you or I or anyone we know likes it or not). Baseball is a business, and will always be a business. When business is good, it's usually reflected on the field. To place demands like "if they call this place Tampon Park it better be in exchange for a WS" is simply ludicrous. If it was a matter just spending more money, the Yankees would win every year.

Lou also said Cubbie today...sorry if you have a problem with it, I don't think you will be successful trying to get people to stop saying it. I am indifferent on "Cubbies" so whatever, but I think that you care way too much about what people call the team. It wouldn't matter if we called them the Chicago Houjvadillas it would make ZERO difference on the play of the team, which is the thing that matters. So you don't care if they change the name of wrigley, then, right? and if he doesn't?

what is "U-20"

The US U-20 vs Poland game is still what I think of with Adu. Damn tv box isn't working so missing tonights game. That was exciting. I have a feeling I'm going to like this soccer thing.

That's really spectacular. We should get that guy over here sometime to help us sort through these complex problems.

Me too, Nate, me too. I mean, nothing's guaranteed, but Soto will be interesting to watch, if not downright fun, this season.

these are tears of joy

That only matters if there was some sort of rule that said they had to sign him in the first place. It was only Jim Hendry's incompetence that put him in a position where he felt so desperate to make the signing. And there it is. Unless we can somehow convince ourselves that how many ever millions we're going to be giving this guy for seasons age 35-40 aren't going to be a waste because our revenue streams rival that of Microsoft, that is A LOT of money that could be going elsewhere. Arguing otherwise is ridiculous. The chain reaction that made the Cubs "need" to sign Soriano started rolling well before Hendry got here. It's an epic legacy of failure and stupidity and missed chances. That's a bit too fatalist for my tastes. I could see putting some of the blame on Ed Lynch, Andy MacPhail, et al. But to blame it on the sucky 70's and beyond seems like quite the stretch. His responsibility is to do what's best for the organization, and that's to get the most value out of every dollar he spends. He has unequivocally not fulfilled that responsibility. I mean, yay, we're the best team in the worst division, and at best, the 2nd best team in the inferior league. The fact that the Cleveland Indians, with a fraction of our payroll, could wipe the floor with us more often than not should send alarms up as to how poorly this team has been run.

That only matters if there was some sort of rule that said they had to sign him in the first place. It was only Jim Hendry's incompetence that put him in a position where he felt so desperate to make the signing. And there it is. Unless we can somehow convince ourselves that how many ever millions we're going to be giving this guy for seasons age 35-40 aren't going to be a waste because our revenue streams rival that of Microsoft, that is A LOT of money that could be going elsewhere. Arguing otherwise is ridiculous.

It was perfectly clear to me and many others here. Can't help it if you weren't paying attention like the rest of us. [-X [-X I simply want the Cubs to win the division, the league and the World Series this year, that's all. To put any hope on having Wood as the closer, given his history of DL stints and who knows how many games he wasn't or won't be available, is bad decision making. Again, he has ZERO saves in his career. How would you ever determine a closer if they're not allowed to ever get their first save? Everyone starts at zero. CAUSE HE'S BRITTLE DUH

wth? Is your train of thought "oh dear please someone from nsbblol please see this and make a post about me cause that would sure validate my flavor of the week, which I don't have a name for but it involves insulting posters who aren't here to defend themselves (FREE MEPH) and derailing a rather interesting discussion to do so. SOMEONE PLEASE NOTICE ME"? Cause yeah, I'm guessing if they haven't made one yet, they're probably not going to start now. Just give up and let me wait for someone to disprove my methodology/math.