SouthSideRyan

Sheets did at least pitch a simulated game I believe. I think his only limitation if he doesn't develop blisters is that he won't be able to go more than 6 innings, and he'll probably have to be efficient to do that. If Dusty was managing the team, he'd start Murton tomorow based on his proven track record against Sheets. Those were always fun times when Dusty would make the right move with just godawful logic behind it.

Oh man, I didn't even see the you nerds don't care about the actual game stuff coming. Worst Game Thread Ever.

Reading back through the thread from the point I left, it's very annoying. I can't wait til I get to the Jones double with 4 pages of HILARIOUS comments before it talking about Jones K-ing weakly and how pathetic this team is. Oh, and the hilarious follow ups about how it doesn't matter the bullpen will blow it anyways, and then of course calling Dempster a dumpster. That'll be great.

Ramirez's career stats are misleading. He came up to the big leagues too early and was forced to play on a shattered ankle for an entire season.

Tastes too much like desipio in here tonight and I haven't a clue why. I'm out.

I'm cynical and pessimistic but this game thread is even more sad sack and depressing than usual.

Come on Rich, help you help you.

Yay for common sense! Good to see Koyie was completely unwanted by anyone, and instead we kept Geo Soto in the minors in place of him.

Can we all freak out and feel self important and claim that Len is talking directly to us over the hit and run play?(Ya know, like desipio did over Len telling people that the season was a rollercoaster and not to get too upset?) Yeah they suck.

That's going to be disappointing for you. First team to 40 wins. Then it will be the Illini. Their defense will be decent to good. You're forgetting that Chase Daniel is apparently winning like 7 heismans this year.

As are the other 80% of us that have to work. It's 85% of us that have to work the other 15% come out here? F****** playground for the c***s***ers

Stop worrying about the Cardinals.

That sounds familiar about the player needing to be on the 60 day DL, but I really don't understand why. What if the Cubs want Pagan on the playoff roster, they have to submit his name in place of a position player only? Or is it just a technicality of the rules where the 14th man would be Pagan unless he can't come back, in which case he'd be transferred to the 60 day DL come 9/30 and replaced by Pie/Murton? And all of this talk really shouldn't matter, cause Pigs should be the one going down, but I'm not that optimistic.

Sorry, Dude, missed the "before the Ward hit" part. I echo the sentiment about playing for the win there. The onyl way you worry about the speed of your runner on 1st is if Ward hits a double(I'm not putting in Pie there to steal 2nd). If Ward hits a double you have runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. You shouldn't need a fast runner on 3rd to get the run in for that situation.

Quickest way to prove it is checking K-Rod's debut date on baseballreference.com He made his major league debut on 9/18 then was on the postseason roster. I can't off the top of my head think of the guy who was on the 60 day DL that he replaced, but I want to say it was some nobody who may have never even wound up playing in the majors. K-Rod may not have even been on the 40 man as of 9/1(though he was in the organization), I'm hazy on that part. The logic behind it is that postseason rosters are supposed to be locked in on 8/31 to prevent a guy playing in the playoffs that wasn't really a part of the team for the most part. Teams discovered loopholes because obviously if one of the guys on the 25 man roster got hurt, he would be replaced by somebody else from the 40 man come October. Additionally, if you have a guy on the 15 day DL that you want on your postseason roster, you'd put him on there. Let's say he relapses and isn't healthy enough for postseason play, you then have to replace him. So the loophole was taken to the extreme, and occasionally a team will ensure a minor leaguer will spend the season on the major league 60 day DL to allow for manuevering in order to clear space should they so need it. For example, having Pagan on the playoff roster(In place of Pignatiello) in addition to every position player on the current 25 man would allow the Cubs to go down to 11 pitchers for the playoffs, which is really all a team needs come postseason.

*whistles*

And why do you think that is? They're in the business of driving up ratings and making money. Put a Blue Jays vs. Devil Rays/Royals game on Sunday night and you'll get awful ratings. You can definitely argue that ESPN and FOX have driven this Red Sox/Yankees mania. But the Red Sox and Yankees deliver higher ratings than anyone else. It annoys me too, but it's not going to change. Self fulfilling prophecy. Red Sox-Yankees draw the best ratings because they're all that's ever hyped. If you tell people the Red Sox and Yankees are the only teams that matter, then people will think they're the only teams that matter. But you all have it wrong for the NL, cause we'd definitely be one of the teams they'd include. We could have it a lot worse. Red Sox/Yankees draw the most audience b/c about 1/6 of the US lives between Mid New Jersey and Maine. They don't need the hype. And the other 5/6 of the country? It's less to do with diehard baseball fans than it does for the casual fan. Nobody's going to tune in to watch Anaheim/Cleveland on Sunday Night baseball because they've been told that they aren't as important as the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, and Barry Bonds. If it was only a population thing then how come the Jets and Giants aren't considered marquee teams in the NFL? IMO, it's much more the Duke basketball/Notre Dame football effect than it is the size of a fanbase.

I'm very very impressed that it took 20 posts til somebody questioned Mark Prior's desire. We used to not be able to go 5 posts. Things are improving.

And why do you think that is? They're in the business of driving up ratings and making money. Put a Blue Jays vs. Devil Rays/Royals game on Sunday night and you'll get awful ratings. You can definitely argue that ESPN and FOX have driven this Red Sox/Yankees mania. But the Red Sox and Yankees deliver higher ratings than anyone else. It annoys me too, but it's not going to change. Self fulfilling prophecy. Red Sox-Yankees draw the best ratings because they're all that's ever hyped. If you tell people the Red Sox and Yankees are the only teams that matter, then people will think they're the only teams that matter. But you all have it wrong for the NL, cause we'd definitely be one of the teams they'd include. We could have it a lot worse.

Unless an owner comes in that wants to make changes from top to bottom, then he'll stay. I can't see the Canning group firing him.

Young's exciting, but that OBP is ugly.

Demp to the rotation seems to be plausible. Replacing who? Barring a trade there's no room for another starter.

The problem with that is Lou's plan was to bunt the 2 runners to 2nd and 3rd in which case you'd probably like your faster runner on 2nd to score on a hit rather than on 3rd for the sac fly.

Neither are the journalists. To say Myers isn't at fault is ridiculous. What's even more ridiculous is comparing players and journalists. Because one is any less human than the other? I have little doubt that Brett Myers is less human than the reporter.

Not if they continue to only pitch him in non-important situations. If he stays healthy the rest of the year I have no problem bringing him back, but as everyone else says, the base can't be too high.