Outshined_One

Gameday froze. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

There ya go Ronny.

Maddux at 18 pitches...haha.

22 according to MLB Gameday.

Ha. He does look good this year. Payton was a warrior. I don't think Greg could handle that type of workout. Didn't Payton used to run backwards up a hill or some crazy thing like that? Also, this team would benefit from taking pitches. Todd managed to get a pitch to thwack out of the park in part because he worked the count. Everyone else so far...not so much so.

Big park You know what they say about teams with big ballparks... 8-[ They have lots of seats. :D

Todd Walker says no. :D GO TODD GO!

Look at that, Juan flied out to the OF.

Those things tend to happen when teams play Pittsburgh and Florida. ;)

It's cool dude. You seem like an alright guy and some one who's fairly knowledgeable. But typically in game threads, Cards fans tend not to get very good treatment. Just a heads up for ya. :D

Early runs plz.

Veal's outing was encouraging tonight, but he really has to give up less flyballs.

Flip-flop Jones and Murton and I'd love it.

I post in this thread.

**Online Host** pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth wants to direct connect. **Online Host** pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth is now directly connected. **Online Host** Soccer10k has been ferociously beaten out of NSBB JeterJeterPumpkinEater: Kyle, as Team Captain of the Universe I can no longer abide by you insulting the team this way. Some of your partners here may be offended by your loose words. pr0FF3ss0r_F4rnsw0rth: you better shut your speak spot or i'm on swing my partner round and round homosexual_rod: GUILE WHY DON JOO STOP HURTINK US WE ARE ALL YANGEES NOW, EES A SISDERHOOD OF HEESTRY AN GRADE HAIRGUTS JeterJeterPumpkinEater: Aw, thanks baby, I didn't think you'd noticed! ^_^

Define "an extended time".

I'll never forget seeing Sexson dislocate his shoulder. Ugh.

The problem with throwing Wood into relief is that you're basically encouraging him to let it all hang out. Heck, some people were talking about bringing back his slurve as a reliever. The problem is, that just exacerbates the problem. He'll lose his release point. His mechanics will become increasingly violent and dangerous to his arm. At least as a starter, he'll have to take it easy if he wants to make it through the 6th inning, ya know? Plus, as a reliever, there is always the danger of overuse (see: last year when he came out of the bullpen and pitched the day before his surgery). At least there's a five day limit on using him as a starter, ya know? I'd rather keep him in the rotation for the rest of the year. He'll be more valuable there if he's healthy. If he's not, then just let him go at the end of the year and only bring him back if it's for a cheaper contract.

What kind of lid? O:)

If Daric Barton lives up to his hype, that Mark Mulder trade could be on this list in a few years.

Yankee Stadium is where I predict he'll end up next season. That park is one of the friendliest to left handed pitching in baseball, imo. Well...that and the fact that he'll get enough money to make a paper mache surfboard out of hundred dollar bills.

One of the guys who had to drive UConn fans absolutely bonkers this season. This is a guy who should have been the best player in the tournament because of his sheer level of talent...yet he was incredibly lazy at times and was streaky to near-maddening degrees. Here's hoping the Bulls stay away from him. Yeesh.

To be fair, it's more than just this generation. Pujols is one of the best hitters to come along in the history of baseball. If you look at the first five years of a career, there are something like two guys in the history of the game who have comparable numbers to Pujols. Will he keep it up? We'll have to wait and see. But he doesn't show any sign of slowing down. Indeed, but for now, he'll have to live with that one of the best of his generation qualifier. I'm not one to jump to conclusions, especially regarding guys who play for my favorite team's top rival. :P Pujols' arm is definately above average...but it's not the best in the league or anything. Maybe top 5 at best....that's just a guess. NL 1B 2005 Fielding Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/fielding?seasonType=2&sortOrder=true&split=79&groupId=8&season=2005&qualified=null&sortColumn=fieldingPct NL 1B 2006 Fielding Stats: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlbhist/stats/fielding?seasonType=2&sortOrder=true&split=79&groupId=8&season=2006&qualified=null&sortColumn=fieldingPct 2005 Notes: -- Pujols did lead the league for 1B in range factor. -- Pujols finished 4 thousandths of a point behind Lee in Fielding % (6 thousandths of a point behind the league leader Casey) -- Pujols had more errors though...14 compared to Lee's 6. However, last year was only Pujols' 2nd year at 1B. We'll see if he improves on that this year and in the future. And actually, Pujols' numbers his first couple seasons at 1B are similar to Lee's numbers early in his career. And after looking at the numbers...Helton is superior at 1B. Top 5 at best at his position you mean? Just double checking on that. I remember he played his share of OF and 3B, but wasn't sure how good his arm was. Also, I always feel like defensive stats never fully encompass players. Cripes, David Eckstein was second in baseball in range factor last year among shortstops (with Jeter at #6). That just doesn't sound right. I also find it hard to believe that Sean Casey, Mark Teixeira, Darin Erstad, and Paul Konerko were all better 1B than Lee last season because they had a better fielding %. Typically I lean towards stats more than my own eyes, but defense is one of those areas where that simply is untrue. And yes, Todd Helton is really good at 1B. Shame that he doesn't get more exposure, but hey, he was the one who accepted that ludicrous contract Colorado offered him.

As far as fielding goes...Pujols has zero errors, Lee has committed two errors (most of any first baseman in the majors). In the interests of fairness, Lee has much, much better range at 1B than Pujols and has to deal with erratic throwing from Ramirez and Cedeno on a regular basis (which he deals with quite excellently). I don't think any 1B could ask for a better defensive 3B than Scott Rolen right now, ya know? Much, much better? I dunno about that. Lee is taller and has a longer reach...but I wouldn't say his range is THAT much better than Pujols'. If Lee wasn't in the NL, Pujols would challenge for a gold glove...he's a very good fielder. Usually though, if a poor throw isn't handled cleanly by the 1st baseman, the error usually goes to the person who threw the ball...not the first baseman. But I couldn't tell you on what types of plays Lee's errors came on this year. And you are correct. Rolen is solid at 3rd base...and Pujols does benefit from that. I think Pujols is a good all-around player and quite possibly one of the best hitters to come along during this generation of hitters. However, his defense is above average and I think he receives way too much hype for it (thank you Tony LaRussa). He's not a butcher, but he doesn't have a vacuum cleaner in his glove. Off the top of my head, Lee and Helton are the defensive class of the 1Bs in the NL. I haven't been paying enough attention elsewhere around the NL to know if there are any other really good ones, though. Ditto the AL, for that matter. Errors are typically subjective in their nature and in Lee's case, my memory is that both errors he's been charged with this season were correct in their scoring (especially since one was a strangely dropped ball). I remember being shocked seeing those two errors, as a matter of fact. That said, there is a lot to be said for having excellent defense on the infield. Having guys like Vina, Renteria, and Rolen (and on occasion Matheny) can really help your image, ya know? Especially considering that Rolen is probably the best defensive third baseman of this era (with great consideration for Eric Chavez). Pujols hasn't had to dig out or leap for as many errant throws as Lee, so it's been hard to judge his effectiveness in that regard. Lee, on the other hand, has had to deal with some utter lunatics in the infield. Almost all Cubs fans will tell you that he's saved this team an incredible number of errors because of his extraordinary instincts and reach. I never got that impression from Pujols when he's had to make extraordinary efforts to field a bad throw. How's Pujols' arm, out of curiosity? That's one of the most underrated aspects of Lee, his surprisingly strong and accurate arm. It really helps when it comes to turning the 3-6-3 DP. I'm curious as to whether Pujols' is comparable.

As far as fielding goes...Pujols has zero errors, Lee has committed two errors (most of any first baseman in the majors). In the interests of fairness, Lee has much, much better range at 1B than Pujols and has to deal with erratic throwing from Ramirez and Cedeno on a regular basis (which he deals with quite excellently). I don't think any 1B could ask for a better defensive 3B than Scott Rolen right now, ya know?