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A great pitcher will likely have more value than a great hitter simply b/c he has a greater workload than the hitter. Look at batters faced of the top tier pitchers this year (Carpenter, Clemens, Willis, Santana) and compare that to the PAs by Pujols, Lee, A-Rod, etc. You'll see that the pitchers have faced more batters than the batter has faced pitchers. As far as the 90% remark, exaggeration? Sure, but I value pitching more than hitting. I'd rather see Giles on the Cubs than Millwood, but he's the only offensive FA I can say that about.

That team was also terrible before I got my hands on it. I rebuilt that team by giving it one of the most productive 2B and Cs in the game to go along with Helton and Jeter as well as drafting the best pitcher in MLB as well as the Sox's ace. Then, I rebuilt the prospects on that team fron the worst to one of the better ones, built on pitching. All in all, I had couple of productive months and gave Navin a team that can make the playoffs next year. Look at that team from a yr. ago.

For me, I just had a greater priority around the 1st of July.

Personally, Pujols should get drilled in the posterior for his pose as should any player who does that crap after a HR. Of course, that would fall into the hands of Oswalt, but he should be smart and not risk the quick trigger of an ump.

But, the batter's actions are dictated by the pitcher's not the other way around. The batters job is respond to the actions of the pitcher.

The same hitter only ABs 4-5 times per game, the avg SP will likely face around 25 batters. Therefore, whoever that SP is the most important player for each team. The pitcher is the aggressive one, the batter is simply reacting to what he does, he is always the most important one.

I think is fair to say there are more great hitters than pitchers these days? From that, hitters will boost their numbers more b/c they face more avg. pitchers than even good ones. Hitters can make their careers off of avg. pitchers and struggle vs. the great ones and still have great numbers. I doubt a pitcher can become a great one by feasting on avg. to below hitters and struggle vs. the great ones. There's the difference, a great pitcher has to be able to retire both the avg. and very good hitters. A great hitter can dominate avg. pitching and struggle vs. the great ones and still be considered a very good hitter. It's the nature of the beast and why the pitcher is clearly the most important player on the field at all times and where everything stems from.

See the Pujols/Lidge AB for reference. All you need are the two pitches from that AB from a great pitcher and a great hitter and why good pitching retires good hitting. Lidge's 1st slider was unhittable, the second slider was that would be delivered by an avg. pitcher and a horrible mistake. A great pitcher is more valuable than a great hitter, especially a starting pitcher.

Just curious, why does a story about Felix getting busted equate to the policy being a joke? Does it have to bust bigger names to make it worthwhile? Well, the policy is a joke. Until they test for HGH or similar standards as the Olympics, it's a nice ploy to ease congress and the fans, but nothing worthwhile as far as getting MLB "clean". Even Alfonseca couldn't plug all the holes in the dam with his fingers as far as illegal enhancements and the current steroid policy. Stricter suspensions don't deter those who pass the tests by using HGHs.

I'll be rooting for the Astros, I might try and get tickets for Game 1 this Saturday. I'm not rooting for the Astros b/c it's the Sox, I've been neutral as far as the Sox. But, I want the Astros to win it more, to see Biggio, Ausmus, Bagwell, etc win a title as well as those like Dierker who spent his entire career with them. Also, it'll give Oswalt the chance to put him right there with Santana as the best young pitcher in the game.

Don't you remember? The Cubs had perfect health in '03 and everyone over achieved. The Cards would've won the division, if the Cubs weren't so damn lucky in '03, nevermind the injuries to Sosa, Choi, Patterson, Prior, Grudzielanek, etc. Oh yeah, Houston had a better record as well. I think that the last 2 years have given a little credence to that theory, actually. Saying the Cards injuries were more of an impact based on the loss of a closer or the inability of Jocketty to find one in-house (Fassero?) was the reason why STL did not win the division is completely stupid when not looking at the complete picture. Are you saying the loss of Patterson, Choi, Prior, Grudzielanek, Sosa, etc. had no impact on the Cubs only winning 88 games? That's like me saying the Cubs would've made the playoffs last year if Wood and Prior would've stayed healthy, I won't say that, b/c it's wrong and hypothetical non-sense to assume otherwise. What was the health of STL when they were going to Chicago for a 5 game series while they were in 1st place? They lost the division b/c they got they were pushed around all over the field by the Cubs and never recovered, unless getting swept at home by the Rockies in the middle of a playoff push is a usual occurance. To try and minimize the Cubs winning the division based on the health of the Cards and not factor injuries that occured to the team that finished of them. To use my favorite line, you're performing mental masturbation.

The best collection of SP in a short series since the Braves of '95 has something to do with it, that game by Oswalt was the best pitched game I seen all year.

If the Cubs can't reach a deal before the pre-season starts and decide to go after Furcal, I hope team like LA signs him quick enough to make the decision for the Cubs. http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/1005/16fragents.html

They're run by baseball people and have more than enough revenue, they just haven't done a good enough job, I don't think it based on effort either. You could've given the Cubs 20mil more in payroll and they probably would not have made the playoffs given how poorly they spent the other 100 mil. Just a flawed philosophy.

he stepped out of the box, went behind the catcher and had an extended argument w/ the ump. it was a bad call, but edmonds should know better. nobody's going to bend the rules for him. Showing more patience isn't bending the rules, it was dumb for him to argue in the manner he did. He shouldn't have been thrown given the circumstances of being such a close game and the post-season.

That was a horrible to call to say he went around and to throw him out for simply arguing.

Marquis isn't in this game mentally. Between losing his composure last inning and being the best hitting pitcher in MLB and not being able to bunt the runner over.

Grudzielanek decides to show up, he presses almost as much as Patterson when he struggles.

That strike zone has been equally big for both teams, I still have no idea why adjusted the zone in '88. It si typically much more square than it should be. Of course, Larussa was thrown out on a pitch that was a ball.

Don't you remember? The Cubs had perfect health in '03 and everyone over achieved. The Cards would've won the division, if the Cubs weren't so damn lucky in '03, nevermind the injuries to Sosa, Choi, Patterson, Prior, Grudzielanek, etc. Oh yeah, Houston had a better record as well.

That team would be handle any regression from Lee and not skip a beat. I think it would be a top 5 team offensively, have a top 5 bullpen, and a top 5 rotation. I'd still rather see another SP given the odds of an injury for Wood & the step taken back by Prior as well as the declining Maddux.

That gyroball would screw with batters in a similar manner as Hideo's delivery did when they first seen it. If you me gave the choice of Daisuke Matsuzaka or Furcal, I'd take Daisuke... and bring back Nomar.

They'll have another pizza feed when they're pimping the '06 handbook, it depends at which Borders they decide to go to. You'll probably see Rany, Will Carroll, and the twitchy Nate Silver.

Right he should have ripped his head off got suspended for like 20 games down the stretch last year so Bako could have been the catcher on a team struggling to score runs. That would have been smart. :roll: Barrett was actually very smart in not ripping his head off. This year after we were out of it he should have though. Why do it this year, the Cubs already laid down and played dead in '04, what good is that going to do? As we found out, Barrett being there and Barrett not being wan't the difference in the Cubs playing horribly the week of '04. It would've been smart for the pitcher to drill a player, Barrett running his mouth did nothing.

http://www.rotoauthority.com/ Let's see... Furcal Lofton (eh) Lee Giles Ramirez Murton Walker Barrett Rotation: Z Prior Wood Maddux Williams Bullpen: Dempster Howry Seanez Ohman Rusch Williamson/Novoa/Wuertz Bench: Sweeney Perez Blanco etc. etc etc. Wishful thinking can be fun.