David

BTW, this discussion is far more interesting than talking about Jose Ascanio...but I guess it IS the wrong thread.

I believe you are the one judging this based on emotions. I believe you've insinuated in the past you that Prior's problem is about body language and emotion, as opposed to any real injury. You've insinuated he's a steroids abuser and other things. I believe you have a grudge against Prior and just want him gone, thinking there's some sort of "cord cutting" benefit to moving on from the Prior era. I also said he wasn't going to pitch last year but you disagreed. Who was right? But you thought it was because he's a nancy boy that doesn't try hard enough. He had surgery, which can be kind of tough to predict. Oh I do think he's not mentally tough I don't deny that but I also saw that he had nothing when he pitched. I made the right decision then as I am now. All the pieces fit. Based on what? Was it coming back weeks later after a line drive fractured his elbow? Coming back into the game after a violent collision (in which he landed hard on his throwing shoulder) at second base? Or was it the fact that he pitched lights out down the stretch in a tight playoff race that confirmed it? Let me guess, you're going to point out/blame him for the game six collapse?

I believe you are the one judging this based on emotions. I believe you've insinuated in the past you that Prior's problem is about body language and emotion, as opposed to any real injury. You've insinuated he's a steroids abuser and other things. I believe you have a grudge against Prior and just want him gone, thinking there's some sort of "cord cutting" benefit to moving on from the Prior era. I also said he wasn't going to pitch last year but you disagreed. Who was right? Considering the incredibly inaccurate reports about Prior's condition going into this year's spring training (2003 form, anyone), can you blame him? At the time that people here were optimistic about Prior's chances this year, the reports coming out of camp were incredibly bright. Then we saw him pitch and we knew that the guy (was it AZ Phil or Al Yellon or one of those bloggers?) was full of crap or didn't know what he was seeing. Now, Prior is 9 or 10 months removed from the major surgery that he probably needed a couple years ago and the first real diagnosis of his problems. There was never a chance for him to recover because nothing was done to fix the problem. Now there has been. The Cubs at least need to see if that works out.

That's about $3M saved - which could be Mark Prior money for 2008, if he's not dealt. And then you pull me back in. Why waste money on this guy to rehab? Make a clean break, give him a hug and start out new. Somebody must see the potential in him to make a decent offer. Because it's not wasting money. It's investing in a real asset, regardless of your personal hatred of the man. Just because I don't have a man crush on the guy doesn't mean I hate him. I just see him as a Miller who will waste the money time and time again. The Prior you once knew is gone and will never come back. Doesn't seem like jersey has a man crush. Did I say he did? Certainly seemed like that's what was being implied... :|

Better yet... See Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale, etc.

That's about $3M saved - which could be Mark Prior money for 2008, if he's not dealt. And then you pull me back in. Why waste money on this guy to rehab? Make a clean break, give him a hug and start out new. Somebody must see the potential in him to make a decent offer. Because it's not wasting money. It's investing in a real asset, regardless of your personal hatred of the man. Thank you.

Easily my favorite quote in the whole article.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mariotti/679554,mariotti120307.article

They just played a clip of Cuban on ESPN 1000. He said he isn't interested in acquiring any other team. Also said something really interesting: He said he'd look into putting "Cubbie" (drives me nuts that he refers to them as that...I think he thinks it will endear him to Cubs fans, but whatever) away games on in 3D in movie theaters. :shock:

Jason Schmidt, I guess... Can't think of anyone else...

I almost want the Pats to pull it out now. Down to their last play and all. I'd love to see the 72 Dolphins disappear.

In some ways a lot like the Bears/Cards last year... (loose comparison)

This game is just WOW

WOW... Rolle WOW

I checked the weather 10 minutes before the game and figured this bet was as much of a lock as you can come by. Thought it would be a struggle for any team to score much more than 20 points, let alone win by 20 or more. I'm not even that big of a sports bettor, but every now and then if I see one I like, I'll bet it.

Yes, you are looking great. Do you bet online? If so, what site do you use? Bodog...I play poker on there, so it's easiest for me. Lines aren't always the best. Gotta shop around online for the best spreads and all that...other sites I have bet on are sportsbook.com and tradesports.com.

there's no way the cubs will get more value than a slightly below league average starting pitcher if they trade prior right now. I would have thought that, but that's also when I wouldn't have thought there's be a line around the corner asking about him. If there's a market, someone might overpay. Jim Hendry = Best Buy on Black Friday... People are lining up...nobody's overpaying.

I've got 60 bucks on the Ravens (+20). Looking good so far. 8-)

I know Carroll isn't usually dependable for transaction rumors, but I really hope he's right about possibly dealing Eyre and Dempster. The big preemptive offer to Kosuke seems to fit Hendry's MO too. Hope that other teams save Hendry from himself with regard to Murton and we keep him at least as a 4th OF or the RF with Fukudome in CF if Pie struggles hard core.

Anybody who has any desire to trade Mark Prior at this point is basing their opinion on irrational emotion and not a semblance of reasoned logic. This is assuming, of course, that no team would offer a deal worth a damn at this point. Obviously, if you get an offer you can't refuse, you take it. Who knows? Maybe some team would. I highly, highly doubt it, though. The fact is, in all likelihood, his value at this point is nowhere near worth giving up the risk vs. reward of keeping him around.

This is so ridiculous. I don't even understand this perceived huge need for a left handed bat. Did Lou and Jim just forget that our greatest struggles last year were against LEFT FREAKING HANDED PITCHERS??? ](*,) ](*,)

Brian Schneider is talented? Talented might not be the correct word, but the Nats liked him enough to get rid of Barrett some years ago. Barrett was pretty terrible for the Expos.

Here's the thing that bugs me... People react so freaking strangely to different kinds of cheating. The public's reaction to the cheating rarely has any correlation to how much of an actual advantage it gives the player who was caught cheating. When a guy standing on second base steals signs from the catcher, it's considered part of the game. When a manager goes out and barks at the umpire to start calling balls and strikes he wants them called, and gets what he wants, it's considered good managing. Hard slides into second base? Catchers blocking the plate? That's all part of baseball! Gaylord Perry? He was a Hall of Famer who was never proven to have doctored the ball. People usually talk about him in wistful tones reserved for better times long past. Well, guess what? THAT'S ALL CHEATING! Every single thing I listed above is illegal under the rules of baseball. When Eddie Harris was talking about the sheer number of chemicals on his body in Major League to help him gain an edge, it was funny. If someone on those Indians talked about the sheer amount of HGH, steroids, and greenies he had taken in a similar fashion, I don't think people would have found it funny. I would like someone to tell me with a straight face how PEDs give an unfair advantage to a player in a way worse than some of the examples I listed above. Keep it out of the legal context since certain illegal drugs (cocaine, amphetamines) can help aid player's performance, as can illegally obtained prescription drugs. Let's face it, we can make anything criminal if we really wanted to. However, I don't think Neifi Perez will be facing criminal prosecution any time soon. You can greatly help your team through cheating without engaging in criminal activities. You can also cheat in a criminal fashion, but not help your team in any meaningful way. Let's face it, the way cheating is handled in baseball is arbitrary, hypocritical, and sometimes downright disgraceful. Gaylord Perry is a Hall of Famer despite being heavily suspected of doctoring the ball, yet Barry Bonds might find himself blackballed from playing another game and kept out of the Hall of Fame because he's been suspected of steroid use? Tell me how this makes sense. I think this is one of the most utterly stupid things going on with baseball right now. They need to quit hyping this crap up like it'll clean up baseball once and for all. Quite frankly, I think it's so stupid that baseball has been throwing the spotlight on itself with all of this crap. They could have taken care of this internally, quietly, and effectively, but instead, they've been trying to do it loudly and publicly. It makes them look like they're actually doing something (who knows if they really are?), but it backfires on them through publicity that's way worse than it otherwise would be had they simply dealt with this quietly. Great, great post. Sums up my thoughts on this whole matter nicely.

Mulder is much closer to pitching again vs. Prior. I'm not so sure of that. From varying reports, Prior could be pitching in the early half of next year (certainly not opening day, though), while Mulder, according to that link, isn't expected to pitch until AT LEAST midseason 2008. At worst it looks like their current timetables are similar, with Prior's being slightly ahead. That Mulder link was from January of last year talking about how he wouldn't pitch until midseason 2007, not midseason 2008. Heh, my bad. I didn't even realize Mulder pitched this year (what little he did).

Mulder is much closer to pitching again vs. Prior. I'm not so sure of that. From varying reports, Prior could be pitching in the early half of next year (certainly not opening day, though), while Mulder, according to that link, isn't expected to pitch until AT LEAST midseason 2008. At worst it looks like their current timetables are similar, with Prior's being slightly ahead.