CaliforniaRaisin

Well, Harben was scheduled to go when he was still a Twin and the Cubs couldn't send 8 players. The Cubs decided to send Harben to the AFL and send Grant Johnson to instructs instead (probably a better place for him).

Ok, Mr. Obvious. :) Kotsay/Payton are right in the audio clip. Detroit has had a great approach at the plate.

And Esteban Loiza is starting game 2. :roll:

I. Hate. Pudge. :x There's always Game 2.

Milton Bradley felt bad that Mark Kotsay's attempt was unsuccessful, so he gave Carlos Guillen an easier chance.

Ugh. Stupid Bradley.

Phew, only down 2-0. That could have been much worse (and could have been much, much better).

And now Chavez decides he can't field.

Sheesh. Quit falling apart, Zito.

Zito can smell the money from his upcoming payday, so I think the Tigers won't be scoring. I'm sure he'd toss up a 0.00 ERA if all it took was putting his mind to it. No more of that crap, Barry.

http://www.iamhawaii.com/ You can listen to Hawaiian Winter League games here (though you have to register). I'm pretty sure Scott Koerber will be pitching tonight. Of course, with the time difference, today's 7 pm game in Honolulu will be 12 am CT.

XX! http://www.northsidebaseball.com/PremiumForum/images/smiles/eusa_whistle.gif I was reading a Padres forum and saw a post about Towers coming on right before he did and was able to google it. Ahh - (I guess the former) Mighty 1090. thanks. I recognized one of the radio guys (Bill Werndl - the guy with the annoying voice). He used to work on an LA/San Diego sports radio station a few years back.

Thanks, Serena. What radio station is that?

I'll take a stab at their starters: C Jake Fox/Chris Robinson 1B Brian Dopirak 2B Nate Spears SS Joe Simokaitis 3B Matt Craig/Jemel Spearman RF Ryan Harvey CF Sam Fuld LF Jeff Culpepper LHP Donnie Veal RHP Mark Holliman RHP Justin Berg RHP Grant Johnson ?? Relievers: LHP Ed Campusano RHP Michael Phelps

C Jake Fox and Chris Robinson 1B Brian Dopirak RF Ryan Harvey CF Sam Fuld LHP Donnie Veal Maybe RHP Adam Harben or RHP Sean Gallagher, but I think those two will start the year with Iowa. Guys like Mitch Atkins and Billy Petrick might end up there later in the year from Daytona.

Discussion on Bochy in Transactions. (Premium Link)

Bruce, I've read your intereview at BCB in which you mentioned the Cubs were beginning to pay more attention to sabermetrics and couldn't ignore this year's horrendous stats (runs scored, OBP, SLG). You felt it would be a gradual process to blend the statistical side with the Cubs' scouting. Could you expand on that process and how you think the Cubs plan on becoming more sabermetrically-inclined?

I just saw that. :shock: He was in the upper 80s earlier in the year, up to the low 90s and his curve is coming back. Interesting. I don't think much will come of it, but it looks like he finally got a clue.

I don't think he'll get much time there with Chin Lung Hu, Matt Moses and Matt Tolbert already listed as SS on the roster. Mesa loses 3-0: box 2B E. Patterson 0/3, E (1, throw) DH S. Moore 0/4, K SP A. Harben 2 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 3 K/0 BB, HR, 2 GO-1 FO, 33 pitches (20 strikes) RP C. Pignatiello 1 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 K/1 BB, WP, 1 GO-1 FO, 18 pitches (9 strikes) That's Harben's first outing since being traded to the Cubs.

The starters for Game 2 are listed as TBA on the A's mlb.com site. I would think that Harden would start though. As per Oakland's mlb.com page, Loaiza will start game 2, Haren likely in Game 3, and Harden in Game 4. Harden allowed 5 runs in 3.1 innings in theis games in the desert, but the A's felt he threw really well (he threw "free and easy" with great command). He hit 94 repeatedly. Mark Kiger will replace the injured Mark Ellis on the A's 25-man.

Just like Murton last year. Gameday is available off MiLB.com's web site. Phoenix leads it 2-0 in the top of the 5th. Harben started on the mound, EPatt is leading off at second base and Scott Moore is DHing.

Its hard for me to tell too, but thats because I don't see color. Everyone is American to me. I only know I'm white because I can catch a cab and belong to an all white country club. Who's your NFL team then? It can't be the Bears. Nice * 2.

I didn't list that because I'm pretty sure that was last year's roster (given they have a recap of what each player did in 2004-2005).

That's an interesting claim. Sheesh, miss an 'n' in a word at 6:30 am and everyone gets on my case. I take it you don't equate Buck Coats with America? Are you sure that's "our" Jose Martinez? (There are at least 3 Jose Martinez pitchers in pro ball...) If so, that's rather surprising. Jose Martinez was supposedly a big-time signing... back in 2001, a few months before we signed Felix Pie! Supposedly this big, 6'5" Venezuelan lefty who had just turned 17 was already throwing in the low 90's. But 6 innings into his Mesa campaign in 2002, his arm was hurting. He's gone through surgery and years of rehabbing, seemingly without good effect. In 2005, he tried to come to camp, wasn't looking good enough to stay rookie league and got sent down to DSL, got hammered, and after a couple of games didn't pitch again. Then this year he was back again Stateside, opened with Boise, pitched 3 bad innings, got demoted, pitched a bad inning with Mesa, and disappeared again. (10 hits and 3 walks in 3+ innings between the two levels). He turned 22 this week. Seems surprising that a guy who's pitched a total of 11 innings in the US over his 5-year career would make a Venezuelan team, since those are pretty competitive. Is it possible that his arm is finally getting back in shape, and a VSL team thinks that perhaps he can give them a couple of innings this year, but down the road might be a real value in future years? That would be cool, almost miraculous, if after five years of arm problems he was able to throw hard again. Heh, not likely. According to the web site, it's the same Jose Martinez. I know I was shocked. The web site lists his parent team as the Cubs and his most recent pro team in the system as the Boise Hawks.