CaliforniaRaisin

Por que? To simplify, tools over actual skills/production, and overhype based on a couple games. Agreed on production, but disagree on the skills. He's got them.

Don't hate on Stephen A., he's on the Bulls bandwagon.

Por que?

Tyrus Thomas. Yay.

Brandon Roy will make a better impact than Morrison in his rookie year and throughout his career. Shut up, Dick.

Gonna take Thomas. Unless Charlotte takes him. Wow, Adam Morrison.

I'd prefer Roy or Thomas to Aldridge, so this trade better go down.

Wow. Please be there at 4, Roy.

GET BACK TO WORK. At least I have a job. Andrea has a real pretty shot.

DON'T BE HATING ON STEPHEN A.

If the Cubs banked all of their World Series hopes on 1 every 5th day pitcher, then they should be fired for banking all their hopes on 1 every 5th day pitcher. This team is not in the toilet because of Mark Prior. If he isn't worth anything to the Cubs and therefore tradeable for whatever they can get for him, what exactly makes him worth anything to any other team for them to be dumb enough to offer something for him? Simple question. I'm not saying trade him today but very soon. There are a lot of stupid GMs in baseball and Mark Prior is a name player. Now I said stupid, not completely brain dead. I don't have access to what value players have because I'm not a GM. Based on the stupid trades I've seen before, I think if Prior were to put a few really good games together, you could find a team that would give you a very useful player in return for him this year. Now, if that stretch of very good games does come and the trade presents itself, I'd take it. If you don't make that trade, you have to be prepared to wait until his free agency and see what he's done. If you do that, he could leave the team as a free agent if he's good, resign or never have recovered and be useless. I think that's one heck of a gamble to make. We're already assuming he would stay here if he does recover, and even then we don't know if he ever will recover. There's so many variables involved that it just doesn't seem smart to me to take that risk. If they did, of course I would hope that it would work out even though I wouldn't think it would. Indeed, that's the risk you're taking. But keeping in mind that he's not a FA until after 2008, he's still relatively cheap, he has a high potential and is recovering from those injuries, and his trade value is extremely low right now, it's a gamble I am more than willing to make. And if you come back to the trade scenario after a few solid starts...well then, he's probably nearing that great potential of his so I better be blown away with any trade offers.

Mesa wins their first of the season. The final is 8-7, Kitt Kopach gets the save and Alejandro Astorga the win.

Mesa has jumped ahead of Tempe 8-7 with 3 in the 7th and 4 in the 8th. They're trying to close it out now and get their first win of the year. DH Lisandro Rosario (3/4, BB, 2B, RBI, 2 Rs), 3B Marwin Gonzalez (2/5, 3B, 2 Rs) and 2B Ryan Lilly (3/5, BB, 3 RBI, SB, R) have had huge games offensively.

Pat and Ron said it was at his feet :?: That's how big Prince's feet are.

It's not a set amount of time/years folks give Prior to rebound. It's partly that he's still young and has showns signs of rebounding to his previous form and also that his trade value is at an all time low. There's no point in giving up on him if his trade value is so low, especially when positive signs are showing up.

Wow are you this obtuse? He's had other non-dusty related setbacks during that team which have only magnified and excerbated the situation. Is it that hard to see or is your raging hard-on for getting rid of Prior that dominating? Come on badger, there's no need for that.

What are the actions I'm supposed to hold him accountable for? Not being great? Being injured? Having setbacks after being overused at a very young age? Okay. Mark Prior, you dastardly fiend, how dare you get injured and have setbacks. Now get back in there and get better today, there is no room for gradual improvements. This is baseball, nobody ever takes time to improve, or get back to health, and nobody ever suffers setbacks. Like I said, just tell me how many years he gets to recover. None of us are doctors, how are we to know? We do know it's too soon to give up on him. He's only 25, his velocity is already back and he's shown lots signs of rebounding to his old form.

He should be blamed for getting injured? You don't make any sense. The theory is that Dusty's use hurt Prior. It may not have completely ruined him. And he might be able to come back from those problems and get better. Just because he has a chance to recover from the abuse related setbacks earlier in his career doesn't mean he should be criticized for not being great right now. Seriously, you don't make any sense whatsoever. Seriously, you don't make any sense whatsoever. You want to give Prior the benefit of the doubt when does bad but praise him when he does good. That's b.s. Hold him accountable for his actions or blame it on Dusty, accept what Dusty did and get rid of him. How do you know Prior won't rebound and improve? What's wrong in waiting to see if he rebounds from his injuries? His trade value is already pretty low.

If you want immediate impact, you should go for Brandon Roy. The Bulls need BPB. But I want Roy if Bargnani is gone.

See, I thought that at first. But then I realized the Cubs coaches are actually leading the clinics. Someone should sign up the rest of the NL Central for these clinics!

Mesa Cubs are down 1-0 midway through the second. Albuquerque gave up 3 walks and got 2 Ks in the first inning, the Angels run scored on a Hank Conger RBI single.

From what I've heard, the Dodgers won't trade Billingsley or Kemp to anyone but the Marlins (for Willis or Cabrera).

What about Izturis and LaRoche for Ramirez? In 2007 put Izturis at SS, Cedeno at 2B, EPatt at Iowa, and then in 2008 decide which two of the three you want to keep. Replace Izturis with Kemp, Guzman, or Billingsley, and it would be a deal. Izturis is not a GOOD player. He is a younger Nefti Perez. The Dodgers wouldn't make that trade (and if I were them, I wouldn't). I think a feasible deal would be LaRoche and Miller for Ramirez, Williamson (once he's healthy), and low prospect. Btw CR, why isn't Miller starting in Las Vegas right now? After the injuries, his arm doesn't have the stamina to throw hard for a full start but he has the ability to keep the velocity in relief appearances and his arm has handled being used multiple times a week. He's been clocked at 97 mph this season. He's been in the mix to be called up a few times with the back end of the Dodgers pen struggling and Gagne hurt. By the way, Andy LaRoche suffered a slight tear of the labrum a few weeks ago. Right now, he's been resting the arm and trying to avoid surgery, but it's still a possibility. Damn, he does sound like someone the Cubs would trade for. I haven't really followed him closely, what type of injuries has he had. Also, is there any hope of him regaining the stamina to be a starter or is likely a reliever from this point on? Miller thinks he's a reliever from here on out: He's had two shoulder surgeries (not to the labrum or rotator cuff). The first was in ST 2004 and the second in the offseason between 2004 and 2005.

Last year's 13th pick overall, Brandon Snyder, got a $1.6 million bonus. Bill Bray, the 13th pick overall in 2004 got $1.75 million. This year, Kasey Kiker got $1.6 million (12th pick) and Travis Snyder (14th pick) got approximately $1.7 million. It definitely appears as though Colvin got less than slot money.

Mark Holliman's first 6 starts at Daytona, ending on May 5: 29.1 IP (6 GS): 1-2, 4.60 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 29/15, 1 HR May 10th and on: 58 IP (9 GS): 5-2, 1.86 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 53/21, 4 HR The only thing that went up were the HRs. Overall season stats: 87.1 IP (15 GS): 6-4, 2.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 82/36, 5 HR