soccer10k

You're right. The Rangers just wanted to free up payroll to spend on other areas of the team and didn't want to have that much money tied up in one player. The Yankees obviously don't have that problem and I think they will ultimately take the best deal offered to them (as long as it isn't the Red Sox).

The Cubs should get more than just Jeremy Bonderman and a prospect for DLee if they did trade him. But if they are going to trade him, the Cubs should just blow up the team and trade everybody.

As per ESPN.com. Hunter will be paid $12M in 2007.

agreed. I liked the George who went through managers like they were women he had picked up at the bar, and then occasionally decided to hook up with one again from time to time. "You know as painfull as it is I had to let a few people go over the years. Yogi Berra, Lou Piniella, Bucky Dent, Billy Martin, Dallas Green, Dick Houser, Bill Virdon, Billy Martin, Scott Marrow, Billy Martin, Bob Lemmon, Billy Martin, Gene Michael, Buck Showalter"

What extra money will be bring to SF next year? Extra Media Coverage Jersey Sales Anything extra that sells with a 'Giant name or logo' because Barry breaks/is going to break the record. Spike in ticket sales - (are all Giants games sellouts? I have no idea) Even though he this steroid scandel surrounding him, doesn't mean EVERYONE will be watching/waiting for him to break the record. They can't get any more media coverage than they already have. I doubt they'll sell many more jerseys than they have in the past. The only way he makes them a ton more money is if he gets to 1 HR away, then waits 10 home games before tieing the record, and another 10 before breaking it. More media coverage? Sure they can.. When he ties/breaks the record, every outlet in the WORLD will be covering this. Sales in Japan will Spike, sales in the US will spike. Sales everywhere will spike. And as for Bonds waiting 10 games to tie the record and 10 more to break the record, that is VERY possible. He's not cranking out 60 homers a year anymore, plus the nerves leading up to it, will be insane... Once he ties the record, there will be a very long drought before his next homer. Not to mention that the money in the steroid market will shoot through the roof. And yes, pun was intended.

When your offense is as pathetic and inept as the Raiders is, you start talking draft early in the season.

As per your request nilodnayr: 2005: White Sox (9) vs Astros (11) 2004: Red Sox (1) vs Cardinals (1) 2003: Marlins (8) vs Yankees (3) 2002: Angels (4) vs Giants (3) 2001: DBacks (3) vs Yankees (5) My internet is currently shady at best, so I apologize for not taking initiative, but could some one provide this for all playoff teams, not just WS opponents? We all know that once you make it to the playoffs pitching is more important. However, looking at just the WS teams as a proxy, it looks like that save 05, hitting is just as important as pitching. ERA 2006: DET (1), NYY (7), OAK (4), MIN (2), NYM (3), LAD (4), STL (9), SD (1) 2005: CHW (2), BOS (11), LAA (3), NYY (9), STL (1), SD (7), HOU (2), ATL (6) 2004: NYY (6), MIN (1), BOS (3), LAA (4), STL (2), LAD (4), HOU (6), ATL (1) 2003: NYY (2), MIN (7), BOS (8), OAK (1), CHC (3), ATL (9), FLA (7), SF (2) 2002: LAA (2), NYY (4), MIN (6), OAK (1), SF (2), ATL (1), STL (4), ARI (6) 2001: SEA (1), CLE (9), NYY (3), OAK (2), ARI (2), STL (3), ATL (1), HOU (10) Runs Scored 2006: DET (5), NYY (1), OAK (9), MIN (8), NYM (3), LAD (4), STL (6), SD (13) 2005: CHW (9), BOS (1), LAA (7), NYY (2), STL (3), SD (13), HOU (11), ATL (4) 2004: NYY (2), MIN (10), BOS (1), LAA (7), STL (1), LAD (9), HOU (6), ATL (5) 2003: NYY (3), MIN (6), BOS (1), OAK (9), CHC (9), ATL (1), FLA (8), SF (6) 2002: LAA (4), NYY (1), MIN (9), OAK (8), SF (3), ATL (10), STL (2), ARI (1) 2001: SEA (1), CLE (2), NYY (5), OAK (4), ARI (3), STL (4), ATL (13), HOU (2)

As per Cot's Jenkins is due $7M in 2007 and has a $9M club option for 2008 with a $0.5M buyout.

Actually, if you really wanted to look at it, Florida probably has just as good a case for being ranked No. 1 as Ohio State does. I'd still rank OSU first if I had a vote, but it warrants mentioning. I don't think so. Florida won by 1 at Tennessee and won a close game at home against LSU. Ohio State won by 3 scores at Texas and at Iowa. The competition level is about the same, but OSU won their games more decisively and they were both on the road. Florida beat LSU by 13 and forced 5 turnovers (3 picks) against a team that almost never has problems taking care of the football. And Tennessee and LSU would both plaster Iowa. I agree in that Ohio State and Florida could be considered 1 and 1a right now. You can't really go wrong with either.

This is going to be the first real clunker for NBC. Not if you're a Broncos fan. :) :) :) By the way if we lose to Oakland I won't be able to watch football for at least 2 weeks. I assure you, the Broncos won't lose in Denver. In Oakland? Maybe. But not in Denver.

Week 5: vance: 5-7 Mark: - ndistops: 8-4 soccer: 9-3 Ryan: 10-2 Truffle: - UMfan: 6-6 rawaction: 4-8 ChiCubsFan: 6-6 Note: There were 2 ties in Week 5 Overall: vance: 37-33 Mark: 27-31 ndistops: 33-37 soccer: 38-32 Ryan: 27-27 Truffle: 15-11 UMfan: 16-22 rawaction: 9-15 ChiCubsFan: 13-13 Note: There have been 4 ties overall (2 in Week 3 and 2 in Week 5)

I meant more from a national interest perspective. NBC wants everyone to be interested, not just Bronco fans. But you're right of course. If the Bears were playing the Raiders, I'd sure be tuning in. :) Raiders and football fans may still watch for a while hoping for an upset. I'm rooting for Oakland and against Detroit the rest of the way this year. Big weekend for the Panthers. Luckily, they get a Monday night team from last week for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. Let's see if Peppers can break McNair's sternum. I've said this a lot already this year (I'm going to say it a lot more) and I'm going to say it again now. Brady Quinn is going to look good in Silver and Black next year. :D I think the Raiders would pick Troy Smith over Quinn. They really liked Vince Young last year, and Smith will remind them of him. The Raiders really wanted someone with some mobility (I'm starting to understand why when seeing their line) and I'm guessing that will probably continue. That's what I would guess as well. But I want Brady Quinn. I wanted them to get Roethisberger a couple years ago. I wanted them to draft Leinart this year. I wasn't high on Vince Young and I'm not that high on Troy Smith either. And I HATE Aaron Brooks.

That game is at Auburn. I look forward to seeing Auburn winning and going right back to #2. The SEC is just that darn good. That's going to be a good game. I would be highly surprised if Auburn plays as bad as they did last week against Arkansas and think they will come out fired up at home. Ultimately I think Florida is going to win, but it's going to be a good game.

I meant more from a national interest perspective. NBC wants everyone to be interested, not just Bronco fans. But you're right of course. If the Bears were playing the Raiders, I'd sure be tuning in. :) Raiders and football fans may still watch for a while hoping for an upset. I'm rooting for Oakland and against Detroit the rest of the way this year. Big weekend for the Panthers. Luckily, they get a Monday night team from last week for the 2nd time in 3 weeks. Let's see if Peppers can break McNair's sternum. I've said this a lot already this year (I'm going to say it a lot more) and I'm going to say it again now. Brady Quinn is going to look good in Silver and Black next year. :D

Good to hear.

That's definitely an interesting scenario. It would be like the Yankees taking on Lidle to get Abreu. If Pavano can come back healthy in 2007 that deal alone would fill two holes in the team. Unless I missed something, the Cubs would still need a CF (I'm assuming Murton and Cabrera would fill the corner outfield positions), correct?

Both the Tigers and Yankees had very good teams. The Tigers happened to get the best of the Yankees in this one series. We wouldn't be having this conversation if the Yankees had hammered the Tigers, averaged 6+ runs per game and won the series. It's one series. Four games. Small sample size. The Cubs swept the Cardinals TWICE this year. Does that make the 2006 Cubs a better team than the 2006 Cardinals? Absolutely not. The Tigers happened to get the better of the Yankees in one short series. The Padres had the second best ERA in the ML this year but they were 26th in runs scored. How did they do in the postseason? They scored 6 runs in 4 games and were eliminated. You must have both solid pitching and hitting to be successful. It doesn't have to be great, but both must be respectable. One dimensional teams either don't make the playoffs or get eliminated quickly.

I was at the game and that was when I knew we f'd ourselves for good. God, I miss that Mark Prior :( Stupid Javier Valentin. IIRC, the Cubs lost that game in extra innings, right?

I was about to ask why you didn't post the MNF game but then I looked up the schedule on espn.com and realized the Bears were playing on monday night.

This is going to be the first real clunker for NBC. Not if you're a Broncos fan.

It really ticked me off that Dusty let Z go back out to pitch the 7th after already having thrown 110 pitches through 6 innings. He ended up with 128. The Cubs saw the third fewest P/PA in the ML this year ahead of only LAA and SF.

I don't think anyone has really said it's because of Beane/OBP, etc. this year. In fact, people have noted the A's team this year hasn't been as good as most of their other playoff teams and that their OBP isn't that great this season. pitching pitching pitching. can we get some pitching, please? The Padres have pitching and look where they're at. The A's had good to great pitching from 2001-2003 and they didn't win anything when they got to the postseason.

They definitely could but I'm not sure if they would completely sell out. In 2003, the A's had 2 night games against Boston at home and drew 50606 and 49397 fans in Games 1 and 5 respectively. They didn't have a primetime game against Minnesota in 2002. In 2001 against New York they drew 55861 fans in Game 3 (the only primetime game). In 2000, they drew 47360, 47860, and 41170 fans in primetime games against the Yankees. Obviously though, the ALCS is different from the ALDS especially for A's fans that have seen their team advance to the playoffs from 2000-2003 but get eliminated in the ALDS all four times. I think the A's should open up Mt. Davis and the third deck. Would they sell 55000 tickets? I don't know. But I feel confident in saying they would get at least 45000.

I'm not pulling for either team. I'll be pulling for whichever team wins the ALCS. Hopefully this series goes seven games so the winner doesn't get a break before the WS.

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.