UBlink

Smokies' preview focuses on Gallagher.

Preview for the Smokies game including probable starting lineup:

Or maybe Rick has been lurking around here... :-k

Costs aren't the issue in ticket prices - it's demand. For the most part, a team is going to set ticket prices to maximize revenue. From an economic standpoint, the marginal cost of an additional fan is essentially zero - having one more fan through the gate doesn't have any related cost. To a certain extent a team might think investing $X million more in the team payroll will increase paid attendance by $Y million, but for the most part revenue and costs are independent. Now a cap might impact the division of that revenue between rich greedy players and rich greedy owners, but unless it reduced the demand for tickets I don't see it having an impact on ticket prices. If you want to have low ticket prices pick a sport with low demand like soccer, rugby, women's basketball or lacrosse.

Somebody had to have waiting for months to use that one...

Where's Soriano?

Hype and more hype. With the variabliity of the scouting reports I am going to go with caution. He's 22 and his growth as a baseball player has been [expletive] for four years. He can't get those years back. No amount of athleticism or quick learning will get them back. Even at ND his numbers (besides wins) weren't all that spectacular. Most people blame football, but I don't know if that's the case at all. I'm hoping the hype is justified, but I wouldn't bet on it. Playing college baseball is not "retarding progress". I could also spin this and say he hasn't thrown as much as other prospects have, giving him a fresher arm. One thing it definitely didn't [expletive] was his negotiating leverage. A player with viable alternatives seems to do much better in terms of contract negotiation.

I think this would significantly decrease his chances to ever sniff the major leagues as a pitcher. Bet you a thousand bucks youll drop that statement tomorrow after lunch^ Excellent call - timing was perfect! You may have to read between the lines, but NSBB can be a pretty accurate source.

Personally I prefer to think of myself as a moran.

Where can I sign up for that bet? I respect what he did for the Cubs, mostly. But his bat was pathetically slow in 2005, I don't think a year off will improve that either. Trust in Rudy. Ask DeRosa how that worked out for him.

Maybe he's getting inspiration from Ruben Sierra (who also made a modest comeback after the Rangers took a chance on him and working with Rudy Jaramillo) or even the immortal (almost literally in baseball terms) Julio Franco. Perhaps he's been down in the Dominican sipping from Julio's fountain of youth.

Is it possible Ronny was "working on something" (swing, stance, philosophy, who knows?) during the regular season (some people think that's what minor leagues and winter leagues are for) and now in the playoffs is just trying to hit the ball?

Oh, the Guardians of Baseball will be up in arms by the time Bonds is eligible. The hyperbole will fly like a yak in heat. Not to mention the hypocricy.

Sounds like you think the publications primary focus should be on promoting players. That's not how I read it - I saw it as a desire for the focus to be on balanced reporting based on actual performance, rather than perpetuating preconceived perceptions.

So where is Cherry?

I'll pitch in if I need to. I think we could raise the sufficient funds here...maybe Tim would even give you free premium for life. The smart thing to do would be to collect enough money to place a bet that would cover that bonus. The Cubs are listed as 9-1 to win the WS next season on one site (the Cubs are always overbet due to their popularity and the fact that everybody wants to make money off them when they finally do win). So, collect about $17,000, bet on the Cubs to win the WS, and then you're covered, unless he somehow wins the MVP without the team winning. If he's traded to another team, that teams picks up the cost of the bonus, and we're off the hook. Yeah, and if the Cubs somehow manage to win without an MVP performance by Cotts, NSBB can throw one heck of a celebratory party. :D

Now that hurts. Why do I feel like the guy in the GEICO commercial?

Its really not funny at all. For the last few years the cubs have been very secretive about injuries and have always publically said that the pitchers are fine when in reality we have gotten very little out of Prior and Wood the last few years. Sooooo, when the cubs publically say they are not counting on Prior to contribute to the rotation, how else are fans supposed to react? It would seem to be quite reasonable to assume the opposite of whatever management says.

There are lots of new faces in the clubhouse, so a lot will depend on chemistry [tab][tab] :wink: .[tab]

It looks like Jemel will have to delay his dream of playing in the Nicaraguan League All Star game - it appears the lights failed at the stadium and the game was postponed. Spanish Google Translation

Mats didn't get 51 of that. The fact that Mats didn't get all the money doesn't negate the fact that Boston must think he's worth the whole $103 million, since that's how much he cost them.

OK, so 5/40 was a ridiculous lowball offer, but now he's willing to sign for 6/52. From Boston's standpoint, in some ways the 6/52 is better because their total cost including the posting fee is 6/103 or ~17/yr where the 5/40 was a total cost of 5/91, ~18M/yr. It looks like the Red Sox had a better grip on reality than Boras.

Do you have stats for number of pitches thrown per season during that era? Pitches per plate appearance have increased pretty dramatically since then. it sure doesnt sound like that is the case according to this quote from Ferguson Jenkins: "I hear in the clubhouse all the time about a pitcher having a twinge, and they go on the disabled list. I would have never won any ballgames if I would have missed a start with a twinge. "Pitchers are definitely protected," added Jenkins. "I used to warm up and throw 100 pitches in the bullpen and then throw 150 pitches in the game. I would throw nine innings, which they usually won't let these young men do right now." link: http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060709&content_id=1549169&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp He also walked barefoot in the snow, 5 miles, and uphill both ways to school every morning. When he got home, he shoveled coal into the family furnace for 3 hours just so the ice was thin enough the break though for his evening bath. After he was washed up, he cut the family firewood for the next day with the edge of his hand because his family couldn't afford an axe. He didn't complain one bit! Whippersnappers these days and their pitch counts. Back when old people were young, everything and everybody was better in every way. i'm sure you are trying to be funny but have you ever looked at the career stats jenkins had? perhaps you should do so and compare them to modern day pitchers and maybe you'll see he has a point. http://www.baseball-reference.com/j/jenkife01.shtml I didn't see anything there that talks about pitches per plate appearance. Jenkins's career stats are indeed mind-boggling, but could they have been influenced by a lower level of pitches per plate appearance? Neither the Jenkins quote nor the funny part address the question raised.

Jemel Spearman is on fire - through 12-10: 30/74 .405/.458/.527 2 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 8K, 8BB, 6SB Ranking in the 4 team league: 1st in Avg and Runs, tied for 1st in SB, 2nd in hits Also, he has been named to the starting lineup (at 2B) in the upcoming JUEGO DE LAS ESTRELLAS 2006 (I'm thinking all-star game).

Assuming the Cubs can find someone to play 2nd, DeRosa started 40 games last year at 3rd. Defensively I think that's pretty close to the least of our worries. Replacing ARam's bat is a different issue.