moorecg

Um...Bears will blow this, count on it. What was that??? SUPERBOWL!!!!!!

SUPERBOWL!!!

After the 5 beer first half there is a good chance the 2nd half won't be good to me...

I didn't have it last year, but I was curious about it the other day and I think I found something that said it was 80 bucks last year. Thats about what it was 2 years ago...good ball park guess.

Seriously, do you work for DirectTV? Its pretty obvious this is horrible for the average fan. Why? Well, because for those with DirectTV, this package was already available last year...they really get nothing more. EVERYONE ELSE who doesn't have DirecTV...they get screwed. If you can't see that you're obviously biased. Bottom line. Everyone with cable (the vast vast majority of fans) is getting screwed here.

Why is monopolizing MLB EI good? I'm hoping that was sarcasm...

Here is my letter to my Sen. Dear Sen. McCaskill, I know you are very busy at this important time, and with Iraq, health care, the minimum wage, and all the other important issues on the plate, I'm sure this seems trivial. However, I wanted to express my concern about an overreach by Major League Baseball which will harm fans all across this country, including those (like myself) who are voters in your state. As you may be aware (see http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/20/sports/baseball/20base.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&oref=slogin&oref=slogin ) MLB has apparently decided to deny fans across the country the ability to purchase the MLB-EI Package which allows transplanted fans to see their favorite team no matter where they live. (as an example, It allows Cardinal fans in Chicago to watch every Cards game and Cubs fans in St. Louis to watch every Cubs game.) This package has been available for many years, through both satellite and cable systems, and only recently has MLB decided to allow DirecTV monopolize it. As you also may be aware, baseball has operated under an "antitrust exemption" since 1922 when the U.S. Supreme Court decided Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore, Inc. v. National Baseball Clubs. This exemption has been questioned in the past, including by the proposed "Fairness in Antitrust in National Sports (FANS)" act sponsored Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. I believe it needs to be questioned again. If MLB acts to extend its monopoly in what would otherwise likely be a violation of antitrust principals of competition and would work to destroy a previously existing market, I believe MLB's antitrust exemption should be Congressionally reviewed. If it is the only way to ensure fans across the country are allowed to enjoy their teams, and would keep MLB and DirecTV from exploiting this monopoly, I would support the repeal of this "antitrust exemption" and ask you to introduce legislation supporting the same. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Nice. I'm going to copy and paste.

Yeah...I know. I won't even let myself think about Prior being in the rotation...I've assessed this team all off season as if he wasn't even on it. "IF" he is on it, and pitches a full season...well, to paraphrase the great Lloyd Christmas..."I'm sayin we got a chance"

Hey, even perfect mechanics have trouble with a fullspeed runner and a screaming line drive. What are the odds a pitcher would suffer two such injuries in such a short span of time? That was my first thought too, but if he had better mechanics he would have "crashed" more gracefully into Giles and not put his elbow in the way of a screaming line drive from Brad Hawpe :lol:. Actually, only last year did he start having "mechanics" problems and I think that was largely him trying to "shortcut" his rehab. This is the "healthiest" he has been in several years and may even break camp with the rest of the team. I am having good thoughts about a rotation with a healthy Prior and Zambrano at the top of it with Rich Hill following it up. If we somehow break camp this year with Z leading it off and Prior starting the 2nd game of the year followed by Lilly and Hill and those 4 make 30 starts a piece, we're going to have a very good year.

Daytona would be my guess. Maybe he is raw enough that they will want him to start in short season ball, but I think he did that last year and performed pretty well. I thought one of the articles said Peoria.

So where does he rank in order of our pitching prospects now. #1? Top 5? Top 10? BTW...I'm no longer considering Hill a "prospect"

What about calling him "Smardz" Sort of like Grudz...but different.

Zambrano extension?

Talking about it on XM right now. Throwing off mound. Nothing earth shattering but thought it was worthy of note.

Really? CPatt Walker Sosa Alou Ramirez Lee Barrett Gonzalez CPatt had put up a darn good half season in 2003, Walker was Walker in 2003, Sosa was still a damn good ballplayer, Alou was coming back to life, Ramirez was talented as all get-up, Lee was Lee, Barrett was a question mark, and Gonzalez was coming off a 20 HR season. Going in to 2004 was much more exciting for our offense than going in to 2007. CPatt didn't do much of anything in 04' Lee had yet to become DLee, Gonzalez was a bigger hole in the lineup that Izturis and Sosa was well into his down swing. I take Sorino over CPatt every day. Same with 2007 Lee, Barrett and Ramirez. Walker is comparable to Derosa, but Walker was better offensively...That leaves you with Sosa/Alou v. Murton/Jones. Jones last year was very comprable to Sosa in 04...Alou was better than Murton. I think this year's team should be better offensively than that one was.

I doubt this deserves its own thread but I was thinking about this today and thought it might go into the division favorite thread...the more I look at it, if we don't do something stupid like trade Jones for a bag of balls we've got a pretty damn solid lineup...assuming health (which is a big assumption) we've got no reason not to be one of the best offenses in the division. I would fill out our lineup card like this Soriano Murton Lee Ramirez Jones Barrett DeRosa Izturis Pitcher. I have a feeling Lou will do it like this Soriano DeRosa Lee Ramirez Jones Barrett Murton Izturis Pitcher even with the second lineup thats better than anything we've had since 2003.

:shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: Oh sir, you're not from around here are you? :wink: I am a Bear fan, but I must admit that I'm getting tired of reading 5-8 stories per day about the Bears. If they win Sunday, it will be two more weeks of whole sections (8 plus pages) of the Tribune devoted to the Bears. I am more than ready to read about baseball. I understand that feeling...and I'm a Cubs fan first mind you....but imagine what the Trib would look like if the Cubs were in the Playoffs and there was a week before the games started...I'm guessing you'd find 2 page articles about Mark DeRosa's boyhood home and Darryl Ward's favorite pre-game meals.

Vegas...now you're talking my language. My firm opened an office out ther 2 years ago...I took the Bar just t get a few more free trips a year out there...I love that place.

Are you kidding me? California invented it. There are whole towns you can't smoke in. Del Mar and Solana Beach, you are not allowed to smoke in your car as you pass through. It's banned at beaches, stadiums, pretty much everywhere. A smoking area well away from the non-smokers would have been a much more effective plan. To make me leave the stadium and then cross the street before I light up, thanks, but no thanks. I can see the game perfectly fine from my tv. I'll buy my consessions at the local grocery store, and they'll be much cheaper, thanks! Meanwhile, corporate America, who voted out smoking pull into their parking spot in their 10 MPG smog emitting SUV's. You won't smoke while doing it though. :lol: True, but I'll smoke on the way there and on the way back. not trying too hard to quit then are you...

Below is an e-mail I sent MLB and their response...If others are intersted in keeping this on cable I suggest sending someting similar. Dear Customer, Thank you for sending your email. We really appreciate your feedback and comments and have forwarded your email to the appropriate person. Thank you again for taking the time to write! Regards, DY, MLB.com Support Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 2:01 PM To: MLBAMCS - FanFeedback Subject: MLB- Extra Innings (Craig Moore) I have heard through various sources that MLB is considering allowing DirectTV to have the sole and exclusive ability to provide the MLB-- ExtraInnings package that has previously been available. If true, this is a horrible decision. This package should be made available to as many fans as possible and granting a satelite company exclusive rights to the package would deny access to millions upon millions of fans. You have a great thing going with Extra Innings, don't ruin it, you'll deny fans all across the country the ability to watch their favorite team.

Great...just what we need..more toolsy guys who can't play.

$13 million over 2 years guaranteed for a guy with a sugically repaired shoulder sounds like a bit of a gamble. Then again, Mulder isn't really an overpowering pitcher, so maybe it will work out for the Cards. I agree...but I'd take it over the Marquis contract.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports Link

I've got no link...but I've got several e-mails inthe last 10 min saying its being reported around here.