EVIL~! alkeiper

I have no qualms with how WCW is treated. Currently WWE puts many of their matches unedited on their own dvds, employs many who worked there formerly, and currently runs their flagship tv programs on their on demand service. If you don't want your competitors to treat your history unfairly, don't sell the company to them. I don't think WWE is really under any obligation to treat WCW better than they do.

Mostly Heenan, but also Jimmy Hart. In fact he's on the Boston Garden show currently running on 24/7.

As someone (Czech?) mentioned earlier, the big problem with American soccer is that the world's best players don't play in this country. The sports that are popular (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) in this country all feature the best players in their respective sports.

I'm glad to see Edwar Ramirez got the job done. A guy with his stuff can be considered marginal and won't stick if he falters. I don't know if he's MLB capable, but he's clearly too good for AAA.

A-Rod led off the ninth with a single, and here he keeps the game alive in the tenth. Table setting is just as important in these situations.

Hamilton's back? How long has he been back? So, presuming the Brewers lose tonite, that means that they've lost the last 15 starts made by Chris Capuano. Granted, he hasn't pitched that well, but he hasn't been terrible. I know that's not the record, but I'm blanking on what it is, so...quick...what's the record for most consecutive games lost by a team in a starting pitcher's starts? Since 1957, both Mark Redman and Geremi Gonzalez are tied with 16 consecutive losses in starts. Gonzalez adds to his mark with three additional losses when he pitched in relief. Jim Lonborg started 16 consecutive losses as well, but he pitched a game in relief his team won in the middle of that streak.

Paging Edward Rameriez, paging Edward Rameriez. Edwar. Chris Britton is the most maddening at the moment. Not only does he have the minor league numbers, he proved he can handle the big leagues last year in Baltimore.

Rizzuto had a great career as player and broadcaster, lived a long life. He was the oldest living Hall of Famer (that honor now belongs to Bob Feller).

Jeff F'n Weaver pitched a shutout Sunday. At this point it's destiny.

Chamberlain was a top ten projected pick, but fell to 41st because of health concerns. Given that the Phillies (and 28 other teams) passed on him, I'm not terribly concerned that it happened to be a compensation pick for Gordon. I'm more concerned that C.J. Henry is hitting .165 on the season in Lakewood with 127 Ks and 16 BBs, and that Matt Smith is out with Tommy John surgery, and that we spent the Abreu money to acquire the NL ERA leader. I missed him unfortunately, but did manage to meet him briefly. Nice kid really, took time upon his debut to sign autographs after interviewing with the local television crew. It's easy to say he's overhyped, but he struck out 18 batters in 8 AAA innings, and he has yet to be challenged as a pitcher. He's really damn good.

I think much of the "strategy" is bunk. The pitcher comes to bat. If there is no one on base, or two outs, he'll flail away. If there are runners on and less than two outs, he bunts. Unless there is a runner on third or third and second, in which case he'll hit. Sixth inning or earlier he stays in the game, seventh and after you get a pinch hitter. There are managerial moves, but they are all by the numbers. In two seasons of the Red Barons in the International League, I got to see home games both with and without the DH. It's not some drastically different experience. Personally I think it's more exciting to see a .220 hitter swing away than watch the one time every couple of days when a manager has an actual decision to make. After the decision, it doesn't lead to exciting action.

Another reason the Internet rocks. Thebaseballcube.com has added minor league stats and rosters all the way back through 1978.

I think given a choice at this point, the DH would win out. People miss that outside of the Majors, the minor leagues below AA use the DH universally. College baseball has the DH. High school baseball has the DH. International and Olympic baseball has the DH. The National League is the lone holdout. As for disparity, I think it is solely because the Yankees built a super-team and the rest of the league was forced to compete. The National League teams have not had as much pressure to evolve in order to survive. That said, I think the effect is exaggerated.

Shawn was a face, as was Bret. Bret was doing a slow build towards the eventual heel turn at the time. I think they were simply trying more complicated characters at the time.

Which is another reason we shouldnt stand for their crap. The BBB is the way to fight stuff like that. I'd check on your cable company first. Why do I get my updates and you don't?

Jon Miller got to call "TOUCHDOWN!" again thanks to a Francoeur overthrow.

For that matter, it's been a week since the Mets increased their lead. I'll take suggestions on a new subtitle.

Going to do a live chat at 8pm ET.

Geez, are there any pitching records NOT owned by him and Nolan Ryan? By the way, had a staunch anti-baseball guy make an argument that the notion that any of the greats of past eras that generally still get mentioned as greats of all time, (Ruth, Cobb, Walter Johnson, Young, ect) would do as well today (or somewhat) as they did in their era is quite silly. I guess if one considers that you'd get laughed at if you try to make a case that a basketball, football, hockey, tennis, golf, ect player from, even 40 years ago would do well in today's game. There is certainly an argument as objective sport records such as timed events (track & field) are consistently improving. The problem with the argument is that the old-timers would also have access to modern training methods so their performances would improve as well. A player like Ruth or Cobb would still star today, though improved competition would bring their stats closer to the pack.

Benoit/Angle? Putting Benoit over would've killed two Wrestlemania main events. XIX becomes a three-way instead of the obvious one-on-one match fans wanted to see. XX loses its mystique when Benoit merely becomes a two-time WWE champion. I don't see Booker/HHH. Yes, the feud was done wrong. Taking the title off HHH right before the Goldberg program would've been a mistake. They would've had to pull the title off Booker by Summerslam, or feed him to Goldberg himself.

I may have sounded dismissive earlier about Ankiel. Regardless of what he does the rest of his career, this is probably the greatest story of the season. One of the most vivid memories I have of the 2000 postseason is Rick Ankiel's brutal first inning of game two of the NLCS. Timo Perez led off the game, Ankiel worked a 3-2 count somehow and Perez struck out on the pitch with the take sign on all the way. Ankiel showed flashes but was maddingly inconsistent. The Cards let him DH in the Appalachian League and he hit ten home runs. Nice to see, but not so impressive in Rookie Ball. Ankiel finally gave up pitching after '04. He hit 21 home runs between two levels in 2005, but missed 2006 due to injury. A hitter missing a year of development at age 27 should be death on its own merits. This season Ankiel now hit 35 home runs. 35 F'n home runs!

Nah, if that were the case we'd count every face challenger versus every heel champion, ever.

Moss and Kielty are both in Pawtucket at the moment. Kielty as Cheech noted had an awful debut.

A heel who got face pops.

Kurt Angle: It was Pittsburgh, had to happen. Sid: Honestly, I think fans preferred Sid over Vader at that point. Vader never really connected for some reason post-WCW. Goldberg: Yeah, I buy that. Big Boss Man: You can switch the title but it kills Bret's big win at Summerslam. That's the trouble with looking at a reign, particularly HHH's. You can give the big title win to a Booker T or Kane. But you can't keep doing it. If HHH drops the belt at Wrestlemania XIX, how big is it when he drops to Goldberg, or to Benoit the next year? I couple obvious ones, Luger at Great American Bash '88 and Hulk Hogan at Super Sunday.