EVIL~! alkeiper

With Ryan Howard returning Friday, Chris Coste is attempting to preserve his roster spot by convincing the Phillies brass on the merits of his 68 mph fastball.

Is there any reason he should, really? Nothing's more patronizing then sitting there and cheering. "Yay! You're better than me!" I respect Aaron's decision, I'd rather reporters not make it a story anymore. They're just repeating it at this point.

It'd be silly to criticize Beane. Eleven players were taken in the supplemental first round in 2002. Three players (Dan Meyer, Mark Teahen, Jeremy Brown) have reached the majors. Greg Miller was ranked the 17th best prospect in the Dodgers' organization before the season, and he's walked 36 batters in 26.2 innings in AAA. The other seven are non-prospects. The second round produced some hits and some misses. Beane took a shot and missed. No different from what 29 other GMs do every year.

A's/Cubs world series footage. Cubs/Cardinals NFL footage from 1929. Blackhawks' hockey, also from 1929.

New Legends roundtable, Judgment Day '03, new ECW and Prime Time Wrestling episodes. I actually have this week and next's ECW shows on tape from YEARS ago. I'm interested in looking at those and seeing exactly what got changed.

Julian Tavarez can start, he does it every year in winter league. People just assume that the only baseball occurs in the majors.

Top 20. Specifically it's hard to say without putting a lot more effort into it. Clemente is probably top 10.

Vince vs. The Blue Meanie!! *buys the show*

ESPN asks who was the greatest latino right fielder, among Roberto Clemente, Vlad Guerrero and Sammy Sosa. Clemente is the popular choice, but has Vlad Guerrero eclipsed him as a better player? It's difficult to compare them offensively, since Clemente had a full career and Vlad is at the midpoint of his. Clemente had his best years after 30 so comparing Vlad to the early half of Clemente's career doesn't work well either. As a compromise, we'll compare Vlad to Clemente's best years. Vlad is at .325/.391/.584 for his career. In Clemente's eight best years (1964-71), he hit .334/.383/.514. When I first started this, I had no idea Clemente's peak compared that well. Clemente spent five years in the majors where he was subpar to average, and that hurt his career percentages (Clemente was a Rule V pick). Consider that Vlad played in a great offensive era and Clemente played in a poor offensive era, and their peaks as hitters are very close. Before I began, I was ready to say that Clemente's defense couldn't possibly make up for Vlad's offensive edge. Now I'm not sure. Vlad at his peak has bested Clemente at a similar age. Clemente really turned it on in his 30s however. If Vlad is going to overtake Clemente, he's going to need to keep going for several years at his peak. In any case, it should be fun to watch. Vlad's been flying under the radar in Anaheim, but he's still one of the best in baseball.

My first suspicion is usually to check and see if WWE ran a competing show. From Cawthon. WWF @ Providence, RI - Civic Center - June 24, 1988 (3,000) The Big Bossman pinned Scott Casey Jacques & Raymond Rougeau defeated the Conquistadors The One Man Gang pinned Pete Doherty (sub. for Bam Bam Bigelow) George Steele defeated Greg Valentine via count-out The Ultimate Warrior defeated Bobby Heenan in a weasel suit match Don Muraco pinned Danny Davis Bad News Brown pinned Jim Neidhart by grabbing the tights for leverage Jim Duggan & Jake Roberts defeated Andre the Giant & Rick Rude when Rude was pinned after Duggan hit him with his 2x4 89 miles away, so it doesn't explain much. Bottom line is that the AWA was a semi-dead promotion by 1988. Jerry Lawler was not a national draw, nor were any of the other wrestlers tremendous draws. It's easy to list guys they had or came through, but many of them were either green or past their primes. They never had a strong hold in the northeast either, so they were trying to draw away from their core fanbase.

Probably an injury. There's no reason for a guy like that to suddenly lose his stuff otherwise. Which means he's not coming to Scranton. I am terribly disappointed. And by disappointed, I mean elated by the thought of the disappointed mini-Yankee fans.

Either of Peter Morris's two book series, "A Game of Inches." The first volume covers on the field developments, and the second deals with the game behind the scenes. I picked up the second book and I'm enjoying it immensely.

Who were the best team in the history of the St. Louis Browns? Most fans would assume the 1944 club. That team won the only league championship in the club's history. A better choice however would be the 1922 club. Contrary to what you might think, the Browns were not always non-contenders. In 1922, the Browns finished 93-61, a scant game behind the champion New York Yankees. The Yankees that season traded for Joe Dugan mid-season. That trade, coupled with the NY Giants' midseason trade for Hugh McQuillan, prompted protests that New York teams could buy their way to a pennant. Some things never change. In addition to holding a better record, the 1922 team played in a tougher league than the '44 club. The 1944 Browns benefitted from World War II, which depleted Major League rosters. Not many fans would recognize Stan Spence, Nick Ettel or Johnny Lindell. Those players finished third, fourth and fifth in OPS in the AL. The leaders in OPS in 1922, by comparison, included Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Cy Williams and Harry Heilmann. Clearly more talent existed in the league in 1922. But what about that pennant? Honestly, would the 1944 Browns have won the pennant had they faced the 1922 Yankees? Vern Stephens was a superstar, but the rest just doesn't compare to Babe Ruth, Wally Pipp, and the Yanks' excellent pitching staff that year. Talent wise, the Browns of 1922 had some excellent players. Hall of Famer George Sisler enjoyed his greatest season, hitting .420 with 42 doubles, 18 triples and 51 stolen bases. In the process Sisler struck out a scant 14 times. Young second baseman Marty McManus hit .312 with 11 home runs, and led American League second basemen in OPS. Outfielder Ken Williams slugged .627 with 39 home runs. The Browns led the league in runs scored. On the pitching side, ace Urban Shocker won 24 games. The Browns finished second in runs allowed, behind only the Yankees. George Sisler missed the following season however, and the Browns never recovered. Urban Shocker and Pat Collins found their way to the Yankees' dynasty, and Hank Severeid was traded to the Washington Senators. Still, for a couple seasons in the '20s the Browns were one of the best teams in the league. May 12, 2007 Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies: Citizens Bank Park -When it comes to geography, nothing beats Citizens Bank Park for an out-of-towner. PA Turnpike to I-95, and then north to the stadium. You go around Philadelphia rather than through it, and traffic is not bad at all. Compare that to New York City, where congestion begins about 30 miles away and gets progressively worse from there. Parking is expensive ($10) but convenient. The park is extremely easy to access from I-95. -I brought along three friends, and all were impressed with the park. There is hardly a bad seat in the place. We sat 400-level but behind home plate with a great view of the field. There's a secret to attending baseball games. Your best option for viewing the action is anywhere between third and first base. You get better perspective there than sitting five rows past the outfield fence. -Every time I see the Phils live they explode. 11 runs in this outing. They scored 10 when I saw them in 2006, and 12 the previous time in 2005. -I left during the rain delay in the seventh. Delays get harder to wait out when you're making day trips from two hours out. The concourse however becomes absolutely impossible to navigate. It will take you a half hour to get around the stadium, at least. -You honestly can not beat Citizens Bank Park when it comes to ambiance and amenities. Concessions are expensive but not outrageous. $11 will get you a BBQ pork sandwich, a diet coke, and an autograph from Greg "The Bull" Luzinski. -One actual baseball note. Why teams will run on Shane Victorino I will never understand. May 13, 2007 Columbus Clippers @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees: PNC Field -The International League gives you the opportunity to see some fun players. Some are guys who should be in the majors (Colter Bean). Some are guys who could've made it with a bit of luck, but are still worth watching (Jim Rushford). And there are some who could not make it in the Majors. Chris Michalak is 36 years old. He's gotten 191 MLB innings, produced a 4.70 ERA (average for his run-scoring environments), but can never stick with a club. The reason is simple. He throws an 81 mph fastball. I love watching him pitch though. He's not masterful like Jamie Moyer. He just throws strikes that get hit right at guys. And he works fast. Hitters have trouble adjusting to his slow stuff and by the time they do, it's time for the flame throwing reliever. On this night he managed five shutout innings, leaving after 53 pitches. I figure his team didn't want to push him as he just returned from a quad injury. I get the feeling watching him that he could be Chris Hammond. -One hour into the game, we were in the top of the fifth. The game lasted 2:50. That should give you an indication of the relative quality. Chris Booker pitched two innings for the save. Booker throws 95 mph but it's straight and he has no secondary pitch. It took Booker 54 or so pitches to get those last six outs. Compare that with Michalak. Both teams combined for 14 walks, and five errors. Just horrid, horrid baseball. May 14, 2007 Same teams, same field. -Same game really except the Yankees won a blowout. The lack of competition made the slow pace more painful. This game took three hours, ending at 10pm. When you get out and hit road construction right off, gah! Especially when your schedule has you out the door at 7am the next morning. -Mike Bacsik pitched for Columbus. Around the twelfth batter I noticed he had thrown first-pitch strikes to two batters. That's a recipe for disaster. Sure enough, Bacsik surrendered three home runs in the fourth. Bacsik is a good pitcher, throws strikes and flyballs. Sometimes that will get you killed though, as it did this night. Honestly, the Clippers are the Washington Nationals' farm team. If these guys can't make the Nats, how good can they be? -Two years ago (May 12, 2005), I saw the Reds and Phillies play. Dave Miley was the Reds' manager and D'Angelo Jimenez their starting second baseman. Fast-forward, Miley is managing Scranton and Jimenez is playing for Columbus. During a break in the action Miley (coaching third) and Jimenez (playing third) were seen conversing. It's good to see some old partnerships come up again. The buzz around Scranton is that Roger Clemens is scheduled to start on Memorial Day. Whether that is for the AAA club or the big club is yet to be seen. I don't have that game, so not seeing Rodge won't bother me. In fact, it would be fun to see Clemens skip Scranton just because of the hype he's received. Next game is Sunday, Reading against Portland. Ryan Madson is pitching rehab.

-The White Sox are an object lesson in offensive futility. Last in the league in runs, hits, batting average, OBP, slugging percentage. Only AJ Pierzynski has hit above average so far (and Jim Thome, who's missed many games). Kenny Williams ripped his team yesterday but frankly, it's a miracle they're above .500 right now. -The Jack Cust explosion is nice but won't last. His batting line includes 21 Ks in 46 ABs. He can't keep that up and continue hitting. The A's do lead the league in team ERA though, showing they don't miss Barry Zito that much. -Anyone notice the Cardinals have perhaps the best bullpen in baseball? Three guys south of 2.00. If only they had starters.

I've never noticed it. It is bothersome though when you search, see immediately that you need to refine the search, and get a message.

Was the injury legit or kayfabed?

Various opinions. -The Yankees are looking to void Jason Giambi's contract due to steroid usage. Funny how those desires seem so closely related to Giambi's slugging percentage. -To hell with the haters. Turns out today's Rockies/Royals contest is a great game. -Darrell Rasner's injured again. It would be a shame if it weren't so damned funny. -Josh Hamilton fell ill and ended up in the hospital with a stomach ailment. If this guy isn't Roy Hobbs in the flesh, no one is. We just need a Cincy sportswriter to play Max Mercy.

Wil Nieves will make this list someday. Alan, you're the Yankees' minor league expert. Why is he in the majors, let alone actually being in the lineup occasionally. The key to the list is qualifying for a batting title, which is hard to do when you get 27 ABs in 41 games. You might note most of the players on the list were excellent defensive players. Nieves had a .644 OPS in AAA last year, so he's not some great talent at the plate. Their other options aren't much better. Raul Chavez is hitting .211 in Scranton. In addition, replacing Nieves would require exposing a player from their team to free up a roster spot. With their pitching woes, they may not be willing to do that. The problem is that they'll wear down Jorge Posada and he'll fade again in September.

I still get an error message trying to access the forums from thesmartmarks.com/forums.

Oh yeah.

Batters who qualified for a batting title and finished last in average, home runs and RBIs. The Triple Crown of Suck winners! George McBride, 1914 Herbie Moran, 1915 Jack Smith, 1919 Ivy Griffin, 1920 Freddie Maguire, 1929 AND 1931 Woody Williams, 1945 Willy Miranda, 1956 Mark Belanger, 1970 Enzo Hernandez, 1971 Ozzie Smith, 1979 Ivan DeJesus, 1981 Ramon Santiago, 2003

It would make it more fun to watch Biggio lean into pitches, if nothing else. Several days ago, someone asked about teammates hitting home runs. I got the SABR Baseball List and Record Book in the mail today, so I finally have a list. As stated, Aaron/Matthews lead with 75. The Jones' came into the season ninth at 55. Biggio/Bagwell are tied with Pujols/Edmonds at 16th, with 46 games. Ramirez/Ortiz are 20th with 42. Here's a fun stat. Harry Hooper, Rickey Henderson and Brady Anderson are the only players to lead off both ends of a doubleheader with home runs. Manny Ramirez has 20 grand slams. There's a home run chase no one's paying attention to. Lou Gehrig holds the record with 23.

Interleague play does nothing for me. I'd like to see MLB move to a intra-league, balanced schedule. Meaning NL teams would only play NL opponents, but more games against other divisions. I'm tired of seeing the Nats, Mets and Marlins 19 times a year while we barely see the cross state Pirates. Also, you should win stuff by watching.

Dubious. Beyond the win/loss records, the Yankees' bullpen had disintegrated in the postseason. In game five their best option (in their view) was bringing Jack McDowell into the game on one day's rest. Joel Sherman (in 'Birth of a Dynasty') contemplates the what ifs of "if only Buck had known what he had" since Mariano Rivera was warming up in the bullpen but never came in. Numerous championships have been lost because a team didn't trust a reliever out of the bullpen. The Senators lost the 1925 World Series when they stuck with an injured Walter Johnson instead of Firpo Marberry, the greatest relief ace of his generation. Rivera's 1995 season wasn't impressive, but he did pitch extremely well in that series. Pitching a similar game in game two, Rivera pitched three plus shutout innings until the Yankees finally won on Jim Leyritz's home run. I guess ultimately, a lot of decisions are easier based on hindsight.

The same match was on Eddie Guerrero's dvd. Did it receive the same treatment then?