EVIL~! alkeiper

The Phils are too good at the moment. How often do managers in first place get fired? It took the Phillies four years to fire Francona, when the Phillies were absolutely terrible. If the Phillies fall 6 games out, or miss the Playoffs, then Bowa gets canned.

Robinson's a good pick. Lloyd McClendon in Pittsburgh has more than outlived his welcome. Lee Mazzilli has been a disaster in Baltimore, but he's new, so that's a tough one to call.

Rule One of Hacking Mass: Never bet against Darin Erstad. Can't blame you for any of those picks, except maybe Crawford and Higginson. Next year make sure to keep an eye on career numbers, and watch out for rebounders. Its more difficult now that's more and more GMs are realizing that guys like Kevin Young stink. At least Tike Redman owners are wetting their pants with joy.

Not really. A look at the Hacking Mass rules says its calculated using OPS. Considering Cameron's OPS is a meager 11 points less than Sanchez's, you're in good shape. Of 64 qualifying outfielders, Sanchez is 58th in OPS, and Cameron is 59th. Also remember that Cameron is hitting below his career average, and Sanchez is hitting above it.

I always thought Brenly was a poor strategist, but the teams' struggles can hardly be blamed on him. The D'backs traded half their infield for Richie Sexson, who is out for the year. Their replacement at second, Robbie Alomar, has missed significant time. They currently have twelve players on the injured list. Matt Mantei and Jose Valverde, their two best relievers, are out. When you look at the lineup, only Alex Cintron is really hitting below expectations. The problem is that the D'backs traded significant talent (namely Curt Schilling and Lyle Overbay), and didn't get any contributors in return. If anyone should be fired, it is the general manager.

Baseball will never see a salary cap, and they don't need one either. The amateur draft is what really keeps the system in check. Teams keep players for their first 6-7 years, when they usually have their best seasons anyway. After that, players start to decline, and teams overpay for them.

I sent that offer, and sent another as well.

Sanchez is quite possibly the worst .321 hitter in the history of baseball. In 268 at bats, he's drilled a total of 11 extra base hits. He's drawn only 6 walks. Along with his 18 steals, he's been caught 11 times. Think about those caught stealings for a second. Eleven times he's reached base, and taken himself off the basepaths. If you were to take 11 hits off his batting average, his average would drop to .280, and his On Base Percentage would drop to .296. That's essentially what he's done. He ranks 29th among AL outfielders in runs created. Among the 170 players in the majors who qualify for a batting title, Sanchez ranks 170th in Isolated Power. His secondary average (a measure of a player's contributions beyond batting average), Sanchez rates dead last. When you look at Sanchez's batting average, he looks like a great player. If you look at anything else, he's terrible.

Manute Bol has always been a guilty pleasure, so best of luck to him on his recovery.

First off, its sickening to hear both the Yankees and Red Sox bitch when one piece of their team isn't absolutely perfect, and how it absolutely has to be replaced. Most teams don't have this luxury, or expect it. Second, Moneyball was a #1 New York Times best-seller. Much of baseball listened to the book, and the economic principles the book expresses have taken effect. I'm willing to bet that Nationally, the A's are one of the 5 most popular teams in the American League. I don't look at the A's and think, "how cute." I look at the A's and see the future of baseball.

A good article on last night's game..... http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/fiction-is-dead/

Yes and no. All labor negotiations go through this process, and in the realm of public sports, its almost a game. The owners hold negotiating power during the offseason, when a lockout doesn't hurt themselves, just the playoffs. Conversely, the players hold power during the season, when a strike could hurt revenue. The players have problems because their negotiating power comes at the expense of the fans. Its all a matter of how you perceive it. Personally, I'm a proponent that athletes should receive fair market value for their services. They are valuable because they possess elite skills that few others possess. Owners bid top dollar for their services, and receive top dollar for displaying them towards the public. I feel athletes are entitled. Many others disagree, of course.

Watched the highlights on Sportscenter, and the guy doing highlights was annoying as all funk. I mean Jesus, I'm used to bad Sportscenter anchors, but the guy was ridiculous.

I have to wonder if this game will end up hurting the Yankees, depending on how long they lose Jeter. Gary Sheffield probably isn't an option at third, and Enrique Wilson is the next man on the depth chart.

"And Tanyon Sturtze, probably the least effective pitcher in this game, gets the win." -Bobby Murcer

Essentially its all a power game. Each side is trying to push the other as far as it can.

I think this game is the best ever, but the current game is good.

And not because of his injury. If I'm going to offer a five-year deal, I'm not basing my offer on assumptions.

Jesus.

Not necessarily. Alot of people wax poetic about how players should stay loyal to their teams. Whether that's good or bad is debatable. But I despise the NFL's system of player movement.

One small problem with this Nomar bashing..... Why would he intentionally look bad in his free agency season?

This game reminds me of all those games that loser teams led off innings with fucking TRIPLES and somehow managed to blow THAT. Well, your next hitter was a pinch hitter who was dreadfully sick, pinch hitting for the guy with a busted face. What did you expect?

This game reminds me of those Mets games of the 80s, when Davey Johnson would platoon Roger McDowell and Jesse Orosco on the mound, and send the other to the outfield depending on the situation.

Home run Manny, but someone probably posted it already.

Ah ok. Sheffield makes his first appearance at third since 1993.