EVIL~! alkeiper

Hell, why not? Beating the Braves in '93 was a glorious moment for Phillies fans.

You're not. I'm not going to presume anything until I have some damn proof.

I just think the revenue from attendance is its own reward. If you ever have anything worthwhile, I'd be glad to slide it into the column. Lord knows its hard enough to create something of respectable length in between college projects. A small note. Next time, lay your cards with a worthwhile candidate. Your group could've made a serious push for Carlos Delgado, based on stats alone. I don't think its all that big a problem in Minnesota or Toronto. Most artificial turf is not Veteran's Stadium, and NexTurf has gotten favorable reviews. I just think its one of those things that adds color to the game, like different dimensions in ballparks. As for fielding, Ozzie Smith managed okay on turf. My suggestion would work for that. Have the ump say "sorry, you were in the strike zone." I agree on the getting out of the way comment. Umpires should enforce that rule more often.

From Ozzie Guillen, courtesy of the Chicago Tribune....... Right. And for every Ryan, there are 100 pitchers who never made it thanks to injuries. Go ahead and work your pitchers Ozzie. You're making the Tigers miracle season one step easier.

Hey, its about baseball MOMENTS. How can the future nullify the euthoria we felt in the present? If the Braves lost, it doesn't change the excitement Barron felt at that point, when the Braves beat the Astros.

Well, its hard to say, because I haven't seen the hate mail that Bonds gets. If the average sports fan that writes a letter is anything like the fans I see at games or on talk radio, then I have no doubt there is angry venom in those letters. Given how an offhand quote can turn into a national issue, I wouldn't hold anything against Bonds if he said it. And he might even be right.

Some think baseball pitchers CAN handle a 4-man rotation. There's little evidence to suggest short rest is bad, as long as pitch counts are maintained. The problem is that baseball has gotten so competitive that your 5th starter on full rest is better than your 3rd/4th starter on three day's rest. Therefore, you're better with a 5-man rotation, as a team. Pitchers don't go as deep into games nowadays for two reasons. One, offense makes it difficult to pitch as long. A pitcher today will not last as many innings as a pitcher from the 60s, even if pitch counts are the same. Also, with seven relievers on most clubs, it makes no sense to bring a tired starter back out when a fresh fireballer is available in the pen.

I knew they would mention Mitch Williams for the Phillies, but I truly believe 1964 was worse.

Ask random people if they know who holds the all-time rushing record, or NBA scoring record. Then ask them what the records are. Then ask them who holds the home run record, and with how many. A great deal more will know who holds the home run record. That's why it is treated on a higher plane.

Its much better to have a franchise like the Red Sox than a franchise like the Expos. There is NO worse feeling in sports than having management who just doesn't give a damn about the team as anything more than a cash cow. As for Steinbrenner, the post-'94 version is good, but the pre-suspension version was a black mark on baseball.

The Gashouse Gang The Whiz Kids (50 Phillies) The Wease Kids (83 Phillies)

I don't agree with Mike on much, but I agree with him here. Weird Al is one of the most versatile musicians around. In one concert he'll perform about six or seven different musical styles.

And you call yourself a Yankees fan?

It won't last. We have three starters hitting under the Mendoza line. THey'll pick it up.

That's sarcasm, right?

"The Wild Horse of the Osage" Pepper Martin

I didn't predict the offense would come to life. I said a series against the Reds was a good chance to do so. There's a difference between an observation and a prediction. And I of all people have been more sanguine about the Reds' chances than most. As for Ryan Madson, he has pitched quite well in the minors. He's posted a 28-12 record over the last two seasons, with good peripherals. He could easily be a starter in the majors, right now.

Man, and I have a bitch all written up for my next column.

I would add David Reid. Olympic gold medalist with a lot of promise, but a lazy eye forced him into premature retirement.

What in god's name inspired you to drop Edgardo Alfonzo for Tony Womack?!

Setting Rosters: Weekly or Daily? Weekly. Force your owners to make tough roster decisions. Rosters: Stay or Change? How so? Keep the same. Don't add more utility slots. Draft: Serpentine or Straight Up No opinion. Stats: Change or Add or Keep As Is? Change FT to FT%. Do not add turnovers, as they have little bearing on actual performance. If possible, change from a one win per stat format to a one win per match-up format. 16 Team League: Change or Keep? Keep.

Post-1900 Only Phillies -------- C- Bob Boone 1B- Dick Allen 2B- Tony Taylor SS- Granny Hamner 3B- Mike Schmidt LF- Sherry Magee CF- Richie Ashburn RF- Johnny Callison Bench ------- Bobby Abreu Chuck Klein Darren Daulton John Kruk Greg Luzinski Larry Bowa Roy Thomas Rotation --------- Grover Alexander Steve Carlton Robin Roberts Curt Schilling Jim Bunning Bullpen -------- Jim Konstanty Tug McGraw Ron Reed Chris Short Curt Simmons For a team as traditionally bad as the Phillies, that's a bad-ass rotation.

For me, #1 is Ike Ibeabuchi. What could have been.......

Umm....When they said rooting for the Yankees is like rooting for U.S. Steel, that wasn't a compliment.

They've still got Prior/Wood/Zambrano. With Pettitte out, I'd say the Central is still fairly even.