EVIL~! alkeiper

I don't follow hockey closely, but they really should get rid of that overtime loss. I look at a team's record and I'll see something like 20-18-5-6. WTF is that? If I can't make a percentage out of it, I don't like it.

Ryan Franklin they should trade, actually.

Not every one. Just the young kids with potential. Grizzled veterans can stay.

Damn. You are out of luck for Red Sox games. I hate blackouts, because I can never watch the Yankees without watching the Yankees' feed.

tpww7, where do you live? Check the usual local broadcast channels.

I just have to nip it in the bud, lest I end up searching 197 pages to find my lost post about how much Player X sucks, complete with statistical evidence.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Roberts is 32, and he had a .307 SLG last season. Clearly the Dodgers are better off with the upgrade. I am highly impressed with DePodesta so far. Trades for Bradley, Jason Grabowski, and Jayson Werth for mere peanuts. Trades a mere utility infielder for two pitching prospects. This is a better team than they were a month ago.

A recent TWIB on ESPN Classic alerted me to this gem of a game, from 7/4/85. Mets @ Braves It was quite possibly the most insane game ever played. a 90 minute rain delay delayed the start of the game. Another delay for 41 minutes in the third. The Mets tied the game in the top of the 9th. Howard Johnson's two run home run gave the Mets the lead in the 13th. Terry Harper hit a two-run shot for the Braves to tie the game. The Mets scored a run in the 18th, and with two outs in the bottom of the inning, victory seemed assured. Then Rick Camp (career OBP: .109) tied the game with a two-out, two-strike home run. A five run outburst by the Mets in the 19th put them ahead again, but the Braves fought back, scoring two. Rick Camp again batted, and struck out with two on and two out to finally end the game, after 4am in the morning. The planned fireworks ceremony went off as scheduled, angering local residents.

More Retrosheet Fun June 8, 1989. Pirates @ Phillies. The Pirates score 10 in the first inning, and announcer Jim Rooker proclaims that if the Pirates lose, he'll walk home. Steve Jeltz (career SLG: .268) homers from both sides of the plate, and the Phillies win 15-11. Rooker makes good on his promise after the season, walking from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh for charity.

Ah. Hector Luna makes sense. He and Cedeno can have a competition to see whose fielding sucks the most ass. There is NO ONE on that bench that can hit worth a damn.

What am I supposed to do? I'm not going to keep my players, and I have a matchup to win.

Out of curiosity, what would you base it on? Actual revenues brought in by a team, like ticket sales and local TV contracts? Would you include concession sales and parking and things like that, too? Or something else completely different...? Probably market size. It has to be something uncontrolled by the team. The system they had in place from 1995-2002 gave teams an incentive to suck, as they took in increased revenue sharing funds. Thus the plight of the Expos and Twins. That should not happen.

87 wins. And for all the bitching about parity that followed that season, I never saw a season in which competitive balance was so even. No team dominated that year. Its a damn shame the Mets had to spoil everything. A Yankees/Cardinals World Series would have kicked ass.

Blame the divisional system. If the alignment in the 80s had existed in the 90s, the Yankees wouldn't have even made the playoffs in 96 or 2000.

The Yankees actually had the BEST overall record that decade. They just didn't win the title. The 80s were an odd year for championships.

Who is filling in that last bench slot?

According to ESPN's article, the trade means Cody McKay will be the Cardinals backup catcher this season. Lets see. 30 years old. Career 258/319/372 hitter, in AAA. And he just happens to be the son of a coach. The Cardinals at this point seem hell bent on creating the worst bench in major league history...... Roger Cedeno Tony Womack So Taguchi Cody McKay Bo Hart That's just ugly.

It gets better. From mlb.com..... So apparently the Mets pick up $4.5 Million. The Cards are on the hook for $5.5 Million, most of which comes next year. That's still a bad trade.

Damn straight. I propose any OaO MLB thread get closed on site.

Because corner outfielders who can't hit, can't field, and cost a lot of money are such a valuable commodity in this day and age. I mean Jesus, what in the HELL are the Cardinals thinking here? Cedeno had a .320 OBP last season. He was caught stealing 9 out of 23 times, negating that skill. He can not hit for power. He barely draws walks. He's getting paid $10 Million for the next two years. Meanwhile, the Dodgers picked up superior players in Jason Grabowski and Jayson Werth for mere peanuts.

Not for as long as the breaks are. Although my main beef is with unending commercial breaks after every pitching change. This is especially bothersome when a manager becomes obsessed with the platoon advantage. First off, you kill your business in ten markets. I can not imagine any successful business closing shops when they draw real business. Also, I disagree with the 5 game Championship series. Baseball is such a random sport that it needs long playoff series to determine a real winner. On one hand, no sympathy for travel days, but on the other hand, sympathy for 40 degree weather? How about this compromise. Keep the 162 game season, and start it slightly later by scheduling doubleheaders. First off, free agents are not "greedy." Second, I think Oakland was perfectly happy to let Giambi leave. Third, if NY offers the max, the player will go to NY for the "prestique," and we have the same problem we have now. Baseball didn't have a problem with the Yankees until they tried fixing it. Then it all went to hell.

By the way, here are changes I WOULD make...... -The end of meaningless "goodwill" gestures, such as Jackie Robinson Day, opening day in Japan, and playing God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch. -Fix the all star game. My suggestions..... a. Reduce player rosters to 25 players. Play the game as you would a real game. 10 pitchers, and keep seven subs on the bench. Every team does it 162 times a year. I don't see why all star managers can't do it. b. Restrict fan voting to the ballpark. -Eliminate the Wild Card. Reduce number of divisions from six to four, and only division winners make the playoffs. -Fix the current CBA. Stop basing revenue sharing on W/L records, and remove payroll taxes. Require teams to spend more on payroll than they receive via revenue sharing. -In exchange for eliminating restrictions on player salaries, institute a loose steroid testing policy. -Eliminate interleague play. If the division plan holds, keep the wild card. -Shorten amount of commercial breaks in between innings. -Negotiate a television contract which places the maximum amount of national baseball possible on television. Find a national broadcast partner more able to showcase the game, as opposed to a sideshow while they promote Skin.

You know I'm attacking this. An award for the best offensive player would not go to A-Rod, it would've gone to Carlos Delgado. The MVP itself is for strength of offense AND defense. Oddly enough, no where in the rules does it state the player must come from a winning team.

Since Lightning Flik suggested I should have my own thread, and I'm an attention hog, here it is. I've started two leagues of my own. One AL only league, and one NL only league. These leagues are run a little differently. The AL league will have 14 teams, and the NL league will have 16 teams. So in essence, the number of major league starters will match the number of fantasy starters. That means someone gets tuck with Alex Cora. The leagues are rotisserie format, with an autopick draft. First come, first served. AL Only League ID: #15302 Password: thesmartmarks NL Only League ID: 15355 Password: thesmartmarks