EVIL~! alkeiper

Another consideration about Grudzielanek and Walker. Here are their career hitting splits (2003 stats in parenthesis). Todd Walker vs. LHP 251/289/353 (234/282/373) vs. RHP 300/360/454 (301/352/448) Mark Grudzielanek vs. LHP 294/344/411 (360/444/470) vs. RHP 283/324/380 (302/344/402) Walker's better against righties, and Grudzielanek's better against lefties. I would platoon the two.

Walker's numbers have been consistant the last several years, so I doubt there will be much decline. I'd be much more worried about Grudzielanek being the fluke. Aurilia is HIGHLY overrated. He had an outstanding year when he hit 37 home runs. In no other year has he slugged more than .450. You can't count on a guy to repeat a fluke year.

Windham's had his hoss like moments later in his career, when he put on some pounds. When you're 6'5", there's a fine line between fit and hoss.

One exception: Spinal Tap. Hilarious stuff, as the band looks back on their "documentary" 20 years later.

I've really gotten completely apathetic to the "deadline" at this point. Alot of good one did the last time they trumpeted it. Wake me up if they actually make a damn trade. Otherwise, I just don't care anymore.

Hell, now that I'm older, and like the comics even more, because I understand them.

Oh certainly. But he could easily turn into another dvd if he starts hitting like he did in 2002. I still don't put stock in any of these arguments. If Vlad's offered five years somewhere, he'll bite regardless of who offers it. Ok. This is the first time I've heard he doesn't speak English. Why? Because its not part of his job description. Really, why should it matter? His language has no bearing on his job skills. His job is to hit .340, not to speak English.

And as Anaheim and Florida have shown, playoff experience is CRUCTIAL, no? Besides, its not like Kevin Brown doesn't have playoff experience, if that's what you want. As for pressure, take a look at how much it effected Mike Mussina. How so? Sheffield's made the playoffs the last two years. I don't think he's a detriment, no matter how many sportswriters don't like him.

Espn's off-season power rankings..... http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1692140 Yankees 25th? What the hell are they smoking? Javier Vazquez is an improvement over Andy Pettitte. They have a good 5th starter now instead of Jeff Weaver. They have middle relievers. They've replaced Nick Johnson with Gary Sheffield. The team looks BETTER than it did last year.

Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to live where I do. Here in the Poconos, our cable company carries stations from Wilkes-Barre, Philadelphia, AND New York City. So we have Smackdown on two UPN stations, and one of them will always air it if the other doesn't. I also get 162 Phillies and Yankees games, and a selection of Mets and Braves games. And that's before the national broadcasts. The only bad part is that ESPN blacks out Yankees games (as they air on YES). So when watching Yankees games I'm forever trapped by either Michael Kay or Tim McCarver.

I looked over the ten catchers most similar to Javy Lopez, and honestly, I don't see much to that theory. None of the catchers had a year any BETTER than one in their 20s. The common theme, and a more prevailent, is an decrease in playing time as they age.

I have some serious reservations on this deal. Three years and $8 million per is an awfully big risk to put in a catcher after one big season. It could come back to bite the Orioles. I think this will be the year that I-Rod fires Scott Boras. Among Major League teams, I can't see many teams seriously interested at this point, certainly not to the tune of a 4 year contract. As far as Lopez goes, I think his production will fall along his career line (287/337/502). Not last year's numbers, but fairly good. Honestly, its the third year that would worry me.

Great, now Karl Malone might be injured. I should really just give up now.

Tom Hicks set a Tuesday deadline for the deal. This whole thing reminds me of parents telling their kids "THIS time we'll turn the car around, we mean it!!!", but never actually doing it.

Damnit, what is the Phillies obsession with not giving Travis Chapman a chance? A hope this is a legalese move before re-signing him.

Its hard to say. It would take over 100 miles to drive there, but a straight line would fall under that.

I never have TBS blocked out. Maybe its my cable supplier, since I'm in the WB/Scranton market instead of Philly.

Its different for different sports. Blackouts are fairly rare outside of football.

Not necessarily. Its not uncommon for a team to pay the money after the contract period. Part of A-Rod's deal now pays him deferred money from 2011-20.

It is silly. A game not sold out would indicate that there's not much interest in the product. Logically, the free tv broadcast would create interest in the product, hopefully selling more tickets. Blacking out the broadcast only serves to keep fans away from the product.

Where do you get $30 million? I don't think he'll handicap the Sox considering they have a $100 million payroll. On a side note, how much would Derek Jeter be villified if he didn't play on the Yankees. His contract is bigger than Ramirez's at this point, and he's not as good of a player. Yet no one ever mentions his contract as a drain.

Karim Garcia and David Dellucci are gone from the Yankees. Randall Simon is gone from the Cubs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1691105 They really had to keep Freddy Garcia. He's good, durable, and not that much of a salary drain. I would have to think offering to Meche and Pineiro is just a formality. I wouldn't be surprised to see the M's part with Ben Davis however. He's looking less and less like the Mariners' catcher of the future.

I'd worry more about giving a $20 M deal to Shannon Stewart when they already have an assload of corner outfielders. Yes, its been a miserable offseason for the Twins.

Eh, it really wouldn't have done much for either team.