EVIL~! alkeiper

Pros: J.D. Drew redeems himself with a huge grand slam in the first inning. Cons: One game I finally stoked myself to get excited for, and it's 4-0 in the first inning. This postseason has really, truly sucked. Cons, Part Two: Half an hour and there's one out in the bottom of the first. Jesus F'n Christ, does anyone play the game efficiently anymore? Five games this postseason have topped four hours. FIVE. Eleven have gone longer than three and a half. Only four games have come in under three hours. It's apparent that the Indians' aces are gassed. If this keeps up and the Sox' pitching doesn't materialize, the Rockies will look really good heading into the World Series.

Again someone will bring up instant replay after that Sizemore foul, ignoring that at least 75% of these replays are inconclusive.

For the record, the card for the Superstars on the Superstation special. *NWA Tag Team Title Match: Rock 'n' Roll Express vs. Midnight Express *Road Warriors vs. Ivan and Nikita Koloff *National champion Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard *NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair vs. Ron Garvin On another note, anytime a promotion advertises a ten-man tournament, they might as well run a flashing graphic on the screen that says, "one of the first round matches will be a draw!"

It's the 28th actually but that's not important. It's the only one on the system. Both matches are fantastic though. WATCH THIS SHOW.

Like the Atlanta Braves and their three Hall of Fame starters?

So you'll take the version that cuts out full matches over the version that cuts out mere entrances? WWE has to make some concessions on these shows, whether it regards current events, royalties, or what not. In this case, it amounted to a 140 minute show with all the matches intact. That's fine with me. As long as the important stuff stays in, the matches and angles. If you want full, pure shows as they happened at the time, find a tape collector. And really, the complaints about minor, trivial stuff becomes tiresome. As do non-update posts.

Bauer's dead on. The only way to guarantee a playoff victory is to build a ridiculously dominant team. And even then, the 2001 Seattle Mariners lost to a team that lost 20 more games in the regular season. The attitude that anything less than winning might seem admirable, but it's unattainable.

The Yankees in the 90s were quite astute at acquiring talent. They got Paul O'Neill the year after he posted the worst slugging percentage of his career. Scott Brosius was atrocious the year the Yankees received him. David Wells had a 5+ ERA when the Yankees got him as a free agent. Yankee fans today would do well to remember that.

Actually Hillman is from the Japanese leagues. He's got a decade of experience and is highly regarded in those leagues.

I think building from within is the better strategy. I prefer it personally because I have an opportunity to see the Phillies advance through the farm system locally.

I think Pk is simply referencing the television/radio coverage of the game, which was poor as usual.

McCarver's embarrassing tonight. Any commentator who mentions three or more times what players did better in his day needs to be put out to pasture.

I do think it's worth noting in the Yankees' defense that it's been almost four years since they traded a young player that amounted to something for more than a season.

The problem is that it's the same strategy that landed them here in the first place. The only time they won multiple titles is when they built from within. They might land a star pitcher, but who's to say that pitcher will be a star three years down the road?

If he wants four years, he can get it. Tom Gordon got a three year contract at the same age. If Gordon can get three years, how many years will a team dish out for the greatest closer of our generation? Remember, some team has to go above and beyond to land him. If I were the Phillies, I'd offer 4 years/$40 million. Seriously.

The only defense of Manny I have is that if the ball were three feet closer, it was an out.

Rivera will get four years, easy.

Not all those guys will be free agents by then. At least half will sign extentions.

"Longest single in postseason history." Umm, Robin Ventura anyone?

McCarver again with that crap. Ask Dickie Thon about pitching inside, you jackass.

The problem with this line of thinking is that there is only one championship, and 30 teams fighting for it. Forget the $200 million payroll. It's not Joe Torre's job to assemble the team. All he can do is make a run with the roster he's given. The Yankees have not been more talented than all the other American League teams, so it's silly to outright expect them to win. There are good teams in the postseason, teams built to beat the Yankees.

It could happen. There isn't a single impact starting pitcher on the market outside of Andy Pettitte, for example. You can only do so much with money. You can't win unless you bring up stars through the farm system.

Two points to address. One, if you're paying your manager extra money to win championships then you run a pretty stupid organization. I doubt that was the Yankees' intention the last few years. Second, if you're an executive or person of prominence in any field, do you willingly accept a pay cut after 12 years of service? I wouldn't. I don't object to the Yankees changing managers. This was just a very slip-shod method of doing it. And let me stress that the proposed terms came to light because the Yankees held a press conference and announced them.

McCarver with more of the "players don't get to police themselves" crap. I read an excellent piece a few days ago, written sometime in the '80s. Essentially, HBP's in McCarver's era were much higher than average. The attitude carried by Drysdale, Gibson etc. was an anomaly and not a historical norm. Headhunting is stupid, stupid, stupid and MLB has every right to stamp it out.

This came down the pike a few hours ago. Joe Torre rejected a contract offer for the Yankees' managerial job into next season. The deal would have paid Joe Torre $5 million for 2008. If the Yankees made the playoffs a $1 million bonus would be paid, with another million for a divisional series win and a third million for a league championship series win. Making the World Series would have vested an option for 2009. Joe Torre rejected the offer. First off, Torre made $7.5 million this year. Guaranteeing him $5 million and giving him a $500,000 raise ONLY if the Yankees made the World Series has got to be a slap in the face. There was no way he was going to take the offer, so the thought comes to mind that Yankee brass wanted Torre gone, and intentionally low balled him. Second, this news is quite encouraging as a non-Yankees fan. A few points. -This takes away a proven manager from the Yankees who has successfully dealt with the superstars and with early-season slumps. It also eliminates the potential loyalty factor from the free agent signing period. -It indicates new Yankee ownership (Steinbrenner's sons) suck at public relations. The Yankees before their last dynasty were a laughingstock in the baseball world. -It also gives the impression that the Yankee brass believes that failure results simply from not trying hard enough. Pay these guys and they'll succeed! Never mind that part of the problem is simply that you have competition. The Cleveland Indians won 96 games. If you think you're supposed to beat those guys because you're the f'n Yankees, you have a big slice of humble pie coming to you. -Had this incentive existed, can you imagine the panicky manager in the playoffs literally throwing his team with a million dollars at stake on a win? "Joba's gotta throw four innings here, I have a condo payment to make!" Hey Yankees, want to make the World Series? Build a good team and pray. Try building a pitching staff. Build a team that is legitimately the best in the league before you start crying about how you lost again in the playoffs. The Yankees were at best the third best team in the league. They lost to the first or second best. Winning is not an entitlement. I hope someday the Yankees lose 100 games. You think losing a division series is losing. You haven't touched losing yet.