EVIL~! alkeiper

Roger Clemens is indeed starting Monday in Scranton. In an effort to increase profits, they're selling standing room tickets for $25 and $15. Thank goodness I don't have to attend that circus. The big news seems to be that George Steinbrenner announced Brian Cashman is accountable for this season. If there is one thing the Yankees do not need at this point, it's a "win now" decree. The Yankees need to rebuild. Seven of the nine regulars on the Yankees are 33 or older. Four of those are under contract for next season. Their aging core is not going to bring them another championship at this rate, and they're digging themselves deeper the longer they try.

Modern booking has done that. The original intention states back decades, where one person might challenge another to brawl in the barroom cellar, and see who comes out with the key. A match like Bruno/Koloff from 1975 really demonstrates the stipulation.

Jeremy Brown cleared waivers, so he's back to Sacramento.

A couple important ones not yet mentioned. Don Muraco/Jimmy Snuka (Cage Match, MSG: October 1983) Steve Austin/Owen Hart (Summerslam '97) Shawn Michaels/Marty Jannetty (Raw: August 1993)

Desalvo's made four relief appearances in the minors.

I think that's a joke. At least it should be. I would hope our new mod would have better sense about posting potential spoilers otherwise.

Speak of the devil, Horacio just went on the DL. Your Phillies reliever of the week is Michael Zagurski. Zagurski failed to make BA's list of top 30 Phils' prospects, but he's struck out 38 batters in 23 IP between Clearwater and Reading, with just six walks.

Horacio Ramirez has a 6.47 ERA this season, for what it's worth. As a fan of a team that employs Ryan Howard and Chase Utley, this is nominally good news. Sucks for Gonzalez though, an overlooked reliever.

He's overrated because fans in Philadelphia are absolutely convinced they never would have won the World Series in 1980 if it wasn't for Rose's pure hustle, grit and determination. He was a proven WINNER~! Never mind that the first year the Phils acquired him, they finished fourth. Never mind that he hit eight home runs COMBINED in five years as our first baseman. That's the portion of his career that's overrated. Prime years in Cincinnati? Great player.

Listening to Jayson Stark on Mike & Mike in the morning. -Stark lists Sandy Koufax as overrated, citing the first half of his career. The problem is that Koufax was a bonus baby when he came in. That meant the Dodgers had to place him on their MLB roster immediately upon his signing, for two seasons. At the age Koufax came in, most players are in the minors. Should Koufax get penalized for that? -There was talk of rating Dimaggio as the most overrated, but all agreed that would be sacrilegious. Isn't that exactly an indication that a player is overrated?

Portland Sea Dogs @ Reading Phillies When it comes to minor league baseball, no park can beat FirstEnergy Park in Reading for pure ambiance. There's talk of replacing the park with a new downtown stadia, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion. The corporate name belies the park really. The park is over 50 years old now. Recent renovations make the park comfortable but it retains an old-time feel unlike modern parks. The concessions have a carnival-like atmosphere. There are seemingly dozens of options from standard fare to Rita's Italian Ice (no gelatis though). Everything about the game is enthusiastic. The staff know better than to jam every single sound effect into spare space like in other minor league parks. There are plenty of in-game promotions to keep the crowd entertained. The park contains a pool beyond right field and there is the standard party deck beyond left field. Pricing is right. Parking is free but can be a hassle. Paved spots were gone an hour before gametime, leaving the grass beyond the brick wall in left field. It is easy to get to at least, straight down Route 61 off Route 222. If you have the chance, this is a park you should take a trip to see at some point. Roger Clemens is apparently coming to Scranton on Monday. I'm going to Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday's games instead. I don't need to deal with the traffic.

Got tickets bitches.

My top ten most overrated players of all time. Not an exhaustive list, as I'm sure there are a handful I have forgotten. Keep in mind these players are still good/great, just not what they're sometimes made out to be. 1. Jim Rice Compiled big hitting numbers as a right-handed hitter in the best park for right-handed hitters of the era. Short peak, not a notable baserunner and not a particularly good defensive player. 2. Nolan Ryan Invariably on most top ten lists of pitchers. Career winning percentage a mere .526 and ERA+ and raw ERA fall outside of the top 100. Hard to hit but walked far too many hitters. 3. Pete Rose Made the all-century team. Truly valuable as a third baseman but otherwise an above average hitter who proved extremely durable. 4. Lou Brock Stuck around for eight years slugging under .400. Tim Raines was a superior player. 5. Dizzy Dean Gaudy win totals for a top offensive team for 3 1/2 years. Was an elite pitcher for a short span but career was very, very short. Compare him to Johan Santana who is honestly as good a pitcher. 6. Derek Jeter Average at BEST as a fielder. Sal Fasano hits a monster home run here and there. Does that make him a top flight offensive player? Of course not. Similarly, a handful of great plays don't make Jeter a good defender. And yes, I watch the games. 7. Chuck Klein The best hitting environment in MLB history, better than Coors Field, was the Baker Bowl in the early 30s. The Phillies hit .315 as a team and lost 102 games. Given that he walked 55-60 times a year, his peak seasons were good but hardly historic. 8. Dave Concepcion The best shortstop of a weak crop of his era. Solid player, but never HOF caliber. 9. Lloyd Waner Seriously. Hall of Fame? 10. Denny McLain One of the biggest beneficiaries of the phenomenon of one year making a career. Had he won 28-29 games, no one would consider him higher than Mickey Lolich.

I disagree. Along with the home runs you've also got a player who drew a ton of walks in his career. McGwire walked almost as many times as he struck out. He won a gold glove but that's dubious. Throwing, how good of an arm do you need at first base? McGwire from 1988-91 had faults. He found it around 1992, but then suffered some injuries and it took him some time to enjoy a full season. How much of that was PEDs? Who knows. Even at his worse when he hit .201 however, he was still a productive offensive player. The A's won four division titles from 1988-92, so McGwire certainly wasn't a big problem then. As for the Hall, McGwire made the All-Star game nine times between 1987-97. There are about four players who have been to that many All-Star rosters and don't come up in Hall discussions. Of the 15 who have been to nine, 14 are eligible, and six are in. The only one I've never heard mentioned as a HOF candidate is Frank McCormick, an excellent defensive 1B who had the fortune of continuing to play through World War II.

It missed the preview, but one of the rivalries discussed is Rock n Roll Express vs. Midnight Express.

Johnarama Spamming

If you're like my ex-girlfriend's fiance, eliminating debt the christian way means putting blind faith in god while your complete lack of mental capacities limits you to the most menial manual labor jobs. As for the gasoline, gas boycotts don't work, never have. If you want to make a statement, don't travel at all. You have to not use gas entirely.

Does anyone have the Harts/Bulldogs title change?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stor...&id=2880887 Thoughts on his selections. 1. Barry Zito Agree. Won a Cy Young award (deservingly), but became an above-average pitcher who throws tons of innings. Certainly not worth $120 million. He's not as bad as his numbers this year though. A left-handed flyball pitcher will struggle with 42 year old Barry Bonds patrolling left field. 2. J.D. Drew Disagree. Not that he doesn't have his faults, but if everyone lists those thoughts right away when his name comes up, who's overrated him? 3. Andruw Jones Agree, since MVP voters became enamored with his gaudy HR totals. Fielding assessments are for the scouts so I can't judge. On a historical basis, I disagree he was overrated. 4. Juan Pierre Agree. 5. Bobby Abreu Agree actually, but for different reasons. I never bought into the hustle crap of course. But Abreu's power is gone and he's not a defensive asset. 6. Brian Giles Agreed. Once underrated but reputation outweighs current ability. 7. Alfonso Soriano Agree. Currently owns .326 career OBP. 8. Richie Sexson Agree. It's easy to jump on a good hitter having a poor start. Historically however, NO hitter at his height has enjoyed successed after age 32. 9. Bob Wickman Disagree. Last had a below average ERA in 1993, and he went 14-4 while doing it. 10. Jeff Suppan Disagree. He wasn't paid $40 million on the expectation of being an ace. He got it for being an above-average reliable starter. The Brewers have not been disappointed so far. I'll come up with my own list, but I want to split the posts in doing so.

You'll hear reference to the "H & H Connection." I believe Hart and Hussein pooled their resources.

Remember when everyone made fun of Ed Wade for overpaying for Jose Mesa, Rheal Cormier and Ricky Bottalico? I miss those days.

With Ryan Howard returning Friday, Chris Coste is attempting to preserve his roster spot by convincing the Phillies brass on the merits of his 68 mph fastball.

Is there any reason he should, really? Nothing's more patronizing then sitting there and cheering. "Yay! You're better than me!" I respect Aaron's decision, I'd rather reporters not make it a story anymore. They're just repeating it at this point.

It'd be silly to criticize Beane. Eleven players were taken in the supplemental first round in 2002. Three players (Dan Meyer, Mark Teahen, Jeremy Brown) have reached the majors. Greg Miller was ranked the 17th best prospect in the Dodgers' organization before the season, and he's walked 36 batters in 26.2 innings in AAA. The other seven are non-prospects. The second round produced some hits and some misses. Beane took a shot and missed. No different from what 29 other GMs do every year.

A's/Cubs world series footage. Cubs/Cardinals NFL footage from 1929. Blackhawks' hockey, also from 1929.