EVIL~! alkeiper

The sick thing is that if Cliff Floyd isn't hurt, that catch doesn't happen.

Endy F'n Chavez

Someone pointed out to be that no one knows how Suppan will handle the pressure. Suppan won game four of the 2004 NLDS and game 7 of the 2004 NLCS. He'd done it before. Because Heilman hasn't made a start since last year, and he's 5-13 with a 5.93 career ERA when he does start. I would make a bold move. Start Oliver Perez for one, maybe two innings. Then switch to Steve Trachsel. At that point LaRussa would either have to stick with less than favorable matchups, or burn his bench early. If he does burn his bench, you can go back to Darren Oliver, another lefty.

It came out about a month ago on the SABR-L mailing list, but the author asked readers not to expose the story before his article came out.

Here's another name to consider. 3B Akinori Iwamura is coming over from Japan.

It's funny how most of the Met fans here come out of the woodwork when the team's losing, and hide when the team's winning. On another note, that "everybody clap your hands" riff at Shea Stadium is the second most annoying ballpark prompt I've heard, next to Day-o.

Correct sir.

Okay. Then you get your free meal, just as soon as a waitress gets to your table. See how this works?

One thing is overlooked in regards to an upset. The Cardinals won 105 and 100 games the last two years, with a healthy portion of their current lineup and rotation. Their long term record would indicate that they're a better team than they've showed this year.

Why not? In their past they frequently aired championship bouts for a title that dated back to Abe Lincoln!

I agree with this. The Twins led the Tigers just once, on the last day of the season. In both teams' next three games, the Twins lost three and the Tigers lost two. If those were regular season games, the Tigers would have a better record. It turns out the Tigers have since won five more. I think it'd be silly to say the Twins were a better team in 2006 just because they won one more game in the regular season, wouldn't it? Most wild card teams are not the fourth worst teams in their leagues. The days of the best teams in each league representing the World Series died in 1969. The best thing is either to accept wild card entrants or get rid of them.

There are conflicting reports on what will happen with compensation, and I suspect even the owners are unsure at this point. If it exists, Dellucci will certainly be offered arbitration and will likely refuse, as you guess.

If the Mets don't win this one, I don't like their chances for games six and seven. Darren Oliver is NOT a quality starter.

Has anyone read Lou Thesz's biography?

Are the Braves moving to Turner South, or are they abandoning the Turner network entirely?

Great news for baseball fans. TBS will have exclusive rights to the divisional series and NLCS next season. They've also picked up rights to tiebreakers, and the All-Star selection show.

On the Ruiz/Coste front. I honestly think that the Phils are best served making Carlos Ruiz the primary catcher, and Coste a backup. Ruiz should catch 120-130 games. I've watched him regularly for two years and I honestly think he has that kind of talent. Chris Coste is obviously not a .328 hitter. He's a decent line drive hitter however and he can probably hit .260-.270 with 15 homers a season. Behind them, there are several catchers both on the major league and minor league level who could standby. Sal Fasano is a possibility. I'd look at Wolf if the price was reasonable, but I wouldn't pay top dollar for him. He's a guy the Phils have looked to have a great season for half a decade now and hasn't delivered. You can't sign a player just to pacify the fans. There has to be some substance behind it.

For Cub fans, what do you do abour Ronny Cedeno? He was beyond miserable this year, walking 17 times in 572 plate appearances and hitting .245. (And it should be noted, was not replaced by a veteran). I'd sign a replacement and option Cedeno to the minors. Let him prove himself there before he gets another crack at a starting job. His future might be as a utility infielder.

Here's the idea I came up with today. Find a lefty bat and platoon him with Rowand. The lefty could play right and Victorino in center, and then Victorino would move to right when Rowand starts. I wouldn't count on substantial use of the Abreu savings, given that some of the money is likely earmarked for when Howard, Utley and Brett Myers become expensive. There are some intriguing names floating below the top tier though, like Andy Pettitte, Aubrey Huff, Cliff Floyd, and Shannon Stewart. I wouldn't mind bringing Lieberthal back. The only question is his usage. You have two right handed catchers on the roster. What role does Lieberthal fill that the other catchers do not? Here's a fun fact btw. Next to Jeff Conine, Chris Coste is now the oldest position player on the roster. Agreed. It would also behoove the Phils to sign some live arms, particularly from the minor league free agent list. Happ would have to be lights out to earn a rotation spot. Remember he's only been above A for half a season and he does not have particularly dominating stuff. He's the type of guy who needs seasoning. Madson has probably stamped a permanent ticket to the bullpen. Floyd is probably at make it or break it time. I could see Gio Gonzalez making a leap though. I wouldn't make a play for Matsuzaka due to the posting fee. Zito is an absolute NO due to his flyball tendencies. I think the best options are Pettitte and Mussina. Mussina's a near HOFer with local ties, and Pettitte showed an ability to pitch brilliantly in a park with similar dimensions. As for Jason Schmidt, his high walk totals and injury history frighten me. I'd be wary about him.

Except of course for the 1900s and 1910s. THOSE were the true Dark Ages. Babe Ruth was the Renaissance.

Bradford really hasn't traveled that much. Boston gave him a one year contract last year due to concerns about his back injury. Personally, 'd love to see him on the Phils next year.

Well alll the sudden the situation does not look so dire for the Mets.

Too bad we traded him. I wonder how Ugueth Urbina did this year.

I'm not sure if that's sarcasm or not. There are some very good players on there. You're not going to get very accurate assessments for just half a season though.

Ramirez has three HOFers plus Derek Jeter on his list. That's a great sign. Weaver's #2 is Ed Walsh. 40 wins here we come! Zimmerman > Keltner Keltner produced that line in a hitters' league. Zimmerman plays in an extremely tough hitters' park. Both were excellent defensively though, so it's a great comparison.