EVIL~! alkeiper

Not that you really care, but he earned 187 win shares for his hitting, and 140 for his fielding. Only Honus Wagner and Bill Dahlen earned more win shares based on fielding alone. And no I didn't figure this out myself, I just happen to have the book handy.

As for Delmon Young, I wonder how much of this comes out of dealing with the replacement umpires. There is NO excuse for Young's actions, but there's certainly been some problems in the minors this season.

I'd trade Endy Chavez now while his value is highest.

Surprised no one mentioned Bonds' HR. It was actually a big one this time. This has been a good day for baseball. An action packed Giants/Mets game, a nice Pirates/Cards game earlier, and a few other good ones. Clay Condrey got called up from Scranton and is warming up. I hope he gets an inning in somewhere. He got called last year but didn't pitch.

Looking at the majors, 18 of the 30 teams have won 90+ games two times or less over Bochy's span. The Padres are usually not a team to take big plunges into the free agent market, so they've never assembled super teams that should have won loads of games. Is there a specific argument against Bochy, or just the lack of a championship?

I think this thread has served its purpose.

It's too early to make a judgment on Zach Duke. He was not a high strikeout guy in the minors, and he's likely to face an adjustment period. They still have Duke, Ian Snell, Paul Maholm, Tom Gorzelanny, Bryan Bullington, and John Van Benschoten. If two of those guys make it, that's a great start. I'm not sure what kind of prospects the Bucs have seen the last twelve years quite honestly, but they have as good a group of young pitching as anyone. Not that it makes up for a lot of other deficiencies.

I think it's refreshing to see a team stick with a manager through bad seasons. We all know that a lot of times the manager creates problems. But all too often the manager is a scapegoat for lousy roster construction. Bochy by all accounts is a good manager.

Unfortunately Eldred just went down for four months with an injury. Indy was fun to watch last year with their twin prospects Zach Duke and Ian Snell. If their young pitching develops they could have something good within 2-3 years.

There are a couple different methods. Sometimes they'll shoot footage during actual games. I believe there's a scene in Three Men and a Little Lady that was shot during an actual game at Shea Stadium. Other times, like in 61*, they will bring in fans as extras to a stadium and film that way. Filmmakers will get creative. For example, crowd scenes in Cobb featured maybe 1,000 fans, who they would pan over repeatedly to give the impression of a full stadium.

Gavin Floyd is still awful. It's painful to watch his starts because even when he escapes, he's walking a tightrope the entire time.

Bored's recent blog on the 1996 Athletics mentioned the name of Ernie Young, a current mainstay in the minor leagues. His blog got me thinking. I attend Scranton/Wilkes-Barre games regularly, and I see several players who are very good, but lack (or seemingly lack) the ability to play in the Major Leagues. They still provide some value however, and they make minor league games worth watching. Only a handful of the players in AAA are real prospects, after all. I thought I would draw up a list of some of my favorites. The only criteria is that the player should be a AAA veteran, and for the most part a non-prospect. 1. RP Colter Bean, Columbus Clippers. Free Colter Bean! Bean is a 6'6", side-arming right handed pitcher in the Yankees' organization. Most do not consider Bean a prospect due to his lack of noticeable velocity. He's the kind of pitcher that scouts feel do not adapt to the majors. I regard that as sheer foolishness. Since joining the Clippers in 2003, Bean has compiled a 19-12 record in relief, including a 2.62 ERA and 274 strikeouts in 233 innings. Meanwhile the Yankees sit in the Bronx and wonder why the hell they can not find relievers. 2. OF/1B Jim Rushford, Reading Phillies. Rushford looked headed to the Northern League before re-signing with the Phillies' organization the last week of March. Unlike Bean, Rushford's failings are pretty apparent. He hits for a high average and has good plate discipline. He does not hit for much power however, only hitting more than 10 home runs once, in 1997. He's a below average right fielder and average first baseman. Most teams do not have a need for that type of player in the majors, but he fits well in the minors. 3. OF Ernie Young, Charlotte Knights The essential minor league journeyman. Young has hit over 300 home runs between the majors and minors, and won a Gold medal with the 2000 Olympic Baseball team. He could help a major league club in a fifth outfielder's role yet. 4. RP Dan Giese, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons Giese retired midway through last season for unspecified reasons. I'm glad to see him back. Giese is pure control out of the bullpen. Last season he walked just one batter in 38 innings. This season Giese has come out firing, striking out 17 batters and walking one in 10 1/3 minor league innings. He's a pitcher that could really surprise people, and could grab a spot in the Phillies' bullpen if it struggles this summer. 5. SP Brandon Duckworth, Indianapolis Indians At one time Duckworth was a prospect. He compiled a 15-3 record for the Red Barons in 23 starts, including 164 strikeouts in 165 innings, with just 40 walks. Then he fell apart in Philly and hasn't been the same pitcher. He's got a name and face that suggest he shouldn't be that good, so it's fun to watch him when he succeeds. 6. 1B Brad Eldred, Indianapolis Indians Eldred's plate discipline is abysmal. He struck out 157 times last year while drawing just 35 walks. He struck out 148 times in 2004 while drawing 41 walks. If you gave him 600 ABs in the majors, he would absolutely shatter Adam Dunn's strikeout record. The beauty is though that if he gets ahold of one, he can hit it as far as any player in baseball. 7. C Bobby Estalella, whereabouts unknown. Estalella, due to injuries, will never get his chance in the majors. He was once a young AAA prospect with power and plate discipline, but now he's on the wrong side of 30. It's a shame because his grandfather was an MLB semi-regular who also never got a fair chance.

These games determine who reaches the regional finals. Losers are eliminated. The team they will face in the regional final is in parenthesis. '14 Bos(N) @ '34 StL ('06 ChC) '19 Cin @ '35 ChC ('21 NYG) '29 PhA @ '19 CWS ('27 NYY) '09 Pit @ '12 NYG ('24 Was) '34 Cardinals 5, '14 Braves 2 '19 Reds 5, '35 Cubs 3 '29 Athletics 8, '19 White Sox 4 '12 Giants 12, '09 Pirates 11, 11 Innings '50 Phi @ '57 Mil ('53 NYY) '55 Brk @ '41 Brk ('62 SF) '46 Bos(A) @ '63 LA ('61 NYY) '35 Det @ '40 Cin ('39 NYY) '50 Phillies 4, '57 Braves 2 '41 Dodgers 5, '55 Dodgers 4 '63 Dodgers 7, '46 Red Sox 5 '40 Reds 4, '35 Tigers 2 '67 Bos @ '74 Oak ('80 KC) '80 Phi @ '69 NYM ('85 StL) '79 Pit @ '86 NYM ('77 NYY) '82 Mil @ '68 Det ('75 Cin) '74 Athletics 5, '67 Red Sox 4 '80 Phillies 4, '69 Mets 2 '86 Mets 3, '79 Pirates 2 '82 Brewers 4, '68 Tigers 3 '94 Mon @ '04 StL ('98 NYY) '01 Sea @ '04 Bos ('88 Oak) '02 SF @ '95 Cle ('05 CWS) '92 Tor @ '03 Fla ('01 Ari) '04 Cardinals 4, '94 Expos 3 '04 Red Sox 4, '01 Mariners 1 '95 Indians 7, '02 Giants 2 '03 Marlins 7, '92 Blue Jays 3 Day four will see the first part of the regional finals. Since it is double elimination, the losers' bracket entrant needs to win two while the winners' bracket team needs one win. '34 StL @ '06 ChC '19 Cin @ '21 NYG '29 PhA @ '27 NYY '12 NYG @ '24 Was '06 Cubs 2, '34 Cardinals 1 '19 Reds 6, '21 Giants 2 '29 Athletics 9, '27 Yankees 6 '24 Senators 4, '12 Giants 3 '50 Phi @ '53 NYY '41 Brk @ '62 SF '63 LAD @ '61 NYY '40 Cin @ '39 NYY '53 Yankees 2, '50 Phillies 1 '41 Dodgers 8, '62 Giants 2 '63 Dodgers 6, '61 Yankees 4 '39 Yankees 7, '40 Reds 6 '74 Oak @ '80 KC '80 Phi @ '85 StL '86 NYM @ '77 NYY '82 Mil @ '75 Cin '80 Royals 18, '74 Athletics 9 '80 Phillies 8, '85 Cardinals 4 '77 Yankees 4, '86 Mets 3 '82 Brewers 9, '75 Reds 0 '04 StL @ '98 NYY '04 Bos @ '88 Oak '95 Cle @ '05 CWS '03 Fla @ '01 Ari '98 Yankees 4, '04 Cardinals 1 '04 Red Sox 4, '88 Athletics 2 '95 Indians 8, '05 White Sox 5 '03 Marlins 3, '01 Diamondbacks 1 Day Five The following teams have advanced... '06 Chicago Cubs '24 Washington Senators '53 New York Yankees '39 New York Yankees '80 Kansas City Royals '77 New York Yankees '98 New York Yankees These games decide who advances. '19 Cin @ '21 NYG '29 PhA @ '27 NYY '41 Brk @ '62 SF '63 LAD @ '61 NYY '21 Giants 7, '19 Reds 6 '29 Athletics 10, '27 Yankees 9 '62 Giants 5, '41 Dodgers 2 '61 Yankees 5, '63 Dodgers 3 '80 Phi @ '85 StL '82 Mil @ '75 Cin '04 Bos @ '88 Oak '80 Phillies 3, '85 Cardinals 2 (12 Innings) '75 Reds 5, '82 Brewers 4 '88 Athletics 3, '04 Red Sox 2 '95 Cle @ '05 CWS '03 Fla @ '01 Ari '95 Indians 5, '05 White Sox 2 '01 Diamondbacks 3, '03 Marlins 2

Coles Hamels is heading to AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

We have two brackets now, the winners' bracket and the losers' bracket. The games in the winners bracket determine who gets the first spot in the regional finals. While not as critical as the losers bracket, the losers in these games would need to win three straight to advance. The losers bracket is simply win or be eliminated. Results will be updated as the results occur. Winners' Bracket Matchups '34 StL @ '06 ChC '35 ChC @ '21 NYG '19 CWS @ '27 NYY '24 Was @ '12 NYG '06 Cubs 4, '34 Cardinals 0 '21 Giants 2, '35 Cubs 1 '27 Yankees 8, '19 White Sox 2 '24 Senators 1, '12 Giants 0 '57 Mil @ '53 NYY '41 Brk @ '62 SF '63 LA @ '61 NYY '40 Cin @ '39 NYY '53 Yankees 13, '57 Braves 5 '62 Giants 4, '41 Dodgers 1 '61 Yankees 4, '63 Dodgers 3 '39 Yankees 7, '40 Reds 2 '80 KC @ '74 Oak '85 StL @ '69 NYM '86 NYM @ '77 NYY '68 Det @ '75 Cin '80 Royals 6, '74 Athletics 3 '85 Cardinals 7, '69 Mets 3 '77 Yankees 5, '86 Mets 4 '75 Reds 9, '68 Tigers 8 '04 StL @ '98 NYY '04 Bos @ '88 Oak '05 CWS @ '95 Cle '03 Fla @ '01 Ari '98 Yankees 11, '04 Cardinals 3 '88 Athletics 1, '04 Red Sox 0, 11 Innings Talk about a hard-luck outing for Curt Schilling. He pitched a ten inning no-hitter, but his Sox failed to score a run. The A's scored the winning run on an missed catch error by Trot Nixon that likely would've been a sac fly anyway. '05 White Sox 3, '95 Indians 1 '01 Diamondbacks 7, '03 Marlins 6, 13 Innings Losers' Bracket Matchups '14 Bos(N) @ '32 NYY '19 Cin @ '12 Bos '07 Det @ '29 PhA '09 Pit @ '11 PhA '14 Braves 6, '32 Yankees 5 '19 Reds 7, '12 Red Sox 5 '29 Athletics 8, '07 Tigers 0 '09 Pirates 4, '11 Athletics 3 '50 Phi @ '54 Cle '55 Brk @ '46 StL '65 Min @ '46 Bos '59 CWS @ '35 Det '50 Phillies 8, '54 Indians 0 '55 Dodgers 10, '46 Cardinals 2 '46 Red Sox 9, '65 Twins 3 '35 Tigers 5, '59 White Sox 4 '67 Bos @ '84 Det '80 Phi @ '70 Balt '74 LA @ '79 Pit '82 Mil @ '67 StL '67 Red Sox 4, '84 Tigers 0 '80 Phillies 5, '70 Orioles 0 '79 Pirates 4, '74 Dodgers 3 '82 Brewers 4, '67 Cardinals 3 '94 Mon @ '02 Oak '01 Sea @ '92 Atl '02 SF @ '03 NYY '92 Tor @ '98 Atl '94 Expos 6, '02 Athletics 3 '01 Mariners 5, '92 Braves 1 '02 Giants 8, '03 Yankees 4 '92 Blue Jays 11, '98 Braves 4 Thankfully this is the last set of 32 games.

Not quite. I'm not sure what to do with that. This is just a convenient place to post these results.

Even if it was true, it still wouldn't be as good as Runelys Hernandez hitting the DL due to a "lack of stamina."

Player of the Week: Brian Roberts, Balt 11 for 27, 3 doubles, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 5 walks, 6 steals in 6 attempts. Pitcher of the Week: Mike Maroth, Det 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 13 IP.

Good stuff as always. 2004 actually. Young's carved himself a tremendous career. It's worth noting that he won a Gold Medal with the U.S. Olympic Baseball team in 2000. Young comes around the area with the Buffalo Bison a few times a season, and it is a pleasure to watch him play. Some time I should make a list of my favorite IL mainstays. A few guys you didn't pick up on. Steve Wojciechowski is worth it just for the name alone. Aaron Small saw his first real exposure to the majors and got slaughtered for his efforts. Torey Lovullo set a single season RBI record for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1999. Recently, he won the 2005 Eastern League Manager of the Year award for managing the Akron Aeros to a title. That earned him a promotion to Buffalo and an interview with the LA Dodgers. Hell of a nice guy too.

There's video of the 496 foot shot at MLB.com, but I don't think you see where the ball lands. That's how far he hit it. Do you have a link? I've been looking for 10 minutes and can't find anything.

Apparently Ryan Howard cleared the Batters' eye at Citizens Bank Park today.

No, the Babe was a dirty dude by all accounts and he didn't need steroids since he had that God given fat boy strength. I just find it funny that those rumored to have done steroids are always the ones coming down with withdrawal symptoms, losing 15-30 pounds in a year, lose 5 mph off of their heater, develop warning track power etc. Helton might have a bad appendix for all I know, but after Palmeiro went in front of Congress and said he didn't ever take anyting, I don't trust Helton's word as being law. Back to back solo jacks by Nady and Castro of all people. I think Helton really deserves the benefit of the doubt here. Besides, even if Helton did take steroids, I doubt he's fully aware of what's causing him problems, any more than the doctors know. As far as the Mets and Bonds go, it's nice to see someone playing baseball. The entire northeast is rained out tonight.

So when Babe Ruth missed half of the 1925 with a supposed intestinal absess, it was really steroid withdrawl.

Byrd had a better claim on the heavyweight crown than anyone in the heavyweight division. Still, this is good news for the division, as Klitschko is one of the only fighters who can garner some legitimacy.

Speaking of off-topic, this thread is well past that mark. This stuff belongs in HD.