EVIL~! alkeiper

That's not the point, Al. You're saying NHB means NHB, as I understand it. I don't think that's the best way to go about things, but it's an unpopular opinion and probably unworkable in practice. I'm just voicing my thoughts.

No Holds Barred is just that. Unless a rule is specifically stated, just about anything is in-bounds in that folder.

Well, this seems to be a call to eliminate the NHB folder. Not quite. I'm thinking more of a starter. Yes, things get heated in this folder. A poster shouldn't take that as free reign to blast someone in their first or second post.

Whitney Stevens wore the same shirt Ashley did in a porno somewhere.

I'm in favor of keeping things loose, but as a rule I think we should draw the line at personal attacks towards posters themselves. If things are unmoderated, that shouldn't be an invitation to lash out as posters whenever so inclined.

Meanwhile, I'll be surprised if Kyle Kendrick does not end up in the minors by mid-May. He is just not that good a pitcher to continually compete at this level.

Lehigh Valley lost again, falling to a pathetic 2-17 record. This is just depressing.

PBS's "American Experience" program is airing a piece on Roberto Clemente tonight.

Chris Britton, Edwar Ramirez, Ross Ohlendorf. The Yankees aren't lacking in extra arms.

Personally, I think that if a pitcher can at all be a starter, that should be his role. Especially if that relief role is anything but the relief ace, and even then it's iffy. A closer is only valuable if a team can take a lead into the ninth in the first place, and if you do that more times than not you will win no matter who your closer is. Joe Borowski last year was as bad a closer (in terms of ERA) as any team has had in recent memory, and the Tribe was 80-4 when they led after eight. The problem here is that making the move now may have an adverse effect on Joba Chamberlain. It can be difficult to make the switch from a one-inning reliever to a starter midseason. Chamberlain has never pitched more than 120 innings in a season.

Let's review. Mussina is a 39 year old pitcher with 251 wins and a .631 career winning percentage. Yet he needs to learn how to pitch. The problem isn't the content of Steinbrenner's ideas. You don't undercut your GM or field staff. Father George did this same stuff in the early '80s and nearly wrecked the franchise.

Dear god. If your scouts tell you his swing is gone, that's one thing. But this? Riccardi is an idiot. If he hit the 300 at-bat mark with the Jays he was owed an extra $10 million. I'm aware. Saying he's an idiot is probably strong, since Riccardi likely does not really believe the reason he gave.

Just that. Whether the heart attack or fall killed him, or if he suffered the heart attack afterwards will take an autopsy to decide.

Great play from Eric Bruntlett to win the game. Phils salvage the series with a 5-4 victory.

I missed Appier. I gave the nod to Zito thanks to three All-Star appearances. NHL now is covered through hockey-reference.com, so it's a possibility. Or just take a different angle at the MLB draft, perhaps best player at each round.

I got a 22 on the Walk score. Not much convenient, but I scored big points for having a library 0.05 miles from my house.

Immediately upon joining the Phillies. Last year he surrendered 15 hits in 36.3 innings. He can't sustain that, but if his control holds up he's quite a pitcher. What an astute waiver claim.

I'm blatantly ripping off a concept from Bored. The best player from each pick in the draft. The MLB June draft has run from 1965 to the present. 1. Alex Rodriguez, SS 2. Reggie Jackson, OF 3. Robin Yount, SS 4. Dave Winfield, OF or Barry Larkin, SS 5. Dwight Gooden, RHP 6. Barry Bonds, OF 7. Frank Thomas, 1B 8. Todd Helton, 1B 9. Barry Zito, LHP 10. Mark McGwire, 3B Not one #1 overall pick has yet made the Hall, though Junior Griffey and A-Rod certainly will. Having no player better than Zito at #9 is a surprise, ditto for Doc Gooden at #5. 11. Greg Luzinski, 1B 12. Billy Wagner, LHP or Nomar Garciaparra, SS 13. Manny Ramirez, OF 14. Derrek Lee, 1B 15. Chase Utley, 2B 16. Lance Parrish, IF 17. Roy Halladay, RHP 18. Willie Wilson, OF 19. Roger Clemens, RHP 20. Mike Mussina, RHP 21. Rick Sutcliffe, RHP 22. Craig Biggio, C 23. Jason Kendall, C 24. Rondell White, OF 25. Chuck Knoblauch, 2B 26. Alan Trammell, SS 27. Vida Blue, LHP 28. Lee Smith, RHP 29. George Brett, SS 30. Mike Schmidt, SS Where are the Hall of Famers? Currently, 19 members of the Hall of Fame began their careers out of the amateur draft. Only six of them (Jackson, Yount, Winfield, Puckett, Fisk, Molitor) were chosen in the first ten picks of the draft. Five of them were not picked in the top 100, and Ryne Sandberg was the 511th pick in his draft. Nolan Ryan was the 226th pick, Goose Goosage was chosen 204th.

The Dodgers are decent in almost every offensive category except runs scored. I think it's mostly situational hitting, and that will solve itself. The team is 7-10, hardly a dramatic plunge.

Dear god. If your scouts tell you his swing is gone, that's one thing. But this? Riccardi is an idiot.

I do think the Blue Jays made this move prematurely. Whoever picks up Thomas will make the Jays look foolish by June. Anyone else checking out the Mets/Phillies national broadcast tonight?

Is it possible that Thomas simply asked for his release?

I'd say Kei Igawa V. 2.0 is next in line. Alan Horne would be a candidate, but he's on the minor league DL. Jimmy Rollins and Chris Snelling hit the DL in Philadelphia. Rollins stuck around for a week and a half as a pinch-hitter. The Phils really should have faced reality and DL'ed him much earlier. Snelling was born on the DL, I'm stunned he lasted this long. IF Brad Harman and OF T.J. Bohn take their places.

For the record, the original song that played for Richards and the Meanie during Foley's send off was "New York, New York." The Rockettes imitation makes much more sense in that context.

The Phillies once won the second game of a double header at 3:55am Eastern. At home.