From the Yahoo article about the Yankee game:

"As Jason Giambi stepped up to hit, he seemed to get into it with catcher Jason Phillips"

Now that would have been worth the price of admission. Jason Phillips would have looked like Chuck Liddell about three minutes into last weekends fight.

From last to first for once!

Cory Dunlap's alma mater, Contra Costa Community College, wants to know what it needs to do to get in on the action.

"I hope you'll join me in chatting about the Scripps National Spelling Bee here Thursday."

I was in the Spelling Bee a couple of times as a kid. I guess my life's been all downhill from there.

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4001099.html

4
"We're not worthy!"

4 And have you since had occasion to use the word "douanier" (that Firefox thinks is misspelled) ? Nice work, by the way; I don't have the drive to get that far at anything, so that impresses me.

Hey, Canuck, if you're out there. I don't understand why you'd be upset with Arod for yelling whatever he yelled on that popup. Isn't the whole point of the game to try to score runs and prevent runs from being scored so long as one follows the rules? I would do it. In fact, I think I'll do it in my softball game tomorrow, just to see if it works.

As for your assertion that people will be okay with it because it was Arod who did it, I think you're just plain wrong. I think that's the opposite of the truth. Brock's right, if it were Varitek or Jeter or Vizquel, people would praise, but Arod or Drew people would deride.

To address something ToyCannon said in the last thread, I don't recall calling him an idiot. I am not sure I have ever called anybody here an idiot. I don't think Jon would have allowed that.

But anyway, about Lincecum, I am certainly curious to know what White and the Dodger scouts who work under him thought of Lincecum, but obviously eight other teams passed on him too. There WERE issues with the guy. He is tiny (as opposed to just short), he was prone to bouts of wildness in college ball, and he was worked like a sled dog in college. Some scouts also didn't care for his delivery, though since I have seen it I don't see what the problem was there.

7
A-Rod's gambit is prohibited on the amateur level, but appears to be allowed under MLB rules as far as I can tell.

The only decoy that seems to be prohibited is to have the third base coach run down the line in an attempt to draw a throw home.

I once saw a high school game between Sylmar and Palisades High who wore nearly identical uniforms for the game as both teams had blue shirts and blue caps. The home team had white pants and the road team had gray. (I think Sylmar was the road team.)

At one point, a Sylmar runner was heading toward and Sylmar's third base coach (who was a teammate not in the game) ran up to third base and stood by the base as if the were going to field the throw from right field. The right fielder threw it toward third, the kid coaching stepped aside and let the throw go into the bench.

I thought that was pretty cheap and I didn't even want Palisades High to win.

To show my age, Steve Kerr was pitching for Palisades in the game.

Sometimes it's good to be a Dodger fan. If they win tomorrow, they will be on pace for 96 wins, with 1/3 of the season down. I don't know if they're capable of winning 96 in this league, but it seems like the best talent is in the west, and they have done pretty well there. This team has a lot of problems, but the pitching is good and Martin is a superhero and we still have improvements to look forward to, I think.

7 -- About the A-Rod thing, Greg said that A-Rod yelled "Haa!" If that is true, then I don't have a problem with what he did, as that would be consistent with just trying to spook the fielder. But the Blue Jays' announcers on TV said that A-Rod yelled "I've got it!" and the players in the Blue Jays' dugout certainly reacted like A-Rod stepped beyond the sort of MILD interference that baseball etiquette traditionally allows. And I disagree that unless it is specifically disallowed by the written rules "anything goes" in the course of trying to win. Certain things -- like stealing signs -- are frowned on as bush league even without a written proscription against them. Players usually know by experience what does or doesn't cross the line. Pete Rose tackling a catcher in an All-Star game was one of these no-no's that isn't technically a rule violation.

Greg Pellam softball update:

Last week I played 3B for the first time ever. I made two solid plays on ground balls, botched a bouncing ball hit right at me (though my teammates say it was a bad hop), and made a running catch of a foul popup. I hope to return to 1B tomorrow, but I fear lest they have me play 3B again.

At the plate, I went 3-5, including two triples that would have been homeruns if Jason Phillips were running, one to right center and one to left center, and a looping single into center field. One out was a lazy fly ball to left field, and the other was a scorching liner at the short stop. The last out came in the bottom of the 7th with our team trailing 18-10 and me leading off. My team proceeded to score 8 runs in that inning.

This week my legs are healthy and I feel great. I plan to hit at least one homerun, unless our opponents, already eliminated from playoff contention, choose not to show up. We have outscored our opponents this season 65-34 in 4 games (including the 18 run outburst last Thursday).

If you don't want your signs picked, use better signs. Some high school teams use armbands, like NFL QB's, on their catchers. They just call out certain numbers and the catcher knows what to call. Can't pick that without the card. There are only two cards.

Some ways of tipping pitches, like glancing back at the catcher to spot the setup (as A-Rod has done from time to time) is a no no. Guys on second, turning their heads to indicate catcher setup, that's nebulus. Using binoculars and a walkie talky...Doesn't happen.

Stealing signs and tipping pitches, that stuff gets into unwritten rules within unwritten rules.

11 From the replays, he definitely just yelled some sort of one-syllable word and it's he himself that says he yelled "haa!" It doesn't break any rules, but the fact that he was behind the guy trying to catch the ball - when it easily could have been the shortstop yelling - makes it sketchy. I would plunk him the next time I faced him, but it's nothing more than that.

12
Third base in softball is no joke. When you're playing with guys that can hit, watch your lips. That ball is on you in a hurry.

13 Stealing signs and tipping pitches are the hitting team's fault since it's simply being smarter than the other team. Glancing back at the catcher is worse because it's easy to see and isn't as smart.

Basically, you can get away with whatever you want unless there's some way to get caught.

9 To show you my age, I went to a game between Crenshaw and University High, that was played at Venice because some field issues (I can't remember which school had the problem) and Daryl Strawberry hit a mammoth home run. That was also the year he was on the cover of "Sports Illustrated."

Even more to the point of the age thing, my classmate for 6 years was current Laker and former UCLA Bruin, Jordan Farmar's dad, Damon. The last time I spoke to Damon was at West L.A. College when he was still pursuing a pro baseball career.

Since we had so much fun looking at Brad Penny's start, let's examine Derek Lowe's first 2 months of the 2007 season and compare it to his first 2 months of the 2006 season.

2006
11 starts, 3-3 (Team 6-5)
IP/H/BB/K/HR: 71.1/60/19/36/5
GB/FB: 165/41
ERA: 2.90
Run Support: 4.7

2007
12 starts, 5-5 (Team 7-5)
IP/H/BB/K/HR: 78.2/76/29/52/2
GB/FB: 158/46
ERA: 3.32
Run Support: 4.5

In some ways, he is pretty much the same, averaging over 6 1/3 innings per start, this year he is averaging just under 4 to 1 GB/FB ratio but he has struck out slightly more batters this year.

The other note for May, the Big 3 for the Dodgers (Penny, Wolf and Lowe) pitched 109 1/3 innings in May and gave up 1 home run. Penny has yet to turn his head watch a ball fly out but the surprise is that Wolf threw the ball for 30 innings and didn't give up a homer. In looking over his last 5 years, he has never not gone an entire month (with 4 or more starts) where he did not give up a home run. And for May, he had more groundball outs than flyball outs.

Finally, the Dodgers went 13-4 in Penny, Lowe and Wolf's starts in May (and only Penny's loss against the Angels was a game that the Dodgers had no chance of winning.)

My thoughts on Jon's Cuestion, players with better offensive stats (imo, better offensive players over the long run) will hit better against either A. mop-up men, or B. their 2nd or 3rd try in the same game against a tiring pitcher. So, I will say No, stats do not necessarily improve just because someone is on a better offensive team, in my opinion - see Lugo, Julio.

Not to use just one player to make my point, and not to say runs mean anything more than what they are, and not even answering the cuestion, but how does Lugo have only 27 runs in 52 red sox games batting leadoff for that offense?

Okay, on what A-Rod said, it has now been determined: he shouted "Mine!" The Blue Jays' third baseman says that in interviews, the journalists who have looked at the video say that, and doing a little lip-reading of my own off the video close-up, I say that. A-Rod denies he said it, got flustered when he was asked what he said, and wouldn't say what he said, so that is pretty much an admission of guilt. If he didn't do something every baseball player knows is wrong, he wouldn't deny it at all. There would simply be no reason to deny it. Matt Stairs is all over Canadian sports cable TV calling what A-Rod did something Jon's rules prevent me from repeating. Stairs even challenged journalists to go ask A-Rod's teammates what they think of what he did, and he said they would say "No comment" instead of defending him (Stairs knew the Yankees wouldn't actually criticize their own teammate). What A-Rod said amounted to impersonating an opposing team's player; it wasn't just spooking an opponent.

Do the individual stats of players on poor offensive teams get diminished because those teams don't get into opposing bullpens as quickly or as often? Do better offensive teams boost their players' individual stats by getting more at-bats against mop-up men?

These are interesting questions, in that they raise the possibility that one player's performance is not independent of other players' performances. In other words, maybe it's possible that a player really can "make players around him better", though in a different way than is alleged for players such as David Eckstein.

12. The team I play on has been having a tough time finding a thirdbaseman who can cleanly field a ball. They just don't make softball players the way they use to. We have one guy who just waves his glove at the ball. Another who gets out of the way, and another who probably doesn't even know the ball was hit to him. :)
vr, Xei

22 If only I could join your team, too. But it's hard to make it out to California once a week from Columbus, gas prices being what they are.

I stopped following spelling bees when they abandoned Spelling Bee Baseball. It is a team game where one team picks the words and a player/batter on the opposing team spells it. If correct, depending upon difficulty of the word/pitch, you advance to a base, etc. It taught me how to spelle.

Bob says he has a family trip this weekend, but I think we know where he's really going: http://tinyurl.com/2efp64

4 - Eric, I am in awe.

My wife saw Rebecca "Magic Fingers" Sealfon (the 1997 Spelling Bee winner) at WholeFoods last summer. Rebecca was with her family, which included a bunch of siblings who bore a very strong family resemblance.

4, 26 - Yes, very impressive.

I looked up the pronunciation of the word you missed and found two options that are very different. So I'm sticking with the pronunciation that originally popped into my head when I first saw the word: Duaner, pronounced Ross Porter style.

4
The free portion of the article ends with "Amy won $5,000, a trophy and other prizes from Encyclopaedia Britannica, a sponsor. Eric ..."

So, what kind of parting gifts did Eric win? I'm assuming the home version of the national spelling bee was included, but what else?

PS: Did Eric get to keep his XXXXL white t-shirt?

Nerds! Nerds! Nerds!

The Color Guy was a finalist in 1990, when Eric finished 2nd.

Yes, it's difficile!!!

You just had it in a sentence!

Another Magic Fingers speller!!!

17
Actually, back in the day, and that's pretty much the same day for bhsportsguy and I, all the City section baseball playoff games, were played at neutral sites or at least stadiums close by that had better fields. A lot of the games in the Valley were played at CSUN or Pierce.

Since most schools now have erected outfield fences, they will play the games onsite. But the CIF doesn't like having playoff games played on fields where centerfield is 650'.

"affiche" was the easiest word thus far, by far.

I think A-Rod got wind that Ned was interested and he's acting this way so he won't be wanted here. :-)

There isn't a finer place than Cuesta College. I went for 2 years and have nothing but great things to say about it, and SLO.

Missed this when it broke. Yikes.

http://tinyurl.com/2lf3m3

40 Nice. And a classic quote from Jim Tracy about the issue from the mlb.com story:

The only way on a play like that, you would have any chance of getting complete resolution of something like that, would be to have something like the NFL with a challenge or something.

http://tinyurl.com/29ac3u

Does anyone know if something is going on with Kemp? He hasn't played for a couple of days and last night the 51's used Houlton for a pinch hitter!

I just read rule 7.00 The Runner focusing on the section about interference. I don't know what they would challenge. I don't see any rule violation.

Who makes up the unwritten rules? In my line of work there are no unwritten rules.

The Yankees are playing awful. If ARod thought he could help his team win a game by breaking an unwritten rule I will bet Steinbrenner would pat him on the back.

Would anybody here be angry if Russell Martin had done the same thing and we had beaten the Giants or the Padres as a result?

43. I would've thought it was lame, then not felt bad when he got beaned his next time up.
vr, Xei

42. per the Press Enterprise.
Class AAA Las Vegas had a rough time traveling to Nashville the other day, so much so that Matt Kemp was forced out of the lineup for a second straight day because the equipment in his luggage was lost.

45 Thanks-now that is precise information.

43, et al., there are plenty of unwritten rules in baseball, enforcement traditionally provided by the pitching staff.

[in creaky old guy voice] Why, back in the day, ol' Drysdale or Gibson would taken care o' that ARod fella by sticking a fastball in his ear the next time he came up.

It's a bush move.

That's the way A-Rod plays. Anyone remember the attempt to hack the ball out of the (Yankee players) glove in the playoffs? What the heck was that?!
I Noticed him try to break up a double play by elbowing Pedroia's glove well after his slide- while he was standing up actually- it was like a football move. IMO he is a dirtbag. Martin plays hard, but ive never seen any of this cheap garbage-type stuff out of him. There's a difference.

It's a bush move and if Russell had done it i'd have been happy for the win but disappointed in him. Remember when we had Carlos Perez who would dance after every strike out? I rooted for him and I was glad when he stuck out an opposing hitter but I still shook my head every time and wished he would stop.

Didn't Kennedy High School have a center field fence that was around 650' away from home?

50
Yes, but Kennedy installed a fence in the mid 1980s after I graduated.

My Cougars were hammered by Cleveland in the semifinals, so Saturday's championship game will be between Chatsworth and Cleveland. I think the game is being moved to 7:30 pm at Dodger Stadium.

It's a good value to get a great seat at Dodger Stadium. You can see if Dominguez can homer three years in a row.

My little league team would practice at Kennedy. We would wait outside the left field fence until the Cougars were done with their games. We were not allowed to step on the main diamond (which was roped off). However, the field was so big that three teams could be practicing on the three other diamonds (right, left and center field) and never need to come close to the main diamond.

Dunno if this will be worth anyone's time, but there's a live MLB.com baseball draft preview show today at 11am today.
http://tinyurl.com/yvoskq

Including: "The show will offer a look at the strong crop of pitchers from the Northeastern United States this year, including potential first rounders Rick Porcello (New Jersey), Matt Harvey (Connecticut) and Jack McGeary (Massachusetts)."

12) I love playing the hot corner for my softball team. I have taken some pretty nasty hits off the shins, but it is a fun position to be at.

In terms of hitting. I play slow-pitch, so I always hit for line drives only and let the awful outfield determine what kind of extra base hit it will be.

I think A-Rod's cheap yell is a direct result of how bad the Yankee's are right now. I am loving it.

I find it very odd that Kemp isn't playing. Tough to believe he couldn't borrow a bat thats similar to his rather than have a pitcher pinch hit. Happens all the time in the bigs. Heck, borrow an outfielders glove... Ive never heard of missing 2 games b/c a missing equipment bag. Im calling BS. Not sure what's really happening though, but its not his luggage problem alone.

Quote from Torre on the A-Rod situation:

"I don't know what to feel," Torre said. "It's baseball. It's not like he said, 'I got it.' He didn't say that. He just made a noise. When catchers come over to the opposite dugout, everyone's saying, 'I got it, I got it, I got it.'"

So, it's a bush league move, maybe, but it's one that's done all the time. I really don't see why this is any different from the numerous other decoy plays that are used.

And what really puzzles me is the thinking that this is such a terrible thing to do, but that beaning him is a proper retaliation. So if you plunk him and break his wrist or something, isn't that kind of like a life imprisonment for jaywalking?

Put me down with the ones who believe that this wouldn't be an issue if it weren't A-Rod. Dude had the poor taste to get a huge payday, and he's been nitpicked to death ever since.

55 Yeah. Could they be holding him out becase they're working on a trade and don't want him to get hurt in the meantime?

56. It's not his payday. I certainly don't hold that against him. He has proven to be punkish over the years. Yes, he's held to a high standard because he's a superstar, money or not. But superstar veterans usually don't do the sort of stunts he's become known for.

51
We should seriously do a DT day at DS to watch the game. Really people this is the only time you will be able to see talent like Moustakas and Dominquez in the same game on the same team. They have another player who will also be drafted by the 5th round. Anyway I'm going, you'll be able to sit wherever you want unless they have changed things recently. If anyone wants to hook up at the game let me know, I'll be wearing my DT Shirt. Chatsworth has already crushed Cleveland a few times this year so really the only excitement will be if Matt can hit a home run in DS for the 3rd year in a row.

Bob, weren't you telling me how Kennedy was going to pull another upset?

56
Dude had the poor taste to get a huge payday, and he's been nitpicked to death ever since.

He's been nitpicked because after he signed the monster deal with Texas he started crying like a stuck pig because the team couldn't win. How much sense does it take to realize that when you alone account for 1/3 of the team's payroll they're gonna have a hard time trying to field viable talent around you. The guys an idiot and a dirty player. I totally remember him trying to hack the ball out of Menkiewicz's (or however you spell that) glove during the 04 ALCS. That being said, he's still one of the top five players in the game. He's just a primadonna crybaby and I'm over him and all the media attention he gets when he so much as farts.

I will be displeased if they let the "clevis" kid back into the Bee.

29 I got $4,000.

The next year they upped the prizes and I believe the winner got $10K and the runner-up $5K. I made it back and was considered the favorite to win. I was the one the other kids were pointing at and whispering about all week, but I got tripped up by a four-letter word (literally) and finished fifth. I was one sorely ticked off kid.

This was back in the days when spellers dressed themselves, so no white shirt. And it was televised by CNN then rather than ESPN.

For the record, I won my elementary school's spelling bee in the 5th grade, and thus made the citywide (Sta Barbara area) bee finals. I was the 2nd kid to go down, on a word I'd never heard of then and have never heard since. It's been all downhill - for my spelling - ever since.

8
My comment was "Canuck in his very subtle way basically told me I was an idiot. ".

That seems clear enough to me that you didn't use the word "idiot". If not I apologize if you think I told people that you called me an idiot.

As my wife would and does say "it is the tone". Your writing tone when you disagree with someone here is hard to disguise. Just as my voice tone is hard to disguise when I think someone is an idiot. I keep my mouth shut much more then I used to.

62
I am in awe. The pressure must be tremendous. I hear the chicks dig the "long vowel".

55 et al, we talked about this yesterday (I was paranoid about it too) - farfetched as it may seem, it seems when players get attached to using a particular glove it's real hard to use someone else's. Two days does seem a little hard to believe, but I think we have to take their word on this one. If he was being called up or something they wouldn't make up stories. Still, I was hopeful that his bags would have been sent to DC instead.

63
I won schoolwide bees in spelling and "mental math", but I don't think I ever made it past the citywide levels in either.

The Bee would be "fairer" (though not necessarily more interesting) if every speller were given the same word, and not allowed to listen to the other spellers.

BTW: The Japanese, Spanish, and Italian words all seem relatively easy compared to the other origins.

60 He gets a lot of media attention because he's in New York, along with being a highly paid superstar.

I guess I defend him as a reaction to the all-too-common tendency to tear down someone who's reached such a peak. I, for one, will just sit back and enjoy every chance I get to watch one of the greatest players who ever lived, and I'll leave it at that. If some of his actions rub people the wrong way, I can understand that. But I'm not going to let them get in the way of my appreciation of his game.

68 It might be fairer, but it'll never happen because all the TV money would disappear. And because it would lend itself to new and inventive ways of cheating.

59
Manny Alvarado's (euphemism) doesn't work in the semis. Just the final.

60 It was Arroyo.

72

Right... Arroyo.... RedSox player. Doh!

69
I guess I defend him as a reaction to the all-too-common tendency to tear down someone who's reached such a peak.

I agree with that sentiment completely. I used to trash Bonds every chance I had. Now I find myself defending him more often than not to people who used to defend him but now despise him. Weird how things can turn 180 degrees in a short period of time.
As for Arod, I'm just sick to death about hearing every little thing that he does. I understand that it's because he's Arod and plays in NY, but all the media exposure doesn't blind me from seeing the extraordinary ball player that the guy really is. I just wish I didn't have to hear every little detail about his off field existence as well. Today there's a BIG story about him and some blond chick, that isn't his wife, going to a strip club. Who cares? I certainly don't and I certainly don't want it to be given credence on mainstream sports channels and shows. But it's gonna be.....

The Spelling Bee has switched over to ESPN News, a channel that I don't get on my TV.

74 As for Arod, I'm just sick to death about hearing every little thing that he does.

I'm sure he's way more sick of it than you are.

76

Well, he can stop playing dirty baseball if he is that tired of it. You guys really should have seen this play VS the RedSox this year... I can't remember the game but it was a complete joke they way he was trying to knock down a guy at second. The ump looked at him like he wasn't sure what to call- it looked like football. The Arroyo play, now this... etc... There is a pattern of questionable plays forming and that has little to do with his contract or people trying to "take down the man" type thing. Personally, I don't care about strip clubs, but I really don't like the way he plays baseball some times.

75
You can follow along on the Spellday app.

Letter 1: A
Letter 2: P
Letter 3: P
Letter 4: L
Letter 5: I
Letter 6: K
Letter 7: Complete "Applik"
Contestant Billy is eliminated on spelling error.

On podium delay.

Stuart Scott's mike just went out. He sounds so much better this way. It was a little weird listening to him talk about schwas and such anyway.

Letter 1: E
Letter 2: N
Letter 3: C
Letter 4: A
Letter 5: R
Letter 6: N
Letter 7: A
Letter 8: R
Letter 9: C
Letter 10: I
Letter 11: O
Letter 12: N
Complete "Encarnarcion"
Contestant Charlie is eliminated on spelling error.

This kid spelling now (#246) is the son of my mom's doctor.

78 - LOL

79 Yes, which is surprising considering he had all that practice hosting "Stump the Schwa-b."

This kid spelling now (#246) is the son of my mom's doctor

Ooh, I love riddles. Let me guess: yet the doctor is not the spelling kid's father...

How about... Matt Kemp isn't playing for the 51s because he is involved in a trade... And they can't pull the trigger until tomorrow because Pierre is involved? Kemp, Pierre, and Tomko for...?

85 Or maybe a stealth suspension stemming from the D. Young incident?

84 That's true, actually.

I just reached my 100th vote for Russell Martin

I just read the game story of the Kennedy-Cleveland semifinal. Kennedy made seven errors while picking up just four hits.

Kennedy's coach, Manny Alvarado, said his players failed to grasp the concept that just because they had a long winning streak, that they still needed to play well to keep winning.

Heh. Spellday. Nice.

"In play, letter(s) scoring play."

"Delay; Parental visit to stage."

I'm with screwballin' 56 on the A-Rod thing. Geez, who cares. And if you're willing to concede that Torre is right - that it happens all the time - then it's not a bush league play. It's a major league play.

If an unwritten rule were so darn important, they'd make it a written rule. Seems to me that people who obsess about unwritten rules are the ones (players, coaches, fans) whose team suffered from supposed violations of them or marginal players who have to make more noise about "playing the game the right way" because they're not capable of "playing the game well."

91 "If an unwritten rule were so darn important, they'd make it a written rule."

Exactly. I have no sympathy whatsoever for the so-called unwritten rules of baseball. If you want to steal a base in a lopsided game, who cares? If you're upset that the opposition is stealing signs, then use better signs. If you don't like the batter peeking back at the catcher, then don't have your catcher set up so early, or have him set up in the same place for each pitch.

So A-Rod found a clever way to make a guy drop a fly ball. Big deal. Instead of worrying about that, the Jays should be worrying about why they have a third baseman who is so easily duped.

92
I agree. If you want to try to break up an Interesting Game with a bunt single, who cares?

93 The funny thing about Brenly getting so upset when Ben Davis did that a few years ago is, the guy was only trying to win the bloody game. He was bunting for hit leading off the 9th inning of a 1-0 game. So basically Brenly was telling us that when a guy is pitching a perfect game, it's incumbent upon the other team to try to lose.

The reason I don't like what A-Rod did is you yell "I got it" or "Mine" to prevent a player collision and possible serious injury. If you can't trust that, you'll have players knocking each other out. Taking advantage of that is not right and should be outlawed.

But that's just my opinion :)

95 I disagree. But if that's the way you feel, then put it in the rules that a player has a right to call for the ball without being confused by the opposition. Enough of this unwritten nonsense.

My memory was bad on Ben Davis, by the way. It was the 8th inning and the score was 2-0. Still.

Any chance that Beau Mills falls to the Dodgers' pick in the draft?

59 Contact me, it would be fun to see some guys actually hit home runs at the stadium.

92 That's pretty much my thoughts on the issue. ARod's yelp was kinda lame, but not outside the rules. Probably the best rule to apply would be 7.08(b). It uses the word hinder (he didn't) not interfere (he did).

I think ARod's yelp was much like Howard Dean's: weird and inappropriate, but completely overblown by the public and media.

Was it a yelp or more of a barbaric yawp?

97 Well, I found one mock draft at least that had the Dodgers picking Beau Mills.
http://www.mymlbdraft.com/MLB-Mock-Draft-2007
There's a chance he'll be available, though I doubt it, and White seems to love those HS lefty pitchers so it would be a surprise, but I wouldn't mind...

Mills sounds more like a future firstbaseman than a 3rd - because of his defensive shortcomings and pecularities. God, I hope the Giants don't draft Jason Heyward... {mutter... Giants with three first round picks... mumble...}

60 I think A-Rod gets a bad rap regarding his contract. I don't think his exorbitant salary ever prevented the Rangers from winning. It was the money spent on crap that cost them.

In 2002, A-Rod's second year in Texas, the standings in the AL West were in inverse order of payroll:

Oakland 103-59 ($40m payroll)
Anaheim 99-63 ($62m)
Seattle 93-69 ($80m)
Texas 72-90 ($105m)

If you subtracted A-Rod's salary ($21m + $2m in spread-out signing bonus), the Rangers' payroll would still be the highest in the division. The same is true for 2003: the Rangers payroll without A-Rod was higher than anyone else in the division. How is it A-Rod's salary's fault that they didn't win?

More blame can be placed at the money given out to Chan Ho Park and Carl Everett, to name two players, as a bigger noose around the Rangers' neck than A-Rod.

104 So what you're saying is that ARod's salary was a symptom of a greater disease but not the disease itself?

I like the way you think and would like to sign up for your newsletter.

96- Would you be okay with a pitcher who laughs and points at a player after striking him out? Or a hitter who does the same to a pitcher while rounding the bases? Neither is against the rules but I think most people would agree it's not too cool.

106- And to make those examples a little more to the point, assume that the offending player believed doing so riled the opponent enough to adversely affect his play.

103 I wouldn't mind a future power hitting first baseman in the organization. But pitching is always nice.

How about a pitcher who throws a broken bat at a hitter?

108 Yeah, you can never have too much pitching, and that's the way Logan White leans. Still, I too wouldn't mind if the Dodgers took a position player with power with one of their first two picks, whether HS or college. Alas, the best of them will all likely be gone by the time the D's draft.

106 I think if a player wants to act like a fool, let him. He would have to watch out for retaliation, of course, but that's another matter.

Incidentally, Babe Ruth enacted your scenario to a T during the 1932 World Series after his called shot home run -- he pointed and laughed at the pitcher all the way around the bases. And yet we celebrate this as one of the great moments in baseball history.

I take issue with the premise anyway. Does anyone would think laughing and pointing at an opponent after a strikeout or a home run could conceivably help your chances of winning?

If Heyward gets to us, we'd sure as heck better take him. I doubt he will drop that far, though.

111 My favorite part of that story is that Lou Gehrig, who had a great 1932 World Series, hit a home run in the very same spot right after that and no one ever talks about that.

I can't believe I missed the spelling bee!

At least J.A. Adande is leaving the LA Times....

112 I'd be shocked, stunned and delighted if he fell that far. Can't see it happening, but yeah, I'd hope they'd take him if it did!

Who isn't leaving the LA Times? Oh yeah, Simers and Plaschke. Great.

106 I got no problem with it. I doubt whether he'd do it more than once or twice before the pitcher taught him better. Misconduct of that sort is always worked out by the players, you will get as good as you give....

heyward probably wont get pass the braves.

118 Goldstein is projecting the Main man to be the Dodgers' pick at 20.

119

as a pitcher or OFer?

New post up top.

104
I think A-Rod gets a bad rap regarding his contract. I don't think his exorbitant salary ever prevented the Rangers from winning. It was the money spent on crap that cost them.

I disagree with the first sentence completely. You do have a valid point in the second and third sentences though. He should have a bad rap for that contract. That changed the landscape of the game and how free agents "gage" their worth now. It's ridiculous. The Dodgers didn't help with the Kevin Brown contract but it's still the Arod contract that is the measuring stick. And for that he should always bear a scarlet letter.