Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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TV and more ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
2) personally attacking other commenters
3) baiting other commenters
4) arguing for the sake of arguing
5) discussing politics
6) using hyperbole when something less will suffice
7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
8) making the same point over and over again
9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
10) being annoyed by the existence of this list
11) commenting under the obvious influence
12) claiming your opinion isn't allowed when it's just being disagreed with
Greg Maddux will earn a reported $10 million from the Padres next season at age 42, coming off a year in which he had an ERA+ of 98 (over 198 innings), the worst season of his career. Would you rather have him or Esteban Loaiza (36 on New Year's Eve) for a year at $7 million? Loaiza's lifetime ERA+, coincidentally, is 98.
* * *
"The sharp increase in MLB revenue coupled with a slower increase in salaries brings teams closer to the point where all can afford premium talent, not just the richest clubs," writes David Pinto at SportingNews.com.
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Rauuuuuuuul! Luuuuuuuuar!
From Dominican Today:
Former Los Angeles Dodger slugger and now deputy Raul Mondesi after a meeting with president Leonel Fernandez yesterday decided to continue backing the ruling PLD party and the reelection bid, just hours after vowing to support opposition PRD party presidential candidate, Miguel Vargas.
The newspaper El Nacional said deputy Mondesi – who won his seat after resigning from the also opposition PRSC party - met with Vargas on Wednesday and said he was willing to support his candidacy, but Fernandez invited the ex-big leaguer to the National Palace just hours afterwards, when he again vowed to support the re-election.
Vargas said in the two meetings which the former outfielder requested, Mondesi had expressed his disgust with the PLD, for alleged broken promises.
(Thanks to Andrew Breitbart for the link.)
* * *
Consider this, Dodger fans of Cal matriculation. Joe Starkey's call of The Play echoes that of a Giants broadcaster. Ron Barr's echoes that of a Dodger legend.
Barr rolls his eyes and smiles whenever he hears Starkey's call. Barr is Red Barber to Starkey's Russ Hodges, best remembered for his screaming reaction to Bobby Thomson's famous home run in 1951: "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!"
Barber, the Dodgers radio voice, went silent on air for 59 seconds for dramatic effect. He later criticized Hodges' rendition for lacking journalistic integrity.
Barr is more considerate of Starkey's call of The Play. He knows Starkey's cracking voice will forever be linked with it. ...
To this day, Barr claims that out of the corner of his eye he saw an official on the far sideline, 20 or so yards downfield from The Play, lift and wave his arms as if to signal the end of the game as Garner pitched the ball to Rodgers. Barr says that a wide-angle still photograph of The Play that appeared in a Bay Area newspaper 10 years later appears to show an official with his arms over his head. Barr believes that Garner's knee touched the ground before he pitched the ball to Rodgers.
"What is interesting and what I'm probably most proud of is the fact that — unlike Joe — I got it right," Barr said, smiling. "That's the single-most satisfaction I get out of the game."
"Caught by the camera in a baseball history-making moment, Gill Dodges, the Brooklyn dodgers first base man, crosses the plate, to score his fourth home run in the same game against the Boston Braves. This last homer game in the eighth inning of the night game saw Dodges crack each of the circuit smashes off different pitchers. Only Loud Loud equaled this record in modern times in a nine inning game. In this photograph, Carl Loud, (6), who scored ahead of Dodges, moves out to congratulate Dodges. Bruce Edward's (10) is at the plate. Dodgers won with a thumping Edward's score."
It would be pretty lame if my cause of death read:
Esteban Loaiza
And, heck, in 1962, too, with the muddy basepaths.
How far will UCLA hoops drop in next week's polls after the pummeling they receive on Sunday?
well, i think it's in large part because the giants happened to win and stanford happened to lose. it's only natural for the announcer of the winning team to react with such a mixture of excitement and disbelief to that type of victory.
Just a few baby pics for anyone to check out.
Humma how are things with your little one??
Cute baby! Jason & Humma, belated congrats on your respective offspring.
http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_7576145
2 day old article but it seems like the Dodgers have been on Kuroda for a while.
The Mariners have been widely reported to be Kuroda's preferred team because of the presence of countrymen Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima, who would be Kuroda's primary catcher in Seattle. But a source with knowledge of the situation said earlier this week that Kuroda actually prefers the Dodgers for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is his close, long-standing friendship with Saito.
Sammy with another (potential) save!
A source with knowledge of the Twins' position said Wednesday that the club is asking the Dodgers for a package of three or four players from a pool of six: pitchers Chad Billingsley and Jonathan Broxton, outfielders Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw and third-base prospect Andy LaRoche. Whether the Twins would want three or four players depends on whom those players are.
Umm.../faints
Billingsley and Kemp have to stay. That leaves Broxton, Ethier, Kershaw & LaRoche. Wow, that's a lot. I can't say I wouldn't do it though!
I guess a lot depend if we could get Andruw or Cameron instead of Rowand.
Nate 14 which sets us back further...
The Marlins asked the Dodgers for a package that included first baseman James Loney, outfielder Matt Kemp and top pitching prospect Clayton Kershaw.
They wouldn't take that package, it'd be nice though.
Of course we'd all love to have Santana and/or Cabrera on our team, but the amount we'd have to give up in either deal would just create way too many holes to make up for it.
Any thoughts if this means they don't have confidence in LaRoche?.....Is Saito signed yet? and speaking of former Dodgers and Asia. I believe Nomo is no longer pitching, if he is not I don't understand why the Dodgers are not employing him in someway, assuming he would have an interest. A scout in Japan? Working in the front office on a pacific strategy? He was big in Japan and his early years with Nomomania were spectacular and when he came back although he struggled in the first half of 2004, he kept us in many games without his best stuff. He should be working for the Dodgers.
It seems to me that premium players almost always come cheaper (in terms of prospects) during the season as opposed to during the offseason. Teixeira was an exception, though.
Basically we have to just offer the absolute limit for both and say take it or leave it.
I don't want to hear about all this for the entire season.
Well, that's part of the problem. That means we'd have to deal for someone like a Scott Rolen or gulp, give it to Nomar.
Baseball America rated 3B as the deepest position in the Dodger farm system. Of course, that was based partly on LaRoche, but one of DeWitt, Josh Bell, or Pedro Baez is bound to pan out.
Weren't people saying that Bell won't stay at third? Also, those guys are at least a couple years away.
And there's the rub. Maybe a Nomar / Mike Lamb platoon?
I would give up a package centered around laRoche and Broxton, but losing Broxton does scare me due to Saito's age, and the fact that Brox has that extremely rare combonation of Power and control....
.334/.424/.596/1.021 '00
The one good thing about moving JP to left is that it makes him easier to replace. It removes his Ripken-esque invulnerability -- if they can move him from CF, they can move him again (reduce his playing time, benching him).
But it's also not out of the realm of possibility that Laroche puts up Eithier type numbers as well.
Whether it's right or wrong, Pierre's contract will mean his playing time will never be reduced.
I'm with you on Broxton. Maybe we can convince the Twins to take Meloan instead?
I don't buy this completely. The fact that the club has already talked to JP about moving from "his position" to LF shows that they are willing to stray from their original Pierre plan.
The first step is always the hardest. The ice appears to already have been broken.
34- I think LaRoche will put up numbers better than Ethier...but we are talking about trading him for the best pitcher in baseball....
we are talking about trading him for the best pitcher in baseball...which would also mean paying him 20 mill a year, which would also mean putting him in a package with other players so we have more holes to fill.
as a hypothetical, I don't see how we're any better if we give up Bills, Loney, Laroche, Kemp for Santana. We're worse off.
But, in the article by Tony Jackson quoted above, the Twins asked for "3 or 4" of Kemp, Ethier, Billingsley, Broxton, Kershaw, & LaRoche.
Giving up Ethier, Broxton, Kershaw & LaRoche doesn't leave nearly as many holes.
3 or 4....i can't imagine in a billion years they would do a deal without including AT LEAST one of Kemp or Loney.
I can see them keeping Mathews. Their OF-DH situation is set with Mathews-Hunter-Vlad-Garret. Not sure where Juan Rivera fits in there though.
I took the quote (see 14 ) Whether the Twins would want three or four players depends on whom those players are to mean that if it's Kemp & Billingsley, the 3rd player doesn't matter, but not including either one means the Twins would want the other 4 of the 6 they asked for.
Truth be told, I would rather trade Loney than LaRoche, all things being equal. And I really, really like Loney.
RF- Vlad, Rivera
CF- Hunter, Rivera, Figgins
LF-Rivera, Anderson, Figgins
DH- Anderson, Vlad, Rivera
Please tell me why because I see Loney as a star...
No way Mathews goes to Florida (they can't afford him), but I can see him going to Baltimore for Tejada.
Depending on whether Wood or Kendrick are included (with Adenhart?) in a Tejada deal, Figgins will play either 3B or 2B. I can see that working.
I just think LaRoche will be a better overall hitter than Loney, and a first baseman is easier to find than a third baseman generally (even though Enders pointed out in 26 that there are a lot of good 3B out there right now).
I understand what you're saying. But I will personally take you out to dinner if we were able to get Santana without giving up Kemp or Loney.
it doesn't matter what players they want, no matter what combination you put together we still end up a weaker team.
We're supposed to be building, not blowing things up.
Okay, the point being that it doesn't matter what the report says: we're not getting Santana without giving up Kemp + Kershaw + probably Laroche.
That's just too much to give up. It creates even more holes for us. Then what do we do? Now we have the best pitcher in baseball signed to 20 mill a year which means we aren't about to sign anyone else. Do you really want an outfield with Repko and Pierre? Do you really want Nomar at third base all year?
There isn't any scenario where getting Santana makes us a better team unless they literally gave him to us, which ain't gonna happen.
But the Twins, after today's trade, need neither Kemp or Loney. Nor Martin, for that matter. Any trade would probably have to revolve around LaRoche and pitching. Billingsley or Kershaw, or, more likely, both.
They could still absolutely use Kemp. Look at their lineup.
Not to mention, you still haven't told me how any trade makes us better considering what we're giving up and the financial strain having Santana puts on the team.
Heck, if you're gonna do that, make a 20 times better deal and get Dan Haren. You give up less, get one of the best in the game who's still under control for what, like 3 yearS?
The Twins arn't going to get fair value for the same reason they are willing to trade him.
I still think Dewitt will prove to be better than LaRoche.
Meanwhile, Jason Tyner is their centerfielder. There's nothing wrong with carrying a pure defensive centerfielder, but when you already have another guaranteed dead spot in Punto, and quite possibly two more in Casilla and Young, they need another bat. Sure, Kemp isn't the best centerfielder in the world, but that lineup has Cuddyer and Kubel as the third and fourth best hitters. They need a stick badly.
Has there been an indication that the planned move has been discussed with Pierre? ISTM that The Great Communicator has gone public with quite a few changes before discussing them with the players affected. I wouldn't be surprised if Pierre is still in the dark, or that he learned of his potential position switch the same way we did.
At first I read that as "They need a stick, baby." I thought you had come up with the catch phrase that was going to make you famous. Oh well.
"While Dodgers talk, Angels get deals done"
http://www.dailynews.com/ci_7585708
http://tinyurl.com/2gzpqe
Has there been an indication that the planned move has been discussed with Pierre?
http://tinyurl.com/2nl7uu
It's odd, but you know, the Angels still have some young talent, so the scenario is slightly different here. On the other hand, if they were just going to sign Hunter for almost 20 mil/yr, what would have stopped them from going the extra mile and pushing harder for A-Rod instead?
Just wondering.
I wonder if the Angels really had a shot at A-Rod. Maybe they would have gone after him had he not reopened talks with the Yankees.
Apparently, all three of them were in Champaign, IL (where I live) and hanging out at Kam's last night. Kam's is a regular college bar (but usually just frosh/sophs go there), but the people that went out last night and saw them said they were really nice guys. They took pictures with anyone that asked, and Oswalt was turning down the girls coming up to him since he was married.
Oswalt owns land in Champaign County, and they were all in town to hunt deer. The 2nd Illinois shot gun season just started this weekend
Pretty cool to see 3 CY Young Canidates just hanging out. I'll try to link some pictures if any one took any.
There's a link to an article about the players visits. One of the reports from the U of I's student newspaper was there and took some pictures.
When he comes up, it needs to be for good.
Loaiza
Kuo
McDonald
Stulton
Orenduff
This can change depending on how the year goes, but unless Kershaw is utterly destroying AA, I can't see him getting the call until all those guys go down.
There have been reports down here that both sides are working on a deal, and that Peavy is willing to accept a discount to stay in SD.
I'd do it too! Who wouldn't want to live in San Diego?
It is nice to see some home town loyalty. I can't imagine him pitching for anyone else. He is just like Pujols...I want to hate the guy, but he is an awesome player and seems like a great person. It is much easier for me to dislike Manny.
Maybe you go with Elbert and McDonald 1st but I feel Kershaw will press the issue. If he's as good as all the scouts are saying, you can't waste his arm. He would be a year older then when Felix Hernandez made his debut and Felix acquitted himself very well.
The following pitchers all pitched significant innings at age 20 since 1947. Other then Bonderman most of them were either quite a bit better then league average or at least league average.
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/YY4j
Dierker
Nolan
Blyleven
Gooden
Morehead
McCool
Holtzman
Hunter
Palmer
Moose
Gullett
Forster
Tanana
Eckersley
Valenzuela
Correa
Ankiel
Sabathia
Bonderman
Greinke
Hernandez
I had a scout tell me he had the best stuff he's seen in the minors since Rick Ankiel. Ankiel's 20 year old season was kinda good. Do you waste that in AA in August?
No skiing.
I'd rather be beaten with a sack of doorknobs than live in San Diego.
Why ski when you can surf and the girls have bikinis instead of layers?
I just believe that there has to be someone who dislikes San Diego. And it's me!
-
http://tinyurl.com/2uhp5m
I liked his bit on Miguel Cabrera:
"Downside: Defensively, he's snacking his way to first base." (We don't need to debate that again, I just liked how he phrased that.)
Unwrapping was never a problem, getting the present who wanted to be unwrapped was usually the struggle.
I'd just like to get a present!
"Knickels?" oops, I was thinking about tonight's Knicks/Celtics game. There's also this football game on, I hear.
The only purpose nickels serve is to buy more doorknobs. However, stolen doorknobs are much more gratifying.
BTW, I'm also not a big fan of San Diego. Its best attribute is proximity to Mexico.
Greg Brock took care of Thanksgiving.
You mean just three exits down the Pasadena Freeway, the fabled NFL Network lives?
Wow!
The NFL network is on Directv too. I have Cox Cable, as does San Diego, so both of us are covered.
30 Rock is only a half hour show, the other 2.5 hours is still available for the rest of the game. I take it you're in our time zone, so the game might even be over before 30 rock starts. I love that show too!
-- they still have new episodes left?
133
Don't think your efforts don't go unappreciated by those who were hateless before you took up their cause.
I will not live in the same county as Ted Leitner.
Furcal
Martin
Loney
Jones
Kemp
Kent
Nomar
Pierre
Johan
Penny
Bills
Lowe
Schmidt
How many nickels do you get...?
You do the math.
Shoot. . .
See, that's just a cheap shot. He's not a bad third baseman because he's fat. He's a bad third baseman because he can't catch the ball to save his life. He looks like Pedro Guerrero over there (sorry Jon).
Leitner is the best anti-SD reason I've ever heard.
Also, I believe Plaschke lives in Oceanside.
Damnit, I'm calling Bekins.
TC,
Are you sighting something from the future?
If that is true, than that is the best argument against SD I have seen.
Oh man, dirty trick - I was a third of the way into the article on Lamar Odom in the Times today when I realized it was TJ Simers. I couldn't figure out why something about it was irritating, but was interested in the topic so I kept reading. That'll teach me!
http://tinyurl.com/ytrygr
That woman who does the commercials for DirecTV says she only gets 60 seconds to tell you why DirecTV is so much better than cable.
Only 60 seconds.
Repeated 100 times.
Yikes. I lost my battle with AT&T to the tune of $450.
Every time i see the commercial, I think of your bitterness towards the ad...and it makes me laugh.
The commerical only steels my hatred for DirecTV more.
It would be a much more enjoyable commercial if she actually perished at the end of the commercial...she really did have only 60 seconds!
I hate DirecTV's whole attitude of "You have to get DirecTV or life as you know it will end. Satellite companies are good. Cable companies are evil!"
Bah! A plague on both their houses.
I lost my last pair at the Grand Canyon, and I have not bought a new one since.
The Rangers, for instance, are believed to have kicked the tires on a group that includes Rocco Baldelli, Jim Edmonds and Juan Pierre.
It may be a steaming pile of rumor, but it is the sort of steaming pile of rumor that you can warm your hands by.
Sorry if this was already posted.
Daniels traded A-Gon and Chris Young for a consistently injured pitcher in the last year before free agency and a middle reliever!
....middle reliever!!
The Teixiera deal was good, and he did get Carlos Lee and two draft picks without giving up all that much.
Here is a picture of cords with cuffs:
http://estore.birkey.com/store/images/products/large/w-pa0001.jpg
I don't have any cords anymore, though I remember loving the last pair I had.
I thought his Tex trade was brilliant for a guy who was going to walk no matter what.
I have seen no indication from his transactions that he's a hard code sabremetrician so I have to take Andrews word for it.
The day the Nats trade Zimmerman is the day a peach-eating Bob Timmermann declares his love for DirecTV while wearing a Frank Robinson Giants jersey.
2 months of Carlos Lee for Mench and Co-Co?
eh i guess. Cordero was a huge boost for the Brewers though.
The Tex deal looks good on paper since the Rangers suck and need all the decent players they can get. But man, that Soriano and Padres deal were pretty sour.
Depending on what defensive metric Daniels goes by, he could see Pierre as a defensive upgrade, while playing lower than market price for him (with a subsidy from the Dodgers).
But the Hope Diamond is cursed!
I also think that Chris Young would be really terrible in Texas due to his extreme flyball tendencies.
If they traded him, it'd make the outcry over the LoDuca trade seem like a mere peep.
Sam DC's kids would cry their eyes out if Zimmerman were traded! They would be bereft!
Enough to push it to 88-90?
He also seems to be very very wary of Johan's falloff in Sept and that he wouldn't trade for him with the idea of extending him until he pitches in 2008. In looking at the game logs for 2007 I don't see the concern. Not that it matters because I don't think we are players for him.
175 At least.
Was Pedro Feliz the best defensive 3rd baseman of his generation?
You all may be right about Zimmerman. I just find it interesting that with D Young just traded and names like Haren and Cabrera going around as available several posters are dogmatically saying that Zimmerman in untouchable. If I'm Bowden and I see a package of Kemp/LaRoche/Broxton, I'm going to at least think about it.
Can't say I understand why Zimmerman is being so highly thought of. He's a slightly above average offensive performer with a solid defensive rep. He's a nice player, he's not great and in his best full season he won't touch offensively what Miggy will do in his worse season over the next 5 years.
I haven't worn corduroys since Catholic school.
Let's not go any further with that.
I saw the best third basemen of my generation destroyed by snack cakes, hysterical and naked,
Dragging themselves through the mean streats at dawn, looking for their Little Debbie fix.
Rule 1: No pleats
Rule 2: No cuffs
That pleats may help hide endowments does not make them "necessary", no more than frumpy sweatshirts are necessary to hide female endowments.
Ah, I see. Well, flat-front pants don't have to be tight and less roomy than their pleated counterparts.
We shouldn't assume that all flat-front pants are of the Chief Haberdasher to the Association of Argentine Pimps variety.
Along those lines, one thing that separates "good" fashion from "bad" is fabric quantity. Bad fashion (especially, bad American fashion) uses way too much fabric and is way too baggy. Good fashion fits properly, which means that it's not baggy and it actually shows the dimensions of your body.
Some people are (understandably) uncomfortable showing the dimensions of their body, and thus (unwittingly) choose bad fashion.
Hahahahaha
Everybody dance now!!!
KD Lang?
Kal Daniels?
Keith Dudemeister?
But I think you mean the football coach of the school whose basketball team will be losing to Kevin Durant's former team this weekend.
Still dreaming of the guy that took you to the second round.
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