The Official Non-Red Sox/Yankee Baseball Fan Thread

[cardaway]

I hope so too. With Dotel having a free-agent option at the end of this year, I would prefer to see a trade and us get something for him as opposed to having him walk away at the end of the year and the Royals get nothing for him.

-- Rob

But at the same time, why would anybody give KC somebody really great just to rent a player for the rest of the season. I'm really hoping the the GM's in the league have figured out that kind of thing is a really bad idea. At least I hope the GM's of my favorite teams do.

 

[RobInBigKC]

Apparently it's just a matter of which team offers the most for Dotel. Some guy of ESPN was saying how it was a done deal that he would be gone. FWIW, he also said teh same about Teixeira.

From this morning's The Kansas City Star...

I honestly don't know what to think will happen at this point. I still think the Royals should probably trade him if they can get something decent for him.

-- Rob

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I'm not sure I'm reading the comment correctly (still getting my mind cranked up for the day ), but when I think of HOF rosters on teams that I've seen in my lifetime, the first team that comes to mind is the Reds of the mid 70's (Johhny Bench, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, etc). They also had some fanastic players who may not be HOF level, but belong among teh best of their generation (Concepcion, Griffey, Foster)

 

[RobInBigKC]

But at the same time, why would anybody give KC somebody really great just to rent a player for the rest of the season. I'm really hoping the the GM's in the league have figured out that kind of thing is a really bad idea. At least I hope the GM's of my favorite teams do.

I'm sure you understand this but basically it comes down to if they think that player can win them some additional games. If you think your team is going to eek out a division championship by 2 games but you also think a great closer would give you 2 additional wins by saving some games, how much is that worth to you? Would a GM want to pass on the deal and then miss the playoffs by 2 games? It's a tough call (or maybe not if you really have a big hole at a position) for a GM in a tight pennant race.

-- Rob

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

From this morning's The Kansas City Star...

I honestly don't know what to think will happen at this point. I still think the Royals should probably trade him if they can get something decent for him.

-- Rob

That's an interesting read. If KC can offer Dotel a $22M contract and keep him for three years, that might be a good sign that the front office is assembling a team that's going to contend.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

But at the same time, why would anybody give KC somebody really great just to rent a player for the rest of the season. I'm really hoping the the GM's in the league have figured out that kind of thing is a really bad idea. At least I hope the GM's of my favorite teams do.

I think GMs of teams that are closer to winning the series are more willing to give up value for a short term player. Different era of course, but the Tigers practically established that practice back in '84 when they traded a prosopect named John Smotlz for Doyle Alexander. Alexander helped them get the WS title, but ATL got Smoltz for a quarter century. Which was better?

 

[cardaway]

I'm sure you understand this but basically it comes down to if they think that player can win them some additional games. If you think your team is going to eek out a division championship by 2 games but you also think a great closer would give you 2 additional wins by saving some games, how much is that worth to you? Would a GM want to pass on the deal and then miss the playoffs by 2 games? It's a tough call (or maybe not if you really have a big hole at a position) for a GM in a tight pennant race.

-- Rob

It certianly has helped a few teams get over the hump, but IMO that kind of gamble is no longer worth giving up, what is in most cases, can't miss prospects. It's different now than it was years ago. It used to be that players traded would re-sign with the team that traded for them so it wasn't as much just renting a player. Now that is almost always the case. Top players are not traded unless it's a team like KC wanting to try and get something before they end up with nothing.

I'm just saying I want teams, especially the ones I root for, and hoped to see get better with their prospects, to fall for it anymore. It's sick to think just how much better some teams could be if they didn't give away their best prospects and still not get to the playoffs or WS that year.

 

[Bob Slydell]

It does seem like the past few years, the "sellers" have been demanding more and more in return (often unrealistically) and "buyers" have become very hesitant to sell out the farm (literally, the farm system) to acquire one player on a short term basis. Thus, this time of the year is a lot quieter than it was 5 or 10 years ago.

 

[jimmiej]

OK, Jimmy. Point taken. Maybe Biggio just needs a better publicist.

Until the Astros win a World Series (please God!), they will continue to fly under the radar.

 

[Missy1961]

I know we said we weren't going to mention those 2 teams, but I had to mention a player on one of those teams.

Have you all heard that A-Rod's 499th homer could turn into his 500th?

The Team-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named (can you tell I've been reading Harry Potter?) has to complete the suspended game vs. Baltimore this weekend. If A-Rod hits a homer during the suspended game the stats go to the original date (which was sometime in June), thus making his 499th homer his 500th!

 

[Bob Slydell]

I know we said we weren't going to mention those 2 teams, but I had to mention a player on one of those teams.

Have you all heard that A-Rod's 499th homer could turn into his 500th?

The Team-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named (can you tell I've been reading Harry Potter?) has to complete the suspended game vs. Baltimore this weekend. If A-Rod hits a homer during the suspended game the stats go to the original date (which was sometime in June), thus making his 499th homer his 500th!

I hadn't heard about that -- that would certainly be a unique situation.

 

[KrnB]

Did Ryne Sandberg play with anyone other than the Cubs?

I think Kirby Puckett was a Twin his whole career -- I don't know if he was the last inducted, though?

Since no one else has answered this yet...

Ryno actually started out in Philly before being traded to the Cubs after his first season in the bigs. Big oops on their part, I'd say.

He's the reason I became a baseball fan - although not because of his skills, in the beginning, but because I just thought he was the cutest thing ever (in my all of 8 years of life, LOL). I started watching games on TV and was hooked. That was 1984, when I also learned about the hard part of being a Cubs fan. *Sigh* there's always next year (although, maybe that could actually be THIS year the way they've been playing lately!)

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Anyone on Dis going to the Induction ceremonies this weekend?

 

[jimmiej]

NEW YORK (July 26) - A day after Barry Bonds called him a "little midget man who knows (nothing) about baseball," broadcaster Bob Costas said he wasn't upset with the San Francisco Giants slugger and responded with a jab of his own.

"As anyone can plainly see, I'm 5-6 1/2 and a strapping 150, and unlike some people, I came by all of it naturally," Costas said Thursday in a telephone interview.



http://sports.aol.com/mlb/story/_a/...s/20070726175209990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I read about that yesterday. Bonds is a jerk. My consolation in him breaking Aaron's record is that in a few years someone else will be passing him.


I see he's one away from tying it now.

 

[schmitty]

Some of the records Bonds set wont be broken for a long time. 500-500 Club. Next closest is Steve Finely and he is at 304-320. The next closest person who MIGHT get into the 500-500 club is Soriano but he will be need to be and he will need to keep the same stats he has now but I doubt he will be able to steal 40 bases at 40 years old.

 

[OK!]

Go Cards go!!! They fell behind by a bunch early on today (in other words, a Cardinals game was played ) and then *gasp* actually mounted a successful comeback!! I'm about to die of shock.

Here's hoping they can carry the momentum over till tonight, the 2nd game of the doubleheader. I will be there, sweating my *** off, and I don't want it to be in vain, darn it!

 

[jimmiej]

DW & I saw an excellent pitching duel today in Houston. Greg Maddux vs. Roy Oswalt. Both pitched well after the first inning. Oswalt came out on top.

Astros trade Dan Wheeler to Tampa Bay for 3B Ty Wiggington. Probably means Mike Lamb, Morgan Ensberg, or Mark Loretta will be gone by the 31st. Maybe two of the three. I'd hate to lose Lamb. He's a hitting machine!

 

[Missy1961]

Mets had a good/bad day. Won an early game 3-1, lost the evening game 6-5. Atlanta lost, but the Phillies won.

 

[OK!]

Holy cow, they won 2 in a row and actually played competently in doing so!!! What a fun game to watch, and yay for Anthony Reyes finally getting his first win of the season.