chitownsportsfan

LOl, obviously I've drank enough when I type Dbacks insted of Drays. thanks for correcting me, or I'd probably still be in la la land.

Time to go Freddy Garcia before a start on this pipe of mine...

Crawford would be nice, and I was big for aquiring him this winter, but I think the Dbacks would have wanted half the farm in return. I think it might have required Garland/Contreras and a prospie for him, which just wasn't worth it.

Fixed it for ya! I heard Scott Skiles was granted 1 million votes!

THEN is used to divide and measure time. Thanks Rowand44 for realizing that this is different from "than".

So..., is it Thornton then Jenks? Personally, with the off day I'd rather see BMAC then Jenks.

Cheat has a pretty big manrush on him as well.

Sweet, Mack continues to make me look bad for wanting BA. If only Mack could keep an OPS over 1000 for the season, I might agree with this philosphical change.

What is MB's pitch count? I really hope he can go 8 and get this thing to Jenks.

LOL. Great AB Pablo. Still, if you told me that between Mack and Ozuna we'd have a runner on 2nd with one out, I'd say, YES SIR!" 10 out of 9 times.

I really don't like having Cintron, Mack, and Ozuna in the lineup. That's three slap hitters, although I guess Mack has some power.

MB is possibly the best in MLB at shutting down the running game from the mound.

Funny you should mention that, I heard R.L. Stein has now created a "Goosebumps" spinoff called "If only Boone Logan Was Pitching." Oh yea, growing up in the mid 90's reference that nobody will get.

As my mom always said: two wrongs don't make a right. Seriously, what does one have to do with the other? Nothing. AJ is blameworthy, as is Buehrle.

I hear him and Freddy went to the "restroom" before the game.

Good post and I hope you're right.

I agree that not all aspects of the team are "firing on all cylinders" at the same time, but: should we expect them too? Past Jenks, BMAC, and maybe Cotts this bullpen just isn't that good. I don't expect them to every really have a good stretch, it's just something this 2006 has to work around. The starting pitching was magical last year, but I think it will struggle at times this year. Garland is back to being league average, and Vasquez and Garcia (despite his W/L) are pretty near it as well. I expect Buehrle and Contreras to post great seasons, but the 3, 4, and 5 starters will have their ups and downs IMO. The story of this season is the offense so far. 2nd most runs in MLB, Thome with an OPS over .1100, Kong, Dye, AJ, Crede, and Iguchi putting up great numbers as well. Get this: Iguchi is 40th among eligible players in OPS. That is freaking wonderful. He is a great value. I just don't see all those guys--especially Crede and AJ--maintaining their hot starts. This team is fun to watch, and I hope they prove all of my more pessimistic predictions dead wrong.

This team is winning games at a .667 clip. The season is roughly 25% over. I think it's safe to say that the winning percentage will not stay .667 throughout 162 games. It will go down. This team is playing has played a great stretch of baseball--IMO--it will be their best stretch this season. If they play .500 ball from here on out, that will give them 89 wins--still a good season. I fully expect 90+, but to say this hasn't played their best ball is a bit of hyperbole. I'd like to see them have another 30-15 stretch, or better, but I don't expect it. I should state I don't think the team will only play .500 ball from here on out. And clearly 89 wins for most teams would be probably be considered a "good" season, but not for the talent of this bunch. It would be a rightful dissapointment. Like I said, I expect 90 as a bare min. I predicted 93 before the season, and I'm going to stick with it.

Yea, it's always best to make long term decisions using short term, "OMG Mack has a .500 BA his last 24 AB's" logic. Over the long run, Mack has proven himself to a) stink at the plate, and B) suck in CF. Mack has a career OPS+ of 93, which wouldn't be terrible if was even average in CF. But he's not at all. How much worse can BA do than Mack at the plate? The answer is not nearly as much worse as Mack can do in center. CF is damn important, especially when the LF and RF aren't exactly world beaters out there. At least BA is a) young and will likely improve and B) one of the best defensive CF in baseball.

I don't know how anyone can be happy with a transient vet, with a career of below average hitting and defense in CF, getting playing time over the highly touted rookie, who--wow--is struggling at the plate in his first full season. However, it has not carried over to his defense, from all accounts, personal and sabr, he's played one of the best CF's in all of baseball.

WTF happened to defense and pitching? It isn't like this is LF, RF, or 1B we are talking about, it's the most important position after C and SS, and we have the terrible Mackowiak out there now. The offense is fine with BA in there. I look at it this way: BA is clearly around 20 runs better than Mack defensively, and Mack is not 20 runs better than BA offensively--over the course of a season. I'm pretty pissed right now. This is a shortsighted move for the organization, and even this season.

there we go, 3 run bomb and this game looks alot better, come on Kong!

big inning here damnit

I agree that it should have been Gload shipped out instead of Borchard, given if Gload is not going to get any burn. At this point, neither Gload or Borchard is anything other than a replacement player, but Borchard at least can play a passable CF, and still has some upside as a possible 4th outfielder. Gload is probably just a AAAA player, given that he can't hit well enough to be a full time 1B, and has no defensive value in the corner OF as well.

I hear the sun rose today as well. Get over it folks--Mariotti sucks, and there is nothing we can do about it except continue to win and prove him wrong.