[What's El Duque's deal?]

If you couldn't see that his bad starts were just waiting to happen, then you weren't paying attention to his early starts.  He had amazing luck early in the season avoiding the big inning, even though he gave up a ton of runners.  His WHIP is a pathetic 1.60.

Yeah, I've been paying attention, and the Cubans have gotten pretty lucky with timely inning ending double plays and such. It just seems like more than a change in luck is going on here.

[What's El Duque's deal?]

Look at his last four outings:

 

5/16 vs. Texas: 2.2 IP, 6 ER

*missed a start with bad shoulder*

6/3 vs. Cleveland: 6 IP, 4 ER

6/8 at Colorado: 6 IP, 4 ER

6/14 vs. Arizona: 4.2 IP, 6 ER

 

These are not the types of outings that we need from Hernandez. Anyone think he's still nursing some sort of injury? He hasnt been walking as many guys the past two games (1 BB each), but the results just arent there this past month.

[Any word on Frank???]

I guess everyone now knows that Everett and frank can coexist. Injuries will happen. Just wait a day.

They can co-exist, but that usually means that Podsednik is the odd man out. We're a better team when he is in the lineup than when Frank and Carl are playing together. Maybe they should put Everett in right field instead of left.

[AL Central Props]

Has anyone noticed that 4 of the 5 teams in the AL central are in the top 5 ERA's in the AL? That is pretty impressive for a division that is supposed to be the weakest of the 3 divisions. As I saw them last night, they were listed

 

Minnesota Twins

Chicago White Sox

Cleveland Indians

(insert team)

Detroit Tigers

 

If anyone knows the team I am missing, fill me in, I was half paying attention when that stat was flashed on the screen

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/stats/aggreg...t=0&season=2005

 

The "insert team" is the Angels.

[Jerry Reinsdirf rips Moronotti]

Sending JR a check for giving him things to write about so that he can keep his job.

Could be. :headshake

 

Right now though, I see Jester's avatar I'm remembering how smoking hot Lindsay Lohan was before she dyed her hair blonde and found out that she loved crack.

[Jerry Reinsdirf rips Moronotti]

LOL.  at the end it says...

LMFAO.  for what?  calling our your lies!!??  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA    :banghead 

 

Exactly what I thought. I'm an attorney and cant figure out for the life of me what Mariotti could possibly be talking about.

[If you could pick...]

Well at the same time Iguchi has had to take a lot of pitches for strikes and everything with Pods trying to steal....He isnt a natural number 2 hitter.

Just what I was going to say. A lot of times Iguchi has to sacrifice him over too, for the good of the team at the expense of his own numbers.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

Why do you think Beane wants McCarthy? 

That's like saying that if you already have a Porsche in the garage, you wouldn't want a Ferrari to park next to it. Why the hell wouldnt he?

[Strange event at the game]

They signed autographs together at the Thompson Center a couple weeks ago.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

once again, name the last GM to come on the radio and say they are going to trade a player.  Especially one who has the largest contract ever offered by the ballclub.

I told you the one that came to mind. I dont devote much brainpower to remembering the various GMs' trading strategies.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

Wasn't he just flat-out released? Not traded?

They released him after they couldnt trade him. Angelo made it public that he wanted a 7th rounder and they couldnt get it.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

name the last GM who came on the radio and said they were going to trade their players

Happens pretty regularly with holdout players or ones that wont take a pay cut (see RW McQuarters).

[Eric Chavez quote...]

Do u seriously hold onto some kind of childish hope that we could get him?

I do, although I dont see how it's childish.

[Frank Article]

I can't believe anyone wastes 50 cents on the Sun Times, but that is just me

For the pretty pictures. Duh.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

I don't because now BB can try and drive up the asking price for him. If he says he wants to trade him then his value suffers...IMO

It appears that the sarcasm flew directly over your head.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

He already has a good fielding .220 hitter playing 3rd base.

Not one that will be .280 with 30 and 90 by the end of the year because he's a second half hitter.

 

And what are those four things Crede doesnt have? Hm...uh...oh yeah, Gold Gloves.

[Eric Chavez quote...]

Third baseman Eric Chavez laughed when told of a published rumor that had him headed to Chicago in a trade for White Sox third baseman Joe Crede and prospects. The report also characterized Chavez as eager to leave the A's. "Wrong and wrong," Chavez said. "I heard that same rumor a couple of weeks ago. Where do people come up with that [stuff]? I'm fine right where I am."

 

This is a recording...this is a recording...this is a recording...

[*Official* Eric Chavez Speculation/Dream Thread]

THIS TRADE IS NOT HAPPENING. IT IS A RUMOR. NOTHING MORE.

And rumor is all it is going to be until it happens. KW learned his lesson about blabbing to the media in the Vizquel fiasco.

[*Official* Eric Chavez Speculation/Dream Thread]

Who says Oakland is going to dump salary?  They still need someone to market in order to draw people to the ballparks.  Beane chose Chavez over Giambi and Tejada.  With his ego, do you really think he would just give up on Chavez just for Crede and McCarthy?

How would that make him look in three years when Crede and McCarthy are All Stars? GMs live for finding diamonds in the rough.

 

That said, I'd make the deal. Boras probably wants $10million/year for Crede, so forget him.

[*Official* Eric Chavez Speculation/Dream Thread]

I'm looking at the print edition of the Daily Herald right now.  Scott Gregor wrote a column this morning that this rumor exists.  There is no mention of how and where the rumor got started, nor are there any comments from Oakland or White Sox sources.

And we all know how Kenny Williams feels about tipping off the media after they lost Vizquel. He's going to be more secretive than Jerry Krause from now on.