caulfield12

It's fine to bench Ramirez, but why reward Lillibridge by playing him so much when he's obviously not ready for big league pitching, nor has he played the position enough recently to be at least an "average" ML CFer. Ramirez in a slump is still 10X more dangerous as a hitter than Lillibridge, and probably just as good or even better defensively. Pods against LHP is still a .229 hitter with a 600+ OPS hitter...Lillibridge isn't even close to that, and he hasn't shown much ability to steal bases, either.

Quentin is the player right now who easily has the power to hit the ball out of the park to all fields and he's pull-happy. In the last two or three weeks, how many balls has he driven to RCF?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ag9t...o&type=lgns Jeff Passan article with some good one-liners on Manny, calling for zero tolerance policy (assumption is that this couldn't be enacted until a new CB agreement is negotiated in 2011.)

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbac...7melvin-CR.html Now we've got Wakamatsu and Hinch with White Sox ties, although obviously we can be more proud of Don. Everyone was so upset about losing AJ, and he turned out to be one of the bigger busts (among many) in White Sox draft history, along with Bobby Seay.

I understand the thinking behind that, but he still needs as much time as possible to work on his defense at SS. Then again, they're piling up so many crooked numbers, you have to balance that with being respectful to your competition and not piling on. And, as long as they rotate with Flowers and Allen and it's not always Beckham being pulled, that's fine. But Shelby and Viciedo really need to get 500-550 AB's this season.

Yes, Quentin stands right on top of the plate, and we've lost Getz and Dye for stretches because of bean balls. I think these comments are also another pointed barb at both Floyd and Contreras, who have always seemed to be "nice" guys who were hesitant to really come inside against opposing pitchers. Part of it's intimidation, taking care of your own...the Tigers (Perry) must have thrown 4 head-high inside fastballs. Greinke does it all the time, although with a lot more control, but it's about "bonding" your offense and pitching staff together as well. It shouldn't be one of those Sean Tracey/Jon Garland scenes...but if we show the hitters that we have their backs, it's like "assured mutual destruction" or "nuclear deterrence." You have to do it. The other team will stop doing it, knowing they might get kicked out or end up having to fight a team with the likes of Quentin (nobody would want to fight THAT guy, trust me), Dye, Thome, AJ, Jenks, etc., we've got some big and tighly-wound guys on our team. Not to mention if you get a warning blanket thrown over a game, it prevents a pitcher like Greinke or Perry from resorting to those tactics unless they want to get run out of the game, and Zach's too important to their team to sacrifice himself or get suspended. As mentioned above, you're going to remember if it Matt Thornton hits you in the back or kidney like Pujoles the other day.

Don't think we're going to sweep one of the hottest teams in baseball...especially with Jose on the bump. Then again, he's DUE to have at least ONE good outing this season, but against Texas, with that unforgiving line-up? The Angels are the type of team that traditionally has been difficult for the Royals, but, they're not the Angels and the Royals are a different team than they've ever been, because even the 2003 Royals that were leading the division by 7 at the ASB in 2003 sensed it was all going to fall apart that year and that the whole thing was held together by duct tape, baling wire and Jose Lima Glue.

http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-sports/...ut_14_hits.html Nothing in the game story in the BIRM News about it.

I wonder if they would consider giving Omogrosso a spot start if Contreras gets shelled tomorrow? They said they won't bring up Poreda, Ozzie has been hesistant about Richard too....so that leaves Van Benschoten, Torres and Broadway, I guess. Maybe Whisler, but I can't imagine him unless it's a team that is LH dominant. Wouldn't Omogrosso be the starter of the AA/AAA staffs with the best raw stuff who it wouldn't be a complete disaster if he got rocked in one outing?

I felt like I was suspended in a languid "twilight zone" between the movies Less than Zero, Dazed and Confused, Requiem for a Dream and Pi reading that post.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 7, 2009 -> 05:20 PM) Who's a bigger name than Manny? I'm thinking only Pujols, Jeter, Griffey Jr., Ichiro and Feldman. Feldman or Haim??? What next, Nicole Eggert?

Benito Santiago: Driving on the Wrong Path Benito Santiago is lighting up the presses today with his connection to a cocaine conspiracy in Kansas City, Mo. Click here for the details. Basically, a car he owned was seized as part of this investigation, and it's not known to what extent Santiago was involved. True, he's innocent till proven guilty, but it just makes you wonder what happens to guys like him in professional sports who just can't control themselves after they're done playing... or even when they are playing. DWIs, domestic violence, drug charges, gambling. The list goes on. Seems like something should be done by the teams or the leagues to help these guys transition into a new phase in their lives rather than go off into troubled waters. I said (to Fathom) that he "didn't look well." Somehow that got transmitted into "didn't play well." We were talking about the topic of players who didn't perform well or who peaked in their mid 30's. Then, because I mentioned a previous message (about Alomar, which is a different situation and lawsuit, but another player who just disappeared in his mid 30's), it got twisted into something else. I have no idea what was wrong with Santiago, apparently besides using steroids and possibly drugs, he just didn't look very well physically, but that was just my impression.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 7, 2009 -> 04:42 PM) Ya and I think its pretty f***ing assine to make a comment about him having a life threatening disease based upon his appearance. The guy looked no different at 40 (except older) than he did at 20. He was one ugly SOB though. I just said he didn't look physically well...didn't mean to intimate something more insidious. Stanozolol Winstrol, Winthrop, Stromba Medical Use: Prescribed for hereditary angioedema, which causes episodes of swelling of the face, extremities, genitals, bowel wall, and throat. Performance-Enhancing Use: It builds strength and muscle mass with minimal bulk development. Preferred by pitchers who typically want stregth but not bulk. Side-Effects: Less damaging to ligaments than most anabolic steroids. Liver damage, acne, sterility, baldness, enlarged prostate, gynocomastia (development of breast tissue in males), virilization (development of male characteristics in women) Admitted or Implicated Players: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Benito Santiago, Paxton Crawford, Ivan Rodriguez*, Juan Gonzalez*

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ May 7, 2009 -> 04:21 PM) Santiago was a freaking stud. The guy was in his early 40's and could still throw a laser from home to 2nd from his knees. What the hell are you talking about? He could never hit that well but man did he have some skills during his career. I meant he didn't look physically well...not commenting on how he played. We were talking about Alomar and AIDS/HIV.

Break up the Royals, 18-11 now. If they replace Ponson with Hochevar, they could be really dangerous, despite that so-so line-up offensively.

QUOTE (Flash Tizzle @ May 7, 2009 -> 03:57 PM) JimH, is that you? Nope, my screen name there was "caulfield12" too

QUOTE (Thunderbolt @ May 7, 2009 -> 03:53 PM) Don't forget the fabled "divorce." Wasn't that Dave Martinez (former White Sox RF not implicated yet in the scandal) who snagged Sandberg's wife?

Yeah, looking back at Sandberg's numbers, he held on pretty well into his late 30's. He had two pretty lost seasons (due to injuries), but he did hit in the mid 20's for homers when he was 36, and only 12 when he was 37. That was his final season. I guess the "prime" for a career was moved from 27-30 back by at least five years (or more) by the Steroids Era. What a mess! Another question that came into my mind. You have JC Romero and Juan Rincon, two former Twins, involved in this scandal. It just made me think about Santana and Liriano. I'll just have to give both those guys the benefit of the doubt, and it's hard to say how much the fall-off is velocity for Liriano (and the torque on his slider) was due to injuries versus any possible P.E. drugs.

QUOTE (fathom @ May 7, 2009 -> 03:42 PM) Seems like it's BS, as there was a picture of him taken the week after that came out in which he looked perfectly healthy. The player who really didn't look well the last couple of years of his career was another former Padre, Benito Santiago. I guess there are some questions surrounding how quickly and completely Alomar went from one of the best players (and fielders) in baseball history to "just hanging on." Ryne Sandberg also faded quickly in his 30's.

QUOTE (Hatchetman @ May 7, 2009 -> 03:36 PM) please don't dismiss the first 100 years of baseball. there were many great defensive shortstops. what are your opinions on marty marion, mark belanger, honus wagner? Look how long it took for Bill Mazeroski...Frank White would be a similar player, although most would give an advantage to playing GG defense at SS over a second-baseman.

I think Vizquel should be a Hall of Famer. Not sure about first-ballot, but maybe. The other argument is how with all the focus on hitting homers and breaking records, how much more attention should rightly have been paid to Omar but he got lost at time in the shuffle playing for mid-market teams and also overshadowed at times by players like Thome, Belle, Roberto Alomar, etc. Andruw Jones? That's a tough one...but I think a lot of depends on whether he ever becomes a regular again and puts up some more numbers. He's SUPPOSEDLY in his early 30's still, but there have to be some questions about him as well. Roberto Alomar will get in, perhaps the first HOFer with AIDS? Or has that never been substantiated?

Forgot about Gary Sheffield...there's another name that will draw a lot of scrutiny, and he's sort of the Jim Rice/Eddie Murray of this generation of baseball players anyway.

Well, we know Alexei and Lillibridge won't be implicated!!!

David Ortiz, age 21-26 with the Twins 58 homers in 1477 at-bats=1/25.5 AB's age 27-33 with Red Sox 231 homers in 3259 at-bats=1/14 AB's Pretty dramatic change... I'm not 100% sold on Chipper Jones for the Hall of Fame quite yet, Vlad yes, Pujols until something like this comes out...but it would be a shame, especially the way he's been elevated to God-like status as the MLB icon, child with a disability, non-profit organizations and community/charity work, his Tebow-like Christian faith, etc. It's one thing if A-Rod has gone down, but quite another if Pujols does, too. That might really damage baseball with this generation of fans...yes, baseball is resilient and got past the Black Sox, the world wars, gambling/Pete Rose, strikes, cocaine scandal in 80's, 1994, and it has always bounced back and always will (feel like the speech from Field of Dreams should be inserted here), but this really sucks.

The next question: does David Ortiz come under investigation? Youkilis? Pedroia? I mean, it is pretty suspicious an organization as adept at judging talent with Terry Ryan letting Ortiz go quite easily, then he morphs into a Hall of Fame type player like that magically by playing in Fenway.