flavum

May 1st for Madrigal looks good. Sox in Colorado April 29, come home, off day on Thursday the 30th where Madrigal can workout at the park in relative peace to get a feel for the place, and then debut Friday night vs the Orioles.

He was suspended for 50 games for a banned stimulant, which I guess is better than a hardcore steroid or high.

Hector Santiago has joined Nova.

Definitely think Buehrle has a better case than Paulie. If the Hall is about the era you played in, then you’ll see pitching isn’t represented that much for guys that made their debut right around the height of the steroid era (98-03). By the time Sabathia gets on the ballot, I think he’ll be considered a no-brainer to vote for. I also would want to look at Tim Hudson more closely, and re-evaluate Roy Oswalt, Johan Santana, and maybe Cliff Lee.

I see on MLBTR that it’s still up in the air whether he’ll choose free agency rather than accept the outright.

Smoking hot takes!

My way-too-early meaningless 2021ballot: Schilling, Vizquel, Bonds, Clemens, Rolen, Kent, Helton, Hudson, Buehrle, Hunter Dropping Manny and Andruw Hudson, Buehrle and Hunter, I would want them to get at least 5%

Konerko got 10 votes. I’m fine with it. Somebody voted for JJ Putz.

Schilling and Vizquel are probably getting in next year. Might be a smaller crowd in Cooperstown in 2021.

Walker is in. 76.6%

No word on Covey yet who was DFA 7 days ago.

Hoynes from Cleveland gave Konerko a vote, which is cool. Obviously PK wasn’t a 1% guy, but 400+ hr with one team, multiple AS games, ALCS MVP, team captain, and a credit to the game...he’s the type of guy you want to honor. Looks like Walker will be close. I think he gets over the line. I hope Gammons couldn’t sleep last night.

Davidoff has my same ballot except he has Sosa, and I have Kent. I should like this, but voting for Sosa is so wrong...and it has nothing to do with him being a Cub. He just wasn't good enough in every area of baseball other than hitting roided up homers. He's not a Hall of Fame player.

Gammons dropped Walker in his final year. That’s a major wtf.

I think he’s just agreeing. Stroman should probably cool it with the integrity stuff. He’s a juicer.

Not going to bother reading, since we know what it’s about, but anyone that didn’t vote for Jeter, Walker, and Schilling this year, turned in a bad ballot. I can accept not voting Bonds and Clemens if you’re not voting for roids guys, but Jeter and Schilling have the career accomplishments, and Walker got close enough last year, that he’ll be getting in someday with or without writers, so just do it. Walker is trending pretty good now. It’s going to be close.

Good interview with Kevan Smith http://files.triblive.com/podcasts/sportstalk/Ksmithpodcast.mp3

Yes, that’s what he said in the interview, that the White Sox used the toggle switch in the late 80s, but LaRussa was the one that put it in while he was manager. Whether this is all true, at this point, I don’t care. It makes it too easy to excuse what’s happening in the 2010s, and I don’t want that to happen. The game needs to be cleaned up when it comes to technology available, and if you break the rule, you’re gone.

Nice catch by Harold at 3:20. Hall of Famer!

Yes, the A’s almost immediately hired him.

Nobody is talking about that. Everyone accepts that in baseball...observable signs with the naked eye is fair game. Using technology- cameras, maybe buzzers, in real time, not cool . Not acceptable.

Hawk fired LaRussa in mid-1986.