ORS

One, many more to follow.

Ok, then how the f*** to you get DeShawn from DeChone?

Thanks Chone. How the f*** do you get Shaun from that spelling?

Not surprising.

Root for who you want to, but ask yourself this question first. Would you ever root for the casino to beat the blackjack player?

Welcome to the bigs, kid.

Snyder's hook looks good tonight. They should keep him around next year. LRP and spot starter, a la Arroyo, is twin separated at birth.

I have a feeling the lineup is going to be a little punchless w/o Manny and a southpaw on the hill.

I've got the day off tomorrow, so I'll be here.

This is one of the worst arguments the non-cappers make. Where you see the effects is to look at those rankings over a period of time. The big boys are near the top every year. The smaller market clubs make an appearance in the rankings, but they have no staying power (right around the time they can't afford their talent any more).

I'm well aware of that, but that doesn't change the facts. Oh, and take another coin out of the revenue sharing pool. The Mets are building a new stadium too. Looks like less funds will go around for the smaller market teams to keep their young studs. Good news for the big clubs.

I don't think the issue is whether or not it is possible to win with a small budget. The issue, as I see it, is the hording of premier talent. When the O's opened up the purse in the late 90's some of their signings turned out to be mistakes, and they paid the price for it in the standings. The Yankees have made some mistakes with FA signings too lately, but they weren't held to that mistake because they just filled the roster spot with more premier talent -- acquired solely because they are the only team with the means to have $40M+ on the bench/DL. Smaller market teams are at a huge disadvantage because they are unable to keep their premier talent -- they just can't match the offer of the big clubs. This puts a lot of pressure on their ability to scout and develop talent, and they have to do it substantially better than the big clubs in order to compete. On top of that, some of the best talent pools are found outside this country, and there is no draft for international FAs, meaning the bigger market clubs can sign the best and brightest stars in that market as well. While baseball is a business, in the end it is a sport. Sports are governed and defined by fair play. Only a great fool would call the current system fair or equitable. My team benefits from the system, but that doesn't make me feel any better about it. Baseball, as a sport, is a bit of a farce until it eventually fixes this. Oh, and don't mention revenue sharing. The Yankees are the biggest contributors to the revenue sharing pool, and they aren't liable for it for the next 4-5 years since they broke ground on their new stadium -- they are exempt while it is being built.

I agree 100%, jr. Yankee fans will defend the actions of the Yankees as inalienable rights of the business owner to run their business as they see fit. I agree with that notion to a degree, however, one needs to consider every aspect of business and see how smaller markets are denied these rights. In real business, the owner is allowed to locate their business in regional areas where revenue can be maximized. NY is the biggest metropolitan area in the country with the highest population. Given the freedoms of regular business, smaller market clubs could improve revenue streams by moving to NY -- this is why NY had a larger number of teams in a smaller league at the begining. They aren't allowed to chase that revenue stream now since MLB approves team locations and is interested in spreading the game across the whole country. Thus, revenue opportunities aren't equal. A salary cap is the only way to level the playing field.

He's lucky they won yesterday because he did something that could have earned a little ire from the NY fanbase. He peeled off to RF instead of sliding hard into 2B during a DP -- ARod's I think. That's the type of thing that pissed Philly fans off about him. He had a big series, so that would have helped, but if they had lost that game by one, then that play could have been a huge contributor to the loss. He's a very talented ball player, but easing up on the opponent won't fly in NY, especially if it contributes to a loss.

An MLB contract requires the player to be on the 40-man immediately, which means the option clock begins ticking immediately. Bard could be ready by the time his option clock runs out, but he's pretty raw, so I think they'd like the extra time with him, especially considering how Hansen, a more polished player coming out of college, has bombed thus far.

The stereotype lives. Prick Yankee Fan.

You think Loretta can clear waivers? I don't. Boomer is a perfect fit for the Mets who have to be desperate for a big game pitcher right now.

However, the offense has won games where the pitching allowed 6 or more runs in the last month. The pitching has not won a game where the offense scored less than 6 since July 20. The offense has squandered opportunities at a higher rate than I'd like, but they aren't the reason this team is losing a lot more than it is winning. The pitching is attrocious. They have been almost a run worse per game than KC and Baltimore over the last month. Maybe some of what Timlin has said holds some truth, but when you are the one leading the suckage, you shouldn't open your mouth, and I think that is what everyone is saying.

$200M+ It's the only way to absorb several key injuries and still be successful in the AL East.

It certainly helps when the crap you fling against the wall actually sticks. Small and Chacon were some nice sticky s*** for the Yankees. Johnson, Snyder, and DiNardo just slid right down the wall.

I'm in favor of allowing the full 4 years to pass before passing the ulitimate judgement on the Pedro and Damon decisions. That said, this team has a commanding lead in the AL East with both of them on the roster, and it's tough to make any claim that they aren't. Pedro has been very successful against the Yankees as a member of the Mets. Damon is having a career year. They need to fall off the table pretty badly and the "future" needs to step it up quite a bit over the next 2 to 3 years for the net result to be a favorable one.

My $0.02: I think this ownership group has earned a little patience from the fanbase. They opened up the purse strings and brought in the missing pieces to win the first championship in almost 100% of the base's lifetimes. After that, if it is their wont to retool the team, then I'll give them a pass while that happens. Do I agree with it 100%? Not necesarrily. I think the 3/4 duo of Ortiz and Manny is pretty historic, and it makes sense to surround them with the talent needed to make a serious run at a few championships. I understand that doing that now would sacrafice something of the 2009 and beyond team, but what those two are doing is a rare feat. That said, I'm not going to call what they are doing incompetent until we see what's what a few years down the road. My early inclination is to say they've been pretty stupid. I will give them the benefit of time to build the team they have envisioned, but at this rate, it better be pretty good, because I think they are wasting a golden opportunity. If the "future" they are protecting doesn't turn out to be worth the lost opportunity, then heads should roll.

If he's talking about his current contract, then yeah, there's no contraditcion. That type of phrasing is used a lot by players and agents when talking about an offer. I've never heard of anyone referring to the salary they already make as an ante.

One game. I really love it when people feel like their assinine ideas are validated by one f***ing game. With his stuff, Cabrera will dominate from time to time, but he won't be a consistent pitcher. After watching Beckett this year, I have no interest in occassional brilliance followed by a few barn burning outings.

Anyone else see the huge contradiction here? If the rumor he turned it down is false, why does the ante need to be upped?