ORS

I hear you, and I agree that Manny can annoy the crap out of us. That said, he's uber-consistent with his offensive performance, and he does it better than 99% of the people who have ever played the game professionally. As long as Manny mashes, the antics, while not what I'd prefer to see, are acceptable.

I can think of worse things than being stuck with a guy who averages 7.2 WARP1 and over 27 Win Shares per year, even if it is at $19M per year. As a point of reference, Jeter makes the same amount and averages 5.9 WARP1 and 24.5 WS.

The D.R. vs. Venezuela game was sold out a month ago. And, I could only get LF general admission lawn seats for D.R. vs. Australia. I don't know what kind of staying power this thing will have, as I think it depends on how it is played, but the fans are interested. I know I'm looking forward to it.

The value? He'll likely never start, especially given the fact that they have Crisp and several promising young OF on the farm, but he could develop into a tradeable commodity. Or at the very least injury insurance down on the farm. I agree that keeping him all of last year was a bit of waste, but that isn't the essence of my argument. If they were willing to play with a 24-man roster (which is what they pretty much did - that and the "injury" shuffling with him are the jumping through hoops) for most of a playoff year, then it makes no sense to go through that sacrafice and get this close to the end, then just give him back. If they gave him back now, it would become the textbook definition of bumbling. Not because Stern is worth anything, but because they sacraficed a good part of a season to keep him.

Are you kidding me? You don't see the big deal of returning Stern just 18 games prior to him falling under the Sox control? They jumped through hoops to keep this kid on the roster last year, and you want them to return him that close to the deadline so that they can have 12 pitchers for the first three weeks of the season. That's crazy talk man. If a starter doesn't get traded in ST, I say send Papelbon to AAA for that time frame and let him get a couple of starts in so he doesn't collect dust in the 'pen. That way they get to take a look at him starting this year, while keeping someone they went to lengths to try and keep.

Anyone read Win it For...? I've heard good things and was thinking of picking it up.

J-Omega

Thanks, and thanks for the info, count me in. And, I won't quit if my team sucks. Where can I find the Yahoo defaults so I know what kind of depth I'll need to consider?

I'm on the fence, how time consuming are these things? I'm taking 4 classes (2 with labs) this semester, am about to start working again, have a 2 y/o, and another due in April. Then I'll be working 2 jobs over the summer and taking a class while my wife is on maternity leave. Will I have time? I've never been in a roto league before.

None of those guys have enough stick for corner spot. I have to admit, you are consistent with your fanboy loyalty to the kids on the farm. Now if we could only get you into a decision making spot in the FO.

Wow, I can't believe you need this answered. Different people have different skin sensitivities. However, as the skin ages for people with sensitive skin, it becomes tougher and less likely to blister. Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens both experienced blisters early in their careers and they went away with time. And, I think MC's point was that Beckett will be pitching in a cooler, less-humid environment, meaning less likelihood of blisters.

I've got tickets to D.R. vs. Australia, so I was looking forward to seeing Manny launch a couple of bombs, but I have to say that this doesn't disappoint me.

But would you cup his if he went .330/60/155?

What's he going to miss, five days? Not a huge story, but I wonder how it affects the attitude of his teammates.

I certainly think that the players should respect the fans, but that is a two way street. For every player transgression against the fans, I'd be willing to bet that there are a hundred fan transgressions against the players. Hanging out after the game and schmoozing the fans doesn't constitute respect IMO; your version of compensating the fans sounds more like servitude to me. The players owe the fans one thing, to perform on the field, because that is what the fan is paying to watch. All the other stuff is ancillary to that. If some players want to hang out and show extra appreciation, good for them, but expecting it is wrong IMO.

I gotta disagree with you on that one MC. Fans routinely go overboard with their zeal to get close to players. Not all fans, but some, and those that do make their lives very difficult. Things that you and I take for granted, going to the mall, or the park, or a restaurant, are major ordeals for professional athletes because people won't just leave them alone. If they were to sign every autograph (which is a pointless pursuit IMO) and shake every hand, they'd never get to leave the ballpark. And, I can totally see how the players get jaded with the autograph process. Professionals in the sports memorabilia trade routinely send kids up to get autographs for a few bucks and then sell the items for exorbidant prices. Why should the players spend their time to line the pockets of people looking to exploit the adoration some have for them?

I think you are missing my point. The 9-11 y/o kid is influenced too. It is not an immediate influence because the number of 9-11 smoking dope is quite small compared to the number of 16 y/o. So, suppose a 9-11 y/o is a huge Ricky Williams fan. Right now the drug aspect is unlikely to have an influence because the kid is less likely to be around drugs. However, in 5-7 years more of his peers will have experimented and he will be more exposed to the pressure to try it, and the fact that one of his idols did it may influence his decision. KTF hasn't gone through this stage of life yet, so he isn't capable of speaking credibly on it. That's not meant to insult KTF, it's just the reality of the situation. Personally, I don't see the big deal either. Alcohol and cigarettes are every bit as, if not more, harmful to the body as marijuana is, so there is a degree of hypocrisy to the war on drugs. But, believing that doesn't mean that GIARSF is wrong in saying that Ricky Williams is a role model to kids, and role models do affect decision making.

FWIW, baseball peak is considered to be 27-31. Yes there are plenty of players who play at a high level well beyond 31, but most of them were stars by the time they were 27 also. What's my point? It's that while 29 is young in life, it is approaching old in baseball, especially if you are 29 and still need time in the minors to work things out. This guy is probably nothing more than injury insurance.

Aren't you like 13? You haven't even hit serious peer pressure to do drugs, and if you are a 16 y/o and your idol is doing it, it can affect your decision. No offense, but you really need to make it all the way through your teenage years and become an adult before you can credibly opine on topics like this.

I don't think anyone comes close to how good he was in '99-'00 for a very long time. Year K/9 BB/9 K/BB HR/9 WHIP ERA+ 1999 13.2 1.56 8.46 0.38 0.92 245 2000 11.8 1.33 8.87 0.71 0.74 285 In these two years, Pedro set the all-time single season records for starters in ERA+ and WHIP, and top-10 all-time seasons in ERA+ (again), K/9 (twice), K/BB (twice). If I was forced to fill out a roster for a baseball game to defend my life, and I could pick any pitcher from any point in their career, I'm sending Pedro circa '99-'00 out to the bump. This why I'd be on the fence about retiring his number. He was so good when he was in Boston, but he wasn't here long. Although, if I'm casting the deciding vote, #45 is on the RF roof.

If those teams get contracted, none of those guys would slip as far back as the Sox pick. The Sox have the #27 pick in the June draft, which means they'd get the #25 in a contraction draft. All these names will likely be gone by the time they pick: Marlins - Cabrera, Willis, Jacobs, Ramirez, Petit, Sanchez, Hermida, Olson D-Rays - Kazmir, Lugo, Crawford, Huff, Baldelli, Gomes, Cantu, Gathright, Young, Upton I think the Sox would be best served drafting their high ceiling lower minors guys.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that the policy under Yawkey ownership? New ownership, new rules. Will the Henry group keep up with tradition? That remains to be seen, but nothing is set in stone.

Most of the scouting reports I've read question Dustin's arm strength, so with Lowrie having the stronger arm and good range, he seems like the better choice for SS.

If you are smart, you will buy tickets to the whole series now (assuming you can), because that will be one expensive hot ticket as it becomes apparent which game he will be pitching in. You can always sell the extras, there's always demand, and even sell the whole series if it turns out he won't pitch.

Yeah, he's a little long in the tooth for the levels he's played, but that is typical of college draftees. I think his outstanding year in Greenville warrants skipping Adv-A. Besides, it's not like anyone is blocking him at 3B in the system.