a700hitter

Before alcohol took a big toll on my brother's health, he was close to a liter-a-night vodka drinker, and he held down a job and went to work most of the time and built a very successful career. Most people would have died if they drank like he did. In his heyday, he had the alcohol-soaked short fuse. He was a scary dude. At least a couple of times, I found out about instances where he had a dispute with cab drivers. It usually ended with my brother pulling them from their cabs sometimes through the door window and leaving them in a heap on the hoods of their cars. My brother did those things. The alcohol didn't make him do it. He's responsible for his actions. He makes no excuses for himself. I love my brother, but I don't excuse some of the s*** he did. I'm not buying any excuse for Miguel Cabrera.

That's right, and that's why the law holds the individual accountable for his actions and doesn't allow the individual to escape responsibility for his actions by saying that he/she did not have the capacity to form the requisite intent to commit the crime, because he was drunk. He'd have a better chance of justifying his actions by arguing undue provocation by the victim than arguing that the liquor made me do it. The individual is responsible. Alcohol can fuel anger, but it doesn't create it and it doesn't make you act on it. Anyone that says otherwise is rationalizing away their own responsibility. It's not a reflection on intelligence, but it does reflect on the persons character.

Probably no one on this forum has had more experience with alcohol than me and Spud. We definitely should be nominated for lifetime achievement awards and there were several years where I should have been nominated for drinker of the year. If you want to know about alcohol, ask us. Our livers should go to the Smithsonian after we're done with them. I doesn't make you beat you wife or anyone else. It doesn't make you drive while drunk either. Stupidity is the cause of that.

I think they have more money than any of us know about. The MLB Players Union also doesn't have a clue about the Sox finances. Baseball owners guard their finances more than the government guards our military secrets. Almost no one thought we would sign Carl Crawford, and by "almost no one" I mean that I was the only one who thought it could happen. Now, that the deal is about 3 months old, people are rationalizing it in ways so that it fits their idea of a FO "value philosophy" where draft picks are valued more than FA's. The truth is that they have a s*** load of Money and they went out a bought a Ferrari. People will ooh and ah over a Ferrari and not about blue prints of the next generation's electric cars (I.e., draft choices). They are in the business of putting fans in the seats and winning games. Crawford will do both for you. Is there $ to sign Pujols? Of course there is. The question is whether there is a fit. Would he play LLF with Crawford moving to center? Would he share 1B/DH with Gonzo? I don't know if there is a fit, but there is certainly the $.

Ooops. Wrong league. I'm in the official league.

I'm in

Count me in.

In the league that I am in, only Pujols had more points in 2010, and he goes for around $45. I kept Miguel Cabrera at $30. I had to do it, even though I don't like spending a lot on first basemen. If this idiot could stay clean and in shape who knows what he could achieve. Stupid lush.

...and if you do, don't say that you quit and turned your life around thereby fraudulently inducing people to draft you onto their fantasy teams.

Doji, the answer is no. It is as simple as that.

The only thing that interests me about this story is that I kept him on my Fantasy roster from last year at a fairly high price. He had better get his head straight. I want to finish in the money. Screw his problem and the societal issues. He's going to screw up my fantasy team.

Drinking from the bottle in front of the police officer might have helped his case. If the officer did not observe him operating the vehicle, his attorney may seek to argue that he got drunk after the car broke down using the bottle in the car and that he was not intoxicated while driving. He might only get a citation for an open container.

My recollection was mistaken. I thought they waited one more season to extend Lester. They should probably lock this down.

I thought Lester signed after 2009 after putting up 2 very solid major league seasons.

He's had one really good season. I'd be a little patient and wait to see if he can repeat his success.

Most young left handed hitters have trouble with southpaws at least initially. I just think they'll platoon him in his first year to take off some of the pressure. Thanks for the expression of sympathy. I had both parents for a long time. They lived in their own home and took care of themselves and each other until the end. Losing them both so closely in time was a huge shock, but I have a lot to be thankful about.

Kalish will be a platoon player in 2012 whether he plays CF or RF.

No.

On the Hot Stove Report, Gammons said that he expects Bard to be a starter in the future. Very interesting.