jacksonianmarch

The average MLB fastball for a starting pitcher is 89-91mph. You go by gradations on a 20-80 scale. 50 is considered MLB average 96+ - 80 94-96 - 70 92-93 - 60 89-91- 50 87-88- 40 85-86- 30 84- 20 Phil Hughes was throwing a *60* or an above average MLB fastball at the beginning of the yr (FB average of 91.7mph). He is now throwing about a *65* (or above average to good) depending on which readings you see. As much as you might like to impose your own standards, you probably should go by the scouting services standards since theirs are a bit better studied In terms of who throws fastballs in the 80s, do you want a list? Here goes.... Hamels Moyer Pedro Zito Washburn Duchsherer Garrett Olson Brian Burres Tim Wakefield Curt Schilling Mike Mussina Andy Pettitte Andy Sonnanstine Sean Marcum Jesse Litsch Tom Glavine Greg Maddux need I go on? There are plenty more. Most sit in the 88-89 range.

Brackman had an appendectomy right before he was scheduled to hit the mound again. He's due to face live batters soon. He'll be in Tampa for 2009 and should rise quickly. Montero has gotten a LOT better behind the plate, from what I have read. But his bat is so special that you dont really want to put him in harms way behind the dish. Catchers have shorter primes and shorter careers. This kid has a corner IF bat and will be a top flight HR hitter when he makes it. But coming up as a catcher cannot hurt. And if he continues to improve, then he could be a very nice asset to have as a catcher

He's throwing 95 mph in AAA. Sitting 93-95. If that isnt a top flight FB, then I dont know what is. Regardless, his MO is to sit 92-94. Which is exactly where Santana sits. agree to disagree. He has back of the rotation potential. He can throw 88-91 which is better than a lot of major leaguers. Right now, something is off. If he fixes it, then you'll love him. If he doesnt, he'll be traded Have you seen his curveball? Have you seen his changeup? He's throwing 92-94, that's mediocre? Cmon now, for a guy who prides himself on watching the pitchers, you arent even watching. His only knock this yr is that he is walking too many. He's allowed less than a hit per inning and has K'd 24 in 19IP. Not bad. Also considering the fact that he was drafted in 2006 and he's been pretty good Agreed I dont know why you hate him so much. His ERA is under 4, his WHIP is close to 1, and he has 51K in 43IP. He is what he is. A middle reliever. But he has a role and has actually been pretty good this yr. This is why I was hesitant to see him come to the bigs. i was hoping we could showcase him, have enough people fall in love with the ellsbury idea and deal him. I dont think he will be a MLB regular, but at the same time, his MO is to be a VERY slow starter. If given enough time, he can get on base at a pretty nice clip. And with that speed, watch out. I just dont think it is in the cards in NY.

So Gom, you did this last yr. Here's my version. I am gonna go position by position in terms of what we should or shouldnt do. SP: Locks: Wang, Joba, Hughes (whether you like it or not) Free Agents: Pettitte and Mussina What I do... Well, only 2 spots are open and those are two spots previously occupied by our most reliable starters, so this hurts a bit. To start, we need an ace. Joba is the ace of the future, Wang is more of a #2, we need an ace of the now. CC Sabathia is the way to roll here. That will leave us with a top 3 of CC, Wang, Joba. not too shabby. The money? Well, I was thinking a Johan deal. 7yrs 150 million. For the final spot in the rotation? Why not stay in house? I offer Pettitte and Mussina both arbitration. I also offer them both a 1 yr deal at 15 mil with a vesting option for 2010 based on 180IP. Whomever stays will fill the 5 hole. Whomever leaves will be a type A free agent and get us 2 draft picks. I have a feeling Mussina leaves for greener pastures and Pettitte stays. So, here is our rotation for 2009. 1. Sabathia 2. Wang 3. Chamberlain 4. Pettitte 5. Hughes The net-net in terms of money is as follows. Mussina, Pavano and Pettitte come off the books. That's 37 million dollars. Signing one of the above and CC will cost us 36 mil and our first round draft pick. So we'd net saving 1 million dollars and getting a supplemental 1st rounder Bullpen: Status quo my friends. No matter how bad Marte has looked, exercise the option at 6 mil. Net-net is a 3 million dollar increase. Catcher: I offer Pudge arbitration but make it fairly obvious that he will be either the backup or the third catcher. He'll walk, and since he'll be a type A FA, you know what that means!! Otherwise, I fill this role internally. Posada should be throwing full strength by then. if not, Molina has been solid and should continue to get the bulk of the PT. If Posada can throw, then he takes the starting gig and Molina slots back into the backup role. Net-Net 1st rounder, supplemental 1st rounder, save 13 million First base: Offer Giambi arbitration and tell him that he'll ride the pine if he accepts. His numbers this yr are solid and he should get a multiyr deal from someone, so I dont think he comes back. Now, if Tex wants to come to NY, do it. I think 20 mil per is what he will get, so cut it off at the head right there. 7yrs 140 mil, but it will cost us our second rounder. So, what does that leave us? Net Net- Lose 2.5 mil per season (Tex AAV vs Giambi's), gain a 1st rounder and a supplemental pick. Lose a second rounder Secondbase: Robby Cano. No change Shortstop: Jeter, no change Thirdbase: ARod, no change Utility: I can live with Betemit as the utility infielder. LF: Damon and Matsui will platoon there with the other playing the DH role. I see Matsui as the full time DH next yr. CF: Melky is the incumbent, but I dont make it easy for him. He and Gardner get to fight it out. Mark Kotsay will also be available as a FA and rather cheap. I'd take a flier on him and have them battle it out. The future is Jackson, but I dont think he is ready to take it in 2009. Lets say we get Kotsay for 4 mil with incentives to go up to 8 total Net-Net: Lose 4 mil RF: This one is a toughie. Abreu has been awesome for us. But the Nady deal offered us a cheaper, younger, right handed, better hitting option in Nady. I'd offer Bobby arbitration and tell him he'd be welcomed back on a 1 yr deal. But I think a guy who can hit like he can will get a final long term deal in the 3-4 yr range. I am not willing to go that long on him. If he goes, take the picks, and save the money. Net-Net: Savings of 16 mil and a first round pick, plus a first round supplemental pick Proposed Lineup: LF- Damon SS- Jeter 1B- Teixeira 3B- ARod DH- Matsui RF- Nady C- Posada 2B- Cano CF- Kotsay Proposed rotation: 1. Sabathia 2. Wang 3. Chamberlain 4. Pettitte 5. Hughes Total savings from end of yr salary.. 20.5 million dollars Total draft pick transactions... Lose 1st rounder Lose 2nd rounder Gain 4 first round picks Gain 4 first round supplemental picks A boy can dream, right?

Now a little advisory. Below Tampa is the level at which most of our highest ceiling players will be. Granted, Brackman will be starting in Tampa, but I only know what I hear about him and that is, he is throwing pretty well coming off TJ. I cannot make any judgements until I see his stats and maybe catch a game or two. That being said, it is very difficult to say, "trade em" about these guys because they are so new to the system. But here goes A: Dellin Betances- is a guy you will have to be patient on. He's 20, 6'8" and throws very, very hard. 94-96 at times with the capability to hit 98. He has a knee buckling curve and a dynamite changeup. His problem is repetition, which is the problem with most big men. Regardless, he has cut down on the walks considerably after coming back from the DL (16 in 42IP) yet continues to show his dominance (.202 BAA and 10.4K/9IP). He's gonna take a long time, but his upside is way too high to deal away. Jairo Heredia is 18 in Charleston. Yes, he is an 18 yr old starting pitcher in long season. He throws pretty hard (91-93) for an 18 yr old and gets a ton of GBs. He has a plus curve and a good change at this point too. I dont deal him either. He is so young and is handling the long season league pretty well (at least until recently). Once he gets his feet under him, he will move much faster than Betances. i dont deal him either. Adam Olbrychowski is a name you might be wondering why I even have him on this list. Well, he's a 2007 draftee and was the closer at Pepperdine. He's since been converting to the rotation and was dominant until he went down with an injury. Since coming back he has been beyond awful. With time, he could be a solid pitcher. High 90s fastball with a good curve. But he is far enough down on the depth chart that I'd deal him. Just right now, his worth isnt that high. Angel Reyes is our 21 yr old enigma. A lefty with a power arm and solid curve, he injured his back last yr and was damn near useless. This yr, he was hit with a steroid suspension and has finally returned. I'd deal him Now for the offense... Jesus Montero is the yankees #3 prospect IMO. 18 yr old dominating long season as their catcher. .323 BA, 14HR, solid slugging. Could use a bit on the patience side. D has improved. He is gonna be a beat. No deals Austin Romine is a kid who was drafted out of high school to catch. He is a solid catcher with a great arm and developing power. He's holding his own in long season as a first yr pro. I think better things are to come with him, so I hold onto him for now. Brandon Laird 20 yr old kid with tons and tons of power. 18 homers in 390ABs and an isolated power of over .200. Doesnt walk much and K's a fair amount. I think we hang onto this kid for now, but I also wont be too averse to moving him. Justin Snyder utility guy with lots of speed and a good eye. I wouldnt be averse to moving him. Bradley Suttle is a kid I dont deal. Switch hitter with a good eye, solid power (IsoPower>.200). Plays 3b but will likely be moved to 1b. He was dubbed the "best pure hitter" in the 2007 draft and he hasnt disappointed. Then you get to the kids who are projects. Carmen Angelini and Abraham Almonte are toolsy guys with tons of speed who are playing rather poorly in their debut to long season. I wont deal them right now solely based upon their potential and the fact that their value right now is nil Then there are other fringe guys like Austin Krum, Dave Williams, and the like who I'd deal at the drop of a hat

That is not an easy question Gom. It is like trying to predict the future. And, you need to go level by level in order to answer it. MLB Phil Hughes- future top of the rotation pitcher if he can ever stay healthy. Dont give up on a kid at 22 with his kind of arm and stuff. Like any young pitcher, location, health, and trusting his stuff are the biggest things he needs to work on. Joba Chamberlain- future CY candidate if he stays healthy, no question Ian Kennedy- Gom, you gotta stop thinking like a new yorker. Minor leaguers take time to develop. This guy didnt get into games until the hawaii league in the winter of 06/07. He was in the majors in less than 12 months. He's immature, he lacks command. This is true. But he is young, he has been a pro for about 2 yrs now and has spent half of that time in the bigs. If he gets time to work on his offspeed stuff and his fastball command, he will be solid. I consider him our Buchholz (with a deeper arsenal (5 pitch arsenal, but with a worse FB-Curve combo). If you give him time to sort things out in the minors, he'll be good. That being said, of the MLB trio, he's the first one I'd move. Dave Robertson I love this kid and think he'll be setting up for our closer for yrs to come. He is young right now and occasionally loses the zone. But his arsenal goes three plus pitches deep, he can sit 92-94 and has the stuff to be dominant. Keep this kid Jose Veras I keep a very close eye to the trade market for him. I dont want to deal him, mind you. But this season has been his breakout yr and if the right deal comes along, you make it. He has closer potential, but he loses the zone too frequently. He'll need to improve on that Edwar Ramirez If you look at him as he is, he is a solid middle reliever. He will never be a good setup man or closer. His success is totally reliant on how he locates his changeup. Hence, if the right deal came along, you make it AAA. Chase Wright is a guy I would have traded last yr. Okay arsenal, but his pitch to pitch location isnt that great and he is prone to the homer. Plus, we have plenty of other guys with higher ceilings coming down the pipe. Alfredo Aceves is another guy I'd sell high on. Very similar to Jeff Karstens. Throws 90-92mph, has average off speed offerings. he is getting by on pitchability and control and as we have seen, the umpires dont give the corners to new kids. So he'll take awhile to mature and the payoff wont be that huge. Jeff Marquez- People love his arsenal and the fact that he throws a 95 mph sinker. Bottom line. He isnt Wang. He likely isnt Mendoza and that is the role I see him in. He was mentioned in the Johan deal and he'd also be a guy I trade away if the right deal came along. Problem is, his legs wont stay healthy this yr. If they did, he'd have made his bronx debut Alan Horne- If there isnt anything truly wrong with his shoulder, then I hang onto him. But he has been awful since coming back from a shoulder injury and has ended up on the DL for the yr. If he can bounce back, he'll be solid. Hard sinking fastball, hammer curve, strikeout ability and developing command. He's the only AAA starter with top of the rotation potential. But his health is holding him back JB Cox- one of the best draft picks in the 2005 class. He broke his hand and had TJ last yr and has had mixed results since his return. His past month has been brutal, but before that his ERA was in the 1 range. Looks like he is a bit tired coming off TJ in April 2007. His upside is a middle reliever. He'll never be a closer. He doesnt throw hard enough. But he can give innings and gets a lot of grounders. With the depth we have developed in our pen, I think he is dealable Mark Melancon is a guy i dont trade at all. To be honest with you, I think he is actually the best prospect in the yankee system right now. One writer called him a "beast". Consider this, he is 18 months removed from TJ and is finally throwing free and easy. He throws a 92-96mph fastball, has a hammer curve and a plus changeup. He is our future closer and I dont deal him at all. Brett Gardner I was pretty leery about bringing him up. He is a slow starter and has proven that at every single level. He has blazing speed, but almost no power and doesnt make contact enough to be a top of the order hitter. I would have dealt him before I exposed him. But now, he may be best served as our 4th OFer simply due to his blinding speed. Juan Miranda He is an intriguing option. If we get Tex in the offseason, then he is dealable. if not, I hang onto him. He was a Cuban national all star. He has a lot of power and takes a ton of walks. His MiLB OBP this yr is .388 and SLG is .452. He hits the ball to all fields. But right now, the way is blocked. It opens up next yr, but if we get Tex, then I deal this guy. Humberto Sanchez has had some bad luck. TJ in April of 2007 then surgery to remove bone chips in February kept him out till June. He's now being groomed as a reliever and is apparently throwing high 90s. That being said, he is at the back of a long line and is tradeable AA Austin Jackson is the future Yankee CFer. He's more like the future CFer in 2010 though. Good average, solid gap power, great speed, cannon for an arm, can take a walk. Everything you could want in a CFer and at the ripe age of 21. This kid is my #2 prospect in the system and I dont deal him George Kontos was damn near traded. He actually was traded, but apparently, the pirates didnt like something in Phil Coke's shoulder. That being said, Kontos has one of the best 1-2 punches in the system. His FB-slider combo is deadly. His change is coming along, but his future still looks to be the pen. And if that remains the case, I think he is dealable. If the change continues improving, then he is at least a #3 starter potential in the bigs with the possibility of being a #2. Kevin Whelan was a big piece of the Sheff trade. But elbow woes and then groin woes have limited his duty this yr. As always, the K numbers are there, but his control still sucks and he is coming up on his Rule V eligibility. I deal him if the right deal comes along Francisco Cervelli is a guy I keep. 22 yr old switch hitting catcher with a great eye, good contact skills and developing gap power. But his defense gets rave reviews. He would likely have made his MLB debut this yr had he not broken his wrist in a ST collision. I see him as a platoon candidate in 09 if Posada cannot catch and a full time backup in 2010 with the possibility of being a starter solely based on his continued progression at the plate. Ramiro Pena is starting to get some good reviews as well. He is cut in the mold of Alberto Gonzalez, except he is much more patient. I could see this guy being a UTIL infielder for us in the future. But I dont think I hold him out of any deals. He still has no power and is slumping of late Reegie Corona is a guy similar to Pena, but less glove, more bat and much more speed. He's 2 yrs younger too. He might be a solid 2b/ss in the future but more for his glove than his stick. I'd deal him off too A+ Wilkins de la Rosa is a converted OFer who is now a dominant left handed pitcher. He was switched to the rotation this yr too and has done nothing but dominate. Unfortunately, he is a rule V candidate at the end of the yr and if we dont protect him, he will be picked up. He's a lefty, throws 96-98 mph and has a sick slider. He does walks about 4 per 9, but his BAA is .188 this yr and he has 114K in 95IP. I dont deal him, and I protect him on the 40 man Zach McCallister is a 20 yr old kid who I like. Drafted in 2006, he has a huge frame (6'6" 230) and has found more velocity on his heater. He's throwing low to mid 90s, has a filthy 2 seamer and 2 quality off speed pitches. He's been pushed to Tampa and has actually gotten better. I dont deal him. In fact, I start him in Trenton next yr, and he may be a candidate for callup. He's already at 142IP this yr, and is likely on pace for 150. That means he can go 180 next yr and 200+ the yr after that. Dont deal him Christian Garcia 2004 draftee with all the talent in the world, but no health. TJ surgery, then ACL reconstruction and this yr, his shoulder has been giving him trouble. Has the stuff to be an ace, but he just isnt staying healthy. I'd deal him for anything useful Michael Dunn is another converted OFer. He is also a lefty and also has a sick FB-slider combo. He was just converted to relief and the early returns are good. But I wouldnt hang onto him if a deal came along. Ivan Novais a guy who is going in the right direction in terms of his K's, BAA, and BB's. He's a very well polished dominican pitcher with a plus curve and change who has the capability to throw 96mph. But his knock has been a lack of pitchers instinct and a lack of strikeouts. He is improving, but he has also made the transition to a sinkerballer. He's intriguing, he's young (21) and he is showing good durability and length this yr. I dont deal him unless a very strong deal came along. Call it a feeling Ryan Pope loved the pick last yr for one purpose. Trade bait. 4 pitches, none plus, FB in the 90-91 range, typically has good control. Got hurt a few weeks back and has been awful since. But once he regains his health, he'll rocket through the system. But he is very much like Aceves, Karstens, and even like a Kennedy'-lite. I deal him Damon Sublett was a draft pick from a yr ago. I like this kid. He started out awful, but was hitting over .400 in his last dozen games before tearing ligaments in his ankle. He's been on the DL since the end of may. Dont give up on this kid. He has a nice power stroke, takes a ton of pitches and plays very solid D. He's gonna be ready in 2 yrs and at that point, may push Cano to a corner IF position (or out in a trade). Mitchell Hilligoss is a guy Peter Gammons was quoted as saying, "can just flat out hit". Well, not this yr. Hilligoss was another guy talked about in a Johan deal. He can play all IF and OF positions, has a lot of speed and makes great contact. But his BA has dropped almost 100 points. I dont deal him yet simply because you'd be selling low and I think he can be better. Charleston to come....

CC>Santana. If we get CC for nothing but cash while passing on giving up Hughes, Kennedy and Melky, then this is a major, major win. What is your obsession with Brian Fuentes? We just got Marte, who in was a better option for us anyway. Granted, he's gotten off to a rough start, but getting Fuentes isnt an option right now and isnt needed. It was thinking like an idiot than got the yankees to 200 mil in the first place. IT WAS YOUR dumbass way of thinking that gave Pavano the 40 mil contract. The "what have you done for me lately" deal of Vazquez AND Navarro for RJ. f*** THE FARM SYSTEM, WIN NOW, SIGN EVERY WASHED UP GUY WITH A LICK OF TALENT, WE ARE THE YANKEES!!! As Crunchy says all the time, your way of thinking got us the 1997 all star team, only 7-11 yrs too late. We are in third place because we didnt have the payroll flexibility to sign guys because of all the dumbass deals we "absorbed" over the past decade. And we didnt have the goods to make deals because our farm system was destroyed by an owner who had your idea of team building. When you dont have a 1st and 2nd rounder yr in and yr out, your drafts tend to suck I know we are a big market team and I want to act like one. But this doesnt mean you sign every washed up loser who comes our way. If you are smart with 200 mil, you shouldnt be in third place. Unfortunately, we werent. And a lot of that has to do with our former owner. And there will be some rectifying that will need to be done. The only reason they are going to the playoffs is because they got their s*** straight earlier than we did. They delved into the farm system and drafted very well, starting in the early part of this decade. They had the goods to deal for Beckett (Hanley is an MVP player, and Anibal will be a solid SP). They developed players like Youkilis, Pedroia, Lowrie, Ellsbury, Lester, Buchholz, MDC, and Papelbon. We didnt get on that train soon enough. The biggest thing we did in 2004 was go over slot and sign Hughes, which, btw f***ed the rest of our draft budget. In 2001, the sox drafted Shoppach and Youkilis. In 2002, the sox drafted Lester and Moss. In 2003, the sox drafted Papelbon and Murphy. In 2004, they drafted Meredith and Pedroia. In 2005, they drafted Buchholz, Hansen, Lowrie and Ellsbury (as well as Bowden). Most teams expect 1 regular out of each draft. The sox have drafted 7 MLB starting position players, 2 MLB starting pitchers, a dominant closer and a solid middle relief man since 2001. That is unheard of. Then factor in a trade that sent another SP and future MVP for Beckett and the sox have developed a full field of players and almost a full rotation Look at that. THIS IS WHY I AM A BELIEVER IN CASHMAN. Cashman's first draft where he really and truly had control and went over budget was 2005. The 2005 draft was a pretty good haul, but injuries have really done a lot to it. (Horne and Cox are the biggest pitchers while Austin Jackson is likely to be the best of this class. Brett Gardner is in this class too). His 2006 draft was phenomenal. His 2007 draft was loaded with high ceiling players and his 2008 draft is loaded with high ceiling arms. He is following the red sox model, which btw, has them going for their 3rd championship in 5 yrs. I keep track of it because I like to know who is coming down the pipe. Some guys I know are s***, some guys surprise me, a bunch disappoint and then there are some who exceed or live up to expectations. It is like gambling. that last sentence makes no sense. But that is okay. You can leave the minors to me and I can inform you of players that are close to MLB ready. That being said, brushing them off as unimportant is how we got to be in this predicament You were also for Zito being signed and Joba being traded. How would that have worked out? That being said, a lot is riding on this offseason and changes do need to be made. If Cashman signs CC, then the whole Johan thing disappears. If he doesnt, then he has some splaining to do. And it better be with a guy like Sheets or Harden in tow It was a great system. I agree. It was one of the best. I think BA had them in the top 5 for 5-6 yrs running in the early to mid 90s. But George got greedy. He made an edict that the minor leagues win as well. He wanted minor league championships as well as big league championships. He never really put much stock in the draft or the INTL period either. So we started drafting guys with lower ceilings, college players who came in, did well in the minors and fizzled out as they reached the top. We had guys who didnt go on development schedules who blew out their arms or who just came to the bigs too raw. We drafted terribly in some of the earlier yrs. 2000-2003 we drafted nobody of significance. A bunch of guys who had a a cup of coffee in the pen. 3 first rounders in 2001, all sucked. 2002, we had no 1st or 3rd round picks. And, we were one of the few teams who refused to go over slot at all. That has changed on Cashman's watch. Wrong answer. He really "took over" in 2005. When he took over, the farm was as dry as it could be. His drafts since 05 have ranked as some of the best around. His 06 draft and INTL signing period might go down as one of the best drafts around. Are you that stupid to think that Cashman had much control of anything in the early part of this millenium? Really? You think he had some autonomy? Yeah? Wanna buy a bridge? Ah, now the personal comments. I see. So, in conclusion. You have your facts wrong. The boss F-ed up this ship and was the main architect of our farm system failing. This lack of farm caused us to make some dumbass decisions regarding FAs, which George was a big part of. It caused us to trade for older, washed up players, which George was a big fan of. George's inner circle in Tampa was calling the shots until Cashman put it on the line in 2005-2006 that he wanted full control or he was gone. But you conveniently forgot that. And, to fairly evaluate a draft, you need to give the college players 2-3 yrs to get to the bigs and the HS kids 4-5 yrs. Since Cashman has now brought the farm system to respectability again (still a top 5 farm system) with his recent drafts, you need to give him a longer leash. Canning him this yr will halt a process that will take a solid 3-5 yrs to complete. All the while, you fill the holes with FA signings and pray for the best.

Again, your comments are laughable for someone who considers himself a yankee fan. Thing is, YOU DONT KNOW s*** ABOUT THE PLAYERS YOU SUPPOSEDLY ROOT FOR. As always, f***ing dumbass. Baseball is a game of streaks and consistency. And while players go into good and bad stretches, all players have at least one horrendous streak during their careers that skew a season from the norm. Jeter had his in 2004, when he hit .292 (second lowest of his career until this yr) but rebounded to hit .309 then .343 the next 2 yrs. You cannot evaluate a player based upon their streaks. Some good (see Xavier Nady) and some bad (like Cano). That being said, Cano is fitting more and more into the mold of a player who will be an all field hitter with gap power. My main concern is that he isnt developing the power I thought he would. The BA will be there as it has been since April. That being said, Pedroia IS developing and right now he is the better player. If Cano's game grows into his body, then it wont be close. We'll see how he develops. Right now, Cano is a lot more raw than Pedroia, who at 25 is looking like a finished product.

Since May 1 .300/.333/.446 SLG is a bit low. The IsoP is right where it usually is. It is just that his abysmal april was so bad that it skews his numbers. So no, Gom, he doesnt suck. You do

Steinny loved his veteran experience. He made public statements almost daily about how much he coveted sheff.

Hit his 14th HR of the yr today. .323/.372/.490. 72RBI as well. It is pretty obvious that he is dominating this league. But he is staying in the SAL this yr due to his raw catching ability.

Gom is another moron. So many of our brethren are stricken with an inability to think. The world series rings have blinded them from the actual thought that goes into building a championship team. Unfortunately, simpletons cannot understand. Now, if Cashman goes out and signs Tex and CC this offseason, will you take your head out of your ass? I am counting on at least one of them. AND, if we go out and get a player of Johan's caliber without having to give up elite prospect talent, then I am happy to have waited the yr. It is absolutely stupid, short sighted, and well, Gom-ish to trade away three high value pitching prospects for 1 yr of a player. This is assuming we get CC, but the trade will boil down to 3 prospects for one season. Is it worth it? Time will tell, but if Hughes can stay healthy, he'll be dominant. Unfortunately, guys like Gom like to cash out prematurely. Only an idiot would write off Hughes right now. Only a f***ing doped up moron would write him off. And if we get to keep him while getting the same type of player in return for 1 yr of having a shaky rotation, then sign me up.

The sox have been pretty good in knowing when a player is ready or not. Take a look at Ells, Pedroia and the rest. Lars is just getting the swing of things in AA. You want to throw him into the fire of a pennant race while skipping him a level?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writ...an/?eref=sircrc Happy now Gom?

We arent the only team, that is true. But look at our DL. I would have to say we are the most affected team. Hughes Wang Pavano Kennedy Chamberlain ARod Posada Damon Matsui they have all spent significant time on the DL

that didnt work out too well, now did it

than beckett and lester is what he said. Regardless, he does have a point. We have lost a ton of pitching and offense this yr

I agree with you ORS. Either Cashman is certain that Hughes, Pavana and Joba can come back, or he is just throwing in the towel. If he is doing so, would he mind telling the players? The Stros occupy the 15th worst MLB position at 1 game over .500. Lets get below that so we dont lose our draft pick when we sign CC and/or Tex

BTW, Jeter is now out of the game with an injury. Awesome

I dunno if this record falls. Under 7 minutes is pretty sweet

DRAFT PICK, DRAFT PICK!!!

kill me now

Mo just gave up a 3 run homer to tie it. I am gonna go kill myself now.

f***

Davis will not get around on this heat.