Elktonnick

That's the problem with Stats they don't tell the whole story! None of those really matter when you finish third and miss the playoffs, now do they? They finished third in a five team division. For the ALE they were mediocre by definition.

Miami will be interesting to watch. It could become a fantastic franchise or into another Dodger mess for MLB, if the SEC investigation turns something up about improper deals regarding their stadium

The Yankees were smart to cut out early on Wilson. The concern many have is that Wilson may be older than his years. I think he is another Lackey and only interesting becuase this is a weak year for FA starters.

Weiland may be salvagable if they can rebuild his confidence and work out other issues in 3A. Miller I am afraid is a failed reclamation project. Millers mechanics are a mess.

Every one in the ALE is fighting Toronto for third place IMHO

El Salvador, & Kuwait. I was in Kuwait in the early eighties long before the first gulf war. he 1983 Kuwait bombings were attacks on six key foreign and Kuwaiti installations on December 12, 1983, two months after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing. The 90-minute coordinated attack on two embassies, the country's main airport and petro-chemical plant, was more notable for the damage it was intended to cause than what was actually destroyed. What might have been "the worst terrorist episode of the twentieth century in the Middle East," succeeding in killing only six people because of the bombs' faulty rigging.[2] Overshadowing the destruction or attempted destruction of bombings, as well as the subsequent arrests, trial and convictions of the perpetrators, was a series of kidnappings, hijackings and killings staged over the next several years to pressure Kuwait to release those convicted of the bombings. The perpetrators of the bombing are thought to have been Radical Shia Islamist members of the Iraqi Islamic Dawa Party working with the support and assistance of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The motivation of the bombing is suspect to have been punishment against Kuwait, America and France for their military and financial assistance to Iraq in the Iran–Iraq War.[3] On December 12, 1983, a truck laden with 45 large cylinders of gas connected to plastic explosives broke through the front gates of the American Embassy in Kuwait City and rammed into the embassy's three-story administrative annex, demolishing half the structure. The shock blew out windows and doors in distant homes and shops and did an estimated $400,000 worth of damage to the high-rise Hilton Hotel across the street. Only five people were killed (Two Palestinians, two Kuwaitis, and a Syrian [4]) in large part because the driver did not hit the more heavily populated chancellery building, and more importantly because only a quarter of the explosives ignited. "If everything had gone off, this place would have been a parking lot, one "prominent American diplomat" told journalist Robin Wright.[5] Five other explosives were attempted within an hour. An hour later, a car parked outside the French Embassy blew up, leaving a massive 30 foot hole in the embassy security wall. None were killed and only five people were wounded. The target intended to get the most powerful explosion was Kuwait's main oil refinery and water desalinization plant, the Shuaiba Petro-chemical plant. A truck with 200 gas cylinders exploded 150 metres from the No.2 refinery and only a few meters from a highly flammable heap of sulfa-based chemicals. Had that bombing been successful it would have crippled its oil production of one of the world's major oil exporters and shut down most of the water supply of the desert nation.[6] Other car bombs exploded at the control tower at the Kuwait International Airport, the Electricity Control Center and the living quarters for American employees of the Raytheon Corporation, which was installing a missile system in Kuwait. An Egyptian technician was killed in the control tower bombing,[7] but none of the other bombings resulted in fatalities. The bombing of the American embassy was an early instance of suicide bombing in the Middle East, along with the Hezbollah's bombings of the American Embassy and Marine barracks in Lebanon earlier that year.[8] [edit] Responsibility Islamic Jihad Organization and Islamic Dawa Party were reported at the time to be involved in the bombing.[9] Shortly after the blasts, Islamic Jihad called Kuwaiti authorities to take responsibility for the blast. This claim and was taken seriously after the callers boast that there was a "seventh bomb" was verified by the discovery of a car bomb in front of the Immigration Bureau. More important than Islamic Jihad was Islamic Dawa. It was connected to the bombing when the remains of a human thumb were found and its thumbprint identified as that of Raad Murtin Ajeel, a 25-year-old Iraqi Shia member of Dawa. Ultimately 21 other defendants were put on trial (17 captured in a nationwide manhunt and four tried in absentia). After a six-week trial, six were sentenced to death (three of those were in absentia), seven to life imprisonment, seven to terms between five and fifteen years.[10] (One of those convicted was Jamal Jafaar Mohammed, currently member of Iraq's parliament and member of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's ruling coalition, and accused of acting as an Iranian agent in Iraq.[11])

you'll get over it.

Pardon me if I sound rude but I am not that foolish. I avoid places like that unless I have to, professionally. BTW I have been shot at several times, held at gun point and survied a terrorist expolision albeit not in Baltimore. I consider Baltimore more dangerous then those places. I don't need to prove my manhood by going into places where risky behavior takes place. Hey like you said tourists are never victims in Baltimore. You keep believing that! It's good for the economy. And Maryland Shock Truama does excellent work. That's why we call it "Charm City ", Hon!

Lars would be a filler piece to even out holes in any deal. Re beckett, see what's out there, it depends. It is conditional. It would be a change of scenery trade in the best intersts of both teams. It would have to be a major league ready starter.

Not true there were more than two dozen murders stabbing and fatalities this year alone within one and two blocks north and south of east baltimore st. Hey if you want to trust your luck in that neighborhood after dark be my guest but one of my relatives, friends and professional colleagues will probably be picking up the pieces. Here read this ( You know you really have no idea what you are talking about) "A number of years ago, multiple shootings at street corners in Baltimore fairly common. A teen armed with a gun and bad aim would simply spray the corner hoping to hit his target, and get a few more in the process. But nothing ever happened like the spate of shootings last night in East Baltimore, where a dozen people were shot at a backyard party on Ashland Avenue, followed by a double fatal shooting two hours later on Fayette Street, followed by yet another double shooting on East Baltimore Street (here is a map).Baltimore police were quiet at the scene and we don't know many details yet. Some might be related, others not (the one on East Baltimore Street was well away from the other two) and the place where a dozen were wounded is only a couple blocks from where a 17-year-old was shot and killed a week ago. Police might have a few people in custody and they have a bullet-riddled car whose driver pulled up to the emergency room at Johns Hopkins. Police and paramedics must have been taxed to the limit (there was at least one othe shooting elsewhere in Baltimore, bringing the total for one night to 17). I'll update as much as possible throughout the day. It was a busy Twitter night for city cops. Here's how they put the initial information out through the night (most recent at top): SHOOTING: Reported at Baltimore & Bond Male shot. Police investigating http://nixle.us/7QJR about 8 hours ago from API Comments Just want to give public praise and kudos to the Baltimore Sun's Justin Fenton for getting out in the trenches last night. Truly it's sad to see that at all these shootings, the only ones doing old school, pavement pounding report was lone wolf Fenton, an enigmatic blogger ;-). What does it say of a major city that lacks comprehensive media getting out there, interviewing, investigating and chronicling local going ons, even if it is late at night. Truly I am saddened when I check other local outlets and the best they can provide is a passing blurb. Not only is last night sadly historic for Baltimore, but I'm afraid it may land us another national dubious distinction. Would not be surprised if this story quickly spreads far and wide."

thank you for the explanation I understand now what you meant.

What I should have written to more accurately reflect the the thought I was making was losing Paplebon is relevent now because Paplebon is already gone. Theey will sign a reliever to replace him, maybe not as good, but only margianlly so. In any case this is the best year for closers on the market. They do need a fifth starter Aceves will be the fourth Beckett if he is here Lester and Buccholtz round out the rotation with the 4 A guys in Pawtucket They need a right handed bat. I think that makes Reddick & Lars Anderson tradeable. I think Lowrie & Youklis are tradeable for pitching and to fill the holes unless we don't sign Papi. I see Atlanta as a possible trade partner If we don't sign Papi then they keep Youk. The Sox will concentrate on Middle Relief through FA and by picking up the odd player in side deals. If they can trade Beckett and get what they need they will IMHO because he is trouble. Besides I don't he is likely to play up to his talent this year. He doesn't pitch well two years in a row.

Quite frankly I think it was several factors not the least of which there are numerous closer options out there this year. If you aren't going to re-sign your closer then his was the year. Even more so since there is always the Bard option( who may not be a closer) I also believe there is something else unsaid like attitude that may have played a part, also.