Tom Strange

wow... I just looked and we're almost at 200 pages and 4000 replies... good work folks! uh-oh, just saw the seven day forecast, here it is (starts on Sunday) 107, 106, 102, 100, 101, 102, 101 and this isn't that "dry heat" like Rocky and Simon have... when I got home from golf (2 gatorades, 3 32oz cups of water while out... still haven't peed) the temperature in the shade on my patio was 108.3... kind of makes the 93 that it is right now feel comfortable... anyone want my electric bill?

...it sounds like some kind of song I might have heard back in the early 70's...

Is it against the current rules for me to suggest that AnotherDan lighten up a bit? ...have a sense of humor? My gawd peepull!

I know what you mean... although we don't have the rings to go with it... it was kind of like that when Pudge left here, not only because he gave us so many great years but he was home grown... he'll be the first stRanger to go in the HOF I'm guessing. Good for Bay last night... I think I forgot to mention who got the walk off for us last night... (that's right starman!) While your thanking Theo for us you better tell him to let the team know not to test our outfielder's arms... hopefully, you'll get to see them try though! You are going to see us when we're in town week after next aren't you? Just heard LAD up 3-1 with a Manny homer... That's taken from something Millwood said when he first signed with us... I think he was coming off that season where he led the majors in ERA (among starters) and a reporter asked him if he wasn't worried about pitching here hurting his ERA... he just said words to the effect of 'I'm not worried about that, the other pitcher has to pitch here, too... I just have to allow fewer runs than he does.' psst... Kevin... we're still waiting... come back off of the DL and do something for us this year (we currently have 8 pitchers on the DL)

...there are rules? ...who knew? ...did anyone else know there were rules? ...I guess I better go read 'em! ...maybe I'll wait for the new ones instead!

happening day friend!

Manny looks skinner, more 'in shape', in his new LAD uniform... BTW, immediately following the game last night the stRangers fired their Pitching and Bullpen coaches... brought up the AAA pitching coach... paraphrasing El Presidente Ryan: "we're gonna be patient with our young pitchers, we want them to have the success here that they've had in the minors and we want them to learn and adjust here like they did in the minors"... it hadn't been happening... we don't expect low ERAs when you pitch half your games at this place, but we do expect (or want) them to give up less runs than our opponents...

Before you know it Chas, the kid will be on this thread talking baseball with us! (yes, we'll still be here talking baseball... the great game!)

sweetniKa... I'm melting... I'm melting...

Hopefully Chas he'll be talking about "the game" for days and want to go right back... if you guys can swing it, it's a great thing for a father and son to do... AND you and the little one, too! What I meant to say there was "13th starting pitcher and 7th starting pitcher making his debut... we've used 27 pitchers now... The kid did all right considering he started the year in A ball... gave up 6 runs combined in the second and third (us behind 6-0) but by the time he left after 5 it was all tied 6-6. Now freakin' CJ Wilson has given up two in the top of the ninth... wait... the stRangers just scored 3 runs to win in the bottom, 9-8... ...if we only had some (consistent) pitching

That's great Chas! and yes, it is a right of passage... minor league games are great for anyone but especially for the youngsters... sounds like he's jazzed, I hope he has a good experience... baseball won't let him down! ...we could all use a little baseball! They're playing the Connecticut Defenders tonight and Kristopher is gonna get a free football if he's among the first 1,000 kids! (why not a baseball?)

...but if they were you and hiway would at least get to see some nice home run shows! Heard them talking on the radio today... they were talking about all of the young pitchers and position players we have that have made their big league debuts this year... it seems that this is for the most part the effect of Nolan Ryan (we were wondering what he was gonna be doing)... his philosophy is if a player is doing pretty well at whatever level he is at then he should be moved up and challenged... if they're a position player and they have any trouble once they get here, Ron Washington takes them under his wing... if they are a pitcher, they get Nolan Ryan and Art Howe talking to them... he's in the stands most nights sitting by the dugout (he doesn't stay in the air conditioned suite)... he's right there. If I'm a young pitcher making my big league debut I think it would be pretty neat to have Nolan Ryan rooting for me and talking to me about my mental approach, etc.

I just wish the stRangers were in the NL West... we'd be in the playoffs for sure! I think I remember hearing McCarver say about Manny last year during the world series "Catchers don't catch pitches thrown in the strike zone to Manny" (or something like that)

hiway: don't the Dodgers sometimes to GAMES without a home run? starman: get well... take care of that Lyme disease.. it's a bitch! tonight we start our 13th pitcher of the year, the 7th making his major league debut!

c'mon folks! what goes with "Rubber little lady"???

I saw that movie once... but I don't remember any of it (I was on acid I think)... I've always wanted to see it again since everyone always says it's so good...

I wasn't thinking about his "vacations"... I was thinking that he already played half his games in a full size field... anyway, he belongs to hiway now... I know what you mean about the rest of the lineup improving their numbers... the only time Josh (oh sh!t) Hamilton's numbers have dipped this year was when Bradley was out of the lineup for a while on one of his injuries... having four all stars hit in front of him probably doesn't hurt Murphy's numbers either although I think it's more the guy behind you that has more influence... Thought I'd relate this tid bit that I heard on the radio last night: the stRangers were 13-12 in July with an ERA of almost SEVEN... that's why we dream of good pitching down here...

Oh well... personally, I'm hopeful that we'll have better luck with our pitching coming up through the system. I've just gotta believe that with Art Howe here (in his second year as Washington's assistan) we'll have better luck with it... We have the worst pitching, statistically, in MLB yet only two teams have a better record since April 25th: the Rays and the Angels. Of course the Angels are in the AL West with us. stRanger fans feel hopeful though, we're only 4 games out in the wildcard race and lately we've been winning games that we had no business winning... they're finding a way... so we'll see.

maybe the young folks will get on board with them... this will set them dollarwise for the rest of their lives... if I only had a nickel for every time I've heard "Dave's not here man..."

This from MLB.com

I'm just wondering how Manny will do since he now has to play "full time" in a regular sized left field... maybe he'll wear the MP3 sunglasses that he wore (during a game) down here a couple of years ago...

I just got word that Manny to the Dodgers, Bay to the BoSox and four minor leaguers to the Pirates... the Pirates get third baseman Andy LaRoche (his brother plays first base for Pirates)and RHP Bryan Morris from the Dodgers and OF Brandon Moss and Reliever Craig Hansen from Boston... BoSox also pay the $7 million left on Manny's salary this year Sure he does... but I'd heard that (when the Marlin deal was still up) he wanted the remaining two years of options dropped from his contract so he could be a free agent at season's end... don't know if that's part of this deal though...

stRangers stand pat... I guess that's it for this year... at least according to MLB.com

the latest has the Manny deal losing steam... seems it would result in them trading Manny, two prospects and $9 million (originally 7) for Bay... and that's not too good a deal... Marlins and Reds interested in Laird... Reds also interested in Byrd or Nelson Cruz (our guy tearing up AAA)... earlier in the week that was rumored to be Arroyo coming back to us from the Reds... does he have anything left or is he fixated on his music career?

oops! had that wrong... it's Junior to the Pale Hose...