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Tom Strange
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Can he catch a knuckleball?

I dont know if I mentioned on this thread but for all the years of watching Tim Wakefield throw the knuckler on the tube--I finally sat up close behind homeplate earlier this year to watch him pitch... His knuckler, when its knucklin right, is certifiably insane--Its no wonder that his catchers lead the league in passed balls, and batters look like children [when its on/i]

--of course when its not on--its another story---

anyway--what were we talking about?

...If Laird can hit over .150 he may have a shot--of course I dont know what the masterplan is--whatever it is--Im sure Theo is on it.....

acne----Im not sayin nothin but thats a side effect of 'roids..

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Can he catch a knuckleball?

Don't you guys already have an ex-catcher of ours up there for that?

There are reports that NYY is calling about Laird and that the LAD have joined a couple of other clubs showing interest in Blalock...

...heck, who knows?

This from Gammons (last year) via Newberg:

“The biggest holdup in the Gagné deal, other than working out his negotiated rights to refuse a deal to Boston, was 17-year-old outfielder Engel Beltre. When Epstein went to bed at 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, he had refused to include Beltre in the trade, so on Tuesday morning, the Rangers still were down to the Brewers ― who were on Gagné’s list of teams to which he could be traded ― and the Red Sox. But Epstein decided a 17-year-old kid a half-dozen years from the big leagues probably was worth including for a shot to win the World Series. ‘When Theo called and said he would put Beltre in the deal, it was down to the no-trade language and the paperwork,’ Daniels said. That paperwork was so complicated that it almost was not completed by the 4 p.m. deadline.”

Did you remember to thank Theo for me starman? ...please do so again!

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<_<

Who knew Gagne was gonna implode?

He did do us a great service reminding us fat dumb and happy Boston Fans that we can still get riled into apopleptic seizures at the mere mention of certain ballplayers if necessary--a lot of us had forgotten that..

---Going.. Going...Gagne earned a place in BoSox history and reminded us who we really are...and who we can be at a moments notice.....

As far as Beltre --Id love to see him play and he very well may be the next--(whoever), but you could also fill the manhattan phone book with the number of 18 year old "cant miss" prospects who youve never heard of....who knows at this point?----i wish him well--the road through the minors is never easy or certain.

If he ends up driving in the winning run in the 2012 WS feel free to buy me a Lone Star and we'll call it even...

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I think I recall warning you about Gagne at the time.

Of course I also warned you about Drew, and right now, he's carrying your team, so it shows how much I know.

At least the Dodgers had Gagne when he was good ( and super-charged with roids).

Drew was nothing but a bust here. Maybe laid back LA lulled him to sleep, and he needs the energy of a northeast city.

Another relaxing series at Fenway this weekend. In these days of lowered expectations, I'll be ok if the Yankees can salvage one. Their recent streak may be an illusion, since the Twins always lose at the Stadium.

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AYUP another relaxing weekend :)

So far this year has been pretty mellow--but we are rapidly approaching crunch time of the year so you never know

Joba vs Beckett tomorrow night will be interesting...

Joba and Youkilis already have a history-- and Beckett would throw at his grandmother if he had to...

If it heats up for any reason in the first game...it could be a long, memorable and intense weekend...

Middle relief for each team could be key.

at least one game ending with Papelbon vs ARod and go ahead runners on would make my week

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starman! take a look at what Nelson Cruz has done for our AAA team this year... he has very impressive numbers... if you need a fourth outfielder.

we just don't have any room for him here unless we move Bradley (and it's still up in the air as to what will happen with that)

reports we're getting are that there's some infighting among the LAD management regarding Blalock... as I recall, there was some of the same last year or else Texeira might be an LAD instead of a Brave...

Oh yeah... and I did want to bring up another bright prospect that's worked out well... Chris Davis... he was called up during the Houston series and has hit 8 home runs in his first 83 AL at bats... and he's not bad with the glove either!

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:biglaugh::biglaugh:

Middle Relief Tom!! Middle Relief!

and no more Gagnes!!!

We're up to our necks in outfielders already--and now Manny has to go back out there because Papi is back.

Davis sounds pretty good--but dang we already have Kevin Ukelele ish , Sean Casey (.356) and Ortiz in line at first......

...I just went and checked Cruz' numbers (zowie! ....

Whats up with him? Im missing something somewhere --- Hes got gigantic numbers but is 27 and been in and out of AAA for 4 years--Nobody can find a place for him on the big club? or is there some problem (personality issue?) somewhere?

He's certainly demolishing the PCL....

Why dont you trade us Hamilton to make room for that kid?

We could probably find some room for Mr. Holy Sh!t somewhere :biglaugh:

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you misunderstand grasshoppah... I was not offering you C Davis just telling you about him... (remember, down here all we've got is offense, no pitching)... Cruz has been up a couple of times and done OK... we've just got everyone we need right now... like I said, if they move Bradley, he'll likely get the call...

(Padilla loaded the bases with no outs, got it to two outs with only one run being scored... then... 4 more runs... before they decided to test Mr. Murphy's arm from left field... perfect strike)

I hope Padilla will stay focused... the were little chip shots and texas leaguers... they're not hitting him well, just often... he saws 'em off and they drop one in front of the outfield... Padilla just has to remember that we're a team that thinks nothing of overcoming 5 or 6 run leads...

Anyway, we've got another guy down on the farm named Jason Botts, he kills at all levels on the farm but can't do it in the show... Cruz isn't like him though...

I've been wondering what simonzeeloaded and our other fans of the Chicagos think about Mark Cuban being in the finals to purchase the Cubbies...

...home run Murphy, 5-2 now...

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sorry to bug you guys again... but make that 9 homers in his first 86 at bats for Chris Davis...

A's were ahead 5-0 after 3 innings. Rangers score the next 14 unanswered (including 8 in the 9th) and win 14-6... Padilla gets win number 12.

From Newberg: Among the key stats of the game, as far as I'm concerned, is that Josh Hamilton got 25 hours of sleep in the 48 hours leading up to the game...

According to T.R. Sullivan at MLB.com:

RANGERS CATCHERS DRAWING INTEREST

The Rangers are loaded with catching and other clubs have noticed. Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Taylor Teagarden and Max Ramirez have all drawn interest. As many as 20 clubs have called to ask about the Rangers catching.

The Yankees have asked about both Laird and Saltalamacchia. The Reds love Laird, who is on the disabled list but expected to be activated on Saturday. The problem is the Rangers want quality young pitching in return and clubs aren't eager to part with that precious commodity.

The Rangers are also getting some interest in Hank Blalock. The Twins, Giants and Dodgers have all at least explored the possibility.

The Rangers wouldn't mind trading Frank Catalanotto before the deadline but he has another year on his contract and that could be an obstacle. The Rangers might be willing to eat some salary if they can get something in return. The Mets might be a possibility.

Clubs have also asked about Milton Bradley but the Rangers aren't eager to trade him and are not initiating any discussions about him. He is a free agent at the end of the season and the Rangers would like to have him back. The Diamondbacks, Rays, Cubs and Tigers are among the teams that are interested.

The Rangers have had teams ask about pitchers Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Eddie Guardado and Jamey Wright but aren't eager to give up pitching. They would rather do something to reinforce their pitching staff.

And Millwood went on the DL (again) today...

Edited by Tom Strange
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There's a lot of interesting stuff (for all teams) on MLB.com. On the top right part of the home page in the 'Headlines' section, find 'Trade Deadline' and click on the link for 'Trade Talk Blog'. You'll find links to specific recent stories/rumors and also, further down on the right, a section called 'Team Rumors' where you can click on a specific team and it will pull up all of the rumors for the last couple of months starting with the most recent.

Also Baseball Prospectus is free July 21-July 27 (sorry, I just found out)

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you misunderstand grasshoppah... I was not offering you C Davis just telling you about him... (remember, down here all we've got is offense, no pitching)... Cruz has been up a couple of times and done OK... we've just got everyone we need right now... like I said, if they move Bradley, he'll likely get the call...

(Padilla loaded the bases with no outs, got it to two outs with only one run being scored... then... 4 more runs... before they decided to test Mr. Murphy's arm from left field... perfect strike)

I hope Padilla will stay focused... the were little chip shots and texas leaguers... they're not hitting him well, just often... he saws 'em off and they drop one in front of the outfield... Padilla just has to remember that we're a team that thinks nothing of overcoming 5 or 6 run leads...

Anyway, we've got another guy down on the farm named Jason Botts, he kills at all levels on the farm but can't do it in the show... Cruz isn't like him though...

I've been wondering what simonzeeloaded and our other fans of the Chicagos think about Mark Cuban being in the finals to purchase the Cubbies...

...home run Murphy, 5-2 now...

May not hear from simonz for several days... he's vacationing in Chicago...

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I hope Simon takes sometime at Wrigley----

..Manny's in his semiannual trade me mode-- sat out last nights 1-0 loss to the Yanks

Whaddaya say Tom--Manny for Hamilton head up?

Young?

:)

Everyones bunched up in the AL East now, first time thats happened in a 3 way for a lot of years.

Sox are flat and the Yanks are on fire---Its gonna be a fight from here on out

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I don't get this pattern that seems to have set in the last few years. Yankees start the season awful, Sox jump out at the gate. Yankees find themselves around now, while Sox come back to earth, then we see what September brings.

Of course there are those Rays.

I'm off to see the Dodgers-Nationals. The Nats are about as boring a team as I can think of, but a games a game. I'm glad Don Mattingly is now on board full time. We'll see if even he can help the hapless Andruw Jones, who's hitting around .165 last I looked(.072 with runners in scoring position-oyvey).

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I don't get this pattern that seems to have set in the last few years. Yankees start the season awful, Sox jump out at the gate. Yankees find themselves around now, while Sox come back to earth, then we see what September brings.

Of course there are those Rays.

I'm off to see the Dodgers-Nationals. The Nats are about as boring a team as I can think of, but a games a game. I'm glad Don Mattingly is now on board full time. We'll see if even he can help the hapless Andruw Jones, who's hitting around .165 last I looked(.072 with runners in scoring position-oyvey).

Yeah, Andruw's still awfully young (even though he's been in the league, what 10-12 years) but those numbers make him look like retirement is on the horizon.

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Glad to hear Mattingly's back.

We'll see what happens over here in the East---I always knew the Yankees would be back---thats a no brainer--they always are--

Whether the Rays can stay at or near the top the rest of the way Im not sure---theyve had a great year so far but they have never been this far before--This is usually the part of the year when it gets grueling--I know the Sox and yankees know how to do August/ September--...

but who knows theyve been a surprise so far.

We'll see about the Sox as well---theyve been looking flat and blah for awhile now--I know that happens over a long season--but something ( well...everything really) has to somehow kick into a higher gear soon or they could fold and land in third in a hurry

and damn whats the paycheck for Andruw? about 15M

I hope hes not on a multiyear deal

Edited by mstar1
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Jones signed a 2 year ,32 million contract. Between him and Jason Schmidt big contract(Schmidt has been on the dl for 2 years now), Dodger fan is screaming for gm Ned Colletti's head.-as loud as a typical Dodger fan can scream that is.

Because of the money they're paying Jones, they keep putting him out there every day, to a daily chorus of boos. Last night , he didn't strike out amazingly, but he did hit into a double play. The Dodgers best of is Juan Pierre, Matt Kemp, and Andre Ethier, but one of them has to sit every night so Jones can be run out there. The Dodgers are desperate for someone who can hit homeruns, and are hoping that Jones will somehow turn it around. I'm hoping to win the lottery , too, but hey, I love to be proved wrong so we'll see.

The Nats proved as boring as I thought, but I'm not about to gripe about spending a Saturday summer evening in Dodger Stadium. Dodger Dogs can either be terrific or inedible based on how well they're grilled, and how hot they are. They're made at a central grill, wrapped in foil and distributed to all the stands. If you get them freshly delivered, they're cold as ice, and not worth buying. It actually helps to let them sit for some time in the heating bins-the dog is piping hot, and the bun is softened. I've turned back Dogs when the foil is cold to the touch, and had arguments with the vendors who all claim that they're hot off the grill-they're not-they've been wrapped and shipped down a level.

Last night I had 2 very good Dodger Dogs-piping hot, and grilled great, with mustard and chopped onion. I don't like the relish there.

Dodger Stadium as a whole would rank low in terms of food choices. They have nothing like Boog Powell's bbq in Baltimore, which if I ever get there, I'll have to try.

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I still have the tickets to Baltimore I mentioned on the previous page that Im not goin to be able to use --if you are in the mood!

I found a baseball food review site a few months ago that had menu reviews and suggestions for all the major league ballparks--

If I can find it I'll repost it.

Fenways in my mind leaves something to be desired, although the clam chowder is pretty good on the cold nights. The grill at El Tiantes isnt bad as well as at RemDogs although the price is hefty.

The thing that annoys me is that beer can no longer be served in the stands, so it never fails that I always have some pack of fratboys down the row, who make it there quest every inning to get up walk down the aisle ( not easy at all in Fenways cramped seats ) go get there two beer allotment, come back go down the damn aisle again-(again up//down squeeeeeze through)-then 15 minutes later do the same thing.. Its annoying by the second inning --by the time they get totally hammered in the 5th or so..(why do they bother to come to a game to get loaded? isnt it cheaper anywhere else??) it can be very annoying..unless Im lucky enough to have a big loud burly "cut out the crap" sort of guy in the row who lets them know the score....

Its one of those times where although I love Fenway I wish the seating areas were a little more spacious..

anyway all this talk of food is making me hungry---off to breakfast

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I was wrong-Jones is making 36 million, not 32.

Clam chowder at Fenway sounds good to me.

I pray every game not to be sitting next to beer guzzling rowdies.

At the BOB, the concession stands don't get much business... since the first season, the prices have been outrageous... so, many people (including me) bring our own food... usually pistachios. The only drink item allowed for fans to bring in is water in unopened containers... so, many bring water.

Beer is like $8/cup. That's insane.

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im surprised they let you bring your own food in---No such luck at Fenway--even your water is confiscated (no outside containers in the park)--At $4.50 a pop for water a hot day has to net them a pretty amazing amount --just in water alone--At the amount they buy the probably cost them for about 2 - 5 cents a piece. Last game I went to was hot and i went through a ton of water --maybe 6 or so-

If they sold somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 which I think is a totally reasonable estimate for that day thats somewhere between $2-400,000 in water alone in one day.

Never mind all the other stuff....

Its alittle crazy...

Anyway.... HERE is a 3 page review of some food of different ballparks from the NYTimes food reviewer published a month or so back

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I have to agree... the food at AT&T in SanFran is pretty pretty good... I like the food and selection here as well. Of course, it's all localized so we have BBQ brisket sandwiches available, foot long corny dogs, chicken fried steak and of course, fajitas. But it is all way over priced except that every Wednesday that they are in town is 'dollar dog night'... sure, they're the smaller dogs but it's still a great deal and on Sundays it's dollar sundaes...

hiway, don't you guys have the Giants comin' to town? I know that it's a "storied rivalry" but isn't their offense about as boring as watching ice melt?

The stRangers have been in the cooler climes since the break and they open a long homestand tonight... it's 106.7 in the shade on the covered patio here at my house as I type... and it's supposed to be over 100 for the next week or so (before cooling off to 98 or so)... it doesn't get below 90 here until sometime between 11 PM and midnight these days and the overnight low is usually still over 85... at least in the desert they get the cool nights...

starman, no thanks! I'm thinking Hamilton is going to be a stRanger for quite some time... and Kinsler and Davis and Young and (probably) Murphy... oh yeah, did I remember to thank you for Murphy? :)

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