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Tom Strange
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Not a bad idea-we could go "Hi-TEK" and he could call the whole game on a mini baseballproof blackberry installed in the catchers shin guards while he's out romping with Heidi Watney

:biglaugh:

I know you want to let one of em go NOW,

(advantage Red Sox).

One of either Salty or Teagarden isnt really going to get alot of plate appearances before the trading deadline unless they move one of them to DH, which would probably be a smart move...otherwise Salty's trade value isnt going to go anywhere but down if he is rotting on the bench for most of the season..

If thats the case by July I'll have a case of ShamWows and the ghost of Mike Timlin ready to ship to Texas for our catcher of the future... :biglaugh::spy:

Edited by mstar1
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I just read this morning that Manny finally got a contract offer

The Worcester Tornadoes of the Can-Am League have dangled a 2-year contract worth $24,000 in front of Manny and his agent Scott Boras

There’s no word yet on whether Manny will accept a 99.8% pay cut to move from Los Angeles to picturesque Worcester...so I'll assume he's mulling it over

I know its a joke but it actually got me thinking: what type of numbers would Manny produce if he decided to sit out of MLB for a year and play a season of low level independent minor league ball

Id put him at about 75HRs .430 185 RBI --somewhere in that neighborhood

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only 75 homers ?

Manny also turned down a one year 25 million offer from the Dodgers, who for some reason have scaled back from 2 years. Great.

Their thinking is with a 1 year deal, Manny will stay motivated. I say trying to out fox or psychoanalyze Manny is absurd.

Just get him, for Pete's sake.

Looking forward to Torre's book coming out today. It's been absurd the media zeroing in on a couple of sentences that sound 'sensational', while ignoring the rest, but that's what they do.

While Torre was telling Larry King that the book really isn't about trashing anyone, CNN was scrolling 'Torre slams Yankees' right underneath.

It also interesting to me that everything from the internet to papers to whatever, are dying to report 'stuff' on players on a daily basis, but as soon as someone says something in a 'book', it becomes controversial.

And I still haven't heard anything that hasn't been said before anyway.

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I heard a good interview with Joe on NPR yesterday. It was good to hear him again ( don't hear enough of him out in these parts). The way it sounded was similar to any employment situation that goes on too long--some in fighting and maneuvering, with some discomfort during the last few years. Nothing that doesnt happen in any big company. It wasnt sensational by any means....

..I heard about the 1 year offer by the Dodgers which IMO might be a good deal for Manny. Play another year then do the free agent thing again. The market is bound to be livelier next year --He could sign on with the Yankees as DH then after they lose Damon and Matsui if nothing else.

Boras is going to have to get off his 4 to 6 year kick, its not going to happen---I'm surprised the Giants havent made more of aplay for him

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I have to share this with you guys.

Picked up my highschool sophomore from baseball practice today. Heading home he said, 'Mom, this was the most perfect day." I said, yeh, why is that? "Because I woke up and then played baseball."

I don't think it gets more precious and innocent than that.

A boy and his love for baseball.

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random thoughts-

So Arod tested positive in 2003. My only question is why do we not know until 2009 ? I have no sympathy for him-I do find it interesting that scores of lesser names continue to breathe sighs of relief while the big guns go down.

The stRangers now have Andruw Jones, and good luck to them. I have never seen any player, at any level, perform worse than Jones did last year. Hey-maybe he's healthy and ready to roll. I certainly wasn't walking in his shoes, and don't know why he lost all of his skills.

-

The Torre book is good, though it's really the Tom Verducci book. Some interesting stuff I'll get to sometime. A lot of my passion for Yankee baseball-especially the Sox rivalry-died that ugly day in 2003 with the playoff brawl, and has never really returned. Reading this book brought it all back. Sometimes I wish I lived in Kansas City, rooting for the Royals, and knowing there are good seats available most of the time.

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I wish I had a nickel for everytime you've said that over the last few years.

I spose it would be an interesting experience...completely different thats for sure.... its sometimes hard to know where the fandom ends and the hype begins in these parts.

I really miss the days when you could just go to the park on the spur of the moment which Im sure you can still do in KC--not so here--

There are a lot of times I can find almost as much enjoyment stopping at a Little League or High School game or playing wiffleball with the neighborhood kids as I can going to Fenway...

If I didnt have a tie in for my whole life it might be a different story for me and maybe I'd enjoy moving to someplace like Pittsburg--but good or bad its like family.

Its too bad the whole NYY/RS thing was blown out of proportion by the media -its been going on for decades, stays like normal games for 10 years then flares up again the dies down again, It was hot in 03 and 04 and has died down again except the media wont let it go. There has been just as big a thing going on with Tampa for several years, that flares up one or twice a year, but no one has paid it much attention.

Its baseball, it happens in pennant races. If that fight had been between say KC and Minnesota it would have been noted but no one would have replayed it before every single game between them for the next 6 years to provoke the bloodlust of idiots who call themselves fans.

That episode is long gone, just about all the names have changed-- I havent read Joes book, it might be worth picking it up for his description of that period, it was an intense time between two very very good teams

As far as ARod, the thing that ticks me off is that its going to put the HR record under yet another cloud,

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Oh yeah-I'd have to live near Kansas City- don't see it happening

The Royals in their good years were exciting, and fun. I wish that on most teams. The Dodgers are like that with Manny-without him, they're missing the key ingredient, and depending on the charms of Dodger Stadium-which admittedly are great

The Arod bomb has exploded-Frankly I wouldn't mind if the fall out resulted in him leaving the Yankees.

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I dont see it happening --they stood by Giambi--plus who else would or could take up his contract---with all union rules he's probably protected from most angles----

Ive driven through KC a few times--the first time in 1974--all I remember is the two stadiums close by the highway which was a nice sight and about 10 miles that smelled just like Cheerios--thats all I can recall---

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Andruw Jones... I know what you mean hiway... but the stRangers aren't really taking any big chances here... a spring training invite is all... and if last year turns out to be a wake up moment for him then good, if it turns out that he's lost it... oh well... we're hearing more about el presidente talking about how things are different with the pitchers now and in the future...

here's something for you all to ponder:

Pitcher: Kevin Brown, First Base: Raffy Palmeiro, Second: Villardi (?), Third: Caminetti, LF: Ruben Sierra, CF: Gary Matthews Jr, RF: Juan Gonzalez, Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez, SS: Alex Rodriguez, DH: Jose Canseco

Quite the lineup isn't it? What made me think of it?

were we the freakin' epicenter of it all? ...or is it just that more of our guys got caught? ...does this take anything away from the "genius" of Rudi Jarramillo? ...I always wondered how he got people to be great hitters after 5 minutes in the bowels of the stadium...

...and I can go watch a game just about any time I think about it! ...but I'd trade that for a pennant! ...and there are three minor league teams in the area! (I like them best)

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random thoughts-

So Arod tested positive in 2003. My only question is why do we not know until 2009 ? I have no sympathy for him-I do find it interesting that scores of lesser names continue to breathe sighs of relief while the big guns go down.

The stRangers now have Andruw Jones, and good luck to them. I have never seen any player, at any level, perform worse than Jones did last year. Hey-maybe he's healthy and ready to roll. I certainly wasn't walking in his shoes, and don't know why he lost all of his skills.

-

The Torre book is good, though it's really the Tom Verducci book. Some interesting stuff I'll get to sometime. A lot of my passion for Yankee baseball-especially the Sox rivalry-died that ugly day in 2003 with the playoff brawl, and has never really returned. Reading this book brought it all back. Sometimes I wish I lived in Kansas City, rooting for the Royals, and knowing there are good seats available most of the time.

Very few games at the BOB (aka Chase Field) would find a walk up fan unable to buy very good seats.

Andruw Jones... I know what you mean hiway... but the stRangers aren't really taking any big chances here... a spring training invite is all... and if last year turns out to be a wake up moment for him then good, if it turns out that he's lost it... oh well... we're hearing more about el presidente talking about how things are different with the pitchers now and in the future...

here's something for you all to ponder:

Pitcher: Kevin Brown, First Base: Raffy Palmeiro, Second: Villardi (?), Third: Caminetti, LF: Ruben Sierra, CF: Gary Matthews Jr, RF: Juan Gonzalez, Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez, SS: Alex Rodriguez, DH: Jose Canseco

Quite the lineup isn't it? What made me think of it?

were we the freakin' epicenter of it all? ...or is it just that more of our guys got caught? ...does this take anything away from the "genius" of Rudi Jarramillo? ...I always wondered how he got people to be great hitters after 5 minutes in the bowels of the stadium...

...and I can go watch a game just about any time I think about it! ...but I'd trade that for a pennant! ...and there are three minor league teams in the area! (I like them best)

For once I agree with that big mouth former WS co-MVP with the Dbacks... Curt Schilling, who called for making known ALL of the names of those who've gotten caught using performance enhancing drugs...

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Pitcher: Kevin Brown, First Base: Raffy Palmeiro, Second: Villardi (?), Third: Caminetti, LF: Ruben Sierra, CF: Gary Matthews Jr, RF: Juan Gonzalez, Catcher: Ivan Rodriguez, SS: Alex Rodriguez, DH: Jose Canseco

Quite the lineup isn't it? What made me think of it?

were we the freakin' epicenter of it all? ...or is it just that more of our guys got caught? ...does this take anything away from the "genius" of Rudi Jarramillo? ...I always wondered how he got people to be great hitters after 5 minutes in the bowels of the stadium.

wowza Tom-some interesting connections there--I wonder how far anyone will pursue this.

We need Gibbs from NCIS on this

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As I work my way through 'the Yankee Years', I'm realizing that it's 85 % Tom Verducci. It should have been 'by Verducci with occasional thoughts from Torre'.

It's a fine book, but Torre is not the author. Most of the controversial stuff is Verducci's writing, though it seems Joe is ok with taking the heat, since his name is on it.

So far I've got a greater understanding on why the 90's Yankees were special ( and remain my all time favorite team), and how it dismantled. I also appreciate the mechanics of the Red Sox rise more (though it's not much different than Mstar's analysis over the years).

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I just read THIS ARTICLE by Nate Silver at Baseball Prospectus, ( the same Nate Silver of 538.com, who did such a great job predicting the last elections using baseball geek analysis)

He projects the Red Sox, Indians, A's, Mets, Cubs and DBacks -which works for me, (or if any of you want to go to your shady neighborhood bookie and put your money down).

If you click on the team links it gives alot of other projections which are interesting to ponder .

Of course there is still a lot of free agents floating around out there and its based on computer models --I'll prefer to watch the games actually be played

which thankfully wont be too long from now

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Yea I know--Its just filling up the time for me until the games get going.

Most of it is just logic and common sense that Silver takes to the extreme end

I actually knew the Rays would be good last year ( i could check back in this thread where I think I pointed it out but Im not going to...) I didnt think they go to the WS just better than most people thought that they would be because they had great pitching which i had seen develop for a few years and they shored up their bullpen..

From my own perspective its just interesting he picks the RS over the Yanks and Rays. You know I like them but that is partly emotionally based, but its interesting to see that even when the geek runs the numbers it still works out.

I would like to understand his methodology better as some of his player numbers in the past have been really really close.

Of course no one knows at this point who will break out and have a Josh Hamilton typeyear, fall flat like Varitek, or which team will be besieged by injuries either--way too many variables to predict much of anything for me--but a projection of 98 wins is just a pretty good way for me to wake up

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I remember you were right about the Rays improvements-and understand it's nice to read about your team being pumped up-gotta get through the winter...

here's my weird prediction-and you know how I feel about predictions-

this Arod thing might (and I mean MIGHT), ultimately make a better team player out of him. Up to now, it's been all about himself, and the records. There's no way anyone will look at him the same again, and he has to learn to live with it. If he can get past worrying about being the 'greatest' ( which he never was imo), maybe he can learn to be part of a team. There are reasons why Jeter, with lesser skills, is loved, and he isn't.

Maybe this is my fantasy way of getting through the winter.

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:biglaugh: -everyone has their methods--

We'll have to see how that works out--Im a big believer that a little humilty and humble pie can be one of the best things for anyone at times.

You might be right that it could be the catalyst to change him--we'll have to see how deeply he takes it to heart. one never knows what goes on inside someone...whether the change will be real or superficial---

As much as I admittedly dont like him--he is at a crossroads, one that could redeem him in a lot of ways if he decides to take that road --or he could just go back to business as usual--I wish him well in his growth as a person. It would be good for him, good for baseball and good for the Yankees if he could drop that whole facade of being "the Greatest"---I'll be watching and honestly have hope (just because he is a fellow human being) that he can turn the corner on that.

If he can turn himself into a better and more likable person then thats great BUT I still wont want him to get any key hits against the Sox--I just wont dislike him as much if he does

:)

Edited by mstar1
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