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Tom Strange
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Hokey smokes, Bullwinkle ! Looks like the Cubs are landing Soriano. Add that to Ramirez and a healthy Derek Lee, and the Cubs are suddenly a powerhouse. Soriano will make Wrigley look like the bandbox it is, if he doesn't get tangled up in the ivy in his outfield adventures.

With Lou at the helm, I'm interested in the Cubs for the first time in my life.

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didn't get to see him too much but always heard good things about him... was it his wheels?

Yea, he had several knee surgeries, I read someplace that he may never be able to run again which has to be tough for a former pro athlete. Its interesting but around these parts with all the big names it was almost always Mueller that people wanted their kids to emulate as a ballplayer. He always did it right

For someone who only played here three years and being quiet and humble about it-he made a huge impact--He'll be welcome back in these parts forever

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Hokey smokes, Bullwinkle ! Looks like the Cubs are landing Soriano

Hokey Smokes is right. aside from the interesting times its going to bring to Wrigley--It seems way too steep to me ---an 8year/136m contract-especially to a guy who is 31?

Good Luck Cubbies, but I hope that it doesnt throw the rest of the offseason way off for the rest of us who still have a lot to get.

Anyword if hes going to be playing second or the OF? should be an adventure

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Hokey Smokes is right. aside from the interesting times its going to bring to Wrigley--It seems way too steep to me ---an 8year/136m contract-especially to a guy who is 31?

If he's from somewhere around the Dominican Republic,he's probably really 35...Those guys always lie about their age.....I was surprised the Cubs were able to hang on to their version of a Ramirez....I know the Angels were after him...He had a very good second half,but the Cubbies were well out of contention by then...I wouldn't doubt if they put Soriano back at 2nd---Todd Walker's replacement didn't fare to well....

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yeah... I don't think Soriano is looking to go somewhere else to play the outfield... but that money for him, if he plays in the outfield, is probably right... he can win games by himself sometimes... he is one of the most deadly offensive weapons in the game today...

BUT

at second base he'll still make the easy look ridiculous and the ridiculous look easy... cubbie fans should pray for a lot of hard plays to make at second if that's where they put him...

oh... and early rumors about the stRangers looking at Manny again...

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oh... and early rumors about the stRangers looking at Manny again...

When is there not a Manny rumor??

around here its like the sun coming up...

Unless someone like Texiera is in the deal I cant see it happening (although that may not stop them)---Manny batting behind him is what makes Ortiz click. Last year the offense weakened but stil those two had huge years, Unless they get someone the caliber of Manny (hell where do you find that???) you risk a lot of Ortiz's numbers as well and hopefuly they wont go that route....Manny is too fun to watch

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Hokey smokes (again!)

1164028483_5845.jpg

Thats the 51.1million dollar arm Daisuke Matsuzaka on the left who got plowed into by Kirk Hinrich of the Bulls last night at the Staples Center in LA.

You'd think Boras would get him signed first before he allows him to get mowed down!

Hopefully no injuries

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Congratulations to Justin Morneau

This was an interesting MVP vote. It seems the writers can't make up their minds as to what the criteria for MVP is. ARod wins it for a last place team to cries of "it's not his fault his team is terrible, he's the best player", last year Ortiz didn't win it cause he was a DH even though he helped his team more than anything.

This year, its Morneau because he helped his team the most, Ortiz doesn't qualify for one 1st place vote cause the Sox fell out of the race and Jeter didn't get enough votes cause the Sox collapsed.

Odd.

HERE'S the voting by writer. Some of it seems crazy to me

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Mstar O Mstar...Wouldn't it be nice to be a sportswriter?...Get paid to watch baseball all day,then combine some meaningful and meaningless stats,meld them together into a somewhat meaningful or perhaps an even more meaningless perspective,or opinion,that may or may not be right,or even close to how things actually are or were,knowing all the while that the fate of those we love and love to hate,multi-million dollar salaries and all,lies in one's little fingertips as one casts one's MVP vote....

I think with four teams making the playoffs in each league,it only complicates matters even more when trying to pick a league MVP...Now,you're going to have the best player on four different teams to take a closer look at,as well as the inevitable candidate with triple crown-like numbers playing for some chump team...Face it,once the Bosox got swept by the Yanks in that 5-game series,Ortiz may have still been hoofing it,but he was no longer on the dance floor...You know baseball....what have you done for me lately?...It's really impossible for a sportswriter to be well-aware of what each player is providing their ball club among all 32 teams...Sometimes one series down a stretch run can push one player over the top...Frank Thomas practically single handedly knocked his old Chisox out of the playoffs and in doing so,gave Oakland the division title in the AL West...In doing so,I'm sure that one series in Chicago down the stretch run moved Thomas from 10th to about third in the MVP voting...

If Ortiz gets a couple of game-winning RBI's in that NY series,keeping Boston in the hunt for maybe another month or two,who knows,maybe the MVP trophy falls to him...With all the talk at the end of the year about Jeter winning the MVP,I'm a little surprised the trophy went to Morneau...I'll have to look at the voting and the individuals' stats a little closer to see who I would have picked...Meantime...Happy Thanksgiving!

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Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

Yea i could definitely see myself traveling from ballpark to ballpark, game to game, having great seats and getting paid to watch and write everyday....perhaps in the next lifetime, if my karma is good.

You are right of course about perceptions of writers--its no telling who sees what, or thinks what over the course of a season. I wouldve probably picked Joe Mauer over Morneau even though his numbers are less because he caught the Twins staff, atough position that takes the numbers down but he was obviously'valuable to his team in other ways besides pure offense--but admittedly that is an observation from afar

People see different things-a Boston writer had Damon 5th(!). huh?

Both Oakland writers had Thomas second.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning-News is the one guy who put Santana first.

Joe Cowley's whole ballot deserves to be reproduced:

Joe Cowley, Chicago Sun Times

1. Morneau

2. Dye

3. Santana

4. Thomas

5. Ortiz

6. Jeter

7. Guerrero

8. A. Rodriguez

9. Hafner

10. Pierzynski

Yikes. Pierzynski ahead of Mauer??

My vote personally would have been:

1) Jeter

2) Mauer

3) Santana

4) Ortiz

5) Hafner

and then Morneau somewhere further down.

But thats all why this game is fun..

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So Tom, what's your take on Gary Matthews Jr, who just left the Strangers, to sign with The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California. Has he really 'come into his own', or was last season a fluke ?

My MVP votes would have been much like Mstar's. Mauer has it all over Morneau, and I thought this was the year Jeter should have wone it, though I admit to a bias there.

and Joe Cowley must be living on another planet.

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Yea i could definitely see myself traveling from ballpark to ballpark, game to game, having great seats and getting paid to watch and write everyday....perhaps in the next lifetime, if my karma is good.

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning-News is the one guy who put Santana first.

mstar... don't forget the great FREE grub they get as well!!!

Evan Grant is pretty well respected (for a sports writer) down here... (of course, I think he's also the only one that Kenny Rogers talks to as well)...

So Tom, what's your take on Gary Matthews Jr, who just left the Strangers, to sign with The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California. Has he really 'come into his own', or was last season a fluke ?

I don't know if it was a fluke but I'd sure like to see him do it more than one season before I made him a very rich man.

I've thought a lot about the GMJ contract (and the DeRosa one as well)... both had career years here last year and are cashing in... I can't blame them for taking the money, but it's just insane. I shudder to think what the pitchers are going to get for ERAs that would be mediocre at best 30 years ago... but I digress...

Both of those contracts puzzle me a little bit. GMJ will be 33 next summer and 38 by the time his five years are up. DeRosa will be 32 in February. They're both very good "in the room"... and both really shined this year... BUT... it will be very interesting to see how they do away from Rudy Jaramillo... BOTH have spent a lot of press down here giving him the credit for their offense, and for fixing them when they were off... Jaramillo did things with those two guys that no one else had been able to do before... let's see if they can keep it up... (no offense to GMJ, but I hope he doesn't... at least not against us!)

The GMJ deal is doubly bad for us because it not only took him from us but put him with an opponent in the same division. No one around here liked seeing them go, but we're also still pretty much on board with Jon Daniels decisions (a little bit extended honeymoon and a little bit he makes baseball sense most of the time). Of course, GMJ was a wizard in Centerfield this year for us, but I've gotta wonder how much longer he can do what he did this year... I don't think the contract makes sense and I'd still like it better if they were still here...

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Well... another stRanger (although a short term one) gone away...

Carlos Lee to Houston for six years and what? ...one hundred million dollars (said in my best Dr. Evil voice)... what is the freaking deal?

I know there's a new CBA, there's a new luxury tax limit and presumably a new TV contract... but HOLY SMOKES!!!

We wanna play, but we don't wanna be stupid... although I guess to be honest Lee's more worth that money than GMJ since he's done it on a fairly consistent basis...

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Yea but will you be able to field 9 guys?

:blink:

Seems like everyone is s p r i n t i n g away from Tejas

Sox are making noise about JD Drew but after Hiways assessment Im not all that thrilled with the idea, last thing i want is someone overpriced whose primarily good for padding his own stats.

Last year the Sox lost JD Johnny Damon, who loved Boston and was an elite lead off hitter by offering him only 4/40million, now it looks like they may have to sign JD Drew at 4/56mil...

what a screw up :doh:

Edited by mstar1
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HOT off the AP wire --

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BBO...EMPLATE=DEFAULT

AP: Fame likely not in cards for McGwire

By RONALD BLUM and BEN WALKER

AP Baseball Writers

NEW YORK (AP) -- For one glorious summer, Mark McGwire was bigger than baseball itself. America stopped to watch each time he came to the plate, and cheered every time he sent a ball into orbit. He could do no wrong, it seemed. Surely he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame someday.

And then came that day on Capitol Hill. Over and over, the big slugger was asked about possible steroid use, and his reputation took hit after hit as he refused to answer, saying he wouldn't talk about his past.

Now, with Hall ballots in the mail, McGwire's path to baseball immortality may have hit a huge roadblock.

(continued at URL linked above)

-----------------------------

The article also mentions that Cal Ripkin Jr. and Tony Gwynn are on the ballot and are expected to be shoo-ins for first ballot selection.... I would certainly think so.

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Who makes it this year? (besides Ripkin and Gwynn?)

From MLB.com here are this year's HoF nominees, number of years on ballot in parentheses.

• Harold Baines (1)

• Albert Belle (2)

• Dante Bichette (1)

• Bert Blyleven (10)

• Bobby Bonilla (1)

• Scott Brosius (1)

• Jay Buhner (1)

• Ken Caminiti (1)

• Jose Canseco (1)

• Dave Concepcion (14)

• Eric Davis (1)

• Andre Dawson (6)

• Tony Fernandez (1)

• Steve Garvey (15)

• Rich Gossage (8)

• Tony Gwynn (1)

• Orel Hershiser (2)

• Tommy John (13)

• Wally Joyner (1)

• Don Mattingly (7)

• Mark McGwire (1)

• Jack Morris (8)

• Dale Murphy (9)

• Paul O'Neill (1)

• Dave Parker (11)

• Jim Rice (13)

• Cal Ripken (1)

• Bret Saberhagen (1)

• Lee Smith (5)

• Alan Trammell (6)

• Devon White (1)

• Bobby Witt (1)

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article...sp&c_id=mlb

I'm not betting on anyone, but I like Hershiser. I have no hunches on anyone else, but do see a couple of names that I'd vote for... (IF I had a vote). :biglaugh:

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For one glorious summer, Mark McGwire was bigger than baseball itself. America stopped to watch each time he came to the plate, and cheered every time he sent a ball into orbit. He could do no wrong, it seemed. Surely he would be a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame someday.

Yea well but Mark doesnt want to talk about the past now does he?

I will give some credit --that summer with he and Sosa racing toward the unreachable 60 was very exciting and did a lot to rekindle interest and excitement in baseball after the strike, -----but then again once upon a time moving the word over the world seemed exciting too but ultimately was probably more detrimental than good...

Sorry Mark--you did help baseball at the time----but you also left a lasting stain---a long lasting stain and also left behind a huge question mark over an entire era--Cooperstown is not going to happen

The Hall belongs to guys like Ripken and Gwynn

(and if I had my way Jim Rice and Ron Santo)

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I'd vote for these guys, how many do you get to vote for?

We know why Belle's not in... too much of a bad guy but you can't argue with his career... Bonilla? ...borderline maybe but at least he didn't go the way of Barry... THE HAWK? (isn't what they called Dawson?) ...how can he not be in? Goose might get in now with relievers going in... Gwynn should be in based upon what he did on the field, so should Bert be home Blylevin...

How can Orel and Bret not be in? ...and Jack Morris? Dave Parker and Jim Rice? Tammell?

The fact that some of these are not in already shows what a sham it's become (or always was)... IMO...

• Albert Belle (2)

• Bert Blyleven (10)

• Bobby Bonilla (1)

• Andre Dawson (6)

• Rich Gossage (8)

• Tony Gwynn (1)

• Orel Hershiser (2)

• Don Mattingly (7)

• Jack Morris (8)

• Dave Parker (11)

• Jim Rice (13)

• Cal Ripken (1)

• Bret Saberhagen (1)

• Alan Trammell (6)

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Summer of 98 is a great book by Mike Lupica about that summer, told from a neat perspective... of course it was before we knew all of the stuff about them... but it is a nice read if y'all want to pick it up...

the stRangers will have enough guys mstar... Barajas was trade bait now anyway, Gerald Laird's the number one catcher and we signed Ojeda to back him up and there's a young guy coming up as well...

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I'd vote for these guys, how many do you get to vote for?

We know why Belle's not in... too much of a bad guy but you can't argue with his career... Bonilla? ...borderline maybe but at least he didn't go the way of Barry... THE HAWK? (isn't what they called Dawson?) ...how can he not be in? Goose might get in now with relievers going in... Gwynn should be in based upon what he did on the field, so should Bert be home Blylevin...

How can Orel and Bret not be in? ...and Jack Morris? Dave Parker and Jim Rice? Tammell?

The fact that some of these are not in already shows what a sham it's become (or always was)... IMO...

• Albert Belle (2)

• Bert Blyleven (10)

• Bobby Bonilla (1)

• Andre Dawson (6)

• Rich Gossage (8)

• Tony Gwynn (1)

• Orel Hershiser (2)

• Don Mattingly (7)

• Jack Morris (8)

• Dave Parker (11)

• Jim Rice (13)

• Cal Ripken (1)

• Bret Saberhagen (1)

• Alan Trammell (6)

Agreed on Belle... he lives in Scottsdale now (unless he's been jailed already for his domestic violence convictions).

Some of these guys had some real exciting post-season play... I'd like to see Orel make it, Blyleven probably deserves it, and definitely Gossage. Jack Morris had some WS excitement... he should get some serious consideration. Of course, Mattingly never was in the WS, but was always a key player. btw, at the MLB.com site, the list has links to a summary of highlights for each of them.

If Ripkin and Gwynn DON'T make it first ballot, there'd be something rotten going on.

Obviously, not everyone on the ballot this year deserves serious consideration, even though they had some very good highlights... Devon White was key to Florida's first WS win... and played an outstanding CF for the new Dbacks.

Anyway, it will be interesting to analyze the voting once it's all tabulated.

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There are several on that list that are probably deserving. Mattingly was headed straight for the Hall until his career came up short with a bad back, which kept his total numbers down.

In my mind, the Hall should be about more than numbers. It's the Hall of FAME, not the Hall of who sticks around the longest. I think it's ridiculous that Roger Maris isn't in. Back to back mvp's, on top of beating the Babe (steroid free, btw). Even those who don't care at all about baseball know who he is. The Hall SHOULD be extremely selective, and usually ( not always), those that deserve to get in, do.

Gwynn and Ripken are no brainers. They have to go in. McGuire would have been there right with them.

Hershiser and Jim Rice are my 'should be in' picks from that list.

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