Getting a little ridiculous!

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Stickhorse

Dumbest? I still think wise franchises know that it is not so smart picking up a player for a pennant run when said player will soon be a free agent.

I really think the DUMBEST STATEMENT HAS TO BE THIS EXCHANGE:

"We still gunna wager on whether Andruw Jones hits 31 or more home runs this year?" -Scudsbrother

"Sure, what do you want to bet?"
- Cannon Shell

You should change your name to Shell Shocked!

Andrew Jones hit 31 HRs in 2008?!?! Now that is a real winner!

yeah teams should be criticized for TRYING TO WIN!!! That is a real winner. I would rather my team just keep turning a profit and never taking a risk to WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!! Yeah lets make it so that only the Yankees and Red Sox ever make a move. You are obviously have no understanding of baseball and should stick to something a little less mentally challenging like figuring out who could possibly be contenders for horse of the year.

[dalakhani]

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am taking a break as the kiddies are finally asleep.

The Yankees have put themselves in a "no win" situation. With that type of payroll, its world series title or utter failure even if they get there and lose. And even if they win it, the title was "bought". I dont think that there are too many real Yankee fans that see this and are pleased.

Im not piling on Stickhorse but I loved that Milwuakee went for the gusto this year when they had the chance to rent sabbathia for half the season. Opportunities for small market teams like the Brewers to actually contend don't come around too often and its great for baseball when they do.

Much like what happened in the eighties, economics and age will catch up with the Yankees and they will be forced to start over...eventually.

Very hard to cheer for this team. I do think they make the playoffs though. If midseason comes and its close, they will rent a couple of more players. They do have a couple of more prospects on the farm than Chuck wants to admit.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am taking a break as the kiddies are finally asleep.

The Yankees have put themselves in a "no win" situation. With that type of payroll, its world series title or utter failure even if they get there and lose. And even if they win it, the title was "bought". I dont think that there are too many real Yankee fans that see this and are pleased.

Im not piling on Stickhorse but I loved that Milwuakee went for the gusto this year when they had the chance to rent sabbathia for half the season. Opportunities for small market teams like the Brewers to actually contend don't come around too often and its great for baseball when they do.

Much like what happened in the eighties, economics and age will catch up with the Yankees and they will be forced to start over...eventually.

Very hard to cheer for this team. I do think they make the playoffs though. If midseason comes and its close, they will rent a couple of more players. They do have a couple of more prospects on the farm than Chuck wants to admit.

Who are these prospects that I have missed?

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

Who are these prospects that I have missed?

Melancon and motero to start with.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Melancon and motero to start with.

When can Montero play? Not soon at the major league level behind the plate though he can suddenly really hit he is still in the lower levels. Melancon is not highly rated, most likely will be a middle reliver.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

When can Montero play? Not soon at the major league level behind the plate though he can suddenly really hit he is still in the lower levels. Melancon is not highly rated, most likely will be a middle reliver.

Okay, you win there. Here are my first baseman better than TEX in the last 25 years. This should be fun to chew on:

1. Don Mattingly
2. Jeff Bagwell
3. Eddie Murray
4. Rod Carew
5. Will Clark

[GPK]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Okay, you win there. Here are my first baseman better than TEX in the last 25 years. This should be fun to chew on:

1. Don Mattingly
2. Jeff Bagwell
3. Eddie Murray
4. Rod Carew
5. Will Clark

I know it may be difficult to include Maguire in those talks, but Todd Helton's name needs to be somewhere in the mix too.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by dalakhani

Okay, you win there. Here are my first baseman better than TEX in the last 25 years. This should be fun to chew on:

1. Don Mattingly
2. Jeff Bagwell
3. Eddie Murray
4. Rod Carew
5. Will Clark

He and Mattingly are very close at age 28 but Tex hits from both sides and Donnie baseball only had 5 good seasons and was pretty much done at 29.
Bagwell may have a little better raw numbers but Tex is a far better fielder and bags peaked in a very suspicous era.
eddie murray was a better player
carew was not a great 1st baseman, his overall career is hall of fame worthy but he simply had no power and outside of his 1977 season which was unbelievable he is not the player that tex is.
Will Clark was a good player but is not in tex's league either

I understand that most havent seen the guy play that much but he is a very good hitter, has power, makes contact, takes walks, superior defender and shows up to play.
his career average season:
612 Ab's
101 runs
177 hits
40 2bs
36 hrs
121 rbis
79 bb
124 k
.290 avg
.378 obp
.541 slg

keep in mind he has dramatically dropped his k rate and raised his bb rate the last 2 seasons and plays Gold Glove defense

[Stickhorse]

Originally Posted by Cannon Shell

yeah teams should be criticized for TRYING TO WIN!!! That is a real winner. I would rather my team just keep turning a profit and never taking a risk to WIN THE WORLD SERIES!!! Yeah lets make it so that only the Yankees and Red Sox ever make a move. You are obviously have no understanding of baseball and should stick to something a little less mentally challenging like figuring out who could possibly be contenders for horse of the year.

Settle down, I'm not criticizing teams for trying to win. I'm criticizing teams for being too impatient and sacrificing their future for a quick fix. Better to be a contender year after year than to sell out for an unsuccessful title run.

The better franchises have it figured out. Build your team for the long haul. Beat your opponents in the draft. I will concede that once in awhile you might have to pick up a free agent during the season. The Dodgers picking up Manny midseason was not a a typical move for them.

The Red Sox are a great example of building a solid team via the draft.

Patience is still important in building a successful sports franchise just as it is in managing a stable.

[dalakhani]

Originally Posted by Stickhorse

Settle down, I'm not criticizing teams for trying to win. I'm criticizing teams for being too impatient and sacrificing their future for a quick fix. Better to be a contender year after year than to sell out for an unsuccessful title run.

The better franchises have it figured out. Build your team for the long haul. Beat your opponents in the draft. I will concede that once in awhile you might have to pick up a free agent during the season. The Dodgers picking up Manny midseason was not a a typical move for them.

The Red Sox are a great example of building a solid team via the draft.

Patience is still important in building a successful sports franchise just as it is in managing a stable.

Whoa. I agree that Boston's front office is as shrewd as there is out there but the keys to their championship teams WERENT built through the draft. The first title was led by Manny (free agent) Papi (free agent) and the pitchers were all a result of trades or free agency. Granted, it is fair to say that they had to draft and develop the prospects to trade away for a Josh Beckett but lets not act like the Red Sox are this homegrown championship contender like Tampa or Philly. A majority of Boston's regulars during their title runs did not come up through their system.

[Cannon Shell]

Originally Posted by Stickhorse

Settle down, I'm not criticizing teams for trying to win. I'm criticizing teams for being too impatient and sacrificing their future for a quick fix. Better to be a contender year after year than to sell out for an unsuccessful title run.

The better franchises have it figured out. Build your team for the long haul. Beat your opponents in the draft. I will concede that once in awhile you might have to pick up a free agent during the season. The Dodgers picking up Manny midseason was not a a typical move for them.

The Red Sox are a great example of building a solid team via the draft.

Patience is still important in building a successful sports franchise just as it is in managing a stable.

But they get 2 draft picks when the players fail to resign with them so I fail to see how that is not beneficial to building a team via the draft. The Red Sox added Ortiz, Beckett, Lowell, Varitek, Drew, Schilling, Damon, Manny, Dice K, etc were all added via trade or free agency so the thought that the Red Sox have built mainly through the draft is fiction though they have done much better in player development than the Yankees. Milwaukee hardly sold out in trading LaPorta for Sabathia. He was the only player of signifigance they gave up and wasnt a great fit on the current roster in the immediate future as his only 2 positions are all blocked by superior players. Milwaukee made an attempt to win when they had the chance, they did what every team in that position should do.

[packerbacker7964]

I'm going to make a deal with ESPN and have them say I'm a FA and teams are looking to sign me. If I'm lucky the Yanks will sign me