Piazza31

If we trade Ricky Nolasco then they should target both Plouffe and Willingham "The Twins might not receive much more than a No. 4 starter in exchange for Josh Willingham, an AL executive tells Phil Mackey of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities Radio. "There's no doubt Josh has a very good contract, but I really doubt a team would trade a viable starting pitcher for a guy with a strong bat but who is limited defensively," the executive said. "It's a lot easier to find a left-field or DH-type than to trade a good starting pitcher for one and then have to backfill the rotation spot." The 33-year-old Willingham is owed $14MM through 2014 and posted an .890 OPS last season, but another AL executive says Denard Span is a better trade chip for Minnesota. Read more at http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/minnesota_twins/index.html#heL685Egd0IRByDF.99 "

I wonder if we could flip Nolasco for Trevor Plouffe. i actually thought about this exact trade. plouffe has power but hasnt hit for average or gotten on base. I'd want no part of ploffe. Mark Reynolds does the same thing and wouldn't cost a SP to sign, just money.

Side. He might not like you then, lol. Usually he'll sweet spot for people who he thinks are polite or nice. He'll side panel it if he believes your going to try to resell it as the value is lower after that. When he was in the minors, he used to sweetspot only if he personalized it. Thats when I heard he was a miserable signer, he's since changed dramatically. Personally, I'd prefer a side panelled ball. I have a Conine 95 ASG ball that I think looks awesome because he did that.I didn't get the ball signed by him personally. Maybe that had something to do with how it was signed. Possibly, if they asked for more then one.

I should have played FF this year. I would have cherished the opp to beat someone 4x in a row Dr. Beinfest.

They're talking Shields or Hellickson plus prospect Hak-Ju Lee (sp?). And as a rays fan, how does that make you feel? Probably lonely. Go on....

Side. He might not like you then, lol. Usually he'll sweet spot for people who he thinks are polite or nice. He'll side panel it if he believes your going to try to resell it as the value is lower after that. When he was in the minors, he used to sweetspot only if he personalized it. Thats when I heard he was a miserable signer, he's since changed dramatically. Personally, I'd prefer a side panelled ball. I have a Conine 95 ASG ball that I think looks awesome because he did that.

Actually, I introduced myself during spring training and he sweet spotted a ball, and again before the September 30th game. If you act like a fool, and act like your owed something I can see why he'd skip you over. When he signed his bat he didn't sign for anyone else- mostly because I didn't act like it was an obligation. I know of two kids who loaded up on his autograph this year pregame- and started selling them. Why should he keep signing for them, even at 12 or 14 years old. Heck, one kid even had Stanton's autograph 4x on his hat and wanted another. I bet if you told him that opposing pitchers pitch around other batters to get to him, Stanton wouldn't be so nice to you. Fun I guess we've had and seen different experiences. It's possible. Have you been lucky to get his signature at all?Yeah. Im not into selling stuff so I have one ball signed by him. Where was it signed? In the middle (sweetspot) like this- or side paneled like this

They're talking Shields or Hellickson plus prospect Hak-Ju Lee (sp?). And as a rays fan, how does that make you feel?

I guess we've had and seen different experiences. It's possible. Have you been lucky to get his signature at all?

Stanton is a dick. Don't know why you think he's nice. How do you know hes a dick? He's always been nice and friendly to me- sh*t- even polite. He even went out of his way once to sign something for me. It was cool. Remember who is making this claim.Yeah. Someone who is there hours before game time 20+ games a season. Also someone who attends marlins player events. Someone who sat 20 ft from him on the on deck circle. Someone who talks with employees at the game. I'm sure he's great when he's scheduled to sign autographs. Most other times he's pretty cold. Actually, I introduced myself during spring training and he sweet spotted a ball, and again before the September 30th game. If you act like a fool, and act like your owed something I can see why he'd skip you over. When he signed his bat he didn't sign for anyone else- mostly because I didn't act like it was an obligation. I know of two kids who loaded up on his autograph this year pregame- and started selling them. Why should he keep signing for them, even at 12 or 14 years old. Heck, one kid even had Stanton's autograph 4x on his hat and wanted another.

Stanton is a dick. Don't know why you think he's nice. How do you know hes a dick? He's always been nice and friendly to me- sh*t- even polite. He even went out of his way once to sign something for me. It was cool. Remember who is making this claim. Ahh, it must be his sources.

Stanton is a dick. Don't know why you think he's nice. How do you know hes a dick? He's always been nice and friendly to me- sh*t- even polite. He even went out of his way once to sign something for me. It was cool.

I was just showing everyone the KFC fried chicken! Everything else is extra.

You need to keep in mind that the 50% we're talking about here is 50% of profit gets distributed among payroll. I think that ballpark is fair. That is to say... if the NHL makes $2 billion, $1 billion is spread out among the players. See, didn't understand that it was 50% of revenue spent on payroll. I was always under the impression it's Payroll, and then 50% of the profits. At least that's the way ESPN has explained it in the past with the NFL and NBA. I'd still argue that 50% is a bit much. If the teams are all struggling to make ends meet, then the cost of payroll needs to go down to ensure they all profit. I read an article that said MON, NYR, and TOR are the only ones profiting- I believe it was in Forbes.

http://pigroll.com/img/i_can_haz_fried_chicken.jpg Really? Lol.

Check out this blog entry, it breaks down how negotiations may work and suggests what Giancarlo Stanton may be worth. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/30705/make-stanton-an-offer-he-cant-refuse

Olney's blog is now open, if you want to read it. I encourage you to read it there. The blurb about Miami isn't as big as i thought, but how many of the positive tested players have a connection to Miami, and the Marlins? I think Mota is another. The Major League Baseball Players Association holds regular meetings with its executive board, and when next they meet, there will be great news to discuss -- Michael Weiner, the respected and cherished head of the union, has responded strongly in his fight against cancer. But the conversation eventually will turn to other matters of business -- in particular, the growing concern about a perceived spike in the use of performance-enhancing drugs in MLB and whether the union should respond. Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal became the latest player to be suspended for what seems to be the current drug of choice -- testosterone, which theoretically advances the daily recovery of athletes and enables them to bounce back and work out more than peers who aren't taking the banned substance. Melky Cabrera and Bartolo Colon were suspended for taking testosterone, and Ryan Braun tested positive for it 13 months ago. (He later became the first Major League player to win his appeal.) The strong appeal of testosterone, players say privately, is how quickly traces of it flee the human body, often within a couple of days. A cheating player takes some testosterone on a Monday, and by Wednesday he can smile in the face of a drug tester. There is no way to know exactly how many players are currently using PEDs without testing daily, and even then, the science of cheating might allow abusers to get away with it. But a lot of baseball executives and players are convinced that the number of those using has risen significantly in the past couple of years. They see more and more curious physical changes, with rounded musculature and a sudden midcareer leap in performance; in pitchers, they see a leap in velocity. I've heard estimates from executives that their belief is as many as 30 to 40 percent of all players are using some kind of banned substance. (Remember, those are just guesstimates, nothing more.) Late Wednesday, one player put the number closer to 20 percent. There is also increasing speculation in the sport about the possible connection for so many busted players to the Miami area, in the way that the Bay Area was the home to BALCO, from Cabrera to Grandal. The year-to-year sample sizes of PED suspensions are too small to draw conclusions, but the number of major leaguers suspended this year is the most in five years. And with this type of thing, the presumption among executives is that those caught are really unlucky or really stupid and represent the very tip of the iceberg. 2005 Major leagues: 12 Minor leagues: 106 2006 Major leagues: 3 Minor leagues: 39 2007 Major leagues: 8 Minor leagues: 30 2008 Major leagues: 3 Minor leagues: 69 2009 Major leagues: 4 Minor leagues: 83 2010 Major leagues: 2 Minor leagues 86 2011 Major leagues: 2 Minor leagues: 71 2012 Major leagues: 6 Minor leagues: 76 (through Aug. 22) MLB commissioner Bud Selig said in an interview in the week after Colon's suspension that he was not inclined to reopen the collective bargaining agreement to alter the rules, but really, it's not Selig's issue. The push for change must come from the players' association, which has seen a gradual shift in the perspective of its players through the years. Many clean players have come to view the cheaters as a direct threat to the welfare of their union brothers, in taking away jobs and dollars that rightfully belong to brethren who play according to the drug rules negotiated by the players' association. Baseball's cheaters are like fraternity brothers who steal from the community cash box.

Grilled as well, charred a bit to give it a nice texture and smokey taste.

Nice move, especially with Xmas shopping coming up and most of us nerds loving to buy online then in store!

Can they get me hired? Doubtful, lol.

Yeah, pays freaking awesome as an intern and then when I'm done apparently they're usually willing to give you a job right out of college if you interned with them so job security. And of course... having one of the world's largest aerospace and defense companies as an aerospace engineer can't hurt! Hoping it goes well!! Let me know if you have any questions, I'll see if I can get my friend to answer them for ya.

Curious, Since when did players start getting 50% of the profits in any league- that doesn't make any sense to me. The contracts should always be enough, as well as benefits (health, life insurance). They're coming off of a CBA that gave them 57%. 50% is normal for the other leagues though. Do you agree they shouldn't get any, at least a significantly smaller cut like 25%.

"The CL with glasses?" Kevin Gregg? Yeah, that guy

Erick, Miami based Steroid Operation- doesn't take a long stretch. Balco-San Fran Based- Giants- Bonds This- Miami Based- Marlins- ???? With the amount on career years we seemed to have in 06-11 it might be something. Erick, Miami based Steroid Operation- doesn't take a long stretch. Balco-San Fran Based- Giants- Bonds This- Miami Based- Marlins- ???? With the amount on career years we seemed to have in 06-11 it might be something. Which players other than Hanley had what you would call "career years" during that time frame? Career years may be a stretch, but players like Cantu, Jacobs, Borowski, And the CL with glasses. Players who were relatively nothing and cut. To rebound and gain value. Uggla too possibly.

Hah, that's okay. I'm crossing my fingers I get an internship at Lockheed Martin (had the interview, announcement should be after the long weekend), and I interviewed for what is considered a super boring position (Supplier Quality Engineering). Resume building. Foot in the door. Always a good thing! I got a friend who works there now- indeed a nice foot in.