Jimmy

If Gaby Sanchez hits more than 8 home runs I will buy you an X-Box. If he gets 400-500 PA, that is a horrible horrible bet. Based on his minor league career, at 500 at bats he would have anywhere from 5-15, but IMO MLB pitching is going to eliminate the little power he has.

My feeling is that Gaby Sanchez is the favorite to take 1B. And if he wins the spot, I think you'll see him as the main 1B with no platoon. But if he does have a terrible start, he'll probably be demoted in favor of McPherson as the new main 1B. I doubt you'll see anything crazy like Uggla being moved to 1B. Hammer being moved to 1B if both Sanchez (who'll be given a lot of rope IMHO) and McPherson fail is within the realm of possibility, but as a latch ditch maneuver. Fredi's a moron if Gaby Sanchez isn't platooned. It's a position you have to get power out of and that is something Gaby Sanchez will not provide. Traditionally you expect power from your first baseman. But we aren't a traditional team. Our biggest power hitters are at positions you traditionally expect better gloves than bats - short and second. We have more than enough power in our lineup as it stands to do without getting 30 homeruns from our first baseman. I totally agree with you. Just let the Sanchez get some at bats, in my opinion he will demonstrate great power (20-25HR) even though we aren't going to be very dependable on him to hit homers like Jacobs because we will have Hanly, Uggla, Cantu and if Hammer stays healthy he could go back to the 20's HR like in 06-07. As long as Sanchez hits with avg.(.280-.300+) and gets decent extra base hits(30's) and few HR(15-20) I'm cool with him. If Gaby Sanchez hits more than 8 home runs I will buy you an X-Box.

Id say no, we shouldnt. I also think people who are really expecting a big payroll jump to be full of wishful thinking in the first place.

Are people really so quick to toss Vanden Hurk out of consideration for the rotation? He has the stuff to be an every 5th day guy, they just need to let him develop in the Southern League for a full year.

My feeling is that Gaby Sanchez is the favorite to take 1B. And if he wins the spot, I think you'll see him as the main 1B with no platoon. But if he does have a terrible start, he'll probably be demoted in favor of McPherson as the new main 1B. I doubt you'll see anything crazy like Uggla being moved to 1B. Hammer being moved to 1B if both Sanchez (who'll be given a lot of rope IMHO) and McPherson fail is within the realm of possibility, but as a latch ditch maneuver. Fredi's a moron if Gaby Sanchez isn't platooned. It's a position you have to get power out of and that is something Gaby Sanchez will not provide.

anyone find it strangethat he hasnt taken a walk yet? http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/st...&pid=489149 he walked alot within the FSL Hes probably tinkering with his swing alot. Hard to do that by drawing a BB.

The liberal media makes me chuckle. It really is amazing how far left they're leaning in this election. No, it's amazing that people still believe in the myth of the 'liberal media' especially when FOX News is the most popular of the cable news channels. Ever think it's the most popular (at the moment) because every other channel is making Obama out to be a saint and McCain out to be scum? The media is always going to favor the leader/winner but even when the polls were tied to the decimal point in September, more than half of the McCain related press was negative. More than half of Obama's was positive. Being a little generous, as negative stuff about Barack Lobster rarely makes it to airwaves or print.

Austin needs a proper farewell. He is almost single handedly responsible for saving wrestling, although credit goes to the nWo(until wCw just ran it to far into the ground), The Rock, and dX. But Austin was the main player.

I still am angry with MLB as Shane Victorino should have been suspended for the remainder of the postseason after maliciously trying to take out Council's knee, but nothing they can do about it now.

Heck, one fella robbed a bank to pay for some World Series gear. Thats...something, dedication, lunacy, maybe both.

That's one of the crappiest lists of players I've ever seen. Except David Eckstein ofcourse. I hope this is humor. David Eckstein is garbage.

And here I thought this thread was going to be about what happens to Mike Piazza and Jim Edmonds when they walk into the showers after a game(allegedly).

Understanding how fruit flies are important to biomedical research is high-school science (well, it was for me. Maybe it's because I was in the IB program). Then again, how do you know Biden is ignorant about that as well? Answer: you don't. This wasn't a minor gaffe, this was a super-gaffe, considering the audience to whom she was talking. Dont know for sure, but its not a stretch. He is an ignorant person all around.

[i'm working under the assumption that it's a competition in ST for the job. If they get Nunez, four bullpen spots are relatively locked how I see it - Lindstrom, Nelson, Nunez, Pinto. And if they keep Olsen, whichever of Anibal/Miller isn't the 5th starter. I like it. Now lets just hope that this is the year Vanden Hurk becomes Ryan Madson and that's a nice looking bullpen. What's the status on Joe Nelson though and how come you didn't put him with the others? I still have high hopes for Vanden Hurk as a starter.

I'm not finding a ton of merit in the PCL argument here. Minor league hitters obviously couldn't catch up to Cruz's fastball and were unable to elevate it (he only allowed the 13 homers). And while his overall numbers were decent, I wouldn't call a 4.34 ERA "phenominal". If we had stuck Ryan Tucker down there last year (in the PCL), I garuntee he would have posted far better numbers. Regardless of the league, it's still the minor leagues with minor league hitters. As for Tucker, I never alluded that hitters figured him out or, for that matter, that he wouldn't be successful. I just said that he had gone through the same struggles as Frankie. Tucker's stuff is electric and he has the ability to be a plus reliever, if he can learn to throw some breaking stuff to complement the fastball. Nor can I predict that either one will be unsuccessful, only that it's my opinion that Cruz isn't what some people have hyped him up to be. It seems that everytime a guy throws a mid 90's fastball, he's a top organizational prospect. I simply don't see things that way. Bringing up someone like Yorman Bazardo would really give more credence to your argument.

Meh, just another mediocre piece from that Tigers trade. I am really not that fond of any of the arms we got in that deal. In fact, I would say Miller is the only one whos an MLB caliber player, but isnt quite ready yet.

I love lindstrom casue of his 100 mph fastball and i think that clouds my judgemnt of himm as a pitcher i know he doesnt have the greastes numbers. But i think he has tons of potential and could be a close like lidge if he could get his slider down or another pitch. IDK about pudge hes getting older but i mena if we clould get him for a decent price then sure. He will be 29 before spring training even starts next spring, his fastball is his only pitch and its flat as can be, the rest of his offerings are mediocre at best. I would say he has met potential. I wouldn't of given up Lindstrom for a rental of a catcher past his prime. Yes, I saw he's hitting .295. I don't want to lose a prospect that some of you have said is our future closer. If we trade him, we upgrade in one slot, degrade in another, lose a prospect, lose the "upgrade" after half a season. That's too much. If Farnsworth was on our team, sure I'd trade him. But not Lindstrom. Lindstrom hasnt been a prospect for quite some time, and IMO with his lack of even average secondary offerings added to a fastball that is flat he would be an awful closer long term IMO, because teams will figure him out quickly.

Im a southerner, I wave my confederate flag proudly, but not as a symbol of ideology or hate, as a symbol of my very proud southern heritage. I would be deeply angry if someone were to kill Obama. While I dont want him as president, I want him alive and healthy and happy long enough to see his grandchildren grow up. In fact, I am fairly certain I would like him as a person. I say this for a reason. I am the typical proud southerner. Not everyone who takes pride in the stars and bars are hate mongers. I take offense to lumping all of us in with a misguided few. Anyone who proudly waves the confederate flag deserves to be lumped into the same group. The flag is a symbol of slavery and racism. It cannot be separated from that. Couldnt disagree with you more. I don't personally own a confederate flag nor do I plan on buying one. I do however disagree that it is a symbol of slavery and racism. If that is the case the United States flag is no better. Really? Why did the southern states succeed from the union? Slavery didnt just happen in the south, first and foremost. In fact, the vast majority of the American south-even in the days leading up to the civil war-owned no slaves whatsoever. And slavery was only one of many root causes, along with expanding federal government and disputes over tariffs. Slavery was a horrible thing, no arguments here, but to say a flag that many hold dear because it is a symbol of their southern values and heritage is nothing more than a symbol of hate and racism is ignorant on your part. Id also like to add that the North, in many places, was much slower to desegregate than the south. The last high school in the US to desegregate was in Illinois for example.

Im a southerner, I wave my confederate flag proudly, but not as a symbol of ideology or hate, as a symbol of my very proud southern heritage. I would be deeply angry if someone were to kill Obama. While I dont want him as president, I want him alive and healthy and happy long enough to see his grandchildren grow up. In fact, I am fairly certain I would like him as a person. I say this for a reason. I am the typical proud southerner. Not everyone who takes pride in the stars and bars are hate mongers. I take offense to lumping all of us in with a misguided few. Anyone who proudly waves the confederate flag deserves to be lumped into the same group. The flag is a symbol of slavery and racism. It cannot be separated from that. Couldnt disagree with you more.

Im a southerner, I wave my confederate flag proudly, but not as a symbol of ideology or hate, as a symbol of my very proud southern heritage. I would be deeply angry if someone were to kill Obama. While I dont want him as president, I want him alive and healthy and happy long enough to see his grandchildren grow up. In fact, I am fairly certain I would like him as a person. I say this for a reason. I am the typical proud southerner. Not everyone who takes pride in the stars and bars are hate mongers. I take offense to lumping all of us in with a misguided few.

He has a huge college and minor league track record now across levels, and is OLDER, so it's very easy to project him. I don't want him to fail. It is being realistic to the situation. Guys with .401 BABIPs/.900 OPS, gap power, and enormous K rates are not going to translate into big league starters even if they walk a little bit and grab some steals. I think his peak is a .750-.775 OPSing player, but more than likely he turns into a bench outfielder with a low 700 OPS with speed. That's awesome for where the Marlins drafted him, but this is not a corner starter, which is my main point. Why are you so confident in Gaby Sanchez, who was also old for every level, and whos power potential is really no better than Raynors? I know you like his BB/K ratio, but its doubtful that holds up against better pitching. Gaby Sanchez has ENORMOUS power potential over Raynor. That isn't even debatable. Raynor slaps doubles and triples and hits a few bombs. Gaby HITS massive amounts of doubles and should be able to muscle out 18-20 HR a year. Raynor does not have double digit HR potential. There are other factors here. The K rate shows how much contact Gaby makes, so even if that declines, he's still hitting the ball average/above average. He's also not going to be constantly attacked like Raynor, because he has that power potential to turn mistakes into bombs and because he is extremely less likely to K. His contact rates and walk rates suggest he will be able to hit for average also. Raynor doesn't have these things. Also notice how Gaby's production - a .917 OPS - came with the much better BB/K AND a realistic .340 BABIP. Raynor hit less than Gaby, at .887, with an enormous .401 BABIP. Gaby didn't overachieve, Raynor did. On level advancements, these things will start to seriously show. Gaby is also a plus defender, while Raynor is not a good defensive player. It's not even close. These are two completely different prospects. Gaby should settle into a low 800 OPSing player in the mold of a Loney/S. Casey. Raynor is more like a low 700 OPSing player with some speed. I guess I just dont see the power potential, and his stats dont really show it either. If his career HR rate in the minors travels with him to MLB, he will be lucky to ever get 15 in a season. He looks more like an 8-10 HR/year guy, as at his current rate he would need over 700 at bats to get to 20 HRs. Will that improve? Maybe, I have my doubts though. I think we are looking at little more than a spot starter at 1B who will hit an occasional double and very rare HR.

Well for one, it would of likely signaled the apocalypse as Loria would of actually spent money instead of shoveling it into his pocket. That said, I like that we got Maybin and Miller, but while both have potential, both are projects, and the rest of the pieces in that trade are mediocre at best. I didnt think it was one of Beinfest's best trades back then and I still dont. But he was handcuffed by the MLB's resident carpet bagger so I dont really fault him. It wasnt a great trade by any means and is still not even a good trade, so that is my first problem with the question you posed. 2 projects with potential and 4 scrubs for a pitcher who had an admittedly bad year but still had(has) the skills to rebound and one of the best hitters in the game does not equal good trade. And you will always get a good haul for a player such as Miguel Cabrera, my 2nd problem with the question you posed. Projects? Do you mean prospects? While I agree that it wasn't the best trade possible, Bienfest did what he could with what he was given and I, personally, don't regret the trade happened. I think Maybin will be a great player and I can't wait to see him grow, Miller has yet to prove himself so I'm not really sure what can be said about him and Cantu was phenomenal this year. No, I meant projects. Granted, they are prospects as well, but projects at the same time. Maybin has trouble with breaking pitches and Miller was rushed.

no sh*t, Torre must be retarded or something I hate the r word there but that is the general feeling towards his managing ability. That said, my routine shot at Joe Torre aside-I think Nomar ends up in St. Louis.

Well for one, it would of likely signaled the apocalypse as Loria would of actually spent money instead of shoveling it into his pocket. That said, I like that we got Maybin and Miller, but while both have potential, both are projects, and the rest of the pieces in that trade are mediocre at best. I didnt think it was one of Beinfest's best trades back then and I still dont. But he was handcuffed by the MLB's resident carpet bagger so I dont really fault him. It wasnt a great trade by any means and is still not even a good trade, so that is my first problem with the question you posed. 2 projects with potential and 4 scrubs for a pitcher who had an admittedly bad year but still had(has) the skills to rebound and one of the best hitters in the game does not equal good trade. And you will always get a good haul for a player such as Miguel Cabrera, my 2nd problem with the question you posed.

I am much more optimistic than Lou in reference to Raynor's ability to hit major league pitching. If you were to go by Lou's statistical inferences. Raynor would have to hit like .375 for him to be able to considered viable .300 hitter in the majors that his average is flukey. I have a hard time accepting this as anything but overanalysis. Or, what he actually did. I don't make these numbers up. If a guy can hit he can hit. In the minors he has not really struggled with the breaking ball as let's say Maybin has in past seasons. He does have a lot of strikeouts but also alot of walks that means he sees a lot of pitches in his at bats. Many projectives are being made on a player who has had only 2 seasons of pro ball and has excelled everywhere he has been. It seems many look for reasons for him to fail just because he can't possibly be as good as he has been playing. Couldn't it be possible he just is a good ballplayer? He has a huge college and minor league track record now across levels, and is OLDER, so it's very easy to project him. I don't want him to fail. It is being realistic to the situation. Guys with .401 BABIPs/.900 OPS, gap power, and enormous K rates are not going to translate into big league starters even if they walk a little bit and grab some steals. I think his peak is a .750-.775 OPSing player, but more than likely he turns into a bench outfielder with a low 700 OPS with speed. That's awesome for where the Marlins drafted him, but this is not a corner starter, which is my main point. Why are you so confident in Gaby Sanchez, who was also old for every level, and whos power potential is really no better than Raynors? I know you like his BB/K ratio, but its doubtful that holds up against better pitching.