I think we need to keep arms, not trade them away. Looper, as mediocre as he can be at times, could actually be a very good set-up/closer if he does develop an offspeed pitch and a pair of brass ones. Urbina has got the mentality - maybe too much of a dawg sometimes, which will come back to bite him time to time. But I want to see our bullpen kept in tact, and add a lefty to the mix. Spoon is going to be a good arm, but he has to get healthy. I think he and Burnett are two of the biggest additions ANY team could make in a year. And we will do that this year, but I dont expect (or want) to see them until August/late July.

I'd figured this would be the other way around, the Marlins letting Urbina go & keeping Looper.

 

Either way, I don't think Chad Fox can close games. I think he'd be just fine in a setup role, but not as closer. Spooney may or may not be closer material, IF he is able to rehab in time, IF he is able to throw strikes. He's certainly the guy the front office (& many of us as well) would like to see grow into the role though I'm sure.

 

He wasn't exactly dominating when he was healthy for Florida early in the season...

but he's still young.

I may get a lot of hate mail because of this, but I hate Urbina... Yeah, I said it. I think it would be a mistake to keep him. He is a heart attack pitcher and will always be. He is great sometimes, but he is not consistent and can cost you a lead in a heartbeat. I actually would feel better having Looper and we don't have to pay him as much as Urbina.... Whatever, I just hope I don't have to suffer what I suffered in G4 of the world series, ever, never again!

I may get a lot of hate mail because of this, but I hate Urbina... Yeah, I said it. I think it would be a mistake to keep him. He is a heart attack pitcher and will always be. He is great sometimes, but he is not consistent and can cost you a lead in a heartbeat. I actually would feel better having Looper and we don't have to pay him as much as Urbina.... Whatever, I just hope I don't have to suffer what I suffered in G4 of the world series, ever, never again!

I don't hate Urbina, but as an A's fan I remember what it was like watching Billy Koch (ulcerball) so I can sort of relate.

I may get a lot of hate mail because of this, but I hate Urbina... Yeah, I said it. I think it would be a mistake to keep him. He is a heart attack pitcher and will always be. He is great sometimes, but he is not consistent and can cost you a lead in a heartbeat. I actually would feel better having Looper and we don't have to pay him as much as Urbina.... Whatever, I just hope I don't have to suffer what I suffered in G4 of the world series, ever, never again!

I don't hate Urbina, but as an A's fan I remember what it was like watching Billy Koch (ulcerball) so I can sort of relate. :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

 

I got a lot of flak out here in Arizona because I wanted the DBacks to keep Byung-Hyun Kim. He'd be another 'heart attack pitcher' with an ulcer ball, depending on who you talk to/listen to...but I loved watching him pitch. More times than not, BK would do extremely well.

 

Speaking of Ulcer Ball (Koch) himself, I went to an A's/White Sox ST game this year at Tucson Electric Park. I was the ONLY fan standing outside the gates and was hoping to get Ulcer Ball to stop to sign me an autograph. I was wearing an A's shirt too...and he blew out of the gates like his car was on fire :banghead Needless to say, I didn't get him to stop.

I think we should give AJ a shot at closing, because I don't see us keeping Uggy. Don't get me wrong--Uggy is perhaps my favorite player, but he isn't going to re-sign with the Marlins. If we trade Looper, we will have to go a season with Fox and possibly AJ in the bullpen (provided that Uggy goes). Spooney isn't coming back 2005.

and what happens when AJ becomes a dominant closer?

 

his arm is too good to waste as a closer

I may get a lot of hate mail because of this, but I hate Urbina... Yeah, I said it. I think it would be a mistake to keep him. He is a heart attack pitcher and will always be. He is great sometimes, but he is not consistent and can cost you a lead in a heartbeat. I actually would feel better having Looper and we don't have to pay him as much as Urbina.... Whatever, I just hope I don't have to suffer what I suffered in G4 of the world series, ever, never again!

I never really thought of Uggy that way :angry

I may get a lot of hate mail because of this, but I hate Urbina... Yeah, I said it. I think it would be a mistake to keep him. He is a heart attack pitcher and will always be. He is great sometimes, but he is not consistent and can cost you a lead in a heartbeat. I actually would feel better having Looper and we don't have to pay him as much as Urbina.... Whatever, I just hope I don't have to suffer what I suffered in G4 of the world series, ever, never again!

Funny you mention that...during the regular season the heart attack pitcher was Looper. I didn't trust him before and I don't trust him now. He's always making the game more "exciting" by nearly blowing games.

Uggy is perhaps my favorite player, but he isn't going to re-sign with the Marlins.

Thank God for that!