Loretta was only "rented" for the one year. They wanted to give Dustin Pedroia one more season of AAA. Dustin will be the second baseman for next 10 years. Loretta is a ball players ball player. Gives it all he has and never complains. jif
My beloved Yankees have made some tremendous offseason moves, dumping two malcontents ( Randy Johnson & Gary Sheffield ) and one chronically injured pitcher ( Jaret Wright ) and a ton of payroll in the process. In return they have received a load of very good prospects, mainly young, hard throwing pitchers. Now if they can stop themselves before they do something stupid like signing Roger Clemens.
Not really Doc. He was a liability for most of the year, and I, as much as the rest of Cardinal land, were surprised that the whole starting rotation seemed to be on some kind of Peyote trip that had them pitching outa this world, as far as the Cards can pitch. Say Carpenter then hold your breath.
8) My first impressions of the Hot Stove League are that the Yankees and Cubs have really improved themselves and the Red Sox have hurt themselves. My Dodgers were already loaded with young talent and resigned Nomar, while adding Luis Gonzalez and Jason Schmidt. The Padres look pretty good out here and the Giants look lopsided with a roster that pays two players, Bonds and Zito, nearly half their payroll... I think the Dbacks are already throwing in the towel. Randy Johnson will help them sell tickets, but he came at a high price and I don't know how much he has left...
Re: Luis Gonzalez I was on the road today, listening to the MLB network on XM radio. They were talking to a Phoenix sportswriter who said that the fans were sad to see Luis go and it was affecting season ticket sales. I don't know if it's true about the ticket sales, but he made the point that Luis was much loved by the fans.
Great minds think alike, Sid. Luis Gonzalez was the most popular player in Dbacks history for obvious reasons. That guy used to kill us, even when he was playing hurt. Yes Dodger fans, he even plays hurt, unlike several outfielders we've put out there the last decade... I think the Dback decision to go after Randy Johnson was a pure business maneuver based on their declining ticket sales for letting Gonzalez get away. Dodger Dogs are still PO'd at the LoDuca trade, so we know how they feel. You don't just tear the heart out of a team then expect the fans to not notice. We notice, we're hostile and we show it in ticket sales... ..................DD
Louis Gonzales was a very popular Astro as well, after he left for Az the local morning sports guys continued to have him on the show regularily. RE: Cubs...they made a ton of move, probably as much as the rest of the NLC put together. I'd like to hear Sids evaluation of what is now expected of the Cubs. Terry
Yankees have done everything right so far in the post season. But I can't get past this nagging feeling that they will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and sign Clemens. They still have to deal with Bernie as well. There is really not a spot for him but he is "legacy" with the Bombers and they should let him go out in style. They are usually pretty good about this. Keep A-Rod. Hope he works this post season thing out. He has too much talent to give up on him. And his regular season numbers are still better than most.
Terry, I don't know if my opinion jibes with the general populace, but here goes. By the way, thanks for asking. More than the player signings, I am hanging my hat on Lou Piniella's management style. He tends to bring out the best out in his teams, even when they don't have much talent. Beyond that, the pitching is as much a concern to me as in the past. The SPs we've signed, Lilly and Marquis, have not distinguished themselves, and Wrigley is not a pitcher-friendly ballpark. The RP staff again leaves much to be desired. I don't think the signing of Cotts helps much. I would love to see a healthy Kerry Wood step into a closer or late inning stopper role and be successful. If Mark Prior by some miracle could return to his former self, that would be the wild card that puts us over the top, but I don't see it happening. On offense, there is no question that with the addition of Soriano and DeRosa, we have one of the strongest lineups in MLB, but how far we go ultimately depends on the success of our pitching staff, and I don't see significant improvement there. I hope I'm wrong. In summary, I believe the Cubs will be highly competitive in the NLC. They definitely will start the season as a playoff contender, but I'm not sure they have the starting and relief pitching that can get them to the WS. IMO the Astros will be the preseason favorite to win the division, with or without Clemens.
AJ, I recall the old saying when the Milwaukee Braves had Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain as their 1-2 punch. It went something like, Spahn and Sain, then pray for rain. I love the Cardinals. They are one of my three favorite teams (Stan Musial and Ernie Banks were my childhood idols). However, I think that this year, the saying for the Cards will be......Carpenter, then pray for lots of rain. :lol: :lol:
LOL!! My dad always mentions that about those 2 also. You might be right Sid!! Hopefully Weaver doesn't wake up from his dream!
Right on. Sid!! Spahn and Sain and 2 days of rain!!! Braves field on Comm Ave in Beantown. Spent many a day there watching those 2 in the late 40s..early 50s!! jif
:shock: I saw Warren Spahn pitch in the late 50's; early 60's. He was the greatest left-handed pitcher of all-time and he was uncompromising on the field. His windup was the old-fashioned windmill from the old days: head down, reach way back, pivot, sky-high kick with a hidden ball, bend the back, bend the legs, touch the dirt with the knee, push off the rubber and deliver a ball that seems to come out of nowhere... Just like on the box of Wheaties. I would eat my breakfast gazing at that picture of his perfect form. In his forties, he was still the greatest pitcher in baseball. No arm/elbow/shoulder problems for him: perfect form. ..............DD