Frayed Knot

This means we'll have to start buying our Soupcan in litres instead of ounces and we'll have to start paying for it with funny looking money that has pictures of European monarchs on it.

I assume that those others made their votes known and therefore Runbin is just commenting on public information. These votes, afaik, are private unless revealed by the voters themselves which most wind up doing seeing as how they're in the public info business. The alternative is that AR secretly obtained this info from the BBWAA secretary in charge of vote counting and opted to use his column to out the guys who voted for the local kid. Doesn't sound logical captain.

Strapping 'Em On

My life as a Marlin

Adam Rubin fesses up to being one of the ones to leave Santana off his ballot, voting for Lincecum, Webb & Lidge Says that the four 1st place votes for Johan came from: Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune David Lennon, Newsday Kevin Modesti, Los Angeles Daily News Bob Nightengale, USA Today

="Edgy DC"]="Frayed Knot"]I think we're starting to sound like the wound-lickers we used to make fun of; - oh no, this stadium is being destroyed worse than any other stadium in the history of destroyed stadiums - only the Mets could paint their foul lines crooked - why did Shea have to die so young? Wait a minute, that second one wuz you. Yes, but I was just noting the fact that they looked off via the angle in that aerial shot. What followed was a reply which stated that only the Mets could do something like that as if the new stadium really will have foul poles 150' from home plate on account of this organization being so incompetant that the thought of seeing where the lines actually lead hasn't yet occured to anyone during this whole multi-million dollar operation. I'd bring up the one post wondering if they really had to ruin the grass with all that machinery during the deconstruction but I don't think that one was totally serious (although I waver at times).

I think we're starting to sound like the wound-lickers we used to make fun of; - oh no, this stadium is being destroyed worse than any other stadium in the history of destroyed stadiums - only the Mets could paint their foul lines crooked - why did Shea have to die so young?

The implication is that the European-dominated IOC members are more pro-Democrat than Republican (Europe as a whole generally is) and that removing that American sport from their prize event was their version of "punishment" for electing George Bush and thus they would "reward" us for installing Obama by allowing baseball back in.

If the IOC is accepting or rejecting sports based on who the leader of a particular nation is then my opinion of them goes down even further which is not something I thought possible. IMO baseball should just tell the Olympics to stick it up their asses anyway. The WBC can stand on its own as the premier int'l event which beats the hell out of begging the corrupt barons and emirs on the IOC for a sliver of attention and an invitation to their fiefdom.

'Catcher's Mask'* * The title of the auto-biog Sam Malone's catcher wrote after using the bood to publicly "come out" despite being a chick hound with Sam back in their playing days.

Maybe they can demolish the stadium by bringing each piece out on a velvet pillow laid out on a sled pulled by a puppy dog. I'm sure we'd all feel better then. This wound-licking is getting too much. I want video of the destruction and i hope it's bloody.

No problem with Lincecum winning it. Johan should have been 2nd but 9 voters left him out of the top 3. Player1st2nd3rdPointsLincecum2371137Webb415873Santana481155Lidge01710Sabathia1119 Dempster00455

Lincecum wins

Votes to be released in about an hour. Ties, if they happen, will be left as ties. This should be the most interesting post-season award of this year as several guys will have one aspect of the argument or another in their favor. Webb - 20 wins is rare these days much less 22 Lincecum - Maybe the best overall year backed by the worst team Santana - Overall strong year weighed down by not great W/L record Sabathia - half-season of greatness Lidge - Super closer year on pennant winning team

Tim Lncecum (possible CY winner before the day is out) might have the case for best 2nd-year pitcher since Gooden. 18 wins, 265 K in ~220 IPs, mid-2's ERA, etc The main difference is that he's 24 y/o, a relative senior citizen compared to Score/Gooden.

Herb Score[/url:8i4h1m8a], 75. 1955 AL RoY as a LHP for Cleveland. He was a two-time All-Star before his career was cut short by a line-drive off his face. Later was an announcer for the Indians for 30+ years.

Padres and Trevor Hoffman are parting ways after 17 ML seasons. The team offered him a contract he could refuse (approx half his previous $7+mil) and so he did. Pads are doing some serious cost cutting.

I don't think these foul lines are going to be anything like those at the Polo Grounds. More Shea-like IIRC.

"McReynolds said he believed Mets fans wanted them not to succeed if absolute success were not available." This is something I think is more true than it used to be. Today's fan seems more likely to view seasons as falling into one of two categories: WS win, or utter failure worthy of intense anger directed at those deemed responsible. And, since anything short of a title is unacceptable, a 65 win season is no worse than one with 95 wins and is in some ways better since it doesn't involve late season teasing or letdown. In the case of the McReynolds era I think he was experiencing fans weaned on the success of '86 who now expected titles every season. More recently the anger comes via comparisons to the Yanqui and Brave runs of the late '90s. The whole appreciating the out of town player topic got some play last week when Michael Jordan was at some Knick game (I guess he's part of the Charlotte team's mgmt) and got an ovation at the Garden. This apparently ticked off a number of Knicks fans based on the idea that he did nothing but beat the Knicks and win championships during his playing days and therefore is more worthy of booing than applause. Jordan the icon can't be Jordan the icon here the reasoning goes because he wasn't our icon.

Mmmmm. Bonifacio is the 2nd baseman they got from Arizona in the deal for that big reliever. Sounds like Florida plans to either move Uggla to 1B now that Jacobs is gone or move him out of town. Losing Willingham makes room for OFer Cameron Maybin, the young OF they got from Detroit in the Cabrera/Willis deal. Don't know anything about those Washington minor leaguers.

Nothing specific. We tend to not wrap things up until conversation starts to peter out and the list is as set as its going to be - although we are kind of reaching that point.

Well here's where our consensus sits at the moment after 13 lists plus our PotG results: 30 - Santana 29 - Wright 28 - Beltran 27 - Reyes 26 - Delgado 25 - Pelfrey 24 - Perez 23 - Tatis 22 - Maine 21 - Church 20 - Wagner 19 - Schneider 18 - Murphy 17 - Easley 16 - Smith 15 - Schoeneweis 14 - Castillo 13 - Castro 12 - Feliciano 11 - Sanchez 10 - Chavez 9 - Heilman 8 - Stokes 7 - Martinez 6 - Evans 5 - Pagan 4 - Figueroa 3 - Ayala 2 - Vargas 1 - Alou Received votes but fell short: Cancel Casanova Anderson A Reyes Sosa Shut out: Aguila Armas Clark Knight Kunz R. Martinez Molina Muniz Niese Nixon Parnell Phillips Rincon Wise A couple of places on the big board are close and could change a bit on account of revisisions while others are pretty much set in stone at this point.

Valadius wrote: It's done. Huston Street, Carlos Gonzalez, and Greg Smith go to Colorado. Street was Oakland's own 1st round draft pick from a few years back while OFer Gonzalez and pitcher Smith were two of the guys they got from Arizona in last year's Danny Haren deal. So it looks like Beane just continues to rearrange the deck chairs every year or so seemingly on whim. One thing about being drafted, or even acquired, by Oakland is that you're almost certain NOT to see your FA year there. Aside from Zito I don't know if anyone's left there voluntarily since the Tejada/Giambi era, and Eric Chavez is the only major player I can think of who got a FA-type contract to stay.

I'm going with Rockie, so the headline would read; Rockie Rookie Righty has Rocky Debut

attgig wrote: I'm convinced as long as minaya is around, he'll never trust a rookie with a starting job. if it's going to be anyone, it'll be a #5 pitcher that surprises everyone. but even that, I'm afraid of aging veterans that Minaya always seems to sign for that role. Even this year, Pelfrey was supposed to be left out, and Hernandez was going to be the #5. I'm not sure Minaya has shown himself to be either more or less trustful with rookies as compared to your average GM. After all, it's not like Pelfrey did a whole lot in '07 to warrent a spot being set aside for him. ROYs are often a matter of timing as much as anything. Reyes & Wright were both capable but came up in mid-season which dims if not kills the chances. Milledge and Gomez both were brought up before they were ready due to injuries elsewhere. Pelfrey just took some time to establish himself like rookies often do. I mean, nice year from Geovany Soto but he also turns 26 this off-season and has been in the Cubs system since 2001 including at AAA since 2005. So exactly how much were they trusting him?