Ceetar

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Ceetar wrote: He did a good job there, pretending that the $65 million in loans to BoA and MLB doesn't go to cover the 'losses' for this season. They didn't dump that money down a hole, they used it to pay salaries and what not. It's not a debt they owed, it's part of this season's operating expenses. I'm sure they're out a couple hundred thousand on interest and what not, but that's it. Loans aren't losses. Loans are balance sheet liabilities, and don't figure in calculating operating losses. The liability is "balanced" by the cash received on the money borrowed (loan). It's a wash because (excluding interest) the money received is offset by the loan repayment. <-------- Look who I am. You've been waiting your whole life for this moment. What I meant was, that money that they borrowed, was money they used for losses this year. for payroll, for salaries, for equipment. They bought things with it. Yes, it balances to 0, but you can't ignore the 65million INCOME from taking out he loan in the first place.

Bay back to a comfortable swing. Hopefully going to see some more power going these last two weeks with more playing time. Francessa doesn't like Thole. Collins happy with his catching work this Spring. blocking balls in the dirt, etc. (dumb question) Terry has more confidence in the team than the mainstream media. Health a big issue. Nice to be able to call up Duda, and Turner etc last year, can't do that this year. Turner gonna play 1B too. Turner is a baseball player, likes to play. Doesn't strike out. Important to win ST games? Collins doesn't really care about their record, but with their lineup going to be in most of the games going forward, he'd like to see them win some of those games, for the positive outlook.

Collins really likes Niese's three pitches. Thinks it could take 2-3 years to get consistent with them, expects him to have a big year this year. Franky probably closer. Likes Edgin. They may take him north, but are concerned about the lack of experience against major leaguers. Isn't in favor of the Mejia-track. Likes his prospects coming up as starters, not babying them in through the bullpen. Murphy on second: Made some good plays, gotten in some bad positions too. Gonna play 12-13 of the rest of the games. Cedeno may be a 'defensive caddy'. Turner too. They're confident he can do it. Torres will be the leadoff hitter.

Collins interview stuff: also Hairston on the field tonight too. (guess not the game-game field, but the field field? I dunno, Terry says he's on the field) Don't know if he'll be ready for OD for sure. Santana has been outstanding. Biggest, Brightest spot of camp. On track to pitch Opening Day. Not naming him there yet, because don't want to force it if they need to push him back a day or two for recovery reasons. Niese in great shape, best in the three years Collins has been here. Pelfrey needs to be a better pitcher this year, but Spring Training means nothing.

and yay, night game and SNY.

He did a good job there, pretending that the $65 million in loans to BoA and MLB doesn't go to cover the 'losses' for this season. They didn't dump that money down a hole, they used it to pay salaries and what not. It's not a debt they owed, it's part of this season's operating expenses. I'm sure they're out a couple hundred thousand on interest and what not, but that's it.

But rooting for Bay means rooting for a full LF season of productivity, rooting for another means ~half a season of crappy Bay, and then plugging in an unknown. The first wins more games.

Vic Sage wrote: granted, but it still doesn't bode well for David getting off to a good start. but the doctors due diligence and overly cautious approach means maybe he'll miss 5-10 games instead of 30-40.

Vic Sage wrote: you guys do know that Wright has a ripped stomach muscle that kept Zimmerman out for months last year, right? Mostly because it's was undiagnosed and he played through it, hurting it further, then they tried conservative treatment that didn't work. And then they panicked and tried to change his throwing motion.

I haven't really believed in the fences argument much either, but I do hope he'll just pull the ball more normally this year. I dunno..at least he finished strong right? I'm been..I guess hoping more than predicting, that he can have a 33% bounce back from his 2011 career low, towards his career averages. That'd give him about a .750 OPS. .260/.350/.400, 21 HR, 101 RBI (batting 5th or 6th), 10 SB and 10 SF.

I think the real "fall out" from the bad hop is it sets off more speculation about whether he can play the position.

yes, but if that 70 million number is as exaggerated as it sounds, simply cutting payroll 40 million and having the same record may actually make them money this year. Then, even if they were still cash-strapped themselves, the Mets have money to pay their own bills, factored in with the expected arrival of some of those pitching prospects, and any boost they may get via season tickets for the All-Star game, and suddenly they're seeing expected revenue a little higher, and it's looking rosy again.

Average ticket price for 2011 is listed at 31.81. multiply that by attendance and you get $75,661,643.69. Payroll was at ~142.. That's like 70mill right there. Of course, it doesn't include operating costs and other employees, Bonilla, etc. But it also doesn't include concessions, parking, advertising, naming rights or SNY money.

Frayed Knot wrote: Of course if the club is really losing on the order of $70mil/yr (as has been reported) then one has to wonder how long the 'Pons can hang on even with this bullet (partially) dodged. depends on how real that 70million is, which is something we may never know.

Vic Sage wrote: I'd say if Ike has the type of 1st half we can safely project, and Ryan Howard is sidelined for much of the first half, then he has a 50/50 shot at an A-S bid. Ryan Howard will not be on the all-star ballot for fan voting, as he's not starting the season with the team. It generally lists the Opening Day starters ( Reyes not on it in 2010 for instance) The ballot may already have been printed at this point though, otherwise Utley may not be on it either.

Utley's injury gives Murphy a better shot. Howard's injury (and Fielder/Pujols departing) give Davis a better shot. If Santana stays healthy and is winning games, I think he gets a spot in part due to history, which I imagine many will hope he declines. I'd like to see Dickey get in.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: He's back! 15-11, has once special afternoon where he deals the first no-hitter in team history. before or after May 11th, the 8000th game?

Vic Sage wrote: The Philly 3 don't need to duplicate "career lows", just career averages. And i have more reason to think they can duplicate those averages at 35 than you have reason to think they can't, other than the fact that, ultimately, time will in fact catch up with them, and your wish that this is that year. It remains to be seen what they 'need' to duplicate to win the division. And I'm merely suggesting age could catch up, not that it will. With an offense almost a lock to score less runs, how many more games do they step back with a regression from career lows to career averages for the top three, especially if Worley-Blanton is likely to be a big step down from Oswalt-Worley last year?

Vic Sage wrote: Because i think these Prediction threads tend toward ridiculous excercises in Ceetardian puffery, i offer contrary predictions as a form of parody, and to show less optimistic potential outcomes are likely to be just as accurate as pie-in-the-sky optimism. of course, I don't think I've posted the most optimistic projections in any of these threads.

How about the career low HR rate, the career high K/9 rate last year. Think he can duplicate that in his age 35 season? His velocity is falling, 92 in 2010 and to 91.3 in 2011 and rumors that it's falling further this Spring. GB/FB rate also a career low, and I think it's easy to see what more FB in that park could mean. This aren't "concrete" reasons, but it's definitely food for thought.

Vic Sage wrote: yes to everything here about the phucking phils... aging, overrated, due for a fall, yadda yadda yadda. But they've got a top 3 in their rotation all of whom are better than the top starter of most every other team in the league (except maybe DODGERS & GIANTS), much less the division. And other than typical ST gossip, there is no reliable indicator suggesting this is no longer true. And as long as it is, they're the team to beat. Hell, they could play ME at 2b ("put me in coach!"), and still win the division. What difference does it make who plays 2b if practically no hitter will make solid contact against the majority of their rotation? Because you still have to score runs and all three of those guys let up 2 runs a game. (often more) And because Vance Worley might not actually be that good and Blanton/Kendrick definitely aren't. Because they play in a bandbox, all three of their top pitchers are almost a given to regress from career low ERAs, and two of them are on the backend of 'prime pitching age', and they have no pitching depth. They've also been able to maximize bullpen effectiveness by having those guys go deep into games. Will age limit that? Will the backend of the rotation limit that? Will injuries? They added Papelbon but lost Madsen (and Lidge) Look at what happened when the Braves had to lean too heavily on their (better) bullpen.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'll take Cliff Lee for Justin Tyrna. I'd rather their top pitching prospect. Worth noting I think, is that their top three all posted career low ERAs. Lee and Halladay aren't exactly spring chickens. And they lost Oswalt.. really hoping on Vance Worley there.

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Can I have Jose Reyes back now? Maybe the Marlins only wanted to borrow him to sell season tickets, and would be willing to give him back?

Michael Martinez, who played quite a bit of second base for the Phillies while Utley was out last year, has been playing there this spring and is hitting .310/.375/.483 in a small-sample-size 29 at-bats. In 2011, though, he hit just .196/.258/.282 in 234 plate appearances. A repeat of that certainly wouldn't replace Utley's production. The Phillies could just plug Wilson Valdez in there... except they traded Valdez to the Reds in January. So the Phillies, who are aging at quite a number of positions, now face the prospect of opening yet another season without Chase Utley and without a suitable replacement. The Phillies still have that great pitching staff, but their offense could be another story.[/quote:1czde8s1] Edgy MD Mar 19 2012 08:16 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Martinez has a real noodlebat, and I'd be surprised if they weren't at least tempted to go with Wigginton at second and Thome at first, at least a few times per week. Widget played 40 games at second in 2010, the year he made the All Star team as a utility pole. John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 19 2012 08:19 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies I'll take Cliff Lee for Justin Tyrna. Ceetar Mar 19 2012 08:39 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: I'll take Cliff Lee for Justin Tyrna. I'd rather their top pitching prospect. Worth noting I think, is that their top three all posted career low ERAs. Lee and Halladay aren't exactly spring chickens. And they lost Oswalt.. really hoping on Vance Worley there. Vic Sage Mar 19 2012 09:10 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies yes to everything here about the phucking phils... aging, overrated, due for a fall, yadda yadda yadda. But they've got a top 3 in their rotation all of whom are better than the top starter of most every other team in the league (except maybe DODGERS & GIANTS), much less the division. And other than typical ST gossip, there is no reliable indicator suggesting this is no longer true. And as long as it is, they're the team to beat. Hell, they could play ME at 2b ("put me in coach!"), and still win the division. What difference does it make who plays 2b if practically no hitter will make solid contact against the majority of their rotation? Ceetar Mar 19 2012 09:16 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Vic Sage wrote: yes to everything here about the phucking phils... aging, overrated, due for a fall, yadda yadda yadda. But they've got a top 3 in their rotation all of whom are better than the top starter of most every other team in the league (except maybe DODGERS & GIANTS), much less the division. And other than typical ST gossip, there is no reliable indicator suggesting this is no longer true. And as long as it is, they're the team to beat. Hell, they could play ME at 2b ("put me in coach!"), and still win the division. What difference does it make who plays 2b if practically no hitter will make solid contact against the majority of their rotation? Because you still have to score runs and all three of those guys let up 2 runs a game. (often more) And because Vance Worley might not actually be that good and Blanton/Kendrick definitely aren't. Because they play in a bandbox, all three of their top pitchers are almost a given to regress from career low ERAs, and two of them are on the backend of 'prime pitching age', and they have no pitching depth. They've also been able to maximize bullpen effectiveness by having those guys go deep into games. Will age limit that? Will the backend of the rotation limit that? Will injuries? They added Papelbon but lost Madsen (and Lidge) Look at what happened when the Braves had to lean too heavily on their (better) bullpen. Edgy MD Mar 19 2012 09:20 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies The main thing I can say is, sure, but quality pitching tends to be ephemeral. It's everywhere then it's nowhere. I think there's some talk of Philies shortstop-of-the-future Freddy Galvis getting a Tejada-like intro to the bigs as a phil-in secondbaseman. He's 21 and looks to be have been getting some Bernazard-like aggressive promotion, and hasn't quite learned to hit yet. Vic Sage Mar 19 2012 09:30 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Ceetar wrote: Because you still have to score runs and all three of those guys let up 2 runs a game. (often more) And because Vance Worley might not actually be that good and Blanton/Kendrick definitely aren't. Because they play in a bandbox, all three of their top pitchers are almost a given to regress from career low ERAs, and two of them are on the backend of 'prime pitching age', and they have no pitching depth. They've also been able to maximize bullpen effectiveness by having those guys go deep into games. Will age limit that? Will the backend of the rotation limit that? Will injuries? They added Papelbon but lost Madsen (and Lidge) Look at what happened when the Braves had to lean too heavily on their (better) bullpen. they'll score plenty in their "bandbox"; meanwhile their top 3 have yet to have any difficulty pitching there. The rest is wishful thinking. Yeah, they're getting older, so maybe they'll have injuries, or pitch less deeply into games, or "regress" (despite having brilliant careers to date)... or maybe they'll pitch exactly like they have to date for another year. I'll bet on the former until i see concrete reasons to project the latter. batmagadanleadoff Mar 19 2012 09:33 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Good pitching is more valuable in a smaller stadium. A top pitcher can pitch in any stadium. And the Phillies have lotsa tops. That's why the Phillies are formidable. Ceetar Mar 19 2012 09:43 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies How about the career low HR rate, the career high K/9 rate last year. Think he can duplicate that in his age 35 season? His velocity is falling, 92 in 2010 and to 91.3 in 2011 and rumors that it's falling further this Spring. GB/FB rate also a career low, and I think it's easy to see what more FB in that park could mean. This aren't "concrete" reasons, but it's definitely food for thought. Frayed Knot Mar 19 2012 09:43 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phils Runs Scored: 2009 - 820 2010 - 772 2011 - 713 Vic Sage Mar 19 2012 09:48 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Ceetar wrote: How about the career low HR rate, the career high K/9 rate last year. Think he can duplicate that in his age 35 season? His velocity is falling, 92 in 2010 and to 91.3 in 2011 and rumors that it's falling further this Spring. GB/FB rate also a career low, and I think it's easy to see what more FB in that park could mean. This aren't "concrete" reasons, but it's definitely food for thought. The Philly 3 don't need to duplicate "career lows", just career averages. And i have more reason to think they can duplicate those averages at 35 than you have reason to think they can't, other than the fact that, ultimately, time will in fact catch up with them, and your wish that this is that year. Ceetar Mar 19 2012 09:50 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Vic Sage wrote: The Philly 3 don't need to duplicate "career lows", just career averages. And i have more reason to think they can duplicate those averages at 35 than you have reason to think they can't, other than the fact that, ultimately, time will in fact catch up with them, and your wish that this is that year. It remains to be seen what they 'need' to duplicate to win the division. And I'm merely suggesting age could catch up, not that it will. With an offense almost a lock to score less runs, how many more games do they step back with a regression from career lows to career averages for the top three, especially if Worley-Blanton is likely to be a big step down from Oswalt-Worley last year? Vic Sage Mar 19 2012 09:53 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Frayed Knot wrote: Phils Runs Scored: 2009 - 820 2010 - 772 2011 - 713 I'm not sure i get your point, FK. Yes, they're scoring less and preventing more. that's called "winning". In the early part of the last decade, they were scoring more and giving up more. that was called "not winning". batmagadanleadoff Mar 19 2012 09:56 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phillies Run Differential: 2009 +111 2010 +132 2011 +184 Frayed Knot Mar 19 2012 12:21 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Vic Sage wrote: Phils Runs Scored: 2009 - 820 2010 - 772 2011 - 713 I'm not sure i get your point, FK. Yes, they're scoring less and preventing more. that's called "winning". In the early part of the last decade, they were scoring more and giving up more. that was called "not winning". Wasn't really responding to the ongoing pitching discussion specifically, just throwing in some info to the thread in general which points out that their offense has been slipping for several years now and with it injured and aging they're going to need to rely on that pitching all the more. Vic Sage Mar 19 2012 12:26 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Wasn't really responding to the ongoing pitching discussion specifically, just throwing in some info to the thread in general which points out that their offense has been slipping for several years now and with it injured and aging they're going to need to rely on that pitching all the more. Yes, i'd agree they are more pitching reliant. With Utley out indefinitely and Howard out till June, they'd need a pitching staff the likes of Halladay, Lee and Hamels to make up the differ... oh, wait. They HAVE those guys. never mind. John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 22 2012 08:22 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Cliff Lee to the DL with an oblique strain. The Second Spitter May 08 2012 05:33 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Edited 1 time(s), most recently on May 08 2012 05:38 AM Cole Hamels the cowardly **** gets banned for 5 games for being a cowardly ****, the cowardly ****, but he won't miss a turn in the rotation because Lee returns. Keep up the good work, Bud. Ceetar May 08 2012 05:38 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies does 5 games even disrupt...anything? they have a day off Thursday. they could start Halladay on normal rest Saturday and have Hamels go Sunday and not miss a beat. bmfc1 May 08 2012 06:04 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies The Second Spitter wrote: Cole Hamels the cowardly **** gets banned for 5 games for being a cowardly ****, the cowardly ****, but he won't miss a turn in the rotation because Lee returns. Keep up the good work, Bud. A 5 day suspension of a starting pitcher is worthless. If it's a position player or a reliever, the next opponent that the suspended player's team is playing benefits. Hamels suspension should have begun the next time the MFPs play the Nationals. The Second Spitter May 08 2012 06:18 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies How difficult is it to multiple a starting pitchers suspension by 5? Edgy MD May 08 2012 06:29 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Suspensions also have more teeth when teams aren't permitted to fill the suspended player's roster spot. Edgy MD May 08 2012 07:46 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phillies phans who supported Josh Thole in Philadephia, honoring him with silence while he was down, and applauding when he sat up, stood, and was helped to the dugout, are in contrast with their fellow tribesmen who travel to Washington for a weekend series, according to Jayson Werth. Ceetar May 08 2012 07:53 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies That Philly-Washington rivalry is really heating up isn't it? Gwreck May 08 2012 02:37 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Edgy DC wrote: Suspensions also have more teeth when teams aren't permitted to fill the suspended player's roster spot. Isn't that how suspensions work now? Hamels' suspension doesn't have teeth because the Phillies are essentially giving him an extra game off so that he doesn't miss a start. Ceetar May 11 2012 01:47 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phillies OBP leaderboard, in order: Juan Pierre, Laynce Nix, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton. Edgy MD May 11 2012 01:52 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Ka-pow. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 11 2012 01:59 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Without seeking them out, I've run across 2-3 sets of rumors over the last 24 hours regarding the Phils potentially being in "sell mode." Short of a playoff run, leaving a trail of broken franchises-- staring at "Is this it?" headlines in their local newspapers, wondering about their swings/pitching mechanics/the trustworthiness of their relievers-- in our wake is something to which this team can aspire, can't it? Ceetar May 11 2012 02:09 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies that was prompted by a Ruben Amaro Jr quote which I think was basically "if we're playing like this we'd be sellers" LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 11 2012 02:15 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Also, there's scuttlebutt about team-specific inquiries (probably, if true, spurred by that quote) regarding Hamels and Victorino. Edgy MD May 11 2012 02:28 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies One wonders if they have a chance of signing those guys after all they've invested in Howard, Utley, Rollins, Lee, and Halladay. Pence too, for that matter. Oh, one mustn't think of such things! Ceetar May 11 2012 02:32 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Edgy DC wrote: One wonders if they have a chance of signing those guys after all they've invested in Howard, Utley, Rollins, Lee, and Halladay. Pence too, for that matter. Oh, one mustn't think of such things! their payroll has skyrocked and their income, if not stagnating, has come close since they already sell out every game. Benjamin Grimm May 11 2012 02:46 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Just for the sake of argument, what meat, if any, would we want to pick off their corpse? Ceetar May 11 2012 02:55 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Benjamin Grimm wrote: Just for the sake of argument, what meat, if any, would we want to pick off their corpse? Whatever we want, we can feed the fish in the aquarium in Miami with it. John Cougar Lunchbucket May 11 2012 03:02 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Benjamin Grimm wrote: Just for the sake of argument, what meat, if any, would we want to pick off their corpse? For real? I'd take Halladay if they're selling, though the Mets would probably be shopping for Blanton. Polanco would be a nice guy to have. Pence? LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 11 2012 04:16 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Nothing. It's irrevocably tainted. (And, as far as we're concerned, either prohibitively expensive or redundant, position-wise.) G-Fafif May 11 2012 04:59 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Without seeking them out, I've run across 2-3 sets of rumors over the last 24 hours regarding the Phils potentially being in "sell mode." A few days ago, I ran across evidence that the Phils are in "suck mode". Ceetar May 11 2012 05:42 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies G-Fafif wrote: LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Without seeking them out, I've run across 2-3 sets of rumors over the last 24 hours regarding the Phils potentially being in "sell mode." A few days ago, I ran across evidence that the Phils are in "suck mode". I think that was the ladies from the KTE Marlins thread.. Chad Ochoseis May 12 2012 06:05 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Benjamin Grimm wrote: Just for the sake of argument, what meat, if any, would we want to pick off their corpse? Ruiz would be nice if the Mets were contending mid-year. He'd be a great platoon-mate for Thole, and nothing would say "cockpunch" to a Phillies fan like Chooch in a Met uniform. His current salary is $3.7M, and he has a 2013 $5M club option. I was in Lakewood, NJ last night watching the Phillie-affiliated Class A Blue Claws lose 6-1 to the Marlin-affiliated Greensboro Grasshoppers. Five errors by the appropriately-named Claws, not counting a botched infield popup that was scored a hit. I have seen the phuture, and it ain't pretty. Edgy MD May 20 2012 02:29 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phillies trying to dig their way out of last with a shovel-full of paranoia. Ceetar May 20 2012 03:37 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Edgy DC wrote: Phillies trying to dig their way out of last with a shovel-full of paranoia. lol. I can just imagine the next course of action is to have him wear a jersey with no name on the back and sneak him from minor league field to minor league field to get his work in. Ceetar May 20 2012 05:25 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies another one on Howard and how the cortisone shot he got in September last year may have ultimately caused the final rupture. Ample medical evidence suggests cortisone can damage surrounding tissue, fray the Achilles, even trigger a rupture. Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20120520_Easing_the_pain__or_worsening_it.html?viewAll=y#ixzz1vSI9nMAc Frayed Knot Jun 13 2012 07:18 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Phils now losers of nine of their last ten, have fallen to five games below .500, and currently sit 9-1/2 games out of 1st in the East (losing 7.0 off the pace to Washington just over the last 10 days). On the bright side for them, Chase Utley played in a Class A rehab game last night. Swan Swan H Jun 13 2012 08:21 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies another one on Howard and how the cortisone shot he got in September last year may have ultimately caused the final rupture. Ample medical evidence suggests cortisone can damage surrounding tissue, fray the Achilles, even trigger a rupture. Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20120520_Easing_the_pain__or_worsening_it.html?viewAll=y#ixzz1vSI9nMAc From the article: Within seconds, the syringe's milky mixture of cortisone and painkiller rushed warmly into the tiny, inflamed bursa sac at the base of the slugger's Achilles tendon. "Mr. Howard," the nurse whispered, "your sac looks inflamed. Is there anything I can do to make it feel better?" Edgy MD Jun 13 2012 10:09 PM Cole Mining Phillie phans of my knowing could. not. be. more pessimistic about the likelihood they can make something of this season, and are already envisioning a dismantling of their championship-powered squad. That's largely the over-stated hopelessness of folks whose team is on a losing streak, but there's one big plum in their pudding, and that's Cole Hamels. Given that... ... he's an AS caliber pitcher, ... his team is playing their way out of contention, ... he's a free-agent at the end of the year, ... the team is already over-burdened with heavy contracts, ... he's something of a five-tool tool, I'd call it about even money that he finishes the year as a Yankee. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 14 2012 05:06 AM Re: Cole Mining He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey. metirish Jun 14 2012 05:38 AM Re: Cole Mining Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him? TransMonk Jun 14 2012 05:42 AM Re: Cole Mining metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him? I wouldn't. Nymr83 Jun 14 2012 06:14 AM Re: Cole Mining TransMonk wrote: metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him? I wouldn't. Not unless Hamels signs a nice 5 year extension right away. Wheeler looks great but until a guy shows it in the majors you just don't know what he'll be, so I'd deal him for 5 years of Hamels, but I wouldn't even consider it for a 3 month rental. Gwreck Jun 14 2012 06:16 AM Re: Cole Mining John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey. The MFYs of the National League, so that makes perfect sense. Benjamin Grimm Jun 14 2012 06:20 AM Re: Cole Mining metirish wrote: Would you flip Zack Wheeler for him? No. If he's a real prospect, I wouldn't trade him for a rental. And I think the Mets need more than Hamels to win a championship, although he'd certainly be a big help. Edgy MD Jun 14 2012 06:38 AM Re: Cole Mining I wouldn't flip a Zach Wheeler baseball card for him. Frayed Knot Jun 14 2012 06:56 AM Re: Cole Mining John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's definitely MFY material but the word is he's all but tried on a Dodgers jersey. Until the winter, of course, he has no say in the matter (unless he finagled a no-trade deal along the way but that would be unusual for a pre-FA guy). But in the long run, yeah, it's tough to see the Sillies signing the west-coast wannabe when they're already on the hook for so many expensive (and all older) parts. On the overall question, I doubt the Phils throw in the towel before they see what they look like when (if?) Utley, Howard & Halladay come back. If nothing else they've got approx six weeks to decide where they at. And on the Wheeler angle - Hell No! Not for a rental and not when the Mets are in a position where they're more likely to be dealing established players for prospects than the other way around. Maybe circumstances change in the near future but not now. Edgy MD Jun 15 2012 06:41 AM Re: Cole Mining I'm merging this into the "Division Foes: Philly" thread. John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 28 2012 11:08 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Chad Qualls DFA'ed. Been struggling recently ... Frayed Knot Jun 30 2012 04:55 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Thome reportedly to be dealt to the Orioles. themetfairy Jun 30 2012 04:56 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Frayed Knot wrote: Thome reportedly to be dealt to the Orioles. As a result, Jason Pridie left the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs game to hop a plane to Florida to join the Phillies. Edgy MD Jul 02 2012 12:17 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Chad Qualls DFA'ed. Been struggling recently ... Chad Qualls, welcome to the Yankees. PtBNL or cash. TransMonk Jul 02 2012 12:36 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Guess who is 3 losses worse than the Kansas City Royals going into today's games? Yikes! G-Fafif Aug 07 2012 12:04 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies You can no longer call the Phillies a bunch of sellouts at home. The Phillies' crowd halted the club's consecutive sellout streak, which is the longest ever in the NL and third-longest in MLB history according to the club. The streak started on July 7, 2009. "You kind of know it's going to happen," Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins said. "You would hope that it wouldn't. You would hope that one bad season wouldn't break it up. But that's the way it goes. "People aren't going to spend money and come to the game if they don't feel they're getting their money's worth. And this year we've been a little short." Frayed Knot Aug 07 2012 02:23 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies I'd have figured that there would have been enough seats pre-sold to get them through this season with that streak intact. It always the season after the season where sales break down, just like the season after the unexpected title or late run is where you see the big ticket increase. bmfc1 Aug 07 2012 06:38 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies On tonight's broadcast, Josh said that "the Phillies phony baloney sell-out streak is over." Ashie62 Aug 07 2012 07:17 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies Philly is an Eagles town and camp has started. G-Fafif Sep 14 2012 06:29 AM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies All hail the Astros, making themselves useful by coming back on the Wild Card-dreaming Phillies last night! Trailing 4-3, Houston put up a three-spot in the eighth, Jed Lowrie delivering the key blow, a two-run double off Jake Diekman. Brandon Barnes followed with an RBI single. With the Cardinals' win, the Phillies fall four behind the second WC spot, trailing four teams altogether. Which is about all a Mets fan has left in the National League. G-Fafif Oct 03 2012 02:10 PM Re: Division Foes 2012: The Phillies 81-81 Phillies lose last game, finish with first non-winning record in 10 years.

Edgy DC wrote: Who is playing second for them? Can Wigstone still play over there? Not at the same time he's playing first! Michael Martinez can play second I think.