There may or may not be intelligent life on Mars, but I can guarantee you there is no intelligent life down here on Earth.

http://me.woot.net
You have to wonder "what if" with regards to Josh Phelps and John Gibbons. Does his willingness to play Woodward every day indicate he might have been willing to give Josh a fair shake at DH? He's sure not getting one in Cleveland, at least not yet.

I'm happy that Woody's getting another chance, though. At the very least it will increase his trade value, but I'd like to see him succeed to the level everyone thinks he's capable of. If he'd just shave off that beard....

Oh, and Moffatt committed the cardinal sin of amount vs. number today. The number of rosaries you'll have to pray to redeem your soul is only outweighted by the amount of scorn I will now heap upon you. Scorn! Scorn! :)

Oh, and Moffatt committed the cardinal sin of amount vs. number today.

Are you sure it's a cardinal sin and not an ordinal sin?

For getting the song Life on Mars by David Bowie, Craig wins a picture of this attractive 70s bathroom which refuses to show up on this screen. So he'll have to collect it here.

Swanky!

Are you sure it's a cardinal sin and not an ordinal sin?

All I know is, it's not imaginary, it's real, and integral to the complex question of your salvation.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&e=1&u=/latimests/littleleaguelosingitsgriponkids
Here's a story about the decline in the number of kids playing Little League. COMN.

Cardinal numbers measure size, ordinal numbers are just for order.

http://me.woot.net
Oh, I am in math joke heaven today. 3 + 5i points to both Mike and Craig for making me laugh.

A Bowie reference and I missed it. Lousy job. That's it, I'm quitting.

Why do I have this sudden urge to go out and buy a pocket protector?

Hey, hey, hey, it's just an ordinary day and it's all your state of mind.

http://me.woot.net
-∞ points to Thomas for that very mean song quote, which may live in my head all day.

-?‡ points to Thomas for that very mean song quote, which may live in my head all day.

Maybe I can help.

That you like Pina Coladas
Getting caught in the rain
And the feel of the ocean
And the taste of champagne

Worst song to get stuck in your head.... EVER.

Thomas, I JUST HATE YOU SO MUCH!. This was in my head all day yesterday. Now you've stuck it back there.

http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2004/veronica/index.html
I think Craig B should have won the Betty & Veronica prize instead of the '70s furniture (COMN)

I can't even spell my own name this morning. I suck.

Last night on the fan, JP said that he's comfortable with a rotation of Halladay, Batista, Lilly, Towers and Bush for 2005, with Justin Miller moving to the bullpen.

What does everyone think about that?

Personally, I think it's a good idea, and I'm not thrilled at the idea of the Jays spending their money on a starting pitcher this offseason. That rotation looks solid, and a bullpen of Frasor, Miller, Chulk, Lightenberg, plus 2 of League, Nakamura, Petersen, Speir and Lopez seems decent to me.

I have mixed feelings about Miller in the bullpen. On the one hand, I think he could be extremely effective there. On the other hand, I think he could be a better starter than Towers.

Oooh. That's much better.

For the record, I'd much rather go out on a date with Veronica, but I'd much rather have a long-term relationship with Betty.

I think that pitching staff would be fine... Towers and Miller would compete for a rotation spot and having some depth is always a good thing. JP has said recently he'll target 1 or 2 big bats. They'll have the Delgado monry to spend, on him or on other guys.

Don't look now but the Jays are are slowly slipping into contention in the race for the 4th pick next June. They have 48 games left with the standings sitting:
RK Team Record Last 10
21 Pirates 53-58 2-8
22 Brewers 53-59 3-7
23 NY Mets 53-59 4-6
24 Detroit 52-61 3-7
25 Rockies 51-63 5-5
26 Jays 48-66 3-7
27 Montreal46-66 7-3
28 Mariners43-70 4-6
29 Royals 40-72 4-6
30 Arizona 35-80 2-8

Go Expos! As embarrassing as it would be to finish behind the Expos, a fourth overall pick would be nice.

Q: Should there be a lottery for the top 5 picks in baseball?

Hottest cartoon chick of all time: April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Go back and check the tapes - knockout.

No, there shouldn't be a lottery.
What would be the point?

Does anyone here follow US college/high school baseball?

Any guesses as to whether there will be a difference between having the 4th or 6th or whatever pick next year? I believe last year's draft was believed to be 7 deep at the top.

I can't believe my prophesy for Miller as closer is coming true. I think Miller will be a great closer.

Veronica is way, way hotter than Betty.

Hottest cartoon chick of all time: April O'Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Go back and check the tapes - knockout.

The hottest cartoon babe ever was the The Baroness from G.I. Joe, IMHO.

Anyhow, back on topic. I'm not entirely comfortable with a rotation of "Halladay, Batista, Lilly, Towers and Bush for 2005" because of the inherent injury risk to pitchers, but I understand with a small payroll you have to make sacrifices. I'd like to see both Towers and Miller in the pen, with Towers acting as a spot-starter/long-man.

Does his willingness to play Woodward every day indicate he might have been willing to give Josh a fair shake at DH? He's sure not getting one in Cleveland, at least not yet.

A team that is pursuing a division title, already leading the league in scoring, and with a satisfactory DH/1B combo vs RHP is perhaps the last team in baseball in a position to give Phelps any AB's vs RHP.

Phelps' best shot would be to unearth Merloni as the 1B vs LHP. And even that gig might dry up if/when Boone returns, forcing Blake across the diamond.

Moffatt, maybe that's not her best picture, but the Baroness looks a little manly to me...

Is Josh Towers the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball? I think it must be the combination of his physique and that odd "7" he wears on his back that makes people think he can't be in a rotation. He has had outstanding results. And when the knock is he can't do it against the better clubs: he does it to the Yankees.

My sole concern with Towers is his self-imposed wall of 86 pitches. I'd like to see the bulldog with a little more drive and competitive edge to try to finish what he starts. He won't be a complete starting pitcher in my mind until he tosses a few complete games. Until then, though, I'm happy to have him in my rotation.

Phelps' best shot would be to unearth Merloni as the 1B vs LHP

Wasn't Merloni just placed on the DL? Might have imagened it though, I'll have to double check.

Paul, the point is that a lottery is meant to prevent any teams from trying to lose the last few games of their season (mainly through management playing worse players) in order to finish with a better pick. With the lottery system if you finish fourth from the bottom (as opposed to purposely losing 8 of your last 10 and finishing third from the bottom) you will still have a decent, not great, chance at a number one or number two pick, and the difference between your team's odds and the odds of the team ahead of you isn't very large.

That being said, whether that is a valid concern and whether the lottery system prevents it is another matter.

http://cleveland.indians.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cle/news/cle_news.jsp?ymd=20040811&content_id=825335&vkey=news_cle&fext=.jsp
Yep [COMN]

The decision to replace the 34-year-old Merloni ... was made possible because of the addition of veteran Josh Phelps, who came to the Tribe last week in a trade with the Blue Jays.

Moffatt, maybe that's not her best picture, but the Baroness looks a little manly to me...

She is a bit, I suppose. A cross between an evil librarian and a workout freak. It's as if Bailey from WKRP had a dark-haired sister who was hell bent on world domination.

RE: Towers. I like Towers too, but there's just some ballparks I wouldn't want him starting in because he gives up too many longballs.

http://www.bluejayway.ca/features/exclusives/sliao090804.php
I hope you guys dont consider this spam. But one of my writers did a interview with George Bell a few days back. COMN to read.

Thanks

I just don't see Woody an an everyday guy...doesn't seem to have the kind of stamina it takes to remain consistent enough at the plate and in the field. I think his value would be highest as a guy who splits time at SS, which would keep him sharp without wearing him down.

I like what Gomez has shown this year a lot, but he's also similar to Woodward, maybe with a bit more ability to play everyday. I could live with these 2 days sharing time at short. Very similar players but platooning them would keep them both fresh. As long as both guys know in advance how much work they'll be getting and when I think it could be a mutually beneficial working relationship.

Thomas, I didn't explain myself very well.

I understand the theory behind the lottery, and I know why they have it in basketball.
I don't see the point of having it in baseball. That's what I meant.

In baseball there are no Lebron James type draftees. The only player I can think of that would approach that level is Mark Prior, and he wasn't drafted first overall, and he has health concerns.

In a lottery you get nonsense like Orlando getting Penny Hardaway and Shaq back to back years, and the Raptors not getting one of Darko, Melo or James, even though they were in the bottom third of the league in terms of their record. I don't see any advantage to baseball going to that system.

Does anyone actually believe that Arizona is purposefully losing games to gain a better lottery position?

The 'benefit' to the lottery would be that a team like Toronto could get the first pick instead of the 5th. Well, Toronto doesn't deserve that, Arizona does.
Also, the baseball draft has 50 rounds. Do you give Toronto that advantage in every round, or only the first round?

Darryl, I guess you'll have to change the banner at the top, huh. A nice interview though! I'm always glad to hear people support the DH. I think George might have a man crush on Tony Fernandez.

Thanks Zarco.

Ya ill eventually have to retire Phelps and looks like Delgado fromthe banner rotation at seasons end.

The decision to replace the 34-year-old Merloni ... was made possible because of the addition of veteran Josh Phelps, who came to the Tribe last week in a trade with the Blue Jays.

Thanks Dan. I wasn't aware of that. I would have hoped that a 1000-OPS Phelps would have been able to steal 1B away from Merloni even were he not DL'd.

This dude on Sportsnet News this morning, when introducing a Canadian Olympic baseball athelete (Johnson, P, Edmonton Trappers) when mentioning that he had played for both Canadian MLB teams phrased it this way:

"For most Major League ballplayers, having to put in time on both Canadian Major League teams would be cruel and unusual punishment... not so for Johnson"

I think I was rightfully upset to hear that.

Started reading through the roundup reports, and I catch this interesting stat by in Castrovince's article...

"The Jays had scored three runs or less in 54 of their 113 games this season entering Wednesday. They own an 8-46 record in those games."

The season from hell, summed up.

If I did my math correctly [Joe can double check for us :) ] and with the Jays currently at 48-66, that would mean when the Jays score 4 or more runs their record is 40-20. Talk about a bipolar team.

Is Josh Towers the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball? I think it must be the combination of his physique and that odd "7" he wears on his back that makes people think he can't be in a rotation. He has had outstanding results. And when the knock is he can't do it against the better clubs: he does it to the Yankees.

Actually, it's his scary HR rate that is his biggest problem. His control is awesome, but he leaves too many hittable pitches over the plate. Over the course of his MLB career, he's given up 54 HR in 308 IP.

The small sample size caveat applies, but so far in 2004 he's cut his HR rate in half. If he can keep this up for the rest of the season, I'll have a little more confidence in him doing ok in the back end of the rotation in 2005.

I think it might be better to let Miller and Towers pitch in a tandem next year, with each of them getting 10-15 starts and also doing some work in long relief.

not to nickel and dime you Paul, but the only reason Prior didn't go 1st overall is because Minny wouldn't have been able to sign him, so they took Mauer with the top pick.

but i do agree that baseball doesn't need a lottery draft. it only "works" in basketball because of the guaranteed talent coming into the league every year.

joymayo, that was sort of my point.

Without the rookie salary cap in baseball, you don't even guarantee that the team with the worst record gets the best player. ie, teams weren't about to lose games so they could draft Prior, because there was no guarantee that they'd be able to sign him.

My sole concern with Towers is his self-imposed wall of 86 pitches. I'd like to see the bulldog with a little more drive and competitive edge to try to finish what he starts. He won't be a complete starting pitcher in my mind until he tosses a few complete games.

I think we over-estimate the importance of that number 5 spot in the rotation. A team like the Jays can't afford to have a horse in the fifth spot. The Yanks, Sox, Cubs, etc. sure, because they have the payroll. If you look at most teams, they don't even have a fifth starter... the spot is filled by a revolving door of call ups and spot starters. I also think the idea of Towers in the pen is silly. Pretty much everyone in the Jays organization has said that Towers, for various reasons, is not suited to the pen.

I don't know about a draft lottery, but I don think teams should be allowed to trade picks, like in hockey. Some teams don't seem to care about the draft (Yankees, Mariners) and rarely have a first round pick anyway so why not get rid of compensation picks for free agents and allow the teams to trade the picks instead?

so why not get rid of compensation picks for free agents and allow the teams to trade the picks instead

I was going to see that I'm not sure how these two ideas are related, but now that I think about it I can see the relation. However, you could allow the trading of picks and keep the compensation. You just wouldn't be able to trade picks until after the free agent period.

Isn't there a draft lottery in Hockey and the NFL?

I kind of like it. It prevents teams from gassing the last 20 games to move up into the top spots. It is also exciting.

On the other hand MLB teams cannot trade draft picks and the bonus demands are in some cases prohibitive. This takes away some of the flexibility a team may have if they get the first pick. A team like the Jays, Brewers, or Pittsburg may not want the 1st pick anyway because they could not afford the #1 player.

I think on the balance though it would be exciting. Could you imagine the buzz in Toronto if the Jays had the #1 pick?

Keep in mind the NBA has slot contracts for it's drafted players. It's not like the NFL or MLB where the players have some negoitating rights.

If MLB was ever able to 'really' implement slot bonuses the draft would be much easier to handicap and much easier to analyze down the road. I've always taken analysis of the draft with a grain of salt because you end up with plenty of players like Carl Pavano. Drafted in the 13th round because he had a scholarship to LSU, Boston signed him for 2nd round money.

Looking back now you'd see a very good pitcher picked in the 13th round and chalk that up to a 'find', when in reality everyone had him pegged as a second round talent.

Ducey, there is no draft lottery in the NFL. Worst team gets 1st selection. San Diego sucked-they got #1. Same as baseball.

The number one overall pick can often cause more headaches than it's worth. I don't think there is really a history of the number one pick being that much better than some of the other picks in the first round...

'I don't know about a draft lottery, but I don think teams should be allowed to trade picks, like in hockey. Some teams don't seem to care about the draft (Yankees, Mariners) and rarely have a first round pick anyway so why not get rid of compensation picks for free agents and allow the teams to trade the picks instead?'

To keep someone on their way out like Dan Evans was last year from setting a franchise back a decade by dealing a bunch of high picks for bad players.

Would you want to be the Mariners now? They have a slew of pitchers with bad arms and some toolsy outfielders that don't ever seem to get better.

'San Diego sucked-they got #1. Same as baseball.'

Technically there was a four way tie for last. San Diego 'won' the tiebreakers.

The NHL draft lottery works so that all the non playoff teams are in it, but you can only move up 4 spots. Which makes some sense.

The biggest problem I have with the lottery is that it goes against the entire idea of the draft. (I understand some people don't believe in the draft at all, that's a seperate issue).

There is no reason for Toronto to get the first overall pick next year. Arizona has 'earned' it by their terrible record. And they need it more than we do.

And I really don't think there would be that much excitement if Toronto had the number one pick. "See us draft a guy that might make it to the majors 3 years from now!" doens't really work as a marketing ploy.

This reminds me, i wanted to address the point of Koskie increasing attendance: he wouldn't. Roger Clemens didn't increase attendance, Paul Quantrill didn't increase attendance, Pat Hentgen didn't increase attendance.
If the Jays want to increase attendance, they need to start winning. (Although I think they're over .500 at home right now)

San Diego's had a rough go of it with 1st round picks. Draft Bush who immediately gets into legal trouble and seems to be a headcase. Draft Eli, trade for Rivers and then because of your historic stupidity with 1st round draft picks, you can't sign him. At least the weather's nice.

Darryl, if we ever consider an announcement from BlueJayWay as spam, you can stick a fork in us. We'd be done.

Nice interview of George Bell, by the way. He'll always be one of my favorite hitters.

I'd much rather go out on a date with Veronica, but I'd much rather have a long-term relationship with Betty.

On the sure knowledge that money can buy happiness, I'll take Veronica and see if we can't put our heads together and find a way to off Mr. Lodge.

The only reason we would see a draft lottery and/or a production larger than just a conference call is if the owners and Selig wanted to find another event to boost general interest in baseball as well as profits. This would likely mean moving the draft to just before Spring Training.

I meant 1st overall picks. Well, Ryan Leaf didn't work out too well at #2 either.

'Draft Eli, trade for Rivers and then because of your historic stupidity with 1st round draft picks, you can't sign him. At least the weather's nice.'

You can't be a worse front office then San Diego. The offer to Rivers is an absolute joke. Of course, I used to be an NCSU season ticket holder when I lived in Raleigh, so my feeligs are pretty transparent.

They did a nice job to steal the Giants first round pick next year, that could end up being an awfully nice pick.

usually that is the case Marc, but every few years you come across a player who is far and away the top pick of the draft. Prior in 2001, Arod in 1993.

i think teams should be able to trade draft picks. it's only not allowed so teams back in the day wouldn't be able to screw themselves down the line (by "trading" away their future)

This would likely mean moving the draft to just before Spring Training.

The *big* problem with that is that it puts the draft in, like, week 8 of the college baseball season. I could see it happening down the road, but I think it's unlikely.

'The only reason we would see a draft lottery and/or a production larger than just a conference call is if the owners and Selig wanted to find another event to boost general interest in baseball as well as profits. This would likely mean moving the draft to just before Spring Training.'

They don't publicize the draft now because it would cost them more in bonuses. Also, I can't imagine drafting before the HS/College seasons are rolling because you wouldn't have that season to scout anyone. Throw in how upset the GMs would be with the college coaches about pitch counts and pitcher usage and the amount of injuries that would accumulate.

'The only reason we would see a draft lottery and/or a production larger than just a conference call is if the owners and Selig wanted to find another event to boost general interest in baseball as well as profits. This would likely mean moving the draft to just before Spring Training.'

They don't publicize the draft now because it would cost them more in bonuses. Also, I can't imagine drafting before the HS/College seasons are rolling because you wouldn't have that season to scout anyone. Throw in how upset the GMs would be with the college coaches about pitch counts and pitcher usage and the amount of injuries that would accumulate.

Just looking over Towers' game logs for the past two years - just once did he go over 100 pitches.

But that's OK - so your number 5 starter is a six-inning guy. So what?

A lot of folks seem to wonder about Towers "pulling himself" from the San Diego after 7 IPT, 5 hits, 1 ER. Speier coughed up two runs in the 8th and the game was lost 3-2. Towers said he felt "kind of tired" - he hadn't pitched in nine days. He also said he was starting to hang his slider, and he thought the most important thing was to win the game.

RE: Towers. I like Towers too, but there's just some ballparks I wouldn't want him starting in because he gives up too many longballs.

My thoughts exactly. Unfortunately, one of those ballparks is the roof-closed version of the SkyDome. I'd love to see him traded to a place like San Diego, I think he'd do splendidly.

A is right, though, that MLB could do that if it decided it didn't care about the NCAA, which it only does for optics purposes anyway. Teams could simply encourage their players to pull out of school.

Last night on the fan, JP said that he's comfortable with a rotation of Halladay, Batista, Lilly, Towers and Bush for 2005, with Justin Miller moving to the bullpen.

What does everyone think about that?

I like Miller's stuff better than Towers'. Miller, when he's on, can make right-handed hitters look helpless with his slider. Towers never does that - he has to hit his spots perfectly, or he gets gonged.

Plus, Miller isn't durable, which means a trip to the bullpen would likely be followed by a trip to the disabled list. He'll probably wind up there again anyway.

But Towers has pitched well at times, and I can definitely live with him in the rotation. And he seems to be durable, provided he isn't worked past his 86-pitch (or whatever) wall.

Without the rookie salary cap in baseball, you don't even guarantee that the team with the worst record gets the best player. ie, teams weren't about to lose games so they could draft Prior, because there was no guarantee that they'd be able to sign him.

A further complication not addressed by a rookie salary cap, which also differentiates MLB from the NBA, is that you would still have signability issues with high school players. If they didn't want to play for your organization, they've got college as a plan B. Everyone in the NBA draft is presumably there because they want to go into the NBA now.

That said, I don't know how many high schoolers have gone on to college because of their distaste for the organization that drafted them rather than not being satisfied with the signing bonuses they were being offered.

How early does the college season start? What if the draft coincided with the end of the fall semester?

I'd love to see him traded to a place like San Diego, I think he'd do splendidly.

SD obviously figures to be a good place for flyball pitchers since it suppresses their HR rate. There is the little issue of Klesko and Giles in the OF corners, however. ;)

every few years you come across a player who is far and away the top pick of the draft. Prior in 2001, Arod in 1993.

And ironically Prior didn't even go number one. The 2001 draft was special though... there were a number of players who were legitimate No. 1 overall picks... Mauer, Prior, Teixeira, Floyd, etc...

How early does the college season start? What if the draft coincided with the end of the fall semester?

That's a thought. The college season begins in January.

i think teams should be able to trade draft picks. it's only not allowed so teams back in the day wouldn't be able to screw themselves down the line (by "trading" away their future)

And now you get guys like Sabean intentionally foregoing draft picks because of cost.

How early does the college season start? What if the draft coincided with the end of the fall semester?

That's a thought. The college season begins in January.

That's a thought. The college season begins in January.

Delayed echo? ;-)

Even the optics would be okay on that one. MLB could, in theory, say that players are given the opportunity to finish up their degree in one final semester and be drafted after that. Though for short season leagues it would mean becoming full season, I suppose.

Right-handed batters are hitting .198-.274-.323 off Justin Miller this year. He held RHB to a .240 BA in his rookie year. I think Miller has a good chance of being a righty killer in the bullpen than Towers does of being ANYTHING as a reliever. I'd rather have Miller start than Towers, but Miller hasn't shown to be the most durable pitcher in terms of staying healthy. Plus, despite Miller's very good ERA of 4.38, the opposition is hitting .293/.370/.482 off him.

Towers is going to get smoked in some starts but he'll be lights out in others. I can see him having an ERA in the high 4.00's or low 5.00's next year, basically what we expected from Pat Hentgen except we're paying Towers $2 million less.

I'm not a fan of Towers, and wouldn't be shocked to see him implode at some point, but he's pleasantly surprised me over the past two years. 15-5 in 140 innings with a 4.56 ERA as a member of the Blue Jays. This year he's gone at least seven innings in 7 of his 13 starts. He's the guy almost everyone expects to get killed but keeps doing well.

The key with Towers is to know when his stuff isn't there and pull him accordingly.

In the article about Jeff Blair discusses Chris Woodward and Justin Speier.

Thought this comment was interesting:

Gibbons knows general manager J. P. Ricciardi wants to bring Speier back next year because Speier's velocity has been increasing and because Ricciardi still believes Speier can have a major role in the bullpen.

Sorry. about=above

How early does the college season start? What if the draft coincided with the end of the fall semester?

What's the benefit of this? Organizations are tied up with putting together their major league roster at this time. Throw in the holidays and winter meetings and that takes away focus.

I was under the impression that a June draft also allows the frong offices to focus on the draft at that time of the year. It is probably the focus from opening day until it happens.

'How early does the college season start? What if the draft coincided with the end of the fall semester?'

This also doesn't deal with the high school draftees. Do you want kids leaving high school early to sign?

Plus a winter draft has you drafting HS players after their junior season of baseball.

You've got to love Jeff Blair. Just read him and you'll know which direction the team is moving towards. This is a columnist who's doing his job.

On Miller to the bull-pen, somewhat surprised. He appears to have starter stuff, sinking fastball, slider, solid change-up. I think however the team is concerned about his condtitioning and stamina. He has a .327 OPS in inning 1 and a .926 OPS in innings 4-6. He also really gets hammered by lefties, 1.108 vs .598 for righties.

I'm also glad about Chris Woodward he deserves a shot.I don't like to see players lose their jobs due to injury,( although I'm not sure what I would have done with Lou Gherig).

With these changes you really have to wonder if Tosca and J.P. were on the same page ... and thus we see Tosca gone.

a bullpen of Frasor, Miller, Chulk, Lightenberg, plus 2 of League, Nakamura, Peterson, Speirer and Lopez seems decent to me

I agree that it'd be decent, but I don't think the team should settle for decent. I think the Jays need a bullpen ace which I don't think they currently have.

Not that teams are willing to give them up easily, but if you could trade for a top reliever who's is currently a setup man you could get yourself some good value (in terms of production relative to salary, not counting players given up to acquire said reliever). I'm thinking along the lines of a Mota like trade.

Plus a winter draft has you drafting HS players after their junior season of baseball.

If they force kids to graduate high school, they'll have played their senior season plus whatever elite level of ball they play during summer/fall and then MLB clubs would have an even better idea of what they're capable of once winter rolls around.

'If they force kids to graduate high school, they'll have played their senior season plus whatever elite level of ball they play during summer/fall and then MLB clubs would have an even better idea of what they're capable of once winter rolls around.'

There isn't any elite level of ball for college seniors to play. Some are still age eligible to play legion ball, but if not there really isn't anything else.

If they force kids to graduate high school, they'll have played their senior season plus whatever elite level of ball they play during summer/fall and then MLB clubs would have an even better idea of what they're capable of once winter rolls around.

You are also asking high school kids to sit around idle for a whole year. Can't go to college, can't sign a contract. What does that leave them? Hang around with the kids from high school who didn't go to college, and work menial jobs. Just gives them even more opportunity to waste their talents.

Thanks Craig. I just always like to be sure when posting stuff on other sites.

And now you get guys like Sabean intentionally foregoing draft picks because of cost.

Any chance at all that the Giants can afford Delgado? Sure would be nice if they chose to burn their next pick by signing him... They do need a first baseman.

I answered this somewhere last night, but it's close to zero. The Giants have a lot of holes, a fair number of big contracts, a mission to cut payroll, and no farm system to patch anything.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=3339
Here's a portion of Sheehan's column at BP today (COMN if you subscribe):

The _______ play lousy defense. That's no doubt made the back end of the rotation and the bullpen look a bit worse.

The ______ are playing with house money, anyway. This wasn't supposed to be a year in which they contended, but rather one in which they sorted through some of their young talent and set a base for the future.

Frankly, I'm not sure there's any team in baseball whose future I like more. Not only is there a lot of talent on hand, with an above-average--albeit not great--farm system in place, but the management team has a good mix of talent, with a respect for performance analysis.

The _______ are back, and even if it doesn't happen for them this year--the defense and the pitching may be too much to overcome--it's been a fun story to track, and has whet the appetite for great baseball in ________.

The blanks are refering to the Indians this year.

But this exact same column could have been written about the Jays last year.

I'm not sure what my point is (bet the under on Cleveland next year?), but I thought it was interesting.

I always kinda resented TSN after they became part of the big ESPN machine and changed to sportscenter. But I have to give them their due, they are untouchable when it comes to mini video specials for the show. That little piece on the Expos in 94 today was sad but great. Especially informative for someone like me who wasnt a baseball fan at the time and had no idea. I just saw it this morning and I feel outraged, I can't imagaine what it feels like to Montrealers.

Hang around with the kids from high school who didn't go to college, and work menial jobs. Just gives them even more opportunity to waste their talents

There are a zillion productive things you can do outside of school so I don't see this as a loss. And if they were good enough to get in one year, that won't change over the course of a year.

When I said they can play in elite leagues I was referring to high school players. I'm not sure what exists in the states but there are a number of elite leagues/clubs in Ontario that cater to kids trying to get a college scholarship or drafted (Ontario Blue Jays, Team Ontario, etc). Not too long ago, clubs like these started purchasing indoor training facilities to allow their kids to play all year 'round and have found leagues/tournaments that play into mid/late fall.

'There are a zillion productive things you can do outside of school so I don't see this as a loss'

Maybe in Canada, I don't live there. If you are from the average middle class family in the United States and don't go to college after high school - there is exactly nothing for you to do here. You could join the military, but that isn't exactly the fast path to a professional baseball career.

I know its kinda early to jump all over the Gibbon's bandwagon, but its kinda hard not to get excited over some of his recent moves (with Woodward, Hudson & even playing Cash last night). Its not the actual moves that appeals to me but rather his approach. Selecting who he views as his key players, sticking with them and giving them valuable playtime. Its seems Tosca's biggest problem this year was not so much so his handling of his pitching staff (which says a lot) but rather his constant juggling of the line-up & batting order.

Reading these recent quotes for the Jay mgt staff, seems like a slight dig at the old managers or at least a refreshing change in approach:

Mike Barnett: "It's difficult for anybody who has been sitting on the bench and hasn't had consistent at-bats ... You play once every four or five days, your timing is not going to be there. You get caught in between.

Gibbons on Hinske: "I think the worst thing you can do when a guy hits a struggling point during the season is to jump ship on him ... His future here is as a run producer, so we want him out there getting his swings in."

Gibbons on Woodward: "It's tough to produce if you're not in there regularly."

I'm not the biggest Woodward nor O-Dog fan around, but if these guys are the supposed "nucleus" of the club (more so Hudson - but at least Woodward has more up-side than either Gomez or Menechino) then why not develop them in a rebuilding season? Seems Tosca got far too concerned with the immediate short-term success of the club and loss sight of the long-term vision (ie: contention in 2005/06). So congrats so for to Mr. Gibbons, not so much for his 1-2 record but his commitment to the developement of this club.

to quote an early post: "You have to wonder "what if" with regards to Josh Phelps and John Gibbons." ... guess we'll never know ..

I agree with the approach of playing the people that you think are the future. To be fair to Tosca though, I think he had every right to be worried about the short term success of the club. :)

The blanks are refering to the Indians this year.

But this exact same column could have been written about the Jays last year.

I'm not sure what my point is (bet the under on Cleveland next year?), but I thought it was interesting.

I think the same thing (and have the same non-point!). The Indians could regress like the Jays did.

I don't pretend to know a great deal about the organization, but a quick glimpse at their roster suggests that some serious regressing in 2005 is not out of the question.

All the following players are likely playing over their heads and should regress in 2005: Hafner (27), Broussard (27), Belliard (29), Vizquel (37), Blake (31), Lawton (32). Victor Martinez is 25 and technically on the rise, though a regression from him wouldn't be out of the question given his near-900 OPS this season.

Young players like Phillips and Sizemore figure to be more prominent in 2005 and Gerut could return to his 2003 form.

Aaron Boone will be in the mix somehow and I'm not sure that he'll be any great help over what the team has already.

Shapiro will likely do what Ricciardi did last off-season and collect some relievers, in an attempt to patch the team's biggest deficiency. This, as we know, doesn't always work.

Denizens of the Indians' version of Da Box could be moaning next season like we have this season.

Gibbons on Hinske: "I think the worst thing you can do when a guy hits a struggling point during the season is to jump ship on him ... His future here is as a run producer, so we want him out there getting his swings in."

This, I think, is one of the problems I had with Tosca: He was a bit too trigger happy with lineup & role switches. Good week? You're batting leadoff. Three bad games in a row after coming off the DL? Bench time. Ligtenberg is our closer. No, Speier is our closer. Ooh, Speier just got shelled, Terry Adams is our closer. Etc.

It's understandable; when you've got a losing team, you want to move things around so you start winning. But Tosca may have taken it too far.

I found it neat that Orlando Hudson points out that Gibbons has more confidence in Orlando than Orlando does, and then goes out to perform admirably in the number two slot after performing so poorly in the eighth slot. If he keeps it up, it'll say something.

In other news, months ago there was some minor discussion about how to properly break-in one of these "authentic" caps -- people complain they are too stiff and too tall and need some working in, and they do.

Well, I was wandering around the New Era site looking for washing instructions for the hat, and found a note in with the washing instructions that tells the grand secret of a good looking baseball cap: get it wet and then dry it on your head. They're wool, so they shrink when they get wet, but if they're on something, they'll shrink into that shape. So, if you want your newfangled hat to fit perfectly, get it all wet and then wear it.

Of course, I'm being silly when I say newfangled, because the style of hat the Jays are wearing is 50 years old this year. No foolin'!

So anyways, for the last hour I've been walking around work with a wet hat on, and at first I thought some webmaster with a mean streak had played a practical joke on me, but then it started to shrink. Now instead of feeling like a top hat with all that empty space over the top of my head, it feels like I'm wearing a toupee.

it feels like I'm wearing a toupee.

I knew that natural looking mop on your top was too good to be true ;-)

Smartypants.

By the way, those of you with black hats may want to consider doing a little test first to see if the black dye runs.

I found it neat that Orlando Hudson points out that Gibbons has more confidence in Orlando than Orlando does, and then goes out to perform admirably in the number two slot after performing so poorly in the eighth slot.

Amazing what a little confidence will do, even if it isnt your own ;).

Did you actually find a decent way to wash the hat? I have a Canucks hat with the 70's rink logo, and it's in need of a wash, but I don't really want to wash it without knowing if it'll be ruined or not.

As for Tosca's management, the flip side of the Phelps / Hudson / Menechino / Gomez / Woodward and Ligtenberg / Adams / Speier switches is that his search for a decent closer led to Frasor getting the role. And once he chose Frasor, he stuck with him, and tried to keep the pressure off of him by refusing to officially name him the closer.

Yeah, they said to use a gentle detergent on a damp cloth and scrub the headband (on the inside) and then wipe it down with another damp cloth. The idea is not to get the rest of the hat as wet as the headband. I washed the band, then since the hat was already partly wet I gently wet the rest of it, and it's drying nicely on my hat.

Is your hat just dirty inside, or is it dirty on the outside too? A good way to get dust and dirt off of the outside is to wrap tape around your hand with the sticky part facing out, and then just touch the hat over and over again.

Smartypants

NFH will be filling in until Martha Stewart is able to re-associate with the rest of society.

...That's a great idea with the tape.

6-4-3, if your hat's not already too small, a good way to wash it is the dishwasher. It shrinks just a tad, but the dirt should all be gone, I've done it a few times. Mainly for white hats. They actually sell little baskets to put the hat in for the dishwasher that keeps its shape. Use the top rack and be sure to use WHITE detergent...I messed up and used yellow once...I think that ruined my "We Win" hat.

...That's a great idea with the tape.

Thanks. Also from the New Era site, but I've used that trick in the past to get cat hair off of my pants.

You can also try "Ball-Cap" buddy, a wire contraption in which you hat sits while you run it through the dishwasher. Aside from undoing your perfectly-formed brim and re-setting it to its original Jimy-like shape, it will clean a good hat without wrecking it.

I ruined my last hat (Red Sox, btw) because Oxy Clean was sprayed on it before it was washed. I usually machine wash them and I have a rack meant for it to dry on.

I'll try Aaron's trick with my new one (also Red Sox, btw, half price with my Red Sox jersey.) I wear it backwards until it breaks in because of the egghead look, but I'm not gangsta enough to get away with that. I tried wearing it like Sabathia last night and I'm not gangsta enough for that either.

Thanks for all the hat tips. It's mainly just dirty on the inside, and it's fairly tight as it is, so I think I'll skip the dishwasher. But the scrubbing method sounds like it should do the trick.