- 10:02 AM
- 11/21/24
Great move by Atlanta. Wasn't Giles supposed to be included in this deal? That was the rumor. Holding on to Marcus makes this a solid pick-up by Atlanta. However, Cruz has always had solid stuff, and Meyer was one of Atlanta's better prospects, so its not like Oakland got nothing, but I thought Moneyball could do better. Hudson, Smoltz, Rameriez (sp?), Hampton, and Thompson. Not a bad staff. Some question marks, that could be enough to win the NL East before losing in the wildcard series. Atlanta should offer Millwood a low-ball one-year deal to see if he'd be willing to eat up innings, with the chance that St. Leo increases Millwood's market value (seems to be awfully low right now).
posted by herc at 07:23 PM on December 16, 2004
You can add Odalis Perez to the (short) list of pitchers to flourish *after* leaving ATL.
posted by herc at 07:03 PM on December 15, 2004
Let Schilling ham it up. It's the World Series (though for my money, I'd rather Jack Morris or John Smoltz in their primes on the bump for a must-win game). If Schilling deserves any criticism, it's in the way he acted in the dugout while a Phillie. Sure, Mitch Williams was reliable, but covering your face 'cause you can't bear to watch a teammate pitch is bushleague, IMO. But that was then, this is now...
posted by herc at 03:21 PM on October 25, 2004
While the Cubs get all the attention, it's the Dodgers who did the best work during the deadline. Nomar helps the cubbies for the next 2 months. Penny & Choi (as well as freeing themseleves of Encarnacion and Martin's salaries) will help the Dodgers compete this year, as well as in the 2005 season. For all the hype around LoDuca, his production isn't that different than Lieberthal's, or LaRue's, or Estrada's.
posted by herc at 09:52 PM on August 01, 2004
Pujols - in all lieklyhood will be the next benchmark contract What about Vlad's? Isn't he a free agent in about two months? That'll be a good test of the market.
posted by herc at 04:04 PM on July 31, 2003
I find it hard to believe that someone who had consentual sex, then regretted doing so, would trump up sexual assault charges. What am I missing here? Seems to me that if someone regretted having sex, they would prefer to keep it quiet rather than call attention to it. By going to the authorities she'll only have to revisit the experience again and again and again. When was the last time you did something you regretted and chose to relive it repeatedly? I'm with wfrazerjr here, in that I hope this thing goes to trial so we can eliminate the speculation; but I do find it disturbing that there seems to be a predisposition to blame the woman in the situation. Professional athletes have literally gotten away with murder in the past; why then is a charge of sexual assault so hard to believe?
posted by herc at 12:59 AM on July 20, 2003
I tend to agree with corpse on this. If Kobe was going to settle this, wouldn't he have done so before the public humiliation? From Kobe's side, wouldn't a settlement imply guilt? And why would the woman settle, as to do so now would paint her as someone "in it for the money"? This one's going to be ugly -- 'cause not only will there be the whole "he said, she said" issue to contend with, but I think the girl's white (every "friend" they've interviewed here for the LA newscasts has been white so far. Looks to be a white neighborhood), so a whole racial-can-of-worms is about to be opened. Didn't A Man In Full start with a similar premise?
posted by herc at 02:04 AM on July 19, 2003
Reggie White's Comments. John Rocker's Comments should you care to compare them to Dusty's. Dusty's got some catching up to do. No, the comments themselves aren't newsworthy. And nothing will come from this. But I've a feeling that if, say, Jack McKeon said something similar -- that white players were better suited for the colder months than their latin and black counterparts due to their geneitc make up and cultural roots -- MLB probably would take some sort of action.
posted by herc at 01:10 AM on July 08, 2003
I seem to remember the Braves voiding Ron Gant's contract between the 1993-1994 season after he shattered his leg in a similar motocycle accident. Gant missed the entire season but went on to a somewhat productive comeback in CIN and STL; while ATL kept on keepin' on, and the fans didn't seem to miss him much. Unless, of course, it was Gant who drew fans to those postseason games in the early 90s. Maybe that's why there are so many blue seats at Turner Field come Octobter...
posted by herc at 02:24 PM on June 25, 2003
Also, until recently, UNC encouraged kids to go pro, whereas it seemed to be tradition for Dukies to stick around through graduation. No telling how many more titles UNC would have if Jordan, Wallace, Stack, et. all played all four years the way Hurly, Hill, Laetner and company did.
posted by herc at 09:59 PM on June 23, 2003
If my kid had pro potential, why would I allow him to go to college?
posted by herc at 12:57 PM on June 21, 2003
9 seasons in Oakland. 4 seasons in New York. And still, Reggie Jackson was allowed to go in as a Yankee. Why not The Rocket?
posted by herc at 02:06 AM on June 17, 2003
Can a conference jump the shark? Cause the ACC's about to.
posted by herc at 02:18 AM on May 14, 2003
I wonder if the recent stink w/ Iowa State basketball had anything to do with it. I grew up in Alabama during 80s, and that place is football crazy, shutting things down for a year or two just might do everyone some good down in Bama. **Idle speculation** $1,000 on "room service" charges? That seems awfully fishy -- could that have been a way to disguise payment for another "service?"
posted by herc at 08:37 PM on May 03, 2003
PNC's better than this list gives it credit for. And where else but a Chicago paper would put New Comiskey ahead of the Reds' new park, then dismiss the Red's park as a terrible new stadium -- just like New Comiskey. And I agree with Bernreuthe on Turner Field and Edison. Been to both, and both are much better places to see a game than some of the stadiums ranked above it (anyone actually enjoyed a game at BOB?)
posted by herc at 01:43 AM on April 24, 2003
Great post. I especially enjoyed the last site you linked to. That picture of Adam Keefe is fantastic.
posted by herc at 02:31 AM on April 17, 2003
Well, I'd disagree w/ that outside counsel. Does anyone take Charlton Heston seriously anymore? I suspect that has more to do with his vocal affinity for the NRA than any movie he's made. The whole HOF thing is quite stupid. Some things should be beyond politics. It's baseball for goodness sake. Can't we all agree on something? If a trip taken (or not) to Cooperstown becomes a political statement then this country's become an insane, and sad, place.
posted by herc at 12:26 PM on April 11, 2003
Well, the folks at the Prospectus make an interesting case against picking up Pedro's option so soon. It's under their premium selections, so I can't link to it. But they point to: a) Pedro's fragility-- From their argument: Pedro's Rank among American League innings pitched, 1998-2002: 7, 8, 7, 60, 20 Pedro's Rank among American League games started, 1998-2002: 6, 33, 29, 55, 23 b) The fact that the team still had 5 months before they needed to exercise their option. Should Perdo develop a serious injury between now and the last date they had to pick up the option, the BoSox are left spending $15 million they didn't need to. c) There's no guarantee this will help clubhouse morale, since Pedro already whined about not having his option picked up one year in advance, what's to say Pedro won't demand a new contract one year before he hits the market?
posted by herc at 04:30 AM on April 09, 2003
Agreed. No team that shoots that poorly from the charity stripe deserves to win the title. That was horrible. The game was great in that way the 1997 (?) WS between the Indians and Marlins was great. Close but poorly played. Anthony looked good. Is he the 3rd pick this draft?
posted by herc at 11:54 AM on April 08, 2003
Hmmm... where have I seen this kind of career nosedive before?
posted by herc at 06:05 PM on April 05, 2003
Yeah. I enjoyed the folks at the BP running an April Fool's gag, though I thought it could have been a little more over-the-top. Like, say, an article in praise of "proven veteran leadership." Now _that_ would have been a prank more in character...
posted by herc at 01:07 PM on April 03, 2003
ditto. I think it's Roy's job to loose, regarless of Kansas' play this weekend. -- Though the thought of #23 at the helm is fantastic. Sure, there's no reason for him to do it, but what 17 year-old kid would say "no" to Michael Jordan on a recruiting visit? What parent won't want their child to play for Michael Jordan?
posted by herc at 11:52 AM on April 02, 2003
Wondering if Juan Rivera or Nick Johnson will find themselves in Montreal any time soon...?
posted by herc at 02:05 AM on April 01, 2003
The new logo is great. The Falcons are moving to the Arena League, right?
posted by herc at 07:42 PM on March 19, 2003
Speaking as an Angelino, what can I do to keep the NFL out of my city? Their rolling into town will result in either a) reworking the Rose Bowl to accommodate luxury seating, possibly ruining one of the best stadiums in which to see a football game or b) a publicly funded stadium taking millions of dollars away from schools, police, etc. All to subsidize a coterie of millionaires. Already, the proposal asks for 160+ acres of LA real estate, gratis, which they can develop into shopping malls and hotels. Plus, without an NFL team, we get the network's premiere NFL games on Sunday and never have to worry about a black out. Or miss the network's second game because the local affiliate is showing a post-game locker-room show. Want to see a live game? SD is 2 hours away, and there are two teams 6 hours to our north, and 1 team 6 hours to our east.
posted by herc at 02:15 AM on March 06, 2003
Well, it's a great move if they can keep Biggio in the infield. Is Biggio's bat good enough to justify his moving to the OF? With Craig patrolling LF, wouldn't the 'stros lack of production from that slot negate the upside of having Kent's numbers coming from an infielder? Moving Biggio to the OF reminds me of the Braves moving Chipper to OF. Chipper went from being the most productive 3B in the NL to an average NL OF, and the Brave's offense suffered. Now, Kent's a far far far better player than the player who displaced Chipper Jones, but Biggio's offensive production wasn't stellar for a 2b, let alone for a LF.
posted by herc at 02:19 PM on December 19, 2002
Well, as long as the Braves are content to continue with their holes at 1b & 3b and ingore better options at 2b to give ABs to aging journeymen, does it really matter who they sign to pitch? 11 years. 1 WS win. It's pretty clear that the formula in Atlanta doesn't work. I know it's not Maddux and Glavine who are to blame Ñ but if they both returned to the team, would it matter? Anyone really think this team has anything left in it?
posted by herc at 01:23 AM on November 19, 2002
How is the injury of an oft-injured player the sign of a curse? I agree with corpse--the Knicks brass is just plain stupid. They shouldn't have gone after McDyess in the first place.
posted by herc at 09:55 AM on October 14, 2002
Interesting that Deford's piece runs about THREE INCHES from CNNSI's "Fantasy" link.
Side note, when did Frank Deford start dying his hair to like this guy's?
posted by herc at 02:43 AM on October 10, 2002
I don't know what caused the curse. My hunch is a guy named Bobby Cox. I don't understand why he platooned the Francos all season, then decided to let Julio bat against right handed pitching come the playoffs. Just another in a long series of questionable moves dating back to brining in Charlie Liebrant as a reliever in Game Six of the 1991 WS. This team cannot win with Cox at the helm. It's a shame that Maddux & Glavine squandered the majority of their careers there.
posted by herc at 12:28 PM on October 08, 2002
Aside from the fan-value of having Maddux & Glavine win their 300th games in Braves uniform, is there a compelling reason for the AOL execs to pend the $30 million a year it will take to resign these guys? This team has won 1 WS in 11 post season appearances. Clearly the formula in Atlanta doesn't work. You can not win the World Series and spend $105 million, or you can not win the World Series and spend $75 million. Which would you do? And there will be no stopping of the Rally Monkey!
posted by herc at 09:57 AM on October 08, 2002
ATL's problem this post season will be no different than in seasons past. Not enough offense. They have three good hitters. That's it. I think you can easily pitch around Sheffield & The Joneses and dare the Francos and Blancos and Castillas of the team to beat you. They won't. Braves lose again. And again scratch their heads as to why they lose games 3-2. 2-1. However, as a life-long Braves fan (well, since '80), I'd like to think the team will be remembered in a more favorable light than the Bills or the Vikings. After all, they did win _one_ Series. And their near dominance -- 11 years and going -- is almost 3 times as long as the Bills string of also-rans. That has to count for something, right?
posted by herc at 10:23 PM on September 22, 2002
I had forgotten how good that '91 Skins team was. What's interesting is that neither a Cowboys nor 49ers team cracks the top 5!
posted by herc at 10:21 AM on August 15, 2002
And "...Although the SF Bay may be bigger than other "small markets"..." Other "small markets!" the San Francisco Bay Area is the 5th largest city in the country! There are only for areas larger than SF. It the cut-off for a large market is any city smaller than, say, Chicago, then there's no way any team can compete!
posted by herc at 11:27 AM on August 13, 2002
The New York Yankees and New York Mets combine to split one market, does that make both small market teams? The Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels split one market, does that make both small market teams? The Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox split one market, does that make both small market teams? Why is it that we allow Oakland that excuse, but not the other 7 teams who are in a similar situation?
posted by herc at 11:24 AM on August 13, 2002
First of all, it seems odd to include the Canadian teams into this mix as the combination of cultural differences and the fickle exchange rate will always make teams north of the border dubious participants in the league. And it's not just baseball -- ask the basketball fans in Memphis. And even if we do, wasn't Toronto considered a "Large Market" 10 years ago? They could certainly spend freely then (and now, as they're the ones who gave Mondesi that contract). And how is Oakland a "small market?" The SF Bay area the nation's 5th largest media market! Surely everyone considers the Braves to be a large-market team, but pre 1991 were they worthy of similar consideration? Were the Braves part of the problem in the 1980s? How about St. Louis? By most accounts they're the nation's 21st largest media market. The city ranked ahead of them...Pittsburgh PA. But wait, the Pirates are a small market team. So what does that make St. Louis... It seems to me that we've allowed the owners to define "small market" not based on, say, the actual size of a markeet, but rather on their individual ability to make a buck and/or field a winning. As long as they can always define who is and is not a small market based on what's most convenient for them there will always be problems. Check out the nation's top 50 media markets here: http://www.proadvance.com/topmediamarkets.html
posted by herc at 07:19 PM on August 12, 2002
I think he's right. If small markets would spend less time worrying about how the Yankees spend their money and more time wondering if it's really a good idea to spend millions on the Derek Bells, Jose Limas, & Mark Lorettas (God bless him, but is a utility infielder worth 5 million?) of the world maybe they'd have a more competitive team, too. When two of baseball's top 10 teams have payrolls in the lower 1/3 of the sport, doesn't that imply that it's more than a simple economic issue.
posted by herc at 12:22 PM on August 11, 2002
Let's hope the computerized strike zone software was programmed by Eric Gregg.
posted by herc at 12:20 PM on August 10, 2002
Let's not forget a) possible exteneded work stoppage and b) possible drug testing next season. Methinks the days of the 50+ HR sluggers may be coming to an end.
posted by herc at 12:18 PM on August 10, 2002
There's something to Lindgren's argument, though I agree with kirkaracha in that Bobby Cox is a terrible postseason manager -- though I suppose that can be attributed to the "oh so close" mentality that serves as a hindrance. Why dump Cox when he always gets the team so close year after year (Braves have also had their share of rotten luck, Eric Greg anyone?). It's happening again as the Braves seem content to go into the postseason with a glaring weakness at 3rd, an improbable platoon at 1st, and Keith Lockart getting regular ABs. By season's end they'll wonder why they lost those 3-2 games in October. Seems to me that, to a less noticeable extent, that the Cleveland Indians suffered the same ills. During their peak, they were always a starter-short yet never pulled the trigger on a big deal -- even though they had the prospects (Brian Giles, Richie Sexon, Sean Casey) to do so.
posted by herc at 12:31 PM on August 02, 2002
Ditto mick's affinity for techmo bowl. Could anyone block Ronnie Lottt? Or catch up to Walter Payton? Sadly, at 29 I no longer have the hand-eye coordination to keep up with the 10 or-so buttons of today's controllers.
posted by herc at 04:13 PM on July 25, 2002
Let's see....off the top of my head Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Phil Simms, Jeff Hostleter (sp?), and Jim McMahon all come to mind as (relatively) unspectacular quarterbacks who have walked off the field with a ring, so I'm not so sure if the batch of little-heralded QBs leading their teams to the title is a new. Wouldn't hold my breath on Shane Matthews, though. Not this season, at least.
posted by herc at 01:35 AM on July 08, 2002
Atlanta's gonna peter out eventually, but it's not going to be this season -- Colon trade or not. Bartolo's awesome, but you can only run him out there once every five days, and les Expos still give the Big Cat, Wil Cordero, and Troy O'Leary pleny of ABs (all at positions where they should be getting major offense). Looking at the Braves, any inflation in their team ERA should be offset by the fact that Sheffield and Chipper really haven't hit yet (no reason to think they won't), and there's help on the way at 2B when Derosa and Giles return. It is nice to see the Expos go out and acquire a high-priced player for once. It's hard not to root for them, if for no other reason than to mess with Bud's master plan!
posted by herc at 07:41 PM on June 28, 2002
Hmmm....not sure if this show will be on the up-and-up (not that we should care). I'm in LA (sometmes working in television) and know they were interviewing writers to come up with "characters" and "backstory" for the project. It may have changed since then, but since when did the NBA -- or even the Winter X Games for that matter-- ask people to cook up storylines?
posted by herc at 07:31 PM on June 28, 2002
"I got stabbed in the back."
Alexander deserved to carry the ball, as he's been pretty much the lone bright spot in that Seahawk attack. Good luck resigning him at the end of his contract, Seattle. Personally, I think it's bush-league when coaches pull stuff like this -- it was wrong when Mike Ditka called William Perry's number insead of Walter Peyton's in the Super Bowl, and was wrong when Holmgren did it on Sunday.