2 Excellent. Phase one of upgrading the bench nears completion. Now, who gets tossed from the 25-man roster: Traber, or Moeller?
3 I'll let my fellow Bonds-wanter williamnyy23 provide anything I miss, but:
What's more important, doing something that could help the Yanks win this year or worrying about a record that A-Rod is going to destroy in 6-7 years anyway?
Why not? It only costs money, his legal issues won't get in the way, its not like people will stop going to Yankee games (in the last year of the Stadium? HA!), and its not like the Yanks aren't hated 'round the world anyway. Oh, and the sunuvagun can hit, which the Yanks desperately need.
Worst-case scenario if the Yanks sign Bonds: Yanks miss the playoffs.
Worst-case scenario if the Yanks fail to sign Bonds: Yanks miss the playoffs.
"... its not like people will stop going to Yankee games (in the last year of the Stadium? HA!)"
Are you kidding? People will piss and moan till the cows come home (rhyme), but people will FLOCK to see Bonds. He is simply the most exciting man to hold a bat in his hands in 50 years. And protection behind ARod? YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
7 Bonds played the field last year for 126 games. If we want to play him every 4th game to spell JD/Melky, that means less then 20 games. I'll bet he's good for that.
And while Bonds is certainly not a humble man, if this deal was true, I believe he would honestly be greatful not only to be able to play again, but in Yankee Stadium.
And it would really take the heat off ARod.
Imagine, the current and future greatest HR hitters in the history of the game batting back-2-back! Awesome!
8 Not that protection is real, but they could even do A-Rod as "protection" for Bonds.
7 Well, one of those guys (Matsui) is out, another one (Giambi) does a good enough job (and with ground ball Wang out does it matter?), and the last guy (Posada) ought to just catch already.
Besides, on days Posada or Giambi or even Damon need a day at DH, Bonds could always play LF - and Brett Gardner could replace him come the late innings.
4 I suppose 7 is what I was going for, although I guess it is possible that Bonds would be signed to actually play left field.
If Sexson can keep up his split against left-handed pitchers, I suppose he keeps Jose Molina out of the lineup on those days.
That's the only positive thing I can say about signing Sexson. He's just not a good hitter anymore. And he's not a good fielder either, as his ZR is about the same is Giambi's in more innings.
The Yankees just signed Shelley Duncan, age 33 version.
13 Couldn't hurt to take a look. Maybe getting out of Safeco helps him, maybe limiting him to facing righties helps. Who knows. Worse comes to worst, he gets cut. I'm sure he has more to offer the team than Moeller, Traber, Hawkins & Christian.
I know all the arguments about Bonds...and I have to say, I still don't like the idea. I don't usually have such a strong visceral reaction, but I'm really not interested in having him on the team - honestly, not even in seeing him hit. I'm not going to try to justify it, but I really don't like it.
There is one thing that does concern me. If they sign Bonds - after picking up Sexson - that pretty well insures that they won't make any other big moves before the trading deadline. I'd rather see them pass on both of these and, perhaps, try to solve a problem in a more long-range way. I'm not sure what that would be, but these signings would mean that Cashman won't even be looking.
14 It's the league minimum, but still I don't see it making any sort of positive difference in the Yankee offense, and potentially making them slightly worse.
They need a good young RH power hitter in the OF, preferably one that's not scared of fly balls. Sexson is a poor hitter and an even worse defender.
Sexson. What a nightmare. Might as well bury the offense right now. Maybe the pitching will continue to improve with Hughes and Kennedy returning to help the Yankees make the playoffs.
18 I agree with you. My gut and hear tells me to "just say no." i really would prefer Bonds to be the one big name (supposed) PED user not signed by the Yankees.
That said, if the rumor is true--and I'm still not buying it--then I say that they should put him LF every damn game until he breaks. Then, make DH some sort of platoon between Betemit (unless they find yet another lefty bat) and Sexson (unless they find yet another righty bat), with Posada rotating in.
It also means DFAing Moeller and at least one pitcher, to make room for the bats.
If this team wants to make a run, they need to start scoring a lot more runs, and that means maximum offensive line up as often as possible--with minimum PT for the likes of Molina and Gardner.
24 Its a lot cheaper than trading away prospects. Especially when, according to John Perroto of BP, every team that's a seller with a young(ish) bat is asking for the moon in exchange for that bat.
25 Never really understood the metaphor. Wouldn't you be rooting for the shit not to stick? Otherwise you just end up with some dirty walls.
Sexson (.218/.315/.381) likely replaces Molina (.226/.263/.311) or Betemit (.243/.268/.411) against left-handed pitchers. Yay?
Unless, of course, Girardi continues his MUST HAVE RIGHTIES AGAINST LEFTIES campaign and sits Giambi against all lefties, despite his .903 OPS against them this season...
28 No doubt that there's room on the team for him, but that's really damning the Yankees with faint praise.
For some reason, and call me silly, I don't think much of importance is ever kept completely under wraps. There are big-time offensive holes on this team, which, additionally, isn't aging well. And so far the rumors of what Cash is thinking to fix the team are to pick up Marte or Fuentes, Nady, and Bonds or Sexson. Color me unimpressed.
35 But if you pay nickels for a guy who will probably be crap but could flash his old talent one more time (esp. against lefties), that can't turn out too bad and could turn out great.
I think chances are the Sexson move is inconsequential, but I give Cashman a plus-mark for doing it.
33There are big-time offensive holes on this team, which, additionally, isn't aging well.
And cannot be moved. What team is going to want to take Abreu or Damon, for instance? Cashman has to look for little, quick fixes for now, because after this season, there's a good chance the roster will be overhauled.
35 But that's only if, in the end, it is crap. In which case, you'd much prefer to have paid very little for it. Expensive crap is the worst kind of crap.
RIYank is right - its all about risk/reward.
And right now, there is no guarantee that Sexson is crap.
My other point is: I agree with you, what the Yanks really need is a young, cheap, big bat - a long term solution. Like, say, a Matt LaPorta. BUT the only way to get one of those is to give up something of immense value (Hughes or Jackson), which the Yanks also need.
So that is clearly not going to happen.
In the meantime, the young-ish big bats available on the trade market are 29 year old Jason Bay, 28 year old Adam Dunn, maybe 28 year old Mark Teixiera, and 28 year old Matt Holliday. But outside of Bay - who is the Pirates best player and will cost a fortune in prospects - the other guys have good reasons to NOT trade for them (Dunn and Tex are free agents in November, Holliday can't hit for crap outside of Coors).
So, given all that, throwing a bit of money at a temporary solution is a better way to go, IMHO. Even if it doesn't work out, the Yanks aren't about to run out of money.
To me Sexson is taking the Shelly Duncan spot, or what we hoped Duncan would be. 1B/DH guy who can (hopefully) mash lefties and never has to bat against a righty. If he hits at the rates OYF quoted in 40 that's a big upgrade over Molina/Gardner/Betemit. Just having a .374 OBP is a big help if anyone remembers my pointing out the current team has something like 3 players in the everyday lineup with OBP over .350. We're sitting 16th in EQA guys, might as well try everything.
As for longer term solutions that tougher. Jackson could be that solution but he's still a couple of years away, or at least middle of next year away. Montero seems to be legit but he's down at Charleston, so that's not going to help any. The only thing I could see them doing is trying to trade a pitching prospect for a position prospect at the minor league level. That might not be a bad idea, but I haven't seen any realistic trades proposed. As an aside, what is Josh Hamilton's status? Is he under Texas control and if so for how long?
44 Well there's a difference between being traded and being a douchebag who retires, has the team move on without you, then decide to come back and then whine about it.
47 I was right with him on that one. We were shouted down by the "he's a bad apple!" arguments. Well this team of supposedly good apples has nice-guyed their way to third place, so maybe someone's tempermant is not a good enough reason for making personell decisions.
As for Jim Dean, we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of his passing. I hope the Yankees make some moves that would make him proud.
Speaking of Montero, as someone was, here's a theory I just dreamed up. It's common to take a great-hitting catching prospect and decide he's too good a hitter and not enough of a catcher and make him a 1B or something. I hear that's a possibility for Saltalainfinitelylongname, and the Yankees talk about doing it with Montero. But look around at catching talent these days. Outside of Mauer, where are the next wave of Posadas, Variteks, etc.? It's a desert. So my theory is that smart GMs will carry below-average defensive catchers rather than switch them to another position, even though this means you get less total offensive productivity out of them over their careers with the team, because as catchers their VORPs will be huge.
50 I believe it depends on how below average you're talking. A couple passed balls and an extra stolen base or two is fine. If the guy can't catch any breaking balls and he throws like the current incarnation of Posada on his best days then he's sort of a "catcher" in the sense that I'm a "golfer."
39 The Jeter thing was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but he's exactly the sort of player right now that badly managed teams sell the farm for. Incredible bat, check! Proven winner, check! Downhill side of 30, check! He's still overrated enough to really make a haul in young prospects with salary compensation. But the Yankees would need something more than the Attorney General waiting in the wings to even remotely justify that trade.
I don't know. This is a middling team, with a middling GM, and middling positional/offensive prospects. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about our pitching prospects and the potential rotation next year, but I'm downright scared about the offense. Though I think Ajax is closer to being ready than most people think.
Note - Bradley is a free agent again come this November. He isn't a long term solution (he'll be 31 next year), but he'd be a damn fine placeholder for a couple of years (3 maybe 4?).
Hopefully, the Yanks offer some folks like Bradley some big money but short-term deals (a la the Dodgers a couple years ago and Furcal). Its a way for them to leverage their financial advantage while minimizing risk. And avoids paying for (too much of) free agents' decline phases.
53 If the pitching becomes really good we just need some OBP guys to build around A-Rod, Posada, etc. Just give me a bunch of guys who know how to take a walk and I'll build you an offense.
(apologies to George Thorogood ...)
Wanna tell you a story,
About the homerun blues
I come work one Friday,
Had to tell Girardi I'd-a lost my stroke
He said that don't concern me,
Long as you get some ribbies this Friday
Now this Friday come I didn't get the runs,
And out the lineup I went
So I goes to the manager,
I said, "You let me slide?"
I'll have the ribbies for you in a month.
Next I don't know
So said let me slide it on you know people,
I notice when lineup go up next evening
He ain't got nothing nice to say to me,
But for five weeks he was so nice
Loh' he was hunky dory,
I come work one particular evening
The manager said, "You got the stroke back yet?",
I said, "No, can't find my stroke"
Therefore I ain't got no power to hit the bombs
He said "I don't believe you're tryin' to find your stroke"
Said "I seen you today you was drinkin' JD in a bar,
Not even using a glass"
I said "But I'm tired, I've been drinking all day"
He said "That don't confront me,
Long as I get my ribbies next Friday"
Now next Friday come I didn't have the runs,
And out the lineup I went
So I go down the ramp,
Down to the team trainer's room
I said "Look man I'm out of sorts you know,
Can I stay with you maybe a couple days?"
He said "Let me go and ask my boss"
He come out of the room,
I could see it in his face
I know that was no
He said "I don't know man, ah he kinda funny, you know"
I said "I know, everybody funny, now you funny too"
So I go back home
I tell the manager I got my stroke, I'm gonna get the runs
He said "Yeah?" I said "Oh yeah"
And then he was so nice,
Loh' he was hunky-dory
So I go my locker, pack up my things and I go,
I slip on out the back door and down the streets I go
He a-howlin' about the clutch hits, he'll be lucky to get any kinda hits,
He ain't gonna get none of it
So I stop in the local bar you know people,
I go to the bar, I ring my coat, I call the bartender
Said "Look man, come down here", he got down there
So what you want?
Jack Daniels, no scotch, no beer
Well I ain't seen my power since I don't know when,
I've been drinking Daniels, cause my team cannot win
Gonna get high man I'm gonna get loose,
Need me a triple shot of that juice
Gonna get drunk don't you have no fear
I want Jack Daniels, no scotch and no beer
Jack Daniels, no scotch, no beer
54 Considering that Torre started a foundation dedicated to "ending the cycle of domestic violence," I'm not terribly shocked that he wasn't interested in Milton Bradley.
67 The Phillies didn't really give up much, but then again, Blanton isn't much more than a league average pitcher. It is interesting, however, to note that all of the big pitching moves have involved an AL'er going to the National League, which I think speaks to the greater level of talent in the former.
As for Sexon, I think the move is a no-brainer. He can still hit lefties, which is something the entire Yankee team has been unable to do. I can understand why one wouldn't be excited, but can't understand why anyone would be critical.
The Blanton deal seems to me to be good for both sides. The Phils get better now for a post-season run; the A's probably have the better production over the long run.
70 Yeah, actually, maybe it really is a pretty one-sided deal. I didn't realize how bad Blanton has been this year.
Now check this out: mlbnewsonline is sticking with the Bonds story even in the face of the Sexson trade!
http://tinyurl.com/5jyswt
MLBnewsonline.com publishes news and other confirmed facts, but also is a conduit for ephemeral rumors which may or may not pass the traditional authentication test that might be imposed by mainstream media. At this time, the Bronx Bomber's source has not backed away from his assertion, and until such time as that occurs we have no reason to retract it, even though it has created a good deal of healthy skepticism.
71 He was, one. For the Mariners this year and last, not so much.
But he's been crushing lefties, and at worst he's a cheap and decent right handed bat off the bench, so I like the signing, too.
78 Not funny. Not allowed to dis Mattingly, even in jest.
Where have you gone, Donald Mattingly?
You know, I saw him strike out three times to Randy Johnson in that godforsaken Kingdome and came away nearly a broken man.
You see, I stopped watching baseball ca. 1987-1988 and came back ca. 1994-1995, just in time to see the tail end of Mattingly's career.
I never saw him fall. He was great, I went to sleep for seven years, came back, and he was a shell of his former self, just overwhelmed by fucking Randy Johnson.
He came up to the plate and had a hard single right up the middle against Mo and my heart sunk but at the same time, I just couldn't but admire his skill set.
I just looked at his numbers and I think he's my idea of the model hitter; not a superstar, but a damned solid, consistent hitter. .303 lifetime with few homeruns and few Ks.
And yet, he's not a hall of famer, right? So there must be a bunch of guys around like him.
85 The dude is 5-12, 4.96 ERA, 77 ERA+. I assume that Beane knows what most GMs don't (but should), a proven veteran like this is probably replaceable with a AAA pitcher.
They need runs. Getting Sexson, can't hurt, at best he adds some pop, at worst they wasted 390 k pro-rated. It's not like by signing him they are passing up on ANYTHING else. It's a no-lose move. Why people are whining about it is beyond me.
Now, get Bonds, for all the reasons mentioned above, cheap, no opportunity cost might help a little.
80 To be fair, Weep, a lot of batters were nearly in tears coming away from facing Randy at that time. Gotta say I felt really, really good for him that he had a great showing nonetheless in his last playoffs. Talk about hungry. What kind of ovation do you think he would've gotten if he could've made it to the ASG this year?
It was just the shattering of the childhood icon moment; I held out such hope, especially since he came up I think twice, if not three times with RISP, with a real chance to be the hero and get the team to the next round.
Man, they were a good team. You have to give them some credit: fucking Edgar, Griffey, Johnson, Tino, and my God, they must have had Alex back then too, huh?
Btw, is Jaime Moyer still serving up that agonizing slop of his?
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3493648
3 Because they need to get some offensive help and win games.
2 Excellent. Phase one of upgrading the bench nears completion. Now, who gets tossed from the 25-man roster: Traber, or Moeller?
3 I'll let my fellow Bonds-wanter williamnyy23 provide anything I miss, but:
What's more important, doing something that could help the Yanks win this year or worrying about a record that A-Rod is going to destroy in 6-7 years anyway?
Why not? It only costs money, his legal issues won't get in the way, its not like people will stop going to Yankee games (in the last year of the Stadium? HA!), and its not like the Yanks aren't hated 'round the world anyway. Oh, and the sunuvagun can hit, which the Yanks desperately need.
Worst-case scenario if the Yanks sign Bonds: Yanks miss the playoffs.
Worst-case scenario if the Yanks fail to sign Bonds: Yanks miss the playoffs.
What's the downside?
What a laughing stock of an offense. Good Lord a-mighty.
Are you kidding? People will piss and moan till the cows come home (rhyme), but people will FLOCK to see Bonds. He is simply the most exciting man to hold a bat in his hands in 50 years. And protection behind ARod? YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!
DH him, or put him in LF and use Gardner as a LIDR. There are ways to make it work.
And while Bonds is certainly not a humble man, if this deal was true, I believe he would honestly be greatful not only to be able to play again, but in Yankee Stadium.
And it would really take the heat off ARod.
Imagine, the current and future greatest HR hitters in the history of the game batting back-2-back! Awesome!
7 Well, one of those guys (Matsui) is out, another one (Giambi) does a good enough job (and with ground ball Wang out does it matter?), and the last guy (Posada) ought to just catch already.
Besides, on days Posada or Giambi or even Damon need a day at DH, Bonds could always play LF - and Brett Gardner could replace him come the late innings.
If Sexson can keep up his split against left-handed pitchers, I suppose he keeps Jose Molina out of the lineup on those days.
That's the only positive thing I can say about signing Sexson. He's just not a good hitter anymore. And he's not a good fielder either, as his ZR is about the same is Giambi's in more innings.
The Yankees just signed Shelley Duncan, age 33 version.
14 That's the only good news. the Yankees are only responsible for the pro-rated minimum salary; the M's are still on the hook for the rest.
14 Prorated league minimum is all they spent.
There is one thing that does concern me. If they sign Bonds - after picking up Sexson - that pretty well insures that they won't make any other big moves before the trading deadline. I'd rather see them pass on both of these and, perhaps, try to solve a problem in a more long-range way. I'm not sure what that would be, but these signings would mean that Cashman won't even be looking.
They need a good young RH power hitter in the OF, preferably one that's not scared of fly balls. Sexson is a poor hitter and an even worse defender.
(Yes, I'm still missing Jay Buhner)
This is fantasy baseball roster shuffling.
That's part of smart management.
You HAVE to try no/low downside shots.
I say trade Jeter.
Category .... slash stats
Answer: .151/.250/.370
Question: What are Richie Sexson's career stats at Yankee Stadium
http://www.bb-ref.com/pi/shareit/gZUm
That said, if the rumor is true--and I'm still not buying it--then I say that they should put him LF every damn game until he breaks. Then, make DH some sort of platoon between Betemit (unless they find yet another lefty bat) and Sexson (unless they find yet another righty bat), with Posada rotating in.
It also means DFAing Moeller and at least one pitcher, to make room for the bats.
If this team wants to make a run, they need to start scoring a lot more runs, and that means maximum offensive line up as often as possible--with minimum PT for the likes of Molina and Gardner.
Sexson (.218/.315/.381) likely replaces Molina (.226/.263/.311) or Betemit (.243/.268/.411) against left-handed pitchers. Yay?
Unless, of course, Girardi continues his MUST HAVE RIGHTIES AGAINST LEFTIES campaign and sits Giambi against all lefties, despite his .903 OPS against them this season...
For some reason, and call me silly, I don't think much of importance is ever kept completely under wraps. There are big-time offensive holes on this team, which, additionally, isn't aging well. And so far the rumors of what Cash is thinking to fix the team are to pick up Marte or Fuentes, Nady, and Bonds or Sexson. Color me unimpressed.
I don't care much for Sexson either.
I think chances are the Sexson move is inconsequential, but I give Cashman a plus-mark for doing it.
And cannot be moved. What team is going to want to take Abreu or Damon, for instance? Cashman has to look for little, quick fixes for now, because after this season, there's a good chance the roster will be overhauled.
It's his one remaining skill (even if his stats this year have been flukey good - .344 average, IIRC).
2005 - 2007: .258 .374 .507 0.881
2008(61 AB): .344 .423 .623 1.046
Compare those numners to Molina.
RIYank is right - its all about risk/reward.
And right now, there is no guarantee that Sexson is crap.
My other point is: I agree with you, what the Yanks really need is a young, cheap, big bat - a long term solution. Like, say, a Matt LaPorta. BUT the only way to get one of those is to give up something of immense value (Hughes or Jackson), which the Yanks also need.
So that is clearly not going to happen.
In the meantime, the young-ish big bats available on the trade market are 29 year old Jason Bay, 28 year old Adam Dunn, maybe 28 year old Mark Teixiera, and 28 year old Matt Holliday. But outside of Bay - who is the Pirates best player and will cost a fortune in prospects - the other guys have good reasons to NOT trade for them (Dunn and Tex are free agents in November, Holliday can't hit for crap outside of Coors).
So, given all that, throwing a bit of money at a temporary solution is a better way to go, IMHO. Even if it doesn't work out, the Yanks aren't about to run out of money.
As for longer term solutions that tougher. Jackson could be that solution but he's still a couple of years away, or at least middle of next year away. Montero seems to be legit but he's down at Charleston, so that's not going to help any. The only thing I could see them doing is trying to trade a pitching prospect for a position prospect at the minor league level. That might not be a bad idea, but I haven't seen any realistic trades proposed. As an aside, what is Josh Hamilton's status? Is he under Texas control and if so for how long?
The Rangers currently have him signed to a one-year ~$400,000 contract, and he's not even eligible for arbitration until after the 2009 season.
As for Jim Dean, we're coming up on the one-year anniversary of his passing. I hope the Yankees make some moves that would make him proud.
Speaking of Montero, as someone was, here's a theory I just dreamed up. It's common to take a great-hitting catching prospect and decide he's too good a hitter and not enough of a catcher and make him a 1B or something. I hear that's a possibility for Saltalainfinitelylongname, and the Yankees talk about doing it with Montero. But look around at catching talent these days. Outside of Mauer, where are the next wave of Posadas, Variteks, etc.? It's a desert. So my theory is that smart GMs will carry below-average defensive catchers rather than switch them to another position, even though this means you get less total offensive productivity out of them over their careers with the team, because as catchers their VORPs will be huge.
Thoughts?
Somebody teach that guy how to speak English.
I don't know. This is a middling team, with a middling GM, and middling positional/offensive prospects. Don't get me wrong, I am excited about our pitching prospects and the potential rotation next year, but I'm downright scared about the offense. Though I think Ajax is closer to being ready than most people think.
Note - Bradley is a free agent again come this November. He isn't a long term solution (he'll be 31 next year), but he'd be a damn fine placeholder for a couple of years (3 maybe 4?).
Hopefully, the Yanks offer some folks like Bradley some big money but short-term deals (a la the Dodgers a couple years ago and Furcal). Its a way for them to leverage their financial advantage while minimizing risk. And avoids paying for (too much of) free agents' decline phases.
http://deadspin.com/5026320/jason-giambi-eschews-your-petty-shot-glasses
I know the Stache has to be kept moist, but ... um...
No, I can't do it. Maybe dianagramr will make a suitable pun involving "JD" and "Giambi's lips".
You rang?
(apologies to George Thorogood ...)
Wanna tell you a story,
About the homerun blues
I come work one Friday,
Had to tell Girardi I'd-a lost my stroke
He said that don't concern me,
Long as you get some ribbies this Friday
Now this Friday come I didn't get the runs,
And out the lineup I went
So I goes to the manager,
I said, "You let me slide?"
I'll have the ribbies for you in a month.
Next I don't know
So said let me slide it on you know people,
I notice when lineup go up next evening
He ain't got nothing nice to say to me,
But for five weeks he was so nice
Loh' he was hunky dory,
I come work one particular evening
The manager said, "You got the stroke back yet?",
I said, "No, can't find my stroke"
Therefore I ain't got no power to hit the bombs
He said "I don't believe you're tryin' to find your stroke"
Said "I seen you today you was drinkin' JD in a bar,
Not even using a glass"
I said "But I'm tired, I've been drinking all day"
He said "That don't confront me,
Long as I get my ribbies next Friday"
Now next Friday come I didn't have the runs,
And out the lineup I went
So I go down the ramp,
Down to the team trainer's room
I said "Look man I'm out of sorts you know,
Can I stay with you maybe a couple days?"
He said "Let me go and ask my boss"
He come out of the room,
I could see it in his face
I know that was no
He said "I don't know man, ah he kinda funny, you know"
I said "I know, everybody funny, now you funny too"
So I go back home
I tell the manager I got my stroke, I'm gonna get the runs
He said "Yeah?" I said "Oh yeah"
And then he was so nice,
Loh' he was hunky-dory
So I go my locker, pack up my things and I go,
I slip on out the back door and down the streets I go
He a-howlin' about the clutch hits, he'll be lucky to get any kinda hits,
He ain't gonna get none of it
So I stop in the local bar you know people,
I go to the bar, I ring my coat, I call the bartender
Said "Look man, come down here", he got down there
So what you want?
Jack Daniels, no scotch, no beer
Well I ain't seen my power since I don't know when,
I've been drinking Daniels, cause my team cannot win
Gonna get high man I'm gonna get loose,
Need me a triple shot of that juice
Gonna get drunk don't you have no fear
I want Jack Daniels, no scotch and no beer
Jack Daniels, no scotch, no beer
(etc etc)
;-)
Cardenas is a good grab, but with Utley blocking him, he was expendable.
As for Sexon, I think the move is a no-brainer. He can still hit lefties, which is something the entire Yankee team has been unable to do. I can understand why one wouldn't be excited, but can't understand why anyone would be critical.
BP has them #3, #4.
Here's Goldstein's perfect world projections on them:
Cardenas: Ray Durham minus the speed?
Outman: A solid mid-rotation starter.
No world beaters, but hell, not bad for Joe Blanton ...
He's a good hitter, no?
Like, not great, but solid and consistent, right?
I think I'd like to have him on my team.
Now check this out: mlbnewsonline is sticking with the Bonds story even in the face of the Sexson trade!
http://tinyurl.com/5jyswt
MLBnewsonline.com publishes news and other confirmed facts, but also is a conduit for ephemeral rumors which may or may not pass the traditional authentication test that might be imposed by mainstream media. At this time, the Bronx Bomber's source has not backed away from his assertion, and until such time as that occurs we have no reason to retract it, even though it has created a good deal of healthy skepticism.
But he's been crushing lefties, and at worst he's a cheap and decent right handed bat off the bench, so I like the signing, too.
Dianagramr, in case you're still reading, David Pinto had a nice title for his entry on the signing:
"Sexson the City"
Bermanesque.
I don't like guys who swing and miss.
I want a team of Don Mattinglys is what I want.
Short of that, let's maybe avoid signing people who have real problems making contact.
Still, maybe he's better than nothing.
No complaints here.
That's what we have...unfortunately of the 1990 vintage.
I know what the hell you mean.
I'm decoding like that.
Where have you gone, Donald Mattingly?
You know, I saw him strike out three times to Randy Johnson in that godforsaken Kingdome and came away nearly a broken man.
You see, I stopped watching baseball ca. 1987-1988 and came back ca. 1994-1995, just in time to see the tail end of Mattingly's career.
I never saw him fall. He was great, I went to sleep for seven years, came back, and he was a shell of his former self, just overwhelmed by fucking Randy Johnson.
I nearly cried watching him so overmatched.
Don't feel so broken--many a fine left-handed hitter was overwhelmed by Randy Johnson in his prime. No shame there.
Here's the other player I want: Mark Grace.
Are there any Mark Grace's out there?
He came up to the plate and had a hard single right up the middle against Mo and my heart sunk but at the same time, I just couldn't but admire his skill set.
I just looked at his numbers and I think he's my idea of the model hitter; not a superstar, but a damned solid, consistent hitter. .303 lifetime with few homeruns and few Ks.
And yet, he's not a hall of famer, right? So there must be a bunch of guys around like him.
Can't we sign 'em all up?
I like the good, very good but by no means flashy guys.
Now, get Bonds, for all the reasons mentioned above, cheap, no opportunity cost might help a little.
If not, no playoffs. This is simple.
Err, sorry, I realize that isn't helping much...
No, I understand.
It was just the shattering of the childhood icon moment; I held out such hope, especially since he came up I think twice, if not three times with RISP, with a real chance to be the hero and get the team to the next round.
Man, they were a good team. You have to give them some credit: fucking Edgar, Griffey, Johnson, Tino, and my God, they must have had Alex back then too, huh?
Btw, is Jaime Moyer still serving up that agonizing slop of his?
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