LaBombo

Which we deduced from the fact that you are still alive...

Unless the conversation took place between 3 and 4 pm on a weekday, it wasn't her unless you speak drunkish.

Ok, but no 'cleaning' yourself...

I dated a girl in Texas for a month. Longest year of my life.

Don't cry Don't raise your eye It's only baseball wasteland http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Uor1veyDL._SL500_AA280_.jpg Very good list, although Diamond's AAA FIP of 4.20 probably gives a better idea what to expect than his ERA. What the h@ll, though, 5 good things sounds better than 4

I'm assuming you're disregarding Gardenhire's statement that he had heard more than once that money was the issue in potential Morneau trades. Before I spend any time looking for other comments, are there any other sources off the table for unspecified reasons? And who said anything about lying? All Ryan would have to do is say that the Twins would kick in cash for the right prospect while not stating that "the right prospect" is an A/A- starting pitcher. He's not lying, and yet cash would clearly be off the table in that situation.

I'm not going to rehash the part that I didn't quote, other than to say it would be great if the Twins ever did anything with unspent payroll to directly improve the talent level in the organization, and likely a more efficient use as you say. But everything I've read says that the Twins won't won't roll that money over into next season's payroll, put it into extensions, or re-purpose it for anything like the international draft. Until there's evidence to the contrary, your hope is just that to me. And it's fine with me that you don't agree with my criticism of the front office with regard to Morneau, but writing it off as simple-minded bias doesn't really leave me with much incentive to try harder to see it your way.

The BBref JAWS scoreboard shows Mauer trailing the defensively challenged Piazza, followed closely by Torre and Simmons, and just a tick behind Munson. The only other catcher not in the HOF who scores higher than Mauer is IRod, who will go in on the first ballot. As a purely academic exercise, Mauer would greatly increase his HOF stock by putting together two more seasons behind the plate like 2012/13. That would put his JAWS score above the average of the current HOF catchers, and a career WAR total in the top 10 catchers in the history of the game. If he does that, he probably goes in. If not, it's hard to say. He probably won't help his case much by hanging around at first base for several more years. He's never going to get 3000 hits, and his other counting stats pale in comparison to most of the catchers in the HOF. In the baseball climate of 1983 or maybe even 1993, any conversation about Mauer and the HOF would probably start and end with 'he might have had a chance if he didn't walk so much'. But if Mauer just plays out his existing contract, he won't even be eligible for the HOF until 2023. HOF voting has already evolved a great deal in the past decade, as the Wins and RBI's dinosaurs continue to make up a smaller portion of the voters with each passing year. That trend alone may be enough to get Mauer inducted without catching again unless he completely flames out.

With any luck Rosario will bounce back next year, but the numbers he put up in AA this year barely suggest an above-average bat at second base in the majors, let alone a corner outfield spot. Dozier has been a pleasant surprise and one of the few bright spots in a bad season. That said, if Rosario can play an adequate second base but doesn't hit well enough to displace Dozier, his bat would probably be average or below as a corner outfielder.

There were multiple reports from outside the Twins front office earlier in the season of deals involving prospects the Twins liked but that they wouldn't make because of money. As for LEN's report, well, why on earth would the Twins front office admit to its fan base that it valued an extra two million in profit more than a prospect upgrade in a potential trade? In the long run that would seem to me to be a bigger PR hit than the actual loss of 4 weeks of Morneau. And if Ryan finally did get religion as Morneau's value approached zero at the deadline and put money on the table for a realistically available prospect as LEN claims, well, good for him. Day late, dollar short, etc. The fact that Morneau went unclaimed doesn't tell me much about his value, since almost no veteran players ever change hands in mid-season as a straightup waiver claim. If it were that simple, why didn't Pittsburgh just claim him and not give up players? On the other hand, the reports that Ryan had already refused even one offer over money tells me quite a bit about where his priority was.

If the Twins can't at least equal Morneau's output at first base with an internal option, a modestly-priced free agent, or a trade of a non-essential prospect, then there's little reason to have faith that they will acquire some of the other pieces they need to contend that are typically much harder to find than a first baseman who can hit.

Jay, I completely agree with you that if we accept your unsupported opinion of Morneau, then the facts don't matter. But I don't, so they do matter. And they do suggest a better prospect was a possibility, since it was reported the Twins were turning down teams because of money weeks ago, when Morneau's value was likely higher. Anyway, you recognize that it's at least possible, which means that the only real question is this: if the Twins pocketed an extra two million dollars instead of receiving a better prospect, even just a marginally better one as you speculate, how are you better off as a Twins fan?

The facts suggest otherwise, but that doesn't really matter. You admit it's possible, and regardless of the odds of it happening, it sure looks like the Twins never even considered it as an option. That's what matters to me, not the outcome of the trade. Just a guess, but that's probably also the case with other disappointed fans who've been negatively generalized about in this thread.

From what I've read the average hitter loses about .050-.065 points of OPS when facing same-side pitching. That should mean that in ideal world where Hicks is adapted to rightie-only, his .713 MLB OPS against lefties would probably put him somewhere around .660, or 100 points higher than his .559 LHB OPS.

And yet we're also talking about it while Clete Thomas is the everyday center fielder...

Aaron Hicks "made a name for himself"? What name would that be? Mendoza?

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Stop, before you say something you regret from a historical perspective. http://www.wikitree.com/photo.php/thumb/e/e9/Betsy-Ross.jpg/300px-Betsy-Ross.jpg All Mrs. C. did was make the first American flag, and then stay alive another 235 years to be ready to prepare pigs in a blanket for smelly baseball nerds camped out in her sewing room. So please, a little respect.

The environmentally responsible alternative to paper...

Put down the Viagra and keep your hands where we can see them...

Great question. And how do players, in general, react to being assigned to the AFL? How does it affect their lives?

Sighting? Pfffft. We're all staying with him. He just doesn't know it yet. Dibs on the Barcalounger at bedtime!

Totally agree with this. Well, two at least.

Nobody is arguing that he has great value. Several people have argued that he may have some trade value if the Twins pay his remaining salary. We're hearing they won't. Alex Rios is owed $12.5 million next year and a $1 million buyout in 2015. The Sox 'spent' a million they owed Rios anyway, cleared 13.5 million in future salary space, and acquired a shortstop prospect who may well be as good as Escobar, but is two years younger. The Cubs likely saved $2.5 million in salary and buyouts and will get a ptbnl who may very well turn out to be much more than "nothing" (as did Sulbaran) for a guy you acknowledge is about as good as Morneau. By the way, since NL teams need a pinch hitter nearly every game, Morneau's all bat value is that much more valuable there. And they did it despite everyone in MLB knowing that they needed to get rid of DDJ, even by dfa'ing if necessary, to clear space for Lake, Bogusevic, and Jackson when he's healthy. DeJesus is at the very most a 4th OF on a contender, while Morneau could start 4 games a week if he platooned at one rumored destination, Pittsburgh. Again, why should it matter to Ryan that teams want him to use the money he budgeted to pay Morneau to... pay Morneau? Because of the hit the franchise's bottom line will take when walk-up ticket sales plummet for 30 days after Morneau leaves? The money is gone. There is no money. And it's extremely likely that soon, in either a few days or a few weeks, there will be no Morneau. All that remains to be seen is whether 30 days of Morneau farewell tour is worth trading for a prospect who may or may not turn out to be a sleeper prospect like Sulbaran. Everyone gets that not seriously pursuing a 'cost-free Justin for some stripe of prospect' trade won't significantly diminish the future of the franchise. But to me, and maybe to others, it looks like the thought process that led them to that decision seems likely to hurt the Twins in the future.

No. What's frustrating is that based on the available information, the Twins are limiting Morneau's trade value by refusing to pay his remaining salary.

No, jmo that it is to make a blanket characterization of dissenting opinions as "angry" and "whining". Not a big deal, just doesn't add much. At any rate, your supposition that Drew Butera had markedly greater trade value than Justin Morneau is an interesting takeaway from this to enjoy for the weekend. Cheers.