Riverbrian

The option no way... I'm not sure what kind of market will be waiting for Baker and I don't know where I'd cap my interest. 9 million plus will get you a McCarthy or Dempster or Anibel Sanchez. More years obviously but similiar money.

1. Indians 84 78 2. Twins 5th 70 92 3. Span and Capps 4. D-backs beat the Angels in 7

Ok... I do not dismiss the quotes...I am arguing interpretation... lol... On the subject of the trees... Does anyone else see the irony... on this thread we have posters Complaining about... The players Complaining!

Seth... Anyone... Is there something specific about his defensive play. Hands... Arm accuracy... Feet. We are talking about a ton of boots here.

Makes no sense to me. I wonder if the they are prepared to boo and hate until 2018. That sounds exhausting to me.

At some point... They are going to lock this thread down... There isn't much point in bringing it back up... I remember the discussion... I've re-read the discussion. You said We should send Dozier down because (paraphrasing) look what it did for Ben Revere. I said (paraphrasing) that sending Revere down to AAA did nothing for him he was the same guy before. You said (Paraphrasing) that Ben Credits his time in AAA and eventually you provided a Sid Hartman article with his quotes. I Said (Paraphrasing) It's a Sid Hartman article and he's about as slanted as it gets. And at some point in time... We both probably stopped reading each other and nothing got solved. Whatever... Welcome aboard... Like I said... The Board has had more energy to it lately and I mean that. It just seems that lately we've had a rash of quote induced crap from Terry Ryan to Ron Gardenhire to Ben Revere to Mauer, Morneau, Kubel and Cuddyer. Quotes will never be what they seem and everyone draws their own conclusions from them. Hell we can't even quote each other properly... I really wasn't angry at you at any point... you never said that Ben Revere was a little weasel or baby or anything.

CDog doesn't need my support. He can be biting and direct but he's fairly smart. He's called me out on occasion and I answer back with I don't know or finish my thinking and we move on. LOL... actually, he probably prefers that I don't support him. However, he is absolutely correct in my opinion. Jokin, I apologize if I misunderstood the context of your post above but to me it looked like you aligned yourself with Badsmerf. You did not mention crying in this post. But it does seem to be support of Badsmerf who did. I've read your posts... I enjoy your posts... you are also a smart guy... Sometime we disagree but that's only natural. I was shocked to see you jump into this camp. Clearly you are smart enough to realize that Joe answered a question and for this to be perceived as crying or whining is my issue. This isn't anything new... Over the decades players are often quoted and taken out of context and it leads to the Sports Cliche. Once you starting getting cliche's... You just get removed furthur from what is really happening.

I'm not dismissing the direct quote. I'm sure Ben Revere said nice things about Brunansky. I'm sure they worked on hitting. My issue was your claim that a month of AAA produced the Ben Revere of today. You used his quotes in a slanted Hartman article to make your point. That's when it fell off the tracks. I contend that Ben didn't need to be sent down and I base that on his consistent stats and what I see watching him play. You thought I was making stuff up. You can say Something was fixed in Rochester yet he had 1 extra base hit during his time. Same Ben to me. High Average... Little extra base power... Little walks and boatload of speed and highlight reel catches. On this issue. Do you really believe that Mauer and the ball players are crying? They are not... They have an opinion and expressed it cuz they were asked. That's my opinion. How do you feel? Do you think they are outwardly upset over the ballpark. On this issue... It was the quote that is used against them. Now hopefully you can understand my diatribe!

Do you work in the media? I do... I've taken quotes and chopped them up because of space issues. I've also been interviewed by newspapers and trade magazines only to find that nearly every time they take the parts of your interview that fits their slant and I get to see it presented in ways I didn't intend in the finished product. The question is... Do you understand the concept of a quote? I'll admit I don't know the context of any of the quotes listed but I can say that I do understand the concept of quotes. At least I better or I need to find a different line of work.

Yes seriously... The essence of common sense? Common perhaps... Sense... Not even close... The players are criticized for play on the field and now you can add mundane differences in lifted quotes about how they feel about the hitting experience to what you will criticize. It's ok to like Thome's answer better but to define a lesser quote as crying or whining for answering a question with what is assumed to be an honest answer is pretty unfair. Especially when you consider that they were asked a question and answered it and did not seek an interview to express their opinions. How do you know that there wasn't more to the quote? How do you know that Mauer or Kubel or Morneau or Cuddyer didn't continue on with and finish with "whatever the dimensions... the ball game is still played the same way. Do you actually think that Mauer said what he said and then walked away ending the interview and those were the only words spoken. Do you think that the players are possibly deeper than what they express in a simple sound bite. I do but your posts suggests that the judge and jury have all the evidence needed and we have crying. I want to know what players actually think... I just don't think it's possible with The editing that takes place and the over reaction to their edited thoughts. Eventually... They will just shut up and then people will be pissed cuz they are cold hearted jerks. Im noticing your indignance over my use of Borderline insane and losing human qualities... Yet you failed to include my third option of really bad at adjectives. I personally think it's the third option but I can't discount the other two at this point. As for the Trees... I don't know... I wasn't in the room when they made the decision. If the trees make it hard to spot the ball coming out of the pitchers hand... It will bug the hitters and the pitchers will love it. Both teams will have to contend with the issue and I would Imagine it being a home park advantage because of more exposure to the hinderence. I imagine without knowledge that players were asked about the park by the Front office and It's not out of the realm of possibility that questionnaires were distributed by someone who has time on their hands. It is also quite possible that Jim Thome himself with his ability to put together solid quotes that pass your smell test may have filled out "the ball is hard to spot coming out of the pitchers hand with the trees behind. You don't know... I don't know but I assume they didn't take the trees out because Drew Butera and Drew Butera only said the trees were a challenge. I assume that the Trees were taken out because enough players were not seeing the ball to take action. After all... Not seeing the ball at 95 MPH is a health issue. Im sure none of my post did any good. So you can reply now with some more of the essence of common sense (which kinda rhymes by the way). It would be much easier to just admit that it's not crying. It was an answer.

Sellers... Failing to acquire or develop Arms could lead to an uncomfortable period of non contention that will be longer than we care to tolerate. Getting hot and climbing back in the race would be a bad thing for the future of this organization.

Also consider the Market. Tons of buyers... Not many sellers and those that are sellers don't have leadoff guys to sell. Span, Crisp, Victorino... Those are your options at first glance. If the Dodgers pick up Victorino, The D-Backs and Giants will want Span even more and vice versa.

Jimbo... I love your breakdowns of the finer points of the game. Keep em coming. You do know your baseball!!! On the subject of arm strength... The Runner is gonna advance when he thinks he can make it and that includes situations when the ball is hit to Francour, Harper, Ankiel or Cuddyer. Arm Strength is a nice quality to have but it isn't a deal breaker. 20 Outfield assists led the league last year... 16 assists for 2nd place. Over 162 games, that isn't a big factor. Please understand that those throw outs are big moments and I don't diminish each time it happens but as long as they hit the cut to keep the trailing runner from advancing or throw to the correct base. Arm Strength would not be a deal breaker... in my opinion.

Span is one of my favorite players. I don't believe that Revere's play is the reason to trade Span. I would love to see Span and Revere in the same outfield for a long time. I do not want to lose Denard at all. He can play for me anyday. However... This team needs pitching and needs it in the worse way. It isn't a question of picking up 5 guys who can throw for a rotation... You need 8 or 9 guys who can throw for your rotation because pitchers get hurt alot... Right now... The Twins have what... 2 maybe 3 arms that they can throw next year. They will need 6 more... If a Span trade happens... I know that pitching is why it happened and I will have supported the move but I will still feel sick about it. Kudo's to Nick Nelson for his piece. It's hard to advocate the trading of one of the guys you really like. It's takes sensibility and balls. It makes you feel that Nick is worth reading because he is balanced.

Husband is actually happy and trying to watch a ballgame on TV. Wife: What did you think of Supper? Husband: It was OK... Wasn't one of my favorites... It helped when I put some Ketchup on it. Wife: I'm so sick of you crying about Supper... Make your own next time. It's not crying or blaming... It's answering a question... There was no press release... No refusal to take the field and play ball in Target Field... They didn't call a press conference and go ape over the dimensions. They get asked questions and they answer them and then they get attacked for the answers. They still go to the plate and try to hit the ball hard. How sterile do you want their answers to be. We take it one game at a time. I'm just glad to be here... Trying to help the team win games. It takes 25 guys to get the job done Baseball is a funny game.

I won't pretend to be a Social Anxiety Disorder expert because I'm not but here goes anyway. 1. They have medication. 2. His incident was 6 years ago and it happened in the media circus and bright lights of spring training during a bullpen session with the Royals. 3. Teams travel and have to play in New York and Philadelphia. 4. He asked for a trade from the Royals because he didn't want to go through more rebuilding. 5. He told the Yankees that he would play for them in 2010 6. Greinke is better then Garza 7. The Yankees need pitching because of Injury 8. The Yankees have decent prospects to offer in return 9. If he was mentally not functional... The Odds of being successful would decrease. 10. I don't know for sure but we grow as humans or are at least supposed to and 2006 was a long time ago. 11. People tend to embellish and the chances are that Greinke could actually be pretty close to normal.

How awesome is it. That you can seriously have a discussion over Plouffe deserving to be in the all star game and the discussion is worthy of discussion. Plouffe... What a story!!!

Reporter: Joe, the home run totals at Target field are down considerably from the Metrodome. Especially for left handers. Do you find this frustrating? FOLLOWED by the reaction of some not so nice fans who refer to this as crying. At what point... do you realize that you are either borderline insane or losing human qualities or at least really bad with your use of adjectives. Seriously... Why Do they speak at all? With people like Badsmerf and you around?

I posted the question cuz I really don't know how I'd feel. I talk all tough about moving anyone for pitching. Then you look a deal in the face like Carlos Lee for Gould and you think to yourself is that comparable value for Justin Morneau. And then you wonder... How would you feel if that was the trade piece we get back for Morneau. Then I think... My god... I'm a big wussy... Self doubting Monday morning armchair quarterback who's nervous all of a sudden on Friday. There(exhale)... My soul is bared.

I've never been a big all star game fan. Even with home field in the world series as a carrot. The effort isn't enough for my liking.

Its possible that the Plaza could be a factor. I'm not saying it while banging down a gavel. Its possible... The plaza is an open spot and the wind will funnel through it and could knock down balls. I admit I don't know what direction it faces cuz I'm bad with directions but if it faces a typical wind direction it could cause problems for lefties. Mauer... Morneau and Kubel haven't hit a ton of Target field homers. Thome... well he's a power freak... It would take an F3 tornado to knock his ball down. Righties do seem to hit more. I said seem... I didn't research anything.

I think people expect perfection out of everyone other than themselves. I don't know... But it's all over the place. Like the fenced in backyard of a dog daycare.

] LOL... I can't take that bet. Unless you give odds that represent the possibilities. The Yankees will not be the only team trying to trade for him... I'll do 30 to 1 for each MLB possibility... I'll bet one Buffalo Wing and if I win... You owe me 30. LOL... You ok with that.

LOL... 2011 was expensive for me from a frustration standpoint... I broke 4 TV's throwing stuff at it. The remote Twice. I tossed My 13 year old son at the TV once and the last time I threw my broken third TV at the 4th TV. They were not playing actual baseball last year. What was I to do.

Trading for Greinke is gonna cost you prospects... We need to acquire them. Greinke will play in New York... I'd bet my money the Yankees are scouting him right now. Its a social anxiety disorder. Any Baseball Market is a big city with lots of people and social stimuli. The Yankees wil protect him and shelter him from press and outside baseball activities. Whoever trades for Greinke will have a pretty good idea if they can work a deal out because that will determine what they are willing to part with. Hamels is going to be pursued in the off season. He will have his pick of contending teams. Its gonna take overpaying some one like Shields or Anibel Sanchez. I really don't know if The Rays would pick up the Option on Shields contract at 9m. The Rays are not big spenders but 9M is fairly reasonable.