gil4

The Gray Man

I'm not ready to concede that. Baseball is a funny game. We could have a pretty strong lineup. Losing Baker hurts, but you never really know with pitching. Let's wait until late June to talk rebuilding (hopefully late June in 2020 or so.)

I picked him to win the Cy Young this year - not going good so far, but I'm staying with it. I really have no idea what to expect. I'm pretty sure his ERA will be between 2.00 and 7.00, but it could very well be right at either end of the range and I have no idea which end is more likely.

Pulling Ron Gant off the base.

Not Verlander?

I think it's Ozzie. He moved to Miami to have easier access to supply, so watch out.

People look different in person than on TV. People look different in uniforms, baseball or otherwise. (I can't tell you the number of times I've known someone at work but didn't recognize them when they were no longer in a military uniform.) Torii was faced with armed police and was probably pretty tense, and I'm sure he wasn't smiling and joking like we normally see him. I don't know if the police knew whose house they wre going to. If they did (and recognized the name) they might have been thinking "does this guy look like Torii Hunter?" My guess is they didn't know and their only thought was "does this person look like he could be a threat/how hard will this person be to take down if we have to do it." Torii probably looks like he would be pretty hard to take down.

I think that was Baker before they shut him down for the year. Rest was supposed to cure what ailed him, but I don't think they ever had a handle on exactly what that was. (Still don't.)

AL West: Angels AL Central: Twins AL East: Yankees AL Wild Card 1: Rangers AL Wild Card 2: Red Sox AL MVP: Pujols AL Cy Young: Liriano AL Rookie: Montero NL West: Dodgers NL Central: Cardinals NL East: Braves NL Wild Card 1: Reds NL Wild Card 2: D-Backs NL MVP: J. Upton NL Cy Young: Halladay NL Rookie: World Series: Twins over Dodgers (It's April - homerism is allowed)

For as long as I could remember, opening day was always the day after the Reds' opening day. One extra day doesn't really bother me. If I was a n A's or Mariners fan, I wouldn't like starting the season and then going back to spring training.

Sure we can. Just pick your team's day (which had better be Friday if you're here:)). If it makes you sick, that means no need to fake it.

I'll second that. While there is value in hearing from those with access, there is also value in hearing from those who can speak plainly without worrying about jeopardizing that access.

Here are a couple more worth mentioning: Van Lingle Mungo - It's not really among my favorites (it's a bit slow), but the lyrics are just names of old-time baseball players and it's pretty interesting. It was written by Dave Frishberg from St Paul - I only know this because my father knew him from their school days. Apparently Frishberg also wrote "I'm Just a Bill" from the Schoolhouse Rock series, which is pretty awesome. Talkin' baseball (Willie, Mickey, and the Duke) - More old baseball names, great song

A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request is a classic:

If that's his actual weight and not just his listed weight he might be worth a look.

I'm not sure how to compare him to Kubel, because there are really two different Kubels - before and after the knee injury. Before, he was a truly elite prospect - his .352 .414 .590 1.004 line in 549 PA between AA and AAA at age 22 are on a different level from anything Parmelee has ever done. After the injury, he missed all of his age 23 season, then struggled at age 24 before finally starting to hit some at age 25. There was really no comparison between the two as prospects. We can't compare their age 23 seasons (Parmelee's most recent) because Kubel missed his. My guess is what Kubel became is near the upper limit for Parmelee, but I don't think they have a similar enough career arc to be useful comparisons.

If your eyeballs tell you something drastically different than the numbers, go with the numbers. The numbers say he has a chance to be a decent MLB player, but he's no lock.

You don't trade CHEAP, productive position players for relievers. The going rate for Morneau + Morneau's contract is in the neighborhood of zero right now, so if the Twins get a positive return of any kind they have to at least consider it. Morneau isn't cheap and hasn't been productive for a year and a half now. That said, his lack of production is explainable and possibly reversible, if he stays healthy. If that happens, the Twin could contend. If Morneau is healthy and the Twins are 15 out in July, it might be time to see what we can get. For now, the best move is to keep him and roll the dice.

I'm surprised you ranked the Ballpark at Arlington so low - I would probably have swapped it with Fenway on the list. (Now if you factor the atmosphere outside the stadium before and after games, Fenway is tough to beat.)

My random thoughts on the subject: 1. The line is bluring between blogger and professional journalist. Which one is Gleeman? He still has his blog, but he is also on NBC Sports. How about Seth or the Bonnes? Both blog here, but both are also regularly on the Star-Trib site as well. 2. A big difference used to be access - bloggers rarely had first-hand sources because they weren't in the locker room and didn't have the numbers of the GM or some of the coaches or players. That is changing because some of the bloggers have been at it for a long time and have built up contacts. Twitter has also provided first-hand sources for the world, or for those in the world who care enough to sift through the mountains of crap to find something interesting. 3. The quality of writing on the blogs had improved, or possibly the number of quality writers who blog has increased. There might still be the same amount of slop, or even the same percentage of slop, out there. But there is definitely quality content t be found. At the same time, the quality writing from the traditional journalists has declined. This is not a knock on them, just an observation that the expectations have changed. The 24-hr news cycle has tightened deadlines, and the electronic media has increased the demand for content because nobody is limited to a certain number of printed pages anymore. The focus has shiftged further toward quantity of timely content, rather than quality of writing. I would guess that the average journalist publishes more material that previous generations. 4. There will always be tension between the bloggers and the traditional journalists. Part of that is because the journalists are in a no-win position in dealing with them. If criticism from a blogger is valid (Souhan), then their reputations and even their jobs could be endangered. If the criticism is unfair, there is no way an editor will allow tha journalist to respond to a "Mr Horrorpants" in print. The most they will be able to do is lash out against bloggers in general. 5. The blogger and the journalist write for different but overlapping audiences, and both sides are trying expand the overlap. There will still be content on the blogs that won't fit in the mainstream media format (especially some of the technical analysis), and there will still be the crossover of talent between the two.

I have only been to Camden once. Beautiful stadium, but we were in the lower level under the overhang of the second deck and it felt too closed in. It felt like a different ballpark when we moved down into the sun.

Nishioka has already been sent down.

I'm sure that's only because Livan Hernandez isn't available.

And spent it on Hardy instead.

1. Mine was Revere too (must be a USAF thing) with Diet Coke. 2. I like being a homer and an optimist. Even in late August last year I thought we could possibly get back in the race if we just went on a run and won 10 in a row. 3. I told Revere that I'm realistic on him - he's probably just a 4th outfielder/defensive sub. "But did you see that catch Benson made yesterday? He's got some pop in his bat, too. We just need Mauer, Morneau, and Span to stay healthy, Baker's elbow to settle down, Liriano to straighten out his head, and this will be the year we finally take down the Yankees."