If the Oakland Athletics
exit early again from the Playoffs
during the Divisional Series
this bunch will be labeled
with the tag that they
are just a good 162-game
season team.

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Talk about making an error in a crucial situation, the Arizona Diamondbacks were left holding onto Randy Johnson and his 23 million dollar contract as the trading deadline expired on July 31st.

Arizona sent its scouts all over the landscape looking at minor league prospects. Arizona’s demands for Johnson were so far beyond what the market would bear for the soon to be 41 year old pitcher, they couldn’t make a deal and now are stuck with Johnson, barring some waiver miracle, until next winter.

You tell me why the worst team in baseball still has the burden of paying this aging pitcher when his hefty contract could have been unloaded to New York, Anaheim, or Los Angeles for live bodies?

Click below for more baseball! [Read more →]

marty

I was looking at the Brooklyn Dodgers-Boys of Summer site and a link said that the first baseball movie was “right off the Bat” in 1915. This was on a link and unfortunately did not show more details. As we have discussed our boyhodd heroes before, I thought you would like this piece of trivia.

Joe [Read more →]

Marty; When we talk of fundamental problems we are talking of management decisions which can significantly affect the team’s prospects in the future. The Giants have been successful, to a great extent, these past three or four years pursuing a plan whereby they stock their club with veteran players, either through trades or free agency. These are not impact players but are. for the most part, players of known ability who, when put together with a team which has Barry Bonds playing the predominant role he now plays, has managed to make the playoffs and, in one instance, came very close to winning the Series.

During these years their pitching has been adequate to meet the demands a winning team makes. Nen has been a fairly reliable closer and when he left the scene Worrell unexpectedly, stepped up and performed well, closing games. Schmidt, stolen from the Pirates in one of Sabean’s coups, became one of the games outstanding starters.

For many years , the farm system has emphasized drafting pitchers. Position players who are capable of performing at a high major league level have been a rare, well-nigh, non-existent commodity on their minor league clubs. The Will Clarks, the Jack Clarks, surfaced many years ago and haven’t been seen since. Despite the emphasis on drafting pitchers, there have been remarkably few pitchers coming through the farm system who have been successful at the major league level. Williams is one who comes immediately to mind. the other one, unfortunately, happens to be Nathan, inexplicably traded for a catcher who wasn’t needed.

Click below for Ed’s analysis of the current problems of the Giants!

[Read more →]

The last 24 hours have been rough ones for the A’s.
On Wednesday night, they blew a 2 run lead in the 9th
and lost on a walk-off home run by A-Rod. It is no disgrace to have Sheffield and A-Rod beat you, These 2 guys are marvelous players. The concern that I have is that the A’s closer has blown 3 saves out of 8 save
chances. Not a recipe for success. They A’s,however, are a better team with Dotel. He must not let this
game ruin his confidence. A closer must believe that
he is invincible on the mound and must believe that
what happened is in the past and not let the loss
affect him.

Today, Barry Zito continued his erratic ways. It must
be of great concern to the club that he is not
performing as he did in the past.Tim Hudson returns and that should be a big lift to the club. The A’s
now head to the Metrodome, the house of horrors,
for a big 4 game set with the Twins. These 2 teams
always play each other hard and let’s hope that the A’s earn at least a split.

Jerry Feitelberg [Read more →]

Today is August 4th, and I know it is still early for people to get anticipated about the playoff picture,
but the teams that are a lock for the divsions are:.
AL East
New York Yankees
Wild Card-Boston

AL Central-Twins
(The reason I say this is because the White Sox don’t have Frank Thomas or Paul Konerko because they’re out for the rest of the season, so they are going to slip out of the playoff picture).

AL West-Oakland A’s

NL East-Atlanta Braves

NL Central-Cardinals(For sure)

NL West- San Francisco Giants(L.A. is going to slip out like they do every time September rolls around, especially trading Mota ,and LaDuca away to the Marlins.

NL Wild Card- Chicago Cubs

Projected Playoffs:
ALDS- Yankees @ Twins- Yanks win series in 5
ALDS-Boston @ Oakland(just like last year) Boston in 4
ALCS- BOston @ Yankees- Boston still can’t win against them, Yankees in 7 again.

NLDS- Braves @ Cubs- Cubs in 5 again
NLDS- Giants @ Cardinals- Cardinals in 4
NLCS-Cubs @ Cardinals- Cardinals in 6

World Series- Cardinals @ New York Yankees-
Cardinals beat Yankees in 6 games- (Yankees still can’t win a world series they’re just like the braves,
all division titles and no world series title to show for it,and this would be a 4 year driught of now winning the World Series) [Read more →]

Marty; Right up to the last minute, the baseball map was being revamped by last minute trades and moves. This is the game’s latest development, now full blown. Teams in contention await the trading deadline and make their moves. Some will be successful, others disastrous, and some will turn out to have had small impact.

Click below for Ed’s much anticipated analysis of the season!

[Read more →]

A small blurb appeared in the paper a couple of days
ago that said the New York Yankees were seeking to build a new stadium near the present Yankee Stadium
for about 750 Million dollars.

Click below for more on this story! [Read more →]