Marty Lurie Talks San Francisco Giants Baseball
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Where, Oh Where, Will The Pitchers Go?


Today is one of the more interesting days of the baseball season. Today is the day that the poker players have to reveal their hands. Today is the day that Toronto, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles will share their pitching wealth with the rest of the league. Today is the trade deadline, after today you will need to pass a player by your opponents before moving him to another club and that won’t be easy.

So, the White Sox will be buyers, the Braves will add somebody, and the Yankees won’t be able to resist adding another reliever. The A’s should add a reliever and another outfielder if they can find a willing partner.

It will be interesting watching the sports news this morning.

Jason Schmidt allayed the Giants fears Wednesday with a gem in Wrigley Field. Schmidt is my leader in the clubhouse for the NL’s Cy Young Award this season. He should finish around 18-6, and even if Russ Ortiz wins 20, Schmidt is the best pitcher in the league.

The A’s will add Jose Guillen to their lineup in time for this afternoon’s game against Jake Westbrook and the Indians. Too bad for Westbrook. Guillen should hit third, Durazo fourth, Tejada fifth, and Chavez sixth. Guillen hardly walks, swings like he means it and is hitting .337 this season. His enthusiasm at the plate will undoubtedly rub off on the other three who have been looking for someone to take the heat since day one of this season.

Click below for more!So who goes off the A’s roster? I say it is Adam Piatt who didn’t distinguish himself last night in left field, getting in the center fielders way more than once. With Scott Hatteberg one stride away from a serious groin injury, Dave McCarty should see more playing time at first base making Piatt the odd man out.

Byrnes could be optioned to AAA but then who would platoon with Singleton in center. The ideal situation would be to move Long and Piatt and get one more major league outfielder. I’d also give Chad Harville a chance to be the short power righthanded set up man in the pen.

Aaron Boone will be a Yankee, Dodger, or Mariner before the day is done.

Sidney Ponson may be part of the White Sox rotation as well.

Esteban Loaiza can take a big step towards a possible Cy Young in the AL with a dominating performance in KC today as the Sox go for the sweep.

Magglio Ordonez is on fire, Paul Konerko is up over.220 and even Jose Valentin woke up last night with three homers.

Scott Schoenweiss threw a scoreless inning as did Billy Koch, good news for manager Jerry Manuel who should keep his job at least for the end of this year. Next year I predict he is out of Chicago unless they win the ALCS.

With Scott Williamson in the Red Sox bull pen, Byung Hyun Kim will move into the rotation. Ramiro Mendoza won’t cut it much longer and the Sox need to get some stability before coming out West on August 11th.

A Rod says he wants out of Texas if the team wants to move him. I’ve said it all season I’d take Tejada, Garciaparra, and Jeter over this self centered whiner any day. He hasn’t been the same player since Clemens put one under his chin in the playoffs three years ago.

You knew Seattle wouldn’t play dead forever, but they still have too much age in key spots and need definite help in the bull pen. Rafael Soriano could be the man in the pen if they would give him the ball in tight situations.

Brad Radke pitched another good game yesterday, slowly but surely he is putting his game back together.

Dontrelle Willis drew a full house in Miami last night beating the Diamondbacks 3-1. The kid is doing it just like Vida Blue did it for the A’s in 1971, great pitching and filling the seats. What a story he is.

The Marlins are closing in on the Phillies who took advantage of sloppy play by the Dodgers Wednesday night. Pat Burrell is at .200, believe it or not, if he could save his season, the Phillies line up would be formidable because Jim Thome will get hot in August, he just needs some help from someone in the four spot.

Will Jason Johnson make his start tonight for the O’s? I say he will and Baltimore will move Sidney Ponson instead of Johnson.

Pedro Martinez in the heat of Texas. The Sox need a good game from Pedro who threw 128 pitches in his last start. He should be monitored carefully today.

Houston got another good game from Ron Villone who quietly is helping the Astros big time. Jimy Williams wanted this game against the Braves as he went to Lidge, Dotel, and Wagner beginning in the sixth inning.

For all the Al Leiter doubters, the gamer went seven terrific innings against the lowly Brewers.

Raul Mondesi made it to Miami in time to pinch hit in last night’s game, he will look for his first NL hit for Arizona tomorrow in Wrigley.

Matt Stairs had two doubles and Reggie Sanders two homers for Pittsburgh yesterday, is anybody watching these two, they can help as both are vets who know how to hit off the bench.

So, Cory Lidle, Kelvim Escobar, Sidney Ponson, and Jeff Suppan today is the day check with your travel agents this afternoon, you should be going be changing addresses soon.

0 comments

1 Anonymous { 07.31.03 at 11:38 am }

Marty

Good trade yesterday by the A’s.

I think McCarty is the one to go if a trade of one of the outfielders (Piatt/Long) doesnt happen.
The A’s are still enamored with Piatt even though he cant hit a breaking ball to save his life. And you’re right about his outfield play last nite – clueless. I predict he may split time with Durazo at first if Hatty (second in the league in hitting with runners in scoring position) goes down.

Now that “closer- in -waiting” Joe Valentine has been traded, will the A’s break the bank to keep Foulke next year? They should!! as he is the A’s MVP this year IMO.

Way to go BB. Now dump Long and Piatt and get some bullpen help.

Reno Bill

2 Anonymous { 07.31.03 at 1:54 pm }

great as usual. The A’s still could use Brian Giles,Reggie Sanders and /or Matt Stairs.
Mecir is not right and may not get better.
Those sore knees wth no cartilege just keep
being sore. I know. I’ve got one. A right hand
set up guy would be nice.
The Red Sox have to get Mendoza out of the
rotation. Jason Johnson or Sidney Ponson
would look good in a Red Sox uniform.
Jeff Conine is available ,too. Maybe BB can get
him.

Jerry F

3 marty { 07.31.03 at 7:19 pm }

Moss has had a few decent outings but he’s a work in progress.
Ainsworth is not as good a prospect as Williams or Foppert. Sabean has
usually had a good eye with respect to the young pitchers he trades away.
I don’t know much about Ponson. Being in the other league I
don’t see very much of him. I would be interested in your thoughts. It’s
obviously a major move and once again reveals how much emphasis Sabean
places upon the pitching. I would have thought he would be looking for
hitting. Reuter turns out to be their number five pitcher, which is
about where I have always felt he belonged; a measure of the strength of
the rotation today and for the immediate future. Ed

4 Anonymous { 07.31.03 at 7:35 pm }

Ponson is having a career year with the Orioles.
Up to now, I thought he was just average but
I am not an expert and I am sure that he was
thoroughly scouted by the Giants. Moss was too erratic. The jury is still out on Ainsworth.PacBell
is a pitcher’s park and let’s hope that Sidney will be the piece of the puzzle that gets the Giants to
the World Series. Would be nice to see a Giant-
Red Sox series. Wow.

Jerry F

5 Anonymous { 09.22.07 at 1:14 pm }

6 Anonymous { 09.22.07 at 1:51 pm }

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