T1B

[edit'sp[ upoon further review, my original post sounded otto much like ajess the i kdont know anything about sporst post.

i guess i just wanted to ve the first to break a story and whatsuch.

btw, the brewers signed brady clark to a one year dal. woo hoo.

Who cares.

bbqjones wrote:btw, the brewers signed brady clark to a one year dal. woo hoo.

Brady Clark, of the Cooperstown Clarks? :P

so much the the stink team of the o's...who can cheer for sosRx?

Interesting move...doesn't make the Orioles any closer to the Red Sox or Yankees but it does give them name appeal. Clearly, Sosa needed a change of scenery. He'll hit well in Camden Yards as long as he doesn't break down.

As for the Cubs, they lose Alou and move Sosa this winter...they still have some good bats remaining. A healthy Nomar is key for them. They still have Ramirez, Lee and Patterson as well. They get rid of two headaches in the clubhouse and they make actually benefit with losing two of their biggest bats. They also need Prior and Wood to stay healthy. As far as I'm concerned, with the Cardinals adding Mulder, they're still the class of NL Central going into the Spring Training.

Just what the Orioles need, another tempermental right fielder.

Sin, Albert Belle

Did I tell you the story about how I recently pissed on the side of Brady Clark's parent's house?

Well, that^^^was pretty much it. RACK me!

OK -- Brady grew up in the house behind my buddy. We were at bud's folks house destroying it and guzzling the booze and polluting the pool ERRRRR, I mean "housesitting for his folks," and well......you know. I felt bad about it, but figured the potential it held for a truly epic messageboard post outweighed the legal/social ramifications. Plus, I had to go, and someone was in the bathroom.....there is that.

Will he help them compete with the Yanks and Red Sox for the division... no.

Will he help them compete with the Nationals for fans... yes.

Bacefelice wrote:Will he help them compete with the Yanks and Red Sox for the division... no.

Will he help them compete with the Nationals for fans... yes.

DING, DING, DING, DING! We have a winnah!

man, that sucks!
watching WGN in the summer just won't be the same without sammy.

do they even show baltimore games on FOX?

Bacefelice wrote:Will he help them compete with the Yanks and Red Sox for the division... no.

Will he help them compete with the Nationals for fans... yes.

and the Rick Astley wanna be gets the square.

how great will it be if the Cubs win it all after dumping Sammy soso?

The Assassin wrote:how great will it be if the Cubs win it all after dumping Sammy soso?

Cards
Reds
Cubs
Astros
Brewers
Pirates


In that order.

Bacefelice wrote:

The Assassin wrote:how great will it be if the Cubs win it all after dumping Sammy soso?

Cards
Reds
Cubs
Astros
Brewers
Pirates


In that order.

I dont doubt that for a minute. I just dont think much of Sosa. If the Orioles finish dead last that would be even better.

Sosa and Alou....addition by subtraction. I don' t think the Cubs will reprise Seattle's trick of getting rid of Randy Johnson, Griffey, and A-Rod then IMPROVE....but weird things happen in this game. Still, given that powerhouse still going in St. Louis, the Cubs will be lucky to finish 2nd.

Reds over the Cubs and Stros?

Bace been hittin the pipe again. With flaming lips



...but the Cards part is right.*


*Sup 120 wins?!

'Stros are a melt waiting to happen.
Cubs pitching will get injured as usualm.

Mace wrote:I'm not convinced that the Cards have done anything to improve themselves and am not ready to give them the Central Division just yet. They're weaker at SS, 2B, and catcher, and their pitching staff is still shaky. Actually, they're in worse shape than last October when the Red Sox kicked their ass.

I don't see the Cubs as being improved offensively...YET, and Hendry is still trying to make some moves.

Mace

Huh?

Walker
Pujols
Edmonds
Rolen

4 x every game. Fuhgetaboutit.

Pitching staff is shaky?

Mulder
Carpenter
Morris
Marquis

Closer?

Izzy


Like I said, sup 120 wins. Injuries are the only things that can stop that squad. Certainly not any team in the NL.



Bace, I don't disagree with the melt part, but going into the season the Stros are better than the Reds. And the Cubs are much better than the Reds. Although, as you and I have said before, Kerry Wood continues to be the most overrated pitcher in baseball.* But the Reds?

*Sup 8-9

Oh, and not that it matters, the Pirates are better than the Brewers.

Mace wrote:I'm not convinced that the Cards have done anything to improve themselves and am not ready to give them the Central Division just yet.

Remember last year? Did the Cards need to improve themselves much? The Cubs self-destructed. The Astros came on incredibly late. Nobody else was a factor from June forward.

Astros have one fewer star player, one less all-star and one star player out for half the year. On top of that, Biggio and Bagwell are one year older. Biggio is taking a rookie's place, and the next time Bagwell throws the ball his arm is liable to go with it. For two players watching their skills diminish, that extra year is huge. They'll have the Rocket, that Italian guy and Brad Lidge, but beyond that nobody is fearful of the Astros.

Cubs lost two decent bats and gained... umm... I guess Garciaparra for one year. They also lost Cardinal killer Clement. Remember the last road trip that both Kerry "biggest talent tease ever" Wood and Mark Prior stayed off the DL for its enterity? Me neither. Dusty Baker is a fucking scab on baseball and I enjoy watching his teams falter every year (except that one year they beat us to the World Series). Best way to beat Wood, Prior and Maddux... wait until they tire and Dusty calls for a righty outta the pen. The Cubs pen sucks so much it could have a reality show with Nicole Ritchie.

Cards: lost some ground at short. Eckstein is 34 and hustling for ever bit i.e. age will affect him quicker than the graceful Renteria. That being said, Renteria was overrated and no way worth 8 million per. Womack had the best year of his career since '96. Slap hitters in their upper 30's don't often replicate career years. Grudz will work great in this offense, and his defense is better than Womack. Sure, Edmonds, Walker and Sanders are a year older, but there hasn't been a great decrease in their skills thusfar. Maybe this year will be the year, but if Walker merely hits 25 homers I'm guessing he'll outperform Todd Hollandsworth. Edmonds might decline to merely be the best center fielder in the game (save your overrated Beltran takes, clones. I ain't readin' them).

Pujols.

Cards pitching upgraded; Morris is rested, Carpenter will be back, Suppan overperformed and may not replicate, but Marquis had a great year with a better defense behind him. That all leads us to Mulder. When does a team gain a Cy Young candidate and are considered "weaker"?

and Hendry is still trying to make some moves.

Doing so would be futile. Save it up for 2006.

What's the problem with the bullpen? Kline being replaced by Myers is a down, but Kline was not the same player he was the two previous years. Ray King was that guy and more. Any ideas that our bullpen faltered are pipe dreams.

Yadier proved more than worthy of Matheny's crumbling throne.

I don't think the Cards will pull off 108, but that don't mean the Central will be a heated race.

The only prayer the NL Central has is Pujols bum heel. It healed up quick in the offseason, but started barking this month.

I'll get into why the Cards won't win the Central as the season gets closer and focus on the topic at hand. I think the Cubs could have gotten a little more for Sosa, but not much. They at least now have the leadoff hitter they've lacked and can take Patterson out of that spot, thus making him more effective. With Ramirez, Lee and Nomar there is enough bats in the lineup to win so long as the starting pitching stays healthy. The big, and I mean BIG fear for Cubs fan can be summarized by this RACKable line:

Bacefelice wrote:The Cubs pen sucks so much it could have a reality show with Nicole Ritchie.

Cubs/Sosa was a bit like A-Rod/Rangers.....the Cubs weren't bring him back after all the b.s. last season and they'd take a used puck bag for him...which they did. He took out a full page ad in the Chicago Tribune last week thanking CubNation (attempt at soothing his once numerous and adoring fans). Hope O's fans enjoy all the Ks, though it is a contract year for him and he's got something to prove. Could be like when Reggie played that one season for Baltimore, then got huge money (at the time) from the Yankees. Ooooh, wait.....I mentioned Sammy in the same breath with Reggie......shame on me.

Shine wrote:I'll get into why the Cards won't win the Central as the season gets closer and focus on the topic at hand. I think the Cubs could have gotten a little more for Sosa, but not much. They at least now have the leadoff hitter they've lacked and can take Patterson out of that spot, thus making him more effective. With Ramirez, Lee and Nomar there is enough bats in the lineup to win so long as the starting pitching stays healthy. The big, and I mean BIG fear for Cubs fan can be summarized by this RACKable line:

Bacefelice wrote:The Cubs pen sucks so much it could have a reality show with Nicole Ritchie.

Don't leave us hanging, Bro. I need a good Monday laugh. Bless us with visions of an 8-9 Saviour of All Pitchers finally living up to the billing.

The ONLY position where you stack up well with the Cardinals is the Staff Ace. Period.

Mace ist correct.

I missed shortstop. I'm still bummed Nomar isn't wearing a Boston uniform.

Cool. So the Cubs have the better shortstop...

Props.


The Cards will win the central by a minimum of 12 games. Injuries are the only thing that can stop them.

Nomar ain't Nomar anymore...with bat and glove.....and was a pain in the ass for the Red Sox. Soon as they unloaded him, Boston went on a tear and never looked back.