4.17.2004
4.15.2004
Well, this is just about it for the Blogspot version of Frinklin Speaks. Check out the new and improved Frinklin Speaks. The archives aren't over yet, and I haven't put all of my links in, but it's a work in progress.
4.12.2004
4.11.2004
How many other couples do this?
The Mrs. and I seem to have this amazing ability to bore our friends and family to tears by getting on movie-quoting jags. Someone will mention one of our favorites, usually Chasing Amy, Dazed and Confused, Office Space or what have you. Usually we start the whole conversation come to think of it. Anyway, it's off to the races..
"I said no thalt, no thalt."
"What's a Nubian?"
"It'd be a lot cooler if you did..."
The wife and I will then spend several minutes acting out entire scenes, not even noticing that whomever is present that isn't us is quickly going to bemusement to boredom to being really concerned about our sanity. And we will laugh hysterically like it's the first time we've ever heard this stuff, let alone said it.
Is this normal? Do other couple have moments like this? Or are we completely crazy?
The Mrs. and I seem to have this amazing ability to bore our friends and family to tears by getting on movie-quoting jags. Someone will mention one of our favorites, usually Chasing Amy, Dazed and Confused, Office Space or what have you. Usually we start the whole conversation come to think of it. Anyway, it's off to the races..
"I said no thalt, no thalt."
"What's a Nubian?"
"It'd be a lot cooler if you did..."
The wife and I will then spend several minutes acting out entire scenes, not even noticing that whomever is present that isn't us is quickly going to bemusement to boredom to being really concerned about our sanity. And we will laugh hysterically like it's the first time we've ever heard this stuff, let alone said it.
Is this normal? Do other couple have moments like this? Or are we completely crazy?
Well we are a week into the new season.
Most Suprising Team (Good Suprise Division) Detroit Tigers-Is there any question about this? Last year they started 0-9 on the way to losing 119 games. This year they start 5-1 and in first place at the 1-week mark. Of course they won't keep this up, but who cares? Enjoy it Tiger fans.
Most Suprising Team (Lousy Suprise Division) Tie-Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies-Well, of course the last-team-to-win Mariners are going to place, but you have to give up for the Phils too. They have the very same 1-5 record, are already 4 full games behind the Marlins. Oh, and they open Citizen's Bank Park tomorrow. Should be fun. Will Philly fans merely boo? Or will they go ahead and throw things?
Most Suprising Team (Good Suprise Division) Detroit Tigers-Is there any question about this? Last year they started 0-9 on the way to losing 119 games. This year they start 5-1 and in first place at the 1-week mark. Of course they won't keep this up, but who cares? Enjoy it Tiger fans.
Most Suprising Team (Lousy Suprise Division) Tie-Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies-Well, of course the last-team-to-win Mariners are going to place, but you have to give up for the Phils too. They have the very same 1-5 record, are already 4 full games behind the Marlins. Oh, and they open Citizen's Bank Park tomorrow. Should be fun. Will Philly fans merely boo? Or will they go ahead and throw things?
Okay gentlemen, that's more like it. The M's avoid matching the worst start in franchise history at the very last minute. Ichiro and Winn with RBI singles in the 9th, Boone homers in the 10th, and Shiggy picks up the win. Still, Moyer was off again, which is worrisome, and 3 walks in a 10-inning game, which is bordeline ridiculous.
Yes, it's true.. Frinklin has been invited to the cool kid's table. Once I get everything working (and figure out Movable Type, should only take 2-3 years), I'll be transferring everything to the new site. I hope everyone comes along.
4.10.2004
Yeah, I know it's an add. Still worth seeing: The Adventures of Seinfeld and Superman. Check it out.
The NASCAR ballet? Are you kidding me? this is some horrid practical joke right? This is my favorite section:
At the wave of the starting flag, 30 dancers will round an oval-shaped stage to New Age music punctuated with the sounds of revving engines. Their suits will be festooned with logos from the show's sponsors. Above, three giant TV screens will show the action from different camera angles while a local sports anchor gives a live play-by-play
FESTOONED with logos? Perfect...
Even better: One of the dancers described this as "a love letter" to NASCAR drivers.
At the wave of the starting flag, 30 dancers will round an oval-shaped stage to New Age music punctuated with the sounds of revving engines. Their suits will be festooned with logos from the show's sponsors. Above, three giant TV screens will show the action from different camera angles while a local sports anchor gives a live play-by-play
FESTOONED with logos? Perfect...
Even better: One of the dancers described this as "a love letter" to NASCAR drivers.
Okay, this one should have been expected. Tim Hudson has owned the Mariners over the years. Still, fellas, could you make him work a little harder than 86 pitches over 9 innings? The bright spot was Gil Meche, who pitched very well. That and Freddy's performance against the Angels makes me a tad hopeful.
I love the Saturday newspapers. Nobody reads 'em, so they run any story they can think of. Like this: Les Carpenter on the Canuckleheads playoff heartbreak.
I've been so wrapped up in baseball opening and troubles at work, I didn't even realize the NHL Playoffs had started.
I've been so wrapped up in baseball opening and troubles at work, I didn't even realize the NHL Playoffs had started.
As you might expect with a team that's 0-4, the numbers are really ugly. On offense: the M's are last in walks, last in HR, 11th in SLG, 12th in OBP and (odd for a team that hates K's) 2nd in strikeouts, only 1 behind Baltimore and they've played 5 games. Pitching is atrocious too: dead last in ERA, 1.8 points worse than then anyone, 11th in K's, and last in WHIP. Ugly, ugly ugly. I'm also glad to see I'm not the only one growing concerned. Peter over at Mariner Musings, has a very worried muse: If the M's are scuffling later in the season, will Edgar just give it up? Say it ain't so..
During this time of troubles, we all search for somewhere to belong. And I've found this: The Church of Toasterology. This may save me.
I was wandering around online newspapers, and I came across this. It’s yet another lawsuit against tobacco companies, this time claiming that “light” cigarettes are fraudulent and may do more damage to smokers. It’s a different twist, but the idea is the same: I did something I knew was dangerous and it hurt me and it’s your fault. Look, I’m no fan of tobacco companies, they seem to be significantly more evil than most corporations, but this is ridiculous. If you’ve started smoking in the last 39 years (surgeon general warning have been around since 1965), and you get sick, it’s your own damned fault. It doesn’t matter if your brand is “light” or “low tar”, cigarettes will kill you. And you know it.
Jayson Stark has his first Useless Info column up. As always, it's interesting stuff. Most interesting to me: Brave 1B Adam LaRoche becoming only the 4th player in history to get his first 2 ML hits in the same inning.
4.09.2004
Well, the Frinklin is a Loser Factor (FILF) struck again. The M's are now 0-2 in games I see, and 0-4 overall. This game, we see what the OF defense downgrade does. Look, let's be honest: Mike Cameron catches that ball. Other thoughts..
Rich Aurillia might be scuffling a bit defensively, but he's off to a nice start with the bat.
Rafael Soriano didn't seem to have anything tonight.
Bret Boone does seem smaller than last year. Not that that means anything!
The Angels aren't going to go undefeated either, they were killed in Texas 12-4. Still, they looked markedly better than the Mariners. I'm still really nervous. Meche against Hudson tomorrow. Good luck guys....
Rich Aurillia might be scuffling a bit defensively, but he's off to a nice start with the bat.
Rafael Soriano didn't seem to have anything tonight.
Bret Boone does seem smaller than last year. Not that that means anything!
The Angels aren't going to go undefeated either, they were killed in Texas 12-4. Still, they looked markedly better than the Mariners. I'm still really nervous. Meche against Hudson tomorrow. Good luck guys....
4.08.2004
Okay.. triple UGH
it's only 3 games right? In the long run it isn't any big deal?
So why am I so damned nervous right now? This is just about the worst way to open the season I can think of, that's why. 0-3 and looking at nothing but division foes for the next month. The M's performance seemed to validate what the blogospheria has worried about since the beginning of spring training. They were blown out and they lost close. Raul (who seems freakishly popular at Safeco) showed shaky at best OF defense. The bullpen imploded. Now they have games at Oakland. Is it too early for must win games?
Well, I guess we will find out. I'm off to watch the first game at Petco Park.
it's only 3 games right? In the long run it isn't any big deal?
So why am I so damned nervous right now? This is just about the worst way to open the season I can think of, that's why. 0-3 and looking at nothing but division foes for the next month. The M's performance seemed to validate what the blogospheria has worried about since the beginning of spring training. They were blown out and they lost close. Raul (who seems freakishly popular at Safeco) showed shaky at best OF defense. The bullpen imploded. Now they have games at Oakland. Is it too early for must win games?
Well, I guess we will find out. I'm off to watch the first game at Petco Park.
Well, this one makes sense, especially since I was born and raised there.
Take the quiz: "Which American City Are You?"
Seattle
Your dark exterior masks a caffeine driven activism. You'll take up a cause and you'll get ugly to advance it.
This is too goofy to pass up. Happy Easter a little early.
Take the quiz: "Which American City Are You?"
Seattle
Your dark exterior masks a caffeine driven activism. You'll take up a cause and you'll get ugly to advance it.
This is too goofy to pass up. Happy Easter a little early.
Unlike the Mariners, San Diego keeps their Radio announcers separate from TV. I am not entirely sure why this is, but to be honest, I prefer it. Maybe I’m biased (no I AM biased), but the Pads announce teams just aren’t up to par. The radio team is Jerry Coleman and Ted Leitner. Coleman is like everyone’s favorite old uncle. He can be fun, and he tells great stories, but he loses his point every so often and never seems to remember anybody’s name. As an announcer, he’s definitely the excited type, much like Neihaus but lacking the flair. He does have a nice catchphrase (Hang a star on that one!) and enough goodwill built up that I bet he eventually wins the Ford Frick Award. His partner Leitner, on the other hand, is utterly unbearable. Long winded, endlessly opinionated but never informed, utterly charmless; Mrs.Frinklin says he’s some sort of San Diego institution, but I can’t tell why. More than anything, he seems like every bad stand-up comic’s idea of Radio Guy. The TV side is bearable, but nothing special. Matt Vasgersian handles play-by-Play. He practically screams ESPN anchor: blandly handsome, endless pop culture references, and the occasional mediocre impression. Mark Grant is his sidekick, and I like him. I’m not sure why, but I do. He’s very likable, somewhat goofy, and hardly ever throws the “I’m a former athlete” at his viewers
4.07.2004
Ugh, Part 2
I should have known this would be a disaster game. See, I had a chance to watch the M’s. It’s the MLB cable package preview this week (I haven’t ever been able to convince Mrs. Frinklin to let me buy it, and I probably never will), and whenever I watch the Mariners, they lose. Usually rather spectacularly for that matter. I’m going to use this blog to track it. Call this the Frinklin Is A Loser Factor (FILF). So far, I’m hitting 1.000.
And I think Jose-FREAKING-Molina is too.
I didn’t totally give up on the boys tonight, but I did switch over to the Padres-Dodgers after it was 5-0. Another brilliant game, another heartbreaker for the Pads, this really isn’t the momentum they wanted headed into PETCO Park’s opening. I’m beginning to wonder about Bruce Bochy’s managing though. He has this brilliant reputation down here, one for the most part unsullied by the team’s recent lousiness. Anyway, Boch pinch-ran for Phil Nevin in the eighth inning, putting in Kerry Robinson. Robinson doesn’t score; the game stays tied at 1. Instead of moving Klesko from LF to 1B, Bochy pulls Klesko, puts Robinson in left, moves Ramon Vasquez from SS to first and inserts Khalil Greene at SS. The game eventually goes 11 innings, and 2 of San Diego’s best players aren’t in the game. You’re left with Giles-Robinson-Greene as your 3-4-5 hitters. Unbelievably, the announcers (Matt Vasgersian and Mark Grant) inform the audience that this was the correct decision! Even more unbelievably, had yesterday’s game gone extra frames, both Nevin and Klesko had already been pulled then too.
Check out Mrs. Frinklin, and her story of our crazy dog. It’s far more entertaining than mine was.
I should have known this would be a disaster game. See, I had a chance to watch the M’s. It’s the MLB cable package preview this week (I haven’t ever been able to convince Mrs. Frinklin to let me buy it, and I probably never will), and whenever I watch the Mariners, they lose. Usually rather spectacularly for that matter. I’m going to use this blog to track it. Call this the Frinklin Is A Loser Factor (FILF). So far, I’m hitting 1.000.
And I think Jose-FREAKING-Molina is too.
I didn’t totally give up on the boys tonight, but I did switch over to the Padres-Dodgers after it was 5-0. Another brilliant game, another heartbreaker for the Pads, this really isn’t the momentum they wanted headed into PETCO Park’s opening. I’m beginning to wonder about Bruce Bochy’s managing though. He has this brilliant reputation down here, one for the most part unsullied by the team’s recent lousiness. Anyway, Boch pinch-ran for Phil Nevin in the eighth inning, putting in Kerry Robinson. Robinson doesn’t score; the game stays tied at 1. Instead of moving Klesko from LF to 1B, Bochy pulls Klesko, puts Robinson in left, moves Ramon Vasquez from SS to first and inserts Khalil Greene at SS. The game eventually goes 11 innings, and 2 of San Diego’s best players aren’t in the game. You’re left with Giles-Robinson-Greene as your 3-4-5 hitters. Unbelievably, the announcers (Matt Vasgersian and Mark Grant) inform the audience that this was the correct decision! Even more unbelievably, had yesterday’s game gone extra frames, both Nevin and Klesko had already been pulled then too.
Check out Mrs. Frinklin, and her story of our crazy dog. It’s far more entertaining than mine was.
I wrote this during the slow times at work today. I'll be back later, since the Mariners are just getting killed. Again!
I was listening to ESPN radio on the way to work this morning, and John McGrath was a guest on the Colin Cowherd show. Now, I will get to my thoughts on “the Herd” later, but really all you need to know is that the his first to questions for McGrath were concerning the Sonics (Who?) and the Seahawks draft position. Yes, one of baseball’s glamour franchises, the day after it’s opening, was snuck in behind the World’s Most Forgettable NBA team, and the team who’s season opener is a mere 5 months away. Now McGrath was good, even lacking insider knowledge as to the Hawks plan with the 23rd pick. He spoke mostly on the TNT baseball preview focusing in on the Mariner signing of “tough guys”, and mentioned that ½ of said tough guys are currently on the shelf.
Now, the San Diego sports radio market is a tad oversaturated, though not with any real quality. I was a devout listener of Tony Kornheiser in the morning; mostly due to the respect with which he treated his audience. Too often sports radio jocks assume their listeners are rockheads and act accordingly, but TK was different. He covered sports yes, but not to the exclusion of everything else. He understood that relatively few of us were obsessing on the Redskin’s third-down back, and many of us are concerned about politics, pop culture and the like. Best of all, he was unafraid of his ESPN bosses. He spoke about their failings and never failed to mention the silly things they tried to get him to do.
The new guy? He’s not so good. Of course, due to Kornheiser’s cult-like following, he has an unbelievably hard job, and I do give him credit for taking it. He does drive me nuts sometimes though, and not in a good way. For instance, it’s Tuesday, the day after Opening Day. I get in my car and the first thing I hear him mention is, “America’s love affair with football.” Two damn days into baseball season and this moron is talking about the NFL? I could not believe it. Look, I love football as much as next geek. I’ve been rooting for the Seahawks just as long as I have the Mariners. My entire neighborhood heard me yell when Hasselbeck threw away the GB playoff game. That isn’t the point. The point is that the day after Opening Day, which is also the day after the NCAA championship game, is not the time to be waxing about how much America loves football. The Herd seems obsessed with it, leaving a segment every show focused to football. It’s April for cryin’ out loud.
Unfortunately, for me anyway, ESPN is just about the only sports-option in the morning. San Diego used to be home of the highest rated sports radio station in the country: XTRA Sports 690. XTRA had mammoth ratings, and routinely whacked the LA sports station in its market too. The problem was, Clear Channel (Corporate Motto: We Will BURY You) owns both. The demon children of Clear Channel realized the best way out of this was to merge the channel into the Southern California Sports Leader; Use the resources of both stations to cover a massive region stretching from Bakersfield to the Mexican border. They accomplished this by firing the San Diego morning guys, early afternoon guys, late night guys, and overnight guys. Then they closed the San Diego station offices, fired the entire staff, and focused the new LA based station almost exclusively on the Lakers and the Dodgers. Hey, San Diego feels the love fellas.
There is a third option; many of the old XTRA crew started the Mighty 1090. It’s okay, but to be honest, I was never a fan of the XTRA anyway. I miss the KJR people, well, some of them. Really, the only KJR types I enjoyed were Groz and Gas. Heck, if I am not at work I still listen to them.
This was supposed to be a much angrier rant. Oh well…
I was listening to ESPN radio on the way to work this morning, and John McGrath was a guest on the Colin Cowherd show. Now, I will get to my thoughts on “the Herd” later, but really all you need to know is that the his first to questions for McGrath were concerning the Sonics (Who?) and the Seahawks draft position. Yes, one of baseball’s glamour franchises, the day after it’s opening, was snuck in behind the World’s Most Forgettable NBA team, and the team who’s season opener is a mere 5 months away. Now McGrath was good, even lacking insider knowledge as to the Hawks plan with the 23rd pick. He spoke mostly on the TNT baseball preview focusing in on the Mariner signing of “tough guys”, and mentioned that ½ of said tough guys are currently on the shelf.
Now, the San Diego sports radio market is a tad oversaturated, though not with any real quality. I was a devout listener of Tony Kornheiser in the morning; mostly due to the respect with which he treated his audience. Too often sports radio jocks assume their listeners are rockheads and act accordingly, but TK was different. He covered sports yes, but not to the exclusion of everything else. He understood that relatively few of us were obsessing on the Redskin’s third-down back, and many of us are concerned about politics, pop culture and the like. Best of all, he was unafraid of his ESPN bosses. He spoke about their failings and never failed to mention the silly things they tried to get him to do.
The new guy? He’s not so good. Of course, due to Kornheiser’s cult-like following, he has an unbelievably hard job, and I do give him credit for taking it. He does drive me nuts sometimes though, and not in a good way. For instance, it’s Tuesday, the day after Opening Day. I get in my car and the first thing I hear him mention is, “America’s love affair with football.” Two damn days into baseball season and this moron is talking about the NFL? I could not believe it. Look, I love football as much as next geek. I’ve been rooting for the Seahawks just as long as I have the Mariners. My entire neighborhood heard me yell when Hasselbeck threw away the GB playoff game. That isn’t the point. The point is that the day after Opening Day, which is also the day after the NCAA championship game, is not the time to be waxing about how much America loves football. The Herd seems obsessed with it, leaving a segment every show focused to football. It’s April for cryin’ out loud.
Unfortunately, for me anyway, ESPN is just about the only sports-option in the morning. San Diego used to be home of the highest rated sports radio station in the country: XTRA Sports 690. XTRA had mammoth ratings, and routinely whacked the LA sports station in its market too. The problem was, Clear Channel (Corporate Motto: We Will BURY You) owns both. The demon children of Clear Channel realized the best way out of this was to merge the channel into the Southern California Sports Leader; Use the resources of both stations to cover a massive region stretching from Bakersfield to the Mexican border. They accomplished this by firing the San Diego morning guys, early afternoon guys, late night guys, and overnight guys. Then they closed the San Diego station offices, fired the entire staff, and focused the new LA based station almost exclusively on the Lakers and the Dodgers. Hey, San Diego feels the love fellas.
There is a third option; many of the old XTRA crew started the Mighty 1090. It’s okay, but to be honest, I was never a fan of the XTRA anyway. I miss the KJR people, well, some of them. Really, the only KJR types I enjoyed were Groz and Gas. Heck, if I am not at work I still listen to them.
This was supposed to be a much angrier rant. Oh well…
4.06.2004
Unfortunately, there is more to life than baseball. With the ever-escalating fear and worry about terrorism in the world, it's good to see our Department of Justice out there fighting for us. What? Oh.. They're going after Showtime and pay per view cable outlets? Oh yes, porn is way more important than terrorists. Gawd...
Now this is why I love baseball. I just finished watching the Padres- Dodgers game, and it was beautiful. Certainly not the best played or best pitched game I've ever seen, but man was it worth it. My impressions...
Jake Peavy pitched well. Not great, but certainly good enough to win, and he should have.
Odalis Perez sucked early on, but recovered, and showed more guts than he gets credit for.
Darren Driefort looked unhittable. So we have about 60 days before he's on the IR?
Eric Gagne looked even more unhittable. Made an absolute fool of poor Ramon Vasquez. 3 pitches, and Ramon never even blinked.
Milton Bradley made a very nice over-the-shoulder catch. As long as he doesn't go completely crazy, LA fans will love him.
Finally... Adrian Beltre looks different, like he's lost the baby fat. And he certainly played will, hitting the game tying HR. Still, you have to wonder why he would go to papers about not being invited to the meeting about getting Bradley.
Jake Peavy pitched well. Not great, but certainly good enough to win, and he should have.
Odalis Perez sucked early on, but recovered, and showed more guts than he gets credit for.
Darren Driefort looked unhittable. So we have about 60 days before he's on the IR?
Eric Gagne looked even more unhittable. Made an absolute fool of poor Ramon Vasquez. 3 pitches, and Ramon never even blinked.
Milton Bradley made a very nice over-the-shoulder catch. As long as he doesn't go completely crazy, LA fans will love him.
Finally... Adrian Beltre looks different, like he's lost the baby fat. And he certainly played will, hitting the game tying HR. Still, you have to wonder why he would go to papers about not being invited to the meeting about getting Bradley.
4.05.2004
Opening day-or Opening Day. Depending on how you feel about it. -Jim Bouton
Well, it the real season is here in full force. And I missed most of it. Worked through the Padres-Dodgers game, saw bits of the pretty good Astros-Giants game and most of Texas-Oakland. Some quick thoughts:
Ozzie Guillen may have totally destroyed Billy Koch's wavering confidence. In fact, I don't think I've seen a manager totally freak out like that so quickly.Oz... you have a 7-5 lead, it's the first game, don't lose it. Maybe he is too high strung to be a manager.
How do the Giants win? They have JT Snow, Marquise Grissom and Michael Tucker in the opening day lineup. Tucker is the #3 hitter for cryin' out loud. Matt Herges is acting closer. I'm baffled, really.
The Pirates, Tigers and Brewers all win. Life is good.
There isn't a better way for the new-look Padres to start the season than by bitch-slapping the Dodgers. Phil Nevin hit a mammoth grand slam off Nomo, good to see him healthy. Oh, and I like the new look road unis, but it seemed everytime they went to a high-angle shot, the "sand" color blended in with the infield dirt.
M's-Angels tomorrow.. YeeHa!
Well, it the real season is here in full force. And I missed most of it. Worked through the Padres-Dodgers game, saw bits of the pretty good Astros-Giants game and most of Texas-Oakland. Some quick thoughts:
Ozzie Guillen may have totally destroyed Billy Koch's wavering confidence. In fact, I don't think I've seen a manager totally freak out like that so quickly.Oz... you have a 7-5 lead, it's the first game, don't lose it. Maybe he is too high strung to be a manager.
How do the Giants win? They have JT Snow, Marquise Grissom and Michael Tucker in the opening day lineup. Tucker is the #3 hitter for cryin' out loud. Matt Herges is acting closer. I'm baffled, really.
The Pirates, Tigers and Brewers all win. Life is good.
There isn't a better way for the new-look Padres to start the season than by bitch-slapping the Dodgers. Phil Nevin hit a mammoth grand slam off Nomo, good to see him healthy. Oh, and I like the new look road unis, but it seemed everytime they went to a high-angle shot, the "sand" color blended in with the infield dirt.
M's-Angels tomorrow.. YeeHa!
4.04.2004
Goodness, two quizzes in one day? This one is HARD, and I'm a bit worried that i've not seen any who get a different result. Maybe I'm just not special.
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!
How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
You are a GRAMMAR GOD!
If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!
How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
AL West
1-Anaheim Angels
Arte Moreno made the moves Mariner fans were desperate for Howard Lincoln to do. The Halos picked up an Ace (Bartolo Colon), passable #3 starter (Kelvim Escobar) and the best hitter on the market in Vlad Guerrero. Add this to the remains of their 2002 WS champions, and the Angels have a very nice little team. There are concerns of course: Troy Glaus is coming off surgery: Vladie has injury concerns: Troy Percival hasn’t been pitching well this spring: Brandon Donnelly’s horrific nosebleed problems. Mike Scioscia keeps comparing Darin Erstad’s defense to that of JT Snow, without mentioning he hits like him too. Altogether though, this team hits a ton, and has plenty of pitching. Should be just enough to win the division, and maybe more.
2-Oakland A’s
The A’s will always be a threat to win everything as long as Hudson, Mulder and Zito are on the team. Add to that Rich Harden and Mark Redman, and this is the best starting staff in the AL. The bullpen isn’t nearly as settled, or as good. Arthur Rhodes has never been a closer, and hasn’t been terribly effective in save situations. The offense is improved, especially at the top. Mark Kotsay should give the A’s their best leadoff hitter since the heyday of Rickey Henderson, and Bobby Kielty should be a quality 2-hole hitter. Hopefully for A’s fans, Eric Chavez won’t overdue it attempting to justify his new contract.
3-Seattle Mariners
More to follow in my M’s only preview, but the short of it: They aren’t good enough.
4-Texas Rangers
Well, they trade the best player in baseball; did they get any better for it? No. Of course, trading HOF talents is NEVER a good thing. Especially when you’re on the hook for almost half of his contract. Well, hopefully for Ranger fans they will fight the impulse to trade Alfonso Soriano and let a talented young infield grow up together. Hank Blalock’s breakthrough year was sort of ignored in the A-Rodmania and Mark Teixeira could have on this season. Of course, as it’s been for several years now, the Ranger’s problems aren’t on offense. The pitching is bad, maybe not as dreadful as previous years, but still bad. Colby Lewis is a quality starter. Kenny Rogers was 4-5 years ago, and Chan Ho Park was when pitching for the Dodgers. It’s bad enough that RA Dickey and Glendon Rusch round out the rotation. The bullpen is just as bad, though Fransico Cordero could be a quality closer. Hey, how long until Jeff Nelson gets traded?
1-Anaheim Angels
Arte Moreno made the moves Mariner fans were desperate for Howard Lincoln to do. The Halos picked up an Ace (Bartolo Colon), passable #3 starter (Kelvim Escobar) and the best hitter on the market in Vlad Guerrero. Add this to the remains of their 2002 WS champions, and the Angels have a very nice little team. There are concerns of course: Troy Glaus is coming off surgery: Vladie has injury concerns: Troy Percival hasn’t been pitching well this spring: Brandon Donnelly’s horrific nosebleed problems. Mike Scioscia keeps comparing Darin Erstad’s defense to that of JT Snow, without mentioning he hits like him too. Altogether though, this team hits a ton, and has plenty of pitching. Should be just enough to win the division, and maybe more.
2-Oakland A’s
The A’s will always be a threat to win everything as long as Hudson, Mulder and Zito are on the team. Add to that Rich Harden and Mark Redman, and this is the best starting staff in the AL. The bullpen isn’t nearly as settled, or as good. Arthur Rhodes has never been a closer, and hasn’t been terribly effective in save situations. The offense is improved, especially at the top. Mark Kotsay should give the A’s their best leadoff hitter since the heyday of Rickey Henderson, and Bobby Kielty should be a quality 2-hole hitter. Hopefully for A’s fans, Eric Chavez won’t overdue it attempting to justify his new contract.
3-Seattle Mariners
More to follow in my M’s only preview, but the short of it: They aren’t good enough.
4-Texas Rangers
Well, they trade the best player in baseball; did they get any better for it? No. Of course, trading HOF talents is NEVER a good thing. Especially when you’re on the hook for almost half of his contract. Well, hopefully for Ranger fans they will fight the impulse to trade Alfonso Soriano and let a talented young infield grow up together. Hank Blalock’s breakthrough year was sort of ignored in the A-Rodmania and Mark Teixeira could have on this season. Of course, as it’s been for several years now, the Ranger’s problems aren’t on offense. The pitching is bad, maybe not as dreadful as previous years, but still bad. Colby Lewis is a quality starter. Kenny Rogers was 4-5 years ago, and Chan Ho Park was when pitching for the Dodgers. It’s bad enough that RA Dickey and Glendon Rusch round out the rotation. The bullpen is just as bad, though Fransico Cordero could be a quality closer. Hey, how long until Jeff Nelson gets traded?
Of course I'm watching Sunday Night Baseball. A couple quick hits:
Pokey Reese walked his first time up. That should be enough for April.
Jon Miller is my favorite announcer not named Dave Neihaus or Vin Scully. Joe Morgan irritates me.
The Orioles have really cool uniforms. They should ditch the ornithologically correct bird and bring back the smilin' oriole though.
Pedro is defiantly not 100%, but he's smart enough to almost cover for it. You have to wonder if he'll ever be what he was.
Pokey Reese walked his first time up. That should be enough for April.
Jon Miller is my favorite announcer not named Dave Neihaus or Vin Scully. Joe Morgan irritates me.
The Orioles have really cool uniforms. They should ditch the ornithologically correct bird and bring back the smilin' oriole though.
Pedro is defiantly not 100%, but he's smart enough to almost cover for it. You have to wonder if he'll ever be what he was.
AL Central
1-Kansas City Royals
Can you win with 5 number 3 starters, 4 of them lefties no less? The Royals will find out. The pitching is mediocre, but if Jeremy Affeldt gets over his injury problems, he could emerge as an ace. The lineup is sweet, especially if Juan Gone can stay reasonably healthy. Matt Stairs hit .292 /.389 /.561 last season, and could give KC more offense then Ibanez did for less than 1/3 the price. Really this division is up for grabs, I can see any of the top three in any order
2-Chicago White Sox
This team will be better then most think. They have holes, but everyone else does too, and I think they have the best chance of fixing them or covering them up. Frank Thomas seems to be responding to Ozzie Guillen’s leadership, he seems primed for a big year. Loiza can’t be as good as he was last year, but Buerhle probably won’t be as bad: they’ll even each other out. The Sox are finally going with Joe Crede at 3B: he’s a plus.
3-Minnesota Twins
The Twins take a bit of a tumble this year; I can’t see their staff being good enough to win the division. Brad Radke will be Brad Radke: 200 IP, 15W, but beyond that they have to rely on some young arms. Johan Santana should be fine, providing he can handle the bigger workload. Kyle Loshe showed flashes of dominance last year. Beyond those two, there are question marks. Carlos Silva is converting to starter after spending his entire big-league career as a reliever. The bullpen looks shaky too; I can’t see Joe Nathan as an everyday closer, especially since his velocity seems to be down 5 MPH from last year. Offensively they are fine, having Shannon Stewart the full year is a plus, and Joe Mauer looks like he can hit. Defensively they are the best in the game.
4-Cleveland Indians
The Tribe is back on the upswing, with as much young talent as any team in the game. Jody Gerut, AL ROY, leads a legion of talented outfielders that the Indians will build their team around. The trade of Milton Bradley weakens them, but the situation had become untenable with the talented CF. Coco Crisp, Alex Escobar and eventually Grady Sizemore will take his place. Sizemore is the most talented of the three, but also the farthest from the majors. CC Sabathia leads a very young rotation, one that will have to deal with a lot of growing pains. David Riske could have a big year as closer.
5-Detroit Tigers
Hey the Tigers are actually still in the game. It didn’t seem like they were last year, with an absolute disaster that ended with 119 loses. The team went out and got some real grown-up players this season, with Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Fernando Vina and Rondell White replacing half the starting lineup. Dimtri Young is the best of the returnees; he would have collected 100 RBI had the other guys been less inept. Jason Johnson was let go by the Orioles and immediately became the Tigers #1 starter. Assuming he gets over the disaster from last year, Jeremy Bonderman will eventually take that mantle. Detroit will be better, but still not very good.
1-Kansas City Royals
Can you win with 5 number 3 starters, 4 of them lefties no less? The Royals will find out. The pitching is mediocre, but if Jeremy Affeldt gets over his injury problems, he could emerge as an ace. The lineup is sweet, especially if Juan Gone can stay reasonably healthy. Matt Stairs hit .292 /.389 /.561 last season, and could give KC more offense then Ibanez did for less than 1/3 the price. Really this division is up for grabs, I can see any of the top three in any order
2-Chicago White Sox
This team will be better then most think. They have holes, but everyone else does too, and I think they have the best chance of fixing them or covering them up. Frank Thomas seems to be responding to Ozzie Guillen’s leadership, he seems primed for a big year. Loiza can’t be as good as he was last year, but Buerhle probably won’t be as bad: they’ll even each other out. The Sox are finally going with Joe Crede at 3B: he’s a plus.
3-Minnesota Twins
The Twins take a bit of a tumble this year; I can’t see their staff being good enough to win the division. Brad Radke will be Brad Radke: 200 IP, 15W, but beyond that they have to rely on some young arms. Johan Santana should be fine, providing he can handle the bigger workload. Kyle Loshe showed flashes of dominance last year. Beyond those two, there are question marks. Carlos Silva is converting to starter after spending his entire big-league career as a reliever. The bullpen looks shaky too; I can’t see Joe Nathan as an everyday closer, especially since his velocity seems to be down 5 MPH from last year. Offensively they are fine, having Shannon Stewart the full year is a plus, and Joe Mauer looks like he can hit. Defensively they are the best in the game.
4-Cleveland Indians
The Tribe is back on the upswing, with as much young talent as any team in the game. Jody Gerut, AL ROY, leads a legion of talented outfielders that the Indians will build their team around. The trade of Milton Bradley weakens them, but the situation had become untenable with the talented CF. Coco Crisp, Alex Escobar and eventually Grady Sizemore will take his place. Sizemore is the most talented of the three, but also the farthest from the majors. CC Sabathia leads a very young rotation, one that will have to deal with a lot of growing pains. David Riske could have a big year as closer.
5-Detroit Tigers
Hey the Tigers are actually still in the game. It didn’t seem like they were last year, with an absolute disaster that ended with 119 loses. The team went out and got some real grown-up players this season, with Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, Fernando Vina and Rondell White replacing half the starting lineup. Dimtri Young is the best of the returnees; he would have collected 100 RBI had the other guys been less inept. Jason Johnson was let go by the Orioles and immediately became the Tigers #1 starter. Assuming he gets over the disaster from last year, Jeremy Bonderman will eventually take that mantle. Detroit will be better, but still not very good.
Now the AL: This will be broken down by division, since even I couldn't sit through yesterday’s marathon post. You can see when I started writing this
EAST
1-New York Yankees
Baseball's thermonuclear war continues. The biggest rivalry in professional sports isn't the Yankees vs. Red Sox. It's the Yankees versus the world, and it gets bigger and uglier each year.
It's really great, isn't it?
I mean, I know I should be bitching about the inequities of baseball, complaining that the Yankees' payroll is several times that of the GNP of say, Uganda. But I really don't care anymore. Baseball's economics are what they are, and they aren't going to change anytime soon. Besides, success in the sport is still based more on smarts than anything else. It's possible to be poor and smart and successful. See Minnesota and Oakland. It's possible to be rich and stupid, and lose every year. Just look at the Orioles. And of course, you can be both poor and stupid, and then you end up the Pirates. It's not really all that different that baseball has always been. The Yankees are almost always good, and baseball is better as a whole when they are. Don't worry, like any reasonable baseball fan, I hate them too.
I just can't turn away from them, this year even more than previous. With all the talk about A-Rod and how much better they are and how many All-Stars they have, people tend to ignore that this team seems deeply flawed. A-Rod is of course out of position. And how long does he stay okay with that? They have a gaping whole at 2B. Giambi will be expected to play the field, and he's a lousy defensive 1B. Lofton is already upset at his spot in the batting order. Kenny Lofton upset? Who would have guessed that? The outfield defense is atrocious. Who will be the fifth starter? Right now they stand at 1-1. If it gets to be 6-6 or 10-10 how crazy does Steinbrenner get? I can't wait. Even with all that, I'll still pick them to win the division. The overall talent, especially on offense, is unreal. And Big Stein gets what he wants. Somebody will send them what they need. Jose Vidro? Carlos Beltran maybe?
2-Boston Red Sox
Two months ago, even without the A-Rod trade, the Sox looked they had an even money chance of ending the Curse. Even with A-Rod in pinstripes they still have a good shot. Or at least, they did. The Curse strikes in many ways, and right now it seems health is the way du jour. Nomar's bad Achilles will keep him off the field for at least a month. Trot Nixon will miss half the season, maybe more. Pedro's velocity has been down, and he's been rocked throughout the spring. Nixon is important to the team, but not irreplaceable. Nomar needs to come back and come back soon though. The Pokey Reese- Mark Bellhorn DP combo is scary for most of the wrong reasons. Still, the Sox should be able to stay in the race long enough for everyone to get healthy, and Theo Epstein proved last year he's willing to make moves.
3-Toronto Blue Jays
How often do you think JP Ricciardi petitions Commissioner Bud to relocate to the AL Central? Four, five times a week? It's a pity that this suddenly very inventive club is stuck behind the big two. It would be a definite contender in the Central, but it's an also-ran here. The Jays have a very nice lineup featuring some young (Josh Phelps, Orlando Hudson, Reed Johnson) and talented players. The pitching is slowly coming around, and they have a lot of nice prospects. The question will be what to do with Carlos Delgado. He’s a free agent, and while he shouldn’t get the same money has now, he still will be out of Toronto’s price range. Do they trade him? He could bring a lot from a contender.
4-Baltimore Orioles
This is another team that seems to be on the upswing. They aren’t on the same level as the Jays, and I wonder if they’ll get there. Miguel Tejada is a great sign; he should solidify the infield and give Baltimore fans someone to identify with the team. Javy Lopez on the other hand was a bad sign, unless the unbelievable happens and he repeats last season. Even if he does he’s a below average defensive catcher. Larry Bigbie and Jay Gibbons give the O’s another set of building blocks. It would also help if Erik Bedard is for real, and Kurt Ainsworth fufills some of the expectations he’s been carrying.
5-Tampa Bay Devil Rays
It really isn’t fair that this team has to play in the AL East. Between the big two and the fast rising Blue Jays, the Rays may have their best team and STILL get buried. Which I think is pretty close to what will happen. This team is better than last years, and next year should be better still. Carl Crawford is the real deal, and Rocco Baldelli will be too, if he learns how to take a pitch now and then. BJ Upton and Delmon Young are hope for the future, Upton could be called up this year. Young is a ways off. Pitching? Don’t ask.
EAST
1-New York Yankees
Baseball's thermonuclear war continues. The biggest rivalry in professional sports isn't the Yankees vs. Red Sox. It's the Yankees versus the world, and it gets bigger and uglier each year.
It's really great, isn't it?
I mean, I know I should be bitching about the inequities of baseball, complaining that the Yankees' payroll is several times that of the GNP of say, Uganda. But I really don't care anymore. Baseball's economics are what they are, and they aren't going to change anytime soon. Besides, success in the sport is still based more on smarts than anything else. It's possible to be poor and smart and successful. See Minnesota and Oakland. It's possible to be rich and stupid, and lose every year. Just look at the Orioles. And of course, you can be both poor and stupid, and then you end up the Pirates. It's not really all that different that baseball has always been. The Yankees are almost always good, and baseball is better as a whole when they are. Don't worry, like any reasonable baseball fan, I hate them too.
I just can't turn away from them, this year even more than previous. With all the talk about A-Rod and how much better they are and how many All-Stars they have, people tend to ignore that this team seems deeply flawed. A-Rod is of course out of position. And how long does he stay okay with that? They have a gaping whole at 2B. Giambi will be expected to play the field, and he's a lousy defensive 1B. Lofton is already upset at his spot in the batting order. Kenny Lofton upset? Who would have guessed that? The outfield defense is atrocious. Who will be the fifth starter? Right now they stand at 1-1. If it gets to be 6-6 or 10-10 how crazy does Steinbrenner get? I can't wait. Even with all that, I'll still pick them to win the division. The overall talent, especially on offense, is unreal. And Big Stein gets what he wants. Somebody will send them what they need. Jose Vidro? Carlos Beltran maybe?
2-Boston Red Sox
Two months ago, even without the A-Rod trade, the Sox looked they had an even money chance of ending the Curse. Even with A-Rod in pinstripes they still have a good shot. Or at least, they did. The Curse strikes in many ways, and right now it seems health is the way du jour. Nomar's bad Achilles will keep him off the field for at least a month. Trot Nixon will miss half the season, maybe more. Pedro's velocity has been down, and he's been rocked throughout the spring. Nixon is important to the team, but not irreplaceable. Nomar needs to come back and come back soon though. The Pokey Reese- Mark Bellhorn DP combo is scary for most of the wrong reasons. Still, the Sox should be able to stay in the race long enough for everyone to get healthy, and Theo Epstein proved last year he's willing to make moves.
3-Toronto Blue Jays
How often do you think JP Ricciardi petitions Commissioner Bud to relocate to the AL Central? Four, five times a week? It's a pity that this suddenly very inventive club is stuck behind the big two. It would be a definite contender in the Central, but it's an also-ran here. The Jays have a very nice lineup featuring some young (Josh Phelps, Orlando Hudson, Reed Johnson) and talented players. The pitching is slowly coming around, and they have a lot of nice prospects. The question will be what to do with Carlos Delgado. He’s a free agent, and while he shouldn’t get the same money has now, he still will be out of Toronto’s price range. Do they trade him? He could bring a lot from a contender.
4-Baltimore Orioles
This is another team that seems to be on the upswing. They aren’t on the same level as the Jays, and I wonder if they’ll get there. Miguel Tejada is a great sign; he should solidify the infield and give Baltimore fans someone to identify with the team. Javy Lopez on the other hand was a bad sign, unless the unbelievable happens and he repeats last season. Even if he does he’s a below average defensive catcher. Larry Bigbie and Jay Gibbons give the O’s another set of building blocks. It would also help if Erik Bedard is for real, and Kurt Ainsworth fufills some of the expectations he’s been carrying.
5-Tampa Bay Devil Rays
It really isn’t fair that this team has to play in the AL East. Between the big two and the fast rising Blue Jays, the Rays may have their best team and STILL get buried. Which I think is pretty close to what will happen. This team is better than last years, and next year should be better still. Carl Crawford is the real deal, and Rocco Baldelli will be too, if he learns how to take a pitch now and then. BJ Upton and Delmon Young are hope for the future, Upton could be called up this year. Young is a ways off. Pitching? Don’t ask.
Ack.. this isn't pleasant.
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Third Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
Take the Dante's Inferno Test
The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Third Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
| Level | Score |
|---|---|
| Purgatory (Repenting Believers) | Very High |
| Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers) | Moderate |
| Level 2 (Lustful) | High |
| Level 3 (Gluttonous) | Very High |
| Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious) | Very Low |
| Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy) | Low |
| Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics) | Very Low |
| Level 7 (Violent) | Moderate |
| Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers) | Moderate |
| Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous) | Very Low |
Take the Dante's Inferno Test
I haven't had the chance to commen on the Milton Bradley case, but mine take is pretty similar to most: A total headcase I'd love to see play for the Mariners. Now it seems he has been traded to Los Angeles for OF prospect Franklin Gutierrez and a PTBNL. At first glance this is a better deal than I thought the Indians would get for Bradley. Gutierrez is a highly-regarded prospect, rated # 3 on Baseball America's list. Then I thought of it: Paul DePodesta took one look at Gutierrez's OBP (lifetime minor leage OBP of .343) and said, "someone is gonna want him more than I do." Gutierrez is a tools player, not yet a results player. It makes sense for LA to trade him. Even with the OBP defiecency, this is the best deal the Indians could get. I wonder if Guiterrez is done moving though, with Jody Gerut, Grady Sizemore, Alex Escobar, Jason Cooper... the Tribe has plenty of young OF prospects.
Okay, I've been silent for a couple days, more will follow. Yesterday was spring cleaning at the Frinklin house, so both the Mrs. and I ended up sleeping really late today. Hard work ya'know?
I do have to register my displeasure with the this though: JOLBERT CABRERA? Now, I don't think Looper or Ketchner are anything real special, but why send two prospects for a utility guy? Guys like Cabrera are available over the waiver wire all the time, and more importantly, is Cabrera anything more than Hiram Bocachica? Perhaps Cabrera is a better player than Bocachica, but two young pitchers worth? This is a terrible, albeit minor trade, one that brings back visions of Woody Woodward.
I do have to register my displeasure with the this though: JOLBERT CABRERA? Now, I don't think Looper or Ketchner are anything real special, but why send two prospects for a utility guy? Guys like Cabrera are available over the waiver wire all the time, and more importantly, is Cabrera anything more than Hiram Bocachica? Perhaps Cabrera is a better player than Bocachica, but two young pitchers worth? This is a terrible, albeit minor trade, one that brings back visions of Woody Woodward.
4.01.2004
Just some linkage tonight, as it's been a long, rough week at work.
Mrs. Frinklin goes into detail about why we hate our neighbors. You would too if you dealt with them. Just for an update, it's quarter to 10:00 at night, and they are STILL out there in the rain.
A couple great Slate articles. Matt Feeney eviscerate SportsCenter on ESPN. It's pretty snarky, but it's also true. Dan and Keith aren't coming back kids. The second is a Daniel Gross feature on Petco Park, the beautiful new Padre ballpark. The gist of the article is the park is actually doing all those nice things for downtown that teams always say when trying to get a new park. And trust me, Petco is very nice.
Beliefnet does April Fools? Heh...
Tim Kurkjian reminds everyone how painful baseball can be. I never get on any athlete who says he's hurt. I can't get out of bed because of headaches some days. Who am I to judge?
Mrs. Frinklin goes into detail about why we hate our neighbors. You would too if you dealt with them. Just for an update, it's quarter to 10:00 at night, and they are STILL out there in the rain.
A couple great Slate articles. Matt Feeney eviscerate SportsCenter on ESPN. It's pretty snarky, but it's also true. Dan and Keith aren't coming back kids. The second is a Daniel Gross feature on Petco Park, the beautiful new Padre ballpark. The gist of the article is the park is actually doing all those nice things for downtown that teams always say when trying to get a new park. And trust me, Petco is very nice.
Beliefnet does April Fools? Heh...
Tim Kurkjian reminds everyone how painful baseball can be. I never get on any athlete who says he's hurt. I can't get out of bed because of headaches some days. Who am I to judge?
3.31.2004
The PI ran part 1 of their baseball preview this morning, leading with John Hickey's piece on the aging M's, concentrating on The Edgar, Dan Wilson, and John Olerud. It's mostly fluff, completetly pushing the Company Line. To wit:
The team has a "sense of urgency". Okay, if everyone is so urgent, then why did they downgrade three positions (SS, LF,CF) and fail to signifcantly improve anywhere other than the disaster that was Jeff Cirillo?
If Freddy Garcia has a big year (which I think he will) the team can't resign him because "a big year means a big contract, bigger than the $6.875 million he earns now." Excuse me, a team that willingly gives Raul Ibanez 13 million based on 2 mediocre years in a hitters ballpark can certainly afford Freddy.
This entire section makes me chuckle
The thing is, the Mariners have a flood of good young starting pitchers just ready to make a splash in Seattle. The main reason Garcia won't be back is the Mariners have to find room for pitchers like Clint Nageotte, Travis Blackley and Rett Johnson to move into the rotation. It's one thing to have great young talent at Tacoma this year; there's no way sensible management lets that talent stagnate there next year.
So, we don't want talent to stagnate. Jamal Strong couldn't possibly play as well as Quinton McCracken, he needs to spend more time in AAA. Neither Matt Thorton or Bobby Madritsch could handle the bullpen this year, so we need to resurrect Ron Villone, Mike Myers and Terry Mulholland.
But the absolute money qoute is this, from Chuck Armstrong "I think there may be an increased emphasis on getting to the playoffs," Armstrong said. "When you think you should get there and you don't two years in a row, it's tough on everybody in the organization." So does this mean they're admitting the team hasn't been all that committed the past couple years?
The more discussed article, at least here in the blogosphere is Dave Andriesen's piece on Bill Bavasi and the Internet. Art Theil takes much the same tack, and they both take great pains to mention that Bavasi is a good mixture of objective and subjective. Again, the Company Line. Both peices have been pretty well hacked elsewhere, but I'd like to mention to Dave that I personally would like Bavasi a lot more had he not ridiculously overpaid for Ibanez, and traded a pretty effective pinchhitter for Quention McCracken. Just a thought.
Oh, and Adriesen also lists a ridiculous Top Prospects piece, including AJ Zapp, since he is a "great fielder". Oh, and this :If he lives up to the promise the Mariners see in him, Lopez could one day be America's most famous J. Lo, is a horrific sentence, and by itself knocks the PI sports section down at least 2 pegs.
The team has a "sense of urgency". Okay, if everyone is so urgent, then why did they downgrade three positions (SS, LF,CF) and fail to signifcantly improve anywhere other than the disaster that was Jeff Cirillo?
If Freddy Garcia has a big year (which I think he will) the team can't resign him because "a big year means a big contract, bigger than the $6.875 million he earns now." Excuse me, a team that willingly gives Raul Ibanez 13 million based on 2 mediocre years in a hitters ballpark can certainly afford Freddy.
This entire section makes me chuckle
The thing is, the Mariners have a flood of good young starting pitchers just ready to make a splash in Seattle. The main reason Garcia won't be back is the Mariners have to find room for pitchers like Clint Nageotte, Travis Blackley and Rett Johnson to move into the rotation. It's one thing to have great young talent at Tacoma this year; there's no way sensible management lets that talent stagnate there next year.
So, we don't want talent to stagnate. Jamal Strong couldn't possibly play as well as Quinton McCracken, he needs to spend more time in AAA. Neither Matt Thorton or Bobby Madritsch could handle the bullpen this year, so we need to resurrect Ron Villone, Mike Myers and Terry Mulholland.
But the absolute money qoute is this, from Chuck Armstrong "I think there may be an increased emphasis on getting to the playoffs," Armstrong said. "When you think you should get there and you don't two years in a row, it's tough on everybody in the organization." So does this mean they're admitting the team hasn't been all that committed the past couple years?
The more discussed article, at least here in the blogosphere is Dave Andriesen's piece on Bill Bavasi and the Internet. Art Theil takes much the same tack, and they both take great pains to mention that Bavasi is a good mixture of objective and subjective. Again, the Company Line. Both peices have been pretty well hacked elsewhere, but I'd like to mention to Dave that I personally would like Bavasi a lot more had he not ridiculously overpaid for Ibanez, and traded a pretty effective pinchhitter for Quention McCracken. Just a thought.
Oh, and Adriesen also lists a ridiculous Top Prospects piece, including AJ Zapp, since he is a "great fielder". Oh, and this :If he lives up to the promise the Mariners see in him, Lopez could one day be America's most famous J. Lo, is a horrific sentence, and by itself knocks the PI sports section down at least 2 pegs.
3.30.2004
Dog B (Jeffrey) tonight decides to continue his ongoing destruction of our couch. Our couch was somewhat healthy when we bought it secondhand. This of course was Pre-Jeffrey. Over the last 2 years he has utterly destroyed it. First he dug a hole in it's side. That's hardly noticeable, did you know how much fun upholstery glue can be? Thwarted there, he moved on to cushions. Both the bottom cushions have large, nasty gashes in the fabric thanks to him. Both sides of course, we're well beyond "flip the cushion over, no one will notice." The dog seems to have developed quite the taste for the foam inside each cushion, so every once in awhile when he thinks the Frinklins aren't paying attention, Jeffrey will go right for his favorite snack, couch innards. Such as it was tonight, I was in the spare bedroom looking for cool stuff to add to my fledgling blog, Mrs. Frinklin in the bedroom watching The Cosby Show on Nick at Night (a recent obsession, I've no idea why). Anyway, we both hear the by now familiar sounds of ripping, tearing and the odd growl Jeffrey affects while doing things he knows specify him as a bad dog. He sees me coming down the hall, so he runs off into the master bedroom. There Mrs. Frinklin admonishes him with the classic dog training phrase, "Not Appropriate".
Not Appropriate. Not, "Jeffrey" or "Bad Dog" or "Stop". Not Appropriate.
The damned thing is, it worked. Jeffrey drops his hard earned couch stuffing, and lays down with his momma. This dog can be positively evil.
Not Appropriate. Not, "Jeffrey" or "Bad Dog" or "Stop". Not Appropriate.
The damned thing is, it worked. Jeffrey drops his hard earned couch stuffing, and lays down with his momma. This dog can be positively evil.
I was asked for fantasy stuff...ok.
I'm not an NL expert but I have a couple ideas.
1-My blog will continue to push for Rockies 2B Aaron Miles as ROY. First of all you can't go wrong with a Rox batter, unless it's Neifi Perez. Second: this kid (well, he's 27) can play. Miles spent most of last year with Charlotte, hitting .304/.351/.445. He reminds some people of David Eckstein, but with more power (11 HR in AAA). He should be cheap, and Colorado waived Damian Jackson to clear the 2B job for him.
2-Jake Peavy has had a terrific spring (14.2 IP, 15K 5W 3R), and the new Petco Park should favor pitchers, especially righhanders. He won't be terribly cheap, but I'll bet he gives you comparable W and WHIP to Josh Beckett, and Beckett will be one of the most overpriced guys in the draft this year. Don't get me wrong, I think Beckett is terrific, but he's never pitched a full seaon, and never won more than 9 games.
The wife and I have thought about a combined blog, but we really wonder if we have enough to say for 3 of these. Besides, neither of us have been at this for more than 10 days.
I'm not an NL expert but I have a couple ideas.
1-My blog will continue to push for Rockies 2B Aaron Miles as ROY. First of all you can't go wrong with a Rox batter, unless it's Neifi Perez. Second: this kid (well, he's 27) can play. Miles spent most of last year with Charlotte, hitting .304/.351/.445. He reminds some people of David Eckstein, but with more power (11 HR in AAA). He should be cheap, and Colorado waived Damian Jackson to clear the 2B job for him.
2-Jake Peavy has had a terrific spring (14.2 IP, 15K 5W 3R), and the new Petco Park should favor pitchers, especially righhanders. He won't be terribly cheap, but I'll bet he gives you comparable W and WHIP to Josh Beckett, and Beckett will be one of the most overpriced guys in the draft this year. Don't get me wrong, I think Beckett is terrific, but he's never pitched a full seaon, and never won more than 9 games.
The wife and I have thought about a combined blog, but we really wonder if we have enough to say for 3 of these. Besides, neither of us have been at this for more than 10 days.
3.29.2004
Just a couple quick sports bits, nothing too exciting.
Aaron Miles takes the first step towards that ROY.
Junior is hurt again, this time time not too terribly serious. Still, it's not a good sign.
Jayson Stark, still cleanshaven, still disconcerting to me, plays Meet the Candidates for the World Series. The Beloved M's place in the Richard Gephart (looks good on paper,anyway) division. It's hard to argue with this.
Mariners: Biggest assets -- pitching depth, great young arms (Rafael Soriano, Joel Pineiro, Gil Meche, Clint Nageotte, J.J. Putz), deeper lineup. Biggest questions -- age, downgraded defense, age, power shortage, age.
Rosenthal mentions that the Mariners and Dodgers are looking at the Ranger OF Kevin Mench and AAA 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The problem is, as usual, the Mariners are "reluctant" to move their young pitchers. Which is what Texas wants and needs. So why do they bother. Just for the record: I like Adrian Gonzalez, I think he would make a nice fit if Olerud retires.
Aaron Miles takes the first step towards that ROY.
Junior is hurt again, this time time not too terribly serious. Still, it's not a good sign.
Jayson Stark, still cleanshaven, still disconcerting to me, plays Meet the Candidates for the World Series. The Beloved M's place in the Richard Gephart (looks good on paper,anyway) division. It's hard to argue with this.
Mariners: Biggest assets -- pitching depth, great young arms (Rafael Soriano, Joel Pineiro, Gil Meche, Clint Nageotte, J.J. Putz), deeper lineup. Biggest questions -- age, downgraded defense, age, power shortage, age.
Rosenthal mentions that the Mariners and Dodgers are looking at the Ranger OF Kevin Mench and AAA 1B Adrian Gonzalez. The problem is, as usual, the Mariners are "reluctant" to move their young pitchers. Which is what Texas wants and needs. So why do they bother. Just for the record: I like Adrian Gonzalez, I think he would make a nice fit if Olerud retires.
Okay, so no AL predictions today. Perhaps tomorrow. And no, I'm sane enough not to stay up and watch the Yankees-Devil Rays game this morning. I'm really conflicted about starting the year in Japan. Originally that was going to be "really ambivalent" but I doubt that's possible. I love the globalization of the game, and I think playing exhibitions in Japan are a wonderful idea, but forcing two teams to fly 14 hours for two games is rather ridiculous. It also takes away from Opening Day, which I fully support becoming a National Holiday. I'm unable to take the day off this year, as we have massive computer failures at work right now, and I'm the one how has to plan around them.
Mrs. Frinklin tells her side of the marriage story here, and tries to explain why she didn't wear her ring today. She also fixed her blog up good. Now, she didn't figure out HTML, but found a site where she can customize her own. It looks quite snazzy.
Mrs. Frinklin tells her side of the marriage story here, and tries to explain why she didn't wear her ring today. She also fixed her blog up good. Now, she didn't figure out HTML, but found a site where she can customize her own. It looks quite snazzy.
3.28.2004
Back from Jersey Girl. It's an okay film, far more sentimental than any other Kevin Smith. Almost sappy in places, but it works for the most part. Ben Affleck, looking buffed and shined to perfection, actually acts more than poses. Racquel Castro is very cute, and pretty effective as his daughter, the titular Jersey Girl. To me the dialogue didn't sound much like typical Smith, it lacked that crackle and real-people-can't-talk-like-this wit. It sounded much more real, which is good, but loses some distinctiveness. The movie is very much worth seeing however, if only for a 1st grader singing Sweeney Todd.
Ever seen a bunny possessed by the devil? Check this.
Ever seen a bunny possessed by the devil? Check this.
We're off to see Jersey Girl. We're geeky, comic-book readin' suburbanites, you think we miss any Kevin Smith movie? I'll post a review later. It's a Santa Ana day, so the theater will be crowded. For those who are not familiar with the Santa Ana, they are really nasty winds that come up off the California desert and turn where I live into a combination of windtunnel and EZ-Bake Oven. Both Mrs. and I get unnaturally cranky during Santa Ana winds, so wish me luck.
3.27.2004
Well, Mrs. Frinklin spent much of tonight attempting to set up her own blog. She went with a different host, one she likes, but to me seems more complicated. Neither of us have any HTML experience whatsoever, but we're all set to learn. She even bought a book on the subject, but to me the damned book as well be written in Klingon. She's already thrown herself into it. Which is cool. Once she learns she can make mine all spiffy.
So I spent the evening watching the Padres and Cubs. We're near San Diego, so I've adopted the Pads. Nice late-Sprint Training game. Jake Peavy walked the leadoff man, then gave up a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. He pitched his way out of it beautifully, striking out Sammy, Alou, and Derrek Lee in succession. Giles lined one into the Padres bullpen, and the good guys won 7-1. A Padres ST record crowd of 12,694, about half of which was Chicago fans.
So I spent the evening watching the Padres and Cubs. We're near San Diego, so I've adopted the Pads. Nice late-Sprint Training game. Jake Peavy walked the leadoff man, then gave up a double to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. He pitched his way out of it beautifully, striking out Sammy, Alou, and Derrek Lee in succession. Giles lined one into the Padres bullpen, and the good guys won 7-1. A Padres ST record crowd of 12,694, about half of which was Chicago fans.
A couple of great tests here. I ended up Wuthering Heights and Che Guevara. I'll be up tonight trying to understand that.
This is just cool. And I'm going to abstain from making any snide remarks about George Steinbrenner or Scott Boras.
Mrs. Frink has to work today, so I have some time to do some serious blogging. The odds are good that I won't though. Days like this I have a tendency to plan out all the things I need accomplished, then get distracted and get very little actually done. Currently the distractions are 2 large barky dogs that happen to live with me. Oftentimes said dogs are very cute, playful and generally adorable. Unfortunately that’s only about 50% of the time. The other half they tend towards loud and destructive.
Dog A is Matchbox, a lab-husky mix, as least as we can figure. He was a rescue dog I adopted about 6 years ago when I first moved down to California. He was cute and perfect and healthy when I found him at pet store adoption center. That lasted about week. He then became deathly ill and I was certain he wouldn't make it. He did though, and I still owe my mother for his vet bills. He also picked up an odd habit. When he was really sick we were unable to crate him, and he slept on blankets in on the kitchen tile. When I went to work my mother would take whatever clothes I'd slept in the night before and place them in his bed with the blanket. My mother told me it was to keep my scent around him when I was at work. Well, it did something, because to this day he gets into the hamper, picks out socks or boxer shorts or undershirts, and carries them around the house with him. Matchbox is a very healthy dog now; in fact he hasn't been to the vet for anything beyond his shots since. He does still carry scars of his illness though. When he was sick his puppy teeth fell out, and other then his molars, his adult teeth never grew in. The effect is fairly comical, his lips always seem askew, and his tongue never does manage to stay in his mouth. There is some additional drooling involved too. He's a bit standoffish, a bit on the paranoid side. For some reason he's terrified by our television. He'll be perfectly content and then suddenly realize it's on. He then scurries to whoever is closest, and hides the best he can.
Dog B is Jeffery, and we have no idea whatsoever what he might be. We think he has some pit bull, and maybe some Shepard, but it's guesswork, nothing more. Jeffery was an adopted dog too. Mrs. Frinklin and I had been seeing each other for just under a year. We were driving home from my apartment and we stopped to buy some food for her two cats. There was yet another adoption day, this one run by Baja Animal Shelter. This group has decided to do the impossible: attempt to rescue and find homes for the thousands of neglected cats and dogs in Baja, Mexico. When we pulled up I mentioned we should go take a look. This is always dangerous for us, we both are big softies, especially for animals. This is true; currently we have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds and a 3-legged turtle.
When Mrs. Frink first saw Jeffery it was over. He was 6 months old, 12 pounds, about half of which was located in his giant batwing ears. He had been a Tijuana street dog, captured and brought to the TJ pound. They bring in about a thousand dogs each week, keep them for 48 hours and then put them down. They don't use drugs either. The dogs are kept in cages with wires attached underneath. When their time is up, a switch is flipped and the dogs are electrocuted. Baja is allowed to take 3-4 dogs from the TJ pound each week. One of them was our Jeffery. He was tiny and adorable, in that so ugly he's cute way. Mrs. Frink picked him up, held him close. He made a couple soft sighing noises, almost like a baby. We took him home, and you would have too. He was supposed to peak at about 30 pounds. He actually didn't stop until 75. He has run of the house, not only does he sleep on the bed with us; he does so under the covers. Jeffery is loud, often annoying, and he doesn't like strangers. He's also the cuddliest dog ever, when he gets tired he will fold himself into whatever space he can find on the couch between us and fall asleep within an instant.
Can you tell we love our dogs?
Dog A is Matchbox, a lab-husky mix, as least as we can figure. He was a rescue dog I adopted about 6 years ago when I first moved down to California. He was cute and perfect and healthy when I found him at pet store adoption center. That lasted about week. He then became deathly ill and I was certain he wouldn't make it. He did though, and I still owe my mother for his vet bills. He also picked up an odd habit. When he was really sick we were unable to crate him, and he slept on blankets in on the kitchen tile. When I went to work my mother would take whatever clothes I'd slept in the night before and place them in his bed with the blanket. My mother told me it was to keep my scent around him when I was at work. Well, it did something, because to this day he gets into the hamper, picks out socks or boxer shorts or undershirts, and carries them around the house with him. Matchbox is a very healthy dog now; in fact he hasn't been to the vet for anything beyond his shots since. He does still carry scars of his illness though. When he was sick his puppy teeth fell out, and other then his molars, his adult teeth never grew in. The effect is fairly comical, his lips always seem askew, and his tongue never does manage to stay in his mouth. There is some additional drooling involved too. He's a bit standoffish, a bit on the paranoid side. For some reason he's terrified by our television. He'll be perfectly content and then suddenly realize it's on. He then scurries to whoever is closest, and hides the best he can.
Dog B is Jeffery, and we have no idea whatsoever what he might be. We think he has some pit bull, and maybe some Shepard, but it's guesswork, nothing more. Jeffery was an adopted dog too. Mrs. Frinklin and I had been seeing each other for just under a year. We were driving home from my apartment and we stopped to buy some food for her two cats. There was yet another adoption day, this one run by Baja Animal Shelter. This group has decided to do the impossible: attempt to rescue and find homes for the thousands of neglected cats and dogs in Baja, Mexico. When we pulled up I mentioned we should go take a look. This is always dangerous for us, we both are big softies, especially for animals. This is true; currently we have 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 birds and a 3-legged turtle.
When Mrs. Frink first saw Jeffery it was over. He was 6 months old, 12 pounds, about half of which was located in his giant batwing ears. He had been a Tijuana street dog, captured and brought to the TJ pound. They bring in about a thousand dogs each week, keep them for 48 hours and then put them down. They don't use drugs either. The dogs are kept in cages with wires attached underneath. When their time is up, a switch is flipped and the dogs are electrocuted. Baja is allowed to take 3-4 dogs from the TJ pound each week. One of them was our Jeffery. He was tiny and adorable, in that so ugly he's cute way. Mrs. Frink picked him up, held him close. He made a couple soft sighing noises, almost like a baby. We took him home, and you would have too. He was supposed to peak at about 30 pounds. He actually didn't stop until 75. He has run of the house, not only does he sleep on the bed with us; he does so under the covers. Jeffery is loud, often annoying, and he doesn't like strangers. He's also the cuddliest dog ever, when he gets tired he will fold himself into whatever space he can find on the couch between us and fall asleep within an instant.
Can you tell we love our dogs?
3.26.2004
I had hoped to list at least some of my American League predictions today, but no luck. I thought I'd explain the name instead. No, Frinklin is not my name. When I first met the future Mrs. Frinklin she told me her name, a very pretty name that is frequently mispronounced. She was very adamant about me pronouncing it correctly. She told me both the correct and incorrect pronunciation, and made it very clear which she preferred. Me, attempting to be both cute and flippant told her I knew exactly what she was talking about, that my name was actually "Franklin" and yet people persisted in calling me "Frinklin".
In a lifetime of bad jokes, this one stood out. I had that horrid moment where you think, "God, did I just say that?" For a split-second I convinced myself that this was such a stupid joke that I had no choice but to bail. I was certain that I would regret this one for a long time, cuz in the short time we'd been talking I'd already become a bit smitten.
And then she started to laugh. I've been Frinklin ever since, and we're working on living happily ever after.
In a lifetime of bad jokes, this one stood out. I had that horrid moment where you think, "God, did I just say that?" For a split-second I convinced myself that this was such a stupid joke that I had no choice but to bail. I was certain that I would regret this one for a long time, cuz in the short time we'd been talking I'd already become a bit smitten.
And then she started to laugh. I've been Frinklin ever since, and we're working on living happily ever after.
3.25.2004
I'm really rather stunned at how popular the Mariners have become, both in and out of Seattle. It's different from what I grew up with. I started going to games in the early eighties with my grandparents. I can remember in 1985 (I would have been 11), going to game really early and watching batting practice. Stormin' Gorman Thomas was a Mariner then, having what I remember as a monster year (in reality: .215-32-87). Anyway he would always put on a show in batting practice, and afterwards all the kids would try to get him to come over and give an autograph. Well, on this occasion he came over to the stands and started asking every kid what their birthday was. Mine is in December. He said, "Me too." and tossed me a bat he'd cracked in BP. From then on, I became a fan of the Mariners and of Gorman Thomas. I still am.
I thought I'd try my hand at previewing MLB this year. Let's start with the National League
EAST
1-Philadelphia Phillies
The opening of Citizen's Bank Park (doesn't that roll off the tongue?) and a couple of key pickups should send Philly to at least the division title. Anything further than that will depend on Pat Burrell remembering how to hit, Chase Utley sending David Bell to the bench, and someone making sure Larry Bowa's head doesn't explode. It's worth remembering that the Phils are the only club in history to fire a manager while in 1st.
2-Florida Marlins
History will be made this year: The Marlins should finish with a winning record and NOT win the World Series. If I were a Red Sox or Cubs fan, the fact that this Team That Shouldn't Exist has won 2 titles would make me seriously doubt the existence of God. On the field they will miss I-Rod and Derrek Lee a lot, but it will be fun to see a full season of Miguel Cabrera.
3-Atlanta Braves
The Brave dynasty appears to be crumbling at this point. What was for a decade the most recognizable pitching staff in baseball now consists of Russ Ortiz, Mike Hampton, Horacio Ramirez, John Thomson, and Jaret Wright (Jaret Wright??). Unlike last year,Gary Sheffield won't be around to help bail them out, though any team with Chipper and Andruw Jones won't be totally helpless. A year free from Vinny Castilla will help too. New 1B Adam LaRoche reminds some of John Olerud. Then again, Lyle Overbay did too.
4-New York Mets
Hey look, the Mets might actually play some defense this year! The team that gave us Howard Johnson at short and Roger Cedeno in center looks pretty sweet up the middle. Mike Cameron will threaten Andruw Jones as the best defensive CF in the NL, and the Reyes-Matsui DP combination should do fine. Vance Wilson and Jason Phillips aren't great at catcher, but anything up to and including the remains of Bill Dickey would be better than Piazza behind the plate. This improved defense will be busy, since the Amazin's pitching consists of 2 39-year old lefties coming off crummy years, Steve Trachsel and... uhhh.. Yeah that's about it.
5-Montreal/San Juan/Washington/Portland/Las Vegas/ Expos
This, not Pete Rose or steroids or the labor agreement, this will be what Bud Selig will be remembered and reviled for. The idea that this mess could drag on for so long is all you need to know about the state of baseball. Who knows what will happen to this team in the long run? I still think that the DC/Northern Virginia area makes the most sense. Knowing baseball that will be opposite of what they choose. As for the team, the same thing that happened last year will happen again. The Expos will respond to Frank Robinson's old school ways, surprise some people early in the season, and then collapse. The question is now what will happen to Orlando Cabrera and Jose Vidro. Will MLB allow them to be traded? Will Omar Minaya be forced to trade them?
CENTRAL
1-Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are favorites? Is that even allowed? Enough has been said about their pitching. The staff has the potential to be brilliant, and whatever stamina shortcomings Maddux has, its more than made up by his influence on the rest of the staff. The bullpen might be a bit short though, Joe Borowski certainly isn't your classic closer. Offensively, no one is quite sure what they'll get from Corey Patterson or Michael Barrett, and it's doubtful Moises Alou will stay healthy. Better news is that Derrek Lee could be a force in Wrigley, and should save Aramis Ramirez a few errors. The best news for Cubs fans is that GM Jim Hendry has plenty of prospects to deal at the deadline.
2-Houston Astros
Speaking of pitching, the Astros have some too. How much fun are series between these too going to be? Oswalt-Pettite-Clemens-Miller versus Prior-Wood-Maddux-Clement? Goodness.. The Astros bullpen seems a bit stronger than Chicago's, even with the trade of Billy Wagner. The Astros season will depend a lot on how well Octavio Dotel adapts to being the Man.
The Astros won't have any problems hitting, even with the black hole of Brad Ausmus behind the plate. The difference between Chicago and Houston might be at the trade deadline, where Houston has a lot less to work with, both in money and prospects.
3-St.Louis Cardinals
This team probably isn't as close to the previous two as they think. The Cardinals have huge holes in left, at second and all the starters not named Morris or Williams. The bullpen was dreadful last year, and hasn't improved much beyond Isringhausing supposedly being healthier. There is a lot to like though, especially Edmunds, Pujols and Renteria. Albert Pujols is quite simply the best righthanded hitter in the NL, and Edmonds is a hitter perfectly capable of taking a team on his back for month long stretches. Still, it won't be enough.
4-Cincinnati Reds
One place in the standing, a chasm in reality. The bottom half of this division is terrible, but the Reds are the least terrible. They will score runs, with or without Junior in the lineup, and the bullpen could be good. If he gets the opportunity, Ryan Wagner should contend for Rookie of the Year. The starters though, are awful. Cory Lidle would be adequate 4th starter on a good team, here he's the "ace".
5-Milwaukee Brewers
Despite what most people think, the Brewers have some very fine players. The problem is they play in Indianapolis and Hunstville. The future
is very bright in Milwaukee, GM Doug Melvin has rebuilt what was a moribund farm system. Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy and several others are amongst the best prospects in baseball. All of which means nothing for the 2004 season. It was a rough offseason, with the club president resigning in a huff, the Selig family announcing the team was for sale, and the Wisconsin legislature threatening to audit the teams books. Again, the future looks good here, they just have to get there.
6-Pittsburgh Pirates
It must truly suck to be a Pirate fan. I'm sure they exist. This is one of the leagues oldest franchises, heck the Pirates played in the first
World Series. The current team plays in the beautiful PNC Park, they just don't play particularly well. Last year the Pirates traded Brian Giles, Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Williams, basically anybody any other team asked for. That will continue this year. Kris Benson is practically screaming to get out, Jason Kendall has been offered to both San Diego and Seattle, and the newly-signed Raul Mondesi should plan on renting month to month. There are glimmers of good news: Jason Bay looks like a player, there are some nice pitching prospects in the minors, and the horrific Kevin Young contract is finally done. The hole is deep though.
West
1-San Fransisco Giants
This team has come back to the division a bit. The loss of Rich Aurillia means even more at-bats for Neifi Perez, Michael Tucker and Jeffery Hammonds are platooning in right, and Marquis Grissom isn't getting any younger. We haven't even mentioned JT Snow yet. They still have Barry though. That makes up for a lot. AJ Pierzynski was a very nice pickup, a definite upgrade from Benito Santiago. The keys to this team are Robb Nenn and Jason Schmidt. Both need to stay healthy. Oh yeah, if that Bonds guy gets hurt the Giants are cheese on a stick.
2-San Diego Padres
For awhile I contemplated putting the Pads first. I think they are the most talented team in the division, but they need to win 17 more games to finish at .500. That is a far enough leap, though it wouldn't surprise me if they did more. The move to Petco Park will help, but more important is having Brian Giles for a full season, and a healthy Trevor Hoffman.
3-Arizona Diamondbacks
This team is in serious transition. The contract sins of the past are coming due. Arizona already lost Curt Schilling, and you wonder if other oldies will be next on the block if the team stumbles. Randy Johson should come back fine to lead what looks to be a mediocre rotation. Even if Brandon Webb can duplicate his 2003, that still leaves Elmer Dessens, Steve Sparks and Shane Reynolds at the back of the rotation. You also have to wonder what Roberto Alomar has left. A team on the decline.
4-Los Angeles Dodgers
For all the moaning from Dodger fans about the need for a bat, the pitching doesn't look that hot either. Nomo will be Nomo, 15 wins, 200 innings, but beyond that are question marks. Ishii is still very wild, Odalis Perez is up and down, and Jeff Weaver looks lost. The bullpen is fine, assuming Mota can move up into Paul Quantrill's old spot. The aforementioned moaning fans are correct though, the Dodger offense is putrid. They get zero production out of the middle infield, no one knows which Adrian Beltre will show up, and Juan Encarnacion is the biggest off season pickup. Paul DePodesta will right the ship, but it might take some time. Best move: Not trading Edwin Jackson or Greg Miller.
5-Colorado Rockies
Hey Vinny Castilla's back! That's about the best news for Rox fans, well other than the continued excellence of Todd Helton and the Coors-aided emergence of Preston Wilson. Larry Walker is a lock to miss anywhere from 40 to 70 games, and Charles Johnson's bat has slowed to near glacial levels. The pitching staff will be beaten down by the park, like always, but there is some talent there. Jason Jennings has had just about the same season the last 2 years, and Shawn Chacon seems to be taking to the closer spot. A sleeper is 27-year old rookie 2B Aaron Miles, a darkhorse for Rookie of the Year.
Playoffs
Division Series
Phillies over Astros
Cubs over Giants
NLCS
Phillies over Cubs
Sometime later I'll hit the AL. Mrs Frinklin thinks I have way to much time on my hands. She's probably right.
EAST
1-Philadelphia Phillies
The opening of Citizen's Bank Park (doesn't that roll off the tongue?) and a couple of key pickups should send Philly to at least the division title. Anything further than that will depend on Pat Burrell remembering how to hit, Chase Utley sending David Bell to the bench, and someone making sure Larry Bowa's head doesn't explode. It's worth remembering that the Phils are the only club in history to fire a manager while in 1st.
2-Florida Marlins
History will be made this year: The Marlins should finish with a winning record and NOT win the World Series. If I were a Red Sox or Cubs fan, the fact that this Team That Shouldn't Exist has won 2 titles would make me seriously doubt the existence of God. On the field they will miss I-Rod and Derrek Lee a lot, but it will be fun to see a full season of Miguel Cabrera.
3-Atlanta Braves
The Brave dynasty appears to be crumbling at this point. What was for a decade the most recognizable pitching staff in baseball now consists of Russ Ortiz, Mike Hampton, Horacio Ramirez, John Thomson, and Jaret Wright (Jaret Wright??). Unlike last year,Gary Sheffield won't be around to help bail them out, though any team with Chipper and Andruw Jones won't be totally helpless. A year free from Vinny Castilla will help too. New 1B Adam LaRoche reminds some of John Olerud. Then again, Lyle Overbay did too.
4-New York Mets
Hey look, the Mets might actually play some defense this year! The team that gave us Howard Johnson at short and Roger Cedeno in center looks pretty sweet up the middle. Mike Cameron will threaten Andruw Jones as the best defensive CF in the NL, and the Reyes-Matsui DP combination should do fine. Vance Wilson and Jason Phillips aren't great at catcher, but anything up to and including the remains of Bill Dickey would be better than Piazza behind the plate. This improved defense will be busy, since the Amazin's pitching consists of 2 39-year old lefties coming off crummy years, Steve Trachsel and... uhhh.. Yeah that's about it.
5-Montreal/San Juan/Washington/Portland/Las Vegas/ Expos
This, not Pete Rose or steroids or the labor agreement, this will be what Bud Selig will be remembered and reviled for. The idea that this mess could drag on for so long is all you need to know about the state of baseball. Who knows what will happen to this team in the long run? I still think that the DC/Northern Virginia area makes the most sense. Knowing baseball that will be opposite of what they choose. As for the team, the same thing that happened last year will happen again. The Expos will respond to Frank Robinson's old school ways, surprise some people early in the season, and then collapse. The question is now what will happen to Orlando Cabrera and Jose Vidro. Will MLB allow them to be traded? Will Omar Minaya be forced to trade them?
CENTRAL
1-Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are favorites? Is that even allowed? Enough has been said about their pitching. The staff has the potential to be brilliant, and whatever stamina shortcomings Maddux has, its more than made up by his influence on the rest of the staff. The bullpen might be a bit short though, Joe Borowski certainly isn't your classic closer. Offensively, no one is quite sure what they'll get from Corey Patterson or Michael Barrett, and it's doubtful Moises Alou will stay healthy. Better news is that Derrek Lee could be a force in Wrigley, and should save Aramis Ramirez a few errors. The best news for Cubs fans is that GM Jim Hendry has plenty of prospects to deal at the deadline.
2-Houston Astros
Speaking of pitching, the Astros have some too. How much fun are series between these too going to be? Oswalt-Pettite-Clemens-Miller versus Prior-Wood-Maddux-Clement? Goodness.. The Astros bullpen seems a bit stronger than Chicago's, even with the trade of Billy Wagner. The Astros season will depend a lot on how well Octavio Dotel adapts to being the Man.
The Astros won't have any problems hitting, even with the black hole of Brad Ausmus behind the plate. The difference between Chicago and Houston might be at the trade deadline, where Houston has a lot less to work with, both in money and prospects.
3-St.Louis Cardinals
This team probably isn't as close to the previous two as they think. The Cardinals have huge holes in left, at second and all the starters not named Morris or Williams. The bullpen was dreadful last year, and hasn't improved much beyond Isringhausing supposedly being healthier. There is a lot to like though, especially Edmunds, Pujols and Renteria. Albert Pujols is quite simply the best righthanded hitter in the NL, and Edmonds is a hitter perfectly capable of taking a team on his back for month long stretches. Still, it won't be enough.
4-Cincinnati Reds
One place in the standing, a chasm in reality. The bottom half of this division is terrible, but the Reds are the least terrible. They will score runs, with or without Junior in the lineup, and the bullpen could be good. If he gets the opportunity, Ryan Wagner should contend for Rookie of the Year. The starters though, are awful. Cory Lidle would be adequate 4th starter on a good team, here he's the "ace".
5-Milwaukee Brewers
Despite what most people think, the Brewers have some very fine players. The problem is they play in Indianapolis and Hunstville. The future
is very bright in Milwaukee, GM Doug Melvin has rebuilt what was a moribund farm system. Rickie Weeks, Prince Fielder, JJ Hardy and several others are amongst the best prospects in baseball. All of which means nothing for the 2004 season. It was a rough offseason, with the club president resigning in a huff, the Selig family announcing the team was for sale, and the Wisconsin legislature threatening to audit the teams books. Again, the future looks good here, they just have to get there.
6-Pittsburgh Pirates
It must truly suck to be a Pirate fan. I'm sure they exist. This is one of the leagues oldest franchises, heck the Pirates played in the first
World Series. The current team plays in the beautiful PNC Park, they just don't play particularly well. Last year the Pirates traded Brian Giles, Kenny Lofton, Aramis Ramirez, Mike Williams, basically anybody any other team asked for. That will continue this year. Kris Benson is practically screaming to get out, Jason Kendall has been offered to both San Diego and Seattle, and the newly-signed Raul Mondesi should plan on renting month to month. There are glimmers of good news: Jason Bay looks like a player, there are some nice pitching prospects in the minors, and the horrific Kevin Young contract is finally done. The hole is deep though.
West
1-San Fransisco Giants
This team has come back to the division a bit. The loss of Rich Aurillia means even more at-bats for Neifi Perez, Michael Tucker and Jeffery Hammonds are platooning in right, and Marquis Grissom isn't getting any younger. We haven't even mentioned JT Snow yet. They still have Barry though. That makes up for a lot. AJ Pierzynski was a very nice pickup, a definite upgrade from Benito Santiago. The keys to this team are Robb Nenn and Jason Schmidt. Both need to stay healthy. Oh yeah, if that Bonds guy gets hurt the Giants are cheese on a stick.
2-San Diego Padres
For awhile I contemplated putting the Pads first. I think they are the most talented team in the division, but they need to win 17 more games to finish at .500. That is a far enough leap, though it wouldn't surprise me if they did more. The move to Petco Park will help, but more important is having Brian Giles for a full season, and a healthy Trevor Hoffman.
3-Arizona Diamondbacks
This team is in serious transition. The contract sins of the past are coming due. Arizona already lost Curt Schilling, and you wonder if other oldies will be next on the block if the team stumbles. Randy Johson should come back fine to lead what looks to be a mediocre rotation. Even if Brandon Webb can duplicate his 2003, that still leaves Elmer Dessens, Steve Sparks and Shane Reynolds at the back of the rotation. You also have to wonder what Roberto Alomar has left. A team on the decline.
4-Los Angeles Dodgers
For all the moaning from Dodger fans about the need for a bat, the pitching doesn't look that hot either. Nomo will be Nomo, 15 wins, 200 innings, but beyond that are question marks. Ishii is still very wild, Odalis Perez is up and down, and Jeff Weaver looks lost. The bullpen is fine, assuming Mota can move up into Paul Quantrill's old spot. The aforementioned moaning fans are correct though, the Dodger offense is putrid. They get zero production out of the middle infield, no one knows which Adrian Beltre will show up, and Juan Encarnacion is the biggest off season pickup. Paul DePodesta will right the ship, but it might take some time. Best move: Not trading Edwin Jackson or Greg Miller.
5-Colorado Rockies
Hey Vinny Castilla's back! That's about the best news for Rox fans, well other than the continued excellence of Todd Helton and the Coors-aided emergence of Preston Wilson. Larry Walker is a lock to miss anywhere from 40 to 70 games, and Charles Johnson's bat has slowed to near glacial levels. The pitching staff will be beaten down by the park, like always, but there is some talent there. Jason Jennings has had just about the same season the last 2 years, and Shawn Chacon seems to be taking to the closer spot. A sleeper is 27-year old rookie 2B Aaron Miles, a darkhorse for Rookie of the Year.
Playoffs
Division Series
Phillies over Astros
Cubs over Giants
NLCS
Phillies over Cubs
Sometime later I'll hit the AL. Mrs Frinklin thinks I have way to much time on my hands. She's probably right.
3.24.2004
So wait just a minute.... The M's signed Hiram Bocachica to win spring training games? Steve Kelley says so. If only they were so pro-active during September.
Well, I did manage to get off my ass and start this thing. A few words about me: I recently turned 30, live in southern California, was raised in Seattle. Politically I seem to have become a self-hating Republican. I have too much of a libertarian streak to ever think of myself as a Democrat, but GWB and his gang piss me off a little more every day. My job is unimportant and quite frankly beneath me, in fact it should be heading to India in the next few years. I obsess over baseball in general and the Mariners in particular. I watch entirely too much ESPN and drive my girlfriend a little crazy by needing to spend $50.00 on different versions of various sports games. I've had an XBOX for 2 years, and own 4 different baseball titles. The most recent is MVP 2004, and anyone who likes baseball or videogames or both should buy several copies. It's good work and they deserve your support.
Wait, I meant to say "wife" not "girlfriend". We got married last weekend, and I'm still adapting to it. We didn't have any big ceremony, in fact we did it at City Hall. We weren't even engaged, so you might say it came as a shock to some people. It really shouldn't, we've lived together for over two years and have been dating for three. We both knew early on that the odds were good that we would spend our lives together, but it wasn't something we talked about much. She has a fear of giant stressfully events, and really, does it get much larger and more stressful than a wedding? We picked out nice simple wedding rings a few months ago, put them in a safe place and waited till the time was right. Two weeks ago she asked if we should get married on the 20th. I said yes we should, and so we did.
It was really an experience, getting married at City Hall. We went early, because well, it's best to be early to such things. We weren't expecting it to be crowded, but it was. Who knew so many people got married at 11:00 AM on a Saturday? We ended up waiting for about 90 minutes. The waiting room for weddings at City Hall is a very interesting place. There were several couples in full wedding regalia, which stunned us both. The most ornate was a young couple, both in their mid-twenties I'd suppose. I don't know how successful their wedding was, because the last we saw of them she was storming out of the wedding room (Just so you know, that's what it's called. It's not a chapel, it's the Wedding Room. It even has a sign on the door, with a sliding bar to indicate that its OCCUPIED, kind of like a Porta-Potty). One of her bridesmaids was close behind, mentioning that "You might want to wait for him." She didn't, and I don't know if he ever caught up with her. Another fun couple was the moderately attractive Eurotrash boy with an unpronounceable first name, and his bride, who was at least in her late fifties.
We live near several military bases, and it seemed that a lot of the marriages were involving military type guys, either shipping out or coming home. My personal favorite was the girl who looked suspiciously like she just came off the main stage at Cheetahs, and her groom who paid no attention whatsoever to her. The wife and I had a marvelous time during all this, making slightly malicious fun of some of the odder couples. It made me realize how perfect we were for each other. We could both take the time to laugh at people on our special day, and theirs as well. It also made me realize there is a good chance we'll end up in hell together.
Wait, I meant to say "wife" not "girlfriend". We got married last weekend, and I'm still adapting to it. We didn't have any big ceremony, in fact we did it at City Hall. We weren't even engaged, so you might say it came as a shock to some people. It really shouldn't, we've lived together for over two years and have been dating for three. We both knew early on that the odds were good that we would spend our lives together, but it wasn't something we talked about much. She has a fear of giant stressfully events, and really, does it get much larger and more stressful than a wedding? We picked out nice simple wedding rings a few months ago, put them in a safe place and waited till the time was right. Two weeks ago she asked if we should get married on the 20th. I said yes we should, and so we did.
It was really an experience, getting married at City Hall. We went early, because well, it's best to be early to such things. We weren't expecting it to be crowded, but it was. Who knew so many people got married at 11:00 AM on a Saturday? We ended up waiting for about 90 minutes. The waiting room for weddings at City Hall is a very interesting place. There were several couples in full wedding regalia, which stunned us both. The most ornate was a young couple, both in their mid-twenties I'd suppose. I don't know how successful their wedding was, because the last we saw of them she was storming out of the wedding room (Just so you know, that's what it's called. It's not a chapel, it's the Wedding Room. It even has a sign on the door, with a sliding bar to indicate that its OCCUPIED, kind of like a Porta-Potty). One of her bridesmaids was close behind, mentioning that "You might want to wait for him." She didn't, and I don't know if he ever caught up with her. Another fun couple was the moderately attractive Eurotrash boy with an unpronounceable first name, and his bride, who was at least in her late fifties.
We live near several military bases, and it seemed that a lot of the marriages were involving military type guys, either shipping out or coming home. My personal favorite was the girl who looked suspiciously like she just came off the main stage at Cheetahs, and her groom who paid no attention whatsoever to her. The wife and I had a marvelous time during all this, making slightly malicious fun of some of the odder couples. It made me realize how perfect we were for each other. We could both take the time to laugh at people on our special day, and theirs as well. It also made me realize there is a good chance we'll end up in hell together.
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