·         No-Pitch Intentional Walks

 

I was always a fan of this idea until a few weeks ago when the Tigers scored on a wild pitch during an attempted intentional walk.  I'd always known people to argue the "just in case" but I had never seen it happen before (and may never again) but it was amazing.

 

 

Yeah.  I mean, it happens maybe a handful of times a year and when it happens it is amazing.  So I am OK with making pitchers throw all 4.  Besides, it only takes a minute.  Big deal.

Sandberg is a good manager.  His problem is guys like Montgomery and Amaro micro-managing the team from the press box.

 

When he benched Howard and started to play Ruf he was told to play Howard.  Then he was told to play him again in September so that Howard could get 100 RBI's and look more attractive for a potential trade this offseason.

 

Hard to manage the team properly when the guys above you undermine everything you do.

 

There's reports coming out of Philly today that Montgomery's leave of absence from the CEO position was actually a force-out, as minority owner John S. Middleton has acquired 48% of ownership shares in a bid to take over the team. Apparently Middleton's first three orders of business would be to eat Howard's salary to get rid of him, have Utley moved to first to extend his career, and make serious attempts to trade Hamels for value. Amaro would be kept on as Gm with the implication that he had previously been little more than a figurehead for Montgomery's horrible decisions.

Montgomery's leave of absence was because he's battling cancer.

Montgomery's leave of absence was because he's battling cancer.

They used Montgomery's illness as an excuse to get rid of him.

Here is a summary of the report by Eskin:

• David Montgomery, part owner and former president, did not step aside from the team back in August voluntarily for health reasons, but was instead pushed out by the owners due to decisions he has made in re-signing some of the older veterans on the team.

• John Middleton, who is currently a minority owner, has been collecting ownership of the team, and now owns 48% of the team. No owner can own the majority, unless it is approved in a vote, which is expected to take place. That would allow Middleton to BECOME the majority owner.

• Middleton, when/if he has majority control, will allow Pat Gillick to serve as the president of the team, and the two will be heavily involved in baseball decisions. It sounds like general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. will remain.

• First baseman Ryan Howard will almost "certainly" not be back with the team, and the Phillies are willing to pay almost all of the $61 million remaining on his contract to get him out.

• The Phillies will look into trading pitcher Cole Hamels for younger players. The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs both are expected to make a hard push for Hamels.

You lost me by quoting Eskin.

Eh, Eskin may have pioneered the concept of the condescending asshole sportstalk host, but I don't recall ever having a problem with him as a reporter...well OK, there was the whole "go soft on the Eagles in exchange for team access" thing, but that's more of a question of ethics than veracity...

• Reported hockey season was cancelled the same day the lockout was announced as being over
• Reported Andy Reid would be head coach in Arizona
• Claimed Sydney Crosby was out for the year after getting hit in the face with a puck (due to concussion issues). Crosby "only" had a broken jaw and returned.
• Said Peyton Manning was signing with the Redskins
• Said RG3 wouldn't play until Week 6 last year because James Andrews said so

 

Like everyone - Eskin gets things right but he gets things wrong and in spectacular ways. And when your rep is amongst teams, fans and reporters is that you are a blow-hard - that doesn't help with the credibility.

Man, would you just let me believe there's a chance the Phillies won't suck for the next decade?

While Eskin may be a jerk there is some dark smoke here to indicate a fire.

A number of the limited partners have passed away in recent years leading to estate questions regarding ownership.

It is not hard to speculate that with ownership changes there will be a mandate for change in the organization. Clearly, they cannot be so incompetant that they would blindly accept a 20+% drop in attendance while increasing payroll by $27 million.

Cole Hamels made some cryptic comments at the end of the year basically stating that he expects to be traded this offseason.

I don't believe the changes that they are speculating (Utley to first and Asche to LF) because they make less sense than just putting Franco at third base (he played 23 out of 122 games at first this past season in AAA) and they have noone to play second base.

Eskin also reported that the Phillies were in the home stretch of acquiring Jose Bautista from the Blue Jays last winter, a report which Alex Anthopolous laughed at the next day.

From Cole Hamels less than a week ago.

 

”I understand the situation,” Hamels said. ”All good things come to an end. I understand the organization and what they have to do. I know they have to make some changes. I can’t say or tell them what to do, I’m just one piece.”

 

Those comments started the digging.  When your ace basically comes out and says that he expects to be traded this offseason what else can you do as a reporter?

Only speaking for myself - my problem was the implication that Montgomery basically was fired for having cancer. The actual team changes would make sense and the things the Phillies SHOULD do. That doesn't mean it is (or will happen).

 

Oh and the fact that a lot of us have/had skepticism of it in general because it is Eskin and his track record.

 

Again - he could be on point with this one but it is like a report from the NY Post - they could be on to something but because of previous nonsense, one tends to take a moments pause.

Also, a lot of the things he said are based in common sense. The Phillies want to trade Howard? No shit! Moving Asche to left is hilariously stupid if there's any sort of truth in that, though.

Sounds like the Mariners are going to increase payroll for next season:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/10/mariners-president-payroll-will-increase-in-2015.html

As for Hamels, when the Phillies passed him through waivers the Cubs claimed him and Phillies scouts were all over the Red Sox farm system at the end of the season.

Not sure if anyone posted this, but Fredi will return in 2015, despite the Braves not having a GM in place. Man, fuck this organization. Go Rays.

Good morning Tigers and Angels fans! Welcome!

It's not the playoffs without an Angels collapse.

Given the amount of money spent and post season results, are the Angels the Yankees-west?

Given the amount of money spent and post season results, are the Angels the Yankees-west?

 

They would have had to have won a WS in the last 10 years for that to apply

 

Given the amount of money spent and post season results, are the Angels the Yankees-west?

 

They would have had to have won a WS in the last 10 years for that to apply

 

Yeah, they're more like Red Sox West, 2003 version.

I'll just be in the corner crying for awhile.

 

Now I get to hear endless local coverage of the Angels threatening to move a whole 10 miles away.  Ugh.

 

 

Given the amount of money spent and post season results, are the Angels the Yankees-west?

 

They would have had to have won a WS in the last 10 years for that to apply

 

Yeah, they're more like Red Sox West, 2003 version.

 

 

Not even that comparison is apt.

 

Good luck Angels. Keep spending and making it rain.

 

Given the amount of money spent and post season results, are the Angels the Yankees-west?

 

They would have had to have won a WS in the last 10 years for that to apply

 

I keep forgetting that 2009 title. . . I would says Mets west, but they don't spend nearly what they used to. . .

The Angels suffer from the Curse of Joe Adcock. They lured the still formidable slugger from the Braves to manage the new team and then gave him two hands full of shit to work with. After the disaster, Joe was too old to go back to being a player and tainted by the stink of managing a horrible team. This is what happens when you let a singing cowboy buy a baseball team.