There's a buncha stories in different papers on the net today. The Boston Globe is dumping on Manny pretty good again this morning too. Ain't nobody gonna pick up his 5 year-$100M contract, not even Goofy George.Not when he can get Vlad Guerrarro cheaper, and he's 5 years younger than Manny, and he can actually play the field. The Globe is also speculating that Pedro is gonna be history after 1 more year also.

What's so fascinating is that it's a totally baseball thread, with very little digression, on the basketball board.

Amazing.

It sure isn't firetruck! :eek:

Just to let you know here in Japan the Japanese leagues just started 'Fall training'. They don't wait for Spring. The Japan series ended and they started training 3 days later! And this isn't just for the rookies-all the players.
The teams figure they pay the players for a year-they have to work all year. Evidentally this only applies to the Japanese players. Some of the American players that play out here have sent their kids to my school. Their kids go home every Ocotober and come back in the Spring.

Wow, I didn't realize that they continued right after the Series. I agree that the teams pay the players to work all year, but here in the States, at least, most of the players do continue to work out, take swings and stay in shape over the winter; b/c they've found that it's just too hard to come to Spring Training and then try to get into playing shape. Years ago, that was the norm, of course; but not anymore.

BTW, I hear that Bobby Valentine will be managing over there this season. Interesting, just 4 years after taking the Mets to the World Series.

Years ago (we're talkin' JR years here) players took a job in the off season. Except for the handful who could afford to not have to work and they generally stayed drunk anyway.

Quote:

BTW, I hear that Bobby Valentine will be managing over there this season. Interesting, just 4 years after taking the Mets to the World Series.

Didn't Valentine start managing in the Japan League? Anyway, I imagine the first Japanese word he'll learn will be "as-a-hoe", as in "Bobby, you're an as-a-hoe".

Nope. He did manage there, but it's not where he started.

http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseb...tine_Bobby.stm

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/7170173.htm

Yeah they start right away. Kind of insane. One of the reason players are jumping to get out of here is to extend their careers. They overtrain them and wear out early. One of the main reasons Nomo left was disagreements with his managers over pitch count. He wanted to get pulled after a decent number but was forced into pitching full games when his arm was falling off.

Big photo of Valentine in the paper today. His firing a few years back wasn't very popular. Alot of people were angry at management for firing the most succesful manager the team ever had.

Hey, at least Grady finished ahaead of Torre in the Manager of the Year ballot. . . :(

That's only because the voters had longer to think about Grady since the Red Sux were not in the series. :D

Actually, Grady did a heck of a job this year. Being a life-long Yankee fan, I think Grady made the right decision regarding Pedro -- the Yankees failed to take advantage of that gift. The Marlins flat out-everythinged (is that a word?) the Yankees. Yankees and Bosox (I was nice) are both saying...."Wait until next year."

This sentence makes no sense for two entirely different reasons!! :confused:

Nope, it's already November...

Any New Yorkers nervous about the recent Red Sox acquisition? The top three starters will be clearly better than NY's top three next season. Theo's working on a real closer, too. Thoughts?

Just another race to see who can buy the best team.http://www.deephousepage.com/smilies/yawn.gif

Exactly. As a Philliles fan I am disappointed, but not surprised, that Curt chose to go to Boston instead of Philly. He spoke of wanting to get back to Philly to end his career, but in the end money and the contract extension did all the talking.

Fenway is not exactly going to be friendly to a hard-throwing fly-ball pitcher.

I can't exactly say I'm wishing him the best.

Rich

My thoughts are that the Red Sox will still be saying "wait unti next year" again.:D

Thoughts?

New Yorkers have other things to do than worry about the baseball trade wire in late November.

I'll get back to you in July or so...

New Yorkers have other things to do than worry about the baseball trade wire in late November.

[/B][/QUOTE]Whatinthehell "other things" are you talking about, Dan? :confused:

Going to see the Giants or the Jets try to imitate a football team? Maybe watch those powerhouse Knicks? Or the mighty Rangers? Or maybe that college basketball dynasty- St. Johns?

Just about the only sport that you have left now is watching your cab drivers trying to run down the visiting goobers from Bah-ston!

As JR sometimes like to tell Boston fans, jealousy is such an ugly emotion. . .

Whatinthehell "other things" are you talking about, Dan? :confused:

Going to see the Giants or the Jets try to imitate a football team? Maybe watch those powerhouse Knicks? Or the mighty Rangers? Or maybe that college basketball dynasty- St. Johns?

Just about the only sport that you have left now is watching your cab drivers trying to run down the visiting goobers from Bah-ston! [/B][/QUOTE]

By contract Yankee fans are required to also be Nets fans, we don't go in for that semi-pro football (George didn't buy the Jets yet, did he?) or that stuff they do on ice.

As for St Johns...well, I amdit that's kinda tough to watch, until they ship Jaaaaaaahvis back up to Baaaahston I guess I can root for Seton Hall, Syracuse or even Uconn.

By contract Yankee fans are required to also be Nets fans,

[/B][/QUOTE]The Joisey Nets? I don't think so! Is Joisey the 6th suburb now?

The Nets? Brrrrrrr.....

Btw,whaddayathink? Do you sign Jabba the Hut from Chicago? Then bring back Wells at the same time, and build a new locker room just for the Fat Boyz? Or do you go after Vasquez and risk losing Nick Johnson in a trade?

Hey don't try to pin that on us. He came to you from down D.C. way. He has an A-10 connection, but I don't think he's a Boston guy, is he?

No need for the extra locker room. Jabba can just have the Gerbil's old spot.

That's quite a Boston twang he's got for a DC guy.

The Joisey Nets? I don't think so! Is Joisey the 6th suburb now?

The Nets? Brrrrrrr.....
[/quote]

Boss owns piece of the Nets. You cannot get off the Deegan at 161 St of you aint a Nets fan.
Be a shame to lose Johnson. Gonna be a lot of money thrown around this winter, that is 1 thing fer sure.

No jealousy, really. It's hard to be jealous of a franchise that hasn't won a WS in my father's lifetime.

The golden days of GW basketball --- unfortunately they came a few years before I started college. We're currently hoping Hobbs can bring us back up to a respectable level in the A-10.

Roy Hobbs?

Jealous of what, always finishing second? :D

Wrong sport. :p


Our men's coach is Karl Hobbs, former assistant at Connecticut.

If you're a Tigers' fan, then yes!

But seriously, it's nice to see Georgie trying to play catch-up to the Sox for once. Although, I do like the Yanks' pick-up of Gordon. Sox could sure use the bullpen help.

Jealous?
Don't think so, Chuck.
Where is the only Green Monster?
Ford Field?
Uh-uh.
Michigan mick
<HR>
Wait'll next year.

Ooooo, interesting theory. Instead of the curse of the Bambino, it's the curse of the Green Monster. Destined always to be jealous. . . hmmmmmmm.

To paraphrase the immortal words of President Ronald Reagan, "Mr. Epstein, tear down that wall!"

Hmmmm, Sox stocking up on arms; Yanks losing 'em. . . Hope springs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1683732

What's poor old George gonna do now? He's down to 6 starters- Mussina,Vazquez,Contreras,Lieber,Weaver and Wells.Latest rumor now is Weaver for LA's Brown. Can't believe that that one is straight up, unless LA is trying to dump salary. Of course Brown goes on the DL about every 3/4 weeks anyway.

What I don't like is the Yankees seem to be losing quality pros, and they're trying to add headcases like Sheffield and Brown to replace them.

Yeah, and how many of those do you actually want on your starting staff? Mussina and maybe Wells. And Wells is running on beer fumes. Is Vazquez the guy from Montreal? I'm drawing a blank on him. If it is, then he's a pretty good one, too, I have to admit.

Well,I've never been a fan of Mussina. I don't think that he's won a big game in his career; and when he loses, he either whines or makes excuses. Wells is a certified goof- he has papers! Weaver is a head case. That leaves 3. You don't know what you're gonna get from Lieber because of the arm surgery. He could be great, terrible, or somewhere in between. Vazquez is the good young kid from the Expos, but,again,you don't know what the big city's gonna do to him. And Contreras is 102 years old.

Lotta question marks. Big mistake losing Pettite.

Tha also have a big problem with the Steroid Monkey on 1st base- aka the world's worst fielding first baseman. Should put him at permanent DH where he belongs, and teach Bernie Williams to play first.

Not surprised at all Pettite's going home to Houston, every year his name comes up first in trade rumors, a guy of his caliber should have some stability.

I heard this morning that the Red Sox earlier offered Pettite a deal ($50M, 4 yrs?) and he turned it down flat.

This just in!
 

Kevin Brown to the Yanks for Weaver, cash and a coupla minor leaguers.

Hmmmmmm.....

Please do not let Clemens sign with Houston! I like the Astros (my little league team was the Astros). The '86 NLCS was one of the best post-season series of the last 20 years. But if Clemens signs with them, I won't be able to root for them anymore. Why won't he just go away already? :(

How d'ya like them Patriots now!?!?!?! Division clinched by Week 14!! Woo-hoo!! How the heck are they doing it? I watch them every week and I really still don't know. How far can a decent (not great) defense carry a non-existent offense?

Patriots
 

Two fantasy leagues and I stole NE in both. They're solid.
They take the ball and give it to the weak offense on some very short fields, ...if the defense doesn't score itself.
I need that kinda ball for three more weeks.
mick

Edit: Pat Def is 6th overall and 4th in points against.