MLB Talk

Don't apologize for it Jeffy. It shows consistency of character. You expect a lot of yourself and you expect teams to be run the way you would run your business. There's just one difference. I don't think you'd ever pay anyone $17 million a year, while you made 5ish and this is where the problems come in. Sports managers/coaches hands are tied by the large contracts their players rightly receive. Even if you had an employee making the same percentage of your revenue as Soriano makes of the Cubs' revenue it still wouldn't be the same. The $17 million is what allows Soriano to throw his weight around. Not every highly paid star feels the need to do this though (why do I feel like we're coming back around to Pujols again? ;) ) so I guess you've gotta make sure you choose wisely when you're spending large on players.

Sooooooooooooo Justin Upton...What's going on with him? He turned in one of the best seasons for his age last season and the best thing to do, according to the D'Backs, is to bench him every other day and let Byrnes play. Also, when he does play they bat him 8th. Wow, way to help your youngest and brightest player develop. He's not going to see many FB's down there, he's not gonna get in to any rhythm having to play every other day, and he's probably expanding his strike zone because he thinks his AB's could result in a demotion. Way to stunt his growth!

While we're on the subject. How about Motte, Marmol, Dukes, Clement and anyone else I'm missing.

/sigh

sometimes I just don't get managers.

I like everything about the Braves this year, except the pen (aside from Soriano and Gonzalez, who is looking kinda shaky).

We should be 6-0. How the ***** do you blow a 10-3 lead with 2 innings left??

(and yes, I still am mad about that!!!!) ;)

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Originally Posted by 200tang

Sooooooooooooo Justin Upton...What's going on with him? He turned in one of the best seasons for his age last season and the best thing to do, according to the D'Backs, is to bench him every other day and let Byrnes play. Also, when he does play they bat him 8th. Wow, way to help your youngest and brightest player develop. He's not going to see many FB's down there, he's not gonna get in to any rhythm having to play every other day, and he's probably expanding his strike zone because he thinks his AB's could result in a demotion. Way to stunt his growth!

While we're on the subject. How about Motte, Marmol, Dukes, Clement and anyone else I'm missing.

/sigh

sometimes I just don't get managers.

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didn't know that about Upton, wrong thing to do! he is likely their top prospect! Brynes is more stable, but use him, after Upton proves he doesnt' deserve to play

Motte, should not be a closer, he should be a set up guy...def should not be closing for any team. set up at best
Marmol, we discussed,
Dukes and Clement I don't know what is going on with them

I hear that Clement's catching skills are perfect for a DH...

I thought you were talking about Matt Clement haha, I was like, did he even sign with anyone? Cards dropped him from double a last year

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Originally Posted by free2131

I hear that Clement's catching skills are perfect for a DH...

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Yeah he's not a good catcher at all, but I was getting at the fact that they put him in AAA. He's a good hitter and he's not going to get better in AAA and at this point his catcher skills are as good as they're gonna get. Either use him in the DH role at the ML level in some kind of platoon or trade him; don't send him to AAA where he could have a bad year at the plate and completely destroy any trade value.

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Originally Posted by 200tang

Yeah he's not a good catcher at all, but I was getting at the fact that they put him in AAA. He's a good hitter and he's not going to get better in AAA and at this point his catcher skills are as good as they're gonna get. Either use him in the DH role at the ML level in some kind of platoon or trade him; don't send him to AAA where he could have a bad year at the plate and completely destroy any trade value.

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I see that, I am hoping Duncan has a knock out year, and we can trade him for somethign to an AL team that would want him as a DH or to a team that can use him at first.....he is terrible defensively, but he is going to be a slugger, I swear on it

We need to trade Clement. Should have done it a year or two ago when he had some value. Could have traded him to Boston for a guy like Lowrie, Bucholtz, or something.

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Originally Posted by asianinvasion

We need to trade Clement. Should have done it a year or two ago when he had some value. Could have traded him to Boston for a guy like Lowrie, Bucholtz, or something.

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eh, not really a fan of either of those guys. I think we should trade him though or give him DH duty since Griffey should, hopefully, only be here till the year is done.

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Originally Posted by 200tang

Sooooooooooooo Justin Upton...What's going on with him? He turned in one of the best seasons for his age last season and the best thing to do, according to the D'Backs, is to bench him every other day and let Byrnes play. Also, when he does play they bat him 8th. Wow, way to help your youngest and brightest player develop. He's not going to see many FB's down there, he's not gonna get in to any rhythm having to play every other day, and he's probably expanding his strike zone because he thinks his AB's could result in a demotion. Way to stunt his growth!

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Yeah. Seriously. Just let the kid player. He was one of your best hitters last year for crying out loud.

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Originally Posted by HoustonGM

Yeah. Seriously. Just let the kid player. He was one of your best hitters last year for crying out loud.

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aren't you a D'backs fan?

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Originally Posted by Jeffy25

aren't you a D'backs fan?

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They're the team I want most to win.

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Originally Posted by HoustonGM

Yeah. Seriously. Just let the kid player. He was one of your best hitters last year for crying out loud.

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STOP! GRAMMER POLICE, COME OUT WITH YOUR KEYBOARD IN THE AIR LIKE YOU JUST DONT CARE! :p

The Justin Upton situation as well as the Marmol-Gregg business are the biggest mysteries to start the season, but I'll be happy to add one that's on the umpires rather than the managers: how in God's good Earth do you let Beckett stay in that game? The ump crew was the only group of people in that stadium and outside of it who didn't think that Beckett was throwing at Abreu for calling time. To cap it, Beckett then approaches the plate to jaw at Abreu while he stands there; if Abreu had walked out as many steps, he'd have been pitched before he laid a glove on him.

Ordinarily, the Yanks would be the beneficiaries of such largesse; I guess the umps now lump the Sox in there as worthy of official protection.

Though it was interesting how Torii Hunter described it: someone said the wrong thing, and it wasn't the Red Sox. I think Scioscia might have something here: someone needs to review this, and take some appropriate action.