So what to do now?

I know usually calling for firings and hirings literally less than twenty four hours after the loss is a bit premature, but I don't think so anymore.

Leyland's gotta go.  Simple as that.

Rodney shouldn't have thrown more than one inning (and I'm of the disposition that even one inning was probably too much), and most definitely shouldn't have gone back out for the 12th.

But lets back up and have a look at the key points in that game.

Rayburns blunder in left which aloud the game tying run to score.  And Granderson getting doubled off first in the ninth.

Rayburns blunder, arguably, is the biggest screw-up of that game--sans Leyland's handling of the bullpen--and while he did have an assist later, it in now way "made up" for his miscue before it.  Without his miscue that run probably (maybe) doesn't score.  Without that blunder that "triple" is a single.  So while he did throw out the game winning run at the plate, his error let the game tying run into scoring position to begin with.

And Granderson.

As overrated as any thirty homer guy could be.  I've been saying it for a while.  I thought his achievements thus far in his career had been "over" achievements if anything else.  As a centerfielder he is adequate and not overhwhelming.  And now his baserunning may have contributed to costing us the pennant.

Get rid of him.

In fact, get rid of him, Magglio (homer aside I don't care), Guillen, Laird (he didn't look like he knew what he was doing as he whiffed with the bases loaded), Huff, and Washburn (worst trade of the season to be sure).

Granderson can't hit lefties to save his life.  My sister throws better than he does.  And the mistake he made last night on the bases in the most pivotal part of the game is a mistake that little leaguers make, not major leaguers.  

Watch the replay and you'll notice he didn't just take a jab step towards second, he took three whole strides towards second base.  Thats not an honest mistake--thats breaking serious rules of baserunning.

Magglio?  His homer notwithstanding, he is a singles hitter with little power and a defensive liability.

Guillen proved the other night that he can't play in the outfield with his "sliding catch" where he slid about four minutes too early and the ball fell in front of him.  And offensively he isn't doing much either.

Laird, as good as he may be defensively, can't hit water whilst falling of a boat.

Huff?  'Nuff said.

Washburn?  Again, 'nuff said.

Yesterday night we were out-managed by Ron Gardenhire.  Simple as that.  And we were outplayed by the Twins.  

And they have half the payroll.

It's gonna be a long winter around here.  Though maybe not.

The Red Wings have started playing.

--RM

It is important to note that while their collapse is epic, it is nowhere near Mets-like.  The Tigers had been over-achieving since mid-May anyway.  

But there are several reasons why.

The biggest is that we have a top five payroll and only two legitimate superstars on the roster.  After Verlander and Cabrera there are only one or two bonafide above average major leaguers.

Magglio, or "singllio" as he has been come to called here in the greater Detroit area is so far past his prime--even if he did win a batting title two years ago--he should be a platoon player despite his ginormous salary.

After Jackson the rotation has a rookie as its number three starter and then its a list of who-is-that?-pitching in the fourth and fifth spot.  

The bullpen has Fernando Rodney as its closer and Ryan Perry while solid, has underachieved as a first round pick.  

Granderson, despite his thirty homer season, is a below average centerfielder.

Left field is roamed by Carlos Guillen (not good), Ryan Rayburn (shakes his head), and Marcus Thames (shoulda been dealt a few years ago).

Right field has the aforementioned Singglio and as much as I like the kid, Cete Thomas (who is a platoon player at best).

Polanco at second is on the decline offensively and Inge at third can still pick it, but still can't hit it.

And then theres all that money tied up in Robertson, Bonderman, and Willis.

And lest we forget about the manager.

We are in the middle of a pennant race and Friday night I saw the entire left side of the infield were kids I'd never even heard of--not even prospects!

Come on.  Even if Peavy had been dealing and the score was rough, we gotta win games, man.

The thing that bugs me most is that the Twins, with a quarter the payroll, have been rolling.  They're a scary team.  At least when the Yankees stroll out two hundred million bucks in payroll they have two hundred million bucks worth of talent on the field, all-stars all over the place.

Verlander is one of the best pitchers in the league and Cabrera might be the best pure hitter in the AL, but after that its a bunch of journeymen and over-the-hillers.  They gotta rebuild.

We need baseball players.

WHich sounds stupid, but its true.  Magglio in right and Guillen in left are ghosts of their past selves, but look at Minnesota.

They have one superstar (Morneau is out, so their number is down to one) in Maurer and they're gonna come back and win the division.  But they have a lineup of pure baseball players. 

Denard Span, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Punto, and the name of that kid playing third escapes me, but they have a squad of pure baseball players.

When I watch the Tigers I don't get the same feelings.

Inge is a pure baseball player for sure, but after that?

I love the Tigers and the Illitch family, but we need an overhaul.

We gotta get younger and faster.  The game is changing back to what it should be: speed and  defense are valued again and nobody is waiting around for the three run dinger.

If I were running the team I'd let every pitcher on the staff not names Jackson, Verlander, or Porcello, go and start all over.  I'd send Granderson back down to the minors to learn to hit lefties and stop striking out.  I'd tell Laird I'd trade about thirty points more batting average for a ten percent dip in his percentage of throwing out baserunners.

And I'd tell Leyland to keep his rear end in the dugout unless there is an implosion on the mound.  No reason whatsoever that Porcello needs those kind of kid gloves.  You can either pitch, or you can't.

We aren't making the playoffs, folks.  But if the Cubs have showed us anything, there is always next year.

--RM

Thankfully its the only Sox fan on this whole planet I like.

And no, it isn't Ben Affleck.

Julia asked how it was exactly that Youkilis even reached Porcello in the first place and used it as an excuse to toot the Varitek-leadership-horn.

First things first.

I too was surprised to see Youkilis, who isn't fleet of foot, actually get to the mound when he charged.  It doesn't happen all that often.

But I caught some of the replays (of about seemingly millions of them) and if you watch close, Alex Avila, after Youkilis gets plunked, immediatley drops to a knee, turns, and asks for a new baseball.

Making him unavailable to assist in any way.

The corner infielders, the next and final line of defense for a gutless move like rushing the mound, were both playing deep in respect for Youkilis' ability at the plate.

And I need to stress, if Laird is catching I don't think Youkilis gets halfway to Porcello.

Rookie mistake.

(shrugs)

Which is probably good for ole Youk there, because if anybody saw the look on Edwin Jackson last night, there is no debate that he was ready to kill somebody.

Had he been delayed in the middle of the field for just a second I think Jackson, who is deceptively fast by the way, would have gotten to him before anybody in white could have stopped him.

And Jackson, I think, would have throttled him.

So that explains that.

But now on to this bigger blasphemy that is this so-called notion that Varitek is a tough-guy leader-type.

I am almost certain that the moment that most Bostonians refer to when making such a claim about their beloved 'Tek, is the time that former Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo either buzzed, or plunked the Yankee's Alex Rodriguez.

I don't remember how old Arroyo was at the time, but I know he wasn't an established veteran or even close to it, but Varitek "protected" his pitcher and started jawing with A-Rod.

And I even remember hearing a broadcast during a game of the week that Varitek is so proud of that moment that he has the image of him and A-Rod starting fisticuffs as his laptop background screen.

(rolls his eyes)

If you look closely you'll notice while Varitek is being "tough" and "protecting" his pitcher he never once takes off his mask.

His mask.

In fact, never mind looking closely, Stevie Wonder probably could have noticed it.

Yeah, nothing tougher than picking a fight with a facemask on.

At least in hockey when the goalies get into it, which is, admittedly, not very often, they toss their helmets--as the first act toward the melee.

But Varitek?

Nah.

Lets keep it on.

You wanna show me tough?

Take all the padding you go on off before you brawl.  I mean chest protector, shin guards, and face mask?

Ancient Samurais wore less.

He isn't tough.

At least not by my definition of it.

But if Pedro proved nothing else, they define it a little strangely over there in clamchowderland.

-- RM

When you're up ten runs in the fifth the running game shuts down.

Rookies carry vets bags to the bus.

You hit the best hitter in my lineup twice in one game and again the following night, intentional or not, somebody for the other team is getting plunked.  And if you're stupid about it, you'll get one in the earhole.

So.

Tonight my hometown Tigs were in Beantown and yesterday Miguel Cabrera and Brandon Inge both got drilled during at-bats during that game.

So.

In the top of the first Miguel Cabrera got plunked again.  And eventually Cabrera had to leave the game.

In the bottom of the first Rick Porcello let a fastball get away from him and came a little close to Victor Martinez.

Notice I said "a little close" and didn't say "hit him with a pitch."

Because its an important piece of information.

And Martinez, who I couldn't stand in Cleveland and going to Boston did nothing to elevate him in my eyes, looks incredulous.  As if Porcello has done something wrong.

(Blinks)

WHAT!?  

Are you kidding me?

A guy misses tight with a fastball and its a newsworthy event?  Its worth getting huffy about? When recent history shows that  you deserve to get plunked anyway?  

And I haven't even gotten to the best part.

The umpire--get this--warns both benches.

And pay attention.  'Cause that's gonna come into play later too.  

So what the hell is going on here?  A guy throws tight, not hitting anybody, and he gets warned?  WARNED!?

For god sakes.  Why didn't the umpire just say, "Uh, no, you can't pitch inside.  At all.  Ever. Nope.  Kid, don't you get it?  This is Boston."

What he should have said was, "Hey Martinez, shut your mouth and get back in the box.  Your upper body is actually over the strike zone and your elbow could be called a strike.  He didn't even hit you."

So there were warnings and Martinez eventually ended up striking out on a high fastball.  

Bottom of the second inning is where things got really interesting.

Youkilis lead off and was immediately plunked in the back.  And immediately charged the mound after Porcello.

Moron.

Come on.  I've played baseball and watched it long enough to know when a guy his head hunting.  Bostonians should know better than most anyway.  A guy named Pedro pitched there for years--and he made a living throwing at guys.  

And he never looked at the ground and cursed because he just put the lead off guy on base in Boston when he's got a three run lead.

No, Pedro would stand there, chest out, and glare.

Porcello whether he did it on purpose or not, wasn't half the poor-sport chicken-**** pansy that Youkilis was.

First its also worth noting that Youkilis while not hanging over the strike zone does dive towards it to begin with.

Youkilis charges the mound and while Porcello has his hands up as if saying, "Really?" Youkilis throws his helmet at Porcello.

(Raises his eyebrow in disbelief)

I've never understood that move.

I mean, is it because the pitcher threw something at the batter that the batter feels he needs to somehow recreate the act?  

But to throw it so the pitcher turns his back, to obviously avoid the hurtling projectile, he continues to charge like the older brother chasing his smaller sibling.

Though Porcello's like six-six, so...

Anyway, Youkilis attempts a tackle, which is thwarted and he ends up being tossed to the ground by a guy thirty pounds lighter, and there is a benches clearing incident.  

Now is where it truly gets complicated.

Youkilis is gone for sure. 

No debate.

You charge the mound, you're gone.  Done deal.

Porcello's fate, not as preordained.  

He was ejected.

But.

The rub?

Leyland wasn't.

Hmph.

'Member when I said to remember that there were warnings issued?

Well, uh... (ponders to himself) I was under the impression, as is the rule book, that once warnings are given, if the pitcher gets run, so too does the manager.  And Leyland, as of this writing during the third inning, is still managing the game and going down the tunnel to puff on an unfiltered Marlboro.

So why was Porcello ejected?

It couldn't have been because he plunked Youkilis and disregarded the officials warning.  Or else Leyland would have had an early exit too.

My thought?

Because it was in Boston.

Had it been in Detroit I think it would have been a different story.

But much to Porcello's credit, he didn't go quietly.  Though if I were him I would have got my money's worth.  I'd have gotten right into somebody's face instead of screaming at no one in particular, just barking in general.

The whole charade was a bit of a joke.  Youkilis should get hit twice a week.  As should David Ortiz.

I tend to agree with Ozzie Guillen.  Though I never thought I would have an opportunity for that to happen.

You hit two of my guys?  I'm gonna plunk half your lineup.

And I'm sure Sox fans are gonna cry outrage because Youkilis was hit last night too.

Eat it.

I remember Sox fans rejoicing after Pedro's incident when he threw at Karim Garcia and then suplexed Don Zimmer.

There is a huge difference.

Porcello, on purpose or not, was standing up for his teammates.

Pedro was crying because the Yanks were peppering him all over the yard.

Porcello was justified.  More than.

And Youkilis was a nancy.

A term I think the city of Boston coined originally anyway.

Let the hate mail roll in...

--RM

I can't believe I'm gonna say it, but I agree with Canseco, or, at least, feel the same way: unsurprised.

But the hypocrisy of the latest revelation that David Ortiz tested positive, or at the very least was on what can now be referred to simply as, The List, is simply incredible.  Ortiz has been named, along with Manny (but seriously, that's even less surprising) on the same list that began its legened by stripping A-Rod of his baseball lordship.

Sigh.

But the best part, and the proof that anybody is capable of saying and doing anything is right here.

I actually suspected, before the Sox won the Series in '04, that Ortiz had been dabbling in the 'roids due to certain comments he made about guys getting busted.  About certain provisions that should be made for the latin players because of the language barrier.  I got news for you: I speak english relatively well and these six things I don't even understand:

Anatrofin

Laurabolin

Kynoselin

Trenabolone Enanthate

And my personal favorite: Testosterone Cyclohexypropionate

Stumped?  They're all 'roids.  Of some form or another.  So, if somebody who has spoken english as their first language has absolutely no idea what any of that meant, should they too get a "pass" if they're tested positive?

Or should that be the litmus test for guilt when discussing PED's? 

"Hmm, Mr. Rodriguez, can you say, or give an accurate definition of Cyclohexylpropionate?  No?  All right, go 'head and go, you're fine."

When I read his comments, and this was a ways back, so forgive me for not posting a link to said comments, I immediately thought he was planning his defense for when he got caught.

But I digress.  

I thought that way before I ever took a good gander at his stats. 

Almost as shocking as Brady Anderson's 50-homer season outta nowhere, Ortiz was an overweight (light) slap-hitting no glove firstbaseman for the Twins.  He had three full seasons when he did exactly squat (2000, 2001, and 2002) and then he went to Boston.  And succeeded in blasting thirty dingers.  Then 31.  Then 41.  Then 47.  Then 54.

Hmph.

No red flags at all.

I remember a lot of his turn around being due to Boston's hitting coach, somebody-Jackson, at a mild adjustment to his stance, opening it a touch allowing him to drive the pitch inside, much like "supplements" and "personal trainers" were attributed to the power surge in the '90's.  

And I also remember thinking, "Is that so?  Then why can't Mark Bellhorn, Pokey Reese, or Gabe Kapler be anything than more than (below) average hitters?"

Only Ortiz?

Strange.

Like when you put dirty clothes in the washer and they come out clean.

Very strange.

But the fact that he was stupid enough in February to say if you test positive you should be banned for the year, knowing there was a possibility he could be on The List, is a monumental testament to how narcissistic professional athletes are.

Or stupid.

But now Ramirez is helping do even more to tear apart the Boston faithful with the help of Ortiz.  At least when Manny wanted out all he was doing was making an *** of himself and disgracing his own legacy.

Now it could be argued that Boston hasn't won a legitimate championship since, oh, 1918.

Way to go.

I feel bad and I hate the Red Sox.

-- RM

Justin Verlander is pitching on a level that if it weren't for Greinke's PlayStation-worthy start he'd be the guy everybody is talking about.

Edwin Jackson is either over achieving or just finally put all his talent to use and is dominating.  He could easily have nine wins.

Rick Porcello is pitching well beyond his twenty years.

And then...

And then, well, its a mess.  

Willis couldn't hit water if he fell off a boat in the middle of the Atlantic in a hurricane.  He's all over the place mechanically, commandically, grammatically, and any other word that ends in ly that you can attach to a pitcher.  

He was so bad at one point the Tigers put him on the DL because of it.

Anxiety disorder or not, I'm pretty sure his lack of options to the minors and the fact that he makes better than seven million bucks for the year had more to do with his stint on the DL than any sort of anxiety problem.

Though if I was getting lit up like the Terminator Pinball machine at the bowling alley I'd probably have a little anxiety about going to work too.

Galarraga finally became what most of us were afraid he would: a mediocre pitcher.  Yeah, yeah, he won fourteen games last year.  So what.

As much as I hate those crazy, batting-average-against-in-day-games-when-the-opposing-pitcher-had-bacon-with-his-breakfast-and-the-wind-is-blowing-in-a-south-by-southwest-manner-stats, but here's a telling one:

His batting average against on balls in play (BAbip) during his fourteen win season last year was a remarkable .237.

Meaning that when every opposing player put the ball in play, 72.3% of the time they made outs.

The league average for BAbip is .296.

His BAbip this season?  .304.

More league average proving that he's below average as a Major League pitcher.

Verlander, by comparison, pitching, seemingly, on a different planet this year, has a BAbip of .316, higher than the league average by a significant margin and he's be flat out dominating.

So, now that guys aren't hitting into double plays, hitting liners at fielders, or swinging and missing, period, Galarraga has become, I'm afraid, what he always was.

And I'm not sure Jeremy Bonderman warrants discussion at all because he's back on the shelf and is in no position to earn a spot in the rotation period, but I remember the question a few weeks back about which was more deserving of the fifth starters spot.

Galarraga wasn't included in that discussion because he's the fourth starter, but lets face it, at best he's a fifth starter so I'll include him.

If its between Willis or Galarraga as my fifth starter I'd give serious thought to Nate Robertson.

Willis and Galarraga aren't any good.  Its strange how quickly Willis went from 22-6 and 2.62, to where he is now.  Galarraga's slider is flat, fastball isn't too fast, sinker flattened out too, and he isn't missing any bats.

Robertson probably isn't much better, but he definitely isn't any worse.  

Miner probably wouldn't be any worse either.  

And Bonderman.

Man, I was clamoring for the Tigers to trade him a few years ago and its looking like they should have.  But injuries aren't predictable so Dombrowski gets a pass.  

But Bonderman who used to pitch in the mid nineties is now topping out at 90-91 and isn't locating it.  He didn't really locate well before, but when you throw in the mid nineties you don't always have to.  When you throw 90-91, you do.

And he said during his pregame interview last week that he was going to throw a lot more change ups, which normally would be a good thing, but when your change-up is at 83 and your fastball is at 89, change-up should read: batting practice.

His slider is still one of the best in the game, but when his fastball isn't fast and his change-up is ineffective, he isn't going to win too many games or put the Tigers in a position to win many games either.  

The truth is, the Tigers fifth spot in the rotation would be better suited to be filled by just about anybody but the guys who are available they just aren't very good.  I'd rather have a guy who actually throws strikes (Galarraga), even if those strikes get hammered, than a guy who walks eight in less than four innings (Willis).

But hell, I'm the guy who thinks that hitting is just as important as pitching--neither more than the other.

--RM

What Jimbo went through to get to where he is is epic, Steven Soderbergh-type stuff.

As a senior in high school he suffered a torn ligament in his throwing elbow and spent his entire freshman year at Eastern Michigan rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, watching his teammates play.

About eighteen minutes before his sophomore season was slated to start he tore his ACL during a pickle-drill.  Season lost.

To go from two career-threatening injuries to drafted, by his hometown team no less, is pretty cool.

Congratulations Jimmy, I'm friggin' proud of you.

-----

As for the rest of the draft...

I think the Tigers made out pretty well.

I won't go into detail about every guy they took, but I'll have a look at the first few guys.

Jacob Turner seems like he projects well.  Big and tall righty, hard thrower, the only thing that makes me shake my head is that he was born in the 90s.  My sister was born in the nineties and I remember her crawling around on the carpet in a diaper.

So weird.  

But he looks like he can project well.

Oliver, their second pick, I remember from his issue with the NCAA and his hiring (not hiring?) an agent.  But his heavy duty fastball from the left side looks good.

The other two guys that I liked were Austin Wood and Daniel Fields.

Wood is that guy who threw about fourteen million pitches over thirteen innings for Texas against Boston College.  Gotta like the stones on that guy.

Fields was the best player in Michigan available and, ala Prince Fielder, was hitting dingers at age twelve with a wooden bat while his Dad was the hitting coach for the Tigers.  

Other than that, like most years, it was a crapshoot.  If two of these guys get to the Show than its a successful draft.

I like that it went top-flight pitching heavy, with very few top level position prospects, but those few guys I mentioned earlier I'm impressed with.

It'll probably be a few years before we know how well this draft went, but I'm pretty certain that the Tigers did better than Washington...

--RM

I gotta say, to fix the draft problem, either eliminate the whole thing, like my esteemed co-counsel mentioned, or, as I would like to see, include the latin players and eliminate the free agent signings of 16-year old kids.

I mean, Strasburg will probably haul in 50-million bucks, and like the Verlander comparison from my previous post, Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez right handed pitchers for the Reds, combined, won't earn a million bucks this season (through their salaries, I can't speak for their endorsements, etc).

And those guys are not only good, they're good and established as such.  

Both were signed at the age of 18 out of the Dominican Republic.  I doubt they got any sort of bonus for signing other than the opportunity to leave a third world country and get paid to do so.

Which brings me to my point.  

At the risk of being insensitive (and I realize and almost didn't write it) the only difference between the current use of Latin players in MLB and that of slavery is that there is money involved that reaches the labor.

And nobody murders you if you don't do the work.

Unless you're failing in Philly, those fans are nuts.

Look at the disparity.

First round draft picks are set for life before they even play a single inning of professional baseball (as long as they aren't complete morons ten million dollars-Prior's bonus-is enough to ensure you never have to get a real job again in your life), while guys plucked from the Dominican Republic, Columbia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, etc, not only aren't set for life from the outset, even when they get to the big-time aren't rolling in dough (by MLB standards, anyway-I'd love to make 390,000 bones a year).

So what is fair about that?

Forget about fairness to ownership or GM's who are forced to try and draft guys based on signability (which I looked up and is not a word or eligible for use in a game of scrabble), how is that fair to the players?

For example.

Hanley Ramirez, the shortstop for the Marlins and the best player most people have never heard of, was signed at age 17 by the Red Sox and has since gone on to star with the Marlins.

Stephen Drew, the shortstop for the Diamondbacks, was drafted out of Florida State with the 15th pick in 2004.

Hanley Ramirez's bonus was the opportunity to leave the Dominican Republic.

Drew's bonus was 4.5 million bucks.

Their careers aren't even close thus far.  Drew might be a better defender, but Ramirez is head and shoulders better than Drew (which isn't to say that Drew isn't good, he is, he just isn't Ramirez).

In fact, Ramirez is routinely at the top of lists of who would be the best player to start a franchise with.  Drew is not.

Because Drew was drafted he made more money last year in salary than Ramirez has made in his entire five year career.

One was signed as a poor kid from a third world country for peanuts.

The other went to a big time college program (I assume on a scholarship and therefore without having to pay a dime for his college education).

Of the two who actually would need a giant signing bonus it isn't the kid who got a free education.

Its the kid who if he fails goes back to wearing one pair of shoes for a decade and sleeping on dirt.

But then again, nothing is fair from who signs free agents to how the draft actually works.

So, to fix it, it should be either all inclusive or non-existent.

--RM

Thank God, otherwise all the hype would have been for naught.

I've written about Strasburg before, and I'll do it again for just a moment, but the majority of this post doesn't have much to do with him, per se, but more of the draft and its process.

I've seen Strasburg, not extensively, of course, but two starts on ESPNU during the regular season, and his loan start in the post season (which he lost), and I have to say, yeah he's good.  He is not, however, Tom Seaver, or for a position player comparison, Al Kaline--guys who were Major League-ready their first day on the job.

Nope.

And his fastball isn't 103 mph either.  Its a helluva fastball, for sure, sitting at 95-99 into the seventh inning at time, but it isn't 103.  I don't think Joel Zumaya actually hits 103 mph, either, but thats beside the point.  

But he is good.  I can't take that away from him, and wouldn't try, but for god sakes, he just put up video-game like numbers against (ahem) college students.

I'm good friends with a great deal of division one college ball players, and I can say, half the team at any given time for mid-major (to borrow from football) conferences, aren't all that good.  And further, aren't going to be playing much after their days on campus are concluded.

So, first, The Aztecs of San Diego State play in the Mountain West, by definition, a mid major.  They played hardly anybody any good all season.  The "hardly" would be teams like Cal State Fullerton (twice) and UCLA (twice).  Playing a bunch of kids from UNLV who are looking forward to beer-pong-a-palooza after the game (win or lose) is significantly different from pitching against grown men who's livelihood depend upon their success--and their failure.

I don't need to site Todd Van Poppel, or more recently, Mark Prior, but I just did, and I'm sure you get the picture.  Lights-out as amateurs, flame-outs as pros (though I wish we could at least find out what it is exactly that happened to Prior).

I hate to keep ripping on the kid, but for crying out loud, thats what he is, a kid.  The problem with potential is that it has paved the road to Durham, Toledo, Wilkes-Bar, and Pawtucket, and with the hype, pressure, and expectations of Strasburg, he can go nowhere, but, unfortunately, down.

If he doesn't sign tomorrow and do his best Mark Fidrych impersonation and win at least 19 games in a shortened season, he's a failure.  Not by my estimations personally, but because for the monetary demands he's rumored to be seeking (and with his agent, the anti-christ incarnate, the rumor is probably true) are going to elevate him to a place he isn't ready to be in.

Which brings me to my next point.  The draft of baseball has been a crapshoot for ever, with the first round being the most reliable, but most after that a hit-or-miss endeavor.  How many guys got drafted ahead of Mike Piazza again?

But now that Major League Baseball is trying to make the draft something it isn't, and shouldn't strive to be, it's also bringing about the same problems the other drafts have: money.

Which is not to say that money wasn't a problem before, but now with the draft becoming some sort of entertainment spectacle its just becoming more of a public problem, and therefore a harder problem to combat.

No slotting system (good or bad, I dunno) combined with the ***-backwards view of what exactly the draft if for are creating a situation in which the draft is just going to be a joke, an after thought.

And my feelings on the players and they money they make have been documented, and I'm not saying that players do not deserve to get paid, because they do, and I'm not saying owners should have to fork out slave-wages, because they shouldn't.

But who deserves fifty million bucks?  A player who has played exactly zero innings professionally, or a guy who has won the rookie of the year, MVP, and a pair of home run titles?

Or if Ryan Howard isn't a valid comparison, how about a guy who has won a Cy Young, led the league in strikeouts (and thats the National League, not the Mountain West League), and has won 30 games in the Show?

Lincecum deserves 50 million bucks before Strasburg does.

The draft isn't where players earn their money.

The draft is supposed to be where players get their shot at making money.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but free agency and arbitration is where players get their money, where they get what they deserve.

Not the draft.

Justin Verlander has won more than fifty games in the show in his five years in the bigs and he hasn't made four million dollars in his entire career.

To give a guy who has thrown exactly zero pitches in the Show a kings ransom is ridiculous on a level thats hard to fathom.

Like when our President once said, "that depends on what your definition of 'is,' is."  

Fix the draft or else it'll be just the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Dodgers drafting all the good players because they're the only ones who can afford them.

The draft is for lousy teams to rebuild, not for the rich, and successful, to reload with youth.

--RM

PS

I also think the other drafts are broken and stupid, too, not just MLB's.

Hmph.  I gotta say, I'm not much of an NL guy, so that particular squad might not be exactly what most people might think, but gimme a break, I don't see too much of the NL.

But here's my AL squad:

Catcher: Joe Mauer

- I know, I know, he's been banged up and didn't start the season, yadayadayada, but in his almost ninety AB's (just about the same number of AB's Ramirez has too, by the way) he's hitting a robust .425 and he's already got 11 dingers.  His career high is 13.

First Base: Miguel Cabrera

-.370 with 10 dingers, and he has the added benefit of playing for my hometown team.

Second Base: Robinson Cano right now, but this could easily be Ian Kinsler, too.

Short: uh, Jason Bartlett?  Its a question because I can't believe there isn't another AL shortstop who has put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack.  Bartlett's 7 dingers is good for third among ALL short stops and is tied for first among AL short stops.  And, to further add to that question mark is that Bartlett is hurt.

Third: Evan Longoria.  Really though, who else would it have been?

Right: Nick Markakis.  Kid's hitting .313 with & dingers and has an absolute missile for an arm.  That and I'm tired of seeing Ichiro.

Center:  Eck, Torii Hunter.  I say eck because like Ichiro I'm sorta tired of seeing him too.  But with the numbers he's put up offensively combined with his glove work, he's a legit all star.

Left: Carl Crawfod.  At one point I thought he might break Ricky's single season steals record in one single weekend series against Boston.  That alone makes him an All-Star.  And I would love to see him play his entire season running against Brad Penny--you can time him to the plate with a sun dial.

And since we're in an NL park there is no need to pick a DH.

And with pitchers I'll just select three starters and two closers for the sake of time.

Starters:

Justin Verlander.  His ERA is a little high at 3.55, but considering it was close to nine after four starts thats a little misleading.  He's been lights out since going 0-2 through his first four starts; 5-0 and he's only given up four earned and has struck out 60 batters during those six starts.

Zack Greinke.  He's the reason Verlander hasn't been talked about much thus far.  His ERA is still video-like at 0.84.  He's probably going to start the All-Star game.

Joe Saunders.  Nothing fancy, just winning.  And he handed (huh, "handed") Greinke his first loss, out-dueling him in a 1-0 win.  Roy Halladay honorable mention.

Closers:

Jonathan Papelbon.  I don't much care for him, but he's been dominant and All-Star worthy.

George Sherril.  He's got so many saves and Baltimore only has so many wins to save.  Sorta like Todd Jones a few years back with the Tigers.

Now for the NL.

Catcher: Yadier Molina.  Sorta like the AL short stop problem... sorta.  There aren't too many real good two way catchers in baseball, let alone the NL.  With Martin and Soto struggling, and Molina being the best defensive catcher in the world, his .268 average is forgiveable.

First: Albert Pujols.  Just write his name down from now until the day he retires.  Honorable mention though: Adrian Gonzalez.

Second: Orlando Hudson.  All he's done is hit since he signed with the Dodgers.

Short:  Hanley Ramirez.  Again, write his name down until he retires, or gets too big to play short and moves.

Third: David Wright.  The best third baseman in New York City, the NL East, the NL in general, and probably baseball.  What else is there?

Right: Justin Upton.  Looks like he finally put it all together.  .335 with 9 dingers is hard to argue.  Though I can't say for certain that he plays right field, but I'm pretty, sorta, sure.

Left: Raul Ibanez.  If there was ever a guy who would benefit from Philly's home field, its this guy.  17 dingers and 44 ribbies.  And its not even hot outside yet.

Center: Carlos Beltran, as much as I hate to say it.  He's putting up great numbers thus far, and he's a gold glover.  

So, starters:

Sigh.  Johan Santana.  Seven wins, great ERA, what more you want?

Chad Billingsley.  6 wins and an ERA at 2.82.  

Matt Cain.  If for no other reason than he's pitched better than Lincecum and has gotten still far less ink.

Closers:

Heath Bell.  Probably the only Padre representative, if the first base position is loaded like usual and Gonzalez stays home.  And he's pretty good too.

Jonathan Broxton.  Young, throws hard, and is dominating.  And I refuse to vote for K-Rod.

I got the AL winning this thing, like I do each year until, well, they lose.

I have to say I think the All-Star game as a means to deciding who gets home field advantage is one of the stupidest idea I've ever heard. 

Considering the starters are voted in by morons like me.  I've written three times that I just don't want to vote for somebody--regardless of whether they're deserving or not.  You're lucky I didn't say Brandon Inge for AL third basemen.

So, with the idiocy that is fan voting, and as unpredictable as we can be, how can Bud, with a straight face, make that game the factor in deciding who would get game seven of the World Series?  

Using a popularity contest?

Because that's all the ASG is, really.  Otherwise Cal Ripken wouldn't have been chosen for two decades.  Jason Varitek would never be.  Derek Jeter either.  And Manny Ramirez wouldn't even be in a discussion.

If people stop watching the ASG even with "everything on the line" what next?  Using the home run derby winner's respective league for determining home field advantage?

Just let 'em play for exactly what the game means: squat.

--RM