Wednesday Bird Droppings

So now both guys that we traded Steve Trachsel for are gone (in two separate trades, mind you)

When i was little i ran out before we got on the actual ride, the room with the moving ceiling freaked me out. It was like 10 years before i went back and would actually agree to go on.

The less of Buck and McCarver I have to be subjected to the better.

From the link:

and that by increasing the number of teams eligible for the postseason party, you increase the chances that a bad team will get hot for a couple of weeks and more or less make a mockery of the regular season.

Ok, so I’ll need to go back and look at this again, but is he really suggesting that the Red Sox or Padres are “bad teams” that “got hot for a couple of weeks”? In 2009 it would have been the Rangers and the Cubs. It isn’t like the Pirates are going to sneak through in some backdoor kind of way (like is possible in MiLB, with the whole 1st/2nd half thing).

I understand that many writers are very, very happy that only four teams make the playoffs in either league – be it because of bias towards the standard powers in the NE, the fact that they too hate all things new like Murray Chass, or whatever. Some would probably hate/d the Wild Card and wish we’d go back to two super divisions per league where “the regular season means something”.

If they make it more than a single-elimination, I’m in. Also, please make it so that there aren’t large chasms between games/series. No days off between games before the WS (or at all), two to three days max between the other series. One extra team isn’t going to kill the game.

Unless you do some sort of bye system, which would be horrible.

Just expand the first round to best of 7. And while you’re at it, reduce the number of off days.

You’re selling low, that’s probably the only reason he’s untouchable.

stop bitching that you cannot beat the yankees and rays. Worst. Idea. Ever.

The purest system is one in which after a balanced season, the two best teams from each league go straight to the World Series. I wouldn’t really mind that. But there is no way that baseball will ever go back to that anytime soon. So he is a compromise:

1. Eliminate divisions, balance the schedule

2. Best team in each league = automatic berth in championship series

3. The 2nd and 3rd best teams have to slug it out, best out of five. All games happen at the #2 team’s ballpark, and games 2 and 3 will be a scheduled doubleheader. They have to get the 5 games in 4 days.

I think this proposal is the best of all. It eliminates two playoff teams, making the regular season matter more. It gives a decided advantage to the #1 teams. Also, the fast-paced five game series is more likely to produce a team that “deserves” an opportunity to eliminate, you know, the team that actually won the most games out of 162. It does this without truly eliminating the wild card round, in fact, the wild card round would be much more exciting.

fix the whole system, don’t just tinker with the playoffs and reward mediocrity.

I’m very much against the notion of expanding the playoffs. The regular season means a lot in baseball, and since anything can happen in a short series, the more teams that get into the party, the higher the likelihood that the best team doesn’t always win. Yeah, it’s a fine line, but whatever.

As mentioned above, the first round should be 7 games, and there should be fewer off days. The playoffs should be as similar to the regular season as possible and a 7 game series is better than 5.

The only other change that is compelling to me is to go back to 2 divisions, but 2 playoff teams. This would actually solve a lot of problems, I think.

I meant 2 wild card teams, so the same # of playoff teams.

in which jon heymand says he can see the orioles going after Paul Konerko. Sounds like speculation to me. Can anybody give me a reason to not totally hate the idea of Paul Konerko in Bmore?

Since I know you’re all dying to hear about it, here goes. There were five billion people crammed into a little corner of Ra with some food out on a table, then they hastily handed out our certificates, then we went to a Mexican place for food and alcohol and had a grand time hanging out.

combines English Football Leauge system with demolition derby system and it calls for restructuring the whole leauge.

MLB is broken down into four divisions, based on what quartile your payroll falls in. Teams move from division to division from year to year based on their comparative payroll. You play your regular season games against the other teams in your division. Top two teams from each division go to the playoffs where they go into bracket style five game series ending in the World Series, a seven game series.

That way, not every decent player is taking top dollar from the MFY by default, because smaller market teams have a chance to get into the playoffs by virtue of having a smaller payroll.

I’m pretty sure I’m a genius.

For that price we should have thought about trading for him. They’ll probably get more return in the comp picks to replace what they traded away.

Can’t quite visualize what they’re talking about with bistro tables on the club level. Like high-tops or something? How many per section? Considering switching sections, but it’d be nice to see a rendering or something before plunking down for 13 games.

5 games isn’t enough. However I don’t want the calendar to go any later so either cut out a few games in the regular season or schedule a couple doubleheaders during the year.

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12459

but if there are any Dre fans out there it looks like his album is finally coming out:

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/singles/id.12783

No votes for Buck… but a first-place vote for Cito “Sucks” Gaston?

MLB.com story. MLBTR is reporting 3/16M.

$5.5 for a setup man? That seems just plain silly to me.

Gavin Floyd may be available – what do you think the White Sox would want back?

“‘Congrats to the best manager in bestball!’ Twins center fielder Denard Span tweeted. ‘Way overdue!’ Span tweeted an apology moments later for misspelling baseball.”

That cracked me up.

before having to give a presenation may have been too much

I see Scott Boras is still leaking contract offers despite the informal agreement between clubs and agents not to do so.

Per Jon Heyman. Clearly the Rox were unimpressed with lack of a mentor. I bet their ace wouldn’t’ve fallen apart in the second half had old Millwood been around.

Follow up question: should the Orioles offer him arbitration? I was assuming not, but maybe the Rockies will do the Orioles a solid and sign him before the arb deadline.

are starting point of 3 yr 40 mil. Which means the O’s would have to immediately start at 3/45. Sounds reasonable, no?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/commentary/news/story?page=keown/101116

Gee, could the ESPN writer have been just a TAD more exploitative in his opening?

It’s a freakin’ video game, people.

And the Cardinals have no interest in giving it to him. Cliff Lee this year and Albert next? Sounds good to me…..Pujols needs to find a new number to wear though.

5:30pm: The Nationals, Pirates, and Orioles have been the most aggressive De La Rosa suitors, tweets Renck, while the Brewers are no longer in the mix.

Back on the market!

71 minutes, 372 songs