so john what pissed you off more?

the destuction of the puter or the waste of good booze?

kids are a hoot, aint they

or that your kids was walking around with booz in the first place

on some of the topics.

Yankees: it was somewhat irrational to write them off in the first place. you know their offense will hit unless half their guys fell off a cliff (and really, other than Jorge Posada who’s having a MVP season, and Jason Giambi, their lineup is far from old) and you know they’d figure out some semblence of a rotation sooner or later (although i guess having a gazzilon dollar to throw at a league average 45 year old helps!) but perhaps whats more important is that during all this they are clearly building up a strong core for the future too (while the Giants… outside of Cain and Lincecum… ack) Wang / Hughes / Joba / Kennedy / Cano / Cabrera is a pretty scary core espically when it can be backed up by Jeter / A-rod / Rivera and a gazillon $$$$. they are also maknig a lot of smart moves picking up intersting players from places where teams with less money should try out more often (like Indy league pickup change up artist Edwar Rameriez and trading for Wilson Betemit.)

David Wells: i’d wait a little longer to make a proclimation. and really, the Dodger’s chances of making the playoffs now is slim, and i can’t give any GM credit for any moves after they signed Juan freaking Pierre to a long term deal. AND couldn’t acquire anyone better than Scott Proctor for a 25 year old infielder with some very serious upside.

None of the above.

Here’s my question. Only baseball matters. What does it mean?

Baseball is the only thing worth talking about. Its the only thing that matters.

or

We only talk about things related to baseball

or

both

or just random words put together like Miss South Carolina for U.S. Americans such as therefore.

“My son Nino poured a martini into my laptop two days ago…”

Sounds like a great opening line for a novel.

You’re .00001% done.

I’ll skip topic #1, because I’m not sure I know who’s making these apologies.

Topic #2: The Yankees are a far more serious threat to the integrity and fun of MLB than steroids. Their gargantuan advantage in wealth over any other team, and consequent ability to pick up any player who becomes available, is a disgusting absurdity, and must be stopped. The satirical newsweekly The Onion ran a story a few years ago about the Yankees buying up every player in professional baseball, and baseball games as we know them would simply become Yankees appearances, where they would trot onto the field, wave and smile, maybe hit some fungo, then head home. ESPN (I believe it was) ran a piece on their website projecting Yankees rosters of the future based on when various players’ contracts expired — how long it would be, for instance, before Johan Santana became a Yankee, or whatever outstanding player they happen to need. It seems sometimes like the rest of baseball is basically just farm teams for the Yankees. Yes; I’m aware that the Yankees haven’t won a World Series so far this century (counting its first year as 2001), and yes; I’ve read Moneyball, but these are anomalies. The Yankees stumbled badly out of the gate this season, but the only thing that could have kept them out of the postseason (and I was rather hoping for this) would have been a fit of panic on the part of their management, and a bunch of misguided retinkering. I love greatness, but I hate dominance. SALARY CAPS NOW!

Topic #3: RollingWave had an analysis of the David Wells acquisition that was more detailed and articulate than I could have, but the fundamental point was the same as I was thinking — it’s too soon to draw conclusions about Wells’ value.

Topic #4: May your new iMac bring you great happiness.

btw,

fuck apple

makes computer users brain dead

I have to agree that i rather see the Yankees being able to make the playoffs almost everyyear (and seriously, they are doing what they are doing for more reasons than that, they sucked royally in the later half of the 80s to the first half of the 90s while wielding some pretty serious checkbook too, and they didn’t have the biggest payroll until 2000 IIRC, AND since they had the biggest payroll they havn’t won the WS. ) than seeing a cap.

seriously, answer this question. will the Pirates ownership do any better with a cap? are the lack of market the main reason or their suckiness? the Twins / A’s /Brewers are all pretty competitive without a big payroll.

There’s obvious some further adjustments that could be made to balance it out a little more. but if anything, the Yankee’s crazy will to win is much more positive than negative for baseball. it drives up competition, and it reveals incompetent teams.

Like I said; I love greatness, but I hate dominance. Tiger Woods has all but killed my interest in golf; likewise Roger Federer for tennis. Would the Pirates do any better with a cap? They might well, actually, because they wouldn’t keep seeing their best players taking off for wealthier teams. But if their owners are idiots, let that be the decisive factor. A stupid zillionaire will still beat a brilliant pauper, and THAT is what I object to. The Twins? Yeah; they’ve been solid for a while, but I’ll bet you they’ll fall into mediocrity long before the Yankees do, and it won’t be because the owner suddenly woke up as an idiot. The A’s had a good seven or eight years as an exceptional team, but the bloom is off the rose this year. They’re what the Twins (who have a losing record this year) will be in another year or two. The Brewers? They had a good start to the year, but that was about it. Expect to see Prince Fielder playing first base for the Yankees as soon as his contract expires, too, by the way. The argument that the Yankees weren’t dominant in the “late 80’s and early 90’s” is a marvelous illustration of exactly the point I’m making. Did they actually go 10 or so years without a WS championship? Oh, break, my heart, break! I’m sure Cubs fans will sympathize deeply.

As for the ‘9ers, it wasn’t a sudden, massive cash infusion that made them abruptly turn from doormat to dynasty in 1981 — it was Bill Walsh’s invention of the West Coast Offense. And not to be a jerk, but I believe it’s Seifert, not Seiforte.

I don’t see any harm the salary cap has done to NFL football. I’ve ENJOYED seeing the Ravens and the Bucs win it all. And diehard ‘9ers fan though I am, I took it with philosophical calm when they fell on hard times. It’s struggling up from the floor that I like to see, not kicking everyone who’s down on it.