Some of these we've argued before, and some are new...Take your pick on which you'd like to discuss...
Palmeiro
The guy, to me, deserves to go to the Hall. He's one of four players with 3,000 hits and 500+ HRs. The others? Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Eddie Murray...
Leiter...
All the papers have him going to NY. Ok, the guy was designated for assignment, so, as of now, the Yankees would have to trade for him. Who does the Yankees have that the Marlins want or need? So, with the Sox pen what it is...Do we take a chance?
17-1 (pt. II)
What an ass kicking...Hopefully, we can unload on RJ a little today and really make some heads spin. That would be nice. But, we'll see. One thing is for certain, if we can get to their pen by the 6th, we should be in really good shape for today and tomorrow.
Yankees
Yes, they have made a heck of a run. But...I still say that they won't (without the acquisition of about three or four QUALITY arms) make the playoffs. Seriously, Kevin Brown is returning, but is that any good for them? Pavano is out a few more weeks (according to some newspapers today), no one is issuing any sort of timetable for Wright, and Wang is now probably out for the rest of the year. Not even landing Clemens could guarantee them anything. And seeing May and Redding last night, one might think that they would have been better off with Quantrill.
Sox
One game does not a season make. They need some pen help, too. Schill might have to make a spot start in Wells's spot. At least that game may be against the D-rays...Bradford looked good. I still think that Embree, if used correctly, is serviceable, and Timlin should start innings, not come in with runners on..Hopefully, the knee surgery helps Foulke and he comes back in form...
Anything else?
For possibly the first time in history, my responses are agree, agree, agree, agree and agree.
ReplyDeleteSure there is some talk that Raffy is not deserving and these people say that the HOF is for great players and Palmeiro is just really good and for an extended time - the same that was said about YAZ, Don Sutton (!!!) and others. I don't think we can start changing the rules now.
Leiter - If you trade for him now, you assume some or all of his salary, which is why FLA will take a very low level player for him. I say let them take that chance. I would rather bring up one (or more) of the kids for an audition.
Would like to keep the heat on their pen - we'll see. Not looking good now. Mirabelli's baserunning gaffe. Yikes!!!
The Yanks are in trouble and need some help. The resurgence of the Astros may/should keep Roger in HOU (they are only 4 games out of the WC). The Yanks still have a potent offense, and while there has been a lot of talk about the WC coming out of the central, it is a real possibility that both the Sox and Yanks make the playoffs. The Yanks are only a game and a half behind the WC right now.
The Sox bullpen is the real need right now and I'm sure Theo will do something. Soon.
I just put up a thing on Palmeiro, actually... I still argue no. yeah, he has 3,000 hits and 500 HR... but besides that, he is really just a very good ballplayer. Yaz was one of the greatest outfielders of his era. Has Palmeiro been one of the greatest 1B of his era? not by a longshot. Basically, the guy is Fred McGriff with 1000 more AB's. Seriously. Their career rates are amazingly similar. I'm kind of on the fence, because those milestones mean something, but... The HOF is for the best of the best. Palmeiro is absolutely not among the greatest players to have ever played the game. He's not even one of the greatest players of his era.
ReplyDeleteLeiter - done deal with NY and he'll start tomorrow. He's been awful awful awful this year, in an NL pitcher's park. The Yanks can have him. Plus, apparently he's a genuine asshole.
On Palmeiro...
ReplyDeleteHe is in an elite group...Only 4 people have ever done it (and he's one of them)...That to me makes him one of the best.
He is and has been an excellent fielder.
He has been more consistent than arguably ANY first baseman ever.
Did he ever win an MVP??? No, but I don't believe that is a prerequisite to making the hall...Over 17 years he has averaged over 30 HRs and 100 RBI each year. His career fielding percentage is over 99%...3 gold gloves...I also believe that he was the first player (trying to find the proof of this) that hit over 20 homers in 14 straight seasons (looks like he'll make it 15)...
Yes, there were other first baseman hitting more home runs. There were guys like Olerud who might have been better fielders, but who would you say (during Palmeiro's career) was the combo of the two? Mattingly??? Maybe, but he didn't have the durability...
Only 4 people have dome this particular arbitrary ting, yeah. Which means nothing, as far as I can tell; those three people were all better baseball players. Nolan Ryan had 7 no-hitters, but it doesn't make him a better pitcher than Roger Clemens.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to argue on the consistency thing. Palmeiro been sort of consistent, but not THAT consistent. And he's been consistent at only a good level, especially for a 1B of his era. You want a great consistent 1B, look at Lou Gehrig.
And, there weren't 1B's who were just hitting more homeruns. There were many who were just plain better hitters. Frank Thomas, Mark McGwire, Jeff Bagwell, etc. All sperior hitters in every way one measures these things, except for those two cumulative stats. To me, a guy who couldn't manage to even be the best or one of the 3 or 4 best player at his position during his era can't possibly be a Hall of Famer.
Oh, and as good as Raffy was in the field, he still onl won 3 gold glovs, one of those a sham as it came in a year n which he played only 25 games in the field.
ReplyDelete