swish

Nick Swisher traded to Yankees for assorted parts (Wilson Betemit, Yankee Pitching Prospect #1, Yankee Pitching Prospect #2).

I had difficulty speaking in complete sentences after this fleecing. So, bullet points.

1) Swisher stunk, but he's only 27-28, and he's under contract for around $22M for the next three seasons. Contrary to everything Jerry Reinsdorf will say, the White Sox are a big payroll team (5th last year at $120M), so dumping $22M isn't going to necessarily get you down to a very low number anyway.

2) Even if you think he's going to continue to decline, look who the Sox already have on the team. Who's going to have a better next 3 seasons, between Swisher, Thome, Konerko, and Dye? I'm not counting Quentin because he's further behind on the salary cycle.

Thome finished his age 37 season, and has a $13M option for 2009, or the Sox could buy him out for $3M. Needless to say, he won't be around long and his option for one season is half the value of Swisher's 3 seasons left. Ugh.

Konerko finished his age 32 season, owed $12M until 2010.

Dye finished his age 34 season, owed $11.5M in 2009, $12M option for 2010 ($1M buyout).

Heck, the only guy who would be around in 3 years might be Swisher. I just cried a little.

3) Wilson Betemit = Juan Uribe with less defense.

4) There are reports that Swisher's clubhouse intensity guy act was wearing thin on people (not enough room with Ozzie's ego in the dugout). Fine. That doesn't mean you give up on getting any value for him. I just laid down in my closet and curled up in a ball.

5) So Gio Gonzales, Ryan Sweeney, and Fautino de los Santos (our best pitching and OF prospects that we traded for Swisher) have now turned into one bad year of Swisher, Wilson Betemit, two pitching prospects for the Yankees that were not in their top 10 and were never going to see the majors. That is an impressive talent downgrade.

Nobody knows where this team is going. What makes sense at this point is go straight salary dump (Sox probably have to keep the albatross Konerko contract), but they don't even have young guys to replace the old guys. 2008 might end up hurting the team for the rest of the decade because it'll probably fool people into thinking that this team has some direction. Making emotional decisions instead of professional ones is going to stop the Sox from finding one. Sorry that your boys didn't pan out, Kenny, but the way to fix that is getting back value again, not pissing it all away in some emotionally cathartic toilet flush.

Also, the Bears got mauled today. I'm going to read a book.

St. Lou pics, South Side quandary, baseball deluxe post

Whenever I take pictures, I honestly feel like I'll forget about the entire thing unless I post them. So.


Officially, I've adopted the Cardinals as my "second team," which I've been putting thought to since January, and which I documented here (I love self-referencing!). But the Cardinals won out because of the prospect of a cheap, relaxing train ride, and some friends who live in the area. The Cardinals' new ballpark (above, Greg posing), was also a draw. It's pretty beautiful, with that neo-classical feel that is the rage in ballparks now. The buzz of the crowd, the way they cheer for every good play regardless of which team makes it, and the reverence that the facility is treated with all points to the fact that St. Louisans (?) really love their team, but also really love baseball.



The Cards won both games we went (ripping up the Padres' pitching staff), we visited, among other places, the Arch (TM), and some old courthouse building that I forget the name of. The best part? Our hotel was right on the next block. We also went to St. Louis' gorgeous Byzantine style Cathedral Basilica.

Looking from the back entrance toward the front. The tour group in the pews gives you an idea of the scale.

Front entrance facing the main street. It's within walking distance from St. Louis University, or the SLU, as my kids who are attending this fall have informed me.


Up at the roof. I'd love for Chicago's cathedral to be like this. Sigh.

Anyway, back to the baseball. The trading deadline is in 24 hours, and the Angels have just picked up Mark Texeira for a song, and the Yankees have addressed, though ultimately futilely, their own holes with XNady and Damaso Marte. But the tightest race is in the AL Central, and rumblings and rumors are swirling around the Sox since they're about to cough up the lead to Twins, maybe before the weekend hits (breaking eye contact with sharp objects... now). Can the Sox do anything to improve by trade?

Basically, no, not really. They actually have some pieces they can move, probably Josh Fields and the oft-mentioned pitching prospie Aaron Poreda, even Juan Uribe. The potentially exciting shortlist is:

1) AJ Burnett, RHP, Tor - A big name, big contract, and the big dreaded "has great stuff, but..." tag. Really, a guy who looks great on a scouting report but has an ERA north of 4, like Javy Vazquez. Basically a rental.

2) Justin Duchscherer, RHP, Oak - "Duck-sure". The best value because he's having a good year and there's a good chance to re-sign after the season. I'd gamble that this is one Oakland pitcher that won't break down once he's traded. Even if he does, you don't lose much.

3) Brian Roberts, 2b, Bal - Would look great hitting leadoff, playing good D, and stealing bases. But he's a got a big contract, he's a little older, and you have to displace either Cabrera or Alexei.

I think the top priority is a good starting pitcher, repeat GOOD, because the guy to bring would ideally be better than the top 3 of Danks, Floyd, or Buehrle, or else this is a one round and out. What ends up putting the stop to a deal for a good starter is Joe Crede's balky back, which makes Fields untradeable. What'll most likely happen, if anything, is a trade for a reliever that'll shore up a bullpen that's been overused by necessity.

I realized that this roster, this team as currently configured, is on its last legs. 2008 is pretty much the last time the window of opportunity will be open for a while. This roster was KW's vision since the title in 2005; this is the roster he figured would keep the Sox in contention for the rest of the decade (re-signing Contreras, trading for Vazquez and Thome). Things are bleak in 2009 with a core that is aging not so gracefully, and few younger players to replenish the core (nobody wants to think where this season would be without Danks, Floyd, and Quentin). So, it kind of makes sense to go big THIS year, because it's the best chance for a while. Roy Halladay, come on down! Farm system, schmarm system. We don't have the young core that teams like the Rays or the Cubs (ugh) or even the Cardinals have, so I say go for it while it's still reasonably within grasp. Or else losing the division lead by the weekend will just be the beginning.

Aside from trade possibilities, it would help a whole fricking lot if Paul Konerko would stop getting all Sylvia Plath about his hitting approach, and if Orlando Cabrera could stop hacking away like a blindfolded kid at a pinata party.

hello blog. remember me?

Taking off to St. Louis at the end of the week to go check out the new ballpark. It's a good baseball related week, taking in two games with Greg and Mike and then another game on Monday.

Also, Josh Hamilton hit about a thousand home runs in the derby. If I'm Justin Morneau, I just give the trophy back.

The players with the best seasons so far in 2008:

American League
1. CF Grady Sizemore, Cle
2. 2b Ian Kinsler, Tex
3. RF Josh Hamilton, Tex
4. DH Milton Bradley, Tex
5. 1b Justin Morneau, Min
6. LF Carlos Quentin, ChiSox
7. C Joe Mauer, Min
8. 3b Kevin Youkilis, Bos
9. SS Micheal Young, Tex

SP Cliff Lee, Cle
SP Roy Halladay, Tor
SP Joe Saunders, LAA
SP Justin Duchscherer, Oak
SP Ervin Santana, LAA
RP Mariano Rivera, NYY
RP Joakin Soria, KC

National League
1. SS Hanley Ramirez, Fla
2. 2b Chase Utley, Phi
3. DH Albert Pujols, StL
4. 1b Lance Berkman, Hou
5. 3b Chipper Jones, Atl
6. LF Pat Burrell, Phi
7. RF Jason Bay, Pit
8. C Geovany Soto, Chi
9. CF Nate McLouth, Pit

SP Carlos Zambrano, Chi
SP Tim Lincecum, SF
SP Dan Haren, Ari
SP Edminson Volquez, Cin
SP Ben Sheets, Mil
RP Brad Lidge, Phi
RP Kerry Wood, Chi

Greek philosophy + MLB 2008 (American League)

The Greek philosopher Demetri Martin once said that he stopped being interested in sports when he realized that instead of the actual teams playing, he'd rather see the actual animals fight than teams with those names.

In that spirit, like a Roman gladiator cage match gone wrong, we pick the losers for the 2008 major league baseball season.

AL Central
The contenders: White Sox, Indians, Royals, Tigers, Twins

The clear losers are the linen (White Sox) and the anemic inbreds (Royals). The Twins have a disadvantage in that there can only be two, or multiples of two. That doesn't make any sense, but it seems limiting to me. The battle royale is between the Indians and the Tigers, but I have to give the edge over the ferocious carnivores over the aboriginal Americans or denizens of the Asian subcontinent, although a battle between Indians from India and Tigers would give the Tigers less of a home field advantage.

WINNER: Tigers

This makes so much sense. Those Greeks know what they're talking about.

AL East
The contenders: Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rays, Orioles

Instant elimination goes to the apparel (sorry defending champs) and the marine life (Rays). I don't how to stage a battle between a Ray and birds, unless you get a bunch of guys named Ray together, which potentially could be quite formidable. The fowls cancel out, and it unfortunately only leaves the Yankees as the winners, although I think this can depend on the quality of the gathered Rays. Ray Charles? Not a good pick. Ray Romano? C'mon. Ray Winstone? Maybe. Jamie Foxx who played Ray Charles? Better. Sugar Ray Leonard? Now we talkin'.

WINNER?: Yankees, dark horse Rays

AL West
The contenders: Angels, Athletics, Mariners, Rangers

A battle between the Texas hardened Rangers and the swarthy Mariners sounds great, but the eventual victor would fall to the celestial power of ethereal spiritual beings, I think. Even if these are the Texas Rangers with Chuck Norris. But there's no roundhouse kicking archangels, I think, even Angel from the X-Men. I have no idea what an Athletic is. Oakland has a white elephant on its team patch. Nothing makes sense.

Winners: Angels in a landslide, even over Chuck Norris.


But I can't leave without this spectacular picture of Chuck:

happy opening day

Spring break, good bye. But say yes to the Annunciation.

"The Annunciation". Henry Ossawa Tanner. 1898.

But, hello end-of-the-school-year-is-in-sight. And with it, hopefully, clarity, direction, and purpose.

(But one never does know). I could really use some before I start freaking out.

April brings us its usual greetings:

• rainy weather (check)
• the same Sox as the old Sox
• new and interesting ways to waste time: Rasterbator. You'll love it.

I want to post photos from break, just because I finally got to TAKE photos, including the one I got yelled at for taking. Sweet. Some sort of mishmash of the Art Institute (and the Homer/Hopper exhibition), walking around downtown, grading, Divine Mercy Sunday, wishing I was here, wishing I lived somewhere else, Demetri Martin, watching baseball, grading a lot, eating a lot, praying a LOT. Happy Easter.

Good bye, friends.

Palm Sunday + new things I learned + baseball draft = monstrous post

Duccio di Buoninsegna. "Maestà (back, central panel): The Entry into Jerusalem." 1308-11. Tempera on wood panel. Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Siena, Italy.

New things that I learned recently:

• Sister Raffaella told me about the Ambrosian rite, which is mostly in the Archdiocese in Milan. The Ambrosian rite (established by St. Ambrose, archbishop of Milan back in the 5th century) is actually even older than the currently widely used Latin rite. In shorthand, as far as I know, in one of the bigboy meetings like the Council of Trent, if the rite of a particular liturgical tradition dates further back than the Latin rite, but still submits to the authority of the pope, and the tenets of the Church, then it's ok.
  
  I have a friend who is a part of the Chaldean rite, which has its roots in Iraq, established by St. Thomas the Apostle in the first century. The difference in rites, from what I understand, is based on the simple fact that with the distance from the center of Catholicism in Rome, different traditions seeped into the liturgy of different locations as time passed. This page does the best in explaining all of this stuff.
  
• I learned that coaching boys is a heck of a lot easier for me than coaching girls. Geez, no contest. Granted, at least I now have a season under my belt, but seriously. It probably makes a major difference that I'm helping with the freshman boys, who are willing to follow any sort of coaching at all, so that makes life easier too.
• I learned that I need to make a decision on where I'm living/working next year, but I have no idea when I need to make it by. Which probably tells me that I need to pray more.
• I've learned that my baseball team is giving no indications that it's going to do anything but suck. Related: my soccer team sucks too, ever since winning the League Cup.
  
• I learned that when fantasy baseball drafting season comes around, I'm totally screwed. Wait? That's now?!

Speaking of which, here are the results of my fantasy baseball draft. I thought you'd never ask?!

5 x 5 Yahoo! fantasy league, 12 teams, I drafted 3rd. Max was 8th (ha).

1. David Wright, NYM, 3b - Yessss. It's nice to mix up who you get from year to year. I am excited to own JillKMeier mancrush David Wright for the first time. 30/30, prease.
2. Lance Berkman, Hou, 1b/OF - And then sometimes, you just draft the same guys every year.
3. Brandon Webb, Ari, SP
4. Carlos Guillen, Det, 1b/SS - The start of drafting a thousand guys who can play first base. Guillen qualifies for SS but will actually play 1b, which means less miles on the legs, which means more SBs, and he's hitting in the best lineup in league. Good times. 25-120, please. Also, Gat roto stalwart Brian Roberts gets picked right before me, so I'm rattled, and so I order cheese fries from the waitress.
   
5. Carlos Zambrano, ChiC, SP - Am I going to regret this? It's Max's fault. Just have to avoid the really bad starts. Still better than anyone else I could have gotten (Haren, Hamels).
6. Brian McCann, Atl, C - Hoping this works better than my Joe Mauer investment last year.
7. Nick Swisher, Sox, 1b/OF - A little early? Maybe. I think he's going to hit 35-40 at the Cell, plus it gives me a reason to care about my team.
   
8. Bobby Jenks, Sox, RP - Best reliever left on the board, I swear. Also, Paul Konerko is staring at me from the draft board. "Come on, man, we're frieeennnddsss."
9. Rich Hill, ChiC, SP - Love the strikeouts, and he surely will get better run support than last year. Also, why do I have so many Cubs. I punch Max in the solar plexus.
10. Jacob Ellsbury, Bos, OF - Am I going to regret this? Trade Coco Crisp, already. I'm desperate for speed, and I'd rather have Ellsbury rather than old Ellsbury, AKA Johnny Damon.
11. Tim Hudson, Atl, SP - Why do I have so many Braves? I almost drafted Texeira instead of Berkman, too. But what are my alternatives? Joba? Pedro? Brad Penny? Liriano? No thanks.
12. Willy Taveras, Col, OF - Speed, speed, speed. I am going to regret this. Damn you, whoever got Brian Roberts! Look what I've been forced to do!
13. Manny Corpas, Col, RP - Generic closer type who gets saves and doesn't kill my WHIP/ERA.
14. Kelly Johnson, Atl, 2b - Too many Braves. Why does my OCD pick up on that? He's the best left on a really weak board. I hate Kazuo Matsui's guts.
    
15. Jeremy Accardo, Tor, RP - BJ Ryan might be back, but Tommy John surgery takes two years to recover. Who's going to catch that beautiful butterfly? Accardo, with 30+ saves.
16. Brian Wilson, SF, RP - I'm lying in bed, just like Brian Wilson did. Just get me 30 saves.
17. Ryan Garko, Cle, 1b - You play 1b? Welcome to my team. Stop glaring at me, Paul Konerko.
18. George Sherrill, Bal, RP - Closer for the Orioles?
    
19. Ryan Theriot, ChiC, 2b/SS - Too. Many. Cubs.
    
20. Heath Bell, SD, RP - The guy K-Dub should have traded for instead of Scott Linebrink. 100 Ks as a reliever? Tasty.
    
21. Frank Thomas, Tor, Util - Just for old times' sake.
    

It feels like I need more power and speed. Pitching looks good, tho.

Have a great Holy Week. But before that, don't forget this guy:

winter of my discontent

Santana! to the Mets for a bunch of blue-chip prospects. (A better breakdown of the trade is here). I don't really care that the Twins might not have gotten the best deal possible in trying to maximize the value of the best pitcher of this decade.

What I do know is that the Sox now have 4-5 less guaranteed losses (I mean, they can still lose even with they don't face Johan) every time he pitched against the Pale Hose. It's bad enough that the best pitcher in baseball lives in your division, but it's something else when said pitcher's best career numbers come against your team. How good? Since 2003, when was put in the starting rotation:

13-4, 141.3 innings, 155 Ks, 0.94 WHIP, 2.42 ERA


Welcome to the National League, Johan, home of no-DH. I will be very pleased to watch Cub hitters flail away helplessly at this. Also, he makes the Mets the instant offseason frontrunner for the NL pennant, thus an easier path to the World Series, where each playoff opponent will definitely face him twice in a series. I have no problem with the best pitcher in the game having a better shot at getting to and winning the Series.

Despite the departure of the Isildur's Bane of my team, at most, it makes the Sox an 81 win team to an 85 win team (because it doesn't make Nick Swisher any better in centerfield, or Ozzie any less offensively inept, or help Jerry Owens hit, or... let's just move on). So, in anticipation of the suckitude, I am currently accepting applications for another baseball team to follow for the 2008 season. I'll still keep a tab on the Sox, but they won't be doing anything, and I want to watch meaningful baseball at some point. The leading contenders:

• Philadelphia Phillies
  Good: The Wall Crashing Messiah left for the Giants, but there's still plenty of ex-Sox guys here with Sweaty Freddy and the Gooch. Also, I have an unhealthy fantasy baseball crush on Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, and Cole Hamels, so there is an interest here. Also, since they had a play-in game against the Rockies last year at the end of the season, so they were knocking on the door.
  Bad: The Johan just moved into their division. Sucks.
  
  
• New York Mets
  Good: A dumber, just as rich, but not as successful version of the Yankees. Natural rival of the Yanks and the Cubs. Now owner of the Johan, who I genuinely like, and they'll be on TV a lot because of the New York bias and front line talent like Reyes, Beltran, and fantasy baseball mancrush David Wright. Can you imagine playing the Mets and having to face Santana! and Pedro on consecutive nights? To paraphrase from before: Sucks.
  Bad: Who wants to root for a frontrunner? They have too much of the aroma of failure too. I don't need any more heartache.
  
  
• Tottenham Hotspur
  Good: Screw baseball, I can watch the "beautiful game" and boycott my sucky team! Tottenham started off slow this season, but Spurs have fought up to mid-table of the Premiership, and have looked good with new manager Juande Ramos and a slew of defensive help coming in during the transfer window (Jonathan Woodgate, you are my new friend). They could still crawl back in to UEFA Cup qualification at the end of the season and they just thumped Arsenal 5-1 in the League Cup. Good times! Since I don't watch TV, I just watch soccer highlights on the internets.
  Bad: The Premier League season (and those of most major European leagues) end in June. So that still leaves the whole summer uncovered. Don't even mention Major League Soccer, the WNBA of the professional soccer world.
  
  
• St. Louis Cardinals
  Good: Albert Pujols. Like, really stinking good. Also, my bros Greg and Mike have chosen the Cardinals as their alternative team for the summer, so it'd be fun to go watch a game with them. Natural rivals of the Cubs.
  Bad: This is a terrible, aging, mediocre team. They might win the same amount of games as the Sox. I just looked at their roster, and didn't realize how terrible they are.
  
  
• Milwaukee Brewers
  Good: Natural rival of the Chubs. Great ballpark with good, cheap food and drink. Close enough to drive to and catch a game, and there isn't a problem getting in. Up and coming talent like Prince Fielder (who I saw hit a ball like a thousand feet with my own two eyes), Ryan Braun, and Yovani Gallardo will be lots of fun to watch. They are the current frontrunner for alternative team of 2008.
  Bad: They did falter down the stretch last year, and seem to be counting on the health of Ben Sheets to get them over the hump, instead of signing anybody new. A problematic strategy, at best.

So. Still thinking.

Snow day tomorrow? (Please, Lord, please). Feast of the Presentation on Saturday, and then Super Bowl Sunday is here! Who's the winner? Me! Because I'm going to get Buffalo wings!

tough day... but always hope

I dislike Institute Days at school very much, because it never feels like the time is being used efficiently. I suppose it's much like the rest of my life.

In lieu of dwelling on another shocking Hollywood death, February is the official timeline for the RPM Challenge, which consists of recording an entire album of music 29 days. This is similar in spirit to last November's National Novel Writing Month, in that it forces you, the floundering artist, to get off your duff and get the creativity flowing. If you were looking for an excuse, then here it be.

In related news, the release of The Dark Knight is now going to be very creepy.

Wanted to comment on the Nick Swisher trade but there's nothing to say except "we're sure pushing really hard to win 85 games." Swisher is pretty good, but the trade feels like paying $20 for a cheeseburger. It better be a really good cheeseburger. Also, Ozzie is totally dumb enough to play Swisher in centerfield, a LOT. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Fr. Edward and the Tiggers

From the sublime to the absurd. First, some words from Ed.

"Human portraits of God’s Fatherhood" 12/4/07

Dear Friends in Christ,

Considering that one's personal relation with fatherhood in turn greatly influences how one perceives God and his fatherhood, we understand the exigency for positive models of it in our society. We may hear about fathers who become so engrossed in pursuing a career or some other goal that they end up seriously neglecting their children. But fatherhood ought to be an imitation of the one fatherhood of God who created and lovingly watches over us. Above all, its purpose is to communicate the love that God has for all His earthly children.

I recently watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006), a film based on a true story which beautifully portrays the essence of authentic fatherhood. It is reminiscent of Roberto Benigni's character in "La Vita è Bella", of a father who's willing to make any sacrifice in the hope of a better life for his son. The storyline is set in San Francisco in 1981 during the economic recession in the U.S. and Chris Gardner is an optimistic and intelligent African American salesman struggling to support his wife and young son, Christopher. Chris reveals not having known his own father until he was 28 years old and vows not to let history repeat itself with Christopher. So when the financial strain becomes unbearable and his wife decides to leave him, he insists on retaining custody of Christopher. Chris is vindicated in this clash when Christopher reveals that he is happy and confirms the desire to remain with his father. With a diminishing source of income, they are eventually evicted from their home to living in homeless shelters and at one point, even reduced to passing the night in the bathroom of the subway station. In the face of this difficult life, Chris has the desperate inspiration to try for a long shot, non-paying stockbroker internship at Dean Witter, where only one of the twenty candidates will ultimately end up with an opportunity for a lucrative full time position. Even in the midst of competing for this internship, Chris refuses to compromise the personal vow he has made to his son, choosing to leave work early in order to pick him up from the daycare lest Christopher be left alone. Chris demonstrates a heroic capacity to give that which is most important to Christopher: a father's presence and an unfailing love and attention. There were several dialogues and scenes which I found moving; evoking the love the Heavenly Father has for each one of us. In one of them, Chris asks his son, "You gotta trust me, alright? Cause I'm getting a better job." "I trust you." In another, Chris extends his arm to give blood at the hospital to provide for his son conjuring up the kenosis (self-emptying) of Jesus bleeding and giving his life on the Cross. Lastly, while tucking his child into bed at the shelter and completely exhausted after a long day, he receives a goodnight kiss and the words, "You're a good papa". It is all the affirmation he needs and that which makes all the sacrifices worthwhile and meaningful. Chris initially applied for the stockbroker internship because all the people on Wall Street had smiles on their faces and looked so happy, and he desired as much for himself and his son. In the end, after acquiring the coveted position, he rushes to passionately embrace his son, capturing the essence of what he knew all along. That it's not so much what you have but who you're with that really matters.

Above and beyond the example of Chris in this film, we are reminded that Our Heavenly Father lovingly keeps custody and provides for His children at every moment. That Our Father proves His willingness to sacrifice at all costs for His children, through the ultimate demonstration of life-giving love of the Cross. That Our Father too entreats every one of us, "You gotta trust me, alright?" when the uncertainties of life tempt us to doubt His providence and judgment. "See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 Jn 3:1)."

May we at all times learn to appreciate and love a Father so great!

In Jesus and Mary,
Edward

***
Now to the absurd. Namely, the rest of the AL Central doing the best they can to dust the Sox, the latest example being the Tiggers trading assorted shiny goods for Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera, who, even more than the Santana! is the crown jewel of available MLB talent this offseason.

A stupendous claim, you say. Gat, you must be out of your mind. That is totally bogus, as my students would say. Not so. Why?

• He's driven in 100+ runs the last 4 years, and hit over .320 the last 3. More telling indicators say that he's over 150 in OPS+ (which is MVP caliber) and has an OPS over .940. The only guy of recent vintage that had better age 21-24 seasons was Albert Pujols.
  
• He's going into his age 25(!) season, which means he's still cheap and the Tiggers can lock up his most productive years under contract for less than market price.
  
• He's had all this production with a mostly average Florida lineup protecting him and a cavernous stadium to hit in, so Tiger Stadium's much maligned hitter suppression won't affect him much. Also, he'll be surrounded by the likes of Sheffield, Ordonez, Guillen, et al., and playing for a winner.
  
• His fatness (as referenced in a previous post) is becoming less of a problem, as he's motivated by being on a winner and having fellow Venezuelan compatriots Ordonez and Guillen kicking his lardy butt. "I'll want to be in the best shape of my life" says he.
  

The downside is that he sucks on defense and he doesn't help the lopsided righthandedness of their lineup, and he may not want to stick around after his arbitration years, but he's still the real deal.

I humbly submit to the greatness of the Santana!, but he's going to cost a boatload of treasure, and he still is a pitcher desiring a long term contract, and pitchers are always a risky signing because of their significant odds of injury. He's definitely not a Kevin Brown, but signing any pitcher long term, no matter how great he is, is not as "safe" a bet as signing a position player who plays everyday. Also, unlike Santana!, there is no pressure to sign Cabrera to a long-term contract immediately, since he's still in his arbitration years. Cabrera gives the Tiggers a chance to compete now AND set up for the future.

Oh, AND... they got Dontrelle Willis, who is overmatched as an ace, but a perfectly serviceable #4 starter behind Verlander, Bonderman, and Rogers in the tougher AL, pitching in a friendly ballpark and an excellent defense behind him.

Fricking unbelievable.

What does this tell me about the Sox?

• Even if they had signed Torii Hunter (who signed a ridiculous contract with the Angels, but he can be a difference maker for them), they still would be 4th in terms of talent in this division. Also, signing Aaron Rowand is still not going to help.
• Seeing the demand and availability of pitchers like Santana!, Erik Bedard, and Dan Haren helps me realize that maybe the demand for Jon Garland wasn't ever that high, and that it'll be even lower for fodder like Jose Contreras. We were lucky to get the OC.
• The Sox don't have the prospects or the talent to trade for a big name. They dangled some combination of Fields, Gonzalez, and Broadway for Cabrera, but that wasn't going to be close to the 2 major league ready players and 4 plus prospects that Detroit could offer. There simply isn't enough to talent/value to trade, which is probably why Kenny has been trying to stick with what he had as long as he could, which usually ends up being a death sentence for repeating success. Teams with continued success always add something new and always have young talent coming to the forefront. Just for the record, the Sox have holes in LF, CF, 2b, a balky Joe Crede, and the bullpen (don't comfort me with the ludicrous Scott Linebrink signing. 4 years for $19mm for a reliever? Are we the fricking Mets now?)
  
• Heck, after the Royals signed Jose Guillen and ran in the bidding for Japanese import Kosuke Fukudome, the Sox might have the least amount of talent in the toughest division in baseball. That means last place, friends. With the Cubs at least making the playoffs last year, all of a sudden, 2005 seems really far away. I'm going to get a box of tissues, some ice cream, and watch my 2005 championship DVDs now.
  

buying lemonade instead of making it

Sox trade SP Jon Garland to the Angels for SS Orlando Cabrera + $1.5mm
Um, I know that Garland is a little overrated because his shiny stats are the "intangible" ones that dumb sportswriters and media types drool over (stuff like wins and being "playoff-tested"), but I didn't think that GMs were this smart. Considering the sort of contracts that guys like Ted Lilly, Jeff Suppan, and Gil Meche signed last offseason (all guys who don't have the youth, health, and track record that Garland have), it's a little tough to swallow that there wasn't a better deal available for the oh-so-coveted Starting Pitching.

That's not to say that the OC is terrible, because he isn't. He's an upgrade to Uribe's historically bad hacktastic-ness, although that's not saying a lot. He'll play good defense, he won't strike out too much, and he'll steal bases and play that grinder brand of baseball that made Darin Erstad and the White Sox promotions staff so rich. And he's 33 years old. Garland is 28.

The good thing is that both of them are in the last years of their contract, which means the Sox would have had to sign Garland to a long-term contract in his big-money years, which nobody really wanted to do, even if he did kind of earn it. Is he the guy you want to spend $13mm per? On the other hand, the OC costs only a $9 mm commitment for this year only. Which is a great move for a team that's trying to win right now, but not so great for a team like the Sox that has a lot of holes. The Sox are still the 4th best team in the division after this move. At best, I think adding OC and subtracting Garland is break-even, maybe less if Uribe ends up playing a lot of second base this year. The verdict ultimately depends on Kenny spends all the savings. Here's a hint: no Torii Hunter, although the Sun-Times is saying otherwise.

I'm not overly excited about it, because I don't think either of these guys is money well-spent, but there aren't really any better players out there (the Sox are not creative enough to get Miguel Cabrera). I think whether we can get a decent leadoff guy and the performance of Floyd and Danks will have more to do with success than Hunter or Cabrera. Yah, just to remind everybody, WE STILL HAVE JOSE CONTRERAS. Kenny's sure hit gold with all of those re-signings from the 2005 championship team.

Jill: #7 - "Heartbeats" Jose Gonzales (2:45)
#8 - "Fake Empire" The National (3:27)
#9 - "Is There a Ghost" Band of Horses (3:02)
#10 - "Summer in the City" Regina Spektor (3:50)

(I didn't forget 3-6, I just hid them somewhere else.)

Vote in Stereogum's Gummy Awards, win the best 50 albums of the year. Woo!

durable lefties are NICE

Mark Buehrle re-signs for 4/56mm. Take that, Barry Zito lovers.

The Sox very obviously need an overhaul, so it was a little strange to hear Buehrle's name being bandied about in trade rumors so often. Who do you build around on this roster beside someone like Buehrle?

Teams build around players that are 1) cheap, 2) young and 3) dependable. If you're young, then you're usually cheap. It's the rare treasure that is all three, young superstars like David Wright, Miguel Cabrera, and Brandon Webb. The sustainability of success depends a lot on those cheap, young, good players that keep the winning percentage up and the payroll down. Even big spenders like the Yankees (Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera) and the Red Sox (Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis) have young players playing at a high level every day, to offset all those high salary guys.

The short list of young and/or cheap is: Danks, Jenks, Fields, Podsednik and Iguchi
The list of dependable is: Buehrle, Garland, Uribe
The last list is guys who are probably too expensive to move: Thome, Konerko, Vazquez

So, with Buehrle back in the fold, the only guys left to deal are the Rotting Corpse of Jose Contreras and the Slightly Less Rotting Corpse of Jermaine Dye, both of whom have a year left on their contracts but may still entice someone into a two month rental for mid-level prospects. Vazquez has suddenly resurrected himself, having his first good year since 2003, so he looks unlikely to move.

The only other thing is to figure out which, if any, of the chumps among Luis Terreo, Andy Gonzalez, and Jerry Owens can play (survey SAYS: no), and see if we can get some more of those cheap, young, good players, because the 2007 Sox are overloaded with old, expensive ones.

Come on, Kenny!

all the stars you need

...and I don't mean the new Stars single, "The Night Starts Here." MLB vote tallies are in, so the hitters are set for the midsummer "classic." Instead of doffing the old hat of picking my own '07 all-stars, I thought, who are the best players of this DECADE? In the future looking back towards the Oughts (albeit an arbitrary but convenient span of time), which players will stick out? We're at a point in time where we can do that, too, being 7 years into it.

So... I picked these out by eyeballing the stats, looking at Win Shares, blabbedy blaZZZZZZZZZ. Ok here's the list.

MLB Team of the 2000-2010 (I know, it's actually 11 years)

C - Jorge Posada, NYY. Hasn't had a down year since the decade started. The NL counterpart would be Mike Piazza, who's only been middling since 2003, but had a spectacular 2000-2002.
Jorge's 2003: 281/405/518, 30 HR 101 RBI

1b - Albert Pujols, StL. The undisputed best. The AL's best for the decade was a little more cryptic, but Carlos Delgado has the slight edge over Jim Thome (injured 2005).
Fat Albert's ridic 2006: 331/431/671, 49 HR 137 RBI (in 143 games)

2b - Jeff Kent, SF/Hou/LAD. Has been very consistent even until this year, in his age 39 season. His AL counterpart is Alfonso Soriano, although his days playing 2b might be over.
Kent in his 2000 MVP season: 334/424/596, 33 HR 125 RBI

3b - Alex Rodriguez, Sea/Tex/NYY. Only because there are no AL 3bs worth a mention. Scott Rolen, Phi/StL is the best from the NL.
ARod's MVP 2005: 321/421/610, 48 HR 130 RBI 21 SB

SS - Derek Jeter, NYY. Over Miguel Tejada. Both have been consistent, but Jeter's good years have been better than Tejada's (according to OPS+). The AL also Carlos Guillen, Nomar when he was good, and ARod, but the NL is a barren wasteland of SS. Edgar Renteria had two Jeter-like years, but that's about it.
Jeter's 2006: 343/417/483, 14 HR 97 RBI 34 SB

OF
Vladimir Guerrero, Mon/LAA - Vladdy's 2000: 345/410/664, 44 HR 123 RBI
Manny Ramirez, Cle/Bos - ManRam's 2000: 351/457/697, 38 HR 122 RBI in 118 games
Steroid Bear, SF - The Bear's 2001: 328/515/863, 73 HR 137 RBI
Honorable mention OFs: Gary Sheffield, Lance Berkman, Magglio Ordonez, Ichiro!

Starting Pitchers
Roy Oswalt, Hou - 2005: 20-12, 2.94 ERA, 184 Ks, 1.20 WHIP
Tim Hudson, Oak/Atl - 2003: 16-7, 2.70 ERA, 162 Ks, 1.08 WHIP
Pedro Martinez, Bos/NYM - 2000 Cy Young: 18-6, 1.74 ERA, 284 Ks, 0.74 WHIP
Johan Santana, Min - 2004 Cy Young: 20-6, 2.61 ERA, 265 Ks, 0.92 WHIP
Roger Clemens, NYY/Hou - Rocket's 2005: 13-8, 1.87 ERA, 185 Ks (at age 42)
Honorable mentions: Roy Halladay, Randy Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano.

Relief Pitchers
John Smoltz, Atl - 2003: 45 saves, 1.12 ERA, 0.87 WHIP
Billy Wagner, Hou/Phi/NYM - 2005: 38 saves, 1.51 ERA, 0.84 WHIP
Trevor Hoffman, SD - 2006: 46 saves, 2.14 ERA, 0.97 WHIP
Mariano Rivera, NYY - 2005: 43 saves, 1.38 ERA, 0.87 WHIP
Jason Isringhausen, StL - 2005: 39 saves, 2.14 ERA

seamhead

Sammy Sosa hit #600 (homers, of course), which is only good in that it beat the Cubs, and in showcasing how steroids dilutes the sport. In related news, the once strong US dollar continues to lose value.

Anyways. Speaking of baseball and money, and the All-Star Game not too far away, I found diversion in trying to come up with the best 25-man roster, using the talent pool from each of MLB's divisions (so, the best roster based on the AL Central, NL Central, etc.). By the "best" roster, I mean trying to actually build a roster like a GM should. So this means picking backup middle infielders, having enough lefthanded relievers in the bullpen, and having an players who can actually field their positions (which is not a consideration in fantasy baseball). Some players are shifted around on defense, but not into a position where he would hurt the team (no putting Jim Thome back at 3b where he used to play).

I'll just put the AL Central, since I don't think anyone else cares about the other divisions. 14 position players, 11 pitchers, as most MLB rosters are. Just for kicks, I put in 2007 salaries.

AL Central - best 25 man roster

pos, name, team hitters C - Mauer, Min 1b - Morneau, Min 2b - Polanco, Det 3b - Inge, Det SS - Guillen, Det LF - Sizemore, Cle CF - Hunter, Min RF - Ordonez, Det DH - Sheffield, Det bench C - Martinez, Cle 3b/RF - Blake, Cle 2b/SS - Uribe, Chi OF - Granderson, Det 1b/DH - Thome, Chi pitchers SP - Santana, Min (L) SP - Bonderman, Det SP - Verlander, Det SP - Sabathia, Cle (L) SP - Buehrle, Chi (L) RP - Nathan, Min RP - Jenks, Chi RP - Neshek, Min RP - Peralta, KC RP - Betancourt, Cle RP - Carmona, Cle

salaries (in $ millions) 3,750,000 4,500,000 4,600,000 4,900,000 5,000,000 916,667 12,000,000 13,200,000 10,916,071 3,200,000 3,750,000 4,150,000 410,000 15,666,667 13,000,000 4,500,000 1,030,000 8,750,000 9,500,000 5,250,000 450,000 395,000 400,500 840,000 387,500 total $131,462,405

Notes: 1. Hunter over Sizemore in CF because of the better arm.
2. This division has no decent lefty relievers. For goodness' sake.

The best that the AL Central can offer tops a whopping $131mm, which, even more strangely, would only place it 3rd in all of MLB in payroll, behind the Yankee$ and the Red $ox. The average payroll in MLB is right around $84mm.

Obviously, a great team can cost a lot of money. So, what would a "best" roster culled from the AL Central look like if forced to stay under the $84mm cap? Still a contender?

pos, name, team hitters C - Mauer, Min 1b - Morneau, Min 2b - Barfield, Cle 3b - Inge, Det SS - Peralta, Cle LF - Cuddyer, Min CF - Sizemore, Cle RF - Ordonez, Det DH - Sheffield, Det bench C - Buck, KC 3b/RF - Teahen, KC 2b/SS - Bartlett, Min OF - Granderson, Det 1b/DH - Garko, Cle pitchers SP - Santana, Min (L) SP - Bonderman, Det SP - Verlander, Det SP - Sabathia, Cle (L) SP - Carmona, Cle RP - Nathan, Min RP - Jenks, Chi RP - Neshek, Min RP - Peralta, KC RP - Betancourt, Cle RP - Soria, KC

salaries (in $ millions) 3,750,000 4,500,000 395,800 4,900,000 1,000,000 3,575,000 916,667 13,200,000 10,916,071 440,000 416,000 405,000 410,000 383,100 13,000,000 4,500,000 1,030,000 8,750,000 387,500 5,250,000 450,000 395,000 400,500 840,000 380,000 total $80,590,638

As usual, the cost cuts came in the form of backups and relievers who tended to be cheap, younger players. The bulk of the cost was the starting rotation, and big bats having big years.

I am digging the new White Stripes and the new National. Happy Friday.

easter + baseball

"Resurrection," Piero della Francesca, 1463

"Christ has offered one single sacrifice for sins, and then taken his place forever, at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for him. By virtue of that one single offering, he has achieved the eternal perfection of all whom he is sanctifying." -- Hebrews 10:12-14

In the spirit of the great mystery of the Easter season, Raised by Wolves will preview the '07 MLB campaign according to the resurrections (and the inverse of resurrections, rotting corpses) within each division. Here's hoping that your team is resurrected, and not a rotting corpse (even you, Cubs fans).

NL West
Tightly packed mediocrity is the name of the game. Can the fogies (Ari's Randy Johnson and SF's Steroid Bear) bring their teams to contention? Probably not, so the Padres will dully limp their way to the division and get swept in the first round again.

It feels like SD, LA, Ari, SF, and Col, but not much difference between them.

Resurrections:

• Steroid Bear - So everyone hates you, you're coming off gimpy knee surgery and the hardest season that even your hellfire-hardened soul has gone through. What do you do? Come back in excellent shape so you can absolutely smash through Hank Aaron's record. It would be tragic, but beautiful, like synchronized swimmers drowning, if the last 98 MPH fastball of the Unit's career bounced off Steroid Bear's noggin while the Unit's balky back snapped in two. All I'm saying is, that's a heck of a Hall of Fame plaque, way better than what they have now.
• Marcus Giles - the Braves' trash is the Padres' new treasure, as they get a decent 2b for bargain basement prices (1 yr, $3.25m), which would only have gotten you about one third of Mark Derosa.

Rotting corpses:

• Randy Johnson - So, you're 41, going on 42. This is your second offseason with surgery. You came off a bad year, albeit pitching in a tougher division. But, nobody writes you off because you've made a career out of being a freak of human physiology. Technically, you should have been DONE about 5 years ago. The Unit can just as easily be in the "resurrection" pile above, except for the fact that he looks like a rotting corpse. He'll probably get a bunch of strikeouts with an ERA in the mid 4.00s.
  

Best version of the NL West:
C - Josh Bard, SD, 1b - Adrian Gonzalez, SD, 2b - Jeff Kent, LA, 3b - Garret Atkins, Col
SS - Rafael Furcal, LA, LF - Steroid Bear, SF, CF - Mike Cameron, SD, RF - Matt Holliday, Col
SP - Brandon Webb, Ari, Randy Johnson, Ari, Jason Schmidt, LA, Jake Peavy, SD,
Chris Young, SD
RP - Trevor Hoffman, SD

NL Central
The Cardinals proved that it's not the best team in the regular season, but the one playing the best ball in October that wins, adding the corollary of "it's good to play against opponents that put up the resistance of a wet sack" (thank you Padres and Tigers). They managed to get weaker in the offseason, and the Cubs spent a pot of gold on free agents. Raised by Wolves is not buying the hype from Milwaukee, as much fun as it would be to have another Midwest team in the playoffs.

Chi, StL, Hou, Mil, Pit, Cin. Yes, I'm actually picking the Cubs to win it. They have less holes in their pitching in a pitching-thin division.

Resurrections:

• Derrek Lee - the real engine for the Cubs' offense, since new acquisition Soriano will only exacerbate the team's weakness, plate discipline. Anybody who goes through that much undeserved personal tragedy, you root for.

Rotting corpses:

• Cubs bullpen - So with the sackful of cash spent (on a CF and 2 SPs), none of that was spent on a closer? Do we really need to recount the Ryan Dempster experience?
• Mark Mulder - Cards are hoping he regains his mojo, but his shoulder might be done. Sad thing, he's only 29.
• Milwaukee Brewers playoff hype (?) - No. They're not as consistently good as the Phillies, and the Phillies haven't made the playoffs since '93.
  

Best version of the NL Central
C - Michael Barrett, Chi, 1b - Albert Pujols, StL, 2b - Adam Kennedy, StL, 3b - Aramis Ramirez, Chi, SS - Adam Everett, Hou (only for defense)
LF - Jason Bay, Pit, CF - Alfonso Soriano, Chi, RF - Lance Berkman, Hou
SP - Roy Oswalt, Hou, Chris Carpenter, StL, Carlos Zambrano, Chi, Rich Hill, Chi, Aaron Harang, Cin
RP - Francisco Cordero, Mil

NL East
Last year was the Mets' year. End of story. Can they get over the hangover from losing a tough series? More importantly, can they overcome losing Pedro? Phillies fans will hate it every minute, but they're the favorites coming in.

Phi, NYM, Fla, Atl, Was. The Nationals are going to be historically bad.

Resurrections:
Miguel Cabrera - Now that he's finally coming in with the understanding that he has to actually stay in shape during the offseason, all the Pujols comparisons might come true. What is it with young millionaires and McDonalds, anyway?

Rotting corpses:
Pedro Martinez - The most dominant pitcher I've ever seen in a 5-6 year period (Clemens and Maddux never had a run like Pedro did from '97-'02), but he's probably done. Sorry bro, there's no bounceback from a torn rotator cuff.

Best version of the NL East
C - Brian McCann, Atl, 1b - Ryan Howard, Phi, 2b - Chase Utley, Phi, 3b - Miguel Cabrera, Fla
SS - Jose Reyes, NYM, LF - Pat Burrell, CF - Carlos Beltran, NYM, RF - Andruw Jones, Atl
SP - Cole Hamels, Phi, Tom Glavine, NYM, John Smoltz, Atl, Dontrelle Willis, Fla, Brett Myers, Phi
RP - Billy Wagner, NYM

AL East
NYY, bye, bye. Raised by Wolves can't get behind the Yankees winning the division again with a starting rotation that includes a broken Andy Pettitte, a crappy Carl Pavano, and gas-guzzling Japanese import Kei Igawa. It's unfortunate, though, that Boston had to become the very Evil Empire that they despise to reach the summit, just like Yoda said would happen if you embraced the Dark Side. The lesson as always, don't mess with Yoda's lunch.

Bos, NYY, Tor, TB, Bal.

Resurrections:

• Daisuke Matsuzaka - Dice-K comes in with better stuff and pedigree than Nomo did in '95, when Nomo led the LAD to a division title and won ROY. Matsuzaka has the same slow-whip, funky delivery but more heat on the fastball, a splitter, and the "gyroball," the firm existence of said pitch residing somewhere in the area code of Amelia Earhart, my vertical leap, and El Chupacabra.
• The good thing about the Yankees falling out of contention is that it means ARod will be a fantasy force again. Hugs and kisses for everybody!
  

Rotting corpses:

• Yankee starting rotation - "Geez, I can smell you from over here." - Texas Ranger, from "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"
• Curt Schilling -Admits that he didn't pay attention to his conditioning because he was devoting more time to his... video game company. By the way, you're 40 years old, way past whatever statute of limitations there is on miraculous bloody anklets. Fattiness aside, Schill's blog is a pretty great read, particularly the analysis of his pitch sequences.
  

Best version of the AL East
C - Jorge Posada, NYY, 1b - David Ortiz, Bos, 2b - Robinson Cano, NYY, 3b - ARod, NYY
SS - Derek Jeter, NYY, LF - Manny Ramirez, Bos, CF - Vernon Wells, Tor, RF - Carl Crawford, TB, DH - Jason Giambi, NYY
SP - Roy Halladay, Tor, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Bos, Erik Bedard, Bal, Chien-Ming Wang, NYY, Mike Mussina, NYY
RP - Jonathan Papelbon, Bos

AL West
The Angels, after signing good free agent deals (which have gotten worse over the years), have had their window of opportunity quashed by unwilling to part with prospects that never seem to pan out, while the gestalt-minded A's grind to 90 win seasons no matter what the personnel loss (the overrated Zito, this time). Actually, you can insert "Rangers" or "Mariners" in the that first sentence, but the outcome is always the same: A's win. Raised by Wolves is sad that superstars like Vladdy Daddy and Ichiro! are wasting away their prime in loser outposts, and invite them to a happy summer on the south side of Chicago, some time soon. Just putting that out there.

Oak, LAA, Tex, Sea, just like last year.

Resurrections:

• Mike Piazza - the Ahn Fantasy Baseball Favorite. Muhahaha. Plus, those blond tips will go over waay better in Cali then in NY, Mikey. 30 bombs and 100 RBI, Comeback Player of the Year, here we come.

Rotting corpses:

• Rich Harden - the A's really, really think that THIS will finally be the year he stays healthy. Really. They promise. Why not trade him and let someone else deal with the headache? Two straight years of substantial injury time is not bad luck, it's Kerry Wood.
• Eric Gagne - dude, it was a great run. Thanks for the memories, if only for bringing back goggles into professional sports again.
• Gary Matthews, Jr. - Angels sign him to 5/$55m after a career year, then find out that this 180-lb looking dude is accused of steroid use. Sweet.

Best version of the AL West
C- Mike Piazza, 1b - Mark Teixeira, Tex, 2b - Ian Kinsler, Tex, 3b - Chone Figgins, LAA
SS - Michael Young, Tex, LF - Nick Swisher, Oak, CF - Ichiro, Sea, RF - Vlad Guerrero, LAA
DH - Raul Ibanez, Sea
SP - John Lackey, LAA, Dan Haren, Oak, Felix Hernandez, Sea, Ervin Santana, LAA, Rich Harden, Oak
RP - J.J. Putz, Sea

AL Central
In the toughest division in baseball, the Sox can finish anywhere from first to fourth. Considering the issues around an old/overused pitching staff and an offense that is bound to regress after a stellar year, it looks like closer to fourth than first. But, Detroit looks like they have World Series sweep hangover. Minnesota wins with a proven formula of Santana + defense + tough homefield, but they've lost Liriano for the year. Raised by Wolves thinks the Cleveland Native Americans are ready to take their turn, but can't stomach their awful bullpen and field manager. Even KC is playing guys with actual talent, now. It'll be another wild finish, with the top two advancing to the post season.

Min, Cle, Chi, Det, KC

Resurrections:

• Gary Sheffield - Great trade, paying just for a year, and addressing an obvious on-base percentage deficit in the lineup. This has "Thome traded to the Sox in '06" written all over it.

Rotting corpses:

• Scott Podsednik - Despite being OddTodd's favorite, he seems to have ceased to do anything well on a baseball field, the proof being perennial rotting corpse Darin Erstad (DARIN ERSTAD) looking like an all-star in comparison. Winning is great, but Raised by Wolves thinks the Sox playing only 8 in the field might be too prohibitive. My kingdom for an Ichiro.
• Cleveland bullpen - You underperform by 11 wins (according to Pythagoras) in 2006, mostly due to relief pitching, so naturally you pick up Joe Borowski and Roberto Hernandez, and invite Keith Foulke to spring training for 2007, maybe accidentally thinking this was 2001? or 1999?
• Kenny Rogers - please get this overrated ragarm soft-tosser out of my house, please. Cuz he kills my team. Blood clot? Maybe it's all that "resin" you have on your hand.
  

Best version of the AL Central
C - Joe Mauer, Min, 1b - Justin Morneau, Min, 2b - The Gooch, Sox, 3b - Joe Crede, Sox
SS - Carlos Guillen, Det, LF - Gary Sheffield, Det , CF - Grady Sizemore, Cle, RF - Jermaine Dye, Sox, DH - Jim Thome, Sox
SP - Johan Santana, Min, Jon Garland, Sox, Jeremy Bonderman, Det, Justin Verlander, Det, C.C. Sabathia, Cle
RP - Joe Nathan, Min

Baseball's back! Happy Easter!

brother and baseball

Thursday, April 5

Dear Friends in Christ,

One day during my ethics class last semester, we were discussing the theme of friendship. More specifically, what the goal of friendship is: to love or to be loved? For Christians, the response is obvious in Christ's supreme love culminating on the cross by which He commands us, "Love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). And yet I was faced with a dilemma: If the goal is to love, in being altruistic and in seeking the good of the other, why do I instead often find myself seeking to be loved? Like all persons, I have the vocation to love and of being a man for others, and yet in examining my relationships (especially in THE relationship par excellence with God) I am aware of the constant tendency in seeking to be loved first by others. How then am I to evolve from seeking to be loved into loving first?

"In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us… We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:10,19). God loved us FIRST, not the other way around. The creative act is that which makes God the creator and us his creatures, and being the creator necessarily implies that He loved us first. It is in God's very nature to love first, and being creatures, it is thus natural for us in seeking to be loved by Him. The fact that God loves first means that His love cannot be purchased. God does not love because we deserve to be loved but because He wants to and must give it freely. During my sophomore year at the University of Illinois, one day I was at Mass in line to receive Communion. At that moment this thought occurred to me: How would I respond if Jesus through the priest, right before offering me the Eucharist were to say, "The Body of Christ… wait, not today, Edward. Come back when you are more worthy of me. When you are able to love me as I ought to be loved". I would have been terrified had I not been able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, my daily Bread, and yet it would have been completely justified had I not received Him… And in that moment after having received the Eucharist, I was so grateful for the Love that loves without limit. God beckons each one of us, "Come, come as you are", that is, come in the condition that you are in now. God does not wait for a more opportune time to love, but loves us immediately and totally, precisely because he knows that our existence depends on His love, because we need to be loved. Because without Him, we would not even be capable of loving first.

"We love, because He first loved us" (1 Jn 4:19). The wonder of God's Love is the ennobling effect of its recipient. That God loved first and that we have been loved by Him is by no means a stagnant reality. Rather, having experienced the utter fullness of His Infinite Love (Eph 3:18), we are transformed and invested with the capacity to become authentic lovers ourselves! It is God Himself, who having loved first, enacts us to be persons who no longer seek to be loved, but who love first. This is the gospel message, the Good News: God loved us first and we are loved by Him, and as a consequence, WE too are now able to love others first! It is thus we are able to respond generously and courageously to Christ's imperative to all Christians "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12). May the knowledge of the imminent Resurrection of Christ fill you with peace and joy as well as the desire to share the love with which God has loved you with others by loving first. A Blessed Triduum and Happy Easter!

In Jesus and Mary,
Edward

Ed's gotten a lot better as a writer since going off to seminary.

It's still been strange to be at "home" but I've slowly started to allow myself a few personal indulgences after having relatively few. I was sad (but also nerdily ashamed) that I was missing out on the NCAA tournament and pretty much all of spring training, so naturally, I got up this morning, checked my email, did morning prayer with a breviary I found lying around, and drafted a fantasy baseball team (roto scoring, picking 8th out of 12). Ah, relief.

Round, player

1. Carlos Beltran, NYM, OF - Santana already taken, Howard and Ortiz still on the board, still feels too high to take someone like Chase Utley or Carl Crawford. But, I've never picked him before, so...
2. Lance Berkman, Hou, 1b-OF - a personal favorite from the All Big-Boned Team
3. Roy Oswalt, Hou, SP - he's been on one of my teams ever since he got called up midseason 2001.
4. Rafael Furcal, LAD, SS - Whoops, didn't know he was injured. Could've taken Michael Young, but wanted speed over power, and Furcal was the last decent speed guy at SS. Yargh.
   
5. Brian Roberts, Bal, 2b - Did I take him too high? Another Ahn loyalty pick from year-to-year.
6. Paul Konerko, Sox, 1b - Still good for 35-100, I think, although Delgado might've been a better choice here. The hometown thing won out. On another note, Thome is not 1b-eligible this year, and gets taken two rounds later. Grrr. But, still looking good.
   
7. Cole Hamels, Phi, SP - One of those Young Starting Pitchers with lots of Upside and good strikeout rates (TM) that fantasy nerds rave about. Kinda like the anti-Mark Buehrle.
8. Mike Piazza, Oak, C - Catcher eligible, but will mostly DH. Oakland's had great luck with getting good years out of fading hitters (i.e. John Jaha, Frank Thomas, etc). I'm pretty sure he can double up any other catcher's production, except for Mauer.
9. Ricky Bobby Jenks, Sox, RP - Why did that nickname not occur to me earlier?
10. Dan Haren, Oak, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM) a few years ago, now is more like Solid but Unknown Guy.
    
11. Brian Fuentes, Col, RP - I hate it when everyone else starts taking relief pitchers so it forces you to do so, or else you're left with Bobby Thigpen and Rollie Fingers. At least I have two now, so I can concentrate on something else.
12. Rich Hill, ChiC, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM), even if he is a Cub.
13. Dave Roberts, SF, OF - Noticed that everyone is fishing for stolen bases, so this is trade bait for later. I have gaping holes at SS and 3b.
    
14. Luke Scott, Hou, OF - my favorite sleeper pick for '07. I think he's Lance Berkman, Part Dos.
    
15. Joe Crede, Sox, 3b - Not bad for the 15th round, but I'd like to upgrade here. I don't think I've ever had this many Sox players on my fantasy team. He's not the best, but at least JC won't embarrass me.
16. Brandon Phillips, Cin, 2b - Should I really have taken Brian Roberts that early?
17. Barry Bonds, SF, OF - Yes, yes, I know. But the Steroid Bear is on a mission, and he looks healthy, and it's the 17th round, ok?
18. Adam Wainwright, StL, SP-RP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM)
19. Dave Bush, Mil, SP - Young Starting Pitcher with good Upside (TM). One of the main reasons why Milwaukee is being touted as a contender, although I still don't get why.
20. Frank Thomas, Tor, Util - Muhahahaha.
    
21. Justin Duchscherer, Oak, RP - Pronounced "duck-sure," as in, "I am duck-sure that Huston Street will get injured again."
    

Also, clearly, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about.

meh

Darin Erstad, the ersatz loot for the once-proposed deal for Jon Garland, signed a one year deal with the Sox last week. This is good news in the light of Podsednik out for 6-8 weeks with sports hernia surgery. Erstad is a lefthanded bat off the bench that can play above average defense in all outfield spots and first base. Basically, he takes Gload's role, with + defense and - offense. I think anyone watching Rob Mackowiak, poor soul, "play" center field last year realized that the Sox needed an upgrade. Erstad is also a Gold Lover (TM) at first base, and although he shares Podsednik's crappiness against lefties, at least he can catch the damn ball, and he should be a more than adequate fourth outfielder. An outfield of Pods, Anderson, Dye with Erstad backing up is great, and Erstad, Anderson, Dye is an excellent defensive outfield.

Please note that said "FOURTH" outfielder above. Ozzie demonstrated very often last year that he had no problem taking Anderson out because of his offensive deficiencies, which ended up hurting the team more than he seemed to realize. Now with a shiny piece that has the Proven Winner tag on him, I think Ozzie might be even more tempted to sit Anderson and keep Erstad in the lineup even after Podsednik comes back. Just in case anybody is still hung over from Erstad's breakout 2000 season, he hasn't been an above average offensive contributor (OPS+ under 100 since 2001) since then, or been particularly healthy. It's not too hard to fathom that freaking Erstad could be an obstacle to Anderson, Ryan Sweeney, AND Josh Fields.

So, basically, I'd like to see lots of this:



And not a lot of this:


This is ok, though:


Darin Erstad is the intelligence litmus test for Ozzie. Are we doomed to see the same Ozzie mistakes from the past, or has the newer, less openly homophobic Oswaldo turned a new leaf.

christmas interrupted by the white sox

I heard Sisqo was releasing a single for the holidays, called "Perfect Christmas," forgetting just a minute the inherent lunacy of a short black man calling himself "The Dragon." Dude needs some serious help with his Asian culture fetish.

I got even MORE excited when I read the headline "Gload traded for Sisco" because my temporarily malfunctioning brain thought that the celebrity stock exchange game had come to life, and suddenly acquired the ability to trade in professional sports, and started wondering, hmm, is this a fair trade? Who wins in that? A useful spare part that can hit linedrives off the bench, or the "thong th-thong thong thong?"

I woke up to realize that Sisco was Andrew Sisco, a 23-yr-old lefty who's as tall as Randy Johnson, throws about the same, and if he's a third as good, this trade's awesome. Has a similar profile to Matt Thornton, a tall lefty with 95-98 velocity but control issues (which always makes me think his coworkers would say "he's too bossy" or "he never shares"). He'll probably start the year in Charlotte to see if he can continue developing as a starter, but if not, it's still a nice piece to have for Gload, whom Ozzie never used correctly anyway.

A more interesting trade is BMac going to the Rangers for precious, precious, minor league arms, the most notable being John Danks and Nick Massett. I like Baseball Prospectus' breakdown of the trade, which says the Sox get in Danks an equally talented piece as McCarthy. It just seems weird to make what looks to be a parallel move in a market where starting pitching is so valuable. I think the most viable explanation is that the Sox are looking to move one or more of the young pitching arms (TM) for a shinier piece (please Carl Crawford, NO Rocco Baldelli). So, a lot of the outcry seems unnecessary until the bigger move is made.

At least we know BMac had his Christmas dream come true, getting that starting rotation spot that he always wanted. Unfortunately, his craptacular home run rate (30 HR in 150+ IP) is going to be even more inflated in the Rangers' home park. It's not like last December, when the defending champs traded for Javy (I can't believe he's still on the roster) and re-signed Paulie, but, they're not the defending champs anymore, either.