Things will right themselves soon enough. The Orioles never cease to amaze me at how they figure out to lose. Still, I wear my orange and black.

4 out of 6 from the Phils and Mets: Good week for the Bravos.

What the hell happened to the Reds this weekend?

we'll have plenty of time to revisit this trade the remainder of the year and for years to come for the M's.

is this for real?

Cano was never really even highly touted. They would have traded in a deal with Dionner Navaro for Randy Johnson but the Diamondbacks thankfully didn't like him. Hughes is the only really highly touted elite prospect that the Yankees have had in the minors before Montero and he appears to be panning out fine. Joba moved too fast through the minors to really get much prospect buzz.

Tell me who are all these highly touted prospects that you think that they've had who have not panned out? As far as I can recall, it was commonly thought that the Yankees farm system stunk until Cashman took over responsibility for it a few years ago. There have been some guys who have been ok to good major leaguers (Nick Johnson, Juan Rivera, Alfonso Soriano, Jake Westbrook, Ted Lilly, Dionner Navarro, Damaso Marte, etc) to come out of the Yankees systems and a few disappointments (Brandon Clausson, Drew Henson, Eric Duncan and that shortstop that they traded in the Bobby Abreu deal) but I don't think those guys were ever considered to be among the game's top prospects even if they might have been the Yankees' top prospect at the time. Until they started really beefing up their international operations under Cashman and paying above slot for draftees, they stopped accumulating good minor league talent because they always drafted so low.

The Yankees system is pretty deep right now especially with catching and pitching. I'm fine with the Yankees not getting Lee. He was a luxury and I'm just as happy to keep Montero and go after him as a free agent if he doesn't ink a long term deal with the Rangers. I don't know enough about who else the Rangers gave up beyond Smoak to know which was the better package. I think they are probably more questions about Montero but I also think he has the higher ceiling. I'm guessing the Mariners' preference for Smoak may have been due to believing he was closer to ML ready. Montero is still only 20 years old and was struggling early this year in AAA.

one game is an admittedly small sample size, but suffice it to say watching him give up 6 runs (including THREE HRs) to the lowly o's did not leave me even remotely impressed

But the O's eventually swept this series, with three already established Rangers starters involved in the blech.

true

the rangers bats went into the deep freeze that entire series

just dismal

Based on what? The fact that he, and apparently you, can't read?

The only thing I've ever argued really is that the All Star selection process is hopelessly out of date with large fan bases having a ton of influence, fraternities of coaches being able to bring in less deserving guys, and the fact that most fans are just dumb and fill out a ballot at their ONE game they go to and just vote for the most popular name. Again, this outrage over Votto not getting in and Infante in is just dumb. Players get screwed every year.

I've never argued that Infante is a better player than Votto. Christ, it's not even the same playing field. He's not an every day player. Again, BOTH managers were instructed by MLB to each select a "multi-position" player so they both teams could take advantage of the new re-entry rule. Manuel looked at several players and chose Infante (who can play 7 positions in the field) and Girardi picked Ty Wigginton. And, yes Timmy, I do think having those players is a strategy. I didn't say he was going to win the game but how many times have we seen All Star teams run out of players or have people play out of position? It's is a nice luxury to have in a situation like that. I, for one, would rather a journeyman utility guy like that get to have this moment than some situation like Cal Ripken getting in during his last (?) season batting just above the Mendoza line.

As for Votto, people should be more mad that Manuel chose the overpaid and underperforming (for the money he's making) Ryan Howard over Votto. Fortunately for him he got in but I still maintain that at the start of this season not many people outside of hardcore fans and fantasy gamers knew this guy. I mean, he plays in a small market for a team that hasn't made the playoffs in over a decade (have they?). Quick name 3 players for the Royals not named Zach Grienke.


Regardless, anyone older than 12 that really invests in the All Star game (or any pro All Star game for that matter) has got bigger issues than we need to get into here.

BTW, Chipper was scratched due to back spasms for the Mets series and Infante played 3rd.

He went 9 for 14 for the series.

In a slow first half (which is his norm) he still leads the league in RBIs

Votto has some really impressive numbers, but it's not like picking Ryan is a crime.

Agreed which kind of goes with my point, don't hate because the other guy is better known than your guy or the fact that the manager can do that because he just won the world series.

Seems to me you are more invested in defending Infante than most of us are in pointing out that he is an odd selection. I am pretty sure I could name at least ten Royals and probably a couple of their prospects and they don't have a position player that is close to Votto calibur.

There are indeed underserving all star selections. I think the fans do a relatively decent job though now that most of the voting has moved online. The most glaring snubs are usually the result of the rules requiring every team to have a representative and the managers rewarding their own players.

Possibly. To be honest I can't say I even knew he was on the Braves roster on opening day. I only became aware of him when Chipper first started missing games (as he inevitably does) and when Nate Mclouth went on the DL. He started getting a lot of playing time and was having success.




Well, you are NOT the casual baseball fan and after this revelation, I think you may be a degenerate baseball gambler.

While I agree with your sentiment, unfortunately MLB disagrees and actually makes the game mean something.

So "Goooooo NL" just in case the Bravos make the WS

Where were you when Sid slid?

I'd rather watch Cal Ripken in a wheel chair take the field one last time in an All Star game than ever see Infante.

Derris, it's really going to be hard for Infante to play all seven positions with your mouth on his cock the entire time. AMIRITE??

[sarcasm]but they are playing for home field advantage. This game means something.[/sarcasm]

In Erik Stull's family room, high as a kite, with tears in my eyes...

FIXED

The Yankees that is..

So Omar Infante is probably going to end up winning the game MVP now. I'm tivoing the game. I mostly don't care about it but I am interested in seeing some of the young NL pitchers that I don't see much of as an AL fan.

I'm pretty happy that the 10 minutes of this game I watched included McCann's game winning double.

Hmmmmm.

Braves trade Yunel Escobar & Jo Jo Reyes to Toronto for Alex Gonzalez and 2 minor leaguers.


Interesting trade. Escobar has shown signs of being all world at times but a petulant cancer who doesn't hustle at others. He's younger than Gonzalez as well.

But, Gonzalez is proven. I guess the front office got tired of Yunel's antics.

Today, I'm saying this was a good move.

If Gonzalez goes down in the next 2 weeks (knock on wood).............worst move ever.