disarcina

make these extensions happen.........all good choices and solid players. Street coming over really made a difference for us last year. Ianetta is solid, when healthy. Richards -- take a chance now while there's still some question about his ability to rebound -- well worth it -- Richards was headed for a break out, ALL STAR / ACE OF THE STAFF performance of a season last year when he went down.......if he picks up where he left off for a second year, well, suddenly it gets real expensive.

c'mon.......I thought the headline and story was good news when I read it.........finally something going our way........ no need for doom and gloom on this. Richards are cruising with an ALL STAR/ ACE like breakout season when he went down.

does this mean they are going to cut down on the commercial breaks? don't think so. and here's the (name the sponsor) call to the bullpen...........

betchya he'll get an ST invite from someone. the Nashville AAA team is what MLB team's affiliate -- perhaps Blanton could catch on there and play at home. He's a real 'homer' as a pitcher. I think he gave up more HRs in 2013 than any other MLB pitcher -- or at least he was leading the pack at one point in the season, Bartolo Colon or someone may have eclipsed him once Blanton got yanked out of the rotation and out of MLB that year. any team who signs him may want to go back and check the press clippings that referred to Blanton as "the worst pitcher in MLB" based on his 2012/ 2013 stats. I like the link to the article above, like days past it refers to Blanton as an 'innings eater' -- well, towards the end of his rotation days with the Halos, he wasn't getting much past the third inning.

Well, I am not a big fan of Freese.......I don't dis-like him per se -- I just don't think he's very good at the plate, on defense or on the base-paths -- other than that he's a heck of a guy. and, YES, the options at 3B are pretty limited.

I thought he was signed through this season...........well, now I guess we can deal him at deadline time?

Rutledge is the default pick at 2B........he did hit some (and with some power) but that was in Coors Field. I think, despite what we all commented about here, Beckham going back to the White Sox was a foregone conclusion. He was a definite rental.......and he did pretty much what was asked of him by the Halos ------and good thing they got him, too, because as much as I liked the little things John McDonald did for us defensively last year -- by the time Beckham showed up at deadline time..........McDonald hadn't had gotten a base hit in months..........

Viciedo hit a bunch of homeruns to start the season a few years back and had a decent first half..........hasn't done much since but folks seem to remember that fast start. I think if you check his stats, he racks up the K's......... some team will pick him up though..........he'll certainly get an ST invite from someone -- NOT US!!!

good call by Beckham -- he was fairly popular there with the ChiSox and is comfortable there. I think more players need to find the proper fit / organization and team to be with and stick with them rather than chasing the top dollar. with guys like Beckham and others (particularly pitchers) it probably prolongs their MLB career and over the long run they actually make more money because they maintain that million dollar plus paycheck for more years. (I always thought that Jeff Weaver made a mistake not staying with St. Louis after he won those post-season (including W/S) games for them. Dave Duncan was the pitching coach at the time and he sort of turned Weaver's career around......had Weaver stuck with the Cardinals, he might have stayed in the bigs a bit longer......but he signed a big contract with I think the Seattle M's and went the way most of the M's big contract signings go.......I think Robinson Cano FINALLY broke the streak of F/A signing busts for them........ Beckham was a rental for us and did his part.........he's not an every day regular but you can start him at 2B, 3B and perhaps even SS but I don't think he's that great at SS -- but if your starter goes down, Beckham can fill the spot for a week or so..........he would have been good MIF/ corner bench depth for us -- and he can run a bit (not blazing speed but when you've got someone like Freese on the base-paths, an improvement) which means you can PR in late innings as well.

if a guy goes on the DL and skips a road trip to NY and Boston, I wonder if he tells the taxing authorities there to shove it........."I wasn't in your state"

players pay pursuant to the rules of the state where they play the games..........and for book keepers and CPAs, it's a hassle. but California certainly gets it share from players who play for teams from other states.......it's sort of a rip off but the salaries are so high, it ends up being quite a bit of revenue. I mean, they're probably not going to go after the Wal Mart worker lives and works in Arizona and goes over to Blythe for the weekend to open up a new store....... Payment in Canadian dollars has always been an issue for the Canadian based teams - that's why a lot of players don't want to play there.......... and Yes, when you play 81 games in Texas or places like that (didn't the State of Washington also have no state income tax?) it's a real break,

oh well. the Colorado River is pretty nice, too.

His father passed away (suddenly) two years ago. So maybe his family is relocating to the West Coast. His dad was a Texas (University of Texas) football icon having led the Longhorns to a national title as QB. Before that he was multi-sport all star Texas high school athlete. He was QB for his high school football team and in his senior year, his final HS game, he took his team to the championship game......was doing the fourth quarter two minute drill driving his team to the end zone with a chance to win the championship game when he called a time out with little time left not realizing his team was OUT OF TIME OUTS.......... after all his football success, James Street started up a very successful financial services business part of which catered to financing law firms and legal cases. His late father is still a sports legend in Texas.

"LET's PLAY TWO" Mr. Cub, Number 14, ERNIE BANKS along with another great STAN MUSIAL -- led the league each and every year and ALL TIME as well, in the most important stat category in the game (Mr. James track this one, please)......as the MOST GENUINE, DECENT, KINDEST, OPTIMISTIC, GOOD HEARTED players ever to put on a MB uniform. The loss to MLB today is tremendous. An all time Ambassador to MLB, the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and LIFE IN GENERAL. One of LIFE"s ALL STAR HALL OF FAMERS has left us. Here's to Mr. Cub, Number 14. "LET's PLAY TWO" !!! (sadly there are few scheduled double-headers on MLB schedules these days and then they are day/ night affairs designed to squeeze in more revenue dollars -- I think the last true scheduled double-header I attended was between the CHICAGO CUBS- SF GIANTS at Candlestick Park -- must have been in the late 80's. I think GAME TWO went extra innings !!) Ernie Banks would have been smiling that day -- it was a LONG day of baseball -- of course, the Candlestick winds started whipping up about the 7th inning of GAME ONE.)

bad news for the A's -- lose a quality pen guy and lose a guy they could move for more player additions at trade deadline time.........

interesting -- wonder if he'll get the chance to play there......... not sure if at this point in his career he can perform the role that would give him the most playing time -- late inning defensive OF'er in RF and perhaps some pinch running..........even at his current age, he's probably faster on the base paths than most.

The Art of the Patient Hitter/ Pitch Selection Techniques -- Vladimir Guerrero

A-Rod is really going to need to get off to a quick start at the plate to shut up the crowd (just waiting for him), If he gets off to a slow start, the NY fans will be all over him........and GEEZ, can you imagine his first 2015 trip to Fenway?

Pagan has an injured back or leg -- something like that -- so he's not the defensive player he once was.........he must have spent 40 to 50 games on the DL last year.

OK -- ANAHEIM at home and LOS ANGELES on the road -- PERFECT!!

great jersey -- gotta love that LOS ANGELES in red.

what's Richards status? I thought he was on schedule to be ready to go at the start of the season? NO? as for Calhoun leading off -- my take is that it worked last year and you know the old adage........'if it ain't broke............'

Vogelsong has not been that reliable -- even as a number 4/5 -- for the Giants last year and pretty much the year before as well. He could get hit hard at Houston's park.

I liked the Anaheim jersey -- I notice they don't sell them any more. perhaps we could play half the away games with a Anaheim jersey and half with Los Angeles !

I may have over-stated his power -- only hit one HR last year -- didn't he hit one in the post-season? and YES - insurance for Pagan -- Pagan was GREAT for the Giants -- when he was in the line up -- but he was on the DL so much -- but check the SF Giants win loss record with Pagan leading off and then the W/L with him on the DL/ not in the line up -- Giants really needed him to spur their offense.