disarcina

I guess Marte is off the list then -- keep Marte and Cowart? Where's the roster room?

not sure why Angels even invited Carter to camp. Halos camp/ roster battle was not the best fit for Carter. We've got a traffic jam at one-dimensional type DH players -- Puljos, Valbuena and Ohtani (well, one dimensional in terms he is not position player - DH only, perhaps PR). tough for Carter to bump any one of those guys.

yeah - I mis-read that Fletcher double - negative. I guess Ohtaini is 'on the bubble' perhaps they'll send him to USC to start the season in the NIT.

Looks like a good group and fun times.........

Well if Jeff Fletcher says Ohtani is likely to get the start in the Season opening series in Oakland, then I guess Ohtani is a lock to be on the 25 man roster and in the rotation. For the Oakland A's franchise sake, I hope Ohtani does NOT start the opening game for which there will be good attendance. Typically, opening day is about the only 'good attendance' game the A's can count on...........so if Ohtani starts game 2, 3 or 4 instead, then the normal 14,000 crowd (the old Chick Hearn quote used many times here before -- "if there's 20,000 fans here tonight as reported, then more than half of them came dressed up as empty seats.......") will swell to more than 30,000 -- perhaps more for Ohtaini's first MLB start. I'd expand the press box and put some of the non-local national MLB writers up in the AL DAVIS seat section in center field and save the better press seats for the large contingent of Japanese media.

TANK --- here's what happened -- our LA Kings really TANKED. Geez -- and I was just getting over that recent awful loss to the Blackhawks at Staples when the Kings melted down in the third period. The meltdown today was Periods One, Two and Three. This team may NOT be a playoff team after all. Today was awful.

Randy Johnson also on that No Hitter in Both Leagues list. Cy Young was the first one to do it and then no one did it again until Jim Bunning. Amazing to consider that NOLAN RYAN had SEVEN NO HITTERS in his career. Should be wearing a Halos cap in the HOF. Oh well. We'll wind up with two Number 27's in there.

fyi -- I looked it up -- Nomo had 123 MLB pitching wins.

well, let's see how the rest of the Spring goes -- very few have been able to make that lateral jump from the Japanese League right into a full time role in MLB.. sure, some have -- Ichiro was the most impressive and notable -- but he was already pretty much of a HOF'er in Japan by the time he came here and put up HOF numbers in MLB. Hideo Nomo was a sensation and did quite well, both with the Dodgers and later on -- folks don't fully appreciate that Nomo had a pretty good overall career in MLB even after leaving the Dodgers and being the early sensation that he was.......He won 150-200 MLB games. Oh well, we'll see how it all works out - I think Ohtani has the natural talent but its tough for anyone to translate talent into success....and he's doing so under some pressure packed circumstances with over the top expectations.........giving more time to make adjustments in all aspects of what he is dealing with is something I believe remains an option that should be given some considerations..........others disagree with that............that's fine.

I wouldn't consider Ohtani staying in Tempe for a prolonged Spring Training a demotion 'to the minors' - I consider a healthy alternative to placing a 23 year old kid with the hopes of an entire country on his shoulders and the interest of an entire MLB nation and associated media -- time to make what has to be just an unbelieveable pressure packed adjustment for a somewhat introverted, not that socially aware, kid. It's asking a lot. A month plus with daily workouts and some simulated games pitching in Tempe may allow him to have a better debut and actually increase his confidence level - which is about half the battle. I feel for the kid - this ST can't be easy. I think of Bobby Bonds "the next Willie Mays'; Bobby Murcer "the next Mickey Mantle' and for Ohtani in this day and age and everything else -- it has to be a thousand times worse that it was for those guys.

It's still somewhat early in ST - but in about a week -- amazingly - it will be the mid-way point. Here's the question with the much hyped Ohtani -- after all the build up do the Halos consider opening the season without Ohtani on the 25 man roster? Not sure how this would work - but rather than have him sent to SLC to start the season, the Halos might consider leaving Ohtani behind in Tempe for an extended Spring Training to give him additional time to adjust to MLB, new country, new living situation and being a 23 year old kid who has the hopes of his home country on his shoulders (with his every move televised back home) and the eyes of MLB fans across the US and elsewhere on him wondering if he truly can be the next 'BABE RUTH' as touted on '60 Minutes' and elsewhere. Ohtani could work out in Tempe (I don't think the Angels have anything other than a short season Rookie A League (short season) team there) and perhaps join the big league roster in mid-May or so. Not the start of the season, a little less hype and attention (although Ohtani will get the media attention where-ever he goes). Anyway -- given what we've seen so far --with so much pressure on Ohtani and the difficulties with all the adjustments -- perhaps a delayed start to his Halos MLB debut might be the way to go. A tough call but one that may help him have a chance to get off to a better start and better over the long haul.

I am going to re-post this -- I think I got back to the folks who responded. There were two or three that I could not get into the league I mentioned above but we have now started a second league with a number of vacancies......... same rules as above but it's not a Keeper league. It's free, fun. If you are an FLB fanatic and hover over it 24/7 -- this league (called the "Part-time Players League") is not necessarily for you. this league is for folks who want to follow and be informed about all the players in MLB (and nothing does that like following FLB on a regular basis) but don't want to spend hours on line or have to set up logistics to have everyone at one place at one time for a live draft. This league is auto-pick - you rank the players, ESPN drafts them for you and during the season you can adjust the line up based on when it's convenient for you -- 11 PM at night, 4 in the morning or 12 noon. Takes about five minutes a day if you adjust your line up daily - and you can probably get away with adjusting it every other day or so. All we ask is you stay active and play right to the final out of the final game of the season. e-mail me if you want a spot: tj.staffel@comcast.net I will get back to you as soon as I can, it may be a day or two. Be patient. Thanks.

my earlier comment about Pujols is more about what a liability he is on the base paths more than anything else. Ohtani has wheels and can fly -- I'd be tempted to run Ohtani for Pujols almost as early as the 5th inning -- but then I you really can't risk playing Ohtani in the field so Valbuena is who you have for 1B unless you are going to move Cozart over there for the late innings and Valbuena at first - I'd rather have Cozart at 3B late innings.......Cozart and Simmons means not much getting through that side of the infield.

geez --- how terrible is this??? oh well, perhaps he'll go from Cincy to SLC........

May have one team owner spot in an AW.com FLB league started back during the ESPN days. Won't know for sure until next week. it's now an 8 team Keeper league -- you'd be taking over a team with Keepers from last year. This league was started with mostly AW.com members long ago as a ten team league and is now a 8 team league. A few Aw.com stragglers (like me) still in the league but some other folks too. The league is for someone who wants to be in an FLB league but does not have time for it to be distraction. It's run through/ operated by ESPN. We do an auto-draft (which is pretty much unheard of these days) because the logistics of having everyone in place for a live draft is next to impossible. The league is designed for the person who wants to keep up with all the players in MLB without becoming a fanatic needing to watch every game. It takes a about five minutes of your time per day at whatever time works for you. It's not all intensive but fun to follow the players and keep a better eye on who's doing what at the plate, on the mound. If you are a FLB fanatic constantly working on your team and spending hours on this stuff..........this isn't your league. The league is designed for folks who can spend a few minutes each day updating their team but not making it an all encompassing activity. We do ask that who ever does join remain active in the league from DAY ONE to the last out of the last game of the regular season. Folks who quit their team mid-season really mess things up. So we need someone that will play hard and participate daily from the first day of the season to the last day of the season. if you want in please e-mail me at: tj.staffel@comcast.net please list your return e-mail in the body of the text you send and I will e-mail instructions/ invite back to you next week, perhaps mid-week.

I am thinking that today's "B" game at Maryvale was the most internationally televised Spring Training "B" game of all time.

Pennington spot on the roster isn't assured. I think he's the starting SS or 2B for SLC

Cozart will play closer to 120 games at 3B is he stays healthy. he will spell an aging Kinsler at 2B about once a week during the second half perhaps.

Chris Young is the OF'er I was thinking of that we picked up. I see him making the team ahead of Carter and Young can DH at times. as for our OF of Upton, Trout and Calhoun -- unless they spell Calhoun on occasion, I just don't see these guys sitting down much. Same thing with A. Simmons - he could play 162 games this year or pretty close to it.

Valbuena - but why do I think Marte has the better glove and Valbuena the better (power) bat ? If Pujols plays 1B this year on the days that Ohtani is not in the line-up (meaning he pitched the day before or is pitching the next day) -- expect Valbuena to get some late inning playing time at 1B. It'll go something like this: Pujols, in the line up at 1B, doubles to start the sixth, perhaps even as soon as the fifth inning......Ohtaini runs for Puljos, Valbuena plays 1b the rest of the way. Now, we also have Carter in camp and picked up another OF'er with a bat --- either one of those guys could be DHing........for some reason I don't think Carter makes the 25 man roster........and as I type this, someone may let me know that Carter has already been released from camp -- I just don't see Carter making the team and unless he wants to be a 5-A player at SLC this year, it's best he get cut loose soon so he can have chance to catch on with an MLB team that might keep him on the roster to start the season.

Lucky dogs (well, Halos !) all of you folks headed to AW.com ST Fan Fest this year. Should be a blast and a great year to be in Tempe. expectations running a bit high here for our Halos -- I do think it's going to be an exciting year. Hoping to read posts from Fan Fest. Should be a lot of good times.

yeah, a $1 million dollar one year deal will get it done.........sure. having said that - anyone watching Arrieta's starts last year and even the second half the year before that -- well, let's just say the drop off in effectiveness was very noticeable. I wouldn't want to be the team over-paying for him. I think he needs a return to the AL.

Arena Baseball.........

and trout kicks a late inning field goal to win the game for the Halos 24-22. team ERA is lowered to 17.56

the Ohtani era has begun..........let's re-design the ballpark........perfect.