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Tom Strange
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I also think that Manny and NY is a tough fit.

I can even see the Angels getting him, if the Dodgers can't put it together. That would fry Dodger fan, and would be just as good for Manny. Actually better for Manny in that he can dh-especially in years 2 and 3. Plus he'd be hitting with Vlad (and Tex?).

I just think he'd be happier in laid back LA, than anywhere in the north.

Maddon was referring to the revenues small market teams have received from MLB. I'm not familiar enough with how they work. Joe seemed to think the Rays benefited by the big market payrolls. I don't recall where I read it, but it must have been a quote in the LA Times right after the series.

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I forget right now---its a luxury tax or something... its one of those... socialist, marxist, communist terrorist share the wealth programs....... .......o.....sorry....I was channeling my inner Rhino for a minute :) :biglaugh: --dont know where that came from.....must be reading too much of the pols forum.....

I better go take a walk........

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I also think that Manny and NY is a tough fit.

I can even see the Angels getting him, if the Dodgers can't put it together. That would fry Dodger fan, and would be just as good for Manny. Actually better for Manny in that he can dh-especially in years 2 and 3. Plus he'd be hitting with Vlad (and Tex?).

I just think he'd be happier in laid back LA, than anywhere in the north.

Maddon was referring to the revenues small market teams have received from MLB. I'm not familiar enough with how they work. Joe seemed to think the Rays benefited by the big market payrolls. I don't recall where I read it, but it must have been a quote in the LA Times right after the series.

I dunno... that's an intriguing scenario for Manny, with the Angels, but I can see him wanting to stick it to the Red Sox by donning the pinstripes... He'd make NY be laid back... :)

I forget right now---its a luxury tax or something... its one of those... socialist, marxist, communist terrorist share the wealth programs....... .......o.....sorry....I was channeling my inner Rhino for a minute :) :biglaugh: --dont know where that came from.....must be reading too much of the pols forum.....

I better go take a walk........

You might be onto something there! ! !

MLB IS, after all, AMERICA'S GAME. And if it's good enough for MLB, it should be good enough for the good ol' U S of A, right? :biglaugh:

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MLB IS, after all, AMERICA'S GAME. And if it's good enough for MLB, it should be good enough for the good ol' U S of A, right? :biglaugh:

Maybe, though from my perspective, there's more to baseball than MLB.

and there's more to MLB than Manny!

(especially since he left the Indians)

Yea, it is fun to watch on TV or in person. But how many of you have felt the pleasing sting of a hard foul off the mask?

But I know where you're coming from. GSers have never been that excited about football it seems. I mean, what does NFL stand for anyway?

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Im not sure when they announce but Im pretty sure your man Cliff Lee will be bringing home the hardware, thats a no-brainer.

I know Rock wants Brandon Webb in the NL, but I'm gonna be a contrarian and pick Tim Lincecum just to rile Rocky a little and also because yes as a sometime catcher I took a few off the mask in my day (including one in the throat) which probably effects my ju ju ju judgment at times

ouch--between the eyes??

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yeah-right between the eyes. I was 12. A guy on the mound (Bob Tremello-I remember his name) throwing as hard and as wild as he could. First pitch came right at my head, and I was a deer caught in the headlights. The pitch busted my glasses apart-which may have protected my head some. Bleeding profusely, getting a few stitches that day.

I recall the first (and about the last) girl who had a 'crush' on me being at the game, and sitting with me, while I waited for the car to take me to the doctor. I was too young to know how to work on that sympathy though.

For a long time after that, I couldn't bat against fast pitch. I flinched whenever a ball came anywhere inside. I worked through it a couple of years later by making myself hit in a batting cage.

Of course, by that time my team playing days were a memory, and I was doing it for myself. It was a surprise to me that I learned to hit again. By that time I knew the Yankees weren't going to be needing me, though.

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Damn-thats a real Tony Conigliaro type story. Its amazing how life can turn on a dime like that.

I was a good hitter until I got hit by Ray Toothaker a hard throwing wild lefty when I was 13 BUt That just bounced off my helmet -- it was enough to make me start bailing out on my swing. i was still a good fielder but I went from being a leadoff guy to the bottom of the order pretty fast as my confidence at the plate diminished. I worked at it too but by 15-16 I took up smoking weed instead and other than pickup games was done.

I cant imagine taking one in the face and ever getting back in the batters box --especially at 12--thats a tough break.

As far as the girl--dunno--try a puppy

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Of course, by that time my team playing days were a memory, and I was doing it for myself. It was a surprise to me that I learned to hit again. By that time I knew the Yankees weren't going to be needing me, though.

...and my phone isn't ringing off the hook with AL or NL ump supervisors offering me a job. But at 58 this is a way for me to be right where the action is.

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Ever since the kids were little--we have been playing summer baseball in the hay field. Birthdays--picnics--just a fun tradition. All their friends would play--it was pretty well a highlight. As my daughter and her friends grew--their baseball ability grew. They were all on teams--awesome players!! Really fine athletes.

Hubby, being the kind man he is, still pitched to them like they were 5. I will never forget it. This one girl Jennie--a STAR player got up there. Hubby threw her a sweet pitch and she wailed that thing. . . . . . . right into his . . . .well, let's just say. . . . . all the men here, if they saw it happen, would have said "OucHHHHHHhhhhhhh"

He didn't walk straight for awhile. I remember him laying on the ground in horrible pain--trying to assure Jennie he was okay(once he started breathing again)

Needless to say, I closed it out.

He never threw them a fat pitch again.

I do have some great pictures though.

Edited by geisha779
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In my younger days, I played softball and baseball. In one softball game, I was mad at not being put in until late in the game, so I decided I was going to take it out on the pitcher. I came up and let two perfect strikes go by before the unsuspecting pitcher obliged me and gave me one over the plate but very low. I swatted that ball as hard as I could right off his legs, and was on first before anyone else could get to it. And no, being the nnice guy that I have always been, I wasn't aiming for any particular spot. Of course it was softball, and "as hard as i could" certainly wasn't that hard with my so-so strength, so I didn't really hurt the pitcher. But it was enough for me at the time.

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Ive already said my piece about Manny and the Yankees--Im sure they'll go for him but think he'd do better out west-

but thats just my opinion. Sabathia on the other hand could be a force for along time( if he keeps his weight down-hes been looking pretty big the last few years)--signing both of them plus already having ARod and Jeter doesnt seem financially feasable--even for the Yankees-That would be near 100 mil a year for just 4 players... filling out the other 21 slots and they could be nearer to 300m than 200mil...

..never mind the draft choices theyd lose.

Dont take it personal Hiway -I try to be fair (alright..well most of the time i do...). Winning makes teams a target, no one hated the Red Sox (except some Yank fans) until they won--thats all starting to change...Decades of Yankee success has frustrated enough people to make it a national pastime to hope the Yanks fail, the RS are getting on that list too.

Eh

Make sure you all VOTE today...

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Decades of Yankee success has frustrated enough people to make it a national pastime to hope the Yanks fail, the RS are getting on that list too.

Sure it does. This old fart Indian fan and Yankee hater was bred during the Yankee/Indian rivalry of the '50s into early 60s. And of course the Yankees won a lot during that time. But the only time that Casey's Yankees won a hundred games, they lost to the tribe by eight. It is just too bad that, at age four, I didn't appreciate it that much at the time. But i sure heard a lot about it later in that decade.

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...its been a few days since i posted here... from what I hear a few other things have been going on in the country :)

I hope you all voted....

After watching the gimmicky election returns on CNN with the Stars Wars like holograms. I can only say there is a lot of room for improvement in coverage

I suggest next election they bring in my two pregame ( ...ahem..) "analysts" Heidi Watney and Amalie Benjamin to count the electoral votes..... At least they'd look better than Wolf Blitzer...

heidiamalie2-785415.jpg

and now that the election is over can we get down to real business---the Hot Stove League... :)

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The Dodgers have offered Manny 45 mil for 2 years.

Of course that's a lot of money, but it's basically telling him to go elsewhere.

Boras the anti-christ wants a 6 year deal. For a 37 year old player, that's kinda absurd, but offering 2 years is a joke.

I really question the Dodgers commitment to winning, and respect for the fans. I also question their intelligence. Manny made the Dodgers respectable and exciting for the first time in 20 years. It's impossible to overstate the difference in going to a Dodger game after Manny arrived . He's already made them millions, and the Dodgers didn't even pay him last year !

Andruw Jones was given a 36 million, 2 year contract. That's in the ballpark of the Manny offer.

Without Manny, the Dodgers are an average team. The problem is, even when they're horrible, the Dodgers draw close to 4 million a year. They may come late, and leave early, but the Dodgers still got your money.

If that's the best offer they can do, it's quite sad. They'll spin it to the fans as having 'done their best'. I don't think anyone's buying it this time. They'll still be at the park next year though, because there's nowhere better to be in LA on a summer evening than Dodger Stadium-regardless how crappy the team on the field is.

I look for Manny to be with the Yankees or Angels. Either is fine with me. I'll enjoy seeing Manny cement the Angels as LA's best team, or I'll enjoy seeing him open up new Yankee Stadium.

At least with the Angels, I can still go see him in person. I'll just have to leave work earlier to get to Anaheim.

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Now you know the withdrawals and mourning I was going through when Manny was let go from here on July 31st... it was acompletely difficult situation but it was very difficult to swallow

I dont know what to do about Boras, he is over this way making incredibly detached arguments about Varitek as well.

I'd love to see him stay as a Red Sock just on general principal, what he has brought to the franchise and so eventually he could move into a coaching role, even if he is paid for a year or two while his batting falls off a cliff.

But Boras wants some astronomical sum and 4-5 years which is not going to happen, so the captain of the best Red Sox teams in 90 years is probably going elsewhere--which to my oldfashioned ways just doesnt seem right.

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