Dave Saltzer

Ettin, Not a party proper at all. Guys figure things out at different times and at different levels. As I said earlier, it's very early to tell, but he has been noticed. He still has a way to go, but I hope for the best for him, as I do for all the prospects.

If you have some of your own photos, please post them in here.

Reports I heard today are that he has been working out hard and working hard and making some adjustments. It's to early to tell, but he is starting to turn some heads. Hope that helps.

This is why I root for Jerome Williams. He's a good guy, and does the right thing. Thank you to him and his family!

I still believe that Grichuk will be a successful ML player. Where and how we get him in our lineup is a big question, but he's a great guy and I believe he will succeed.

Most importantly he got his first AA win. I still see him as a #3 or #4 workhorse in the future.

Just bumping this in case anyone didn't see it and wanted to discuss it.

Yesterday (Tuesday) was Grichuk's birthday. He is working hard to finish the season strong and post good numbers. I won't be surprised to see him added to an AFL team.

A big thank you needs to be given to Mancini for transcribing this interview. Thanks for all your help!

Good blog. For the past few years I have been saying that Scioscia should argue more with umps and get kicked out more to fire up the team and bring them together as a group. As a team they have been off, and it has been apparent in their body language. If nothing else, why not have them all stay at a Howard Johnsons while on the road until they are over 500?

I definitely would not have put my money on that. But, he's making a strong case for himself this year!

I an look you straight in the face and tell you that the game is not better now as a result of PEDs. I can also look you straight in the eyes and tell you that I will not compromise my beliefs just to make it "easy" for those who are "above that". As I said in my first piece, most of the time I would rather do what is right over what is expedient. Aside from wanting to be right, I have found that when I do what is right, in the long run, I usually spend less time dealing with an issue than when sell out my beliefs.

I think your post proves why so many, myself included, are focusing on this scandal and want to come down hard on players and teams so that MLB doesn't end up like the NFL. Every time they do wimpy of ishments and go soft on both the players and teams they take MLB one step closer to the NFL. It is pretty sad when many people think that NFL stands for National Felons League rather than National Football League. I do not want to see that happen to the game of baseball that I live so much.

Howdy! I just had some out of town guests pop in and want to take their kids and my family to the Wednesday night game against Texas. I am willing to trade a pair of my Diamond Club seats for 8 tix in an upper level area. Ideally I would like to trade either my Sunday 8/18 tix or my Tuesday 8/20 tix, but do have games in September that I am willing to trade. And, I would prefer to sit between the base paths in either the 400s or 500s. Please send me a private message if you are interested. Thanks in advance!

Good analysis. I was never a big fan of Callaspo, and to see that Nelson is providing the same WAR is good to know. And, as someone else pointed out, if Green can do better, GREAT!

Actually, I understand it very well. Sure, in an ideal world, an arbitrator should live in a bubble. But they don't. I don't think you really believe that they do, which is why you said in an "ideal world". So, my point still stands. But, even assuming that they did drag some arbitrator out of a bubble, that arbitrator will consider the effect of the precedent that s/he establishes. This isn't like the old salary arbitration where the arbitrator has to rule for one side or the other. S/he would have some latitude on the ruling. So, it would, as I say, most likely end up where back where they negotiated with A-Rod. The difference is, under that scenario, baseball could still maintain its integrity. As for trying to predict what will happen in an arbitration, I guess you aren't too familiar with the legal process. That's what lawyers do all the time. You can't make an informed decision about seeing without measuring the risk of potential outcomes. Doctors do it all the time too (there's an 80% chance that this medicine will cure this disease so you should take it . . .). It's hardly a waste of time. As for determining whether or not it will be a gross miscarriage, that happens all the time, regardless of what the facts are or are not in the situation. It's about the perception. The perception is that A-Rod is guilty (and his actions really have not helped his cause). So, even if he proves it, to the vast majority of baseball fans, who won't follow the nuances of the arbitration, it will appear that he got away with it. Since the vast majority of fans don't follow things as closely as many on here do, that will put pressure on baseball, the players union, and others to fix this perceived injustice. The MLBPA is only as strong as its members. On this issue, they have gone from solidly opposing testing to being mostly for testing and punishing. They wouldn't have much strength on this issue and would be best served to get out in front of it rather than having worse imposed on them through federal policy or something. At this point, I truly doubt that the evidence against A-Rod is that weak. And, even if it were, as I said before, it's about the perception of it. Yes, plea bargaining happens all the time. Just more proof that we accept what is expedient far too often over what is right. Our criminal code has lost a lot of its deterrent power because it gives out too many slaps on the wrist instead of more stern punishment. What makes me think that the next set of players would get off with less punishment is history. Using your plea bargaining analogy, have you ever really seen areas of the law where they allowed large amounts of plea bargaining result in stiffer penalties over time? If, and when it does (which is very rare--almost always it results in less punishment over time) it is usually the result of some dramatic case that changes the public's perception of that crime. The case against A-Rod is one such case that really could change the perception of PEDs in the sport. They should do the right thing here.

Actually MP, I really do understand the arbitration process very well. An arbitrator COULD completely overturn it, but I really do not see that as likely at all. With all the public pressure, as well as the pressure from the owners and the players (sentiment from the players has clearly shifted on this issue), an arbitrator might overturn the lifetime ban, but at most, would knock it down to a 150 game suspension or so. Or, in other words, about the same as what A-Rod is trying to negotiate with MLB. The difference is, by going for the ban, MLB looks like it is trying to do the right thing, and the public would be more forgiving of the sport if an arbitrator knocks it down. If baseball negotiates the same deal with A-Rod, though, it appears as though once again the high and mighty get away with whatever they want, and baseball will suffer. Let's take the worst case from an arbitrator: the case is entirely overturned and A-Rod is reinstated. That would give MLB the upper hand in the next CBA. As noted, the players sentiment has shifted on the issue. The owners could use this gross miscarriage of the arbitration process to their advantage to get a morality clause written as a standard part of every future contract or a much stiffer set of penalties in the next negotiations. The players union would have a very tough time publicly trying to defend against that after an arbitrator reinstated A-Rod. All the evidence would come out against him (which may include criminal charges as the fed is finally looking into the issue), and by extension, all the players, and they would have to cave quickly on a much more stringent system as a result. So, going back to the first premise (that an arbitrator would not completely overturn the ban), there would be a lot of pressure from the players union to oppose a complete overturn of a lifetime ban, meaning A-Rod ends up with about 150 game ban. Thank you, though, for helping to make another one of my points about why they should give him the lifetime ban. As you pointed out, there's a potential lack of precedence that A-Rod's lawyers could argue. I am well aware of this, which is why I said if baseball negotiates a deal with A-Rod, the next player will negotiate a deal for less time than A-Rod. Any subsequent player will argue that he did not lie as much, obstruct the investigation as much, or interfere as much as A-Rod is alleged to have done. So, that player will argue that his punishment should be less than A-Rod's, and will in fact get less. Over time, as the punishments become less and less severe, the punishment will no longer deter players, and in fact, the allure of the big money that will come with steroids will make them more common. The only way to overcome this is to drop the hammer on someone. And, in that regard, A-Rod is the ideal person since he has blatantly lied about taking the PEDs and has allegedly interfered or obstructed the investigation. If they can't punish him severely, who can they? Given the choice between doing what's right and doing what's expedient, baseball should do what's right, especially since the down side is that it will result in about the same punishment for A-Rod. If baseball continues to do the expedient thing instead of the right thing, it will have trouble remaining relevant over time.

Sappington just got a well deserved promotion to AA Arkansas. Good luck to him there. I think he will be a Major Leaguer and a solid workhorse #3 or #4 at the least.

A very good article. I will have to change the piece that I am writing to cover some different areas.

Poozy, the Angels have more than just Borenstein doing well. Heck, just looking at the California League, there's Sappington, Yarbrough, Stamets just to name a few. At Arkansas, there's Grichuk, Lindsey (who should have been on that list based on what scouts are telling me), Marin, besides Cowart. Triple A is pretty much a wasteland behind Calhoun, but Orem is loaded with talent. Rondon will be in our Top 10 next year. He is one of many with upside there. So, it's not like the sky is falling. Is our organization thin and on the week side? Yes. Is it devoid of talent? No.

If you all want to have some fun tonight, tune in online to the Owls game and log on to chat with the announcers and fans at www.oremowlz.com.

I'm hoping that it's a sign that the velocity is back. He's a good guy and I would like to see him do well.

The more I'm seeing the guys in Orem, the more excited I am about the Minor Leagues. There are a lot of guys worth following and getting to know. You will see many in our 2014 Top Prospects List.

Suite for me and probably a guest.

Bumping this to get it moved to the Future Angels section. Thanks mods.