ukyah

i love good old fashioned heckling. i'm talking ncaa heckling. good natured and funny as hell. i go to the college world series most years, and i heckled the florida gators bullpen with college course questions and homework jabs. we were all laughing, including the relievers.

it's already happened and his name was wally joyner. when i first read that, i did the classic spit take.

protection is a myth.

don't forget beloved angel micky hatcher gettin' in the mix pretty good at about 2:20.

yes, because they've been giving such long leashes this year. there are only so many players on a team. eventually, the team is going to have to either do it or not on their own. i still think the angels are going to make a waiver wire trade for a SP. i'm going to say bartolo, and it will usher in the new era of halothunder.

you've got to be kidding me.

that's why you get paid the big bucks.

kimbrel.

as a lefty specialist, meaning one hitter at a time usually. i'm just answering the question. he's got a long history of success, so i'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt. i hope he gets back on track.

that's what i'm saying. we have very little idea of who is actually going to be in the playoffs. the 2nd wildcard gives all those division leaders breathing room, but other than that it's a total toss up right now. there's no way anyone could realistically call a division lead decided.

are the tightest across the board that i can remember. there isn't a single division that is anywhere close to being decided. in fact the furthest 2nd place team out is the royals at 4 back. here's the games back of every team that is 2nd in their division: angels, 2 toronto, 1.5 royals, 4 giants, 3.5 cardinals, 2 atlanta, 1.5 that's insane with approximately 54 games left. i can't remember off hand the last time there wasn't a runaway division winner throughout baseball. i expect somebody is going to tell me it was recently, but it doesn't seem like it. obligatory, that's what she said.

the hamilton deal is far from a killer. it's a five year deal. the pujols one will be brutal and he'll still go in the hof as a cardinal, as he should.

just to help floplag cool his jets. i said somewhere lost in the beginning of this thread that i see the trade as a net negative for the A's. they improved an already dominant starting staff, but at the cost of their moto bat, their 2nd best hitter next to donaldson. if they can replace that with a platoon, then i'll be wrong about the trade. either way, beane has dramatically altered the team composition of a team that had the best record in baseball. i'm hesitant to call that wise. beane should get the benefit of the doubt because he's earned it, but it's hardly a trade without some legitimate questions being raised.

well this thread went well.

i swear to god if we lose this game, then i don't know what.

no team will claim lee this year and amaro continued to prove his stupidity by not handing him and his contract to the dodgers last year when they claimed him. amaro is the worst gm in baseball and arguably all the major sports. the dude is so woefully over his head, and arrogant about it at the same time.

you're kidding, right?

the tigers are good, but an offense that relies on two hitters and a bad bullpen will cost you when it matters most. A's are the favorite, angels 2nd.

ignoring the bickering back and forth. i'd just like to say, this trade blows my mind. thanks billy, you're good for baseball.

pujols will now be stretching hits into outs.

what? buyers usually win. everybody just geeks about the prospects. the fact is the buyer gets the major leaguer. i think taking a moto bat off your team late in the season is a highly questionable move. the A's are making a drastic change in team composition for very little net gain. perhaps it will bring them a championship, beane is no dummy, but i think it's a bad move.

i think the A's get the short end of this deal. there's no way they sign lester, so they just gave up cespedes for a 2 month rental. if it gets them the world series, then it's a win. otherwise, the angels long term prospects have improved by the A's making this trade.

win. the mother. ****ing. game!

i'm not saying it would be the best thing for the team as a whole, but the fan geek in me would just shit his pants if the angels acquired tulowitzki.

the one game play-in is a tough format, but winning the world series is no walk in the park. you've got to earn it. if the angels have the moxie, then they'll be alright.