Call 1-800-KELVIM2 and whine about it now free of charge.

This is why they have a young stud like Clay Buchholz waiting in the wings. Oh...yeah.

I'm sure Buchholz can be the answer to this problem.

The World Series winner is generally a team with no major injuries. This is why I predict Angels, Cubs or Brewers. If this is really the year Ben Sheets suffers no injuries, I predict Brewers.

Blergh.

What, only 2 Buchholz cracks?


This team is in some trouble right now. It' too bad that the Yankees' demise coincided with the Rays' rise.

I'm sure Buchholz can be the answer to this problem.

Only if he's willing to be the donor to an arm transplant for Beckett.

What, only 2 Buchholz cracks?

There would be more, but a couple of folks are missing their laptops.

Lester Buchholz Byrd Bowden will pick up the slack!

The World Series winner is generally a team with no major injuries. This is why I predict Angels, Cubs or Brewers. If this is really the year Ben Sheets suffers no injuries, I predict Brewers.

The Rays are going to win the division though despite the injuries and will probably be back at full strength for the playoffs.

Speaking of workhorses, Livan Hernandez's quest to give up 300 hits this year looks like it's fading. He's at 224 in 26 starts, with a maximum of 6 more starts left.

Even though he only missed one start between his time with the Twins and the Rockies, and the Rockies have given him 3 starts already, he is just giving up too many hits (and walks) to stay in a game for more than 4 innings. If he can just get his WHIP down to the 1.6 or so it was early in the season, he could pitch a few complete games and make it interesting, but unless the Rockies really get into the spirit of this potentially amazing feat and pitch him every 3 days, it's not going to happen.

#8 wins

Even though he only missed one start between his time with the Twins and the Rockies, and the Rockies have given him 3 starts already, he is just giving up too many hits (and walks) to stay in a game for more than 4 innings.

Hey, that's totally unfair. In one of his Rockies starts, Livan lasted six innings.

It looks like he won't get another start with the Rockies, but he really deserves some credit for his extraordinary push toward 300. In his three Colorado starts, Livan averaged more than two hits allowed per inning.

Are we sure he's really hurt and not just ducking the Yankees? We outta get an MRI on that arm to be sure.

Enough about the numbness in his arm. Have they done anything to diagnose the dumbness in his brain?

So how does this affect the Pujols trade?

#8 wins

So does #14. Well done, guys.

There would be more, but a couple of folks are missing their laptops.

RDF.

I wish I could make fun of the Red Sox here, but it's kind of hard to do when my team is spending a lot more money to finish 5-6 GB of them.

I wish I could make fun of the Red Sox here, but it's kind of hard to do when my team is spending a lot more money to finish 5-6 GB of them.

If it makes you feel better, your team is also spending a lot of money for the Rays to finish ahead of them.

I seem to remember hearing something about Beckett is healthy now and should be considered an ace because all of his problems are now in the past. this is a total shock to me, next thing you know JD Drew will get injured.

The World Series winner is generally a team with no major injuries. This is why I predict Angels, Cubs or Brewers. If this is really the year Ben Sheets suffers no injuries, I predict Brewers.


I agree, but it's always funny to watch the experts predict the world series and only go by the win/loss record of the team, and then get upset when a team with a bad record, but a healthy lineup wins the world series.

This is Charlie Zink's moment to shine.

The Stranger.

...next thing you know JD Drew will get injured.

Drew since the break: 209/395/360

Are one incredible month this season and two very good ones last year worth $14 per?

Are one incredible month this season and two very good ones last year worth $14 per?

to the brilliance that is the Red Sox management I'm sure it is. of course this is an area of the country that actually believes Tom Brady is one of the 10 greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Jim Rice is a hof'er, or a kennedy in office so it's not like we are dealing with an area known for rationality.

I reserve the right to hate the Sox AND be on the left politically: none of this regionalist horseshit for me....

I reserve the right to hate the Sox AND be on the left politically: none of this regionalist horseshit for me....

I'm on the left also, but anyone named kennedy is overrated by the left, and the one still living is a waste, in my opinion

William Kennedy Smith?

Dave Cameron's article showing that JD Drew is, in fact, worth 14 million per season.

And as for Beckett's injuries, this completely unrelated to anything he's dealt with before. Any pitcher can develope an arm problem at any time. It's just the nature of the beast. The injury problems that he's dealt with in the past are in the past. He shouldn't be considered an ace because of his relative health, he should be considered an ace because of his performance (notice I said performance, not results. It's not his fault he's been incredibely unlucky this year.)

He shouldn't be considered an ace because of his relative health, he should be considered an ace because of his performance (notice I said performance, not results. It's not his fault he's been incredibely unlucky this year.)

I agree, Prior is also an ace. well, with the exception that unlike Beckett, he's actually pitched at an ace level for three seasons.

The World Series winner is generally a team with no major injuries. This is why I predict Angels, Cubs or Brewers.

The Cubs lost Soriano and Wood for about a month each. Also, the Angels missed Lackey for a month and a half at the beginning of the year.

Are one incredible month this season and two very good ones last year worth $14 per?

Cubs are paying Fukudome like $10 million per for a month and a half of offense, pretty good defense, and a name that almost doesn't make it through this site's cyber nanny.

Drew has certainly earned this money this season, no matter how it breaks down by month. Last year, he didn't.

On Beckett, if we're talking about the fan perception of him as an ace of the highest level, I agree that that's a bit strong for his performance so far. If we're talking about the 'brilliance that is the Red Sox management,' they signed him for 3/32 (or 4/40), so they've done fairly well there after what I thought was a not-so-great trade on their part.

to the brilliance that is the Red Sox management I'm sure it is. of course this is an area of the country that actually believes Tom Brady is one of the 10 greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Jim Rice is a hof'er, or a kennedy in office so it's not like we are dealing with an area known for rationality.

Count the rings!

But in all seriousness, Beckett's xFIP suggests he's been a lot better pitcher than both his ERA and W-L indicate. While he's certainly not in the Santana/Lincecum/Sabathia/Webb echelon, he's easily a top-15 starting pitcher, which cements his status as a legit #1... at least mathematically. He's locked up very affordably through 2010, at which point I'd be happy to bare him farewell. Given that his command of the curve and changeup are sometimes non-existant, I don't think he's going to age particularly well when he starts losing ticks off the fastball velocity. He gave up his first crack at FA, so I assume he'll be going for huge money. No thanks.

Well, this Kennedy isn't overrated, as far as I'm concerned.

Also, the Angels missed Lackey for a month and a half at the beginning of the year.

Kelvim Escobar, also.

The Cubs lost Soriano and Wood for about a month each. Also, the Angels missed Lackey for a month and a half at the beginning of the year.

I'm assuming the original poster meant "without any major injuries" come playoff time.

This Kennedy was apparently voted most hated VJ on MTV in 1990, so I suspect she isn't overrated, but since she stands out in my memory at least as either earning that rating or being a close second to Pauley Shore, I'm not sure she's particularly underrated, however.

EDIT: sorry, that should be "at some point in the 1990s" rather than "in 1990." I misunderstood what I'd read.

Oh, lord--MTV's Kennedy. I'd forgotten she'd even existed. Thanks for the memories.

**puke**

to the brilliance that is the Red Sox management I'm sure it is. of course this is an area of the country that actually believes Tom Brady is one of the 10 greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Jim Rice is a hof'er, or a kennedy in office so it's not like we are dealing with an area known for rationality.

a. List NFL QBs who have had clearly better careers than Brady. They exist, but naming 10 may prove difficult. Lots of passing yards and a great % despite no marquee targets (until Moss last year), wins galore, and 3 rings.
b. I wouldn't vote Rice into the HoF - I think Dawson, inter alia, blocks his path - but I've seen fanboy campaigns candidates much worse than Jim Rice.
c. We're not responsible in any way for John Ashcroft.

List NFL QBs who have had clearly better careers than Brady. They exist, but naming 10 may prove difficult. Lots of passing yards and a great % despite no marquee targets (until Moss last year), wins galore, and 3 rings.

*.

How about have more than one good year and win a ring without the cameras?

But in all seriousness, Beckett's xFIP suggests he's been a lot better pitcher than both his ERA and W-L indicate.


I read this the way I read #9 (though that was intentional). If you just keep casting about for a stat that lives somewhere near the stathead mainstream, you can prove that your guy is actually underappreciated.

SNARP says that Carl Pavano is the best pitcher in the American League this year, for the fourth consecutive year. Also, it reminds me that the Yankees never signed Tony Womack.

But in all seriousness, Beckett's xFIP suggests he's been a lot better pitcher than both his ERA and W-L indicate.

He is allowing a lot of line drives this season though, career worst 25.1% LD rate, relative to a career average of 19.4%; and his infield fly rate is at a career low of 9.7%, compared to a career average of 12.8%.

Except that as a measure of what he's done this season quoting xFIP is pretty useless. Measuring present value isn't the same as projectability.

of course this is an area of the country that actually believes Tom Brady is one of the 10 greatest quarterbacks of all time, and Jim Rice is a hof'er, or a kennedy in office so it's not like we are dealing with an area known for rationality.

Not to mention an area that gave us John F. Kerry masquerading as a legitimate candidate for president. Thanks so effin much for that one, Massachusetts.

Not to mention an area that gave us John F. Kerry masquerading as a legitimate candidate for president. Thanks so effin much for that one, Massachusetts.

That wasn't my idea. (I lived in Virginia in 2004, but I'm a Mass. native all the same.) He chose to run, and Iowa Democrats thought that was a better idea than Dean, Edwards, or Gephardt. And so did New Hampshire Democrats. But that's a long story.

How about have more than one good year and win a ring without the cameras?

Yeah, I guess his 2006 season, where he IIRC threw for more yards than Peyton despite having a deservedly obscure corps of WRs, wasn't any good. Whatever.

John Kerry outperformed most models of the 2004 election. It was a bad year for the Democrats - economy was pretty good (more importantly, perceived as pretty good), Bush was relatively popular (50% approval ratings), and the war was relatively popular (only 40% favored withdrawal, as compared to 60-70% today). People like to rag on Kerry, but all things considered, he did a pretty good job with a bad hand.

Al Gore, there's a moderate underperformer. But ultimately, elections are determined by structural factors outside the control of a candidate (well, except for major, known shifts in ideology). And John Kerry had a relatively bad year, and he lost. American elections are such massive, dispersed events that outcomes are rarely affected much by candidates.

Yeah, I guess his 2006 season, where he IIRC threw for more yards than Peyton despite having a deservedly obscure corps of WRs, wasn't any good. Whatever.

You're thinking of 2005, I believe. Brady was first in the NFL with a little over 4100 yards.

I'm thinking its pretty likely Brady is one of the 10 best QB ever. I don't think he is as good as Peyton (who I believe has a chance to go down as the greatest ever) but I gotta think Brady either is or will be among the top 10 QB of all time.

Really? There are people who don't think Brady is a great QB? Are these the same people who reflexively claim "East Coast Bias," even if the team in question might be in Chicago?

it's not like we are dealing with an area known for rationality.

Are there any areas of the country that ARE known for rationality? Is it even possible for an area to be know for rationality? Are we all now expected to be rational about things like sports and politics? I might need to retire from life if that's the case.