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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Dallas Morning News: Teams interested in Lofton, Sosa (RR)

Lofton has drawn significant interest from Cleveland and Milwaukee, both of which had scouts at Saturday’s game, and several other clubs have shown preliminary interest.

While Sosa has not drawn as much interest, his success against left-handed pitching could make him useful to a team, such as Minnesota, that has struggled against lefties.
...
“I’ve been around the game a long time, and I’ve seen players come and go,” said Lofton, who has been dealt three times previously around the trade deadline. “I look at the whole situation like it’s still just a ballgame. It’s still baseball. I’ve never been one to go off what the talk was.”

The headline is a bit misleading, since there’s no evidence of anyone actually wanting Sosa (and the article says little more than “well, someone SHOULD want him”).
MLB.com notes the Twins have no interest, and that no else is really asking, either.

NTNgod Posted: July 15, 2007 at 03:41 AM | 11 comment(s) | Login to Bookmark
Related News: General, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Texas

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1. NTNgod Posted: July 15, 2007 at 03:51 AM (#2441604)

Of course, Milwaukee scouts may have been there to see Texas relievers.

With indications being that Bill Hall's injury is less severe than first thought - he may even be back soon after his 15 days are up - perhaps Gwynn Jr. is back on the block :)

2. Teufel's Graveyard Posted: July 15, 2007 at 03:55 AM (#2441605)

I had no idea that Lofton had almost 1500 career Runs and is almost a career .300 hitter.

3. Frank McCourt's Gold Stars are in bankruptcy court Posted: July 15, 2007 at 04:05 AM (#2441609)

Not to mention more than 14,000 receiving yards...
Wait, wrong Lofton.

4. Bitter Calculus Instructor Posted: July 15, 2007 at 04:09 AM (#2441611)

Lofton- the ultimate journeyman.

5. NTNgod Posted: July 15, 2007 at 04:10 AM (#2441612)

Not to mention more than 14,000 receiving yards...

I still have my Lofton-signed 1984 Packers yearbook floating around somewhere...

His Packer career didn't end on the highest of notes, of course.

6. MSI Posted: July 15, 2007 at 04:40 AM (#2441615)

Lofton is definitely better than a journeyman. I'd put him in the Hall of very good.

7. Walt Davis Posted: July 15, 2007 at 04:56 AM (#2441621)

If he'd gotten an earlier start on his career (say skipping that college basketball stuff), Lofton might well be closing in on 3,000 hits. His career OBP is 372 and SLG 424; Ichiro's (through age 33) is 379/439 (higher BA but lower ISO and walk rate). Don't worry, Ichiro's been better (121 OPS vs 108) as Ichiro has played in a pitcher's park. And M's fans should be pretty happy if they get something like Lofton's age 34-38 seasons -- 605 games (would have been more if the Yanks hadn't been stupid), a bit below career average (maybe about a 104 OPS+).

If Lofton can hit about 320 the rest of the season, he can get the career BA back to 300.

8. Los Angeles ALBERT F. PUJOLS of Anaheim

Posted: July 15, 2007 at 05:10 AM (#2441624)

1,500 runs, 2,400 hits, 1,000 walks. He'll pass Otis Nixon for #15 on the all-time SB charts his next two swipes, #620 and #621. Lofton's had a very, very fine career, and he's still going strong. He's not the defender he once was, but I'd cut the guy some slack if he can still put up a .300/.390/.430 line in centerfield and swipe me 30-40 bases a year.

9. Athletic Supporter leads the nation in drifters Posted: July 15, 2007 at 07:54 AM (#2441643)

Lofton was just a tremendous leadoff hitter in his prime, and a good defender in CF to boot. To be honest, my instinct was that he was a Hall of Famer, but then I looked at his stats and they weren't quite as dominating for quite as long as I remembered. But absolutely one of the best on the outside looking in.

10. The Bones McCoy of THT Posted: July 15, 2007 at 11:50 AM (#2441666)

But absolutely one of the best on the outside looking in

Sounds like Vada Pinson.

Best Regards

John

11. Greg Maddux School of Reflexive Profanity Posted: July 15, 2007 at 12:11 PM (#2441671)

Ichiro's been better (121 OPS vs 108) as Ichiro has played in a pitcher's park.

I don't know if I'd go that far. He's been more valuable, but quite a bit of that can be chalked up to the park he plays in being the perfect environment for making what he does more valuable than it'd otherwise be, like a lefty pull-hitter taking advantage of a short porch in right. If he played in Arlington or somewhere, he'd still be hitting infield singles while most everyone else would be taking greater advantage of the park, and he'd look relatively worse.

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Sunday, July 15, 2007

Dallas Morning News: Teams interested in Lofton, Sosa (RR)

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