MLB - 2008 All Star Break and Beyond!

[Stuie]

Watching the Phillies celebration...

Chase Utley just followed up his All Star Game gaffe by saying:

"World Champions. World ****ing Champions!"

On live TV.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The AL and NL ROY's were unsurprising: Evan Longoria from the AL and Geovany Soto from NL. Longo was the first unanimous AL ROY since Nomar Garciaparra in 1999 and Soto took all but one 1st vote (someone gave Joey Votto of the Reds one 1st place vote).

The NL Cy Young was shaping up to be a close race, and Tim Lincecum (my fav) ended up winning it by a comfortable margin over Brandon Webb and Johan Santana:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3696269

[Imran Siddiqui]

How'd I miss this!!

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/baseball/mlb/11/10/heyman.holliday/index.html

Holliday to Oakland for Carlos Gonzales, Greg Smith, and Huston Street. The A's got Gonzales and Smith from deals last year.

[snoopy369]

Whaa???? That's an odd deal. I do'nt think I understand it at all, for either team...

[EPW]

I hate Billy Beane Lew Wolff who undoubtedly pressured Beane into making this trade to garner support for moving the team to Fremont, which began to falter due to last season's horrible attendence. He sent away two of our best prospects and -despite his troubles last season- a very good closer for one very good but very expensive player that we will only be able to hold onto for two seasons. And honestly I don't see the A's making the playoffs this season after trading away all our pitching.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Holliday, though, if he leaves to FA gains Beane 2 high draft picks. So its not like they get nothing if they can't resign him.

And I think Street was a bit expendable after Devine appeared to have turned the corner last season.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by snoopy369
Whaa???? That's an odd deal. I do'nt think I understand it at all, for either team...

Well - for the Rockies, they got rid of a Boras player.

For the A's... they got rid of some decent players.

P.S. - Speaking of Boras, the Phils have one more year of Ryan Madson - maybe we should trade him while his stock is up.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Well, the A's have usually done very well by their deals. If (when?) Holliday leaves, they get 2 compensatory draft picks. Street, it is likely, would have walked (he lost his closers job last year), Smith isn't really all that special, and the centerpiece is Gonzales.

[Imran Siddiqui]

And in the not-so-shocking news department, Cliff Lee wins the AL Cy Young. Two great pitchers from losing teams this year. Usually great pitchers from teams that are having bad years get overlooked. Glad it didn't happen this year.

And he was a big cog in my Fantasy Championship

[Imran Siddiqui]

Yankees acquire Swisher from the White Sox (as well as P Texeira) for Betamit and two minor league pitchers (Marquez and Nunez)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3700869

[Supr49er]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
And in the not-so-shocking news department, Cliff Lee wins the AL Cy Young. Two great pitchers from losing teams this year. Usually great pitchers from teams that are having bad years get overlooked. Glad it didn't happen this year.

And he was a big cog in my Fantasy Championship

That's why I was pleasantly surprised that Tim Lincecum of the SF Giants won the NL Cy Young.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well, the A's have usually done very well by their deals. If (when?) Holliday leaves, they get 2 compensatory draft picks.

Good point on the draft picks. I almost wish the Phils would let Moyer walk - he might be considered a type A free agent with the year he had. Nothing like two decent draft picks to replace a dinosaur.

[snoopy369]

Interesting trade by the Sox... I don't mind losing Swisher, though his (positive) affect on the clubhouse is not to be underestimated. I imagine this means more playing time for Brian Anderson, Jerry Owens, or ... random guy signed by or traded for by Kenny Williams. More speed

Also interesting from that article:

Nick Swisher, White Sox .219
Daric Barton, A's .226
Michael Bourn, Astros .229
Jack Cust, A's .231
Mark Ellis, A's .233
Rickie Weeks, Brewers .234
Kevin Millar, Orioles .234

That's a list of the players with 502+ at bats (qualifying for the batting title) with the lowest batting average. An awful lot of A's or former A's on that list... admittedly some (like Swish) have higher OBP and OPS, but it's still an awful lot of low BA's from the Athletics...

[-Jrabbit]

Considering where they stood at the All-Star break, it's amazing that Konerko (.240) and Thome (.245) escaped that list.

[snoopy369]

Paulie probably didn't have 502 at bats, anyhow...