Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

Have a new Quotes for Today up on my Substack. As I've mentioned doing this as a way to thank those who have Subscribed. If you are a Subscriber - you should have received an email. Thanks!

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

 "Crackheads were taking cold showers and doing intermittent fasting way before it was cool." - Ed Latimore 

"No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth." - Plato

"...if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future." - Winston Churchill

"Little man whip a big man every time if the little man's in the right and keeps a' comin'." - Motto of the Texas Rangers

Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"I got nothin' against mankind. It's people I can't stand." - Archie Bunker

"The first rule in handling conflict is don't hang around people who are constantly engaging in conflict." - Naval Ravikant

"Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves you, or makes you happy." - Robert Tew

"...if we open a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future." - Winston Churchill

"A heuristic on whether you have control of your life: can you take naps?" - Nassim Taleb

"Little man whip a big man every time if the little man's in the right and keeps a' comin'." - Motto of the Texas Rangers

Red Sox Trade

Here's a trade I'd love for the Red Sox to try and explore - David Price for Yu Darvish straight up. Here's the way I see it.

Price after this season has 5 more years and $157 million left on his contract - so he'd be a long term asset for the Rangers (although he could opt out after the 2018 season). Price is just 31-years old, has a career 3.24 ERA and is a past Cy Young Award winner. He could be the Rangers ace moving forward. Boston could even offer to pay $5 million per year every year after 2018 if Price does not exercise his opt out option.

Yu Darvish is a free agent after this season.

That's how much I want David Price out of Boston. I think my feelings of him being a phony who cannot handle the pressure either in Boston or in the post-season (career 5.54 post-season ERA) are shared by most Red Sox fans at this point.

Yes this is coming from a guy who lost money the last 3-times he bet on the Red Sox when Price was pitching (never again I swear!). Yes this is coming on the heels of a report in the Boston Globe about Price acting like a spoiled bully toward fan favorite Dennis Eckersly (it should be pointed out that the Globe is owned by John Henry who also owns the Red Sox - so maybe the owner is voicing his displeasure as well). And yes I would like the Red Sox to pursue this trade.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Watched UFC 200 last night. What a waste of time. Pretty weak card. I tapped out after the first round of the Daniel Cormier fight to go listen to a band instead... Heh heh - I should have posted this yesterday... Just to get this out there and get ahead of the story - I have no idea how those illegal substances got into my system. It might have been those supplements...  Heh heh... The NBA's biggest nightmare has to be a PED that makes you grow taller... So very sad... Word is that Kevin Durant was coming to the Celtics until Curt Schilling got involved... Heh heh... How would history have been different if England came in on the side of the South during the Civil War with the caveat that the Southern States return to being part of Great Britain... How awesome is this!...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I know that the 11th Commandment is "Thou Shall Not Tease" but I think teasing Seattle down to -2.5 and the Patriots to -1 looks like a pretty good bet today... David Mamet's brilliant memo on drama...  Jerry Coleman was such a great guy. I bet he never thought twice about doing such a nice thing for a stranger... With Rangers GM Jon Daniels saying it is "highly unlikely" that Texas would re-sign Nelson Cruz - I think the odds that Cruz will wind up in Japan just went to even money... Roy Williams had a player who couldn't read at UNC? Can't help but think Duke kids will have a field day with this... With apologies to Marshawn Lynch - whenever I see "beast mode" in print - my mind reads it as "breast mode". Once I realize my mistake I wonder why there's no breast mode. I want a breast mode... Heh heh - Mama Spike...   Not a fan of movie re-makes in general but is the idea of a re-make of Point Break any worse than the idea to re-make the classic True Grit? That turned out OK...  Holy crap - Greg Maddux is a sick bastard...

Top 5 - Offseason MLB Moves

Here's what I see as the Top 5 MLB offseason moves - so far!

1. Doug Fister to Nationals and Steve Lombardozzi, Robbie Ray and Ian Krol to Detroit. This wasn't even a five nickels for a quarter deal. This was three nickels for a quarter. Fister would be THE ace on half the teams in baseball and the Tigers got a bench guy, a bullpen guy and a AA guy in return for him. Absolute steal by the Nationals.
2. Robinson Cano - signs 10-year $240 million free agent deal with the Mariners. Cano got PAID!
3. Mark Trumbo to Diamondbacks, Adam Eaton to White Sox while Angels get starters Tyler Scaggs and Hector Santiago. A potential 40-HR guy, a starting centerfielder, and two starting pitchers. Most impactful deal for three teams so far.
4. Yankees trade Robinson Cano for Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann. OK so it wasn't actually a trade but I sure feels like one doesn't it? Question - if someone made this trade in your fantasy baseball league - which side would you say was getting the better deal?
5. Prince Fielder to Rangers for Ian Kinsler and $30 million from Tigers. Too early to tell the impact of this deal but considering that Fielder was signed by Detroit in the first place because Victor Martinez got hurt (and is now healthy) and moving Fielder now opens a spot for rookie Nick Castellanos at third my inclination is that this works for both teams.

I said these were my Top 5 so far. I think there's still a blockbuster waiting to happen.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Very cool - all five of Yu Darvish's pitches in one delivery

- If you use an off-shore betting account - this article is must reading.

- The "human computer" passes away

- Wow - Sperm whales battling Killer whales

- The Hubble Telescope's top 100 images

Mike Napoli

I hope the Red Sox finally sign Mike Napoli. My guess is that the two sides settle on a two-year deal with a vesting third year plus language that protects the Red Sox in case the hip injury puts Napoli on the 60-day DL during the first two-years.

Having said that - I do wonder about how well Napoli's physical condition is known in baseball. The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if Napoli's hip had as much to him getting traded by the Angels as his conflict with manager Mike Scioscia? Did Toronto do a quick turn-around on Napoli and trade him to the Rangers because they finally got their hands on his full physicals? Did the Rangers not give Napoli a qualifying offer because they didn't think his hip would last the season? The longer this drags out the stranger it becomes.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee - Bob Einstein episode

Official Trailer for animated Graham Chapman biopic A Liar's Autobiography. I'm a sucker for anything Monty Python related.

The certainly has been a lot of turn-over in the Red Sox roster since opening day.

Excellent shot-by-shot review of the chase scene in The Dark Knight. That scene has always bugged me - now I know why.

The free agent market for Josh Hamilton may not be as big as he thinks. I wouldn't be surprised if Texas was the only real bidder.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I think an Olympics Derby would be cool. Each country sends their best 2 racehorses and you hold a series of races until the big race. I'd watch that. It would be bigger than the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness combined... Another small factor to consider - if Josh Beckett was traded to Texas he'd probably save about $1 million per year in taxes... Jimmy Hoffa disappeared on this day back in 1975. I have a perfectly valid alibi... "If its a problem that can be solved with money, then its not a problem" - this is a saying people with money often use... Ancient Greek philosopher Chrysippus died of laughter. He got his donkey drunk and then couldn't stop laughing while watching the donkey trying to eat figs. That was the ancient equivalent of watching David Hasselhoff eat a cheeseburger I guess... 80% of all insects live in a jungle. Ergo I  will never live in a jungle... Bill Clinton suckles puppies with his teats - yes this was actually broadcast on TV.

Flotsam and Jetsam Rapture Edition

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations on the day of the Rapture.

I would celebrate the Rapture every May 21st if it came with an airing of grievances and cake... The core of the Rangers team can really be traced to trade of Mark Teixeira to the Braves which netted Texas Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, and Matt Harrison plus Jarrod Saltalamacchia which I still don't understand why they let him go. Can you imagine how much of a powerhouse Atlanta would be if they still had those players?... I feel bad for any police offices working missing persons bureaus tomorrow. You know the urge to write "raptured" on any new reports will be strong... Before going to Washington, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should have went to Mexico City first and demanded that America return to its pre-1846 borders. It would have been funny to see how President Obama would react (though Obama hasn't shown a real grasp of history so it is doubtful he'd even understand the significance of 1846)... Thanks to Peter Gammons for pointing out the silver lining to today's Rapture, "if the world ends today, the Red Sox are the wild card"... If you were a Priest or Minister and the Rapture turned out to be real and you were left behind - wouldn't you have a lot of explaining to do?

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- 7 Stolen Movie Props

- Are you suggesting coconuts migrate?

- Probably the single best headline of all time

- I really want to visit this brewpub

- Lindsay Lohan - so thats what happened!

- Amazing that Arnold was elected Governor

- Mark Cuban explains what happened with his pursuit of the Rangers

Linky Links

Here's some stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

- Joe Posnanski nails exactly how I felt about Cleveland watching those last couple of minutes.

- Bruce, Lady Gaga, Sting, Elton, Blondie, Shirely Bassey sing Journey. Yeah you read that correctly. Like a train wreck on stage.

- This thread had some laugh out loud pictures.

- Rangers plan to place Garko on waivers. Makes me wonder if the Mike owell for Max Ramirez deal could be back on sometime soon.

- Here's your roller derby primer (including the reason nobody wears #1)

- Heh heh

- Iowa Kinsella Baseball Diamond For $5.4 Million (it should sell for a discount since Kinsella built it exactly opposite the way the vision showed him)

- Incredible! Bobby Bonilla Still Owed $30 Million in Salary

Mike Lowell

I'd love to have Mike Lowell coming off the bench for the Red Sox all year but you know he's not happy and would rather be someplace where he'd be able to play full-time. When I do an inventory of teams that could be trade partners for the Red Sox - I get three possibilities.

1. Texas - they were a trade possibility before and they remain one. Do they really want to rush stud hitter Justin Smoak? If after 20 games Smoak is still hitting sub .200 then a move for the veteran presence of Lowell would make lots of sense for Texas who has a real shot at the AL West. Let Smoak watch and learn from the bench how someone like Lowell goes about his business.

2. Florida - Mike Lowell was a big name for the Marlins before and could be a drawing card for the Marlins again (especially among the Cuban community). The problems are that Gaby Sanchez is doing a good jib at first base and since he's a Miami product - then sitting him for Lowell could have a negative impact on fan interest (plus it would be more costly for the cash conscious Marlins).

3. Toronto - would the Red Sox deal within the division? The Blue Jays certainly have a need as Lyle Overbay has been dreadful.

Of course someone could get hurt and create a need. The best thing to do, in my mind, is to sit tight and see how things play out. But if there is a trade - then I wouldn't be surprised if the deal was with one of the three teams listed above.

EDIT: I'd add Seattle to the mix. I had no idea how badly Mike Sweeney was doing for the Mariners as their DH.

The Texas Rangers

Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels has a contract through the 2011 season. The way I see it - Daniels is safe (as long as there is no major collapse) until he gets to field "his" team in 2010.

The Rangers are solid up the middle. They have Gerald Laid at catcher; Ian Kinsler at 2nd (locked up till 2013); Michael Young at short (also locked up till 2013) and Josh Hamilton in centerfield. In addition David Murphy and Jarrod Saltalamacchia look like they will be productive low-cost players in the starting nine.

That leaves 3rd base, a corner outfielder and a 1st / DH. Hopefully Chris Davis who has hit 5 HR in 14 games this year in Arlington will be the answer at 3rd. The Texas farm system is getting better and maybe the holes can be filled by prospects like Chris Davis. However, to become a playoff threat team - some free agents will need to be signed. But where will that money come from?

Consider the situation of the following players:

Kevin Millwood is the highest paid Ranger but his contract is actually very favorable to Texas. Millwood has to pitch 273 inning between this season and next (or 180 innings next season) or the Rangers can opt out of the last year of the deal ($12 million in 2010). Who knows though? $12 million may be the going rate for a 180 IP per year pitcher with a league average ERA.

Vicente Padilla also has a $12 million 2010 option. So basically if neither pitcher is performing up to club expectations then the team can save more than a third of their payroll and start anew for new starters.

Hank Blalock has a team option of $6.2 million for 2009. Unless Blalock catches fire in the second half - I don't see the Rangers picking up that option. You can't catch fire from the DL.

That's over $30 million of payroll that can be shed by the time the 2010 season comes around.

If I were in Jon Daniels shoes' I would target the following 3 free agents to field as competitive team as possible in 2010.

1. Derek Lowe - free agent after this season. His sinkerball could be just the right pitch in the heat of Arlington.

2. Jason Bay - free agent after the 2009 season. He would add another big bat to an already potent line-up.

3. Justin Duchscherer - free agent after 2009 season. This has been Duchscherer's breakout season but I think he's the real deal.

Those three players would cost more than the $30 million that was just trimmed but it would be worth it. Justin Duchscherer and Derek Lowe at the top of the rotation with that potent Ranger line-up would make the Rangers a very competitive team come 2010.

Teenage Steroids

Interesting article on an 18-year old Rangers prospect Matt West who funked a steroids test.

What I found most interesting was the fact that West was signed with a $400,000 bonus out of high school. After taxes - that $400,000 is probably equal to just about the amount of a 4-year full boat scholarship to a major Division 1 university (when you add in all the perks). You have to wonder how many 18-year olders are taking steroids to secure an athletic scholarship. I don't think the NCAA does a whole lot of testing so that number may very well be very high. I don't judge because I'm not sure if knowing what I know now that I wouldn't have juiced in high school if a full boat scholarship was on the line.

Don't be surprised if you start seeing more and more prospects turning down the MLB signing bonus to go to college on a full boat. If you see this trend starting - don't be misled to thinking that it has anything to do with "scholarship" because it may have much more to do with "testing" (and not in the academic sense).

Texas Rangers Trade Deadline Haul

You know - I think the big winners of the MLB trade deadline were the Texas Rangers.

Take a look at the talent balance sheet for GM Jon Daniels and the Rangers:

- They trade Mark Teixeira to the Braves and get back the three players Baseball America had rated as the Braves top prospects (Jarrod Saltalamacchia, shortstop Elvis Andrus and pitcher Matt Harrison) plus prospect pitcher Neftali Feliz and Beau Jones thrown in for good measure.

- They trade Eric Gagne to the Red Sox for pitcher Kason Gabbard and Minor League outfielders David Murphy and Engel Beltre.

- They trade Kenny Lofton for Minor League catcher Max Ramirez.

That's at least one starting catcher, one starting pitcher, and a fourth outfielder just for next year. In the near future they will also probably get at least a starting shortstop, starting outfielder and another starting pitcher out of this haul. AND ALL THE PLAYERS WILL BE CHEAP!

Don't overlook that last point. By shedding Teixeira, Gagne and Lofton the Rangers have saved about $7 million for the rest of the season. By trading Teixeira (after making a PR face-saving $140 million contract extension offer) the Rangers save another estimated $12 million next year too. Then you factor in the appeal to fans to come out and see Salty, Gabbard and some of the other kids and you wind up realizing that the financial windfall from the trade-deadline for the Rangers was at least equal to the talent haul they got in return.

Teixeira to the Braves

It looks like it's official - the Rangers are trading Mark Teixeira to the Braves for a package centered around catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and shortstop prospect Elvis Andrus plus two more prospects.

This trade could be the proverbial "win-win" situation for both teams.

For the Braves it gives them a solution to their black hole at 1st base. Not only does Teixeira have perhaps the best power bat available this trade-deadline - he also brings with him Gold Glove caliber fielding. With Teixeira in the line-up - the Braves are pretty solid 1-7 in the batting order. This puts Atlanta in a very good position to win either the NL East or the NL Wildcard.

Next year Texeira will probably get at least $12 million through arbitration but Atlanta will probably be losing at least that much when Andruw Jones goes the free-agent route. If Andruw Jones does leave as a free agent - then the Braves will get two top draft picks in compensation and they get to reload the farm system once again to make trades like the one for Teixeira possible. It should be noted that given the facts that Teixeira went to Georgia Tech and the Braves have Mike Hampton's contract coming off the books after 2008 - the Braves should not be ruled out re-signing Teixeira long term.

In the deal the Braves also got lefty reliever Ron Mahay. That helps strengthen the bullpen and again makes the Braves a formidable opponent down the stretch.

From the Rangers perspective - they had to trade Teixeira. They could not afford to risk keeping him and having him get injured. In Saltalamacchia and Andrus - the Rangers got the Braves' two top prospects (according to Baseball America). It is also rumored that the Braves will be including pitching prospect Matt Harrison in the deal. If true then that would be Atlanta's top 3 prospects according to Baseball America. How could the Rangers hope for more than that?

Two things to consider. From the Rangers position - I'm not sure how confident I'd feel about still wet behind the ears GM Jon Daniels dealing with the master of the trade John Schuerholz. In all the deals that Schuerholz has made the only prospect I can think of that went on to become a star is Jason Schmidt. That has to make Ranger fans at least a bit nervous. From the Braves position - I'm still not sold on Teixeira being the great hitter everyone cracks him up to be. Teixeira has almost a 60 point difference between what he hits at Arlington and what he hits on the road. His OPS is over 100 points lower on the road than it is at home. That has to be a red flag. At least the Braves have a one-year audition to see if Teixeira really can hit outside of Arlington (facing NL pitching should help there).

Texas Rangers Trade Possibilities

With the trade deadline looming on the horizon - I will try to take a look at what chips some of the teams who are out of playoff contention may put in play. Earlier I looked at the Baltimore Orioles, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, the Kansas City Royals and the Chicago White Sox. Today I will take a look what players from the Rangers may hit the market.

- Mark Teixeira - perhaps the most hyped potential trade deadline player available. What many forget is that even though Teixeira will not be a free agent until after the 2008 season - next year he will be arbitration eligible and will probably get about $15 million for next year through arbitration. I think realistically the Yankees, Orioles, and Angels are the only teams with the need and the money to afford trading for Teixeira. The Rangers would save about $3 million by trading Teixeira before the trade deadline plus if they kept him - they run the risk of him getting hurt and damaging his off-season trade value. My guess is that the Angels put together a Reggie Willits, Erick Aybar type package to get the deal done.

- Eric Gagne - he is attractive not just because he's a lights-out closer when healthy but also because he'll probably be a type-A free agent which means the team that trades for him will also end up getting some draft picks (if they don't re-sign him). Gagne is almost guaranteed to be traded and I'd look for the Indians, Braves, Cubs and Diamondbacks to make the strongest push for him.

- Kenny Lofton - the Rangers would save about $7 million just in salary if they are able to trade Lofton, Gagne and Teixeira by the trade deadline. That amount is equal to about the total gate for 9 of the remaining 37 home games. I'll be upfront and say that I've never liked Kenny Lofton. He always just seemed like a jerkface to me. Maybe the Cubs will offer something for Lofton?

- Brad Wilkerson - he's a free agent at the end of the year and can play 1st or OF. He's got some pop in his bat (he averages 1 HR every 25 AB for his career). I think there would be a certain symmetry if the Cubs were to trade for Wilkerson and have him and Soriano playing in the outfield at the same time. My guess is Jon Daniels will trade Wilkerson if he doesn't think Wilkerson will be categorized as a class-B free agent.

Jon Daniels will probably also dangle Vincent Padilla but I doubt if anyone would be dumb enough to pick up that contract.