Ditto for the Athletics.

 

On the Phillies front, Jim Thome had a setback in his rehab, so I doubt the team will trade either Thome or Howard before the trading deadline. Thome would certainly pass through waivers, so he can be dealt until the end of next month if the Phillies find a taker.

 

Endy Chavez should be traded/released at some point. Shane Victorino has raised his batting average to .291 at AAA Scranton. Victorino can hit, hit for power (15 home runs), has acceptable plate discipline, hits from both sides of the plate, can steal bases, and covers a ton of ground in center field. He is exactly what a team looks for in a 5th outfielder.

 

EDIT: In other Phillies news, Terry Adams has left the Red Barons and indications are that he will retire.

Kevin Brown back to the DL.

The report yesterday that Soriano was headed to the Mets was proven false, apparently the Met wont part with Lastings Milledge

So far he has a 4.15 ERA is 3 starts. I'll take that anyday of the week.

However, in those three starts, he's walked 10 and given up 20 hits in 17.1 IP. He should have gotten SHELLED against Minnesota (7 hits and 5 walks) but the Twins just couldn't get it done. He can't get away with that every time. ESPECIALLY in September/October.

 

And Mussina is still a little too inconsistent to really be counted upon in October. Outside of his first start against them, the Red Sox have smacked him around this year.

Didn't Mussina win a game in Fenway?

 

And we've beaten on all your starters, so I don't see your point.

Isn't there enough Red Sox/Yankees dickwaving over at TSM?

The problem with the Yankees is that they are running out replacement level starters right now. The Yankees have Al Leiter and Hideo Nomo because 29 other teams did not want them. Aaron Small struck out less than 4.5 per nine innings at Columbus, and his K:BB ratio in his first two MLB starts is 4:4 in 13 innings. None of those guys is a suitable long term solution. Shawn Chacon is likely to be a good pitcher, but that is just a guess.

 

The Yankee front office seems convinced that they need to find front-line talent to win pennants. The problem is that they leave huge, gaping holes in their roster because they fill will severely underqualified players. This team has no depth, and until they fix that problem, they are going to have periods were they struggle severely.

Even if Winn doesn't play center, he gives them some much needed depth. I was hoping they went after Jose Cruz Jr. as well. A bench of Cruz (or Winn), Williams, Sierra (when he comes back), Martinez, Crosby, and Womack isn't too bad.

 

As far as the pitching is concerned, when Pavano comes back, our rotation will be set. Johnson, Mussina, Pavano, Chacon, and Leiter. Leiter as a 5th starter is fine, and Aaron Small right now is just a spot starter. I'm not even sure Nomo will pitch a game.

The report yesterday that Soriano was headed to the Mets was proven false, apparently the Met wont part with Lastings Milledge

and we shouldn't. Petit as well.

Frank Thomas is likely done for the year because of his fractured foot.

You just gotta keep Lastings away from the teenaged girls. Don't want another conviction.

 

Marlins need to SWEEP the Nationals this weekend. The way both teams have been playing (Nationals - awful; Marlins - hot)... the Nationals will probably end up sweeping the Marlins.

wonderful peformance by mussina these first three innings the angels own the yankees

Even with the 3 runs, it's been a quality start. Now only if the Yankees can score....

i think the angels are their "daddies"... at least the yankees can hit. Martinez homered, and the mets arent hitting in hitters ball parks now, against rookie starters. they beat the aces and get devouered by rookies.

 

i can't wait until michael kay's gigantic head explodes. "SEE YA!"

Even back during the 1998-2001 period they've been beating us. We need to squeak this one out though, and not waste this start.

You just gotta keep Lastings away from the teenaged girls. Don't want another conviction.

 

yea no kidding guys quite the perv

Jay Powell of the Atlanta Braves pulled a Dave Dravecky tonight as his arm just apparently snapped midpitch.

 

Goodbye, career.

ouch

Jay Powell of the Atlanta Braves pulled a Dave Dravecky tonight as his arm just apparently snapped midpitch.

 

Goodbye, career.

Holy crap. Powell's not a high leverage reliever or anything but, still, never anything that you want to hear about a player.

 

Though it's not quite a career-ending injury, Torii Hunter's ankle went snap when he barrelled into the wall at Fenway today, basically ensuring a 4-6 week stint on the DL. Hunter was slumping offensively, but it's his glove that's going to be missed out in CF. I'm guessing Jones shifts over there and Lew Ford moves out to the outfield, with LeCroy getting some ABs at DH?

considering their all ready anemic offense, maybe they should further pursue soriano

From ESPN.com:

 

 

Atlanta Braves:

 

The Braves' 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates was marred by a serious injury to right-handed reliever Jay Powell.   

 

Powell started the ninth inning but his second pitch sailed about 15 feet high and wide of the plate and he fell to the ground, holding his right elbow and writhing in pain. X-rays showed a severe elbow injury, Braves officials said.

 

 

 

I was watching the game, and wouldn't you know when this happened I was letting my dog out and when I came back in the room I thought somebody shot him. The Pirates' announcers were in JR shoot voice mode, and it looked like his elbow blew up mid-pitch.

 

The way he went down, and the way the Braves are describing this injury, would make me believe this might just be career ending.

Yanks sign Alan Embree.

The 2005 Yankees are doing a service to the sabermetric community by helping to define "replacement level talent."

It's kind of funny watching the Yankees trying to sign anyone that even resembles a pitcher.

What a horrible signing. If you ever wanted to pitch for the Yankees, the time is now.

I give it about three more days before Colter Bean goes on a shooting rampage in Colombus. The man has an 11.5 K/9 rate in the minor leagues. How bad does your pitching staff have to suck before you realize you have the next Chad Bradford on your hands?

 

And you can't help but feel for Jay Powell. It is not the same injury that occured to Dave Dravecky and Tony Saunders, but it is still severe.

 

As for the Twins, losing Torii Hunter will have little impact. The Twins have plenty of outfielders who can cover center, and Hunter was hitting around the league average. The way the Twins are built, they have no dominant hitter that they can not afford to lose.