MJLiverock

I posted earlier this summer about the flood of TV money coming to some teams but iirc the Phillies were expected to see their TV money jump by $70 million a year or so when their deal with Comcast was up in 2015. So they can basically expect to be able to raise their spending by nearly the equivalent of the Brewers entire payroll.

This and SRB's other posts about sums it up for me. I just don't care that player use or don't, HGH, PED's, amphetamines, cocaine, whatever. The line seems to move constantly so a segment can feel outrage and indignation at a current group while pretending previous players or eras were some golden age of altruism and saints. Probably my biggest annoyance with baseball culture is constant holier than thou attitude of policing things including so called PEDs and minor in the game things like how long a player takes to round the bases, does he look humble enough on hitting a HR, how did he toss the bat, etc. Where was all the outrage and indignation about players like Andy Pettite? or Matt Holliday insinuating he used HGH to recover from injury years ago? Very little because media outlets like ESPN didn't bother whipping up a fury of people that will always find a reason to be upset about something, now with blood in the water the feeding frenzy has become Tim Tebowesque. When Jeff Passan and Buster Olney are both pointing at the other as the source of the Votto and Tulo lies they spread you know journalistic integrity have lost out to just get a headline out there, especially if it concerns a guy nobody is going to defend and everyone is ready to be upset about something new. Look at the attention they give the clown's lawsuit. As for Braun's apology it's fine, I am sure he will be on camera at some point and asked about it to provide a statement that some clamor for but will likely still find something to be upset over. I really don't want to see some contrived Oprah, Costas, Couric, type interview, one I think all those people are smarmy and two it won't change anyone's opinion or Braun's standing. I just tune out most of the ex players on TV who are just as likely hiding their own imperfect pasts and ignoring their own or at the very least many teammates use of some substance they thought made them better or kept them on the field. I always remember that if I knew guys in high school in small town WI in the late 80's that used steroids, I am can be confident professional athletes of all stripes were using for many years prior. My best friend's dad played D1 football in the early 70's and he used to talk about all the steroids around athletics back then. It's been a fact of the trade (athletics) for so long that I just can't pretend it is just this current group of so called unsavory individuals who are ruining the game as some media heads and "purists" like to believe. In the end Braun's owning up to it is nice in that maybe the majority of attention will move on to the next scandal to drive an ESPNado. Maybe Tim Tebow will be released or Y. Puig will be discovered to be a 30 year old cyborg.

Those were my initial thoughts as well as the Yankees keep trying to manufacture reasons to get from under that contract and baseball seems hellbent on helping their big marquee team any way they can. I also tire of the sanctimonious nature of commentators and fans regarding Braun and ARod while ignoring that Andy Pettite is on the team and they have had plenty of history with PED's from Giambi and others along with rumors they don't like to mention about Cano. I can't remember which blogger/Twitter judge, maybe Quinn, posted something along the lines of how could ARod get along with his teammates knowing he took PED's. I though maybe room him with Pettite on the road?

Yeah, often the bank is the only bidder at the sheriff sale which is why so many foreclosures end up being bank owned real estate. Even when the bank lists the property my brother has often found he is the only offer on the more beat up properties so he typically works the bank's asking price way down since they know there isn't a big market for the types of homes he buys up. These are one that sell for $50,000, he puts in $75,000 and sells off for $180,000+ because they are typically complete gut jobs. Banks don't even like to finance projects like that so an ambitious homeowner may be lucky to get enough financing to even buy the place but be hard pressed to get a HELOC or construction loan to do the necessary fix ups, updates, etc. I would agree that many of the low priced foreclosures need substantial work, but even if not in foreclosure that area of the market probably needs updating and cosmetic repairs. I've been through a number of foreclosures that were just fine inside or at most needing a new fridge and stove. Some people just walked away after only a short time of ownership and didn't take out their anger or frustration on the way out. I'd just reiterate what fondybrewfan said, make sure you know what you are doing if it looks like work is needed and you are probably better off letting the bank buy the property at the sheriff sale unless you know something about the house or owners already. You probably won't have a lot of competition when trying to buy it from the bank later but will get a chance to see the interior and have a home inspection. But there are a number of homes that were bank owned that just need some minor cosmetic work like paint or carpet like many older homes that get sold with an allowance for updates, only this time the cheaper price is just more of an as is. From what I know and fondy probably knows more, short sale homes take longer as there is more negotiation and what the sell might think is fair the bank balks at, I've heard of lots of last minute hang ups and issues at the close with those types of purchases.

Not to take this thread off track but what your friends mother did is highly illegal. This is equal to insider trading. As for buying a foreclosed home it is a big gamble on what you are going to get. It is like taking a gun out aiming it at yourself and pulling the trigger and seeing what happens. That is not insider trading. It also isn't illegal. It happens all the time and most of the time the "tip" is just a simple hey this house is on the market and is a good deal. I have clients buying home in Vegas where the bank flat out tells them what the bank was owed, the entire purchase history, what is the minimum they are willing to take ,all outside of what the listing is for and while a bidding war is going between buyers. Buying a foreclosure doesn't always mean you can't look at it. My clients in Vegas have walked through every bank foreclosure and short sale they have bid on. My brother buys foreclosed homes in Wi all the time (he is a contractor and flips them so he actually prefers the ones with damage) and has walked through everyone of them. He did walk away from one in Madison where the bank had stopped paying the electric bill and had the power shut off after the owners vacated only to find water had leaked into the basement and with no sump pump, no air flow, the interior was completely covered with black mold. (my guess is someone got and earful or a policy got changed quickly as trying to save a couple buck cost tens of thousands). My brother has some incredible stories about things they have found left behind in foreclosed houses he has purchased, often times embarrassing or illegal things that one would think the owners would take with them or at least dispose of before bankers, realtors, appraisers, buyers, etc. walk through. I went to one closing with him where the guy selling walked away with a few thousand after the bank was paid off and they guy showed up at the house the next day to show off his "new" PT Cruiser. Basically the guy traded his worthless house but valuable lot for a used car since the sale price was about 1/2 the assessed land value. When I got married 5 years ago my wife and I got a from a friend of hers that a near brand new home in their neighborhood was going through foreclosure. We walked through it only to find holes punched in the walls, part of the hardwood floor ripped up, etc. We didn't feel like dealing with the repairs and who knows what else the inspection would find so we passed. Amazing what someone will do on the way out of a $400,000 house that was nearly brand new. All it does is reduce the sale amount and increase the shortfall of the owner. But the bank had no problem letting us walk through it and seeing it as is.

I really don't care what celebrities or athletes do with themselves as long as they aren't hurting other people by robbing, beating, murdering, raping, the rest is just their choices. I really don't care that athletes use PEDs, use drugs, cheat on their wives/husbands, blow their money, gamble, etc. I think I get more annoyed with all the trumped up indignation some people feel the need to spew when they hear of something an entertainer did. That is one reason why I haven't posted in the Braun thread. I just don't care that he and countless players going back decades have used PED's, I say let 'em use them, just move the stuff to physician guided and call it advancements in science just as all sports have benefitted from science over the last 100+ years. Most of the self righteous blogs and blasts from MLB connected people don't have to look very far in the rearview mirror to find PED users in their clubhouse. Tiger Woods cheating on his wife along with who knows how many other athletes doesn't diminish the fact he was good at golf, but being good at golf doesn't mean anything else to me in thinking about him since I don't know him personally. I guess I always thought of players and entertainers as role models for their craft that made them famous. Tiger is a great role model for a golfer, he is really good golf, so by all means pattern your golf ideal around him. Robert Downey Jr. is a great role model for an actor, not saying he would be the top choice to emulate a life after.

I'd take this guy 10/10 times versus the 28 year old AAA player with upside to being a 4th OF or 25th guy on the bench that I expected for a KRod rental. Getting a young player with some tools and upside to being even an average 3B at the ML is a pretty good haul. If the guy was a 5 tool prospect with no questions he wouldn't be had for the likes of Krod, having even just some upside (good eye, power, young, trying new position) makes this a great deal. I don't know what else one could expect for a few months of KRod. I don't think anyone expects him to be the next David Wright or Evan Longoria but the chance of filling an organizational hole with even average ML production is pretty good return on a guy who was out of work and then in the minors for the start of the year.

I doubt the money owed to Lohse is that scary to some of the big market teams. The mindset that anything over $10 million is big money in today's market is just living in the past. The going rate for veteran starting pitchers is $10MM+, with Lohse managing to pitch well this year outside of STL, for a bad team, in a hitter friendly ballpark in front of a mediocre defense, teams probably see his risk diminished vs. where it was in the offseason. Edit: I will add that I agree that getting a lot of top prospects is probably a pipe dream. I mentioned it in a post elsewhere but I think the return expectations for a lot of the Brewer's players seem a bit high. I just don't think teams are willing to part with legit prospect profiling as top half of the rotation starters without getting all star ML caliber players back that aren't on their last contract.

Interesting pitching article about going to shorter outings, piggyback style, and utilization of pitching staffs to reduce injury and prolong careers. http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/eye-performance/201307/mlb-pitching-tom-house-frank-jobe-pitch-count-arm-stats-elbow-shoulder

There are two things just absurdly flawed in this post. 1st-Your referencing WAR. It assumes that the majority of the writers look at WAR. It also takes what he's doing THIS season in which he's been incredibly unlucky with a .215 BABIP. AND his defense has always killed his WAR. If the writers made their decisions on "WAR," then Mike Trout would have been the MVP last year. But they didn't. RBI's and HR's gave Cabrera the edge over Trout by a wide margin. 2nd-You're stating that it's a FACT that he won't get in. That's just asinine. I don't look at Dunn and think he's a HOF'er, but based on the history of the writers, if he does end up with 600-650 HR's(and again, he's still just 33 years old) which isn't even a high projection based on recent years(again, 8 of the last 9 he's hit 38 or above). Absurdly flawed? That seems a bit excessive and just as asinine as you getting upset that some completely dismiss Dunn's chances. Looking beyond WAR and its flaws and writers mentality you ignore the fact that the writers have never even deemed one single season in Dunn's career to be worthy of putting him the top 20 players in his league let alone all of baseball. The fact that his highest MVP vote season is 21st is pretty telling on where he ranks as a player vs. his peers. Not to mention a measly 2 AS game appearances. He doesn't meet any standard I would expect of a HOF player, even Greg Luzinski did better in MVP voting and AS game appearances. Dale Murphy can't get much above 20% in HOF voting and he is/was much better than Adam Dunn. Just looking at the Baseball Reference page using their formulas for HOF he's not close and isn't going to get close because he only has one thing to build on, HRs: Black Ink Batting - 4 (425), Average HOFer ≈ 27 Gray Ink Batting - 87 (270), Average HOFer ≈ 144 Hall of Fame Monitor Batting - 73 (264), Likely HOFer ≈ 100 Hall of Fame Standards Batting - 31 (296), Average HOFer ≈ 50 JAWS Left Field (131st), 16.4 career WAR/17.4 7yr-peak WAR/16.9 JAWS Average HOF LF (out of 19) = 64.9 career WAR/41.4 7yr-peak WAR/53.1 JAWS

Gomez may be hitting well enough this year to break the Brewer's Gold Glove drought.

According to my fantasy baseball matchups, Skaggs is starting tonight for Arizona in place of Cahill so if anyone has MLB package you can scout him tonight vs. Colorado

Didn't team pretty much know they were going to get a supplemental pick as well when Linebrink walked. Not to mention Inman never amounted to anything so I really don't want to trade for prospects who aren't really prospects.

Or the question should be would the Cardinals trade Miller for Gomez? My guess is nope. For the same reasons I would say yeah I'd give up Gomez for Miller in a heartbeat. Realistically I don't see the Brewers getting impact front line pitching for the likes of Aoki, Axford, Henderson, K-rod. Maybe if you combined all four of them to a team looking to fill a lot of holes now and has an abundance of pitching, we may get a AA pitcher with some upside. Otherwise, teams know how valuable high ceiling young pitching talent is and they aren't likely to give it up for a bunch of reclamation projects or average outfielders. The team can dip all the way down to A ball and seek talent but that just again adds risk the pitcher doesn't materialize and given this scouting department's track record with identifying raw young pitching talent... Likely they will get back guys like Jungman (projects that may make the majors but aren't likely to be more than a #4 of which the minors seam to already have plenty) or the old fallen prospects like Dave Bush or Jose Cappellan tyoes of past trades. I have no problem trading any of the guys mentioned but I think the proceeds will be less than some expect.

Just had a Little Sumpin Sumpin for the first time this weekend and thought it was a pretty good beer. Just picked it at random out of the mix and match area of Woodman's. I like IPA's and the heavy beers but wanted something that I could sip on while sitting outside and wasn't too heavy but not one of the light fruity wheat beers. Fit the bill well falling in between.

Had to laugh to myself at seeing your list and realizing one of the options being rumored is the Bucks may try to replace Ellis or Jennings with Josh Smith. They do realize they don't have to shop off of this list of players right?

This is inaccurate. Back when I played Little League we used wood bats. Today's aluminum bats are much more dangerous especially for the pitchers 12 and under throwing from 46 feet, the ball really jumps off of these modern bats I'm 40 and have never played baseball with a wood bat at any level growing up. (not to mention a hard coach who like to drill grounders at me from the pitcher's mound while I played SS and also like to drill kids in BP so they would know what it felt like to get hit by a pitch and not be afraid) There were always the newest hottest bats each season from at least as far back as grade school when I remember actually talking about the bats. Technology has certainly improved but leagues can limit that easily enough by certifying the bats through testing. Plenty of adult softball leagues have banned bats and placed limits on the technology.

I would have never guessed George Brett on that one. I was a kid when he played and remember watching him but just didn't recall he had that speed early in his career, I guess I remember him from about 81 on when his SB's fell off. He actually led the league in triples 3 times.

I believe RR said this will be the case until K-Rod gets his 300th save. Just one more reason to believe that RRR is not the man to manage this team. He just isn't fit for the job. So which is it? You think RR is dumb for letting K-Rod continue to close until he gets his 300th save but RR is also dumb for not sticking with the what has been working which is K-Rod closing? Looks like you just contradicted yourself in the twisted logic to always find fault with managerial decisions.

Gotta say thanks to TheCrew07 for all the work compiling and posting on not only existing minor league players but also gearing up info for the draft. (of course Colby as well). I may have disagreements with TheCrew07 on some org issues but I do appreciate the knowledge and effort regarding the prospects. Baseball prospect info is so fragmented and sometimes scarce it makes my interest in it much easier to know someone compiles and sifts through so much and summarizes or posts links to interesting stuff on this site.

Well I wouldn't expect a great player laying on the scrap heap which is where this guy pretty much was. I just noticed how horrific his eye must be while looking at his stats trying to find out just who the heck he was. Can't say he makes me too excited, but worth picking up of Gonzo to play first occasionally until Hart is back.

If you were frustrated by Carlos Gomez's or YB's plate discipline over the years you are going to hate Juan Francisco. The guy swings at more out of zone pitches, takes more in zone pitches, swings and misses more, and pitchers must know they can just throw anything up there because they only throw about 43% of pitches in the zone compared to 48% and 51% for Gomez and YB's careers. Looking at his K rate and HR numbers he must just close his eyes and swing as hard as he can at everything.

I look at it this way, all these characters are fighting to rule Westeros. In the end only one is going to win so pretty much all the major players save one are going to die at some point. I just wonder how HBO is going to handle the fact that not all of the books in the series have been written yet and the gap between the last two was ridiculously long. After this season there are two more books finished, I've heard HBO is planning on splitting the books into multiple seasons but I also know there are at least 2 more books yet to be written to finish off the series. Even this season is only covering half of book 3. The books are quite lengthy, 1000+ pages, and the author has hinted at splitting the books further to cut down their size. Even without splitting the last books there were 7 books planned and this HBO season is only tackling the 3rd book so it isn't half way through the planned storyline.

I agree JimH5, that price for the Segura card is insane. It is listed as a Buy It Now for that price and I would be surprised if someone bids that for it. I've noticed a lot of the rookie signed limited edition cards go parabolic in pricing as the world discovers the new talent but then tends to fall off a bit by the 2nd year. I know my Ryan Braun signed rookie stuff peaked around the offseason between his rookie year and end of his 2nd year. I have a graded 10 Mike Trout signed Bowman Sterling rookie that peaked in value during this past offseason and have noticed prices have fallen from $400 to $330 for the last one sold. I have started to appreciate the vintage stuff a lot more. The really nice condition stuff is just as scarce as these limited edition runs of newer guys but without the risk of the player's career getting cut short, performance falling off or getting busted for PED's. My favorite item is my framed B&w 16x20 autographed Hank Aaron photo in his Milwaukee Braves uniform. This is just a pic pulled from the Internet of an unframed one but it is the same one I have. I bought it at a silent auction about 4 years ago. I placed the minimum bid and was the only bidder so I ended up getting it well below the retail price I see on it now.

Ya, I think that Emerald Auto is going to be one of his most valuable cards. It's a 2010, as opposed to the 2011 Bowman Chrome. And with a print run of /25, I can't think of many more valuable cards of his. There's a gold /25 auto, and a black /1, but I've never seen either. I have one of the 2010 Emerald Autos graded by Becket at 9 on the card, 10 on the Auto. I'll try to remember to scan it in. The 2010 Donruss Extra Edition Black 1/1 is currently listed on eBay for $2000. The 1/1 cards are so hard to value, I have a Barry Sanders card from the mid 90's that is a 1/1 I pulled from a pack of Topps Finest. I have no idea what it worth since it is the only one and isn't a rookie.