Invader3K

Yeah, I'm pretty sure MLB Network will be broadcasting in HD from the get-go, but companies like Charter are already having problems creating more bandwidth for HD channels as is. Maybe if we're lucky they'll add an HD feed for it by the time regular season starts (though I won't hold my breath, seeing how long it took them to finally start carrying Brewers games in HD after numerous promises).

We live in Jefferson county. I believe it's on channel 84.

Wife got me a PS3, and a couple games and Bluray discs to go with it (Dark Knight, and Casino Royale came with the system). Got some other cool stuff, but that's the big one. Merry Christmas everyone.

I feel like that is maybe Melvin's plan, again. I have to believe Attanasio will let him make another trade similar to the Sabathia one (granted it probably won't be as blockbuster this time) if the Brewers are still in the thick of things, come late June/early July.

We're already getting the "test" broadcast on Charter in our area. Any word on if there will be an HD channel version eventually?

The alternative to the salary cap would be to increase the luxury tax teams pay for high payrolls. Last year the only teams that paid on it were the Yankees and Tigers. I think the Yankees are even exempt starting next year because of their new stadium, which seems pretty silly to me. My dad offered an alternative last night...move two more teams to New York. The population could support it. I don't think it's necessarily a great idea, but it would be better than the current situation.

I kind of like the idea of a minimum salary "floor" to stimulate competitiveness, but I'm not sure how much it would accomplish. Would teams like the Royals and Marlins actually get into the bidding for players like Sabathia, or would they just be forced to pay huge contracts to the Jeff Suppans and Juan Pierres of baseball?

I hear ya hawing. Well, at least not quite on the guilt part...but we were forced to make the same decision this morning. We live in Jefferson County, and the wife's family lives way up near Antigo (actually in a little town called White Lake, just north of the Menominee Reservation). We decided there was no way we were going to risk driving through this crummy weather for four hours. We should be able to go up this weekend, at least. That aside, I wouldn't worry too much about what your relatives think. Life's too short to worry about stuff like that. You made the choice that was best for you guys in the situation.

All good points that I was thinking of, MJ. I think the best alternative would be to get some friends over to your place, with the agreement it's going to be a "dry" party.

I definitely agree with you, LouisEly. Sometimes it seems like people on this forum want to hold onto all of our minor league prospects no matter what, because at least one of them could develop into the next superstar. I get the thinking, but sometimes you have to take a risk and go for it, or you're always going to be saying "When is it our turn?"

Well, the article didn't really quote anyone directly. Teams can talk internally about options, but you couldn't have Theo Epstein come out and say "We're going to try and get Joe Mauer after next season.," for example. That would be considered tampering.

Well, you can make the argument. The Red Sox might still have a bit better pitching depth. That's kind of beside the point here, though.

I thought this would be worth bumping, because the plant did officially close yesterday (at least for the time being). There's a report out that Janesville had the highest unemployment of any area in the state last month, and of course this doesn't help. Hopefully the city and area can recover soon and attract some new industry.

They'll probably end up doing the usual Twins thing and trade him after this season.

Huh? They've only missed the playoffs four times in this decade, including 2000. Not sure what you're referring to here. Yes, I remember the days of the Yankees being a bad team as well, since I first started really following baseball as a kid in the late '80s. I remember when they had Winfield, Mattingly, and that was about it, for quite a while. They definitely changed their philosophy in the early '90s and started to change the way they operated, and it paid off. They will always have advantages that they are partly entitled to, but I don't think the small market teams should be so disadvantaged like they are right now. Yes, sometimes a team like the Rays or Rockies manages to make it to the World Series, but it requires a whole hell of a lot of luck, and basically requires the front office to run flawlessly. Even if Sabathia and Burnett both shatter their arms and never pitch again, Cashman can just go out and sign someone else to a huge contract. He has about the easiest job any sports executive ask for. I guess part of what irks me is that the Brewers are basically being punished for running their team the right way, and being as about as successful as anyone can reasonably ask. Their revenue streams seem to be basically maxed out (of course they're saddled with the worst TV contract in the majors, thanks Wendy). It's not like they can draw many more fans either. Only getting a second round pick for Sabathia is a joke, where as the Angels get a first rounder they probably don't even really need. It's like we as fans get punished for rooting for a small market team. Sometimes I almost wish I had been born in New York, since being a Yankees fan has to be pretty damn easy these days.

They missed the playoffs last year for the first time in, what? 15 years or so? That argument doesn't really hold much water. Now, they haven't gone far into the playoffs the last few years, but there are so many things you can pin that on. We've all seen that the playoffs can be a crap shoot at best, especially when the first round is best of five. The fact is, their high payroll and dearth of talent gives them a very high chance to make the playoffs every year. Small market teams will generally never have that advantage under the current system. About the only positive thing I can take out of this is that every sport needs villains, and the Yankees are the equivalent of Satan himself when it comes to MLB...other than maybe Scott Boras.

Ah...this sucks...we're getting hit fairly hard here in Jefferson County this morning. Not sure if we're going to be leaving later or not at this point. Roads are pretty bad in a lot of areas, so be careful if you are traveling.

"Yeah, there seem to be some people whose main objective is to seek out flawed posts, and tell that poster how/why they are wrong." That's not really limited to vent threads on this forum, though. (Although I realize I am doing the same to your post, unintentionally).

That's not the issue, endaround, and you very well know it. The main issue is that they can basically grossly overspend to obtain any player they want, and prevent other teams from even having a chance to sign them.

Apparently Attanasio is actually suggesting that baseball needs a salary cap: "At the rate the Yankees are going, I'm not sure anyone can compete with them," Mark Attanasio wrote in an e-mail to Bloomberg News. "Frankly, the sport might need a salary cap." http://milwaukee.brewers....ws_mil&fext=.jsp&c_id=mil

Yeah, it's too bad. Just a few weeks ago this station was still really good. Now it sounds like they're trying to be the typical sports radio clone. Yesterday the guy was already asking "Are the Yankees the best team on paper in the AL in 2009?" Well, duh, probably.

On another board I go to, a Red Sox fan was complaining that the Yankees only signed him because the Red Sox were interested in him. I have no idea if that's true or not, though.

Boy, I almost wish the Brewers were playing the Yankees in interleague again this year. I would relish going to Miller Park and booing the hell out of these clowns.

I was listening to MLB 175 this afternoon, and whoever the guy is (Casey something?) is just plain horrible. Total pro-Yankees dude. Was bashing people for calling in and complaining about the Teixeira signing, basically. What the hell happened to Rob Dibble? It sounded like I was listening to a typical national sports radio call in show, of the type you'd hear on your local Sporting News radio affiliate at 1 AM, or something. If they keep juggling their lineup like this, I'll just have one more reason to justify cancelling.

It's time for Bud Selig to step in. Despite baseball's relative prosperity, garbage like this turns fans off and is not good for the sport as a whole. There's probably never going to be a salary cap in baseball, but there have to be some measures in place to prevent one team from buying up all the top talent in one off season.