Comments on: Phillies to include Cole Hamels in a Halladay deal?

By: Suzan Bridging

Suzan Bridging — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 21:09:58 +0000

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By: Sold

Sold — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:42:01 +0000

Am I dead, Angel? Cause this must be heaven!

By: Michal Yergin

Michal Yergin — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:13:25 +0000

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By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:44:46 +0000

Thanks Mike, but keep in mind that the two years in which the Marlins won, 1997 and 2003, they were hardly underfunded. In ’97 Wayne Huizinga splurged – he had brought in Gary Sheffield and Bobby Bonilla, fresh from his turbulent years withy the Mutts, went out and got Al Leiter, and then Dombrowski made the brilliant trade to bring in somneone who will be familiar to you, Darren Daulton, who was the real sparkplug and animating spirit behind the team’s late surge.
As soon as that season was over, Huizinga dismantled the team and Dombrowski began the remarkable series of trades that, ultimately, blossomed in the totally unanticipated 2003 run. During that ’03 run, the Feesh had signed Pudge Rodriguez in the offseason to a $10 million one year contract and he became the sparkplug of the team, went out and got Juan Pierre in a great trade with the Rocky Mountain Oysters, Jeff Conine back from the Orioles, and Uegeth Urbina from the Rangers. Their payroll that year peaked at something like $60 million – not nearly Borg territory or even Beanbag country, but now, six years later, it is over a third less and right at or near the bottom of the show. Loria promised there’d be no dismantling at the end of 2003. He just flat out lied to us, obfuscating his merry pocketing of his share of the luxury tax by waiting a year to do his Dirty Dozen number on the clubhouse.
And if you noticed the salary dump of Matt Lindstrom at the winter meetings – a trade for a bona fide big league closer when he’s healthy that netted a handful of midlevel prospects – you could see the process continuing. When you consider how many games the Feesh’s bullpen has given away over the past two years – the difference, it is fair to say, between fourth place and the wild card both years – you can understand why such a move really would dishearten a Feesh fan (even though some of us were moderately amused to see the Cubs grab Kevin Gregg and his patented gopher pitch, which nicely rejuvenated the undead billy goat; no one seemed to notice that when he took off his Clark Kent glasses, he bore a striking resemblance to Steve Bartman).

By: Mike Z

Mike Z — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:21:19 +0000

I have read many of your posts and I understand your frustration with your fish, or I should say Loria. It is actually impressive the few seasons the Marlins have put together over the years and made those stretch runs in the NL East with that penny pinching owner. The Phils know all about an owner who puts the bare minimum back into the team. Dont get to 10,000 loses spending cash on talent. That may be the reason many Philly sports fans are as angry as they are.
Anyway Gator, its not personal and I understand where the distaste comes from.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:52:05 +0000

Check out some of my other posts and see what I have to say about the management of the Feesh. On this point, I agree with you more than you do. Frankly, while Loria was trying – comically, I might add – to blackmail south Floridians into building him what is now rising on the archaeological site formerly known as the Orange Bowl with public money while our school system implodes like Sarah Palin’s skull in a steep atmospheric pressure differential, he was threatening to move the team to San Antonio. If he had, I strongly suspect he would have tried to generate some rivalry with the Diamondbacks by renaming the team the San Antonio Sidewinders.
No doubt the Diamondbacks would then merely have renamed themselves the Kingsnakes, and any armchair herpetologist, even one on a subsistence budget, knows where that would lead.

By: Mike Z

Mike Z — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 12:28:14 +0000

The moccasins have evolved to the point that they are putting together a MLB team of their own. Unfortunately their ecological niche is Fla. So they are assembling a sub par team with the lowest payroll in baseball. It is surprising that the moccasins can raise the funds needed to assemble a team. They are using the tactics of pandering and laundered drug money; it is the Florida way (those creatures really do adapt well). The Florida Water Vipers, the working name of the start up team, is expected to outsell the Marlins 3 to 1 in ticket sales in their inaugural season.
I was unaware that alligators enjoy marshmallows. Although I do know that an old gator with too much free time on its hands becomes very ornery.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:16:00 +0000

The real question is, who do I think is worth impressing? If you think you might merit that kind of effort, consider this: why would I waste a dozen parsecs at Warp 8 hunting through a thesaurus to wow someone who doesn't know that sentences begin with upper-case characters? Anyway, watching Feelies fans go apoplectic over a little ribbing is more fun - and safer - than baiting the water moccasins down by the canal with silly expressions, a long pole and threatening gestures. You get the same irritability and indignation, the same utter lack of a sense of humor, but the fangs are usually replaced with gutter vulgarity and a solipsistic conviction that nobody else has learned the definition and/or spelling of any word they haven't learned yet. What's more, I get bored with Feelies fans more quickly than with water moccasins, which, when you think about it, are really fascinating in their superb evolutionary adaptation to their ecological niches, as opposed to what really does seem like the congenital maladjustment of Feelies fans. Incidentally, did you know that alligators love marshmallows?

By: philsphan22

philsphan22 — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:18:34 +0000

just who do you think you’re impressing with your thesaurus-aided diatribes anyway?

By: fish on

fish on — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:06:51 +0000

go Yanks !!! were going to win it all again next year with or without Halladay.

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:14:55 +0000

You make it sound like it takes effort to insult Feelies fans. Naaw, I just kid around in my hometown fractured Cuban dialect and, language being polysemous and subject to visceral interpretations by the mindless, they get insulted on their own. That probably offers some kind of clue to why so many of them behave like foulmouthed trailer trash and yelling insults about opposing (and even their own) players' mothers in coded sequences of beer belches by the third inning, whether they arrive at the stadium in a Mercedes or in an old Ford flatbed. But then, democracy was born in Philadelphia when it was still a town that mattered to anyone but the deformed shellfish downriver, so there's a natural levelling effect.

By: Houzudo

Houzudo — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:01:37 +0000

Beat it Hamels!!

By: Houzudo

Houzudo — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:42:32 +0000

Beat it Hamels!!

By: Alex

Alex — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:56:47 +0000

Roy WANTS to be traded to the Phillies Formica….just read an article and you would know that. Why would the Blue Jays want players that have league experience and are gonna demand money in the next year or two. They are trying to get young and cheap. Phils have the best shot because they have what the Jays want. The Angels are offering guys who are gonna get PAID soon.

By: ScoutAZ

ScoutAZ — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:53:08 +0000

900 innings in past 3 years…hmm… 33 starts a year…just over 9 innings a start

By: phillyphan

phillyphan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:41:26 +0000

Why would Toronto want to trade him to another AL team, especially in their own division? DUH!!! Last team they would trade to is another AL East team. Who are the NNY btw?

By: T. Formica

T. Formica — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:26:51 +0000

The NNY have a better offer than Hammels or whatever from the Frillies: Hughes, Montero. Why would Roy want to pitch in a TripleA leagues when he could pitch for the World Champions and wear #27? Remember he can nix a deal

By: phillyphan

phillyphan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:59:05 +0000

If Hamels is as lame pitcher again this year with his head case of problems and blame, then I will be pissed we did not get rid of him. Hopefully he is working on his game in the off season and not his charities like he did last year.
Jays will not take Blanton and Drabek is not going to be part of any deal, at least not for one pitcher. BTW, Halladay’s 2nd half of last season does not show all that much. The Lee trade was much more in our favor.
If Amaro is smart, then Drabek will not be a part of any trade. Looking back at last year, both Happ and Blanton performed better than Hamels did. Hamels has one good year and we cherish him and put him up on a pedestal. I personally think the Marty Bystrom jinx has bitten Hamels. But if we think he will bounce back like he did 2 years ago, then we should also assume that we will get a Brad Lidge like we had two years ago.

By: Mike Z

Mike Z — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:54:46 +0000

The Phils have 3 lefties in their starting rotation, so 1 of them has to go. I would rather it be Hamels then Happ. Happ has a ton of potential. Hamels gets shook easily when things don’t go his way.
Old Gator – You hate Philly, we get it. You never had a Philly cheesesteak, everyone from Philly knows that. But guess what? No one gives a damn about you and your tired old tirades. Why dont you go to a fish game when the Phils come to town and yell profanities at them from the stands. It wont be hard to get tickets.

By: dirtysanchez

dirtysanchez — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:50:27 +0000

I hope the phillies take halladay and he sucks. i hate them. Halladay to the Yankees!!

By: jonny5

jonny5 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:23:47 +0000

Not Hamels or Happ goofy. It’ll be Blanton, Drabek, Brown, and Taylor. The Jays need a decent starter when they get rid of Halladay. I don’t see Hamels getting traded or Happ. Amaro is smart man as seen in the Lee deal.
And I agree, Old Gator, that line is getting very old. A smart guy like you should be able to think of something a little fresher than that. Plus It’s beef, get it right!!!!! Whiz is optional!!!!!

By: phillyphan

phillyphan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:16:30 +0000

I am ok with trading Hamels, but the Phils should keep Happ! Hamels is a head case.

By: Phillies2010

Phillies2010 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:10:22 +0000

I’m seriously craving a huge philly cheesesteak from Pat’s right about now!! Too bad I’m stuck down here in FL with a bunch of crusty old gators. Go Phillies!!!!!

By: bjavie

bjavie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:56:55 +0000

smokehouse, where do you get your facts? Halladay has thrown exactly 710 1/3 innings in the last three years.

By: Old Gator Hater

Old Gator Hater — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:42:37 +0000

“Feelies”, not sure what kind of cheap shot thats SUPPOSED to be but you really need some lessons in sarcasm and cheap shots, “horsemeat and velveeta”, please stay off the message board until you can come up with better dialect to try and insult us with.

By: philsphan22

philsphan22 — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:18:14 +0000

Hey Old Gator, aren’t you clever enough to come up with a new dig at Philadelphia? I must have read that idiotic “horsemeat and velveeta” line 20 times by now. And by the way, a cheesesteak is made with whiz not velveeta. Get your facts right. Moron.

By: Steve V

Steve V — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:52:15 +0000

Lee AND Halladay??? Who do the phillies think they are, the yankees???

By: Church of the Perpetually Outraged

Church of the Perpetually Outraged — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:48:38 +0000

Over 900 in the last three years

Umm he’s at 710 for 3 years, or 930 for 4 years. He’s never had arm problems in his career, and as Keith Law mentions, if you had to pencil in any starter for 800IP in the next four years, Halladay would be your best bet.
However, isn’t Lee’s dealing ending next year as well? So they’d have both Lee and Halladay to resign? Damn…

By: Old Gator

Old Gator — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:16:30 +0000

I guess the Feelies think that if the Marlins finally solved Hamels last season, everyone else will this year. I just think the guy has eaten one too many of those horsemeat and velveeta sandwiches they’re so proud of up there. Now the Feesh will have to solve Halladay. That is, if those skinflint sphincters who run the Feesh don’t sell off the video players in the clubhouse so the Teal Titans can’t even study his motion.

By: alum

alum — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:03:56 +0000

So just Happ and one of the outfielders, and not the sainted Kyle Drabek? Suddenly Shapiro’s return for Lee looks a lot better.