Comments on: The Phillies are “quietly checking on” Josh Hamilton

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:42:28 +0000

I was referring to “grokked Johnson’s zeitgeist.” A Stranger in a Strange Land, no?

By: thehobbit7

thehobbit7 — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:12:21 +0000

I believe the “gripping hand” reference is to Niven/Pournelle’s “The Mote in God’s Eye,” and not to anything written by Heinlein.

By: craigisaloser

craigisaloser — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 04:00:48 +0000

Suck a hairy nut Craig….

By: natslady

natslady — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:27:34 +0000

^^^ what he said, since you ask. Natstowngreg, right on point.

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 01:00:19 +0000

Yeah, but the thing is that big red L is gonna keep dragging everyone else down if someone isn’t trying to do something about it. And, there’s a lot of really good stuff here too — too good to write off. Sometimes I wish the blue states would just give us a taste of our own medicine. Cut off our welfare and make us take some personal responsibility. lol There’s a reason young people are leaving this state in droves, but some of us stay to fight the good fight. Being a liberal in a red state isn’t for the faint of heart.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 00:42:22 +0000

Those are some good reasons. Maybe you need to move to one of the coasts?

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:16:19 +0000

I’m funking because
a) that was probably my worst voting experience ever — I’ve never had an armed guard at my polling place before and it was disturbing. Then, I get home and find out that at the exact time while I was voting the state was executing someone. Seriously.
b) I knew the Tea Party candidates would win, but the two newbies we are sending to Congress are morons no self-respecting Republican should be proud of. I am sorry, America.
c) we are going to be screwed for a very long time thanks to the passage of a couple of state questions, and though this kind of thing is not new, it leaves me in a funk for awhile after every time. I will be whining and lamenting about how I should move away for another week or so. It’s a funk.

By: tvguy22

tvguy22 — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:12:45 +0000

Phillies fan here: NOOOOOOO

By: natstowngreg

natstowngreg — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:10:19 +0000

Rizzo has tried to acquire Greinke before, but Greinke vetoed the trade. Now that the Nats are winning, Greinke might take a second look, per Adam Kilgore:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2012/11/08/are-the-nationals-and-zack-greinke-a-fit-two-years-later/

Gives me chills thinking about a Strasburg-Gio-Zimmermann-Greinke-Detwiler rotation. [And yes, Greinke probably would be the 4th starter.] As for Hamilton, no thanks. Much as the Nats could use him, his injury history and personality could be a turnoff. Rizzo puts a premium on clubhouse chemistry. That would mean passing on Hamilton and giving the cash to Adam LaRoche, or maybe buying another OF (and move Michael Morse to 1B).

However, as Kilgore notes, Rizzo also needs to consider future payroll commitments to the players he has already. Over the next couple of seasons, the Nats will transitiion from a young team with a mid-sized payroll to a veteran team with a huge payroll. Several young players will be up for extensions or large arbitration awards (notably, Strasburg, Zimmermann, Detwiler, Ian Desmond, Drew Storen).

The Lerners have the cash, and seem willing to let Rizzo spend some of it on ballplayers. I can see him signing a free agent or two (or making a trade), while keeping enough payroll space avaialble in 2015 and beyond to keep the team’s young core together.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:16:14 +0000

Ha!

Why are you funking?

By: Francisco (FC)

Francisco (FC) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:12:38 +0000

Man oh man, an opportunity lost. Why not: “On the gripping hand…”?

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:58:40 +0000

You know, I think you’re implying there that they prefer the POA to the POS, and if I was fully out of my post-election funk, I would totally dog you for that.

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:43:03 +0000

But, how do you feel about that?

By: zzalapski

zzalapski — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:34:39 +0000

You have three hands? That’s awesome!

By: seeingwhatsticks

seeingwhatsticks — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:31:33 +0000

I feel like you missed the best and most obvious euphemism: “The Phillies are just giving Hamilton a quick reach-around.”

By: natslady

natslady — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:20:12 +0000

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal
GMs last night dined at home of #Nationals owner Ted Lerner.

“After seeing it,” one GM said, “I think they’re getting Hamilton AND Greinke.”

So. Now you know.

By: indaburg

indaburg — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:10:28 +0000

Nice Heinlein reference.

Ok, here’s the Braves’ version:

AJ Pierzynski is winking at the Braves with a flip of his frosted tipped hair and a wiggle in his hips. “You know I want you,” he whispers to them lovingly.

The Braves, completely oblivious to AJ’s overtures, are yearning for Angel Pagan. “Did you say something, AJ?”

By: historiophiliac

historiophiliac — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:49:52 +0000

Sadly, not a one of those suggestions smacks of a Regency novel…a bitter end to my bitter, bitter week.

(PS you forgot the Brewers have been gazing at him longingly, while the O’s just gave him an up-and-down glance.)

By: heyblueyoustink

heyblueyoustink — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:43:29 +0000

Sure, maybe Amaro wants to set a record for most injury prone players on one roster for a season. I can see it.

By: bleed4philly

bleed4philly — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:42:28 +0000

Very intrigued by this story, I have mixed feelings about it but I hope the phils don’t break the bank for an overachiever just trying to get paid.

By: 1908wasnextyear

1908wasnextyear — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:34:12 +0000

Thanks for the “Peanuts” reference, Craig…good ol’ Joe Shlabotnik.

By: danaking

danaking — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 18:04:47 +0000

On the one hand, given the ages of some key players, they may feel their window is closing.

On the other hand, if that is the case, they got rid of some people at the deadline who might have been able to keep the window open a little longer.

On the other other hand, there’s a good chance Amaro doesn’t know what he’s doing.If he were in football, Dan Snyder would natch him up in a heartbeat. He’s a “splash” guy, too.