Congratulations to the 2008 World Series Champs -- The Philadelphia Phillies!

***** Philly sports winning anything.

Oh well, at least it's only baseball. Baseball is the most structurally flawed major sport out there, BY FAR. Until rules and restrictions are enacted to level the playing field baseball will forever be second rate.

 

Congrats to the Phillies and to my former hometown!

My allegiances are always with Houston teams, but I was born in Philly and still root for the Eagles as my NFC team and was pulling for the Phils in this series.

 

Brad Lidge = Mr. Perfect

Fortunately, we got Michael Bourn otherwise I'd be pissed.

Wait a minute...

 

its gonna be very very hard for the rays to get back. their window is closing cause their players are gonna get PAID. by the rest of the league.

 

I guess you aren't aware of Kazmir/Longoria/Crawfords contract

 

level the playing field?

the series included a team from tampa...with a payroll next to nothing. very similar to colorado last season. freaking milwaukee was in the playoffs and was competitive all season long.

there are place like pittsburgh and k.c. that can't seem to bottle that approach...but that too will change.

since 2000, only the red sox have won twice. a different team each year.

 

They have Kazmir and Crawford signed for a while...Kazmir proved he's not a #1 but a decent #2

I felt Crawford was misplaced in the lineup for most of the playoffs...I really think he should lead off and Iwamura bat second

Here's the contract numbers:

Carlos Pena 1b
3 years/$24.125M (2008-10)

Carl Crawford of
4 years/$15.25M (2005-08), plus 2009-10 club options

Scott Kazmir lhp
1 year/$3.785M (2008)
3 years/$28.5M (2009-11), plus 2012 club option

Akinori Iwamura inf
3 years/$7.7M (2007-09), plus $4.25M 2010 club option

James Shields rhp
4 years/$11.25M (2008-11), plus 2012-14 club options

David Price lhp
6 years/$8.5M (2007-12)

Evan Longoria inf
6 years/$17.5M (2008-13), plus 2014-16 club options

B.J. Upton ss
1 year/$0.4121M (2008)

Matt Garza rhp
1 year/$0.4046M (2008)

Andy Sonnanstine rhp
1 year/$0.3958M (2008)

Anyway...I didn't get to watch the game because I was at the Rockets opener...Caught the highlights on ESPN and felt really happy for Lidge

 

Sorry for the double-post but here's the link http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/tampa-bay-devil-rays_112131227267025321.html

 

Am I the only one who, deep down, hoped for Lidge to fail? I've never felt that way about anyone, athlete or not, in my life.

But for some reason I wanted to see him **** up and blow it. I can't stand seeing him succeed to the point of winning it all.

Maybe it's because I feel like I want to blame him (at least partially) for the Astros inability to get over the WS hump.

I'm bitter about Lidge.

 

How does a small handful of examples negate this glaring competitive advantage? The best players will always go wherever the money is. Some teams won't/can't/refuse to pay players the big bucks which is precisely why plenty of big names relocate to the New York teams, the Chicago teams, Boston, etc etc.

Watch Tampa end up with a losing record next year like Colorado from this year . Watch Tampa end up losing their core within five years.

Milwaukee built their team the right way but has slowly increased their spending every year. 2-3 years ago a major deal like the Sabathia trade they made would have been unheard of for a team like that. Now, with risky moves like that, the Gagne deal and what not they're starting to accumulate some significant spending and worthwhile moves that allow you compete annually instead of just sporadically.

Not every team can be like Florida. Forced to trade away two franchise players? Still don't miss a beat. Rock bottom in pay roll? Still won 84 games.

Small market teams are given little room for error in these type of situations. I only wish the Pirates were this efficient despite having their hands tied behind their backs. Small market teams are forced to bank on the draft --- hopefully the Pirates are starting to get this. No more Bryan Bullington's over B.J. Upton's....pretty please?!

 

I think you're more bitter about how the Pirates have screwed up their situation over and over again, and thus you're blaming the system.

The last dynasty in baseball (the Yankees) was forged more out of strong player development (Jeter, Posada, Pettite, Rivera) than simply spending money. Same goes for the Red Sox, Phillies, and Dodgers... who didn't win anything all those years they were spending money until they developed (or traded highly touted prospects) for players who were good enough.

You can still win with player developlment and SMART free agent signings... yes, you may not keep the team together long-term, but history shows that those first 6-7 years you have a players are going to be the BEST years you get out of them. They don't tend to play as well after that, AND you're paying them uber-millions that ties up payroll.

 

You obviously weren't watching Sportscenter last night. They didn't even come CLOSE to showing the Rocket highlights to those poor souls like me that don't live in Houston - all they talked about was the World Series.

 

I am happy for Lidge that he got his career turned around....and for the other ex Astros that made contributions.

If Philly can do it...so can Houston.

DD

 

This is what I'm saying. What we've seen is strong player development is carrying teams...and we've seen it in places where baseball had been dead for decades. Tampa, Milwaukee, Colorado are the 3 that come to mind right away.

If you're looking at cash flow statements, yeah there's imbalance. But if you're looking on the field, you have a hard time seeing that. I'm guessing the Yanks would have liked to have been the Rays this season.

 

Now that Brad Lidge has proven the critics wrong, it is Tmac's turn to do the same.



DD

 

preferably in a Houston jersey!

 

THIS YEAR !!

DD

 

ok by me!

 

Not so long ago, however, Brad Lidge was a castoff from the Houston Astros. He had lost the closer's job. He'd get booed when he warmed up. After the 2007 season, Houston traded him with Eric Buntlett for the likes of Michael Bourn, Geoff Geary and a minor leaguer named Mike Costanzo.

"I don't give a crap about Houston, honestly," he said, "because this is the pinnacle of my life."

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/8734144/Phillies'-championship-is-vindicating-for-some?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002

Still feel the same?

 

Count me as one that is not happy that Philly won or that Lidge got the save. I do not pull for players unless Houston is on their jerseys.

I've hated Philly since 1980.