The Republic of Sport

tlsmlieb

tlsmlieb's Comments

Posted Friday July 31, 2009, About: Pirates called 'laughingstock of baseball'

The Pirates problem is not money, it is management. They already had an inexpensive team that stunk and has stunk for what...10-15 years now. How many quality starters or hitters have come out of Pittsburgh since Bonds, Bonilla and Van Slyke. Their are plenty of low payroll teams that have been competitive (e.g., the Rays, Marlins, Twins, et al.) All of these teams developed good farm systems. The Pirates cannot even make good trades. Why do you think everyone likes trading with the Pirates. They accept quantity over quality.

Posted Friday July 31, 2009, About: Knicks may opt for Iverson

By the way, then in 2 years, more bad contracts start coming off the books and the Knicks can get better at center and deeper all around. A team like above would attract real talent by that time even if it is not the class of 2010.

Posted Friday July 31, 2009, About: Knicks may opt for Iverson

The Knicks won't get anyone for 2010 except overpaid 2 tierers who did not sign with better teams. The Knicks need to show some intelligence. Sign Sessions at the midlevel as the Bucks will not likely match and Marquis Daniels at the low level for SF (as the Celtics contract fell through.) Then sign and trade: Nate plus others for M. Ellis or R. Hamilton; and David Lee for Boozer/Stoudemire/Bosh or someone along that line. New starters, Sessions, PG, Ellis/Hamilton, PG, Daniels, SF, Boozer/Stoudemire/Bosh, PF, Milicic, C. Better than 2010 anyway and playoff bound. Sessions is a table setter who can score (a true pg), Ellis and Hamilton, both best suited as SGs and hard to stop, Daniels, a solid SF, Boozer, et al., a PF who can score, rebound and intimidate and Milicic, who is nothing special but we cannot have everything.

Posted Friday July 31, 2009, About: Knicks may opt for Iverson

The Knicks have nothing that will currently entice anyone in 2010. The best they could hope for is to overpay for the tier 2 players who are left after the the tier 1 sign with better teams. Sessions is a solid pg on the rise. He is the type of player that, with some other guys like him, will eventually attract real talent to Ny again. The Knicks should try to also sign Marquis Daniels to the lower exception. He would make for a solid sf. How about two sign and trades. Nate plus for either Monta Ellis or Rip Hamilton (for SG) and David Lee plus for either Boozer, Bosh, Stoudemire or some other big guy who can shoot and rebound. Now you have a starting rotation of Sessions, PG, Ellis/Hamilton, SG, Daniels, SF, Harrington, PF/C, Boozer?Bosh/Stoudemire, PF/C. No room for 2010 but a better team than 2010 would be anyway.

Posted Tuesday February 17, 2009, About: Selig: Don't blame me

Selig is the worst kind of liar. Not only does he lie but he deflects blame away from himself toward others. He didn't try to clean up baseball until he was pressured to. He was quite content watching McGwire and Sosa resurrect the game of baseball after the strike hurt the sport (during his tenure). Additionally, he tries to pretend as if steroids has a face or two so as to pretend that there are only a few major stars to blame as opposed to the sport. Further, he is ruining America's past time but trying to live in the past. He acts as if steroids is cheating but that amphetamines, which were overtly distilled in clubhouses, is not. Why? Because, if he was honest, he would have to acknowledge that baseball has been fostering illict drug use for many decades. As such, make steroid users seem distinctive and then hopefully most people won't be smart enough to realize that most players and HOFers cheated. So far so good right? The media and fans are now largely deluded into thinking that ARod's numbers are less valuable that Schmidt's numbers despite his admissions that he also cheated. Good job Bud.

Posted Thursday December 11, 2008, About: Brewers-Yankees deal to include Cameron

When the trade was originally proposed and involved multiple Yankees I was adverse to it. I am not a big Cameron fan. However, I am sure that Cameron was not the Yanks first choice but Cashman found out that there were no other viable options. We all would easily prefer guys like McLouth, Kemp, et al. Yet, I am sure that Cashman determined that guys like that could not be had. As such, while Cameron is not a stud, this is a good deal if these are the only players involved because the fact is Cameron is a notable upgrade over Melky. Neither are good hitters, but Cameron hits for substantial power and is better and getting on base. Melky was never projected to be much of a major leaguer and has not been one. We are lucky that he had enough value to be traded. Cameron is only a one year investment and then is an FA. If he leaves, he might be worth a draft pick to us. So this deal is good if unspectacular.

Posted Monday December 01, 2008, About: Pettitte feels shunned by Yankees

Pettitte has made the Yanks wait annually for his decisions. The Yanks kept him amid drug controversies. Now he feels shunned because his mediocrity is not the forefront of the Yanks' decisions. Maybe he should back off his $16 m price tag.

Posted Friday November 21, 2008, About: A wild day of trading for Knicks

On the one hand, the Knicks should now have the room to go for two top free agents. People assume that its LeBron or bust. There are a slew of top players in that class. That said, since NBA teams who have cap space will offer the max to top players and there will be a number of teams in that position in 2010, what makes the Knicks or anyone else think that the Knicks can entice a player to a team that has almost no talent. The Knicks just traded their top scorer and best rebounder for a backup caliber guard and another tall guy who doesn't rebound, block shots or play defense. The Knicks should have kept Randolph and moved Curry who does nothing that a big man should do. Marbury and Lee better start now. (Lee maybe undersized but he is the closest thing to a center in the way he plays.) The Knicks can now claim they have a new style of play: the "barely run and done." At least now that the Knicks and Nets have traded away their best talent, Kobe can look forward to playing with LeBron.

Posted Friday November 14, 2008, About: Teixeira deal unlikely after Yankees get Swisher

Swisher only makes sense if hs acquistion is either as a backup, a prelude to the acquistion of a premier hitter or for the purposes for packaging him in a deal. The Yankees were mediocre last year offensively with Giambi and Abreu. Even with Matsui and Posada back, Swisher does not even remotely address this issue. Now if Swisher was in turn packaged for Fielder, A. Gonzalez, Votto, Adam Laroche, McLouth, V. Wells or something along those lines, then this deal makes sense. I understand the Yankees not wanting to spend $ on Tex but the Yankees still need middle of the order hitting (in front of and back of ARod). Not only is Swisher not the answer but ARod will never hit to expectations without better lineup support. If the Yankees are worried about their defensive shortcomings, fix it now. Move ARod to first and Jeter to CF. Then go for someone like Hanley Ramirez and Garret Atkins. Now those are moves that help the Yankees in all regards. Damon and Matsui will be FAs next year. As such, the DH spot can be reserved for Posada. In the interim trade for Salty. Maybe trade Matsui for him. These types of deals and move makes the Yankees better offensively and defensively, cheaper, younger and unhampered from making room for positional prospects when they are ready. By the time guys like Romine, Suttle and Montero are ready, the catching position will be open or covered by a cheap but decent challenger, the same is true for 3b and Montero can be a DH or corner outfielder. The Yankees have no ss in the pipeline. This is how the Yankees will be a great team on the field again.

Posted Friday November 14, 2008, About: Teixeira deal unlikely after Yankees get Swisher

Please tell me that this means that the Yankees are gearing for Manny and/or are planning to package Swisher for a better hitter (e.g. A. Gonzalez, Votto, Fielder or Laroche.) If not, this move makes no sense. The Yankees were in the middle of the pack in run producing last year. Replacing Abreu and Giambi with Swisher makes the lineup even less productive absent the acquisition of at least one premier hitter even with Posada and Matsui coming back. If the Yankees want to hedge against the cost of a premier hitter, trade Matsui. The Yankees cannot patch their mistaken commitments to older players by not acquiring young players who are worth committing to. Damon is a good hitter as is Matsui as is Posada, but it was the Yankees mistake in signing these guys to long term deals when they were at ages where their primes were expected to end. Tex is 28. His contract would end almost at the same age that Damon and Matsui's began and younger than Posada's began. The Yankees only are stuck with Damon and Matsui for one more year barring a trade of either. Posada can always be the DH if he can't catch. That leaves ARod and Jeter. If the Yankees are unhappy with their defense then fix it now. Put Jeter in CF and ARod at 1B. The go for a real ss (e.g. Hanley Ramirez) and 3b (Garret Atkins). The Yankees don't have any ss in the minors and by the time a 3b (e.g. Suttle) is ready, the Yankees can always make a decision as to commit to or trade someone like Atkins. This is how you get versatility, younger and more talented.