http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/ Firing Wide of the Mainstream Since 2005. en-us Fri, 28 Jul 2006 09:21:52 PST Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 PST support2007@baseballtoaster.com 60 http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/446872.html Trade deadline season officially kicked off today with a head-scratcher of a blockbuster between Texas and Milwaukee. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/446872.html Fri, 28 Jul 2006 09:21:52 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/443193.html Hi folks. It's amazing how quickly three months can flow by when it hurts to bend your elbows... http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/443193.html Tue, 25 Jul 2006 08:38:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/340412.html Today the Pirates trotted out the following batting order: http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/340412.html Mon, 3 Apr 2006 18:33:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/332271.html And so it begins... the annual closer controversy in Chicago. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/332271.html Mon, 27 Mar 2006 18:26:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/335965.html I was going to follow up Part One of 'Titanic Spring Roster Battles' by mentioning that Jason Stokes got hurt (his groin, not his wrist -- probably one of the few times a player is glad he strained his groin) and that Mike Jacobs had just about won the job by default as a result, but this quote says it so much better. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/335965.html Sat, 25 Mar 2006 11:22:59 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/329629.html One of my favorite parts of spring training is watching roster battles unfold, whether it's for a spot at the heart of the club or for the privilege of being the last guy in the bullpen. Trying to discern who's doing well, not just by studying the entrails of spring stats but also by reading between the lines of what the team's brain trust tells the media about each player can give a fascinating glimpse into how major league organizations operate. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/329629.html Tue, 14 Mar 2006 06:01:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/322936.html An email exchange with legendary South American film star Bruno Puntz-Jones dredged up one of those stray thoughts I have every once in a while. You know the ones... they seem completely brilliant for about two seconds, and then a minute later you can't even remember what they were... insert THC joke here. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/322936.html Fri, 24 Feb 2006 06:45:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/321322.html Before spring training kicks into full gear, I want to get down my early-early-early predictions for who 2006's out-of-nowhere surprise players will be. The great thing about playing this sort of game, of course, is that it's a no-lose proposition. If you guess wrong, well, these guys were bums anyway and no one really expected them to do much. If you hit on one or two, however... ah, why then your prognosticative genius will ring down like the clearest of bells throughout the ages. Or at least whenever you bring it up at your fantasy auction. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/321322.html Sun, 19 Feb 2006 15:15:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/319397.html Tuesday officially kicked off fantasy baseball season for me, as I too participated in Sportsline's NL-only 5x5 expert (or "expert", if you prefer) league, carrying the banner for Rotowire.com. This isn't just a mock draft -- with people I actually know involved, including Will and Elias' Rob Tracy, there are some hard-core bragging rights on the line. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/319397.html Fri, 10 Feb 2006 07:36:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/318183.html In developments that should have surprised no one, big-name players continue to withdraw from participating in the WBC. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/318183.html Sat, 4 Feb 2006 17:39:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/316641.html It slipped by everyone here but Bob and his eagle eyes, but Joe Girardi and the Marlins announced a major policy change this past week: from now on, Florida players will be clean-shaven. Girardi, of course, picked up this idea while coaching for the Yankees, notorious whisker-haters that they are. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/316641.html Sun, 29 Jan 2006 04:54:58 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/315412.html I apologize for the long silence -- health concerns laid me out for a few weeks, and I'm slowly recovering. To make matters worse, that recovery involves large quantities of a nasty thing called prednisone, which means I won't even be able to pass the drug test if I get the call to join the provisional US roster for the WBC. (Heck, if Matt Holliday can get on there...) http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/315412.html Fri, 27 Jan 2006 06:27:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/308606.html I was listening to music on my brand new iPod Nano the other day (I clearly got the right one -- after loading it up, the first thing it played on shuffle was Stonehenge by Spinal Tap) when My Doorbell by the White Stripes began playing, and it occurred to me that while most people believe the song, and Get Behind Me Satan as a whole, are about Jack White's break-up with Renee Zellweger,the song isreallyabout something completely different -- namely, the upcoming Baseball Hall of Fame elections. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/308606.html Wed, 28 Dec 2005 08:11:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/308067.html As a contrast to Kenny Williams, let's look atone of the other big players this winter-- that of Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/308067.html Sat, 24 Dec 2005 11:48:00 PST http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/302953.html I have long been a critic of Kenny Williams as a general manager. Whereas Scott over at the Juice saw a glass that was half-full when it came to his abilities, I saw a glass that was half-empty and with a hole at the bottom. From the Todd Ritchie trade to his continual misuse of resources (signing outmaker extrordinaire Royce Clayton and exiling Jose Valentin to third base because he made a few too many errors, thereby also burying Joe Crede in the minors longer than necessary...), Kenny Boy seemed in way over his head to me. He "got lucky" occasionally (Damaso Marte being Exhibit 'A'), but from what I could see the bad far outweighed the good. http://bitoutside.baseballtoaster.com/archives/302953.html Thu, 15 Dec 2005 18:42:00 PST