# Baseball Thread June 2008 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [June 1, 2008, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344 "2008-06-01T13:18:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Hawkeyeop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/958977/32.png) [@Hawkeyeop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hawkeyeop)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/181 "2008-06-20T19:00:44Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] my bolding You are not allowed to trade draft picks in Baseball. However that said, I think some team might be desperate enough to give up a good AAA pitcher and two young A level prospects for a Burnett. I know a team in NY that would at least listen and has the single A talent to possibly make it worthwhile. [/QUOTE] Well, you are, in essence, trading draft picks. If the Yankees traded for Burnett, they would get draft picks if Burnett opts out and leaves, assuming they offer him arbitration. That said, I can’t see the Jays dealing him to the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/182 "2008-06-20T19:14:09Z")
[QUOTE=Hawkeyeop] Well, you are, in essence, trading draft picks. If the Yankees traded for Burnett, they would get draft picks if Burnett opts out and leaves, assuming they offer him arbitration. [/QUOTE] OK, now I see what you were saying. It was not very clear to me. > [@](#): > > That said, I can’t see the Jays dealing him to the Yankees. True, but I bet there are a few other teams. The Jays can always try for a bidding war between the Yanks and Sox. The Dodgers would probably have some interest. The Cubs apparently would. Etc. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/183 "2008-06-20T19:14:39Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] my bolding You are not allowed to trade draft picks in Baseball. However that said, I think some team might be desperate enough to give up a good AAA pitcher and two young A level prospects for a Burnett. I know a team in NY that would at least listen and has the single A talent to possibly make it worthwhile. [/QUOTE] Toronto won’t trade Burnett for single A talent. As Hawk points out, Burnett essentially carries two draft picks with him. The compensation for his opting out, which everyone expects he will do, is low-minor talent. So you’d be trading good picks for players just barely more developed than that. Toronto has talent in the low minors. They have almost no talent in AAA, and only one certified prospect in AA. A Burnett package must be centred around major-league-ready talent, or else why not just keep the draft picks? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2008, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/184 "2008-06-20T19:18:18Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Toronto won’t trade Burnett for single A talent. As Hawk points out, Burnett essentially carries two draft picks with him. The compensation for his opting out, which everyone expects he will do, is low-minor talent. So you’d be trading good picks for players just barely more developed than that. Toronto has talent in the low minors. They have almost no talent in AAA, and only one certified prospect in AA. A Burnett package must be centred around major-league-ready talent, or else why not just keep the draft picks? [/QUOTE] The hedge against injury. Besides, I wrote a “\*\*good AAA pitcher \*\* and two young A level prospects” on the assumption that the Jays are done for this year with no manager and an idiot GM. I am not sure the Yanks could swing the deal, that was more of a joke. But as I put in my last post, there are others. For the record, I don’t actually like Burnett. I would prefer if the Yanks did not trade for him. This is just hypothetical. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/185 "2008-06-21T02:40:49Z")
Cito Gaston was welcomed back into the major leagues by having his team get shut out in a 12-inning game. They lost 1-0 in the bottom of the 12th on an error. Tonight’s display of hitting was one of almost perfect ineptitude. It was hard to imagine that a team of such terrible hitters could ever have scored a run. You can change the jockey, but a donkey isn’t going to win the Preakness. What you need is someone who can pick better horses, and that means firing someone whose last name rhymes with “Mitchiardi.” ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/186 "2008-06-21T03:18:04Z")
My feelings about the Jays are no longer suitable for a friendly baseball thread. Please refer to the Pit thread for more thoughts: > **[The Blue Jay Death Spiral: Fuck Godfrey, Fuck Ricciardi, Fuck Rios, Fuck Fuck...](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472573)** > > I’ve got the official Toronto Blue Jays website open right now in the other tab. In the “Headlines” frame, here are the eight noteworthy stories (one is related to MLB in general, not the Jays specifically) in the order you see here. Story: Gibbons... ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/187 "2008-06-21T18:45:22Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Cito Gaston was welcomed back into the major leagues by having his team get shut out in a 12-inning game. They lost 1-0 in the bottom of the 12th on an error. Tonight’s display of hitting was one of almost perfect ineptitude. It was hard to imagine that a team of such terrible hitters could ever have scored a run. You can change the jockey, but a donkey isn’t going to win the Preakness. What you need is someone who can pick better horses, and that means firing someone whose last name rhymes with “Mitchiardi.” [/QUOTE] Wow, and I thought the Reds were bad at generating runs. I feel bad for you, my friend. At least Edinson Volquez is for real, 10-2 now, leading MLB in SO and ERA, and just spanked the Yanks. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/188 "2008-06-21T18:52:05Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Wow, and I thought the Reds were bad at generating runs. I feel bad for you, my friend. At least Edinson Volquez is for real, 10-2 now, leading MLB in SO and ERA, and just spanked the Yanks. [/QUOTE] Your kid Thompson, did great today. The Reds have been putting on a fielding display. The Yanks 31 year old career minor leaguer is pitching an incredibly efficient game. Giese has pitch 6 shout out innings on 62 pitches, only 2 hits and 4 Ks. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/189 "2008-06-21T21:15:38Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Your kid Thompson, did great today. The Reds have been putting on a fielding display. The Yanks 31 year old career minor leaguer is pitching an incredibly efficient game. Giese has pitch 6 shout out innings on 62 pitches, only 2 hits and 4 Ks. [/QUOTE] I agree, I was really worried. Thompson started the season in AA, too, and now here he is. I wished we could have scored at least a run for him before he exited; he deserved the win for fighting through all those jams. Beating the Yankees at Yankee stadium twice in a row over a weekend is no mean feat, even if the Yankees team is subpar by Yankee fan’s standards (well, and when compared to the recent version of the Red Sox). Especially since the Reds struggle to win on the road and score runs in general. Shit, you guys still have a winning record though! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/190 "2008-06-21T22:04:14Z")
Have you guys heard of this? This ambidextrous pitcher in the Yanks farm system? hilarity ahead: > **[You Gonna Bat Left? I'm Gonna Throw Left. Right? Hey, We Can Do This All Day,...](https://deadspin.com/you-gonna-bat-left-im-gonna-throw-left-right-hey-we-5018343)** > > Click to view ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/191 "2008-06-21T22:24:09Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Have you guys heard of this? This ambidextrous pitcher in the Yanks farm system? hilarity ahead: > **[Deadspin | You Gonna Bat Left? I'm Gonna Throw Left. Right? Hey, We Can Do...](https://deadspin.com/you-gonna-bat-left-im-gonna-throw-left-right-hey-we-5018343/)** > > Deadspin | You Gonna Bat Left? I'm Gonna Throw Left. Right? Hey, We Can Do This All Day, Pal... [/QUOTE] We have been discussing him in [this thread about switch hitters facing him](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472564). ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/192 "2008-06-21T23:00:54Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] We have been discussing him in [this thread about switch hitters facing him](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=472564). [/QUOTE] Oops, sorry. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/193 "2008-06-23T15:45:43Z")
Well **RickJay** , our clubs are about to mix it up in your neck of the woods. What do you think about this series? Will Adam Dunn go nuts and homer three times in three games? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2008, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/194 "2008-06-24T02:10:02Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Well **RickJay** , our clubs are about to mix it up in your neck of the woods. What do you think about this series? Will Adam Dunn go nuts and homer three times in three games? 😃 [/QUOTE] I kind of hope so. It would accelerate Riccardi’s demise. We need a fresh start. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/195 "2008-06-25T00:25:46Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I kind of hope so. It would accelerate Riccardi’s demise. **We need a fresh start**. [/QUOTE] Your wish is my command! I made a call to my buddy, Bronson Arroyo, and I asked him if he wouldn’t mind doing a fellow SDMBer a favor. He obliged. 😃 Jesus Tapdancing Christ that guy fucking blows chowder. 11-1 in the second? Unbelievable. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/196 "2008-06-25T13:09:42Z")
Oh, and you’re welcome. 14-1 beatdown. Well, this just means that you’ve expended your run production for the remainder of the season, so you shouldn’t expect to score any runs the next couple of games! At least, I hope. We should fare better with Aaron Harang on the hill, whom is decent despite a poor record. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/197 "2008-06-25T21:15:10Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Oh, and you’re welcome. 14-1 beatdown. Well, this just means that you’ve expended your run production for the remainder of the season, so you shouldn’t expect to score any runs the next couple of games! At least, I hope. We should fare better with Aaron Harang on the hill, whom is decent despite a poor record. [/QUOTE] Shit, that was their allocation of runs for the rest of the week, dude. They won’t score again until Sunday. The Jay announcers were all “The bats are back!” but all I saw was a pitcher throwing the most atrocious sort of beach balls I’ve seen in many moons. A random selection of nine Dopers who’ve posted in this thread would have hit him up for five or six runs. What happened to him? He used to be good. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/198 "2008-06-25T21:29:29Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Shit, that was their allocation of runs for the rest of the week, dude. They won’t score again until Sunday. [/QUOTE] Rest of the week? That sounds optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/199 "2008-06-25T22:16:47Z")
You know, every time I see the box scores and notice the Blue Jays, I hear a faint sobbing sound coming from the Northeast… ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2008, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344/200 "2008-06-26T04:16:43Z")
[QUOTE=Least Original User Name Ever] You know, every time I see the box scores and notice the Blue Jays, I hear a faint sobbing sound coming from the Northeast… [/QUOTE] Thanks be to God that the sobbing wasn’t coming from Cincinnati tonight after an extra-inning game. I don’t like our chances to get to .500 at this point. We’re like seven games behind that goal, and the Cubs keep winning. Isn’t there supposed to be some intervention on behalf of the baseball gods at this point, whereby the Cubs meltdown and either St Louis or Milwaukee wins the division? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-thread-june-2008/451344.md?page=11)