December 8, 2007 at 9:09 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Or do they repeat last year? Last year at this time, they had a chance to clinch the division with a win over the self-same Arizona Cardinals that they will be playing tomorrow. And what did they do? They lost, and lost again four days later to the Niners. The end result of that slide was that they DID win the division, but more or less by default.
Arizona is just two games back at this this point in time, so two losses again this year could prove deletrious to the Hawks attempt to win their fourth consecutive divisional title. In the Hawks favor is the fact that the Cards will likely be without their stud wideouts Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, and Kurt Warner is not his old self of St. Louis days; but that should not let the Hawks become complacent that they are a cinch to win, because I don’t think that they are.
Matt Hasselbeck and the passing game will have to continue to work. The O-Line needs to step it up and not miss so many blocks. It wouldn’t hurt if Lofa Tatupu had another three (or more) interception day like he did last Sunday. It also wouldn’t hurt if Josh Brown gets his game all the way back, and Ryan Plackemier just gets it. Likewise, if Patrick Kerney keeps it up, things should be golden.
It’s supposed to rain tomorrow, but the Q’s well drained field turf surface will be a lot better than the one in Philly last weekend, so that should not be much of a factor. The 12th man (yes, A&M, I have the right to use that phrase now, remember) will be in full voice, which is always a positive factor for the Hawks at home.
So, do they do it? I think so, yes, but it could be a squeaker. Their two wins on the road the past two weeks should be a confidence builder for them, since they have had so much trouble on the road this year. The bottom line is that they should not take this game as a given, and play as if the playoffs are right around the corner and they have some pretty tough teams to look ahead to.
And another factor that they m ight want to consider–this could be Mike Holmgren’s last season as the Hawks head coach. They might try to win it out for him…….
December 4, 2007 at 2:44 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Personally, I would NOT.
What scares me, though, is the fact that there are about 29 other General Managers that are going to try to SELL him several of the aforementioned commodity before the MLB Winter Meetings end on Thursday of this week.
Why my trepidation, you might well ask? Let me see, there is last year’s perfectly awful Horacio Ramirez for Rafael Soriano deal. The Braves get one of the better setup men in the League, and the M’s get–you guessed it–an oft injured pitcher who can never win on the road, and only occasionally at home, with a 7+ ERA. Then there was the mostly failed Jeff Weaver experiment–who is going to benefit from that this year, now that he is no longer in Seattle blue? (Of course, I would be more than happy if someone just kind of sent his brother up here, but we all know that ain’t gonna happen either).
Then there is the fact that he/the M’s front office did absolutely NOTHING at the trade deadline–a time at which the M’s were actually in contention for the AL West, and after which they slid back down to second, never to recover. (Yes, I know that they won more games last year than they have since 2003 but that is really beside the point, now, isn’t it?)
Rumors/leaks went out over the past week or so that the Mariners had discussed a Johan Santana trade with the Twins. And they probably did, but they had to have known what everyone else seems to know–Santana has a full no trade clause, and he wants to go to the AL East, not West. Besides, who were they going to give up to the Twins for Santana? Felix Hernandez? I think NOT. So that was a pretty useless conversation, especially if it lasted more than two minutes. (And don’t get me wrong here, I can salivate over the prospect of a Santana/Hernandez one two in the rotation as much as the next person, but I’m also sane enough to know that it wasn’t going to happen).
Kuroda, anyone? Those who are in the know say that the soon to be 32 year old Japanese pitcher projects to be no better than a middle of the rotation starter, and would probably be better of in the NL than the AL (see Matsuzaka, Daisuke under the subheading "not quite as good as advertised for the monies paid out"). So the M’s offer him 4 years/$45MM. I say they would be better off giving (and I do mean GIVING) Richie Sexson to the Giants, along with maybe Wladimir Balientien and Rob Johnson, and bringing Tim Lincecum home to pitch. Less salary, younger, hometown boy, and the probability of being able to fix those funky mechanics under the stern tutelage of new pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre.
Eric Bedard is not going to come cheap, and I’m not sure Andy McPhail wants much, if anything, that good ole Bill could/would offer him in return. Same for the former Seattle Pilots and Ben Sheets.
The Cubs are said to be interested in left fielder Raul Ibanez, but only to convert him to a right fielder (see Soriano, Alfonso under the subheading large contract and "heck, no, I ain’t moving out of left field"). What would the M’s get in return? I’m hearing Mark Prior. Doesn’t he have a glass arm? Raul may be losing a step or two with his bad back and bad hammy from last season and he doesn’t have the strongest arm from left field, but he is a left handed batter who can still more or less hit, particularly with the short right field porch at the Safe.
Despite my early thoughts to the contrary, both Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro were good pickups for the M’s last season, but Guillen is now gone, so that takes 20+ HR’s and 100+ RBI off of the game for this year. Vidro is not exactly comfortable in the DH role, and his knees won’t let him play the field consistently. So, I guess that I have to give Herr Bavasi credit for those.
In short, Bill, wise up this winter. DON’T come home with a bunch of broken down vets who probably can’t get it done at Safeco Field. If you can’t come home with at least one good, young top of the rotation pitcher, then don’t come home with anyone. Start using those good young arms that are waiting in the wings. Brandon Morrow, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Sean Green and the other 20 somethings will be ready in another year. Don’t mortgage or trade away the future for someone(s) that are not going to put a winning product on the field come spring.
I don’t like the team not winning, but there are young players in the system who will get better if allowed to develop here and not be traded away for player or players who really aren’t going to help.
Restrain yourself this year, OK? (Fukudome, though, you could come home with and we would be at least a little happy about that).
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