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Inbox/Outbox
Answers to your grueling questions
By Conor Intabedd / Weekly Reno Rag
I've started seeing a few extra e-mails in my inbox lately so instead if simply replying to them each individually I'm going to share them all with you. Enjoy.
Inbox: Conor, the EHCC seemed to have the busiest off-season ever yet the Winston-Salem Green Monsters seem to have been on a long vacation the whole time. Even the contracted Swingers made a few moves. Do they feel like they have the best team possible?
--Hariet (Durham, NC)
Outbox: Well Hariet, the Monsters were quiet but they have their reasons. They were possibly the most active franchise throughout the entire off season rejecting about 76 trade offers from various EHCC teams. That's gotta take a lot out of the management. Maybe that's the reason the only offer they put on the table came after the season started. Management has decided to set their e-mail server to automatically delete any e-mails that include the words "trade" and "Liriano", "Sizemore", "Crawford", "Myers". Needless to say, his "deleted e-mails" box fills up quite a bit but it leaves his Inbox relatively empty. The Monsters have possibly the most underrated team in the EHCC. They have a great scouting department and management trust their judgment over their own trading ability.
Inbox: What's going on with the Piglet's speedsters? They've got 2 guys that stole 93 total bags (Podsednik and Taveras) in 2005 and are a combines 3 out of 8 attempts in 2006 thus far. Jeff Kent and Scott Rolen have just as many stolen bases as the other two.
--Nate (Greenfield Park, QUE)
Outbox: This has to be a bit disturbing to QC fans, but there's a few things everyone has to keep in mind here. First off, Pods was hurt last year and stopped stealing bags at the same rate as he started the season. He was on pace for 80 bags by the all-star break and ended up with a measly 59. Taveras, taking over for Carlos Beltran in center field in 2005, stole 34 bases and was caught 11 times in 152 games. Also, Pods is turning 30 this year so I don't know how much longer he'll be stealing 50+ bags in a season. Not to mention he's hitting a putrid .209 with only 4 walks through April 22. It’s hard to steal a base if you can't get on base to begin with. Tavvy might have a red light, because he gets on base plenty enough but only has 2 attempts (both caught) while reaching base over 33% of the time in his 71 at bats. There may be no better time for a team looking for future speed to make an offer to the Piglets, who have 6 outfielders on their major league roster.
Inbox: So I'm sitting watching the Peoria/Bye game (don't ask me why) and I started thinking. First off...it's really boring to watch a team keep batting over and over w/o getting an out since the opposing team refuses to field any of their players. What exactly do the players of the former Haverhill franchise do? Where's Guerrero during games? What's Brandon Webb doing? 'Cuz they aren't playing baseball in the EHCC that's for sure.
--Floyd (Oakland, CA)
Outbox: Rumor has it Vladimir is playing ball in an independent league to keep in shape for next season. Other players have chosen to let themselves go like Dustin Hermanson, who figures he wouldn't be playing anyway if Bye Week wasn't forced to draft him. At least now he gets a paycheck from the EHCC and isn't forced to take the field, plus he is guaranteed his job at least until the off-season. He's been seen driving around his new neighborhood without any agenda, sometimes stopping by the local little league fields and watching the games with a beer in hand, even though beer wasn't being sold at the concession stand.
Inbox: Don't you think the Dogg's are kicking themselves for trading away King Felix in 2004? I mean, look at the kid. He's nasty. They have to wish they held onto him right?
--Jerry (Normal, IL)
Outbox: Ya, he's pretty good. I had a chance to talk to GM Howe Dogg about this a while back and he seemed a little teary eyed. Then when he pulled his hand out of his pocket he showed me the big bright 2004 EHCC Championship ring which was the result of trading away King Felix and others for Mariano Rivera, Greg Maddux, and Aramis Ramirez. Hernandez was a steal in the 2nd round of the 2004 MiDraft, along with David Wright by Rakeville. When I mentioned this fact Dogg's eye widened very quickly like he had just found a secret decoder ring in the bottom of a cereal box and he got on the phone. I'm pretty sure that's where the David Wright to Vegas talks started.
Inbox: Which is a worse organization: Kansas City Royals or the Bizton Markies?
--Carl (Jersey City, NJ)
Outbox: Wow, this is easily the question of the week. This is a tough one Carl. I took some time to try and figure out the MLB equivalent teams to a few of the EHCC teams. Here goes:
LV - NYM
Both teams made a lot of major improvements during the off-season. They both had sub-par 2005 season's and are trying to get back to the top of their division. The big difference is that the Vegas squad helped mostly their pitching staff where the Mets focused mainly on their line-up.
GLD - TOR
Golden, another team making big moves in the off-season, just as Toronto did: Brought in some big names, hoping to catapult them over the powerhouses above them.
RAK - STL
With a great regular season and a disappointing playoff run, Rakeville mirrored St. Louis's season in 2005. They didn't make too many moves and they're still a big powerhouse in 2006.
QC - FLA
Can you say "fire-sale" boys and girls? Both the Marlins and Piglets decided to get rid of a lot of their big contracts and replace them with youthful prospects. The Piglets unloaded the contracts of Andrew Jones, Jake Peavy, Jeff Weaver, Derek Lee, Chad Tracy, Jason Schmidt, Armando Benitez, K-Rod, Paul LoDuca, Kelvim Escobar, Gary Sheffield, Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Mark Ellis, and Jose Guillen for Oliver Perez, a bunch of minor leaguers and picks, and $20. They're hoping to compete with Tokyo for the youngest team and the 2009 EHCC title.
WEY - CHW
The champions of 2005 are back, and somehow they may even look better than last year. In the off-season Weymouth acquired a new, better shortstop (Tejada) and didn't lose enough pitching to say they are worse than last year. They'll set the pace, both the White Sox and Shaddy.
WS - CLE
The Sleeper of 2006. Both of these teams didn't make a splash in the off-season, besides fending of suitors for their talented young core. Both will make a valiant push at playoff glory in 2006, but not sure if they both will make it.
BIZ - KC
They're just awful. They're trading away players that will help make them better for players, well, that won't. Both don’t have anyone decent waiting to come up from their minor leagues. Both teams made acquisitions and signed players this off-season of players that, well, just aren't the answer. When KC traded Carlos Beltran for Mark Teahan at least they had an excuse: they weren't going to be able to resign Beltran after 2004. The Markies have no excuses for letting some of their stars go separate ways. Also, at least the Royals have Alex Gordon waiting to take over 3B and perhaps Billy Butler to take over a OF position. At least the players KC drafted and signed before the season started are still playing for KC. Bizton failed to tell their draftees where the stadium was and thus many of them ended up signing with other teams. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: to answer your question, Bizton is a worse FRANCHISE than KC and after looking over the facts it isn't even close. Though, even after all the horrible moves, The Markies still have a better TEAM and would beat the Royals any day of the week. So it's a tough call.
That's it for this edition of Inbox/Outbox. Send your questions to Conor.GameFour@gmail.com.
Conor Intabedd writes an opinion column for The Weekly Reno Rag. He went to a hockey game once, but left after 2 minutes when he realized it wasn't Disney on Ice.
