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Initial Thoughts of MLB Network

By Alan Smodic | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Much like DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package, the MLB Network is more baseball than one can handle. -- programwitch/Flickr.com

On January 1, Major League Baseball followed in the footsteps of the NFL and NHL by unveiling its own channel -- the MLB Network.If you don't already know what this exactly is, MLBNetwork.com's about page helps:MLB Network stands for Major League Baseball Network, which means access to more baseball than America's ever seen! This new 24-hour network delves into the world of baseball, going far beyond the field. Fans can tune in at any time for fresh perspectives, current news, the latest trade rumors, pre and post-game banter, highlights and more.Again, if you've seen the NFL or NHL networks, just picture those and think baseball. I wasn't sure if I'd receive the channel (I get the NFL network, but not the NHL), so I was surprised to see it coming in through my satellite. Obviously, I checked it out.I was impressed with my first viewing. The first show I saw...

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Happy New Year 2009 From The Astros Dugout

By Lisa Gray | January 1, 2009 | The Astros Dugout

May all yall have a blessed New Year, happy and healthy. Many thanks to all yall who come here and make this worth my time. And my Husband, too is grateful, because THIS way, he can concentrate on important things, like basketball and whatever football team is doing whatever and he doesn't have to pretend to be listening to me, which is tough for men to do more than like 3 seconds... So onto Astros news: 1 - BAD news: Max Sapp, age 20, the Astros #1 pick in 2006, caught spinal meningitis from a sinus infection and has been in the ICU on a respirator for 2 weeks and the poor guy is still having seizures. My Mama told me about this yesterday, and her still beautiful face was gray with sorrow and pity for the boy. You see, us kids were born between 1970 and 1980, when there...

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Of COURSE Drayton McLane Wants A Salary Cap

By Lisa Gray | December 29, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

As he told Brian McTaggart: "We would love to have a salary cap, but the (players') union has been very resistant to that." Well, duh. All a salary cap would do is transfer even MORE profit from the players to the owners. Naturally, the billionaires WANT to pay the players the least amount of money possible. Salary caps don't say that any team HAS to spend that much money. The Lorias of the owners will still be allowed to put a 30 million dollar team on the field and pocket 30-40 mill a year in profit. According to Forbes, the Astros have made a minimum of 75 mill profit over the past 5 years. But Drayton is crying poverty? He wants to pay the players even less and keep even MORE? Please. He decided a long time ago that he would pocket even more $$$ by essentially ignoring the minor...

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Checking The Killed-Bs Platoon At Third

By Lisa Gray | December 22, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

A certain someone wrote me an email, saying that I hadn't been really fair to either Blum or Boone, as I had given their total stats, not ther stats as they wold be if platooned. Ok, a reasonable point. Let's check out the prowess of the Blum-Boon-no platoon. Let's say that Blum will ONLY hit against rightys and Boone ONLY against leftys. Now, these guys have been playing in the majors for over 10 years and have long since passed any peak they might could have, so I will concentrate on their numbers over the past 3 years, and also, please remember that in 06, Boone was in the AL. Let's also assume that these guys will hit 6th or 7th (well, if they hit 5th, this team in massively SERIOUS trouble) with a lineup of Matsui, Bourn/Erstad, Berkman, Lee, Tejada, Pence, Blumboono, some suckulous catcher, pitcher. I will assume,...

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Astros Add Final Piece Of The Puzzle In Jason Michaels

By Lisa Gray | December 17, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

Hello there fellow Astros fans!!! I'm sure you are sharing in the incredible excitement of acquisition of the newest Astro, Jason Michaels!!!!! Yessiree, the Astros just signed Jason Michaels to be the 5th OF - JUST what we needed after losing Ty Wigginton and Mark Loretta and, uh - well, um, well, why NOT sign an unnecessary OF when we actually NEED an infielder and, uh, um, well, let's look at the stats: Remember how I used to grouse about Phil Garner and his fetish for ex-Tigers? Well, Ed Wade is getting the players and you know where he used to be and seem he's got a fetsh for acquiring ex-Phillies... Jason Michaels, RHB, will turn 33. He was a 4th round pick of the Phils in 98 and had a cup of coffee in 01. He made the ML roster in 02 as a 5th OF, had a 120...

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Ty Wigginton Is Non-Tendered

By Lisa Gray | December 13, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

Well, I got that one wrong. Here and I thought it would be Backe who was non-tendered. It's all about Drayton's 20 mill a year profits. I guess that basically Tejada wasn't tradeable without Drayton gulping a huge chunk of the money and that Valverde couldn't be replaced by anyone available in a trade. SOMEone is definitely going to sign Wiggy, and it might could even be for more than 1 year. I guess we ARE gonna sign some cheapo Jose Castillo type 3B and watch him suck. Blum can't play 3rd full time. Or else Chris Johnson could be promoted from AA - youneverknow. I just hope he doesn't get Towlesed. Because if you don't come up in the the bigs and hit .280 at LEAST right away, you are done for - permanently. Unless, of course, Fast Eddie traded the top NL closer for you and he got...

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The Rich Get Richer And The Astros Get A Pitcher The Royals Don't Want

By Lisa Gray | December 11, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

Here we go again. Sorry, but that was the only line that posted from an entire entry don't ask me why, but I'm too angry to rewrite the entire thing again, so here goes. The Yanks threw 161 mill at Sabathia and in spite of his talk about wanting to hit, wanting to stay in Milwaukee/go home to California, in the end, either he and/or the Union took the most money and there you are. shrug However, the Brewers, possibly in a total state of sulk, decided to gift the Yankees, after they took their star pitcher, with their outstanding CF, Mike Cameron, in exchange for the Yankees lousy CF Melky Cabrera, so he can stink up their lineup cheaply for the next 3 years. Hey, they should just hand them Ryan Braun for Andy Phillips or Brett Gardner or something while they're at it. And the Mets got a setup...

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Loretta Signs With Dodgers; Astros Replace Him With Kata

By Lisa Gray | December 9, 2008 | The Astros Dugout

He's going to be a backup to Dewitt, (probably) Blake and Hu knows for 1.9 mill. The Astros have let both Loretta and Newhan go and have signed ex-Diamondback Matt Kata, the very definition of a AAAA guy. Their explanation is that they want someone who can play second AND short, to allow Tejada to have days off. You know, like Burke was there to give Biggio a day off here and there. It is true that Kata is signed to a cheaper minor league contract, saving around a mill. Isn't that special. But the guy played 9 games at SS on 07, 1 game in 05, 1 game in 04 and 6 games in 03. HARDLY what I'd call a guy who can "play short." His bat isn't even up to Newhan's - the guy the Astros chose to keep off the 40 man for fear they might could...

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Initial Thoughts of MLB Network

By Alan Smodic | January 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Much like DirecTV's MLB Extra Innings package, the MLB Network is more baseball than one can handle. -- programwitch/Flickr.com

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Hot Stove Dishes - November 28, 2008

By Brian Joseph | November 28, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The latest buzz served up from baseball's Hot Stove League. Ten of the hottest stories, moves and rumors from the past week: Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia -- the L.A. Angels "shell game" continues.The Angels haven't made an offer to Mark Teixeira even though they want him but have floated the idea of offering big money to CC Sabathia -- even though it might be tough to match the Yankees' gigantic offer -- and Teixeira's side has countered. Teixeira's agent Scott Boras revealed that Teixeira has had offers worth considering. All of the peripheral talk from the Angels about Sabathia as an alternative target and Teixeira's interest from other clubs stems from a difference in years of service the club is looking to give Teixeira and the 10 years that the slugger is seeking. You got to love the Hot Stove posturing, don't you? Brian Fuentes wants major cash and K-Rod doesn't want...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: A.J. Burnett, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Bonds, Brian Fuentes, CC Sabathia, Detroit Tigers, Francisco Rodriguez, Freddy Garcia, Houston Astros, Jake Peavy, Ken Griffey Jr., Los Angeles Angels, Mark Teixeira, MLB, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Rafael Furcal, Randy Wolf, Roger Clemens, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays

Being the GM: 2009 Houston Astros

By Evan | October 20, 2008 | MVN Outsider

Gerald Laird - Brent and MariLynn

The Astros were a joke for much of 2008, and Ed Wade was widely lambasted for acquiring starter Randy Wolf and reliever LaTroy Hawkins for the stretch run. The joke was on the pundits as the Astros injected themselves into the wild card chase and came within a hurricane of realistically having won it. They did all that without left-fielder Carlos Lee, who was injured shortly before the big run. The Astros will continue to make steps to contend...Read more

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MLB Power Rankings

By Daniel Rathman | September 22, 2008 | MVN Outsider

The MLB Power Rankings will run on Outsider every Monday night until the conclusion of the regular season.� This is the second-to-last edition of the Rankings; next Monday's edition will be the last.� The final week of the regular season is upon us.� Yeah, already.� Hard to believe, isn't it?� The Halos, Rays, and Cubs are into the playoffs.� The Dodgers and Red Sox are, for all practical purposes, in.� Two of the Mets, Phillies, and Brewers will make it, as will either the White Sox or Twins.� All the other teams will be hitting their La-Z-Boys when the final outs of their games are recorded on Sunday.� Here's how the league stacks up in the penultimate edition of the Power Rankings. Note: some of the statistics and records below are through SATURDAY's games. 1.� Los Angeles Angels, 95-59 With the AL West division locked up and home-field advantage essentially...Read more

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