Things Smackie Thinks You Need to Know...

[atomic]

Ravens Jacoby Jones Injured By Stripper In Washington

"while celebrating teammate Bryant McKinnie's birthday."

Bryant was evidently broke a couple of years ago because he spent his entire salary in strip clubs.  I guess he hasn't learned his lesson. 

[i am gay and i like cats]

could you send me an email, in the mail, describing all your peoples to me.  they are, better than even this thread.  and thats saying alot.  sorry vansmack . . . i still love, you.

[vansmack]

That reminded me of this story from the weekend:

SF Strip Club Sues Oracle over unpaid Corporate Card

It's $30k+

[atomic]

That reminded me of this story from the weekend:

SF Strip Club Sues Oracle over unpaid Corporate Card

It's $30k+

Yeah that is the nice thing about American Express if you dispute charges they believe you.  I doubt my Corporate Card has that much of a limit for gentlemen's clubs. 

[vansmack]

Brian McCann can be my battery mate, any day.

[vansmack]

This is one I just can't let go of.

If you only need a hardware provider, MS would be much better served by contracting with HTC to provide a MS branded phone.  It would cost half as much, it's already used to your platform, and they're putting out the most innovative hardware on the market (sorry Apple folks, but the iPhone hasn't changed its appearance in 3 years now, to where HTC has a new phone every 2 months or so).

------------------------------

HTC is selling better phones for Android than the Google "branded" ones,  and since Google doesn't license the Google Brand on software that has been altered, eventually they're going to need their own hardware for control purposes (unless they take the MS approach - we don't need hardware, we just want OS credit). 

Smackie loves it when he makes a plausible suggestion to Microsoft, that they of course ignore, and Google beats them to the punch with his EXACT idea (for the record, it was July 31 when he had that idea):

Google Nexus One is Official

3.7-inch AMOLED display, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and a multicolored LED under the trackball.

They passed then, had to spend a ton on Nokia when they should have just purchased HTC in 2009, and and now they're desperate:

BLOOMBERG: Microsoft in talks with HTC to put Windows on Android Phones

Two sinking ships, joining together to fudge the numbers on use.  Shareholders beware....

[vansmack]

I start Gerrit Cole on Wednesday.

[vansmack]

DiPoto and Scioscia to return next year.

F^ck me. 

I'm taking suggestions on what my hobby should be next summer as I will have a lot of free time come late June. 

[Julian, Forum COGNOSCENTI]

Smackie: which contract was worse, the one the Angels gave Pujols or the one the Tigers gave Prince? Its really not as easy to answer as one would think on its face...

[vansmack]

Smackie: which contract was worse, the one the Angels gave Pujols or the one the Tigers gave Prince? Its really not as easy to answer as one would think on its face...

Absolutely a good question. 

A lot of people have hammered the Angels on the deal, especially this season, but they don't realize the Pujols' deal is back loaded.   Last year, as bad as he started off, he was actually a steal with 30 HRs and 105 RBI at $12m.  This year, obviously less so as his injury plagued season was the worst of his career.  But people don't realize he was only making $16m.  If he comes back injury free I still don't think the deal is bad for the next 3 years, but the 5 after that could be real trouble.

Fielder, on the other hand, was $23m the last two years and is $24m a year from here on out.  Given that he's 5 years younger, you'd have to think this is a better deal.  But the Tigers have cuffed themselves and probably can't resign Cabrera to be their DH in 2 years as that's Fielders job for the next 7 years at $24m.  He can't play first forever, his deal is untradeable at this point (that's me telling Arte Moreno that) and he's regressing sooner that people thought.

I'd prefer the Fielder deal, but for the past two season's Pujols has been the bargain, even with the injuries.   


 

[Julian, Forum COGNOSCENTI]

But the Tigers have cuffed themselves and probably can't resign Cabrera to be their DH in 2 years as that's Fielders job for the next 7 years at $24m.  He can't play first forever, his deal is untradeable at this point (that's me telling Arte Moreno that) and he's regressing sooner that people thought.

Cabrera is getting resigned. I am hard pressed to believe that two years from neither Fielder or Cabrera will be in shape enough to place first with the other DHing.

The other thing about Fielder that never gets discussed is not only is he regressing ridiculously quickly, but he's a career <.190 hitter in the playoffs I believe.

[Julian, Forum COGNOSCENTI]

A lot of people have hammered the Angels on the deal, especially this season, but they don't realize the Pujols' deal is back loaded.   Last year, as bad as he started off, he was actually a steal with 30 HRs and 105 RBI at $12m.  This year, obviously less so as his injury plagued season was the worst of his career.  But people don't realize he was only making $16m.  If he comes back injury free I still don't think the deal is bad for the next 3 years, but the 5 after that could be real trouble.

Isn't this kind of the argument for why the contract sucks more? Pujols contract pays him the most when he sucks. Its a complete anchor.

[vansmack]

Cabrera is getting resigned.

That's a bold statement considering they have $70m per year spoken for in just three players in 2016-2018 (Verlander at $28m 2016-19, option year in 20, Fielder at $24m 2016-20 and Sanchez for $16.8 for 2015-17, team option for 2019).

Max Scherzer is a free agent the year before Cabrera (2015), and the rest of the rotation coming up the same year as Cabrera (Fister and Porcello 2016).  Austin Jackson and Alex Avila are also free agents in 2016.

The one bright spot is how cheap Iglesias is for Det in that time frame.

[vansmack]

Isn't this kind of the argument for why the contract sucks more? Pujols contract pays him the most when he sucks. Its a complete anchor.

Absolutely, but I'm not Arte Moreno so I can only guess what he was thinking.  Pujol's has a chance to break Hank Aaron's HR record, though Anaheim hasn't struggled to put butts in seats.  The TV deal will need to be renegotiated towards the end of that contract, so maybe that was his impetus?  I hope he wasn't thinking the salary inflation would continue, because he will still be a top paid player then, but his output won't be anywhere near the same.  I think thy're hoping for 25 HRS and 100 RBI, but that's not going to happen.

The real drag is that Pujols has not been the team leader they Angels thought he would be.  That clubhouse is a wreck.

[Julian, Forum COGNOSCENTI]

Cabrera is getting resigned.

That's a bold statement considering they have $70m per year spoken for in just three players in 2016-2018 (Verlander at $28m 2016-19, option year in 20, Fielder at $24m 2016-20 and Sanchez for $16.8 for 2015-17, team option for 2019).

Max Scherzer is a free agent the year before Cabrera (2015), and the rest of the rotation coming up the same year as Cabrera (Fister and Porcello 2016).  Austin Jackson and Alex Avila are also free agents in 2016.

The one bright spot is how cheap Iglesias is for Det in that time frame.

The Illitches have made clear they are going to spend whatever it takes to resign Cabby. They hardly run the Tigers/Red Wings as a small-market team. I don't think we really care that much about Avila, Porcello, and, honestly, even AJax.

That Iglesias trade (especially with what he's signed for) is steal of the year type material.