Rangers wrote:Seems like the general consensus is that the TC's mandate blows (I'm not saying the TC blows).
Why not rework it as a league.
We don't do that here. Bren has described himself as a benign dictator, and the agenda only moves where he wants it to.
So this is a Simtatorship and not a simocracy?
That's an overly simplistic way of putting it (pun intended)
As I touched on in another thread (or perhaps it was this one, i forget) at this point, I'm rather sick of rules changes coming up all the time and especially of complaints about the rules. Most members here have had some hand in shaping the rules. Everyone, by joining and participating, has implicitly agreed to accept the rules. We have rules established. Fair rules that don't favor any one player over another. If a rule creates a genuine problem, that's one thing and a discussion to change the rules should come about. Continuing to change rules because someone doesn't like it or because some other league does it differently is going to result in endless, pointless rule changes.
Here's some bullshit for everyone:
"there are players right now in FA who are pretty eqquivalent (who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons)"
Nice isn't it?
So clearly, Bret (and Paul who made similar statements earlier) don't want anyone to sign these guys in case they decide they need them. Frankly, that's bullshit, because Bourn and Hwksworth are better than players they have on their own teams.
Ray Liotta (of Paul's Nats) posted an 8.21 era in single A after being demoted from AA where he barely had an era under 5. John Sickels gives him a C+ (compared to Bourn's B-)
Chuck Tiffany managed a 7.00 era as he tries to come back from a shoulder injury. He didn't even make it into John Sickels book (somehow he's better than anybody else Paul could find though in spite of never having even a sniff of success above A-ball)
Detroit's Kyle Davies had a very impressive 8.38 era this season, a fantastic followup to the 4.93 he posted the season before.
Meanwhile, JD Martin had a very impressive return from TJ surgery, pitching at 3 levels of A ball as a 23 yr old. John Sickels is an optimist though and decided to give him a C.
Catcher Brandon Snyder hit a VERY impressive .234/.267/.339 after being demoted to Low A (he was even worse in A ball) with a 98/14 k/bb ratio. His defense remains questionable. Another C+ from Sickels.
Obviously Paul and Brett believe all these players are better than Bourn and Hawksworth, since both these GM's believe there are better free agents on the market, yet they don't sign them in place of the players listed above.
RedSox wrote:Wow, JP as a pawn? if anyone has been one of the biggest players, one of the biggest movers and shakers in the league the last few years, it's been JP. Pawn is the last label I'd apply to JP.
I'm not calling JP a pawn obviously. I'm saying that they way he was treated was as one, because he wasn't allowed to make certain trades that he felt were in the best interest of his team because of the approach you've told the TRC to take toward prospects.
But nice try attempting to turn my support for JP into me calling him names.
I got a trade of Benson and Anderson for Millwood vetoed. Ditto Benson, Anderson and Barthmeier for Millwood. Am I treating myself as a pawn? I wasn't allowed to make certain trades that I felt were in the best interest of my team because of the approach that THE LEAGUE VOTED THAT THE TRC SHOULD TAKE toward prospects. But you don't hear me complaining about that because those are the rules, they apply to everyone and I'm willing to find a way to make things work within those rules. I love how people keep trying to shovel a decision the whole league made into becoming a decision I made.
RedSox wrote:Wow, JP as a pawn? if anyone has been one of the biggest players, one of the biggest movers and shakers in the league the last few years, it's been JP. Pawn is the last label I'd apply to JP.
I'm not calling JP a pawn obviously. I'm saying that they way he was treated was as one, because he wasn't allowed to make certain trades that he felt were in the best interest of his team because of the approach you've told the TRC to take toward prospects.
But nice try attempting to turn my support for JP into me calling him names.
I got a trade of Benson and Anderson for Millwood vetoed. Ditto Benson, Anderson and Barthmeier for Millwood. Am I treating myself as a pawn? I wasn't allowed to make certain trades that I felt were in the best interest of my team because of the approach that THE LEAGUE VOTED THAT THE TRC SHOULD TAKE toward prospects. But you don't hear me complaining about that because those are the rules, they apply to everyone and I'm willing to find a way to make things work within those rules. I love how people keep trying to shovel a decision the whole league made into becoming a decision I made.
I will back Bren up on that. I got much more than I asked for because of the TC rule and we found a way to get it through.
