The Other Fifteen

Watching Dodgers-Red Sox at the Coliseum (available on NESN if you get it; it's not blacked out, for you fellow satellite owners.)

Well, Tim Wakefield's personal catcher, Kevin Cash, hit a home run to put the Red Sox up by two. As I'm sure you know, the Coliseum is not exactly set up like a baseball stadium. Fence distance out to left is about 200 feet down the foul line. So I watched the replay a few times, did some measuring, and came up with this hit location:

 

Beautiful. Did I mention that Chan Ho Park is now pitching for the Dodgers? This is high comedy.

Labels: Baseball, Boston Red Sox, LA Coliseum, Los Angeles Dodgers

The latest Roberts rumors will lead off (much like some are hoping Roberts will). The Rocky Mountain News chimes in, saying that a Roberts-for-Marshall swap is possible. I think that's something I could live with.

The Red Sox are rumored to be looking at dealing Crisp for pitching. Maybe they want Dempster?

I'll keep this a rolling update throughout the day as events warrant.

UPDATE: Rosenthal says it's done. Copies and pastes info about Roberts from an earlier column.

UPDATE, AGAIN: Bruce Miles, as always, will save us all:

Contrary to popular belief, knowledgeable Cubs sources say the two teams have not gotten serious about discussing specific players the Orioles would want for Roberts.

It's highly unlikely the Cubs will trade center-field prospect Felix Pie or former top draft pick Tyler Colvin for Roberts. But a package possibly involving pitcher Sean Marshall or Sean Gallagher plus another player seems more in the ballpark.

That matches the impression I'm getting from other outlets, unless you want to count the "Gallagher, Murton, Veal and Cedeno" rumor that has surfaced on Orioles message boards.

PROBABLY THE LAST UPDATE: Bruce Miles files a few more updates over at NSBB:

Uh, no. It's just that after nearly 180 pages of discussion here and stuff that's been nothing more than speculation on mainstream media blogs (see Trib) and blogosphere blogs, certain truths have been constant: The Cubs have been steadfast in saying they weren't going to trade Hill, Pie or Colvin. That was true earlier, and it's true now. Talks between the Cubs and Orioles have never gotten to the "yes" or "no" stage despite a report during the convention that the Baltimore owner nixed a 7-for-2 trade. The Cubs remain interested in Roberts. The names I've put out there are the ones I've been led to believe they'll discuss with the Orioles. The Cubs feel it's too early in Colvin's developmental stage to trade him, especially after investing a top draft pick. The Orioles are going to finish last or next-to-last with or without Roberts. The way I read it, the Cubs feel that MacPhail might as well take a decent offer for Roberts and not try to hold people up or risk being stuck with him, if "stuck" is the right word. I've read all kinds of things about deals being close. Nothing has been close. That may change in the next few days, but it seems to me the Cubs are ready to move on with or without Roberts.

I'd say the odds are 50-50 at best on this trade happening. Nobody is an "untouchable" in the right trade, but guys like Colvin, Hill, Pie and Ceda aren't going in this kind of deal. I'm sure MacPhail had a hard enough time selling the owner on the Bedard trade. Can you imagine Andy telling Angelos he's going to trade his favorite-son player for a guy or guys he's never, ever heard of, especially guys who haven't played above Double-A ball?

They'd been looking at Marlon Byrd, but Texas isn't an easy organizaton with which to deal, either. That's the hardest thing for most people to grasp. To make a trade, you need to teams to have mutual interest, and even then, most trades don't go down for whatever reasons. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cubs tried to make a deal toward the end of spring training if this Roberts thing doesn't get done.

Shortstop never was a priority. I don't know why this whole Greene thing got started _ just because he didn't agree to an extension? There's time for that. The Padres don't need to move him. The ship sailed on Tejada awhile back. I never heard Renteria's name talked about seriously.

Oh dear me, but it's real, live news!

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Brian Roberts, Chicago Cubs, Repetative, Trade Rumors

Erik Bedard is on his way to Seattle! Finally, perhaps, our long national nightmare may be at an end!

Oh, and in case Boston fans haven't had enough of a bad week so far... Schilling could be done for the season. Julian Tavarez is so excited he could spit.

UPDATE:Erik Bedard is IN SEATTLE! Except:

The physical is expected to extend into Friday, meaning it's possible that the trade, which will send young center fielder Adam Jones, reliever George Sherrill and three pitching prospects to Baltimore, might not be announced until Saturday.

I think this may well be a more extensive physical than the one I got entering the Marine Corps. This may well involve killing Eric Bedard, giving him an autopsy, and then giving him life-saving CPR at the last moment. It's very involved.

Labels: Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Repetative, Trade Rumors