Four Letters, Rhymes With "Whinge": The 2008 Detroit Tigers

Well, no one wants to lose their job, even if it's to a much better player.

Top five first lines from posts on Dontrelle Willis' blog:

1. "Man most people go from the north to the south to get warm but not your boy."

2. "man in my life this might be one of the sickest things that have happened to your boy."

3. "man i was never really good in english but i hope u feel this story."

4. "Man after all the playoff games and world series is done as a baseball player u try to find ways to keep busy."

5. "Man, all i can say is if u could meet my family, you could pretty much tell how i am."

http://www.yardbarker.com/users/dontrelle

Well, no one wants to lose their job, even if it's to a much better player.

Agreed, of course, but his use of words like "forced" and "dealt" is pretty rich.

"I can't explain it," said Inge, batting .242 with 12 home runs and 56 RBIs. "I'm getting pitched like I'm Babe Ruth. Everything is on the corner. I haven't seen a ball in the middle of the plate for a week."

"I've looked at film and these pitches they're throwing me, Ted Williams would have a hard time with."

yeah, ted williams today u choad

he comes from the derek bell school of self-denial, i think

dontrelles blog is amazing. i want to recommend him movies.

Comments left by Yardbarker user dontrelle:

6. dontrelle , 16 hours ago | Reply
so what. who cares

7. dontrelle , 16 hours ago | Reply
so what. who cares

3. dontrelle , 11 days ago | Reply
hahahahah man thats a crazy story

2. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
lol. u can tell her after she finds u. bad lady to cross

3. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
just playin

8. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
yes sir life is hard i think we just get caught in r own things alot

12.1. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
damn i grew up of that. my thats going to hurt me. my boys family owns a deli on webster and i like nations burger.

13.1. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
yeah keep on him and he will easy up

16. dontrelle , 24 days ago | Reply
yeah my boy james family owns that spot its the best. No i dont collect cards fam . not even as a kid.

19.1. dontrelle , 24 days ago | Reply
i have one the highest winning pct. in april its the rest of the year im worried about lol. and i dont care about hitting

4.1. dontrelle , December 29, 2007 | Reply
yeah at first i didnt like superbad but now i feel it. good story

8.1. dontrelle , December 29, 2007 | Reply
yeah im a will smith fan so im going to go see it

9.1. dontrelle , December 29, 2007 | Reply
yeah i was feelin that new die hard. very smart movie

11.1. dontrelle , December 29, 2007 | Reply
yeah the warriors r clean . and i got that kat williams and he goes hard. stay up out there the bay is a beast.

12.1. dontrelle , December 29, 2007 | Reply
blade runner damn that old classic

16.1. dontrelle , 29 days ago | Reply
yeah i liked four brothers.

20. tylenoljohnson , 29 days ago | Reply
2003-2004 NBA Champions: Detroit Pistons, i just got it off ebay for like 4 bucks plus shipping, its hot, great entertainment

20.1. dontrelle , 29 days ago | Reply
yeah but thats not a movie

29. John_Fuller , 25 days ago | Reply
Dontrelle,
This is Granderson's rep. Been trying to get ahold of Sosnick about you participating (not playing, since it's so close to Spring) in his charity game with no response for a while. Contact me at grandkidsfoundat✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧ or have Sosnick contact me.

29.1. dontrelle , 25 days ago | Reply
man i would love to where is it at.

Dontrelle, would you like to referee?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kBoOXB2KE

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=341843

The Gatorade people just used some footage of me giving up a homer, which I guess is not that hard to find, and I didn't have to go anywhere to shoot the spot. I was bummed.

The funny thing is I found out later that I wasn't even the first pitcher Gatorade asked. Justin Verlander was that guy because he's better known than me. But he said no thanks; he didn't want to be the goat. I guess since I am turning 40 this year and have never been in a commercial and Justin is 24 and has already been to the ESPYs and thrown a no-hitter that you could see why he would pass and I would not only say yes but heck yes.

Dontrelle's blog is almost Oden-esque.

i might go opening weekend

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/SPORTS02/802130410

Unlike Sheffield, Zumaya won't be ready for the start of the regular season. The right-hander doesn't even know when he will throw for the first time since the surgery. And he's working on an emotional rebound, as well as a physical one.

Not long after his surgery, Zumaya said, he cried all night. He did so because he realized a lot of people didn't believe he hurt his shoulder the way he said he had: As he helped his family in the San Diego area gather possessions and flee last October's wildfires, a box fell on his pitching shoulder and devastated the AC joint.

He knew Internet posters accused him of careless causes of the injury, such as a dirt-biking accident.

When Zumaya quit crying, he wrote a note to himself. In bold letters, it reads:

"I will prove this world wrong."

The world, he senses, thinks he won't come back from this injury.

"There's a lot of doubt about me right now," Zumaya said Tuesday. "A lot of it. I've read it."

Zumaya has brought his six-word note with him to Florida. He sees it in his bedroom every morning: "I will prove this world wrong." Before he leaves for the ballpark, he flicks the note with a finger on his pitching hand.

"I'm on a mission," he said. "Mark my words: I'll be back, and I'll be able to do what I've been doing."

Zumaya acknowledges that because of the shoulder surgery, he might never again throw 103 m.p.h. His days of owning the majors' fastest fastball, the one measured in triple digits, might have been stolen forever by the shoulder damage.

In his next sentence, his defiance rises, and he says he might hit triple digits again.

I'd be a lot more comfortable if I knew Zumaya was flicking that note with a finger on his catching hand...

http://blog.mlive.com/tigersinsider/2008/02/catching_up_with_inge.html

So Inge worked out as a catcher today, even as he admitted that sitting on the bench "crushes me. It kills me."

http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20080215&Category=BLOG18&ArtNo=80215020&Ref=V4

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080215/SPORTS02/80215067

"In one way, I certainly don't want to lose Brandon Inge," Leyland said. "In another way, I hope we lose Brandon Inge and I hope he's traded where he can play third base every day."

=

"In one way, I don't want to lose Brandon Inge because he could be a valuable (if grossly overpaid) utility player -- provided he stops the whiny punk routine. In another way, I hope we lose Brandon Inge because I don't want to deal with this fucking moping bullshit any goddamn motherfucking longer. For fuck's sake, ask someone who is actually fucking dying how they fucking feel -- I'd venture to say they might feel a little fucking worse than this pathetic athletic career .241 hitting chump next to me. At least Neifi was fun to be around."

pathetic athletic...ha!

"Can you explain why (Miguel) Tejada gets six years, (Vladimir) Guerrero gets five years and I get three? He cost me two years of a contract because he was trying to tarnish my name. The whole year in Atlanta, I had to get the players' association to stop him from writing me threatening letters saying, 'Either you let me do your contract or I'll be forced to sue you.' That's a threat and harassment."

--Tigers designated hitter Gary Sheffield, on his former agent Scott Boras.

Yes it is only spring training haha HOWEVER

Rick Porcello's first time facing professionals did not require an outfield. Six up, six down: Eckstein 1-3, Rios 6-3, Wells PO-3, Thomas K, Adams 4-3, Watson 5-3.

The Vegas bookmakers have the Tigers at 4-1 for winning the World Series.

(By comparison, the Red Sox are 3-1, Yankees are 5-1 and the Mets are 6-1).

Normally there is some big city bias in the odds (silly Cubs fans like myself have the Cubs up at 4-1, like last year).

I'm no Tom TangoTiger, but 4-1 seems bizarrely short?

In case you were wondering, Leyland said today that he has no plans to catch Inge with any regularity this spring. He'll start in center field on Wednesday at home against the Phillies when the Tigers have a split-squad game, but as Leyland put it, "I'm not going to force someone to catch who does not want to catch."

=

"Funny player, Brandon Inge. He knocks around a couple college and single-A pitchers in February and he's strutting around here like he's Ted Fucking Williams. They're pitching him like HE'S BRANDON FUCKING INGE, lifetime .241 hitter. Put him behind the plate AND FUCKING BOOM! Suddenly he's his old hitting self, dragging his bat to the dugout after watching the third strike of the third out go right down the heart of the plate. 'Can I go back to third base now? Where'd my wubby third base go? Big meanie make Brandon strike out. No fair.' I coulda smoked a whole carton by the time he made it back to the dugout from the fucking batter's box. In other words, gentlemen, THAT IS IT, FUCK IT, I GIVE UP."

I'm no Tom TangoTiger, but 4-1 seems bizarrely short?

The bullpen is a major question mark. Plus, Willis is coming off a horrible season and going into the AL, Bonderman's '07 second half was horrible (granted, he was pitching in pain, but that says more about his nickel brain), Robertson had an off year, and there is no telling how Rogers will perform (I'm not expecting much). I do think Willis, Bonderman, and Robertson will rebound, but still, there is plenty of room for doubt.

DET - PLACIDO POLANCO (2) OFF WOODY WILLIAMS IN THE 1ST
NATE ROBERTSON (1) OFF WOODY WILLIAMS IN THE 2ND
EDGAR RENTERIA (1) OFF WOODY WILLIAMS IN THE 3RD
IVAN RODRIGUEZ (5) OFF WOODY WILLIAMS IN THE 3RD

Pudge has 5 Homers in spring training? wau

NATE ROBERTSON homered?

No, he did not.

Todd Jones, always be closing: 3.2 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 24.55 ERA

Tigers better win the World Series, after trading away Jurrjens...grrr.

Cabrera gets 8/153

Granderson gets HBP, non-displaced fracture in right middle finger, three weeks off.

The Gambler is dealing.

27 pitches through three.

So is Bannister (34).

The Gambler The Thinker is dealing.

(consarn xp)

Anyone check Kenny for Roaster residue on his hand or uni?

Jurjjens and Miller make their new-team debuts tonight.

Jurrjens, that is.

Rusty Kuntz: TRAITOR

los tigres may have lost jair jurrjens, but, yorman bazardo, people...yorman bazardo!

"My job is to stop the bleeding and I think I have done a good job of that for two years now." -- Jason Grilli (2007 home ERA: 7.96; lifetime ERA: 5.18 and climbing)

Today:
Jason Grilli's first pitch: P Konerko doubled to deep center.
Jason Grilli's second pitch: J Dye singled to right, P Konerko to third.
Jason Grilli's third pitch: A Pierzynski homered to right, P Konerko and J Dye scored.

do NOT panic

WILLIS LOSES NO-HITTER IN THE SIXTH (LOL)

Willis' line for the day:

5 IP, 1 H, O K, 7 BB, 4 ER

"Not a bad Tiger debut" -- Brennaman

My lack of knowledge of this game comes through again: how did the Sox make 5 runs with only three hits in today's game vs the Tigers?

Lots and lots of walks, Mark.

Thanks Andy - that means the pitching was really bad, right?

Since I'm asking dumb questions - how often does a team score runs in all 9 innings?

Yes, definitely really bad.

A team scoring in each inning = very, very rare.

Grilli was unavailable yesterday due to "neck stiffness."

Would that be HOMER neck stiffness, perhaps?

surprised Dombrowski didn't get up and say "pardon me for a moment guys, I need to walk down to the rest room and puke in the sink"

Ooh uncomfortable Verlander ERA bulimia reaction shot. I am sorry, I really like those in a "The Office" uncomfortable humor way.

surprised Dombrowski didn't get up and say "pardon me for a moment guys, I need to walk down to the rest room and puke in the sink"

"If you'll excuse me now, gentlemen, I am going to retire to my windowless, all-white relaxation room, hide beneath some fresh satin sheets, and play my good friend Alexander Zonjic's version of 'The Captain of Her Heart' on an endless loop until this talented, experienced, well-managed team of professionals is over .500."

tigers fan on another board i post on

Gary Sheffield indicated in an interview with the Boston Globe that he is not content with his current role in Detroit, telling the paper, “I can be in the outfield and play every day. I don’t want to DH. I don’t feel like a baseball player when I DH.”

LOL

Leyland

"Like I said, I'm shocked, because this caught me totally off-guard. Before his (oblique) injury when we put him on the DL, he played 39 out of 51 games and about seven other games he couldn't go to the post because his shoulder was clicking. So that would've been about (46) out of 51 games he would've been in. Post-DL, he's played 36 out of 43 games, which means he hasn't played seven, which means that you have a couple long games, night games, day games or something and you protect him a little bit. Well, that to me is the farthest thing from a platoon as I've ever heard of in my life, so I'm totally flabbergasted by it.

"I've never considered Gary Sheffield a platoon player in my life. He's never been a platoon player since he's been here, and he was made aware of the fact that when he accepted the trade here, that he was going to be the DH, period. So I don't understand why that, all of a sudden, is a big point. That was decided before the trade was ever made. What's the point? He's not going to be the outfielder here. He's going to be the DH, which is what he was told when he accepted the trade. I tried the outfield thing with him. I think I tried to respond in any way I could to try to get him going, obviously, because we need him. And I'm not mad at him. I'm just saying I'm totally surprised by all this.

"I'm still confused by the article because it talks about a platoon doesn't sit well. Who is talking about a platoon? Gary Sheffield's never platooned here as long as he's been here. Platoon is when you have a left-handed hitter and a right-handed hitter. One plays against right-handed pitching and one plays against left-handed pitching. That is a platoon. Let me make that perfectly clear.

"I've got medical people telling me it's suicidal to play him in the outfield right now, basically, because he'll probably get hurt again. He might have to dive for a ball. It's hard for him to throw. He's throwing a little better than he was, but I just don't get the drift of this."

Sheffield

"Feels great. I'm capable of playing outfield. If I feel good, I have a right to say I feel good. If I don't, I have a right to say I don't. Whoever takes offense to it, that's their problem.

"If you ever looked at the whole article, it was nothing that I was ticked off about. It was just these are the facts, and that's just the way it is. There's nothing I can do about it. I just have to accept it, that that's the way they're going to do it, and roll with it. I haven't said anything all year, and I'm not going to start now. If they're going to take that as some negative thing, go right ahead. I really don't care anyways.

"Ain't nothing to try to blindside about. It's a fact. I come in. Some days I don't play, some days I play. That's platooning to me. He might think it's different. It's not a big deal. It's just a matter of that's the way I see it."

.219/.321/.371: Sheffield '08
.268/.314/.346: Career numbers of Exavier Prente "Nook" Logan

try waivers!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3532016

Freddy Garcia has signed with the Tigers. You have to wonder about his passion.

Sheffield on waivers...?

xpost

Annnd Dontrelle promoted to Toledo, apparently.

from a curtis granderson q&a:

Q: I have been watching Tigers' games recently, and I have noticed that Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria have each other's wrist bands on. I was just wondering what the story is behind that.
-- Jake, Owasso, Okla.

I think they switched wrist bands about two months ago, partly because their lockers are right by each others. I don't think there was any big story to it, but they just did it one game and haven't stopped doing it.

so is being disgruntled the new players coffee??

it's not new for Sheffield! (see his intentional? errors as a Brewer infielder)

there's a (not so) fine line between intentionally booting balls and hitting multple homers in a game

yeah, I've noticed since the '70s A's that gruntlement and performance are not nec related.

I'd like to see his career numbers for the two-week spans that have followed each shit-stirring comment.

hmmmm. "tbppmo" (total bases per pre madonna outburst)?

Alex Rodriguez, pre-Madonna .255/.342/.439
Alex Rodriguez, post-Madonna .323/.431/.627

premadonna ^_^

I like how everyone is all "sheffield's an asshole... any chance my team will pick him up?"

oh wow him reunited w/ the Yankees would FEEL SO GOOD

Sheffield: two HRs shy of 'the only thing I care about that I've ever done'

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080814/SPORTS02/808140433/1048/sports

Two more homers would give him 494 -- one more than Lou Gehrig and Fred McGriff.

(snip)

But he has never been within one homer of McGriff, with whom he said he hasn't spoken lately.

"He won't answer my calls," Sheffield said. "When I wasn't close, he was answering. Now that I'm close, he's not answering."

poor fred's probably got all these sheff voicemails over the past several months, "hey now i'm 8 homers away!" etc.

Ramon Santiago, MVRI? 36 games, .333/.461/.472.

Most Valuable Retreaded Infielder?

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080821/capt.7acebdedc357494b897bb80837a80717.tigers_rangers_baseball_arl103.jpg

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Nate Robertson stands behind the pitchers mound after giving up a solo home run (one of the five HRs he surrendered -- ed.) to Texas Rangers' Milton Bradley in the fourth inning of a Major League Baseball game, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2008, in Arlington, Texas.

http://beck.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/08/last_tiger_to_give_up_five_hrs.html

Last Tiger to give up five HRs
Just two Tigers have done it since 1956. Jeff Weaver was the more recent, having given up five Red Sox homers on July 24, 1999 at Tiger Stadium. He left after four innings with nine runs allowed on 10 hits. Don Mossi did it on June 23, 1961 at Cleveland, but he lasted seven innings.

http://www.theonion.com/content/files/images/SB-Choked-Bat-R.jpg

http://s169.photobucket.com/albums/u202/librarymonkey27/tigers2/kyleworthsm.gif

Walk toward the light, Todd Jones.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080827/SPORTS0104/808270467/1129

"I don't foresee him pitching at this point."

Jones called a team meeting before the Tigers went out on the field for batting practice and, with hugs, was saying good-bye to his teammates when the clubhouse doors re-opened to the media.

Doug Jones bids Detroit teammates emotional farewell

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/rumors/post/Doug-Jones-bids-Detroit-teammates-emotional-fare?urn=mlb,104198

Too soon!

We'll miss you Bob.

[kurkjian cacklegasm]Last night I witnessed the Detroit Tigers lead off not one, not two, but THREE INNING with TRIPLES -- all of which were plated by GROUND BALL OUTS. Those three runs were THE ONLY THREE RUNS scored by the Tigers. The last time...[/kurkjian cacklegasm]

"We need to keep the winning attitude and finish strong," Renteria said. "Next year, we are going to go all the way to the World Series. We are going to go for sure."

Willis and Garcia making return starts this week... against the Rangers... in Arlington.

Steve Albini was apparently cracking Farnsworth jokes (on stage in Pontiac) a few minutes prior to the ex-Yankee's latest amazingly brutal (but not unpredictable) screw-up.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland suggested that right-hander Jeremy Bonderman can't do much conditioning right now because he can't yet throw following his surgery.

"He puts on his bib overalls -- no shoes and socks -- got a straw hat, got a case of beer next to him, got the hat slightly over his eyes with a fishing pole in his hand and taking a nap," Leyland said. "That's what he's been doing ... I'm not being funny. That's what he's doing. He's sitting by a pond with a fishing pole and a case of beer and a straw hat and having a good time, and he should. Why shouldn't he? He can't do anything. He'll be fine. ... He'll be raring to go (in spring training)."

Freddy Garcia, I kiss you.

BRAWL!!!

BLOWN LEAD, LOST GAME!!!

RELEASED RAYS RELIEVERS, LLOYD MCCLENDON = KABOOM!

Gary Sheffield vows revenge after brawl with pitcher

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080920/SPORTS02/809200391/1048/SPORTS

"I got the one in I needed to get in," Sheffield said. "And I guarantee you he felt it."

Carmona also hit Sheffield with a pitch April 17. Sheffield said he believes Carmona has hit him a total of three times.

"Three strikes, you out," he said. "And if there's a fourth, it gets more violent. Trust me."

After the pickoff throw, Sheffield said he told Carmona, "Throw the ball to home plate." Then he said Carmona gestured toward him.

"He called me out," Sheffield said. "I answered the call. If you call me out, I come. That's the way it is."

Sheffield believes he was hit by other players and said Asdrubal Cabrera was one of them. Replays showed that Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez swung at Sheffield with his glove.

"I know who they are," Sheffield said. "They're going to have to deal with me."

Of Martinez, Sheffield said, "This guy, I don't know how many years he has, but his act is tired -- all that macho, throwing your equipment off, all this stuff. Trust me: He don't want none of me."

"There's a certain point I get to, it's hard to come back from." Sheffield said. "And when I get there, you're going to deal with it today, tomorrow and until the day I get you."

http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1221899428324570.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

Said Sheffield of Martinez: "I don't know how many years he has (in the league), but his act is getting tired. He doesn't want any part me. I'll meet him any time, any place, and I guarantee he won't be there."

"It was Cabrera and that skinny left-hander out of the bullpen. We'll see how things work out from there."

Said Martinez, "If you want Carmona, go get him. He's 240 (pounds)."

Cellar within reach!

"Greinke would've shut a lot of people out tonight," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "When you throw 97-98 with a good hook and a changeup and locate the ball pretty good, he probably would've shut a lot of teams out tonight, no matter what lineup we had in there."

"I didn't have any location of any pitch," Greinke said. "My fastball was good, it just wasn't being located good. I wasn't throwing breaking balls for strikes, really. I threw the curveball for a strike a little bit but that's not one of my top pitches and my slider was pretty bad."

Grienke's had a great year.

This sentiment shd go on the Royals thread, but what the hell.

Duel for the worst AL ERA tonight

KAN: Bannister (8-16, 5.96 ERA)
DET: Robertson (7-10, 6.15 ERA)

If Bannister holds his ground and Robertson pitches 13 innings of ER-less baseball, Kenny Rogers will take the title.

Tigers Fans(everywhere): Fire Leyland?

Keith Law: (2:26 PM ET ) I saw them in July and thought he was mailing it in like he did in Colorado - failing to pinch hit in obvious situations, leaving Verlander out there way too long.

I don't think his moves (like favoring "experience") were any more suspect or numerous than in the past. They seem worse this year because the pitching staff was horrific. Verlander did not do himself any favors by needing 20+ pitches to get out of so many innings.

Anyway, it's great the Tigers didn't feel that more AA and AAA pitchers were "deserving" of call-ups. Throwing a pair of released Rays, Kyle Farnsworth, and that remaining cast of chuckleheads throughout September will no doubt prove beneficial for the organization in the near future.

One mistake that Dombrowski acknowledged was trading pitching prospect Jair Jurrjens to Atlanta for shortstop Edgar Renteria. While the Tigers were trying desperately to find starting pitching, Jurrjens went 13-10 for the Braves with a 3.68 ERA.

At the same time, Renteria lost 62 points off his batting average and turned into a defensive liability, leading to the Tigers buying out his contract at the end of the year.

“We thought at the time that Renteria would be a difference maker for us at shortstop — the player that could put us over the hump,” Dombrowski said. "There’s no question — that was a miscalculation. I wish I had Jurrjens back, but we knew we were giving up a good player.”

http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20080930&Category=SPORTS02&ArtNo=80930070&Ref=AR&MaxW=320&Border=0

10/02/2007
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071002&content_id=2245507&vkey=news_det&fext=.jsp&c_id=det

The Tigers were interested in signing Leyland to a longer deal, but he told reporters a week ago that he preferred to add just one more year. Though he has said he's interested in managing beyond that, he doesn't want to put himself or the team in a contractual bind should he decide in the coming years that he wants to step away.

09/30/2008
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080930/SPORTS02/80930095

Leyland, who is already signed through next year, told WJR-AM (760) on “The Mitch Albom Show” that he was “disappointed” to not have a deal for 2010. He discussed his status with team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski prior to the end of the season.

“I have not been extended,” Leyland told Albom, “and I’m not gonna be extended. … There was some sense of an offer that I did not accept.

“I’m not afraid of anything. I want to manage the Tigers. I have every intention of managing the Tigers. I’m disappointed that I did not get an extension, but I understand. — well, maybe I don’t understand, but I can live with that.

Anyone want a left-handed-hitting catcher with a .416 OBP through AA? He'll be 23 next season and could be MLB-ready by September.

might as well start a 2009 thred

Or one for the Rule 5 draft