Hey JMK

[Jedi Master Carr]

You must be elated that you just got Colon from Cleveland, I was like wow, when I saw he was traded, I thought great the Yankees got themselves another great picture but then I saw the Expos, I was like what how did they pull that off. They gave up 4 pretty good players though, but it is good to see them going for it, like they should, what is really interesting is that this was the first time since 89 that they actually gave up prospects for somebody (they got Mark Langston for Randy Johnson which looks very bad now) Also it looks like Cleveland may not be finished selling off its team Thome might be next there are rumors he might be headed to Boston soon, I would love that Thome is awesome he would be great on our team.

[Doc Milo]

I'd like Thome on the Yanks as their DH! I'd give up Nick Johnson for him :)

[JMK]

Yeah, I was thrillled, what an amazing deal! Now the Expos have a rotation that's as good as anyone's in baseball. Lee Stevens was dead weight anyway. I'm super happy the deal was made!:crack

[Jedi Master Carr]

Yeah it does give them a great rotation they have a pretty good 3 man rotation. As far as Thome, he has a no trade clause and maybe be going no where, it will depend really, some say Boston because he is friends with Little (the manager) and two former teammates (Ramirez and Baerga) both play for them, of course he has a pregnant wife and may not want to do any moving right now.

[JMK]

Colon, Vasquez, Armas jr and Okha (who has been the biggest surprise this year) along with rookie Zack Day have been quite good for most of the year. Rumor now says that it may be young pitcher Tim Drew that will come over at season's end. But who will care then? :(

This move shows at least that the Expos are serious about winning something this season. I think with one more experienced bat in the lineup via trade, the Expos will be a serious force to reckon with in the East and if they made the playoffs, could make some big noises.

[Jedi Master Carr]

One more thing to think about the team now is even more attractive to sell, if its a buyer in Montreal or Washington adding Colon shows the team has potetial, I think Contraction seems like a dead issue now.

[JMK]

I desperately want this team to stay in Montreal, they're so young and so full of potential. What a tough road ahead of them though.

[JMK]

Just like the women's team I coach last night, today the Expos blew a 3 run lead in the last inning and went on to lose! I don't mind losing, but I hate losing leads like that! :grumble

And JMC, your Sox aren't doing a very good job of helping my Expos!!! They've dropped 2 in a row to the Braves!!!!

[Jedi Master Carr]

We aren't hitting for crap right now, our pitching has been great though Wakefield was erratic in the 9th last night. We need another bat maybe we can get Thome, that is the best bat out there right now.

[BUFFJEDI]

Just like the women's team I coach last night,

a woman's team. That sounds like something I would like to do :)

you da man JMK ;)

[Doc Milo]

I hear rumors that Cliff Floyd is available as well, JMC.

From what I hear, there is a possibility that Boston may make a run for him . . . but they'd be in contention with the Yankees for him (who, of course, would get him if only to keep Boston from getting him!) I hear they may trade Ted Lily and Nick Johnson for Floyd, and stick him in right field.

[JMK]

That poor Ted Lilly is going to play on every team in the majors before he establishes himself as a real starter. Poor fellow.
It's ok JMC, the Expos have stopped helping themselves now. Dropping 2 in a row to the loser BLue Jays. :grumble

[JMK]

Another HUGE deal in the works for my Expos!
Cliff Floyd and Ryan Dempster (now rumored to be Brad Penny) for Masato Yoshii, Graeme Lloyd and some prospects. If MLB approves the trade, it will give the Expos a VERY tough rotation and a lineup that would look something like this:

Brad Wilkerson
Jose Vidro
Vladimir Guerrero
Cliff Floyd
Fernando Tatis
Andres Galarraga
Orlando Cabrera
Michael Barrett
Pitcher

Please approve the trade MLB! You have to!

[CMJ]

If the players strike this year...I'm gonna hurl.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I think a lot of fans will, CMJ, it also I think will kill the game. From what I hear if the season is destroyed 6 teams will go bankrupt and will not be coming back if the players come back (KC, Milwaukee, Montreal, Minnesota, Florida, and Oakland) there could be other teams to go bankrupt too, if it goes on too long, I don't know how the game could survive if 6 teams couldn't come back and then there is the fact I bet 1/2 of the fans maybe more won't come back, if it happens I hope stadiums around the country looks like Olympic stadium that would serve them right.

[JMK]

Ironically, as the '94 strike killed the Expos, a strike this year would save the team. MLB owns the Expos now, and unless MLB goes bankrupt, the Expos will be back for another lame-duck season. MLB can't contract if there's a work stoppage, so they'll have to play at least one more year.

[Doc Milo]

If there is a strike, I'd like to let the owners know that I will play for 1/2 the current minimum major league salary. Who's with me? Let us all replace the unreplaceable.

(Only thing I ask is that the move the fences in just a bit....)

[JMK]

Scabs! Yes! Great idea! I'll work for a scant 1/10th of the league average!

[CMJ]

The league minimum is like a million bucks a year right? Man I'd graciously play for a tenth of that. ;)

Go Doc go. :)

They can even keep the fence depth, I'm a single's hitter anyways. ;)

[JMK]

Doooood you're way off! It used to be a million bucks per player average, but that was like 5 years ago. An eternity. Now? The average salary is 2.38M per year. Staggering huh?
Thank guys like Pay-Rod and Delagdo (17M/yr) and other guys who clearly don't deserve that much money to play a game.

[CMJ]

I said the MINIMUM...not the average. :p

[JMK]

My bad. What a tool I am. :\

[Jedi Master Carr]

I forgot about Montreal JMK, sorry maybe the other team is San Diego they have been in trouble for some time or it could be Tampa they are in a mess too. And hey I would pay for a 1/10th of that salary too, I could live off that money for a long time.

[Jedieb]

My father may miss another World Series. Friggin' jag offs! I think there's a 70% chance we WONT see a strike. I really think both sides will realize the league is in no position to do this. The WS was a great comfort to NY and the rest of the country last year. It helped the city a great deal. How could you take that away from people?

[Jedi Master Carr]

I am hopefull but still worried, I know logic does say that it should happen because so much is on the line but it still could. Oh well, at least the All Star game is exciting 7-7 in the 10th.

[Jedi Master Carr]

That had to be one of the most disapointing All Star games ever and it kind of typifies the entire season. The moron Selig decided before the NL comes to bat that was it so it after the 11th and they end in a tie and the morons annouce and the announcers are shocked the fans are booing (I saw that come a mile away) what did they expect, that was a stupid way to end it, IMO.

[JMK]

Butt Selig strikes again...

[Doc Milo]

I thought the minimum salary was something like $250,000 a year...

About the All Star Game:

Why can't they institute a rule that says that after the ninth inning, if the All Star Game goes into extra innings, and a team has used all of his roster, that team can re-use players who have already been in the game (but only bring them in once, unless the game goes past the 18th inninng...) This way, they wouldn't run out of players or pitchers... This rule would only be in effect for the All Star Game, not for any other games...

Or, at least make the decision at the top of an inning, not in the middle of an inning. Or . . . make it a rule that the game will only be played for 12 innings, and that's it. At least people will know beforehand.

[JMK]

If we knew beforehand, fine, no problem really. This way it just seems like Bud Light just was fed up of being there and wanted to go home and get to bed.

[JMK]

Nice! Even though we didn't get Dempster, I'll take Floyd any day of the week! I just hope he isn't going to act like a baby and play like crap because he's back in Montreal for 3 months. That would suck.
Basically these 2 latest Expos transactions amount to the following:
Graeme Lloyd & Carl Pavano for Bartolo Colon. Good deal!
Lee Stevens for Cliff Floyd. Awesome!
Of course, there is no future for the Expos, so the prospects don't really count...from a certain point of view...