[USML Announce] Kiss of Death

Tue Aug 26 20:02:21 EDT 2008

Well, if I really get to choose retroactively, it would probably be Anthony Reyes, who was lights-out the other night and next faces the lowly Mariners.? But that wouldn't be fair.? Make it Alan Embree, who has not appeared so far this reporting period.

-----Original Message-----
From: Blocker, Mark B. <mblocker at Sidley.com>
To: USML Announcements <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 6:00 pm
Subject: RE: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

Mark:

?

? I admire your perseverance, but I would admire it more if done without waiver claims.? I can activate someone retroactively if you tell me who so that it is fixed now.

?

? -- Mark B.

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net] On Behalf Of springkerb at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 5:49 PM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

OK, I surrender.

The reason I care is that I'd prefer no innings at all to innings from someone I don't trust (which describes all the major league "talent" on my reserve roster).? I'm trying to manage my ERA and WHIP to give myself a chance to pass the Brats and move up a notch?in next year's rotation draft.? I could also say that I'm?that Brad might catch me and I'll end up on the wrong end of our Billy Goat bet, but realistically, that ain't gonna happen.

So, do you just want me to activate someone next week?

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Blocker, Mark B. <mblocker at Sidley.com>
To: USML Announ
cements <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 1:41 pm
Subject: RE: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

Mark:

?

? There are some things we now do that are inconsistent with the constitution because we were not aware of the limitations of our new stat system, and we seldom revise our constitution mid-year.? One of those, which I flagged early on, was absence of waiver claims; the system just does not permit them (and as Jeff pointed out, no one h as made any).? But the fact that we can manually do things does not mean that we should do things manually.? We shouldn't.? We need to keep our league administratively simple.? The commissioner does lots of things behind the scenes that are time consuming to keep our league running, but we should not be adding to that load by allowing purely manual tasks.

?

? Other than for pride, I am not sure why "winning" this argument is a big deal for you.? You don't plan to keep the player you tried to waiver and you have other ways to get above the salary floor.? Pick one of those or tell me what I am missing.? For me it is important because I prefer a system that is easy to administer and does not add to the commissioner's task.

?

? -- Mark B.

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto: announce-bounces at usml.net] On Behalf Of springkerb at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 1:06 PM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

As I've said multiple tim
es, if we had such a conversation regarding waivers, I'm happy to abide by it.? But I don't recall it and couldn't find it in about half an hour of trolling through our e-mail archive.? If a consensus was?reached on this issue, it will show up somewhere in the archive.? Just show me the e-mail(s) where we discussed the issue and I'll go?away quietly.??
?

I don't think this is subject to a vote.? We have a constitution that permits waiver claims.? We either did or did not agree to depart from the constitution in light of the web site's system limitations with respect to waivers.? If we agreed that we would not have waiver claims, then I obviously couldn't claim Gabbard.? If we did not have such an agreement, I could.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: jhwinick at aol.com
To: announce at usml.net
Sent: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:39 am
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

Kerbs,

With all due respect,?I encourage you to consider a different tack on this=2 0one.? Not only do I agree with Mark that there was a consensus reached regarding following the dictates of the stat service, but I specifically recall the absence of waivers having been discussed.? The fact that there hasn't been a single waiver claim up to this point in the season should be some evidence of the fact that others also operated=2 0on the basis of that understanding.

More importantly, though, I encourage you to act in the longstanding spirit of the league, i.e.20actions based on general agreement among the league (if not consensus).??And I encourage all parties involved in this issue to act similarly.

Perhaps this is an issue that is one that is best dealt with by a vote or a show of hands to see if anyone shares your perspective.? Notwithstanding a similar understanding with respect to free agent bidding, we resolved Jim's over-budget bidding issues by putting the matter to a vote.? As far as I can tell, we came to a resolution that everyone found satisfactory.

I do?have to confess that I have enjoyed the mano-a-mano testosterone laced messages exchanged between Mark and Mark.? At least I did until Rich painted a picture of Mark B in his tight tennis outfit and since then the combination of Mark B, testosterone and tight tennis shorts?is?something that I'm struggling to get out of my mind.

That is all.

The King

-----Original Message-----
From: springkerb at aol.com
To: announce at usml.net
Sent: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:09 am
Subject: Re: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

Unless and until someone comes up with evidence of a league consensus that we?decided to depart?from our normal waiver rules, that's Kason Gabbard's s lot and I'm 9 bucks over the minimum.? If and when someone comes up with such evidence, I have a?several other pitchers I can activate.

By the way, that's a really great, cheap bullpen, regardless of what Ron Washington does with or to Frankie Francisco.? And if you want to get rid of Morrow
 now that he's been banished to a starting role, I'm here for you.

-----Original Message-----
From: Blocker, Mark B. <mblocker at Sidley.com>
To: USML Announcements <announce at usml.net>
Sent: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 8:11 am
Subject: RE: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

? 
Kerbs:

?

? I checked your roster to see if your comment might have been motivated by the presence of other potential Texas closers on your roster, but it was not.? What I did notice, however, is that your roster is below the salary floor, which appears easily remedied since you only have 8 active pitchers, and you have a pitcher with a $10 salary whose contract is running already.? Please fix.

?

? Also, note that after drafting two established closers that went bust (Borowski, Todd "Great Pick" Jones), the?Bombers are now flush with "real" closers:? F. Francisco (Tx), Jensen Lewis (Cle -- note I had tried to cut him only a few weeks ago), and Brandon Morrow (Sea - so good at it that they Joba-iz ed him).? I do not even think I would have room on my team for a Luke Hochevar.

?

? -- Mark B.

From: announce-bounces at usml.net [mailto:announce-bounces at usml.net] On Behalf Of springkerb at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2008 7:25 AM
To: announce at usml.net
Subject: [USML Announce] Kiss of Death

?"It was pretty clear-cut for me that Frankie is the guy," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "We'll try to get the ball to Frankie." 

Given Washington's track record 
for identifying and managing closers, is it too early to start calling Frankie Francisco a "former closer" right now?

Mark 
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?

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