
Whatever you say.  I think it's just 12 games into the season myself, so
I'm going to wait a bit before calling names.


I expect that Dave Otto will be a really bad pitcher, and I have no
idea why Simmons ever wanted him.  On the other hand, I expect him to
release Otto if he doesn't turn things around pretty fast.  (BTW,
Otto's game score for that 0 IP stinker was only 22, which points out
a problem with the method since Otto's performance was infinitely bad,
and excruciatingly prolonged.)


I think Merced's rookie year was a bit flukey, but aren't you willing to
give him some more at bats (and Tomlin a few more starts) before acting
so gloomy?


No he didn't.  Walk is a time bomb.  He has no stuff whatsoever, and when
the league finally realizes this, it won't be pretty at all.


Don't be so fast.  Doughty is the guy who signed Steve Buechele, which
was a move that threatened to bury Kevin Young in the minors.
Meanwhile, I'm not sure whether Doughty or Simmons signed Martin as a
six-year free agent before the 1992 season.


Twice through the rotation, and you've given up?  Yikes.


But so has his age, at least in baseball terms.  The useful half-life
of a 34- year-old injury-prone catcher can't be much longer than a year.


But he wanted to be a Dodger, and felt he had something to prove after his
disastrous 1992.  I don't think there was any chance for the Bucs to sign
him.


He certainly wasn't last year.


Hey, that's the "Skates Smith" package deal.  Anybody who acquires
Lonnie for his defense or base-running (particularly at this stage) is
a real weirdo.


If that's the goal of the team ownership, than I don't see why Sauer
gets a zero for making his boss happy.  I don't know what he has or
hasn't said about revenue sharing, so I can't comment there.


It's annoying, but since Leyland seems to have been pushing for them
to retain Jeff King, it was probably unavoidable.  Meanwhile, I think
bigger accomplishments of Simmons' tenure were getting some value for
John Smiley, not trading real prospects for veterans down the stretch
last year, drafting well in 1992, letting the rookies show something
in 1993.  Foley, Smith, and Candelaria were acquired to be replacement
parts, which means that even if fail it hasn't done serious damage to
the Bucs' future.


Does this mean that the Bucs lost the initial arbitration case?  I
never heard the outcome of this.  When will the final verdict be in on
this?


I'm not sure who was the idiot in this case, so I don't know who to
blame.  It might have been Doug Danforth, after all.  In fact, I
*seriously* suspect it was Doug Danforth, who has shown his
willingness to call the shots at exactly those moments when the gun is
pointed at his feet.

(btw--I've wondered whether my latest posts have been getting
off-site, so if somebody known to impersonate e.e. cummings can see
this, would he drop me a short note?)