Stanley J Makowski

Unfortunately, this fellow wrote with a golden hand and a sound mind. There is nothing to be gained in crying. We can only moan. Any hope is slowly drifting away with each uneventful week. I dread to even consider the morale factor for our holdovers. Even this non-inspiring acquisition of a mediocre OF (at best) has one basic theme. He will get the minimum ML salary if he makes the team...which he shouldn't in the first place.

I would like to see the poll have two levels. One for the next year or two and one for the long term. For example, this off season has been a downer. It's not just the lack of activity, but also the lack of ANY positive publicity. And our owner seems to be up to his old habits. If he doesn't give Arraex his much-deserved contract extension, then that portends toward mediocrity in both the near and long term future. In short, it all depends on our esteemed owner, and that's not good. This team wins with its pitching, yet it seems to be currently obsessed with obtaining a mid-level (read that relatively cheap) power hitter. Concurrently, it seems to ignore a very decent prospect in Edwards simply because he has no power. But he is very cheap, can hit,can run, and would make a superb lead-off hitter. If you have pitching , and lack significant power, why not emphasize speed? An extra HR every week or two, which is what we would get, is insignificant in my opinion. Get a SS who can run , and offers more lateral coverage than our Berti, and let's play ball. In conclusion, I would rate our short term as an 8, but our long term, under this owner, a 3. Bendix has an excellent pedigree, but he was brought in to better the team by economizing through building the farm system as cheaply as possible. If they do not improve the team on the field in some way, AND PUBLICIZE THE FACT, our ball park will be an echo chamber.

I agree with your assessment, Laura. With talent such as he has, there is always hope for a breakout. Ditto for Cabrara. I would never trade such talent as he possesses. I formerly wrote that pitcher X gives up 6 hits and 2 walks and is applauded. Cabrara give up 2 hits and 6 walks and is demoted. It makes much more sense to wait till well into Spring Training and see how Rogers, Meyer, and yes, Weathers pan out. Hopefully they could then trade from a position of strength rather than the present uncertainty. Let's see more of your work.