The 3 biggest idiot franchises

[drpiranha]

In no particular order.

1. The Twins with their SP decisions.

2. The Angels and their managerial decisions (calling up Kendrick to sit on the bench for 2 weeks? Starting Finley and his under .200 average over Juan Rivera last year? Starting Bengie Gil and his .150 average 3 or 4 years ago against lefties and benching Adam Kennedy? Batiing Erstad and his under .300 OBP for a couple of years in the #2 hole or the # 5 hole? Letting Alfonso hit last night with his .136 average with 2 outs in the 9th and the tying and winning runs on base when Salmon and Quinlan, both hitting over .300 were available?)

3. The Devil Rays, who would rather keep their best players in the minors so they can hold on to them longer. Yes, Delmon is an idiot. However isn't TB a little complicit with how they treated him. Why not even a September call-up last year and why are journeymen like Damon Hollins being given opportunities, when Young could have been given a shot? I repeat. Young is an idiot, but TB has added to his frustration by the way they have treated him.

Comments? Your additions to the list?

[giants!]

1. While I think the Twins should start Liriano, I understand why they are keeping him in the bullpen. THey have seen in the past that taking the same approach with Santana certainly paid off. Why should they go with something unproven when they have a proven method in front of them. it is not like they will compete for that division anyway with Cleveland and Chicago in the division.
2. There is no way that the Angels have bad management. Any team that has Rob Mathis, Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, and Jered Weaver as prospects, can not have bad management.
3. Tampa Bay does not have the same management as last year. Citing past moves as bad management is immiterial as it is not the sane Chuck Lamar led group

[Pokeyouindaeye]

Can we add the Mariners? I mean, I'm a fan and all, but they have certainly made their lion's share of boneheaded decisions in the years following Piniella and Gillick. Bob Melvin was atrocious, and Bill Bavasi doesn't seem to want to field a competitive team with the type of talent he's been signing. (Extension for Ibanez? Jarrod Washburn?)

[Halo Homers]

Here would be my top 3:

1. Kansas City - Pernenial losers an owner who does not have the pocketbook to compete. They call up their good arms too soon and ruin them.

2. Baltimore - Probably the worse personal decisions over the last 5 years. Looks like they might be turning it around this year.

3. Colorado / Texas (Tie) - Can't seem to find the winning formula in their hitters parks.

Excluded Washington as a special case. Florida in the running, but hey, they've won 2 World Series in 10 years, hard to complain about personal decisions.

As far a the Angel criticism goes, I think the biggest mistake they've made in the last couple of years is letting Jenks and Turnbow go for virtually nothing, now of course both closing. Could you imagine the Angels bullpen with those guys?

[RAmst23]

How about KC and somehow never having solid prospects? How's Greinke doing again??

Tampa Bay is terrible IMO. They have a ton of hitting prospects, no pitching, and yet still refuse to make trades. Why are they even holding onto Aubrey Huff?

Any club that's had losing season after losing season must be doing something wrong, and the Pirates fit that bill. Pirates might have some pitching here soon, but when your offensive signings consist of Jack Wilson to a multi-year deal and Jeromy Burnitz, you're gonna have some problems.

[Thursday]

Again, it is good for us to remember that we are FANTASY owners, and not real ones. Real owners/GMs/managers have the best interest of their teams in mind, as well as their own wallet. They don't care if Delmon Young has to stay in the minors a year, they don't care if Liriano is kept in the bullpen. Of course, we'd love to see these guys play, but only for our own fantasy stats.

[drpiranha]

Just because Santana turned out to be a stud, does not vindicate keeping him in the bullpen that long. he could have been a stud a year sooner, if they moved him into the rotation earlier.

Santana actually blew people away as a starter in 2002 and was probably one of the best 2 starters on that team (He started 14 games in 2002 and 18 in 2003). He didn't become a full time starter till mid 03.
He proved he was good, but they kept him in the bullpen with the same excuse they are using for Liriano (though Liriano has yet to prove he can start in the ML).

As to Angels, I'm referring to Scioscia's decisions, not their ability to draft players. Scioscia is fantastic in the clubhouse and with his ability to handle players. His decisions on who to play leaves more than a lot to be desired.

As to TB, most people agree that Young is being held back so they that the Devil rays have more productive years before free agency (but at what cost to the frustration of the player?). Remember that in Spring Training last year, Pinella said that Young was his best outfielder.

[warrick95]

Y'all who are calling Tampa Bay stupid have a point. But your reasons are horrible. The reasons you're giving make them sound like a good franchise. Face it, we're a small market team. We're not going to be able to keep most of our homegrown guys when they're in their prime years. I would imagine that we'll be able to keep two of them tops through their early 30s. I'm hoping on that being BJ and Delmon, but we'll see. Anyway, as a team who won't be able to sign these players, we MUST keep that in mind when we make personnel moves. Especially in the ultracompetitive and freespending AL East, we MUST keep that in mind and make an "all-or-nothing" run. We can't do the steady progression with a couple of prospects coming up every year. We have to have all of the guys together at once. That is the only shot we have to make a run.

Of course, moving to a bigger market is an option, but that is way too hypothetical to consider.

And to the person who says that we have no pitching prospects...sorry, that statement is completely false. We have:
Jeff Niemann...first rounder out of Rice in 2004. Easily has ace upside if he stays healthy. Could see Tampa in 2007.
Wade Townsend...first rounder out of Rice in 2005...refused to sign with Baltimore after being taken in the first in 2004. Middle-rotation upside, but a pretty safe pick if he stays healthy. He did undergo TJ recently, though.
Wade Davis...emerging as an elite pitching prospect. A little farther off, though.
Chuck Tiffany...okay, you just said that we don't acquire pitching prospects. Well, we picked Tiffany up. He's pretty safe and should become a solid back of the rotation pitcher soon.
Edwin Jackson...the other pitcher we picked up from Los Angeles. Remember that he was the best pitching prospect in the minors only a couple of years ago. He's close to the majors, too.
Jason Hammel...very solid pitching prospect who's close to the majors.
We also have guys like Chris Mason, Matt Walker, and future draft-and-follow Bryan Morris. And Scott Kazmir is developing into an ace before our very own eyes. I would say that we do have qutie a few arms. While it may seem logical to trade ONE outfielder for an arm, the comment that we're clueless because we have no arms and that we need to trade for them is baseless.

We're holding onto Aubrey Huff because he's been hurt and sucking this year. I am confident we will trade him sometime this season. Everybody was complaining about why Baez was still with us. Well, we got a trade and a damn good one, too.

[patty cheeks]

The Reds are pretty idiotic especially the old GM who wont spend a penny.

[HOOTIE]

Can we add the Mariners? I mean, I'm a fan and all, but they have certainly made their lion's share of boneheaded decisions in the years following Piniella and Gillick. Bob Melvin was atrocious, and Bill Bavasi doesn't seem to want to field a competitive team with the type of talent he's been signing. (Extension for Ibanez? Jarrod Washburn?)

Ibanez is one of the few Mariners who can hit. Washburn pitches at least. Not saying the club is making great moves, but those 2 were not bad.