Thoughts on the Sports World

Been a crazy few weeks (will get into the details in a later post). Sorry for the delay, but here we go again.

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I cannot believe I am writing this, but I actually like what the Pittsburgh Pirates are doing these days. Namely, I love the Freddy Sanchez for Tim Alderson deal. This team is not going to win this year or next, but the only way to win in the future is to plan for the future. I finally think they are doing that. (Full disclosure: I did not like the Nate McLouth deal at all, but once that move was made, the series of moves that have followed make sense.)

In other words, the Pirates are acting just like the Kansas City Royals ... except the exact opposite. Right now, the Royals are a joke of a franchise that seem to repeatedly stumble upon poor decision-makers.

Let this be my first official push for the general managerial post of the Royals.

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Getting back to the Alderson deal, what were the Giants thinking here? I know Sanchez has been an All Star three times, but those appearances should be accompanied with a Barry Bonds-sized asterisk. Every team needs to have at least one All Star each year. If that requirement didn't exist, would Sanchez really have qualified three times?

In this day and age, if you are going to trade one of your organization's top five prospects (especially if that prospect makes his living on the mound), you ABSOLUTELY MUST get a surefire performer in return. I'm not sure Sanchez qualifies.

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In another wise move out of the city of Pittsburgh, the Steelers signed Heath Miller to a six-year extension.

This kills me, more so now than it did in 2005 when I was working for the Mike and Mike Sports Talk Show. If you remember, the New York Jets traded their first round pick (number 26 overall) to the Oakland Raiders for TE Doug Jolley and a second round pick which eventually was used on K Mike Nugent. At the time, I expressed my displeasure on the air calling for the Jets to just draft Miller instead. Jolley and Nugent were busts, and Miller is now the third-highest paid tight end in football.

I'm counting on you Dustin Keller to make us all forget this fiasco.

Side note: If anyone has the archived tapes of the MMSTS, please let me know.

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After stealing, err, dealing for Cliff Lee, I'm almost afraid to type this because I don't want Ruben Amaro to read this (yes, he's a regular around these parts). If they traded Kyle Drabeck, JA Happ and a few other prospects to Toronto for Roy Halladay, wouldn't they be World Series favorites this year and next year?

The only thing worse than seeing the Phils win the WS once would be seeing them win three times in a row.

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If someone is creating a college fantasy football league, please invite me.

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Omar Minaya should be fired.

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Two Deals That Make Sense:

*Marlins trade Mike Stanton to the Indians for Kerry Wood and Victor Martinez. Indians get one of the top five prospects in baseball and payroll relief. Marlins get an offensive beast and bullpen help. The city of Miami gets excited about baseball.... well, let's not get that crazy.

*Blue Jays trade Roy Halladay to the Dodgers for the entire Albuquerque Isotopes roster. The Dodgers are not built to last. They have to make a run now.

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All the talk about Kyle Drabeck has reminded me of Doug Drabeck which reminds me of how ugly Zane Smith was. Six degrees of separation or something like that. Good times all around.

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Hopefully, my next absence will be for a much shorter period of time.