Talkin' Baseball with Special Guest kt1000

(The Colonel is out this week so kt1000 fills his space.)

49er16: Start with anything you want.

kt1000: Derek Jeter came back and hit a homer today...the Yankees are back in the race!

49er16: I'm sure that 1 game winning streak and that 4-6 record the past 10 games scares the rest of the division.

kt1000: Not only that, but that homer was the first by a Yankee right handed batter since May 15th! 2 1/2 whole months without a righty homer...Big Stein is rolling over in his grave.

49er16: I wonder what Steinbrenner would have thought about Girardi's binder? I'm sure he's complaining to the devil about the Yankees right now.


kt1000: So....is it better to be a Phillies or Giants fan right now?

49er16: Well........um.......at least the Phillies didn't score a grand total of 3 runs during the weekend against the fucking Cubs.

kt1000: I think Brandon Belt just struck out again.

49er16: I want Belt to do good badly, but for crying out loud I'm losing patience with him. If you look at his sabermetric numbers you'd think he's doing alright. He ain't and he doesn't hit for enough power. WHY CAN'T THE GIANTS HAVE JUST ONE MASHER ON THEIR TEAM????

kt1000: Of course, it's all well and good except when the masher isn't mashing, which brings us to the problem of Chris Davis. His bat has gone south since the Home Run Derby and so has the O's offense. I have a better chance of getting an Anthony Weiner pic than seeing the Orioles get some hits with RISP.

49er16: The Orioles could be the case study why OBP is important. After Davis the O's have no one who is exceptional at getting on base. So when 1 guy struggles, they all struggle.

kt1000: It's just too bad he chose now to get off the juice (kidding, I think.) What players do you think get moved at the deadline this week?

49er16: Quite a few players on the White Sox (Peavy and Rios as the top players), Javier Lopez will be moved because teams are always looking for LOGGY's for the postseason. Maybe Hunter Pence. The Cubs will probably try to sell high on Nate Schierholtz. The Astros will move Bud Norris. The Brewers might also try to sell high on Carlos Gomez. The Blue Jays should sell pieces. Where these guys go is the question.

kt1000: The interesting move might be Joe Nathan. The Rangers have a deep bullpen to begin with and with multiple starters now off the DL, could slide someone else into that role. He could be the guy that a team like Detroit could do wonders with.

49er16: That's one of those moves I'll believe it happens when I see it. The Rangers are still in the race and Nathan is a "proven closer". The Rangers might just have to deal Profar for Peavy.

kt1000: Peavy's a guy that should come with "Handle with Extreme Care" tattooed on his forehead. Rios would look good on the Pirates. But in the end, like most trade deadlines, we're going to end up with a bunch of faceless middle relievers that damn few care about moving. I just hope somebody jumps up and makes a big splash.

49er16: Hey when the Giants just traded for a couple of faceless relievers they won the championship with those guys in 2010. They definitely matter in playoff games (you watched Jim Johnson last season). I agree though, it would be nice if someone like Stanton was traded.

kt1000: What matchups are you looking forward to seeing this week?

49er16: St. Louis vs Pittsburgh will be a must watch along with Yankees-Dodgers. The underrated matchup of the week is Boston-Seattle because the Mariners have actually played well lately. The Rays and O's could gain ground if the Mariners play well and win. (Watch the Mariners get swept now.) What matchups are you looking forward to?

kt1000: To start, the Rays/Red Sox showdown tonight. Like you I'm really interested in the Cardinals visit to the 'Burgh. Can Arizona show some life inside the lifeless dome in Tampa. On the other side, there's the 2010 NLCS rematch.

49er16: Justin and I are really looking forward to the Giants-Phillies series this week........Thanks Kris for filling in and have a good week.

kt1000: Thanks, Keith. I won't be waiting by the mailbox for my membership card.