8/5/12 Tribe going for 9 straight

[peeker643]

^ gimme a team full of Albert Belle's b/c at least I know my team's gonna compete day in and day out. At least I know it would have legit big league talent. Sure it'd be full of asshole's but they'd be our asshole's.

I don't think a team full of Belle's would actually do all that well. Think about those teams. You had one guy that everyone had to walk on eggshells around, especially after he did poorly in Belle. To counter that, you had some mellow guys like Thome and Sorrento, a clueless guy in Manny, some prankster types in Omar and Baerga. Those teams had the perfect mix of elite talent and personalities. Heavy emphasis on elite talent.

What we saw in those days was very, very special and very, very unique. A team full of high maintenance asshole types would implode at some point, IMHO.

Meh.... Belle was a reformed drunk and a ticking timebomb, Lofton was a prickly, arrogant, petulant player, Baerga liked his booze and blow (allegedly), Omar was banging everyone but his wife, Robbie Alomar spit in an umpire's face, etc., etc.

But Hannahan, Kotchman and Duncan are good dudes by all accounts. So we have that.

And even if that's the guy you want, there are those like Thome, Matt Williams, Marquis Grissom and Fryman.

Find me 15 guys in this entire organization that are or will soon be above average major league players and I'll eat my hat.

[Larvell Blanks]

^ gimme a team full of Albert Belle's b/c at least I know my team's gonna compete day in and day out. At least I know it would have legit big league talent. Sure it'd be full of asshole's but they'd be our asshole's.

I don't think a team full of Belle's would actually do all that well. Think about those teams. You had one guy that everyone had to walk on eggshells around, especially after he did poorly in Belle. To counter that, you had some mellow guys like Thome and Sorrento, a clueless guy in Manny, some prankster types in Omar and Baerga. Those teams had the perfect mix of elite talent and personalities. Heavy emphasis on elite talent.

What we saw in those days was very, very special and very, very unique. A team full of high maintenance asshole types would implode at some point, IMHO.

My point was not so much Belle alone but talent like Belle along with the drive and competetiveness. You know a team like that would compete day in and day out and hate to lose and do everything in it's power to win at all costs. It was a convenient analogy based on peeker and I talking about the good guysin the current clubhouse and how losing seems to roll right off their backs like it's no big deal.

[WiscTribeFan]

^ gimme a team full of Albert Belle's b/c at least I know my team's gonna compete day in and day out. At least I know it would have legit big league talent. Sure it'd be full of asshole's but they'd be our asshole's.

I don't think a team full of Belle's would actually do all that well. Think about those teams. You had one guy that everyone had to walk on eggshells around, especially after he did poorly in Belle. To counter that, you had some mellow guys like Thome and Sorrento, a clueless guy in Manny, some prankster types in Omar and Baerga. Those teams had the perfect mix of elite talent and personalities. Heavy emphasis on elite talent.

What we saw in those days was very, very special and very, very unique. A team full of high maintenance asshole types would implode at some point, IMHO.

My point was not so much Belle alone but talent like Belle along with the drive and competetiveness. You know a team like that would compete day in and day out and hate to lose and do everything in it's power to win at all costs. It was a convenient analogy based on peeker and I talking about the good guysin the current clubhouse and how losing seems to roll right off their backs like it's no big deal.

Albert Belle didn't have talent. He had Hall of Fame talent. Well, and steroids, probably.

Of course if they had a team full of those guys they'd win, just like the Tribe did back in the 90s.

[peeker643]

^ gimme a team full of Albert Belle's b/c at least I know my team's gonna compete day in and day out. At least I know it would have legit big league talent. Sure it'd be full of asshole's but they'd be our asshole's.

I don't think a team full of Belle's would actually do all that well. Think about those teams. You had one guy that everyone had to walk on eggshells around, especially after he did poorly in Belle. To counter that, you had some mellow guys like Thome and Sorrento, a clueless guy in Manny, some prankster types in Omar and Baerga. Those teams had the perfect mix of elite talent and personalities. Heavy emphasis on elite talent.

What we saw in those days was very, very special and very, very unique. A team full of high maintenance asshole types would implode at some point, IMHO.

My point was not so much Belle alone but talent like Belle along with the drive and competetiveness. You know a team like that would compete day in and day out and hate to lose and do everything in it's power to win at all costs. It was a convenient analogy based on peeker and I talking about the good guysin the current clubhouse and how losing seems to roll right off their backs like it's no big deal.

It's just a loser's mentality. In fact, it reminds me of the "Everyone Gets a Participation' ribbon mentailty.

"Awww... he took a picture with my kids" or "Aww...his wife just had a baby" is good enough for some people to cling to a player and justify his existence on a roster.

That's not good enough. Not when I've watched it for 40 years and have grown sick of it.

Then that elevates decent players like AsCab or Kipnis to exalted status by virtue of them not sucking as bad as someone else.

And it suddenly has people supporting a tool like Chris Perez who doesn't give a rat's ass about you, me or us in the long run.

YMMV.

[Prosecutor]

And it suddenly has people supporting a tool like Chris Perez who doesn't give a rat's ass about you, me or us in the long run.

I like tools who can close out games. I'd take Joey back in a heartbeat if those 50 HR's and 150 RBI's in left field came along with the package. I don't care if he won't take a picture or sign an autograph. And I certainly don't expect him to care about me or us.

Just win, baby.