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And you know I am STILL hoping for Salma Hayek to come knocking on my door.

The Orioles actively prepped themselves for tanking by trading their top pitching prospects, not participating internationally in a meaningful way and by forfeiting their top draft picks to sign less than stellar free agents. Boras was probably just as happy with their dependence on the free agent market then as he is upset with their tanking. Can't have it both ways. If you're going to help the Chris Davis and Ubaldo Jimienez types get out of this world contracts, don't complain when the teams that signed them fall to earth and have to start over. No, Boras doesn't make the owners sign the deals, but he plays the system hard one way. He shouldn't be surprised when the inevitable reckoning comes. Note:I don't know who Ubaldo's agent was. if it wasn't Boras, it doesn't matter; he's just an example.

Unless he has a bad year, and then everyone will complain about not dumping him.

There are two rules I would like to see MLB institute. Extend the first base bag into foul territory to end all of the arguments about running out of the lane in foul territory. Right now all of the bag is in fair territory and a runner cannot safely fun through the bag without veering back into fair territory. Eliminate the two extra umpires in the post-season. They bring nothing to the game and frequently screw it up - like with the bogus infield fly rule a few years ago, because the umpire forgot that he was in the outfield. I'd rather let replay decide disputed calls in the outfield. Let's get those implemented before we do any more tinkering with the game.

Not if they foul off nine pitches before they hit the home runs.

You can't presume that the one reliever facing at least three batters will be as effective as having three relievers face those three batters. It seems likely that in some cases, having to wait two batters to replace a reliever who is not on his game would lead to making the game longer.

MATH

I remember a game in Seattle when Earl pinch-hit Jose Morales for Benny Ayala, even though they were both right-handed hitting designated hitters. But one was a fastball hitter and the other was a slider hitter. Earl made the move late in the game and Morales hit a home run, which became the game-winning run. As for being unbalanced now, there have always been more relief pitchers than pinch hitters. I just think that if the offense knows who is going to be pitching for the next three batters, the defense should know who the second and third batters are going to be.

If you can't remove the pitcher until he's faced three hitters, than the offense shouldn't be able to pinch hit for the second and third hitters he has to face. At least that would provide some balance.

I expect we will see an epidemic of left specialists experiencing minor arm soreness and needing to be removed from a game.

This shouldn't impact my value one way or another. At 66 years old, I am tanned, rested and ready to go.

The GM meetings started yesterday and run through Thursday. By then he should have a pretty good idea of who, if anyone, is interested and under what circumstances..

I quoted the wrong comment. Wasn't meant as a criticism of Akin, but to point out the value of the role i described.

I didn't read where weams said Akin would start the season in the majors.

Throwing the innings that allow the team to not rush the more highly rated prospects is an important job. Any success achieved is a plus. Besides, today's poor starter is often tomorrow's valuable middle reliever.