Joe Mauer is just about the ONLY bright spot of the organization this off
season and is the hot topic among everyone. While a great many people like Dan
feel he'll win ROY, I think he'll hit around .230 and play terriffic defense.
I think within 3 seasons he'll be to Minnesota what Kirby was, the guy everyone
knows by his first name and who brings people out to watch the team.

Mark Prior would have been great in Minnesota, but he wouldn't have been the
local boy home town hero that Joe is, nor would the club have been able to ink
him. There was no mistake in signing Joe Mauer. I just wish he had 1 season
in AAA.

Mike


Maybe you meant something different, but to me being "penciled" into the
lineup
means they have been giving the starting job. You don't "pencil" in a guy
who
is going to be on the bench or in the minors.

Lyle Overbay is a joke, he will be given 2 months to bat .220 and accumulate
60k's in 220 at bats. Prince will be on the roster by the All-Star break.


Overbay is a joke, but then again so is the current version of the Brewers so
he should fit right in. Like I said before, chances are Fielder will be
rushed
to the majors in 2004.

Dan, you should concentrate on the Twins and their problems.

No point in concentrating at all, nothing I can do will change our stingy
owner.

They have a 2
man pitching rotation. Johan will fall back to Earth this year, and Radke
has been close to terrible the last 2 years.

Radke has been closer to average than terrible, but he is on the backside of
his career. I think your dead wrong about Santana & he will be one of the
top
10 pitchers in the AL. Lohse is ok. They will sign another cheap fill in
for
the 4 spot (ala Reed or Rodgers) & have a prospect in the 5 spot (Adam
Johnson
or Juan Rincon probably).

I think they made a huge
mistake in trading A.J., It will be fun to watch Mauer struggle this year.
Joe needs time at AAA.

I don't think they made a mistake at all. AJ has no where to go but down.
And
for someone who was touting BA's #9 rated prospect as ML ready, I would think
you would give more of a chance who was rated #1.

Mauer is ML ready, read any quote from any minor league scout or coach who
has
came in contact with (not just people in the Twins org. but others.)

Will he hit .350 w/20 hr's his rookie year, no. Will he crash & burn like
you're predicting absolutly not.

I predict he will win the ROY & I'm not the only one making that statement.

Mike Prior or Joe Mauer, somebody made the wrong
choice.


A guy the team had zero chance of signing or a player with similar prospects.

Yeah sounds like a tough choice.

ok bye,
TC

"Dan Aliperto-MN" wrote in message
...
From: "TJC"
Date: 1/1/2004 11:07 PM Central Standard Time

Funny you would make these two statements together in the same post:

First, I hate when people post things that they know NOTHING about.

Prince Fielder is penciled into the Brewer's lineup next season.

There is no way Fielder will be the starting first baseman at Miller Park
next
season. More than likely he'll be in AA to begin next year. While it's
possible he may be rushed to the majors at some point in the 2004 season,
projections are 2005 at the earliest.

I have a question for you.... Have you ever heard of Lyle Overbay?


-Dan (TIC)
-Dan (TIC)
http://sportscardfun.com/trader/ideal0024.asp

"If a man hasn't discovered something he would die for, he isn't fit to
live."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Baseball doesn't owe me a thing, I owe my whole life to baseball."
- Kirby Puckett