Night at the Opera contract scene for the win.

And it made 2007 and 2008 all the more difficult to wait through. I thought we had Godot as our returning ace, until he arrived.

I want to see the real Pronk. Oh the Indians. They make me cry.

That contract is a real tragedy, especially because a team that has to compete against the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays is going to be dealing with it basically until mankind invents spacetime-bending ships to get around Einstein’s theory of relativity.

I think you’ve blocked this one out of your mind:

ST. LOUIS — Mark Mulder is staying with the St. Louis Cardinals, agreeing Wednesday to $13 million, two-year contract… The 29-year-old left-hander, recovering from rotator cuff surgery, is expected to miss the first half of next season… Mulder was 6-7 with a 7.14 ERA in 17 starts last year. He was sidelined from June 22 to Aug. 23 with rotator cuff damage and what the team called an impingement in the shoulder, which had caused him to alter his delivery. He went back on the DL on Aug. 31… “Mulder’s return will be a real boost to our rotation,” general manager Walt Jocketty said. “We’ve seen what he is capable of when healthy. Mark is very determined to return to his All-Star form.”

Not technically an extension, but one of the most astoundingly desperate double-downs in the history of general managing.

The player in question has a 7+ ERA with an obviously screwed shoulder, best case scenario he misses only the first 1/4 of the contract period, and Jocko hands him $13 million guaranteed.

At least he attributes his information to Scott Boras.

Though the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggested that the "framework’’ of a contract offer to the 29-year-old Holliday, estimated to be $96 million for six years, has been put forth, Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have made no proposals. In cases of star players, Boras won’t accept offers below a certain level (with Teixeira it was $160 million just to get into the game), and someone else close to Holliday wondered how such a reported contract bid could reasonably be accepted by Holliday considering that Alfonso Soriano, in some respects a less accomplished and more flawed player, received $136 million for eight years three winters ago from the Cubs. In any case, the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point.

Beyond the Cardinals and Red Sox, the Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners and Yankees could be in the market for either of the two corner outfielders. Some teams have already checked in on Holliday, who is said by a friend to have at least the Yankees, and quite likely the Mets — who are desperate for a power-hitting outfielder after a disastrous season in which they most often employed possibly the two worst defensive left fielders in baseball (Gary Sheffield and Daniel Murphy) — high on his list of preferred places, and the Mets are believed to have Holliday higher than Bay on their wish list.

So, is this just a Boras press release?

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=5648369

But not in the sense that he’s inflating his numbers or shaving it off someone else’s? [kind of gets it but is trying to grasp how to explain it to someone else]

I’m going this weekend, and was just wondering if it’s like Spring Training or MiLB. I imagine there won’t be too many people there. What I’m really wondering is whether they sell beer, and whether they have cool between-innings activities.

Boras has publicly likened Holliday’s value to another of his clients, first baseman Mark Teixeira, who received an eight-year, $180 deal from the New York Yankees last winter. Holliday is also seeking full no-trade protection. Those numbers are believed to far exceed the Cardinals’ reach.

but

Asked about Boras’ comments regarding Holliday’s projected value, Mozeliak said, "I’m not letting anything I read become a guideline for how I approach a discussion or a negotiation."

translation: “$180M? Oh HELL no!”

They have to be willing to go 7/126…. As for Holliday, I’m sure he’s thinking minimum 6/100.

to anyone currently going through withdrawal and with a os3 or 360, i would strongly recommend mlb 09 the show. game is so fun. and so realistic. not meaning just graphics and physics (which are also very realistic) but this is the ultimate video game for baseball fans. you really have to be able to recognize a slider and a change up and know the right time to take off for second on a steal attempt and etc. you can start off by creating a player and getting drafted and invited to spring training (i’m currently a lf playing for the tulsa drillers and tearing up the texas league) or you can do franchise or season mode. haven’t messed with franchise mode yet, but for season mode, i have forced trading on and ignore budget constraints turned on, so i have a team where braun, zimmerman, pedroia, howard, etc are bench players. it’s still pretty hard and i have a losing record so far in spring training, but holy shit it is addictive

I was driving home when that light that seem to be just so bright went out. It was a flame that I thought could not be extinguished. My car jerk backwards and forwards. I knew what was happening and knew I didn’t have much time. I quickly pulled into a subdivision to where my car died. I ran out of a gas. I bellowed a war cry of “KRAMER!!!” as I began my journey to the gas station.

allen craig and brian anderson?

eh?

remember this.

i’ve been really sick for a while now, strep & a nasty case of the flu. and tonight, right out of the blue as i’m laying here in a drug induced haze, i get a pic sent to my phone of a scantly clad lass wanting to engage in some, oh how shall i put this, adult fun time. but can i? no. hell i can barely even keep my head up let alone,, well you get the picture.

so yes Virgina, there is a God. and he likes to laugh. he likes to laugh a lot.