rwfan007

Friday: Montreal @ Washington Boston @ Buffalo Florida @ Detroit NY Islanders @ Minnesota Colorado @ Vancouver Philadelphia @ San Jose Saturday: Calgary @ Los Angeles Washington @ Toronto Detroit @ Montreal Buffalo @ Ottawa Florida @ NY Rangers Tampa Bay @ Carolina Pittsburgh @ Atlanta NY Islanders @ St Louis Columbus @ Nashville New Jersey @ Dallas Philadelphia @ Phoenix Chicago @ Edmonton San Jose @ Anaheim Sunday: Tampa Bay @ Atlanta Chicago @ Vancouver

the literal meaning of that rule is the instant the referee wants the play dead then that is when the "whistle" is blown. So as soon as he sees the goalie cover it up or the ref loses sight of the puck, that instant the play is dead, and anything extra that happens from that instant until the time he actually blows the whistle is irrelevant. so, I know the puck was in the net, but the ref could not see the puck because the net has a little white skirt around the bottom of the net that is used to tie the net to the goal frame that would have impeded his view of the puck. Based on line of sight, I see where he would have "blown the play dead" but there needs to be some kind of loop in that rule on obvious plays such as tonight that would allow that "intent to blow the whistle" rule to be lifted.

With the Wings, if you have to think about it, it wont happen. Players who get their number retired in Detroit are no-brainers because of the impact they have made to the Wings. Shanny was a good player, but that was about it. The team could have won without him, unlike stevie or nick. Same with Fedorov or Ozzie. They both will probably go to the hall of fame, as they should, but they did not make that impact in Detroit that will demand that they be remembered for all-time with a retired number.

Friday: Minnesota @ Washington NY Islanders @ Carolina Anaheim @ Columbus Calgary @ Buffalo Los Angeles @ Atlanta Toronto @ Chicago Saturday: NY Rangers @ Ottawa Calgary @ Toronto Washington @ New Jersey Buffalo @ Philadelphia NY Islanders @ Florida Anaheim @ Detroit Boston @ Pittsburgh Los Angeles @ Tampa Bay San Jose @ St Louis Montreal @ Nashville Dallas @ Phoenix Vancouver @ Colorado Sunday: Minnesota @ Carolina Edmonton @ Atlanta San Jose @ Chicago

Friday: NY Islanders @ New Jersey Toronto @ Carolina Philadelphia @ Buffalo Washington @ Florida Vancouver @ Dallas Chicago @ Colorado Saturday: Nashville @ Los Angeles Buffalo @ Boston Detroit @ Toronto Tampa Bay @ Montreal New Jersey @ Ottawa Atlanta @ NY Islanders St Louis @ Philadelphia Florida @ Washington Carolina @ Columbus Dallas @ Minnesota NY Rangers @ Calgary Phoenix @ Anaheim Pittsburgh @ San Jose Sunday: St Louis @ Atlanta Edmonton @ Colorado

Friday: NY Islanders @ Washington Pittsburgh @ Columbus Toronto @ Buffalo NY Rangers @ Minnesota Montreal @ Chicago Florida @ Dallas Vancouver @ Anaheim Colorado @ San Jose Saturday: Edmonton @ Boston Carolina @ Philadelphia Atlanta @ Ottawa New Jersey @ Tampa Bay Toronto @ Montreal Buffalo @ NY Islanders Minnesota @ Pittsburgh Florida @ St Louis Dallas @ Nashville Anaheim @ Phoenix Detroit @ Calgary Sunday: Boston @ NY Rangers San Jose @ Carolina Columbus @ Washington Colorado @ Vancouver

Friday: Florida @ Pittsburgh Minnesota @ St Louis Carolina @ Colorado Saturday: NY Rangers @ Montreal Boston @ Ottawa Washington @ NY Islanders Florida @ Philadelphia San Jose @ Atlanta Toronto @ Vancouver New Jersey @ Pittsburgh Buffalo @ Tampa Bay Dallas @ St Louis Carolina @ Minnesota Nashville @ Chicago Detroit @ Colorado Los Angeles @ Phoenix Edmonton @ Calgary Columbus @ Anaheim Sunday: San Jose @ Philadelphia Columbus @ Los Angeles Edmonton @ Vancouver

Friday: Atlanta @ New Jersey NY Islanders @ Buffalo Philadelphia @ Florida Boston @ Dallas Vancouver @ Calgary Minnesota @ Edmonton Saturday: Atlanta @ Buffalo NY Rangers @ Toronto Ottawa @ Montreal Carolina @ New Jersey San Jose @ NY Islanders Nashville @ Washington Colorado @ Detroit Los Angeles @ Columbus Tampa Bay @ Pittsburgh Dallas @ Chicago Boston @ Phoenix Minnesota @ Vancouver St Louis @ Anaheim

Well, it's that time again. Pitchers and Catchers report in 4 days. Last season was an awkward one after the huge news of Cabrera and Willis coming here in a trade. Some players on the team did not know where they would be playing, if they were playing, and the season just started bad from the start. Here it is, 2009, the roster is mostly set, with a few spots in the rotation and pen still up for grabs. 1. Granderson CF 2. Polanco 2B 3. Ordonez 4. Sheffield/Thames/Larish 5. Cabrera 1B 6. Guillen/Thames LF 7. Everett SS 8. Laird C 9. Inge 3B SP 1. Verlander 2. Bonderman 3. Galarraga 4. Jackson 5. Robertson/Willis/Miner/Porcello Pen.... who knows Rodney Zumaya Seay Dolsi Lyon That roster is not the official one, but that is what I think may be a possibility come opening day. I will leave that decision to Jimmy. I do think that this year we have a more stable situation than we did last year, and because of that, we should start out in decent shape.

Friday: Florida @ Carolina Dallas @ Calgary Saturday: NY Islanders @ Boston Pittsburgh @ Toronto Atlanta @ Ottawa Anaheim @ Philadelphia New Jersey @ Florida Washington @ Detroit Carolina @ Tampa Bay Los Angeles @ St Louis Buffalo @ Nashville Colorado @ Chicago Columbus @ Phoenix Montreal @ Edmonton Minnesota @ San Jose Sunday: Anaheim @ NY Rangers Dallas @ Vancouver

We need some legitimate help for cabby in the 4 or 5 spot. Maggs and Guillen are not going to be a headache for opposing managers in their thoughts of pitching around cabby. For all I care, maggs, guillen, Everett, Huff, Robertson, Bonderman, Willis, and Galarraga can all be playing for other teams next year, but unfortunately some of them are locked up for about 10 times the amount of money they are worth.

Who is going to blink first? We got the big boppers coming up, so lets tack a 4 spot up there now.

he just makes things interesting. he does not suck in the least.

got your hissy fit over with now? Geez man. Miner does not suck.

Minnesota Twins Pitchers IP H R ER BB SO HR PC-ST ERA S Baker (W, 15-9) 5.0 5 1 0 3 3 0 105-68 4.36 http://espn.go.com/mlb/boxscore?gameId=291001106

he only went 5 innings, walked 3 gave up 5 hits and a run. his offense won that game, not him.

and porcello is pitching like a BEAST right now. 6 K's in 4 innings agains the twins is shut down pitching.

Here we go! Game of the year, and for Porcello, game of his life! This is what they play baseball for. Growing up playing in the backyard dreaming of pitching your team into the playoffs. This is October Baseball!

I am so amped for this game! We lit up Baker last game at the 'dome, so here's hoping that we continue that one!

It would have been Porcello's spot in the rotation, but he pitched in the day-night double header on Tuesday, along with JV, and that would have only given him 4 days rest instead of the usual 5, and Leyland did not want to risk his rookie arm. Washburn and Willis are hurt, and Galarraga and Bonderman were not stretched out for a start due to their recent stay in the bullpen, and Robertson pitched the day before. The playoff location used to be decided by coin-flip, but they changed the rule in the offseason to make the season series-winning team the host for potential tie-breaking games.

162 games were not enough to decide a division, so it is a 1 game playoff to decide it on Tuesday! How exciting is this!

WHEW, at least we get to fight head to head for the division if the royals dont make a miracle comeback today.

Friday Florida vs Chicago St. Louis vs Detroit Philadelphia vs Carolina NY Rangers vs Pittsburgh Saturday Chicago vs Florida Vancouver vs Colorado Detroit vs St. Louis Carolina vs Boston Montreal vs Buffalo Philadelphia vs New Jersey Pittsburgh vs NY Islanders Ottawa vs NY Rangers Toronto vs Washington Tampa Bay vs Atlanta Minnesota vs Columbus Nashville vs Dallas Calgary vs Edmonton San Jose vs Anaheim Phoenix vs Los Angeles

Yeah Buddy! 3 games up with 4 to play and we can take the division with a win tomorrow! What a clutch performance thus far in this series! Go Tigers!

I would take JV, Jackson, Porcello over Bondo, Rogers, and the '06 verson of JV any day of the week for a top 3 in pitching. Granderson has 30 HRs, Inge has 27 HRs, Cabby has 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs. Polanco is better offensively this season, Raburn is better than Infante in the Utility position, Santiago is better than he was in '06, Granderson has the pop this season, Laird is a very capable replacement for pudge, Guillen is just getting healthy, Maggs is hitting the cover off the ball lately, Everett is better defensively at SS than Guillen, Cabby is night and day better than Shelton/Casey/Young/Stairs at 1B, our top 5 in the pen have a 3.88 ERA which is just .6 higher than '06 when we had a 3.28. We had bad luck this year with our 3 and 4 starters with injuries, but our top 3 rival that of '06 as well. As of right now we have 20 fewer errors than in '06. I think this team is markedly better defensively than in '06, comparable in SP and BP, and slightly inferior offensively, but that is because we switched Guillen for Everett (offense for defense) Pudge for Laird (offense for defense), and Magglio is having an off season (but is picking it up lately) and gained in offense with Cabby for Shelton/Casey/Young/Stairs (wash defense for superior offense). Clete and Raburn are comparable to Monroe in the OF, Santiago is superior in offense and defense to Infante, Avila is superior to Wilson at C. Basically, it has taken a while for the tigers to find out what they have this season. The back end of the rotation is still in the air, but the top three are step for step with any in baseball. We are vastly superior defensively than in '06, bullpen is comparable to '06 with some very young arms (Perry and Ni) proving very valuable to our pen. Rodney is just as heart-attack inducing as Jones was, but has only blown 1 save all year, our bench utility players are superior to '06. I would say that these teams ('09 and '06) are pretty equal in talent, and without the injuries to washburn and galarraga, the starting pitching would have picked up a few more wins this season. What counts is that we currently are sitting at the top of an MLB division going into October, and for that, we have a shot to win a championship.