Topic: Trade winds swirling? 07-22-03 01:43 PM STMZoots Peter Gammons is reporting a disturbance in the force. 07-22-03 02:02 PM Undertakers Don't you have enough good players? 07-22-03 02:04 PM BDBLcommish Funny, I just talked to him over the phone. I should have known something was going on when he said, "nothing's going on." 07-22-03 02:09 PM BDBLcommish I'm going to be sick. I'm literally going to puke. The Zoots just got Kevin Millwood - a player I've been asking Billy about for weeks now (with no response whatsoever from Billy or his assistant GM.) Thanks, Billy. Thanks a lot. Keep dealing with Stamford. Your success in that regard is STELLAR, dude. Stellar. Jesus...it never ends in this league. It never freakin' ends. History just keeps repeating itself over and over and over. 07-22-03 02:11 PM Undertakers What did the Zoots give up? 07-22-03 02:11 PM BDBLcommish Oh, here's the official trade announcement from a jubilant Stamford press: Stamford and New Milford have announced a deadline-beating trade. Stamford sends cheap talented lefty starter Horacio Ramirez and first-half sensation Zach Day to the Blazers in exchange for rent-a-players Kevin Millwood and Randy Winn along with Wil Cordero. Stamford GM Paul Marazita explained that the trade "culminates a many-month long search to put the finishing touches on our team as we gear up for the stretch run. Millwood immediately steps into the #2 slot in our rotation giving us a one- two (Lowe & Millwood) that can compete with just about anyone in the league. Winn slots in as an excellent 4th OF type and probable starter against tough lefties. Obviously, it is always difficult to give up young players, particularly talented young pitching, but every player that puts on the Zoots uniform understands that no player is bigger than the team and the goals we set as a team each year. Our goal this year, which we continue to pursue with the utmost fervor, is to reclaim our rightful place among the elite of the BDBL. There are no guarantees, but we feel the moves we have made in the last several weeks put us closer to reaching that status. Billy Romaniello was not immediately available for comment. Zoots and Ridgebacks in the BDBL World Series. It's official. 07-22-03 02:13 PM BDBLcommish By the way, I just LOVE how Randy Winn gets thrown into this deal "just to make things even." Classic. Absolutely F'ing classic. Billy, you are a disgrace to this league. And your assistant GM sucks a rat's ass. 07-22-03 02:15 PM Undertakers I thought Billy was on vacation. I know Matt asked billy a couple of times for Randy Winn...and never got a response. 07-22-03 02:26 PM BDBLcommish That's the part I can't figure out - more than anything else - is how Paulie was able to communicate with Billy between all his vacations, fireman meetings, baseball games, football practices, county fair work and baby-making. How Marazita was able to get in touch with Billy is simply stunning. I know there were a lot of teams asking about Millwood. I didn't even get a chance to bid, because I couldn't get in touch with him. I just can't believe the Zoots' offer topped them all. I mean, Zach Day has walked more guys than he's struck out, for c rying out loud. And I was looking forward to facing Ramirez on the Zoots next year. Jesus...you've gotta be kidding me. Then, to have Winn "thrown in?!?" C'mon, Billy! What the hell is going through that empty head of yours?? Why on earth would you "throw in" Randy F'ing Winn?!? Yet another weapon for the Zoots to use against Zito if I'm lucky enough to have the honor of losing to them again in the post-season. At this point, I'd rather come in second than lose to that team again in November. Talk about aggravating. If Billy's goal is to piss off everyone in the league, he's doing an excellent job of it. I've been his biggest defender, but there's no defense for this. 07-22-03 02:34 PM BDBLcommish Here's New Milford's press release (which explains A LOT): Port St. Lucie Times, Port St Lucie, FLA Sitting pool side the Blazers Management had the follwoing comments: "It doesn't get any better than making a trade while floating on a raft getting a hell of a tan!" Kevin and Randy are great players and as usual they are peaking at the end of there contract with the Blazers. So we have decided to pick up a few more arms." We have no idea who will be in the rotaion next year, but hope to have a few good chioces between Douglass, Mussina, Padilla, Day, Ramirez, Sabathia and Hampton." Best of luck to Kevin and Randy and we will see you on Draft day! Those were the comments made shortly before the Blazers owner demanded another "fruity drink with an umbrella on top". Yep...that explains it. Billy was drinking. Billy never drinks, so one fruity umbrella drink would knock him on his ass. 'Nuff said. 07-22-03 02:43 PM Blazers WOW. Please let's remember that this is a game. My intention is not to piss anyone off. If I try and take my time and review all offers .. I go to slow. If I make quick decisions .. I'm a discrace to the league. My Asst GM and I have reviewed all trade and think this was the best. I do my best to reply to all trades, but sometimes they are not worth a response!!! Just because I'm last in this league doesn't me I don't listen or pay attention. Obviously what you think is good, doesn't always seem good to me. I sent you (Commish) a counter offer .. take it or leave it. If I'm so bad at making trades then use your Veto powers and let's move on otherwise ... suck it up and make a better deal to help your team. I take the comments and the harrasment because it's your way, (and sometimes it's funny) but get over yourself. Do honestly think your offer was that much better? I have plenty of unproven rookie that will last me until 2010 .. how about something that might help me next year. I'll admit the Johnson/Rosado trade was was a bad deal .. now let's move on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have we wasted enought time on this or do I need to go on for hours? Can someone please tell me what offer they had was that much better? Day will heal (trust me .. it's what I do for a living) and Ramirez is going to continue to improve, both can give me quality innings next year .. what's the problem? 07-22-03 02:53 PM SeaCats quote: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blazers wrote: Day will heal (trust me .. it's what I do for a living) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I trusted you when you said Jeter wouldn't be back before the All Star break, if at all, this season Enjoy your vacation, Bill. 07-22-03 02:55 PM BDBLcommish Counter-offer? When did you send me a counter-offer? You offered to trade me Aaron Boone and Mike Stanton for Edwin Jackson - one of the top five pitching prospects in baseball. That's not a counter-offer. That's an insult. I offered Jackson for Millwood, and if you had pressed me, I would have added B.J. Upton to my side of the ledger. But you never got back to me. You were too busy building another unbeatable empire in Stamford. Mission accomplished, buddy. Go back to your umbrella drinks. Next time you go on vacation, don't answer the phone. 07-22-03 03:01 PM Mike S./Rocks I feel like The Terminator. I nearly prevented this trade at the end of last chapter by negotiating with Billy for Millwood and Winn. I didn't get them, but no one else did at the time. But like they say in Terminator 3 -- I didn't prevent the future from happening, only postponed it. 07-22-03 03:03 PM BDBLcommish I don't know about T3, because I haven't seen it yet, but at least the first two Terminators had a happy ending. This little movie here can only end in misery. 07-22-03 03:07 PM Undertakers "Next time you go on vacation, don't answer the phone." Is that really fair? Isn't this an unfair advantage? Don't get me wrong, I don't care that much about this trade. I wasn't going after any of these players and I don't think they make the Zoots that much stronger (they are strong enough to begin with). I just feel bad for guys like Matt. I know Matt contacted Billy a couple of times about Winn. I have no idea what Matt wrote...all I know is that he doesn't get a single response. Matt works very hard to try to improve his team just alittle bit and doesn't get a response back. Someone else just picks up a phone and a deal is done. Maybe if Matt had a phone number, he could actually get in touch with Bill and Winn would be a Jamboree (not quite sure what that is)! Wasn't there another trade (I can't remember which one or who it was) where Billy said he made the trade to stop getting pestered? 07-22-03 03:16 PM BDBLcommish "Wasn't there another trade (I can't remember which one or who it was) where Billy said he made the trade to stop getting pestered?" Yes, that was also a trade with Marazita. I agree - Billy should make himself available to everybody. Some of us do have more access to some owners in the league. I'm sure you talk to Matt on the phone occassionally, for example. But as long as everyone returns all e-mails in a timely fashion, I don't think it's an issue. 07-22-03 03:19 PM STMZoots Just for the record, Billy responded (by e-mail) to one of my e-mails I sent him before he went on vacation. He told me if I wanted it, great. If not, he had other offers. He told me he didn't want to ruin any more of his vacation than necessary so he gave me his cellphone number. I could just have easily just responded to him via e-mail, but he specifically asked me to get back to him quickly. I did. I received no "unfair advantage" of any kind. I am sorry that Billy didn't respond to other e-mail offers, but there is no requirement that a team respond to every offer. It may be good practice, but it certainly isn't a "rule." Maybe he didn't like the offer. Maybe he forgot. I don't know. However, what I positive of is that I did not get an "unfair advantage" as all but my confirmation of the trade took place via e-mail -- just like everyone else communicates. I have no further comments about the trade. I am not getting into a long debate. I just wanted to clear the record considering the semi-accusation on the table considering it has absolutely no merit whatsoever. EVERYONE has run into one or more owners that don't respond to their offers. I'm sure it happens in MLB too. It sucks, but its life. 07-22-03 03:21 PM BDBLcommish Jeff, you really don't think this trade makes the Zoots FAR stronger than they were? I mean - they've already got the best record in the BDBL, but like the Royals, I'm not sure how they've done it. You look at their pitching, in particular, and other than Lowe (thanks, Chris) and Danny Wright (who is just absurd), their starting rotation was - I thought - their biggest weakness. Now, with Millwood wedged right into that #2 spot in the rotation, the Zoots are golden. They're getting performances from their bullpen - for the fifth year in a row - that frankly boggle the mind. And every single player - every one of them - on offense is overperforming his MLB numbers. Once again, the Baseball Gods are shining down upon the Zoots. Lucky them. You know, looking at the Zoots roster next year, I'm stunned at how little they have. Yet I'll guarantee that after a winter of wheeling and dealing with the Jims and Billys of the world, the Zoots will be right back in the playoffs next November. Wait and see. 07-22-03 03:32 PM BC_Jamboree --- I do my best to reply to all trades, but sometimes they are not worth a response!!! --- I would suggest that you at least inform the person that you are not interested so that they can move on with their life. Or, maybe you can counter offer (perhaps that occurred with Stamford) so that both teams can come away happy. Who knows....you may have ended up with ARod! This is definitely a tough one to swallow. To be honest IF (that's a big IF) BCJ makes the playoffs, I thought I had a realistic shot at making the WS (yes, I though the Zoots were beatable). But ouch: Lowe, Millwood, Buehrle...I wonder if its even worth it now. 07-22-03 03:43 PM BDBLcommish Well said, Matt. Of all the teams in the league, I feel most sorry for you. For the past several years, it's been Brian who has had to deal with the Zoots loading up every year at the trading deadline. Now you know how he's felt all these years. Maybe if I move Billy into Marazita's division, he'd think twice about loading him again up in the future. ...Nah, probably not. 07-22-03 03:44 PM Mike S./Rocks A-Rod's on the block?? 07-22-03 03:46 PM BC_Jamboree Yes, I think I understand how the Boston Red Sox feel. 07-22-03 04:38 PM Undertakers "Maybe if I move Billy into Marazita's division, he'd think twice about loading him again up in the future." Actually, I asked Billy about a player of his and he said I'd have to pay MORE because I'm in his division. 07-22-03 10:58 PM BDBLcommish I just realized something: the Zoots now own the first tie-breaker on Millwood at the auction. Thanks again, Billy. bigdaddy Posted: 11 Aug 2003 10:22 am Post subject: I just realized... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was just speaking with the Dark Lord, and he mentioned something about having a first base platoon of David Ortiz and Wil Cordero next year. My first thought was, "Wil Cordero? Doesn't he suck?" My second thought was, "Wil Cordero? Isn't he a free agent after this year?" And my third thought was, "Oh shit - what did Billy do now?" In case you've been as oblivious as I have over Wil Cordero's career, check out these numbers against lefties: .337/.444/.566. So, just to summarize, not only did Billy hand Paul an ace starter (Kevin Millwood), but also a 900+ OPS vs. lefties outfielder (Randy Winn) "thrown in, just to make it even", AND a 1000+ OPS vs. lefties first baseman for next year, "thrown in, just to make it completely absurd." All in exchange for Zach Day and Horacio Ramirez. Way to go, Billy!