Phil Watch: Ah, C'mon! (Con't)

I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention this here at Phil Watch, as Phil got his ass handed to him on sports radio all last week over it.

Why?

Well...see for yourself.

The Cubs are on the list of teams for which Jake Peavy will waive his no-trade clause. This doesn't look like a fit, but don't be surprised if Jim Hendry tries to put together a package that would include a swap of first basemen, Derrek Lee and Adrian Gonzalez, who is supposedly untouchable.

Jake Peavy - by himself - being traded to the Cubs 'doesn't look like a fit', but...

The Padres, a team desperately trying to get younger and shed payroll, would trade away a 26 year-old first basemen considered by most to be one of the best in the game for a 'package' headlined by a 33 year-old first basemen in serious offensive decline and is owed $26 million over the next two years and has a no-trade clause.

Oh yeah. And Gonzalez's contract obligation over the next three years:

09:$3M, 10:$4.75M, 11:$5.5M club option (no buyout)

Now...if you're a team trying to rebuild...THERE IS NOBODY YOU WOULD REBUILD AROUND MORE!!!

And Peavy going to be included AS WELL?????!!!!!!

Phil's 'package' would have to include Soto and/or Marmol for Towers to even pick up the phone. Or a farm system dump the likes of which haven't been seen since the Johan Santana trade. Mention the realistic details, Phil. And then check your inbox.

Have I been expecting too much from the Chicago Tribune all this time? Is this my fault somehow?

Phil Rogers. Capturing the essence of a Score caller for three-plus decades.

But

I must give Phil credit where it's deserved. Well...this is mostly due to the fact that Rick Morrissey wrote something so breathtakingly stupid, making Phil's response was positively sane in comparison.

It's the typical shit. The World Series experiences a rain delay and sportswriters compulsively feel the need to prove their mettle by writing reactionary pieces promoting the wholesale destruction of the current model.

It's what they do. It makes them feel important, if only briefly.

Here's Morrissey:

1. Start the season on April 15 and end it on September 15, resulting in a 130 game season.

2. Better yet, start May 1 and end it August 30. The season is way too long.

3. The Steroids Era ruined stats anyway so fuck it.

4. Move the World Series to a neutral, warm-weather site.

5. Like Game 5 this year, one hour and 18 minute games are awesome.

Should BRE start a Rick Watch? WOW!

Phil's response:

1. Keep the season at 162 games.

2. Cut Spring Training by one week.

3. Start the season 10 days earlier.

4. Have teams play three scheduled doubleheaders.

5. Add a 26th player to the roster.

6. World Series played between October 13-21 every year. First round increased to seven games.

I could get behind that.

And if 10,000 people can run 26.2 miles in the New York Marathon on November 2, a few baseball players can play their little game in late October.

See. I think they alternate between who is going to be the raging moron each week over at the Trib.

Phil just volunteers a lot.