The Morning Offering: Trading Post Edition

Written by The Fool on July 14, 2005

Good morning. Remember me?

Fortunately for all of us, the cable guy came to visit (instead of just telling me from some remote call center in Illinois that I needed a new modem) . . . and lo and behold, Ms. The Fool was right, it wasn’t our problem, it was the cable company’s corroded lines causing the problem.

Bottom line? It didn’t cost The Fool an extra dime, and we’re back online. And your Thursday favorite is back. Now get your own coffee and stop eyeing mine.

We have trades

Thanks to two of major league baseball’s most prolific traders, a number of players will be wearing new uniforms when the second half of the season begins this afternoon, starting at 2 p.m. when the Nationals take on the Brewers.

Trader Jim Bowden picked up Preston Wilson from the Rockies, who landed pitcher Zach Day and outfielder J.J. Davis; Dealer Billy Beane picked up Jay Payton from the Red Sox and Joe Kennedy and righty Jay Witasick from the Rockies; and the Rockies ended up with outfielder Eric Byrnes and minor league shortstop Omar Quintanilla from the A’s.

What it means to you:

- Preston Wilson, who wears a 2003 championship ring he won with The Fool, is suddenly less valuable than his .258 average already made him, going from the best-hitting park in the majors to RFK Stadium, where pitchers rule.

- Zach Day couldn’t pitch in RFK Stadium, making him useless to your fantasy team when he joins the Rockies today in Cincinnati.

- Joe Kennedy bears watching. He’s shown in the past – i.e. when he wasn’t in Colorado – that he can pitch. But he’ll start his Oakland tenure in the bullpen, making him virtually worthless.

- Eric Byrnes is a priority add for your fantasy team. He’ll play immediately for the Rockies, who currently have Dustan Mohr and a bunch of guys you’ve never heard of running around in their outfield.

- Jay Payton, who also picked up a ring in 2003 with The Fool, will be the A’s fourth outfielder. If someone goes down, and you play in a deep league, he’ll be worth a look.

You know what else Payton and Wilson had in common in 2003? They both played for the Rockies.

Hockey’s back

*yawn*

More work for me.

Comics are cool

Three of this year’s biggest movies are based on comic books: “Batman Begins,” “Sin City” and the surprisingly popular “Fantastic Four.”

And, one of the most anticipated books of the year hit shelves yesterday: All-Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder, No. 1.

Neither El Amin nor I were super-impressed. The book certainly has potential, with the characters, the cart blanche approach and the talent: Sin City creator Frank Miller and super artist Jim Lee.

But it appeared Miller was trying too hard to be, well, Frank Miller. The violence was too far over the top – it didn’t make sense. Jim Lee drew a hot Vicky Vale . . . but why was she there in the first place? The issue left a lot of questions, and I’m not so sure we’ll have answers.

Fantasy football

I’m the other guy who couldn’t make the playoffs last season with Peyton Manning. Trust The Fool: You don’t want to know what I think.

Otherwise, drop The Fool an e-mail at thefool@rotogods.com.

-- Written by The Fool on July 14, 2005