Boy, this is exactly what I was hoping for when we got new people on. Tons of stuff to discuss. A forum by which ideas and knowledge are exchanged, from differing perspectives and the like.

The baseball trading deadline offered a big topic of debate. Who got the better in the Marlins-Dodgers deal in which the Marlins sent Brad Penny, Hee Sop Choi, and Bill Murphy to the Dodgers for Paul Lo Duca, Juan Encarnacion, and Guillermo Mota? Well, any trade, for me, is often impossible to discuss unless it's quite obviously one-sided (the Yankees have gotten a lot of those, taking advantage of teams that just need to get rid of payroll). Here, right after the trade, the Marlins lost 4 in a row and the Dodgers won 3 in a row. The Dodgers are 7-3 in their last ten games and the Marlins are 5-5. Trades like this only show results in the long term, and Baseball Tonight was already crowning the Marlins World Series champs after this trade. It could end up that the fortunes reverse and these teams start playing like all the experts predicted, but don't say to me that Paul Lo Duca is the difference between the Marlins being also-rans and World Series champs, because the Dodgers never made the playoffs with him. Ask me, the trade is even. The Dodgers' offense was immensely improved and the loss of Lo Duca's bat wouldn't hurt, so getting a good pitcher with playoff experience was a plus. The Marlins finally got a catcher who is like the departed IRod but he's still not quite IRod, but better than what they had (Mike Redmond), and a good setup man in Mota to help Benitez when he comes back. So we'll see, as with all trades. People always think that, man, this team got that guy now they're set, but it always involves more than that.

You know who I think gets a pass this year for their greediness? The Yankees. I think Giambi going down may be a blessing in disguise. That lineup with Giambi was having a hard time scoring runs, and Jeter, Sheffield, and ARod were struggling to figure out what they were supposed to do. With Giambi out of it most of the year, Sheff and ARod started hitting like gangbusters, becoming the leaders they know they can be, the Yanks began to tear up the AL East and the rest of the league. It woke up Hideki Matsui, who is the real secret weapon of that team. Giambi slowed the team down. You expect Giambi to get his hits, and with other bonafide superstars on the team knowing that, they probably didn't feel they needed to do as much. Of course, what happens when Giambi gets back? I think an unwanted effect will occur.

The World Series that I most want to see, as a baseball fan, would be the Yankees-Cardinals (if I can't have Cubs-Red Sox, or the Braves in some capacity against any team), as they are clearly the best teams and would offer the most compelling games. Two teams that have offenses that would never quit no matter the score. I nearly wet myself thinking about the prospect. The Cardinals haven't been since 1987 and haven't won since 1982, and have an incredible string of bad luck concerning the playoffs in the 90s and 00s (they lost to that Mets team for some reason in 2000), aka The Tony La Russa era.