Off topic, but interesting. Baseball HOF voting. 75% required for enshrinement.

The two (frank)sticks that voted for Aaron Boone should have their voting privileges taken away. What a disgrace.

Votes Player Percentage
534 Randy Johnson 97.3%
500 Pedro Martinez 91.1%
455 John Smoltz 82.9%
454 Craig Biggio 82.7%
384 Mike Piazza 69.9%
306 Jeff Bagwell 55.7%
302 Tim Raines 55.0%
215 Curt Schilling 39.2%
206 Roger Clemens 37.5%
202 Barry Bonds 36.8%
166 Lee Smith 30.2%
148 Edgar Martinez 27.0%
138 Alan Trammell 25.1%
135 Mike Mussina 24.6%
77 Jeff Kent 14.0%
71 Fred McGriff 12.9%
65 Larry Walker 11.8%
64 Gary Sheffield 11.7%
55 Mark McGwire 10.0%
50 Don Mattingly 9.1%
36 Sammy Sosa 6.6%
30 Nomar Garciaparra 5.5%
21 Carlos Delgado 3.8%
4 Troy Percival 0.7%
2 Aaron Boone 0.4%
2 Tom Gordon 0.4%
1 Darin Erstad 0.2%
0 Rich Aurilia 0.0%
0 Tony Clark 0.0%
0 Jermaine Dye 0.0%
0 Cliff Floyd 0.0%
0 Brian Giles 0.0%
0 Eddie Guardado 0.0%
0 Jason Schmidt 0.0%

Dunno... why was a rookie goalie, who had never had a goaltending coach before crossing the pond, could barely speak any English, and had technical problems up the wazoo, being tasked with carrying the hopes of a team w/ clear Cup-aspirations?

I don't think it would have ended up well, no matter who the coach was. He was going to get exposed sooner or later. They really dropped the ball by rushing him. Luckily the Jackets straightened him out.
- Tomahawk

Because he was the best option. Lavi panicked. Bob earned the job over the course of the season, played very well in game one, had a bad period in game 2, and was all of the sudden the 3rd goalie, not even dressing. It was panic by Laviolette plain and simple.

I'm not blaming the coach for that. I'm blaming him for not adapting to the players he had.

When you lose a Pronger & Carle, they're not exactly easy to replace. Blaming Holmgren for not being able to replace Pronger is just as insane as blaming Laviolette for the rain.

Let's not forget Holmgren did attempt to bring in Suter & Weber, but couldn't, through no fault of his own. In that case, a coach needs to look at the pieces he has and change what he is doing.

Laviolette failed in that respect, like he did in Carolina.
- Jsaquella

I don't blame Holmgren for not being able to replace a hall of fame d-man. But getting rid of Richards and Carter for a bunch of forwards and cap space for a lunatic goalie isn't the way to go about doing it. If you are going to get rid of what was the core of your team at the time, you get good d-men as part of those moves. That easily replaces Carle and does better for your franchise.

Lettuce put aside dislike for Berube, for the sake of argument.
- BulliesPhan87

Lavi should have never been fired because Lavi wasn't the problem. The problem got himself a promotion and a raise while firing Lavi to save his own a$$
- Daveflyers36

That's where I am -- Laviolette wasn't the problem. This roster was, and is, the problem

Because either the players quit on Laviolette, which shows their character, or Holmgren gave him a roster that didn't fit the style the coach wanted to play

Laviolette's not perfect, by any stretch. But firing him three games in, just because you're still pissed about missing in the lockout season, was ridiculous, given what Laviolette had to work with in the shortened season

- Tomahawk

I'm ashamed that it took me more than a few minutes to get this.

- Tomahawk

Well played.
- PLindbergh31

tyvm, I worked very hard on that one

Because we can't have our top line center taking all the defensive zone draws and playing every PK. It's entirely unprecedented.
- BulliesPhan87

so u disagree that now would be a good time to see couturier in a scoring role?

That ECF would have been a much closer series had Timonen played.

As I recall, Coburn was also hurt, at least for Game 1.
- johndewar

Coburn took a Malkin puck to the face in Game 1.

so u disagree that now would be a good time to see couturier in a scoring role?
- JoeRussomanno

I was being sarcastical

i hate his face so much. he looks like an out of shape, poop head, beer leaguer whom i want to hextall in the crotchular region.
- hammarby31

Haha that pic is (frank)ing hilarious. Phaneuf and Kessel are two of the players I loathe the most.

i hate his face so much. he looks like an out of shape, poop head, beer leaguer whom i want to hextall in the crotchular region.
- hammarby31

Dude puts up numbers.

Because he was the best option.
- MBFlyerfan

Backlund and Boucher. Those are the guys Homer had slated to lead us to the Cup that year. No wonder rookie Bob could win the job out of camp.

Off topic, but interesting. Baseball HOF voting. 75% required for enshrinement.

Votes Player Percentage
148 Edgar Martinez 27.0%

- PLindbergh31

This is a disgrace. Dude was one of the best pure hitters throughout the 1990s.

Dude puts up numbers.
- PLindbergh31

He is getting carved six ways from Sunday up in TO

Backlund and Boucher. Those are the guys Homer had slated to lead us to the Cup that year. No wonder rookie Bob could win the job out of camp.
- Tomahawk

So.....because he was our best option then.

This is a disgrace. Dude was one of the best pure hitters throughout the 1990s.
- jmatchett383

Edgar was a great hitter. Him and Manny are the two best right handed hitters I've seen.

Will be interesting to see what kind of % David Ortiz gets. I think voters definitely don't give the DH the benefit of the doubt.

I was being sarcastical
- BulliesPhan87

the herp derp be on me

He is getting carved six ways from Sunday up in TO
- AllInForFlyers

Will they take L. Schenn back for him?

the herp derp be on me
- JoeRussomanno

we all get that from time to time

So.....because he was our best option then.

- MBFlyerfan

I'm just saying goaltending would have been an issue no matter what. Lavi didn't handle it well, but he wasn't exactly mis-juggling a tandem like TT/Rask. Leighton/Boucher/Fatigued, low-crouch Bob. That's a no-win that Homer dealt him.

Will they take L. Schenn back for him?
- PLindbergh31

It's funny, but I still don't think they're ready to pull that trigger -- think they're gonna try and get him a center who is better than Bozak

Now, where you get that from, I don't know, but I think that's what they''re gonna try to do first

i hate his face so much. he looks like an out of shape, poop head, beer leaguer whom i want to hextall in the crotchular region.
- hammarby31

Great pic of Fat Phil and RJ

Edgar was a great hitter. Him and Manny are the two best right handed hitters I've seen.

Will be interesting to see what kind of % David Ortiz gets. I think voters definitely don't give the DH the benefit of the doubt.
- PLindbergh31

I wish I could say put Tino Martinez in, too. I have family connections to him a bit (got my family free tix to Camden Yards when it first opened). He and Griffey Jr. probably had the best "pure swings" I've ever seen. If Seattle had played him more regularly, he'd have 400 home runs. Sadly, they didn't, and when you couple that with his apparent clubhouse personality and the fact that he PROBABLY took steroids, he won't ever get a shot.