Congratulations to your nephew.

...so is Weaver pitching worse this year than last?

Why is Ryan Braun still in the minors? SERVICE CLOCK. I have no idea why people scream for great prospects to come up in May when if they come up later in June, you've got a whole extra YEAR of them at a low price. Look at when Miguel Cabrera came up. It seems like he's been with the Marlins cheaply forever! I think the Giants bungled things with Lincecum because of this too.

In short, what's smarter? Mortgage off an ENTIRE SEASON of play by bringing up a guy in May, when if you waited one month, you'd have that extra season. If I were in charge nobody good would ever come up in May, ever!

...so is Weaver pitching worse this year than last?

All in all, Weaver's numbers are not quite as good this year as compared to last year. However, his 2007 stats are skewed by one poor outing (vs. DET on 4/23) when he allowed seven hits and seven runs (five earned) in just 1 2/3 innings. Excluding that one start, Weaver's ERA is 2.41 (vs. 2.56 last year and 2.28 without his worst start).

The biggest difference between 2007 and 2006 has been his BABIP. Last year, batters hit .246 against Weaver when putting balls in play. This year, batters are hitting .333 on BIP. The truth of the matter is that his BABIP was probably a bit low last year and is a tad high this year.

Aside from the numbers, Weaver's fastball might be down 1-2 MPH from one year to the next (although he is still working in the high-80s and low-90s). His arm strength is improving with every start, his command is almost back to where it was last year, and his changeup is as effective as ever.

Why is Ryan Braun still in the minors? SERVICE CLOCK.

Whether the Brewers bring Braun up now or next month potentially affects his "super-two" arbitration status but has no bearing on his free agency.

All players must have a minimum of six years service time to be eligible for free agency. As a result, Braun won't be a free agent until after the 2013 season, irrespective of whether Milwaukee calls him up in May or June.

I don't think that's right. Miguel Cabrera won't be a free agent until *after* the 2009 season. But he started his career in June 2003. 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. That's 7 seasons. Look at when he was eligible for arbitration.

Look at Adrian Beltre. He came up for the Dodgers in June 1998. He did not become a free agent until *after* the 2004 season. 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. 7 seasons of service.

Cabrera and Beltre weren't free agents until after their seventh seasons because neither had completed the required six years of service time until then. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were brought up in June rather than, say, May.

In the case of Braun, he won't become a free agent until after the 2013 season (assuming he is called up sometime this year). 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. Seven seasons.

But it doesn't matter if he makes it to the bigs this month or next month, at least as it relates to free agency. As I pointed out above, it may indeed affect his arbitration status. If he qualifies as a "super two," then he would be eligible for arbitration after the 2009 season. If he doesn't qualify, then he wouldn't be eligible for arb until after the 2010 season.

It had nothing to do with the fact that they were brought up in June rather than, say, May.



Players' service clocks are frozen in October in determining FA eligibility so the month of the initial callup has to matter. Any player who misses the 6 year cutoff by a few days (Milton Bradley) by definition could have made it if they debuted a week earlier.

The month of the initial call-up matters only to the extent that a player needs six years of major-league service to be eligible for free agency. In the case of Ryan Braun, he will not be a free agent until after the 2013 season because he will not have put in the required six years until then. He may have to wait even longer if he has not put in six years. But if he is brought up and stays in the big leagues from that point forward, the EARLIEST he could become a free agent is after the 2013 season - and that holds true whether the Brewers call him up now or wait until June or July, for that matter. Period. End of story.

You still haven't addressed the Cabrera and Beltre cases. Why hadn't they completed their 6 years of service time? Because they were called up in June, that's why. You can't say the month they're called up doesn't matter. If Braun had broken ST with the team, they wouldn't have him for 7 seasons.

There are many examples. Why isn't Jake Peavy a free agent until after 2008? He started 17 games in 2002. 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Likewise, explain Sabathia's service time.

If what I am saying is untrue, you have not explained why some guys get 7 years and some get 6. All you've said is, they didn't get 6 years of service time. But why didn't they? Because of a June call-up, that's the only reason.

If a guy breaks ST with a team his first year, they only have him 6 years. Remember Delmon Young complaining about the team not wanting to start his service clock?

You still haven't addressed the Cabrera and Beltre cases. Why hadn't they completed their 6 years of service time? Because they were called up in June, that's why. You can't say the month they're called up doesn't matter.

I truly can't believe how thick some people can be. I have addressed every one of your questions and (wrong) assertions. Here is a direct quote from four comments above: "Cabrera and Beltre weren't free agents until after their seventh seasons because neither had completed the required six years of service time until then. It had nothing to do with the fact that they were brought up in June rather than, say, May."

In 2008, Cabrera will have completed five seasons plus a partial season. One year of major league service is defined as 172 days of service. In order to be a free agent, a player needs to complete the equivalent of 6 x 172 days (or 1,032 days in total). Cabrera won't complete his six years of service time until the middle of the 2009 season. However, you can't become a free agent until after the season in which you complete your six years of service. Ergo, Cabrera, like so many others, will have played in seven seasons when he becomes a free agent after 2009.

If Braun had broken ST with the team, they wouldn't have him for 7 seasons.

Exactly. Because he would be a free agent after his sixth season as a result of playing in six full seasons. I have not wavered from this point. Joining the team in May is not the same as breaking camp with the team in April, at least not for the purposes of free agency.

There are many examples. Why isn't Jake Peavy a free agent until after 2008? He started 17 games in 2002. 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008. Likewise, explain Sabathia's service time.

The same holds true with Peavy. He will be a free agent AFTER he completes six FULL seasons. He will not accomplish that feat until the 2008 season is in the books.

If what I am saying is untrue, you have not explained why some guys get 7 years and some get 6. All you've said is, they didn't get 6 years of service time. But why didn't they? Because of a June call-up, that's the only reason.

No, it has NOTHING to do with a June call-up. It has EVERYTHING to do with the timing of completing SIX FULL SEASONS.

If a guy breaks ST with a team his first year, they only have him 6 years. Remember Delmon Young complaining about the team not wanting to start his service clock?

See my comment above in response to Ryan Braun. Braun did not break spring training with his team. As such, the Brewers can call him up now and still have him under their control for the rest of this season plus six more.

I'm going to close the comments section because I have addressed this matter as fully as possible and am confident of my position. If you're not convinced, fine. Go look up the rules or debate them elsewhere.