I get them six innings, no problem. I'll be pissed though if I don't get any run support.

The Roa-constrictor gets to start!

Joa!
Joa!
Joa!

c'mon, he's one of only three guys on the team older than me [hank white, methusela mullholland].

Plus, he's not totally sucked most of the time. His issues tend to be inherited runners...not an issue for starters.

Someone who is not there yet, like Kris Benson,and it is older than I, not older than me; glad to help out.Al

TC Bear!TC Bear!TC Bear!TC Bear!

If he uses that neumatic cannon he's unbeatable!

I think Dazzle/Bert/TC Bear could piece it together. It sounds better than Fultz/Roa/Romero..........

Mimiru's got the right idea.

Otherwise, how about we invest in Occult Science and revive Walter Johnson? I'd have to imagine Zombie Walt would have a pretty intimidating mound presence.

Maybe I've been watching too much "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" lately.

How about Matt Lecroy? He doesn't really have a well defined role and he seems pretty versatile (DH, Catcher, 1b). How bad could it be? It would least freak out the Diamondbacks. Plus, he's the closest thing on the roster to TC Bear (who I don't think is allowed to leave the state - it's a long story).

Lew Ford...and why not?

The Munchkin nominates Doug Mientkiewicz. Pitching a game will not effect his offensive production (it might even improve it), and his defence on the mound will be outstanding! Might even save a couple runs...

I think we should get the Big Unit, Randy Johnson.

I know I know, a guy can dream can't he?

Call me crazy....

What about Boo? He started a few a few years back....

LT

I agree with the Munch, give Mientkiewicz the nod. Then we could DH for him. It'd be great.

By the way, I think Boomer was right, Al. I'm pretty sure it's "older than me." And besides, go easy on the guy. You know he never really recovered after he lost the Superbowl to the 49ers.

Dear friends,

If we are to be precise about language, it is in fact, "He is older than I." There is an understood clause there, "He is older than I am."

But truly, when passions on are on the rise, and the idea of who would be a better pitcher, Dougie or Matty or TC Bear, is being debated, sometimes proper usage fails us. It is only natural.

Sincerely,
Batgirl

There were some rather horrid rumors a week or two back about the possibility of Romero spot-starting. It could be an all-out massacre, folks. Although one savvy fan pointed out that (on an optimistic note) innings don't start with runners already on.

I stand corrected and apologize. Still, I've never heard that usage before. Examples:

"I'm not going to fight that guy. He's bigger than me."

"You only know a few people who are taller than me."

"I can hit the ball, Doug. So it doesn't matter if you are a great fielder, you still don't play baseball better than me."
-Justin M.

These are all examples of use of "me" in the same context. Are they all wrong? Has my whole life been one giant lie? Help me, Batgirl. Make me understand...

Whom cares? Them is all younger than me, anyways.There are 5 errors in this posting, none of them factual, all of them grammatical.Can any of our potential 5th starters spot them? Does it matter? Go Kris.

Bigger than I, taller than I, better than I. Sorry, but from here on out, your life will be richer and more fulfilling.

Going with the Spidey theme:

Kirsten Dunst.

She can blow kisses. Nobody would ever see her eephii caressing the strike zone before settling in Mau-mau's mitt.

As the sone of two English majors (one even taught it in high school), I picked up some bad habits just to ruffle their feathers.

Sadly, those habits continue to haunt me today -- just as Boo haunts the opposing team in the 7th & 8th innings.

If not BooBerry, give a shot at the #5 spot to Balfour. Yeah, you heard I.

I'm sorry I extended the grammar discussion Al started, but I had to defend Boomer. For those of you not interested in intellectual discussion about grammar, I suggest you stop reading now.

When someone goes onto a blog page and posts a comment, they shouldn't have to treat it like a term paper. I, of course, am mostly insane. So when I was corrected by Batgirl, a published author and a scriblitory genius, I decided to do some quick research. Proper speech does not require you to use Al's version. While Al's way is more correct in very, very formal writing, standard speech, in which we now engage, does not require it. Therefore to correct what is not incorrect would be, well, incorrect. That is my understanding. Am I misinformed? Please note my source below.

www.professorgrammar.com/homework_i_or_me_answers.shtml

P.S. Sometimes you have to make up words to get your point across.

The only reason the "older than me" usage is "acceptable" is because so many people misused it that the grammar folk finally gave up and said, "fine, talk that way."

Though they should have said, "fine, speak that way."

And just because something is "acceptable" does not mean it is "better" or "100% correct." Remember, "ain't" is in the dictionary, as are many other terms not belonging in proper English.

Dear Grammarians,

Well, Batgirl always welcomes a good usage discussion. She has checked both Strunk and White's Elements of Style and Garner's Modern American Usage (given to her by Goober for Christmas last year). According to Strunk and White, "A pronoun in a comparison is nominative if it is the subject of a stated or understood verb." The example given is, "Sandy writes better than I. (Than I write)" Though Misters Strunk and White agree that one can avoid the problem of the understood verb by stating it, "I think Jessica admires Horace more than I do."

Mr. Garner says, "Traditionally, grammarians have considered than a conjunction, not a preposition--hence 'He is taller than I (am).'" But he adds that some prefer the objective case, including William Safire, believing that "than" is a preposition. Garner concludes, "For formal contexts, the traditional usage is generally best; only in the most relaxed, colloquial contexts is the prepositional [read: objective pronoun] "than" acceptable.

I believe Sox fans and Cubs fans alike can agree that Batgirl is a reasonably relaxed setting, and thus lapses in proper usage are understandable. With the exception of, "If I was," which drives Batgirl bonkers.

Helpfully,
Batgirl

could Mullholland pitch a few innings

Ahh, the subjective case, my favorite. If on and into are prepositions, how can than be a preposition, if then is an adjective? Sorry I started this, but it makes me feel superior, l also get somewhat priapic, when a good grammar discussion breaks out.

Sire pardoner, be glad and myrie of cheere;
And ye, sire hoost, that been to me so deere,
I prey yow that ye kisse the pardoner.
And pardoner, I prey thee, drawe thee neer,
And, as we diden, lat us laughe and pleye.
Anon they kiste, and ryden forth hir weye.

- Chaucer

Remember reading Canterbury Tales in its original for the first time? ¡Ay, caramba! Consider that the above is extremely easy to read.

Like many concepts, language and all that it encompasses is subject to the survival of the fittest. Evolve or die, i.e. English is dynamic, Latin is static.

When in doubt, be proper. When in jeans skip the tie.

Usage discussions are great! Sorry to have missed out today.

Cuddyer can do it all. Start him.

I should have been an English major. I find this way too interesting. Al, I understand your frustration with grammar inadequacies. My grandmother, who I hold in the highest esteem, often barks at the TV when the local news anchormen use the(pronounced thuh) instead of the(pronounced thee). I just think you need to be careful when you're correcting people. If I felt I had to proofread everything I typed here to avoid being belittled, I would never post. Now losing my voice might not cause people to start shedding tears, but in the case of many of our friends here, it would be a real shame.

"I'm sorry I extended the grammar discussion Al started..."
---------------

For me, the discussions about language and grammar are part of what makes the Batgirl blog so much fun. Just as long as nobody's opinions of the Twins are discounted simply for failing to use the Queen's English. (The Queen being Batgirl, of course.)

Except, if you publicly correct a child's spelling of the word "potato" by taking the chalk from his hand and adding an 'e' to the end, then you deserve all the crap you get.

Dear Ms. Marm,

That was very well said.

Appreciatively,
Batgirl