Hollywood loves a good formula, and this fall movie season is rife with tried-and-true plot setups that will give you deja vu.Apparently, one quarter of Michael Vick was enough for Eagles coach Andy Reid.Hurricane Earl took aim at North Carolina on Thursday and is on track to lash its barrier islands with dangerous winds and pounding surf before cutting a path up the U.S. East Coast.Even though he occasionally eats meat, Lukas Volger champions veggie burgers. “I love them, but veggie burgers have a terrible reputation,” he says. To change the perception of this freezer staple as boring, over-processed and cardboard-y, Volger created 32 flavorful recipes using fresh, wholesome ingredients in his new book, “Veggie Burgers Every Which Way.”It isn’t true that Temple has been counting down the days and hours until Friday’s rematch with Villanova in the second annual Mayor’s Cup game. But ever since Nick Yako kicked a 32-yard field goal at the gun to shock the Owls 27-24, sticking it to the FCS champs has been on the Owls’ minds.SUMATRA ISLAND. A two-year-old Indonesian boy who became an Internet sensation over his 40-a-day cigarette habit has quit smoking after the government put him through intensive therapy.A mechanical alteration has Javier Vazquez back in the Yankee rotation.So you squandered an estate note on a bachelor’s degree, then trudged through more entry-level hardships and thankless internships than should be legally permissable, only to backslide into a self-esteem shattering, résumé-derailing grind, several tax brackets below your dignity. From Baltimore to Lancaster avenues and along Market Street in between, University City is abuzz from the arrivals of college students and professors back after summer vacation.While breast-enhancing surgery has become almost a norm for American women, men are also heading to the plastic surgeon’s office more often — to have their man-boobs (moobs) removed. 
After Oswalt waived his no-trade clause, it came down to money. This is how it reportedly will break down:
Taking the loot.
The Astros will pay $11 million of the $23 million that Oswalt is due through 2011, according to ESPN.
The sticking point.
Oswalt didn’t want his $16 million 2012 option to be a “deal breaker” so the Phils can choose not to pick it up. However, he would then make $18 million in 2011, according to ESPN.
Cliff who?
That’s the basic attitude Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. seemed to have Thursday, while basking in the glow of a deal that brought hard-throwing righty Roy Oswalt to the Phillies.
“We’re trying to do what we can to get back to the World Series and win it,” said Amaro.
The cost for the soon-to-be 33-year old was high: Left-hander J.A. Happ, runner-up for 2009 NL Rookie of the Year, along with Class-A players Jonathan Villar and Anthony Gose.
As for Oswalt’s celebrated $16 million option in 2012, both parties decided to table that for now, with Oswalt getting a $2 million sweetener should the Phils choose to buy him out.
Then, in a bit of revisionist history, Amaro explained how it was fine to trade prospects, if it meant saving money. To lock up Oswalt through 2011, he forced the Astros to eat $11 million, but had to further deplete the farm system.
And that doesn’t take into account where a team with Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels might have been in the standings.
“We’d had a negotiation with Cliff and his agent,” said Amaro. “We were not comfortable Cliff would be on our club past 2010, so we designed a trade that would not only replenish our system but also give us the opportunity to keep a number one in our organization beyond 2010. But it was not a money issue.”
Just as most men would say they read “Playboy” for the articles.
“We think we acquired one of the premier starting pitchers in baseball to add to Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, giving us one of best rotations in baseball,” Amaro said.
Left unsaid was the obvious. The Phils would’ve had that — plus Happ — if they had just hung up the phone when the Mariners asked for Cliff Lee.
1. O’s before bros.
Instead of coming right out and saying he messed up when he dealt Cliff Lee in the offseason, Ruben Amaro, Jr. decided to dangle Roy Oswalt as an olive branch to fans. Unfortunately, Oswalt isn’t nearly as good.
2. Waiting for an answer.
Amaro said the Phils dealt Lee because they couldn’t afford to keep him past 2010. Makes sense. They’ll control Oswalt through 2011. But Lee’s agent said no financial demands were made and a long-term deal was discussed. So, we want to know: What happened?
3. Is Oswalt better than J.A. Happ?
Oswalt — with 143 wins since 2001 — is clearly the better pitcher. But, both men have struggled with key injuries in recent years. And since Happ is almost six years younger, we might take our chances.
|
|
| Advertise with us | About Metro | Contact us | Careers | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Classified Advertising © Copyright 2010 Metro International |
|
