Baseball 2011

[transjen]

Ok time for Baseball
Today at Wall-mart i saw 2011 baseball cards and that got me thinking about the upcoming season
And i have to say i have high hopes for my Phillies this season as they look great on paper and hopefully this will play as good on the field
On a side note i see big Al is having trouble with a new contract with the Cardinals so it would be awsome if he signs with Phillie at the end of this season, hey i can dream can't i?
:yes: Philliefan Jen

[shadows]

Darn! You beat me to it(creating a 2011 baseball thread, that is;)).:eek:

I am liking Toronto's chances this year(to be competitive!). It should be an exciting summer. Of course, since the Leafs are in sniffing distance to a playoff spot, I am not 100% focused on baseball yet.;)

[smc]

My Red Sox are looking good on paper, too. The "conventional wisdom" among many baseball writers is that this season will end with a Boston-Philadelphia World Series. Of course, without a single game yet played ...

[ila]

Darn! You beat me to it(creating a 2011 baseball thread, that is;)).:eek:

I am liking Toronto's chances this year(to be competitive!). It should be an exciting summer. Of course, since the Leafs are in sniffing distance to a playoff spot, I am not 100% focused on baseball yet.;)

Go Blue Jays!!; the only Toronto team that I support (unless the Marlies are playing any team from the QMJHL :) :D)

[shadows]

Go Blue Jays!!; the only Toronto team that I support (unless the Marlies are playing any team from the QMJHL :) :D)

Good man!;)

Toronto lost 4-0 to Detroit and won 8-1 in a B game against Philadelphia.

At least the Yankees started off with a loss(to Philly)!:yes:

[transjen]

Good man!;)

Toronto lost 4-0 to Detroit and won 8-1 in a B game against Philadelphia.

At least the Yankees started off with a loss(to Philly)!:yes:



This early in spring training a win or lose is nothing to get happy or worried about as most of the players at this stage will soon be back in the miniors, wait till the final week of spring training then you will get a feel of what to expect during the reg season

:yes: Philliefan Jen

[smc]

This early in spring training a win or lose is nothing to get happy or worried about as most of the players at this stage will soon be back in the miniors, wait till the final week of spring training then you will get a feel of what to expect during the reg season

:yes: Philliefan Jen

When you're a Blue Jays fan like shadows, and you know that your team may be good but won't be good enough to compete in its division, you have to consider the early spring training games important. After all, this may be the only time the Jays really make any "progress." ;)

[ila]

This early in spring training a win or lose is nothing to get happy or worried about as most of the players at this stage will soon be back in the miniors, wait till the final week of spring training then you will get a feel of what to expect during the reg season

:yes: Philliefan Jen

Jen, are you headed down to Florida again this year to watch some games from spring training?

[shadows]

When you're a Blue Jays fan like shadows, and you know that your team may be good but won't be good enough to compete in its division, you have to consider the early spring training games important. After all, this may be the only time the Jays really make any "progress." ;)

With the Yankee's rotation(shaky at best) and Tampa Bay losing a lot of players, I think that Toronto can easily fight for second place in the East. Baltimore, with the signings they made in the offseason, became one of the(if not THE) oldest teams in MLB! They won't be any threat this season.

Boston, barring injuries or copious amounts of slumping players, will win the East. I am hopeful that the Jays can get the Wild Card.

I'm not worried about the two losses by the Jays so far, as they have been fielding mainly their prospects. It won't be until near the end of Spring Training that you'll see the "true" team playing.:)

[transjen]

Jen, are you headed down to Florida again this year to watch some games from spring training?



Not sure, but with recent advents it's doutfull so i'll most likely have to wait for the reg season to start and i'll try to get some tickets for a few games which will not be easy as a lot of the games are all ready sold out

:eek: Philliesfan Jen

[ila]

Not sure, but with recent advents it's doutfull so i'll most likely have to wait for the reg season to start and i'll try to get some tickets for a few games which will not be easy as a lot of the games are all ready sold out:eek: Philliesfan Jen

I didn't realize that most games would be sold out before the season even starts.

[smc]

I didn't realize that most games would be sold out before the season even starts.

That defines Fenway Park for the past many years!

[ila]

i'll try to get some tickets for a few games which will not be easy as a lot of the games are all ready sold out

:eek: Philliesfan Jen

That defines Fenway Park for the past many years!

Is there any chance for visitors to get tickets to a game without going to a scalper?

[smc]

Is there any chance for visitors to get tickets to a game without going to a scalper?

There are always a few seats available at the box office on the day of the game, but the chances of getting them are very low. There are authorized resellers who are not street scalpers, and tickets are available from them, too. Are you visiting, ila? If you come to Boston when the Sox are in town, I guarantee that we go to a game, my treat. I have sources. ;)

[ila]

There are always a few seats available at the box office on the day of the game, but the chances of getting them are very low. There are authorized resellers who are not street scalpers, and tickets are available from them, too. Are you visiting, ila? If you come to Boston when the Sox are in town, I guarantee that we go to a game, my treat. I have sources. ;)

I'd love to get down to the Boston area. I'll let you know if I ever go down there.

[transjen]

I didn't realize that most games would be sold out before the season even starts.

The moment the news broke on Cliff Lee returning to the Phillies season tickets sales sored making a lot less seats aviable plus add in the new park sits a lot less people then the old Vet plus for the past few season the Phillies have been a solid playoff team all adds up to games selling out which is a good thing as that gives them money to resign key players and allows them to get stars like Cliff Lee and hopefully big AL from the Cardinals hey i can dream van't i?

:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[ErosArtist]

I've been traveling so much this past fall and most of this year thus far, that I'm really out of the loop. With Bobby Cox no longer at the helm, it's gonna be interesting to see what Fredi Gonzalez can do with his return to ATL...

[transjen]

I've been traveling so much this past fall and most of this year thus far, that I'm really out of the loop. With Bobby Cox no longer at the helm, it's gonna be interesting to see what Fredi Gonzalez can do with his return to ATL...

It'll be odd watching the Braves under a new manager as Bobby was there for like forever
:yes: Philliefan Jen

[ErosArtist]

It'll be odd watching the Braves under a new manager as Bobby was there for like forever
:yes: Philliefan Jen

It will be, to say the least...

[ladylover]

It will be, to say the least...

I am a Reds fan!

[smc]

I'm getting tired of hearing about the Phillies pitching rotation for 2011 and the speculation that it might be the greatest in the history of baseball. I was thinking about this today when I was discussing baseball with a colleague. Despite the hyperbole and the frequent claims by the baseball "talking heads" on ESPN, NESN, etc., that Halliday et al. are greater than the 1969 Orioles rotation, I've decided I think this is crap. Here's why:

1. We haven't seen this rotation go through a year together -- that's the obvious reason.

2. The Orioles rotation, back in the 4-man days, were pitchers who expected to go 9 innings every time they pitched. With the exception of Halliday, none of the Phillies will be routinely going more than 6 or 7!

So, before the season starts, isn't it a bit ridiculous to anoint the Phillies when in 1969 Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and Dave McNally became the only staff other than the 1920 Chicago White Sox with a quartet of 20-game winners?

My baseball fan friends, what think ye?

[transjen]

What do i think about the Phillies three aces?
Gee give me a moment


I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[shadows]

I'm getting tired of hearing about the Phillies pitching rotation for 2011 and the speculation that it might be the greatest in the history of baseball. I was thinking about this today when I was discussing baseball with a colleague. Despite the hyperbole and the frequent claims by the baseball "talking heads" on ESPN, NESN, etc., that Halliday et al. are greater than the 1969 Orioles rotation, I've decided I think this is crap. Here's why:

1. We haven't seen this rotation go through a year together -- that's the obvious reason.

2. The Orioles rotation, back in the 4-man days, were pitchers who expected to go 9 innings every time they pitched. With the exception of Halliday, none of the Phillies will be routinely going more than 6 or 7!

So, before the season starts, isn't it a bit ridiculous to anoint the Phillies when in 1969 Jim Palmer, Mike Cuellar, Pat Dobson, and Dave McNally became the only staff other than the 1920 Chicago White Sox with a quartet of 20-game winners?

My baseball fan friends, what think ye?

I'll wait and see how they do during the season before I give them that label. Heck, look at the Cardinal rotation now. It was supposed to be pretty strong and now it's looking pretty weak(they lose Adam Wainwright for the season, and Chris Carpenter for at least a start).

[smc]

What do i think about the Phillies three aces?
Gee give me a moment


I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

:yes: Philliesfan Jen

Of course you do, Jen, but that wasn't really the question. ;)

[transjen]

Of course you do, Jen, but that wasn't really the question. ;)

I'm fine with all the hype

In fact i'm going to give my guess for this years World Series and it's the one we should have had last year it'll be the Phillies beating the Rangers in 5 games
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[smc]

I'm fine with all the hype

In fact i'm going to give my guess for this years World Series and it's the one we should have had last year it'll be the Phillies beating the Rangers in 5 games
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

The Rangers? Jen, sweetheart, please don't tell me you've ventured down into South Philly and bought yourself some CRACK! ;)

[ila]

I'm fine with all the hype

In fact i'm going to give my guess for this years World Series and it's the one we should have had last year it'll be the Phillies beating the Rangers in 5 games
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

The Rangers? Jen, sweetheart, please don't tell me you've ventured down into South Philly and bought yourself some CRACK! ;)

I think Jen's prediction is pretty close to what will happen. A lot will depend on whether or not the Rangers can play as good this season as they did last season.

[smc]

I think Jen's prediction is pretty close to what will happen. A lot will depend on whether or not the Rangers can play as good this season as they did last season.

Well, we have crack in Boston, too. I just got some, and now I'd like to make my prediction: Pittsburgh beats Seattle in 6 games. :lol:

[transjen]

The Rangers? Jen, sweetheart, please don't tell me you've ventured down into South Philly and bought yourself some CRACK! ;)

The Rangers look to be a solid team even after loosing Cliff Lee and Vlad and i think Josh will have another solid year and the Rangers will give Boston a tuff run and the Yanks well forget about em they will be one and done and the Rays will not get to play past Sept the surpise teams to sneak up and and nip at everyone's heels will be the Padres and Reds


:yes: Philliefan Jen

[shadows]

I think Jen's prediction is pretty close to what will happen. A lot will depend on whether or not the Rangers can play as good this season as they did last season.

Honestly, I think the Chicago White Sox will do better in the standings than Texas. Texas, while still a good team, will not have the element of surprise going for them this season. Nobody will take them lightly this season that is for sure.

I think the Jays will be a pleasant surprise, but I don't think they will be playoff-bound this year(although they could sneak into the Wild Card slot if they are lucky).

The Yankees will be quite bad, especially when their offense starts to slump. Their rotation is pretty weak to be honest.

[transjen]

NO NOPE not going to happen the Whitesox will never get past the Twins

:no: Philliefan Jen

[shadows]

NO NOPE not going to happen the Whitesox will never get past the Twins

:no: Philliefan Jen

I am not confident at all about Minnesota doing anything of significance this season, especially if Morneau isn't able to get back to his former level(whenever he's even cleared to play that is!).

[shadows]

An excellent day for baseball! Toronto smoked the Twins 13-3! They had 4 home runs and two stolen bases. I was getting a little irked near the end, as the fans kept on throwing towels onto the field.

I was just hoping that the umpires wouldn't force the Jays to forfeit the game over that(or if that is even possible)!

[shadows]

Toronto wins again! They beat Minnesota 6-1 and are now 2-0 to start the season.:)

Kyle Drabek pitched a pretty good game(had 3 walks, but that was pretty much his only blemish). They are looking good!

Unfortunately, the Yankees won as well, beating the Tigers 10-6. Booooooo!

[no1000]

Go DODGERS!!!!

[smc]

The big baseball stories this year will not all unfold on the field.

[shadows]

Toronto lost 4-3 to Minnesota, and are now 2-1 on the season. Lind had the bases loaded (with 2 out) and swung at the first pitch(even though Nathan was struggling with control!). Of course, it resulted in a weak groundout to first. So close to a sweep!

The Yankees lost 10-7, which was nice to see!

A few surprises to start the 2011 season:

Boston starts at 0-3, and they still have Beckett yet to pitch(he had a bad Spring Training and I think that will continue)!

Baltimore is 3-0, but the surprising part is that they held Tampa Bay to 3 runs for all three games. Tampa only scored a run each game(I guess Damon and ManRam didn't help much!).

Kansas City is 3-1, having come back from behind to beat the Angels in two straight games!

[shadows]

Toronto won their 5th game, beating the Angels 3-2. Vernon Wells(a former Jay) was 0-4 and is now 3-30 to start the season.

Boston won their first game of the season, although it wasn't a very pretty victory. They beat the Yankees 9-6.

Philadelphia lost 6-3 to Atlanta. Cliff Lee did not pitch a very good game for the Phillies, as he gave up all 6 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Tampa Bay is also no longer winless. They beat Chicago 9-7, and only won due to shoddy defense by the White Sox in the top of the 9th inning. Also, Manny Ramirez got caught with PED in his system and chose to retire rather than receive the 100 game suspension. Any chance he had of going to the Hall Of Fame is more than likely gone due to this.

[smc]

Boston won their first game of the season, although it wasn't a very pretty victory. They beat the Yankees 9-6.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[smc]

This New Era ad running during the Red Sox-Yankees games is really funny, especially the remarks about Philadelphia (sorry, Jen :))!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e57dlq7ZA4&feature=player_embedded#at=16

[Enoch Root]

What's New Era?

[smc]

What's New Era?

New Era makes baseball caps.

[Enoch Root]

Does anyone know about some place online where I could watch ball games?

[smc]

Does anyone know about some place online where I could watch ball games?

I know of no way, but one of my former students has claimed to others that this worked for him:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2117398_league-baseball-games-online-free.html

Frankly, I don't believe it.

[shadows]

I've got two words for the Blue Jays bullpen tonight.

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!:censored::censored::censored:

Toronto has a 7-0 lead and they end up losing 8-7. The bullpen decided to walk in THREE runs with the bases loaded. This game is going to stick in my craw for a looooong time. Toronto should have won this game, and instead lost to a shitty 2-7 team.

This irks me more than the bullshit call that the third-base umpire made in Anaheim the other night.

[ila]

I've got two words for the Blue Jays bullpen tonight.

FUCK YOU!!!!!!!:censored::censored::censored:

Toronto has a 7-0 lead and they end up losing 8-7. The bullpen decided to walk in THREE runs with the bases loaded. This game is going to stick in my craw for a looooong time. Toronto should have won this game, and instead lost to a shitty 2-7 team.

This irks me more than the bullshit call that the third-base umpire made in Anaheim the other night.

Go ahead, shadows, tell us how you really feel about the Jays.:lol:

[smc]

Go ahead, shadows, tell us how you really feel about the Jays.:lol:

Yeah, boo-fuckin'-hoo. At least it's not the Red Sox you're rooting for. :eek:

[shadows]

Go ahead, shadows, tell us how you really feel about the Jays.:lol:

It's weird. The bullshit call from the Third Base Umpire(Davidson) during the Anaheim series seemed to put the Jays off-kilter. They should have swept the Mariners, but instead had to settle for the one win(today's game).

Thankfully they came back and smoked the Mariners 8-3.

Boston and Tampa were rained out today. I don't believe a make-up game has been slated as of yet.

Philadelphia beat Washington 3-2. Halladay got a complete game victory, but I believe Manuel left him in too long and the two runs were scored against him in the 9th inning.

The stupid Yankees beat Baltimore 7-4 and now both teams are tied for first with a 6-4 record. Both teams have lost 2 games due to rain so far.

[shadows]

Yeah, boo-fuckin'-hoo. At least it's not the Red Sox you're rooting for. :eek:

That is true. It would only be worse if I was rooting for the Yankees.;)

I wonder how many more games Dice K will be starting in? He seems to have lost whatever he had and is a shell of the pitcher he was a couple of years ago.

[smc]

That is true. It would only be worse if I was rooting for the Yankees.;)

Clever how you turned my meaning around, my friend. I didn't know you had it in you. ;)

I wonder how many more games Dice K will be starting in? He seems to have lost whatever he had and is a shell of the pitcher he was a couple of years ago.

Interesting that you should mention Matsuzaka. There was a fascinating analysis in The Boston Globe last Sunday about why he has the problems he does and about Japanese pitchers in general working in MLB that may be of interest to any serious baseball fan:

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-10/sports/29404005_1_dice-k-matsuzaka-count

[shadows]

Clever how you turned my meaning around, my friend. I didn't know you had it in you. ;)



Interesting that you should mention Matsuzaka. There was a fascinating analysis in The Boston Globe last Sunday about why he has the problems he does and about Japanese pitchers in general working in MLB that may be of interest to any serious baseball fan:

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-10/sports/29404005_1_dice-k-matsuzaka-count

I have my moments.:innocent:

[shadows]

What a great game! The bullshit call that took away the 3-run homer from Adam Lind almost came back and bit the Jays, but thankfully they were able to prevent another total bullpen meltdown.

They came back from down 3-0(it should have been 3-3 at that point), and had an AWESOME inning that saw them ahead 7-3! The baserunners put on a clinic, and it all started by Nix pretending like he was going to steal second. With him in motion, Scutaro had to cover second which left a hole on the left side. Yunel then proceeded to hit a single(Nix ran from 1st to 3rd base on the hit) and the rest was history!

Cecil started out shaky, but after the 2 homeruns he gave up he retired 11 straight batters!

I know the Boston fans won't agree with me, but it was a really entertaining game(especially once Boston closed the gap to 7-6!).

And to top it all off, the Yankees lost 5-3 to Texas. That was very good news! The Yankees also lost Hughes to a "dead arm" and he is now on the 15 day DL. The opposing hitters are sad to hear that, as he has been awful in all his starts so far.

[smc]

What a great game! The bullshit call that took away the 3-run homer from Adam Lind almost came back and bit the Jays, but thankfully they were able to prevent another total bullpen meltdown.

They came back from down 3-0(it should have been 3-3 at that point), and had an AWESOME inning that saw them ahead 7-3! The baserunners put on a clinic, and it all started by Nix pretending like he was going to steal second. With him in motion, Scutaro had to cover second which left a hole on the left side. Yunel then proceeded to hit a single(Nix ran from 1st to 3rd base on the hit) and the rest was history!

Cecil started out shaky, but after the 2 homeruns he gave up he retired 11 straight batters!

I know the Boston fans won't agree with me, but it was a really entertaining game(especially once Boston closed the gap to 7-6!).

And to top it all off, the Yankees lost 5-3 to Texas. That was very good news! The Yankees also lost Hughes to a "dead arm" and he is now on the 15 day DL. The opposing hitters are sad to hear that, as he has been awful in all his starts so far.

I agree with you: the Boston - Toronto game was great (other than the outcome). I disagree with you that the call was "bullshit." Were you watching on TV or listening on the radio? If you could see where that ball hit, absent some Toronto announcer influencing you, you'd understand clearly why the initial home run call was overruled.

Now that the Yankees have lost Hughes to a "dead arm," it won't be long before they lose Joba Chamberlain to a "dead brain." :lol:

[shadows]

I agree with you: the Boston - Toronto game was great (other than the outcome). I disagree with you that the call was "bullshit." Were you watching on TV or listening on the radio? If you could see where that ball hit, absent some Toronto announcer influencing you, you'd understand clearly why the initial home run call was overruled.

Now that the Yankees have lost Hughes to a "dead arm," it won't be long before they lose Joba Chamberlain to a "dead brain." :lol:

I watched the game. I will agree to disagree with you.;)

I do think they need to make some adjustments to the ballpark. Are the Red Sox getting a new ballpark soon?

Toronto seems to have been the cure for what ailed the Red Sox. Aside from the first game, they decided to play horrible baseball the rest of the way. Hitting and pitching were atrocious. When I first read that it was Romero VS Dice K I thought that we would split the series 2-2. Of course, I neglected to read that he was 6-1 VS the Jays. Ouch! He pitched great and Romero stunk! Hopefully it was just due to the cold(it seems the Jay's pitching has stunk whenever it was cold out).

I guess I can take solace in the fact that Baltimore is back to playing the way they were before. Having lost 8 straight, they are now 6-9 for the season. Tampa Bay is now tied with Toronto at 7-9. Damn. I hope the Rays end up sucking again.

It really ticks me off how many home games the Stankees have gotten so far, while Toronto has hardly had any!

As far as Joba is concerned, wouldn't one have to have a brain before they could have it die?;)

[smc]

I watched the game. I will agree to disagree with you.;)

I do think they need to make some adjustments to the ballpark. Are the Red Sox getting a new ballpark soon?

Toronto seems to have been the cure for what ailed the Red Sox. Aside from the first game, they decided to play horrible baseball the rest of the way. Hitting and pitching were atrocious. When I first read that it was Romero VS Dice K I thought that we would split the series 2-2. Of course, I neglected to read that he was 6-1 VS the Jays. Ouch! He pitched great and Romero stunk! Hopefully it was just due to the cold(it seems the Jay's pitching has stunk whenever it was cold out).

I guess I can take solace in the fact that Baltimore is back to playing the way they were before. Having lost 8 straight, they are now 6-9 for the season. Tampa Bay is now tied with Toronto at 7-9. Damn. I hope the Rays end up sucking again.

It really ticks me off how many home games the Stankees have gotten so far, while Toronto has hardly had any!

As far as Joba is concerned, wouldn't one have to have a brain before they could have it die?;)

Only someone who has never been to Fenway would ask about a new ballpark and imply that Fenway is a "problem". I'm sorry you haven't had the wonderful experience, my friend.

[shadows]

Only someone who has never been to Fenway would ask about a new ballpark and imply that Fenway is a "problem". I'm sorry you haven't had the wonderful experience, my friend.

I honestly thought they had mentioned that they were moving to a new ballpark, which is why I said that. I guess I could have been thinking about a different one.

I don't hate Fenway Park, in fact I think it would be a fun place to watch a ball game in(the fans would be quite boistrous). I just think the foul pole and the painted line make in unnecessarily confusing and a little "touching up" could perhaps solve that problem.

I wish that Toronto could get an outdoor stadium, but I think we're stuck with the Rogers Centre for a loooooong time.

[shadows]

Great news! The Jays came back from a 5-3 deficit (against Mariano Rivera no less!) to win 6-5 in 10 innings. What an excellent bunt by Johnny Mac! That guy is the heart and soul of the Jays. I hope they keep him until he retires.:respect:

Some bad news for other teams. Boston lost 5-0 to Oakland(to fall to 5-11) and Philadelphia lost 9-0 to Milwaukee. Doc did not pitch very well in this game.

[smc]

I honestly thought they had mentioned that they were moving to a new ballpark, which is why I said that. I guess I could have been thinking about a different one.

I don't hate Fenway Park, in fact I think it would be a fun place to watch a ball game in(the fans would be quite boistrous). I just think the foul pole and the painted line make in unnecessarily confusing and a little "touching up" could perhaps solve that problem.

I wish that Toronto could get an outdoor stadium, but I think we're stuck with the Rogers Centre for a loooooong time.

You are correct that there was discussion a few years back of building a new ballpark in a different part of Boston. But it was abandoned, partly thanks to a public outcry. Instead, the owners of the Red Sox have made great improvements to the park, increasing the seating capacity and installing more modern amenities, without ever changing its fundamental look or character. It is, in fact, quite an architectural feat they've accomplished.

[shadows]

You are correct that there was discussion a few years back of building a new ballpark in a different part of Boston. But it was abandoned, partly thanks to a public outcry. Instead, the owners of the Red Sox have made great improvements to the park, increasing the seating capacity and installing more modern amenities, without ever changing its fundamental look or character. It is, in fact, quite an architectural feat they've accomplished.

Hmmm. I guess that means I'll be able to take in a game at Fenway someday.:)

[smc]

... If you could see where that ball hit, absent some Toronto announcer influencing you, you'd understand clearly why the initial home run call was overruled. ...

I watched the game. I will agree to disagree with you.;)

I do think they need to make some adjustments to the ballpark. ...

I?m guessing shadows made a call to Bud Selig, with whom he is very close, because this appeared in today?s Boston Globe:

Remember that weird right field foul pole/yellow line incident April 15 when a Blue Jays home run was reversed after replay because the ball was shown landing to the right of the pole even though it was within the yellow line on the railing? MLB and the Red Sox have been working on making sure the pole and line of the railing are lined up. A view from home plate to the pole is aligned -- an optical illusion -- but once you get to the spot, there?s an obvious gap between the yellow line and pole. That this was never noticed before and that it never came into play was amazing to team and league officials, but by the time the Red Sox return home from their current trip, the lines should line up.

[shadows]

I?m guessing shadows made a call to Bud Selig, with whom he is very close, because this appeared in today?s Boston Globe:

Remember that weird right field foul pole/yellow line incident April 15 when a Blue Jays home run was reversed after replay because the ball was shown landing to the right of the pole even though it was within the yellow line on the railing? MLB and the Red Sox have been working on making sure the pole and line of the railing are lined up. A view from home plate to the pole is aligned -- an optical illusion -- but once you get to the spot, there?s an obvious gap between the yellow line and pole. That this was never noticed before and that it never came into play was amazing to team and league officials, but by the time the Red Sox return home from their current trip, the lines should line up.

Never underestimate the clout of the shadow.;):lol:

[shadows]

Great game by the Jays! They beat the Rangers 10-3, with Adam Lind going 3-5 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBIs! After their recent troubles they have now won two in a row against Texas.:)

The Stankees lost their second game in a row to the White Sox(Yay!), but it took an AMAZING diving catch by the Chicago right-fielder to save the game.

I also love the fact that it looks like Soriano is feeling the pressure of playing for the Stankees! He has been horrible for them. Good!

[shadows]

Sheesh! Two weeks since any activity in this thread. Where are all of the baseball fans hiding?

Both Toronto and Boston had their games rained out. Toronto is currently riding a 6-game winning streak and Boston is currently on a 4-game winning streak. They are both tied with a 21-20 record. Considering the amount of injuries to the Jays, I am amazed that they have the record they do(they have only had their opening day roster for ONE day!).

Boston has placed both Lackey and Dice K on the DL, so I don't know what that will mean to them.

Unfortunately, the Stankees beat Tampa Bay tonight to end their 6-game losing streak. However, the Stankees do NOT look good right now, and I think that they will end up being in a lot of trouble this season. Good!

Philadelphia is currently on a 3-game losing streak, and in their game tonight they are tied 1-1 in the top of the ninth inning.

[transjen]

I have only one thing to say to the powers of MLB

PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL!!!!l

:yes:Bummed out Philliesfan Jen :(

[smc]

... Boston has placed both Lackey and Dice K on the DL, so I don't know what that will mean to them. ...

It means that some pitchers who might reliably get through some innings may possibly be on the hill for the Red Sox. How's that for a definitive answer? :innocent:

[shadows]

It means that some pitchers who might reliably get through some innings may possibly be on the hill for the Red Sox. How's that for a definitive answer? :innocent:

Well, you make a good point. They certainly stand a good chance of being more effective than those two have been so far this season. The biggest surprise for me has been Beckett. He has pitched really well the majority of his starts so far(spring training and his first two starts were awful, but he really got a lot better as the starts went by!).

[shadows]

I have only one thing to say to the powers of MLB

PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL!!!!l

:yes:Bummed out Philliesfan Jen :(

As long as that idiot Selig is the Commish, that will never happen.:(

[shadows]

I gotta say that I think Josh Beckett (if he continues to pitch like he has so far) should win Comeback Player of 2011! He only pitched 6 innings before leaving with neck stiffness(from the article I read, it doesn't sound like it's anything serious), but had only given up 1 earned run. He now has a 1.73 ERA! That is amazing, especially considering the horrible season he had in 2010.:respect:

[smc]

I gotta say that I think Josh Beckett (if he continues to pitch like he has so far) should win Comeback Player of 2011! He only pitched 6 innings before leaving with neck stiffness(from the article I read, it doesn't sound like it's anything serious), but had only given up 1 earned run. He now has a 1.73 ERA! That is amazing, especially considering the horrible season he had in 2010.:respect:

Beckett does, indeed, look good, and the Red Sox are beginning to look like the team everyone expected them to be before the dismal start to the season. Adrian Gonzalez is proving to be everything expected ... and more!

[smc]

On Saturday, to celebrate the Cubs coming to Fenway for the first time since the 1981 World Series, the Red Sox and Chicago not only donned period uniforms (which, on the Sox, looked ridiculous -- I was wondering when they would start selling ice cream), but also shut off the sound system for a while and had a guy announce each batter through a megaphone. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe writes about sound systems and other spectacles at the ballpark. For me, a long-time baseball fan (he mentions some "generational" things), this really resonates.


Does game time really have to be show time?
May 22, 2011 | By Nick Cafardo

One of the more enjoyable parts of this season for me came during a Friday night Red Sox-Yankees game when the Yankee Stadium PA system malfunctioned for about two innings. Unfortunately, it was fixed.

No more blaring music or dancing mascots. It was pure baseball, just like the old days, when all you heard was the occasional organ music in the background.

We all understand the ?presentation?? that very talented and creative people put together for a ballgame, but couldn?t those same talented and creative people incorporate a two-inning silent time during the course of the game, when baseball is the most important thing taking place in the ballpark?

At the Yankee game, the crowd got louder, and the players actually could hear the fans.

?I thought it was pretty cool, actually,?? Adrian Gonzalez said that night. ?It was different.??

It was not only ?different,?? it was great. There was nothing attacking your sensibilities. I?m not saying eliminate all the distractions, but have some quiet time.

They tried this at Fenway last night. The Sox, in celebration of their first meeting with the Cubs in 93 years, were trying to re-create a 1918 atmosphere, with no amplified sound and no video. A man with a megaphone announced batters for two innings, and the teams were decked out in uniforms of the era.

To the Red Sox? credit, they were going to measure the fan response and gauge whether they could incorporate more silence into future games.

Baseball is a cerebral game. It doesn?t need shenanigans all of the time. Give the electronics a rest. Let the game take over, so people actually can concentrate on it rather than wonder what silly song is about to play when Jonathan Papelbon comes into the game.

Maybe it?s generational. Maybe fans under the age of 35 love all of this other stuff around the game.

In that Yankee Stadium game, the home team rallied, and Curtis Granderson cited a difference in the fan energy.

?They made up for that [lost audio],?? he said. ?It was absolutely amazing. They gave us enough energy to be able to do that [come back]. We just weren?t able to go ahead and finish it.??

There?s a fine line between what?s enough and what?s too much. Baseball, in general, does a good job drawing the line. But if you?re the home team and you have a chance to rally in a close game, why not shut off the audio for a bit and allow fans to be fans and let the players actually hear them?

Longtime baseball and NBA executive Stan Kasten said that, based on surveys and research, silence is not what fans want.

?I think the line always has to be drawn, and I admit you walk into some places and it?s too much,?? said Kasten, ?but I must say, I think for the most part baseball gets it right. I think it adds to the customer experience and I think the customer wants the entertainment between innings to complete their experience and make their experience more enjoyable.

?The guy who sits in the press box is not the average fan. At the end of the day, if you?re doing your job right, you?re adding to the experience, not taking away from it. The people we have talked to over the years want more of it, not less of it.??

Come on, Stan. Do we really need a Kiss-Cam?

?Do you not hear people complaining that baseball is boring??? Kasten said. ?Of course it isn?t. Those of us who love the game don?t feel that way at all. We love just sitting there and watching baseball.

?But we need to appeal to a broad base of people and younger people are a very important demographic.??

Important, but do they buy the tickets? Aren?t the tickets bought by an older demographic who bring the younger demographic to the games? Don?t those people just come to watch David Ortiz hit a home run or Dustin Pedroia lay down a bunt? Do they come to watch scenes from ?Animal House?? on the Jumbotron?

?If anything, we?re leaning toward more entertainment,?? Kasten said.

Say it isn?t so.

Sox CEO Larry Lucchino isn?t against limited quiet time.

?I do think we have to manage sensory overload,?? Lucchino said. ?There?s a danger in doing too much and detracting from the game. We worry about that.??

We were all kids once, and we remember the games, the moments of the games, and not the dugout dancers. Wally the Green Monster is pretty neat, I must admit, but is it really necessary? Ted, Yaz, Rico, Looie, Lynn, Fisk, Rice ? that used to be enough.

I?m just asking for what we experienced that night at Yankee Stadium and last night at Fenway. Let the game stand on its own. It was so refreshing.

?Novelty is always good,?? Kasten said.

It?s amazing that in this era, just watching baseball without the show is a novelty.

Ah well, on with the show.

[shadows]

Beckett does, indeed, look good, and the Red Sox are beginning to look like the team everyone expected them to be before the dismal start to the season. Adrian Gonzalez is proving to be everything expected ... and more!

I never had any doubt that Gonzalez would be great for them. I will admit that I am surprised at how poorly Crawford has been so far.:eek:

[shadows]

Toronto beat the Yankees 7-3, with Carlos Villanueva getting the spot-start. He pitched 5 excellent innings and got the victory!

Jose Bautista hit his 19th homer of the season. The haters that continually bash him and state that he is a "juicehead" piss me off. He has been tested numerous times and he is clean(baseball would not want this hanging over their heads so they test him properly).

A lot of these haters are Yankees fans. I wonder...how come they say that Bautista is a juicer yet Curtis Granderson(16 homeruns) and Mark Teixeira(12 homeruns) are guilty of nothing more than eating their Wheaties?:frown:

[smc]

I never had any doubt that Gonzalez would be great for them. I will admit that I am surprised at how poorly Crawford has been so far.:eek:

Crawford has been heating up ... not at the pace we'd like to see, but I think within a month most people will have forgotten his slow start.

[smc]

Toronto beat the Yankees 7-3, with Carlos Villanueva getting the spot-start. He pitched 5 excellent innings and got the victory!

Jose Bautista hit his 19th homer of the season. The haters that continually bash him and state that he is a "juicehead" piss me off. He has been tested numerous times and he is clean(baseball would not want this hanging over their heads so they test him properly).

A lot of these haters are Yankees fans. I wonder...how come they say that Bautista is a juicer yet Curtis Granderson(16 homeruns) and Mark Teixeira(12 homeruns) are guilty of nothing more than eating their Wheaties?:frown:

Apparently, you have never read carefully the ingredients of Wheaties. That shit is nasty! :lol:

[shadows]

Apparently, you have never read carefully the ingredients of Wheaties. That shit is nasty! :lol:

Well, we all know what flavour of Cream of Wheat that Barry Bonds liked so much.;)

Frank "Fucking Idiot" Francisco cost the Jays a victory tonight...again! Farrell better NOT allow that useless sack of crap to "attempt" to close another game...ever. I think Kevin Gregg would be a better choice, and that is saying a lot!:censored::rolleyes::censored:

[smc]

How about the Red Sox now?

[shadows]

How about the Red Sox now?

I don't see any difference.;):p:innocent:

In all seriousness, I don't think too many people thought that the Red Sox(or the Tampa Bay Rays) would be at the bottom for an overly long period of the season.:)

[smc]

I don't see any difference.;):p:innocent:

In all seriousness, I don't think too many people thought that the Red Sox(or the Tampa Bay Rays) would be at the bottom for an overly long period of the season.:)

At this point in the season, whatever else one might say about the race in the AL East, I think we have learned one thing:

If the Yankees are the tenants of the stadium in the Bronx, the Red Sox certainly appear to be the landlords. :lol:

[shadows]

At this point in the season, whatever else one might say about the race in the AL East, I think we have learned one thing:

If the Yankees are the tenants of the stadium in the Bronx, the Red Sox certainly appear to be the landlords. :lol:

While I think a small amount of the ass-kicking doled out by the Red Sox this weekend can be attributed to the inexperience/youth of the Jay's pitching staff, the Sox are looking scary good right now. Yikes!:eek:

[smc]

This cartoon appeared in today's Boston Phoenix (our weekly "alternative" newspaper). Much of the news coverage and commentary in the issue celebrated New York State's legalization of same-sex marriage, but the editors clearly saw the need to remind everyone that even civil rights and true love don't trump certain things that are just part of being a Bostonian. :yes:

[shadows]

Yet again the Blue Jays get screwed by pathetic umping. Edwin was clearly safe, and that should have been the tying run. Umpires need to be held accountable, not so much for that play, but for the huge ones like the Perfect Game that was blown because of the umpire. There are some pathetic umpires in baseball and referees in hockey that need to be shown the door(Angel Hernandez is a good example).

[smc]

Yet again the Blue Jays get screwed by pathetic umping. Edwin was clearly safe, and that should have been the tying run. Umpires need to be held accountable, not so much for that play, but for the huge ones like the Perfect Game that was blown because of the umpire. There are some pathetic umpires in baseball and referees in hockey that need to be shown the door(Angel Hernandez is a good example).

I agree: he was safe. The Red Sox did not deserve to win at that point, and even if the call at the plate had been correct Papelbon surely did not deserve to register a "save."

[smc]

It's time for Major League Baseball to take some radical steps to revamp the All-Star Game. Here is my proposal.

If the game is to continue to "count" -- that is, determine which league has home field advantage in the World Series -- steps must be taken to ensure that each league fields the best team possible. That means:

1. Either eliminate fan voting, or shift it so that fans only choose the starters once the rosters have been determined in a different manner (see below). This year, to give one example, Derek Jeter is starting for the American League. There is no reasonable argument that can be made that Jeter is the AL's top shortstop at mid-season.

2. Have more of the roster determined by the players. The players seem to do a very good job of determining who is best among their peers.

3. Limit the number of players the managers can choose from their own teams. For example, while Bruce Bochy can make a strong case that his Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong has a "great story," there is no way that Vogelsong deserves an All-Star spot ahead of several other pitchers in the National League.

4. Once the rosters are determined, allow the fans to vote for the starters at each field position. Leave the pitching to the managers.

5. Most important, eliminate the "rule" that dictates every team must be represented. It is an outrage that Mark Texeira gets left off the team because Matt Wieters of the Orioles has to be selected to make sure a Baltimore player is included. This is but one of many examples.

If Major League Baseball cannot amend the way in which the All-Star teams are selected, we must go back to alternating years for AL and NL home-field advantage in the World Series. Making the All-Star game "count" should either go all the way or none of the way.

[shadows]

I agree: he was safe. The Red Sox did not deserve to win at that point, and even if the call at the plate had been correct Papelbon surely did not deserve to register a "save."

Papelbon has certainly not been overly dominant this season. He looked kind of shaky in game #3 as well, and his ERA is now over 4! Game #3 wasn't really close, and I didn't think Toronto was going to come back from that one.

Tonight's game thoroughly pissed me off. Farrell needs to STOP putting Frank Francisco in games! Toronto had a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the ninth, and he loaded up the bases with NO outs! Of course, Perez was brought in, and after striking out a batter and giving up an RBI single, promptly served up a fucking meatball pitch that was launched out of the yard for a game-winning grandslam. I felt sick after that.:censored:

[shadows]

It's time for Major League Baseball to take some radical steps to revamp the All-Star Game. Here is my proposal.

If the game is to continue to "count" -- that is, determine which league has home field advantage in the World Series -- steps must be taken to ensure that each league fields the best team possible. That means:

1. Either eliminate fan voting, or shift it so that fans only choose the starters once the rosters have been determined in a different manner (see below). This year, to give one example, Derek Jeter is starting for the American League. There is no reasonable argument that can be made that Jeter is the AL's top shortstop at mid-season.

2. Have more of the roster determined by the players. The players seem to do a very good job of determining who is best among their peers.

3. Limit the number of players the managers can choose from their own teams. For example, while Bruce Bochy can make a strong case that his Giants pitcher Ryan Vogelsong has a "great story," there is no way that Vogelsong deserves an All-Star spot ahead of several other pitchers in the National League.

4. Once the rosters are determined, allow the fans to vote for the starters at each field position. Leave the pitching to the managers.

5. Most important, eliminate the "rule" that dictates every team must be represented. It is an outrage that Mark Texeira gets left off the team because Matt Wieters of the Orioles has to be selected to make sure a Baltimore player is included. This is but one of many examples.

If Major League Baseball cannot amend the way in which the All-Star teams are selected, we must go back to alternating years for AL and NL home-field advantage in the World Series. Making the All-Star game "count" should either go all the way or none of the way.

I cannot possibly agree with you more about point #1. There is NO way that Jeter deserves to be in the All-Star game. Here are Jeter's numbers after tonight's game

.257 avg, 2 HRs, 22 RBIs, 24 BB, 33 SO, 7 SB, 2 CS, 4 E. His OBP is .321, SLG is .329, and his OPS is .650. Those are NOT All-Star numbers and he does NOT deserve to be there.

[shadows]

What was Kevin Gregg thinking? He throws 3 inside pitches( very inside) to David Ortiz, and he didn't expect him to get a little pissed off? And to top it all off, he then says something to Ortiz while he's going to first base! Gregg's lucky he still has his head attached, as Ortiz is a very large fellow!

[smc]

What was Kevin Gregg thinking? He throws 3 inside pitches( very inside) to David Ortiz, and he didn't expect him to get a little pissed off? And to top it all off, he then says something to Ortiz while he's going to first base! Gregg's lucky he still has his head attached, as Ortiz is a very large fellow!

I can understand the Orioles' frustration. Twenty runs given up to the Sox in two games. It seemed like only a matter of time before someone snapped. Did Gregg have a reputation as a hothead when he was with the Jays?

According to the Boston broadcasters, what he said to Ortiz after the pop-up was something mocking along the lines of: "That's it, run to first base."

Gregg's a large fellow, himself, by the way.

[smc]

I cannot possibly agree with you more about point #1. There is NO way that Jeter deserves to be in the All-Star game. Here are Jeter's numbers after tonight's game

.257 avg, 2 HRs, 22 RBIs, 24 BB, 33 SO, 7 SB, 2 CS, 4 E. His OBP is .321, SLG is .329, and his OPS is .650. Those are NOT All-Star numbers and he does NOT deserve to be there.

It turns out that Jeter is not going to the All-Star game, citing his recent injury and the need to be safe. He joins Mariano Rivera and Alex Rodriguez as scratches. A-Rod's substitute is Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox.

[smc]

What was Kevin Gregg thinking? He throws 3 inside pitches( very inside) to David Ortiz, and he didn't expect him to get a little pissed off? And to top it all off, he then says something to Ortiz while he's going to first base! Gregg's lucky he still has his head attached, as Ortiz is a very large fellow!

I can understand the Orioles' frustration. Twenty runs given up to the Sox in two games. It seemed like only a matter of time before someone snapped. Did Gregg have a reputation as a hothead when he was with the Jays?

According to the Boston broadcasters, what he said to Ortiz after the pop-up was something mocking along the lines of: "That's it, run to first base." ...

More on the Kevin Gregg story ...

It seems to me that what Gregg said to reporters in the visitors' clubhouse after the game are signs of someone who needs to be taken to a quiet room by his very experienced manager, Buck Showalter, and given a serious talking-to about his future as a ballplayer. Here's what he said in defending his actions:

"I think we showed them we're not backing down, we're not scared of them, them and their $180 million payroll, we don't care. We're here to play the game, we have just as much right to play the game here, and we're going to do everything we can to win."

No one questioned the Orioles "right to play the game" at Fenway or anywhere else. The Red Sox did drive Baltimore's starting pitcher from the game after two-thirds of an inning, scoring 8 runs. Are the Red Sox supposed to let up on the offense after a certain number of runs in the 1st inning because of some kind of "slaughter" rule? Should Adrian Gonzalez not try to drive in a run because he's already leading the majors in RBIs and he doesn't need any more? Should David Ortiz not hit a three-run homer because that's just piling on?

Gregg continued, in response to Red Sox pitcher Josh Beckett questioning his inside pitching ("You go to the well three times, something's looking pretty bad," Beckett said. "I don't know why they were trying to do that, but it was pretty obvious to me that it wasn't just 'I was just trying to pitch you in'."):

"They're going to whine and complain about it because they think they're better than everybody else, but now, we just as much right to pitch inside as they do."

Perhaps this guy needs to go back to an Instructional League or Single-A, where they teach not only how to play baseball but how to be a baseball player.

[transjen]

I get the feeling my friend SMC may not be cheering this moment in MLB history and while i'm not a Yankee fan but i feel Derek Jeter does deserve the spotlight today for reaching the 3000 hit club
And i will say this for Jeter he started in the riods era and as far as i know he never used riods he did it the hard way so congrats to Derek Jeter today
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[smc]

I get the feeling my friend SMC may not be cheering this moment in MLB history and while i'm not a Yankee fan but i feel Derek Jeter does deserve the spotlight today for reaching the 3000 hit club
And i will say this for Jeter he started in the riods era and as far as i know he never used riods he did it the hard way so congrats to Derek Jeter today
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

Jen, you could not be more wrong about my feelings. I think Derek Jeter is a great player, well deserving of the spotlight, well deserving of his moment in history, and well deserving of the election to the Hall of Fame that will someday come his way. I do not have any animosity towards the Yankees players for being Yankees. While there are individual Yankees I despise -- Alex Rodriguez, for example -- my hatred (probably too strong a word) is for the Yankee organization and the Steinbrenners.

So, I join you in congratulating Jeter. I think it's awesome that his 3,000th hit was a home run. But I am hoping the Rays come back to win this game, currently tied at 4.

[transjen]

^^^ sorry SMC, i remember from i think it was last years baseball thread that you despised some of the yankees players and i was thinking Jeter was one of em
I'm no fan of A Rod due mainly to his use of steriods
Even with Jeter playing for the Yankees he is a player worth respecting for his longivity staying with one team and playing high caliber ball for his entire career and most of all he did it the rite way without cheating and when everything is said and done he'll godown with the likes of Joe D and Mickey Mantle and a sure fire first year hall of famer
While i hope A Rod ends up with Bonds in the cheaters hall of shame
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[smc]

^^^ sorry SMC, i remember from i think it was last years baseball thread that you despised some of the yankees players and i was thinking Jeter was one of em
I'm no fan of A Rod due mainly to his use of steriods
Even with Jeter playing for the Yankees he is a player worth respecting for his longivity staying with one team and playing high caliber ball for his entire career and most of all he did it the rite way without cheating and when everything is said and done he'll godown with the likes of Joe D and Mickey Mantle and a sure fire first year hall of famer
While i hope A Rod ends up with Bonds in the cheaters hall of shame
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

No apology necessary, dear Jen. It's a reasonable assumption to make that a Red Sox fan might unthinkingly despise everything and everyone associated with the Yankees. But I am a baseball fan first, and a Red Sox fan second. ;)

[shadows]

^^^ sorry SMC, i remember from i think it was last years baseball thread that you despised some of the yankees players and i was thinking Jeter was one of em
I'm no fan of A Rod due mainly to his use of steriods
Even with Jeter playing for the Yankees he is a player worth respecting for his longivity staying with one team and playing high caliber ball for his entire career and most of all he did it the rite way without cheating and when everything is said and done he'll godown with the likes of Joe D and Mickey Mantle and a sure fire first year hall of famer
While i hope A Rod ends up with Bonds in the cheaters hall of shame
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera are two Yankees that I have respect for. Jeter never found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons(I blame Cashman for his last contract fiasco), and was always classy on and off the field.

Rivera always went quietly about his business and made many a player look foolish with his cut fastball. I hope he breaks the all-time saves record.

A-Roid is already in the cheaters hall of shame(at least in my book). He has already been discovered as having used steroids(HGH, actually) before, and I think that he used it for many years. Plus, he has been a douchebag numerous times on the field.

[smc]

A-Roid is already in the cheaters hall of shame(at least in my book). He has already been discovered as having used steroids(HGH, actually) before, and I think that he used it for many years. Plus, he has been a douchebag numerous times on the field.

The simplest explanation I can give for what I think of A-Rod is that when people ask me what "bush league" means, I describe two things A-Rod has done. Case closed.

[Tsweet]

Boston Red Sox congratulate classy Derek Jeter on 3000 hits accomlishment:

It wasn't surprising that the Red Sox were watching television in the home clubhouse at Fenway Park as Derek Jeter made history Saturday afternoon, collecting his 3,000th hit against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium.

Jeter no doubt is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and he has earned the respect of players across baseball, especially Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia.

"It's not just me, it's the whole league," Pedroia said. "This guy has played the game right for a long time. He's a first-ballot Hall of Famer and when he's done, I don't think there will be a bad thing said about him. He's a first-class guy. He's a winner. The highest praises you could say about a guy is what you would say about Jeter."


During the 2008 All-Star Game at the old Yankee Stadium, Pedroia was a first-time All-Star when he received an on-field visit from Jeter. In fact, the Yankees shortstop went out of his way to talk to the AL Rookie of the Year from 2007.

"It was great and that's the type of guy he is," Pedroia said. "He helps out young guys. He helps out older guys. He helps out everybody. The game needs more guys like Derek Jeter. It's unbelievable what he's been able to do throughout his career, and to get a chance to play against him the last five years is pretty cool, man, it's pretty cool."

Of the 3,003 hits Jeter has amassed in his career, he has recorded the most off Red Sox veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. In 122 at-bats, Jeter has 34 hits off Wakefield.

"It's a fitting tribute to a guy that has spent his whole career with one organization and has been a true professional his whole career there," Wakefield said. "For him to get 3,000 hits in the amount of time that he's done it is pretty amazing. It shows how great of an athlete he is and I have the utmost respect for him the way he goes about his business. He's as professional as anyone. It's pretty cool that I've faced him the most times of anybody."

Red Sox manager Terry Francona broke into a big smile Saturday afternoon when asked to discuss Jeter's career and accomplishments.

"If you like baseball, he's a lot of what's good in baseball. He respects the game. He plays the game right. He makes me proud for the way he goes about his business."

[smc]

^ As I was saying ...

Thanks for posting that, Tsweet. It reflects my views precisely.

[smc]

Contrast Kevin Gregg of the Oriole's remarks about the altercation between Boston and Baltimore the other night (see above) with what David Ortiz of the Red Sox had to say:

Ortiz regrets altercation
Incident against slugger?s nature


By Michael Vega
The Boston Globe, July 10, 2011

Once the dust had settled from his altercation with reliever Kevin Gregg in Friday night?s 10-3 victory over the Orioles at Fenway Park, David Ortiz found himself at Jerry Remy?s Sports Bar & Grill with his Red Sox teammates for a surprise birthday party for Daniel Bard.

All around him, on the high-definition televisions that rimmed the restaurant, replays of the eighth-inning, bench-clearing brawl - sparked by Ortiz?s toe-to-toe swingfest with Gregg - kept playing on an incessant loop.

?At one point, I was like, ?I got to go,? ?? Ortiz said. ?Everybody was all over me, going like, ?Hey, man, it?s Mike Tyson,? and this and that. I was like, ?C?mon man, I haven?t had a fight since I was in kindergarten; don?t be calling me no Mike Tyson.? ??

Asked if he won his kindergarten bout, Ortiz smiled and said, sheepishly, ?I don?t think so.??

Although his teammates gave him a good-natured ribbing over the incident, which got him ejected and will likely draw further sanctions, including a suspension from Major League Baseball, Ortiz knew his actions went against his nature.

?It was good that nothing really bad happened,?? said Ortiz, who narrowly missed landing a huge left on Gregg?s chin after dodging a right cross from Gregg. ?At the end of the day, we?re not here to do that stuff; we?re here to play the game the right way, the way it?s supposed to be. To tell you the truth, me personally, I don?t feel good when things like that go down. That ain?t really me.??

That point hit home when Ortiz returned home and faced questions from his children.

?My kids had tons of questions for me last night: ?Daddy, why were you fighting?? ?? Ortiz said before last night?s game. ?I don?t want to be having that conversation with my kids, because I?m not an aggressive person. But, like I said, it?s in the past and it?s behind us and it?s another day today.??

Asked if he expected to be suspended, Ortiz said, ?I know MLB will take some action and everybody?s aware of it. It all depends on what they want to do with it. But I wasn?t the one who started it. I don?t think I was, you know???

Gregg offered no apologies Friday night, defiantly standing behind his actions, calling the Red Sox whiners who ?think they?re better than everybody else.?? Saying he had every right to pitch inside to Ortiz, Gregg fired three straight inside pitches, the third nearly hitting the Sox slugger on the hip, which cleared the benches when Ortiz stomped toward the mound.

?It?s my first time here doing something like that and I don?t feel proud of a situation like that,?? Ortiz said. ?But I?m the kind of person that doesn?t like being pushed and I felt like I was pushed to do something like that.

?He?s a guy who I?ve always faced and he?s never pitched [me] in,?? Ortiz said. ?He threw a whole bunch of pitches inside and I?m sure he was trying to hit me. No question about that.??

After Ortiz hit a lazy fly ball to center and slowly began trotting to first, Gregg came off the mound and yelled at him to get down the line.

?I?m not going to take that like a little [expletive], you know what I?m saying,?? Ortiz said. ?You saw the argument before and afterward you?re going to act like you?re my daddy or something like that? I ain?t going to take that. If you want to have respect, you got to respect [others].??

The bad blood between both teams seemed to percolate before the start of the season when, during spring training, Orioles manager Buck Showalter made disparaging remarks about Theo Epstein and the Sox? payroll in a magazine article. When the Red Sox erupted for eight runs in the first inning Friday night, it only seemed to make matters worse.

?I?m just a guy who likes to play the game the way it?s supposed to be, and that?s about it . . . I?m not saying that we are better than what they are; I respect everybody around the league,?? Ortiz said. ?I don?t disrespect nobody. I don?t care who you play for, who you are, how long you been around. I respect everybody the same way.

?You can?t be acting stupid out there just because you?re getting beat up. There?s a reason you?re getting beat up and it?s because you?re not playing the game the way it?s supposed to be. Play the game the way it?s supposed to be and you?re not going to get beat up.

?So don?t go blaming it on, ?You guys think you?re better than us,? and this and that. I have a lot of friends on that ballclub and I don?t like them to be going through a situation like that. This is horrible. But it?s not like we?re trying to show up anybody. We just play the game.??

[shadows]

The simplest explanation I can give for what I think of A-Rod is that when people ask me what "bush league" means, I describe two things A-Rod has done. Case closed.

The dictionary has A-Roid's picture beside the description for "bush league".;)

It's amazing the contrasting feelings for two players on the same team, even from many of the opposing players. Everyone says great things about Derek Jeter, yet you will be hard pressed to find people that will talk glowingly(unless they have something to gain by it, of course) about A-Roid.

[smc]

If you call yourself a true baseball fan, and unless you are a bona fide fan of the Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, or Astros, you have to be rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the National League Central Division. Just sayin' ...

[shadows]

If you call yourself a true baseball fan, and unless you are a bona fide fan of the Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, or Astros, you have to be rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the National League Central Division. Just sayin' ...

But Lyle Overpaid is a Pirate!;):lol::p

[transjen]

If you call yourself a true baseball fan, and unless you are a bona fide fan of the Cardinals, Brewers, Reds, Cubs, or Astros, you have to be rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates to win the National League Central Division. Just sayin' ...

Ummnnn NO


:no: :no: Philliefan Jen

[smc]

I know my friend shadows, who I do not believe to generally be guilty of schadenfreude, will take some pleasure in this story from yesterday's Los Angeles Times.

MLB investigates Alex Rodriguez for alleged high-stakes gambling

Alex Rodriguez is the subject of a Major League Baseball investigation for his alleged participation in high-stakes underground poker games, the league said Wednesday.

The New York Yankees third baseman is said to have played at least twice -- including in one game that involved several high-profile actors, cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Beverly Hills mansion of a record executive -- according to reports published by multiple sources.

A story published on RadarOnline.com said that Rodriguez “tried to distance himself from the game” when a fight almost broke out.

“We're talking to people involved in the investigation and we're taking this very seriously,” an MLB executive told ESPN New York. “Because he had been warned about this before, I would say a possible suspension would be very much in play.”

In 2005 the Yankees and Commissioner Bud Selig warned Rodriguez about gambling in underground poker clubs, saying dealings with people who might also bet on baseball games could result in a lifetime ban from baseball.

“We take this very seriously and have been investigating this matter since the initial allegation,” the league said in a statement. “As part of the investigation, the Commissioner's Office will interview Mr. Rodriguez.”

Rodriguez is currently recovering from knee surgery last month and had been expected to be able to rejoin the team in a couple of weeks.

[transjen]

^^^ If true he's outta baseball for good
:yes: Philliesfan Jen

[shadows]

I know my friend shadows, who I do not believe to generally be guilty of schadenfreude, will take some pleasure in this story from yesterday's Los Angeles Times.

MLB investigates Alex Rodriguez for alleged high-stakes gambling

Alex Rodriguez is the subject of a Major League Baseball investigation for his alleged participation in high-stakes underground poker games, the league said Wednesday.

The New York Yankees third baseman is said to have played at least twice -- including in one game that involved several high-profile actors, cocaine and hundreds of thousands of dollars at the Beverly Hills mansion of a record executive -- according to reports published by multiple sources.

A story published on RadarOnline.com said that Rodriguez ?tried to distance himself from the game? when a fight almost broke out.

?We're talking to people involved in the investigation and we're taking this very seriously,? an MLB executive told ESPN New York. ?Because he had been warned about this before, I would say a possible suspension would be very much in play.?

In 2005 the Yankees and Commissioner Bud Selig warned Rodriguez about gambling in underground poker clubs, saying dealings with people who might also bet on baseball games could result in a lifetime ban from baseball.

?We take this very seriously and have been investigating this matter since the initial allegation,? the league said in a statement. ?As part of the investigation, the Commissioner's Office will interview Mr. Rodriguez.?

Rodriguez is currently recovering from knee surgery last month and had been expected to be able to rejoin the team in a couple of weeks.



I read a couple of articles about this at the TSN and ESPN sites. If it is true(and knowing what a jerkoff he is, I have no doubt it is), then he should be suspended for it. There is a difference between playing poker in Las Vegas(or in one of the sanctioned poker tournaments such as the WPT or EPT) and the underground ones of which A-Roid is accused of being in.

People are commenting that it's "not a big deal" that he was playing poker. Like I mentioned above, it's not the fact that he was playing poker, it's just the venue in which he played it. Say he had lost a lot of money, or ended up being blackmailed for playing in illicit games, he could cause the game of baseball a lot of trouble. Not to mention the fact that he was told previously by Bud Selig to NOT do it, and he did it anyhow.

I don't think he will be banned for life, but I do think he will face a lengthy suspension if he is found to have been there. It might also allow the Yankees to dump his horrible contract(conduct detrimental to the team?), which is unfortunate. I want them to be saddled with it until it's completion.

And you were quite correct, smc. I do take some pleasure in hearing that A-Roid is in trouble again.:)

[shadows]

John Farrell can't come back soon enough. His idiot replacement decides to put in Tallet to try and get a save? There is a reason they got rid of him in the first place. Tallet is a HORRIBLE pitcher! I knew the second I saw him warming up that the Jays would lose...and they did.

Their bullpen is the worst I've ever seen, and they damned well better do something about it for next season.

Why they couldn't have Francisco pitch tonight is beyond me. His shoulder is sore? Well, why even bother having him if he can't pitch more than one game in a row.

[Pikachu1989]

Can we call Cubbies Eliminated from the Playoffs Again. Cubs need to get rid of everybody except Castro and Barney, Probably Rameriz too. Can't see them win for 10 years. 21 years of being a cubs fan and they bring me heartache. Fuck Bartman.

At least the Red Sox are leading the AL East by a game and a half and hopefully win another title. I wish Epstien can Come to the Cubbies Next year and break the curse of the Billy goat kind of what he did to the curse in 2004.

[Pikachu1989]

I was at this game in May. Left Omaha Nebraska on That Thursday the 19 and came back on the 22. Anyways saw USS Massachusetts and couple of uncle, aunt and Cousins that live south of Boston in Quincy Yes they have the Accent. But going back to the game yes they wore their 1918 jerseys and it looked like I went back in time. After the 2nd inning they turned off the PA system and they annouced the players name on the loud speaker thing. We heard Dustin Pedroia of the Sox and that was it for 2 innings they did this. It had a feel of 1918. What they should of done was put concession set for 1918 prices. I got a couple Beers and it cost 8 dollars for a beer. Seriously 8 bucks for a 12 oz beer. Zambrano was pitching for the Cubs. And he was doing ok job Pitching but let Big Papi have a 2 run HR. But anyways Sox collapse and Cubbies won. I was happy. I'm a Red Sox fan but a Cubbies fan at heart. Sorry for the post that was back in May but you will never know when the Cubs and Red Sox will play again.



On Saturday, to celebrate the Cubs coming to Fenway for the first time since the 1981 World Series, the Red Sox and Chicago not only donned period uniforms (which, on the Sox, looked ridiculous -- I was wondering when they would start selling ice cream), but also shut off the sound system for a while and had a guy announce each batter through a megaphone. Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe writes about sound systems and other spectacles at the ballpark. For me, a long-time baseball fan (he mentions some "generational" things), this really resonates.


Does game time really have to be show time?
May 22, 2011 | By Nick Cafardo

One of the more enjoyable parts of this season for me came during a Friday night Red Sox-Yankees game when the Yankee Stadium PA system malfunctioned for about two innings. Unfortunately, it was fixed.

No more blaring music or dancing mascots. It was pure baseball, just like the old days, when all you heard was the occasional organ music in the background.

We all understand the ?presentation?? that very talented and creative people put together for a ballgame, but couldn?t those same talented and creative people incorporate a two-inning silent time during the course of the game, when baseball is the most important thing taking place in the ballpark?

At the Yankee game, the crowd got louder, and the players actually could hear the fans.

?I thought it was pretty cool, actually,?? Adrian Gonzalez said that night. ?It was different.??

It was not only ?different,?? it was great. There was nothing attacking your sensibilities. I?m not saying eliminate all the distractions, but have some quiet time.

They tried this at Fenway last night. The Sox, in celebration of their first meeting with the Cubs in 93 years, were trying to re-create a 1918 atmosphere, with no amplified sound and no video. A man with a megaphone announced batters for two innings, and the teams were decked out in uniforms of the era.

To the Red Sox? credit, they were going to measure the fan response and gauge whether they could incorporate more silence into future games.

Baseball is a cerebral game. It doesn?t need shenanigans all of the time. Give the electronics a rest. Let the game take over, so people actually can concentrate on it rather than wonder what silly song is about to play when Jonathan Papelbon comes into the game.

Maybe it?s generational. Maybe fans under the age of 35 love all of this other stuff around the game.

In that Yankee Stadium game, the home team rallied, and Curtis Granderson cited a difference in the fan energy.

?They made up for that [lost audio],?? he said. ?It was absolutely amazing. They gave us enough energy to be able to do that [come back]. We just weren?t able to go ahead and finish it.??

There?s a fine line between what?s enough and what?s too much. Baseball, in general, does a good job drawing the line. But if you?re the home team and you have a chance to rally in a close game, why not shut off the audio for a bit and allow fans to be fans and let the players actually hear them?

Longtime baseball and NBA executive Stan Kasten said that, based on surveys and research, silence is not what fans want.

?I think the line always has to be drawn, and I admit you walk into some places and it?s too much,?? said Kasten, ?but I must say, I think for the most part baseball gets it right. I think it adds to the customer experience and I think the customer wants the entertainment between innings to complete their experience and make their experience more enjoyable.

?The guy who sits in the press box is not the average fan. At the end of the day, if you?re doing your job right, you?re adding to the experience, not taking away from it. The people we have talked to over the years want more of it, not less of it.??

Come on, Stan. Do we really need a Kiss-Cam?

?Do you not hear people complaining that baseball is boring??? Kasten said. ?Of course it isn?t. Those of us who love the game don?t feel that way at all. We love just sitting there and watching baseball.

?But we need to appeal to a broad base of people and younger people are a very important demographic.??

Important, but do they buy the tickets? Aren?t the tickets bought by an older demographic who bring the younger demographic to the games? Don?t those people just come to watch David Ortiz hit a home run or Dustin Pedroia lay down a bunt? Do they come to watch scenes from ?Animal House?? on the Jumbotron?

?If anything, we?re leaning toward more entertainment,?? Kasten said.

Say it isn?t so.

Sox CEO Larry Lucchino isn?t against limited quiet time.

?I do think we have to manage sensory overload,?? Lucchino said. ?There?s a danger in doing too much and detracting from the game. We worry about that.??

We were all kids once, and we remember the games, the moments of the games, and not the dugout dancers. Wally the Green Monster is pretty neat, I must admit, but is it really necessary? Ted, Yaz, Rico, Looie, Lynn, Fisk, Rice ? that used to be enough.

I?m just asking for what we experienced that night at Yankee Stadium and last night at Fenway. Let the game stand on its own. It was so refreshing.

?Novelty is always good,?? Kasten said.

It?s amazing that in this era, just watching baseball without the show is a novelty.

Ah well, on with the show.

[smc]

I don't have an answer for what is happening to my Red Sox. :no: Please don't ask me. :frown:

[shadows]

I don't have an answer for what is happening to my Red Sox. :no: Please don't ask me. :frown:

At least they were able to pull off a 7-4 victory in game #2 of yesterday's doubleheader. They have a 1 game lead going into their final 3 games of the season. Even though it's Baltimore they're playing, they have to make sure they don't take them lightly. Baltimore has been playing spoiler the past few games, and they have been giving the other teams a fair bit of trouble! Except for Brian Matusz. How a guy with a 10.69 ERA (for the season!:eek:) can still be in the rotation just boggles my mind!

So, Boston still has a chance to escape with the Wild Card.

[parrio]

maybe this is year of the rays

[transjen]

maybe this is year of the rays

I so hope not :eek:

This is the Phillies year
:yes: Philliefan Jen

[MayDay]

This is the Phillies year


That's what my brother is saying. Grew up there, lived in the Bay Area, now in Boston. Don't know who to root for anymore. Well, not the Sox at this point. So, yeah, go Phillies

[shadows]

And the Yankees are gone! Fitting that the game (and series) ended with A-Roid striking out.:cool:

[Pikachu1989]

Can't believe the Brewers and Cardinals are in the NLCS. I hate them both as I'm a Cubbies fan. Hopefully The Brewers win the NL and get beaten By The Tigers in the WS. I will go off the deep end if The Cardinals win the NL then win the WS. :censored: the Cardinals.

[shadows]

Can't believe the Brewers and Cardinals are in the NLCS. I hate them both as I'm a Cubbies fan. Hopefully The Brewers win the NL and get beaten By The Tigers in the WS. I will go off the deep end if The Cardinals win the NL then win the WS. :censored: the Cardinals.

The Phillies lost just like they did last year, by lack of offense. I thought for sure they would have at least made it to the World Series. Sheesh. Poor Doc. Leaves Toronto hoping for a better offense, and just like when he pitched for the Jays, the offense pulls a disappearing act. He deserved better.

So the teams are now down to Milwaukee, St. Louis, Texas, and Detroit. I was rooting for Detroit against New York, so I will continue to root for them to win the World Series.

[ila]

...So the teams are now down to Milwaukee, St. Louis, Texas, and Detroit. I was rooting for Detroit against New York, so I will continue to root for them to win the World Series.

I lost interest when Toronto didn't make it to the playoffs. I did have a spark of interest in watching New York lose and that to me is the best part of the season.

[transjen]

So the teams are now down to Milwaukee, St. Louis, Texas, and Detroit. I was rooting for Detroit against New York, so I will continue to root for them to win the World Series.



YAWN!!! what crappy teams and i can careless who wins
my attention is on my Penguins
:yes: moving on to hockey Jen

[shadows]

I lost interest when Toronto didn't make it to the playoffs. I did have a spark of interest in watching New York lose and that to me is the best part of the season.

I will admit that my fervor is less now that hockey is back(Toronto is 2-0 to start the season...although they got a little lax in the third period and it almost cost them!). However, there is still some interesting baseball to see.

[smc]

I wonder how many other cities would see their three network affiliates suspend regular news programming to carry the press conference at which the Chicago Cubs (not the home team) officially announce Theo Epstein as the new president of baseball operations. Only the world's greatest baseball city: BOSTON!

[dauls]

From: news.bbc.co.uk/sport/
Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman stabbed to death.

Dutch baseball player Greg Halman has been stabbed to death in Rotterdam and his younger brother has been arrested in connection with the incident.

Halman, 24, played as an outfielder for Major League side Seattle Mariners.

He joined the club in 2004 after a spell in the minor leagues and played 35 games for the Mariners last season.

A Rotterdam police spokesman said: "A 24-year-old died this morning in a stabbing and we have arrested the 22-year-old brother of the victim."

Halman helped promote the sport in Europe by holding coaching clinics with youngsters and he was part of the Netherlands side which won the 2007 European Baseball Championship.

[shadows]

It just goes to show you that you never know when the object of your demise will hit you.:eek::(

[transjen]

Live each day as if it was your last, for one day you'll be right
:eek: Philliefan Jen

[shadows]

Live each day as if it was your last, for one day you'll be right
:eek: Philliefan Jen

Words to live by, Jennifer.