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Time to jump in here. Greetings from Detroit! I am up here visiting relatives for Spring Break and everyone is talking about the Tigers (What else is there to do up here anyway? Talk about the Lions? I can get rich up here selling all my Colts stuff! :lol:).
It looks like Verlander and Bonderman both had good first outings--I am predicting Verlander will have his first 20 game season and win the Cy Young. Don't yet know about the addition of Johnny Damon--as one of my friends said--"It's good... for him"! Thoughts?
Baseball just ain't the same in Detroit since they tore down Tigers Stadium. I have fond memories of the games I saw there in my baseball travels.
One cannot say without any surety whether Johnny Damon will have a good or bad year for the Tigers. In fact -- as those of us in Red Sox Nation know -- the only thing anyone can ever say about Johnny Damon with 100% certainty is that he is as dumb as a stump.
shadows
03-08-2010, 12:26 AM
My friend, you do realize that in these games lots of guys who will never make the team for the real season are playing, and that pitchers are working only an inning or two, right?
So, don't get your hopes up about the Jays doing a lot of winning or the Yankees doing a lot of losing. In time, the AL East ship will right itself as it sets sail for the season, and then we'll see whether the Jays are in 3rd or 4th or even 5th place (I see the Orioles having an unexpectedly good season).
I have no delusions of where the Jays will end up. I am just enjoying the success that they are having right now, as it will be fleeting for quite a while. I just think the Yankees are going to have a tough time with offense this year(I honestly believe that with them winning the WS last year their "drive" may be a little lower this season), and they have a lot of "old farts" on their roster as well. I mean, Nick Johnson? Really?:lol:
shadows
03-08-2010, 12:27 AM
Baseball just ain't the same in Detroit since they tore down Tigers Stadium. I have fond memories of the games I saw there in my baseball travels.
One cannot say without any surety whether Johnny Damon will have a good or bad year for the Tigers. In fact -- as those of us in Red Sox Nation know -- the only thing anyone can ever say about Johnny Damon with 100% certainty is that he is as dumb as a stump.
Isn't he a "Lovable Idiot"(or whatever he called the team in 2004)?;)
Isn't he a "Lovable Idiot"(or whatever he called the team in 2004)?;)
He's grown less and less lovable, but he's always been an idiot. The stories around here about Johnny Damon's, shall we say, "low IQ" are legend. People talk about seeing him at restaurants and they wonder if he can read the menu.
shadows
03-08-2010, 12:38 AM
He's grown less and less lovable, but he's always been an idiot. The stories around here about Johnny Damon's, shall we say, "low IQ" are legend. People talk about seeing him at restaurants and they wonder if he can read the menu.
He can't. He just sees the pictures that look the tastiest and orders from there.:lol:
He can't. He just sees the pictures that look the tastiest and orders from there.:lol:
Hey, this guy makes a shitload of money. Some of the restaurants he goes to have menus with no pictures.
shadows
03-08-2010, 12:48 AM
Hey, this guy makes a shitload of money. Some of the restaurants he goes to have menus with no pictures.
That is why he brings along a translator.;)
That is why he brings along a translator.;)
Okay, I realize that this has now become about you having the last word. ;) So, I'm going to let you win. I realize it's not much of a victory, but when you're a Jays fan you have to take what you can get. :lol:
aw9725
03-08-2010, 12:56 AM
Baseball just ain't the same in Detroit since they tore down Tigers Stadium. I have fond memories of the games I saw there in my baseball travels.
One cannot say without any surety whether Johnny Damon will have a good or bad year for the Tigers. In fact -- as those of us in Red Sox Nation know -- the only thing anyone can ever say about Johnny Damon with 100% certainty is that he is as dumb as a stump.
smc,
You are right about that! I have many memories of that place too. Never been to Comerica Park--it looks nice on TV--just no "history" or "atmosphere." Not sure but I think the same company built Fenway, Yankee Stadium, and Tiger Stadium. There was a move to save it but it finally fell last year. :(
My take is that Damon's a big question mark. They did something similar with Sheffield a couple of years ago. Does this mean in a few years A-Rod will be a Tiger? :lol: We will see how they do.
Fun to be back "home" but always sad to see what has become of the city. Unemployment is very high here. Guess I can't complain too much about Indy...
Guess I can't complain too much about Indy...
The worse thing about Indianapolis (other than being in Indiana ;) ) must be the knowledge that there probably will never be a major league baseball team there, no matter how big the city gets.
aw9725
03-08-2010, 01:20 AM
The worse thing about Indianapolis (other than being in Indiana ;) ) must be the knowledge that there probably will never be a major league baseball team there, no matter how big the city gets.
Sadly that's true. We have the "Indians." I honestly do not know who they are the farm team for. They play in a very nice (but small) stadium called "Victory Field." It's an inexpensive but fun outing or date.
Most around here are Reds fans or Cubs fans. A few are for St. Louis. I even saw a "Red Sox" license plate holder coming home the other day. I still cling to my Tigers for better or for worse...
(Update: The Indians are the farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates--just checked...)
transjen
03-08-2010, 01:30 AM
smc,
You are right about that! I have many memories of that place too. Never been to Comerica Park--it looks nice on TV--just no "history" or "atmosphere." Not sure but I think the same company built Fenway, Yankee Stadium, and Tiger Stadium. There was a move to save it but it finally fell last year. :(
My take is that Damon's a big question mark. They did something similar with Sheffield a couple of years ago. Does this mean in a few years A-Rod will be a Tiger? :lol: We will see how they do.
Fun to be back "home" but always sad to see what has become of the city. Unemployment is very high here. Guess I can't complain too much about Indy...I still think the Phillies ballpark is the best end of story
:yes:Philliesfan Jen
I still think the Phillies ballpark is the best end of story
:yes:Philliesfan Jen
With all due respect, Jen, the only explanation for your opinion is the combination of being a Phillies fan and not having been to enough other ballparks. :) At least, if we're just talking ballparks and not our experience with our teams in a ballpark.
My friend, you do realize that in these games lots of guys who will never make the team for the real season are playing, and that pitchers are working only an inning or two, right?
So, don't get your hopes up about the Jays doing a lot of winning or the Yankees doing a lot of losing. In time, the AL East ship will right itself as it sets sail for the season, and then we'll see whether the Jays are in 3rd or 4th or even 5th place (I see the Orioles having an unexpectedly good season).
Or even first place.;)
transjen
03-08-2010, 07:13 PM
With all due respect, Jen, the only explanation for your opinion is the combination of being a Phillies fan and not having been to enough other ballparks. :) At least, if we're just talking ballparks and not our experience with our teams in a ballpark.Actualy i've been to a few differnt ballparks
1]camden yards-with has to be the second best park ever
2]the Mets old park-a bad place to watch a game as the airlines loved flying overhead
3] the Braves park- it was alright
4] when i was in SO CAL i went to the Giants old ballpark and like the Braves it was ok
5]the Angels ballpark i had a good time there as the fans seemed to enjoy the game and not take things to seriously this was before there rally monkey
Actualy i've been to a few differnt ballparks
1]camden yards-with has to be the second best park ever
2]the Mets old park-a bad place to watch a game as the airlines loved flying overhead
3] the Braves park- it was alright
4] when i was in SO CAL i went to the Giants old ballpark and like the Braves it was ok
5]the Angels ballpark i had a good time there as the fans seemed to enjoy the game and not take things to seriously this was before there rally monkey
Come up to Boston, and I'll take you to Fenway. The tickets are on me. You'll have a new favorite park, if not a favorite team!
shadows
03-08-2010, 11:31 PM
smc,
You are right about that! I have many memories of that place too. Never been to Comerica Park--it looks nice on TV--just no "history" or "atmosphere." Not sure but I think the same company built Fenway, Yankee Stadium, and Tiger Stadium. There was a move to save it but it finally fell last year. :(
My take is that Damon's a big question mark. They did something similar with Sheffield a couple of years ago. Does this mean in a few years A-Rod will be a Tiger? :lol: We will see how they do.
Fun to be back "home" but always sad to see what has become of the city. Unemployment is very high here. Guess I can't complain too much about Indy...
Look at the Roger's Centre(formerly Skydome)! It looks like a freaking tomb! Ugly design. I would love it if they could make a nice outdoor ballpark, but I doubt they ever will.:(
shadows
03-08-2010, 11:32 PM
(Update: The Indians are the farm team for the Pittsburgh Pirates--just checked...)
I thought the Pittsburgh Pirates were the farm team!;):p:lol:
I thought the Pittsburgh Pirates were the farm team!;):p:lol:
If so, they are the perfect metaphor for the decline of the American farm.
shadows
03-08-2010, 11:34 PM
Come up to Boston, and I'll take you to Fenway. The tickets are on me. You'll have a new favorite park, if not a favorite team!
If I ever get a Passport(or the new enhanced driver's license), maybe I'll check out a game at Fenway(since you would be treating, of course;)).:respect:
shadows
03-08-2010, 11:35 PM
If so, they are the perfect metaphor for the decline of the American farm.
The Pirates is a good name for that team since they rob their fans of any hope of post-season play.;)
The ownership for the Pirates makes Harold Ballard look like a money-spending fiend!:no:
Look at the Roger's Centre(formerly Skydome)! It looks like a freaking tomb! Ugly design. I would love it if they could make a nice outdoor ballpark, but I doubt they ever will.:(
Did it ever occur to you that the "tomb" design was deliberate, as a final resting place in September for the hopes of Blue Jays fans from earlier in the season?
shadows
03-08-2010, 11:40 PM
Did it ever occur to you that the "tomb" design was deliberate, as a final resting place in September for the hopes of Blue Jays fans from earlier in the season?
Ouch! I think I would be offended by your comment if it wasn't so true!:eek:;)
transjen
03-09-2010, 12:08 AM
I've heard the RED SOX tickets are always hard to get
:yes: Philliefan Jen
I've heard the RED SOX tickets are always hard to get
:yes: Philliefan Jen
True, but you just leave that up to me!
shadows
03-09-2010, 12:31 AM
True, but you just leave that up to me!
Being able to see a Red Sox game...excellent.
Being able to see it with my friends...priceless.:respect:
Being able to see a Red Sox game...excellent.
Being able to see it with my friends...priceless.:respect:
Standing room only seat up on the Green Monster, with a ticket bought from a "legitimate scalper" (i.e., authorized ticket reseller), $125 - $500.
shadows
03-10-2010, 12:02 AM
Standing room only seat up on the Green Monster, with a ticket bought from a "legitimate scalper" (i.e., authorized ticket reseller), $125 - $500.
Beer to help dull the pain of getting "royally screwed" by said authorized ticket seller, $15.:eek:;):lol:
With the 2010 baseball season slated to begin in less than a week, it seems like a good time to bump the Baseball thread and give it the prominence it will enjoy for the next six or seven months.
Next Sunday, April 4, the season begins with "Opening Night" -- with the New York Yankees visiting Fenway Park to take on the Boston Red Sox. With all due respect to the fans of the Phillies, Blue Jays, and whatever other teams people root for (but haven't mentioned on this site), does it get any better than this? I mean, really: the greatest rivalry in sports, worldwide, with the only two teams that really matter! :lol:
(Okay, I take that back.)
Here in Red Sox, we are of mixed emotions. On the one hand, we want this to be the first game in a long, excruciating season of disappointment for Yankees fans. On the other hand, we want the Red Sox to be beating the Yankees at the end of the season when it matters. Unfortunately, we cannot have it both ways ... but we can dream.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN as part of its "Sunday Night Baseball" series. That is the one in-advance negative mark on this game. It means we have to listen to Jon Miller, who seemingly pays attention to no more than half of what is going on, and who insists on calling Jonathan Papelbon "Jon" (perhaps the Sox will so dominate the Yankees that we won't need Pap to come in and close out the game). It means we have to listen to Joe Morgan, who does have good insights into games but who never seems satisfied unless he repeats the same thing at least three times in a row. Joining them will be Orel Hershiser. Let's hope Orel has broadcasting talent and takes control.
Go Red Sox!
transjen
03-30-2010, 05:29 PM
GO PHILLIES!!!!
:yes: Philliefan Jen
GO PHILLIES!!!!
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Do you have your season tickets, Jen? Or will you be just watching them at home whenever you can get over to see them?
GO PHILLIES!!!!
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Well, Jen, you fell into my trap. I wanted to see how big a response I could get from dismissing all other teams, and it looks like you used a very big font size indeed! ;)
I hope you realize that I was not seriously dissing all other teams. I love baseball too much to do that. :yes:
transjen
03-31-2010, 12:09 AM
Do you have your season tickets, Jen? Or will you be just watching them at home whenever you can get over to see them?No season tickets for me so i'll be watching most of the season on TV but i well go to a few games at the ball park
:yes: Philliefan Jen
shadows
03-31-2010, 12:19 AM
No season tickets for me so i'll be watching most of the season on TV but i well go to a few games at the ball park
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Darn! We were hoping to see you in the crowd at one(or more) of the games.:(
transjen
03-31-2010, 03:12 AM
Jee maybe i should have tried out for ballgirl as the local broadcasts down here always does a camera shot of the ballgirls a couple times a game
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Jee maybe i should have tried out for ballgirl as the local broadcasts down here always does a camera shot of the ballgirls a couple times a game
:yes: Philliefan Jen
That might be the only thing that could get me to change my baseball loyalty.
Hey, baseball fans. Are you all aware of this pitcher in the Yankees farm system, Pat Venditte, who is ambidextrous? He'll be at Single A Tampa this season, but he pitched for the big-league club yesterday for 1-1/3 innings against the Braves.
He wears a 6-fingered glove and switches pitching arms depending on the batter. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd think it was a Sports Illustrated hoax for April Fool's Day!
shadows
04-01-2010, 12:38 AM
Jee maybe i should have tried out for ballgirl as the local broadcasts down here always does a camera shot of the ballgirls a couple times a game
:yes: Philliefan Jen
I would buy the entire season of home-games on Pay-per-view if you did that.:cool::respect:
shadows
04-01-2010, 12:39 AM
Hey, baseball fans. Are you all aware of this pitcher in the Yankees farm system, Pat Venditte, who is ambidextrous? He'll be at Single A Tampa this season, but he pitched for the big-league club yesterday for 1-1/3 innings against the Braves.
He wers a 6-fingered glove and switches pitching arms depending on the batter. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd think it was a Sports Illustrated hoax for April Fool's Day!
I read that article on espn.com. Pretty neat! As a poster there said, can you imagine if he could change the glove pitch by pitch(using the same glove, of course) to a different hand? That would throw off the rhythm of the hitters for sure!
transjen
04-01-2010, 02:13 AM
Hey, baseball fans. Are you all aware of this pitcher in the Yankees farm system, Pat Venditte, who is ambidextrous? He'll be at Single A Tampa this season, but he pitched for the big-league club yesterday for 1-1/3 innings against the Braves.
He wers a 6-fingered glove and switches pitching arms depending on the batter. If I hadn't seen it for myself, I'd think it was a Sports Illustrated hoax for April Fool's Day!First came the dreaded switch hitters now there's the dreaded switch pitchers
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Red Sox Nation, where we know the proper way to raise a child, is getting ready for Sunday night's season opener against the Yankees.
Talvenada
04-02-2010, 03:26 PM
Does anybody remember a pitcher from 10-20 years ago who was ambidextrous? He might have pitched in the 70's even.
He was right-handed but he did throw left-handed in MLB games. He played for The Phillies, and I think The Padres and Mets. He was told not to do it anymore by one of the teams he was on. He was a player on the bubble of the teams he played for, and he was okay at best. He only threw lefty to a few batters before being stopped. He wasn't clobbered when he did it, but it was only a few batters.
There was a major league pitcher in the mid-1990s named Greg Harris who was ambidextruous. He threw one inning of shutout ball for the Expos in 1995, against the Reds, facing four hitters: two as a lefty (walking one), and two as a righty). Before that, Harris had been up and down between the minors and the majors for the Mets, Reds, Expos, and Padres, beginning with his 1981 MLB debut. In 1985-88, he pitched for the Rangers and Phillies, and was claimed off waivers by the Red Sox after Philadelphia let him go. He was nothing to write home about for the Sox, sometimes in the rotation and sometimes in the bullpen. The Sox released him mid-season 1994, he was with the Yankees for a bit, and then tried his luck with the Expos in 1995, retiring at the end of that year.
I remember that in Boston he was expressly forbidden to pitch with both hands. Lou Gorman, then the GM for the Sox, said it would be a "mockery" of baseball." It wasn't until his Expo stint that he got to "mock" major league baseball like that!
Talvenada
04-02-2010, 04:38 PM
Thnx, SMC.
That's the guy I was thinking of. I didn't realize it was so recent, so to speak.
TAL
dauls
04-02-2010, 04:42 PM
Red Sox Nation, where we know the proper way to raise a child, is getting ready for Sunday night's season opener against the Yankees.
smc, does Red Sox Nation have to claim everything for themselves? :frown:
This unlucky Dutch kid, a Feyenoord fan, now has to live down the humiliation of being associated with the Red Sox from such an early age.:p
:lol::lol::lol:
smc, does Red Sox Nation have to claim everything for themselves? :frown:
This unlucky Dutch kid, a Feyenoord fan, now has to live down the humiliation of being associated with the Red Sox from such an early age.:p
:lol::lol::lol:
Alas, I believe you are correct. The Red Sox picture appears to be the photoshopped one.
As for being Dutch, it seems to me that the young lad has a healthy career ahead of him plugging a dike with that finger.
transjen
04-02-2010, 06:08 PM
Red Sox Nation, where we know the proper way to raise a child,.
So that means you're raising them up to be Phillie fans which is the only properway to raise a child
:yes: Philliefan Jen
So that means you're raising them up to be Phillie fans which is the only properway to raise a child
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Sorry, Jen, but around these points we don't teach our toddlers to shout obscenities at just any random strangers, only Yankees fans.
shadows
04-02-2010, 11:00 PM
Sorry, Jen, but around these points we don't teach our toddlers to shout obscenities at just any random strangers, only Yankees fans.
As it should be, my friend, as it should be.:yes:;)
dauls
04-04-2010, 12:49 AM
:frown: It's gonna be a frustrating start to the season. ESPN-UK don't have any baseball scheduled during the next fortnight. I may have to wait for the NHL and NBA postseasons to finish before ESPN-UK start showing baseball.:frown:
transjen
04-04-2010, 01:17 AM
Tommorow is the first day of the 2010 baseball season and that means
THE YANKEES WIN THE YANKEES WIN
:yes: Philliefan Jen
shadows
04-04-2010, 01:23 AM
Tommorow is the first day of the 2010 baseball season and that means
THE YANKEES WIN THE YANKEES WIN
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Jennifer, I thought that you didn't like the Yankees.:confused:
transjen
04-04-2010, 02:47 AM
Jennifer, I thought that you didn't like the Yankees.:confused:I don't but those are the six words you will hear at the end of the first game played this season
:yes: Philliedan Jen
shadows
04-04-2010, 04:50 AM
I don't but those are the six words you will hear at the end of the first game played this season
:yes: Philliedan Jen
I think smc will have something to say about that.;):lol:
:frown: It's gonna be a frustrating start to the season. ESPN-UK don't have any baseball scheduled during the next fortnight. I may have to wait for the NHL and NBA postseasons to finish before ESPN-UK start showing baseball.:frown:
It looks like you'll be waiting until almost the end of June then. You're going to have to move over here, dauls. It's possible to get hockey, basketball, and football (soccer) right now. Baseball will be shown soon in addition to the previously mentioned sports. You wouldn't miss the Premier League by living over here either. One of the sports channels carries several Premier League games every week.
Tommorow is the first day of the 2010 baseball season and that means
THE YANKEES WIN THE YANKEES WIN
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Jennifer, I thought that you didn't like the Yankees.:confused:
I don't but those are the six words you will hear at the end of the first game played this season
:yes: Philliedan Jen
I think smc will have something to say about that.;):lol:
It's just a guess, but perhaps Jen is just razzing me for taking issue with the attitudes and behaviors of Phillies fans in general (although not Jen in particular). I hope it's not that Jen is going over to another "side of the fence" and embracing the evil empire.
Jen, you do realize that the scumbag Steinbrenners would want nothing to do with someone like you, right? They only want people who have no souls.
........Jen, you do realize that the scumbag Steinbrenners would want nothing to do with someone like you, right? They only want people who have no souls.
And all this time I thought George only wanted poor people so that he could throw millions of dollars at them for doing absolutely nothing.
What a game! The Red Sox -- a team the pundits said would have no offense this season (what with the shift to "run prevention") -- beat the Yankees 9-7, coming back from a 5-1 deficit!
Talvenada
04-05-2010, 12:12 AM
What a game! The Red Sox -- a team the pundits said would have no offense this season (what with the shift to "run prevention") -- beat the Yankees 9-7, coming back from a 5-1 deficit!
SMC:
Somebody is too excited to get any sleep tonight?
Just a guess. Good game though. Congrats.
TAL
shadows
04-05-2010, 12:23 AM
What a game! The Red Sox -- a team the pundits said would have no offense this season (what with the shift to "run prevention") -- beat the Yankees 9-7, coming back from a 5-1 deficit!
Cool! I was going to check the highlights of the game(it was 8-7 when I checked earlier) but I figured I would check this thread out first. Neither starter was very good, but the offense was alive and kicking!
Good start to the season.;)
Cool! I was going to check the highlights of the game(it was 8-7 when I checked earlier) but I figured I would check this thread out first. Neither starter was very good, but the offense was alive and kicking!
Good start to the season.;)
Actually, Beckett was great in the 1-2-3 top of the 1st inning, getting three outs on 7 pitches. But his curveball wasn't working at all, which was weird given how effective it was in his last spring training start.
Sabathia was tremendous until the 5th inning.
The highlight for me was Pedroia hitting a 2-run homer. Pedey rules!
Off to sleep now.
Hey Jen, if you come on and read this, is there anything you want to correct about earlier posts? ;)
What a game! The Red Sox -- a team the pundits said would have no offense this season (what with the shift to "run prevention") -- beat the Yankees 9-7, coming back from a 5-1 deficit!
The local newspaper ran a story about the game. I don't know what the editors were thinking though. The picture that ran with the story showed two Yankees doing a fist bump. I would think that they would have run a picture of a home team player for a season opener. Perhaps the staff at the paper should be given a geography lesson on where Fenway Park is.
The local newspaper ran a story about the game. I don't know what the editors were thinking though. The picture that ran with the story showed two Yankees doing a fist bump. I would think that they would have run a picture of a home team player for a season opener. Perhaps the staff at the paper should be given a geography lesson on where Fenway Park is.
I think you should cut the editors some slack, since there is a reasonable chance that they have sold their souls to the Steinbrenner Devil like so many other people around the country who focus only on the Yankees.
I think you should cut the editors some slack, since there is a reasonable chance that they have sold their souls to the Steinbrenner Devil like so many other people around the country who focus only on the Yankees.
:lol: Yeah, they probably caught some of that excess cash that Steinbrenner was throwing around.
Talvenada
04-05-2010, 11:31 AM
:lol: Yeah, they probably caught some of that excess cash that Steinbrenner was throwing around.
ILA:
It might have been because it was the only game for that day.
TAL
ILA:
It might have been because it was the only game for that day.
TAL
You missed what I was saying. I know it was the only game for that day. It was also the first game of the regular season. My point was that the newspaper could have at least run a picture of the home team on the first game. It also should have been a picture of the game action. Two players bumping fists doesn't seem like an appropriate picture for the story.
ErosArtist
04-05-2010, 01:32 PM
Brave's fan here...and it's Bobby Cox's last season at the wheel.
I've mixed emotions on that one...Bobby's been, IMHO a good manager based on [I]averages[I], but there are things he habitually tends to do that hurt the team, such as leaving a struggling pitcher on the mound for too long. We'll see what the changes bring.
That said, it's only :respect: in my heart for the old man...
Anyway, the game's one of the reasons I love spring!
Brave's fan here...and it's Bobby Cox's last season at the wheel.
I've mixed emotions on that one...Bobby's been, IMHO a good manager based on [I]averages[I], but there are things he habitually tends to do that hurt the team, such as leaving a struggling pitcher on the mound for too long. We'll see what the changes bring.
That said, it's only :respect: in my heart for the old man...
Anyway, the game's one of the reasons I love spring!
I think the Braves are the only team that has a chance of beating the Phillies in the NL East.
ErosArtist
04-05-2010, 03:13 PM
I think the Braves are the only team that has a chance of beating the Phillies in the NL East.
Let's hope so. It's a distinct possibility. There's a good bit of new blood on the field.
Opening night against the Cubs, Lowe v Zambrano. What a way to start!
Tacos all around - be here at 7. :)
ErosArtist
04-05-2010, 05:17 PM
Let's hope so. It's a distinct possibility. There's a good bit of new blood on the field.
Opening night against the Cubs, Lowe v Zambrano. What a way to start!
Tacos all around - be here at 7. :)
Damn. I screwed up, big time! :censored:
First pitch was 4pm. Now in the bottom of the 7th, score's 12-5, Braves.
At least there's that...
shadows
04-05-2010, 11:02 PM
Damn. I screwed up, big time! :censored:
First pitch was 4pm. Now in the bottom of the 7th, score's 12-5, Braves.
At least there's that...
And your team did not cough up the lead in the bottom of the ninth, like a certain team that I root for.:(
Nice debut as the closer, Frasor. You sucked mightily!:rolleyes:
I will take two positives from this game, however. Wells was 3-4, hit a home run, and had 3 RBIs! Also, Shawn Marcum pitched very well(except for that 3 run inning due to a home run) especially considering how he missed all of last season with Tommy John surgery.
shadows
04-06-2010, 01:33 AM
156830
Time for a pitching change.;)
shadows
04-06-2010, 01:34 AM
smc, this one is for you.:respect:
156831
ErosArtist
04-06-2010, 06:02 AM
And your team did not cough up the lead in the bottom of the ninth, like a certain team that I root for.:(
Not to be pessimistic, but time will tell. The trend usually starts just before the All-Star break. It's been a very bad habit of theirs.
But what an opening day for my Braves! 16-5 over the Cubs! :yes:
smc, this one is for you.:respect:
156831
And the Yankees are still in town. I can smell them when I open the window.
Some random musings about baseball after Opening Day (post-Opening Night):
President Obama threw out the first pitch at Nationals Stadium wearing a Nats jacket and a White Sox cap. Whatever else you might think of the president, you have to give credit to him for "representing" for his favorite team despite the venue.
There was a wonderful moment in the Cardinals - Reds game when the Cincinnati catcher tried to deke Albert Pujols by calling for a fastball and then signaling -- with his head -- that the pitcher should fake shaking it off before throwing the heat. Pujols wasn't buying, and launched the fastball into the stands for a home run.
Does what happened with Jason Heyward of the Braves portend what the Braves season might be like, in Bobby Cox's last year as manager? The rookie hit a three-run homer, not just in his first major-league at-bat, but his first swing. I've said it before in this thread: the Braves are the only team in the NL East capable of giving the Phillies a run for the division title.
The Pirates won on opening day, beating the Dodgers 11-5. The last time these two teams met each other in a season opener, the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn. Any guesses on how many more games the Pirates win this year? They've had 17 consecutive losing seasons until now, and I'm of the opinion that Major League Baseball should forcibly oust the Pirates ownership.
Roy Halladay opened for the Phillies. It's nice to see Doc pitch for a team that is likely to give him post-season opportunities.
ErosArtist
04-06-2010, 03:23 PM
Some random musings about baseball after Opening Day (post-Opening Night):
President Obama threw out the first pitch at Nationals Stadium wearing a Nats jacket and a White Sox cap. Whatever else you might think of the president, you have to give credit to him for "representing" for his favorite team despite the venue.
There was a wonderful moment in the Cardinals - Reds game when the Cincinnati catcher tried to deke Albert Pujols by calling for a fastball and then signaling -- with his head -- that the pitcher should fake shaking it off before throwing the heat. Pujols wasn't buying, and launched the fastball into the stands for a home run.
Does what happened with Jason Heyward of the Braves portend what the Braves season might be like, in Bobby Cox's last year as manager? The rookie hit a three-run homer, not just in his first major-league at-bat, but his first swing. I've said it before in this thread: the Braves are the only team in the NL East capable of giving the Phillies a run for the division title.
The Pirates won on opening day, beating the Dodgers 11-5. The last time these two teams met each other in a season opener, the Dodgers were still in Brooklyn. Any guesses on how many more games the Pirates win this year? They've had 17 consecutive losing seasons until now, and I'm of the opinion that Major League Baseball should forcibly oust the Pirates ownership.
Roy Halladay opened for the Phillies. It's nice to see Doc pitch for a team that is likely to give him post-season opportunities.
With regard to Jason Heyward and his first major league at bat and swing, a very similar thing happened with Jeff Francour and his first at bat, only it wasn't a three-runner, if my memory is correct. Still, a homerun in a player's first at bat, first swing in the majors is a rare thing.
It sure as hell set the tone for the season, but will it make a difference in the season? I sure as hell hope so. It be nice to see Bobby's retirement extended by playoffs and series matches.
And our fearless leader. My, my. I saw the video first on YouTube and it wasn't until I saw it on a highlight reel a bit later that I caught the hat trick.
sammyjob
04-06-2010, 05:00 PM
The Pirates will win more than they did last year. More importantly, the current majority owner has only been in charge for two or three years. He has put in place a management team that seems to be doing things right, and the whole organization has been remodeled, based on drafting and developing young talent, rather than overspending on a free agent here and there which didn't help much. Actually, that's the way baseball teams used to do it before the modern era in which the richest teams (Yankees, Redsox, Phillies, Dodgers, et al) merely outspend everyone else. But it is true that even when the pockets are deep you still need to do it with intelligence. For instance, the Mets, and (until the past couple years) the Phillies spent a lot of money and didn't have much to show for it.
Actually, that's the way baseball teams used to do it before the modern era in which the richest teams (Yankees, Redsox, Phillies, Dodgers, et al) merely outspend everyone else.
While it is true that the Red Sox are one of the richer teams and spend big money on free agents. the team has one of the highest-rated farm systems. Dustin Pedroia (Rookie of the Year and then MVP), Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury ... they all come out of the farm system (and are only a few examples). Three of them are starters for the team, and Lester would be the #1 ace on most teams.
dauls
04-06-2010, 09:08 PM
President Obama threw out the first pitch at Nationals Stadium wearing a Nats jacket and a White Sox cap. Whatever else you might think of the president, you have to give credit to him for "representing" for his favorite team despite the venue.
Roy Halladay opened for the Phillies. It's nice to see Doc pitch for a team that is likely to give him post-season opportunities.
OK, an 11-1 thumping of the Nationals isn't anything to write home about, but a win is a win. And it sounds like the Nationals' pitchers were about as effective as Obama was from the mound.;)
Great first Phillies start for Halladay. Great return to the Phillies for Polanco. And Ryan Howard opens his home run account early and survives six at-bats without striking out!:eek:
shadows
04-07-2010, 02:13 AM
Dang. The Yankees won 6-4.:(
Smc, what sort of year do you think Ortiz is going to have? Is he going to have a half-decent year(I honestly don't think that he'll have any monster years like before due to his increase in injuries and the shadow of PED's that he has fallen into) or will he have a horrible season like last year?
The Red Sox really need him to increase his production, especially since Bay left.
Smc, what sort of year do you think Ortiz is going to have? Is he going to have a half-decent year(I honestly don't think that he'll have any monster years like before due to his increase in injuries and the shadow of PED's that he has fallen into) or will he have a horrible season like last year?
The Red Sox really need him to increase his production, especially since Bay left.
Well, on the basis of two games, I would say he's going to have a slow start. He doesn't seem to have much back speed, he's hitting right into the shift, and he steadfastly refuses (or, I should say, Terry Francona, the Red Sox manager, refuses) to bunt down the third base line to teach other teams not to shift so radically on him.
That said, two games are far too few upon which to make such judgments, don't you agree?
ErosArtist
04-07-2010, 02:48 PM
Well, on the basis of two games, I would say he's going to have a slow start. He doesn't seem to have much back speed, he's hitting right into the shift, and he steadfastly refuses (or, I should say, Terry Francona, the Red Sox manager, refuses) to bunt down the third base line to teach other teams not to shift so radically on him.
That said, two games are far too few upon which to make such judgments, don't you agree?
Yep. two games are far too few; the Braves had their spectacular opening day, then a day off, and get down to business tonight. (I'm going to check the first pitch time right now to be sure I didn't screw up again - alright, 7:10 tonight, Jurjens v Dempster.) In mid-season, they tend not to do too well from that type of schedule.
A decent indicator, IMHO, of what sort of season a player is going to have is how well said player does the second time he see's a club, particular in early season. So many clubs are still in a 'clean-up' sort of mode now, perhaps the same can be said of the team as a whole...just my HO, of course.
Yep. two games are far too few; the Braves had their spectacular opening day, then a day off, and get down to business tonight.
Nice to see a rational Braves fan. One of my colleagues at work, who is from Atlanta, told me this morning that Jason Heyward was going to hit 55 home runs. I laughed out loud, and he got angry. Then a student who we both have in classes walked by and asked what all the commotion was about. I told him, and had to explain a little bit about baseball to him (he's from Singapore). He then turned to my colleague and said, "Professor, what do you say in class that I shouldn't take seriously?" I laughed so hard I nearly passed out.
ErosArtist
04-07-2010, 04:20 PM
Nice to see a rational Braves fan. One of my colleagues at work, who is from Atlanta, told me this morning that Jason Heyward was going to hit 55 home runs. I laughed out loud, and he got angry. Then a student who we both have in classes walked by and asked what all the commotion was about. I told him, and had to explain a little bit about baseball to him (he's from Singapore). He then turned to my colleague and said, "Professor, what do you say in class that I shouldn't take seriously?" I laughed so hard I nearly passed out.
Thanks. I suppose I could say I've been called worse! :innocent:
Us southern folk tend to be optimistic, but speaking strictly for myself, falter at predictions of grandeur. Certainly, based upon his opening day performance, Jason Heyward was spectacular, but is it a surety of things to come? Hardly.
no matter the team, opening day is like the wedding and reception; the first two or three series the new team faces, the honeymoon. Then it's time to go to work.
shadows
04-08-2010, 02:31 AM
The Evil Empire won again!:no:
At least the Blue Jays played well today and are now 1-1 to start the season. Wells hit two more homeruns today(3 in 2 games now!). Hopefully he can keep up this sort of production for the rest of the season. I am not expecting monster numbers, but I would like an improvement over the past couple of seasons.
The Evil Empire won again!:no:
Yes, young Skywalker, the force was strong with the Empire in the late innings.
ErosArtist
04-08-2010, 08:55 AM
Yes, young Skywalker, the force was strong with the Empire in the late innings.
As it was with the Braves...At least Bobby got Jurjens off the mound in time, though his issues weren't necessarily his own, but a lack of run support.
In the end, a homer by Chipper in the 8th took it. Wells v Hanson tonight.
A short while ago, I received an email from a former student of mine who became a baseball lover while studying here in the United States. He's from Algeria, and lives back there now.
After he graduated, he was in DC for a while and became a Baltimore Orioles fan. The email expressed some mock concern over the fact that the Orioles have started the season 0-2. It reminded me of a certain season, many years ago, when the Orioles began the season 0-21, which is still the major league record for the most consecutive losses to start a season.
That spring, I was visiting at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. As the losing streak continued past 10 games, there was a certain DJ on one of the local radio stations who would tell the best Orioles joke listeners had called in during the previous 24 hours. I can remember only two of them, and I thought I'd share the best of those.
What do Michael Jackson and the Orioles have in common?
They both wear a glove on one hand, seemingly for no reason.
transjen
04-08-2010, 07:54 PM
I'm now sad for the rest of the night as the NATS beats my PHILS today
:eek: Philliefan Jen
I'm now sad for the rest of the night as the NATS beats my PHILS today
:eek: Philliefan Jen
Oh, Jen, don't be sad. Even the best teams have to lose to the Little Leaguers once in a while. It won't happen often for the Phillies.
shadows
04-08-2010, 11:22 PM
Another game, another homerun for Wells! Sweet! That gives him 4 already, and he only had a total of 15 last season. It looks like his wrist is fully healed.
Toronto came back to take the game 3-1 in the top of the ninth against the Texas closer(karma for the comeback win by Texas in the opener). Toronto is 2-1, and if not for the lousy game by Frasor in the first game, Toronto would have been 3-0. Not too bad considering that people predicted us to lose a 100 games!
Ricky Romero pitched a gem today. He only gave up one run off a wild pitch. So far I have been impressed with our starters. Marcum, Tallet, and Romero have had 3 straight quality starts.:respect:
Toronto came back to take the game 3-1 in the top of the ninth against the Texas closer(karma for the comeback win by Texas in the opener).
Holy crap, shadows, do you actually believe that "karma" in baseball works that quickly? No, it plays out over decades, like the 86 years between the Red Sox winning World Series championships.
shadows
04-08-2010, 11:30 PM
Holy crap, shadows, do you actually believe that "karma" in baseball works that quickly? No, it plays out over decades, like the 86 years between the Red Sox winning World Series championships.
That wasn't karma. That was a curse.;):eek:
That wasn't karma. That was a curse.;):eek:
Karma, as used in Hinduism (from whence it comes), is about causality. Benefits are derived from past beneficial actions. Harmful actions in the past lead to harm in the future.
Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees to finance "No, No Nanette." His harmful action led to future harm -- 86 years worth. The "curse" is just part of the name for this particular example of karma.
(Note: I don't actually believe any of that crap. And speaking of crap, have you ever seen "No, No Nanette"?)
shadows
04-09-2010, 12:14 AM
Karma, as used in Hinduism (from whence it comes), is about causality. Benefits are derived from past beneficial actions. Harmful actions in the past lead to harm in the future.
Harry Frazee sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees to finance "No, No Nanette." His harmful action led to future harm -- 86 years worth. The "curse" is just part of the name for this particular example of karma.
(Note: I don't actually believe any of that crap. And speaking of crap, have you ever seen "No, No Nanette"?)
I don't believe I've ever heard of "No, No Nanette" before. I take it he was a player the Red Sox thought would be a good player and he ended up being a bust?
I don't believe I've ever heard of "No, No Nanette" before. I take it he was a player the Red Sox thought would be a good player and he ended up being a bust?
I'm laughing so hard I can barely type. Did you just punk me really, really well? Or do you not really know that "No, No Nanette" is a musical comedy that opened in 1925 in London and from which the famous song "Tea for Two" comes?
Harry Frazee wanted so much to be a Broadway producer instead of a baseball team owner, and wanted to help finance its opening in New York!
transjen
04-09-2010, 12:30 AM
Holy crap, shadows, do you actually believe that "karma" in baseball works that quickly? No, it plays out over decades, like the 86 years between the Red Sox winning World Series championships.A curse? in 67 you just had the misfortune to run in to the Cardinals who were a better team then in 75 you ran in to THE BIG RED MACHINE agian a better team the in 86 you ok that team may have been cursed right thru Buckners legs
:eek: Philliefan Jen
A curse? in 67 you just had the misfortune to run in to the Cardinals who were a better team then in 75 you ran in to THE BIG RED MACHINE agian a better team the in 86 you ok that team may have been cursed right thru Buckners legs
:eek: Philliefan Jen
Gee, Jen, I wrote something nice to help alleviate some of your sadness about the Phillies losing today to the Nationals, and you reward me with this miserable trip down memory lane?! What's next? Are you going to come up here and scratch my eyes out? ;)
shadows
04-09-2010, 12:52 AM
I'm laughing so hard I can barely type. Did you just punk me really, really well? Or do you not really know that "No, No Nanette" is a musical comedy that opened in 1925 in London and from which the famous song "Tea for Two" comes?
Harry Frazee wanted so much to be a Broadway producer instead of a baseball team owner, and wanted to help finance its opening in New York!
Nope. No punking this time. I have honestly never heard of it before until this thread.:) I did make up the part about being a baseball player, but the rest was legit.
At least I now know what it is.;)
transjen
04-09-2010, 01:22 AM
Gee, Jen, I wrote something nice to help alleviate some of your sadness about the Phillies losing today to the Nationals, and you reward me with this miserable trip down memory lane?! What's next? Are you going to come up here and scratch my eyes out? ;)Sorry but i never brought in to the whole curse thing but think of the great achivements those years in 67 Yaz won the triple crown in batting in 75 the sieres is consided one of the greatest ever and Lynn won rookie of the year plus another rookie came up that year also a guy named Rice and in 86 a guy named Clemens struck out 21 Mariners in one game and you also had a hitting machine named Boggs
:yes: Philliefan Jen
shadows
04-09-2010, 01:26 AM
I am not certain, but wasn't 1986 the year that Roger Clemens got himself ejected by mouthing off at the home plate umpire during a playoff game?:confused:
Talvenada
04-09-2010, 04:32 AM
Tip O? The Cap, aka In My Opinion:
Braves? starting pitching
This is my first or basic part of this opinion, and there will be a numerical look to follow in another article. Conventional wisdom says their pitching is considered to be the best in the division, but I?m not totally convinced they are with the trade of Javier Vasquez. I?m not saying...
for more go to isportsweb.
ErosArtist
04-09-2010, 06:44 AM
Tip O’ The Cap, aka In My Opinion:
Braves’ starting pitching
This is my first or basic part of this opinion, and there will be a numerical look to follow in another article. Conventional wisdom says their pitching is considered to be the best in the division, but I’m not totally convinced they are with the trade of Javier Vasquez. I’m not saying...
for more go to isportsweb.
Agreed; they look good on the averages. Great as a team. But, as demonstrated last night, they can really struggle as individuals. Hanson had control issues early on. IMHO, tip o' the cap to Bobby for pulling him quickly.
And on that note, it's a tip o' the cap from me to each of you guys and girls, at least for a little while. Gotta be on the road, and accessing the great intraweb abyss is going to be an infrequent possibility.
Have fun!
Sorry but i never brought in to the whole curse thing but think of the great achivements those years in 67 Yaz won the triple crown in batting in 75 the sieres is consided one of the greatest ever and Lynn won rookie of the year plus another rookie came up that year also a guy named Rice and in 86 a guy named Clemens struck out 21 Mariners in one game and you also had a hitting machine named Boggs
:yes: Philliefan Jen
I never bought into the curse thing, either. But here in Red Sox Nation, it was practically an industry. And as such, it has meant that the success of the Red Sox since 2004 has been the equivalent of a major industry completely collapsing, with all that implies.
This trip down memory lane, Jen, is much sweeter, although Wade Boggs -- while a great hitter -- is a miserable excuse for a human being. Roger Clemens, too, come to think of it.
I am not certain, but wasn't 1986 the year that Roger Clemens got himself ejected by mouthing off at the home plate umpire during a playoff game?:confused:
No, that was 1990. It was the final game of the ALCS against Oakland, and Clemens was tossed in the second inning. He was also suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and fined.
shadows
04-09-2010, 11:05 PM
No, that was 1990. It was the final game of the ALCS against Oakland, and Clemens was tossed in the second inning. He was also suspended for the first five games of the 1991 season and fined.
Thank you for the correction.:)
What did Boggs do that made him such an awful human being?:confused:
shadows
04-09-2010, 11:16 PM
Wow! The Jays had their second come-from-behind victory yesterday.:eek::respect: They are now 3-1 and are in first place(hey, I will take that while I can!;):lol::p).
Toronto ended up beating the Orioles 7-6. Brian Anderson of the Orioles left the game with a pulled abdominal muscle(sliding into second base during a stolen base attempt), which isn't good for the Baltimore team that is trying to rebuild just like the Jays.
Boston lost again. Wakefield pitched well for the Red Sox, going 7 innings and only allowing 2 earned runs. He allowed only 1 walk and had 6 strikeouts. Unfortunately the bullpen could not hold the lead and the Red Sox lost 4-3 to the Kansas City Royals.
On a positive note, the Yankees got clobbered by the Tampa Bay Rays(I still prefer the name Tampa Bay Devil-rays) 9-3! Good! Mark Teixeira went 0-4 again and has not gotten a hit yet. This is not a surprise as he has always been notoriously crappy in April(and sometimes May). I can only hope it ends up being a season-long slump and he takes A-Roid down with him!
I noticed that we have an Atlanta Brave's fan here. Kudos to you! My sister also followed them for a few years, but has not watched them recently. Unfortunately, the Braves lost 5-4 in 13 innings to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are now 4-0.
The Phillies humiliated the Houston Astros 8-0! Houston has been awful this year!
Are there any other baseball teams that are followed by anyone here?:)
Are there any other baseball teams that are followed by anyone here?:)
Yes, please provide thorough daily updates for the following:
Greenville Drive
Lowell Spinners
Pawtucket Red Sox
Portland Sea Dogs
Salem Red Sox
Thank you kindly, sir.
Are there any other baseball teams that are followed by anyone here?:)
Surprisingly I follow the Jays (the only Toronto team that I do cheer for). I do occasionally watch out for Minnesota, but I'm not a dedicated follower.
shadows
04-11-2010, 03:34 AM
Surprisingly I follow the Jays (the only Toronto team that I do cheer for). I do occasionally watch out for Minnesota, but I'm not a dedicated follower.
Sweet! Another Jays fan. It will be nice to talk about them with a fellow fan.:cool:
They won again today, beating the Baltimore Orioles 3-0! Dana Eveland pitched great for the Jays, only allowing 5 hits in 7 1/3 innings. He allowed 2 walks and had 2 strikeouts. Not bad for basically picking him up from Oakland in February for cash.:)
Toronto is now 4-1 for the season. I will take it while it lasts.:yes:
Boston had a good game as well. They beat a very tough pitcher in Zack Greinke(the Cy Young winner for the AL last season)! Josh Beckett pitched well, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of work. He allowed nine hits, 1 walk, and had 4 strikeouts. David Ortiz did not play in the game. Greinke now has a very lofty ERA of 3.55! Last season he was 16-8, had 242 strikeouts, only gave up 11 homeruns in 229.1 innings pitched, only gave up 51 walks, and had an ERA of 2.16. Now you know why I called 3.55 a lofty ERA.;) The Red Sox won 8-3.
The Yankees unfortunately creamed the Rays 10-0. At least CC Sabathia lost his no-hit bid. The Rays only ended up getting two hits in total. Ugly game for them. Teixeira finally hit the ball and ended up 3-4. I was hoping for another hitless game from him.
Atlanta beat San Francisco 7-2, handing the Giants their first loss of the season. Jason Heyward was 3-3 with a homerun and 2 RBIs.
Philadelphia beat Houston 9-6. Houston is now the only team without a win, sitting at 0-5 to start the season.
Here's an interesting baseball "factoid" from yesterday's games:
The Tigers became only the second team since 1986 to win a 9-inning game while stranding at least 18 runners. 18!! For Detroit, it's the most men left on base since 1920.
shadows
04-12-2010, 11:04 PM
Damn it! The Jays had a 7-6 lead in the top of the 9th and Frasor blew it again! I like Frasor as a pitcher, but I don't think he has what it takes to be a closer.
And how many f:censored:king chances is Gaston going to give Overbay? Randy Ruiz showed last season that he can hit the ball, so why not stick him at first base for a game or two so Overbay can wake the :censored: up!:rolleyes:
And how many f:censored:king chances is Gaston going to give Overbay? Randy Ruiz showed last season that he can hit the ball, so why not stick him at first base for a game or two so Overbay can wake the :censored: up!:rolleyes:
Boo hoo! You think your team has problems like this? In a few months, the Jays will be so out of the pennant race that it won't matter if they dig up my grandmother and play her at first base.
My team, though, which will be in the hunt, has the David Ortiz problem and a good substitute DH on the bench. Look at Ortiz so far this season. Frightening.
shadows
04-12-2010, 11:17 PM
Boo hoo! You think your team has problems like this? In a few months, the Jays will be so out of the pennant race that it won't matter if they dig up my grandmother and play her at first base.
My team, though, which will be in the hunt, has the David Ortiz problem and a good substitute DH on the bench. Look at Ortiz so far this season. Frightening.
Boo hoo indeed!:eek: I want my beloved Jays to win as many games as possible before the inevitable collapse and playing Ruiz could help with that.;)
Ortiz could always go ballistic on the reporters again. That seemed to get him fired up so he could go 1-4 each of the next two games.;):p;)
Boo hoo indeed!:eek: I want my beloved Jays to win as many games as possible before the inevitable collapse and playing Ruiz could help with that.;)
Ortiz could always go ballistic on the reporters again. That seemed to get him fired up so he could go 1-4 each of the next two games.;):p;)
Who wants to bet that Ortiz sets a Major League record for leaving men on base in a single game before Francona benches him?
In this picture, Big Papi is saying, "Please, Manny, come back so that your asinine shenanigans and bad clubhouse behavior can mask my weaknesses at the plate. Please. Pretty please."
shadows
04-12-2010, 11:50 PM
Who wants to bet that Ortiz sets a Major League record for leaving men on base in a single game before Francona benches him?
In this picture, Big Papi is saying, "Please, Manny, come back so that your asinine shenanigans and bad clubhouse behavior can mask my weaknesses at the plate. Please. Pretty please."
What Big Papi needs to do, and probably won't do, is to compensate for the shift that the opposing teams use against him. Unless he does that, he will continually hit the ball right to one of their players. It's not like he can leg out an infield hit or anything, right?;)
What Big Papi needs to do, and probably won't do, is to compensate for the shift that the opposing teams use against him. Unless he does that, he will continually hit the ball right to one of their players. It's not like he can leg out an infield hit or anything, right?;)
He strikes out 3 and 4 times per game, so the only legging out he'll need to do is to get back to the dugout.
shadows
04-13-2010, 12:11 AM
He strikes out 3 and 4 times per game, so the only legging out he'll need to do is to get back to the dugout.
At least he has the bat to lean on when he gets short of breath on the way back to the dugout.:lol:
At least he has the bat to lean on when he gets short of breath on the way back to the dugout.:lol:
Hey, I've been at Fenway Park when Ortiz actually stole second base (and just to preempt this as a possible retort, I mean "steal" as in run from first to second while the pitcher is throwing to the catcher). The issue isn't whether he can run. The issue is getting the chance to run, including to first base. You have to hit or be hit, not strike out.
Try to keep up, man. ;)
shadows
04-13-2010, 01:59 AM
Hey, I've been at Fenway Park when Ortiz actually stole second base (and just to preempt this as a possible retort, I mean "steal" as in run from first to second while the pitcher is throwing to the catcher). The issue isn't whether he can run. The issue is getting the chance to run, including to first base. You have to hit or be hit, not strike out.
Try to keep up, man. ;)
You can still reach first base if you strike out.;)
Damn it! The Jays had a 7-6 lead in the top of the 9th and Frasor blew it again! I like Frasor as a pitcher, but I don't think he has what it takes to be a closer.
And how many f:censored:king chances is Gaston going to give Overbay? Randy Ruiz showed last season that he can hit the ball, so why not stick him at first base for a game or two so Overbay can wake the :censored: up!:rolleyes:
The Jays will have to be banned from playing at home this year. It was a fantastic start to the season until they played their home opener.
You can still reach first base if you strike out.;)
True, you can, but how many times have you actually seen it happen?
shadows
04-14-2010, 01:18 AM
The Jays will have to be banned from playing at home this year. It was a fantastic start to the season until they played their home opener.
Well, they played well tonight. Ricky Romero was mowing the White Sox players like so much chafe! He had a career high 12 strikeouts and was going for a no-hitter! Alas, Rios(of all people!!!!:censored:) hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 8th to ruin it. Romero ended up going 8 innings and giving up only that one hit.
Toronto won the game 4-2 to improve to 6-2. Not too shabby.:yes:
shadows
04-14-2010, 01:20 AM
True, you can, but how many times have you actually seen it happen?
With Big Papi? Never.;):lol:
Maybe he could do it if there was a pizza waved at him from the first base coach.;):p
transjen
04-14-2010, 01:44 AM
Damn it! The Jays had a 7-6 lead in the top of the 9th and Frasor blew it again! I like Frasor as a pitcher, but I don't think he has what it takes to be a closer.
And how many f:censored:king chances is Gaston going to give Overbay? Randy Ruiz showed last season that he can hit the ball, so why not stick him at first base for a game or two so Overbay can wake the :censored: up!:rolleyes:I know how you feel awhile back when Larry Bowa was managing the Phillies they would be up in the ninth inning with a 3 run lead and Bowa would call for a smuck named Mesa and the Phillies would lose by 2
:hug: Philliefan Jen
shadows
04-14-2010, 01:55 AM
I know how you feel awhile back when Larry Bowa was managing the Phillies they would be up in the ninth inning with a 3 run lead and Bowa would call for a smuck named Mesa and the Phillies would lose by 2
:hug: Philliefan Jen
I remember watching and/or reading about the "highlights" from those games. Not pretty.:eek::no:
I remember the Miguel Batista era....talk about putrid! The guy always had the "deer in the headlights" look on his face whenever he went out there for a save attempt. I thought he was either going to keel over dead from a heart attack or crap his drawers!
dauls
04-14-2010, 02:38 AM
Hey, I've been at Fenway Park when Ortiz actually stole second base (and just to preempt this as a possible retort, I mean "steal" as in run from first to second while the pitcher is throwing to the catcher). The issue isn't whether he can run. The issue is getting the chance to run, including to first base. You have to hit or be hit, not strike out.
Try to keep up, man. ;)
All this talk of Big Papi and stolen bases.:confused:
I don't believe it, but his stats say he has stolen base TEN times in MLB, the last time was during a 5-2 Red Sox win over the Athletics on Sunday, 3rd August 2008 at Fenway Park. And here's the proof:
157724;)
Joking aside:
Big Papi came to the plate in the Bottom of the 5th, the Red Sox held a 4-2 lead (2 Outs).
Ortiz Walked on 6-pitches.
On the first pitch to Mike Lowell, Ortiz STOLE 2nd base (P: Santiago Casilla, C: Rob Bowen).
But 6-pitches later Lowell struckout stranding (the exhausted) Ortiz on 2nd.
All this talk of Big Papi and stolen bases.:confused:
I don't believe it, but his stats say he has stolen base TEN times in MLB, the last time was during a 5-2 Red Sox win over the Athletics on Sunday, 3rd August 2008 at Fenway Park.
That's the game I was at. I remember it well, because I ran into a friend outside the ballpark who I hadn't seen since we were 8 years old!
With Big Papi? Never.;):lol:
Maybe he could do it if there was a pizza waved at him from the first base coach.;):p
What's with all the innuendo about Ortiz being a fatty? He's big, but not fat. His problem is that he has no bat speed, not his body shape.
^ And, by the way, Ortiz nearly stole second base in this afternoon's game. He was just barely tagged out on the head as he went by the Twins infielder. (Of course, he's also struck out twice so far, and left more men on base.)
shadows
04-14-2010, 11:14 PM
What's with all the innuendo about Ortiz being a fatty? He's big, but not fat. His problem is that he has no bat speed, not his body shape.
No innuendo at all. It's a joke. I am making light of his name, which so happens to be called Big Papi. Sheesh.
I should add that I actually like Big Papi. I truly hope that he can find a way out of his slump.
shadows
04-14-2010, 11:21 PM
Maybe the Blue Jays fans need to stop booing Alex Rios. Every time they do, he ends up burning the Jays. You would think they would learn the first 2 times he did it.:rolleyes:
Morrow stunk to high heaven again. Overbay was useless yet again, with his sweet 0-4 night! A nice grounding into a double play to go along with his fearsome .088 batting average.
However, the ugliest thing about the game was the attendance. It was only 10610. That is freaking pathetic! Do the fans want it to be another Expos situation and the team moving somewhere else due to the fans not showing up? Disgusting! Start supporting your team or you won't have a team.:censored::rolleyes::no:
shadows
04-14-2010, 11:37 PM
Here are the other scores from the teams that we actually care about(and with the Yankees, despise;)).
1. Boston beat Minnesota 6-3. Lackey pitched a pretty good game for the Red Sox. He issued 4 walks but he kept the damage to a minimum. He gave up 2 earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. His ERA is now 1.42.
I really wish that the Jays were able to keep Marco Scutaro. He is a good leadoff hitter as he is showing with the Red Sox. He was 2-5 with an RBI(his second) and has a .320 batting average. I realize that it is just the start of the season, but he was excellent for the Jays before he got his bell rung in the field last season. I am just thankful that he didn't sign with the Yankees.
Another note. Jonathan Papelbon wasn't super sharp in the game, as he issued 2 walks(something that he rarely did last season). I think that this was just an early blip and he will be lights-out like he has been the past 4 seasons.
2. LA Angels beat the Yankees 5-3. A-Roid was 0-3 with 3 strikeouts, which is always nice to see.
3. Philadelphia beat Washington 14-7. Boy, the Nationals like getting early leads and then giving them right back! This was an ugly game for both starters:
Philly Starter Kyle Kendrick: 1.2 IP, 6 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned runs, 3 walks, and only 1 strikeout. He was up to 52 pitches when he got yanked. His ERA ballooned up to 17.47.
Washington Starter Craig Stammen: 1.1 IP, 7 hits, 7 runs, 7 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts. He was up to 53 pitches when his game came to an end. His ERA jumped up to 15.63.
Phillie's offense is amazing, especially considering that Jimmy Rollins was placed on the 15 day DL with a right calf strain.
3. Chicago White Sox beat Toronto 11-1. As mentioned above, the Jays offense was stymied by a very good Josh Danks and the pitching was quite horrible as well. Morrow gave up 7 earned runs in 4 IP.
4. St. Louis beat Houston 2-1. I don't think anyone here follows either team, but I wanted to add this game so I could mention that with this loss the Houston Astros remain winless at 0-8 to start the season.:eek:
In a game that is still being played(currently bottom of the 8th), Atlanta holds a 6-1 lead over San Diego. Jason Heyward is 1-4 and got his 10th RBI(not too shabby!).
transjen
04-15-2010, 01:12 AM
The Phillies played a great football game today as you can see by the score :lol: i have a feeling that when the Phillies play the Cubs this year it will be a 24-21 score
:yes:Philliefan Jen
No innuendo at all. It's a joke. I am making light of his name, which so happens to be called Big Papi. Sheesh.
I should add that I actually like Big Papi. I truly hope that he can find a way out of his slump.
Dear shadows,
Do I really need to use emoticons :);):cool: in every post to make sure you don't take me too seriously? :yes::rolleyes: I thought our relationship was beyond that.:respect:
Your buddy,
smc
shadows
04-15-2010, 11:07 PM
Dear shadows,
Do I really need to use emoticons :);):cool: in every post to make sure you don't take me too seriously? :yes::rolleyes: I thought our relationship was beyond that.:respect:
Your buddy,
smc
We'll just chalk it up to my anger at the Blue Jays horrific effort last night.;):respect::)
shadows
04-15-2010, 11:23 PM
A nice night for the Blue Jays tonight...well, except for Lyle Overpaid of course. The lump of crap was 0-5 with 4 strikeouts! What the heck does it take to sit this bum for a game? Heck, Francona did it with David Ortiz, so I think that Gaston can do it with whiffle-man. It is beyond frustrating!:censored: He now has a sweet .077 batting average. You might as well just stick a bat in the ground at home plate and see if the ball happens to hit the bat, for all the good that Overpaid is doing right now!
Onto the good news for the game. Toronto beat the White Sox 7-3. Eveland had his second straight good game and set a Blue Jays record at the same time. He started off his Blue Jays career with 11 1/3 scoreless innings, which beat the old record of 10 2/3 which was held by Mike Flanagan(way back in 1987!). Congrats Dana!:respect:
-------------------
-------------------
Not a good night at all for Boston. They got smacked around by the Twins, 8-0. David Ortiz was given the day off(Francona said it was due to Francisco Liriano being a tough lefty for Ortiz to face), but it appears that all the bats took the day off.:eek:
There is also some potential trouble for a couple of the Red Sox hitters. It looks like Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Crawford may have to go onto the 15 day DL. Crawford is getting tested for lower abdominal pain(possibly his appendix) and Ellsbury hurt his ribs when he crashed into teammate Adrian Beltre last Sunday.
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
Atlanta beat San Diego 6-2. Jason Heyward was 2-3 and got his 11th and 12th RBIs of the season. He is also now hitting .303. Atlanta imroves to 5-4 on the season with this victory.
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
In a rare turn of events, it was the Phillie's bullpen that coughed up the lead this time. Philly had a 4-1 lead until the top of the 8th inning. Washington scored 3 times in the 8th and 2 times in the 9th to go ahead for good. Philly got a run in the bottom of the 9th, but it was not enough. They lost the game 7-5.
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Dang. The Yankees won 6-2. It always brings a frown to my face when that happens.:(
Not a good night at all for Boston. They got smacked around by the Twins, 8-0. David Ortiz was given the day off(Francona said it was due to Francisco Liriano being a tough lefty for Ortiz to face), but it appears that all the bats took the day off.:eek:
There is also some potential trouble for a couple of the Red Sox hitters. It looks like Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Crawford may have to go onto the 15 day DL. Crawford is getting tested for lower abdominal pain(possibly his appendix) and Ellsbury hurt his ribs when he crashed into teammate Adrian Beltre last Sunday.
I think Ortiz would have been sitting even if he wasn't having troubles this year. It was Lowell's turn to DH; his has been a strong righthanded bat against Liriano in the past.
Two corrections: I think it's a safer bet to say that Beltre crashed into Ellsbury, not the other way around. It was Jacoby's catch to make, and he called off Beltre. Oh, and by the way shadows, I'm guessing the Red Sox had a reasonably good night. Their game, however, was during the day. ;)
shadows
04-17-2010, 01:17 AM
I think Ortiz would have been sitting even if he wasn't having troubles this year. It was Lowell's turn to DH; his has been a strong righthanded bat against Liriano in the past.
Two corrections: I think it's a safer bet to say that Beltre crashed into Ellsbury, not the other way around. It was Jacoby's catch to make, and he called off Beltre. Oh, and by the way shadows, I'm guessing the Red Sox had a reasonably good night. Their game, however, was during the day. ;)
I'll try to do better next time.;):p:lol:
So, the Red Sox and Rays had their game suspended in the 9th inning. David Ortiz is the batter, and wouldn't it be sweet after all the trash-talking that has been done to him if he hit a game-winning homerun?
The weather forecast looks to be quite crappy for the entire weekend. You guys might even get some flurries!:eek:
It was about 29-30 celcius Thursday, but it dropped to about 18C Friday. Darn it! I want the nice weather to stick around.;)
A lousy game by the Jays. Marcum did not have a great game, and Lyle Overpaid was a rocking 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Hey Cito! Why the :censored: are you continually putting him in the 5th position?!?! He is hitting .070 now for crying out loud! The Jays rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th...and guess who ended the rally with a strikeout? Yep! Lype "Craphead" Overbay! He is my faaavourite player!:rolleyes::censored:
The Jays lost 7-5.:(
So, the Red Sox and Rays had their game suspended in the 9th inning. David Ortiz is the batter, and wouldn't it be sweet after all the trash-talking that has been done to him if he hit a game-winning homerun?
The weather forecast looks to be quite crappy for the entire weekend. You guys might even get some flurries!:eek:
MLB rules state that you must complete the first game of a series before the second game can begin, so the Sox and Rays are scheduled to pick up yesterday's game at 7:10 tonight, before game 2. But the rain isn't going anywhere! As for Ortiz hitting a game-winning homer, well ... not if there's an extra .00005 oz. of weight on his bat from the moisture in the air. (I really hope I'm wrong about him!)
A lousy game by the Jays. Marcum did not have a great game, and Lyle Overpaid was a rocking 0-4 with 2 strikeouts. Hey Cito! Why the :censored: are you continually putting him in the 5th position?!?! He is hitting .070 now for crying out loud! The Jays rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th...and guess who ended the rally with a strikeout? Yep! Lype "Craphead" Overbay! He is my faaavourite player!:rolleyes::censored:
The Jays lost 7-5.:(
Overbay is channeling Ortiz. No, wait. Ortiz is channeling Overbay. No, wait. They're both channeling Mendoza and his famous line!
dauls
04-17-2010, 09:00 AM
:) Win number three for Doc against the Marlins on Friday night. :cool:
The Phillies were leading 8-2 when Halladay left the game after the 8th.
In the 9th there was another wobble by the Phillies bullpen, but fortunately the Marlins only managed to score 4 runs and we held on for the win.
Go ahead, my Forum friends. You know who you are. Pile it on. Help me answer the question: what in the hell is wrong with my beloved Red Sox?
shadows
04-19-2010, 01:33 AM
Go ahead, my Forum friends. You know who you are. Pile it on. Help me answer the question: what in the hell is wrong with my beloved Red Sox?
No piling it on from me. The Jays are only 7-6 now, and with the loaf named Overpaid on the team, I certainly won't be doing any gloating.:(
shadows
04-19-2010, 01:47 AM
Lyle Overpaid at work...
158338
shadows
04-20-2010, 12:53 AM
I'm surprised that no one posted in this thread since yesterday!
Toronto bounced back from a poor series against the Angels and whupped some Royal ass!;) The Jays won 8-1, and Brandon Morrow had his first stellar game of the young season(his first two were quite putrid to be honest). His pitching line was: 7.0 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and 8 strikeouts. He lowered his bloated ERA from 12.00 to 7.31(another start or two like this and his ERA will be back to respectable numbers).
As much as I love to bash Lyle Overbay(and rightfully so!), I cannot fault his play today. He was 2-2 and had two walks as well. He average, while still poor, is finally over .100(.115 to be exact). Hopefully this is a sign of things to come and he will start to swing the bat well on a consistent basis.
Jose Bautista was 2-4 with two homeruns(2-run shot and a 3-run shot)! Nice!
Aaron hill should be back from the 15-day DL on Friday, and his return should inject an infusion of offense for the Jays!
shadows
04-20-2010, 12:56 AM
In the only other game that involves a team that a member here follows, Tampa Bay beat Boston 8-2. I really cannot fathom what is wrong with Boston right now. I do think they'll pick it up offensively once they get the players back that are currently injured, and they have good pitchers that I am sure will pick their game up soon.
Tampa Bay is playing the best ball of any of the teams in MLB right now, so Boston cannot be blamed too much. Tampa has a 10-3 record and are currently first in the AL East.
Sometimes all a slumping baseball team needs is a little spark, and it can come from the most unlikely place. Will that be the case for Boston going forward? It certainly happened last night against the Texas Rangers.
The Red Sox had no choice but to put two outfielders, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron, on the Disabled List. Usually, Ellsbury is the team spark. He leads off, steals lots of bases, goes from 1st to 3rd routinely on steals, and goes 1st to home on singles. But he's out after a collision with Adrian Beltre last week.
So, the Red Sox, needing and outfielders, called up Josh Reddick from Pawtucket.
At the end of 5 innings, the Rangers were ahead 6-2. Tim Wakefield had been shaky. In the bottom of the 6th, though, Reddick hit a two-run double that put the team back in the game. It was in the bottom of the 8th, though, that the spark became a fire.
Darnell McDonald had also been called up from Pawtucket, though in a bit less definite way than Reddick (see below). An unlikely hero, and pinch-hitting for Reddick, he launched a homer into the Green Monster seats in the bottom of the 8th to tie the game. The Fenway Faithful, who have had little to cheer about of late, erupted!
McDonald stayed in the game, and he wasn't finished.
Jonathan Papelbon, who has also been shaky, came in to pitch the 9th, and held the Rangers. And then, in the bottom of the 9th, who would come to bat with men on base but Darnell McDonald. He nearly hit another homer, but instead his towering show fell short and scraped the left-field wall just out of reach of Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton. It was all that was needed, and the winning run came home.
The Red Sox have their first walkoff victory of the year, and Darnell McDonald's name is being celebrated throughout Red Sox Nation. He's no spring chicken; he's been a minor leaguer for 12+ years, coming up to "the show" for 17 games in 2004 with Baltimore, 4 with the Twins in 2007, and 47 with Cincinnati last year. But for the Red Sox, he had only been asked to get to town, wait in a hotel, and see whether Jacoby Ellsbury was okay after batting practice. The answer was Jacoby on the DL and McDonald to the ballpark, "just in case."
The rest is history.
Perhaps the spark will stay?
It's a good night to be a Boston sports fan! First, the Bruins win in the 2nd overtime, and just now, the Red Sox just won their second walk-off in a row. Tonight, it took 12 innings, and the hero was Kevin Youkilis. But we'll take wins however they come!
Oh, and by the way, Darnell McDonald (see post just above) started for the Sox in center field, and hit another homer.
shadows
04-22-2010, 12:38 AM
It's a good night to be a Boston sports fan! First, the Bruins win in the 2nd overtime, and just now, the Red Sox just won their second walk-off in a row. Tonight, it took 12 innings, and the hero was Kevin Youkilis. But we'll take wins however they come!
Oh, and by the way, Darnell McDonald (see post just above) started for the Sox in center field, and hit another homer.
It looks like the tonic to cure their ails was a series against Texas.:)
I wish the Jays had taken some of that remedy! They actually came back to tie the game at 3 but Downs left a pitch right down the middle in the top of the 10th and the Jays ended up losing 4-3 in 10 innings. Dang.
I really wish the Yankees would stop winning. At least Tampa Bay is giving them a run for their money(1/2 game back of first).
I really miss Halladay and his 4-0 record and 0.82 ERA.:(
shadows
04-22-2010, 01:44 PM
Inner thoughts of an outfielder.;)
158639
shadows
04-22-2010, 01:46 PM
New uses for PEDs that Mark McGuire can try out.:innocent:
158640
shadows
04-24-2010, 12:44 AM
Woohoo! The Jays beat Tampa Bay 6-5! I was a little worried there near the end, but the Jays prevailed!:)
They beat a very tough team(the Rays are now 12-5)! I hope they can at least win one more in the series.
The Red Sox are playing the best possible team to face at the moment, the Baltimore Orioles. It isn't a stretch to think that Boston can sweep the series, as Baltimore is the worst team right now in all of MLB! Baltimore is 2-15 for the season. That is putrid!
David Ortiz got a dinger, but that was his only hit on the evening. It helped them to win, which is the main thing.;)
The Yankees lost their second game in a row. Niiiiice!:cool:
dauls
04-24-2010, 12:09 PM
I have just heard that Fenway Park may host a pre-season football friendly on 21st July 2010 between Scotland's Old Firm rivals Glasgow Rangers and Celtic.
It'll be war and Boston needs to be prepared for the fans' post-match fighting.;):lol:
I have just heard that Fenway Park may host a pre-season football friendly on 21st July 2010 between Scotland's Old Firm rivals Glasgow Rangers and Celtic.
It'll be war and Boston needs to be prepared for the fans' post-match fighting.;):lol:
Yes, this was reported yesterday by The Boston Globe. According to the president of the Fenway Sports Group, Sam Kennedy, "The reason why we are so interested in this game is because of the matchup ? Celtic and Rangers is a rivalry like the Red Sox and Yankees, a 100-year rivalry, and the unique thing is they have never played off Scottish soil. We wouldn't be interested in just any soccer match or event. When we go after games, we are focused on the blue-chip nature of events."
Also, said Kennedy, the Fenway Civic Association (the association of neighborhood residents and businesses) "received the proposal very, very well" during a meeting Thursday night. Apparently, the post-match fighting Dauls mentions didn't come up.
From my perspective, this is yet more proof that baseball is the greatest sport humans have invented. The evidence this time is that the football (soccer) teams are interested in "trading up" to play in a Temple of Baseball, but you don't hear any baseball teams expressing interest in playing, say, in Wembley Stadium. :lol:
shadows
04-24-2010, 09:38 PM
The Jays bullpen decided to lay a huge :censored:ing egg! Romero pitched an excellent game, giving up 2 earned runs in 7 innings(the Jays had a 3-2 lead at that time). The bottom of the 8th was horrible. The final ended up being 9-3 for Tampa Bay. Damn it!:censored::rolleyes::(
shadows
04-25-2010, 06:59 PM
How to steal a base.;)
158978
shadows
04-25-2010, 07:01 PM
Bunting 101.:p
158979
caldo2806
04-26-2010, 11:17 AM
Yes, this was reported yesterday by The Boston Globe. According to the president of the Fenway Sports Group, Sam Kennedy, "The reason why we are so interested in this game is because of the matchup — Celtic and Rangers is a rivalry like the Red Sox and Yankees, a 100-year rivalry, and the unique thing is they have never played off Scottish soil. We wouldn't be interested in just any soccer match or event. When we go after games, we are focused on the blue-chip nature of events."
Also, said Kennedy, the Fenway Civic Association (the association of neighborhood residents and businesses) "received the proposal very, very well" during a meeting Thursday night. Apparently, the post-match fighting Dauls mentions didn't come up.
From my perspective, this is yet more proof that baseball is the greatest sport humans have invented. The evidence this time is that the football (soccer) teams are interested in "trading up" to play in a Temple of Baseball, but you don't hear any baseball teams expressing interest in playing, say, in Wembley Stadium. :lol:
ahahaha mate shut it baseball the greatest game invented lmfao its your baseball teams that want rangers and celtic to play at their grounds because of the amount of fans we have in the usa. Glasgow Rangers Champions 2010 53 and counting we are the people. oh and the OLD FIRM is a much better rivallary than the yankees and red sox it is the best rivallary in football and is probably the best in the world out of all sports.
ahahaha mate shut it baseball the greatest game invented lmfao its your baseball teams that want rangers and celtic to play at their grounds because of the amount of fans we have in the usa. Glasgow Rangers Champions 2010 53 and counting we are the people. oh and the OLD FIRM is a much better rivallary than the yankees and red sox it is the best rivallary in football and is probably the best in the world out of all sports.
Turns out the football teams came looking for venues in the United States. And as for the quality of the rivalries, well, isn't it wonderful that we're all entitled to our own opinions? :yes::)
caldo2806
04-26-2010, 01:41 PM
am pretty sure it was a baseball team or an american company that proposed the idea to the clubs.
The latest word is that Boston is competing with Baltimore to host this match. But let's get this thread back to the greatest sport, baseball. There's already an English Premier League thread, and if someone wants to start an Old Firm thread that would be fine.
caldo2806
04-26-2010, 02:06 PM
aye kl sorry if for being a dick over this haha :respect:
aye kl sorry if for being a dick over this haha :respect:
No apology necessary. I don't think there is anything bad about what you wrote.
caldo2806
04-26-2010, 03:31 PM
awryt kl jst fot a was getting on your nerves
shadows
04-26-2010, 07:40 PM
Smc, it looks like neither of our starting pitchers are playing worth a damn tonight!:censored:
Actually, as I type this Dana Eveland has been yanked from the game(and rightfully so!) after letting the first two batters reach in the top of the fourth.
For now, the score is currently 6-5 Toronto in the top of the fourth. I have no illusions that this score will remain.:no:
shadows
04-26-2010, 07:46 PM
I was right. 6-6 tie now.:rolleyes:
shadows
04-26-2010, 07:55 PM
I honestly sometimes wonder about the Management capability of Cito Gaston. He leaves a starter in that is obviously struggling and leaves him in after the offense bails out the starter by scoring 6 runs for him. He then, after waiting too long to yank the starter, decides to stick the shittiest reliever that the Jays have in their bullpen right now(Jeremy Accardo). Way to manage a good game, Cito!:rolleyes:
8-6 Boston at the moment.
shadows
04-26-2010, 08:19 PM
8-8 game! Whew! What's that smell? Oh yeah! It's the starting pitchers for both teams! They stink!:p:lol::lol:
It's 9-8 now, Boston leading. I've been concentrating my attention on the Bruins tonight, however, and they close to advancing. Buffalo just scored as I'm typing, so it's 4-3 Boston, with just over a minute.
shadows
04-26-2010, 08:41 PM
It's 9-8 now, Boston leading. I've been concentrating my attention on the Bruins tonight, however, and they close to advancing. Buffalo just scored as I'm typing, so it's 4-3 Boston, with just over a minute.
Yep. I was following the hockey game online. Boston won, and now they can enjoy a few days off until their next game(not sure who they would be facing, though).
The baseball game is 9-9 now.:eek:
shadows
04-26-2010, 10:19 PM
Boston won 13-12. While it may have been a fun game to watch(hope their next series in July has games as exciting;)), both bullpens need to give their heads a shake. Disgusting display of pitching.
I am pretty sure that smc will agree that it wasn't a case of our hitters being great, it was a case of our pitchers(most of them, anyhow) sucking eggs!
Boston won 13-12. While it may have been a fun game to watch(hope their next series in July has games as exciting;)), both bullpens need to give their heads a shake. Disgusting display of pitching.
I am pretty sure that smc will agree that it wasn't a case of our hitters being great, it was a case of our pitchers(most of them, anyhow) sucking eggs!
Yes, I agree. And I think no team deserves to win games like this. Of course, how you would build that kind of rule into the governing regimen of baseball is beyond me.
shadows
04-27-2010, 11:37 PM
At least tonight's game had a much more respectable score! Although I would have preferred for the Jays not to lose another 1-run game. The final was 2-1 Boston.
jdawg
05-01-2010, 11:44 AM
I can't believe out offense is so shit that we can't score when we had 2 straight innings of bases loaded. The Mariners offense blows and we better trade for a big bat to improve our middle of the order.
dauls
05-02-2010, 12:00 AM
After the Phillies' Friday night 9-1 thumping by the Mets, it was great to see the Doc back on the mound on Saturday night. Another shutout in another complete game. It made up for the Doc's off-night during last Monday's the 5-1 defeat at the Giants.
shadows
05-02-2010, 12:21 AM
I can't believe out offense is so shit that we can't score when we had 2 straight innings of bases loaded. The Mariners offense blows and we better trade for a big bat to improve our middle of the order.
But you have Milton Bradley!;)
In all seriousness, I am sooooooo glad the Jays didn't pick him up in the offseason. If we still had JP as the GM, he would have signed him to a massive deal.:eek:
And I feel your pain, jdawg. The offense for the Jays isn't exactly stellar(although we lead the league in homeruns with 35, not including Saturday's games). I believe that the Jays have 4 players hitting under .200.
ErosArtist
05-13-2010, 09:48 AM
Well, I'm back...yay!
And the Braves are nothing, if not consistent!
We'll see how this upcoming series goes...
shadows
05-14-2010, 01:23 AM
Well, I'm back...yay!
And the Braves are nothing, if not consistent!
We'll see how this upcoming series goes...
At least Heyward is playing some excellent 'ball!:respect:
ErosArtist
05-14-2010, 04:12 PM
At least Heyward is playing some excellent 'ball!:respect:
Yep...he had a good run in Milwaukee, as did Glaus.
The series with the Cardinals start tonight...could be interesting.
shadows
05-15-2010, 01:13 AM
Quite the game for the Jays last night! They were down 3-0 early, fight back to tie it up, Cecil promptly gives the lead back again(8-3 by that time), another run scored against the Jays bullpen, and then the Jays come back with 8 runs in the bottom of the third!
Toronto ended up winning 16-10. Certainly not a pitcher's duel, that is for sure! Overbay ends up 3-3 and in now hitting a sizzling .189.:rolleyes: He had a good game, but he needs to keep it up.
ErosArtist
05-15-2010, 05:53 AM
Not so good for the Braves. First inning error by Glaus, and poor Kawakami - no run support, whatsoever.
Arizona's gonna be a tough series, me thinks...
Big Papi -- David Ortiz -- finally came alive, with two homers in last night's Red Sox victory over the Tigers (sorry, aw). Little compensation for the Bruins' epic collapse, but at least now I will be devoting my full sports attention to humankind's greatest sport.
Big Papi -- David Ortiz -- finally came alive, with two homers in last night's Red Sox victory over the Tigers (sorry, aw). Little compensation for the Bruins' epic collapse, but at least now I will be devoting my full sports attention to humankind's greatest sport.
I see you are going to be keep all of your attention on hockey, smc. :):lol:
I see you are going to be keep all of your attention on hockey, smc. :):lol:
I wrote in error. I meant that I will be keeping my full BOSTON sports attention on the Red Sox now (and now that I think of it, that's not even true, because the Celtics are still in it). I will absolutely follow the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs. I love hockey, even if it is decidedly NOT humankind's greatest sport.
shadows
05-16-2010, 02:00 AM
Big Papi -- David Ortiz -- finally came alive, with two homers in last night's Red Sox victory over the Tigers (sorry, aw). Little compensation for the Bruins' epic collapse, but at least now I will be devoting my full sports attention to humankind's greatest sport.
Ortiz had another good night at the plate, going 3-6 with 2 RBIs(which gives him 17 for the season). His average is now .232, which is a huge increase from what it was even a week ago! It certainly looks like his slump is over, which can only help Boston!
Unfortunately, smc, the Red Sox lost 7-6 in the bottom of the 12th inning. Via a walk!:eek:
shadows
05-16-2010, 02:03 AM
Toronto beat Texas last night 6-0! Ricky Romero was stellar, going the complete game and only giving up 5 hits and issuing 1 walk. He had 12 strikeouts(matching a career high) in his first career shutout. His ERA lowered to 2.88 and his recond is 4-1 for the season. Good job!:respect:
Overbay was 1-4 and now his average is a lofty .191 (up from the .189 the night before). Whew! If he keeps this up, he'll be hitting .200 by June!:eek::rolleyes:
shadows
05-19-2010, 02:44 AM
Thank you Jonathan Papelbon for not allowing the Yankees to win for the second night in a row(you had me worried for a moment there!)! You allowed the Jays to finally gain a game in the Wild Card standings(they are only 2 games behind the Yankees now) as Tampa Bay won....again!
Toronto beat Minnesota 11-2(clubbing 4 home runs)! With those 4 homeruns, Toronto now has 65 for the season so far, by far the most in the Majors!:cool:
Even if they don't continue to play good baseball, I am impressed with the way the Jays are playing this year. They have had 13 come-from-behind victories so far this season(something they could rarely do in the past few seasons) and are an entertaining team to watch. The players actually look like they want to play!
Ortiz had another couple of hits in the Red Sox victory. It looks like he has found his swing again.
Thank you Jonathan Papelbon for not allowing the Yankees to win for the second night in a row(you had me worried for a moment there!)! You allowed the Jays to finally gain a game in the Wild Card standings(they are only 2 games behind the Yankees now) as Tampa Bay won....again!
Toronto beat Minnesota 11-2(clubbing 4 home runs)! With those 4 homeruns, Toronto now has 65 for the season so far, by far the most in the Majors!:cool:
Even if they don't continue to play good baseball, I am impressed with the way the Jays are playing this year. They have had 13 come-from-behind victories so far this season(something they could rarely do in the past few seasons) and are an entertaining team to watch. The players actually look like they want to play!
Ortiz had another couple of hits in the Red Sox victory. It looks like he has found his swing again.
This is the earliest in the season I can ever remember anyone mentioning the "wild card standings."
shadows
05-20-2010, 03:45 AM
This is the earliest in the season I can ever remember anyone mentioning the "wild card standings."
I have to have dreams, right?;)
Besides, the way Tampa Bay is playing right now, there is no point in hoping for a AL East victory for the Jays.:lol:
Toronto beat Seattle 3-2 and are only 1 game behind the dreaded Yankees, who lost 10-6 to the Rays.
Boston beat Minnesota 3-2.
transjen
05-29-2010, 10:34 PM
Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies :yes: way to go Roy
:cool:Philliefan Jen
dauls
05-29-2010, 10:53 PM
Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies :yes: way to go Roy
:cool:Philliefan Jen
Jen, I have to agree. A perfect game, what an amazing performance by the Doc, especially after his nightmare against Boston last Sunday.
:respect:
shadows
05-29-2010, 11:49 PM
Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies :yes: way to go Roy
:cool:Philliefan Jen
I am truly happy for Roy. He was always classy as a Blue Jay, and he was classy in his departure to Philadelphia. It could not have happened to a nicer guy.:respect::cool:
Congratulations to Doc. Anyone who pitches a perfect game deserves kudos.
It's feast or famine for the Phillies these days. They can't score a run for more than 20 straight innings, and the next thing you know they have a perfect game.
oldawg
05-30-2010, 07:45 AM
All the time here & I've yet to post in this thread...(honestly, when I'm here, I've got other things on my mind!!!), so I thought I'd wave my flag here for a minute...LETS GO METS!!! LETS GO METS!!! LETS GO METS!!!HAHAHA, I love baseball & I love my Mets...In my opinion (that's why I'm posting) BY FAR the greatest sport in the world, not even close (sorry soccer fans, oops, I mean futbol!). In reality I have nothing against soccer, so please don't give me shit here, I have the utmost respect for all sport, but I thank God that I happened to be born in a place where I grew up with the greatest sport ever invented...BASEBALL!!!
I can see that I've already got my work cut out for me here, what with the Phils & Sox & Braves fans...& I'm sure theres a bunch of Yankmees (couldn't help myself) fans ready to tell me how bad my team sucks, but thats alright, its all good.
I'm an extremely loyal Mets fan, been one all my life...Got one ring in '86 & just missed one in 2000 (just talkin what I've seen myself, of course we cant forget '69 & '73!)
Actually, my Metsies have made it to more World Series (4) than any other expansion team. (Winning 2 of course, & they came into the league at a time when baseball didn't just hand big-league players to expansion teams!)
Right now my team is not nearly as bad as everyone might say...surely schizophrenic, but they can actually play a bit.
Heres a few opinions in case anyone wants to jump in & kill me here;):
1) METS RULE!!!
2) The DH has no place in baseball. It has completely ruined the American League. Baseball is 9 players at a time. That is inherent in the beauty of the game. Adding the DH has turned the AL into some kind of schoolyard joke. I think the fans of the DH probably only support it because their teams use it, so by default they like their team, they like the players on their team, they like the big bopper playing DH on their team, they like the DH rule. IF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EVER ADOPTS THE DH RULE I WILL NEVER WATCH BASEBALL AGAIN. Seriously. & I love this game. That's what I mean by saying it actually ruins the game.
3) Interleague play sucks. Although I have to admit its kind of fun to play the Yanks, or even just to see a few different teams now & then, Interleague play chips away at the integrity of the pennant race. Each division needs a balanced schedule (by balanced I mean heavy on Division games, followed by heavy on League games), so each league can have a true champion, & those two teams can play in the World Series for it all.
4) Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Of course he should. He's the best hitter to ever play the game, right? It doesn't matter if he's an asshole, he was the best.
5) So should Shoeless Joe Jackson. I never saw him obviously, but this is the usual argument given about Rose. Jackson =.356 lifetime avg. C'mon already.
6) So far, I've got no problem with the use of replay. I'd prefer not to have it, but when modern umpires suck sooooooobad, you've got to do something to get the calls correct. As long as they keep its use minimal, im ok for now.
7) The Wild Card sucks. I know, the Mets wouldn't have gotten to the World Series in 2000 without it, or even to the playoffs in '99, but I still feel the postseason is no place for a 2nd place team. Just look to basketball to see how this idea run amok can ruin a sport's regular season.
8) Gary Carter should be in the Hall of Fame AS A MET. 'nough said.
9) I know it's reeeeaaal early, but Ike Davis looks like the real deal. Let's hope so!
Well, I've said my peace. May the best team win, & Lemme have it~
oldawg:lol:
7) The Wild Card sucks. I know, the Mets wouldn't have gotten to the World Series in 2000 without it, or even to the playoffs in '99, but I still feel the postseason is no place for a 2nd place team. Just look to basketball to see how this idea run amok can ruin a sport's regular season.
oldawg's post has a lot to discuss, but for now I will take up only one point: the one regarding the Wild Card.
I agree, but I think that anyone who slams the Wild Card concept in baseball has an obligation to propose an alternative. After all, there are three divisions in each league. Championships organized according to the "playoff" model must, by their very nature, have an even number of teams involved, and if there is not an even number "automatically" (e.g., by having four divisions), there must be some complex mathematical formula for determining who makes the playoffs. So, oldawg, how would you fix this problem? Go back to one big AL and NL? Consolidate into two divisions per league? Expand to four?
One thing that has been discussed in the past by baseball writers is to have the two teams that win divisions but with the "worst" records play in the first round, and then the winner would play the division winner with the best record (who would be given a "by" in Round 1). Do you think that's a good idea?
Again, I agree that the Wild Card sucks. But what is the alternative?
oldawg
05-30-2010, 10:20 AM
Ha, Ha, Ha...SMC youre a son-of-a-gun for sure...the wild card issue is the one where i don't actually have an answer, so of course thats what you call me out on!!!
Well first of all, MLB needs to rectify the problem of the imbalanced leagues...The NL has 16 teams & the AL has 14. What's up with that? Somehow the NL Central needs to lose a team & the AL West needs to add one. Problem is I don't think any of those NL Central teams will voluntarily go to the AL at all, let alone to the Western Division. Hows any of these ideas:
1) Move Houston to the AL West
2) Move Houston to the NL West; Arizona or Colorado to AL West
3) Move Milwaukee back to the AL Central; Kansas City to AL West
The expansion teams(Arizona & Colorado) have no right to claim League or Division loyalty. Kansas City could use a change. Milwaukee won't go back to the AL.
Theres not enough teams for four divisions in each league, & I would hate to see a NHL-type of point system determining playoff seedings. Also, theres of course not enough pitching talent to expand the league to 32 teams, so for now i think we're stuck with 3 division winners & the wild card.
I think at this point we're way beyond the 2 division leagues. After having so many races for all these years, I don't think anyone would want to go back to that (Myself included...the Mets would be out of it by June most years).
Actually, upon rereading your point regarding the round 1 bye, it is sounding better & better. But they need to even out the leagues of course...:respect:
Ha, Ha, Ha...SMC youre a son-of-a-gun for sure...the wild card issue is the one where i don't actually have an answer, so of course thats what you call me out on!!!
Well first of all, MLB needs to rectify the problem of the imbalanced leagues...The NL has 16 teams & the AL has 14. What's up with that? Somehow the NL Central needs to lose a team & the AL West needs to add one. Problem is I don't think any of those NL Central teams will voluntarily go to the AL at all, let alone to the Western Division. Hows any of these ideas:
1) Move Houston to the AL West
2) Move Houston to the NL West; Arizona or Colorado to AL West
3) Move Milwaukee back to the AL Central; Kansas City to AL West
The expansion teams(Arizona & Colorado) have no right to claim League or Division loyalty. Kansas City could use a change. Milwaukee won't go back to the AL.
Theres not enough teams for four divisions in each league, & I would hate to see a NHL-type of point system determining playoff seedings. Also, theres of course not enough pitching talent to expand the league to 32 teams, so for now i think we're stuck with 3 division winners & the wild card.
I think at this point we're way beyond the 2 division leagues. After having so many races for all these years, I don't think anyone would want to go back to that (Myself included...the Mets would be out of it by June most years).
Actually, upon rereading your point regarding the round 1 bye, it is sounding better & better. But they need to even out the leagues of course...:respect:
Just to be clear, my intent was not to call you out on the Wild Card issue, but only to point out that it is one of those great conundrums: something that needs to be changed, but with no obvious or easy solution. Note that I agreed with your original assessment that the Wild Card is just wrong. :)
shadows
05-30-2010, 12:33 PM
1) METS RULE!!!
I think I'll replace 'Mets' with 'Blue Jays.;)
2) The DH has no place in baseball. It has completely ruined the American League. Baseball is 9 players at a time. That is inherent in the beauty of the game. Adding the DH has turned the AL into some kind of schoolyard joke. I think the fans of the DH probably only support it because their teams use it, so by default they like their team, they like the players on their team, they like the big bopper playing DH on their team, they like the DH rule. IF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE EVER ADOPTS THE DH RULE I WILL NEVER WATCH BASEBALL AGAIN. Seriously. & I love this game. That's what I mean by saying it actually ruins the game.
Sorry, but I'll have to disagree with you here. Besides a very few pitchers, one will either see the pitcher hit a sacrifice bunt or strikeout(or other method of getting out) and I would rather see another batter that actually has more of a chance of getting a hit(or course, the way some of the supposedly "powerful" DHs are hitting this year, I guess pitchers wouldn't be much of a difference.:lol:) than almost an "automatic out".
I love the game as well, but I would not stop watching the games if the DH was taken away from the American League. I'm not bashing you for your opinion oldawg, honest, I just think that a fan shouldn't leave because of a rule change(unless it was more severe than a positional change).:)
3) Interleague play sucks. Although I have to admit its kind of fun to play the Yanks, or even just to see a few different teams now & then, Interleague play chips away at the integrity of the pennant race. Each division needs a balanced schedule (by balanced I mean heavy on Division games, followed by heavy on League games), so each league can have a true champion, & those two teams can play in the World Series for it all.
I agree with you here. It was neat the first season or two, but now it is just a waste of time. It doesn't help much with the standings(less games played against divisional/wild card rivals). I would not be sad if it was taken away. I will say that I am a little pissed that we do not get to see Doc Halladay back in Toronto because they are sooo worried about the protestors at the G20 Conference that they moved the games to Philadelphia. Nice.:rolleyes:
4) Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Of course he should. He's the best hitter to ever play the game, right? It doesn't matter if he's an asshole, he was the best.
Again, I agree. He always bet for his team to win, never to lose. If he had bet for his team to lose, then I would say he doesn't desever to be there(throwing games, for example), but since it was always to win? His stats say he deserves to be there. If Roiders can make it in, why shouldn't he?
5) So should Shoeless Joe Jackson. I never saw him obviously, but this is the usual argument given about Rose. Jackson =.356 lifetime avg. C'mon already.
I don't know if he'll ever be allowed in. His stats say he deserves to be, but throwing games is pretty much the worst thing you can do in professional sports, and for that reason I find it unlikely that they will ever vote him in(or by any other mode of letting him in).
6) So far, I've got no problem with the use of replay. I'd prefer not to have it, but when modern umpires suck sooooooobad, you've got to do something to get the calls correct. As long as they keep its use minimal, im ok for now.
I agree. The Umpires are fallible and have already shown that they can make mistakes. For something that can change the game(home run vs double, for example), it could make a difference. As long as it isn't overused, I don't mind it.
7) The Wild Card sucks. I know, the Mets wouldn't have gotten to the World Series in 2000 without it, or even to the playoffs in '99, but I still feel the postseason is no place for a 2nd place team. Just look to basketball to see how this idea run amok can ruin a sport's regular season.
I strongly disagree. Being stuck in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox(sorry smc), the Jays are always behind the 8-ball. I feel they should either expand the playoffs somehow or change up the Divisions. Either that, or create a TRUE Salary Cap rather than the current joke that makes the Yankees laugh as they sign Free Agent after Free Agent.(can you tell I can't stand the Yankees?;))
8) Gary Carter should be in the Hall of Fame AS A MET. 'nough said.
Expo?:innocent:
9) I know it's reeeeaaal early, but Ike Davis looks like the real deal. Let's hope so!
I don't follow the Mets, but I take it he's a Rookie?:)
Well, I've said my peace. May the best team win, & Lemme have it~
oldawg:lol:
Welcome to the thread, old dawg. Nice to see another baseball fan here.:) I'll reply to your above points using the blue font.;)
oldawg
05-31-2010, 12:36 AM
Just to be clear, my intent was not to call you out on the Wild Card issue, but only to point out that it is one of those great conundrums: something that needs to be changed, but with no obvious or easy solution. Note that I agreed with your original assessment that the Wild Card is just wrong. :)
agreed...i dont have an answer for this one...
oldawg
05-31-2010, 12:45 AM
Welcome to the thread, old dawg. Nice to see another baseball fan here.:) I'll reply to your above points using the blue font.;)
Thanks for the welcome!!!
With a few extra free moments this morning, I want to respond to the other parts of oldawg's post that I did not address earlier (I already wrote about the DH). I'm using red to make it easy to differentiate between oldawg's words and mine.
3) Interleague play sucks. Although I have to admit its kind of fun to play the Yanks, or even just to see a few different teams now & then, Interleague play chips away at the integrity of the pennant race. Each division needs a balanced schedule (by balanced I mean heavy on Division games, followed by heavy on League games), so each league can have a true champion, & those two teams can play in the World Series for it all.
There is a certain element of enjoyment and anticipation that comes with Interleague Play, particularly seeing teams that one doesn't typically see. All in all, though, I agree with oldawg, especially that Interleague Play "chips away at the integrity of the pennant race. There is something inherently wrong with having to alter the way you have constructed your team (see the DH discussion, and this applies no matter what one's opinion of the DH might be) just to compete a few times against a team that is fundamentally different in construction, which is necessitated by the DH rule.
4) Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame. Of course he should. He's the best hitter to ever play the game, right? It doesn't matter if he's an asshole, he was the best.
I agree, and if being an asshole was something that could keep you out of the Hall, I don't think Ty Cobb would have made it. Of course, being thin-skinned assholes does partially explain the press taking so long to put Jim Rice in the Hall of Fame.
5) So should Shoeless Joe Jackson. I never saw him obviously, but this is the usual argument given about Rose. Jackson =.356 lifetime avg. C'mon already.
That Jackson should be in the Hall goes without saying.
6) So far, I've got no problem with the use of replay.
I agree, so far. What Major League Baseball really needs to do is figure out a way to fix the wildly inconsistent strike zone. I have no answer for that short of automating the calling of balls and strikes, which would be horrific! (Look to the Japanese to invent a robot umpire some time soon, though.)
Finally, let me add my voice to the welcomes to oldawg to this thread.
I thought baseball lovers here might be interested to read an excellent article on the Designated Hitter that appeared in yesterday's Boston Globe. It touches on virtually every aspect of the debate, and I will let it speak for itself, reserving comment except to say that the Boston Globe has some of the absolute best baseball writing anywhere, consistently, and even throughout the entire dead of winter. It's no accident that Peter Gammons comes from the Globe. Nick Cafardo, the author of this piece, writes a weekly full-page "Baseball Notes" article in each Sunday's edition, and the Red Sox are not the focus of the page. I encourage baseball lovers to look up the paper on Sunday's on the web.
Here's the article, reprinted in its entirety, and set off in another color to make a clear distinction between it and my comment above.
BASEBALL NOTE
DH topic continues to get batted around
By Nick Cafardo | May 30, 2010
DH or no DH? It has been the question for some 37 years.
?I see it remaining status quo for the foreseeable future,?? said commissioner Bud Selig from his Milwaukee office. ?It would take a cataclysmic event for us to change it. Now, if we started looking at possibly realignment, which we haven?t discussed seriously to this point, there would be discussion. But I would anticipate the status quo long after I?m gone from this office.??
The issue now is the relevancy of the position. For years, it was a haven for older players like Hall of Famers Paul Molitor, Dave Winfield, Carl Yastrzemski, and George Brett, who were able to tack on numbers to their totals.
Yet there seems to be diminishing returns for DHs. Teams are beginning to use the spot as a place to rest position players now and again. The Red Sox still employ David Ortiz as a full-time DH, but this is likely his last season in Boston. After that, depending on what happens with Victor Martinez in free agency, the position will likely be occupied by multiple players.
Vladimir Guerrero is giving the DH spot a boost with his huge season in Texas, and last year?s World Series MVP was a DH (Hideki Matsui). But for the most part, you wonder whether the spot is running out of oomph and usefulness.
The debates continue.
Fans defend their league. The National League can claim that its brand of baseball is the way the game should be played. The DH also can turn players into one-dimensional pieces. Toronto?s Adam Lind and Minnesota?s Jason Kubel are two DHs who should be playing defensive positions.
Others support the DH.
?I love the DH,?? said longtime baseball man Bill Lajoie, now a senior adviser with the Pirates. ?I love offense. I love runners on base as opposed to the pitcher hitting and having a wasted out.
?I wish the National League had the DH because it really reduces your roster because you have to make more pitching changes and your bench is restricted because you have to save your backup catcher, and your utility infielder is usually someone who can?t hit, so your roster is suddenly, for practical purposes, 22 or 23.??
There have been suggestions to give the DH a proper resting place. Use it for spring training, some say, so hitters can get their at-bats, or for the All-Star Game where fans come mostly to see offense (it will be used in All-Star Games starting this year).
Removing the DH could help the pace of games by eliminating older, base-clogging players who take a lot of pitches and prolong at-bats.
Of the owners who voted to adopt the DH, Selig is the only one remaining in the game. Back in 1973, attendance in the American League was sagging and the league needed something to create excitement. Selig, then the owner of the Brewers (who were then in the AL), remembers vividly former Red Sox general manager Dick O?Connell telling him, ?We?ve got to get the DH!??
?There are very few players who like to DH,?? said Jim Rice, who made 2,256 plate appearances (of a total 9,058) from the DH spot. ?If it went back to no DH, I don?t think anyone would be too unhappy about it. Players like to play in the field. When you can?t do it anymore, you retire. So many players just hang on and DH for a year or two.??
According to Selig, in all of his years as commissioner ? and even prior to that ? the DH issue has been split right down league lines. The American League loves it, the National League doesn?t.
?I like the dialogue on it,?? said Selig. ?It?s good for the sport. I?m always trying to find ways to make the sport better, and enjoy the conversation and debate that goes with it. But I have heard no compelling reason to do away with it.??
The New York Times did a story before the World Series last year examining the potential advantage AL teams had in using their regular DHs as opposed to the NL teams having to use one of their extra players to DH. In 86 games over 27 World Series, the NL DHs had a .254 average with 10 homers and 34 RBIs, while the AL DHs had a .237 average with 9 homers and 40 RBIs. The AL won 15 of the 27 Series.
Then Matsui stole the show.
Selig has a committee to study all baseball matters, and while the DH comes up once in a while, there will likely be no outrage about it until realignment jumbles the leagues together.
The Players Association endorses more jobs for the union, though the days of the $12 million DH like Ortiz are likely over. It would never support any measure to eliminate the DH in its entirety.
DH or no DH depends on your viewpoint and self-interest. Houston manager Brad Mills, whose offense has been pathetic, quipped, ?You might be asking the wrong guy. I came from the AL East, with powerful lineups, and would I like to see a DH who can hit on our team right now? I like the game without the DH, but when you need hitting, it looks awfully good.??
Major League Baseball announced today that two Red Sox, David Ortiz and Jon Lester, are the American League Player of the Month and Pitcher of the Month, respectively. The Ortiz pick is especially satisfying here in Red Sox Nation, since it recognizes that a guy who had a dismal April, and who the "pundits" began to talk of as "done," has turned things around tremendously. The Sox are nipping at the Blue Jays' heels, are not far behind the Yankees, and are making a race of it in the AL East, just as should be expected.
oldawg
06-03-2010, 01:07 AM
two Red Sox, David Ortiz and Jon Lester, are the American League Player of the Month and Pitcher of the Month, respectively.
Congrats, thats gotta feel great, but whats gotta feel even better is what it signifies for your team...to have the best pitcher & the best hitter in the entire league for the better part of a month on one team, well, that team must be making a move in the division, as you stated...again, congrats!!!:respect:
Finally, let me add my voice to the welcomes to oldawg to this thread.
Thank you!!! Believe it or not, simple kindness & politeness such as I've been treated to in this thread really do make a difference...:hug:
shadows
06-03-2010, 01:57 AM
I was wondering what everyone else thought about Armando Galarraga losing his Perfect Game due to a blatantly wrong call by umpire Jim Joyce. I honestly believe that Bud Selig should step in and change it to a Perfect Game. It was the final out(and he was out) so it would have been the game had that out counted. If it had been either the first or second out of the game, I can see leaving it as is(since anything could have happened with different pitch selections, etc.), but since it was the FINAL OUT, it should be a Perfect Game.
Here is an article about it from tsn.ca.
BLOWN CALL COSTS TIGERS' GALARRAGA PERFECT GAME
Detroit, MI (Sports Network) - Detroit's Armando Galarraga was one out away from the third perfect game of 2010 and the second in less than a week, but a blown call by first base umpire Jim Joyce cost him immortality.
After retiring the first 26 batters in succession, Indians shortstop Jason Donald was called safe on a ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Replays showed that Galarraga clearly beat Donald to the bag while receiving Cabrera's toss, but Joyce made an emphatic safe call to the dismay of the entire Tigers team and the fans at Comerica Park.
"This isn't 'a' call. This isn't -- This is -- This is a history call," Joyce said. "And I kicked the (expletive) out of it. And there's nobody that feels worse than I do. I take pride in this job, and I kicked the (expletive) out of it, and I took a perfect game away from that kid who worked his (butt) off all night."
Despite the call, Galarraga finished with the first complete game and first shutout of his career -- a one-hitter -- as the Tigers beat the Indians, 3-0, in the second of three games.
"That's the nature of the business, that's just the way it is. The players are human, the umpires are human, the managers are human, the writers are human," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "We all make mistakes. It's a crying shame. Jimmy's a real good umpire, has been for a long time. He probably got it wrong."
Following the play and immediately after the game, Leyland and most of the Tigers players -- most notably Cabrera -- were yelling furiously at Joyce. The crowd vociferously booed him, realizing the call on the field was incorrect. After seeing a replay postgame, Joyce apologized to Galarraga.
"I give that guy a lot of credit to that guy saying, 'Hey I need to talk to you because I really want to say I'm sorry," Galarraga said. "You don't see an umpire telling you after the game saying 'I'm sorry.' He apologized."
Cabrera's solo shot in the second inning was all Detroit needed to post its eighth home win over Cleveland in the last nine tries. Galarraga (2-1) needed only 88 pitches in the masterpiece, nearly the Tigers' first perfect game in the team's illustrious history.
Joyce has been a major league umpire since 1987 -- full-time since 1989 -- and is one of the most senior umps in the game today. He was on the field for Nolan Ryan's 5,000th strikeout and Robin Yount's 3,000th hit and has worked two World Series, three league championship series and six division series, although he has not appeared in a playoff game since 2006.
It marked the 10th time in baseball history that a perfect game bid ended on the 27th batter. The last time it happened was when Boston's Carl Everett singled with two strikes off the Yankees' Mike Mussina on September 2, 2001.
"I thought he beat the play, and now that I am standing here and I've seen it on the replay, and naturally every Tiger out there was telling me that I kicked the call because they'd seen the replay," Joyce said. "So the first thing I did when I got in this locker room -- I told our clubhouse guy to queue it up, and I missed it. I missed it."
It also wasn't the first time an umpire controversy cost a pitcher the perfect game on what would have been the final batter. On September 2, 1972, umpire Bruce Froemming called ball four on a borderline 3-2 pitch to San Diego's Larry Stahl, costing Chicago Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas a shot at history.
Galarraga was bidding for the third perfect game of 2010 and the first since last Saturday's masterpiece by Philadelphia's Roy Halladay. Oakland's Dallas Braden also accomplished the feat on May 9 against the Tampa Bay Rays. No single season has ever seen three perfect games, and only 1880 ever saw multiple perfect games before this season.
The Indians, meanwhile, avoided being on the wrong end of a perfect game for the first time in team history. Cleveland has notched a hit in every game since the Yankees' Jim Abbott no-hit the Tribe on September 4, 1993.
"I don't know. Everything just happened so fast," Donald said. "I just put my head down and ran as hard as I could. I thought Galarraga threw a very, very good game. He kept us off-balance all night and threw all his pitches for strikes."
Galarraga was denied the Tigers' seventh no-hitter in team history and first since Justin Verlander did it against Milwaukee on June 12, 2007.
Lost in all the controversy was a solid start by Cleveland's Fausto Carmona (4-4), who pitched a complete game (eight innings) and allowed three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits while striking out three without walking a batter.
Galarraga's bid nearly came to an end at the start of the ninth inning on a hit ball by the Indians' Mark Grudzielanek. Grudzielanek blasted the first pitch he saw into the left-center field gap, and center fielder Austin Jackson made a tremendous running catch to preserve the no-hitter.
Cleveland hit into 14 groundouts while striking out only three times. The three strikeouts would have tied a record for least amount of strikeouts in a perfect game -- the same amount as the Cleveland Naps' Addie Joss in 1908.
Detroit's other runs came in the eighth, when Jackson and Johnny Damon hit back-to-back two-out singles. Magglio Ordonez followed with a base hit to score Jackson, and Damon raced home on a throwing error by right fielder Shin- Soo Choo.
Game Notes
Ironically enough, Joyce was working second base during Braden's perfect game...Detroit leads the season series, 5-2...The Indians fell to 5-19 this season when they commit at least one error...Cabrera has 12 homers in 43 games against the Indians since joining the Tigers in 2008...Galarraga lowered his season earned run average to 2.57...Cabrera's home run was his 15th of the season and fifth in his last six games.
oldawg
06-03-2010, 02:00 AM
:censored:
I've been witness to some extremely bad calls by MLB umpires recently, but this has gotta be one of the worst ive ever seen. Thank goodness my Mets didn't get screwed this time, but i feel really bad for this kid.
Heres the story:
Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning when a blown call prevented him from making history.
Indians hitter Jason Donald reached first base on an infield single. Detroit disputed the call and replays later showed that Donald was out.
Galarraga's perfect game would have been the third this season and the second in just a matter of days after Roy Halladay was perfect against the Marlins on Saturday.
Donald hit a bouncer that first baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded to his right. He took his time and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag.
The ball appeared to be in Galarraga's glove just before Donald made it to first base, replays indicated.
Galarraga quickly retired Trevor Crowe for the one-hit shutout after losing out on history.
A few notes from the game that I noticed myself:
First of all, I am unfamiliar with this pitcher (I'm an NL guy). However, watching him behave with the utmost class during this 9th inning, I'm now a fan. This is a life-changing mistake by the umpire Jim Joyce, one that could actually cost Galarraga million$ in the long run (Pitchers who throw no-hitters get multimillion dollar contracts. Those that don't may or may not). When Joyce emphatically called the runner safe, ending Galarraga's perfect-game bid, the pitcher just smiled a big smile & walked back to the mound. No yelling, no crying, no arguing, no fighting. Classy. I like this guy.
Secondly, veteran umpire Jim Joyce, who blew the call, is a stand-up guy. After the game, after viewing replays of the blown call, he actually apologized to Galarraga personally. That's refreshing as well.
It doesn't excuse the mistake, i know. But both of these men have dealt with this with such class & respect that I think it will help the league get past this horrendous error. As I stated earlier in this post, I have been dismayed many, many times because of terrible calls by these professional umpires, only to have them make it even worse by ejecting the players & managers for arguing the blown calls.
For myself, this has done it. Usually old-school & traditionalist, I have had enough. I am now interested in implementing computerized umpiring wherever possible. If ESPN can show us digitally EXACTLY where a pitch is, can't we utilize that technology within the game itself?
Umpire Jim Joyce made an error, came clean & should be forgiven. But I've seen way too many arrogant umps with a chip on their shoulder looking for a fight, after THEY messed up the game. I understand that at home we see WAY more much slower than these guys do. But c'mon, these guys have been REALLY, REALLY bad the last few years. At least once a game I see blown calls.
Congratulations to Armando Galarraga for pitching a perfect game, even if the books will never show it. :respect:
shadows
06-03-2010, 02:02 AM
LOL! I beat you to the punch, oldawg.;):p
I'm glad to see that I was not alone in my feelings that the pitcher got screwed over big time.
I was listening to the Red Sox game on the radio and they kept mentioning this perfect game in progress, so in the 9th inning of the Tigers game I ran upstairs to the TV, turned on the MLB network, and watched the bad call.
My thoughts, in no particular order:
1. Gallaraga's behavior was truly admirable.
2. Jim Joyce did the right thing by apologizing, and he will never forget that he did this. That is probably punishment enough.
3. The idea that Bud Selig should step in and declare this a perfect game is an invitation to chaos.
4. There will be more calls now for instant replay in baseball. I think the home run review is enough. I want baseball to stay the most human of games for as long as possible. Think about how much this wonderful game is still exactly like the game of our youth. We stop playing when the weather gets bad, waiting until the last possible moment to suspend play. There are arguments about who saw what, and everyone's friendly at the end no matter the outcome ("I don't think you touched the lawn chair at second base, man! But let's see if my mom bought some popsicles.")
oldawg
06-03-2010, 10:09 PM
Check it out...GM gave Galarraga a Corvette for the almost-perfect game:
Jun 03, 2010
Perfect: GM gives Chevrolet Corvette to Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga
Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was robbed of a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night, but GM found his performance impressive enough in the Tigers' 3-0 shutout to hand him the keys to a 2010 Chevy Corvette convertible.
That's some consolation prize. But it couldn't be more deserved:
Galarraga retired 26 straight Indians' batters before the 27th and final batter, Jason Donald, stepped to the plate. Donald hit a ground ball between first and second base, which was fielded by Tiger's first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera threw to Galarraga, who stepped on first base, but umpire Jim Joyce blew the call and said Donald was safe. Galarraga had to settle for a 3-0 shutout.
Shortly after the game ended, Joyce admitted to missing the call at the base, saying, "I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay. It was the biggest call of my career." The umpire apologized to Galarraga last night.
GM North American President Mark Reuss found the performance impressive enough anyway. No matter what the record books say, Reuss decided Galarraga deserved recognition for his achievement.
One has to wonder what kind of car Galarraga would have gotten for a perfect game.
--Stephen Markley/Cars.com's Kicking Tires
pretty cool!:respect:
SMC, as for your 4 thoughts, I strongly agree with the first 3 (especially #3- this is an important point).
As for #4, i agree there will be more calls for replay now, & I am a case in point. In fact, I'm usually old-school, someone who would rather keep new influences out of the game, as I've argued in this thread before.
But things are changing. For the past 3 or so years I feel the umpiring in MLB has gotten progressively worse.
I don't keep track, but in the past year I would need at least two hands to count the games in which a bad call has changed the outcome of the game I was watching. (For what its worth, I see a lot of baseball. I watch Mets games daily, & I live with a Braves fan & Yankees fan so I'm always seeing their games, & I have the EXTRA INNINGS Baseball package for out-of-market games. For me, I love the Mets, but baseball is always on in the background. As a musician, I'm always working...I write & practice music all days & nights, & usually the TV is on mute the whole time).
Anyway, honestly I am fed up with all the bad calls. I'm sick of watching Jose Reyes get called out stealing 2nd base just because the throw beat him there. I'm tired of watching umps give the "ghost calls" during a double play or at first base. If the fielder never touches the bag, theres no way the runner should be out. & how about the check swing strikes? & the ridiculous strike zone many umps have? I mean c'mon, its not a form of self-expression, its letters to knees!
I'd prefer to keep more replay out of the game, but weve got to get these calls correct, so ive now changed sides & Im hoping we get as much computerized umpires as possible!!!:innocent:
3. The idea that Bud Selig should step in and declare this a perfect game is an invitation to chaos.
I've rethought this and I disagree with myself. I believe it should be so declared and will be, in time. There are precedents.
oldawg
06-03-2010, 11:25 PM
I've rethought this and I disagree with myself. I believe it should be so declared and will be, in time. There are precedents.
I totally disagree. I think its a HUGE can of worms...Baseball has its own rules for not changing results (official scoring obviously is changed the next day sometimes, but not removing official at bats). If they begin to change results like this after the fact I foresee a mess of requests & demands for Selig to deal with.
You say there are precedents?
oldawg
06-04-2010, 12:09 AM
Shadows, I wanted to respond to a few of your comments to me earlier:
I love the game as well, but I would not stop watching the games if the DH was taken away from the American League. I'm not bashing you for your opinion oldawg, honest, I just think that a fan shouldn't leave because of a rule change(unless it was more severe than a positional change).
In essence I agree, but this actually highlights my feelings about the DH. For me, the enjoyment of the game stems from the few original basic rules. The conundrum a manager must deal with every single inning regarding whether or not to remove the pitcher is at the heart of the game. When a pitcher has shut a team down for 7 or 8 innings but you have a chance to score a run by pinch hitting for him, do you take a chance & pinch hit, or decide you're better off with him still in the game, possibly go without that run, & send the pitcher back out there? I love this shit.
In reality, I'm sure I would at least attempt to watch my team with a DH, but earlier I was stating what I'm sure the end result would be, I get very bored with American League-style baseball.
I will say that I am a little pissed that we do not get to see Doc Halladay back in Toronto because they are sooo worried about the protestors at the G20 Conference that they moved the games to Philadelphia. Nice.
Agreed...What Bullshit...as if the Phillies, their two NL Pennants, one WS Ring & their binoculars need any more help!!!:no:
or create a TRUE Salary Cap rather than the current joke that makes the Yankees laugh as they sign Free Agent after Free Agent.(can you tell I can't stand the Yankees?)
This brings me to something I forgot to post in my introductory post...It is my strong belief that MLB needs to have a salary cap. But this cuts both ways. Baseball needs to have both a minimum & maximum salary amount. This is the only way to fix the league. If they set the limits at, say, $80 million minimum salary per year, with a maximum of perhaps $200 million?
This is a large enough variance, but at least sets some limits so possibly the Pirates, Royals, & Marlins would be 1) forced to comply, & 2) possibly in contention again?
I don't follow the Mets, but I take it he's a Rookie?
Yes, Ike Davis is a rookie...he was called up on April 19 against the Cubs...Hes shown more poise, class & talent in one month than many spoiled ball players do in a career. I don't pretend to have any talent whatsoever when it comes to scouting, but Ive seen alot of ball (no pun intended!) in my day, & this kid looks for real...as a much-disappointed Mets fan, I'm really hoping hes the real deal. Already hes given this team a shot in the arm, hes now hitting cleanup, & looks well above average defensively.
As a point of interest, he & his father, Ron Davis, are the 197th father-son combination to play in the big leagues...Ron played in the majors for 11 seasons, for the Yankees, Twins, Cubs, Dodgers & Giants...He was the setup man for Goose Gossage, earned 130 saves, holds the NY Yankee record for consecutive strikeouts in a game (8), is tied for the record of most blown saves in a season (14 in 1984), and was an AL All-Star in 1981. :respect:
shadows
06-04-2010, 03:07 AM
I totally disagree. I think its a HUGE can of worms...Baseball has its own rules for not changing results (official scoring obviously is changed the next day sometimes, but not removing official at bats). If they begin to change results like this after the fact I foresee a mess of requests & demands for Selig to deal with.
You say there are precedents?
I read (on espn.com., I believe) that a former Commissioner had taken away fifty(fifty!!) no-hitters for various reasons. If a Commissioner can take something away(waaaay after the fact) then it stands to reason that he can put something back.
I personally feel that this is a unique case and would not make it so everything has the potential to be changed. Galarraga had 26 outs and only needed to get one more. The 27th(and final) out was the mistake by the umpire. If he had not made that mistake, the game was over. Plus, Galarraga got the next batter out, so he made 28 out of 28 outs.
If this had happened during the first out of the ninth, or even the second out of the ninth, I would say the call would have to remain as there would be too many variables(with a runner on the base, the pitcher's pitch selection would be different, he would be pitching from the stretch, etc.). However, with this being the LAST out, and the score not being changed either way, it should become a Perfect Game. It should have been a Perfect Game, and it would have had Jim Joyce not decided to make such a bad call.
I hope that outside sources puts pressure on Selig(who is one of the worst Commissioners I have seen. I liken him to Buttman of the NHL), but I am not going to hold my breath. I take solace in the fact that Selig is gone in 2012.
One thing I will say that I do NOT agree with in all this is that there are some "fans"(allegedly) threatening Jim Joyce's wife and kids because of this. While I think it was an idiotic mistake, he certainly does not deserve to be threatened, and especially not his family.
I totally disagree. I think its a HUGE can of worms...Baseball has its own rules for not changing results (official scoring obviously is changed the next day sometimes, but not removing official at bats). If they begin to change results like this after the fact I foresee a mess of requests & demands for Selig to deal with.
You say there are precedents?
Yes, lots of precedents for dealing with perfect games and no-hitters. Keith Olbermann, one of the great historians of baseball, discussed this at length last night on his broadcast, and was joined by Ken Burns, the documentarian of baseball. Burns believes the game will be declared "perfect," but it will not happen immediately. Write to me if you want more info on the precedents; right now, I'm checking the Forum quickly before leaving for commencement!
With hockey and now basketball done, and not withstanding World Cup fever, it's time to bump up the baseball thread and get the discussion going again.
In the AL East, where my team (GO RED SOX!!) resides, things have gotten very interesting. The expected decline of the Blue Jays (sorry, shadows), who held third place for a while, has happened, but not to the extent expected. They have suffered more from the good play of their division rivals. Meanwhile, the Red Sox -- who looked "done" early -- have surged, thanks in large part to David Ortiz coming alive after a dismal April, and also to some very good pitching despite losing Beckett and Matzusaka. The Yankees continue to go strong, but not as strong, and the Rays can't seem to keep up the amazing start from April. So, waking up this morning, we find the Rays and Yankees tied for first place but with the Sox only one game behind.
shadows
06-19-2010, 11:46 PM
With hockey and now basketball done, and not withstanding World Cup fever, it's time to bump up the baseball thread and get the discussion going again.
In the AL East, where my team (GO RED SOX!!) resides, things have gotten very interesting. The expected decline of the Blue Jays (sorry, shadows), who held third place for a while, has happened, but not to the extent expected. They have suffered more from the good play of their division rivals. Meanwhile, the Red Sox -- who looked "done" early -- have surged, thanks in large part to David Ortiz coming alive after a dismal April, and also to some very good pitching despite losing Beckett and Matzusaka. The Yankees continue to go strong, but not as strong, and the Rays can't seem to keep up the amazing start from April. So, waking up this morning, we find the Rays and Yankees tied for first place but with the Sox only one game behind.
No need to apologize, because the decline has stopped.;) Toronto actually has a 3-game winning streak going on and they are only 4.5 games out of first place in the East, and only 4.5 games out of the Wildcard spot(3.5 games behind Boston). So it is fair to say that Toronto is by no means out of the picture. And considering how this was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Jays, I can honestly say that I am impressed with how they are playing.
As long as they are still playing meaningful baseball in the latter days of the summer, I will be happy.:)
As long as they are still playing meaningful baseball in the latter days of the summer, I will be happy.:)
There is the big unknown. The Jays have too often had a tendency to quit playing baseball in late summer.
There is the big unknown. The Jays have too often had a tendency to quit playing baseball in late summer.
True, but you must understand that as the opening of hockey season looms they are called upon to teach their city-mates, the Maple Leafs, their work ethic. ;)
Apropos of the Toronto Blue Jays, and on a more serious note than my post above, it is worth noting that soon the team's management will find itself at the proverbial fork in the road. Specifically, in what shadows correctly identified as a "rebuilding" year, the trading deadline of July 31 looms. Does the team decide that it is hopelessly out of contention and choose to keep building its arsenal of young players by trading a few veterans (Overbay, Bautista, Gonzalez, and McDonald come to mind), or does it go for broke and try to bring in some "rented" players to help make a run at the Wild Card in the American League. It is an unenviable position in which to be.
^ I would like to see Toronto make the playoffs legitimately rather than make it in because of the wild card spot.
transjen
07-10-2010, 12:52 AM
Went to the Phillies Reds game tonight and i'm glad i stayed for the whole game, yes i was templed to leave early as it was an ugly game from the start and going in to the bottom of the *9th it was 7 to 1 in favor of the Reds :( but My Phillies came back to tie it and took it to extra innings and Howard hit a walkoff HR in the 10th to win it 9 to 7, So this Jerseygirl had a good time at the park tonight even after suffering thru 8 innings but the end was worth it
:yes:Jerseygirl Jen
Went to the Phillies Reds game tonight and i'm glad i stayed for the whole game, yes i was templed to leave early as it was an ugly game from the start and going in to the bottom of the *9th it was 7 to 1 in favor of the Reds :( but My Phillies came back to tie it and took it to extra innings and Howard hit a walkoff HR in the 10th to win it 9 to 7, So this Jerseygirl had a good time at the park tonight even after suffering thru 8 innings but the end was worth it
:yes:Jerseygirl Jen
I'm glad you had a good time, Jen, and nice to see you posting.
My rule is: never leave early, even if the people you're with are ready to drag you out of the park!
Just for you, smc. With thanks to the comic strip Non Sequitur (http://http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2010/07/09/) by Wiley Miller.
Just for you, smc. With thanks to the comic strip Non Sequitur (http://http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2010/07/09/) by Wiley Miller.
Very funny!
But at least we actually have fans, filling the ballpark. I'm watching the Sox in Toronto right now, and I can honestly say that no one would ever, ever, ever, ever have to travel through five sections with no one seated in them to hunt down a foul ball -- as just happened.
This was one of the stranger games I've attended at Fenway.
This was one of the stranger games I've attended at Fenway.
Obviously they were filming the movie "Baseball Wars" that day. I heard that the Empire struck out.
shadows
07-10-2010, 11:28 PM
Darn. This weekend didn't turn out to be as fun as originally planned a few months ago.:(
At least Toronto managed to beat the Red Sox 9-5.:)
transjen
07-11-2010, 04:56 PM
Darn. This weekend didn't turn out to be as fun as originally planned a few months ago.:(
At least Toronto managed to beat the Red Sox 9-5.:)
I know what you mean, The first half of the season didn't turn out the way i envisioned things either with the Braves being in first by 4 games and even the Met being in 2nd place :no: and Haveing both Chase and Placido both on the disabled list but on the plus side the Phillies ended the first half of the season with a sweep of the Reds
:yes:Philliefan Jen
shadows
07-14-2010, 02:12 AM
I know what you mean, The first half of the season didn't turn out the way i envisioned things either with the Braves being in first by 4 games and even the Met being in 2nd place :no: and Haveing both Chase and Placido both on the disabled list but on the plus side the Phillies ended the first half of the season with a sweep of the Reds
:yes:Philliefan Jen
That sweep helped them a lot! I believe they held the Reds scoreless for 31 straight innings!
shadows
07-14-2010, 02:15 AM
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the passing of George Steinbrenner!:eek:
Here is an article on it from tsn.ca.
YANKEES OWNER STEINBRENNER DIES AT 80
NEW YORK -- He was baseball's bombastic Boss.
He rebuilt the New York Yankees dynasty, ushering in the era of multimillion-dollar salaries and accepting nothing less in return than World Series championships.
He fired managers. Rehired them. And fired them again.
He butted heads with commissioners and fellow owners, insulted his players and dominated tabloid headlines -- even upstaging the all-star game on the day of his death.
George Michael Steinbrenner III, who both inspired and terrorized the Yankees in more than three decades as owner, died Tuesday of a heart attack at age 80.
"He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said.
Once reviled by fans for his overbearing and tempestuous nature, Steinbrenner mellowed in his final decade and became beloved by employees and rivals alike for his success.
Steinbrenner was taken from his home to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla., and died about 6:30 a.m., a person close to the owner told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.
"George was a fierce competitor who was the perfect fit for the city that never sleeps -- colourful, dynamic and always reaching for the stars," former President Bill Clinton said.
Yankees captain Derek Jeter added: "He expected perfection."
In 37 1/2 years as owner, Steinbrenner whipped a moribund US$10-million team into a $1.6 billion colossus that became the model of a modern franchise, one with its own TV network and ballpark food business.
Under his often brutal but always colourful reign, the Yankees won seven World Series championships, 11 American League pennants and 16 AL East titles, going on spectacular spending sprees that caused Larry Lucchino, president of the rival Boston Red Sox, to dub Steinbrenner's Yankees the "Evil Empire."
He moved the Yankees from their tradition-rich "House that Ruth Built" into a new $1.5 billion Yankee Stadium. Call it the "House the Boss Built." He appeared there just four times: the April 2009 opener, the first two games of last year's World Series and this year's home opener, when Jeter and manager Joe Girardi went to his suite and personally delivered his seventh World Series ring.
"He was very emotional," son Hal Steinbrenner said then.
Steinbrenner's larger-than-life outbursts transcended sports and made him a pop culture figure whose firings were parodied on the TV comedy "Seinfeld" and even by Steinbrenner himself in commercials.
"George was The Boss, make no mistake," said Berra, the Hall of Famer who ended a 14-year feud with Steinbrenner in 1999. "He built the Yankees into champions, and that's something nobody can ever deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man. George and I had our differences, but who didn't? We became great friends over the last decade and I will miss him very much."
Steinbrenner's death, about 14 hours before the first pitch of the all-star game in Anaheim, Calif., was the second in three days to rock the Yankees. Bob Sheppard, the team's revered public address announcer from 1951-07, died Sunday at 99.
A video tribute was shown and players bowed their heads during a moment of silence before the national anthem was played at Angel Stadium. Jeter and the Yankees wore black armbands, and the U.S., Canadian and California flags were lowered to half-staff.
New York was 11 years removed from its last championship when Steinbrenner, then an obscure son of an Ohio shipbuilder, headed a group that bought the team from CBS Inc. on Jan. 3, 1973, for about $8.7 million net.
Forbes now values the Yankees at $1.6 billion, trailing only Manchester United ($1.8 billion) and the Dallas Cowboys ($1.65 billion).
Former commissioner Faye Vincent, who fought many battles with Steinbrenner, said his legacy would be turning the Yankees "into an absolute gold mine and a monster of power and success in baseball."
"He was one of the few who realized he this was an iconic franchise, and he could turn it into something really special, and he did," Vincent said.
"He was an incredible and charitable man," Steinbrenner's family said in a statement. "He was a visionary and a giant in the world of sports. He took a great but struggling franchise and turned it into a champion again."
He ruled with obsessive dedication to detail -- from trades to the airblowers that kept his ballparks spotless. When he thought the club's parking lot was too crowded, Steinbrenner stood on the pavement -- albeit behind a van, out of sight -- and had a guard check every driver's credential.
But he also tried to make up for his temper with good deeds and often-unpublicized charitable donations.
His rule was interrupted by two lengthy suspensions, including a 15-month ban in 1974 after pleading guilty to illegal contributions to the re-election campaign of President Richard Nixon. Steinbrenner was fined $15,000 and later pardoned by President Ronald Reagan.
He also was banned for 2 1/2 years for paying self-described gambler Howie Spira to obtain negative information on outfielder Dave Winfield, with whom Steinbrenner was feuding.
Through it all, Steinbrenner lived up to his billing as "The Boss," a nickname he clearly enjoyed as he ruled with an iron fist. While he lived in Florida in his later years, he was a staple on the front pages of New York newspapers with his tirades.
Steinbrenner was in fragile health for the past 6 1/2 years, resulting in fewer public appearances and pronouncements. He fainted at a memorial service for NFL great Otto Graham in December 2003, appeared weak in August 2006 when he spoke briefly at the groundbreaking for the new stadium, and became ill while watching his granddaughter in a college play in North Carolina that October. At this year's spring training, he used a wheelchair and needed aides to hold him during the national anthem.
As his health declined, Steinbrenner let sons Hal and Hank run more of the family business. He turned over formal control of the Yankees to Hal in November 2008.
Dressed in his trademark navy blue blazer and white turtleneck, however, he was the model of success.
"He was truly the most influential and innovative owner in all of sports," former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said. "He made the Yankees a source of great pride in being a New Yorker."
Until his dying day, Steinbrenner demanded championships. He barbed Joe Torre during the 2007 AL playoffs, then let the popular manager leave after 12 seasons because of another loss in the opening round. The team responded last year by winning his final title.
"I will always remember George Steinbrenner as a passionate man, a tough boss, a true visionary, a great humanitarian, and a dear friend," Torre said. "It's only fitting that he went out as a world champ."
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered flags to half-staff at City Hall Plaza.
"Few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner," Bloomberg said. "George had a deep love for New York, and his steely determination to succeed, combined with his deep respect and appreciation for talent and hard work made him a quintessential New Yorker."
When the former Big Ten football coach bought the team, he famously promised a hands-off operation.
"We're not going to pretend we're something we aren't," he said. "I'll stick to building ships."
It hardly turned out that way.
He changed managers 21 times and got rid of about a dozen general managers. When a Yankees public relations man went home to Ohio for the Christmas holiday, then returned in a hurry for a news conference to announce David Cone's re-signing, Steinbrenner fired him.
"There is nothing quite so limited as being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner's," said John McMullen, one of his associates.
Steinbrenner hired Billy Martin in 1975, 1979, 1983, 1985 and 1987, firing him four times and letting him resign once as the two battled over substance and personality.
Martin disparaged outfielder Reggie Jackson and Steinbrenner by saying: "The two of them deserve each other -- one's a born liar, the other's convicted."
After Steinbrenner dismissed Berra as manager 16 games into the 1985 season, the 10-time World Series champion vowed he wouldn't go to back to Yankee Stadium for a game until Steinbrenner apologized -- which he did 14 years later.
END OF PART 1(Too long for post)
shadows
07-14-2010, 02:16 AM
PART 2!
In 1985, Steinbrenner derided future Hall of Famer Winfield as "Mr. May" for poor performance -- comparing him negatively to Jackson, whose nickname was "Mr. October." He also once called pitcher Hideki Irabu a fat toad.
Players sometimes responded with their own insults. One night in 1982, reliever Goose Gossage let loose and called Steinbrenner "the fat man."
Steinbrenner made no apologies for his bombast, even when it cost him.
"I haven't always done a good job, and I haven't always been successful," Steinbrenner said in 2005. "But I know that I have tried."
Still, Steinbrenner could poke fun at himself. He hosted "Saturday Night Live," clowned with Martin in a beer commercial and chuckled at his impersonation on "Seinfeld."
Steinbrenner spent freely on the likes of Jeter, Jackson, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, CC Sabathia and others in hopes of more titles.
"Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing," Steinbrenner was fond of saying. "Breathing first, winning next."
He kept a sign on his desk that read: "Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way."
All along, he envisioned himself as a true Yankee Doodle Dandy -- born on the Fourth of July in 1930.
Steinbrenner liked to quote military figures and saw games as an extension of war. In the tunnel leading from the Yankees' clubhouse to the field in the old stadium, he had a sign posted with a saying from Gen. Douglas MacArthur: "There is no substitute for victory."
He joined the likes of Al Davis, Charlie O. Finley, Bill Veeck, George Halas, Jack Kent Cooke and Jerry Jones as the most recognized team owners. But Steinbrenner's sports interests extended beyond baseball.
He was an assistant football coach at Northwestern and Purdue in the 1950s and was part of the group that bought the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League in the 1960s.
He was a vice-president of the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1989-96 and entered six horses in the Kentucky Derby, failing to win with Steve's Friend (1977), Eternal Prince (1985), Diligence (1996), Concerto (1997), Blue Burner (2002) and the 2005 favourite, Bellamy Road.
To many, the Yankees and Steinbrenner were synonymous. His fans applauded his win-at-all-costs style; his detractors blamed him for wrecking baseball's competitive balance with spiralling salaries.
Steinbrenner negotiated a landmark $486-million, 12-year cable TV contract with the Madison Square Garden Network in 1988 and launched the Yankees' own YES Network for the 2002 season.
The Yankees later became the first team with a $200 million payroll, provoking anger and envy among other owners. When the Yankees signed Steve Kemp after the 1982 season, Baltimore owner Edward Bennett Williams said Steinbrenner stockpiled outfielders "like nuclear weapons."
There was no denying the results. When Steinbrenner bought the Yankees, they had gone eight seasons without finishing in first place, their longest drought since Ruth & Co. won the team's first pennant in 1921.
"George has been a very charismatic, controversial owner," Selig said in 2005. "But look, he did what he set out to do -- he restored the New York Yankees franchise."
Former AL president Gene Budig sometimes was on the wrong end of Steinbrenner's barbs. After he left office, Budig maintained a friendship with him and even promoted Steinbrenner for the Hall of Fame.
Steinbrenner also had a soft side. He sometimes read about high school athletes who had been injured and sent them money to go to college. He paid for the medical school expenses of Ron Karnaugh after the swimmer's father died during the opening ceremony at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Steinbrenner had a way of rehiring those he had once fired and liked to give second chances to those who had fallen from favour, such as Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden.
"I'm really 95 per cent Mr. Rogers," Steinbrenner said as he approached his 75th birthday, "and only 5 per cent Oscar the Grouch."
While Steinbrenner grew up in the Cleveland area as a Yankees fan, his first passion was football. He fondly recalled watching the Browns on winter days, and many believe the NFL's must-win-today mentality shaped how he approached all sports.
Steinbrenner was raised in a strict, no-nonsense household headed by his father, Henry. The oldest of three children, Steinbrenner attended Culver Military Academy in Indiana. At Williams College, he ran track, specializing in hurdles. After that, he enlisted in the Air Force.
Following his discharge, he enrolled at Ohio State, pursuing a master's degree in physical education. It was his intention to go into coaching, but after working at a high school in Columbus and at Purdue and Northwestern, he turned to the business world.
In 1963, Steinbrenner purchased Kinsman Transit Co., a fleet of lake ore carriers, from his family and built a thriving company. Four years later, Steinbrenner and associates took over American Ship Building and revitalized the company.
It was in Cleveland that Steinbrenner met baseball executive Gabe Paul and became involved with the group that bought the Yankees. With 13 partners, Steinbrenner purchased the team from CBS.
"When you're a shipbuilder, nobody pays any attention to you," he said. "But when you own the New York Yankees ... they do, and I love it."
With that, the Bronx Zoo days began. It was while he was under suspension that the Yankees ushered in baseball's free-agent era by signing Catfish Hunter to a $3.75 million contract. Even though he officially was barred from participating in the daily operation of the team, no one believed Steinbrenner was uninvolved in the deal.
For the first five years of free agency, Steinbrenner signed 10 players for about $38 million. Steinbrenner's $18-million, 10-year deal with Winfield was the richest free agent contract in history at the time.
During those days, Yankee Stadium underwent a $100 million facelift and reopened in 1976. That year, the Yankees won the AL pennant, but got swept in the World Series by Cincinnati's Big Red Machine. The Yankees surged back to win the World Series in 1977 and 1978 and the pennant in 1981.
Forbes magazine has estimated Steinbrenner's estate at $1.1 billion. By dying in 2010 -- during a year-long gap in the estate tax -- his heirs could realize an unexpected bonanza, depending on how his holdings were structured.
In addition to his sons, Steinbrenner is survived by his wife, Joan, daughters Jennifer and Jessica and 13 grandchildren. A private funeral was expected to be held this week, followed by a public memorial.
He never expected to die this way.
"I don't have heart attacks," he once said. "I give them."
shadows
07-14-2010, 02:17 AM
I should add that it looks like there were a lot of people in the comment section that did not seem to like him!
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the passing of George Steinbrenner!:eek:
Sorry, you're right, his passing deserves to be mentioned.
I was taught by my grandmother never to speak ill of the dead (she, by the way, never followed her own rule). So before posting this, I contacted her via a seance and asked her what to do. She said, "Steinbrenner, that shtick drek? Pull no punches, boychik!"
So, here goes:
Good riddance, George Steinbrenner. I despise what you did to baseball. I only wish that the long-term negative effects your outrageous financial behavior have had on the game, that have created the greatest lack of parity among the teams in any of the major sports in the United States, would die an ignominious death along with you, so you can both rot together in hell where you belong.
You should be buried just off first base, in the basepath of one of the stadiums used by a team that can't compete with the Yankees because of money, so that players as they dance off first preparing to steal second will be dancing on your grave.
On the other hand, I hear he did give some of his filthy luchre to charity.
^ Go ahead, smc. Tell us what you really think and don't hold back. ;)
transjen
07-14-2010, 07:58 PM
Before George brought the Yankees he was trying to buy the Indians,so the Indians may have been Boston's evil empire had things been differnt imagina Reggie in Cleveland
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen
Before George brought the Yankees he was trying to buy the Indians,so the Indians may have been Boston's evil empire had things been differnt imagina Reggie in Cleveland
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen
The Red Sox / Yankees rivalry predates Steinbrenner. He only solidified it.
shadows
07-17-2010, 01:25 AM
Before George brought the Yankees he was trying to buy the Indians,so the Indians may have been Boston's evil empire had things been differnt imagina Reggie in Cleveland
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen
Yeah, but the Yankees would not be in the AL East, which means that the Jays would have a fighting chance.;)
Speaking of chance, Bengie Molina(quite a rotund fellow for baseball) hit for the cycle against Boston! His homerun was a Grand Slam! Getting both of those in the same night is a rare accomplishment indeed.:eek:
I still can't believe that Bengie hit a triple.:eek::eek:
transjen
07-17-2010, 03:23 AM
I still can't believe that Bengie hit a triple.:eek::eek:
It would have been an inside the park homerun for an average runner but slowmoe Bengie only got a triple
:eek: Jerseygirl Jen
Speaking of chance, Bengie Molina(quite a rotund fellow for baseball) hit for the cycle against Boston! His homerun was a Grand Slam! Getting both of those in the same night is a rare accomplishment indeed.:eek:
I still can't believe that Bengie hit a triple.:eek::eek:
It would have been an inside the park homerun for an average runner but slowmoe Bengie only got a triple
There are 11 Red Sox on the disabled list! The only thing that could make me feel worse is seeing someone who can be outpaced by the average box turtle get a triple at Fenway!
This cartoon appeared on the editorial page of today's Boston Globe.
This cartoon appeared on the editorial page of today's Boston Globe.
I would have thought that George would have ended up in a hot place with tails and cloven hooves.;)
I would have thought that George would have ended up in a hot place with tails and cloven hooves.;)
What part of the cartoon tells you where he ENDED up? :lol:
What part of the cartoon tells you where he ENDED up? :lol:
I didn't see anyone in the cartoon with a tail or a cloven hoof so I know that the Boston Globe doesn't think he went to that place.
I didn't see anyone in the cartoon with a tail or a cloven hoof so I know that the Boston Globe doesn't think he went to that place.
I thought that one way it works is that you show up at the Pearly Gates, your name is checked in the big book, and you either get in to Heaven or are sent to the place to which you are referring. Hence, there is nothing in the cartoon to suggest that George didn't meet his fate from these Red Sox fans, who sent him packing to join his fellow demons.
This cartoon comes from yesterday's Newsday, a New York paper. It captures Steinbrenner quite well.
transjen
07-24-2010, 05:13 PM
I see the Rangers are playing very well and i would love to see them make it to the world series not because i'm a Rangers fan but because for a long time they have been a nothing team, Teams like the Cubs, Rangers are the beautiful losers teams you can't help but cheer for
Sadly when and if they do finaly win they lose there charm the Red Soxs come to mind there all of baseball were happy when they finaly won and now there charm is gone unless you live in Boston
SO go Cubs and Rangers
:yes: Philliefan Jen
I see the Rangers are playing very well and i would love to see them make it to the world series not because i'm a Rangers fan but because for a long time they have been a nothing team, Teams like the Cubs, Rangers are the beautiful losers teams you can't help but cheer for
Sadly when and if they do finaly win they lose there charm the Red Soxs come to mind there all of baseball were happy when they finaly won and now there charm is gone unless you live in Boston
SO go Cubs and Rangers
:yes: Philliefan Jen
Sorry, Jen, but while they may have lost their charm for you there is a devoted Red Sox Nation across the country for whom the Sox have not lost their charm. The Red Sox are still the biggest visitor draw for American League teams.
transjen
07-25-2010, 03:11 AM
Sorry, Jen, but while they may have lost their charm for you there is a devoted Red Sox Nation across the country for whom the Sox have not lost their charm. The Red Sox are still the biggest visitor draw for American League teams.
Yes Yankees /RedSoxs games are a big rateings for fox and ESPN and there fans are very royal but to non Boston fans before the won the series they had charm the lovable losers they can no longer be called that since they won a few and have been hiting the playoffs on a constent bases, The Cubs have the lovable losers charm have royal fans all over the country but if they ever do win the big one they'll be just another team, I'm a Phillies fan but when the Phillies aren't playing or the game is not being televised i like to go for the underdog and Boston has lost that title even if the Yankees give em fits still i don't hate Boston they just don't have the charm they use too
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen
Yes Yankees /RedSoxs games are a big rateings for fox and ESPN and there fans are very royal but to non Boston fans before the won the series they had charm the lovable losers they can no longer be called that since they won a few and have been hiting the playoffs on a constent bases, The Cubs have the lovable losers charm have royal fans all over the country but if they ever do win the big one they'll be just another team, I'm a Phillies fan but when the Phillies aren't playing or the game is not being televised i like to go for the underdog and Boston has lost that title even if the Yankees give em fits still i don't hate Boston they just don't have the charm they use too
:yes: Jerseygirl Jen
Well, "lovable losers" is a bit different than what you posted to which I first responded. I certainly agree that the Sox are no longer "losers" -- although the injuries this year may well keep them from the playoffs.
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