Baseball

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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!

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]

Originally Posted by smc

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.

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]

Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies way to go Roy

Philliefan Jen

[dauls]

Originally Posted by transjen

Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies way to go Roy

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.

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

Time to do the happy dance as the 20th perfect game in MLB history was pitched tonight by the Phillies way to go Roy

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.

[smc]

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]

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by oldawg

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?

[shadows]

Originally Posted by oldawg

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.) 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.

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?

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

Welcome to the thread, old dawg. Nice to see another baseball fan here. I'll reply to your above points using the blue font.

[smc]

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.

Originally Posted by oldawg

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.

Originally Posted by oldawg

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.

Originally Posted by oldawg

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.

Originally Posted by oldawg

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.