Baseball 2011

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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

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

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-1...atsuzaka-count

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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



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

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-1...atsuzaka-count

I have my moments.

[shadows]

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

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

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

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

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by smc

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

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

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

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

[shadows]

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

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

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

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

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

[transjen]

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

PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL!!!!l

Bummed out Philliesfan Jen

[shadows]

Originally Posted by transjen

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

PUT PETE ROSE IN THE HALL!!!!l

Bummed out Philliesfan Jen

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

[shadows]

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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

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

[shadows]

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

[smc]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[shadows]

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

[smc]

Originally Posted by shadows

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

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

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

[shadows]

Originally Posted by smc

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

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

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