MLB 2007 Season

[masamuneehs]

i eat my previous words.
Sox played well. I hope we've learned a lesson (the pitchers especially) for the next time we meet. I don't think we'll give up the AL East that easy.

On other news: Why are teams even pitching to Barry Bonds?!???!
It infuriates me to no limit. And look! The guy is fucking hitting them out of the park all the time now, number 740!!! The record... for the love of the game someone...

If I was a manager or owner or coach, I'd instruct my players to never, on pain of death, never pitch to Barry Bonds. Not once. Walk him every single time, or hit him with the pitch. I wouldn't want to be a part of that bastard's tainted legacy.

[suckitdry]

Nasty Nats will be champs! Fuck yeah Frank Robinson!!!

One, two, Go Team Shake!

[SK]

Yeah great series for Boston, first sweep that I've seen in my lifetime. Bad loss tonight though (Wakefield is fucking old). Man if we picked up Clemens we'd be a lock for champs again, I remember going to see him pitch and getting a signed ball when I was a little kid at Pawtuckett.

[SasukeX]

YANKEES!!!! Mets basicly sucked so far as always and braves got their ass wooped by the cubs and red sox can jus diaf for all i care only person doing decent imo is ramirez. althought giambi isnt doin so well for the yanks but i think they'll pull it off

[SK]

My cousin went to all three games, lucky bastard.

[Munsu]

Hmm, the Red Sox continued the Yankee sweep tonight... The Yanks are in a really tough position in this early season. Most, if not all of the AL East have good teams, so climbing back from the bottom will be pretty hard if they continue playing as they have lately, 7 straight loses.

[SK]

I'm calling another sweep for the Sox.

[Munsu]

So, Torre getting fired during or after the season is over?

[masamuneehs]

So, Torre getting fired during or after the season is over?

i don't think anyone's going to go pull that emergency alarm so soon... but if it is warranted, they'll wait until after. I don't think things will get that out of control that the Boss'll fire that bullet in the middle of a season. God I just wish the pitching on the Yanks could stay healthy.

i'm fucking furious about Barry Bonds hitting so many HRs and getting so close to the record. fuckings cheating bullshit...

edit - two mlb baseball threads? since you asked so nicely (you dick), i'll tone it down about the steroid thing, but i don't see how it shouldn't be discussed here. you don't need to say anything if you don't want to talk about it. this thread is for more than just 'gasming about your fave teams...

I'll admit it, the source of my anger is that I fucking hate cheaters. Oh wait, that's not got anything to do with the Yanks? Guess you're not always right Bud...

edit - ok, sorry about that. it's been a rough time recently and i've not been in a very good mood. The Yanks sucking hasn't helped that, but honestly I'm not buying into the panic just yet. I'll alsoavoid the steroid subject if that's what people want.

[SK]

Hahaha, Yankees really do suck this year, they're really terrible. I hope we get some dramatic Steinbrenner firing and the Yankees finish at the bottom of the division, remember they were BAD against TB last year. The Red Sox are looking really good this year, Daisuke can only get better, and Beckett is pitching well. We also got Lester doing well in Pawtuckett, if we picked up Clemens we'd get another title for sure. Thats only a dream, but hey anythings possible especially since Moss got traded to the Pats, another dream I never thought would come true.

[Munsu]

i don't think anyone's going to go pull that emergency alarm so soon... but if it is warranted, they'll wait until after. I don't think things will get that out of control that the Boss'll fire that bullet in the middle of a season. God I just wish the pitching on the Yanks could stay healthy.

i'm fucking furious about Barry Bonds hitting so many HRs and getting so close to the record. fuckings cheating bullshit...

I don't know, George is capable of anything... he has threatened to fire him so many times that you have to expect that it's simply a matter of time for him to get fired.

And...

Stop bringing the Barry controversy to this thread... I already said I didn't want it in this thread, so create your own steroid thread. And even if he's cheating, what he's been doing is nothing less than spectacular, not even in the history of cheaters have they accomplished what he's doing. And I'm tired of all the accusations without prove... we get enough of that crap in the media, he's still playing baseball for a reason while countless of cheaters have been caught red handed already.

So just admit it, your source of anger is because the Yankees suck, nothing to do with Barry... he's not the cause of every single thing that is wrong with baseball...

[SK]

Last time I checked steroids doesn't help your hand-eye coordination.
Can't wait to see Barry break that record.

[Munsu]

Cardinal's are in an "emotional rollercoaster" once again... but man, what tough luck. First Darryl Kile dies, and now Josh Hancock.

[masamuneehs]

so it's been a much better week for the Yankees.

Chien-Ming Wang, whose sinker is like a bowling ball, nearly pitched a perfect game yesterday, going 8 and a third without allowing a baserunner. The Yanks got beat up the day before (after sweeping Texas), and it was nice to have a long pitching effort from them. Today one of the young kids, Rasner, pitched very well, and the Yanks are well in command of this one as I write (5-0 in the 8th).

And so i'm sitting here, feeling very good about the Yankees pitching. It's the 7th inning stretch and they broadcast the singing of God Bless America at the Stadium. They go to commercial, but all of a sudden the local commercial cuts out. They go to an image of a guy in the stadium holding a microphone, without sound. Who is it?

It's the newest Yankee, Roger Clemens. I went absolutely bananas. Nobody in the NY media had a clue this was going down, and the players in the dugout looked just as surprised as the fans in the stands. I'm fuckin' psyched.

In other news: The Brewers are kings of the ugly NL Central, where the Cardinals can't seem to have any luck (now they lost Carpenter for some time). The AL East is still competitive, and it looks like the team to beat will be whoever comes out of there. Also, the Pirates seem to have fallen off after a promising start, which I'm pretty disappointed with...

[SK]

Fuck the Yankees, Clemens is an old man anyway.

[Apraxhren]

The ever so fickle Red Sox fans.

So far this year starting pitching has been fantastic to watch. You'll have to excuse me as I proclaim my love. I don't know if it is because of the WBC last year or just luck but some unheralded youngsters have made an impact so far. I can't really say the A's pitching has been a surprise because they always produce great pitchers, and through the first month Dan Haren looks amazing; 1.89 era, 0.96 whip, 40 strikeouts. Like Haren in Harden's shadow, James Shields is thriving in Kazmir's shadow. I don't know how this kid gets so overlooked he has excellent command, 38 walks in 124.2 innings last year, and has improved his strikeouts, 49 this year almost half he had last year. With those two pitchers and their much improved offense it will be hard to hold them down in the AL east much longer. My favorite so far would have to be Micah Ownings, maybe since we share the same first name. He is arguably the 2nd best starter on the Diamondbacks, behind Webb and at times Johnson, the thing is he is stuck in the 5th spot. He has a little trouble with his command, 12 walks in 28 innings but he is holding opposing batters to just .216 with 21 strikeouts. I hope this kid gets the chance to jump ahead of Hernández and Johnson and become a star.

Now for the much heralded young guns, especially the much hyped Phillip Hughes. He just keeps getting more interesting as the season goes on, shaky first start, no hitter till he got hurt, and now Roger Clemans as a mentor. He could easily end the year as the Yankees ace or back in AAA. The Giants also recalled a tremendous talent in Tim Lincecum, who like Hughes, had a shaky first start. I'd love to see him turn it around and be a productive starter in a killer rotation with Cain and Zito.

If anyone actually bothered to read all of that I apologize.

[Apraxhren]

I'm double posting because it is two days later and a completely different subject and I feel like writing another novel to add to this thread.

I attended the Phillies v. Cubs game this evening, first Phils game of the season, I have tickets to Wednesday against the Brewers before returning home. Let me just say though, this was a great game, despite the weather troubles. I was in section 109, row 7, seat 18 right on the isle near the right field corner so it was perfect heckling range of Cliff Floyd who was playing right field for the cubs most of the night. There were a group of guys in the row behind me and they apparently take special pleasure in ruining Floyd's life as he gave them the finger last year. By far the funniest moment was in the bottom of the second when Freddy Garcia was up, Floyd was playing him about 20 feet from the wall and one of the guys shouts "Floyd you should move back he is going hit one over your head" and just a few seconds later Garcia hits a monster to right that goes over Floyd's head and bounces off the scoreboard in the wall. Everyone in the section was laughing and in the fourth when Garcia came back up Floyd was slowly taking steps backwards, and it seemed as if half the stadium was laughing at him.

Another pleasure of being in right field is witnessing Shane Victorino, who is quickly becoming the fan favorite. The dude is a good hitter, base stealer, and he hustles on every plan which will automatically make you a hero in Philly. The biggest reason to watch is his rocket of an arm, which seems to throw out someone at home from right field almost every game. Today he did it twice, once throwing out Soriano at home, and a second time throwing out Jones. Later in the game Soriano stopped at third on another hit to right field in respect to his arm. One aspect of his game seems to be undervalued, his toughness, the guy is not very big at all yet every time there is a play at the plate he doesn't try and slide but always goes head first bowling over the catcher, Pete Rose style, which seems to be one of many lost arts in todays game.

The one gripe I have is that Brett Myers did not get a save. He came into the eight with a 4 run lead, which many people seem to assume means it is not a save opportunity. However, the rulebook state that in order to earn a save you #1 must not be the winning pitcher, #2be the last pitcher in the game and #3 meet ONE of the following criteria: Enter the game with a 3runs or less lead, or Enter the game with the tying run on base, at bat or on deck, or Pitch effectively with the lead, a very subjective statement. As I said he came into the eighth with a 4 run lead, and following two Philadelphia relievers that came up all the runs, 1 in the 6th, 6 in the 7th where they actually had the lead. The Phillies regained the lead in the bottom of the 7th and Myers comes in and strikeouts 5 out of the 6 outs recorded in his 2 out relief. To me that seems to warrant a save, to completely shut down and offense that had just scored all but one of it's runs for two innings. There was probably only 8-10 thousand left after the rain delay but when he was pitching it was the loudest all night and virtually everyone was standing the entire time.

[SK]

Who else caught the Sox game the other day, down 5 to nothing and came back in the 9th to score 6 runs. Man imagine being at Fenway...Well I'm going in a few weeks to watch the Orioles get hammered.

[masamuneehs]

Yanks finally seem to be getting back in shape... Saw a Phils/Jays game, and wow that staidum in Philly is very nice. Makes Shea and even the one in the Bronx look pretty shabby...

Anyway, it's getting toward the All-Star break, so I'm gonna just put down my votes:

National League:
1B: Prince Fielder, MIL.
2B: Chase Utley, PHL
3B: Miguel Cabrera (I'm sure David Wright's going to win this one, but I think Cabrera deserves the recognition. He's on a far worse team)
SS: Jose Reyes, NYM.
C: Brian McCann, ATL (I still think this guy's the best young catcher in the pros)
OF: Matt Holiday, COL (.361 average is no joke)
Carlos Lee, HOU (when his team isn't hitting, he still provides lots of offense)
Ken Griffey Jr., CIN (I can't help it, I love this guy)


American League:
1B: Kevin Youkilis, BOS (yes, over Ortiz. The position is 1B, not DH. Honorable mention goes to "MVP?" Justin Morneau.
2B: Brian Roberts, BAL (no HRs, no RBIs, I know... Poor guy is on Baltimore though...)
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NYY
SS: really wanted to pick Jeter...but his fielding this year... Maybe Orlando Cabrera from Anaheim... can't decide still. My fanboyism makes me want to pick Jeter so badly, and he is having a good year... But can I really pick 3 Yanks to start the All-Star game when they're doing so poorly?
C: Jorge Posada, NYY. (omfg he's en fuego this year.)
OF: Magglio Ordonez, DET (sorry Sheff, he's the real stud this year)
Vladmir Guerrero, LAA
Grady Sizemore, CLE (I don't want to shaft Ichiro or Sheffield, but Sizemore is having a more complete year than the two)

yeah, i'm a dork... necro post ftw!?

[Munsu]

There are many deserving the SS position in the NL. This year the position has provided with a bunch of good hitters, the Brewers' one has been hitting the ball like an MVP.

On a side note... Man, Schilling losing the no-hitter on the last out was disapointing.