2007 MLB First-Half Season thread

[J Dog]

Opening day is still about 5 days away, but I figured that I'd start this thread.

Another reason that I started this thread is that I'm hating Bud Selig more than ever. Not only has he screwed cable owners by putting Extra Innings solely on DirecTV just because they'll offer space for a channel in 2009, but his office forced Astro Craig Biggio to take off a pin that has been on his cap for 20 years during Spring Training. This pin is for the Sunshine Kids Foundation, which is an organization for young cancer patients.

Expect us to bitch about him a lot.

So, anyway, who's ready for the First Pitch coming?

[Deathstroke]

I can't wait for the Red Sox season to get going.

Hope springs eternal so I'm hoping that the Sox can bring back another World Series title.

[J Dog]

Hopin' the Astros and Angels win their divisions. Though, to be honest, I expect Los Angeles to accomplish this a lot easier than Houston.

[Jeff-E]

I'm a native Houstonian, and I live in St.Louis so you know what that means? Yeah, I hate the friggin Cards. However I can't wait to see the Astros this year, even though they lost a couple players they did gain some talent so I think this should be a good season.

[LtMarvel]

But Jeff, you gotta love the bling (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/77980F55A4A925D3862572A80021FADC?OpenDocument).

[jessecuster3]

There's a great sign for the White Sox on a bunch of the cabs here:

"We haven't won since '05, its time to end the drought."

However, the pitching is already looking shaky, so I am plenty nervous.

[LtMarvel]

Even the St. Louis Police are not above World Series-related controversy. (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/05D27A567CE26552862572A50011A6F4?OpenDocument&highlight=2%2C%22world%22+AND+%22series%22+AND+%22 scalper%22)

My wife says that guilty police members should be docked a day's wages. Seems like a reasonable punishment to me.

[Punchy]

As goes Brad Penny, so goes the Dodgers season. That's my prediction.

Both SD and SF (freakin' Zito!!) improved. It should be another good NL West.

[moebius]

World Series: Angels over Phillies in 6. You heard it here first.

NL MVP: Albert Pujols
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez (contract year)

NL Cy Young: Brandon Webb (repeat)
AL Cy Young: Johann Santana (repeat)

It would be nice to think this is the year the Yankees break their "drought", but there are pitching questions right through the rotation, and the offense won`t carry them past LA (or Boston, if their questionable pitching staff comes together) in the playoffs.

I do have Dice-K on both my fantasy teams. Take from that what you will.

[Punchy]

Do you live in Annaheim? I don't see how you can pick the Angels to even win the division, they've done nothing in the offseason to help their awful hitting.

[moebius]

Do you live in Annaheim? I don't see how you can pick the Angels to even win the division, they've done nothing in the offseason to help their awful hitting.

You insult me, sir. Certainly you'd know from last year that I'm a hopless homer for the Yanks.

The Angels have a young, strong starting rotation (I'd call it the best in the majors) and a great bullpen (also one of the best in the majors). Pitching + Defense = Championship.

Both the Twins (no Liriano, a whole lot of question marks behind Santana) and Detroit (tired young arms from last year's run) are going to come down off their pitching from last season. Chicago or Boston could be threats for the WC, but if the Angels take it or the West, they'll run the table.

Who do you like?

[Gingold]

I'm extremely excited for baseball to start.
My Red Sox look good. I have a good feeling about both them and my adopted Phillies. Should be a fun season. We got the Phillies Sunday Season ticket plan again for this year, so I'll be getting to a lot of games.

[Deathstroke]

I'm extremely excited for baseball to start.
My Red Sox look good. I have a good feeling about both them and my adopted Phillies. Should be a fun season. We got the Phillies Sunday Season ticket plan again for this year, so I'll be getting to a lot of games.


And in the meantime, the closest I'll be getting to a Red Sox game this year is if I sit really close to the TV screen.

[Mysterio]

World Series: Angels over Phillies in 6. You heard it here first.

What, are you Jimmy Rollins brother or something?! Mark my words, the Philthies WILL NOT make the playoffs this year.

[Frodo-X]

I'm jazzed. Of course, at first it's a little tricky watching the games, because Hockey playoffs will be on, and they're more important. But still, I love me some baseball. Last year was great, and I hope we do even better this year. We've been doing good in Spring Training, and it seems like the new addition from the Yanks is fitting in well. So it's time again....

LET'S GO TIGERS!!

[J Dog]

Do you live in Annaheim? I don't see how you can pick the Angels to even win the division, they've done nothing in the offseason to help their awful hitting.

You didn't say that!!!

LA's going to win their division!

[Valmore]

I'll be watching and waiting for the exact moment when the Red Sox break my heart again.

[Sheldon]

This is the year the Texas Rangers put it all together!


no seriously it is.

[Mysterio]

Aw crap. We lost Duaner Sanchez until August. This sucks...

[Gingold]

And in the meantime, the closest I'll be getting to a Red Sox game this year is if I sit really close to the TV screen.

It's gotten really ridiculous, hasn't it? Up until about 1996 or so, I went to Fenway at least 4 or 5 times a season. That's pretty much impossible now.

[Deathstroke]

It's gotten really ridiculous, hasn't it? Up until about 1996 or so, I went to Fenway at least 4 or 5 times a season. That's pretty much impossible now.

The only Sox game I've been to in years was a couple years ago when I won tickets.

[EZMOHR]

28 years of life........28 years of the Astros not winning a World Series. But, like every year....I think this is the Astros year.


As for real picks, I say the following (This is the format me and my friends use):(Playoff Teams in bold)

AL East-
1. NY Yankees
2. Boston
3. Toronto
4. Tampa Bay
5. Baltimore

AL Central-
1. Cleveland
2. Minnesota
3. Chicago
4. Detroit
5. Kansas City

AL West-
1. Anaheim of Los Angeles of Long Beach of City of Industry of Covina
2. Oakland
3. Texas
4. Seattle


AL East-
1. Philadelphia
2. NY Mets
3. Atlanta
4. Florida
5. Washington

AL Central-
1. Houston
2. St. Louis
3. Milwaukee
4. Chicago
5. Cincinnati
6. Pittsburgh

AL West-
1. LA Dodgers
2. San Diego
3. Colorado
4. San Francisco
5. Arizona


AL Playoffs-

Yankees over Minnesota in 5
Anaheim over Cleveland in 5

Anaheim over Yankees in 6

NL Playoffs-

Cardinals over LA in 5
Houston over Philadelphia in 5

St. Louis over Houston in 5

World Series-
Anaheim over St. Louis in 5



3 Surprise Players AL (Good)
1. A-Rod (.325, 47 HR's, 143 RBI's)
2. A.J. Burnett (16 W's, 3.85 ERA)
3. Mark Texiera (.295, 40 HR's, 130 RBI's after last year)

3 Surprise Players AL(Turds)
1. Brian Roberts (.260, 8 HR's, 46 RBI's)
2. J.D. Drew (.270, 15 HR's, 54 RBI's, tons of missed games)
3. Jered Weaver (8 W's, 4.95 ERA, lots of games getting touched up)


3 Surprise Players NL (Good)
1. Morgan Ensberg (.285, 30 HR's, 100 RBI's)
2. Adam LaRoche (.275, 35 HR's, 105 RBI's)
3. Prince Fielder (.280, 32 HR's, 100 RBI's)

3 Surprise Players NL (Turds)
1. Barry Zito (13 W's, 4.85 ERA..and that pains me to say cause I like 'em)
2. Adam Dunn (.245, 30 HR's, 80 RBI's)
3. Nomar GarciaHamm (.255, 10 HR's, 35 RBI' lots of games missed)

[Punchy]

You insult me, sir. Certainly you'd know from last year that I'm a hopless homer for the Yanks.

The Angels have a young, strong starting rotation (I'd call it the best in the majors) and a great bullpen (also one of the best in the majors). Pitching + Defense = Championship.

Both the Twins (no Liriano, a whole lot of question marks behind Santana) and Detroit (tired young arms from last year's run) are going to come down off their pitching from last season. Chicago or Boston could be threats for the WC, but if the Angels take it or the West, they'll run the table.

Who do you like?
Of course I remember you're a Yanks fan, I was being sarcastic.

While their pitching is good (maybe a little young to be called the best in the league) their hitting is just hopeless. I of course live in LA so I hear a lot about them and I still don't think they've put anyone around Vlad to get him some pitches to swing at. I was thinking the other day about how defense is overrated in baseball (the '04 Red Sox come to mind). Sure it can keep small teams like the A's and Twins in the hunt for the division every year but I don't think it can win a World Series.

I'm not saying they won't win the division, I think they have a good shot at that. But not the pennant.

I actually like the Red Sox and White Sox in the AL. It's hard not to go with the Mets in the NL.

[Matthew E]

A lot of people are assuming that of course the Red Sox will finish ahead of Toronto this year. They shouldn't. Last year's standings were deceptive: Boston's Pythagorean record was a few games below .500 in '06; if you just look at runs scored versus runs allowed, the Jays were way ahead of the Sox.

Yes, some of that was injuries, and yes, Boston has improved in the off-season. But it's going to be a race, and I wouldn't be surprised to see either team finish ahead.

(As for the Yankees, I've gotten tired of predicting that their age is going to catch up with them. But I think they'll miss Sheffield.)

[Nick Soapdish]

3 Surprise Players AL (Good)
1. A-Rod (.325, 47 HR's, 143 RBI's)
2. A.J. Burnett (16 W's, 3.85 ERA)
3. Mark Texiera (.295, 40 HR's, 130 RBI's after last year)

3 Surprise Players AL(Turds)
1. Brian Roberts (.260, 8 HR's, 46 RBI's)
2. J.D. Drew (.270, 15 HR's, 54 RBI's, tons of missed games)
3. Jered Weaver (8 W's, 4.95 ERA, lots of games getting touched up)


3 Surprise Players NL (Good)
1. Morgan Ensberg (.285, 30 HR's, 100 RBI's)
2. Adam LaRoche (.275, 35 HR's, 105 RBI's)
3. Prince Fielder (.280, 32 HR's, 100 RBI's)

3 Surprise Players NL (Turds)
1. Barry Zito (13 W's, 4.85 ERA..and that pains me to say cause I like 'em)
2. Adam Dunn (.245, 30 HR's, 80 RBI's)
3. Nomar GarciaHamm (.255, 10 HR's, 35 RBI' lots of games missed)

JD Drew being injured a lot is a surprise?

[moebius]

What, are you Jimmy Rollins brother or something?! Mark my words, the Philthies WILL NOT make the playoffs this year.

I would prefer the Mets myself, but look at their pitching. It's a black hole after the 41-year old Tom Glavine (though I think John Maine's going to be good).

I think the Phillies sneak in as the wild card and then roll over the perpetually underpreforming Padres, Astros and Mets (my three league leading picks).

Yes, I guess I value pitching over offense.

[LtMarvel]

I still see the Redbirds winning the Central.

[Mysterio]

I would prefer the Mets myself, but look at their pitching. It's a black hole after the 41-year old Tom Glavine (though I think John Maine's going to be good).

I think the Phillies sneak in as the wild card and then roll over the perpetually underpreforming Padres, Astros and Mets (my three league leading picks).

Yes, I guess I value pitching over offense.

I'm actually more worried about the state of our bullpen now. The combo of Maine/Perez/Pelfrey could be devastatingly good. Or Perez could revert to form and suck it up, forcing Chan Ho back into the lineup. It's only a matter of time until El Duque is on the DL. But what do you expect from a Senior Citizen?

[Sir Tim Drake]

We're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna score.

[EZMOHR]

JD Drew being injured a lot is a surprise?

As much as he is getting paid...yeah he is gonna be much maligned this year.

[Nick Soapdish]

As much as he is getting paid...yeah he is gonna be much maligned this year.

Just like every other year. He's always getting busted on.

[Nick Soapdish]

We're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna score.

I have more hopes for 2008 when Liriano is back (assuming he is able to come back for real) and assuming that we can keep Santana somehow.

[Valmore]

Your prediction of J.D. Drew is just plain silly.

Drew played in 146 games last season and 145 games three seasons ago. That's just fine out of 162 games. He's not as injured as everyone maligns him to be, as he's averaged 106 games a season. And with Wily Mo Pena around to pick up the slack, this isn't a big deal.

Also, he has a career BA of .286, most of it playing it pitchers parks like Turner Field, Busch Stadium and Dodger Stadium. Now he's going to a Top-5 HITTER'S park? He's not going to dip to .270 - that's just plain nonsense, especially with the short right field wall to hit to.

Please put some real effort into next time.

[Punchy]

Val, I admire your optimism but JD Drew isn't worth the money the Sox are paying him.

And before you chide someone else for not putting any effort in to not looking at stats lets look at what you're leaving out; sure Drew played 146 games in '06 and 145 in '04. He also only played 72 games in '05 and 100 games in '03. He's hit 100 RBI's only once and hit more than 20 HR's once in the past four seasons. And you sure as hell aren't going to see him on any web gems hauling ass for a ball in right field.

[Valmore]

Val, I admire your optimism but JD Drew isn't worth the money the Sox are paying him.

And before you chide someone else for not putting any effort in to not looking at stats lets look at what you're leaving out; sure Drew played 146 games in '06 and 145 in '04. He also only played 72 games in '05 and 100 games in '03. He's hit 100 RBI's only once and hit more than 20 HR's once in the past four seasons. And you sure as hell aren't going to see him on any web gems hauling ass for a ball in right field.

I don't disagree, of course he's not worth $14 million a year - but hardly anybody is getting paid what they're actually worth. The vast majority of MLB players are overpaid, but Drew got what the market would bear. The question is if a team is willing to overpay for services. Clearly he made the right move, because he gave up $11 million and got $14 million.

Also, RBIs aren't key - OBP is key, and J.D. Drew has a career .393 OBP. They're going to bat him in the 5-spot behind Ortiz and Ramirez, which was a sore spot in the lineup last season. With a patient hitter like Drew, who gets on base roughly 4 out of 10 at-bats, chances are good that he'll get on base, possibly push baserunners, or at least keep a rally going, and not produce a lot of outs at that spot in the lineup.

And in Fenway, right field isn't exactly a key position. It's a short fence and a short run. He just has to be solid in the field - not a whiz. Heck, it's not like Manny Ramirez is a great left fielder, either. And his career fielding percentage in right field is .983 - that's not bad.

What I find silly is saying a career .286 hitter, who spent most of his home games in stadiums considered pitcher-friendly, is going to have a dip to .270 in a home stadium ranked near the top of hitter-friendly lists and in a lineup that generally sees a rise in production from players.

[Punchy]

It might be a stretch but it's not out of the realm of possibility especially since he's been in the NL all of these years and isn't familiar with AL pitching. And he has hit as low as .242 and .252 in a season.

[jessecuster3]

We're gonna win, Twins, we're gonna score.

White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!
Let's Go-Go-Go White Sox
We're with you all the way!
You're always in there fighting,
And you do your best.
We're glad to have you
Out here in the Middle West.

We're gonna root-root-root-root White Sox,
And cheer you on to victory.
When we're in the stands,
We'll make those rafters ring;
All through the season,
You will hear us sing.
Let's Go-Go-Go White Sox,
Chicago's proud of you!

White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!

Root-Root-Root for the White Sox,
We'll cheer you on to victory.
When we're in the stands,
We'll make those rafters ring;
All through the season,
You will hear us sing.
Let's Go-Go-Go White Sox,
Chicago's proud of you!
Play it now!

White Sox! White Sox!
Go-Go White Sox!
Let's Go-Go-Go White Sox!
Chicago is proud of you!

[Mysterio]

I would LOVE to have the GOOD Zambrano on the Mets next year...

"I like the Yankees, but I don't see myself pitching at Yankee Stadium. Too many rules," he said with a laugh. "If I play in New York, it's going to be with the Mets. First of all, because I get to hit. And I love hitting."

Why does he have to tease me so....?

[EZMOHR]

Your prediction of J.D. Drew is just plain silly.

Drew played in 146 games last season and 145 games three seasons ago. That's just fine out of 162 games. He's not as injured as everyone maligns him to be, as he's averaged 106 games a season. And with Wily Mo Pena around to pick up the slack, this isn't a big deal.

Also, he has a career BA of .286, most of it playing it pitchers parks like Turner Field, Busch Stadium and Dodger Stadium. Now he's going to a Top-5 HITTER'S park? He's not going to dip to .270 - that's just plain nonsense, especially with the short right field wall to hit to.

Please put some real effort into next time.

Yeah, that's why it's called a prediction. I could be wrong...but just looking at what the guy is gonna have to go through this year, his big contract, Boston putting him under the microscope more than the left coast would ever do....I don't see any reason why somebody would think JD Drew is gonna have a good year.

You pay JD Drew 10 million a year to make a difference, not say stupid stuff like "Well Wily Mo Pena's back there." God, somebody that knows anything about baseball knows if JD Drew shows up and acts like, uhm JD Drew in Boston it's gonna end bad.

And wow, he played that many games last year and 3 Years ago he played just as many. Wow, so that means JD Drew has a good year every couple of seasons. Well worth the money Boston is paying him.

Jeez'um Christmas get a clue.

[Valmore]

Get a clue yourself. You've been wrong more times than you've been right.

Boston has a backup plan in case Drew gets hurt called Wily Mo Pena. A young, big hitter who needs to learn patience at the plate. Until then, they picked up Drew. Also, Drew can play center fireld with Wily Mo in right for other situations. It's called a platoon outfield - Martinez, Drew, Coco Crisp and Wily Mo Pena. Anybody who knows anything about baseball can look at that and say, "Yeah, that's a pretty good outfield."

And please, Boston can afford to overspend on J.D. Drew - they're Yankees light and have loads of cash at their disposal. Money isn't even a factor - we're not talking Kansas City here. And Boston fans aren't all that harsh. We've put up with Manny's shenanigans for about a decade now.

So thanks, but I think I've analyzed this a whole lot more than you.

[Valmore]

It might be a stretch but it's not out of the realm of possibility especially since he's been in the NL all of these years and isn't familiar with AL pitching. And he has hit as low as .242 and .252 in a season.

Stretch? Sure. It's not outside the realm of possibility. But in general it's easier for NL batters to switch to the AL and for AL pitchers to switch to the NL. Kind of like how Mark Loretta came from the NL to the AL and had an All-Star season in Boston last year, while Bronson Arroyo went from the AL to the NL and became an ace with the Reds.

I look at the situation, and even with Drew's history of being weird and sometimes hurt, I just don't see his average dropping Boston.

[Hoss]

JD Drew went to Florida State and is on my fantasy team. Plus I kind of know a guy who is good friends with JD.

Based on those important stats I'm guessing...

.299
30 Homer Runs
85 RBIs
60 runs

[Hoss]

Anybody got a feeling about Prince Fielder? He got auto drafted to both of my teams.

[J Dog]

Anyone considering that Washington may wind up fielding one of the worst teams ever this year? Because a Nationals "fan" gave five good "crapportunities". (http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/baseball-season-preview-washington-nationals-244758.php)

Kinda wish we had a time machine so we can go back to 1994, stop the strike, and let the Expos win the World Series.

[Valmore]

JD Drew went to Florida State and is on my fantasy team. Plus I kind of know a guy who is good friends with JD.

Based on those important stats I'm guessing...

.299
30 Homer Runs
85 RBIs
60 runs

I think I'm with you on this. Will Drew be a super stud? Probably not. But will he be solid and servicable? I believe so.

I'm guessing around a .290 average, 20-25 homers, .400 OBP.

So long as he stays healthy. I think he will.

[Mysterio]

Kinda wish we had a time machine so we can go back to 1994, stop the strike, and let the Expos win the World Series.

Wonder no longer! Your 2007 Montreal Expos (http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/baseball-season-preview-montreal-expos-247437.php)!

[moebius]

Something to consider with JD Drew: Since entering the league, he has never played in 110 games in two consecutive seasons (baseballreference.com). Last year he played 145, which suggests (but does not dictate) that he's not going to crack 110-120 this year.

Also, he gives Boston the craziest outfield in the majors. Him AND Manny AND Coco Crisp? They should just plant a psychologist out there for between innings.

Boston for me is the biggest wildcard in the AL. They have three pitchers who could be awesome or implode spectacularly. They have a lineup filled with young question marks and questionable outfielders. If their pitching and hitting click, they're probably the best team in the majors. If one of those things go wrong, they still might make the wild card. if BOTH of those things go wrong, they're looking at a 3rd place finish or worse.

[moebius]

Anybody got a feeling about Prince Fielder? He got auto drafted to both of my teams.

Well, too late now if he sucks... :)

Fielder's the DH on my other fantasy team. SI has him as a Top-10 1B this year and PETCOA (sp?) ranks him the 2nd most likely breakout position player. He's young (23) and has big power potential, and his fielding and average should improve with experience.

[J Dog]

Wonder no longer! Your 2007 Montreal Expos (http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/baseball-season-preview-montreal-expos-247437.php)!

I read that. Man that was something.

In a sad note, the MLB dosen't care about you (though we figured that out early on) (http://deadspin.com/sports/baseball/baseball-spits-in-congress-face-and-yours-247793.php). Not even Congress could stop the Match Made In Hell from being legit. Guess if I want to see the Astros, I'll have to use MLB.tv, and endure the buffering and tiny players, or watch WGN & Fox Sports Indiana whenever they play the Cubs and Reds.

Man, that sucks! :mad:

[J Dog]

Anybody got a feeling about Prince Fielder? He got auto drafted to both of my teams.

Oh crap. Thank god I only do Mock NCAA Brackets.

[Valmore]

Something to consider with JD Drew: Since entering the league, he has never played in 110 games in two consecutive seasons (baseballreference.com). Last year he played 145, which suggests (but does not dictate) that he's not going to crack 110-120 this year.

Also, he gives Boston the craziest outfield in the majors. Him AND Manny AND Coco Crisp? They should just plant a psychologist out there for between innings.

Boston for me is the biggest wildcard in the AL. They have three pitchers who could be awesome or implode spectacularly. They have a lineup filled with young question marks and questionable outfielders. If their pitching and hitting click, they're probably the best team in the majors. If one of those things go wrong, they still might make the wild card. if BOTH of those things go wrong, they're looking at a 3rd place finish or worse.

The Red Sox will do as they usually do - start out really strong, get a lead on the Yankees to the point where everyone wonders what's wrong with New York. Then, they'll start sliding somewhere around the All-Star Break, drop out of first place in the division and may or may not get the Wild Card.

Man I'm jaded.

[Punchy]

I think I'm with you on this. Will Drew be a super stud? Probably not. But will he be solid and servicable? I believe so.

I'm guessing around a .290 average, 20-25 homers, .400 OBP.

So long as he stays healthy. I think he will.
You all thought Hee Sop Choi would do well as a Red Sock ... ;)

[Valmore]

You all thought Hee Sop Choi would do well as a Red Sock ... ;)

Hey, he totally did well as a Pawtucket Red Sox player. ;) And if he had ever gotten to Boston, he could have hit .250 easily! Of course, he's with Tampa Bay now.

[Kevin M.]

I wonder how long Pavano is going to last before he hurts himself again. Second I hope we get back Wang as soon as possible.

[Frodo-X]

Kenny Rogers is out for 6-8 weeks. That sucks.

Hopefully they can do well enough without him, and then when he returns he'll be right as rain, and well-rested.

[moebius]

Opening Day, baby!

[moebius]

Dang! First Liriano, now Johan Santana. Must be that Twin Cities water...

There are gonna be a lot of angry Twins fans/fantasy owners out there.

[Brian Cronin]

What happened to Santana?

-Brian

[Frodo-X]

What happened to Santana?

-Brian
According to MLB.com and MinnesotaTwins.com...absolutely nothing.

I think moebius is having a little April 1st fun with us.

[moebius]

Three words: Hookers and Blow.

[Mysterio]

Man I hope we CRUSH the Cards tonight. I hate them. I hate them so bad. Almost as bad as the Braves but more than the Philthies. And the Yankmes. I hate them too. :mad:

[Fabian]

I'll be going to Angels opening day tomorrow.

As long as we beat the A's this season, I'll be happy but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like a World Series title.

Also, as always, I have high hopes for my Cubs.

[J Dog]

Mets beat the Cards 6-1 last night.

Hopefully, the Angels and Astros win their first games.

BTW, 26 teams start today, with San Francisco and San Diego starting tomorrow.

[Mysterio]

Mets beat the Cards 6-1 last night.

Yeah they did! I hope they crush them again tomorrow night too!

Man Beltran has a cannon! That throw out of Eckstein at the plate was AWESOME.

[EZMOHR]

God I hate the Mets, but I love that they kicked St. Louis butts last night. And even better, they whipped Carpenter.

GO, 'Stros. Man I love opening day, the only day of the year the Astros still have a chance to win the World Series.

[Mysterio]

God I hate the Mets

1986 resentment?

[EZMOHR]

1986 resentment?

NY is the worst state in the union resentment. (And b4 some ass jumps on my case, it's a friendly resentment. It's how you can hate Guy Gardner, but know he gets the job done when called on.)

[LtMarvel]

1986 resentment?
Wasn't that the year we all figured out HoJo was a cheater?

[Mysterio]

Wasn't that the year we all figured out HoJo was a cheater?

How'd he cheat?!

That was the era of the Cocaine Mets. Drug users yes. Cheaters? No way!

[LtMarvel]

Ah, how soon they forget. In May of 1986, I saw Howard Johnson beat the Redbirds by hitting a home run off fastballer Todd Worrell in the late innings. What I didn't know then...

Later on, someone tipped off the Cardinals. And when Howard Johnson hit a late inning home run against them again, they challenged his bat. There was no rules set for such a challenge (this incident would cause MLB to create some). The Mets desperately tried to take away the bat and comically had the bat boy running into the dug out with it. Manager Whitey Herzog wanted to use the clubhouse x-ray machine on the bat, and the Mets were desperate not to allow it.

You see, a fan had got a hold of a minor league bat of HoJo. It was corked. It was sent to MLB offices, which confirmed it. Someone tipped off the Cardinals...

[Frodo-X]

So I figured...New Season...give him a clean slate...maybe, just maybe Fernando Rodney won't be the piss-away artist he was in the last half of last season.



So much for that.

[moebius]

Well, A-Rod's line: 1 E, 2/5, 1 SB, 1 HR, 2 R.

Nice of the fans to give him a curtain call after the HR.

And howabout that Ben Sheets! Yes, he's on two of my Fantasy teams.

[Valmore]

Nice to see Shilling back to his second half form... which, as we all remember, he sucked during. Way to let the frickin' Royals smack you around.

[Kevin M.]

The Yankees won 9-5 over the Devil Rays and I am worries as hell. There was a lot of things I saw that I did not like. The main thing was Pavano. I an chucking his shackey outting to rust, but just that first start. Also I did not like our fielding today. If they were playing a good team we would have lost. But as I said before, I hope that this is just rust from the off season. Only time will tell.

[Gingold]

Welll that was just terrible. The Yankees looked bad but won anyway. The Red Sox got their asses handed to them by the Royals, and the Phillies couldn't hold a lead. Grr.

[Valmore]

Welll that was just terrible. The Yankees looked bad but won anyway. The Red Sox got their asses handed to them by the Royals, and the Phillies couldn't hold a lead. Grr.

But at least it wasn't J.D. Drew's fault - 1-for-2 with a walk.

Schilling is showing his age - batters don't fear him. I was afraid of this happening. He's going to be like Randy Johnson in terms of reliability.

Didn't help that Manny tanked at the plate.

[Punchy]

Man oh man did Lowe ever stink it up today against the Brewers.

[Nick Soapdish]

Twins win! We're tied for first in the AL Central!:D

[hulahulk]

I'm going to see Dice-K debut at Fenway next week. Free ticket, seats 20 rows behind home plate!!! Woooohooooo!!!


Oh, and today sucked.

[Valmore]

I'm going to see Dice-K debut at Fenway next week. Free ticket, seats 20 rows behind home plate!!! Woooohooooo!!!

Congratulations! I hate you!

Just kidding! Have fun!

I hope to go to Tampa at some point when the Sox are in town this year.

[hulahulk]

Congratulations! I hate you!

Just kidding! Have fun!

I hope to go to Tampa at some point when the Sox are in town this year.


What's the name of that heckler at all the Tampa Bay home games? Does he heckle other teams besides Boston?

[Brian Cronin]

I like that the Yankees won.

-Brian

[Fabian]

Angels won! Wooooo! I was there for the magical moment!


You're all lucky I'm quite under the influence now and I can't talk much about being there live.





WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Deathstroke]

Well, the Red Sox sure laid an egg yesterday huh?

[moebius]

Like I said:

a) if Schilling, Beckett and Matsuzaka perform; and
b) if Manny, Ortiz and JD Drew perform

the Red Sox are the most dangerous team in the majors. If only 4 of those guys perform, they'll end up 2nd again (and maybe lose the WC to the Central). If less than 4 of those guys perform, they'll end up in 3rd place.

The jury's out from my perspective until the end of April...that's when we'll know which Boston pitching staff is going to show up (the bigger question mark from my perspective).


Also, I would call THIS the most dangerous Yankee lineup in a long time, if everyone stays healthy and Giambi has anything left in the tank. I said it about last year's lineup as well, and it would have been true if Sheff and Matsui and Cano weren't injured.

And three words: A-Rod contract year.

[cable guy]

I just can't believe the Phillies bullpen blew the save yesterday.:rolleyes:

It's time to pull the plug on Ryan Madson... he just doesn't have it. He can't start, relieve or close.

[jessecuster3]

Well, the Red Sox sure laid an egg yesterday huh?

Not as bad as both Chicago teams.

[Valmore]

Well, at least there's still 161 games left in the season, but that game against the frickin' royals did not inspire much confidence in me just yet.

[EZMOHR]

I hate Brad Lidge. One more chance....and he should be done. I'm on the Dan Wheeler bandwagon for closer now.

[Mysterio]

I hate Brad Lidge. One more chance....and he should be done. I'm on the Dan Wheeler bandwagon for closer now.

Uhhh... you realize Wheeler gave up 2 runs tonight, right?

And on an unrelated note... Nice to see our "questionable" rotation come through. El Duque looked good tonight! Here's hoping we keep it going.

[EZMOHR]

Uhhh... you realize Wheeler gave up 2 runs tonight, right?

And on an unrelated note... Nice to see our "questionable" rotation come through. El Duque looked good tonight! Here's hoping we keep it going.

Uh, one blown chance against since 2005....yeah I'll take Wheeler. And kind of wrote that b4 the game tonight.

[Mysterio]

Lidge will get his stuff back, don't worry. He converted 32 saves last year. He'll be fine! Now, if you had Benitez, then I'd worry.

[EZMOHR]

Lidge will get his stuff back, don't worry. He converted 32 saves last year. He'll be fine! Now, if you had Benitez, then I'd worry.

No, even after last night you can tell the coaches don't believe him anymore. They were kind of the only ones who still did. That, coupled with the fact he kind of no longer believes in himself, he's done. I say he gets not many more chances. If he converts 30 save chances in a row, he's golden. If he blows his next oppertunity, he should by a time share with Mark Wholers and Mitch Williams.

[moebius]

I'm "glad" I got my worst fantasy blunders out of the way on Opening Day, not playing Giambi (3 RBI) or Edgar Renteria (2 HR, 3 RBI).

An embarassment of riches, I tell ya.

[Jeff-E]

DAMAGE, 'Stros lost again. Well this season isn't off to the best start. At least the Cards lost, that is some comfort. Living in StLouis, I only get to see select games, so how do the Astros look in the two played games?

[J Dog]

It's two days old, but I gotta mention that the mayor of Cincinnati, Mark Mallory, CAN'T THROW A BASEBALL!!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rx6zsub-neU)

I was watching the Reds opener on FSN Indiana and got a treatment to a girly pitch and an umpire ejection.

[Dennis K]

http://brightstarimages.net/osc/images/05FloridaMarlinsLogo.jpg

[Mysterio]

At least the Cards lost, that is some comfort.

Heck yeah! I just hope we can complete the trifecta and make Looper cry tonight. I want them to pound him soooo bad.

[moebius]

Lidge will get his stuff back, don't worry. He converted 32 saves last year. He'll be fine! Now, if you had Benitez, then I'd worry.

You better hope so...you drafted him!

So Curt Schilling: One-off bad game, or inevitable 40+ decline?

[Matthew E]

So Curt Schilling: One-off bad game, or inevitable 40+ decline?

A little from Column A, a little from Column B...

I just hope it's a steep slope.

[moebius]

A little from Column A, a little from Column B...

I just hope it's a steep slope.

A-Men, brother...I think.

[Mysterio]

You better hope so...you drafted him!

Ain't that the truth! :D But it's all good. I have 3 other RP in case he continues sucking.

[EZMOHR]

DAMAGE, 'Stros lost again. Well this season isn't off to the best start. At least the Cards lost, that is some comfort. Living in StLouis, I only get to see select games, so how do the Astros look in the two played games?

Starting Pitching- A
Hitting- D (Except for Chris Burke)
Relief Pitching- F---------- (I can't give it enough F's.)

I know it is a young season, but just imagine last year, and you've got what the Astros look like this year. No scoring, decent starting pitching, horrible relief pitching (Especially the main guys Lidge, Qualls, and Wheeler.)

[Puma]

http://www.buckleshop.com/images/sbb070.jpg

[moebius]

Nice freaking job, Julio...Washington's on the board with one win!

[Valmore]

A little from Column A, a little from Column B...

I just hope it's a steep slope.

I'm thinking more from Column B. He pitched like crap in the second half of last season, and starting off like crap makes me worried that he's lost it.

[Gingold]

I'm enjoying this year's version of mlb.com's gameday.

[Mysterio]

YES! A sweep is a good way to start the season. My hatred of the Cards can subside for now. On to Atlanta...

[cable guy]

My man Madson just doesn't dissapoint!

2 games in a row, gives up homers in extra innings.

I'll be at the game tomorrow. Hopefully we get a win.

[Mysterio]

So, being a Phillies fan, do you think the current team has what it takes to win the East? I still say the bullpen is suspect and will be all year.

[Mysterio]

Wow. 4-0. And a drubbing on Atlanta. I LOVE it! I can't believe how good our starting pitching has looked so far. Everybody was writing the Mets off after a 12-21 Spring Training. I hope the rest of our season goes just as well.

[Deathstroke]

Jesus, the Red Sox bats were kind of pathetic today no?

[Mysterio]

Jesus, the Red Sox bats were kind of pathetic today no?

Don't worry. The Yanks aren't doing much better right now! At least both teams have started out slow, making them even.

Could Tampa win the AL East?! :D

[Punchy]

Always a good day when the Dodgers beat the Giants.

[moebius]

Wow. 4-0. And a drubbing on Atlanta. I LOVE it! I can't believe how good our starting pitching has looked so far. Everybody was writing the Mets off after a 12-21 Spring Training. I hope the rest of our season goes just as well.

I'm pretty excited about the start, too. So far, there's been good pitching performances all around. The win last night was the most impressive, since St. Louis isn't much of a team offensively.

As for the Yankees...sloppy, sloppy. Jeter's made 1/5th of his error total from last year in 3 games. We'll see what Igawa has to give this evening.

[J Dog]

'Stros are 0-4. That sucks big time. A win today would be decent.

[cable guy]

So, being a Phillies fan, do you think the current team has what it takes to win the East? I still say the bullpen is suspect and will be all year.

Absolutely. Their bullpen that is.

I think their bullpen has to upgraded at some point this season.

Just as the first 2 games had shown, their pen will kill them if not addressed.

[Deathstroke]

Don't worry. The Yanks aren't doing much better right now! At least both teams have started out slow, making them even.

Could Tampa win the AL East?! :D


Bite your tongue about Tampa.

I'm not concerned with the Yankees doing bad, that's a good thing. But only if the Red Sox are doing good.

[cable guy]

Phillies 1-4 again, just as last year.

People thought I was being negative when I was worried in spring training, when their pitching was a mess. I think their starting pitching will get better, hopefully it will trickle down, because relief is a joke.

[Deathstroke]

Phillies 1-4 again, just as last year.

People thought I was being negative when I was worried in spring training, when their pitching was a mess. I think their starting pitching will get better, hopefully it will trickle down, because relief is a joke.


Do you read Philly Purge.com (http://www.phillypurge.com)? It's a sports site dedicated to Philly sports.

[Jeff-E]

I really hate the Cards, and I live in StL... oh well, I guess there is still 163 games left for the Astros to mount a decent season.

[LtMarvel]

Sunday's StL-Hou game was a great game.

[moebius]

Looks like the Astros aren't looking all that attractive to Clemens.

[Deathstroke]

Nice pitching performance from Curt Schilling and Jonathan Papelbon last night. Plus two big jacks from David Ortiz.

Now we just need that to happen more consistently.

[Mysterio]

Oh man! I cannot believe we scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th starting with our 6-7-8 hitters! I loved the fact that Rollins booted that grounder.

Now to wait until Wednesday and Game 2.

[cable guy]

Oh man! I cannot believe we scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th starting with our 6-7-8 hitters! I loved the fact that Rollins booted that grounder.

Now to wait until Wednesday and Game 2.

Those Friggin Phillies.

[Brian Cronin]

What I found kinda annoying was the Mets announcers being all, "Yeah, the fans SHOULD be mocking Jimmy Rollins!"

I get that fans can be petty sometimes - but I don't expect the announcers to CONDONE the behavior!

-Brian

[Mysterio]

What I found kinda annoying was the Mets announcers being all, "Yeah, the fans SHOULD be mocking Jimmy Rollins!"

I get that fans can be petty sometimes - but I don't expect the announcers to CONDONE the behavior!

-Brian

Oh my gosh! Have you ever listened to the Braves announcers?! Or the Cubs? Or even Mark Grace when he was broadcasting for the Diamondbacks?! He was HORRIBLE! Worst, most biased announcer I've EVER heard.

And now for something that I find funny... Mike Hampton out for 6 to 9 months. The highest paid player on the Braves out for another year. My question is, if he pitches next year, the final year of his 8 year contract, will another team pick him up when he becomes a free agent? Or will he retire? That has to be one of the worst free-agent signings in the history of baseball.

[moebius]

A-Rod is en fuego. Being in a de facto contract year will do that to you. Mark my words: MVP.

And a nice pitching performance from (gasp!) Carl Pavano.

[Brian Cronin]

Oh my gosh! Have you ever listened to the Braves announcers?! Or the Cubs? Or even Mark Grace when he was broadcasting for the Diamondbacks?! He was HORRIBLE! Worst, most biased announcer I've EVER heard.

And now for something that I find funny... Mike Hampton out for 6 to 9 months. The highest paid player on the Braves out for another year. My question is, if he pitches next year, the final year of his 8 year contract, will another team pick him up when he becomes a free agent? Or will he retire? That has to be one of the worst free-agent signings in the history of baseball.

Oh yeah, most announcers in baseball are horrible homers.

Some make John Sterling (the Yankees radio announcer) seem objective.

Oh, as for Hampton - the Braves aren't paying him that much, actually. They got him pretty cheap.

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

A-Rod is en fuego. Being in a de facto contract year will do that to you. Mark my words: MVP.

And a nice pitching performance from (gasp!) Carl Pavano.

This, I think, is basically the only thing that would keep A-Rod as a Yankee next year - a season SO good that the team couldn't possibly let him leave.

A very good season, I think Cashman lets him walk if he's willing to opt out (and, from a financial standpoint, the offer from another team would have to be HUGE, as the money he is owed is hard to beat - 3 years/$80 million is hard to top - why would you turn down 3 years/$81 million to sign, say, a 8 year/$160 million contract? It simply wouldn't make financial sense). But a GREAT season, and I think Cashman gives him the one thing that A-Rod REALLY wants, which is a contract EXTENSION, so he doesn't HAVE to turn down the 3 years/$80 million.

I saw a good line on a Yankee website - "A-Rod is on a pace for 135 homers and 351 RBI. It’s only 6 games into the season, but I have to believe he’ll keep that pace up." :D

-Brian

[moebius]

That or a good season and a ring, which would erase most of the bad blood from the past three years.

[LtMarvel]

Or how John Kruk was fretting over the Cardinals on ESPN's SportsCenter:

At the time, the Cardinals were one game under .500 after being swept by the Mets and taking 2 of 3 from division rival Houston at Houston.

6 games down, 156 to go, dude!

[J Dog]

On a bright note, the Astros spoiled the Cubs home opener.

On a not-so-bright note, the Indians will be playing in Milwaukee this week against the Los Angeles Angels. I still think they should've just gone for that out on Friday's game against Seattle, because it was obvious that crappier weather was the norm for the next day. Instead, they called it, reset it, and had to delay it before it even began.

MLB and scheduling, just another reason to despise the corporation that gives us our pastime.

[Jeff-E]

Well they won one against the Cubs, but Lidge is done for the foreseeable future as the closer. I'm really hoping to see him come back to his '04-'05 pitching. He used to be one of the best, if not argueably the best closer in the game. Did anyone see the game, against the Cubs? If so how did the 'Stros look? I read the synopsis on the Astros home page but it doesn't give you a good idea of if they played a really good game, or if Everette just had a fortuitus at bat.

[LtMarvel]

I remember one year before Wrigley got lights, MLB ruled that if the Cubs got to the World Series, they would play their home games in St. Louis.

They got lights the very next year.

I don't get moving the games to Milwaukee, either. This reminds me of just before the disasterous strike, Seattle's Kingdome started to fall apart and the Mariners were forced to play all their games on the road. In Kansas City, all seats for that series were one price, first come first serve...and they nearly sold out the ball park.

[Jeff-E]

Sunday's StL-Hou game was a great game.

No offense my friend, but that one depends on which side of the fence you are standing on.

[moebius]

On a bright note, the Astros spoiled the Cubs home opener.

On a not-so-bright note, the Indians will be playing in Milwaukee this week against the Los Angeles Angels. I still think they should've just gone for that out on Friday's game against Seattle, because it was obvious that crappier weather was the norm for the next day. Instead, they called it, reset it, and had to delay it before it even began.

MLB and scheduling, just another reason to despise the corporation that gives us our pastime.

Isn't it so super-cheap that they just happen to choose the Commissioner's team's park for the makeups? I thought at first "well they're just doing it because the Indians are close to Milwaukee and the homers can drive up there", but that's not true at all!

Much like contraction was going to hit the Twins, and not the next-door Brew-Crew.

[Nightstar1441]

Selig is the worst thing for baseball. A weak minded, owner biased commissioner who lets his own personal opinions run the league. Man - Bowie Kuhn had some stones and was not afraid to battle the owners or the players union.

If a commissioner like him was in office - there would be no tie in all star games. Pete Rose would be in the Hall of Fame. And there would be no such thing as steroid babies.

[J Dog]

Selig is the worst thing for baseball. A weak minded, owner biased commissioner who lets his own personal opinions run the league. Man - Bowie Kuhn had some stones and was not afraid to battle the owners or the players union.

If a commissioner like him was in office - there would be no tie in all star games. Pete Rose would be in the Hall of Fame. And there would be no such thing as steroid babies.

I think we can identify all the things we can bitch about him:


1. Always Put The Brewers Ahead (Brewertism)- Nothing wrong with the Brewers (Ben Sheets honed his skills back in Indy and helped us win the 2000 Triple-A World Series), but whenever something involves team problems, it seems that Milwaukee escapes it. Before he became full commish, they were the beatdoll of baseball: the byproduct of a failed Seattle team who didn't have much success and was immediatly chosen to move leagues when Arizona and (still a bad idea) Tampa Bay came in. Ever since, they've been safe.
2. The Extra Innings Deal- Though now it's fine, we almost had to buy a satellite or observe computers to watch games featuring OFTs whenever they left market. Why? Because they would have a spot for it on their basic packaging, even though both they and iN Demand had offered virtually the same money.
3. That All-Star Game- Running out of pitchers. Lamest excuse ever. You can still use a pitcher; they're not Wipe-Ons.


Anyone else want to add on to the crimes or problems during his tenure?

Astros play the Cubs again today. Going to catch the tail end of that when I get home from school and errands.

[Deathstroke]

The Fenway home opener is going well so far. The Red Sox loaded the bases twice in the first inning and scored 4 runs.

The second inning saw 3 more runs as J.D. Drew knocked his first homer in a Sox uniform.

[Gingold]

Selig is the worst thing for baseball. A weak minded, owner biased commissioner who lets his own personal opinions run the league. Man - Bowie Kuhn had some stones and was not afraid to battle the owners or the players union.

If a commissioner like him was in office - there would be no tie in all star games. Pete Rose would be in the Hall of Fame. And there would be no such thing as steroid babies.

Why do you condemn one form of cheating while overlooking another? Regardless, Rose wasn't Selig's decision, it was Giamitti's.

My major issue with Selig is that I don't think that a former (wink wink) owner should be allowed to be commission, just because he's inherently going to be biased toward ownership in any labor negotiations. I do think it's unfair to overlook the good he's done for the sport. Attendence, television ratings and revenues, and competitiveness have all gone up in his tenure.

[Gingold]

The Fenway home opener is going well so far. The Red Sox loaded the bases twice in the first inning and scored 4 runs.

The second inning saw 3 more runs as J.D. Drew knocked his first homer in a Sox uniform.

sweeeeet!!

[moebius]

Man-o-man.

The NL Central is going from what is supposed to be a strong division to some kind of round-robin suck contest between the Astros, Cardinals and Cubs. The way Chicago played tonight is straight-up embarassing.

[Brian Cronin]

Man-o-man.

The NL Central is going from what is supposed to be a strong division to some kind of round-robin suck contest between the Astros, Cardinals and Cubs. The way Chicago played tonight is straight-up embarassing.

Before the season, most pundits specifically called the NL Central the division where the least-bad team would win it, so I don't think this is really much of a surprise.

-Brian

[Brian Cronin]

By the by, on the one hand, I think it's totally up to the person in question, so if the guy doesn't want to go, I can't really "blame" him, but man, Hank Aaron's reasons for not being there when/if Barry Bonds breaks his home run record sound pretty silly.

I'd prefer it if he just said, like, "Nah, I hate that dude" or "I'm pissed that I'm losing my record to that dude who used steroids" or something like that.

-Brian

[Valmore]

If a commissioner like him was in office - there would be no tie in all star games. Pete Rose would be in the Hall of Fame. And there would be no such thing as steroid babies.

Pete Rose will not be in the Hall of Fame, and he shouldn't be. He bet on baseball - the cardinal sin of the game is DON'T BET ON IT. And he did it anyway. He knew what he was doing, and he accepted his lifetime ban for it.

If Pete Rose gets in, Shoeless Joe Jackson better be in first.

[Deathstroke]

Red Sox 14 Mariners 3.

Sox basically shithammered Weaver to start the game.

Josh Beckett had a GREAT pitching day today.

Jason Varitek came alive with 3 hits (and a walk) driving in three runs.

[hulahulk]

Red Sox 14 Mariners 3.

Sox basically shithammered Weaver to start the game.

Josh Beckett had a GREAT pitching day today.

Jason Varitek came alive with 3 hits (and a walk) driving in three runs.


I hope the good fortune continues because I'm going to see Dice-K debut at Fenway tomorrow -- 20 rows behind home plate!! Did I mention the ticket was free?:evilsmile:cool:

[Valmore]

I hope the good fortune continues because I'm going to see Dice-K debut at Fenway tomorrow -- 20 rows behind home plate!! Did I mention the ticket was free?:evilsmile:cool:

I hope he fans 10 or more, you lucky bastard!

[Phrozen]

Why do you condemn one form of cheating while overlooking another? Regardless, Rose wasn't Selig's decision, it was Giamitti's.

My major issue with Selig is that I don't think that a former (wink wink) owner should be allowed to be commission, just because he's inherently going to be biased toward ownership in any labor negotiations. I do think it's unfair to overlook the good he's done for the sport. Attendence, television ratings and revenues, and competitiveness have all gone up in his tenure.

MLB does not run the Baseball Hall of Fame though. The HoF could vote him in if they wanted to.

[Deathstroke]

I hope the good fortune continues because I'm going to see Dice-K debut at Fenway tomorrow -- 20 rows behind home plate!! Did I mention the ticket was free?:evilsmile:cool:

I hate you.

[Valmore]

MLB does not run the Baseball Hall of Fame though. The HoF could vote him in if they wanted to.

No, they can't. They've already formally voted that any player on the Permanently Ineligible List can not be voted into the Hall of Fame.

Either Pete Rose would have to be removed from the list, or they would have to have another formal vote to remove the first formal vote before either of the two voting committees - The Baseball Writers or the Veterans - could put Pete Rose in.

The Hall of Fame does not induct people on their own.

[hulahulk]

I hate you.

I'll tip my hat towards Wareham for ya.

[hulahulk]

I hope he fans 10 or more, you lucky bastard!

Y'all will know the results of the game before I have a chance to report on it here, but I'll try to bring home some good stories!

[moebius]

By the by, on the one hand, I think it's totally up to the person in question, so if the guy doesn't want to go, I can't really "blame" him, but man, Hank Aaron's reasons for not being there when/if Barry Bonds breaks his home run record sound pretty silly.

I'd prefer it if he just said, like, "Nah, I hate that dude" or "I'm pissed that I'm losing my record to that dude who used steroids" or something like that.

-Brian

I thought it was hilarious.

"I'm 72...I'm not flying to San Francisco for anybody."

[moebius]

My Dice-K dilemma: He's on two of my fantasy teams, but I hate Boston.

I guess it's not sinning if I root for him as long as he doesn't pitch against the Yankees or Mets. I'll just leave him off my roster those days and hope he gets rocked.

[LtMarvel]

As part of the baseball season preview, St. Louis Post-Dispatch has issued top five living legends of all 30 teams (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/94767B7D69A9348C862572AE006A89FD?OpenDocument) (listed in alphabetical order per team):

CARDINALS

OF Lou Brock
RHP Bob Gibson
OF/1B Stan Musial
1B Albert Pujols
SS Ozzie Smith

In six years, Pujols has done enough to beat out Hall of Famers Schoendienst and Sutter, not an easy feat.

ROYALS

3B George Brett
RHP Dennis Leonard
OF/DH Hal McRae
OF Amos Otis
2B Frank White

Those were balmier days in Kansas City when Whitey Herzog was managing and these five were on the club.

[Brian Cronin]

The Royals list is very interesting...I wonder if they don't have someone better than Leonard...

Think Quisenberry would be on there if he was alive?

-Brian

[LtMarvel]

Definitenly.

It's interesting to read the lists of teams that have been around 100 years vs those that have been around 1960s or later...

[Fabian]

I wish the Angels added more power to their lineup. They're like bizarro Yankees. If their opponent score more than 2 runs, they can lose. Yet the Yankees can let their opponent score less than 9 runs and still win.

[Brian Cronin]

It's a very clever idea for a list.

Good job by Rick Hummel, Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold.

Thanks for sharing!

-Brian

[Punchy]

I wish the Angels added more power to their lineup. They're like bizarro Yankees. If their opponent score more than 2 runs, they can lose. Yet the Yankees can let their opponent score less than 9 runs and still win.

There's a serious lack of power in Los Angeles in general.

[Fabian]

There's a serious lack of power in Los Angeles in general.

But we're not LA



I don't care about the name change.


I hope some of our batters step up as the season progresses. Otherwise, Oakland can sneak up.

[moebius]

CARDINALS

OF Lou Brock
RHP Bob Gibson
OF/1B Stan Musial
1B Albert Pujols
SS Ozzie Smith

ROYALS

3B George Brett
RHP Dennis Leonard
OF/DH Hal McRae
OF Amos Otis
2B Frank White



I'd go to war with that Cardinals lineup. It's between them and Cincy for the strongest team on that list. Not so much with the Royals.

[Deathstroke]

I'll tip my hat towards Wareham for ya.

I hate you twice.

[J Dog]

Houston beat Chicago 4-2. We are 3-5 now. Another win today against the Cubs and we become 5th in the Central division :)!

[TitoJones]

Reds lost another close one to the D'Backs, but at 4-4, were still tied for first in the division.

The NL Central....you gotta love it.

[Ryan Day]

Joe Carter as one of the five best Blue Jays ever? Man, one home run can take you a long way. Tony Fernandez, Fred McGriff (who's really more of a Jay, or even a Brave, than a D-Ray), Roy Halladay, even Vernon Wells would be better choices.

Still, an interesting list. I'd tend to think of Randy Johnson as a Mariner first, D-Back second, but he played in Arizona longer than I thought, and he was absolutely incredible from 99-04.

And Vlad Guerrero doesn't make either the Nationals/Expos or the Angels?

Kind of funny, actually - this sort of list usually comes out in the off-season, when people need things to talk about.

[Frodo-X]

Wow, that was a nerve-wracking game! Scoreless through 11, then in the Top of the 12th Craig Monroe gets a Grand Slam. Tigers win 4-1 after Bobby Seay balks in a run.

And now to Toronto, where the temperature is controlled.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

By the by, on the one hand, I think it's totally up to the person in question, so if the guy doesn't want to go, I can't really "blame" him, but man, Hank Aaron's reasons for not being there when/if Barry Bonds breaks his home run record sound pretty silly.

I'd prefer it if he just said, like, "Nah, I hate that dude" or "I'm pissed that I'm losing my record to that dude who used steroids" or something like that.

-Brian

How many HR's is Bonds away from Aaron now ? 20 ?

Bonds told in the USA Today he's not just playing to break Aaron's record. He wants to join the 3,000 hit .

[Scottsdale_Saint]

Joe Carter as one of the five best Blue Jays ever? Man, one home run can take you a long way. right, over 220 homers and over 800 RBI's in eight seasons didn't have anything to do with it.:rolleyes: no issue with the other guys you think are worthy as all-time Jays, but i'm sorry neither one of them sniffs Joe Carter. Halladay has had three stellar seasons while Wells has had four. Carter put up great stats for seven years, finished his career in Toronto and helped lead you to two World Series titles and that's all the respect he gets...WEAK.

[moebius]

Joe Carter as one of the five best Blue Jays ever? Man, one home run can take you a long way.

Only walk-off home run to win a championship in World Series history.

And what the hell is up with Albert Pujols?

[Deathstroke]

Only walk-off home run to win a championship in World Series history.


Bill Mazeroski, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1960 World Series. The original walk off home run World Series winner.

[Deathstroke]

Well now, I guess we can finally stop overgushing about Matsuzaka. I am all for hoping that he does great things.

However, the idea that he was going to go 30-0, have 12 perfect games, 5 no hitters, 30 Complete Games, and 5,000 strikeouts this year was beginning to irritate.

[moebius]

Bill Mazeroski, Pittsburgh Pirates, 1960 World Series. The original walk off home run World Series winner.

You're right! Carter's is the only come from behind walk-off in Series history.

[J Dog]

Only walk-off home run to win a championship in World Series history.


Actually, the second, and Mazeroski hit it when they were tied. The Phillies/Blue Jays series was really batting practice when you consider the high scoring in the games. Because of that, the walk-off was really nothing.

The Mariners sure spoiled Dice-K's home start last night, didn't they?

[Valmore]

Well now, I guess we can finally stop overgushing about Matsuzaka. I am all for hoping that he does great things.

However, the idea that he was going to go 30-0, have 12 perfect games, 5 no hitters, 30 Complete Games, and 5,000 strikeouts this year was beginning to irritate.

All told he didn't have a bad game, per say. Not a good game either.

The Sawx just couldn't figure out King Felix to save themselves.

That said, J.D. Drew is a hero for at least saving them the humiliation of getting no-hit at home.

[Matthew E]

right, over 220 homers and over 800 RBI's in eight seasons didn't have anything to do with it.:rolleyes: no issue with the other guys you think are worthy as all-time Jays, but i'm sorry neither one of them sniffs Joe Carter. Halladay has had three stellar seasons while Wells has had four. Carter put up great stats for seven years, finished his career in Toronto and helped lead you to two World Series titles and that's all the respect he gets...WEAK.

No, I'm with Ryan Day. Carter had his points, and seemed to accumulate great moments (the home run off Williams, the RBI single against the Angels to clinch the division in '91, fielding Timlin's throw to end the '92 Series), but really he wasn't that great a player. He didn't get on base hardly at all, for one thing, and while he was an okay power hitter his high RBI counts were more a function of his place in the lineup than anything else.

I'd definitely take Tony Fernandez over Carter, and I'd give serious consideration to Halladay and Wells and maybe some others too.

[Ryan Day]

As a Jays fan, I owe Joe Carter a large portion of my soul, but he just wasn't a great player. He was durable, and in his prime he could run a bit and play solid defence, and obviously had decent pop.

He was very good in '91 and 92, then decent in 93-94. Then he put up three horrible seasons where he basically hit like a shortstop - not a good thing when you're a corner outfielder who can't run or play much defence any more.

He stayed healthy, and he got to hit cleanup behind some legitimately great hitters. But for a power-hitting corner outfielder, he only once had a slugging percentage in the top ten while playing in Toronto.

He caught Timlin's throw, and he hit The Home Run. But there was never a season where you could seriously argue he was among the best players in the league, and he was never even the best player on his own team. (You could maybe make a case for 1991 - he had his best hitting season, though Robbie Alomar hit almost as well and won a Gold Glove and stole 50 bases).

Tony Fernandez was a great player: In his time with the Jays, he won four Gold Gloves, finished in the top ten in BA four times, OBP twice. He has a career 101 OPS+, while Carter sits at 104 - and I suspect Fernandez would come out ahead if you considered only their time as Jays.

[hulahulk]

Well now, I guess we can finally stop overgushing about Matsuzaka. I am all for hoping that he does great things.

However, the idea that he was going to go 30-0, have 12 perfect games, 5 no hitters, 30 Complete Games, and 5,000 strikeouts this year was beginning to irritate.

The night was warm (for April), the fans were in good spirits, Fenway was absolutely packed (I had never seen so many people there!!!)....

But the Sox bats were so dead that I thought I saw headstones in the dugout ("Here lies Coco Crisp's Louisville Slugger"). Felix's stuff was nasty. Dice-K pitched well enough to win, though.

I think that's the type of pitcher Dice-K's going to be: a 3-point-something ERA, eats up lots of innings, keeps Boston in the game every time he's on the mound. He may get lucky with a shutout or a 3-hitter once in a while, though. I also think he'll be better in warmer weather & will not fold under the pressure of facing, say, the Yankees. He's very composed on the mound.

[hulahulk]

All told he didn't have a bad game, per say. Not a good game either.

The Sawx just couldn't figure out King Felix to save themselves.

That said, J.D. Drew is a hero for at least saving them the humiliation of getting no-hit at home.


I know it's early in the season, but I foresee Drew being a fan fave by the end of the season, rather like a Trot Nixon. He's been more than reliable so far. All the commotion about him in the pre-season seemed to put him under the microscope a bit too much. As long as he's healthy, he'll contribute a lot. The pre-game radio interviews yesterday had Theo Epstein saying that Drew doesn't really need to be a dynamic clubhouse leader (Varitek, Ortiz, Schilling, and Wakefield fill that role); he just needs to do what he can when he can.

[Valmore]

I know it's early in the season, but I foresee Drew being a fan fave by the end of the season, rather like a Trot Nixon. He's been more than reliable so far. All the commotion about him in the pre-season seemed to put him under the microscope a bit too much. As long as he's healthy, he'll contribute a lot. The pre-game radio interviews yesterday had Theo Epstein saying that Drew doesn't really need to be a dynamic clubhouse leader (Varitek, Ortiz, Schilling, and Wakefield fill that role); he just needs to do what he can when he can.

I had no problem with the Red Sox picking up Drew. His salary is a bit high, but heck, I'm not paying it. But the guy is a player, he just needs to stay healthy. If he does, he'll fit in Boston just fine.

[J Dog]

I'll give Felix some dues; being stuck out in oblivion away from the influence of all the major sports broadcasters really makes his efforts something to consider.

As for the "suckerrnaut" that's the Washington Nationals, they are 1-8! Tonight on TBS, you can see them suck some more against the Braves!

What's the odds that they are channeling the 1899 Cleveland Spiders? Of course, they can't lose 108 road games.

[LtMarvel]

Favorite stat about the Nationals:

They've had the lead for one inning so far this year.

[Mysterio]

Favorite stat about the Nationals:

They've had the lead for one inning so far this year.

And that was when the winning run crossed the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning!

[Brian Cronin]

JD Drew was getting KILLED by the Boston sports media coming into the season.

I hope all is forgiven after he broke up the no-no.

-Brian

[Deathstroke]

JD Drew was getting KILLED by the Boston sports media coming into the season.

I hope all is forgiven after he broke up the no-no.

-Brian


Probably not, but at least they'll like him for a week.

[jessecuster3]

White Sox look like they are finally getting their act together, their last 4 games their ERA is down to 2.1 and they haven't let in a run in almost 12 innings.

[Valmore]

JD Drew was getting KILLED by the Boston sports media coming into the season.

I hope all is forgiven after he broke up the no-no.

-Brian

I sure hope the Boston media has given him a break, since Drew's the ONLY Red Sox player actually playing consistent ball at the plate. Manny has been tanking and Ortiz has had all of two good games at the plate.

[Mysterio]

I liked Kruk's comment on Baseball Tonight last night... When one of the other guys brought up Jimmy Rollins statement that "the Phillies were the team to beat" he said "Yeah. They are getting beat." Loved it.

[cable guy]

WTF!?!

Carlos Lee just hit his third HR of the game.

[Deathstroke]

Damn the Red Sox turned tonight's game into a blowout really quickly at the end.

[hulahulk]

Damn the Red Sox turned tonight's game into a blowout really quickly at the end.


I really wish they had not "sandwiched" all these runs around the game I went to (14-3 on Monday, 0-3 on Wednesday, and 10-1 tonight -- sheesh!). Oh, well. NESN gave the entire starting battery of Mirabelli and Wakefield the "PlaYers of the Game" honors.

[moebius]

I have a public fantasy league with Carlos Lee and Barry Bonds. Overall, that team's line tonight:

16/31, 11 R, 8 HR, 16 RBI, 0 SB

Which is actually about Alex Rodriguez's stat line for the year (he's on that team, too).

Too bad my pitching has completely screwed me.

[moebius]

Santana and Zambrano lost and the Padres and Angels got smacked around.

This was the pitching version of the Valentine's Day Massacre.

[Deathstroke]

I really wish they had not "sandwiched" all these runs around the game I went to (14-3 on Monday, 0-3 on Wednesday, and 10-1 tonight -- sheesh!). Oh, well. NESN gave the entire starting battery of Mirabelli and Wakefield the "PlaYers of the Game" honors.

They should have. They really did a job on the Angels last night.

[Sheldon]

I know its early in the season, but I've got Manny and Soriano on three different fantasy teams and they are just killing me right now, but I'm afraid to bench them because with their track record they could get hot at any time. I hope Soriano doesn't do the sign a big contract and suck for the next few years thing. Ugh....

[david r]

The Atlanta Braves are off to a good start. As are the Mets and Angels.

The San Francisco Giants have begun horribly, going 2-7. The Houston Astros are also struggling terribly.

The Pirates and the Reds are showing surprisingly competitiveness.

[Sheldon]

Santana and Zambrano lost and the Padres and Angels got smacked around.

This was the pitching version of the Valentine's Day Massacre.

Well Doc and Bonderman probably used up enough pitching mojo in their matchup the rest of the league had to suck by default.

[moebius]

I know its early in the season, but I've got Manny and Soriano on three different fantasy teams and they are just killing me right now, but I'm afraid to bench them because with their track record they could get hot at any time. I hope Soriano doesn't do the sign a big contract and suck for the next few years thing. Ugh....

Hey, tell me about it...I'm sitting on Albert Pujols in the CBR League waiting for him to get back into the groove. I haven't benched him, but I've been sorely tempted.

[Punchy]

Did anyone see Pinella going off at the press on Sportscenter?

Welcome to Chicago Lou!

[cable guy]

Santana and Zambrano lost and the Padres and Angels got smacked around.

This was the pitching version of the Valentine's Day Massacre.

Brett Myers had nightmares about Carlos Lee last night.

Friday the 13th.

[cable guy]

Did anyone see Pinella going off at the press on Sportscenter?

Welcome to Chicago Lou!

Yeah, I saw it.

[moebius]

Brett Myers had nightmares about Carlos Lee last night.


I should send him a big f***ing meat belt for that game.

The great thing I'm finding about Fantasy Baseball is it's really keeping me interested in more teams and players and has me watching more games, instead of just following the Yankees or Mets. And I'm learning about up- and comers that I never would have heard of if they weren't in the AL/NL East.

The bad thing is I find myself rooting against the Yankees in Mets in certain situations. When Dice-K (anchors my staff in two leagues) faces A-Rod (anchors my batting order in two leagues), I'm pretty sure my head will explode.

[Sheldon]

Hey, tell me about it...I'm sitting on Albert Pujols in the CBR League waiting for him to get back into the groove. I haven't benched him, but I've been sorely tempted.

I've got pujols in my ESPN league and I need him to really get going. That league I have been blessed with Felix Hernandez, Jake Peavy and Jeremey Bonderman as my starters so I really shouldn't complain.

[Frodo-X]

And the Tigers take another one late in the game!

Play 9 full innings.

Leyland preaches it.

And clearly, they believe in it.

[Sheldon]

That's the second horribly blown save of the season for BJ Ryan....I hope he works this out of his system soon. Maybe last year was too good to be true....

[Deathstroke]

Did anyone see Pinella going off at the press on Sportscenter?

Welcome to Chicago Lou!

I wonder what Chicago sportswriter won the "Lou Blows His Stack" pool.

[Deathstroke]

The Red Sox were pretty darn dominant today. Schilling did a great job and the whole team contributed to the first 5 runs. Then Papi nailed a 3 run jack!

[Sheldon]

Speaking of Lou. I love this Dugout (http://dugout.progressiveboink.com/archive/jon108.html) from spring training about the Cubs. I love how suprisingly coherent Soriano is compared to people when they are typically appear.

To checkout other installments go here - http://dugout.progressiveboink.com/

[Jeff-E]

The Astros lost today and I didn't win the lottery.... why does God hate me????

[Deathstroke]

The Astros lost today and I didn't win the lottery.... why does God hate me????

Maybe because you root for the Astros?

[LtMarvel]

Lookie here, the weather became near normal today and Puljos hit a couple of homers....

[Mysterio]

The majority of today's games were rained out and that RUINED me in some of my Fantasy leagues. That and I wasn't able to wash the bitter taste of a Mets loss out of my mouth. Bah! Stupid rain...

[moebius]

Lookie here, the weather became near normal today and Puljos hit a couple of homers....

That, and they're reporting that he's being bothered by the same oblique problem he had last year.

So there IS something wrong with him...he's been playing injured.

3/5 of the Yankees starting rotation is on the DL (including...gasp!...Carl Pavano). I think we can officially say the Yankees are in trouble, even if they always have a bad April. Can we just get Clemens now please?

[Deathstroke]

The Red Sox game was delayed but they did get to play it. Sox won, and man the Angels must hate coming to Boston. Papi went deep again!

[hulahulk]

The Red Sox game was delayed but they did get to play it. Sox won, and man the Angels must hate coming to Boston. Papi went deep again!

Not to mention Beckett was lights out.

[Floyd The Barber]

Go Orioles!...

God I wish Virginia had a real team...

[Punchy]

The Dodgers are looking pretty good so far despite some poor outings by Schmitt and still no power in the lineup.

I didn't know Lugo played for the Sox now. So JD Drew and Julio Lugo are Red Sox and Nomar, Lowe, and Grady are all Dodgers.

[Deathstroke]

Not to mention Beckett was lights out.

He's 3-0 for the second straight year. Let's hope he can continue the way he's going now.

[Deathstroke]

I didn't know Lugo played for the Sox now. So JD Drew and Julio Lugo are Red Sox and Nomar, Lowe, and Grady are all Dodgers.

The world is topsy-turvy, ain't it?

[Jeff-E]

The 'Stros won last night, so maybe this day won't be so bad at all.

[hulahulk]

I didn't know Lugo played for the Sox now. So JD Drew and Julio Lugo are Red Sox and Nomar, Lowe, and Grady are all Dodgers.


Yeah, I like the fact that some players (and Grady) of my favorite team are now on my second favorite team. Drew is doing fine for Boston; Lugo is starting to look alive too.

[Matthew E]

What is going on with all the injuries in Toronto? John Thomson, Davis Romero, Brandon League, Reed Johnson, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus... The Red Sox now actually have a chance in the next few games.

[Sheldon]

What is going on with all the injuries in Toronto? John Thomson, Davis Romero, Brandon League, Reed Johnson, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus... The Red Sox now actually have a chance in the next few games.
While the outfield defense is hurt w/o Johnson, Lind is a great prospect and will get to show off his offensive skills. Lets hope BJ is only out a month and Glaus will be healthy enough to play 120 games this year.

The other injuries I'm not worried about. Although a healthy League would makethe loss of Ryan a bit easier.

The jays just need to stay competititive and in the hunt and be healthy in August and September, when the games really matter.

[Valmore]

What is going on with all the injuries in Toronto? John Thomson, Davis Romero, Brandon League, Reed Johnson, B.J. Ryan, Troy Glaus... The Red Sox now actually have a chance in the next few games.

The Red Sox would have had a chance BEFORE those guys got hurt. Now it's just an even BETTER chance.

[Matthew E]

The Red Sox would have had a chance BEFORE those guys got hurt. Now it's just an even BETTER chance.

Yes, yes, of course. That's probably what I meant to say.

[Mysterio]

The Red Sox game was delayed but they did get to play it. Sox won, and man the Angels must hate coming to Boston. Papi went deep again!

And a fan got hit by another fan in the face with a slice of pizza! That was awesome!

[hulahulk]

And a fan got hit by another fan in the face with a slice of pizza! That was awesome!


The video is all over the 'net. Pretty funny, especially with the announcers' comments!

[Punchy]

yeah, the announcers really make it funny

[Valmore]

The video is all over the 'net. Pretty funny, especially with the announcers' comments!

Look man, I told you there are better ways to get on t.v. then throwing food at fellow fans.

[Deathstroke]

The Sox are wasting another decent pitching job from Matsuzaka. Daisuke had one bad inning where he walked 3 batters, but he's struck out 10 guys.

Yet the Sox have managed just 1 run on a LONG homer from Wily Mo Pena.

[Matthew E]

The Sox are wasting another decent pitching job from Matsuzaka. Daisuke had one bad inning where he walked 3 batters, but he's struck out 10 guys.

Yet the Sox have managed just 1 run on a LONG homer from Wily Mo Pena.

Yes. A very satisfying game.

[hulahulk]

Look man, I told you there are better ways to get on t.v. then throwing food at fellow fans.


I asked for NO ANCHOVIES!!!

[Valmore]

Geez. The Sox got shown up by a mediocre pitcher on a night when Matsuzaka turns in another good performance. It's so frustrating watching them not manufacture runs for DiceK. Much like they did to Wakefield last season.

[moebius]

Dice-K, Matt Cain, Jared Weaver, Greg Maddux, Freddy Garcia.

What do they have in common? They all started last night, they were all on my fantasy teams, and none of them got a win. Dammit. They really need to replace wins With Quality Starts in fantasy leagues (still, only Dice-K hat a QS among them).

Chase Wright now leads the Yankees in Wins with 1.

[hulahulk]

Wakefield left blue feathers in his wake. Looked good vs the 'Jays. 3 solo homers for Boston.

Tomorrow the match-up of the century: Tavarez :rolleyes: vs Halladay. Actually, since Tavarez is rather unpredictable, he could throw a good game like he did at the end of 2006.

[moebius]

mark buehrle...no hitter? Guess he was saving up from his other crap starts.

And Felix Hernandez leaves after 0.1 innings with an elbow. Uh-oh.

[Deathstroke]

Wakefield left blue feathers in his wake. Looked good vs the 'Jays. 3 solo homers for Boston.

Tomorrow the match-up of the century: Tavarez :rolleyes: vs Halladay. Actually, since Tavarez is rather unpredictable, he could throw a good game like he did at the end of 2006.


The Red Sox didn't have the world beater bats all night long, but they did get three really big hits and then manufactured another run.

Tim Wakefield looks good so far.

[jessecuster3]

mark buehrle...no hitter? Guess he was saving up from his other crap starts.

And Felix Hernandez leaves after 0.1 innings with an elbow. Uh-oh.

http://a1022.g.akamai.net/f/1022/8153/5m/images.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2007-04/29160563.jpg



Oh yeah and he has put out the last 37 batters he faced.


Not too mention his crap starts were last year not this year.

[Jeff-E]

The Astros are doing pretty good so far. Slow start but it's getting better, but with so many games left it's hard to not worry, but easy to get excited, so GO ASTROS

[Matthew E]

Wakefield left blue feathers in his wake. Looked good vs the 'Jays. 3 solo homers for Boston.

Tomorrow the match-up of the century: Tavarez :rolleyes: vs Halladay. Actually, since Tavarez is rather unpredictable, he could throw a good game like he did at the end of 2006.

The Jays just haven't been hitting the ball recently; that'll change. (Not necessarily today.) Ohka looked decent, though, which is encouraging.

[Ryan Day]

Normally I'd say Halladay vs. Tavarez is not unlike King Kong vs. Dick Cheney, but a) Tavarez embarrassed the Jays' lineup last September, b) the Jays haven't been hitting anyway, and c) there may be some evening-out of Karma for somehow winning against Matsuzaka.

It should at least be a close game, if nothing else.

[Mysterio]

Nevermind. I can't get the image to link properly. Move along. Nothing to see here...

[Sheldon]

Normally I'd say Halladay vs. Tavarez is not unlike King Kong vs. Dick Cheney, but a) Tavarez embarrassed the Jays' lineup last September, b) the Jays haven't been hitting anyway, and c) there may be some evening-out of Karma for somehow winning against Matsuzaka.

It should at least be a close game, if nothing else.
It was a close game.....that damn bullpen!!!!

[Superheroic]

Who's better than A-Rod right now!?

[moebius]

http://a1022.g.akamai.net/f/1022/8153/5m/images.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2007-04/29160563.jpg


Not too mention his crap starts were last year not this year.

I guess his second one was a quality start, but his first was 1 1/3rd innings.


Oh yeah, and the A-Rod drama continues. He's totally leaving the Yankees after this year, and this is just his way of saying "eff you."

[Superheroic]

Oh yeah, and the A-Rod drama continues. He's totally leaving the Yankees after this year, and this is just his way of saying "eff you."

Well if the Yankees win the World Series it won't really matter. Even if you're not a Yankee fan you have to appreciate what he's doing right now.

[Brian Cronin]

I don't buy him leaving the Yankees if he continues to hit like this.

If he hits like this, he'll get exactly what he wants - a contract extension.

He does not want to give up his current contract, he just wants to extend it.

-Brian