2013 MLB Season (1 Viewer)

[Ockeghem]

Don't be, not enough good starting pitching unless CC and Pettitte remember their pedigree.

I can remember as recently as two years ago that I feared anytime we would have to face Sabathia. Whenever I saw his name in the rotation against Boston, I figured that scoring one or two runs off of him would be it. I can't figure out what is wrong with him this year. Has he lost some of his velocity?

When we scored six runs against him this past Sunday, I was of course feeling quite confident in the outcome. And yet, we still lost. The remaining seven games we have with the Yankees should be a lot of fun.

 

[Mike Frezon]

My all-time favorite athlete from any sport!

Jack Buck agrees with Crawdaddy on this one.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Jack Buck agrees with Crawdaddy on this one.

He was my baseball hero which of course happened prior to free agency.

 

[Ockeghem]

One of the things I really love about all of the sports threads is that the content of various posters often has me digging for more (and often times peripheral) information on a variety of topics.

"My fragile mind still has scars from Curt Flood losing that fly ball in the sun. 2004 was a garden party for me compared to 1968."

I remember (in my youthful ignorance) siding with anyone who disagreed with what Flood did later (1969-ish). I certainly didn't understand what was taking place in the sport at the time, only that something big was occurring. When he refused to accept a trade, I thought that that was really bad for the sport. It seems so tame in comparison to some of the problems we have today in various sports.

I didn't realize that Flood batted over .300 six times and that he won (at least?) seven gold gloves. I knew he was an excellent fielder, but I didn't know the extent of how good he was with the glove and with the bat.

 

[Robert Crawford]

One of the things I really love about all of the sports threads is that the content of various posters often has me digging for more (and often times peripheral) information on a variety of topics.

"My fragile mind still has scars from Curt Flood losing that fly ball in the sun. 2004 was a garden party for me compared to 1968."

I remember (in my youthful ignorance) siding with anyone who disagreed with what Flood did later (1969-ish). I certainly didn't understand what was taking place in the sport at the time, only that something big was occurring. When he refused to accept a trade, I thought that that was really bad for the sport. It seems so tame in comparison to some of the problems we have today in various sports.

I didn't realize that Flood batted over .300 six times and that he won seven gold gloves. I knew he was an excellent fielder, but I didn't know the extent of how good he was with the glove and with the bat.

Flood was really good, might have been one of the best CF if he played better in his 30s. The man had some demons and his brethren didn't support him due to how things were back then as the owners had all the power while the players were basically locked in.

 

[Mike Frezon]

As your commissioner, I would fight to get the reserve clause reinstated in MLB.

Here's a little Gibson, a little Flood, a little Yaz (my all-time favorite player) and some Boston heartache...



Gibby homers! I always remember Catfish Hunter being a good hitter, too.

 

[Robert Crawford]

As your commissioner, I would fight to get the reserve clause reinstated in MLB.

Here's a little Gibson, a little Flood, a little Yaz (my all-time favorite player) and some Boston heartache...



Gibby homers! I always remember Catfish Hunter being a good hitter, too.

In just one year, emotionally, it went from the penthouse to the outhouse for me.

 

[Ockeghem]

Looking back at that 1968 Cardinals team, it's a wonder they lost even as many games as they did. Besides Gibson and Briles (whom I knew they had), they also had Steve Carlton, who must have been either in or near his rookie year. And I seem to remember Brock's blazing speed. They weren't too shabby on the base paths.And how about this. They had future Red Sox player Dick Schofield on their roster, as well as a little known guy from New York -- Roger Maris. (I would not have known this had I not looked it up.)

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/STL/1968.shtml

Mike,Catfish Hunter wasn't bad, and neither was Ken Holtzman (from the same team). At least I think both could hit fairly well. And when you threw in Vida Blue, Blue Moon Odom, Mudcat Grant, and Rollie Fingers, you had quite the pitching staff for a few years. At least we Red Sox fans can take some heart in that we ended the Athletics' streak of three straight World Series appearances in 1975.

When I was growing up in Massachusetts in the 1960s, my neighbor (and best friend) always loved Yastrzemski. In fact, we had a friendly rivalry going for about five or six years. He loved Yaz, and I loved Tony Conigliaro. I think Yaz bettered Tony C. (statistics-wise) every year with the exception of when Conigliaro won Comeback Player of the Year (I think this was when he hit thirty-six home runs that year.)

 

[Mike Frezon]

I was thisclose to adding Holtzman's name right next to Hunter's as a good hitter when I typed that!

 

[Ockeghem]

I was thisclose to adding Holtzman's name right next to Hunter's as a good hitter when I typed that!

Mike,

Very nice! A good win for the Hose today. We needed a laugher, in my opinion. Now I hope Baltimore can take care of business tonight. Incidentally, that game (Orioles - Rays) will be televised on ESPN 2, I believe. And I get every Tigers game, so I'm all set for the evening.

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, Baltimore managed to take one game against Tampa Bay.

This could come back to haunt me, but I will be rooting for the Yankees over the weekend (for obvious reasons) against the Rays.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike,Please close your eyes. Thanks.

Let's go Yankees!

 

[Mike Frezon]

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do!

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike,I really want Boston to win its division, as I'm sure you do as well. If the Yankees can take two-out-of-three in Tampa (or better yet, sweep them), that would certainly help our cause. I don't really care as much who gets the two wild cards, so long as it isn't the Hose. A one-game playoff game? No thanks.

The wild cards look like they might come out of the AL East, or possibly Oakland. I'd give a slight chance to Cleveland, and even less of a chance to Kansas City. The Royals have a huge series against the Rays soon. Have a look at the Athletics' schedule over their next four series:

at Baltimore (3 games)
at Detroit (4 games)
at home against Tampa Bay (3 games)
at home against Texas (3 games)

 

[Mike Frezon]

The Dodgers are 45 of their last 55 heading into this series with the Sox.

 

[Ockeghem]

The Dodgers are 45 of their last 55 heading into this series with the Sox.

I know, amazing. They were 42-8 at one point (I think that was the stat. since the All-Star break). I'm grateful that the Sox won't have to face Kershaw or Greinke (they both start consecutive games after the three-game series with Boston).

 

[TonyD]

Has anyone read anything from Johnson on why he is quitting the Nats?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Has anyone read anything from Johnson on why he is quitting the Nats?

Perhaps turning 71 years old next January has something to do with it.

 

[Ockeghem]

Mike,Did you catch the score of the make-up game (a snow out back in May) between the Royals and Rays today? Kansas City won, 11-1.

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=330826107&teams=tampa-bay-rays-vs-kansas-city-royals

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'll take it! Thanks, Royals!

Now the Red Sox need to look out for themselves the rest of the way out. 132 games played. Thirty to go.

Nine of those 30 are with the Orioles and seven with the Yankees. There are also three with the Rays and three with the tough Tigers. They are going to need to close it out strong.