2009 MLB Thread (1 Viewer)

[EricW]

must be tough for Halladay to see Cliff Lee do so well in his debut. i mean he obviously loved being a Jay but was clearly ready to move on.

apparently the Yanks were close to getting Washburn but it didn't pan out. I wonder if teams expect more from the Yanks and Sox then other teams when trading. now with the rumour being that they will slow Joba down after X innings this year, they'll need a 4th and 5th starter. although they do have about 6 offdays between now and the playoffs with which they could give them all to Chamberlain if they see fit.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The Yanks could easily end up picking up some pitching off waivers.

They've done that with a modicum of success in recent years--picking up other team's discards and making the pitchers look like Cy Young.

 

[Ockeghem]

I hope Victor Martinez is worth a Justin Masterson. We'll see.

I read today that the Red Sox were thinking somewhat seriously of trying to obtain Halladay. But they weren't willing to part with Bard and Buchholz, and I must say I can't blame them. Bard looks as though he will be the next closer after Papelbon, and Buchholz has looked much better this year than before that (excepting when he pitched his no-hitter, of course).


Edited by Ockeghem - 8/1/2009 at 09:24 pm GMT

 

[EricW]

YANKEES VS. RED SOX

i think Yanks fans would be happy for a split i hope it doesn't rain on sunday as i'll be at that game.

 

[Ockeghem]

Well, I wasn't very hopeful with Smoltz on the mound tonight. He's really difficult to watch these days. It was like watching batting practice. And he gave up his (nearly) patented five runs by the end of the fourth inning yet again. I really wish they would take him out of the starting rotation.

I was watching the game, and discussing with my son how much I wished the Sox had begun their relief pitching in the third inning.... I figured they might still be in the game somehow when it was 3-2 or so. Tomorrow, Beckett will be on the mound. I hope he pitches really, really well.

 

[EricW]

i was so happy when Kay called O'Neill on his pronunciation of "Smoltz". IT'S NOT SCHMOLTZ PAUL. he'd done that earlier in the season when Smoltz first got in the headlines and it drove me crazy.
anyways, even though it was a blowout the Yanks pitchers did NOT make it easy. at least the monkey's off the back.

 

[LewB]

O'Neill just was trying to get in good with us of the Jewish persuasion here in N.Y. [/url]

i was so happy when Kay called O'Neill on his pronunciation of "Smoltz". IT'S NOT SCHMOLTZ PAUL. he'd done that earlier in the season when Smoltz first got in the headlines and it drove me crazy.
anyways, even though it was a blowout the Yanks pitchers did NOT make it easy. at least the monkey's off the back.

 

[Marvin]

Do you mean in front of the moat (closer to the field)? I don't mind when those seats are empty. It's better than watching some idiot with a cell phone waving to the camera.

And I don't like the idea of luxury suites in general so I don't care if they're empty.

Originally Posted by LewB ">[/url]


Anyone notice how the 'fans' behind the 'moat' cleared out when the game looked like a lock ? Makes me sick

 

[LewB]

Yeah, the 'Legends' seats that come with the free food and the $1K price tag. My guess is that the vast majority are all either corporate owned or empty. They always seem to have these available when I check for tickets thru Ticketmaster. Pitty REAL fans are basically priced out. Must be a real bitch directing the TV coverage to assure minimal exposure of the empty seats.

Originally Posted by Marvin

Do you mean in front of the moat (closer to the field)? I don't mind when those seats are empty. It's better than watching some idiot with a cell phone waving to the camera.

And I don't like the idea of luxury suites in general so I don't care if they're empty.

 

[Ed Moroughan]

No comments about the LONG game last night? I was pleasantly surprised that A-Rod came through in the clutch. Now, try it in the playoffs!

 

[LewB]

Helluva game, glad the Yanks won. Neither team deserved to lose (or win for that matter).
The art of spotting pitching talent still amazes me. Yanks dump $40M down the Igowa hole in the ground and then someone manages to get Aceves out of the Mexican leagues for almost nothing.
4.5 game lead is nice, problem is that it's early August and there's a lot of golf left.

Originally Posted by Ed Moroughan

No comments about the LONG game last night? I was pleasantly surprised that A-Rod came through in the clutch. Now, try it in the playoffs!

 

[Ockeghem]

It was a wonderful pitchers duel last night. Those are actually my favorite type of baseball games.

The best news of the night for me was that the Rays lost (in eleven innings). I respect the Yankees, but the Rays concern me a whole lot more. I believe that Tampa Bay will be in the post-season this year.

The A.L. teams that I believe will be there are the Angels, Rays, and White Sox. I don't think Detroit will make the cut. But that leaves three teams vying for one final spot. And I don't know if it will be the Rangers, Red Sox, or Yankees who get it. It will be a lot of fun seeing how it turns out, though.

 

[EricW]

just got back from the NY trip. AMAZING. i saw sunday night's game and the baseball gods were kind. originally i did not want to see the last game of a 4 game series for various reasons, but had to settle on it. plus the weather was uncertain. and then it turned out arguably to be the best game of the weekend. there's nothing like hearing 50,000 fans chanting "Boston Sucks" in perfect unison (all in good fun of course, i realize Boston is temporarily playing below potential while the Yanks are playing over, and things can reverse quite easily in this game). also went to the Carnegie Deli for the first time (the Pastrami just melts in your mouth) and revisited Gray's Papaya (twice!).

 

[LewB]

Yankees, Carnegie Deli and Gray's Papaya ?
You sir are a man after my own heart [/url]

just got back from the NY trip. AMAZING. i saw sunday night's game and the baseball gods were kind. originally i did not want to see the last game of a 4 game series for various reasons, but had to settle on it. plus the weather was uncertain. and then it turned out arguably to be the best game of the weekend. there's nothing like hearing 50,000 fans chanting "Boston Sucks" in perfect unison (all in good fun of course, i realize Boston is temporarily playing below potential while the Yanks are playing over, and things can reverse quite easily in this game). also went to the Carnegie Deli for the first time (the Pastrami just melts in your mouth) and revisited Gray's Papaya (twice!).

 

[LewB]

I finally got to the new Yankee Stadium last night and I was quite impressed. Now I know what $1.5 Billion looks like. Took Metro North and the train is the way to go if it's an option. We had to walk past the old ballpark on the way to the new (and Stan's) and I wonder what is taking so long to put the old place out of it's misery ?
Had a pop at Tommy Bahama's and gawked at the great hall. Had seats in section 132 (which were padded, believe it or not) and didn't know enough to get Lobel's steak sandwich. The $10 pulled pork sandwich was fair, the $5 fries were better. I've heard there are garlic fries to die for but didn't know where to get them.
Yanks won, got to see Mo pitch and only had to wait about 15 mins from the time we got to the 153st Metro North station until a train arrived. I was looking to find fault with the new place just because of the price tag, seat prices and the way that season ticket holders have been treated. As far as the ballpark and infrastructure goes, it's pretty sweet.

 

[EricW]

i made my first trip to NY last year to finally experience the old stadium. it took my an inning and a half just to get through the concession stand line. and this was in the seventh inning. it's sad to see such great history torn down, but the new place is a great baseball game experience.

 

[mattCR]

Please, Zack, as a Royals fan.. please, get to a club that can use you. Anywhere else, you'd win the Cy Young and you'd have 4 more wins.. another 7 innings, no ER. And another loss, thanks to a 9th inning HR from the bullpen. The Royals get blanked by a 6.8ERA pitcher.

What does it say when you lead the league in 3 pitching categories and top five in others.. and you can't buy a win to save your life...

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

The Wall Street Journal posits that baseball may be one of those jobs that Americans won't do anymore.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124966930911615069.html

Recent changes in U.S. immigration law and growing competition in baseball for raw talent have allowed the minor-league farm system to flourish with imported players. It has been a home run for globalization, but bad news for U.S.-born players, who suddenly have much more competition. Across the minor and major leagues, the total number of foreign-born players is growing fast, to almost 3,500 of the 8,532 players under contract this summer, from 2,964 three years ago.

 

[Philip Hamm]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content//article/2009/08/18/AR2009081800095.html

Nationals sign Strasburg. Hope it's not a mistake.

 

[mattCR]

The KC Royals are now subject to a local campaign which made me laugh out loud when I heard it on the radio this morning: "Now is the time to Sign Kenny Powers" Petitions going around. Hilarious radio this AM.