Title: MLB 2008 Thread
Erick Von Erich - April 2, 2008 10:02 PM (GMT)
They're playing regular season professional baseball, now. Discuss.
One hilarious tidbit to start out with: The (Denver) Rocky Mountain News' official MLB writer Tracy Ringolsby picked the Rockies to not only win their division and the NL, but also the World Series. He also picked Troy Tulowitzki as the NL MVP.
C'mon now...no Jeff Francis for the Cy Young? Although, three years ago he did write that Aaron Cook was a "darkhorse candidate for the NL Cy Young".
Yes, someone is PAYING this turd to write this garbage. Worse, he has a vote on the postseason awards and other crap.
Mad Dog - April 3, 2008 01:40 AM (GMT)
The Rockies had a great season last year but come on. The D-Backs are just loaded this year and I think they could easily win 100 games plus. I could see the Rockies getting the wild card again but they've got a tough road ahead of them.
Mad Dog - April 3, 2008 06:08 AM (GMT)
Reds somehow managed to escape tonight with a win. I'll take 1-1.
Big F'N Swigg - April 3, 2008 02:13 PM (GMT)
I really hope that Dusty Baker actually accomplishes something other than pissing off the clubhouse in Cincy. I really want to see them do good
Mad Dog - April 3, 2008 02:51 PM (GMT)
He's already annoyed me honestly. Bailey not having a spot on the roster and his pet project Patterson coming in when Hopper and Bruce are far superior CFers is annoying as hell to me.
Mad Dog - April 3, 2008 02:53 PM (GMT)
And the thing that bugs me. Is I knew, I just fucking knew he was going to find some way to screw over Bailey because he's such a hot prospect for the Reds. I'm stunned he actually hasn't done the same to Votto but he probably hates Hatteburg for not swinging at every piece of shit that comes near the plate.
Big F'N Swigg - April 3, 2008 02:58 PM (GMT)
The Patterson thing stunned me. You have Freel, Bruce and Hopper, and yet you bring in Corey Patterson, the ever failing former prospect. It's mind-blowing
Mad Dog - April 3, 2008 02:59 PM (GMT)
And the best part is that he gets the auto-starter slot despite being worse than all of the other options.
Big F'N Swigg - April 3, 2008 03:00 PM (GMT)
Before the season, I could have sworn that Freel would have gotten the default starter role until Bruce or Hopper made an impact
Mad Dog - April 4, 2008 01:03 AM (GMT)
Looks like this Cueto kid is a keeper.
Erick Von Erich - April 4, 2008 04:46 AM (GMT)
Pirates took 2/3 from the Muther Fuckin' Assclown Cum-Bubble Penis-Wrinkle Braves. I was encouraged by Zach Duke's strong effort thorugh 5. It seemed that they left him in for one out too many in the 6th. They may want to watch his pitch count, next time out-- he was well over 100 by that time.
Erick Von Erich - April 4, 2008 06:57 AM (GMT)
Ha! Fodder for wacky sports talk hosts:
| QUOTE |
04/04/2008 A 13-year-old girl touring Fenway Park on a school trip was attacked by a resident red-tailed hawk that drew blood from her scalp Thursday.
She wasn't seriously hurt, but some observers saw an omen for a certain New York Yankees slugger in the attack at the home of the Boston Red Sox. The girl's name is Alexa Rodriguez.
Vince Jennetta, a teacher who chaperoned her class trip from Memorial Boulevard Middle School in Bristol, Conn., told The Boston Globe that Alexa is "a little shaken, but OK."
The hawk was perched on a railing in the upper deck behind home plate while the group toured the stadium. The hawk flew at the girl and swooped with its talons extended, scratching her scalp.
A single egg lay in the hawk's nearby nest in an overhang near the stadium's press booth.
The nest and egg were removed at the direction of state wildlife officials
|
The S.S. Nintendo - April 5, 2008 12:45 AM (GMT)
You know how it's the regular season and not spring training? When Daniel Cabrera walks more batters than strike outs.
Erick Von Erich - April 6, 2008 04:32 AM (GMT)
This is fun: Tigers are 0-5. Yankees got pummeled by the the D-Rays. BlueJays bludgeoned the Red Sox. The KC Rawls are somewhat hot. Even the Orioles are in first place at week's end! Won't last, but it's kinda' spiffy. Talked about all of this at the BBQ joint with some guy, tonight. That's what I love about baseball-- it's very easy for two complete strangers to "talk baseball" and gab for a few minutes.
I've been playing into the gimmick of my 2008 wall calendar. Each month has a picture and memorabilia of some oldster. January was Babe Ruth, but February was Frank Robinson so I went out and bought one of his old cards on eBay. Last month was the Negro Leagues, so I read my old KC Monarchs book. This month is Bob Gibson, so I went out on eBay and bought some of his old cards.
Then tonight, I learned about the old "eephus pitch" during the Marlins-Pirates game (with the former Craig DeGeorge as the #3 man, no less). Darnit, I love this time of year. Can't get enough of this crap. Don't leave me again in October, baseball, you teasing hussy!!
Erick Von Erich - April 13, 2008 11:54 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Mad Dog @ Apr 3 2008, 06:03 PM) |
| Looks like this Cueto kid is a keeper. |
The Pirates sure liked him :)
Big F'N Swigg - April 14, 2008 02:02 AM (GMT)
Erick Von Erich - April 16, 2008 10:38 PM (GMT)
One of the little teasers in The Onion this week:
Dusty Baker to rookie pitcher: "mwahahahaha!"
Erick Von Erich - April 18, 2008 05:13 PM (GMT)
This buried David Ortiz jersey is such a non-story. I'm waiting for someone to run a spoof about unearthing some crusty old sheets from the Shoreham Hotel with "DNA stains" from the likes of Mickey Mantle or Billy Martin.
Big F'N Swigg - April 22, 2008 02:24 PM (GMT)
I went to the Reds-Brewers game Friday night. First off, may I just say that I will ALWAYS look to see what the promotion for the game is, as the game was on "Singles Night." That means that the concourses were LOADED full of half drunk losers trying to find someone to score with. Ironically enough, that's what Dusty Baker was Friday night.
While Arroyo was pitching, I couldn't figure out what was going on. He's got the stuff, it's just not happening. Full counts to nearly everyone. Except he wasn't the only one doing it. EVERY pitcher was throwing full counts. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
Now, they're down 5-0 it's the bottom of the 9th, no one on, Griffey at bat. What does Dusty tell him to do? Swing for the fences, right? How about bunt. That's right, Griffey, in the twilight of his career, bunting. Griffey, who has suffered several leg injuries, bunting. Sure, it started a short lived but ultimately doomed rally once Baker put in COREY FUCKING PATTERSON, but still.
Not to mention the lineup was bizarre.
1. Hopper, CF
2. Keppinger, SS
3. Griffey, RF
4. BRANDON PHILLIPS?, SS
5. Dunn, LF
6. Encarnacion, 3B
7. Votto, 1B
8. Bako, C
9. Pitcher
Now, I understand putting the hot hitter batting cleanup, but Phillips is more of a leadoff guy when he's hot. At least the two spot.
I know it would never happen, but I'd like to see a lineup like this:
1. Phillips
2. Hopper
3. Dunn
4. Encarnacion
5. Griffey
6. Votto
7. Bako
8. Keppinger
9. Pitcher
What do you think, Mad Dog?
Erick Von Erich - April 22, 2008 03:32 PM (GMT)
I'd flip-flop Dunn and Encarnacion in your proposed lineup. Plus Hopper as lead-off, with Phillips as #2. Phillips does seem to have some unexpected power, so I'd want to bat him down at least one spot from lead-off. Of course my impressions of the Reds are limited to their games against the Pirates (when pretty much everyone in the lineup seems to produce. Especially Encarnacion).
But promotions can be cool. I went to the Rockies-Braves game two weeks ago and got a crappy "replica NL championship ring" as the entry promo (RINGS....for losing the World Series? Okay). Sold it on eBay this weekend for 22 bucks.
Went last night as well. No giveaway promos, but I did get Willy Taveras' autograph. Rockies were up for most of the game... leading 5-3 at one point when Todd Helton comes to bat. A group of clowns in the center field bleachers then began cheering for a "RALLY"...with a crappy banner that read: "Rally Todd". Huh.... explain that to me. I don't get it.
Sure it's stupid to root for a rally when you're LEADING... but I don't get that "Rally Todd" banner. Is it some kind of pun that I'm missing?
...and people still cheer for the team to "GO" when they're in the field.
Big F'N Swigg - April 23, 2008 02:32 AM (GMT)
Check this douchebag out
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Mad Dog - April 23, 2008 03:24 AM (GMT)
Mad Dog - April 23, 2008 03:30 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
1. Phillips
2. Hopper
3. Dunn
4. Encarnacion
5. Griffey
6. Votto
7. Bako
8. Keppinger
9. Pitcher
What do you think, Mad Dog? |
I don't know. A big key to Griffey's success the last couple of years has been seeing good pitches because everyone is afraid of Dunn coming up next. I think I would move more like:
1. Hopper
2. Encarnacion
3. Phillips
4. Griffey
5. Dunn
6. Votto
7. Keppinger
8. Bako
9. pitcher
Big F'N Swigg - April 23, 2008 04:33 PM (GMT)
And, in a surprising move (mostly because of the timing) the Reds fire Wayne Krivsky and replace him with Walt Jocketty
Big F'N Swigg - April 23, 2008 08:00 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Sporting News via Yahoo) |
Wednesday was a good day for the Cincinnati Reds. They didn’t just hire a new general manager. They hired one of baseball’s most successful general managers.
Walt Jocketty has both credibility and a terrific track record. Years from now, that’s the part of the story people will remember. Departing GM Wayne Krivsky might have had his feelings hurt, but that’s going to happen when franchises are rebuilt.
Mark it on your calendar. This is going to be remembered as the day the Reds began their climb back to prominence.
The Reds desperately needed stability, and now with Bob Castellini as CEO, Dusty Baker as manager and Jocketty as GM, they’ve got it. In the last six years, they’ve had four general managers, four managers and two owners.
Now the pieces are in place. The St. Louis Cardinals went to the playoffs seven times in 12 years with Jocketty in charge. He acquired or developed the core players on two National League championship teams, one of which won the World Series.
He didn’t do a great job in player development, but by getting Chris Carpenter, Larry Walker and others for almost nothing, he did his job.
He was stripped of some of his power after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, and his departure seemed a foregone conclusion.
Castellini, who had once been part of the ownership group in St. Louis, brought in Jocketty as a consultant last January.
Some of Jocketty’s closest friends swear he didn’t want to be GM; rather, he wanted to help Krivsky any way he could.
Problem is, Krivsky apparently saw Jocketty as a threat no matter how many people tried to tell him he was anything but. Krivsky seldom sought Jocketty’s advice, and he froze him out of the decision-making process.
Krivsky did some good things for Cincinnati before his firing. He made nice deals to acquire Bronson Arroyo, Brandon Phillips and Edinson Volquez. He was methodically rebuilding the farm system.
He also made plenty of mistakes. In the end, those mistakes did him in. He signed Rheal Cormier and Mike Stanton and ended up paying them $6.5 million not to pitch.
He gave Corey Patterson $3 million even though Patterson was out of work and probably would have signed for the minimum. He overpaid Ryan Freel and Josh Fogg, as well.
His $46-million deal for Francisco Cordero may end up being a bad signing.
Bad contracts could have been forgiven if the Reds had been winning, but the team looked like it was headed toward its eighth straight losing season when the axe fell of Krivsky.
Plenty of baseball people were glad to see Krivsky get the chance to be a general manager. He was a grassroots baseball man, working his way up the ladder with the Rangers and Twins.
He had contacts and years of institutional knowledge. What he didn’t have and might never have was the credibility that Jocketty brings to any discussion with other general managers.
Jocketty and Tony La Russa were the perfect team in St. Louis. Around this time last year, some baseball insiders believed both would end up working for Castellini in Cincinnati. But La Russa re-signed with the Cardinals, and Dusty Baker got the Reds’ managerial job.
Now Jocketty is being given the task of resurrecting baseball in one of America’s best baseball cities. At the moment, the Reds don’t have enough hitting or pitching.
They do have two premier prospects in outfielder Jay Bruce and lefthander Homer Bailey. Jocketty’s track record says he will succeed. There aren’t many things better than October baseball in Cincinnati—and it’s going to return.
Richard Justice is a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and a regular contributor to Sporting News. |
Interesting take, I'll give him that
Mad Dog - April 23, 2008 11:37 PM (GMT)
How can they bash on the Cordero deal. He's been lights out this year.
Big F'N Swigg - April 24, 2008 12:07 AM (GMT)
I'm not sure, really.
I'm just a bit confused about the fact that they've gone through 4 managers and 4 general managers in the past six years. Yes, there was a change in ownership, but Castellini has been just as bad as the past Reds owners so far
Erick Von Erich - April 24, 2008 05:12 PM (GMT)
Huh... didn't know Frank Thomas was disgruntled, but he's out of Toronto and back in Oakland
| QUOTE |
04/24/2008 The Big Hurt is coming back to the Bay Area.
The Oakland Athletics agreed to terms Thursday with designated hitter Frank Thomas, who was released Sunday by the Toronto Blue Jays to become a free agent after becoming disgruntled about his playing time.
Oakland will be on the hook only for about $337,000 _ a prorated share of the $390,000 minimum _ so this move was a bargain for general manager Billy Beane and a club looking to boost its power numbers.
The 39-year-old Thomas, who will get the vast majority of his $8 million salary this year from the Blue Jays, is hitless in his past 13 at-bats and had gone 4-for-35 since homering in three straight games April 5-8. Known as a slow starter, he batted .167 with three homers and 11 RBIs for Toronto this year.
He left Oakland after the A's 2006 AL championship series season, signing a $18.12 million, two-year contract with Toronto.
Thomas remade himself with the small-market A's, and his paycheck wasn't as small as it looked coming into the year. He signed an incentive-laden one-year deal for $500,000, but earned all $2.6 million of his possible bonuses based on plate appearances and keeping his troublesome left foot healthy.
In 2006, he batted .270 with a team-leading 39 home runs and 114 RBIs in 137 games after missing all but 108 games the previous two seasons with the Chicago White Sox because of injury |
Erick Von Erich - May 7, 2008 05:39 PM (GMT)
All-Star Ballots hit the streets this week. Do me a favor and PLEASE vote for Nate McLouth. Xavier Nady's deserving as well, yet it'd really be a bigger story if McLouth not only makes the NL All-Star squad, but if he actually starts.
Big F'N Swigg - May 8, 2008 02:28 PM (GMT)
The reds want me to vote for someone on their team. I laugh at such an idea. Maybe Harang, but that's about it.
Also, it seems that there is a HUGE internet contingent wanting Griffey & Dunn out of Cincy. It's rather amusing
Mad Dog - May 8, 2008 02:44 PM (GMT)
Volquez is deserving of a vote for the All-Star game. He's pitched some amazing games for Cincy thus far.
Big F'N Swigg - May 8, 2008 02:45 PM (GMT)
Ah, I forgot Volquez.
I also want to mention that I feel so sad for the Reds pitchers, as they're fairly good, but they get no support whatsoever.
Erick Von Erich - May 8, 2008 04:07 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Mad Dog @ May 8 2008, 07:44 AM) |
| Volquez is deserving of a vote for the All-Star game. He's pitched some amazing games for Cincy thus far. |
Too bad we can't vote for pitchers....
Big F'N Swigg - May 8, 2008 06:04 PM (GMT)
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The Reds are so bad even Mr. RedLegs is losing his head over it
Scrooge McSuck - May 14, 2008 02:38 PM (GMT)
Ahem....
Go Rays! WOOO! 1st place motherfuckers!
Big F'N Swigg - May 14, 2008 02:41 PM (GMT)
What, no complaining about Joe Girardi's performance in NY?
Erick Von Erich - May 14, 2008 03:38 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Scrooge McSuck @ May 14 2008, 07:38 AM) |
| Go Rays! WOOO! 1st place motherfuckers! |
Sign of the Apocalypse. Dammit...I had a few things I still wanted to do before the world came to an end.
As for Joe Girardi...well not saying anything, but this morning the PIRATES had a better record than the Yankees. Sure, it's only by a half game, but don't think Yankee Yankers aren't aware of something like that.
Erick Von Erich - May 15, 2008 04:08 PM (GMT)
Baseball's All-Scandal TeamObviously, it has our buddies Steve Howe and Dwight Gooden. Some decent stuff in here, but #30 is awesome (and 100% true). Marge Schott woud've been included, but there's only one slot for "owner"...and Marge was definitely behind #1. Jim Bouton created a huge scandal in the 70's, but he's left off because he's a "good guy", wasn't malicious, and his book was terrific.
The S.S. Nintendo - May 15, 2008 10:08 PM (GMT)
You know, for a team that was picked to finish last in the AL East and lose 100+ games, the Orioles are doing pretty well for themselves.
Erick Von Erich - May 21, 2008 05:43 AM (GMT)
Hey...Piazza just retired.
Crap, I feel OLD. Aside from David Diaz-Infante (who's not really famous), he was the only other famous person whom someone told me I looked like.
Oh, can't forgot my teenaged resemblance to Jim Cornette, either.