ST's 2009 Baseball thread

[Aro0w 1]

So, I know that there are a few sports threads out there but none dedicated soley to baseball...

I'd just like to get it started by saying:

Predictions anyone?

for one, I'm predicting te NL Central champions to be the Brewers, and here is a reason why:

insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index

Easy shcedule huh? well either way...

[Easy Bakes 253]

There was one for last seaon.

As for predictions Ill take the American Leauge in the All Star game.

And the rangers to make the playoffs.

[Aro0w 1]

Didn't we already play the All-star game?

well I guess you can't lose when you predict who wins after the fact lol...

and I'm assuming you mean the World series?

[Easy Bakes 253]

Was a joke.

I will just be happy if the rangers make the playoffs

[Aro0w 1]

Well, they have a chance, only 3 games back...

Brewers are 2 games back ATM

[Raysfan16 5]

The Rays just beat Greinke. Kazmir pitched very well, it was surprising considering how bad he's been doing so far this season. But the bad news:

--------

KANSAS CITY -- Scott Kazmir had to leave the Rays' 4-2 victory over the Royals on Saturday night with cramping in his lower left forearm. The ailment, however, is not believed to be serious, and he will make his next start Thursday in Chicago.

With the scored tied at 1, Kazmir took the mound to start the seventh inning, but after throwing a couple of warmup pitches, he motioned to Rays manager Joe Maddon and was met on the mound by Maddon and trainer Paul Harker. After a brief discussion, Kazmir left the mound and Grant Balfour took over to start the inning.

"It just started cramping up," Kazmir said. "It just started cramping up in the beginning of the sixth. It just felt dehydrated. I told Harker to get me some water with some electrolytes in it, because I felt a little dehydrated.

" went through the sixth inning, everything felt fine, sat down, it was tightening up, but it felt like it was loosening up right when I was going out there. [After a couple of warmup tosses] I was like, 'No, no.' So, just shut it down. But it's completely minor."

Kazmir received intravenous fluids after the game and said he feels fine now.

The Rays left-hander allowed one run on four hits while walking four in six innings, receiving no decision.

Taken from the official MLB.com site

[Aro0w 1]

some bad news.

Adrian Gonzalez got beaned in the head.

I think he was taken to the hospital...

[Kryptowhite 9]

My question is, what does the brewers making the playoffs have in relation to them winning in the playoffs? Their playoff schedule won't be easy, they will probably face the Dodgers in round 1 since the Cards have a grip on that division. If the brewers got Halladay though, that would be interesting. The loss of Rickie Weeks must really be hurting them though he was off to a great start.

In the AL, it looks like, save any midge plagues, we are headed towards another Yankees Sox ALCS. They just appear to be head and shoulders above the rest of the AL. The only team I can see coming close is the Rangers, but they need a bit more pitching other than Milwood to hang in a 5/7 game series. They are the team that could use Halladay the most really. He would take them from playoff team to series contender.

Regardless I like their BATs [yes, i accidentally typed it like that]. I have Cruz, Young, and Kinsler on my team [as well as milwood]. Had to bench Kinsler though cause he has been dreadful lately. Most texas players hit the wall during the summer which i didn't bother to think about. Cruz is very streaking, he hits like 5 hr's one week then zero for the next 2 weeks. So i always play him after he hits a home run.

[Aro0w 1]

Originally posted by: Kryptowhite

My question is, what does the brewers making the playoffs have in relation to them winning in the playoffs? Their playoff schedule won't be easy, they will probably face the Dodgers in round 1 since the Cards have a grip on that division. If the brewers got Halladay though, that would be interesting. The loss of Rickie Weeks must really be hurting them though he was off to a great start.

quote>

Hey, as long as they actually have a chance to win in the playoffs I'm fine...

to me, I don't really like the MLB playoffs, they should have three wild cards...

12 team playoffs are good, they could model it after the NFL playoffs...

[blade2k5 1,523]

Doesn't matter who goes to the playoffs this year, Dodgers will win it all hands down.

[Kryptowhite 9]

MLB playoffs are good because you don't have a bunch of teams there that don't deserve to be there [cough chargers].

Wait till Manny implodes on the Dodgers. There is a reason the red sox veterans asked that he would be traded. His numbers lie. He will hit amazing for one month then go on vacation for 3 weeks.

[Aro0w 1]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

Doesn't matter who goes to the playoffs this year, Dodgers will win it all hands down.

quote>

Well, let's just hope that they don't dominate too much...

I don't really have a pick for the world series yet...

I'll make my pick in September

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: KryptowhiteWait till Manny implodes on the Dodgers. There is a reason the red sox veterans asked that he would be traded. His numbers lie. He will hit amazing for one month then go on vacation for 3 weeks.quote>

Give it a rest with Manny.  I'm tired of the same ol' same 'ol schtick of how Manny did this and Manny did that before he left Boston, all of it is negative and downright nasty.  And you know what?  I really don't care what anyone thinks of Manny.  There are three sides to every story, it's their side, his side and then there's the truth.  The thing that everyone forgets is that none of that is relevant to what's going on right now. How Manny rides the Dodger train doesn't determine whether the train runs out of track or not.  They continued to dominate without him, so IMO with him being back and producing, it's all icing on the cake.  I give Manny credit for what he does on the field and with his bat, but believe this, if he screws up he'll take his lumps from me just like the rest of the team does when they screw up  I'm a harsh taskmaster when it comes underachieving and making ignorant mistakes

Then you Kershaw who has caught fire of late, I tell ya, his curve-ball is something special, watched the game on FS Wis HD last week he pitched in Milwaukee.  If this kid continues to develop as well as he's been, he is going to be one nasty pitcher no-one is going to want to face.  I think the Koufax comparisons are a little unfair to Kershaw, how can anyone live up to Koufax?

[Kryptowhite 9]

Still Jason Bay is far better for the red sox...not only can he play defense and run, but he hits for as much power as ramirez has since the trade. O yea, and hes about 150 million dollars cheaper

Having said that, Manny is in a good situation in LA. LA is much more laidback and its not as intense as it was in boston, which was something that really got to Manny here in boston. Even though I dump on manny, deep down i think hes a good guy. I find myself rooting for him to succeed, and his 500th home run last year was a really special moment. Even though the last year or so has been pretty ugly, he was a lovable loser and a big part of the red sox as well as one of my favorite players when i was younger. I still prefer bay though . It was a great trade for everyone involved but the pirates, in fact, since that trade the two best teams in baseball have been the sox and dodgers, so that says how good it was.

As for kershaw..i was the idiot who thought he was fading in may and cut him from my fantasy team. Now my teams the one thats fading. haha.

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Kryptowhite

Still Jason Bay is far better for the red sox...not only can he play defense and run, but he hits for as much power as ramirez has since the trade. O yea, and hes about 150 million dollars cheaper

Having said that, Manny is in a good situation in LA. LA is much more laidback and its not as intense as it was in boston, which was something that really got to Manny here in boston. Even though I dump on manny, deep down i think hes a good guy. I find myself rooting for him to succeed, and his 500th home run last year was a really special moment. Even though the last year or so has been pretty ugly, he was a lovable loser and a big part of the red sox as well as one of my favorite players when i was younger. I still prefer bay though . It was a great trade for everyone involved but the pirates, in fact, since that trade the two best teams in baseball have been the sox and dodgers, so that says how good it was.

As for kershaw..i was the idiot who thought he was fading in may and cut him from my fantasy team. Now my teams the one thats fading. haha. quote>

At least you are willing to look at it from that perspective.  Things worked out for both sides.  Of course though, we could settle this in the World Series

[Aro0w 1]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

At least you are willing to look at it from that perspective.  Things worked out for both sides.  Of course though, we could settle this in the World Series

quote>

No way!!!

Brewers all the way!

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Aro0w

Originally posted by: blade2k5

At least you are willing to look at it from that perspective.  Things worked out for both sides.  Of course though, we could settle this in the World Series

quote>

No way!!!

Brewers all the way!quote>

Sorry my fellow Wisconsinite  I can't be that optimistic with the way the Brewcrew is playing right now, they might not even come close to a wild card let alone the divison.  They are definitely in a major slump at the moment and unless their pitching picks it up or they trade for some pitching, they're done.  But we still have 70 games or so to go...so who knows

[Aro0w 1]

Originally posted by: blade2k5

Sorry my fellow Wisconsinite  I can't be that optimistic with the way the Brewcrew is playing right now, they might not even come close to a wild card let alone the divison.  They are definitely in a major slump at the moment and unless their pitching picks it up or they trade for some pitching, they're done.  But we still have 70 games or so to go...so who knows

quote>

hah, yea well I'm hoping...

one interesting fact:

Yovani Gallardo has pitched about three or four one run games and still lost...

the offense seems to be getting the runs for the wrong pitchers

*edit*

yea, someone who has been hitting, but not getting many runs: Braun

A little dissapointing at the moment...

[blade2k5 1,523]

Yup, I hear ya. Their time will come, the team is on the cusp of greatness if they can find a key pitcher or two. Their line-up can be as potent as LA's is and if they had the pitching to back them up who know how fast they would run away with it.

LA just beat HST a few minutes ago in another come-from-behind win 4-3, after trailing 3-0. They haven't ceased to amaze this year yet and now run their record to 58-34 with 6 games left on this homestand against the Reds and the hapless Cubs.

[Aro0w 1]

helpless cubs...

Brewers lost...

5-3 apparently...

I stopped watching when they were winning 3-2...

[Kryptowhite 9]

The dodgers BATs seem really weak to me...aside from Manny, who do they have that can hit? Loney? Either is fairly good, so is Pierre.

[blade2k5 1,523]

All mentioned plus Blake and Kemp. Either is irritating me at the moment because he's in a major slump. They're getting production from just about everyone and getting those key hits when needed, especially when the hitter draw a walk. Like today. Look at their team stats individually and as a team and you'll be surprised how it all adds up. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief that with their minuscule HR total as a team, they're scoring runs in bunches. They are the only team who hasn't lost more than two straight all season, they dominate their division like any true division champ should and hold their own against the rest.

[Kryptowhite 9]

Lets not forget the red sox are 8-0 this year against the yankees. how many other teams can say that?

They've been complete trash this month though. People who were hot the beginning of the year have started slumping [bay, Green, JD Drew] negating the return of Ortiz and Youk as well as Pedroia catching fire. Once the sox get everything going though it should be fun. There were three holes in the line up going into the season. Varitek, Elsbury, and SS. SS has been filled and done well by Green and now Lowries return looks promising. Elsbury has been amazing. Varitek has hit far above expectations. Lowell too has done better than anyone would have thought, avoiding serious injury, although now hes getting limited PT cause of that hip.

The pitching is so good though. The sox have 7 pitchers who can start successfully. Thats not even including Dice-K who is a 100 million dollar mistake.

But Beckett, Lester, Penny, Wakefield, Smoltz, Buchholz, Bowden, and Masterson can all start and pitch well. Bullpen is a dime as we all know, despite Baltimores 9 run comeback lol.

The sox have all the peices, they just need to catch fire. They'll figure it out eventually I think. Bay is trying to prove his value to the team so he should start hitting again soon. This weekend in Toronto was pathetic though.

[blade2k5 1,523]

For your sake I hope they figure it out before it's too late.  Good thing the Dodgers don't have the big names that have the big egos to go with it

[Kryptowhite 9]

The dodgers have the biggest ego of them all

[Aro0w 1]

Originally posted by: Kryptowhite

The dodgers have the biggest ego of them all quote>

I second that motion,

although maybe next to the Yankees...

[blade2k5 1,523]

Originally posted by: Aro0w

Originally posted by: Kryptowhite

The dodgers have the biggest ego of them all quote>

I second that motion,

although maybe next to the Yankees...quote>

Nice try.  It was almost hilarious to watch you two trip over each other to throw the same jibe in, but you both still fail

[blade2k5 1,523]

It would seem that way wouldn't it? But that's not always the case.

[Aro0w 1]

You know what I really hate about baseball?

no salary cap...

can't be extremely fair to all of the teams.

And I heard a rumor that they are adding a salary cap soon. Do you know if this is true?

[blade2k5 1,523]

I doubt Baseball will ever get a salary cap. The only team that really tries to buy a championship are the Yankees since they grab all the top free agents instead of developing their own talent.

Anyways, I just noticed that Jason Schmidt is making his first start for the Dodgers since 2007 tomorrow against the Reds. Wonder how that's going to go, he was 2-0 with a 4.18 ERA in the minors, so it'll be interesting to see.