BASEBALL BASEBALL BASEBALL

[Latrinsorm]

The Mets game is delayed. :(

They're still going to the Series this year though! I see Mets v. Sawks and it's 1986 all over again!!! Given Mr. Minaya's propensity for bringing in 40+ year old pitchers, it's entirely possible the Mets will even sign Clemens by then!

I LOVE BASEBALL YAY :)

[Makkah]

SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS

[Anebriated]

Ill go on record now saying the mets dont make the postseason and Santana will be hurt by the all-star break.

[Allereli]

I'm QQing over the Yankees game being cancelled. It really threw my day off. Spare me the hate, my Yankee love is completely irrational.

[Latrinsorm]

p.s.

MVP Wright on track to hit .500 with 486 RBI!!!!!!!!!!!

Cy Young Santana 7 IP, 8 K, 2 ER, NOT TOO SHABBY.

[LMingrone]

Another subway series WS is possible, but not likely. Imagine the tickets prices considering that no one will know which game will be the last game at either stadium. I'm trying to get All-Star tickets now. I'm not even going to bother to try to get the "last game" after this.

[crazymage]

Latrinsorm we're kindred spirits my friend!

[Anebriated]

wow, opening day and already talking about a subway series WS... no wonder people hate NY fans, always full of shit. Id take Boston, Detroit or Cleveland over the Yankees and either Chicago or Atlanta(being completely underrated with all of the attention on the Phils and Mets) over the Mets.


p.s. ITS DAY 1, I DONT CARE WHO BATTED WHAT OR PITCHED A GREAT GAME... ITS THE FIRST FUCKING DAY. Thats all.

[LMingrone]

That's why I said possible but not likely. A MAN CAN DREAM!

Watch out for Atlanta/Phil and Detroit.

[crazymage]

Yeah watch out for Detroit real sleeper pick there!


BTW Yanks probably wont make the playoffs this year :)

[LMingrone]

Yeah watch out for Detroit real sleeper pick there!


BTW Yanks probably wont make the playoffs this year :)


Ok, I'll pick the Orioles to win then if you want a sleeper. Wasn't really trying to pick a sleeper.

I'm a die hard Yankee fan, I'll admit that. There's a good chance their whole starting pictching crew will get injured. I don't expect much more from them than a few months of ARod hitting meaningless homeruns and listening to Steinbrenner Jr.s blabbing all over the place.

Was just saying I'd hate to be trying to buy tickets to a Subway Series if it DID happen.

(I was listening to too much Mike and Mad Dog today, and I want to kill them). /rant over

[Latrinsorm]

rofl @ Atlanta. How did the multiple 40-year-old pitcher plan work out for the Mets last year?

[Keller]

SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS
Truth.

[Bobmuhthol]

2007: Red Sox sweep the World Series
2008: Red Sox sweep the World Series

[Stanley Burrell]

I'm QQing over the Yankees game being cancelled. It really threw my day off. Spare me the hate, my Yankee love is completely irrational.

Nah, I think deep sea divers off Japanese coral reefs who rock bright orange BoSox caps with a neon green Pats jersey are the irrational dickriders. To the extreme. Fucking birds of a feather from Fenway to Finland.

No one's going to take our pennants, or wins, or Yankees Baseball. Greatest muthafuckin' franchise in professional sports history.

I do hope Cashman comes dressed with a plastic face and rubber hands to do more business with Epstein though.

[Anebriated]

Yup, Yankees are the best franchise money could buy.

[Skeeter]

It didn't take the Reds long to find last place. :(

[BigWorm]

Rainout much?

[Daniel]

p.s.

MVP Wright on track to hit .500 with 486 RBI!!!!!!!!!!!




Too bad Fukudone is on track to hit 1.000 with 486 RBI's.

And Zambrano has 7 IP 0 ER ;)

[Gan]

Tough decision this year. Season Sunday tickets -OR- Sunday golf each week.

I loved going to the games; however, I'm thinking this is a golf summer.

[Anebriated]

Bah, get the sunday package for the kiddo if nothing else. That way he can idolize the baseball players, start playing little league, move on to his school team, get a college scholarship, then make it to the bigs and set up his parents(thatd be you) nicely for retirement where you can golf to your hearts content.

[BigWorm]

Too bad Fukudone is on track to hit 1.000 with 486 RBI's.

And Zambrano has 7 IP 0 ER ;)

You know Zambrano is ticking time bomb. That guys loses almost as many games as he wins for the Cubs.

[Daniel]

What? He won 18 games last year.

[Latrinsorm]

Too bad Fukudone is on track to hit 1.000 with 486 RBI's.Those are 486 metric RBI though, Fukudome hasn't converted to standard units yet. WRIGHT WINZ AGAIN YEY

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Anebriated
Yup, Yankees are the best franchise money could buy.

Doesn't this schtick ever get old?

Notable yankee contracts not on the hook for 2009:

Abreu (16m), Farnsworth (5.5m), Giambi (21m less 5m buyout), Mussina (11.5), Pavano (11m less 2m buyout), & Pettitte (16m).. so 74m off the books next year in old shitty contracts (exception abreu & pettitte who they reupped this off season). The only one of those players I expect back in 09 is probably Abreu so even if his 16m stays on thats still 58m off the books. Not to mention in 2009 Damon and Matusi at 13m/ea. come off so even if they keep 1 of them (I see no reason they'd keep both) that means by the end of 2009 the yankees will have shed probably around 75m in payroll and potentially 100m.

Obviously they'll bring some people in and some of their younger players salaries will increase in arbitration which will offset some of those savings but they have also shown in the last year or two that they don't fear the youth movement anymore.

[Daniel]

Those are 486 metric RBI though, Fukudome hasn't converted to standard units yet. WRIGHT WINZ AGAIN YEY

Huh? I have no idea what this means. I simply did 3 RBI x 162 games.

Success.

[Sean of the Thread]

go Rays

[Bobmuhthol]

The Japanese don't use the standard system of measurement (metric). It's a slightly funny joke, if you're a physicist.

[BigWorm]

Doesn't this schtick ever get old?

Notable yankee contracts not on the hook for 2009:

Abreu (16m), Farnsworth (5.5m), Giambi (21m less 5m buyout), Mussina (11.5), Pavano (11m less 2m buyout), & Pettitte (16m).. so 74m off the books next year in old shitty contracts (exception abreu & pettitte who they reupped this off season). The only one of those players I expect back in 09 is probably Abreu so even if his 16m stays on thats still 58m off the books. Not to mention in 2009 Damon and Matusi at 13m/ea. come off so even if they keep 1 of them (I see no reason they'd keep both) that means by the end of 2009 the yankees will have shed probably around 75m in payroll and potentially 100m.

Obviously they'll bring some people in and some of their younger players salaries will increase in arbitration which will offset some of those savings but they have also shown in the last year or two that they don't fear the youth movement anymore.

So you're arguing that the Yankee don't buy players by listing contracts of players they have bought that expire in 2009? I'm sure they'll be able to blow a huge wad of cash buying up some old ass free agents coming off career years ready to suck.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by BigWorm
So you're arguing that the Yankee don't buy players by listing contracts of players they have bought that expire in 2009? I'm sure they'll be able to blow a huge wad of cash buying up some old ass free agents coming off career years ready to suck.

You're free to think what you like. However, my opinion is that the direction of the Yankees has changed since the reigns were loosened on Cashman. In the past you wouldn't have seen the Yankees going into the season with Hughes (22yo), Kennedy (23), Cano(25), Wang(28), Joba (23), & Melky (23) all at pivotal positions.

[BigWorm]

What? He won 18 games last year.

And punched his catcher in the face bad enough that it needed stitches, which also ruined any possibility of a reconciliation and forced the Cubs to trade Barret. But its not like he's a nutcase or anything.

Good luck with Wood as your closer too. He probably won't blow his arm out for at least of month or so.

In all seriousness though, Carlos Marmol isn't too shabby of a setup guy and could pretty easily take over for Wood IMHO.

[Sean of the Thread]

Who cares yankees lose this Friday.

[Stanley Burrell]

Who cares yankees lose this Friday.

Penis.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Sean2
Who cares yankees lose this Friday.

Shelley Duncan would like your address please...

[BigWorm]

Who cares yankees lose this Friday.

The Devil Rays are fucking stacked with young talent. Their rotation is full of young arms that throw serious heat (Kazmir, Shields, Garza, and Sonnastine). Then you have Carl Crawford, B.J. Upton, and Jhonny Gomes. With Carlos Pena at first first and Evan Longoria looking like this year's Ryan Bruan, that's a pretty nice line up.

Their only problem is that they play in the same division as the Yankees and BoSox, though they have had the Yankee's number for a while now. If Steinbrener wasn't senile, he'd probably be pissed since he lives in Tampa now (doesn't he?). Well, and the fact that they have nothing in the bull pen. I mean, seriously Troy Percival and Al Reyes? I think they're probably the only two guys on the team born in the 1960's.

[Sean of the Thread]

Our pen stable is becoming strong like viagra. Be warned.

[LMingrone]

Pitching looked good tonight.

[BigWorm]

Our pen stable is becoming strong like viagra. Be warned.

Uh, if you couldn't tell from my post, I think the D-Rays are going to surprise some people this year. I just meant that the BoSox and Yanks don't have any holes on their team as big as the Rays. The Devil Rays could compete, I just think they would have a better shot in pretty much any other division.

[Allereli]

Pedro hurt already, can't help but lol. Worse pickup: Jason Giambi for the Yanks, or Pedro for the Mets?

[Silvanostar]

yea... i was looking forward to seeing the 1-2 punch of santana and martinez :(

giambi is on his contract year so he'll probably be half decent

[Sean of the Thread]

Uh, if you couldn't tell from my post, I think the D-Rays are going to surprise some people this year. I just meant that the BoSox and Yanks don't have any holes on their team as big as the Rays. The Devil Rays could compete, I just think they would have a better shot in pretty much any other division.

They would be money in any other division. In my opinion they play in the hardest one over the past few years and all because the shit owners wanted the snowbird/transplant bosox/yanks/toronto money in the seats.

I still have high hopes of .500 this year. At any rate I've taken up way more interest in baseball again for some reason... I'm going to really enjoy this season.

[Anebriated]

HAHAHAHA I knew this was coming. Next comes Johan.



MIAMI -- Pedro Martinez will be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks with what the New York Mets said was a mild strain of his left hamstring.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was placed on the 15-day disabled list before the Mets' game against the Florida Marlins on Wednesday night.

Martinez was injured Tuesday night, returned to New York and was examined by Dr. David Altchek at the Hospital for Special Surgery.

"It doesn't look good," manager Willie Randolph said before the diagnosis was announced by Mets spokesman Jay Horwitz.

"He said he heard a pop, and that is not a good thing," Randolph said. "Usually, when something like that happens, you are put on the DL right away, but we'll just wait and see what the results are. It could have just been a combination of a real bad cramp or a strain. Any time a pitcher pulls a hamstring, that is usually automatic DL."

Martinez allowed four runs in 3 1-3 innings during a 5-4, 10-inning defeat, limping off the mound after injuring himself during a pitch.

"He's an unfortunate loss," pitcher John Maine said. "Everyone knows what Pedro can do.'

The Mets filled Martinez's roster spot by purchasing the contract of pitcher Nelson Figueroa from Triple-A New Orleans.

They could move up Oliver Perez in the rotation to start Tuesday's home opener against Philadelphia. Jorge Sosa is a longshot possibility for the rotation.

"I think we will keep him where he is right now, but he is also an option," Randolph said.

Orlando Hernandez started the season on the disabled list.

"We've been doing this the last couple of years and that means me, Oliver (Perez), and (Mike) Pelfrey have to step up a little more," Maine said.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
http://www.sportsline.com/print/mlb/story/10756435

[Alfster]

Brewers got it all this year.

Cubs 0-2 ROFL

[Latrinsorm]

And Perez goes out and blanks the Marlins. NO PROBLEM.

[Kefka]

HAHAHAHA I knew this was coming. Next comes Johan.



http://www.sportsline.com/print/mlb/story/10756435

How's them Phillies? :)

[Latrinsorm]

lol @ los Bravos

Hampton Hurts Boob, on DL (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3328362)

[Anebriated]

How's them Phillies? :)

Same as every year in april. shitty.

[Latrinsorm]

rofl @ Atlanta. How did the multiple 40-year-old pitcher plan work out for the Mets last year?I'm Smarter than Frank Wren - Glavine Strains Hammy (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3345086)

Of course, Crazy-ass Perez isn't making me look too smart with his performance today. :(

[Allereli]

AL East race looks to be awesome if it continues like this. I'm glad the Yanks are stuffing all the games in now (only one day off in April), and will hopefully not have rainouts so they can benefit from the days off in September.

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

This is the year both Perez's break out, I can feel it! Oli was crap with the Pirates, and meh so far with the Mets, but his mechanics are a sight to behold, and he's finally learning how to actually pitch, rather than just throw.

Odalis should've broken out ages ago, because lord knows he has the stuff to do it... He's finally pitching decently, giving up 2 runs or less, and walking 4 or less in his last four starts. Even though he's pitching for a team with a chronic batting problem, he still may very well hit 15 wins before the season is done.

[Sean of the Thread]

Go Rays.

hahah bosox hahah

[Anebriated]

How's them Phillies? :)


So.... How bout them Phillies... 20-15 without Rollins and with Howard pulling a Giambi. Has Santana won the World Series for the Mets yet?

[Allereli]

Wang lost his first game last night :(

[Latrinsorm]

So.... How bout them Phillies... 20-15 without Rollins and with Howard pulling a Giambi. Has Santana won the World Series for the Mets yet?Mets have been playing without Alou and Delgado's been giving Howard a run for his money. I wouldn't get too comfy. :)

It's actually kind of weird, only one regular 1B in the NL East is hitting over league-average .259: Mike Jacobs at .271 (who we traded to get Delgado). Makes you wonder.

[BigWorm]

Mets have been playing without Alou and Delgado's been giving Howard a run for his money. I wouldn't get too comfy. :)

It's actually kind of weird, only one regular 1B in the NL East is hitting over league-average .259: Mike Jacobs at .271 (who we traded to get Delgado). Makes you wonder.

Delgado is done. I can't beleive he managed to pull 24 HR out of his ass last year. Also, Mike Jacobs is a stud to be. I'm sure he'll play great for whatever team he gets traded to so that the Marlins can avoid paying any $.

[Hulkein]

Mets have been playing without Alou and Delgado's been giving Howard a run for his money. I wouldn't get too comfy. :)

It's actually kind of weird, only one regular 1B in the NL East is hitting over league-average .259: Mike Jacobs at .271 (who we traded to get Delgado). Makes you wonder.

JRoll is just a bit more important/better than Alou and Delgado hit half the HRs Howard hit last year.

[Latrinsorm]

Without Alou, Beltran has no protection. The guy's on track for 33% more walks than he's ever had in a year but he's hitting .218.

I also wouldn't be so quick to say Rollins is a better hitter. Alou's career numbers are certainly better, and his performance last year suggests he's not done yet. It's also worth pointing out that the Mets' team OPS has dropped to below league-average (44 adjusted points) while the Phillies are still comfortably above (and only dropped 24 adjusted points).

I meant Delgado was giving Howard a run at his money for being the softest-hitting 1B. :D

[Hulkein]

I'm not even dignifying the Rollins vs. Alou argument with a response.

And I know what you meant about Delgado and Howard. My point is that Howard playing like shit is a lot more harmful to the Phillies than Delgado playing like shit because the team is built to win on the assumption that he'll hit 40-50 HRs.

[Latrinsorm]

At the end of the year, I'll do Beltran splits with and without Alou in the lineup. For now, I'll just leave you with this. In 2007, Alou was out from May 12th to July 27th. Beltran's avg dropped from .320 to .263 in that span, before finishing the year at .276. Check out the graph:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v456/johnnyoldschool/carlos.gif

Jimmy Rollins is a fine hitter, don't get me wrong, but to declare him more important to his team than Alou out of hand doesn't make much sense.

[Skeeter]

Reds still suck :cry:

[Allereli]

Reds still suck :cry:

the whole state of Ohio sucks

[BigWorm]

Reds still suck :cry:

The Reds are getting really close though. That lineup is starting to look really nice with guys like Phillips, Encarnacion, and Votto joining Adam Dunn as solid bats. The rotation is full of young studs and has a solid ace in Harang.

[Stunseed]

ROFL @ The Marlins.

Who'da thunk it?

[Alfster]

and they suck dick defensively

[Allereli]

from http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080513&content_id=2690931&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy


Finally, even the oft-injured Carl Pavano may be able to contribute in some way. In the final year of his four-year, $39.95 million deal, Pavano is throwing on flat ground over at the Yankees' complex.

Girardi said that the plan is for Pavano to pitch competitively in August, and has said that "it would make a great story" if Pavano was able to come back and be on the mound for the Yankees, something he was not able to do for an extended period during his first three years under contract.

fucking Pavano. Biggest Yankee waste of money

[Sean of the Thread]

MY TEAM IS ROCKING!

[Hulkein]

from http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080513&content_id=2690931&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy



fucking Pavano. Biggest Yankee waste of money

That's bound to happen when you drop enormous contracts on anything with any sign of a live arm.

[Allereli]

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals put struggling closer Jason Isringhausen, who has an 8.00 ERA and six blown saves, on the 15-day disabled list on Friday because of a cut on his pitching hand.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported last weekend that Isringhausen hurt his right hand striking a television set in frustration in manager Tony La Russa's office.

Isringhausen was 32-for-34 in save opportunities last year, a season after he missed the team's World Series run because of hip surgery.

Isringhausen and La Russa have said repeatedly that the pitcher's problems are not physical.

The team purchased the contract of rookie right-hander Chris Perez, the closer at Triple-A Memphis, and transferred right-handed reliever Josh Kinney from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list. Kinney is recovering from elbow surgery.

The 22-year-old Perez is 1-1 with eight saves and a 2.04 ERA in 18 games in the minors, with 22 strikeouts and nine walks in 17 2-3 innings.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3399784

[kheldarin]

Baseball sucks, thread's closed.

[Daniel]

Go cubs

[Latrinsorm]

Remember when Kevin Brown broke his hand punching a wall? Remember when his name ended up in the Mitchell Report? Fun guy, that Kevin Brown.

[Allereli]

...they share it!?!

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05162008/sports/jason_giambi_wears_gold_thong_for_luck___111139.ht m

May 16, 2008 --
Baseball players are legendary for their superstitions, but Jason Giambi's technique for snapping a batting slump may rank among the strangest : He puts on a gold lame, tiger-striped thong.

"I only put it on when I'm desperate to get out of a big slump," he told Portfolio.com.

Giambi has shared his slump-breaker with other Yankees, including Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Johnny Damon, Robin Ventura and Robinson Cano.

"All of them wore it and got hits," he said. "The thong works every time."

Clearly, Giambi could use a little help from the golden thong about now. As the Yankees continue to sputter heading into their Subway Series against the equally sluggish Mets, Giambi is hitting .188.

But Giambi, in the final season of a seven-year, $120 million contract, sa id he doesn't listen to booing by the crowds at Yankee Stadium.

"I never hear the boos because I'm too busy booing myself," he told Portfolio.com. "No critic is worse on me than me. I can beat myself up pretty good."

[Latrinsorm]

Hey Stan...

.

.

.

...2-0. :)

[Latrinsorm]

Can Jon Lester Get a Fucking Break? Jesus. (http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3411725)

[Tisket]

Every bump of this thread reminds me of how badly the fucking Mariners are doing this year. Hate you all.

[Latrinsorm]

At least you can look forward to Kevin Durant progressing with the Sonics...

...er, nm. :S

[Tisket]

hate hate hate you.

[Sean of the Thread]

Did someone mention baseball and the Rays .5 games out of first in the AL East?


Oh I did.

[Sean of the Thread]

Best record in the league 1/3rd of the way thru. Suck a donkey dick yanks and bocox.


Rays = :)

Attendance record = :(

[BigWorm]

Best record in the league 1/3rd of the way thru. Suck a donkey dick yanks and bocox.


Rays = :)

Attendance record = :(

I still think having no bullpen is going to fuck them in late summer when they have to play the Yankees and Red Sox ten million times. If they were in almost any other division, they would be golden.

[Allereli]

:cry:

[Sean of the Thread]

Their bullpen is getting stronger. Kazmir is getting right back on track. Obviously I'm a yankee and bosox hater but you're right.

ANY other division the Rays would be money. But even in the one of the toughest AL EAST WE'RE STILL TOP OF THE MLB PILE as of now.

Just read an article ... this type of yearly rebound hasn't occurred since 1903.

It's taken some time but the farm and draft and everything is finally coming together. It's been rough as a Rays fan just as it was rough as a Bucs fan.

However... we've got great defense and the pitching is forming up. Speaking of UP UPTON and Crawford prolly the fastest two bitches in the MLB and most certainl the fastest outfield pair.

I haven't checked but they gotta be in the top for stolen bases as well.


anyways Jesus hates yankee fans and bosox have hiv.

[Latrinsorm]

Bourne for sure (23/3, shitty fielder) and Carlos Gomez (17/3, .938 zone rating) could probably give them a run for their money. (I recognize they're not on the same team, but still.)

Incidentally, Crawford is at 13/4, .918 (sensational) in left; Upton 13/5, .896 (pretty good).

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Sean2
Their bullpen is getting stronger. Kazmir is getting right back on track. Obviously I'm a yankee and bosox hater but you're right.

ANY other division the Rays would be money. But even in the one of the toughest AL EAST WE'RE STILL TOP OF THE MLB PILE as of now.

Just read an article ... this type of yearly rebound hasn't occurred since 1903.

It's taken some time but the farm and draft and everything is finally coming together. It's been rough as a Rays fan just as it was rough as a Bucs fan.

However... we've got great defense and the pitching is forming up. Speaking of UP UPTON and Crawford prolly the fastest two bitches in the MLB and most certainl the fastest outfield pair.

I haven't checked but they gotta be in the top for stolen bases as well.


anyways Jesus hates yankee fans and bosox have hiv.

It's cute seeing Rays fans standing up and gloating at being over .500 with 100 games left in the season. Was it worth sucking balls for 10 seasons to get so excited after a 1/3 of the season? I guess on the flip side is you give Royals and Pirate fans hope...

[Sean of the Thread]

I went thru the same shit with the Bucs.

But yes it's worth it imo.. they've been doing things right the last couple years and it's finally coming together. It's not just that they're above .500 it's they're playing fucking awesome and are actually great to watch.

Speaking of .500..... have a bet that the they hit .500 this year and that the royals finish last.

Same stakes so prolly gonna be a wash.

[Latrinsorm]

I don't get SNY, I only see the GameCast, so I'm just wondering...

...is Aaron Heilman throwing the ball UNDERHAND???

[Sean of the Thread]

RAYS RAYS RAYS RAYS RAYS


RAYS


RAYS

[landy]

Go PHILLIES

[Sean of the Thread]

GO Rays

[Bobmuhthol]

Mike Timlin's gonna lose the game for the Sox.

[Skeeter]

Rays are the southern Reds. Except the Reds have won a world series in my lifetime.

[Bobmuhthol]

I'm so close to being right. Bases loaded, 2 outs, 1-1.

Thank God I'm not right.. yet.

[Sean of the Thread]

Rays are the southern Reds. Except the Reds have won a world series in my lifetime.

Tough division we're in :(


And 2nd lowest attendance. Too many transients here.

[Skeeter]

I thought Cubans loved baseball.

[Sean of the Thread]

I live in the Tampa Bay Area not Miami. (AKA Lil' Cuba)

[Daniel]

Amazing comeback for the cubs last night. At some point of my drunken stupor that was a continuation of a 1pm going away party, I checked my phone to see the cubs getting railed 9 to 1. so, I figured it was a lost cause and didn't bother checking again (which is probably best for my phone). To my surprise they end up winning the game.

This year is fucking amazing. 100 years baby!!

P.s. My head feels like I just got railed in the face with a fast ball.

[BigWorm]

Amazing comeback for the cubs last night. At some point of my drunken stupor that was a continuation of a 1pm going away party, I checked my phone to see the cubs getting railed 9 to 1. so, I figured it was a lost cause and didn't bother checking again (which is probably best for my phone). To my surprise they end up winning the game.

This year is fucking amazing. 100 years baby!!

P.s. My head feels like I just got railed in the face with a fast ball.

Yeah, big year for you guys, since its the centennial and all. Here's to the next century of the Cubs choking away every game they can.

[Hulkein]

Phillies are tearing the cover off the ball.

[Latrinsorm]

rofl @ Atlanta. How did the multiple 40-year-old pitcher plan work out for the Mets last year?Annnnnd Smoltzie done for the year. Trifecta!

[Bobmuhthol]

I have Smoltz on my fantasy team. Fuck.

[RichardCranium]

Good to see all the Red Sox getting all-star votes so far.

[Allereli]

I grew up watching Willie play 2nd base. He doesn't deserve this.


June 18, 2008
Randolph Says He Is ‘Stunned’ by Mets Firing
By BEN SHPIGEL
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Willie Randolph, fired as manager of the Mets in the early hours of the morning Tuesday, said he was “stunned” by the decision to let him go nearly three months into another disappointing season.

It was just 17 months ago that Randolph received a new multi-million dollar contract as a reward for invigorating the franchise and guiding the Mets to their first division title in 18 years, coming one win away from the World Series.

But he has since presided over one of the greatest collapses in baseball history, from which this year’s team has yet to recover.

“To the fans, I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able to fulfill what I really said I wanted to do here and get this team to a world championship,” Randolph said to reporters in the lobby of his hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif., where the team was staying during its series against the Los Angeles Angels. “That’s what I’ve been about. It’s just very difficult right now but I’m ready to move on.”

Randolph, the first African-American to manage a baseball team in New York, was replaced by the bench coach Jerry Manuel, who Randolph hired to serve as his first-base coach, but promoted him to bench coach before the 2006 season. Manuel, 54, managed the Chicago White Sox from 1998-2003, leading them to a 95-67 record in 2000, when he was selected as the manager of the year by The Associated Press.

The Mets also gutted their coaching staff, firing the pitching coach Rick Peterson and the first-base coach Tom Nieto, while promoting three coaches from the minor leagues.

Peterson told reporters Tuesday that he appreciated the opportunity the Mets’s owner, Fred Wilpon, and his son, Jeff, the team’s chief operating officer, gave him to come to New York five years ago. “I appreciated the opportunity and they welcomed me into their home, and homes go through renovations,” Peterson said. “I’m the hardwood floor that’s getting ripped off and they’re going to bring in the Tuscany tile.”

Peterson, saying he will “walk out in peace,” added: “hopefully, the Tuscany tile will do a lot better than the hardwood floor.”

Peterson will be replaced by Dan Warthen, the Class AAA New Orleans pitching coach, who worked in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization with Peterson in the 1980s. He said he considers Peterson and Randolph friends.

“I’ve been fired before and I’ve had somebody else take the same spot that I’ve been in,” Warthen said. “It’s tough. It’ll happen again somewhere down the line, guaranteed.”

As far as the Mets’ pitchers are concerned, Warthen said he knows Aaron Heilman and is familiar with Mike Pelfrey. “What can you do with Pedro and what can you do with Santana,” he asked rhetorically about veteran Pedro Martinez and ace Johan Santana.

“I’m probably going to work with Santana with his changeup tonight,” Warthen joked. “I’ll work with him before the game and let you know how he does afterwards.”

Ken Oberkfell, the New Orleans manager, and Luis Aguayo, the organization’s field coordinator, will also join the major league staff in roles to be determined.

General Manager Omar Minaya is to meet with the media at 2 p.m. Pacific time (5 p.m. Eastern) on Tuesday afternoon at Angel Stadium, and Manuel is scheduled to speak afterward.

The announcement was released to the media at 12:12 a.m. local time — 3:12 a.m. in New York — slightly less than two hours after the Mets defeated the Angels, 9-6. That victory, the Mets’ third in four games, improved their record to 34-35 but had no bearing on Minaya’s decision. The organization plotted the firing on Monday morning, and Minaya arrived here Monday night but did not attend the game.

As Randolph managed the game, answered postgame questions and drove back to the hotel separately from the team bus, Minaya waited. He fired Randolph, Nieto and Peterson when they returned.

Minaya had been Randolph’s strongest ally within the organization, but his patience, and that of the owners, had worn thin. They were tired of watching their team, loaded with All-Stars such as Jose Reyes, David Wright and Carlos Beltran, underachieve.

Randolph’s fate may have been sealed last October, when the Mets kept him dangling for 48 hours before taking the odd step of holding a press conference to announce that they were retaining him.

It was an awkward and uncomfortable tableau, Randolph standing beside Minaya, and it was duplicated on May 26, after Randolph met with the team’s owners for two and a half hours to explain and apologize for comments he made to The Record of Hackensack, N.J. suggesting that SportsNet New York had portrayed him differently on its television broadcasts because of his race.

The Mets won seven of their next 10 games, taking some of the pressure off him, but their maddening inconsistency revealed itself yet again in last weekend’s series in San Diego. The Mets were swept in four games, losing the first three by the same 2-1 score, and then lost two of three to Arizona at Shea Stadium.

On Friday, when speculation that Randolph’s job was in danger again began to intensify, Minaya refused to guarantee that Randolph would remain as manager, saying only that he had his support and the support of the team’s owners. By the end of the weekend, Minaya would not say that. During his three-minute interview with reporters after Sunday’s doubleheader, Minaya did not use the word “support” once and was more noncommittal about Randolph’s future and that of the coaching staff than he had been at any time.

The 53-year-old Randolph, who has about $3.4 million remaining on the three-year contract he signed before last season, acted relaxed when meeting with reporters over the weekend. As if he were resigned to his uncertain fate, he cracked jokes, offered thoughtful answers and shed the defensive front that dominated his interaction with reporters during his time as manager.

Before Sunday’s doubleheader, for instance, Randolph said that he packed his suitcase that morning unsure whether he would even accompany the team on its charter flight here that night. He did, of course, as did everyone on the coaching staff.

By then, an awkward situation had traveled 3,000 miles west, darkening even the land of perpetual sunshine.

As much as players were not looking forward to flying across the country for the third time in two weeks, they were at least a little hopeful that some of the spectacle surrounding the team would dissipate here. It did, but just a bit. With the exception of Peterson, a leftover from Art Howe’s tenure, all the other coaches were hired by the Randolph-Minaya tandem. Randolph said he was bothered by reports that some of them, people he considers friends as well as teammates, may not be with the team much longer.

He said he was a little surprised but not completely blindsided last July when Minaya fired the hitting coach Rick Down, a close friend, and replaced him with Howard Johnson.

“They’re my guys, they work hard every day,” Randolph said. “They’re good at what they do, so you don’t ever want any speculation about them losing their jobs, because it’s unjustified.”

He was passed over at least 11 times for managerial openings before the Wilpons gave him his first shot, in 2004. He and Minaya were children of New York — Randolph grew up in Brooklyn, Minaya in Queens — and, after being hired within days of each other, they took over a moribund team and gradually reshaped it into a contender.

Minaya signed high-priced free agents like Pedro Martinez and Beltran to help make the team relevant again, and Randolph added a street-smart toughness. They won 83 games his first season, 2005, and dominated the National League in 2006 by going 97-65.

As Jeff Wilpon, the team’s chief operating officer, said of the clubhouse on Jan. 25, 2007 : “He changed it from a country club to a working environment.”

But in the aftermath of last season’s collapse, in which they lost 12 of their final 17 games to blow a seven-game lead over Philadelphia, Randolph acknowledged that he had made some missteps along the way.

He said that he could have been harder on his veteran players and that he expected them to know how to react during the heat of a pennant race, even though many of them had not experienced anything like that before. He also mishandled Jose Reyes, who sulked after being benched for not running out a ground ball last July in Houston and was never the same last season. Randolph singled out Reyes, as he did with other young players like Wright, while often letting veterans slide for committing the same offenses.

To some extent, Randolph could be considered an anachronism, a ballplayer from the 1970s and 1980s with old-school values who was struggling to adapt to the different personalities on his team. He drew on his experience as a player and a coach with the Yankees, with whom he won 6 World Series titles, and was looking forward to returning to Yankee Stadium as a coach in next month’s All-Star Game. Randolph will not get that chance.


from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/18/sports/baseball/17cndmets.html?hp

[Tisket]

It's really depressing to be a fan of any of the Seattle sports franchises atm. I hate you all.

[Skeeter]

I hope I never get fired by 3am press release.

[Sean]

After making you fly 3000 miles across the country... but hey at least they didn't fire you on fathers day!

[Allereli]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080618&content_id=2955685&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

This asshole was nothing but FAIL in 2006, we're doomed if he makes the rotation

[Sean of the Thread]

ROFL BOSUX.

Fuck .500 Rays are playoff or series bound at this rate. Oh btw eat shit boston massholes.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b236/Japgross/rays_baseball_1024x768.jpg

[BigWorm]

ROFL BOSUX.

Fuck .500 Rays are playoff or series bound at this rate. Oh btw eat shit boston massholes.



Dude, its not even the All-Star break yet. I know you Tampa Bay people are new to baseball and everything, but there is still plenty of time for your team to choke it away.

http://www.carnegiemuseums.org/cmag/bk_issue/1997/marapr/feat4c.gif

[Warriorbird]

I'm not a Cubs fan (my Dad is) or a Whitesox fan but I think a Chicago subway series would be mad cool.

[Sean of the Thread]

Dude, its not even the All-Star break yet. I know you Tampa Bay people are new to baseball and everything, but there is still plenty of time for your team to choke it away.



You're correct absolutely still plenty of time left... not even teh All-Star break yet either. :)

Don't be a hater... be a participator.

[Sean of the Thread]

Swept the bumsox

[Latrinsorm]

I'm not a Cubs fan (my Dad is) or a Whitesox fan but I think a Chicago subway series would be mad cool.Can you believe wikipedia doesn't even mention the 1906 Chicago series as an Event of 1906? Haakon VII's coronation doesn't have shit on baseball, amirite?

[BigWorm]

Swept the bumsox

That was a really good series. ESPN and Fox are probably pissed because it makes the Yankees-BoSox series this weekend even less exciting. God forbid they actually show some Cubs-Cards games. I mean who would want to want the two teams with the best records in the NL who also happen to be huge rivals compete for the division lead?

[Latrinsorm]

Joe Girardi probably won't show up toasted to Sunday Night Baseball, for one thing.

[BigWorm]

Joe Girardi probably won't show up toasted to Sunday Night Baseball, for one thing.

I take you are insinuating there is someone who would?

[Latrinsorm]

It ain't Sweet Lou.

[Latrinsorm]

I want to point out again that I was spot-on about Atlanta's ridiculous rotation plans and chances in general (aka 0), not to gloat but to lend credence to what I'm about to say:

Blanton is barely a historical improvement over Eaton, Oakland's defense is a hell of a lot better than Philly's, and I don't think I need to go into the stats of CBP versus the Oakland Canyon. If I was a Phillies fan I would get used to unfavorable comparisons between Santana (yet to go on the DL, btw) and Big Ol' Joseph Blanton.

As a final note, I can't wait to read why Manuel got ejected between(?) innings.

[BigWorm]

I want to point out again that I was spot-on about Atlanta's ridiculous rotation plans and chances in general (aka 0), not to gloat but to lend credence to what I'm about to say:

Blanton is barely a historical improvement over Eaton, Oakland's defense is a hell of a lot better than Philly's, and I don't think I need to go into the stats of CBP versus the Oakland Canyon. If I was a Phillies fan I would get used to unfavorable comparisons between Santana (yet to go on the DL, btw) and Big Ol' Joseph Blanton.

As a final note, I can't wait to read why Manuel got ejected between(?) innings.

Blanton's stuff is crap but he will probably do better in the NL since it is so much crappier than the AL. I don't think he'll have quite as much of a turnaround but look how much a change of leagues helped Sabathia.

[Allereli]

YANKEES WIN! TTTTHHHHHEEEEEE YANKEES WIN!

[Latrinsorm]

People are still fans of the Yankees? Really?

[Izzy]

SUCKS SUCKS SUCKS

Truer words have never been spoken.

[Sean]

People are still fans of the Yankees? Really?

says the mets fan...

Go Yankees

[Allereli]

OMG OMG OMG OMG I-ROD!!!

[LMingrone]

People are still fans of the Yankees? Really?

Real fans don't change teams! My stupid grandfather made me a Yankees fan when I was four! Blame that bastard!

/26

[Allereli]

I can't wait to see how Joe Torre deals with Manny being Manny

[Furrowfoot]

All I have to say right now is that as a Cubs fan - that 4 game sweep of the Brewers including a win in Sabathia's start sure feels good. My hopes are as high as they've been in 20 years - things were getting a little close for comfort before that series, especially with 16 of our last 22 being road games. I'm just hoping that the season ending series against the Brewers won't matter, not sure my heart can take anything else.

Next year is this year.

[Skeeter]

Griffey being gone can only help the reds. Yet I liked Griffey.

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

Griffey should be an awesome addition to a team lacking depth in the OF and DH slots. I mean come on, they were starting Brian Anderson... Griffey gives them a solid left handed bat to pair with Jim Thome's in the middle of their suddenly ridiculous lineup, and should make righties afraid. Very afraid.

Their lineup should look something like this, with Konerko slotting in whenever Quentin, Swisher, Griffey, or Dye need a break.

Cabrera
Pierzynski
Quentin
Dye
Thome
Griffey
Crede
Swisher
Ramirez


Looks pretty vicious to me... and Konerko returning to his all star form could provide even more depth, letting Swisher, Konerko, Griffey, and Dye all enter the playoffs well rested, thanks to Swisher's ability to rotate wherever he's needed.

[Daniel]

Man that was a huge fucking sweep by the cubs. A chicago world series would be ground breaking (probably literally).

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

Man that was a huge fucking sweep by the cubs. A chicago world series would be ground breaking (probably literally).

Are you suggesting Chicago vs. Chicago? or Chicago vs. X

Either way, I'm with you as long as the pitching holds up.

[BigWorm]

Don't worry Cubs fans, there's still plenty of time for your team to blow it.

[Allereli]

Don't worry Cubs fans, there's still plenty of time for your team to blow it.

I'll ditto that for the five Tampa fans

[Warriorbird]

I'd love to see a Chicago subway series.

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

Griffey is already making it happen, yeah boyyyy. Now Jay Bruce can evolve freely in his natural OF spot, and Griffey finally gets the protection he always needed for his sweet, sweet swing. Awesome trade all around. I feel like a bit of a traitor being in Minnesota and all,... but the Sox are my new pet team.

[Latrinsorm]

I don't follow the Nationals, did Jason Bergmann rape Manny Acta's dog or what? The guy hands out two bases-loaded walks in an INNING and he leaves him out there? Jesus.

[Sean of the Thread]

Two words about yesterday for a couple of you ...

CARLOS MOTHERFUCKING PENA IN your eyeeeeeee.

[Peanut Butter Jelly Time]

Two words about yesterday for a couple of you ...

CARLOS MOTHERFUCKING PENA IN your eyeeeeeee.

Funny how two years ago, this was "AUBERY MOTHERFUCKING HUFF IN your eyeeeeeee."

Then again, I've been all over Pena's prospects for a long, long time... Yeah he isn't the best contact hitter, but the kid can rake, and left-handed first basemen that hit for power are becoming a sort of rarity, now that Helton has faded.

[Allereli]

No help for Pelf; Mets shut out by Nats
09/17/2008 1:03 AM ET
By Marty Noble / MLB.com

WASHINGTON -- With a dozen games remaining in their season and unwanted echoes from last fall both audible and irritating, the Mets are -- remarkably -- once again in steep and perilous decline. Tuesday night brought yet another troubling defeat, loss of their status as division leader and a season-ending injury to a critical contributor, not to mention empty stares and sounds of silence in their clubhouse.
Two nights after they had hazed their rookies, forcing them to wear swimming gear through airports and to the team's hotel, the Mets are back in the deep end, perhaps in need of a lifeguard rescue. The team that executed a U-turn after a change of manager early in the summer now is in need of another reversal and some semblance of run production.

Their offense -- what's was left of it -- couldn't produce a run, much less a margin for error Tuesday. So the Mets were forced to move from where they had spent most of the previous five weeks. They were served an eviction notice by the Nationals, by Odalis Perez of all people. And now they have no margin for error in the pennant race either.

The 1-0 defeat, their fourth loss in five games, changed them into leaders in the National League Wild Card competition, though no one embraced baseball's safety net. The Mets' focus is on the Phillies and the NL East. Their lead in the division Monday and their deficit now are identical fractions. But the half-game that separates them from the first-place Phillies certainly appears to be more imposing. The Mets appear to be anything but.

They have lost three straight games for the first time since the first days of August when they were swept by the Astros, and they have scored merely two runs in their last 23 innings. And now their offense has lost one of its secondary, but still important contributors, Fernando Tatis. He suffered a separated shoulder trying to make a play on a ball that turned the game in the Nationals' favor.

So the Mets limp forward, having lost on successive nights to pitchers they pummeled last week at Shea Stadium. John Lannan limited them to one hit in seven innings Monday. Perez was twice as generous, allowing two hits in his first seven innings Tuesday. The Mets face a rookie Wednesday night, Shairon Martis. But their starter is Brandon Knight who has no victories in a sporadic big league career.

The Mets tried to make the best of their circumstances. Carlos Delgado, his bat quieter these days, said that had he been offered in April the standing the Mets have now, he would have accepted it "any day of he week." But his comments didn't acknowledge how the Mets had arrived at this juncture -- by losing four games to the Phillies in the standings in seven days.

Mostly, the Mets reacted to this latest loss with words of what must be done, rather than words of what they hadn't done.

"We have to find a way," Delgado said.

And David Wright said: "We'll find out what we're made of," and, "It doesn't matter what Philadelphia does."

Those were the echoes of '07, when a seven-game lead with 17 games remaining proved insufficient. The lead was 3 1/2 games with 17 to go last week.

Wright characterized the latest problems as "a bump in the road," an analogy his manager had used prior to the game.

"Hopefully, it's a little bump and not a hill," Jerry Manuel said.

The bump was made more noticeable by Perez. Not only did he pitch effectively, he hit the ball Tatis failed to catch. The play happened with losing pitcher Mike Pelfrey needing one out to close out the fifth inning. Tatis, playing left field, dove for the ball, landing on his shoulder as the ball bounced past for a double. After a delay, Pelfrey walked Willie Harris on four pitches, and Cristian Guzman doubled to left-center, his ninth hit in his 16 most recent at-bats against the Mets.

Pelfrey (13-10) acknowledged the down time caused by the injury to Tatis -- the Mets pitcher did throw pitches to his catcher during the delay -- had interfered with his rhythm and led to the walk that afforded Guzman a chance.

"But I shouldn't have walked him," Pelfrey said.

A margin for error would have made the walk less damaging.

The Mets didn't even threaten against Perez (7-10) until the sixth when they had two runners on base. Wright hit a line drive deep to left the Harris caught after a run, a leap and a prayer. The left fielder temporarily lost track of the ball before he made his umpteenth brilliant catch against the Mets in two seasons.

"Great play. Turned out to a game-changing play," Wright said.

The Mets had a chance to score in the eighth, as well, after Perez had allowed one-out, pinch-hit singles by Ramon Castro and Robinson Cancel. But left-hander Mike Hinckley retired Jose Reyes and, with runners on first and third, struck out Ryan Church to end the inning.

And Carlos Beltran hit a ball to the warning track in center that Lastings Milledge caught -- he plays even deeper than Beltran -- for the second out in the ninth against closer Joel Hanrahan. But none of it worked. The Mets were shut out for the sixth time, the second time by the Nationals by a 1-0 score. They had four baserunners against a pitcher who had allowed 43 in his first 21 2/3 innings against them this season. It also didn't make sense.

"Some days you get hits, some days you don't," Wright said.

But this was the Nationals. Some days you gets lots of hits.

It all happened after a team meeting, called by Manuel. He thought the Mets needed to be reminded of how well they had played to reach first place. He delivered that message, and they listened and lost.

"I won't be selling CD's of the speech I made," the manager said.


I can't believe this is happening again

[Sean of the Thread]

Pena for the tie and Navarro for the win go Rays. Navarro also SNIPED out you mr leads the league in steals.

Was a good game.

[Hulkein]

I can't believe this is happening again

Couldn't happen to a more deserving team. Fuck the Muts. Go Phils.

[Allereli]

Couldn't happen to a more deserving team. Fuck the Muts. Go Phils.

lol @ Muts. I'm a Yankee fan, they're done for the year, so I have to follow my preferred national league team

[Hulkein]

I just hate Jose Reyes and his upstaging antics after every home run he hits. Same with Tatis. When one of them danced onto home plate a couple series ago (forget who it was) against the Phillies I was hoping they'd throw a fastball at his dome next at bat.

How long is Tatis out for? I heard he separated his shoulder in the 1-0 loss. (Edit - Just saw on ESPN he is done for the year.) Bahahaha

[Kefka]

lol @ Muts. I'm a Yankee fan, they're done for the year, so I have to follow my preferred national league team

At least the Mets still have a chance. How's that tie for 4th place going?

[Sean]

She just said the yankees are done for the year so she's following the Mets..

[Allereli]

She just said the yankees are done for the year so she's following the Mets..

yeah some people just need to rub salt in the wound, comes with the territory. I'm just sad I didn't make it to the stadium this year, and the last game I went to last year was a really bad loss.

[Kefka]

She just said the yankees are done for the year so she's following the Mets..

Well she didn't actually say she was following the Mets. And Philly fans are known to call them the Muts.

[Allereli]

Well she didn't actually say she was following the Mets. And Philly fans are known to call them the Muts.

Since I posted an article about the Mets, you can safely assume I'll be following the Mets, but not doing a very thorough job of it.

[Kefka]

Since I posted an article about the Mets, you can safely assume I'll be following the Mets, but not doing a very thorough job of it.

Then I apologize. Though I'm confident we can pull through this, I'm working with Yankee fans, so I've been more snappy than usual. One even went as far to wear a Philly hat today. :(

[Allereli]

Then I apologize. Though I'm confident we can pull through this, I'm working with Yankee fans, so I've been more snappy than usual. One even went as far to wear a Philly hat today. :(

yeah no worries, believe me I can take it. My boss is a die hard Boston fan. One time he bought me a Boston t-shirt so I replaced the front plate on his porsch with a Yankee plate. Once Wang and every subsequent pitcher got injured I had little hope for the year.

[Allereli]

If you're going to Sunday's Yankee game (I hate you), this is probably one of the sweetest opportunities for a sports fan:


Fans will be allowed into the park at 1 p.m., more than seven hours before the scheduled first pitch at 8:15. And even that is probably an estimate; farewell ceremonies are scheduled to start at 7:05.

For the first three hours after they are allowed into the Stadium, fans will be allowed to walk on the warning track and through Monument Park. Security guards will be as vigilant about protecting the field’s dirt as they will be of its seats.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/sports/baseball/20security.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin