Baseball 2011 (3 Viewers)

[Peter Reuss]

In case people might not believe that ESPN goes ga-ga for the Yankees...

The front page of espn.com now has this ESSENTIAL article. A-Rod hit a home run tonight...in his first at bat...in single A ball. That story is WAY better than anything that happened in the big leagues tonight. Way better.

Now, excuse me while I step of my cynical soapbox...:tongue:

 

[lancer]

Last nights O's loss to the Tigers has finally broken me. O's led 5-1 with 2 out in the 6th when Guthrie just fell apart. Couldn't get that last out and when Showalter finally came to get him, the O's trailed 6-5, which was the final score. The O's now stand at 45-72. With 45 games left to play, the O's must go 21-24 just to equal last year's dismal 66-96 record or 22-23 to improve it 1 game. This team is worse than last years and I don't think that equaling last seasons disgraceful record can be done. There is just no indication that this team is capable of pulling off the stretch of decent baseball that would be required. Since June 10 when the O's reached 30-31, they have collapsed and gone 15-41 and are only 9-20 since the All-Star break. I don't see a way for this team to finish with less than 100 losses the way things are currently going. All the more disheartening since big improvements were expected in Birdland. I have been a fan of the O's since 1966 and I can't remember when I have been so dispirited, mad, and just plain disappointed. Angelos and the "baseball" men that are running the O's have chased me away. I won't be back as a rooter in 2012 (he says, knowing that hope springs eternal every Opening Day), but will switch allegiance to the Nats, locally. At least the Nats are headed in the right direction and hold a lot of promise for the future, unlike the baseball bankrupt O's. Have been a NYY's fan since 1961 and that will never change. So, bring on the play-offs! -- Al

 

[maddadicus]

In case people might not believe that ESPN goes ga-ga for the Yankees...

The front page of espn.com now has this ESSENTIAL article. A-Rod hit a home run tonight...in his first at bat...in single A ball. That story is WAY better than anything that happened in the big leagues tonight. Way better.

Now, excuse me while I step of my cynical soapbox...:tongue:

Actually ESPN are big Red Sox boosters and generally look for any negatives concerning the Yankees. Just about all their baseball people pick against the Yankees every year..LOOK IT UP..Michael

 

[Warrior]

Actually ESPN are big Red Sox boosters and generally look for any negatives concerning the Yankees. Just about all their baseball people pick against the Yankees every year..LOOK IT UP..Michael

You must have a different ESPN in your area than the rest of the country, ESPN everywhere else slobbers all over everything NYY 24/7/365...................I saw where Arod hit a home run in his first rehab at bat.

What wonderful story, couldn't have happened to a nicer, more genuine ballplayer than Arod.


The man is universally beloved throughout all of baseball actually, I am sure fans everywhere, specifically Seattle, Texas and certainly here in Boston were all thrilled to see him hit a bomb off of some tomato can in the minors.

When I think NYY, it's Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Arod.

It warms my heart to think that someday Arod will be the all time home run leader in baseball, that is if his hip holds out................

 

[lancer]

You must have a different ESPN in your area than the rest of the country, ESPN everywhere else slobbers all over everything NYY 24/7/365...................I saw where Arod hit a home run in his first rehab at bat.

What wonderful story, couldn't have happened to a nicer, more genuine ballplayer than Arod.


The man is universally beloved throughout all of baseball actually, I am sure fans everywhere, specifically Seattle, Texas and certainly here in Boston were all thrilled to see him hit a bomb off of some tomato can in the minors.

When I think NYY, it's Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Arod.

It warms my heart to think that someday Arod will be the all time home run leader in baseball, that is if his hip holds out................

Come on, George. You know as well as I do that no matter how many Hr's A-Rod hits or Bonds hit, Henry Aaron is baseball's true Hr champ, just as Roger Maris holds the single season Hr record. I do not acknowledge the existence of any others for those marks. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Come on, George. You know as well as I do that no matter how many Hr's A-Rod hits or Bonds hit, Henry Aaron is baseball's true Hr champ, just as Roger Maris holds the single season Hr record. I do not acknowledge the existence of any others for those marks. -- Al

Arod will eventually pass Bonds and in the record books, he'll be the home run champion.

You cannot exclude someone due to PED's, despite the baseball writers stance on it.

Pro athletes are always looking for an edge, whether it's uppers, greenies, steriods, HGH, whatever the substance, they get paid to perform at a high level and will seek out ways to enhance their performance.

If you exclude Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Clemens, Arod, that is unfair to them as how do you know others who did not get caught did not use as well.

That's my opinion, others may not agree, but it is what it is.............

 

[sammy719]

Last nights O's loss to the Tigers has finally broken me. O's led 5-1 with 2 out in the 6th when Guthrie just fell apart. Couldn't get that last out and when Showalter finally came to get him, the O's trailed 6-5, which was the final score. The O's now stand at 45-72. With 45 games left to play, the O's must go 21-24 just to equal last year's dismal 66-96 record or 22-23 to improve it 1 game. This team is worse than last years and I don't think that equaling last seasons disgraceful record can be done. There is just no indication that this team is capable of pulling off the stretch of decent baseball that would be required. Since June 10 when the O's reached 30-31, they have collapsed and gone 15-41 and are only 9-20 since the All-Star break. I don't see a way for this team to finish with less than 100 losses the way things are currently going. All the more disheartening since big improvements were expected in Birdland. I have been a fan of the O's since 1966 and I can't remember when I have been so dispirited, mad, and just plain disappointed. Angelos and the "baseball" men that are running the O's have chased me away. I won't be back as a rooter in 2012 (he says, knowing that hope springs eternal every Opening Day), but will switch allegiance to the Nats, locally. At least the Nats are headed in the right direction and hold a lot of promise for the future, unlike the baseball bankrupt O's. Have been a NYY's fan since 1961 and that will never change. So, bring on the play-offs! -- Al

Say it ain't so Joe (or al) you gotta hang it there with me and the O's, one day we'll be back, not sure when it will happen, hopefully in our lifetime, but I understand your pain, I stopped checking O's scores a couple weeks ago, I'll glance at the top of sports scores on baseball and that's about it, so feel your anger here in Az. so discouraged once again after a decent start all the way to June, then all down hill from there, or up hill is more like it!! but as always I'll be pulling for them next year just as sure as a new Spring brings new things, and I'm also going to a O's game this Sept. in Baltimore while on vacation, against the Red Sox, so at least a do get to see a playoff teambut I'm looking forward to seeing Camden Yards and my O's take on the mighty Sox, let's go O's!!!!!!!!!!...Sammy

 

[lancer]

Say it ain't so Joe (or al) you gotta hang it there with me and the O's, one day we'll be back, not sure when it will happen, hopefully in our lifetime, but I understand your pain, I stopped checking O's scores a couple weeks ago, I'll glance at the top of sports scores on baseball and that's about it, so feel your anger here in Az. so discouraged once again after a decent start all the way to June, then all down hill from there, or up hill is more like it!! but as always I'll be pulling for them next year just as sure as a new Spring brings new things, and I'm also going to a O's game this Sept. in Baltimore while on vacation, against the Red Sox, so at least a do get to see a playoff teambut I'm looking forward to seeing Camden Yards and my O's take on the mighty Sox, let's go O's!!!!!!!!!!...Sammy

Hi Sammy. I'll probably be back in 2012 'cause I'm a big sucker for the O's, but I'm done with them this year. I'm just really ticked that nothing has worked out. They fixed the fielding and the hitting is decent but the pitching is an embarrassment of huge proportions, especially when so much was expected of the pitchers. Just a complete crap-out. If this is your first visit to Camden Yards, you will enjoy it. It is a beautiful park, even if the on-field product is less than ideal. Don't miss Boog's Bar-B-Q pit behind right field. -- Al

 

[lancer]

Arod will eventually pass Bonds and in the record books, he'll be the home run champion.

You cannot exclude someone due to PED's, despite the baseball writers stance on it.

Pro athletes are always looking for an edge, whether it's uppers, greenies, steriods, HGH, whatever the substance, they get paid to perform at a high level and will seek out ways to enhance their performance.

If you exclude Bonds, Sosa, McGwire, Clemens, Arod, that is unfair to them as how do you know others who did not get caught did not use as well.

That's my opinion, others may not agree, but it is what it is.............

Yeah, I know they can't be excluded. MLB let it happen and there is no way to fix it. Guess we just move on but at least the effects seem to be wearing off and numbers are beginning to return to normal levels. At the very least, I no longer have to listen to my sons spouting nonsense about how superior the modern players are to the players from the olden days of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. All I say is "roids" and that ends the debate. Still don't believe all those huge numbers put up by Bonds, Sosa, and company would have been possible back in the day, roids or not. Can you imagine Bob Gibson or Don Drysdale putting up with all those HR's? They would have stuck the ball into the ear of those hitters and dared them to step in again. It was a different game back then. -- Al

 

[sammy719]

Hi Sammy. I'll probably be back in 2012 'cause I'm a big sucker for the O's, but I'm done with them this year. I'm just really ticked that nothing has worked out. They fixed the fielding and the hitting is decent but the pitching is an embarrassment of huge proportions, especially when so much was expected of the pitchers. Just a complete crap-out. If this is your first visit to Camden Yards, you will enjoy it. It is a beautiful park, even if the on-field product is less than ideal. Don't miss Boog's Bar-B-Q pit behind right field. -- Al

I remember going to Camden Yards on a monthly basis and it would be packed everytime!!! the atmosphere was something special, hope it still is, and you can believe I'll be having some Boog's Bar-B-Q, glad to see your hang'n in there with us for another year, Spring is right around the corner ha!!!!...Sammy

 

[lancer]

I remember going to Camden Yards on a monthly basis and it would be packed everytime!!! the atmosphere was something special, hope it still is, and you can believe I'll be having some Boog's Bar-B-Q, glad to see your hang'n in there with us for another year, Spring is right around the corner ha!!!!...Sammy

Everyone is a possible pennant winner on Opening Day! I think, unfortunately, that you will find the atmosphere somewhat diminished from the old sell-out days. Years of Angelos/bad teams have taken the shine off the apple. There will likely be more Boston fans in the stands than O's fans, but baseball is baseball and it will still be a fun time. -- Al

 

[Combat]

I remember going to Camden Yards on a monthly basis and it would be packed everytime!!! the atmosphere was something special, hope it still is, and you can believe I'll be having some Boog's Bar-B-Q, glad to see your hang'n in there with us for another year, Spring is right around the corner ha!!!!...Sammy

I haven't been to a game in years and rarely watch baseball these days. But when I do, I'm startled by the number of empty seats. When the Nationals come on it looks as though 80% or more seats are empty. The folks in DC fumed for decades about getting a team and now they don't come to the games. I saw the Dodgers a few weeks ago and it looked as though the entire upper deck was closed. Not a single fan. Maybe that's different with teams doing well.

 

[lancer]

I haven't been to a game in years and rarely watch baseball these days. But when I do, I'm startled by the number of empty seats. When the Nationals come on it looks as though 80% or more seats are empty. The folks in DC fumed for decades about getting a team and now they don't come to the games. I saw the Dodgers a few weeks ago and it looked as though the entire upper deck was closed. Not a single fan. Maybe that's different with teams doing well.

True, there are always plenty of empty seats. Just have to remember that for a team to draw a healthy 2 million fans a year, all they have to average is about 25 thousand a game. In a 40 thousand seat stadium, that is 15 thousand empty seats at any one time, which is a lot, especially when the TV cameras pan around. I'm sure all owners would prefer constant sell-outs, but with 81 home games a season, that just isn't going to happen for everyone. Then there are fans like me who love their teams but haven't got the financial means or transport to go to games. Cable TV has made it possible for me to watch virtually every game, home or away, of my two teams. My teams, the O's and Nats, haven't put a winning team on the field in a long time, which hurts attendence, regardless of how big the fan base is (unless the team is the Red Sox, Yanks, or Cubs). The O's are suffering fan lose because of the bad teams and a seeming inability to correct the problem. The Nats are still trying to grow their base and are headed in the right direction by trying to build a team that can contend. DC is a tough town for baseball (Redskins rule the roost) but I think a winner will make a big difference. Just my 2 cents. -- Al

 

[lancer]

I know it's been said before, but the Phillies have some magnificent starting pitchers. Their top 3, Halladay, Lee, and Hamels, are simply dominating. Entering Tuesday'a games, all 3 rank in the top 7 pitchers for lowest ERA. All 3 rank in the top 5 for strikeouts. Halliday has 15 wins, tied for 1st. Hamels has 13 wins, tied for 3rd place, and Lee has 12 wins, tied for 4th place with 5 others. Halliday leads the league with 6 complete games and Lee is 2nd with 5 CG. Lee leads the league with 5 shutouts, which is 3 more than anyone else. All three have tons of innings pitched piled up with Halladay tied for 1st in the league with 175.2 innings, while Lee and Hamels are tied for 2nd at 172 IP. What a staff! Gotta like their chances to win it all. May not even be close if something odd doesn't occur. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

I know it's been said before, but the Phillies have some magnificent starting pitchers. Their top 3, Halladay, Lee, and Hamels, are simply dominating. Entering Tuesday'a games, all 3 rank in the top 7 pitchers for lowest ERA. All 3 rank in the top 5 for strikeouts. Halliday has 15 wins, tied for 1st. Hamels has 13 wins, tied for 3rd place, and Lee has 12 wins, tied for 4th place with 5 others. Halliday leads the league with 6 complete games and Lee is 2nd with 5 CG. Lee leads the league with 5 shutouts, which is 3 more than anyone else. All three have tons of innings pitched piled up with Halladay tied for 1st in the league with 175.2 innings, while Lee and Hamels are tied for 2nd at 172 IP. What a staff! Gotta like their chances to win it all. May not even be close if something odd doesn't occur. -- Al

The Giants have really gone south lately, they're 3 1/2 games out of first place, too bad about that.

Really cannot see a scenario where the Phillies don't win it all, signing Cliff Lee was huge for them.

If the Red Sox were to get to the World Series, they'd have a shot with Lester/Beckett/Buckholz, but with the latter done for the year, they don't have the horses to get it done, let alone get to the World Series.

I'm going with Rangers/Tigers in the ALCS and Phillies/Brewers in the NLCS, with the Tigers and Phillies moving on to the World Series.......................

 

[lancer]

I see Greinke won his fifth start in a row, is now 12-4, and got his ERA below 4 in last nights 3-1 win over the Doggers. The Brewers are putting the race to bed in the NL Central with St. Loo now 7 games back and fading. I like this team and it's chances. Good, solid starting pitching that keeps the team in games with quality starts can take a team a long way. The 4 main starters, Gallardo, Marcum, Wolf, Greinke, and the 5th man, Narveson, have 75 quality starts, an impressive number. With the bullpen anchored by Hawkins and Loe to get to the closer Axford, this team is in nice shape for the final quarter of the season. -- Al

 

[Peter Reuss]

I see Greinke won his fifth start in a row, is now 12-4, and got his ERA below 4 in last nights 3-1 win over the Doggers. The Brewers are putting the race to bed in the NL Central with St. Loo now 7 games back and fading. I like this team and it's chances. Good, solid starting pitching that keeps the team in games with quality starts can take a team a long way. The 4 main starters, Gallardo, Marcum, Wolf, Greinke, and the 5th man, Narveson, have 75 quality starts, an impressive number. With the bullpen anchored by Hawkins and Loe to get to the closer Axford, this team is in nice shape for the final quarter of the season. -- Al

Don't forget K-Rod in the pen too!

I've never seen the Brewers pitch like this. I think it's been over 5 games since they scored over 3 runs...and they are 5-0 in that span. Amazing.

Narveson was on the DL for a bit (he was fixing his glove with scissors and cut himself...ah, baseball injuries), so we bring up this schmuk as a spot starter, who goes 5 innings giving up no runs. This is when you know things are going your way.

None of this would be happening if the Selig family still owned the team!

 

[Warrior]

Don't forget K-Rod in the pen too!

I've never seen the Brewers pitch like this. I think it's been over 5 games since they scored over 3 runs...and they are 5-0 in that span. Amazing.

Narveson was on the DL for a bit (he was fixing his glove with scissors and cut himself...ah, baseball injuries), so we bring up this schmuk as a spot starter, who goes 5 innings giving up no runs. This is when you know things are going your way.

None of this would be happening if the Selig family still owned the team!

Phillies/Brewers in the NLCS would be a very interesting match up.

Personally I'd love to see Brewers/Tigers in the World Series, it would be good for both of those fan bases plus Verlander in the World Series would be something to see.

 

[lancer]

Don't forget K-Rod in the pen too!

I've never seen the Brewers pitch like this. I think it's been over 5 games since they scored over 3 runs...and they are 5-0 in that span. Amazing.

Narveson was on the DL for a bit (he was fixing his glove with scissors and cut himself...ah, baseball injuries), so we bring up this schmuk as a spot starter, who goes 5 innings giving up no runs. This is when you know things are going your way.

None of this would be happening if the Selig family still owned the team!

Now, all MLB has to do is get rid of Selig too. Then everyone is a winner. Like the way things are going for the Brewers. Hope it keeps up. :smile2: -- Al

 

[Louis Badolato]

I came back from a family trip to Disney World, and see that Derek Jeter has pulled his average up to .291. Since coming back off the DL, the Captain has been hitting .342, with a .397 on base percentage and .477 slugging percentage (before the DL he was hitting .260, with a .333 on base percantage and slugging .370). I think that the rumors of Jeters demise were a bit exagerated. I suspect the poor early season numbers had a lot more to do with the changes they tried to make to his swing in spring training and the pressure of shooting for 3000 hits than they did with the precipitous decline in his skills the commentators claimed to see.

Since 1900, only two shortstops aged 36 or over have hit .300 or better for a full season (Honus Wagner and the Cleveland Indians Shortstop in 1949, whose name escapes me). I think Jeter has a pretty good shot at doing it. Not too bad for a player given up for dead earlier this season.