2013 Official Major League Baseball Thread.

[daydreamer41]

"If the Yankees would have won..." is at best awkward, at worst downright incorrect. In English, we say, "If the Yankees had won..."
"You're worst month..." is wrong. In English, we say, "Your worst month."

English Lesson for Rumps: Present Perfect tense

would have won is Present Perfect

Past Modal Practice: Should or Would + Present Perfect.


Use Should + Present Perfect Tense to comment about a past action. You're saying that the past action didn't happen in the best way. The person doing the action made a mistake. The speaker supposes that the past action would have turned out better if the recommended action had been followed.

http://eslseveneight.blogspot.com/2010/04/past-modal-practice-should-present.html



You're correct about You're, contraction of You are. I misspelled it. It should have been Your. I do make mistakes now and then, rumps.

Quite ironic, seeing this from someone who has been in the Witness Protection Program since election day. Say, how was Sweden?

Haha, rumps, I took a break. My last post was a couple weeks ago and 6 weeks before that. I didn't miss your cantankerous ways.

Leave the poor guy alone. He's got nothing else.

I have a lot more than you would ever know, and I want to keep it that way, rumps.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

English Lesson for Rumps: Present Perfect tense

would have won is Present Perfect

Past Modal Practice: Should or Would + Present Perfect..

Funny how you added the word "would" to what you quoted. If you had said, "the Yankees should have won," you'd have been using the present perfect. But you didn't. You used "If the Yankees would have won," which is possibly (though not likely) grammatically correct, as I said earlier, but definitely awkward.

The fact that you altered what you quoted doesn't help your weak argument.

 

[daydreamer41]

Funny how you added the word "would" to what you quoted. If you had said, "the Yankees should have won," you'd have been using the present perfect. But you didn't. You used "If the Yankees would have won," which is possibly (though not likely) grammatically correct, as I said earlier, but definitely awkward.

The fact that you altered what you quoted doesn't help your weak argument.

Rumps you hate to lose, but you lose often. It bewilders everyone why you are a Red Sox fan, since you hate to lose. Super LOL.

Would, Should and Could can all be used in Present Perfect.

Anyhow, I am not going to feud with you about grammar on here, rumps.

It's the baseball thread, chump.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Cano Fires Boras, Hires Jay-Z

This is great news, as Jay-Z is a HUGE Yankees fan:

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...-new-york-yankees-switching-scott-boras-jay-z

 

[Jman47]

Iggy, historically speaking April is always CC's worst month, he always starts off slow.



Jman47 lives!!!!!, another vicious, nasty rumor laid to rest.:nod:

Why my dear joe.t I was about to exclaim that your concern warmed the cockles of my heart ... I was touched ... :nod:.
But then I read on and saw the vitriol spewed by dd41 and the moment was gone...bitter fellow, isn't he. So sad...Obama won dd41, ummm get over it already and go enjoy some BASEBALL!

And if I were you Yanks fans...I'd be much more worried about NO LINE UP a whole lot more than making excuses for the cheeseburger...:lol:. They should have the basement of the AL East locked in by Memorial Day.

Have Fun!
Jman

 

[Special K]

Well I see this thread is off to a great start! Thanks for making an appearance DD41 and starting off with the insults (Red Sox SUCK like their fans.) Very DD41 of you! I'm pretty sure the title of this thread is not FREE FOR ALL now everyone SHUT THE FUCK UP WITH THE INSULTS AND BULLSHIT AND TALK SERIOUS BASEBALL, ya c*nts!!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Would, Should and Could can all be used in Present Perfect.

Wrong!! "if" and "would" are both conditional words. You don't, in proper English, use two conditionals in the same phrase. You exposed yourself when you altered your source. Sorry, but not quite as sorry as the Bronx Bumblers. Now that's Sorry with a capital S.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

ya c*nts!!

I'll see your cents and raise you a nickel. Speaking of cents, we're open to donations to buy the Rays and bring them to Montreal. Wouldn't that be fabulous. Sox, Yanks, Rays, and Montreal all in the same division.

 

[Special K]

Hahaha. Sox, Yanks, Rays, and Rays? Wish there were a chance for baseball to come back to Mtl.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Hahaha. Sox, Yanks, Rays, and Rays? Wish there were a chance for baseball to come back to Mtl.

Oops, Jays.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Very nice wishful thinking, CCF. Here are some of the problems, as I see it?

1. Let's start with the captain. What is normal level of play? Given his defense, he wasn't much more than a replacement level player in 2011 and his defense kept his WAR at 2.2 last year. He had 30 infield hits last year? How many this year? How much more will his defense decline thanks to age and infirmity. Jeter is unlikely to be more than a replacement level player in 2013.

2. Teixeira and Granderson. As we all know, wrist injuries linger and sap power long after the player returns to action. Given that power is all these two give the Yankees, what can really be expected from them in 2013?

3. Ichiro. Given that he has no power and doesn't draw walks, he really needs to hit .315 or better to be of any value. He's been a sub-.700 player for two years and, guess what? He's a year older.

4. How long before Youkilis and Hafner get hurt? How long before Overbay and Boesch hit the waiver wire?

5. Do you really think you're going to get anywhere near 90 starts from your front three? .500 is reachable, but quite a stretch.

I'm pretty good at wishful thinking myself. The Sox winning 90 or better starts with Cy caliber seasons from Lester and Buchholz, each of whom has pitched at that level before and both of whom are young.

 

[EagerBeaver]

I think CCF is right on with his analysis, I don't need to add anything to it.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I think CCF is right on with his analysis, I don't need to add anything to it.

Of course not. 33 year olds always bounce back at full strength from wrist tendon strains and 39 year olds always bounce back at full strength from broken ankles.

Nice to see a full house at the Rogers Center, quite unlike the patrons disguised as empty seats in the Bronx yesterday.

Quite a few articles around the net on CC's diminished velocity yesterday. The one at the Lohud blog compared his April velocity with his velocity during the rest of the season. Typically, CC gains about 1 mph as the season goes on. From 92-93 in April to 93-94 later on. Yesterday, as he nibbled around the plate, his average fastball was 89. In his lowest April start in the last five years, he was at 91. Red flag? Perhaps a bit too early to say, but there certainly seems to be concern in Yankeeland.

 

[daydreamer41]

I think CCF is right on with his analysis, I don't need to add anything to it.

I agree. I don't care how many more analysis of CCF from Boston Red Sox fans are posted slamming every Yankee, while exaggerating the skills of his team. Good analysis, CCF.

 

[Merlot]

Yanks aren't my first favorite team. I won't tell you who is.

As I called it. What a true phoney.

Oh, please stay and discuss English grammar...or agree with what others say. :lol:

Starters the alpha, omega to Red Sox's fortunes

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130402&content_id=43710838&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

NEW YORK -- Beyond the memorable Major League debut of Jackie Bradley Jr. and the overall inspired effort by the Red Sox in their Opening Day victory against the Yankees on Monday was a subtlety that needs to become a trend.

Jon Lester, the ace of the staff, turned in a strong pitching performance, albeit a little shorter (five innings) than he would have liked.

For all the talk about the improvement of clubhouse chemistry and the influx of a prospect as exciting as Bradley, the importance of starting pitching has been underplayed when it comes to the 2013 Red Sox.

In fact, the sharp decline of the rotation last year was equally underrated, because former manager Bobby Valentine was painted as the face of most of went wrong during a 69-93 disaster.

To regain their once-regular spot as one of baseball's best teams, the Red Sox need to start pitching again. And it begins with the starters.

Last season, Sox starters went 48-72 with a 5.19 ERA. You'd have to go back to 1997 (50-53, 4.95 ERA) to find a Boston starting staff that was even close to that bad. Check any starting-pitching stat last season and the Red Sox were near the bottom of the league.

They were 27th in the Majors in runs allowed -- 4.98 per game. They were also 27th in quality starts.

The ingredient for the sharp demise is the same one that can lift the Sox back up again.

"It hasn't been a sit-down conversation, but you can almost tell that it's on everybody's mind," said Clay Buchholz, who draws the assignment against Hiroki Kuroda in Game 2 on Wednesday night against the Yanks. "You feel so much better when you win your first three or four games, win your first couple series, rather than losing them and having to press."

After Lester turned in a strong performance on Opening Day last year, former Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett and Buchholz got shelled the next two games. Boston got off to a 1-5 start and didn't contend the entire season. Even Lester slipped badly, going 9-14 with a 4.82 ERA.

This season's rotation can be a lot better for a variety of reasons. Lester seems bound and determined to make a dramatic rebound this season.

Buchholz got off to a horrific start last year, but he was consistently strong in the second half. And with no more concerns about his back, he should be in position to come out of the gate with some quality performances this season.

"Like Jon Lester and our other starters, he had a very strong and consistent Spring Training," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "The one thing that was evident early on was that he came in without any physical issues to hold him back. I thought he was better overall with particularly his fastball location, bottom of the strike zone, and if that holds true to form going forward, he should be a very good and certainly a very strong starting pitcher for us. What that means in innings, wins, losses, time will tell. But he's in a good place right now to start the season."

The Red Sox have added a durable innings-eater to the third spot in the rotation in Ryan Dempster, who exudes professionalism.

Felix Doubront is one of the three holdovers from last year's rotation, and he could well take a step forward in his second year as a Major League starter. Farrell said recently that Doubront's stuff is as good as anyone on the entire pitching staff. In other words, if Doubront can learn to harness it all in the right way, he could take a significant leap.

Then there is John Lackey. The veteran righty had a decent first season in Boston (14-11, 4.40 ERA) and a rough second year (12-12, 6.41 ERA). However, nobody will ever know how much Lackey's elbow weakness/soreness contributed to the way he pitched those first two years with the Sox.

Eighteen months removed from Tommy John surgery, Lackey makes his return and feels better than he has in years.

Aside from the pitchers who make up the rotation, another factor that could spur a turnaround is the leaders.

It's no coincidence that Farrell was Boston's top choice to manage the club. During his time as pitching coach, Lester and Buchholz pitched the best baseball of their careers.

And Juan Nieves, who is the Red Sox's fourth pitching coach since Farrell vacated that post, seems to have the right touch.

"Absolutely," Buchholz said. "Obviously [Farrell and Nieves] are both baseball guys who know the game. I think the best part about them both is, if you have a problem with something, you can walk right up to them and talk to them. You may not like what they have to tell you back, but it's going to be the truth."

And by now, everyone knows what the truth is. The Red Sox will go as far as their pitching takes them this season.

I'm pretty good at wishful thinking myself. The Sox winning 90 or better starts with Cy caliber seasons from Lester and Buchholz, each of whom has pitched at that level before and both of whom are young.

I'd be happy to see them win anything above .500 while making a scrappy battle for every game. Even if their pitching turned around completely, with this lineup they look like a slightly weaker Tampa Bay. New injuries always come into play, it's a matter of how many and how serious. So I think 85 games would be a real achievement.

:thumb:

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

All in all I see the Yankees with between 86 and 91 wins this season.

You're absolutely right, CCF. All the Yankees need to do to win 86-91 games is a) get healthy and b) perform at their 2006 levels. Oh, and replace the production of Swisher, Martin, Chavez, and Ibanez.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I agree. I can't see the Yankees anywhere else but last place, unless Baltimore or Boston have absolutely atrocious seasons, which i can't see right now unless they have to start dealing with major injuries to their top players.

Too much offense has been lost during the offseason, and to be honest, i don't think a healthy A-Rod would help them that much. For the Yankees to have a decent season, a healthy Derek Jeter has to be in the lineup every single day. I doubt we'll be seeing a fully healthy Jeter this season, or ever. It's not his fault. Let's face it, he's not a young man anymore & he's at an age where it's more difficult to recover from injuries. As for Texeira, i doubt he'll play this season & if his injury is anything close to Jose Bautista's injury from last season, he'll require season-ending surgery & he may never be the same again. Just ask Jays utilityman Mark DeRosa, who had the same type of injury & admits his swing has never been the same since.

Most of the Yankee offense will come from stars of the past: Youkilis, Ichiro, Jeter, Haffner & Wells....whose best years are all in the past. These are players in their decline, which is normal when you're approaching the 40's.

The pitching staff is pretty much intact, but let's face it, they're a year older & Mariano Rivera is coming off a major injury (for a pitcher) and he's not a young stud anymore. The ace of the staff is overweight & it's never good for a man his size to be this big & expect to remain healthy at his age. He'll likely start breaking down this season, and for years to come.

And finally, is Joe Girardi the right guy to manage such an outfit? Sure, it's easy to manage a team of productive superstars, as he has in the past. However, this is no longer the case. They may still be looked upon as superstars, but they are superstars in the decline of their careers. Will Girardi be able to find a way to get the most out of those aging superstars? Only time will tell.

The Yankees will finish in last place, with the Red Sox & Orioles battling it out for the 2nd-last spot in the East. The winner of that division will likely be the only one advancing to post-season play, with the western teams taking up the wild card spots. I may be wrong in my assessment, but that's how i currently see it.

I see the Yankees winning maybe 80 games, with the Red Sox winning possibly 84 or 85 games.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

My only disagreement, Doc, is that I think the Orioles will fight the Yankees for the cellar. Our friend above seems to be unaware of the aging process in humans. David Ortiz seems to be back at 100%; the Sox want him to get 35 or so at bats in minor league games. He should be back in the lineup in about 9 days.

Assuming that Jeter will need the same 35 at bats, he's much farther away from playing than Papi. Jeter is throwing, but not yet running. There is very little chance that he'll be active in April. And considering his defensive suckitude over the years, the very idea of his ever trying to play shortstop again is laughable.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I've been battling the same foot issues as Papi for the past year or so. If he's able to put those issues totally behind him, good for him. But my guess is that those issues will haunt him for as long as he's a professional baseball player. If Papi is able to come back & be healthy for most of the season, he'll be an inspiration to the million of plantar fascitis sufferers around the world.

As for Mr. Jeter, starting the season as the team's DH wouldn't be a bad idea. The shortstop position can be very hard on a player with bad knees & what the team will need isn't his defense, it'll be his leadership and his offense. Better have him in the lineup 80% of the time than having him on the DL since i'm convinced playing shortstop on a regular basis will do nothing for him but to send him back on the DL.

I see the Jays & Rays battling it out for 1st, with the Red Sox & Orioles battling it out for 3rd. The Red Sox could very well overcome the Orioles, and the Yankees will finish last. Of course, Joe Girardi will get blamed for their mediocrity & will be fired, unfortunately. Cashman has to do everything he can in order to save his job, after all.

Watching the opener, it was astonishing to see former Jays named Wells, Overbay, Francisco & Nix in the lineup. The first two should not even still be playing MLB. Nix has no business playing on a regular basis. And then there were the others: Cervelli, Nunez & Haffner. The outfield of Wells, Gardner & Suzuki has no power. Kevin Youkilis has maybe a couple of good years left, as long as he remains healthy.....which i doubt will be the case. Well, at least they still have Robinson Cano to carry the load, but the mediocrity surrounding him could very well negatively his performances.

If i were a Yankees fan, i'd be extremely upset considering how much they charge for tickets & how much $$ the team is making. Shameful!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I've been battling the same foot issues as Papi for the past year or so. If he's able to put those issues totally behind him, good for him. But my guess is that those issues will haunt him for as long as he's a professional baseball player. If Papi is able to come back & be healthy for most of the season, he'll be an inspiration to the million of plantar fascitis sufferers around the world.

Doc, I've had plantar fasciitis as well. Took me about six months to get rid of it. I haven't seen any mention of a diagnosis of PF for Papi, so I doubt that's what's been bothering him.

I watched some of the Rays first game. Their lineup is pitiful; I don't see their pitching as strong enough to overcome it. I do see the Sox contending, though the Jays might just be too strong to overcome. Good article today on ESPN by Manny Acta, calling the Sox the most improved team in baseball.

The Yankees should be slightly less pathetic tonight with Hafner and Overbay in the lineup instead of Francisco and Nix. Pathetic still, but a bit less so.