2013 Official Major League Baseball Thread.

[Merlot]

Hey BOYZ,

JT, you've been getting EVERY prediction wrong for years! Hahaha, that's why your bookie loves ya so much

Joe.t has lost so much money to his bookies they're actually competeing with each other for his business by offering the little money fountain guy best customer gifts. When one bookie gave .t the very latest not yet publically available video games and a gift card for a years worth of free monthly in home masseurs specializing in butt hair wax jobs, another bookie gave him a free cruise to the non-Virgin Islands with girlish Justin Beiber headlining the entertainment and his-n-his accommodations so he could go with his best bud. Both bookies considered the cost miniscule to the fortune they've earned from EL WRONGO! :thumb: Iggy was heard to comment....ummmmmmm Beibs.

Nice game by the Red Sox last night, and CONGRATULATIONS to Dustin Pedroia on signing a new 7-year $100 million contract. The length is a bit longer than I hoped, but the $14.3 million per year is significantly less than the general view of what he could demand on the market if he had been a hard nosed negotiator with Scot Boras leading the way. Say......Hey Robinson Cano, now how much can you bilk out of the Yankees. No one works harder than Dustin, and no one gives his all every moment like Pedey. He's worth every penny, and the amount is not so large that it imposes standards other players would be able to exploit with unmanageable demands. It will be interesting to see what Ellsbury does now, even if his agent is Boras as I've heard on WEEI.

Speaking of the Yankees...There'a no doubt that secretly they expected Rodriguez was a cheater from the first day they ever signed him. It didn't to them matter because they figured precisely what they calculated what they could make off of his brand. Now that he has not only been not only exposed TWICE but is also totally useless on the field the team is scheming in every way possible to rid themsleves of him and the great white elephant contract. The New York Yorkees as an organization deserve Shadiest Team of the Century Honors for knowingly bilking every last penny out of a name they expected was dirty then shadily double-dealing to cut lose the player for the same reasons...being dirty. ESPN has been predicting a Yankees-A-Rod War over the $100 million owed sir "a-bomb" (pun intended) all morning. BRONX CHEERS Yankees. :crazy:

Okay, what is going on with everybody's choice to finish no worse than 2nd in the AL East. How much of a lead does a team need to hold onto a win? Seriously, even though I predicted a possible lack of chemistry and or injuries could be a factor, I'm stunned the Jays are now 14.5 games out behind a patchwork team that finihsed last in 2012...and that without their sub 2.0 ERA fragile pitcher for several weeks. What a reversal of positions and expectations. :eyebrows:

GOOOOOO RED SOX GOOOOOO!!!

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Insurance Scam in the Bronx?
All indications are that the Yankees are trying to scam their insurance company by claiming a bogus injury to the corpse of Alex Rodriguez. This from Yahoo:

A-Rod's personal doctor: 'I don't see any sort of injury there'

Alex Rodriguez is not injured, according to a doctor who examined his records Wednesday morning, three days after the New York Yankees announced a strained quadriceps would keep Rodriguez from returning to the team.

Alex Rodriguez, through a doctor, claims he is fit to play. (AP Photo)And so rose the enmity between the game's highest-profile team and its highest-paid player who could soon be suspended as a result of Major League Baseball's investigation into Biogenesis.

In an apparent act of defiance, Rodriguez, through Dr. Michael Gross, went public with medical information that appears to contradict the team's findings. After examining a recent MRI of Rodriguez's quadriceps, Gross told WFAN, a radio station in New York, "To be perfectly honest, I don't see any sort of injury there."

Gross said Rodriguez told him he was experiencing no pain. When he asked Rodriguez if he was fit to play, Gross said Rodriguez answered, "One-hundred percent."

Rodriguez appears to believe the Yankees are conspiring to keep him from returning from the disabled list, perhaps in order to collect the insurance on Rodriguez's contract were Rodriguez to be declared unfit to play. Rodriguez is due nearly $100 million over the next 4 ½ seasons. The Yankees, who would make up 80 percent of the contract via insurance, have denied this.

Rodriguez recently concluded a long recovery from January hip surgery, and in the waning hours of his minor-league rehabilitation assignment experienced what the club called a Grade 1 strain of his quadriceps. Rodriguez has returned to the club's Tampa facility for rest and recovery, though from an injury his doctor claimed does not exist.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Actually, he is not A-Rod's Doctor at all, he never examined A-Rod, and his opinion is basically worthless based on what he himself says in this interview:

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/doctor_yankees_rod_told_quad_strain_fmCqizGfwTYkOPwOhb139I

I have personally been involved in dozens or possibly hundreds of cases in which plaintiff and defendant orthopedic surgeons disagreed over MRI exams and whether they showed a disc protrusion, a herniation, or clinically insignificant degenerative disc disease. I am not aware of MRI exams being accurate diagnostic tools for soft tissue injuries and any opinion will be dependent on what the patient is subjectively reporting, anyway. If the patient is lying about his symptoms, the lie become part of the so called "expert opinion."

 

[Merlot]

I am not aware of MRI exams being accurate diagnostic tools for soft tissue injuries and any opinion will be dependent on what the patient is subjectively reporting, anyway. If the patient is lying about his symptoms, the lie become part of the so called "expert opinion."

uh huh,

Well, ESPN is reporting this morning that both the team doctor and A-Rod's private doctor are saying they used MRIs to form their diagnosis on this soft tissue decision. If as you suggest that an MRI is not conclusive in these types of tissue questions then there is no reason to keep him from playing if he says he can play. Having been through a very important series of exams recently myself I know doctors value what the patient says as to how he/she feels as part of the key diagnosis, how to proceed, and ciritically how to direct recovery. The FEELING of the patient is a large key at every step. Since as you say the MRI is inconclusive the opinion of the patient is more critical.

Given all of the above, whether A-Rod is lying about there being pain or not the Yankees seem to have nothing solid to prevent him from playing, and this is now looking more and more like maneuvering by the Yankees concerning insurance money and salary. Considering iit's certain the Yankees desperately want out of their contractual relationship with the same player they drooled over to pay $30 million a year, and A-Rod is so greedy he wants the last $100 million of his deal, what we have here are two parties motivated to maneuver and lie their asses off. Cashman has dug himself and the team into a dirty little scandal that is making both sides look like dirty liars and cheats. So goes Yankee pride and guts.

Stay tuned for...As the New York Worms Turns.

Really, even without my gloating edge on all of this...it is a turly rotten and ugly mess the Yankees and A-Rod are having.

Cheers pinstripers,

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

A cheater and a liar, and the guy is nicknamed the Hebrew hammer, hahahahaha, he's ready for politics now.

Maybe. But if the guy weren't a baseball player & simply took PEDs for personal reasons, such as getting more muscular, be able to increase his workout regimen, to heal quicker & better, to look better and 'sexier', or to simply add-on years to his youth.....remember, i'm pro HGH for health benefits (regeneration, etc).....would he still be called a 'cheater'?

Personally, i think athletes (and people) should be allowed to put whatever they want into their bodies. If it makes them play better, so be it. What's next? Banning players who've had lasik surgery?

 

[Joe.t]

Looks like a three horse race for the CY between Mariano, Hernandez and Scherzer, boy do the baseball writers have an extremely tough decision, my vote goes to Mariano, just the fact that he is 43 years old and still performing at such a high level is simply amazing, he gets my vote.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

my vote goes to Mariano.

I can't tell you how shocked I am, Joe, to hear this from you. It's really quite rare for a reliever to get the Cy when there are starters having Cy level seasons. It's also quite rare for the second best to get the award over the best.

Rivera and Joe Nathan have the same number of saves, same ERA. Nathan has more strikeouts, a lower whip, and has pitched five more innings. If they were to give it to a reliever, it would go to Nathan.

Nice to see you come out from under your rock, Joe.

 

[Joe.t]

He is also five years younger than Mariano, how many 43 year old baseball players are there playing baseball and at such a high level?, the "FACT" is his accomplishments at 43 years of age is nothing short of phenomenal, there is still just under a half season left and if Mariano continues on his current pace he will win it, I'm shocked, totally shocked that you fail to look at all the "FACTS"(again).

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Tell me, Joe, when was the last time that the Cy voters took a player's age into account? And I'm talking about in this world, Joe, not the bizarro world that you inhabit.

 

[Joe.t]

Like I said, there is still less than half a season to go, may the best man(Mariano) win, Go Orioles!!!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Like I said, there is still half a season to go, may the best man(Mariano) win, Go Orioles!!!

Actually, Joe, more like 1/3 of a season, at least in the real world. Teams are over the 100 game mark.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Interesting statistic: there are 21 players in the American League making more than $15,000,000 per year. Nine of them play for the light hitting Yankees.

It seems that Brian Cashman never learns. He's now adding another washed up late 30s outfielder to his roster. What's the difference between Vernon Wells and Alfonso Soriano? There are two: Soriano is three years older is one. The other is that Soriano has had the good fortune to play in Wrigley Field where he could fatten his stats. When he's not playing in Wrigley, he's just an older Vernon Wells.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Actually the Soriano trade is an excellent move by the Yanks as they are getting a guy still capable (and doing so) of putting up near 30hr's and 85 rbi a yr for only 1.8mil the rest of this season and 5 mill next yr for a low level prospect. He immediately helps the offense and for the price, thats a great trade. Low riskhigh reward especially since the Cubs are paying most of his salary, thanks THEO! and of course Cashman. Good trade.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

they are getting a guy still capable (and doing so) of putting up near 30hr's and 85 rbi a yr for only 1.8mil the rest of this season and 5 mill next yr for a low level prospect.

On what planet, iggy? In 2/3 of a season, he's hit 6 HR on the road. Take him away from Wrigley, and that translates to 18 HR. When you consider that his OPS away from Wrigley is a pitiful .670, he'd make a fine backup middle infielder. And, and, and...next year, when they're paying him $5 mil, he'll be 38. He isn't even worth a roster spot.

Sorry, I realized I've done it again. I've confused you with the facts. Shit, I've gotta stop doing that.

 

[Merlot]

Hey BOYZ,

Looks like a three horse race for the CY between Mariano, Hernandez and Scherzer, boy do the baseball writers have an extremely tough decision, my vote goes to Mariano,...

You're delusional...just if I had a dollar for every time someone said that about you the escorts would be calling me. That's what we love about you .t, there isn't an award you won't throw at anyone in pinstripes. Considering you gave him the award in March before he or anyone had done anything what else were you going to say. He got his laughable MVP gift at the All-Star game where he shut down the side EXACTLY like nearly every other AL pitcher that night...NOTHING SPECIAL. It was a token to please the drooling media and public to keep people happy so they might continue to watch a game with ever sinking interest.

We all love Mariano, but he's still just a 1 and once in a while 2 inning pitcher no matter how effective.

...I'm shocked, totally shocked that you fail to look at all the "FACTS"(again).

Like the fact you're a one-note blind Yankee worshiper drunk on pinstripes who wouldn't know a fact if it flew up your nose and exploded.

On what planet, iggy? In 2/3 of a season, he's hit 6 HR on the road. Take him away from Wrigley, and that translates to 18 HR. When you consider that his OPS away from Wrigley is a pitiful .670, he'd make a fine backup middle infielder.

Shame of you Rumps. Don't you know wearing pinstripes is the same a being born again with all powere renewed. That, and iggy can't help being a suck up artist.

Go Orioles!!!

What happened to...Go Yankees. They must be pretty damn stinking rotten for even YOU to give up on them. :faint: :noidea:

WOOOOW,

Merlot

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

This is perhaps the most amazing statistic I've seen in well over half a century of following baseball:

In the last two months, right handed hitters in baseball have hit 860 home runs. Of the 860, how many have been hit by the light hitting Yankees? Two, that's two, 2. No wonder they gave up a decent prospect for the .670 bat of Alfonso4u.

 

[Doc Holliday]

The Yankees' youth movement continues with today's acquisition of Alfonso Soriano. Who will pay the price with his acquisition? That kid Vernon Wells?

I think it's a good move by the Yankees. The kids on the team (Wells, Gardiner, etc) need more seasoning & nothing beats the leadership & experience of a 40-year old veteran.

 

[Joe.t]

It definitely looks like the Yankees acquired a player with a lot left in the tank, a couple of quotes from MLB.com -

"Soriano has hit 10 home runs in his last 21 games and was batting .286 in that stretch with six doubles, 21 RBIs and a 1.044 OPS, dating to June 28. He has homered in five of his last 14 games and ranks seventh among active players in career home runs with 389."

"He's put together a pretty good run," Sveum said. "Last year at 36 years old, he hit 32 [home runs] and drove in 108 [runs]. That's a legacy in itself. He's a guy who when he's on the field, he's lived up to his media guide, so to speak, besides the stolen bases he's had in his career early."

Curtis Granderson loves the acquisition, this is what he had to say.

" He has flexibility to move around wherever we would need to have him. If it is, it will be exciting."

It looks like the baseball experts absolutely love the acquisition.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I think the Soriano addition is a steal for the Yankees. Brian Cashman should be charged with highway robbery!

Now, if only they can make some adjustments to Yankee Stadium to make it look like Wrigley Field, then the Yankees should consider adding a couple of years to his contract.

p.s. Any truth to the rumor that they're considering bringing back Wade Boggs & Roger Clemens?

 

[EagerBeaver]

The Yankees purchased a season and a half of Soriano for $6.8 million. Not a bad deal. It basically works out to paying him around $4 million a year. They need some power in the lineup, obviously. Soriano did hit 32 homers last year and played a full year. He has been reasonably durable. He does not have much speed these days, however, and his 40 SB seasons are a thing of the past now. He is a former 40/40 guy, almost did it with the Yankees and then did do it with the Nationals.

If Jeter and A-Rod and Granderson and Cervelli all come back soon, not to mention the fireballing Pineda, a run can still be made.