2013 Official Major League Baseball Thread.

[Doc Holliday]

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.

When i heard about Papi's symptoms, i immediately suspected he was suffering from plantar fascitis. Right now, this problem of mine is under control, but on the other foot, i've been suffering from an achilles heel inflammation since last summer. How did you get rid of your plantar fascitis problem? I was told to take apple cider vinegar tablets. Orthotics have also helped a lot. So has taking a break from the threadmill in order to rest my feet.

p.s. I was taking daily calcium tablets last year & wonder if this didn't trigger my heel spur problem.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

If it were plantar fasciitis, I don't think they'd be talking about him coming back so soon. Mark McGwire missed most of 1993 and 1994 with plantar fasciitis.

 

[Doc Holliday]

If it were plantar fasciitis, I don't think they'd be talking about him coming back so soon. Mark McGwire missed most of 1993 and 1994 with plantar fasciitis.

It's quite possible that McGwire's problem was more severe. Last season, two Jays went out to injury due to plantar fascitis: Dustin McGowan & Edwin Encarnacion. McGowan's problem lasted a couple of weeks, but he made the mistake of trying to pitch with the ailment & damaged his right shoulder in the process. He still hasn't pitched an inning of MLB since the shoulder injury. As for Encarnacion's troubles with plantar fascities, he was taken out of the lineup for a while (a week or two) & then re-inserted as a DH in order to give his heel some relief (he had become the team's first baseman by then).

So if Papi is indeed ready to come back soon, i suspect the degree if his problem may have been similar to Encarnacion's as opposed to McGwire's.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

So if Papi is indeed ready to come back soon, i suspect the degree if his problem may have been similar to Encarnacion's as opposed to McGwire's.

MLBTR says Papi will begin playing in games by Monday, activated by "mid-month."

 

[daydreamer41]

As I called it. What a true phoney.

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

Merlot

Hey, Merlot, this isn't a free for all thread. If you want to trash someone, do it in some other thread, not here. You're buddy K already yelled about this.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Interesting post from Tom Verducci on CC's diminished velocity.

Add CC Sabathia to the list of Yankees' worries

The disclaimer is important: it's only one game. But the way Sabathia threw Monday, on the heels of diminished stuff and an elbow cleanup last year, gives New York one more reason to be concerned about a slow start. He simply didn't show the usual arm speed and bite on his pitches, especially as he reached the fifth inning with a manageable number of pitches.

With two outs, manager Joe Girardi visited the mound to tell Sabathia to walk Johnny Gomes to get to lefthanded hitting rookie Jackie Bradley Jr. Sabathia was at 88 pitches. This was the best he could muster in a situation that called for the veteran to attack the rookie: 80 mph changeup for a ball, 88 mph fastball for a fouled strike, 89 mph fastball for a ball, 90 mph fastball for a ball, 90 mph fastball for a ball.

So it went most of the day for Sabathia, a guy whose average fastball last year dropped 1.5 mph to 92.3. You drop one mph off your fastball and the "Check Engine" light goes on; it's not to be taken lightly.

Now check out how his four-seam fastball of Opening Day 2013 compares to those from his four previous Opening Days with the Yankees:

CC Sabathia's Opening Day Fastball 2009-2013

Year Average Maximum
2009 94.54 96.1
2010 93.37 94.9
2011 92.68 94.7
2012 92.46 94.1
2013 89.92 91.7

The decline in velocity has been steady. Sabathia, by the way, was the fourth oldest Opening Day starter, trailing only the Blue Jays' R.A. Dickey, 38, the Braves' Tim Hudson, 37, and the Pirates' A.J. Burnett, 36.

On Monday Sabathia averaged only a six mph difference between his fastball and changeup (83 mph) -- not enough of a gap to be truly effective. After a spring in which the Yankees gave him only two of his starts in regulation major league "A" games (with 18 runners in 10 inning), Sabathia didn't show the kind of arm strength you would expect. Again: it's one start. But velocity three ticks below normal bears watching.

Fortunately, he's only under contract for (chuckle) four more years, by which time he'll probably be doing his best Jamie Moyer imitation.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Knowing no shame whatsoever, the Yankees are now serving bogus "craft beer."

This from Amanda Rykoff:
Pretty Crafty! New “Craft Beer” Stand at Yankee Stadium

Besides the bunch of rent-a-players in pinstripes masquerading as Yankees, there’s another new addition to Yankee Stadium this season — this “Craft Beer Destination” located in the Great Hall.

Here’s the problem. These so-called “Craft Beers” — (from left to right) Blue Moon, Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, Crispin Cider, and Batch 19 lager — are all products of MillerCoors. Miller and Coors aren’t exactly niche products.

With so many great local breweries in the New York area — Six Point, Brooklyn, and Blue Point to name a few — the Yankees chose to highlight these mass-produced brews as “craft beers.”

I have no problem with these beers (and cider) being available at Yankee Stadium. I confess that on a hot summer day, I will enjoy a Summer Shandy on occasion, and Blue Moon is certainly a popular beer. But to call them “craft beers” is nonsense and insulting. Real beer drinkers know better but countless numbers of fans will gladly shell out $12 for an overrated beer being marketed as a specialty brew.

Once again, the Yankees have figured out yet another way to charge a superior price for an inferior product."

And from Craig Calcaterra:

The Yankees’ “craft beer” stand is anything but

Not just not “niche products,” not craft beer by any interpretation of the term. I’m not exactly a beer snob, but this seems misleading given that the definition of “craft beer” by the American Brewers Association which coined the term is beer from “small, independent and traditional” brewers with small defined as an “annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less”, independent defined as at least 75% owned or controlled by a craft brewer, and traditional defined as at least 50% of its volume being all malt beer.

C’mon, Yankees. You gotta do better than this.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

This is fabulous. Great work as always from New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blo...tory-mark-ulriksen-baseball.html#slide_ss_0=1

 

[Merlot]

Hello all,

Nice game by Buchholz. As many sportswriters are correctly citing today, Aside from only playing two games beating the aged and patchwork Yankees just isn't going to prove much. But considering how badly Buchholz got started last year it still works out as a fairly impressive outing, and I like the way Farrell seems to have the team trying to exploit every aspect of the game. As for the Yankees maybe their late pickups will be able to make an impact at times, if it isn't in losing causes as most of the rest of them look impotent at the plate.

Sabathia may not be as slowed as he seems. Any pitcher coming back form his surgery has to be a bit worried about going all out right away. Still, if the indications are accurate it's just one in a long line of serious injury issues for the stripers. Together with the surgery this steadily falling pattern of pitching speed average should create real concern...for anyone living in reality.

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

C'mon, the AL East is much more balanced than previous years and if the West is as tough to play against as it was last year where are the badly ailing Yankees going to find 91 wins. You just missed two at home off pitchers who had career worst seasons last year.

Cheers BOYZ,

Merlot

 

[Joe.t]

Wouldn't it be something if Pettitte won the CY, it could very well happen.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Wouldn't it be something if Pettitte won the CY, it could very well happen.

Soon to be 87-38 against the American League East in his career - the best winning percentage of all time. Did you see the homer Francisco Cervelli hit off of the back wall of the left field bullpen? His upper body looks a little bit bigger to me and ready to unleash some power.

 

[Merlot]

His upper body looks a little bit bigger to me...

Of Course,

Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli named in Biogenesis records, report says

http://www.nj.com/yankees/index.ssf/2013/02/francisco_cervelli_biogenesis.html

The ever-expanding web of the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, which is being investigated by Major League Baseball for allegedly distributing performance-enhancing drugs to Alex Rodriguez and others, has ensnared another Yankee.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli was identified as a client of Biogenesis, according to records obtained by Yahoo Sports and reported on Tuesday. Also found in the records was Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun, the 2011 National League MVP, who successfully appealed a positive test for synthetic testosterone last offseason, and Baltimore infielder Danny Valencia.

Is it just a coincidence...Beav.



Merlot

 

[Joe.t]

“I consulted with a number of experts, including Biogenesis Clinic, for legal ways to aid my rehab and recovery. I purchased supplements that I am certain were not prohibited by Major League Baseball.” Francesco Cervelli.

Sour grapes?.

 

[Merlot]

LOL,

Sour grapes?.

Yours.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-3617425.html

"For the record, have you ever used steroids, human growth hormone or any other performance-enhancing substance?" Couric asked.

"No," Rodriguez replied.

Asked if he had ever been tempted to use any of those things, Rodriguez told Couric, "No."

"You never felt like, 'This guy's doing it, maybe I should look into this, too? He's getting better numbers, playing better ball,'" Couric asked.

"I've never felt overmatched on the baseball field. I've always been a very strong, dominant position. And I felt that if I did my work as I've done since I was, you know, a rookie back in Seattle, I didn't have a problem competing at any level. So, no," he replied.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=38948473

His voice shaking at times, Alex Rodriguez met head-on allegations that he tested positive for steroids six years ago, telling ESPN on Monday that he did take performance-enhancing drugs while playing for the Texas Rangers during a three-year period beginning in 2001.

"When I arrived in Texas in 2001, I felt an enormous amount of pressure. I felt like I had all the weight of the world on top of me and I needed to perform, and perform at a high level every day," Rodriguez told ESPN's Peter Gammons in an exclusive interview in Miami Beach, Fla.

"Back then, [baseball] was a different culture," Rodriguez said. "It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. And I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth being one of the greatest players of all time.

"I did take a banned substance. And for that, I am very sorry and deeply regretful."

Sure Joe, if he's in pinstripes then whatever he says must be true. :lol:

WROOONNNNG Joe!!!

Merlot

 

[lgna69xxx]

More like a Squashed Grape :lol:

Nice to see the Great and future HOF'er Andy Pettitte, throwing in mid season form tonight. Last chance for the red sox and the future hof'er jAckie bradley jr (according to rumps lol) got a lesson from the old guy known as "MO"

Nice to see the Jays get their 1st win as well tonight.

“I consulted with a number of experts, including Biogenesis Clinic, for legal ways to aid my rehab and recovery.I purchased supplements that I am certain were not prohibited by Major League Baseball.” Francesco Cervelli.

Sour grapes?

 

[EagerBeaver]

More like a Squashed Grape :lol:

Nice to see the Great and future HOF'er Andy Pettitte, throwing in mid season form tonight. Last chance for the red sox and the future hof'er jAckie bradley jr (according to rumps lol) got a lesson from the old guy known as "MO"

Nice to see the Jays get their 1st win as well tonight.

Younng Bradley was given a lesson and Mo's pitch framed by the barrell chested Cervelli that it was time to close down.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

A few takeaways from last night's game:

1. Pettitte looked quite good and in command. His control was great and there were quite a few at-em balls, but for the most part he controlled his game. If the Yankees can get 200 innings out of him, they might just have an outside shot at .500. That's a lot to ask, however, for a 40 year old guy who hasn't thrown over 129 innings in 2009.

2. If last night was any indication, the Yankees might have to install a new closer pretty soon. While Mo only gave up one run, he was hit pretty hard.

3. Young Mr. Bradley learned the hard way that future HOFers don't necessarily have to throw the ball over the plate to get strike calls. Rivera threw Bradley three pitches, one over the plate.

4. Dempster was certainly shaky. While he only allowed 3 runs and struck out 8, he probably would have fared considerably worse had he been facing a serious major league lineup.

5. The Yankees managed to score only four runs against a starter who was off his game. They put nine runners on, four by free pass, in Dempster's five innings of work, but could only manage to plate three, thanks in large part to their inability hit put a bat on his slider. Runs are going to be hard to come by for this team that can be viewed as a pennant contender only through the pin-striped colored glasses of one E. Beaver, esq.

 

[Special K]

I'm happy to see that the Yanks new power hitting duo of Cervelli and Gardner are going to carry them out of the basement this season!! Bwwwwaaahhhh!!! Sox win the first series of the season, no surprise there though, just surprised Mo didn't blow his 3 run lead in the ninth.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

But I thought that Bradley was a future Hall of Famer too. Aren't the Sox retiring his number at the home opener?

I, sir, am not Joe.T.

 

[Jaxan]

I, sir, am not Joe.T.

I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy.

lol, reminded me of that line, sorry. Let's not shatter Red Sox Nation's glimmer of hope, aka Bradley, they've been through so much in recent memory... Besides, we're only 3 games into the season! Lets wait, at least until Ortiz goes back on the DL for the 2nd time...