2014 Official Major League Baseball Thread

[Joe.t]

Doc, you are once again Bang On! The last 3 rouge hose seasons were Worst to first to WORST and proves three things:

1) Suckfest (followed by silence)

2) Extremely lucky with that bunch of average talented misfits along with horrible yet lucky management (followed by arrogance)

3) Back to business as usual, see #1 (followed by more silence, it really and truly is a bee-uuuu-T-full thing)

Doc, you know when and where brother but I think we are even now after last week, no?

In other awesome news, a man named Michael is back for the Yanks tonight. I bet you he wont have any pine tar on him either :lol: Not sure he should make his first start back in THAT homer friendly park against THAT great hitting team but the Yanks do need a win and he is the best option right now I suppose.

PS. I think we should start a "come back to the baseball thread rumples" petition. His insight on the "Debacle in Beantown" this season would benefit many fans across the world. I have nothing against the guy as long as he does not make personal insults or personal attacks against other members here. C'mon Rumps, we want you back brother!

He was absolutely !!!LIGHTS OUT!!! tonight with excellent control(no walks), I think that it is safe to say he is back, with Michael Pineda in the line up the Yankees have significantly increased their playoff chances.

 

[Merlot]

BOYZ!!!

...Boston fans are responsible for putting a huge target onto themselves...

It's called WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS...and jealousy.

He was absolutely !!!LIGHTS OUT!!!

He finally got the message. Hide the pine tar where it can't be seen. It took him being caught twice before he got the message. Is Pineda really that thick! BTW: THEY LOST AGAIN.

The Red Sox have the luxury of having just WON the WORLD SERIES AGAIN. Last year was supposed to be the first step to rebuilding after dumping the mistakes of Theos gross contracts. OOOPS!!! We won the Series. With that in the bank the Sox have the luxury of testing out young prospects. Some say players like Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, Holt, Renaudo, Vasquez, De la Rosa have been brought up too soon without enough minor league experience. That remains to be seen. Some have done well and others have had it rough. The biggest question is what to do with Bradley. He's a wizard in the field at his position, like Pedroia, better then Ellsbury is, but he can't hit. The Sox would be happy with a BA anywhere between .240 to .250. Personally I'd hate to give up on him, though the signals are he's not improving at the plate. All of the others have shown decent signs that work should pay off offensively, and the pitchers have been steadily decent if not great.

We Sox fans are content for now with three World Series since 2004, especially after turning around in momentous fashion throwing the Yankees into the grave they thought they had dug for the Sox in the ALCS. Others can piss and moan about who's worse...if they need it so desperately.

Too bad the CLASS of a Jeter or Rivera has never rubbed off on Yankees fans here.

Cheers boys,

Merlot

 

[lgna69xxx]

Indeed Michael looked great last night indeed, too bad his effort was wasted. At least everyone else that matters lost as well. The wild card may just come down to the final day of the season again.

He was absolutely !!!LIGHTS OUT!!! tonight with excellent control(no walks), I think that it is safe to say he is back, with Michael Pineda in the line up the Yankees have significantly increased their playoff chances.

 

[Special K]

i should change my prediction to the skanks bEing overtaken by the Rays by about 3 weeks. Probably by Sunday the way those underachieving scabs have been playing recently!!!! Bwwwaaaahhhhhh! Nothing better than seeing Skanks fans eat crow!

 

[daydreamer41]

i should change my prediction to the skanks bEing overtaken by the Rays by about 3 weeks. Probably by Sunday the way those underachieving scabs have been playing recently!!!! Bwwwaaaahhhhhh! Nothing better than seeing Skanks fans eat crow!

Oh forgot, things are quite bleak in Red Sucks land. My prediction of from Last place to First place to Last place (first team Evah) is coming true. Kind of sucks being a Red Sux fan, doesn't it K?

 

[daydreamer41]

The only reason i'm enjoying the fact they've sucked all season long is because after finishing in last place two years ago, the team suddenly began to play way above its head last season under a manager i considered to be extremely inept. Most of the players were having career seasons & everything seemed to click....and the worst part was having to put up with the cockiness of Red Sox fans.

As i mentionned, this was basically a team that only three seasons ago had underwent one of the greatest collapses in the history of professional sports during the final month of that season. Anyone remember the Popeye chicken controversy, among numerous other incidents? They fired their very capable and well-liked manager in favor of the eccentric Bobby Valentine, who took them to last place in the division. The Red Sox fans barely said a word at the time.

I'd been telling folks that last year was a total fluke. And they laughed and attempted to ridicule anyone who wasn't a Red Sox fan.

That wasn't you Doc. That was me who said Boston was a fluke. I will forgive you for plagiarizing, pal, at least you are on the band wagon seeing how improbable the Red Sox's World Series win was last year. As K likes to say (at inappropriate times though): Bwwwaaaahhhhhh!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Congrats to Rob Manfred as new commish of mlb and thank all that is good in this world that tom werner lost out to Manfred. werner cant even run a team of misfits let alone a whole league.

 

[Merlot]

BOYZ,

In a year where The Red Sox stink and the Yankees as usual, in a year where the baseball thread has more crickets than posts, when even Iggy's best thing to look forward to is a new baseball commissioner, and everyone else can do nothing but console themselves that the WORLD SERIES CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX won't repeat this year, instead of ganging up on Rumples, the CHAMPIONS have gone out and signed the most sought after international prize of the year, Cuban Rusney Castillo.

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseba...ban_free_agent_rusney_castillo_will_sign.html

The Red Sox today have reached agreement with Cuban free agent outfielder Rusney Castillo on a seven-year, $72.5 million deal that will take effect beginning in 2014 and run through 2020 according to multiple media reports.

The deal sets a record for the largest contract awarded a Cuban player, surpassing the six year, $68 million deal Jose Abreu received from the Chicago White Sox last winter.

Castillo is a a speedy outfielder who can play some infield and has the potential to become a high-impact player in the majors, but it's not a lock that he will light up the big stage as quickly as fellow Cuban sluggers Yoenis Cespedes, Jose Abreu, or Yasiel Puig.

The Red Sox have been without a steady center fielder since Jacoby Ellsbury signed on with the Yankees this offseason. Grady Sizemore won the starting job in the spring, but struggled and was eventually released. Jackie Bradley Jr., while stellar defensively, wasn't able to get into a consistent groove at plate and was optioned to Pawtucket on Monday. Rookie Mookie Betts is currently patrolling center and is just getting comfortable with the position.

The scouting skinny on the stocky Castillo is that offensively he's got outstanding raw power that has the potential to translate to the major leagues. Defensively, he possesses great speed but is thought of as an average fielder with an OK arm.

In 360 games in Cuba, Castillo batted .319/.383/.516 in 360 games in Cuba, slugging 51 home runs and stealing 76 bases in that stretch.

More than 100 scouts from all 28 MLB teams were on hand to witness Castillo's workout in Florida on July 26. And WEEI.com reported that the Red Sox held a private workout for Castillo Aug. 1 in Fort Myers, Fla. It's been a while since Castillo has seen game action: He last played in Cuba in 2012, and ended the year on suspension.

Castillo is being represented by Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports, the agency that also represents Robinson Cano. The Tigers were also reported to be a finalist for Castillo's services.

It's a gamble.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[hungry101]

What the Red Sox did last year with that line-up was nothing less than remarkable. They did have Lacky and Lester and Ortiz is a marquee power hitter. Pedroia and Jacoby are border line all-stars each year. But beyond that, the Red Sox proved that maybe you are better off with an entire team of average players then a team with two or three guys with long term contracts making 20-30MM/year$ in a line-up and then you have to use fill ins at the other positions and you have a weak bench? Then you spin off the parts and get the compensatory picks and start over. I think with the 2013 Red Sox balance was key rather than star power. They also didn't "anoint" a closer. They tried a few guys until they arrived at Koji Uehara.

I am a huge Tigers fan. Verlander took the Kryponite before the 2013 season. Now he has guaranteed money for the rest of his life. He is fucking Kate Upton. He hasn't been the same since. How do you stop the greatest hitter of the decade and maybe the greatest right hand batter of all time? Give him a long term $300MM contract. who the fuck cares after you make 300$MM big ones? I think Miggy and Verlander may have lingering injuries. JV for sure and there is some hush-hush talk about Miggy but if it were up to me I would like to have a team of guys that are playing on the last year of their contract every year. They are still motivated to do well because the big money clubs will give them an obscene amount of money the next year.

Oh and by the way, who is the worst closer in the Al Central and maybe all of baseball? The anointed 40 year old has-been Joe Nathan. Why? He has a $20MM/2-year contract and now you have to justify that expenditure. Couple this with the Doug Fister trade for three players that are currently in AAA I think you have a team headed for disaster.

 

[Doc Holliday]

He is fucking Kate Upton. He hasn't been the same since.

To be fair to him, i don't think any of us would be the same if we'd be fucking Kate Upton. :eyebrows:

 

[smuler]

Yummy

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2iBAYi8ayOI

Best Regards

Smuler

 

[hungry101]

I am happy to report that JV righted the ship yesterday in Minnesota. after a short stint on the disabled list he threw 5 1/3 and came out after giving up 1 run (Now there were two more on base and because of our pen they scored too so 3 ERs). After losing 1-0 to Tampa and squandering a 1-hitter by Price and losing 20-6 and 12-4 the Tigers are back in the win column. Probelm is that KC has come of age. Now we are playing catch up. I sure wish KC had the Tigers pen.

Anyway, JV has earned a romp with Kate.

 

[lgna69xxx]

BOYZZZZZZ! :lol:

Everyone sing along......... "Ohhhhhhhhh McCann CAN, Yes McCann CAN!!!" Brian McCann just hit a walk off 3 run Home Run to send the hot NYY to their 4th win in a row and another big offensive outing today, keep it up boyzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Special K, you are not off the hook on that dinner just yet my friend!

 

[hungry101]

The Yankers are hot? Hopefully they can keep this up vs the Royals. You play the KC Royals next, correct Igmund? The Pussycats are in dire need for the Yankees to beat KC and then fall flat on their faces to us....dire need!

 

[lgna69xxx]

BoyZZZZ!!!!!!

Well here we are, 30 or so games left and the Yankees are still in it and playing meaningful games. On the other hand the rouge hose last meaningful game of the season was the second week of april lol. When does benny boy cherrington get the axe?

 

[hungry101]

Looks like Tanaka has been shut down for the year. He was flying back to New York today. Tommy John is imminent. We won't see Tanaka again until 2016.

 

[smuler]

It will be the curse of Britt Burns again

Best Regards

Smuler

 

[EagerBeaver]

Guys, more evidence of changing strategies in baseball as we see Don Mattingly successfully deploy another radical defensive shift:

https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-...Rjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkA01PVVMxMjdfMQ--?.tsrc=sams

This is the new baseball. Adapt or perish. Only the brightest can now be allowed to manage a team! And the one dimensional pull hitters of the past have to adapt and learn to situational hit or they will end up like the dinosaur, extinct and a relic of the past.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Hitler Rant on Cespedes Trade

This is one of the funniest in the Hitler rant video series, this time casting him as a stunned As fan:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sfaYdR8ONKo

The Hitler position in the video has some validity as the As are 20th in MLB in runs scored since the trade.

 

[hungry101]

I don't think it was a wise trade. I thought their pitching was good and now they gave up their best power hitter - when runs are a premium - to rent a very good pitcher.

Billy Beane knows his craft but I don't like this one. Baseball is my favorite sport. I understand less about the business side then I do the game but I didn't like this trade for the start