The Official MERB 2010 Baseball Thread.

[rumpleforeskiin]

I actually don't think the injuries mattered as much as i thought they would. The replacements actually did pretty good, in my opinion. I lay the blame at the pitching. Beckett has been one of the worse starters in the majors all season long, Lackie has been a disappointment......Wakefield is no longer a starting pitcher & he looks done. And Papelbon...........no comment.

Let's face it: the Rays & Yankees have been superior teams all season long. Not only healthy, but superior in talent overall. The Sox? Average. Let's just say that a team in a pennant race had no business being swept at home by Manny & the White Sox and the way they got swept is an embarrassment to the state of Massachusetts!

Anyways, you can't blame a team's fortunes on injuries. Injuries are & have always been a part of the game.

(and yes...Papelbon is & always has been an ass!)

Doc, I thought you were smarter than this. Other than your final comment about Papelbon, everything you say in this comment has all the earmarks of someone with his head thoroughly up his ass. Yes, the replacements did well for minor league players. Bill Hall has had a fabulous season for a bench player.

The Sox have lost:
1. Ellsbury - all season
2. Pedroia - half the season
3. Martinez - one month, Varietk - two months
4. Youkilis - two months
9. Cameron - all season

Buchhohlz - 4 starts
Matsuzaka - 7 starts
Beckett - 11 starts

Using WAR as a benchmark, the Sox have lost 11 wins. Going back to the point where management effectively gave up on the season by running out minor leaguers to see a) what they've got and b) what trade value they can generate, a healthy Red Sox team would be 4-5 games up in the standing. Considering the health issues they've faced, the Red Sox have had a remarkable season. And, yes, Papelbon is an asshole and he'll likely be pitching in Toronto next season.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Doc, I do respect your opinion here. But I think if the Sox got the reasonably expected performances out of their players, while facing no worse than the league average kind of injuries in number and type, and the other teams faced the same conditions, I think it's a magnificent three-way race right to the end. Had all players performed to average reasonable expectations the Sox end up being very close through 162 games even despite the injuries and considering the incredible contributions of many heroic substitutes. But as it was, the totality of injuries were decisive.

You simply can't use injuries & other 'what ifs' to say that a team would have performed much better during a season. If Epstein would have done his job properly & acquire more depth (and younger players to fill in for the current bunch of geriatrics) for his ball team, maybe the Sox would have contended. But those are only 'ifs' and i still think the replacements did a hell of a job. You can't have a #1 pitcher who's struggled as much as Beckett has (this guy has turned out to be a major bust for the Sox since they acquired him, don't you think?) and expect to beat teams like the Yankees & Rays. It won't happen!

Using excuses like the ones mentionned above is just like me saying that the Jays would have contended has Aaron Hill & Adam Lind hit like they did last year. These two players had absolutely terrible seasons & are only playing to their level over the past few weeks. Of course, Hill was injured at the start of the season & didn't really have a training camp. But like i said, i'm not going to use this excuse since injuries & slumps are part of the game. The Sox & the Jays got beat by two very good teams in the Yankees & the Rays. Love 'em or hate 'em, those are the facts.

(And even without the injuries, i still doubt the Red Sox would have been able to match up with those two teams i just mentionned....not as long as Josh Beckett is your #1 starter)

 

[Doc Holliday]

Doc, I thought you were smarter than this. Other than your final comment about Papelbon, everything you say in this comment has all the earmarks of someone with his head thoroughly up his ass.

LOL!!! Isn't this a case of the teapot calling the kettle black? LOL!!!!

(I stand by my comments)

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

You simply can't use injuries & other 'what ifs' to say that a team would have performed much better during a season.

Actually, you can. To say otherwise is to suggest that Darnell McDonald is as good a player as Jacoby Ellsbury, that Mike Lowell is as good as Kevin Youkilis, that Bill Hall is as good as Dustin Pedroia.

Your Lind/Hall analogy is also bullshit. Yes, they had bad years as all players do. They were, however, healthy and played regularly. The Sox also got unexpectedly great years from Beltre and Bill Hall. Had they not lost their 1,2,3,4 and 9 hitters for a combined 494 games, the Sox would be 3-4 games in front.

 

[Special K]

You simply can't use injuries & other 'what ifs' to say that a team would have performed much better during a season. If Epstein would have done his job properly & acquire more depth (and younger players to fill in for the current bunch of geriatrics) for his ball team, maybe the Sox would have contended. But those are only 'ifs' and i still think the replacements did a hell of a job. You can't have a #1 pitcher who's struggled as much as Beckett has (this guy has turned out to be a major bust for the Sox since they acquired him, don't you think?) and expect to beat teams like the Yankees & Rays. It won't happen!

Using excuses like the ones mentionned above is just like me saying that the Jays would have contended has Aaron Hill & Adam Lind hit like they did last year. These two players had absolutely terrible seasons & are only playing to their level over the past few weeks. Of course, Hill was injured at the start of the season & didn't really have a training camp. But like i said, i'm not going to use this excuse since injuries & slumps are part of the game. The Sox & the Jays got beat by two very good teams in the Yankees & the Rays. Love 'em or hate 'em, those are the facts.

(And even without the injuries, i still doubt the Red Sox would have been able to match up with those two teams i just mentionned....not as long as Josh Beckett is your #1 starter)

Yep, clueless. Stick to hockey Doc, your baseball ignorance is shining through.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Yep, clueless. Stick to hockey Doc, your baseball ignorance is shining through.

And please DO NOT TOUCH HOCKEY......you're incredible lack of knowledge in Canada's game in the past is to put it mildly....absolutely astonishing!

Now, in regards to baseball ignorance.....yes, it absolutely shines for the people of Red Sox nation who still have their blinders on. Incredible!

But i'm not surprised that Red Sox fans are biased towards their team & any valid criticism towards it. I tip my hat off to all you die-hard Red Sox fans & i won't hold your ignorance against you. You all sincerely believe that you had a team to win the pennant, and in all truthfullness, nothing could be further from the truth. You had a team that overachieved considerably in the past & expectations were higher due to this.

The truth of the matter is, the Boston Red Sox are an average team. Nothing more, nothing less. I say this even if injuries wouldn't have occurred. They have an average manager, a good 2nd baseman who's now breaking apart, and a decent first baseman in Youk. If there is a very good/great player on the team, it's at 3rd base in the form of Adrian Beltre. The guy has carried the team offensively all season long. Catching is decent, but not great.....and the outfield has no power & full of question marks all season long. The Sox have a journeyman shortstop who's likely given them his best season. As far as pitching goes, they have two good starters in Lester & Bucholz. Beckett's terrible (one of the league worse) and Dice-K has been his usual erratic & inconsistent self. Lackie? A disappointment. Wakefield is finished. The bullpen is decent. Long relief is okay, so is middle relief in the form of Daniel Bard. But the closer (Mister One-Pitch) is inconsistent & seems to be getting on everyone's nerves, including even the sainthood of Red Sox nation. Yes, good ol' Pappy Papelbon. Speaking of Pappy....he's a decent DH, but no longer strikes fear in anyone. I'll admit he once was one of the game's greatest clutch hitters, but that was years ago & there's been talk that he was on steroids back then. He's a player on the decline who can only play one position: DH. As for good ol' Mike Lowell, the guy looks older by the minute. He was once a very good player, but injuries have taken their toll & i'd be surprised to see him back with the team next year. Finally, Jacoby Ellsbury. Very quick outfielder who hits for average, but thats' about it. He's injury prone & will never hit for power. If he fullfills his potential (which i doubt will happen), he could be another Johnny Damon. But due to his history of injuries this early in his career, i doubt this will happen.

That's all for now, folks......my Yankee-hating, unbiased take on the Boston Red Sox. Like or not, that's how most observers outside of Red Sox nation (without the blinders) see the team. An ordinary, average team. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Actually, you can. To say otherwise is to suggest that Darnell McDonald is as good a player as Jacoby Ellsbury, that Mike Lowell is as good as Kevin Youkilis, that Bill Hall is as good as Dustin Pedroia. .

I never said they were as good as the starters you mentionned. All i said was that they performed admirably & quite decently while the injury-prone guys were out. I tip my hat-off to those three bench warmers & i'd take them on my team anytime.

As for the Jays, Aaron Hill was injured at the start of the season & has been playing with an undisclosed injury all season long. He's day-to-day every single day the Jays are playing, but usually decides he can play when it comes to game time. But i'm not using this as an excuse....injuries are and will always be part of the great game of Baseball.

As for numbers, who needs them? Anyone can play with numbers & turn them in his favor in order to make a point, so i tend to disregard them & rely on what i see & hear.

 

[Merlot]

You simply can't use injuries & other 'what ifs' to say that a team would have performed much better during a season. If Epstein would have done his job properly & acquire more depth (and younger players to fill in for the current bunch of geriatrics) for his ball team, maybe the Sox would have contended. But those are only 'ifs' and i still think the replacements did a hell of a job. You can't have a #1 pitcher who's struggled as much as Beckett has (this guy has turned out to be a major bust for the Sox since they acquired him, don't you think?) and expect to beat teams like the Yankees & Rays. It won't happen!

(And even without the injuries, i still doubt the Red Sox would have been able to match up with those two teams i just mentionned....not as long as Josh Beckett is your #1 starter)

Well Doc,

At least you are trying to give an honest opinion, no matter how off.

"You can't have a #1 pitcher who's struggled as much as Beckett has (this guy has turned out to be a major bust for the Sox since they acquired him,...". You're kidding right? You're including 2007 when he went 20-7 with a 3.27 ERA and beat Sabathia twice in the ALCS to keep the team alive in the playoffs? Your memory is failing a bit Doc.

Before losing Youkilis and Pedroia the Sox were right on the heals of Tampa and New York despite the full time use of minor league replacements. It's simple sense to say given what was accomplished up to late-August a healthier team would won significantly more. The injury situation is what it is and no one is crying about that. But to say a healthy Sox team would have been 3rd-rate is idiotic given a much injured team had the best record in the AL for four months. In fact given all that how could the Sox ever have gotten so close. If the Sox are really so much worse how can the much injured Sox stay with the much healthier Rays and Yankees most of the year??? From that point of view the 3rd rate argument is nonsense. Otherwise one must question either the quality of players or the leadership of the Yankees and Rays for the Sox to stay so close.

I have no quarrel with Epstein's decision not to make trades for temporary fill-ins in some long shot attempt to win it all this year. There was just too much to overcome via such trades given the injuries, poor middle relief, and some key disappointing performances. Losing Pedroia and Youk also made the hope of playoff success impossible. I applaud Epstein for taking on the storm of fan criticism he knew was inevitable and refusing to blow any assets for a lost cause. Though that attempted Damon deal was worthless and stupid. It is much wiser given the current situation to focus on future seasons.

True about Beckett. He was practically worthless this year. But that was nearly offset by the not-so-unexpected excellence of Buchholz. I agree that the Sox still needed Beckett and Lackey to perform up to expectations to succeed in the playoffs. But how would the Yankees and Rays have done without their #1, 4, 5 pitchers, without their # 1, 2, 3, 4, 9 hitters, and without both catchers at different times? Does anyone believe the Yankees could get anywhere without the equivalent players the Sox lost who would be: Granderson, Jeter, Teixeira, Rodriguez, Cervelli, Sabathia, Vasquez, and Hughes? Could the Yankees have stayed within 3 games of the lead after the All-Star break, or compete into late August without all of those players? Would Yankee fans say their team was basically a poor team regardless of such injuries? NO. But with all those player loses they'd be lucky not to be looking at the Orioles backside in the standings.

It's been a very tough and disappointing season for the Sox and their fans. It's also been one of the gutsiest and exhilarating to see them compete so well for so long with so little. No other team could have done it with the equivalent losses. FACT!

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

It's been a very tough and disappointing season for the Sox and their fans. It's also been one of the gutsiest and exhilarating to seem them compete so well for so long with so little. No other team could have done it with the equivalent losses. FACT!

I agree with many of your comments. I also agree that no team could have done it with the equivalent losses. However, even without the injuries, i doubt the Sox could have kept up with the Yankees & Rays. They might have won a few games more (who knows?), but not enough to get ahead of those two AL East giants.

 

[Jman47]

Yep, clueless. Stick to hockey Doc, your baseball ignorance is shining through.

Double yup...clueless...stick with the sticks Doc...
While I can appreciate your opinion....I believe that "average" team (your description) which was manned by farmhands for a good portion of the season will end up with a record better than 80% of the other teams in MLB...yup, average...

No team in recent memory has ever performed as well as the Red Sox with as many obstacles / injuries...10 of 25 opening day players were out at one point and for a huge segment of games(including #1, #2 and #4 batters plus a #1 and #2 starter, both starting catchers...)...just think about that...no excuses, no crying...just facts....as seen by a fan of the game.

Francona...Manager of the Year...hands down...

Have fun,

Jman

PS Well drawn up Yankee's equivalent Merlot....fact there is it was the Sox well rounded farm system that kept them in competition.

PPS Go HABS Go!

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

The truth of the matter is, the Boston Red Sox are an average team. Nothing more, nothing less.

Actually, Doc. The Sox, despite the injuries, are on pace to win 90 games. An average team wins 81 games.

I say this even if injuries wouldn't have occurred.

So, what you're saying is that the injuries to Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, Martinez, Cameron, Matsuzaka, Varitek, Beckett, and Buchholz cost them nothing. That is easily the stupidest statement made in merb history. The Beav would be proud of you.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Buchholz claimed by Blue Jays

TORONTO, ON -- The Toronto Blue Jays claimed pitcher Taylor Buchholz off waivers from the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

Buchholz was designated for assignment on Tuesday after going 1-0 with a 4.50 earned run average over seven relief appearances for Colorado this season.

The 28-year-old missed the 2009 season after elbow ligament replacement surgery.

Over four years in the majors, one with Houston and three with Colorado, he is 19-21 with a 4.42 ERA over 133 games, including 27 starts.

 

[lgna69xxx]

"Dead Wood" ? Not anymore

Great job by Brian Cashman to get Kerry Wood at the trade deadline this year. Since coming into the Yankee Family , Kerry has been one of the most effective bullpen pitchers in all of MLB.

In 20.2 innings (i was just gonna round it off to 20, but we all know how ANAL grumples is about stats) he is 2-0, has yielded just 1ER, only 11Hits, and has 24K's and a astounding 0.44ERA... and more importantly has made a strong bullpen even stronger.

(i hope i didnt jinx him by this, i prefer letting JoeT and the j-rump connection to do the jinxing)

 

[EagerBeaver]

Great job by Brian Cashman to get Kerry Wood at the trade deadline this year. Since coming into the Yankee Family , Kerry has been one of the most effective bullpen pitchers in all of MLB.In 20.2 innings (i was just gonna round it off to 20, but we all know how ANAL grumples is about stats) he is 2-0, has yielded just 1ER, only 11Hits, and has 24K's and a astounding 0.44ERA... and more importantly has made a strong bullpen even stronger.

Kerry Wood is a very talented player. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 1998 and struck out 20 batters in a game tying the major league record. His problem is he was with horseshit teams that abused and misused him, and then more recently he got stuck playing on a bad Cleveland team that is not going anywhere.

He has now been rescued by Cashman, given the big stage on which to perform and like the great actors he has delivered his best performance. The 0.44 ERA speaks for itself, but he is throwing some really nasty shit and he and Mariano form a devastating bullpen duo for the 8th and 9th innings. It was pure brilliance that Cashman got Wood, Berkman and Kearns for essentially nothing. Berkman is a player who is on his last legs, but he is being used exactly how a really good team uses an aging veteran bench player, as a part time DH and PH, but I feel like there are some big hits left in that bat of his.

These guys have been put in a situation where they have come to a winning team and are not being asked to be main man players. They are just being asked to be contributors to a winning effort and that is what they are doing. It is really special for a guy like Wood who can fucking smell the aroma of postseason baseball, he can fucking taste it and he is savoring the aroma and that taste in his nose and mouth. This is what happens when you take a winning ballplayer and put him in the right situation where his star can shine the brightest. The man has a deep reservoir of pride he has never been able to show until now. Watch out!

 

[lgna69xxx]

Excellent post EB!

Kerry Wood is a very talented player. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 1998 and struck out 20 batters in a game tying the major league record. His problem is he was with horseshit teams that abused and misused him, and then more recently he got stuck playing on a bad Cleveland team that is not going anywhere.

He has now been rescued by Cashman, given the big stage on which to perform and like the great actors he has delivered his best performance. The 0.44 ERA speaks for itself, but he is throwing some really nasty shit and he and Mariano form a devastating bullpen duo for the 8th and 9th innings. It was pure brilliance that Cashman got Wood, Berkman and Kearns for essentially nothing. Berkman is a player who is on his last legs, but he is being used exactly how a really good team uses an aging veteran bench player, as a part time DH and PH, but I feel like there are some big hits left in that bat of his.

These guys have been put in a situation where they have come to a winning team and are not being asked to be main man players. They are just being asked to be contributors to a winning effort and that is what they are doing. It is really special for a guy like Wood who can fucking smell the aroma of postseason baseball, he can fucking taste it and he is savoring the aroma and that taste in his nose and mouth. This is what happens when you take a winning ballplayer and put him in the right situation where his star can shine the brightest. The man has a deep reservoir of pride he has never been able to show until now. Watch out!

 

[Merlot]

Jeter Cheats? Say It ain't So!

Excellent post EB!

LOL!!!

"Excellent post EB"..."Excellent post EB"..."Excellent post EB"...arrrgh, Polly want a cracker. What a parrot. I guess this is all you can offer while EB strokes Yankee genius again as they coincidentally fall back into second place. A bit of a contradiction. We all know you Yankee fans want to put on pinstripes, hold hands, and sing Cumbaya after a brief prayer to Stienbrenner, but the Yanks did just fall to second, that's SECOND PLACE despite Yankees genius and a little cheating.

Derek Jeter: Question of Character or Part of The Game?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/463841-derek-jeter-question-of-character-or-part-of-the-game

Around 9:15 EST Wednesday night while playing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Derek Jeter did something we have never seen him do, and might never expect him to do. Jeter has been an ambassador of the game and is known for being class act for throughout his career, but on Wednesday night...

He acted.

Down one in the top of the seventh inning, Jeter led off and showed bunt on Chad Qualls' first pitch. The pitch flew inside and Jeter began to pull his bunt in. The ball tailed in and hit the bunt of Jeter's bat. The crack of bat was definitely profound and I thought he might have just gotten hit along with the bat because he was absolutely thriving in pain. Oh No! What if he broke a finger? Jeter is running over to the site grabbing his arm and waning as the coaching staff goes to tend to him.

Then the replay comes.

The ball does not come close to hitting Jeter, directing off the end of the bat. Rays Manager Joe Maddon jumps out of the dugout and I began to realize the certainty of him exiting to the clubhouse by the time his "conversation" with Umpire Lance Barksdale is over rather than end up back on the bench.

I attempted (to no avail) to explain to a friend why after a call like that coaches often inevitably getting tossed. Old school managers like Joe Maddon are going to get much more than their two cents in situations like these.

The question that comes into player here is whether Jeter making this type of display to get a call is a savvy move by a veteran player, or whether the Yankees most beloved player has a bit of a wicked side.

The Two Sides of The Coin

Viewpoint #1 (Potential Yankees Fan): Down 2-1 late a game that will decide who is leading the division at the end of the night, Jeter makes a crafty veteran move to try to help his team knotted at two. It is just another sacrifice that future hall-of-famer made to help his team in any feasible fashion? It brings you back to the early 20th century style of baseball. Bend the rules, win at all costs.

Viewpoint #2 (Potential Yankees Hater): Everybody thought Jeter was this baseball angel that could do no wrong, but tonight he finally showed his dark side. How could a player possibly toy with the integrity of the game for a measly hit by pitch, and of all people Derek Jeter. No player should fake being hit by a pitch, it is classless.

I lean towards the first description, but then again, I like Derek Jeter. I also like the classic grind it out style of baseball and think kind of mild "dirty play" is part of what the game is missing today. Regardless, it heats up rivalries and it heats up passion. Isn't that a good thing in itself?


Well, "dirty play" is what it is, and at a time when we are all trying to deal with the specter of steroids, and put that into perspective, it doesn't help to see one of the biggest names in the MLB flagrantly cheating...as caught on video. Thing thing is I had always grudgingly liked Jeter.

Jeter

No wonder you erased your sad defense of Jeter...Iggy.

Disappointed,

Merlot

 

[Special K]

LOL!!!

"Excellent post EB"..."Excellent post EB"..."Excellent post EB"...arrrgh, Polly want a cracker. What a parrot. I guess this is all you can offer while EB strokes Yankee genius again as they coincidentally fall back into second place.

Fucken hilarious!! You hit the nail right on the head Merly!!!!!!! Bwawaaahhhh.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Yea your right, second place in the East only gets you into the playoffs, meanwhile third place gets the red sox a chance to see the bruins opening night without having to worry about getting home to get rested up to play a game the next day. Darn that second place!

I guess this is all you can offer while EB strokes Yankee genius again as they coincidentally fall back into second place.

 

[lgna69xxx]

even a respected manager like Joe Maddon supports Jeter



"If our guys had did it, I would have applauded that. It's a great peformance on his part," he said. "Several players are very good at that. And again, I'm not denigrating it. If our guy does it, I'm very happy with that if we end up getting the call. ... Fortunately it didn't cost us."


http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2010/09/16/...y-pitch-struck-bat-not-him-in-loss-to/?synd=1

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Kerry Wood is a very talented player. He was NL Rookie of the Year in 1998 and struck out 20 batters in a game tying the major league record. His problem is he was with horseshit teams that abused and misused him, and then more recently he got stuck playing on a bad Cleveland team that is not going anywhere.

He has now been rescued by Cashman, given the big stage on which to perform and like the great actors he has delivered his best performance. The 0.44 ERA speaks for itself, but he is throwing some really nasty shit and he and Mariano form a devastating bullpen duo for the 8th and 9th innings. It was pure brilliance that Cashman got Wood, Berkman and Kearns for essentially nothing. Berkman is a player who is on his last legs, but he is being used exactly how a really good team uses an aging veteran bench player, as a part time DH and PH, but I feel like there are some big hits left in that bat of his.

These guys have been put in a situation where they have come to a winning team and are not being asked to be main man players. They are just being asked to be contributors to a winning effort and that is what they are doing. It is really special for a guy like Wood who can fucking smell the aroma of postseason baseball, he can fucking taste it and he is savoring the aroma and that taste in his nose and mouth. This is what happens when you take a winning ballplayer and put him in the right situation where his star can shine the brightest. The man has a deep reservoir of pride he has never been able to show until now. Watch out!

Excellent post, Beav. Does this explain why the Yankees are 22-21 since the trading deadline?

On April 19, the Red Sox were 5.5 games behind the Yankees. Today, despite all the injuries: Ellsbury, Pedroia, Martinez, Varitek, Cameron, Youkilis, Beckett, Matsuzaka, Buchholz, they trail the Yankees by 6. Kerry Wood is a .500 player and he seems to have brought the Yankees down to his level. Will Lance Berkman ever hit a home run in a Yankee uniform?

Cashman is a mediocre GM who can't field a good team with $200 M. The Yankees would be 4-5 games behind a healthy Sox team.

You know, Beav, you've set the stupid shit bar awfully high and I'd like to be the first to congratulate you for soaring over it. If the Yankees do manage to hold of the Red Sox, something now in question yet again, they're a solid bet to be gone in the first round.