Winter Blues: 2012 Official Offseason Baseball Thread

[Doc Holliday]

Stephen Drew to undergo more testing; opening game in doubt

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Boston Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew is headed for Pittsburgh on Tuesday to be evaluated over the next two days at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Sports Medicine Concussion Program.

Drew has not played since March 7, when he was struck in the helmet by a pitch thrown by Twins pitcher Caleb Thielbar. At the time, Drew appeared OK. He remained in the game for another inning and did not complain of symptoms, but reported to the club the next day that he began to experience symptoms that night.

The team has yet to declare that Drew will not be available at the start of the regular season, but it appears a foregone conclusion.

"That window is closing," manager John Farrell said Tuesday morning.

"Whatever precautions we can take for his care are first and foremost."

The Pittsburgh program's executive director, neuropsychologist Dr. Micky Collins, is clinical consultant for MLB on concussion injuries. He helped develop a testing tool, ImPACT (Immediate Postconcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing), which is used to develop a treatment and management plan.

According to the program's website, treatment specialists may prescribe physical therapy to treat symptoms of the injury and may prescribe medications, if certain symptoms persist, to help treat emotional, mood, sleep and cognitive concussion symptoms.


Drew is also scheduled to be seen by the program's neurovestibular expert, who studies the interaction between the brain and the vestibular organ, which is located in the inner ear.

http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/9070202/stephen-drew-boston-red-sox-undergo-more-tests

On another, Derek Jeter was scratched today due to experiencing problems with the ankle he got operated on.

 

[Special K]

Jeter out for the remainder of the Spring so he can be back dated on the DL when the season opens.

Let's recap this. Yankees lineup

C: none
1B: none
2B: Cano
3B: Youk
SS: Nunez or None
LF: Gardner
CF: Granders...oh wait...
RF: Ichiro
DH: Hafner

First to Worst in the EAST! Mark it.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I think you're mistaken, K. Are you sure that's not the 1962 Mets?

 

[lgna69xxx]

Yanks will be fine with that awesome pitching all around. Seems you, as a patriots fan might be a little more worried about who Tom Brady will be throwing to in the fall :lol:

Peyton and the Broncos say, Merci Beaucoup :thumb:

Jeter out for the remainder of the Spring so he can be back dated on the DL when the season opens.

Let's recap this. Yankees lineup

C: none
1B: none
2B: Cano
3B: Youk
SS: Nunez or None
LF: Gardner
CF: Granders...oh wait...
RF: Ichiro
DH: Hafner

First to Worst in the EAST! Mark it.

 

[smuler]

Are you sure that's not the 1962 Mets?

Hey my friend

Let's keep the Mets out of this :nono:


Best Regards

Smuler

 

[Jman47]

Jeter out for the remainder of the Spring so he can be back dated on the DL when the season opens.

Let's recap this. Yankees lineup

C: none
1B: none
2B: Cano
3B: Youk
SS: Nunez or None
LF: Gardner
CF: Granders...oh wait...
RF: Ichiro
DH: Hafner

First to Worst in the EAST! Mark it.

Start the parade...!!!:lol:

 

[Special K]

Yanks will be fine with that awesome pitching all around. Seems you, as a patriots fan might be a little more worried about who Tom Brady will be throwing to in the fall :lol:

Peyton and the Broncos say, Merci Beaucoup :thumb:

Haha, I was a bit bummed to see Welker go but the Pats will be just fine as always. Dallas & Romo on the other hand, good grief. :lol:

 

[Joe.t]

Jeter out for the remainder of the Spring so he can be back dated on the DL when the season opens.

Let's recap this. Yankees lineup

C: none
1B: none
2B: Cano
3B: Youk
SS: Nunez or None
LF: Gardner
CF: Granders...oh wait...
RF: Ichiro
DH: Hafner

First to Worst in the EAST! Mark it.

Dunno K, having met at the recent GT the legendary baseball expert chercherfemmes(I don't think that there is a human being alive that knows more about baseball than this walking encyclopedia) who has assured me that the AL East will be a two horse race between the Blue Jays and the Yankees, I am actually pulling for the Blue Jays believe it or not as they will popularize the sport of baseball in Canada if they win the East, no where in my discussions on this fun night(GT) did the great chercher mention the Red Sox but then again the only topics of conversation were winning, AL East title, the Pennant, the World Series, etc.

BTW- Vegas has the Blue Jays favored to win the East.

 

[Merlot]

Dunno K, having met at the recent GT the legendary baseball expert chercherfemmes...

BTW- Vegas has the Blue Jays favored to win the East.

LOL,

So chercherfemmes (looking for women) found you, huh Joe.

Vegas Insider

Yes, Vegas is picking the Jays. But here's what you left out, to no one's surprise:

American League East

1. Toronto Blue Jays. Predicted Record: 93-69.

2. Boston Red Sox. Predicted Record: 87-75.

3. Tampa Bay Rays. Predicted Record: 83-79.

4. New York Yankees. Predicted Record: 82-80.

(Note: Alex Rodriguez was secluded from this preview for being too insignificant.)

5. Baltimore Orioles. Predicted Record: 72-90.

Wow, you've got to love that line in the write up on the Yankees about Rodriguez being a total non-entity, and they're still paying him an average of $23,000,000 for the next five seasons.

Personally I wouldn't have been that optimistic about the Red Sox before spring training and I think it's still too optimistic. But there have been real signs that the starting rotation may show marked improvement over last year.

The Yankees also look to finish lower than in the last 15-20 years. The season hasn't started and they are already suffering injuries at several positions. For an old team it's a dangerous sign.

Did CCF make those picks before or after he passed out from the Tequila.

Cheers,

Merlot

 

[Doc Holliday]

Recently, the Friday afternoon panel on Prime Time Sports held a poll among themselves in regards to the AL East and it was unanimous among them that the Jays & Rays would be battling it out in the East. When asked where the Red Sox & Yankees would wind up, to my show, all of them picked them to battle it out in the basement.

The following week, one of the guests warned that you never know with the Yankees & it's too soon to say where they'll finish. Then one of the hosts asked him "If the teams were reversed where Toronto had the Yankees players and New York had the Jays players instead, where would put them?" The guest admitted that he'd put this new version of the Jays in last place & the new version of the Yankees would be picked to finish first.

Personally, i think the Red Sox will have a better record than the Yankees. The Red Sox can't be worse than last season, but i can't see them contending with that lineup, especially with John Farrell as the manager. As for the Yankees, i have to be honest: this is the worse Yankees team (on paper) that i can remember since i started following baseball in the late 60's/early 70's. Sure, you can blame injuries, but even without the injuries (A-Rod, Texeira, etc), i think they'd actually be worse!

As i see the Yankees.....

Starting pitching will be average at best. Middle relief will be decent. Big question mark in the bullpen with Mariano Rivera. But will they be able to use him effectively anyway? I don't anticipate them being in the lead very often come the ninth inning.

No catcher, no first baseman, all-star second baseman, big questions at the shortop's durability, over-the-hill third basemen (for both Youkilis & A-Rod), average outfield with no power. Granderson's injury will be felt since the team lacks power hitters, but he was striking out so often that this will balance out his loss.

Unfortunately, Joe Girardi will pay the price for his GM's ineffectiveness and he may be fired in mid-July.

As for the Red Sox, there are many holes in the lineup, especially at shortstop (again!). Ortiz might not play much this season due to injuries.....i currently am battling the same ailment & trust me, those foot problems don't always get better & when they do, it can take a long time to heal. Average catcher, questionable first baseman, all-start second baseman, no shortsop, average third baseman, average outfielders other than the potential all-star centerfielder if he stays healthy.

Above average starting pitching (in my opinion), average middle relief & questionable closer (Andrew Bailey). Below-average manager who'll get to keep his job for at least one more season, since he's good buddies with the very average GM (Ben Cherrington).

It'll be a long season in New York & Boston. My guess is that will be good for the Montreal sex business since a lot of disgruntled baseball fans will be travelling to Montreal more often this coming summer in order to unwind & get their minds off baseball.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

I agree with you on most of your Yankee analysis; your Sox analysis suggests that you haven't paid much attention. Where I disagree with you on the Yankees: 1) I think you're under-rating their starting staff which should be good if they can stay healthy. That's a huge if. 2) You don't mention their defense, which should be historically awful. The two lawn ornaments on the left side will prove as porous as any left side in the last 50 years. 3) Middle relief should be better than just decent. Still, I don't see how this team can win over 75 games.

Here's where you miss on the Sox:
1. Mike Napoli. Mr. Napoli has an .863 career OPS...AS A CATCHER. Now that he doesn't have to worry about handling a pitching staff and can concentrate on his hitting. And now that he's playing in a ballpark that was basically designed for him, you can put Mr. Napoli down for 40 pops. Mark my words.
2. Average 3rd baseman? Please tell me what's average about Will Middlebrooks? Middlebrooks had an .835 OPS as a 23 year old rookie. If that's average, I'll take a whole team of average to the playoffs, thank you.
3. Average middle relief. Sorry, but Uehara, Miller, Tazawa, and Aceves is about as good as it gets.
4. Questionable closer. You would be right here, except for one thing. Bailey isn't the closer, Hanrahan is and a very good one he is.
5. Left field. It appears at this point that the left fielder will be Jackie Bradley Jr, and if the spring is any indication, he could well be a top Rookie of the Year candidate.
6. Shortstop. It appears that Stephen Drew will be the starting shortstop and I wouldn't call him a hole, though I wouldn't call him any better than average either. Personally, he wouldn't be my candidate. I'd sacrifice the offense and play Jose Iglesias, whose glove is nothing short of magical. He'll save them more runs with his leather than he'll cost them with his wood...and he'll save a ton of wear and tear on the pitching arms. The Sox have more than enough offense to sacrifice it from their shortstop.

I agree with you on the Sox starting pitching. Lester and Buchholz are both showing that last year was a fluke, though truth be told, Buchholz was just fine after a tough start. John Lackey has dropped between 20-30 lbs. and scouts report he looks better than he has in five years. Most of the people who have watched the Sox this spring are calling for them to win about 87 games. I think that's fair, though I think they could possibly hit 90 and compete with the Jays for the division.

I don't fear Tampa Bay. I just don't they have enough stick to carry their superior pitching. They could fight the Sox for second if the Sox fall a few short of that 87. The Orioles were a fluke last year. You can't go 19-9 in one run games twice, you just can't. You can't go 16-2 in extra inning games twice, you just can't. The Orioles, sad to say, are what will keep the Yankees out of the basement.

BTW, I just heard that the Yankees are picking up the corpse of Vernon Wells. AND...AND...I wasn't listening to the Comedy Network.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

BTW, I just heard that the Yankees are picking up the corpse of Vernon Wells. AND...AND...I wasn't listening to the Comedy Network.

It's done. Stephen Colbert has just confirmed the Yankees' acquisition of Vernon Wells. Is Yuniesky Betancourt next?

 

[lgna69xxx]

Ahhhhhhhhhh spring is finally here after a long cold winter and while optimism fills the air of all major league clubs, soon things will get back to normal. While i do see the red sox being better than last year, dont expect dramatic returns. The Jays wont be as good as advertised but good enuf to compete and likely make the playoffs. The Rays will compete as always with the pitching they have. The Orioles will slip to being the "orioles" of old. Injuries, players having career years, surprises etc usually happen every season that can change things, i just do not see that happening enough with the bottom two.

1. BJ's
2.Yanks
3.Rays
4.Sox
5.O's

I think it is possible that 1 and 2 could be a matter of a game or two difference and go either way, also thinking the Rays would be less than 3 games out of first as well. It is gonna be a dog fight for the top 3 spots.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Looks like another setback for Cap'n Jetes. The Yankees starting shortstop will be, get this, Edwin "Hands 'o Stone" Nunez. No telling when Mr. Lawn Ornament will be able to play, which I think is actually a plus.

A couple of Twitter quotes from "Not Buster Olney":
1. THE YANKEES HAVE SEVERAL OUTFIELDERS WHO COULD DO A DECENT JOB, BUT THEY DON'T FIT THE CLUB'S PROFILE OF "OLD AND OVERPAID" LIKE WELLS DOES.

2. If Travis Hafner, Juan Rivera & Vernon Wells in the middle of the lineup doesn't fill up Yankee Stadium, I don't know what will.

Anybody picking the Yankees to win more than 75 games should be sharing his drugs with his friends, cause he's obviously sitting on some pretty good shit.

 

[EagerBeaver]

It's done. Stephen Colbert has just confirmed the Yankees' acquisition of Vernon Wells. Is Yuniesky Betancourt next?

The Wells acquisition is fine with me, so long as Arte Moreno has swallowed a ton of cash. That's a tough swallow, but you have to be able to swallow what you put into your mouth sometimes. Even if it tastes like barium. Buster Olney is reporting that Moreno has in fact been sampling and swallowing, but not savoring the taste:

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...e-vernon-wells-los-angeles-angels-sources-say

This is a flyer for the Yankees with no financial strings attached to it. Wells sucks for what he is being paid, but he doesn't suck for nothing.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

This is a flier for the Yankees.

So's Ben Francisco, who's probably a better player than Wells right now and won't cost nearly as much. We'll know within the day just how much barium Moreno has to swallow, but I bet it's not over, gasp, $30 M, which would leave the Yankees paying Wells some $12M. Watching the Yankees suck for the next two years is going to be some fun. I just hope the Orioles can squeeze enough wins to drop the Yanks into the basement.

 

[lgna69xxx]

Buster O says Wells is the perfect solution and the Angels are likely to eat up to 18mil of his 21mil a year salary this year and next. For 3 mil a year, welcome VW.

 

[lgna69xxx]

This is what i mean about spring optimism..... same thing every year, then by the all star break, it is business as usual :thumb:

By the way, replace Yankees with "red sox" and i agree, but then you would have to also change two years to "last 2 and next 2"

Watching the Yankees suck for the next two years is going to be some fun.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I just heard that the Yankees are in the process of acquiring the aging Vernon Wells. Did i hear right?? What the hell are they thinking? That guy is done!! They would be better off signing Johnny Damon and try to coax Pudge Rodriguez (or Fisk) out of retirement.

On another note, here are my predictions for the AL East:

1) Toronto
2) Tampa
3) Boston
4) Baltimore
5) New York

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Buster O says Wells is the perfect solution and the Angels are likely to eat up to 18mil of his 21mil a year salary this year and next. For 3 mil a year, welcome VW.

LOL, Buster said nothing of the sort. First, he calls Wells a "stopgap measure." Then, at the end, he says the Yankees "have been scrambling for even imperfect solutions." Those, Sir, are exact quotes.

No wonder you think the Yankees can contend this year. You hear only the words you want to hear while totally ignoring reality. Here's Buster:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9092746&categoryid=2378529

A tweet from Buster: "Depending on how much NYY pay Wells, fair question to ask is: Would they have been better off devoting that $ to Martin, Schierholtz, Damon, etc."

(Note: I added Damon for Doc's benefit. Buster didn't really include him.)