For those of you too young to remember it, the name of this thread comes from the Terry Cashman song.

Yep, another baseball season kicked off last night with a Red Sox-Yankees game. As a lifelong Red Sox fan, it is strange for me to see them as two-time world champions over the last decade and as one of the power teams of the sport, with enough money to buy pretty much whatever talent they want. They are getting too much like the Yankees in that respect. Used to be, you could count on the Sox to hit 200 homers, steal less than 50 bases, and miss the playoffs, or lose in them when they (rarely)made the postseason. Now they are a frequent preseason pick to win it all. Weird. There's a lot of Sox fans that are not used to dealing with success.

I know there's a lot of Blue Jays fans up north, and I know tomtuttle roots for the hometown Mariners. Snakeyes has a Mets avatar, and who was that with the Phillies avatar? Zarak, I wanna say? To quote Spock, "If memory serves correctly..."

Any other teams you guys follow? Anybody go to games? We have a minor league (single A) team in Augusta that is a cheap night of fun.

Play ball!

Watched a little of that game last night. Exciting rivarly, two talented teams . Suprised to find out this morning the Sox ended up winning.

Go Jays .

Baseball is the only religion that's ever really made sense to me.

[/annie_savoy]

Anyhoo, Mariners start the season on the road against the hated Athletics tonight. Everybody has hope on opening day. I am cherishing the opportunity to again see Ken Griffey Jr., and look forward to this year's journey.

I can't go to either Yankees or Red Sox games in Seattle anymore; there are just too many people rooting for the wrong team.

Play Ball!

Try growing up in NY as a Mets fan... It's very hard to do!

With the nearest MLB team a four hour flight away, I don't get into baseball much anymore. Besides, the pucks keep breaking my bats. I prefer a live local game over a TV game anyday as well. All in all though, I root for the Jays when I do get into it. There are a lot of Toronto fans here but also a surprising number of long time Red Sox fans around too. I like to at least cheer for my home country but hey, if we all picked the same team, what fun would watching a game with your buddies be?

From what I understand, Murph, is that there is support for some of the Boston teams out east because of the help they gave Nova Scotia during WW1 when the munition ship explosion in Halifax Harbour wiped out the city.

That's probably true. I remember learning all about that in history but never would have thought to put the two items together. There is a disproportional number of Bruins fans here as well that might tie into it.

Go Nationals!!! (They are brutally bad, and the new stadium actually isn't all that nice, but they are local.)

I prefer minor league over major league baseball. Frederick Keys and Bowie Bay Sox!

Yup, it was me with the Phils avatar.

RayLewis...the Nat's really? At least we know you are a true fan rooting for them. 11-1 for the Phils today. Off to a good start, but it is the Nats we played after all

I'm actually not much of a baseball fan, so it's not too painful to root for the Nats. If they ever are good, then it will be fun to root for them. But, when they suck it is no biggie in my book.

The Phils are going to be awfully good this year. Sports Illustrated had an article about Halladay. Seems like a likable guy.

Roy Halladay is a class act all the way. It's too bad the Jays have been treading water for a number of years(that tends to happen when your Eastern competitors are trying to buy championships) and it would have been nice to see him win it all with the Jays, but give the team credit too, for sending him to a serious contender where he has a very good chance of winning a World Series.

Roy Halladay is the best pitcher I have ever watched play the game. His numbers are out of this world. Just think how his win-loss record would be if he actually played on a good team. I have seen him lose a fair number of games where they lost 2-1. The guy has amazing control around the strike zone. You will get a lot of complete games out him as well. He is not a strike out pitcher. Lots of ground balls. Best pitcher in baseball IMO.

The best pitcher I have ever had in front of me was St-Ambroise Stout! 48 or 60 onces, either one is great!

I'll probably try to catch a Nationals game after they call Stephen Strasburg up, to see him pitch. He sounds like the real deal, and the Nationals will likely have him for a maximum of four years before he is off to New York or Boston (or L.A. or Philadelphia).

In honor of my DC friends and their long, illustrious history, the Nats are my "other" favorite team.

It was amazing to watch Randy Johnson pitch, but he ended up being not terribly likable.

Kind of like Roger Clemens. Not well liked by many fans and also by his peers.

tomtuttle, you will be glad you adopted the Nationals when, in about 15 years, they are close to making the playoffs.

The fact that Roy Halladay is now in the National league where he no longer has to pitch against the Yankees and Red Sox AND NINE "REAL" hitters, he may be the first twenty-five game winner in a long time.

The A.L east has some of the toughest hitting lineups in baseball. Halladay will also get offensive support which was lacking in Toronto. More importantly Toronto's inability to bat with runners in scoring position.

25 wins?!?! Possible, but in an era when pitchers only get about 32 starts, even winning 20 is a lot more rare than it used to be.

Bob Welch won 27 in 1990. Bob Welch?!?! Had to look it up. I'd have guessed - wrongly - Ron Guidry or Steve Carlton.

Walter Johnson had 531 Complete Games (5th all time). Gaylord Perry had 303 (39th). Halladay IS amazing; he has led the league in complete games 5 out of the last 7 years - with a number like 9/year. So, if he pitches until he's about 60, he can make the top 50 in that category.

Just having fun with numbers - I do think he is a wonderful player and I enjoy seeing his games. They just don't make 'em like they used to.

No question, problem is no matter what the times, it is widely understood that the pitchers of recent vintage are "babied" far too much. Even today, Halladay is an anomalie. That is why they can't come close to matching records of those other eras and that is even with a LONGER schedule!

It's just nice that the Phils are a destination team. for years growing up we were like the nats r now

Oh puhleeze! Phillies have 2 World Championships, 7 Pennants, and 12 Playoff Appearances. And they've never relocated to Minnesota or Texas.

I don't think there has been a Washington baseball team in the playoffs since 1933, and they weren't exactly a dynasty then.

With the possible exception of expansion/relocation teams that have never been to a series, I don't think there is a greater tradition of futility in professional baseball than in Washington.

Let's remember that until fairly recently, Boston was pretty pathetic too.

Boston went from pathetic, to a fun team to watch to now an annoying team is baseball. I guess thats better than being pathetic like the Blue Jays.

Love baseball, love the Jays. Miss Roy, but wish him all the best. Hope he gets a Cy Young and Series this year. Look for Cole Hamels to have a great bounce-back year too; what Roy did for Burnett, he'll do for Hamels.

The Jays have had it tough, that's for sure. Toughest division in baseball, but it's not without hope. Riccardi torpedoed the team, but I have a really good feeling about Anthopolous. He has done everything right since he's gotten there, and he just seems to know baseball. Three/four years from now, we should have a great team.

I have been an Astros fan for many years but I don't follow baseball nearly as closely these days. Roger Clemens soured me on the sport. I was a big J.R. Richards and Nolan Ryan fan for many years. Now those guys could bring the heat!

I have to agree with you David, I also haven't felt the same about sports in general since all the cheaters started getting exposed.

Raccardi made some mistakes with the signings of some overpaid veteran players (BJ RYAN, the big hurt etc). Rios turned out to be a disaster and was grossly overpaid to early. These are just his mistakes within recent years. Wells can't seem to bat when there are men on base (he did have a great opening game).

Anthopolous looks like he is building around a core of young players. Its the correct move.

Washington also didn't have a team for many years. If you want to talk about numbers on the bad side, the Phils did hit 10,000 franchise losses recently. I was born in '74, so I have some small memories of the 1980 Series title. For whatever reason (maybe because the Phils didn't win) I remember the '83 Series loss even less. Beyond that, it was almost 25 years of not very good seasons, with the exception of '93.

Plenty of guys (Schilling off the top of my head, but there are others) couldn't wait to get out of town years ago. So it is great to have people that want to come play here now.

Yeah! Jays take the the first 3 game series 2-1. Can you say Vernon Wells player of the month. Wow! .

Umpire Joe West is my new favorite fat guy, having justifiably called out the Yankees and Red Sox for slow play, calling them "a disgrace to baseball".

Seriously, why do batters have to get out of the box and tug at both gloves after EVERY PITCH? Baseball games were 2 hours when I was growing up, not 3 hours. And there is just no excuse for a 4-hour, 9-inning game.

Just another reason to loathe the other AL East teams.

Harumph.

Hey you kids...get off my infield!

It's Joyce's pet peeve.... those little "routines" they have every time they step up to the plate.

I don't watch baseball enough to let it bother me.

Communist.

I heard about this on ESPN radio yesterday. I'll hedge my comments by saying that I, too, am annoyed by the OCD rituals that batters seems to do, and I don't watch much live baseball for this reason.

However, my respect for Mariano Rivera went up when he shot back at West that maybe if West didn't want to be at the ball park so long that (1) maybe he should find another job and (2) maybe he should call a strike zone that's bigger than a loaf of bread.

Granted, getting the ump angry may come back to bite him later, but I enjoy playing Devil's advocate (looks over shoulder for Adrian, who is undoubtedly prepping a pun about the Al Pacino movie), and West never looks like he's happy to be working a game. YMMV.

West's comments were highly inappropriate. Players and coaches get fined for criticizing the umpires. Should work both ways.

More importantly--the Nats will not go winless in 2010!

I totally agree that West's comments were inappropriate and worthy of discipline.

I could care less if the game is 2 hours or 4 hours as long at is entertaining. With the Socks and Yanks it usually is. Just do your job Mr. West and shut your mouth.

How can the umps be critical of teams and try to enforce rules that don't exist? I agree with the previous poster in that the ump should face the same penalties as players do in similar circumstances such as these. If the league feels games are dragging on to long well then do something actually about it instead of having a ump embarass 2 of the most important teams to the profitability and popularity of the game.

Well, it's cultural evolution of the game. Umpires have long been too lenient in granting batter requests for "Time", and now they can't seem to get the genie back into the bottle, or the batter back into the box.

From MLB Rules



I'd like to see the umpires actually "do their jobs", but I don't think the players would like it much.

Great post tomtuttle. Interesting stuff.

For any meaningful changes the league will have to get involved one way or another. As a start they can bring public awarness to the owners/gm's/players and by also holding umps more accountable. Another step if they are even more serious is changing some rules - but we all know how baseball likes "change".

Another thing you see too much of is pitchers 'holding' a guy at first....a throw once in a while?...fine....but 6-7 throws in a row?

How bout' them Jays! Coming back late in games instead of giving up the lead. Another great start, hopefully it does not fall apart after a month.

I would contemplate using Frasor as the setup man in the 8th and closing with Gregg. I really like what I see from Gregg thus far.

Don't forget how well they STARTED last year.

I know he wasn't very good today, but I think you guys are going to like Brandon Morrow.

Best team in baseball the first month and we all know how well that worked out . Not much excitement being a Jays fan so I have to get it when I can.

I like him in our starting rotation.

I too am glad to see him. Being in Ontario, I used to stay up late every once in a while to watch him pitch in Seattle on TV. Any starter that can touch 98/99mph is worth watching. I'll chalk that first inning up to nerves, he settled in alright after that. Pitchers take a while to develop, so he's got a large upside potential. We'll see.

Having said that, I miss League. I think he's got some mechanical issues, but when he's on he's lights out. Two years ago he mowed through the Yankees middle order, K'ing the side with a 97mph fastball with sick movement. He's also got the potential to be a Mariano type closer, if he can get his consistency under control.

Or maybe they'll both turn into Billy Koch. Who knows.

Yeah, Doc; most sports are open to changes to improve their games, but baseball remains stuck in the 19th century in large part. Dig up Ned Hanlon and John McGraw, revivify them, slap on a uniform, set them in the dugout and they wouldn't miss a beat. For example, as minimal a change as having one "designated hitter" remains unacceptable to one of the leagues, while football got rid of the two-way player concept over 50 years ago. Even a modest step such as a 6-man batting order would probably send them into convulsions.

I liked Brandon League's potential, and when he was on his "stuff" was very good. Just to inconsistent and really showed it last year. That said, I like the trade overall for Morrow and the value we received.

So where's Jesse Carlson? He is another guy that has showed flashes of brilliance from the bullpen, but has struggled mighty as well.

Another comeback win for the Jays!

My boy Halladay pitched another complete game win for his career! Sick stats in his first 2 games, the guy is tits! So Phillies fans how do you like him on your team? With your bats and potential run support, 25 wins is possible.

I'm lovin' Doc so far. It's nice that the Phils didn't have to score 8 to win a game. Gotta be able to pick up those low scoring 2-1 victories once in a while too. Can't expect an offensive explosion every day.

And JohnK...the DH? To me it is more like one of the leagues won't admit it is a bad idea and get rid of it. I love having the pitcher bat. It adds a lot more strategy to the game. Do I pinch hit or not? Sacrifice? Double switch? It just makes things a lot more interesting, instead of having a guy that often seems to be past his prime, can't field anymore, so all he does is go up and swing a bat a couple of times a game.

The Doc is not use to much run support. There are countless games where he was the losing pitcher in a 1-0 2-1 ball games with the Jays and pitched a complete game! Since the Doc is a ground ball pitcher even when he gets into trouble with guys in scoring position with less than 2 outs, he is able to get out of a lot of jams with double plays.

Now if the Doc is pitching brilliantly does the skip pull him in the 7th or 8th for a bat or keep him in? Now this makes things a bit more interesting now that he is in the NL.

As a longtime fan in an AL city, I totally agree that the DH sucks.

What REALLY infuriates me - beyond the basic concepts you've outlined - is that we get no relief during interleague play (which is another abomination).

If we must have interleague play (that "natural rivalry" between the Padres and Mariners is scintillating every year), let's at least play NL rules in AL parks and vice-versa. Sure, it would somewhat diminish the home field advantage, but it would bring some life to the interleague schedule.

Of course, the DH has been "the rule" in the AL for nearly 40 years. As such, the greatest DH in the history of baseball (Edgar Martinez) deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.

Have there been any "bean ball" incidents with opposing pitchers in the NL?

Trivia I heard on the radio this morning.

What was used for the first time in the MLB on this date in 1973.

The lady who won shouldn't have been allowed a second guess after her first answer was "a glove". Ouch!

The catchers must have been competing with NHL goalies of the same era, for bravery.....or stupidity. Depends how you look at it.

That doesn't seem right to me. I think the answer is DH Ron Bloomberg and Murph is messing with us.

When were flood lights first used in Baseball stadiums?


uhhh, for 800 pts, Alex....

I wouldn't know without Googling it. 1930's?

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/stadium/st_crosl.shtml

On May 24, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt turned on six-hundred Crosley Field stadium lights by pushing a button five-hundred miles away. He was at the White House in Washington, D.C. and officially started the first night game in Major League history.

And, how did you enjoy it, Jack?

That's a Zinger rhat thar. With a capital ZING and a capital RRRR!!!

I love this place.

No respect. No respect!

I'd participate in this thread if we actually had a professional baseball team in Cleveland.

So, you're not bothering with the smilies any more, huh Jack? Just gonna make your own now...

BTW, you look extraordinarily sprightly for a 804 yr old.

Got to love the performance by Ricky Romero tonight! Great young pitching talent. Pitched a 1 hitter. The Blue Jays could be really 8-0 if it wasn't for 2 blown saves by Frasor.

Maybe Gaston will listen to me and move Frasor to the 7th or 8th and split closing duties with Gregg and Downs and use Downs in the 9th when Gregg needs a day off.

You've figured out my secret to success. If I claim to be much older than I am, everyone says "BOY! You look great for your age!" If I tell the truth, they think "UGH! He's a real disaster!"

At 804 years old, I figure you must secretly be an elf. I mean c'mon, no humans live THAT long.

Damn! I don't think my Astros are ever going to win this year. 0-8 start.

Lackey wins, Papelbon saves, and the Red Sox have evened it out at 4-4, beating the Twins in the second game at Target Field.

Big Papi is off to another slow start. I'd be tempted to put Mike Lowell in at DH.

It still pains me to see Lackey in a Bosox uniform.

Harumph.

You prefer them in majordomo uniforms?

LOL! That would be preferable!

Boston needs to spend less on buying players and build a real stadium, imho.

Agree. It is fugly.

It might not be the most obvious choice since there are so many nice ballparks and some arguably better but one of my favorites is Camden Yards in Baltimore.

Now if it was based on just food, well we can make a whole other thread debating that.

There's something to be said for nostalgia/tradition, and Fenway Park has it in spades. I give the owners credit for not switching over to one of those multipurpose stadiums back in the 1960s or to one of their successors, the current wave of "retro" ballparks. For my fellow history buffs, here's an interesting wikipedia article which correctly credits Camden Yards as the death knell of the multipurpose stadium.

Indeed! You guys can poop on the Redsox all you want, but please, leave the Park out of it.
Yeah, I know. You'd tear down the Flat Iron bldg. 'cause it's not all new and shiny. Parking lot/strip mall nation.

I've seen the Orioles play at Camden Yards. Nice park, bad neighborhood.

I'd leave Fenway alone, for sure. And Wrigley.

I'll be at Safeco Field in Seattle to see the Mariners and the Tigers on Sunday. With my son (13). "13" is his age, not his name. He was born before Olivia Wilde's character on "House". And I wouldn't name a boy after her.

Oooh, shiny! ...

Heckle Johnny Damon for me. Leaving the Red Sox for the Yankees and their slightly larger pile of cash, the bum!

Yeah, I was never a fan of his. Safeco is a really fun, cool and interesting place to attend a game. C'mon!

Well I don't follow baseball, haven't since I was a "Junior Angel" when I was in little league and got cheaper tickets to the Angels in Anahiem.

But my Step Father ...... He has had the same 4 seats/season tickets to the Dodgers since, I think he said 1963, when he moved to southern cal. He already has a grave stone next to his first wife, that I've seen and it has a Dodgers emblem embedded into the grave stone. He's 88 now.

Now that's a fan and dedication!

Tom, wish I were there. One day we'll make it out to the west coast again. Gotta show my son the redwoods and sequoias.

The earlier posts on ballparks has made me try to remember the stadiums I've been in:

1989: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Reds
1990: Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
1993: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
1995: Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
1999: Turner Field, Atlanta Braves

It's been a while. Maybe I can raid my retirement fund for some ticket money and go again.

Another victory for Halladay tonight...in the rain no less. He was up 8-1 and gave up one in the 8th to make it 8-2. You could tell he was upset afterwards that he gave up the extra run, and probably that he wasn't finishing the game as well. The pen tried to blow it in the 9th, but the Phils win 8-6.

25 wins for Roy this year. Book it!

Halladay is a beast. I'm totally on-board with that 25 wins prediction.

Felix Hernandez pitched a complete game last night, too. 0 earned runs. And Cliff Lee is supposed to be back next weekend. M's are 9-7 without Lee and Bedard even though they're hitting about .208.

OTOH, the Orioles are 2-14 and have Red Sox - Yankees - Red Sox - Yankees - Twins for their next 16 games. Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.

The Red Sox may not be much for them to fear, sadly. So far, Boston's new "pitching and defense" plan is not working out so well. However, the last two games have been wins - walk-off, dramatic wins.

Mark, this does not let you off the hook for those Fenway seats you promised me.

At the risk of inciting JP, Bob and others...

I hate the effing Red Sox.

$157 million for Adrian Gonzalez and $142 million for Carl Crawford. THIS WEEK?!?!

I don't think Theo Epstein is any kind of genius; he just has budget to do whatever he wants.

Sure, I'm bitter. The Mariners lost 100 games this year and will be lucky to improve next year. But, jeezus. How can Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Seattle, Kansas City, etc. hope to compete with NY and Boston?

SF did.

Ken, DO NOT bring reason into this argument!

I'm with you, Tom! Bitter, indeed.

I don't really follow much in sports past football, but I think ALL the money sucks.

Teams pay out gazillions of dollars for players, and then the average Joe can oftentimes not afford to attend a game...

As long as it doesn't impede my access to cash, grass or ass, incite away. And if they're hot, they can pay 'em as much as they want. Isn't that what we got HD for?

Sorry. I was laughing myself when I actually added the second sentence.

The fact that the Red Sox are now, for the last several years, a big money club like the Yankees still gives me a weird, uncomfortable feeling. BTW, how's that for a softball down the middle, Mark/Cam/everybody?! It's OK, go ahead: talk about my uncomfortable feelings. It'll be a nice change of pace from my day job.

Tom and others have heard this story, but I will share again for the newbies, with enhancements - we can call it the Platinum Edition, ha.

I grew up on the short side of the Boston-NY rivalry, as my Dad was a lifelong Yankees fan. He was born in Woodside, Queens in 1933, so he saw Dimaggio play, then the Mantle years - the whole crowd. I started playing tee ball in the summer of 1975. I was a left-handed center fielder. On TV, I saw a team with cool looking uniforms and a left-handed center fielder: The Boston Red Sox and Fred Lynn. The team did well that year, making it to the World Series. I remember listening to one of the games on AM radio on a family camping trip.

That year, and over the years, I got used to the Red Sox coming close but ultimately falling short. First, it was the Big Red Machine that won the '75 Series. Then, my Dad let me get out of school early in 1978 so we could watch the one game playoff between the Yankees and Red Sox. I was introduced rudely to Bucky F&@%in Dent. Then, in my college dorm's TV room, I watched that grounder go through Bill Buckner's legs in 1986.

When the Red Sox finally won the Series in 2004, a lot of us Red Sox fans had difficulty understanding this new role: champion. "You mean it really happened this time?" When the Red Sox won again in 2007, and at that time, the Yankees hadn't won since 2000, it was an even stranger feeling of sustained success.

So, now the baseball landscape has the Yankees and Red Sox as a sort of 1(a) and 1(b) of megateam with a megabudget. As a Sox fan, I'm excited about the infusion of new talent, but I do agree that it's not so much that "Theo is a (bleep)in' genius" - as another team's GM Tweeted this week - as it is that he has access to the biggest checkbook. So, yeah, as a casual fan, I feel a little sheepish about the process. I do empathize with the small market teams and their fans. Maybe MLB needs to adopt the kind of profit-sharing that has brought more competitiveness to the NFL.

Mark, better get me those tickets before they are a million dollars apiece.

That makes sense, JP. To tell you the truth, I used to have a soft spot in my heart for the BoSox. Partly because I enjoy rooting for the underdog (probably a byproduct of me playing on losing sports teams my entire childhood *sigh*), and I was happy to see the Red Sox finally shrug off the curse and win a World Series.

But then everything changed. Well, I guess it's because I'm bitter that they kept sweeping the Angels out of the playoffs?

I know what you mean about the small market teams. It's almost like they are a professional farm system for the big market teams. Almost like they are expected to trade away a star player at the deadline because a stronger team will benefit more.

And, yes, I'm absolutely bitter that Carl Crawford signed with them and not the Angles.

*harumph*

That's an interesting angle...

Ha ha, it's a new expansion team soon to hit the league by storm!

Well, JP, at least you feel weird about it.

That helps.

I'm sure I'll feel less weird as the season progresses. Then, probably more happy, I hope. If not, then definitely more angry.

Well, as long as you're not numb, I guess.

He's numb, but he ain't comfortable.

Re: The Red Sox turning into the dreaded Evil Empire (NY) itself by trying to buy the pennant and further ruining baseball.

All I can say to you is Nya nya nya nya nya nya.

Was looking through some older threads in this forum and came across this one. Realized I neglected to add my excitement that...

Cliff Lee is a Phillie again!!!

What a rotation this year. It is strange to be a Philly fan and feel like the division title is a lock, and just hoping the team is hitting once October rolls around. Nothing but major injuries to multiple players should get in the way of the playoffs this year.

I'll give up Werth if it means getting Lee. The Nats overpaid anyway.

Cliff Lee is worth rooting for. If there's space on the Phillies bandwagon, I'll hop aboard. Because the Mariners are going to lose 100 games again without a doubt.

It's a sad day in Mudville, with the passing of Duke Snider, the great Brooklyn Dodgers center fielder. Good as he was, though, he was thought of as the third best center fielder in New York at the time (1950s). The other teams had guys named Willie and Mickey. About 25 years later, Terry Cashman put this to song, and another 25+ years later, here we are in the baseball thread.

Here's hoping your team has a good season - but not as good as my Red Sox.

Yeah, hearing of Snider's passing gave me some pangs, too. I fear that we are entering a period of our lives when this type of news is going to become too common.

If I had any connection to Brooklyn, I still wouldn't be "over" them leaving. It's still just unbelievable to me.

Zero expectations for the Mariners this year, so I can just have fun. If they only lose 95 games, that will be "success". I once again declined the opportunity to purchase tickets for games against the Red Sox and Yankees.

Not even to scalp 'em?

Jp's on the warpath.

Too bad, Tom. JP and I woulda come out and gone with you. Or we coulda met you there. You'd spot us, 'cause we'd be in costumes dressed as the Red Sox payroll, covered in huge blank checks.

When the wind blows, and they flap in the breeze, it sounds just like Yankees fans talking.

Then, when the wind blows, we fap in the breeze as well.

After reading The Oatmeal about Valentines day, I don't want to know about you fapping at all.

Less complaining.

More sexy rumpus.

Great, just great. Josh Beckett got hit in the head by a baseball and likely sustained a mild concussion.

Tom, are you playing with voodoo dolls again?!

Oh dear! I guess the sox better go shopping again....

Bahb, get da checkbook out of da cah.

Josh Becket? Never heard of him.

I that that the Sox will finally win a game as soon as they run out of ways to lose. They've gotta be passed the 1/2 way point by now. They've just gotta be.

They are not finding ways to lose, their pitching is just not very consistent right now (besides Beckett) and their bullpen has been lacking. Buchholz had a tough time throwing strikes last night. They even had the home field umpiring advantage last night in their favour. Lackey has been awful. They are also struggling offensively but their bats will explode soon I'm sure. I like the Yankees and Blue Jays in the AL East as I think they have the best starting rotations and bullpens in the division. The Jays need to start batting for average though or they will be in trouble because the AL East can put up a lot of runs especially in ballparks like NY and Boston.

Its a looooong season.

Definitely. There is a lot of variance over the course of the season. The cream does rise to the top.

OK, then. You guys want "Dicey Kay?"

Think back at all the great starts Red Sox teams had over the years prior to the recent W.S. Championships. Where did they finish? Usually behind the Yankees who always seemed to start off slow.

I just want Brandon Morrow back in the starting rotation after coming off the 15 day DL + rehab in the minors. Our rotation is a lot better with Morrow in and Reyes out. Reyes is mismatched with Beckett today. Romero, Drabek (son of Doug), Morrow, Cecil and Litsch. Romero, Drabek and Morrow have nasty, nasty stuff. Toronto and Oakland are my two favorite starting rotations just because they are so young, talented with extremely high ceilings.

I really like Romero. I don't know where you live, BJ1; but do go to many Jays games?

Romero is a stud. I have been to a few games throughout the years. If I lived in Toronto I would consider getting season tickets. The Jays organization has done an excellent job with their pricing structures and keeping game prices affordable for just about anyone. There was a period I lost my passion and didn't follow any baseball.

If you ever have a chance to stay in the hotel at the Rogers Center, do it. I stayed there for the first time at the beginning of March (obviously no game on), but the rooms are very spacious and it's quite a treat.

And yes, Jays tickets are very reasonable. I find baseball the most boring sport to watch live (or televised) unless there's a large group of friends and some beers involved. Whenever we go as a group, we get tickets in the left outfield because they are cheap, a good view, a beer vendor is right behind us, and close enough to heckle the visiting team .

I'm almost superstitious enough not to post this, but I must say I've been happy how the Red Sox have been on a roll lately. Starting pitchers have turned it around big time.

Today begins a series with the Orioles, who, after a 6-1 start, have lost 11 of 13 games. Kind of the Bizarro Red Sox, who started 2-10 and now have won 8 of 9. Not to be confused with 7 of 9.

Clay Buchholz takes the mound for the Sox, and hopefully he can continue to dominate the O's - he threw a no-hitter against them in 2007 and is 3-0 with a 0.32 ERA in his last four starts against them. And, hopefully, he can escape this jinx.

You're NOT supposed to talk about it. We haven't for days and now things are OK. Just ignore them and they'll do great!

Keeping with the baseball theme, I would like to get to at least 3rd base with 7 of 9.

Maybe after you round third, you'll be able to slide into home.

I usually wake up before that.

Nice one!

JP, BobKay, Mark, and other dear friends,

I would not be able to live with myself if I did not properly observe yesterday's events.

From an unlikely source The Christian Science Monitor



And Evan Longoria becomes this generation's Bobby Thomson.

The drama was fantastic, and I feel like order has been restored to the universe.

And the Mariners failed - by five! - to lose 100 games.

I love baseball.

Yeah, that sucked.

Double facepalm - one each for the Red Sox and Braves:



I guess now I can turn my attention away from those underperforming millionaires to the underperforming undergraduates at my alma mater. Go Irish!

I like what the Mariners are doing with their starting rotation. Michael Pineda is a beast! Great young talent. He would be up there with the best "stuff" I watched all year.

Yes, Pineda is a very promising young man. And Felix is only 25. They got some depth when they traded Fister (which was hard) and Bedard (which was not). It's been a long time since the franchise has had ANY legitimately promising young talent, so the losses didn't hurt quite so much this year.

The League/Morrow deal looks like it is working out for you too. League was nasty when we were playing them. Morrow has been hit and miss. When he lacks fastball control he gets beat up pretty bad. Morrow is a strikeout pitcher, and his pitch count is usually through the roof by 7 innings. The Mariners scouts wanted him in the bullpen and not as a starter. I could totally see why that is now.

I am really stoked that the regular season is about to start. Not just because of the Jays but baseball in general. Been reading a lot of fangraphs.com lately.

Jays are playing well in spring training with a 22-5 record. With one of the best (if not the best) farm systems in baseball so not to surprising. This team is not like the Red Sox or Yankees that can just turn it once the regular season starts. They need this to build that confidence, swagger and winning mentality to enter the season with.

Hopefully my Brett Lawrie jersey arrives in the mail before the season opener...

He could probably use one too by the looks of it .

Nice!

When you buy one, does it already smell like beer and cheap tarts? I'll bet it'd look great with a Family Guy mask, Mr. Blue.

Yes, we've been noticing the great spring your team has been having. Could be your year. I do mean "your" singular, as I never get the feeling that anyone else in Canada really cares about baseball. There are no visible seatbacks during a Boston game, except when someone has gone to the loo, is bending to vomit, or is stealing a fly ball away from a 9 year old.

Freakin' 9 year olds!

Here is a video for you Robert.

http://www.sbnation.com/nhl/2012/3/30/2913231/toronto-maple-leafs-lets-go-blue-jays-chant-video

.

Isn't dissing hockey in Canada punishable by deporation to Texas? or NYC? With only Canadian currency on your person? And a "translator" from Quebec?

Everyone gets interested when the home team is doing really well. It really isn't that different in the hub of championships, Boston (rub, rub). (I am kidding. I had nothing to do with any Boston team's success. Nothing.) I will have a bearing on the Yankees' season, after the sex scandal breaks next week.

Soon the bags will be replaced with signs at the Leafs games saying "SAVIOR" with a picture of Brett Lawrie underneath.

That's the allegation that he juiced while he was with Toronto.

It was rampant all around baseball at that time.

Yeah, PLAY BALL sweet words, I can hardly wait for the opener myself. GO SOX!

BlueJays is a mind reader!

I am sick of the Red Sox and the Yankees. I think I will become a Padres fan.

My favorite Fenway moment......

being there when Eddie Murray got his 2,000 hit in 1988. All of Fenway roared even though he was on the other team. The ovation lasted forever.

Top 3 farm systems according to fangraphs.

1) San Diego Padres
2) Toronto Blue Jays
3) Tampa Bay Rays

Becoming a Padres fan might not be a bad idea.

When I started following the game (Boston Red Sox) back in the 60's I did so mainly by listening to the radio. They would televise the game on one of the local channels (which I think I had a total of eight) on Sundays, and sometimes on a Saturday as well. That was always a huge bonus to be able to watch two games in the same week. When listening to the radio, AM station of coarse we would receive something less than a stellar transmission of signal(scratchy staticy). When watching the ball game, we had to first go to the selector box to re-position the aerial antenna loacated on the roof for the best possible picture. Which I could more times than not achieve. I could improve on the over all picture quality from not being view-able to some what snowy. When a ball was hit in the air to an outfielder you would lose sight of it, fortunately ground balls to an infielder could generally be followed on our black&white TV.

When I started following the game there was no ESPN or other sports out-lets. The game was being covered in part by a three minute sports segment as part of the local news, as well as in the sports page. In my opinion today's media with it's, at times bias coverage (not just Baseball) is the main reason for leaving that sickening feeling with us the sports fan.


Back in the 60's the Red Sox was thought of as just one of several major league teams. I rooted for them because they were my home town team (about 90 minute away) there wasn't near the fanfare then, that surrounds them now. So all things considered, I respectfully ask for a pass. I wish everyone good luck with their hometown team,knowing though that the game is still won and lost on the field. We as fans, can only passionately look on and enjoy the game.

It all started with velocity issues in spring training and now Pineda starts the year on the DL for the Yankees. This could be a game changer in the division.

Thanks for the story, Gary. As with audio, I try to take what joy there is in sports and leave the rest.

BJ1, is "schadenfreude" the right spelling?

Oh, the promise and peril of (trading for) young pitchers.

Yes, Tom, that is correct. But I always thought of it more as a German S & M term.

Lass ihn dich nicht tauschen, der blast dir nur puderzucker in den arsch!

Hi Tom,

Great one liner! With changing the word sports out, with a number of other words, and have people subscribe too it, we could solve an awful lot of today's problems.

You sure, Gary?

Bob,

Yeah I see your point, in your example, Beer sales would tumble off the chart.

Fangraphs showing confidence in the Toronto Blue Jays with an organizational ranking of 9 going into the season.

The Toronto Blue Jays organization has most of the pieces necessary to not only field a playoff-caliber team but to also build a dynasty if it plays its cards well.


http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/2012-organizational-rankings-9-toronto/

Jays vs Indians and Yankees vs Rays were two exciting openers. The manager cost the Indians that game. They should have beat the Jays. Masterson was so awesome that game and Acta pulled him in the 9th.

I had to PVR the Jays game because of work. Had it set for 4 hours but changed it right before I left to 6 hours in case of rain, never considered the possibility of extra innings, let alone 16 innings .

From the gem that Masterson pitched for the Indians, to the Jays bullpen (10 or 11 scoreless innings), Manny Acta's manger blunder, Farells situational brilliance with the hit and run and putting in 5 infielders in O.T and Rajai Davis not running on a bunt..lol that was embarrasing. It was an amazing game. But really that was Matersons game to win and he would have if the manager would have let him finish the game in the 9th.

Almost 100 pitches thrown, first game of the season, 3 run lead, most managers would've handed it to their closer.

100 pitches is a lot but not in perspective of it being the 9th inning. It was an absolute masterpiece he was throwing. I'd let him have the opportunity at closing the game out because he deserved it and his pitch count wasn't that absurd. There was also "issues" with that closer days or games prior to the opener.

If he got into trouble and a few got on base...then I would have pulled him quickly.

I didn't think Masterson wasn't going to leave because his pitch count was increasing so slowly. I was happy for the change and apparently so were the Jays. So I guess the antithesis to Acta would be Farrell, who doesn't bring in Santos until after the first out, thereby negating the save opportunity altogether. I wonder what happened there...

I have no idea. There was some confusion as Santos ran on the field to start the 16th, then he was brought back to the bullpen. The showed a shot of Farell and he didn't look happy...strange. I would have liked Santos to close the 16th.

Since I don't have cable or satellite TV, I finally broke down and opted to try MLB.tv through my PS3. After moving to AZ, I've only been able to catch Angels games via Gameday's virtual representation.

The picture quality of MLB.tv is okay. It is HD, but tends to lose quality coming back from commercial breaks and when the action gets exciting. The audio is serviceable, but that part doesn't matter to me too much.

It IS pretty freakin' cool to be able to choose from all the games and to, well, just be watching baseball again. I still have to explore through some of the features of MLB.tv, but so far I like it.

Try to catch a bit of the Jays vs Indians game today because there might be some bad blood spoiling over to this one. The Indians thought the Jays were throwing at their hitters, they retaliated. Later on in extra innings a pitch got away and almost hit an Indians player in the face. He charged the mound slowly, benches cleared but nothing really happened.

It will be interesting if the Indians throw at any Jays players today especially if it is a guy like Bautista.

I will tune into that one!

Another good game today. I have to give the Indians credit, their starting pitching has been excellent. Luckily when we pounce, we pounce hard.

LOL, I think I'm going to leave my PVR set to 6 hrs for all of their games from now on.

Well pitched game, Lawrie came up huge, and good to see KJ, Rasmus, and Davis come through as well. It's early, but the number of tough AB's from the team so far really stand out.

Too bad about Santos, but Cabrera is a good hitter and he hit a fastball on the nose. That happens to power pitchers. I would've been more concerned if Santos had given up a string of walks and/or hits. At least this BS didn't result in a loss.

Morrow has improved dramatically. Especially his off speed stuff and fastball command. He has followed through from his awesome spring.

Lawrie was clutch. Great defense and base running as well. He is something REALLY, REALLY special!

It's nice getting production from our 2b at the plate!!! I love the patience from KJ so far. Hill basically was an automatic pop out.

Even though Santos gave up a HR, I thought he pitched great. Our bullpen was stellar again.

Props to Davis. He is a game changer when he can get on base with his speed.

Rasmus defense is superb in CF. We need him to put up better numbers at the plate.

The American League East,... is now officially upside down.

The Yankees and especially the Red Sox started off slow last year. I wouldn't be too worried about them. Regression to the mean will occur with the Orioles.

Bob's like a giddy school girl today. Sox baseball and Brett Lawrie! He's already got the I heart Brett Lawrie sign ready when they travel to Boston.

Home opener, division game, full house. Against the Sox. Doesn't get any better.

Enjoy the game guys. Hopefully the Boston coverage shows the player introductions.

Nothing special about today, 'cept:


HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, FENWAY PARK!

Yankees and Red Sox will both come around, they always do. I suppose Sox fans could be a bit concerned if they look at it as a continuation of last season's ending.

The top of the 9th was tough to watch. Pathetic. It made me think about Ryan, Gregg, Rauch and Francesco of recent years.

OK, now I'm concerned.

Tough, pathetic, and sadly all too familiar. I wonder how long of a rope Santos has, especially given their expectations for this year. Tough enough to survive in any division without a closer, but in the AL East it is crucial with so many tight games against (three) 90+ caliber teams.

This is deja vu all over again. We were .500 last year with a league leading 20+ blown saves for a loss. If we cut that in half, we make the playoffs. That's what makes losses like this even more frustrating. At least the rest of our bullpen has been spectacular but keep in mind they have been overworked which is not good. An overworked bullpen eventually gets blown up.

BJ! The season just started! If you allow such agita to continue, you may suffer a break long before the All Star one.

Whatchya gonna do if Brett gets injured early on (exisitng brain damage aside), start cutting?

Absolutely. Years and years worth of ineffective closers have created a tremendous sense of fear and frustration amongst Blue Jay fans. Two blown saves after just four games simply helps to resurrect the sinking feeling that the fans managed to bury after the accquisition of Santos. Is it a knee jerk reaction? Yes, but understandable.

Take Rivera's blown save against the Rays and the Sox blown game against the Tigers. Now imagine enduring that over and over again throughout the course of a season. Now imagine enduring seasons like that over and over again throughout the course of a decade or more. If this happened to Yankee and Sox fans, they would naturally be preconditioned to have a lack of trust and confidence in whomever is placed in the closer's role...until they are shown or proven otherwise.

Had Santos blown two saves mid season, after many successful saves, I doubt any trepidation would exist at all.

The Sox are starting off with whats got to be the toughest opening schedule in the Majors. Detroit,Toronto, Tampa, Texas, Yankees. Each of these teams can easily make a case for themselves, for being the best team to represent the AL in the World Series. Knowing Boston's schedule I was thinking just come out early on with a 500 record at the start, and go from there. I mean that's what your suppose to do, play 500 ball against the good teams,(anything more would be a bonus) then beat up on the rest of the league. This thinking pertains to any sport.

Reading this thread I defiantly get the sense we all understand that this truly is a marathon not a sprint (please pardon the cliche). Good luck to all rooting for there home town team.

That is a nasty first month. It has to be the toughest April schedule. I didn't realize Crawford was injured until the Toronto series. How long is he out for?

Until the Leafs make the playoffs.

Ya wrong sport but you have to admit, the franchise taking out a full page add in the newspaper to apologize to the fans for not making the playoffs seven years in a row is pretty humorous.

Sorry, back to ball.

Actually, I just like posting my Avatar directly under yours.

On the Beat
Who is the Great Unknown?

by John Perrotto

The question was posed to a dozen front-office types and scouts during the final days of spring training: Who is the best player in baseball that nobody knows about? The winner of the highly informal poll was a bit of a surprise, especially since he entered this season having played in just 43 major-league games. Yet there is a strong feeling that Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie won't be a secret much longer.

"He's not only going to be one of the best young players in the game this season, he's going to be one of the best players, period," said a scout from a National League organization. "I don't think people realize how good this kid is going to be. He was impressive last season when he came up to the major leagues, and he was even more impressive this spring. He's going to be one of those guys who will be a fixture at the All-Star Game and he'll probably win some MVP awards before his career is over. He's that good. He can do it all."

The 22-year-old Lawrie made an outstanding first impression in the majors last season when he hit .293/.373/.580 with nine home runs, seven stolen bases, a .338 TAv, and 3.3 WARP. PECOTA believes it was a small-sample fluke and projects Lawrie to have just a .264 TAv this season, but scouts believe the native of Langley, British Columbia was just getting started in 2011.

"He's still growing into his tools," said a scout from an American League team.. "He grew up in Canada. Even though he played in a number of high-level tournaments, he didn't play as much baseball as a lot of kids from the United States. He has more upside than most 22-year-olds. He is still learning how to turn on pitches, how to read pitchers’ pickoff moves, and things like that. Once he refines his game, the sky is the limit. You're talking about a guy who is going to be 30-30 at some point."

The Brewers saw enough of Lawrie as an amateur to select him in the first round of the 2008 amateur draft. However, Lawrie gained the reputation of being a diva in Milwaukee’s farm system, as he asked to begin his career as a catcher, then asked to be moved to second base.

However, Lawrie has not been a problem since the Blue Jays acquired him from the Brewers in a trade for right-hander Shaun Marcum at the Winter Meetings in December 2010. When asked what he thought about having great expectations placed upon him, Lawrie shrugged and said he hasn't felt any pressure since reaching the major leagues because he has great teammates who have made him feel comfortable in the clubhouse.

"I really don’t know what the expectations are of others," said Lawrie, who also has an entire nation hoping he can become the first native Canadian to blossom into a superstar for the Blue Jays. "If I fulfill the expectations that are on me in this clubhouse, then I know I'm doing what I am supposed to do. My biggest obligation is to my teammates. It's really not about me. It's about the team."

Blue Jays manager John Farrell prefers not to add pressure on a young player. However, Lawrie plays with such confidence and maturity that Farrell can't help but heap praise on his third baseman.

"I don't think it's just people associated with the Toronto Blue Jays and our fans who are excited about seeing what Brett Lawrie can do in a full season," Farrell said. "I think everybody in baseball is excited about Brett Lawrie. He's a very talented young player who is capable of doing special things. A player like Brett excites anyone who likes baseball.

"When you're around him every day, the only thing that is paramount to him is to win. He's a Type-A personality. He's an aggressive kid. He finds a way to impact the game, whether it's with the bat or in the field. We're watching a special young player who is coming into his own."

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=16446

Hi BlueJays1, Crawford injured himself in early January as part of his off season workouts, had wrist surgery a few days later. The talk from Sox camp is he'll be back late April.

BlueJay1,great article thanks for sharing it with us. He sounds like a five tool player, something that is rare in the Majors. There will be a learning curve for sure, the Organization would be trying to keep the pressure off of him, probably bating him sixth,or seventh in the order. If he starts to slump, they will give him a little more time off than might be a custom. They might also chose to sit him down against some of the top starter in the league if he's struggling. It's all about getting the kid some confidence.

My guess would be if healthy, he will put up better numbers in the second half of the season. I know you'll be watching this closely, I'll be tracking his progress as well, as now I'm very curious.

Yeah. I haven't seen a ball player with this combination of talent and playing intensity come along since Pete Rose. This is how good I think Lawrie can be.

Rose with out a doubt was a great,great baseball player. Hence the the nick name Charlie Hustle. How many more hits did he get running hard right out of the box? How many times did he reach safely on an error because of a slight bobble, or hurried throw? How many additional games were won because of his hard nosed prowess? I would remember him running three quarter speed to first base on a walk. Nowadays most players do this on a ground ball to an infielder.

I would put Pedey our second baseman in that category as well, with the same style of play that Rose displayed. With a MVP,Rookie of the year award,two silver sluggers,one maybe two gold gloves, all while still in his twenties. Anyone aspiring to achieve greatness in this game, need not look any further than what these two men have or will accomplish in this game.

Jays execute a triple play. Phil Humber pitches a perfect game and fans are already calling for Bobby Valentines head just 15 games in. Going for the sweep!

Kelly Johnson! 2 outs and KC has a guy on 3rd. This is some amazing defense.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=20861599&c_id=mlb

The American League west finds the Angels 9 games back, and probable still digging that hole deeper. Huge payroll, little production, fans might be getting a little frantic right about now.
They will need too right that ship soon, or they will be sellers at trade dead line.

Albert Pujols is really struggling at the plate. O HR, OBP: .266, SLG: .295. HORRIFIC production coming from that bat so far this season.

Another slugger, Jose Bautista is not far behind struggling but at least is getting walks during his bad slump. 3HR, OPB: .333, SLG: .329

As an avid Angels fan it has been an extremely frustrating start to the year. It's like watching an un-baseball team try to play at a professional level.

How do they pitch Pujols?

Since managers have adjusted to heavy doses of off-speed stuff early in the count for Bautista he hasn't been the same. He lays off it waiting for the fastball. The only fastball he gets now is at the outside edge which he pops out. His mechanics are a mess too.

I wouldn't be surprised if he is getting similar treatment in terms of the quantity of off-speed (I don't know Pujols fastball location).

This team is built to win now,they have some high priced players, veterans that will be cashing some huge checks for many years to come. Some of those contracts would be hard to move, without picking up a substantial amount of cash that would be remaining. Their GM has hand strung this organization, when it comes to the free agent market for two or three years to come. They also without moving some payroll, won't be a major player in any potential block buster trade. Other than their minor league system, and some minor trades what you see is what you got. Now on paper this is one of the three best teams in the AL, they just need to start playing that way.

Yup! This clearly shows his trouble with the breaking ball and changeup this year. I bet in the American League he's getting way more off-speed pitches than he got in the NL. Add to that he's forcing it.

"He has been struggling to hold off on slow pitches outside the strike zone. After chasing only 28 percent of offspeed pitches outside the strike zone last year, he has swung on 31 of 62 such pitches so far this year. Two of his three hits against offspeed pitches this season are on pitches outside the strike zone … on those inside the zone, he is just 1-for-19."

This would be why he's not walking.

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/42807/offspeed-pitches-have-pujols-off-base

Interesting stat, I always remember Albert being somewhat disciplined at the plate. Especially earlier on in his career. A few years back, when teams would intentionally walk him in some situations, he started to be a little less disciplined and would chase. But if his OBP is that low, he's not walking much, hence until he starts doing some damage, the pitching scheme will not change.

New team, huge contract, wants to make an immediate impact. It easy to say that he is forcing it at the plate. Bautista is at least not swinging at bad pitches outside the strike zone. The problem with the off-speed stuff for Bautista (breaking balls especially) is pitchers are throwing them for strikes. He seems to be working behind in the count a lot.

I'm actually less concerned about Pujols than I am with the rest of the team. Situational hitting is seemingly non-existent, I don't see anyone making meaningful outs--hitting to the other side to move runners into scoring position, sac flies, bunts, what-have-you. It's like each at bat is a self-contained entity with no bearing on what is on the field at the time. It IS getting slightly better, but we are pretty much in a hole that will be tough to get out of now.

And the bullpen. . . . .aye carumba.

And, I'm frustrated with manager Mike Scioscia trying to fix things by constantly shuffling the line up and playing different players every other day. Yeah, I get that he wants everyone involved, but stick with the starters for right now. Let them get settled and into a rhythm by playing everyday. Worry about substitutes later in the season when everyone needs a good rest.

Guys, it's April. You're fandom is peaking too early.

Some guys don't do foreplay. They go stampeding towards the

I'm gonna get my first good look at the Angels tomorrow with the Jays coming into town. We just got off a series with the Rangers. They are stacked in all phases...tough team. It was a real treat watching Yu Darvish for the first time in the MLB and he didn't even have that great of control with his fastball(s). I love that wrinkle he can add with that splitter.

Farrell vs Scioscia, this will probably be an over-managed series on both sides.

Well, it looks like they are on the edge of finding a little bit of team rhythm. Ha ha, I say that because they are fresh off of a TWO GAME winning streak.

Yeah, I gotta take what I can get at this point.

Texas is going to be a formidable team as they are proving it already this year. Mostly the same players with Darvish picking up where C.J. Wilson left off.

Thank you to your Blue Jays for finally slowing the Rangers down a bit.

You can thank this guy for the one win against the Rangers.



But I'm afraid from watching that series we don't have the consistency at the plate to keep up with a team like the Rangers. Their offense is scary good and they even had a few key starters out of the lineup due to injury.

I got a chuckle out of this thread on the Angels MB. Wants to trade Santana + ??? for Lawrie...hahaha...no dice on that one. Where scheduled to miss Weaver this series...thank God...we usually put up duds against him.


http://www.forums.mlb.com/n/pfx/forum.as...&tid=122789

Ha, I can't see that trade happening. We sure could use a good third baseman, though.

It's funny the ideas other people come up with.

Did he see a spider on home plate?

He seen Bob.

This is why I'm glad we miss Weaver this series. No hitter has to be exciting for Angels fans.

Ha ha, I was going to post the same thing for you. That's exactly the thing this team needed--help give them a spark and solidify them a bit.

Now there's the spoken English I knew you've been hiding from us. I knew it, I knew it. Investigation closed.

A spark and the Toronto starting pitching is the flame. Their starting pitching is giving up a lot of home runs this year, the last time I looked they were leading in that category. Just the ticket for Pujols. Against Brandon Morrow especially if he is up in the zone. Throws predominately 90 MPH+ 4 seam fastballs.

This is going to be a suspension. It could be lengthy. This is the reaction after some incredibly bad called strikes by the ump in the 9th. The ship is sinking fast. The ump even had a beer thrown at him as we was walking off the field by the dugout. Never saw that before.

Yikes, that looks pretty intense. Can't end well for Lawrie.

If its under 10 games I'd be surprised.

Yeah, it was really intense. Made for great television especially when a fan tossed a beer at him. However, those pitches were not close at all. You will probably see the pitches I am talking about tomorrow on ESPN.

Lawrie needs to be held accountable and MLB will. The worst part is, MLB will show no accountability to the umpire for not doing his job. It was some really bad umpiring.

Don't the umps have their own review process and possible fines for bad calls?

I don't think their union would ever allow that.

Figured out how to navigate MLB.TV and watched the bottom of the 9th of the Blue Jays game.

I think the umps take exception when the player automatically assumes the walk and runs to first base before the call.

Bad call on strike 2 and I think the ump was just waiting for anything close on the next pitch to punch out Lawrie after he charged off to first thinking he had the walk.


Ugly all the way around.

And the thrown beer just made it worse.

That makes the ump look even worse if he can't remain completely objective.

I agree with that notion though. You see that with a lot of umps or it seems that way.

That's true. Those were really bad calls, but I cringe at Lawrie's reaction. His helmet slam is going to be the thing remembered.

Professional sports--the management of egos. Holds true for the officiating, as well.

I think he will get more games than Alomar who spit in the umps face. The umpires union will put pressure on Selig.

Unfortunately, that's what sticks in my head about Alomar despite how good he was as a player.

Ha ha, and then I remember all the other stuff about him. . . .and I don't feel so bad about not liking him.

Phew! 4 games.

Hopefully he appeals and can play against the Yanks tonight.

How many games would he have gotten if he just argued without removing his helmet?

How many games if his helmet doesn't even come near the ump?

Lawrie should be suspended for his actions, but the penalty should not be based on whether or not he intended for the helmet to come in contact with the ump.

1) Automatic ejection from game, no suspension.
2) Depends on the circumstance I suppose. In Lawries case he was charging aggressively towards, while violently smashing his helmet to the ground. One could argue putting the umpire in harms way. Intent doesn't matter here.

I don't think the length of the suspension was solely based on the perspective of intent or lack there-of but it surely would play a factor in the final decision.

I'm trying to determine whether the four games is solely for hemlet making contact with ump. If he threw dirt around instead, or threw a base (or his helmet) into the field, would he have gotten any games?

Charging aggresively towards the ump will not get you suspended. That precedent was set with the George Brett incident.

What I get from Joe Torre is the suspension was based on aggressively charging the ump while throwing the helmet in his direction (a foot or so away). There is no precedent.

The length of the suspension factored intent. Torre didn't think there was any intent on Lawries part with the helmet coming in contact with the umpire.

To be or not to be?

Bren R.

Not 2B, 3B.

That's what I thought, which is why I'm surprised it was four games. I figured one, maybe two at most. Throwing the helmet into the ground deserves a game then maybe tack on another for the helmet making incidental contact with the ump.

Players and managers have argued and charged aggressively (no helmet obviously) in the past with no suspension.

With an appeal you might see that suspension drop to 1 or 2 games.

Just as I mentioned earlier that MLB umpires are not held accountable, MLB suspends umpire Bob Davidson for 1 game...separate ump from the Lawrie debacle which we are discussing. Bill Miller and his ego thought he was bigger than the game. I would love to see the same 1 game suspension for him.

I'm very, very surprised by this especially with a league that is 20-30 years behind the times.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-le...-165346691.html

The end of that article... "discipline and computers" is the future of baseball?

Oh, yeah... what baseball needs is the video replay - like it needs a hole drilled in its head... the season already stretches on for 14 months and expansion has turned all the teams into the Bad News Bears. The problem with the MLB right now is that the game is too high-paced, better slow it down some.

I played and coached premier-level ball for years. You don't whine about balls and strikes - you protect the plate. Blue misses your tag and calls a runner safe - next runner gets a two handed tag on the ankle. They plunk your power hitter, you plunk their pitcher. In all that time, I never called out an umpire, the most I've ever done is smiled and waggled a finger.

"Have a trot back to the bench, kid..."
'But coach, I got in under the tag!'
"Know how I know you're out? Blue says you're out... take a walk, and next time get here quicker with spikes up!"

Bren R.

I don't think computers will be ever calling balls and strikes. At least we will never see it. Video replay for homeruns was desperately needed and has been extremely useful. Any form of video replay will never be on balls and strikes either. I would be for a limited number of challenges/game like 1 for (out/safe) or (catch/drop) similar to that of football but not giving any extra for getting the challenge correct. The manager would have to use the challenge very wisely.

MLB needs to put their best team on the field, just like the individual teams do. I know they have cameras set-up in varies Ball Parks, for monitoring the umpire crews, but this is generally for rating them for post season duties. Putting your best crew out there for the playoffs is certainly the way to go, but don't stop there. There needs to be a process established where in the end, if he's not making the grade, (the Ump) HE OUT! I firmly believe in this world there is Good,Better,and Best in everything we either buy or have dealings with. In my option, Good can sometimes mean just mediocre or average, at best.Use that video evidence, along with allowing the Teams too rate the Umps as well, the ones consistently showing up at the bottom needs to be scrutinized at first, and then allowed to improve. In the end if their work is still sub par, just like a young aspire-ring Baseball Player who is just not ready for the Major Leagues, they (the Umps) should be demoted to the Minors.

Finally got him for missing Gruber's tag in '92 World Series on the triple play. Justice prevails.

Wow, the Nationals are good, and not going anywhere. Just swept series at Boston and at Toronto.

Dr. Horse, I'll see your Brett Lawrie and raise you a Bryce Harper ...

Yep, I watched them beat up on my team, but of course the Red Sox have had a pretty sizable mash unit going all year. We should be a lot healthier by the break, I'm looking for a fast finish, we'll wait and see.

Some will even say I'll raise you Mike Trout. But its a coin flip IMO. But if you like speed go with Trout. Amazing talent either way. I have known about Bryce Harper and Mike Trout for years. It's amazing that Mike Trout doesn't get the same hype but hey just follow the media. I follow the Jays minor league system quite extensively so I know quite a bit about a lot of prospects from other farm systems.

Actually Lawries production was just as impressive as Harpers when first brought up to majors.

Harper can hit the fastball that's for sure. He needs to smooth out some rough edges in decision making just like Lawrie. Both very high energy players.

Combined no-hitter for the Mariners against the Dodgers last Friday.

Wonders will never cease.

On the other hand one prospect you have to think is on the verge of "bust" status is Kyle Drabek. Gosh is he awful.

That's one thing that doesn't surprise me about the Mariners. They are stacked with pitching talent.

I remember seeing this guy and his attorney, in the court room a couple of weeks ago, on TV as part of a news segment. Has anything come about yet in the case? I believe he will see jail time for sure, I believe he messed the other guy up pretty good if I remember right.

Ouch, Michael. Just ouch.

Although, I admit, with the Angels playing the Dodgers this week I made sure to tune into the broadcast with Vin Scully. Easily one of the best out there.

I like both teams (easy when they are in different leagues). Been to many games at both stadiums.

Lol Sean, I like both teams but I've been a Dodger fan since way back when I used to listen to Sandy Koufax and Vince Scully on the radio, my mom actually followed them over from Brooklyn so it was ingrained at a young age.

So I'm hearing Youkilis was traded today. I know a little about Zack Stewart that was apart of the trade. He was a prospect within the Jays organization. He was brought to the majors with being #3-#5 within a young starting rotation with the Jays at the time. Soon traded away (months) as he was brought up. The last I saw of him was this year and he was bullpen fodder for the White Socks.

Is Youkilis a rental player? To be honest I don't know what his contract status is.

This was the last year of Youkilis being under a Red Sox contract, There is a club option for 13 million for next year, or a million dollar bye-out if it's not picked up. Kevin has spent a lot of time on the DL over the last two full seasons. Down the stretch last year when the team was really struggling, he came up with a quad injury ( DL for the second time in 11 ) and was lost for the remainder of the season. He had also spent much time on the DL the year prior.

More of the same this year, as he only played in 42 of the Red Sox 72 games before being traded. During this off season the Sox really cleaned house after that dreadful finish last year. Yeah, most people who follow the game knows they let the GM, and the Manager go. But the Bench Coach, Pitching Coach, and the First Base coach were gone as well. One other note, unless you follow the Sox extremely close, you would have missed the fact that they also fired all of the team's trainers as well.

All the good that did, as of yesterday Boston was leading MLB in games lost being on the DL. It was 895 games. The next team on the list had 715 games lost to injuries. And today they put Bucholz on the 15 day DL. Boston has played their best baseball of the season over these last two weeks. As they get healthier, I believe they will be steam rolling over a lot of teams down the stretch.

Been watching Salvador Perez the catcher for the Kansas City Royals. What a great player and only 22. He reminds me of a Pudge Rodriguez lite but at 6'3 200+! He is really limber for his size around the plate, demands a lot from the pitching staff, shows a great target, excellent framing, great blocker and a CANNON of an arm. His hands are HUGE.

...and he can hit too...

I hope his knees hold out...fun to watch this guy play.

Big ten player trade between the Jays, and the Astros. Both teams seemingly helping their own cause, time will tell as always who got the better end of this deal. Looking at it on the surface I believe Houston should prevail as they are going nowhere soon, but are building for the future. With the four prospects they secured two were selected in the first, or second rounds and are already producing in A Ball. I also believe the two veteran pitchers they picked up will be traded again for even more prospects before the trade deadline, as it make no sense for them to be on this team.

Toronto doesn't seem to have enough pieces in place to contend against the likes of the Yanks,and Sox. They have some young talent on their ML roster and may have been better suited growing their farm system and reaping the benefits 2-3 years out. I think Toronto's trying to make a statement here to both their fans, as well as MLB. That they are poised to make a run this year, and remain contenders going into next year also.

The trade might seem "huge" but in reality it's pretty insignificant for both teams. The Blue Jays receive some pitching depth and the Astros receive some depth to their farm system. I think the Jays dump some salary getting rid of Coco and Francisco in the process. Both of those guys were fodder. The Jays gave away middle of the road prospects that are longs way away right now, currently in A or AA.

In terms of prospects, its not that big of a deal because of how much depth they currently have. They surely hold more value for the Astros.

Trades that I would consider significant is picking up players like a Dempster or Garza from the Cubs or a Justin Upton that under control for atleast another year. Though to get those guys we would probably have to give up some of our high ceiling prospects that are major league ready like Gose or d'Arnaud or perhaps even some of our high ceiling pitchers in A and AA which GM's cream over.

We have the talent to compete this year but just WAY to many injuries right now to make that a reality. We are down to something like 26th on our pitching depth chart. Starting pitching and bullpen is in shambles. No team has that much depth to their staff.

Well, Steve Delabar goes from the Mariners to the Jays for Eric Thames. Delabar is a competent major league pitcher. What do you say about Thames?

Could be an interesting day.

Eric Thames upside is his bat and still is. He is capable of some pop and driving in runs. Another positive is he is a great "team, clubhouse guy". On a personal level just a likeable guy that you want to see succeed.

The Jays hoped he would be the starting everyday left fielder once Travis Snider was sent down. However, up to this time Thames has struggled with left handed pitching and is a liability defensively (at least to the other talent in our outfield) . Thames was rendered to a platoon player because of this.

On the positive side he is young. If he can somehow learn to punish left handed pitching he can be a productive everyday player in the majors.

Lots of chatter, as usual, about whether the Red Sox will buy, sell, or stand pat. Beckett has been lousy both on the mound and in the clubhouse. I'd encourage the Rangers to give him a fresh start, since he's from Texas. However, I realize that the odds of my wishful thinking coming true are somewhere between "You wish!" and "WTF are you smokin'?!"

The other thing I wonder is whether the Nationals will have Strasburg on an innings/pitch limit and pull him sometime this season, or if they'll let him pitch into the postseason.

Thanks, BJ1.

JP, no team from DC has been to the postseason since (I think) 1933. If they get close, they'll pitch Strasburg until his arm falls off.

They'll shut Strasburg down mid-September, as they say they will.
With all of the Tommy John surgery being done these days there's enough data on how best to bring a pitcher back to form. And limiting the number of innings the first full year back is pretty much proven. They won't waste his arm when they have so much more talent to back him up.

When they shut Strasburg down, John Lannan will come back up and pick up the slack. He's a $5M "6th starter" playing triple A because there's no room on the roster right now.

Strasburg had Tommy John surgery two years ago. He started pitching again about this time last year, you would have to believe as they have stated, he will be shut down at some point.

With so many games back in the wild card and with all the injuries the season is done at this point.

I really hope Moneyball 2.0 hits one of the those final wild card spots and to a lesser extent Joe Maddon and the Tampa Rays. It will at least keep me really interested in the postseason once the regular season is over.

King Felix was just crowned with a perfect game.

WELL DONE!

What a clinic he put on today. Masterful!!!!

Yeah, that was sweet. I'm looking forward to watching it tonight. Well deserved; he hadn't thrown a no-hitter before despite having been pretty dominant over the last several years. It's a joy to watch him pitch.

Born and raised a New Englander, an being a life long Red Sox fan we have a old saying that unfortunately even precedes me. It goes like this. WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!

You will have to stock the sun flower seeds, chew and dubble bubble for the dugout for the next 3 years if you want John Farrell.

We will then hire one of our farm system managers, 3rd base coach or perhaps a vet guy like Terry Francona.

I don't believe it's a manager problem. I have been following them closely all year, as always, and paying particularly close attention to his various line-ups and on field managerial moves. I can say I either agreed with, or at the very least, understood the reasoning behind most of his decisions. The root cause of our down fall this year has been the overwhelming number of injuries. Other contributing factors include large egos, and some overpaid yet under-producing veterans.

Fortunately we have many prospects in the the pipeline to Boston in the next year or two. We have a 19 year old kid playing SS who has just gotten promoted to AA about 3 weeks ago, and is still producing at that level hitting .385 with power. Two or three outfielder will be ready also in the next couple of years. We will have potentially 8-10 Major League ready pitchers coming through with in that same two year window as well. Most are relievers, and many will be ready by next season. The future does certainly look bright for the Sox.

I agree. The biggest problem isn't the manager. The media is blowing it out of proportion with Bobby V. The problem is mostly the vet players not playing well - Lester, Beckett, Crawford ect...Lackey is just a clubhouse cancer.

The problem started a few years ago not developing a good farm system with a focus spending like drunken sailors on declining vets like Lackey and overpaying for guys like Crawford. You guys are locked into a lot of BAD contracts and it will be tough just to let them go (eat the money), let alone obtaining quality assets in return. Add to that now with under performing starting pitching and problems in the bullpen. Hard to fault the manager.

All teams have devastating injuries including the Yankees but they just continue to win and breed a winning culture. I envy them right now.

Overheard in Yankees dugout:

"You can see it better than I can. Does this pine tar make my neck look fat?"

Where is the 2013 baseball thread?

I couldn't find it. I think, because the Red Sox won the WS, Blue Jay had the whole thing deleted.

I had it deleted since the Red Sox didn't win.

Oh wait.

They DID win!

Note: Personally, I don't even care that they won. I just know Tom cares!

Think we could get Tom to give us a long list of all the stuff he cares about? Screw baseball, THAT would get us through the whole summer!

Stop trying to make me care about stuff.

Baseball Nation.

Edit:
It's zoomable. And Alaska needs their own team.

Edit, Edit: And Canadians don't count.

As to the very high percentage of Yankee and Red Sox fans in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, etc.

Check the map again in late June. We're still Hockey Nation here until further notice.

What is this base of ball you speak of?
Is that a street hockey league for the Leafs during playoff time?

It's official! Tom has known me too long! All that faith-based education, right down the drain with one meme.

Pure as the driven slush, Bob.

LOL, go Wild (and my as of yet above .500 Twins)

This thread makes me sleepy.