Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 19 of 29 1 2 17 18 19 20 21 28 29
Re: Talkin' Baseball
avjunkee #372695 04/10/12 02:37 AM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
Originally Posted By: avjunkee
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.


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Talkin' Baseball
avjunkee #372699 04/10/12 03:57 AM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
A
veteran
Offline
veteran
A
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
Originally Posted By: avjunkee
I would've been more concerned if Santos had given up a string of walks and/or hits..



OK, now I'm concerned.


M80s, VP180, QS8s, EP800 v3
Re: Talkin' Baseball
BlueJays1 #372700 04/10/12 04:16 AM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
A
veteran
Offline
veteran
A
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: avjunkee
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.



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.


M80s, VP180, QS8s, EP800 v3
Re: Talkin' Baseball
avjunkee #372707 04/10/12 11:49 AM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
Originally Posted By: avjunkee
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
Originally Posted By: avjunkee
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.



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.


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Talkin' Baseball
BlueJays1 #372712 04/10/12 02:32 PM
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,596
Likes: 1
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 3,596
Likes: 1
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?


Always call the place you live a house. When you're old, everyone else will call it a home.
Re: Talkin' Baseball
BlueJays1 #372733 04/10/12 04:38 PM
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
A
veteran
Offline
veteran
A
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 110
Originally Posted By: BlueJays1
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.



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.


M80s, VP180, QS8s, EP800 v3
Re: Talkin' Baseball
medic8r #373003 04/12/12 03:08 AM
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 308
Likes: 2
devotee
Offline
devotee
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 308
Likes: 2
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.


With out Jesus Christ there can be no Redemption or Salvation.
Re: Talkin' Baseball
medic8r #373030 04/12/12 01:07 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
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?


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Re: Talkin' Baseball
medic8r #373062 04/12/12 02:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955
axiomite
Offline
axiomite
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,955
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.


With great power comes Awesome irresponsibility.
Re: Talkin' Baseball
medic8r #373141 04/12/12 06:50 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
connoisseur
Offline
connoisseur
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,116
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


I’m armed and I’m drinking. You don’t want to listen to advice from me, amigo.

-Max Payne
Page 19 of 29 1 2 17 18 19 20 21 28 29

Moderated by  alan, Amie, Andrew, axiomadmin, Brent, Debbie, Ian, Jc 

Link Copied to Clipboard

Need Help Graphic

Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics24,943
Posts442,465
Members15,617
Most Online2,082
Jan 22nd, 2020
Top Posters
Ken.C 18,044
pmbuko 16,441
SirQuack 13,840
CV 12,077
MarkSJohnson 11,458
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 236 guests, and 6 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newsletter Signup
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4