2009 MLB Discussion Thread

I wish we could all root for two teams. Makes the odds of seeing a World Series alot higher. Must be nice to see 10 NBA championships in the last 18 years as well. Who did you root for in 91 Matt? Must have been tough.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']Some people hate on the Yankees just because they're the Yankees, and can't even give them credit when they play the game the right way or make big plays when they need them. All that shows is a huge bias and a lack of baseball intelligence. Obviously, not everyone likes the Yanks. But give credit where credit is due.[/QUOTE]

The best part is, if the Yankees end up doing well and winning the World Series, all you will hear, "Wah, payroll! Wah, we need a salary cap!" Of course, no one was crying that the last 4 seasons when they couldn't get past the first round, including last season when $200 million+ couldn't even get them in the playoffs.
 
My dad wants to see a Dodgers/Yankees World Series. I hate the Yankees, and I hope the Angels win it all if my team loses.
Red Sox fan
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']The best part is, if the Yankees end up doing well and winning the World Series, all you will hear, "Wah, payroll! Wah, we need a salary cap!" Of course, no one was crying that the last 4 seasons when they couldn't get past the first round, including last season when $200 million+ couldn't even get them in the playoffs.[/QUOTE]

The only way I'll ever be in favor of a salary cap is if there is a floor as well. MLB owners pocketing the money their team brings in rather than reinvesting in their product does far more damage to the game than owners who actually care about winning. Put a range of $80m - $130m and see who's crying then.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']The best part is, if the Yankees end up doing well and winning the World Series, all you will hear, "Wah, payroll! Wah, we need a salary cap!" Of course, no one was crying that the last 4 seasons when they couldn't get past the first round, including last season when $200 million+ couldn't even get them in the playoffs.[/QUOTE]


It's funny how people complain about the Yankees payroll 24/7. People act like the Yankees payroll just jumped from 50 million to 200 million overnight. It's also the same fans who do not suppor their own teams. For the Yankee haters and for the ones who want to see a salary cap. Here are the reasons why the Yankees have a 200 million dollar payroll.

1. The Yankees have won close if not more than 90 games each season since 1993.

2. The Yankees in the early 1990s drafted Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. Jeter and Rivera are first ballot hall of famers, Jorge is borderline and might get in, Pettitte is almost borderline(would have to win another 60 to 70 games) and Bernie was one of the best Centerfielders in Baseball for a decade.

3. The Yankees made great trades and free agent signings. Hitchcock and Davis for Tino and Jeff Nelson. Roberto Kelly for Paul O'neill. David Wells for Roger Clemens. Bag of Balls for Cecil Fielder. Signing Wade Boggs and Jimmy Key in 1992. Signing David Wells in 1996. Trading Kenny Rogers for Scott Brosius.

4. The Yankees started to win and win alot. 4 out of 5 World Series, 6 pennants in 9 years, playoff berths from 1995-2007 and 2009.

5. From all of this winning the Yankees were able to draw 3 million plus fans per year since 1998. The last several years have seen 4 million fans. This year with a smaller park and higher ticket prices, the Yankees were able to draw 3.7 million.

5.b. The average ticket price at Yankee stadium has to be at least 100 dollars. 2 hot dogs and a beer/soda is at least 20 dollars. Parking is another pretty penny. The Yankees have their own cable network and make an additional mint from radio. They make hand over first in cash.

Yankee fans have shown for the past 15 years that we are willing to pay extra to support the team. Why should the Yankees and us the fans be punished? It's not my fault that the Twins traded Johan Santana for a bag of balls and let Hunter walk for draft picks.

The Yankees have set the business model for making money in baseball. The Red Sox, Angels, Mets, Tigers and others are following it.
 
[quote name='n8rockerasu']The only way I'll ever be in favor of a salary cap is if there is a floor as well. MLB owners pocketing the money their team brings in rather than reinvesting in their product does far more damage to the game than owners who actually care about winning. Put a range of $80m - $130m and see who's crying then.[/QUOTE]


Hell would freeze over before the Players Union agrees to a salary cap. I also do not like the idea of a salary floor. It would just lead the Royals of the world to give out big money to crappy players like Jose Guillen and Gil Meche. Ooooo wait, they already do!. Just imagine the other fringe players who get big contracts.

The only thing that is going to improve baseball are the billionaire owners who stop being conservative and cheap. Look at Carl Pohlad running the Twins before he died. Guy was worth over a billion dollars.

The Twins traded Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett for a 4th outfielder in Delmon Young.

The Twins traded Johan Santana for a 5th outfielder in Gomez.

The Twins let Hunter who is one of the top 3 CF'ers in baseball walk for draft picks.

Imagine if they had kept those players. Spain, Morneau, Mauer, Kubel, Cuddyer, Hunter, Bartlett in their lineup and a starting 4 rotation of Santana, Garza, Blackburn and Baker. That team would win 95-100 games every year playing in the AL Central. That is a World Series Caliber team. I could only imagine how much money the Twins would be making if they had kept their players.
 
[quote name='wildcpac']I wish we could all root for two teams. Makes the odds of seeing a World Series alot higher. Must be nice to see 10 NBA championships in the last 18 years as well. Who did you root for in 91 Matt? Must have been tough.[/QUOTE]

Yes, it is nice. I didn't start watching basketball till the 1992-93 season, so I had no conflicting interest in that Finals series. Way to follow me around and be a troll, though!
 
[quote name='wildcpac']You forgot to mention that all 3 runs for the Twins came after the Yankees pitchers getting squeezed on pitches that should have been called strike 3 to end the inning.

Bye Bye Cards. Thanks for playing. Who would have thought that Pujols, Wainwright, Carpenter, Molina, Holliday and Ludwick would get swept in the first round by the Dodgers. That is the MVP, the Cy Young winner, Cy Young runner up, best catcher in the nl and 2 corner OF studs. Holliday dropping the ball changed that series. That and the Cards going like 4-30 with RISP.[/QUOTE]
No kidding, a very impressive showing from the Dodgers. Weakest division, my ass. I was rooting for the Cardinals to win it all though, damn it... wish they didn't leave their bats at home.

Looks like we will be seeing a Phils/Dodgers NLCS again. Ugh.
 
[quote name='Matt Young']Yes, it is nice. I didn't start watching basketball till the 1992-93 season, so I had no conflicting interest in that Finals series. Way to follow me around and be a troll, though![/QUOTE]


How is it being a supermod on TSM? I think that site gets 1 post a month now.
 
never really hated the yankees. The media just creates the cross-town rivalry. I'll even admit it that NY has always been Yankee Town. We didn't even get in to the mix until 1962 and thats thanks to the dodgers and giants moving out of town.

I think people hate the pinstripes because as bigdaddybruce eluded to....it's the payroll...which in turns tells me a lack in baseball intelligence. You can't buy championships. You build them..plain and simple. Hell look what the mets did. top 5 payroll but two chokes and a nightmare season later, what do they have to show for having big name talent? NOTHING! Its why i will never buy the pay roll argument ever. Scouting and Depth is what i believe in.
 
[quote name='integralsmatic']I think people hate the pinstripes because as bigdaddybruce eluded to....it's the payroll...which in turns tells me a lack in baseball intelligence. You can't buy championships. You build them..plain and simple. Hell look what the mets did. top 5 payroll but two chokes and a nightmare season later, what do they have to show for having big name talent? NOTHING! Its why i will never buy the pay roll argument ever. Scouting and Depth is what i believe in.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree, man. I really have nothing against the Mets either. I don't take pleasure in seeing them self-destruct, and I don't think it's just because "haha they're the Mets!" They just have horrible front office management, and having a racist GM certainly doesn't help. The Mets need to do what the Yankees finally did (although it seemed like it took forever) and figure out who the problem is and get rid of them.

As for the Yankees, like I mentioned earlier, if people could look past Teixeira, Sabathia, and Burnett for 5 seconds, they'd see that Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Hideki Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Jorge Posada, and Andy Pettitte all had vastly better seasons than they did last year. And wow...look at that...all homegrown players (with the only exception being Matsui who still has only played for one MLB team).

And while it may look like the Yanks spent big bucks landing Teixeira, all they did was give him Giambi's money (not to mention his number) that came off the books. Talk about an upgrade! The Yankees were finally just able to cut the dead weight and play to their potential. Considering the payroll was actually higher last year, how could anybody argue money had anything to do with it?
 
Damn good series. Feels good to show the experts two years in a row that the Dodgers are a good team. I mean seriously no one gave us a chance to win that series, and we bring out the brooms for the sweep. Eat that best fans in baseball.
 
[quote name='Chitown021']Cardinals are out, the Red Sox are on the way out, I just need the Dodgers to get beat in the next round and my wish list will be complete![/QUOTE]

They can be eliminated in the World Series. Unless the Phillies manage to lose to the Rockies. Then the Dodgers can be eliminated whenever, because once the Phillies are out (which I really, really hope for), it doesn't matter to me who wins.
 
[quote name='JStryke']because once the Phillies are out (which I really, really hope for), it doesn't matter to me who wins.[/QUOTE]

Mets fan?
 
I guess Papelbon wants to go golfing. Time for a come back in the bottom of the 9th to keep the season going. If the Sox lose, I guess baseball won't matter until Spring for me. I'll cheer on the Rockies and Twins until they're both gone.
 
Wow...big choke from Papelbon. At least Wagner didn't fair any better, so he doesn't have to worry about his job. Although if I were the Sox, I'd trade Paps and give Bard the closer's job. Papelbon gets so preoccupied with the dumbest crap throughout the season. You'd think he has ADD or something.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Definitely didn't see that happening. See you next spring, Sox.[/QUOTE]
Definitely not, I wanted the Angels to win but I didn't think they were going to be able to beat the Sox.
 
This was a transition year for the Sox, they were lucky that Texas faded even more down the stretch and that Tampa was never really in the race.

They really haven't had a big bat in the middle of their lineup since Manny. I wouldn't be surprised if this was it for Ortiz, Lowell, Varitek, and Wakefield. They might also use this to justify moving Papelbon since they were not going to pay him anyway, and after this year I certainly wouldn't either. He's starting to remind me of the guy from Eastbound and Down, Papelbon used to be a pitcher with a number of effective pitches but he's turned himself into just a hard thrower. All he wants to do is throw fastballs.

My god do they ever need a big bat in the middle, and thats not Jason Bay or Victor Martinez. Its also not anyone on the free agent market, unfortunately. At least their rotation is set.
 
Wow...the Twins are turning into the freaking Bad News Bears. Why the hell would Punto be possessed to take a chance with no outs??? They could have had 1st and 3rd with nobody out...but instead, Jeter brings down the hammer yet again and makes the Twins pay for their own stupidity. I guess all the Yankee haters are going to blame that one on the umps too?
 
Yet another play that exhibits why you need to look way past the numbers when evaluating Jeter. He just always knows where to be on the field and where to go with the ball.
 
should be a great ALCS coming up. Two very good teams that match up really well against each other. Too hard to choose a favorite IMHO. both teams look awfully strong.
 
Damn Phillies. I've given up hope on the Rockies with Lee and Hamels due in 4 and 5.

Time to start cheering for the Dodgers.
 
Sox are going to use Lowell and Ortiz as a lefty/righty platoon at DH (for 25.5 million dollars) and try to acquire a corner infielder. Adrian Gonzalez if he's available, maybe Chone Figgins if nobody better is out there. Hopefully not Adrian Beltre.

Shortstop will once again be a combination of Jed Lowrie and a mid tier veteran (Alex Gonzalez or Marco Scutaro). Victor Martinez will be the catcher, Varitek is done. Same outfield as last year assuming they can sign Bay.

Beckett/Lester/Buchholz/Matsuzaka will all start, Wakefield will be more of a long relief/spot starter type. Will probably get another starter, might drop some coin since Beckett's deal is up after next year (John Lackey? More likely another project like Erik Bedard).

Not sure if they'll trade Papelbon or not. Its a buyer's market for closers this offseason.
 
It's always friggin awesome to watch your organization do something right and have it pay off. They drafted Kershaw in '06 and rushed the holy hell out of him. I was worried more than once. Now the dude is 21, has 53 major league starts, and gets the ball for Game 1. He's been in the big leagues for over a year and has been the youngest pitcher in baseball every single one of those days and still is.

Good job Los Doyers.

Let's hope that sometime in the next 10 years the Giants get their shit together and we get a 1 game playoff of Kershaw vs. Lincecum.
 
The sox have a corner inf in Casey kotchman. A younger less power then youk. They don't need a player like Adriane beltre. It's one thing if they get Adrianne from sd but IMO you will cost a lot.

I also don't believe both Lowell and pappi will be back. One will be traded. Gozo has already said he wants to come back and will redo his option if he is named the starting ss for 2010. While I think lowrie will be an above avg player, he had a lit of setbacks this season due to injuries. He can backup ss and 3b at least to start next year.

IMO bay will be signed elsewhere. He wants to live on the west coast and I don't think he is worth the money he will be asking. In this market he is asking for a lot of cash. IMO he isn't a game changer he is at least one if not two levels down from the arods texeria pujols out there. Let him walk. Chone figgins can play lf and bat a better leadoff then ellsbury. Drop ellsbury to 2. Or even abrea for a year or 2 to bridge the the gap to the alleged of studs we have in westmorland or even reddick.
 
The shitty weather is going to seriously fuck up the Yankee 3 man rotation plans. They will probably not play untill Sunday(maybe Monday) at the earliest.
 
Kershaw looked great right up until he got nuked in the 5th. Hope we can get back in this thing.

Nice job, Sherrill.
 
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Is it my imagination or is Victorino a cock. Just wondering. Great game Dodgers, hopefully we can dig out of this hole.
 
[quote name='vrs1650']Is it my imagination or is Victorino a cock. Just wondering. Great game Dodgers, hopefully we can dig out of this hole.[/QUOTE]

I can confirm he is kind of an asshole. He complains a lot and runs way out of the baseline to break up double plays.
 
"The Dodgers won despite going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position." We have the error's luck on our side, but the boys gotta hit with guys on.

Fun game to watch though. At the all star break, who on Earth would have thought that in the NLCS, Padilla and Pedro would combine for 14.1 innings, 6 hits, and 1 run? Baseball is a strange game.
 
[quote name='pitfallharry219']These umpires are kinda pro-Yankees tonight.[/QUOTE]
Dare you to say that now.

Way to bunt the runners over Girardi.
 
[quote name='pitfallharry219']These umpires are kinda pro-Yankees tonight.[/QUOTE]

Bad calls go both ways. Jeter was safe on that double-play, and I felt like Burnett was getting a bit squeezed. Also liked to point out that everyone is always so quick to jump on the umpires. It's a tough job, fellas. Everything is happening at full speed in front of them. We get the benefit of multiple, slow-motion replays. They don't. Both of the calls at first (the one on Hunter, and the one on Jeter) were absolutely bang-bang (especially Hunter's), and in real-time, you can understand the call going either way.

EDIT: Mo is sick.

EDIT 1: Now, THAT'S a bad call. No reason to suddenly not give the neighborhood play on a fairly routine play.

EDIT 2: Let me rephrase that. Not a bad call. It was absolutely the correct call. But there are some technical things you just don't call in the bottom of the 10th. It didn't really impact the play. Though, as I watch the replay more, it certainly did make turning two far easier. But with Jorge running, you could actually be knocked at 2nd and still get him out at 1st.
 
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