CAG MLB Season Discussion

DNukem170

DNukem170

Banned
It's almost time to play ball! Will the Royals make a return trip to the playoffs? Can Kershaw lead the Dodgers to the promised land? Will the Rangers stay healthy? Will the Marlins additions pay off? Will A-Rod mysteriously have an accident that prevents him from playing for the Yankees and also triggers a minor clause that allows them not to pay his salary?

The first post-Selig season is about to begin!

 
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Considering that the new commissioner has thrown around the idea of banning defensive shifts to help hitters that can't cope with them, it might not be too long before I start to miss Bud. Where do they keep finding these guys?

 
It really is ridiculous that so many players are too proud to drop down a bunt to a wide open field. It's not even about "playing against your strengths". It's about keeping your opponent honest and not being so damn predictable. The only reason shifts are even a thing is because too many meatheads refuse to play the game the right way.

Derek Jeter may have never won fancy MVP awards or home run titles, but you never saw teams not defend half the damn field when he came to the plate.

 
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I just read an article on ESPN that proposed forcing relievers to pitch to at least 3 batters before being replaced to speed up the game. I should point out I'm not in favor of any rule changes with the goal of speeding the game up, I think it's just fine the way it is, but I did find the idea interesting. (Not that it has any chance of happening).

Imagine how bullpen strategy would change if this was the rule. Not only in how strategic you'd have to be in building a pen with less specialists, but also in how bringing a guy in might require him to be unavailable the next day if he has to throw too many pitches. Teams might even start building pens with the idea that since a guy has to pitch to both L/R well, he might as well be able to throw multiple innings too. Sort of like having a bunch of long relievers instead of MR.

 
DNukem170 said:
If that does go through, a lot of pitchers will suddenly develop strange injuries after just one batter.
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It had a solution for that... injured pitchers are out for 3 games. It wasn't a serious proposal though, just some random ideas from an ESPN writer. I just thought that it was interesting to ponder how strategy would change. That and there's nothing else to discuss for a month or so yet :razz:

 
Mariners are excited for Nelson Cruz!!! Mr. Boomstick in town will help Cano in a big way. Our young pitchers (Paxton & Walker) will help us down the stretch too. Playoff baby... I'm calling it.

 
I think a minimum number of batters faced is a good idea. Not only bullpen strategy but for pinch hitting. However, I think it would have to be along the lines of 2 batters minimum unless the reliever gets out of the inning. Im over specialists being abused and it seems like a way better idea then a freakin pitch clock or anything else I've heard for speeding up the game.
 
Methoes said:
Mariners are excited for Nelson Cruz!!! Mr. Boomstick in town will help Cano in a big way. Our young pitchers (Paxton & Walker) will help us down the stretch too. Playoff baby... I'm calling it.
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Oh I bet they are happy! He used to play for them before right?
I thought he was happy with the O's , but once I heard he declined their offer from what I remember. Figured they are going to need to find another good replacement .
 
So, Jason Giambi officially announced his retirement. I still contend that he was better than Mark Teixeira. Giambi was a terrifying beast in his prime. Teixeira hasn't hit above .260 since he turned 30...which was 5 seasons ago. The guy just aged so quickly. His season totals are almost on par with Giambi's...but when Giambi was 5 years older. 

Teixeira's BB/K ratio is pretty horrible too (1:1.54) as opposed to Giambi's (1:1.15). That may not seem like a huge difference, but considering Teixeira should just now be exiting his prime years (he'll be 35 in April), it's only going to get worse. He's been striking out twice as much as he walks for the past 3 years already.

In summation, Mark Teixeira sucks. This is my annual plea for him to make me eat my words. But we all know it won't happen.

 
The subject of Jason Giambi retiring is a good enough reason to laugh at this picture of Jeremy Giambi again.

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He looks like the first guy that ever tried to sell me weed. For the record, Jason is 4 years older, but looks 10 years younger than his brother.

 
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I still laugh at how much Baltimore fans railed against the Orioles for not snagging Tex, yet I would much rather have Chris Davis or even Steve Pearce.
 
LMAO...oh, man. I hadn't seen Jeremy Giambi lately. Holy crap. He looks like a creepy Woody Harrelson. And yaeh, for all the knocks on Jason through his career, dude hung in the big leagues until he was 43 years old. So, even after the muscle mass and PED use faded, the guy still worked hard. Hell of a career overall.

 
Jurickson Profar will have surgery for a torn labrum and might miss the entire season again for the Rangers.

The Rangers signed infielder Rougned Odor, who is the brother of Rangers infielder Rougned Odor.

 
Sox have been on a roll getting talent along those lines. They keep targeting players not at the top tier but in the middle of the FA payout lines. Also gives them more depth, especially if they give in and go get Hamels.
 
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And so it begins...

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dg4tJ

Alex Rodriguez has already pissed off the Yankees front office by showing up to Tampa two days early without telling anybody, thus creating a media circus that the team was unprepared to deal with. The team is saying "same old A-Rod...doing whatever he wants", but I honestly think he's more stupid than spiteful. They should really treat him as such and spell everything out for him like he's mentally challenged.

 
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I don't see the problem. I think they're just looking for things to complain about at this point. They would've bitched about him not putting in extra work if he had showed up "on time". I guess they wanted him to arrive on Wednesday so the media circus could already be in full swing, as opposed to this from this morning:

B-jNZnLCAAEhFNz.jpg

 
Yeah, most guys get looked at as hard workers if they show up early to Spring Training.

 
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pitfallharry219 said:
I don't see the problem. I think they're just looking for things to complain about at this point. They would've bitched about him not putting in extra work if he had showed up "on time". I guess they wanted him to arrive on Wednesday so the media circus could already be in full swing, as opposed to this from this morning:

B-jNZnLCAAEhFNz.jpg
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mitch079 said:
Yeah, most guys get looked at as hard workers if they show up early to Spring Training.
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Yeah...but when you're on thin ice and have a history of problems (not to mention a history of doing things to get attention), you do exactly as you're told/say you're going to do. I generally agree that it's unlikely the team is going to be happy with much Alex does at this point. But there is something to be said for simply following instructions.

It doesn't really matter if what you're doing is better, worse, or inbetween. Just be a dependable person and stick to what you say. When you're on the hot seat, you don't make waves and you try to go unnoticed. Seems like that should be common sense.

 
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n8rockerasu said:
The team is saying "same old A-Rod...doing whatever he wants", but I honestly think he's more stupid than spiteful. They should really treat him as such and spell everything out for him like he's mentally challenged.
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I agree that at this point he is probably more stupid than spiteful. The guy is trying to come back from a long layoff, he's probably itchy to play again and is worried about being ready so he showed up early. Maybe it didn't occur to him that there would be a huge media circus (although pitfall's post showed there really isn't one).

I'm sure the media will report on it somewhat, but A-Rod and the whole thing seems like old news already. I honestly expect him to just fade away in the next year or so, and I'm sure he's worried about that too. Can't really fault him for showing up 2 days early. It's not like he called a press conference to announce his return or anything.

 
Reds303 said:
I agree that at this point he is probably more stupid than spiteful. The guy is trying to come back from a long layoff, he's probably itchy to play again and is worried about being ready so he showed up early. Maybe it didn't occur to him that there would be a huge media circus (although pitfall's post showed there really isn't one).

I'm sure the media will report on it somewhat, but A-Rod and the whole thing seems like old news already. I honestly expect him to just fade away in the next year or so, and I'm sure he's worried about that too. Can't really fault him for showing up 2 days early. It's not like he called a press conference to announce his return or anything.
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Well, right. I don't think the issue was how many reporters were there. But moreso, the type of questions that were being asked that the team didn't have an answer for. His first decision of the year put his boss in an awkward situation. I would imagine that's why it wasn't received particularly well.

It's not like Alex is the first person to ever think he's doing something to help and ends up making things worse though. Considering his personality, not overthinking and just doing what he's asked is probably nearly impossible, lol.
 
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To be honest, I kinda feel bad for A-Rod. I know he has been a giant douche over the years, but he has been knocked off his throne and probably feels like an unproven rookie would feel. No one is expecting anything from him, he knows people expect him to fail and some are even rooting for him to. If after all of this he still hasn't been humbled, well then he is definetely one of the biggest jackasses on the planet.

 
Reds303 said:
To be honest, I kinda feel bad for A-Rod. I know he has been a giant douche over the years, but he has been knocked off his throne and probably feels like an unproven rookie would feel. No one is expecting anything from him, he knows people expect him to fail and some are even rooting for him to. If after all of this he still hasn't been humbled, well then he is definetely one of the biggest jackasses on the planet.
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It's tough because I'm really not sure if he even gives a shit. At the end of the day, the guy has made half a billion dollars playing a children's game. When you consider the way he conducted himself, and the things he did to get ahead, it's hard to really make a case for him caring about the "sanctity of the sport".

So, from a perspective of making as much money as he possibly could, he was extremely successful. But he burned a lot of bridges and stepped on a lot of toes along the way. He's feeling the fallout from all that now. But he still has his millions...and maybe that's all he cares about.

It also doesn't help that he was willing to sue anybody and everybody on his way down and has fought tooth and nail for every last dollar on that contract. He's honestly lucky that MLB's player's union does a better job than the NFL's...or he would have been cut a long time ago.

 
I hear you... he's a giant dick. It's hard to feel sympathy for him because he made his bed and he has to lie in it. In all reality though, A-Rod is probably a delusional narcissist. He really probably doesn't give a rats ***, but if he ever did, now would be that time. I won't go as far as to say that he doesn't deserve his fall, just that it is painful to watch is all and I feel a *little* bit of sympathy for him.

 
So...what scandalous questions did reporters ask the Yankees that they wouldn't have asked if A-Rod came on time? Did they think Solid Snake was going to sneak him onto the training field or something?
 
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DNukem170 said:
So...what scandalous questions did reporters ask the Yankees that they wouldn't have asked if A-Rod came on time? Did they think Solid Snake was going to sneak him onto the training field or something?
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Derp. How bout "Why is Alex here early?". If you told your boss you were going to do one thing and then did something else without notifying them, they probably wouldn't be happy about it. Instead of getting there the same time as everybody else, he created a headline. That's just the way A-Rod's brain works though.

 
n8rockerasu said:
He's honestly lucky that MLB's player's union does a better job than the NFL's...or he would have been cut a long time ago.
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Cuts both ways. If the union had been more open to drug testing back in the 90s, perhaps he wouldn't have tried PEDs, or he could've gotten caught early enough in his career that he might've still had the tail end of his peak years to put up some decent seasons and repair some of his damaged rep. We'll see how things go with Ryan Braun in that regard.

 
n8rockerasu said:
Derp. How bout "Why is Alex here early?". If you told your boss you were going to do one thing and then did something else without notifying them, they probably wouldn't be happy about it. Instead of getting there the same time as everybody else, he created a headline. That's just the way A-Rod's brain works though.
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But there would have been a headline either way. ESPN alone is going to feature A-Rod for about 70% of his coverage. Every Spring Training at-bat will have a live cut-in.

Not to mention that this is the fuck ing Yankees. Every move they make garners headlines.

And it isn't as though this should have blindsided them anyway. A-Rod, at least publicly, has been trying to get out on the field and play every day since this whole thing started. And nothing he does at this point is going to change the moods of anyone on the front office about this guy.
 
Well since there's nothing much else to talk about at the moment- predict A-Rods stat line for the upcoming season.

I'm going with .260/15 HR. Or less if he hurts his hip halfway through the season, something I think has a real possibility of happening and he retires.

 
Reds303 said:
I'm going with .260/15 HR. Or less if he hurts his hip halfway through the season, something I think has a real possibility of happening and he retires.
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He forfeits the rest of his contract if he retires, so there's no chance of that happening.

squishface said:
So anyone going to watch any of the spring training games ?
I heard they are included in the premium mlb.tv package .
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I'll probably watch some. I have premium for the choice of home / away feeds and the audio overlay (I prefer the Phillies radio announcers over the TV ones), but the regular MLB.tv package includes the spring training games.

 
I'm also getting the MiLB.tv package so I can watch the Braves' minor league teams. I think I'll have more fun watching those guys develop than I'll have watching AJ Pierzynski and Melvin Upton sucking in Atlanta.

 
Just saw an article that Juan Pierre was retiring. Anyone else use him in the earlier MLB the Show games? You could lay down a bunt with him, get on base and steal 2nd and 3rd easy. I always picked whatever team he was on when playing with friends because of this. He was like the Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl.

 
squishface said:
Wonder what kind of trade deal the sox made with the Tigers to get yoenis cespedes ?
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They traded him for Rick Porcello. Not a bad trade for the Red Sox, Porcello has shown steady improvement and most pitchers begin to put it all together at 25 or so. Cespedes really hasn't shown anything special in my opinion.

 
Reds303 said:
They traded him for Rick Porcello. Not a bad trade for the Red Sox, Porcello has shown steady improvement and most pitchers begin to put it all together at 25 or so. Cespedes really hasn't shown anything special in my opinion.
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Ahh so that's what happened. He appeared to be getting traded a good bit here within the last year or so . As far as batting goes , I think he is still doing a pretty good job. I Don't normally keep up with him because I'm not a fan of the teams he is /was on . I saw mlb reported that he hit his first grand slam already . I wonder if he will try and get a triple home run derby title this year . The only reason I noticed is from watching the O's play.
 
How many mirrors did JD break? How many ladders did he walk under? The frikken injury bug has to be a real thing at this point. Two fucking years in a row. Unless they trade for Hamel's I'm already out on the season.
 
For the first time in maybe...7 years...I'm cautiously optimistic for the Cubs this season.  I know a lot has to go right (pitching remains healthy and strong, none of the prospects regress) but overall I'm excited for baseball to be back.

 
mightyduck said:
For the first time in maybe...7 years...I'm cautiously optimistic for the Cubs this season. I know a lot has to go right (pitching remains healthy and strong, none of the prospects regress) but overall I'm excited for baseball to be back.
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Well they will definitely finish better than the Reds, and probably the Brewers too. If their prospects break out they could contend for a wildcard spot, which would be nice for them to build on for the future.

 
pitfallharry219 said:
A-Rod singled in his first at-bat today. Yankees execs are pissed because he tried to get on base.
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Just looked up A-Rod's spring training stats and he's doing well. Granted it's spring training and he isn't exactly seeing tough pitching so far, but he's done everything Yankees fans could hope for up to this point.

 
Oh, I fully believe that if A-Rod is actually given a decent chance he will be the lynchpin of the Yankees offense.
 
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