2009 MLB season discussion*

[promethius]

Damn AJ went 6 against the mets before giving up a hit, i think thats the third time this season he has flirted with a no-no. pitched a gem though 7IP,3BB,1H,10k's to bad his pitch count got up there so it looks like his night is done. whats up with the mets even when they were healthy they aren't hitting HR's the yanks come thru and hit 4 in 2 days, for god sakes gardner hit one yesterday.

[Bregor]

Girlfriend just got a text, Indians deal Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for Chris Perez and a PTBNL. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

[Cephius]

Guess that means Cleveland is throwing up the white flag. Wonder if they'll deal Victor Martinez or Lee and go into full-on rebuilding mode.

[Weeks]

Much as I like LaRussa in general, I just know he's going to fuck this up and stick DeRosa at 3B instead of 2B. DeRosa to 2B, Schumaker to LF is basically a 2 win upgrade over half a season, or twice the improvement DeRosa represents on a replacement player like Thurston.

[Kang]

Been reading the last couple pages about the Phillies' recent woes. Well, here's some good news for you Phillies fans. Jayson Werth became only the 14th player in 20 years to hit a homer to the fifth deck at the Skydome during today's game. That really was a mammoth shot.

A little trivia. Our dear friend Jose Canseco hit the first upper deck shot during the 1989 ALCS. I hated the A's back then lol.

[Bregor]

Okay, mini-rant/wall o' text on the Indians coming up, my girlfriend's from Cleveland and it pains me to say all of this, but you've been warned. Spoiler'd for hugeness:

Spoiler: show

The Indians had a much shorter window of opportunity than I thought when they were a win away from the World Series two years ago. I pretty much agreed with most experts that the best was yet to come, with the strength up the middle offensively and defensively from Martinez, Peralta, Cabrera and Sizemore, and a very good rotation anchored by Sabathia. Add in a late-blooming masher DH in Hafner, and you had what I thought was the best team in baseball outside the AL East. Even the disappointing 2008 was somewhat mitigated by what I thought were three steals on on the trading block, Sabathia for Matt LaPorta and friends, Casey Blake for Carlos Santana, and a bus pass to Columbus and some Big League Chew for Mark DeRosa.

Looking at this team today, I can barely recognize it as a contender. Martinez's bat will carry anywhere, but it seems less special at first than it did at catcher. Add in that he's 30, and he might not be putting up these numbers by the time they contend again, it wouldn't surprise me if he got dealt before the break. Now, if Santana lives up to his billing, catcher will still be a strength for them, but even if Martinez takes over first full-time, that's three positions where I think they will be above average (Sizemore being the third.) Their middle infield is a mess, they can't keep Cabrera healthy and/or productive, Josh Barfield's a quad-A player, and Valbuena's enjoying his career peak right now and you've probably never heard of him. Peralta was a decent all-hit, no-field shortstop but he looks a lot worse at third. Thier best hope for him is to transform into Brandon Inge, where he enjoys offensive peaks at the hot corner but nowhere else. Their non-Sizemore outfield spots aren't much better, I like Choo but he'll probably have to fulfill his Korean military service obligation for the next two years, and I don't think the team is sold on LaPorta or else they'd just hand him left field right now. As for DH, I think it's clear Hafner's shoulder will never hold up for a whole season again, and his contract is going to look even more foolish every time he hits the DL.

The future of the pitching staff is even less encouraging. After Lee, no one has been healthy or productive in consecutive seasons for as long as I can remember. Carmona's career is in a tailspin, sure he might work some stuff out in the minors and come back as strong as he was, but Lee just did that and can you really get that lucky twice? It's not even that he's getting hit that hard, he simply can't throw strikes, maybe he could take batting lessons from Rick Ankiel and hope to solve one of their problems at a corner outfield spot. Carl Pavano will probably be good for just long enough to get some kind of contract extension and the fold up again. Jake Westbrook might be done, and there aren't many young aces coming up from the minors. The bullpen also looks awful, they may have used up all the juice in Betancourt and Raffy Perez's arms, and Wood was a contend-now type pickup.

The first step for them is to fire Eric Wedge. He's been reluctant to shake things up that aren't working, moving Peralta to third and dropping Sizemore from the lead-off spot were done out of injury and desperation rather than innovation. I think their last three big tradable chips, Wood Lee and Martinez, could all fetch very good prospects. They should start with getting some good starting pitching, as most of their home-grown prospects project as #3-4 type guys at best. I don't know if the AL East powers-that-be would part with a Clay Buchholz or a Phil Hughes, but it's worth a shot. Let Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta take over catcher and left, respectively, and hope Carmona gets it figured out in time for Opening Day 2010. I don't think a full rebuilding period is needed, and I think the club has finally realized that 2009 is toast. I like Mark Shapiro as a GM, I just hope he realizes anyone outside of Sizemore should be seen as expendable.

As for the Cardinals, I know this is a great fit for them, and I'm wondering how long the Cubs will be content to sit in third place (or worse) in the Central before they pull the trigger on some quick fix. Let's just hope it works out better than the Bradley signing.

[Rhinox]

Girlfriend just got a text, Indians deal Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals for Chris Perez and a PTBNL. FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff ffuuuuuuuuuu


Also I done With Lou. The whole city is convinced he doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. Actually I'm convinced he has gone Senile.

[Saga]

This probably doesn't annoy anyone else, but Mike Gonzales for the Braves fucking pisses me off the way he bobs around like a retard before his windup. Idk why it makes me so mad, it just looks really, really stupid.

[Akiyama]

Yeah. It annoys me to no end. I'm like "STAND STILL FOR FUCK SAKES"

and if he blows this for Tommy Hanson, I'll be irked majorly.

[Saga]

Props to Hanson and the Braves pen today, they all pitched phenomenally. Sox couldn't seem to capitalize on their chances with runners in scoring position, they left what, 6 stranded? 7? Oh well, always tomorrow.

Edit: and good to know I'm not alone Akiyama also, lol @ the fan running out on to the field. Wish they would've televised it on NESN instead of showing Ellsbury being frustrated for five minutes.

[Akiyama]

Hanson became the first National League rookie starter to beat the Yankees and the Red Sox in back to back starts.

[Ensam]

getting swept by tampa = so gay

From what me and aki talked about earlier, about how this stretch meant a lot for the Marlins/Braves

Marlins: 10-8
Braves: 7-12
Mets: 7-11 (game tonight)
Phils: 6-12

yeah for us, bad for aki

Braves still only 5 back though, Marlins 3 back.

What's worse for Aki is Braves probably have worst July too out of the 4 haha. Marlins probably have easiest.

[Akiyama]

Yeah. The Braves need to desperately go out and get another bat. As much as I'd like to have them give Frenchy another shot, I just don't know. He's been doing better than earlier in the year, but eh. McLouth being hurt doesn't help because the Braves 1-2 part of the lineup is horrendous.

[Rhinox]

Yeah. The Braves need to desperately go out and get another bat. As much as I'd like to have them give Frenchy another shot, I just don't know. He's been doing better than earlier in the year, but eh. McLouth being hurt doesn't help because the Braves 1-2 part of the lineup is horrendous.

how about Milton Bradley? we would gladly give them to you for say...a brand new gatorade machine. Fuck it you drive a hard bargin. I'll throw in Lou Pinella in it as well.

[Akiyama]

Fuck that. Bobby Cox or bust. Also, I don't think the Braves would take Milton Bradley if the Cubs gave him to the Braves and even paid for his contract.

[Bregor]

Bradley for Kelly Johnson, do it. If I see any more of Aaron Miles or Andres Blanco, bitches are gettin' choked.

[Viq]

Dear Brad Penny,
Give up seven runs in the second inning. You have a better record that way than when you give up two runs through six. Thanks a bunch.
-Viq

[fren.]

Rivera hitting behind Jeter..two on, Girardi fakes a pinch hitter; they elect to pitch to Jeter..and then wind up intentionally walking him. KRod then walks Mo to bring home a run.

First career RBI on a night in which he's in line for save #500

[Headspace]

K-Rod vs Rivera was stuff of legends.

[Akiyama]

That was fucking awesome. First RBI for Mo ftw. Mariano Rivera 1 K-Rod 0