2010 MLB Season Discussion

[*Shinzon*]

Isnt that the dude who had to undergo brain surgery? or was that someone else.

[Cephius]

Hmmm, maybe, I do remember hearing something like that but I can't remember who it was about.

By the way, great writeup on River Ave Blues about Torre:

For years, Yankee fans bemoaned Joe Torre’s bullpen management. We saw him wear down reliable relievers, using them in unnecessary situations day after day. Scott Proctor, Paul Quantrill, Tanyon Sturtze, Steve Karsay. The early 2000s are littered with the discarded arms of the Torre Era. Tonight, we saw it benefit the Yanks.

In a curious move last night, Torre went with Jonathan Broxton, his stud closer (3-0, 0.83 ERA, 13.2 K/9 IP before tonight), with the Dodgers up by five. He later said he wanted to make sure the Yanks didn’t start to rally. It was, in his mind, a save without actually being a save situation. Tonight, with a four-run lead, Torre did the same thing, and it blew up in his face.

Broxton couldn’t overpower the Yanks tonight. He battled through 10-pitch at-bats against Jorge Posada and Colin Curtis. He walked Curtis Granderson on eight pitches. By the time the Yanks tied the game, he had thrown 40 pitches in a single inning and still Torre left him in. Instead of cutting his losses in a 6-6 game, Torre let Broxton face two more hitters. He threw 48 pitches, and the strain on his arm for that one inning of work is arguably greater than what Edwin Jackson went through en route to his 149-pitch no-hitter. It was vintage Torre at his worst.

[Saga]

Speaking of the Red Sox, you guys are turning into the 2009 Mets with all the injuries. Except you have guys like Bill "fucking" Hall coming up and playing like no one told him he's a AAAA talent and shouldn't be any good.

Really though, crazy how the Sox get good production from just about anywhere. Must be that magic Theo and Gammons touch, where every minor league prospect turns to gold! And speaking of, wheres that Westmoreland kid? He was supposed to be the next big slugger a couple years ago.

Yeah it's been ridiculous. Darnell McDonald has been huge, Daniel Nava was big at first but it seems like hitters are starting to figure him out, I think he's hitting at a .187 clip or something in his last 25 or 30 at bats. Hall was a complete dud offensively (and defensively, actually) in the beginning of the season but he's starting to turn it around on both fronts. Westmoreland was diagnosed with a cavernous malformation in his brain back in March and had to have surgery for it. Articles here:

pre-surgery: http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/news/story?id=4992990

post-surgery (June):
http://www.boston.com/sports/basebal...estmorela.html

Yankees rookies came through in a pretty big way yesterday against the dodgers. Against Broxton, Chad Huffman got a hit I think, and Colin Curtis had some crazy 8 or 9-pitch at bat after falling behind 0-2.

Edit: Just read the snippet you posted, 10-pitch AB for Curtis. Pretty impressive.

[fren.]

Torre pulling a Dusty Baker with Broxton. Almost 100 pitches thrown in 2 days, brought in with a 5 and 4 run lead respectively. Torre's a genius!

he won you like mad rings and shit, dont question that nigga

[Viq]

Speaking of the Red Sox, you guys are turning into the 2009 Mets with all the injuries. Except you have guys like Bill "fucking" Hall coming up and playing like no one told him he's a AAAA talent and shouldn't be any good.

The offense holding up has really been a huge surprise. It doesn't seem like Beltre has had a bad series with the bat since mid-April. Scutaro has done a better job as a make-shift lead off guy than I think most people expected. Varitek has been a monster when he has given Martinez days off. I really feel that losing Pedroia for an extended period is going to put a bit of a damper on the Sox offense.

For comedy's sake, someone called the local sports radio station and complained that he bought a ticket to tomorrow night's game. "Why does it say Tampa Bay Rays vs. Pawtucket Red Sox?"

[Aksannyi]

What do you mean "two team series everyone loves?" I get sick to death of watching the same two teams win all the fucking time, no matter what league it is.

Can't really count the Rays out yet but they're definitely slumping. And because Boston fans are among the most annoying on the planet, I'm not going to any of the games this week.

[Viq]

What do you mean "two team series everyone loves?" I get sick to death of watching the same two teams win all the fucking time, no matter what league it is.

Can't really count the Rays out yet but they're definitely slumping. And because Boston fans are among the most annoying on the planet, I'm not going to any of the games this week.

First, you misquoted me. Second, anyone that has followed the MLB threads on here for the past few years probably knows that 90% of the shit I say is in jest/sarcastic. Don't worry about not going to any of the games. Just means more tickets for Sox fans to snap up.

[Cephius]

The Rays aren't going to be in Tampa much longer anyway, they already scrapped plans for a new stadium and the owner basically came out and said "Yeah no one in Tampa cares about the Rays". Side note, I always wanted to see the Yankees move their AAA afilliate from Scranton to Tampa just to see if those tickets sell better than the Rays do.

Prediction: Miami Rays (or whatever a sponsor changes their name to) by 2014.

[Aksannyi]

It's not like Rays fans go. Then again the stadium is in perhaps the most inconvenient place ever.

And yeah I figured you were sarcastic but there are some who think that the same two teams dominating all the time is okay, and that bugs the crap out of me. If it's always going to be a few teams, why even bother having 20(ish) more?

The way the Rays have been playing I don't think the Red Sox will have much trouble with them, which pisses me off because I enjoy watching Boston lose, but they haven't been able to hit for shit lately and their pitching has been decent. Unfortunately, even when the pitchers are on point, the hitters can't produce any offense and we still end up losing. The recent scuffle between Upton and Longoria shows that tensions are high, and when you're tense/stressed, your performance level will usually suffer.

I don't think the Rays' slump is going anywhere for the time being. :/


Problem with the stadium is no one has the money to build it. There was a pretty good article about it in the paper this morning, and while the Trop is fine (it is fine, not good, but fine), it isn't going to support a growing team with a growing fanbase for long. St. Pete wants to keep the Rays there, Tampa residents don't want to drive all the way to St. Pete but don't want to have more taxes to pay for it to be in Tampa. I think they'll come to some agreement eventually, like my Penguins eventually did to stay in Pittsburgh.

I'm still new enough here to not really have any solution of my own, but perhaps the economy will recover some and people will be more receptive to building a new stadium somewhere else.

[*Shinzon*]

Man why is it every time Nolasco pitches against the Mets hes either fucking cy young out there or hes terrible. Struck out the last 6 of 9 batters gdi. The mets look gassed all around from the heat in PR fucking gay

[Kurp]

And the Twins pitching woes continue, this time it's Liriano.

Good pitching in this Hudson vs. Strasburg battle though.

[Ohemgee]

Fuck yeah Mike Stanton with a 3 run blast.

The Rays won't come to Miami because the Marlins are going to be the Miami Marlins in 2012.

I wouldn't doubt it if they go to Orlando (if they stay in Florida)

[*Shinzon*]

Fuck yeah Mike Stanton with a 3 run blast.

The Rays won't come to Miami because the Marlins are going to be the Miami Marlins in 2012.

I wouldn't doubt it if they go to Orlando (if they stay in Florida)

Considering how much is in Orlando, isn't there a park there they could use already? I haven't been to Florida in a few years, and I know there was a bunch of work being done in Central Orlando last time I was there.

[Ohemgee]

"Orlando" is fucking HUGE. I wouldn't doubt that theres already a park there, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be at MLB accommodation...

And it doesn't have to be in Central Orlando too. Theres a lot of land on the I-4 near Disney by Apopka/Clearmont thats just being pussied up. I'm pretty sure they've looked in to it.

But I was under the impression they were building a new Rays stadium?

[Aksannyi]

But I was under the impression they were building a new Rays stadium?

Currently, they are not building one. It's been big news lately, and there have been a lot of talks about it. Nothing is really in the works, though, because both sides of the bay have been arguing about the damn thing.

I would not be happy if the Rays moved to Orlando, but better than moving them to like Montana or something. XD

[Cephius]

But I was under the impression they were building a new Rays stadium?

They were going to, but scrapped it. Maybe you're thinking of the Marlins, who I think have broken ground on a new stadium already.

[Vagrant]

"Orlando" is fucking HUGE. I wouldn't doubt that theres already a park there, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be at MLB accommodation...

The Braves I believe play spring training games near Disney World so there is at least a spring training quality stadium in Orlando. Don't believe there is any stadium of MLB quality in Orlando beyond that though.

[Viq]

Didn't the Rays play a regular season series in Orlando within the past few years? For some reason I want to say it was interleague against the Pirates, but I have no clue what I'm basing that on.

EDIT: Nevermind, I guess it happened this year in April against the Blue Jays. http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/ticketing/orlando.jsp
EDIT2: Wow, I can't even read my own links. That was in 2008.

[Ohemgee]

They were going to, but scrapped it. Maybe you're thinking of the Marlins, who I think have broken ground on a new stadium already.

I live close to the new stadium D:

[Cephius]

lol:

Q: What baseball uniform is the ugliest?

The winner: "Whatever Kevin Youkilis is wearing"