2010 MLB Season Discussion

[Bozo]

Happ's rehab stint is up soon. Put Zagurski back in AAA, keep Happ in the pen until he's back up to strength and decide which two of the three among Happ/JoeBlant/Kendrick get to be starters. Kendrick has better numbers than Blanton right now, though by the time Happ is playing on the Phils again at 100% that might change. It's definitely obvious that Blanton is recovering from his first couple of starts.

Is there any news on how long Polanco is supposed to be out? I had thought it was at least a month. I'm strongly considering getting R-Phils or Lehigh tickets for mid-late August.

They can send Happ to the minors if they can't extend his rehab.

[Bregor]

the cubs can't ever score for anyone ever.

ftfy

[AshTS]

Co-co is going to kill me, I swear.

But, back to 10 games over .500 for my Reds. Feel bad kinda for both Wood and Silva. 53259083425 hits aside, Silva just got let down again by the Cubbies.

[Headspace]

GET OUT

[Akiyama]

We don't need two Reds' fans here.

[Cephius]

Yeah how is headspace supposed to feel special if there are TWO of you?!

[Headspace]

I could buy stuff to make me feel special.

Works for the Yankees.

[Akiyama]

Oshi-

[Melena]

Satly is seriously dead to me right now because of that. What a joke.

I just find it hilarious that after shoulder surgery, he can fire a bullet to second base to nail someone stealing, but if he throws to the pitcher it's in center field. Time to move him to first base.

[Cephius]

Bob Ryan was just on WEEI's Dale and Holley Show and made a great point.

If Alex Rodriguez broke his foot, cast aside his crutches and took grounders from his knees in the infield a few days later, he would be universally ripped as being a glory-seeking fraud.

But when Dustin Pedroia did it yesterday, he was hailed as the personification of guts and dedication.

Funny how that works, isn't it?

A few weeks ago, Pedroia said he would be snap out of his slump because he was the hardest working player in baseball. Nobody batted an eye. When A-Rod made that claim a few years ago, Trot Nixon called him "a clown" and even assorted Yankees rolled their eyes.

Pedroia has what amounts to a lifetime free pass in the court of public perception while A-Rod has a life sentence. To be sure, A-Rod has brought it on himself with some of his antics. But let's be honest, taking grounders from your knees is kind of silly a few days after you break your foot.

If Dustin somehow stumbled and that fracture became displaced, what then? That said, I do think his intentions were genuine. The guy really does care and wants nothing more than to win. You have to admire that.

What's really funny is that Alex has paid advisers piles of money to craft his image and it never seems to work. Meanwhile Dustin looks like a homeless guy half the time and people love him.

Having covered both players, I can tell you that A-Rod works every bit as hard as Dustin does. They're both incredibly dedicated to getting better. No matter what you think of A-Rod, you can't deny that he plays hard and he plays hurt. I do tend to agree with Trot, however.

And having read him for a long time, that's about the nicest thing Pete Abe has ever said about A-rod. Still though, the double standard is pretty funny.

[Alderaan]

It's mostly because everything Arod says sounds phony. The way he speaks seems disingenuous. He's not the only one that does it though.

I prefer honesty, even if it's something i don't want to hear, rather than "give them what they want to hear" nonsense from Arod.

[*Shinzon*]

Great fucking job leaving Feliciano on the mound for 2 innings Jerry you fucking twat. What a wasted fucking game. Have Parnell and Igarashi and he just leaves Feliciano, god what a fucking retard. Saw this shit earlier in the season and has back to doing it ugh. Maybe I should send my Resume to Minaya, I could fucking manage better than Jerry.

[Cephius]

Oh my god, have you guys ever read sportsargument wiki? This shit is hilarious. Some excerpts:

On the Yankees:

The Yankees have won 27 world championships in the 28 years in which a World Series was played. The only time they lost was when Joe DiMaggio was too busy beating his wife to play.

The only Yankee to appear on every Yankee World Series championship team is Babe Ruth, a noted magician who cursed the Boston Red Sox for sending him to such an evil organization in exchange for a machine that allowed Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey to kill as many orphaned black children as he pleased. This curse is called The Curse of the Bambino and is 100% real.

There are a lot of reasons that people hate the Yankees, but they can all be traced back to one common thread: their fans.

* Yankee fans are perhaps the most obnoxious in all of sports for their arrogance, their shitty attitudes, and their dogged insistence that they did NOT start cheering for the team around mid-September of 1996 when we ALL know that that's exactly what they did.

"I liked them when they sucked too, ya know," is the mating call of the Yankee Stadium Bleacher Creature, who is identifiable by his pin-striped jersey with either the number 2 or 13 on the back, and his hatred/love of Alex Rodriguez depending upon whether or not he has just grounded into yet another inning-ending double play with the bases loaded or homered to put the Yankees up 14-3 over the Devil Rays in mid-May.

When quizzed upon which players, besides Don Mattingly, played for the Yankees in the mid-80s, the average Yankee fan will usually respond with a blank stare followed by a "Who's Your Daddy" chant.

* Their payroll is about 5 times that of the average baseball team. Their roster consists almost entirely of players who were on the 1997-1999 All-Star teams, many of whom are past their primes, and more still have worse haircuts and facial hair.

* A-Rod and Jeter. 'Nuff said.

* George Steinbrenner: convicted criminal, Communist sympathizer, Costanza botherer.

* They retired both Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin's numbers, despite the two playing in New York for a combined 12 seasons and hitting a combined .261.

* John Sterling (whose real name is Harold Moskowitz). Everything he does is an affront to broadcasting, from his trademark "Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yankees WIN!" call on the first day of the season in a 12-1 win over the Orioles to his cheeseball home run calls ("A TEX MESSAGE," "SOMETHING SORT OF GRANDISH/OOOOOH THE GRANDY MAN CAN~," "AN A-BOMB BY A-ROD," and so forth). Also, Suzyn Waldman is a stupid, overreacting twat.

* They employ role models like Steve Howe and Darryl Strawberry.

On the Red Sox:

Baseball is etched into American culture, and perhaps no rivalry better typifies America's passion for this boring sport than the long standing feud between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees that nobody who doesn't either live on the East Coast or work for ESPN cares about. The rivalry has not been without its fireworks over the years, but it's a rivalry like you playing basketball in the driveway with your 4 year old cousin is a rivlary as the Yankees have amassed a record 26 World Series titles to Boston's six rings. Which you may kiss.

Red Sox fans are widely regarded as the most devoted fans in all of sports, unless the Red Sox are not in first place in which case they'd be happy to tell you about Tom Brady at length.

The Yankees are largely reviled throughout baseball circles for their lavish spending and inability to develop homegrown talent. The Red Sox serve as the obvious counter to the Yankees dasterdly ways as wunderkind Theo Epstein summons up genius from his moneyballs and attempts to thwart the $200M Yankees with a paltry $160M budget--which is almost half as much.

While the hated Yankees have relied on high priced hired guns over the years the Red Sox have turned to their farm system for in house talent like Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Manny Ortez, Pedro Martinez, Victor Martinez, Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling.

On Peter Gammons:

According to officials around the league, David Ortiz is the most feared hitter in the history of baseball. An unnamed source says that if there was one player to not pitch to, it'd be him.


The possibilities about a trade involving the Boston Red Sox and some team on the west coast. Who could it involve? Any number of amazing prospects in the Sox minor league system.


While having a down year on offense, scouts around the league are looking at the way Jason Varitek plays defense and calls the game from behind the plate and are saying this is his best year yet. With two more years on his contract after this season, could he get even better? The Sox look to lock him up for another four years before his current deal ends.

Rumors are circulating that 29 other major league teams exist.

Fucking gold.

[Viq]

Manny Ortez resulted in about half a can of Dr. Pepper gracing my keyboard with it's presence.

[Conrad]

Oh my god, have you guys ever read sportsargument wiki? This shit is hilarious.

LOL:

Spoiler: show

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of old baseball lore
While I nodded, nearly sleeping, suddenly there came a beeping
As of some one gently tweeting, tweeting on my monitor.
'Thy news comes unasked for,' I muttered, 'beeping on my monitor -
Just one look, then nothing more.'


Ah, delicious was the warm thrill of our dominance in April,
For each and every Phil the NL East a group above to soar.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - Halladay could cause no sorrow
Nor his game pitched cause more woe - more woe in Philly's war -
For the war was fought each day and winner shown in final score -
T'would the East make '10 a bore?


And the pulsing ghostly pleading of mozilla's twitter feed
Thrilled me - filled me with uneasy nerves as such I'd felt before;
So that now, to still the shaking of my hand, I sat repeating
' 'Tis some baseball score entreating reading on my monitor -
Some late baseball score entreating reading on my monitor; -
That it is, and nothing more,'


Presently my hand grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'Sir,' said I, 'or Madam, truly your updates I abhor;
For the fact is I was sleeping, and so gently you came tweeting.
And so faintly was the beeping, beeping on my monitor,
That I woke once I had heard it' - here I clicked to view the score; -
A link was there instead, and more.


Deep into that blue link peering, long I sat there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no fan had dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the blue link gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word I swore.
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word I swore.
Merely this, as I read more.


Proving I was not still sleeping, back into mozilla beeping,
Again I heard a tweeting somehow louder than before.
'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is news repeated;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my hand be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis but madness, nothing more!'


In dark thoughts my mind now loomed, when startling noise came from my room,
In there stepped Amaro of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obesiance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, came straight through my room's closed door -
Stood atop old pizza boxes strew about my cluttered floor -
Stood in silence, nothing more.


Then this mortal man beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the goofy stern decorum of the countenance he wore,
'Though thy team be filled with talent, thou,' I said, 'more goof than gallant.
Foolish Rube, thy offer made from wandering on Howard's floor -
Tell me all thy lordly reasons for making such an offer poor.!'
Quoth Amaro, "Pay him more."


Much I marveled this ungainly man to hear discourse so plainly,
Though his answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with foolish thoughts and reasoning so poor -
Dead nor living man had led the Phillies whole front office corps,
With such plan as 'Pay him more.'


But Amaro, sitting lonely on the placid box, spoke only,
That one phrase, as if his soul in that one phrase he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not one syllable he stuttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered 'Other basemen paid before -
With such skills have aged so poorly, so thy logic must be more.'
Then the Rube said, 'Pay him more.'


Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
'Doubtless,' said I, 'what you utter is your only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom some financial disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his team that melancholy burden bore
Of 'Pay him - Pay him more.


But Amaro still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled my cushioned seat in front of man and box and door;
Then, upon the carpet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this portly man of lore -
What this glib, ungainly, goofy, garish, portly man of lore
Meant in croaking 'Pay him more.'


This I say engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the man whose beady eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's duct taped lining that the light bulb gloated o'er,
Just whose contributions at the plate now cause our runs to score,
His at-bats, ah, pay him more!


Then, mesaw, in future tense, a mighty bat swing for the fences
Swung by Howard whose great strikeouts all mankind had seen before.
'Wretch,' I cried, 'thy God hath lent thee - by some angels he has sent thee
Dingers - dingers and some RBIs from memories of yore!
Rube, this price for RBIs is too high to ignore!
Quoth Amaro, 'Pay him more.'


'Prophet!' said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still if man or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this baseball team enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there payroll extra? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth Amaro, 'Pay him more.'


'Prophet!' Said I, 'thing of evil! - prophet still, if man or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us, by that sport we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant seasons
It shall clasp a great free agent, see waning might restored -
Clasp a rare and prized free agent, see waning might restored?'
Quoth Amaro, 'Pay him more.'


'Be that phrase our sign of parting, man or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
'Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Jeterian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of the harm thy soul has spoken!
Leave my championship unbroken! - your decisions I deplore!
Take thy ballpoint from my heart, and take thy form from off my floor!
Quoth Amaro, 'Pay him more.'


And Amaro, never quitting, still permitting, still permitting
Words of malice and derision to appear upon my monitor;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the thought that was us creaming all the NL is no more;
And my team from out the basement that awaits us in year four
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

[Melena]

So Varitek is going to the DL now. That makes 5 regulars on the DL in the span of a week. Last week we replaced the Boston Red Sox training and conditioning staff with the NY Mets staff. Let's see if they notice.

[Cephius]

Someone told me this is the Phillies lineup today. Is this true?

Brian Bocock
Ben Francisco
Greg Dobbs
Wilson Valdez
Dane Sardhina
Andy Tracy
Juan Castro
Ross Gload
Jamie Moyer

If so, I mean, holy shit.

[Conrad]

There's no way they would take Howard & Victorino out of the lineup with them spread as thin as they are right now, but I can't find a lineup anywhere online through a quick look. That's probably a troll lineup tbh.

[Akiyama]

Gonna go with a troll lineup, though I bet that could still sweep the Pirates.

[Conrad]

We lost to them last night.