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QuoteTrade gives Zambrano another shot at happiness
Tim Brown

By Tim Brown, Yahoo! Sports 58 minutes ago

There are no last chances in baseball, not as long as you happen to be a pitcher and your dominant appendage remains attached and you can win a game or 12.

So, Carlos Zambrano's move to the Miami Marlins – he's taking his malcontent to South Beach, according to reports – is no day of reckoning for the mercurial, 30-year-old right-hander, no matter how it might be cast.

It might, however, be his last chance at happiness – true happiness – in a game that's tried to make him happy for most of his life. Frankly, the game's exhausted from the effort.

He's on a contender. He's pitching for his pal and fellow Venezuelan, manager Ozzie Guillen. He's in a ballpark surrounded by folks who aren't so tired of his act they'd just as soon watch him drive away than witness another destructive meltdown, no matter his aptitude.

And, for the first time in who knows how long, he won't be the most disgruntled guy in the clubhouse. I'm guessing Hanley Ramirez will hold that honor, assuming he's still a Marlin in six weeks.

No, Zambrano, 30 going on 12 and too often an embarrassment to his uniform, has too much to pitch for in 2012 to make this anything less than a stroke of genius for David Samson, Larry Beinfest and the rest of the Fishmen.

Zambrano will earn – I'm assuming he'll "earn" it this time – $18 million this season, a good portion presumably paid by the team that dealt him, the Chicago Cubs. And that's the last of the guaranteed big money. His 2013 option – for $19.25 million – vests with a top-four finish in the National League Cy Young vote and finishing the year healthy.

Hey, if the game doesn't drive you, if your career isn't about teammates or championships or showing up or dignity, that sort of leaves money. And there's no shame in that. There's weaker motivation.

ESPN Chicago reported Wednesday afternoon the Cubs had shipped Zambrano and his baggage (and, presumably, some luggage) to the Marlins for right-hander Chris Volstad, who was 5-13 with a 4.89 ERA last season.

That's good for the Cubs, good for new manager Dale Sveum, good for the nice people of Chicago, and especially good for Zambrano. No matter how many sit-downs he had with Theo Epstein, no matter how eloquent the orations on fresh starts and new men, Zambrano had gone toxic in Chicago. There's no hosing that off the Wrigleyville sidewalk.

So, I hope Carlos Zambrano sees this for what it is – not one more shot at the career that seemed ahead of him four years ago, but one more shot at being satisfied with the career he looks back on.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on January 04, 2012, 10:29:23 PMother than the Royals, I have no interest in the entire city of Kansas City, whereas I like Cleveland and the Browns and the city is much closer and open to visits.

Quote from: sbr on January 09, 2012, 07:22:36 PM
Larkin was a nice player, but not HoF worthy in my opinion.  Of course Larkin is a hell of  a lot more worthy than Craig Biggio who is going to make the HoF just for staying healthy for 20 years.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 09, 2012, 07:25:29 PM

Quote from: sbr on January 09, 2012, 07:22:36 PM
Larkin was a nice player, but not HoF worthy in my opinion.  Of course Larkin is a hell of  a lot more worthy than Craig Biggio who is going to make the HoF just for staying healthy for 20 years.

First of all durability is an integral part of any sport, secondly Biggios stats are great. 3060 hits, 668 doubles and 1175 RBI.

Quote from: sbr on January 09, 2012, 07:22:36 PM
Larkin was a nice player, but not HoF worthy in my opinion.  Of course Larkin is a hell of  a lot more worthy than Craig Biggio who is going to make the HoF just for staying healthy for 20 years.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 10, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
IMO both are borderline candidates.  I could see voting no, but voting yes is hardly an outrage.  They are well above the level of Rice and Dawson, to pick on two questionable recent selections.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 10, 2012, 06:04:31 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 10, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
IMO both are borderline candidates.  I could see voting no, but voting yes is hardly an outrage.  They are well above the level of Rice and Dawson, to pick on two questionable recent selections.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 10, 2012, 06:04:31 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 10, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
IMO both are borderline candidates.  I could see voting no, but voting yes is hardly an outrage.  They are well above the level of Rice and Dawson, to pick on two questionable recent selections.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 10, 2012, 08:36:07 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 10, 2012, 06:04:31 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 10, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
IMO both are borderline candidates.  I could see voting no, but voting yes is hardly an outrage.  They are well above the level of Rice and Dawson, to pick on two questionable recent selections.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

I can't even place the name. Came up with Glenn(basketball player?) and Tim(songwriter?).

So it's Jim. Yeah doesn't ring a bell.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2012, 12:29:05 AM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on January 10, 2012, 08:36:07 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 10, 2012, 06:04:31 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 10, 2012, 04:37:28 PM
IMO both are borderline candidates.  I could see voting no, but voting yes is hardly an outrage.  They are well above the level of Rice and Dawson, to pick on two questionable recent selections.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

I can't even place the name. Came up with Glenn(basketball player?) and Tim(songwriter?).

So it's Jim. Yeah doesn't ring a bell.

One of the most feared hitters in baseball between 1975 and 1986!  :mad:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2012, 12:29:05 AM
One of the most feared hitters in baseball between 1975 and 1986!  :mad:

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 11, 2012, 06:00:58 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2012, 12:29:05 AM
One of the most feared hitters in baseball between 1975 and 1986!  :mad:

So was Dave Kingman.

QuoteAn Orioles official said today there is "absolutely no truth" to fresh rumors that owner Peter Angelos is shopping the club.

Eric Bickel, a radio host on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, said Tuesday that he had heard Angelos was quietly discussing a sale of the Orioles. Bickel said Angelos was looking to sell the team but not his majority share in the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, which broadcasts Orioles and Washington Nationals games.

MASN is probably worth more than the team, and the Orioles would be a significantly less appealing purchase if the network was not included, according to investment bankers familiar with the baseball industry.

Rumors that Angelos is considering a sale have become annual grist for Baltimore-area sports fans, desperate to see the Orioles end their streak of 14 straight losing seasons.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 12, 2012, 12:10:31 AM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on January 11, 2012, 06:00:58 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on January 11, 2012, 12:29:05 AM
One of the most feared hitters in baseball between 1975 and 1986!  :mad:

So was Dave Kingman.

Kingman hit .236! Rice hit .298, that's a 62 point difference!

Quote from: Caliga on February 16, 2012, 07:43:52 AM
I think I'll go to another Bats game or two this season.  That shit was fun. :cool:

Quote from: sbr on February 16, 2012, 07:20:47 PM
Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter died today.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Ai5m0GcE8v1UhFUkiHn0uy0RvLYF?slug=ap-obit-garycarter

QuoteNEW YORK (AP)—National League MVP Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension was overturned Thursday by baseball arbitrator Shyam Das, the first time a baseball player successfully challenged a drug-related penalty in a grievance.

The decision was announced Thursday by the Major League Baseball Players Association, one day before the 28-year-old outfielder was due to report to spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers.

Braun's urine tested positive in October for elevated testosterone, and ESPN revealed the positive test in December.
AdChoices

Braun has insisted that he did not violate baseball's drug agreement.

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision," he said in a statement. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side."

MLB executive vice president Rob Manfred said management "vehemently disagrees" with Das' decision.

Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, called the decision "a real gut-kick to clean athletes."

During the hearing, Braun's side challenged the chain of custody from the time the urine sample was collected by Comprehensive Drug Testing Inc. to when it was sent, nearly 48 hours later, to a World Anti-Doping Agency-certified laboratory in Montreal, two people familiar with the case said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because what took place in the hearing is supposed to be confidential.

The sample was collected on Oct. 1, a Saturday and the day the Brewers opened the NL playoffs. The collector did not send the sample to the laboratory until Monday, thinking it would be more secure at home than at a Federal Express office during the weekend.

Baseball's drug agreement states that "absent unusual circumstances, the specimens should be sent by FedEx to the laboratory on the same day they are collected."

"To have this sort of technicality of all technicalities let a player off ... it's just a sad day for all the clean players and those that abide by the rules within professional baseball," Tygart said.

Das, who has been baseball's independent arbitrator since 2000, informed the sides of his decision, but did not give them a written opinion. He has 30 days to do so.

"Today the arbitration panel announced its decision, by a 2-1 vote, to sustain Ryan Braun's grievance challenging his 50-game suspension by the commissioner's office," a statement from the players' association said.

Manfred and union head Michael Weiner are part of the arbitration panel, and management and the union almost always split their votes, leaving Das, the independent panel member, to make the decision.

"MLB and cable sports tried to sully the reputation of an innocent man," Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on Twitter. "Picked the wrong guy to mess with. Truth will set u free"

Brewers closer John Axford added on Twitter: "All I can say is that Braun has exemplary character is continuing to handle this in an unbelievable manner."

An evidentiary hearing on Braun's appeal was held Jan. 19-20 in New York, ending the day before the player accepted the NL MVP award at a black-tie dinner.

"We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide," Braun said in his statement. "I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that, after being informed of the positive result, Braun asked to have another urine test taken, and that the second test was within normal range.

Positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs have been relatively rare under the major league testing program, with just two others in 2011: Tampa Bay outfielder Manny Ramirez and Colorado Rockies catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. Ramirez at first retired rather than face a 100-game suspension for a second positive test. Now that he wants to play again and since he missed most of last year, he will only need to serve a 50-game penalty.

"It has always been Major League Baseball's position that no matter who tests positive, we will exhaust all avenues in pursuit of the appropriate discipline. We have been true to that position in every instance, because baseball fans deserve nothing less," Manfred said. "As a part of our drug testing program, the commissioner's office and the players' association agreed to a neutral third-party review for instances that are under dispute. While we have always respected that process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das."

Braun hit .332 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs last year and led Milwaukee to the NL championship series, where the Brewers lost to the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers are counting on his offense following the departure of Prince Fielder, who became a free agent and signed with the Detroit Tigers.

"I just did a few shirtless cartwheels to show my excitement," Brewers teammate Corey Hart said in a text message.

Braun already was signed through 2015, but the Brewers gave him a new deal running through 2020 that added $105 million and guaranteed him a total of $145.5 million over a decade.

———

AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley and AP Sports Writer Howie Rumberg contributed to this report.

QuoteThe collector did not send the sample to the laboratory until Monday, thinking it would be more secure at home than at a Federal Express office during the weekend.

QuoteBRADENTON, Fla. -- Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett underwent surgery Friday to repair the fractured orbital bone around his right eye sustained during a bunting mishap earlier this week.

Burnett, whose surgery was performed at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks, general manager Neal Huntington said.

Quote from: Syt on March 05, 2012, 11:04:16 PM
I think I'll skip it this year. :)

QuoteBRADENTON, Fla. -- Negotiations that stretched over the past two seasons officially came to a close today when the Pirates announced a six-year contract with star outfielder Andrew McCutchen.

"We're not signing a baseball player," principal owner Bob Nutting said at a news conference at McKechnie field. "We're signing a person we believe in greatly."

McCutchen's new contract will pay him at least $51.5 million through the 2017 season, with a chance to earn $64.75 million should the Pirates exercise a club option for the 2018 season.

McCutchen said he always wanted to stay with the Pirates.

"It's almost like getting drafted all over again," McCutchen said. "It's almost like being married, and you renew your vows. ??? It felt like I was home here."

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12066/1214836-100.stm?cmpid=pirates.xml#ixzz1oMXqIUnI

Quote from: CountDeMoney on January 11, 2012, 07:20:50 AM
I think the Orioles are still in Baltimore.  That's about the length and breadth of their off-season success this year.

Quote from: Syt on March 06, 2012, 03:42:26 PM
(The name in German would be "Steinbrenner".)

Quote from: fahdiz on March 06, 2012, 03:57:07 PM

Quote from: Syt on March 06, 2012, 03:42:26 PM
(The name in German would be "Steinbrenner".)

Who of course was the longtime boss of the most irritating team in baseball.

Quote2 former Orioles batboys say they were abused by former Red Sox clubhouse manager

As a teenager growing up in the shadow of Memorial Stadium, working as a batboy in the clubhouses with the Baltimore Orioles and opposing teams was a dream job for Ronald Shelton.

But Shelton said he quietly left the job before he had planned to do so after being twice sexually assaulted in an equipment room in 1990 by a Red Sox clubhouse manager, Donald Fitzpatrick, when the Boston team was in town. Now all these years later, Fitzpatrick has been linked to a growing number of claims of sexual assault. And Shelton has come forward.

"He told me to 'Be good,' and as I got older, I came to understand what that meant: Do not tell," said Shelton, now a 38-year-old father. He said the experience made him fear being considered "abnormal," and as a result of his experience, he is fiercely protective of his son.

Shelton and a second, unnamed former Orioles batboy this week joined a growing number of former Red Sox attendants who say that Fitzpatrick, who died in 2005, abused them.

Boston lawyer Mitchell Garabedian said Monday that though the statute of limitations for legal action has expired in many of the cases, the alleged victims are seeking settlements from the Red Sox as well as the Orioles because the teams failed to protect the young employees. The accusers are seeking $5 million each from the teams.

"It is time for the Boston Red Sox to step up to the plate and reveal what they knew about the serial pedophile Donald Fitzpatrick," Garabedian said in a phone interview on Monday. "It's also time for the Baltimore Orioles to reveal what they knew. ... There's a public responsibility when it comes to dealing with children. ... These organizations should come clean so children in the future are not sexually molested."

The Boston Globe reported that a total of 21 individuals have come forward to make claims spanning decades, and the newspaper called it the "worst sexual abuse scandal in Major League Baseball history."

The Orioles, through spokeswoman Monica Barlow, said the team had notified Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig's office of the allegations. The spokeswoman declined further comment.

Garabedian said he has reached out to the teams and wants them to produce records or other possible evidence that others might have known what was happening.

Allegations of sexual abuse by Fitzpatrick are not new — he was convicted of sexually assaulting young boys in 2002 and one former clubhouse attendant showed up at a nationally televised game in 1991 holding a sign that read, "Don Fitzpatrick sexually assaulted me." The Red Sox have paid settlements to several former attendants.

But the accusations that Fitzpatrick abused staff members of opposing teams raises the possibility that there could be victims across the country and other clubs, Garabedian said. "This is the tip of the sexual abuse iceberg," he said.

The surfacing of new allegations follows the widespread attention of the abuse scandal at Penn State University involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who has been charged with 52 counts accusing him of sexually abusing boys, and allegations from three former Syracuse basketball ballboys that they were abused by assistant coach Bernie Fine, who has not been charged.

As a bat boy, young baseball fans get to rub elbows with their heroes. They wear uniforms and enjoy access to the playing field and other exclusive areas — perks most fans can only dream of.

Jimmy Triantas worked as an Orioles bat boy from 1985 to 1988, and in the clubhouse until 1990, and keeps in touch with some of his former clubhouse attendants. He was taken aback by the allegations that abuse may have occurred in Memorial Stadium, which was demolished a decade ago.

"I've never heard anything like that," said Triantas, now 41. "That really surprises me — that stuff didn't happen as far as I knew."

The accusers say coming forward has not been easy. Charles Crawford, a former Red Sox batboy who came forward in December, said he was the envy of his friends at the time. "Anybody who knew me when I had the job and probably looked up to me is now like, 'Wow, he was holding this in for so long,' " said Crawford, 36.

In many states, the time to file civil lawsuits is limited. Under Maryland law, there is no time limitation for criminal prosecution of sexual offenses against children, but those victims only retain their right to sue civilly until they are 25 years old. Advocates say many victims aren't able to come to terms with the abuse and talk about it until years later.

"When a child is abused, they are made to feel worthless and powerless, and it takes many years" for them to come forward, said Frank Dingle, a Baltimore representative of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "Sex abuse is an epidemic in this country, and our legislators protect the insurance companies and the church rather than the hundreds of thousands of kids abused every year."

Lawmakers around the country in recent years have pushed to extend or waive state statutes of limitations, with opponents arguing that it would lead to a torrent of lawsuits that are difficult to defend against. Such an effort to overhaul the laws in Maryland failed in 2009.

When the statute of limitations has passed and the alleged perpetrator is dead, settlements may be a victim's only option. Garabedian, the Boston attorney representing the accusers, has experience obtaining such settlements: He negotiated an $85 million payout from the Archdiocese of Boston for hundreds of people who said they were abused by more than 40 priests there dating to the 1960s.

Attorneys in such cases "often look very carefully to see what an organization could have or should have known, and the truth is in a lot of cases, the answer is nothing. These are sophisticated predators and they're very careful about what they do," said Max Kennerly, a Philadelphia attorney who has written about civil liability in sex abuse cases on his blog. He is not involved in the Red Sox case.

"The organization ends up negotiating from a public relations standpoint," Kennerly said. But while critics may think plaintiffs are "making a fuss to get some money out of it," Kennerly added, "that's also what causes organizations to rethink what they're doing."

"Social change doesn't happen in silence," he said.

Fitzpatrick's career with the Red Sox started in 1944 and lasted until his retirement in 1991. Since then, both the Red Sox and Orioles have changed ownership groups.

A team lawyer for the Red Sox told the Globe that Red Sox "have always viewed the actions of Mr. Fitzpatrick to be abhorrent" and that the club was "unaware of any specifics regarding the matters brought forward recently by these individuals but, given the sensitive nature of the matter, will not have further comment."

The former Orioles batboys were among the first African-American batboys employed by the team and worked in the visiting clubhouse in Memorial Stadium, which has been replaced by Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Though The Baltimore Sun does not generally identify alleged victims of sexual abuse, Shelton, 38, consented to tell his story. He now lives in Laurel works as a medical records employee at the Johns Hopkins University.

He said he got the job working for the team late in the 1989 season from the other man who now says he was abused by Fitzpatrick. Shelton, who was a fan of Mickey Tettleton, Billy Ripken and Jeff Ballard, carried bats, catcher's gear and helmets from the equipment room to the clubhouse, and served as a batboy during games.

He said he was alone in an equipment room before a game on June 15, 1990 — a game the Red Sox won, 4-3 — when Fitzpatrick walked in, closed the door, and started touching his arms. He said Fitzpatrick commented on his physique, and fondled his genitals and buttocks.

"I was scared of a lot of things at the time — I was scared of losing my job," Shelton told The Sun. "I was still in high school and had this great job, but I had to weigh, do I leave my job, or do I tell someone? I wanted to keep the job."

But when the Red Sox returned for a September series at Memorial Stadium, Shelton "dreaded that he [Fitzpatrick] was coming back, and tried to avoid him if at all possible," he said. But Shelton said he was abused a second time during that homestand, under similar circumstances to the first incident. Shelton quit the batboy job after the 1990 season.

Shelton said the experience left him with "trust issues." He does not allow his son to go to overnight camps and prefers that he not have any male physicians. "I'm there for all his practices, all his games," Shelton said.

He said he is telling his story because "I realized that this didn't just happen to me." When others came forward with allegations of abuse by Fitzpatrick, he said, "that had an impact. I felt like I wasn't the only one."

The other alleged Baltimore victim, whom the Globe identified as a 42-year-old federal security worker, told the newspaper he was 16 when he found himself alone in the equipment room with Fitzpatrick in 1986. He said he had asked Fitzpatrick for a smaller pair of uniform pants than the Sox had provided. He alleged Fitzpatrick shut the door, sexually abused him as he tried on a new pair of pants, then said, "You be good."

Garabedian said "it's hard to believe that neither the Red Sox nor the Orioles picked up on or had supervisors who didn't know about the sexual abuse occurring."

"Obviously, someone turned their back on these innocent children or decided not to care," he said.

Quote from: fahdiz on March 06, 2012, 04:43:47 PM
Which makes it EXTRA funny that I didn't get your joke the first time.

:(

QuoteNEW YORK -- Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has announced an agreement Monday night to sell the bankrupt team for $2 billion to a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson and former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten.

The agreement, revealed about five hours after Major League Baseball owners approved three finalists for the auction, is to lead to a transfer of the team by the end of April. It is subject to approval in federal bankruptcy court.

Mark Walter, chief executive officer of the financial services firm Guggenheim Partners would become the controlling owner. The price would be easily a record for a North American sports franchise.

As part of the agreement, the Dodgers said McCourt and "certain affiliates of the purchasers" would acquire the land surrounding Dodger Stadium for $150 million.

The acquiring group, called Guggenheim Baseball Management, includes Mandalay Entertainment chief executive Peter Guber.

"This agreement with Guggenheim reflects both the strength and future potential of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and assures that the Dodgers will have new ownership with deep local roots, which bodes well for the Dodgers, its fans and the Los Angeles community," McCourt said.

McCourt paid $430 million in 2004 to buy the team, Dodger Stadium and 250 acres of land that include the parking lots, from the Fox division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., a sale that left the team with about $50 million in cash at the time. The team's debt stood at $579 million as of January, according to a court filing, so even after the divorce payment, taxes and legal and banking fees, he stands to make several hundred million dollars.

Kasten is expected to wind up as the team's top day-to-day executive.

The other two finalists were:

•  Stan Kroenke, whose family properties own the NFL's St. Louis Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the NHL's Colorado Avalanche and Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, and who is majority shareholder of Arsenal in the English Premier League.

•  Steven Cohen, founder of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors and a new limited partner of the New York Mets; biotechnology entrepreneur Patrick Soon-Shiong; and agent Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group.

"I am thrilled to be part of the historic Dodger franchise and intend to build on the fantastic foundation laid by Frank McCourt as we drive the Dodgers back to the front page of the sports section in our wonderful community of Los Angeles," Johnson said in a statement.

Quote1   St. Mary's (Texas)   25-5   472   11

Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2012, 10:51:23 PM
Magic Johnson (ok not really but sorta) buys the Dodgers: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/story/_/id/7745566/los-angeles-dodgers-selling-team-magic-johnson-group-2b

For some reason I find that really cool.  Maybe it will make the Dodgers interesting again.

Quote from: Valmy on March 27, 2012, 10:51:23 PM
For some reason I find that really cool.  Maybe it will make the Dodgers interesting again.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 28, 2012, 11:42:44 AM
OK, fags.  Rate my ESPN league team.  Hawt or nawt?

C   Joe Mauer, Min C
1B   Prince Fielder, Det 1B
2B   Brandon Phillips, Cin 2B   
3B   Aramis Ramirez, Mil 3B   
SS   Dee Gordon, LAD SS    
2B/SS   Neil Walker, Pit 2B   
1B/3B   Mark Teixeira, NYY 1B   
OF   Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos OF   
OF   Matt Holliday, StL OF   
OF   Michael Cuddyer, Col 1B, OF   
OF   Carlos Lee, Hou 1B, OF   
OF   Delmon Young, Det OF
UTIL   Alfonso Soriano, ChC OF
Bench   Carlos Pena, TB 1B
Bench   Will Venable, SD OF   

PITCHERS      
P   Jon Lester, Bos SP
P   Adam Wainwright, StL SP
P   Huston Street, SD RP
P   Kyle Farnsworth, TB RP
P   Brandon League, Sea RP
P   Ryan Dempster, ChC SP
P   Colby Lewis, Tex SP
P   Frank Francisco, NYM RP
P   Randy Wolf, Mil SP   
Bench   Brian Wilson, SF RP

Quote from: CountDeMoney on March 28, 2012, 11:42:44 AM
OK, fags.  Rate my ESPN league team.  Hawt or nawt?

C   Joe Mauer, Min C
1B   Prince Fielder, Det 1B
2B   Brandon Phillips, Cin 2B   
3B   Aramis Ramirez, Mil 3B   
SS   Dee Gordon, LAD SS    
2B/SS   Neil Walker, Pit 2B   
1B/3B   Mark Teixeira, NYY 1B   
OF   Jacoby Ellsbury, Bos OF   
OF   Matt Holliday, StL OF   
OF   Michael Cuddyer, Col 1B, OF   
OF   Carlos Lee, Hou 1B, OF   
OF   Delmon Young, Det OF
UTIL   Alfonso Soriano, ChC OF
Bench   Carlos Pena, TB 1B
Bench   Will Venable, SD OF   

PITCHERS      
P   Jon Lester, Bos SP
P   Adam Wainwright, StL SP
P   Huston Street, SD RP
P   Kyle Farnsworth, TB RP
P   Brandon League, Sea RP
P   Ryan Dempster, ChC SP
P   Colby Lewis, Tex SP
P   Frank Francisco, NYM RP
P   Randy Wolf, Mil SP   
Bench   Brian Wilson, SF RP

Quote from: derspiess on April 03, 2012, 04:05:21 PM
Needs more Cardinals.


Anyway, yokels here in Cincy are congratulating each other on the Votto deal.  We'll see how happy they are next year when ticket and food prices go way up, and then the next few years that follow as the team struggles to pay his quarter of a billion dollar contract.

The silver lining for me is that it makes it nearly impossible to keep that jaggoff Brandon Phillips in Cincy.

Quote from: sbr on April 03, 2012, 04:28:12 PM
Even though I am a fellow Cards fan I like to see Cincy lock Votto up, but these 10 year contracts are getting out of hand.  Unless the Reds do something to significantly increase revenues Votto is going to be 25% of the Reds payroll for the next decade.  As much as I like Votto I don't like him nearly that much.

Quote from: sbr on April 03, 2012, 04:25:50 PM
Head to Head or Roto?

I would never pick Lester because I refuse to use that high a draft pick on a pitcher.  I would rather see another bat where ever you got him (I'm guessing 3rd round, after Fielder and Tex?).  I'm also not a huge Randy Wolf fan, doesn't strike out enough hitters but considering where you likely got him he is fine.

Other than that I think it looks good, nice mix of power and speed and likely didn't overpay for any pitching other than Lester.

Quote from: derspiess on April 03, 2012, 04:05:21 PM
Needs more Cardinals.

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 03, 2012, 06:26:03 PM
The problem I see is that you are playing fantasy baseball.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 03, 2012, 05:29:57 PM

Quote from: sbr on April 03, 2012, 04:25:50 PM
Head to Head or Roto?

I would never pick Lester because I refuse to use that high a draft pick on a pitcher.  I would rather see another bat where ever you got him (I'm guessing 3rd round, after Fielder and Tex?).  I'm also not a huge Randy Wolf fan, doesn't strike out enough hitters but considering where you likely got him he is fine.

Other than that I think it looks good, nice mix of power and speed and likely didn't overpay for any pitching other than Lester.

Standard roto scoring.  And I scored Lester in the 6th round, if you could believe it.  Randy Wolf was there in the 24th round, so I took a flyer on him.  Figure at 24, it's all upside.

The only arm I think I really reached for was Brian Wilson in the 7th, yes, twitchy shoulder and all.

Quote from: katmai on April 04, 2012, 05:57:59 PM
Baltimore Orioles lose to community college team :nelson:

Quote from: katmai on April 04, 2012, 05:57:59 PM
Baltimore Orioles lose to community college team :nelson:

Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2012, 08:01:36 PM
Random unconfirmed Twitter fact.  No guarantees on fun.

Jamie Moyer has faced 8.9% off all batters.  Ever.

Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2012, 08:18:13 PM
I just did some quick googleing and math but then my pc crashed right ad I was going to hit post.

Assuming some reasonable numbers I think it is very likely true.  I may repost it after dinner.

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2012, 08:28:36 PM

Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2012, 08:18:13 PM
I just did some quick googleing and math but then my pc crashed right ad I was going to hit post.

Assuming some reasonable numbers I think it is very likely true.  I may repost it after dinner.

You watching the Cards game?  It's a good 'in.

Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2012, 08:28:02 PM

According to this (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_have_played_major_league_baseball) baseball-reference.com says 16,187 had played MLB Baseball as of 2007.  Let's make it an even 17,000 now, even though I think that is too high (assuming the original number is correct), almost 1,000 new players over the last 5 years?  No way but it has lots of zeros.

Now what percentage of those players are pitchers only?  A pretty small percentage, I think.  The DH had only been around for a couple of decades and most teams only carried 8-9 pitchers up until recently.  Maybe 80% of that 17,000 could be classified as "hitters"?

Quote from: sbr on April 09, 2012, 08:32:10 PM
Nope, the only games I have here are Cubs/Brewers on ESPN and Mariners/Rangers on the local FoxSports channel. 

I saw the cards were off to a 4-0 start with a bunch more HRs.

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2012, 11:54:56 AM
Speaking of Castro, it seems like Ozzie Guillen still can't keep his mouth shut :lol:

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/04/07/miami-marlins-manager-apologizes-for-saying-he-loves-fidel-castro/

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 10, 2012, 09:49:17 AM

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2012, 11:54:56 AM
Speaking of Castro, it seems like Ozzie Guillen still can't keep his mouth shut :lol:

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/04/07/miami-marlins-manager-apologizes-for-saying-he-loves-fidel-castro/

And now he's suspended.  :(  MLB should be ashamed of itself.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 10, 2012, 09:49:17 AM

Quote from: derspiess on April 09, 2012, 11:54:56 AM
Speaking of Castro, it seems like Ozzie Guillen still can't keep his mouth shut :lol:

http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2012/04/07/miami-marlins-manager-apologizes-for-saying-he-loves-fidel-castro/

And now he's suspended.  :(  MLB should be ashamed of itself.

Quote from: Valmy on April 10, 2012, 01:39:30 PM
But anyway if there was one minority group he most certainly could not piss off it was the anti-Castro Cubans.  All 7 of them.

Quote from: derspiess on April 10, 2012, 11:59:41 AM
Interesting article about the guy who pioneered baseball computer simulations:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7793059/john-burgeson-ibm-computer-start-baseball-video-games

QuoteI remember listening to an "all-time greats" simulated game in the early 80s that was broadcast over the radio as if it were a live game.  Not long after that, Dad got us a computer game called "Baseball's Best" that let you do it yourself (you could even enter and save additional players, which was a cool feature), and had cheesy animations for the plays.

Then MicroLeague came out, which was the gold standard for a few years, even though the version we had lacked any kind of editor and we had to buy years/teams if we wanted to stay current.  I have several teams' 1985 rosters still emblazoned in my memory thanks to playing that game over & over.
Good times...

Quote from: derspiess on April 10, 2012, 09:56:43 PM
Yanks-O's turned out to be a good game.  Currently bottom of the 10th, tied up at 4-4.

Quote from: Valmy on April 10, 2012, 11:52:33 PM

Quote from: derspiess on April 10, 2012, 09:56:43 PM
Yanks-O's turned out to be a good game.  Currently bottom of the 10th, tied up at 4-4.

:w00t: Did they win?!

*checks*

Oh of course they didn't.

Quote from: Syt on April 16, 2012, 10:27:40 PM
I think the Jap one is more spectacular.

Quote from: derspiess on April 18, 2012, 11:28:58 AM
Also, the MLB Strike Zone channel kicks ass.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on April 19, 2012, 12:33:49 AM
Red Sox look terrible. :(

Quote1   Tampa   30-7   470   1
2   St. Mary's (Texas)   35-7   460   2

QuoteThe Rattlers (36–7), who moved back to No. 1 in the national rankings this week, have to hope Tuesday showed a flash of what would come in such an instance.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on April 21, 2012, 07:28:31 AM
Ugh, my fantasy team is sucking as in April.  50% are batting under .250, I've only got one guy with more than 9 RBIs, nobody's getting base so nobody's stealing, a total power failure all-around.

And I don't even want to talk about pitching or the 3 guys on the DL15.

So, when's football?

Quote from: Syt on April 22, 2012, 03:43:31 AM
That was a rather impressive debut by A.J. Burnett for the Pirates.

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 22, 2012, 07:02:20 AM
The Red Sox troubles please me.

Quote from: sbr on April 22, 2012, 10:48:50 AM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 22, 2012, 07:02:20 AM
The Red Sox troubles please me.

Me too.  I hate the Yankees more, but Red Sox Nation's tears are scrumptious.

Quote from: sbr on April 22, 2012, 10:48:50 AM

Quote from: Ed Anger on April 22, 2012, 07:02:20 AM
The Red Sox troubles please me.

Me too.  I hate the Yankees more, but Red Sox Nation's tears are scrumptious.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on April 19, 2012, 12:33:49 AM
Red Sox look terrible. :(

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 01:25:29 AM
We are a beaten down and demoralized fanbase without hope it will take more than a few wins in April to get us smiling.

Consider: knocking off the Red Sox last year was literally the only memorable thing the Orioles had done since the collapse of '05.  And the 2005 season was the only the only memorable thing to happen since Cal Ripken Jr was MVP of the 2001 All Star Game.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on April 22, 2012, 07:12:28 PM
:cry:

Quote from: stjaba on April 30, 2012, 08:09:29 PM
Since I know we have a couple Orioles fans here....

The good news for Orioles fans:

The Orioles are currently tied for first place in the AL East with an  14-8 record.

The bad news for Orioles fans:

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 01, 2012, 12:01:53 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on April 22, 2012, 07:12:28 PM
:cry:

Didn't you learn last year that April games mean squat?

Boston is now at .500 and only 3.5 back.  With 140 to play.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:32:35 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 01:25:29 AM
We are a beaten down and demoralized fanbase without hope it will take more than a few wins in April to get us smiling.

Consider: knocking off the Red Sox last year was literally the only memorable thing the Orioles had done since the collapse of '05.  And the 2005 season was the only the only memorable thing to happen since Cal Ripken Jr was MVP of the 2001 All Star Game.

Try being a Royals fan like Beeb and I. :cry:  There's a reason I adopted the Tribe as a secondary team (first place! :cool:).

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:09:55 PM
I still not sure how you dorks picked the Royals, i mean i guess Beeb is old enough to have bandwagonned on when they were good, but wtf is your excuse BA?

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:23:06 PM
So we should blame your parents, gotcha.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 12:40:56 PM
Depends on how you look at it.  The 1990 Reds won their division pretty much due to their dominance in April.  IIRC, they went .500 the rest of the year.  And then proceeded to unexpectedly sweep the A's in the Series.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 01, 2012, 01:29:08 PM

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 12:40:56 PM
Depends on how you look at it.  The 1990 Reds won their division pretty much due to their dominance in April.  IIRC, they went .500 the rest of the year.  And then proceeded to unexpectedly sweep the A's in the Series.

1990 Reds:  13-3 in April, 78-68 for the rest of the year, safely above .500.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on May 01, 2012, 12:09:11 PM
I don't think they have a chance in hell to finish at .600 but respectability is within reach.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 01:46:01 PM
REGARDLESS, I still say they won the division based on their April performance.  Had they had a weak (say, sub-.500) April, they wouldn't have won the division.

Quote from: Barrister on May 01, 2012, 01:22:23 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:09:55 PM
I still not sure how you dorks picked the Royals, i mean i guess Beeb is old enough to have bandwagonned on when they were good, but wtf is your excuse BA?

When I was very, very little my parents put a Royals hat on my head, and for the next decade or more I was rarely seen without a Royals hat.  Plus I was 10 when they won that one World Series, and George Brett is a God amongst men.

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:06:22 PM
Mike Schmidt is the best 3B of all time.

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:09:55 PM
I still not sure how you dorks picked the Royals, i mean i guess Beeb is old enough to have bandwagonned on when they were good, but wtf is your excuse BA?

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:11:54 PM
Puhleeze, Robinson is lucky to make top 5. :rolleyes:

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM
I've witnessed one .500 or better season since then. :XD:

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:14:22 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:11:54 PM
Puhleeze, Robinson is lucky to make top 5. :rolleyes:

He may be in the top 5 but Brett and Schmidt are so far ahead of 3rd place i never really considered it.

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:14:22 PM
He may be in the top 5 but Brett and Schmidt are so far ahead of whoever might be in 3rd place i never really considered it.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:09:55 PM
I still not sure how you dorks picked the Royals, i mean i guess Beeb is old enough to have bandwagonned on when they were good, but wtf is your excuse BA?

I grew up in a Yankee household (aka an older sister and dad who were and are diehard Yankees fans and a mom who doesn't care) as a Rickey Henderson fan.  My loyalties went with him till he hit the Angels in '97.  Getting sick of just getting to know a team and then having be traded yet again, I decided to pick one team and run with them as my primary team while still being a Henderson fan.  Growing up in a Yankee household, I was partial to the American League, and I didn't want to bandwagon onto a popular team, so I narrowed it down to two teams in need of fans: the Tigers and the Royals.  I flipped a coin on it which came up heads, and I've been a Royals fan ever since.  I've witnessed one .500 or better season since then. :XD:

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 02:14:33 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM
I've witnessed one .500 or better season since then. :XD:

Once more than the Orioles have had since 1997.

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 02:18:25 PM

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:14:22 PM
He may be in the top 5 but Brett and Schmidt are so far ahead of whoever might be in 3rd place i never really considered it.

16 Gold Gloves say otherwise -_-

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 02:23:07 PM
Yeah where was your GOAT Mike Schmidt in the '83 series eh?

That's right...going 1 for 16.

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:28:52 PM
This has Robinson 4th behind Schmidt Brett and Eddie Matthews.

Just sayin'.

http://baseball.about.com/od/majorleaguehistory/tp/Top-10-Third-Basemen-In-Major-League-Baseball-History.htm

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 02:31:10 PM

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:28:52 PM
This has Robinson 4th behind Schmidt Brett and Eddie Matthews.

Just sayin'.

http://baseball.about.com/od/majorleaguehistory/tp/Top-10-Third-Basemen-In-Major-League-Baseball-History.htm

The answer is: Ken Boyer.  With Scott Rolen running a close second :P

Quote from: Barrister on May 01, 2012, 02:20:59 PM

Quote from: Valmy on May 01, 2012, 02:18:25 PM

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:14:22 PM
He may be in the top 5 but Brett and Schmidt are so far ahead of whoever might be in 3rd place i never really considered it.

16 Gold Gloves say otherwise -_-

What was his batting %? :contract:

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 02:31:10 PM
The answer is: Ken Boyer. 

Quote from: Barrister on May 01, 2012, 02:20:05 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 01:09:55 PM
I still not sure how you dorks picked the Royals, i mean i guess Beeb is old enough to have bandwagonned on when they were good, but wtf is your excuse BA?

I grew up in a Yankee household (aka an older sister and dad who were and are diehard Yankees fans and a mom who doesn't care) as a Rickey Henderson fan.  My loyalties went with him till he hit the Angels in '97.  Getting sick of just getting to know a team and then having be traded yet again, I decided to pick one team and run with them as my primary team while still being a Henderson fan.  Growing up in a Yankee household, I was partial to the American League, and I didn't want to bandwagon onto a popular team, so I narrowed it down to two teams in need of fans: the Tigers and the Royals.  I flipped a coin on it which came up heads, and I've been a Royals fan ever since.  I've witnessed one .500 or better season since then. :XD:

:tinfoil:

You know you can pick a new team.

Me, I just gave up following baseball.

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:33:05 PM
Matt Williams with John McGraw 2nd Duh Derspicy.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 02:55:28 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:33:05 PM
Matt Williams with John McGraw 2nd Duh Derspicy.

:rolleyes:  Those guys weren't Cardinals.

Quote from: Barrister on May 01, 2012, 03:01:34 PM
Baseball is a great game, with a ton of history.  The Royals were a franchise that was phenomenally successful for an expansion franchise.  But of course now MLB is quite content to have small market teams like the Royals just sit and develop prospects for the big-market franchises.  :mad:

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:53:45 PM
the Tribe Fanclub (best deal in baseball!). :)

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:05:25 PM
Only downside is that my kid likes wearing that damned Reds hat.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:05:25 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:53:45 PM
the Tribe Fanclub (best deal in baseball!). :)

That is a pretty sweet deal if you like the Indians.

For me, it's hard to beat the Reds Heads club for kids. 

For $25 you get a mid-level ticket to 4 different games, vouchers for player autograph sessions & other events, a backpack, hat, jersey, and a pair of sunglasses.  The tickets alone are worth $24 each.

So I signed up Tommy for the second year & added Lola, who just turned 1-year old a couple weeks ago.  For $50 I got $192 worth of tickets & gave the extra swag to my nephew.

Only downside is that my kid likes wearing that damned Reds hat.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:33:01 PM
I may try to go to an Indians game this season.  Of all the stadiums I've been to thus far, I've never seen a baseball game in Cleveland

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:33:01 PM
I may try to go to an Indians game this season.  Of all the stadiums I've been to thus far, I've never seen a baseball game in Cleveland

Quote from: sbr on May 01, 2012, 02:28:52 PM
This has Robinson 4th behind Schmidt Brett and Eddie Matthews.

Just sayin'.

http://baseball.about.com/od/majorleaguehistory/tp/Top-10-Third-Basemen-In-Major-League-Baseball-History.htm

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:25:45 PM
Still better than the 1 for 19 stinker in choking to METS your guy did.... :sleep:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 01, 2012, 03:36:41 PM

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:33:01 PM
I may try to go to an Indians game this season.  Of all the stadiums I've been to thus far, I've never seen a baseball game in Cleveland

You've been to Camden Yards, right?

QuoteSame thing, just hold up a mirror, since it's reversed carbon copy.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 03:48:11 PM

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 03:33:01 PM
I may try to go to an Indians game this season.  Of all the stadiums I've been to thus far, I've never seen a baseball game in Cleveland

I'll be going July 22nd, 23rd, and 24th (O's twice, Tigers once).  It's a nice stadium, though my experience is a bit limited.  Be sure to swing by Your Dad's Beer for some amusing throwback options that are cheap for a stadium.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 04:14:47 PM
Just purely out of curiosity, do you know what other dates The Tribe ticket vouchers are good for?

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM
and I didn't want to bandwagon onto a popular team, so I narrowed it down to two teams in need of fans: the Tigers and the Royals.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 02:55:28 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 01, 2012, 02:33:05 PM
Matt Williams with John McGraw 2nd Duh Derspicy.

:rolleyes:  Those guys weren't Cardinals.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on May 01, 2012, 04:38:26 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on May 01, 2012, 02:07:46 PM
and I didn't want to bandwagon onto a popular team, so I narrowed it down to two teams in need of fans: the Tigers and the Royals.

Why not the Braves?  :lol:

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on May 01, 2012, 06:32:21 PM
The Braves don't have that many fans, being a mid-sized market in football country. Even during their string of division winning seasons they rarely sold out.

Quote from: Razgovory on May 01, 2012, 07:15:58 PM
I'm Cards fan simply because it's the closest team.

Quote from: Ed Anger on May 01, 2012, 07:22:55 PM
Johnny Bench was mean to me.

Quote from: derspiess on May 01, 2012, 07:45:59 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on May 01, 2012, 07:22:55 PM
Johnny Bench was mean to me.

I'll give the finger to his new statue at the stadium, on your behalf.

Quote from: Ed Anger on May 01, 2012, 07:22:55 PM
Johnny Bench was mean to me.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 02, 2012, 10:37:14 PM
When we made a road trip to Cooperstown a few years ago, I was outside catching a smoke and talking to one of the ushers, one of the retired old-timer types.  I asked him about some of the HOFers, and which ones were the best and worst to deal with.

He said, hands down, Johnny Bench is the nastiest, meanest HOFer that ever stops by.  "He made a high school intern girl cry once.  Who does that?"

Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 03, 2012, 06:45:03 AM
Did you have the decency to look embarrassed after he asked that question?

Quote from: derspiess on May 02, 2012, 08:50:33 PM
Carlos Beltran is a friggin' stud.  Through the first three innings vs. Pittsburgh he's 3 for 3 with 2 HR and 7 RBI.  Cards are up 12-1.

Pittsburgh :lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 02, 2012, 10:37:14 PM

Quote from: Ed Anger on May 01, 2012, 07:22:55 PM
Johnny Bench was mean to me.

Johnny Bench is mean to everybody.

When we made a road trip to Cooperstown a few years ago, I was outside catching a smoke and talking to one of the ushers, one of the retired old-timer types.  I asked him about some of the HOFers, and which ones were the best and worst to deal with.
He said, hands down, Johnny Bench is the nastiest, meanest HOFer that ever stops by.  "He made a high school intern girl cry once.  Who does that?"

Said Reggie Jackson was a right dickhead, too.

His favorite?  Hank Aaron. Says that guy remembers the names of peoples' kids he meets.  Said he's one of the biggest sweeties ever, right after ol' Yogi.

Quote from: Syt on May 03, 2012, 09:54:02 AM
I wonder how a guy like Ty Cobb would deal with the media circus of today.

Quote from: derspiess on May 03, 2012, 09:56:53 AM

Quote from: Syt on May 03, 2012, 09:54:02 AM
I wonder how a guy like Ty Cobb would deal with the media circus of today.

He'd spike them with his cleats.

Quote from: Valmy on May 03, 2012, 10:00:53 AM
Are we bound for a rematch?

Quote from: derspiess on May 03, 2012, 10:00:18 AM
So a little over a month into the season and the two hottest teams in terms of Runs scored/allowed differential are: St. Louis (+65) and Texas (+49)

Quote from: stjaba on May 03, 2012, 10:23:00 AM

Quote from: derspiess on May 03, 2012, 10:00:18 AM
So a little over a month into the season and the two hottest teams in terms of Runs scored/allowed differential are: St. Louis (+65) and Texas (+49)

Looks like St. Louis is better off without Albert Pujols. His stat line so far is 208/252/539 with 0 homeruns, which is pathetic. There's been rumors going around for a while that he's older than his listed age, I wonder if his decline is evidence of that.

The funny thing is that the conventional wisdom after his off-season deal was announced was that Pujols's production might get close to matching the value of the contract for the first couple years, but that would taper off. Instead, right of the bat his production hasn't been there at all. It's true that it's still early in the season, but his numbers have been declining for years. The Cardinals were smart to not give him an expensive extension.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 02, 2012, 10:37:14 PM

Said Reggie Jackson was a right dickhead, too.

Quote from: stjaba on May 05, 2012, 08:40:12 PM
Just saw a funny stat:

"the Patriots have had nine victories at home since last Sept. 1 and the Red Sox eight."

http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/extras/extra_bases/2012/05/wrapping_up_ano.html

Quote from: Ed Anger on May 07, 2012, 07:15:08 AM
Saturday was some sort of Star Wars bullshit day. The fuckers was in the casino I was at annoying people with their nerdness.

QuoteRyan Dempster threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Braves last night, which actually raised his MLB-leading ERA to 1.02.

He's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

Hopefully most HBT readers know how we feel about the silliness of pitcher "wins" at this point, but Dempster is another extreme example of how misleading and misguided the statistic can be.

He's allowed four earned runs in 35.1 innings, yet the Cubs have lost all five of his starts while scoring a grand total of eight runs. Last night he exited after seven innings with the score tied 1-1 and then reliever Kerry Wood took the loss.

With any kind of decent support from the bullpen and lineup Dempster could easily be 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA and everyone would be talking about him as the season's breakout pitcher. Instead he's 0-1 with a 1.02 ERA and ... well, all he gets is this blog post.

Oh, and here's an amusing stat considering Dempster has allowed just four earned runs all year: Already this season there have been 22 instances of a pitcher allowing four or more earned runs in a game and earning the "win."

QuoteHe's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

Quote
    Major League Baseball is poised to pick off the much-maligned move, the fake-to-third, throw-to-first ploy that often succeeds only in getting the whole ballpark to shout "Balk!" ...

    ... The Playing Rules Committee has approved a proposal to make it a balk, too, with MLB executives and umpires in agreement. The players' union vetoed the plan for this season to discuss it further. MLB is allowed to implement the change after a one-year wait ... Under the new wording, a pitcher could not fake to third unless he first stepped off the rubber.

Quote
It doesn't work all that often, but really, I'm not sure what the impetus is here. Do we care that a handful of fans think it's a balk all the time even if it isn't?  Is anyone really animated about this?  Seems to me you shouldn't change rules without a compelling reason.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 10, 2012, 08:09:15 PM
I agree, this seems pointless.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/10/mlb-to-ban-the-fake-to-third-pickoff-play/#comments

Quote
    Major League Baseball is poised to pick off the much-maligned move, the fake-to-third, throw-to-first ploy that often succeeds only in getting the whole ballpark to shout "Balk!" ...

    ... The Playing Rules Committee has approved a proposal to make it a balk, too, with MLB executives and umpires in agreement. The players' union vetoed the plan for this season to discuss it further. MLB is allowed to implement the change after a one-year wait ... Under the new wording, a pitcher could not fake to third unless he first stepped off the rubber.

Quote
It doesn't work all that often, but really, I'm not sure what the impetus is here. Do we care that a handful of fans think it's a balk all the time even if it isn't?  Is anyone really animated about this?  Seems to me you shouldn't change rules without a compelling reason.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 09, 2012, 09:09:21 PM

QuoteHe's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

No shit.  Reason #46 why I'm in last place in my fantasy league.

Quote from: alfred russel on May 10, 2012, 08:28:54 PM
The Yankees and Boston are in second to last and last place respectively. If this holds up until September, expect ESPN's focus to be on the historic battle in the greatest rivalry in sports to avoid the humiliation of last place.

Quote from: katmai on May 10, 2012, 11:05:40 PM
Arizona high-school baseball team forfeits rather than face a girl (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2018185025_forfeit11.html)

:lol:

Quote from: katmai on May 10, 2012, 11:05:40 PM
Arizona high-school baseball team forfeits rather than face a girl (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2018185025_forfeit11.html)

:lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 10, 2012, 11:44:32 PM

Quote from: katmai on May 10, 2012, 11:05:40 PM
Arizona high-school baseball team forfeits rather than face a girl (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2018185025_forfeit11.html)

:lol:

Would've been more fun to have plunked her.

Quote from: katmai on May 10, 2012, 11:05:40 PM
Arizona high-school baseball team forfeits rather than face a girl (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/highschoolsports/2018185025_forfeit11.html)

:lol:

Quote from: alfred russel on May 10, 2012, 08:24:24 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 09, 2012, 09:09:21 PM

QuoteHe's gone at least 6.2 innings in all five of his starts, allowing 1, 2, 0, 0, and 1 earned runs ... and has zero wins to show for it.

No shit.  Reason #46 why I'm in last place in my fantasy league.

You should have seen this coming. He pitches for the cubs. If he ever starts getting run support, he is going to blow out a ligament.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 22, 2012, 07:07:14 AM
I don't understand the Orioles. :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on May 22, 2012, 07:07:14 AM
I don't understand the Orioles. :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow: :mellow:

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:02:24 AM
They did collapse against Boston last night.

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:36:37 AM
Have you been to a game yet?  How is the vibe?

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

Quote from: Barrister on May 22, 2012, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

I heard on the radio a quick score that the Royals shut out the Yankees. :o

So I looked at the standings for the first time all season.  Yankees are last in the AL East, and Royals 2nd last in the Central. <_<

Quote from: Barrister on May 22, 2012, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

I heard on the radio a quick score that the Royals shut out the Yankees. :o

So I looked at the standings for the first time all season.  Yankees are last in the AL East, and Royals 2nd last in the Central. <_<

QuoteTodd Frazier, former Rutgers star, saves person's life by performing Heimlich Maneuver
Published: Tuesday, May 29, 2012, 11:56 PM     Updated: Wednesday, May 30, 2012, 12:07 AM

Todd Frazier has had a memorable stint in the majors since being called up to the Cincinnati Reds in mid-April, but it's doubtful what he did Tuesday can be topped.

The former Rutgers baseball star saved a person's life in Pittsburgh, according to MLB.com.

Frazier and teammate Ryan Ludwick were eating a restaurant when they noticed someone choking. Because Frazier was closest to the choking victim he sprang into action and performed the Heimlich.

"I said 'I think that dude is choking over there'," Frazier recounted to the site. "He was a little obese and there were two women side-by-side trying to give him the Heimlich. [Ludwick] said get over there because I was the closest one. So I went over there and was yelling at them to get out of the way. They did and I gave two pumps and it came out."

So to rehash, Frazier's past week:

Thursday -- He hits a game-winning walkoff homerun.

Sunday -- He hits a homerun after letting go off his bat mid-swing.

Tuesday: He saves a life AND goes 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and 2 RBI. Oh, and one free meal for saving a man's life.

"He paid for our lunch, which he didn't have to do and said thanks a couple of times," Frazier said. "It was pretty surreal. I have never done that before."

Quote from: sbr on May 26, 2012, 01:59:01 PM
Last out of a college playoff game.  The homerun would have tied the game

Quote from: Valmy on May 30, 2012, 08:51:09 AM

Quote from: sbr on May 26, 2012, 01:59:01 PM
Last out of a college playoff game.  The homerun would have tied the game

Community College at that.  It is amazing how good you have to be even to play at that level.

Speaking of College check this out from the SEC tournament: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LYcNbBnicm4

Quote from: jimmy olsen on May 30, 2012, 09:38:35 AM
Wow, never seen that before. Wonder, if the delay on the guy at 1st base was planned, or was he supposed to go off with the others?

Quote from: Barrister on May 22, 2012, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

I heard on the radio a quick score that the Royals shut out the Yankees. :o

So I looked at the standings for the first time all season.  Yankees are last in the AL East, and Royals 2nd last in the Central. <_<

Quote from: sbr on May 30, 2012, 11:09:25 AM
Valmy was that the triple steal by Vandy?  I haven't seen it but heard about it on Twitter.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 03, 2012, 08:03:29 PM
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/03/its-no-joke-bill-maher-is-a-mets-part-owner/

QuoteHe also made it clear that he's "never been a fan of the DH," an idea so heinous it could have only have been cooked up by conservatives.

Quote from: Syt on June 09, 2012, 01:06:23 AM
Wow, the bucs are 30-27, and have won 10 of their last 13 games, AND have one their last four series (including away series in Milwaukee and Cinci).

Quote from: Barrister on May 22, 2012, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

I heard on the radio a quick score that the Royals shut out the Yankees. :o

So I looked at the standings for the first time all season.  Yankees are last in the AL East, and Royals 2nd last in the Central. <_<

Quote from: Syt on June 11, 2012, 02:41:07 AM
Meanwhile the Bucs have swept the Royals (big feat, I know) and are now tied for the lead in NL Central. Only 100-odd games to go! :w00t:

Quote from: alfred russel on June 12, 2012, 08:28:54 AM

Quote from: Barrister on May 22, 2012, 09:50:21 AM

Quote from: Valmy on May 22, 2012, 08:59:48 AM
So they basically feel exactly the same as I do about it.

Still I almost ran my car off the road when the local radio guys said 'Texas loses again so now the Baltimore Orioles have the best record in the American League'

I heard on the radio a quick score that the Royals shut out the Yankees. :o

So I looked at the standings for the first time all season.  Yankees are last in the AL East, and Royals 2nd last in the Central. <_<

Feel pride, BB! That team the Royals shut out is now in first place!

Red Sox remain in last.

Quote from: katmai on June 14, 2012, 12:06:33 AM
Matt Cain!

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 18, 2012, 05:27:04 PM
This means I can take my Roger Clemens cards out of the box and go back to being a fan, right? Right? :unsure:

nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47864639/ns/sports-baseball/ (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47864639/ns/sports-baseball/)

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 18, 2012, 05:27:04 PM
This means I can take my Roger Clemens cards out of the box and go back to being a fan, right? Right? :unsure:

nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47864639/ns/sports-baseball/ (http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/47864639/ns/sports-baseball/)

Quote from: CountDeMoney on June 19, 2012, 06:28:10 AM
Won't see Cooperstown in his lifetime.  Good luck with the Veteran's Committee in 60 years, Rog.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 19, 2012, 07:12:07 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on June 19, 2012, 06:28:10 AM
Won't see Cooperstown in his lifetime.  Good luck with the Veteran's Committee in 60 years, Rog.

Bond's will get in, so will Clemens.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on June 19, 2012, 07:43:03 AM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 19, 2012, 07:12:07 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on June 19, 2012, 06:28:10 AM
Won't see Cooperstown in his lifetime.  Good luck with the Veteran's Committee in 60 years, Rog.

Bond's will get in, so will Clemens.

Yeah, in 60 years like I just said, you fucking ignorant Ass Burgers Syndrome fuckstick fuck.  Stop sucking juiced cock.

None of the juicers will get in until the Veteran's Committee does it.  Do not underestimate the respect the sportswriters have for the sport, and how gravely they know it's been betrayed.  It's more than the players have demonstrated in lying their juicing balls off.

Quote from: Valmy on June 20, 2012, 08:04:26 AM
Like the wife of Caesar, Baseball Hall of Famers must be above suspicion.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on June 22, 2012, 09:53:13 AM
What a whinny bitch

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on June 26, 2012, 09:41:40 PM
First time I've caught a game with Yu Darvish as the SP. 

Quote from: sbr on June 26, 2012, 01:01:20 AM
Arizona Wildcats win the College World Series.

I don't follow it much but it sounds like it was an improbable run.  Good for them and the Pac-12.

Quote from: Ed Anger on June 27, 2012, 09:46:15 AM
BEHEAD ALL WHO INSULT NICK SWISHER

QuoteBurnett (9-2) allowed three runs and six hits, striking out seven. The winning streak is his longest, and it's the first time a Pirates pitcher has won eight in a row since Dock Ellis in 1974.

Quote from: katmai on June 29, 2012, 12:23:47 AM
After three game sweep of Dodgers where Giants shut them out in every game, tonight M. Bumgarner  (10-4)  one hit the Reds for 4th straight shut out and Los Gigantes are now in 1st place :w00t:

Quote from: Syt on June 28, 2012, 11:39:05 PM

QuoteBurnett (9-2) allowed three runs and six hits, striking out seven. The winning streak is his longest, and it's the first time a Pirates pitcher has won eight in a row since Dock Ellis in 1974.

:cool:

QuoteYou are to blame for the Padres TV fiasco
Matthew T. Hall

I can count the number of Padres at-bats I've seen on TV this season on my son's southpaw.

The joke here isn't that my left-handed son can help the hometown nine. It's that I don't have a son.

It is absolutely ludicrous that I can't turn on my TV whenever the Padres play — a luxury after a long day, even with a losing team — and watch the game or just have it on in the background as I surf the web, talk to my wife (she would spy another joke there) or go to sleep.

A ton of criticism has been lobbed at Fox Sports San Diego, Time Warner Cable, AT&T U-Verse and Dish for the impasses that have kept about 40 percent of San Diego County residents from watching the Padres from home this year.

It's not nearly enough criticism. The fact that they can't get a deal done — and may not this season — is just ridiculous. If not now, when?

I don't care who it is, no new owner is going to ride into a town on a white Charger or sprinkle the team's bats with fairy dust and turn the Padres into winners overnight. It'll take time. It'll take talent. It'll take buy-in from the nine guys on the field at any given time and from that 10th player: the fans in the stadium. And the best way to get buy-in from fans (all of whom are long-suffering, whether by definition or in high-definition) is to get the games on TV.

There are more people to blame than television execs, of course.

Let's start at the top.

If and when a Padres sale happens, it looks like lame-duck (a lot of fans would now just say lame) team owner John Moores and his family will see about half of the $800 million in proceeds. That includes $200 million in upfront money the team got from a new, 20-year TV deal with Fox Sports.

Couldn't Moores and Jeff Moorad, whose group owns 49 percent of the team, have made sure Fox's deals with distributors got done? Couldn't Moores have pressured, even shamed, all sides so La Jolla viewers like me and others across the county could watch their team? Shouldn't that be a priority in this day and age?

Next to Moores on the Mount Rushmore of blame, I'm putting San Diego's mayor, Jerry Sanders, and its City Council president, Tony Young, who have been silent on the issue.

Can you imagine how fast the politicians in a city like Boston or New York would be lashing out at every TV executive in town to soothe the masses?

I'm from Massachusetts. If a team were blacked out on TV once, I can tell you that fans — a group that includes most New Englanders with a pulse and many without one — would take to the streets with bats of their own.
:lol:
I can also tell you that New Yorkers faced just this circumstance this year. State and local pols there stepped up in February to end a standoff between the MSG Network and Time Warner Cable.

New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn threatened to hold a hearing that would bring executives from each company before an outraged public. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo even made phone calls to hasten a deal. Finally, TV executives restored MSG programming, which includes the Knicks, Rangers and Islanders sports teams, for 1.1 million households.

Admittedly, there was also the little matter of Linsanity that spurred that deal along. (Sadly, in San Diego, the only baseball player even remotely close to breakout basketball star Jeremy Lin is all-star Huston Street, and no one's really rushing to trademark: "Huston, we have a problem.")

New York pols stepped to the plate after seven weeks. In San Diego, we're at 13 and counting. And what do you hear from our politicians? Crickets.

So who's the fourth face deserving of mountainous criticism for this mess?

Yours.

Padres fans should be up in arms, southpaw or otherwise. They should be writing letters to the newspaper, flooding the team and TV companies with emails and phone calls, protesting outside Petco Park with pitchforks.

And they aren't.

Who cares that the Padres were the fastest team to reach 50 losses this year. Or that every other team has scored more runs than them. Bottom line is they can't get much worse, and we're a baseball town. It's summer. We should be able to decide whether we watch (semi?) professional baseball or not.

And you know what? I finally found a politician who agrees with me.

He's congressional candidate and La Jolla resident Scott Peters.

Fed up at both my inability to watch the team and the fans' seeming indifference, I tweeted this Sunday: "Hey Time Warner cable customers: The Padres are 30-50. Now back to your regularly scheduled not caring about not seeing them."

Peters tweeted back: "Disagree! Think your Boston would tolerate this even in the down years? It's ridiculous."

"Sorry," longtime journalist and Los Angeles Dodgers fan David Ogul chimed in. "Padres are not worth watching."

Replied Peters, "I'd like to be able to decide that myself."

The conversation even spurred a tweet from top mayoral aide Gerry Braun.

"I also thought nothing could keep me from watching the Padres on TV," he wrote. "But then the Padres found a way. Funny town."

Braun's boss may have missed his tweet. I hope he doesn't miss this column.[/quote\

Quote from: katmai on July 08, 2012, 09:52:14 PM
It's weird in his starts he's doing well except for one inning he goes to shit.

Quote from: Syt on July 08, 2012, 09:50:26 PM
The Pirates are 11 games over .500.  :cool:

But what the fuck is going on with Tim Lincecum? Blass desease?

Quote from: derspiess on July 11, 2012, 10:55:54 AM
Great game last night.  NL puts up a bunch of runs early and then shuts out the AL.  Tony La Russa's last game managing in a Cards uniform.  Lots of other Cards uniforms there as well.

And those dipshits Brandon Philips & Johnny Cueto had to watch the game from home.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on July 11, 2012, 08:10:48 PM
Yeah, the game was pretty bad imo.  There wasn't a bunch of cool shit going on that might make it fun to watch despite being a blowout, just Verlander walking some dudes and giving up some hits and a home run a couple innings later. 

E:  And yeah, bad news for the Rangers or whoever comes out of the AL.  I still find it hilariously dumb that a game like this decides something as important as home field advantage during the World Series.  Oh noes!  A tie in an exhibition game!

While it's probably better than the strange alternating...thing...they had going on before this, it's hugely inferior to just using regular season records.

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 11, 2012, 07:50:34 PM
Seriously?  I thought it was terrible. 

QuoteIt was basically over after the first half of an inning.  It just seemed to drag on at that point.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 17, 2012, 03:47:26 AM
This catch definitely looks sketchy, what do you guys think?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/video-jiwan-james-philadelphia-phillies-prospect-magical-catch-double-a-game-article-1.1115560

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 17, 2012, 03:47:26 AM
This catch definitely looks sketchy, what do you guys think?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/video-jiwan-james-philadelphia-phillies-prospect-magical-catch-double-a-game-article-1.1115560

Quote from: katmai on July 17, 2012, 07:23:13 PM
:nelson: @ the Royals

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on July 17, 2012, 10:10:05 PM

Quote from: katmai on July 17, 2012, 07:23:13 PM
:nelson: @ the Royals

It just reminds me why I'm glad I demoted them to 2nd place in my heart in terms of baseball.  They fuck up everything they touch.  It's amazing.

Quote from: Syt on July 19, 2012, 04:08:58 AM
Bucs were behind 1-5 and went to win it 9-6.

QuoteJames McDonald has a 5.44 or so ERA in his last four games and a record of 4-0. :lol:

Quote from: sbr on July 19, 2012, 03:13:22 AM
U of Washington football recruit Shaq Thompson is in the Red Sox organization.  So far this season he is 0-37 with 36 strikeouts.

Fuck I could do that.

Though I guess I would rather see him on the diamond than against the Ducks for the next couple of years.

http://m.deadspin.com/5927114/?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Quote/
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
updated 6:20 p.m. ET July 25, 2012

ABERDEEN, Md. - Cal Ripken Jr.'s 74-year-old mother was found with her hands bound in the back seat of her car Wednesday after she said she was kidnapped at gunpoint a day earlier at her home outside Baltimore and driven around blindfolded by her abductor, police and neighbors said.

Investigators do not know the kidnapper's motive and there was no ransom demand for Vi Ripken's release, Aberdeen Police Chief Henry Trabert said at a news conference.

The gunman forced Ripken into her silver Lincoln Continental between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Tuesday, police said. She was found bound and unharmed but shaken about 6:15 a.m. Wednesday near her home in Aberdeen, about 30 miles northeast of Baltimore.

When asked if police believe the kidnapper knew who he was abducting, Trabert did not answer, saying investigators don't know the motive or if the suspect has any ties to the Ripken family.

A next-door neighbor said Vi Ripken told him her kidnapper didn't seem to know that her son was the Hall of Fame infielder nicknamed "Iron Man" for playing in 2,632 consecutive games during his 21-year career with the Baltimore.

Gus Kowalewski said he spoke with Vi Ripken later Wednesday morning and she told him the gunman tied her hands and put a blindfold on her, but said he wouldn't hurt her.

"He lit cigarettes for her, they stopped for food," Kowalewski said. "He said, 'I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to take you back,' and that's what he did."

Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman originally planned to put tape over her eyes.

"But he didn't do that because she said 'please don't do that 'cause I'm claustrophobic,'" said Kowalewski, a 72-year-old retired autoworker.

Instead, the gunman put some type of mask or blinders on her, and she could see somewhat out the sides, he said.

Ripken told her neighbor the gunman also didn't seem to know she was part of the Ripken family, who is well-known throughout the Baltimore area and to baseball fans all over.

"He said he just wanted money and her car," Kowalewski said.

Three years after voluntarily ending his Iron Man streak, Ripken Jr. retired in 2001. He is the chairman and founder of Ripken Baseball Inc., which he runs along with his brother, Bill.

He owns three minor-league baseball teams, including the Single A IronBirds based at the Ripken Baseball complex in Aberdeen, a middle-class area of about 15,000 people. Kowalewski said Ripken told him the gunman asked her about items in the car related to the Ironbirds and did not seem to know about the team.

Mike Hudson, 43, whose mother lives across the street from Ripken, said he was surprised the kidnapper came back to the neighborhood because police were swarming over the area about midnight.

"It's just hard to believe the guy came all the way back on the street and dropped her off. That makes me believe he was local, very local," said Hudson, who is staying at his mother's house while visiting with his daughter.

"I came out again at like five something, and all that scene was gone, I remember that. When I came out at eight, it was all crazy again with helicopters going over and I saw the car right away," Hudson said.

Ripken's car didn't appear to be damaged, he said.

"This has been a very trying time for our family, but we are grateful and relieved that mom is back with us, safe and healthy," the Ripken family said in a statement. "We want to thank everyone for their tremendous support, especially all of the law enforcement agencies that worked so hard and quickly."

Investigators determined that Ripken was missing Tuesday night after talking to Baltimore County Police, who notified the media about her disappearance shortly before she was found. The county borders the one where Aberdeen is located.

Aberdeen authorities have asked Baltimore County Police not to release its 911 tapes because the investigation is continuing. Police also would not say whether Ripken's credit or ATM cards had been used.

Vi Ripken described her abductor as a tall, thin white man with glasses wearing camouflage clothing, but police had no other details. The FBI and Maryland State Police were also involved in the investigation.

Ripken's brother, Bill, played second base in the major leagues. The two were managed for a time on the Orioles by their father and Vi's husband, Cal Ripken Sr., who died in 1999.

The family said that it could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation.

After the gunman left, Ripken honked her car's horn until a neighbor found her, Kowalewski said. He said he was surprised the honking didn't wake him up. Someone reported a suspicious car to authorities and she was found, police said.

Vi Ripken is founding chairwoman of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, which, according to its website, helps to build character for disadvantaged young people. Besides Cal and Bill, she has another son and a daughter.

The Ripken Baseball complex also is home to the annual Cal Ripken World Series for 11- and 12-year-olds. Cal Ripken Baseball is the name for the 5-to-12-year-old division of the Babe Ruth League.

Ripken's business empire also includes youth baseball camps and clinics, a minor-league stadium design firm, a merchandising arm and a charitable foundation. Ripken has no formal role with the Orioles but has spoken about his desire to return to the team.

Ripken works as a studio analyst for TBS during its postseason baseball coverage. He is a pitchman for brands including Energizer, Under Armour and Chevrolet.

__

Quote from: jimmy olsen on July 25, 2012, 08:26:55 PM
Weird  :huh:

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48321341/ns/sports-baseball/

Quote/
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
updated 6:20 p.m. ET July 25, 2012

ABERDEEN, Md. - Cal Ripken Jr.'s 74-year-old mother was found with her hands bound in the back seat of her car Wednesday

Quote
IP    H    R    ER    BB    K
7.0    6    1    1    1    7    

Quote from: Syt on August 01, 2012, 12:02:33 AM
Damn, the Reds are on a roll. I'm a bit worried about the Pirates' series in Cinci.

QuoteWhen Adam Corder arrived at Camden Yards on Friday night, he expected just another evening at the ballpark.

He got the night of his life.

Corder, a 15-year-old Millersville native currently living with his family in the United Arab Emirates, caught both of Manny Machado's home run balls.

He was sitting in section 78, row 14, with his older brother and two friends when Machado blasted his first career homer off Royals starter Luke Hochevar in the fifth inning.

An inning later, Machado became the youngest Oriole in history to record a multi-homer game.

And Corder, whose father used to be a doctor in the Orioles' first aid station, became the envy of memorabilia collectors everywhere.

"I couldn't stand," Corder said. "My feet were shaking. I had to sit down for a while."

When he finally got up to greet the media in the press box, an Orioles fan pulled him aside an offered $2,000 for one of the balls. He declined, preferring to check the prices on the open market before parting ways with it.

But when Orioles staff members offered to have Machado personally sign four balls and a bat in exchange for the first ball, Corder relented. He'll leave Camden with the second one.

Not to mention a memory he'll likely never forget.

"This is the greatest night of my life," Corder said. "That's for sure."

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on August 10, 2012, 11:50:36 PM
E:  Best one though, imo, was the guy in what looked like the upper decks somewhere who caught a ball, I don't remember if it was a HR or foul, while holding his little daughter, gave it to her so she could see it, and she immediately tossed it over the rail in front of them.  :lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on August 10, 2012, 11:53:44 PM
Tosh 2.0 did a Web Redemption on that one.
http://tosh.comedycentral.com/video-clips/extended-interview---phillies-fan-web-redemption
One of his better ones.  :lol:

Quote from: Syt on June 09, 2012, 03:40:08 AM
Perfect games seem more frequent, though: 5 in the 2000s so far, vs. 7 in 80s+90s combined.

QuoteThe Orioles are the team that won't go away. For months now, they've been predicted to, expected to, and they have no end of excuses for why they're supposed to be long since out of the expanded wild-card picture already. Injuries, run differential, relative anonymity plus generally underwhelming performances from most of the people you have heard of -- the Orioles are supposed to be goners.

They aren't gone, but they might be going places. On Saturday, it was Zach Britton's bend-don't-break stylings that were their latest "that's not really possible, is it?" feat. Seven shutout innings against the Tigers make for some sort of Saturday night special, not bad for the latest transient solution in Buck Showalter's constantly fixed-up rotation.

Go by appearances alone, and it seemed like Britton had no business matching zeroes with the Tigers' Rick Porcello, allowing nine baserunners to Porcello's four through the first six innings. But three 6-4-3 double plays were enough to keep his head above water. Porcello had retired 11 men in a row heading into the seventh, but so what? A pair of dink singles and Chris Davis' three-run shot later, it didn't matter what Porcello had done beforehand or how good he looked doing it, because the O's had a decisive lead thanks to Davis' just-enough bit of bopping, making Britton a winner.

That in itself might be a bit of a surprise, considering that Britton's shot at pitching this year was no sure thing in March, when shoulder surgery seemed likely. But opting for platelet-rich plasma (or PRP) treatments put him on the shorter road to rehab, and he's been the skippable, sometime-fifth starter for a team that barely goes a week without having to change something in its rotation.

The Orioles have managed to keep the identity of their rotation's third or fourth or fifth starter a matter of a near-weekly surprise to everyone, including themselves. Some of that has been a matter of effective roster management by general manager Dan Duquette: Early in the season, the Orioles could afford to flip the optionable Tommy Hunter back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk, rostering him only when they had to. Despite that time spent shuttling back and forth, it says something about Baltimore's lot that Hunter is now second on the team in total starts because almost everyone queued up ahead of him has broken down or pitched his way out of a job.

This yo-yo role Britton found himself in on Saturday, as he was called back up into the latest breach in the rotation after already blowing his initial call-up after the All-Star break, getting clobbered in five of six starts. In the Orioles' ad-hoc rotation, he was back up because he was on the 40-man roster and had four days' rest, and little else -- he was four days removed from getting chewed up by Charlotte, pitching through a split nail on his pitching hand.

Britton briefly dealt with the burden of being blown up too soon as a sign of better times to come in the spring of 2011, after he notched a quick eight quality starts in his first 10 turns as a rookie in the big-league rotation. But just like Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta, his success didn't last -- Britton managed just five starts of six innings or more and three runs allowed or less in his last 18 turns in 2011, putting him well on his way toward a new entry on the Orioles' list of mound disappointments. But like every other expectation for an Orioles setback, it seemed to merely set the stage for this latest improbable bit of heroics.

Where the rotation woes of the Yankees or the Red Sox get featured prominently, the Orioles have been scrambling all season. Only Chinese import Wei-Yin Chen has lasted the season. Chen plus Britton, Hunter, former Mariners prospect Chris Tillman and journeyman Miguel Gonzalez represent the latest front-five confection in a rotation that has already had to use 10 starters. Every day, the four non-Chens are all pitching for their jobs, because Jason Hammel is on the mend and due back in another two weeks.

Contenders aren't supposed to start TBD in three or four rotation slots this late in the season, are they? But this comes on top of their playing TBNL in left field. Davis was briefly their answer there, but so was Nolan Reimold, Endy Chavez, Xavier Avery and Steve Pearce. They're down to a Nate McLouth-Lew Ford platoon that would be entirely plausible if we were talking about a contender -- in the International League.

All of which is part of what makes the Orioles so entertaining. As they scrape to keep pace with the Rays in the wild-card chase, it might be hard to call them the underdog, but that's only if you keep your eyes peeled on payrolls. It's easy to root for the Rays -- every statistically savvy smart kid goes fanboy on sabermetrics' poster team. And they're supposed to beat Baltimore -- they're supposedly smarter, and stocked up on the really good players you already know, like Evan Longoria and David Price. And yet the Orioles still will not go away. Fun, ain't it?

QuoteExclusive: Daily News uncovers bizarre plot by San Francisco Giants' Melky Cabrera to use fake website and duck drug suspension

In a bizarre attempt to avoid a 50-game drug suspension, San Francisco Giants star Melky Cabrera created a fictitious website and a nonexistent product designed to prove he inadvertently took the banned substance that caused a positive test under Major League Baseball's drug program.
But instead of exonerating Cabrera of steroid use, the Internet stunt trapped him in a web of lies. Amid the information-gathering phase of his doping case last month, his cover story unraveled quickly, and what might have been a simple suspension has attracted further attention from federal investigators and MLB, the Daily News has learned.
Famed steroid cop Jeff Novitzky, a criminal investigative agent for the Food & Drug Administration, and agents from MLB's Department of Investigation have begun looking into Cabrera's associates and his entourage, including trainers, handlers and agents, as they search for the source of the synthetic testosterone that appeared in a sample of the All-Star Game MVP's urine.

The scheme began unfolding in July as Cabrera and his representatives scrambled to explain a spike in the former Yankee's testosterone levels. Cabrera associate Juan Nunez, described by the player's agents, Seth and Sam Levinson, as a "paid consultant" of their firm but not an "employee," is alleged to have paid $10,000 to acquire the phony website. The idea, apparently, was to lay a trail of digital breadcrumbs suggesting Cabrera had ordered a supplement that ended up causing the positive test, and to rely on a clause in the collectively bargained drug program that allows a player who has tested positive to attempt to prove he ingested a banned substance through no fault of his own.
"There was a product they said caused this positive," one source familiar with the case said of Cabrera's scheme. "Baseball figured out the ruse pretty quickly."
Nunez told The News Saturday that he was "accepting responsibility for what everyone else already knows," regarding the fake website, adding that the Levinsons were not involved in the website in any way. They also adamantly deny any knowledge of the scheme or having been involved with it.
"Sam and I absolutely had no knowledge or dealings with anyone at anytime associated with the website," Seth Levinson said in an email to The News. "I will state unequivocally and irrefutably that any payment made to the website does not come from ACES (their New York-based sports agency, Athletes' Career Enhanced and Secured Inc.)"
"I was the only one who had dealings with the website," Nunez said. "Neither Seth nor Sam had any dealings with the website, nor did anyone else in the firm."
According to a union source, "the MLBPA has not been presented with any evidence at this time that the Levinsons had any connection to the website."
The website was part of the presentation Cabrera and his representatives made to MLB and the players' union before the league officially charged him with a doping violation.


Cabrera was at that point hoping to repeat the success Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun found earlier this year in challenging the evidence in arbitration. Braun escaped a 50-game ban for elevated levels of testosterone by raising doubts about the collection and storage of the sample, setting a hopeful example for other players who test positive.
MLB's department of investigations quickly began asking questions about the website and the "product" — Where was the site operating from? Who owned it? What kind of product was it? — and quickly discovered that an existing website had been altered, adding an ad for the product, a topical cream, that didn't exist.
As the website alibi imploded, so did Cabrera's hopes of getting off and leading the Giants to the World Series. Once a candidate for the National League's MVP award, Cabrera is now serving the 50-game suspension and has exposed his associates to scrutiny from Novitzky, who uncovered the BALCO doping ring and Kirk Radomski's steroid distribution network, and other investigators.
According to Seth Levinson, the agents hired the Spanish-speaking Nunez to help them obtain and deal with their Dominican clients, including Cabrera. On Saturday, Levinson distanced himself and his brother from Nunez.
"Juan Nunez is NOT a salaried employee of ACES and does NOT receive the benefits that all ACES employees receive," Levinson said. "Most importantly, any and all calls, texts and emails that he sends come from his own PERSONAL devices (BlackBerry)."
According to sources familiar with the case, the Levinsons are not a target of a probe by the feds, who are believed to have become interested in the Cabrera case as a result of the website machinations.
While the particulars of the Cabrera case are unusual, the case fits a familiar pattern. From Barry Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, to A-Rod's cousin, to trainer Angel Presinal, many of baseball's recent doping scandals have been facilitated by individuals in a player's entourage who weren't accountable to team officials.
The Giants organization's steroid problems didn't stop with the departure of Bonds. The News reported in November 2010, that former Giant Jose Guillen had arranged for a shipment of nearly 50 preloaded syringes of human growth hormone to be sent to a San Francisco address in his wife's name.
According to a source close to the federal investigation of Guillen, Drug Enforcement Administration agents who were monitoring the activities of the suspected supplier intercepted the package when it was sent to the Giants' outfielder to the attention of his wife.
The DEA agents contacted baseball's DOI and have continued to keep an eye on whether anyone else in baseball might have been involved. Now, the feds' interest in how ballplayers are obtaining performance-enhancing drugs is rekindled, and baseball itself is prepared to find answers.
Major League Baseball declined to comment on the Cabrera case but at the owners' meetings in Denver last week, commissioner Bud Selig touched on the issue of those who facilitate drug use by players, telling owners they would be "shocked" when they hear what's been going on "when this all comes out."
"If you engage in this type of activity," one source said of the investigation, "you do it at great risk to your livelihood."
[email protected]


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/exclusive-daily-news-uncovers-bizarre-plot-melky-cabrera-fake-website-duck-drug-suspension-article-1.1139623?pgno=1#ixzz240zvaklW

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 20, 2012, 10:41:36 AM
2) Buck Showalter

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 20, 2012, 10:44:59 AM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 20, 2012, 10:41:36 AM
2) Buck Showalter

Hardly a secret.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 21, 2012, 10:47:36 AM
He's basically having a career average year.   :huh:

OBP is .367 compared to .382 career
SLUG is .442 compared to .449 career

If his hot streak tails off soon he will likely end up somewhat below those numbers.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 21, 2012, 11:33:33 AM
Batting average is subject to a lot of variability year-to-year

Here's the batting average by age of another player:

36 .270
37 .271
38 .340

HINT: He is also a famous shortstop.

Quote from: dps on August 21, 2012, 11:11:22 AM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 21, 2012, 10:47:36 AM
He's basically having a career average year.   :huh:

OBP is .367 compared to .382 career
SLUG is .442 compared to .449 career

If his hot streak tails off soon he will likely end up somewhat below those numbers.

Yeah, I never thought he'd see the high side of .300 for a season again, but about a third of the way through he was up around .350.  Now he's down to .314 last I looked, so he still might finish under .300.  And it's not like he hit .220 last year.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on August 21, 2012, 11:32:51 PM
He's a Yankee, thus guilty.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 21, 2012, 11:35:13 PM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on August 21, 2012, 11:32:51 PM
He's a Yankee, thus guilty.

My paranoia is equal opportunity. I'm sure David Ortiz is on HGH. 

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 21, 2012, 11:35:13 PM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on August 21, 2012, 11:32:51 PM
He's a Yankee, thus guilty.

My paranoia is equal opportunity. I'm sure David Ortiz is on HGH.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 22, 2012, 01:49:14 PM
David Ortiz tested positive. That's an actual fact.

If you are really paranoid and equal opportunity then you have to assume everyone is guilty.  Yeah everyone says that Junior Griffey never took, but how do you explain 2005?  Omar Vizquel hit .295 (3d best in career) at age 39?  Must be on HGH.  How about Rickey hitting .315 for the Mets in his 40s? And Julio Franco - must be a giant steroid disguised as Dominican firstbaseman.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 22, 2012, 05:16:21 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 22, 2012, 01:49:14 PM
David Ortiz tested positive. That's an actual fact.

If you are really paranoid and equal opportunity then you have to assume everyone is guilty.  Yeah everyone says that Junior Griffey never took, but how do you explain 2005?  Omar Vizquel hit .295 (3d best in career) at age 39?  Must be on HGH.  How about Rickey hitting .315 for the Mets in his 40s? And Julio Franco - must be a giant steroid disguised as Dominican firstbaseman.

He was only 36 then, and the rest of his 30s were pretty bad so I doubt Griffey was on anything. There would have been more sustained success.

The others, yeah I could see it.

Quote from: dps on August 22, 2012, 05:37:03 PM

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 22, 2012, 05:16:21 PM

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 22, 2012, 01:49:14 PM
David Ortiz tested positive. That's an actual fact.

If you are really paranoid and equal opportunity then you have to assume everyone is guilty.  Yeah everyone says that Junior Griffey never took, but how do you explain 2005?  Omar Vizquel hit .295 (3d best in career) at age 39?  Must be on HGH.  How about Rickey hitting .315 for the Mets in his 40s? And Julio Franco - must be a giant steroid disguised as Dominican firstbaseman.

He was only 36 then, and the rest of his 30s were pretty bad so I doubt Griffey was on anything. There would have been more sustained success.

The others, yeah I could see it.

Griffey's 2005 is easy to explain--it's the only year between 2000 and 2007 in which he was healthy enough to play even 120 games:

2000:  145 games
2001:  111 games
2002:   70 games
2003:   59 games
2004:   83 games
2005:  128 games
2006:  109 games
2007:  144 games

2007 was pretty much a last hurrah for him--he played 143 games in 2008, but wasn't much good that year by his standards, and then played poorly in limited duty the next year and a half before retiring early in the season in 2010.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 22, 2012, 05:16:21 PM
The others, yeah I could see it.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 24, 2012, 01:05:35 AM
Just saw that Jim Joyce saved a woman's life last Tuesday.

Blows a call, costing a pitcher a perfect game = national news

Saves a woman's life = buried in a byline on yahoo/sports.com

:rolleyes:

Quote from: jimmy olsen on August 24, 2012, 01:05:35 AM
Just saw that Jim Joyce saved a woman's life last Tuesday.

Blows a call, costing a pitcher a perfect game = national news

Saves a woman's life = buried in a byline on yahoo/sports.com

:rolleyes:

Quote from: Syt on August 22, 2012, 11:58:40 PM
With the Bucs now 8.5 games behind the Reds I guess that's definitely been it for any play off hopes.

QuoteYears from now, we'll look back on what happened Friday, when the Los Angeles Dodgers played TARP to the Boston Red Sox, and marvel at the entire spectacle. It is August, the dog days, when the slog of the regular season begins to transition into the excitement of the playoff race. The only transactions of note are supposed to involve players going to and returning from the disabled list.

And here come the Dodgers and the Red Sox, two of baseball's jewel franchises, pulling off one of the biggest and most fascinating trades ever. A year ago, the Dodgers were in bankruptcy. Now, the Red Sox will send Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto and the combined $262.5 million remaining on their contracts to Los Angeles for top pitching prospects Allen Webster and Rubby De La Rosa, marginal hitting prospects Jerry Sands and Ivan DeJesus, and first baseman James Loney.

It will mark the biggest salary dump in the history of professional sports, a quarter-billion-dollar mea culpa from the Red Sox, who spent their way into the quagmire of mediocrity from which they've been unable to extricate themselves this season. And it will cement the Dodgers' rise from the nadir of Frank McCourt's ownership to their place as baseball bailout kings, the franchise that will chase talent no matter the price.

This is a dangerous game both teams are playing, the Red Sox jettisoning a pair of players they gave seven years and nine figures to ostensibly hit the restart button and the Dodgers playing the kid who blows his allowance on candy and wonders later why the dentist has to drill so much.

As fascinating as it's been to watch the Red Sox implode over the last calendar year, from September meltdown to the beer-and-chicken blame game to the ill-fated Bobby Valentine hire to the text message heard 'round New England, their story is the classic fall of the titan, one familiar in the annals of the game. Full of drama though it may be, it doesn't pack the intrigue of watching a new power establish itself with the fury the Dodgers have since the Mark Walter-Magic Johnson-Stan Kasten consortium acquired the franchise for $2 billion in March.

No longer are the Dodgers a baseball team. They are a conglomerate comprised of a multibillion-dollar television contract, an iconic venue in Dodger Stadium, a brand that again means something, marketing and merchandising arms that drive revenue and, sure, a ballclub onto which each of the aforementioned arms gloms. A Mexican-born star from Southern California signed to a relatively reasonable contract compared to his peers – Joey Votto at $250 million and Albert Pujols at $240 million and Prince Fielder at $214 million – and all he costs is a few prospects and taking on some may-or-may-not-work-out contracts? For the Los Angeles Dodgers, team, Adrian Gonzalez is nice. For the Los Angeles Dodgers, empire, Adrian Gonzalez is a coup.

The Dodgers abide by the spend-money-to-make-money philosophy as much as the gluttonous Yankees of George Steinbrenner ever did because not only are they lavishing it on players, they're stockpiling underachievers. So far so good with Hanley Ramirez. Crawford has 4½ years to earn his keep once he returns from Tommy John surgery. Beckett, like Gonzalez claimed off waivers Friday by the Dodgers, is operating with diminished stuff, and the Dodgers can only hope his escape from the toxicity of Boston – plus, sure, jumping from the AL East to NL West – will invigorate his career.

The Red Sox are whole again. It's not just losing Beckett, whose influence on the younger pitchers he was supposed to mentor emboldened them with the same self-importance he wears daily. Nor is it the symbolic gesture of running off one of the players at the forefront of the uprising against Bobby V, whose enemies keep getting picked off one-by-one.

This is about the money. It always was about the money. The Red Sox found themselves in an untenable situation financially because Gonzalez's and Crawford's contracts hamstrung them not just now but through 2017. So they floated Gonzalez on waivers, found a taker, convinced that taker to swallow Crawford's remaining $102.5 million and Beckett's $31.5 million, finagled a pair of starting pitchers with high-octane fastballs and turned $106.9 million in commitments for next season into $45.6 million worth of 2013 obligations.

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington saved his predecessor, Theo Epstein, from living down more than the Daisuke Matsuzaka and John Lackey disasters. The allure of deep pockets can turn a rational GM into a reckless one. Even for a team like the Red Sox, who come close to selling out every home game, the principle of fiscal responsibility must be more than rhetoric. Sloppy contracts have permeated Boston's roster since it last won the World Series in 2007.

Once the trade is official, its reshaping begins. Enough front-line pieces exist for the Red Sox to enter 2013 with hope, especially considering the depth and quality of their prospects and what the newfound financial freedom may afford them, be it Josh Hamilton, Zack Greinke or whoever else fears not stepping into the terrordome that is present-day Boston baseball culture.

To abscond to Los Angeles, to a pennant race, to a team that wants you is about the best deal possible for the four players set to join the Dodgers. Never mind that their new team is falling prey to the same thing their old team did, this idea that bright, shiny things are worth buying now even if their luster will fade soon enough. This is different. They are different. Everyone thinks he is.

Maybe they are. Baseball's natural order tends to restore itself. When one franchise is headed up, another must go down, the sport's equilibrium doing its job.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, fresh out of bankruptcy, want to take on somewhere in the neighborhood of a small nation's GDP worth of baseball players.

The Boston Red Sox, trailed by the stench of underachievement, infighting and mistrust, want to turn their 2012 roster into a relic and bury the sucker.

And on a random August day more than three weeks after the non-waiver trade deadline, each used the other to achieve an inherently risky goal. Whatever you want to call it, the second-richest team in the game held a private auction or a targeted fire sale or a white-flag parade and readied to divest itself. There to accept was baseball's newest power, MLB franchise 2.0, for whom no price is too rich.
Years from now, it'll still sound just as wild as it does today.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on August 21, 2012, 11:33:33 AM
Batting average is subject to a lot of variability year-to-year

Here's the batting average by age of another player:

36 .270
37 .271
38 .340

HINT: He is also a famous shortstop.

Quote from: derspiess on May 03, 2012, 10:00:18 AM
So a little over a month into the season and the two hottest teams in terms of Runs scored/allowed differential are: St. Louis (+65) and Texas (+49)

Quote from: sbr on August 25, 2012, 02:02:33 PM
Looks like the Red Sox fire sale is official.  They dumped over $250 million in salaries (Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto) on the Dodgers for 2 top pitching prospects, 2 marginal position prospects and a decent MLB First Baseman with an expiring contract.  This is after the new owners of the Dodgers ridiculously overpaid ($2 billion) for the team.

Quote from: derspiess on August 27, 2012, 02:24:41 PM

Quote from: derspiess on May 03, 2012, 10:00:18 AM
So a little over a month into the season and the two hottest teams in terms of Runs scored/allowed differential are: St. Louis (+65) and Texas (+49)

And 127 games into the season, both teams still lead the league. St. Louis has +126 and Texas has +113.  Weird.

Quote from: alfred russel on September 04, 2012, 12:23:29 AM

Somehow the Orioles have a 31 run deficit and are just five games out from the best record in the league.  :wacko:

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on September 04, 2012, 09:24:19 PM
Baltimore tied atop the AL East with the Yankees!! :yeah:

Quote from: alfred russel on September 04, 2012, 09:40:02 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on September 04, 2012, 09:24:19 PM
Baltimore tied atop the AL East with the Yankees!! :yeah:

The way the new playoffs work, I think it is really important to avoid getting in through the wildcard. Not only do you face a one game crapshoot, you are going to blow out your pitching rotation if you get to the next round while your opponent is resting up.

Quote from: alfred russel on September 04, 2012, 09:40:02 PM

Quote from: Benedict Arnold on September 04, 2012, 09:24:19 PM
Baltimore tied atop the AL East with the Yankees!! :yeah:

The way the new playoffs work, I think it is really important to avoid getting in through the wildcard. Not only do you face a one game crapshoot, you are going to blow out your pitching rotation if you get to the next round while your opponent is resting up.

Quote from: Strix on September 05, 2012, 03:31:28 AM
I am not so sure about that. In the 18 years since it was implemented, the Wild Card team has played in 10 World Series and won 5 of them. So, in any given year there is about a 50% chance one of the Wild Card teams will make it all the way. I'd say there really isn't an advantage or disadvantage.

Quote from: Valmy on September 05, 2012, 09:20:40 AM
COME ON ORIOLES!  Maintain your magical powers for just two more months.

Quote from: Strix on September 05, 2012, 03:31:28 AM

I am not so sure about that. In the 18 years since it was implemented, the Wild Card team has played in 10 World Series and won 5 of them. So, in any given year there is about a 50% chance one of the Wild Card teams will make it all the way. I'd say there really isn't an advantage or disadvantage.

Quote from: derspiess on September 05, 2012, 08:34:45 PM
Lol, my brother just sold a baseball card on ebay to: Keith Olbermann.

Quote from: Valmy on September 05, 2012, 08:39:28 PM

Quote from: derspiess on September 05, 2012, 08:34:45 PM
Lol, my brother just sold a baseball card on ebay to: Keith Olbermann.

I :wub: Keith...so long as he talks sports...

Quote from: derspiess on September 05, 2012, 08:43:02 PM
Ditto.  Unfortunately that means I hate him most of the time.

Quote from: Valmy on September 06, 2012, 09:02:26 PM
MOTHERF*%&#$^#$&@#$&#((@#&*

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2012, 09:08:19 PM

Quote from: Valmy on September 06, 2012, 09:02:26 PM
MOTHERF*%&#$^#$&@#$&#((@#&*

Problem?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2012, 09:12:01 PM
See?  :lol:

Quote from: Valmy on September 06, 2012, 09:23:53 PM
All this tension, the Yankees tie the score and HR Single HR HR  :lol:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 06, 2012, 09:26:06 PM
"Why the Buck not?"

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 06, 2012, 10:32:06 PM
The Yankees - Orioles highlights were entertaining. 

Quote from: Valmy on September 07, 2012, 09:35:21 AM
Which part?  All the Home Runs or the Cal Ripken Jr worship session?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 07, 2012, 10:23:07 AM
Lulz

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nypost.com%2Frw%2Fnypost%2F2012%2F09%2F07%2Fcovers%2Fback090712.jpg&hash=3884b0228963e340dab7bd72c5842642ce54369a)

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 07, 2012, 08:11:39 PM
Yankees went up 7-0, but the O's are trying to claw back, 7-3.  Running out of innings, though.

QuoteBucs commit seven errors in ugly loss to Cubs

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 08, 2012, 12:24:29 AM
Okay why is Strasburg getting so much play on ESPN?  I'm tired of hearing about this fucking dude.  I don't care about week 4 of SHUTDOWNGATE or whatever they're calling it.

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 12:52:27 AM
ESPN overplays and overhypes everything, but the Nats shutting down one of the best pitchers in baseball while having the best record in the game is probably the biggest story of the year.

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 08, 2012, 12:57:04 AM

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 12:52:27 AM
ESPN overplays and overhypes everything, but the Nats shutting down one of the best pitchers in baseball while having the best record in the game is probably the biggest story of the year.

Meh.  After the first report, it's done, as far as I'm concerned (I'm not ESPN, unfortunately).  Not being a retard, I get what they were saying the first time.  Now they're freaking out about the guy having a bad game, and.....ah whatever....it's what I get for just leaving ESPN on all day after the Dan Patrick show is over.

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 02:01:22 AM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 08, 2012, 12:57:04 AM

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 12:52:27 AM
ESPN overplays and overhypes everything, but the Nats shutting down one of the best pitchers in baseball while having the best record in the game is probably the biggest story of the year.

Meh.  After the first report, it's done, as far as I'm concerned (I'm not ESPN, unfortunately).  Not being a retard, I get what they were saying the first time.  Now they're freaking out about the guy having a bad game, and.....ah whatever....it's what I get for just leaving ESPN on all day after the Dan Patrick show is over.

You can't watch ESPN all day, you have to treat it like a radio program where they assume their audience turns over every 20-30 minutes. 

QuoteWASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals have shut down Stephen Strasburg after a shaky start against the Miami Marlins.

Manager Davey Johnson made the announcement Saturday morning. The Nationals had been monitoring the right-hander's workload, and Johnson says the media attention to his innings was "unbelievable."

Johnson said it was more mental than physical, and it was clear from Strasburg's Friday start that Strasburg didn't have his head in the game.

John Lannan will take Strasburg's spot and start Wednesday against the Mets in New York.

The move comes a day after Strasburg matched his career low by lasting only three innings, allowing five runs in the NL East-leading Nationals' 9-7, 10-inning loss to the Miami Marlins.

"To be honest with you, I think he just is thinking too much about the decision when we're going to shut him down," Johnson said Friday night. "And he kind of wore it. He didn't like it. But that's the way it is."

Strasburg, 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA, allowed two runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third, giving up six hits -- including home runs to Giancarlo Stanton and Rob Brantly. He threw 67 pitches and was pinch hit for in the third.

In his first full season after elbow-ligament replacement surgery on Sept. 3, 2010, Strasburg will finish with 197 strikeouts in 159 1/3 innings.

"I didn't command the fastball, kept on getting behind in the counts," Strasburg said. "I wasn't able to use my other pitches effectively and they kept teeing off on me a little bit."

The Nationals, wanting to protect the arm of the 24-year-old right-hander, had earlier said Wednesday likely would be his final appearance of the season, though Washington is likely to see postseason baseball for the first time since the original Senators in 1933.

Strasburg received a lengthy standing ovation from fans as he jogged out to the mound for what turned into a 23-pitch first inning.

Johnson said Strasburg may have been distracted by the shutdown talk.

"I can understand where he's at," Johnson said Friday. "And even in the conversations that I've had with him, he was having trouble sleeping, thinking about letting the guys down. So I understand his mood."

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 08, 2012, 10:24:56 PM
Looks like the win was costlier than first thought, with Markakis getting plunked by CC in the hand in the 5th.  Broken thumb, out 6 weeks.  See ya in 2013, Nick.  :(

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 08, 2012, 10:24:56 PM
Looks like the win was costlier than first thought, with Markakis getting plunked by CC in the hand in the 5th.  Broken thumb, out 6 weeks.  See ya in 2013, Nick.  :(

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 09:46:52 PM
No mention of the Orioles' win over the Yankees?  Have you all lost interest already or forget about baseball while football is on?

Ooh, they beat Sabathia that is a huge win.

Quote from: Valmy on September 08, 2012, 11:45:10 PM

Quote from: sbr on September 08, 2012, 09:46:52 PM
No mention of the Orioles' win over the Yankees?  Have you all lost interest already or forget about baseball while football is on?

Ooh, they beat Sabathia that is a huge win.

Um I watched it but I have to watch it on my computer and today I was carrying around a one month old all day.  Both of those things made it hard to come here and type.  Huge win and I was a nervous wreck the whole time.

QuoteThe Orioles have made two roster moves today, selecting the contracts of outfielders Endy Chavez and L.J. Hoes from Triple-A Norfolk. To make room on the 40-man roster, they have designated right-hander Kevin Gregg and infielder Ryan Adams for assignment.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 12, 2012, 09:45:38 PM
Woot, there it is.

Gotta watch the highlights, V.

Quote from: Valmy on September 13, 2012, 06:57:29 PM
It took awhile but the O's took the brooms to the Rays.  Hopefully by the time the Birds play them again in October it will be meaningless.

Quote from: katmai on September 14, 2012, 09:48:58 PM
Feeling good about that lead way Dodgers have folded up here in Sep.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 14, 2012, 10:12:21 PM

Quote from: katmai on September 14, 2012, 09:48:58 PM
Feeling good about that lead way Dodgers have folded up here in Sep.

Yeah, bit surprised with that.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 15, 2012, 05:21:30 AM
Well, shit.  Fucking Oaktown.

Quote from: katmai on September 16, 2012, 08:32:00 PM
Don't mistake M's as auto wins Valmy.

QuoteIn the wake of the 18-inning game Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the Orioles reportedly have made a special call for additional pitching depth. Fox Sports is reporting that top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy is headed for Seattle and could be there in time for tonight's series finale against the Mariners at Safeco Field.

The plan was for Bundy to be shut down after his playoff appearance for the Bowie Baysox and sent to Instructional League in Florida, but team officials obviously decided that whatever innings he might pitch down in Florida would be of more value to the major league club.

Bundy gave up one run on six hits over six innings in his final minor league start on Sept. 5 and pitched a total of 109 2/3 innings at three levels in his first professional season. He was a combined 9-3 with a 2.08 ERA at Delmarva, Frederick and Bowie during the regular season and was recently named to the Baseball America Minor League All-Star Team.

The Orioles had him on strict pitch and innings limits throughout the year and he finished well short of the 130 innings that club officials hinted at during spring training. He was working out at the club's Sarasota training site, but had not pitched in game action since the Double-A playoffs.

QuotePittsburgh has lost 14 of 18 and 20 of 27 to drop to 74-74, the first time they have been at .500 since they were 26-26 on June 2. The Pirates, who fell 4 1-2 games behind the Cardinals, have had 19 consecutive losing seasons, a major North American professional sports record.

"We haven't played well and it's been for a while," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "So, you know, we had earned the position we were in before; we've earned this position as well. The season's 162 games for a reason."

Quote from: katmai on September 20, 2012, 03:06:28 AM
Giants magic numba is cinco.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 20, 2012, 05:42:21 AM
LOL, game ended on an attempted steal.  Too funny.

Quote from: derspiess on September 20, 2012, 09:21:30 AM


I conceded the NL Central to the Reds long ago

Quote from: Ed Anger on September 20, 2012, 11:27:47 AM

Quote from: derspiess on September 20, 2012, 09:21:30 AM


I conceded the NL Central to the Reds long ago

Speaking of the Reds, I felt the earth shift as everybody in Southwestern Ohio jumped back onto the Reds bandwagon.

QuoteThis was the CliffsNotes version of the Pirates' entire season: start slow, surge in the middle, fade at the end.

If you saw Thursday's game at PNC Park, you saw all 149 of them.

With left-hander Wandy Rodriguez tendering his poorest and briefest of 10 starts for Pittsburgh, the Pirates fell into an early four-run hole to the Brewers, roared back out of it to take a three-run lead into the eighth -- then had their bullpen give it all back for a crushing 9-7 defeat.

Quote from: derspiess on September 21, 2012, 10:10:40 AM
Okay collection, but needs more Cardinals.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 21, 2012, 10:33:00 AM
And fuck that new Padres stuff, need more shitty late 70's/early 80's Padres.

Quote from: derspiess on September 21, 2012, 10:10:40 AM
Okay collection, but needs more Cardinals.

Quote from: Grey Fox on September 21, 2012, 11:39:53 AM
You need an Expos powder blue shirt. That's the way to go.

Quote from: Syt on September 21, 2012, 11:34:19 AM
Excluded by default are Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Cardinals.

Quote from: Syt on September 21, 2012, 12:22:56 PM
I dunno - just don't like them.

Quote from: dps on September 21, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
The Cardinals, not the Mets, are, in a sense, the closest thing the National League has to the Yankees.

Not that I personally buy into the Yankee hate, but I understand why it exists.

Quote from: dps on September 21, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
The Cardinals, not the Mets, are, in a sense, the closest thing the National League has to the Yankees.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 21, 2012, 12:33:59 PM

Quote from: dps on September 21, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
The Cardinals, not the Mets, are, in a sense, the closest thing the National League has to the Yankees.

Not that I personally buy into the Yankee hate, but I understand why it exists.

The Yankees dominate, the Cardinals are first among equals. And of course the city of St. Louis doesn't put on the airs New York does.

Quote from: Syt on September 21, 2012, 11:48:48 AM
I know - they're expensive, though.

Quote from: Barrister on September 21, 2012, 10:45:18 AM
On a related, but not baseball, note, I've been contemplating trying to find an old Thrashers jersey, which might be fun to wear to a game now and then. :hmm:

Not sure how hard it'd be to find.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 24, 2012, 08:46:28 AM
Today's the anniversary of the most egregious crime in post-war baseball:  on this day in 1957, the Dodgers left Brooklyn.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 21, 2012, 12:37:50 PM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 21, 2012, 12:33:59 PM

Quote from: dps on September 21, 2012, 12:27:09 PM
The Cardinals, not the Mets, are, in a sense, the closest thing the National League has to the Yankees.

Not that I personally buy into the Yankee hate, but I understand why it exists.

The Yankees dominate, the Cardinals are first among equals. And of course the city of St. Louis doesn't put on the airs New York does.

Well the St. Louis air has the stale beer smell of the Bronx, but is missing the full cocktail of smog and fresh urine, so I guess that's right.

Quote from: katmai on September 24, 2012, 08:54:22 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 24, 2012, 08:46:28 AM
Today's the anniversary of the most egregious crime in post-war baseball:  on this day in 1957, the Dodgers left Brooklyn.

And let us celebrate by hoping they don't make the playoffs again this year.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 24, 2012, 08:46:28 AM
Today's the anniversary of the most egregious crime in post-war baseball:  on this day in 1957, the Dodgers left Brooklyn.

Quote from: Valmy on September 24, 2012, 09:12:48 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 24, 2012, 08:46:28 AM
Today's the anniversary of the most egregious crime in post-war baseball:  on this day in 1957, the Dodgers left Brooklyn.

After looking over the evidence I think the main culprit is the City of New York.  They never did give a crap about Brooklyn.

O'Malley wanted to build the new Stadium in Brooklyn, entirely with private money no less, and NYC blocked him at every turn.  They just ran the Giants and Dodgers out of town so far as I can see.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 24, 2012, 09:18:52 AM
If Brooklyn wanted its own sports teams, they shouldn't have let NYC annex them in the first place.

Quote from: Barrister on September 24, 2012, 10:23:55 AM
But Brooklyn now has its own sports team. :mellow:

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on September 24, 2012, 10:26:40 AM

Quote from: Barrister on September 24, 2012, 10:23:55 AM
But Brooklyn now has its own sports team. :mellow:

No, it has a stadium for a New York team.

Quote from: Valmy on September 24, 2012, 09:12:48 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 24, 2012, 08:46:28 AM
Today's the anniversary of the most egregious crime in post-war baseball:  on this day in 1957, the Dodgers left Brooklyn.

After looking over the evidence I think the main culprit is the City of New York.  They never did give a crap about Brooklyn.

O'Malley wanted to build the new Stadium in Brooklyn, entirely with private money no less, and NYC blocked him at every turn.  They just ran the Giants and Dodgers out of town so far as I can see.

Quote from: dps on September 25, 2012, 12:12:55 PM
I've read that O'Malley cried when he found out the details of the agreement the city had with the Mets over Shea Stadium when that venue's construction was approved.  The Mets got more that he had ever asked for and he told associates that if he had gotten anything approaching that deal he would have never even considered moving the team.

Quote from: dps on September 25, 2012, 12:12:55 PM
I've read that O'Malley cried when he found out the details of the agreement the city had with the Mets over Shea Stadium when that venue's construction was approved.  The Mets got more that he had ever asked for and he told associates that if he had gotten anything approaching that deal he would have never even considered moving the team.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on September 25, 2012, 01:41:38 PM

Quote from: dps on September 25, 2012, 12:12:55 PM
I've read that O'Malley cried when he found out the details of the agreement the city had with the Mets over Shea Stadium when that venue's construction was approved.  The Mets got more that he had ever asked for and he told associates that if he had gotten anything approaching that deal he would have never even considered moving the team.

That's nonsense, as is much of the pro-O'Malley spin in this thread.

O'Malley wanted build a stadium at Flatbush and Atlantic, i.e. basically where the new arena was just built for the Nets.  But that would have required the City to condemn private land Kelo-style and incur massive expenses to relocate rail facilitites at the location: even Robert Moses wasn't prepared to do that just so that the Dodgers could build a new baseball park.   O'Malley did raise the idea of a Flushing Meadow site with Moses, and Moses, with his characteristic energy, came up with a construction plan including the possibility of a domed stadium.  But by that time, O'Malley was far along with his LA negotiations, and pulled out of the Queens project with the lame excuse that the Dodgers were too associated with Brooklyn to move to Queens.

For some reason, revisionist history has come to dominate, perhaps because O'Malley's friends and allies have been happy to tell his side of the story over the years, and perhaps also because the name Robert Moses has (justifiably but for other reasons) become synonymous for high-handedness and disastrous social engineering through city planning, making him the perfect foil to take on the villain's role.  The reality was that O'Malley was a sharp businessman who became the first to play the now familiar game of playing hardball with city officials by playing one city off against another.  He used the Queens alternative to get sweetheart terms from LA, simple as that. 

Quote from: sbr on September 29, 2012, 12:24:22 AM
Cardinals über alles though, of course.

Quote from: Valmy on September 29, 2012, 09:02:59 PM
With four games to go the Birds and Bombers are tied!  :yeah:

Quote from: CountDeMoney on September 30, 2012, 10:54:27 AM
The Orioles will have their hands full in Tampa Bay, but I have a feeling Boston may pull it together for a series, if only to piss on the Yankees' post-season parade.

Still have today to go through yet.

Quote from: Valmy on September 30, 2012, 07:49:05 PM
It all comes down to these last three games.  Rays vs. Birds.  They can still crash this party  :ph34r:

Quote from: Valmy on September 30, 2012, 09:33:59 PM
Fuck.  Like thats not a sign or anything

Quote from: Valmy on September 30, 2012, 09:33:59 PM
Fuck.  Like thats not a sign or anything

Quote from: Valmy on October 02, 2012, 08:27:42 AM
Yesterday was a sobering result.

At least the Rays are out.  Now all the playoff teams from the AL are set....but this could get bad very fast for Baltimore if they do not win.  They want no part of Oakland and they sure as shit don't want Oakland on the road.  This is a one game winner take all thing right?  Hopefully the Rays will back off a bit now that their season is over.

Quote from: dps on October 02, 2012, 12:06:00 PM
Yeah, it's a one game playoff.  But it might not be with Oakland--it could be Texas.  Amazingly , Oakland could not only still win the West, they could actually end up with the best record in the AL.

Quote from: Valmy on October 02, 2012, 08:27:42 AM
Yesterday was a sobering result.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 02:22:22 PM

Quote from: Valmy on October 02, 2012, 08:27:42 AM
Yesterday was a sobering result.

Yeah, but they fought back with a wierdo 9th inning after Chen melted down, with a dinger hitting the roof and the hotshot to 2nd.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 02:22:22 PM

Quote from: Valmy on October 02, 2012, 08:27:42 AM
Yesterday was a sobering result.

Yeah, but they fought back with a wierdo 9th inning after Chen melted down, with a dinger hitting the roof and the hotshot to 2nd.

Thought they had a chance against Rodney, but he's the Ed Reed of closers.  Fucker's vicious.  Had Thome chase 100mph fastballs all outside the strike zone.  Dude's nasty.

QuoteThroughout what even Boston Red Sox players, coaches and personnel have deemed a "miserable" season, one quote has epitomized Boston. Ironically, it came from former Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon well before the season ever got underway: "The difference between Boston and Philadelphia, the Boston fans are a little bit more hysterical when it comes to the game of baseball." Papelbon infamously quipped at the start of spring training. "The Philly fans tend to know the game a little better, being in the National League, you know, the way the game is played."

While certainly Philadelphia fans, too, have some hysterics among their ranks – a contingency that has fostered a strong Boston/Philadelphia rivalry in sports beyond just baseball – the point remains: Boston fans don't know the game.

In the middle of August, I took a friend of mine – Tom, who was visiting from Amsterdam – to see a game at Fenway. This trip was paramount for Tom, who plays baseball in Holland and had only ever been to a major league game in Toronto. Certainly, baseball in Holland does not draw attention the way the game does in the United States, but while some facilities are small and intimate, larger ones often look empty and oversized in comparison to the interest it attracts.

The same could be said for Fenway as we sat to watch the Angels and Jered Weaver take on the Red Sox behind Clay Buchholz. Although the image of the lower bowl could easily maintain the illusion of a sellout streak, private boxes and pavilion level seating were unseasonably empty. Neither the high billing of the pitching matchup nor the offensive potency of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, was enough to hold the interest of those in attendance, save a few frustrated diehards sitting around us; the rest began doing "the wave" in the third inning and did not stop until the seventh inning, as most people had begun their exodus by that point.

While waiting for the train after the game, Tom – who had now viewed American sports culture in the form of a trip to Fenway and a New England Patriots' preseason game earlier in the week – said to me, "I probably wouldn't take my girlfriend to a soccer game in Amsterdam, but I would definitely take her to Fenway; it's more like going out to an event than going to a sporting event."

The innocence of his comment was scathing. Such a proud tradition of sport and fandom encapsulated in those brick confines over the past 100 years had been reduced to a caricature of charlatan "pink hats" born from the entitlement of multiple championships and a large wallet, both on the part of the fan and the ownership.

Buzzwords and phrases like "change of culture," "unlikeable team" and "build around [insert player name]" are useless without the knowledge of where they are stemming from in specific regard to this team. The 2012 Red Sox are "unlikeable" in part because of the hangover from 2011, but also because they have a manager publicly calling out players in press conferences and star players complaining midseason about being disrespected by the arbitration process. They need to "build around" hardworking players Dustin Pedroia with energetic players like Cody Ross, and not treat the latter as a commodity because he doesn't hit for the kind of numbers management expected to see from Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. But most importantly, the "change of culture" has to come from all sides, not just the Powers That Be.

Red Sox fans have become the antithesis of themselves. While overspending on talent, regardless of chemistry, was once the calling card of rival New York, the Boston has followed suit and fans have adopted the culture change seamlessly and without question.

There is rumor of a small (probably microscopic) faction of Chicago Cubs fans that root for the boys on the North Side with the hopes that they never win a title, for fear that it will tarnish a bond that has been built from generations of failure. That was once the "Red Sox Nation," but how soon we forget what it was like to cheer a team that could not win. To go to Fenway today and witness fans there, you would be hard pressed to imagine they might have the tolerance, zeal and faith to rally and withstand a four-game comeback in the ALCS.

Perhaps the catalyst for change would come from moving on from the manufactured nostalgia that is Fenway Park – with plaques commemorating the area in section 3 that was set aside as an overflow space for surplus media during the 2004 World Series – or maybe it means building a team for 2015 that is nurtured in Pawtucket. Regardless, the onus is on the fan in both conversation and attitude.

On Boston-area sports radio, the phrase of the season has been "the fish stinks from the head down," and it's true; this team has had its problems in the clubhouse and in the front office, but the "fish" is bigger than that. Media and fans alike have failed to uphold the integrity of a city. Fans have been irresponsible at games, and while the productivity of booing a player remains an age-old debate, at least booing illustrates attention. Today, Red Sox fans at the park appear wholly disinterested in the game. Media, in turn, has become lazy and seems to take their journalistic cues from the annals of these fans, particularly in their questioning of manager Bobby Valentine. Despite answers given in press conferences prior, as well as numerous votes of confidence from ownership, the same questions of the future remain. That is not to say they are unwarranted and without reason, but rather they are loaded and redundant.

The "Fenway Faithful" showed its true colors this season, but that is not to say all Red Sox fans are at fault. Enough have started to shift baseball conversation in local media outlets toward next season. Nevertheless, so long as disinterest and fleeting support continues to be the norm at Fenway, it seems unlikely that a true culture change can occur and flourish. Should the Red Sox organization return to success in 2013, it is likely that Fenway fans, too, will revert to being the most excited and faithful in major league baseball, but that only goes to further epitomize their uninformed fraudulence.

QuoteTom – who had now viewed American sports culture in the form of a trip to Fenway and a New England Patriots' preseason game earlier in the week – said to me, "I probably wouldn't take my girlfriend to a soccer game in Amsterdam, but I would definitely take her to Fenway; it's more like going out to an event than going to a sporting event."

The innocence of his comment was scathing.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 11:52:58 PM

QuoteTom – who had now viewed American sports culture in the form of a trip to Fenway and a New England Patriots' preseason game earlier in the week – said to me, "I probably wouldn't take my girlfriend to a soccer game in Amsterdam, but I would definitely take her to Fenway; it's more like going out to an event than going to a sporting event."

The innocence of his comment was scathing.

I wouldn't take a chick to a soccer game in Europe, either.  So just because nobody gets pummeled and raped by hooligans at Fenway, that's an indictment?


I do find it interesting and amusing that the Red Sox, after finally winning, have become what they hate the most:  the Yankees.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 11:52:58 PM

QuoteTom – who had now viewed American sports culture in the form of a trip to Fenway and a New England Patriots' preseason game earlier in the week – said to me, "I probably wouldn't take my girlfriend to a soccer game in Amsterdam, but I would definitely take her to Fenway; it's more like going out to an event than going to a sporting event."

The innocence of his comment was scathing.

I wouldn't take a chick to a soccer game in Europe, either.  So just because nobody gets pummeled and raped by hooligans at Fenway, that's an indictment?

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 10:28:20 PM
Dude, the BoSox are simply mailing it in.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on October 03, 2012, 08:56:43 AM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 02, 2012, 10:28:20 PM
Dude, the BoSox are simply mailing it in.

Didn't see the Orioles complaining about that a few days ago.   ;)

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on October 03, 2012, 08:56:43 AM
Didn't see the Orioles complaining about that a few days ago.   ;)

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 03, 2012, 09:02:48 AM
Don't gimme that pinstriper. 

Besides, shouldn't you be mourning another lost Mets season instead?

Quote from: sbr on October 03, 2012, 07:50:11 AM
And the giants did, cards are in the playoffs again.

Now to beat the hated braves.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on October 03, 2012, 09:13:58 AM
Besides the Mets don't have to win to be entertaining.  And historically the amount of cocaine consumption entailed in a winning Mets season is too excessive for safety's sake.

QuoteOrioles fans should root for the Yankees to win tonight. Let me explain.

Far too much has been made about the horrors of a one-game playoff between wild-card teams. While it may sound bad to have a 162-game season come down to one game, it really isn't as awful as imagined. That's because unless you are significantly better than the other team or have a deeper starting rotation -- which probably wouldn't be the case -- then your chances of winning a playoff are roughly the same whether it is one game, three games, five games, seven games or 25 games. One team will win, one team will lose. Having the outcome stretch out over five days rather than three hours might be more enjoyable for fans but it doesn't alter a team's chances of advancing.

The key, however, is avoiding playing more games than necessary. And that is why it could be to Baltimore's advantage to finish second.

Look at it this way. If the Yankees win or Baltimore loses tonight, the Orioles have Thursday off to prepare and rest for Friday's crucial playoff. But a Yankees loss and Orioles win tonight sets up for a series of tiring, pressure-filled games for Baltimore.

Winding up tied for first place with the Yankees would require the Orioles to play a game Thursday to settle that tie. If they win it, great. They would be the AL East champions and they get Friday off before beginning a Division Series. But if they lose, they would have to play another game Friday.

That would be three games in three days against three teams (and eight consecutive days counting the regular season). That would definitely affect the bullpen, which would hinder their chances against opponents who would be able to rest their pitchers.

Would I want a 162-game season to boil down to a one-game wild card playoff? No. But I'm either going to lose it or win it, the same as if it were a multiple-game series. So what I definitely WOULD want is to have my team rested as much as possible before playing that potential season-ending game.

Which is why Baltimore fans should hope the Yankees win tonight. Yes, it would eliminate a division title. But it would also eliminate a potentially ugly series of games that would hurt the Orioles' postseason chances more than a wild-card finish would.

Quote1st   E Longoria homered to left (385 feet)   0   1
4th   E Longoria homered to left (415 feet)   0   2
6th   E Longoria homered to center (421 feet)   0   4

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 03, 2012, 10:34:00 PM
Wow. And she's such a tiny woman too.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 03, 2012, 10:34:00 PM
Wow. And she's such a tiny woman too.

Quote from: katmai on October 03, 2012, 10:36:46 PM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 03, 2012, 10:34:00 PM
Wow. And she's such a tiny woman too.

What about my distant cousin.

Quote from: derspiess on October 03, 2012, 10:45:24 PM
Reds need to find some offense or they're tucked.  Sure their pitching is great right now but with run production like this they'll get swept in the divisional series like they did 2 years ago.

Anyway the Cards need to find a way to beat Atlanta.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 03, 2012, 10:45:31 PM
I just want to be in the room with her.  :wub:  I'd behave.  :blush:

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 30, 2012, 09:19:41 PM
:blink: The Orioles plane caught fire and had to make an emergency landing:

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/9/30/3435488/baltimore-orioles-plane-fire-emergency

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 03, 2012, 07:59:52 PM
Interesting angle from Jim Caple at ESPN.

Quote from: jimmy olsen on October 03, 2012, 10:51:54 PM

Quote from: MadBurgerMaker on September 30, 2012, 09:19:41 PM
:blink: The Orioles plane caught fire and had to make an emergency landing:

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/9/30/3435488/baltimore-orioles-plane-fire-emergency

So, if they all had died, I know there's a procedure in place to draft a replacement team from the remaining 29 teams. Does that happen immediately? Held off to the end of the season?

Quote from: alfred russel on October 03, 2012, 10:53:15 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 03, 2012, 07:59:52 PM
Interesting angle from Jim Caple at ESPN.

He has a good point. However, had they won and the yankees lost, they would have 2 games to get to round 2, now they just have 1.

Quote from: derspiess on October 03, 2012, 11:12:40 PM
Yeah.  Is that how Tim's mind works when the Red Sox are doing so shitty?

Quote from: sbr on October 03, 2012, 11:15:00 PM
In news about me, I was in two fantasy baseball leagues this year (EUOT and the Bethesda forums) and I won them both.   :showoff:

Quote from: katmai on October 03, 2012, 11:42:27 PM
1st triple crown winner in 45 years.

QuoteAlmost had two Cabreras winning the batting titles. Instead Buster Posey won it for Gints.

Quote from: The Minsky Moment on October 04, 2012, 08:52:09 AM
And the first since the 69 expansion.   Winning it in 14 team league is an extraordinary feat.
Too bad for him Trout still had a better year.

Quote from: sbr on October 04, 2012, 11:08:48 AM
The cardinals are my favorite team EVAR and ill always hate the Yankees, but other than that I would like to see one of the other al teams win this year.

Quote from: Valmy on October 04, 2012, 12:17:07 PM
The Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine.

Quote from: Valmy on October 04, 2012, 12:17:07 PM
The Red Sox fired Bobby Valentine.  I hear Terry Francona is available.

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 04, 2012, 02:23:21 PM
How 'bout a Cardinals vs Browns series?  :hmm:

Quote from: derspiess on October 04, 2012, 03:00:59 PM

Quote from: Peter Wiggin on October 04, 2012, 02:23:21 PM
How 'bout a Cardinals vs Browns series?  :hmm:

If the Orioles end up facing off vs. the Cards in the Series, they should be forced to wear their old Browns uniforms.  And play the entire series in St. Louis :D

QuoteManager Buck Showalter has selected left-hander Joe Saunders to start the Orioles' do-or-die American League wild-card playoff game against the Texas Rangers Friday night at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Saunders, acquired in a Aug. 26 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has struggled mightily in six career starts at Texas, going 0-6 with a 9.38 ERA.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 04, 2012, 10:20:31 PM
The die has been cast, my friend.  And it has a 0-6 record with a 9.38 ERA.

Quote from: derspiess on October 05, 2012, 07:23:35 PM
All hell breaks loose in Atlanta after a controversial infield fly rule call.  Stay classy, Barves fans :lol:

Quote from: derspiess on October 05, 2012, 07:23:35 PM
All hell breaks loose in Atlanta after a controversial infield fly rule call.  Stay classy, Barves fans :lol:

Quote from: Ed Anger on October 05, 2012, 08:58:23 PM
I don't know if I care for this new wild card format.

Quote from: derspiess on October 05, 2012, 10:42:29 PM
Sorta rooting for the O's but I'll feel bad for Ron Washington if everything holds.  Good insurance run there.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 05, 2012, 11:07:14 PM
Whew.  Joe Saunders earned his paycheck tonight.

QuoteAll three of Sabathia's starts against the Orioles this season came at Camden Yards, though the results - he was 0-2 with a 6.38 ERA - were not good.

QuoteBALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles will bring 12 pitchers into their AL Division Series against the New York Yankees.

The 12-man staff includes starters Jason Hammel, Wei-Yin Chen, Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Tillman and Joe Saunders. But manager Buck Showalter says Saunders and Tillman will be available out of the bullpen for Game 1 on Sunday night because Hammel has a balky right knee and is making only his third start since mid-July.

Rookie Steve Johnson, Opening Day starter Jake Arrieta and right-hander Zach Britton were not on the roster. But Showalter added, "Every one of those guys has to have the mindset they're playing tomorrow."

Utility players Steve Tolleson and Xavier Avery were omitted in favor of veterans Lew Ford and Endy Chavez.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 07, 2012, 10:51:08 PM
That one stung.

Quote from: sbr on October 07, 2012, 10:52:06 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 07, 2012, 10:51:08 PM
That one stung.

Oh, I forgot about it with the football game.  Too Bad they lost, I'll have to check the box score.

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 07, 2012, 10:54:08 PM

Quote from: sbr on October 07, 2012, 10:52:06 PM

Quote from: CountDeMoney on October 07, 2012, 10:51:08 PM
That one stung.

Oh, I forgot about it with the football game.  Too Bad they lost, I'll have to check the box score.

Nobody's last yet, pal.  :mad:

It just got real ugly in the top of the 9th.  :(