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  1. #61
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    Don't look now, but the Braves have the best record
    Who?
    The Whats?

    I'll readily admit it's been one weird spring. Most aces are struggling all over the place. Weather?

  2. #62
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Raleigh
    Quote Originally Posted by weezie View Post
    Who?
    The Whats?

    I'll readily admit it's been one weird spring. Most aces are struggling all over the place. Weather?
    IIRC, the Braves-Rockies DH this week started with the temperature at 23 degrees. The day after the first game of the series was postponed. By snow. In the third week of April.

    Take me out to the ski slopes, err, ball game.
    Take me out to the lifts, err, crowd...

    [redacted] them and the horses they rode in on.

  3. #63
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Should we start a new thread, just to talk about how horrible Jeff Loria is as owner of the Marlins?

    The latest? He has injected himself into lineup decisions, insisting that the team change starting pitchers for 2 games of a double-header. Reading this article is like a how to course on how NOT to own a MLB team. Loria apparently demanded that the team break camp this year with pitcher Jose Fernandez on the opening day roster. That is a phenomenally foolish idea. Wanna know why?

    Fernandez will be a free agent after six seasons. Had the Marlins stashed him in the minor leagues for the season's first 11 days – a time during which Fernandez made only one start – he would not have been eligible for free agency until 2019. No players enjoy hitting the open market more than the Marlins', some of whom refer to free agency as parole.
    -Jason "the sad thing is that Loria's reward for lying to the people of Miami and for running his team like a jackass is to make tens of millions a year by keeping his payroll so low... grrrr" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  4. #64
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Forest Hills, NY
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Should we start a new thread, just to talk about how horrible Jeff Loria is as owner of the Marlins?

    The latest? He has injected himself into lineup decisions, insisting that the team change starting pitchers for 2 games of a double-header. Reading this article is like a how to course on how NOT to own a MLB team. Loria apparently demanded that the team break camp this year with pitcher Jose Fernandez on the opening day roster. That is a phenomenally foolish idea. Wanna know why?



    -Jason "the sad thing is that Loria's reward for lying to the people of Miami and for running his team like a jackass is to make tens of millions a year by keeping his payroll so low... grrrr" Evans
    Some folks here in Mets-land believe that this may be the strategy being used for Zac Wheeler and Travis d'Arnaud. I have no problem with it, no matter how bad we are in the near term.

  5. #65

    yankee keep going down AND winning

    It's crazy -- the Yankees keep losing players and wining games.

    Saturday, New York put starting C Fransico Cervelli and P Ivan Nova o the DL. Don't know how long for Nova, but Cervelli s gong to be out a LONG time with broken hand (off a foul tip Friday night).

    That means the Yankees are without their SS, 3B, 1B, CF and catcher. One starter is now on the DL ...that doesn't count Pineda, who hasn't pitched an inning for us since he was acquired to be our No. starter before the 2012 season.

    Yet, the Triple A Yanks just took the third in a row (and fifth in six games) from Toronto, the preseason favorite to win the division. Still chasing the Red Sox (and a hair behind the O's), but I am shocked how competitive the Yanks have been.

  6. #66

    A.L. East

    Orioles, Rays, Red Sox and Yankees ... all are 7-3 in their last 10 games ... Toronto is 2-8 and now 9.5 back.

  7. #67
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    Don't look now, but the Braves have the best record (15-5) and the best run differential (+42) in Major League Baseball.
    And now they've lost four straight, and will be in second place in the division by Wednesday.

  8. #68
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    North Carolina
    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    It's crazy -- the Yankees keep losing players and wining games.

    Saturday, New York put starting C Fransico Cervelli and P Ivan Nova o the DL. Don't know how long for Nova, but Cervelli s gong to be out a LONG time with broken hand (off a foul tip Friday night).

    That means the Yankees are without their SS, 3B, 1B, CF and catcher. One starter is now on the DL ...that doesn't count Pineda, who hasn't pitched an inning for us since he was acquired to be our No. starter before the 2012 season.

    Yet, the Triple A Yanks just took the third in a row (and fifth in six games) from Toronto, the preseason favorite to win the division. Still chasing the Red Sox (and a hair behind the O's), but I am shocked how competitive the Yanks have been.
    Crazy what can happen when you take some guys that people started to give up on and put them in a competitive atmosphere. Saw it with Joe Saunders and Nate McLouth in Bmore. I am surprised though, didn't think they had it in them. Maybe a little change of pace from the long term, overpaid superstars is a good thing for the Yanks?

    I'm not at all surprised to see Toronto where they are right now. People forget that they got their players from last place teams...

  9. #69
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Forest Hills, NY
    Quote Originally Posted by dukebsbll14 View Post
    Crazy what can happen when you take some guys that people started to give up on and put them in a competitive atmosphere. Saw it with Joe Saunders and Nate McLouth in Bmore. I am surprised though, didn't think they had it in them. Maybe a little change of pace from the long term, overpaid superstars is a good thing for the Yanks?

    I'm not at all surprised to see Toronto where they are right now. People forget that they got their players from last place teams...
    I resemble that remark. My Metsies finished 4th, 5 games ahead of the Marlins.

    R.A. was the Cy Young award winner - our only real star throughout last year - accounting for abt 27% of our wins. Not sure I would lump him as far as skills and attitude go with "players from last place teams." He has persevered through a very interesting career and has now succeeded...

  10. #70
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    North Carolina
    Quote Originally Posted by duke74 View Post
    I resemble that remark. My Metsies finished 4th, 5 games ahead of the Marlins.

    R.A. was the Cy Young award winner - our only real star throughout last year - accounting for abt 27% of our wins. Not sure I would lump him as far as skills and attitude go with "players from last place teams." He has persevered through a very interesting career and has now succeeded...
    Ah right. Totally was thinking they were in two different divisions. I blame finals week.

    I just wasn't expecting them to be the favorite. Thought they'd hover around .500 though, not be 9-17 after a month. But hey, it's April.

  11. #71

    the race

    Still, early, but the three off-season big spenders -- Toronto, California and Los Angeles -- are all struggling.

    Got to watch the Yankees on TBS yesterday ... good game -- Dickey pitched well for the Blue Jays, but got beat by a pair of bombs from Boech and Overbay.

    I think the Bronx Bombers picked up a new nickname Sunday -- they were calling them The Replacements (after the Keanau Reeves movie about strike-breaking football players). Certainly guys like Beosch, Overbay, Travis Haffner and Vernon Wells -- once-outstanding players that nobody wanted this offseason -- fit the mold of the has-beens and never-weres that played in that movie.

    Going to be an interesting week -- the Braves and the Nats meet again ... with the Braves staggering after a lost weekend in Detroit. Boston, red hot after a 10-game home streak (the last four against the woeful Astros) travel to Toronto to take on the struggling Blue Jays. And Baltimore will spend the entire week on the West Coast with three in Seattle and four in Anaheim. Got to give them props -- they came within a late-game meltdown Sunday of sweeoing the A's in Oakland.

  12. #72
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California

    Eric Sogard

    Although he hasn't made much of an offensive mark, A's second baseman Eric Sogard has become a defensive star and a demon on the basepaths. If you look at the press story for Sunday's game against the Orioles, the headline will be about Cespedes' HR to tie the game upon returning from the DL. Good story. But a better story is Sogard. In the top of the third, with one out, 3-2 on batter Reimold, Hardy takes off for second. Reimold swings and misses for strike three. Jaso's throw to second is high and looks like it is heading into center field. Conveniently, it is to the right of the bag. Sogard makes a leaping catch and while still in the air makes a sweep tag before Hardy touches. Strike'em out, throw'em out double play. Then in the top of the fifth, Orioles are threatening. Two on, two out. Jones doubles to left as Cespedes dives and misses. Cespedes comes up throwing. McLouth, the lead runner, has no trouble scoring. Machado, running from first, saw Cespedes having trouble and heads for home. Cespedes throws to Sogard. Clearly the relay is going to be too late. But Sogard's throw from well out in short left is a dart-like frozen rope and Machado is out. Absolutely perfect throw. He displayed a very strong and accurate arm. No one could have done that any better. No one.

    The capper is in the tenth. Tied 8-8. Sogard, leading off, hits a sharp single into center off Strop. Rosales' bunt to sacrifice Sogard to second turns into a failed fielder's choice, as Sogard dives into second head first, beating Strop's attempt to get the lead runner. Crisp bunts again. Orioles have the wheel play on and Machado makes a nice grab and fires to Hardy, almost at third. Sogard is diving again. Hardy can't handle the throw, which while not perfect, really wasn't bad. Hardy is going to his right and the throw is to his left. Ball goes down the line into left field. Sogard, on his face, doesn't know where the ball is. Crowd and third base coach coach Mike Gallego are screaming at him. Waking up, Sogard streaks for the plate, McLouth gets to the ball and you just know Sogard's delayed start will not work out. Sogard dives, for the third time in three bases. The ball comes in a bit to to Wieters' right, so even if McLouth's throw arrived in time, which it did, Sogard's dive and hand sweep of the plate scores the winning run. Even if the throw was a bit closer, Sogard's dive probably scores him. He is lightning fast and extremely agile.

    Last A to run the bases like that was probably Rickey Henderson, though Miguel Tejada may have had such a run.

    So keep an eye out for Sogard. If he begins to hit like he did during spring training, he will become the entire package.

  13. #73

    San Diego Dukies

    I don't know if anybody else saw it, but I was watch the MLB Network after the Yankee game on TBS and they cut the Padres-Giants finish in San Diego.

    There was a foul ball and the camera showed that a little blonde-haired girl (about 4-5 years old) ended up with it. The camera stayed on her as she kept trying to raise the ball above her head, but kept dropping it. The announcer noticed that both her mother and father (at least, they were the two adults interacting with her) were decked out in Duke gear from head to toe, He wondered at the presence of two such ardent Dukies 3,000 miles from Durham.

    I was wondering ... could that have been somebody who reads this board? If so, I want to tell you, you got a lot of air time.

  14. #74
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Forest Hills, NY
    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    I think the Bronx Bombers picked up a new nickname Sunday -- they were calling them The Replacements (after the Keanau Reeves movie about strike-breaking football players). Certainly guys like Beosch, Overbay, Travis Haffner and Vernon Wells -- once-outstanding players that nobody wanted this offseason -- fit the mold of the has-beens and never-weres that played in that movie.
    Love that movie...a guilty pleasure of mine. Rhys Ifans steals the show (like he did in Notting Hill). SOrry for the digression.

    Your Yanks doing way better than expected. Even this Mets fan gives them credit. Will be interesting how they do when the regulars come back - if at all (eg, Derek)

  15. #75
    Quote Originally Posted by dukebsbll14 View Post
    Ah right. Totally was thinking they were in two different divisions. I blame finals week.

    I just wasn't expecting them to be the favorite. Thought they'd hover around .500 though, not be 9-17 after a month. But hey, it's April.
    I think this experiment was very interesting in that, if you combined the best players of two bad teams, would you get a good to very good team or just another bad team. Personally, I think this experiment should end positively at least in theory. If you look at it on paper, sure they took Dickey off the 4th placed team, but the guy won a Cy Young for a reason. They also added Buehrle and Johnson. Now both of them are getting older and might be on the decline but are sporting ERAs of 6+ which will assuredly come down. Now will they get to former dominant selves remain to be seen but even with just an average year like last year, that will put them in good shape with around 4 ERAs.

    Then you add in Reyes getting injured (which isn't a surprise) but still hurts them. Cabrera (even ignoring last year) is 30 points off his career average. Bautista is sub 200. And the beat goes on. They aren't getting production out of anyone. I expect them to make some noise but they might have dug themselves too big of a hole to climb out of. But on the whole, if you combine two MLB rosters, especially the Blue Jays/Marlins who don't rival the Astros/Marlins teams of this year, you should get a competitive team out of it.

  16. #76
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by Duvall View Post
    And now they've lost four straight, and will be in second place in the division by Wednesday.
    How is that working out for ya so far?

    -Jason "Braves 3, Nats 2 - ridiculously early division lead at 3.5 games" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  17. #77
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Skinker-DeBaliviere, Saint Louis
    Strasburg is not going to win 150 career games. Write it down. Don't get me wrong. I like the guy, but this has early 1990s Mets dudes written all over it.

    A movie is not about what it's about; it's about how it's about it.
    ---Roger Ebert


    Some questions cannot be answered
    Who’s gonna bury who
    We need a love like Johnny, Johnny and June
    ---Over the Rhine

  18. #78
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Hot'Lanta... home of the Falcons!
    Quote Originally Posted by throatybeard View Post
    Strasburg is not going to win 150 career games. Write it down. Don't get me wrong. I like the guy, but this has early 1990s Mets dudes written all over it.
    Which Mets pitchers are you thinking of?

    Dwight Gooden: Career record 194 - 112, though he was a dominant pitcher his first 7 or 8 years in the bigs and then only mediocre after that

    David Cone: 194 - 126. Yes, he was great with the Mets, but he left later in his career and was darn good for a series of AL teams. Actually, his only career Cy Young came as a member of the Royals at age 31. Had a few really good years with the Yankees in his mid-late 30s.

    Sid Fernandez: 114 - 96. Pitched more than 150 innings 7 times before the age of 30. Zero times after turning 30.

    Did you mean someone else?

    I sorta agree about Stras. He seemed to have some shoulder/arm troubles tonight. Curt Schilling was analyzing his form and said he is getting "outside the doorway" and that will lead to arm problems. He may have just meant in tonight's game but the implication was that this is an ongoing thing with Stras.

    -Jason "the Nats #1 went against the Braves #5 tonight... Braves win!" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  19. #79
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
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    Forest Hills, NY
    Quote Originally Posted by JasonEvans View Post
    Which Mets pitchers are you thinking of?

    Dwight Gooden: Career record 194 - 112, though he was a dominant pitcher his first 7 or 8 years in the bigs and then only mediocre after that

    David Cone: 194 - 126. Yes, he was great with the Mets, but he left later in his career and was darn good for a series of AL teams. Actually, his only career Cy Young came as a member of the Royals at age 31. Had a few really good years with the Yankees in his mid-late 30s.

    Sid Fernandez: 114 - 96. Pitched more than 150 innings 7 times before the age of 30. Zero times after turning 30.

    Did you mean someone else?

    I sorta agree about Stras. He seemed to have some shoulder/arm troubles tonight. Curt Schilling was analyzing his form and said he is getting "outside the doorway" and that will lead to arm problems. He may have just meant in tonight's game but the implication was that this is an ongoing thing with Stras.

    -Jason "the Nats #1 went against the Braves #5 tonight... Braves win!" Evans
    Think he means Generation K: Jason Isringhausen (who did have a good career in relief), Paul Wilson, and Bill Pulsipher. Great potential and hype, but injuries got the best of them. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_K

  20. #80
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Walnut Creek, California

    But can he stay hot?

    During the pennant run last year, the A's were the surprise winner of the AL West. During our discussion here I mentioned that A's third baseman Josh Donaldson was likely to be a future star. No one challenged me, probably because no one knew who he was--at the time a recently converted catcher who had been plugged into third on an emergency basis; a kid with no MLB track record--basically an unknown player.

    That may have changed. The SF Chron's Susan Slusser pointed it out as Donaldson was awarded AL Player of the Week.

    Donaldson hit .545 with seven doubles, 10 RBIs, seven walks, four runs and a steal in seven games to win the award for the first time in his career.

    Left out of the press release from the league: Donaldson’s defense also was superb. He’s now one of the best third basemen in the league – and he was a catcher in Oakland’s organization until the spring of 2012.
    I had made my prediction based on what I'd seen of his improving defense. I watched Eric Chavez play third for the A's during his many Gold Glove years and was always impressed with his extremely quick throws on 6-4-3 double play balls and his throws off charged bunts and hoppers. Those are commonly started by a difficult grab of the ball, ending by an off-balance or running bullet throw. No one could do it like Chavez.

    Yet, last year Donaldson began showing that kind of skill, so I tabbed him as a future Eric Chavez quality fielder. And he's (almost) become that. But now, at least for the moment, he's begun to shine at the plate as well. This is a guy to keep an eye on.

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