2011 MLB Baseball Thread

Justin T · **Reply #450 on:** July 31, 2011, 06:38:44 PM

Quote from: metaldams on July 31, 2011, 04:53:04 PM

You're right, it did. Boston ends up getting Erik Bedard instead. Fingers crossed on him, but when he's haelthy, he's usually very good. I remember the season he had for Baltimore in '07.

As for the Yanks, I haven't been online much today so I'm a little out of the loop, but I'm shocked if they land nobody. I heard Wandy Rodriguez was a possibility?

He was one of a couple of possibilities. Yanks didnt make any trades today, which really surprised me. Guess
Cashman and co didn't feel like they needed anything, or that some of the trade possibilities were too expensive
for their tastes. Who knows, we'll find out if this was the right move or not soon enough.

Well the Red Sox won, so we are still 2 games back, and were 6.5 games ahead of the Angles for the Wild Card.
Were in pretty good shape for now.

JazzBill · **Reply #451 on:** August 07, 2011, 05:54:49 PM

Looking forward to watching the Yankee's and Red Sox play tonight. Both tied for 1st place, it should be good!

shemps#1 · **Reply #452 on:** August 07, 2011, 06:42:19 PM

I think the Sox should win one of the remaining 7 games against the Skanks to take the season series, which could be very important down the line. I have no doubt that both teams make the playoffs (barring some stunning injuries) but who goes in as division champ and who gpes in as the wild card are a different story.

The Yankees have been a very "hot-cold-hot-cold" team this year, while the Sox after starting off encased in ice have exploded and somehow managed to keep a good pace despite many injuries. One thing's for sure they are the two best teams in the AL and could very well meet in one of those excruciating ALCS' that TV loves but my blood pressure does not.

metaldams · **Reply #453 on:** August 07, 2011, 10:46:44 PM

The Red Sox AGAIN will lose a low scoring game, barring a Mariano beatdown in the 9th, because of lack of fundamentals. 1st and 2nd, no out, Josh Reddick does not sacrifice on a 1 - 0 pitch and pops out. Next at bat, Jason Varitek, ahead in the count 3 - 0, pops up in foul territory.

Meanwhile, the Phillies are 22 - 11 when the winning team scores 3 runs or less. In the playoffs, you can't always depend on the 10 run game, especially against very strong pitching staffs. They need to learn the fundamentals to have a chance.

metaldams · **Reply #454 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:07:29 PM

..and the Red Sox do a little fundamental baseball finally, into extras.

shemps#1 · **Reply #455 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:08:24 PM

Well the game is now tied and going to extras...as if this 2-2 game hasn't dragged on long enough.

metaldams · **Reply #456 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:12:30 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on August 07, 2011, 11:08:24 PM

Well the game is now tied and going to extras...as if this 2-2 game hasn't dragged on long enough.

If Bard can survive this, no more Soriano, no more Robertson, no more Rivera, and the Yankees have no lefties in the bullpen.

metaldams · **Reply #457 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:19:34 PM

Great job by Bard, now let's fuck Hughes up!

shemps#1 · **Reply #458 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:22:15 PM

1-2-3 go the Skanks.

It never ceases to amazes me how whenever these teams play each other time stretches like taffy. Both lineups are well adept at grinding pitchers down until before you know it they've either hit their pitch count (usually 100) or have given up 10 runs. Beckett was great today but thanks to said grinding gone after 6 innings.

shemps#1 · **Reply #459 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:25:48 PM

Damn I was hoping that would reach the seats! I hope we finish this now so we don't have to play with McDonald replacing Ortiz in the lineup.

metaldams · **Reply #460 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:26:00 PM

I was up late for several of these games this year and only rewarded once (I was away and didn't find out about the extra inning win in Anaheim back in April until the next morning), so I really feel like I need to be rewarded again. I have a long day, and we all know their sole purpose of winning is to make me happy.

shemps#1 · **Reply #461 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:27:20 PM

Love that dirty water and fuck you Yankees! 10-2 bitches!

metaldams · **Reply #462 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:28:28 PM

My Mom actually admits she finds Josh Reddick attractive. No offense to my Pops, but I won't complain if he's my new Dad. Nevermind if I'm older than him.

We win the season series, so barring a wild card collapse, we're 2 games ahead.

shemps#1 · **Reply #463 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:35:21 PM

It's not the fact that we won the season series against them that surprises me, it's that we won it so soon. 12 games against the Yankees and we already clinch the season series when it usually comes down to the final games...amazing.

metaldams · **Reply #464 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:40:24 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on August 07, 2011, 11:35:21 PM

It's not the fact that we won the season series against them that surprises me, it's that we won it so soon. 12 games against the Yankees and we already clinch the season series when it usually comes down to the final games...amazing.

Tell me about it.

I had Saturday pegged as a definitive loss - we won. Friday and Sunday could've gone either way (sorry, Garcia and Colon have proven themselves), and we split those two. Saturday was the shocking difference, as we are 4 - 0 against Sabbathia. The rest of the AL needs to step it up against him and the Yanks, as no other teams are helping us.

shemps#1 · **Reply #465 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:49:44 PM

Just a little bit of "stat heroin", here are how the head to head matchups between the two teams have gone since 2002 and how they faired in the post season:

2002: 10-9 NYY (NYY loses ALDS, BOS N/A)
2003: 10-9 NYY (NYY loses WS, beats BOS in ALCS)
2004: 11-8 BOS (BOS wins WS, beats NYY in ALCS)
2005: 10-9 NYY (both teams lose ALDS)
2006: 11-8 NYY (NYY loses ALDS, BOS N/A)
2007: 10-8 NYY (BOS wins WS, NYY loses ALDS)
2008: 9-9 TIE (BOS loses ALCS, NYY N/A)
2009: 9-9 TIE (NYY wins WS, BOS loses ALDS)
2010: 9-9 TIE (NYY loses ALCS, BOS N/A)
2011: 10-2 BOS

So since 2002 the season series has been very close until this year and the last three years it was a draw.

shemps#1 · **Reply #466 on:** August 07, 2011, 11:55:25 PM

Ugh, watching Sportscenter after the game and they are talking about some stupid NASCAR race and the winner, who of course in an inbred rube (naturally) started talking about how the soldiers are the real heroes. I can't stand when these rednecks start to so obviously pander to their "god fearing" fan base...it didn't even sound genuine. He sounded like a hillbilly robot reading off a cue card.

metaldams · **Reply #467 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:43:55 AM

An observation from last night, and I had a feeling this was eventually going to happen....Pedroia is getting the Jeter treatment, with the tons of praising and the commenting about his little hop before each play like it's some big deal.

Hey, I love Pedey, but I always had this feeling he would turn into our Jeter. Of course, he's a smaller, more entertaining version.

Lefty · **Reply #468 on:** August 08, 2011, 02:46:20 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on August 07, 2011, 11:55:25 PM

Ugh, watching Sportscenter after the game and they are talking about some stupid NASCAR race and the winner, who of course in an inbred rube (naturally) started talking about how the soldiers are the real heroes. I can't stand when these rednecks start to so obviously pander to their "god fearing" fan base...it didn't even sound genuine. He sounded like a hillbilly robot reading off a cue card.

Wait a week -- ESPN actually spoke about something other than "the only teams in Major League Baseball" to yammer about something that was neither football nor basketball? Then again, ESPN and NASCAR have a combined IQ of C.C.'s waist size, and -- never mind -- make it Lincecum's waist size.

Justin T · **Reply #469 on:** August 08, 2011, 06:13:04 PM

That was a fustrating weeekend. Sabathia again got knocked around by the Red Sox, and then
Sunday night Mo blows the save and Hughes loses it in the 10th.

Despite the fact were only 2-10 vs Boston so far this year, we are still only one game behind,
we have a 7 game lead in the Wild Card, both Colon and Garcia pitched great against Boston,
A-Rod will be back soon enough, and we have been dominating just about everyone else
we have been facing. We had a 8 game winning streak before we lost the last two games this weekend.
The Yankees have the 3rd best team ERA in the AL and the lineup has plenty of firepower.

I'm concerned about how we have perfomed against Boston so far, for sure. But I'm not going into panic mode just yet.

What matters is how NY and Boston are going to perfom in the playoffs. Both teams are a lock for the postseaon at this point, one is getting the division and the other the wild card.

The rest of the seasons is going to be interesting to watch.

shemps#1 · **Reply #470 on:** August 08, 2011, 08:03:37 PM

Watching Sox/Twins on ESPN right now and I feel like I've been having flashbacks with Sean McDonough calling these games (if only they also had Bob Montgomery). The Phils get plenty of coverage on ESPN, which they should considering they have the best record in baseball.

I would be a little bit worried Justin, but not too much. They seem fine when they aren't under pressure but all of these Sox/Yanks games have been pressure packed and your guys have shit the bed. The playoffs will be pressure packed from beginning to end and if the Sox and Yanks meet in the ALCS the pressure is even more intensified. They'll probably "grace us with their presence" in the postseason but I don't see them getting very far at this point.

Does A-Roid hide poker chips and extra aces in his bra?

metaldams · **Reply #471 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:09:08 PM

Tim Wakefield just has no luck.

One out away, though, Paps looking great so far.

shemps#1 · **Reply #472 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:13:21 PM

Very good game tonight, Big Papi burning the team that dropped him yet again. If I were Papi I'd be glad Minnesota let me go considering what has happened since.

metaldams · **Reply #473 on:** August 08, 2011, 09:37:28 PM

Nice come from behind win, no doubt. The division should be really tough if the Yankees play their annual .800 baseball in August in September, but at least we have a 2.5 game lead now - don't listen to what the official standings tell you.

metaldams · **Reply #474 on:** August 26, 2011, 02:58:46 PM

First off, the death of Mike Flanagan is very sad. Also sad to see a man take his own life. I'm saddened as a Red Sox fan, and I know the Orioles fans, including one of my bosses, are taking it much worse.

Jim, remember the brawl a month back with Ortiz and Gregg and how bitter the Oriole announcers sounded that whole weekend? I know Gary Thorne was one of them, but do you remember if Mike Flanagan was one of the bitter announcers? My brother and I were commenting that their bitterness that weekend was at the point where it was unhealthy, and if that was indeed Flanagan, it does put that series into perspective for me as far as the announcing.

No matter what happened, and we'll never know the true reason, very sad.