2011 MLB Baseball Thread

JazzBill · **Reply #325 on:** July 09, 2011, 02:01:28 PM

It's hard to believe that Jeter is the first Yankee to get 3000 hits.

metaldams · **Reply #326 on:** July 09, 2011, 03:01:49 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on July 09, 2011, 01:15:58 PM

Pitching a guy inside is one thing, practically nailing him in the same spot on three straight pitches is another.

What logical reason would Gregg have to pitch to Ortiz inside other than to hit him? Ortiz preys on inside pitches in the strike zone for home runs to right.

metaldams · **Reply #327 on:** July 09, 2011, 03:03:13 PM

Quote from: JazzBill on July 09, 2011, 02:01:28 PM

It's hard to believe that Jeter is the first Yankee to get 3000 hits.

Yeah, that really does boggle my mind, with all the great players they've had. Congrats to Jeter.

shemps#1 · **Reply #328 on:** July 09, 2011, 04:30:11 PM

I hope that now he's got his got his 3000 hits they will stop felating him for awhile. Throughout his career the baseball media has been fighting each other to get his load down their throats. It's hard to believe that someone who has had as great a career as Jeter can be so overrated.

He may be the first Skank to reach 3000 hits but he is no way the best player to wear that heinous uniform. At least Captain Overrated had the decency to worry about his injury and step down from the ASG so that players who truly deserve to be there like Astrubal Cabrera can take his place.

metaldams · **Reply #329 on:** July 09, 2011, 04:42:12 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on July 09, 2011, 04:30:11 PM

I hope that now he's got his got his 3000 hits they will stop felating him for awhile. Throughout his career the baseball media has been fighting each other to get his load down their throats. It's hard to believe that someone who has had as great a career as Jeter can be so overrated.

I consider Derek Jeter a first ballot hall of famer, and I still think he's overrated. You can take one man, give him the combined talents of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, and he still doesn't seserve the media priase Jeter gets. It's not Jeter's fault, of course, but yeah, the media thinks the guy pisses champagne.

shemps#1 · **Reply #330 on:** July 09, 2011, 06:32:23 PM

I'm extra annoyed at the Homer Orioles announcers today. They were practically cheering when Papi hit into a DP in the first.

JazzBill · **Reply #331 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:07:06 PM

Quote from: metaldams on July 09, 2011, 04:42:12 PM

I consider Derek Jeter a first ballot hall of famer, and I still think he's overrated. You can take one man, give him the combined talents of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams, and he still doesn't seserve the media priase Jeter gets. It's not Jeter's fault, of course, but yeah, the media thinks the guy pisses champagne.

Like him or hate him, you have to pay him what's due. I think he's the 28th guy to get 3000 hits. Thats pretty impressive. He's lost a step or two but he deserves to get in the HOF on the first round.

metaldams · **Reply #332 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:10:55 PM

Quote from: JazzBill on July 09, 2011, 08:07:06 PM

Like him or hate him, you have to pay him what's due. I think he's the 28th guy to get 3000 hits. Thats pretty impressive. He's lost a step or two but he deserves to get in the HOF on the first round.

I agree, and I even think Jeter's a first ballot hall of famer, he's great. I just think the greatest player who ever lived, whomever that may be, doesn't deserve the worship Jeter gets.

shemps#1 · **Reply #333 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:17:37 PM

I'm not taking anything away from Jeter, I'm just long sick of the constant felatio that the media performs for him. He is a first ballot HOFer, but he isn't the greatest Yankee of all time, nor the greatest SS of all time and I'll bet dollars to donuts that he does not shit rose petals as the media would have believe. As great a player as he was he has always been vastly overrated throughout his career. He's never even been the best player on his team.

Speaking of surprises, the Red Sox also have just one 3000 hit player: Carl Yastrzemski (who was a better all around player than Jeter and the numbers back me up, not to mention his prime was in a much more pitcher friendly era).

metaldams · **Reply #334 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:26:22 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on July 09, 2011, 06:32:23 PM

I'm extra annoyed at the Homer Orioles announcers today. They were practically cheering when Papi hit into a DP in the first.

All I know is I've never heard Remy and Orsillo attack any team with as much venom. I'd be curious to see how they're calling this one tonight, because as always, I get the MASN broadcast.

shemps#1 · **Reply #335 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:28:32 PM

I think they are products of a pathetic organization run by shitty ownership. Did you notice the "paint the park orange" campaign where they are begging O's fans to come to the game to combat the Red Sox fans?

shemps#1 · **Reply #336 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:32:31 PM

Ha! They sound pissed off after the Youk RBI double. "All he did was check his swing and he hit it fair!" Don't they understand that we don't think of them as much as they do about us ("us" being Red Sox Nation: the team, fans etc.)? And we won't start thinking about them until they get a better club.

metaldams · **Reply #337 on:** July 09, 2011, 08:55:42 PM

....and now they're knocking Papelbon with time between pitches. They're absolutely stirring up shit for no reason.

Good job by Lackey tonight, I hope he can keep it up.

Justin T · **Reply #338 on:** July 09, 2011, 09:01:54 PM

Jeter was a great player, and he is a First Ballot HOF no doubt, and I will concede that the media does faun over him
too much. Also agree that the title of "Greatest Yankee of All Time" is a topic open for debate, the ammount of
great players who have played for the Yankees is impressive. Right now i'm reading a book about the 1921 baseball
season and the rivarly between the Yankess and the Giants leading up to their matchup in the WS that year, and
how Babe Ruth was just destroying baseball records left and right with his power at the plate and how he was becoming a superstar because of it. And to think he was a pitcher to start his career before he was moved into the outfield, and he was a really good pitcher too!

I'm happy he got to 3,000 finally, and with a home run no less, only him and Wade Boggs got hit #3,000
on a homer. Also happy he did it at home in front of the Yankee fans, that helped make it extra special.

Now that that's over with the media can focus their attention elsewhere.

shemps#1 · **Reply #339 on:** July 09, 2011, 09:02:42 PM

...not to mention the bitching about strike 2 call to Lee when the pitch zone showed it was an actual strike. I'm sure Davis and Dempsey will bitch about Lackey hitting two guys in the post game (despite the fact that Lackey hits batters often and had no reason to hit Lee since up to that point he was cruising).

shemps#1 · **Reply #340 on:** July 09, 2011, 09:05:45 PM

Quote from: Justin T on July 09, 2011, 09:01:54 PM

Jeter was a great player, and he is a First Ballot HOF no doubt, and I will concede that the media does faun over him
too much. Also agree that the title of "Greatest Yankee of All Time" is a topic open for debate, the ammount of
great players who have played for the Yankees is impressive. Right now i'm reading a book about the 1921 baseball
season and the rivarly between the Yankess and the Giants leading up to their matchup in the WS that year, and
how Babe Ruth was just destroying baseball records left and right with his power at the plate and how he was becoming a superstar because of it. And to think he was a pitcher to start his career before he was moved into the outfield, and he was a really good pitcher too!

I'm happy he got to 3,000 finally, and with a home run no less, only him and Wade Boggs got hit #3,000
on a homer. Also happy he did it at home in front of the Yankee fans, that helped make it extra special.

Now that that's over with the media can focus their attention elsewhere.

In my opinion the best all-around player for the Yankees was Lou Gehrig and the best all-around player of all time was Ted Williams. The media will probably focus on "where Jeter should be in the batting order" knowing them.

metaldams · **Reply #341 on:** July 09, 2011, 09:41:27 PM

Quote from: Justin T on July 09, 2011, 09:01:54 PM

Right now i'm reading a book about the 1921 baseball
season and the rivarly between the Yankess and the Giants leading up to their matchup in the WS that year, and
how Babe Ruth was just destroying baseball records left and right with his power at the plate and how he was becoming a superstar because of it. And to think he was a pitcher to start his career before he was moved into the outfield, and he was a really good pitcher too!

No disrespect to all the other greats, but this quote right here sums up why Babe Ruth is the greatest ball player who ever lived. Being one of the top 5 hitters, and maybe I'm underestimating him by saying that, is impressive in itself, but being a pitcher, and a great one, before that? No other player in history can claim anything close.

Justin T · **Reply #342 on:** July 10, 2011, 01:01:21 PM

Quote from: metaldams on July 09, 2011, 09:41:27 PM

No disrespect to all the other greats, but this quote right here sums up why Babe Ruth is the greatest ball player who ever lived. Being one of the top 5 hitters, and maybe I'm underestimating him by saying that, is impressive in itself, but being a pitcher, and a great one, before that? No other player in history can claim anything close.

I agree, no disrespect at all to Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig (who are both two of the greatest players ever) and others but that's why I think the Babe was the greatest of all time.

Here are some his career stats as a pitcher
-----------------------
Win/Loss Record: 94-46
ERA: 2.28
Complete Games Pitched: 107
Win Percentage: .671
WHIP: 1.16
Opponents Batting Average: .220

For such a short career as a pitcher, Ruth put up some pretty impressive numbers. Not only a great win/loss record but
the fact his ERA was just over 2 is quite good, even for the Dead Ball Era. In the book im reading it mentions how one time he not only pitched 10 innings in a game (he lost 4-3) but he went a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate that game. That's amazing.

In fact, it was the Red Sox who began the transition of moving Ruth from being a pitcher to the outfield when they realised what a great hitter he was, which was fine with Ruth because he wanted to hit more and pitch less. In 1919, his last with the Sox, he hit 29 homers which was then the new single season record. He then shattered it the following year in his first season with the Yankees, where he became a full time outfielder, by hitting 54 home runs that year. His batting average that
season was .376 and his slugging percentage was an insane .847 (which was the single season record untill Bonds broke it with .863 in 2001).

One thing that I've found interesting is how his career stats, as great as they are, could have been even better if he had stayed in better physical shape. Another is if he hadn't tried swinging for the fences all the time. When asked about that in 1921 he said "I am determined to stay just what I am... my job is to knock 'em a mile, and that's what the fans expect." And he was right, that's why he became such a superstar. People came to the games, even those who weren't fans of the Yankees, because they wanted to see him blast home runs. He probably would have had over 3,000 hits in his career if he wasn't swinging for the fences all the time.

shemps#1 · **Reply #343 on:** July 10, 2011, 02:26:41 PM

I don't think you can compare pitching in Ruth's era to pitching today or even pitching in the era of Williams or Gehrig. Ruth pitched in the "dead ball era" when runs were few and far between. The great pitchers of his time had numbers much better than those.

Justin T · **Reply #344 on:** July 10, 2011, 03:10:11 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on July 10, 2011, 02:26:41 PM

I don't think you can compare pitching in Ruth's era to pitching today or even pitching in the era of Williams or Gehrig. Ruth pitched in the "dead ball era" when runs were few and far between. The great pitchers of his time had numbers much better than those.

Point taken, yes there were pitchers with better numbers than Ruth during the "Dead Ball Era". He wasn't a great pitcher when you compare him to those guys, but he was still pretty good for that time period. Combine that with his hitting and you have a one of a kind baseball talent.

shemps#1 · **Reply #345 on:** July 10, 2011, 03:19:05 PM

I'm not denying Ruth was a good pitcher or that Ruth is one of the best players of all time...and perhaps if you combine the two he could be considered the best player of all time. He was certainly the best home run hitter of all time (although if Williams hadn't gone to fight in two wars during his prime he would have at least given Ruth a run for his money, if not surpassed him), but when you include stuff like fielding and other things Babe's value goes down a bit.

I will be glad when this four game series against the O's is over as the MASN broadcasters are again annoying me to no end. Unfortunately we play the O's again in the second series after the Break.

Justin T · **Reply #346 on:** July 10, 2011, 03:31:53 PM

Quote from: shemps#1 on July 10, 2011, 03:19:05 PM

I'm not denying Ruth was a good pitcher or that Ruth is one of the best players of all time...and perhaps if you combine the two he could be considered the best player of all time. He was certainly the best home run hitter of all time (although if Williams hadn't gone to fight in two wars during his prime he would have at least given Ruth a run for his money, if not surpassed him), but when you include stuff like fielding and other things Babe's value goes down a bit.

I will be glad when this four game series against the O's is over as the MASN broadcasters are again annoying me to no end. Unfortunately we play the O's again in the second series after the Break.

Oh no question, his defense wasn't as good as it could have been. It's stuff like that which allows for discussion as to "who was the best ever?" to remain a lively topic of discussion.

Good point about Williams WWII service, we can at best specualte what his numbers would have been like if he hadn't lost those seasons to the war. The same goes for Joe DiMaggio who also lost years due to his war service.

Back to current baseball, CC pitched a gem today. Complete Game shutout of the Rays with 9 strikeouts in a
1-0 win for the Yankees. He's just dominating right now, I love it.

CC got named to the All Star Team, but is passing it up to go on vacation with his family. I'm happy
that David Robertson also got named to the team as well, he at least will be playing along with Granderson,
Cano and Martin.

I hope someday the home field for the World Series is not decided by the All Star Game, it really is a bad idea.
It should be based on who has the best record, not who wins an exhibition game.

shemps#1 · **Reply #347 on:** July 10, 2011, 03:47:55 PM

Who was the Rays pitcher, Shields? It's a shame for him because he was lights out as well and the lone run was scored on an errant throw. CC wouldn't have pitched anyway since he pitched today, now Lester is going to the ASG in that "musical chairs" pitchers spot. I kinda wish they didn't put the stars and the back of the uniforms of the All-Stars...is that new or am I just noticing that for the first time?

JazzBill · **Reply #348 on:** July 10, 2011, 04:36:36 PM

This 2011 Cubs team might just be one of the worst I've ever seen. Thats saying a lot because they've had plenty of bad teams.
Here's a clip of one of my favorite rants of all time. Cubs manager Lee Elia throwing the Cub fans under the bus in 1983.

shemps#1 · **Reply #349 on:** July 12, 2011, 08:31:10 PM

I love that rant, it's been played on Stern a few times.

Well if you were ever curious as to how Jeter's cum tastes all you need to do is ask Joe Buck. He's been slurping it up during the game despite Jeter not even showing up.