Baseball thread

[© tweed]

Why are you adopting us? Are you not a MFY fan?

Watching Wilson Delgado and Jeff Keppenger in the middle infield is cruel and unusual punishment.

The Mets should release Mike Piazza and convert David Wright to second base or shortstop.  Have reyes play third, less risk of injury for him.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Why are you adopting us? Are you not a MFY fan?

Watching Wilson Delgado and Jeff Keppenger in the middle infield is cruel and unusual punishment.

The Mets should release Mike Piazza and convert David Wright to second base or shortstop.  Have reyes play third, less risk of injury for him.

NO!!!!!!

Don't mess with David, not now, not ever.  This guy is a SUPERSTAR.  We're talking All-Star, Pujols calibar player here.  In his first 40 games at the ML level, 9 HRs, .522 slugging %, .299 avg., 25 RBIs, and both a six RBI game and a multi-homer game.  Awesome to have those numbers on a team that has been a joke since he came up.  Think of when they are good in 2-3 years.  This guy is the real deal.  

[© tweed]

NO!!!!!!

Don't mess with David, not now, not ever.  This guy is a SUPERSTAR.  We're talking All-Star, Pujols calibar player here.  In his first 40 games at the ML level, 9 HRs, .522 slugging %, .299 avg., 25 RBIs, and both a six RBI game and a multi-homer game.  Awesome to have those numbers on a team that has been a joke since he came up.  Think of when they are good in 2-3 years.  This guy is the real deal.  

You say he's the real deal, I say he's Todd Zeile.  There are obvious holes in his swing, once teams start throwing him breaking balls low and away, he's more of a 15-20 HR guy.  Good for 40 doubles a year though.
----

BoSox win, Empire loses, deficit down to 2.5.

yanks fans should be prepared to eat the wild card.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

NO!!!!!!

Don't mess with David, not now, not ever.  This guy is a SUPERSTAR.  We're talking All-Star, Pujols calibar player here.  In his first 40 games at the ML level, 9 HRs, .522 slugging %, .299 avg., 25 RBIs, and both a six RBI game and a multi-homer game.  Awesome to have those numbers on a team that has been a joke since he came up.  Think of when they are good in 2-3 years.  This guy is the real deal.  

You say he's the real deal, I say he's Todd Zeile.  There are obvious holes in his swing, once teams start throwing him breaking balls low and away, he's more of a 15-20 HR guy.  Good for 40 doubles a year though.
----

BoSox win, Empire loses, deficit down to 2.5.

yanks fans should be prepared to eat the wild card.

Todd Zeile?  No.  Zeile hit .270 in the best year of his career, Wright's gonna finish the year at or above .300.  He's young, and he puts a great swing on the ball, he'll learn to hit pitcher's pitches.  3 years from now, he will hit .320, with 40 HRS and 120 RBIs.  And I'd put money on that.  

[© tweed]

That RBI figure is high considering it's unlikely that the Mets have any kind of lineup around him.  I don't see Wright's future as a 40 home run man, even if he is better than I imagine.  I think he is more of a doubles hitter.

Zeile's best season (arguably) was 1999 with Texas, when he hit .293-24-98.

[zachman]

Zeile's best season (arguably) was 1999 with Texas, when he hit .293-24-98.

Did you know that Todd Zeile is related to John Adam's?

As for me, my loyalties lie with the Red Sox, and I am an excited fan right know. I have not seen the Red Sox gaining on the Yankees at this point in the season ever, and I think they can pull off the East.

[WalterMitty]

RBI=one of the most overrated stats in baseball.

[Bugs]

It's interesting that there are Bush lovers and Bush haters, Kerry lovers and Kerry haters, but everyone seems to agree on the Yankees.  As for me, I've hated them ever since I was a kid in Detroit in the early sixties when the Yankees won five straight pennants.  If the Red Sox can catch them and put the Yanks in the wild card, it's good to note that the Yanks have never won from the wild card spot.  I would sove to see the Red Sox play the Cubs in the World Series.  

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

That RBI figure is high considering it's unlikely that the Mets have any kind of lineup around him.  I don't see Wright's future as a 40 home run man, even if he is better than I imagine.  I think he is more of a doubles hitter.

Zeile's best season (arguably) was 1999 with Texas, when he hit .293-24-98.

Matsui and Reyes will be the next Dykstra/Backman, just wait for it and have a little optimism : ) ........ although that's hard being a Mets fan.  In the future, it will be Reyes and Matsui getting on, and Wright drivin them home.  Hidalgo's only 29, he might still be around to round out the middle of the order if he puts together a good season next year.  Beltran's young, I really hope Houston drops out of the WC chase the Mets go after him in the offseason, and there are rumors saying they will.  There's a great potential future lineup right there.  

Reyes - Matsui - Wright - Beltran - Hidalgo - Cameron - ? - ?

Floyd has got to go, he can't hit lefties for sh*t and I give Piazza one more season to show that he's still a good hitter.  If not....it's off to DHing for the Yankees.  

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

It's interesting that there are Bush lovers and Bush haters, Kerry lovers and Kerry haters, but everyone seems to agree on the Yankees.  As for me, I've hated them ever since I was a kid in Detroit in the early sixties when the Yankees won five straight pennants.  If the Red Sox can catch them and put the Yanks in the wild card, it's good to note that the Yanks have never won from the wild card spot.  I would sove to see the Red Sox play the Cubs in the World Series.  

Knowing the Cubs and Red Sox, with Game 7 tied in the 9th and a winner only minutes away....the world will end as we know it.  

Just go look some of the crazy things that have happened to these teams.  It's some of the most bizarre sh*t the world has ever seen.  

- The Red Sox are up 2 in the 10th with 2 out in the 86 WS....hit...hit....hit...wild pitch...Buckner.  

- Red Sox have 14 game lead in East, they collapse, lose to Yankees in 1 game playoff.  

- Cubs have 5 outs to go in the game to get to the WS in 2003, up by 3, fan grabs a foul ball that would've been caught...Marlins explode for 8 runs with 2 out.  

It's freaky, especally the Cubs one last year.  I mean EIGHT runs.  Some teams go all year without an 8 run inning, much less with 2 out, no one on, and after a bizarre play where a CUBS fan takes an out away from Moises Alou.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

It's interesting that there are Bush lovers and Bush haters, Kerry lovers and Kerry haters, but everyone seems to agree on the Yankees.  As for me, I've hated them ever since I was a kid in Detroit in the early sixties when the Yankees won five straight pennants.  If the Red Sox can catch them and put the Yanks in the wild card, it's good to note that the Yanks have never won from the wild card spot.  I would sove to see the Red Sox play the Cubs in the World Series.  

Knowing the Cubs and Red Sox, with Game 7 tied in the 9th and a winner only minutes away....the world will end as we know it.  

Just go look some of the crazy things that have happened to these teams.  It's some of the most bizarre sh*t the world has ever seen.  

- The Red Sox are up 2 in the 10th with 2 out in the 86 WS....hit...hit....hit...wild pitch...Buckner.  

- Red Sox have 14 game lead in East, they collapse, lose to Yankees in 1 game playoff.  

- Cubs have 5 outs to go in the game to get to the WS in 2003, up by 3, fan grabs a foul ball that would've been caught...Marlins explode for 8 runs with 2 out.  

It's freaky, especally the Cubs one last year.  I mean EIGHT runs.  Some teams go all year without an 8 run inning, much less with 2 out, no one on, and after a bizarre play where a CUBS fan takes an out away from Moises Alou.

Last year cemented by belief in the curses on both those teams.  It'd be different if it was one team one year then the other 5 years later, but the same year with both teams just a few outs away, and only a catastrphic collapse could possible lose the game.  

[© tweed]

Matsui and Reyes will be the next Dykstra/Backman, just wait for it and have a little optimism : ) ........ although that's hard being a Mets fan.  In the future, it will be Reyes and Matsui getting on, and Wright drivin them home.  Hidalgo's only 29, he might still be around to round out the middle of the order if he puts together a good season next year.  Beltran's young, I really hope Houston drops out of the WC chase the Mets go after him in the offseason, and there are rumors saying they will.  There's a great potential future lineup right there.  

Reyes - Matsui - Wright - Beltran - Hidalgo - Cameron - ? - ?

Floyd has got to go, he can't hit lefties for sh*t and I give Piazza one more season to show that he's still a good hitter.  If not....it's off to DHing for the Yankees.  

Matsui- Health shouldn't be an issue, he never got hurt in Japan, so that shouldn't be a concern.  However, his Chuck Knoblauch style defense should be.  Hopefully he can become a decent second baseman.

Reyes- He's brittle.  He can not play a full year in the major leagues without getting hurt.

Hidalgo- Extremely inconsistent.  Look at his career stats.  It may be better to do a sign-and-trade with him or just let him go.

Cameron- Will never hit above .250 but solid.

Beltran- Zero chance he signs anywhere but with the empire.

Piazza- Put him on waivers.  If nobody claims him you're stuck with him for one more year, but he's gone after that.

Here's what I would do with this lineup next year (assuming everyone stays healthy)

C Piazza/Wilson
1B Brazell/Valent/Galaragga
2B Matsui
SS Reyes
3B Wright
LF Floyd
CF Cameron
RF Hidalgo

A major advantage wouled be to convince Floyd to play 1st base.  His offensive numbers would soar to the 25-90 range instead of the 20-70 range.

[NHPolitico]

RBI=one of the most overrated stats in baseball.

It can measure clutch hitting.

[NHPolitico]

Most of the problems the Red Sox had was because we had bad ownership. Make Darth Vader in NYC our owner and we'd have already won. Decades and decades of racist hirings that hurt big time, a failure to put proper pieces together to go with healthy, young Pedro and a healthy, young Nomar, etc. Ted Williams had NO help-- ever. It was pathetic. Bad management, too. Even the Buckner incident was bad management. He was hurt and wanted to be out their for the victory. Don Baylor was the better option, but the manager didn't want to say no to Buckner. Francona is a better manager. The way he's handled the team since the trade has been amazing.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Matsui and Reyes will be the next Dykstra/Backman, just wait for it and have a little optimism : ) ........ although that's hard being a Mets fan.  In the future, it will be Reyes and Matsui getting on, and Wright drivin them home.  Hidalgo's only 29, he might still be around to round out the middle of the order if he puts together a good season next year.  Beltran's young, I really hope Houston drops out of the WC chase the Mets go after him in the offseason, and there are rumors saying they will.  There's a great potential future lineup right there.  

Reyes - Matsui - Wright - Beltran - Hidalgo - Cameron - ? - ?

Floyd has got to go, he can't hit lefties for sh*t and I give Piazza one more season to show that he's still a good hitter.  If not....it's off to DHing for the Yankees.  

Matsui- Health shouldn't be an issue, he never got hurt in Japan, so that shouldn't be a concern.  However, his Chuck Knoblauch style defense should be.  Hopefully he can become a decent second baseman.

Reyes- He's brittle.  He can not play a full year in the major leagues without getting hurt.

Hidalgo- Extremely inconsistent.  Look at his career stats.  It may be better to do a sign-and-trade with him or just let him go.

Cameron- Will never hit above .250 but solid.

Beltran- Zero chance he signs anywhere but with the empire.

Piazza- Put him on waivers.  If nobody claims him you're stuck with him for one more year, but he's gone after that.

Here's what I would do with this lineup next year (assuming everyone stays healthy)

C Piazza/Wilson
1B Brazell/Valent/Galaragga
2B Matsui
SS Reyes
3B Wright
LF Floyd
CF Cameron
RF Hidalgo

A major advantage wouled be to convince Floyd to play 1st base.  His offensive numbers would soar to the 25-90 range instead of the 20-70 range.

First off with the first base situation.  Anybody but Brazell, the guy can't take a pitch, he swings at everything.  They need to get some of the strikeouts out of this lineup.  Do you know how many times Mets have struck out with RISP this year?  It's off the charts.  And Galaragga is too old and too risky.  Valent's more of a bench hitter, and he's very good at it.  When it comes to 1B, I really want the Mets to take a shot at Sean Casey of the Reds.  Look at this guy.  Only 28 strikeouts all year, 21 HRs, 83 RBIs, a .332 BA, and near .600 slugging %.  The guy knows how to hit for average and for power, something that maybe only one other Met hitter can do, David Wright.  (and possibly Piazza if he's healthy, he had an absolutely awesome stretch in June)  

Matsui will become a fine second baseman.  Almost all his errors are throwing ones, and this should eliminate that problem.  Once he saw 80 games of ML pitching, he was really smackin the ball all over the field.  He walks enough, and he's a good presence at the top of the lineup with his speed.  

Reyes is an awesome baseball player, but as brittle as they come.  Thing is, he may never get another injury ever again, and go on to be a premiere ML shortstop.  But I say start working on Danny Garcia to be a competent backup, cause you just never know with Reyes.  I've never seen a guy with so many different injuries in such a short time, and so young.  

Do I need to say anything about their 3B'man?  The Mets have their own Pujols.  He's awesome.  

I say let Piazza catch again.  First base was a disaster.  Yea, he may have slowed down a little in Sept. in the past, with all those games behind the plate, but his play in the first 5 months of the season carried the team in 99, 00, and 01, so they were actaully CONTENDING!  He may not be the 1999 Piazza, but he's the best you'll do at the catching position besides Pudge.  

Left field, let Cliff go.  He was really good with the Marlins, but the man doesn't have it anymore.  Watching him try to hit a leftie is painful.  He can't do it.  Do everything you can to sign Beltran.  Outbid the Empire if you have to, and they can since the Stinkees are going to be all over starting pitcher this offseason.  I really don't think the Yanks want to spend 10 million + on Beltran when they have some serious ptiching woes, woes that are gonna keep this team out of the Series (which to them, is a failing season).  If the Mets want to win, they will acquire Beltran.  

Center is covered.  People don't realize it, but Mike Cameron's jump off the ball and ability to cover the field take away extra base hits, NOT his spectacular diving catches.  I have no idea why so many people want to get rid of a 30/30 guy.  Cause he hits .250?  Give me a break.  He's your 7/8 hole guy and you're getting 30 HRs out of him.  

I want to see Hidalgo out there in RF next year.  Just have a feeling that a productive spring training and spending his first full year with the Mets will do him wonders.  He's got the tools, he justs needs to use them more effectively.  

C'mon Mets, listen to me, and you throw this lineup out there.  

SS Reyes
2B Matsui
LF  Beltran
C   Piazza
1B Casey
RF Hidalgo
3B Wright
CF Cameron

That's arguably the best in the NL.  6 of those guys you already have, you just need to have the balls to go out there, throwing your weight ($$$) around, and pick those 2 guys up and build a winning franchise.  

[© tweed]

First of all if you were going to pry Casey from Cincinnatti is would almost certainly cost you David Wright if not more.  Also you could throw in Floyd and get Griffey in return.

Two big-name 1B's are free agents: Richie Sexson and Carlos Delgado.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I'd trade Floyd, Keppinger, and mad cash to get Casey.  If not, I'd be more comfortable with trying to get Delgado.  Sexson has been destroyed by that shoulder all year.  It's hard to have a guy up there who could tear his shoulder apart every time he swings the bat.  

[© tweed]

Floyd and Keppenger wouldn't pry Casey.

What the Mets don't realize is that they are more than one player away.  But I guess if the rotation stays healthy, the Mets have a decent shot next year.

[NHPolitico]

20-2 in the last 22 games.

The Red Sox are awesome!

[zachman]

20-2 in the last 22 games.

The Red Sox are awesome!

Amen. Unfortunately the Yankees aren't losing much either. If we are to beat them, it will have to be through the last six games against each other.

[MN-Troy]

Disclaimer: I'm a Twins fan. And, no, I'm not bandwagon... started liking them in 1992 and they had losing years from 1993-2000, finished above .500 in 2001 but still missed the playoffs. Quite diehard.

Playoffs:
Twins over Yankees
A's over Red Sox

A's over Twins

Cardinals over Dodgers
Cubs over Braves

Cardinals over Cubs

A's over Cardinals


The Twins are the most dangerous team in some ways, and here is why: Johan Santana. In a 5-game series, he starts twice. Basically, that means 2 wins. Radke starts another, and he's better than most. Silva and Lohse are weak, but you do get lucky sometimes.

Also note the advantage of the Metrodome. The National League Champion's worst nightmare is having to play 4 games in the Baggy Dome. Worse than Yankee stadium.

The Twins probably have an equal or better shot at a title than the Yankees. The Yanks have a lot of holes... first base right now, the rotation is shaky, second base, middle relief... I'm not impressed. I'm not even sure they win that division.





Note: I put $500 on a 12:5 in favor of the Twins winning the AL Central. Anyone ever tell you money don't grow on trees? They were lying.

AMEN!

If the Twins play the Yankees in the playoff, the Twins do have a good chance defeating the Yankees. How? Pitching! The Twins have a decent rotation. The Yankees don't have a good pitching staff.

Pitching wins playoff games.

[Katie G.]

haha guys are so funny...

they make it seem as if baseball is, well, life.

ah, to be so naive...  : )

[7,052,770]

haha guys are so funny...

they make it seem as if baseball is, well, life.

ah, to be so naive...  : )

yeah, there's college football too .... and math

[© tweed]

yeah, there's college football too .... and math

Did you see the Miami-FSU game on Friday?

FSU sucks!  Six in a row now FOR DA CANES

[© tweed]

Empire v. Boston tonight.