Official 2007 MLB Season Thread

[furcalchick]

All because not too long ago, they had been outscored this season ...

to be fair, they are still being outscored.

[Sun Baked]

to be fair, they are still being outscored.

Just looked again, they improved in the last couple/few weeks -- but only shaved a third off.

Still worse than the Giants though.

[spencers]

David Ortiz is the ****ing man.

It was my first time at Fenway! I'm glad I saw that grand slam in person!

http://lh4.google.com/ssaulsbu/RsoVxMkN4YI/AAAAAAAABbo/JBzf7AEblTA/s400/IMG_1316.JPG

[MacNut]

I really hate west coast games. 10 pm is too late to watch a ball game.

[furcalchick]

i hate losing. i'm starting to think that the braves aren't playoff material.

also, if you think 10 pm is rough for games, try 9 am.

[Counterfit]

i hate losing. i'm starting to think that the braves aren't playoff material.

also, if you think 10 pm is rough for games, try 9 am.

<- Formula 1 fan. Every European race: 7:30AM. Australia: 11PM, Malaysia: 3AM. And I've got it easy for Europe since I'm on the East Coast. ;)

[Counterfit]

Angels beat the Yankees again, 18-9. Garret Anderson: 4-6, 2 HR (1 GS) 10 RBI.
Moose: 1.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 K.

So, how's that pitching staff working out for you guys? ;)



Also, post #2007 :D

[swiftaw]

Texas scored 30 runs against Baltimore

[Sobe]

The Texans missed an extra point while holding the Ravens to a field goal...

[MacNut]

Texas scored 30 runs against BaltimoreIs that anywhere close to a record?

[swiftaw]

Is that anywhere close to a record?

Most since 1900, so it is a modern day record.

Final score was 30-3, and the funny thing is, Texas pitcher Wes Littleton recorded a save.

Even funnier, Baltimore lead 3-0 after 3 innings

And funnier still, this is game 1 of a doubleheader, game 2 in half an hour.

[Counterfit]

Holy crap, that's insane! Furcalchick will like this: Salty: 7 RBI, 2 HR.

[Mistershark]

Texas: 30
Baltimore: 3

Texas (55W, 70L) .440
Games Behind: 19

I think the Rangers truly represent the meaning of the word "inconsistent."

Go Texas!

[MacNut]

After looking at the score, it's hard to beleive the Orioles led this game 3-0 at one point. The Rangers' 30 runs sets a modern MLB record, surpassing the mark of 29 runs that were scored by the Red Sox (June 8, 1950) and White Sox (April 23, 1955). It's the second-most runs all-time as the Chicago Colts (now the Cubs) scored 36 against the Louisville Colonels on June 29, 1897. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led the Rangers' charge, going 4-for-6 with two homers, five runs and seven RBIs.Red Sox lost Seattle lost.:)

[furcalchick]

Holy crap, that's insane! Furcalchick will like this: Salty: 7 RBI, 2 HR.

i do, i'm happy he's starting everyday over in texas. we just had no room for him here in atlanta.

but that was crazy, i saw the 20 runs and thought the onslaught was over, but they just kept pounding them, texas is an offensive juggernaut. why they suck for so long is a mystery (no pitching). but 30 runs...i started to think ravens-cowboys there for a second.

as for the braves, i think we're done, we can't even beat the sorry reds. teams that can't beat up losers don't go to the playoffs.

at least the padres won and beat up the muts. but something disturbing today, sounds like peavy won't be a padre come 2010. the padres need to try to keep this guy for his whole career. (and i doubt he's going to new york or boston, he doesn't seem like a big city type guy, he'll probably go houston or some other west coast team).

[IJ Reilly]

Most since 1900, so it is a modern day record.

Final score was 30-3, and the funny thing is, Texas pitcher Wes Littleton recorded a save.

According to what I read this morning, the last time a team scored over 30 runs was in 1897, 36 runs by the Chicago Colts (forerunners of the Cubs). Yesterday's game included six home runs two of which were grand slams.

[Sobe]

just counts as 1 Loss baby!

[gauchogolfer]

Does anyone care to explain exactly how there was a save in last night's game?

[Sobe]

Does anyone care to explain exactly how there was a save in last night's game?

saves are kind of weird.

Saves:
Rule 10.20 in the Official Rule Book states:
Credit a pitcher with a save when he meets all three of the following conditions:
(1) He is the finishing pitcher in a game won by his club; and
(2) He is not the winning pitcher; and
(3) He qualifies under one of the following conditions:
- (a) He enters the game with a lead of no more than three runs and pitches for at least one inning; or
- (b) He enters the game, regardless of the count, with the potential tying run either on base, or at bat, or on deck (that is, the potential tying run is either already on base or is one of the first two batsmen he faces; or
- (c) He pitches effectively for at least three innings. No more than one save may be credited in each game.

So let's go through it...

1) check, he finished the game
2) check, he did not win the game
3) (c) applies.

Littleton's line: 3.0 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1K, 0 R, 0 ER

It's not a typical save op. Generally the saves you see every day are from (a) and more rarely from (b).

[aloofman]

According to what I read this morning, the last time a team scored over 30 runs was in 1897, 36 runs by the Chicago Colts (forerunners of the Cubs). Yesterday's game included six home runs two of which were grand slams.

I liked Charley Steiner's explanation of the scoreboard in Philly, which wasn't able to display a "2", and incorrectly showed the score as 17-3 at the time, instead of 27-3.

After they tacked on the last few runs, Steiner noted that the Orioles were batting in the bottom of the ninth needing 27 to tie it up.

[swiftaw]

Does anyone care to explain exactly how there was a save in last night's game?

If you enter the game, pitch at least 3 effective innings to end the game without surrendering the lead then it is a save, a weird one, but a save nevertheless.

[MacNut]

I love late games:rolleyes:, 4 hour rain delay, game starts at 11 PM, 1:30 AM in the 7th inning.
2:45 AM 10th inning.
3:06 AM top 11th inning.
So at 3:30 AM after staying up all night the Yankees loose after Guillen hits a walk of home run in the 11th.

[furcalchick]

I love late games:rolleyes:, 4 hour rain delay, game starts at 11 PM, 1:30 AM in the 7th inning.
2:45 AM 10th inning.
3:06 AM top 11th inning.
So at 3:30 AM after staying up all night the Yankees loose after Guillen hits a walk of home run in the 11th.

nothing good happens at 3:30 in the morning. (http://youtube.com/?v=c426rXMTnWk)

[Sobe]

nothing good happens at 3:30 in the morning. (http://youtube.com/?v=c426rXMTnWk)

Well not nothing, but my lips are sealed =D

[furcalchick]

sigh...we're down to the last 10 braves games on tbs...starting now.

kinda sad...

[Sobe]

sigh...we're down to the last 10 braves games on tbs...starting now.

kinda sad...

What's your opinion on the Wickman situation?

[furcalchick]

What's your opinion on the Wickman situation?

he needed to go. he didn't want to pitch in a non-save situation, thus becoming a hinderance to the team and a clubhouse cancer.

but i think we're just about done.

[Sayhey]

nothing good happens at 3:30 in the morning. (http://youtube.com/?v=c426rXMTnWk)

Well, not "nothing." The Yanks lost. That's got to be some of the best early morning news in a while. :D

[fotografica]

Yes,the Yanks did lose..Their fans have been quiet of late :confused: Unlike the chest thumping,and verge of orgasm posts when they were beating up on KC and Tampa Bay and making their "run"....
Sox bats came alive somewhat this weekend ;)

[furcalchick]

contender list 8/26

i'll be doing this every sunday night/monday morning for the rest of the season.

nl
mets, phillies, braves
cubs, brewers, cardinals
dbacks, padres, dodgers, rockies

al
red sox, yankees
indians, tigers, twins
angels, mariners

as expected, the blue jays are off the list, i'm about ready to take the dodgers, rockies and braves all off depending on their performance this week, since it's starting to look like it's going to be padres and phillies for the wild card.

[MacNut]

Yes,the Yanks did lose..Their fans have been quiet of late :confused: Unlike the chest thumping,and verge of orgasm posts when they were beating up on KC and Tampa Bay and making their "run"....
Sox bats came alive somewhat this weekend ;)I would count the White Sox along the lines with the Royals and Devil Rays.:p Who's chest thumping when beating the bad teams now.:rolleyes:

[decksnap]

I would count the White Sox along the lines with the Royals and Devil Rays.:p Who's chest thumping when beating the bad teams now.:rolleyes:

since when is 'bats came alive somewhat' chest thumping? :rolleyes:

We'll have a series all to our own to complain about on both sides starting tomorrow. My prediction - Sox score no runs for Matsusaka, again.

[fotografica]

I would count the White Sox along the lines with the Royals and Devil Rays.:p Who's chest thumping when beating the bad teams now.:rolleyes:

Yeah I wouldn't exactly call that "chest thumping"..Chest thumping would be on the lines of and A Rod HR orgazm in April/May.Not that anybody's done that here :p Sox have basically played .500 ball since the All Star break and the Yanks haven't got it closer than 4. Would be double digits right now were it not for Gagne..We shall see....

Lots of good series this week..Cubs/Brewers..Padres/DBacks...Mets/Atl... Sea/Angels.... Fun week ahead..

[gauchogolfer]

Astros have fired Garner and the GM. Seems inevitable given the poor performance this year. Here's hoping they can find some good replacements and get the 'stros back in the playoffs.

[zioxide]

ouch.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270827106

Detroit: 16 - NY: 0

[MacNut]

Ya Mussina needs to be taken out back and shot.:mad:

[steamboat26]

Where was the offense, Verlander is a tough pitcher, but to get blanked?
We gotta sweep the sox to have a chance at the East.
But on the upside, even if we don't we can still take the wild card. :)
But our pitching really needs some work. I'm hoping that this is just a horrible slump for moose, and he will come out of it. Hughes lost something in his stint on the DL that I'm hoping he gets back soon, Clemens has been really inconsistent, Wang is either great most of the time, but on the rare occassion when he slips, things go horribly wrong. Pettitte is really the only consistent starter we have right now, and its only been since the All star break.
Don't even get me started on the bullpen...

[Counterfit]

24


This post has nothing to do with Manny. Just think about it, and check the standings if you need help.

[MacNut]

So Cleveland pulled off a true around the horn triple play last night.

[xsedrinam]

And down the stretch they come. STL is at .500 (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/F8DDEDBA4B9DB7B08625734600156902?OpenDocument) for the first time since April, and 2 games out. :D

[steamboat26]

Yankees win again, 4-3 :D; despite the continually subpar efforts of Farnsworth :mad:

Yankees are starting Ian Kennedy instead of Moose on Saturday against the D-rays. I know Mussina has been struggling, but I would give him one more chance, if he can't beat the D-rays, then take him out. Or maybe Torre and Cashman wanna give Kennedy a fairly easy first start, so he can ease into the majors. What does everyone else make of this?

[Teh Don Ditty]

Loves me some Yankee wins over Boston.

I am currently in San Francisco and I went to the Giants/Rockies game on Tuesday night. Very nice ball park.

Moose doesn't deserve another chance, 3 straight games in which he got demolished. I'm hoping that Kennedy turns into a Joba Chamberlain (Meaning he's as nasty as he is for a solid 6 or 7 innings) :D

[IJ Reilly]

The Dodgers claimed Esteban Loaiza off waivers today. Along with Roberto Hernandez, Shea Hillenbrand and David Wells, this is turning into a team of cast-offs. But they're winning again, so who cares?

[thechidz]

Brewers beat cubs... finnnnnally... lets get off this schneid... sheets is back, lookin good. Id like to see Fielder compete with A-rod for HR title but not looking good

[AHDuke99]

What's your opinion on the Wickman situation?

i am sad to see the braves no longer on TBS .. and well wickman being released was a shock to say the least. sure, he had struggled on the road, but it's not like we had a wonderful pen to begin with, and he was a solid guy who had done that job for many years. the least we could've done was try to trade him to a contender. the braves are finished this year .. we desperately need one or two more starters to be a team that can win the NL east again. right now we have smoltz and huddy and no one else. we sometimes havea random good start from james, but carlyle, reyes, and cormier are awful.

[MacNut]

Time for some "chest thumping." The Yankees have taken the first 2 from the Red Sox while Beckett allowed the most hits in his career. Clemans pitched a no hitter through 5. Seattle on a nose dive has allowed the Yankees to pull into a tie for the wild card.:cool:

This story from ESPN made me smile because its so true. :)
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/070829&sportCat=mlbIt's true. While Yankees fans momentarily are neutralized by their recent embarrassing autumns and their current spot in the standings, Red Sox fans, sadly, have taken over the mantle as the most obnoxious fans in sports.No longer. As soon as the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, Boston fans took on a swaggering, entitled persona, acting as if they alone invented sports fandom and behaving as if nothing else in baseball mattered but them.No one can stand to be around Red Sox fans anymore. And they're everywhere -- a recent USA Today article labeled the Red Sox baseball's new biggest attraction. Forget a fence between the U.S. and Mexico. What we really need is a wall, a moat and a minefield around New England to keep the spoiled citizens of Red Sox Nation from sneaking into the rest of the country and taking over seats in major league ballparks that should go to hard-working local fans. Everywhere the Red Sox play these days turns into a road version of Fenway Park, with Boston fans occasionally drowning out the hometown fans with their "Let's Go Red Sox!" chants. They were so over the top at a recent game in Seattle, I was surprised the Mariners didn't play "Sweet Caroline."They call themselves Red Sox Nation, the same arrogant way the Cowboys call themselves America's Team. And the whole thing is getting a little old. Could I get a little help here from Miss Teen South Carolina? Where the hell is Red Sox Nation anyway? It seems to me Red Sox Nation only exists when the team is winning, like a country that only shows up on U.S. State Department radar when oil is discovered. Wherever Red Sox Nation is, I just wish Bush would invade it.

[IJ Reilly]

I never noticed any absence of chest-thumping.

[furcalchick]

i personally hate the red sox more than any team in baseball expect the mets.

but matt diaz killed his hated marlins again. dontrelle hit a homer though in a loss.

[steamboat26]

Sweep!!!! :D

Sorry to post this in two threads, but I have to boast. The Yankees bested Dice-K, Beckett, and Schilling; the pitchers who most people would consider the aces of the Sox staff.

[Teh Don Ditty]

I loves me some sweep. As much as I am excited about this, we still got work to do. Just gotta keep playing hard like this everyday.

[fotografica]

i personally hate the red sox more than any team in baseball .

No kidding? Now there's a startling revelation :rolleyes:

[zioxide]

Sweep!!!! :D

Sorry to post this in two threads, but I have to boast. The Yankees bested Dice-K, Beckett, and Schilling; the pitchers who most people would consider the aces of the Sox staff.

I wouldn't raelly say that they beat the pitchers.. they didn't do bad. Its more like the Yankees pitchers shut down the sox batters.

[fotografica]

Time for some "chest thumping." The Yankees have taken the first 2 from the Red Sox while Beckett allowed the most hits in his career. Clemans pitched a no hitter through 5. Seattle on a nose dive has allowed the Yankees to pull into a tie for the wild card.:cool:

This story from ESPN made me smile because its so true. :)
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/070829&sportCat=mlb

And this from a guy who's got an A-Rod homerun orgasm meter in April?:rolleyes:

[steamboat26]

I wouldn't raelly say that they beat the pitchers.. they didn't do bad. Its more like the Yankees pitchers shut down the sox batters.

Ok, either way we shut down a pretty potent offense. Even without Manny, your offense is still pretty good.

[xsedrinam]

Relegated to the bottom corner of the thread's interest level, as a STL fan there's not been much this year to categorize as exciting for the Cards. But I'm following the return of Rick Ankiel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Ankiel) to STL and the majors with a smile and some hopes he might be a needed spark to keep them in contention for a playoff bid.

He hit the first Grand Slam of his career in the bottom of the 6th inning at St. Louis against left-hand pitcher Eddie Guardado of the Cincinnati Reds on August 31, 2007 with the team trailing 4-3, for an eventual 8-5 win that helped propel manager Tony La Russa to break a first-place tie with Red Schoendienst for most wins by any Cardinals' manager.

Ankiel's comeback prompted syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer to write: "His return after seven years -- if only three days long -- is the stuff of legend. Made even more perfect by the timing: Just two days after Barry Bonds sets a synthetic home run record in San Francisco, the Natural returns to St. Louis."

[fotografica]

NO HITTER for Clay Bucholz!!!!!:D:D

[thechidz]

I need to see Prince Fielder hit 60 home runs this year, please!!!!!!!!

[zioxide]

well Buchholz is definitely ready for the majors.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=270901102

[steamboat26]

Yankees beat the Rays 9-6, Kennedy looked pretty solid today, 7 IP, 1 ER, 6 K

A-rod hit his 45th HR :D

Vizcaino almost lost us the game, some reliever he is :rolleyes:

[furcalchick]

we just got swept by the muts this weekend in atlanta, we're toast.

dreaming about 2008 for the braves, we need pitching.

but the padres are looking like the braves of the 1990's with young=glavine, peavy=smoltz and maddux=maddux. offense isn't that great, but i think this is the year the padres win it all.

[MacNut]

but i think this is the year the padres win it all.That gave me a good laugh today, I thank you for that.:p

[zioxide]

beckett + papelbon = win

beckett got his al leading 17th win :)

ellsbury just getting a 4th at bat for an attempt at the cycle.. went 3-3: got a single, triple, and 2run hr (also had a stolen base)

[decksnap]

OK- so when Manny gets back, can we please put Ellsbury in right and put JD Drew in the bleachers?

[furcalchick]

i need to get out of florida...this state is a cesspool for mlb teams. marlins and devil rays are both complete jokes. don't think i can take another season of bad baseball. both worst team in their leagues.

[zioxide]

OK- so when Manny gets back, can we please put Ellsbury in right and put JD Drew in the bleachers?

move coco to right and put ellsbury in center.

JD drew can mop the floor around the urinals

[MacNut]

Yankees win 12-3, 2 games up on Seattle and 3.5 up on the Tigers in the Wild Card.:):cool:

[steamboat26]

Yankees win 12-3, 2 games up on Seattle and 3.5 up on the Tigers in the Wild Card.:):cool:

And Wang becomes the second 17 game winner along with *shudders* Beckett
And A-rod hit his 46th homer of the year :D

[furcalchick]

devil rays officially eliminated from the playoffs (shortly), first team this year.

[steamboat26]

A-rod hit his 50th and 51st HRs of the season, raising the record for single season HR by a third baseman, and becoming the first Yankee since Maris and Mantle in '61 to hit at least 50 HR.
Yankees 5.5 games out of the AL east, up 3 in the WC :D

[MacNut]

A-Rod hit number 52 today.:cool::)

[swiftaw]

Interesting story about Wade Boggs: http://tastybooze.com/2007/04/the-origin-of-boggs/

[furcalchick]

here's my contenders/pretenders list, with elimination numbers as of 9/9.

nl

mets, phillies (15), braves (12)
brewers, cubs (20), cardinals (19)
dbacks, padres (17), dodgers (14), rockies (14)

padres, phillies (19), dodgers (18), rockies (18), braves (16)

al

red sox, yankees (14)
indians, tigers (14)
angels, mariners (13)

yankees, tigers (16), mariners (16)

eliminated: tampa bay, chicago white sox

my take: three of the al spots are a lock, with only the wild card being somewhat a meaningful race, although that will probably change if the yankees go on another big winning streak, as it looks like the mariners are falling out of the race and i don't know what to say about the tigers.

the nl is a different story, with the mets are the only lock here. but i think the wild card goes to second place in that tough nl west, with four teams still within striking distance when it's all said and done. i'm going with the dbacks to win the west and the padres to clinch the wild card before the final weekend. the central will likely come down to the final day, with three teams within 3 games of each other. even though it may look like they may fall off, i'm still going with the cardinals to win the central.

[MacNut]

CHICAGO -- The White Sox's miserable season won't cost manager Ozzie Guillen his job. Instead, the outspoken manager received a multiyear extension.

Guillen and the team agreed Tuesday to a contract extension through the 2012 season.

Guillen managed Chicago to a World Series title in 2005 and was voted AL Manager of the Year, but the White Sox slid from contention early this season and were 61-83 entering Tuesday, tied with Florida and Tampa Bay for the poorest record in the major leagues.

He was hired as manager in November 2003.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3014632

[furcalchick]

CHICAGO -- The White Sox's miserable season won't cost manager Ozzie Guillen his job. Instead, the outspoken manager received a multiyear extension.

Guillen and the team agreed Tuesday to a contract extension through the 2012 season.

Guillen managed Chicago to a World Series title in 2005 and was voted AL Manager of the Year, but the White Sox slid from contention early this season and were 61-83 entering Tuesday, tied with Florida and Tampa Bay for the poorest record in the major leagues.

He was hired as manager in November 2003.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3014632

i guess they like their ozzie. dumb move.

[zioxide]

i guess they like their ozzie. dumb move.

I don't think it's really a dumb move.. he managed them to a World Series just 2 years ago.

[MacNut]

I don't think it's really a dumb move.. he managed them to a World Series just 2 years ago.The White Sox know they wont be competitive for a few years and they feel that Ozzie is the person to move the team along.

[aloofman]

i guess they like their ozzie. dumb move.

I'm not sure there's any way of knowing it's a dumb move right now, only later.

One thing is commendable about keeping Guillen though. Too many teams in all sports change managers/coaches just for the sake of making a change, with the new guy being no better than the previous one. The team doesn't improve and they end up paying the fired guy and the hired guy.

To put it another way, is there a better manager than Guillen available out there right now? It's debatable, but one could argue that the others aren't that much better, and that the transition to a new manager would take too much adjustment to be worth it.

I think it was Sparky Anderson who mused that a manager of a winning team probably doesn't get dumber when the team starts losing. Not that it's never the manager's fault, but I don't see many signs that Guillen is a worse manager now than he was in 2005.

[Jschultz]

He's still managing the team the same way he did in
05, AFAIK. The thing is, I'm starting to wonder if guys were having career years in 2005. We resigned Dye, who is having a great second half- but he sucked up until then with a .230 AVG. Paul Konerko isn't looking much better these days either.

That, and we're fielding 1/2 of our AAA team. Trust me, it's not pretty. But! You can easily get a hold of tix for $10 on craigslist!

[aloofman]

He's still managing the team the same way he did in
05, AFAIK. The thing is, I'm starting to wonder if guys were having career years in 2005. We resigned Dye, who is having a great second half- but he sucked up until then with a .230 AVG. Paul Konerko isn't looking much better these days either.

That, and we're fielding 1/2 of our AAA team. Trust me, it's not pretty. But! You can easily get a hold of tix for $10 on craigslist!

The 2001 D'backs and 2002 Angels also went all the way on the backs of several players having career years. Neither of those teams got appreciably worse because of the manager afterward, although I would argue that Bob Brenly is one of the worst managers to ever win a World Series and just lucked into it.

[MacNut]

Im convinced Ortiz is juicing.

But in happier news the Yankees win again.:D

[decksnap]

Im convinced Ortiz is juicing.


Nah that's more of a New York thing. ;)

Ortiz is built like a big dude. Not built like a regular dude that got big on steroids.

Sweet walk-off home run tonight too.

[Teh Don Ditty]

So in their 12-0 loss, the Phillies turned a Triple Play

[zioxide]

David Ortiz is the ****ing man.

[Counterfit]

He certainly picked a good time to get his first walkoff hit for the year.

[IJ Reilly]

So in their 12-0 loss, the Phillies turned a Triple Play

One for the "it could have been worse" file.

[fotografica]

Im convinced Ortiz is juicing.

Now there's an unbiased opinion :rolleyes:

Good to see another comeback win. That was lacking earlier in the year. And Ortiz is heating up at just the right time...

[mwpeters8182]

While the Sox pitching hasn't exactly been lights out the last couple days (though after Lester's tough first inning, they looked quite good), the bats have come up big in support of them, which is nice for the fans to see. There hasn't been a ton of that this year.

[MacNut]

As we head into the big clash in Boston this weekend let the debate begin. Who will win the AL Cy Young this year.
Beckett
Wang
Santana
Escobar
Sabathia

[Teh Don Ditty]

One for the "it could have been worse" file.

I don't think that even begins to describe what transpired.

[zioxide]

As we head into the big clash in Boston this weekend let the debate begin. Who will win the AL Cy Young this year.
Beckett
Wang
Santana
Escobar
Sabathia

I'd say the frontrunners are Beckett and Sabathia, with Wang not far behind. On ESPN Baseball Tonight they were talking about this and said that Beckett and Sabathia have been the front runners the whole year, and Wang wasn't really in the picture until after the All Star break. I agree with this and think that it should go to either Beckett or Sabathia (unless they both lose the rest of their games and Wang wins all his) because the award should go to someone who has been consistantly the best across the entire season.

My award picks:

AL Cy Young: Josh Beckett (18-6, 3.27 ERA)
AL Rookie of the Year: Dustin Pedroia (.327 average [5th AL], 5 errors [.991 field %]) After a slow start, Pedroia has become a dominant force at 2B, leading the Sox in batting average and being 5th in the AL.
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez It's September 14th and he has 52 home runs and 140+ RBIs. enough said.

[MacNut]

I'm surprised you didn't say Ortiz.:p

[furcalchick]

marlins eliminated from the playoffs. what a baseball cesspool florida is. especially when we see stories like this (http://deadspin.com/sports/nobody-home/marlins+nationals-always-brings-in-the-big-crowds-299482.php).

http://deadspin.com/assets/resources/2007/09/nationalsmarlins.jpg

you really feel alone, don't you? only 400 people showed up.

[IJ Reilly]

you really feel alone, don't you? only 400 people showed up.

Wow. I wonder, who's fault is that?

[furcalchick]

Wow. I wonder, who's fault is that?

not mine. i don't like the marlins. but with things like this, i'm thinking they are headed out of town.

[IJ Reilly]

not mine. i don't like the marlins. but with things like this, i'm thinking they are headed out of town.

Could be, though I haven't been hearing any rumors. The point of my question is that it seems to be as much the fault of the Marlins' owners as anything else. They've certainly put together some good teams, but they never keep them around for long enough to build a fan base.

The part of this story about the season ticket-holder being ejected from the game for heckling the umpire was really funny, though. It was so quiet in the stadium that he could be heard clearly on the TV broadcast. Not that anyone was watching!

[zioxide]

not mine. i don't like the marlins. but with things like this, i'm thinking they are headed out of town.

Maybe they can just disband the team and we can get Hanley Ramirez back. lol

but still the combination of Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett > Hanley Ramirez

[furcalchick]

Could be, though I haven't been hearing any rumors. The point of my question is that it seems to be as much the fault of the Marlins' owners as anything else. They've certainly put together some good teams, but they never keep them around for long enough to build a fan base.

marlins have had bad owners all around. it's a long story, but short version is that hyzengia screwed them over after firesale #1, then the people could never get a stadium deal done even though they keep saying it will be done, and now loria and samson are not of any help, having firesale #2, crying for relocation, doubling ticket prices (but to be fair, this is the only place, along with food, they can get revenue because of the terrible stadium deal they have now, and will be kicked out in 2010), treating their manager and fanbase like garbage, and you wonder why the marlins have no fans at games. one of the talk show hosts down here said that the marlins are now irrelevant and getting close to joke status i think. but the tv ratings are pretty good.

[xsedrinam]

The part of this story about the season ticket-holder being ejected from the game for heckling the umpire was really funny, though. It was so quiet in the stadium that he could be heard clearly on the TV broadcast. Not that anyone was watching!
That and also that the hundreds of box seats which went unoccupied remained unoccupied. Wouldn't they at least let those poor folks in right field come closer? :D

[IJ Reilly]

Reminds me of the Expos especially towards the end. The fans were so scarce and the stadium so quiet you could hear the exhaust fans running, even on TV.

[fotografica]

Did the Tigers just realize on Friday that they have a shot at the wild card?

[Sobe]

Maybe they can just disband the team and we can get Hanley Ramirez back. lol

but still the combination of Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett > Hanley Ramirez

not even close =D

Hanley is an outright stud.

Beckett is very good and Lowell is having a very good year, but Hanley is the kind of player you can build a franchise around. And let's not forget that he plays half his games in a stadium that is far from batter friendly.

[furcalchick]

for those of you that haven't stepped out of yankees-red sox land in a while (despite it's charm) jake peavy could win the nl pitching triple crown this season. he earned his league leading 18th win and has a chance at 20, has 225 strikeouts, which is 33 k's more than the runner up, aaron harang, and lowered his era to 2.39, which is nearly a .4 jump on fellow padre chris young. his whip is 1.06, leading the league. if he doesn't win the nl cy young this year, there is something wrong and i will no longer claim the ap awards as legitimate (i already don't, i go by player awards).

and yeah, i'm a big peavy fan, been so for a long time.

[zioxide]

not even close =D

Hanley is an outright stud.

Beckett is very good and Lowell is having a very good year, but Hanley is the kind of player you can build a franchise around. And let's not forget that he plays half his games in a stadium that is far from batter friendly.

You can build a franchise around Beckett too.

[lu0s3r322]

cubs still holding onto their lead...just barely...we need some room to breathe

[furcalchick]

two weeks left. thought we should note contenders and pretenders as of now. again, elimination numbers are up.

nl
mets, phillies (11), braves (7)
cubs, brewers (13), cardinals (7)
d'backs, padres (12), dodgers (9), rockies (7)

padres, phillies (13), dodgers (12), rockies (10), braves (9)

i didn't put the brewers in the wild card standings despite being ahead of the braves because they are likely just fighting for the central crown, and the braves have a better shot at the wild card than the east. but as you can see, the nl races are far from over. 13 teams are still in the race, with the nats, marlins and giants the only teams officially eliminated.


al

red sox, yankees (9)
indians, tigers (9)
angels, mariners (6)

yankees, tigers (11), mariners (8)

al spots pretty much wrapped up, we'll start to see clinching this week.

[Jschultz]

It didn't get mention on this thread but..

last night, I witnessed Jim Thome hit his 500th home run. In the bottom of the ninth, walk-off.

We may suck, but it was a proud moment for us fans, and we know big Jim was proud too. Congratulations to him!

[MacNut]

Yankees win Red Sox lose Tigers lose.:)

[zioxide]

http://www1.whdh.com/images/news_articles/389x205/070917_Daisuke_Matsuzaka_Teletubby.jpg

[MacNut]

nutty Red Sox, I saw that on Baseball Tonight, wtf were they doing.:confused:

[zioxide]

I saw that on Baseball Tonight, wtf were they doing.:confused:

hazing the rookies lol

[MacNut]

hazing the rookies lolIsn't it a little late in the season for that.

[zioxide]

Isn't it a little late in the season for that.

never.. besides ellsbury and the rest just got called up

[fotografica]

They should have put Drew in the corner with a dunce hat on..Why does he bother bringing a bat to the plate? He never swings it anyways....

[zioxide]

They should have put Drew in the corner with a dunce hat on..Why does he bother bringing a bat to the plate? He never swings it anyways....

He might be good as one of those guys who comes out in between innings to re-rake the infield.

Or give him a funny hat and have him walk around yelling "get your popcorn here"

[IJ Reilly]

They should have put Drew in the corner with a dunce hat on..Why does he bother bringing a bat to the plate? He never swings it anyways....

So, I see you guys are really enjoying JD. You may keep him.

And no, you cannot have Matt Kemp.

[furcalchick]

So, I see you guys are really enjoying JD. You may keep him.

And no, you cannot have Matt Kemp.

didn't like dl drew? i guess he only plays hard in atlanta. but all of his other teams hate him.

[MacNut]

didn't like dl drew? i guess he only plays hard in atlanta. but all of his other teams hate him.Since when does anyone play hard in Atlanta.:rolleyes:

[Sobe]

Since when does anyone play hard in Atlanta.:rolleyes:

Drew's been trouble since he was drafted by the Phillies.

[fotografica]

So, I see you guys are really enjoying JD. You may keep him.

And no, you cannot have Matt Kemp.

Well we're kinda stuck with him at the moment,lol..Fans are actually petitioning to get a physician to see if he has a pulse..I've seen statues with more animation...

On another note..What's with Grady??Is he staying on in LA??

[zioxide]

We need to trade him. No ****ing way Ellsbury is going to sit the bench to have Drew start.

Next year: Manny in left, Ellsbury in center, Coco in right

[MacNut]

Way to go suck face, walk home the tying run.:p

Oh baby Gagne just blew it.:p

[zioxide]

ERIC GAGNE ****ING BLOWS

and how the **** DID DREW MISS THAT CATCH

[Martin C]

Yankees on their way to winning, Red Sox lose, and the Tigers are on their way to losing. It's a great night.

[furcalchick]

Yankees on their way to winning, Red Sox lose, and the Tigers are on their way to losing. It's a great night.

mets about to lose, all the met fans are going to be fun tomorrow.:)

[MacNut]

zioxide your record is off, its 90-62.;)

[zioxide]

zioxide your record is off, its 90-62.;)

sorry i was too busy slitting my wrists to update it

[Teh Don Ditty]

sorry i was too busy slitting my wrists to update it

Remember, up not across. :p

[furcalchick]

sorry i was too busy slitting my wrists to update it

i think the met fans ought to join you, phillies about to narrow their lead down to 1.5 games. at least red sox fans can still make the playoffs, if mets choke now, they are watching the playoffs on tv.

[zephead]

sorry i was too busy slitting my wrists to update it

Ughhh, make room for us Dodger fans. The Rockies swept us in the doubleheader and we're slowly slipping dowwwwnnnn.... :(

Remember, up not across. :p
Hey thanks, I'll be sure to remember that. And to think I was about to go across! :eek:

[fotografica]

Should of heard Gagne's post game press conference..I hope they hid his belt and shoelaces..WOW!! That guy is psychologically damaged...

[MacNut]

Should of heard Gagne's post game press conference..I hope they hid his belt and shoelaces..WOW!! That guy is psychologically damaged...The best way to go into the post season.:p

[MacNut]

Detroit loses 4-2.:cool:

[zioxide]

Detroit loses 4-2.:cool:

Good, Sox magic number to clinch the playoffs is 3 now. Still 9 for the division

[MacNut]

Good, Sox magic number to clinch the playoffs is 3 now. Still 9 for the divisionYou have to win first.:p Yankees number is 6.

[aloofman]

On another note..What's with Grady??Is he staying on in LA??

No one here is calling for Grady Little's head. Between losing three starting pitchers and Nomar forgetting how to hit with power, the blame for this underachieving season lies elsewhere.

[zioxide]

****

[fotografica]

****

WOW!!..It's going to be SRO on the Tobin Bridge in the morning..At least Gagne didn't blow another game...

[MacNut]

1.5http://deephousepage.com/smilies/music049.gif

Don't Stop Believing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip1zsUIosoA):p

[Oneness]

Should of heard Gagne's post game press conference..I hope they hid his belt and shoelaces..WOW!! That guy is psychologically damaged...

The only pleasure Ranger fans have is watching former Rangers drag down other teams!!:p:D:p

[furcalchick]

looks like mets fans can breathe easier tonight. they win and phillies fixing to lose, so their lead is back to 2.5.

and red sox fans, don't panic, barring a total collapse and comeback by the tigers and mariners, you're in the playoffs.

[MacNut]

Phillies 1 Cards 1, top 10.

[zioxide]

looks like mets fans can breathe easier tonight. they win and phillies fixing to lose, so their lead is back to 2.5.

and red sox fans, don't panic, barring a total collapse and comeback by the tigers and mariners, you're in the playoffs.

Yeah, but winning the division is crucial to us. We haven't won it since 1995...

[cuztheyrefast]

cubs still holding onto their lead...just barely...we need some room to breathe
Don't worry... The Cubbies have clinched it. (I hope I didn't jinx them) The Cubs have 9 games left against below-500 teams: Pits, Fla, and Cincy. While the Brewers have 11 games left (with no rest) against some tough above-500 teams: Atlanta, St.Louis, and SD. (Well the STL isn't above 500 but they'll still be tough to beat.)

[zioxide]

Don't worry... The Cubbies have clinched it. (I hope I didn't jinx them) The Cubs have 9 games left against below-500 teams: Pits, Fla, and Cincy. While the Brewers have 11 games left (with no rest) against some tough above-500 teams: Atlanta, St.Louis, and SD. (Well the STL isn't above 500 but they'll still be tough to beat.)

go cubs

[MacNut]

Don't worry... The Cubbies have clinched it. (I hope I didn't jinx them)I would think Cubs fans would know better then to make statements like this.:rolleyes:

[Sobe]

I would think Cubs fans would know better then to make statements like this.:rolleyes:

Don't worry, they'll still find a way to lose in the most gut-wrenching way possible.

[Sun Baked]

Don't worry, they'll still find a way to lose in the most gut-wrenching way possible.

So they lose a game they had been leading with via a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth on the last day of regular season ball, or simply walk in a couple runs in a row with the bases loaded.

[MacNut]

So they lose a game they had been leading with via a grand slam in the bottom of the ninth on the last day of regular season ball, or simply walk in a couple runs in a row with the bases loaded.That is to easy, It would probably be a blown call by the ump or another fan getting in the way.

[Sobe]

That is to easy, It would probably be a blown call by the ump or another fan getting in the way.

Maybe Mark Prior will come back, pitch brilliantly, then unravel when the game is on the line.

Of course, he'd need an intact right shoulder to do that so maybe the Cubbies are safe.

[MacNut]

The Mets reallly realllly suck. They just lost to the Marlins.:p And the Phillies won again.

[Teh Don Ditty]

Ummm wow. The Marlins cranked out 20 hits!

[furcalchick]

The Mets reallly realllly suck. They just lost to the Marlins.:p And the Phillies won again.

watch out for met fans slitting wrists. what a choke job, and it looks like the braves have a slim chance to make the playoffs, even though we're 4.5 out and our elimination number is six. but it would be funny to see the mets out of the playoffs.

[MacNut]

Don't hold your breath for the Braves making any run.

[Counterfit]

At least the Sox didn't lose today. :D

[furcalchick]

this is through all games completed on 9/20...and we already have a clinch (sorta). again, elimination numbers are listed.

nl
mets, phillies (9), braves (6)
cubs, brewers (9), cardinals (2)
d'backs, padres (10), rockies (5), dodgers (3)

padres, phillies (8), rockies (6), braves (5), dodgers (4), brewers (4)


al
red sox, yankees (9)
indians, tigers (3)
angels, mariners (1)

yankees, tigers (5), mariners (4)

my thoughts

the nl races are still not settled yet, but likely the padres and d'backs are going in as the west winner and wild card. the cubs and brewers will battle it out for the central until the last day i think, but the cardinals have just fallen off the radar the last couple of weeks. expect elimination today or tomorrow. but the east has turned very interesting with the mets collapse, it puts the phillies, and somewhat the braves in a better position than before to steal the east from the mets in the final week. although the braves have a small margin of error, the phillies are now within striking distance.

in the al, only thing really left to see is who clinches the east, the yankees or the red sox. expect all playoff spots to be clinched by sunday night.

[MacNut]

I think the Mets and Phillies might come down to the last week. I don't see the Phillies giving up and I don't think the Mets will pull to far ahead.

The Al east is decided just the placement is up for grabs.

[furcalchick]

so much for false hope. we lose, mets winning big, back to thinking about 2008. i'm also hearing rumors of more payroll cutting. if they do that, i don't think i can trust another big corporation again (see time warner's abuse of us, they got me to distrust mega corps in the first place).

also, cardinals officially eliminated. number update later.

[zioxide]

looks like MacNut's disappeared because his Yankees lost :O


Beckett becomes the majors first 20 game winner since 2005.

[furcalchick]

if you don't know, the devil rays changed their uniforms. here are some links to see the pics and fan opinions. the general consensus is negative, with complaints of being boring, unoriginal, and looking amateurish.

http://raysindex.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-tampa-bay-rays-uniforms.html
http://www.draysbay.com/story/2007/9/20/144345/782
http://www.raysbb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8353

i personally think they are horrible. i like the old unis better.

[swiftaw]

if you don't know, the devil rays changed their uniforms. here are some links to see the pics and fan opinions. the general consensus is negative, with complaints of being boring, unoriginal, and looking amateurish.

http://raysindex.blogspot.com/2007/09/new-tampa-bay-rays-uniforms.html
http://www.draysbay.com/story/2007/9/20/144345/782
http://www.raysbb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=8353

i personally think they are horrible. i like the old unis better.

They look like the Royals unis

Edit: Also, they are now officially the Rays, not the Devil Rays.

[fotografica]

Nice win for the Sox..But cripes Coco,can ya get a single with the bases loaded? Hope they keep it going thru the weekend..Let's see what Gagne does when he comes in a tight spot....

What's everybody's feeling about SF cutting ties with Bonds??

[furcalchick]

nl
mets, phillies (8), braves (4)
cubs, brewers (9)
d'backs, padres (8), rockies (4), dodgers (1)

padres, phillies (8), rockies (6), braves (4), brewers (4), dodgers (3)


al
red sox, yankees (7)
indians, tigers (2)
angels, mariners (1)

yankees, tigers (5), mariners (4)

[MacNut]

looks like MacNut's disappeared because his Yankees lost :O


Beckett becomes the majors first 20 game winner since 2005.Actually I didn't feel like showing up at 2 am. That game never ended. Yankees won today tho in another extra inning game. Those Blue Jays won't roll over.:rolleyes:

Speaking of the Devil Rays, why do they bother to even show up. Just forfeit the game and make it easier. Oh and I hate those vest jerseys that they wear.

And as for Bonds, maybe he will go away now.

[decksnap]

Actually I didn't feel like showing up at 2 am. That game never ended. Yankees won today tho in another extra inning game. Those Blue Jays won't roll over.:rolleyes:

Yeah tell me about it. :mad:

[zioxide]

Red Sox become the first team to clinch a playoff spot today with their win. :D

[Counterfit]

Good! Now it's time to push for best record. Angels lost the last two, and it seems the Yankees are trying to use everyone in their bullpen (7 pitchers in innings 6-8 alone!).

[fotografica]

Nice comeback win for the Sox..Good to see Gagne not do his Mitch William's impression..Keep it rolling...

[swiftaw]

As a sox fan I am trying to decide which team I would rather they face in the first round of the playoffs. They obviously cannot face the Yankees so that leaves the Indians and the Angels. I think that most sox fans would say they would rather face the Indians, but I say I'd rather face the angels. The thought of having to face Sabathia and Carmona in a best of 5 series where they could pitch 3 games isn't that appealing.

[fotografica]

I'd much rather have the Yanks face Anaheim in the first round as their record of late isn't that great against them.I would take our chances against Cleveland. Either way,this time of year,your facing the best picthing that's out there..

[Martin C]

Red Sox become the first team to clinch a playoff spot today with their win. :D
That doesn't mean the Yankees can't still catch 'em.

[swiftaw]

Did you know that this year the AL team with the best record gets a choice of what schedule they want for their first round, the two choices being

Wednesday-Friday-Sunday-Monday-Wednesday
Thursday-Friday-Sunday-Monday-Wednesday

So there are 3 off days in the top schedule, and 2 off days in the 2nd schedule.

Translating that to pitchers on normal rest, the pitchers for each game would be

1-2-3-1-2
1-2-3-4-1

So it does make a difference.

Note 1: Both NL schedules are Wednesday-Thursday-Saturday-Sunday-Tuesday so they have no choice.
Note 2: Next year the NL leader has the choice and both AL series are the same.
Note 3: The team has 1 hour after the game in which they clinch the best record to make their decision.

[furcalchick]

nl
mets, phillies (7), braves (3)
cubs, brewers (6)
d'backs, padres (6), rockies (3)

padres, phillies (8), rockies (6), braves (4), brewers (3), dodgers (2)


al
red sox, yankees (6)
indians, tigers (1)
angels, mariners (1)

yankees, tigers (3), mariners (3)

[zioxide]

That doesn't mean the Yankees can't still catch 'em.

No, but it means that even if the Yankees catch them in the division, the Sox are still guaranteed the wild card.

[wrldwzrd89]

The Indians just beat the Athletics, and became the first MLB team in either league to clinch a division championship. The Angels could also clinch today in their division, if they win.

[zephead]

The Angels just beat Seattle! They're the 2nd team in the majors to clinch their division. :D :D

[MacNut]

As a Yankee fan I would rather play the Indians.

[furcalchick]

nl
mets, phillies (5), braves (2)
cubs, brewers (4)
d'backs, padres (5), rockies (3)

padres, phillies (7), rockies (6), braves (4), brewers (2), dodgers (2)


al
red sox, yankees (6)
indians
angels

yankees, tigers (2), mariners (1)

[Teh Don Ditty]

As a Yankee fan I would rather play the Indians.

Truest. Statement. Ever.

[zephead]

As an Angel fan I would rather play the Yankees. ;)

[MacNut]

At the moment the Indians have the best record. But the top 4 teams are only separated by 2 games.

[zioxide]

Yankees lost today.

How about this Milton Bradley thing? I think the ump should be suspended for starting the argument but Bradley shouldn't have started flipping out like he did.

The Padres manager was also a dumbass for tackling him. He ended up tearing Bradley's ACL and he's going to be out the rest of this year and probably the first couple of months of next year.

[MacNut]

I was just watching highlights of that, It is a known fact that Milton is a hot head and he was going after the ump so Im not sure who to blame.

[Sobe]

I was just watching highlights of that, It is a known fact that Milton is a hot head and he was going after the ump so Im not sure who to blame.

Apparently the ump called him a piece of ***** then lied about his actions when the umps huddled together.

Padres first base coach Bobby Meacham confirmed as much.

Bradley has a history and he is a hot head, but in this case it looks like the ump stepped way over the line.

[MacNut]

The Yankees have clinched at least a tie for the wild card.

[furcalchick]

are the padres trying to choke? losing again, 5-2 to the giants.

[furcalchick]

nl
mets, phillies (5), braves (2)
cubs, brewers (4)
d'backs, padres (4), rockies (3)

padres, phillies (7), rockies (6), braves (4), brewers (2), dodgers (2)


al
red sox, yankees (5)
indians
angels

yankees, tigers (1), mariners (1)

[zioxide]

manny's back :D

and youk came in to pinch hit in the 5th and now he's back at 1B too. :D


3

[furcalchick]

mets lose once again. they better be careful otherwise someone else will take their spot....

but anyway, braves are back in the picture with the padres now on their annual choke job (getting it done early this year).

elimination numbers for al.

al east: red sox, yankees (3)
al wild card: yankees, tigers (1)

seattle is three outs away from being officially eliminated, seeing they are losing and their elimination number is at one.

i'll get to the nl on the regular update later.

[furcalchick]

here is the full update as promised. two more eliminations, with the mariners and dodgers falling out of contention.

nl
mets, phillies (4), braves (2)
cubs, brewers (4)
d'backs, padres (4), rockies (3)

padres, phillies (5), rockies (5), braves (3), brewers (1)


al
red sox, yankees (3)
indians
angels

yankees, tigers (1)

[Counterfit]

Time for my Gold Glove picks/predictions! :D (couldn't bet on this in Vegas, all the votes are in already)
AL
OF: Crisp (142G, 411TC, 1E, 7A, 4DP,) Ichiro (149G, 418TC, 1E, 8A, 3DP,) and Ordoñez (140G, 262TC, 1E, 3A, 2DP) but you could make a case for Torii Hunter (150G, 387TC, 2E, 5A, 0DP) or Grady Sizemore (154G, 392TC, 2E, 4A, 2DP) over Magglio.

3B: Man, messy position this year. Iwamura has the highest FPCT of anyone with 100 games, and it's only .974. It's really a tossup between Lowell (149G, 373TC, 15E (almost triple his total of 2006), 256A, 31DP) and A-Rod (151G, 361TC, 13E, 246A, 30DP). Inge and Beltre might have a shot, both have 18E.

SS: Seems to be Cabrera here (152G, 661TC, 11E, 411A, 104DP), no one really comes close Uribe (145/682/16/431/97), possibly MacDonald, but he's way down on games for my taste.

2B: Another fairly clear one. Polanco has 137G and not one error. Ellis (OAK) and Lopez (SEA) have chances, and do Pedroia and Roberts, but they're all long shots compared to Polanco.

1B: This one also has an errorless player (at least, with a significant number of games), but is less clear cut than 2B. Youkilis is currently on a 185 errorless game streak (since July 5th '06, first base only, doesn't include his time at third and left), 8 away from the MLB record of 193 set by Steve Garvey. In spite of that, Sean Casey, Richie Sexson, and Casey Kotchman have chances at this too. If it wasn't for his injury, I would have expected Doug Mientkiewicz to be in the running too. Interesting to note, Kevin Millar only committed 1 error in just under 100 games at first this season.

NL first base is easy: Todd Helton.

Okay, catcher, pitcher, and the rest of the NL tomorrow. I have class in just over 3 hours. :eek: :(

[aloofman]

Time for my Gold Glove picks/predictions! :D (couldn't bet on this in Vegas, all the votes are in already)
AL
OF: Crisp (142G, 411TC, 1E, 7A, 4DP,) Ichiro (149G, 418TC, 1E, 8A, 3DP,) and Ordoñez (140G, 262TC, 1E, 3A, 2DP) but you could make a case for Torii Hunter (150G, 387TC, 2E, 5A, 0DP) or Grady Sizemore (154G, 392TC, 2E, 4A, 2DP) over Magglio.


I doubt Hunter would lose a GG to Magglio, regardless of whether he deserves it. The GG voters tend to prefer flashy players with a long history of good fielding.

[wrldwzrd89]

I doubt Hunter would lose a GG to Magglio, regardless of whether he deserves it. The GG voters tend to prefer flashy players with a long history of good fielding.
I have to agree - Hunter's made some pretty spectacular fielding plays. Then again, so has Sizemore... gosh, it's tough to decide.

[Counterfit]

Yeah, Hunter played 10 more games, and has 125 more chances, and only 1 more error, so he's probably moe likely to win, assuming the managers and coaches looked as closely as I did (doubtful).

[MacNut]

NEW YORK -- Umpire Mike Winters, who was involved in a dispute with San Diego Padres outfielder Milton Bradley in which Bradley injured his knee, has been suspended by Major League Baseball for the remainder of the regular season.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3037237NEW YORK -- The ball Barry Bonds hit for his record-breaking 756th home run will be branded with an asterisk and sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fashion designer Marc Ecko, who bought the ball in an online auction, set up a Web site for fans to vote on the ball's fate, and Wednesday announced the decision to brand it won out over the other options -- sending it to Cooperstown unblemished or launching it into space.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3036756

[zioxide]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3037237http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3036756

good and good. :D

[MacNut]

Why did the Red Sox start at 5?

[furcalchick]

Why did the Red Sox start at 5?

don't know. all i know is the elimination number is likely to be 2 if they keep the lead, which is currently 10-5 in the seventh.

[zioxide]

2

[xsedrinam]

Well, I'm out of NL teams to pull for this year. It was the Cards, then LA. Should I side for the Cubbies? I'll miss the emotional banter with MacNut during the Series, but will be glad to chime in and pull against Boston or NYY if either shows up. :p

[MacNut]

The Yankees are just innings away from a birth in the playoffs.:)

[fotografica]

2

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g301/Captainandcoke/beerchug.gif http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g301/Captainandcoke/bounce.gif

[MacNut]

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g301/Captainandcoke/beerchug.gif http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g301/Captainandcoke/bounce.gifDoesn't matter, the past few years the champion has been from the wild card. Plus the fact that you guys blew a 14 game lead.:p

[fotografica]

Doesn't matter, the past few years the champion has been from the wild card. Plus the fact that you guys blew a 14 game lead.:p

Ahhhh,rationalizing at its finest..Hope you have as much confidence in your starting pitching..Esp if you face Anaheim,which has owned the Yanks..

[MacNut]

Ahhhh,rationalizing at its finest..Hope you have as much confidence in your starting pitching..Esp if you face Anaheim,which has owned the Yanks..Im more confident in my pitching then the Red Sox are in theirs.

[fotografica]

Im more confident in my pitching then the Red Sox are in theirs.

Great..Another round of grape Kool Aid...

[decksnap]

Doesn't matter, the past few years the champion has been from the wild card. Plus the fact that you guys blew a 14 game lead.:p

Come on Mr. Sour grapes. That's just sad.

And they didn't blow a 14 game lead unless they lose the division.

[MacNut]

Come on Mr. Sour grapes. That's just sad.

And they didn't blow a 14 game lead unless they lose the division.No sour grapes here, plus the division is not won yet. The Red Sox had plenty of times to put away the Yankees this year and they let them come right back in and grab a playoff spot.

[nickster9224]

Well, I'm out of NL teams to pull for this year. It was the Cards, then LA. Should I side for the Cubbies? I'll miss the emotional banter with MacNut during the Series, but will be glad to chime in and pull against Boston or NYY if either shows up. :p

id go with the d backs. i hate the cubs, of course ima sox fan.

[zioxide]

No sour grapes here, plus the division is not won yet. The Red Sox had plenty of times to put away the Yankees this year and they let them come right back in and grab a playoff spot.

That's not the Sox fault, they've been consistent all year.

The Yankees have just been ridiculous since the all star break.

But don't lie, you're probably sitting there crying because your Yankees aren't going to win the division.

[iKwick7]

That's not the Sox fault, they've been consistent all year.

The Yankees have just been ridiculous since the all star break.

But don't lie, you're probably sitting there crying because your Yankees aren't going to win the division.

I tear I'm happy to shed.

Currently 12-4. A good enough way to make it into the playoffs, I'd say.

[MacNut]

I can't complain with 13 trips to the post season in a row. Once you get there its a whole new ball game. There are tears but they are tears of joy.:):cool:

[Koodauw]

Wild card or division winner doesnt matter once Oct. starts, I think the key here is resting up, and setting up your starting pitching. All 4 of the AL playoff teams are very good. Should be a great Oct. As long as the Yankees win that is.

[zephead]

The Yankees are just innings away from a birth in the playoffs.:)

Ack... And just 2 months ago my dream of a Yankee-free postseason seemed somewhat realistic. :D

[MacNut]

Ack... And just 2 months ago my dream of a Yankee-free postseason seemed somewhat realistic. :DFunny, a week ago I was thinking the same thing about the Red Sox.:p

[furcalchick]

al playoff drama is for the most part over, only seeding is left to determine. i'll break out an elimination number block for hfa in the al in the morning, but now, we have the nl numbers.

nl
mets, phillies (4), braves (1)
cubs, brewers (3)
d'backs, padres (4), rockies (3)

padres, phillies (4), rockies (4), braves (1)

al east: red sox, yankees (2)

[Counterfit]

Wild card or division winner doesnt matter once Oct. starts,
Well, yeah, it does. home field advantage in the first two rounds, plus best overall gets to pick their ALDS schedule.
The Red Sox had plenty of times to put away the Yankees this year and they let them come right back in and grab a playoff spot.

I fail to see how Seattle and Detroit tanking at the end are the responsibility of the Red Sox. While the Yankees have the best record since the break, I think the Sox are third in that same category.

[fotografica]

Who cares who's hot in July/August?All that matters is who heats up now and the next couple weeks...

[xsedrinam]

Who cares who's hot in July/August?All that matters is who heats up now and the next couple weeks...
That's really what it boils up to. Teams earn the right to get hot or not, at the end. The Rockies are hot hot, but it may be too little too late.

[MacNut]

That's really what it boils up to. Teams earn the right to get hot or not, at the end. The Rockies are hot hot, but it may be too little too late.And the Mets are not, losing again letting the Phillies gain another game. By the looks of it the Mets might miss the playoffs.

[furcalchick]

That's really what it boils up to. Teams earn the right to get hot or not, at the end. The Rockies are hot hot, but it may be too little too late.

that nl west is looking like a three team race with both the padres and rockies getting hot and the dbacks failing to clinch. too bad one of them isn't going to make it. in fact, none of the nl races are over, but i'm most interested in seeing the east race and wanting the hated mets to win the east (there's a reason for that).

but as far as al hfa goes, boston and cleveland are tied now, and the angels are a bit behind. and also, all the nl teams have worse records than the yankees right now, so it's not a big deal the al gets hfa, it's like its supposed to be (best record gets hfa bud!).

[Martin C]

And the Mets are letting it happen again. The Phils are winning and the Mets are losing again.

The Yankees are winning and Boston is losing.

[furcalchick]

And the Mets are letting it happen again. The Phils are winning and the Mets are losing again.

for some reason, i feel sorry for mets fans...yuck, i've been in new york too long, need to leave.

also, braves officially done with that loss to the phillies.

[MacNut]

Yankees win Red Sox lose, back to 2 games,
Phillies win Mets lose, 87 wins 72 losses a piece.

[Counterfit]

Hmm, I feel for Pedro, but go Phillies I guess.

[twoodcc]

Hmm, I feel for Pedro, but go Phillies I guess.

yeah i agree. even though i really don't want either team to win though. to bad the braves are out. maybe chipper can still win the batting title.

[furcalchick]

nl
mets (4), phillies (4)
cubs, brewers (2)
d'backs, padres (3), rockies (2)

padres, phillies (3), rockies (3), mets (3)

al east: red sox, yankees (2)

it could be too little, too late for the rockies. i'm hoping for a d'backs meltdown so both the padres and rockies can go in.

[twoodcc]

nl
mets (4), phillies (4)
cubs, brewers (2)
d'backs, padres (3), rockies (2)

padres, phillies (3), rockies (3), mets (3)

al east: red sox, yankees (2)

it could be too little, too late for the rockies. i'm hoping for a d'backs meltdown so both the padres and rockies can go in.

i wouldn't mind seeing the rockies make it.....but the chances aren't looking too good

[furcalchick]

i wouldn't mind seeing the rockies make it.....but the chances aren't looking too good

a sweep against the dbacks and a couple of padres/(phillies or mets) losses can help their cause. they can still win the west being only 2 games back.

[Jschultz]

I hope the Cubs choke, like they always do.

I'm a white sox fan, and I hate to see the Cubs do well. I was rejoicing when they got swept. Unfortunately, the Brewers are beating themselves up. It's frustrating to see teams play in the NL central. They all suck, it's like watching AAA baseball.

And yes, I know the Sox suck this year, but it doesn't look like the NL central plays MUCH better.

[MacNut]

nl
mets (4), phillies (4)
cubs, brewers (2)
d'backs, padres (3), rockies (2)

padres, phillies (3), rockies (3), mets (3)

al east: red sox, yankees (2)

it could be too little, too late for the rockies. i'm hoping for a d'backs meltdown so both the padres and rockies can go in.How can the Mets/Phillies number be 4 if there are only 3 games left. If the Phillies sweep this weekend they are in the playoffs.

Ok what happens if the wild card team has a better record then the west division team. As it stands now the Indians and Red Sox are tied and the Yankees and Angels are tied.

Ok when looking at last years standings the Tigers were the wild card and had a better record ten Oakland.

Also no team this year will have 100 losses. Is the league getting stronger or are certain teams getting weaker?

[furcalchick]

How can the Mets/Phillies number be 4 if there are only 3 games left. If the Phillies sweep this weekend they are in the playoffs.

if the phillies and mets theoretically won all their games left, we would still have a tie in the division. the mets/phillies need to lose one game in case the other sweeps to win the division outright.

Ok what happens if the wild card team has a better record then the west division team. As it stands now the Indians and Red Sox are tied and the Yankees and Angels are tied.

Ok when looking at last years standings the Tigers were the wild card and had a better record ten Oakland.

wild cards get no hfa in the playoffs (i think this is fair), thus we see mediocre teams have hfa over great wild card teams.

Also no team this year will have 100 losses. Is the league getting stronger or are certain teams getting weaker?

although we don't have a 100 loss team, we have 5 90+ loss teams already and that number could double when the season is over. i think we have a bit more parity in the league, no really great teams, no really bad ones, but a bunch of average ones. the gap between the poor teams and great teams isn't that big compared to the past few years. bad teams like the nats and royals are a bit stronger, while the yankees, mets, etc are a bit weaker. and i think the gap is a bit wider in the al than the nl.

[MacNut]

If the Mets and Phillies end in a tie the team with the better head to head record would win. The Phillies have beaten the Mets during the season so they win the Division and the Mets would have to fight for the wild card and possibly a play in game Monday.

[furcalchick]

If the Mets and Phillies end in a tie the team with the better head to head record would win. The Phillies have beaten the Mets during the season so they win the Division and the Mets would have to fight for the wild card and possibly a play in game Monday.

talking about that, can someone post the head to head records for the following teams? thanks.

cubs-brewers
mets-phillies
dbacks-padres
dbacks-rockies
padres-rockies

[furcalchick]

division tiebreaker scenarios (winners in bold)

cubs-brewers
mets-phillies
dbacks-padres
dbacks-rockies (8-7 rockies with three to go, but rockies must sweep to stay in nl west)
padres-rockies
yankees-red sox

series to watch this weekend

twins vs. red sox
yankees vs. orioles
nationals vs. phillies
cubs vs. reds
marlins vs. mets (i'll be watching this one personally)
d'backs vs. rockies
padres vs. brewers
indians vs. royals
angels vs. a's

[aloofman]

If the Mets and Phillies end in a tie the team with the better head to head record would win. The Phillies have beaten the Mets during the season so they win the Division and the Mets would have to fight for the wild card and possibly a play in game Monday.

Head-to-head results are only used to break a tie if both teams have clinched playoff berths, to decide which team wins the division and which gets the wild card berth. It would apply to the Red Sox and Yankees this year if they finish the season with identical records and it's how the Padres and Dodgers both made the playoffs last year.

But if two teams finish in a tie for a division lead and neither has a good enough record to be the wild card winner, it's still a one-game playoff, with coin flips determining home-field advantage weeks ago. Ditto if two teams finished tied for a wild-card berth.

[furcalchick]

yankees and brewers elimination numbers both down to one in their respective divisions. cubs and red sox just won. yankees may live for another day for their division, but padres are leading the brewers, so the beer makers may be done.

phillies win, and mets losing (again). what a choke. mets elimination number will be down to 2 if this doesn't change.

rockies likely to be too little, too late in terms for playoffs. about to be put out of the nl west race, and probably down to their last licks in the wild card race.

and speaking of such, padres could clinch the wild card tomorrow if this holds up.

[MacNut]

I'd rather win the wild card and face the Indians.:cool:

[Martin C]

Phillies won and the Mets on their way to losing again.

[Teh Don Ditty]

Go Phillies! :D

[furcalchick]

Phillies won and the Mets on their way to losing again.

the mets are such a joke...this is fun. the mut fans are losing it, and i love seeing those cocky mut fans eat it as they are stuck at home in october like us. at least i get one thing i like in these playoffs, the hated mets not in it! their elimination number is 2 now.

[Sobe]

the mets are such a joke...this is fun.

how can you not root for the phils?

I have no horse in this race so I am adopting them.

[Teh Don Ditty]

I just want to see the collapse in all it's glory.

My
Entire
Team
Sucks

:D

They are officially 1 GB

[zioxide]

woooooooooooooooo

[DZ/015]

The Red Sox have just won the AL east! About time.

Gotta love the video showing the players spraying the fans with champagne at Fenway.

Oh yeah, Yankees suck!!!:)

[furcalchick]

cubs and red sox both clinch. rest of the elimination numbers.

nl east: phillies, mets (2)
nl west: d'backs, padres (2)
nl wild card: padres, rockies (1), mets (1)

looks like everything is clearing up now. i'm not sure about this, but i think the d'backs clinched a playoff spot...

[Teh Don Ditty]

D-backs did clinch a playoff spot. 2 more spots up for grabs!

[MacNut]

The Red Sox have just won the AL east! About time.

Gotta love the video showing the players spraying the fans with champagne at Fenway.

Oh yeah, Yankees suck!!!:)Remember Divisions don't win championships.:p

There is 1 team to beat and its not the Red Sox.

[Sun Baked]

D-backs did clinch a playoff spot. 2 more spots up for grabs!

Worst scoring team to make the playoffs this year. :eek:

Don't think they will be able to end the year anything other than outscored. :(

[MacNut]

This should make your head hurt.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3038686

[furcalchick]

This should make your head hurt.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3038686

i think by this time tomorrow, none of that will matter. another padres win has them sealing up a playoff spot, and with the mets freefalling, there's a chance they end the east tomorrow.