American League Baseball

With the trade dead line coming up here what I hope my teams do for trades.

Giants- Unless Robb Nen comes with his super hero cape and says "nobody fear Nen is hear" they will plain and simple need a closer. I like Herges, class act who pitches his butt off but he just isnt the same pitcher as a closer than as a set up pitcher as his pitches are all up which isnt good when hes a semi ground ball pitcher. If they dont get a closer I would like to see Scott Eyre as the closer as hes been the best Giants bullpen pitcher and as a lefty has a crazy average against right handed batters as their hitting .146 off him. 😖
They also need another starting pitcher because if they get to the playoffs theres only two pitchers that I know will show up which would be Schmidt and Woody (Rueter). Woody's having a terrible year but hes a big game pitcher and he usually gives a good 7 inning effort in big games. I dont think they can do both, let alone one so I really dont think the Giants will do anything big in the playoffs if they make the playoffs.

A's- Somewhat the same thing as the Giants. They dont need another closer as Dotel has done a good job, but they need another reliable reliever. Both Bradford and Rincoln have been terrible this year, which is mindbongling since they had been some of the better set up guys the last couple of years. Ill still give Bradford the benefit of the doubt because during the Boston series he was unhittable.
I wouldnt be suprised if Zito gets traded as the As want to use Harden for the playoffs as he could and I do specify could, be even better than Huddy and Mulder and theres a guy in the A's triple AAA system "Go RiverCats😄" that is ready to start for the A's. I think the A's have a better shot at winning in the playoffs than the Giants but unless they do something to that erratic bullpen the only place they will be headed is to another 1st round exit.

if this trade actually happens (i hope to god it doesnt) is there a team out there who can beat them in a 7 game series?

I still like bostons chances in the playoffs if they get their shit together and secure the wild card.. but if the big unit goes to NY.. its gonne be ugly

Originally posted by forumcrew
if this trade actually happens (i hope to god it doesnt) is there a team out there who can beat them in a 7 game series?

I still like bostons chances in the playoffs if they get their shit together and secure the wild card.. but if the big unit goes to NY.. its gonne be ugly

If the deal happens the Yankees will be very tough to beat. The team that I would like the best would be like you said Boston because with Schilling, Pedro, Wakefield starting and with that bullpen Boston is really built for the postseason if their defense can become at least decent.

But with all that said even if the Yankees got Randy we still dont know how Vasquez will react to playoff pressure, if Kevin Brown will hold up and I really other than the 2001 world series Randy has struggled in the postseason. The Yankees also base a lot of there offense on home runs and to me that can be a savior because your never out of a game but also a sin because guys wont look to do little plays that are so critical in playoff games as pitcher have more time to figure out hitters weaknesses.

Also badsymbiote do you know anything about the new guy on the M's whos hit 3 homers in his first 6 at bats. I mean my God is that guy huge, he makes Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi look like David Eckstein.
😖

Originally posted by forumcrew
wow are you mistaken.. mainly the pitching part.. randy johnson, clemons, chilling, pedro, wood, prior, mulder... shall i continue? there are great pitchers.. and they would pitch to bonds more if he wasnt that good.. look there isnt proff he does steriods so im not gonna call him guilty.. and even if he did... so do others and they arnt half the hitter he is how do you explain that? he has the highest BA in the NL (im pretty sure atleast) and hes the best power hitter.. its because he has a great swing fast bat speed and he sees the pitch better then almost anyone.. steriods may help him build strength to hit it a little farther but when you hit it as far as he does you can take 50 feet off most of his HR and they would still be out... all the old greats even said they dont think steriods make a big difference...

lets look at some greats like say Hank Aaron:
G: 3,298
AB: 12,364
BB: 1,402
SB: 240
HR: 755
OPB: .379

Bonds:
G: 2,646
AB: 8,914
BB: 2,201
SB: 503
HR: 681
OBP: .439

the main point here is look what bonds accomplished in less time then aaron did

and currently this season:
Ranks 1st in NL in BA (.365) • Ranks 3rd in NL in HR (23)
• Ranks 3rd in NL in R (71) • Ranks 1st in NL in BB (131)
• Ranks 1st in NL in OBP (.628) • Ranks 1st in NL in SLG (.794)
• Ranks 1st in NL in OPS (1.421)

this is just a few numbers.. but seriously dont talk down bonds with random insults when his number and performance speak for themselves.. he is great and will go down as one of the best

Pretty hard to argue with a good page of stats, eh, Parker? Excellent work, forumcrew--and I probably shouldn't say this, but I'm more than just a little turned on by the compilation and the effort.

Originally posted by forumcrew
this is a game some of the guys on espn do im sure some of you have seen it..

over/under

simply stat whether you think the player or team will end the season over or under the number ill list a few we can start with:

Bonds 50 homeruns
Clemons 20 Wins
Rollen 150 RBIs
Pudge .350 BA

i say.. under cause of walks and he only hit 42 last year when they still kinda pitched to him
under or maybe right at 20 astros have not been playing well laitly
rollen over the cardinals are great this year and a ton of great hitters... i think they stay hot all season
Pudge...over if he stays 100% but catching everyday is very tiring (i used to do it) hes hitting .367 now so hopefully he can sustain it.. tigers winning games?! its a strange season

under
just under
over
over (I hope)

*As long as the Giants have even the slightest possibility for post-season contention, Bonds won't get anything to hit on a consistent basis.
*It seems that the best way to get Clemons to do something is to tell him he can't--he's great under pressure, most of the time, anyway.
*I've always loved the Cards--and I really hope they can finish this season at the pace they're on now--they have had such a weak post-season presence the last few years, and have just been hovering on the brink of success. And great hitting is contagious...
*Pudge is one of those guys whose hitting doesn't suffer terribly when he takes time off, though, like so many other catchers. He takes a day off, but doesn't miss a beat when he steps back into the box--and he's a real leader by example.

That was fun, forumcrew--thanks. Are you gonna make us another list?

Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove
If the deal happens the Yankees will be very tough to beat. The team that I would like the best would be like you said Boston because with Schilling, Pedro, Wakefield starting and with that bullpen Boston is really built for the postseason if their defense can become at least decent.

But with all that said even if the Yankees got Randy we still dont know how Vasquez will react to playoff pressure, if Kevin Brown will hold up and I really other than the 2001 world series Randy has struggled in the postseason. The Yankees also base a lot of there offense on home runs and to me that can be a savior because your never out of a game but also a sin because guys wont look to do little plays that are so critical in playoff games as pitcher have more time to figure out hitters weaknesses.

Also badsymbiote do you know anything about the new guy on the M's whos hit 3 homers in his first 6 at bats. I mean my God is that guy huge, he makes Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi look like David Eckstein.
😖

Well, first, it looks as if it would be easier to turn water into wine than to pull off the RJ trade--the main reason being the lack of talent to offer to compensate for the Unit. I mean, for sure, cash would go with the deal, but are the D-Backs willing to part with a still currently-happy and healthy Johnson for a gaggle of young prospects? We'll soon see.

And, the M's new jr. super-star du jour is Bucky Jacobsen, who has a disciplined swing to enhance his big, Jay Buhner-esque physique. I think he's about 28 years old, if memory serves, and he hit more HRs than he played games last year. I think he hit like 87 or something.
His appearance and immediate impact is very reminiscent of the young kid we drafted back in 1995 named Shane Monahan--he was extremely versatile, too, and just as clutch. The first few games he played, he batted a thousand--and he was called up several times during the course of the couple of seasons he was in the system, and each time he produced the same type of results. But he was just being used until someone came off the DL, and it angered me the way we treated a kid who played his ass off and still got sent down. Kind of like Scott Podsednik and so many others. The newest cast-off is Hiram Bocachica, who was designated for assignment today, much to my dismay, and his disbelief. (He's the guy who stole that HR off the wall 4 or 5 days ago)
Taking Bocachica's spot on the roster is yet another unproven minor-league pitcher--a leftie. I'm betting that he doesn't even last a month--in fact, my instincts say 2-3 weeks, and I'm hardly ever wrong about this kind of stuff. It pisses me off, because all season long, we've need more offense and defense, and now we got a little bit, and we're just gonna disgruntle some of our talent and send it away. Effin' front office.

Originally posted by badsymbiote
And, the M's new jr. super-star du jour is Bucky Jacobsen, who has a disciplined swing to enhance his big, Jay Buhner-esque physique. I think he's about 28 years old, if memory serves, and he hit more HRs than he played games last year. I think he hit like 87 or something.
His appearance and immediate impact is very reminiscent of the young kid we drafted back in 1995 named Shane Monahan--he was extremely versatile, too, and just as clutch. The first few games he played, he batted a thousand--and he was called up several times during the course of the couple of seasons he was in the system, and each time he produced the same type of results. But he was just being used until someone came off the DL, and it angered me the way we treated a kid who played his ass off and still got sent down. Kind of like Scott Podsednik and so many others. The newest cast-off is Hiram Bocachica, who was designated for assignment today, much to my dismay, and his disbelief. (He's the guy who stole that HR off the wall 4 or 5 days ago)
Taking Bocachica's spot on the roster is yet another unproven minor-league pitcher--a leftie. I'm betting that he doesn't even last a month--in fact, my instincts say 2-3 weeks, and I'm hardly ever wrong about this kind of stuff. It pisses me off, because all season long, we've need more offense and defense, and now we got a little bit, and we're just gonna disgruntle some of our talent and send it away. Effin' front office.

The stuff about Monahan reminds me in Money Ball where if their's something wrong with the appearance of a player like if hes too big, fat or skinny the player will have a much tougher time getting to and staying in the big leages than a guy who isnt as good but has a great build will likely have more of a chance to stay.

sure let me come up with a couple here..

but first off go M's beating the A's so far tonight
and congrats to Edgar on i believe his 2,000 game tonight.. as bad as the M's are doing they need to leave him in the line up if hes healthy just let him finish out his carear playing the most he can.. afterall hes helped carry them for 18 seasons

strangelove your talkin about Bucky Jacobson I think on the M's.. and hes only 28 which means they will keep him until he really develops good then trade him off for a senior citizen!

one more note on the M's Freddy got another win for the sox today now hes at 8-8

ok now some over//unders

Expos in D.C. (ok this one is In//Out)
Braves 13 straight divison titles
Seattle 2 10 game winners (moyer has 6, Pinero 5)
Seattle 1 world series APPEARANCE in next 5 years
Pujols 500 home run club member (hes 24 with 141)
Alex Rodriguez 755 career home runs (28 with 375ish)

Originally posted by forumcrew

Expos in D.C. (ok this one is In//Out)
Braves 13 straight divison titles
Seattle 2 10 game winners (moyer has 6, Pinero 5)
Seattle 1 world series APPEARANCE in next 5 years
Pujols 500 home run club member (hes 24 with 141)
Alex Rodriguez 755 career home runs (28 with 375ish)

IN

Over.. they are tied for 1st and they have the experience and drive to take it this year.. all though i dont think they will make it 14

Over (fire melvin pleaseeeeeeee) but im being nice when i say this and i dont mean more then 2 pitchers i mean 10 or more wins for 2 of them.. cause god knows none of the other starters will win 10

Under even when they were great they couldnt reach it.. its not happening for a long time 🙁

Over I think this kid is GREAT and as long as he stays healthy will go a long way in MLB and could actually have a shot at the 600 or 700 mark

Over if he is healthy and wants to play long enough.. at his pace hed be over before hes 40.. i think him and Pujols are the only active players who have a good shot at the record other the ofcourse my man Bonds

all i know is that the tigers better pick up some relief pitchin if that want to get in the post season

expos in D.C-IN..i think that could be a good baseball city
braves-over..they way there playin there really started to hit a stride and chipper jones is comin around plus they got arguably the best manager in baseball and that knew cat in left field can really play some D which takes pressure off andruw jones
seattle..i'm gonna say under...i know next to nothin about seattle but i have seen moyer pitch and know hes got the goods but i'm not sure about pinera
seattle..i say under again coz it looks like there gonna need to rebuild
pujos-over i thint thats a no brainer
a-rod- i say over...i think all he needs to do is avoid injuries and so far he has seems to be doin a good job of that

In

UNDER, UNDER, UNDER- please who ever is up their in the heavens please dont subject me to another year of the "tomahawk chop"😘

Over

Under

Over

Under

And another reason Oakland wont win in the playoffs is Macha has Bakerities with his managing his bullpen. And Crosby catch that damn ball.

Originally posted by forumcrew
sure let me come up with a couple here..

but first off go M's beating the A's so far tonight
and congrats to Edgar on i believe his 2,000 game tonight.. as bad as the M's are doing they need to leave him in the line up if hes healthy just let him finish out his carear playing the most he can.. afterall hes helped carry them for 18 seasons

strangelove your talkin about Bucky Jacobson I think on the M's.. and hes only 28 which means they will keep him until he really develops good then trade him off for a senior citizen!

one more note on the M's Freddy got another win for the sox today now hes at 8-8

ok now some over//unders

Expos in D.C. (ok this one is In//Out)
Braves 13 straight divison titles
Seattle 2 10 game winners (moyer has 6, Pinero 5)
Seattle 1 world series APPEARANCE in next 5 years
Pujols 500 home run club member (hes 24 with 141)
Alex Rodriguez 755 career home runs (28 with 375ish)

Hooray for Freddy, and a big thumbs up to forumcrew--cuz now I don't have to turn on Sportscenter, and I can do this instead.

*In--but it sucks. I love the fact that somebody north of the border gives enough of a crap about the game to watch it.
*Under. I hate Atlanta, and their pitching is good but nowhere near the level that it was during their 90's streak of total domination. Russ Ortiz is still proving that he was no risky off-season acquisition. Good for him.
*Over. At least it had better be over, since two years ago, we were looking at having two 20 game winners in Moyer and Garcia. Since there are many relievers who will win 10 or more, I don't think it's beyond the realm of absolute EXPECTATION.
*Under. I gotta be realistic. You can't build a good team by systematically dismanteling a pre-existing GREAT team.
*Over. Pujols is amazing. Absolutely incredible. A great role-model, with a fantastic work ethic, and a true team player.
*Over. A-rod is the total package, though his attitude has been notably affected by the shabby treatment he recieves from media and fans alike. I saw the deal the M's offered him--it was sh*t. A 2 year deal, with a club option for a 3rd. Bullsh*t. It still pisses me off. He was gonna be the highest paid player wherever he went, but people only ever mention the money. What he wanted was a home. A future. And Seattle told him to bend over and grab his ankles. I would have left, too--hell, anyone in their right mind would have done the same thing.
A-rod is the total package. He works and practices diligently, is a good teammate, an excellent fielder, a superb hitter, has great reflexes, and great knowledge and respect for the game. He rarely gets injured, but can have an imposing physical presence as well. And he's gonna hit the hell out of the ball as long as he plays. He doesn't know how to play the game any other way.

Originally posted by badsymbiote

And, the M's new jr. super-star du jour is Bucky Jacobsen, who has a disciplined swing to enhance his big, Jay Buhner-esque physique. I think he's about 28 years old, if memory serves, and he hit more HRs than he played games last year. I think he hit like 87 or something.

87 home runs? was he in the minor leagues last year or is he from a different country? cause i never heard of him and i thought i would of heard about someone hitting 87 home runs whether it be in the majors or minors.

Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove

And another reason Oakland wont win in the playoffs is Macha has Bakerities with his managing his bullpen. And Crosby catch that damn ball.

As much as I hate the A's I gotta give them credit for staying tie with the Halos in AL West. Despite Hudson's injury and Zito's pitching they've manage to be competitive. Crosby? A's shoulda kept Miggy. But that's something that Billy Beane kept pondering for too long. Speaking of the A's GM this is the right time for him to go after Olerud. The Mariners just released him.

Originally posted by WindDancer
As much as I hate the A's I gotta give them credit for staying tie with the Halos in AL West. Despite Hudson's injury and Zito's pitching they've manage to be competitive. Crosby? A's shoulda kept Miggy. But that's something that Billy Beane kept pondering for too long. Speaking of the A's GM this is the right time for him to go after Olerud. The Mariners just released him.

Im not a happy camper when my team is losing so sometimes I make dumb comments.

I love Miggy, but there was no way the A's couldve kept him mostly because of the A's cheap ass owner and it wouldve kept Crosby in the minors. Also Miggy is very clutch but theres a reason Mr. Billy Beane called him "mister swing at everything" in Moneyball and when you have that nickname you usually going to have trouble during the playoffs. Also although Crosby has made a lot of dumb errors, but for a rookie hes been excellent at the plate after his slow start and it was Chavez who they wanted to sign for the long contract and if he ever starts believing in himself he will become one of the best players in the game.

I somewhat doubt the A's would get Olerud because where would he play. Hes not replacing Hatterberg at 1st base or Durazo at DH, unless hes okay being a bench player I dont see him playing for the A's.

Originally posted by DanZeke25
87 home runs? was he in the minor leagues last year or is he from a different country? cause i never heard of him and i thought i would of heard about someone hitting 87 home runs whether it be in the majors or minors.

Yeah--he'd been in the M's farm system and had been making quite a bit of noise in the minors, and was surprisingly only called up this year for the first time. Jacobsen hit 87 hrs in 80 games last year. You gotta respect the hell out of that. He's now filling in the DH spot, and he's not thrilled about taking at-bats away from Edgar, but he also understands that this is the opportunity he's waited for all his life, and he's not about to squander it.

But I actually came on here right now to talk about the Yankees and BoSox, whose game I'm currently watching over my shoulder. Varitek and A-Rod just got ejected for engaging in a scuffle after A-Rod was hit by a pitch. I love both of those guys, and to see them get down was a real thing of beauty. Playing in NY is going to make Rodriguez MUCH grittier, and it's nice to see him make the adjustment so easily.

God, I effin' love this game.

Originally posted by Dr. Strangelove
Im not a happy camper when my team is losing so sometimes I make dumb comments.

I love Miggy, but there was no way the A's couldve kept him mostly because of the A's cheap ass owner and it wouldve kept Crosby in the minors. Also Miggy is very clutch but theres a reason Mr. Billy Beane called him "mister swing at everything" in Moneyball and when you have that nickname you usually going to have trouble during the playoffs. Also although Crosby has made a lot of dumb errors, but for a rookie hes been excellent at the plate after his slow start and it was Chavez who they wanted to sign for the long contract and if he ever starts believing in himself he will become one of the best players in the game.

I somewhat doubt the A's would get Olerud because where would he play. Hes not replacing Hatterberg at 1st base or Durazo at DH, unless hes okay being a bench player I dont see him playing for the A's.

Oly's a total class act--staright up. A true gentleman and a real team player. He's versatile, a great fielder, and is rock-solid at 1st. He'd make a great compliment as a backup to Hatteberg, to make sure he stays fresh down the stretch. Somebody'll snag him within a week.

He'd be happy to come in off the bench, I assure you. You'd be hard-pressed to find a more agreeable man in the game. And I'd love it if he could stay on the West coast. I'm sure he would, too.

On a side note, they yanked Tanyen Sturtze who looked shaky in his inning after the brawl--he's just a kid still, so I could see how it would get to him. Still, if he wants to play for the Yanks, he'd better get used to it. That crowd at Fenway can be downright hostile.

Oh, man. This licks. Hard. I can't believe the Yankees lost this game, and the Sox are celebrating like they just one the ALCS or something.
It was a great game, though, and they did battle hard. Guess they earned it, but it still blows. bet you're happy about it, Strangelove, aren't you a big BoSox fan?

im happy about it, because i just dont like the yankess that much

you guys were talking about the angels keepin even with the A's but at this point they are both lettin texas pull away.. and besides we all know seattle is gonna make a late run and win it all... 😆

Originally posted by badsymbiote
Oh, man. This licks. Hard. I can't believe the Yankees lost this game, and the Sox are celebrating like they just one the ALCS or something.
It was a great game, though, and they did battle hard. Guess they earned it, but it still blows. bet you're happy about it, Strangelove, aren't you a big BoSox fan?

Just saw the highlights wow amazing game. I said in another thread that all Sox Yanks games should be nationally televised and this only proved it.

This could be a huge game for the BoSox if they can also win tomorrow because it would finally be a positive spark in them because as you know how the boston fans and media sometimes dont always believe in the that team when things go wrong.😉

Yeah the BoSox are probably my 3rd favorite mostly because it would be cool if they ever beat the Bambino and I just loved the atmosphere when I went to Fenway even if it was a rain out game. 🙁