Official 2011 MLB Thread - Part 1

[The Incredible Hulk]

so do the Twilight movies. Point?

Plus, it's not like you have another option if you're a basketball fan. You're sort of stuck with the NBA and their thugs, poor fundamental skills, ridiculous contracts, and complete lack of parity.

 

[Alex The Great]

And baseball doesn't have lack of parity and ridiculous contracts?

Irony overload

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

so do the Twilight movies. Point?

Plus, it's not like you have another option if you're a basketball fan. You're sort of stuck with the NBA and their thugs, poor fundamental skills, ridiculous contracts, and complete lack of parity.

So do fans of the Incredible Hulk. Point?

I would like to shift the conversation to something baseball related.

I love this guy right now which isn't to say I don't always love him but he's off to a start that affirms his potential as a super-duper star. He's cut his strikeout rate in half, he's hitting for power, hitting with scalding line drives, taking patient at bats until he finds his pitch to crush.

He is the one, the only, the Upton of Justin.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13723163

 

[bored]

Chen's been in the league for 15 years now and just got to his 50th career win. He has a career ERA of 4.60 and a K/BB ratio of 1.80. He's also worn almost as many jerseys as Phil Neikro.

The guy is terrible.

Hey, someone else doesn't buy into him being a reincarnated Cy Young. Yay.

The guy's been playing the best ball of his career (I know, I know, that can't sound like it's saying much) over the last year. Don't get so upset when the people who actually watch him play now are actually giving him some credit.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

The guy's been playing the best ball of his career (I know, I know, that can't sound like it's saying much) over the last year. Don't get so upset when the people who actually watch him play now are actually giving him some credit.

I believe he's been pitching well to start the season, but I think it's a good idea not to overrate said hot (or cold. Yes and no. In and out. Up and down) start. Such is the flaw of judging small sample sizes early on in the year. Everyone does it.

Willie Bloomquist has been a scrappy hitting and stolen base machine for Arizona thus far. His career norms do not indicate that such a hot start will last forever and it won't. I do however hope it continues as long as possible before the suckiness sets in.

 

[bored]

Depends. Is Willie being used every day, or just as a utility man to pop in two or three times a week at best? If it's the latter, he'll keep it up as long as needed. If it's every day, then he'll tire out.

And with Chen, on the same token, don't underrate it. He wasn't stellar when he first joined the Royals either, but he clicked with them over the latter half of the last season, and seems to be continuing that this year so far. Believe me, I know what it's like to watch a streaky pitcher in action (Brian Bannister, anyone? Or Mark Redman?).

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

Depends. Is Willie being used every day, or just as a utility man to pop in two or three times a week at best? If it's the latter, he'll keep it up as long as needed. If it's every day, then he'll tire out.

So far he's played almost every day and batting leadoff. Right now it's working as he's hitting .316 with 7 stolen bases and only caught once. It's indicative of the fact that the team has been attempting to steal a lot more early on, but Willie has been running more often than everyone else.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

And with Chen, on the same token, don't underrate it. He wasn't stellar when he first joined the Royals either, but he clicked with them over the latter half of the last season, and seems to be continuing that this year so far. Believe me, I know what it's like to watch a streaky pitcher in action (Brian Bannister, anyone? Or Mark Redman?).

I like Bannister for the fact that he's a stat nerd with knowledge of advanced pitching statistics. Curmudgeon posters beware, a baseball player-stat nerd exists!

Redman might have been the worst All Star selection of all time when he represented the Royals in '06 sporting a 5.30 ERA at the break. He also walked 3 batters per 9 and struck out 4 per 9. Was there no other worthy player to make the team that year? haha

 

[Darthphere]

so do the Twilight movies. Point?.

In Twilight, they play baseball and they're huge Texas Rangers fans.

 

[bored]

Back then, the default Royal to send to All-Star games was always Mike Sweeney. I think the deal was whoever was managing the AL team wanted more pitchers, and Redman had been playing relatively well at the time. And yeah, the team was thin on talent. Nobody had really accepted yet that Angel Berroa was a one-year wonder.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

In Twilight, they play baseball and they're huge Texas Rangers fans.

My God, I understand things now. Quick Twilight Rangers casting.

Josh Hamilton

Ian Kinsler

Adrian Beltre

I'd cast Ron Washington but I didn't find any black people in Twilight.

 

[Darthphere]

There's one black dude, seriously.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

I've been betrayed by google. I should be more specific than "twilight black people"

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

Here's something fun, over the weekend Verlander attempted a pick off move at first, he screwed up his footwork, and attempted to save face by delivering the pitch and hit DeJesus. What resulted was a balk, but boy you see something new everyday in this game.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

And in other news, Mike Leake is a huge moron.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/04/18/leake.reds/index.html

He was stopped by Macy's employees for allegedly taking $59.88 worth of property from the store.

Leake, 23, makes $425,000,

 

[Darthphere]

I've been betrayed by google. I should be more specific than "twilight black people"

Here he is coaching up Ian Kinsler.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

And in other news, Mike Leake is a huge moron.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/04/18/leake.reds/index.html

That $400K can be a lot less after taxes, accountant and agent fees, but he's still a dumbass.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

Here he is coaching up Ian Kinsler.

"I need you to steal second on this pitch, and also pay a visit to my dealer after the game." *homoerotic buttslap*

That $400K can be a lot less after taxes, accountant and agent fees, but he's still a dumbass.

So what if he loses a couple thousand, you have enough money to drop 50 bucks on whatever he stole.

 

[Kingfish]

I would like to shift the conversation to something baseball related.

I love this guy right now which isn't to say I don't always love him but he's off to a start that affirms his potential as a super-duper star. He's cut his strikeout rate in half, he's hitting for power, hitting with scalding line drives, taking patient at bats until he finds his pitch to crush.

He is the one, the only, the Upton of Justin.

To think, he could have been a Red Sox this offseason.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/04/cafardos-latest-red-sox-upton-minaya-saito.html

Enjoy him while you can.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

To think, he could have been a Red Sox this offseason.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/04/cafardos-latest-red-sox-upton-minaya-saito.html

Enjoy him while you can.

I'll give him until the last year of his deal before they deal him.

 

[LegendaryCaleb]

Good win for the Rangers...I still hate Chris Davis...I dont care how good a fielder he is.

 

[Avengers-Report]

C.J. Wilson looked solid today. Cliff who?

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

He's a good fielder?

 

[LegendaryCaleb]

Definitely...That guy can play some very solid defense

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

And baseball doesn't have lack of parity and ridiculous contracts?

Irony overload

No. You're wrong again.

NBA has had only 8 different teams win Championships in the past 30 years. (and 3 of them only won once, so technically it could be 5 in 27)

MLB has had that many teams win it all in the last 9 years alone. (Giants, Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Cardinals, White Sox, Marlins, Angels}. If you extend it out to 30 years, you have 20+ teams that have a title.