Official 2011 MLB Thread - Part 1

[The Incredible Hulk]

Or this guy

Spoiler

Gotta love Haren. and the fact that he looks like the frontman to a 90's alt rock band makes him even more awesome.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

I think you meant this guy.

Spoiler

The beard makes all the difference.

Gotta love Haren. and the fact that he looks like the frontman to a 90's alt rock band makes him even more awesome.

I miss him

 

[Poeman]

You keep telling yourself the Knicks are important.

Yawn...You are just mad that this city cares about the Mets as much as LA cares about the Clippers.

Try to keep your bias of this city favoring Mets over Knicks to yourself. I don't see the logic behind it, its very clear that New York finds the Knicks more popular then the Mets.

Once again, the Metsies can mean the whole world to you and a few others from Queens. But New York as a whole loves its Knicks basketball more.

This is not even a argument...It's the truth.

 

[Poeman]

Jered Weaver should teach his brother something about baseball.

 

[TMC1982]

Tom Van Riper at Forbes is in favor of Major League Baseball expanding its playoffs.

From a pure fairness standpoint for the players and teams, the addition of a sudden death round, should the one-game format be adopted, cuts both ways. The downside is the unfairness of gutting out 162 games only to have to win a one game showdown against a lesser team to secure a wild card berth. There is an upside, though: a wild card play-in restores the premium of winning your division. Since baseball’s 1995 expansion to three divisions and a wild card in each league, the only real goal for a contending team has been securing 0ne of the four playoff spots. Getting there through a division title or wild card makes little difference, if any. The Yankees practically conceded the AL East to the Rays last year as they rested players in preparation for the playoffs. But the new proposal will surely motivate teams to finish first and avoid a preliminary one and done round.

But what of the business effects? More postseason content means more money. But it also means a diluted postseason product, where getting there isn’t seen as such a big deal. So what’s the right balance? The NCAA upped its March Madness field to 68 teams from 64 this year. Fine, but why not 128 or 256 teams? Some experts point to the 50% threshold – if fewer than half the teams are admitted, backlash should be minimal.

 

[Poeman]

Should they make the regular season 154 games then? or stick with 162...

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Yawn...You are just mad that this city cares about the Mets as much as LA cares about the Clippers.

LOL The Nets get more attention than the Clippers.

But New York as a whole loves its Knicks basketball more.

This is not even a argument...It's the truth.

Decades ago, yes. Today, the NBA is a joke, the Knicks were a punchline the last decade and will be again when Isiah Thomas is back (which is inevitable). New York is a baseball town, it has been for almost 100 years. Only the Yankees, Giants, and Jets will get more coverage than the Mets.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

I know its the Nats but sheesh.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Optical Illusion: If you look closely, you can see a fan.

 

[Poeman]

I know its the Nats but sheesh.

that is a tough picture to witness

 

[FCEEVIPER]

Should they make the regular season 154 games then? or stick with 162...

I say 154.

that is a tough picture to witness

Very.

 

[steintym]

That is just horrible, that many empty seats right behind home plate.

I actually didn't notice the one fan the first time I looked until Spidey mentioned him.

 

[The Riddler]

haha.

nats versus pirates...the kiss of death.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

I know its the Nats but sheesh.

Seat Cushion Rain Poncho Night?

Although not that it makes it much better, but I believe this was after a rain delay and the same night as a Penguins playoff game.

 

[Holiday]

Someone actually did an estimate of the attendance there just from watching the game on television: http://angels.ocregister.com/2011/04/26/good-seats-still-available/79017/

 

[Duke]

I know its the Nats but sheesh.

WOW!! Can you say relocation or defunct somehwere down the line??

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

To be fair the Pirates are improving as a franchise, but they haven't had a winning season since '92. If I was a fan, I'd find it difficult to show up too.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

It's a damn shame because PNC Park is really nice.

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

So far run differentials are pretty telling of performance.

Rockies are +23 and leading the West. Everyone else is negative (Dodgers are evened out at 0)

AL West
Texas +21
Angels +15
Oakland +2
Pointless to include the Mariners. They're bad.

NL Central is weird so far.

Cards +30
Reds +21
Brewers +9
Pirates -23
Cubs -26
Astros -25

3 game gap between first and last place. Wat.

Indians +30 and leading the AL Central. Pretty telling of that hot start they're on.

Yankees are +24 and leading the AL East by 2 games over the -5 Rays.

Phils +24 and leading the NL East

 

[Duke]

Damn those Pirates!! (GIANTS FAN here)

 

[Holiday]

I got a good laugh out of this story.

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2...altering-the-radar-gun-readings-in-san-diego/

 

[cyborg ninja 14]

lol trolled hard

 

[Gotham Knight]

The Indians are the best team in the American League? I didn't see that coming.

 

[jacobed]

Twins are the worst in the league.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Roger McDowell got a fine and 2-week ban for his gay-slur outburst.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aky1Uc8N91rJEEvk83XqwQcRvLYF?slug=ap-bravescoach-fan

It's pretty ridiculous that he gets a 2-week ban. Yet the punishment for a DUI, which puts you and others in danger, is just a slap on the wrist.