2009 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

That's a nice band box you have there in the Bronx! 

[AxlsMainMan]

The Jays sure are on fire

[novemberparadise23]

As a Yankee fan ive been really impressed with Aj burnett so far. We have to get wang back on track though. His 34.5 era is ridiculous 

[pilferk]

That's a nice band box you have there in the Bronx! 

Yeah, those "Legends" seats are sitting empty.

It's funny:  Yesterday's game was a prime example...the REST of the stadium is pretty full.  Bleachers, Main, Terrace, and Grandstand are all pretty packed...and that's for lousy, chilly, misty weeknights.

But the uber-pricey seats?  75% empty, at BEST, and the field level seats behind home plate aren't any better. the same was true when I was there on Saturday, up in the Audi club again.

I know on Saturday night for the Sunday game, there were field level legends seats going for $200 on stub hub, which was a DRASTIC cut in price from the $800 they were asking about 24 hours prior.

Not much the Yanks can do about it now...they'll have to wait out the season and then do something (like LOWER THE PRICES!).  But it's too late, I think, to do anything now.  They'd have to give refunds to those that bought at the higher price, and I don't think there's any way in hell they'd do that.

I don't know...maybe donate the seats to charitable organizations?  Let them raffle them off or bring underpriviledged kids to the games?  Do SOMETHING that will get them some positive PR.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

[pilferk]

So...is Toronto this year's tampa bay?  Or is their hot start a fluke?

Because, so far (and I know, it's early), Tampa Bay certainly isn't the team they were last year.  They look more like the team from '07....

Yanks/Sox tonight....let the mayhem ensue!

[AxlsMainMan]

So...is Toronto this year's tampa bay?  Or is their hot start a fluke?

Well, Cito did lead the Jays to 2 World Series victories in a row, so I'd say good things are bound to happen

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Bitch tits.

Hahahaha!

[GypsySoul]

Bitch tits.

Hahahaha!

The guy on CBS news radio 880 talked to the author.  I'm not sure if he said he actually got to read the whole book or not but he said there's A LOT more stuff to come out too.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

Bitch tits.

Hahahaha!

The guy on CBS news radio 880 talked to the author.  I'm not sure if he said he actually got to read the whole book or not but he said there's A LOT more stuff to come out too.

Stand by for a 3 page rebuttal from pilferk.

[pilferk]

Bitch tits.

Hahahaha!

The guy on CBS news radio 880 talked to the author.  I'm not sure if he said he actually got to read the whole book or not but he said there's A LOT more stuff to come out too.

Stand by for a 3 page rebuttal from pilferk.

Not til I read the book.

But from all reports, it's a lot of conjecture and speculation on the stuff I'd care about (the pitch tipping and steroids)...stuff his teammates from those time frames are radically denying...and a lot of stuff I could care less about (visits to Sex clubs and bad tipping at Hooters...which make for great copy, and foundation for getting jeered at opposing parks, but don't much matter, really).

Both national sports talk radio shows (who HAVE read copies..and they're not remotely yankee homer's) basically have called it a hatchet job without a whole lot of actual evidence.....and that it has an "omnicient narrator voice" who makes a  lot of statements that are just salacious,unproveable, and basically unknowable.

I'll let you know when I pick up a copy and give it a read. 

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

It's only May, but it's neat to see the Dodgers tie the Tigers' record for home wins to start the season.

Personally, I'm 4-0 this year at Dodger Stadium. 

[pilferk]

It's only May, but it's neat to see the Dodgers tie the Tigers' record for home wins to start the season.

Personally, I'm 4-0 this year at Dodger Stadium. 

They were my pick to win the NL this year......so far, so good. 

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

It's only May, but it's neat to see the Dodgers tie the Tigers' record for home wins to start the season.

Personally, I'm 4-0 this year at Dodger Stadium. 

They were my pick to win the NL this year......so far, so good. 

It's only May, plenty of time left to crash and burn.

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

And damn it, I don't like the new Yankee Stadium and their policies.

Tear down the steakhouse, move back to the REAL Yankee Stadium!

I know I'm being ludicrous here, but this new stadium just isn't doing it for me, and most of the true Yankee fans.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/04/2009-05-04_yankees_fans_told_game_cancelled_not_let_back_into_stadium_.html


I think the Mets got the better ballpark.  Obstruction free, too.

[pilferk]

And damn it, I don't like the new Yankee Stadium and their policies.

Tear down the steakhouse, move back to the REAL Yankee Stadium!

I know I'm being ludicrous here, but this new stadium just isn't doing it for me, and most of the true Yankee fans.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/04/2009-05-04_yankees_fans_told_game_cancelled_not_let_back_into_stadium_.html


I think the Mets got the better ballpark.  Obstruction free, too.

Except, well....the no re-entry policy is pretty much a policy in most MLB ballparks, including Citifield.  I've got no problem with THAT policy.

I do agree, though....the Yanks employees who were speaking out of turn should be reprimanded for it.  They fucked up, big time.  And the people who were "locked out" should have either been allowed back in, or given some sort of recompense from the ball club because their employees screwed up.  That's bad form, and honestly, it goes part and parcel with the complete cluster fuck that was the season ticket renewal process, this year.  The front line Yanks employees are REALLY starting to make me wonder if they're all "Costanza'd".

But I like the park.  I've actually BEEN there, and it's gorgeous:  Lots of amenites, good seats (I mean the ACTUAL seats), love the open concourse set up and I LIKE the upper deck layout (though I'll admit I might be in the minority on that..but the steep sections in the old YS sucked).  All the Yankee memerobilia is neat (something I hear is a common complaint at Citi...a lack of Met anything), and I like the layout of monument park...though agree it might be a bit austere for some people's tastes.  It's also REALLY easy to get in and out of...much easier than old YS, where the "cattle call" made exiting the park a sometimes hour long ordeal.  T

he biggest issue is that the traditionalist Yanks fans were never going to want change....but you can't live in a ball park forever.  Old YS was, literally, starting to crumble (remember the piece of the upper deck collapsing in the late 90's?).  The infrastructure was abysmal, old, and getting past the point of constructive repair.  Yes, it's no longer the park that Babe Ruth played in...and that's too bad.  But I suspect, eventually, the fervor will die down, the bugs will get worked out, and people will start judging the park on what it is, and not the fact it's not in the exact same spot.

  I'm going to Citifield later this year, for a Mets/Yanks game, so I'm not sure if it's better or worse than that park.  From what I've seen and heard...I think the Yanks park will prove to be the better park over the long haul.  But it certainly has had it's hiccups.  The article you link is one.  The fact they don't allow people down to the field level during batting practice unless you have tickets for that area is another.  There have been some PA and concession issues, too.  The hallways leading from the concourse to the bleachers are abysmal.  And they've already begun to address the pricing issues..though I suspect we'll see even larger adjustments going into next season.

One thing, though:  Those couple of hundred obstructed view seats you're talking about go for $5 apiece, and are CLEARLY labeled as obstructed view.  I look at them much like other parks "standing room only" tickets...they get you access to the ballpark, the concessions, the concourses (where you can get a perfectly good view of the game), etc.  I don't see that as a bad deal, or even a bad decision (just an easy target for detractors) by the Yanks.  They could have just blacked 'em out and not put seats there, at all.  That would be consistent with the way the batters eye was set up at old YS.

I'm OK with the batter's eye (which, FYI, isn't the steak house....it's the Mohegan sun sports bar), it's location, and construction, too.  Keep in mind, you tear it down, you also tear down the bleacher food court, which HAS gotten rave reviews.  While I'll NEVER set foot in the sports bar, I've heard a bunch of season ticket holders say it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[faldor]

On the field.  Dodgers have the best record in baseball.  Great young pitching and lineup there.  Joe Torre could become another October mainstay for awhile.  On a side but somewhat related note I think I made a mistake in my fantasy baseball keeper league by keeping Scott Kazmir over Chad Billingsley.  He looks legit.  But, good news, I actually was able to pick up Billingsley in our draft anyway so I've got them both AGAIN this year.  Of course, at the end of the year I'll probably be keeping Chad over Kazmir.

Anyhow, how's Manny doing this year?  Must be doing fine but I haven't heard too much, so I assume he's not on quite the tear he was with the Dodgers last year.  I did hear he asked out of a game over the weekend.  That brought back some memories.

Royals and Mariners lead their divisions.  Lots of people picked KC as a sleeper this year, we'll see if they can sustain.  Greinke has been unbelievable.  The AL West is in transition as the Angels have gone through some tough times this year.

The Blue Jays lead the AL East.  They're hitting well, pitching well.  The only thing holding them back right now is their closer situation.  Not looking good on that front.  Hasn't effected them so far though.  Red Sox are off to a good start.  Rays and Yanks not so much.  The Sox can't seem to beat the Rays and haven't lost to the Yanks yet.  I'm sure all these things will even out.  The Rays still seem legit to me, their bullpen isn't quite as good as last year so that may hurt them but their starting pitching and lineup are still solid.  The Yankees bullpen has got to be one of the worst bullpens in the history of mankind.  Alright, maybe that's a stretch.  But it's really not good.  I can't believe they didn't address that more in the off-season.  It's not the easiest thing to fix a bullpen mid-season.  I know Joba has been decent as a starter but I think he's best suited as a setup man.  He can't go more than 6 innings it seems and that's way too much to ask from a bad bullpen.  IF they could get Wang back on track, and I do think that will happen.  Nobody falls off that far, that fast.  And Phil Hughes can pitch well enough to stay in the rotation, I would move Joba back to the pen.  Though I hope they don't for the Red Sox sake.  Continue to weaken the team, I won't complain.  They're putting a lot of pressure on CC, AJ, and the lineup right now.  And of course, A-Rod will be back soon, that should help.

[pilferk]

I agree, almost 100%.

I agree 100% on the non-Yanks stuff.  I asked earlier if the Torono thing is a fluke or if people think they can run this race til the end.  I'm still not convinced, yet.  Dodgers and KC look legit, so far.  I worry about the Dodgers pitching and KC's offense, over the long haul.   But I picked the Dodgers to win the NL, though I admit I was not a believer in KC til I saw them play.  Now...I think they have a shot at their, relatively, weak division.  The Mariners?  I'll reserve judgment until the Angels are healthy (IF they get healthy).  They're still the team to beat, for me.

Sox have done well, but have had some hiccups (slow start, win 11, then slow down...right up until they play the Yanks again).  It'll be interesting to see how they shape up the rest of the year.

The Yanks have kept the injury train rolling from last year.  Nady, Swisher for a bit with his elbow, A-Rod (who, thankfully, will save us from much more of Pena at 3rd...his error last night really cost them, as did his inability to sac in Melky), Wang (though I'm not sure he's really "hurt), Bruney, and now Posada.  The Posada injury really hurts....because now Arod isn't ADDING a bat, he's just replacing one.  I think if they can hover around .500 for a few weeks, and get EVERYONE back healthy (with the exception of Nady), I think they'll be OK, mostly.

But you're right about the bullpen.  It SUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKSSSSS....and I have no clue how you address it, now.  As for why they didn't address it in the offseason...well, it wasn't NEARLY that bad last year.  Bruney was fine in the 8th, Coke and Veras were solid, Ramirez was inconsistent, but not NEARLY the abomination he's been this year, and Mo was (is?) Mo.  While it might not have been a spectacular calvacade, they certainly proved to be, at the very least, solid and serviceable.    But this year?  Yikes, they suck.  Part of it, I think, is not having  true long man in the pen...that's not doing them any favors.  But the rest is just the fact that they can't seem to pitch their way out of a paper bag.  Now, the defense hasn't done them a whole lot of favors, either (witness Pena, last night)...but most of the burden falls squarely on the pitchers in the pen.  If we can't get their heads screwed on straight, and get some consistency out of them...it's gonna be a very long season. 

I also agree:  If Hughes pitches well, and Wang comes back and looks like Wang....I'd put Joba right back in the pen, pitching the 8th inning.  They won't do it because they're stubbornly committed to making him a starter.  But I can tell you that a LOT of Yanks fans feel exactly the same way we do:  He helps the team, right now, more as a reliever than he does as a starter.  I understand they're reluctant to put a STUD pitcher in the pen when he can be an effective starter, but for me it's all about what's best for the team.  And Joba in the pen seems to be a no brainer when using that litmus test.

The fact their is no safety net is going to put a lot of pressure on the rotation, and a lot of pressure on Girardi to get the starters to go longer than maybe they should. That could bite them in the ass, down the road.

Joba went 5 2/3's last night, and 4 2/3's of it was stellar baseball.  If he doesn't throw 30-ish pitches in the first inning, he sticks around for one more, too.  But he's on a STRICT pitch count (100 pitches), and with a strike out pitcher, which is what he's shaping up to be, it's gonna be hard to get much more than 6 out of him...maybe an out or two more. 

[faldor]

Yeah the way Joba bounced back last night was quite impressive.  It didn't look like he'd make it out of the 1st inning giving up 5 straight hits and 4 runs to open the game.  Then he goes on to dominate and strikes out 12.  That was pretty impressive.  The thing is though, he seems to have that one bad inning a game.  Maybe not that bad, but an inning where he has to throw 30 pitches or so, and like you said, with him being on a pitch count that certainly doesn't help. 

As for the Sox, I'm not sure how to feel about them right now.  They did get off to a real bad start but then turned it around to win 11 in a row against some lesser teams.  So it could be they're just taking advantage of playing at home and hitting bad pitching.  They can't seem to figure out Tampa Bay, who has good pitching.  They get another shot at them this weekend, then head west to face the M's and Angels, then face the Blue Jays before kicking off interleague play.  So this stretch should give a better idea of where they're at.  Their bullpen has been fantastic, their starting pitching has been average at best and they haven't gotten the best from their top 3 yet (Beckett, Lester, Dice K).  Smoltz should return sometime in June, that will only help the pitching depth.  Their offense has been pretty solid, despite waiting for David Ortiz to find himself.  Will he ever hit another homerun?

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

And damn it, I don't like the new Yankee Stadium and their policies.

Tear down the steakhouse, move back to the REAL Yankee Stadium!

I know I'm being ludicrous here, but this new stadium just isn't doing it for me, and most of the true Yankee fans.


http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/05/04/2009-05-04_yankees_fans_told_game_cancelled_not_let_back_into_stadium_.html


I think the Mets got the better ballpark.  Obstruction free, too.

Except, well....the no re-entry policy is pretty much a policy in most MLB ballparks, including Citifield.  I've got no problem with THAT policy.

I do agree, though....the Yanks employees who were speaking out of turn should be reprimanded for it.  They fucked up, big time.  And the people who were "locked out" should have either been allowed back in, or given some sort of recompense from the ball club because their employees screwed up.  That's bad form, and honestly, it goes part and parcel with the complete cluster fuck that was the season ticket renewal process, this year.  The front line Yanks employees are REALLY starting to make me wonder if they're all "Costanza'd".

But I like the park.  I've actually BEEN there, and it's gorgeous:  Lots of amenites, good seats (I mean the ACTUAL seats), love the open concourse set up and I LIKE the upper deck layout (though I'll admit I might be in the minority on that..but the steep sections in the old YS sucked).  All the Yankee memerobilia is neat (something I hear is a common complaint at Citi...a lack of Met anything), and I like the layout of monument park...though agree it might be a bit austere for some people's tastes.  It's also REALLY easy to get in and out of...much easier than old YS, where the "cattle call" made exiting the park a sometimes hour long ordeal.  T

he biggest issue is that the traditionalist Yanks fans were never going to want change....but you can't live in a ball park forever.  Old YS was, literally, starting to crumble (remember the piece of the upper deck collapsing in the late 90's?).  The infrastructure was abysmal, old, and getting past the point of constructive repair.  Yes, it's no longer the park that Babe Ruth played in...and that's too bad.  But I suspect, eventually, the fervor will die down, the bugs will get worked out, and people will start judging the park on what it is, and not the fact it's not in the exact same spot.

  I'm going to Citifield later this year, for a Mets/Yanks game, so I'm not sure if it's better or worse than that park.  From what I've seen and heard...I think the Yanks park will prove to be the better park over the long haul.  But it certainly has had it's hiccups.  The article you link is one.  The fact they don't allow people down to the field level during batting practice unless you have tickets for that area is another.  There have been some PA and concession issues, too.  The hallways leading from the concourse to the bleachers are abysmal.  And they've already begun to address the pricing issues..though I suspect we'll see even larger adjustments going into next season.

One thing, though:  Those couple of hundred obstructed view seats you're talking about go for $5 apiece, and are CLEARLY labeled as obstructed view.  I look at them much like other parks "standing room only" tickets...they get you access to the ballpark, the concessions, the concourses (where you can get a perfectly good view of the game), etc.  I don't see that as a bad deal, or even a bad decision (just an easy target for detractors) by the Yanks.  They could have just blacked 'em out and not put seats there, at all.  That would be consistent with the way the batters eye was set up at old YS.

I'm OK with the batter's eye (which, FYI, isn't the steak house....it's the Mohegan sun sports bar), it's location, and construction, too.  Keep in mind, you tear it down, you also tear down the bleacher food court, which HAS gotten rave reviews.  While I'll NEVER set foot in the sports bar, I've heard a bunch of season ticket holders say it's the best thing since sliced bread.

Actually, ALL ballparks have that policy.  No re-entry.  But I'm more upset that the employees pretty much lied to those fans.  The game wasn't officially called, they had no right to tell the fans that there would be no game.

Those fans should be allowed to sit in those empty Legends Suite seats behind home.  It sure beats seeing an empty sea of blue seats.  It really bothered me to see a half-empty Yankee Stadium for a RED SOX SERIES!  There were more red clad fans in the stands than people in pinstripes.

With Costanza, they were perennial winners. 

Lonn Trost and Brian Cashman are running this once proud franchise into the ground.  I miss George Steinbrenner.

I don't like how Monument Park is tucked away under the Mohegan Sun Sports Bar.  (Which I know isn't the steakhouse, but there is a New York Yankees Steakhouse in the Great Hall, that's what I was referring to.)  On TV, you can barely see the tops of the big 3 (Gehrig, Huggins, Ruth).  You can't see any of the retired numbers.  I liked seeing the old Monument Park every time there was a drive to the left field power alley.  MP is nothing but an afterthought now.

The split upper deck reminds of Petco.  PETCO!!!!!!  HOK should never be allowed to design a stadium ever again.  That steep upper deck was a Yankee signature, and provided some great sightlines.

When that expansion joint fell in 98, that was a freak accident, and it was an original part from the right field expansion from the 30's.  I don't know how they missed that during the renovation, but they played there for 10 more years after that!  So I don't think there was a problem there.

I remember when I made my way there last year, being able to freely walk around everywhere was such a thrill for me.  Sure, I had Tier Box seats, but they never checked my ticket stub.  I was able to get my picture taken right down below by home plate.  You won't even dare to do that nowadays.  So much for those "friendly" ushers walking around with those signs asking us if they could help us with anything.

I really believed in the new Stadium.  I thought it could be great, even better than the original.  Having the original gate 4 entrance was an A+ idea, getting the frieze up again was a brilliant idea.  (Albeit this frieze looks rather cheap up close.)  But the new people running the show are so out of touch with the fanbase.  I'm talking to YOU, Randy Levine!

Stadiums are a touchy subject with me.