2009 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[pilferk]

First pitch in Philly's about 15 minutes away,  enter "sandman". 

haha! 

i'm running on fumes today - only got about 4 hours of sleep. celebrated with thousands of others after the game. i walked down Broad Street and saw all kinds of debauchery. luckily there were no major incidents that i heard of.

great win. getting back to WS really legitimizes this team. and should they pull the upset and actually win, now you're talking dynasty.

facing the Yankees makes the WS soooo much more exciting than another LA team. should be alot of fun. amtrak series. i'm checking sites for tix to Games 1 and 2 now. i'm assuming the prices will rise up once the Yanks close this series out (very likely tonight).

Steve Philips is an a-hole. he put his wife through alot in the 90's. and now he does it again. and not that this matters, but the girl he cheated with didn't miss a single freakin branch falling out of the ugly tree. she tough to look at.   

ASSUMING the Yanks win....I wouldn't be so pessemistic about your team. 

I look at the two teams and it's almost like looking in a freaking mirror.  Really good starting pitching, with almost exactly the same question marks in exactly the same spots. Dangerous lineups.  Maybe a LITTLE better on the Yanks side, but if there's an edge, it's very slight.  The ONLY advantage I'd give the Yanks is their Closer.  Mo seems more dependable than Lidge in a big spot...but Lidge has come on lately.

You know me...tried and true Yankee Pinstripes.  And I'm sure the odds makers are going to disagree...but I call a Yanks/Phillies series a complete toss up.

[pilferk]

As for the Dodgers, I'm surprised they went out without (much of) a fight.  Time to jettison
the left fielder and move on with a better "make up" guy. 

Would not be shocked to see Matt Holliday end up in LA...

Remember, the option this year is MANNY'S option, not the Dodgers.  No way is Manny not picking up that option, given the economy and the state of the free agent market.

Now, the Dodgers could trade him (and agree to eat his salary) or bench him.  But I don't see them doing that.

And then, there are these reports:

http://bases.nbcsports.com/2009/10/holliday-wants-to-play-for-the-new-york-yankees.html.php

I can't imagine.  I also am not so sure they'll let Damon go.  BUT, what they MIGHT do is let Matsui go, sign Damon to a 2 or 3 year deal to DH (and play occasionally in the field) and then sigh Holliday to play Left.  I don't know.  Especially if the Yanks win the WS...I'm not sure they'll go hunting for another high priced, long term position player this off-season.   They often surprise me...but this would be an eyebrow raiser.

Now....Holliday ending up in Boston?  That wouldn't shock me at all....but reportedly he really doesn't WANT to play in Boston.  Guess we'll see.

[Falcon]

For whatever reason, I thought it was the Dodgers option..

And you're right, there's no way he's not picking it up..

The Holliday thing will be interesting to see play out.  Will his disdain for all things Jr. Circuit
outweigh the obvious $$$ he (well, Scott Boras) could get from the Yanks or Red Sox?

His National League options are limited - Mets, Cards, (unlikely) Cubs and Dodgers (if they somehow rid themselves of ManRam)..

I've got no real "feel" for this one...



 

[Falcon]

Interesting stuff from The Sporting News on Albert Pujols..

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/article/2009-10-22/sporting-news-names-albert-pujols-2009-mlb-player-year

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/bird-land/bird-land/2009/10/mcgwire-cardinals-pujols-is-worth-30-million-plus/

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

First pitch in Philly's about 15 minutes away,  enter "sandman". 

than another LA team.

There's only one team in Los Angeles.

As for the Dodgers, I'm surprised they went out without (much of) a fight.  Time to jettison
the left fielder and move on with a better "make up" guy. 

Would not be shocked to see Matt Holliday end up in LA...

Remember, the option this year is MANNY'S option, not the Dodgers.  No way is Manny not picking up that option, given the economy and the state of the free agent market.

Now, the Dodgers could trade him (and agree to eat his salary) or bench him.  But I don't see them doing that.

And then, there are these reports:

http://bases.nbcsports.com/2009/10/holliday-wants-to-play-for-the-new-york-yankees.html.php

I can't imagine.  I also am not so sure they'll let Damon go.  BUT, what they MIGHT do is let Matsui go, sign Damon to a 2 or 3 year deal to DH (and play occasionally in the field) and then sigh Holliday to play Left.  I don't know.  Especially if the Yanks win the WS...I'm not sure they'll go hunting for another high priced, long term position player this off-season.   They often surprise me...but this would be an eyebrow raiser.

Now....Holliday ending up in Boston?  That wouldn't shock me at all....but reportedly he really doesn't WANT to play in Boston.  Guess we'll see.

Unfortunately, stuck with Womanny for another year.  There's no way he bolts.

The McDivorce will make things interesting.  Fire sale, anyone?

[sandman]

First pitch in Philly's about 15 minutes away,  enter "sandman". 

than another LA team.

There's only one team in Los Angeles.

you mean there's only one team that physically PLAYS their home games in LA. but as their name clearly shows, they represent LA.

speaking of the LA market, the ratings for the LCS games has been weak. and they wonder why they haven't had an NFL team in over 10 years. from the NY Times...


The Los Angeles market peaked with a 10.9 rating for the Dodgers? Game 1 loss to the Phillies, according to Nielsen Media figures. That game showed substantial growth during the game, with the rating more than doubling to a 14.8 in the late innings from a 7.1 early on. But the Dodgers? afternoon victory in Game 2 produced a 5.9, and Sunday night?s 11-0 loss generated just a 7.3.

A closer look at Game 3 reveals a well-earned dissatisfaction among hometown Dodgers fans as the debacle unfolded. The game peaked at a 9.6 locally (or 543,000 households) from 8:15 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern ? it had barely begun ? and as the Phillies took a 6-0 lead in the second inning, the rating tumbled until it finished with a 4.3 (242,000 homes).

One-quarter of all TV homes have been watching the games in Philadelphia. The game-by-game ratings there would please Ben Franklin: Game 1, a 27.7; Game 2, a 22.2; and Game 3, a 29.1.

It?s not easy for a market with 2.95 million TV homes to beat one with nearly twice as many, but that?s what Philadelphia has been doing to Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles market is losing to New York in the Angels-Yankees American League Championship Series on Fox, but not as sharply. For Game 1, the New York rating of a 17.4 (1.3 million homes) was 83 percent better the 9.1 (or 514,000 homes) in Los Angeles. For the 13-inning Game 2, which started in late afternoon on the West Coast, the Los Angeles market produced a 10.8 (610,000 homes) and New York a 19.3 (1.4 million).

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/sports/baseball/20sandomir.html

[freedom78]

First pitch in Philly's about 15 minutes away,  enter "sandman". 

than another LA team.

There's only one team in Los Angeles.

In the same sense that there are no football teams in NYC?

[Layne Staley's Sunglasses]

First pitch in Philly's about 15 minutes away,  enter "sandman". 

than another LA team.

There's only one team in Los Angeles.

In the same sense that there are no football teams in NYC?

Yes.  And even more so, those NFL teams always kept the name.

The opposite of the devils went from LA, to CA, to ANA, to LA of ANA. 

The culture down there is so different.

The team in Orange County does not represent me or my city, so sandman, don't even try that.

27.

[novemberparadise23]

Yea a world seris between the Yanks n Phils would be great. Two fantastic lineups and pitching staffs.

How many stars on both teams (Rollins...utley...victorino...werth...howard) (Jeter... Damon...Arod...tex....Matsui...posada) and im not even counting the pitchers.
Star power  would be plentiful.
I hope the yankees clinch tonight as i dont wanna see my team have to travel back to NY with the angles still clawing at our heels. I always fear the angels they are so pesky lol

[sandman]

this is classic....

http://www.the700level.com/2009/10/go-get-your-shine-box-dodgers.html

[cotis]

If you were John Lackey, how pissed would you be right now?

[tim_m]

If you were John Lackey, how pissed would you be right now?

Extremely.

[tim_m]

The yankees deserve to lose this game period.

[novemberparadise23]

we got our big guys coming up in the 9th. 

[tim_m]

Oh i know but i still think we deserve to lose. You can't score 6 runs to take a lead then give it right back in the bottom half of the inning. That's totally unacceptable.

Swisher needs to be replaced in the lineup for game 6. He has been terrible.

[GypsySoul]

The yankees deserve to lose this game period.

Oh i know but i still think we deserve to lose. You can't score 6 runs to take a lead then give it right back in the bottom half of the inning. That's totally unacceptable.

Swisher needs to be replaced in the lineup for game 6. He has been terrible.

WTF??    The back n' forth and bad ump calls and errors are all part of the game!!!  They didn't "deserve" to lose!!! 

Replace Swisher??  NO WAY!!!  You gotta go with the one you came with.

[tim_m]

The yankees deserve to lose this game period.

Oh i know but i still think we deserve to lose. You can't score 6 runs to take a lead then give it right back in the bottom half of the inning. That's totally unacceptable.

Swisher needs to be replaced in the lineup for game 6. He has been terrible.

WTF??    The back n' forth and bad ump calls and errors are all part of the game!!!  They didn't "deserve" to lose!!! 

Replace Swisher??  NO WAY!!!  You gotta go with the one you came with.

Sorry but we did. Our bullpen was terrible tonight and deserved that loss. You can't put it on bad calls they've gone both ways. The bullpen needs to shut them down after the offense gives them the lead. Period.

As for Swisher we need someone up there that can do more then pop the ball up or strikeout. He should be embarrassed by how he's not hitting.

[GypsySoul]

Sorry but we did. Our bullpen was terrible tonight and deserved that loss. You can't put it on bad calls they've gone both ways. The bullpen needs to shut them down after the offense gives them the lead. Period.

As for Swisher we need someone up there that can do more then pop the ball up or strikeout. He should be embarrassed by how he's not hitting.

Timothy ... Timothy ... Timothy 

That bullpen is what got the Yankees in the position to be one win away from going back to the World Series (with the next two [if necessary] games at home).

Swisher knows how to do it.  If he can't get it done, his teammates will pick him up, but IMO you gotta leave him in.   

[tim_m]

Sorry but we did. Our bullpen was terrible tonight and deserved that loss. You can't put it on bad calls they've gone both ways. The bullpen needs to shut them down after the offense gives them the lead. Period.

As for Swisher we need someone up there that can do more then pop the ball up or strikeout. He should be embarrassed by how he's not hitting.

Timothy ... Timothy ... Timothy 

That bullpen is what got the Yankees in the position to be one win away from going back to the World Series (with the next two [if necessary] games at home).

Swisher knows how to do it.  If he can't get it done, his teammates will pick him up, but IMO you gotta leave him in.   

I know but it let us down big time tonight.  I partially blame Burnett and Girardi though. I'm not so sure Burnett should've come back out for the 7th. I'm not sure who you replace him with though since both Joba and Phil weren't at their best tonight.

I know he does and i wish he'd start doing it! He can't even buy a walk right now something he is incredibly good at getting. I don't know what he could've done differently in that last at bat that last pitch was a strike so he had to swing.

I have complete confidence we win game 6 though. We're 57-24 at home and have a proven big game pitcher on the mound. Andy doesn't typically lose in these situations. Infact i'm not sure he has ever lost a clincher at home.

[pilferk]

Sorry but we did. Our bullpen was terrible tonight and deserved that loss. You can't put it on bad calls they've gone both ways. The bullpen needs to shut them down after the offense gives them the lead. Period.

As for Swisher we need someone up there that can do more then pop the ball up or strikeout. He should be embarrassed by how he's not hitting.

Our bullpen was SET UP to lose.  Girardi has cost us TWO games in this series now.  Not cool.

Why do you leave Burnett in the game going into the 7th?  It makes ZERO sense.  He'd been shaky all night long.  He'd just sat for 20+ minutes.  You don't put him back in the game in the 7th.  And if you DO put him in...as soon as that first guy gets on base, you pull him.  You hand the bullpen 2 runners on base with no outs?  Not exactly setting them up for success.  And the numbers say BOTH Hughes and Joba pitch better when they start an inning, not when they're pulled into one in the middle.

7th should have been Joba, 2 outs in the 8th should have been Hughes, 4 outs to Mo.  They've practically freaking DIAGRAMMED it that way for the post-season.  Why wouldn't you stick to the plan?  Like I said, I just don't get it.  It makes no sense.

It's now a 2 game series.  Yanks gotta take one...hopefully game 6.  Because you NEVER want to play game 7, were anything wacky can happen.