2012 Baseball Season/Off-Season Discussion

[tim_m]

LOL literally.

[tim_m]

Well now its official. The playoffs expand this season.

[Bill 213]

David Wright has a strained right rib cage and Ike Davis possibly has Valley Fever and may be sidelined already......It's the FIRST FUCKING DAY OF SPRING TRAINING and the Mets are already falling apart.

Gonna be a long year for the Amazins!!!! 

Being a Mets fan is like a constant kick in the balls year after year after year.

[tim_m]

David Wright has a strained right rib cage and Ike Davis possibly has Valley Fever and may be sidelined already......It's the FIRST FUCKING DAY OF SPRING TRAINING and the Mets are already falling apart.

Gonna be a long year for the Amazins!!!! 

Being a Mets fan is like a constant kick in the balls year after year after year.

Sadly, i think its gonna continue to be that way as long as the Wilpons are allowed to keep the team.

[GeorgeSteele]

David Wright has a strained right rib cage and Ike Davis possibly has Valley Fever and may be sidelined already......It's the FIRST FUCKING DAY OF SPRING TRAINING and the Mets are already falling apart.

Gonna be a long year for the Amazins!!!! 

Being a Mets fan is like a constant kick in the balls year after year after year.

Sadly, i think its gonna continue to be that way as long as the Wilpons are allowed to keep the team.

And it will get much worse before it gets better (if it does).  Wright, Santana and Bay come off of payroll in 2 years, but none of that money will be re-invested into the team (just like not 1 penny of the Reyes / Beltran / K-Rod savings was put back into the team).  Dark days... 

So, yeah, T25, you're absolutely right.

[pilferk]

Ike Davis has Valley Fever....Carl Crawford has a "setback"...and we've just barely made it through the first weekend of ST games.

Vally FUCKING fever? Seriously?  You can't make this shit up.

[Falcon]

A bit of Hamel's news, not really unexpected stuff but interesting nonetheless:

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/05/olney-cole-hamels-unlikely-to-give-the-phillies-a-discount/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

ESPN?s Buster Olney chimes in on a popular topic around Philadelphia these days:
 
Some of you suggesting Hamels will take a hometown discount. IMO, little chance that will happen. Santana money (about $120m) or he?s gone.

[Falcon]

CJ Wilson breakdancing on Funny Or Die, fucking classic.

http://www.mlb.com/news/wall/article.jsp?content_id=26830256

"I Am A B-Boy"

[pilferk]

Hello, Yu Darvish.  Welcome to the majors:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7683417/2012-spring-training-texas-rangers-yu-darvish-struggles-command-second-start

[pilferk]

Listening to the Yanks/Jays ST game.

Freddy Garcia just got hit, in the hand/forearm area, on a hard comebacker by Encarnacion.

The "who is the 5th starter" debate surrounding the Yanks may have just ended....at least to start the season.  We'll see how bad the news is on Garcia.

[tim_m]

Hope he is ok.

[tim_m]

Hello, Yu Darvish.  Welcome to the majors:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7683417/2012-spring-training-texas-rangers-yu-darvish-struggles-command-second-start

I won't put much stock in that. Its only his second spring start. Its not uncommon for a pitcher to struggle with command early on.

[pilferk]

Hello, Yu Darvish.  Welcome to the majors:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7683417/2012-spring-training-texas-rangers-yu-darvish-struggles-command-second-start

I won't put much stock in that. Its only his second spring start. Its not uncommon for a pitcher to struggle with command early on.

True.

But you don't think the Rangers front office is sweating just a LITTLE bit?  And their fans are WAY freaked out about it.

Honestly, I didn't quote it for any reason other than the guy was promoted as the second coming (by the media)....and while I'm sure Christ's name was used during Yu's outing....it probably wasn't for the reasons the media (and the Rangers) would have liked.

[tim_m]

Hello, Yu Darvish.  Welcome to the majors:

http://espn.go.com/dallas/mlb/story/_/id/7683417/2012-spring-training-texas-rangers-yu-darvish-struggles-command-second-start

I won't put much stock in that. Its only his second spring start. Its not uncommon for a pitcher to struggle with command early on.

True.

But you don't think the Rangers front office is sweating just a LITTLE bit?  And their fans are WAY freaked out about it.

Honestly, I didn't quote it for any reason other than the guy was promoted as the second coming (by the media)....and while I'm sure Christ's name was used during Yu's outing....it probably wasn't for the reasons the media (and the Rangers) would have liked.

They probably are, but they really gotta give the guy some time to adjust.

[faldor]

Listening to the Yanks/Jays ST game.

Freddy Garcia just got hit, in the hand/forearm area, on a hard comebacker by Encarnacion.

The "who is the 5th starter" debate surrounding the Yanks may have just ended....at least to start the season.  We'll see how bad the news is on Garcia.

What's up with Pineda this spring?  Heard his velocity is down and people are a bit worried a Phil Hughes type situation from last year could be in play again.

Goes to show you can NEVER have too much pitching.  Heck, they traded away their 7th starter, AJ Burnett and even he is hurt now.

[pilferk]

What's up with Pineda this spring?  Heard his velocity is down and people are a bit worried a Phil Hughes type situation from last year could be in play again.

Goes to show you can NEVER have too much pitching.  Heck, they traded away their 7th starter, AJ Burnett and even he is hurt now.

WAY down his first start (88-91...touched 92).  The "powers that be" said they told him to tone down the velocity to work on the changeup and control.

Second start he was between 90 and 93...touching 94, which is right where you'd want him to be, at that point (during the season last year, he threw his FB consistently around 94-95...touching 98).

Yesterday, he was, again, between 90 and 93....but never touched 94.  But he also threw more changeups than he's thrown, ever (about 10 in 3+ innings).  HE says that, next start, he's going to throw full speed (which, I guess, means to this point he hasn't).

We'll see in 5 days.  I don't worry about a pitchers velocity until we get into the last round of starts before the end of ST....though I'm sure the Yanks brass might worry sooner.  THAT'S when I started to worry about Hughes last year....and it's when I'll start to worry about Pineda this year.  I mean...CC was only throwing in the low 90's his last start.

The other thing is to remember is: Hughes, when he's RIGHT as a starter, throws in the low 90's (right around 92).  With his velocity drop, he was practically Freddy Garcia speeds (88-89) last year.  When you're talking about Pineda...you're talking about his velocity  DROPPING to what Hughes top speed is/was.  So while the Yanks are probably concerned, based on comparing to last years velocity....they're probably LESS concerned than they were about Hughes...because at least Pineda can be effective throwing his FB at the speeds he is right now (and that's assuming he builds NO arm strength or velocity over the rest of ST).

Honestly, though...if he breaks out that change up like he did yesterday...and continues to throw that nasty slider...the rest of the league better HOPE he doesn't get his velocity back.  If he does, and keeps the control he's shown this spring...he's going to be practically untouchable.

As an aside: This might be one of the first times I remember a pitcher/organization talking about "working on the changeup" in ST where it looks like they actually MEAN they're working on the changeup and the pitcher might actually USE it once camp breaks.

[Falcon]

Pettitte making a comeback..

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/16/breaking-andy-pettitte-is-making-a-comeback/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Alright pilf and Tim - whaddya think?

[pilferk]

Pettitte making a comeback..

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/16/breaking-andy-pettitte-is-making-a-comeback/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Alright pilf and Tim - whaddya think?

Equal parts psyched and confused....

Psyched because...it's Andy.

Confused because...now you've got one less spot in your rotation. 

Be very interesting to see what happens with their rotation...but they certainly have one of the, if not the, deepest rotation in baseball, now.

[Falcon]

it's definitely a head scratcher, low risk with some possible value I suppose.

Bright siding it, thank God he didn't appear in the owners box mid season with Suzyn Waldman within eye/ear shot.

[Falcon]

This just in, the great (cough, cough, hack) John Heyman is reporting Peyton Manning is signing with the Yankees as well.

Sorry, couldn't resist.