Baseball 2003
Posted by: ErikL on 01 June 2003
As the midway point of the season approaches (and I start to pay attention) I'm starting to hope for a few things:
- Roger Clemens is beat up in a game or in the subway, is sidelined, and is stuck on 299 wins all year (especially after donning a cocky "300" patch in his start a few days ago)... and then retires.
- The Expos, the league's best talent developer, win the NL East. Nobody but Ted Turner and his traitor/trolip Jane Fonda likes the Braves anymore.
- The Dodgers set an example, again, for ethnic harmony in America and bring another foreigner onto the team- maybe someone from India... or how about Iraq?
- Red Sox versus Sammy Sosa and the Cubs in the World Series. It would be great for baseball and for two cities of fanatical fans with long droughts.
Any other hopes or predictions?
Posted on: 26 October 2003 by Bhoyo
...oh yes, and the Marlins were magnificent. I thought it was the Yankees' season (again), but Pudge, Conine, Cabrera, Gonzalez, Lowell, Beckett and co were amazing.
But I was truly pissed off with the post-game crap. Why was the trophy presented to Jeffrey Loria (the owner) rather than the players? It's not as if they're racehorses. And when Loria then announced that "much of the credit" had to go to the team, I was gobsmacked.
Davie
Posted on: 11 December 2003 by ErikL
Offseason TransactionsI'm thankful for the Yankees moving Andy Pettitte to Houston, as it might open the door for the Dodgers to move 39-year-old, overpaid Kevin Brown to the Yankees for minor leaguers and Jeff Weaver, who would then go to St. Louis for JD Drew.
Tejada coming from Oaktown to Seattle would also be a good thing.
I think it sucks that the Marlins showed Pudge no respect and let him walk.
Posted on: 12 December 2003 by matthewr
Typical Yankee arrogance -- they think they can ignore the nice kid as he's obviously not going to go anywhere. I hope they sign Brown and he spends a year on IR (although he does/did have an unhittable sinking fastball when he's right).
I thought the Dodgers were getting Nomar when A-Rod goes to Boston?
Matthew
Posted on: 12 December 2003 by ErikL
A-Hole isn't going anywhere.
Posted on: 12 December 2003 by Bob Edwards
The Yankees are doomed....
Letting Pettite walk will, I'm afraid, be a HUGE mistake. He is a great team player, a terrific pitcher, and a steady influence in the clubhouse. Kevin Brown? Please. He's getting paid a lot of money to heal...
The Red Sox look like the real deal--except for Ramirez, who remains a problem in the clubhouse. I've got to believe the Sox win the AL East next year...
Bob
Posted on: 18 December 2003 by ErikL
I'm glad I'm not a big Marlins fan living in South Florida. Following the World Series, ownership promised the fans that the clubhouse wouldn't be cleared out, as it was following their previous ('97?) World Series Championship. So what do they do? Well, to date they've shown Derek Lee (31 HR, 92 RBI), Pudge Rodriquez (best catcher ever and clubhouse leader), Mark Redman (14 W, 151 SO), Juan Encarnacion (19 HR, 94 RBI), and Uqueth Urbina (1.41 ERA) the door, and despite signing Mike Lowell (32 HR, 105 RBI) they're crying that they can only keep him if the city happily builds them a new ballpark. If I was mayor, I'd tell them to go jimmy their johnsons.
Posted on: 18 December 2003 by Martin D
Crikey chaps its only bat and ball
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by John C
Great to see Dennis Eckersley get to Cooperstown. The Houston starting lineup doesn't scare me (gulp) and if Maddux signs for the Cubs we are home and dry in the NL central.
John
ps I would love to go to Spring Training!
Posted on: 15 February 2004 by ErikL
A-Rod to the Yankees!?!?
Posted on: 15 February 2004 by matthewr
The evil empire strikes again. The financials of the deal are fiendishly complex -- all this 3% on $26m of deffered wages leased back via securitsed bond issue, yada, yada. It's very hard to work out who is paying who what.
And how come he is going to play third base if they are sending Soriano the other way? Whouldn't an SS/2B combo of Jeter + A-Rod be just brilliant?
(John C will be along shortly to point out that it's all irrelevent as Albert Pujols is already a better player)
Matthew
PS Who's your NBA Rookie of the Year -- Carmelo or LeBron?
Posted on: 15 February 2004 by ErikL
Matthew,
Evil Empire is right! The upside is that no dugout is big enough for the egos of A-Rod, Shef, and Jeter. Hopefully that will suffocate their success.
Well, King James is definitely the better rook, but I prefer 'Melo- he smiles a lot and seems like a really good kid. He has a smooth, effortless game too. I'm a major Knicks fan BTW (grew up in NY) and I'm thrilled to see all the roster changes (especially that goony-goo-goo Van Horn being traded).
Posted on: 15 February 2004 by John C
This is all irrelevant as Albert Pujols is a better player. Anyway A-Rod's never been tested outside the junior circuit. SS to 3rd base is that an easy transition?
John
Hoping the Cubs don't sign Maddux (and the Cards dont either)
Posted on: 17 February 2004 by ErikL
quote:
Originally posted by John C:
Hoping the Cubs don't sign Maddux
quote:
SS to 3rd base is that an easy transition?
Yes. Generally considered half a step above going to 1st.
Posted on: 18 February 2004 by matthewr
According to BoSox owner John Henrry baseball now needs a salary cap "to deal with a team that has gone so insanely far beyond the resources of all the other teams."
It's difficult to suppress a hearty guffaw.
I still don't understand why A-Rod wouldn't replace Soriano directly at second base. Isn't that where you put your second best infielder? (Or your best infielder if your second-best infielder has first dibs on SS).
Meanwhile in the NFL Living Legend Joe Gibbs is seriously testing my faith in his genius by trading a first day pick to sign a 34-year-old QB with dodgy knees which will cost him $20m and probably his young future franchise QB AND shopping the leagues best shutdown corner around the league.
Matthew
Posted on: 18 February 2004 by ErikL
quote:
Originally posted by Matthew Robinson:
I still don't understand why A-Rod wouldn't replace Soriano directly at second base.
Me neither. I can only guess that the Yankees want to protect/pamper A-Rod, that they feel a quick little 2B will be easy to find, and that they're still wheeling and dealing.
