Playball! MLB season 2014.

[10spro]

It's opening day for a lot teams including my Jays. A year ago, the WS was already given to the team after the new acquisitions by Anthopolous including Buehrle, Dickey and Reyes. This season, there are no expectations at all with pretty much the same roster. Problem is of course they play in a very tough division and secondly they don't stand a chance if they continue to get hurt as they did last year. A healthy rotation is a must but when you have guys like Morrow and McGowan that's tough to predict. Santana would have been a nice addition but he decided to pitch in the NL.

Navarro should be an upgrade over Arencibia behind the plate, the team can still hit, so the big question mark is the bullpen. At least the GM didn't quite mortgage the future but if they stink again around half way thru the season, you'll see guys like Bautista, Rasmus and Encarnacion being moved.

The Rays and Bosox will be tough to beat again while Cards and Nats are looking good over the other side.

[Inuyasha]

Cubs new road uni's just awful.

[10spro]

First game only and Reyes is out with an injury. Price killed the Jays.

[sportdan30]

The Cardinals magic number is 161!!! Great pitching by Wainwright and very suspect fielding by the Redbirds. Despite the lack of hits, the Cards have a better lineup than last year IMO. Should be a great season.

[MizzouRah]

The Cardinals magic number is 161!!! Great pitching by Wainwright and very suspect fielding by the Redbirds. Despite the lack of hits, the Cards have a better lineup than last year IMO. Should be a great season.

3 errors.. and we survived, great game!

[10spro]

It was hard to watch Don Baylor breaking his femur bone while catching Vlad's ball. Ouch.

[MizzouRah]

It was hard to watch Don Baylor breaking his femur bone while catching Vlad's ball. Ouch.

Yeah, that was brutal.

[pigpen81]

It is also sad to see so few fans at the Chisox game today. I think they must have drawn more fans to a spring training game?

Was it super cold today in Chitown?

As far as Baylor, he might hold the MLB record for HBP's so he is super tough (no body armor back in the day)...not to mention he beat cancer not long ago.

[pigpen81]

Currently watching extra's in the Oak/Sea game and one trend I wish would go away big time is the beard trend. It needs to go away and fast.

[pk500]

Currently watching extra's in the Oak/Sea game and one trend I wish would go away big time is the beard trend. It needs to go away and fast.

It's not just baseball, either, Piggy:

[Inuyasha]

I don't mind beards, but can't they freaking afford a comb for them?

[Aristo]

[dbdynsty25]

One thing is increasingly clear as I watched the Cardinals/Braves series this weekend. If there's one thing that will bring down the Braves this year, it's the one thing the Cardinals seem to do better than everyone else: situational hitting and making productive outs. Good god the Braves are absolutely atrocious and they have been for the past few years...and it seems to be getting worse. Seems like every time the Cardinals had to do something to create or help create a run, they did it.

And on the flip side, the Braves only won a game because of an iffy ball four call on Schafer and a wild pitch. So they are winning by getting great starting pitching (for the most part) and some luck. No idea how they are over .500 and in first place in the East. It's been probably the most frustrating team to watch since they started putting together winning teams in the early 90s. That's for damn sure.

[JackB1]

Braves are first in pitching and last in hitting. That isn't a winning formula. This is no different than last year. They wait for the big inning to bail them out and it doesn't usually happen. In the playoffs, small ball + pitching win games. They need to fire their hitting coach and try teaching these guys how to get the bat on the ball and scratch out runs. They have 4 months to change this pattern and if they don't, they will not be playing in Oct this year...just like last.

[MizzouRah]

Just got home from the Cardinals - Dbacks game.. Waino with a 1 hit gem!

[JackB1]

Just got home from the Cardinals - Dbacks game.. Waino with a 1 hit gem!

Cards look great this year. Too bad they have the Brewers in their division.

[MizzouRah]

Just got home from the Cardinals - Dbacks game.. Waino with a 1 hit gem!

Cards look great this year. Too bad they have the Brewers in their division.

I think the Brewers will cool off.. but if not, it will make for a good battle.

[JackB1]

Just got home from the Cardinals - Dbacks game.. Waino with a 1 hit gem!

Cards look great this year. Too bad they have the Brewers in their division.

I think the Brewers will cool off.. but if not, it will make for a good battle.

We're (Braves) cooling them off for ya

[MizzouRah]

We're (Braves) cooling them off for ya

[JackB1]

Going to the Braves/Rockies tilt tonite in the ATL.

Little scared of the Rockies offensive firepower. I hope we can keep them below
5 runs and score a bunch of our own.

Will be drinkin' and choppin' in about 4 hours

[10spro]

I've decided not to jinx them for about three weeks when they started to turn their season around. Until today, when they lost to the Royals.

In the always competitive Eastern division, they swept the Red Sox and the Rays during their recent unbeaten 10 games stretch, but were also series winners before they caught on fire.

What's the reason? Staying reasonably healthy unlike the ridiculous injuries suffered the past two years. They found Juan Francisco who's playing 3rd and managed to convinced B. Laurie to move to second despite his initial frustration.

They are doing it with pitching and speed, not to mention the long ball. They all can hit and if they continue to stay healthy, I like their chances to finally make it to the playoffs this season.

[10spro]

Congratz Jays. You now hold the record drought for not not making the playoffs in the majors. Kansas keep winning eliminating them of any remote chance they had even though TOR crushed SEA 2 nights in a row.

[fsquid]

big thread

[vinny-b]

DB:

what is your take on the Braves front office changes? Additionally, do you remain high on Freddy Gonzalez as manager?

[dbdynsty25]

DB:

what is your take on the Braves front office changes? Additionally, do you remain high on Freddy Gonzalez as manager?

Had to happen. Wren is running the ship into the ground. He's made some shrewd trades over the years (the Michael Bourn and Justin Upton trades), but his signings have been disasterous (Lowe, Kawakami, BJ Upton, extension for Uggla). Not a single one of those has worked out. I'd like to see John Hart take over...and groom the yougster, Coppollela.

As for Fredi...ugh. Where to start? I liked the move when they signed him but his horrible lineup construction and poor bullpen usage (how many Tommy John surgeries do they need to have before the trend is noticed)...it's his turn to go as well. I'd like to see some new blood, and not the Bobby Cox way. That clearly isn't working and hasn't worked for a few years now. Also, get rid of Terry Pendleton (1b Coach and distraction) and Dave Wallace (the hitting coach). This is the fourth worst hitting braves team EVER...in franchise history! Time to bring Chipper in to be the hitting coach.

The only coach I see keeping is Roger McDowell...the pitching has been fantastic, especially the starters since he came on board. He needs to stay...the rest need to go.