MLB Season discussion

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:58 pm

2 more dingers (among 3 hits) for Young Musial today...boy is it exciting to be a Cards' fan again. Wow!

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:38 pm

GTHobbes wrote:2 more dingers (among 3 hits) for Young Musial today...boy is it exciting to be a Cards' fan again. Wow!

This team needed a kick in the pants, and Ankiel has delivered. It just doesn't seem real to see him batting second and playing right field. He just looks like a natural at the plate and in the field, and he has such a short compact swing. He made two nice defensive plays as well in the game today.

It'll be interesting to see how pitchers change their approach to him. I think he undoubtedly will struggle once they figure out his weakness. I am confident he will adjust though.

GTHobbes · Post by **GTHobbes** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:15 pm

He reminds me a lot of Larry Walker...sweet natural swing, great athlete, plus-arm, above average speed on the bases... can't help but be excited to think what he can do hitting in front of Pujols. The same line up that was weak hitting all season all of sudden looks to be as formidable as anybodys. Great story no matter how you slice it.

Again, I can't wait for the new roster download for The Show...nothing like waiting until August to begin a season.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 9:23 pm

Batting in front of Pujols definitely helps. Duncan is having an awful August, so it makes sense to have Ankiel in the two hole.

I too wish I could edit Ankiel in to my season with The Show. What an awesome addition it'd be to have him available to start instead of Juan. The almost monthly roster updates help.

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 11:56 am

It's amazing that given all the high priced free agent busts the Yanks have brought in over the years that the energizers of this team are it's homegrown stars + Arod. Jeter, Posada, Rivera and Pettite of the veterans and the "kids" Cano, Melky, Phil Hughes, Shelley Duncan, Joba Chamberlain (just wicked stuff) and Wang. With this great mix of youth and veterans I haven't felt this good about a Yankee team since the late 90's....and they're catching fire at the right time. Even if they miss out on the playoffs this year the future is looking bright indeed.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:23 pm

spooky157 wrote:With this great mix of youth and veterans I haven't felt this good about a Yankee team since the late 90's....and they're catching fire at the right time.

Yeah, you don't have to convince me about the Yankees. I was at all three games this weekend, and man, it was gruesome.

They're a machine right now, geeze.

Sully · Post by **Sully** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:07 pm

What I find amazing is that the Phillies sit 3 games out in the East, and only 1 behind the Padres for the NL Wildcard, despite the amount of injuries they've sustained this year. Their pitching staff is amongst the worst in the MLB, too. It just doesn't add up. It's fun to watch, but you wonder how long they can keep doing it.

snaz16 · Post by **snaz16** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:25 pm

lexbur wrote:
spooky157 wrote:With this great mix of youth and veterans I haven't felt this good about a Yankee team since the late 90's....and they're catching fire at the right time.
Yeah, you don't have to convince me about the Yankees. I was at all three games this weekend, and man, it was gruesome.

They're a machine right now, geeze.

Not to mention the fact the Tribe can't hit thier way out of wet paper sack right now

Hafner and Sizemore got to bust out of it soon,for the Tigers are starting to show some life again. And wild card wise,don't forget that early season snowed out series vs. Seattle,that the Tribe is the home team at Safeco in Sept. for 1 game,during that set.

. That might be big.
With that said.., the biggest lead at any division is the Red Sox at 4 games.....parity has reached baseball. Looks like a lot of fun down the stretch...this has the makings of one of the best finishes of all time

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:52 pm

Sully wrote:What I find amazing is that the Phillies sit 3 games out in the East, and only 1 behind the Padres for the NL Wildcard, despite the amount of injuries they've sustained this year. Their pitching staff is amongst the worst in the MLB, too. It just doesn't add up. It's fun to watch, but you wonder how long they can keep doing it.

The same thing can be said about the Braves and the Mets though. Injuries have killed all three teams...thus, we are where we are. There's no doubt that the east is a much better division than the west, it's just that all of the injuries have mounted up and the east just keeps taking turns beating each other. It'll even out and the East will get the wild card winner most likely. It just depends on who stays the healthiest over the next 7 weeks.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Mon Aug 13, 2007 5:26 pm

Yeah, those damn Yankees are peaking at the right time it seems, all year long they've been some 12 games with the Jays behind Bosox and now just four games behind. One of the key reason is of course the A-Rod factor who hasn't slowed down at all and is having a heck of a year and the play of youngster R. Cano. They had some key injuries too and are a healthy bunch now. It'll be at interesting September run for the playoffs.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 10:58 am

Famous Yankee player/broadcaster Phil Rizzuto passed away, according to NY radio.

I grew up with him and Bill White calling the games on WPIX.

Sad.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Tue Aug 14, 2007 11:46 am

I also grew up listening to Rizzuto, White and Frank Messer calling the Yankee games. I thought about opening a dedicated thread to this news, but some huckleberry would probably b*tch about it.

Talk about a guy who bled pinstripes. I remember when NBC used to have a guest announcer from the teams in the World Series and he was too upset to even talk when the Big Red Machine swept the Yankees in the 1976 series

I actually got to meet him in Cooperstown when he was there for Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford's enshrinement.

Remember when someone made a book of poems from Scooter's game dialog? Here is one that fits the occasion:

Prayer for the Captain

There's a little prayer I always say
Whenever I think of my family or when I'm flying,
When I'm afraid, and I am afraid of flying.
It's just a little one. You can say it no matter what,
Whether you're Catholic or Jewish or Protestant or
whatever.
And I've probably said it a thousand times
Since I heard the news on Thurman Munson.

It's not trying to be maudlin or anything.
His Eminence, Cardinal Cooke, is going to come out
And say a little prayer for Thurman Munson.
But this is just a little one I say time and time again,
It's just: Angel of God, Thurman's guardian dear,
To whom his love commits him here there or everywhere,
Ever this night and day be at his side,
To light and guard, to rule and guide.

For some reason it makes me feel like I'm talking to
Thurman,
Or whoever's name you put in there,
Whether it be my wife or any of my children, my parents
or anything.
It's just something to keep you really from going bananas.
Because if you let this,
If you keep thinking about what happened, and you can't
understand it,
That's what really drives you to despair.

Faith. You gotta have faith.
You know, they say time heals all wounds,
And I don't quite agree with that a hundred percent.
It gets you to cope with wounds.
You carry them the rest of your life.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 12:52 am

What a game between the Yankees-Angels in ANA so far. It has that playoff atmosphere, fans chanting Yankees suck

but they come back to tie the game in the 8th with a two run homer by J. Posada. Into the 9 inning now with the game tied 6-6.

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:30 am

I stayed up till 2 in the morning watching THAT?? Great game between the Yanks and Angels last night ends in a tough loss for the Bombers. Things don't look any better tonight with Kelvim Escobar throwing for the LAA...

What a great final month to the season we have coming up. Maybe there is some parity in baseball after all. Can someone please tell the Mariners that this isn't 2001? It's okay if they lose a game now and then.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:12 pm

There is only parity because the ridiculously expensive teams underachieve...

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 1:13 am

spooky157 wrote:I stayed up till 2 in the morning watching THAT?

I am sure you didn't stay up this late tonight but your quote still holds its truth.

spooky157 · Post by **spooky157** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:56 am

10spro wrote:
spooky157 wrote:I stayed up till 2 in the morning watching THAT?
I am sure you didn't stay up this late tonight but your quote still holds its truth.

haha...I actually stayed up till 3 but I was playing billiards at my local pub while the Yanks were getting waxed on a tv in the background.

George Steinbrenner who? It's the Angels who own the Yankees now...

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Aug 22, 2007 11:54 pm

Texas 30, Baltimore 3. WTF??? Highest score in over 100 years, where's the mercy rule?

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:02 am

10spro wrote:where's the mercy rule?

No kidding, geeze. And I can't believe the Rangers left 18 guys on base on top of scoring 30! That's two guys an inning.

I also can't believe it was only 5-3 going into the sixth.

What a crazy game!!!

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:39 pm

You think the Tribe and Tigers both want this one or what?

GEEZE! 0-0, tenth inning!!! 2-game swing in the standings on the line!!!!

Not a whole lotta work gettin' done today in the office!

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu Aug 23, 2007 9:17 pm

The Reds ballpark is a f*cking joke. Are they playing on a little league field or what? Balls that barely get to the warning track anywhere else are FLYING out of that bandbox.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 12:06 am

If you're a Bosox fan, this is no a good time to choke a series and give the Yankees a September to look forward to. What a player R. Cano is turning out to be.

jLp vAkEr0 · Post by **jLp vAkEr0** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:01 pm

10spro wrote:If you're a Bosox fan, this is no a good time to choke a series and give the Yankees a September to look forward to. What a player R. Cano is turning out to be.

Mets have it worse.

They will not be in 1st place after their road trip is over. The bullpen has fallen completly. I think it's gonna be a ugly september for them.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 1:17 pm

jLp vAkEr0 wrote:
10spro wrote:If you're a Bosox fan, this is no a good time to choke a series and give the Yankees a September to look forward to. What a player R. Cano is turning out to be.
Mets have it worse.

They will not be in 1st place after their road trip is over. The bullpen has fallen completly. I think it's gonna be a ugly september for them.

You've got the Braves this weekend. I doubt September will start out too bad for the Mets.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:19 pm

jLp vAkEr0 wrote:
10spro wrote:If you're a Bosox fan, this is no a good time to choke a series and give the Yankees a September to look forward to. What a player R. Cano is turning out to be.
Mets have it worse.

They will not be in 1st place after their road trip is over. The bullpen has fallen completly. I think it's gonna be a ugly september for them.

Is the NY crowd falling out of love with C. Delgado?