OT: Major League Baseball 2006 Season Discussion

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Thu May 11, 2006 8:02 pm

Yup, that was one hell of a catch...especially given the circumstances with the bases loaded and everything. I like watching that guy play as well...he plays the game the right way.

Programmed2Kill · Post by **Programmed2Kill** » Fri May 12, 2006 3:45 am

Rowand's my new idol now. Ok, I won't go that far, but Gillick did a great deal getting this guy back for Thome. That trade worked wonders for both team, actually. But that catch by Rowand is an all-timer. Sick.

I've been listening to WFAN New York all night and these arrogant punks are crying and whining about the game ending because of the rain. Get over it. Then some call up acting like the Phillies have no business messing with the Mets. C'mon now, take your sour grapes elsewhere. One guy said the second game was a real indication of how the series should've gone. Be quiet and lose like a man!

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Fri May 12, 2006 7:51 am

A "W" is a "W". As far as Rowand, take a look at my avatar

jLp vAkEr0 · Post by **jLp vAkEr0** » Fri May 12, 2006 8:30 am

Just saw Rowand's catch on SC. That was sick.

Lame way to end a series between for now, the top 2 team in the east. But those are the rules.

Programmed2Kill wrote:Rowand's my new idol now. Ok, I won't go that far, but Gillick did a great deal getting this guy back for Thome. That trade worked wonders for both team, actually. But that catch by Rowand is an all-timer. Sick.

I've been listening to WFAN New York all night and these arrogant punks are crying and whining about the game ending because of the rain. Get over it. Then some call up acting like the Phillies have no business messing with the Mets. C'mon now, take your sour grapes elsewhere. One guy said the second game was a real indication of how the series should've gone. Be quiet and lose like a man!

I'm sure Philly fans would have been the ones ringing off the phones, whinning if Rowand doesn't make that catch wich saved 3 runs.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Fri May 12, 2006 12:04 pm

Some pretty gruesome plays yesterday: Rowand, Matsui (ouch), even Griffey's diver looked like it could have been bad.

But none more gruesome than the Cubs play the past few weeks.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:23 pm

Matsui could miss the rest of the season. And with G. Sheffield gone too, Yankees are thin on the outfield. Who will Steinbrenner bring? Looking in MINN would be a good start, S. Stewart, T. Hunter?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:29 pm

Rowand should have won a Gold Glove over Torii Hunter last year since Hunter missed quite a bit of time.

The Twins are a good fit for the Yankees depending on how much Terry Ryan is looking for in return for either Hunter or Stewart. Isn't the Yankees farm system still devoid of many good prospects? Lew Ford could probably be had for a minor prospect, though. He'd immediately be the best fielder in their OF.

The thought of Stewart and Damon in the same outfield should scare Yankees fans. I think they'd need a cut-off man during inter-inning warmups.

grtwhtsk · Post by **grtwhtsk** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:42 pm

Dave wrote: The thought of Stewart and Damon in the same outfield should scare Yankees fans. I think they'd need a cut-off man during inter-inning warmups.

On the Yankees telecast last night they showed the clip of Johnny Damon throwing a ball in and Manny leaping to cut it off! That was priceless.

Programmed2Kill · Post by **Programmed2Kill** » Fri May 12, 2006 4:21 pm

jLp vAkEr0 wrote:
I'm sure Philly fans would have been the ones ringing off the phones, whinning if Rowand doesn't make that catch wich saved 3 runs.

Maybe....but that didn't happen

Taking 2 out of 3 was very, very good.

kevinpars · Post by **kevinpars** » Sat May 13, 2006 9:33 am

Hideki Matsui apologized for getting hurt.

Hell, most athletes don't apologize for getting wasted and having sex with a minor much less for doing their job on the field. I hope he recovers fully and quickly.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat May 13, 2006 1:05 pm

kevinpars wrote:Hideki Matsui apologized for getting hurt.

Hell, most athletes don't apologize for getting wasted and having sex with a minor much less for doing their job on the field. I hope he recovers fully and quickly.

Culture difference. Nowhere more eloquent than in this case.

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Sat May 13, 2006 3:14 pm

10spro wrote:
kevinpars wrote:Hideki Matsui apologized for getting hurt.

Hell, most athletes don't apologize for getting wasted and having sex with a minor much less for doing their job on the field. I hope he recovers fully and quickly.
Culture difference. Nowhere more eloquent than in this case.

A wrist injury is particularly tough on a porn aficionado like Matsui

XXXIV · Post by **XXXIV** » Mon May 15, 2006 12:51 pm

I dont care what anybody says Jim Thome and Albert Pujuols are not using any kind of performing enhancing drugs...

RobVarak · Post by **RobVarak** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:10 pm

sfz_T-car wrote:
A wrist injury is particularly tough on a porn aficionado like Matsui

I had the exact same thought. Deviant minds think alike, apparently.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon May 15, 2006 1:14 pm

XXXIV wrote:I dont care what anybody says Jim Thome and Albert Pujuols are not using any kind of performing enhancing drugs...

LOL. The thing about those guys is that we don't have the "skinny" versions to use as a base for comparison like we do with Bonds and McGwire.

AJColossal · Post by **AJColossal** » Mon May 15, 2006 2:48 pm

That's the problem with all this speculation. Who knows what's going on?

Pujols is a spectacular player, and no one has brought up his name in all this steroid talk, while we've assumed the guilt of several other players.

But I can easily imagine his name and steroids being lumped together if he passes 50 homers and beyond.

Whether he is doing it or not, it's hard to imagine we'll ever be in awe of a player's feats without carrying on about "Is he or isn't he??"

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Tue May 16, 2006 10:07 am

AJColossal wrote: Pujols is a spectacular player, and no one has brought up his name in all this steroid talk, while we've assumed the guilt of several other players.

With Bonds, we know that he has taken steroids. He admitted to using the clear and the cream, which had performance enhancing drugs in it. We don't need a blood or urine test to confirm that Bonds juiced, he already testified that he did (unknowingly

). With Mac, we don't have any of that, and he claims to have built his body up with Andro and only legal (at the time) supplements, but with Canseco's book holding true on pretty much everything, and McGwire's claming up with Congress, he looks guilty as sin.

As for Pujols, he's only 26 years old (which is pretty much the only controversy surrounding him, as we know those Latin American birth records can be inaccurate at times), and has the same build and size that he did in 2001 when he entered the league as a 21yr old rookie. He spent only one season in the minors (2000) after the Cardinals drafted him in '99. It's not like he's got some long history of being an average baseball player, small in build, then all of a sudden has a power explosion (ala Brady Anderson). He's done this from day 1 and hasn't stepped off the throttle in over 5yrs.

Bonds, Big Mac and others, all were little stick figures as rookies, then got huge late in their careers. Pujols is a big guy, but not Bonds/Mac big. He's 6'3" and only 225lbs... he's cut, but not muscle bound.

Living in St. Louis, we get to hear on and on about how hard this guy works overtime on his swing and studies the game and pitchers. He's like a Tony Gwynn that way, but with power. IMO, Pujols is probably clean, he seems like a standup guy and is just a really really hard worker. Very motivated. He's a great hitter, I just think the lack of steroids in the game is hurting the pitchers that were on them more than anyone thinks about. It wasn't just the hitters juicing, but they got all the press because of the increase in homers. I'm sure there was a similar amount of pitchers using illegal enhancers as well, and now they aren't recovering as quickly and don't have as much "stuff". Good hitters are just eating them up even more now.

lexbur · Post by **lexbur** » Tue May 16, 2006 2:59 pm

Does the new stadium in St. Louis have anything to do with Pujols' homer-fest? Is it a launching pad? Does the ball carry better there than at old Busch? Does it favor righties or lefties?

I haven't seen it much on TV yet, only a few Sportscenter highlights.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Tue May 16, 2006 3:36 pm

jondiehl wrote:As for Pujols, he's only 26 years old (which is pretty much the only controversy surrounding him, as we know those Latin American birth records can be inaccurate at times), and has the same build and size that he did in 2001 when he entered the league as a 21yr old rookie.

I have a friend that is a high school wrestling coach and he says steroids are a huge problem in high school wrestling. I have heard similar problems in football and baseball (was it Burt Hooton's son that committed suicide from steroid use?). Unfortunately, being the same size at 26 as you were at 21 really doesn't mean much these days with performance enhancers readily available at any age. Look at all the 300 pound high school lineman around the country.

I don't have any reason to believe that Pujols is juiced up, but then again, I have no reason to believe that he isn't either.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:41 am

Leebo33 wrote:
jondiehl wrote:As for Pujols, he's only 26 years old (which is pretty much the only controversy surrounding him, as we know those Latin American birth records can be inaccurate at times), and has the same build and size that he did in 2001 when he entered the league as a 21yr old rookie.
I have a friend that is a high school wrestling coach and he says steroids are a huge problem in high school wrestling. I have heard similar problems in football and baseball (was it Burt Hooton's son that committed suicide from steroid use?). Unfortunately, being the same size at 26 as you were at 21 really doesn't mean much these days with performance enhancers readily available at any age. Look at all the 300 pound high school lineman around the country.

I don't have any reason to believe that Pujols is juiced up, but then again, I have no reason to believe that he isn't either.

All very true, and he could have build up some of that size before hitting the major's at 21. However, he's been able to maintain that size throughout, despite steroid testing in MLB. Those high schooler's can pretty much take whatever they want, can't they? I don't think they do random drug testing at the HS level do they? I dunno.

At this point though, I don't think we'll see many MLB players using steroids with the new policy in place. It's still there, but so far the bulk of the positive tests are in the minor leagues and fringe players in MLB. Someone with a $100m contract on the line probably isn't juicing anymore, if he ever did... but the guys with almost nothing to lose can afford to take the risk still.

lexbur wrote:Does the new stadium in St. Louis have anything to do with Pujols' homer-fest? Is it a launching pad? Does the ball carry better there than at old Busch? Does it favor righties or lefties?

I haven't seen it much on TV yet, only a few Sportscenter highlights.

It's a fair park, like the old Busch, as the dimensions are nearly identical to the old Busch. The only difference to them is that instead of a smooth arc to the wall, it's made up of 5 straight sections. This means the power alleys are a few feet longer, and the foul lines are a few feet shorter... but not by much. The wall is slightly shorter too. We're seeing alot more homers (so far) but that could be small sample size. I think it has more to do with the open air outfield... probably something to do with the wind and the ball carrying better. The old cookie-cutter Busch was just a big circular bowl so the wind would be more swirling than anything. Now, with an open outfield, I think the ball is catching the wind a little better when it's blowing that direction. Most of Pujols' HR at home this year would have been gone at any ballpark, including the old Busch... they aren't skimming the wall at the foul pole or anything.

Pujols has 12 HR at home, 7 on the road... but he has 79 vs 51 AB's (home/road) so it's pretty much the same HR output away from Busch as well.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:15 am

jondiehl wrote:All very true, and he could have build up some of that size before hitting the major's at 21. However, he's been able to maintain that size throughout, despite steroid testing in MLB.

Oh, I seriously doubt that Pujols would now be using something that is tested by MLB. That would be insane. I don't even pretend to know much about steroids/HGH, but I believe most experts in the field think the current MLB testing is a joke and that the athletes would easily be able to "beat it." Tell me there isn't a shadow of doubt in your mind that a player like Giambi found something "new and improved" around the middle of last season.

I want to believe that Pujols isn't cheating, but I've been burned as a fan more often than not recently. I used to think that McGwire was a standup guy and a "workout warrior", but it doesn't appear to be that way looking back. It's only natural to be skeptical, especially since MLB isn't really serious about testing.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:20 am

Leebo33 wrote: I want to believe that Pujols isn't cheating, but I've been burned as a fan more often than not recently. I used to think that McGwire was a standup guy and a "workout warrior", but it doesn't appear to be that way looking back. It's only natural to be skeptical, especially since MLB isn't really serious about testing.

I'm with you there. It's hard to trust any of them, although I didn't buy into McGwire being clean and only doing it with Andro as much as some of the Kool-aid sippers around town during the HR chase w/ Sosa.

I don't think they have a test for HGH yet, and there's got to be other's like it. Sorta like software/media piracy, the cheaters are typically a step ahead of the game and already have the new way to bypass the system when a fresh "test"/copy protection thing comes out.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed May 17, 2006 10:27 am

I do think Pujols is a great player and probably is clean

I generally give players the benefit of the doubt. It's just a shame you even have to think about it.

Programmed2Kill · Post by **Programmed2Kill** » Wed May 17, 2006 11:57 am

If Pujols is on something, it'll come out eventually. I'm not going to just excuse him just because his name isn't 'Bonds'. People had no clue Raphael Palmeiro was on the stuff and were excusing him, too.

But until then, I'll just enjoy Pujols' home run-hitting antics.

sfz_T-car · Post by **sfz_T-car** » Wed May 17, 2006 12:28 pm

It took Russ Springer five tries to hit Bonds last night. Not exactly pin-point control.