2008 MLB Season Thread

[HotHotHeat]

I listened to the last few innings of that game last night. 22 innings is ridiculous...The announcers were cracking some funny jokes though.

[GirlySports]

Might be the worst call I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnbFou6gT-s

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Might be the worst call I've ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnbFou6gT-s

wow, that was a terrible call indeed.

[Sylvanfan]

So is Barry Zito about to become the worst free agent signing of all time or what. He was bad last year, and this year he's found a way to be worse. Starting 0-6 the Giants have moved him to the bullpen.

http://www.tsn.ca/mlb/story/?id=2361...=headlines_mlb

Now that is some expensive middle relief. I know the last couple years in Oakland he didn't have anything left on his fastball and it looks like his arm is right dead right now. By Baseball standards he's still pretty young....but man, he's putting up Coors field numbers and he's basically pitching in the same city that he ever did, just a different park which I guess is a bit more hitter friendly, but not that different.

[habernac]

makes the Burnett signing look brilliant in comparison

[Sylvanfan]

#350_for Greg_Maddux

9th pitcher ever to win 350 games. Maddux has been around for a long time and although he's nothing like he used to be, he still knows how to get enough guys out to win his share of games. For a guy who wasn't a power pitcher he's had a remarkable career. His durability is pretty much amazing with a minimum of 198 innings pitched in each of the last 20 seasons, and only 2 times under 200 and those were 198 and 199.1. Over those 20 seasons I think he's won at least 13 games and it's only recently that his streak of 15 win seasons was snapped. No doubt he's a sure fire Hall of Famer.

[Flames in 07]

Getting a win for the Padres is almost as impressive as 350 career wins.

It's too bad that pitchers aren't made the way they used to be. Does anyone know why that is? performance enhancing drugs make arms frail?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

Getting a win for the Padres is almost as impressive as 350 career wins.

It's too bad that pitchers aren't made the way they used to be. Does anyone know why that is? performance enhancing drugs make arms frail?

Specialization.

Why stretch my pitcher for 9 innings and 150 pitches when I've got fresh/special arms in the pen? Plus it's much more fun to bring a closer in and get the crowd going.

[4X4]

Manny Ramirez catches the ball, high fives a fan, then throws it in to get out 1st.

[Sylvanfan]

Checking out hitting stats in the AL there are 13 players hitting 300 or better, 9 players slugging 500 or better and 5 with a 400 or better on base percentage. Home run numbers in the AL are very low as of right now too, as Carlos Quentins 10 home runs leads the AL by 2 homers and we're nearly 1/4 way through the season. Is the pitching in the AL this dominant that the hitting numbers are this low? Does the AL have a different drug testing policy than the NL that the players are having this much trouble hitting this year?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Checking out hitting stats in the AL there are 13 players hitting 300 or better, 9 players slugging 500 or better and 5 with a 400 or better on base percentage. Home run numbers in the AL are very low as of right now too, as Carlos Quentins 10 home runs leads the AL by 2 homers and we're nearly 1/4 way through the season. Is the pitching in the AL this dominant that the hitting numbers are this low? Does the AL have a different drug testing policy than the NL that the players are having this much trouble hitting this year?

The Mitchell Report has scared the hell out of everyone.
Some say that the report didn't have enough teeth but seeing what Clemens and Pettitte went through, players are really scared to have their entire lives played out in public if they get caught.

We, the fans, are winning because the quality of the baseball this year has been great so far.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

The Mitchell Report has scared the hell out of everyone.
Some say that the report didn't have enough teeth but seeing what Clemens and Pettitte went through, players are really scared to have their entire lives played out in public if they get caught.

We, the fans, are winning because the quality of the baseball this year has been great so far.

That still doesn't explain the massive differece between the AL and NL so far though. In the NL guys are still having monster years. Chipper Jones, Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, and Albert Pujols are just lighting it up. In the AL you have guys like Carlos Quentin, Josh Hamilton, and Kevin Youkilis hitting well, but nowhere near what those NL guys are. Now I can see how the NL guys maybe get pitched around since the pitchers spot tends to come up in the order for the on base stuff, but slugging numbers in the NL are eon's above the AL right now and those teams only have 8 guys hitting in most games and a patsy versus 9 in the AL.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

That still doesn't explain the massive differece between the AL and NL so far though. In the NL guys are still having monster years. Chipper Jones, Lance Berkman, Chase Utley, and Albert Pujols are just lighting it up. In the AL you have guys like Carlos Quentin, Josh Hamilton, and Kevin Youkilis hitting well, but nowhere near what those NL guys are. Now I can see how the NL guys maybe get pitched around since the pitchers spot tends to come up in the order for the on base stuff, but slugging numbers in the NL are eon's above the AL right now and those teams only have 8 guys hitting in most games and a patsy versus 9 in the AL.

Hmm my other explanation is.. it's MAY

Maybe power numbers will increase over the summer.
The AL is loaded with arms though as all teams try to make a run at the playoffs.

[Caged Great]

AL Pitchers = Good
NL Pitchers = AAA quality

That's the main reason why the difference

It's just like in Hockey where the majority of the good goalies are in the west (Luongo, Kipper, Nabokov, Turco, Cloutier, Giguere, Backstrom) whereas you only have 3 or 4 good ones in the East (Lundqvist Brodeur Dipietro and Miller)

[Machiavelli]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

AL Pitchers = Good
NL Pitchers = AAA quality

That's the main reason why the difference

It's just like in Hockey where the majority of the good goalies are in the west (Luongo, Kipper, Nabokov, Turco, Cloutier, Giguere, Backstrom) whereas you only have 3 or 4 good ones in the East (Lundqvist Brodeur Dipietro and Miller)

Did you include him as a joke?

[Iggy's Forehead]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Did you include him as a joke?

Heck no. Cloutier is a first ballot hall of famer. His playoff performances alone put him in the discussion with Dryden and Roy.

[zukes]

Nothing like reading a baseball thread and still bashing Cloutier. I love CP.

[moon]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Checking out hitting stats in the AL there are 13 players hitting 300 or better, 9 players slugging 500 or better and 5 with a 400 or better on base percentage. Home run numbers in the AL are very low as of right now too, as Carlos Quentins 10 home runs leads the AL by 2 homers and we're nearly 1/4 way through the season. Is the pitching in the AL this dominant that the hitting numbers are this low? Does the AL have a different drug testing policy than the NL that the players are having this much trouble hitting this year?

I think the key is look at the guys who are at the top in each league.

Pujols, Utley, Jones and even Berkman are all top guys in the NL.

In the AL none of the "best" players are putting up good numbers.

I think it is more the fact that guys like A-Rod, Vlad, Ortiz and Cabrera that you would expect to be putting up big numbers are struggling/injured more than the AL struggling as a whole.

Even in career years/breakout seasons I am not sure Quenten and Youkolis are going to match the output of even just normal seasons of Utely and Pujols.

[Flames in 07]

Looks like the NHL has taken over the MLB tonight.

Delgado hits a HR off the foul pole and the collective genius wearing black call it a foul ball. I'm not sure how since the ball bounces hard off the pole.

[metallicat]

Has there ever been talk of an appeal system such as in the NFL being used in MLB? Because that clearly was a case for it.