2011 MLB Season Thread

[Hockey]

Originally Posted by PIMking

I just got a headline on my phone saying Ozzie guiellen was traded to the marlins for two minor league pitchers. This was from ESPN too

Ya I saw that too. Is that normal?

[transplant99]

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen was traded to the Marlins for two minor league players, according to a source close to the situation.

Guillen gathered his players before Monday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays and told them that it would be his final one, according to sources close to the situation.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story...ns-source-says

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by fundmark19

Stadium is a real pain to get to in rush hour traffic from Tampa since it is in St Pete. Most people who live in the surrounding communities work downtown Tampa. So if you get off work at 5 and spend 1 hour in traffic at least to get home (which would be a decent day on the freeway) to get to your suburb only to then leave and try to make a 7 pm start while fighting even more traffic just isn't worth doing. This is why weekend attendance is significantly better.

30 min drive no traffic from downtown Tampa to the Trop. Add in rush hour traffic and you are going to be there for a while

Significantly, as in Sunday afternoon with them 1 game back of Boston...21,000 people can be bothered to show up, much better than the 18,000 who could be bothered to come out tonight.

It's too bad, they've delivered a top notch on field product, but there aren't many people there who care.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Hockey

Ya I saw that too. Is that normal?

It happens. I think Lou Pinella was traded to Tampa for Rady Winn - a half decent outfielder at the time - heading back to Seattle.

In Guillen's case:

http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story...quest-released

The Chicago White Sox have accepted manager Ozzie Guillen's request to be released from his contract.

Guillen will accept a managerial job with the Florida Marlins, according to a source close to the situation.

Guillen's contract was set to expire after the 2012 season. About a month ago he said he wouldn't return for the final year of his contract unless he gets an extension.

Should Guillen take a managerial job with a different organization in 2012, the White Sox retain the right to be compensated. In order to fulfill that right, the Marlins will send two minor leaguers to Chicago, the source said.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Significantly, as in Sunday afternoon with them 1 game back of Boston...21,000 people can be bothered to show up, much better than the 18,000 who could be bothered to come out tonight.

It's too bad, they've delivered a top notch on field product, but there aren't many people there who care.

For a good analysis of the Rays situation, and everything involved, read "The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First" by Canada's own Jonah Keri. Great book.

http://extra2percent.com/

http://www.amazon.ca/Extra-2-Street-.../dp/0345517652

[dustyanddaflames]

Couple things... 1. I for one can't wait to see Ozzie Guillen and Hanley Ramirez in the same uniform. I really though Jack McKeon would be good for Ramirez's development, and it looked like he had turned the corner under McKeon's watchful eye - until his injury. Ramirez seems like the type of guy that needs to be under stern leadership, something Ozzie Guillen doesn't possess. The new Miami Marlins could be an interesting team to watch next year from a circus standpoint.

2. Boston and Tampa Bay are now squared in the AL Wild Card, while the Cards dropped a glorious opportunity to draw even with Atlanta, as both teams lost. Comes down to two games - who do you have your money on? I'm going with Tampa Bay and St. Louis - the hottest of the two races.

[GirlySports]

I remember when reporters was bringing up the potential absurdity of the Red Sox, having finished 2nd in the division but still 10 games clear of Tampa, having to beat the Rays in a one-game playoff to move on in the proposed new playoff system.

The Red Sox sure collapsed in a hurry.

[fundmark19]

Rays will get in and braves will hold on. Bad news is due to the timing of the games I don't think I will be able to fly down. Big night tonight if rays win sox lose then rays at least have a playoff worst case scenerio.

*Also on the attendance St pete has been having terrible thunderstorms. During the jays/yanks series. Thunder was so strong you could hear it in the broadcast. This would make a lot of the walk up crowd stay home and watch on TV

[CofR]

Sox win, Rays win... It all comes down to Game 162.

[burn_this_city]

What does everyone think about my Tigers' chances of winning a playoff series?

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by CofR

Sox win, Rays win... It all comes down to Game 162.

Jon Lester takes the mound for Boston tomorrow while the Rays send David Price out. I'm thinking we will have a playoff to determine the wild card team.

If there is a tie breaker, it goes Thursday in Tampa. The Rays are 12-6 vs Boston this year.

[Flickered Flame]

Braves and Cards now tied for the NL wild card. Braves host the Phillies tomorrow and the Cards have Houston.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

What does everyone think about my Tigers' chances of winning a playoff series?

With Verlander they can win it all.

Originally Posted by Flickered Flame

Jon Lester takes the mound for Boston tomorrow while the Rays send David Price out. I'm thinking we will have a playoff to determine the wild card team.

If there is a tie breaker, it goes Thursday in Tampa. The Rays are 12-6 vs Boston this year.

who would pitch the playoff? Niemen and who? Lackey? Wakefield?

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

With Verlander they can win it all.

And Fister has been amazing since coming over from Seattle. Might be the trade of the year.

[burn_this_city]

I've been surprised with how well they've played since the Fister trade. I just hope they didn't peak too soon, especially with relatively weak opposition as a warm up for the post season.

[dustyanddaflames]

Ya the Tigers look dangerous right now, Miggy has taken over the AL batting average crown in the last week - I thought for sure Adrian Gonzalez was going to win it. It's a good team, but does lack in playoff experience when you look at the teams they are going to be facing.

[CofR]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

who would pitch the playoff? Niemen and who? Lackey? Wakefield?

Maybe Beckett can go on 3 days rest... If not then I would imagine Wake will get the start.

Edit: I guess it would actually be two day rest for Beckett, so I would imagine Wakefield... I hope its not Lackey.

[Flickered Flame]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

who would pitch the playoff? Niemen and who? Lackey? Wakefield?

The Rays had Niemen pitch last Saturday, Davis last Sunday and Shields yesterday which pretty much rules Shields out for the tie breaker. It wouldn't surprise me if the Sox throw Beckett out there on 2 days rest as mentioned earlier.

[CofR]

One scenario being thrown around is having Aceves start, and then have Buchholz come in from the bullpen... Aceves threw 36 pitches tonight though so I guess we'll see.

[VERVE]

Originally Posted by CofR

One scenario being thrown around is having Aceves start, and then have Bucholz come in from the bullpen... Aceves threw 36 pitches tonight though so I guess we'll see.

Oh these are exciting times for MLB in Sept...
Jon Lester pitches tomorrow.
David Price one of the best lefty is pitching for Rays.
Great pitchers to close out the season. If they are still tied after tomorrow, then 1 one game playoff-played on the Friday. Then I am guessing it would be Beckett (?) on a 3 day rest maybe splitting duties with Lackey or Wakefield vs Neimann (?) of the Rays.