Major League Baseball 2008

[GADZOOKS]

I think maybe pac-man might be talking about the stigma Red Sox fans have that they are giant "bro-heim" douchebags after they won. Trust me, the majority Cubs fans are just as big of douchebags as Red Sox fans. I also hate kids who hold posters that say things along the lines of "100 YEARS IN THE MAKING". If you haven't been a fan of the team for at least 40+ years you can't claim you suffered with the team. I know I can't.

It's going to be terrible if the Cubs win here. Yet, I like the team we have this year so much that I try not to give so much shit about the assholery and hope for the best, though they probably could not beat the Phillies or D-Backs in a serious series.

[WhiteRat]

But in a "just for fun" series they'd be tops, right?

[pac-man]

Hells yeah.

[pac-man]

Oh, and I completely got my numbers wrong. The Sox broke the curse in '04, so that'd be 4 years, not 6. I've got to quit smoking this shit.

[GADZOOKS]

Originally Posted by WhiteRat

But in a "just for fun" series they'd be tops, right?

What I meant by serious is a playoff series that they would have to play away games in and Brandon Webb would pitch twice in QUIT GETTING ON MY CASE WHITE RAT

[pac-man]

The Cubbies have great pitching, and right now are on a winning streak that could conceivably go on until they're interleague match-ups start; playing against the a weak Padres team, the mediocre Dodgers whom they just swept, and the Braves, who I wouldn't believe were above .500 if I hadn't seen the standings.

The Rays have a great opportunity to nail down the AL East. Manny is the best player on the Sox, but Papi is the heart of the team. Him being out for an undetermined amount of time for the wrist is going to hurt Boston.

Honestly, now that I've thought about it, I'd be all for a Rays/Cubs World Series. Sure, Chi-town fans would get bitten by the obnoxious bug that infected Boston 4 years ago, but Sox fans earned it and so have Cubs fans.

Plus, who knows, Joe Mantegna, Robert Smigel, George Wendt, and Mike Myers might throw on the Superfans 'staches again and give us an SNL sketch worth watching.

[Geggy]

Josh hamiliton of the texas rangers already has 68 rbi's so far this season and is on a pace to break a record for most rbi in a single season which is at 191 by hack wilson.

Just hope that hamilton won't relapse in the middle of the season.

[pac-man]

One of the finest manager meltdowns in recent history:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bl...mad/4075812066

[Pentegarn]

Originally Posted by pac-man

One of the finest manager meltdowns in recent history:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/bl...mad/4075812066

That's a [bleep]ing interesting link you just [bleep]ing posted.

Still, football coaches are MUCH better at meltdowns than that. Besides, both Ozzy Guillen and Lou Pinella have better meltdowns regularly than that one

[Geggy]

It was a wild one last night. Not only coco crisp charged the mound after being hit by the ball, Manny went after Youkilis in the dugout between innings. You would expect something like this to happen during the celtics-lakers game.

[Colonel Flagg]

How'd you like to be Kelly Johnson? 2 outs in the ninth, a one run lead and you drop a pop-up allowing the tying run to score from second. Then to top it off, the Braves lose to the Phils in the 10th.

I'm a Phillies fan, true, but even I feel for the guy.

[pac-man]

Johnson should've used two hands ("like his Momma taught him" as Stu Scott would say).

So the horsey triple crown was a bust. Who thinks a baseball triple crown is in Josh Hamilton's future? He's 7th in the AL for batting average (.315, which is not as far behind AL leader Milton Bradley as it sounds). 1st by a wide gap for RBIs (68). And he's the AL leader in homers as well (17). Although he's #1 in HRs, I'd say that'd be the stat that may cost him. Manny, Bradley, Carlos Quentin, and Jason Giambi are all great sluggers.

I'm rooting for him to pull it off, honestly. Lots of games left, but if the planets align and the Cubs make the series and a clean player makes a great achievement, it will only help further the game from the steroid era.

[Colonel Flagg]

Originally Posted by pac-man

Who thinks a baseball triple crown is in Josh Hamilton's future?

Back in the "old days" it would be possible, but in this day and age of specialization, steroids and whatnot, it is insanely difficult (and highly improbable) to hit for average and be a certified slugger. #1 in RBI's and Homers - you can virtually guarantee that someone will take both of these crowns ever few years or so (in one league or another). However, to hit for average means you need to excel at hitting the ball where it's pitched and not swing for the fences. It's one of the drawbacks of most sluggers - they tend to want to jack the ball out of the park on every pitch; it's why they strike out so damned much.

However, the fact that he's hitting for average and for power is not to be trifled with. The kid's got game. I just think it's extremely unlikely that he'll be atop the league at the end of the season in all three offensive categories.

[pac-man]

It's pretty safe to say he'll get the AL MVP award, though, right? Him or Carlos Quentin, I'd venture to say.

NL MVP? I'd say Chase or Chipper; but Berkman should not be slept upon.

[Colonel Flagg]

Dontrelle Willis sent to the MINORS!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3436274

How the mighty have fallen. An all-star in 2005, the D-train has lost the ability to find home plate from the mound. Shades of Joe Cowley Disease.

[pac-man]

"We better teach this kid control before he kills somebody."

[pac-man]

Serious let down there in Detroit, though. A lot of the sports talk personalities, writers, talking heads, and most of us fans thought that Willis would put that team over the top. They've all been underachieving something awful. How about the other big name they got from Florida, Miguel Cabrera? His numbers aren't terrible, but they are down. The Sheffield injury was huge, of course.

Speaking of injuries, I'm sure there are a lot of people in St. Louis who'll be checking out the sports page hoping for good news. I saw the clip of Pujols going down leaving the box, and it wasn't pretty. Hopefully for him and the team it's only a strained calf, because they're on the Cubbies' heels, and I don't see that squad slowing down anytime soon.

The AL East is looking good this year so far. All 5 teams are in it. That's not to say that I don't fully expect to see Boston win it, but it's the most competitive division in baseball. The Rays are for real, but they're obviously not used to success; all the emotions on the field and in the dugout last week showed that this isn't a completely composed group of young men. The Orioles are overachieving; that franchise is still rebuilding, but they've proven that they can hang with more expensive... er... I mean experienced rosters. The Yankees and The Jays are better than their respective records. It's much more fun to be a Tampa, Baltimore, or Toronto fan when Boston and New York haven't run away with the thing out of the gate.

[Colonel Flagg]

Goddamned Phillies. Score 20 runs on Friday, then lose two one-run games the next two nights. I hate baseball.

[WhiteRat]

Scott Baker strikes out 4 batters in one inning and the Twins still manage to lose to the Brewers. That and the White Sox are pulling away in the in the AL Central.

[El Blanco]

So the Mets end a weekend series with the Rangers after two weeks of the front office saying Willie Randolph will not be fired.

The Mets go to Anaheim for a series against the Angels and win 9-6 last night. After the game at about 3am EST, Randolph and two other coaches were fired.

What a classy way to handle it. You think the front office had the hotel staff throw Willie's luggage out on the street while he was at the game?

The Diamondbacks' bandwagon looks better everyday.

[Colonel Flagg]

Posted 5-27-2008:

Originally Posted by Colonel Flagg

Yesterday, from Omar Minaya:

"Willie has my support. He has the support of our ownership. Willie's job was never in danger going into this meeting."

Kiss of Death - the "Vote of Confidence". He'll be gone by the 4th of July.

[Pentegarn]

Good call.

[El Blanco]

Ya, it was a real stretch concurring with every sports writer that weighed in on the subject.

[Pentegarn]

Originally Posted by El Blanco

Ya, it was a real stretch concurring with every sports writer that weighed in on the subject.

I think that was aknowleged with the "Kiss of Death - the "Vote of Confidence". " part of his statement.

[WhiteRat]

The Twins swept the Diamondbacks today for their sixth straight win. With the latest Sox lost, the twankies are only 2.5gb Chicago, with Detroit slowly but surely creeping up the standings.