Damnit, Joe Nathan has choked twice in the past week. Until then he was on track to be one of the elite closers in the game, only one blown save, under 1.00 era, over 30 saves, now within the span of a week his ERA is above 2. Damnit Joe, we need you man!

Yeah Mariano did that a while back, his era was at about .89 or something then he blew two in a row and it was back to a mere excellent 2.5:p Still, 43 saves this year already:eek: Quantrill, Gordon and Rivera have been amazing this year for us:y:

Its been crazy world for closers the past week or 2. Nathan, Smoltz, Gagne, Hoffman, Kolb all struggled. Maybe Gagne's record should be considered harder than it is.

I think its an incredibly impressive record. All those saves and he didn't once have disastrous inning? Everyone has them every few games or so.

Yea.. now I'm afraid with Lo Duca gone, Gagne's not gonna trust the catcher as much... :-\

Now if the Yanks could only get an SP who can win consistantly

Yeah. El Duque has been fantastic since he returned though

I don't think the Angels, A's, Rangers, and Red Sox plan on losing any more games this season :?:

It's gonna be a fucking brilliant end to the season

This is the situation where I feel kinda bad that the A's and Rangers probably won't make the playoffs, but at the same time if they did add a play-in game the end of the season wouldn't be nearly as intense, I am torn.

The A's will make the playoffs, maybe not as the AL West champion but they will make the playoffs.

A's, Sox, Yanks, Twins. Playoffs.

Yep. And Dodgers, Cubs, Braves, and Cardinals.

Yanks vs Twins

A's vs Sox.

Hightlights from Post season series.

Byrnes argues with a seagull for getting in his way while the Sox score four runs to win the series.

Yanks sweep Twins.


Highlights from Sox/Yanks.

Boston goes up 3-0. Yanks come back and tie it 3-3.

John Flaherty hits a Series Winning homer in the Bottom of the 16th inning to win it for the Yankees.


**Wakes up

Loose Cannon must have missed the Twins dismantling of the Yankees last week

How does the playoff seeding work? Does it go strictly by records or does the top team play the wildcard even if the wildcard has a better record then one of the division leaders, if the top seed is from the East and so is the Wildcard, can they play in the DS?

I am asking all of this because I am pretty sure the Twins wouldn't play the Yankees in the first round anyway.

Whomever has the worst record out of the other 3 plays the Top Team

So...so far you're looking at Twins/Yankees :)

Can you say 18-6 with 9 runs in the 9th?!

Jesus the Yankees just obliterated Toronto:eek:

How cool is it that we have Ruben Sierra and Tony Clark as part timers? Clark had 3 homers tonight:|

Yeah the Yankees did a great job raising those guys in their farm system. Not to mention Giambi, Sheffield, Matsui, Mussina, Vasquez, and Rodriguez.

Because the Sox, Rangers and Angels did right?

Also:

Posada, Jeter, Rivera, Williams...Yeah thats basically 4 of our most key players and some of the most key to the championship success...Not to mention Soriano and Andy Pettitte who was one of the most successful and consistent starters in the last decade.

But they don't count i guess?

Those teams are pieces of shit too. Boston is the biggest piece of shit because they buy everyone and still can't win. Last time I checked Anderson, Glaus, Erstad, and Salmon (the nucleus of the Angels) over the past 5-10 years were born and bred Angels. Look at the other playoff-contending teams 5 most key players:

Anaheim
1. Guerrero - Montreal
2. Anderson - farm
3. Glaus - farm
4. Erstad - farm
5. Salmon - farm

Oakland
1. Mulder - farm
2. Hudson - farm
3. Chavez - farm
4. Zito - farm
5. Durazo - Arizona

Minnesota
1. Santana - farm
2. Hunter - farm
3. Stewart - Toronto
4. Nathan - San Francisco
5. Jones - farm

Even though alot of the Yankees nucleus were not bought, the players that were don't even compare to any other team besides Boston

Agreed, but as a fan there's not much i can do about that

And so you know yes i have been a fan since before 96:p

A's are the man in the farm system. Harden should be huge in 3 years. And Tejada came from there.

Steve Sax, Kevin Mass, Mel Hall, Jesse Barfield, Matt Nokes, Pat Kelly, Danny Tartabull, Steve Howe, Alvaro Espinoza.

:nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:

MATTINGLY :D

3 years? Harden could win 15 games next year. The kid is learning how to pitch faster than most flame-throwers. Also, look for these Oakland farm guys to be impact players in a few years: Adam Morrisey, Jairo Garcia, Omar Quintanilla, Huston Street.

Don is the man:mad:

Oh yeah, and that Crosby kid.

Bobby or Bubba?:shifty:

Minnesota has one of the best front office staffs in the league, whenever we are on national tv the announcers always praise our farm staffs ability to pick the right players. If it wasn't for budget issues we would be so much better also.

Due to budget issues last year, we lost Eric Milton, LaTroy Hawkins and Eddie Guardado.

The two key guys that we have aquired from other teams have been purely genius moves, rather than simply buying them and losing key prospects like the Yankees, look at how our guys were aquired.

Shannon Stewart for Bobby Kielty. Kielty was an average young outfielder, now still being average on the A's while Stewart fit perfectly into the Twins lineup right where we needed him also.

It would have been nice to keep AJ Pierzynski this year, and we traded him in part because of salary issues, but he was going to have to go anyway because of Mauer, and we found a guy who was average on the Giants and now he is one of the best closers in the AL.

That is how you build a team. Now when some of out older guys get done, Mauer, Morneau, and Kubel will be able to step in and we won't miss a beat. What can be devieving about what the Miz posted is that out of the five he posted, two weren't farm guys, but of the whole team those are the only everyday players that haven't come up with us.

Like Peter Gammons always says, the A's and the Twins build their teams right and it would be great for baseball if one of them wins the world series. The reason I chose to analyze the Twins is because I used to live there and know their system better than any other team, whereas I don't the A's. They are both in the same position, I chose the Twins for obvious reasons, don't try to pull the usual shit.

I'm a little late but i've been busy with work. But anyway, did anybody see how Scott Kazmir pitched, he's quite the prospect and I think he pitches again tomorrow.

Yeah, he's gonna be the man. Be on the look out as well for Jeff Francis, a left-handed pitcher for the Rockies. He got roughed up a little bit in his major league debut, but I think he's one of the top 3 pitching prospects in baseball.

I think I read that Justin Jones has like an 8 era in his first three games in the Twins minor league system :nono:

Esteban Loaiza is the new Yankee's Jeff Weaver.

Yeah, i said when the trade went through i was sad to see Contreras go as he had showed some huge promise and coulda been a great pitcher for us, the trade coulda paid off and it hasn't, but its too early to give up on Loaiza, and i doubt Torre will either, but the bullpen probably awaits him. This could be a good thing, as aside from Quantrill, Gordon and Rivera we could do with another solid reliever, especially one like Loaiza who can go some innings, Tanyon Sturtze has been good in spells but he always seems to get knocked about too much.

Loaiza had one dominant year last year and thats all he will ever have. He's not young or anything, the Yankee's fucked up on that one.


By the way, did anybody see Santana smoking the Angels? They were real hot and he kicked their ass, yahoo!

I think Santana has the AL Cy Young right in his grasps. The only knock on him is that he doesn't really do complete games.

By the way, did you guys see Bonds rock those two Russ Ortiz pitches? Damn...

Hey I hate you. :'(

462 and 467 feet were the measurements on the Bonds shots.

Right after Hank Aaron was talking about how well Bonds recognizes pitches, he murdered one of those balls.

Hey, did you see the Braves take 3 out of 4 from those rotten Giants? :yes:

lol, I just had a dream the Indians scored 22 runs against the Yankees. Unreal.

When I first saw the score, I thought it was a football game.

:love:!!!

Lol @ the Yankees.

I hope Nathans finger isn't broken!!!!

Dude, Ichiro is freaking on fire. Just imagine if he was in the Cardinals lineup or he hit in front of Bonds. Crazy...

Ichiro-Renteria-Rolen-Pujols-Edmonds-Walker :drool:

When is a baseball team, like for example Texas Rangers, going to interfere in another baseball game? They could run into the field when Red Sox are playing the Yankees and cost the Sox the game and the Sox could challenge the Rangers to a game the following week in a 2 out of 3 plays or something? Or they could play them in a cage match type of thing...or a lumberjack game...or tables game?

Any wrestling forum guys who post in here should be perminantly banned, starting with porksoda

Yeah 22-0, that was dodgy:-|

Still, El Duque mowed em down the next night and proved he's our best starter right now, hell i'd say behind Johan Santana he's one of the top 3 starters in the AL right now.

Kevin Brown is a genius!!!

NEW YORK (AP) -- Kevin Brown's frustrating season finally reached a boiling point, and now his hot temper could cost the New York Yankees at the most important time.

Brown broke his non-pitching hand when he punched a wall in the clubhouse Friday night during a 3-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles that cut New York's lead in the AL East to just 2 1/2 games over Boston.

``Stupidity,'' Brown said, choosing his words carefully.


``I reacted to frustration I'd swallowed all year. ... There are no excuses. I let it boil over and I did something stupid. I owe my teammates an apology for letting my emotions take over like that.''

Already short on starting pitching, the Yankees were unsure how long the 39-year-old right-hander might be out. He was to be examined by a hand specialist Saturday.

``My plan is to splint it and pitch. I just pray that my stupidity didn't hurt the team,'' Brown said.

Lol what a dumbshit.

At the same time, Johan Santana was pitching a no hitter into the sixth I think. We barely won though, whenever the Twins don't start Lew Ford there are problems. I guess we were playing the Royals though :lol: Going into the fifth it was still 0-0 and I was about to kill somebody if Johan was going to lose 1-0 or some shit, but of course he didnt.

There is no way the Yankee's make it out of the ALDS. Right now I predict Boston and Minnesota in there, with New York and Anaheim losing in the ALDS. So much for wanting to see the Cardinals and Yankees, I'm scared because whoever the Cards play now they will KILL!

Minnesota are in a great position. As good as they are, and as much as everyone knows this by now, no ones expecting them to go all the way, and they so have the tools to roll over any of the AL contenders.

ooo, NL Wild Card getting close. Who woulda thought Houston would be making a run?

I know it's fucking crazy. But about time considering the talent they have, fuckin texans!

I'd love it if Houston beat out the Cubs for the wildcard...How pissed would Selig be though to miss out of a St. Louis-Chicago NLCS

Yankees lose again, only getting two hits off the Orioles.

The Sox are actually losing so far, which is good though.

If anyone saw Benji Molina's flip to Frankie Rodriguez to nail Ronnie Belliard at the plate, that is the most ridiculous play I've ever seen

LOL @ Ben Grieve starting in right field for the Cubs

K-Rod blocked that plate beautifully.

The Kansas City Royals scored 26 runs today. That is insane. Plus 8, count them 8, players had 2 rbis or more. :eek:

What was Shawn Greens record a few years ago? I thought it was total bases in one game, but I'd have to think that Randa, who had six hits and six runs, would have beat that. Where am I wrong?

Randa's hits were mostly singles. Shawn had 4 homers that game against the Brewers.

But he had six runs, so wouldn't that be 24 total bags? Or is that not what Greens record was?

Total Bases only account for hits. So a home run is 4 bases. If you get a single, but make it to second base on a sacrifice, thats not an extra base.

Ohh, ok

BOOYAH ST LOUIS! About time Dodgers took one from you. :love:

The Cards are slipping a little bit now, not that it matters or anything though

Seriously who is going to be able to compete with them come october?

I don't think St. Louis is a lock to be in the World Series or even the NLCS for that matter. They've got very young pitching with little experience and no bona-fide ace. They've already played their best baseball, they'll never be as hot as they were the past few weeks. I still expect to see them in the World Series but you never know.

Yeah, it's not like the Cardinals are invincible. The Braves had some great teams the past , oh I don't know, 11 years and how many Series have they won?

Do you want to die or something Loose Cannon?

But looking at the NL I don't see any team that can beat the Cards in a series unless the Cards just choke really bad. The Braves are really more of a joke than anything else, Houston or Chicago are too, the Dodgers are the only team with a shot and that even seems like a longshot IMO. The Cards pitching is terribly underrated also.

Joke? Explain.

Have we not learned anything from past post season's? HMMMM, do the Angles and Marlins ring a bell? Anybody can win in the post season. That's all there is to it.

Seriously BCWWF you can say some completely retarded shit sometimes.

El Duque just won his 8th straight decision, 7 innings, 5 hits, one run. The yanks are like 11-1 in his games:cool:

Orlando is definitely helping my fantasy team.

I'm in first in the BIG TPWW LEAGUE :cool:

2nd in the wOw league.

C - Jason Kendall
1B - Travis Hafner
2B - Michael Young
3B - Melvin Mora
SS - Jimmy Rollins
OF - Gary Sheffield
OF - Manny Ramirez
OF - Carlos Beltran
Util - Vinny Castilla
BN - Phil Nevin
BN - Torii Hunter

SP - Kerry Wood
SP - Roy Oswalt
SP - Chris Carpenter
SP - Livan Hernandez
SP - Greg Maddux
SP - Jeff Weaver
RP - Eric Gagne
RP - Octavio Dotel
RP - Brad Lidge

Yeah my team kicks ass.

You are clearly underestimating how good the Cardinals are.

Very Very Nice. Except I don't like Rollins. Get Izturis instead.

Rollins has been tearing it up lately. .287, 101 runs scored, 11 HR, 59 RBIs and 27 stolen bases is pretty awesome for a SS.

He's no Jeter, Tejada, Nomar, or Guzman :shifty:

Octavio Dotel is a waste of space too imo.

Jimmy Rollins however kicks ass...But Izturis does too...And i have them both on my fantasy teams:D

I have Michael Young :D I traded Brett Boone for him, MUA HA HA HA HA

No, I'm not. I'd like to hear your explanation on how the Braves are a joke.

Now that Mike Hampton and Chipper have both come around you've gotta sneakily fancy the Braves again. Look at their hitting, Jones, Jones, Estrada, Drew, Johnson, Furcal. And pitching, Ortiz, Hampton, Wright, Smoltzy and Alfonseca in the bullpen.

They could definitely be dangerous

Now that Mike Hampton and Chipper have both come around you've gotta sneakily fancy the Braves again. Look at their hitting, Jones, Jones, Estrada, Drew, Johnson, Furcal. And pitching, Ortiz, Hampton, Wright, Smoltzy and Alfonseca in the bullpen.

They could definitely be dangerous

Exactly. Hampton hasn't lost in a while, and considering he started out so bad and now he's up to 11-9 I would say he's doing well. Jaret Wright is just unbelievable. Russ Ortiz (minus his last start) is doing very well. Thompson is doing well for what he's worth, and Paul Byrd is also pitching well. Chipper's hot as ever with 85 or so RBI's (and everyone knows he was doing piss all for the first half). Andruw has started to come to life. JD is the workhorse of the group having a career year. Furcal is hot as well. Giles can get it done and is very underated. Laroche is a good roleplayer, as is Charles Thomas, Eddie Perez, and Eli Marrero. Estrada is also a .320 hitter.

Throw in their bullpen with Cruz, Alfonseca, and Smoltz you have a pretty good team. Reitsma is decent as well. Not to mention the new guys they've tried out in Travis Smith, Roman Colon, and Jose Capellan who started today and had good stuff. They have a lot of good players, no superstars, just good players.

Big time joke there.

Also with guys like Chipper, Andruw and Smoltz there they've got plenty of post season and World series experience

Also. How good was Barry Zito and Jake Westbrook last night?

I just don't see them getting out of the NLDS or beating the Cardinals anywhere

Well if not getting out of the DS is a joke then your Twins are a joke

Since we won both of our season series' with the Yankees and the Red Sox, ok

and this has what to do with the DS, exactly?

We have winning records against our likely opponents and the best 1-2 pitching combo in the American League. <font color=black>Mulder and Hudson are gay</font>

What you don't have is a Sheffield/Matsui, Ramirez/Ortiz duo

We have Mauer :rant:

The batting could be what it comes down to. Both Boston and the Yankees have potentially great pitching staffs baring injury and they both have monster hitting line-ups. Minnesota have great pitching and defense, but they don't have the same kind of crushing attack that the Sox and Yanks do.

LOL