<font color=goldenrod>LOL didn't hear that one. :lol: Wow. Even though Mad Dog hated the Mets too, having him on there to at least counter some of Mike's BS was a million times better.

According to Fox Radio in LA, Manny and the Dodgers have agreed on a 2-year contract with a 3rd year incentive-based option.</font>

27, thats it? i thought he was older. He has been on the cusp of breaking out for years.

I actually like Sullivan more. He has a decent stroke, and in the mets Lineup could go .280, 15 65 out of the bottom of the lineup.

<font color=goldenrod>Well regardless of who wins between Reed and Sullivan, they won't be playing everyday unless there's an injury. Murphy-Beltran-Church appears to be the everyday outfield with Tatis getting some starts in one of the corner spots against lefties. Reed/Sullivan's assignment is going to primarily be late-inning defense. And in Citi Field, the walls in LF and RF are really high, so no Endy Chavez-like catches are required or possible.

I kinda like going into the season as the underdog. After the Santana trade last year most people pegged the Mets as the favorites...but despite revamping the bullpen this year, most places are saying the Phillies will win, not that I blame them as it's always hard to bet against the defending WS champs.

But the Phils had one of if not the best bullpens in baseball and won the division by like 3 games, Brad Lidge didn't blow a save (something I just can't see happening again). Meanwhile the Mets blew like 30 saves or something ridiculous like that. They get even half of those back and they win the division by a sizable margin.</font>

First spring training games start today. Woooooooo

<font color=goldenrod>Yeah I love the day of first ST games, meaningless as they might be. Sitting here on a cold winter Wednesday listening to the Orioles radio station coverage of the game.</font> :o

Orioles have great radio announcers. Frad manfra and jim palmer or somethin like that

Dodgers throw Manny a new offer. 2-years, $45 mil.

However, the first year is for $25 mil. The second is a player option for $20 mil.

<font color=goldenrod>lol I love Spring Training. Jerry Manuel has posted the lineups for the game today and he has Oliver Perez batting 2nd to ensure a plate appearance and he's gonna bunt regardless of whether or not Luis Castillo gets on ahead of him.</font>

Spring training or not, I'm so happy to have baseball on right now

<font color=goldenrod>Ditto. Jerry Manuel has been having his batters do a new drill where they all hit to opposite field for 80 straight pitches...and thus far most of their hits have been to opposite field and they are currently hitting a ton including 2 Jose Reyes dingers from the 3 spot.

Still 38 days to Opening Day</font> :(

Dodgers sign Doug Mientkiewicz to a minor league deal and will be at spring training once he passes a physical.

Fuck Doug Mientkiewicz or whatever, get manny already.

Can someone help me make sense of this?






Giants sign Lincecum to $650K contractComment Email Print Share Associated Press
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tim Lincecum agreed to a $650,000, one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.



Lincecum

The 24-year-old Lincecum won the National League Cy Young Award in 2008, going 18-5 with a 2.62 ERA while striking out a major league-leading 265 batters in 227 innings.

He ranked third in the major leagues in ERA and winning percentage, and was second in the NL in ERA and victories.

Lincecum, who made his major league debut on May 6, 2007, is likely to be eligible for salary arbitration after the 2009 season.

Well. One reason is they gotta pay off Zito.

Lincecum is not arbitration eligible yet. The Giants only have to pay him whatever they feel like paying him. I'm sure he'll shatter pitcher arbitration records once he is eligible.

This.

Arbitration is crazy.

Very much different than any other sport RP.

WTF Fuck you Manny. What the hell do you want?! This is ridiculous. It's getting to the point that I don't want Manny to be a Dodger anymore.

i see

was trying to figure out how the Cy Young winner didnt rape the Giants for a monster contract.

A few writers and analysts said that if Manny rejects this one, then he probably won't be playing at all.

It's looking like that.

<font color=goldenrod>As much as Manny would help any lineup (including the Mets) I just don't want him anymore. He would completely kill the "team first" mindset that Manuel has installed this spring. What a dick.</font>

It's really pathetic, with all these people losing their houses and jobs, that Manny refuses to play baseball for $20 million.

Had Manny not been traded, all this bullshit he's pulling over his contract would have been with Theo Epstein. Dodged a bullet there.

way too many fuckin Dodgers fans here today. heard like 5432562156 conversations about Manny. no one gives a shit. go back to LA you fucks

btw the contract Manny turned down was like 2 years 20 mil upfront plus 25 mil in deferred payments

<font color=goldenrod>Johan got scratched from today's start because of elbow tightness that he supposedly experiences every year. Fair enough...but now he's been scratched for a start on Tuesday as well.

I reallllllllly hope this is just a product of "well ST started a week early and ends a week late this year, no need to start yet", cause the thought of Santana having to miss any length of time makes me go cold.</font> :o

Mets sign Ron Villone to a minor league deal.

Rumor coming out is that Santanna might miss his opening day start

<font color=goldenrod>Santana going to NY for tests...fuck. This is the exact same progression every time a Mets player gets a serious injury...they downplay it, send him for tests, and then find out he'll be out for a long time. Losing him offsets anything positive they did this offseason.</font>

Nationals GM Jim Bowden resigns.

<font color=goldenrod>Santana threw a 35 pitch bullpen session at about 80-85% effort and reports that he feels good. The tightness in his elbow hasn't re-developed so they canceled his MRI, partly because of that and partly because NY is gonna be getting a Noreaster.

They are hopeful that even if he winds up missing Opening Day, he'll still be ready to be plugged in somewhere in the first turn of the rotation.</font> :cool:

Orlando Cabrera to the A's. 1-year, $4 mil.

<font color=goldenrod>Nomar Garciaparra to the A's as well.</font>

Juan "Gone" Gonzalez to the San Francisco Flyers.

1 year, $450

dollars?

Orioles invite all fans to attend a game in 2009 for free
03/03/2009 11:21 AM ET
MLB.com

In the latest addition to the Birdland Stimulus Package that was introduced last week, the Orioles are inviting all baseball fans to celebrate their birthdays at Camden Yards and attend a game for free in 2009. The birthday ticket promotion is part of the Orioles' continued commitment to provide the most affordable and valuable entertainment option in the region and is one of a number of new birthday celebration options the club will offer at Oriole Park beginning this season. The Orioles will also offer kids' birthday party packages, visits from the Oriole Bird, scoreboard surprises and birthday certificates to help fans celebrate their special day at the ballpark.
All fans who register at orioles.com/birthdays will receive a voucher good for one complimentary Upper Reserve ticket to any non-prime game in their birthday month. Fans with birthdays from January through March will receive a voucher to an April game, and fans with birthdays in October to December may attend a game in September.

"Thousands of fans choose to celebrate their birthdays at Oriole Park each year, and we want to make sure the opportunity remains as affordable and enjoyable as possible," said Orioles Director of Communications GREG BADER.

Also new this year, the Orioles will offer an all-inclusive birthday party package for kids 14 and under and their guests. For $25 per person ($35 per person for prime games), each member of the birthday party will receive a game ticket in the Terrace Box area in right field, along with vouchers for a kid-sized hot dog, popcorn and soda. In addition, the party will be announced on the Camden Yards video board and the Oriole Bird will make a visit to the birthday section during the game.

Fans of all ages can have their birthday recognized at the ballpark and help a charitable cause at the same time by scheduling a visit from the Oriole Bird or a Scoreboard Surprise. For a $75 donation to the Orioles Charitable Foundation, the Oriole Bird will bring a goody bag directly to the birthday celebrant's seat. For a $25 donation to the Foundation, the birthday will be listed on the Oriole Park center field scoreboard during the game. Reservations for these two options must be placed at least 48 hours in advance by visiting orioles.com or calling 888-848-BIRD.

Finally, all fans who are celebrating a birthday can stop by any of the Fan Assistance locations at Oriole Park during the game to receive a free certificate customized to commemorate the special day. For more information on the Orioles' birthday offerings, visit orioles.com/birthdays or call 888-848-BIRD.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Manny's a Dodger again

2 years $45 million

now everybody shut the fuck up

Yup. I can go to Disneyworld on my birthday for free, too.

But I'd rather take the chance and maybe see the great Cal Ripken Jr. than Mickey Mouse.

Welcome back Manny.

World Series here we come

<font color=goldenrod>Well that pretty much puts the Dodgers on "lock" status for the division, barring any huge setbacks of course. I'd say the Cubs are probably there too, the Brewers lost CC and Sheets and signed Trevor Hoffman so I can't see them being as big of a factor. The East is the toughest one to call with 4 teams I could legitimately see winning it (along with an improved Nationals club), I'm thinking 2 from the East will be in the playoffs...hopefully the Mets being one of them.

Ditto for the AL East, I'm certain two of the Rays, Red Sox, and Yanks will be in...in fact I'll say that the 3rd place finisher in that division will have a better record than the Central/West division winners. I think the Tigers will be better, I just can't see how they could be worse...maybe 3rd place or something. And in the West it'll be a dogfight with the Angels and A's.

Still more than a month. fuck</font>

So I wonder if Manny is already rubbing thin with the laid back Dodgers fans

wadda ya think, Supreme?

I don't think he is yet, but he very well could be if the Dodgers don't perform well. I don't think LA fans are being very realistic about their expectations for Manny. He's not going to hit .390 again and he's not going to be this god that instantly makes the team World Series favorites. I would say that maybe the move to LA was enough to help him mature and become a reliable team player, but after this contract thing, I highly doubt it.

Even with Manny, I don't think the gap between LA and Arizona as big as people are saying, and if Upton has his breakout year this season, which I think he will, the D Backs might shock some people.

Well since Barry Bonds' perjury trial is on indefinate hold, his agent has contacted all 30 teams to see if they'll take him. I doubt anybody takes him since he'll probably file collusion charges with the union.

The Nationals are the 1st team to decline.

<font color=goldenrod>Johan threw a 46-pitch bullpen session today using his entire repertoire and said he feels great and has no doubt he will be ready to pitch April 6th. :love: Awesome.

Although I ultimately don't care when he pitches so long as it is in the first turn through so he doesn't miss any starts...I just love the tradition of having your ace go on Opening Day, especially a guy like Santana.</font>

Said he might not go Opening day. I'm watching because i drafted him with my first pick


Also. Manny just signed. Really happy about this. Manny Ramirez is one of my favorite players because of his carefree attitude . I just love the guy for some reason. He brings it and he has fun doing so. It's rare attribute in baseball players these days. I really love the guy alot. My 3rd favorite player behind Kenny Griff and Carlos Zambrano.

Dodgers lineup is pretty sick. I mean, it's gonna be somethin like.

Furcal
Kemp
Ethier
Manny
Loney
Hudson
Blake
Martin
Pitcher

Come on. But yeah, our pitching kinda sorta sucks this year. Billingsley and Kuroda really need to step up, Kershaw needs to become amazing like everyone says he will be. Losing Lowe sucked

any word on weather BOnds has got a team this year, or has he done the right thing and f****n quit

For some reason I think the Giants pitching will be enough to win them the NL West even though they have probably the 2nd or 3rd worst offense in baseball.

I see LA and Arizona duking it out for 1st in the NL West this year, with San Francisco hanging around third place.

The NL East really is impossible to call this year. I have no clue...I'd say the teams are pretty evenly matched.

ESPN reporting that Alex Rodriguez needs hip surgery and will be out for 10 weeks: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3954457

:lol:

<font color=goldenrod>I'd wager money that the Yanks get off to a great start and then when A-Rod returns they start to suck</font> :o

If thats true that sucks. Not sure why they didn't deal with this in the offseason. Girardi was saying he dealt with this last season too.

Not sure what the Yanks will do about 3rd base while he's gone. The thought of Cody Ransom there everyday scares me. I know Tex used to be a 3rd baseman but that was a long time ago and I'm not even sure if he's played it in the majors at all.

Also, if they didn't end up getting Tex they would be absolutely screwed right now.

Rumblings that the Yankees may be interested in Milwaukee third baseman/utility man/waste of salary Bill Hall to fill the void until May/June. Wilson Betemit wasn't anything special, but I wonder if the Yankees are starting to regret that Swisher trade a bit.

Yeah, I remember the Yankees were interested in Hall earlier in the offseason too.

There is nobody whorth picking up as a free agent, either. I bet they are kicking themselves for not claiming Andy Marte last week.

lol Manny's press conference.

"I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack"

in more important news, Vlad Guerrero says he is actully 34 years old and not 33. Thank you for clarifying that Vlad Guerrero.

A-Rod picks surgery. He'll be out 6-9 weeks.

Red Sox retain John Lester for another 5 years for $30 mil. With a team option for 2014.

Brewers release Eric Gagne.

I do not think A-Rod's injury will hurt the Yankees that much, if anything it will help them because there will be no more distractions for them. Also it is good for him to just get away for a while.

I've heard some people say that it might be good for the Yankees but I don't really buy that. No matter how much of a distraction he is he always puts up big numbers. I don't think it will bury the Yankees or anything (as long as he gets back in the 6-9 weeks), but his absence will make things harder.

One of the biggest things it does is put more pressure on the pitching and a ton of pressure on Tex to carry the lineup. Tex is apparently a really slow starter every year too so we'll see how that goes.

I have been a Yankees fan for a long time and when they were winning all of the championships they didnt have that distraction.

I love A-Rod and I do think the team is better with him and I think everyone should lay off him in the Postseason, but ever since 04, it has been a disappointment as a Yankee fan.

Past couple years have been disappointments because of terrible pitching mostly though. They obviously addressed that in the offseason so the pitching will keep us in games a lot more than last year. Makes losing A-Rod a little easier to handle.

As for 3B while A-Rod is out, I hope they try Nady over there. I've heard people say he played 3B in college or in his earlier years so it wouldn't be completely new to him. It would just be hard to watch Ransom playing everyday at third when one of Swisher or Nady is on the bench.

Nady's body is not fit to play 3B anymore. Jim Thome used to be a shortstop.

Idk, I have a strange feeling that Ransom will play well. If he realizes what he is there for. Play good defense and get bunts down when needed. It is not that long and he could surprise people. He did well when they brought him up last year.

<font color=goldenrod>Mets release Duaner Sanchez. Pretty surprising, but I highly doubt he would have been able to get back to his first half of 2006 form. It's a shame that cab accident derailed his career.</font>

<font color=goldenrod>Hopefully this move is an "Ohman" of things to come :shifty:

Francisco Rodriguez
JJ Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Will Ohman
Sean Green
Brian Stokes/Bobby Parnell/Darren O'Day
Tim Redding (or someone else) as a long man

I really feel good about that pen if they can get Ohman.</font>

who do you bat in the 3 hole now?

I've heard ramblings of Cano, but he was pretty bad last year for what he's capable of. I don't know if throwing him into the 3 spot is the best idea.

lol I just found out out the other day that this girl I went to high school with hooked up with Craig Hansen (Former Red Sox RP, now with the Pirates) a couple weeks ago. He flashed his World Series ring and she was all on his dick.

Was just listening to an interview with Girardi yesterday and he said Tex is gonna stay in the 3 hole. He said Posada or Matsui are the options for cleanup.

I dunno, I probably would try Cano in the 3rd spot. He'll get pitches to hit considering pitchers won't want to pitch to Tex. But based on what Girardi's saying it'll probably be something like - Damon, Jeter, Tex, Matsui, Posada, Nady/Swisher, Cano, Ransom, Gardner.

It is a little worrisome when the 4 and 5 hitters in the lineup are both coming back fro injuries and both getting up there in age.

Francesa today tried convincing everyone that the Yankees should bat Cano clean-up.

It'd probably only be for 30 games, but that's pretty dumb, IMO. He's much better off in the bottom half of the lineup with less pressure on him to do well. I'd probably just put Matsui there and maybe bat the Nady/Swisher platoon 5th. Between that outfield duo and Posada probably only playing 2 out of every 3 games (or I've heard every other game), it'll probably be a revolving door in that 5th spot until A-Rod returns and bumps everyone down a spot.

They'll be fine, though, as long as A.J. Burnett can go without an injury in that same timeframe and Joba gets everything figured out. I haven't even really looked at their schedule during the time A-Rod will miss, but I'd think they'll still be in 2nd by the time he gets back.

I don't think Cano batting higher in the order is that terrible of an idea.

I think it would be good for the team to have the first four spots in the order locked up. Meaning they don't have guys switching in and out every other day. Posada and Matsui will be in and out of the lineup throughout the year. Damon-Jeter-Cano-Tex are the guys that will be playing every day.

Nationals sign Kip Wells to a minor league deal.

<font color=goldenrod>Pudge to the Astros, 1 year, $1.5 million plus $1.5 million in incentives.</font>

Pudge will be a good fit for the Astros. This is a stretch, but does this remind anyone of Pudge signing with the Marlins on 03?

lol I hope Manny ain't bein' manny right now, and deciding to play whenever he wants to

Curt Schilling calls it a career.

It's a stretch. Pudge doesn't have much left anymore, although I guess he is a better option than J.R. Towles at this point.

He's not going to lead them in a surge to a playoff spot and World Series title, if that's what you're getting at. The 2003 Marlins had a ridiculous amount of great pitching, Pudge only slightly past his prime, Derrek Lee coming into his own, a young Miggy Cabrera, and Mike Lowell. Houston has no pitching outside of Oswalt, Pudge waaay past his prime, Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence, and not much else.

Don't forget El Caballo

lol, how great is he

He like played cricket the other day

It was just a thought I had. I do not expect them to do anything, but it reminded me of that situation.

TWO WEEKS!

Now if only I can kidnap Ken Macha and talk him out of starting Jeff Suppan on Opening Day in San Francisco.

Why isn't Gallardo starting over Suppan? Especially since they will be facing Lincecum.

I'm convinced Macha is senile, since he said he may consider batting Jason Kendall leadoff at some point.

But the reasoning he provided is that he didn't want to saddle a young pitcher like Gallardo with so much pressure by starting on Opening Day. He basically said that it's going to be tough beating Lincecum on Opening Day, anyway, so he elected to start Gallardo in game two of the series (I'm guessing against Matt Cain) instead of wasting a good start in a 1-0 loss or something, and he doesn't want Gallardo to be constantly matched up against other teams' aces (which basically becomes moot once off days start popping up and everyone gets on a different schedule anyway).

I guess the good news is that San Fran's offense looks pretty anemic, so I don't think Suppan will do horrible. It's just the principle of the idea of Suppan being the "#1" to start the year that kind of rubs me the wrong way. I'm fine with delaying Gallardo's first start to the second game, but if you're going to do that, I would've preferred to see Dave Bush start Opening Day. Apparently Braden Looper is starting the home opener against the Cubs in the next series, though, meaning Bush is basically pushed down to #5 to start the year.

That's a good boost of confidence for the team,

"Hey we're gonna lose the opening game no matter what because I don't think our ace can win the game for us and none of you will hit against Tim Lincecum".