MLB 2005 Season Thread

[Loose Cannon]

It's really sad that offense HAS to win games for the Yankees right now down the stretch.

7-5 Yanks in the 6th

[The Miz]

I'm really curious as to why VEL keeps referring to the White Sox as having dominating pitching. Does he watch their games? Buehrle is great but that is about it. Garland and Garcia are above average and Hernandez and Contreras are 2 of the most unpredictable inconsistent pitcher you'll find. The best 2 pitching staffs in the AL are by far Minnesota and Oakland, Minnesota is out of it though.

[Loose Cannon]

Speaking of the Chi Sox, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Indians take over that division. They're skating on thin ice.

[VonErich Lives]

Originally Posted by The Miz I'm really curious as to why VEL keeps referring to the White Sox as having dominating pitching. Does he watch their games? Buehrle is great but that is about it. Garland and Garcia are above average and Hernandez and Contreras are 2 of the most unpredictable inconsistent pitcher you'll find. The best 2 pitching staffs in the AL are by far Minnesota and Oakland, Minnesota is out of it though.

Hence why Minnesota isn't mentioned.

Of the contenders the White Sox have one of the better staffs in the AL, but you can see (or not see) it however you want.

[BCWWF]

When you go to a five-man rotation, I would say the White Sox are probably the team to beat, but oftentimes it is the three man rotation that you have to reckon with, and I'm just not sold on Garcia or Garland either.

[RoXer]

Let's go now A's. now. nownownownownownownow

[BCWWF]

I would honestly stop watching Twins Baseball

http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5617772.html

[The Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Yashamaga You spell MVP O-R-T-I-Z

A-R-O-D

[Loose Cannon]

hmmmm, I know a team that's looking for a center fielder

[VonErich Lives]

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon hmmmm, I know a team that's looking for a center fielder

The Red Sox when the Dodgers over pay for Damon?

Although, think Hunter wants his next first game back to be where he got injured?

[VonErich Lives]

As for the White Sox, I haven't looked in a few weeks, but there 5 all had good stats, one of the best stats in the league, that's why I mention them.

But it is true, come playoff time it's a 3 or 4 man rotation.

[BCWWF]

I would hate myself if Torii went to either NYY or Boston. I think he would still be the man on those teams and would be cool playing for them, but there is absolutely nothing they can/or will offer us that is worth taking. Prospects? We don't need any prospects. We have three great hitters in the minors and a slew of pitchers, we need ML hitters. Sure if the Yankees gave us Jeter or Matsui or the Sox gave us Ortiz back o something, but that won't happen and can't happen with our payroll, and even if it did it still probably wouldn't make the Twins a better team.

You know that I am not off base in saying this, if the Twins can pinch some penny's and sign Soriano, we would have to be one of the top contenders for the AL Pennant. Cy, Radke, Silva, and then the two youngs guys will still make up one of the best pitching staffs, we will still have one of the top bullpens, and with a lineup of Stewart-Mauer-Soriano-Morneau-Hunter-Ford-LeCroy-Cuddyer-Punto we would look a whole helluva lot better then we do now. Of course that all relies on Morneau having a full year playing well next year, he is ultimately the reason why we were no good this year. He failed expectations in the second half.

Meat.

[Dragon]

Got tickets to the final game of the season between the Yanks and Sox at Fenway. It would be great if this final game knocks the Red Sox out of the playoff spot.

[VonErich Lives]

Originally Posted by Dragon Got tickets to the final game of the season between the Yanks and Sox at Fenway. It would be great if this final game knocks the Red Sox out of the playoff spot.

I got that and the game before.

I think everyone secretly hopes it comes down to the last 3 and the non-div winner won't get a wild card.

Although, I must admit, if it comes down to that last game, there's a real good chance I'll sell the tickets, already been offerd over 4x the value.

[Dragon]

Yeah, I can't imagine what that place will be like if that last game determines who makes the playoffs. Either way, if the Sox win it will be crazy, if the Yanks win it will be even crazier.

Haven't been to Fenway in like 5 years either.

[BCWWF]

I personally couldn't give half a shit if both the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs this year. That rivalry doesn't matter anymore and the Yankees don't deserve to be in the playoffs with what they've put on the field this year. I would prefer the Indians or the A's, and I don't think I'm alone on that. Another East Coast ALCS is something that people on the East Coast want.

[Loose Cannon]

jelousy

[YOUR Hero]

Come on Jays.

Huge comeback underway against the Yankees. Wierd game. Jays were up 3-1 after first inning. Randy Johnson got tossed in the second for argueing balls and strikes. Yankees went up by something like 9 runs. Now the lead is down to 1 run. Bottom of the 7th inning.

[Loose Cannon]

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon It's really sad that offense HAS to win games for the Yankees right now down the stretch.

[Lotus]

WHAT THE TITTY FUCK?! This ump in the Red Sox game is giving all the fucking balls/strikes calls to Boston. Such bullshit. This is reminding me of another time an Oakland team played a Massachusetts team...

[Lotus]

Well at least they got out of the 7th unscathed. Oakland, that is.

[The Outlaw]

LOL I was thinking the only way Boston would win is if Manny got hit by the pitch.

...and alas

[VonErich Lives]

Originally Posted by BCWWF I personally couldn't give half a shit if both the Yankees and Red Sox make the playoffs this year. That rivalry doesn't matter anymore and the Yankees don't deserve to be in the playoffs with what they've put on the field this year. I would prefer the Indians or the A's, and I don't think I'm alone on that. Another East Coast ALCS is something that people on the East Coast want.

Really, what happened to you? Did you recently trip and can't get your head stuck in your ass?

It's one of, if not the best rivalry in sports and if the Yanks don't deserve to be in the playoffs then I guess more teams should have beat them.

Originally Posted by Lotus WHAT THE TITTY FUCK?! This ump in the Red Sox game is giving all the fucking balls/strikes calls to Boston. Such bullshit. This is reminding me of another time an Oakland team played a Massachusetts team...

Umm, yeah, guess you should have watched the 8th and 9th when the Sox went down looking on some BS calls and by the way Tom Brady says "Tuck this".

Originally Posted by The Outlaw LOL I was thinking the only way Boston would win is if Manny got hit by the pitch. ...and alas

Funny, I was at a local pub, after he threw inside I said "manny will hit into a double play, when you brush him back he puts the bat on his sholder, maybe they'll hit him"

and someone else said "yeah, watch manny get hit to win the game"

and...

Bingo.

wins a win, we'll take it.

[BCWWF]

I got sick of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry when ESPN had their game and was still doing stories about the bloody sock after the All Star Break. That rivalry reached its climax in the last two years, and it was sweet. Now the Red Sox have overstayed their limit and the Yankees just simply don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

You were probably on vacation when I made the post, but I can't stand how the Red Sox still play off the down to earth, hometown, grassroots, underdog baseball team. They aren't. Thats what the A's, the Indians, the Twins are. The Red Sox are a team just as bad as the Yankees, they pluck players from teams who can't afford them, let them grow their hair out, and suddenly they aren't as bad as the Yankees? In the words of Stephen A. Smith, please.

Another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS would just take away from what it was the past two years, because neither team is the best this year. It would be like the two left feet fighting to see who loses to St. Louis, after they have already had what like 20 national games this year and a huge series right before the playoffs? I think the Miz joins me, I would rather see the Indians and A's in the ALCS. I think it will be better off if the loser of that last series misses the playoffs, because then it will be like an extra playoff round for free, and the Yankees would probably miss the playoffs. If they have a huge series so that both teams get in (which would be very unlikely) and then another series a week later, it would just add to the overkill. The way its set up now is at least something new and different, and it will be fun to watch the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs.

[Loose Cannon]

Originally Posted by BCWWF I got sick of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry when ESPN had their game and was still doing stories about the bloody sock after the All Star Break. That rivalry reached its climax in the last two years, and it was sweet. Now the Red Sox have overstayed their limit and the Yankees just simply don't deserve to be in the playoffs. You were probably on vacation when I made the post, but I can't stand how the Red Sox still play off the down to earth, hometown, grassroots, underdog baseball team. They aren't. Thats what the A's, the Indians, the Twins are. The Red Sox are a team just as bad as the Yankees, they pluck players from teams who can't afford them, let them grow their hair out, and suddenly they aren't as bad as the Yankees? In the words of Stephen A. Smith, please. Another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS would just take away from what it was the past two years, because neither team is the best this year. It would be like the two left feet fighting to see who loses to St. Louis, after they have already had what like 20 national games this year and a huge series right before the playoffs? I think the Miz joins me, I would rather see the Indians and A's in the ALCS. I think it will be better off if the loser of that last series misses the playoffs, because then it will be like an extra playoff round for free, and the Yankees would probably miss the playoffs. If they have a huge series so that both teams get in (which would be very unlikely) and then another series a week later, it would just add to the overkill. The way its set up now is at least something new and different, and it will be fun to watch the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs.

Your ignorance and bias comes out nicely here.

Originally Posted by BCWWF I got sick of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry when ESPN had their game and was still doing stories about the bloody sock after the All Star Break.

Red Sox/Yankees = Ratings, Ratings= Money, Companies = Love Money. How many times do I have to explain that. More people WANT to watch the Sox and Yankees. Majority over minority when it comes to making money

Originally Posted by BCWWF Now the Red Sox have overstayed their limit and the Yankees just simply don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

What the hell does overstaying thier limit mean anyway? And I'm sorry, I didn't know you had to be deserving to get a playoff spot in the MLB. I thought you had to win more games then 10 out of 14 teams.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by BCWWF You were probably on vacation when I made the post, but I can't stand how the Red Sox still play off the down to earth, hometown, grassroots, underdog baseball team. They aren't. Thats what the A's, the Indians, the Twins are. The Red Sox are a team just as bad as the Yankees, they pluck players from teams who can't afford them, let them grow their hair out, and suddenly they aren't as bad as the Yankees? In the words of Stephen A. Smith, please.

Bias Bias Bias.

Originally Posted by BCWWF Another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS would just take away from what it was the past two years, because neither team is the best this year.

Sorry for not keeping the storyline going strong for the Sox and Yankees. They're just doing thier jobs and that is to win ballgames, not to make some compelling story every single year. The writers are the ones that do that. And who is the best right now?


LOL, here comes the bias full steam ahead

Originally Posted by BCWWF I think the Miz joins me, I would rather see the Indians and A's in the ALCS. I think it will be better off if the loser of that last series misses the playoffs, because then it will be like an extra playoff round for free, and the Yankees would probably miss the playoffs.

So the Yankees aren't deserving, but the Indians and A's are? If you would of just posted "I hate the Red Sox and Yankees", you would of saved some space. I'm not saying the Indians and A's aren't but let's try and be fair here.

Originally Posted by BCWWF If they have a huge series so that both teams get in (which would be very unlikely) and then another series a week later, it would just add to the overkill. The way its set up now is at least something new and different

And again, this is baseball, not some wrestling type event. Who cares how the schedule is set up. That's not the Yankees and Red Sox fault. They are just there to win and I'm sure the other teams are for that too. They're not there to set up some compelling story every single year

Originally Posted by BCWWF The way its set up now is at least something new and different, and it will be fun to watch the Yankees get knocked out of the playoffs.

Like how am I suppossed to take you serious here when you clearly keep showing you just hate the Yankees. Just say it.

[The Miz]

Macha doesn't even care anymore because he knows he's a lame duck manager. Keiichi Yabu? Come on

[BCWWF]

When you break down a post you misrepresent what it was saying. I'm not an idiot, its not like I don't know what ratings are, but last time I checked I am a fan and not an ABC exec. The hype going around this rivalry has gone overkill, but obviously if you are right in the middle of it you will just be eating it up. When you are on the outside and watch as they analyze and sensationalize every little move going on between the two teams. I understand that this is the biggest market, but I simply don't care to see this again. It was fun the last two years, but there are better teams this year. I didn't read all of your post because its pretty stupid to break down a three paragraph post, but I wasn't saying that the schedule is a bad thing, I am saying that its a good thing because it basically adds a round to the playoffs, and since I doubt the team who loses that series will get the wildcard it will make for a new ALCS. What we are talking about is when VEL said that most people in America (or something similar, don't attack me with a missed detail here) would like to see the ALCS again, and I said I would prefer to see something different.

And I don't hate the Yankees. The way they are built is that they spend the most money to have the best players and the best team in the league, but this year they just simply aren't the dominant Yankees that I want to see in the playoffs. Its the same thing with the Marlins, they have been medeocre all season so I don't care to see them in the playoffs. Both teams are huge draws and great things for the league, but sue me if I don't want to see them for a third straight year after watching everything they have done all season when neither team was the best team in the league.

[Loose Cannon]

Alright, that's fine. Your own opinion.

For me personally, yea it would be more exciting to see the Yankees in the plaoffs then out, but if they don't get in, I'm still going to watch all the games. And I don't really care who the teams in ther are. I know it's the eight best teams in the league and there will dam well be exciting moments.

True baseball fans just love watching baseball. And I know a lot of us on here are. You'll watch teams that you don't really care about just because it's baseball. LOL, this is sounding like a Field of Dreams speech.

Anyway, should be an entertaining last 15 or so games and an exciting postseason.

[BCWWF]

I would fully expect you to be since you are a Yankees fan, but in the same way that people got sick of the Bulls always winning, I am getting sick of the same old thing in the playoffs all year because of how much I've been seeing it in the offseason. I just want to see something new.

[Loose Cannon]

It's funny, cause I am that way with the Lakers. I hate them with a passion and I couldn't wait for them to self-destruct. But then it kind of made me sad last year that they weren't that dominating Lakers team. It was like "dam, I wish the Lakers were those bid bullies like they always had been." It's weird like that because the teams you hate the most sometimes are the teams you want to see in there at the end. Getting there asses handed to them of course.

In baseball it's the Red Sox and Braves for me.

And that's one of the reasons I love the World Cup. To see these powerhouse teams Like Brazil and France get beat is sweet. But if Brazil and France didn't make it in, it's kind of like "dam, wtf happened to them. I wish they were in."

You know what I mean?

[OssMan]

ROFL why do they give a game a "national spotlight" if they are not going to show it nationally. They advertised Mets/Braves so much here but they decided to show Phillies/Marlins.

[The Miz]

The latter of those games has playoff implications. Read: the Mets are shitty

[YOUR Hero]

I'm hoping not just for different teams making the playoffs, but different winners. I like diversity. It dilutes the belief of large payrolls = winning.

[Lotus]

Originally Posted by VonErich Lives Umm, yeah, guess you should have watched the 8th and 9th when the Sox went down looking on some BS calls and by the way Tom Brady says "Tuck this".

BS calls my ass. Those were the same pitches that got called balls in the 7th, the ump finally realized that they were in the fucking strike zone. But anyways, you guys won fair and square. Can't complain about that. No screwjob, but Yabu is another fucking story

[Loose Cannon]

Originally Posted by YOUR Hero I'm hoping not just for different teams making the playoffs, but different winners. I like diversity. It dilutes the belief of large payrolls = winning.

well that thinking went out the window in 2002 and 2003 IMO.

[The Miz]

Can't blame Yabu for that one. He's pitched 3 times in the last 16 games and is expcted to get out Manny with the bases loaded and one out in the 10th. The only pitcher on the A's who's chances I like in that situation is Huston Street, who Macha brilliantly used to close out a 4-run game last night.

[Lotus]

Yeah, Macha is a genious.

But I'd rather losing on Manny hitting a Grand Slam. At least give the defense a snowball's chance in hell, damn.

[YOUR Hero]

Originally Posted by Loose Cannon well that thinking went out the window in 2002 and 2003 IMO.

Not, it hasn't. It's made the Red Sox and Yankees just think that they aren't spending enough yet. Until those teams (teams like them) have no success for several years, they'll continue ruining baseball for the majority of teams.

[McLegend]

Sucks for D-train

Shut out going into the ninth and the Marlins Defense blows it.

[Loose Cannon]

Originally Posted by YOUR Hero Not, it hasn't. It's made the Red Sox and Yankees just think that they aren't spending enough yet. Until those teams (teams like them) have no success for several years, they'll continue ruining baseball for the majority of teams.

OK, so let's say large payrolls = winning.

Now let's take 2000-2005. I'll list the top 8 payrolls every year

2000

New York Yankees
Los Angeles Dodgers
Baltimore Orioles
Atlanta Braves
Boston Red Sox
New York Mets
Arizona Diamondbacks
Cleveland Indians

Yankees, Mets, Cardinals, Braves, Giants, M'S, A's, Chi Sox made playoffs

Yankees won World Series

2001

New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets
Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves
Texas Rangers
Arizona Diamondbacks

D-Backs, Braves, Astros, Cardinals, M's, Yankees, Indians, A's

D-backs won World Series.

2002

New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Texas Rangers
Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Seattle Mariners


Yanks, D-Backs, Angels, Cardinals, Giants, Braves, Twins, A's made playoffs

Angles won the World Series (15th in payroll)

2003

New York Yankees
New York Mets
Atlanta Braves
Los Angeles Dodgers
Texas Rangers
Boston Red Sox
Seattle Mariners
St. Louis Cardinals

Yankees, Braves, Red Sox, Marlins, A's, Twins, Cubs, Giants made playoffs

Florida won World Series (25th in payroll)

2004

New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Los Angeles Angels
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Atlanta Braves

Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Twins, Cardinals, Houston, Braves, Dodgers.

Red Sox won World Series

----------------------------------

See, your theory holds up in some aspects over the last couple of years, but not fully. There are teams that don't spend ("don't" not "can't") and they still get in the playoffs.

Now what about the teams that are in the top 8 all the time and never win. What do you think about them?

What about the teams who are always in there (A's for example) and are at the bottom in payroll? The A's had so many chances and they blew it big time a couple times

And what about those owners that have the money and are some of the richest people in the world and don't spend the money to win? Should we fault George or John Henry for spending thier money?

And I know the Yankees have the most revenue, but should we fault the Yankee fans for selling out the stadium all the time and playing a huge part in that revenue? The Twins fans don't seem to give a dam about their team, even when they are winning... and thus no revenue. Carl Pohland (Twins owner) is one of the richest men in the world according to forbes, btw, and yet his teams payroll is always at the bottom somewhere.

Davis Glass (Royals Owner) is another one on the list and yet the Royals are basement dwellers most years. And you wonder why thier fans don't care about them.

When the Yankees were shit in the early 90's, how do you think they were able to go on a spending spree starting in '96? Because people still came to see them.

And I think that's the biggest problem with baseball and any sport really. It's those extraneous variables that we can't control. You can't control who goes to the ballgames. If the city is not interested in the team, well there goes most of the revenue. You can't control where the better markets are. But that doesn't mean those smaller markets can never win.

Maybe it's best for baseball to not only approve on a salary cap, but to dump a few teams while they are at it.