The 2008 MLB Thread

[No spoken words]

i completely forgot about joba starting tonight. 2 and 1/3rd? well done.

i felt it was appropriate that joba's 8th inning replacement blew last night's game, though. still think it's a terrible decision to move him to a starter. i suppose they could always move him back if it doesn't go well, but would he really go for that?

to put on my hubie brown voice for a second... here you have a guy who clearly has the makeup and moxie to replace the legend that is mariano rivera, who i guess some in yankeeland have forgotten was the most important part of the late 90's championship run.

was also a wise choice to start him against roy halladay, who if the game went 14 innings might just pitch all 14 of 'em.

lastly... as i have just flipped yes on... i'd just like to add that gary cohen shits on michael kay any day of the week.

You are right about:

Michael Kay
Starting Joba against Halladay

You are wrong about:

Not moving him into the rotation

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

You are right about:

Michael Kay
Starting Joba against Halladay

You are wrong about:

Not moving him into the rotation

we shall see

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

the reaction i just saw on the YES "Game Summary" pretty much sums up why i don't think Joba will work as a starter... he gave up 2 runs in 2 and a 3rd, didn't pitch well but it's not like he gave up 6 runs in the first or something... so it wasn't a complete disaster... yet there he is on the bench, after one short start, losing his F'ing mind.

that makeup works in late game situations when you need to get yourself amped quickly... a starter needs to be a tad more calm and cool than Joba.

 

[No spoken words]

the reaction i just saw on the YES "Game Summary" pretty much sums up why i don't think Joba will work as a starter... he gave up 2 runs in 2 and a 3rd, didn't pitch well but it's not like he gave up 6 runs in the first or something... so it wasn't a complete disaster... yet there he is on the bench, after one short start, losing his F'ing mind.

that makeup works in late game situations when you need to get yourself amped quickly... a starter needs to be a tad more calm and cool than Joba.

But he was a starter his entire life up until last Summer. He started in HS, started in College, started in the Minors....he ended up in the pen out of desperation last season. He has ace stuff, and you do not take someone with that sort of potential and not start him. As you say, though, we shall see, of course......he could turn out to be a good starter and that still does not mean that I'm "right", it all depends on what the Yanks most need (See Red Sox, Papelbon).

 

[phanan]

I said it before, and I'll say it again. I think Joba should eventually be their closer.

 

[No spoken words]

I said it before, and I'll say it again. I think Joba should eventually be their closer.

But that's like two years away. Rivera signed a 3 year deal, and if you've seen him pitch this season, then you know that he's not showing any signs of aging. So he should pitch middle relief for two seasons waiting to be the closer? Who does that? The Blue Jays with Duane Ward waiting for Henke to retire.....who else? There are very few instances of grooming a guy for multiple seasons. Mariano took over after one year as a set up guy, cos Wetteland was a free agent, same with K-Rod/Percival, one year.

Yeah, look you guys all know your baseball and you know I have respect for your opinions, and there is really no right or wrong here, but, I just see his return to the rotation, where he was supposed to be in the first place, as a no-brainer.....no matter how fucked up Yankee middle relief is right now.

 

[No spoken words]

Has anyone in here brought up or discussed Josh Hamilton? If the guy would have fought back from his demons and played just one game at the ML level that would have been quite the story. Instead, he's threatening to win the Triple Crown. In his first full year in the Bigs and his first in the AL. It's a little bit sick how good he is.

 

[No spoken words]

My last post in here for the night:

Despite my feelings towards the Metropolitans, I cannot help but root for Pedro. I just enjoy greatness, and Pedro is the best I've ever seen. Highest career winning pct in MLB History for pitchers with over 200 decisions....pretty amazing in this live ball era.

 

[phanan]

But that's like two years away. Rivera signed a 3 year deal, and if you've seen him pitch this season, then you know that he's not showing any signs of aging. So he should pitch middle relief for two seasons waiting to be the closer? Who does that? The Blue Jays with Duane Ward waiting for Henke to retire.....who else? There are very few instances of grooming a guy for multiple seasons. Mariano took over after one year as a set up guy, cos Wetteland was a free agent, same with K-Rod/Percival, one year.

Yeah, look you guys all know your baseball and you know I have respect for your opinions, and there is really no right or wrong here, but, I just see his return to the rotation, where he was supposed to be in the first place, as a no-brainer.....no matter how fucked up Yankee middle relief is right now.

Not middle relief, no. But definitely a set-up man for at least another year or so, and then gradually take over for Rivera. With a 1-2 punch like that at the end, why mess with it?

 

[phanan]

My last post in here for the night:

Despite my feelings towards the Metropolitans, I cannot help but root for Pedro. I just enjoy greatness, and Pedro is the best I've ever seen. Highest career winning pct in MLB History for pitchers with over 200 decisions....pretty amazing in this live ball era.

That season he had back in 1999 was one of the best ever for a pitcher. He was robbed of the MVP.

 

[speedracer]

Josh Hamilton is pretty good at hitting a baseball with a stick.

 

[zonelistener]

Has anyone in here brought up or discussed Josh Hamilton? If the guy would have fought back from his demons and played just one game at the ML level that would have been quite the story. Instead, he's threatening to win the Triple Crown. In his first full year in the Bigs and his first in the AL. It's a little bit sick how good he is.

I saw him in one of his first games up last year in Cincy last year. I knew he would be fun to watch. I was shocked to see him traded, but Cincy actually got a pretty decent pitching prospect, and had Jay Bruce to call up.

Knowing the issues he had prior, I am happy to see him doing well in baseball.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Yeah, I remember reading a whole heck of a lot about Josh Hamilton when he was the big uber-prospect for Tampa Bay. Everyone and their mother was saying that he was a can't miss guy and a legitimate 5 tool player.

It's awesome that he's come back from adversity and is living up to his potential.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

But he was a starter his entire life up until last Summer. He started in HS, started in College, started in the Minors....he ended up in the pen out of desperation last season. He has ace stuff, and you do not take someone with that sort of potential and not start him. As you say, though, we shall see, of course......he could turn out to be a good starter and that still does not mean that I'm "right", it all depends on what the Yanks most need (See Red Sox, Papelbon).

mariano rivera and billy wagner were both starters their entire life as well... not many pitchers are drafted as relief pitchers. there isn't a kid alive who dreams of one day being a lefty specialist.

but obviously you're right in that only time will tell.


as for pedro... he's looked solid thus far. thrown 90 pitches through 5, and it looks like they're gonna send him back out there for the 6th as no one's warming up. he hasn't been sharp, his location is off, as would be expected... but the best sign is that his fastball was touching 92-93, which he wasn't able to do last season when he came back late, pitching mostly 88-89.

 

[speedracer]

I noticed that Pedro had a hit off Barry Zito. Good Lord, Zito sucks.

 

[Hewson]

The Fall of 1986 was, easily, the worst sports related time of my life.

Its funny, 1986 was almost the greatest year ever in Boston sports history, The Pats made their first Super Bowl in January (but of course got spanked by Ditka while he drove the bus), the Celts won their 16th title with what some still contend was the best squad in NBA history, and the Sox were one strike away from ending the "curse" after 68 years. Plus the Bruins were actually damn good at the time.

It sounds eerily familiar (OK except for the Bruins part) to 2006-2007 in Boston, which was one stick'um helmet catch away from a historic sporting season for a city.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

It sounds eerily familiar (OK except for the Bruins part) to 2006-2007 in Boston, which was one stick'um helmet catch away from a historic sporting season for a city.

just because eli is so elusive that your entire defensive line couldn't bring him down is no reason to be bitter

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

I noticed that Pedro had a hit off Barry Zito. Good Lord, Zito sucks.

it's just nice to see pedro again. he has so much energy and is such a unique and engaging personality... if he can pitch well to top it off, all the better. but things are just more, i dunno, fun when pedro's around.

 

[Hewson]

but things are just more, i dunno, fun when pedro's around.

How so?

Note: this is the last known picture of Nomar Garciaparra smiling.

 

[phanan]

His mere presence could catapult the Mets back to legitimacy.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

"Not having him at all for the rest of the season is devastating, flat out devastating," third baseman Chipper Jones said. "Going into this season, I said there's one guy on this club we cannot do without. That's John Smoltz."

and just like that the NL East race is down to two... well... two and a half, if you really count the marlins.

 

[No spoken words]

Baseball needs more guys like Pedro. Wonderful pitcher, smart, very candid with the media, accountable and has a true passion for the game.

Headache, having LJ in your sig is cracking me up. Also, what does it say for my hoops "skills" when my game is modeled on Oakley's? Nothing ever made more sense to me than when Oak started opening up car washes, fucking perfect.

 

[MrPryck2U]

Baseball needs more guys like Pedro. Wonderful pitcher, smart, very candid with the media, accountable and has a true passion for the game.

I think there's only room for one Pedro in MLB.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Also, what does it say for my hoops "skills" when my game is modeled on Oakley's?

so what you're saying is you have a decievingly good mid-range jumper, you're a beast on the boards, you take no prisoners, and you have the vertical leap of a dead elephant.

 

[No spoken words]

so what you're saying is you have a decievingly good mid-range jumper, you're a beast on the boards, you take no prisoners, and you have the vertical leap of a dead elephant.

Yes, though, everything is relative, so, my competition, if not on the court, can be found in Temple or at the law firm they work at. But, yeah, that's my game....except, add in the setting of solid picks and change the jumper to decent from good. My vertical is a sad, sad thing. Like Oak, I'm best if shooting from the baseline, for whatever reason. My favorite thing about Oak was how he would guard taller players that would be posting him up, and sometimes he would dive in front of them to break up entry passes. That dude was all effort.

 

[CTU2fan]

the 86 mets were very similar to the '04 red sox, i must say... at least personality wise.

Yea I can seriously see that. Lots of "characters" shall we say on both squads. I'd throw the '93 Phillies in there too with the obvious common thread being Lenny Dykstra. The '08 Mets IMO need some more of those colorful kind of crazy type guys. The obvious place to try to upgrade in that regard is probably 1B because Delgado looks like semi-crispy toast anyway. I'd say try to bring in Kevin Millar but he's hitting like a dead cat, and you can't waltz in to a clubhouse hitting like crap and try to be a leader.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

No-one has said a word in this thread for over 24 hours now so I'm just going to say that Paul Konerko hit a walk off homerun last night in the fucking bottom of the 15th inning...

 

[No spoken words]

And Giambi hit one today.

 

[CTU2fan]

...to royally screw my fantasy team that features McGowan and BJ Ryan Giambino.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Also, with the 8th pick in the "First-year player draft" we selected a kid named Gordon Beckham out of Georgia who, as I've read, immediately becomes the top prospect in the White Sox organization.

I'm pumped.

If he comes to fruition and is our big league shortstop in the future I will never be able to look at the name on his jersey without thinking of the movie 'Bend It Like Beckham' and, more importantly, Keira Knightley in a sports bra...