Thoughts on the 2nd half of MLB

[Akileese]

Originally Posted by kcxiv

Lets not forget Pierre's pea shooter arm. I have never seen a weaker arm out in center field. If he can get on base, Pierre is amazing, the problem is he has trouble at times getting on base.

Damon's is worse. Aside from the conspiracy that Boston KNEW how fucked up Damon's body really was, we all knew he had the weakest arm of any center fielder in baseball. But, since he technically DOESN'T play center any more, can we still count him?

[kcxiv]

Originally Posted by Akileese

Damon's is worse. Aside from the conspiracy that Boston KNEW how fucked up Damon's body really was, we all knew he had the weakest arm of any center fielder in baseball. But, since he technically DOESN'T play center any more, can we still count him?

I would like to see them both throw a baseball to see whos is weakest. haha I dont watch alot of Yankee games, but i try to catch the Dodgers play everytime i can and his throws have like no kind of zip at all. Hell, i think i could throw the ball further then him with a few weeks to get my arm back into throwing shape. (i used to pitch as a youngster and i had a decent arm) lol

[Twobit Whore]

Holy crap!

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Recap

[Akileese]

Already 3-0 in the 2nd game.

[Blank]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

Holy crap!

FOX Sports on MSN - MLB - Recap

Yeah, I was just about to post that. Can't believe it's a double hitter too... jesus. My favorite quote:

Texas also set a team record for runs scored in a doubleheader - before the second game even started.

[Lord Thanos]

ouch, first thing that came to my mind when I saw the score on MLB.com was this

[Moontayle]

Guess the Rangers have to go into the news every once in a while for actually doing something good. I think we're good for another 20 years.

[Akileese]

If Gabbard can turn into a dependable number 3 (which he probably will), we got horse fucked on the Gagne trade. No matter what Murphy does, I'm conceeding we had to get rid of him because he'll sit in the minors (as oppose to Ellsbury who will probably be our 4th outfielder next year).

Varitek is fucking pissing me off. The guy gets a rest day EVERY 5 days with Wakefield (most catchers are 8-10 I believe, or that's what I was told) and he still shits the bed after the all-star break. I love him as a team leader, but when it's working out to him continually coming up in big spots and shitting the bed, something has to be done. It's not only the fact that he's not hitting, but it seems like every other night he strikes out 2-3 times. It's going on border-line unacceptable.

[kedwyn]

My thoughts? MLB will become interesting again when they implement a salary cap like the NFL.

[Akileese]

Originally Posted by kedwyn

My thoughts? MLB will become interesting again when they implement a salary cap like the NFL.

a salary cap is the worst thing possible for baseball right now. Plenty of guys take discounts to stay with their team so it's not a big issue like it was 10 years ago. Not everyone wants to play for the Red Sox and the Yankees. They want to beat them. Teams are growing their own talent and making savvy trades. Free Agent markets are increasingly thin year in and year out because of this. If you institute a cap now, it will likely cripple the game and send it back to how it use to be.

Those who blame the problems of their teams on salary caps, I feel for you. But the problem is you have terrible ownerships who take the money you get from revenue sharing and put it BACK into their own pockets. Either that or they have horrible GMs who trade away their young talent. Then you have the third problem which is sometimes prospects don't pan out.

Baseball is a changing game. The biggest stars in the game all play on mid market teams. The best teams in baseball year in and year out grow their own players (look at the Angels who are disguistingly deep with young talent).

The smarter GMs have started to realize that it's better to take a shot with an unproven young guy than give a middle of the road starter 10 million a year. Teams like the Royals make signings like that to show that they want to improve. They could be a really solid team in a few years. They've got a bunch of money coming off the books and a ton of good pitching and hitting. Hell, they're in 4th place and if not for the absurd depth of the AL central (easily second best division in baseball behind the NL West) they could be doing a bit better than 14 under .500.

My overall point is I like where baseball is going. Right now you have 7 teams within 5 games of the NL wild card and 6 within 9 games of the AL. Son top of your 6 division leaders, you have another 10 TEAMS with realistic playoff chances this year. If you a problem with that, please, let me know what it is.

Salary caps and steroids are the things people blame for baseballs problems, but if you care about a competitive league where lots of teams are playing meaningful ball in late August, I really don't see an issue.

[kcxiv]

Yeah, right. Everyone wants to go where you get the most money. I bet you Peavy will end up in Boston or in New York when his contract expires because they will throw a fuckton of cash at his ass.


MLB needs a damn salary cap just like the NFL. It would be the best thing to happen. SHit pisses me off the same team is always in the play offs becuase they buy their talent. Fuck Boston and fuck New York.

[Kirun]

Originally Posted by kcxiv

SHit pisses me off the same team is always in the play offs becuase they buy their talent. Fuck Boston and fuck New York.

Playoffs don't mean dick if you don't win it all. How many times in the last 6-7 years have the Yankees and Red Sox won a series? Twice..combined? Buying a bunch of all-stars only gets you so far.

[Pharazon]

If you don't think the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, etc, have a big advantage cause of their budgets you're kidding yourself. Sure teams can get young talent through their farm systems if they have good scouting etc. But if the talent is good enough and they are not a big market team, they will most likely lose the talent by the time the player has reached their prime.

Example: the Marlins have obviously had one of the top farm systems in the majors the last 15 years, so good that it netted them 2 WS titles when their young players were still relatively green. But instead of becoming a force to be reckoned with for the next decade (they could have been the Braves of the 00 decade had they been able to hang on to all those young players), they were forced to watch most of the good players go. Just as they have absolutely no chance of re-signing Miguel Cabrera in the offseason.

While they showed you can win like that, i dunno how feasible it is to think that it will happen too often, where a team wins the WS on mainly young talent from your farm program. (Of course as i say this, watch out for the Diamondbacks this year lol) There's a chance to do it like that, but its an uphill battle. You can't argue that the big market teams don't have a huge advantage cause they start with proven talent that are some of the best players in the game, and have their own farm systems as well to add to that.

[Akileese]

Originally Posted by kcxiv

Yeah, right. Everyone wants to go where you get the most money. I bet you Peavy will end up in Boston or in New York when his contract expires because they will throw a fuckton of cash at his ass.


MLB needs a damn salary cap just like the NFL. It would be the best thing to happen. SHit pisses me off the same team is always in the play offs becuase they buy their talent. Fuck Boston and fuck New York.

Really? Elite players and huge pay guys aren't even reaching free agency. Peavy will get a 5/80 or a 5/90 hometown type deal like the one Zambrano just took. There is no way he doesn't jump at that and there's no way the Padres don't jump on it.

Also, Peavy won't even hit the market until 2010. He's under contract until next year and he's got an 09 club option as well (an asburd 9 million with a max of possibly 11 million). Also, the guys you have to look at our Cabrera and Willis. Willis is disguistingly overrated, but he's still in line for a huge pay day. I see the Mets or Yankees making a retarded push for him. Miguel Cabrera is gonna be the guy to watch. Unless the Marlins are sold or move, there's no way they resign those guys. Look at Cleveland. They resigned Hafner and Westbrook which was huge and if they can make the playoffs, they'll make enough money to toss an extension at Sabathia (which I really think will happen either way).

Please god research stuff. I didn't go on a paragraph long rant for no reason. Before revenue sharing really kicked in, I was all for the salary cap. Then revenue sharing starting working. Teams were able to lock up their talent and more importantly, guys started taking paycuts to stay with their team. Without those two developments, yes I agree a salary cap would be necessary. Not now though.

[Akileese]

Also, I'm convinced unless the Mets suddenly find the fountain of youth, they won't get out of the first round. They don't score enough runs, they're too old, too hurt, on top of all that, they have easily the shakiest bullpen in all of baseball right now, let alone the division leaders.

Watching the game with a friend tonight who got pumped huge when they took a 7-6 lead i said "it's only the bottom 6 dude." he replied "Fuck. We're screwed." Ironically, it was Wagner who blew it first (miserably at that giving up 2 runs without getting an out). Then Heilman turned around and gave up another run in the 10th. They're still going strong in the bottom o the 10th right now with the top due up again.



edit: For anyone who wants to talk about "huge FA's hitting for big $ Check out the fucking crop for this year
MLB Trade Rumors: 2008 MLB Free Agents
thinner than thin as far as quality under 30 players. Actually, after giving that a second look, there is not even a
quality under 30 player there that WILL hit the market. Dunn, Izturis, and Uribe are the only thing close to high quality under 30 players. Dunn strikes out too much, and most Dodger and White Sox fans will argue that those two guys aren't exactly high quality (but unless an internal option pops up, they'll most likely get picked up.