MLB 14/15 thread

13077950:.frenchy said:
1. You can most definitely rely on Jeter. Just because he's 40 does not mean hes no good.... He's currently batting .280? better than most players on the redsox. Don't be a hypocrite, jeter may be 40 but Ortiz is 38....

2. And don't even say big papi is more clutch than jeter. Pretty sure one of Jeters nicknames is Mr. November, not Ortiz.

3. Did you really just say "He has 9 HR and 48 RBIs. His OBP is .344. with a .279avg" as a bad thing? LOL those are good numbers with still 2 months left of baseball... Ellsbury is doing pretty damn good so far this year, you're probably just mad he left beantown.

1. My point is he does not have the power he once had. Ortiz also has the luxury of sitting on the bench except when he has to hit the ball. Shorter career as well.

2. Well, if you want to nitpick, they are almost identical if you were to average out their hits, runs scored, etc. David Ortiz just had less appearances but put up similar numbers.

3. That is not very good compared to what he normally does. He normally hits closer to .300.

I couldn't care less that he left. No way is someone with his injury track record worth $153 over 7 years. Was he a very good player? Yes, but he is replaceable. He is the new Shane Victorino IMO.
 
13077960:.MASSHOLE. said:
1. My point is he does not have the power he once had. Ortiz also has the luxury of sitting on the bench except when he has to hit the ball. Shorter career as well.

2. Well, if you want to nitpick, they are almost identical if you were to average out their hits, runs scored, etc. David Ortiz just had less appearances but put up similar numbers.

3. That is not very good compared to what he normally does. He normally hits closer to .300.

I couldn't care less that he left. No way is someone with his injury track record worth $153 over 7 years. Was he a very good player? Yes, but he is replaceable. He is the new Shane Victorino IMO.

1. Jeter was never a power hitter, he's always been a basehit hitter, small bloopers to the outfield, hit up the middle, etc. And that's still what he's doing he had a 3hit game a few days ago that put him alone on the #7 spot on the all time hit list.

2. Jeter is really known for being clutch in the playoffs, his post-season batting average is .308... and a .320+ hitter in the world series. Good luck comparing Jeter/Ortiz.
 
13077972:.frenchy said:
1. Jeter was never a power hitter, he's always been a basehit hitter, small bloopers to the outfield, hit up the middle, etc. And that's still what he's doing he had a 3hit game a few days ago that put him alone on the #7 spot on the all time hit list.

2. Jeter is really known for being clutch in the playoffs, his post-season batting average is .308... and a .320+ hitter in the world series. Good luck comparing Jeter/Ortiz.

Ortiz is .295 in playoffs, but a whopping .455 in the WS with a .576 OBP and .795 Slugging percentage and a 1.372 OPS.

Look, you like Jeter I like Ortiz. We can agree to disagree who we would take.

But to think the Yankees can win it all with that team is a little naive. Hell, even if the Red Sox had managed to make the playoffs this year I think every rational Boston fan would admit there was little to no chance of them repeating.
 
13077982:.MASSHOLE. said:
Ortiz is .295 in playoffs, but a whopping .455 in the WS with a .576 OBP and .795 Slugging percentage and a 1.372 OPS.

Look, you like Jeter I like Ortiz. We can agree to disagree who we would take.

But to think the Yankees can win it all with that team is a little naive. Hell, even if the Red Sox had managed to make the playoffs this year I think every rational Boston fan would admit there was little to no chance of them repeating.

Okay, but Jeter has been in 7 world series, Ortiz-3... jeter has a .481 batting average in 14 all star games. That's impressive.

lol okay, plenty of underdogs have won the world series.... You arent a basball fan if you think otherwise..
 
13077992:.frenchy said:
Okay, but Jeter has been in 7 world series, Ortiz-3... jeter has a .481 batting average in 14 all star games. That's impressive.

lol okay, plenty of underdogs have won the world series.... You arent a basball fan if you think otherwise..

It is an all-star game. They are jokes.

Of course underdogs have won the WS, look at 2004. But there is a difference. Most underdog teams just under perform, they aren't understaffed.
 
13078010:.MASSHOLE. said:
It is an all-star game. They are jokes.

Of course underdogs have won the WS, look at 2004. But there is a difference. Most underdog teams just under perform, they aren't understaffed.

Uh.... A joke? The ASG is actually a big deal.... The past 5+ world series have been won by the league that won the allstar game. Hoem field advantage is what you want in the World Series.

HR Derby is a joke. The all star game, no, not really.
 
chill guys. both are great players in the clutch but both are very different. comparing a power hitting dh and ss is pointless.
 
13077624:.MASSHOLE. said:
Gomes? Jesus. Gomes was a WRECK this year in the field and at the plate. Sorry DingoSean, but his defense made me wince at times. His offense is decent as long as he isn't facing left-handed pitchers. If he is, well, just look away.

Yes Lester is good. Yes it stings to lose him, but that sting was nullified by bringing back a power hitter, something Boston desperately needed. I think the Yankees could relate to that right now too.

How has Boston used him though? Gomes is a guy who ropes lefties all day. If you used him against both sides of the plate, then no shit he's going to be 'meh' most of the time. Bob Melvin is the master of Platoons, and Gomes will go back to his regularly scheduled Platooning. He will be productive. As for him in the field? Ehh.. Whatever. He'll probably DH and Vogt will play in Left most of the time (Vogt has a solid arm - because Catcher)

As for the rest of what you said, what is this "cap space" you're talking about? Boston has Cap Space? They have a cap? I thought they didn't have a budget cap in boston like Oakland or Tampa...

;)

...everyone knows Boston is a big-budget baseball town. They and the Yankees are perennially the only two teams that are taxed for their insane payrolls.
 
13078025:.frenchy said:
Uh.... A joke? The ASG is actually a big deal.... The past 5+ world series have been won by the league that won the allstar game. Hoem field advantage is what you want in the World Series.

HR Derby is a joke. The all star game, no, not really.

Homefield advantage doesn't really mean that much in baseball. If it did, the A's would have won a lot more Game 5's. Most of the last few world series, the losing team just fucking botched it. Hard. They couldn't win on their own field, much less the opponents.

...and the HR Derby is just for fun. Like the futures game and the celeb softball tourney.

Regardless of that fact, Cespedes can fucking BOOST a pitch. Probably one of the hardest hitters the A's have had since the days of roids (and even then, only McGwire comes to mind as a stronger masher than 'Yo Power') He's going to hit a lot of home runs in those AL East parks - He's going to have a lot better average when his fly balls turn into singles off the monster...
 
13078571:DingoSean said:
How has Boston used him though? Gomes is a guy who ropes lefties all day. If you used him against both sides of the plate, then no shit he's going to be 'meh' most of the time. Bob Melvin is the master of Platoons, and Gomes will go back to his regularly scheduled Platooning. He will be productive. As for him in the field? Ehh.. Whatever. He'll probably DH and Vogt will play in Left most of the time (Vogt has a solid arm - because Catcher)

As for the rest of what you said, what is this "cap space" you're talking about? Boston has Cap Space? They have a cap? I thought they didn't have a budget cap in boston like Oakland or Tampa...

;)

...everyone knows Boston is a big-budget baseball town. They and the Yankees are perennially the only two teams that are taxed for their insane payrolls.

LA Dodgers $235,295,219

2. NY Yankees $203,812,506

3. Philadelphia Phillies $180,052,723

4. Boston Red Sox $162,817,411

5. Detroit Tigers $162,228,527

6. LA Angels $155,692,000

7. San Francisco Giants $154,185,878

best team in baseball ---> 25. Oakland A's $83,401,400
 
in 2012, when they won 95 games, the division, and took Detroit to 5 games (and should/could have won, if not for a screwup by Crisp in game 2, and Verlander being given a strikezone the size of the former USSR) they had the 2nd lowest payroll in baseball... the only team lower? by 100k, was San Diego.

There's a reason Billy Beane has commanded a NYtimes bestseller and a fucking hollywood movie to be made about him - where he was portrayed by none other than Brad friggin Pitt.

Since 1999, Oakland has only had 4 losing seasons under Beane's management - of which were also the only seasons the A's didn't win the division or at least finish runner-up - during which years, he went through his only rebuild, and surprised even himself by forming the current team we have now.

tumblr_m0bkybLCFF1qeipato1_500.gif
 
13078571:DingoSean said:
How has Boston used him though? Gomes is a guy who ropes lefties all day. If you used him against both sides of the plate, then no shit he's going to be 'meh' most of the time. Bob Melvin is the master of Platoons, and Gomes will go back to his regularly scheduled Platooning. He will be productive. As for him in the field? Ehh.. Whatever. He'll probably DH and Vogt will play in Left most of the time (Vogt has a solid arm - because Catcher)

As for the rest of what you said, what is this "cap space" you're talking about? Boston has Cap Space? They have a cap? I thought they didn't have a budget cap in boston like Oakland or Tampa...

;)

...everyone knows Boston is a big-budget baseball town. They and the Yankees are perennially the only two teams that are taxed for their insane payrolls.

TBH, I am not entirely sure. I pop in and out of watching the games, I gather most of my information from my commute on sports radio and highlights I see on the web. He may have an easier time now because the lack of the Green Monster. He was pretty poor fielding balls off that.

Damn it. I meant luxury tax space :(. Yep they are, but a lot of big time fans around here (aka not me) are worried that this is a sign that Boston will start shirking away from large contracts that can run into the later years of a players career.

And TBH again, I think if Billy Beane fails to win a WS, all this money-ball managing is for naught. Winning regular season games is great, but no one cares in the long run. People want a title. I hope he gets one, but not this year. It will drive up the price for Lester :p
 
13078576:DingoSean said:
Homefield advantage doesn't really mean that much in baseball. If it did, the A's would have won a lot more Game 5's. Most of the last few world series, the losing team just fucking botched it. Hard. They couldn't win on their own field, much less the opponents.

...and the HR Derby is just for fun. Like the futures game and the celeb softball tourney.

Homefield advantage does mean a lot in the world series obviously...

And thank you for repeating what I said about the HR derby.
 
13078632:.MASSHOLE. said:
I think if Billy Beane fails to win a WS, all this money-ball managing is for naught. Winning regular season games is great, but no one cares in the long run. People want a title. I hope he gets one, but not this year. It will drive up the price for Lester :p

See, I think that's bullshit. I don't understand this whole "if it fails to win you a championship, you're obviously doing it wrong. Simply put, once you get to the playoffs, everything tends to be a little bit crapshooty - hence why teams like the 83 win 2006 Cardinals can beat a Tigers team that was absolutely reeling - Same thing happened the other year when the Giants pulled the same crap with a mediocre squad in comparison.

Hands down, what Billy Beane has done the best is adapt to the Market over time. He used to treasure college players in the draft, and when everyone else started following his lead, he started looking more at high schoolers as a less-valued commodity. He's always ahead of everyone else, and that's why he wins, and will continue to win in Oakland.

The Giants virtually copied his style across the bay and fielded a very "Oakland-esque" team in 2010 to a world series - based on pitching and opportune, clutch, matchup based hitting. If moneyball didn't succeed, the Yankees and Red Sox would still win every single year.

13078802:.frenchy said:
Homefield advantage does mean a lot in the world series obviously...

Not too obvious to me at all, actually... I think you're dead wrong. It may have an effect based on the field - if it's a funky stadium like Fenway, Houston, or Toronto, but it absolutely isn't the deterring factor at all. What's more important is who's pitching and what the matchups mean.
 
13078871:DingoSean said:
See, I think that's bullshit. I don't understand this whole "if it fails to win you a championship, you're obviously doing it wrong. Simply put, once you get to the playoffs, everything tends to be a little bit crapshooty - hence why teams like the 83 win 2006 Cardinals can beat a Tigers team that was absolutely reeling - Same thing happened the other year when the Giants pulled the same crap with a mediocre squad in comparison.

Hands down, what Billy Beane has done the best is adapt to the Market over time. He used to treasure college players in the draft, and when everyone else started following his lead, he started looking more at high schoolers as a less-valued commodity. He's always ahead of everyone else, and that's why he wins, and will continue to win in Oakland.

The Giants virtually copied his style across the bay and fielded a very "Oakland-esque" team in 2010 to a world series - based on pitching and opportune, clutch, matchup based hitting. If moneyball didn't succeed, the Yankees and Red Sox would still win every single year.

Not too obvious to me at all, actually... I think you're dead wrong. It may have an effect based on the field - if it's a funky stadium like Fenway, Houston, or Toronto, but it absolutely isn't the deterring factor at all. What's more important is who's pitching and what the matchups mean.

But what is the importance of winning if you cannot win the ultimate goal? Did he revolutionize the way the MLB looks at players? Yes, but personally, as a fan, if I were in your shoes, I would rather a title any day
 
13078881:.MASSHOLE. said:
But what is the importance of winning if you cannot win the ultimate goal? Did he revolutionize the way the MLB looks at players? Yes, but personally, as a fan, if I were in your shoes, I would rather a title any day

Trust me, I want a title... That's obviously the goal.

But as anyone knows, the World Series is extremely difficult to win - especially in Baseball where Parity has suffered ever since Free Agency became a thing and teams like New York, LA, and yes.. even Oakland, could just win by throwing money around.

If Beane fails to bring a championship to Oakland, it would not be without trying very ridiculously hard, and revolutionizing the way teams manage professional sports athletes worldwide (Beane also is a consultant for Tottenham and San Jose Earthquakes. He has his toes dipped in several oceans) If he outright fails in his tenure to bring in a title, I'd blame baseball itself more than anything.

In the meantime, I've been very proud of Oakland for always being consistently in the mix. I'd rather that be the case than being the Pirates or the Mariners every year.
 
13078909:DingoSean said:
Trust me, I want a title... That's obviously the goal.

But as anyone knows, the World Series is extremely difficult to win - especially in Baseball where Parity has suffered ever since Free Agency became a thing and teams like New York, LA, and yes.. even Oakland, could just win by throwing money around.

If Beane fails to bring a championship to Oakland, it would not be without trying very ridiculously hard, and revolutionizing the way teams manage professional sports athletes worldwide (Beane also is a consultant for Tottenham and San Jose Earthquakes. He has his toes dipped in several oceans) If he outright fails in his tenure to bring in a title, I'd blame baseball itself more than anything.

In the meantime, I've been very proud of Oakland for always being consistently in the mix. I'd rather that be the case than being the Pirates or the Mariners every year.

It is, but you would imagine since he was at the forefront of those movements he should have won a title, be it at least an ALCS. I wouldn't be too proud of consulting for Tottenham TBH. Classic case of one expensive player being greater than many cheaper options. Analytics did not work too well there.

I would blame Beane for sticking too hard to his guns of not breaking the bank for a few players who may be able to get them over the hump. But that is me. As a Patriots fan, BB and that front office used to break the bank and it won them a few titles, then they stopped and they have won naught since. Sometimes, to win, you need to take a contract that works well for a few years then blows up because in the end, the title that contract may win is more important.
 
13078912:.MASSHOLE. said:
I would blame Beane for sticking too hard to his guns of not breaking the bank for a few players who may be able to get them over the hump. But that is me. As a Patriots fan, BB and that front office used to break the bank and it won them a few titles, then they stopped and they have won naught since. Sometimes, to win, you need to take a contract that works well for a few years then blows up because in the end, the title that contract may win is more important.

You haven't really followed him, have you... The whole reason why this Lester trade happened is because Beane went very un-Beane and hauled in Cespedes... He worked his team to the point where he had enough space in the budget and dropped 40 mill on a guy who had never played. Then parlayed him when he was in his final year (of 15 million) for Jon Lester - Beane has been extremely gutsy ever since 2012 - he's shown his best stuff ever since the end of the Big 3 era and the subsequent 4 year rebuild.

...and so far, this trade has worked well for both teams. Lester has allowed just a SF through 5, Gomes is 2-3 with 3RBI's, and the A's just had an 8 run inning.

Meanwhile, Cespedes is 1-2 with a run that sparked their own 3 run inning. EVERYONE WINS.
 
13078921:DingoSean said:
You haven't really followed him, have you... The whole reason why this Lester trade happened is because Beane went very un-Beane and hauled in Cespedes... He worked his team to the point where he had enough space in the budget and dropped 40 mill on a guy who had never played. Then parlayed him when he was in his final year (of 15 million) for Jon Lester - Beane has been extremely gutsy ever since 2012 - he's shown his best stuff ever since the end of the Big 3 era and the subsequent 4 year rebuild.

...and so far, this trade has worked well for both teams. Lester has allowed just a SF through 5, Gomes is 2-3 with 3RBI's, and the A's just had an 8 run inning.

Meanwhile, Cespedes is 1-2 with a run that sparked their own 3 run inning. EVERYONE WINS.

In general, no. But if he fails to win this year, was it worth it?
 
13078926:.MASSHOLE. said:
In general, no. But if he fails to win this year, was it worth it?

Considering his ability to reload? He could just as well win it next season too - perhaps the next two seasons in general.

look at the Rotation next year. Gray. Kazmir. Samardzija. and two of Parker/AJGriffin/Chavez/Pomeranz

The only offensive player who's contract is up this year is Jed Lowrie. The key members of the bullpen and position players are all locked up in team-control for at least the next 3-4 years.

Oh, and he has what... 40+ million to spend on free agents? at LEAST? Anyone would be willing to come to Oakland with what they return with next year - and all he's going to likely do is bring in a couple strong outfielders and perhaps a solid middle infielder.

Yeah, the Farm is depleted, but it will be another season or two before Beane goes back to fleecing other teams for their key prospects.
 
Yo Oakland, how do Beane's moneyballs taste now?

That's quite a slide your team's been on recently. The AL West is sure getting shaken up a bit with the Angel's on a rampage to climb that divisional ladder. Everything is pointing to an exciting 6 weeks before October. Will it be 3 teams from the AL West heading to the postseason this time around?

And how bout them Mariners? Winning season past the All Star break, nearly +100 run differential, team ERA below 3.00, the only team to have allowed under 400 run scored against them so far this season? Fucking right.

Sure, it might be a fluke, but this season has been damn fun to watch. I'm sure they'll return to pumpkins once the clock strikes "postseason," but you can't argue that they've put up a tremendous effort thus far this season, especially with the lackluster offense.
 
So what happened to the Yankees possibly winning the WS? Doesn't look like they'll make the playoffs at this rate.

Sorry about the A's. At least it isn't driving up Lester's value ;)
 
13096642:.MASSHOLE. said:
So what happened to the Yankees possibly winning the WS? Doesn't look like they'll make the playoffs at this rate.

Sorry about the A's. At least it isn't driving up Lester's value ;)

They're 3.5 games back from a playoff spot...... And it's August 18.... Still 50 games to play there big guy..
 
13096681:.frenchy said:
They're 3.5 games back from a playoff spot...... And it's August 18.... Still 50 games to play there big guy..

5-5 in their last 10 games, and Beltran, Drew, and Prado are struggling over the past week.

Beltran-.056/.105/.111, 2B, R, minus-49 wRC+

Drew-.188/.188/.250, 16 AB, 2B, R, 4 K, 12 wRC+

Prado-.190 BA
 
13096697:.MASSHOLE. said:
5-5 in their last 10 games, and Beltran, Drew, and Prado are struggling over the past week.

Beltran-.056/.105/.111, 2B, R, minus-49 wRC+

Drew-.188/.188/.250, 16 AB, 2B, R, 4 K, 12 wRC+

Prado-.190 BA

They have more than 3 players on their team. And i'm sorry your sox lost 8-1 sat home against Houston.... That was pretty sad lol .
 
13096681:.frenchy said:
They're 3.5 games back from a playoff spot...... And it's August 18.... Still 50 games to play there big guy..

There are some competitive teams just above and below the Yankee's gunning for the AL Wildcard spots. The Yankee's will need to get their shit together and have the competition start consistently losing. That's a lot to count on.

But this is baseball...
 
13096707:.frenchy said:
They have more than 3 players on their team. And i'm sorry your sox lost 8-1 sat home against Houston.... That was pretty sad lol .

You're still out of the playoffs currently and you have a higher payroll...that must sting a lot. And to not have won a WS in a long time too.
 
13096725:.MASSHOLE. said:
You're still out of the playoffs currently and you have a higher payroll...that must sting a lot. And to not have won a WS in a long time too.

Uh 2009 isnt that long ago?
 
13097064:.frenchy said:
Uh 2009 isnt that long ago?

5 years is quite a bit of time, at least for people our age (late teens early 20s.)

Anyways, I just don't see the Yankees beating out the competition to get that final spot.
 
13096642:.MASSHOLE. said:
So what happened to the Yankees possibly winning the WS? Doesn't look like they'll make the playoffs at this rate.

Sorry about the A's. At least it isn't driving up Lester's value ;)

are you rooting against lester? i hope the a's can get it together and get him another ring.
 
13097440:b-kul said:
are you rooting against lester? i hope the a's can get it together and get him another ring.

Not against Lester, no, but against the A's, yes.

If Lester manages to win another WS with his pitching as the lynchpin, there is no way he returns to Boston. He will be commanding absurdly stupid contracts along the terms of 6+ years, $155 million plus. The Yankees, Dodgers, and Cubs will all be willing to pay for proven playoff pitching.
 
getting him back is the plan or just your wish? honestly i don't think theres any way he will be back, being a premier big lefty in the game he is going to command crazy money.
 
13097446:b-kul said:
getting him back is the plan or just your wish? honestly i don't think theres any way he will be back, being a premier big lefty in the game he is going to command crazy money.

Red Sox are preparing to offer big money and he has publicly said he is willing to come back if the offer is right.

Here is a recent quote from him

"They told me, 'We're going to be aggressive. You're going to get blown out of the water by some of these (other) offers,' " Lester recalled. "I'm like, 'I don't need to be blown out of the water.' Why would I need to be blown out of the water? That doesn't make or break your decision, at least for me. I'm not going to the highest bidder. I'm going to the place that makes me and my family happy. If that's Boston, it's Boston."

Lester is not looking to set contract records, even though it wouldn't be surprising to see him earn an offer of least six years and $150 million.

"In the greater scheme of things, we're talking about just a stupid amount of money," he said. "For me, I want to be comfortable. The way I look at it is, if someone gives you $170 million and someone gives you $150 million, is that $20 million really going to change your lifestyle? Same thing if the highest bidder is $100 million and the team you're going to feel most comfortable with offers $80 million. Is that $20 million really going to make the difference in your lifestyle?"
 
13097467:b-kul said:
interesting, i hope they can make that work.

btw, which post of mine got removed, and why?

Same here.

None, it was the post above it. For some reason when I do multiple quotes per post, the top disappears.
 
Oakland should figure it out... They still lead the league in wins. I'm concerned, but not hitting panic button yet. This wouldn't even be an issue if the Angels weren't hot on the heels.

Injuries have made it pretty tough as of late. Starting SS, Leadoff Hitter, backup leadoff hitter, backup 2B, other backup 2B, all going through tough injuries.

This will be an intense final month, though. As for the Lester trade? Until last night he was the only pitcher who was pitching particularly well on the entire staff... and even then he lost in only a 1 run ballgame 4-3. That trade was absolutely brilliant.

I'd laugh pretty hard if Lester ended up in pinstripes next year... not that it will really help the crumbling Yankees.
 
13101323:_Jeffrey_ said:
Both the NL and AL West races are getting crazy. Go Giants. And i wish the best of luck to the A's

Fuck the Giants. They're collapsing just like I thought they would.
 
13103661:_Jeffrey_ said:

Hey, considering they were once what... 42-21?

What they're currently going through is what I like to call 'regression to the mean'. They can't even keep up with a Dodger squad that, outside of Clayton Kershaw, is entirely ordinary - much less Atlanta or St. Louis...
 
13103666:DingoSean said:
Hey, considering they were once what... 42-21?

What they're currently going through is what I like to call 'regression to the mean'. They can't even keep up with a Dodger squad that, outside of Clayton Kershaw, is entirely ordinary - much less Atlanta or St. Louis...

I still believe we will be there in october. see ya there
 
so AL: Orioles, Royals, Angels, and As. NL: Nationals, Brewers, Dodgers and Cardinals? Braves? What do you guys think?
 
13110483:volvotom said:
so AL: Orioles, Royals, Angels, and As. NL: Nationals, Brewers, Dodgers and Cardinals? Braves? What do you guys think?

Not bad. Just change the Cardinals with the Giants
 
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