2011 MLB Thread

[trevor13478 1]

I was going to make a post about the Dodgers' situation but saw we didn't have one of these going yet so here it is.

MLB takes control of the LA Dodgers

http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/mlb/news/story?id=6397488

[Chadd 916]

Obviously baseball can't survive in LA, we need to move them to Winnipeg

[gxc999 7]

And move the Marlins to Montreal too. That'll solve all of baseball's problems!

[Jason Harris 31]

Selig said yesterday that he believes expanded playoffs would occur next season. A second wild card team would be added, who would play the other wild card team to determine who advances. He didn't mention how long that series would be, but my guess is they would make it best of three. Any proposal, however, is subject to collective bargaining approval.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Before they add to the playoffs...I think baseball needs to knock a few games off the regular season schedule. In some markets, the "Boys Of Summer" start in cold snowy weather...and by the time the "October Classic" ends...we're naming Mr. November. It's kinda crazy.

[gxc999 7]

Before they add to the playoffs...I think baseball needs to knock a few games off the regular season schedule. In some markets, the "Boys Of Summer" start in cold snowy weather...and by the time the "October Classic" ends...we're naming Mr. November. It's kinda crazy.

I agree but it'll never happen. The traditionalists would throw a huge hissy fit.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

I spent this entire week watching every episode of Ken Burns' Baseball. Having a pennant race back in the day sure made the regular season exciting...now all you have to do is finish SECOND and you can still go to the WS? Lame.

[Jason Harris 31]

But that's exactly the reason they're considering adding another playoff team, JR, to add the flavor and excitement of a "pennant" race to more cities.

Right now, 8 of 30 teams make the playoffs; this would expand to 10 of 30. That would still be the lowest percentage of the four major sports, but the truth is I don't have a problem with sports leagues having slightly more than half. The regular season still has meaning, because it affects the seedings in the playoffs, while the playoffs don't lose any meaning, because lesser seeded teams beat higher seeded teams all the time. Look at the Grizzlies being up 2-1 on the Spurs in the NBA; even if they Spurs win the series, given their age, they now will be affected by having to play more games than most people assumed.

The bottom line is all of the leagues are spurred by increasing their revenues, and if adding one more team to the playoffs increases ticket sales in three more cities until the last team is decided, then mission accomplished from the league's perspective.

[mug25 2]

Obviously baseball can't survive in LA, we need to move them to Winnipeg

LMAO

I spent this entire week watching every episode of Ken Burns' Baseball. Having a pennant race back in the day sure made the regular season exciting...now all you have to do is finish SECOND and you can still go to the WS? Lame.

I have to agree with you. I wish it would revert back to the old way — I BARELY remember pre-Wild Card Baseball but just from old documentaries I came to the same realization as you did.

[Jason Harris 31]

So you two are basically saying it should go back to one winner for fifteen teams? Meaning that the pennant would probably be won 5-6 times by the Yankees, 2-3 times by the Red Sox (I assume they'd spend more in such a scenario), maybe 1-2 by the Angels, and then a random team or two every decade?

Can you imagine how many empty seats there would be in Cleveland, KC, Minnesota, Seattle, Oakland, etc. from August on?

You two are romanticizing this notion of a pennant race. Even Boston, which is now one of the best baseball cities, was a wasteland for twenty years until their pennant winning season of 1967, and the system has leaned decidedly toward larger market teams since then.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

I would've liked two divisions, like it was before the WC. But there's three, and one wild card. I get that. But expanding the WC for an additional round...nah.

[TeamHonda401 54]

MLB is in dire need of a change. Baseball is slowly but surely becoming more of an afterthought in the world of north american sports. I personally still love the game, but it needs a breath of fresh air. The same teams make the playoffs almost every year, the same teams get the wild card almost every year. Imagine how intense a three game series would be for the second wild-card teams. Remember the Rockies win-and-in game a couple years back? The White Sox and Twins going to extras to decide the winner of the division? That type of atmosphere would be present in the 2nd wild-card series of each league. Smaller teams starving for playoff baseball would have a chance to experience what it means to play in October. The fans of these teams that have gone most of their lives without seeing their team in the playoffs? Do it for them.

[mug25 2]

Sadly...modern fans want to see home runs. They dont appreciate things like stolen bases, hit & runs, well placed bunts, sac flys etc.,

No steroids = less HR's I guess.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Derek Jeter homers for hit #3000, and is 4-4 so far..

[RadioGaGa 162]

Looks like he's going to end the day 5-5, 2 doubles, 2 singles, HR, Stolen base. His only fault on the day was getting thrown out attempting a steal after his 8th inning single.

The YES guys are hilarious...the options for fan voting player of the game.

a - Derek

b - Jeter

c - #2

d - the Captain

LOL!

I can't believe that he is the first Yankee to get it. Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio...? these guys were no slouches. Makes it that much more amazing when you think only 28 guys in the 100+ years of baseball have gotten to 3000.

[mik3 1]

I'm a Yankees fan, I've always thought Jeter is very good but the intangibles and such were always overrated but, days like today are why he's going to be remembered 50 years from now. He looked absolutely atrocious in the swing before his fifth hit but he adjusted then got the hit that would eventually win the game.

Also, the dude who caught the ball was super classy, gave it right to the Yankees.

[RadioGaGa 162]

Okay, who else thought Jose Bautista hitting 54 HR last year was a 1 year fluke? I figured he'd be good again this year (40...maybe 42) but he's on pace to hit more than last year. Wow!

[bigdmac 12]

Okay, who else thought Jose Bautista hitting 54 HR last year was a 1 year fluke? I figured he'd be good again this year (40...maybe 42) but he's on pace to hit more than last year. Wow!

I love Bautista! I've had the chance to meet him a couple times, and he is a super nice guy. I hope he can get even more than 54 this year to prove to everyone that it wasn't a one year thing. Not only can he hit homeruns, but he's not to bad defensively either!

[Jason Harris 31]

How do you measure whether a team is collectively panicking as it races toward a playoff spot? Obviously, nearly giving up the largest September lead ever (8 1/2 games) is one way, but I think the following might be even more illustrative. In 135 games through the end of August, the Sox had 66 errors; in 24 games so far in September, they've had 26 errors! Couple that with at least three times being picked off the past week -- not caught stealing, but picked off -- and it's obvious this team's psyche is fragile.

[Steve_v3 289]

On September 2 there lead was 9 games. I don't like the Red Sox & I like the Orioles. So I'm loving the fact that the O's have a chance to keep them out of the playoffs. The best was last week when the play by play guy for the Sox (Don Orsillo) was talking about the Yankees lead in the east & how they were still trying to catch them.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

The Red Sox collapse is comical. LOL

[Jason Harris 31]

I wouldn't go so far as to call it comical, JR, because injuries played a large part. But there's no doubt they've sunk like a rock.

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Of course you wouldn't. You like the Red Sox.

[Jason Harris 31]

My buddies and I have been trading emails and we all agree we're no longer as invested emotionally after 2004 and 2007, so it doesn't bother us as much as you'd think it would. That said, I think "comical" is the wrong word because the injuries are what started the slide; for example, it's obvious they didn't want Wakefield in the rotation this season -- and probably won't have him on the playoff roster if they make it -- but they've had to rely on him the past three months.

Actually, when I think about it, the one comical is Lackey, One of the stations put up a graphic during last week's Spankee series comparing him to AJ Burnett, which makes some sense since their contracts are almost identical, but the difference is Burnett's one good season was during his contract year, whereas Lackey had had a few. However, he did have a shoulder injury before coming to the Red Sox, so reporters are wondering whether he's hurt, because otherwise it's unfathomable how badly he's fallen. Statistically, he's the worst Red Sox starter ever! And at one point he was the second worse starter in MLB this season. He'd better be hurt or else he should to admit to the mirror that he's too weak-minded to pitch in the AL East. He gave up 8 runs to the Yankees in 4 innings last week amid an epic implosion by the Sox, then glared at Francona for taking him out. That's funny!

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

LOL I guess you didn't hear what happened...

His wife has breast cancer. But right before the Sunday start, TMZ found out that Lackey had drawn up divorce papers, and someone sent Lackey a text message before he hit the field.

So let me get this straight...you're not as emotionally invested because they aren't a winning team? Fair-weather much?